Holy Cow!

Guess what? Remember my dream bookstore? 

 

Here are a couple new ones:

 

The kit: Everywhere to Me, Laura Banasiak Designs

The journaling:

These are the scrap cellar girls, my paper scrapping girlfriends. We get together once a month to spend a day (or night) scrapping, supporting, eating goodies, laughing and sharing. Though I’ve known Leanne for over 20 years, I’ve only known her sis, Laura and their friend, Peggy for about a year. I feel like I’ve always known them . I’ve always longed for a group of friends who got me, who supported me, and I’ve found that with these ladies. They encourage me to try different things and lavish me with their friendship and support. They are truly good for my soul!

For the Art Journal Caravan

Kit: Place Vendome by Miss Vivi

Hope you're having a good week!

Back to School

The Courage to Trust

I've being going through a lot of changes lately. I'm able to finally share all that's been going on.

So, you know it's the beginning of the school year, and also my favorite time of year. I look forward to the weather getting cooler and the leaves changing. We've spent many hours back to school shopping, getting into new routines, and preparing our home for the new school year. I've got one in high school now, and my youngest in 4th grade, the same grade I taught when I did my student teaching 10 years ago.

New changes for the kids, and changes for their mom, as well. After 5 years out of teaching, I'll be back in a classroom, teaching writing. You know I had to get myself new school supplies, too, right? Love new school supplies! Also, after 5 years with my employer, I've decided to move on to a new opportunity. This is the longest I've stayed at the same job, given I've jumped out of the work world twice to have my kids and changed careers twice, as well. It's bittersweet, but I have to say, I'm very excited. I've been treading water, riding the rollercoaster economy, but praying that something would break -- that is the story behind the new art journal page above.

All this means is that I haven't had much time to write or create, what with getting everyone ready and planning my lessons for the first few weeks of class. Of course, I could argue that I am being VERY creative in getting all these things done. I know, from experience, that the first time I teach a course is always the hardest on me, so I have to gear up for that. I'm looking forward to a day with my scrap cellar girls this Saturday, to fill my soul and feed my creative energy. I sure could use a recharge!

Happy Birthday Ana!

Oh My! My baby girl is 14 today, and tomorrow is her first day of high school! I'm so proud of her - she's really come a long way in the last 2 years. This is for her:

The kit I used is the one she picked out called Candy Box by Miss Vivi. I won a gift certificate to her store by winning a chat game and let Ana choose.

The journaling: 

Happy 14th Birthday
 to my beautiful young lady.
I’m so proud of the woman you’re becoming.
You are the perfect blend of serenity and vibrance; of purpose and fun; of vintage and modern.
You know your style and you express it with every choice you make
Be true to your heart, and show them how it’s done.

Sharing a couple of new pages....

Just a few things I've been working on....

created with Growing on Me kit by Spinkydink Scraps and Kinda Cursive Alpha and Doodle Frames by Laura Banasiak

created using Fiesty Girl collab kit by Laura Banasiak and Bella Gypsy

Classy Kid Grab Bag, Laura Banasiak Designs
Lyrics from the song, "We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes (but I know the Jack Johnson version better....Curious George Sountrack!)

How my kids got their names....Using Great Expectations kit by Jen C Designs, Bead n Bits alpha by SpinkyDink Scraps and Arrows by Laura Banasiak

The page created using Art Stomp (I think) by Tangie Baxter 

 More to follow.....

New Beginnings....

Sorry I haven't been by, dear blog, but I've been under the weather this week: possible strep, ear infection and sinus infection have made me just want to lay my head on a pillow. Thanks to a visit to the doctor, I was able to go with my daughter to her high school registration and walk the school looking for her classes. A freshman? When did that happen? I remember her first day of kindergarten like it was yesterday:

Her first day of kindergarten was September 4, 2001, just 7 days before our country and our whole way of life, really, got shook up. I was 8 1/2 months pregnant with Matthew, and I was sending my first born off to a new place, a new world really. And now I'm about to do it again. Back then, nothing worried this little girl - she was friendly, loved to play, and did her own thing without worrying what others thought- check out her Winnie the Pooh shoes! Times change. She's seen the world a little more and knows a little more what it's about, a little more worried about what she's going to wear (remember, this fashionable girl has bravely worn a tutu to school). She's not worried that she won't get to play at school (the kindergarten concern), but she was concerned about being stuffed in her locker (she doesn't fit, she tested it). If I could only get her to believe that high school will likely be more fun than kindergarten, just in a different way, we'd be set. I used to be able to convince her that I knew best. And, some days, she still believes me. So, I guess that's a good thing.

Have a good week.

An Artistic Mother's Lament: Too Many Ideas are Swirling

Does this happen to you - you have no inspiration, you are desperate for something to just "click" and then, suddenly, just when you thought all hope was lost, ideas come swirling in, less like the swirl of a soft serve cone and more like a tornado, with ideas coming so fast, you're afraid you'll miss something? 

Yes, it's a blessing to have lots of things I want to do, but then I have to press pause until I have enough time to make them "happen". Then I worry that I'll forget to do something I thought I wanted to do.

When I have projects at home that I need to complete, I make a list of to-do's, but it seems less "creative" to make a simple list. I stumbled upon some right brain ways to make lists back when I was teaching a freshman college course called Success Strategies. Since half my students were entering logical fields and the other half were going into creative fields, I did some research to find different ways to approach the dreaded to-do list. That's how I found Mind Mapping!

Now it's my turn to put my own words into action. Here's a Mind Map. It's all about color and interest for this to-do list....

(This is just the start of my map....there are many other things that I could have added, like my projects for The Artistic Mother group and Leslie's 31 days of creativity, but, you get the idea.)

And here's my typical list:

Which one would I much rather do? We'll the fun one of course....but how about my other list? It has to get done. Couldn't I make that one FUN too?

Here's Ana's right brain version of my list:

It's oodles more fun than my list! 

Ana's been, shall we say, less than organized in her school career. We were thinking of maybe making her a master list of her classes this year, scanning and copying her blank list (rather than buying an assignment book) and she can fill in her assignments for each class.  The design will be hers and she can do it in a way that works for her. She starts high school this year (gasp!) and she can use a little help making sure she gets all her assignments down.

So, that's what we are working on today. I still need some extra hours in the day, but now I have a plan!

Have a wonderful day, and please share what you do to make sure you don't lose those brilliant swirls of ideas!

Hi from Matt

I think God painted each of those freckles on himself.

And those blue eyes...

And Matt only "charged" me $2 to take his picture. 

(That was the price I paid for about a 100 other photos like this one - hard to sit still when you're 8)

Such a deal!

Artistic Mother....Made my Poetry Journal

I finally completed the second project from the book - a poetry journal, only problem is, I'm not a poet. Some are going to argue that I need to follow the book, and I will. I'm just not as likely to share my bad poetry! I have a rather unpractical English degree, and have taken MANY poetry classes, but never been a poet. I do, however, like how my book turned out. I usually go for "happier" colors, but the blacks, creams, and reds made me think more "artsy" and "poetic".(And, that's a heart mirror on the bottom - didn't photograph too well)