Five Favorites for Friday

In my recent blog hopping I have stumbled across a few who post a few of their favorite things on Fridays...so I am taking a cue from them and doing the same.  Maybe it will help get me out of this hole I have been in for the last few weeks.

I heard this song (above) on the way to work this morning...actually brought tears to my eyes.  I have always loved it but it touches my heart even more now that my husband and I have been together for so long...almost 16 years if you can believe that...and our 12th wedding anniversary is next month.  I hope that if we ever get a chance to renew our vows someday that we can dance to this song.

Athleta.com

My new favorite place to shop online.  I just purchased a bathing suit from there and while I don't look anything like the model in the picture the bathing suit fits like a dream!  I will definitely be ordering from them again in the future!

House of Paper

I love HOP and all the fantastic ladies who hang there.  We have a lot of laughs, everyone is so supportive of each other and always respectful...throw in the fact that the Gallery is always full of amazing inspiration and the store is chocked full of awesome scrapbooking goodies...really, could there be anything better?!

Jelly Beans....oh how I love this time of year when I can walk into a store and there are jelly beans on the shelf...my absolute favorite.  I keep a stash hidden at home and I confess, I don't share!  The other night my husband came across me digging into my hidden stash so I am thinking I may need to consider finding another spot to hide them.  Although since he tends to forget things I tell him easily perhaps he has already forgotten?

My goofy, crazy kids.  What would I do without them?  I love them more than they will ever know.  The give me purpose and help me strive to be a better person all around every day.

Happy Friday!

Needing a little Disney magic

Walt Disney World truly is my happy place.  These days we just can't swing the expense to go see Mickey and the rest of The Gang so I have to find a way to make my own Disney magic.  I have been feeling so bogged down and bummed out lately so I thought if I did a little scrapping about my happy place it might help.  Plus, Chiara is getting so much awesome new stuff in the store at House of Paper that I need to work harder at clearing things out so I can make room for it all! 

I pulled out some pictures from our January 2004 trip that we took when we were still living in Seattle.  That really was a dream vacation for me *s i g h* 
Anyway, so I put together a few simple LOs for our album that still isn't finished (6 years later!)...

We were lucky enough to come across Snow White and Sleeping Beauty just across the bride before you get to France in the Epcot World Showcase.  Alyson was actually wearing her Sleeping Beauty sweatshirt and Princess sneakers that day so her and Aurora had much to talk about ;)  Stevie was such a sport about visiting with the Princesses - he know how much his sister loves them and how much his mama likes to take pictures! ;)

The DinoRama part of Animal Kingdom is such a fun place for kids...and Daddy loves doing the carnival games with them.  Both Stevie and Alyson were lucky enough to win prizes that day so it was definitely a good time all around.  Disney scrapbooking layouts are absolutely my most favorite!

And speaking of House of Paper...if you are a scrapbooker and a fan of Sassafrass Lass then you definitely need to head over to The Blog and get details on the contest going on...you have a chance to win a CG to The House of Paper store...and like I said, she has all kinds of new things in the store already with lots more on the way!

Happy Scrapping!

Blog Hopping...

I should be working...but instead I have been doing a little blog hopping.  I came across this site and it was just too funny not to share.  I got sucked into it.  There really are some truly hysterical pictures...although they are mixed in with a few bizarre and sometimes disturbing images as well.  Kind of reminds me of a bad accident...you know, the kind where you just can't tear your eyes away.  How long before you are able to peel YOUR eyes away from these Awkward Family Photos?

Total Randomness...

I haven't blogged in awhile.  Honestly, haven't felt like there was much to say...and really, how many people actually read this anyway?!  I have been on such a roller coaster ride of emotions lately that is just seems best to keep to myself.  I know that life is full of ups and downs but for just a little while I would like to just be on the straight away...or better yet, spend a little time on the kiddie rides.

Have you ever been reading someone else's blog and just think to yourself, "man, I want THAT life!" ?  Or maybe it is just me.  There is one blog in particular that just pulls me in every time.  She is so fun and quirky, she seems to have such a carefree and happy life...her pictures are always so spectacular, her husband so supportive and fun and loving...I can't help but wonder if things are always so happy...surely they can't be?!  I can't help but wonder what it would be like to just have a week in a life like that.

I guess I sound like my life is miserable right now, but really it isn't...it is just so uncertain right now and it leaves me with such an uneasy and helpless feeling.  I very much love my husband, and even after almost 16 years together I am still *in* love with him...and my kids...well..they are my everything...if nothing else, they truly are my greatest accomplishment...some days THEY are what keep me putting one foot in front of the other.

Scrapbooking is something else that keeps me sane...sounds silly to someone who doesn't scrapbook but for those who do...well, I know you know what I mean.  When I am feeling lost to everything else around me and finding it hard to focus on the positive, sitting down and just working with a few pictures from a happy time can totally change my mood and my focus.  I am thankful too, to be apart of a such an amazing group of scrappers on the web at The House of Paper.  The focus of the Design Team this week was the song "We Are Family" and so one of the layouts I did I just focused on my little family...kept it simple...

Have I rambled on enough?  Guess I am just tossing some random thoughts out there.  I actually thought the roller coaster was letting me off at the next stop but it seems it is taking me up for another drop...hoping it will turn out better than I think.  I am ready for a relaxing trip along the lazy river...at least for a little bit.

I wasn't kidding when I called this post "Total Randomness".