I've Sunk To a New Low

I am now talking to myself and responding.............with an ACCENT!

This morning Good Morning America showed short clips of a 10-year-old little girl's interview with Prince William. She had the loveliest British accent. One that begged to be imitated.

Actually, the dog thought it was pretty funny!

Guess you had to be there.

Gold Star? I Don't Think So...

Just poppin' in to share a little story about my guy. A few of you have been following along the past few months as I try to figure out this wonderful little thing called blogging. So you will probably remember THIS post that gave a glimpse as to how well Keith is coping as a single dad. He certainly earned a star in his crown for that one. Now it's time to offer up another peek into what it is like for a single man to be thrust into full-time daddy mode with no warning. This one may actually cost him that star!

The conversation went something like this:

Keith: Hey babe, I've been giving Morgan that awesome multi-grain toast for breakfast just like you suggested. The little rat loves it so much, she asked for a second piece this morning.

Me: Oh yeah! Two pieces, huh? I thought she would like it.

Keith: I wouldn't let her have another piece since we are trying to eat healthier. She needs to eat something other than just bread.

Me: (a bit bewildered but amazed that he seemed to be on the nutrionally sound bandwagon) The bread probably wouldn't hurt her. It's loaded with fiber and even has some protein.

Keith: Oh. (insert pause) Well, I made her eat a Pop Tart instead.

Me: (gasp and double gasp) The only hint of nutritional value in a Pop Tart is the fruit filling and even THAT is mostly sugar!

Keith: Then I guess it's a good thing I gave her the chocolate one!

I don't think Morgan really cares that her dad is a nutritionally challenged dolt! She loves him all the same.

P.S. There must be a thing with us when it comes to Pop Tarts. I'll just blame Keith for my recent fascination with this nutritional wasteland of a treat. It's always nice when you don't have to take responsiblity for your own actions...lol!!! Happy Hump Day!

NO, I Have NOT Been Eaten By My Sweats!!!

I'm still here. I'm sure some of you thought I either passed on from malnutrion, was hospitalized with some flesh eating fungus contracted from my unlaundered sweats or lay passed out on my living room floor after inhaling noxious fumes from a recent burping and farting fest. While all of those could be in the running for the most plausible reason for my absence on the ol' blog scene, none would actually be correct. Over the past 7 days, I have been busy working overtime, preparing my personal tax documents...better late than never...working out, fighting off an VERY nasty stomach virus, and best of all - visiting with my baby girl. Keri has been home for Spring Break and it has been a fabulous week! Despite my 24 hour love affair with the toilet, you know, hugging the thing while puking my guts out, life has been filled with good things. We had some much needed mother/daughter time. And the revolving door was back in action. Lots of friends running in and out. Chaos of the most awesome kind!

I want to send a massive and very heartfelt thank you for all of the comments left on my last post. I feel I need to clarify a few things. My whole intention with that post was to try to make light of a challenging phase in any mother's life. We tend to wrap ourselves in the motherly robe and when it is time for the birdies to flee the nest, we can't really figure out what our role is. Change of any sort is tough. No doubt about it. One of my main reasons for blogging was to document my journey through this phase of life. It is everything I thought it would be. Like I tried to portray in my last post, it can suck! No better word for it. But I do see and appreciate the beauty of getting to remake myself. To find out who I am. Once stripped of that motherly robe, you feel a bit exposed and vulnerable. But rest assured, I am not one to go down without a fight. Many of you offered some wonderful suggestions on how to redefine myself. Several of them have already been attempted...some with success and some without. But hey, that's how it goes. And for all of you who are totally disgusted with my lack of personal grooming habits, please know that I have not worn the sweats all week. I said my good-byes, held a mourning ritual then tossed them in the laundry.

I also need to mention for the sake of my newest blog friends that I do have a wonderful fiance. However, he does live 3 states away with a 3 hour commute between us. To prove that life can have an evil sense of humor, his world got turned upside down right as mine did. When I became an empty-nester, he became a full-time single parent. That has added to our inability to move forward with our plans to marry as we are awaiting the final court decision. Our weekend visits are not as frequent as they once were and the opportunity for lengthy phone calls has been phased out. So I guess I was having myself a good ol' pity party. Missing the busy-ness of my old life and realizing it will be a while before I can fully move into my new world. But as always is the case with pity parties, they can only last so long. Mine lasted a mere 24 hours. Now I am back to grabbing life by the horns and making the best of it. You will have to stay tuned to see how well I tackle this bugger of a challenge and what trouble I get into while doing it. I can bet you one thing, it will be a wild and crazy ride.

Before I go, I thought I would share a layout of me and my guy that I did for Antonello's Pinkilicous Sketch Challenge.




Hope you all have a super fantastic Monday! Hugs to you all!

The Pros and Cons of Solitude

Up until last August, I had never lived alone. I shared a room with my sister growing up. At the ripe old age of 18, I traded her for a smaller room and a different roommate at WCU. Two weeks after my college graduation, I signed up for what I thought was a life long roommate when I got married. A bit over a year later, I became a mommy and the rest was as they say...history. I was one of those moms who always stayed involved and volunteered for everything. Our house was the local hang-out. I had a constant stream of companions. Alone time was a welcome and much coveted event.

Four years after divorce and with my youngest heading off to school last August, life as I had always known it came to a screeching halt! Gone were the teenagers who invariably found their way through my revolving door. Gone were the after school activities. Gone were the connections with the other "involved" moms. I was suddenly, utterly and completely alone. The just-me-time that had always been beyond my grasp was staring me right in the ol' eye! I had absolutely no idea what to do with myself.

It has been a trip, I tell ya. They always say be careful what you wish for, and that could not be more true than in this case. While I can say with all-out certainty, it isn't all bad, I have to admit it isn't always grand. The life of living singularly has led me to a few revelations. Thought I would share in case any of you are thinking the grass might be greener...

Pro - Peace and quiet. No loud noises. No one yelling for you just as you are planting yourself on the porcelain throne. No one blasting their music while demanding to know where they put........ Fill in the blank with absolutely anything and you will be on the mark! No bickering. No need to be peace-maker.

Con - Absolute silence. No one to talk to. You talk to yourself. No one to answer back. You answer yourself. You talk to the dog. The dog just stares with cocked head. You answer for the dog. The dog starts to think you may be crazy!

Pro - Evenings are your own. No more ball games. No more meetings. No more late night projects. No more study sessions.

Con - An empty social calendar. Get up. Go to work. Come home. Eat. Go to bed. Repeat.

Pro - No cooking required! Need I say more.

Con - Your diet consists of frozen dinners, macaroni and cheese...the Easy Mac variety...and soup. When nuking your food gets to be too much of a hassle, you switch to Doritos and Pop Tarts. And you don't even think about toasting the tasty little pastries. You eat them straight out of the foil packaging. You convince yourself you are getting a balanced diet...Doritos fill the need for a colorful diet and Pop Tarts do have that fruit filling!

Pro - Two measly loads of laundry a week vs. 14 hefty loads.

Con - Several weeks pass and you realize you have worn the same pair of sweats every night and every weekend...without washing them. Not that bad until the clothes start talking back to you. Of course, this solves problem number one.

Pro - No kid's clutter and no one to pick up after. You never have to make your bed. Heck, you all but live in your bed. No need to wash dishes. Trash cans can overflow and dirty clothes need never reach the hamper. Oh yeah, you just keep wearing your dirty clothes so no hamper needed.

Con - The clutter is worse than before and it is all your's.  Chores belong to you and only you. You never realized how handy a teenager's helping hand can be.

Pro - No more setting an example, there's really no need to be your own teacher. Farting and burping at will is allowed and welcomed.

Con - Not really a con here as I see it. Of course, you must be able to control yourself should the need arise. Otherwise things could get embarrassing.

Pro - You can run around in your underwear or naked if you feel the urge.

Con - Can't fully appreciate this one yet. Got to keep working on my "lovin' myself" attitude to be able to do that. Ain't nothing pretty about pasty white cellulite bounding around the house even if you are alone.

Pro - There is no one to tell you what to do.

Con - There is no one to do anything with.

So what do you think? I think if you are lucky enough to still be experiencing the madness of mommy-hood you should embrace it and cherish it despite the fact it is an all-consuming-suck-the-life-out-of-you-never-let-you-get-a-moments-peace way of life. But what a life it is! Take it from the girl on the other side of the fence.

A Challenging Challenge (edited)

Last week I wrote about a challenge at my not-so-local scrapbook store. This week I tried to tackle what I thought would be a relatively easy challenge. I made the obligatory trip to the store, bought the required items, gathered my photos and actually carved out some time to scrap. It was going well until I reached for one of my favorite punches and realized I couldn't use it! The guidelines of the challenge state you must use the listed items and you can only use additional items that have been purchased at their store. Darn! That ruled out most of my options. While I have contributed many a dollar to maintaining this store's financial well-being, I can't exactly tell you what I've bought there and what has been bought via other scrappy sites. And due to the inconvenient location of the store, a quick trip to purchase additional supplies was out of the question. However, I pushed ahead and this is what I came up with. The layouts are extremely simple, but what more can a girl do when she only has 3 items to work with...lol! I had to use one of the 2 new Basic Grey lines, either Marrakech or Porcelain, Core-dinations cardstock and any Technique Tuesday item.

The first layout was made using Marrakech paper along with cardboard and chipboard stickers. I layered tons of stickers to create the flower border. I also used the Ali Edward's "Loving Words" Technique Tuesday stamps.

While the title is a subtle sentiment, I think it says it all..."there is no doubt - i just love you."

I created an additional layout using the Marrakech line. The colors are so bright and fun!

My frustration with this layout set in when I automatically reached for my ribbon stash and had to stop myself. I tried to purchase ribbon at the store, but could find no good options. So I created some faux ribbon with the paper. Again, I used the "Loving Words" stamps. I think these stamps have quickly become some of my favorites.

(edited) The final layout is probably the simplest of all, but for whatever reason, it is my favorite. The photo of this layout doesn't do it justice. I'm not as fond of the Porcelain line because the colors are softer and I tend to always lean toward the more vibrant colors. I originally had this layout as a "mostly cardstock layout". But you know how an idea will come to you after walking away for a while? My struggle had been the use of patterned paper. Couldn't get it to look right to save my life. Well, last night...ahem...or this morning (3:00 am), it came to me. I like this much better.

All accents are stickers from the Porcelain line. I traced the butterfly on cardstock, cut it out and adhered the sticker with pop dots.

I used Technique Tuesday Technique Tiles for the hearts, using the Cuttlebug dotted swiss embossing folder to "embellish" the smaller heart. Thank goodness I remembered that I bought this embossing folder on my previous trip to the store. The word "bloom" was included on the sticker sheet or I would have been in a pickle trying to create a title. lol!

So that's it friends! It was the best I could do with what I had. Now I just have to find the time to get the layouts to the store before Saturday at 6:00 pm. Something tells me I won't be participating in anymore of the store challenges...it's suppose to be a challenge, but I was counting on it being less stressful...lol!

On a side note, if you are interested in trying to win some awesome new paper, be sure to go HERE! Hope everyone is having a fantastic weekend! Until next time!

My First EVER Award and a Few Layouts

Awards are always a good thing...something to be proud of. So please pardon me while I say, well, actually shout, "YAY ME!" I just received an award from my new friend Antonella Ryan !!! She has launched a cool sketch blog called Pinkalicious Sketches. I plan to participate in her sketch challenge this weekend. You should check it out.

I feel so honored and grateful Antonella would think of me when passing this award along. I'm relatively new to the blogging scene, at least from the writer's side, but I believe this means I can pay it forward by bestowing this award on several additional bloggers. I choose to pass this lovely award to the following:

Kristii Lockart (Honestly Speaking) - Not only will you find enormous scrapping talent on this lady's blog, but Kristii's wonderfully upbeat attitude and strong faith is a beautiful inspiration.

Lisa Houpt (itsjustlisa) - I recently admitted to being a stalker of this girl's blog...cannot wait for her to post her latest creations...'nough said!

Cassie (SomethingFromCassie) - You can actually feel this gal's energy leap off the screen...lol...and she can rock some layouts!

Jocelyn (Simply Me) - This lady is one of the sweetest, most encouraging people I know. She has welcomed me with open arms into this blogging world and made me feel so at home with her sweet comments. A visit to her blog lets you see straight to her heart.

Here is your award ladies...you SO deserve it!

Now for a few layouts. These are a few months old, but they are a some of my favorites. Not so much for the design, but for the emotion behind them. Friendships are something to be cherished and this first layout is of Keri and one of her best, very best, friends. They share one of those special friendships that is just there and will always be there. They no longer get to spend much time together, but the bond is strong...they always pick up right where they left off...and it usually involves silliness. One look at these photos and you get the idea.

The next one is special to me because this photo is classic Taylor and Keri...now...lol! There was a time when they wouldn't begin to get this close to one another. They have a fantastic relationship, always have, they just forgot about that bond for a few years...lol! I think they really do feel lucky to have each other...and to me that is all I can ask for!


Before I sign off, I want to thank all of you who have made these first few months as a blogger such an amazing experience. I love reading all the comments. And I especially love getting a chance to know more about you. If you visit but usually don't leave a comment, please do so at least once. I would love the chance to say hello! Happy Hump Day...tomorrow! G-night!

The Winner Is...

Jocelyn!!! If you will please send me your mailing address, I will be happy to forward the stamp & paper kit to you!

You guys are AMAZING for playing along with me!!! Seriously!!! I was touched that so many of you would be willing to open up as you did. Of course I did give you the freedom to make things up if you had so chosen, but for some reason, I feel everyone was honest. Isn't it crazy how we as women have so much pressure to be "perfect"?

I know men have their own issues to deal with but after this weekend, I am more sure than ever most of them could not begin to conquer those mathematical gymnastics I mentioned. Let me play it out for you...

Keith: (knowing I have given up sugar for lent) You are gonna love me or hate me! (while smacking his lips) I bought two pieces of chocolate pie for us!

Me: (smiling through clenched teeth) Honey, you know I. Can't. Have. That.

Keith: (with as much sincerity as any human can have) I was afraid of that so I got you some fruit...fig newtons.

The man honestly had no idea fig newtons have sugar!!!

Happy Monday everyone!!!