sweet nothings

sitting here sideways in my favorite living room chair, with an upside down klenex box of a makeshift mouse pad, i'm trying to figure out what to title today's post. well, nothing much came to mind after scrolling through today's array of pictures and projects, but it was a sweet day. so there you have it... a whole two sentences about absolutely nothing!

but it was, in fact, a sweet day. i designed my christmas cards, and sent them off to print. sweet! then i zipped out and FINISHED {yes, finished} my christmas shopping! double sweet! i even went to work for a couple of hours to sub for a friend at weight watchers. i'm feeling like i really got some big checks off my list today. my house is a mess, and i haven't done laundry in weeks... but hey, the shopping is done! i think i need a partner. anyone want to come live/work in my laundry room? it's really pretty big, and i'm sure we could make it very homey. no? darn. 

Supplies: patterned paper: Paislee Press: Altered Ego, Sociologie, and Philosophie Kits (oscraps.com); Overlay: Paislee Press VF Overlays; stamp frame and crisscross: Paislee Press Sociology Kit; heart: Taylor Made, Composure Kit (oscraps.com); font: Courier New

i've been on a digital scrapbooking kick the past week. and much to my surprise this morning, my stan layout made it onto the gallery standouts blog this morning. not a bad way to start the morning. plus i used one of my favorite journaling cheats... the blog copy/paste option. i guess it's not really cheating. it's just taking a snippet from my online diary and adding it to a page. but it is a fun way to start with journaling inspiration, rather than a picture. at least it is for me.

Supplies: patterned paper: Paislee Press, Philosophie Kit, oscraps.com (black, red and damask), Leiko Beck, Veteran’s Day Gift Set, oscraps.com (blue); brush and clipping mask: Taylor Made, B Side Kit, oscraps.com; font: Courier New

it's been so rainy here all week. windy and rainy. however we were lucky enough to have relative breaks in the rain (meaning they turned to showers rather than a downpour) after school for a quick picture. i'm not sure why that brightens up my day so much. i guess when it's gloomy out there's sunshine in a sweet smile from my girlies. that kind of sunshine is sure nice when it's only been coming in liquid form for a couple weeks.

Supplies: sheer tag, ribbon, crystal pins, flowers, trim, acrylic wings: Maya Road; patterned paper: Lily Bee (blue), Prima (yellow); tag: Scarlet Lime; paper flower: Tattered Angels stickers: Making Memories

i also had a new article post up at the scrap review this week reviewing maya road embellishments. i figured i'd post a couple of the projects here, and there are a few more over at tsr.  i have to tell ya, i really do love those crystal topped straight pins. i almost want to make a big tack board, just so i could to stick pretty little somethings on it with those beautiful pins. :)

Supplies: ribbon, trim, flowers, crystal pins: Maya Road; patterned paper: Scarlet Lime; card: Memory Box; paper flower: Tattered Angels; tag: My Mind's Eye; rub-on: October Afternoon; sticker: Making Memories

now that it's 1am, it's officially the day before thanksgiving. and since i am one to share stories {often over and over again to the same tolerant souls}... i think i'm going to get my day before thanksgiving down in writing since it's the anniversary of that particular day.

five years ago today, our family were together in our old minivan. it was missing a hubcap because the matriarch of our family {me} seemed to have a repeat problem of hitting curbs. after replacing it several times, we just decided to go ghetto, and leave it capless. {mind you, not that that has anything to do with the story at hand.} we were in our minivan, in process of moving back to washington. we were stationed in florida for a year, full scale move from washington to florida and back in 12 months - oh yah! well, in arizona while visiting friends on the way, torrey suddenly came down with the stomach flu. by the time we got to california, both kids had it.

so here we are, the day before thanksgiving, stuck in downtown la traffic, trying to get home before the holdiay, with two kids puking their guts out in the back seat. as i was dumping one of the full bowls out the window {there was no way we could get off in that traffic} and the man in the car next to me shot me a look i'll never forget, i turned to stan and said, "this is how i always pictured motherhood would be." we both laughed, and drove, and dumped, and laughed, and drove, and made it home just in time to make thanksgiving dinner at my sister's house with two kids that had made it back to the land of the living and eating.

some days i look at my life, with my tongue in cheek think, "this is how i always pictured it would be." and i share it with my husband and we laugh, and keep going, and dump the puke out as necessary.  there is much to be thankful for. God is good, my husband is beyond wonderful and my kids bring me joy {most of the time}. daily life is a blessing on it's own grand scale.