My First Sympathy Card

My new craft room has done wonders for my crafty mojo! The week between Christmas and the New Year I made 9 cards! That is a record for me - and I loved every minute of it! Regrettably, a dear friend lost her mother that week and I needed a sympathy card. I have never ventured into this genre of cards before, and I didn't know if I could make something special enough to let her know how sorry I was for such a huge loss.

I am pleased with the final product, but hope I need more birthday cards this year than sympathy cards.

Primary Supplies: Stencil and Embossing paste, Studio 490 by Wendy Vecchi; Sentiment Stamp, Hero Arts; Ink, Distress by Tim Holtz

Fresh Start

Blog attempt #3.

Seriously. I don't recall ever failing at something like I have blogging. And to think that once upon a time, I wanted to write a book. Geez!

They say third time's a charm... so you never know, maybe i will be motivate to update more often. HA! I think the problem is that I am suffering from an identity crisis. I don't know what I want it to be. Should it be a gratitude blog where I document and celebrate all I am grateful for? Should it be a leadership blog where I share business advice with young girls who want to advance but don't have a strong mentor? What about a food blog? (OK, that one was a stretch... unless you are looking for a yea or nay on Pinterest recipes.) Speaking of Pinterest, it could be a blog about all of the things I have tried and the results. Then again, it might just be a craft blog where I post what I create... That last one sounds pretty good today, so let's get on with it!

I had so much fun creating this Shadow Box Acrylic Frame from Darcie's. I bought it last April at the Adventures in Stamping convention but couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it. Finally, one late night at the office, I decided that my walls at too white and need to reflect more of who I am... so I found a quote I love and the rest just fell into place!

I am not sure about the flowers in the corners. But I needed something to hide the clips. They are not super secure just in case I find an alternative I like better. But for now, this one is done.

Supplies: Frame - Darcies; Stamp - Prima Marketing; Die Cut letters - Lawn Fawn; Butterfly punch - Martha Stewart Crafts;

Really?

Has it really been 2.5 years since I updated this "blog?" I use the quotes, because three entries does not a blogger make! I am going to try to be better about it, I just need to decide what direction I want to go with it.

During the past year, I have found several blogs that really inspire me. Scrappy blogs and cooking blogs mostly, but all of them make me want to write... the way I always wanted to write. Creative. Funny. Real.

So, while my everyday life (and blessings) pretty much consists of, work, dinner, homework, TV, (yeah, I said it, I love TV), sleep, repeat, I am going to try to find something interesting to say anyway. Maybe it will at least get me in the habit of capturing the cute things Kendall does that I can't remember after I post them on Facebook.

It's done!

After nine long years, our neighbors are cheering! Our house finally has landscaping. And we aren't talking a few bushes... we have trees, plants, grasses, bushes, and a new walk! The photos don't do it justice - but maybe I am biased. LOL









I also finished Kendall's canopy for her birthday. I am so pleased with how it turned out. I started with a plain white ($20) canopy and added pink tulle and flower garland to make it a bed fit for a princess.

Holy Snow, Batman!

Ohio is getting pounded with the white stuff! I don't like snow, but I am not one of those people who freaks out when it happens. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to be out in it if I don't have to be, but if we stopped our lives everytime something white and cold fell from the sky, we would be in a perpetual state of paralysis. I live in NE Ohio. It snows here.

So, I had something very happy happen this week! I got back in touch with my dear friend, Troy. We lost touch about seven years ago while I was traveling for work - cell phones change, people move, life happens... over the years I have made several unsuccessful attempts to try to find him but then last week I took a chance on myspace and it paid off! We connected on Wednesday and it was like he was still living on my couch. I can't wait to see him and have him meet Kendall!

Kendall funny: This week she announced that "Jacob has a weiner." After I picked myself up off the floor and insisted, "we don't talk about that" - I changed my tune and explained that it is what makes him a boy, and covered the "technical" term for boy parts and girl parts. We followed with several choruses of "Boys have a Penis; Girls have a Bagina" and I felt like I was in that sceen from Kindergarten Cop.

The Sound of Silence

I remember riding in a car with my grandparents as a little girl. Specifically, I remember wondering why they never had the radio on. Didn't old people like music? (Afterall, my grandmother was a totally ancient 44 when I was born.) How could they stand all that quiet?

Lately, I find myself driving without the radio and cherishing every peaceful second. Why is quiet all of a sudden desirable?

These are my observations:

• Now that Kendall has found her voice, a question or chorus of "Mommy" is always in the air. After being so worried about her, I love hearing her endless chatter, but it is incessent.
• As my work life gets more stressful, uninterrupted blocks of time at the office have nearly disappeared.
• And now that we have graduated to the 4 yr old toys, something electronic is always making noise or "talking" to us - whether said 4 yr old is playing with it or not.

The twenty minutes of silence I have while commuting to/from work have turned into cherished moments of my day. As a result, I have become completely uninformed (as I used to get a majority of my news from the radio), I have fallen out of touch with top 40 music, and my knowledge of local events has completely diminished.

Does that make me old?

Probably.

My on-line friends

Who would have thought that a group of people from all over the world, with different faiths, different ages, different socioeconomic status, some married, some educated, some parents, some students, some...not, would connect to share life? Not me, that is for certain. But it has happened in "The Pub" at twopeasinabucket. We all were brought to the site because we share a love of scrapbooking - but it turns out we share so much more. We share our happiest and saddest times with one another. When something isn't going right, there is no shortage of prayers and postive thoughts headed your way. When something goes well, cheers abound. When someone is scared, virtual hugs provide comfort.

A little more than a year ago, I stumbled into the Pub not knowing how much I needed them. I knew I loved scrapbooking and wanted to grow in the hobby. I knew none of my friends shared my passion or any creative outlet for that matter. I knew I spent very little time with people with whom I didn't work or live. I knew I was lonley, but until I met these wonderful supportive people, I didn't know how much I needed them.

This weekend, we in the Pub unexpectedly lost a very dear friend. We are all shaken, but we are together. The past few days have been a "wake" of sorts, with everyone expressing grief and sympathy for her family, sharing their experiences with our friend, and discussing how we really value our Pub family.

The Pub is my home and I like it just the way it is. Intimate. Friendly. Supportive. I have always hoped that others felt the same way - and today a thread from my friend, Marie, confirmed it. So, Alleen, while I know you would prefer a joke to all the sappy stuff that has been said lately, thank you for bringing us together and making us feel closer than ever.

The Party's Over

What I learned from Kendall's party this year...

• Being 4 is already more fun than 3!
• I thoroughly enjoy every member of our family.
• I love couscous.
• The older the child, the smaller and more numerous the toy parts. (Thank goodness for ziplock containers.)
• Evening parties in August are a much better idea than midafternoon!
• The new sliding glass door out to the deck makes our house seem bigger.
• She's growing up, but she will always be my baby (and just to prove it, she was up crying at midnight).

Naps

Who knew a nap could change a day? I woke up yesterday "bah hum bugging" the whole 4th of July thing. Spending the day at the club was not my idea of fun... chasing Kendall, worrying about her near the lagoon, getting my fat self into a bathing suit so she could swim, slathering on sunblock - not my idea of fun!

So, we went to the park and hoped for rain. We stopped at Boston Market for lunch (and ate inside) - yea, 10 raindrops on the windshield on the way home - things were looking up. We came home and, in an attempt to sleep during the storm we were expecting, took a nap.

A glorious, restful, 3-hour nap. I woke up feeling great. I guess I have needed a nap for about 6 months and didn't know it. So, we packed up and went downtown for dinner and fireworks. It was a great evening with perfect weather - even the bugs were few. Who knew a nap could fix so much!

Three years ago today...

Three years ago I didn't know...

• How you would make me laugh
• How your smile would light up a room
• That your hugs could change a bad day to good
• How exciting it is to turn three
• That I would love you more everyday
• How full my heart could be

Three years ago I learned...

This is strange

I am creating this blog at the recomendation of the divine CZ. I just finished her second book and she recomends blogging as a way to get yourself writing. I am pretty confident that (outside of my family) no one would ever be interested in what I have to say - so I am using this as an on-line diary of sorts. There have been many attempts at diary keeping in my life, and honestly I am not very good at it... so if you stumble upon this blog, accept my apologies in advance.