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".

Cleaned up, Organized and Ready to SCRAP!

I bet my friend Susanne probably has one of the most organized scrap spaces out there...I have never seen it  but she is always the one who inspires me to get my own mess organized with her challenges.  I accepted her challenge once again and am feeling good about having gotten it done...AND by the deadline, too!

If you are a glutton for punishment, or just want a good laugh at my expense, you can see what my space looked like BEFORE I started working on it by click HERE to see the thread that was started over at The House of Paper (you will probably have to scroll down a bit)...my desk was such a mess I would typically end up out on the dining room table to scrap...oops!

Okay, so here is my newly cleaned up space...even my husband commented on how well it looked and how maybe he needed to get his butt in gear and clean up HIS corner of the office -- I could post pics, but I think we've had enough embarrassment with MINE!

This is my space when you initially walk into the room.  I think I have managed to find a space for most everything...just need to actually remember to get it back IN it's space when I am done with it...I think that is my biggest downfall.  For my birthday this year I am hoping to get one of the Expedit 5x5 shelves from IKEA and then get rid of the besk and credenza...the kids have the 4x4's in their rooms and I swear I have been trying to find a way to make at least one of them mine for YEARS now!  LOL!

I have a shelf in the closet where I keep all my stamps, ribbons and a good chunk of my embellies.  The embellishments are organized in the iris cart by theme/subject in gallon sized ziploc bags and each drawer is labeled.  For the most part it works for me.  I think I would like to consolidate things a bit more but will just do that one drawer at a time...or one ziploc bag at a time! ;)  I would love to be able to paint in the office but right now that is all on hold since we are just not sure if we will even still be in this particular house much longer...but I am thinking I may get a curtain rod or something to hang across the top of my desk to display some of my LOs to brighten things up.

Well...I am off to scrap!

It's all about STRENGTH in 2010

For the second year in a row I am picking one little word to inspire me throughout the year.  This year the word I have chosen is STRENGTH.  2010 is going to be a tough one I expect with a lot of uncertainty in the road.  Steve and I are going to have to rely on each other quite a bit I think. 

I actually did a LO about my inspiring word for 2010 that I plan to keep in a prominent place to keep me going through the year...

Journaling reads:

We are just days away from beginning a new year - 2010.
I expect this is going to be a tough year for our family with more than a few changes to come. My inspiring word for 2010 is STRENGTH. When things get tough I know I am going to need all the strength I can muster to keep moving forward with a smile on my face. Thankfully, I will have Steve by my side. He says “get knocked down 8 times, get up 9.” I have always admired his positive outlook no matter what the circumstances. This is something I have struggled with but I know that together we are stronger. As long as we stand together and hold our kids tight to us, we will have the strength to get through whatever this New Year will bring.

So...what's YOUR inspiring word for 2010?

House of Paper Design Team Call!

I am so proud to be a part of The House of Paper commmunity and prouder still to be a part of the Interior Design Team.  Now's your chance to become a part of a wonderful team of ladies as well as a fantastic group of scrappers who are always fun, friendly and encouraging.  You can see all the details on The House of Paper Blog.

Come on over...we love having company!

Brings tears to my eyes...

This little girl singing is Avery. She is Alyson's best friend and they first met when they were 4. We have always known that she could sing - her and Alyson are always singing together and writing songs.

She recently sang in church and we were just like WOW. Every time I watch this I get chill bumps and have to grab for a tissue! Such a beautiful voice on a such a beautiful little girl. So proud of her!

I just had to shar this...and now I need to find a tissue again.

Journaling my Christmas

I have been working on my Christmas Journal and finally got my first 3 entrees scanned in.  I am really enjoying doing the 6x6 size.  My pages are front and back so the left side of the picture is the front and the left is the back where I am doing my journaling.  If you click on the individual pics you can actually read the journaling.

December 1st --

December 2nd --

December 3rd

December 1st -- It's finally here!

Mornings can be pretty hectic around here...the kids never really want to go to school...I never really want to go to work...it is not uncommon to hear Steve have to remind the kids, especially Alyson, about what they need to be doing...get dressed, brush your teeth, shoes and sock, get your backpack...

THIS morning however was a little different -- at least as far as our little Diva goes ;)  She was up and dressed - including her shoes and socks and her teeth brushed...all before Steve could go in and remind her to get up.  Why?  Because it is December 1st...and she FINALLY got to start her Christmas Countdown Calendar -- which means she starts the day with a glorious piece of chocolate!  LOL!  You can still see the sleep in their eyes and Stevie isn't even close to being ready for school, BUT you can bet they both emjoyed their little piece of chocolate this morning!  I think it is safe to say that this is one of their most favorite traditions for this time of year ;)

I was feeling pretty excited about today myself actually...December 1st means I will have my first email from Shimelle and it is time to start my Christmas Journal! 

This will be my third year and I have been looking forward to it for weeks now. I have to admit, I have been like a kid, anxiously awaiting the start of this holiday season. I am not even really sure why -- but who cares?! ;)  Looking forward to getting my first page done in my journal tonight!  I am writing my manifesto.

Crank those Christmas tunes!  Fa La La La La...La La La La!

The Mayonnaise Jar and 2 Cups of Coffee

I have not posted anything for over a month.  I have been feeling overwhelmed with everything going on around me...working 40 hours a week, taking time for myself twice a week doing zumba, keeping up with all the kids' activities and school work while still trying to be a good wife...there never seems to be enough time.  Apparently I must say that a lot too.

Just this past week it was Parent Observation Week at the dance studio and so my husband and I got to watch Alyson in her first Acro Class and then watch both her and Stevie in Hip Hop together.  Alyson definitely has a long way to go in Acro class and Steve and I both agreed that I needed to try and work with her and my first response...."when am I going to have time for that?"  HOW do I make time for everything.

Then someone on another board posted this...and while I have heard it before, ironically enough - from my husband, the timing of the post was perfect for me and so I am posting it here.  One - so that I can finally get back into the swing of things on my blog again...and Two - so that I know right where to go next time I am feeling overwhelmed and wondering when I am going to have the time to "do it all"...

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class
and had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.


He then asked the students, if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured
them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.


He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.


The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else.


He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'


The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.


'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things - family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions –
Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.


The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --The small stuff.


'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.
The same goes for life.


If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.


So...
Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play With your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.
There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'


One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.


The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked'.
It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

I will not forget.

Today is NOT just like any other day.

I will remember all those lost 8 years ago today...I am thankful for all those who serve and protect this country every single day...I am praying for all them and their families.

I will NEVER forget.

God Bless America.

ME: the abridged version

I am starting an online class today over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. It is Cathy Z’s – ME: the abridged version. I love Cathy Z – she is witty and funny, very down to earth and her writing and scrapbooking style just speak to me. She keeps it casual and simple and that SO works for me! I know I don’t really scrap much about myself in my layouts so it seemed like this would be a good class for me.

Unfortunately, as I am going into this class, I seem to be surrounded by this “funk fog” – you know the kind…where you just feel sad, nothing seems right…things in my life seem so uncertain these days and I am having a hard time letting go of things I can not change. I struggle with the unknown…wondering where we will be in the next year or two. Chances are good that we will have to move at some point and that weighs heavily on my mind. We were so blessed to move into our dream home a few years back but then, as luck would have it, life took a turn we just really didn't expect. It’s not all bad really, but it makes it tough to find that little bit of security sometimes. Do you know what I mean? Maybe not.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Cathy’s video this morning – thankfully it was a quiet day at the office so I was able to watch at my desk this morning, sipping on my coffee. I love how she has broken things down and made this project seem just a little less overwhelming – I have hope that I may actually complete it! Something I am not very good at. I can start a project like nobody’s business – but then there always seems to come a point that I have a hard time getting past and then the project goes unfinished. Thankfully I know will find support with a couple of my roomies at The House of Paper -- there is a thread started on the message boards just for us who are taking the class…not to mention the message boards in the classroom at BPS. Surely I can do this…and find my way out of this “funk fog” as well…

My Little Shoebox

Have you seen the My Little Shoebox? It is fast becoming my new favorite. The papers are even yummier in person! I had fun playing with the Enjoy Life line in putting together this LO for the House of Paper blog -- hard to believe Alyson was so little. These pics were taken back in 2004. I think one of the best things about kids being that age is just watching their imagination take off every day...not exactly sure where she was going on this day but she was definitely having fun...

August Goodie Box

Sometimes Chiara sends the Design Team a Goodie Box that she puts together. She sends the same thing to 4 of us and then we all see what we can come up with...I love it! It's almost like Christmas when I get it in the mail. This month our goodie box looked like this:

Pretty right? Green and blue are my favorite colors...and I just love the lace cardstock from KI. I feel a little "out of it" lately when it comes to my scrapping so I am not feeling overly happy with my latest creations but this is what I came up with.

When I saw the "You & Me" I immediately thought of some pictures Steve and I had taken in South Carolina the other weekend. We spent a little time walking around and exploring the capital building then sat on a bench for a few in the shade...and of course I couldn't resist pulling the camera out so we could take a few self portraits.

When I originally started on this one it really was supposed to be a door hanger but then once I got the paper on it I didn't feel like cutting out the hole! LOL! I opted to make it more like a plaque and it is perfect for my scrap space which always seems to look like a tornado just blew through it! LOL!

You can check out what the rest of the Design Team did over in the House of Paper Designer Gallery

We got to meet Brian McKnight!

Steve and I headed up to Columbia, SC on Friday to attend his 20 year high school reunion. As we were checking into our hotel we ran into Brian McKnight! Steve and I are big fans of his! It was almost 1am, we had been driving for well over 7 hours but OMG - I was absolutely giddy! I took our bags up to the room while Steve parked the car. When he came up to the room he said Brian was hanging out in the lobby. I asked him if he was going to take the luggage cart all the way back to the lobby...his response was "hell, yeah!" LOL! So we took the cart back down and then kept nudging each other to go up to him...then chickened out and rode the elevator back up to the 6th floor but when the doors opened Steve said there was no way we could pass up this chance so he hit the #1 and we went back down. LOL! I am sure anyone watching would have thought us hysterical!

I will be forever grateful to my husband for walking over to Brian McKnight and saying hello. Brian was so very nice, extremely gracious with his time and seemed quite humble. He was surprised when I told him my favorite song of his is "I Belong to You". It is not one of his more popular tunes that was played on the radio - it is a beautiful song though. I honestly don't even remember what words were really spoken but I remember my whole body just shaking and me trying to just keep my hand still as we were shaking hands. I am pretty sure I may have even jumped up and down right before he agreed to take a picture with us! LOL!

The picture is definitely not one of my greatest looks but again, it WAS after 1am and we HAD been driving for over 7 hours...Steve and Brian look great though! I was still so giddy after this...I was pretty much bouncing off the walls until well after 3am! LOL!

CHECK IT OUT!

House of Paper has entered the blogging world...The House of Paper Blog is up!

I know the Design Team is very excited...can't wait to see what fun Chiara has in store for us all. We always have the best time on the Message Boards with the online crops and contests and just are daily chatting...I always start my day off with my coffee in hand the my House Roomies!

Check it out! :)

UGH!

Well, I am still in a slump as far as my creativity goes...could it be because my scrap space looks like a tornado came through ?!?! I just saw a quote yesterday though that read "Creative minds are seldom tidy" -- so maybe that isn't it. I really need to get on the ball...especially since I have some design team projects to get completed.

I posted a challenge today to the House of Paper's Get Your Groove Back Forum...would love to see what you can come up with. I have an idea brewing in my head for mine...hoping to get that done by the end of the week. If you do a LO and link it back here or post it to the Gallery at House of Paper I will enter your name in for a RAK from me.

Speaking of the House of Paper...you have to see what Chiara just stocked in the store today...the new Sassafrass Lass Me Likey Collection...just too cute and yummy for words!!

Well, I am going to see if maybe picking up a little after that said tornado might help me get the creative juices flowing...keep your fingers crossed for me and I will keep you posted! ;)

Just call me STELLA!

So far the summer has been pretty busy for me between working full-time, a 10 day road trip to SC, & VA, 4th of July and just trying to keep up with things on a daily basis...just seems to have sapped all my energy. It seems to have put me in a creative slump as well...and it has left me frustrated. I know that I am not the only one as it has been a popular saying amongst the gals over at the House of Paper. So we have started a Get Your Groove Back Challenge Forum and I am determined to get my groove on! It is not too late to join in....all the challenges will fun through until September 8th, 2009 since "not enough time" is also a common frustration as well.

I forced myself to tackle my first challenge last night which was to do a LO using a popular and trendy technique of clustering elements together. I made this Snow White LO using pictures from our visit to WDW with the kids -- it was our first time taking them and we flew down from Seattle. I remember how excited I was to be able to share my love of Disney with them both and Alyson has definitely followed in my footsteps over the years since then! The photos are from her very first princess encounter. Snow White was so sweet with Alyson and I wish I had photos of them talking and interacting but the boys were off somewhere else and the lady behind me was kind enough to take these 2 photos for me and I happy to at least have those. I used older stuff from my stash for this LO along with one of the new Say What Journaling Pieces from Little Yellow Bicycle - so very cool!

Well, I am off to see if I can work on my creative groove some more...amongst laundry, chores and getting ready for our Families Game Night that we are hosting tonight...should prove to be an enjoyable day despite the housework! ;)

A dance recital weekend

Alyson had her dance recital this weekend. I wasn't overly thrilled with her "costume" - I use the term loosely! And from what I had seen from her dance when she was practicing at home...well, I wasn't overly thrilled with that either. But THEN, I watched the dress rehearsal and I thought she was just too damn cute! The video is from her dress rehearsal - she did even better in the actual recital. (She starts out right in the front at first) There was one move I thought she needed a little more hip action on so we worked on that one! LOL! In the recital she looked right at me as she was doing it to make sure I approved! Love that girl!

Her and daddy participated in the "Father/Daughter" dance again this year as well. Just too damn cute for words! I know Steve thought it was a little cheesy but Alyson was absolutely over the moon to be up on stage with her daddy! I thought they were great! They even threw in their own ending as they exited the stage!

I just love the dance recitals! Next year should be even MORE fun as Alyson's big brother, Stevie has decided to give hip hop a shot as well! So he and Alyson are going to take a class together...and Alyson is also going to try an Acro class as well. I am already giddy about it! LOL! Can't wait til next year!