it works for me

making layouts in 15-30 minutes is pretty standard for me.
if it takes longer, it's just not me. gives me a mental creative block.
i will walk away from a layout before i will spend hours on one.
that's just me.
it's my style.
i go with the creative flow.
i am imperfect about my design.
it suits me just fine.
hey, that rhymed!! ;)

i don't have any secrets. i just know that my time is limited and i take advantage of
my scrapping time the best that i can. i am not a night owl, so i am sure that is a
strike against me as well. ;)
i often do have ideas that swirl around in my head or i get inspiration from a photo, another
layout from a fellow scrapper, or some new goodies that i've ordered to play with!!
but that's it...plain and simple.
it's exactly how this came together for me as well.

my inspiration for this layout came from a couple of layouts over at the Studio Calico gallery, mainly the whimsy of the stitched triangles in this layout.

love black, grey, and white in layouts lately with a touch of color.
i also got this iridescent cardstock from Michael's by Bazzill...it's so cool. i have no idea how new or old school it is b/c Michael's is all i have around here for supplies; otherwise, i order online. :)

happy friday, friends!! :)
have a GREAT weekend!
xo

back at it! :)

home is my happy place :)
that's no surprise!
but now that i am in my home and scrapping again i am most definitely in
my happy, happy place!
feels good.
just don't know how i am going to control my mess since i have
no where to hide it...hmmm ;)

XOXO stamp is from Ann-Marie Morris and her esty shop!!
lovely washi can be found at Target in the office supply section.
any other questions??
i might have to wrack my brain a little!! ;)

it's good to be back at it again!!
xo

wordless Wednesday | hello, Spring

this girl

this morning i saw this post by Cathy Zielske and, man, did it ever hit home.


this girl, my oldest.

she went and left me this past August.
i knew it had been coming since the start of her Freshman year in high school.
i remember thinking and knowing that this time with her over the next four years would fly.
i remember the feeling of wanting to hold on and to savor and to even try to stall time a little because i was dreading that next phase of her life.
don't get me wrong, i was also SUPER excited for her as well.
i knew she was gifted to accomplish great things with her life. she is so intelligent. my husband and i often joke about how she got so smart! ;)
but, i also knew the void that she would leave.
i would secretly cry in the shower because i didn't want her to know that i was feeling sad. it was my time to process without worrying her.
i would look back and feel regret for the parent that i wasn't to her in the early years.
i was also thankful, SO thankful for the relationship that we began to forge when she became a teenager-- the time when most moms and daughters bash wills, we became closer. she wasn't a fussy girly girl. she was easy.
she knew me. we both have a pretty sarcastic sense of humor and can dish some pretty good stuff back and forth. makes us both laugh. :) she became a happy place for me. a friend.

the time came for her to graduate and leave. luckily she would be going to the local University here, but she was moving out which meant big changes from a family of 5 to 4...that empty spot at the table and in my heart. what would i do?
i felt pretty confident that i would soldier on... i would see her and, i mean, with texting and Facebook and technology it would be like she never left, kinda...right?
the week before she was to leave and move out, i tragically and unexpectedly lost my father.
that in and of itself set me in a tailspin. emotionally i began to crumble.
the days at home without her were filled with more sadness than i had ever imagined.
understand, i am not a big crier by nature, yet, i found myself crying out of the blue.
life felt out of control. i missed her more than i had planned or intended to because life was
completely out of balance and unsure.

the next few months, i began to heal. great friends to talk to and i knew that were praying for me.
my husband was more for me during that time than i could ever imagine. and i poured myself back into my hobby of scrapbooking like i hadn't done in years. it was therapeutic.

so, now this little girl...

she isn't so little anymore. she is on a mission trip this week with the college church ministering to little kids. i have heard from her... it is HOT and HUMID there. she told me a story about how the children there love her hair! :) they were amazed with how long and silky it is--putting it in braids.
she said the children get attached very quickly, wanting to hold hands. i told her that is awesome and it is a humbling thing how her beauty is a blessing to them. but i have a feeling that those children are changing her heart as well. God is amazing and works like that.
i am praying for her and her team's safety there. i am praying for her and the children she is interacting with this week. i know it will be life-changing.

i am anticipating getting to see her smiling face on Saturday. even if she is tired, it will be like a soothing balm to my heart.

this girl has changed my life. made me who i am today and makes me a better person.
i am excited to see her grow and mature, even if that means apart from me and her Dad.
it works like that, i know. God continues to give me grace along the way.

Moving on

I'm still here! :)
It's been a crazy couple of weeks for me!
I have been cleaning, moving, packing, moving, cleaning some more to the point that I am sure I have
pulled or least strained a few muscles. I am intending on making tomorrow, Sunday, a definite day of rest. MUCH needed rest.
The transition of moving hasn't been as smooth as I had hoped...is it ever??!
I managed to get sick...killer sinus and ear infection...fever, the whole 9 yds. Antibiotics and lots of OTC meds to alleviate symptoms.
I think my body put the brakes on from all of the mental and physical stress.
My main (larger) vehicle broke down, trapping all of my scrapbooking goodness inside that I had prepared to use while in the hotel, but never would have gotten to use anyway.
I have yet to retrieve the contents of my car :(

On the upside, laying in bed for a couple of days was what I obviously needed. Badly.
Even though I was sick, I know that rest is what was really going to help get us all through this.

We are in our new home. Much work to do, but getting settled slow, but sure. (insert LOTS of cleaning. note: houses are not self-cleaning people!!!!)
It's great to be back! I feel a sense of peace with all of this and am ready for the next step!

Surgery.
Next month.

I would appreciate any positive vibes, prayers and well wishes in the meantime.
Prayers for me, my kids, my husband that we can pull through together.
We don't have family in town, but mostly likely a grandma will be willing to help out a day or 2 ;)
as my driving privileges will be suspended for a little bit...not gonna complain, except figuring out how to get my kids to and fro-- school, activities, etc.
It will all work out, I know and I am trying to focus on getting well, being positive and letting the anxiety just goooooooo...

and, man!! am I ever itching to get back to running again!

mission for this next week: retrieve my scrappy stuff...i MISS it!!! ;)

something for YOU!! :)

i like to play around in photoshop a lot! :)
if you read yesterday's post, you might have seen how i ended it with this
little image that i created:

then i thought HOW COOL would it be if i made a generic version that i could share with ALL
of my lovely blog readers, so you can customize the colors or size however you want!!! :D

this is my first time offering up something like this so PLEASE tell me if you have issues downloading the image from the link i provide from media fire. it's approximately 3"x3" full size.
i wanted to make the original kind of big so you could go bigger or smaller for your  own needs.

so here you go, my lovelies!! feel free to tell your friends and share what you create our how you use this!!!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE  BELOW TO DOWNLOAD

just click on the above image to take you to the download site.
happy Wednesday, friends!! xo

stepping back or pouring out?

i don't know which to do.
my logical brain tells me that i will be SO BUSY over the next 2 weeks  with moving
that the internet is the last thing i should be doing or worrying about...seriously.
BUT the sharing, creative part of me that likes interacting with my virtual gal pals
can't seem to stay away.
part of me said, "Just put on your blog that you'll be "gone" for about 2 weeks."
part of me also said, "What?! You can't do that! You will go bonkers if you stay away
that long! Especially when you are cooped up in a hotel for a few days!" (lovely, right?!)
this is the most consistent i have been on my blog since it's inception wayyy back when.
and who am i kidding? i LOVE Instagram!!!


and just to keep it real around here...this is pretty much how we are all feeling these days!!

 picture by Chesney Maxwell

now magnify this by at least 10 and not looking quite as dapper!!
it's more like T-shirts, sweats, pony tails, lost sleep, bags under the eyes...you get the "picture" ;)


at any rate, it makes me realize that my life is blessed and

lost sleep and all!

Happy Tuesday, friends!!
xo

she loves

my favorite flower. i love lilacs, too, but hydrangeas are my fave.
i couldn't resist picking some up at the grocery store the other day.
man, i've missed having flowers. i am looking forward to having them again.
i've missed taking pictures as well. 
hope your Monday is sweet and blessed and beautiful. just like these!!

the way it works...

yesterday it was kind of funny...i sat down to do something. i wasn't sure what at the time.
maybe something for project life? a layout? pack and clean my stuff up? nahhh...
so i decided to make my divider for project life for March.
it started with a piece of Amy Tangerine paper that I had already used...for something.
it was cut oddly, probably for matting purposed and i had punched a large circle out, but i
figured i could make it work in spite of some precarious cuts in the paper.
so, i will talk about how i took a scrap piece of paper and turned it into this...

first off, let me say that i hardly EVER plan a page or use a sketch or planner. my pages are pretty much a result of an idea i have in my head and i basically regurgitate that in the form of paper!! lol! ;)
planning too much seems like too much of a commitment for me and the way i am used to creating.
i am in AWE of scrappers that do that! my brain can only hold and execute so much!! :D

1) the yellow front side: knowing that i have been using a calendar page made by Tina.
i feel like it is a great way to incorporate that into my scrapping. easy start.
2) covering up the slits and the circle cut: i measured the paper as close to 6x12, but there was a slit where now you see washi tape and the odd half circle that ended up being there.
3) switch to the back: the calendar page back was quite adequate and figured i would plop an embellishment there, but THEN March is full of change {for our family, moving, and weather wise}  and the gears began to turn!! i used the Amy Tangerine Thickers around the arc of the half circle, coloring the parentheses with some ink.
4) THEN!!! the fun began! :) i decided to make a confetti pocket with this punch, my sewing machine, and some transparency. Lisa has made this technique famous!! she even has a video up about it at 2Peas...go watch it!
5) finally: from this point i added washi tape, a flair badge, more Thickers, and a tab file punch by McGill. it measures 2 1/4"x 3/4" cut. not sure if it's even made anymore.

so there you have it!! from my brain, to paper, to blog!!
if you read all of this, woo hoo!! let me know what you think or what your process is!!

happy Wednesday!! :)
xo

scrapping old pics with modern style

scrapping more old pics...guess they are more like "older" pics like 10 or more years ago...
definitely not current and making me feel the definite FLASH that life seems to have! wow.

and lastly...a card i made for my oldest girl's roommates. last week she was sick with the stomach flu at the dorm and those girls did a great job of taking care of her!! no complaints whatsoever...how awesome is that?! sent this card along with a box of goodies! they think i am a crafty wonder woman! haha!! :D

hello March | Monday currents

 another dandy dollar spot stamp from Michael's

CURRENTS:
time: 8:56am
location: office
eating: nothing. coffee in, i'm good.
drinking: see above. H2O for the rest of the day
listening: Pandora...Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, BoyzIIMen, Janet Jackson...am i showing   
                my age yet? ;)
creating: a page for PL based on yesterday's funnies(Sunday comics)...too many good ones!
wishing: i didn't worry as much as i allow myself to do...work in progress...
wanting: to learn to screen print with Tina...i mean just look at these!!
needing: to get my scrapbook supplies under control before the move, but i am having issues ;)
thinking: i am one lucky/blessed girl. it's all good. seeing the proverbial light is good. :)
doing: laundry. making the grocery list = shopping...blerg

above pic inspired by Nicole being at Target!! :) and after learning some good news!! :)
and how does one take a non-awkward self portrait at a store in a mirror???
 makes me think this will be the last time i do this...alone! ha!


happy Monday!
it's all good!
xoxo