PB&J

Here today to share a recent American Crafts Gallery project. Last week our anniversary inspired me to create a couple of layouts about the two of us. It seems like this is the only time of year that I make these kinds of pages. I need to work on that more, and taking more snapshots of the two of us. (did I say that last year?)

Right as I was done photographing this page I added the little banner. I think I like it there. What do you think, with or without?

Six and Counting

Six years ago I married the man of my dreams. Eleven years ago I was his cocktail waitress and after a couple of months of handing over beer for generous tips I grew tired of the flirting and decided to do something about it. So I told him to use that money to take me out for coffee instead sometime. I'll never forget the look on his face.. his eyebrows shot up in shock and he immediately said, "Ok!" I was just as surprised. 

Then as I wrote my number and "hot cocktail waitress" on a cocktail napkin I covered my name tag and said, "alright, you can take me out for coffee if you remember my name when you call me." I took it as a great sign when he called me about an hour later, around midnight, asking if Elizabeth knew where to get good coffee. I was just leaving work and brought up that it was a little too late in the day for caffeine and said I had a confession to make… "I don't drink coffee." He chuckled and said… "me either!" We had both agreed to a coffee date where we planned on ordering hot chocolate just to be able to see each other. 

I have a lot of thoughts about our relationship and how lucky I feel to have him as my companion. I don't even know where to start. So I'll just say that he is my perfect match. We've been through so much together, especially in this past year. But one thing that never ever wavers in my mind or heart is my love for him… and how loved I feel by him. Every moment we share, good, bad, mundane… there is love, every single day. I feel nurtured and supported and cared about. Above all else we just want each other to be happy… and luckily we make each other very happy!

I took that leap in the bar by asking him out in front of a group of his coworkers at a time when I didn't even feel ready to date.. and it was one of the best things I've ever done. 

Signature Style

It was Signature Style week on the American Crafts blog. This was my next to last assignment (insert teary eyes here) and it rounds out my term perfectly because my very first one was the same thing! Back in August of last year when I was asked to create two projects to showcase my "signature style" I remember feeling all kerfluffled… signature style?? what IS my style?? I was nervous and didn't really even know where to start. 

The coolest thing about being on the American Crafts Design Team (well, there are a LOT of cool things) is that while designing for them I began to develop one without even thinking about it. Before that I suppose I had a vague approach. My time with AC really pushed me to focus and hone in on what makes my projects special. So when Paige emailed me with this task I grinned and immediately went to work. No second guessing, no himming and hawing… I just pulled out some fresh photos, my favorite products, and created. 

This is my style…

Lots of layers, bright and bold uses of color, sprinkling of embellishments across the page. That's me. I like to mix textures and different lines together.

It's been such a wonderful privilege to be on this team (I'll go more into this later, since I technically still have another assignment). Developing my signature style.. something that I can actually see when I flip through a scrapbook now… has been so cool. I'm proud that it's unique to me. :)

Two for Tuesday

Ever create two layouts around the same time and then look back and realize that you gave them the same exact title? I did that for the first time the other day and had to laugh because it was totally unplanned but they were even on my desk within a week of each other. I guess it was stuck in my creative brain somewhere. 

Here's one page… "Right Here" in reference to Dez wanting a kiss on the cheeks...

The background splatter was made back when we were done coloring eggs for Easter. I just spilled on the different colors and let them run together..

And the other "Right Here" in reference to Ev being right where she belongs….

I had some fun with this one layering different watercolors and then drawing in the lines with pencil…

All Boy

In stitches over here again today. For some reason when I first set eyes on this patterned paper I had the desire to stitch all over it in bright colors. Work like this take a lot of time and effort but I love the result.  This 6x6 print of my boy seemed like the perfect direction for the rest of the layout. 

What's had you in stitches lately?

Life Is Better With You

Here with a layout today! Woo hoo! This was my first little dabble in using Project Life cards on a layout. I do this quite frequently now because I was pretty happy with the way it turned out. It also just so happens to be all American Crafts (except for the ink). 

Also, sorry for the yucky pictures. They really don't do the page justice. I've been wanting to share this project for some time now but the poor photo quality was keeping me from doing that. Then I went to look for the actual layout to redo them and it's lost somewhere in my sea of scrapbooks. It's making me think I should have some sort of organization system for my pages… but the more I think about that the more my brain explodes. So yeah, probably not. Gray photos it is. ;)

Pity Party for One

Pardon me for the third non-scrappy post in row, and pardon me for being a little down in the dumps. I figure if I just get it out here then I can move forward with life.

Hotties parents were here visiting over the past week. It was awesome. I love those two to death. They take the kids geocaching, love to take in the sights, watch lots of movie, and spoil Snicklefritz rotten. They're seriously two of the easiest people to be around. Having them visit is like a breath of fresh air, I just love it. 

Then that time comes when they need to go. The only bad part about family visiting is the leaving part. I can usually tolerate being so isolated from family on any given day (the exception being holidays)… but after a visit the sadness is palpable. That longing to have them more often in our lives. I know my kids will still hold their grandparents close and feel connected to and loved by them. It was the same for me as a kid.. I only saw my extended family members once a year and they are to this day some of my favorite people on the planet (and in heaven). It just stings that we can't be in each others regular lives. It always takes me a few days to deal with that aching and longing to fill the family gap. 

The crazy part is that even if we wanted to be near our family members it would be impossible to include everyone anyway. We are all over the place. The majority of Hotties family has made their way to Colorado, with the exception of his Dad and Step-siblings still in SoCal. My family, forget about it! I have California, Oregon, South Dakota, and on and on. It's just part of our reality, but that doesn't make it any easier. And traveling to visit such a spread out group with all 6 of us? Not really happening. It breaks my heart.

Anyway. That's what's on my mind today. This is very typical after a visit for me. My heart will he heavy for the next few days and then I'll get so busy I won't notice it… until I see some grandparents pick up a child from Evs preschool, or overhear sisters checking out the latest target deals together… then I'll just hug my kids and husband close and appreciate what I have in front of me right now… and I'll look forward to the next time I can see everyone else. That's really all I can do. 

It's Bout Day

Today is our last bout of the season. I can't tell you how much fun I'm having playing this sport… I mean, I can tell you, but nothing I could say would do it justice. It's just. so. fun. Roller derby is also the most challenging sport I've every played. I've heard it described as Nascar, football, chess, and roller skating all at once. This is pretty accurate. You skate as hard as you can, and in some instances as fast as you can, turn left, and strategically hit the crap out of your opponents. There's an unbelievable amount of strategy and rules. 

Thats me in the middle, Lucky #13, stopping the jammer.

I'm so happy I've been a part of this season. Early on I tore my MCL and had to sit out three bouts during recovery. I felt like I lost months worth of training and preparation. I watched part of my rookie season pass me by.. but now I look back and realize that was time well spent. I became a student of the game. I got into derby knowing almost nothing about the actual game. (Like most people.) Everything happens so fast while you're playing, and while you're on skates!! It's easy to play an entire scrimmage early on and at the end realize you have NO idea what just happened. 

During my injury I continued to attend practices to watch from the sideline and things began to click. I could see the strategy and scope of the game. I think I wrote about that here. It translated to the track once I was able to skate again and I am playing better than ever. Every bout I feel like I grow leaps and bounds. I leave the track feeling successful, and proud, and exhausted, in the happiest and most fulfilled kind of way. 

Me and my teammates slowing the jammer. "2T" is 64 years old!!

I have one bout left and I am so nervous for it… (I always have these nerves until I put my gear on and then I just zone out)…. I wonder if Hotties parents (who are visiting from CO right now and will see me play for the first time) will be underwhelmed by my playing. I'll be skating in every other jam and wearing the star a couple of times (they call this "jamming" and I hope to do it a lot more next season). I worry that I don't have the endurance to play half of the game. I wonder if somehow the strategy will escape my brain. I think about not being penalty heavy like I was last game (oops!) My head is spinning with the anticipation of having wheels on my feet tonight. 

But it doesn't really matter how it goes, if I'm being honest. If I could sum up my rookie season in one word it would be PROUD. I'm proud of what I've accomplished. I took an injury and used it as a learning opportunity. I made the most of my time off skates and it improved my game. I earned MVP in my first bout ever. I worked hard to become a better skater at every opportunity. Stronger. Faster. Smarter. More effective and strategic. Don't get me wrong, I have a long way to go. I have a ton of work to still put in, there are a lot of areas for growth.. but I'm PROUD of a solid start… this is just the tip of the iceberg. I'm just having so much fun doing this thing I've wanted to do for the past ten years! I feel lucky.

Locker room selfie. I was like--"whoa! The other team gave me MVP?!"

Totally Random

Random thoughts from me today. I've been doing a ton of sharing projects lately, mostly because I've been scrapping like there's no tomorrow. But I want to share little bits and pieces of what's going on around here too. So here ya go...

This little girl is SO super ready for Kindergarten. It's bananas how much she's matured in the past 6 months. It's been a joy being a part of her journey from three-teen year old to full fledged KID.

Right now she's all about braids and puzzles and "going somewhere."

This dude. *sigh* I love that he will put on a stupid hat and be silly with me and not care who's around to see it from time to time.… but I will admit this is a super tough age. He switches from being this hilariously fun to be around goofball, with not a care in the world to… a moody tween. At the drop of a hat. I know it will pass and I'll get my normal, predictable boy back, but right now my head is kinda spinning. sheesh. hormones. 

The other day we went to this drive through safari thing and it was pretty cool and also a little terrifying to have a giant buffalo poking its head in at you. I'm still covered in buffalo snot. The kids loved it too.

I really, REALLY hate the house we're renting. Still. I won't go into details but we've been here about 6 months too long (we moved in late Dec.) and have about 2 and a half months to go. I get really happy when I see our new house making progress… and also I kinda feel like, HURRY UP!!

This is the cutest. I will always be chopped liver when Hottie gets home from work. The kids swarm him and I want him by my side every second. I guess that's the price you pay when you're so lovable and easy to be around. Luckily he doesn't seem to mind.

Dez is very much in the go, go, go, phase. He doesn't care where it is, he just wants to go do all of the things. Sometimes he hesitates and sizes a situation up first but it doesn't take long for him to jump in… especially if his big sis is there. He'd follow her right off a cliff at this point. And it's insane how much he's able to communicate even though he can't say a ton of words yet. 

This dude went to visit his family in California and came back SUPER tan… and looking 30. Now it's even more evident that it's time for him to get a steady job and a solid plan for the future. *sigh* I don't even want to get into how overwhelmed "guiding" (nudging) him makes me feel. Or how challenging it is to be raising kids in such incredibly different phases of life.

My last roller derby bout of the season is Saturday. How is it already over?? My rookie season, done. I'm really proud of how it's gone. I'll share more thoughts on this later. I just wanted to post this pic, even though my first instinct was to bury it… my butt looks SO big!! --which is actually thought of as a really great thing in the derby world but I'm having a tough time adjusting my mind to this. :) Playing roller derby is a really good thing for people struggling with body image issues (like me). All shapes and sizes are celebrated. So that's why I posted it. I should be proud of my body, it allows me to annihilate some people on the track. :) (I used the smiley face there to make that sound less intimidating.)

Also, I have blue hair now. I've always wanted blue hair. Actually it's kinda purple, green, and blue, but you can't really tell that in the photo. I never would have dreamed that at 32 years old I'd have four kids and blue hair and be a roller derby playing scrapbooker… but it's pretty cool. 

And I get pleasure out of silly little things like turning my dessert into a cartoon character…

and then taking photos of it. 

Told you it was random!! (Man, I am a stone cold weirdo.) Thanks for stopping by!