THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Winds of Change

I've been wanting to post for several days now but life has been crazazy over this past week especially.

I don't know if you felt the winds change direction but we definitely have here at home. Last Friday Hubby graduated from massage therapy school and passed his national exam a few days before that. It was an extremely difficult year for both of us and on our marriagte. It's been looming like a light at the end of the tunnel that this day would come. And now it has.

Adjustments.....they can be uncomfortable even under the best circumstances, can't they?? After a year of barely seeing each other we are now together ALL the time and boy, does that take some readjusting to! It's like we have to learn how to reconnect again. We still have work to do but things are going fine.

This week Hubby is officially working as a massage therapist. Well, trying to anyway. He needs to build clients first so that he can earn some money so that we can pay bills. In the meantime things are extremely lean around here. I am thankful that we are in pretty good shape financially and should be able to work through these few months with a loss of almost an entire income. Hubby has already build a good reputation among his co-students, instructors and clients who he'd met through school so I think we just need time to get it all running smoothly.

This new path has also meant being able to take our kids out of daycare for the very first time. It is an adjustment for them and us too, but I think it will be a very good thing overall. Hubby has seemed excited to help out around the house more and has promised me many meals ready to eat when I get home from work. It sounds lovely. I wonder how this new life will play out.

To celebrate we went to the Chula Vista Resort in the Wisconsin Dells over the weekend. We attending a gorgeous wedding there and then did the waterpark thing with the kids and my in-laws (who watched the kids so Hubby and I could enjoy the wedding as a couple). It was a great time, but also a very tiring weekend. In a good way.

Tonight I've been packing for a trip to San Antonio where it is supposed to be near 90 degree highs each day and sunny or partly sunny. I can't wait! It just feels like I've been doing nothing but running lately so I'll be glad to actually arrive in San Antonio and have a few quiet days before I return home to a pile of laundry, bills needing to be paid and work to get ready for.

Change can be uncomfortable but it can also be very refreshing.

One Little Word - LOVE

Here's my take on this week's One Little Word.

Journaling:
You may not realize how alike you and your dad are but I see a lot of him in you. You both like to act silly and dress up. Hello...this is Daddy's Pirate costume! You both have some of the biggest brown eyes and longest eyelashes I've ever seen. You both have a very kind and generous heart. You hurt easily. You aren't afraid to try new things. You are quiet in new situations but WATCH OUT once you're warmed up. :)

There are many things about you both that I am thankful for. I know that I am blessed to have you in my life. It's eternal love.

Supplies:
Cardstock (Prism)
Die Cuts (Tinkering Ink, BasicGrey)
Epoxy Stickers (Around the Block)
Stickers (Heidi Swapp)
Ink (ColorBox, Ranger)
Buttons (Buttons Galore)
Stamps (7Gypsies, EK Success)
Marker (Sharpie)
Adhesive (Ad Tech Glue Runner, Glue Dots)

Safety Patrol

So my daughter's in 5th grade this year and that means she can be on the Safety Patrol. This is the first thing she told me when I saw her on Friday. Then I read her application and it was too funny not to share! Click to read. (Some things were covered for privacy reasons.)

THURSDAY THOUGHTS - Refocusing (yes, again)

I was sitting typing my thoughts and feelings on Wednesday so that I could share them with you but before I was finished, I accidentally closed it without saving. My thoughts encompassed scrapping (what else is there??) and my insatiable need for praise and recognition. This need has me jumping at every opportunity that I feel might suit me.

Most of my family, friends and coworkers offer little in the way of encouragement and recognition. My own Hubby has nothing more than a passing interest in my creations, my endeavors, my dreams. It leads me to seek that outside recognition from my online friends, design teams and contest submissions. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does make me feel weak and lacking inside from time to time. I get that feeling sorry for myself sense once in awhile and I hate that.

I think there is a fine line between this being a hobby and a job. Responsibilities lead to more deadlines which leads to a more job-like feel. I have to sit back and remember what I’m doing it all for–my family. They are what’s most important to me. I have to learn to rein myself back in and stay focused on those values.

I’ve given myself a few rules to follow, in order of importance:

1. Make the most of my time on the ScrapFriends review team. It is my home base.
2. Do not apply for design team positions for the rest of 2008.
3. If I’ve accomplished my first two rules, I am allowed to apply for guest design team positions or contests but only to a few select places: One Little Word, ColorStory, Serendipity Scrapbooks, Create My Keepsakes and several manufacturers that I love: BasicGrey, Tinkering Ink, Rusty Pickle, Making Memories and Sassafras Lass. This list may change a bit from time to time, but the importance of this rule is that I am not jumping at any opportunity that comes along.
4. And, lastly, and perhaps the hardest for me, do NOT buy any more scrap goodies beyond The Scarlet Lime monthly kit. I will use up my stash. I will use any contests I am able to enter as a possible source of earning new supplies. I will continue to sell my unused scrap supplies.
   

I work best with structure and I’m hoping that this structure helps me focus and gives me a greater sense of satisfaction. I’ll let you know.

One Little Word - CHOOSE

Here's my submission for this week's One Little Word - CHOOSE.


Supplies:
Funky Nature Freebie (Tara Dunstan)
Curled Edges Freebie (Jess Gordon)
Inspired Freebie (Ami Collotello for Pixel Gypsy Designs)

Quote reads:
"Destiny is not a matter of chance; but a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, It is a thing to be achieved."

-- William Jennings Bryan

Catch Up Post

Yesterday was my birthday!! I'm now on the downward slide to 40. No worries...I still feel like a young'un!

I celebrated a little bit each day over the long Labor Day weekend. I went to a friend's house on Saturday whose son was celebrating his birthday so I got cake! and got into the festive mood. The pinata fell apart on the first turn so the duct tape came out to put his head back on. I thought it would be a great "You might be a redneck if..." joke, especially because that stereotype fits them so well! By the time we got to the end of each child getting a turn at it, most of the head and body was covered in duct tape to try to keep it together just a little bit longer!

Sunday the kids and I went to the Taste of Madison. Taking them to busy places like this can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially if they are uncooperative, but this time they did GREAT! We didn't eat a lot but what we did eat was really BAD for us. My favorite - we all split a large piece of chocolate cake with raspberry sauce drizzled overtop. YUM!!

When we got home I crashed on the couch and then woke up realizing my shoulders and chest had gotten quite sunburned.

Monday was mainly a stay home day and that felt great. We celebrated the "last" day of summer by grilling burgers and corn and eating outside on the picnic table. We played Badmitton together for an hour or so - we are a pretty sorry group so it involved a lot of running to grab the birdie. The day ended with a gorgeous sunset. Life is beautiful. :)

Yesterday the kids started their first day of school and all went well. I'm crossing my fingers that my little guy can focus better this year so we don't get calls from his teachers and principal. BOYS, I tell ya'!! He's in 2nd grade this year and my little girl is in 5th. I don't want to think about middle school coming up soon!!

I just had a chance to check out the September issue of ScrapStreet.
and if you take a look on page 16 you'll see one of my pages! I love what the editor wrote about my page too!

There were two other scrappers that caught my eye -
p. 9 "His Love" by Brianne Nevill
and
p. 38 "Crawl" by Danielle Layton. I've added Danielle to my blog roll...her work inspired me so!

What else, what else? Well, believe it or not I have a ton more to say but you've probably stopped reading by now! Right? Still with me? Okay...

Today's commitment is to SUBMIT, SUBMIT, SUBMIT. I haven't been able to for awhile--two or three months maybe?--and there's no way I'll get published if I don't submit! Duh!

Second is that I've applied for the Purple Onion Designs design team. I want to get back to basics and add more stamping to my pages, so I hope this gig works out.

I am debating on applying for the Around the Block design team as well, but haven't done so. I'm afraid of ever getting to a point where scrapping feels like a "chore" because of the deadlines I need to meet. My friend, Andrea, encouraged me to go for it reminding me that I could always step down if it didn't work out.

I go into each of these applications with my fingers crossed and that yearning in my chest. I get anxious but I also know that if the DT doesn't love my work then it's not the right fit.

Right now, this 36 year old has faith and enthusiasm so it's a good day! :)