Let the Rhythm Move You!

Hello!  Long time no see, huh?  For those "in the know," I'm okay.  Mostly.  As is the way with this current chemo cocktail, I got one issue sorted out just to have another rear a very nasty head.  Now, this current issue is almost sorted out and I'm able to get back to my scrappy ways..... Only, that month-ish break really hit my creativity hard.  After watching a metric ton of YouTube videos, and signing up for a class at Shimelle.com, I finally have something to share. Today's share is from the class, Return to the Collection.

Earlier in the Summer, DS had a chance to attend a family barbecue and local parade.  My MIL sent me these pictures, to show how much fun he was having.

Since the goal of the class is to use *a* collection *and* a richer tapestry of embellishment, I can easily say that most of this page is somehow brought to you by Fancy Pants Designs.  In this case, it's the Everyday Circus collection.  The red alphas are MME; and other details are listed below.

• The three monkeys on the bike are actually cut from the 6x6 version of the larger cut-apart page.  
• The red foil stars were cut from a sheet of FP foil paper, months ago.  I also saved the negative space from all of that die-cutting for  background strips on other pages.  
• The wood veneer smiley is from Freckled Fawn; the sequins are from Doodlebug.
• The red stitched arrow started off as a simple stamped image, using an arrow set from Sassafras Lass (as is the image of multiple arrows below it).  Something in me insisted that the space needed to be filled AND that I needed something soft.  Red floss to the rescue!....And followed by a "thinker's" headache that lasted the rest of the day.  
• The same arrangement was repeated in the lower left corner.
• I decided to use the rays of the background paper as my journaling lines
• Also, I used a recent birthday purchase -- one of those mini inky dauber doohickies to edge the photos, paper and many of the elements.  According to that link, it's a blending tool.  Of course, "doohicky" seems to work well with me right now.

And "doohicky" is probably also a really good clue that I should wrap things up for now.  If you actually stopped by and had a look, I thank you.  Within the next 24 hours, I should have this page also posted in my galleries at scrapbook(dot)com AND A Cherry On Top; with products noted.  I'm going to try to come back and share at least one more page I have recently made; hopefully getting back into a groove.  I'm not even worried about participating in challenges this month and I'll take next month a day at a time.  Stressing about crafting achievements isn't exactly on my to-do list right now.

Upid-Head Pinterest won't cooperate....

Good Saturday Morning! I've been dinking around the internet while trying to keep my passion for shopping under control. I gave myself a budget this year, broken down by quarter. So far, I notice it helps keep me focused on what I actually need; and a little bit of what I just plain old want. Since I'm working hard on NOT shopping again until May, I'm trying to figure out what will be most useful in the Summer months ahead -- paper, embellies, tools.... The only thing I will let myself be loosey goosey in spending is adhesive. Since I seem to craft in fits and spurts, I'm not worried about it. Well, that, and I recently learned my husband owns a glue gun and ginormous sticks. We've had a couple laughs about that last part; but I've fallen for his adhesive stash.

Anyway, there is a point to this post. One of the spendy decisions I've committed to is the acquirement of one cartridge each quarter. My original thought was to create a Pinterest board to keep them all organized. Okay, my REAL original thought was to create a list in my planner; only I have no reminder pics to go with that list....and I forgot that I pull the daily notes out for the month once it has ended. Not terribly useful on the go, is it? So, I made a board; only I can't get the hornswaggled images to POST to the hornswaggled board!!!!!!!!

Tell me, what do you think of these?




It's a little bit of everything. Practical for sure.

I just like food.

My son is becoming a B-O-Y BOY. Monsters and aliens are starting to creep out of the wood work.

Another general Summer cartridge.

This has a ton more monsters than the previous one; plus dimensional bags, cartooney jack-o-lanterns, etc.

I think I have an irrational need for robots.

We go to at least two carnivals each Summer.

It just has loads of adorable little fellars doing a lot of adorable little things.

I think there were ten others calling my name, but they were more Autumnal or just plain ol' cute. What would you lean toward?

Also, I've started thinking. It's a dangerous thing, for sure, but I've done it all the same.

When I started this blog, it was with the intent of improving my crafty skills and occasionally wishing to be part of specific Design Teams. While I still love improving my skills, I no longer wish to be part of a DT... at least not right now. I'd like to make this a more general blog. I'll still make crafty posts, but I'd like to write about my cancer journey. I'd like to share my thoughts and adventures toward a more healthy lifestyle. I used to dabble in poetry and fiction; maybe I could try that again. Maybe. I'd also like to ramble about the adventures of raising this child. He's a hoot and three-quarters! If you're willing to hang through that much random reflecting and pontificating, then I'd love to have you here.

Carny Boy

I realized recently, while enjoying the drive to a local carnival, that I am going to worry myself exhausted, trying to be the Mom I want to be. Evidently, I want to be the Mom that makes sure her son has something fun, exciting and unexpected to do nearly every day. I want his Summer to be filled with so much fun. I want him to have a wealth of personal experience to draw on when he goes to school. I want him to know that life is meant to be enjoyed. I want him to spend as little time on the couch as possible.....Okay, and I want to be able to scrap it all. Naughty, huh?

With that desire to make sure my little three-year-old leads the fullest life possible, I started to panic a bit. I had wanted to take him to a pancake breakfast at a local airport the next day, Sunday... in addition to planning and shopping for dinners for the upcoming week, knocking out a couple loads of laundry, sanitizing the bathroom (again!), picking up some more printer ink so I can have a ton of pictures to put on scrappy pages...AND work in a nap and enough play time that he still knows he's loved. The weekends are when I wish for more hours in a day because the time is more precious to get things done and make life worth living. The weekends are when I long for Super Mom status and easily fall short.

While we did not make it to the airport breakfast on Sunday -- I had realized at the last minute that he would have been painfully bored and constantly trying to ride in the planes all morning -- we did make the most of the time we had....grocery shopping, napping and watching a new movie.

At Saturday's carnival, I took well over 200 photos. In the humidity that comes with temps near 90, he road the rides over and over and over again.

When he needed a grown up along for the ride, he either got his Daddy, his Mommy or my mother-in-law, Gramma Cam'ra.

We fueled up on hot dogs, french fries, rootbeer floats and water.

We spent an entire hour at the city playground that was backed against the carnival grounds.

I took time to appreciate the art, beauty, charm and childhood memories triggered by Merry Go Round music.

We also learned how one successfully continues potty training in a porta potty...but no worries. I didn't take any photos of that. Score!

....I guess my closing thought, and what I want to take away from all my own nonsense, is that life is what you make of it....Fun Rocks the Casbah. But taking moments to breathe and reflect will help me appreciate it so much more.