Mama Olie's Musings

2012 Goals & Projects

2012-01-04T08:09:00.000-05:00

Last year I wrote down a whopper of a list of things I wanted to accomplish in 2011. Needless to say, many of those things did not get accomplished. That is ok, I expected that. I guess the list was more a way to keep me accountable for what I have to get done instead of actually things I wanted to accomplish in the year. This year, I was a bit more specific and tried to make my goals a little more attainable. I broke them up into categories. I thought it would be cute if I listed 12 goals in each category...especially the DIY/Home Improvement one to translate into one project a month, but I am trying to keep these realistic and I know looking at the laundry list of things that need to get accomplished on some of these projects that I may need more than a month to finish them.

So here they are for accountability sake. I do have a few other things I would like to tackle this year, but these are my priority...everything else is just icing on the cake!

DIY/Home Improvement
Purge/Organize/Decorate Office/Craft Room (this one might take all year!)
Re-decorate Kelsey's room
Overhaul of master bedroom
finish dining room
refinish stairs
paint upstairs hallway
decorate sunroom / gallery wall
purge magazines and organize clippings
purge / organize recipes

The above is just high level...I have broken down each major goal into attainable steps to work on throughout the month I am tackling it...and if I do say so myself, I have some really neat ideas up my sleeve (thank you Pinterest).

Personal
Keep current on Project Life 2012 (& complete PL 2011)
Improve my photography skills
Keep a clean & uncluttered home (not that my home is dirty but...I could try a little harder to maintain it in between deep cleans)
Smile & laugh more
Stop & listen (to my kids, my husband)...before I react
Complete the Couch to 5K program (finally...i have reached week 7 about 4 times)
Run a 5K race
Read 18 books from my Books to Read list (basically one book every 3 weeks)
Schedule time to scrapbook each week & stick to it (something I love but never find the time)
Date night once a month with the hubby
Family night (unplugged) twice a month
Continue to pay off debt (goal...debt free by February 2013)

There you have it...my priorities. I want 2012 to be simplier, more organized, relaxed. With those goals above I hope to share more here...DIY, redos and of course scrappy stuff and Project Life.

Do you make resolutions? Do you stick with them? What are you hoping for from 2012?

Linking up at Money Saving Mom

December Daily Days 9-11

2011-12-31T09:00:00.001-05:00

Three more days to share with you today. The more I look at this album, the more I am so happy that I did it. Working on this mini really got me back in the swing of things as far as scrapbooking, which is wonderful because I have been in such a creative funk lately. Can't wait to start Project Life 2012 and complete some layouts I have been thinking about.

December 9

Day 9 consisted of baking 14 dozen cookies for a cookie swap I attended on the 10th. I tried a new cookie recipe that Becky Higgins shared on her blog. Apparently they were really good (at least they smelled good). I am not a chocolate mint kind of girl so I wasn't even tempted to try one. The large snowflakes on the left are actually the gift tags that were on the presents Santa left under the tree.

December 10

Admist a very busy day we went tree hunting. I love how this page came out. The fabric tag is a retired CTMH product that I have been hoarding because I just love them and didn't want to run out (I have issues...I know). I finally figured out how to use my sewing machine and stitched it on.

December 11 ~

Decorating the tree. I always have a hard time capturing this process. I don't know if it is the set up of my room or the fact that I am shooting into the window. I do love the picture I was able to get of the tree all decorated though. I used one of Ali Edwards December Daily Layered Overlays available at Designer Digitals to create the collage of some of our ornaments. I have never used Photoshop before because it frightens me, but after a few hours of youtube tutorials...I can work a layered template like a champ!

I used the December Daily format & overlays that Ali Edwards uses and many of my journaling prompts/story ideas came from Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class that I participated in this year. Click on either of the links above for more information on both of these concepts.

December Daily Days 1, 4 & 7

2011-12-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

I am finally at a point where I can share my December Daily. I am not quite finished as I am waiting for a few pictures and have a few pages to complete, but my book is almost complete and I am so happy with it. I wanted to share right along all month, but I just don't have the time to craft each day...plus I needed to get over my mini book anxiety & perfectionist attitude before I could truly enjoy the process.

I will be sharing my book over the next week. This was quite the undertaking but I will most definitely be back to complete another for 2012 as I am so happy to have these memories documented.

Enjoy

Inside front cover/title page:

The cover is a Teresa Collins chipboard cover that I purchased last year for my album (which caused all the anxiety as I was afraid to step out of my 12x12 box). I printed Tis the Season with my printer on Kraft cardstock and made the little Christmas 2011 embellishment with my computer, some CTMH Holiday Collection Ribbon and a scrap of Anna Griffin patterned paper. The embellishment is an idea I totally copied from Jenni Hufford. I love her style and have used many of her ideas as well as many others throughout my book. Scrap lifting and browsing other pages as they were posted really helped keep my mojo going when I ran out of ideas or started doubting myself.

December 1 ~

This picture is actually from 11/30 but I am ok with that as it was the absolutely perfect beginning to the holiday season.

December 4 ~

We attended the annual children's Christmas party on Base today. I wasn't able to snap any pictures of JT to use here as he was off with friends on the bounce house and eating cookies. Kelsey is on her third year of volunteering as an elf so I was able to get a few of her and a group photo with Mr. & Mrs. Claus. The back side of the insert is an instagram I printed of the kids in the truck on the way to the party. The tree on the left page is a one of the crafts JT made that day.

December 7 ~

Day 7 included the kid's wish lists for Santa. We stopped mailing them a few years ago when our elf Carl came to stay with us...he brings them to Santa now. I did take a picture though of the Santa mailbox when I was at the Post Office this week. When JT is a bit older, I will include the story of the mailbox and how the letters get answered, but for now, the picture is perfect. The Dear Santa arrows are cut out from clip art on my computer and the idea is courtesy of Ali Edwards.

I will be back with more tomorrow.

I used the December Daily format & overlays that Ali Edwards uses and many of my journaling prompts/story ideas came from Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas class that I participated in this year. Click on either of the links above for more information on both of these concepts.

The Christmas cards are done

2011-12-12T15:17:00.002-05:00

Modern Christmas Christmas

Seasons greetings with personalized Christmas cards from Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Every year I tell myself that I will have the pictures done and the cards out early. Every year I wait until the last minute and end up paying extra to get them to me so I can mail them out in time for the 25th. But, every year, I don't really stress about it. It seems more and more people are opting out of cards (evidenced by the decreasing number we receive each year) or sending them late like me. I attempted to print at Walmart, CVS or Walgreens this year to save postage and take advantage of 1 hour processing, but wouldn't you know it none of the designs worked right with my pictures (mostly orientation issues) so I went with Shutterfly because I usually have good luck with their quality and shipping speed.

So, for those of you not on my mailing list (which I have paired down this year as well). Please enjoy our Christmas card and have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Tracy

PS - I am working hard on my December Daily and hope to take a break from baking, cleaning & wrapping some time this week to post my first few pages.

PPS - Shutterfly is not endorsing this post nor have they asked for my opinion. I did receive a $10 credit from the site for opting to embed my purchased card onto my blog, I am pretty sure anyone can receive this by doing so as I had the option after my purchase.

Muffin Monday: Six Week Muffins (Raisin Bran Muffins)

2011-11-15T13:48:00.001-05:00

I know it is Tuesday, but I am back with another edition of Muffin Monday for you.

Several years ago my mother in law gave me this recipe that she had made when my husband was young. Bob loves these muffins and requests them often. This is a large batch recipe (56 muffins) but the great thing is the batter will last in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks so you can make up a batch of muffins quick and easy in the morning. The muffins are unlike your typical fluffy muffin. These are dense and chewy but really yummy and go well with a cup of coffee.

Six Week Muffins
1 box (15 oz) raisin bran
3 cups sugar
5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour
1 quart buttermilk
1 cup oil
4 beaten eggs

1) Preheat oven to 375 deg.
2) In a very large bowl mix together the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients mixing well to combine.
3) Fill cups 1/2 to 2/3 full and back @ 375 deg for 20 minutes.
4) Store remaining batter in fridge for up to 6 weeks.
**8 cups raisin bran is needed if using a larger box or economy bag.

Enjoy!

Project Life

2011-11-08T16:25:00.000-05:00

Have you heard of Project Life? It is a concept designed by Becky Higgins to document your everyday life.  I had heard of it a few years ago, about the same time I attempted and failed miserably at Project 365 (one photo a day). I guess I viewed Project Life as a way of scrapbooking your P365 photos and therefore didn't think twice about it.

But then I heard about it again, and again and thought that maybe it was something I would like to try but honestly, I was a bit hesitant. I have this hang up with going outside the box and that is what I considered Project Life to be. (My whole fear of Journal Your Christmas/December Daily which I also failed miserably at last year is a whole other post...let's us just say it started and ended with panic attacks over album size!) I was a traditional scrapbooker afterall. I enjoyed the creative process. I love the embellishments and the pretty paper. I wasn't too sure Project Life was for me.

Truth be told. I wasn't actually a traditional scrapbooker either. I wanted to be.  I used to be. I still consider myself one but I haven't been able to sit down and complete a layout in a longer time than I wish to admit. I miss the creative process. I miss the pretty paper. I miss documenting my family's life. All that missing makes me sad.

Earlier this year (May I think), I got it in my head that I would start Project Life. I was following Ali Edwards' take on it and swooning each and every time she posted. I was still torn but decided I would take the jump. So I started collecting bits and pieces.  I started taking more pictures of the everyday things and not just the special occasions.  I ordered an album to house it all and some photo sleeves. I scoured the web for inspiration and that was it. It sat.

I can't explain why.  I think I was hung up on it being May and I really wanted to keep a whole year together (that out of the box hang up again). Going back to the beginning seemed overwhelming to me and I didn't want this process to be overwhelming, but...I wanted to do Project Life. I want to do Project Life and so I finally am.

I spent the last week or two going through my pictures from January through now. I organized my favorites, or those from the events I want to document, into weeks. Not approaching my picture taking for Project life from the beginning left me with quite a few weeks where there were no pictures or only a few. For those weeks I will be doing two weeks together or in some cases (like January) I plan on doing a month in review. The great thing that I have learned about Project Life is that there are no rules, you approach it how you need to and make it work for you.

I am (im)patiently waiting for my pictures to arrive (so happy I was able to take advantage of a great print sale on Snapfish). I plan on going through and doing the easy weeks first. Those that I have all my everyday filler items all ready to go. Then start with the present and work backwards. I think organization is going to be the key. I think working in chunks of time, one week at a time and not getting overwhelmed with finishing it all at one sitting is going to be the perfect mindset. I have already starting cutting bits of leftover patterned paper to use, and journaling cards as well as pulling out flat embellishments from my stash. I am ready to go and have a solution to my hang up about not having a year in one book.

I am excited to start and will document my weeks here as I go along. Just please bear in mind that they will be all over the place. My only goal for completion is to be done with this album and ready to go from the beginning for 2012. I think that is doable. Although I am using what I have in my stash for my 2011 album (with the exception of the photo sleeves and album) I am seriously considering ordering the Clementine Project Life kit when it is available on Amazon...we'll see.

I am working on pulling together a list of blogs that I frequently drool over when they post their PL updates. These are my main source of PL inspiration and the reason I have decided to take the plunge....or stop wishing (gawking) and just do it. Stay tuned this week for a post with that list.

Wish me luck.

and on a side note...my Week in the Life album is almost done and one of the main reasons I fell back in love with the Project Life concept. I will share soon. Oh and the JYC/DD fiasco I mentioned above? Well, I might have conquered my fear on that too...I will be trying again this year...more on that to come soon as well.

Muffin Monday ~ Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

2011-10-24T09:53:00.003-04:00

I know, I know it has been forever, but my dear friends, I really hope that now that I am not knee deep in clutter and fall sports are winding down this week that I can end my blogging hiatus and get back in the swing of things.

So...that being said, I would like to introduce Muffin Monday.

My husband works a 5/4/9 schedule, which roughly translates to him having every other Monday off. Being the good boss' wife that I am, and nuturing my love for baking and feeding other people, I have designated his work Mondays to be Muffin Monday. I figured if the boys have to work on Monday, they might as well start their week off with a smile (and a yummy muffin).

I have my old standbys but there is nothing like using a bunch of hungry (and appreciative) military men as guinea pigs for new recipes I have found on the web. Pretty much every other Monday I will be sharing here the Muffin Monday muffin recipe....I scour the web searching for yummy recipes so you don't have to.

photo credit

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins
source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Streusel topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

2011 Project List - updated

2011-09-14T12:15:00.000-04:00

I have been a busy little bee this summer (actually more like in the 2 weeks that Bob was in Alaska for work). I decided to dredge up the 2011 Project list that I posted back in January and actually get started on it. Looking at it, I had such ambition, but it is so much easier to get it down on paper (or the internet) than to actually do it. Those 2 weeks gave me the kick in the pants that I needed and I am busily working away on the rest of the goals. Can I do it by the end of November? I sure hope so as I fully plan on taking December slow and enjoying the holiday season and my family this year.

Here is what I have done and what I plan on still accomplishing (in progress tasks are in red):

paint trim (whole house) - downstairs done, now upstairs
~~paint front interior door~~
~~paint~~/refurbish interior doors
finish sofa table
~~paint kitchen~~ / wall decor
replace remaining light switches
paint JT's baseboard
touch up JT's walls
paint/refinish stairs
~~window frame~~
paint fireplace cover
picture wall in living room
paint upstairs hallway
fix living room ceiling
touch up kitchen ceiling/office ceiling/walls
clean/organize/decorate office
clean/organize office closet
magazines read/purge
organize magazine clippings
purge cookbooks
organize recipes
print pics/develop film
stamp storage (boxes./organize)
organize pics on computer
back up pics on external hard drive
purge email
purge/organize my docs
purge/organize my favorites
establish & maintain filing system
clean/organize garage
clean/organize/purge basement
redecorate master bedroom
~~strip paper in Dining Room/paint~~
replace Dining room blinds- they are removed, now just what to replace them with....
redo upstairs bath
redecorate Kelsey's room
refurbish desk for Kelsey's room
organize spice cabinet
build pantry

I still have a lot to do. Some might get moved to 2012 as I have added a few things to the mix resulting from changing a few rooms up in the house (my dining room is actually now a dining room) and acquiring/rearranging a few new pieces. More on that soon...I am in mid progress, but have sneak peaks to share too.

For those of you who follow my blog for scrapbooking...do not fret, I have been busy with that as well and hope to share a few projects, including my completed A Week in the Life album within the next week of 2.

Thanks for your patience everyone...

back to work.

Tracy

back to our regularly scheduled programming...

2011-08-29T15:46:00.000-04:00

hello, hello!

Just checking in real quick to let you know that I am still around, still alive and still planning on keeping this blog going.

August was eventful. Bob went to Alaska for 2 weeks. JT started football practice for 3 hours a night/5 days a week. Kelsey started field hockey 3 nights a week. Sara started puppy class. In between shuttling here and there, I stripped wall paper, painted 2 rooms and a hallway (including all the trim), switched around 3 rooms, redecorated, went to a few antique shops to accessorize and appropriated some pieces from my parents house. We had weddings, Jack & Jills, a wedding party (for my step daughter) here, and countless other things that are not the norm and therefore I decided that I would take August off from blogging.

I had planned to be back on track today, but mother nature threw us a curve ball and Hurricane Irene (Tropical Storm Irene when it reached us) decided to hit Western Massachusetts overflowing rivers, flooding roads and postponing the first day of school for my kiddos.

Fingers crossed, I will be back to blogging tomorrow. I have so much to share from redecorating, to party planning, to scrapbooking! And, while I am sharing what has been happening over the summer with you all, I am also working on a few new fun things that should be ready by the time I run out of back logged posts!

So...stay tuned, we will back to our regularly scheduled programing very soon.

Tracy

a week in the life ~ friday

2011-07-30T13:18:00.000-04:00

Number of photos for Friday ~ 64

I am slightly disappointed in my pictures for today. Even though I have 64 photos, most of them are blurry or exist because I took multiple shots of the same thing, so the actual number of useable photos is pretty small. I just didn't have the camera out as often today, and I am not sure why as I have been full force all week. Could be because my Facebook status (which I haven't downloaded the screen shot from my phone yet) read: "today is turning out to be a 3 shot of Vodka kind of night"...well, I will think of something to fill in the space.

Here are some of my favorites for Friday:

contemplating the day...the calm before the storm

JT came downstairs dressed as Scooby Doo. Sara did not like it one bit.

Kelsey's last baby tooth is just about out. I love this shot because it shows both the baby tooth, hanging on by a thread and her adult tooth pushing through...there is just so much symbolism in this picture (sigh).

Yeah, it has been one of those days.

Friday mornings is movie day. I need the time to finish up those last minute things around the house so I can unwind and spend time with my family on the weekend.

Pancakes for lunch.

Marinades waiting for my chicken that is on the grill. I grill up about 6 - 8 pieces every few days for salads and snacks.

Daddy's home. He gets this greeting every single day.

Saturday pictures will be posted tomorrow. I can't believe this week is almost over.

A week in a life is inspired by Ali Edwards. For more information, please visit the information page on Ali's Blog.

a week in the life ~ thursday

2011-07-30T10:01:00.000-04:00

Number of Photos for Thursday ~ 64

Amazingly I am still going strong. I have realized so much about my life, our life, during this week. Things I love, and things...well, not so much. Not only has this week given me the chance to record the every day moments, the little things that make up our life right now, but it has given me the chance to look at things differently and see what really needs to be changed.

Here are some of my favorites from Thursday:

my eyes

the never ending list. Each week I write out a list for the week and then transfer tasks to my planner for the day. I need to keep everything in view to keep me on track each and every day.

the essentials. Bob starting packing for his training deployment.

the entertainment: collecting frogs.

the bath & body works annex - my bathroom cabinet. I might have a slight obsession with yummy smelling soap.

the DVR. Of course this is just page 1 but it shows my recordings and the fact that I really never get a chance to watch tv during the summer. When the kids are in school I watch a show while I fold laundry, which I rarely have time to do during the summer either.

the routine. Every Thursday Bob golfs in a league after work and the kids and I head to the library for books, a movie or 2 and then go home for pizza and a movie night.

the haul. Kelsey rarely takes books out of the library because she reads non stop on her Kindle. JT rarely takes books out of the library because it is like pulling teeth to get him to read. He has the Wimpy Kid series and the first How to Train a Dragon book which he will read but usually it is a battered lego magazine that will keep his interest.

I will be back soon with Friday.

A week in a life is inspired by Ali Edwards. For more information, please visit the information page on Ali's Blog.

a week in the life ~ wednesday

2011-07-28T21:17:00.000-04:00

Number of photos for Wednesday - 58: narrowed down to 28

Today I found myself snapping photos around the house of things just laying around, although I thought I took more than I actually ended up with. I still feel I have a good representation of our everyday.

Here are some of my favorites from Wednesday:

5:45 am - I get up before Bob each morning to make him coffee and his breakfast & lunch. I have been doing this for years...although everyone tells me I am too good to him. I enjoy it though and it saves money and keeps him healthy.

8:15 am - getting settled in. A little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I make breakfast, change over the laundry and get things going for the day.

Sara making sure the kids are safe while they play outside.

This is so typical. One shoe on, one shoe off...all day, everyday.

Ran out of a few "essentials" so a quick stop on the way to Tae Kwon Do. I also had to pick Bob up some beef jerky for him to have on the plane when he leaves for Alaska Saturday. Eight hours and military flights do not have flight attendants or in flight meals.

Bob remembered to snap some photos today with his iphone. I had to send him reminders but he sent me a few good ones. I love my man in uniform.

I end the night every night reading. Sometimes it takes forever to finish a book because I am often so tired that I can only get thruogh a few pages before the words start blurring together. Sometimes one of the kids will sit in bed with me and read too. Kelsey will read on her Kindle but when it is JT, we read a book together outloud (or I do most of the reading). We are reading the Chronicles of Narnia right now. I don't really have a specific type of book that I like to read, but I have been reading alot of historical fiction lately and really like it. My mom recommended this book. So far it is an easy read and pretty good. I am told I will cry...

Stay tuned for Thursday's pictures tomorrow.

Week in the Life is a photography project by Ali Edwards. For more information, please visit Ali's blog.

a week in the life ~ tuesday

2011-07-28T20:19:00.000-04:00

Number of photos for Tuesday: 104 : narrowed down to 34

Ok, so this post is a day late and you are treated to 2 posts today but man o man, I have taken so many pictures it took me forever to figure out which ones I wanted to keep. I don't know if I will be able to get them down to a manageable level to put my WIL album together next week or if I will print them all and just figure it out from there...I have a few days to think about that one, but I would love to hear your thoughts on the process.

I do have to admit I am loving this whole project. As the days go by, I feel more confident with my camera and am very pleased with the shots I am taking.

So, here is some of the favorites from Tuesday:

my 15 minutes of quiet time in the morning after Bob has left for work and before I neeeed to get ready for the day. Lately it has been cool enough to spend it on the sun porch with my coffee and tons of love from Sara.

DS lessons...or, if you let me play your game, I will get you to the next level, and you can watch me.

JT felt fortune cookies were an appropriate breakfast. I loved this quote...so true.

She loves her dragon.

Comforting a bump, bruise or most likely "someone took my toy"

Time to go outside. Assembly line for sunscreen and bug spray...they know the drill.

We have seen a string of nasty storms since the beginning of June when 2 tornadoes tore through the area. Tonight there was a few funnel clouds but nothing made landfall. No damage reported in town, but the surrounding towns did have downed trees & power lines as well as damaging hail. Western MA is not used to this type of activity.

See you soon with a glimpse at Wednesday.

A Week in the Life is a photography project by Ali Edwards. For more information, please visit Ali's blog.

a week in the life - monday

2011-07-26T17:42:00.000-04:00

Number of Photos for Monday: 27

I need to start every morning with coffee, then a shower, then more coffee. I probably drink way too much but it keeps me going through the day and keeps me from snacking. I enjoy my first cup...quietly...by myself (and now with Sara) in the sunroom or the big chair in the living room. It is 15 minutes of peace before the craziness that is my day sets in at 6:45. This is my treat to myself...my me time...enjoying my coffee with steamed milk and cinnamon on top.

I haven't yet decided which, or how many, pictures I will be using in my album, I am sure that will come together next week...until then, here are a few of my favorites from the day:

I take after my mother and have this thing for curled potato chips. I won't eat any other chips in the bag, just the curled ones and the kids (and Bob) know to hand them over. I found these 3 when making Bob's lunch this morning and they were just drool worthy. The temptation to put them in a container and save them until I am ready to eat carbs ago was quite strong, but I resisted and let my dear husband indulge...although I did ask him to savor every bite, as they were very special to me.

JT making breakfast, although his bowl of cereal could realistically count towards lunch and dinner as well. We don't typically lounge around in Sport Coats, we were on our way to a funeral.

a candid shot in the car. I have very few pictures of me and this project is aimed at correcting that...once and for all.

Doing some online shopping in an attempt to get my craft room/office organized.

yes, my eyes are closed. Yes, my room is a mess...but I absolutely love this picture because what it captures...me laughing, being happy and just enjoying life. I am pretty sure I was just slathered with puppy kisses, but isn't that what life is all about?

Dinner. Yeah, my goal back from vacation was to have a home cooked meal on the table every night...tonight it just didn't happen...nothing thawed, running late and didn't get home with the kids from Tae Kwan Do until 7:45...this mama was not cooking then.

Bob playing with Sara, a nightly ritual, those 2 bonding. She absolutely loves to play & cuddle with her pink dragon.

Kelsey's usual position throughout the evening. She is on the phone with her BFF Shannon (whom she was with all day). They are also on Club Penguin and chatting on Facebook at the same time.

Love this. Always will.

catching up on the 143 blogs that I absolutely love to read. I am a bit addicted. Thank goodness they don't all post everyday...I would never get anything done.

I am so glad I have undertaken this project. I am starting to feel more comfortable with my camera after a day and a half of shooting and I am seeing things in a whole new perspective. Yes this is everyday life, but it is OUR everyday life, right here, right now.

See you tomorrow with a glimpse at Tuesday.

A Week in the Life is a photography project by Ali Edwards. For more information, please visit Ali's blog.

heart 2 heart challenges...sketch challenge

2011-07-25T06:00:00.002-04:00

Today is my last post as a guest design team member for Heart 2 Heart Challenges. I had so much fun playing along with the challenges this month and I am honored to have been asked to join these amazingly creative women.

This week the challenge is a sketch. As soon as I saw it, my wheels started spinning and my card came together so easily.

Here is the sketch:

and here is what I came up with (originally):

I actually intended to send the card with a gift to a bride to be whose wedding shower I was invited to, but couldn't attend. Unfortuneatly my puppy liked the card too and ate the button and the corner of the patterned paper off of the card before I could send it (and it was on my desk too!) I was heart broken, mainly because I loved the card, but also because we were leaving on vacation the next morning and I knew I wouldn't have time to make another. My sweet son looked at me and said "Mom, you always think of ways to fix things...I know you can fix this" So, I did...

this is version 2 (post puppy attack):

and a close up of my band aid...I layered 2 big pinks, added a courdery button and trimed flush with the edge of the card...with some really good adhesive to keep it down, no one would ever suspect this card was once Sara's chew toy.

I am not too sure which version I like best!

{love gives us a fairytale} products: (all CTMH unless noted)

cardstock: Olive

patterned paper: Mayberry

stamps: bracket - On This Day; sentiment by Unity Stamp Co.

flowers: by prima (version 1); Big Pinks (version 2)

brads: mini medley autumn garden

Be sure to head over to the H2H blog to see what the DT came up with and to play along.

Tracy

a week in the life

2011-07-24T20:59:00.000-04:00

Are you ready? Are you participating? If not...it is not too late! A Week In the Life starts tomorrow and I can't wait. This is my first year participating and I am nervous, excited and a little bit scared all in one..but I am ready!

Haven't heard about A Week in the Life? Well, Ali Edwards explains it all here...but, in a nutshell it is the opportunity to capture a week in your life, your plain ordinary everyday, in pictures and words.

This week I will be taking the pictures, documenting the stories and next week I will pulling it all together. Stay tuned for this super exciting project that we will treasure for years to come.

If you are on the fence, I highly encourage you to join. If you just want to see what everyone else is doing, be sure to follow along on Ali's blog or register for A Week In the Life over at Big Picture Classes (it's free). I will definetely be posting the finished project here next week...and maybe a few sneak peak pictures this week.

unplugged

2011-07-18T12:09:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post today...

I am here....

unplugged (99% of the time)

enjoying some much needed family time

and quiet time.

But I will be back next week...with some craftiness to share and some home renovations up my sleeve...

enjoy the warmth and sunshine -

Tracy

a cause for a little "extra" celebrating on the 4th!

2011-07-04T06:00:00.005-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

I have my own little celebration going because I am so super excited to announce that I was invited to be a guest DT member over at Heart 2 Heart Challenges for the month of July! This is a wonderful website focusing on the use of CTMH products that posts a new challenge each Monday.

This week we were given an inspiration photo to create with:

I absolutely loved the crispiness of this photo and all the white...eventhough I am often afraid of white space on my layouts! I decided to create a layout using the white, grey, pink and pop of green (although I went more with a shade of blue).

For this layout I used (all products CTMH unless indicated):

cardstock: White Daisy, Grey Wool, Ocean (retired)

patterned paper: Hello Luscious (Basic Grey)

ink: black, ocean (retired)

stamps: Today's Date (retired)

accessories: Bliss Level 2 Assortment, Designer Ribbon Pink Collection, button
the title was cut using my Silhouette

I have been on a roll scrapping older pictures of my kiddos lately. I decided to stop trying to catch up and just scrap what inspires me at the time...the result tons of layouts I love!

Thanks for stopping by! I will be back later in the month with another challenge to share. Be sure to check out what the DT members created using the inspiration picture by stopping by the H2H blog. And don't forget to play along with the challenge and link up your creation from the inspiration photo for a chance to win a great prize (all the details are on the H2H blog).

4th of july crafting with the kiddos

2011-07-03T11:47:00.000-04:00

We are full swing into our summer schedule here and in an effort to keep the kiddos busy... and mommy sane... I have planned a craft or two each week. I plan on sharing them with you (in case you need to occupy your own kiddos) each Monday BUT, since I have something rather exciting schedule to post on Monday I decided I will share it with you today.

DISCLAIMER: The crafts that I have planned are not my creations (99% of the time)...I do not have enough time or mental energy to come up with brilliant ideas (because I will admit some of these are brilliant). I have found most of these on the blogs of some amazing women (who have the time and mental energy or are just brilliant) and have adapted them to my family. It takes enough energy to corral 6 children ages 2-11 to sit and do these crafts! I will give credit where credit is due. Also if there is a tutorial involved, I will most likely link back to the original creator because again...credit where credit is due!

We started with crushed tomatoes. If you think I am going to give you a cooking lesson though...think again. All I needed was the cans so I emptied all the crushed tomatoes into plastic containers and put them in the freezer for later.

After the cans were washed and the labels removed, my little helper carried them all out so that I could take care of the first step.

I love little helpers!

I lined them all up and gave them a double coat of Krylon True Blue. I used the dual paint + primer and loved the coverage.

After they dried it was the kids' turn to play. I cut out a bunch of stars using my Silhouette and let them decorate their cans. This craft was easy for all of the kids. Even my two that are under three (get it...because two two-year olds sounded akward) were able to peel (with a little help) and stick the stars on. We added ribbons with hot glue (which I helped with) and Kelsey assisted with poking a hole in the top to add some twine. They came out amazing!

Happy 4th of July!

Enjoy your weekend

Thank you to Kelli and Stephanie Lynn for the idea!

the simple things 6-26

2011-06-26T21:53:00.001-04:00

Our new puppy Sara had no trouble becoming part of the family. She is one loved little dog.

JT and Sara after a very hard day of playing:

a coach's thank you

2011-06-26T18:42:00.000-04:00

I had the pleasure of being tasked with making cards as a thank you to the coaches on JT's Little League team this year. We really had such a great team of coaches, players and parents this year, we all bonded well and it was very sad to see the season end. This was JT's first year and he cannot wait to play again next year...he truly fell in love with the sport.

I used up supplies from my stash (one of the benefits of loving paper!). The image is from CTMH's All Star stamp set (retired) and the paper is CTMH's Independence Paper Packet (retired). The sketch is Mojo Monday 196. We had each of the players sign the inside of the card with a simple "Thank you for a great season" printed on the inside.

Here is the sketch:

and here is my take on it:

Have a great one - Tracy

Ten Tasks in Ten Days Challenge

2011-06-24T08:12:00.001-04:00

I have decided to take the plunge and join Cha Cha's challenge of completing ten tasks in ten days. I have a project list a mile long (seriously, it fills up every line...both sides...of a piece of notebook paper) and that is just scratching the surface (read only the things I want to do in 2011). Although I have the best intentions, I haven't really buckled down and started in on the project list (although I may have added to it on more than one occasion)...guilty!

For this challenge I mixed up some items from the Project List and some items on my weekly goal list (things I really need to do...but weekly goals sounds so much better). I picked ten that I was pretty confident I could actually do in 10 days, with the exception of #10...that won't be finished but continuing where I left off weeks ago would be nice. It is the little things that I need to get out of the way in order to get to the big stuff.

So here is my Ten Tasks in Ten Days list:

Purge email

Pull together & print Project Life Pictures

Front porch - clean up...make welcoming

Weed flower beds & plant azalea's and hydrangeas

Back Patio - clean up and get summer ready (warning: below picture is SCARY!)

coupons - I really don't think I am saving money with them in a 2" (and growing) pile

put away miscellaneous crap-o-la (read...Christmas decor on top of dining room cabinet, hamster cages in bath tub...yikes!)

clean out mini van...vacuum, steam clean, and disinfect (maybe quarantine too!)

clean master bedroom (purge my closet & drawers and beg hubby to do the same)

continue working on kitchen...perhaps finish priming the trim?

I actually LOVE this idea which is why I am participating. Focusing on 10 individual taks in 10 days doesn't feel like you have all that pressure on you to accomplish 5 bajillion things in one day (on top of all of your other responsibilities). Breaking it down like this...I know I can do it and finally start crossing things off my list. Who knows, maybe I will do this twice a month or so and focus on the larger, more time consuming projects in between!

Spring into Summer

2011-06-22T17:42:00.000-04:00

Phew! What a crazy few months it has been. So many things I have wanted to share but finding time to sit down and blog wasn't happening. So here is a quick recap...more on a few of these later:

JT finished up his first year of Little League and to say he loved it is an understatement. He really improved from the beginning of the season to the end and is looking forward to next year. It was such a pleasure watching his progress and his true love of the game. He was even interested in watching the Red Sox with Bob towards the end of the season and chipped in with commentary now and then.
JT also finished up cub scouts for the season. What a whirl wind year this was. In 3 short months we joined cub scouts and earned both the Bobcat and Bear badges. He crossed over to Webelo I at the beginning of June.
June also brought end of school year activities for Kelsey (and of course JT). End of Elementary School years (sigh). My thoughts on this in another post. But we enjoyed band concerts, Fifth grade celebrations, special field trips, and so much more.
We welcomed a new member into our family. After losing our yellow lab to cancer over a year ago, we decided it was time for another furry friend. May I proudly introduce Sara Faye...more on her in a future post.

Summer break officially started Monday at noon. Jt had a friend over for the afternoon and Kelsey went to a pool party and then had 3 friends sleep over Monday night (yes, I am sane...honest).
This week is unwind and clean up week. I have decided that I can not fully enjoy my 10 short weeks with my children if I don't get this house in shape...so I am purging, cleaning, organizing, catching up on filing, laundry, etc. etc. I also plan on making a schedule for the summer (which will include lots of flexibility). We need to fit in summer work (math packets and reading for both kids), a few projects for me, keeping the house orderly, and lots of fun and some restful periods of downtime. I live by my schedule during the school year and need to have something to go by during the summer.
I have been busy scrapping...I have some exciting news coming up but I can't share just yet...stay tuned for more on this later. I also have a few other scrappy projects I have been working on that I would love to share.

While most bloggers wind down for the summer, I am going to attempt to be a bit more consistent. While I won't be posting everyday (not that I ever did anyway) I am striving for 3 posts a week to catch you up on crafty stuff, house projects and summer fun.

Tracy

CTMH Product Spotlight...Inspirational Relay Race

2011-06-15T00:00:00.013-04:00

Hello and happy middle of June to you! Can you believe it is already the 15th of June? Where oh where has the Spring (and the school year for that matter) gone?

I am so excited to be participating in this month's CTMH Product Spotlight. This month we had some fun and put a little twist into the blog hop by doing an inspirational relay race. The basic concept is easy...one person starts the hop with a layout, card or project and then passes it on to the next person in line who pulls their inspiration from the first piece and creates something new. She then passes that project on to the next person who creates something that inspires them from the second project and so on...

I am 8th in the relay and had no clue what the original design looked like until the hop went live. I worked off of what Jena created and sent me. To get the full experience of this blog hop...make sure you go back and start with Nikka.

So once again - here is what Jena created and sent to me:

and here is what I came up with:

I decided to run with the color combo and the butterflies. I pulled the blues, browns, greens and pinks although in a different shade (and completely different paper) to create the layout and used the butterflies as accent pieces. I love how I was able to just pull a few aspects from Jena's project and make something completely different.

Now hop on over to Vicki to see how my layout inspired her. At the very end of the hop, you will be able to view a recap post of all the projects from beginning to end.

{Spaghetti Thief Supplies}

Cardstock: CTMH Desert Sand, Crystal Blue, Colonial White

Patterned Paper: CTMH Mayberry Paper Packet

Ink: CTMH Desert Sand

Stamps: Bevy of Butterflies - Unity Stamp Company; Comments - CTMH

Other: Hemp - CTMH; Rhinestones - CTMH; Stickers - American Crafts

thank you really isn't enough

2011-05-30T18:12:00.000-04:00

Today is not only a day to be thankful for those who are currently serving in our armed forces, but to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. It is something near and dear to my heart every day, but today of all days I took the time to stop, reflect and really give thanks. Thank you, just doesn't seem enough, but it is all I can offer. As I watched my husband, in his dress blues, and my son, in his cub scout uniform, salute the flag during the national anthem this morning at our local Memorial Day ceremony, tears came to my eyes. Not tears of sadness, but tears of thanks, remembrance and praise.

Thank you to all who serve and all who have served, and to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

Thought I would share this video today it really captures what I am trying to say...no words need to be spoken, it is the little gestures that show your thanks.
(ps...folgers, budweiser and halmark always make me cry!)

when life gives you lemons....

2011-05-26T21:38:00.000-04:00

I was catching up on my blog reading today and found something that I had to share.

The sweet daughters of Melissa from 320 Sycamore have undertaken an online lemonade stand to help raise money for the victims of the tornado that devastated Joplin, MO.

If you donate $1 to give to the tornado victims, they will send you their family lemonade recipe.

For the whole story and a paypal link to donate head on over to 320 Sycamore.

But hurry...the stand closes Friday evening!

welcome

2011-05-20T09:02:00.001-04:00

I am guest posting today over at A Glimpse Inside.

A big warm welcome to Allison's readers, thank you for stopping by and checking out my blog. Things are a bit sporadic right now but I am in the middle of some big projects that I can't wait to share. I have been gathering ideas and am hard at work (in between my zillion other obligations!) I would love for you to leave a comment and introduce yourself...and if you would like to follow along on my journey with me...that would just make my day!

If you are a regular reader you know that I am attempting to transform my ho hum, someone elses (bad) taste in decor house into something that I love (on a budget). I took the guest posting opportunity to share how I transformed a previously loved, but ready to retire, lamp shade into something fun and fitting for my craft room.

you can check out the guest post here....

and while you are at it...please spend a few minutes checking out Allison's blog, it is full of great ideas!

have a wonderful Friday,

Tracy

CTMH Product Spotlight: Buttons

2011-05-15T02:00:00.003-04:00

Welcome to another CTMH product spotlight blog hop. This month we are featuring buttons which just happen to be one of my favorite go to embellishments!

We have seven lovely ladies participating this month. So whether you came from Wendy's blog or your just starting here, be sure to keep going to check out all the wonderful inspiration. You can find your next stop after my layout.

I would love for you to leave a comment and tell me what you think!

If you are interested in grabbing some great CTMH buttons for yourself, please contact your CTMH consultant or check out the entire selection here.

Next stop along your inspirational journey is Tamytha Jenkins. Enjoy!

I am also linking up over at the Heart 2 Heart Challenge blog today! This week's challenge is...you guessed it...buttons! Check out the Heart 2 Heart blog for some great inspiration.

products used (CTMH unless noted):
CS: desert sand, white daisy; PP: rough n' tumble (retired), notebook die cut paper (Creative Imaginations); Ink/pens: dutch blue, My Legacy Writers; Stickers: Echo Park Little Boy Collection; Embellishments: buttons, chipboard elements

Ten on Ten : May

2011-05-10T21:04:00.017-04:00

It is the 10th of May which means I am hooking up with Rebekah over at a bit of sunshine for Ten on Ten. The concept, take one photo an hour for ten hours in order to capture the ordinary beauty of your everyday life!

(ok...little disclaimer...I know there are not 10 photos here...sorry, I had the camera and just got caught up in the laundry, the scheduling doctors appointments, bill paying and everything else...I forgot, forgive me this month... please?)

waiting for my 2 to come home...love seeing them get off the bus and hearing about their day

how can it be?

2011-05-07T17:21:00.000-04:00

how can it be 9 years since....

i brought this beautiful child into the world....

i received the most precious gift a mother could receive...

my family became complete?

how can it be 9 years that I have....

loved every single second of being your mom...

watched you grow....

watched you learn?

how can it be that you never cease to amaze me of....

how compasionate you are

how loving you are

how wonderful you are?

i couldn't have known 9 years ago where this road would take me

but i am so glad that it took me on your journey and

i can't wait to continue down this road with you.

happy 9th birthday bubs!

i love you with all of my heart and am so proud to be your mom.

it's the simple things that make me smile

2011-05-01T21:46:00.000-04:00

like enjoying endless hours of imaginative play...lost in your own world

slaying dragons in superman capes, mom's uggs and a wiffle ball bat

being you and loving life

these are the moments I won't rush

these are the times I hope you hold on to forever

these are the simple things that make me smile

Linking up to Rebecca

my week in pictures

2011-05-01T21:32:00.000-04:00

It is Sunday and you all know what that means:

I am linking up Kimberly...so sit back and check out what we did last week:

We colored way too many eggs (and I am continuing my addiction to instagram)

including these

and these (aka Greg Hefley eggs complete with Diary of a Wimpy kid scenes)

K and I danced up a sweat with Just Dance 2....love it (so much better than Jillian!)

I brought my mac n' cheese to Easter at my sister in laws and pushed it far, far away...tempted, but I didn't cheat!

K spent most of Easter in the chicken coop...she treats them like pets. They all have names and each gets a cuddle

baseball season has begun...I worked my obligatory 1 game in the snack shack

neighbors should not put ideas in my head! Made a spur of the moment decision to have 2 huge trees in the middle of the backyard taken down...just because the neighbor was having one taken down...when I get an idea in my head watch out...making way for the backyard beautification plan!

that was my plan all along...drop trees to provide hours of imaginative play

Slaying dragons (in my Uggs)

That is all...have a great week!

stock your scrappy supplies and help tornado victims

2011-04-29T17:21:00.000-04:00

Do you need to replenish your scrappy supplies?

Have you been waiting for just the right time?

Well...this.is.it

For any order placed on my CTMH site between now and May 7, I will donate 10% to the American Red Cross Tornado Relief fund to benefit victims of the recent tornado disaster.

Now is a great time to order with National Scrapbooking Month specials starting May 1.
When you place a minimum order of $50 in Close To My Heart products in May, you can get the exclusive You & Me scrapbooking kit for the discount price of just $15. The kit contains everything you’ll need to create two fully embellished two-page layouts using the new cardstock-weight B&T Duos® papers, D-size stamp set, accessories, and instructions. You can also purchase the kit at full retail for $34.95 with no minimum purchase required.

You can also take advantage of the deeply discounted items under the while supplies last section.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, you know that I do not promote or push being a CTMH consultant. I don't often advertise sales or push specials, this is not my bread & butter. But, I am just so heartbroken over the devastation these people are facing, these people right in our own country, that I wanted to do something. I can do a little on my own...but we, together, can do alot...every little bit counts. Will you join me?

To view the current CTMH products, please click here to view the virtual Idea Books.

If you already know what you want, please click here to be brought to my online shopping page.

This is not something offered by or endorsed by CTMH, this is my way of helping those who need it most right now...so if you would like to contribute, please remember to order through my online shopping link above.

Thank you!

goodbye mac & cheese

2011-04-12T10:38:00.000-04:00

I make one mean mac & cheese if I do say so myself. It is often requested at home and on holidays. I found the recipe a few years back in Country Woman Magazine. I am pretty sure I remember reading that the original recipe was submitted to either The Farmer's Wife Magazine or Farm Wife Magazine in 1971 by a mid west farmer's wife . I don't know about you, but in my book that kind of recipe is pure home cooked goodness and worth a try!

So why goodbye mac & cheese? I can't have it for awhile, not never again, but not for a while. I am on a new weight loss journey...one involving a hypnotist and an advanced version of the South Beach Diet. I have tried many options and unfortunately I have this problem with finding all the weight I have lost. Every time, without fail. I love food, but I love being thin more. I have tried to do it myself, but well, I need a little help. So, I got hypnotized and will be following her weight loss plan. The mac & cheese will once again become a treat, but not quite yet.

I will keep you updated on my progress (I am currently in week 2 and doing just fine!). Until then, please make your family a big batch of my mac & cheese and enjoy every bite for me.

Rich 'n' cheesy macaroni
2 -1/2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
6 tablespoons butter (divided)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1tsp sugar
2 cups milk
3/4 lb cheese ends
1 - 1/3 cups small curd cottage cheese
2/3 cup sour cream
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 -1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Place in a greased 2-1/2 qt. baking dish. In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons butter. Stir in flour, salt and sugar until smooth. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce hear; stir in cheese until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and sour cream. Pour over macaroni. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 deg. for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: 6-8 servings (of pure cheesy goodness)

it's a great day for a parade!

2011-04-05T06:00:00.002-04:00

The Holyoke St. Patrick's Day parade is a family tradition. I have memories as a child watching the parade as the beautiful floats went by with the Irish princesses riding high atop. The bands marching by playing Irish music, the Mummers, Shriners, and all the festivities of the day. I marched in the parade with my high school band my freshman and sophomore year, and as the majorette (although not a very good one) my junior year. My Senior Year...I had the privelege of riding on one of those beautiful floats, as an Irish princess...the experiences of that year, I will carry on forever. In my college years I was close enough to car pool down with a bunch of my sorority sisters and crash the many house parties along the parade route.

Flash forward 20 years (yes, it has been that long). I am carrying on that tradition with my kids. In these parts, or at least in the circle I was raised, being Irish is a pretty big deal. Each of the surrounding towns holds a Colleen Contest to choose a Colleen and Court to ride on the float that the town enters in the parade. In my town, we have 20 - 30 girls each year entering the contest for 5 coveted spots. Year after year the float committee builds a grand prize winning, Parade of Roses worthy float. Since my experience as a court member was such a vivid memory from my teenage years, I am lucky enough to be on the Colleen Committee for the Irish club in my town. This year, the kids and I accompanied the girls to and from the parade. The kids also had the honor of carrying the banner for the Westfield Parade Marshall...who just happens to be their uncle.

While taking pics of the kids and marchers, I also thought it would be fun to take pics of the parade watchers...

It was the first day of Spring and a great day for a parade!

from the top left to right:
Kelsey with her big bright Irish smile; Kelsey & JT carrying the banner for the Uncle; JT taking a break along the parade route: Westfield's Grand Prize winning Float; Westfield Colleen and her court; the float again; because every parade needs a chicken; party house; me and my sister in law Lisa.

compromise?

2011-04-04T10:50:00.001-04:00

We are in the process of looking for a new family dog. We lost Sammy almost a year ago and I think we are all ready for a new member of the family. The problem is we can't decide on what kind to get. Bob wants another lab. Sammy was a yellow lab, and I just don't think I can go there...unless maybe it was a chocolate lab, which seems to be the only one we can all comfortably agree on.

The kids and I are pulling for an Old English Sheep dog, but Bob is totally against it.

{source}

I could go for a Golden Doodle. I am sooo in love with my bloggy friend Meg's dog Waffle. But the boys don't want a golden doodle and I think Kelsey only agrees with me because having a dog named Waffle is kind of cool.

Now they are trying to convince me that we should get 2 dogs...a big one and a little one. I really don't think that is going to happen. I do not want to own a small dog. I think they are cute, and love to look at them when other people own them, but I am not a small dog owner kind of person. For me, the bigger the dog, the better. The bigger, fuzzier, crazier the dog the better (which is why I am so in love with the OES)....when we first started looking I was bent on a Newfoundland...that is my kind of dog.

Kelsey wants a Maltipoo so she can put pink ribbons in its ears...ummm cute, but no.

{source}

She also wants a bunny and would trade a dog for a bunny eventhough she really wants both.

Since my criteria is for a big dog with large paws and she wants a bunny...I think I found a compromise.

{source}

Seriously, I think a chocolate lab it will be (or maybe a chocolate doodle)...with big furry paws...I'm just saying.

snow much fun & tasty treats

2011-04-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

It's April 1st.

It's snowing.

Really?

We are 13 days into Spring here Mother Nature.

I do love snow.

I love to ski.

I love snowmen.

I love winter.

But winter is over.

Enough already with the snow.

And since I haven't yet shared the pics from our day of sledding during February vacation, I felt that a snowy day in April would be the perfect time.

I loaded 4 kiddos in the car and went to a local golf course with a great hill for sledding. We spent most of the morning sledding and had the hill to ourselves. I happened to spot a 4 person tobaggan in the garage before we left...lucky find, it was perfect!

The conditions on the hill were good. A bit bumpy for my taste, although my body's jiggle factor is a bit higher than the kiddos...if you know what I mean. I was able to make a few runs down, to pull the little ones up, but thankfully they decided to walk (err...crawl) up themselves (or at least with just a little help).

Erica decided that she really didn't need a sled and proceeded to roll down the hill...like 100 times.

While JT and Abby found an icy patch and flew down on the double sled again and again then tried sledding down on their bums...which worked too!

We were treated to a fly over...thank you 104th! The kids thought is was their own personal airshow.

When it was time to leave, not everyone wanted to go...although, some were more vocal than others....

and every snowy day deserves some yummy treats

grab a beer and look what I did last week {Mar 20-26}

2011-03-27T22:09:00.057-04:00

This was supposed to be grab a beer Sunday, but since blogger was being difficult...grab a coffee and check it out (since it is probably a little early on Monday to grab a beer...or then again...)

***After you have checked out my week...click the button above and see what everyone else did ***

Got my Irish on while marching in the St. Patrick's Day Parade with the kiddos on a beautiful sunshine filled first day of Spring!

Endured the cold, wet, slushy snow the very next day (really???)

Received some happy mail to brighten my cold Spring day!

She has so many fabulous necklaces to choose from...check it out here.

experimented with my Panini Press (can we say grilled wraps...yum!) and my instagram app

banned this from the house (after I ate most of it)...evil, very evil

stuck my finger tips 1 million times with a needle that I couldn't thread to save my life while sewing patches on JT's Cub Scout shirt. Went to Walmart mid patch to buy a sewing machine that is idiot proof (because I can't figure out how to use the one I have) and had to listen to some pathetic story about how they have 2 in stock but they are out in a trailer behind the store and could I come back tomorrow? Ummm....no, the patches need to be sewed on today. Went back home...minus the sewing machine...and stuck my finger 1 million more times, but finished the shirt in time.

Filled the rest of the week with the 1001 things that moms do everyday because we are moms

loved it all

the good

the bad

and the ugly

because to me, I have the best job in the whole wide world

I will take the ups and the downs

cuddles, love, hugs and smiles are the best rewards!

shenanigans

2011-03-19T08:00:00.003-04:00

Impromptu photo shoot

turned silly

turned out of control

no one was hurt in the making of this photo shoot

it was fun

we laughed

but I never did get a photo good photo of them together

oh well, I love what I did capture

the wearing (& eating) o' the green

2011-03-18T13:53:00.000-04:00

St. Patrick's day is a well celebrated holiday around these parts. I am extremely proud of my Irish heritage and while I try very hard to have my kids embrace both sides of their heritage (my husband is Slovak) the Irish just seems to win every time. I like to make it fun around here come the 17th, but not too crazy (because afterall we are lucky enough to be Irish all year long).

Yesterday was no exception, starting with a visit from our friendly house leprachaun who visits each St. Patrick's Day to perform silly little shenanigans in the house (our leprachaun DOES NOT leave gifts...that is reserved for Santa and the Easter bunny). However, our leprachan does turn things green...like the toilet water and our milk.

Our food tends to turn green as well.

Especially when you have cute little leprachauns in training mixing up your pancake batter

yummy breakfast fit for a leprachaun

dinner in the making

Those were supposed to be rainbow waffles. I got the idea from Kelli over at Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM! I saw them and just knew I had to make them they were soooo cute. Let me rephrase that...Kelli's were sooooo cute, mine on the other hand looked like a tye-dye expirement gone horribly wrong. The kids at least liked them, and appreciated the effort.

it just isn't St. Patty's day without a Shamrock Shake...then again, it really hasn't been a day in March around here without a Shamrock Shake. Hey, they only come around once a year, I think I can justify the excessive consumption (read - obsession) with that point alone.

and because the Shamrock Shake was consumed with dinner we had to have dessert too! Once again, Kelli came through with a great idea for me with her Leprachaun Jello...this one actually came out perfect and was really, really yummy despite being made with lime jello

in my opinion, it just isn't St. Patrick's Day without a corned beef sandwich...

since I don't like waffles I skipped them and got my corned beef fix

(since no one else here will eat it anyway...really, they don't know what they are missing)

Hope your St. Patty's Day was full of Shenanigans!

Close To My Heart Spotlight Blog Hop: Scrapbooking Techniques

2011-03-15T00:00:00.013-04:00

Hello and welcome to the March edition of the Close to My Heart (CTMH) Spotlight Blog Hop. This month we are all about scrapbooking techniques! Wether you are coming from Wendy or this is your first stop, welcome! You will find the next hopper at the end of this post so sit back, grab your favorite beverage and hop along for inspiration today!

When I first saw the spotlight topic I thought to myself..."scrapbooking techinques? What the heck is a scrapbooking technique?" I could have thought of about a thousand stamping techniques but was truely drawing a blank on what technique I use when scrapbooking. When I scrapbook I just do it and let whatever I do come naturally...basically, I don't think about it. But when I really thought about it, pretty much anything you do when you scrapbook could be considered a technique...distressing, tearing, mating pictures, layering paper, using patterned paper, decorative scissors, punches, stickers, embellishments...pretty much everything and anything goes (and I have done pretty much everything!).

Today, I want to share a layout that uses a really fun retired paper pack I am hoping most of you have in your stash...Zippidee. I did alot of layering with different elements to add some texture and dimension to the layout. I mated the pictures in a solid cardstock and used punches and decorative scissors. I also used the coordinating My Stickease as borders and to draw the elements together.

---> Now hop on over to Corina to see what technique she is featuring today!

To view some of my other layouts I have shared that use different scrapbooking techinques, please click on the picture below to be taken to the original post:

inking, doodling, distressing
click on the pic for the original post

distressing, inking, faux stitching, dry embossing, paper tearing
click on the pic for the original post

paper tearing, inking, distressing

click on the pic for original post

grab a beer & look at what i did last week (link up)

2011-03-13T13:37:00.000-04:00

So excited to be joining Kimberly this week in a brand new linky party so...

Can't say last week was very exciting or blog worthy for that matter. Then again, I really don't usually think my life is blog worthy which is why I don't post as often as I would like to. I guess I have to make an effort to have the camera out more capturing those really fun moments (trust me we have fun), that is after all one of the reasons I blog...to remember the everyday fun moments not just the big events.

This week's assignment...make next weeks weekly recap better, but since it is not next week, and it is this week...here goes (and if you are a reader..thank you...some of these pics are repeats, but that is how the week went):

(1)

Started off the week with a little partying, corned beef and Irish dancing at Irish Night at the Sons of Erin (a local Irish club I belong to). Got to be proud of that Irish heritage.

(2)

Welcomed a new "friend" to get me motivated every morning at 5:50 am on the days that I am not going to the gym (which is pretty much every day). She has been hanging out in the DVD cabinet for awhile now...I finally decided to face my fear and just do it. Although lifting my arms for the rest of the week has become a chore.

{photo from Amazon.com}

(3)

Had a few too many of these this week (although in my defense I counted them as dinner and Jillian really did kick my butt). If you haven't had a Shamrock shake from McDonalds yet...what are you waiting for?

(4)

Spent a good few days trying to rationalize with the kids why the fox that has been visiting us in the morning can not live in the dog house and be our new pet. And furthermore, if I don't think the dog house is a good idea, it is definitely not a good idea for Foxie Moxie (so he/she has been named) to take turns sleeping in their rooms.

(5)

Turned this:

into this:

and received lots of love, hugs and kisses. But the best reward, it has stayed that way all week long! Of course telling him that if I have to clean it again it will be with several large black trash bags and a trip to the dump probably helped.

(6)

Felt a little bit older when my 11 year old asked if she could wear a little mascara. I agreed to a little on the weekends but not to school. Felt even older (and just like my mom) when I used the old..."I don't care if every one else is, everyone else is not my daughter" line.

(7)

Spent a good portion of Saturday with Kelsey at an antique store I have been wanting to check out. I went in looking for a specific piece that I didn't find. We did leave with 2 old coca-cola bottles (that I have no clue what to do with) and I saw a bunch of items I would love to have if only I had a place to put them. These photos aren't great but imagine the possibilities...

oh large rusty sign...my kitchen wall would love you! but for $325 I just couldn't.

love this...
my parents have the same one at their house in dad's man town...
always wanted it when he was ready to part with it.

two old cameras (and a cool lantern thingy) for a fraction of the price that PB is asking.
The box even has old Polaroid film and extra flashes.

oh, and on a side note to the other two "antique" stores that we visited on the way to the really awesome one that we will be visiting again...if your store smells like cigarette smoke (which I think is against the law to smoke in a public building) I don't care how cool your stuff is...I am leaving. And piling junk and trash in heaps on the floor around a woman sitting around a space heater is not really becoming of a store. If you are going to go ahead and break the fire code anyway...you should think about lighting a candle to take away the stench that overpowered you as you walk in the door.

Have a terrific week!

Ten on Ten...March

2011-03-11T13:45:00.001-05:00

I am all about learning how to use my silly camera this year. I had dreams of buying the thing, turning it on and just knowing how to use it. Not happening. I am a smart girl, really I am, but this photography thing with all the settings, F stops, white balance, ISO etc. etc. really confuses the heck out of me. I will not however turn that dial to the dreaded green square (I didn't pay $800 for a camera to use the auto function!). So in my quest to learn how to use my camera I have found some great photo challenges, projects, assignments, etc. in blog land and on facebook. I am trying out the ones that I like and attempting to get a little more comfortable with my little camera friend (who apparently needs a name...)

I am super excited to have found this great little photo project over at a bit of sunshine . The concept is to capture the beauty woven throughout your day by taking 10 pictures for 10 consecutive hours on the 10th of each month. Being the scatter brain that I am, I didn't exactly get 10 consecutive hours....but, hey at least I did get 10 photos (that are not taken in the same hour!). I will definetly be back for this one in April...how fun!

The 10th of March...my day in pics

7:30 ish...morning visitor out the kitchen window

9:00 ish...a little Mickey Mouse Club House

12:30ish...lunch

3:45ish...can I run on fumes???

5:45ish...traffic {grrrr} but great alone time with the kiddos...

6:30ish....pure heavenly goodness {Shamrock Shakes}

7:30 ish....screen time for the kiddos, quiet time and a great book for me

(photo courtesy of JT)

8:30ish...bed and reading time for the kiddos

Kelsey and her kindle:

The book JT and I are currently reading together:

9:22 (exactly)...can't wait for bed and the hubby to get home from work

check out the other ten on ten sets or link up here:

the beginning of the week

2011-02-24T07:14:00.007-05:00

We are in the middle of February school vacation right now. We really didn't have any special plans for the week, just sort of winging it. I had grand ideas of us all pitching in and cleaning and organizing the house all week, but as I sit here and write this post I have realized that plan just isn't going to happen.

So here is a recap of the week so far in list format because I don't have pics until Wednesday (another post):

Monday -

hubby was home from work for the day so we took the kids to see Gnomeo & Juliet. It was a really cute movie (despite me hoping we were out of the cartoon movie stage). I do have to say though for a G rated movie that the adult humor in it was not very well disguised...my 8 year old picked up on a few things I kind of wish he hadn't.
we then spent a ridiculous amount of time in Dick's Sporting Goods where Bob dreamed of spending money we don't have on golf equipment he doesn't need. The kids and I played on the exercise equipment (that counts as working out right?) where I tried to think of creative ways to come up with $1500 so I can buy a treadmill (which by the way I really do need). In the end, JT walked out with a baseball glove and I got 2 really cute pairs of socks on sale (although I really need a new pair of running sneakers to wear the socks in...and oh yea, the treadmill to run on)
by this time it was too late to go home and get the kids to Tae Kwan Do (that was their evil plan) so we went to Olive Garden (and I pouted because Bob wouldn't let me go into Raymour & Flannigan to price up new bedroom furniture or a dining room set...I have evil plans too). Dinner was yummy but it threw my whole weight loss thing out of whack...note to self: DO NOT go to an Italian resturaunt when on a no carb diet, and really DO NOT feel that since you already blew it then having a slice of heavenly lemon cake is ok....(see now if I had that treadmill...)

Tuesday -

nothing, zilch, zip, nada...it was an uneventful day. The kids hung out and watched a movie (afterall I should allow them one day to rot their brains out in front of the tv right?) and I did laundry, picked up, did the menu/grocery list, balanced the checkbook, and started to clean the craft room (oh how I miss thee).

to be continued...

CTMH Product Spotlight on Color

2011-02-15T02:00:00.005-05:00

Welcome to another CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop! This month we are featuring color...specifically the wide range of colors that Close To My Heart has to offer in cardstock, markers, inks, and embellishments. If you came from Wendy's blog, welcome. If you are just starting here, then keep going, your next stop is at the bottom of my post and you will circle back here when you have gone through all the participants this month.

CTMH offers 60 different colors to choose from, each grouped into seasons. Each of the colors within that season coordinate beautifully with each other...but have you ever mixed and matched your seasons together? Unlikely color combinations can sometimes lead to that wow! factor you were looking for. Don't be afraid to play with a little color.

Last year, Jeanette Lynton, the founder of CTMH, featured different color combos each Monday on her blog. You can check out all the great combos she created here. I chose one of those color combos to feature today. The combination of Tulip, Juniper, Cocoa and Desert Sand gave me just the right pop of color I needed for this card:

I love how the colors blend and lend a deep, sophisticated feel to the card. I hesitated creating this card to share with you only because the stamp sets that I used are all retired. I decided to use it in the end to make a point that when you see a stamp you love...you need to snatch it up. These sets are among my most used for pretty much every occassion. If you have them in your stash...pull them out and give them some love. I used Cottage Floral, Curly Greetings and the background was created with Magic and Serendipity.

Your next stop is Corina...head on over and see what wonderful color combos she has to share with you today.

Thanks for stopping by -

Tracy

Here is the full list of participants in case you get stuck along the way:

Wendy Kessler
Tracy Oleksak
Corina Mitchell
Laurie Flannery
nikka geers
Adeline Brill
Jill (Scrap Wench)

Dear blog

2011-02-10T18:10:00.000-05:00

Dear blog,

I have not forgotten you. Really, I haven't. I have been super busy around here with life. I could tell you about it, but, then I would get buried even deeper. So, we will have to catch up real soon. Promise.

You know me...quality, not quantity (well except if you are talking about the piles of clutter I am digging out of...yep, that sure is quantity over quality because I have come to realize that it is all crap-o-la. Crap-o-la I need to sort through, but crap-o-la nonetheless.). I would so much rather share quality stuff with you than a bunch of useless dribble.

I have some projects started, some crafty stuff in the making and some pics to edit, post and tell you about. But, life is happening around me too quick, and I need to be there right now. Things around the house are a bit too out of control for my liking. I need to catch up on everything I need to do in order to be where I want to be, do what I want to do. That means letting a few things slide. (side note: family time is NOT one of those things. Tons of snow=great skiing=lots of family time=one happy mommy! more later...promise.)

We are not through though, I couldn't bear to part with you. I just need to refocus and take things slow. I promise to visit at least twice a week until I can reach a point where I am at a comfort level with everything I need to do around here. You know, get organized, create a schedule to keep on top of my mommy/wife duties, and still have time to be a mommy/wife. I am not a nice person when things are so crazy around here, and I really don't like being a not so nice person. Once I have things a bit more under control, I can devote a bit more time to you my friend. If by some miracle there happens to be a few extra hours snuck into the day, or I am not so dead tired at 9pm when I actually get some down time, then things might change quicker.

Please don't miss me too much. I will be around soon with fun stuff to share....promise.

Me

52 Weeks of Organizing Week #3: Snack Attack

2011-01-21T22:35:00.003-05:00

I am an organizing fool! I am having so much fun (really, I am) organizing different areas of my home. I am getting rid of clutter little by little, streamlining process, making things work for me and enjoying the baby steps I have taken. I have many more projects ahead of me but doing them week by week instead of all at once is really working!

This week I attacked the snack cabinet. In the process I actually attacked 3 cabinets in my kitchen re-organizing the stuff I took out of the snack cabinet, but I will just tell you about those quickly.

We don't have a pantry (yet...it is on the project list) so everything I have needs to be stored in the kitchen cabinets. This leads to jam packed cabinets most of the time and lack of space for some items, but it is working for the moment. I have one cabinet dedicated to snack type items. Bulk type items were semi-organized on the bottom shelf in some great containers I got from having a Tupperware party a few years back. The problem was the middle shelf mostly. It was always a mess and very hard to find anything. This led to stale snacks and buying duplicate items because Ididn't see it in the cabinet.

Before:

I had been using a clear plastic shoe box in my refrigerator for a few months now to house refrigerated lunch snacks that I make up ahead of time for the week. I loved this idea because I am prepping everything once and can just grab the bin out of the fridge and fill lunch bags from it. In it I keep individual baggies of baby carrots, cheese and celery with peanut butter. I also fill the small round glad containers with ranch dressing (for the carrots), grapes, apple sauce, orange slices, etc. I throw in yogurts and anything else the kids can take in their lunches that needs to be refrigerated. I only keep snack items in here. I can't take credit for the the idea though because I found it in this post by Michelle at Make 5 Dinners in 1 Hour. She makes sandwiches ahead of time too...which would be great, but I prefer to make them that day.

Fridge Snack Bin:

I decided to incorporate the bin idea in the snack cabinet too. I purchased 2 more plastic bins for $1.50 each at the grocery store. I decided to fill one with individually bagged crunchy snacks (Smartfood, pretzels, rice cakes, trail mix, etc.) and the other with dessert items (puddings, cookies, granola bars, brownie bites, etc.). I can fit a lot in those containers, usually enough to only have to fill bags every 2 weeks or so. The kids love it and it has helped in the morning too. I pull out all 3 bins and they pick one item out of each to add to their bag while I am making sandwiches. They know that these bins are only for lunch items. I still have room for after school snacks on the shelves and the bins below.

Snack bins already for packing lunches - need to do some baking for the dessert bin though:

Snack cabinet after (purged and organized):

I had to move some stuff to other cabinets to make room for the bins, but I am loving it. I swapped the location of the microwave and coffee maker which opened up oodles of space next to the fridge and eliminated a hot spot for clutter on an underused counter (the microwave now sits where the clutter used to pile). I can now pour drinks next to the fridge (the glasses are in the cabinet right above the counter) without having to carry them clear across the kitchen for counter space. Above the coffee pot I cleaned out all the sippy cups (except for 2 for visiting little ones) and extra coffee cups and dedicated it to coffee items only. The first shelf houses the kid's travel mugs, the coffee grinder and filters. The second shelf houses coffee cups and the third all of our cappucino/latte items. This has made the kitchen function so much better. I got the tip awhile back from Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie and don't know why I didn't do it sooner. It is amazing how moving just a few things can make things so much easier.

The snack cabinet housed hot cocoa making stuff (like chocolate syrup, cocoa packets, etc.) but the marshmallows were in a different cabinet becasue they never fit. I consolidated everything into a new cabinet along with a bin that houses dried fruits, raisings and nuts to add to oatmeal.

I have a long way to go to make my kitchen function efficiently but I have a great start already!

Next week I plan on starting to tackle the office/craft room...scary! Stay tuned.

I am linking up with:

52 Weeks of Organizing week #2: Taming Towels & Toiletries

2011-01-21T22:25:00.001-05:00

I am following along with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie and attempting to control the chaos in my house week by week. I am on week 2 and making progress!

I shared how I organized my DVD storage area underneath the entertainment center here. That was week 1 (although I am just now getting to posting it).

Week 2 I organized the linen closet. I didn't take before pictures but I can tell you that it was a mess. I was shoving towels in there, sheets never fit and kept falling off the half of shelf I had to store tham on and extra bottles of shampoo and soap would attack me everytime I opened the door.

I bribed the hubby to install 2 more shelves (the bottom was just an empty area where I piled blankets and sleeping bags which equaled a big old mess) and I bought some clear containers at Walmart to organize toiletries. After seeing the final product though...I didn't have to follow through on the bribe...the final result was reward enough. It is amazing how much extra space I have and my only cost was $12 for the containers because we had the ply wood on hand.

Unforuneatly because of where the closet is positioned in the hallway I cannot get a full length shot without rotating the camera and for some reason blogger keeps flipping the photo on me. The other shelves are folded towels and sheets. If I can tweak a new pic, I will post to give you the full view.

The plastic containers hold:
1) extra deodorants and bar soap.
2) toothpaste and tooth brushes.
3) first aid kit, band aides, etc.
4) summer stuff (sunscreen, aloe, foot powder)

I plan on labeling them at some point, but since they are clear and you can see what is in them easily they are working for now.

On the top shelf are 2 baskets I had in there before that were overflowing with everything I ended up putting in 4 plastic containers. One holds feminine products and the other holds all of my nail polish, emery boards, etc. The blue plastic basket holds my iron and accessories (water fill cup, starch, a lint brush and static guard. My laundry room (or washer and dryer becuase I don't really have a room) is in the basement so I prefer to do the ironing in my bedroom.

Things don't fall on me anymore and I the door actually closes without having to shove things in. Plus I can see what I have and need.

Oh and please ignore the splash of white on the trim...let's just call it a sneak peak of what is to come!

Next week we are on to the snack cabinet...stay tuned.

I am linking up to:

52 Weeks of Organizing Week #1 : Taming the DVD mess

2011-01-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

Laura over at I'm an Organizing Junkie has issued a year long organizing challenge. Instead of focusing on getting organized in a one month challenge she has challenged her readers to make small changes weekly to put you on the path to organization and hopefully keep it that way!

Since becoming clutter free and better organized is on my list of priorities this year, I decided to take her challenge and have been slowly tackling my out of control areas. I love doing it week by week. I feel I have more time to get things done. Some weeks I might be able to tackle 3 or 4 areas, and other weeks I might be able to just focus on one (although the office might take me a whole month!). There is no rush, and I am creating good habits by finishing what I started and keeping it organized.

So what have I been up to?

Underneath the entertainment center has always been a huge mess. This is where I keep all the DVDs and the CDs (those that we still have...we have converted to digital for most of our music). We have a corner entertainment center so the storage underneath is a very large cabinet but a funny shaped. I have tried alphabetizing and stacking the DVDs but I had to create several rows to make them all fit. Not only did this method make things hard to find, but inevitably the kiddos would go looking for something and I would end up with a huge mess each and every time.

Here is the before:

Several months ago I found and fell in love with this baby:

Unfortuneatly after receiving 4 damaged cabinets the company decided that they were just going to reimburse me and not attempt to send me another cabinet. I was heartbroken because it is exactly what I was looking for, it was gorgeous and looked perfect where I wanted to put it. I also had my hopes up that the disaster under the entertainment center would soon be solved and I was now back to square one. They did give me the option of keeping the damaged cabinet and taking a credit. However, they were only offering me a $40 credit on a $279 piece of furniture and it the top was cracked and the trim all broken. I could have fixed it but it would have been more than $40 and I really felt the piece was overpriced to begin with.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving I picked up some photo/DVD storage boxes at Michael's. I think they were on sale 3 for $5 and I had a 40% off coupon...score! I originally intended to organize my photos with them (because I thought I would have the library cabinet), but soon realized they had a greater purpose in life.

Here is the after:

The boxes house all of our regulary viewed DVDs. The kid's movies are housed in boxes labeled by letter. I have my own labeled box (Vampires, Wizards and Pirates) and another houses the movies my hubby and I like to watch. On the side I still have room to stack our remaining CDs and in back I have a few extra boxes that hold VHS tapes and home videos. This is so much better and we have managed to stay alphabetized and in order for over 2 weeks now.

Linking up to:

2011 Project List

2011-01-01T06:00:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! May 2011 bring you peace, love & joy.

Previously I posted my list of goals for 2011 (you can view it here). Many of them had to do with cleaning, organizing and turning my house into a home...(which I believe will in turn aid me in accomplishing most of the others that deal with becoming a better person and embracing the life I was given). Great to have these goals down on paper, but I needed a plan. So here is the list that will help me accomplish some of my 2011 goals, at least the ones that deal with organization, clutter, and making my house a home.

***Warning***

This list is loooong. However, in all fairness, this list is a comprehensive brain dump of everything I would like to accomplish or at least start this year. It is by no means a list of everything I would like done around here but some of those big ticket items like gutting and remodeling the kitchen, moving walls, refinishing basements, residing the house, etc. etc. are for another year...paying off debt comes first. These are projects I (with a little help) can do myself (with the exception of the bath remodel which we will hire out for). For those projects that are blog worthy I will post in progress and completed pics. For example, I will not update you on cleaning out my email or organizing my favorites folder but I will gladly share with you my staircase, kitchen, bedroom, etc. transformations.

So for accountability reasons (and probably for no ones reading pleasure) here is the list...to be updated regulary {I hope}:

paint trim (whole house)
paint front interior door
paint/refurbish interior doors
finish sofa table
paint kitchen / wall decor
replace remaining light switches
paint JT's baseboard
touch up JT's walls
paint/refinish stairs
window frame
paint fireplace cover
picture wall in living room
paint upstairs hallway
fix living room ceiling
touch up kitchen ceiling/office ceiling/walls
clean/organize/decorate office
clean/organize office closet
magazines read/purge
organize magazine clippings
purge cookbooks
organize recipes
print pics/develop film
stamp storage (boxes./organize)
organize pics on computer
back up pics on external hard drice
purge email
purge/organize my docs
purge/organize my favorites
establish & maintain filing system
clean/organize garage
clean/organize/purge basement
redecorate master bedroom
strip paper in Dining Room/paint
replace Dining room blinds
redo upstairs bath
redecorate Kelsey's room
refurbish desk for Kelsey's room
organize spice cabinet
build pantry

The planning is done....let the projects begin.

to be continued....

edited 1/6/2011 - I am linking up this project list to Nester over at the Nesting Place (one of my fav blogs for ideas on making a house a home). Please take a moment to head on over there, check out her blog and the fabulous other blogs that are linking up to her 2011 Home Goals Linky party today. For those of you visiting from the Nesting Place...sorry there are no before pics...I have already started to tackle the list...there will be pictures a plenty as I muddle through...I invite you to come back often to see my progress and hopefull pick up some ideas and inspiration.

2011 goals

2010-12-31T06:00:00.003-05:00

Every year I have made a list of goals for the coming year. Kind of like resolutions but a bit broader and in theory easier to keep. For the past couple of years they have pretty much been the same and by April I forget about them until I find the list again in September and restart my efforts. Some I have kept and continue to work on, and this year I am digging out the list again, starting with a fresh approach and a drive to really work on these goals. There are 15 in all...I know seems like alot, but remember these are goals and many of them go hand in hand but it is just easier to break them out and list them seperately. Some are personal, some need to evolve, some need some work, but I think with a little accountability I can accomplish them all for a wonderful 2011 and many more years to come.

2011 Goals (in no particular order)

Loose and keep off the weight

Turn the house into a home

Get organized

Keep a clean(er) house

Get rid of clutter

Continue to pay off debt (goal to be debt free by 2/2013)

Focus on Family

Enjoy every day

be a better mom and wife

breathe...don't yell

be happy with me

let it go....relax!

step away from the drama

Scrapbook more....100 layouts

Complete Project 365 (finally)

See...not too bad. So, why am I sharing this with you? Well, my blog will serve as my accountability for these goals. No, I won't share everything with you but I will share my progress on projects (the long, long list is another post), tips on organization, getting rid of clutter and digging out of debt, scrapbooking and other paper crafting projects and Project 365 (which I have started the past 2 years and don't make it past day 5). Oh, and I can't forget everyday little ramblings and family updates...right? Things won't change too much around here except maybe a little more variety, a little more frequency, hopefully alot more scrapbooking and projects around the home. I have tried schedules, themes, etc., but I just can't stick to them, so now I will post what I can, when I can and try to keep things interesting.

Some of you have been with me from the beginning and I thank you...some of you are new, and I thank you too...but what brought you to my blog and why do you stay? I would love to know what keeps you interested, and what will keep you around for 2011. Please take a moment to leave me a comment and let me know what you like, why you are here, and what you would like to see more of.

The long list of projects to be completed in 2011, my Master To Do List if you will, is coming soon.

a season of enjoyment

2010-12-30T11:43:00.000-05:00

Here I sit 2 days before 2011, 5 days after Christmas and realized that I have not shared one blog post about Christmas yet. Well I will keep this short and sweet.

It was a good one, actually one of the best in my book. In fact, all of December was enjoyable. I didn't stress, I didn't have a melt down, I wasn't up until 4 am Christmas morning (I was actually in bed by 10 pm), I didn't panic, I didn't go over budget, and I didn't expect perfection.

What did I do? I embraced the season, I enjoyed celebrating old traditions with my family and created new ones. I did what I could do and let go of what I could not. I stuck to my budget. I did things little by little. I accepted imperfections and made due with what I had. I made the time to be, just be. I loved every minute of December.

Did I accomplish everything I wrote on my To Do List for the month? Nope. But you know what? That is ok with me.

With the year closing out quickly, I feel that my attitude this past month has put me in the right frame of mind for a new year, a new start. Stay tuned, I will be sharing my 2011 Goals and Project List shortly. I hope you will continue on the journey with me.

CTMH product spotlight blog hop featuring sparkles & pearls

2010-12-15T02:00:00.003-05:00

Welcome to this month's blog hop featuring sparkles and pearls. CTMH has such a wonderful line of embellishments including 4 choices for sparkles and 3 for pearls. I just love how these products add a little extra shimmer to a page or the finishing touch to a card.

Today, I want to share a card with you. It uses the Clear Sparkles ($2.95) which I use all. the. time. I have just started playing with the pearls and I can say that I am in love with them too...unfortuneatly, the project I am using them on isn't quite in the sharing stages just yet.

Don't those two little sparkles just add a little extra something to the card? yeah, they do.

I also used the Red, Pink & Purple sparkle pack on my little elf cards that I showed last month. If you want a second peak, click here.

If you arrived here from Luisa then you are on the right track. If this is your first stop, welcome, next stop is Wendy...so pop on over to see what she has to share.

{Happy Birthday Card}

Clear Sparkles Z1104
Stamp Set: With Love D1284

CS: Crystal Blue, Hollyhock, White Daisy

Ink: Crystal Blue, Hollyhock, Black, Sweet Leaf

Other: Just Blooms Summer Poises (ret), DP (unknown), ric rac (from Walmart)

waiting, waiting, waiting and a name change

2010-12-02T20:31:00.000-05:00

Shipping things stinks. In today's modern world..ie., air travel, why oh why do things get shipped all the way across the country via truck...really? Can't the truck just pick it up at the airport and skip all the waiting in between? Don't they know that there just might be a very inpatient scrapbooker on the other end waiting for her goodies to arrive? Not that I have any proof that it didn't actually go by air, but my goodies have been "on their way" since 11/24 and I don't like to wait!

I have been following along with all the wonderfully creative scrapbookers in blog land that are working on their JYC and DDs (Journal Your Christmas & December Daily). I had been hoping to start mine before December to be ready for the prompts but grrrr...shipping. I have been working on my journaling and have my photos...I just need my schtuff to get it all put together...it will be a happy crafty weekend here. I hope to have some pages to share real soon (we might need to play a little catch up).

**********************************************************************************

If you noticed my header (you did right?) I have decided to change my blog name. When I first started this blog it was solely to share my crafty creations. I have since evolved, or at least my blog has, and "Cut it out!" (which by the way was not my idea in the first place, but for lack of a better name, I chose it) just didn't seem to fit where I wanted to go with my blog. So "Mama Olie's Musings" was born. Olie is a play on my last name. My husband's nickname is Olie, J is lil Olie and so I am properly dubbed...Mama Olie. "Musings", well, not a word I use in normal conversation...but hey, it is what it is....a whole bunch of nothing and a little of something (or vice versa), I thought "musings" covered it all. The subtitle just sums it up..."reflections on life, loves (scrapbooking, cooking, decorating...you name it) and little lessons. I hope you will continue along on my journey...there is so much in store.

reclaiming the magic

2010-12-01T14:38:00.001-05:00

I have decided that this year I am taking back my December, taking back Christmas and putting the magic back into this holiday season. I have looked back on past years and realized that while I had always intended to slow down and enjoy the season, I didn't and found myself stressed out, burned out and ready for January to arrive. Not. This. Year.

K & J are getting bigger every day and while I know for a fact that J still believes, I have reason to believe that K might be catching on to the whole Santa thing. While I know it is an inevitable fact of growing up, as a parent I can do my best to keep the magic alive and the excitement in the air. Yes, I do know that Christmas is not about Santa, but it is a big part of it when you are a kid.

Me being a bundle of stress and rushing through each day during the holiday season doesn't help my agenda, so I am stepping back. It helps that most of my shopping is done, a goal I have been striving towards for years now and can finally say I have accomplished...I just need to pick up a few things here and there while I am out. Taking the rushing around to find the "perfect gift" out of the equation will allow me to focus on the true meaning of Christmas and what I want Christmas to be all about. My focus this year is not on the commercialism but is on my family and building memories and traditions to last a life time.

I have added in a few special activities to the agenda this year and I will be blogging about them as they happen. I have also decided that I am going to do a Christmas journal this year to help keep me focused on what really matters...family, friends, traditions and the spirit of the season. I will be doing a combination of Shimelle's Journal Your Christmas and Ali Edward's December Daily for inspiration and ideas. Not only am I hoping that this keeps me focused but it will allow me to document our traditions and enjoy the excitement of the season while the kids are still young (enough) for years to come. It will also enable me to get back into my craft room and start scrapping again, a favorite thing of mine that I have let take a back seat for far too long.

I will be sharing my pages on a regular basis. I invite you to stop by often and take a peak. As for today, December 1st, I leave you with this, as it sums up everything I want to say perfectly:

CTMH Spotlight Blog Hop featuring Christmas Stamp Sets

2010-11-15T02:00:00.004-05:00

Hello and welcome to this month's CTMH Product Spotlight Blog Hop. With Christmas right around the corner...is it really just under 6 weeks???...November seemed to be an appropriate time to highlight Christmas stamps.

Today you will be treated to artwork and inspiration from 17 talented women. If you came from Wendy's blog you are on the right track. If this is your first stop, keep on going...the hop goes full circle.

I am happy to share 4 cards with you today! It is so easy to create using these great stamp sets...they are just so much fun. You will notice too that the paper is all the same, I just changed up the image and layout and tada! there you have 4 unique cards with little effort at all. Unfortuneatly the paper is a retired Creative Basics pack...but...any of these cards would like adorable using our current Creative Basics Mistletoe Collection.

The first set of cards uses the great little elves from Merry Pursuits (B1313):

aren't these little guys so stinkin' cute?

The next card features All Decked Out (D1308) and the sentiment from Snow Friends (D1244):

Thanks for stopping by. Your next stop is Tamytha...please go check out what she has to share this month and don't forget to let me know you stopped by!

in honor and with thanks

2010-11-11T13:45:00.000-05:00

to all of our veterans, wherever you may be.

to all who have served,

to all who serve,

and to all who will serve.

thank you.

as simple as it may seem

thank you for your service

thank you for your sacrifice

thank you for our freedom

thank you.

one down but just the beginning

2010-11-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I am among the statistics. One of the countless Americans who have dug themselves into debt with really nothing to show for it. Thankfully, we can afford to pay our bills each month, but it is just so sad to look at the amount of money I am throwing at paying off credit card balances. Money that bought things that we once had to have and now, I can't even remember what it was. There are so many things that I want to do with my home right now (the dream list) that need to wait until those nasty cards can be paid off. I won't make the same mistake though. The remodeled bath, kitchen, finished basement, new siding, deck, etc. etc. will be paid for in cash...when it is free'd up from the outstanding debt of 12 Christmases, birthdays (you name it), past.

Tomorrow, when the banks open, the last payment for the first card will post. Personally, I am doing a little happy dance. One down, six (yes six) to go. There is an end in sight. Some will take a few months to pay off, a few will take about a year. I have a plan and it is working. I am seeing results and I am feeling good. We don't use credit cards anymore. If we can't pay for it out of pocket...we don't buy it.

It doesn't matter how you got there, it matters how you get back. Back to financial freedom. What works for one person, might not work for another. In my search for the best way to get out of debt, I have read many stories of people who have sold everything, lived in a trailor, small apartment, parent's house, etc., took 3 extra jobs, lived on hand me down clothes, no heat, bargain groceries, the list goes on and on. While I applaud their efforts and am amazed at the results,  that is not me. That is not my family. I need to do what works for us.

Awhile back I posted my themes for each day. I haven't really stuck to them, I have tried, but life comes first. I had intended for Thursdays to be thrifty thursdays.  My intention was (and still is) to post my thrift store remakes, how I used what I have, bargains I scored, etc.  That will still happen, but, I also want to share with you my plan for getting out of debt, living within your means, and still being able to have and enjoy things.

This isn't financial boot camp and I am by no means an expert. Sure, we could get out of debt faster if we went down to one car, I went back to work, we went to basic cable, dial up, etc.  But we are not willing to do that, this is our life, this is how we live, and I want it to be comfortable as I pay (literally) for past mistakes and bad financial decisions.   I will share with you what works for me, for our family, through trial and error and what will get us to debt free by February 2013.

I will tell you that we owe somewhere between $20k and $80K...the numbers are not important, but I just want you to know that we do have a good deal of debt, not an easy peasy payoff amount.

So I hope you come back each Thursday for my financial tidbits...real life solutions to a real life problem. If I can help just one person out of the same situation...my job will be done.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-02T13:36:00.001-04:00

I realize it is November 2nd. I have never been very timely, so 2 days after the fact is really quite an accomplishment for me.

Here is a recap of Halloween 2010:

the pumpkins.

JT has had his face painted differently everyday this week.

the food.

each year I attempt to make a ghoulish dinner. this year...sloppy joe goblins and wormy fries.

love how the jack-o-lanterns look all lit up. The white pumpkins are my attempt at getting all Martha Stewart, although for some reason the hubby volunteered to drill the holes...I don't think he wanted me touching his power tools. Doesn't matter....I think they look fabulous!

The kids.

I claim the hippie and the pumpkin lord. The hippe costume looked better without the sweatshirt, but it was so dang cold. The pumpkin lord...well, who knows where that came from. It has a very elaborate back story...just ask JT. This was not his original costume, we started the season as Mutt from Indiana Jones, evolved into Stripe the evil gremlin and ended on Halloween as the pumpkin lord...go figure.

the graveyard.

Hubby puts it up, I for some reason get stuck taking it down : ( ...ps...it is still up.

the entryway decor

my little hutch in the mudroom. love the white plate. hunted everywhere for the perfect one and found this one at Goodwill for $1.50...the vinyl is from Shelley at Wonderfully Wordy. The hutch is in need of a makeover (ie., paint job) it is on the long, long list.

one of my favorite displays every year...added the skulls in the vase idea this year. The idea is all over blog land. everyone "stole" it from pottery barn. and...like everyone else, I didn't pay $16 for 6 skulls (or whatever ridiculously crazy amount PB wanted). I paid $1 for a bag of skulls at Dollar Tree, brushed them with some brown acrylic paint I had on hand, added them to vase I had ~~collecting dust~~ stored in the basement and added some $1 floral moss from Dollar Tree. The skull came with the husband when I married him. Or should I say, was part of his Halloween decor...and I love it. The books, well, I think Harry Potter is so Halloween!

This little piece is new this year too. I love it. The vinyl is from Shelley at Wonderfully Wordy. I picked up a black frame at Walmart for $5 and wah-la...instant trendiness...oh, how I will miss this. Maybe she will come up with a Christmas/Winter one...hint. hint.

That is it...off to tackle my huge to do list, so I can start on some fabulous projects I have up my sleeve.

Friday with my Friends

2010-10-29T09:28:00.000-04:00

Oh it has been so long since I have had the chance to play with my paper and stamps! I have been itching to get into my craft room, but time and a long list of projects kept getting in the way. I was able to find an excuse to clean clear off a space to create this week though. Football and field hockey seasons are coming to an end this week for the kiddos. I was in charge of taking up a collection for the field hockey coaches and figured what a perfect excuse to make a card...who wants a store bought one anyway.

So I whipped up this thank you card (twice!) to present with the gifts from the players:

The cute little birdie stamp is from the Unity October KOM, DP is Cosmo Cricket, CS and ink is Close to My Heart, and the design is based on Mojo Monday 162 (which I am linking to also).

Be sure to visit Unity's blog to check out all of the FWF blogs today (the list will be up by 9am CT). Be sure to visit each one in order to find the hidden blinkie. If you find it...leave a comment for your chance to win some Unity goodness...and while you are at it, I would love to hear from you too!

an 8 year olds perspective on marriage

2010-10-21T12:48:00.000-04:00

I have some of the best conversations with my children. They have changed over the years from them asking me "why?" to now me asking them "why?' (or silently smacking my brain around trying to figure out their reasoning).

My conversations with K are usually intellectual and she actually educates me on the wonders of the world. She is one smart, creative & talented cookie and that head is just busting with knowledge. I do have to say that every now and then she pops up with something I wasn't ever expecting...like asking me the other day if 5th grade is too young to date (yikes). We worked through that one together and it was a special mother daughter converation that I hope she feels comfortable to have again with me.

My conversations with J are normally very entertaining. Don't get me wrong, he too educates me by sharing tidbits he has learned in school, or about the zillion different lego characters ( he knows them all as we have graduated from Thomas the Tank Engine trivia). But that kid's mind is unique, purposeful and extremely imaginative. Some of the things he comes out with, you need to just stop and wonder how he ever drew that conclusion (and sometimes what myself and Mr. Olie are teaching him).

This morning before school we were having a conversation about Dick and Rick Hoyt. They are an incredibly inspirational father and son team. I couldn't do justice to their story so if you haven't ever heard of them, please take the moment to visit their website and read their story...just have a box of tissues ready.

They Hoyts are local. As a child I knew who they were. My husband was in high school at the same time Rick was. Mr. Hoyt was a member of the same Air National Guard unit my father worked for. I had the privelege of experiencing their story, witnessing their story. I also had the privelege of working with Mr. Hoyt when I became a member of that same unit, he is an incredible person.

Two years ago we were sitting as a family watching Epcot's The American Experience at Disney and lo and behold the Hoyts went running by in the film. My husband and I just looked at each other, mouths open...I guess I live a sheltered life, I didn't know they were THAT famous. This lead to a wonderful conversation with the kids about the Hoyts. A little internet research and a few YouTube videos later, my children had a wonderful appreciation for this family.

Fast forward to this morning.

J - "hey mom, you know that really cool man that runs everywhere pushing his son in a wheelchair?"

Me - "yes, the Hoyts?"

J - "yes. Mrs. P (his teacher) knows them because she used to work with his wife at Kamp for Kids (a local camp for children with disabilities) when she was in college."

Me - "really? Did she talk about them in class?"

J - "yep. She also had a picture of him. I can see why he is married."

Me - "I know JT, he is a very nice man, but why did a picture show you that?" (ok, racking my brain...trying to figure out his logic)

J - "Well, he might be nice, but he is married because man his abs are ripped".

Note to self....never try to figure out his logic.

What I Wore on this Weight Watchers Wednesday

2010-10-06T13:43:00.000-04:00

ok, so I am back with WW Wednesdays and have decided to pair it with What I Wore Wednesday hosted by Lindsey over at the Pleated Poppy. She decided to put a little effort into what she wore each day and created a linky party so other women could do the same and share what they wear each day. I have to say some of those women are super cute and have some wonderful fashion sense (I on the other hand...don't).

A few weeks ago I blogged about how I have been stalking this series each Wednesday and really wanted to join but viewing the pics of me just wasn't something that I could endure.

Well, I am still not too sure I can endure the pics, but hey, my Wednesday posts are supposed to be about my weight loss ~~struggle~~ journey and I guess there is no better way to document it than in pictures.

So, this week, I only have 2 pics to share, but promise to do better next week. I must apologize for the pics themselves and the sheer ugliness of the bathroom that they were taken in. I realized that I only have 3 mirrors that i can take pictures in front of in my home and no full length mirrors...guess I should get on that one. This mirror has the best lighting. So ugly wall paper in the bathroom that is patiently waiting for a full gutting and remodel aside, it is where I will be taking the pics (unless I can figure out the tripod thingy).

Tuesday - home & football practice at night

shirt & sweater - Kohl's (last year)

jeans - nine & co

muffin top - courtesy of 2 kids...but will be gone soon (I hope)

Wednesday - home & football practice at night

Argyle top - dress barn

Black layering tee - Kohl's

Jeans - Ruff hewn

On the WW end of things, I am happy to say that finally, after months of going up .2, .4, etc. etc. I have lost weight. I lost 1.8lbs and have vowed to make that just the beginning. I came home from my meeting on Saturday and packed a picnic lunch for the whole family to eat after JT's football game...instead of stopping on the way home at a resturaunt. I have also had dinner on the table each night, tracked all my points, not eaten everyone else's leftovers, and made the yummiest White Bean & Sausage Soup with escarole yesterday for lunch (and about to heat up leftovers soon). The running hasn't been as dedicated. I told myself that I would wake up at 5am M,W,F and run...well, so far it has been raining, and I refuse to run in the rain. So, maybe Friday...we will see.

Whatever the scale shows Saturday, all I can say is I had a good week and I feel great.

Tracy

Life these days....

2010-10-01T11:04:00.000-04:00

is a little bit crazy and a whole lot of hectic all wrapped into one pretty little package.

I guess when you have one of these

and one of these

that is the way it is.

But, I wouldn't want it any other way.

I wouldn't want to not make a last minute lunch for my child who loves pizza day, but changed her mind last minute for fear of going hungry because the green beans look like mush and the salad is wet and contains some substance that is well, not food (her words).

I wouldn't want to not help my child wash with baby wipes in the car as the bus is pulling up to the bus stop because eventhough he showered and apparently applied deoderant his smell wasn't quite right this morning.

I wouldn't want to not load up 4 kids into the car and drive over to the school in the pouring rain because my child forget her instrument, despite warning her that morning to not forget it because I wouldn't bring it in.

I wouldn't want to not have to count to a bajillion each and every time I sat down with my child to do his homework because even before he looks at it the tears start and he just doesn't get it...eventhough once we get started (25 minutes later) he is doing it just fine.

I wouldn't want to not have to do the countless other things that come with being me; being a mom to 2 wonderful children; being a wife to an amazing man who puts in long hours so I have the opportunity to stay home and care for our home and children.

I want to do these things because it makes them happy, it makes me happy and I love the life I am in right now.

I want to do these things because that is the kind of mom I am and I am darn proud to be.

Happy October 1st!

Tracy

PS...Melissa over at the inspired room is joining a few other bloggers for 31 days of inspiration on a few different subjects (decorating, doing more with less, cleaning/organization, photography, etc.). I will be following along each day with them to make my home more inviting, my life more fulfilling and hopefully my photography more appealing. Stay tuned as I will post about my 31 day journey of embracing and finding peace in my life and my home in 31 days.

Weight Watchers Wednesday...and fashion (or lack of it)

2010-09-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

Ok, so this isn't really a post on weight loss, well maybe it is.

Last week during my obsession with reading blogs I happened upon (again) Lyndsey at the Pleated Poppy. Besides having a cute store and fabulous blog she does a great linky party on Wednesday's titled What I Wore Wednesday. The whole concept started when she decided to take a little more pride in her appearance and put a little more effort in her wardrobe choices each day. She posts pictures of herself each day during the week and indicates where the clothing came from (which is great btw....guess I need to check out Target more often!) Then other people link up and do the same thing.

Ok, bear with me...this does have something to do with Weight Watchers Wednesday, promise.

So, being the ultra unfashionable person that I am (I won't buy new clothes because I don't want to be at this weight) I thought this would be a great opportunity to start taking pictures and posting them to show a transformation in myself...until I took the first picture. I happened to be wearing a super cute top and a pair of jean shorts (to the knee). I felt great in the outfit and super cute...until I took the picture. Holy Moly! Who the heck is the fat chick and why is she in my picture????? Honest, the top is super cute, just not on me!

I know I haven't been following WW perfectly (ok, not at all) and I have slacked on my running a bit (no time and too hot...yes excuses, but it is what it is) but my goodness I didn't think I blew up that fast.

So, I know what I want to wear, I feel my style and it is calling my name. I have poured over catalogues, cut out pictures, dog eared, tagged and circled magazines...checked out some of the super cute moms on Lyndsey's hop and now...well, let's just say that if those styles even came in my size, I wouldn't dare wear them, because it just wouldn't be fair to the clothes!

So, I am on a mission, I have a goal...I want to join the linky party! I want to shop for new clothes (before the Spring line is in and the Fall/winter line is out). So this past Saturday was a new weigh in, a starting over point (I did say the school year would bring about a new me). Wish me luck and I will faithfully update my progress. yeah, I know I think I have made similar statements before but I never had a picture staring me in the face of what I really look like...I am scared, sad, embarrassed, ashamed...alll the above...but I am ready to change. There is a skinny chick inside me screaming to get out and I need to quit shutting her up with cookies.

Tracy

What I have learned

2010-09-03T22:15:00.000-04:00

The kids went back to school this week and I had grand plans to get my house in order. I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish each day. I spent all day Monday cleaning and got a whole bunch of laundry put away, my bedroom in liveable shape (it was the laundry dumping ground) and J's room almost cleaned...that took almost 4 hours in itself! Then, well, nothing. I had great intentions and I did cross off a few things, but nothing that made a dent in what I wanted to get done, just the normal everyday tasks (like bill paying). Why? Well here is what I learned:

I spend way too much time engrossed in other people's lives via the wonderful world of blogging.

I am addicted...seriously.

I have wonderful intentions of just checking in on the few (well handful) of blogs that I love, but then, when they have linky parties I have to check out the other blogs and before you know it I have 100 windows open and I am totally engrossed. drawn in. obsessed. HELP!

I do have to admit though that there are some amazing women out there! Some are great moms, great people, fabulous decoraters, survivors, crafty goddesses and some super stylish dressers...the list goes on and on. I do have a purpose in all this obsessiveness. I am trying very hard to make my house a home, to find my style, and to do it on a very small budget. That is where the land of blogs is great...I have found so many wonderful ideas and can't wait to try them out....when I can actually get off the computer and focus on what I set out to do.

What else have I learned?

I am not alone, there are many other women out there just like me. I know because there are at least 4 blogs I read on a daily basis that are written as if I am sharing my thoughts, views, stories and craziness.

Eventhough sometimes I don't think so, I am a good mom. There are many of the moms in the blogging world that I look up to that have the same views, theories and challenges that I face and they deal with them in quite the same way I do. Plus as I write this post, I have my snugglebug cuddled up beside me in my bed.

I can't decorate to save my life (but I can copy other people, so I think that is a start)

Spray paint can fix anything

That I seriously lack fashion sense (I will get into that on Wednesday's post)

That I am not the only crazy, over extended, do too much, don't have enough time for my kids mom out there....and I am also not the only one who is trying to change that (it is all in the attitude my friend!)

That I am unique, I am special, I can make a difference and I need to find and be me.

That there is an amazing support structure of women around the world that I can connect to from my own home, who I have never met, but through their stories and adventures I can feel as if I have known them my entire life.

That I spend too much time reading blogs about what I want to do than doing it. I can't say I will change that, but I do need to control it....starting Tuesday, I am taking the weekend to just be with my family and enjoy a semi free weekend together.

Enjoy your holiday weekend!

Tracy

firsts and a wnner

2010-08-30T22:00:00.000-04:00

today was the first day of school (only snapped one pic...the kiddos were NOT cooperating)

it was also the first day since early June that I have been alone in the house for more than 1 hour (I soaked in the peace and cleaned my heart out!)

it was the first day of my new exercise/diet plan (got up early & ran, stayed on plan)

the first day of my Operation Organize plan (in the purge phase...but folded 300 & put away about 300 loads of laundry, filled up 2 trash bags in JT room, and scoured the upstairs bath)

the first day of my Operation Make My House a Home plan (cleaning & purging...but as I was doing that I got tons of crafty, creative, DIY remolding ideas...)

it was the first day of our new schedule (the kids don't like it, but I do...it will grow on them)

it was a new beginning (when my plan is full force life will be simpler, less hectic, calmer, filled with more me time, etc. etc...just good)

more to come....

and....we have a winner from my GIU week last week. Congratulations Kristi of Kristi's Paper Creations. You won yourself some Unity goodness. Please email me or leave a comment with your email address so we can get your stamps in the mail.

Tracy

Growing in Unity Day 5 on FWF Friday

2010-08-27T10:54:00.000-04:00

Hey there ~

I cannot believe today is the end of my GIU week. I have had so much fun creating and sharing. I couldn't think of a better way than Friends with Flair Friday to end the week. But just because my GIU week is over, I do hope you will come visit me again! I can't promise crafty inspiration every day...but I can promise a little bit of this...and a little bit of that with some crafty inspiration sprinkled in here and there.

I wanted to thank you all for the sweet comments you have left all week long on my blog...reading them has made me smile a little brighter each and every day. I also wanted to thank you all for your comments yesterday...it is so true, experiences like that just restore your faith in all that is good.

That being said, today I have a little wickedness going on...but the fun kind! When I was going through my stamps I put my finger on one of my very first Unity stamps (actually I think it was my first) and it is still by far one of my favorites. I know it is only August...but I just had to play with this Halloween sentiment now (plus the paper just happened to be sitting on top of my desk)! Fall is my favorite season and I love everything that falls within that time.

Thank you again for sharing my Growing in Unity week with me. I hope I was able to spark a bit of inspiration. Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to win Unity stamps. I will be selected a random winner on Sunday. And...since today is FWF you will have even more chances to win Unity goodness. Hop on over to the Unity Blog and be sure to visit each of the FWF participants. Someone has the mystery blinkie....find it and leave a comment for your chance to win! Don't ya just love Unity???

Happy crafting,

Tracy

Sketch is based on Mercy's Tuesday Sketch Challenge #88 and I am linking up there as well.

A stranger's generosity and Growing in Unity Day 4

2010-08-26T11:08:00.003-04:00

Today is day 4 of growing in Unity! I have a card to share, but first a little story. One that truly makes you step back and take a look at your life, be thankful for what you have, and give that little extra each and every day to be kind and loving to those around you. This isn't a sad story...although I will tell you that when it happened to us, it made me cry. I wasn't crying tears of sadness, but because of how this one stranger was so thoughtful, kind, selfless and how it touched my heart so very much.

Last night my family and I attended a Dine to Donate event at our local Applebee's to raise funds for the youth football program in town, that my son is a member of.  I figured the place would be mobbed (which it was) and that the wait would be long (which it was) and since Kelsey & I had hair appointments at 8:00 I asked Bob to go right from work and put our names in. The kids and I were at football practice and planned on meeting him as soon as practice was let out.

There was already a wait when Bob arrived so he put our names on the list and sat down at the bar.  Now he was coming right from work so he was still in uniform. He sat down next to another man and as guys do over a beer they started talking. Not about anything in particular. The gentleman asked him why he was in uniform (which he explained as I did above) and about his family. No biggie. In the meantime we arrived, our table was called and Bob ended his conversation with the man.

During dinner we were approached by a waitress (or could have been the manager, bartender...not sure) who handed Bob a gift card and told him it was from the gentleman at the bar. He had already left and didn't want his name revealed, nor any thanks. He just wanted to thank Bob for his service and their conversation and wanted our family to enjoy dinner on him (this is where I started crying...right there in a packed restaurant).   Let's just say that this man was very generous and his gift paid for our meal and drinks. Since the woman that presented the gift card knew this gentleman personally, we did ask that she thank him profusely and to please make sure he knew how grateful we were for his kindness. We have gone several places with Bob in uniform before and this has never happened to us as a family (he had a similar experience in Wisconsin a few weeks ago on a military trip), not that I would ever expect it to.

I am still without words. People in this world can be so mean, and this one man, with his act of kindness put many things in perspective for me and allowed me to teach my children a very valuable lesson in kindness and generosity.

I wish we could thank him, but since I don't really know how I could I will pay it forward at the right time.

In honor of his kindness and beautiful spirit, I created this card for GIU Day 4...enjoy!

Images are from Bevy of Butterflies and the design is from Mojo Monday (#153). Don't forget to leave me some bloggy love for your chance to win some Unity goodness. I will pick the winner on Sunday.

Please take the time today to go out and do something kind for someone,

Tracy

Growing in Unity Day 3...Unity Addicts Challenge

2010-08-25T07:55:00.000-04:00

Wow! Day #3 of GIU already! I am having such a great time. Today, I pulled a card out from the archives. I have had such a great time creating but when I found out the Unity Addicts challenge was black & white with a pop of color I knew I already had the most perfect card for that!

I used one of the beautiful lamp shade images from Shine On! This is one of my favorite Unity sets for it's elegance and simplicity. I just happened to have the perfect coordinating DP and my "pop" of color is a ribbon I salvaged from a chocolate Easter Bunny package this past Easter (I am thrifty like that!)

If you are just joining me today go back and check out my GIU posts for Monday and Tuesday and be sure to leave me some love for your chance to win some Unity goodness at the end of the week. I will be posting Thursday and Friday also so come back to see what else I have to hopefully inspire you to go create!

Happy Crafting,

Tracy