Deep breath . . . calm before the storm

This week has been sort of slow . . . nice in fact. Just the regular routine, which is so nice and refreshing. Chad has been traveling, but the kids and I have laid low. I have begun Christmas shopping. I truly enjoy picking out something special for the people I love. I do not, however, enjoy doing that in a hurried fashion. So that is why I have launched the shopping now.

Halloween last week was fun and the kids really seemed to enjoy the festivities. We still have two "melting" pumpkins on our front porch and the last of the candy on the kitchen counter. I am about ready to toss it. All done hearing "mom, can I please have a piece of candy?"

Enjoy the pictures of my costume-clad kiddos.

This weekend will be mildly chaotic with some fun church things (the Table gathering at our house where 25 people share dinner around a table). But of course we are trying to fit 80 other things in there as well. And then on Monday evening I am teaching my next scrapbooking class (yippee!!). Looking forward to getting in there again. After last month's 2 classes, it seems like I haven't been there for a while.

O.K. off to dream happy dreams.

Phew . . . sometimes life gets a bit crazy . . .

Wow . . . so it has been way too long since I updated here. I try not to live in a world of regrets, so I'll just move on.

Last week I taught an amazing class at Memories & Beyond with absolutely fabulous people in attendance. Even my good friend, Chris, decided to drop in for the class. What an honor! Everyone's layouts turned out beautifully and I simply love seeing how each person takes the design and makes it their own. One woman (hi Maria, if you are reading this!) even created a little flip book of photos on her page to include more photos on her page. The end result was fabulous.

After the class, I flew out to Arizona with my mom, sister, aunt and cousin to visit another cousin who is expecting her first baby in a few weeks. What fun -- truly a whirlwind weekend, but so worth all the travel and lack of sleep.

I am bumping up against a few deadlines for Scrappin Trends, so I am off to go play with my new scrap goodies. But I posted a picture here of the layout I designed for my November class at Memories & Beyond. If you live in the area of Downer's Grove, Illinois, and want to check it out, my class is scheduled for Monday, November 13th at 7:00 p.m. I always love seeing new people in my classes (and the familiar ones, too, of course).

A few pics

I wanted to post just a few pics of the newborn photo shoot from yesterday . . . how sweet is he??

Lovin' all of these, but the one with his mom's anniversary ring on his toe . . . ugh. Makes me think (but really only for a split second) that I could have another LOL!

A Wrench

Yep, today, there was a little wrench in "my" plans. Things I had planned for today . . . 1) get showered 2) get kids to school 3) go to Starbuck's for Halloween party meeting for Dakota's school, 4) pick up kids from school 5) go to LSS to set up for class tomorrow night 6) enjoy evening with my family.

Instead, my day involved . . . 1) wake up 2) make Dakota's lunch 3) rush Hannah to toilet to throw up 4) call and cancel all plans for the day . . .

Hmmmm. Sometimes God places these small pauses in my day to slow me down and just focus on the important things. So here I sit in my PJs at 2:00 in the afternoon. I made a few cards with the Cosmo Cricket line while Hannah rested. But other than that, a day of snuggling with my little one and coaxing her back to health.

Oh, I almost forgot . . . I had an AMAZING morning yesterday photographing a friend's six day old baby boy. I LOVE taking newborn photographs (o.k. I love taking photographs of anything). He was so sweet. The card above with the photo on it is a picture of his little toes.

Dining Room Decor

So it has been close to a year since we graduated from TOYS everywhere in our dining room. We moved them out and bought a gorgeous 8 foot square table from a good friend. I love that table and really love the room. BUT, it has taken me what feels like FOREVER to figure out how I want to decorate it. So I was at Target this week and strolled into the frame aisle. There were three frames that I loved and matched our table really well. Then in the clearance section (YIPPEE!!) there was a matching mirror/shelf/hook wall hanging. And at home I had some rustic hooks that I had planned to work in there somewhere. So I put it all together and it looks just the way I like.

As a finishing touch I altered a picture frame on the wall and some candles that go with the rustic theme and sit nicely on the mirrored wall hanging. What do you think??

More Cosmo

Here is another layout I completed this week using the Cosmo Cricket Jitterbug line.

I also spent some time this afternoon altering a picture frame and some candles for our dining room using the Cosmo Cricket Wanted collection. So yummy, and goes great with our rustic 8 x 8 table and the horse photographs I framed for the wall. This is the first time I have framed non-people photographs that I took myself. I really like how they turned out. In my opinion, better than store-bought (mostly just because they have personal meaning to me).

SNOW!!!

I'm not sure why it takes me by surprise every year, but it does. The first one is always so beautiful and breath-taking. Fresh. Clean. Like the first time you dip your toes in the lake water in summer, or the smell of a roaring campfire in fall, or the peak of a daffodil through the earth in spring. The first snow is so glorious. Like God raining down His beautiful artistry on this canvas of earth.

The kids were giddy with excitement and anticipation just looking out the window after finishing up some breakfast . . . the first few snowflakes were beginning to fall. And then more . . . and more. Until there was a heavy blanket of snow falling from the sky. It lasted just long enough for us to gear up in our coats, hats, mittens and boots, catch a few snowflakes on our tongues (snap photos, of course) and make the journey to school. And then it all stopped. It's still cold, but the snow has stopped.

Now I know we will have some more indian summer days left in this month (at least I hope we will), but this is a sign. A sign of what is to come. But for now, let's focus on the glory and beauty of this first snow.

Cosmo Cricket

If you haven't seen these papers, you really should check them out. It is a relatively new company in the scrapbooking industry and they have some great products. This is the layout I mentioned in my post yesterday . . . a hard one for me to create, but well worth it in the end.

Yesterday was a welcome day of catching up. The kids didn't have school because of Columbus Day. We were able to run a couple of errands and Dakota had gymnastics, but other than that a little more low key. Ahhhh.

Tonight I plan to get some good scrapbooking in once the kids are all tucked into bed! Hopefully tomorrow I'll have some more Cosmo Cricket to share :) .

Emotions still raw

The photo is overexposed and colorless ... but somehow it seems like the most appropriate one to express my current sentiment. Still sad -- like an open wound -- like a fresh scrab was just removed.

You see, this photo was taken on the day that we put our beloved Reidar (our Siberian husky) to sleep. My husband took him in while I stayed back with the kids who we felt were really too young to witness the end. As it turned out, I think Chad thought he was too young also. So hard. Such raw emotion. And this photo was taken last May, yep 5 months ago.

I bring this up because when I received my design team kit from Scrappin Trends, it contained some beautiful papers in a soft, almost washed tone by Cosmo Cricket. I thought they would be perfect to capture the "saying goodbye" between my daughter, Hannah (4 years old) and Reidar. But it wasn't 5 minutes into cropping the photos and converting them to sepia tone that the tears began to flow . . . again. I thought I was beyond this. But apparently I am still grieving. After a few hours of leaving the layout and returning, I did finish it. And by the end it seemed sort of like another step in the grieving process. Who knew scrapbooking and psychological therapy would go hand in hand??

I haven't taken a photo of the layout yet, but I will in the next couple of days and post it here, as well as the scrappin trends website.

Exhausted but Filled

** Forgive the cute blinkey** Just trying to post it somewhere online so I can get it into my signature line at www.scrappintrends.com. If you haven't checked out that website yet, you really should. I am thrilled to be a part of their design team.

Now on to the real stuff:
Do you ever have the feeling that you are completely wiped out physically, but filled up emotionally? That is what happens to me when I teach a scrapbook class. Too fun. I had a great time teaching the women at Memories & Beyond last night. Each one of them has a special talent and gift that they share at the big tables. Love it . . . just love it.

It is funny, because often times when I am running out of the house for my class, it is crazy and I wonder why I do it. The kids are hungry and I am making a quick dinner, Chad is usually running as fast as he possibly can to get home in time for me to leave, I am gathering last minute supplies for the class (which I undoubtedly always forget something - last night was the sanding block . . . ugh!), the list can go on and on. But then I get there and it is so much fun. I really do love working with these ladies. So, while I am tired today, I am filled.

I have finished work on the layout for my next class that is scheduled for October 19th from 7-9 p.m. Here it is.
A nice, simple Fall layout that incorporates some fun paper tearing, inking and layering. Should be a good time.
I think a few of the women from last night already signed up. What a privilege that is for me.

Bohemia Line MME

I recently created this two page layout for the class I am teaching at Memories & Beyond in Downers Grove, IL. The class is scheduled for tomorrow night if any of you live in the area (7-9 pm).

Love this paper and embellishment line by My Minds Eye.

Funny Thing

Sometimes the WAIT actually reveals something great. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have been submitting my scrapbook layouts and altered projects to design team calls and various contests more deliberately lately. And I am thrilled to say that something wonderful has happened.

I have been asked to join the Scrappin Trends design team. www.scrappintrends.com .

How cool is that?

Too fun. Elisa, the owner of the site called me on my cell phone this morning after I dropped Hannah off at preschool. I was online checking the MM Idol finalist announcement and the phone rang. I was giddy with excitement and even asked her to hold on for a second while I literally RAN to the front door and out onto my driveway so that I would get better reception. LOL!!

All in all in sounds like a fabulous opportunity to stretch my creativity further, possibly inspire some scrapbookers, become amazingly inspired by the other designers and contributers at the site, and hopefully get some more exposure for my designs. A win, win in my book :) .

So, I guess taking a more deliberate approach at submitting and "waiting" was the right step. I'll keep creating, but then continue to submit when my work fits a call.

Aside from scrapping, my day was very Monday . . . the kids always have trouble getting along on Mondays for some reason. Perhaps exhausted from the weekend activities, withdrawal from "daddy time", tired from a day of back to school stuff, or whatever. But boy are Mondays tough. It was kind of fun walking Dakota home from school today in the rain though . . . Hannah, her best friend Anna, Dakota and I were caught completely unprepared and we got soaked! We tried to make it fun (but Dakota failed to see the humor in it -- sometimes he is just so serious!). Love that little boy -- quirks and all.

Chad and I (isn't he such a cutie?? -- I love this guy) have volunteered to be "Area Pastors" for our local church neighborhood. It is fairly ironic on so many levels, but it is something that we have prayed about for the last several months and feel it is a great opportunity for us to connect with others in our community. We are excited about the road that lies ahead and admittedly a bit anxious about all the work it will entail (me more so than Chad :) ). Anyway, this is the photo we submitted for our Area website. Can you believe Dakota (yep, a 6 year old) took this photo? He really is such a talented little guy. ** Oh, and for legal purposes I should mention that the photo edge effects are by digital designer Rhonna Farrer, and the font on the photo is downloaded from 2Peas.

On a different note, I have been creating . . .
Last night I was up until 3 a.m. plugging away on some new stuff that I really wanted to complete. Not the most reasonable decision given my early morning rise (6:30 a.m.), but I have trouble stopping when I get on a roll. Some more submissions, but I do so with little expectation . . . just to keep my creative juices flowing.

That's it folks.

The WAIT

Waiting, waiting, waiting... seems recently I have been doing that with regard to scrapbook submissions. I've kindof been on a kick submitting a lot of my designs for various design teams, magazines, contests and such. When I was driving down the road a few weeks back, I realized being a professional scrapbooker (meaning published on a regular basis and somewhat "known" in the industry) would be quite AWESOME. But, honestly, that just isn't going to happen all by itself. There are so many amazing and qualified artists vying for the same thing -- same design teams, same magazine spots, same book deals. So I have decided to make a more concerted effort to get my work out there. Now I understand that does NOT mean my dreams will be automatically realized. But it is impossible if I take no action at all.

So here I am . . . waiting . . . .
I have submitted my designs to a few calls (Stemma, Masterpiece Studios Design Team; the MCC2 Book Challenge on the CK website; and several magazine calls). And now I just have to wait. Up till today, I have been doing well with the "submit and forget" mentality. But for some reason I am anxious today. Almost setting an expectation for myself that if none (not one single submission) pans out to something, I should not bother submitting for a while and just focus on the creating. The creating is really the part I love most . . . so shouldn't that be the main focus anyway? You know what?? Typing those words feels good -- and I think I might just get back to creating. For now I am heading off to my scrap room to clean it up a bit after the last tornado of creativity came together in a torential downpour. And then prepare for the class I teach tonight at Memories and Beyond in Downer's Grove.

My mojo flows at Caribou

It is crazy . . . I have been going to a local Caribou Coffee shop on Fridays when my babysitter is with the kids. I go to this great big table in the back and bring my scrapbook supplies to work on layouts. The designs just seem to come together there. I have created 2 of my most favorite layouts on that table in the last few weeks. It is great to spread out all my stuff and then have a cup of joe (or iced tea, as was the case this week) and get in a groove. Not sure if it is the preparation that goes into planning before I leave the house, the fact that I get pumped up on caffeine, that I am limited in my supply choices based on what I threw in the bag before I left, or the great fireplace and uninterrupted freedom to create. But all I can say is it is working.

Less than stellar . . .

So not the most perfect day in all creation for our family. My dad's cancer surgery was on Monday and today (Thursday) we received the news that the cancer was found in his lymph nodes. That brings the added "bonus" of chemotherapy and possibly radiation treatments. My mom and dad handled the news relatively well and my mom even said she was in some ways relieved that they would be doing chemo . . . . something to the effect of her feeling like it would be a good preventative to the resurfacing of cancer in his body in the future.

On a much less serious note, Chad called to tell me that his rental car was broken into in Texas and they stole his entire briefcase (laptop, external drives, iPod, and keys to his truck sitting in the airport back home). Lovely. So the kids and I will pack up into the car and drive to the airport tonight to meet him with his spare key.

If there is something fun to focus on, I'd have to say it is the scrapbooking I was able to do this afternoon. I finished a layout in a quick amount of time which is VERY unusual for me (literally like an hour). It is the first layout I have put together for the class I will be teaching at my LSS on May 23rd. I am excited to be teaching. A bit nervous for the pressure to create and teach my students something new and beautiful. But all in all I am looking forward to trying my hand at teaching others this art that I so love.

So the story goes . . .

I've recently discovered this world of web logs (blogs) . . . yep, I know, they've been around for years. But somehow this way of recording my thoughts and journaling life's little moments got past me. The idea of keeping a journal on my computer is intriguing to me. I am a lover of all things related to preserving memories of everyday life. Mostly for my children to look back on some day and giggle, but also for me -- as a visual expression of creativity and as a way to embed snapshots of this life in my memory. Watching Chad's grandmother endure the agony of alzheimer's is a reminder to me that I may not always remember these days as clearly as I do now. So, with that, I plunge into my blog titled "Ice Cream Kisses and Popsicle Dreams". A lengthy title, but one that brings me joy - reminding me of Hannah and Dakota. Before bed every night, they have their "night-night snack". Hannah is my ice cream girl and Dakota is my popsicle guy. This bedtime ritual is something I treasure . . . . perhaps not the healthiest habit, but consumed in moderation with oodles of love on the side, it's here to stay.