For a Super Star Son

I’m excited for today’s project-once again! I hope you are all stock piling the amazing projects and gift ideas! What is there to NOT be excited about. I think we all love a dose of daily inspiration rigth?

Today’s peek is from Pam Imholz!

Here is what Pam had to say:

Lauren’s newest Pucker Up is one template that will quickly go on your must have list. Goes together easy-peasy, especially if you let the fabulous designer papers do part of the work for you 🙂

Be sure you stop by and see what Pam  has to share!

Now it is my turn!

This is a very special gift for my son Noah.

(sorry I didn’t get a photo of it inside. I had I all could do for my son to let me have it long enough to photograph!)

I used the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © stamp set/digital set,  and Boxed Lunch © template with the Lunch Box Cover © and some other Pretty Printables © digital paper!

I wanted to do something special to let him know how proud I am of him and that I think he is SUPER just the way he is!

The part in orange is WHY I am giving this to him. It is family related, so feel free to move past it if you wish to hear solely about the project.

I can tell you that my son Noah has had some medical issues the last few months. I contemplated sharing this but maybe some of you can relate! He began “ticking” around Christmas (come to find out it has been longer just not in such an obvious manner). It is anxiety/stress related. He begins blinking repeatedly. Sometimes to a point where you wonder if he can even SEE! This was very upsetting for me to witness and all I wanted to was to help Noah.

 We have been working with neurologists, our pediatrician and the school to help him develope more confidence and coping straegies for any stressful situations and to build his confidence (another reason for our garden!) I honestly didn’t want to just throw him on some pills, but teach him HOW to deal with his feelings, and learn it is OK to get upset.  The use of stress balls have REALLY helped!! We have also started him with s pecail counselor to help him with anxiety reducing strategies, games and confidence builders. Also ways to work out what stresses him out and why, and to help him realize “it’s OK to make mistakes”. While I’m not sure WHERE all the low confidence and need for perfection came in to play, as we are very encouraging parents, we are doing our best to help alleviate these feelings for Noah.

He has some areas where he feels he needs to be perfect, and that holds him back. He doesn’t like to make mistakes and this affects him DAILY. He like to always be the best at everything (wondering where he gets this from! LOL!). A lot for a little kid to take on. I often wonder how much our family situation with Alexa getting cancer, played into this. He had to become the “big boy” and care for his sisters. I was often SO focused on Alexa (even before the cancer) and her future that he somehow slipped through the cracks. That is a lot of guilt for another day, let me tell you! With Amber I had more time because the other 2 were in school, so she seems to excel in every aspect (see another reason I feel guilty about Noah!) I wasn’t home for like 9 months when Alexa got sick, so I missed a lot with him. AHHH! Anyway, I am doing everything I can to help Noah deal with daily feelings he has. Since he is aware of the ticking, as are his teachers it is easy for him and us to know he is getting upset and he needs to do something to help himself (or we help him work it out). He always received lots of praise and encouragement but he needs a little bit more these days. He is doing MUCH better than he was around the holidays since we figured all this out.  Noah has many of the same issues myself and my mother’s side has with needing things a certain way and whatnot so I understand how he feels. It is quite possible he will outgrow this, and as I said as he get more comfortable with dealing with things, it has already significantly decreased! I hope to continue this journey “med free”. It is working so far. Granted it is “work” but that is part of being parents right 😀 He is working hard and I couldn’t be prouder of him.

Please note: I want people to know I personally have nothing against medication. I think these things vary case by case and family to family. I am just sharing what we are personally experiencing and trying. Each person needs to do what is best for thier own family.  If we found that is what Noah needed to help him then we would do that. So far we are able to be helped without it.

One thing Noah LOVES is music! He is forever singing! So as a gift for all his hard work, in all aspects of his life, I bought him a MP3 Player, and we included a card to get some music for him to download! I thought this could be an additional fun way to de-stress for him too!

Now back to the gift set….

Reach for the stars

How cute is this?

I made my 3D version of Boxed Lunch © to match the stamped version of the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © on my card!

With the release of the Boxed Lunch ©, many of you saw my girly rainbow one, and many pondered if the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © stamp set and Boxed Lunch © template would favor a gift for a boy. Well I hope this gift I made opens the flood gates of possibilities and ideas! (I will have another masculine sample soon too :D)

I used the heart version of the  Lunch Box Covers © for my front panel! I had “cut out the heart, then layered the star on instead! I used the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © Digital set to make my Super! Star center image! (digitally colored too!)I was able to layer it on no problem. I printed the star twice, so I could have it be 3D! I then layered some additional papers to the panels to tie it into my card design.

I stampes the sentiment: Reach for the stars from the Lunch Box Love Notes Additions © set.

My template base was created using Rain Drop cardstock.

For my lid I printed the Alphabet Soup Collection 1, then created the lid! I printed a notepad piece of paper for the decorative layer on the lid and another of the decorative panel too! It is SO fun and easy peasy!

Now there are perfect cardstock handle pieces that come with this, but I wanted to share some options, so for this I just used some ribbon and brads!

The large button had a graph like pattern that is in my designer paper too! A perfect match! So I added that to appear to be my “closure”. This template stays closed on its own, but it is so fun to add stuff!

Now for the card

All the same papers and elements!

I used the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions ©  on my card 😀 I so love this set! I layered the cut lunchbox onto the panel of cardstock strips. The cover again is the heart from the set. I stamped the star image, cut it out, and layered it over the heart! So I was able to use the pattern, but not have to use the actual heart image.

I love the notepad paper. The sentiment reads: I’m so proud of you! Sorry it got washed out by the lighting

 I just love that! This is a great boy themed card/gift set.

This is a set I will turn to over and over all year long!

Supplies:

Pretty Packaging © template – Boxed Lunch

Pretty Impressions © Stamps- Lunch Box Love Notes © & Additions (scrylic & digital)

Pretty Printables © Digital Paper- Lunch Box Cover, Alphabet Soup 1 & 2, Get Graphic Collection 2, and School Ruled

Cardstock by Couture Cardstock: OSW White, Apple Cider, Acorn Squash, and Rain Drop

Ink: Momento/Sei

Buttons & stick pins by SEI, Ribbon by May Arts, Copic Markers, Stapler

Once again thank you for stopping by.

 There is still more to come (I know! Can you believe it?), and you won’t want to miss anything! So come back tomorrow for even more gift/card ideas 😀