I Hope You Dance

I hoped and hoped
Ella would dance during the Dance Step dance recital

because this was her face when she hit the stage for the very first time the night of the dress rehearsal...



but then she spotted us and perked up...she proceeded to wave the entire tap number

yet chose to dance the ballet...





Last night was the real recital and she danced her little heart out! Soo super cute to watch them...

and I felt like a real grown up, watching my daughter move with independence. She was brave and seemed to have a blast. And she was cute as anything...

even though she was a beast when I was trying to put her hair up (LOL...just keeping it real!).

Waving Hello & Running...

the end of the school year is always so busy and full of hustle & bustle. This one is no exception!

Ella's first ever dance recital is tomorrow evening so tonight we have her dress rehearsal. Making final decisions and ordering cabinets, moving onto the bathroom and thinking about having the home to ourselves

Soon...it will be soon.

Busy at work wrapping things up and getting ready to celebrate the year.

I thought this layout would be perfect for this post! 1, 2, 3,...go is right!





All supplies are from the June Nook kit! which is awesome! and there are fabulous specials going on right now!

I shot the other day for the first time on shutter speed and was able to catch this picture of Ella throwing balloons. To be a kid again and be able to feel good about just tossing balloons in the air and chasing them.

Simple days.

They are on the horizon. Summer is almost here and I need the chance to regroup.

And maybe time to throw around some balloons!

Missing One

We are missing one.

A special someone who should have turned one tomorrow. Would he have been walking? Saying his first words?

I can't help but wonder how big he would have been. I know he would have been beautiful and sweet and kind. I know he would have been loved.

It was only a year ago when I got that dreaded call in the middle of the night and found myself driving to Yale New Haven at 2:00 in the morning. The chance of him surviving was slim. He was only with us on earth for one week. I have been dreading reliving it because honestly the pain is still deep. I have never felt anything so gut-wrenching and terrible.

And I imagine my sister. How she must relive it often. It breaks my heart and makes me want to remember all the lessons we learned from it. All the insight gained.

Funny that I would have an Aha moment today. I will share more on that later, but it was what I was waiting for for a few weeks now. Thank you sweet angel...

We are missing one. Even in this photograph. I made this for my mom as a Mother's Day gift. There are only seven shown. But if you look closely, I have the number 8 on there.



I wonder about him now. Our baby James. I worry about who is watching over him in heaven. What is he like? I wish we got the chance to know.

We will forever be missing one...

Stuff

Life is full of stuff right now.

Stuff at work. Stuff at home.

Most stuff is great so it is all good.

I had "fake" smores today with my kiddos at school in celebration of our camping thems. Graham crackers stuffed with melted chocolate chips and marshmallow fluff. Sweet stuff.

I have some stuff to share!

My kitchen renovation planning is going well and I am so pumped to get it done! Really! It has been an education and a blast finding out about sinks, cabinets and ranges. I haven't scrapped much because my creative energy has gone there.

A renovated kitchen means a new office space...soon.

I will be making a trip to Ikea to get some shelves and really organize my stuff!

Speaking of stuff, here are some projects recently featured in Scrapstreet.com! Our assignment involved using the new Asian bundle embossing folders using our Bugs! It was fun to rely on cardstock to complete these:





I used lots of Cosmo Cricket as well!

Fun stuff! Hope your stuff is going well!

Watching Over Us

In the spirit of yesterday's holiday and simply because I love and adore my dad, I created a layout in his honor. I snapped a ton of photos this past Easter and happen to catch my dad in a couple of them. He had his open heart surgery one week prior to that day. When I got home and reviewed my photos, I came across one that really moved me.

It was him sitting in the background looking at Nathan. Watching over him, proud and full of love. I think he probably felt a great deal of appreciation at that moment. And so did I.

The words hero, protector, and caregiver popped into my head. I started thinking about how my dad has looked over my shoulder all of my life.

How he protected his country when he fought and earned a purple heart during the Vietnam War. I had to create this layout.





It is a simple layout from me, but I wanted it to be about the words! I created it using the heavenly Starlight collection from Pink Paislee!

I wanted to take a minute and let you know about the June kit over at The Nook! It is sooo full of goodies! Check it out!



and look at these specials:

The Nook is running a Special From JUNE 1-15th........

Old members get a friend to sign up and receive $20.10 credit toward the shop or your next billing cycle. The new member must sign up for one year. Email us at orders@myscrapbooknook and let us know yours friends name and your full name so we may issue you a credit. If ...you get 5 friends to sign up you will receive 5 credits!

The NEW MEMBERS will ALSO receive the bonus paper pack and mini album shown here (while supplies last)

Members are also eligible to buy that month's Member Deal- the hottest new lines at 40% off! Shipping on kit add ons is always free, and you NEVER pay full price for a kit- always $28, which is always a 10%-35% discount on retail!

Happy Tuesday!

Who Needs Border Punches...

when you can cut your own from paper!?

I love those sheets in each collection where there is a distinct linear pattern, whether it be curved, scalloped or triangular. All you have to do is cut along it and you have an instant, interesting border.




Supplies: Joyride by Cosmo Cricket

I wanted to share a line to the Aussie Scrap Source! They feature so many beautiful layouts and I am honored to be included in a recent post. Thanks Katie!

I haven't actually picked up my scrappy things in days now. But I am working on changing that. I think I am going to move my stuff to the main floor. It is currently in the basement, but I can't get to it. It won't look pretty, but the house is in transition now anyway. Kitchen renovations start in just about a month so it will all be crazy anyhow. So why not!

The bottom line is that I need to scrap, need to feed that part of my spirit. I am not the same without it...sounds silly because I am talking about paper and glue, but it is true.

Happy weekend!

Sweet girl...and a cute guy too!

Love my kids

Truly...I see the world differently through their eyes.

I sat here today and watched the two of them today. Playing with the water table, eating chocolate kisses on the lounge chair. Riding bikes on the patio.

They don't care that there isn't a place to put their shoes or that we can't hang curtains yet. They don't care if the house has boxes everywhere.

They are just happy to be here. They are happy to be together.







Thank God for them.

Getting Me Through

When life is crazy, uncertain, out of control and going too fast for you to handle, what do you do?

In the past, I have flown off the handle, overeaten, starved myself, fought with Steven, complained and have taken my frustrations out on others.

Lately, I have exercised, kissed my kids more, dreamt big dreams, reached out to Steven and have complained. There are some improvements there, right?

I am trying to learn something through all of the chaos that I call life. See, moving and ending the school year and living with in-laws and having a new way of life has thrown my routines out of the window. I crave structure and order, but it just isn't going to happen right now. So I try to grow, hold tight to what is important, and see the big picture.

When life is crazy, how about a little ice cream to help make things all better?






Ice cream always helps, right?

A Cute Story & A Tutorial

My kids...they are funny. Anytime Disney or Cartoon Network is on, they become fascinated with all the toy commericals.

Steve might be doing crosswords or I am cooking and we hear, "Mom! Dad! Can I have that?" or "Come quick! I want that, I want that!"

It happened so often that it truly became annoying. At first, I did noble mom duty and tried to explain how you can't get everything you want. I discussed the concept of being greedy and the importance of using imagination.

It didn't stop them. So one day we just started saying, "Put it on the list." I think we overhead brillant Auntie Sue using that line with Christian! It is so smart. They say "Okay!" and it is over.

When I was asked to be a guest designer over at Allyscraps, I got lots of fun Sass stuff. I love Sass because of all the cool scalloped and shaped border edges and the fun papers you can cut apart. When I laid my eyes on the Cherry Delicious line, I was super inspired by the vintage toy theme. What does this have to do with my post...

I made them a "List". A little place they can write down all those toys and gadgets they long for (and will never get...hahaha!)

Check it out!



To make it, cut a piece of nearly solid patterned paper into an 8 1/4 (length) by 8 1/2 (width) inch rectangle. I used a piece with detailing in the upper right hand corner to add a bit of detail. Fold in half to make the mini-notebook. I simply cut a rectangular box full of vintage items and laid that down about 3 inches from the top of the card. Add some stickers and a popped flower and you are good.

But that is not the end...here is the notebook inside.



I made the little pocket for crayons...just cut a rectangle 3 1/2 by 4 1/4. Apply a very skinny strip of adhesive along the two sides and bottom edges and adhere to the card!

To make the notepaper part, I just cut two sheets of plain white paper into 8 1/4 by 4 inches. Score a horizontal line about 3/4 inches from the top. Place a line of adhesive along the top and stick down! Use one of the cool Sass borders to hide the score and to add detail. You are done!

Fun for you and the kids!

By the way, I keep wondering if I get a list too...hmm...

A Lifetime Ago

It seems like a lifetime ago when I didn't have any children, when I went to the gym every day, when I coached high school cheerleading. Yep, 18 young women and I spent 8 straight months with each other...5 days a week plus some Saturdays for five years.

I loved every second. I was a cheerleader for my senior year of high school and all through college. It was a natural progression for me to coach. The opportunity came at a perfect time. I remember when my first marriage ended and the coaching position opened up. It was perfect...something to keep me busy every Friday night. It grew into so much more.

We set goals, built something from the ground-up. I coached, befriended, mentored and mothered. Those girls gave me so much life and me made realize it is easy to make a difference. You just have to care and spend time.

I don't know if you are familar with the National Cheerleading Championship shown on ESPN. I would watch in awe and wish in my wildest dreams to be there some day. Well, 4 years into coaching my talented squad earned a bid and we were off. It was a thrill to see them on that floor and watch them on the big screen that would soon be shown on TV.

One of my coaches had brought her team a few years earlier and they had taken pictures in front of Cinderella's castle. We had a plan to do this on the last day...but it meant getting up at the crack of dawn. We basically we trying to get there before other people to be able to take clear shots. We almost didn't make it based on pure exhaustion...but I am so glad we did. Now, I have this amazing shot for a lifetime!





Supplies: Starlight collection from Pink Paislee: visit the blog here for a tutorial on how to make the large star!

Honestly, coaching was one of the top five life experiences for me. I learned and taught about motivation, drive, success, disappointment. We learned what was most important in life.

An all-star experience!

Thanks Celeste!

So I am sure that many of you know the fabulous and ultra-talented Celeste Smith! She symbolizes simple scrapbooking...great design, interesting photos and strong stories! I actually met her in the airport a couple of years ago as we were both on the way to CHA! We are almost neighbors, only living a few miles from each other. And I have the pleasure of serving on two teams with her!

Last month, she invited me to create a layout for an article in an Ella Publishing ezine Ellaments article. I was honored so I said, "Yes, please!" in a heartbeat.

I wanted to share the layout I created. (As you can tell, I am a little bit behind! LOL...my computer time has been cut shorter these days because of my living arrangement. But I am trying to catch up! Cindy...I will be sharing the rest of my Ally Scraps projects soon with directions!)

For this layout, I was asked to use the Polariod effect! It is a simple download and it is totally fun to use. I love what it did to my photos and of course I am a fan of white borders already.



I used a mix of Pink Paislee here...mostly the 365 Degrees collection! I love those pictures of Nathan! He was giving me his Transformer look...he actually kept posing as I shot!

The article is here and it is very informative. If you want to learn more about photo editing options that are cheap and see some fabulous work, check it out!

Thanks Celeste!

Speaking of ezines, the August Scrapstreet calls are up! I am looking for layouts with unique journaling placement and would love to see your work! Follow the directions here to send them to me for consideration...pretty please with a cherry on top!

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mom's day! The one day each year where I get to do whatever I want! Laugh out loud...this morning consisted of making chocolate chip pancakes even though I have a strict no-cooking on Mother's Day rule. All it took was a please from my kids.

Being a mom has totally changed me as a person. I am more loving and affectionate. I have learned to ask for help and realize things are not usually in my control. I try to be a better, more patient person each day.

I want them to remember their childhood and me with love and fondness. I think that is why I scrap. I want to capture all the moments of what they did, where they went and how their personalities are! I think my favorite layouts are about those little moments and details that, unless put on paper, might otherwise be forgotten. We will always remember our summer vacations, but will we remember the cute things they say or their fleeting past times.

Brings me to these two layouts! The first documents Nathan's love for puzzles. He has a gift with them...since he was really young. His preschool teachers bring new ones in to try to challenge him and he conquers them each time.



He was actually putting together a puzzle in these photos. I love to watch his wheels turn when he does them!

And Ella, my drama queen and larger than life character! She always is a mess as girlie as she is!





Supplies: All from the May Nook kit: October Afternoon paper, wildcards, stickers, Making Memories buttons, flowers, October Afternoon & American Crafts alphabet

She is a diva tomboy! LOL!

These two are the joys of my life and I thank God for blessing me with them.

Happy Mother's Day to you!

Quick Stop

Making a quick stop in today. That seems to be the theme of life these days. I made a quick stop into the grocery store yesterday, only have a few quick minutes to work on a layout, making short stops at my favorite blogs and sites.

I need to be cloned, really. But it is beautiful here...warm, sunny and bright. And everyone is healthy and happy so I have no right to complain.

So here is a happy layout today. I misted for the very first time on here! I like the effect it adds and will need to expand my colors.





All supplies are from the May My Scrapbook Nook kits...this one is such a beauty. You should check the kit club out...there is a special membership deal right now!

I need to run to work, have a quick meeting and then begin my day!

TGIF