Resume of the craftiness!!

As I alluded in a previous post, I have been crafting. YAHOO!! And one of the cutest things I have made is this wreath:

 Live in the Sunshine Summer Wreath

Supplies

Paper: SU Designer Series Prints and Berry Blossom DSP

Ink: Lucky Limeaid, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral, basic black

Stamps: Fruit and Flowers

Accessories: Big Shot, Rosette XL Die, Fun Flowers L die, 1 inch punch, glue gun, glue dots, generic wreath

 This was really really easy to make! It took a little time to make the rosettes but bam, after that, all you do is decorate them and glue them on!

 This is a close up of the sentiment circle made from the Lemon/Orange slice stamp from Fruits and Flowers.

 Here's a close up of some of the flowers with the rosettes..

And here it is on my door! I LOVE how it turned out!! I plan on making a fall one and of course, a Christmas one!

See how awesome the big shot is?! Definitely worth a "shot!"

Week 2: Meet the parents er I mean meet me..

So week 2 is apparently about causing torture. No longer can I lie to myself- I am definitely like my parents. However, in my ripe old age of almost 30, I definitely realize that this is not really a bad thing. Let's back up a little. I was born in 1982 into a 2 parent home with relatively young parents (24 and 25). My sister was already 8 years old. Thus, by the time I was 10, I was almost an only child (big age differences tend to do that I think). My dad worked 2-3 jobs at a time and my mom also worked full time all so we could have what we needed and wanted, a nice house, and cars to take us wherever we needed to go. Early on it was always taught to us that work ethic is important. My parents always took pride in our home, making it aesthetically pleasing as well as functional. School was always a major priority and I was always encouraged to do well so that I could (well, I think it was more I Would) go to college and do something I wanted and enjoyed doing- not working your butt off in something you had to do for your family.
Yet- my parents rarely complained. I mean it was extremely rare and it was never like we, the kids, were the burden when really, they would never have to work as hard as they did if it wasn't for us! Work was what you had to do- no questions asked. It's just what they did. They also always put family first and went the extra mile for everyone. That was something that came from my Pop (Dad's Dad) and so it was passed down.
I think I could write a whole book about my childhood and honest to God, there wasn't anything even remotely bad about growing up in my family. My teenage years sucked, but that was because of Lupus. I never felt like I had a bad childhood but looking back, I think I should've felt more privileged. You see, when you teach kids in an urban area that are lucky to have 1 parent in their lives, you realize how good you have it!
Anyway, this post is becoming rambling and I'm having a hard time keeping it straight so I think a bulleted list will be a nice summary.

How I am like my parents:

• I am a huge advocate of teaching work ethic
• I know school is a majorly important part of life and something we should ALL value
• I like to have nice things and new gadgets
• I don't do well with being fiscally responsible (just being honest- they've gotten a lot better but it wasn't something I was taught a lot about)
• I work hard in my jobs
• I am overly anxious about things and at time paranoid about the safety of my family
• I love animals
• When I am ready to do something, everyone else around me better be ready too!
• I like my personal space: I don't do well staying with relatives.
• I am picky about food and cleanliness (most of the time)
• I care too much about what other people think of me by just looking at me
• I love buying things for other people because I love the gift of giving

How I am different from my parents:

• everything in the house doesn't have to be perfect all the time
• The boys' faces and hands don't have to be immaculate when we leave the house
• I don't use a new towel everyday
• I don't think I have gotten to the point of sacrificing everything for my kids and families: they are some of the most Unselfish people in the entire world and I still have a hard time letting go of the me me me's.
• My cars don't have to be immaculate
• I hate getting up early
• I don't like to give up food I like just cause my kids want to eat it..

So, in summary, I am pretty much like my parents completely. The differences are pretty minor and I struggled to find them. However, as I said, I've learned it's not a bad thing. I am lucky to have 2 awesome parents and I don't know what I'd do without them!

So, here's week 2 and here's another blog I love to visit. Lydia Fielder is a moderator for splitcoaststampers.com, an online stamping community. Her blog is hilarious as well as creative! Check it out here: Understand Blue.

Week 1: That's so, like, 10 years ago..

I'm going to choose to look at me 10 years ago almost exactly. Because in just a few months I will be entering my thirties so I want to enjoy the last view months of being in my twenties :)

So, 10 years ago, I was 19 and entering my Junior year in College at George Mason University. Sam and I had already been together almost 3 years at that point and had lived together for almost 2 years. We both worked at a small independent theater in Manassas and had this dream of making it an awesome movie cafe. That didn't happen but hey, we could dream.

I was already engaged and in debt. We had little to no money and not the best of jobs. We had 4 dogs at the time (Sabrina had not yet joined the pack!) and I was obsessed with Paul Frank. I ran up quite the hefty bill from ebay purchases. Oh yeah, and I think I just discovered for was just about to discover Harry Potter. And Owls.

I dreamed of being super crafty and sewing my own purses. I designed a couple and my friend Holly sewed them for me out of glitter vinyl. I was still driving my red Honda CRV and Sam had a blue Kia suv thingy that I can't remember the name of. I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree in history but I think I was starting to think about teaching college. On the music front, I was listening to Coldplay, The Thrills and The Strokes. Definitely The Strokes.

So, 10 years later, some of my expectations were met. I think i'm pretty crafty and still love designing stuff. I have 2 kids, as planned. I'm living in Lynchburg which was totally not expected and I'm a Special Ed Teacher. I never would've thought my M. Ed would be in this field! And that I'd love it so much.

Also, Autism never even passed my mind 10 years ago where as now, it's a way of life. I wonder what I would've thought or done differently if I'd known Autism would be such a significant part of our life. It doesn't matter though. I had my first son at 23 and love him regardless. Maybe I would've been better prepared, maybe not. Maybe my journey into special ed was God or the universe's way of getting me ready.

Sam also now has a college degree in education which I don't think I would've expected 10 years ago. However, the not having a job thing is also something I wouldn't have expected either.

All in all, not too many surprises here. I think I would've liked things to be somewhat different in regards to jobs etc but I think most of my expectations were right on target!

As for a blog I read, definitely check out my niece Kyra's blog: Mrs. Quartermaster Most of my other regular reading material is of the crafty nature (not that you're not crafty Kyra but ya know what I mean :)

Blog Challenge Accepted..

So, my niece by marriage is doing a blog challenge of sorts. It's a great way to keep me at least posting weekly so read the rules below and I hope you'll join. Or at least let me entertain myself by completing it!
*********************************************************************************

This seems incredibly cheesy, so I am going to apologize in advance. But what it all really boils down to is: I need something to do while I procrastinate from working on my writing, and writing is the only thing I can think of. Ironic? Yeah, I thought so, too. 

So, I was talking with a few of my lady-friends (and no, not in the 70-year-old man in a nursing home sense of "lady-friends") and it has been decided that a blog challenge is in order. I've never actually done a blogging challenge before, and the ones I have seen seem kind of lame, so we're coming up with our own. 

Here are the rules:

• The blog-every-single-day thing seems to be a little... scary for a lot of people. So, we're shooting for once-a-week blogging for 8 weeks.
• Blog challenges will be "due"/rollover on Sunday nights at midnight. I know this sounds a lot like a class project, but hey, we're all gluttons for punishment, anyway, right?
• Post the challenge/challenge rules before you write your first blog-challenge blog, and link back to it with each blog-challenge post (then say blog challenge ten times fast!). This way, your readers can join in on the fun.
• And, just to shake things up, at the bottom of each blog challenge blog, post the link to another blog you read regularly. Think of it as a grab bag for your readers. Or just utter ridiculousness on my part.
• Try to comment on other blogs doing the challenge. Let the blogger know you're reading and doing the challenge, too!
• Take the topics as seriously or as lightly as you would like.
• Write as much or as little as you would like.
• Use visuals if and how you see fit.
• Have fun and share!

Now... For the topics!

• Week 1: Compare and contrast: yourself now vs. yourself ten years ago.
• Week 2: How are you like your parents? How are you different?
• Week 3: Who and what makes up your "community?" How do you define that community?
• Week 4: A social situation you struggle with and why.
• Week 5: How do you define yourself?
• Week 6: What is a goal you have or want to set for yourself? How are you going to achieve it?
• Week 7: A funny story about something dumb you have done.
• Week 8: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Catching up..

So, I've been contemplating this blog post for like 2 weeks. June was an insanely busy month. Though I wrapped up the school year on June 7, we went straight to Williamsburg that day. We had a lot of fun at Busch Gardens and Water Country USA! It was great despite the fact Nate didn't sleep well there at all. We ended up coming back a little earlier than planned but he had a great time at Water Country. The resort we stayed at was literally next door so it was nice to be able to get up, go over, and come back after 4-5 hrs.
The week after we got back, we had a week long Science and Math Teaching institute at Randolph College. The following week, I spent all week preparing for my comprehensive exams to officially graduate with my M. Ed. I honestly feel like I finished 4 yrs ago since what was left was just tying up loose ends. However, it's very good to be officially done!
On June 29, the derecho (read HUGE WIND STORM!!) hit Lynchburg hard. It was rough. We were part of a small area with power- about 100,000 people near us were without power, including my parents who were without power for a week! Anyway, the morning after it hit was the day my comps were scheduled for. I and the other 4 people taking it was determined to do it. So we hand wrote it by window light and got it done.
Then, on July 7 I helped plan a 40th birthday for my bff. I spent most of that week running errands and creating some decor. It was good but hectic. July 9, my parents went on vacation and we watched their dogs for a week. Nate also decided he didn't need to sleep more than 1-2 hrs at a time so we were drained. Finally, July 16, we're getting back to some normalcy... except that our backyard is a giant mud pit as we're putting in an in ground pool in an effort to help Nate with his sensory needs!
So, even with all this I have found time to do some crafting and some soul searching. We're trying to figure out our future and where we're going. This includes Nate's educational needs, his life skills, X's needs, and our needs. We're back in a tough spot as Sam does not have a job for this school year. Long story short, he would've been better remaining in the position he started last year at. The economy is brutally tough and we're victims. If worse comes to worse, which it is looking like it will, Sam will have to work with my Dad at the steel shop. My Dad has been welding and building for well over 30 yrs and I have tremendous respect for him. However, the point of Sam getting his college degree was to open up his job opportunities and his ability to get a job. So far, the trend continues that no one really wants to hire a male teacher in elementary in this area. I have a lot of anger about this that I'm trying to let go but it is hard. Sam is extremely dedicated to teaching and its a shame that he can't find a school that will embrace him.
So the next few weeks before the school year starts will continue to be hectic. I'll continue to work on getting myself emotionally in a better place and hopefully all will work out in the end!
I'll be posting some crafty stuff soon- I've made some cute cards and a wreath that I hope you'll all like!

Quick Update

Wow- nothing good happened this weekend. We were so looking forward to a 3 day weekend. Instead, Nate has a broken bone in his foot from an accident at school Friday, our septic tank backed up on the holiday, and we had an ER visit for Nate as well. Hoping for a calmer week- if we can just get through it!!

Paper Players Challenge 96- Sweet Polka Dots!

Happy almost over the hump day!
So glad tomorrow is THURSDAY and we're heading into a 3 day weekend! I don't have to administer any testing tomorrow and we're in the single digits for days left in this school year!!


I managed to get another card done and used the Paper Players weekly challenge to do a CAS polka dot card. I pulled out some more items I hadn't used yet and came up with this cutie!

Sweetest Day Polka Dots

Stamps: SU Something Sweet

Ink: Island Indigo, Lucky Limeaid, Wisteria Wonder, Calypso Coral, 

Chocolate Chip

Paper: Chocolate Chip, WW, and Pool Party CS; Sweet Shoppe DSP

Other: Scalloped Chocolate Chip Ribbon

Hope you enjoy the quick and simple card!

CWCM Color Challenge Card

Thought I'd do a quick share of a card I created for the Create with Connie and Mary Color Challenge this week. The colors were Pool Party, Basic Black, and Poppy Parade.


This is what I came up with:

Tea for You

Cardstock: 11-13 In Color Pattern Pack, Basic Black and Whisper White CS

Ink: Basic Black, Poppy Parade Marker

Stamps: The Tea Shoppe

Other: Lace Border Punch (retiring!)

I want to note the tea cups were crooked on purpose. However, I noticed a lot of the other layers look off after I put it together :/ I think my paper cutter is off center and threw everything off slightly. I am trying to find a really really good paper cutter so hopefully I will be cutting better soon!

Have a great week and enjoy!

Weekend Review and Sketch Frenzy Friday!

Hi all!
I had a very productive and fun weekend and am excited cause we only have 2 more Mondays left in the school year!! How awesome is that?! 


Saturday I did some major house cleaning and laundry for the boys. We went out for ice cream and then I was even able to take a nap! Today I did more laundry, had a mini cookout with my parents, set up the kiddie pool for the boys, studied for my comprehensive exams AND managed to get some crafting done! It's amazing how much more productive I am when I'm not stressed out of my mind!


Here some pics of the boys from today:

Nate so happy to be in the water!

X having fun with his brother.

 X after coming in from the pool.. lips are kinda purple!

Finally here is a little card I whipped up. It was inspired by the Sketch Frenzy Friday sketch. I had these K& Co large cards that are perfect for 3 panels!

Hanging with my Gnomies.

Paper: Summer Smooches DSP; WW CS

Ink: Memento Black, SU Real Red, Daffodil Delight and Island Indigo

Accessories: Baja Blossom Punch, Copics

I love this set! It is retired from the Occasions Mini. I had to have it though and had ordered it as part of my starter kit.

I hope you enjoy and have a great week! More standardized testing for me to administer this week but other than that, it should be pretty uneventful!

Teacher Appreciation Gifts

I had a big oops and didn't get the gifts for Teacher appreciate week out on time! Well, I ended up giving latte mugs of berries with a "thank you berry much" tag and then created these little notebooks for each of the aides, therapists, and Nate's teacher.

I used a template from stampdoc.com. However, I didn't have a lot of 12x12 paper so I made some adjustments. I used coordinating paper in the Pentel RSVP pens. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out! I hope the teachers enjoyed them! Have a great Tuesday!

Mother's Day Weekend

Happy Belated Mother's Day! I had such a great weekend and I hope you all did too!
Saturday, we went Strawberry picking with my bff and family. It was a nice day and the strawberries were amazing! X had a great time!

 Of course, X was also very intrigued with the Tractor. He had to go see it and mention that it was like "Poppy's"..(Note- Poppy has a riding lawn mower, NOT a tractor!)

That afternoon I got to see my cousin and her little boy E. It was great to see them! Fast forward to Sunday and I was able to have lots of time crafting! Here are the two mothers day cards I made!

 Both use the Twitterpated DSP, Rue de Flores and Loved Ones stamp sets.

And finally, here is Xander setting up his cars for a big race... Have a great week, everyone! I'll be back posting some teachers' gifts I made soon!

Digi Sunday- Part 2

Happy Sunday again! I have had a rough weekend. Something has been wrong for about a month. My body is having some sort of rebellion... not sure what is it but I've been in chronic pain. My stomach and my back.. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow so will hopefully have some answers.
Anyway, here is my digi page share for the week. This is the second part of X's birthday layout. I love the  big top birthday dsp and coordinating paper! It's awesome!

Here's to a great week!

Over the hump-day

Happy Thursday everyone! I'm so glad tomorrow is FRIDAY! I have some stuff to get done last minute for work this weekend. Other than that, I've definitely finished my IEP writing season which is awesome! We've had an up and down week with the kids so far- lots of not following directions and general terror but if it'll ever just stay sunny outside, I think we'll be okay! 
Here is another Digi item for me to share with you. I'm trying to scrapbook the most current pictures digitally. I will probably make a year 1 scrapbook for X using paper but I don't see myself scrapping everything using paper anymore. Digital is so much easier and portable. I love being able to work on it before bed!

This is page 1 of 2 for X's 2nd birthday. Sam commented how busy the picture is but I love it because it shows everything. I'll share the second page soon! Have a great end of the work week!

Digi Sunday

I think I'm going to try and publish more digi scrapbook items on Sunday nights. It's a good thing to do while watching Once Upon a Time. I'm bummed that there is only 1 more episode left in the season though.. good thing The Killing is still on!


Here are two digi pages I made- one based on the boys' first experience with water table this year. The other is an ode to my new craft room. Kind of pathetic, but I lurve it! :) I hope everyone has a great week! I had a rough weekend physically so i'm hoping for a much better week!

SCS Challenge Cards

Happy, Happy Saturday! So far, this weekend has been productive. We did grocery shopping this morning and then I finished my take home final for my last M.Ed course. I will officially be a M.Ed graduate! How awesome is that?! I spent some time cruising the Splitcoaststampers board and decided I also needed to participate in some challenges.


This first card is for SC382 and Teapot Tuesday for 4/23/12

Just Be Yourself

Stamps: Retired The Angel Company (name unknown)

Ink: Brilliance Black, Papertrey Chamomile 

Paper: Close to My Heart 

Accessories: Copics, SU Scallop Punch

The Teapot Tuesday story had to do with a tattoo parlor. I remembered this goody I received from a TAC Bag and thought she'd be perfect for a "tramp stamp". I think I might be giving this to a friend who is hitting a major milestone birthday this year...


This next card is for SC381 and this week's Inspiration Challenge: Rosenberry Rooms. The Rosenberry Rooms website is very cute. It is high end children's furniture and decor. They had several pictures which used vintage airplanes. I also recently got X a vintage airplane mobile for his room. Sorry for the picture quality.. I couldn't get good lighting!

Vintage Airplane Fun

Stamps: SU Sweets for the Sweet (sentiment), Vintage Rides by Nina b Designs (this was the TAC version; it is available now at The Craft's Meow); Cloud from MFT

Ink: Palette

Paper: Main Street and CTMH

Accessories: MS Ribbon

I was lucky enough to purchase some of the Nina b Stamps before TAC closed it's doors. This last catalog was definitely the best yet and it was unfortunate the business had to go under. I'm glad Nina b, Phyllis, and Mabelle R.O. were able to get their designs out there through other means because they have fabulous work! I am also glad I remembered to get this set out! It had been mounted but un-used. Of course, Nina just re-released it with The Craft's Meow so I've been seeing it advertised all over SCS.

For the rest of the night I'm going to work on some digital scrapbooking and just relax. My insanely stressful and busy season is starting to come to a close and I'm excited to have time relaxing! Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

I'm crafty and I know it

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone has had a good start to the work week! I wanted to share 2 more cards I created this past weekend 'cause we all know I'm crafty and I know it..

This first card uses hostess DSP and the Hostess Set "Up in the Air" from the occasions mini catty. I also used the Beautiful Wings embossing sizzlets.

This next one uses the Sweets for the Sweet set and Calypso Coral and Baja Breeze ink and Baja Breeze ribbon. This was for this weeks Inspiration Challenge on SCS. 


Hope you enjoy checking out some of my work!

CCMC 198- Sweets for the Sweet

Well this was a kind of up and down weekend for me but I actually got to stamp! I got most of my room organized so that was actually a pretty relaxing event. I was then able to complete some cards for challenges! I was so happy to actually get some crafting mojo going! Now, I'm settling down with this week's Once Upon a Time and a card for share for Create with Connie and Mary's sketch challenge this week.

Sweets for the Sweet

Paper: Whisper White and Pool Party CS, Sweet Shoppe DSP

Ink: Island Indigo, Calypso Coral, Lucky Limeade

Brads: SAB Everyday Enchantment Embellishments

This is my second time using this stamp set and it is a lot of fun! So much versatility. And I'm digging the 2011-2013 in colors. Can't wait to see all the new ones!

Here's hoping for a productive and calm week for everyone! Time for me to go see who the Evil Queen messes with next...

Thoughts on the Little Feet Meet

Yesterday was our annual field trip to participate in the Little Feet Meet. This event is for young students in special education with developmental delays, Autism, or intellectual disabilities. We took 12 students (4 didn't come) and had a good time. Nate was there with his class and Sam and my MIL came as well. Nate was not very cooperative and lay on the floor almost the entire time but he was good! I was overwhelmed and almost panicked when I first entered. There are so many students and so many different disabilities. It's hard because it is reality and our reality is that Nate will probably be dependent on us for life. At age 5, it still is a huge slap in the face. I love Nate with all my heart but it is very stressful some days. He depends on us for everything as does X. There are days where we barely get to sit for longer than a minute. I know, it's part of parenting but, when he has meltdowns and can't tell us what he needs, there is the hour long guessing game. There's his inability to understand what "we will do that later" truly means. It's just hard. I wouldn't change it for the world but it can be overwhelming. All I can do is pray that God gives me the strength to continue doing the best I can and maybe a little more patience than I already have :) My boys are my world and it definitely helps to have someone amazing like my DH helping each day. We make a good team and that's more than enough for me!

A new digi page

Here is a page I hadn't previously shared. Enjoy!

The Evolution of the Craft Room

I was really lacking energy to get the craft room all set up after the massive cleaning and purging from the basement. However, I found my second wind on Saturday! First thing Saturday I finished my final big project for my M.Ed! PTL! I was really putting it off but it was hanging over my head a lot. So anyway, all I have left is a final in the class and comprehensive exams. Once that was done, I had a HUGE burst of energy! I worked that night and then today setting up the craft room: i.e. bringing things over, getting rid of things etc. I still have A LONG way to go but we've made progress! My Dad and Sam went to Lowes and got a wooden door to make my work area. I also got a few things hung on the wall. I still need to put up my vinyl wall saying and make some art to go on the walls but it's turning out good! My "Our dreams give us wings plaque" above the closet door

The desk and the "craft owl" in the window. Also hung up my making memories wall organizer!

My new workspace! YAY!!

The paper/stamp storage. Still working out on how to have this organized best...

My really cute button plaque: I added ribbon to make it colorful.

Another clearance find!

I am super happy with how things are going!! I'll continue to work on it here and there but the next month will be super busy with meetings, etc. I know I promised more digi pages and will try and get more shared this week. Thanks for looking!

Busy Busy Worker Bees...

Today continued more work in the basement. I cleaned up part of the previously finished side so the kids could have a more open area to play. The other half still has a bunch of crud- tools, drywall, and items I haven't gone through or taken to the craft room. In all honesty, this may wait until after May 3rd- the day of my final exam.

Here are pics of the newly finished side. We still have to paint the doors (and put the doors in front of the furnace). I brought down a lot of toys so it's starting to fill up!

And here is the future craft room/study! I have to get countertop on my cabinets and actually bring a lot of my stuff over. I'm excited! I love the color and I love the flooring! It's pergo we found at ollie's. It helps lighten up the basement since there is limited light.

So we still have to: 1- Put drywall up on the adjoining wall from the previously finished room to the newly finished room (the previously finished room was panel) 2- Finish the laundry room/crate area/mudroom 3- Complete the bathroom It's been over 3 yrs since we first even started the basement! It's been a lot of work courtesy of my Dad and Sam. I am so happy with it! I will be back Friday to post more digiscrapbook pages! Happy Hump Day!

Cuteness Personified

I am taking a break from our 3 day long basement work fest to share a digi scrapbook page I made for X. The pic is from last Friday. He fell asleep in the car on the way home from dinner. Once home, he crashed out on the couch looking this adorbs. He is definitely cuteness personified!

Spring Break, I mean Work..

Hope everyone had a great Easter! Sam and I have worked the last 2 days in the basement. We took 1 truck load of trash to the dump, 1 truck load to donate to good will and I'm still cleaning. I also have about 4 boxes of baby clothes for my great nephew. Sam got almost all of the flooring laid in the basement- YAY! We will finish it tomorrow and start moving things around. We should be able to use the new part by this weekend! How awesome is that?! I will share updated pics when we get farther along. I'll also share another digi scrapbook layout tomorrow. Oh btw- I almost missed The Killing season 2 starting. I got caught up quickly though. Fantabulous show!

Angels among us...

So today was an interesting day. A stressful trip to Target made a surprisingly good turn. After having N and X both act like crazy men and getting stuck behind a lady with a bag full of coupons, I could not find my check card. So I'm looking and stressing- it was getting busy. They decided to suspend the transaction so I can look and take the next person. A-OK with me. However, the next person pays for my entire order! $145!! I was in shock and really, kind of ashamed. We're don't need it nearly as much as others. I couldn't believe the kindness. She said "enjoy your day!" and I walked out feeling truly humbled. The rest of the day was a little more stressful as the kids continued to run amuck. However, the trim got painted and lots of things finished in the main room of the basement. On top of that, the stairs were carpeted. Our next mission is flooring followed by cleaning- throwing away, donating, saving. We have way too much crud back there! Happy Easter! I will be paying it forward as we remember why we celebrate this event.

Sweet Spring Evenings

I really wanted to create tonight but nothing is ready for that. I'm not going to go dig stuff out, move it all upstairs and then probably NOT have time to stamp. So, instead, I redownloaded My Digital Studio by Stampin Up. I figure since I have all these pics (love my iPhone 4s.. beautiful pics at my fingertips!), I should be doing SOMETHING!! This is what I came up with:

This uses the New Heights MDS download. Perfect for spring! Oh, and btw- I've lost around 10 lbs this month. Wahoo!! Have a great weekend and for many, start of our spring break!

A constant battle for change..

From midnight to 5 am last night there was little sleep in my house. Why do you ask? Well, Nate constantly wanted something. Juice, gummies, and then dvd changes every 5 mins. To give some background, Nate only sleeps with a tv and dvd on. We fought a good fight but sleep was more important than following some hidden parenting rule about no tv in the bedroom. Anyway, Nate's collection of 30 some dvds is apparently boring him. If you watched the same dvds for 5 years, I guess you'd be bored to. Bad thing is he isn't liking any of the new shows we're introducing. There has to be some sort of music. I tried A Pup Named Scooby Doo, Jimmy Neutron.. no dice. I am thinking I will try Phineas and Ferb next... any suggestions from ya'll out in blog land? Help a sista out! On the craft room front, my Dad found some great cabinets at the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store! We'll paint a hollow door to go on top and voila! Instant table. I was inspired by this great DIY site: The Ivy Cottage Blog As spring break begins for us Saturday, I am looking forward to cleaning out the other part of the basement and setting up my craft room. This should be awesome. Oh yeah, and finishing my 2 projects for grad classes.... Happy Friday friends!

Some splainin to do...

So, I posted this morning my intentions. And yes, they were the hurried before work kind of intentions. I've been inspired reading the blogs of others and how candid they can be. While there is a certain level of privacy to maintain, there is always something cathartic about putting it all on the table. My previous post before today was dated July 10, 2009. I mentioned having a headache.. boy was that an understatement! In fact, that post happened 4 days after I found out I was pregnant with DS #2. I promptly had my first migraine ever and ended up in the hospital over night. It was just the beginning of a stressful but so worth it pregnancy. We struggled to get pregnant the second time. No real answers were given but after 2 rounds of clomid to adjust my cycle, we conceived off meds. I also had what I now know was a gallbladder attack and passed a stone right before I conceived as well. So anyway, I had spotting until about 12 weeks. I stayed nauseous and was losing weight. Seriously, what pregnant woman LOSES weight?! At 17 weeks I had a major scare- bleeding. That was when we found out for sure we were having son number 2, Xander. From that point on, I stayed on modified bed rest and almost lost my job. 2 days before I was supposed to be induced I had what I now know was gallbladder attack #2. I ended up hospitalized early. They thought I had HELPP which is like pre-eclampsia but a little worse. After having an epidural not work right, X was born after 21.5 hrs of labor with the cord wrapped around his neck twice and with a knot. I barely remember asking if he was going to be okay and the doc saying "we're not sure." Fast forward to today and at 25 months old I can say that he is more than okay :) So, 6 weeks later I start having these intense chest pains about once a month. I get a stress test and echocardiogram and all is well with my heart. I get an MRI on my gallbladder, all is supposedly well. That year we had an extended Christmas break. 1 week before going back I get extreme pain like I had right before having X. I go to the ER- nothing, just muscles. I go to the doctor- nothing, no clue. I go back to the ER while turning a nice shade of orange. Why yes, there are gallstones but they're not causing this pain. At 1 am 4 days after the initial onset of pain, I call an ambulance. DH thinks I'm nuts- I mean 4 different doctors have said I'm fine. I can't move the pain is so intense. I wait and I wait in the ER. The ER doc comes in and thinks, well maybe it's a blood clot (I have a clotting factor because of Lupus) and sends me for a CAT scan. The hospitalist comes in and says "did you know you are orange?". I say, "yes, I was when i left here less than 12 hrs ago." He explains I have pancreatitis. I just want to be hospitalized. Then the surgeon comes in and says "I think you threw a stone and it's stuck in your pancreatic duct. We need to get the pancreatitis down and then we'll get the gallbladder out." All I care about are pain meds. Pancreatitis isn't that bad is it?! Turns out, it is bad and I was very close to not doing well at all... Thank God they finally found it! So no foods or drinks, stone passes, pancreatitis is down, I go for surgery. I should be able to leave the hospital on day 5. Well, I come out of surgery and my Oxygen levels are down. They think it is a clot again. Oh no, it's not. Instead my lungs filled up with fluid and are injured because of the pancreatitis (did I mention I had trouble breathing previous to surgery?) So I spend a day in ICU. By the grace of God I go home 2 days later and the rest is history... So that was Jan 2011. Meanwhile Nate has entered Preschool and speech is still a mystery for him. He has more trouble communicating as he's gotten older. To say that the last 2 yrs have been difficult are an understatement. I still get panicky about the medical mishaps and we still struggle to deal with the life impact of Autism. I've found myself struggling with happiness since the pancreatitis event. So, I've made a couple of goals and I'm sticking to them! 1- Eat better!! Seriously! 2- Lose weight! 3- Exercise (walk, etc) at least 3-4 times a week. 4- GET BACK INTO CRAFTING! To help all this, I'm getting back into blogging as well. We all need some sort of release. I truly miss the fun and enjoyment of crafting and sharing it with others. I'm getting back with Stampin Up and I'm going to get my creative juices flowing! First, we need to finish the craft room but that'll be soon enough. Until then I'll be posting randomness but I hope to keep things updated for my sake over all else!

Forever and ever and ever...

Wow has it been a LONG time since I posted here! I've unsuccessfully tried to have 2 other blogs since then. I've decided I'm going to stick with my precocious crafter blog and just incorporate any and all about me here! Since my last post here I've had a baby, lol, who is now 2 years old. My original cause of falling off the face of the earth was said baby. My pregnancy with Xander was rough, to say the least. We've also had lots of challenges as Nate's diagnosis of autism has been more evident. As we get ready to go into spring break I'm going to make a better effort at blogging. We're getting our basement finished (FINALLY!) so I'll have a place to craft and get busy!! So excited!! I will take some pics and upload them later cause everyone needs pics of my beautimus room! Here is an updated pic of my boys for your viewing pleasure. Happy Wednesday, all!

and a really bad but quick invite done for a friend. It's amazing what you get done in a 2 ft space with no real table!