M.I.A.

I've been missing.  I know, and I'm sorry.

I didn't do a giveaway with my March sponsors like I had planned.

I didn't get to introduce you to all of them like I wanted to do.

I didn't post any cute St. Patrick's Day or Easter ideas.

I didn't finish my traveling/vacation tips.

I'm currently 3 weeks behind on my Project Life....

....but I haven't snapped many pictures in that time frame to put in there anyway.

I haven't blogged, crafted, scrapbooked, photographed...in a while.

Needless to say, I've been distracted.  Here's the short version of what's been going on:

In 2005, my daughter's father and I divorced.  After a lot of extenuating circumstances, in July 2010, I started a court case to modify the original custody arrangement.  617 days later (after several meetings with a court-appointed Guardian Ad Litem, status conferences before a judicial officer, lots of back and forth with attorneys and hours upon countless hours of gathering evidence and providing witnesses and preparing testimony) we finally went before a judge.

Four straight days of testimony.  Grueling.  Nauseating.  Exhausting.  Mud-slinging was involved, ugly words were exchanged, emotions were maxxed out....it was not fun at all.

Finally, it's over.  Almost, anyway.  We now anxiously await a judge's decision.  The judge holds the fate of my daughter in his hands.  That just sucks.  But my family and I have been surrounded by love and prayers from Day 1 (all the way through Day 617, too).

The timing could not have been better, honestly.  Court ends, and in a few days we are headed out of town for Spring Break - ahhh...beach, how I need thee...

I will spend a lot of time planning while on our little break.  Planning for the "what-if's", and planning for the blog.  I'm excited about what the future holds, and I'm anxious to move forward.

No more looking behind.  I packed up all the notes and emails and texts and evidence and other court documents that have cluttered my office for the past couple of years.  I have a HUGE weight off my shoulders now, just having the court part behind me.

Thank you for your patience as I take this time to focus on real life, and spend time with my family.  I will be back after Spring Break, renewed and refreshed and ready for spring and summer festivities!!!

I love you all and miss you much!  XOXO

Time Out

Just a quick little note to let you know that yes, I am still alive, but I'm taking a little family time.  Real life kicks in sometimes and I have to step away to deal.  Right now, my family and I are trying to wrap up something that has been a HUGE stressor for us for almost 2 straight years.  I promise I'll explain when the time is right, but for now, please keep us in your prayers.

Miss ya'll!

Meet Bethany from Pitter & Glink!

I'd like to take a moment to introduce you to one of my March sponsors, Bethany from Pitter & Glink!

HI!  I'm Bethany--English teacher by day, crafter by night, and wife 24/7.  I've been creating things as long as I can remember.  I probably bejeweled the doctor's scrub as soon as I emerged from the womb!  Last summer, I stumbled upon some awesome craft blogs while perusing the internet, and I decided that I wanted to create my own blog.  Pitter and Glink was born.  It is my little piece of the internet where I blog about all my crafty endeavors.  I like to think I'm a Jill-of-all-trades.  I blog about making jewelry, refinishing furniture, making hair bows, decorating...the list goes on and on.  And every now and then, I blog about real life.  But let's face it, real life is hardly ever as interesting as pink paint and glitter!  If you like all things crafty, I would love for you to stop by Pitter and Glink.  I'm sure you can find something to inspire you.

--------------------------------------------

She's fabulous, really.  Go say "hi!" :)

Spring Break Travel Tips {Week 2}

Hello fabulous ladies!  It's time for the second installment of Spring Break Travel Tips!  Last week, I gave you a "To-Do" list for travel preparation, such as getting your car serviced, and making a family iPod playlist.

This week, I want to help you get your clothing and supplies together and organized in plenty of time before you have to pack up and hit the road.  Here's how I do it:

First, each family member pulls out last year's summer clothes and we take inventory.  I laid out all of Marley's shorts and skirts and had her try them all on.  I did the same for my own clothes, too.

I pulled out everything that doesn't fit, or I don't like, etc.  Then I took inventory of what was left.

So I know how to shop, I take pictures of my basic pieces so I can match them.  I can send these to my phone and pull them up when I'm shopping!  Easy peasy!  (Don't forget to try on your swim suits, too!)

While taking inventory, don't forget the basic beach supplies:

Aloe & Sunscreen...

...Towels, etc.

You might also want to check your luggage, beach bags, beach chairs, blankets, etc.  Make sure everything is in working order and ready to go for your big vacation!

Also, if you're anything like me, you want to make sure you have a great camera with a large memory card to capture all those memories!

Happy Travels! :)

Twelve on the 12th Layout

Have you participated in the Take Twelve project?  I love it - and I am super thrilled with my layout for March.  Rather than documenting a "day in the life" like I did in January and February, I went a little different route this month.  Since March 17th is St. Patrick's Day, I decided to take 12 pictures of things that I'm lucky to have in my life!

I used a Design B page protector from Becky Higgins.  All 12 of my images were horizontal, so I put six 2x3 pictures on each side.  I used the three 4x6 vertical spaces on each side to decorate my Take Twelve.

I embellished the front side with a cute little key and ribbon, and spelled out "Lucky 12" with chipboard and cardstock elements.

I made a rainbow using mat stock in various colors and a 2" scalloped circle punch.  LOVE!

Ain't it purty?!

The front side images from top left to bottom right are:  My daddy (who I lost when I was 19), My daughter, My mom (that's my cell phone showing our daily calls to one another!), My Thirty-One stuff (just became an Independent Consultant - GO ME!), My family (that's Mark and our furbabies), and Music (Mark's guitars)

Here's the back side of my March 12th layout.

For this side, I used cardstock, chipboard letters, tags and washi tape.  I spelled out "Count Your Blessings" and used a few numbers.  :)

The images on this side from the top left to bottom right are: Our tax refund (YAY!  Money from the government!), Steady paycheck (a picture of my work space), My faith (picture of my favorite verse in the Bible, 1 Peter 5), Dinner (our pizza - LOL!), My blog (love it!), and Creativity (my craft room).

I've said it a thousand times, but I love Project Life.  And I love opportunities to do something a little different and fun, like the Take Twelve project. 

I hope you enjoy my layout!

Project Life Week 10

Hello Week 10!  We had a low-key week, which was nice, so there's not much to share.  But we still had some fun stuff going on...

{Title Card}

{Week 10 - Front Side}

Did a little crafting, a little bird watching....the weather was soo nice :)

{Week 10 Back Side}

These are all from Saturday.  Marley and I worked a Girl Scout cookie booth, then we went to our friend's house to celebrate her birthday!  So much fun!

I used Picasa to do a collage with 2 images - one was the picture of Marley and her friend selling cookies, and the other is a piece of digital scrapbook paper.  I added a little glittery flower embellishment.

I have to share this up close with you.  The picture on the left is wallpaper in the bathroom at the store where we sold Girl Scout cookies.  It was so fabulous that I had to take a picture of it!  It was actually a bunch of pieces of different wallpapers connected together, and they put little flowers in the corners.  LOVE!!!

Finally, this is the journal card I did for the birthday party we went to for my best friend.  I cut a piece of mat cardstock to 4x6, then attached a journal card and a cute little "HAPPY" banner.

I serioulsy love Project Life.  Even when there's nothing really going on, I still end up with a cute layout for the week.  It's so therapeutic to sit down in my craft room, surrounded by all my goodies, and put the puzzle that is my week in pictures together.

Happy Project Life Tuesday!

DIY Cardstock Journal

I've recently become obsessed with *Smash Books by K and Company.  I bought one the other day at Michael's to use on our Spring Break vacation in a few weeks, and then decided that I would really like to use one as my journal.  However, there are only 40 pages in a *Smash Book, and I journal a lot...seriously, a lot!  40 pages would barely last me a month, so I went a slightly different route.

I made my own! :)

I bought a 12x12 stack of double-sided cardstock, Antiquities.  I chose this stack because it has a nice collection of cardstock that leaves room for journaling - you'll see what I mean in a sec.  I also bought 12x12 ivory cardstock to insert between layers of the designed paper.

See all the designs?  :)  I cut each piece of cardstock into 6x6 squares, then layered them.

Time to put it all together.  I used a sponge brush to put Mod Podge along what will be the binding of my journal...

...then used big binder clips to keep it all attached while the Mod Podge dried.  I did two layers of Mod Podge and let it sit for a couple hours before I continued.

I cut a piece of cardstock wide enough to fit across the binding to cover the glued pages.

I used more Mod Podge along the binding, attached binder clips, and set the book upside down (binding side down) to dry overnight.

And now I have a cool little journal with heavy-duty pages that I can journal in, attach momentos and pictures, etc.  I decorated the cover, and now I just have to start journaling!  :)

Pin It

Spring Break Travel Tips {Week 1}

In just over 3 short weeks, the fam and I will be hopping in the car for a 7 1/2 hour road trip to sunny Daytona Beach, Florida!  I am beyond excited - so ready for some family time, rear end in the beach chair, toes in the sand....probably something cold and tasty in a tall glass with an umbrella in it.  (*wink*wink*)

I'm a planner...born that way I guess.  So, naturally, I'm starting to make my to-do lists, what-to-pack lists, grocery lists...etc.  I decided to share a few travel/road trip tips with you over the next few weeks while I plan our family's vacation.  Maybe some of my tips will help you have a great vacation, too!  Each of the next 4 Fridays, I'll be here sharing a little tidbit of goodness with you.

Today, I want to give you a few travel tips to cut down on stress so you can amp up the family fun!

Biggest piece of advice I can give: BE PREPARED!

My list of preparedness looks a little something like this:

•  Schedule a vehicle "check-up" - tires checked, oil change, general maintenance.  Be sure you have your jack, tire pressure gauge, spare tire, and other necessities, too.
•  Pack a first aid kit to keep in the car - all the basics like band-aids, ointment, ibuprofen, etc.
•  Pack a "hygiene" station - roll of paper towels, wet wipes, extra plastic shopping bags for trash (I also use a plastic cereal container with a plastic bag in it for our trash can.)
•  Create a road trip play list - let each person traveling pick their favorite tunes, throw 'em all on the iPod, and when you travel, hit Shuffle!  Everybody's happy! :)  Me?  I like a little Otis Redding, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson, and Jason Mraz....

{This is Mark jamming out playing his "drums" on the steering wheel.}



• Check/plan your route - especially for long trips.  We are driving 7 1/2 hours, so we'll be checking our route for construction and detours.  We'll also be checking for scenic routes that won't kill too much time, but will make the drive a little more interesting :)



I hope these tips help you start planning a great family vacation!  Be sure to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing more tips and tricks for a fun family getaway :)

DIY Spring Pinwheels & Quick Washi Decor

Marley and I got a little crafty recently.  We're in the mood for Spring.  The weather has been warmer, time is changing this weekend so the days are getting longer....I'm so ready!

I wanted to add a little color to our home and this was a really easy way to do just that!  Check it out.

For the pinwheels, I grabbed my stash of double-sided scrapbook paper:

I found a very easy tutorial online at Apartment Therapy, so I made a couple of them.  I used a cute stick pin to attach them to pencil erasers, like this:

For added decoration, I used these really cute mini watering cans that I got for $1 each at The Dollar Tree:

Aren't they cute?!  I pulled out my washi tape and let Marley go to town:

Once she finished decorating a couple of them, I cut a square of styrofoam and put it in the bottom of each watering can.

Then I just stuck the pencil down into the foam and voila!  Spring pinwheel decorations!

I think I'm going to throw some jelly beans in the can to cover the foam - it'll be cute for Easter!

Happy Crafting!