Declaring our intentions~

Manifesto: Noun. A declaration of one’s intentions.

Starting December first, I will keep a Christmas journal. In it, I will write something every day to reflect on the holidays of my past, enjoy the holidays of the present and dream about the holidays of my future. To some, this will be a stack of papers and trivial scribbles, but not to me. I am taking back my Christmas, I am letting it be something I relish and, most importantly, I am giving at least fifteen minutes every day to myself no matter how crazy this season becomes. I hope you will share, encourage and understand as I make something with my own hands, my own words and my own memories.

This is taken from Shimelle's blog regarding the Christmas Art Journal class. I finished my cover. Can't wait to get started on the inside! It's gonna be a good month!

I might add a little more *BLING* later but, for now I am happy with it!

Have a great Friday everyone!

Peace, Love, & Caramel Corn~

Signs of the season~

Overslept this morning and don't even feel guilty about it. I do have a lot to do today so I better get crackin'. Got a steaming cup of hot goodness (coffee). I am set!

The dinner party was a little awkward but, nice. It's a very small company but, they have doubled their employees in the last year. It was nice not to be the new people like last year. It was also nice having a meal with adults. Plus, it's one more thing I can cross off of my to do list.

Finished my first slit scarf. One down, two to go! I gotta tell you I was pretty proud of myself for teaching myself how to bind off!

I am also working on my homemade ornaments. ATC Christmas Ornaments. I hope my family likes them, gets them, and doesn't think that I am cheap. Each on is an original piece of my art work. These are the front and back view(s). I think they are super cute but, I made them.

Riley and I made a small attempt at decorating the apartment. When I say small, I mean small. I am not even sure how we are going to have a Christmas tree this year. Partially because of space and because I know that Ry & Tay will attack it!

Oh, well at least we have stockings!

I signed up for Shimelle's Christmas Art Journal class.
I almost passed on this one but, when I started looking at other people's work from last year I felt so inspired. After the dinner party Andy and I made a mad dash for the Craft Warehouse down the street from the restaurant. They were 10 minutes from closing when we got there. We raised around the store trying to find a book that would work for what I have in my mind. No small feat if you know my brain. I settled on a spiral bound 6x9 sketch book. The only drawback is that the cover is this horrible brown color and will need to be covered. Oh, well I was probably going to alter it anyway. LOL! I am just happy to be taking this class and hope that I make time to enjoy it and actually finish. I am planning on decorating the cover today!

Peace, Love, & knitting needles*

Brrrr!

It is cold this morning. I think yesterday might have been a record cold for us. I for one am not a fan of the cold. OK I am done whining. I actually have to get back to my knitting. I went and made more work for myself. J's had their fun fur yarn on sale and I need three Christmas presents for some very nice little ladies that are not going to have much in way of a Christmas. So now I have to get busy. I don't knit very fast either. Probably because someone is needing my attention every two seconds. Oh, well. I got 4 different colors and I hope they turn out alright!

I also finished the Layouts for my nieces Christmas present. Well part of her present. She is getting 5 layouts that my sister just has to add pictures and journaling to for her album. I am making some for her baby sister too.

That's what's up in a nutshell. I have a dinner party to go to tonight for my husbands company. I always feel weird going to them. The people are nice but, I still don't quite feel like I fit in and I think part of me wishes that I had my own work party to go to. Don't get me wrong, I love being the one to take care of my kids and this is totally where I need to be right now. It's just that I loved my job and the people that I worked for and some days I miss it. Today is going to be one of those days. OK enough with the whining. I promise this time!

Peace, love & Christmas Trees*

Blog Rotation~

I love the counter on my blog. I love that I can tell how many people visited my little blog since I was last here. I wonder if this means I have made it into some daily blog rotations. You know those daily blogs that you regularly check to see what's going on with the person that you don't really know outside of the realm of blogdom or Peadom in the case of a lot of the peeps who read my little blogity blog. Now I am feeling a certain amount of pressure to create an entry that is worth reading. I am not sure if it's going to happen this morning. I mean come on, it's Monday morning. It's 7:26am. I am just trying to get a little something blogged before the baby demands my attention. The afore mentioned baby is 9months old today. I can hardly believe it myself. He is getting so big and so independent. Standing up and trying to walk. Playing happily by himself. Almost sleeping through the night and such. It's a beautiful thing!





I almost forgot the tell you. The card drive has crested 200 cards and counting. I am thrilled! It is amazing to start out with something like this and actually see it come to fruition. So thank you to everyone for the effort. I appreciate it dearly!

Ok peeps, have a great day! I have breakfasts and a lunch to make.

Peace*

Late night!

It's been a long time since I have had a late night post. I should be sleeping. My eyes are all blurry, a sure sign that I need sleep. I am waiting for Andy to get home. He's on call this weekend. The busiest weekend of the year for drain cleaners I hear. I guess it's all of that starchy Thanksgiving foods going down the sinks.

We found out tonight that my brother is going to Albuquerque, New Mexico for his mission. I am thankful that he is staying in the states. If nothing else at least I won't have to fill out customs forms to send him care packages. LOL!

2Peas Blogger Challenge:
Blog about how you keep in touch with family/friends over the holidays... via the written word. Do you send cards... store bought or handmade? Do you send a Christmas letter???

I love Christmas... Love Christmas cards. I love sending them out. I have been doing it for years. This is the first year that I have made cards. I don't have any scanned to show you. So far I have made 40 cards for the card drive. Friends and family will get a mix of store bought (last years sales) and home made. Good times. I especially love getting cards! Such a great time of year!

We Need You~

Greetings,
We are well on our way to making the 200 card goal but, we are not there yet. The shipping deadline is quickly approaching but, there is still a little time if you still wanted to participate in the card drive. I know it's a busy time of year. Every card helps! I have already sent out a few cards for the past holidays and today recieved a thank you card from a platoon of soliders. The gratitude that was expressed in that one card makes me want to reach and surpass our goal even more. I can't do it without your help. Let me know if you are still interested in participating. I really appreciate it.
Thank you & Happy holidays,
Stephanie

Thanksgiving 2006~

I am thankful for my digital camera. Although I really got mostly terrible pictures. Al least I have pictures. Riley wouldn't let me take his picture but, Taylor was all for the picture taking. Good thing since it was his first turkey day. Here are are my favs:

Taylor & Mommy.

My Sweet Niece Ashlynn.

Her first Thanksgiving too!

Happiest of Thanksgivings to Everyone!!!

I am off to finish making homemade rolls~

A little scrappage~

Thought I would share this layout with you. I completed it on Friday. Trying to work through some of the photos from when we first had Riley. It's really hard for me to scrap anything that isn't current.

I made this simple little Thanksgiving card for the card drive.

You are probably tired of hearing about the card drive. Well I have to say that we are so close to reaching our 200 card goal (55 cards to go). There is still time if you want to whip up a few cards for a really great cause and pop them in the mail. I am sending them out the second week in December. email me @ cards4troops@msn.com . Thanks!

I made three of these layout for a Mom in Canada who has brain cancer. She is trying to complete albums for her three girls. All three are the same except the name. I also made one for my neice. I am making her some pages for Christmas. Sorry for the terrible picture. It says "Things you Say."

Anywho, lots of baking to do today and some Christmas ornaments to make. I am pretty proud of them this year and will share them when I am finished with them. Have a great day!

Sleep, It does exist~

So I guess this would be part two of my last post. How am I applying my leaf turning you ask? Well let me start by telling you about my AWESOME birthday surprises. For me birthdays are all about who remembers, not what I get. Well the day was decending and I was getting kind of bummed because, I hadn't heard from my sister. DH was late getting home from work and we were suppose to go to dinner after we took the boys to his mom's. We get there and there is a huge surprise party for my. My family and friends. It was amazing. And the best party was that my sweet, darling DH pulled it off all by himself and in only 24hours. These people came to my party with only such little notice! And there was food and laughter. A good time was had by well at least me!!!! My sister and I took some insanly silly pictures with the digi and laughed until we almost peed. That is what a new leaf is all about. Having a good time, enjoying life in the moment. You wanna know what else. In the spirit of living, I let me brother take pictures of my doing the traditional birthday things (cake, presents etc...) this is big for me. Usually I grimace and try to dodge the camera. No more, I am gonna be present in my life and have the pictures to prove it.

Speaking of presents I got some major love from my party guests. I am not gloating I swear. I am so thankful that they came. My DH had a another birthday surprise up his sleeve. A Cricut all for me. I was so surprised! I would never have asked for one because they are so expensive. My in laws bought me two cartridges to go with it. I was like a kid in a candy store. Actually I felt a little embarrassed. Expensive things always make me feel that way. So, DH's Mom took the boys overnight. That was huge for me as Taylor has never slept overnight anywhere yet. We get home and take the Cricut out and I make the first cut and then DH (who was more excited then I was) spends the next two hours playing with it. It was soooo funny. I haven't seen him that excited about anything in a long time. He just wanted to keep cutting stuff out.

The good times continued throughout the weekend. We realized that this would be the last weekend until the first of the year to relax and we did. Now I can get down to business in a major way! I have started making my Christmas ornaments. Preparing the last of the greeting cards for the soldiers. So much to be done but, it'll be fun.

I am still composing my 30 before I am 30 list. Updates to follow.....

'What" will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

26~

I have been resisting turning 26. As if I could actually do anything to slow down time. I just feel like I haven't accomplished what I should have by now.

Well no more~

I want to turn over a new leaf. I have been thinking a lot lately about something I read on Heidi Swapp's blog "She designed a life she loved!". I want that to be me. What the heck am I waiting for anyway? I always say someday or we should do that. Well now is that time. I am going to make myself a list of all the things I want to accomplish before I turn 30. I am gonna scrap it as I accomplish each goal. It will be for me. On a more environmental level I am gonna make some changes around here.

I just hope my family can handle to changes.

Have a great day people & a fabulous weekend.

Life is what you make of it, so make it something that you love!

P.S. I have the sweetest boys in my life. Yep, I am blessed!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Steph!

Love You,
Andy, Riley & Taylor

Terrible Two's? Let's Party!

Riley turned 2!

He had a Cars birthday family with family and friends. It amazes me that we can take over 200 pictures at an event and have only a hand full of usable pics. I have included a few of my favorites for your viewing pleasure.

It's all birthdays this week. I know someone with a birthday every day this week except Thursday & Saturday.

Super Duper Busy~

nO i DID noT go and forgeT about my Sweet liTtle bloGaroo. I havE been crazY buSy. To busY to even list the borIng detAils. Just Know that all Is welL and wIth the eXception of a Nasty coLd I am sUper duPer. RilEy's BirtHday pArty is saTurDay. Also it's nOt to lAte to paRticiPate in the cArd dRive foR soLdiers. If yoU are interesTed let me Know. It'S a reaL gooD CauSe!

Cards4troops@msn.com

HaVe a gReat dAy aLl!