Got Flowers?

I love, love, love the Prima flowers. I know, you are wondering what I do with them with a house full of boys. I have gotten pretty creative about using flowers, ribbon and sparkle on my scrapbook pages. I also have two (soon to be three) nieces so that helps :). For cards they are always a welcome addition.
I have found it a bit hard to use entire bottles of colors though. I like the assortments, but they don't always have a new mix of combinations. I am so excited to share my recent find with you!

Cafe Prima!!!!

She has free shipping on minimum orders and you can literally order one flower at a time. I you only need six leaves, then order six! How cool is that? She has some neat assortments as well and even better, a monthly kit club!!!! Look at the past assortments and you can see she definitely has a knack for combinations. What fun!!!!!! I think this is a FABULOUS idea and hope she is extremely successful! WTG Jennifer!!!

What does a word mean?

Especially if the word is "clean"? I have been reminded, once more, that the definition of a word is sometimes situational. In general, I keep my house clean. It is by no means spotless, we definitely live here and it shows, but the general cleaning is kept up. Dishes done, floors swept and vacuumed, etc. This is day to day clean.
Then there is friends and family coming over clean. The run around and pick up some of the lived in look. The toys on the floor and magazines on the edge of the couch (2 months worth that I keep meaning to finish reading).
There is however an entirely different level of clean when company is coming who is not as familiar. People who you doesn't know well, have never been to your house before and may never be again. That requires the assistance of the entire family and a room that you know the door will stay closed for a bit of dash and stash :). Your eyes suddenly see things they have never noticed before. You become aware of the fact that just because you keep something on the floor in the corner, and the same place all the time, it is not the same as the item truly having a home. That is not really a "place" and you currently don't have a "place". Hence the dash and stash!
Now, I have to admit that things look pretty great cleared off. Until I bring out all the stuff that has been piled in the room with the door closed. Now what? Well basically, there is just too much stuff and some things need to go! This is the real project and what requires the real cleaning. So, my ongoing challenge is to reduce the amount of stuff in our house. Then the family level of clean will be pretty much the same as the unknown company level of clean. Wouldn't that be fantastic?

Eyes Wide Open

Yesterday my family and I visited an exhibit that was very sobering. It is called Eyes Wide Open and it a visual display to represent the National Guardsmen who's lives have been lost in the Iraq War. Regardless of your thoughts or opinion of the war, this is a powerful exhibit. There are a pair of combat boots displayed for each soldier. Locally they also included a pair for every Idaho soldier that has been lost. I was emotional, but holding it all together until I found the boots for 3 of "my soldiers". These were three different Idaho soldiers that I assembled OPH comfortghans for their families. At that point I lost it and the tears began to flow.
As I walked around I was reminded of a comment my oldest son made several years ago. We visited a traveling representation of the Vietnam Wall Memorial. As we walked the memorial and read the names on the wall and the letters left by loved ones my son turned to me and said "Mom, I think that anyone who is looking at sending people to war should have to write all of these names first. Maybe then they will remember what happens during war." WOW! If only the adults could be as intelligent as the children.
If you get a chance, do visit this memorial. Eyes Wide Open is a wonderful tribute to those who have paid such a high price.

Mailing some comfort

I completed assembling and mailed two comfortghans for HeartMade Blessings. The fall colors is for a gentleman who lost his father and the pastels is for a young mother who has been widowed.

Boy layout about friendship

I guess it doesn't have to be for boys, but I like the idea of a friendship theme that could be used for boys. We think about this with girls, but friendships are just as important for the little boys as well :). The colors in this are so beautiful. A deep red and turquoise blue. The chipboard coasters by Gin-X are soooooooooo fun!!! The one between the "U" and "I" has an & in red in the center and the outside ring has friendship things like "friends always", etc.

More Auction Items

Here is another layout for the auction. I am pretty please with how this one turned out. I wish the photo resolution was better, but........... Anyway, this is in black and tan and the paper is by Diane's Daughters - love this stuff!!!

Auction items

The local scrapping group I am in holds a Charity Crop each year. As a group we decide on the Charity we want to raise money for and then get busy :). Members donate items for silent auction. There are also raffle items available and then a day full of fun! The crop is in Nov. and I have been working on some layouts to donate. Here are a couple of the ones I have completed.

The best thing............

Do you know what the BEST thing is about being a stay at home mom? It is those mornings when your child wakes up and they don't feel good not getting the sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that you are going to have to juggle everything. It is not feeling like you are going to have to decide between work and your child. It is not convincing your child if they are ok, but just don't want to to go and see how they do so you can get a few things finished. It is not wondering everytime the phone rings at work if it is the school and they are worse than they were this morning. It is not sitting awake all night wondering if you are working the next day and how to juggle things if you aren't.
If IS being able to be there 100% for your child on the good days and the bad.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

I spent two hours last night in tears. They were happy tears and sad tears. Some were selfish tears as well. I watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition which always makes me cry. However, last nights episode (2 hours long) was guest hosted by Marlee Matlin and was for a family that had several members who are blind as well as a son who is deaf. My own son got very excited when he saw Marlee signing and watched intently. I am excited to see she will be on next week's episode as well just for the opportunity for him to see her again.
They profiled a device call the "I Commuicator" that a friend and I have been interested in for the last couple of years. There was also a section that followed two members of the design team traveling to some Latin American countries with the Starkey Foundation to fit children and some adults with hearing aids for the first time. Anyone who knows me, knows why I was in tears the whole time. I am sure my being emotional going into the show didn't help matters, but I would have bawled regardless :).

WOW!

So, color me surprised! Lukus won not Toby. WOW! Now, my 13yr old son was so excited he literally jumped up in the air. You remember the Toyota leap? That is what he did. So, not a bad thing, but evidentally I can't read Tommy Lee's mind. THAT is not a bad thing, LOL!

ROCKSTAR

So, I have to admit that I am hooked, AGAIN! I so despise reality shows, but this one, Rockstar SuperNova, just completely reels me in. I swore I wasn't even going to watch one, but then there was nothing else on the first night and now..................
Anyway, my predication is that Toby will win it all. I just think they believe he will be the best for ticket and album sales. Tommy Lee just doesn't have the same "squeal factor" he did 20 years ago (has it been THAT long!?!).

My Dolphins

just didn't cut it last night. They stopped the Steelers at the goal line and then just gave it all back to them. Pre-season I could say that it didn't really "count". Now it does! Come on guys! I don't want to have to handle that level of frustration all season!

Just a couple of hours..........

That is all we thought it would take to put in the new sink in the bathroom. WRONG! Turns out that "standard" size 30 years ago is not the same as standard size in 2006. The sink was too small. We looked at getting a new vanity then realized that would mean the floor would be too short and on and on and on....................
So, DH undertook the massive task of putting new laminate over the old ugly yellow stuff and then putting back on the existing vanity and the sink we had (which was a fine almond color) back in. He did a great job, but it consumed the entire weekend and was super stressful. Starting to look pretty good in there. Now it is my turn to get busy with all the painting.

Welcome Baby!

NO, not me!!!!!!
I have a friend who has a new baby boy. I wasn't able to attend her shower, but still wanted to do something special for her. I purchased a very cute 6x6 album and then created pages to fill it up so that she can just add pictures and have a completed album/brag book. After that she can give it as a gift or keep for herself, whatever does her the most good :). I really hope she likes it. I am going to try to get it in today's mail so she has soon. There are 40 different pages so these are just a few of them so you get the general idea.

In Honor of Jacob Allcott

I completed assembling and am mailing out this OPH comfortghan to the parents of Army Pfc. Jacob Allcott (21).

Curve ball

So, life has a way of sneaking up on a person when they aren't watching. I dealt with some things yesterday that I fully expected to have to face at some point in my life. Did I expect them yesterday? Heck no!!! These are issues that come with age. When did I get old? I don't mean great grandparent old. I don't mean can't do anything old. I just mean basic life issues and health issues old. I see people my age and think, wow, I don't look that old (meaning no longer 24). I probably do, but the person I see in the mirror doesn't. Where does the time go? I need to learn to slow down and enjoy more of it and stop being so wrapped up in the "have to" and relish the "want to".
I am going to share an exercise I am doing if you want to join me. You have to actually write down the answers, not just think about it :).

1. You go see the Dr. and he says you have one year to live. List 10 things you do in the next year.
2. You go see the Dr. and he says you have one month to live. List the 10 things you do in the next month.
3. You go see the Dr. and he says you have one week to live. List the 10 things you do in the next week.
4. Great news, you see the Dr. and you are fine. What 25 things do you want to do during the rest of your life?

Then, take those lists and turn them into goals with dates and specific ideas of how to achieve them. I have been promised that this exercise will lead you to a more rich and fulfilling life. I can see how that would work.

Remember, no one ever is on their death bed complaining that they should have spent more time at work ;).

Gift Exchange

Here is what I promised to share :). If you remember, I was part of a gift exchange that required a "made" item. For the gift I brought, I altered an Altoid tin and inside is a mini album. It all measures 3 1/2 x 2 /1/4 inches. It was super, super fun to make!!! Now I am wondering why I didn't save all those tins over the years..........................

Additionally, the gift for this exchange in addition to containing a made item was to be "creatively wrapped". Now, there are some very creative women in the group and the variety was amazing. The packaging was very entertaining. My contribution was to alter a show box. It was fun to do and provided for colorful packaging.

Goings on

I have made all sorts of projects in the last few days and I can't share any of them until after Saturday!!! It is making me crazy :). I have a scrapbooking crop on Saturday that has a gift exchange going on and the items I made were soooooooooo fun and I am pretty proud of them, but it is a SECRECT and since I am not sure who reads this and when.......................

Anyway, I hope to share after Saturday :).

Got started, and only started, on another of the 6 hour quilts. Now read started as strips cut and the center one put together, so beginning stages only. I also finished another OPH comfortghan for HMB and need to get it washed and mailed out. I will take a picture before I mail it and share, but I am planning to mail on Monday. Time to get it where it is needed.

I have found that I will have most of Saturday free with no one else home. I am working on what I want to do with this time. I am at a loss. There are so many options, I just don't know how to pick and I don't want to be exhausted at the end of it either. I DO know that going to the gym is on the list. YEAH!!!!!

Well?

What do you think? I am pleased with the results and excited to make more! I have so many different ideas rattling around in my head from this pattern!

6 hours? YES!

I was turned on to this quilt pattern by Kaye Wood. It claims you can make the twin size quilt in 6 hours. I thought, yeah, right. I was told it was super easy and since my knuckles and hands have been giving me such fits making it hard to knit or crochet, I decided to give it a try.

WOW!! Provided you don't count the time I spent selecting fabric :), it probably isn't too far off. Now, this is my first time through the pattern, but the concept is brilliant! I am doing a baby size, not a twin and completed everything yesterday except the binding. Having never done binding before (I always did pillowcase style) I decided not to start the process at 9 pm and saved that for later today. Hopefully it works out as well as the rest of the quilt has. I have LOTS of ideas based on this pattern and am fairly "itchin'" for time to play.