the morning sun...

There are times when I wish I could be the kind of person who sleeps late but then I would miss views like this one. Mornings are wonderful. I always wake up feeling hopeful, I enjoy the quiet. Even when the kids were little I encouraged quiet in the mornings-there was no TV while getting ready for school(unless we needed to check the weather). I wanted their day to start off calm. The chaos of the world will work it's way in sooner or later but for now, anything is possible.

remember

remember what it felt like to be young and full of ideas,plans,dreams,expectations,hope...do you remember how you looked at how your parents lived and thought " I will never be like that"..I will raise my kids differently, I will decorate my house differently, I will eat differently,love differently, work differently...I will never force my kids to eat food they hate,I will never point out my daughters physical faults, I will never spend every saturday cleaning the house....I will have lots of windows and very few curtains, I will have dogs that are allowed in every room of the house, I will not own more cleaning supplies than books, I will allow my kids to be kids...in some respects I have stayed true to myself...when it comes to my kids, I have made the sacrifices I needed to make...I opted to stay home and raise them myself rather than put them in day care-it has been an enormous financial burden trying to live on one income but we managed. Was it the right thing to do? To devote my days to raising my kids...what about now...they are raised, Jill is completely independant and jenna needs very little from me...what now? I always thought that having my kids early in life was the best idea so that when they were raised I would still be young enough to enjoy my freedon, my husband and I would have plenty of time to do the things we wanted to do, now here I am.... FREE....still young but with no marketable job skills so my choices are extremely limited...minimum wage, competing with high school kids. My husband and I can't do any of the things we wanted to do because we have no money, we are still living paycheck to paycheck..we wanted to travel but we have only had ONE vacation in the past 20 years(and we took the kids..we've never been on a trip alone=sad), we wanted to renovate a dream house but we can't even afford to build a front porch on this house...we used to talk about our daughters getting married and how pretty the wedding would be...now we are hoping they elope. So what do we do?? Keep dreaming?? Keep planning? Is that what life is...constantly struggling?I am disillusioned, I am tired of the constant battle to make ends meet. There has to be more to it than this.

Just listed

I just listed some new stamps on Ebay...wishing I could keep some of these :>(
Plus a bunch more...there are some unmounted clear sets from Stampington also.

words

The 2nd week of the Words of me challenge and I already blew it...lets just say Week 2's word was "DAMP"..it rained and rained and then rained some more...all the while being bone chilling cold which of course led to the dreaded "S" word(snow) This week is nicer-a least we have some sun. I still don't feel any more creative though.

Daily Dares

Just when I think I've seen all the stamping sites there are to see I run across something like this...
http://dailydare4u.blogspot.com/
dozens and dozens of links for card making sites. Inspiration overload! I could easily sit here all weekend just soaking it all in...of course I still need a kick in the rear to get into the studio to actually CREATE something...one of these days it will happen, my long lost MOJO will be back.
On another note..look what we woke up to yesterday...It was pretty much gone by afternoon but it is a hint at what is to come. Why do we live here??

Smile Art Tag

Well I don't know...here is my SMILE tag for the Words Of Me project-I am not at all happy with the writing of quote, I may rework that,the pens just weren't working well on the background plus the fact that my eyes have decided to go Ka-Phlooey on me-I have always been near sighted-I can't see anything beyond a foot in front in front of me without my contacts but now I can't see close up either..I figure I should be legally blind by the time I am 50 if this keeps up. It is so frustrating to try and work on anything creative-I bought some "readers" but glasses give me such a headache(which is why i wear contacts).
Anyhow- the background of the tag was created with a bunch of different spray inks and bubble wrap to add some texture as it dried. I tried a glitter pen first but it didn't show up so i went over than with a white gel pen. The "smile" was done with rubber stamps and pearlescent rust ink from Brilliance-I stamped and embossed it in clear before I did the background. I stamped and embossed the butterfly in clear after I did the blue ink but before I did the magenta ink-after everything was dry i used an iron and piece of copy paper and ironed the embossing out of the tag-the technique is called Faux batik. The quote reads " No one needs a smile more than the person who fails to give one"

Currently Listed

Check out some of the fabulous stuff I have in my Ebay store right now...some of the newest Cuttlebug folders, some awesome stamps from Tim Holtz, some of the newest Distress Stickles, there is a lot more-you can click on the Ebay symbol over in my sidebar and it will take you directly to my store and if for whatever reason you don't have an ebay account but you see somethings you'd like to buy-just let me know-we can work something out.
I also carry some of your favorite supplies..the Quickie Glue Pen, ink pads, embossing powders, reinkers, patterned paper in small pads(Basic Grey, jenni Bowlin. Making memories) and I am always happy to special order for you-need new cutting pads for your Cuttlebug or Big Shot? Need a certain color reinker? need a special embossing powder? what about a certain color cardstock for your Holiday cards-I can order t it in packs of 25 sheets, stamp cleaner? Storage items? Spellbinders products? Scor Pal stuff? EZ Mount? adhesives? Fun flock? White liquid applique? white gel pens? bone folders? punches? All you have to do is ask-if I can get it I will.

Words of Me Begins

EDIT-I don't what happened to the size of the font but I can't seem to change it in editing so ignore it, I am not trying to shout at you-LOL. So today the Words of me project begins...here is the link again..WORDS OF ME
Leslie was kind enough to offer a prize package and guess who won?? ME!!! Must be my lucky day....
So now I need to pick a word for this week, I am thinking I will use this project to do a little journaling in my regular journal( i bought a new one to focus on positive things rather than the regular b#*ch fest my journal had turned into) and since I love working on TAGS I am going to create a weekly art tag with my WORD-at the end of the project I will have 52 art tags that i can bind together with a ribbon or binding ring.
Since I am really working on beating this depression that is still mocking me from the sidelines of my life my first word is....SMILE ...I don't realize how often i walk around with a scowl on my face,my daughter notices and she often tells me to smile,my jaw notices because I am aware of the pain from clenching it all the time, my poor forehead notices-I have deep scowl mark embedded right between my eyes...so this week I focus on reasons to smile, I will make it a point to smile at people when I am out and I will make a concerted effort to not look so "scowly" at home-I found a wonderful quote that i will share and probably work into my art tag later this week.

I love questionaires

just something fun...
***********FOODOLOGY***************

What is your salad dressing of choice?
I usually make my own vinegarette

What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
I really love Lorie's Wildridge in Erie on 26th St,just west of Wegmans

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?
Either my own pasta salad(with fresh tomatoes) or cheeseburgers

What are your pizza toppings of choice?
cheese and pepperoni-very light sauce

What do you like to put on your toast?
real butter

***********TECHNOLOGY***************

How many televisions are in your house?
3

What color is your cellphone?
orange

Do you have an iPod?
well i have Jenna's old MP3 player but I've never used it

***************BIOLOGY******************

Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
children

What is the last heavy item you lifted?
boxes, helping my parents unpack

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
No, but I have fainted
************BULLOLOGY**************

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
absolutely NOT

If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
something artsy

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000?
sure why not
**************FAVORITOLOGY****************

Season?
Fall

Holiday?
July 4th-middle of summer,no gift giving involved,love fireworks

Day of the week?
doesn't really matter-they are pretty much the same for me

Month?
October
***********CURRENTOLOGY*****************

Missing someone?
everyday....

Mood?
fair

What are you listening to?
silence

Current worry?
money as always
***************RANDOMOLOGY*****************

First place you went this morning
bathroom then to the kitchen for coffee

What’s the last movie you saw?
Enough with Jennifer Lopez-I got sucked into it on TV
***************OTHER-OLOGY*****************

How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
2

Last time you had a run-in with the cops
never

Last person you talked to?
Jenna

Last person you hugged?
Cooper-he's a dog who thinks he's a person

Do you always answer your phone?
no-thats why I have caller ID and voice mail

It’s four in the morning and you get a text message, who is it?
one of my nephews who is drunk

If you could change your eye color what would it be?
I like my eye color-maybe a little bit greener would be nice

What flavor do you add to your drink at Sonic
we don't have Sonic in Erie

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes. two

Have you ever had a pet fish?
many

Favorite Christmas song(s)
Silent Night although I tend to sing Winter Wonderland a LOT

What’s on your wish list for your birthday
a laptop

Can you do push ups?
um...nope

Can you do a split?
nope-never could

Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
a little of both

Do you have any saved texts?
I delete them when the box is full

Have you ever been in a car accident?
no

Do you have an accent?
i don't think so

What is the last movie to make you cry?
not a movie but Grey's Anatomy can usually do it

Plans tonight?
my daughter is coming home to watch Greys with us

Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
yes

Name 3 things you bought yesterday?
I didn't leave the house yesterday at all

Have you ever been given roses?
yes many times

Met someone who changed your life?
yes,several people

How will you bring in the New Year?
we almost always stay home to avoid the drunks on the roads

What song represents you?
No idea

Would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
absolutely, there are several things I'd change

Do you have any tattoos/piercings?
just my ears-no tattoos

Does anyone love you?
i hope so

Would you be a pirate?
No. I get seasick

What songs do you sing in the shower?’
I don't sing in the shower-I think up grand plans

Ever had someone sing to you?
One time, a guy I didn't even know sang to me,I melted but never saw him again-bummer.

Do you like to cuddle?
not really-I like my space

Have you held hands with anyone today?
no

Who was the last person you took a picture of?
hmmm=probably the dog

Are most of the friends in your life new or old?
I would have to say new.

Do you like pulpy orange juice?
ick

FALL Projects

I wish this was how my house looked...nothing wrong with dreaming right?






Looking for some cute ideas for Fall projects....check out this wreath...
Fall Wreath

I wish I had a front door that was usable..we STILL don't have a front porch after living here for 6+ years!Maybe I could do something to hang on the fireplace?
And how about some frosted candles...I love the look of these-
Frosted Candles


And here are a few random photos from my files...no idea where they are from so i can't give links....enjoy...