Digging out

Greetings, friends! I know my blogging has been sporadic this fall; I've decided that I'm not going to stress about it any more. Life gets in the way sometimes, and I'm finding that while I have time to create, I don't always have time to get the photos taken, edited and posted in a timely manner. So I'll post when I can. I know these years of little ones are fleeting and I'll have more time for blogging when my children are a bit older, so for now, I'll just keep on truckin'.

I'm sure most of you know that the Northeast received an incredible amount of snow last weekend; we were in Connecticut with my in-laws for the weekend, where we got 20" in about 12 hours--craziness!! (Let me tell you, 20" of snow+totally unchildproofed house+two small children, one of whom has more energy than sense=marginally controlled chaos). We did get home on Monday as planned, but our trip took a bit longer than it would normally because of the high winds and snow conditions on the highways. But we were safe and warm and we returned home to find our neighbor had kindly shoveled our sidewalk for us, and we even found a parking spot within half a block of the house that required only minimal shoveling! Yay for that!

But the snow has been melting steadily ever since. And now we are on to planning our own Christmas celebration on January 7--Russian Christmas. I put up the Christmas decorations for the first time in two years this week; it was so fun to pull out all my ornaments and put them up. I got rid of our tree this year because I can't see my three-year-old leaving a tree alone for 3 weeks, and instead, hung artificial garland from our bookcases and stairs, and hung the ornaments on that instead. It worked great! It is high enough to be out of reach, but really dresses up the living room.

I know it is December 31, but being the boring parents that we are, we have nothing planned, and will probably go to bed early! Best wishes for the New Year--I'm sure there will be a lot of exciting things in store!

I have two cards to share today. The first is one my favorite Christmas cards from this year's batch. I got this set late in the season, and made these cards sort of last minute, but I love them!The second card I mentioned a while back--these are the MDS baby thank you cards I made for a friend who had a baby boy at the beginning of December. I'm quite pleased with how they came out, and given that my hands are a chapped and cracked mess, My Digital Studio has been very helpful lately!

The inside--it is so easy to decorate the insides with MDS!

Day is Done

Forgive another foray into Deep Thoughts. As I sit here now, at the end of this terrible day, mentally and physically exhausted, I'm trying to make sense of what it all means. Motherhood, that is. I've found myself in a perpetual existential crisis ever since I became a mother, and I don't expect the crisis to resolve itself any time soon. I think it is a crisis of the post-modern world, of urban living, and of our fallen nature. Although I do think in the pre-industrial era, women's roles were more clearly defined and communities were more tightly knit, which shared the burden of mothering and housekeeping around a bit more.

I sent my toddler to bed with minimal supper because he had a complete meltdown at 5:30, shortly after my husband came home. While my husband normally does bedtime duty with the boy, I took the job tonight, hoping to restore some peace in myself and my son. He screamed and kicked and fought me all the way upstairs, but once I started the familiar routine of potty time, night time diapering, pajamas and evening prayers, he settled considerably. He sat on my lap in the dark while I sang him Advent carols and a few other liturgical hymns I know and was still. It reminded me of the many night time vigils I kept with him as a baby. The baby who is now a little boy, yet sometimes wants to be a baby still. I sat in the dark and tried to think about the Mother of God, whose conception we celebrate tonight and tomorrow. We had planned to attend the Vigil service tonight as a family, but are attending in shifts instead. All I can think about is the numerous women my mother's age who meditate fondly on the toddler years, and I wonder if I will feel that way some day. I know that these years go by so quickly, and there are definitely moments of intense joy as the role of mother, but there are many more moments filled with drudge work and frustration. And yet, I wouldn't trade my children for anything, and even long to have more. Parenthood is a strange paradox, I think.

So in this quiet moment of reflection, let me just say I hope for peace in myself, and pray for stillness of mind and heart, but I fall woefully short every minute of every day. Mothering is an exercise in humility and a constant reminder of the soul's need for God's grace on the journey of salvation. Maybe some day I can remember that in the chaos of the day instead of in the quiet after the storm.

Motherhood Zen

As any parent knows, life with children, especially multiple children, is a very up and down kind of thing and it all turns on a dime. This morning was such a morning. I woke up exhausted as usual from the baby's numerous night time wakings to find my older son was pitching a fit about the color of his pants. You wouldn't think pants color would matter to an almost three-year-old boy, but I think I've mentioned before that I have a budding fashionista on my hands. He wanted to wear blue pants. Unfortunately, because of various potty accidents, the only pants that were clean, dry and hanging in his closet were khaki cords with airplanes embroidered on them. These pants, apparently, just would not do, and so he proceeded to pitch an epic fit about the whole thing. So I awoke to screeching and crying, and came down to breakfast to find my toddler sitting at the table in only his tights, shirt and ever-present blue hooded sweatshirt. He ate his breakfast without too much incident and then asked to go play with his toys in his room. I put him in his room and locked the gate while I went up to get Boo, who had woken by this point. I should add that I was still in my pajamas, the bed was unmade, the clean laundry still in a bag on the floor of our bedroom, and we needed to leave by 9:30 to go see the holiday shows at the Comcast Center and at Macy's. It was 9:00 a.m. by the time I got everyone settled enough to get in the shower. While I was in the shower, Piglet managed to pull every toy out of his toy box, remove all the icons off the wall in the corner of his room, and move the bookcase in front of the doorway. Basically it looked like a hurricane had gone through his room. After the usual scuffle to get everyone in coats and shoes and get out the door, we waited at the bus stop and I reminded myself to just breathe. The bus was late and overcrowded, but some kind-minded souls gave us seats and a few older ladies made sure Piglet didn't go flying off the seat into the aisle. The cold air cleared my head, so by the time we arrived at the Comcast Center for the 10:00 a.m. show, I was feeling pretty positive about the world. The baby was content in the stroller, Piglet had consented to walk at a good pace from the bus stop and sat quietly on my lap for the 15 minute holiday media blitz. He was cheerful and helpful as we went downstairs to get a pretzel and then the chilly walk to Macy's 4 blocks away was uneventful. We saw the light show at Macy's and I felt peaceful and happy about living here and about parenthood. This is what it is about, I thought, watching my son's face as he took in the bright lights and the organ music. We caught a bus home and as Piglet entertained me and the rest of the bus with his stories and songs, I remembered all the things I love about my son's high intensity personality. As we neared our bus stop, he sang Ring Around the Rosie in the sweetest voice and my heart was full.

We walked in the door and things began to fall apart rather quickly. What should have been a quick trip to the potty (Piglet had stayed dry all morning, so I knew he had to go), turned into an hour-long sit, during which time Boo spit up almost constantly. Like the parent of a colicky baby (and I have had two colicky babies), it is hard for most people to relate to the trials that accompany the spitty baby. There are the ever-present pools of spit up on the floor and on his sheets, constantly wet clothing (his and mine), the need to bring a spare pair of everything where ever we go, and the faint odor of sour milk and bile that hangs about the house. My peaceful happy feeling quickly evaporated as I cleaned up spit up after spit up, made sure Piglet didn't get off the potty too soon and go all over his pants or the floor, took an ill-timed telephone call from tech support at Stampin' Up!, and watched as the time to get lunch into the boy slipped away. I made him eat two bananas while sitting on the potty and then as soon as he went, rediapered him and put him in bed, where he has been singing to himself and getting in trouble ever since. The baby slept for about 20 minutes and woke a little while ago screaming, and is having trouble settling back down despite a bottle and clean diaper, being the baby that doesn't sleep well during the day.

So now I'm sitting here, writing about this episode, and feeling morose about my role as a mother, all my peaceful happy feelings a distant memory. I'm hoping to find a little sanity before nap time is officially over and we have to start everything again. For now I'll just settle for children who will sleep in the afternoon when they are supposed to.


But I will share a bright and fun card. I made this earlier in the fall using a color combination I've grown fond of--Tempting Turquoise, Old Olive, Tangerine Tango, plus my go-to single stamp, Tiny Teacup. I think it is the perfect "Thinking of You" kind of card.

Tis the Season...

for bonks on the head. Yesterday was challenging. The boy didn't nap, and when I let him get up, he was in a mood to be naughty. So naughty, in fact, that he decided it would be a good idea to throw a wooden train from the second floor to the first floor, which happened to hit the baby on the head on the way down. Needless to say, I was Not Happy. So the baby starts screaming his head off, the boy looks at me like "what did I do?" and I'm a little freaked because it hit the baby's head and he is now sporting a Rather Large Goose Egg. I called our pediatrician to see what, if anything, I should do, and called my husband in near hysterics. He calmed me down while I was waiting for the doctor to call back, during which time the baby calmed down too. The doctor said not to worry and told us what to watch for if there was a problem, but the baby seemed fine by the time she called me back and she thought he would be fine. It's a miracle siblings live to their second birthday, is all I can say.

My husband and I were supposed to go to an Anonymous 4 concert in the evening, and I was tempted to call the whole thing off, but the boys seemed fine by 6:00, and Boo's godparents were coming to stay with them for the evening, and I knew they would be in good hands. Plus I knew that the mental break would be good for me. Unfortunately, just as we were about to leave, Piglet hit his head on the floor while roughhousing with Boo's godfather. So more tears. I got him settled down and then we left before anything else could happen! I'm very glad we went. It was a lovely concert of medieval Christmas carols, with a great venue at one of the local historic churches.

This morning my husband took the boy to the zoo and this afternoon we have to divide and conquer as we were invited to two different events at the same time. So hubby is taking the baby and I'm taking the boy. Tomorrow we are going to hear Messiah, which I love, love, love. So today's card will be a quick one! I made this baby card a while back without having a specific recipient in mind, but was glad to have it on hand this week when one of our friends had a baby boy! My hands are terribly chapped right now and I'm having trouble working my paper cutter, so instead of making baby thank you cards by hand, I made a bunch in MDS. I'll post them when the physical cards arrive, okay?

Hey diddle, diddle...

the cow jumped over the moon. Okay, a weird start, I know. Sometimes posts come to me, sometimes, not so much. It has gotten COLD here! I love it. I'm such a winter person. I lived in Moscow for a year and I really enjoy Moscow in Janaury. Give me forty below over 90 degrees any day. My husband thinks I'm weird (for more reasons than one!), especially since I'm a person that is perpetually cold, but my response is always that I love cold weather, but I don't particularly enjoy being cold. Although given a choice, I'll take being cold over being hot because you can always add more layers. You can only get so naked. :)

I spent this afternoon working on Valentines for my From Our Hearts box (due December 26!). I think I am nearly done. I made 25 to add to growing pile, so even if I don't have a full box this time, at least it is a respectable showing.


I have two cards to share today. The first is a birthday card I made for my brother-in-law back in October. I actually made two of these and will use the second one for my father-in-law's birthday at the end of the month. It's a nice masculine layout that I got from Julie Davison. I used a color combo from the Color Coach (Cajun Craze, So Saffron and Always Artichoke) and the Lovely as a Tree stamp set, which is always good for masculine cards. The second card is another MDS card that I made while playing around last night. I like how it turned out--I've been wanting to try a button card like that. I want to make a "real" card just like it when I get my Funky Four set next quarter. I sent in some projects to be professionally printed by SU!--I'm curious to see how well they turn out in person. I'll let you know, k?

MDS

Quick post today--I'm barreling through some smaller projects today using My Digital Studio! I confess, I wasn't too excited about it when it was first released; I wasn't really looking for a digital crafting software. I've seen some nifty things made with it, and in recent months had begun to ponder putting it on my list because I've had several projects that required graphic design and thought it might prove useful in the future.

I've been meaning to try this color scheme for weeks!

In the end, I couldn't resist the great Thanksgiving sale price (half off!) and bought it a few weeks ago. I finally got around to installing it over the weekend and getting all the upgrades installed. I made a couple of projects just to play around with the software and wanted to share with you today. The card is a simple card that could be hybridized with additional real embellishments  There is a lot of potential for this software and I'm looking forward to seeing what else I can come up with! I decided earlier this year that my next baby books and family photo albums are going to be all digital, so this software provides a great tool to create wonderful books for our family. I'm pretty happy I bought it.

Food, food, food

I've been writing this post in my head for several days, so I hope it comes out alright. I should start by saying that this post has nothing to do with cards and I don't have anything to share today, not because I haven't been creating but because I haven't had time to edit the photos yet. So if you are here for the card share, stay tuned for another day. Just don't make too much noise exiting the blog, so I still think someone is reading. :)

Carbs, carbs, carbs.

Anyone still there? The first thing is that I love to eat. The second thing is that I've struggled with my weight all my life. These things go hand-in-hand, I know, but when one goes on a diet for the first time at the tender age of 11 (because I had started puberty in earnest and no longer had the girlish leaness of my childhood but had developed the generous curves of adulthood), it sets up a certain expectation about one's relationship with food.

Beef stew, mmm.

I, for one, have a terrible relationship with food. I eat for comfort, I eat to live, I live to eat, I diet, I try to eat healthy, I eat junk,...it is all very evolutionary. I would give it up all together, but I do want to see my children grow old. Some of the bad comes from the perpetual feeling of deprivation that I have due to numerous and annoying food allergies, which have only grown worse as I've gotten older and borne children. The last two weeks have been especially challenging as I've had three major allergic episodes and I don't know what the new culprit is. So I'm kind of at a loss as to what to eat right now. I'm allergic to many "healthy" foods, including nuts and seeds, chicken, several vegetables and fruits, certain legumes, and other staples of a healthy diet. (My allergist told me on Monday that I'm amongst a small subset of her patients that she labels "scary"). So I'm not eating well; I'm eating safe. Which translates to a lot of refined carbs, which, like eating out while on vacation, get old after the novelty wears off. So much for the 15 pound weight loss. I'm bummed because I still have so far to go!

Okay, so this is an emergency room visit on a plate for me, but I thought the photo was cute.

What I have noticed about my relationship with food is that healthy habits on my part are generally easier to keep when I'm not tired. And I don't mean the I-stayed-up-too-late-last-night-therefore-am-tired-today kind of tired. I mean the kind of chronic sleep deprivation that accompanies small children and hormone changes. I was doing quite well until recently, in fact.

There are at least two things on this plate that would cause some problems for me.

The baby has been a good sleeper at night almost from birth, although his day time sleep has never been good. I didn't really mind the day time sleep issues because we were getting a good night's sleep. I joined Weight Watchers, started working out regularly at the gym, got back into a routine with my personal trainer, and was feeling like my goal weight was actually attainable, rather than a far-off dream from another planet.

I had begun to think that the extreme sleep problems we experienced with my older son's babyhood were not going to plague us this go-round. I was wrong. November marked not only the end of daylight savings time, the bane of sleep-deprived parents everywhere, but the beginning of earnest teething for the baby. While the baby is generally pleasant when awake and shows none of the behaviors we came to expect when my older son was cutting a tooth, he isn't sleeping. Not at night, not during the day. For the last month or so, the baby is sleeping for 20 minutes at random intervals during the day and waking every 90 minute most nights beginning around 11 p.m. Oh, and did I mention that he is up for the day between 4-5 a.m.? Which means we are up for the day then too. Suffice to say, we are both tired, and my efforts to go to the gym and eat healthy have pretty much flown out the window.

I can't even begin to list all the problem foods on this plate. Looks tasty, though, doesn't it?

I've not given up just yet, as I keep hoping (somewhat vainly) that today will be the day the fog lifts and I can get back to my life. I've been dragging myself to a Pilates class once a week, and am still halfheartedly tracking POINTS with Weight Watchers, but I confess I lack the motivation and drive and kept me going prior to November. Luckily, I still have my creative drive and keep poking away at various projects, and am glad to receive requests for more--stamping is keeping me sane! I keep hoping I'll find the motivation and drive to get back to my healthy lifestyle and continuing weight loss efforts, along with the energy that made me consider reorganizing and further simplifying our home. Needless to say, both projects have been put on hold for the moment.

But that is what New Year's Resolutions are for, right?

Wedding Invitations in Style

I know, you can't believe it, two posts in two days! I'm pretty unmotivated to create today, so I spent this morning running errands. I took the long way to the post office to get in a walk (there was no way I was going to make my Zumba class at 9:30 given my allergies and general exhaustion this week; Pilates on Wednesday was quite enough for me, thank you very much).

After I mailed my packages, I walked a bit down Chestnut Street because I remembered seeing a consignment shop there that I've been meaning to check out when I didn't have my children in tow. It was great! Lots of nice things, little bit high on the prices, but good quality items and presented nicely. Almost felt like I was shopping in a regular store! Definitely a few steps above our local Salvation Army--I always feel like I need a shower after being in there. I found a corduroy jacket that fit great, but was a bit more than I wanted to spend, and a very cute pair of leather heels, but passed on both in favor of two great skirts on the clearance rack. I have two small children, and hopefully more to come, so I need to be realistic about what I really wear every day. In any case, it was good to get out of the house, and walk around in the crisp cold air--winter is my favorite season!

I'm posting because of a few requests to see the wedding invitations. I bought a tutorial on how to make it from another demonstrator a while back and modified it for the bride, who wanted the invitation to be in two languages, English and Russian. I like the color combination a lot--she wanted a blue to match her engagement ring, which is a light blue stone, very close to Baja Breeze. A perfect match! The bride also wanted a pop of red, so we decided Cherry Cobbler would the be perfect complement to Baja Breeze. I will say that I've got Elements of Style out of my system for a while now. I think that set will go to the bottom of the pile for a bit. Nothing like making 150 wedding invitations and 80 thank you notes with the same stamp set to give you style fatigue. Oh wait, I still have to make her programs, but I have some time before I need to get working on those!

These are the coordinating thank you notes--I used a template that I've been enamoured of for a while--I like the tone-on-tone style, and the little pops of color are great, in my humble opinion. Plus these notes are elegant and useful for a variety of occasions, so if she has some left over, she can use them for other things.

Just for You: Elizabeth

I've had a lot of different ideas for this post running around in my head for a few days, and just can't seem to settle down to one thing (in more ways than one), so forgive me if this is somewhat scattered and brief. My children are finally on the upswing of a nasty respiratory infection, after a month of interrupted sleep and crankiness, and I'm starting to feel a bit better myself, although I'm still quite tired and somewhat congested. At least the stuff is starting to make an exit, however slow. I've been feverishly trying to finish those wedding invitations I think I've mentioned a time or two, and I'm happy to announce that they are, in fact, done. The thank you notes that go with them are about half done. I'm nearly finished with the Valentines for the From Our Hearts box, and I've got about 12 Christmas cards to make yet. After that, a few odds and ends for Christmas gifts and then I can breathe for a while.

While I'm breathing (in-out, in-out), I'm going to attack my house, which has started to feel overfull. I'm sure by some standards, we are positively spartan, but I've always struggled between extremes of pack-ratism and monkish asceticism when it comes to my belongings. When I clean out, I tend to get rid of too much stuff, and when I let things be, I tend to accumulate too much stuff. It's hard for me to find balance. A few weeks ago, I stumbled across this blog call The Nester, and in it, she mentioned a book called Organized Simplicity. I was immediately struck by the title and ordered a copy that same day (I know, one more thing to add to the pile...). I've been reading it in fits because that is the type of book it is, and I've decided I need to go through my house room by room and really take stock. My husband thinks that as long as there is still room for things, we shouldn't worry about it, but I'm starting to feel suffocated and stressed by our stuff. When we moved here, we had 60 boxes of books (which we pared down to about 50). I know that another book cull is needed. What I'd really like to get our book collection down to an amount that will basically fit in the living room. We have massive built-in bookcases there that are pretty full at the moment, plus five more on the second floor that are totally full, so I definitely have my work cut out. I think a season of fasting (Advent) is a good time to take stock. Last Lent, I took stock of my menu planning and household chore organization; this Advent is to be our physical space. So I don't think I'll be posting much in December because I'm not sure how much I'll be creating. And as anyone who has read this blog long knows, we don't celebrate Christmas until January 7 anyway, so I've got time.

My card for today is simple (as are many of my cards lately). It uses the Elizabeth ala carte stamp (so versatile!) and an embossing folder. So easy!

Supplies:
Melon Mambo, Old Olive, Whisper White cs
Elizabeth, Teeny Tiny Wishes stamps
Old Olive, Melon Mambo ink
Gray satin ribbon (non-Su!)

A cold in my head

So here am I, home on a Sunday morning with a cold in my head, a sore throat, and the general maliase that accompanies any good sickness. My older son has been messing with a cold for several weeks; the baby has been congested for about a week, and I guess now it is my turn. The thing I hate about being sick (well, there are lots of things to dislike) is that it takes me F-O-R-E-V-E-R to get over things. I'd say, on the average, it takes me twice as long to kick a virus as most people. I blame all my allergies. Gotta love them allergies--they are seriously hard on the immune system. So while being sick kind of stinks, the prospect of being sick for the next month really stinks. Hopefully my immune system will prove me wrong for once and I'll be feeling better before Thanksgiving.


I know I've been AWOL again from the blogosphere. Sorry about that--I've been absolutely snowed with work! I'm still working on those wedding invitations for our priest's daughter, plus I'm trying to get some Christmas projects made (no progress on those yet) and finish my own Christmas cards. Oh, and make a bunch of Valentines, since the From Our Hearts deadline for Valentines is December 26. Oy. Did I mention that after months of being my awesome good sleeping baby, Max has started getting up at night? I hate teething. (His, not mine)



So, two cards to share today--these were in the last box I sent to the troops. It was a handy way to use up a few dsp scraps I had lying around. I think I made 8 of each card. I've been experimenting a little with stamping directly on the dsp and I think I like it!

Yummy Brussels Sprouts

Yes, you read that title correctly. I've finally discovered a truly delicious way to make Brussels sprouts and it doesn't involve any sugar to make them more palatable, which is what I've traditionally tried. In my experience, sugar just coats the bitterness a bit but doesn't really mask the taste. Tonight I made a savory concoction that I tried a few months ago and forgot about. It was absolutely delish. Basically, you make a kind of hash with the sprouts and onion and paprika, then put it on top of bread with melted cheese. Mmm-mmm good. I should have taken a photograph before we devoured the whole thing! Here's the recipe in case you want it:

From Food and Wine Magazine:

1# Brussels sprouts (about 20 walnut size ones, or 50 chickpea size ones), sliced thinly
1 large onion, diced finely
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp. paprika
4 thin slices cheddar cheese
4 small whole wheat dinner rolls or crusty bread

Add your sprouts to a pot with salted boiling water and boil until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Saute the onion and salt and pepper to taste in olive oil in a skillet until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add paprika and allow to carmelize, about 10 minutes. Add a little water (1-2T.) if onions run dry. Add cooked Brussels sprouts and mix well to coat everything evenly in the oil and juices and everything is warmed through. In a toaster oven or in a 350 degree oven, toast the bread with the cheese until the cheese is nicely melted. Arrange on a platter and top with sprout hash. Serves 4 (in theory--in our house, it served the two of us!)


This week I've been experimenting a little with one layer cards. I borrowed Studio Sketches from another Philly Inker and this set seems to lend itself to super-simple, yet elegant cards. I made a few thank you note sets and am considering some other designs before returning it. The top card I stamped in Early Espresso and colored with colored pencils. The bottom one is also stamped in Early Espresso, and the pears are colored with a Certainly Celery marker. A pack of cards like these would make a quick and easy gift--and so elegant!

Finally!

Looking for the Pansy Cart Tutorial? Click HERE.

I think I've mentioned before my son's fascination with women's shoes. Well, yesterday, we went to the mall because I wanted to get something at Old Navy and look for a pair of shoes at Payless. I popped the baby in the stroller and Piglet walked alongside, sometimes pushing the stroller and sometimes telling me to push it and was generally good all morning, considering he was on a shopping excursion with me. We ended our morning at Payless, and my goodness, was that kid in heaven. Rows and rows of women's shoes for him to try on! He pulled his own shoes off within about 30 seconds of entering the store and was pulling out this and that the whole time we were there. He was particularly enamoured of these shoes and wore them around the store a good chunk of the time we were there. It must be said, the kid is good in pumps. I'm not sure yet whether to be worried. At least it kept him occupied while I browsed for shoes. He did point out a couple of pairs I would have missed--my little fashionista is a big help to me! :)

And now for the main event:

I've been holding on to this post since January. Seriously. I entered this card into a contest held by my upline's upline, "Aunt" Karen Barber, and have been waiting for the results of the contest to post the card. I finally heard from her today and I won! I'm pretty flattered since la Zindorf is in her downline and I figured I didn't have a snowflake's chance in...you know where to win. I had a lot of fun making this card--I love the misty background behind the trees and the reflection in the water. I did use one of Michelle Z's excellent tutorials to produce this card. I think I used Sahara Sand in place of Going Gray ink, which made the card a little more cool than Michelle's original, but I like it very much!

A Matter of Moments

Just a quick note today--the baby has been screaming inexplicably for the past hour, the house is freezing, my husband just brought my sobbing toddler back from the playground, and I need to get supper started, so nothing wonderful to impart today. I made this quick fall card a few weeks ago for my last Operation Write Home box. I think I made about 8 of them. The color was a bit more rich than it looks on the photo.

Supplies:

Autumn Splender, Because I care stamp sets, More Mustard, Riding Hood Red, Very Vanilla cs, Christmas Cocoa dp (retired), Soft Suede, RRH, More Mustard ink

Onesies on the Line

Looking for the Pansy Cart Tutorial? Click HERE.

Want to order Christmas cards? Click HERE.

I'm having a slow day today--I had the luxury of sleeping in for once ('til 9:30!) and then spent the morning puttering around, and walking to Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck) to get groceries. I came home around noon and starting cooking. I made beef stew and pumpkin bread for tomorrow's dinner, since apparently both have to sit overnight before they are edible.

Tonight will be leftovers for the boys because I'm going to DIVA NIGHT! I'm so excited because I will probably never, ever make Diva Night again. Diva Night is a little incentive that Claire offers every quarter to her downline--sell a certain amount in the quarter, better your best, or recruit someone, and you get to go to an evening of dinner and special stamping projects. I recruited my sister last quarter (wa-hoo!) and so I get to go this time! It's a bit deal for me. Stephanos said to me one day last week, "You've been so run down and busy lately--are you sure you have time to go to Claire's on Monday?" I looked at him with some incredulity and said, "Are you kidding me? Wild horses couldn't keep me away from Diva Night!" He held up his hands in mock surrender (and bewilderment--he doesn't understand all the crafty stuff) and shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "Okay, crazy lady."

I know I've been a bit sporadic in posting lately--sorry! I've been a bit busy. Two weeks ago, I made a baby brag book for a client. Last week, I finished 40 birth announcements and started work on 150 wedding invitations for our priest's daughter. Next up, Christmas cards! I made the baby card (top) to accompany the brag book because I wanted it to match the theme of the book (I'm silly like that). What do you think of the birth announcements (above)? Cutie patootie, huh? I really like the color combination and the way they came out. I got the layout idea from the big catalog this year--I'm always surprised by what inspires me in there. I made a girl version just for a sample (below) and I like that one very much too!

RAKs and PPA bling

Looking for the Pansy Cart Tutorial? Click HERE.

Has anyone besides me ever noticed that children sleep badly when one of the parents is away? At least mine usually do. I find when I'm single parenting, either my toddler has nightmares, wets the bed, wakes up ridiculously early, or naps badly (or some combination of all four). And the baby usually decides it is a great time to start getting up four-five times per night. So when my husband left yesterday morning for a quick overnight business trip, it was with fear and trembling that I bid him good bye. True to form, the toddler took a lousy nap and the baby was fussy all day, but then miraculously, by 8:00, all was quiet. And stayed quiet. The toddler went to bed on time at 7:00 and went to sleep right away. The baby fussed and nursed a bit until 8:00 and then he went to bed, and I didn't hear a peep out of either of them until this morning! I even had to wake the baby up at 7:30 to nurse because I was fit to burst! The toddler slept until almost 9:00! Thank God for small mercies, is what I say.


I'm on a few different listservs for stamping-related matters, and in the last week a few stampers have requested RAKs (Random Act of Kindess) cards for friends in distress or recovering from surgery. I'm always happy to contribute to these requests because I think it is fun to receive cards from random people when you are in a bad way, and also because I think very few people respond to these requests, so it is nice for the asker when someone does. Not that I'm strumming my own guitar or anything. I only mention it as the reason I made these two cards last night. As I was finishing them, I thought they needed a little bling-bling, and then remembered the PPA challenge for this week was to add bling to a card. Perfect! I pulled out my brand-spanking new Rhinestones and a bit of bling here, a bit of bling there and voila, the cards were complete! And sparkly!

I also consider this first one to be a limited supply challenge. I really wanted to use the color combo of River Rock, Marina Mist and Cherry Cobbler, but had exactly one tiny scrap of Marina Mist that measured 3" by 1 1/4". I used the ink on the medallion, but decided that wasn't enough blue, so I got creative with that scrap. I trimmed it lengthwise and overlapped it with a creative faux ribbon treatment on the one end and there you have it! I even remembered to stamp my sentiment on something other than Whisper White for something different!

The second card is a color inspiration from a blog I read that has nothing to do with stamping. A few weeks ago she posted a picture of a quilt she is making and I was instantly in love with the colors--More Mustard, Whisper White and just a pop of Cherry Cobbler. If you visit the link, the photos of the quilt are quite far down in the (longish) post--just scroll down. It's a little hard to see in the photo, but the sentiment (on Whisper White, I know--I just couldn't do it twice in a row) has the En Francais stamp faintly in the background. I wanted just a hint of texture there and using the background stamped off once was perfect. The only thing I wish I had done differently was to sponge the edges of the Whisper White panel with More Mustard. Oh well.

Toddler Obsessions

Toddler obsessions are strange creatures. My son goes through phases of being obsessed with this thing or that thing, and then after a period of extreme intensity, he's done with it. His latest obsession is with naptime and bedtime. He wants me to put him to bed for naps (instead of his babysitter), and his papa to put him to bed at night. Usually we don't deviate from this, but sometimes it doesn't work out, and then it is hard for him to understand the change. He begins his days by asking, "Mama put you to bed?" [for the afternoon nap], asks at regular intervals all morning, lists all the things that he has to have done before he can go to sleep (turn on the noise machine, close the curtains, turn on the nightlight, clip the paci, hold Mr. Floppy and the green blanket, snuggle with Raggedy Andy, cover up with the quilt...you get the idea). When I get him up from his naps, the first words out of his mouth are usually, "Papa put you to bed?" And thus it begins all over again until bed time. Tied to this latest obsession is a somewhat unhealthy interest in pajamas. Until now he has cared very little what we put on him to sleep. Suddenly it matters and since the footie pajamas from his cousin don't fit, the red pajama pants are the only thing that will do lately. I indulge him in this particular obsession because it seems fairly harmless to me. It *is* annoying to have to discuss it endlessly every day, but on the other hand, it seems to comfort him, and since he is a child who is difficult to comfort, I'll take what I can get.

Today's card is inspired by an architectural interest piece that I saw in a Hyatt Place that we stayed at recently. (I should add that we got the room at a bargain through hotwire.com). Our room had this interesting dividing wall that separated the "living room" from the "bedroom" and I immediately thought that the colors and textures were begging to be made into a card. You can see a photograph by clicking HERE.

So my card is based on that wall. I thought the window panes (which are textured like linen when you see them up close) were the color of River Rock, and that deep brown wood was like Early Espresso, with Very Vanilla on the walls. I started with my new Day of Gratitude stamp set, plus my Sanded background stamp and set to work on a window card! I love the clean Oriental simplicity of this card. I already mailed it as part of a mail swap of which I am a part.

Supplies:
Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, River Rock cs
Afterthoughts, Day of Gratitude, Sanded stamps
River rock, Versamark, Early Espresso inks
Square punches, bone folder for score lines
post it notes for masking
dimensionals
paper snips

Pansy Cart Tutorial

My first tutorial by popular request! Please click on the paypal button below to purchase. Once I receive payment from you, I will e-mail you the pdf, which is 27 pages long and includes over 80 full-color photographs. Please be sure to include your e-mail address when you check out.

$5

Tutorial is coming!

The post title pretty much says it all! I don't have a picture today, but wanted to let all of you know that I'm working on a tutorial for the pansy cart and hope to get it posted early next week. I think I'm going to have to ask a little bit for it (maybe $5?) because of the amount of time it took to make another cart and photograph the whole process, plus writing up the tutorial.

Also, in case you missed it on the previous post, I'm going to be offering finished Christmas card sets, as well as Christmas card kits, so stay tuned for that as well. I'm hoping to get the samples made and photographed this week and posted next week some time.

Nighty-night!

Daybook

A friend of mine does this periodically on her blog, and I thought I'd give it a whirl today. I promise there is a card at the bottom. Here's a sneak peak just to reassure you.

Outside my window…

Today was a lovely fall day--a hint of chill in the air, fall colors on the trees, bright sunshine and the crisp smell of coming rain. At the moment, however, it is dark and quiet.
I am thankful…
for our wonderful babysitter, who is unflappable in the face of toddler whims, potty accidents, baby spit up, and everything else.
I am hoping and praying…
that cooler weather is finally here to stay (and eager for winter weather!)

that I have enough time to get all my work done and get dinner on the table

that my children grow up to be polite, productive adults who are active in the life of the Church.
From the kitchen…
I'm still keeping on with Weight Watchers and am trying to stay motivated. My mantra these days is that nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. Some days I even believe it.
Towards rhythm and beauty…
I've got a better rhythm of meal planning (although I know it could still use some work) but will be glad when the day comes that my overall housekeeping has a better rhythm. I was doing well in the second trimester with Boo--I was on a laundry and cleaning schedule, in addition to regular weekly meal plans. Since his birth, however, I'm just keeping up with the meals and doing laundry as needed rather than on a particular day. Cleaning, well, I have some help. :)
I am reading…
Blindman's Bluff, by Faye Kellerman, the latest in the Decker/Lazarus mysteries
The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want: A Book about Noise, by Garret Keizer
One Day by David Nichols (actually, I just finished it, just in time for my book club on Wednesday!)
I am pondering…
C.S. Lewis' thoughts on prayer
My own failures as a parent
I’m creating…
Wedding invitations and birth announcements! Plus a few cards here and there. And gearing up for Christmas cards. Stay tuned for an announcement on how to order yours from me.
I am listening to…
At the moment, nothing. But on my ipod, I'm listening to a mix I've dubbed "coffee shop", which includes Kate Rusby, Sia, Bat for Lashes, Bon Iver and St Vincent, Allison Krauss, Sting, Anya Marina, Iron and Wine, Joshua Radin, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart and Elton John, just to name a few.
On keeping home…
See on keeping rhythm. I'm working on it. My house is clean, my dishes are washed, my family is fed, and my laundry is done, but I can't take credit for the clean house. At least I keep it neat and swept myself. Oh, and my bed is made every day.
Around the house…
I've done a lot of canning in the last two years, and this year, I decided I just couldn't do it. We were traveling almost nonstop during the first half of August, and then the last half, when I would normally be canning tomato products, hubby had a big work deadline and I just didn't have enough time with him working 16 hours a day and Boo nursing almost non stop. I feel guilty about it, but I have enough left from last summer to get us through part of the winter anyway. I did make freezer jam at least. I had hoped to make applesauce again this year, but that is going on the list of Things I Could Not Manage With a Nursing Newborn and Needy Toddler.
In the garden…
Um, well, we don't have a garden. We had aspirations at one time of using the community garden, but frankly, I don't have a desire to dig in the dirt when it is 100 degrees outside and I have two little children clinging to my skirts.
This week in the Church…
Nothing special this week, but next week (31st) hubby is being tonsured a reader by the bishop.
A few plans for the rest of the week…
I'm working on a custom order for a baby brag book and going to the gym. I didn't go today because I had to run errands while I had a babysitter and the errands took me all morning. I feel terribly guilty about it. But I have more energy than I have had in the last 3 weeks, so there's something to be said about missing a day at the gym.
Piglet this week…
Yes, we've resorted to bribery on the potty training front. Given the inducement of M&Ms, he went twice on the potty this morning for the sitter. (Yay for that!) We won't talk about the #2 accident he had at the playground in between.
Piglet is such a character--he loves all things related to church and is obsessed with prayer books. He likes to carry them around and chant at the top of his lungs. He likes books of all kinds and is especially into coffee table books at the moment. I have a big album of postcards from my and hubby's various travels and he loves flipping through it and looking at all the churches. The running commentary is hilarious ("blue church! people open the gates! people close the gates! gospel book! icon of Christ! icon of tokos!").
Boo this week…
Boo is one long string bean. He is 5 1/2 months old and wearing clothes that Piglet wore at 10 months! He is extremely social and loves to be around people. He is a smiley happy baby, and as long as he can see someone, fairly content. He has started to grab at toys and likes to exercise his vocal cords by "talking" fairly loudly for a stretch every afternoon. He is a good night time sleeper, but a lousy day sleeper. He prefers to sleep on his belly and has been known to flip over in the car seat for sleep if not properly strapped in!
A picture to share…

Okay, I have to toot my own horn on this card. I made it by request for my dear friend Elena, who wants to send it to her mother. She just asked for a "flower pot card" after seeing something my mom had sent me. I have been eying the butterfly punch pansies for some time and wanted to give them a try. I saw this set of note cards at the post office that featured pansies flowing out of a wicker wheelbarrow and decided to try and recreate it. I'm so pleased with the result!
This is how the card opens--you pull out the top layer of pansies to reveal the card inside.


I'm considering making a tutorial out of this one, but only if there is enough interest. So let me know, okay?
Supplies:
Sahara Sand, Whisper White cs
Elegant Eggplant, Rich Razzleberry, Pale Plum, Almost Amythest, Daffodil Delight, Sahara Sand inks
Sponges
5/8" Old Olive grosgrain ribbon
Gold brads
Paper piercing tool
Butterfly punch
Basic black marker
dimensionals
Circles #2 die
jumbo brad (white)
glue

Parenting

Parenting is a humbling experience. Not only do you see all the flaws in yourself (and your spouse) replicated in your children, you also get your worst moments parroted back at you. Piglet has started to repeat my scoldings in the exact same tone of voice. Not to taunt me, but because he likes the sound of his own voice and is trying out new things. But it taunts me a little. I hear how I sound, and what it must sound like to him and I squirm with embarrassment. I never wanted to be that parent.

And yet, my scolding is often to keep him from hurting himself, or causing harm to others, so it does serve a purpose. I just wish it wasn't such a frequent necessity. A priest once told me to reserve my ire for the moments where it was most needed, so that when I really needed the message to get through, it wouldn't be lost in the general atmosphere of constant nagging and scolding. I have a hard time with that one, because I feel often feel like my days are one constant obstacle course of trying to keep my children safe and teach them right from wrong. And it is hard to do that in a soft voice when they frequently develop deafness where discipline is concerned. But I'll keep working on it. There is a priest's wife I know and admire who has a great way with children (she has five of her own) and never seems to raise her voice or get flustered. I realize her children are nearly grown, and that I don't live with her, but I aspire to speak softly (and not carry a big stick).


Today's card is a thank you card for my good friend Rebecca, who sent a lovely book to Piglet for his namesday on the 11th. I wrote the card from him to her, and I hope she likes it! I used the Mojo Monday sketch again, omitting the buttons on the side. I used up some SAB dp from two years ago and another color combo I'm fond of. I made 10 more of these as birthday cards for the Operation Write Home box. I think some little child will be happy to receive these! I borrowed this set from a friend and am having some fun with it!

Supplies:
Whisper White, Sahara Sand, Real Red, Bashful Blue, Delicate Dots dp (retired)
Teddy and Train set
Crumb Cake, Daffodil Delight, Real Red, Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi markers
Real Red grosgrain ribbon
scallop edge punch
Top note die

Mojo Monday: Creating in the desert

I've been feeling a bit creatively dry lately. I've got some biggish custom projects on the horizon, (to say nothing of Christmas cards) and I just can't seem to get going on much else right now. It doesn't help that I'm so tired all the time. I shouldn't be--I've been blessed this time with a baby who actually sleeps a good amount at night, and my toddler rarely gets up anymore, but I still end up feeling like I'm sleep-walking through my days lately. I'm hoping it lifts soon because I've got new stamps begging for ink!

I did manage to create a bit last night--I pulled out this week's Mojo Monday sketch and my new favorite color combination (Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso and Marina Mist) and got to work. I decided to ink up Day of Gratitude, which arrived in a big box from the brown boyfriend on Tuesday. I went back and forth a lot before ordering this set and I'm so glad I did! That big medallion has a lot going for it and the smaller images are pretty versatile, as this card shows, I think. I had to move the ribbon down to the bottom because it didn't look right at the top, and I moved the brads a little further to the right from the sketch, but it's just a guide, right? I love this new Afterthoughts hostess set--the big words are great. I just double mounted the smaller sayings on the side of some of them for greater versatility. I made four of these for the Operation Write Home box I'm working on filling.

Okay, I should go take a nap now.

Supplies:

Wild Wasabi, Marina Mist, Early Espresso, Whisper White cs, retired dp
Afterthoughts, Day of Gratitude stamps
Marina Mist, Wild Wasabi, Early Espresso inks
Chocolate chip epoxy brads
grosgrain ribbon (non-SU!)
scallop edge punch

Swaps

The weather is lovely today--I wish I could take more advantage of it, but Boo is having a fussy day and Piglet just went down for his nap, so I guess I'm just going to have to enjoy it through the window. I did get out to the gym and grocery store this morning, so at least I got a little taste. I really have nothing interesting to impart today--I'm so tired from the weekend, I just want to sleep for a week. But a mother's day never ends, right? Speaking of tired, I took this photo last week one day when I went in to wake up Piglet--he likes to "snuggle with Andy" during his nap, and had pulled the doll's legs over his head at some point. I had to chuckle.

One of the things that we do at downline meetings every month is participate in a swap of card fronts. It is a great way to gather ideas, see new products in action and ooh and ahh over gorgeous techniques. I don't always have time to get a swap together (we have to make 12-16 fronts, depending on the size of the meeting), and I always accept pity swaps, but this month I had my act together. I started with a color combination from the Color Coach, dusted off my Choo Choo set, and went to work. And,....not so much. I scrapped it after an hour of fiddling and just not liking the results.

I was stumped then, and sat for a while, trying to figure out where to go from there. The color combo I really wanted to try out (Tempting Turquoise, Rich Razzleberry and Pumpkin Pie) I didn't have enough cardstock to make 12 fronts. In the end, I went back to my Haiku paper, and used the color combo from that--So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Old Olive and Whisper White. I used the Because I Care hostess set and I'm quite pleased with the result! I had a ton of Tangerine Tango scraps that are 3.5x5.5 from a project that I did two summers ago, and have been trying to whittle away at the stack. I think I'm down to under a dozen, so that is good! I'm really looking forward to our meeting tonight--a chance to get away and stamp some of my stress away. Plus there is usually chocolate involved, so can't go wrong there!

Supplies:
So Saffron, Tangerine Tango, More Mustard, Whisper White cs
Because I Care, Short and Sweet stamp sets
So Saffron, Old Olive, More Mustard, Tangerine Tango inks
Old Olive 5/8" grosgrain ribbon
Square lattice embossing folder

Smokin' Pink Hotrod

I know you are probably scratching your head over my post title, but sometimes titles come to me and sometimes, not so much. Today was so busy I've just now had time to write this little post. I spent the morning baking and cooking, partly for a little party we are having for Harry's feast day tomorrow (we are celebrating it early), and partly for dinners next week. I don't always have the foresight to cook ahead for busy days, but I was on my game today. So my whole house is redolent of curry. I will say that while I like the taste, I don't care for the smell. I made a lovely pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, but the smell of spiced pumpkin was no match for the curry smell of the Turkey Saagwala we are having on Sunday night. (Stephanos asked what I had made and I said Saagwala, and Harry said, "Go to Wawa?" Ha!)

Luckily, the weather was nice today, so I've had the windows open all day to try and air things out. I went and got my patootie kicked by my Pilates trainer (yes boss!) and then I worked on swaps for Monday's Philly Inker's meeting in between nursing and just holding the baby (he was in a mood today).

I made a bunch of these cards with some Haiku dp--I know the color combination is a little unusual, but I think it works. Gotta love that hot pink motorcycle!

Supplies:
Melon Mambo, Tangerine Tango, whisper white cs, haiku dp (retired)
Motorcycle (retired), tiny teacup stamps
Melon Mambo, Chocolate Chip ink
Melon Mambo grosgrain (retired)
Curly label punch

Rock-N-Roll, baby!

As any woman who has borne children knows, the hardest part of the whole deal (well, besides the sleep deprivation and nursing issues) is the jiggly bits you're left with after the baby is born. That whole line about breastfeeding being a great diet tool is just a load of bollocks designed to keep us at it, if you ask me. I've never lost much while breastfeeding, and I found I got down to my pre-pregnancy size (and a bit less) right about the time I got pregnant again! (6 months after weaning and 18 months after birth...) So I went into my pregnancy with Boo with fear and trembling on the weight front. I gained an incredible amount of weight with Piglet (25 pounds of water, plus all the other weight one gains while pregnant) and I was loathe to be that big again. Things started out well--I gained much more slowly, had much less water retention and generally felt like I was on track to gain a reasonable amount of weight. Until the third trimester, that is, when I started retaining water again, and carrying so low that I could hardly walk. So while I gained less this pregnancy than the last, I still gained more than I wanted to. So I'm left with a bunch of jiggly bits and a nice jelly belly. That I've been trying to work off with a weekly Pilates session. Unsuccessfully.

I decided a few weeks ago that I was going to ramp up my gym sessions, add in another weekly Pilates session (for an abs-killing total of two per week) and after much thought, rejoined Weight Watchers. I had terrible luck on WW my last go-round and wasn't too enthusiastic about it this time, but I thought, well, at least give it a shot. It worked for Jennifer Hudson, right? Plus they had a good 3-month rate going, so I thought it was a good time to start, at least. So I started walking 3 days a week on the treadmill, 3.6 miles per hour, on an incline, for an hour, plus the Pilates sessions, and watching those Points. I spent last week being cranky and tired because I was sore, exhausted and hungry all week. I'm not one of those people who is energized by exercise--it just makes me more tired. But I stayed within my allowed Points for the week and got in a lot of exercise to boot. So when I stepped on the scale on Monday for my weekly weigh-in, my heart sank and my crabby factor rose by 10. No change. I couldn't believe it. I spent a week killing myself and being hungry (because nursing makes you VERY hungry) for this? No change?? I was angry, to say the least. I thought about that dumb scale on and off all day yesterday, and decided to try again this morning, just for kicks and giggles. 2.5 pounds down! Now that is more like it! So while I'm still tired and hungry, at least I have a little more motivation to keep sweating at the gym and watching my Points. We'll see how it goes. Here's hoping the jiggly bits get the message and take a hike. :)

Rock-n-roll is a technique that I've always had trouble with--I either end up missing the edge of the stamp entirely, or I end up covering too much of the stamp so the two-tone effect is lost. I will say, with these cards, however, I think I've got it! Requires a little wrist action is all. The orange slices card is CASED from Heather Van Duken. The other one is all me. I took the layout from a card I saw somewhere else, but changed up the paper, the stamps, and the color scheme to make it mine. Love that Haiku paper! These two cards also represent part of my challenge to myself to use every stamp set I own during this catalog year. I've had that Charming set for a while and haven't really used it much, even though I fell in love with it when I borrowed it from a friend last December. I saw the mums on the Haiku paper and instantly thought of the medallion in that set and decided to ink it up! So, three sets down.