live.life.create.art

Doll Valentine's Day Banner

2012-01-22T14:46:00.000-06:00

To create mine I used my Silhouette Cameo but you could use a pennant punch or cut your pennants by hand and just string them together with some bakers twine or embroidery floss. I added some glittery gems to the points for a little something extra. I think I'm going to make a bigger banner now for Zoey. The doll quilts were made for Zoey by my mom...aren't they precious? I do still want some puffy comforter style blankets which I think I'm going to try and brave making once I find the right fabric.

more on the doll subject...

2012-01-21T21:54:00.000-06:00

My brain is just brimming with ideas to make little things for Zoey and her dolls to make her play even more fun...one super easy and little thing that I did today was put up some wall photos in her doll play area to make it seem more "room" like. I found some 3 1/2 x 5 inch photo matting boards at Wal-Mart for $1 and inserted some photos of her dolls in them and then mounted them on the wall near her doll beds with ticky tack. It makes her little play area so much homier! And then also while at Wal-Mart I found this little swivel salon chair for $20 (certainly beats $58 at AG) and I picked it up, because, why not? She LOVES it and I have to admit, so do I! It came with a cape, rollers, a hairdryer, brush and scissors. And the best part, tonight while tucking Zoey into bed she whispered to me, "Mom, I love my salon playset so much, I just want to play with it right now! My dollies love it too!" Yay!

Another idea I came across on the internet while googling handmade American Girl Doll accessories was this tutorial on how to make a doll quilt from an old pillowcase. How brilliant is that? I checked out my stash of old pillowcases and didn't find any cute ones but I did find some old off-white shams that Ethan hasn't ever like my using for the bed and with the scalloped edges it actually makes for some cute and classy bedding for the bunk-beds. I inserted some other mis-matched doll blankets inside to make it more like a comforter and now it's like a duvet cover! I'm going to keep an eye out at the thrift shop now for sure for cute pillowcases. I do think she needs a pop of color now though on her beds and was thinking of making some cute little pillows, but need to get my hands on some cute and colorful fabric to make them first.

It's been a great weekend so far, full of play, being cozy at home and cuddling. Perfection!

simple + sweet

2012-01-20T15:09:00.000-06:00

I've had this photo set out for about 2 weeks now and just haven't had time to throw it all together on a layout. I cut the background decorative piece using my Silhouette Cameo, as well as the butterfly and title. The whole layout took about 20 minutes to put together, love it when that happens! Everything else used was bits and pieces of my January kit from Cocoa Daisy. I feel like I haven't really done anything too crafty in awhile since my arm was injured and now that it's feeling better I am itching to do some projects. Hoping this weekend will allow for it!

dolls, dolls, dolls...

2012-01-18T23:00:00.003-06:00

Around here lately we've been playing with dolls. We've been dressing them, styling their hair, teaching them at "school" and baking with them in the kitchen. We've been having tea parties with them and reading to them. Snuggling with them and giving them stroller rides around the house. Zoey LOVES her dolls and I have to admit that I am loving them too. It is so much fun to have an excuse to play with them! One thing that I've noticed now too is that since she's slowly getting more "playsets" and outfits (little things like cookie cutters and school things) the actual play is getting more involved. I've been searching out some clothing and accessory options for her dolls other than the American Girl website (which we love but everything can't be the AG brand due to the price, and heck, it's fun to have handmade besides). I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite finds.

For some adorable handmade sweaters and hats be sure to check out the Etsy shop LoveMyYarn. She will even make your daughter and doll matching hats...and they are beautiful, check out the one pictured above to see what I mean!

Another clothing store on Etsy that I found and liked was 123MulberryStreet. I found a Valentine outfit that is quite similar to one that Zoey has for herself here so I snatched it up so she can have a "matching" outfit. I'm thinking that might make for a cute little gift item for Valentine's day? Check out her shop for more cute things, she has a very nice selection.

For some special treats for your tea parties (when you aren't actually feeling up to baking mini delicacies of your own) I found some adorable and real life-like looking cookies at the Etsy shop Pippaloo. These are the treats that I purchased for Zoey and they come with the silver tray as well.

I just visited her site just now and see that she has some yummy Valentine treats in her shop as well. Check these out!

For tea parties a small doll sized tea set is a must and since Zoey loves fairies as much as she loves dolls I did a search for a fairy tea set for dolls and came across this one by Schilling.

And lastly, I'm sharing something that's on our AG wish list as it's a bit pricey but nice all the same. Maybe a future birthday gift? The Party Set for Kit.

Isn't it sweet? I love that it comes with linens and flatware as well as the dishes. The pink glass is just precious and yes, I am completely aware that I'm calling silverware for dolls, flatware. I realize that I'm insane! But it's a good thing right? I'm sure that Zoey thinks so!

music...

2012-01-17T07:27:00.001-06:00

I can't help but watch this video over and over...

Valentine's Day Treat - Chex Mix

2012-01-16T21:19:00.000-06:00

[image from Betty Crocker]

The last time I went grocery shopping I picked up the ingredients to make up this chex mix for an evening where I happened to have a bit of extra time and tonight was the night. It is so yummy! Zoey had fun shaking up the powdered sugar in the bag...and loved being my "tester" and even got to stay up a bit later than usual to be my helper. Find the recipe here.

snapshots from today...

2012-01-14T18:07:00.000-06:00

It started with us meeting Zoey's friend at the library and taking her home with us for a playdate. The girls made some little creamy mints in pink and yellow (recipe here) using some mini cookie cutters that Zoey got for Christmas from one of her Aunts.

Then it was time to have a tea party with their dolls. The dolls had their own tea set of course, courtesy of Ruby bringing her set along to play with. Zoey and her friend Ruby had real tea (teddy bear tea) with cream and sugar which they served themselves.

Lunch consisted of Unicorn Horns (crescent rolls with ham and cheese inside), a Cutie (clementine) and Vanilla Pudding.

After the girlie festivities they went outside and played in the snow. What a wonderful day for Zoey! She is so lucky to have such good buddies.

happiness is...

2012-01-08T22:11:00.000-06:00

having my mom and sister come up to visit. It's enjoying a relaxing weekend together, celebrating a late Christmas, opening and sharing thoughtful gifts from and with one another, enjoying special chocolates, baked goods and salty treats...with perhaps a glass of wine or two. Enjoying the beautiful, and unseasonably warm weather that we've been having lately by taking a hike on the Bearskin Trail. Doing some browsing downtown...and getting some help grocery shopping before they took off for the Bayfield house. :)

It was so awesome to have it just be the girls for the majority of the visit. Saturday night we all four were snuggled up on the couch watching Anne of Green Gables...and it made my heart happy.

Zoey just loves her Auntie so much and of course anytime spent with grandma is time well spent.

I am not ready for it to be Monday already but it's well on it's way whether I like it or not! Here's to slowing down and enjoying what's right outside my front door. I am blessed!

Butterfly Lollipop Valentine

2012-01-07T08:49:00.000-06:00

I've been playing around a bit with the Silhouette Cameo (every chance I get!)and saw this cute little template for a butterfly treat holder and had to whip one up. I'm thinking these would make cute little Valentine's for Zoey's friends this year. Each one could be made up a little differently.

Yesterday Zoey and I swung by the Minocqua Public Library after school and we spent an hour there just enjoying it together. Zoey, sitting at one of the table in the children's area reading a book and I perusing what's new for women's fiction. She didn't want to leave when we had our pile all put together...that made me so happy. I can picture her someday riding her bike there after school or in the summertime and just spending the afternoon there. Something that I did when I was little. I love libraries and books and am so glad that she does too.

Today Zoey's been invited to the Children's Museum with a friend which means I'll have some time to get some last minute cleaning and organizing done before my mom and sister come to visit. I'm so excited to have them coming for a visit and I know that Zoey is too. There are always so many things that I want to do when they are here and never enough time, just all the more reason to visit more often.

I'm able to keep my sling off now and while the first couple of days with it off was hard (lots of stiffness and pain), I still have some of the pain but my mobility is getting better and better every day. It's pretty exciting when I wake up and realize that I can do something that I couldn't the day before. This morning it's excitement over being able to reach my head and slowly twirl a curl on my head...it truly is the little things with this injury! I still can't put pressure on the arm (no push-ups or pushing down on the bed with that arm to get up) but I am able to pick things up now(half a gallon of milk or lighter) and I can open a door (albeit slowly). Any motion where I have to twist or rotate my arm is still quite painful and tricky...my stretches though are helping I think for this motion. This is really the first injury that I've had of this kind and it's amazing what the human body can do to take care of itself when called upon. Though reading up on this kind of injury (radial head fracture) makes me also very thankful that I'm healing as fast as I am...there are quite a few horror stories out there regarding elbow injuries.

One of the things that I want to try and do this weekend is to go and see the movie We Bought a Zoo directed by Cameron Crowe which is based on a true story. I've heard great things about it and it just looks to be one of those feel good heartwarming movies which is sometimes just what one needs when the weather is grey and everything is slushy and muddy outside, a/k/a depressing. :)

If I get around to going to it I'll be sure to let you know what I think! Enjoy your weekend!

happy new year!

2012-01-01T21:11:00.000-06:00

Image found here.

Pictures from Zoey in the Nutcracker

2011-12-30T22:24:00.003-06:00

She was so excited this year to be the mouse that Clara threw her slipper at and then got carried off stage. :) What a naughty, naughty, little mouse!

She also got to be in a second dance this year, as a candy cane.

Such a fun event to go to every year.

Snowflake Treat Box

2011-12-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to quickly share a little treat box that I whipped up using the Silhouette Cameo yesterday. We are celebrating another family Christmas this coming weekend and I needed a little box for something small to give to my sister-in-law and this was the perfect size. Simple and sweet! Have I mentioned that I LOVE this machine yet? Well, just so we are clear...I do!

Cocoa Daisy January Layouts

2011-12-28T21:57:00.001-06:00

Here they are...a bit more on the simple side this time around since I was creating with just my one arm, but I still like how they turned out.

My title work for all the layouts were done using the Silhouette Cameo, I love, love, love, love, love this machine to pieces. It's nothing short of AMAZING...I can't wait to be able to create with it using two hands! Santa spoiled me for sure this year. I still can't quite believe it!

I love this photo (pictured below) so much so I really kept the layout itself pretty low key to ensure that it would stay the focus of the layout.

I love all the pretty colors in this month's kit, to snag your own before they are all gone go here.

hey mom and dad...

2011-12-27T22:19:00.000-06:00

remember in fourth grade when I went to school and wore an ace bandage (without you knowing) and told the teacher I sprained my arm so she had a student do all my writing and take notes for me...for three whole days, before you found out? Well, it would appear that I've gotten my payback.

Yesterday I fell on the ice while skating with Zoey and fractured my radial head. I went to the emergency room thinking I was being a baby, but am so glad that I went. I have a splint right now until the swelling goes down (see my sausage fingers?) and will see an orthopedic surgeon early next week to see about getting a cast or if I will need surgery. It's never a dull moment around here I swear. And for the record, I really was a good kid...that was probably the worst thing I did growing up, I think my teacher and my parents actually got a good chuckle over my ingenuity over it all.

January Cocoa Daisy Sneaks...

2011-12-27T20:44:00.000-06:00

Here they are! I feel like I need to explain a little something though...my layouts for this month are really pretty simple and that's because they were created with one hand because...(drum roll), I have a fractured radial head (elbow) from falling on the ice while skating with Zoey. Talk about a big bummer! Why does it seem that we are either sick or hurt during holidays or school breaks? I'm beginning to dread them now as I think we are hexed. Anyways, I love this months kit, I just wish that I had the ability to create more with it. I meet with the orthopedic surgeon early next week so hopefully I will learn more then and be back on the road to recovery. Argh! Until then I'll be surfing the web for crafty ideas, catching up on what's on television these days and reading!

2011-12-24T21:14:00.000-06:00

Christmas dress

2011-12-21T22:51:00.004-06:00

Just sharing some cute pictures of Zoey posing in her special dress that she wore to her school Christmas concert. She also had some sparkly gold shoes to match, but at the earlier afternoon performance (there are two concerts), one fell off on her way to the risers so to not worry about that happening again at the evening performance she opted to play it safe with some trusty black strapped ones. :)

Seeing Santa...

2011-12-18T20:49:00.000-06:00

In addition to performing in the Nutcracker (for ballet) this weekend, Zoey got to see Santa! What a wonderful surprise this was and added to the excitement of also having Grandma Sue Sue and Grandpa Ross here as well.

Santa and Zoey were having a pretty serious discussion and when I asked what it was about Zoey shared with me that she asked Santa for some pink ice skates (something he was expecting) and a real, live elf...apparently Santa said that "he had those for her too." Hmmm...we shall have to see about that come Christmas morning.

Hoping to share some pictures of the Nutcracker soon, for now though I need to clean up all the sprinkles that are all over my kitchen, (just got done dipping pretzels in chocolate and coating them with sprinkles)!

Christmas Ornaments

2011-12-13T14:59:00.001-06:00

I created these sweet and simple ornaments using some bits of the Cocoa Daisy limited edition Merry & Bright kit. The star and ball ornaments themselves are by Creative Imaginations. I simply adhered patterned paper to them and trimmed it using my craft knife. I then took some sand paper to the edges to smooth them up a bit. I chose some stickers from my sticker sheet by Echo Park (included in the kit), a button, and was done!

These would be cute on the tree or even on gifts as part of the packaging.

he truly thinks he's a cat...

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

Snapped these photos of Leo and Zoey yesterday. He is the strangest dog I have ever known. He thinks he's a cat I swear. Zoey was sitting in the chair and he just jumped up on her lap. She thought it was hilarious and was struggling to keep him positioned on her because he's so big (totally not a lap dog!). We love him despite his feline tendencies. :)

December Sunday Breakfast...

2011-12-11T17:11:00.000-06:00

You can't really tell but the waffles are actually tinted pink (food coloring). It's been fun surprising Zoey this month with some cute breakfasts.

Today was a productive day around here. This morning Zoey had a paydate and I used that time to get groceries and put a dent in some of her gift wrapping. The afternoon consisted of her (same) friend coming over to our house and them sledding and playing while I made some chocolate covered peanut butter balls.

The Peanut Butter Balls aren't the most beautiful of Christmas goodies but my are they tasty! When I put them on a platter I will put each one on a cute little mini-muffin wrapper to jazz them up a bit. I found the recipe here. I suppose mine would have looked prettier had I made them into buckeyes but I wanted them completely covered in chocolate so that's what I got.

I wrapped them up pretty good and tucked away in the freezer so that they make it until Christmas...they wouldn't be safe otherwise!

free printable Christmas gift tags

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

from My Girl Thursday

from A Fanciful Twist

from Design Sponge

from Domestic Fluff

from Fresh Picked Whimsy

I usually try and share my favorites that I find online every year and these are it for this year. I love the first ones pictured by My Girl Thursday so much just for their old time feel and the warm feeling they invoke. I'll be using those along with the ones by Design Sponge.

my crafty area...

2011-12-10T17:17:00.002-06:00

I've been slowly creating a little crafty space that I can call my own since our last move. It's been tricky just due to the lack of space for it but I have utilized the length of one wall of our bedroom for this purpose and I dare say that it's working out nicely! I still need something for that white space above the new desk, but I'm sure I'll come up with something. I sewed the white curtains for the front of the desks to create some hidden storage and to also soften up the look of the desks themselves since they are in our bedroom.

I had this desk and hutch since forever (since before Zoey was born!) and while looking at my little corner set-up that I had been using a couple of weeks ago I wondered if Target might have the same desk and sell it just as the desk without the hutch. A couple of clicks with my mouse and I had my answer. Why yes they do! I used some coupon codes that I had and got use of a free shipping special and a few days later it was delivered to my door. I bumped the two together and now have so much work space I could jump for joy! No more putting my trimmer on the floor when I want to sew or having all my papers and things that I'm working with scattered about on the floor around me while I'm working on my laptop. It's such a small thing really, but I am SO darn excited!!!! I thought while I was at it I'd share some more of my little space. Here is my inspiration board that hangs above my hutch. So far it's little bits of product that I love, a hoop that I made and a cool plaster bird hanging that Zoey made for me.

This is a shelf that I have embellishments, art markers, stamps and inks stored on. The tall tower of drawers is actually a cd tower but I use it for more embellishment storage.

And here is a little collage of all the goods. Underneath my desks I have wicker baskets for my papers and alphabet stickers and my trusty Epson printer is under there too. I have the entire space under the new desk to fill up! Hooray!

I am not the only one pleased with this set-up it would seem...Zoey is enjoying having a space next to me again to create. :)

Doily Christmas Ornaments using Polymer Clay

2011-12-05T07:26:00.000-06:00

These ornaments were so much fun to make...I seriously did not want to stop once I started in on them. I received some polymer clay from the company Activa (Hearty air dry clay) awhile back to sample and have been wanting to create something using it for awhile now, once I got this idea in my head there was nothing stopping me from getting started! Since making those pictured above, I've made others using other stamp designs from my stash as well. I'll post some of those later. To read the tutorial check out the Cocoa Daisy blog.

Sunday Morning Breakfast

2011-12-04T08:57:00.000-06:00

We've got lots to do today so what better way to start the day off with some fun pancakes? Zoey was happy! I'm off to get some groceries, hopefully start in on some holiday baking, and attend a baby shower of a friend. Perhaps later this evening I'll get some time in for crafting? Here's to hoping!

The Muppets

2011-12-03T22:14:00.006-06:00

I took Zoey to the movie The Muppets this evening and I have to say that it's the best kids movie that I've seen in a very long time. It's on the top of my list for sure. The entire time that I was watching the movie I had a big grin on my face and if I didn't, tears were streaming down my cheeks. It made me recall my youth and spending time in the theater with my dad. I actually called him first thing once we were home from the theater telling him that he had to go see this movie. :) It was that good.

Jason Segal was PERFECT for his casted role and I enjoyed listening to both he and Amy Adams sing and enjoyed watching them dance even more. It was truly entertainment in it's purest form. Zoey got all the jokes and was giggling and clapping away right along with me. It was so awesome. The story itself was fresh and endearing and timely. I felt GOOD having Zoey see this movie. When I asked her who her favorite muppets were, I found it interesting that it was a) Kermit b) Walter and c) Miss Piggy. The newest muppet, Walter has a definite way of sneaking into your heart. :) We both loved him.

This will be a movie that we will get once available for purchase for our home collection. Way to go Disney!

Northwoods Festival of Trees

2011-12-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

Today I took Zoey to the Northwoods Festival of Trees in Manitowish Waters. It was the perfect thing to help put us both in the holiday spirit.

There was face painting done by none other than our good friend Vicky Meier (whom I was blessed to have met at our local scrapbook store while I was working and teaching there).

When given a choice between a snowman, a snowflake, a reindeer or a snow flower, she chose snow flower.

Area residents and businesses created and decorated trees, wreaths or other winter/holiday items and had them on display for people to enjoy. Some of them then are to be raffled off at the end of the day. Here is Zoey sitting in front of Vicky's Pooh Bear tree.

Here are some photos of some of the displays...

There is music there all day too, while we were there we got to enjoy some beautiful harp playing by this young woman.

One of my favorite trees was this tree decorated with all these adorable handmade mice. There were bakers, trick-or-treaters, and even a Packer fan mouse but I thought this little partier was too cute! He even has a case of beer!

Super classy and old time feeling wreath...

Such a special event! There were also many sweet treats and some hot cocoa to enjoy...no pictures of that I guess because we were too busy enjoying them! All proceeds of this event go towards supporting the Frank B. Koller public library in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin.

Cocoa Daisy December Layouts

2011-11-29T07:16:00.000-06:00

Posting these quick here this morning. I loved the color combination in this month's kit, Amber Snowflake, so much. The light blue mixed in with grey, and gold made for a very lovely feeling. I'm looking forward to creating some more projects with this kit and the add-ons (which are lovely as well).

I love the little die-cuts by October Afternoon that's included in one of the add-ons. I used some of them on every one of my layouts this month. :)

I just got my special Christmas themed kit, Merry & Bright, from Cocoa Daisy as well so am looking forward to the weekend to have some time to create and play a bit with that. To check out the Cocoa Daisy shop click here.

the tree...

2011-11-28T22:15:00.005-06:00

is up. The stockings are hung. The wreath and pine boughs are hung. There are little bits of Christmas all around. Zoey and I watched our first Christmas movie together snuggled up on the couch this evening. I'm so looking forward to these next few weeks leading up to the holidays. Some things on the list include:

Advent by Candlelight Service for Women at Peace Church
School Christmas Program
The Nutcracker Ballet featuring Zoey as a mouse and a candy cane (two performances for her this year)
decorating cut out cookies
baking
donating to the food pantry with Zoey
decorating a gingerbread house with Zoey
wrapping gifts
playing in the snow (assuming we get some)
drinking cocoa and tea
snuggling on the couch and watching TV specials and holiday classics
listening to Christmas music
doing craft projects with Zoey for family gifts
planning for our Christmas Eve meal and the special treats that accompany it

I'm sure that more things will find their way to the list, but for now I'm quite content with what's there. I love this time of year so much. I feel like I'm in a good place with the start of things here this year. Zoey's shopping is done. I just need to finish up a few things for Ethan and then I just have our extended family to think about. Merry..merry! I want to remember and feel the joy this season. That's the biggest and bested part after all! Pure magic.

And here is a funny photo of Zoey on our way home from visiting my family over Thanksgiving break. Those that know her know that she NEVER sleeps in the car. She didn't when she was a baby and certainly not now that she's older...until now that is. Check out this sleeping beauty.

I was positively giggling when I discovered her sleeping like this! :)

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

music monday...

2011-11-28T11:24:00.000-06:00

the thirty-four year old me...

2011-11-21T13:43:00.000-06:00

is pretty much the same as the 33 year old me. I do however apply under-eye wrinkle cream now (which I didn't before). I continue to struggle with my faith, or rather carving out the time to practice and celebrate it. I know it's there, I believe, it's just something that I tend to put on the back burner when life get's busy. Trying to make it more of the forefront of my being these days. I still struggle with balancing my time and priorities. I often put myself last and put others in the forefront. Which works for everyone but me...and in the long run, nobody really. I do however love fiercely and am the most positive thinking person I know. The glass is truly always half full and things can only get better. No matter where you are. I believe it's an attitude. Change is embraced here in my heart.

Thirty-four, I welcome you with open arms!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe things happen for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

projects from the crop...

2011-11-19T21:02:00.000-06:00

My challenge for the crop at Cocoa Daisy was WALL ART. Something that can be found in the stalls at a craft fair...I immediately thought of embroidery hoops...only without the embroidery part. :) I got a hoop at my local variety store for less than a dollar and embellished away. People could either create something based on some photos I had posted of embroidery hoops such as a layout, card or other altered art project based on a design that they liked. The winner for my challenge will be announced tomorrow.

And this was a layout that I created for Anja's poster challenge in which you were to create a layout based on a band poster or CD cover...awesome!

We had so much fun and have so many new members now from people joining to participate in the crop! Thank you to those that stopped by and perhaps we'll see you next time to those that didn't make it.

snapshots from the weekend...

2011-11-14T14:20:00.002-06:00

Sunday Zoey and I spent the day at an area park and she played and I took some photos and then we both played again. It was one of those mild days where the fresh air was invigorating and made everything seem right...or pretty close to being right. I love these moments with Zoey so much and they fuel me to keep going when things get crazy and real life sneaks in to show it's true colors.

A lot of people don't really care for this in-between time between fall and winter but I do. If you look closely you can see so much of life and it's offerings busy at work. There is proof of what once was and what will be again.

And then of course there is this beautiful and amazing life force to reckon with. What a pure and lovely soul she is. I am so proud to have the gift of being her mom...God knew what he was doing when he created her for me...she's perfect.

She loves with her whole heart and doesn't hold back. She trusts her instincts and does the right thing even when not asked.

She is such a good friend to her peers. There have been little things that she will say or do that makes my heart feel as though it's going to soar right on out of my chest...she makes me so proud of how thoughtful and caring she is.

She plays like there is no tomorrow. Her ferocity is something to be reckoned with. Her ideas are always big ideas and somehow, someway, they will come to fruition if she has anything to do with it.

She has been known to shout out from the top of her lungs "I LOVE MY LIFE!" taking no note of where she is or who is around. What a life lesson that is to me.

Still can't believe that I have a child old enough to have all those holes in her mouth though, but I do and wouldn't have it any other way!

Thank you for the gift of times like this Lord.

Cocoa Daisy Crop this Weekend!

2011-11-10T20:55:00.000-06:00

Here's the AMAZING line-up for the weekend's events! I can't wait to share my wall art challenge with you on Saturday. Here is a little sneak for you.

I also am so excited to partake in everyone else's challenges and classes this weekend and WOW!...do you see the amazing and talented artists we have lined up for our chats? How cool is this?! It's not too late to register on the Cocoa Daisy forum so that you can participate in all the fun. It's such a riot at times, I look forward to it every year. Hope to see you at some point over on the boards at Cocoa Daisy!

first snow of the year!

2011-11-09T21:27:00.000-06:00

We raced home after school today to get on all of our winter gear to get out and play in the white stuff! Leo even got in on some of the action...can you tell how enthused he was? :) He was running all around and digging in the snow with his nose, he was just tuckered out afterwards and a bit put out that he couldn't make snowballs like Zoey can.

I have to admit too that I was just as excited to see the snow in our backyard as Zoey was. I LOVE the first snowfall.

It will be interesting to see how long it stays around...they are saying that temps may be warmer on the weekend so we might end up with a muddy mess. Oh well, we'll be sure to enjoy it while it's here!

just a "tooth fairy" update...

2011-11-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

Since the last tooth related photo was posted here on the blog she has lost TWO more teeth!! One was lost on the way home from school one day and the other was just lost today in math class. They are falling out by the minute it seems. She's becoming a pro at it, that's for sure! We are teasing her that she could have been a jack-o-lantern for Halloween with her new smile the way it is. :) I think her toothy grin is just adorable!

bed & breakfast : Cocoa Daisy for November

2011-10-28T22:49:00.000-05:00

Here are two layouts that I created using the November kit from Cocoa Daisy, Bed & Breakfast. I love this kit and am excited to continue using it for my projects that will be shared during the November crop later this coming month. It was also fun to create a two page layout again. It's been awhile and it felt good to use so many photos.

This layout is pretty simple and straightforward. I used the sticker trims for my border surrounding my photo mats. Easy peasy!

Check out the Cocoa Daisy store and subscribe today to be sure to get November's kit before it sells out!

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Cocoa Daisy November sneaks!

2011-10-27T21:56:00.000-05:00

This is such a fun and vibrant kit, I've been having so much fun creating with it. Here a couple of my projects that will be revealed in full in the Cocoa Daisy gallery on reveal night. I have lots more though to share with you during the Fall Crop that's scheduled for November 11-13th. It's going to be a blast (it is every year) and so I hope that you join in on the fun. There are challenges, contests, classes, scrap celebrity chats, loads of inspiration and a ton of laughs. Until then, happy scrapping (and get those photos printed and ready)!

thinking about Christmas music...

2011-10-23T22:27:00.001-05:00

I caught myself humming a Christmas song in the car today. We don't even have snow yet or have even celebrated Halloween or Thanksgiving yet but I'm starting to get (really!) excited about the holidays already. Perhaps it's because my shopping is officially done for Zoey already. A first for me, and something that I'm so very excited about especially since last year was such a hustle and bustle crazy time for us. I'm trying to plan ahead a bit more to make time for baking together, playing outdoors and just spending time enjoying one another in front of the tree listening to music. Which, speaking of music, I've come to realize that my holiday music collection is in dire need of some updating. These following albums are on my list of tracks to add to my collection. If you click the links you can listen to some samples of what's on each album.

A Very SHE & HIM Christmas

Mary, Did You Know

Winter Song

Amy Grant, The Christmas Collection

Oh for Joy

A Holly Jolly Kids Christmas

around here...

2011-10-19T07:15:00.002-05:00

We are officially back into the school year routine now with Zoey. After school consists of taking care of homework (studying spelling and math) and having a healthy snack before playing outside (sometimes with neighbor friends, sometimes without) or playing with dolls or doing some creative project inside. Sometimes I let her play on Webkinz.com...something we are still figuring out. Some of her friends are on there too which makes it fun. Then it's dinner time (some days a bath after dinner) and then reading books on the couch or the bed. Once tucked into bed she listens to a book on CD, right now her favorite is Anne of Green Gables and sometimes I find that I stay and listen a bit too.

So far being in second grade and being seven isn't so bad...in fact, it's kind of nice. And speaking of education and thinking ahead to the future, if you are ever in need of homework help, find resources through online colleges.

baby tooth # 6 bites the dust...

2011-10-17T21:34:00.000-05:00

She's becoming a pro at losing teeth it would seem! She was eating an apple after school and it became loose and then tonight before bed she was soooooo bummed out that she wasn't going to lose it before going to school tomorrow. I told her to let me pull it out and she (surprisingly) said okay and opened her mouth. I reached in and plucked it out and she danced around the house for the next 15 munutes. :)

I'm just glad that the tooth fairy had the inclination to stop at the ATM earlier today. :)

Carving Pumpkins!

2011-10-16T22:58:00.002-05:00

After the Zoo Boo on Saturday Zoey and I carved some of our pumpkins. This marked the first year that she scooped out the pumpkin guts entirely by herself. Quite a milestone don't you think? :) She was pretty proud of herself.

And made me take this picture as long as I promised to post it on the blog. She is such a nut!

By the end of carving two of our pumpkins we were cold and she needed to put on a jacket and hat and mittens to stay warm. She wanted happy and silly faces this year so that's what we did. We still have her "bumpy" pumpkin to carve yet (courtesy of a good friend who found the perfect one for us this year, thanks Betsy!). A successful event without drawing blood!

I love this time of year so much! Hooray for family traditions and time spent with loved ones.

Zoo Boo 2011

2011-10-15T23:19:00.001-05:00

The 5th Annual Zoo Boo was today and we all woke up this morning excited to go, Zoey especially so. She had her costume on shortly after waking up this morning and was begging for her face to be painted shortly afterwards.

Her outfit this year worked out perfectly being that it was a chilly day and that we were able to put several layers underneath her owl "body" including a vest. No coat was needed!

Here she is at the actual Zoo Boo...she was all smiles ALL day long. We missed going to our local Zoo Boo last year since we were out of town so this year was extra special. I think the best part is getting to see her friends all dressed up...including the candy of course, that's a given.

Pictured above are her girl friends Gracie and Julia...below we have Christopher and Daniel also known as Iron Man and Zorro.

And here we have David, a friend, former classmate and now neighbor who is dressed up as a scary ghost. I wasn't entirely sure if Zoey was going to stand by him dressed up the way he was but she did. She skipped all of the "scary" booths that were giving candy at the Zoo...it doesn't matter if they are giving away her all time favorite candy, she is stubborn like that. :)

And then here we are at the end of the day in the car ride home...doing the most important part, checking out all the goodies she scored of course!

I look forward to this event every October and it never disappoints!

Indian Corn Candle Centerpiece

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I've seen variations of this craft project circling the internet and knew that I wanted to give it a try. I wish that I would have had all of my Indian corn more the same size, but other than the unevenness of the corn, I really like how my centerpiece turned out. I added some burlap tied around the middle and love the look. To create your own centerpiece simply adhere your Indian corn to the candle using a hot glue (or other adhesive of choice) and tie with twine, burlap or some other favorite trim.

Fall Printable

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love Fall and have fun finding ways to bring it inside the home as well as enjoying it outside. I stumbled upon this classy downloadable printable while on Pinterest the other day. I knew right away what frame I was going to use to hang it up with in the kitchen.

You can find the printable here.

the moon tonight...

2011-10-10T22:10:00.001-05:00

The moon was just stunning this evening and had some misty, whirling fog around it...a perfect October moon. Twilight and night shots are tricky; find tips online, in photography and education classes.

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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bars

2011-10-10T12:57:00.000-05:00

I have been craving pumpkin bars for awhile now and finally had the opportunity to make them. I tried out a recipe from Taste of Home and love how they turned out. It's a simple and easy recipe too which is always nice. There is no way that we could eat a whole pan of these so I put together a little box for a friend and just had to make them pretty while I was at it. These downloadable tags from TomKat Studios are just adorable. I simply printed them and adhered them to toothpicks back to back with glue dots and was done.

and then it was fall...

2011-10-04T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is my favorite season for sure. Visits to the apple orchard, fall hikes, trips to the pumpkin patch, carving pumpkins, attending the annual Zoo Boo, trick-or-treating, sipping apple cider and all the fall baking. And of course the beautiful colors that surround us.

I love it all! Time to get out the sweaters and work on compiling my fall reading list! Nature can be the best cure for a down day.

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Halloween links!

2011-10-03T06:00:00.001-05:00

Since it's now October I've been thinking about Halloween and what fun things we will do this year with Zoey and her friends. Here are some favorite links to crafts, food ideas and more that I've come across so far. Halloween is so much fun!

Moselle's printable Vintage Halloween toppers

Drink and Juice Box wrappers by Centsational Girl

Halloweenie Dress-Up by Bablisme

Rat Eyeballs, Spider Legs and Ghost Poop by Glorious Treats

Fun Halloween printables from Vale Design

Halloween Peanut Butter and Toffee Candy Bark by bon appetite

Halloween Mummy Meatloaf by The Knead for Speed

Mummy Pizza by Parents.com

Jar-O'-Lanterns by Family Fun

Pasta Skeletons by Martha Stewart

Spider Candy Holder by Kaboose

from the weekend...

2011-10-02T21:53:00.000-05:00

The weather here was perfectly glorious. Golden sun shining down and warm with blue skies. On Saturday as a family we hiked the Raven Trail (the 3.5 mile loop) and then today Zoey had a friend over to play all afternoon.

The girls played outside for the majority of the time which did my heart good...I love seeing Zoey truly play and be a kid. That to me is what childhood should be all about.

We made some caramel apples too and enjoyed them.

Take note of how Zoey eats her caramel apple, caramel first. Of course! :)

A lovely fall weekend.

happy world card making day!

2011-10-01T06:00:00.003-05:00

It's a great day to make some cards! Lisa challenged us to play along with her and to celebrate this day over at Cocoa Daisy and we were simply all each to create a card. For mine I used scraps from my October kit (of course!) and did no stamping whatsoever! I think I used ten stickers though!

Happy Card Making Day!

Cocoa Daisy's October Kit : Farmer's Market

2011-09-30T06:00:00.001-05:00

Here are the layouts! I could create with this kit forever I think. I love the mix of patterns and colors and the embellishments in the kit itself and the add-ons are just drool-worthy. I love!

For the chipboard pieces on this layout I mimicked the little dotting that was on the half circle (see above photo) onto the owl and cloud by using my journaling pen. I think it made the pieces pop a bit more than they might otherwise have.

I love those faux burlap fabric chipboard letters.

Hmmm...I actually love all the alpha stickers in the kit and add-ons it would seem. :)

There is also an adorable apple stamp (actually several stamps available this month) that was fun to play with.

This kit seriously had me fall in love with scrapbooking again! It always feels great to get back in the groove. Get your October kit while you still can here.

first day of 2nd grade mini-book

2011-09-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

Oh Cocoa Daisy, Farmer's Market October kit...how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Seriously, I adored this months kit and I think it might just show a bit in my projects. Here is my mini that I love, love, love. It's been awhile since I've tackled a mini and it felt good.

When I saw that this apple chipboard album was in one of the add-ons I knew I had to have it. Zoey's dress that she wore to school on her first day this year had two appliqued apples on it. I knew I was going to do something using those first day photos and this book!

I'll post my layouts using this kit tomorrow.

a warm breakfast for these cool fall mornings...

2011-09-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

This was a breakfast dish that I grew up enjoying with my family. The recipe was passed down to me from my mom who got it from her mother. You can serve it up with cinnamon and sugar or cinnamon and real maple syrup or cinnamon and applesauce. It is the best breakfast for cool weekend mornings. I believe you spell it "Chuchel" but our family opted for "Chuckle" as we always seemed to have a good chuckle or two when we tried to flip it in the skillet and keep it all in one piece. I'm actually pretty good at it now.

Chuckle

2 eggs
1 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use 2 tsp!)
salt (dash)
oil (to coat pan)

Place skillet on medium heat on stovetop, coat pan with oil. Mix all other ingredients and pour into heated skillet and let cook until edges start to look solid, (think of an extra-large pancake here) and then loosen edges and (attempt to) flip the entire "chuckle." Cook on that side until golden brown, (about 5 minutes), then cut into cubes. Cook cubes for another 5 minutes or so until all chuckles are golden brown. Serve with sprinkled cinnamon and syrup or cinnamon and applesauce. Serves: 2 adults and 1 seven year old nicely!

another Cocoa Daisy sneak...

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-05:00

To say I have been inspired by this kit is an understatement. I adore it to pieces! Here is a sneak of a mini book that I created using the Cocoa Daisy October kit, Farmer's Market and some of the add-ons (which you MUST get this month!). I can't wait for reveal day later this week!

apple cake

2011-09-26T09:40:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I tried out a new recipe for an apple cake and it turned out delicious. It's actually better the second day in my opinion, (I had a bit for breakfast) and it's super moist.

Apple Cake

6 apples, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar

2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pan with butter. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.

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a new smile for the weekend...

2011-09-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

This one wasn't even wiggly beforehand and she lost it during math class (hurray!) which meant a trip down to the nurse to get a little pink box to put it in.

october sneaks for Cocoa Daisy!

2011-09-19T17:04:00.001-05:00

I know that I say that I love every kit from Cocoa Daisy...every month, and I do. This kit however I am in complete awe of! My favorite season is Fall and this kit celebrates that very fact. I just adore it to pieces and that's probably why I had to start creating with it as soon as it arrived on my doorstep! I can't wait to share the reveal with you later this month, until then...keep your eyes open on the message board for some more sneaks!

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hello Monday, i'm happy to see you...

2011-09-19T06:01:00.000-05:00

Taking care of things here around the house today. Just had to share this comical little mug of Leo!

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Indian Corn Fall Wreath

2011-09-18T21:50:00.000-05:00

I had a little time to work on some craft projects today and I had envisioned creating a really cool wreath using Indian Corn...and while it didn't turn out exactly as I had hoped (I ended up not having enough corn and didn't have all the same length of pieces and the colors were a bit off in some places), I still kinda like it. It's imperfect and a little crazy but I like it.

Things I would do differently if making this again...I would buy more corn, I would purchase a wire wreath frame instead of a twig one, and I would fine some wide, natural looking raffia to add to the wreath when finished.

first visit to Dunkin Donuts!

2011-09-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

We took Zoey to Dunkin Donuts for the first time last weekend while we were traveling. Her eyes got pretty big when she all the different kinds of donuts she could choose from. She of course ended up getting a frosted pink one with sprinkles. :)

It's probably a good thing that we don't have one of these around here where we live...

and it was a beautiful day...

2011-09-09T22:04:00.005-05:00

We celebrated my grandmother's life the past couple of days and it was truly a beautiful event. It was so good to see family that I haven't seen in years and I couldn't help but think that I was going to see grandma rounding the corner with some directions for someone to get out more cookies or move some tables and get out more chairs. It reminded me of a passage from Matthew 18:20, For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them. I know that she was there watching over us and smiling down on us from heaven...she was probably chuckling a time or two as well due to the stories that were being shared.

She was buried with her husband in Jug Prairie Cemetary which overlooks beautiful, rolling farmland where she lived when raising her children in Brooklyn, Wisconsin. She had sixteen grandchildren, eight step-grandchildren, twenty-five great-grandchildren and two great-great grandchildren. I'm pretty certain that she made us all at least one of her handmade quilts. I am proud to have seven...three are baby quilts and the other four are full sized. One is made from all the flannel scraps that were left over from the nightgowns that she made me every year when growing up. It is the warmest blanket that we own and the one that we all fight over to snuggle up with in the winter months.

My Aunt Sharon shared some words from grandma with us and then some of her own. I'm pretty sure I got the gift of loving the written word from her...she is an amazing and thoughtful writer. At the funeral the pastor read words from my blog that I wrote previously about my grandmother. That made my heart so happy and is a gift to me and will be always.

My Uncle Bill and cousin Scotty and my cousin Natasha sang Amazing Grace.

I will tell you this, being with these amazing and wonderful people, that are mine, made my heart swell with pride. I love that I am from this family. I love that we do things the way that we do. I love that everything is done matter of fact, and with a little sweat and with nothing short of all of our love. It's how my grandmother was in how she lived her life and what has been passed down from generation to generation now. We know how to work hard and we know how to play hard, and are expected to do both.

Below is my cousin Nick and we are proud to call Bobby Bullet part of our family too.

And my cousin Scotty...it's no secret that he's my favorite, he's the rock and roller of the family. We all love him to pieces and it was so awesome that he flew down to be with us.

My family is so talented! At one point my little sister got up and sang a song too but of course I didn't have my camera then.

I am so blessed for getting to have the relationship that I did with my grandmother while she was here in this earthly world. I traveled with her to the Alamo, and visited family in Florida with her. I spent time in the summers with her at the farm and rode horses and picked apples. We had private jokes...like the time that we were shopping and went into a store that unknown to her had a wall that was a mirror and she looked up and exclaimed (to her reflection in the mirror) "Oh, you have my pin!" We NEVER let her forget that one! Just saying that phrase would make me laugh so hard I would almost pee my pants and would make her just roll her eyes in disgust and say, "Oh Jenny, be quiet!" :) I loved this woman so much and because of her, I know how it is that I want to live my life and what kind of woman I want to aspire to be.

What a beautiful gift.

I love her...

2011-09-07T21:47:00.001-05:00

The other day while I was at work getting things ready for the new school year Zoey (who was being a trooper and hanging out with me) said, "hey mom!" and when I turned to look at her this is what I saw. :)

She rocks my world!

Another layout using Cocoa Daisy's September kit...

2011-09-05T21:10:00.000-05:00

I had a little extra "me" time this weekend due to it being a holiday and all...I used some of it sitting at my art desk and getting creative. One of my projects was this layout using the September kit from Cocoa Daisy, Printer's Drawer. I love this kit and I could just go on creating with it forever I think.

I'm off now to pack lunches for everyone for tomorrow as it's back to school for us!

from the weekend...

2011-09-05T14:29:00.000-05:00

Butterfly plant in our yard...

Walking after the rain...

Enjoying time outdoors...

In awe of something that we grew...

Biking...

with our buddy Leo.

Hope you were able to do something that you enjoy on this Labor Day weekend!

Blondie Bars

2011-09-04T21:59:00.002-05:00

Today the weather was cooler and a bit brisk and it was the perfect weather to do some baking! I didn't want to make a run into town to the store so wanted to make something that I had all the ingredients for already. Blondie bars it was!

Blondie Bars

1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups of flour
2 pinches of salt :)

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan.
Mix melted butter with brown sugar and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs and then the vanilla.
Add salt and stir in the flour. Mix in any additions...I added a handful of chocolate chips and butterscotch chips.
Add your mixture to your prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until set in the middle. Cool before cutting them into squares. Enjoy!

So handsome!

2011-09-04T09:43:00.000-05:00

Someone spent yesterday morning at the Pampered Paws Boutique and got some special primping done. Doesn't he look so handsome? We've been giggling at him all day because he looks so skinny and little now that he's all clean shaven! We love this little guy SO incredibly much!!

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Crazy Caterpillars!

2011-09-03T22:37:00.000-05:00

This was a fun project that I did with the kids that attended the summer camp at Montessori this year. We collected lots and lots of egg cartons and I cut them apart and then we had the kiddos paint them however they wished and once they were dry they decorated them with googly eyes, pipe cleaners and pom poms. A super easy project with the end result being something that they loved. Our theme this summer was learning about the life cycle of a butterfly so it fit in with our caterpillar section of learning. I'll share more projects that we did for this years theme soon.

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first day of 2nd grade

2011-09-01T20:47:00.001-05:00

She was so excited this morning and was up early and ready to go a half an hour before we needed to leave. We got to school and I hung out on the playground with the other parents and she ran off and was playing with her friends and so confident and happy...I was so proud!

Then the bell rang and everyone lined up to go inside and she was walking in with a friend...I started walking away and all of a sudden she was in tears. Not because she was missing me mind you, but because a boy behind her in line pulled on one of her backpack hanging thingy's and it broke. Argh! The drama!

Thankfully the tears were short lived and she was able to calm down but it was a bit of a crazy way to start the morning. Thankfully she came home all smiles and said that she likes her teacher and that it will be alright to be in 2nd grade after all...the aforementioned boy is NOT in her class...hee..hee! Phew!

I think the above photo of her and Leo saying goodbye this morning is my favorite. He was so bummed out for her to leave so early in the morning. He knew something was up. When we got home today after school though he was so HAPPY! Literally jumping in her arms and giving her kisses. :) A good way to end the school day I think!

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getting ready for the Montessori school year!

2011-08-30T22:30:00.001-05:00

I've been busy the past few days getting ready for the Montessori preschool school year to begin. We've been adding to and changing up some of our materials at the school and some of my contributions were making some new step-by-step hand washing cards that will be posted by the sink in the classroom. Zoey had fun posing for the photos for this project.

Also, for one of our works (if you aren't familiar with Montessori all of the materials in the school are divided into "works" for the child) we have yoga cards and they were getting really ratty and old looking so I had Zoey pose again and these were the result. She had fun and I got some new, nice looking materials for the classroom! Win..win! On the reverse side of the yoga cards there is a short little verse regarding the pose that we read to the children while they are practicing their moves.

The one above is The Swan and here is what it reads:

I am a swan floating on a lake.

I arch my back to show my long neck.
My arms and legs are straight.
My hands are down.

To make the tail and wing feathers,
I bend my knees and touch my head to my toes.

Right now I am taking a break from writing all the students names on apples that we will hang in the entryway of the school. I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy all this preparation! :) Preschool rocks!

today was a mama + zoey day...

2011-08-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

we posed for silly photos and giggling was a big part of the agenda...

we enjoyed a tea party outside...

we danced and played and sunned ourselves in the late, warm August sun...

we checked in on things that needed tending to...

we each had some alone time for reading...

we set up the tent just for fun...

and built a fairy house together in the yard.

It was one of those days that when I tucked her in her bed at night I just felt as though everything was right in the world, in our little world...and that felt good. Sometimes it's good just to go with the natural flow of things and see what happens.

Cocoa Daisy's September Kit : Printer's Drawer

2011-08-28T22:08:00.001-05:00

I love, love, love, LOVE this month's kit, Printer's Drawer so very much...I know I say that every month but, well...Cocoa Daisy kits are just up my alley I guess! Christine puts to much time and care into each kit every month and you can totally tell she loves what she does because she is so darn good at it!

I love everything about this month's kit, the only thing that perhaps has it beat are the add-ons! :) Enjoy!

Blessings to my Grandmother

2011-08-26T21:16:00.001-05:00

She passed away today while at home with family at her side. Thank you to my Aunt Sharon and to my mother who both spent the last two years or so taking care of her so that she could be with family and at home until the end. That is a pretty incredible gift and an even more amazing sacrifice. She led such an amazing and full life and I shared with Ethan today that out of everyone in my life up to this point, my grandmother has shared with me the most wisdom on how to be a woman, daughter, sister, wife, and mother. How it never means giving up who it is that you are at your very core...that those roles do not define you. She was the strongest and most capable being I have ever known with an amazing sense of character that shown through in everything that she did and every relationship that she had. She never shared her wisdom with obvious intent, it was always shown in action and in how it was that she lived her life. Thank you grandma...I will hold your memories, stories and wisdom close to my heart and take care of them with the most fiercest of care and will be sure to pass them on to my own children and grandchildren. You have truly been a blessing in my life.

Woman Work by Maya Angelou

I've got the children to tend
The clothes to mend
The floor to mop
The food to shop
Then the chicken to fry
The baby to dry
I got company to feed
The garden to weed
I've got shirts to press
The tots to dress
The can to be cut
I gotta clean up this hut
Then see about the sick
And the cotton to pick.

Shine on me, sunshine
Rain on me, rain
Fall softly, dewdrops
And cool my brow again.

Storm, blow me from here
With your fiercest wind
Let me float across the sky
'Til I can rest again.

Fall gently, snowflakes
Cover me with white
Cold icy kisses and
Let me rest tonight.

Sun, rain, curving sky
Mountain, oceans, leaf and stone
Star shine, moon glow
You're all that I can call my own.

since I now have the shoes...

2011-08-26T13:30:00.000-05:00

I'll be more tempted to use them (I'm hoping?). I ordered these suckers way back in early June thinking that I'd have them to wear while getting back in shape this summer and I just got them yesterday! I think I got five different back-order notices from Road Runner Sports regarding this pair of shoes! Finally they are here and I've already been out running twice with them and while I can't say I enjoyed the wait, they were perhaps worth the wait. They are super light, flexible, perfect for uneven trail walking and running and super comfortable. And I love that they are orange. :) Here's to having no more excuses for getting back into shape!

PB + J Banana Roll-Ups

2011-08-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

We've been experimenting here with lunches lately and I know the bananas won't keep for a school lunch but it would be a perfect and easy after school snack. Zoey's given it the A-Okay for approval too! I was thinking this would also be yummy using Nutella and a banana instead of the PB + J.

PB + J Banana Roll-Ups

Ingredients: whole wheat tortillas, peanut butter, jelly or jam and one banana

Spread the peanut butter and jelly on the tortilla and place your peeled banana on one end of the tortilla and roll up the tortilla.

apple crisp

2011-08-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Made my first apple crisp of the season on Sunday...once the weather starts getting cooler my head and heart start thinking wistful thoughts of my favorite season, Fall. That means Fall baking and hikes in the woods, trips to the orchards and pumpkin patches. I can't wait! Until then though, here is my early celebratory baking project.

Apple Crisp

4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/3 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I used 1/4)

Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening.
Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm.

back 2 school recipes

2011-08-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

We've been trying out some new easy and fun lunches for possible new takes on the PB + J cold lunches that Zoey seems to love during the school year. This one was a success, and I think it was in part that she got to help make it! All I know is that I'm happy to have something else to pack in her lunch box this school year.

Turkey and Spinach Sandwich Roll-Ups

Ingredients: whole wheat tortillas, low fat cream cheese or hummus, turkey, spinach, shredded carrots

Spread the cream cheese or hummus on the tortilla and layer with the turkey, spinach and shredded carrots. Starting on one end, roll up the the tortilla and then slice into little circles. Refrigerate until cold and pack in insulated lunch box with ice pack or serve right away!

Enjoy!

Homemade Play Dough

2011-08-21T19:56:00.000-05:00

Because I truly believe you can never be too old to play with it...we made some today and Zoey created with it (and I have to admit that I did too) for quite a while this afternoon in-between taking bike rides and playing with Leo. Here is the recipe that I used today...

Homemade Play Dough

1 cup flour
4 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. cream of tarter
5 tsp. cooking oil
1 cup water
food coloring of choice

(I doubled my batch and got two nice sized balls of dough and added my food coloring AFTER it was done cooking.)

Heat all ingredients over medium heat. Stir constantly until the dough clings to the spoon and forms a ball which completely cleans the pan. Knead when cool. Can be enjoyed immediately. Will store in the refrigerator for months in a plastic covered container. Note: When cooking I thought I botched my batch and almost quit and made a new batch, DON'T quit! It's supposed look runny and clumpy for a bit before it all solidifies...keep stirring over the medium heat until it's all formed.

because i couldn't not post them...

2011-08-19T17:21:00.002-05:00

oh how she loves this dog!

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my little sister...

2011-08-16T22:09:00.001-05:00

My little sister came to visit last weekend. I think it was the first time that she visited us all by herself and spent time with just myself and Zoey. I had so much fun, we all did. We spent one evening away at a hotel and took off for some shopping the next day. We spent the day thrifting at some fun little shops (where Bailey scored a new pair of turquoise Converse tennis shoes from me...it was her late birthday gift) and enjoyed a lunch together out on the town. We also hit up some art supply stores and some book stores. We came home to a dinner of homemade lasagna (Ethan's contribution to the weekend) and ended up eating outside as a family and finishing the evening off with some sparklers. :) It's safe to say that Zoey is in awe of her Auntie Bailey too...I have a feeling the two of them will have some fun together when I become the "old" mama who doesn't seem as cool anymore! It was so nice to just spend time getting to know my little sister as an "older" little sister! She is so grown up and I love the person that she is and is becoming! Family is so awesome! I know I've been blessed with mine.

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Happiness is...

2011-08-12T22:06:00.003-05:00

discovering that there are raspberry and blackberry bushes all over in our new backyard! :)

we love leo!

2011-08-08T22:30:00.001-05:00

He has truly made our home a different place. Warm, welcoming and fun! We each have our own nickname for him. Zoey calls him cutie beauty, Ethan has dubbed him King Leo and I call him Lee Lee. He answers to all of them. He has made his way into all of our hearts and will stay there forever. He's adjusted to his "new" people and we have adjusted to having a bit bigger family quite wonderfully. He has now officially survived his first girly-girl sleepover so has passed the test for this place with flying colors...he is pretty tuckered out though. Supervising little girls throwing popcorn up into the air and (trying to) catch it in their mouths is exhausting work you know!

Cocoa Daisy August Layouts : Siren's Call

2011-07-31T21:39:00.000-05:00

Here they are! Such a bright and happy kit, perfect for August! The add-ons are fantastic and there is such a wide array of options for you...be sure to check them out.

I am pretty much smitten with the canvas pennant banner pieces by Maya Road...love them!

Check out the gallery of what the other Cocoa Daisy designers came up with here and be sure to snag your kit before they're gone come August first!

Leo + Zoey = Puppy Love

2011-07-28T22:03:00.000-05:00

Leo loves to snuggle and give hugs and kisses
Leo loves to play with toys and fetch and jump through Zoey's hoola hoop
Leo loves to take walks on the Bearskin Trail with us every night
Leo loves to sit on everyone's lap (Ethan's especially)
Leo loves to scrounge for people food...he won't eat his food until he absolutely knows that there is no chance of getting any tiny morsel of what we are having for dinner (he has already gotten some tasty little morsels here and there)
Leo loves to listen to NPR
Leo loves to tear around the house like a madman with his toy lion in his mouth
Leo loves to play and give cuddles to the neighbor kids as well as to Zoey
Leo loves to catch up on his rest while we are away at the beach or running errands (so nice to not worry about him while we are away)
Leo loves his new home where he is discovering all the new sights and smells and family and friends that love him

Welcome to our family Leo! We love you!

it has been an incredible past few days...

2011-07-24T15:11:00.003-05:00

what we had thought was initially endearing with Buddy, has turned into a bit of an obsession. He won't let me do a thing without being at my immediate heels. He also will have an anxiety attack if or when I leave and in addition to this he has started snapping, growling and baring his teeth at the neighbor children and now with Zoey on occasion. The snapping, growling and baring his teeth occurred for the most part yesterday. He's had two panic attacks that were pretty wild. I'm certain that the shelter that we got him from was given incorrect information when they were told that he is good with children and that he's never snapped or growled at anyone. In all the situations in which he did this it was unprovoked and there was no food, treats or toys involved. The kids weren't even paying attention to him. They simply walked by him and he jumped up and snapped at them or growled. The kids weren't even in a group, it was just one on one and I was there to witness it in it's entirety. If it was just Ethan and I we could spend the time with him and perhaps work out his issues, he does not seem as though he was successfully socialized as a puppy and we are wondering if there were some abuse issues with him and his past owners or between the owners themselves as he is extremely skittish and like I said earlier, obsessed with being with me every second possible. I took a shower this morning and his nose was at the base of the tub. At first these things seemed adoring but after awhile we noticed that he wasn't acting happy or excited but more scared or compulsive.

Yesterday we had a family meeting immediately after Buddy started showing more signs of aggression and talked about how this wasn't a good fit for our family. We shared with Zoey that we could help Buddy by giving the shelter the correct information on Buddy's behavior and tendencies and then they in turn would be able to help find him a better home without children. I could see him being a perfect dog for a single older person as he would devote himself to the individual and wouldn't have to worry about little people competing for attention. Beyond that though, I believe he has additional issues that will take time and patience and the right environment to remedy. At this time, I'm not willing to sacrifice the safety of Zoey and her friends for the sake of trying to make it work with Buddy. We were all pretty bummed yesterday, Zoey the most of all. She broke down in sobs a couple of times throughout the day and that pretty much did me in.

Later in the day I talked to my little sister Bailey and she shared with me something pretty selfless and amazing...that she had thought about it and decided that she wanted to give Zoey her dog Leo. She's had him since a wee little pup and he's a pure-bred cocker spaniel. Zoey knows him and has spent days and nights with him already at grandma's house so I know the two of them get along already...they pretty much wear each other out. :) Leo is 4 years old. We've agreed to do a trial run with Leo after Buddy is situated back at the shelter. Talk about a roller-coaster type of a day. Zoey is still sad about Buddy but is excited at getting Leo for a friend since she knows he's a good puppy already. I am thankful to my sister for being so giving and selfless and loving to all of us, especially Zoey. She's off at college and just doesn't have the time to commit to caring for Leo as she once did. This seems to be perhaps the perfect union. Here's to hoping anyways. We know now that Zoey is ready for a dog, as she was perfect with Buddy...but she needs the right dog for it to work. Buddy was pretty much a basket-case. :(

Here are some pictures of Zoey and Leo take from earlier this summer when my mom was passing through town and stopped in to visit with us.

And here are some photos from Thanksgiving 2008 taken of the two of them...

Feeling sadness regarding Buddy for sure, but I am hopeful that things will turn around for the better for all involved now.

it's been a pretty rough day...

2011-07-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

just thought I'd share one little bright spot. Zoey drew this little fairy friend today and shared it with me. I love all the little details she included and the obvious time she spent on it. Her and her friend actually both drew one and wrote a letter to the fairies. I have a feeling their letters will be answered in the morning. :)

It's like having a baby in the house again...

2011-07-22T14:05:00.000-05:00

We are all pretty much smitten with him...he's been super good with Zoey, he's a good eater and is fully house-broken (thank goodness!), he's a couch potato when inside (I guess pretty common considering he's part greyhound), and he absolutely, positively will not leave my side! If I'm sitting on the couch and get up to get a glass of water he's right beside me. If I go to the bathroom he's trying to charge right in along with me. I cannot do a thing without him right at my side...right now I'm typing this and he's about 2 inches from me. This morning while outside he was sitting under my chair. It's kind of fun having a four legged admirer though, I have a feeling Zoey is getting a wee bit jealous. Good thing that she's usually no more than 2 steps away from me too! :)

Buddy Bear

2011-07-18T22:00:00.000-05:00

We R Memory Keepers Projects

2011-07-17T20:30:00.000-05:00

Here are my first projects created for We R Memory Keepers featuring some of the collections they will be showing at the Craft and Hobby Association Show.

I love the fun little cardstock stickers from their Spookville Collection featuring cute trick-or-treaters and other spooky things!

I was lucky and also got to play with the Autumn Splendor Collection. This collection I could create a million and one things with! I love the color scheme (Fall is my favorite season) and the designs and patterns really compliment one another.

I also love the chipboard pieces included in the layered chipboard tag sticker sheet...some of them are perfect for creating a quick yet beautiful card.

Bear Cupboard Run : 2011

2011-07-16T19:57:00.000-05:00

Zoey ran this morning in the 2nd annual Bear Cupboard run and had so much fun! She did really well too...was in the first batch of kiddos that returned to the finish line. I am so proud of her and so happy that she genuinely loves something that is so good for her to do as well.

She met up with some of her buddies there again and they all opted to get their faces painted.

Paw prints for the girls and Mateo opted to get the full bear cub face for himself.

Here is the start of the race...Zoey's in there somewhere.

Here she is coming into the finish line...

It's safe to say that she beat the bear...he barely made it to the end. :)

Here's a shot of her right after crossing the finish line...

And comparing ribbons at the finish...

And Ethan went on to run the 10K (the cubby run with Zoey served as his warm-up), so here is a shot of him at his finish line.

Such a great day filled with such amazing positive energy! I'm so glad that Zoey has the opportunity to take part in this every year! It was made even more special this year because her Grandma and Grandpa and Auntie and Uncle were here to watch as well. So cool to have their loving support!

it would appear...

2011-07-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

that we are getting ready to add a new family member into the mix. We've been wanting a dog for some time now, though we had to pretty much figure out how to get over losing our beloved husky, Gypsy (which was about 6 years ago now) and for Zoey to be "ready" and at the right ago for some of the responsibilities that come with having a pet. We've been looking off and on for about the past year and we think we've found our newest member of the family this last week. It's a yellow lab retriever/greyhound mix who is 4 1/2 years old. His name is Buddy and Zoey has added a middle name of "Bear" so he will be Buddy Bear...Buddy for short. :) He had an injury of a broken tail that was recently taken care of with a partial tail amputation so when we get him we'll have to give him some extra special loving and care, but we are ready for it! We are so hopeful that we can be his forever home. A little bit nervous but way more excited than anything. Zoey is beyond the moon and back. When we told her that Buddy was coming home to us next week she cried and we went out today to start getting all of the necessities for him. Ethan said no pink collars or leashes (which Zoey was totally planning on) so we got aqua blue paisley instead...we don't want Buddy to be embarrassed walking around the neighborhood after all!

and a very special fourth it was...

2011-07-05T21:27:00.001-05:00

I have memories of when I was a little girl of my parents trekking across town and setting up a blanket with a picnic basket on a hill that was in the center of downtown where I grew up to watch fireworks. When the fireworks were over I would always, without fail, pretend to be asleep so that they would carry me home in the blanket like a swing. They would fold me up in the blanket and each grab the two corners of the blanket and then swing me all the way home. I love this memory.

Last night, we trekked 3 1/2 miles into town along the Bearskin Trail pulling Zoey in her wagon to watch the fireworks on the trestle bridge over Lake Minocqua. It was such a special time and I know that it will go down in the books for all of us as one of those special family moments. The trek home was even more exciting as we were walking the trail in complete darkness.

We watched the parade downtown, enjoyed an outdoor family picnic, setting off our own "fireworks" and playing with sparklers and poppers and then hiking to watch the big fireworks. We didn't get home until 11pm and were completely tuckered out but were all smiling...

We had such a wonderful holiday weekend...thankful for the beautiful weather, our healthy family, and happy hearts!

happy fourth of july!

2011-07-03T12:53:00.002-05:00

Getting this post up a bit early because we'll be off enjoying the parade and fireworks tomorrow. I found this super easy and fun kid craft idea for paper lanterns here and Zoey and I made some this morning. They look super cute hanging outside in our yard.

Enjoy a wonderful and safe Fourth of July!

my july cocoa daisy layouts

2011-07-01T21:55:00.000-05:00

Here they are! Had so much fun with this month's kit, Urban Loft. The soft and muted colors and tones really suited me this month for some reason. My first layout is of my mom...thought it fitting since it was her birthday just a bit ago.

I LOVE these photos of Zoey in my cowgirl hat so much! She cracks me up all the time and I love catching these goofy moments when I can. Loved this patterned paper so much and thought it went with the cowgirl/little girl theme.

And this last layout is of Ethan and Zoey with her American Girl doll. I love both of their smiles in these photos...they were just waiting to be scrapped!

Some exciting news for Cocoa Daisy now, we're starting to offer online classes now as well! Our first one is being taught by the extremely talented Ronda Palazzari and is called 10 Things. Click the link to learn more!

I really enjoyed getting to create with this month's kit and add-ons. I'm hoping to create some more with it over the long holiday weekend. If I do get the chance I'll be sure to share!

Oatmeal Brownie Milky Way Bars

2011-06-28T20:38:00.003-05:00

These perhaps may be the most beautiful, amazingly rich, tasty bars I have ever tasted in my life! I saw the recipe here and thought that I just had to give it a try for myself...melting Milky Way candy bars in a bar? Too intriguing of an idea to pass up. These bars are delicious and the hardest part about making them is opening up all the individually wrapped caramel candies! Easy peasy!

Enjoy!

(I'm copying the recipe here since I can't seem to link to the individual post itself on iambaker.net. I know I'll be wanting to make this in the future!).

Oatmeal Milky Way Brownie Bars

2 cups Old Fashioned Oats

2 cups Flour

1 cup packed Light Brown Sugar

2 1/2 sticks room temp. Butter

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Salt (I used Kosher)

2 cups boxed Brownie Mix

1/3 cup Canola Oil

1 egg

1 bag (11 oz.) Kraft Caramel Bits

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

2 Milky Way Bars

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan, place two Milky Way bars, entire bag of caramels, and half cup of heavy cream. Let simmer over medium to medium low heat until fully melted. Remove from heat and let cool approximately ten minutes.

In a large bowl combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and butter. Either use a fork to incorporate or just use hands to combine. Its ok if there are some chunks of butter, you are looking for no chunk bigger then a pea though.

Add in two cups of brownie mix, egg, and oil. Stir until just combined.

Using a prepared 9x13 baking dish, spread half of the oat mixture into dish and press firmly to flatten.

Pour the melted Milky Way over the oat mixture. Make sure to get all the way to the corners.

Top with remaining oat mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

fairy garden princess birthday party

2011-06-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

We had to reschedule once due to rain but thankfully yesterday was a beautiful day for a fair princess garden party. We had so much fun and while it was a bit of work, it was totally worth it to see the smiles on Zoey and her friends faces.

Here are the fun details...I picked up a cool handmade banner from an Etsy shop and I love that I'll be able to re-use it for other things since it has chalkboard painted fabric. Brilliant!

This was the table for the favors which consisted of pink bubble wands, fairy princess comb crowns, fairy wings, some sparkles for the girls faces and some fairy dust spray (glitter body spray). The goodie bags were actually pink fabric bags that I picked up at the dollar store and I filled them with a butterfly bracelet that you decorate with puffy stickers, a friendship necklace, a little rake and garden shovel, and a butterfly notebook.

Here was our craft table to decorate wooden letters for each of the girls. I adhered sparkly pink paper to the wooden letters and let the girls decorate them with sparkly flower stickers and butterflies.

This was our planting station where the girls planted a pink flower in a mason jar to take home. I spray painted the shovels pink. :) I also made little planter sticks with the first letter of each girls name so everyone would know which one was theirs.

Here was our little candy station. The yellow bags were 25 cents and I decorated them with doilies I had picked up at the dollar store. I happened to have the pink chipboard letters in my scrapbook stash.

Zoey invited just five little girls to her party this year. When her guests started to arrive we gave them their wings, crowns and put sparkles on their faces as well as dusted them with fairy dust. They all blew up some balloons which seemed to help break the ice a bit and get everyone warmed up for the party.

Our first project was planting our flowers in the mason jars. Super cute to see all the little girls busy planting.

Next we decorated our wooden letters. I had found the letters at a department store and it was a last minute idea...I'm glad I picked them up because it was a fun and easy project.

We had a fun game next...this was by far the hit of the party. I found it online and it's called the cocoon game. We talked about the process of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly and then had the girls create cocoons of their own by wrapping up their friends. It was hilarious to watch and every single one of them wanted a turn at it. It was fun for the ones getting wrapped up as well as for the ones wrapping.

There was so much giggling during this game...it was great!

After our game it was time for our fairy luncheon...making fizzy bubbles with the strawberry soda was a wee bit mesmerizing for some and actually led to a wardrobe mishap later, but you'll have that!

Then it was time to open gifts...

Cupcakes were up next...along with a dress change for Zoey because there was the incident of strawberry soda ending up in her lap.

After cupcakes we had a game of Fairy, Fairy, Princess (also known as Duck, Duck, Goose).

And then a bit of "shopping" at the candy bar...

and playing with their bubble wands.

Then I put on some teeny bop music for some dancing.

After this it was free-time to do whatever you chose...some girls played with sidewalk chalk.

Or played in the tee-pee.

After things wore down a bit I read them the book Fairy Houses and then they built some fairy houses of their own in the yard.

I had the idea to put up a pink sheet (found one at the thrift shop for 75 cents) to create a little photo booth. I wish I would have put a bit more thought into where I had set it up as the sun was shining on some of the girls and not on others so the photos weren't the best...but this one was a favorite.

And this one makes me smile.

All in all it was a splendid way to spend your birthday with a few special friends. Hearing Zoey proclaim that it was "the BEST day ever!" did my heart good as well.

Happy Birthday Zoey! I love you so much!

Cocoa Daisy Sneaks for July!

2011-06-22T19:32:00.000-05:00

I love July's kit, Urban Loft from Cocoa Daisy! So much so that I'm still creating with it...here are a few sneaks for now. I'll share more when I have them and be sure to check out all the fun on reveal night (June 28th!). We always have so much fun on the message board!

visiting the wildwood wildlife park

2011-06-18T22:12:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to have a wonderful wildlife park and nature center right in our hometown. Today we were supposed to celebrate Zoey's birthday party with her friends but due to rain this morning and cloudy skies we had to reschedule it for next weekend. To soften the blow I took her and a friend out for ice cream and to the wildlife center this afternoon. The girls had so much fun and so did I. The aviary was the favorite part for all of us with the dwarf bunnies running a close second. So glad we were able to do this today!

camp invention 2011

2011-06-17T19:15:00.001-05:00

Today was the last day of Camp Invention which meant parents were invited to see what their inventors have been working on all week long.

Zoey's small group worked on creating an invention they called the Rollercoaster Express.

Pictured below is some of Zoey's friends' invention...I love the milk jug and piping system that they came up with.

Such a fun experience for her to have. I am so proud of her for giving it a shot and saying yes to participating. She is growing up so much! I will say this, after this week of waking up at 5:30am (Camp Invention was is a neighboring town) we are all looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow!!!

some scrappy news!

2011-06-17T10:52:00.000-05:00

About 6 months ago I stepped down from designing for the Creative Imaginations design team. I had been designing for them since 2008 and am so thankful for the opportunity that Cheryl presented to me when offering me the invitation to join the team. I grew with that company and learned the ins and outs of the industry and Cheryl became a sort of creative mentor to me. For that I am so thankful. The deciding factors in my making the hard decision of stepping down from the team were personal ones. My daughter was sick and we didn't know exactly what was going on, I made a major job change, we were in the process of looking to buy our first home, Ethan wasn't sure about the future of his job with the budget bill passing in Wisconsin, etc., etc., etc. I was exhausted to put it mildly. Well, here I am several months later and I am loving my new job, Zoey's doing better, we are in a new home and Ethan's feeling better about work. I am feeling rejuvenated and better than ever! That means that I'm feeling the desire to create again and work with my hands. And it feels so good to be in this place again! I think the reason that I didn't share or write about my decision to step down from CI was because it was such a hard one to make and a part of me was greatly saddened by it. I think it's in part because I'm such a ying and yang girl (can't share the bad without some good) I didn't share it because I didn't really have anything good to share with it to balance it out. I'm like that when it comes to everything...it drives my parents and close family crazy as they never find out when something is wrong until I've figured out something that will make it better or to balance out the negative. Anyways...

The crazy, exciting news is that I recently have been invited to join the We R Memory Keepers design team. I am so excited for the new challenges that will come with designing for a new company. I am looking forward to a fresh perspective, of course getting to use new products and tools and to just be creating again on a regular basis. I love We R's products and already use them on my own crafting projects so I'm excited to be using them for design work now as well. So thankful for this door to have opened for me and that it was at the right time in my life as well.

Here is a little mini-album that I made using an older collection from We R Memory Keepers a couple of years ago.

And this was a money holder card that I made using the same collection.

Feeling so happy and thankful at the moment!