My Word for 2009

Every year I pick one word (or 2) and use that word to focus my thoughts and actions through the course of the year. For 2007, I chose the phrase "Experience Life" to help me get through the long days with newborn twin infants. I kept that phrase in mind as I soaked up the newborn kisses along with the flood of spit-up. In 2008, I "Chose Joy". Most of the time. 

But for this year, I simply want to :

Chose your word. And then share. Inquiring minds want to know.

** BTW... though I'd love to take credit for this amazing idea, it is actually the brain child of my favorite famous scrapbook guru - Ali Edwards.

Splish Splash Moo

One of Elizabeth Kartchner's layout in Creating Keepsakes December issue was the inspiration for this sweet layout. I love how the blue, scalloped ribbon mimics waves of water and how the red cardstock appears to bring out the red in Luke's adorable lips. I also love how the photos of Luke and Lucy, both taken the same night and in the same tub, turned out two totally different layouts.

I'm a bit behind creating my website for creativeandcrafty.biz. Life, ya know? Oh - and then those pesky things called the holidays - both tend to impede on my re-learning of Dreamweaver. I figure that, just like a scrapbook layout, the website will come together without me having to think too hard about it. I know what I'm doing. I just have to do it!!

And good news - Angela and I just completed our first official project - 35 cow invitations that look just like the one below only we ended up using green cardstock instead of red. Moo.

Little things to love

I love:

** How Jack explains Bakugon to me. (This is a four-fifty Mom!)

** How Lucy "fed" Elmo milk from her sippy cup this morning. (Elmo dink milk Mommy!)

** How Luke waves when he sees me and exclaims "Hi, Mom!" in a voice that sounds like it's coming from a much older child.

And finally - I love how Jack bends over backwards to make his often whiney brother and sister happy. I remember Jack going through a period where all he did was test his limits and whine when he didn't get his way, and Luke and Lucy are doing the same thing right now. Jack rarely contributes to the problem and works hard to keep peace - even when he feels like he's getting the short end of the stick. He's so cool.

Back to my Roots

Amidst the starting of my new business, the wrapping of gifts, the fury of shopping and the tedious holiday planning, I made it a point to return to the thing I love most and scrap a page. Both Luke and Lucy have loved bath time from the very beginning. We'd bathe them, one after the other, in the little infant tub in the kitchen sink until they were just too big to fit into it anymore. I used some Sassafrass Lass papers (since Lucy's full of sass!) and some Heidi Swapp Journaling tags to show the ordinary ritual of our daily baths. Simple black cardstock appeals to me lately. The neutral-ness of it lets me combine it with any patterned paper I desire!

Look for changes to creativeandcrafty.biz later this week!

Hello world! I'm in business!

What a whirlwind! Over the past week, I've started a brand new business! Creative and Crafty creates handmade, custom order invitations and party supplies beautifully boxed up and delivered to you for your next party or event. {plug. plug.}

My friend and partner Angela and I filed our DBA (doing business as) with the State, opened a business checking and credit account, received our Federal Tax ID, filed for a Texas Sales Tax permit and bought a web domain. I've created a logo and am working on creating order forms. I'm thrilled and hyperventilating.

Presenting my brand new business web address:

http://www.creativeandcrafty.biz (I even created a little icon on top next to the web address. See the little flower? Cute, huh?)

Watch us grow over the next few months as I re-learn Dreamweaver and create a robust web site. Hopefully it'll be robust. Or I'll just bust. Open. And it won't be pretty.

I'm so excited though. Angela - my talker and marketing guru extraordinaire - has already landed us our first client who is planning a John Deer, tractor, farm animal theme for her son's 3rd birthday. I'll be making cows till the cows come home. And I'll like it!

Wish us luck as we venture into the great unknown. =)

Suicidal Super Squirrel

I was going to start this post out with an image of a suicidal squirrel. You know... a squirrel high-tailing it out onto the asphalt just when a mini-van full of screaming kids comes charging up the hill doing 45 mph on a residential street. Then I happened upon the image of Super Squirrel in her flashy hidden super suit. Super Squirrel laughs in the face of danger. She charges ahead knowing that she's faster than the mini-van on a mission. She can beat it. She'll get to the other side, scramble up the nearest oak and grab as many acorns as her little paws can hold.

Lately I've felt like both Suicidal Squirrel and little miss Super Squirrel. I'm darting off into traffic because I'm running full steam and haven't been able to take the time to see what's around me. I just go. And go. And go. And hope I make it to the other side.

And when I make it there, I turn around flashing my super "S" and think, "That wasn't so bad! Throw some more at me! I can take it!" And so it begins again. 

This Super Squirrel needs to take a load off. But how to do it and avoid the mountains of guilt that comes with the feeling that I'm slacking? Aye - there's the acorn.