Whew!!

I received an e-mail from Debbie Hill with Junkitz to let me know that they did receive my entry!! (thank you for doing that!!!) Now I can return to my regular nail-biting with the rest of the entrants!!!

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Here's a layout I just just did with the April kit for Scrappinchicks. Papers are by A2Z. The sketch for this layout is posted on Scrappinchicks as part of our cybercrop we had on June 25th. TFL!!!

In other news, I am absolutely CRUSHED that I did not receive a confirmation e-mail from my Junkitz Designer Draft entry.... I just read on 2peas that we were supposed to get one, and the web site confirmed it. So, I may have done all of that work for nothing!!!! I have e-mailed them, so, hopefully I will hear something tomorrow... keep your fingers crossed that they got my entry please!!!

Ahh... the young ones are oh so wise...

So, I took my older dd (who is 4 1/2) to the mall the other day so I could shop, and she could play. We strolled through Express, and my dd saw the shorts on these models here hanging up on the rack.

"Mommy!!! Look!!! They have Anna size shorts here!!!"(Anna is, of course, her 11 month old baby sister!!!) Yes, they do have Anna size shorts, Kendall. Yes, they do!!!

She had me cracking up!!! *sigh* My body USED to be the right type to fit the clothes in that store!!!

The Dares!!!

I finally did one!!!

"Are You My Mother?"

Journaling reads:
*Anna, when you were born, I thought it took the nurses forever to bring you to me. When your sister was born, I held her and nursed her right away. But since you were born by c-section, the doctors and nurses had all kinds of things they had to do to me before I could hold you. *I often wonder what you must have been thinking about during that time, wondering yourself if all of the people holding you and doing things to you were your mother. The doctor held you, your daddy held you, several nurses held you, and I think even a grandma or two all held you before I did. Were you asking yourself if they were your mother?*I was grateful for that moment about 3 hours after you were born when I was finally able to hold you. For I am here, I will always be here, and I am indeed your mother. And I love you very much.

Supplies: Patterned paper (KI Memories), Cardstock (Bazzill), Ink (Colorbox), Staples (Target), Transparency (Apollo), Ribbon (recycled from a baby gift), Rub-on letters (Making Memories), Embroidery floss (DMC).

OK, I have to admit.... I cheated. I had done this layout a couple of months ago, but it totally fit this dare of using a book title for your layout title. And it's one of my favorites that I've ever done!

The ladies who do "The Dares" are amazing, and they have inspired a whole new aspect of scrapping challenges!!! Thanks for your inspiration, ladies!!!

Identity reality...

I wouldn't call it a crisis... more of a realization. I cleaned out my underwear drawer today. I know, not such an interesting topic, but it had to be done!!! And I got rid of everything I could wear pre-baby #1, saying good-bye to all of those pretty things I used to fit into! Very sad... but I was running out of room in that drawer. And since, well, let's face it, the newer models are larger in more than one aspect, I really needed that space!

I kept hanging on to those old pieces thinking that I'll fit into them again one day!!! But IF (and WHEN) that ever happens, all of the elastic will have dry-rotted anyway!!!

The other piece to this realization.... I disposed of all of my maternity underwear. I have officially given up on the fleeting thought that I might have another child someday!

This is a good thing, though, since I did partially replenish my undergarment wardrobe at Victoria's Secret yesterday. (you know they are having a sale, right?) My dh balanced the checkbook last night. He was very curious to find out what I had spent $$$ on in that store!!! It was all very necessary, I assured him. As my younger dd approaches her first birthday (next month), and my nursing days are *almost* over, I needed new bras! Ones that don't open in the front or have huge front hooks that show through my clothes!!! Ahhhh.... I see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Hopefully soon I will start feeling more like a wife, and less like a mother. I love being a mother, but my dh would much prefer to have at least part of his wife back!!

Sorry, but there won't be any pictures about this!!!! And, if you made it this far, thanks for reading my story!!!

I'm throwing my hat in the ring....

For the Junkitz DT contest again. I have 2 dream teams.... Junkitz and KI Memories. Yes, there are many fabulous manufacturers out there who have wonderful products, but of the biggies, these are the two whose products I use most.

Anyway, I sent my entry already... and I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!! I know I have lots of talented competition!!!

Otherwise, I haven't done much in the way of submitting!!!

Form vs. Function

What a conundrum. I remember being asked to compare form and function in my AP English class in high school.... I struggled with the concept then, trying to figure out why the comparison was important in the first place.

Then it hit me... my "eureka" moment... FORM is what makes FUNCTION enjoyable (or not!). It is what drives creativity, innovation, and opinion. For example, you have a chair. A place to park yourself and take a rest. The chair could be simple, wooden, and hard... or it could be the latest and greatest Lazy Boy ever (same function, but which sounds more comfortable to you?).

The same is true for the art of scrapbooking... most of us started with our interest in photography. We could have settled for storing our photos in albums, or we could put them in a book with memorabilia and some words about the pictures... the advent of the scrapbook!!! And then, as we know, the concept morphed into its own artform! Same function.... displaying photos... but better form. The evolution of this artform has been fun to watch. I, at least, continue to play with form... better photos, new ideas, more mixed media... it is FORM that drives ART.

Just a few more pictures from our trip!!! The first and last images are again using Amy Howe's conversion!

Beach Flowers!!!

While on vacation on the Outer Banks, we stayed in a house on the Village golf course. The landscaping was gorgeous, with lots of beautiful flowers to capture!! Here are a few. I used the color conversion that Amy Howe shared in the May Basic Grey newletter for these.