Easy and Not So Easy

This is THE best $4.96 I spent today!
Totally makes me giggle because I am going to use this baby.
When you push this 'easy' button it says in a manly-slightly-sarcastic voice "That was easy!"
And you know what???
It really is.
I spend a good amount of energy making things harder than they should be.
Not any more thanks to this baby.
LOL!!!
HEHAHAHAHEHEHE ;o)

Although I must point out that no matter how many times I push this easy button....raising a teenage girl is NOT so easy.

Found these lovely pictures on the camera from this morning....along with 10 more of the same.

I am guessing she thinks she looks really good today and wanted to capture it.

She is a cutie.

Dang.....I need Shawn to practice his Mean face for the boys!

Donna, Sweet Donna, I hope you feel better soon. If I lived closer I would bring you some noodle soup. Thinking of you and wishing to to feel better.

One last thing.
During my retail therapy today....I found a winter coat for me that fits! for $8.95! AND a long sleeved T-shirt that says "I {HEART} Inked Men"....totally made me smile and it was only 5 bucks. Not too bad of an afternoon.

One more thing.....Mason is over at a friends this afternoon. Big steps for the little guy. THIS is a good thing.

Hugs and happies to all.

m

Snow Day...What?

Today the kids are home with a snow day.
Why? I am not really sure because the road aren't bad.
In fact I believe they are the only school district out today around here.
This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have school today.....but I do.
AND it wouldn't be so bad if I could have played hooky....but I couldn't.
Today I had my first exam in soc and I have my first lab for A&P II...both are very difficult to make up.
Oh the fun stuff ;o)

Not too much going on.
Haven't been doing that much scrappin' lately.
Just finishing up a few projects (trying to at least).
Bought a wax sealing kit thing and I have to say that thing is pretty dang cool.
I will try and post some pictures.

Finished reading the book "Wicked" because I had heard so much raving about the musical....let me just say to anyone thinking of reading the book - don't bother. I struggled to get through it, it was confusing and not a very smooth read, AND there weren't even answers to any of the questions alluded to throughout the whole story. Grrrr. I don't even want to go see the musical any more.

Hope you all are surviving the winter.
Hugs and happies.
m

Scrap Sharing

I have been 'playing'.
This little mini-album is a combination of inspiration from the "Got Paint?" class and a freedom of working in an art journal.
My cover is made with a the cardboard that came in between plates in a set we had purchased a long time ago.
I put some paint on it and inked some scrap pp and WHA-LAAA...a created flower, perfect for my cover of this random fun art journal-mini-scrapbook.
This is one of the pages (below) with an extra copy of a picture found in my stash of photographs. It is actually an older picture but I LOVE IT. Totally makes me happy. I mixed Texture Magic with some acrylic paint and slathered it on like butter. To make the white show through I just carved into the Texture Magic. Sprinkled throughtout are rub-ons I found at Wally World and a couple of doodling dots & words. Such a fun page to PLAY on. No fears of messing up. No worries...Just plain FUN!
When we were working on painting the kitchen I had a frame from a hundred years ago (because I haven't changed my home decor in forever!!!) and it had some pictures in it that gave me warm fuzzies. I love how photos take you back and make you smile ear to ear. Anyway - I just HAD to use this picture some where, some how. This art journal was perfect for it.
Sharing a photo of my newest love (below). I have used more product this week because I can SEE it and know that I have it! The thing was kind of pricey (although not as bad as it could have been thanks to an awesome friend) and blew my budget....yes, already. BUT I L-O-V-E it. It is the Clip It Up thingy. Everything that I have collected for the past 5-7 years is now out of the baskets and drawer and on this super uber cool carousel. Did I say that I LOVE IT? ;o)
And my last bit of scrap sharing is the art/paint holder thingy(again below) that I got for Christmas. Actually this thing is bigger than I thought it was going to be, but it holds just about ALL of my different mediums....paints, stickles, puffy paints, alcohol inked, some 7 gypsie stamps (I have no home for), chalk, water colors, embossing powder....a ton of stuff. AND the best part is - it was only 20 bucks at Wal-mart. Just a note for anyone interested the shelves are adjustable.
So there you go. Some of the things I have been up to.
Still have some layouts to post...but I am focusing on the 'doing' part.
If I am making the time, I would rather be creating right now.
Thanks for looking through my show and tell.
Now I need to visit you for some inspiration!

Off to the school to watch Mason in a play.
He is totally stoked about being a 'turtle'.
Cracks me up.
Later-taters.
Hugs and happies.
m

Homework and Hamburgers

...well actually it is homework and turkey burgers.
That is what is left to do tonight.
In all honesty though....I could have had the homework done today but I was 'playing' in the ol' studio.
Thank you Ang, thank you. I did not realize the amount of unused stuff I have. (Pictures in the next post).
JTLYK (a texting thing that I learned from Bai who doesn't text that much because she has to pay for her own phone but knows the lingo (Just To Let You Know...in case you didn't know what it meant)) Mason had a really good day! Such a blessing for him and for us.
Thank you for all of your thoughts and well wishes.
Off to finish dinner and homework.
Hugs and happies to you!!
m

Yes, We Have Paint.

Sunday was filled with bumming around and PAINT.
I am taking a class of Emily Falconbridge online with Big Picture Scrapbooking (love those classes). It is called 'Got Paint?'. One of the projects is just to randomly paint 6x6 pages for an art journal. I am scrapping on some, journaling on some, just painting on some....and then will bind it all together with clips. Total fun-ness without stress of messing up. It is OK to mess up. Sometimes I have trouble with that part of creating. Mason joined in with the painting. We were running out of room and he ended up on the washer. He wanted to do something with the embossing powders but became frustrated with me when I wasn't able to understand what he was trying to say. I ended up with the rainbow painting. Think it is going into the art journal.
Even Shawn was in on the painting. Not really by choice but he was on a roll. Painting some frames to accent and re-use what we have to work with.
Bai refused to be photographed this Sunday of painting and relaxing because she was bummy. You know...my teenage girl will take literally 50 pictures of herself when she is all cutsie but there was no way she was letting me get one of her just relaxing.
Some sharing here.....
This is the kitchen just about finished. We are happy with the way it turned out ... especially with the resources that we had. (Not much) We really didn't have that much money and have had to come up with ways to re-use what we already have by giving somethings an updated look.

Have to share my "M" with you along with one of the solutions to some of our storage issues. The M is from the scrap stash painted the same color as the wall and inked to highlight and emphasise the M (Go Moore's!!!).

Notes about scrapping. For those of you that scrap I want to share something that has been bothering me as of late. Lately I have been caught up in the 'scrap world' and have lost the reason why I scrap. Let me state for myself: I scrap to capture memories, to create art. I scrap for therapy, to calm my mind and soul with the creative process. I scrap to record the stories. I do not scrap to show others how good I am, or for the 'perfect' layout. I have realized that I am caught up in the perfect layout. In fact there are three layouts that I have started (because I am REALLY good at starting them) in my studio and I have not been able to finish them because I am caught up in making them 'show worthy' for galleries and such. I am afraid to 'ruin' what I know could be good because I am caught up in this crazy obsessed scrap world. No more.....I am going back to my roots. LOL! In finding balance this year I am choosing to let the scrap-perfection go. I am all about getting back to the REAL reason I scrap. Hopefully anyone else stuck in the same rut can find the same A-HA moment I have.

Notes on Mason. Friday I had reached my breaking point with the medical field. We started this journey a month ago and NOTHING has changed for our son. It has seemed to be a try this, could be this, see this doctor, no not that one because she doesn't have the time, try that one but they cannot give you meds if needed...do we need to treat the anxiety or the OCD?, and through this all I have lost some of my parenting confidence. My main job right now and for the past 14 years has been to raise healthy happy children. The doctors are making me feel like I am doing it wrong....don't go to lunch with him you make it worse, don't show him your anxiety, be firm. OK...none of this has helped. I am desperately seeking help. Please let that phone call come today!

Enough on this computer. It is time for me to go get some of my list done. I am kicking off this week with a positive accomplished day.

Go ME!

Hugs and happies to you!

m

Still

Still here.
Still working.
Still making a list.
Still finding balance.
Still trying to connect.
Still on a journey with Mason.
Still have a dog with 'issues'.
Still reading.
Still scrapbooking.
Still have laundry to do.
Still continue to put things off for another day.
Still miss my friends.
Still can't wait until spring.
Still eating healthy.
Still cannot find an exercising mojo.
Still have to put dishes into dishwasher.
Still kicking.
Still laughing at the funny.
Still grateful for big and little things.
Still trying to simplify our home/life.
Still on the computer when I should be doing other stuff ;o)

Hope you all are STILL happy.
Hugs.
m

Ahhh....and so it begins....

It is back to school for Bailey and Mason.
With that comes the stress of Mason's separation anxiety and OCD tendencies.
Such an incredibly hard thing to parent.
What is the right thing to do for him?
What is not good for him?

While dealing with those issues we are actually finishing up some home improvements.
This should take out some of the chaos that has consumed our living area for the past week.

Also of interest...I have lost 4.4 pounds. Now granted, I realize that those pounds are the same ones I have lost and gained for all of last year HOWEVER! I am motivated, eating well, and moving my body. It feels right this time.

Speaking of moving...need to get off the computer and do that ;o)
Hugs and happies.
m

Wowza....

Sometimes I am in awe of just how fast time goes.

Here is my first blog list for 2008........

1. This is the kind of picture that I find when Mason has the camera. I love what his eyes try to capture. Ya know if this boy could figure out all of the settings to capture correctly on film the things in his eye, he would make a spectacular photographer. Note to self...look into some sort of photography class for children ;o) 2. We are starting the biggest loser thing here at the Moore household. I know that I have bitched and moaned about my increasing weight and have 'attempted' to get in shape, only to gain back that pesky fat. This time Shawn is in and that makes the world of different. Not that he was my excuse before but......it really is hard to watch someone eat the GOOD food while you are grazing on broccoli. LOL! Seriously though, our whole family is going to be eating better and we are going to be making it a point to make better food choices. Any one have some good-tasty-healthy recipes???? Send them our way. ;o)

3. I myself am not too much of a video gamer. Give me a puzzle, sudoku, or word game and I am in. However....the Moore family has been infected with the Guitar Hero III bug. I am talking about HOURS of music, family time, competition and fun. Of course I just document the fun. Tried the game once and well....it's just not my cup of tea baby. But oh how I love watching Shawn, Bai and Mase play away.

4. I am totally missing my friends. One of my things to work on is connecting better with people. Sometimes (most of the time) I get caught up in life and myself and don't make the effort to connect like I want to.

5. Can you guess what the white is on our naughty pug???? I will give you some hints: It is not gray hairs, the substance on his fur rhymes with ain't......

PAINT!

On his ear and side. As if we don't have problems enough with him losing his fur to allergies??!!

6. And the paint came from some home improvement. We are painting the dining room and kitchen. I am not sure what the heck I was thinking when I picked yellows, I think I wanted a warm and sunshiny feeling but the shade was totally off and it ended up being more of a cool color with a greenish cast. Whatever...this is the new colors....Mark Twain Tan for the dining room with bright white trim, and the kitchen with be a shade lighter with a wine red accent and white trim. Shawn has done the color choices. I will have to share what it looks like in the end.....he says by Monday....I say we shall see.
7. Here is my little Derrik snowman. I received it as a Christmas gift from Mom and Jeff. LOVE him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Shannon I know you love this little guy ;o)
8. I need to go pay my bills and set our budget for 2008. Good times in doing that!!!!

Hope everyone is doing well.

Miss ya.

Hugs and Happies.

m