Love You Card

Today is my 10th wedding anniversary. Our celebrations will be kept to a minimum, given my husband's current health condition, but it is a very special day nonetheless. 

Ten years of love, laughter, mistakes, learning and growing. Two beautiful children. 

I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Star Spangled

I think it's becoming apparent I have abandoned all attempts at keeping up with an editorial calendar for my blog. It's just not me. And, having a lack of inspirational words to share with you, I have declared it a Scrappy Week. Here's the first installment!

Journaling- Our 4th was spent making designs with sparklers and catching fireflies!

Handmade chipboard stars covered in paint and glitter.

Project 365

Sunday- play break at the mall

Monday- too much work and too little time!

Tuesday- my patient!

Wednesday- my lovely nieces came over for a visit, and brought dinner!

Thursday- refreshing...

Friday- cool serene morning drive

Saturday- Chuck E Cheese with Papo Butch

Happy Dance Tracks

I am continuing along the journey of The Happy Book, led by Jamie Ridler. This week's assignment was to create a playlist of songs that just make you wanna dance! My whole family joined in this week. Hubs helped me think of songs, and we tested their "danceability" factor on the girls. Here's what made the list:

These are just silly, dance-like-crazy-when-nobody's-watching songs. Everybody has at least one! What's yours?

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What Does Creativity Mean to You?

What does creativity mean to you?

On one of my rambling wanders through the Web, I came across The Creativity Project, wherein several creative thinkers answer this question. It's pretty thought provoking. Here are some of my favorites quotes and pieces of quotes:

•  "...wake up every morning and choose to make a change in the world." ~Everett Bogue
• "Look for not what is, but what could be. Then chisel away until you reach it." ~Thom Chambers
•  "Creativity is seeing the possibility in the seemingly impossible." ~Raam Dev
•  "Creativity is the mighty force that generates ideas and clever solutions." ~Lex Garey
•  "Creativity is deep listening and turning what you hear into compassion, a solution, a strategy." ~Danielle LaPorte
•  "Creativity is ignorant confidence." ~Arielle Patrice Scott

Check out the entire e-book at Lex Garey's blog, then spread the creativity!  What is your definition?

My Miracle Man

Okay, I have had a really good reason for not blogging regularly the past couple of weeks. On September 8th my husband was seriously injured in an accident at work. It was the most terrifying day of my life. Getting the call, rushing to the hospital, not knowing if he was dead, paralyzed, or brain damaged... I simply cannot describe the horror of this kind of unknown.


I also struggle with describing the feeling of knowing that he will be okay. That despite being crushed by a 3800 lb. barrel of ink, he is relatively unscathed. That despite three fractures to his pelvis and breaking a vertebrae, he will walk normally someday. No internal injuries to speak of. No head trauma. Moderate bruising and swelling. We were told he should be dead. He's not.

We have a long road ahead- therapy, medication, and doctor appointments. But my Miracle Man can do it!

Becoming a Life Artist: Week 6- Embrace Imperfection

Imperfection is everywhere. It is life. Why waste time worrying about it? Ali Edwards reminds us that fear of imperfection can keep us from enjoying and creating and celebrating the everyday.

For me, fear of rejection keeps me from seeking out freelance/editorial/product review opportunities. What if they say no? What if they don't like my work? What if they think I'm no good? What if they think I'm imperfect?

One of my readers, Elyse, author of By Little Hands, said this in a comment to an earlier post:  I have spent the last year trying to accept every moment as perfect, no matter how off my plan or vision it goes. Sometimes I forget but when I remember it makes everyone happier!

Can you imagine how joyful our lives would be if we stopped worrying about imperfection and began thinking of every moment as perfect in its own right? And what message do we send to others when we  broadcast our own fears and self-doubts? Can something you do or make be "good enough"?

Here's a few more nuggets of inspiration:

~ To sit in judgment of those things which you perceive to be wrong or imperfect is to be one more person who is part of judgment, evil or imperfection. ~ Wayne Dyer


~ Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it is better to absolutely ridiculus than absolutely boring. ~ Marilyn Monroe


~ A diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections ~ Chinese Proverb

(retrieved from Finest Quotes)
Is fear of imperfection keeping you from reaching towards a dream or trying something new?

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Food For Thought: Living a Minimalist Lifestyle

I recently ran across the blog of Raam Dev, a self-proclaimed Minimalist Digital Nomad. I browsed through a couple of posts, and was intrigued by his lifestlye. Twenty-five things in his backpack. Embracing failure.  Traveling foreign countries. Was this guy for real?

I concluded that he was. He is just an ordinary guy, following his passion for sustainable abundance. I highly recommend his free e-book, Small Ways to Make a Big Difference, which according to Raam, came together thus:

"In just three weeks, over 40 bloggers contributed more than 100 ways to live more sustainable, to live happier and healthier, to get more out of life, to inspire and share, to reconnect with our true selves, to be a leader, to exist more intelligently."

It's a good thing Raam doesn't advocate his lifestlye for everyone; that would seriously undermine his credibility in my book. I have a mortgage and two kids! Giving up the majority of my material possessions and traveling the world just wouldn't work for me. But I can find ways to reduce the need for "stuff", stress, and pointless activities in my daily life.

Check out his compilation and let me know what you think!

Sarah- A Layout

I kept my layout for this week's Scrappin' Silhouette clean and simple. I wanted the focus to be on these cute pictures of my niece, and I thought the paper (from OTC) was decorative enough on its own. Here's the layout:

If you want to play along, make a layout using this sketch, then link up to Scrappin' Silhouettes. Can't wait to see what you create!

Becoming a Life Artist: Week 5- Play!

According to Ali Edwards, play and risk encourage growth. Risk doesn't always mean something radical or dangerous. I'm talking about little things that take you outside your daily routine and comfort zone, both in daily life and your creative pursuits. This can open you up to new ways of viewing yourself and your world.

Why don't you...

• take a different turn on your way to work?
• shoot a black and white photo instead of color (or vice versa)?
• mix up the page sizes in your scrapbook albums?
• try a new recipe?
• paint a piece of old furniture?
• go to the movies by yourself?
• use paint with your rubber stamps instead of ink?
• write with a colored pen?
• order an unfamiliar coffee flavor?
• sit in a different place at your dinner table?

Today I pledge to try something new and out of the ordinary (for me, anyway). Instead of listening to the news on my way to work, I will put in a CD. What can you do today to take a risk and play?

Describe Your Life in Three Words

A few weeks ago I found this cool blog, Raising Amazing Daughters, through SITS. The Secret is in the Support, or SITS,  is a community of women bloggers who support each other through commenting. Anyway, I liked that this blog has four writers- mom and her three grown daughters (sometimes dad chimes in). So I subscribed to their blog and received one of their lastest posts in my email inbox. The subject was based on the Julia Roberts movie/book by Elizabeth Gilbert titled "Eat, Pray Love". The four women put their own spin on the title and came up with their own versions to fit their lives. It was a humerous post, but also thought-provoking. Here's my take on the idea...

If a movie were made about my life, the best three-word title would be "Love, Read, Scrap".

Love- My family is very important to me, from grandparents to nieces and nephews. My husband is very supportive and has remained true to our wedding vows, "in sickness and in health". My kids are, well, amazing. My three best friends fill my heart and soul with laughter.

Read- My love of reading started with an obsession with cereal boxes. I will still read anything I can get my hands on. Words are like candy to me.

Scrap- Regular readers of my blog know I am a dedicated scrapbooker. From taking the photos, to creating the page, to recording the memory with journaling, this hobby is a major part of my life. I love the sense that I am documenting something for future generations.

It was really tough to narrow my list of words to just three. So many things make up the core activities of my life. Here are the runners-up:  music, eat, shoot (photos), friends, play, home.

Give it a shot. Describe your life in three words!

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Project 365: Week 36

Sunday- We went to the waterpark and ran into my coworker and her adorable daughter!

Monday- Apparently, driving straight into the cornfield isn't an option. Bummer.

Tuesday- Lovely downtown Lebanon, Ohio.

Wednesday- Summer colds stink. This one's a doozy.

Thursday- School open house. Check out the shirt!

Friday- Crazy painted car I passed on the way home from work.

Saturday- We went to a birthday party for a 5 year old girl. Morgan's favorite part? "My boobs are coconuts! This is awesome!"

Rita, the Happy Mascot

What a fun week I have had with Rita! Oh, who is Rita? She is the mascot I chose for this week's Happy Book assignment. I picked her because of her affiliation with Creative Memories, my first introduction to my life-changing hobby, scrapbooking. Here is a peek at our week:

In no particular order...

1. at my kid's school

2. after a trip to the pharmacy for cold medicine :(

3. in line at McDonald's for a Coke!

4. um, yet another coke from the gas station (it helps my sore throat!)

5. playing marbles in the living room

6. my desk at work

7. the library return drop-box

8. waterpark

9. self check-out lane at the grocery

10. the bus stop!

This was a really fun project, not only because it was plain silly, but for the memories it revived...memories of Freshman year at college, pledging my sorority. Pledge night- one of our tasks was to run all over town with the Pink Panther (our mascot) and take pictures in certain places...a scavenger hunt of sorts...the penny horse at Meijer, grabbing tons of packets of ketchup at McDonald's, a particular frat house, the playground, the old cemetery on campus...oh what a fun night! And this little assignment brought it all right back!

This coming week's assignment, coincidentally, is to go on a photo scavenger hunt. Here are the items to look for: circle, tree, smile, sparkle, heart, clean, treasure, red, fresh, sky, yum, toes, morning, home. Sounds like fun!

Friday Faves

Here are some random blog posts that caught my eye this week. Hope you find something you like! If you visit someone, be sure to tell them I sent ya!


Paper Roses Tutorial from Housewife Eclectic

How to Mind Map for Better Blog Writing from adventuroo

Can a Nail Salon Charge for Fat? from Shine! on Yahoo

Dear Pants from thxthxthx

Saucy Stuffed Zucchini recipe from Taste of Home

Celebrating the Everyday from...well, me. Not to be too self-promoting, but I think this is really important!

Splashing Good Time- a Layout

I am finally getting to scrap a few of the hundreds of water pictures I took over the summer.

These were taken at a coworker's house. My oldest daughter (age 7) has a crush on

said coworker's boyfriend! She was delighted to go swimming with her handsome guy.

Papers, chipboard pieces, and title box all from Scrap-Tastic July kit.

Electric Blue Glimmer Mist- perfect for water pages!

Random Dozen 9/1/10

Haven't done the Random Dozen Meme in a while...head on over to Linda's and check it out!





1. What insect are you most afraid of? Feel free to post a picture.
Hands down, spiders. I can't even bear to post a photo. Ugg.
2. What is the greenest/most organic thing about you or that you do?
I'm obsessive about turning off lights in the house. I take my own bags with me to the grocery store.
3. Tell me about a recurring dream that haunts you.
None lately. When I was in high school I had one about my dad dying, and me finding out at school. FYI, he's still living!


4. Have you ever missed a flight? What were the circumstances?
College. I was going to visit my mom, flying from Ohio to Texas. I spent the night with a friend, who was taking me to the airport the next morning. We overslept and I missed my flight. My mom, understandably, was so mad!!


5. What do you consider your best feature?
My eyes. I have been complimented on them since I was a child. They tend to shift between blue and green.


6. What was the last concert you went to?
Chemical Valley, my sister-in-law's band.


7. Describe the most embarrassing church moment you ever experienced.
Christmas Eve, 2005. My then 3 year old daughter stood up on the pew when the pastor (in robes) walked in, and shouted, "Where there's somthing you don't see everyday"! People still talk about it.


8. Are you a whistler, hummer or singer?
Mostly a singer. I love singing in the car!


9. George Washington Carver said, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in." What is God saying to you through nature today, or this very minute?
Fall is around the corner. It is time to slow down.


10. On September, 1, 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia. What memorable event will take place in your life on September 1, 2010?
There's always the chance that I will question authority at my weekly staff meeting and get in trouble!


11. Taco Bell or the Liberty Bell? (You must choose.)
Taco Bell. The Liberty Bell is only a symbol. Taco Bell, on the other hand, is open late in case of cheese-beef-and-heartburn cravings.


12. Do you believe men and women can have purely platonic friendships?
Absolutely. Maybe, just maybe, not all men are hornballs.