building your nest

A few weeks ago I got the June Cocoa Daisy kit I ordered myself as a treat for finishing the 1st of 2 classes I need to take for my counseling license. I love it. I really want to subscribe again...but really need to just order the months I can for now. I finished one layout with the kit so far...really have to get it together and do some more creating!

I love the background paper and the little details in the kit. This layout has another photo that is one of my favorites from late this winter/early spring. Ellie loves to pull all the blankets and pillows off the couch and make a little "nest" on the floor in the corner of the living room. It is so cute!

Thanks for looking!

be in the moment

Spring 2012

Don’t look further for answers: be the solution. You were born with everything you need to know. Make a promise to stop getting in the way of the blessing that you are. Take a deep breath, remember to have fun, and begin. -Jonathan H. Ellerby
  
Taking a deep breath today. Tomorrow is a fresh start for me. As some of you know, I worked in the same art therapy position for 9 years up until being laid off this February. I had been wanting to make a change for so, so long. But so many things stopped me. Namely myself. But being "forced" to make a change may have been a blessing. 

I'm nervous. Excited. Uncertain. Relieved. Happy. I have a million questions running through my mind. I hate the unknown. I wish I could fast forward a few months when I am in the swing of things and don't feel like I'm "new." I am the sort of person that wants to answers right away. And that just doesn't happen when you start something new. 

I'm ready though. 

I'm also ready for Spring. The picture above is from almost this time last year. In a few more weeks it might look like that around here. I can't wait. I'm in a place of wanting to freeze time and speed it up simultaneously. I need to just be in the moment.

Take a breath and be in the moment.

Happy Sunday!

the should be's

Beach Rose - July 2009

Feeling a lot of "should be's" today. Should be writing the letter of recommendation for a former student. Should be cleaning. Should be doing some schoolwork. But today has been busy. Two appointments today. Lot's of Art Therapy related stuff today. Just had a nice chat with a local Art Therapist who is going to come and speak to my class this semester. It is so great to network with someone...art therapists can often be very isolated in what they do. They are often the lone wolf in their settings. So it is so nice to sit and chat with others who get it!

But now I'm feeling under the weather. Haven't been feeling great all day. Thought it was allergies but Claritin isn't really helping. Boo! I don't want to be sick. So I'm going to push off the "should be's" and lay on the couch!



But before I log out...a few layouts I did last weekend...I didn't track the supplies but here they are:

My sister's college graduation...

Closeup of a page I did of Spring flowers...tag and silk leaves are from a fun vintagy set I got from Making Memories...


This layout just makes me laugh. I was going through pictures from last summer to take to my friends for scrapping night. I always laugh at Cary's fake serious face he made at the zoo. Then I happened to see it next to the picture of the eagle we saw that day. He loved the eagle. It was his favorite part of the zoo...is it because they look alike?!

A favorite picture of Cary sitting on my parent's porch this Spring...

Happy Friday!

great days

summer girl's night at my place

Yesterday was a great day! Started off with a few hours at the beach. Only bummer was that there have been so few beach days I'm still getting roasted on any little spot I miss with sunblock! That's fair Irishness for you.

In the afternoon I got a surprise phone call from Cary. He's doing good and it was so nice to have a longer phone call from him. Then last night I hosted Girl's Night last night. A monthly get-together with my high school girlfriends. It was so fun! I love doing stuff like that and hadn't been able to since my last hosting because of the apartment issues we had. I love cooking and home stuff and having people over and never do. BBQ pulled pork sandwhiches, baked "fried" chicken, potato salad, Greek pasta salad and homemade blueberry pie. It was great!

This morning I sat by the pool for awhile and talked to a few friends and Cary's dad. I never talk on the phone that much but it was nice to feel connected. Tonight I plan on going to my knitting circle and getting some help with my shawl that has a mistake in it. Then my brother is coming over for dinner and DVD watching.

Tomorrow is my last official day of vacation and it has been a nice relaxed one. I hope that I can hold onto some of this positive energy as I start off my work week. So often I get caught up in the stressfull nature of my work and I don't like what it has done to me. I want to hold on to what is important and get rid of the rest of the "baggage."

Happy Sunday!

learning

Yesterday was a pajama day. But I did make it out to the gym. Spent the day teaching myself how to do Amigurumi. I have never crocheted...so it has been a learning experience! But being my perfectionist, overachieving Virgo self I was determined to get it right!

I now have the head, body, ears, arms and legs for a bear. Doesn't look like much! He's a little wonky and crooked. He's not perfect but it's pretty cute so far. Before working on him I had been working on a shawl I've been making but was getting extremely frustrated with it...yarn overs in the wrong places...mistakes I need help fixing. I wanted to throw that off the balcony. So the fact that I have a bunch of misc bear parts is exciting!

Tuesday I also finished up my first Christmas present...it will be for my sister (she doesn't read my blog)... the pattern is "Foliage" on Ravelry. My first finished lace project aside from a dishcloth. Ripped it back several times but finally got the hang of it.

Well...I'm off to meet my mother, brother and sister for lunch and to buy some stuffing for my bear :)

Also hoping to get some scrapping inspiration back. Haven't done any in awhile!
Happy Thursday!

nesting and celebrating

June 1st on the Boulevard

Today's been busy with errands and sending Cary off for his last guard weekend before he goes down south for OCS next week. He'll be gone for 2 months and that is starting to hit me. I guess it is good practice for any future deployments we might face. Today I got a few treats/neccesseties for the apartment. Nothing really exciting...a shower curtain, some new throw pillows for the couch, some fun patriotic summer dishtowels. Stuff like that. I love nesting!

Last night he and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary of when we first met this week. Just a quiet dinner at the place we had our first date. Delicious baked local seafood and a quiet night at home.

As for other stuff...

I finished this layout on Monday (scraplifted the layout from one Wendy Smedley did in an old magazine)....hoping to do a few more layouts this weekend. Trying to get some girlfriends together at my place tomorrow to scrap. We haven't done that since this winter and it was so fun!

"First Moose Sighting"

Materials: Creative Cafe tags, really old patterned paper, Creative Images clear tag, Making Memories tiny alphas, brown pen, distressor, ink, American Crafts alphas.

Well I'm off to catch up on blogs and heat up some dinner. Hoping to do some reading tonight. I know...real exciting Friday night! My favorite kind! Started reading One for the Money - Janet Evanovich. Have heard this series is funny...so far so good. A light read.

Happy Friday!

sunday

A beautiful, windy and sunny day. Took some time to sit outside on my balcony and read. Waiting to see some hummingbirds at my feeder. But none yet. Also took some time to work on an Easter layout. Tried to just go with it and not think it out too much. I tend to do that sometimes and have trouble trying new things. So I just went with it. Not the best picture...but here it is...used ribbons, patterned paper, a ghost butterfly accented with pearlescent acrylic and some buttons.

Here's the baby card I made yesterday. They loved the sweater I knitted....I was so proud of it!

Having a relaxed, lazy day at home with Cary before he goes off to S. Maine overnight in prep for his early a.m. physical for the Army. One of his last preparations before he leaves for the summer in a few weeks. He even made me blueberry panckakes today...which is his specialty!

Now we are off in a few to take a walk and get some dinner before he leaves...

Happy Sunday!

friday

Some pieces of good news today...

1. Re: the apartment and it's issue...the leasing office informed us they will be reimbursing us for the $400 we spent prepping for the treatments. They also gave us a generous gift certificate to a local restaurant yesterday for our troubles. That is definately changing my feelings about thier

2. I finished my Bainbridge Scarf last night and am wearing it today! Yeah! Oh how I wish my camera was working so you could see it. I'm hoping to take a pict of it with my Dad's camera this weekend. It is so cute!

3. I wont 2 ski lift tickets to a Mt. in NH through my work! Cary has never skiied and is a little worried about the cost of staying up there for a night but he is almost to the point of agreeing to do it! Yeah! I love skiing and we could SO use a night away from here.

4. My student's are doing presentations today...which means I don't have to lecture! So I get to "sit back and watch" today! Oh how the tables are turned ;)

5. Today is friday...that is a very good thing.

Happy Friday!