I am not above bribery.

I used to think I was...but, as it turns out, I am not above bribery when it comes to parenting.  My little drama queen has been wanting to quit dance recently, specifically tap which she is trying out for the first time.  In general, she has been one to easily give up when things get too tough and most of the time these days she just looks so crabby and has a constant pout on her face because, according to her, things just are NOT turning out the way she would like in her life.  (Reminding her that she is only 9 and SURELY things are not THAT bad, doesn't help, btw)

Yesterday when I picked her up from tap I spoke with her teacher and it would seem there were 4-5 girls in the class that were pretty advanced and shouldn't have been in that class in the first place but they are now in another class more suited for their level.  So, Alyson's class is now down to 5 girls who are all beginners.  I also asked her teacher if she would show me some of the specific things they were working on in the class so that I could practice with Alyson at home -- yep, back in the day, I did some dancing myself...still have my tap shoes from when I was doing classes before Stevie was born (I may or may not be willing to share pictures at a later date.)  So, anyway, her teacher is going to write things down for me.  I figured Alyson would be happy with the change in class and with the fact that I would be spending time with her and helping her practice.

Instead of the "That is great Mom, can't wait to practice with you!" I was hoping for, her whole body just went limp and she slid down the car seat like a piece of jello.  (Isn't it amazing how their bodies can do that?!  My son was one who REALLY perfected that move!)  SO we had to have a little talk about bad attitudes, etc.  Didn't really get anywhere.

Then a few minutes later she asked if she could roller blade when we got home -- this after she had gone ON and ON about ALLLLL this homework she had (another reason to quit dance) -- and after telling her I didn't see how she could possibly have the time for roller blading with all that homework I learned just how exagerated her thinking was (not really surprised.)  Then she wanted me to actually go roller blading WITH her.  (OH CRAP!)

I have not roller bladed since before my car accident with left me with a metal plate and 5 screws in my right wrist (3 years ago)...and even before the accident I wasn't all that great at it after an unfortunate incident in the mid 90's that left me walking funny for a month.  Needless to say she was disappointed that I wasn't jumping at the idea of putting my roller blades on.  (Finally getting to the bribery part here...)  So, I told her if I put roller blades on and went around the neighborhood with her, she had to promise to change her attitude and be willing to go to dance and work at home with me and be positive about it rather than pouting and turning into a limp noodle.  She readily agreed and was all smiles.

I followed through with my part of the bargain and made sure that Alyson had plenty of instruction on how to call daddy, a neighbor and even 911 if necessary should mommy fall and break something.  I was feeling pretty good too...for awhile.  THEN it happened.

I didn't see the acorn in the road and I hit it head on which of course stopped my roller blading in it's tracks and I feel forward.  Thankfully the only thing I broke was a nail but I did manage to scrape up my knee even through my jeans and have a beautiful blue bruise to show for it this morning.  (Thank goodness for my wrist guards though -- whew!!)  My ever loving and supportive daughter took after her daddy in that brief moment when I fell and told me to "get up Mom, you're fine"  followed with a "I'll bet that hurt!" and a "good thing no one saw!"

Yep, it hurt...and I AM thankful there was no one around to see it!  LOL!

So now that I have kept up with my part of the bargain...crossing my fingers and nursing my bruised knee (and ego) that she will keep up with her part.  And for the record, I am way better at tap dancing than roller blading!

It's a LOVE/HATE thing.

I have been blog hopping a lot lately...fills in the empty minutes at work because unfortunately things have gotten slow.  So slow in fact that the already small office I work in has been made even smaller with some recent layoffs...my little brother being one of those layoffs unfortunately.  I do so miss seeing him everyday :(

So in the empty minutes, I blog hop.  It started when I was looking for ideas of the Witch's Ball my BFF and I throw in honor of Halloween and then because I am also looking for ideas for the bridal shower I am throwing in a few weeks for one of my sisters -- with no help from her other bridesmaids I might add (and no, I am NOT the maid of honor...but whatever!)  So, yes, back to the blog hopping...it is so completely addicting and before I know it a WHOLE LOT of minutes have gone by!  A person can really get lost out in Blog Land!

It is becoming a Love/Hate thing for me lately.  I just love all the amazing and wonderful ideas out there...but I hate that I don't have the time and energy to actually do most of them...kind of makes me feel like a bit of a failure in the creativitiy and homemaker department...hence another reason for the HATE side of the relationship!  I also hate that while I am inspired to do things to my own home I keep falling back on the "why bother" attitude since chances are high we won't be in our home much longer.  I know, I know, totally the wrong attitude to have and I AM working on it...I swear!  I did actually rearrange my daughter's bedroom and actually picked up some paint samples to potentially paint both of my kiddos rooms so they can enjoy it for the time left we have in our house...that's a pretty good start, I think.

I suppose I should actually get back to work.  I am crossing my fingers for a somewhat productive weekend....here's hoping!

A Little Lady

Alyson has been bugging me for quite some time to get her hair cut short.  I finally realized I was not going to be able to put her off anymore.  We went yesterday and after the hairdresser asked her several times if she was sure....

She went from this...

 to this...

The hairdresser had to hand me a box of tissues because I was crying from the first snip.  Alyson however was grinning from ear to ear and hasn't stopped since.  She has informed me that she feels like a whole new person with her new look.  She is growing up so fast!



Fresh Start Friday

I need a fresh start.  So today, I am giving myself one.  For too long lately I have just been "out of it".  I have felt so unhappy, unmotivated and like my life is just on PAUSE because of all the uncertainty that has been surrounding me.  I have been so paralyzed by it all that I just have not been able to move forward...or even sideways for that matter -- just haven't been able to do much of anything.  Even the things that normally cheer me up just haven't been cutting it lately.

I have been telling myself that I could do this or I should not do that because, well, we don't even know where we are going to be in the not so distant future.  Our dream house has turned into a nightmare because of the financial woes overtaking our country and then you factor in the sinkhole issue we have...bleck!  We are just stuck in PAUSE...not really sure how much longer or even IF we can stay in our house.  Wondering how much longer I will have a job just piles on the worry.  I have a 9 year old drama queen in my house too...I think my 11 year old son is the most stable out of us all...I suppose my husband could run a close second in that department...depending on the day ;)

There are two weddings coming up in my family too...one of my little sisters is getting married - this December 17th, in fact, and then my little brother is planning to tie the knot next May.  Wonderful reasons to celebrate...but stressful and expensive (yep, just throw that into the worry-cart too)

I tried taking a break from some of the things in my life but unfortunately, the only thing that has succeeded in doing is causing my friends to worry.

Last night though, I was talking to a friend, and while we are not in exactly the same situation in our lives there are some similarities and she made a few comments during our conversation that just really helped change the direction of my way of thinking.  Really simple things but finally, something that made sense to me and that could maybe even help me move forward instead of just being stuck on PAUSE.  It will take some time I am sure but I am determined to climb out of this black hole I have found myself in. 

So, I am giving myself permission to start over today.  I am making a fresh start.  I don't expect I have much of a following on my blog but at least by just putting it out there I am accountable to someone -- even if it is just Blogger! ;)

My first step is just to focus on the here and now and what I can do within and about that.  Seems simple enough, right?  Right.  Right?  Maybe not? 

I am a worry-wart by nature.  I think I may even be a bit of a control freak.  I like to have a plan and a list to go with that plan...I tend to be lost without those things.  And when things are so uncertain it is just that much harder to plan and make my list...and I just worry some more.

NOPE!  I can do this.  My first goal is just to enjoy my weekend...not going to stress about the house being a mess or the laundry or if the cat threw up again...nope, just going to enjoy my healthy family and the fact that we have a roof over our heads. 

I got this.

BOO!

Did I scare you? ;)  We cleaned out the garage this past weekend and so I brought out all the Halloween decorations.  Since I was in the spirit I made a little something to display in my foyer.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  The House of Paper got in the Girls Paperie Toil and Trouble line so it was perfect to dress up these $1 wooden frames from Michaels

kind of cute, right?

HOW do people do it?!

Sometimes I really hate reading peoples blogs, tweets and Facebook statuses...they end up leaving me feeling like such a failure.  I can never seem to find enough time to get to everything that I need to or that I want to.  HOW do they do it?  I find myself frustrated  more times than not because I can start something but then have the hardest time actually finishing something.  Is there a secret to balancing things that I just haven't figured out yet?!

Am I a glutton for punishment?

I love scrapbooking.  I love being creative.  I have a zillion ideas floating around in my (yep, I counted.).  I am great when it comes to COLLECTING all the items I need for any given idea.  I totally rock when it comes to STARTING any given idea.  However, when it comes to actually FINISHING a particular project that stemmed from one of these zillions of ideas...I just plain suck.  It's not that I don't WANT to finish  my projects...I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day to get to everything that needs to be done.

So, what do I do about this?  Well, I signed up for MORE ideas, of course!

Big Picture Scrapbooking is hosting a FREE Big Idea Festival...they had me at FREE!  Over the course of 13 days I am going to be subjected to 39 different project and layout ideas...so I guess that will give me a zillion and 39 swimming around in my head.  It would seem I am a firm believer in the fact that you just can't have too many ideas!

In honor of this class, and since I am now down to a 4 day work week, I am absolutely determined to finish at least 3 of my growing number of unfinished projects before my kids return to school again at the end of August.  Can I do it?

Who knows....?!
I am thinking there is a good chance this idea could end up becoming just another one of the zillions of ideas already in my head!
Ya think?

Trying something new this summer...

Got some bad news this week...seems the company I work for is struggling and so all employees have had to take a pay cut and go to a 4 day work week.  The 4 day work week is not so bad, I have to be honest...but that pay cut...well, that's a bitch!  We have had to rethink our plans for the summer and canceled a few things.  We have also committed to not eating anymore.  Hoping and praying that this will only be temporary.  At least I still have a job, right?

We are going to have to get a little creative when it comes to fun things to do, especially when Daddy works from home and is pretty much glued to his computer until 4pm.  At least with the 4 day work week I can have an entire day to spend with the kids and take advantage of some of the fun passes we, thankfully, already have and we can find some fun things to do together at home.

I just signed us up for a class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking:



We have decided to do this a family and I am rather looking forward to it.  Especially after I emailed the instructor asking if the class would be good for us moms who work full time and when she responded, she referred to me as a "supermom"...as the saying goes, "you had me at hello."  LOL!  I am excited to do this with the kids and do some scrapbooking WITH them rather than just ABOUT them.  Things should be interesting as well ;)

Coming Home

I love The Pioneer Woman and have spent many an hour exploring her blog where she shares amazing recipes, photo tips and I especially enjoyed reading the story of her and her Marlboro Man.  Right now she has a contest going on her blog with the theme of Coming Home.  The main reason for her doing this was as a way to honor our troops.  Please take a minute to go and view the photos that people have submitted.  They will truly touch your heart.  Click HERE to see Coming Home at The Pioneer Woman Blog

I personally, don't think our troops and their families get enough recognition for the sacrifices they make for our country.  Unfortunately, I believe too many people get so wrapped up in their version of politics and the real people of this country get lost on the sidelines.  Take a moment to say a prayer for our troops and their families...and next time you pass one on the street, stop and just tell them Thank You.

God Bless the USA.

Wanna see something cute?

So, last week Steve called me at work to tell me that he was sure he had heard kitten cries outside our office window but when he went outside to look, he couldn't find anything.  Then today he called to tell me he had solved the mystery...it seems the stray cat that we have been feeding and affectionately nicknamed Scraps  had kittens!  They are living right outside the front of our house.  This of course helps to solve another mystery -- the one as to whether or not Scraps was a boy or girl! ;)

Steve stumbled across Mama Scraps and her 4 kittens this morning as she was nursing them on our front porch.  I went looking for them once I got home from work today and, OH, they are just the sweetest little things.  Our best guess is that they are about 8 weeks old...and just so precious.  Mama Scraps is very protective of her little babies, as any good mother should be.  I kept my distance and just watched them play.

Here is Mama Scraps and one her little sweeties.

Two more of her babies...are they not the CUTEST things you have ever seen?

I think this one is my favorite.  Those eyes and the black on the nose...*sigh*...just melts my heart.  Stevie and Alyson are both rather partial to this one as well.

Again, that little black nosed kitty is so precious!

These two are so cute...looks like they are on safari!

Of course Alyson wants to bring one inside but with 2 cats in the house already...well, I don't think it will go over very well.  I do so wish we could bring them all inside though.  For now we will just do our best to take care of them and pray that they will be okay.  They have done pretty well so far which leaves me feeling optimistic.

Little bit of scrapping

Slowly trying to pull myself out of this dark hole I am in...thank goodness for scrapbooking and The House of Paper.  I was on for the Design Team this week and our theme was to scraplift a fellow Design Team member.  There is some amazing talent among the Interior Designers, I count myelf lucky to have been asked to be a part of the team.  All the ladies are so inspiring.  This week I chose Amanda and Chiara as my inspiration.

Amanda loves working with the Sassafrass Lass and I swear she is truly the Queen of Sass.  She brings it all together in such a way that you are just looking at her layouts going, "now why didn't I think of that?!"  So, I used the Sassafrass Nerdy Bird line to do this LO of my favorite little girl...

These pictures are from 2004.  She was wanting so badly to do some arts and crafts so I gave her a bunch of things to play with.  She told me she was going to make a scrapbook page ;)  She was very proud of herself...truly the sweetest little scrapper <3

Chiara is always so great when it comes to scrapping about the relationships in her life, especially the one with her husband and her kids.  I have to come to realize that I don't do that very often.  She had to LOs in particular where she scrapped about being a mom and after I came across a couple of pictures of Stevie and Alyson I decided to do a simple LO just letting them know how happy they make me.

These pictures are also from 2004.  The colors from the chalkboard reminded me immediately of the Lily Bee Hello Sunshine line.  My two little cuties wrote such a sweet little message to me telling me they "luved" me ;)  Even now, 6 years later, Alyson still writes me love notes...and they all mean just as much to me as the one before it.  They really are my everything and the best part of my life.

Can't breathe...

You know that moment when you get the wind knocked out of you and you just can't seem to breathe? 

That's me right now.

And there is a part of me that just doesn't feel like fighting to get it back.

Slacking...again

Do you ever notice that just as you start to get yourself on a new path something happens to knock you right off?!  Or maybe it only happens to me *eyes rolling*

I had made a decision to get myself back on track with my health and fitness as well as my creativity...then I got knocked flat on my butt by illness...ugh!  Talk about a pain in the ass! (hey, that pun was totally unintended...but pretty funny,eh? LOL!) *sigh*

Well, it's a Monday...in fact it is the first Monday in my 37th year...yep, that's right, I just celebrated my 37th birthday this past Wednesday.  Unfortunately I was sick and felt terrible but I knew Alyson would have been disappointed if we did not go out to dinner so I sucked it up and we headed to Outback Steakhouse (really, I need to remember NOT to go there again - bleck!)  My lovely daughter was happy to tell anyone and everyone who would listen that it was my birthday.  And, she also argued with anyone who tried to tell her that I was not turning 30 this year!  LOL!  She decided all on her own that I was 29 turning 30 -- she even argued with my mom about this just last night!  Gotta love that girl -- she certainly is a piece of work!

Despite being sick I had a nice birthday overall that I got to spend with both family and friends.  Got a couple of fun gifts which is always nice but I confess, my most favorite gift is my new scrap space from hubby!  I have been working hard at putting things together and getting everything organized and put away...hope to have some pictures to share soon.

Today I am also going to try and get back on that new path I mentioned...working towards getting back on track with my health and fitness...as well as my creative endeavors...keep your fingers crossed for me! ;)

A banner day?! (hardy-har-har!)

Banners are all the rage in scrapbooking these days it would seem.  So, since I like to be in the "cool crowd" I decided to follow along and make one of my own...and since Amanda made it a challenge over at The House of Paper well, what can I say...everyone else was jumping off the bridge so I did too! ;)  I kept it pretty simple and it was actually pretty easy once I figured out what exactly I wanted to do.  This is hanging on the door of my son's bedroom.  I opted to use brads to hold the flags together rather than ribbon so he would be a little more masculine.  The patterened paper is from the Orbit line by Crate and I cut the circles using my Cricut and the Mini Monograms Cartridge.  The letters are American Crafts Thickers -- although since I didn't have enough "E's" I actually used "3's" and just flipped them around.  My son loves it and now, as expected, my daughter is all over me about when I will have HERS done! ;)  Guess I better get busy on that one!

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?