We've Been Busy.

This was my weekend to be creative. I felt the urge to decorate. We moved into our house October of 2006 and pretty heavily painted all available surfaces. All except the bathroom, our upstairs bedroom and our little hallway. The bathroom because I haven't been able to decide exactly what I want to keep in there, just ugly fixtures, our bedroom because we are exposed due to a stairway with no doorway (I like it that way), don't feel so closed in and our poor little hallway because I just didn't know what to do with it. So, this week I decided to do something different. I wanted to create an area of interest in our itty bitty house that was like "oh wow, that's interesting." So, I decided to do a faux finish, keep in mind, this is my first time working with a faux painting product. It's definitely not to everyones taste, but in our house, we just do things and aren't afraid of color as anyone who has been in our home can tell. Living room = army green, kitchen = burnt orange, my studio = cranberry, Stella's room = dark purple and now (drumroll) turquoise with an opalescent white glaze over top. It came out nice I think and Stella and I have decided to pretend to swim when we sit in our hallway now because it reminds us of an oasis. Also, I created the light fixture from an object I found at the Ann Arbor Reuse Center, spray painted it white and Matt geniously created a thing with cut and bent hangers that wrap around the existing light fixture flesh with the ceiling. GENUS!! Here are those pics. The next project was the light over our kitchen table. The previous light was purchased from Ikea and we just found it to not really filter light well and to be honest we'd just grown out of it. So, be unconventional as we are, we took a paint can and Matt cut into the bottom, bent back the rough edges and I poked holes into the can all over to filter the light. I then took it outside and spray painted it white. Voila, weekend "This Old House" complete! Here are those pics as well.

Testing Testing S-T-E-L-L-A

So, at this moment, my DD is sitting in her room for what I have dubbed "Quiet Time." This is a test that Matt and I have decided to try due to the fact that since she was little Stella NEVER, NEVER, NEVER napped for us. If we were lucky, we could eek out like 45 minutes maybe 3 times a week when she was real little, but after about 1, it went to nada. Currently our biggest issue with raising her is that wonderful thing known as the inability to listen until about attempt #5 when your blood is boiling and now you're actually yelling at them. So, today was the day I was to start the process of blissful quiet time. I informed her of it yesterday and again reiterated it today before we left for dance class. We came home and watched some TV, had lunch and the usual. I had already decided that for Valentines Day I was going to get her one of the Hannah Montana CD's. After about 15 minutes of explaining to her that it was music for her room and not something to put on the tv she was like OK, but can I get a doll house??? Oh, wait, I missed a step, she also proved to me today that she can spell her name. I asked her periodically throughout the day and each time she stated S-T-E ell ellayyy. Yeah, so I then told her that I was taking her to Target to get her a prize for learning to spell her name, knowing full well that it was really for Valentines Day. When she promptly asked could she get a doll house. So, here we are, back from Target, Hannah CD in the player and other than the din of melodic tunes, I have a quiet, albeit messy house. I don't care, I'm gonna enjoy this time.

Here's Meez.

*EDITED*

Ok, so I fell prey to creating a Meez for myself. You should check it out, it's pretty fun. I will leave her, er me, up in the corner for a while, and maybe change her up a bit. Some who haven't seen me in a while will say, "but that doesn't really look like you!" Ah, but it does. I gave myself bangs the other night for the first time in like 10 years and my hair no longer appears as blond as it once was, more of a brunette now.

Can someone tell me how you can go from being EXTREMELY excited and motivated about an idea to AH WHO CARES in the matter of a few hours? It sucks, and I think it stems from WAY TOO MANY to count nights of staying up WAY TOO LATE that my lack of sleep causes my motivation to just go out the window at around 5:30pm during the week. I feel like I work a hell of a lot, but lately my paycheck reflects otherwise. Maybe for me, I need to work when the feeling strikes me and then get back to the doldrums of the other work. Anybody else have a time that the creative bug strikes them? I'd love to hear how your brain works.

*I removed said MEEZ because 3.5 year old said didn't look like me. What can you do?

So much can change in less than one day.

I never know how to be perfectly gracious, but at this moment I feel overwhelmed by kindness. You never know how people can reach out to you when you are in need of some compassion. Matt and I really put ourselves out there this time and people were very responsive. The morning started out with a massive headache, but also with a little bit of hope. On a whim I sent out the email about our desire to get our Prosper loan funded and can I just tell you, within a matter of about 7 hours, our loan went from 61% funded to 100%. It really took me by surprise as this was my third and final attempt at getting a loan. Aside from all that, the outpouring of concern, understanding, sympathy, comfort truly warmed my heart. A special thanks goes out to Mars for the continuous daily support during such a stressful situation, Michelle with a very generous gift that I WILL be paying back and of course Jenn, my coffee clatcher, fellow mother, understanding dear dear friend whom I completely unloaded onto and then laughed quite loudly when she suggested a prescription for Zoloft. Only such a great friend could suggest you taking medication! Love ya Jenn, guess you do think I'm a little nuts. *Mental Note:* burn those naughty notes you naughty naughty girl.

Feelings of Change.

Well, it's been too long I know, but at least I am back. So much has transpired since the last time I blogged, but alas, nothing of great importance. Had an interview, thought it went well, was denied. Very familiar story for me, but it only makes me stronger. I am more focused now with a passion and drive for who I am. I've been trying to really search myself to find out exactly who I am, and pull myself out to reveal to everyone. Ok, a little mellow dramatic, but it's really how I feel. I honestly feel that in order to be successful, you MUST do what you truly love and designing of scrapbooking materials is where I feel the most passion. I may not be up to par in that arena yet, but I WILL get there, you haven't heard the last of me people!! Here is just a little something I was working on a few days ago. I wanted to achieve the feel of the ocean, but in a really graphic way. Also, I love just using basic geometric shapes, it feels so real to me. So, here is a sample. Soon, I will add more. Also, on the DWP front, we are slowly getting our S#*t together. What do ya know, 3 awesome chicks are trying to start a business and we're all procrastinators. Not really, but sort of, just have tumultuous lives at the moment. But, just you wait, you WILL NOT be disappointed. We will be taking over the world.

YEAH FOR ME!

Alright, why am I excited? Well, I may not have won the contest, but I was still asked to join ScrapStreet. I'm glad to join for alot of reasons, but as I read through there website, I am staying for one. ORGANIZATION!!!!!!! They have rules for Quality with a capital "Q." Wow, other places I've seen, this doesn't seem to matter as much, so I feel like this is a good fit for me right now.

The holidays are really close now, and it's not that I feel overwhelmed by any means, I just feel like I'm not able to enjoy them like I want to. Lately I don't have TIME to be with my family. Maybe it's just up to me to get that back. We need a Family Day. I want to scrapbook, with paper, with my daughter.

She is so grown up now, only 3.5, but god, she's not my baby any more. I finally bought her big girl bed lastnight and we're dismantling the crib tonight and putting together her bed so she can sleep comfortably. It makes me tear up a little, not just because she will now be able to get up at 3am if she feels the urge, although we're putting up the gate in front of her door again simply as a precaution. But, it signals the very end of anything baby. No more high chair, diapers and pull ups have been gone for 6 months, sippy cups are on there way out. Sitting on my lap has been done for about 2 years, and now the finality is a bummer. But, now we'll be able to go into her room and really see a Big Girl! My big girl. No more Goobie, now "I'm Stella!"

What I've Been Up To.

So I entered a contest over at ScrapStreet.com and while I really enjoyed myself, it was probably the most strenuous thing I've done in a long time. I wish I'd had the chance to be involved in this contest and not have to work a regular job. It was just very hard to find good solid blocks of time to do what I wanted. I feel like I would have been able to do better work if I'd been able to give myself more time. So, here are the other pieces I designed for this contest. I won't know how I faired until tomorrow, but all I need is for someone to like what I do, that's enough for me. Because, if you have enough people that like your work, well then you have a following, now don't you.






















My designs are the papers sort of in the background. I really like the trend of the office style papers, so I just put my own spin on them, by using none tradish colors and adding some cool elements simply made from many dots of different sizes. This round of the contest was done to collaborate with another designer to create a combo kit. I think it was pretty successful when combined with the cool Rusty Memory elements created by S&C Designs.






















This round I needed to create a kit using a specific number of elements, solid papers and patterned papers. The inspiration from this came from my little brother whom is a musician and the color palette was one I've just always liked. Typically both the color palette and theme come about simultaneously. Not always, but about 95% of the time. I was really happy with this and don't care what comes of the contest, I am proud of what I've accomplished.























The last challenge was to create an alphabet and number 1-10 for kit. I just wanted my alpha & #'s to match my wood grain and look "Well Worn" with holes in them. I think I achieved the look I was going for and again I am proud. We also had to create 2 layouts, one using another persons kit and one using our new kit.
























I used CactusMANGO Designs Urban Tropics kit for this twist on the tradish Christmas layout. I really like it, and feel like it doesn't need to be red & green to show me it's Christmas time.























And finally, here is the layout using my kit, obviously featuring my inspiration, my brother Joe. He is a really amazing person and hope that he finds true happiness someday. On this layout I used a very cool Photoshop action to achieve the photo collage look. It can be found at www.panosfx.com

So, you can wish me luck if you like, but really, I'm just happy when I am able to create, and simply telling me if you like my work, puts just as big a smile on my face as if I were to win the Mega Millions lottery.
Thanks.