Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Well, it’s here. That time of the year where I feel like I can get my sometimes unmanageable life back in order. The kids are back in school and start their full days on Tuesday. Yay! And I can have that uninterrupted time to get my focus back. I know I sound like a scrooge, and I love my kids more than anything. But being a working mom is sometimes hard to balance, and the school year just feels most manageable for me.

The sports schedules are PERFECT this fall. How did I get so lucky?! Both kids have practices on Mondays and Thursdays, so we won’t have to be running around every night of the week like we did last year. Ahhhhh… relief.

So, that is the summarized scoop for fall.

As for scrapping and stamping, I had two friends over last week to make cards. We had such a great time! They were both new to card making/stamping and so I pulled out all of my supplies and we “created” for almost six hours. Fun! During that time, I was able to make my thank you cards for a swap that I’m in. Here is what it turned out to be:

I love that multi-layered look, but don’t always take the time to do it. And that double-stitched Stampin’ Up ribbon is my favorite. I think I need to get it in all colors!! (Yes, AS IF I need another thing.)

That’s my share for today. I’ll be catching up on swaps tomorrow and will surely have plenty of ideas to post after that.

Have an enjoyable, safe Labor Day, my friends. Take care!

A Special Gift-Nantucket Sailor’s Valentine

When the kids and I went to Colorado to visit with my parents, Melissa was given a unique project to work on… a Sailor’s Valentine. My mom’s friend, Susan, sells these online (www.nantucketsailorsvalentinekits.com) and they are stunning once completed.

Did I mention that Melissa is just 9 years old? And her valentine turned out to be absolutely gorgeous! Here’s a picture of Melissa and her completed valentine with Susan. Isn’t it just fantastic?! Her kit was the “Baby Girl” design.

If you are looking for a gift idea (for almost any age), look no further than Susan’s website. It’s a great gift to give to the crafty person who would enjoy putting it together. And it’s also the perfect gift for someone who lives near the ocean, vacations at the beach, or just loves the beach. You could put it together and give it as a completed item.

Here's a close-up of the valentine:

I’m hoping for the “Island Memories” or “White Star” for Christmas. (Mom: Hint, hint!) OK. It’s really pitiful that I’m starting my Christmas wish list in August.

My next post will be scrapping related, so stay tuned…

Oh, to get back into a routine…

It has been a wild few weeks! Traveling for almost two weeks, back to back sure was more difficult than it originally sounded. And to top it off, our second trip was extended by two days. So, when I got home… phew! I didn’t know where to start. I’m just now beginning to feel like perhaps I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

One of my “to do” items was to finish a page sketch swap that I was in. Pressure on! I haven’t done many sketches and found it hard to put this at the top of my list. Getting those done and in the mail to my Canadian buddy, Char, was SO relieving! Why did I wait?? I must not have been up for the challenge. Here's a photo of my winter swap. I was also in a holiday group where I did a Christmas themed swap.

Camps are winding down. Freddie is at Cornell this week for a hockey camp with his friend, Aidan. And Melissa is at Wakeman Boys & Girls club for an all day camp. At least this schedule has allowed me to keep up on work so I don’t feel like I’m driving the kids around all day and working all night. That becomes a vicious and draining cycle QUICKLY.

The countdown until school begins… just 15 days. Yay!! Yes, it’s the most wonderful time of the year… just like that old Staples commercial.

Tomorrow, Fred and I have taken the day off so we can pick up Freddie from camp. I can’t wait to hear about his adventures at Cornell. It’s a beautiful place to be and I hope he had a wonderful experience! While I’m not looking forward to 10 hours in the car, picking up my son is the perfect reward. I’ve missed him!

Catching up… or trying to!

I’ve been out of town for nearly two weeks and am desperately trying to catch up on things. It’s been quite a whirlwind!

After our delightful trip to Colorado, we came home and turned around in less than 24 hours to go out of town again. This time, we were hitting the beaches at Block Island. Fred’s sister, Judy had rented a place for 2 weeks and we were excited to join her for a few days. Our planned three day vacation turned into a five day vacation! The ferry ride from Point Judith, RI out to the island was a little nerve wracking with all the thunder and lightning. Ugh. But, we arrived safely and dried out at the house. The next 4 days were fabulous and sunny. We could hardly keep the kids out of the water, except for one day where there were jelly fish EVERYWHERE because of the warm water. Needless to say, the kids still ventured into the water and nobody got stung. Freddie, despite his usual indifference to the water, rode some waves with Judy’s friend, Ed. We bought Melissa a boogie board and she was attached to it, not to mention quite good at it, as well. Don’t worry, everyone. We wore 30 SPF sunscreen all week… still managed to get some sun, but avoided more sun poisoning!

This evening I am having a workshop at my house. I’m looking forward to digging back into my scrapping supplies and getting some pages done! I’ll be posting some swaps and layouts in the next week, so stay tuned.

Now, I must get my house in order… just a few hours left before people arrive!