a long absence

It's been a LONG time since I've been around!! I've been quite busy these last several months and I am going to share all about that over the next several days, weeks, months. I actually saw in my timehop that I started this blog exactly 7 years ago today! I can't even believe that!! I stated the blog to share my crafty hobby: scrapbooking, card making, photography, and more. And while I plan to continue to share my projects when I can, I want to morph this blog into something more. I want to share more, and I have already got a list of topics for myself to be successful in that endeavor!

You see, almost one month ago I had a baby. Our daughter came into this world after we believed for so long that we couldn't/wouldn't have kids. We had only ever talked about having one child when we started trying all those years ago, and that's still our plan especially now that we're quite a bit older than we had thought we'd be when we'd have our child. I want to share stories about the whole experience of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, along will all the ups and downs of parenthood. I want to share what I've learned as I find my footing as a mom (still can't get over the fact that I'm a MOM)!! I want to share milestones, holidays, and monthly progress updates of our girl. But I still want to share craft projects. Finding time for them is a whole story in and of itself. (Confession: I'm still finishing up my 2016 December Daily, at our coffee table in the living room instead of at my craft desk because the baby spends most of her day time hours in the crib portion of her pack n' play in our living room.) I've got vacation albums partially done (MN-2013, Boston-2014, Disney-2015, SC-2016), annual album pages that need completing (I make a list and put page markers in the page protectors so I at least have a plan of what photos to scrapbook and where they go in each album), and my nephew's first year album to complete (he just turned 8 on March 12th...why rush into things...I really need to make this album a priority when I finish the December Daily). I am also planning to participate in Ali Edwards' week in the life that starts on April 17th. I'll still be on maternity leave from work, there will be lots of events that week to document (8 week shots for the baby, baby turns 2 months, meeting her grandparents for the first time, etc) and I think it will be fun to look back on years down the road. It won't be a normal week in my life since I won't be back at work, but I decided that it's still worth documenting. I know I'll enjoy looking back on the album years from now (like when my daughter graduates from high school...remembering and looking back on bottle cleaning, diaper changes, walks around the neighborhood, trying to find time to take a shower, etc). I did make one intentional decision to not purchase a WITL kit this year. I ended up getting 2 kits last year to document our Saturday to Saturday South Carolina vacation so I have lots of left overs from those two kits and a ton of 6x8 albums I can use, not to mention all the Studio Calico documenter kits and other supplies from my stash to put together a pretty great album.

That brings up another topic...supply stash! My stash is in need of a good purge! We want to use Expedite bookshelf that currently houses our annual albums (plus a few themed albums like our wedding) for toy organization as our daughter gets older. Instead of housing 12x12 American Crafts albums, it will house bins and baskets of toys. We don't have a lot of space in our house, so we figure the Expedite is a good way to keep the toys contained and under control. It's an 8 cubby Expedite so it should make for plenty of toy space!! But that means that I need to clear enough out of my space to move the albums in (and there are at least 7 cubby's of albums that need to move)! It's going to be a challenge, but I'm up for it. I want to share that process here as well.

So, if you're still with me here, I've got big plans to share a lot of stuff moving forward. And it's going to start on Monday!! I can't promise I'll blog every day (I do have a new baby), but I am going to do my best to blog a few times a week. Just share things even if no one is ready! If anything, it will be my record to document the stories later!!

Thanks for stopping by!
deb

December...a look back

Well hello there!! I decided to pop back on today to share the photo collage I put together using the collect app on my iPhone for December 2015. I have been putting these together for several months and usually document it at the end of each month in my scrapbooks. It's a nice way to wrap up each month and I really love being able to look back at all the memories that were made. I am not 100% sure I will continue to scrap these in 2016, but I am likely to continue to put them together each month. It's pretty easy to just add a photo each day. Sometimes it's a favorite quote I read, but most of the time it's a photo from real life. Love the little reminders these bring up when I look back on them.

I hope your 2016 is off to a splendid start!! Thanks for stopping by!
deb

Hello 2016

I can't believe it's already 2016!!! I've got a few goals and big plans for this year. I'm going to get them down on paper and work on them throughout the next 366 days (hello leap year). Hope you had a very Happy New Year and are as excited about the fresh start the new year brings as I am!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
deb

BAR: New Haven

Hey everyone!! It's been a good two week break as I enjoyed some vacation time with family up north then returned back to FL and took some time to get back into the swing of things here. I am hoping to be back to a regular schedule though, or at least as regular as I can be. Thinking that once we get into July (next week...how did that happen), I'll likely just blog Monday through Friday and take weekends off. Thinking about topics and every day stuff combined with crafty stuff, and hopefully liven things up around here. Don't even know if I'm just blogging in space or if anyone is actually reading this stuff!!! Not too concerned about it, obviously!!

Wanted to stop in today to share a stop we made during my visit north!!! Every time my sister has visitors at her house, one place the guests are always taken for dinner is to a place called BAR. It's in New Haven, CT pretty much right across the street from Yale. No really...it is. The first time my sister and brother-in-law took me there we arrived before they opened, so we walked around part of the campus. It's also right across the street from a very popular cheeseburger place , but I've actually never eaten there!!

BAR is a brew pup that brews its own beer and serves really thin crust brick oven pizza. It really is pretty amazing stuff and I look forward to this dinner as soon as trip plans are made. It's that good!! Then have two different kids of pizza...red or white...then you pick your toppings from a HUGE list. There are 3 sizes...small, medium, and large. A medium is about the size of a large from most of the chains. A large is about three feet long and a foot wide. That sounds really big (and it is), but remember...it's really thin crust...like super thin!!! The cut the large down the middle then across the pie in thin strips. You can eat more than you think you can! When my whole family (of 7 or 8 depending on if my husband makes the trip north with me) can polish off three large pies and usually two or three pitchers of beer depending on who is drinking what.

One pizza that we always get is the large white with mashed potato and bacon. It's apparently really popular as it's a frequent picture on the BAR: New Haven location on Instagram!!! I highly recommend trying it if you're ever in that area of CT or if you ever find yourself near the Yale campus!!! You do need to like super thin crust pizza...but even if you don't the beer is totally worth it!! Next combination I want to try is a white pizza with buffalo chicken and blue cheese!!! Maybe next year as my hubby and I are thinking that will likely be our trip next year!!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
deb

#GronkCat

If you know me, you know I'm a HUGE NE Patriots fan (and that really is an understatement), so when I helped recuse this little kitten from the dumpster area behind my work last November and then adopted him in mid-December (at this point he was 8 weeks and only 2 pounds), I won a bet with my husband so we named him Gronk! And he's totally living up to the name! He's a hellion on four legs, full of energy and spunk. At 7 months old he's over 8 pounds! We are really think he's going to be a big boy!! He recently learned how to get up on our plant ledge in the house after weeks of watching Bum (our middle cat) go up there. There are days when it's his favorite spot to hang out. Then there are other days when he likes to watch the birds and squirrels from the hammock we have set up in our dining room (which faces our front yard that's full of trees). And then there are times I catch him completely passed out in said hammock...like this just the other day!! Such a cutie he is!!

Thanks for stopping by!
deb

Memorial Day

I am the granddaughter of a vet. I am the wife of a vet. I am the daughter-in-law of a vet. I am the sister-in-law of a vet. Military life touches so many and it is the ultimate sacrifice that many choose to make. Today, on this Memorial Day, we remember those who gave their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms we do every day. If you are currently serving or are the family of a service member, thank you for all that you do for us!!! Today is SO MUCH more than BBQ's and fireworks!!

All gave some, some gave all.

Thanks for stopping by!
deb

weight watchers weekly

Because of work, I did not make it to a meeting this week. But that won't stop me from quickly sharing part of my journey this week. I mentioned last week that one part of my success this time around was documenting the journey. I need to remember that as I struggle to get back on track after the holidays. I am hoping this kick starts my journey back up. I wanted to share the cover of my album and a side view. I still need to put something in the bookplate on the spine, but I'll do that once I figure out exactly what I want to do with it!! It's getting pretty full as I track my journey. Looking back on it might be just what I need to get out of my holiday rut!!

Have a great weekend!! Thanks for stopping by!!
deb

Five on Friday

I love the Five on Friday posts I've seen in the blog-o-sphere so I decided to bring it back here this year!! Yeah, I only actually did it once before, but it's a new year so let's get it going again shall we!!! This week, I'm sharing my guilty pleasures!!! Judgement free zone here so if you feel like sharing yours I'm all for it (and who knows we might have some in common or you might introduce me to some new ones)!!!

1. It's only one episode in but I am loving Donnie Loves Jenny on A&E. Besides the fact that I'm a totally NKOTB fan (no judgement remember), I'd really just like to spend the day with these two. I have a feeling it would be full of laughs. And I mean the full on, belly laughs that make you feel like you're going to pee your pants. And hey, everyone needs to laugh like that sometimes!!! I for see this show being a big time favorite among my reality tv shows!!!

2. Divergent. We rented the movie one evening a few months ago and had it for 48 hours. I proceeded to watch it two more times in the remaining time that we had it, then proceeded to purchase it on Blue Ray and watch it a few more times before moving on to something else. I did the same thing a few summers ago with Mamma Mia. When I find a movie I really love, I watch it to death!! I haven't watched it in a while, but I am coming up on some time off from work next weekend and I am thinking this will go in the stack of movies I watch every year during these days off. I work through the holidays so I get comp days during a week in January. Nice long weekend after the craziness that is the holidays!!

3. The NFL playoffs!! I'm a HUGE NE Patriots fan and to say that I am excited about the game tomorrow is an understatement!!! Considering where everyone put us after week 4 (Monday Night Football slashing by the Chiefs), I LOVE that we finished the season 12-4 and are headed into the playoffs as #1 in the AFC and with homefield advantage!!! And for the record...I am NOT a Patriot fan because of Tom Brady!! I am a Tom F'in Brady fan because he's a Patriot (and it doesn't hurt his birthday is the day after mine...but he's a year older)!! And yes...I totally yell at the TV like they can hear me and my husband laughs at me. Every. Time!!!

4. M&M's. I am a weight watcher yes, but I refuse to stop eating anything!! Almost every week on the day of my weigh in (after my weigh in of course) I have a "share" size bag of M&M's. It's the size you get while in line at the checkout counter at the grocery store. Two servings per bag. And no, I don't share!! LOL!!!

5. Two words: Peanut Butter. As in, on a spoon, from the jar, into my belly. Because of this one, we do not keep peanut butter in the house, ever! This might just be the one food I mostly refuse to have in the house. I can say no once as I pass it in the grocery store. I can't say no to it as it's screaming my name from the pantry. I know it's a HUGE guilty pleasure (aka weakness)...so I avoid it as much as I can. There is not control for me when it comes to peanut butter! LOL!!!! We all have our vices!!!

Have a great Friday!!! Thanks for stopping by!
deb

weight watchers weekly

I'm a weight watcher and have been for just shy of 2 years. I started back for the third time on February 24th a week after I made the decision to start eating healthier and moving more (which happened on February 18th). I say I started for a third time because that's exactly what I did. I had done weight watchers several years ago and was pretty successful though never got to my goal weight. Life got in the way, well really my procrastination on my Master's Thesis got in the way, and I stopped going to meetings and the gym. The weight crept back on and a few years later I decided to give it a go again, but didn't last too long that second time. But this time, while it's been slow going, it's stuck and I'm really close to hitting my goal...which I am hoping to do by my 2 year Weight Watcher anniversary next month!!! Since I've only got about 4 pounds to go after having already lost 86 pounds (on the program...that first week I lost almost 5 going it alone...so I've really lost about 91 pounds so far)...I am pretty sure I can hit it!!!

I started the journey again because I had woken up on February 14, 2013 away on a business trip with the WORST knee pain ever!! I found out last year that I have knee cap arthritis in both knees so sitting down, standing up, going up and down stairs or ladders, all that brings some degree of pain. At the time back in 2013 I just knew the weight I had been forcing my body to carry wasn't helping my knees, so I immediately started making changes and jumped in fully that next Monday, the 18th. I knew it would be difficult for me to be successful on my own, so I went back to weight watchers for accountability sake!!! I went to meetings on Sunday afternoon religiously until it just wasn't fitting in my schedule and switched to Thursday mornings. When my work schedule changed about 6 months ago, I made the switch to Saturday morning meetings. I still pretty regularly to that day, but every now and again I will go to a Thursday meeting (usually because my work schedule dictates I make the switch). The meeting leader is the same for both days, so it works for me. Some weeks, like today, I use my no weigh-in pass. I know I need the meeting, but I don't want to see the number on the scale (thanks Christmas and New Years...I love you but I'm glad you're gone)!!! Most weeks though I can't wait to see the number because even if it's a small change from the week before, one thing I've learned is that it all adds up!!!

This time around, I have refused to not eat anything! If I want to eat something, I do. Giving up anything for me is not an option because I know there will come a time when I will eat it and I'll likely eat way too much of it since I made myself stop eating it!! So taking anything off the table was not happening. For me, this was a big reason I failed the previous 2 times. This time, my heart is 100% in the game!! I want to get to my goal of a healthy weight more than I've wanted anything in a long time. My ultimate weight goal is about 10 pounds less than my healthy weight, but once I get to my goal weight and maintain it for a while (to prove I can to myself) I'm going for my ultimate goal weight!!! This time I have been documenting my journey as another way to keep myself accountable. I'm a scrapbooker so putting pictures and words in an album to document the journey is not something I want left unfinished!! My album will only be complete once I've hit my goal weight and maintained it. I will likely document my journey to my ultimate weight goal but not to the extent I've documented the journey to a healthy weight!

Every week, I'm planning to share some aspect of my journey. The struggles and successes. This week I just wanted to share that I'm on the path to a healthier me and what path that is!! I'll likely also share some of my crafty stuff to. There's a lot of pages completed in my little album and since I'm beyond what I called my scary weight (the weight that once I got below I would put out there what I started at and where I currently was), I don't mind sharing those beginning photos and words. Everyone has to start somewhere, everyone takes that first scary step!! If you're on the journey, know you're not alone!!! But also know that you can do hard things!!!

Have a happy Saturday!!! Thanks for stopping by!!
deb

Hello 2015

I hope you had a really Happy New Year and wish nothing but the best for you in 2015!! I'll be back tomorrow to post the final installment of my 2014 December Daily!! Until then...thanks for stopping by!!
deb

five on friday

Decided to share five things I love every Friday. Well, maybe sometimes it will just be five things I've found that I wanted to pass along, five etsy shops I buy stuff from, or just a random collection of five. This week, I wanted to share my five favorite crafty blogs. These are the blogs I check out a few times a week. So in no particular order...

1. Amy Tangerine

2. Lisa Truesdell

3. Maggie Holmes

4. Marcy Penner

5. Stephanie Bryan

These are just some of my faves right now but I do check out many more each week!! Love seeing other's five on Friday lists and look forward to sharing more of my own each week!!

TGIF (even though I work tomorrow...I'm off today and was up and about early...so that should hopefully make for a productive day today). Hope you have a lovely day and thanks for stopping by!
deb

Tuesday Randoms

So when I was coming up with the blog schedule I mentioned yesterday, there were two days (Tuesday and Sunday) that I was not sure what I would do with...so I just decided to let them be completely random, fly by the seat of my pants, take it as it comes blog posts. Today it's all about the happy mail!! For me, happy mail is anything related to crafty supplies. When I got home from work yesterday, my hubby informed me that I had received a box of something or other was how he put it. My 2peas box had arrived when I didn't even think it would ship out until today!! Talk about HAPPY mail!!!

I snagged a bunch of Amy Tan's new Plus One collection (2peas got 12 sku's early) including the 6x6 pad. I was worried it would be too much baby, but it's not AT. ALL. It reminds me a lot of her Sketchbook collection and I think those two would work well together!! I am already thinking of projects I want to do with those Thickers, stamps, and puffy stickers!! My order also included some of Studio Calico's Print Shop collection, October Afternoon papers and embellishments, and some of the 2peas exclusive flair and wood veneer. Not too much in this order, but it's a happy box of fun product that I can't wait to dig into!!! Maybe one of these days I'll try my hand at a haul video. We'll see. For now, it's just my instagrammed Happy Mail box!!

Thanks for stopping by!!
deb

Good Bye 2013

Today is the last day of 2013! I can't believe it's New Year's Eve already!! Didn't we just ring in 2013?? It has been a great year!! Lots of new adventures were had and memories we made! I hope it was a great year for you too!!

I have been seeing these "best instagram moments of 2013" all over my instagram feed the last few days and decided to put one together for myself!! Love the variety in my top 5!! Not all crafty stuff but moments and memories are included too!! Love that!! Here's my top 5 most liked instagrams of 2013...

And because my hubby and I started taking selfies on holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, and the like back at the end of 2011 for my family who lives far away (a tradition we picked up again early in 2012 and for all 2013), I put together a collage of my favorites from this past year! You can find the digital template I used here!

There are SO many others where these came from...these are just 24 of my faves from 2013!We've both changed a lot in the last year...lord knows my hair color has! HA! Just looking back on this makes my heart sing! Love all of the memories these selfies bring back to me!! So with this, here's to the memories made in 2013 and the memories yet to be made in 2014! Hoping you have a very Happy and Safe New Year! Thanks for stopping by!

deb

Christmas 2013

This Christmas has been so different from the last several years!!! I work in retail and between Thanksgiving and New Year, I have been married to my job. I've always tried to enjoy the holidays as much as possible, but working 6 days a week made it very difficult! This year was different. My company changed it's direction on how it would work its employees during the holidays and I really feel like I was able to reclaim much of the holiday spirit I had lost over the last several years. There is a reason Christmas moved to my second favorite holiday and St. Patrick's Day moved to the top many years ago!! This year may have changed that...but the jury is still out because I don't know if the changes made this year will be perminent and in effect next year!! Fingers crossed!!

Christmas this year for us was pretty low key. My hubby and I don't have any kids, just fur babies. We slept in a bit until he got out of bed around 7:30a (yes, that's sleeping in for us now). When I didn't get up right away, he came running in and jumped on the bed like a little kid would do, begging me to get up so he could open a gift neither of us could figure out! By 8:30a our gifts were unwrapped and our traditional cinnamon bun breakfast was in the oven. We ate breakfast while watching Mickey's Christmas Carol (a favorite of mine as a child) followed by the Disney Parks Parade. Right after the parade we headed over to his parents house, which is a short drive away. His entire family was there including all of out nieces and nephews...13 people to be exact.

While at his parents house, he wanted to try to get a photo of his entire family. We had gotten one of mine when we surprised my parents for Thanksgiving (I'll share that story another day) so it was great to be able to capture his family at Christmas. IHis grandfather used to take a family photo every Christmas and we hadn't gotten one in a LONG time since he passed several years ago. I took my Canon and tripod over to their house to be able to get everyone in the photo.

Of course, we couldn't just do a good, everyone smiling, photo...we also had to do a funny face photo!!  Love both and it was great to get the memory captured this year...especially since it's our youngest niece's first Christmas. Honestly, it was great to get both of our full families captured this year...mine on Thanksgiving and his on Christmas!

I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to ringing in the New Year! Thanks for stopping by!
deb

35

I turned 35 on August 2 and it was very much just another day!! I had taken a long weekend off from work (Thursday through Monday) and Mike took the Thursday and Friday off as well. My birthday started off with a trip to the DMV...exactly what I wanted to do!! My license was expiring that day so I had to go to get it renewed. Our state only allows you to renew online once then the next time you have to make the trip into the office...then the next time you can renew online, and so on. We got their early...a lesson a remember my mom teaching me!! I am not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination, but I will get up super early if necessary to avoid the long wait a the DMV!! When all was said and done, we left about an hour after we arrive...including the time we waited outside for the office to open!! From there we headed to renew my car plates...because in FL they can't make it easy and let us do both of these at the DMV...nope there is a separate tax office for the car tags!! Thankfully, the wait there was only about 5 minutes!! From there we headed to the gym, because even on my birthday it was important for me to get in my workout. We kept it short and sweet though...only about 35 minutes of cardio.

After a bit of rest and opening Mike's gift (roller skates!!!) we headed out to see an afternoon movie...2 Guns. It was actually pretty darn good!! We laughed quite a bit!! We hadn't been to a movie on opening day in a LONG time. In fact the last time I remember doing that it was for Star Wars Episode 3!! After the movie we went to an early dinner at Hagan O'Reilly's. Love this place so it was great to visit on my birthday!! We didn't tell anyone that's why we were there so there was no singing or craziness like that!! I did enjoy a Guinness though and my usual fish & chips...so it was perfect!! We did pick up an ice cream cake from Cold Stone Creamery too, so I could have a candle to blow out...and therefore a wish to make!!

It was a great day and didn't feel any different from the day before!! I'm hoping to be back tomorrow with a crafty project to share so until then, thanks for stopping by!
deb