enjoying the view

Happiness is using your supplies

2009-07-27T09:36:00.000-07:00

Over at HOP we are having a Get Your Groove Back summer. The challenge for this week is to mix and use your patterned paper. On this layout I used KI girly girl, Crate Satellite and Sassafrass Lass. Normally I am pretty nervous about mixing papers but this came out better that I orginally thought. There is a big sale at HOP so get your groove on! I am so happy to be creating. I am also working on purging a lot of old supplies that I will not use. I am donating a big box to our daycare center in town and to bring to school for use in the classroom.

Enjoy and Get your Groove going!

Birthday cards

2009-07-23T13:55:00.001-07:00

The monster card is for my almost ten year old. I used Crate paper from the Orbit Line, Daisy Designs stamps, my beloved copic marker, stickles and AC ribbon. The sentiment is from Amuse.

Using Amuse again is a birthday card for my sweetie. I used the back of the Crate orbit paper and Amuse stamps. Once again I used copics and stickles. I also used the bookbinder punch from EK Success. I also used the Amuse card since I love the color. Enjoy! It is so great to be able to create again.

Amuse Challenge

2009-07-19T08:48:00.000-07:00

I finally have some creativity again. I went to an Amuse class at Scraptasia and it got my mojo back. The Amuse website has some challenges and I decided to do one. I now have a bunch of ideas running through my head. I used my copics to color in the chicks. The stamp and sentiment are both from Amuse. Enjoy!

School Starts

2009-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

and four months go by. I had hoped to spend more time creating but I spend so much time on WW that it doesn't happen. The WW is going well and work is crazy but it should hopefully calm down soon. Fingers crossed

and now a layout

2008-09-14T17:50:00.000-07:00

Sean and I hit the mall yesterday. I bribed him with a Cinnabon. While he was eating it I thought to myself that I should take pictures. It then ocurred to me that I had pictures of him with a Cinnabon from when I bribed him to go to the mall last year. (I sense a pattern)

I decided to do the layout and planned it in my head during his football game. It came together quickly once I sat down to do it and I love the results. Maybe I should plan more layouts during his football games.

I also want to note that I did not eat any of it. Although from the pictures you can tell Sean was not sharing.

Happy Hauntings

2008-09-07T06:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the so so scan. The penguin is the Vampire Penguin from Memory Box. Memory Box is one of my favorite stamp companies. I used spica red and orange markers to add some sparkle to his cape and his flippers. I also found out that if you modge podge something that has spica pen the glitter spreads all over the image. That is the fuzzy image on the penguin. It looks better in IRL.

The pp is glitz pumpkins. I love the Trick or Treat ribbon at the bottom. I bought extra and made extra penguins to tie Halloween goodie bags.

I have found card making very therapuetic lately. I am the world's slowest scrapper. Cards are faster for me and I have a sense of accomplishment when they are done.

More of the Stamping Bellas

2008-09-01T15:12:00.001-07:00

I really love the Stamping Bella Stamps. Scraptasia, my LSS, has a nice selection. I used pink spica to color in parts of her dress and red for the cherry on the cupcake. I used my beloved copic marker in pink flamingo for the flesh tones. The silver is a silver jelly roll pen. I framed her in gray bazzil bling paper. I used the pink Bo Bunny paper in punch dot. I think I have bought every sheet they have in every different color. I love it for cards and layouts as it can be matched with so many things. The Birthday Wishes is from Amuse.

House of Paper is having a challenge for making cards called Card Sharks. It really kicked my butt into gear for using my stamps. Thanks Chiara. I now have more than 10 cards in my stash. I need to remember to do this on my own. I usually make cards at a class, use them up and then rush around throwing something together when I need one. I am going to make a new school year resolution to sit down and make cards for a stash on a regular basis.

Cards and Cards

2008-08-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

I created this card with Crate Paper's Kaitlyn line. The stamp is Stamping Bellas. I colored her with spica marker and water color pencil. I am in love with Stamping Bellas. I got them at my LSS, Scraptasia. They are great for girlfriend cards.

Another card tomorrow. I will get better about blogging. I promise.

I visited...

2008-03-26T11:48:00.000-07:00

Kate's paperie in NYC. What a great store. I bought some handmade paper that is just beautiful. It was really expensive but so worth it. I hope to make cards with it this evening. I also visited the Ink Pad in NYC. They had some stamps that I did not. Now I need to organize this all.

The Bionic Puppy

2008-03-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

The dogs love to chase each other. Ginger being a puppy nips and nips at poor Abby. Abby is our ten year old golden retriever. She is a big lump of love with a little bit of arthritis in her hind legs. The legs Ginger loves to nip at. Thursday night the dogs are rough housing in the kitchen. I go to yell at them, I hear Abby whine and then Ginger scream. Apparently Ginger bit Abby in the leg and for the first time Abby bit Ginger back.

In a freak situation, Abby got Ginger in the right hind leg. She bit through the Achilles tendon. Ginger could not walk and was bleeding terribly. Luckily TJ is home from college so he used his EMT skills and wrapped Ginger's leg and we went off to the ER vet. The ER vet took X-rays and told us that the tendon might be torn, might be ruptured and might not ever heal. She sent us to the ER vet surgeon over one hour away.

The surgeon saw us at 11 pm that night and told us that her prognosis was not great. The soft tissue specialist would see Ginger in the morning and call us and give us his opinion. We left the puppy and drove home. I am proud to say I did not cry. I was thinking that I did not know that there were vets that were soft tissue specialists.

The specialist decided that he could repair the rupture based on the X-ray. His only concern was that the x-ray did not show whether or not the whole tendon was there. We decided it was worth going ahead with the surgery and hopefully give her a 90% mobility range which is what the surgeon was hoping for.

The good news is that the surgery went better than expected. They found both parts of the tendon and were able to suture them together and to the bone. They now hope for 98 - 99% mobility. The poor puppy is in a splint with a metal rod and an e collar for six weeks. She needs to stay quiet and locked up for six weeks.

For anyone that has read my previous posts on this blog, six weeks in not something easy for Ginger. Heck she cannot make it six minutes. She is locked in her cage and let out to eat, a little TLC and a quick bathroom run. She hates it. We had to explain to the kids that this is for her own good so that she heals properly. It is terrible to hear her howl. But we know it is for the best. And considering that on Thursday night the vet was preparing us to have her put down, this is ok.

I have told TJ that instead of going pre-med he should go pre-Vet. For those of you with pets you can imagine the costs that were involved with this. The specialty animal hospital was nicer than some of the hospitals for people. As TJ put it, the patients would be nicer as well.

Here is a picture of the bionic puppy as I refer to her. The pink thing in the back is her splint. We need to go to the vet weekly and have it changed. I consider us very lucky that she is ok. I love this stupid dog so much. She has been a great distraction for me from the insantity and chaos that my mother causes. I am so glad she is going to be ok.

On other fronts, I finished the state competition with my students. 77 students, chaperones and me their fearless leader on our way to Cherry Hill for three days and two nights. I had 20 students qualify for nationals. This is why I have been so busy. I hope now to have some time to scrap and have a life again.

My dog ate your homework

2008-02-09T04:55:00.000-08:00

Scenario: bagel in school briefcase left on the floor. Puppy eats briefcase, lesson plans, tests, quizzes, homework and the bagel. Family members take pictures and laugh. At least they took pictures. This will make a great scrapbook page when I finish making up all the lesson plans that she ate.

Thankfully my students laughed and took the hundreds and grades gifts I handed out with a grateful smile. I then gave tests on Thursday. The class average was not very good. One of the students handed me a bagel and asked me to leave it in my briefcase with the tests. He was hoping that we would have a reenactment of the bagel incident, which is how the class refers to it now. I am the only teacher in the world that can say my dog ate your homework.

I missed it

2008-01-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

I never realized how dependant I was on my computer until it went crashing to the floor thanks to puppy wrestling that takes place in my home.

Scenario: Puppy and Golden retriever fighting over stuffed toy. Golden chases puppy into dining room table and both dogs crash into the leg of the table. Everything on the table crashes to the floor including my laptop. I was very upset. I was in tears. The laptop would not boot up. Of course it would not. You could hear the hard drive shaking around in it.

Luckily I purchased accident insurance. I bought it because I have four kids. I never thought I would have to explain that my puppy broke my laptop. That is the worst excuse for a teacher to have.

The laptop is back. All of my documents are gone. I had backed up but I do not have all of my documents. I am missing all of the schoolwork I set up for January. I am missing some photos. But I am over it. I still have to install a lot of software and add in all my files that were backed up. Here is a puppy picture when they are behaving. Which is not very often.

You have the best of both Worlds

2007-12-30T10:19:00.000-08:00

Here she is Miley Cyrus. I took the younger two kids to see her in concert yesterday. I felt like I was at a Disney production complete with dancers, fireworks and screen shots from Hannah Montana the TV show. It was a decent concert. I am glad I did not pay scalper prices for this though. The kids loved her. I could not believe the hysteria surrounding the concert. There was a pre concert party in front of the Prudential center complete with tour bus. There were hundreds of little girls in Hannah wigs and clothes. At the end we could not get out of the parking garage because of all the traffic. Our traffic garage faced the back of the arena. We were able to see both the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus leave the arena. The Jonas Brothers waved from their tour bus but the pictures did not come out. Miley left with a police motorcade. It was pretty impressive.

Happiness

2007-12-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

This year was about changes. Some of the changes were sad. Some were difficult. I was challenged by someone to find my happiness and to do something for myself. And so I did. Happiness is...a warm puppy. While we did this more for the kids and to help them with the losses they have suffered this year. I will admit she has added something to my life the past few days. One cannot dwell on the past with this little face looking up at you.

The saga continues...

2007-11-25T05:21:00.000-08:00

Well my mother was admitted to the hospital last night. I got a hysterical phone call from my aunts that my mother was in terrible shape and I needed to go over right away. My mother was throwing up and hysterical. She could not walk and had not eaten in almost 24 hours.

I pick up the phone and call 911. Yet another happy ride in an ambulance to the ER. My mother became beligerent with me. She wanted crackers, she wanted ginger ale, she wanted to go the bathroom, her head hurt, her ear hurt, I didn't find the nurse fast enough, etc. etc. It was a constant barrage of commands. No one else could make it to relieve me so I was left yet again to deal with her and her non stop complaints for hours on end.

All the tests come back. There is nothing wrong with her. But they admitted her. Because she shakes, which she claims is normal, they admitted her for observation. They are also concerned because she was so abusive to me.

I told my brother he needs to deal with this today. I cannot. I need a day to get my life back in order. I also need a day to recover from the barrage.

The dreaded N word

2007-11-24T05:44:00.000-08:00

My mother is ill.

My mother is bipolar. She was diagnosed when I was 20. However, she was ill before that. She has caused scenes at my college graduation, my wedding, the birth of my children, family parties and significant milestones in my children's lives. We have learned to live with her and I am at peace with it.

After my stepfather passed away my mother moved to be closer to us. She hates it. She says that she has no friends. She says that this move has not been kind to her. She gets lost going to the mall and shopping. She gets lost in the town she has lived in the past three years. Every time she gets lost she calls me so that we must rescue her and drive her back to her apartment. She ignores her part in her own unhappiness. If she moves, she will be at least two hours away from myself and my brother.

She has been to the emergency room three times in the past 3 months. She fell and broke her nose, and then she had heart palpatations. And on the morning of Thanksgiving she fell and needed five stitches in her ear. We have an appointment with a nuerologist soon. Hopefully she will have some answers for us.

It was in the ER that my mother made her announcement.She announced that she is moving home. When I asked her what would happen if she fell or had heart palpitations or got lost she told me that she would call me and that I would come and fix it. I told her that it could very possibly take me two to four hours if traffic was bad and she told me that I would have to come because she is my mother.

And then I said the N word. The word that I needed to say. I said no. I told her that I have a husband, children and a job. That I am happy to help her but that if she moved I could not help her the way I was helping her now. She had a temper tantrum. I told her I wanted her to be happy and that if this was her happiness then so be it. But that her happiness did not mean that I would disrupt my life. She told me that her other children do not help her the way I do and it was my job because I was the oldest. And I said it again. I said no.

I have called my siblings and asked them to back me up on this. I will call my aunts and uncles and ask them to back me on this. She needs to be near us so we can manage her care. Trust me, no one else wants to take that on.

But I am proud. Because I said no. For the first time. And if this continues, not the last.

Happiness

2007-04-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

There is a song from the play "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" called "Happiness." Happiness is two kinds of ice cream. The song explains that your happiness is "...anyone and anything at all that's loved by you" and explains that happiness is personal.

Here are a few of the lyrics:
HAPPINESS IS FINDING A PENCIL.
PIZZA WITH SAUSAGE
TELLING THE TIME.
HAPPINESS IS LEARNING TO WHISTLE.
TYING YOUR SHOE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
HAPPINESS IS PLAYING THE DRUM IN YOUR OWN SCHOOL BAND.
AND HAPPINESS IS WALKING HAND IN HAND.
HAPPINESS IS TWO KINDS OF ICE CREAM.
KNOWING A SECRET.
CLIMBING A TREE.
HAPPINESS IS FIVE DIFFERENT CRAYONS.
CATCHING A FIREFLY.
SETTING HIM FREE

Happiness is for me is my family, my friends, my job. I watch my son and see his joy at learning various new skills and his joy at them. I am trying to find that joy and happiness that he has. I hope you all know your personal happiness and enjoy it.

Tenacity

2007-03-24T06:25:00.000-07:00

Tenacity - the property of being tenacious.
Tenacious - holding together; cohesive; not easily pulled asunder; tough.

I am tenacious. I learned that in life problems can either rip you apart or make you stronger. It is a decision that one makes. It certainly is not easy but I have the power to make that decision. I may worry about my kids and husband and family and friends but I have the power to take that worry and do something positive about it. And that power is mine and it makes me feel ready to take on all that is coming ahead.

There is quote that I shamelessly borrowed from another blog about time is wasted being unhappy and it is so true. My dear mother-in-law is very sick. She is a font of strength and the way she is living right now has been so inspirational. She is concentrating on being happy. The pain and problems make the joy in life all that much more sweet. It is a matter of finding your joy.

I worry

2007-03-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

I worry.

I worry about my teenage daughter who believes that you should do what is right, no matter what the personal cost, and has suffered from the mean girls because of it.

I worry about my son off at college because he still wears his rose colored glasses.

I worry about my other son, who will choose a different path that he realize that the road less traveled sometimes makes all the difference.

I worry about my youngest because the world is a scary place.

I worry about my husband who has the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. And the world just got heavier.

What I have learned is that worry can take to paths. It can lead to dispair and feelings of futility because you cannot do anything for these problems. Or it can lead to realizing that life is not perfect. The down times of our life make us stronger and more resiliant if we choose that path. And while I worry about the big vague things and little mundane ones I realized that these are a part of life. I have been told that I am a strong person. I would not be the strong person that I am if it was not for the the things that I have endured. I would love to have a magic wand to make my loved ones not go through these things but I realize that the best gift I can give them is to show them that life goes on and you will survive and even thrive. But this does not prevent me from worrying still.

Continuing Education

2007-02-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

I am taking a photoshop course online. I have a ton of pictures with the dog and the kids that need red eyes removed. However, when I try to do it I mess up. I am now working on lesson 4 which is undo. Being a teacher, it is very interesting being on the other side of the desk. Online is also strange. I cannot jump up and down and get my question answered without going through the basics.

I am also taking a photography class through continuing education. We are doing this together. It guarantees one date night per week.

I am trying to expand my horizons. There have been so many things that I have wanted to do in my life that I have put off. With good reasons but things have been put off just them same. It is now time to stop putting off. I am also trying to take more pictures both with my point and shoot and with my digital rebel slr. I also joined a gym. Just part of the not putting off and my continuing education.

We will see

2007-02-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

Ok, I set up a blog.