You know summer is here when school is out. Johnny's preschool let out a week earlier than Mikey's, so the little stinker and I got a jump start on Popsicles and afternoon picnics. Last Friday, Johnny and I were having outdoor fun (him splashing, me running for cover) while Mikey had his last day at school, where I knew he was having a water play day too (where the kids were all splashing, and all those teachers were wishing they could run for cover) and celebrating all the summer birthdays (was I supposed to make cupcakes for that? Crap.) After school, Mikey had OT with Mr.B, then Steve and I took the kids to the Pizza Store (their name for our favorite pizza place) and then to the park. After climbing, sliding, running, and swinging in the sun, we rounded out the day by getting drive-thru ice-cream cones and MiracleShakes (that’s Johnny’s term for chocolate milk shakes). I was just excited to sit down a minute and lick my chocolate covered cone, even though I was making a mess out of the steering wheel.

Home again, my little ones were grubby, not to mention sticky, and were herded to the bath ("Don't touch anything!" I chanted as I chased them upstairs. They of course touched everything). Bath time pretty much involves a lot of splashing and fighting over who gets the biggest plastic dolphin and who has to have his hair washed first (neither seems to enjoy this part – Johnny often tries to persuade me that Mikey, and only Mikey, needs his hair washed). Johnny attempts to drink the soapy water and Mikey tries to swim, and I keep a safe distance with my Harry Potter book, amazed they have any energy after our busy day.

After I get them safely out of the tub (and soaking myself in the process) and get them into fresh jammies, (now I am in a sweat after chasing them around the bed as they bounce from one end to the other), I start to fold laundry, trying to make order out of the chaos that is my closet, when Johnny comes in the bedroom.

Hair still damp and smelling like baby powder, wearing a little blue shirt from our trip to Chicago last year and a pair of summer sleep shorts with little doggies on them, he looked cute as could be. Looking closer, I saw that his eyes were barely open, and he was shuffling like a robot with broken arms. A quiver of fear tickles my belly. Too much sun? Too much MiracleShake? Too much swinging?

“Johnny? Are you okay?” I try to keep the panic out of my voice. He sighs, and bends at the waist, limply holding himself up.

“Can you fix me, MomMon?” He asks, a small smile playing at his lips, his eyes closed. He swings his limp arms, sighing again. The smile gets bigger, and he closes his eyes tight.

“Fix you?” My anxiety now replaced by curiosity, I found myself starting to smile. “What’s broken?”

He straightens up, sighs dramatically, slyly opens one eye and shuffles to the edge of the bed; he carefully slumps himself against it. He closes both eyes, fakes a snore, and then says, “I think I need new batteries.”

My Friend Flickr... and a treasury :)

I have finally figured out flickr. Not that it was crazy hard (it is very user friendly) but I finally got around to giving it a go :) What a great format to create an online portfolio! I made a little button you can click to go visit my previous works (it is on the right, right over there...see? :) ) After browsing through my photos, I was reminded how much I love making paperbag albums. I think I am going to do another soon...

Oh, and I am so excited! I got up early this morning, grabbed a Fudgcicle (hey, you can have your Wheaties, I am a chocolate-in-the-morning kind of gal), and checked my Etsy and saw I was in a treasury! I feel so fancy! This treasury is curated by LilyMoon, a fantastic artist, and I feel so flattered! Be sure to check it out...

Well, I need to brew some coffee (to wash down that fabulous frozen Fudgcicle) and then get scrapping...

Etsy should contain a warning label...

... because it is so addictive! There are so many absolutely beautiful handmade and vintage treasures to be found. Vintage children's books, charms and pendants, collages and paintings, prints and digital downloads, stuffed plushies and pottery, flowery bobby hair pins... I don't even wear hair pins - but I might now! I am seriously and literally and totally awed by all the cool things I find here. At the bottom of my blog I have a little gallery of my most recent favorites. Check it out! I am sure you will find something amazing.

And I have found the fun of making treasuries! I feel like I win the lottery when I am able to curate a treasury. My heart gets to pumping, I race to make my final selections, think of a clever title... Putting it together is such a pleasure, like creating a collage of the prettiest pretties I can find. I have only created two, but I'll admit it - I love watching the magic number climb down to 332 and winning that Etsy lottery! Now all I need to do is win the lottery so that I can own some of these beautiful treasures.

Teddy Bear Princess

I had made this cutie little bear a while ago, and couldn't figure out what to do with her... then I dressed her like a princess and gave her a castle.

I want someone to dress me like a princess and give me a castle...

Ah, but that is the fun of creating. In my non-princess life I get to make lush landscapes and fierce dragons, tranquil twilights and sleepy teddy bears. I get to create stories, not just with words, but with paper and ink, ribbon and fabric. Pretty neat when you really stop and think about it...

This little cutie is on a layout I have listed on eBay.

A Winner!

After a very excited Johnny pulled out a scrap of paper, it was determined that the winner of my giveaway is....





Twyla and Lyndsey!

Wooo Hoooo! Thanks to the other posters :) I will plan another fun giveaway this week, so be sure to check in!

It's the Climb...

I am pretty jazzed about the layout I have listed on eBay. I have had that Miley Cyrus song, "The Climb", stuck in my head for about a week, and I finally decided to put my inner concert to good use. I made this pretty floral layout, and I have to say, I super wish my real own hair looked like this gal's...

...plus I have been loving making trees lately, so it was fun to make these sweet little groves of trees...

Speaking of trees, don't miss your chance to win my "pixie neighbors" set in my giveaway! See the post below this one to get the details :)

Celebrate!

Why, you ask? Is it because Friday is near? Because summer is almost here? Because I had my first sale since I returned to Etsy? Because the kids helped clean up their toys last night?


YES! To all those things!


Plus I like cake.


But let's face it. What is the best part of a party? Well, we have already covered cake... so what is the next best part of a party? Presents! Yay presents! I have decided to have a little giveaway present. All you have to do is leave a comment here to this post! You can sit and watch my slideshow up there and tell me what layout you like best, or click on my latest from Etsy offerings and leave a comment, or read prior posts and chit chat about those... Just make sure you leave a comment to THIS post so I know who is eligible to win :) To select a winner, I will take all the posts, put them in a blender, create a collage, blindfold myself and circle the first name at random, then mail the collage to myself in a nondescript mailer with inadequate postage so it gets returned to sender-

Just kidding. I'll just write down all the posters' names on scrap paper, put them in a bowl, and let Johnny pick one (Mikey will get to pick my next giveaway to be fair). June 7 , Sunday night, I will post the name of the winner! You will have to contact me with your address and such so I can mail you your pretty! And what is the pretty prize, you ask?

I'm so glad you asked!

The winner of this giveaway will get one of my "pixie neighbors" sets... two little pixie homes and a tree :) A paper piecing trio that you can use on scrapbook pages, ATCs, a collage... you could even just put them on pretty paper and mat them...

So good luck! I am off to bake a cake...

A cup of herbal tea is steaming in front of me, I have my well-worn CD of Mary Chapin Carpenter playing, and my studio desk is clean and waiting for me to start a new project -

"Mama! MOM! MOM MOM MOM MOM! Mikey ruined my PanCakems!"

... and that is the reality. My sweet, sleep deprived daydream is interrupted by my darling (yes, even though he is shrieking about his pancakes, he is still my darling. Really. I swear it!) darling sweetpea Johnny. Substitute the green tea with a mega can of Monster, the CD with the wavering tunes to the latest episode of Dora, and a studio desk full of paper, paints, clays, and a random stack of Legos and art stamps. That is the reality.

We took the boys to the bookstore today. By now our routine is set. I swing through magazines with Johnny and scoop up as many Somerset magazines as I can without actually stopping, then while Daddy chases Mikey to the children's books, Johnny and I head to the cafe. I order a coffee, and he gets his Cream. Yes, I let my child eat a little dixie cup of whipped cream. He is content for five minutes, I get to scan the pages of Somerset, and all is right with the world...

When the cup is empty and the whip cream is effectively all over his nose and chin, we clean up, get a sip of water from the pitcher set on the counter ("I want to do it. I can do it myself, seeee?) then clean the complimentary water stand and pick up the knocked over cups.... we make it back to the Thomas the Train display where Daddy and Brother are playing.

I have the latest copy of Artful Blogging in hand. Yum! Savory pictures, pretty prose, and page upon page of inspiration. I tell myself that I, too, can have an artful blog. And I will. At first intimidated by all those professional looking wwwPublications, I stop and think about how the majority of these blogStars are probably a lot like me.

Covered with sticky kisses.
Dreaming of nap time so I can create.
And itching to get crafty.

Hello Etsy!

After a short hiatus, I have returned to Etsy! I have found that while I love making complete page layouts (which will still be auctioned on eBay), I also love making unique piecings and scrapbook embellishments. I have so much fun making a little tree, or piecing together a little clapboard house... And I also wanted a venue to have custom pages available, and Etsy is a perfect place :) I love that artist community. There is so much talent there, I could sit and browse all day long....

... if only the twins would let me.

So be sure to find me on Etsy. You can find a link below...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5583375

Spring has sprung!

I know, a cliche, but it's true. My Korean Spice is sweetening my backyard, the lilacs are looking like they will bloom any second, and the grass is green and lush... I love spring! I was actually outside barefoot the other day, and there is nothing like having bare feet in cool grass, the sun filtering through the branches of a cherry blossom tree to make you feel like a seven-year-old again. Plus I had a fudgesicle in hand, so that helped the nostalgic feeling as well. I think I had about five of those delicious little frozen goodies yesterday.

With Mikey at preschool, I looked for four leaf clovers with his brother Johnny, and then we played circus in the yard. This involved a hula hoop and a variety of balls unearthed from under the deck. Not only was this entertaining (for the neighbors I am sure) but it also tired out the child. Johnny took a three-hour-nap. That's right - THREE hours! I was almost giddy to the point of feeling guilty. Almost.

Back to Basics...

Finally, I am getting a layout done for Ebay! I have been crazy busy working on Etsy with my sister (the Poet's Daughter) and doing local arts fairs, that I have been "going to make a layout" for ages. So here it is...

I love paper dolls, and this sweet little trio is just the right touch to this floral layout.

My sis and I are heading to the Farmer's Market in Flint, which was soooo much fun last week. I hope we have another gorgeous day!

Eight Days a Week...

The Beatles had it right - eight days a week would be lovely, if not only to love but to craft as well! Actually, I think I would like not only the extra day, but better yet more hours in that day. And tell the rest of the world to time out a minute so I can sneak a nap in there somewhere, so I can stay up later and get more done...

I know I can't be the only one who wants more time. More time to create, more time with the kids, more time to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer... but I digress. I wonder, though, if I had more time, would I use it wisely? It is my New Year's Resolution (I know, I know - it is almost May) to manage my time better. I just keep thinking I'll start managing my time better once I get "caught up."

I hear you snickering.

What I have come to realize is that even if I had 49 hours each day, I would still be "behind" only because I have 50 things I want to do each day. I get easily sidetracked, to put it mildly. I will start with thinking I want to work with paper, then make some flowers, then decide I should add a charm in the middle, then bust out my clay supplies, then want to go online to shop for a new mold, then stumble upon a blog with tips for clay that also has tips for soldering, then the next thing you know, I am on the hunt for microscope slides, then remember that I have some already in my Cupboard of Good Intentions where I then find those oversized playing cards I meant to make art dolls with.... so then I decide I need to clean my studio so I can find those metal shoe charms that would be perfect feet for the doll that is dancing in my head, but instead find some random paper on my worktable that would make a perfect skirt for that miniature dress form... But wait-

... that paper was supposed to be used for those paper flowers. Oops. Maybe I should just go shopping at the scrapbook store to get some more paper...

Is there a support group for this kind of crazy?

Flowers, Blogs, and Crispy Quilts

So I just discovered BlogWear from Shabby Princess, and am completely hooked. I love my pretty new header and buttons. I keep looking at them. I keep coming back to my own blog just to admire the aesthetics. Then I feel like a complete nerd, and figured I ought to actually post something since I am visiting so often.

But it is such a pretty view...

Anywhoo, who knew there was such a thing? Shabby Princess has really cute digital stuff (though I am a diehard paper scrapbooker - but that doesn't stop me from buying digi kits. I know. I know.) Upon discovering the super fun concept of Blogwear, I started looking around, and found Shabby Miss Jane, another awesome site. I have made banners and such, but these lovely little sets go beyond just a pretty header or banner. And so now I feel inclined to admire my blog and its pretty new accessories, to stop and smell the digi roses, if you will...

What am I doing browsing blog kits, you ask? Well, I was innocently cleaning my scraproom studio, and then decided to have a destashing sale of the bucketloads of Primas I have, and then had to edit my pictures of my flowers I am selling, and then had to upload them... and since that was taking forever, I started looking around at other blogs and found some true gems out there. Check my blog list for some new additions.

Now that Operation: Destash All Those Flowers is well under way, one would think that I could quietly go to bed, get some sleep, and not rely on three cans of Monster Energy drink to get me through tomorrow morning. It isn't my pretty new blog banner keeping me here (although who could blame me if it was) but I am baking some quilt blocks and don't want them to burn. Got a little project cooking (pun is completely intended) and you wouldn't believe how long it takes to properly tea stain squares rescued from a vintage quilt... I must have gotten them too wet. So now it is after 1am, and I should be in bed, but no. I have an oven full of soggy quilt squares. Of course, I would rather they be soggy than crispy...

Speaking of which, I ought to go check them...

Spring is in the air...

It is 51 degrees here in Michigan, and I want to put my sandals on. Seriously. After months and months of snow, I get Spring Fever when the mercury manages to climb past 45 degrees. Sad, I know. The funny part is, I am not an "outdoorsy" kind of gal. I prefer to cuddle up with a book and a pot of coffee, cozy fireplace, and a supply of chocolate nearby. It is absolutely delightful - for the first three months. But by February...

Lush landscapes and festoons of flowers are what I want :)

You make me smile...

I say this all the time to Johnny, my little boy. He makes me smile with the silly things he says and does. He always has some contraption he wants to make, a game to play, a story to act out, or a costume party for us to attend instead of taking a nap!

This idea, along with some of the altered art and found items I have been playing with lately, were the inspiration for my latest layout. While done in pinks, and more suitable for a little girl, I loved how the title worked out with the game pieces and various flowers...