April 30

Time Gone By

Layout: The Author of my Dreams

This picture is of me years and years ago. I had time to kill, at work. I was the manager/photographer at a portrait studio, and was sitting around snapping photos of myself. I was reading a Harlequin romance at the time. I must have read thousands of those books. All the time... non stop.. and my dream at the time was to write one. Yes, I've written over the years... but never my *harlequin romance*. I have one that is half written, and I've decided to do the unthinkable, and actually FINISH my harlequin romance. I mean.. hey... the satisfaction alone should be worth it, right? Of course, it will take time away from all my other things right now... including the office, and my cleaning.. but why not! The only things it won't interfere with are 1. family 2. scrapbooking 3. my other writing. So many years have passed. I hate that I have not fulfilled one of my dreams. I hate that I stopped before I started. I can take trying and failing. But not trying? Ugh. Wasted time. Wasted. Is there a uglier word? When I look at that picture I am struck by that younger woman. The one who felt sure she could write this novel... and stopped trying. Regrets are a terrible thing. No more regrets. As I said... I'd rather fail. Now, the only thing I need to find... is time.

Here is a sketch I did for you.

April 28, 2009

Relief

Outside of our office is a fair bit of greenspace, including a creek. Beautiful flowing water, magnificent trees, and open spaces. That means that it is also a home to a pair of Canada geese. Each year, these geese return around the same time. Sometimes you find them pregnant and with goslings... sometimes not. This year... I only saw one for quite awhile. She/he was making so much noise, and I was so sad to not see his/her mate. They are monogomous creatures, and will often mate for life. Now I've noticed... they are together again. The two of them. I know it sounds silly... but I'm just thrilled. Nobody likes to see someone alone. There is no frantic noise or hasty movements. They are quiet and content up on our roof. Overlooking their domain, together. sigh. It is as it should be. Notice the dreary, rainy day though. Ugh

Couples

Speaking of couples, and pairing together... and comfort etc... Beauregard and the cats (Disney and Jaguar) have interesting relationships. Jaguar and Beau, (the orange cat)... like to chase each other, wrestle, and then sleep on our bed together. Disney and Beau will walk around each other, and try to come to terms with each's existence. They can be found together, only during those times where they both want me. Hence the picture here. They both want to sit with me, and they're waiting to be *chosen*. Funny animals. Can't imagine our lives without these 3. They have such personality. Each, so different from the others. The worst part of animals, of course, is when they get sick, and die. Heartbreaking. They're such a part of the family

April 27, 2009

My Weekend.

I cleaned this weekend. What is it about Spring, that causes an otherwise sane woman to suddenly feel a desire... no... desire doesn't cut it... COMPELLED... to start spring cleaning? One minute I was a perfectly sensible woman, with a plan. Not much of a plan. But it involved doing something fun. A movie... shopping... whatever. Instead, what did I find myself doing? cleaning. Hitting my basement... the pit of all that is despairing, and trying to regain order and control. It wasn't nice.

I still found time to scrap. Of course. Here are a few of my latest... I love this picture of Dana and I, when he was 7 weeks old. I was so pale. The pic is untouched. Yeowy. The other layout was at Cinderella's Castle. Dana had gone out for Halloween the night before, as Peter Pan... and here he was having breakfast with him the very next morning. A very happy boy. There's nothing like the magic that is DisneyWorld.

A Sketch

Another attempt at a paltry sketch. Hope someone is getting some use out of these. If you do use one of my sketches, I'd appreciate you linking back to it. :)

April 24, 2009

And the Winner is............

I drew a name. I'm at the office, and silly person that I am, I forgot my camera. However... I did honestly draw a name... all fair and square, and stuff. First of all.. thanks so much for helping me with my blog links. If you haven't already done so, please let me know your favourite blogs to visit. I'll add them to mine.

Now... without further ado... the name I drew? Hailey! So Hailey... if you will just email me your address, etc. *Where in the world is Hailey?...I'll get a little something vintage in the mail to you on Monday. :)

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A Book, A Series, A Good Time!

A book! I just finished a GREAT book. I came into the whole *Twilight* thing later than most.. but I'm so hooked. I just finished book 2... "New Moon". OMG it was good. I absolutely LOVED it, and can't wait to get the next one in the series. Eclipse! I don't read as much since I started to scrap. I scrap in all of my spare time. But I have to say... this series is drawing me away for a little bit.

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It's New, It causes more work... but it's so good.....

New Washer and Dryer! Here it is! I love it. I was up until all hours of the night, washing and drying clothes. (had a lot to catch up on). They are front-loading. My other ones were 20 years old or so... so they were not! What a difference! You can't even hear them running when you're in the same room. The clothes come out of the washer, pretty much completely dry. And it uses almost no water. Very good, sound purchase!

Cards. Why do I suck at making cards?

It's like a brain meltdown each and every time I go to make them. Those of you who make cards... do you draw from the same inspiration that you do layouts and altered goods? Does it just come naturally to you? I'd love to know.

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Another Sketch

I thought I'd shake things up a bit with a circle sketch. i promise that I will get better at these sketches, and start adding some more innovative things to them. One step at a time.

April 23, 2009

I Can't Help But Wonder

I was feeling melancholy last night. My son is 16. SIXTEEN! What does that mean? It means that the little boy who gave me very little time for ME... now gives me far too much. He is off doing his own thing. He is busy. Very involved with school. Very many friends. Part-time job. Volunteer positions. Student Senate Executive.

All good things. I'm proud of these things. But it means more time away from us. That *away time* becomes like missing church on Sunday. It feeds itself, so that it becomes easier to not spend time together. And ok... I'll admit it. I miss him. Do I miss that teenager attitude? NO. Of course not. But... I miss hanging with my little boy. I remember thinking about this when he was little. I remember feeling unable to hold the thought for long, because it made me so sad. I worried and fretted that this would one day be here. And... here it is. This is much better than the alternative... of him not being here at all! But it's not an either/or thing. It's a wish for days gone by. It's a wish for that little boy who thought Mommy was the bestest person in the world. That little boy who maintained that one day he would change his name to Bobby Brown, so he could marry his mommy. LOL :D

If you have a little one at your side, and you're feeling like you could sure use some Me time... think about me today... and grab them close. They grow up so fast.

Here's a layout I did on a picture I had of him from last year. Also... I did up a sketch for you guys. Enjoy

Paper Trunk Blog Crop

DON'T MISS OUT!

Hey guys. I wanted to point out that Paper Trunk is having a Blog Crop, from now until May 2nd. You do not want to miss out on this. There are prizes, games, challenges, and fun. Go and check it out! Each day, one of theDesign Team will be posting a challenge to play. You'll have a great time! And I'll see ya there! :)

Just follow THIS link....http://papertrunk.blogspot.com/

April 22

There Should Be A Law!

It's an odd day today. First of all.. I'm home from work. When I can, I've decided to take Wednesday's off. To take control of this barn I live in. No.. that's insulting to the poor animals out there, who actually DO live in a barn... and take care of it. No... words leave me, when it comes to describing this hovel. We need to find order in this chaos. And we need to find it now. I got up early, and walked Beauregard. Why? Hubby left town for a big appointment, early early. Which left Beauregard, the Problematic Puggle of Perpetual Need, needing me. So... I headed out first.. to get coffee. (we haven't bothered to replace our coffee pot yet.) I came home to find the pup permanently placed in his spot, ready to be holstered and hitched for his walk... attached him to his leash... or, what we've affectionately dubbed... his thinking machine... and out the door we went. Yeah.. *thinking machine*? Beautiful Beauregard, has no concept of danger. Or of peeing in a straight line AWAY from his body... but that's a whole other ball... which will require photos and instruction on the anatomy of a puggle... but I digress... He will walk out in front of traffic, without a care in the world. As he bobs his Beauregard head out of the car window, one must hang on tight, cuz, yeah... he'll leap right out of there too. Doesn't matter how fast a clip, you have said car going. I've personally caught him mid-air. Anyway... Out the door we headed... into the lovely world of mist, smelly mud, a park that the city loves to espouse as all natural beauty...(IOW... let grow as nature intended... or as us thinking folk say... low maintenance with lots of poor water drainage, and animals running amock)... rain.. and... yeah.. I did say rain. Cold, drizzly, wet, water from the sky. On me? It is cold, wet, drizzly, and yucky. On Beauregard? It's a reason to smell... and a reason to shake, rattle, and roll the water from his body onto... yep.. me again. By the time he'd sniffed and snorted his way around the pathways, I was soaked, and yet he managed to drain most of the water off of his back onto mine... remaining mostly dry... but smelly. (Nothing like the warm, musty smell of a dog covered in mud and rain... even when he does manage to shake some off. However.. he did do his job like a good Beauregard does... and home we came. Warmth. ah. Never underestimate the lure of a warm home, when coming in out of the rain. Can't be beat.

I took a quick pic of the needy beast... and can't you just see the smug look, as he plays all innocent? He knows he has me. He tosses me a quick kiss, and heads on up to lay on our bed... smelly, damp fur and all. That's where you'll find him now. Sprawled on his back.. 4 legs going in various directions... happy in the knowlege that all is right in his world. Makes me wonder what makes MY world all right? What happens in my world that causes me to sprawl out, content, happy, worry free? I seriously need to think about that one. How about you?

Here's a layout that I did.