Monday's Musings: Energy Changer

I spent the last week exploring the red rocks and canyons of Sedona, Arizona.  Steve and I had a beautiful vacation, just the two of us.  I was so struck by nature's beauty.  The doldrums of winter and all the sickness I had been feeling prior to leaving washed away.  It was amazing.

 

I can't get over the scenic views and the horizons.  We really felt energy like no other.  It was positive and uplifting.  I feel renewed.  There is work to be done, but I am up for changing energy and bad habits. 

 

 

This page is fitting for how I am feeling.  Comfortable in my skin, aware of my faults, knowing what I want to change and loving me along the way.

 

 

 

This page was made using the Our Travels line by Adrienne Looman and Webster's Pages. One of my favorite collections of the season!

 

It was an amazing trip.  I will learn so much from every experience I had.  I believe this trip and all the events that went with it are meant to be life changers.

 

 

 



Monday's Musings: The Most Important Journey

I have taken important journeys in this life.  The most important one involves my best friend and husband, Steve.  He is the core of all things in my life.  We have built a family and home together.  It has been a great ride.

I wouldn't change any path we have taken, whether it has been smooth sailing or a rocky road.  It has and continues to change me.  I adore this person.

 

It has been the journey of my lifetime.  From our dog to our kids to our home to our pursuits and adventures, he is my love in every direction.  I can't imagine walking through life without him.  Our life is not perfect, but it is pretty great!

 

I used the Our Travels collection from Webster's Pages and Adrienne Looman to make this page.  I love how every element shares my feelings!

 

I can't wait to see what the rest of the adventure is like!

 

 

Monday's Musings: She Had a Bad Day

Don't we all?  My daughter has talked to me today several times about how today was just plain hard.  Things didn't go well for her, according to her.  She gave me a list of things that weren't in her favor.  Getting snapped at by a cranky mom probably didn't help.

I went upstairs to tuck her in and found her crying in her bed.  My heart broke.  I asked her why and she said again how bad her day was.  I told her a little secret.  Everyone has a bad day.  The good thing is that the day comes to an end.  You can wake up to a brand new one.

I also told her that she could always call me when she was having a bad day.  Even if she is 28 and living in Utah.  She asked if we could face time.  I confirmed that as acceptable.  She then informed me that she would probably never live in Utah since she never even heard of it.

Those small moments in life are so important.

I hope to be there for her.  Even when I am cranky.  I hope she knows that we all have bad days.  It is what you do the next day that matters the most.

 

I used Webster's Pages from my stash.  I love the soft elements on this page.  These photos capture Ella at her most vulnerable.

 

The small moment we had tonight will help us both identify who we are and what we know to be important. 

 

So maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all.

Monday's Musings: So Many Happys

Today, my family says goodbye to my grandfather.  He was 87 years old.  He was married to my grandmother for 66 years.  It is amazing to think of all the happys he had in life.  Many of them involved family vacations to Maine, when we would invade his house.  He made it a home for all of us.

I went back to my childhood summer vacation place this past August.  I hadn't seen him in 20 years.  He hadn't changed a bit.  Witty sense of humor, warm and inviting.  I am so happy I made that trip.  Happy that my kids and husband got the chance to meet such a great guy, such an inspirational couple.

Four girls used to invade his house.  Me and my sisters.  We grew up there each summer.  This page shows the next generation of girls.  Four of them again.

 

My daughter and nieces, all spread out in ages, yet bonded.  Look at those smiles.  Those moments, watching these girls grow...it is one of my happys.

 

 

I love that moment.  I can relate to what my grandfather must have felt all those times he saw the smiles of all of his girls, my sisters and my cousins.  I hope he holds onto those smiles as he looks down from heaven.

 

 

Rest in peace, gramps...

Monday's Musings: Knocking Down Walls

This past year has brought many blessings.  Knocking down walls has brought much more joy into my life.  It has enhanced the good and helped me deal with stress more effectively. 

I made this page to document my willingness and desire to be open.  For too long, I have shut out noise and conflict and even laughter.   With this page, I declare a different way.

I explained the symbolism and meaning behind this page over at the Scrapbooking From the Inside Out blog.  I carefully chose theses elements to represent my feelings.

 

Every Monday this month, I am sharing more details about my pages using the Empathy kit.  The entire, very talented team at SFTIO is doing the same so be sure to visit!  You will be inspired!

 

 

 

Monday's Musings: Remembering the Basics

When I first started scrapping, I was all double pager.  I was all Creative Memories and fancy scissors around my photos!  I moved away from two page layouts for a while.  It can be challenging to create dynamic pages when  you are using two of them. 

I started creating a double pager, knowing I wanted to use a sequence of photos.  I wanted to show a story with pictures.  My design got a bit static until I decided to add some leaves and hexagons.

This little cluster saved my life on this page.  I simply started cutting and came up with this.

 

I layered a Daily Deck card with some wood veneer shapes!  The Urban Autumn collection from Amy Heller and Lily Bee is so awesome!

 

 

I went back to basics.  I seem to be doing that more and more often, especially as my kiddos grow older.  I want them to have a good foundation.  It works.

 

 

Monday's Musings: Balancing the Sass

It is this constant conversation we have...I love your sass, but not your freshness.  She has such a funny sense of humor.  She loves the spotlight.  She is testing my patience.

 

I just want her to say yes more often.  I want her to agree every now and then.  I would like her to listen without argument or negotiation. 

 

I adore this kid.  I wonder if sometimes our interactions have gone negative.  We argue and it is just how we communicate sometimes.  But I need to show her a different way.  I need to find a different way.

 

I am her greatest role model.  In an age where we worry about influences like Miley Cyrus, I realize that my daughter looks to me first.  I am setting the example.

 

 

It scares me because she sees me in all lights.  The good and the bad.  I think maybe I just need to keep communication open and teach her about forgiveness and acceptable.

I also need to keep teaching her about boundaries.  Letting her know what is acceptable and what we won't tolerate.

I just hope she is watching and listening and learning.  I will do all that I can to lead her in the right direction, even if that means I do some changing myself.

Monday's Musings: He is a Veteran

My dad.  He is a veteran.  He served his country with dignity and pride during the Vietnam War.  For years, he participated in military clubs to bring awareness about Vietnam.  I remembered going to all those Veteran's Day parades because he was marching.

 

He is an artist at heart.  You have never seen a snowman sculpture until you saw his.  He has made several pieces out of welded materials.  It is a part of him he didn't pursue fully, probably because he was being a dad to four girls.

 

He is now a Papi.  He loves to recognize his former life through our kids.  I know he relives our childhood every time he is around his grandkids.

 

This is the perfect example.  He has an antique Schwinn bicycle that is in beautiful condition.  He wheeled it out one day this past summer and wanted to take each kid for a ride on the middle bar or the back basket. 

 

Being a helicopter mom, I wasn't sure.  There weren't helmets.  My kids hadn't done that before.  But he insisted and reminded me that I was alive and well even after all our childhood adventures.

 

I allowed it.  It was awesome to see my kids giggling and loving the ride.  He told me that Ella laughed just the way that I did thirty plus years ago when he brought me for my first ride.  It brought him right back.

 

Watching him beam with pride, it took me right back too.

This is his everyday life.  My war hero.  The man who sacrificed so much for his country.  He did that so he could ride on this Schwinn and make his grandkids feel the wind on their faces.  True, simple freedom.

Monday's Musings: Be Vibrant

Subtle, quiet, monochromatic...serene and calm.  There is value in surrounding yourself with colors and patterns that fit in with that theme.

Or you can go bold.  Use a red rug in your living room.  Wear the colored denim and a large scarf.  Try something new.

I recently went bold on a page.  Way bolder than usual.  It almost bothered me.  I told myself that it looked better in person than in photos. I questioned and wondered if I should make it quieter.

Then I let go and let it be bold.  I feel like I am doing that more and more in life, which is quite refreshing.  Get your eyes ready....LOL!

I decided to embrace that bright pink and white, that large pattern!  It all pointed right to the photo...so, doesn't bold work?

I paired the graphic with the frilly, incorporating the floral file folder.  This is the You Are My Happy collection by Teresa Collins.  It is bold and fun!

You only have one life so why not live it boldly?  There is something freeing about abandoning what I usually do.  Something liberating about living out loud and not caring about what everyone else thinks. 

In scrapbooking and life, I plan to move forward....boldly!

Monday's Musings: Distance Stinks

I wish there was more time in each day.  Time to reach out to those who live near and those who live far.

I spent time with my family last April, quality time that was amazing and priceless.  We had the chance to meet each other's children and the time to just hang out.

Distance makes that impossible on a regular basis.  Life makes is difficult to connect outside of Facebook.  I think about all of my family members, mother's side and father's side, on a daily basis.  But that contact is hard to find.

So when I have a chance to scrap these photos, it makes me heart smile.  I love that we had this time.  I adore the photos that I never thought I would have.

 

Seven gals, all different ages.  Sisters, daughters.  It is a great picture!  Now everyone is six months older.  The girls are changing each day.  The women are marching through life, moving forwards as moms and wives. 

 

Life really is sweet.

 

It would be even sweeter with a little more time and a little less distance.

 

 

Monday's Musings: He is 1/4 of my happy

Nine years ago I met an amazing human being.  He was screeching and crying like crazy.  Until the moment they put him in my arms.  Then it was silence.  I was his comfort.  I looked at Steve and said, "He knows me."  That was my very first Mom experience.  It was powerful and it still brings tears to my eyes.

 

Nathan is nine today.  In another nine years, he will be leaving my house...hopefully heading off to college.  This has gone by so fast.  I can't imagine the next nine.

 



This kid is a huge part of my happy.  He is sincere and pure and loving.  When I am having a bad day, I just look in his face.  He expects more.  He accepts unconditionally, but he expects a loving place.  It moves me.

 

He told us that he birthday marks the beginning of Memory Season for him.  I asked him what he meant and he told us that he loves this time of year through the holidays because he gets to spend so much time with family.

Heart melting...

like his smile...

 

I am a lucky mom.  I cherish this happy.  I cherish this boy.

 

 

Monday's Musings: Way Back When



Way back when I dreamed of being a writer.  I published many novels when I was in the second grade.  Then I discovered that I would really love to teach.  I knew at a young age that I wanted to work with students with special needs.  For a while, I had dreams of opening my own school to give students a place to belong and a place to be taught.

 

I went into teaching.  Was I driven...I had plans to become a principal or director of special education.  My ambition was strong.  I joined committees and got my master's degree.  I was focused and moving forward.

 

But then life shifted.  One relationship didn't work out as I expected.  I blame some of it on being a workaholic.  I was absorbed. 

 

So when I found the man I would build my life with, I shifted.  We have a great life full of loads of family time.  I don't want to do anything to mess with what we have created.

 

When I was asked to scrap with the theme of ambition, I immediately thought of how my career path has shifted.  I am located in a place where teaching suits me just fine.  Being a wife and mom suit me even better. 

 

A layout like this is why I started scrapbooking in the first place.  I wanted an outlet to describe my feelings and communicate all the parts of my life.  This one is very personal.  I used the September kit from Scrapbooking From the Inside Out to make this page.

I adore what I do for a living.  I love the kids and the families.  I am not ready to be away from that day to day interaction.  I love that my career allows me to be passionate about what I do, while also allowing me time to be passionate about who I am and who I love.

 

My journaling, which shares the story.

 

 

Life has a way of shifting, of bringing you right where you need to be.  Those dreams and goals developed way back when morph into the here and now.  When I reflect, I am content.

Monday's Musings: The Characters We Are

Each person in my house has a different personality.  We all serve different roles and contribute in a unique way. 

Steve is responsible and funny.  He is highly organized, but sometimes rigid.  He is the one who pursues a simple, happy life.  I am type A, a bit moody.  I am highly reflective so life is about how I can always enhance or treasure my relationships.  Ella is vivacious, energetic and outgoing.  She is highly helpful and sometimes fresh.  She is the one who is way too savvy for her young age, yet she gets things on a high level.  Nathan is loving and considerate, a bit too routined.  He worries a lot.  He is highly sensitive, which makes him always look out for others.  He is the one who teaches us about unconditional love and impeccable manners.

We all are different characters.  What I really care about is our core character.  We are models for each other every day.  I see Ella being helpful so it teaches me that virtue.  And so on and so forth. 

 

 

A fitting page as Nathan is dressed as one of his favorite characters, Harry Potter.  My children love to read, which makes us happy.

I used the Composition and Color plus some Sweetness, both by Allison Kreft, to make this layout.

 

What radiates from each of us is special.  It is to be fostered and shaped so we remain strong characters who possess even stronger character.

 

 

Monday's Musings: Our Anchor

This past week my family of four had the chance to vacation with the rest of my family of 14.  It was five days full of excitement, turmoil, fun, laughs, some tears, yelling and many slams of the front door of the cottage.

I had the chance to see my nephew bond with my kids.  We don't see each other often enough so I didn't realize how well everyone got along.  The big kids took care of the little kids.  It was a special time.

We were in South Maine...York Beach, Old Orchard Beach, Wells and Saco.  I got to revisit many of the places I adored as a child.  Interesting to live it again as a parent watching my two fall in love with the simplicity and fun of it all. 

We all bombarded my grandmother's and grandfather's house.  They are both 87 years old.  They have been married for 66 years.  They were holding hands while we were getting ready for the family photo.  It is really inspiring.  I loved that house and all the adventures it held. 

The man at the center of the trip is my dad.  He treated us this vacation, took care of our houses and our water park passes.  He really is an anchor in our world.  It was beyond awesome to see him and Steve connect on a whole new level.  Each night ended with drinks and talks until 1:00 in the morning.  Steve is so much like my dad.

I consider myself a lucky lady.

 

I love how she is looking at my dad here.  I have looked at him like that a million times in life.  With awe and love.

 

 

I used the Family Stories collection from Teresa Collins to make this layout!  What a great line...full of endless possibilities.

 

This collection will help me document so many family moments.  One of the greatest involves our love for our dad.  Thanks for the great time and the chance to build memories with each other!

Monday's Musings: The Simple Way

What ever happened to reading a book made of paper?  Playing jacks or pick up sticks.  I loved Seven Up when I was in elementary school.  I remember playing sports as a kid, but not the organized type.  We played neighborhood sports.  We split into teams the old fashioned way, did not wear matching uniforms.  Baseball, soccer, and football....we played in the mud and the rain, it didn't matter.

I played Chinese jump rope so many times in life.  I loved playing night tag every evening in the summer.  It was simple, imaginative.  It did not have anything to do with Kindles or iPhones.  It wasn't about electronics or screens.

I want that for my kids.  Maybe I need to teach them these games.  Help them find the simple way.

Scrapbooking is simple.  Paper, glue, your creativity.  It requires thought and imagination.  It makes me smile.  My kiddos need a hobby like that.  Not an obsession like minecraft.

I used the Summer Stories collection by Teresa Collins to make this...her collections get better and better!  This is one of my favorites!

I created this little banner using diecuts and borders!  I love that each collection comes with alphabet sets!

Little joys.  This summer, we are discovering them!