The Bird Part 2

So, for today’s photo for the challenge – I probably screwed up…

A) I did not use my cell phone to take this photo.

B) I’m reusing a subject from the past couple of days. – just a new pose! LOL

So, without further ado…

The Bird – Part 2: Cooked to Perfection

And now we’re all stuffed!

Rain not Snow

Here is my photo for today – Wednesday, November 25, 2009 – the day before Thanksgiving. I find myself Thankful the precipitation we are receiving at this time is rain and not snow. The weather forecast tomorrow calls for dropping temperatures and snow. Not surprising for Michigan. It was nearly 60 degrees on Monday and it’s supposed to snow by Friday.

My kids are amped that today is the last day of school and then a four day weekend. Patrick is getting excited about the Black Friday deals he’s finding. I just don’t know how he’s going to get to all of the different places in time.

Make the Cover & the Pages Will Come

If I make the cover for my Christmas 2009 Album – the pages will just magically appear… Right?

Here are the two contenders (so far) for the cover:

Credits: Whimsical Wonderland Collab (2007 & 2008) No longer available.

Credits:

- Based off HIH 4Way Template by Jessica Sprague

- Holiday Memories tag by Liv.E Designs from the Holidays In Hand course @ JessicaSprague.Com

- Big Grossgrain Ribbon by Lynn Ingram

- All other papers and elements from Altered Christmas by PixelWorks @ ScrapArtist

The first is a bit more whimsical and colorful. The second is obviously more vintage/traditional. I really like them both… Just not sure which our Holiday season is going to be yet! I have another cover idea or two that I’m going to play with in the next couple of days.

So, which do you like better?

Mohawk Man

Here is my photo for 2009-11-24 for the challenge I told you about earlier (scroll down)

My youngest’s hair just makes me giggle every day. It just sticks up. I’ve tried and tried to get it to stay down. It will stay down for a while, but then it just pops right back up again.

Photo Challenge

Yep, another one. Let me fill you in before I share my photo for yesterday. I will post today’s photo a little later.

Divine Digital has a new challenge hosted by co-owner, Royanna Fritschmann (as you may or may not recall, I am a member of her Creative Team). The challenge: iPhone Photo-A-Day. If you don’t have an iPhone, you may use any cell phone with a camera. When it comes right down to it, any camera will do. Since most of us have cell phones with cameras these days and they are with us everywhere… this should be a fairly simple challenge.

I am also going to attempt to post my photos here on my blog and on my Facebook profile. If I feel creative enough, I might even make a scrapbook layout or two with my photos from this challenge.

Here is my photo for yesterday: 2009-11-23 The Bird

Here's our turkey!
Affectionately referred to as "The Bird".
Tomorrow, my husband will call me part way through the day
and tell me to "flip the bird".
LOL

I think this is going to be a lot of fun!

I know I’ve signed up for challenges like this before and stuck with them for all of two minutes. This one will probably suffer the same fate. I am hopeful though because there is no expectation of fabulous photos from a DSLR or film camera here. I can do this!

Pierced

It’s so nice that I’ve been scrapping again! I’ve done more pages than just this one I’m going to show you – but the others were quick pages, so none of my time or talent were utilized! I’m not going to waste storage space on my blog or your bandwidth to show you. LOL

I used the following products to create this layout:

     

The template is a freebie from Weeds & Wildflowers on their blog 11/23/2009. Image is linked.

The Rebel Rock Elements, Papers, and Alphas can be purchased in a complete collection by clicking here, images are linked to the individual products.

**I am on the CT for PixelWorks, so I received these products for free in exchange for my time using them and to promote them. But I would give PixelWorks time and space on my blog even if I paid for the products!**

Thankful

For the first time in months, I was finally able to scrap something! I just loved the rich colors of PixelWorks’ Giving Thanks Papers and Elements available at Scrap Artist. (Images below are linked to the products in store.)

  

*These items were a part of PixelWorks’ DSD Grab Bag.

2009 Blog-abration

Since signing up for Holidays-In-Hand Class at JessicaSprague.Com, I've decided to celebrate every where and every day!

Then Tasra Dawson of Real Women Scrap posted about her Blog-abration with lots of fun sounding give-aways, contests, and the opportunity to make some new "internet" friends. So, here's my post telling all of you about it. Check it out!

Holidays In Hand Class Day 2

Today we are making our "December Prompts."

I'm trying to decide - 5x5 or 8x8.

Which size am I more likely to see? Which size will I be more likely to use?

8x8 will be larger, so it might not get swallowed in the chaos of our busy house. Then again, it might be too large and make the chaos look even worse.

5x5 might be too small and get lost - totally.

Ok - 8x8 wins. I actually have a few 8x8 scrapbooks in my closet that are empty right now. So, if I feel so inclined, I could save these pages in a scrapbook.

I like this project.
Each day for December has a Writing Prompt, a Photo Prompt, a "Do" and a "Make" prompt area (for us to fill in ourselves), and a "Remember" prompt.

This is going to be a journey! See Day 1 for more information about what's going on here!

Holidays In Hand Day 1

A couple of weeks ago, I received an intriguing email from JessicaSprague.Com inviting me (and perhaps every other scrapbooker on the planet) to take a free course at the site called "Holidays In Hand."

I decided that *FREE* was the right price for me for a class right now. Since I am a digital scrap artist, I should have everything I need right here, right now - and therefore will not need to spend any money.

I signed up.

Today is Day One! I'm excited and scared and nervous. I've never done a class like this before. On top of it all every single person that lives in this house is sick right now. I hope I can find the time each day to do this!





Here goes...

Day One: Refocus on Holiday Values

What things do we want to pass on to our children/grandchildren? What is important to us?

• Prayer - this year, I would like for my family and myself to have more prayerful holiday season. I want Advent this year to be a time of prayer and meditation.
• Family - being together is *so* important.
• I really want my children to understand the true meaning/reason for Christmas. It is not all about the presents... it is about the Presence of Jesus. In the world. In our hearts. In our souls.
• Sharing & Caring

Today we were to identify some values and set some goals pertaining to those values. There are a couple of other small parts to today's assignments that I am not going to focus on here right now.

Like DigiScrap Templates?

Jen Caputo from SBG is having a contest on her blog! Win it before you can buy it! Just in time for Digiscrappers' huge holiday this weekend - National (or International) Digital Scrapbooking Day!

Visit this post and follow the instructions for your chances to enter! (I think I'm up to five entries!)

Good luck!!

Mommy Does Not Get Sick Days

When I became a mother for the first time a little more than 14 years ago, I learned one lesson very quickly the hard way - Mommy Does Not Get Sick Days! No matter how badly I feel, the children are there. They need to eat. They need to be cleaned. They need to be cleaned up after. Sure, there are certain tasks that can be let go for another day, but it just means more work later.

About two weeks ago, my sinus cavities filled up with crud. "Oh, Boy! Here we go." I thought to myself. Sure enough, a couple of days later, the headache, the body aches, and the low-grade fever kicked in. Another day or so later the crud suddenly decided it did not like being in my head and moved to my chest. Coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing commenced. At this point, I called my primary care doctor.

I managed to get an appointment for the next I just got home from my appointment with my new doctor. He's YOUNG! Can anyone say Doogie Howser? That's ok, he seems like he knows his stuff. He's more interested in keeping me up and functioning than in lining his pocket.

I managed to get an appointment for the next morning. Lucky me! One at a decent time, too! "I should be able to do this appointment *and* get home in time to get my three year old off of his preschool bus," I thought.

Just my luck, I cannot for the life of me find a babysitter on such short notice. I've got to tow the two youngest children with me. No problem, that's a lot easier than trying to take all five by myself! I arrive at my appointment a little early.

I'm called quickly and whisked into a teeny tiny exam room. The nurse weighs me, takes my blood pressure, and writes down all of my symptoms. She leaves saying, "She will be with you in a few minutes." That was the last I saw or heard a human other than my two rugrats for an hour and a half! It finally got to a time where I had NO choice. I HAD to leave to get my preschooler off of his bus, there was no one at the house to do it for me.

I went to the receptionist and told her that I needed to leave and had not been seen yet. She gave me my payment back. No offer was made of another appointment later that day or even the next day. I was a bit peeved to say the least.

So, the week starts to unfold and I have no doctor. My 14 year old starts hacking and coughing. He comes home sick from school on Thursday. I take him to his doctor on Friday morning. After getting home from his doctor on Friday morning, the 3 year old's school calls. He has a mysterious rash. He will not be allowed to come back to school without a note from his doctor stating that it is noncontagious. ACK! I get on the phone immediately. Appointment in 2 hours. Awesome. Thankfully, I was able to find a sitter to stay with the sickie and the Littles.

Mysterious rash - HA! Eczema and/or contact dermatitis. In other words, my son's skin got irritated by the outside of his diaper being damp from playing at the park all morning on the class "walking field trip."

The doctor hears me coughing and says that I need to get to the doctor. HA! Been there - TRIED that! Still trying to find a new primary care doctor that can see a new patient BEFORE the middle of December!

I finally find the names of some new doctors. So I called yesterday. I was totally prepared to hear they would not be able to see me either. Was I ever surprised to get an appointment for this morning!!

I just got home from my appointment with my new doctor. He's YOUNG! Can anyone say Doogie Howser? That's ok, he seems like he knows his stuff. Seems more interested in keeping me up and functioning than in lining his pocket.

I will be picking up my prescriptions in a little while. His office doesn't give you slips of paper -- they call them in directly to your pharmacy!! WAY COOL!! Less waiting for me with the Littles!!

Diagnosis: Bronchitis. Past the contagious viral part, just suffering from the lingering damage to my lungs part.

An inhaler is part of the game plan. I prefer my nebulizer, but I'm not such an old dog that I cannot learn a new trick or two - so I'll give it a try.

But reality is -- Mommy Does Not Get Sick Days!

RUN, Lynn, RUN!

Ok, so I woke up in a completely and totally foul mood yesterday. All I could do was cry. When I was not crying I was angry and ugly. I was not someone I would want to be around at all.

No noticeable improvement in my mood today so, I decided after I got the children on the bus I was going to run. Got my iPhone out, got my headphones ready, got my shoes on. All is well and good at this point. I click to go to the music player in iPhone and my music is GONE. The last iPhone software upgrade wiped out my music apparently.

Spent almost an hour putting my music back onto my iPhone.

All set.

Begin running.

45 minutes, 2.75 miles, and 435 calories (135 calories) later my mood still is NOT tremendously improved.

Where are the endorphins? Where is my runner’s high? I really want my mood to lift.

All in all, not a bad workout. Considering I have not done any running since late August/early September when I rolled my ankle during that 5K. Just prior to the event, I was actually able to run that distance… so the fact that I am picking up pretty much where I left off distance wise is a very good thing.

I have come to the conclusion that I NEED to run.

Novena to St. Teresa of Avila, Day One

Novena to St. Teresa of Avila, Day One

Posted using ShareThis

Project Bliss: 002

This is my second post in my borrowed "Project Bliss" series.

1. The school bus! - Oh, did I list that one already?? ROFL Once it arrives, things get calm, quiet, and peaceful here. I do not have to "break up" sibling fights. There are fewer noses filled with boogers that need wiping constantly.
   
2. My Laundry Baskets - Sure, seems like a totally mundane item to you. In this house, laundry baskets are not just for laundry. I use them in the garden to bring in my harvest. I use them when cleaning the house to gather the children's toys. They transport my children fueled by their imaginations to far off, exotic places - a favorite lately is the moon! They can become a crib for a "sick" dolly or a cage for a "wild" animal!

I think this is where I will end today's list -- at least for now. The big yellow thing that has appeared on my list twice is going to arrive shortly to pick up the 1st Grader. Then in half an hour, another big yellow thing will arrive to pick up the preschooler.

Have a blessed day!

Borrowing "Project Bliss"

While surfing the blogosphere today, I came across Visualize Love by Rachel. Her Project Bliss appealed to me instantly! I have noticed lately I have been taking things for granted that I should not be and letting little things bother me a lot more than they should.

Rachel said it perfectly, "I realized that all these things that make me happy aren't just insignificant little things that I happen to like... but they are little ways of God loving me through them."

I have decided to "borrow" Rachel's "Project Bliss" and run with it. I will periodically be posting lists of things that bring me joy, make me happy, and the things that help me realize "Life is Good!"

Today's List:

1. Watching my baby boy taste new foods for the first time. Tonight for dinner, he got to sample pancakes with syrup!
2. Non-Drowsy Wal-Phed (Walgreen's version of Sudaphed) - the kind behind the pharmacist's counter! I'm beginning to feel some relief from the severe sinus congestion.
3. The school bus! If my 3 year old did not have the bus to transport him to and from school today, he probably would not have gone because of my severe cold.

Have a blessed day!

Magazines

With the recent death of my favorite magazine - Digital Scrapbook Magazine, I've found my mailbox to be lacking in the FUN department. Thought I'd browse the magazine department at Amazon.Com...

Here's their Magazine Steal of the Week
The price on this magazine has been reduced for one week only and will expire this Saturday at 11:59pm. Want to renew your current subscription? Just use the same name and address you already have on your subscription, and place your order--Amazon will take care of the rest.




Thought that might catch someone's interest. Not mine - not my type of magazine. But thought I'd put it out there.

Here's one I'm thinking about:





Here's another I'm considering:




Which lead me to finding the following book: Wishing I would have had or been given a book like this during any one of my four pregnancies when my faith was being tested. My pregnancies were complicated.

For now, my mailbox continues to lack in the FUN department until my wallet has some excess in the FUNDS department! LOL I still love to browse. Since I cannot justify standing in the book and magazine section of my local super market while the kids get antsy and the ice cream melts - I have to settle for browsing at Amazon.

For the Geek...

Whether *you* are the geek or the geek is someone you love... this new digital scrapkit from PixelWorks is PERFECT!!
*image is linked to the Complete Collection in the ScrapArtist Shoppe.

Here's what I did with it...

*image is linked to the layout in the gallery at ScrapArtist - please feel free to drop by and leave me some love!

That's my little guy, Benjamin. Right now, his favorite teething toy is Daddy's iPhone.

Here's a better look at the kit...

*images are linked to the individual products in the ScrapArtist Shoppe

Marathon 2010??

I'm not so sure about running a marathon in 2010 now. I attempted a Cross Country/Trail 5K last weekend. Umm... I hit the halfway mark as the first place finisher crossed the finish line. I also rolled an ankle in the mud. The course was very muddy - but that is what makes it Cross Country & Trail running! My foot hit the mud and went one way while my ankle and the rest of me went the other. Thankfully, I kept my balance and did not land in the mud!

So, I have not gone for a run since Saturday. I'm afraid of damaging the ankle. It is feeling a lot better. Maybe I'll try running tomorrow, just a mile.

No pretty pictures from Nike+ to share with you. I managed to kill a second sensor and since the Nike Running website does not allow manual entry of run data - no pretty pictures. My goals at the Nike+ Running site are all goofed up now to. I'm only using Sensor #3 for runs away from my treadmill. Why track treadmill runs with it? The treadmill does the tracking for me!

I also recently was given an iPhone. Since it is an iPhone 3G, it will not support the Nike+ running app the way my iPod Touch will.

Any runners reading my blog? If so, leave me a comment about your favorite songs to run to. I've got a $15 iTunes gift card burning a whole in my pocket. There really are not any more apps that I need or want right now - so I *need* some running music.

Funky Junky: Old School

The Funky Junky series is back with it's newest installment - Old School. Love it! Love it! Love it! The whole Funky Junky series (Funky Junky, Funky Junky: Christmas, Funky Junky: Spring Fling, Funky Junky: Summer Lovin', Funky Junky: Home for the Holidays) have long been my "Go-To" kits for scrapping.

Here's the preview of Old School - image is clickable and will take you to the ScrapArtist store.
I made my September 2009 Desktop Wallpaper with it.
I cannot wait for school to start for all of the first day of school photos that will get to be scrapped with this GORGEOUS and versatile kit!! It is a welcome addition to my Funky Junky collection!