You Are a Conservative Chick |
 Like Elizabeth Hasselbeck and Ann Coulter, you're conservative and proud of it. You speak your mind, even if everyone else around you disagrees. As you see it, you have to stand up for traditional values and what's right. |
Friday, February 22, 2008
I'm conservative, what a surprise!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Needle needle needle
I finished a layout of my new knitting projects!
I'm going to make another iPod cover for Rob, and then start a doll dress for Heidi's Bitty Baby. :-)
Here's another one of my Power Panther experience:
Credits: Heart Song by Traci Reed, Date Stamp by Amber Clegg, DJB Kelli font
Credits: Urban Vintage by Traci Reed, Date Bits 2 by Misty Cato, DJB Kelli font
I'm going to make another iPod cover for Rob, and then start a doll dress for Heidi's Bitty Baby. :-)
Here's another one of my Power Panther experience:
Credits: Heart Song by Traci Reed, Date Stamp by Amber Clegg, DJB Kelli fontSunday, February 17, 2008
Crazy Week
Oy...I'm glad we are starting another week. I don't have the energy to actually write out everything that happened, so I'm making a list.
~ Mom took the girls for the day on Tuesday. I visited my knitting store and got some advice.
~ Worked at church on Wednesday. Sang at two Lenten services and went to Knit Night to meet some other knitters. Finished my hat but it didn't fit! Had to rip it all out and start again.
~ Played Power Panther on Thursday - very fun! Rob brought me flowers, a card and a new iPod for Valentine's Day. I couldn't give him his "gift" because I can't print right now at home. Sigh.
~ Friday was a long day. Rob had to work at the basketball tournament. During the day, Gretchen colored her headboard with crayons, painted herself and her porcelain with a body stamp thingie, and both of them snuck Valentine candy.
~ While playing in their bedroom, the girls managed to unlock and open a window, through dolls clothes out onto the roof and planned to climb out to get them. Luckily, Heidi told me before they ventured out. They spent the rest of the day in their room, after I removed all toys and stuffed animals. I stayed in my room so they couldn't pull anymore stunts. We canceled the babysitter and subsequent date night we had planned. That stunk.
~ Today we stayed home from church, as I have a cold and feel yucky and Gretchen kept telling me she was going to through up. They were good all afternoon, so we went roller skating tonight. Heidi seemed to have fun, but Gretchen reached her limit after an hour and started to melt down. One of the boys from their class (a wild, out of control little thing who is never supervised by his parents) decided to kiss Heidi on the cheek. She was really embarrassed. I wanted to clock that kid.
~ Our washing machine died today too, so I ended up washing a load by hand. Looks like I'm making a trip to the laundromat tomorrow.
~ No school tomorrow due to President's Day. Too bad, 'cause I love routine!
~ Mom took the girls for the day on Tuesday. I visited my knitting store and got some advice.
~ Worked at church on Wednesday. Sang at two Lenten services and went to Knit Night to meet some other knitters. Finished my hat but it didn't fit! Had to rip it all out and start again.
~ Played Power Panther on Thursday - very fun! Rob brought me flowers, a card and a new iPod for Valentine's Day. I couldn't give him his "gift" because I can't print right now at home. Sigh.
~ Friday was a long day. Rob had to work at the basketball tournament. During the day, Gretchen colored her headboard with crayons, painted herself and her porcelain with a body stamp thingie, and both of them snuck Valentine candy.
~ While playing in their bedroom, the girls managed to unlock and open a window, through dolls clothes out onto the roof and planned to climb out to get them. Luckily, Heidi told me before they ventured out. They spent the rest of the day in their room, after I removed all toys and stuffed animals. I stayed in my room so they couldn't pull anymore stunts. We canceled the babysitter and subsequent date night we had planned. That stunk.
~ Today we stayed home from church, as I have a cold and feel yucky and Gretchen kept telling me she was going to through up. They were good all afternoon, so we went roller skating tonight. Heidi seemed to have fun, but Gretchen reached her limit after an hour and started to melt down. One of the boys from their class (a wild, out of control little thing who is never supervised by his parents) decided to kiss Heidi on the cheek. She was really embarrassed. I wanted to clock that kid.
~ Our washing machine died today too, so I ended up washing a load by hand. Looks like I'm making a trip to the laundromat tomorrow.
~ No school tomorrow due to President's Day. Too bad, 'cause I love routine!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
I have a new hobby
It's amazing how one thing can distract you from another. I've been digiscrapping for about 3 years now and still love it, but sometimes I get in a rut and get a little bored with it. I've been wanting to learn how to knit for so long, and I finally went and bought some yarn and needles and figured I'd give it a try. This is where I was reminded of the real value of face to face, personal interaction, rather than just the Internet.
I went to You Tube to find some videos on the basic procedures for slips knots, casting, knit stitch and purl stitches. I found some really good ones, and they were really helpful. So I decided to go for and and began making something that kind of resembled a scarf. It wasn't really supposed to be anything specific, but more so just to practice the stitches. It came out pretty garbled looking and really pretty ugly! LOL
Yesterday I went to the little knitting shop which is literally right around the corner from my house, hoping to find some guidance. Mom had the kids for the day, and I wanted to take a little time for myself...yay! The shop is so warm, cozy and inviting. There is nothing like being able to touch and see all the yarns, and talk to the owner who is so knowledgeable about all things yarn. A lady, who reminded me a lot of my Grandma, took me around the store and answered all my questions. I wanted to make a hat (which I'm realizing now is more of an intermediate project...oh well), and she set me up with a pattern the yarn and the needles I would need. I sat down with her and she supervised me casting on and knitting a couple of rows. It was so cool to have someone who was willing to take the time to teach me, and it feels good to be supporting a local business rather than getting my supplies at Walmart.
I'm going to try to remember to take photos along the way, so I can document my first official knitting project. :-) I'm probably the only one who is truly excited by this, but I don't care...it's fun!
I went to You Tube to find some videos on the basic procedures for slips knots, casting, knit stitch and purl stitches. I found some really good ones, and they were really helpful. So I decided to go for and and began making something that kind of resembled a scarf. It wasn't really supposed to be anything specific, but more so just to practice the stitches. It came out pretty garbled looking and really pretty ugly! LOL
Yesterday I went to the little knitting shop which is literally right around the corner from my house, hoping to find some guidance. Mom had the kids for the day, and I wanted to take a little time for myself...yay! The shop is so warm, cozy and inviting. There is nothing like being able to touch and see all the yarns, and talk to the owner who is so knowledgeable about all things yarn. A lady, who reminded me a lot of my Grandma, took me around the store and answered all my questions. I wanted to make a hat (which I'm realizing now is more of an intermediate project...oh well), and she set me up with a pattern the yarn and the needles I would need. I sat down with her and she supervised me casting on and knitting a couple of rows. It was so cool to have someone who was willing to take the time to teach me, and it feels good to be supporting a local business rather than getting my supplies at Walmart.
I'm going to try to remember to take photos along the way, so I can document my first official knitting project. :-) I'm probably the only one who is truly excited by this, but I don't care...it's fun!
Monday, February 04, 2008
the cutest Valentine card idea ever
A tag from Melinda
1. Name your two favorite scrapbooking topics: my kids and the "everyday moments"
2. Where are the two best places you've been to? Disney World and the Canadian Rockies
3. Name two things you do every day: Read/write emails and take my BP
4. Tell us two things that pretty much everyone knows about you: I'm a musician and a digiscrapper
5. Tell us two things that everyone DOESN'T know about you: I worked for a rape crisis program during college, and was a synchronized swimmer for about 8 years when I was a kid.
6. Tell us two things that got you into the hobby of scrapping: My friend Patrice, who is a paper scrapper, encouraged me to try it and was patient enough to help me through the learning process. Also, once I found digiscrapping, it was a natural fit since I'm a computer geek by nature. I was surfing for layout ideas online, and stumbled across Scrapboo-bytes.
7. Tell us two things that you want to accomplish in the next six months: Lower my blood pressure and lose 30 pounds
8. Name your two favorite scrapping tools: Photoshop CS2 and ACDSee 10
9. Name your two favorite sources of scrapping inspiration: Ali Edwards
10. How has your scrapping changed since you started? I do a lot more journaling now, and I'm less worried about making my pages look a certain way. It's more about telling the story for me now.
11. What scrapbooking project have you yet to try but would love to? I would love to make an altered tin album, and also get a 12x12 3-ring album so I can make an album with different sized pages.
2. Where are the two best places you've been to? Disney World and the Canadian Rockies
3. Name two things you do every day: Read/write emails and take my BP
4. Tell us two things that pretty much everyone knows about you: I'm a musician and a digiscrapper
5. Tell us two things that everyone DOESN'T know about you: I worked for a rape crisis program during college, and was a synchronized swimmer for about 8 years when I was a kid.
6. Tell us two things that got you into the hobby of scrapping: My friend Patrice, who is a paper scrapper, encouraged me to try it and was patient enough to help me through the learning process. Also, once I found digiscrapping, it was a natural fit since I'm a computer geek by nature. I was surfing for layout ideas online, and stumbled across Scrapboo-bytes.
7. Tell us two things that you want to accomplish in the next six months: Lower my blood pressure and lose 30 pounds
8. Name your two favorite scrapping tools: Photoshop CS2 and ACDSee 10
9. Name your two favorite sources of scrapping inspiration: Ali Edwards
10. How has your scrapping changed since you started? I do a lot more journaling now, and I'm less worried about making my pages look a certain way. It's more about telling the story for me now.
11. What scrapbooking project have you yet to try but would love to? I would love to make an altered tin album, and also get a 12x12 3-ring album so I can make an album with different sized pages.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Happy lamps & book covers
Greetings from the land of Barnes and Noble! Tonight is my "night out" so I'm here soaking up a bit of time in the cafe while perusing various art and project books. I just have to share a project from one of the books I'm reading:
How to make a book cover
1. Measure the length and height of the book when fully open, then cut a sheet of kraft paper 3" larger than the length and height of the book.
2. Fold down top and bottom edges until the height equals the height of the book.
3. Fold ends around book and turn left and right flaps into the inside of the front and back covers. Finish with a binder clip.
Now, I don't condone plagiarism. If I thought this was an original idea, I would never have given you the instructions like this. But HELLO??? Covering books like brown paper? I did that 25 years ago in junior high school! Only we were cheap and we used paper grocery bags...you know, the ones they used to give you before they decided they were killing too many trees? This just cracks me up, that this project is in a book published by a very popular scrapbooking company. But I will say...thanks for the inspiration. I plan to go home and cover a few books later, just for fun. The best part of having book covers in school was being able to draw all over them, and writing funny notes to friends. My best buddy Mel still has most of those book covers with all of our crazy rantings on them. WTG Moosie!
In other news, I bought myself a happy lamp today. Yes, they really do exist. My "special friend" (aka counselor) mentioned a store that sells them here in town, and right after my appt. this am I darted over to pick one up. The jury is still out on whether the thing actually works, since I've only used it for one day. I will say that I found it to be extremely bright and on a gloomy day I imagine it's quite useful. Today wasn't a good test day for it because it was actually SUNNY here ALL DAY!! LOL
I got to visit my friend Heather again tonight. She will have a c-section on Friday to deliver her little girl, who will be 34 weeks along at that point. I pray that both she and the baby, who will be very small, will fare well. If you are the praying type, please say a little prayer for Heather and baby. :-)
I want to congratulate my friend Melinda on being a Prima Hybrid Flower Girl (aka creative team member). She is so talented making altered projects and totally deserves this honor. If you haven't checked out Prima's new site, do so...they have some wonderful inspiration there, and a group of very talented designers.
(Hey, maybe they should make book covers....)
Okay, better sign off before I say something stupid. Nite nite!
How to make a book cover
1. Measure the length and height of the book when fully open, then cut a sheet of kraft paper 3" larger than the length and height of the book.
2. Fold down top and bottom edges until the height equals the height of the book.
3. Fold ends around book and turn left and right flaps into the inside of the front and back covers. Finish with a binder clip.
Now, I don't condone plagiarism. If I thought this was an original idea, I would never have given you the instructions like this. But HELLO??? Covering books like brown paper? I did that 25 years ago in junior high school! Only we were cheap and we used paper grocery bags...you know, the ones they used to give you before they decided they were killing too many trees? This just cracks me up, that this project is in a book published by a very popular scrapbooking company. But I will say...thanks for the inspiration. I plan to go home and cover a few books later, just for fun. The best part of having book covers in school was being able to draw all over them, and writing funny notes to friends. My best buddy Mel still has most of those book covers with all of our crazy rantings on them. WTG Moosie!
In other news, I bought myself a happy lamp today. Yes, they really do exist. My "special friend" (aka counselor) mentioned a store that sells them here in town, and right after my appt. this am I darted over to pick one up. The jury is still out on whether the thing actually works, since I've only used it for one day. I will say that I found it to be extremely bright and on a gloomy day I imagine it's quite useful. Today wasn't a good test day for it because it was actually SUNNY here ALL DAY!! LOL
I got to visit my friend Heather again tonight. She will have a c-section on Friday to deliver her little girl, who will be 34 weeks along at that point. I pray that both she and the baby, who will be very small, will fare well. If you are the praying type, please say a little prayer for Heather and baby. :-)
I want to congratulate my friend Melinda on being a Prima Hybrid Flower Girl (aka creative team member). She is so talented making altered projects and totally deserves this honor. If you haven't checked out Prima's new site, do so...they have some wonderful inspiration there, and a group of very talented designers.
(Hey, maybe they should make book covers....)
Okay, better sign off before I say something stupid. Nite nite!
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Reslient
I finally made my layout representing my one word for 2008:
Didn't do a whole lot today. Rob made us breakfast, and then he had to work most of the day. The girls played outside since it was sunny and we took a walk around the block. After lunch we watched Ratatouille - very cute show.
Tonight I have been trying to organize my scrapping supplies on my HD and delete some things. I have a strange thing going on in my HD right now. I have a 142MB HD, and I can only account for 66MB of stuff on there! I downloaded one of those freeware programs that show you the sizes of all of your files, and that is what it's telling me. It's odd. I wouldn't care, but I am running out of space.
That's all for now...trying to get to bed a tad earlier these days.
Didn't do a whole lot today. Rob made us breakfast, and then he had to work most of the day. The girls played outside since it was sunny and we took a walk around the block. After lunch we watched Ratatouille - very cute show.
Tonight I have been trying to organize my scrapping supplies on my HD and delete some things. I have a strange thing going on in my HD right now. I have a 142MB HD, and I can only account for 66MB of stuff on there! I downloaded one of those freeware programs that show you the sizes of all of your files, and that is what it's telling me. It's odd. I wouldn't care, but I am running out of space.
That's all for now...trying to get to bed a tad earlier these days.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Bucks blew it again
Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I am NOT a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I am a fan of the University of Michigan, and in these parts you CANNOT be a fan of both places. The rivalry between the two schools is arguably the best in all of college sports. Due to our position almost halfway in between the two schools, the hype before the game where they play each other every year is insane. They even have a store called the Buckeye & Wolverine shop, there they sell only OSU or Michigan stuff, and it's organized so that each team's colors are on separate sides of the store, with a line down the middle.
But last night it was the Buckeyes' time to shine. I donned an Ohio State t-shirt, belonging to Rob, showing my support of our home state's team. I may not be an OSU fan, but I'm still a Big 10 fan. We were supposed to have a "party" here but as it turns out, only my brother and sister-in-law showed up. Nice. That's okay, I enjoyed the food Rob made and was able to relax and watch the game.
Ohio State just couldn't pull it out. I was disappointed for them. But here's what I don't get: OSU fans are SO obnoxious all year long....we're number one...yada yada yada. Then they get to the big game and blow it. It's the second time they've done this in recent years...last time they lost to Florida. Um hello? Can't execute under pressure? Hmmmm.
You didn't know I was such a football expert, did you? LOL
Speaking of football, did you see the JERK who did a front sommersault into the endzone last weekend? Uncalled for!! That coach should have BENCHED HIS REAR END!! It gets really old seeing such unsportman-like conduct on the field.
Okay. Off my soapbox now.
::Cleaning Spree::
It doesn't happen often, but when you are having people over there is a great motivation to clean! Here's what I've done in the past two days:
Tonight is my night out, so I'm getting my haircut and my go to the hospital to visit my friend Heather and also my Dad. He had to go back in yesterday to have extra blood/fluid removed from around his heart. :-( He got through it fine but it has me worried that this is going to be an ongoing problem for him. I wish he could just get back to his old self.
Until tomorrow...
But last night it was the Buckeyes' time to shine. I donned an Ohio State t-shirt, belonging to Rob, showing my support of our home state's team. I may not be an OSU fan, but I'm still a Big 10 fan. We were supposed to have a "party" here but as it turns out, only my brother and sister-in-law showed up. Nice. That's okay, I enjoyed the food Rob made and was able to relax and watch the game.
Ohio State just couldn't pull it out. I was disappointed for them. But here's what I don't get: OSU fans are SO obnoxious all year long....we're number one...yada yada yada. Then they get to the big game and blow it. It's the second time they've done this in recent years...last time they lost to Florida. Um hello? Can't execute under pressure? Hmmmm.
You didn't know I was such a football expert, did you? LOL
Speaking of football, did you see the JERK who did a front sommersault into the endzone last weekend? Uncalled for!! That coach should have BENCHED HIS REAR END!! It gets really old seeing such unsportman-like conduct on the field.
Okay. Off my soapbox now.
::Cleaning Spree::
It doesn't happen often, but when you are having people over there is a great motivation to clean! Here's what I've done in the past two days:
- Vacuumed main floor
- Mopped kitchen and dining room
- Cleared off counters
- Cleaned both bathrooms
- Put away toys
- Decluttered my bedroom dresser top
- Cleaned master bedroom blinds (man, were they dirty!)
- Laundry
- Decluttered girls' dresser top
- Cleaned out underneath girls' beds
- Made appointment at foot doctor
- Made appointment at OB/GYN
Tonight is my night out, so I'm getting my haircut and my go to the hospital to visit my friend Heather and also my Dad. He had to go back in yesterday to have extra blood/fluid removed from around his heart. :-( He got through it fine but it has me worried that this is going to be an ongoing problem for him. I wish he could just get back to his old self.
Until tomorrow...
Monday, January 07, 2008
Manic Monday
Yup, this qualifies as manic. My plans for today have changed about 12 times already, and the day is only half over. So let's see...
Mom was supposed to pick up the girls from school and keep them for the afternoon. I had a whole list of stuff I wanted to get done. Great! Mom calls at 8:45am saying she and Dad are headed into the cardiologist...Dad is still having symptoms of irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. Turns out he still has fluid around his heart and they decide to admit him to the hospital for some procedure where they remove the fluid. Yikes! Okay, plan B, no problem.
Kids come home, we have lunch, color, read stories, etc. Rob has the afternoon off so he can help get ready for our little college football championship party tonight. Great! Then my MIL calls at 1:30pm, saying they have some friends coming to visit at 2:00 and they'd like to see the girls. Now this is where I get cranky. I'm supposed to drop what I'm doing and just go over there, so she can parade them around like little dolls to show off to her friends? Hmmmm, don't think so. She's supposed to call when it's time to go over, but guess what? ROB will be taking them. It's his mom, right?
I know I sound really snotty about this, but there is a long history of spontaneous, lack-of-planning kind of stuff and right after the holidays I just want a break from all of it.
Mom was supposed to pick up the girls from school and keep them for the afternoon. I had a whole list of stuff I wanted to get done. Great! Mom calls at 8:45am saying she and Dad are headed into the cardiologist...Dad is still having symptoms of irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. Turns out he still has fluid around his heart and they decide to admit him to the hospital for some procedure where they remove the fluid. Yikes! Okay, plan B, no problem.
Kids come home, we have lunch, color, read stories, etc. Rob has the afternoon off so he can help get ready for our little college football championship party tonight. Great! Then my MIL calls at 1:30pm, saying they have some friends coming to visit at 2:00 and they'd like to see the girls. Now this is where I get cranky. I'm supposed to drop what I'm doing and just go over there, so she can parade them around like little dolls to show off to her friends? Hmmmm, don't think so. She's supposed to call when it's time to go over, but guess what? ROB will be taking them. It's his mom, right?
I know I sound really snotty about this, but there is a long history of spontaneous, lack-of-planning kind of stuff and right after the holidays I just want a break from all of it.
Saturday, January 05, 2008
New Layout
Credits: Be the Change, brand new from Traci Reed at Sweet Shoppe Designs as of today! Paper tear by Jen Caputo. Font is DJB JGeek.
Friday, January 04, 2008
Quick Post
We finally got back to the routine today. The girls went to school, I had an appointment in the morning and had a chance to spend 20 minutes by myself at Panera before picking them up. It was wonderful!
This afternoon I had a chance to do a few chores, assisted by the girls, and catch up with two friends. One of them, Heather, is in the hospital on bedrest. She is 32 weeks pregnant and her water broke Wednesday. So far she has managed to keep from going into labor, thanks to anti-contraction drugs. I'm trying to figure out what I can do for her. She has to be bored out of her mind! And, she already has two kids. I sure hope she can hold out for a few more weeks so the baby can grow.
This weekend will be quiet. Rob has to work tomorrow, so it will be another long day. I hope to take the girls out to do something entertaining.
I've been taking my daily photos and have them set up in my Flickr. I'm not sure if I will do anything with these aside from posting them there, but I have them nonetheless.
I need to figure out what we are doing for dinner. Rob is playing video games downstairs and is apparently waiting for me to take the initiative!
Have a happy weekend!
This afternoon I had a chance to do a few chores, assisted by the girls, and catch up with two friends. One of them, Heather, is in the hospital on bedrest. She is 32 weeks pregnant and her water broke Wednesday. So far she has managed to keep from going into labor, thanks to anti-contraction drugs. I'm trying to figure out what I can do for her. She has to be bored out of her mind! And, she already has two kids. I sure hope she can hold out for a few more weeks so the baby can grow.
This weekend will be quiet. Rob has to work tomorrow, so it will be another long day. I hope to take the girls out to do something entertaining.
I've been taking my daily photos and have them set up in my Flickr. I'm not sure if I will do anything with these aside from posting them there, but I have them nonetheless.
I need to figure out what we are doing for dinner. Rob is playing video games downstairs and is apparently waiting for me to take the initiative!
Have a happy weekend!
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Back into the routine
Finally...well, almost. Rob goes back to work today but the girls don't go back to school until Friday. I am soooooo ready for them to go back to school, and have our daily routine get back in synch. I'm sure I'm not alone! LOL
Tuesday we got a few things accomplished. I put away all of the Christmas decorations except for the tree, and we decluttered several bags and boxes of junk. Man, does that feel good. I can't wait to have the chance to fill up the back of the van and make a trip to Goodwill!
::Trip Layouts::
A few more finished pages...I have to bust a move to get these done if I want to use that free Shutterfly coupon I have.
I love that shot I got of Rob and the girls watching the other ship leave. If you look closely, you can see their reflections in the window. So cool!
So far this beer tasting page is one of my favorites. It came out just the way I wanted it to...quirky and "doodly". And yeah, Rob really did have to "chug" beer through a straw! LOL The guy who won was one the cruise playing the part of Jack Sparrow, meaning he had to dress up and walk around the ship and pose for photos with the kids. He was very convincing in costume. Rob didn't have a chance against him...he was all of 22 and in college. Please!
Today's agenda includes some more decluttering, cleaning the floors, laundry and hopefully a trip SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE, PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE! with the kids (oops, did I actually type that?).
Until tomorrow...
Tuesday we got a few things accomplished. I put away all of the Christmas decorations except for the tree, and we decluttered several bags and boxes of junk. Man, does that feel good. I can't wait to have the chance to fill up the back of the van and make a trip to Goodwill!
::Trip Layouts::
A few more finished pages...I have to bust a move to get these done if I want to use that free Shutterfly coupon I have.
I love that shot I got of Rob and the girls watching the other ship leave. If you look closely, you can see their reflections in the window. So cool!
So far this beer tasting page is one of my favorites. It came out just the way I wanted it to...quirky and "doodly". And yeah, Rob really did have to "chug" beer through a straw! LOL The guy who won was one the cruise playing the part of Jack Sparrow, meaning he had to dress up and walk around the ship and pose for photos with the kids. He was very convincing in costume. Rob didn't have a chance against him...he was all of 22 and in college. Please!
Today's agenda includes some more decluttering, cleaning the floors, laundry and hopefully a trip SOMEWHERE, ANYWHERE, PLEASE GET ME OUT OF HERE! with the kids (oops, did I actually type that?).
Until tomorrow...
A fresh start
Happy New Year! It is officially Jan. 1, 2008 here in Ohio. We ended up spending a quiet night at home. Rob stayed here (after I not-so-subtly suggested he do so) and we played some online Hearts, watched football and drank some sparking wine at midnight.
So far today things are going okay. One thing I'm trying to do now in the new year is to get up at a reasonable hour. Most of the time it's really hard for me to get up if I don't have to, so today we were all up and going by 9am. I'm going to gradually make it earlier, so it won't be so shocking. Heidi is having some gastrointestinal issues...the poor thing can't catch a break. And Gretchen has a slight fever now so this means we've all caught the illness during Christmas break. Good thing we don't have to go anywhere today!
We enjoyed the Rose Parade this morning and will be watching football the rest of the day... as much as we can get away with, anyhow. LOL
I took my first photo for my 365 challenge, and will attempt to set up a Flikr thingie for my project.
Hope your New Year is going well so far!
So far today things are going okay. One thing I'm trying to do now in the new year is to get up at a reasonable hour. Most of the time it's really hard for me to get up if I don't have to, so today we were all up and going by 9am. I'm going to gradually make it earlier, so it won't be so shocking. Heidi is having some gastrointestinal issues...the poor thing can't catch a break. And Gretchen has a slight fever now so this means we've all caught the illness during Christmas break. Good thing we don't have to go anywhere today!
We enjoyed the Rose Parade this morning and will be watching football the rest of the day... as much as we can get away with, anyhow. LOL
I took my first photo for my 365 challenge, and will attempt to set up a Flikr thingie for my project.
Hope your New Year is going well so far!
Monday, December 31, 2007
New Year's Eve + one little word
Here we sit, at home, on what is supposed to be the biggest party night of the year. But I am completely content to be here with Rob and the girls. I'm not really up to going out anyway. I caught Rob's nasty sinus infection/cold/general yuck, and Heidi has it too. Rob's started on Christmas night and Heidi and I started on the 29th. We had planned to have Rob's family and my good friend Melissa, aka George (long story) over, but canceled due to all the sickies. :-(
This is always a good day each year to think about goals for the next year and review what has happened the past year. I love the feeling of having a fresh start. So with that in mind, I've chosen the word "resilience" as my one little word for the year. If you aren't familiar with this concept, check out Ali Edwards' blog.
I chose resilience because someone recently told me that even though I have had lots of ups and downs in the past, I always seem to bounce back and get through. I never thought about myself that way before, and I think it's a really positive way to see things. So every morning, I will have the chance to be resilient, to start over and make each day better than the one before it. There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Next 5 Minutes" that captures this principle beautifully:
I'm livin' the next five minutes,
like these are my last five minutes,
'cause I know the next minutes may be all I have
And if the next five minutes,
turn into the last five minutes,
I'm taking the next five minutes and starting all over again
::2008 Goals::
I am not so good at resolutions, so this year I am making some very general goals, stuff I can do every day that will make things a little better.
Pray often ~ Worship weekly ~ Study God's Word ~ Exercise daily ~ Eat a healthy diet ~ Create ~ Play ~ Listen ~ Learn ~ Connect ~ Reflect ~ Simplify
"They" will tell you that you shouldn't set general goals like this, that you should break them down and make them "measurable". And I will. But I need a list of things that I can accomplish, and not feel like a failure all the time. I figure if I can do at least ONE of these things every day, then I've met my goals. I think that sounds fair.
To hold myself a bit more accountable, I'll expand a bit on each goal:
Pray often: Pray when I'm happy, pray when I'm sad, pray when I'm thankful, pray when I'm frustrated...just talk to God all the time, like He's right there ('cause He is!)
Worship weekly: Make every effort to get to church every week. It's good for the kids, and it's good for me. God gave us the gift of worship and fellowship to strengthen our spirits.
Study God's word: Dust off the Bible and actually READ it.
Exercise daily: Move every day. Even if it's a walk around the block. It's better than nothing.
Eat a healthy diet: No more diets. Just balanced, healthy eating. Fruits and veggies, whole grains, the whole bit. Cooking at home more. Smaller portions. That's it.
Create: Digiscrap, paint, do hybrid project...doesn't matter. Just find something to create.
Play: Play with the girls. Play outside. Play my flute. Sing. Just play.
Listen: Listen more than I talk. 'Nough said.
Learn: Be open to learning new things.
Connect: Keep in touch with friends. Don't take Rob for granted.
Reflect: Think about each day and figure out what I can do better the next day.
Simplify: Get rid of clutter. Don't buy stuff I don't need. Recycle. Give stuff away.
So tomorrow is a fresh start. God is so good, giving us calendars so we can mark beginnings and endings. We humans are so limited that way.
I wish you a very blessed New Year.
This is always a good day each year to think about goals for the next year and review what has happened the past year. I love the feeling of having a fresh start. So with that in mind, I've chosen the word "resilience" as my one little word for the year. If you aren't familiar with this concept, check out Ali Edwards' blog.
I chose resilience because someone recently told me that even though I have had lots of ups and downs in the past, I always seem to bounce back and get through. I never thought about myself that way before, and I think it's a really positive way to see things. So every morning, I will have the chance to be resilient, to start over and make each day better than the one before it. There is a song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Next 5 Minutes" that captures this principle beautifully:
I'm livin' the next five minutes,
like these are my last five minutes,
'cause I know the next minutes may be all I have
And if the next five minutes,
turn into the last five minutes,
I'm taking the next five minutes and starting all over again
::2008 Goals::
I am not so good at resolutions, so this year I am making some very general goals, stuff I can do every day that will make things a little better.
Pray often ~ Worship weekly ~ Study God's Word ~ Exercise daily ~ Eat a healthy diet ~ Create ~ Play ~ Listen ~ Learn ~ Connect ~ Reflect ~ Simplify
"They" will tell you that you shouldn't set general goals like this, that you should break them down and make them "measurable". And I will. But I need a list of things that I can accomplish, and not feel like a failure all the time. I figure if I can do at least ONE of these things every day, then I've met my goals. I think that sounds fair.
To hold myself a bit more accountable, I'll expand a bit on each goal:
Pray often: Pray when I'm happy, pray when I'm sad, pray when I'm thankful, pray when I'm frustrated...just talk to God all the time, like He's right there ('cause He is!)
Worship weekly: Make every effort to get to church every week. It's good for the kids, and it's good for me. God gave us the gift of worship and fellowship to strengthen our spirits.
Study God's word: Dust off the Bible and actually READ it.
Exercise daily: Move every day. Even if it's a walk around the block. It's better than nothing.
Eat a healthy diet: No more diets. Just balanced, healthy eating. Fruits and veggies, whole grains, the whole bit. Cooking at home more. Smaller portions. That's it.
Create: Digiscrap, paint, do hybrid project...doesn't matter. Just find something to create.
Play: Play with the girls. Play outside. Play my flute. Sing. Just play.
Listen: Listen more than I talk. 'Nough said.
Learn: Be open to learning new things.
Connect: Keep in touch with friends. Don't take Rob for granted.
Reflect: Think about each day and figure out what I can do better the next day.
Simplify: Get rid of clutter. Don't buy stuff I don't need. Recycle. Give stuff away.
So tomorrow is a fresh start. God is so good, giving us calendars so we can mark beginnings and endings. We humans are so limited that way.
I wish you a very blessed New Year.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Waiting to finish
Yup, I've neglected the blog again. But this time I think I've figured out why keeping this updated seems to be such a problem. I'm always waiting for the next thing to happen before I post...I'll post after our vacation...I'll post when I get a few pages scrapped...I'll post after Dad's surgery...I'll post after Christmas. And guess what? Here we are after Christmas already! So I'm going to try to catch up a month's worth of living in one post. Ready? LOL
::Disney Trip::
We had a fabulous time on our vacation in early December. We took a 4 day cruise on the Disney Wonder and then spent 2 1/2 days in Disney World (Florida). It was my intention to post all about our trip, but since it's been a while and I've run out of steam, I'll just post the pages I have done so far:
I have lots more pages to do, but at least this is a good start. I plan to make a Shutterfly book...it will be my first one. :-)
::Dad's Surgery::
My Dad had open heart surgery on December 14th and came through it with flying colors. They had to replace a heart valve, and the surgeon said it was the worst one he's ever seen. He was in the hospital for 4 days, and to look at him now, you'd never guess he ever had a problem. Modern medicine and God's healing power are truly amazing! Now, we just have to keep him from doing too much. His next big project is going to be remodeling our bathroom!
::Christmas::
We made it through! Unfortunately this year seemed a lot more stressful as far as all the planning goes. I think between our trip, and Dad's surgery, I had less time to get everything ready. Plus there were many changes in the plans for Christmas Day and I just don't deal well with changes like that. It's something I have to work on...being a bit more flexible.
My brother came into town on Saturday, 12/22 and we had our big turkey dinner on Sunday (at his request) at my parent's house. Then we spent Christmas Eve at their house too, opening presents in the early afternoon and having our traditional "snack dinner" afterward. That is a tradition we used to have at my grandparent's house when I was a kid, and Mom agreed to keep it going after they were gone. It's one of those time when it's OKAY to eat snacks for dinner!
There is more to add, but I'm going to end this for now and add more later. :-)
::Disney Trip::
We had a fabulous time on our vacation in early December. We took a 4 day cruise on the Disney Wonder and then spent 2 1/2 days in Disney World (Florida). It was my intention to post all about our trip, but since it's been a while and I've run out of steam, I'll just post the pages I have done so far:
I have lots more pages to do, but at least this is a good start. I plan to make a Shutterfly book...it will be my first one. :-)::Dad's Surgery::
My Dad had open heart surgery on December 14th and came through it with flying colors. They had to replace a heart valve, and the surgeon said it was the worst one he's ever seen. He was in the hospital for 4 days, and to look at him now, you'd never guess he ever had a problem. Modern medicine and God's healing power are truly amazing! Now, we just have to keep him from doing too much. His next big project is going to be remodeling our bathroom!
::Christmas::
We made it through! Unfortunately this year seemed a lot more stressful as far as all the planning goes. I think between our trip, and Dad's surgery, I had less time to get everything ready. Plus there were many changes in the plans for Christmas Day and I just don't deal well with changes like that. It's something I have to work on...being a bit more flexible.
My brother came into town on Saturday, 12/22 and we had our big turkey dinner on Sunday (at his request) at my parent's house. Then we spent Christmas Eve at their house too, opening presents in the early afternoon and having our traditional "snack dinner" afterward. That is a tradition we used to have at my grandparent's house when I was a kid, and Mom agreed to keep it going after they were gone. It's one of those time when it's OKAY to eat snacks for dinner!
There is more to add, but I'm going to end this for now and add more later. :-)
Friday, November 30, 2007
Little Rascals
Yup, that's what the girls are today...to put it lightly. It's not surprising, since they have the power of two! LOL
This morning I got so much done while the girls were in school...just a bunch of errands before we leave on our big trip on Sunday. I always feel so good when I have mornings like this. I feel so productive.
When we got home, I was making lunch and I noticed it was too quiet (always a scary thing!). Heidi was nearby but Gretchen was nowhere to be found, so I started calling for her. No response. I started searching the house, with Heidi by my side being the mini mommy, and we couldn't find her. I finally found her in the basement, hiding underneath the desk, behind a chair, with a box of cereal, munching away. She got a time out, not for eating cereal, but for hiding from me and sneaking around. Sigh. Age appropriate behavior, I guess...
So after lunch I was chatting with a friend on the phone, and once again it was quiet. This time both girls were missing. Heidi came downstairs asking for a cookie, but she had this strange little smile on her face, like she was up to something. I hung up a couple of minutes later and went to investigate. They had swiped a little pack of lemonade mix from the kitchen counter, took it upstairs and made themselves some lemonade in their little tea set in the play room. Most of the lemonade was spilled all over the carpeting. Arrgh!! I made them clean it up with towels and "sentenced" them to quiet time in their bedroom. It doesn't sound too quite right now. I'm not quite sure what to do with them...maybe make them scrub my kitchen floor? LOL Then I'll hear about how I'm the evil stepmother and they are Cinderella!
I think we have everything ready to go for the trip. I still have a lot of laundry to do, but that is always the case! ha ha I'm just hoping we have good weather Sunday morning when we get out of here. Last I heard it might be sleeting/snowing, and that is never good for flying.
Well, gotta get back to my preparations. Next time I post I hope to have lots of photos!
This morning I got so much done while the girls were in school...just a bunch of errands before we leave on our big trip on Sunday. I always feel so good when I have mornings like this. I feel so productive.
When we got home, I was making lunch and I noticed it was too quiet (always a scary thing!). Heidi was nearby but Gretchen was nowhere to be found, so I started calling for her. No response. I started searching the house, with Heidi by my side being the mini mommy, and we couldn't find her. I finally found her in the basement, hiding underneath the desk, behind a chair, with a box of cereal, munching away. She got a time out, not for eating cereal, but for hiding from me and sneaking around. Sigh. Age appropriate behavior, I guess...
So after lunch I was chatting with a friend on the phone, and once again it was quiet. This time both girls were missing. Heidi came downstairs asking for a cookie, but she had this strange little smile on her face, like she was up to something. I hung up a couple of minutes later and went to investigate. They had swiped a little pack of lemonade mix from the kitchen counter, took it upstairs and made themselves some lemonade in their little tea set in the play room. Most of the lemonade was spilled all over the carpeting. Arrgh!! I made them clean it up with towels and "sentenced" them to quiet time in their bedroom. It doesn't sound too quite right now. I'm not quite sure what to do with them...maybe make them scrub my kitchen floor? LOL Then I'll hear about how I'm the evil stepmother and they are Cinderella!
I think we have everything ready to go for the trip. I still have a lot of laundry to do, but that is always the case! ha ha I'm just hoping we have good weather Sunday morning when we get out of here. Last I heard it might be sleeting/snowing, and that is never good for flying.
Well, gotta get back to my preparations. Next time I post I hope to have lots of photos!
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Thanksgiving weekend - we made it!
Yeah, I'm still here. Poor neglected blog! How about if I just throw a few pages on here to summarize what's been going on?
And a page about my favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas:
Whew! I shouldn't wait so long in between blog postings next time!
:: Today ::
I had one of those "I'm a complete idiot" days. First of all, I totally flaked on my dear friend Moosie (aka George) on going to a concert she was playing in this afternoon. I wish I could explain why I do things like this, but I really can't. It just didn't work out that way I had hoped. This will be on my list of things to discuss with my shrink on Wednesday (yup, I have one of those now...it's fabulous!!). Sadly, I also flaked on attending a baby shower this afternoon too. So I couldn't have gone to the concert anyway. Duh!!! I get so focused on certain things that I just mess up everything else.
I'm starting over tomorrow. Sigh.
:: This Week ::
It's just 6 days and counting until our big trip. We are taking a Disney cruise with the kids and my parents. Well, I should say they are taking us. It's their 40th anniversary this year and this is how they want to celebrate. You can't knock that!! The girls are really excited and have been counting down the days. I have my to-do list going and I'm trying not to panick...
I'm having a bought of insomnia the past couple of nights. Right now it's 3am and I'm not even close to being tired...
At least I'm being productive (well, sort of...)
Christmas dresses, courtesy of my mom:
Preschool Thanksgiving Feast:
Preschool trip to the farm:
Interesting find in the ravine:
Halloweekend at Cedar Point, late October:
Thanksgiving dinner at Mom and Dad's house:
And a page about my favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas:
Whew! I shouldn't wait so long in between blog postings next time!
:: Today ::
I had one of those "I'm a complete idiot" days. First of all, I totally flaked on my dear friend Moosie (aka George) on going to a concert she was playing in this afternoon. I wish I could explain why I do things like this, but I really can't. It just didn't work out that way I had hoped. This will be on my list of things to discuss with my shrink on Wednesday (yup, I have one of those now...it's fabulous!!). Sadly, I also flaked on attending a baby shower this afternoon too. So I couldn't have gone to the concert anyway. Duh!!! I get so focused on certain things that I just mess up everything else.
I'm starting over tomorrow. Sigh.
:: This Week ::
It's just 6 days and counting until our big trip. We are taking a Disney cruise with the kids and my parents. Well, I should say they are taking us. It's their 40th anniversary this year and this is how they want to celebrate. You can't knock that!! The girls are really excited and have been counting down the days. I have my to-do list going and I'm trying not to panick...
I'm having a bought of insomnia the past couple of nights. Right now it's 3am and I'm not even close to being tired...
At least I'm being productive (well, sort of...)
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
:: New Product - Coming Soon to PDW! ::
I've been seeing these 6x12 pages around some blogs and galleries, and I just had to try a set of them. They are really fun! My CT girls went absolutely NUTS with them and made me 8 layouts the first night!! Check it out!
:: Deep thoughts by Mish ::
Today is the first day it really feels like fall here...almost winter, even. It's 40 degrees, windy, and we even saw a few snow flurries on our way to gymnastics! It makes me want to curl up with my favorite blankie and watch TV all day. But we managed to not only do gymnastics, but I took the girls to go vote with me, and then we made a trip to the library to get some Thanksgiving books.
I've been thinking about Thanksgiving a lot this past week, as I put away my Halloween decorations and try to think ahead. It's so easy to grumble about daily annoyances, like...
This leaky kitchen faucet is driving me nuts!
I hate doing laundry!
Ugh, I have to clean out the fridge...again!
Years ago I got an email that I have never forgotten. Every time you find yourself grumbling, find a way to turn it into something to be grateful for. So...
This leaky kitchen faucet is driving me nuts!
Thank you Lord, for providing enough water to make my faucet leak. Please be with those in Georgia, Florida, and other parts of the world who are struggling to find fresh water.
I hate doing laundry!
Thank you Lord, for giving me so many clothes that keep me warm, and thank you for the family who wears these clothes. It's my joy to be able to bless them with clean, folded clothes when they open their drawers in the morning.
Ugh, I have to clean out the fridge...again!
Thank you, Lord, for providing such an abundance of food to nourish our bodies. We are blessed to be able to enjoy a variety of foods, even fresh fruits and vegetables. Help us to use this resource to Your glory.
I know, I know...this is easier said than done. But I find that it's really important, as the weather gets colder and we have less daylight each day, to be purposeful about finding the joy in every little thing. Otherwise, I find myself in dark places and I know I'm not setting a good example for my kids.
:: Layouts ::
Here's a page from the baptism of our new little godson, Zachary. I decided to try a 6x12 size, using my new templates, and it was fun!
Credits
Heidi helped me make this one. She jumped up on my lap while I was making it, and placed the stars, bat, ghost and swirl all by herself. She also gave me all the journaling. It was so cute I had to leave it just the way it was.
I've been seeing these 6x12 pages around some blogs and galleries, and I just had to try a set of them. They are really fun! My CT girls went absolutely NUTS with them and made me 8 layouts the first night!! Check it out!
:: Deep thoughts by Mish ::
Today is the first day it really feels like fall here...almost winter, even. It's 40 degrees, windy, and we even saw a few snow flurries on our way to gymnastics! It makes me want to curl up with my favorite blankie and watch TV all day. But we managed to not only do gymnastics, but I took the girls to go vote with me, and then we made a trip to the library to get some Thanksgiving books.
I've been thinking about Thanksgiving a lot this past week, as I put away my Halloween decorations and try to think ahead. It's so easy to grumble about daily annoyances, like...
This leaky kitchen faucet is driving me nuts!
I hate doing laundry!
Ugh, I have to clean out the fridge...again!
Years ago I got an email that I have never forgotten. Every time you find yourself grumbling, find a way to turn it into something to be grateful for. So...
This leaky kitchen faucet is driving me nuts!
Thank you Lord, for providing enough water to make my faucet leak. Please be with those in Georgia, Florida, and other parts of the world who are struggling to find fresh water.
I hate doing laundry!
Thank you Lord, for giving me so many clothes that keep me warm, and thank you for the family who wears these clothes. It's my joy to be able to bless them with clean, folded clothes when they open their drawers in the morning.
Ugh, I have to clean out the fridge...again!
Thank you, Lord, for providing such an abundance of food to nourish our bodies. We are blessed to be able to enjoy a variety of foods, even fresh fruits and vegetables. Help us to use this resource to Your glory.
I know, I know...this is easier said than done. But I find that it's really important, as the weather gets colder and we have less daylight each day, to be purposeful about finding the joy in every little thing. Otherwise, I find myself in dark places and I know I'm not setting a good example for my kids.
:: Layouts ::
Here's a page from the baptism of our new little godson, Zachary. I decided to try a 6x12 size, using my new templates, and it was fun!
CreditsHeidi helped me make this one. She jumped up on my lap while I was making it, and placed the stars, bat, ghost and swirl all by herself. She also gave me all the journaling. It was so cute I had to leave it just the way it was.
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