Getting back to crafting...

This summer was such a crazy summer for our family with one of my daughters active in sports through August (which is unusual for her).  We really didn't get a break, not even to head to the pool!  It feels like the summer just flew by and with a friend of mine posting on facebook today the fact that BJ's has their Christmas Tree display up? Well, that just made me HAVE to post a picture of this layout I made at an all day crop a few weekends ago.  I was lucky enough to spend some QT with a few of my girlies and it was definitely the break I needed, although I left exhausted after scrapping for 10 straight hours.  In any event, I'm quite proud of this layout and thought I'd share:

I am totally in love with glimmer mist, which I used here to create a sun in the corner. I also used it to shimmer the grungeboard (which I love, it's so versatile!). It's so funny, as summer winds down I find myself longing for fall....until I see this picture, then I long for those summer days all over again!

Summer...quickly coming to an end

It seriously feels to me like it was just Memorial Day...like I just had the conversation with my husband about being excited for summer sweet corn, Jersey tomatoes and barbecues with friends...and here we are, two weeks away from the start of school with not much to show for our summer.  I PROMISED myself this year that I was going to have a fun summer, most of it spent on the weekends since vacation time is limited (well ok, how about gone until January)...but alas, like most things in life, the list was made but not much crossed off.  Do I make a mid-years resolution to get to that list or just save it for January 1st?  I don't know...

We did have an exciting middle of the summer with Marissa trying out for, and making the 10-11 tournament softball team. Although they didn't win a game at their tournament, they all had a lot of fun, learned A LOT about the game and were a total inspiration to me...they kept chugging along no matter the adversity they were facing...such a great accomplishment for these group of girls. 

I did get some scrapping in although not as much as I would like. I do have to sit down and organize pictures and decide what project to work on first.  I have an all day crop coming up at the end of the month and hopefully some new layouts to share with you.  I have a mini-album in progress too which I hope to get finished. It's from our weekend trip to Hershey Park and one of the first smaller themed albums I've done. I'm very excited to see the finished product. 

Meanwhile, I have a birthday coming up and hope to get to take a trip to my fav SB store to go on a little shopping spree for myself. There are so many new products out there from Little Yellow Bycicle and Basic Grey that I cannot wait to get my hands on them!  For now, I'll settle for the trip to staples for school supplies....

It's been awhile since I've shared a page from my nephews book so take a look:

It's not the best picture, the edges are cut off and it was taken at night so there are shadows but it gives you a rough idea. This was one of the first times they were able to hold their son in the NICU....he was SO tiny...and now such a big boy!

And from our trip to Hershey:

Enjoy that last few weeks of summer everyone!  Plan that bbq and grill some burgers, dogs and sweet corn because before you know it, we'll be planting mums and getting costumes together to trick or treat!

Another one to the list....

Milestones....they are times in our life, snapshots worth savoring. Remember the time thing I was talking about in my previous post? Well, today was a big old "time is moving way to fast" slap in the face. Today was the last day of school. I woke the girls this morning with my "IT'S THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!" With excitement, they jumped out of bed, got dressed, brushed their teeth with little to no problems, a very unsusal feat for both of them. They were excited for the anticipation of summer vacation and heading in to the unknown in September. As I watched them scurry around the house, and then walk down the street carrying the gifts for their teachers, I realized here I was, watching a milestone in their lives...a snapshot worth a million dollars. The image will be in my mind forever, the 10 year old soon-to-be 5th grader walking next to the 6 year old soon-to-be 1st grader, giving guidance and instruction so the nice teachers gift didn't shatter in to a million pieces from being dropped on the concrete sidewalk. ALMOST 5th GRADER???? When did this happen? When did my chubby, funny, happy, gullible little tiny baby girl become a 5th grader? This happened right under my nose....right in front of me.

For some reason I'm not as suprised with my little one Lia, she's perpetually the same age, no matter what age...when she was 3, it felt like she had always been 3. Keeping in mind the kid has been talking in full sentences since she was a year old. But the older one....5th grade....I wish I had my camera handy for that walk to school this morning, to capture that moment in time. But for now, it's all in my mind....along with the slight sadness about my babies growing up and the happiness watching them move on.

So here's the late night project completed...Marissa completed the sticker on hers this morning but of course, being the maniac in the AM that I am, I forgot to take a picture of the 100% finished product. There's a poem on the back of the card about teachers. I'm happy with how they turned out and both teachers (who both scrapbook) loved the gifts and I hope they savor this milestone in their memory bank too...

Wow, has it really been this long?

As most of us know, time is a valuable commodity and recently, it's totally escaped me. I've not been feeling well and time seems to slip away faster each day, or at least it seems that way.  I find myself in bed early at night, just soon after the girls are in bed and because of this I haven't had much time to do...well....anything. 

I realized yesterday that I haven't had the opprotunity to pick up a tape runner, pair of scissors or emblishment since March.  I haven't been very motivated recently, and haven't found that one picture that screams to me "PLEASE SCRAP ME"!  But while reading my friend Dodi's blog, I saw the perfect idea, which you can find here and right then and there I knew I had a new project to complete. It was P.E.R.F.E.C.T for the end of the school year and I immediately went out and purchased all of the pieces.  I'll alter it in my own way to suit the picture in my tired brain but know it will be great in the end.  So...tonight? Construction.  Creativeness. Freedom. Meditation. Time for ME.  I am going to lock myself in my craft room and do what I love to do best, create a wonderful gift for someone else to cherish (and maybe while I'm in there...clean up the complete DISASTER of a mess I left after my last project....NAH). 

I hope to take some pics to post for you soon, so you can see the finished product.  I hope once my "illness" settles down, whatever it is, I'll start to feel more like myself..scrapping...blogging...laughing...until then, enjoy this layout which was part of the recent project completed in March.  This is my nephew Freddie who is the happiest, most adorable little boy I've ever seen!  It's not the best picture I've taken of a layout, it was super sunny which cast shadows on the white card stock, but nothing I can do since I'm no longer in possession of this :o)

Until then, check out this site....a book I read about today which I MUST have on my night stand.  I don't have a son, but the message is just as wonderful for my daughters....check it out here

Have a great night, ciao!

It's here!

So the super secret project is now complete and given to it's recipient who I think loves it....now to explain:  It's become a tradition for me to scrapbook the first year of my brothers in law's babies...first Joe and Angie's baby Grace (we are her Godparents) and now Fred and Kate's son Freddie. Each of these projects was so special to me and in such different ways. I know I've mentioned before that this current project, Freddie's book, was such good therapy for me.  It was a way to be able to celebrate his first year and his growth and milestones, but also to remember his twin sister Josie who is not longer with us.

So the beginning of his life was spent in the NICU, and normally I am ALL ABOUT holding babies...but he was SO tiny when he first came home, it was frightening.  He's had such a good temperment though, even as a teeny tiny infant (except at bath time).  I saw the title of this layout on a members layout on scrapbook.com and thought it was a wonderful way to begin his book.  It fit perfectly with the picture and this is one of my favorite pages in his book.  I previously posted just the title, but now I am happy to report I can post the full layout! I love this picture of him, bathing under is billie light....keeping warm.  He's come such a long way from this picture, and it's proof that great things do start small!

I used a lot of different sticker fonts with this one which I think turned out great. I also busted out the cricut, and it was so nice to use it again. I haven't used in awhile and I'm determined to get a few more cartridges so I can use it more.  I found the journaling tags at Memory Lane PA in Quakertown and thought it was perfect for this page.  I used a bazzill basics template for the swirl design. This was a last minute, at the checkout purchase and I'm so glad I picked it up!  You'll notice the two pink hearts at the top left of the page...I chose to incorporate something pink on each page so he knows that his sister Josie is always with him....

From Small Beginnings....

This week has been a challenging week for our family. We are not only celebrating the 1st birthday of our nephew, but also the 1st anniversary of his sisters death.  They were both born premature and in the 3 pound range. They were so super tiny and for a long time, I was afraid to hold Freddie (and I LOVE holding babies).  I was inspired by a layout I found on scrapbook.com and decided the title was perfect for a special picture I have of Freddie from the NICU. I won't show the entire layout just yet (don't worry, it will be public as of Sunday) but below is a sneak peak of "From Small Beginnings Come Great Things".  This project has been great therapy for me and I hope in between all of the sadness, his parents can find a sense of joy looking at how far he's come in this past year and know that he will be GREAT one day! 

Scrap A Little March sketch challenge

I've decided to leak a small part of my "project" I've been secretly working on, only because the recipient has already received something similar so if their eyes find their way to this page, I'm ok with it. 

This months' Sketch by Helen Croft at Scrap A Litte can be found here.  I love Helen's sketches and have used them before but this is the first time I've actually entered one of her sketch challenges. I encourage you to check out her blog, she has a ton of tutorials and is a flower making wiz!  Wish me luck! Up for grabs are a ton of American Crafts yummies!

This is my nephews first Phillies game this past summer. This kid is going to play baseball whether he likes it or not!  Luckily, both of his parents are sports fans and quite the athletes.  Hopefully some day, he'll be able to watch the Phillies win a World Series Championship just like his daddy!

A night all to us girls...

Well, my hubby is away attending a conference in Dallas with a few co-workers.  He's been gone two days now and they have been the longest two days of my life.  He'll be back Sunday night and I think I am going to take some much needed "me" time when he gets back, Lord knows I'll need it! 

To pass some time, the girls and I went out for a bite to eat at a local pizza place; Soprano's *insert Soprano's theme song here*.  They have delicious food and it was nice to just chill out and chat and giggle, in between smirks, rolling of the eyes and folded arms (anyone who has a 10 yr old girl, or soon to be knows EXACTLY what I'm talking about). I had a delicious veggie wrap with spinach, broccoli, roasted red peppers, mushrooms, lettuce and tomato with a little provolone cheese.  Not a great meal for someone trying to change my eating habits but not a total bust either. I still stayed within my allotted calories for the day and delicious is an understatement...

I didn't get ANY crafting done last night so I am going to try to muster up the energy to get creative tonight, although the thought of a warm king sized bed all to myself sounds pretty darn good so.....here's a little picture to document our night!

Titles and Clustering

While working on this major project I have going on, I decided to use this as an opportunity to experiment and work on a few technique's that I just haven't mastered yet. Now being relatively new to scrapbooking, I haven't mastered ANYTHING, but darned if I will try!

My latest focus has been on my title work and clustering. I've been stalking reading blogs for the last few months looking for techniques and looking at examples to figure out exactly just what style I am...but is there really a "style"? That is the purpose of this craft, is it not? To NOT have a style? Just be free to do what ever you want? Well, that's so they say...I seem to have backed myself in to a perverbial style corner. It's not too bad, it's been nice to "practice" and try to get things just right...*still trying*. Anyway, here's a few examples of my latest and greatest:

I attempted to make my own flowers for this layout.  It's quite easy, just a circle punch (or hand drawn circles for a more distressed look), a little water, a little crinkle of the paper and a hair dryer to dry.  Add a button to the center and whoala! I inked the edges for added affect.

This one was a F.U.N. layout to make...of course, it's from the super secret project but don't worry, full pics will be posted in a few weeks!  I am LOVING the Prima tea rose collection.

This one was a true test for me...this was in the planning stages for months and had to be just right!  The full page coming soon....(notice more Prima)

Now that the house is quiet, I'm off to get to work (some of my best work is done at night). Overall this project has been a bit of everything for me...a bit work, a bit fun, a bit creativity, a bit therapy. I love every minute I spend on this and hope the recipient loves every minute looking at it!

Goodnight all...xoxoxo

Web Surfing

I have been spending some time reading some of my favorite blogs and checking out some of the new scrapbook lines out there on the web.  I have to say My Minds Eye Abbey Rd is really catching my eye. I've recently done a page with the dinosaur paper and it has turned out SO CUTE!  I really have to get my hands on some more of this yummy goodness....but for now, I bask in the glory of online window shopping.  I wish some of the big chain stores would carry more of these new product lines but at the same time I'm glad they don't...or my wallet is.  I am chomping at the bit for my next trip to Quakertown to load up on supplies and thinking of hosting a crop soon at home.  Getting together to share ideas and techniques sounds so fun to me and what a great girls night!

I'll post the new layout shortly, as soon as the sun decides to show it's face again so I can take a decent picture of it! Until then, enjoy your weekend and Erin Go Bragh!

Creative BLAST!

Well, I am working on a new project for a family member and I am SO EXCITED about it!  I've been in a creative zone lately and the last few pages have really turned out better than I expected. I am not even close to being finished but have a month to go and hope to make some good progress over the next two weeks. 

Saturday, I decided to take a ride to a scrapbook store about 30 minutes north of me. I've heard of this particular store but have never been there so I decided it was finally time to check it out.  I was in absolute scrapping heaven!  If anyone lives on the Central Bucks/Montgomery County area, I highly suggest you check this place out. They had all of the latest and yummiest lines of paper and embelishments and more chalk, ink, flowers and stamps than your could imagine.  I could have stayed all day; however due to budget reasons, I limited my stay to 40 minutes and two new lines of paper.  I will definitely go back and hope to plan a midnight crop there in the very near future.  The crop room is delicious!  Let me know if you want the information...I will admit the website isn't all that great, but the store makes up for it!

I promise to post pictures of the project once it is complete and given to the recipient,  but for now it stays a secret for their eyes may end up on this blog!

For now...off to the dentist and then to come home and get crafty (and now I have the Beastie Boys in my head).

Here's a preview of the products:

Dinner with one of my favs...

I went out to dinner tonight with one of my favorite people in the world.  I've been looking forward to it forever; both the company and the restaurant of choice.  It was great to catch up over some of the yummiest sushi I've ever had (not that I'm an expert by any means) and a bottle of wine. We were able to chat without interuptions of "Mommy!" or diaper changes....it was nice to talk to someone who knows exactly how I feel and where I'm coming from, even if the reason is completely different. 

I came to a lot of realizations during and after this meal...changes that I need to make, things that need to be dealt with but mostly that I hope to be able to spend more time with her in the future...she's smart, funny, honest, straighforward and I'm so glad to have her in my life.  XOXOXO

Valentine's Day

Today is the day of "love"...of "cupid" so to speak...and I am so torn about celebrating this day.  I believe that everyone should stop and take a moment to tell the people they love how special they are and now much they mean to them.  However, isn't this really something that we should all be doing ALL the time, EVERY day.  So why spend useless amount of money on some gaudy piece of jewelry or flowers that die, or candy that doesn't get eaten?  Just TELL THE PERSON YOU LOVE YOU LOVE THEM. Better yet show them!  Use today as a jumpstart to tell them every day.  Show them by appreciating what they do for you, for being there and for loving you.  That all being said, I did receive a beautiful bracelet from my husband which is unfortunately too small.  I will be looking in to having it sized, it is much much to pretty to return.  I do appreciate the gesture and do love it very much. 

I spent my Valentine's Day doing a miriad of things. First, a HUGE breakfast for the family, heart shaped pancakes included.  Then off to Marissa's basketball game where I filled in as coach. With only 5 girls there, I was worried about their stamina but they did great and pulled out a huge "W".  Then off to the in-laws to enjoy the Daytona 500 and tacos for dinner. We played a game of sequence, hung out with my baby nephew and relaxed with one (or 2) cups of coffee....what a great way to spend the afternoon.

Overall, it was a great day.  I'm so proud of Marissa's leadership during her basketball game, and enjoyed the day with my family.  Now to bed and tomorrow? To stand by my own words...to wake up and remember to show my loved ones that I love them.

P.s. I was planning the breakfast for ever...and had planned on taking pictures, I had such a cute double page layout in mind and even had my eye on some embelishments at Michaels.  Would have helped to remember to take pictures...guess those ideas will need to wait until next year.

Snow? Really?

Ok, so we do of course live in the Norteastern part of the US, but in recent years our "winters" have been minimal. An occasional snow flury here or there and a short cold snap, but before you know it the daffodils were in bloom and summer was in full swing.  For WHATEVER reason, Mother Nature has decided to put the full grasp of winter on us so far this winter season and I'm not very happy about it.  I am a total spring/summer kind of girl...capri's, flip flips and a little t-shirt and I'm good to go. I would prefer a sandy beach over an igloo made of snow any day.  Yeah yeah, the white stuff looks all pretty like when it falls, and it does have a calming affect and makes my kids giggle and smile, and forces hot chocolate smiles and sticky S'Mores fingers....oh goodness, so much for the DISDAIN I feel for winter.  *sigh* can't fight it I guess....winter is here to stay, at least for another 6 weeks according to that groundhog.

STUH-RUGGLING

Ok, so I had a horrendous day at work today.  I'm not quite the new girl now, but not quite seasoned so I'm starting to get looks when I ask questions.  You know the look, the "are you really asking that question" look...or the "I thought you were experienced" look.  I take things like this personally...too personally and in the past it's gotten me in jams.  I guess it's my desire to fit in.  So I picked up my phone and rant and rave to my hubby who gave me some good advice; just keep to myself and keep plugging along. See, I tend to want to be friends with EVERYONE...and I realized today that it's almost to a fault.  I need to separate the two at work and that will be SOOOOO hard for me.  I have always blended the two together and that line between the two was/is always SO gray.  For me, this is my challenge...to remain focused on work while at work and not friends and I have to stop worrying about whether or not people like me. I have to do my job well to be successful (and collect a pay check). 

Struggling seems to be a theme for me this week, I'm having a REALLY hard time keeping myself motivated.  All I've wanted to do was eat for the last 4 days and have no clue why. Stress? Boredem? PMS? Food addiction? I wish I could figure it out.  The good thing is that watching me want to change has rubbed off on my older daughter who struggles with the same love for food as I do.  She could eat ALL DAY if I let her and as we speak, she is walking on the treadmill.  I in no way shape or form want to her to feel like she has to exercise, she afterall only 10 but I want her to know that she needs to start taking care of herself now because it only gets harder as she gets older. Maybe if we work on it together, we can both achieve our goals?!  Funny to me that the strength I need is coming from the 10 year old in the house and not the 37 year old. Maybe because she's a girl, she gets me? Or I get her? I don't know....but I do know that at 8:00, my butt will be on that treadmill watching American Idol and sweating my butt off!

I guess without stuggles, we would never know success. At least that's what I've read and been told. I've gotten within a pinch of success a few times, and it felt great to get there.  So this stuggle tonight is going to make me stronger...no chocolate, just a bottle of water (thanks Aim) and a long walk. 

As far as work is concerned....I have to keep telling myself that every day I'm learning some thing new and every day there will be a struggle. That's what makes it rewarding, to overcome it on my way to success.

I hope you all have found success through your struggles....and if not, just keep chuggin' away.

Reality check

I've been telling myself for a few months that I have to get myself back in shape. In 2007 I lost almost 40 pounds and felt GREAT! I was working out daily and could see a definite difference with the shape of my body and was able to wear my so called "skinny jeans" again.  I was about half way to my goal when during the summer of that year, I went through some emotionally tough times, mostly involving my career and turned to my friend Mr. Food for comfort.  Before I knew it, I was where I am now, borderline obese with high cholesterol. 

Back in 2007, during my times of motivation, I found this really awesome website to use as a tool; http://www.calorie-count.com/ . This site let you track your food consumption, totals your calories and you can even log your exercise and it tracks the calories burned. It helps you set target goals and recommends the amount of calories you should consume and burn each day to reach your goals. The good thing is, it's set up to give you realistic goals so the weight loss is gradual and healthy.  You can even add food facts from labels or local stores not already in their database so you can have an accurate accounting. For example, here in the PA area, we have a convenience store called WAWA (named after a dairy farm in the town of Wawa PA which used to deliver milk door to door and it's heaven on earth).  If you have nitrition information, you can add it to the website so the next time you stop for that Wawa coffee in the morning, or that shorti italian hoagie with pickles and light mayo (YUMMY), you can log it all in!

Yesterday, I logged on to this site for the first time in about a year, telling myself I needed to do this again for myself. I need to mindful of every bit of food I put in my mouth. And let me tell you, it was a complete REALITY CHECK. I had packed my lunch yesterday and planned dinner, and had absolutely no idea how many calories I had arranged for myself to consume until I saw it, written down on from of me. Goodness! No wonder I've been feeling FAT (not PHAT), sluggish and just down right in the pits! 

Today begins the realistic goals....planning in advance.....and getting up off the couch and moving!  I have to do this for myself and for my family. Mostly for myself.  I can do this...I can succeed, I've done it before.  I have the tools, I just have to stay motivated. 

So if you are like me and struggle with your weight, or food, or exercise or you are healthy and just want an additional tool to help you maintain your weight and exercise routine, give this webiste and try and let me know what you think of it.

I'm off to have my tomato soup with low fat croutons for lunch....255 calories thank you very much, not to mention DELICIOUS.  I'll be sure to post updates as my transformation continues....

Sickness...ICK

Monday night my hubby was wonderful enough to take the girls and myself out to dinner to celebrate my first day at my new job. We decided to go to a place we've never been (although I've been to this place but at a different location before).  We were all excited, this place is known to have great wings and good food overall.  I left work and met the family there. We ate some AWESOME food, one of the best burgers I've ever had....but mine was WELL....his not so much. Can you say partially moo-ing?  Anywho, around 4:00 AM Tuesday morning he woke up not feeling well. It started out as just a small annoyance but by 2:00PM it was a full blown sickness. By yesterday morning at 7:00, there was moaning and rocking in bed, incoherant speech and begging to be put out of his misery.  Off to the ER we went only for him to be diagnosed with food poisoning, most likely from the undercooked burger. 

I had dreams of grandure this week, start my new job...settle in at home...new routine....maybe some crafting....riiiiiiight.  Needless to say the first week has been completely hectic. Hopefully next week will be a bit more smooth and without excessive bodily fluids.  I'm off Monday for the holiday and the kids are off from school. I feel a crafting day coming on for all three of us! 

My advice for the day:  Medium well to well at all times...if it's pink, send it back! 

The Third Day

I've made it to the third day...Wednesday, otherwise known as "hump day".  So far, so good. The people are nice here and helpful.  Things are a little slow for me since I'm new and really no work to do yet. As long as I can continue to keep my eyes open at my desk with the help of many many cups of coffee, all will be good.  Thank goodness for Pandera.com...music always helps get me through a day.

The kids love afterschool so far.  It's a big play day for them for a few hours after school. As much as it upsets me to have them away from home, let alone the expense of it....it's worth it to hear their stories of new friends, old friends, trips to the computer lab and games of basketball in the gym. I'm envious of their time together and their ability to have fun in any situation.  We are parents often think we need to be teaching them, all the time...maybe it's time I stop and learn FROM THEM!

I'll hopefully get back to some crafting soon once my life settles in to place and I'll be sure to post pics of the newest project.  Until then...

Tomorrow is....

the BIG day!  Tomorrow is my first official day as an employee of Philadelphia Mortgage Advisors. It's been three weeks since I accepted the position, and I was so glad to have some more time to spend with the kids, enjoy the holidays and relax.  Let me tell you how fast those three weeks have gone by! At least I was able to accomplish the first two items on my list.  So I've spent my last weekend of freedom visiting relatives, getting the kids portraits taken, church, taking down the Christmas decorations and cleaning...RELAX is a word that has escaped my vocabulary.

I have mixed emotions about going back to work. On the one hand, I am thrilled for the opportunity to work for a great company and I seem to fit in already and I'm not even there yet.  That is certainly a good sign, especially in this day and age.  I am hoping that this is the place to make some of my long term goals become reality.  On the other hand, I'm so sad to have to give up the precious time I've had with my girls.   I never realized how much I was really missing until I had the chance to be home with them. So many things happen during the day that I miss working full time. Conversations that don't happen, all the rushing around from activity to activity takes it's place. Somehow, I'll find a balance to make it all work.  I think the stressful days of my past are behind me now and maybe things will finally all settle in to place. 

So now that the cleaning is done for today, I'm going to park my butt on the couch and do NOTHING for the next few hours until my pillow calls my name; because tomorrow AM (bright and early) the alarm clock with be BLARING all over again!

Night all...

Holiday Projects; part 2...

I spent a great deal of time on a present for my Mother in Law and although it didn't turn out the way I had intended, I am still pleased with the results. I had originally purchased a round box which I painted and decorated with the "ornaments" in the box.  However, I messed up on the outside of the box :o( so I had to purchase another more sturdy container for these to store in.  I found a fabric box which was square and a bit larger to hold the "ornaments", so they are more protected and easer to get in and out.  My mind is turning though, for a better option. While photographing them today, I realized that they are getting damaged from being pulled in and out of the box to be looked at. Any suggestions would be welcomed...all that being said, the gift was a huge hit and the family and even more so, my MIL love it!  Fore more photos, check out the slide show at the bottom of the blog...Photos of my third project are in the works...stay tuned!

A wonderful reminder...

I've had two wonderful things happen to me in the last few days.  I guess I should back up a bit and state that over the past few months I've been struggling with many things in my life. I've been trying to be positive but it's not going as well as I would like; deep down inside I am feeling overwhelmed as if my life has lost it's purpose. A lot of times when you feel you are "suffering", whether it be mentally or physically, you feel alone, I know I have felt that way recently. As if you are the ONLY person in the world feeling the way you do.

So, first there was an INCREDIBLE email exchange with my friend Dodi yesterday, who I deem my eternal optimist.  She always has something wonderful to say, words of encouragement and endless support.  And even though I read the email, I seemed to still have a ton of doubt about myself and my future...I thought about what she said and then went to bed and woke up today to start anew.  Thank you Dodi for your endless encouragement and support....I know you've "blogged" about your own "resolutions" for this year....when you find yourself changing the things about you that you don't like, just make sure this part of you stays 100% intact....I know I love you for it!

Then today, I had lunch with a wonderful friend and it was the second dose of medicine I've been needing.   And in between egg salad sandwhiches and strawberries, and while chatting afterwards, my amazing friend reminded me that I'm not alone...there are others like me. Maybe not going through the exact same things at the exact same time, but there are people who know what I'm going through...they have been there or are going through something similar to it now.  I'M NOT ALONE! I was reminded that I have purpose...that I'm loved....and that I'll be successful again, in all areas of my life. It just takes motivation....Thank you Aimee, from the bottom of my heart for reminding me what's important and for guiding me in the right direction, whether you realized it or not.  I am THANKFUL for such good friends....and I intend to HOLD ON TO THEM no matter what ;o)

Between Dodi and Aimee, it's hard not to feel like I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.  To them I owe a debt of gratitude and hope one day, I will be able to return the emotional favor.  So Monday, I start my new job...my new life...a new beginning of sorts...and I'm finally looking forward to it!

xoxoxo

P.s. After reading this post again, I realize that the only thing that could have made this day better is if Colleen could have been able to make it to lunch. She has such a way of grounding me and making me see things for what they are.  Missed you Col and can't wait to get together with you, hopefully soon!!!

Tooth Fairy

Looks like we'll be getting a visit from the tooth fairy tonight. Lia FINALLY lost this tooth after months of waiting patiently. This tooth has been loose since the beginning of the school year but sincerely loose since Halloween. It wouldn't budge! As Marissa has come to an end with the belief in all things magical (i.e. Santa, tooth fairy etc), I am clinging on to the little one in hopes that she always believes...

Spaghetti Dinners

I'm cooking a favorite meal of mine tonight, spaghetti with sausage and meatballs. Although it's not the traditional "gravy" that sits and simmers on the stove all day long (tonight it's from the jar), it's still one of my all time favorite meals. As I sit here and think about it, I'm not sure why...I don't think it's the food itself, I'd prefer ravioli over spaghetti. I don't think it's the garlic bread or the meatballs...I believe this favorite dates back to my childhood...weekends spent at my Nanny's house, just us girls (my Mom included), making the gravy from scratch and enjoying the time together. I think that's what this meal has become...a family tradition. It's the ONE meal that I know I can get all four of my family members together at the dinner table with no distractions to eat, talk, laugh and enjoy our time together. Sometimes the meal spills over to my Mother in Law's house and it turns in to an all day affair. More food. More family. More laughter. Games. Coffee and dessert. Even better for me. So as we all think about the beginning of 2010, I'm thinking of making this a year all about family...starting traditions, continuing traditions, one spaghetti dinner at a time. Ciao!