"the littlest bird"

The Story:

My nest has three birds. I'd say baby birds, but they are not babies anymore. With Aaron off to junior high and Andrew in the throes of intermediate grades, Alex is the littlest bird on his way to second grade -- He'll be in my nest for awhile longer. . .

Alex is a funny kid. His kindergarten teacher told me all last year that, "He needs his own show!" His first grade teacher, who teaches right next door to me, has come over so many times this year laughing to tell me something funny he said. Without trying at all he can make us all laugh until we cry.

A couple of weeks ago he came into our room and hopped up on the bed between us and laid down. "Mommy, it's time to get up." I couldn't pry my eyes open, even though the alarm was going off. I opened one eye and looked at him and said, "I can't get up, you go to school and teach my class."

"Okay," he said. "Where do I find the Daily Warm-Up." Cha-Ching!

Later that morning before first bell rang he was on one of the computers in my room and I was headed to the workroom for something. He looked at me and said, "Hey, I thought you were going to sleep in." I bit the inside of my cheek on that one!

The Layout:

This layout uses Doodlebug paper for the background and that adorable bird paper from Basic Grey Lime Rickey for a photo mat.

I grunged the edges of the photo in Photoshop and brushed over the Ali Edwards words, "i just love you."

The little bird is the anime bird from Quickutz. I used my brand-new pink Quickutz Squeeze hand punch that I got as a gift on Scrapbook Weekend! Have I mentioned how awesome Scrapbook Weekend is at Simply Scrapbooks? :)

The plastic frame is from Making Memories, also picked up from Scrapbook Weekend. It was in the prize package I won.

In my quest to reuse packaging, I cut the black strip from a container that held a box lunch that Dave bought me a couple weeks ago. That container was cool because it had about three different textures that makes it extra handy for reuse. I made the stars from the clear packaging that my new Binderie from 7 Gypsies came it. I cut them on my Sizzix and stitched on them with red twine.

When I get packaging I think I can reuse, I cut it down to sizes manageable for storing. Recycling and reusing is challenging and fun.