Happy Halloween!!!

Hope your day was WICKEDLY fun!!!

I had so much fun at Collin's Dance on Thursday and then walking with Chloe's school parade today.  Lily was the cutest and happiest little "Tickoteeter" I've ever seen.

I Love Halloween. 

Was overtaken with Halloween activities....Will post my LO for "My Everyday" soon.

My Most Everyday: Thursday

COFFEE.

You knew it was coming.

It is....even though my mother would protest....an everyday thing.

Just a splash of cream. No Sugar.

I even used it for my 10 minutes of play with the self timer.

Thursdays = Reading Group with 4th grade students 

(today was also the 4th grade Dance)  

Thursdays also mean Grey's Anatomy.

My Most Everyday: Wednesday

WEDNESDAY

I greet Collin off the bus most everyday.

This is his first year to ride the bus.

He loves the social hour.

He is getting too big.

Brrr! Wednesday.  Windy and cold.  Gymini Crickets class...every Wednesday morning.

Can't wait to use my fireplace again!!!

My Most Everyday: Tuesday

sisters

Bath Time!

Ok...so I may be already breaking the one photo rule...or maybe once I do the page I will have narrowed it down to one.  

I give Lily a bath every night.  Some nights Chloe hops in with her.

They love bath time...and actually so do I.

Tuesdays = Gymnastics. {Collin often goes to Chic Fillet Night w/Brandon}

Second Verse, Same as the First...but not really

Monday

We're going to start out really boring here.  But I love my oatmeal.  Irish Oats Apples and almonds.  I have it almost everyday.

Mondays=Brownie Troop meeting

Remember that song...Second Verse, Same as the First?

That is life as a mom, but not really.

Moms, we all have those days, weeks, months: where everything is the same.  Same Dishes to wash, same clothes to fold, same toys to pick up, same bathroom to clean, same bottom to wipe, and my very least favorite: same sentence/rule to say AGAIN AND AGAIN.  Let's be honest here.  

It is SO mundane.  It is so OLD.  It is so, well boring!

But it is not really all the same.  Our kids morph in a blink of an eye, and they are not there like they once were.  You may not be actually wiping the same bottom at all.  My little baby is not the same as she was just 3 months ago.  And my son?  Well, he is playing with that little baby and trust worthy enough to leave with her while I shower.  That's not the same at all.  Remember when showering was actually an impossible task?  Where you got out and did not even know if you had actually washed your hair?  (Ok I still have a day or two like that....but they are dwindling.)  I will probably miss my same.  Even if somedays it seems it is driving me absolutely insane.

Ok so this week might be completely boring.  I have been wanting to do a layout with the words..."My Everyday."  Being that I am not completely predictable I will have to add the word "most" in there.

The idea of everything being the same got me thinking.  There are things that are the same EVERY day that bring me comfort.  That bring me joy.  And if I do a layout of them, in a few years, they may just bring me right now.  So basic rules for myself....something that strikes me as my same "right now."  Something that I want to show gratitude to.  Shooting for one photo a day, but we'll see how that goes...and once I take the photo for the day...that's the subject...I can't change my mind.  Curious to see how this turns out. 

It will be fun.

My Creative Week

So, have you been waiting with baited breath?  Dying to know what I did with that block of wood? (Just kidding of course!)

Here it is.  I think the possibilities are endless here, I am looking to do a few more.

This one I made for me.  It could be hung with 2 eye hooks and a gorgeous piece of ribbon.  It could be hung simply with a picture frame mount.  It could be set on an easel, or it can just simply be placed on a shelf.  Can you imagine how artsy a word spelled out would look?

Hmmm, have I come up with a start to an Etsy shop?  Or am I just plain crazy?  I know. Probably both.

And my pages for this week:

I only had one evening this week to do this 2 pager.

The title is actually the 2nd (right) page.

My play plan?  Only use paper from my scraps bin.

You know we all have them.  I changed the photos to sepia because they were not lovely in a orangie hue.  I think that's a good idea for pages that you want to use a bold combo of patterns or colors.

 

So there you go.  I am going to my 15 year high school reunion tonight.  Never went to the 10 year.  Thought I'd never feel the urge to go back.  Tonight will be a very casual event at a pool hall.  I am hoping to catch up with only a couple of girlfriends that I haven't talked to in about, well, 15 years!  Wish me luck.  Have a creative next week!

My Little Bug

Oh how I LOVE this little bug.  Lily Bug.  Her daddy calls her that.  She got super lucky because a neighbor gave us an adorable butterfly fairy costume, and her Nani couldn't resist this little bug one.  

{thank you Nani} How to choose?  Which one shall she wear on the big day?  Now I realize she is just going to have to wear both at some point for pictures.  Decisions...decisions...if only all of them mattered this much!  I may just have to leave it up to the weather. Maybe I should post the other one and take a vote.

Another photo opportunity.

SO here's the lowdown on these pics:  COLD Day, so I threw this on her. Waiting outside the recreation center for Chloe to finish up her gymnastics.  Camera in the car.  I had to throw the lens cap out in the grass and have her "fetch it" because all she wanted to do was grab my camera!  She thought that was just plain hysterical.

Ironic isn't it?  My Monday post said make time to play and here it is Thursday

...I got in some minutes of play on Tuesday...and am just now able to post it. 

 Oh well...STRIVE FOR THE GOAL!  strive.

Let's Play

(my 10 minutes of play....I know I've had my camera for ohhhh 'bout 8 years...and I am sure I knew it had a self timer....I plan on playing with this A LOT more!  What do you think...My happy kitchen window that I have up now?  Or my feet in a pair of my happiest girly shoes?)

When I started this blog I said I wanted to be open minded to what it urges me to do.  I wanted to PLAY.  I needed to play.  It was time to let go of a BAD Funk and just play. The funny thing is, it has actually given me the permission I needed to just let go and play.

So you might say...who has the time?

YOU DO.  

10 minutes of play in a day, 

can change your whole outlook 

for where the day might end up.

It can boost your spirits.

It is actually NEEDED.

So here's your nudge - permission if you need it.

GO PLAY!

{You never know, you might just rediscover your inner self}

My Creative Week

Ok for this "My Creative Week" I only have a few things to throw up here:

{Kiss Me I'm Irish} I played with cutting out tiles from a sheet of busy patterned paper to cancel out some of the bright green.  You can't really see it in the picture but each "tile" is a raised glittery flower.  Played with using a photo of my front door in the title.

       

{Embrace Life; Mom & Me}  I played with almost all kit again.

(Sweet Pea October)  Since I VERY rarely have photos of myself...

I was really happy with how these pages turned out.

Played with rub on words on the photos...liked it!

The buttons are so glimmery, they remind me of a chandelier.

This folding floor sign, was a surprise for Chloe's gymnastics teacher who is always telling everyone the same rules....She is the best...and needed a little colorful help!  My husband was kind enough to cut it out and construct it for me....(THANK YOU LOVE)

And Last: This is not my finest work, but I threw it up here because I had to be "creative" the night before my sons "vocabulary parade."  His word was Ghastly...and I question if a old t-shirt with it's arms cut off and sewed up and neck tied fits the definition of ghastly they were looking for!  It is certainly ghastly by some definition!  But hey-what are you gunna do?

 Is it sad that I was SUPER excited that there was a left over block of wood to use for this coming week?  I'm inspired to make myself something from it.  I'll have to leave you that little juicy tidbit so you'll check back next week to see what it is. :-)

There you go!  Hope you had some time to play this week too.

Sweet Savoy

OMG(oodness)!  Is it Friday already!?  This was a busy week of driving mostly.

I am thankful that the leaves have changed and they cascade down over my sunroof as I drive past.  Like rain but better. I am loving the colors!  

This is gorgeous, unique Savoy.  I was so pleased with the results of my quick photo shoot with my Max, that I have been pining to snap a couple photos of my moms puppy.  He is a huge, sweet- 9 month old Afghan    ...Isn't he interesting?  I was very curious to see how he would look in black and white since he has such a multitude of colors.  The black and white may rob him of that.

So another quick snap of photos here you go.  He was super excited that he was my subject...and kissed the lens (which you can kind of see I didn't get it completely wiped off).  OHHH the LOVE! So I didn't get a super mellow shot.  But he is showing his sweet puppy personality and looks like he is smiling!!

A Good Question

Questions...Questions....Questions...

What is the weirdest last name you've heard?

If you were president what would you make a new law?

Have you ever been so scared that you cried?

Are there any words that exist now that did not exist when you were my age?

(Now that was a good question!)

Has it been 5 minutes of silence yet mom?  (Um, NO)

Ok This is some serious stuff gals.  A nod that you are listening just wont do!

A pat on the head and a hug just will not answer the burning questions.  This actually requires thought!

AND This is only the series of questions I have gotten over the last 24 hours!

I have a brilliant Daughter that drives me absolutely crazy.

I am guessing I am not the only one who has a child like this.

I realize that the reason she drives me so crazy is because she is determined and stubborn and just darn Brilliant.  I also realize that these are the things that I am just so proud of her for. Tonight she did a move in her Gymnastics class that no one else could.  It was amazingly hard. A straddle press.  I am not certain that she could do it at a drop of a hat when she left for Gymnastics.  But by the time we got there, she had decided that she would.  She asked me to tell the teacher she could.  I had no doubt that Once I told her teacher, she would be able to do it, just because of her pure determination.  

SO Tonight I say YOU GO GIRL!  YOU ROCK.

Tonight I say even if you are absolutely exhausting to raise.  It is absolutely worth every last minute. Love your fire.  Love your determination.  Love your brilliance. Keep on shining!  

My Creative Week

Ok -  I promised a couple of my dear friends that I would try to post the different projects I am working on, and thought the best way to do it was to just plan on doing it at the end of each week.  I wonder if you can name a post the same thing??  Anyway...just a couple things to throw up here for "My Creative Week" :-)

 

{The girl LOVES apples}

 PLayed With: the NEW October kit from Sweet Pea Scraps!!! 

AWESOME Kit this month!!  Next month looks GOOD too!

Also played with a new idea...using wallet size photos so I could fit ALL  14 (YES 14) of theses great photos on ONE layout!

Played with:  Guess I was in the mood for file folders because I did tabs like them on both my "daddy" LO and also the thank you cards I made this week.

{thanks}

Played with:  Adobe Photoshop to make a word frame....(cool idea)  AND Played with my Cricut to make tiny little outfits.

There you go...hope you had some creative time to yourself this week too!

Bits of Inspiration

1 + 1 doesn't always =2

Especially when getting bits of inspiration.

I started out this whole BLOG venture with mention to Ali Edwards, which I think was actually the first blog I ever started looking at...and then following. She has put a bee in my bonnet...and for that she rocks! I especially love that she looks at herself as a life artist. The everyday. It makes me feel like I can play and have fun taking pictures of everyday things like baby's feet or coffee machines too.
So some inspirations of late: I have been following her week in the life of project. I was really interested by the concept and think it might be a cool thing to do once or twice a year. I didn't play along at the time, but because I have been carrying my camera around more, I may have taken at least a picture a day recently. The formula she has done for her finished product would work for a 2 page layout of just 1 week if I could pick just 1 or 2 pictures from a day. I don't think I would do a whole mini album, but definitely think it would be a couple cool pages for the yearly albums I currently do. And an interesting thing to do yearly to see how much a week in the life..may or may not change. Inspired to try it.

So in the earlier part of the week, she invited a guest post from Tracey Clark Which had a picture I instantly wanted to try to take of my lab Max. So classic. You can see my results today. I am so HAPPY....And it only took me less than 10 minutes!! {It also inspired me to fool around with the blur tool in iphoto...on Max's feet...very cool}

From Tracey's blog I went to a Blog for Shutter Sisters. There I found the COOLEST picture and was facinated by how it was taken. The photograph was taken by using one camera to take a picture of an image in an old camera's view finder. REALLY cool...the "Seeing is everything photo" is the one that I am mentioning and you should check it out. Definitely inspired to try that soon too.

For Coffee Lovers

So, I might as well tell you....I LOVE coffee.

It has helped me through the darkest hours of non-sleep and fake energy.  It has Hyped me up for overwhelming work to be done on a mural project.

It has comforted me on the coldest of mornings running out the door non-showered and grumpy.  It has inspired some of my greatest work.

OK a little dramatic with my love call-ode to coffee...but let me tell ya, it's good stuff.

One of my most prized possessions is this little guy.  I got it for my birthday this year.  It was LOVE at first sight.  I really like the way it reminds me of one of those retro looking mopeds.  And it is orange.  My favorite color.  So you can imagine my dismay when the handle on it began to crack.   I finally decided to email the company...a little place in Spain. 

They told me no worries the would send me a new one.

Oh happy day!  Thank you ASCASO!!  Look at this cool envelope that arrived in the mail for me in the mail today....all the way from Spain.  And the new handle, well it is even better...because it says on that round little metal circle....imprinted in metal,  the best thing.

FOR COFFEE LOVERS

FOCUS

I had a houseful of guests this weekend.  So not much chance to get on here...

My Brother Joshua, his wife Shelley and my nephew Alden and their dog Blackberry.

We did go do one of the things I was looking forward to....a trip to the pumpkin Patch!

So FOCUS...is a word that keeps popping into my mind A LOT these days.  Maybe because of it's many different meanings.  I would like to continue to focus on the positives even on bad days.  I would like to focus on the little things.  I would like to keep my focus...concentration for 5 minutes please!

I have been changing my focus.

I have had my focus on random things, that I may not have snapped before.  I notice that I am carrying my camera more.  It is fun.  I have focused on my own thoughts more.  Something that is good.  I have looked inside, to bring out the "me" in there...to have fun and PLAY.

I have more focus on things I missed out on with my first two babies.  

I am not waiting to get that photo later.  Later may not have ever come.

{I snapped a photo of my mom holding Lily this weekend.  I never got one before.}

I also have found that I am enjoying the different focus that my pictures have. I am drawn more to the ones that may not have the entire focus on the subject, but rather the enviroment the subject is enveloped in...the hugging of the light.  Of course they still have the subject the main focus, but the photos I am focusing on more are more whole.  More real.

So I am going to keep right on focusing on these different things...and the focus will keep me trucking on.

Hurry Up Stop and GO!

Today I drove into Reston.  It was a day of running.

Hurry into town.  Hurry to get your errands done.

Hurry...You can look but don't touch. Go Go GO!

Hurry to the husband, hurry to get the kids

I have a lot of days like this.....pushing to get everything done.  

Make everyone happy.

Hurry up and go!  but don't stop till you cross the finish line!  

(in my case it is picking up the kids from school, which in actuality is no finish line at all.)

But through all of it there is an exuberant happiness.  Maybe just hanging there like a ghost at times...but always there.  Sometimes, you just have to stop and listen to it.

The sweet words of Lily "thank you" to everyone.  everyone.

The funny humor from my Collin..."mom, we're being hacked!"

(not really, but he thought it would maybe scare me)

Chloe's brain...OHHH her brain.   "Mom look what I discovered! RACECAR is the same frontwards and back!  I am going to find more!"

And seeing little things tonight that show me my husband IS listening to me.

So I wrote a lot more tonight than I planned on. 

I am changing my focus.

Today even through the running I was able to focus on the happy things.

I dragged my mom along for the ride and snapped my fingers along the way

"Let's go! Let's Go! Let's go!"

ICEBERRY was definitely a happy thing.  The most happy frozen yogurt. mmm.

We did actually STOP and enjoy that treat.  

AND the most adorable tights...by "Cakewalk."  Yes, those are some Happy tights.

Thank goodness that my mom could not resist them. Happy. Happy.

AND the most happy thing, was the solid good crack up true blue laugh.

OHHH...I could not even help the poor lady with the stink bug...it was just too funny.

Sorry mom.  I really was trying to get it out of the car before I was overcome with laughter....

Now that would have been a good picture.

Happy Feet

So- What is inspiring me today?

Oddly enough Feet!  To be more specific, I just can not resist my Lily's tiny little baby feet.....

When she stands on those tippie toes, on her belly with her feet crossed in the air (yes I do that too).....I find it absolutely fascinating how she uses those tiny feet.  So feminine too!

Looking through recent photos I laugh because I have pictures of my sons feet peeking out of our tree fort, My husbands feet sticking off the couch as he naps, and even our Lab - Max's feet.

So I decided to snap some pictures of Lily's feet this morning.  Silly.

Let's face it, those little feet will be gone before I know it and I would have lost the opportunity.

Maybe I will spend the week paying more attention to everyones feet.  Hey, it is better than thinking about other things!  I am sure this will fuel the idea that Mom is just plain crazy.

But that is fine.

It will be a fun page.