Can it be?

I'm in shock. Total shock. And maybe a little bit panicked.... I don't know what made me decide to take the test, but I have not been feeling well this week. And there you have it. I'm nursing AND on the pill, and my little one is only 5 months old. It took us one year of trying to finally conceive my younger dd. And, well, we definitely weren't trying for this one!

I thought I was done having children. My dh wanted another one and has been bugging me to let him try a third time to have a boy. So, after I took the test, I kinda tossed it to him where he was sitting on the couch, and told him that his dream came true! I guess God had other plans for me and our family. Now I hope God has blessed us with a boy!

I am so afraid of what this will do to my body. My last pregnancy was so rough on me.... so many complications and way too much trouble with asthma!!! Not to mention the fact that I have treated 2 patients in the past 2 weeks with active shingles... a big no-no while pregnant!!!

I have no idea how far along I am. I'll find out next week.

I need lots of hugs and prayers right now!!!!

I had a c-section with Anna, who was born in July. I will have to have another for this one, I'm sure, since there was no time really for my body to heal. I guess I will have to deliver at a different hospital so I can have a tubal ligation done at the same time. I think 3 is my limit on kids!!!! I love my kids, but I don't know if my body can handle this pregnancy!

Botox, anyone?

I had a procedure done today to fix my lazy eye, also known as strabismus. I have had it my whole life, and it has been a hugely embarrassing thing to deal with. I was teased as a child relentlessly for my crossed eyes. I have people now ask me if I am looking at them or someone else!!! I have developed strategies for hiding my condition, but at times I am too tired to control it.

The biggest issue for me is cosmetic, obviously, but there are also other problems. I can't see 3-D movies because my eyes don't work together well. (I see either the red or blue side of the glasses). I have very poor depth perception (which makes playing any game that involves a moving object REALLY tough!! PE class was a nighmare in elementary school!!!). And I have double vision in close range.

So, I sought the help of a specialist in town. He actually pioneered a technique to fix the muscle imbalance with Botox. They numbed my eyes, then injected the Botox toxin right into my eyeball. Let me tell you, it was strange watching the needle go into my eye!!!

There was some left over.... I asked Dr. McNeer if he could go ahead and take care of my wrikles, too!!!

I should start to see some changes in about 4-5 days, with the full effect taking about a month to complete. This whole procedure was so simple that I wish I had done it years ago!!!! It would have saved so much stress in my life!!

Oh, well...

The sad news is that I didn't make the Junkitz DT or get an HM. The good news is that I was in the top 34!!! Stacey Panassidi (http://www.junkitz.com/designers/blogger.cfm?UserName=spanassidi&View=Blogz) was so kind to post that list!!! I had no idea my name was on it until my friend Tabitha called!! So, I was pleased to get lots further than I ever anticipated!

Now I can start biting my nails about the QK DT.

I only try out for manufacturers whose products I truly love, and both Junkitz and QK are products I LOVE!!! So, we'll see...

I also tried out for the Scrapbook Answers DT. Since they are the only magazine that has pub'd my work so far, I figured it was worth a shot!! I love their magazine. They have such a wonderful, fresh approach to this industry. Their focus on design and technique is fabulous, and the fact that they rate new products is great!!!

So, I hope to accomplish another goal this year: to get on to a manufacturer's or magazine's DT!!!

In other news, I may have a new job. In my "real life," I am a physical therapist. I specialize in geriatric rehab. I love what I do. My career is hugely satisfying because I get to help people regain their functional independence every day. On a whim, I went to a job fair hosted by Sheltering Arms, a major rehab provider in Richmond. They have a beautiful, new rehab hospital in town, and are looking for therapists. I ended up interviewing for 2 hours! I went to school with one of the managers. I have been working in long term care for almost 3 years PRN (on call), but working about 20 hours a week. I have proposed a 25 hour work week to Sheltering Arms in a permanant part time postition. We'll see what happens.... they are supposed to get back to me this week!

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!!

We went to the Grand Illumination in Downtown Richmond last night. It was fun, as usual. This is our third year going. Kendall had a ball riding the carousel and looking at the model trains. I do have photos, of course, and will post some later....

And I pulled out my favorite Christmas CD yesterday morning... Handel's Messiah. I am one of those freaks that enjoys classical music! My parents are to blame for this love! I grew up with it, and it's what we sang in church choir. So if you see me on the road this Christmas season, and I'm rockin' out in my car, I'm most likely singing to my Messiah CD!!!

OK, I'll admit it...

I sent my application to the Junkitz DT contest. I would really like to be on this DT!! Just love their stuff! Of course, I also entered the QK contest... love their stuff, too, as it is the only die cut machine I own... I would just like one manufacturer's DT to create for...

Anyway, I am posting my Junkitz DT application projects. Wish me lots of luck! I know there are hundreds of super talented artists competing for this one!

Finally!!!

I am so grateful.... I am not a one hit wonder!! I just had a layout picked up for Scrapbook Answers magazine. It is for the "Beyond the Big Red Heart" feature, and will appear in the Feb/March issue. I was so impressed with their first issue. They have a very fresh approach to this industry, and they demonstrate lots of techniques. I am VERY excited to get this call!!!

Even nicer, my mentor on 2 peas challenged me to do this layout. So, thanks!!!!

Fall flowers...

My daughter loves her flower garden. To our delight, it is still producing flowers! She loves to pick them and give them to her favorite people, including me!! I took this photo on my camera's macro setting.

November DT work...

Just thought I would post my designs for this month for Scrapncircle. Our product sponsors were C & T publishing ( http://www.ctpub.com/ ), who provided us with these wonderful ready to alter board books, and Queen and Company ( http://www.queenandcompany.com/ ), who provided us with some of their pretty brads! They were both fun to work with!

It's really fall!

My husband raked leaves this morning, just so Kendall could play in them!!! She had so much fun!

Sunset on the James

I'm cheating today. My dh actually took this photo last weekend while fishing with our older dd and his dad. I love his creativity with photography and wanted to show it off! His "filter" is actually his sunglasses! But what a pretty sunset, huh?

Do babies fly?

Well, sort of. I was playing with Anna and had her on my lower legs while I was on my back, lifting her up and down. She was having a great time!! Then I thought, well, wouldn't this make a great photo? So, here are the results. I couldn't pick just one!! Of course, big sister had to get in on the fun!!

Pretty girl...

Here's my POD!! I did a conversion, too, again. I'm hooked!! I need to try some of Tisha's other conversions, too.

Kendall, you are such an imaginative little girl. I love to watch you play outside. You have a great time, even if you are by yourself. You just love nature!

On to another subject: Today is a good day for Virginia. That's about all I have to say about politics!

Kitty cat...

We have 2 of these monster cats. They are brother and sister, long haired tabbies. They are HUGE and look like Maine Coon cats. This is a picture of Sapphire, our girl cat, by our sliding glass door in the morning sun (sunbathing!!). I used Tisha's conversion guide for the b&w again.

Just playing with B&W conversions...

I couldn't sleep. So, here I am, blogging... and I was thinking about this layout I want to do using this picture. But my conversion was terrible, so I decided to try the technique of my super fabulous friend Tisha, and this is the result!!! Sooooo much better! Thanks, Tisha! I guess this will double as my POD, but I may post another one later! (in case anyone was wondering, the one on top is the "new" conversion)!!!

****You can link to Tisha's blog to the right.... the instructions for the conversion are toward the bottom of her blog!!****

I love how Anna already admires Kendall!!! This was such a lucky shot, and so old it was taken with my (very) old digital.. an Olympus 1.3 megapixel!!!

Fire!!!!

We went to an old fashioned story telling last night at the Cultural Arts center in our area. We had a great time! They had these barrell fires so you could roast marshmallows and make smores. They had hot cider, too! Well, I couldn't resist taking a photo of the fire.

Fun at the park!

I took the kiddos to the park by our home yesterday. We had a blast!! Here's my favorite shot of the day!

Beauty and the Beach...

Here's my photo for the day of baby Anna, and I am also posting a picture from our recent beach trip, just because I love it!

I'm having some trouble taking good photos indoors with this camera!!!

Another silly photo...

Kendall, you crack me up!!! You are always coming up with funny "poses" and saying, "Mommy, I think you have to take a picture of me!!!"

This was her "pose" from yesterday. Silly girl!!!

Froggy!!!

OK, I am cheating today... I 'm really not feeling that well this afternoon, so I am posting a photo that I took the other weekend at the beach. My dd discovered these tree frogs hanging out on the balcony of the house we rented with our family.... cute little guys, aren't they? I see some BG skate shoppe for this layout....

Photo of the Day

I joined a challenge over at 2 peas (http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/default.asp) by Sagehen to take a photo every day this month. Here's mine for the day! The second is photoshopped a little, and the first one is manipulated lots!!! Thanks to my friend Tisha who gave me instructions on her blog for the technique! http://tisha.typepad.com/

I would like to take time to thank my parents for my new camera!! It was my dad's old one, but it is 4 megapixels and tons better than my old digital. I have a wonderful old Nikon F-9 film SLR, but I am totallly addicted to digital photography now! I still pine for a Canon 20D, or at least a Rebel!!!

Ode to the OBX...

Just thought I would add my layout of why I love this place!!

I love the beach!!!

Especially the Outer Banks. It's our favorite vacation spot. I love that it is only a 3 hour drive, and we get to drive through the area where I grew up. So the trip really doesn't seem that long to me! We went for a long weekend, and here are some of my pics. We saw some spectacular sunsets courtesy of Wilma, and Ralph, his dad, and uncle caught 95 spot!!! Enjoy!!!

Inspiration???

This is a common question we ask ourselves in the world of scrapbooking. Where does one find inspiration? I find it in the oddest places... and in some not so odd ones, too! I love to browse the bookstore at graphic design books, aisles at Target for color combos and patterns, magazines for ads, catalogs to note trends... it's all good!

I do look at traditional idea books, but in my quest to stay origninal, I rarely buy one. It's what I call the Yanni philosophy. OK, I don't listen to his music, but I saw an interview with him on a news magazine type show. He stated that he never listens to anyone else's music but his so he can stay original. Interesting. For me, half the fun is seeing what other designers can create, but I hesitate to buy the book unless it is heavily technique driven. I fear that I may accidentally scraplift!! If I look at the book and put it down, then an idea I saw may morph into something original by the time any idea ends up on paper. At least, that's my intent, anyway!

The layout above was inspired by a room featured in a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. They had used circles as a border around the room around chair rail height. This was my interpretation of that circle theme!

The sound of music...

Do you think that our kids will think "our" music is old and seriously outdated when they are teenagers? I'm talking about the music I grew up with... stuff like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soul Asylum, the Cure, and I admit to being a bit of a Morrissey/Smiths fan during my teenage years. Of course, I also listened to lots of "classic rock," which was AFTER my parents' generation!

I know there has been a shift in music when they now have a "90's flashback lunch" program on the radio!!! And they feature all the stuff I listened to in college!

Some artists I love and are still making great music, like the Dave Matthews band. I also love John Mayer, but he's kinda new!

But do you think our kids will say, "Oh, mom, you really used to listen to THAT?" Or that a band will come out with a "new" hit, and we'll point out to our kids that so-and-so artist did that song originally back in the LAST CENTURY!! I know I think my parent's music is OLD!! But they listened to 50's bubble gum pop!

I know I will have become OLD when my kids think my music is lame...

My latest work...

Here's what I've been up to creatively in the past couple of days. This is the third painting I have done for one of my neighbors (it's paid work! Yay!!!). I tried to start a business of doing artwork for childrens' rooms a while ago, and just wasn't successful. I had a difficult time finding places to sell my work that didn't cost a fortune to enter! But, I am pleased with how this turned out! I will hang it from a ribbon and knob.

Work, work, work...

Today was my second day back at work since having baby #2. It's really not that bad, since I am only working while dd#1 is in preschool. I did miss my job. I am a physical therapist and work in a nursing home (a rather good one, I might add...).

All of my patients and co-workers have given me the warmest welcome! It's nice to feel wanted!

The trick will be re-establishing balance in my life, between my husband, children, scrapbooking, and keeping house! I had it all figured out before dd#2 was born. I just need to find the new normal!

Silly girl...

My daughter came up with this silly pose and insisted that I take a picture of it... of course, I'll have to scrap it!

So, here goes!

Well, I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and give this a try. I've realized that I have lots of crazy thoughts in my head that are just waiting for a home to express them, so, here it is!