The Story of our Life

Downsize & Studio Calico's Napa Valley

 I suppose I should tell ya’ll what my word for 2011 will be.

Oh, come on. You know what I am talking about.

Ali Edwards. One Little Word.

 

 

Downsize, that’s my word. In 2011, I want downsize my waist size. I want to downsize the clutter in my mind. In my home. Downsize the drama (and those who cause the drama) from my life.

 

I’ve thought a bunch about what word I would choose. I wanted to choose a word that was just for me. Something that I could use to encourage me, keep me on task. Help me achieve the life I am supposed to have.

I am so sure that this is what I want my word to be, for Christmas I asked for a Trainer. As in, someone I would PAY to make me sweat. Make me hurt. Make me lose the extra pounds I’d gained since Marcy died. Alex wasn’t too sure that I reeeaallly wanted a trainer.

But he got me on anyway.

And, man! My trainer is making me sweat. Making me do exercises that I am sure are going to break me in half. Making me hate the elliptical.

But I am going them anyway.

And I am DOWNSIZING.

Not a bunch, yet. But I am finding that I actually do love to run, love feeling like I am in control of my body. 

Since the first on the year, I have lost 5 pounds (I am expecting to have lost more come Monday, as that is my weigh in day. I am working out 5-6 days a week. Some days weights. Some days Elliptical. Some days running. Some days squats, balance balls, crunches, and push ups. . I am really liking the freedom I have in choosing what I want to do each day.

I can’t believe I just wrote that I LIKE it. But I do.

And because I scrapbooked my ‘word’, here’s the layout. I used (again) Studio Calico’s Napa Valley.

***PSA***

Let me just say this. I love Studio Calico. But, man, I swear their kits breed, at night, while stored away in my plastic boxes. I have used this kit A TON and still have a bunch left. Total bang for your buck!

***Now back to regular blogging***

 

xxoo,

M

Faithful (Studio Calico Who's Who)

So, Alex and I are hosts for our Life Group every Wednesday. This is the second semester that we’re hosted it, and honestly, I love having it here. Every Wednesday night usually 12-18 people (now they’re friends) come, and we study God’s word together. It. is. amazing. Alex and I, both, have benefitted so much from having this upclose and personal experience in our own home.

This semester, we are studying Marriage on the Rock, by Jimmy Evans. You see, Jimmy is our Pastor at Trinity Fellowship – and truth be told—the main reason we are even members of Trinity. We love that our church supports & values marriage so much!

With marriage and relationships on my mind lately, I sat down to scrapbook yesterday and made this page. It’s kinda like a love letter to my husband. And its about him being faithful to me. In a time where so many of my friends have had their husbands cheat (or they’ve cheated), or they constantly worry about what their mate is doing. I don’t. I know Alex takes our vows seriously, as do I. And it is the absolute best feeling. I know what it feels like to be cheated on (from previous relationships), and you can say all day that you can forgive, forget and move on. I couldn’t. For me, there was always a thought in mym ind about if they were lying to me again, or if there was someone else on the side.

But not with Alex. I know I am his, and he is mine.

And I love that.

 

This layout was made with my new Studio Calico Who’s Who kit. Love all the Basic Grey papers in it. Yummmm. It was super quick to put together. In fact, I got three whole pages done yesterday (in between working out, making dinner, laundry and being a taxi). The plan is to post them, one at a time, over this week. For your viewing pleasure, of course!

Got to go. Life Group is here tonight and I still have a day’s worth of cleaning & dishes to do!

xxoo,

M

Not going to lie...

December is always a hard month for me.

It hasn't always been hard...in fact, the one Christmas we had our daughter it was wonderful. We were broke. Broker than broke. But we were happy and complete.

Now, we are far from broke. And mostly complete. Excpet for the whole Marcy left. Gosh I miss her.

We took a beautiful silver tree - with hot pink and lime green ornaments - to the cemetary last night. I've been dragging my feet about going there. I KNOW she isn't there (she's dancing in heaven). But it breaks my heart. So I just haven't gone.

I'm thankful I went. I was a bawling mess once we had her tree secured to the ground. It's. Just. So. Hard. I didnt take a photo of it (I sorta wished I had). *sigh* Some might think it is morbid to take a photo of a tree that is at your daughter's grave. The way I see it, I am documenting how we shared Christmas with her.

Ok. Enough of the sad. It's Christmas, or its almost Christmas.

I have been working on my December Daily. I am a couple of days behind, but have everything there for me to get caught up. My plan is to share the entire album when its complete.

I sorta feel like my album is 'kindergarden-ish' compared to some I've seen. I'm ok with that. I took what I had, in the time I had, and captured memories for later.

Another good thing that happened this month?

I turned 31. And, yes, it's a good thing. I am embracing it.

This is the year that I am going to quit having regrets.

One regret that I've had is that we never had a family photo done when Marcy was alive. We had no money, and even if we could have afforded it, Marcy was way too little (at barely 3 pounds), to take into public for a photo shoot. Anyway, six years later, I finally got my photoshoot. You can see it here.

Yeah, I need to loose some weight. But, other than that, I love these photos. They are us, in all of our goofy-not really sure how to smile, but trying anyway-selves!  I cannot wait to scrapbook these with my Studio Calico kit!

Speaking of Studio Calico, I have a wish list for other there. Nothing can cheer a girl up like getting goodies in the mail, so here's my list!

Fiskars Cloud Punch #1

Fiskars Cloud Punch #2

Studio Calico Weekday Stamps (there was a month set, but I missed out on them. REGRET!)

Mister Huey in Dark Calico, Warm Calico, and Classic Calico.

All of the Jenni Bowlin Inks.

Betty Crocker, Buster Brown, and Dear Abby. I can only afford to get two of them this month, but I am in love with all three. Now to decide who I must leave behind. I just don't think I can decide!

 

That list isn't too long, huh? I am anxious to get to order the new kit Studio Calico. They always cheer me up! I've gotten their kits for a whole year now, and I have to say, I have NEVER regretted subscribing with them. Pure bliss in a box!

Ok, its late. John has a friend spending the night and I should probably go find them & see what they're up to. They are being way too quiet! I'm going to leave you with a photo (becauce Roscoe is just too cute NOT to share!)

 

xxoo,

M

A Riddle

Here goes: what happens when you combine a single photo of St. Loius from a quick trip with Studio Calico's Continental kit? Why you have yourself a layout page that documents a trip that was unexpected, but absolutely fabulous!

I used the main kit, Continental, with a little bit of the add on called Magellan. Im not usually a 'scrap vacation photos kinda girl' but this kit really came through to me. I love the kraft, with with the red, navy and white. Loved the cardboard alphabet )it was originally kraft colored, but I painted them to give them some 'ooph'. The tiny red stickers weren't in this kit, but some I had in my stash o' crap. I did this layout while Alex was watching our friend race at the dirt track...it came together effortlessly. I initially wanted to use a sketch from Jana Eubank, but in the end, I used a little of her sketch, a little of my own creativity and mixed them together! Worked out well (hey! Sometimes it does, sometimes not so much!)

What have you done creatively today???

xxoo,

M

Randomness

Not a whole bunch going on here. The folks were here all of last week (read: dr. appointments. fun!) so I didn't get much -- anything -- scrapped. I have been scrapping this week though. A bunch. And it's felt soooo good! The weather has been so nice - warm --- even nice enough to wear shorts! On Monday we had storms, and tomorrow another cold front is set to be here. *sigh* Spring is soooo close.

 

(I used the Studio Calico Baker's Dozen for this page. The photo is one that another mother took of John and I at his Valentine's Day party at school. I used A Maggie Holmes Photoshop Action on it. This is the Vintage Action one.)

 
  

(Oh, how I love this man. We are celebrating 6 hard years together on Saturday. And I wouldn't change a thing. This photo was taken on the day he proposed to me in Palo Duro Canyon. Ok, back to the layout. I used Martha Stewart Paper Doily on this page. Love these here lately!)

(A sweet note/thoughts for my boys. The photo is from last Easter - sorry about the squished bow!)

(Oh. How this makes my heart hurt! Seeing Ben so small. So fragile. Makes me want to have a bunch more babies. :) For this layout, I used Maya Road Mist to create background paper. Recognize the shapes I used as a mask?? Martha Stewart Doily's again. So versitile!)

I have a couple more (I know!! This makes, what, 4 here and then, I have probably 3 or three more to upload). A roll, yep, I am on a roll! On my agenda tomorrow is making a couple of cards. Haven't made any cards in a while, so this will be a nice break.

Spring Break is next week - the boys will be gone, and Alex will be working so I will have a week to play with my papers! I'm excited, can you tell?!?? This past weekend I repainted (for. the. third. time.) the boy's bathroom.  FINALLY got the color right! I love being in there now....so restful and just nice! I am debating of tackleing Ben's room over Spring Break. Cleaning it out (he is such a packrat!) and painting. Its the last room to paint!  In the 3 years we've lived here, we have painted every.single.room. Some rooms we've painted more than once!

Ok, heading to bed! 

xxoo,

M
  
 

Her Story

Before I show you my newest layout (made using the Studio Calico's Bakers Dozen kit), I wanted to say hey.

Hey. (I'm waving real big. Can you see me??!!)

We're still covered in snow. It's been a month now, and *fingers crossed* the snow should be melting tomarrow as we will hit 50 degrees. Then we have another snow storm on Sunday, bringing 7 inches of the white stuff. *sigh* Its a never ending battle, really.

Let's see....Ben applying for Ben to get into a private school up here. Fun stuff. Forms, forms, and more forms. Oh, Ben has been accepted into the Duke University TIP Program. Thats good. How I ended up with such a smart, handsome young man I will never know.

John is still grounded for bringing home b's on his report card. He has been grounded from anything that plugs in. As Alex says "the only thing that requires electricity in John's room is the light. No DS. No TV. Wii?? Nope. Honestly, it's been harder on me than him probably....he has been reading & he loves that!

Last week our family had a big milestone. 5 years since Marcy went to Jesus. It was hard. Probably the hardest anniversary that we've experienced yet. What's bother ed me most is that people no longer think about her life, instead she is being defined by her dying. I. Hate. That. I volunteer with the March of Dimes, and everytime I am introduced  as the 'mom who's baby died' I want to scream. Here's a layout that I've made documenting my thoughts on this. 

 

My journaling says: Her story isn't that she died. No, I refuse to accept that one dau in Marcy's life gets to define her. Her story is that she fought every single day, beating the odds. Marcy might not have had the longest of lives, but the life she led meant something. Her story began 14 weeks too early and ended way too soon. But living is her story.

Anywho, I have two other layouts in various stages of being finished, so I will come back tomarrow and post them. For now, I am hitting the shower and going to bed!

xxoo,

M

 

The Last One

We're still here. We are going on 11 days straight of snow and ice. Yes, its getting old!! We are supposed to have two more winter storms come in the next ten days, so there is really no sign of it going away!

With it being so cold, I have been busy scrapping a little. The page I am going to share with you has been a long time coming. It's been on my mind of a page I wanted to do, but really, it just wasn't the right time. Sunday night I stayed up and started playing with my idea. Its simple. The handmade ruffle isn't perfect. BUT I love this page. I bawled the whole time while scrapping.

Heck, I've been crying everyday for the past week. This month makes 5 years since Marcy passed away and, well, it sucks. So I scrapbooked.

The black and cream paper is new from DCWV. It's from the 'Hittin' the Books' stack. Normally I am not a 'stacks' paper kinda girl. Yes, I am a paper snob. But let me tell ya. I LOVE this paper. You can see a pic of the stack on this blog. You must go read Scrapbook Obsession - the blog is a mishmash of scrappy gossip (shhhh), product reviews, sneeks and all other sorts of fun! Ok,back to the products I've used...the cream and red polka dot paper is Cosmo Cricket. The lace border is Scenic Route paper that I've punched with a Martha Stewart punch...I love this punch! The bracket is a leftover from who knows what (Pink Paisley, I believe!) that I covered with a canvas fabric that came in my December Studio Calico kit. Good stuff, I tell ya! The ruffle was made by yours truly...I just ripped a strip of muslin and took it to the iron and made a mismash of pleats. Any fool can do it! The ruffle idea came from this weeks challenge over at the Studio Calico blog. You should go check it out.

Ok, I am being summoned by Ben to come check over his homework. Fun times.

xxoo,

M