Creativity at its Finest!

Just a really quick update for you ... I just returned from a fanTAStic creative night with my dear friends and snapped a couple photos to share the wonderful art done this evening! You might remember my friend Leslie from {Words of Me Project} threw a challenge out there to us in blogland to come up with three words that mean something to you, and create some sort of art with those words. Some of us this evening did just that . . .

Cindi's Words: Reach, Heal, Possible

Peggy's Words: Serenity, Gratitude, and I never got the 3rd word from her - uh, oh!

Laura decided to continue working on her New Mexico vacation album - it's so gorgeous and stylish. I love it!

And me, well . . . I had a vision. I love when I have visions. It's like a light bulb goes on in my brain and I know exactly what I want to do, and I won't stop until it is done. My vision for this challenge started with a canvas and some mountains . . .

then, I worked on a little bit of the sky . . .

next I added some cool embellishments and did a little sewing here and there, because, you know, I had a vision . . .

and it all started to take shape . . .

The completed piece . . .

I absolutely LOVED this project, and I think I'm on to something here. I plan on doing a few more of these - with other great words. Maybe I finally found a new passion.

What are YOU passionate about lately? I'd love to know. Or, do you have any combinations of words that you'd like to suggest that I can CREATE some other great art for? Leave me a comment ... maybe I can make one for YOU!!!

31 Days: Day 5 - All of the Above!

My Creative Focus for today: Write. Create. Be.

Happy Friday, friends! And thank you so much to all of you who supported my post at Laugh Out Loud yesterday! Seriously, that was one of the most thrilling things for me - I'm a blog dork, I'm sorry! And having something I have written appear on someone else's blog was just - awesome.

Now, on to my next adventure.

The Scrapbook Cellar!!!

Did I ever tell you about the Scrapbook Cellar? You might believe, with all my previous mentioning of it, that it is a store where I probably go to scrapbook. Well, that is only partially right. It is a place where I go to scrapbook ... but it's not a store. It's actually my sister, Laura's, basement. Yes, affectionately called, "The Scrapbook Cellar". And there I gather once a month (when possible) with three of my closest friends - my sister, my friend Peggy, and my friend Cindi.  It is the best time a girl like me could have. Seriously.

Now, if you don't scrapbook - don't rule me and the Cellar out. Because believe it or not, our time there is not all scrapbooking. They are my very own Steel Magnolias of ladies who I am so glad to have in my life. We are each others biggest fans. We motivate. We encourage. We listen. We laugh (oh, boy, do we laugh). We cry. We nibble on some goodies. We sing (ok, Cindi and I sing). We ooo and ahhh over each others work. We strategize. We contemplate. We inspire. We believe. We . . . Write. Create. Be.

So, I can't think of a better place to spend tonight, than in the Scrapbook Cellar. (Oh, and we have our very own "Scrap Bitch" ... sorry, CT!!! CT is my sister's husband, my dearest brother-in-law. And I affectionately gave him the title of Scrap Bitch a few months ago. The dear man lugs our bags down to the cellar for us, he does our meal runs, and he gladly cleans up all the mess we make when we are done. Is he a saint, or what?? Every cellar needs a Scarp Bitch - and he's the best!)

Because PG is out of town, I wasn't that sure if I would be able to meet my dearest friends for a night in the cellar. But . . . because PG is out of town, I realized it was a NECESSITY to somehow find a way to get there. And let me tell you, I need this night more than anything after this week. I'm still fighting that cold, but the Cellar is where I will be tonight - for Day 5 of my creative challenge. I can't wait.

My plans for tonight? Well, earlier this week, Leslie at Words of Me Project threw a challenge out there on day 2: to pick out 3 words you love and create some sort of "Word Art" piece to go with them. I have my words and today my vision for this piece just hit me. So, I'll be working on my 3 words art tonight! I'll post a photo of it tomorrow and try and sneak a couple pictures of the Cellar Ladies to share.

Do you have your own group of Steel Magnolias who help you through life? How often do you get to see them? What types of things do you and your friends do to motivate and inspire each other? I'd love to know, so please share in the comments.... and don't forget to Write. Create. and most importantly ... BE.

31 Days: Day 4 - Post Featured on LOL!!!

My Creative Focus for today: Laughter!

A few weeks ago, a blogger I admire greatly (Gigi at Kludgy Mom) introduced me to Laugh Out Loud, when a post of hers was submitted and selected to appear on the site. I had seen the LOL button on a few other blogs before, so it was high time I head over to this Laugh Out Loud blog and check it out. I mean, I love to LAUGH, and I prefer to do it OUT LOUD, so this is the perfect place for me!

Laffy Lady, the head laughter guru, has got it going on! What a fantastic place to visit for great laughs! Smart writers - funny stories - truly a great time from start to finish.

So, I thought I'd try it . . . maybe something I've written would fit. Yesterday, I received an email from Laffy Lady telling me that, yes, a recent blog post I wrote would appear on Laugh Out Loud ... TODAY!!!! 

HOLY COW!!! I can't believe it! I mean - pinch me, I must be dreaming! This is the very first time a post of mine is being featured on another blog, and I am honored, thrilled, and overwhelmed with HAPPINESS!!! Talk about a CREATIVE DAY, huh??

So, I would be so happy if you would pop over there to Laugh Out Loud, visit LaffyLady, and read my post today!! You may have read it before (it's a fairly recent one), but perhaps it will leave you laughing again!!! And check out some of the other fanTAStic writers there!! It's a great site, and sure to brighten up even the dumpiest of days!

Thanks, LOL!!!



Be back for more 31 Days Creativity soon!

31 Days: Day 3 - Be

My Creative Focus for today: Be

Today I am . . . tired. I'm fighting a cold that the girls have managed to pass from one to another, now to me. It's hotter than "H-E-Double Toothpicks" here today, and in the midst of my crankiness, I am trying to . . . Be.

PG is on day 14 of his 25 day trip - and I am so ready for him to be home. I am also ready for school to start (anyone else out there with me?) I am tired of hearing my own voice say the same things over and over again, "Leave your sister alone", "No, you can not have another cup of juice", "I do not want to put Tom & Jerry on again", "No, a popsicle is not a good breakfast". I am a broken record.

Today I mowed the lawn and worked in the garden. There was so much sweat dropping out of me that I made the Hoover Dam look like the desert, I swear. This same garden that I was so happy with on Monday (and provided the most beautiful tomatoes and basil you have ever seen) was full of weeds and beetles today. My hands and arms itched from all of the plants rubbing on them - and, again, can I tell you how HOT it is outside!!! H-O-T!

I was cranky. I was trying to accomplish those things outside while keeping one eye on the girls (not an easy thing to do with Little Miss Ella), and all I wanted to do was just . . . STOP. So, in the middle of all of that, I took a deep breath. I closed my eyes, and let the sun fall on my face. I said some words to myself about counting my blessings and I remembered my focus for the next 31 Days. Write. Create. Be. I stayed that way for a few moments (probably a lot shorter than it seemed.) When I finally opened my eyes, I found myself right in front of the most beautiful sight. I allowed myself to take it all in for a few minutes, then ran inside to grab the camera (my new best friend), and came back to take some photos to share with you.

Have you ever seen how a sunflower grows? From one stage to the next, how they join this world? How they start out like a starburst, and end up like the sun? Right there in my garden were about 4 or 5 flowers all at various stages - just Be-ing. It was so cool to see . . .

And as my eyes jumped from one flower to the next,

a happiness came over me.

Yes, I was happy . . . to just . . . be.

I love this last photo, where you can see three different stages all in one shot. Cool.

"Ah, sunflower, weary of time,

Who countest the steps of the sun,

Seeking after that sweet golden clime

Where the traveller's journey is done;

Where the youth pined away with desire

And the pale virgin shrouded in snow

Arise from their graves, and aspire

Where my sunflower wishes to go."

 - William Blake

31 Days: Day 2 - Doodling

My Creative Focus for today: Doodling

What to do with three young children, and the need to create? You break out the Crayola, of course! Nothing on the box says its for kids only, so I did what any "I Must Create" Mom would do ... and joined right in.

I'm in a bit of trouble, though. School Supplies are on sale EVERYWHERE. I've already made a few purchases for the new school year. That's not where the trouble lands, though. It has to do with MY need to break open the new markers, crayons and glue sticks, and make some art. Yes, that's what tonights creative adventure was.

There is something so mesmerizing about art supplies to me, even if they are Crayola. The colors, the textures, what they produce when used. The possibilities really are endless. I sat at the kitchen table absolutely lost in what I was doing. 

I found myself using blues and whites, adding pinks and yellows, working freely and openly with my small little brush, like I was Rembrandt himself. The paintbrush flew around the page so easily. It was wonderful.

Before long, I felt like the clouds were calling me . . . so I continued adding morepaint. I was having fun. Imagine that!

But what to do with it from here? I had just the thing, inspired by Leslie yesterday. Turns out while school supply shopping, I picked up some composition notebooks.  That's the perfect thing for this paper . . .

I think it will work! I can't wait to start adding  my creative thoughts, my doodles, and my stories of this adventure.

Are you a doodler? Are you a hand-writer? I remember (in my younger days) that I would almost loose my hand writing skills during summer vacation, from the lack of hand-writing done during those months off. There are even moments now, as an adult, when I feel I've forgotten what my handwriting looks like. We live in such a computerized age (from emailing to bill paying, sometimes a whole day can go by when I haven't even touched a pen.) This exercise of creative doodling was fun . . . and I plan to do a lot more of it!

If you think you're the doodling type - Target has those composition notebooks on sale right now - 2/$1.00 - thats a DEAL!!!

31 Days: Day 1 - Photography

My Creative Focus for today: Photography

1. CHALLENGE:  to take some really interesting photographs. Pay close attention to the lighting, colors, and focus (oh, yeah, that's a big one that I often have a problem with - the ol' FOCUS thing!).
2. CREATE a delicious meal using some of the vegetables we have grown in our garden.

Since today was a work day, I was really up for incorporating dinner into my creativity adventure. It was pretty easy to do that . . . because I had the perfect menu idea. And the ingredients all fit well in line with some great photos. One of the things I really wanted to do this year was improve my photography skills. You see, I am NOT a photographer. I can't even claim to do it as a hobby. Most of the good shots you might see on this blog have been taken by PG (with the exception of one or two.) But I long to BE a good photographer. I do. So, today is about stretching my wings and letting go of the inhibitions that I usually carry with me when I have the camera in my hands.

I decided today, to really FOCUS on taking pictures. Not just the focusing part ... but by paying attention to how things look through the lens. Where things are in relation to each other in my shot. Where the lighting is coming from. What is in the background. These may seem like common sense things to you - but to me, I really never paid much attention to the photos I was taking. I just held the camera up, snapped the picture, and prayed that everyone had their eyes open, or that the shot wasn't blurry.

Today, I'm spending a little more time on the creative end of it. It was eye opening, for sure. There are some blogs out there with really great photographers that I've been closely watching for inspiration recently; Betty, Lisa, and Julie. They each have such an amazing eye for what they are shooting. I hope I make them proud.

Here is, by far, my most successful shot of the night:

I love the lighting, the contrast and vivid colors, and all of the textures in this shot.

Here are a couple runner-ups:

Not bad. I still think the first photo was pretty good. Although I loved the really close up shot of the pasta dish. And the one of Ella - well, I had to throw that in because she just devoured the pasta - she opened her mouth that wide for absolutely every bite!

The best part of the dinner:

I made enough for leftovers!!! Tomorrow is a work day, too, so these will come in handy.

Another big creative part of this dinner was making this awesome meal with so many of the items from our very own garden. Tomatoes sauteed in a pan with a little EVOO and garlic, add fresh basil, toss with cooked pasta and fresh mozzarella (that spent about 10 minutes in the freezer before adding - so it doesn't melt immediately), all made this a beautiful and delicious CREATIVE dinner.

Thanks for letting me share a little bit of my creativity with you. I hope to have a few more photography focused moments throughout the next 31 Days. (Oooo - and I also created a new "creative" type of blog header - and got rid of the blog background and colors. I want to make the next 31 days a focus on the posts themselves - and not the background. I hope you like the new header!!)

(This post is part of the Words of Me Project "31 Days: write.create.be.")

31 Days. Write. Create. Be.

Here I go ... off on a creative adventure!

Where will it lead? I have no idea. What will I do? That, too, remains to be unknown.

Will I share it with you? Well, like most of my life, yes.

I'm joining dear Leslie over at Words of Me Project on

"31 Days: write. create. be."


What am I hoping for? That I will actually allow myself a little bit of time, every single 31 days, to create SOMETHING. It could be spent taking an extra special photo, or creating a special picture with my kids crayons and markers. Whatever it is, I am hoping that I find some time to connect with my creative soul that often gets placed on the back burner during the day to day chaos of this life. You might remember back to the beginning of the year, when I introduced my 2010 Word of the Year (CREATE), I was all gung-ho to spend the year doing just that - CREATING. But, unfortunately, I have fallen quite short in the Create Department. With Leslie's encouragement and inspiration, I'm moving that part of me front and center (well, for minimum of 15 minutes a day) and doing something that I LOVE! It's too bad that I need a blog challenge to kick it into gear, but I'll take the motivation from any where I can find it! 

My hope is to end each day with my creative story of the day. Don't forget to click on the 31 Days button on my right sidebar to connect to Leslie's inspiration (she's so great!). And one more thing - if you are not the creative type, please still stop for your regular visit. I promise to make these 31 posts what they always are ... about life.  I won't bore you photos of macrame hangers or plastic canvas items. (Wait . . . I already did bore you with a couple plastic canvas posts, didn't I? Oh, sorry about that.)

See you later!

My #1 Hot Mess Ella

Lordy, Lordy, I pray for the teacher who gets my Ella.

You know Ella. This Ella ...

... who swore there wasn't any paint on her face. She's a Hot Mess!

And this Ella ...

... who really prefers to do all her reading with her glasses on. Yep, a Hot Mess!

And this Ella ...

... who heard there was a "smurf" movie coming out, and felt she would be best for the female lead. Oh, a Hot Mess she is!

Oh, yes, and the Ella who did this ...

... because she "was hungry" (side note: I really do feed my children! I promise.) Yes, that's my Hot Mess.

Then there is this Ella ...

... always making me laugh ...

and this Ella ...

... that darn marker again. I like how she has a spare on the couch next to her, just in case the first one didn't quite work well enough for her.

Yes, that's my Ella, my little Hot Mess!

And, yes, my Ella will be starting preschool in September. Three 1/2 days a week, she will be under the care and guidance of another. I am both grateful, and concerned, over this.

Oh, let me clarify. It's not that I'm going to have the "oh - how can I let my baby go?" breakdown that I've only read about. No . . . my concern is something completely different. The concern of getting that look from the teacher when I go to pick her up after her first week. You know that look. The one that says, "Oh, you're ELLA'S MOTHER. Well, that explains EVERYTHING."

You see, Ella is my . .. .  Hot Mess.

Yesterday, as I stood at the kitchen sink washing some dishes, I heard Ella walking up the stairs from the family room. "Damn It!" she said loudly, as she dropped one of her toys on the way up.

"Ella, what did you just say?" I asked (which, alone, is a really stupid thing to ask the child who has just uttered the curse word. I mean, do I really want her to repeat it? NO. Why do I ask her what she just said? augh!)

"Nothing, Mommy," she answered.

"Ella, WE do not say that word in our house. That is a bad word and Mommy doesn't like to hear you say such a word." I reply, which is obviously a lie, I mean - we must say that word in our house. Where else would she have heard that word. You see, I get it. I really do. But Ella, my Hot Mess, settled it.

"Mommy, WE did not say that word. I said that word," she answered.

Seriously.

She's 3 1/2.

And a Hot Mess, yes she is! But, she's MY Hot Mess! And I wouldn't have her any other way.
;)


This post is linked to Word Up, Yo!

The Million Dollar Question

While driving into the city this week, and while stuck in traffic, I found myself getting a good education in the fine art of billboard displays all along I55. Some made me chuckle, some made me sad, and some made me day dream. Yep, day dream. All in the comforts of my Honda Odyssey (might make you kind of nervous to be on the road with me, huh? No worries. I am a very responsible driver. I just allow the mind a little wandering freedom when I am in a quiet car. It's actually pure heaven to me - traffic and all.)

So the billboard that started the daydreaming this week . . . the Illinois Lottery.

Yep, they are giving away $56 MILLION DOLLARS this week. $56 MILLION DOLLARS.

Now, I am not a Lottery playing person (I guess that's why I never win.) I don't know if $56 MILLION DOLLARS is what the lottery normally gives week to week. This week, it seemed like, gulp, A LOT OF MONEY.  I mean, could you imagine? I could . . . you see, that is where the day dreaming began . . . 

What would I do with $56 MILLION DOLLARS?

Well, I think the first thing I would do, would be to call PG and tell him to "take the next plane home, baby! Momma struck it BIG!!!" On second thought - maybe he shouldn't do that just yet. I mean, with the economy as it is - he might need to work for just a little bit longer. Plus ... I've got some BIG plans. ;)

Then, I think I would call all my creditors (cars, house, cards) and tell them to go to "you know where!" and that their FINAL PAYMENT would be coming within days and they can take their INTEREST and SHOVE IT!! (Sorry, I am a little bitter towards my lenders today!)

Then I would call my Mom, my sister, my brothers, my in-laws, and tell them all that I would pay off their mortgages - oh, and I'd probably throw in a new car. I mean, I have to take care of my army, right? Maybe take them all on a special vacation, too. Yes, that would be nice.

Next, I think I would call my dear friends who have kids (2E, Cindi, Sherri, Maria, Karen, Pam, Mary, Christina, Jenni, and whoever else I may have forgotten) and give each of them some money for their kids education. Maybe $100,000 per kid. Is that too cheap? I mean, I know that education costs are rising - how far would that really get them? I'll have to think that about that a little bit longer.
 
I'd call my blog friend Leslie and order, like, 100,000 pizza's from her and her hubby. (That might help their pizza place for a while.) Then I'd ask her to arrange the delivery of the pizzas to homeless shelters all around her city and neighboring cities (I'll pay for the delivery, of course.) Then, I would do it AGAIN . . . in a month or two. And AGAIN. And AGAIN. Yes, that would be good.

Next, I'd call my scrap buddies Peggy, Cindi and Laura, and tell them to pack their bags - that we were going on this awesome trip to scrapbook in Tuscany with Ali Edwards. I mean, how cool would that be? Oh, and I'd take them all on a big ol'shopping excursion to whatever our favorite Scrapbook store might be - for an unlimited amount of creative goodies!! Ohhhhh, could you imagine?

Then, I'd probably want to build a new house. Nothing too elaborate. Just something a little bigger. Not too big, though. I mean, I don't want to work the cleaning lady and the maid too hard. Just something that would have a big soaker tub in our master bath, and a larger kitchen to gather in. Oh, and a craft room. The new house MUST have a craft room. With large built-in cabinets and excellent lighting! Oh, and it must have great workspace for me and my scrap ladies. Oh, what the heck . . . maybe I'll have to build a whole SEPARATE CRAFT HOUSE!!!! Imagine that! Maybe the main house could be Frank Lloyd Wright inspired (I'm a big fan of his) with some wonderful outdoor spaces. Oh, and maybe a pool. A real pool. Not the blow-up donut ring kind (like we have now.) Oh, yes. A new home would be so lovely. Don't you think? Oooo, and I could call my blog friend Angie and tell her to pack a bag (and the kids) and I would hire her to decorate the place! Oh, she'd do a fanTAStic job!

Then, I'd sign Ellie and Kate up for some really cool art classes at the Louvre (I guess that means we'd have to go to Paris, too!), and have some special Mom & Me adventures were we can hop on a plane and end up someplace awesome for fun shopping (maybe to New York City!). We'd buy some new clothes, stop at FAO Schwartz and buy a few new toys (maybe a giant teddy bear, because - well, just because), and then see a couple plays. Oh, the fun! Eventually we'll have to go on a Disney cruise (or two).

Ooooo . . . I'd buy PG a new car (he would love one with an Ipod docking station) and maybe let him get that HUGE FLAT SCREEN TV he's been eye-balling at Costco. Maybe a couple new blue-ray DVD's too.

Maybe I'll even get myself an outfit or two. Oh - then my hair. I'd love to get my hair done and colored - like - for real (not from a box!) Oh, the fun!

Of course, it wouldn't ALL be like this. I would certainly give some money to some charities I believe in. OF COURSE!! But right now, I'm just having fun spending it all on silly stuff. I mean, there's $56 MILLION DOLLARS here, you know? I can have some silly stuff, don't you think?

Now that I think about it, I think I might need PG to keep working a little bit longer. Just another year, or two.

Wow. That went fast. I guess I need to go and buy a ticket now. Can't quite spend $56 Million if you don't buy the ticket to win it, huh?

So, how about you? How would you spend $56 Million Dollars? I'd love to know . . .

A Missed Photo Opportunity

My hands are changing. My skin is changing. My knuckles are a little more chapped than usual and it seems all the lotion in the world doesn't help it. I have a few scars here or there, and the veins are starting to be a little more visible than in my younger days. My fingers look a little more wrinkled, too. Yes, my hands are changing. For the record, I've never had beautiful hands. And I'm OK with that (as if I had a choice). The hands I have, have done me well through the years, and I am blessed with them. They help provide an income for my family (I do a great deal of typing at my job), they cook, they clean, they fold, they drive, they write, they create. Yes, they are good hands. Strong. A bit stocky. But good hands.

A few days ago, while waiting for a .pdf file to open on my computer at work (it seems like it takes those files forEVER to load), I found myself sitting at my desk looking down at my hands and thinking. My thoughts drifted quickly to my Grandma Josephine, and her hands. I loved Grandma's hands. And as I age, my hands are becoming more like hers. I started thinking of that scene in the movie Beaches when Barbara Hershey's character starts looking through a box of old pictures to compare her hands with her mothers. That's a great movie, and a great scene.

Grandma's hands were perfect to me. Strong - not very dainty at all - but I think it really depends on how you move them, don't you?

I wish I had taken a photo of Grandma's hands.

I can close my eyes and imagine her shuffling a deck of cards, or dancing in her kitchen while fanning her hands back and forth like a flapper girl. I can see her holding a needle and yarn as she crocheted slippers (probably for one of us grandkids), or how she would shake the Yahtzee dice as we played a game. I see her picking out the perfect earrings to wear with one of her many stylish outfits and putting them on - moving her hands from one ear to the next. And I can imagine her laughing at someones joke and throwing them up in the air as if it was the funniest thing she'd ever heard.

I used to love sitting with Gram and holding her hands. I was fascinated in the veins on top, that became more and more prominent as she aged. I used to take my fingers and "wiggle" the veins back in forth, always asking her, "Does this hurt, Grandma?" She'd always reply, "Nope, I don't feel a thing!" I just loved doing that ...

This is a great photo of Gram with my Mom, taken around 1943. It has always been one of my favorite photos of them - my Mom, a young little girl, with her Mommy. They both are so beautiful in this picture.

I have so many photos of Gram through the years - but none taken of her "Grandma Hands". Sure wish I would have thought to take a photo of them when she was still with us. Ah, well. At least I can still close my eyes and remember them. That will have to be enough.

Any photos you wish you had taken? Or any photos you have taken that you are so glad you did? Please share in the comments ... I'd love to know ...

Now THAT'S the ticket!

We are now at Day #8 of PG's 25 day business trip . . . and all is going well. It seems like my family meeting last week (you know the one, right? When I called for MANDATORY PEACE and HAPPINESS from my 7 and 3 year olds?) was really a great start to some happy days here. Yep, it's all been good.

But, you know me. We don't stop at good. (I know, I have to chill!) So, let me tell you my latest hair-brained idea . . .

Actually, I can't take full credit for this one. This is all the genius work of a blog I stumbled upon last week called  Zippy Chix. The idea? Well, taken directly from Zippy Chix's blog, the basic idea is to use tickets to reward positive behaviors and to inspire motivation in your little ones. Then, whenever they want, they are able to "cash in" their tickets for a special reward. You can read about it further in Zippy Chix's post titled; "Kid Currency".  

So, since we have turned over a new leaf in our "Peace & Happiness" home, I thought I'd throw something new into our mix. We picked up some carnival tickets and two little rubbermaid containers at our nearby Walmart, and the girls decorated the containers with stickers, markers and fun paper. 

Next, we put together an agreed upon list of chores and responsibilities that the girls could take part in, in exchange for a ticket (or tickets, in some cases.) Finally (the FUN part), we came up with some REWARDS!!! Things they really ENJOY ... special activities ... a special treat ... something they would be so PROUD to earn. They helped me pick out all of them ... Katie really got into this, while Ella kept asking for a tomato (we just picked some from the garden.) Ah, the little things in life that make her happy!

Every time they complete one of the responsibilities from the top of the list, they are rewarded with a ticket (I'm placing an E or K on each girls respective ticket when earned, so we're sure to have no confusion over whose is whose.) We've been doing this for about 4 days now, and it is going really really well! Katie has earned about 16 tickets, while Ella is at 9. I thought that Katie would certainly cash them in for those crazy rubberbands as soon as she earned 10 tickets, but she just told me she is going to keep collecting them . . . .she's working towards 125 (and CHUCK E. CHEESE'S!!!  Lord, help me NOW!)

What I am most proud of, is how seriously Katie is taking this. At 3 1/2, Ella doesn't quite "get" it all - but she does try to follow along with her sister and she likes to put tickets into her jar. But Katie, she is taking this VERY seriously. And she has yet to try and get extra tickets out of me. I'm really proud of how she is working hard for her reward.

She decorated her jar all on her own, and I smiled when I saw what she wrote on the side . . . (we do a lot of "brave spelling" in our house, but you'll get the idea . . . )

When she finished it, she proudly showed it to me and said, "Responsibility. See Mom?" I said, "Oh, yes, Kate. That is really an important word." She said, "Yep, it is. And I am going to be very responsible with these chores, Mom, and with my tickets, and with my rewards. Because I know that you are very responsible, and I want to be like you." {{sigh}} Every once in a while, I feel like I'm doing this Momma thing right. And that is a really good feeling.

Thank you, Zippy Chix, for the inspiration!!! Love it!

Sentiments LONG overdue!

I have been a bad blog friend ... so bad. But I am hoping that this post will make up for it! I've got some LONG over-due "Thanks!" and Happiness! sentiments to give to some wonderful blogland friends! So, please allow me to include you in the joy . . .

First, to Anna.
You may remember my 200th post back in May. In it, I gave away a few little goodies to one lucky friend,  and lovely Anna over at Frosted Pentunias WON! Yippie! I mailed out a little package full of happiness to Anna. Well, you'll never believe what this silly girl, Anna, did! Shortly after mailing my package to her . . . I received the most delightful mailing . . . from HER to ME!!! Oh, the joy and pitter patter I felt as I opened her gift . . . and you WON'T BELIEVE what I received . . .

If you think it was beautiful . . . IT WAS!!!! If you think it was magical . . . IT WAS!!!! If you think it was one of the most delightful packages I have ever been blessed enough to received, I'll tell you . . . IT WAS!!!

Here's the thing with Anna - she is amazing. She is gifted and talented and creative and brilliant and cool and all of the wonderful things rolled up into one. If you don't know her - I strongly encourage you to take a little visit over to her blog, Frosted Petunias. Her blog is so pretty, and she creates such lovely things, that I often feel I'm just not worthy to visit. (Have you ever felt that way about a blog?)  So, a great BIG and LONG OVER-DUE THANK YOU to Anna at Frosted Petunias! You continue to inspire me, daily!

Next, my dear friend Leslie.
I can't remember how long I've been following Leslie - but she is one of my longtime blog friends who I just adore. Leslie's blog is Words of Me Project, and she has been inspiring me with her words, stories, and energy for a while! Leslie and I joke that we seriously could have been separated at birth because - aside from the fact that she doesn't like chocolate (I KNOW!), we are VERY similar peeps!! A few weeks ago I won a Jillian Michaels book and some goodies from a give-away Leslie had, and sure enough . . . their arrival made my day!!!

The book is surely something I need in my life, and the scrapbook tags and goodies - AWESOME!!!! So, just how inspiring is Leslie? Well . . . let me tell you. She is motivating all of her followers to participate in a fanTAStic creative challenge beginning July 26th through August 25th called . . .

You can read more about Leslie's challenge by linking to her post about it here (you can also pick up her button for the challenge on her site.) I don't know about you . . . but committing to 31 days of creating is going to be hard. BUT, I do know that when I give myself time to CREATE (even if only in focusing on taking photos of my garden for 10 minutes one day), I feel . . . whole. I feel complete. I feel energized. I feel really really good. So, I am UP FOR IT!!! Are you??? So, yes, I love that Les! Thanks, dear, for the goodies, and for continuing to inspire me!

Next, my dear friend, Cindi!
Cindi has been my friend for 20+ years, and let me tell you - this girl is a good one! She's a fantastic Mom, she's a loving daughter and sister, she's an inspiring friend, she is THE Digital Scrapbook Guru, and I just love her! She ALSO has hit her 100th Blog Post this week! WHOOO HOOO!!!! You can catch it here. So CONGRATS to YOU, Cindi! For the BIG 100!!! (Oh, and she also came up with this adorable little button for her blog  . . . . how cute is that!?!?)



Finally, my dear friend, Peggy!
Peggy is an old soul (SOUL, PEG! I said 'old SOUL') who I am blessed to call a friend. She is my sounding board for my creative side and a great motivator who ALSO came up with a handy dandy button this week that I want to CELEBRATE! About time, PK!!! So glad I can easily link to you - because, you know, typing your blog address is just WAY TO HARD!!! ;) And check out her button - those are all photos Peggy has taken of the flowers in HER GARDEN through the years (gorgeous - aren't they??)  LOVE this lady!




So, there you have it. Just a few shout outs to some folks I really adore - who make me happy - and who inspire me. I live to be inspired, you know? And these 4 are the best! I look forward to more from them all! More words, more stories, more art, more photos, more joy and much much more blogging! Keep it up, ladies!

Oh, and just to spread the love a little more . . . . here are a few more blogs I've been LOVING! They are my first stops every blog trip:

Nicole over at Destination Unknown (SO honest. So real. So smart. So . . . Nicole. Just love her.)
Lisa over at Curious Girl (the ABSOLUTELY most brilliant photographer! Just LOVE her blog!!!)
Michelle over at Blissful Babble (Ooooo, she's an especially funny one!)
Betty over at Bossy Betty (LOVE this lady!! Oh, and I don't think she should be allowed to vacation any longer - I missed her too much!)
Gigi over at Kludgy Mom (just fun . . . I enjoy her greatly!)

What about you - what are your favorite blogs? Maybe you should write about them. I think we all need to feel the love from time to time, don't you? Leave me a comment with those blogs you simply HAVE to stop at daily (or as often as possible). I'd love to know . . . so spread the joy!!!!

It's Not Easy Being Green

I may have mentioned before that I am not a gardener. Oh, don’t get me wrong. I totally love and reap the benefits of our garden every single day – but actually doing the deed is clearly not my favorite summer time activity. I am much more suited for sipping a pina colada by the pool. Yes, now we are talking.

However, with PG out of town, I am being held responsible for the upkeep of our garden.

Augh.

To further elaborate on the love/hate relationship I have with my garden, some photos.

The Love

Our Basil.

I LOVE our basil. LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Especially when paired with some fresh mozzarella, some tomatoes, a little EVOO, and salt and pepper. SO Good, and one of my favorite flavors of summer. Mmmmm . . .

Our Tomatoes.

We have a lovely bunch coming in right now. Although they haven’t turned red yet, thoughts of them meeting Mr. Basil in a great big bowl make me . . . HAPPY. Or just slicing them up and eating them on their own. Oh, the joy.

Our Cucumbers.

An equally delightful treat on its own. Or lovely when sliced and matched with a tomato and little feta cheese. Throw in some thin slices of onion, olive oil and S&P, and can I have an OPA!!! So good.

Our Beets.

Our very first attempt at growing them is turning out to be quite fruitful. A lovely addition to the summer goodies - I can’t wait to roast them up (350° temp for 30 minutes with a little S&P and EVOO drizzled on top. SO amazingly simple and GOOD!) Oh, and I know this doesn’t look like the most organized manner of planting – and yes there are some weeds in this picture – but I told you PG was out of town. We’re lucky I’m keeping up with the watering!

Our Sunflowers.

Sure to brighten anyone’s cranky mood. Happy yellow sunflowers. LOVE LOVE LOVE them.

The Hate

Japanese Beetles.

HATE them. And how dare they go after my sunflowers! You big meanies!!! Don’t know how it happens, but they must REALLY love me. Every time I come inside after watering the garden, there is always one attached to me somewhere. I even do a little shake before coming inside (oh, yeah, the neighbors love me!) But still . . . here’s the beetle! I mean – John, Paul, George and Ringo are fine. But, Japanese . . . no thanks!

Flies and Bees.

HATE. Yep, they are right up there with the beetle. NOT my friends. I know, those little bees have purpose. I just would rather they take a break and go elsewhere when they see me coming. And the flies – augh! I say we put a fly, bee and beetle in a jar and let them go at it! I have no clue who would come out on top. Wait - that sounds like the start of a good joke – “A bee, a fly and a beetle walk into a bar . . .” I’ll have to work on that a little more for you. ;)

My Toes in the Garden.

Seriously. These little tootsies have NO BUSINESS being out there in the garden. I mean, I know I could wear socks and shoes. But, how would I show off my big toe art work if I had to cover them up? (Lovely, isn’t it?) Yes, my toes are not enjoying the gardening this week. This is going to call for a sea-salt pedicure when PG returns!

So, that is just a little bit of my gardening thoughts – the good, the bad, and the ugly (sorry for the foot picture. I wouldn’t usually post my toes – but it seemed necessary.) How about you? Do you garden? Are you a fan or foe? What are you growing this season? I’d love to know. . .