My first She Art Girl!

Hello and long time no blog!  I've been busy spending all of my time snuggling my little guy.  I know that I need to snuggle him as much as I can, because they grow up so fast.  Plus, he's just really cuddly! lol

I have a really hard time making free time for myself, but a few weeks ago I stumbled upon Christy Tomlinson's blog and saw her post about a class she was having this month.  I have to admit, that the first thing that pulled me in was the picture she had made just to promote the class.  I loved the colors and the feel to it.  I can't really explain it.  I am such a visual person, like almost to the point to where it controls me. lol  So, once I saw that picture with the colors and the girl.....I just couldn't get it out of my mind.

So, I kept going back to her page and reading about the class and drooling over the amazing mixed media art girls that she was creating.  I probably did this for a couple of weeks!  Then, one day, I finally told myself to just do it!  Sign up!  And to do it for ME.  I haven't been spending hardly any time being creative lately and I miss it.  I miss it deep down inside and it was starting to almost make me depressed.    I spent several months at the end of last year doing tons of sewing, but this is different and I knew that it was something that I needed to do for myself.   So I did!

And, I am loving every single minute of it!  We are just starting Week 3 today.  I have mixed emotions about it, because it's our last week  of the workshop but we are also going to learn how to make a girl that looks like us.  I can't express how much I am enjoying this class.  First of all, I'm on a pretty limited crafty budget and this class is so inexpensive.  I couldn't believe it when I saw that it was only $30.  I have passed up on workshop after workshop just because they were so expensive and right now in my life I can't justify spending a lot on something like that.   If you're a crafty/scrapbooking person you probably already have a lot of the supplies needed to make your own girl.  I did need to go purchase some acrylic paints but you don't need anything fancy, so I got the cheap paints and brushes at Michael's.   I have to admit that I've gone out and bought some other fun supplies, because I just couldn't resist. lol

Now, since I haven't ever done an online workshop like this before, I had no idea what to expect or anything to compare it to.  But, I feel sorry for any other class that I take after this, because I have been nothing but totally impressed with everything that Christy has done!  She is such sweet, honest, and caring person.....and I feel like I'm right there talking with her during the videos.   The webpage that she has set up for the workshop is so well organized, the videos where she teaches you how to make the girls are amazing (oh all of the techniques she shows you are incredible!!!), she has patterns for you to print and use, there's a message board where you can meet, chat and ask questions  to other workshop participants and Christy.....I could go on and on!  Oh, and there is a Flickr group where everyone can share their awesome girls and get inspiration!  I could go on and on, but I'll stop rambling about it and just say that if you want to learn something new, that's totally fun and really easy, express your creativity, meet some wonderfully talented and nice people, then TAKE THIS CLASS!  ;-)

My only regret is that I have not been able to spend enough time meeting everyone in the community board.   I just don't have the time to sit and read/reply to the messages there. :-(  But, I'm hoping to try to more these next couple of months.  Oh, that's the other wonderful thing that I forgot to mention.  Even though the workshop is over in 3 weeks, Christy is being so generous by leaving the site active for us so that we can view all of the videos, PDF's, chat in the community board and share our creations in the Flickr group!  This is such a huge blessing for me, because I wasn't even able to start on my first girl until the second week of the workshop had started.  So, you aren't rushed and have plenty of time to watch the videos, learn the techniques, create your own girls and share!

So, now that I've talked your ears off about this.....I'll show you my first She Art Girl.   I named her Lucy. ;-)

I was so excited to get started on her that I actually did some of the steps in the wrong order.  lol  But, you can't even tell because this is such a fun and creative way to make art!  I thought long and hard about what I wanted my saying to be and I finally decided on, "She is discovering herself through art."  I chose this, because this past month I have decided that it's way past time for me to really find myself and embrace what makes me, me!  I have been a stay-at-home mom for almost 20 years and I have loved every second of it, but I have also let it take over a lot of the other things that I love, that define me.  I always tell myself and others that "I'm just a mom".  Well, I'm realizing that I'm not!  The most important thing that keeps me going is being creative.  And, I've really pushed that aside to be a full-time mom.  For some reason I forgot that I can be both!  That both are equally important to me and I'm only hurting my true self by ignoring my need to be creative.  And, what has really started to open my mind to this and let the light in was deciding to take this class!  I never thought that I could do anything like this.  I haven't ever been sure enough in my own creativity.  I have this mean, little voice in the back in my head that has always told me and that I have quoted to others, "You are really good at copying people, but you can't think up creative ideas on your own."  I still struggle with that every day, but Christy and her workshop have helped give me my own voice to say, "I AM creative!" I can't say it as boldly as I want to, but I'm working on that..... ;-)

So, I hope that you consider joining Christy in April for her next She Art Girl Workshop.  You won't be disappointed!  I promise!  And, I will be sharing another on of my girls next week.  She's actually a surprise for someone special and I get to deliver it soon.  ;-)  

Take care and God Bless!
di

p.s......It took me all day to write this post, in-between dirty diapers, nursing and cuddling for naps, plus chasing around a 3-year old, so I'm sorry for any and all type-o's and other goofy mistakes that I probably made while writing this. lol

Ritzy Cracker Quilt - A Christmas Quilt

Here is a quilt that I finished in December, yet haven't shared with you yet.  It's called the Ritzy Cracker Quilt and it is from a free pattern that I found at the Moda Bake Shop (my favorite place to find amazing and FREE quilting patterns!).   I used a Christmas charm pack.....and for the life of me I can't remember what it was called!  I know it was from Basic Grey though......hopefully I figure it out soon. lol  This was the most involved block that I have made to date.  It took me a few days to sew them all together, but I found it very helpful to do it in stages.  I also learned that I need a lot of practice getting all of my seams to line up properly!  I mean A LOT!  Or, I can just accept the fact that it really isn't that important to me and just enjoy the fact that I have a beautiful quilt to put out every Christmas! :-)

I wasn't thinking right when I started putting the back together.   I added the thicker band of fabric and then realized that it wasn't long enough, so I had to add more on there.  Oops!  But, it works and no one would even know that I messed up, if I hadn't have told you. ;-) lol  

I was able to keep this quilt out on our couch through January, because the fabric wasn't so Christmasy that I needed to put it away with the tree.  I have it rolled up now and in a basket in the living room with the other quilts that I have made.  I just couldn't put it away!  And, since I've only made a few lap quilts, I am able to keep them all out all year long.

I started another Christmas quilt, but only got 2/3 done with sewing the top together.  I just ran out of steam in December and was getting such a big baby belly, that I couldn't sit at my sewing machine any longer.  I hope to work on it throughout this summer....well, as soon as I actually have some free time to sew again!

I'll be sharing a couple of other quilts that I was able to finish last year with you soon! I'm having a hard time getting on here.....I can't imagine why! lol  I have to say that I'm loving every second with my little guy.  He's the sweetest baby ever and so mellow!  It's been a welcomed change, because my little GG is a very active 3 year old. lol 

Take care friends and God Bless!

di

Sweet Feet.......

Digital kit used: Pea in a Pod by Kristin Aagard

Template: Captivated Visions

Yippie!  I did a page this week with photos of my little Elliot's feet! :-)

I really want to get my hands dirty and do some traditional, paper scrapbooking, but it has been so terribly cold and my scrap area is in our mudroom, which is freezing in the winter!  Plus, it's just been easier for me to sit and do some digital pages while Elliot is napping beside me.  Either way, I'm happy just to be able to spend some time being creative!

My Plan Monday....

Hello friends!

Oh, it's really been hard for me to get back into the swing of life since Elliot has arrived!  But, I was finally able to sit down and get a menu written up for this week.  I can't believe how just having a weekly menu planned for the week helps relieve so much stress every day!  These past few weeks have been pretty chaotic without one.  So, I'm glad that I actually got one written up today, even though it's pretty simple this week.  :-)

Sunday - Breakfast Burritos
Monday - Mini Ravioli with Cream, Mushrooms and Peas, Maple Roasted Carrots, Lettuce Salad
Tuesday - Biscuits and Gravy, Fruit Salad
Wednesday - Ranch Stew, Rice, Lettuce Salad
Thursday - Toasted Veggie Subs, Chips w/ Dip, Pasta Salad
Friday - Fish Sticks, French Fries, Corn Bread Muffins
Saturday - Tacos, Spanish Rice

This week I really need to finish writing up my weekly routine for cleaning and daily to-do's.  I need to get on track with these things because I've been really bad at putting them off and letting these things slip for days and days until I'm so far behind and too over-whelmed to do anything at all to make things better around here.  I started working on this last week and still have a little bit of work to do on it before I'm totally done.  I also started organizing these things in a binder, so that I have everything in one place.  I'll have to share with you what I've done to try to help me get my life back into gear!

I've been having a lot of fun these past few weeks working on digital art journal pages.  I joined the Art Journal Caravan and I am absolutely loving it!  I am brand new to doing art journal pages and it's really causing me to stretch and grow.  The hardest part for me was just letting go and creating whatever cam to mind.  I've been doing traditional scrapbooking pages for so many years, so doing this type of page has challenged me to break free, dig deep and express myself in ways that I haven't ever done before.   I have a few pages completed and I hope to share them with you this week!

I hope you are all doing well and have a wonderful week!  I know that mine is going to be a busy one!  I just hope that we all have some time to do something creative......that's what gets me through the week, that's for sure! :-)

Take care,
di

Totally smitten.....

So, once again I have been absent here for awhile, but this time I have a really good reason why.......

My sweet, little Elliot Shane was born on the morning of January 26th.  He weighed 7 pounds 2.4 ounces and was 20 inches long.  I've had a feeling this whole pregnancy that this labor might go quick and I was right! I had my weekly check-up on Monday and I was around 3 cm.  I told my doctor that she was more than welcome to do anything that she felt she needed to do that might help get things rolling down there.  I was full-term and big!   I woke up Wednesday morning around 4:30 a.m. having mild contractions and remember just hoping that things wouldn't kick in for a few hours.  I knew that that was the day.   I really didn't want to have to wake up my other children so early in the morning to tell them I was in labor. lol  Silly, I know.  Things started picking up around 6 a.m. and not much longer than that I decided I should tell my husband that we probably should think about going to the hospital soon.  We left the house around 6:45 and got to the hospital at 7.   It was pretty funny when we got to the hospital, because we walked in and I told them I was in labor and had just come in w/o calling my OB first.  I know the lady was thinking that I probably didn't know what I was talking about.   But, my OB had told me that if I thought I was in labor to not bother calling her, to go straight to the hospital and that they would call her when I arrived.  I think she trusted my mother's intuition and that I probably knew what was going on since it was my 5th child. lol  They get me in a room and finally check me around 7:15.  I was 7 cm!  That's when the craziness began and nurses started scrambling all over to get me dressed, hooked up to the monitors, my IV in, and then answer tons of check-in questions.  By then,  my contractions were getting strong and every couple of minutes.  My doctor arrived (in quite a hurry because I know she thought I was going to go fast, too! lol).  She broke my water at 8:24 and it wasn't long before I told her I needed to push.  She was glad, because Elliot's heart-rate started to go down after she broke my water and they had put me on oxygen.  I pushed once and she told me that I had to give it all I had on the next push, so I did and little Elliot arrived!  The cause of his dropping heart-rate was due to the cord being wrapped around his neck two times.  How terrifying!  My OB told me that if I hadn't of been a "super pusher", I would have been rushed in for an emergency c-section.  So, thank you Lord for giving me "super pusher powers"!  Elliot perked right back up and his APGAR score was 8 and 10.  The nurse told me that she's never seen a baby get a 10 before.  He looked perfect and is absolutely amazing!  He is the most mellow little man I've ever seen.  He hardly ever cries (I know, things change!) and just love to be held and snuggled.  He also is a good sleeper and sleeps well in his little baby bed.  Most of my other children did not sleep well on their own and would wake up as soon as they were laid down.  Not Elliot, you can move him around anywhere and he stays asleep! lol  He's the exact opposite of my little 3 year-old, Gracie.  She's super talkative and high-maintance and he's super quiet and mellow.  Needless to say, we are all in total love with our new bundle of joy!

The photo above was taken when Elliot was one day old.  He's laying on a quilt that I made for him a couple of months ago and I will share all about it in another post!  I will also be sharing some more blankets that I made for him with you all soon.

Now the fun part.....for me.....is to try to work in some daily creativeness while taking care of a newborn and a 3 year old.  I wouldn't think too much about it, if I didn't know how important it is for me to be creative and make things.  It helps keep me sane and when I go for days and days without doing something creative, I can really feel it.  And, it is not good!  I get grumpy, anxious and just not a happy person to be around.  ;-)

I hope you all have been doing well.  There is so much going on and so much I'd like to share.  I just hope I can get on some sort of a schedule soon, so that I can do all of those things that I'm wanting to do.  Plus, this weather.....ugh!  I am SO ready for Spring!!!!!  It has been so miserably cold here in the Heartland.  It's been so cold that I just haven't been going anywhere.  I can't stand the bitter cold!  And, now that Elliot is here, it's been just too cold to take him out, too.  It's been white with snow for months and I'm ready for green!

Take care everyone and stay warm!
di

{Virtual} Coffee.....

Good morning friends......I sure have missed having coffee with you all. ;-)

Things have been pretty busy around here!   If we were having coffee together today, I would have lots and lots to share with you.   It has been a long time since we have visited, so we have some quick catching up to do.

I'd ask you about your holidays and tell you that ours were very nice and relaxing.   Just us.   No extended family.   December came and went so fast, I was almost shocked when it was suddenly Christmas Eve and I was up in the middle of the night wrapping presents.   We decided this year to buy small gifts for our kids.  Nothing big.   They already have all of those big gifts anyway and those big gifts really eat up our Christmas budget fast.   So, we had fun and silly things and everyone enjoyed seeing what was coming next in each box.

New Year's Eve was nice as well.   I have such fond memories of celebrating  New Year's Eve when I was a kid with my best friend, Cheryl.  And, it always included Dick Clarks Rockin' New Years.....it is so nice to see Dick Clark every year still.   The funniest thing that happened was that little Peanut decided to drop the same night as the ball in NYC.  I woke up on New Years Day and it was quite obvious that he had dropped and for one day I felt some relief in my poor ribs, where he's been pushing all of these months.   That only lasted a day, too!  I'm short and he's big and running out of room and his favorite place to have his little behind is shoved up against my ribcage.  :-(

Catch up to today........I'd tell you that I'm 38 weeks pregnant now and getting extremely anxious to meet our little dude.   We were able to see his the hair on his head in the last couple of ultrasounds and I just can't wait to see how much there is on his little head and what color it is!   I have spent the last few months sewing up a storm including lots of baby items, which I'll share with you later this week.    My sewing frenzy is one reason why you haven't heard from me in so long...... ;-)

I would also tell you how I sat down and wrote up a long list of goals for 2011.......probably too long, but I will work on them as well as I can.   There are several areas, including my prayer life,  healthy eating, scrapbooking and sewing.   I did work on organizing my photos on my laptop the other day and was sad to see how few photos I took during 2010.   That is one thing that needs to change in 2011!

Thanks for joining me today for coffee.....I sure did enjoy visiting and sharing with you......hopefully next week when we meet again for coffee I will be able to share photos of our new little bundle of baby boy!

And, be sure to visit Amy's blog, Lucky Number 13, to have some coffee with some other wonderful ladies!

Take care and God Bless,
di

My Plan Monday.....

Wow.  Well, I think I am back for a while!   I didn't realize how long it had been since I have posted here.   The holidays really got me off with my blogging!   Plus, I've been super busy sewing up a storm for my little one who is due to arrive at the end of this month.   I will share all of the projects that I have done for him in another post.   So, today I decided it was was past time to get things rolling here again!   I spent today working on a new banner and I think I like it!   I wanted to have some photos of the things that I will be sharing here, so I had a lot of fun looking through tons of photos for the right ones.  :-)

Usually on Mondays I share my weekly plan, with our menu and things I want to make and do, but since I am so far along in my pregnancy now (38 weeks tomorrow!) I really haven't had a plan.  lol    My only plan has been to make it through each day and wait until my little one decides to let me know he's ready to make his appearance.   This part of pregnancy is the hardest for me, because I am not a patient person!   Waiting and not knowing when I'm going to go into labor really drives me crazy. lol

So, here is our menu for this week.   I'm trying several new recipes this week, too.  One of my goals for this year is to try to cut out as much dairy from my diet as I can.   I have a lot of sinus issues and this past year they have really been bothering me, so I want to see if cutting dairy out will help with that problem.   I have added a few new cookbooks to my collection that are all vegan recipes and this month I'm trying two recipes from the book, "Vegan on the Cheap" by Robin Robertson.

Sunday-
Salmon Chowder
Lettuce Salad
Cornbread Sticks

Monday-
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Oven-roasted Cauliflower
Bread Sticks

Tuesday-
Hashbrown Quiche
Fruit Salad

Wednesday-
Moroccan-Inspired Lentil Soup
Couscous
Naan bread

Thursday-
Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches with Creamy White Bean Spread
Salad

Friday-
Tilapia with Grapefruit Salsa
Rice
Steamed Vegetables

I will be sharing these recipes throughout this week! :-)

I hope that you all have been doing well.....it is good to be back and I look forward to spending some time visiting my favorite blogs.   I haven't even been keeping up with those and I know that I've missed so many wonderful projects and shares from everyone!   Hopefully, the next time I disappear is because I'm busy with our new little arrival!

God Bless!
di