26 Days of 39

Today is the first day of May (despite the date above this post) and the countdown begins. I have only 26 days until I turn 40. Oy Vey. I remember when my Mom turned 40 and I'm sure my young, sixteen year old brain thought that was old. Well guess what kid? That "old lady" is YOU! Wow. I've seen so many of my friends, my old classmates, my husband turn 40, yet I was sort of in denial when it came to me. Although I look around and see that 40 is clearly fabulous...I still have that not so fresh feeling. :( It's sort of like day old bread. Still good, not as fresh as the day before but not as stale as it could be. ;) Yep, that's it, day old bread.

I need a way to embrace the next few weeks in a positive way and filter out all of my anxiety. For me, creativity always cures what ails me. So, for the next 26 days I will do something creative each day, whether large or small, to "celebrate" the end of my thirties and welcome my forties. I can't say that I'm happy, but perhaps it will give me a sense of calm. :)

NSD

Today is National Scrapbooking Day (it started in 1994) and I will be celebrating with Emily as I've done for the past five years. I finally finished the CKC scrapbooks for my Mom and I even managed to finish a few of the class layouts. I'll probably never get actual photos in those layouts but it's still an accomplishment! Emily worked on her Crayola Crayon Factory book. We decided a "file folder album" would be fun for this project. It's a great way to display small projects and isn't as bulky as a large album. We ended up using a lot of staples which didn't bother Emily. It gives it a hand made feeling. Each page has a clear (transparency) pocket and a piece of sticky ribbon to border the top (we got that at The Factory store).

By the way...I know I need to start taking better photos. For me it's always an issue of time, so I take a quick photo so I can post. I need a really well lit area in my home to take photos. Better photography is definitely on my "to do" list...

Life Happens.

I'm back! While I was away, I did a little spring cleaning and revamped my blog a bit. Now it's a bit more interesting and has more of a homey feeling. Of course posts would be nice right? Right. I never really liked the phrase "life happens." (although it doesn't bother me half as much as "get over it"...MAN that makes me cringe). It sort of sounds like a cop out..."eh, life happens, what can you do?" I guess I'm not that laid back. All of that said, when I was ready to blog again and I was thinking of why I haven't been here, so much swam through my head. I realized that I had many things residing on my plate...Theme Day at Em's school, Brownie meetings, the school newsletter, PTO, pick-ups, drop-offs, homework, Liam's therapy, tons of paperwork, laundry, taxes, bills to pay, clothes to switch, spring cleaning, daylight savings (I want my hour BACK), meals to make, and rooms to reorganize...just to name a few! Each day I wanted to blog. Each day I wanted to create something amazing. Each day I wanted to get lost in a project that would allow me a sense of "calm" (my word of the year) but...life happens. In most cases things (like those I mentioned) are more important than the things we really want to do (not that laundry isn't fun) and we end up going with whats practical. I think I have to learn to embrace life as it happens yet also find a way to carve out a tiny piece for myself each day. Yes, life happens but I reserve the right to alter it a bit. :)

A peek into the past couple of months...

Spain.

Our country for Theme Day was Spain. I spent the month of February working on projects to decorate our room as well as "souvenirs" for the kids. Thanks to my fabulous assistant, Ana, we got so much done! We made Spanish flag bookmarks (with faux leather), olive drink stirrers, metro cards, Euros, "El Corte Ingles "shopping bags", bull fighting pads with red pens and our hand made castanets. Each souvenirs had information on the back so the kids could learn a bit about the culture of the country.

Kindness.

One day, for no reason my friend Molly sent me a gift. She had been shopping in a craft store and saw some buttons that made her think of me...and she sent them. A random act of kindness that brought such a smile to my face! I LOVE these buttons and can't wait to use them in my scrappy projects. They are hanging right in front of me over my scrap desk. How grateful I am to have reconnected with such an amazing woman. Although we weren't very close as kids, she's one of the reasons evolving and becoming an adult is such a great thing. I'm glad I went to that darn reunion! ;) Thanks Molly! :)

Revolution.

I admit, I've been taken in by Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution! I've been inspired to cook more and use more fresh ingredients. I'm rethinking the way I feed my kids and trying to eliminate many of the processed foods that find their way into my freezer. It hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be. Cooking is actually fun, it's the cleaning that I try to avoid!

WIP (Work In Progress).

Each year my Mom and I go to CKC (Creating Keepsakes Convention) and I choose one class project that I use for scrapping that years convention. I make one for me and one for my Mom. Well, no surprise, I'm a bit behind, so this year for Mother's Day I'm giving Mom three years worth of books! I just finished 2008, made from The Button Farm's "Random Musings" acrylic album. Next, is 2009 and I'm using The Button Farm's "Good Things" acrylic album. I still have to back track and pick something out for 2007!

Until next time...