Superbowl Weekend

We woke up this morning to a blanket (a pretty thick, fluffy one) of white outside. There's snow on the sides of our house and snow in the corners of the windows, just like I used to draw them when I was a kid. There's a kind of hush that falls over the world when fresh snow has fallen. It's nature's muffler, and it's very, very cool. I love snow when I don't have to go out in it. Feeling very thankful that the Master Planner fixed it so that the snow storm hit on a Saturday.
Looks like hot chocolate & scrapping today.... Life is good.

Rainy Days...

So today the wind is blowing like crazy and the rain is coming down like it does in July. It's 60 degrees out - - feels like spring, but I know it's a fake-out. Don't worry, I know when to keep my hopes in check.

I'm painting the Dining room today. The first of many rooms to paint. I started off in the dining room knowing that it'll be the easiest. You see, I'm only painting the bottom half of the wall - under the moulding - to hide a spot where Cailin put her knee through the wall about six years ago. Funny how the white patch didn't bother us until we decided to sell the house.

While the paint dries, I think I'll go down stairs and work on my next batch of ATCs. They're due next weekend, and I've really got a lot of work to do to them. I've also got some small samples to put together for the Creative Cafe next Saturday, and crop stuff to get together for the Pajama Crop - also on Saturday. Wait! I've also got to finish another layout for a 1-a-week challenge... Man. I didn't realize how busy today was going to be until I sat down here! I'm thinking I should get it in gear.

For dinner tonight, I'm fixing vegetarian Chili (for me) and Regular Chili for the fam. That, along with tortillas and a salad...

Patrick has a soccer game after dinner.

And the wheels on the bus go round & round.

Oh Sunday....

The weekends fly by soooo fast~

Yesterday, I went to the Scrapbook store (MLPA, Yay!) and I got a new toy. Casey said it was a late birthday present (yeah, that's 'cause he's feeling a little guilty for forgetting it on the 5th!) Since then I've gotten flowers, and a little elephant with a string tied around his foot... so stinkin' cute. I wonder how long he'll feel this badly about forgetting... ha ha. The new toy inspired me to clean my whole scrap room. I even tried moving things around but didn't like it so I moved everything back. It was totally therapeudic. Today, I hope to get back down in the basement and finish my therapy by making a mess again. Life is good.



Outside my window... Snow on the ground. Bright blue skies overhead.

I am thankful for... The heat blowing out of the vent at my feet.

I'm wearing... a grey sweater, jeans & my Keens (Love my Keens)

From the kitchen... I think I smell toast.

I am creating... A page a week for a little contest...

I am going... sit on my hiney all day.

I am reading... Under the Dome by Stephen King

I am hoping... Peace in the Valley.

I am hearing... Casey & Cailin watching a documentary called "Coastline".

Around the house.... TV on, Paddy playing with the cat... Dog (mercifully) asleep

One of my favorite things... my new camera

A few plans for the rest of the week... Winding up my job @ Healthworks; Gearing up for a new adventure.

A Picture for today:
Me & my favorite guy...

A New Year, A new Day

Happy Birthday to me! Forty-nine today. Ugh! Forty-nine??

One of my goals this year is to blog more often. To say what I think. To share what I know. and to tune in to my forty-nine year old self.

I wound up last year by making a "25 Days of Christmas" album (inspired by Ali Edwards) and here's where the sharing comes in:

Hello December

I've been told that I need to write here more often. To think that someone else in the world is actually interested in what I have to say... (thanks, mom). This year, Thanksgiving was celebrated with Tim, but without Anna. Seems like our table has been short two years in a row. I wonder if we'll ever be six again. The food was delicious, the weather was almost warm, and the football game was fast & furious, as the crowd who joins us gets bigger every year. We enjoyed a nightcap with our friends down the street.

As we move into December, my plan is to simply enjoy the holiday. To take each day, savoring the little things I enjoy about this place and storing them away in my memory. My 25 Days of Christmas album will help me to keep track - I'll try to post pictures as I go.

Outside my window... grey skies, geese flying overhead
I am thankful for... Casey's employer, who allows us great opportunities.
I'm wearing... a black sweater, jeans and my crocs
From the kitchen... Cheetos.
I am creating... 25 Days of Christmas Album
I am going... to take Cailin to the doctor in Bethlehem after school today.
I am reading... Your Heart Belongs to Me by Dean Koontz.
I am hoping... Peace in the Valley.
I am hearing... Pat rummaging through the fridge for a snack.
Around the house.... Kids coming home from school.
One of my favorite things... grilled cheese sammies
A few plans for the rest of the week... getting ready for a Weisel Weekend with the girls.
A Picture for today: No photos today / Computer cranky.

Finished Project

A group of us have decided to try out swapping ATCs. If you don't already know, ATC stands for Artist Trading Cards. They're a 2.5 x 3.5 inch card, much like a baseball card, that you can dress up any way you like. Then you trade them... silly, I know. But what fun is it to play with paper/paint/stuff on a small space, pleasing no one but yourself? Our first theme is "Art". Here's my take:

I used scraps of things I had on hand. I think the only thing I bought was a gel medium to get the paint to dry slower, so I could play with it a little. The paper towel that I used to wipe my paintbrush on as I worked wound up being the background for the card on the left.... funny. I really liked how the colors blended. Fun, Fun project. I can't wait for the next theme.

Outside my window... falling leaves, yellow & green

I am thankful for... Days home from work.

I'm wearing... a black sweater, jeans and my Keens

From the kitchen... diet coke.

I am creating... 52 Qs (Getting caught up).

I am going... to take Cailin to the doctor in Bethlehem after school today.

I am reading... Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.

I am hoping... for good news.

I am hearing... the dog molesting the cat.

Around the house.... kids at school, Casey's at work, I'm just putzing around.

One of my favorite things... facebook (for now)

A few plans for the rest of the week... Work. Start on my hand-made Christmas Gifts

A Picture for today: Have you ever seen a green Moose?

Cool Autumn

Today, Casey put out the Halloween decorations. It's official. Fall is here. The leaves are falling, and the rest are about seventy kinds of orange & yellow. The air is crisp and it smells like a bonfire outside. Hot cider, warm socks, sweatshirts and the smell of cinnamon. This is my favorite time of year.


I walked the Women's 5k Classic in Allentown yesterday. It was raining, cold & muddy. But I was glad to be there. So many women I know have been affected by cancer. If walking (and encouraging others to join along) helps in some miniscule way, then I'm all for it. We walked together: Team HEALTHWORKS. One of our Doctors was recently diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer. The news has hit us all pretty hard. It brought us together for this walk. What I didn't know until yesterday was that her time with us is limited. I had no idea. I can't imagine this world without her in it. She's funny and honest, she's a mother and a friend to many. I had been talking about survival rates & how successful treatment is now. My Aunt, my cousin & my mother are all survivors. In my complacency, I completely forgot that some aren't so lucky. I was ashamed for not considering that fact & overwhelmed by the reality of it.