The Circus

Steve and I frequently joke when we are going somewhere..."here comes the circus!"  It is fitting...my kids are loud, busy, highly entertaining.  They frequently put on a show and make people laugh. 

Did I mention loud?

LOL!  It is a bit of a circus...these pictures prove how goofy they are:

I loved all the play themes in Emma's Shoppe...totally inspired this layout!  It is a bit of a different design for me, but I am playing these days!  It is important to mix it up!

And I love that I got to tell this story.  It is the circus...and I live under one happy big top!

At Home: Great Room

So we loved this house for many reasons.  But it was the great room that had our heart.  Not that it was always a great room.  Nope, it  used to be my mother-in-law's home daycare room.  The room is big, really big.  There was a sink and counters.  We gutted it when we bought the house. 

The house only had 1.5 baths so we decided to build a full bath in this room.  This will allow us to renovate the master bath and close it off to everyone but us!  And the kids will still have a bathroom to themselves.

Here is the space during the renovation.  You can see the framing for the new bathroom going up!  Crazy how that space was designed.  Think me and some blue painter's tape....masking out several different floor plans!

The door to the left is to the hallway and the back one leads to a porch and staircase to get outdoors.

Now:

I am showing you this side of the room first because it matches the first photo in this post!  Just all done!  We decided to do a wet bar and have a place to hang out, do crafts, play games or eat.  Pizzas can get plopped on the counter and friends can be entertained.  The hallway leads to the bathroom, which I will show next week.  Check out the exercise stuff...P90X happening for me!

This is what the details look like.  A one day shopping trip to Marshall's filled up that shelf from my MIL.  We were able to reuse their old quartz countertops from the old kitchen, which makes me happy!  These cabinets are from Home Depot, white laminate and I love them.!

Here is the living room side:

Steve's dream come true with that TV!  I love this space so much.  There is a ton of light and the space fits all of us nicely!  It is truly the family room!  It was the last space to get done in the renovation, but it was worth the wait!

I will show you details and the new bathroom next time!

Happy Sunday!

Crazy Week

This was one of them.  I am craving the weekend.  Haven't scrapped in about four days.  I miss The Nook message board (which is coming back).  It has just be overwhelmingly busy!

So this sweet face (and Nathan's too!) keeps me going.

Supplies:  (Webster's Pages: Spring Market paper, stickers, trim, alphabet, chipboard buttons; Whimsies Roses in Bloom, Lotus Bloom; Threads Doilies)

It makes everyday special...

even the crazy ones!

Pancake Loving

We are a family who loves pancakes.  Homemade with chocolate chips, covered in fruit or plain with butter and syrup.  It is a Sunday ritual in our house!

We made an exception recently, visiting our local Ihop.  I was very impressed with how quickly we got in considering the huge line!  The kids love to get the pancakes there...I had my trusty iPhone with me and snapped some photos!

That equals this layout!

I crack up whenever I see those sunglasses next to the plate.  That is sooo Ella...fashion and food!  Kinda like her Momma!

I used the amazing Emma's Shoppe for this layout. The colors are so happy and I love how the gingham is like a tablecloth! 

While I love pancakes, I am not eating any recently.  Remember that word, "consistency"?  I am achieving it lately.  Isn't it funny how when you put something out into the universe and you really mean it, it happens!

That's what my kids must have done to get us to Ihop on a Sunday morning!

Well, I missed...already

I just started my At Home posts a couple of Sundays ago, and I already missed.  I totally could not get to it yesterday.  A certain handsome man hijacked my computer last night so I could not edit photos or make a post.  So next week...I will share my new great room, which has been totally renovated!

For now, a layout!  Because the new kit from The Nook is fabulous...full of beautiful Crate Paper!  I adore all the chipboard and the stickers...so much to choose from to make layered and detailed pages!

I caught this photo of my daughter...she came downstairs one day wearing her Belle costume, tights, a white shirt and her Uggs.  She was dead serious about it being a fabulous outfit.  She even went to Target in it...why not!  Let her feel confident!

She is so into clothes these days.  I have to say that I am impressed with her ability to put clothes together.  She loves to mismatch her socks, yet somehow they work.  She wears every outfit with spunk!

I had to journal it...I wonder if she will be a designer one day...or at least a shopaholic...

I have lots to share this week...Webster's, more Crate...come back to visit!

This Guy

I love him.

I love our family and all that we are trying to create.

He is a great father.  He is forgiving and loyal. 

We bicker.  We are both strong.  It shows in our dynamic sometimes.

But for the most part, we are a good team. Its what brings us back to each other over and over again.

So, a page...

I used the Sports Edition II line by Teresa Collins!  If you are looking for sports related paper, this is THE line.  Except I used it for a non-sports related layout!  The whole concept of teamwork completely inspired me. 



I love the trend of squiggling (is that a word?) trim or twine all around on your page.  Teresa has a great thin and shiny ribbon in the On the Edge Collection that worked perfectly. 

I am so happy that it is the weekend.  It means that I get to spend time with those I love the most,

including this guy!

This Week

I have...

worked out 8 out of 9 days

accomplished 7 things off my to-do list

taken care of a sick child (but not due to PFAPA, which has been gone for almost 3 months)

eaten lots of fresh foods...it changes how you feel

missed my third Survivor episode (I have them  DVRed though)

missed the Nook...the message board is down and it feels weird

learned that new Crate is on the way

mostly pushed paper around, feeling a bit like all my stuff looks the same

I have been a wife, friend, mother, teacher and mediator for these two loves:

Oh, I have played with my March kit from the Nook...what a beauty.  I have so many ideas, it actually overwhelms me...LOL!

What are you up to this week?  Hope that it has been fabulous!

Full of Flavor

Refreshing isn't it...understanding and accepting that everyone comes from a different place in life, everyone is unique.  The people in your life each have something wonderful and individual to bring to the table...you have friends and family members, even co-workers who serve particular roles in your life. 

The world would be boring if we were all the same.  The trick to be happy is accepting others and yourself for who they really are!  For running around, waving your arms in the air and yelling...I love you for you!  I think people who approach you in this way are few and far between, so when you find them...hold on!  It is also about saying I love me, for me!  and really meaning it!

In our family, Nathan is the great mediator, the peace keeper.  He will take one for the team if it means keeping everyone happy.  At the same time, he is a bit rigid...we call him the grumpy old man.  Even though he has a smile that will bring you joy!

Steve is the great organizer, he keeps us all on the same page.  He is so even...most of the time.  But we need that because the rest of us can be a bit emotional.  He is loyal and funny.  He has many, many friends, which shows what a great person he is.  He never admits he is wrong and I have learned to accept that.

I am the homemaker.  I keep things moving.  I take pride in everyone's accomplishments.  I try to problem solve whenever I can.  When I set my mind to something, it is happening.  I am also moody and can give "tone" too much, even when I don't mean it. 

Ella, is the big presence in our house.  She never stops talking or singing.  like ever and I am not exaggerating.  She is loving and very bright.  She steps up when it comes to helping others.  She is a lover of all of our family stories.

(Supplies:  Webster's Pages Spring Market papers, stickers, alphabet & chipboard buttons; Hollywood Vogue trim, Sparklers; I created a patchwork using all the different patterns in the line)


My family.  We each have a different flavor.  It is fine, because life would be bland without that!

At Home: Scraproom Part 2

Happy Sunday!  I have been a slacker this week in regards to blogging.  Life has been busy and I am trying to fit many things into a day.  I have been creating though so I will have shares!

Wanted to show you the rest of my office/scrap room and give some details from my scrap space!  Like I shared before, the room is a family office space.  The kids often spend time in there with me while I scrap or while dinner is being made. 

So seating is a must!

To help keep things organized, I put up this system.  I love the Pottery Barn stuff, but can't afford it right now!  So Target it is!

This room works as a scrap space, but only because it is organized and orderly.  As you can see in the first photo, it is right off the kitchen.  It can't be messy.  So everything needs a place.

Buttons go into pretty and very inexpensive Ikea jars!

I put all of my chipboard alphabets into a drawer.  It helps them to not fall off the backing!

I also package up common elements into my Ikea boxes.  All embellishments not from design teams are sorted by color and placed in individual boxes.  I have a holder for rub-ons, a box for stamps and ink.  I sort my design team stuff into plastic bags by collection.  When I scrap, I grab the paper and the corresponding bag and it is easy!

Speaking of design teams and my scrap space, I put it to good use today!  I got the fabulous, fabulous, fabulous March kit from The Nook...wow!  Crate Paper and all the right goodies to go with it!  Check it out before it sells out! 

Here is my first layout!!

It is great stuff!

One Little Word: Consistency

As a part of my scrapbooking and personal journey, I chose one little word to represent my year.  I had posted before that my word was consistency.  I wanted to develop consistent practices in all areas of my life.  I believed then and still believe that it will help me live a calmer, more peaceful life.

One huge component involves my fitness.  I am 40.  And I started to feel it a bit.  I have a small frame and have always been relatively thin.  But I had always been physically active in my life.  Until I had the excuse of children and working full-time.  It was legimate.  But at the end of the day, not being able to stick to some kind of workout plan because of other responsibilities was just a lame excuse.  So I went with consistency for this year.

I have been working out regularly, 3-4 times a week.  I am about to up that and take on a bigger challenge, exercising more.  I feel different already.  I can hit certain yoga poses that were sooo challenging two months ago.  I stand a bit taller and my pants are not so tight.  Muffin top still exists, but it is as though the cup wasn't as full as it used to be.

I feel good. 

To help me on my journey, I created a fitness notebook.  I received my Teresa Collins goodies a while back and saw the Sports Edition II line.  It is my favorite of the group...and I love them all!  I love the colors, the sayings, the chipboard and all the stars in this collection.  They sparked the idea of having a notebook where I could track my stats, write down inspiration quotes and set goals!

Here is it!

I simply adhere the patterne paper to sheet of notebook pages within the notebook.  I think it cost me $3.00 at Target.  I used the Circle Tags, which were cut out, as tab dividers.  That will help me quickly flip to the page I need.

For quotes and inspirations:

For goals and even workout plans:

For tracking all of my stats:

Why not have something so functional look pretty too?  It will motivate me to use it!

I am hoping it helps me to stay consistent too! 

Lead the Way

I am a person who likes to make her own way.  I like to be in control.  I like to steer the ship.  For much of my life, I needed to be like this.  It was survival.  The first in my family to go to college, a divorce that left me abadoned, goals and ambitions waiting to be fulfilled... 

But lately, I find myself surrending.  Have found myself asking for help and admitting that sometimes I need someone else to lead the way.  I am finding parenting to be trying right now.  We establish routines, clearly express our expectations, love our children fiercely...but they test and test.  The sibling fighting and the constant reminders have worn on me.  And I need to regroup.  Pray on it. 

I think most of it is spring fever.  Most of it is just normal stuff that happens with young children who are close in age.  But some of it is us...too many chances, routines that have loosened, stress that takes us away from them emotionally.  Are they getting mixed messages?  Am I shaping them the right way?

I am praying on it.

Because most of the time, I have two loving, smart, kind and funny children.  They lean on each other and have a strong sense of family.  The other day, Nathan was leaving for a sleepover and Ella said, "Nate, I will miss you." 

Nathan said, "You will?" 

Ella: "Yeah, you are my best brother and I love you." 

Nathan: "Why do you fight with me all the time?"

Ella:  "Not all the time.  And I still love you."

They had this conversation while not in our immediate presence.  And it made me smile.  I am hoping they can show each other the way.

(Supplies:  Websters Pages: Trendsetter Papers, Princess Petals, Chipboard Buttons and Twine, Letter Stickers, Alphabets and Trims)

I am also hoping that I can follow their lead more.  That I can figure out what they need to grow and became great, smart, and funny adults.  I have a feeling that right now, that means letting a certain someone guide the way.

At Home: My Scrap Space

My scrap space...my retreat.  It makes me happy.  But for a while, during the renovation, it was a hot mess.  The room is decent size.  It was used as my MIL's family room and housed a leather sectional and TV.  Here is what it looked like in the midst of the renovation.  We didn't actually do any remodeling to this room, but it was totally affected.  The left side wall needed to be removed so our contractor could get to the pipes to build the upstairs bathroom.

We had no other TV in the house beside the one in our master bedroom.  Our great room was under construction, the living room was our temporary kitchen and storage area.  So this is where we spent time.

Note the table with our computer.  And yes, that is a finished layout on the table.  Because this is where I scrapped for 11 weeks.  My kids sat in those chairs to watch the TV which was against the front wall. This is where we had our morning coffee. I had a view of the outside and the open wall.  I scrapped out of boxes, literally.

But it was worth it...

Office after the renovation:

My scrap supplies all housed in this beautiful, and very reasonably priced, Ikea shelf.  I used to live out of those white storage cubes, but had outgrown them around a year ago.  They are still awesom to have though.  A couple of the drawers hold my kid's art supplies!

Here is the wrap around desk we built.  We had one in our old house and knew we wanted to replicate it!  It is actually a laminate countertop.  Big enough for three of us to sit, unless I am in a creating frenzy.  This space is a common area for us!  It is right off my kitchen and the kids hang out here before dinner and when Dad is hogging the big screen TV upstairs.

I keep my design team materials in this cubes because I use them so often.  Layouts that are in the process fit nicely in the shelves and allows me to not have a mess all over my desk.



Love the green and black with the yellow walls.  They are painted Hawthorne Yellow by Benjamin Moore.  I adore this yellow...happy and calming.  It totally changed the room! 

I will share some details and the rest of the room next week, including that wall that used to be open!