Where have I been?

Loooong time - no bloggie!!!

I guess one could say I have been on hiatus. A small reprieve from netdom.


Here's what i have been up to (in no particular order)...

• Enjoying my new job at the school. Love the teachers I work with. super ladies!

• Joined a Stampin' Up stamp group - consisting of some of the wonderfully cool gals from the school. Love hanging out with them & creating fun little cards. (Although this newfound hobby is quite expensive!!!) But totally worth it. Making LOTS of cards. No pressure, just fun.

•Being a mom of a teenager. So far, not as bad as they say. Taylor is becoming quite a wonderful young lady. Our relationship is growing stronger. I think she actually like spending (al little) time with dear ol' mom.

• Being a mom of a preteen. Now, this is a bit tougher. I am not used to my little Madi being tempermental & moody.

• Watching Grey's Anatomy. LOVE this show!
And Heroes. super cool new show!
And Daybreak. Taye Diggs is fab! And this show is totally addictive. seriously.

That's about it. Nothing too exciting. Just taking time to regroup. Time for me. Totally needed.

I must have this...

Seriously

OK, Seriously...

... I am inspired just looking at this girl's scrap space. Seriously. I don't even have to see her work to be inspired. Although that really gets me going. Extreme talent. If you don't believe me, just check out her blog!

Pure Bliss....

... a Priority Mail envelope filled with stamps from Ma Vinci's Reliquary. YUM!!!

Ma Vinci is having a HUGE sale. I found it the other night & went wild!!! (Well, for me anyway. I spent $60!!!)

I've never owned any of her stamps before. I've just drooled over them. And wished I could own some. Now I do. I'm calling it an early Christmas gift. From me to me. Delicious rubbery goodness. Yeah.

If you want some, HURRY!!! The 50% Off Anniversary sale ends today!

As for me... I'm off to play...

Quotes...

...that speak to me today.

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
~Marianne Williamson



Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, 'I will try again tomorrow.'
~Mary Anne Radmacher-Hershey



The following quote was found on Kelly Angard's Crafty Girl Blog (So happy to see her back among us again!!)

"all my strength
blown away with a weakening force.
all that i fear i am
is nothing
compared to what i fear
i am not."

© 2006 kelly angard

Neat Stuff....

I have stumbled across quite a few really great sites today.
Why We Journal is a great site for inspiration in creating visual journals.

Women's Creativity gives insight into how a woman's creativity is generated.

Lots of Pictures ofArt Journal
PagesAnd Even More Art Journal Pages

Ever notice...

...how just being around certain people makes you want to be a better person? My friend, Kim does that for me. She doesn't even have to say anything or do anything in particular. It's just something about the way she is that offers hope. She is real. She is transparent. She admits when she makes mistakes. She tries to live better. She makes me want to live better. I'm so thankful that God allowed our paths to cross. I'm glad He chose her to be my friend.
Thanks, Kim... for just being you...

Catching up...

... long time no bloggie!!!

So here's what I've been up to in no particular order....


... Taylor's birthday.
I managed to get a few little gifties to her throughout the day.

A little card with a dove necklace in it first thing in the morning when she came down to breakfast. She must have liked it because she actually had it on when I came downstairs. (She is SUCH a morning person & ALWAYS wakes up before I do.)

I snuck another little note & a mood ring (she loves mood rings) into her lunchbox for her to find at lunchtime at school.

Then, I had a balloon bouquet delivered as soon as we got home from school. Not allowed to have them delivered to school anymore :(

Made her signature requested birthday dinner. Of all things, she chooses hamburger helper cheeseburger flavor. I can cook. Really. I hardly ever make hamburger helper. So I don't know why this is her favorite meal. Seriously. But she loves it.

Then, we went to the Dairy Queen for Ice Cream Cupcakes. Taylor LOVES Dairy Queen cakes.

I think she had a pretty good day. Not as special as I had hoped I could make it, but still good.

We took her and a friend shopping in Fairview Heights on Sunday. Had an awesome time. We got a good laugh because it's the first time we've gone there that I haven't stopped by the scrapbook stores. (That was soooo hard for me!!!) But this trip was all about Taylor. We shopped at TJ MAXX, Old Time Pottery, and of course, the mall!!! Found some cool clothes & room accessories for Taylor & Madi even got a couple of things. We ate at St. Louis Bread Company - Taylor's choice!

Her party wasn't until September 1. We rented the public pool. It was soooo cold!!!! Temperatures around here have been hovering around 78 during the day and high 50's low 60s at night. Totally out of character for Southern Illinois this time of year. We are usually burning up right now. go figure. BUT, the girls had an absolute blast anyway!!!! They played chicken & some kind of game with a ball & giggled a lot!!! And of all things, we had a Dairy Queen Cake. I would have preferred some chili & hot chocolate, myself. LOL! But, in the end, Taylor said her party was awesome!!! I am so glad they had a good time. They didn't let the cold bother them & made the best of it. Yay!!!


...Last Scrapper Standing. My Round 3 layout didn't move me to the next round. But, that was totally Ok with me. I never expected to move past the first round, let alone go to round 3. I accomplished what I had set out to do. To be motivated to get out of the serious slump I had been in. And in the process, my self-esteem was boosted by about a thousand notches. The girls at 2 Peas are amazing. They were so supportive of everyone. And the Dare girls...well for them to even take a second look at my work, let alone honor me with being in the final 89 entrants out of 400...WHOA! I am just overwhelmed. Thanks for the privilege.


...I entered some pages in the State Fair. Mainly so the girls could see thier faces on the wall when we og. They were always telling me I should have entered, so this year I did. I hear through the grapevine that I got some ribbons. But I've not been to the fair yet, so I don't know which pages or what ribbons. I am excited to be going tomorrow so I can find out!!!

...Still trying to house train Sophie. She is doing OK, I guess, but we're still having some accidents. Some days none at all & other days 8 or 9. And we are taking her out often. Ugh!!! She is only 13 weeks old, though, so I know it's gonna happen.
And YES. We are crate training. I'd hate to think how bad it would be if we weren't.

But, she is a wonderful, loveable puppy & I am so happy that we have her. She is a great addition to the family. I can't believe how fast she is growing, though! I can barely pick her up anymore!!!

Here's a pic from the day she came home with us...

and here's one of her just the other day...



...I am adapting to working full time again. My job itself is great. My time away from home, not so much. I just can't seem to get a handle on the preparing dinner plans in advance & keeping the housework caught up through the week things. Throw in soccer practice 2 nights a week (I am an assistant coach for the girls' team) and I am quite exhausted. But I am thankful for the job. It is not high stress & so far, the teachers & staff are quite pleasant to work with. Here's to more good days ahead!

Thirteen...

...today, Taylor became a a teenager. Amazing that time really does go as quickly as they say. One day, you have a brand new baby to cuddle & hold. A thumb-sucking little bundle of love. A few days later, you are watching them begin Kindergarten. Then Junior High. And then, they become a teenager. It just happens that fast. I have enjoyed watching her grow into a young lady and I am so proud of how responible she is becoming. I love that she is becoming her own person. I better enjoy each moment as it comes, because tomorrow, she'll be 16.....

LSS Round 3 Layout Posted

Dare # 3 Finished & Posted! Yay, me! I'll upload pics of these as soon as I get a chance, but for now, I'm linking to my gallery at 2 Peas.
Hip Chick

I just LOVE how this one came out. Gonna have to frame it, I think!

randomness...

... my new job at the school is going better than expected. i get to come home for lunch and let Sophie out.

... still wish i could be home scrapping, though. but that just doesn't pay well. (read not at all)

... trying to figure out what i'm gonna do to make Taylor's birthday special. It's this Wednesday. and she'll be 13!!! I have totally dropped the ball on this one. I had BIG plans & was not able to make any of it work out. so now I am scrambling to try to put something together. Turning 13 is a big deal & I feel like a total failure as a Mom right now for not having anything special going on. If just thinking about something & planning it out were enough, I'd be set. But, alas, no. One must actually take steps to DO something for it to be accomplished. I KNOW that. so why do I always end up in this spot? Rushing around like a big dope without a clue and no way or no time to do it. ugh. seriously.

Moving on.....

Yippee!!!! Going on to Round 3 of Last Scrapper Standing!!! (insert whooping & hollering & jumping & dancing here) OMGoodness!! I am totally freaking out here, people. seriously. I sincerely did not feel worthy this week. Nothing super special. Just me doing a page because it suited me. I loved it. My daughter loved it. That was all that mattered. I did not hold any hopes of being chosen to compete in the next round.

But , wow. The Dare girls must have thought it was good. I am still standing. Totally wow. Thank you girlies!! You have no idea how much my self esteem has been boosted. I am in debt to you. for real.

The next dare is circles. everything circles. hmmm... off to go jot down some ideas.
hugs!

Last Scrapper Standing Round 2

Finally completed my layout Wednesday afternoon. I didn't go with any of my "original" artsy ideas. I decided instead to work with Taylor's Spring Party photos. I am happy with how it turned out, although it is in no way efferlicious enough to grant me passage to round 3.
Essence of Beauty

But, hey! I only entered this contest to find a way out of the serious slump I was in. Mission Accomplished.

efferlicious!!!

i made it! woo-hoo! on to the next round of last scrapper standing! i am still numb. still can't believe it. there were nearly 400 entrants. i am in the final 185. wowzers.

i totally never ever expected to be chosen. this totally rocks. did a happy dance. hooped & hollered and screamed. then i called terry and did it all again. total happiness here. yeah.


and so...
the new dare is to do a layout using 13 photos. i can do that. right?

finished!!!!!

after much frustration & a darn good juggling act, i finished my entry for the effer's Last Scrapper Standing Contest.

Murphy's Law. Hate it. Especially when it affects me personally. LOL! But I overcame. I just let the art take me where it wished. and I created something so funky that it actually makes me smile. it's not AT ALL what i had envisioned it being. but it's growing on me.
Good To Be Queen

happy birthday to me...

... yep. today's the day I turn 35. am i doing anything to celebrate. nope. instead i have been cleaning my house so the realtor can show it this evening. i think we're all gonna go to the fairgrounds with the puppy during the showing. Terry left me a chocolate chip cookie with a candle in it on the kitchen table this morning. so very adorable. the girls both made cards for me. love them. mom left a big package on my porch this morning. Mary Engelbriet coffee mug, ME cherry dessert plates and some Lotion from Victoria's Secret. yummy.

i really need to be working on my entry for the effer contest. gotta find the mojo i had last night. i should have just stayed up and finished it then. today i am blah and worn out from straightening this house. and it wasn't even that messy. wish i had some mountain dew. that always gives me a kick in the pants.

So Excited...

My favorite scrapper ever now has a new blog!!
Rebecca Sower
She is amazing. I've been missing her lately. Glad to see her around again.

Messy...

I made some art paper yesterday. Crayons, heat gun & white paper. Had fun making a mess. I also managed to make some background sheets for my art journal. Used watercolors, acrylic paints, old book pages and tissue papers. I like the way some of them turned out. today, I did a little watercolor flower drawing. Not real impressed with it, but, hey. At least i did something.



In between time, I decided to try to organize my scrapbook papers. Recycling Shipping boxes into vertical paper storage. We'll see how that works out. For now, I've just got a huge mess. I really need the help of a professional organizer. The jumbled mess & mass of art supplies all attempting to be contained in the corner of my dining room just overwhelmes me sometimes. There must be a better way to utilize this space.
Seriously.

Feeling A Bit Better Today...

... After entering yesterdays post, I went over & posted an 2Ps. Since nobody really reads my blog, I needed to vent to some real people. It was difficult to put myself out there like that, and I didn't really expect much response, but WOW! I was overwhelmed at the support I received. I had myself a real good cry & managed to thank everyone for their kindness.

Although I hate to think that others go through this, it is comforting to know I am not alone in it. That others are willing to offer support when someone is down is such a refreshing thing. I am happy to be a part of such a wonderful group of people.

I seem to have awful days like that every so often. There's always one that is much worse than any others. I think hormones come into play and make it seem so much more devastating. But the feelings are still real.

I decided that the creative thing just wasn't going to happen for me & busied myself with other things. I started feeling a little better by evening. Actually went on a walk with Terry, then I took Madison to America's Night Out. We had a fun time. We caught up with some of her friends & we all participated in the Glow Stick Walk. I had fun just watching her enjoy herself. I only wish I had taken my camera. Oh, well.

Uggghhhh!!!

I want to do something creative. I really do. But rather than doing something, I sit & stew over details. Trying to plan it out. Afraid that I will do it wrong. Not knowing where to begin. Not knowing how to go with the flow. Instead of making something myself, spending hours pouring over things that others have done. Trying to be inspired. Knowing anything I do will never be that good. Making excuses... If only my scrap/art space was more organized, then I could find cool stuff to play with & then I would get a creative spurt. If I had this or that supply, then I could do something worthwhile. I drive myself crazy. I neeed to create something. I need to be productive. But i have forgotten how. I feel like i am in such a funk that I might as well just give up & forget about ever trying to create again. Why bother?!! I should trash all my papers & supplies & forget it. less stress involved in that.

I must say, i am beginning to understand why Van Gough went mad. Why so many great artists suffered from depression. (Not that i would dare compare myself with VanGough or any of the other greats!) The need to create something amazing. It's like an evil ulcer that eats away at your insides if you do not let it out. And once it is released, you feel good again for a while. But it always comes back. Clawing away inside again. Nagging. The inner critic is at it's best during these times. Telling me nothing i do will ever be right or good enough. That i will never be accepted in the scrapbooking world. That any art i might actually be able to create is amatuer at best. That I should not even try. I am so afraid that I will do it wrong. That I will mess something up. That others will see that I am a fake. That I really have no talent at all. That I pretend to be an artist, but i really am not. I've just gotten lucky a few times and was able to make something I was happy with.

How can I stop the madness? How can I overcome this? I wish I knew. I know that all of those things i tell myself are not true, but i don't have the strength to fight it most of the time. It's too hard.

But I can't stop the need. It's inside me. There must be a reason for that. Surely the creative desire was put in me for a purpose. I just have to keep trying. And allow myself to create bad art, if necessary, because all art is art. Even the not so great stuff. I need to keep on.

Kelly L. Watson: Paper Towel Tutorial

ThisKelly L. Watson: Paper Towel Tutoriallooks like a lot of fun. Simple, yet such beautiful results. Something to do with the girls tomorrow.

More Art Journal Inspiration

Just discovered a new artist. Teesha Moore. Love her Art Journals. Here's a link to How She Journals Print it out. It's good stuff.
And her pages. Wow.

I really need to do more of this. It's fun. I spend way too much time checking out other people's work & not enough time doing my own. But I just can't help myself. So many inspiring artists out there.

Art inspiration...

Magical Secrets

Cool Digi Designs

Erica Hernandez Designs

Having Fun...

Elsie inspired me with this post

She is so right.We shouldn't be so concerned with waht other people think. So why is it that we are? Something I've been trying to work on. and it's hard to do. My favorite times & the times I am happiest with myself are the times when I just let go and have fun. Not worrying about what people might think if they see a grown woman busting up laughing while playing hide-and-seek with friends at Sam's Club! LOL! Or pretending to moon friends who are driving next to me on a two lane highway! Or, like Elsie, jumping on the bed with a girlfriend. Or running my underwear with the prinicpal's name on it up the school flagpole during a scavenger hunt with a bunch of 10 year old girls and 2 others my age! tee-hee!!. (yes, Mr. Kreid knows i was involved in it...) I love Letting loose & having a blast. Why is it that I don't do that more often? Why do we hold so much back? For me, it's because I am afraid people will think I am nuts. or immature. or that i will say or do something to offend someone. or that i amy not be considered good enough, or worthy of making friends with. So I recede into myself & don't let anyone in. and i don't let anything out. That's not the real me. The real me hides inside & cowers under the pressure to please everyone else & "behave" like a "good little girl."

I was reading "Brilliant Quotes" and there was one that specifically made sense to me: (Paraphrasing the Brilliant quote) "I need a little insanity soon or I will go mad."
For me, that is so true. I need to let loose or the stresses of life will totally get me down. and i get in such a funk that it takes weeks to come out of it. sometimes longer. and right now, I think I might just go jump on the bed.....
Hugs!

RAKs and fun!

Here's the link to Jen's RAK blog!
Just thinking about...

Love, Love, Love this song!!!

So Long Self, by Mercy Me

Thankful...

... today i am thankful that i still have a brother. Too many near misses. And too many close calls. This time it was a motorcycle accident. a bad one. A 3 ton truck pulled out in front of him and the bike was totalled. My brother walked away with minor injuries. Prayer. it's a powerful thing. I have lost count the many times he should have been killed already. I'm holding on to the promise that God has something really great for his life. That's why he's still here. And to make me laugh. He can make me belly laugh more than anyone i know. i need those laughs. i get frustrated with him and irritated sometimes that he won't grow up. But i love him more than he will ever know. And I am glad that once again, he was protected. And I thank God for that.

Scrappy Girls

Found Francines blog Scrappy Girls through one of her posts at 2Ps. This girl is funky & fun!

Learning Photoshop...

Did a great little tutorial on Jessica Sprague's PS Friday blog. Drawing attention to catchlights. Loved how it turned out.
Here's my before picture...



And here it is after...

Photo Tips by Andie

Photo Tips by Andie
is a fabulous little how to blog. Thanks, Andie, for doing this! I know i will learn a lot.

Laughter - It really is the best medicine!!!

First... Maintain A Healthy Degree OF Insanity

With thanks to email circulars...

1. At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

2. Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

3. Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, Ask If They Want Fries with that.

4. Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label It "In."

5. Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso. 6. In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks,Write "For Smuggling Diamonds"

7. Finish All Your sentences with "In Accordance With The Prophecy."
8. Don't use any punctuation

9. As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk

10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

11. Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is "To Go."

12. Sing Along At The Opera.

13. Go To A Poetry Recital And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme

14. Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area And Play tropical sounds all day.

15. Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In The Mood.

16. Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

17. When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream "I Won!, I Won!"

18. When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling "Run For Your Lives, They're Loose!!"

19. Tell Your Children Over Dinner. "Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go."

20. And The Final Way To Keep A Healthy Level Of Insanity....... tell some of your friends to come read (and practice) these pearls of wisdom. Its Called. therapy!


And When the laughter has subsided, here's some more...
Who knows who this poor woman is, but I feel between gut-wrenching laughter, I felt trerrible for her!!! Here's her story...

WAX is Not your Friend>>>All hair removal methods have tricked women with their promises of>easy, painless removal - The epilady, scissors, razors, Nair and now...the>wax.>>My night began as any other normal weeknight. Come home, fix dinner,>play with the kids. I then had the thought that would ring painfully in my>mind for the next few hours: "Maybe I should pull the waxing kit out of>the medicine cabinet." So I headed to the site of my demise: the>bathroom.>>It was one of those "cold wax" kits. No melting a clump of hot wax,>you just rub the strips together in your hand, they get warm and you peel >them>apart and press them to your leg (or wherever else) and you pull the hair>right off. No muss, no fuss. How hard can it be? I mean, I'm not a genius,>but I am mechanically inclined enough to figure this out. (YA THINK!?!)>>So I pull one of the thin strips out. Its two strips facing each>other stuck together. Instead of rubbing them together, my genius kicks in >so I>get out the hair dryer and heat it to 1000 degrees. ("Cold wax,">yeah...right!)>>I lay the strip across my thigh. Hold the skin around it tight and>pull. It works! OK, so it wasn't the best feeling, but it wasn't too bad. I>can do this! Hair removal no longer eludes me! I am She-rah, fighter of all>wayward body hair and maker of smooth skin extraordinaire.>>With my next wax strip I move north. After checking on the kids, I>sneak back into the bathroom, for the ultimate hair fighting championship.>I drop my panties and place one foot on the toilet. Using the same>procedure, I apply the one strip across the right side of my bikini line, >covering>the right half of my *hoo-ha* and stretching down to the inside of my>butt cheek (Yes, it was a long strip) I inhale deeply and brace>myself....RRRRIIIPPP!!!!>>I'm blind!!! Blinded from pain!!!!....OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!! Vision>returning, I notice that I've only managed to pull off half the strip. >CRAP!!!>>Another deep breath and RRIIPP!! Everything is swirly and spotted. I>think I may pass out...must stay conscious...Do I hear crashing drums???>Breathe, breathe...OK, back to normal.>>I want to see my trophy - a wax covered strip, the one that has>caused me so much pain, with my hairy pelt sticking to it. I want to revel >in the>glory that is my triumph over body hair. I hold up the strip! There's no>hair on it. Where is the hair??? WHERE IS THE WAX???>>Slowly I ease my head down, foot still perched on the toilet. I see>the hair. The hair that should be on the strip. I touch. I am touching>wax.>>CRAP! I run my fingers over the most sensitive part of my body, which>is now covered in cold wax and matted hair. Then I make the next BIG>mistake...remember my foot is still propped up on the toilet? I know>I need to do something. So I put my foot down. DANG!!!!!!!! I hear the>slamming of a cell door. "hoo-ha"? Sealed shut!>>Butt?? Sealed shut! I penguin walk around the bathroom trying to>figure out what to do and think to myself "Please don't let me get the urge >to>poop. My head may pop off!" What can I do to melt the wax? Hot water!! Hot>water melts wax!!!>>I'll run the hottest water I can stand into the bathtub, get in,>immerse the wax-covered bits and the wax should melt and I can gently wipe >it>off, right??? WRONG!!!!!!!>>I get in the tub - the water is slightly hotter than that used to>torture prisoners of war or sterilize surgical equipment - I sit.>>Now, the only thing worse than having your nether regions glued>together is having them glued together and then glued to the bottom of the>tub...in scalding hot water. Which, by the way, doesn't melt cold wax.>>So, now I'm stuck to the bottom of the tub as though I had>cement-epoxied myself to the porcelain!!>>God bless the man who had convinced me a few months ago to have a>phone put in the bathroom!!!!!>>I call my friend, thinking surely she has waxed before and has some>secret of how to get me undone. It's a very good conversation starter - >"So,>my butt and who-ha are glued together to the bottom of the tub!">>There is a slight pause. She doesn't know any secret tricks for>removal but she does try to hide her laughter from me. She wants to know >exactly>where the wax is located, "Are we talking cheeks or who-ha?">>She's laughing out loud by now...I can hear her. I give her the>rundown and she suggests I call the number on the side of the box. >YEAH!!!!!>Right!! I should be the joke of someone else's night.>>While we go through various solutions. I resort to scraping the wax>off with a razor. Nothing feels better then to have your girlie goodies>covered in hot wax, glued shut, stuck to the tub in super hot water and >then>dry-shaving the sticky wax off!!>>By now the brain is not working, dignity has taken a major hike and>I'm pretty sure I'm going to need Post-Traumatic Stress counseling for>this event.>>My friend is still talking with me when I finally see my saving>grace....the lotion they give you to remove the excess wax. What do I >really have>to lose at this point? I rub some on and OH MY GOD!!!!!!!>>The scream probably woke the kids and scared the dickens out of my>friend. It's sooo painful, but I really don't care. "IT WORKS!! It works!!">>I get a hearty congratulation from my friend and she hangs up. I>successfully remove the remainder of the wax and then notice to my>grief and despair....THE HAIR IS STILL THERE.......ALL OF IT!!!!!!!!!!>>So I recklessly shave it off. Heck, I'm numb by now. Nothing hurts. I>could have amputated my own leg at this point.>>Next week, I'm going to try hair color......

This is GOOD!

A little quote AI found on the fiskars blog. Gotta love it!

Good motto to live by: “Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, margarita in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming – Woo Hoo what a ride!”

Live life. Love life. Scrap life.

Photoshop Friday

Photoshop Friday Gotta Love Jessica Sprague for doing this blog. Get your photos ready & learn some cool tricks!

Wanna win something good?

Visit Ana's Blog for a chance to win a trip to Scrapbook Answers getaway!!! Woo-Hoo!

Consider this....

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
- Anna Quindlen


Deep? Yes. True? Absolutely. Worth it? Definately.
Gonna work on it.

My new baby...

Totally can't believe I didn't post before. I got a brand spankin' new Canon S2 IS for Mother's Day. Yeah, I know. I had my heart set on a Digital Rebel XT, but I just couldn't justify spending the money (see previous post about DH's laptop). I did LOTS of research & found that I could get awesome shots with the S2. I can't change the lenses, but this baby has 12x zoom! I can hone in on a license plate 4 blocks away & it's crystal clear.
Oh, and this darlin' has awesome video capabilities, too! Great for me since my video camera gave up the ghost like 2 weeks before I bought the S2.
I'm still trying to figure out all the bells and whistles, but so far I'm lovin' it!

Woo Hoo! Finally got one!!!

A Fiskars Drill! Been lookin' for one of those babies for 3 months! And did I find it a a scrapbook store... nope! Lowes? Nope. Home Depot? Nope.
Found it at Ace Hardware. Got the only one they had. So it's not acool green color like Donna D.'s, but hey. Black is in, right?
Now I just gotta find something to use it on...

SpragueBlog

SpragueBlog

Is this kewl of what?!?

You can try it here

Digi tutorial blog

OK. So I now have Photoshop 7 and I'm ready to delve into the marvelous world of Digi-Scraping. But I have no idea where to start. I just happened upon Digital Designing With Jen through a link from digital designer website. Gotta love it!

Laptop Heaven

Bought Terry a laptop forhis birthday/Father's Day. He's been wishing for one for about four years now. Last week I found a used Pismo on eBay & managed to win the auction without going overboard. After much anticipation, Fed-Ex finaly delivered it last evening.
This thing is wonderful! Yep! I'm using it to post this. Why wouldn't I? First, Terry is at work, so it's mine ALL DAY!!!! Second, although I love my iMac G5 with the 17" screen, I can't lounge with my feet up and use the iMac. (Sorry iMac. I still love you. But you may not see me for awhile.)
This baby is equipped with an Airport Card for wireless networking, which is awesome!!! Love it! And although it's only a G3, there's really not a significant decrease in speed over my G5. I'm thinking I should've found a way to get this a long time ago! I think I'm in Heaven. Yes, I know. It wasn't supposed to make ME this happy. It was to make HIM happy. Double-Joy!! It's just gonna be hard to give it up when he comes home from work. He may have to wrestle it away from me. tee-hee!

Have you heard...

Tyrone Wells? He's got to be one of the most awesome singer/songwriters who hasn't been totally discovered yet. Amazingly blended pop/soul/rock sound! Trust me... he WILL be famous one day SOON! Tyrone is totally down-to-earth and real, both in his music and in his life. He has opened for the likes of Audio Adrenaline and Jars of Clay and his music has been featured on Number3s, One Tree Hill and Wildfire as well as numerous other shows.

How did I discover him? You might ask. It seems the folks at MacAddict have discovered the beautiful sound that is Tyrone & featured him on two of their discs. May 2005 and November 05. I just stuck the November disc in my Mac this morning & Bam! Super Awesome song coming through my speakers! I was an instant fan! Had to Google and find out more about him. Let me tell you. If you enjoy a soulful, smooth voice backed by a band just as awesome as the singer, you gotta check out Tyrone Wells.

The click.

Gonna have to spend some time atThe click. when I get my new Rebel!!!

Awesome Photography

I am so inspired by Tara Whitney (Her photos are so fun!)
And Jamie Waters Great stuff!

Gotta Love this Blog

Loads of Mp3s here
They review music & post songs for your enjoyment! Way cool!

Random stuff....

Just a few cool sites for inspiration today...

Shimille's site is really full of art journal style scrapbooking.written down

And I love Tia Bennet's site, too!

Gotta love the designs here.
and here Rhonna Farrer Cafe Press

And more inspiration Carrie Owens

Neat paper bag albums here

Growing up

Taylor's Spring Party is tonight. I put her hair in an updo and she asked me to do her make-up and nails (Although she does a wonderful job of doing them herself any other day.)
And I made her a purse this evening, too! Scrapbook style! (I only had like 10 minutes to find the blank bag, find the accessories & make this. eeek!)
We really had way too much fun doin' her up. But it struck me really hard that she is growing up. fast.

We bought her dress and shoes & accessories last weekend. But it wasn't until she put everything on and was ready to go that it hit me. My eyes welled up with tears because I'm just not ready yet for her to be a young lady instead of a little girl. Where did the years go? She's 12 now, but tomorrow she could be 20. It is going by that quickly.


Of course, I had to suck it up and not let her see me cry. I wouldn't want her to think I was silly. Just wait, though. One day, when she has children, she'll understand.

I took lots of pictures. That made it worse. That's the problem with digital cameras. I can see the results right away & realize that she is beautiful. She's not just a cute little girl anymore. She's a beautiful young lady. Wow. I am so proud of her, though. She has such an gorgeous soul. It really does make her especially lovely. Her eyes just shine.
I know I can't stop her from growing up. But I can savor this day, and the next, until forever, because no matter how old she becomes, she will always be my little girl. I'm gonna hold on to that.

CKC Rocked!!!!

Whew!!!
I don't think I've caught up on my sleep yet, byt I had an awesomely wonderful time at CKC this past weekend!!
I was a total celebrity stalker & got to meet Elsie (she is so sweet!!!)
and the fabulous Donna Downey, too! Talked with her more than once! I even won one of her books at the Friday night crop! And she was the one who drew my name. How awesome is that?!?
Volunteered For CK Friday afternoon. Worked in the Door Prize booth. I enjoyed it. Next time I hope I get to be a teacher's aide. That would be so fun, too!
Worked in the Dollar Scrapbooking booth on Saturday. Whew! That place was hoppin' the entire time!
Didn't leave myself near enough time for shopping & make & takes. I'll know how to better schedule my time next go 'round.
I think my absolute favorite thing was the 2 Peas Pubster Dinner Saturday night. We went to Ruby Tuesday's & Mary Jo had gotten so many donations for goody bags it was unbelievable! I sat by Tammy T. and Julia and Jen. these ladies are awesome! I only wish I had gotten to talk with more of the ladies there. Thanks, Mary Jo for arranging the dinner. You're the best!
So happy I went.

Packing for CKC!!!

I really can't believe I'm goin to CKC! I made my reservations back in december. Since then it hasn't seemed real that I'm actually going. But here I am a day away & it's time to pack. Actually, that's what I should be doing right now. Packing. But, I'm not. I'm on this computer blogging and posting a 2 P's and finding out who I have classes with. Maybe when it's Friday morning & I still don't know where I put my favorite pants that I planned on taking because they are so comfortable, I might realize that i just better kick it in gear because I gotta be to Elsie's class in like 2 hours!!!
Oh, man! I am so excited.
I did get most of my supplies packed this evening. I still don't know what I'm gonna do with all the time at the Friday night crop. I've never been to a crop. Don't think it's even remotely possible for me to actually do a page, so I'm not taking page stuff. I'm gonna work on my All about me album from QVC. We'll see. Maybe I'll just walk around & see what everyone else is doing. Maybe I'll just give up the pipe dream & go backk to my hotel room & veg. We'll see.
For now, I gotta go try to at least drag out my suitcase.....

Found This Blog

From a post at 2 Peas. A Life Unrehearsed
Gotta stop by there often. very inspiring

A new blog to visit

I visited This Pea's Blog Really neat. Great links, too!

Talking Cats

Freakin' hilarious!

Need A Good Laugh?

Check out Anne Taintor's stuff

I was laughing so hard I cried! I have made sarcastic little ATC's like this before, but hers are priceless!

I want THESE!!!

James Blunt!

The Beautiful video - LOVE LOVE LOVE this song!!!!!!!

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL (James Blunt)

Video Code provided by VideoCodeZone.Com

Wanna smile?

You gotta take a look atthis video of Laughing Babies

It's gotta be the cutest thing I've seen in a while!

Random stuff from the past month

OK, so I am a terrible blogger!!!!
But here's what's been going on for the past month.

Tried out for a couple of design teams. Made the finals in one, but didn't win. It was really fun trying out, though, because it challenged me to try new things & I got some pages comleted. It was worth it. I'll probably try out again. Hopefully one of these times, I'll make it.

Been participating in ATC swaps. So fun. Love those little pieces of artwork.

Having a blast with my Collage Journal. No rules. Just art for art's sake. Good or bad, It's inspiring. Gets the brain and hands moving & frees up the creative juices. Lovin' it.

Getting excited about going to CKC. I get to volunteer one of the days, so I look forward to that. Can't wait to meet Elsie F. and Donna Downey.

Madison has become quite the socialite lately. Lots of new friends and these girls get along so well. There's about 12 of them that hang out together. Love that she has so many good friends. But that means lots of parties & get togethers! So fun!

Logan invited Madi & a couple of other girls to go to Libby Lou in Fairview Heights to celebrate Logan's birthday. Madi had never been before. I sent my camera for pictures. What a great place! those girls were hyped!

Judy M. had a "Spa Night" Sleepover for Kaitlynn's birthday party. She had some of us moms come & do manicures, pedicures and makeup and there was a massage table, too. She even had a local hairdresser come & give the girls up-dos. Then they had a fashion show with formal gowns. The girls had a blast. Karaoke was the hit of the party. No shyness in that room!

Callie P's 10th birthday party was last weekend. Stacy planned out a scavenger hunt and sleepover for the girls. Stacy & Judy M. & I were the "adults" of the group. We only had 5 girls, so we all went as one team. Judy hid the clues about town & the girls had to work together to figure them out. Well, there were 8 of us piled in a 7 passenger van - I got to straddle the middle 2 seats - and Stacy threw in some "missions" for the girls to accomplish. One was to walk around the town square backwards, another to do a Chinese firedrill in front of the Chinese restaurant and also to get a signature from a grandparent. Sound simple, right? Most of them were, except the grandparent signature. Nobody was home. We finally went to my mom's house & Madi had to go in alone.... Mum was in the tub!!! But she got the signature!
Then there's the little underwear up the school flagpole incident. I plead the 5th!!!
Can anybody say "bad influence?" tee hee hee! Good thing the principal is good natured and has a sense of humor! Then the girls went back to Callie's for a night of movies, food, karaoke and more fun!

Taylor's social life has been more low key. Just hanging out, talking on the phone (a lot), instant messaging & a few vollyball games. She likes eing a homebody. That's OK, too though. I like having her around.

That's all I can think of right now. Maybe I'll be a better blogger & post more often from now on. I'll work on that!

Fun Stuff!

Great Inspiration here. Might even have to join some of the ATC swaps!
Artella's ATC Swap Land

Art Party

So, the party went well!

The girls had a blast creating collage ATCs and even did a self-portrait ATC. They kept their own Self-portraits. Some of the girls just couldn't part with their own creations, so they chose to keep them rather than trading, but hey, that's OK, right! It's the fun & the creativity that matters.

The sundae bar was a big hit. Especially the whipped cream. Let's just say that some initiation took place! One of the other moms got plastered with the stuff more than once! What fun!

We had 11 girls total. And they really came up with some creative stuff. Wish I had taken more pictures, but there's only one of me....

Hope to do this again with the girls. Loved it!

Birthday Party

Having a birthday party today for Madison. We are doing an Art Party. The girls will be creating ATCs. Then will have a Sundae Bar. 12 girls. Fourth Grade. I think it will be a blast!

It's so cool that Madison chose to have this type of party. I can't wait to see what cool creations they all come up with. The hard part will probably be getting them to trade their cards with the others. I am going to let them choose one of their own to keep, then they can choose to trade as many of the others that they wish.

Off to get things ready!

cleaning day

Spent most all of today cleaning out my closet and drawers. I can't believe how many clothes and shoes I have that I never wear. Some of that stuff has been in there for years. No wonder I had no room to put my clothes I wear all the time. Sad thing is, after cleaning & sorting out for hours, my closet is still full. 3 trashbags full of throw away stuff and 8 bags for Salvation Army and I still have WAY too many clothes. And I haven't even been through all my drawers yet. sheesh!

Gonna have to save the rest for another day. I'm pooped!

inspiration

Been discovering via Keri Smith, Aisling, and Sark,. Very inspiring and artistic women. Totally different styles. Excellent ideas and activities to spark the creative juices!

So I went out and bought an old book at the library to make a collage journal. Just something to get the mind and hands working together. Kinda like warm-ups before exercising. Came home and did a page - no worries about how it would turn out. No planning. No rules! Just painting, cutting, pasting & having fun. And you know what? It was FUN!

Stuck

I am in such a rut... Why is it that on the days I have time to be creative, I have no creativity. And on the days I have no "me" time, I have creative urges all day long. So Frustrating. I have the need to release creativity, but it just won't come. Spinning my wheels. That's what it feels like... Just stuck.

CKC!!!!

CKC is coming & I get to go!!! I am soooo excited! First of all, I can't believe CK is coming to Collinsville, and Second, I can't believe I actually get to go! This rocks big time! I am just to pumped for words! Woo- hoo! I registered for classes & booked my room as soon as possible before I or DH could change our minds. Of course, I have buyers remorse a little bit. It's a lot of money. But I'll get over it, I'm sure! LOL!

sudoku

I am so hooked on these puzzles! Challenging, yet fun. I like to think of it as exercise for my brain. LOL! I love logic puzzles, so this is right up my alley. Madison & I have found a new game to play together. And that makes it even more fun. Having a shared interest. Isn't that what it's all about, anyway? Enjoying something with someone you love. Nothin' could be better than that!

Yea! I did a page today!

This is my attempt to be "artsy." It's my version of Effer Dare #12 - Get all Artsy. OK, so it's not great, but hey, I have trouble drawing stick figures! LOL!
I think it still needs something. (I have trouble with blank space) Maybe I'll add some pink paint around the edges? hmmm...

Today

I am determined to do some scrapbooking. If I can just drag myself away from the computer long enough, that is. It seems I always have good intentions, but I always find something else taking up my time. Well, today, I am going to scrap first. That is my plan anyway! ....toodles!

A quote that every scrapper should contemplate...

I read this Anna Quindlen quote on Ali E.'s blog & I just had to post it so i could read it every day if needed...


" ...but the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three on them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less." ~Anna Quindlen

Wow. This is how I feel. I seem to remember moments, but not details. I really have to take time to let it all soak in. My girls are growing up so fast & I have forgotten some of the little details I wish I could remember. The little things they used to say when they were little... Madi said some really interesting and insightful things, I remember that, but not what those things were. Taylor used to have her own special words she would use when she was referring to certain things. Words that only she, her father & I were privy to. Only we knew what she meant. It was like our own special language. At the time, I always thought "that was sooo adorable, I'll remember that forever." But you know, what? I don't remember. And it's frustrating. It's too late now to go back and record those things, but it's not too late to make note of the little details that I notice from now on. I'm gonna do just that. Even if it seems too incidental, I know I will cherish it years from now, when I want to look back fondly on their younger years.