Almost the New Year!

Well well! How was YOUR holiday? We had TONS of snow here so we had a little change up in plans...needless to say no one was getting around very well as we aren't set up around here for this kind of snow! So we did make it to my in-laws for Christmas Eve and had a wonderful time, unfortunately my sil and bil didn't make it up from Newcastle (they live on an insane hill) but we're hoping to reschedule with them later. On Jesus' birthday we hung out as a family and had a nice relaxing day. No one was coming or going anywhere. It was kind of nice! Very laid back and reflective! My parents were able to make it out the next day and we had a great day together. So we got to have 3 days of Christmas this year!

Satuday night we hosted UFC 92 fight night here at the house - now that was fun! We had attended one at a friends' house before, but the snow was so heavy up at their place that they canceled holding it so we took it over - it was a hoot! We may make it a regular thing amongst our friends, rotating houses...good, clean (?) fun! And I loved getting to talk to friends, mingle, eat and shout at the tv! LOL!

Yesterday we finally had church again (ours had been cancelled because of so much snow in the parking lots!) - it was a GREAT service! We go to Marysville Church of the Nazarene - you can see what they're about here : http://www.marysville-nazarene.org/content Great message this week! It REALLY hit home with us! We LOVED it! Then after church friends who had moved away who we haven't seen in 4 years came by for a long visit - I LOVE that about the holidays!!! FOOD, FRIENDS and FAMILY!

Today the boys have a dodgeball/flag football birthday party to attend - talk about boy fun! YES, it's indoors! LOL...we need to go out and get the birthday present today - THAT ought to be fun...taking two boys to Target to pick out a bday present for another boy! Yeah, right. Oh, and we need tp from Costco, don't let me forget, okay, gee, thanks! :)

I know, this post is TOTALLY reading like a "TO DO" list or more like a "WE'VE DONE" list, but what can I say, I'm out of practice! I started homeschooling Jonah back in mid-November, that's when my posts REALLY starting slacking off and I started Facebooking as well, it's more of an immediate response thing, see I LIKE feedback! :) So, I need to get back into the "swing" of things around here on BLOGGER.

So if you're out there and reading this, give me some feedback, let me know how your holidays were, and whatever else you like.

Okay, I need to shower and take my Wii Fit Test for the day...ah yes, something else that's new - Wii Fit! Got it for Christmas - thanks Mom! (It's my new gym since our gym membership is frozen due to no job still! :( )

Okay...seriously....off to shower now!

FACEinHOLE

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Happy December!

Happy December!

Today I am making some resolutions EARLY:

1. Stop extra-eating tactic to avoid over-thinking current job situation

2. Create Art Weekly (baby steps!)

3. Get a business plan together for art sales

4. Resume exercise regime of 3-4xweek

5. Have FUN this holiday season!

So that's where I'm at...what about you?

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We technically started decorating before Thanksgiving...but only because Lar was so ON TOP OF THINGS this year, he had taken the boxes down out of the attic a day or two in advance so I'd have them at the ready. BUT, it drove me nuts to have boxes lining my hallway, all the way up to the ceiling, so I had to start unpacking them the next day! Usually I wait until the day after Thanksgiving...so anyhoooooo, it's definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

In light of the job situation around here we are taking a lighter approach to Christmas. We are making a lot of our gifts, and going with what we already had purchased prior to the layoff. I hope everyone understands...I'm guessing they won't care too much. I am lucky that way. Awhile back it would have been a HUGE issue for some, but we took a stance a few years ago telling our loved ones that we were becoming too materialistic. And we didn't want people (including us) stressing over spending too much money and trying to figure out how to pay it off later. So now we pay cash for everything and make at least half of our gifts.

What do YOU do for the holidays? What do you look forward to the most? I know it might be bizarre, but my mom makes this cheeseball that is to die for! I look forward to it each year! :) And I look forward to Christmas Eve at my parents-in-law's house....I like cozying up in front of their fireplace. So...do tell....please leave a comment or send me an email :) BTW, have YOU started decorating yet?

So Thankful!

Happy THANKSgiving everyone!

I LOVE that we have a holiday that is entirely dedicated to being THANKFUL! I don't know about you, but I often think about the things I'm thankful for. This year, we instituted a journal that sits on the kitchen table, it says "Happiness Must be Grown in One's Own Garden" We all are using it to write down the things that we are thankful for. I am LOVING this! Seth drew a couple of pictures and wrote that he is thankful for "mi buter" - LOL! I so enjoy how he spells things just like they sound to him! Jonah wrote that he is thankful for "my brother Seth" - awww! That just makes a mother's heart melt! And Lar wrote about an experience recently and said that he is thankful for a Father that he can spend time with. Isn't that the BEST?

Anyway, I just wanted to share a few things that I'm thankful for this year - I'd love to hear what you're thankful for as well - please leave a comment and share :)

I am thankful for:

• my parents, and my parents-in-law -both who care!
• the opportunity to stay at home and raise my boys




• for a strong husband (and that he's a complete dork like me!)


• for heat!
• for snuggly blankets (and boys to snuggle!)
• coffee! (can I get an "Amen!"?)
• the freedom of religion and being able to publicly praise God!
• our new church home
• girlfriends
• deciding to homeschool
• random hugs and kisses
• a tight-knit family



• home cooking!
  
  
• creativity
• art supplies
• a cozy home
  
  
• my extended family members - we are all close!
• the computer
• music
• the opportunity to spend more time with Larry right now
• a family who appreciates me
• the calm that comes with knowing I am not in charge
• my camera!
• having a body that will still allow me to do yoga, Zumba, dance and walk the dogs!
  
  
  WHAT ABOUT YOU? HAVE A GREAT THURSDAY!

The Holiday Season Begins!

And so it has! I have gotten out my Holiday Book...the super secret book that I keep track of all my holiday doings/buyings/sendings/comings and goings in! WHEW! It keeps me from losing my mind. Thought I'd get a head start this year with Lar still out of work it'll take some extra planning to make the 'ol dollar stretch this time around.

FINALLY got the Etsy shop up and running today! YAY! My partner was very excited (she is the craftswoman for this endeavor) as she has been UBER-patient with me in figuring out how to set up the shop part of it. Now that I know how, I'm thinking I just might have to open one up for my own stylings and creations!

Sooooooooooooooo, what I want to know is, what is your favorite holiday tradition? What are you LOOKING FORWARD to this year? AND, what is the one tradition that you could LEAVE BEHIND? Something you do, but really don't know why you do it anymore...post a comment and let me know...here are mine:

I LOVE getting down the decorations the day after Thanksgiving (yes, when many of you crazy people are out shopping!) and sorting through my decorations and deciding what's going to stay and what's got to go...I've been simplifying my "style" since last year...much better!

I COULD DO WITHOUT the "Under $x amount gift exchanges". I like to attend the parties, etc. but I really don't need or want the chintzy little gifts - I don't like to buy them and don't know what to do with them after I receive them! I'd much rather do a White Elephant gift exchange (you give or regift something you already have) where there is humor involved and you don't have to feel bad about pitching it afterwards!

(Okay, so I actually kept this one, but you get the idea! LOL!)

GO VOTE!

And just remember...

No matter what, no matter who, no matter when,

God will still be in charge.

Whew!

Now do you feel better?

I know I do!

Are you In?

Tuesday AUTUMN CREATIVE with your kids!

Remember the good old days when we used Crayola crayon shavings to make art? Well, guess what? You can STILL use them to make art at your age! Art good enough for framing! And YES, it's STILL fun! The one shown below is one I made with my two boys last year and it STILL looks just like this! The colors have not faded! I put it up in the attic over the summer months, but we got it down a week ago and it's just the same! AMAZING!

Here's what you're going to need for this project:

Crayola crayons (others will do, but might be a bit soft)
sharpener big enough for crayons
Wax paper
Iron
Fall leaves
Construction paper, stapler/tape/gluestick OR
Frame (optional)

DIRECTIONS (read through first):

1.Take and tear two pieces of wax paper slightly larger than your frame (you will cut it down to size later).

2. Set aside second piece of wax paper.

3. Place fall foiliage on first piece of wax paper as you desire - if it's too bumpy it might not work. However, I DID manage to make a few "helicopters" work, just place them towards the center, not the edges or they won't seal.

4. Sharpen crayons over your creation so that shavings fall all over project randomly. Be generous. Spread them out with your fingers if need be. Use several colors. Make sure to get shavings along the edges so it will "seal properly. Make sure no leaves are poking out - you want wax paper or crayon shavings around the edges, not foilage, for best results.

5. Place second piece of wax paper on top of all of this.

6. Iron on low setting - just hot enough to melt the shavings and wax pieces together. Move your iron in circular motion over entire project until all shavings are melted and piece is melded together. **If you don't have an iron you use just for crafts - please place a hand towel over the project to ensure you don't end up with melted wax or shavings on your iron (and turn up the heat just a tad) :)

7. Trim to size

8. If framing in a glass frame, you may choose to carefully tear off the top sheet of wax paper, as shown in the photo above. To do this, simply tear top piece off slowly while wax is still warm (re-warm if necessary). Once removed, place glass on top of piece and then invert frame to place backing on.

9. If not placing into a glass front frame, you might want to hang these on a window or slider door for an entirely different effect (see comment below) - cut construction paper "frame" and gluestick or staple/tape to edges so light can pass through the waxed paper portions. VERY FUN!

**Your kids will LOVE this project and so will you - collecting the foiliage is LOTS of fun. You can do this in two parts if you like, foiliage one day and creating art the next. We framed two pieces and the other two we made outline paper "frames" for and hung on our slider door like stained glass - VERY COOL EFFECT!

Let me know how yours turns out!

Doctor, Doctor, give me the news...

I've got a bad case of...ERP! Okay, okay, this ISN'T the 80's anymore! Sheesh! This IS 2008 and I am a MOM! A MOM of TWO, COUNT 'em TWO BOYS who have Doctor Appointments up the YING YANG this month! Let's see...where in the Yellow Pages does one find a person who's sole service is to drive little ones around to these appointments, take in the information, disseminate it back to you, soothe them at the appointments, calm them afterwards, PAY the required fees at the appointment (not to mention find the other monies before and afterwards - we ALL know there are ALWAYS more MONIES involved). Oh, did I mention entertain in the waiting room? Wrangle them up at school? Write the notes dismissing them from school and remember to give them the notes and hope and pray they pass the notes on to their teachers? And then REALLY hope and pray they'll be in the office when you arrive 10 minutes later than you should be to pick them up for said appointment? And when they are not in the office, will locate them in their classroom to find that they are also not ready to leave said classroom either, because, on THIS particular day, they are having FUN (yes, the one and only day in the entire school year!) and don't want to leave, this person will have a magical solution for this scenario that will separate the child from the FUN and SPLENDOR of the classroom without a hitch and get them to their scheduled dr. appointment on time - because of course, they would never be caught in traffic or have to stop for a potty or snack or anything of the sort to avoid a meltdown because they are a MAGICAL CREATURE who DOESN'T EXIST!!!

HOW DO I KNOW YOU ASK? BECAUSE I HAVE LOOKED ALL OVER THE YELLOW PAGES!

Hmph!

Sigh.

So, alas, alack, I have been taking the kids to their Orthodontist, Pediatrician, Vision, "Talking" Doctor and Chiropractor appointments without any help. SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.

And yes, it is getting OLD.

I am ready for a break. How about you?

And don't get me started on after-school sports...at LEAST I have HELP with that! (thank you Big Lar and G'ma and G'pa Ski!) I bow to those of you who have to tackle that one by yourself as well...oh my - you deserve a medal!

Care to Join Me? Let's tell our stories!

wwww.JessicaSprague.com - registration begins Oct. 20th and is FREE!

Let's take this online class together so we can tell our Stories and have something to chat about TOGETHER! :)

Want to get together before this? Come over on Friday...I'm having a Tastefully Simple party at my house at 11:30am - Yummy snacks will served (it's a food company!) - perfect time of day to take a lunch break if you're working! And trust me, by Friday, you'll be wanting a GIRLFRIEND break from all of the rain we're supposed to get this week - ugh!

Another project I just challenged myself with is from Ali Edwards - her A Week in the Life album. You can find the details here: http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/a-week-in-the-life.html I don't know about you, but because of my last post, I NEED to just dive in and make myself DO something! I haven't even begun my creative journey yet...so here goes! I picked up my camera this a.m. (and as you can see, started blogging again last night!). I started scrapping again Sat. night and ordered up a BUNCH of photos from Shutterfly Sat. afternoon...I feel a creative spree coming on!

Want to go to Croptoberfest with me on Nov. 1st? I think there's still room...it's from 9am - 11pm and is around $35 I think...let me know - I'm going to be registering this week...I need some CREATIVE GIRL time!

AND I also have the Etsy shop 1/2 completed...excited about that! I'll post more once it's done and open for business :)

Hugs to you! Stay dry! Let me know you're alive...drop a comment, an email, or show up Friday :)

What is UP?

I think there is something in the air...

something that is keeping all of the women I know from getting it "together" this Fall.

So far I keep hearing the same things from most of the women I know...these things being:

1. There is not enough TIME in the day!
2. I can't seem to get a regular SCHEDULE together!
3. Things keep POPPING up and eating up my time...
4. I'm in the CAR all day
5. I am feeling so OLD
6. How did I ever have time to work?
7. My house is a DISASTER
8. I miss my FRIENDS
9. I miss my HUSBAND
10. I am TIRED

So, what IS up?????

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights...

Yes, it IS a country song!

And it is my life! Wasted? Hmmm...I'm not sure about that...A LOT has been being done, just not ART, as I had hoped! I have NOT gotten the Etsy shop up and running yet (sigh!) and I have NOT been in the Studio as I had hoped...I have NOT even been volunteering at the Thrift Store the last two weeks because things have been so hoppin' crazy!

I HAVE been:
-prepping and doing the GlenEagle garage sale (read: getting rid of TONS of junk around here! YAHOO!)
-Spring Cleaning (in the Fall nonetheless!)
-hosting two great U.K. coaches for a week (check out www.UKsocca.com for more info)
-taking the BOYZ to soccer/swimming and going to soccer games
-working out like a madwoman (read: ENDORPHINS BABY!)
-going away with dh for a MUCH NEEDED weekend!
-going away on a weekend "lifebooking" retreat with CTMH girlfriends
-Designed, ordered and received my new business cards - yay!
-Making and taking the boys to TONS of different types of dr. appointments (eyes, ped's, psych's, etc.) trying to make sure we get them ON THE RIGHT TRACK and get them WHAT THEY NEED to learn best.
-figuring out a daily/weekly routine that will work with the new school/teachers that the BOYZ have this year
-sorting through a TON of paperwork and bills and financial YUCK that I avoided all summer long!
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooo, needless to say, this week, I am hoping to:
-get the Etsy shop up and running!
-get in my studio again!
-start blogging daily
-continue my workout regime
-keep eating HEALTHY (fell off the wagon there for a week or two...oh my!)
-oh! And figure out FaceBook...my newest discovery - chalk that one up to the two STUARTS who were staying with us - thanks a lot guys! :)

Okay, I promise to post a more insightful and artistic posts as the week progresses...
keep checking back for photos and inspiration :)

Good NIght for now...and hey - does anyone know where the expression "Bloody Hell" came from anyway? Do tell....

Note to Self:

Remember - always be true to your inner voice.

happy Sunday!

A new day is dawning...

but what did I do with it?

Today's Daily Quote is PERFECT for my new adventure! I will write it here, since it will be different tomorrow.

"Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens." -Carl Jung, psychologist

PERFECT TIMING! And no, I had no idea that would be today's quote! :)

So today, Big Lar asks me after he gets home from taking Jonah to soccer practice, how my first day of "discovery" was....hmpf! How WAS it? How WAS it? How WAS it? Really, how WAS it?

Let me tell you...

Jonah and I woke up, got ready for life, ate, take laundry down to the laundry room, sort, fold and start a new load. Then we head out to the Sr. Ctr. thrift store to do our volunteering. We stopped by the gym to pick up the new schedule and check out the swimming class info. since Jonah thinks he wants to look into the swim team (thanks to watching Michael Phelps in the Olympics - hey, I'm all for dreaming BIG!). We end up signing Seth up for a class so he has a "sport" - J is currently doing soccer, so we investigate his options as well and sign him up for an assessment as to where he is at currently. We need to come back later for that. We pay and as we are about to leave we run into a GOOD friend of mine that I haven't seen for a couple of weeks. I end up sitting and talking to her for a bit about my "retirement" since it shocked the bejeebers out of her...

Finally Jonah and I head out to the thrift store an hour behind schedule. We stay there happily working until 2ish. Then we go get gas, get home just as my dad pulls in with Seth asleep in his car. We visit with G'pa, unload all the stuff from both cars, take sleeping Seth out who then wakes up and turns into GRUMPY Seth (although G'pa SWEARS he's been an ANGEL for 3 days!) and once G'pa leaves the feud is on to get Seth into a swimming suit BEFORE he watches a short movie (bribe to put on the suit) before his swimming lesson. I end up winning that one, and Seth and Jonah both watch a short movie whilst Jonah is running around packing up his stuff for soccer practice/swimming assessment.

We all run out the door to J's swimming assessment (Seth is a stinker the entire time insisting on jumping in the pool even though his lesson isn't for an hour! AND refuses to listen to me the entire time - NICE!) Lar meets us there, loses his cool with Seth's behavior, we decide to send Lar to soccer instead of me, I'll stay at the pool with Seth for swimming. Seth and I hang out for another half hour to wait for his lesson, J and Lar go off to soccer - Seth continues to misbehave for another half an hour, then his class starts and he starts to behave a little better. Luckily it's only a half an hour class! Next time we'll only be there for the class and I'll make sure he's not so tired!

We get coffee for me afterwards and get home to a messy kitchen and very energetic dogs, so I clear off the countertops, wipe them down, throw the ball for the dogs off of the deck while intermittently washing my hands I start chopping stuff for dinner and putting it all on the BBQ for what ends up to be a chicken stir fry of sorts (turns out good). Once dinner is over I quickly balance the checkbook (much needed!) - it's at this time I think that Lar asks me how my first day of "discovery" went...

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT! A complete waste? Not exactly...

Here's what I learned:

1. I initially thought I wanted to drop most everything I had going on in my life right now, but I think I want to keep some things, like the Thrift Store - I GET energy from it somehow. Even though sometimes it drains me to think of going, once I'm there, I get energized. Being around people is good for me. Plus I get ideas there. It's a different dynamic that I don't get anywhere else in my life.

2. I re-learned that I need to SCHEDULE time for my ART. No one else is going to do that BUT ME. I need to MAKE IT A PRIORITY.

3. Sleeping in is nice, but I need to choose - stay up late and sleep in or go to be before midnight and get up early, but going to bed early and getting up late is a WASTE OF TIME!

And that's what I learned on Day One of my Re-Discovery :)

Here's a little eye candy for you - my Art Studio is coming along nicely - I have LOTS more to purge now that I know I'm not going to be a Consultant anymore...GARAGE SALE is SEPTEMBER 12/13th (I'll only be here the 12th, but Big Lar will be manning the sale the 13th)

And the other photo is the boys at Pike Place this past weekend (another one of our Family Fun Adventure cards - loving these!) - lots of the photos I'm using are from this trip :)

MyArtStudio@rocketmail.com

New take on life!
Time for Rediscovery :)
Daily Studio Hours
New email: MyArtStudio@rocketmail.com
Deep Breathing
Self-Care
Yoga
Living Green
Eating Better
Walking
De-cluttering
Taking everything slower
Learning the art of "no"
Asking, "In the grand scheme of things..."

Here's to a new year...yes, I know, it's only September, but it always feels like the start of a new "year" to me, more-so than January. Must be because I always LOVED the start of the school year so much :) So here's to new beginnings!

Goodbye CTMH!

Goodbye CTMH



After 12 years I am retiring as an active Consultant! I am turning my customers over to a few VERY CREATIVE and ACTIVE Consultant friends who will take good care of you! My downline will roll up to my upline and will be taken good care of as well :)

This has been a very hard decision, and I have taken 6 months to seriously consider it, so I am not making it lightly. I am going to pursue some other endeavors at this time (which you will most likely read about here!) and explore some new things as well. I am looking forward to this time of "rediscovery"as Big Lar is calling it.

Thanks for all of your support. Please let me know if you need the names, websites and/or emails of a Consultant to take care of you in your area. My friends Maggie and Debi are having their new Fall Idea Book release party this Sunday at 2:30pm Let me know if you want to attend. I will be attending as a customer to see all of the new things myself - I can't wait :) What a different feeling!

Giveaway TIME!

Hop on over to www.vanillajoy.com - they are having awesome giveaways this week! All you have to do is check it out and leave a comment to enter!

Their site is cool and crafty and INFORMATIVE for women just like you! I'm finding all sorts of useful stuff over there! Let me know what you find...leave me a comment or send me an email :)

I'll be posting about www.theshackbook.com soon! Just finished it last night! So finish up your copy or get your hands on one soon so we can chat about it together! ;)

PAPER PARTY POSTPONED FOR TOMORROW>>>

Can you possibly imagine why????


We had the opportunity (read: time and money fell into the time/space continuum at PRECISELY the same moment! Now how often does THAT happen??? Read: never!) to get new carpet so we JUMPED on it!

Consequence: The craftroom is the LAST room to have been put back together. Today at 2:00 pm this is what it STILL looks like. And approx. 20% of items that belong in here are still in the garage! Oh my! Looks like ANOTHER huge GARAGE SALE in a couple of weeks! Who will the lucky people be?

NEW CTMH catalog has been released...contact me to get one in your hot little hands or view it online under shopping at my other site: www.glittergirl.myctmh.com
I'm planning on a proper "reveal" at the beginning of September sometime...

More soon...once soccer camp is over this week - this one child in half day (out at noon) and the other out at 3pm is KILLING me!

PS
ALMOST done, I mean a few pages away, from being done with THE SHACK, have you read it? Ooooooo, let's blog!

Guess who's another year older???

They say it's my birthday....

Na, na, na,na na!
It's your birthday too!

LOL...

JUST returned from the beach...

Will post more tomorrow..life is FINALLY slowing down again I THINK...this past month has been a whirlwind...either that or I'm getting OLD!

Nah....

It's been a whirlwind! LOL!

TTYtomorrow!

GROOVY BABY!

 

Theresa's 70's themed bday party - we were STYLIN'!!!

 

JUST FOR FUN...

62 words

Speedtest

Having lots of summer fun! You?

Sorry I haven't been posting regularly...we've been having LOTS of summer fun around here! Today is my mom's birthday...see the slideshow I made for her :) We are going to Emerald Downs on Sunday to celebrate - today (Fri.) Jonah has a co-birthday sleepover/bowling party for TWO of his friends and Saturday Seth has a sleepover bday party at a friends' house as well...it is DEFINITELY BIRTHDAY SEASON around here!

I was messing around with self-portraits again the other day - was headed out for a day with my friend Angela (we had lots of fun by the way! :) ) - anyhoooooooo, am LOVING the results of working out and TAKING CARE of myself! I notice that if I TAKE PHOTOS of my new, improved self and post them around, I am MOTIVATED to keep it up :) I never did that before. What are your secrets/tips?

I started doing Jillian Michael's 30 day shred on ON DEMAND...they are on DVD too. They are great! I have only done them 3-4 times so far but they seem to really work your muscles - and in 30 minutes nonetheless! I need to get back into the routine of going to the gym - being out of town last week and this week has thrown me off - but I DID keep active while I was gone walking and riding my bike of all things! Rode the Wenatchee Loop with my friend Holli (11 miles) and took a long, hilly (and mind you, SCARY) ride along Hwy 2 with my friend Angela out at Lincoln Rock - until we took a nice detour thanks to the fruit stand girl's advice. It was crazy HOT but sooooooooooo cool to be OUT THERE and using my body in different ways again!

LOVING LIFE right now! (However, I AM noticing that with getting LOTS of sun exposure and thus vitamin D, I am staying awake WAYYYYYYY late! Notice: 1:45am right now! yikes!)

Paper party at my house Saturday from 2-10pm - are you coming? Let me know :)
Trish sent me some samples of some cards she's created lately - thought I'd share - maybe it will inspire you! I LOVE the pirate one! Way to go Trish! If any of YOU want me to share what you're doing...send me some photos! I'd love to see!