We've got to try to remember to acknowledge and appreciate all the ways in which our lives are blessed. It is too easy to take things for granted. If you stay in a negative frame of mind it becomes very difficult to distinguish those ways in which we are blessed. Opportunities to be happy and grateful are always presenting themselves, it takes a positive mind and spirit to be able to harness those opportunities. I have learned the absoluteness of this lesson over and over again over the past couple of years as my life has sort of roller coastered up and down emotionally. I have also learned that it is not a simple balance. Just when you think you've got it right, things rock out of balance again and you have to edit your lessons. The important thing, I think is that they become just that, lessons and that you edit them. One thing that I always seem to forget/discount is the effect that weather has over me (and I believe all people). It occurred to me today as I was out raking leaves and having a fire outside with my kids how happy I felt being productive and engaged outside, living life. Then I recalled how the weather turned miserable here in a hurry. I went backwards in my head through the last couple of months. I don't know about the rest of the world, but here in Ottawa, we had a really unfortunate summer. Not very good weather, lots of rain, humidity but not too much heat, very cool in fact. Then it ended abruptly and we haven't really had much good weather since. I always find the end of summer pretty difficult, still much like I did when I was a kid. It closes so many beautiful chapters here, no more outdoor swimming, no more cottage, no more playing outside until bedtime, no more hanging out outside with neighbours, the list goes on and on. Especially when it is as cold as it has been here. Anyway, we have been cooped up inside way too much. We didn't have any time to acclimatize to the frost that we already have here. So we haven't been going outside much. We've been watching more tv, more computer. At first I'm not even conscious of it because I am so unaware of the connection it has to the weather and how I keep thinking 'tomorrow's going to be nicer'. This allows for a lot less productivity, let me tell you. Then it starts to feel really blah. Today, I realized that I am feeling blah. Now I am equipped with the ability to change it. YAY! Today is a new day. Ella's 3rd birthday is this Sunday. I am having 2 of her little friends over and her cousin. I wanted it to be peaceful and small. Ella is just thrilled with the guest list. I don't think it's her style to do BIG. We are going to do some crafts, make and take style. One of the girls on the scrapmuse board suggested lacing pages together with ribbon and having them draw on the pages and another suggested lacing beads to make necklaces. I think that that is exactly what I am going to do. I will make the beads out of pretty paper. We will also have lunch and cake. Ella has requested Strawberry Shortcake, so I hope I can find a pan. Anyone know where to get one? For the lootbags, I think I will have the kids line up and take turns "fishing" for their loot with a fishing rod with a clothespin over a sheet. That's what my parents did with me when I was younger. I think that should take up most of the time. Maybe a couple of games too. Next month I am looking forward to an event that I have in the works. A friend of mine hosts a little group of moms and their little girls to do a "sparks" like thing. It's like girl guides for younger girls. She asked me to do a craft with the kids, there are 8 little girls. I am excited beyond belief!!! I am going to prepare kits for them to make little canvas wall hangings with their name on it and flowers that they make themselves. FUN!!!! I hope I have my camera back by then. I am SERIOUSLY missing my camera. In a way that almost hurts physically. It will be 4 weeks this Saturday. I mourn. When I went to the fair last month, as we walked up to the entrance I said "I wish I had my camera", you know what Owen says? He says "Mommy, it's better to remember it with your eyes than with your camera." WHAT?!?!?! I was near speechless, I managed to say "Owen, you are 100% absolutely right." Can you believe the insight? Kids are amazing. We totally underestimate their intuition and their deep understanding of things that we have no idea that they are aware of. Anyway, my 4 and 3/4 of a year old son taught me a lesson that day. He is right, but pictures are great too! Plus his memory already seems to be sharper and more vivid than mine, maybe I'm just imagining? I'm only 29. Not yet!!! I have loads of layouts to share finally. Here are all of my projects with this month's ScrapMuse Kit, Flight School: October Sketch: This is a lo of my sil and my sweet baby neice, Mallory. Cardstock So this tube of beef pictured in the lo, was my husband's idea of a joke one day when I sent him to get groceries. It was $20 for 15 lbs of beef and he could NOT resist the comic gold that would result from him bringing this home. I can't even share the lewd things that he joked about. I must admit he had me laughing...A LOT. Add-on Not in Kit "Sister" Supplies Add-on Not in Kit What I did to the canvas In this layout, that I used the canvas scalloped circle from the kit. SO much fun. I sanded it up a bit and then I painted it. I added some stitching and also some stickles to make a custom journaling spot to match my layout perfectly. I also took one of the Scribble Scrabble papers and cut out the flowers that are above the photo. I cut out 3 layers per flower and used pop dots to give them dimension. Add-on not in kit A mini-album I made for myself. I cut out chipboard to make the pages. It includes six sections and my goals/dreams /hopes for that category. This took me 20 minutes before I had to leave to go to my dad's and I remembered that I didn't have a card. EASY! Personal Work: Here's a wall hanging I made with some frames from Dollarama. I painted them with acrylic paint and then sprayed them with a gloss finish. I used some paper from a DCWV stack that I have, All Dressed Up, and I used stuff from my September ScrapMuse kit to decorate them. This one, I loved these pics of Ella, as I was looking at them, the title occurred to me. I always see her as some kind of little creature, a wonderful creature, so the title is perfect for how I was feeling. WOW!!! LONGEST post ever! Sorry guys. ~Tricia
Supplies
PPs
Core'dinations-Black Magic Amulet, Orange
Jillibean Soup - Alphabeans - Groovy Green
Sassafras Lass - Blossoms - Rascal
Gelly Roller pen: black, white
Prima Say it in Pearls- Flower Centers - Aqua & Green
Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Adage Tickets
ScrapMuse Flower
Stampin Up- Canvas Shapes
Also, you can check this month's ScrapMuse newsletter to learn how to print on your layout background without a wide-format printer.
Supplies
Supplies
The categories are:
Family
House
Work
Personal
Friends
Art
Supplies
Supplies
All the letters were cut with SCAL.
Fonts
The pink layered flower and the flourish are cut in SCAL with my DigiCuts Designs SCAL files.
Traditions
4 days ago
Posts
6 comments:
Thank you for sharing....I have not been feeling quite myself...in fact having a big case of POOR ME syndrome lately....Well...you post and I see your creations and I am inspired....You work is ART!!!! It warms my heart and I thank you for sharing your wonderful talent with us!!!! Wishing you a great day filled with smiles!!! :-)
Love those wall hangings! So pretty! I plan to do something like this when I remodel my scrap room! Whenever that is! LOL!
I can't imagine being without a camera for that long! I would go buy another one or something because there is no way I would survive!
Yowza, you've been busy! Love your work and that beef lo cracks me up. You're right about the weather and how it affects you. This time of year is always so melancholy for me...the loss of summer and growth, the cold weather, falling leaves, shortened days...ick! :)
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