Oh my goodness! This was the easiest EVER! An SBB member mentioned these purses recently in a chat I hosted, so I had to ceck them out. They are awesome! Roomy, lined, and well constructed. And they don't look like a lunchbox!
Tracy, from Paper Princess, is shipping two of these purses for me to give away in a contest for the April Ezine! Yay!

The hardest part about making the insert was deciding to use photos or not, to go fun, fresh, funky, shabby, retro or chic! I think I'll have to make about 12 inserts and just have fun changing them out to fit my mood!

Now....if they could come up with a customizable laptop bag, I would be in heaven! hint*wink*hint!

Papers here are all from Shelleyrae's Juliet Kit, availabke at SBB. The Template is Catch-a-Wave from Dianne Rigdon, available at ScrapArtist. Honestly, the whole thing took about 20 minutes to make! You do need a program that uses psd files for the template. I'm going to talk to Dianne and see if I can pull together a png version for folks if they want it.

I was trying to figure out how I could come up with an artpiece for my 2007 word and just kept drawing a blank ...hee ... pun intended :) . Our pastor's message today was about something along the very same lines, and finding time to give up just 15 minutes a day of our hurried-ness, or our busy-ness. We are calling it Gap Time in our house because when you have teens, words like quiet time, or personal devotions only elicit monstrous sighs and eye rolling. But really, the first 5 minutes are for quietness, just quietness...BREATHING! Fits perfectly-eh?! The second five minutes are for devotional reading- that's it, only 5! I think they can take that in stride. And the final 5 are for giving the day and everyone we encounter in it to God. I really like the idea, and will try to find some good sites to hook the boys up to to keep them interested in devotions. But this is the artpiece I will make into a simple little fridge magnet and a card to keep in my car/purse as a gentle reminder. Lilacs...just reading the word and I can almost smell their sweetness, feel the Spring in the air.

My word, my theme for 2007, is BREATHE. Life has been so insanely hectic since I started school three semesters ago, that time with my children and the man I love has become a premium, rather than part of my everyday. I was given the gift of perspective, if only for a brief moment, over Thanksgiving break. My family, home and God are THE most important things in my life. They came first and are the reason for everything else I do, not the end result.

I hope to be able to take the time to cuddle more, simply play board games more, go for walks more, and hug more. God has given us one go-around on this earth. We have on chance to love for all we're worth, with our love and His. Every moment counts. That doesn't mean race through your day and get everything out of it you can. To me, it means savor each moment of that day. BREATHE in the essence of each other. Breathe out the stresses, the non-important. Breathe in and let God's light and life fill you with hope and warmth. And Breathe that out on all those around you.

Wow, I actually had a little time last night to scrap for my own challenge! I miss doing this! I have had to post my challnges but never got to actually complete them, it seems, because I have had so much homework. Tomorrow I will be taking the last of my final exams and I'm prepared for it, so took some time to do a layout. Heeee...should have ben wrapping presents, but alas...they'll be there tomorrow!

This LO is for the Calendar Crop tonight from 10-11pm et in the SBB chatroom. All papers and tags are from Dianne Rigdon at Shabby Elements, and ribbons are from Vera Lim at SBB. And the girl...well she is our gift from God! :)

BEFORE THE MELTDOWN. Anyone raising a perfectionist child? Yikes! I keep trying to find ways to help her loosen up, but she is soooo afraid of making a mistake that it either traumatizes her to tears to try a project like this (making paper snowflakes) or she refuses to try (school work from time to time- in school and they have to call me because she refuses to proceed!). What is it about these children that makes them soooo hard on themselves? I have been researching and am not really finding answers, just strategies to model behavior that shows it's okay to make mistakes, that wrong turns can turn into grand adventures, that the most wonderful creations can come from things we thought were mistakes! I was one of these kids too, pressured myself to achieve, but I don't think I started this young! But I do remember when a B grade would set me off to crying for hours. And I've tried very hard to NOT model THIS behavior. I took me 3o years or so to stop sweating the small stuff! I hope I can help her do the same. Any insights would be grand!

So we only got 4 paper snowflakes made before the meltdown because the shape she cut wasn't perfect enough. But we'll try some more this afternoon, after a little snack and before she gets tired. And the tree looks better already- sorry crummy photo. Our basement flooded last year and we lost all the Christmas decorations (including the hats my children wore in the hospital because 2 were born at Christmas time so we hung them on the tree- sniffsniff) but it was just "stuff," so no biggie (now, was kind of a biggie when it happened!).

It's All About Perspective...and keeping things in perspective. So this last week off from scool, I actually got a glimpse of my floor though the bottom of Mt. StLaundry! I got to really cook for my family, instead of just throwing hamburgers and toasted cheese sandwiches at them, and I remembered how much I enjoyed cooking for them! I was able to have guests over without being mortified at the condition my home was in. I have been known to actually lock the door and duck away from windows when an unexpected guest has arrived due to my embarrassment! I'm just kind of persnickety like that, dopey, I know. What all this did, was remind me of the reasons I went back to school in the first place, for my daugher, for our family. I did not go back for that degree, that little piece of paper, but for what learning the language could do for my Claire.

On that front, I did speak to my advisor and learned that they hired a Deaf man from Galludet to teach in January. He won't be up to full speed until fall 2007, so that is when I may go back for a class or two. Learning ASL from a native speaker would be a wonderful experience, I'm sure. So I will not be going back in January, and am looking forward to it more than you know. I need this break., The 3 hrs in the car per day was sucking the life out of me. Now just counting down the last few weeks of this semester, and trying not to lose my momentum!

A little layout action! I have been taking my kidders school pics every since they started school, first, because we were homeschooling then. When they started public school I continued mostly because th school's pics were just ghastly expensive for...well..ghastly pictures! We've had varying degrees of success, and anyone who says the older they get, the easier it will get...well, they lie!:) This year's did come out pretty nicely though. And here is a layout done with Dianne Rigdon's Joyous Kit found at www.shabbyelements.com, and the sketch came from Layout Blueprints.

I will be including this little banner in my blog for a couple of weeks as I get to host this chat! It should be fun and I know they are giving away several coies of the book as prizes, and I think everyone who comes will get a discount coupon for the book.

Here are two websites to tell you more about the product: www.bluemediapublications.com.; http://artisticawareness.blogspot.com/

Grrrrrr, I thought I would save myself the madness of the 5am sales today by shopping online at Walmart.com. My boys both need some blue jeans and they had the Levi's on sale for $12/pr. I logged in at 5am, coffee in hand, curled up on the sofa with comforter, thinking what a wonderful way to snag those Black Friday Doorbusters. Apparently, a lot of other folks felt the same way (which is good thing, right?), but...Walmart was not prepared to handle the online barrage any more than they are ever prepared to handle it at the stores. I have been trying to checkout for more than 7 hours now.

Then, to make my day even better, I got a note from the college this morning saying they had miscalculated my credits, and that I will be two shy of graduating in Dcember. Unbelievable! But ya' know what, the class I really want to take isn't even being offered next semester- ASL IV. So I will not likely go back until it is. I a just so disgusted that they dissolved the courses in the program in which I was enrolled, that this is just the cherry on top.

Crab session over. Leftovers to look forward to tonight! And I do mean that! Thanksgiving dinner is even more wonderful the next day. And it was all the sweeter for me to cook it yesterday as I haven't really had the time to cook in a long time, the way I used to. And Levi helped me. He peeled potatoes and made an oreo cheesecake, and while he was only in the kitchen about 20-25 minutes with me, it ws nice to make that brief connection. And he seemed to really enjoy cooking! My boy is growing up too fast, so I'll relish each and every one of these moments!

OMGoodness! Blogging only two days apart! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT POSSIBLE! :) Probably the same person who thought they could teach me to typs, but hey, ya gotta keep trying! And while I hate to plagerize someone else's blog, my friend J. posted this on her's and it is HYSTERICAL!!!!

She also posted this unbelievably scrumptious recipe that I'd requested and I just HAVE to pass it on. One of these days, when I have the time to figre out how to link her in my sidebar, you'll be able to go read her funny antics for yourself. The girl should really write for a living! But seriously, try this recipe. It may look like an odd combination of ingredients, but it is AMAZINGLY DELISH!

Cranberry Cheese Spread

8 oz cream cheese, 1 Tbs orange juice, 1/3 cup pecans or walnuts. Mix these 3 ingredients together.

1-1/2 cups fresh cranberries coarsely chopped
4 green onions (scallions)
1 heaping Tbs canned jalepenos chopped
1-1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp ginger
3-4 Tbs fresh cilantro
Mix the second batch of ingredients together and refrigerate for 4 hours, THEN combine with the first set of ingredients.

Top with cranberries and cilantro, serve with crackers.

Thanks J! Hugs, Girlfriend!

Hmmmm, my almost 14yo ds is learning the value of keeping his word. He had an airsoft party here last weekend and because of a serious slug streak he possesses, we made him sign a contract that went something like this: I (ds) will
help with the cleanup after the party without complaint, until it's finished and do so in a timely manner. In return, his dad and I agreed to pretty much just provide lots of food and stay out of the immediate vicinity, and not to make out in front of his friends :). All went well until today when we found garbage from the party- chip bags, pizza boxes, etc...blowing all over the yeard. He was supposed to have burned the trash and instead, stuck the bag behind the house and forgot about it, until the wind or furry critter ripped it open and scattered it for 1/2 a mile! Grrrr. So, he di not honor hispart of the bargain, and is spending Thanksgiving break grounded. Oh well, a parent's gotta do what a parent's gotta do!

Cheerier note: Check out Ali's new blog and some awesome digi-sales she's got happening: http://alifolendore.blogspot.com/

And Jen, I have been thinking about that amazing dip you made for the Mother-Daughter Tea a few years ago because I FINALLY found ciantro in my grocery store today! Post it on your blog, please? Pretty Please???? :) On my way there to beg now !

Thanks so much for your patience with this blog and me. Somehow the template seems to have altered itself- pulling the sidebar information to the bottom- just looks dopey. I was hoping that, by switching templates altogether, the info would be back in place where it should be, but seems it just plugged my old info into the new background. Hate messing with html! It's just a big old tech-hemmrhoid!

Baaad Blogger strikes again! But I had to help spread the word about an awesome 24hr sale Maya is having : Her store is HERE.
Must go shopping after classes today, must go shopping must go shopping must go shoppng. Greeeaat that's what I'll be thinking about instead of studying! Heeee.

I am soooo counting down the days until the semester's end. I will be graduating in December. I'm sad to see it ending, but relieved as well. Spending 3 hrs a day behind the wheel is sucking the life out of me! My house looks pretty bad and my children have forgotten that mommy used to be a great cook once upon a time. Looking forward to January!

Anyway, check out Maya's sale today if you get a chance. You already know her designs are wonderful, not the prices are better than ever!

Grrrr....still no word on this cough! Thanks for the prayers and
good thoughts though, maybe no news is good news. The ENT scoped
my nose and throat (that was fun-eww!) and said, "Wow, that sure
is red in there! (DER- coughing for 9 mos now!) But the good news
is, no pollyps." So that is good news although my kidders were
disappointed they aren't getting a 3-6 week break( the amount of
time I would have to be silent after removal of pollyps from what
I understand)from mom's haranging! But I have to have yet another
CT scan, this time of my sinuses. I am going to be positively
G-L-O-W-I-N-G, although green is not really my best color. He kept
asking if I had heartburn, and I said repeatedly that I did not.
Apparently acid reflux can cause a persistant and sever ough. But
I do not have heartburn. I only get that when preggers and THAT
is not the case. But enough of this cough chat. Boring and aggra-
vating.
Here are a few LO's going up at SBB this week, as seen in the
newsletter. These were done to help promote designs by Meredith
Fenwick and DaniB. I am sooo fortunae to work with such talentd
ladies and their designs are truly a pleasure to work with.

I know, it's been awhile. I think after my last post with the catscan, I was kind of afraid to post again...kind of "if I don't write it, nothing bad can happen." I know, hokey.
Tomorrow is my appt with the ENT guy. No clue what he will say ir do. Cough is the same, no better or worse. I'm reallllly wondering about an allergy. It has been an incredibly wet couple of years in our area, with flooding 3 times in two years. While we haven't had a problem because we're on high ground, ourbasement is damp. This is the first year (after living here for 16 yrs) I've ever battled mold in the bathroom. And grrrr...we just renovated the bath last year and the contractor guarranteed this caulk to never mold- bunk! But What got me thinking about that is waking up with my head on Steve's chest and hearing a ery similar rattle there! Hey- that's not normal! He said he's had it a few months, just hadn't shaken a cold. Sorry, you're only 45, Dude! Colds shouldn't hang on for 3 months! And the cat spends her day on our bed or sleeping on our jeans shelf. She is short-haired and sheds more than any longhaired we EVER had! So I don't know...just tossing around ideas in my head, and trying to find any explanation other than that catscan.

Rona, the scraping diva ronagavino, tagged me! The little dickens! But while it's only one question, it was a tough one to answer! here is the tag:

"List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal/blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to."

So here are mine:
1. Mountain of God by ThirdDay
2 Amazin Love by Bebo Norman
3. Above All by Michael W.
4. Healing Rain by Michael W. Smith
5. Once in a Lifetime by Keith Urban
6. Shhh/Peaceful by Miles Davis
7. PickYourself Up by Dianna Krall

I like Christian Contemporary, Jazz and alternative - I like music to help me work, not distract me from it!

So I am tagging:
Jen
Crystal & Thad
Amy
Holly
Raechel
Kari
Vanessa
And Dianne, I was going to tag you, but it look slike you have more than enough on your plate :). So I won't hunt anyone down, if you happen to find this, have fun and play along! I know how busy everyone is, so no obligation- just jump in if you like!

CT SCAN. Been there, done that. And looks like I will need to do it again in Jan. This is a picture of what a ct scan on the lungs looks like- very thin slices or the lungs, from what I understand. When I went to the pulminologist, she did a chest xray, found a shadowy looking area, did a CT scan. She looked at it, and said- and I quote, "Oh it's nothing to write home about, no worries." I breathed a sign of relief and on we went, looking to ferret out the cause of this cough. Well, had to go back this week again and she briefly whizzed through this statement and on into the conversation: "You had the ct scan last week and the radiologist has a few concerns and wants to repeat it in January." and on to other things she moved. WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!! It took me a bit to process- she talks very fast and it wasn't until that evening that I actually thought about that statement, chewed and worried on it all night and called her the next day. "What do you mean he had some concerns?" I asked.
"I told you it was a shadow, possibly some scar tissue."
"No, you said it was nothing to write home about and moved on. Why am I coming back in Jan for this?"
"I told you, it was a shadow, possiby some scar tissue, and the radiologist wants to look at it again in January."
"No, your exact words were-"It's Nothing To Write Home About!" What concerns- if it's scar tissue, it's not dangerous and not growing, right?"
"Most likely. He just wants to repeat the test in January."
"Repeat it now and get rid of it if it's concern-causing."
"We will wait till January."

Yeah, and exactly what are YOU waiting on? I'm the one waiting and worrying! I'm the one with three children to plan for. I'm the one hacking up a lung and waking up with a stress cold sore! Darn it all anyway! I loved this doctor until this very moment. It's easy to be cavalier with someone else's life!

I have to give this to God, because I am not dealing with it very well on my own. It might well be nothing, but ya know, I would rather have not known about it than have it niggle and eat at me and intrude on my thoughts. Say a prayer, would ya? I've a feeling they will be much more helpful and reassuring than the medical proffesion at large.
Thanks!!!

AAACCCKKK! My Boys Are Making Me CRAZY!!!! Holy Cow! They fight and tattle from the moment they get up until their heads hit the pillow! "That's what little kids do," you say, right? Okay, I agree! But mine are 13 and 11!!!!! By the time Steve gets home I am ready to just hand them over and leave till bedtime! Testosterone Overload!!!! Ya' think I could sneak some Womens' Formula Vitamins or something into their ice tea and it might make a difference? I am ready to duct tape them together- arm to arm and leg to leg on one side. It'll either kill 'em or cure 'em! Eyeyiyi!!!

So I went back to the docs last week for this chronic cough I've had since Jan, and said the 2nd round of antibiotic and inhaler was again, making no difference. She made an appointment with a pulminologist for Sept 6th (yes, another month to wait!). I called back and asked them to put me on the cancellation list. Well they called Tues when I was already headed to town for groceries so I skipped the food and went there for 3 hours! Nothing definitive yet, but I feel like we are taking a much more proactive approach and will get to the bottom of it. And now I can be there when my children get off the bus after their first day of school! Yay!

A Slice of Summer!!!Chose this yellow watermelon at the local produce stand yesterday, just on a lark. It was just for fun and had two strikes against it to start with- it was very small and not seedless. Hey, I have two teen boys, a daughter and Steve and watermelon is my personal fave, so they usually need to be pretty big!And seeds- well, we've just gotten spoiled with the seedless varieties. But OMGosh! This watermelon was sooooo sweet and wonderful!!!! Probably sweeter than any red I've ever had! It was WONDERFUL! ANd the color was just so pretty on the plates. So if you get the chance to try a yellow watermelon, don't pass it up!

Hehehehehhe, so am I the worst blogger ever, or what?! ALl good intentions, I would just rather read about other folks lives than write about my own. I LOVE my life, just that it's probably not too exciting for anyone other than me!

I recently made the aquaintance of Nicole Hinrichs, a very talented digital artist whose galleries I could spend hours gazing at! She will be interviewed as well in an upcoming ezine, what a fun job I have! But Nicole's work inspired me to explore some of my other creative leanings, maybe a little less than conventional. This is when I need to remember that art is something I create for myself and those I love, not necessarily for the approval of others.

Saturday afteroon, Levi and Ben had like 8 friends here to run through the fields shooting air-soft guns. They had lots of fun. I was trying to figure out how to feed all of them economically so I didn't break my grocery budget for the month. Thought about spaghetti, big hit, but big mess with that many. Ended up with the old stand-by, pizza. Surprisingly, only came to like $25 for two sheets, so it really was a bargain when you factor in how many we were feeding!

My dd turned 7 last week and we decided it was time for her first tea party! The whole thing was inspired by some of Dianne’s gorgeous papers, right down to choosing the tea pot and cups! I know, probaly a bit backwards in my approach, but it worked!:) First, I used the Loving Hands Petalcards for the invitations, complete with vellm inserts, then the Little Man papers and Simply Marvy Alpha for the napkin rings/placeholders, and the Pursonally Yours template for the favors. These came out sooo cute! They were real little purses with velcro closures under the buttons, and jeweled headbands for the straps. They held “princess” buttos, candies and lipgloss for the little ladies. The girls had choc-dipped strawberries, croissants with strawberry cream cheese, and iced cookies in the shapes of a dress, hat, purse, high-heeled shoe, teapot and teacups! Total Fun!

Haven't posted in a bit. My father-in-law passed away on the 30th of May. He had been really struggling with Parkinsons, so I'm glad he is not fighting that anymore and has been reunited with his wife of over 40 years and his Saviour. It's been about 2 yrs since I've seen him as he lived out of state and we just didn't have the funds to travel with all the kids and Steve didn't have vaca time built up yet, but he went down to see him about a year ago. It was a difficult visit for Steve as his dad no longer recognized him, or did so only intermittantly, and they were very close when Dad lived here. But he knows it can happen to any of us. I am trying to do some LO's of my fil before the memorial service on Friday, and trying to find a good balance of individual pics of him as well as a couple of him with the boys. There will be other family and friends bringing photos for the memory boards as well, and I want them to have lots of room for their photos.