have a looksie

Here are the layouts I made last weekend when I was away scrapbooking.  I can't wait to go again!

Where have you been?!

March and April so far has been much of a whirlwind.  I'm here to let you know, I am here.  And I've been busy!!

I saw the Broadway production of "Mary Poppins" with the two big girls, my sister, my Mom, and Grandma.  Then I saw "To Kill A Mockingbird" at the Rep Theater with my Mom (one of my very favorite books).

In March and early April I kicked off my Thirty-One business with multiple parties.  I was pleasantly surprised when two packages from the company came for ME by surprise for meeting sales incentive promotions (that I didn't even know about! : )

Also in March, the dreaded deadline loomed...the school yearbook.  Make no mistake, I really do enjoy putting it together.  It becomes a headache though trying to obtain the necessary pictures to fill the pages.  I ultimately end up taking a good chunk of the pictures (which I don't mind either, really) but deal with parents who send me pictures after the yearbook has been submitted, or ask me to retrieve their photos off of facebook pages (the pics never have high resolution!), one who gave me a CD with 600+ photos to go through, and also parents who send cell phone pics that just can't be used.  I am glad to say the process is over, and I am so excited for it to arrive.  It's so time consuming; I estimate I spent about 15+ hours on it.  Much like a Shutterfly book I suppose.

In March we also had a surprise 50th birthday party for my Stepmom.  I enjoy doing things like this, too, but again, it kept me busy.  I also made a Shutterfly book for her of her 50 years (like I also did for both my Mom and my Dad for their 50th's.)

Kaycey celebrating St. Patty's Day & Oma Ria's birthday!

There were school projects.

Cal's Civil War battle project

There were trips to the zoo and first pony rides (we had beautiful record temperatures in March!)

first pony ride for Sadie.  Sadie, what does a horse say?  Sadie says, "Yee-haw!"

I taught classes at the Scrapbook Store, I worked a ton of hours in March, soccer season started, & baseball practices for Cal have been going on for months already.

Maddie, wearing Kaycey's uniform : )

I photographed my pregnant friend on two different occasions and coordinated a scrapbooking event at her baby shower by her request.  I put "kits" together, and everyone created a page or two at her shower.  I was up late working it all out, and worried about how exactly it would work, but it turned out great and everyone had fun with it.

little treat bags for guests filled with snickerdoodle flavored popcorn

the cake (professionally made)

our scrapping area at the shower

Jess (the creative party planner!), Nikki (mom to be), and that's me on the end!

I've been emailing with a couple newly diagnosed Neuroblastoma families.

Then over Easter Break, Mike, the two older kids, and I drove to South Dakota & Colorado.  Mike flew home by himself to get back in time for work (he could only miss a couple days of work).  I drove cal and Kaycey home.  From Denver.  All by myself.  And it really wasn't so bad.  In fact, I'd do it again.  Look for a post this week in more detail about our trip!

at Mt. Rushmore

Lots of squinkie playing going on.

Finally, this past weekend, I went on a much needed scrapbooking weekend.  It had been way too long since I had gone (and it was planned before we went to Colorado.  Trust me.  I was freaking out about getting home in time from Colorado for my scrapbook weekend, unpacking and repacking, doing laundry, and missing the two little girls since they didn't come to Colorado.  But all went just fine!)  I will post my finished pages this week : )

So I can't say "here's my past month or so in a nutshell", because it's more like a small novel ; )  but as you can see, I've been busy.

The next several months probably won't wind down much, either.  We have plans to possibly go to Mackinac Island (with kids), take a vacation in early fall (just Mike and I), maybe go back to Colorado, go to an insane amount of baseball games, putting a deck and patio in back, finishing the front porch and the swingset, and more....and SHHHHHH....getting a dog (kids don't know that yet, though ; )

five things Friday

1.  My celebrity crushes include:  Ryan Reynolds (so ridiculously cute.  Loved "The Proposal"), Anderson Cooper, Mike Rowe, Bradley Cooper (I don't think I've seen a movie I really liked with him in it.). And okay, next maybe 'crushes' isn't the right word--but you get it!--Ellen Degeneres, Natalie Portman (I did like "No Strings Attached", Sandra Bullock (I love every movie I see with her...especially "The Proposal"...so cute!), Jennifer Aniston (her movies pretty much stink,  but I think she is so darn cute).
2.  I actually check the national radar map every day for severe weather.  I also have a live feed (mostly during tornado season, which apparently has started super early this year) of tornado/storm chases going on.  Someday I want to print large photos of phenomenal weather shots.  Not sure where I'd hang them in my house, though.  Perhaps I need a weather room : )
3.  I don't fold or match socks.  They all get thrown in a dresser drawer.  And no way do I fold fitted sheets.  I roll them in a lovely ball and toss them on the closet shelf.
4.  I love lemon pez candy.  I could eat them forever.
5.  I just joined pinterest.  Need I say more?!

be inspired

A huge chain reaction has occurred--I read blogs.  Lots of blogs.  Those people read blogs.  And so on.  I am now hooked on bunches of blogs I found through other blogs.  I found a couple new ones worthy of checking out (NOT scrapbook-y, just all around life inspiring and crafty, too, though one is a Project Lifer) Little Blue Boo and Jenny Meyerson.  In addition to the new found blogs to inspire (like, for real inspire. One is going through chemo now, one went through it). I am reading "The Happiness Project".  Quite frankly, I confess I am having a hard time really getting into the book.  First of all, it's written way too much like a research paper (lots of quoting and referring to other books...I have a hard time not wanting to skip those pages).  And this gal is plenty happy to begin with.  But, she felt she could be even happier.  For a year, she chose things in her life that could use some change, more time, etc.  Each month she tackled one of those things.  She also came up with a list of "commandments" for herself to stay true to.  If you want to know more about the book, see HERE.

SO with that being said, using this concept of each month of having a goal or focus, I've decided to make this the year of trying/doing/(perhaps buying--like a new car for me ) : ) new things.  I was also inspired by Jenny Meyerson's LIST (hers is VERY complete, essentially a 'bucket list').  Each month I would like to "conquer" something.  Maybe literally, like skiing (I'm deathly afraid to try anything adventurous, but a wee part of me really wants to give it a go).  Or finishing a project I've started (HA!  How to choose between the million I've started...).  Or reading a new book (I have a huge list of books I want to read, and add to it weekly).  Now it's all about finding the balance and time.  In January, I started the Project Life scrapbook.  This month, I started a new business venture.  With the recent snow, maybe I can try skiing next month??

five things Friday

1.  Forget apples and bananas, my favorite fruit is honeydew melon.
2.  I must wear socks to bed and sleep with two pillows under my head and one body pillow.
3.  I have always loved the colors orange and yellow best.
4.  I will not step into a bank, unless I absolutely have to.  I'm afraid of a hold-up.  I don't know why.  I don't even watch those kind of movies!!
5.  I was in Civil Air Patrol for years and even got the opportunity to be co-commander of a National Flight Encampment one summer as a Cadet 2nd Lieutenant (a pretty big deal!).  Because of it, I earned one of the top ribbons, the Commander's Commendation.  Those two weeks were SO much fun.  I still have my stack of ribbons that I earned from the years I spent in Civil Air Patrol.  I wish I would've saved my uniforms!!

Hope you enjoyed learning a few new things about me!! Have a great weekend! : )