The Nut's Blog: 2008

Monday, December 8, 2008

Drugdery and Creativity

I keep seeing my blog and keep thinking. I need to post something. Most of you know through the message board at ScrapGirls.com that i recently lost my grandmother. I think I am doing fairly well with my grief. But what has really had me out of it is the fact that I am once again sick!

This is the 3rd time this winter that i have fallen sick. I am just astounded! I get mini colds, and maybe one bed ridden physically sick illness a year. But this year ive been badly sick 3 times.

So. Hang in with me. Im here, hiding, feeling guilty about the fact i have not updated in so long!

:)

Here is a layout i did recently to amuse you! I didnt have a red-nosed deer in my stash, and I wasnt too interested in the one at ScrapGirls (mind you its a VERY cute one, just not what i was looking for right then) So.. i thought why not make one? Im getting very good at making brushes. Ive always been able to sketch and draw in black and white. Color gets me though.. im artistically color blind. Anyways. Here is my little red nose's.

Products used all come from ScrapGirls.com: Christmas Past Collection Biggie ; Basic: Brown Paper Mini ; Merry Memories Paper Solids Mini ; A Joyful Season Collection Biggie ; Make a Wish Collection Biggie ; Lettering Delights Martian Mania Font
Reindeer I created myself!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Advent Conspiracy

Wow how this is moving, thought provoking. This year is a hard year for Christmas for our family, as was last year. We have already begun to be part of the conspiriacy.

What about you? Watch this....

Monday, November 17, 2008

Refrigerator Box

This is part of a Story experience, going back to my roots and remembering my stories:

It was summer, hot and boring in the then very small town of Moab, Utah. My mother worked full time, and we were left to our own devices. I was about 8 years old and my sister 6 or 7. One of those summer days my sister and I were playing in a large field near our house. When we got to the far end of the field we found the most wonderful things ever made, a refrigerator box!! While my mother was still at work, we managed to drag the huge thing over the field, across a street, into the house, around the hallway to our bedroom.

Now our bedroom, it was a disaster! We never cleaned it, it would have been my husbands worst nightmare for our kids to have a room like I did. The addition of that box only made it worse! Or maybe better? We had decided to make that box into a fort. But to do that, first we needed to clean up a spot on the floor for it to sit. Once we had done that, we decided we needed to equip our fort with toys and comfortable blankets.

My mom came home that night to find us still in that box. I don’t remember how long, but I know that box lasted for several days and became many things, sky rises, houses, school and even church.

Thinking back, I remember so many days where one little thing entertained us for hours. I know times are different now for my kids, I can only hope that they get a little of my imagination and know how something simple can be awesome!

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Dreams

It never ceases to amaze me how many things Angelique can come up with in regards to what she wants to be when she grows up. Ive had: Mom, Teacher, Truck Driver, Principle, Bagger, Author, Illustrator, Coach... the list just goes on. My most favorite though is when she came home a couple of weeks ago and said "Mom, when I grow up, I wanna be a Scrap Girl." LOL! She went on to tell me how my job is the best job in the world. How whenever I sit down to work, I am always happy. And how sometimes I laugh at the computer. She made me realize, hey, I really am blessed to have such a wonderful job.

Here is my future Scrap Girl. This photo was taken 3 years ago, when she was 3.

Supplies used all at www.scrapgirls.com: ScrapSimple Paper Templates: Creative Expression, ScrapSimple Alpha Templates: Chip, UPPER Case 2, ScrapSimple Alpha Templates: Chip, LOWER Case, Well Loved Embellishment Biggie

Saturday, October 11, 2008

Scrap Girls Rap

I know this is the second you-tube video ... but im up here in Salt Lake City at the first every DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING CONVENTION!!!!!

Lots of fun!

Monday, September 29, 2008

Ninja Cat

A friend posted this on facebook, and its just to die for! My girls watched it over and over!

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Spiritual Gifts

Yesterday I took a test that my pastor sent to those of us who were attending a women's luncheon and discussion on spiritual gifts. When I took the test, I was absolutely confident that the results would show that my gift is either Serving or Giving. Why? Because I give myself like no other, I serve like crazy everywhere, and I give anything I have to others in need.

I was completely floored when the results said my gift was Mercy. "NO!" my head shouted, that is not right! Now, dont get me wrong here, I am an extremely sensitive person. I empathize with others easily, and my heart can feel exactly what they are in any given moment. The problem is, I can not communicate. On ScrapGirls.com so many put up prayer requests, and upon reading them, my heart is sad, broken and I have genuine concern for them. But I cant begin to write that... I just dont know what to say. So, is that Mercy?

Upon reading this description further, it goes on to talk about how those who have Mercy as a gift tend to feel concern more with the person than the reasoning. That Mercy people want to minister by "being there" when others really need them, while others are concerned about why, what, when or how. OKAY, now I am starting to get it. That sounds MUCH more like me.

But what about those other gifts I was so sure I had? I mean, gosh, I volunteer and love it, I give and love it. After talking with a group of ladies at the luncheon I know have it! Most of the things I volunteer for, or give for, are things I'm actually first thinking of that person emotionally. For example: Last year our bible study got wind of a lady who's husband left her and the kids with no money, and only the house. She had no job as she was a stay at home mom, and Easter was coming. Everyone in the study brought in food and Safeway gift certificates. Me? What did i bring? I dug into my case of brand new girls clothes and gave her daughters some new clothes and outfits they could use for Easter. Upon digging deeper I realized, my concern was her as a mother feeling sad that on Easter she couldn't do an Easter outfit. My thought was how I would feel as that mother, and rather than food, I gave to fill a possible emotional need.

So, on conclusion, I feel like Mercy really is my gift at this time. And that God has given me Service, and Giving as a method of fulfilling my Mercy gift.

What an eye opener today has been. Praise God, for he gives each of us truly wonderful gifts, we only need to see them, understand them, and not let them go to waste!

Angela

Friday, August 22, 2008

Silly Mom

I was waiting patiently at the checkout in Wal-mart when I saw it. A can of silly string. My first thought was to buy it and attack the girls when they got home from school. My second thought was about how I dont have time to play games. My third thought was that I need to do more fun things with my girls. So I bought it.

Zoey and I had hid in the hallway, ever so quiet, as we heard the gate open, and shut.... a foot step on the stairs and .........

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Broken

Driving home on Monday night, a conversation with my 2 1/2 year old daughter.

Thankfully the 1/2 moon became full and she was very happy that night because someone glued it!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Heights

I am deathly afraid of heights! So much so, that at times its a chore to even stand on a stool! My dear family just does not understand.

Though I do have to say, there is nothing more exhilarating in life than challenging your fear and go for it! There is such a natural rush of adrenaline, excitement, and fun. Just be careful how you go about challenging it.

About a week ago, my girls, myself and my mother in law, decided to go to the "North Pole". They get to brag about having the "highest" Ferris Wheel in the world. Course the thing is sitting on the side of a mountain! My mother in law was not one to ride rides, and this one required an adult. Of course I'm such a sweet mom, gotta let the girls experience this ride, right?

Needless to say, I was scared outta my mind! There was also a thunderstorm near by! I wish i had taken my camera up with me!

See me?

Monday, July 21, 2008

Quote Challenge

This is from my Scrap Girls Quote/Word Art challenge. Where i give a quote, and you do your best to make a word art out of it. Its a great chat that happens every 3 weeks. However, yesterday was my last day with the chat. While I am sure I'll still show up at the chats, Pat Barnes is now the fearless leader! Go Pat!

Products used for layout:
Brandy Hackman's Abstract Expressionism Embellishment Biggie
Brandy Hackman's Assemble Your Own Zoom Pages: Abstract Expressionism
Brandy Hackman's Abstract Expressionism Alpha & Word Art Biggie
Melissa Renfro's Brian Label words (special freebie no longer available)
Brandy Hackman's Tints & Tatters Collection Biggie
Brandy Hackman's RetroActive - All Girl Collection Mini
Thao Cosgrove's Sisterly Collection Mini
Fonts: AMC_Chatty Font, AMC_Doodlelicious Font, Lettering Delights Hen Hand Font and Lettering Delights Painter's Hand Font

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

A new me.

I did it! I cut that hair! That long, glorious mane of golden hair! It took a bit of work for my dear husband to give the okay. But alas he did! I have measured the braid cut off, 13.25 inches! All going to locks of love!

Here is a before, after and braid picture.

Thats such a bad before.. ugh!

Thats the braid!

There I am! Dont I look purty with my curls?

**(I updated this thread to include the layout I did of my new hair)**
Products used for layout:
Amanda McGee's Fruit Smoothie Collection Biggie
Amanda McGee's Fruit Smoothie Embellishment Mini
ScrapGirls Lettering Delights Hen Hand Font
Shalae Tippetts Dynamic Brush Set: Basic Stitching 4901 Biggie
Amanda Sok's ScrapSimple Tools - Styles: Metallic Stitching 6401 Super Biggie

Memory Lane Blog Game!

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!*

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses.

If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you. If you don't want to play on your blog, or if you don't have a blog, I'll leave my memory of you in my comments.

*I reserve the right to delete any offensive, mean, untrue, embarrassing, incriminating, unflattering, humiliating, this makes me look like a dork, etc. comments ;)

Friday, July 11, 2008

Bring me peace...

The last month has been one of... the weirdest experiances of my life!
*First, suddenly, out of the blue... the microwave just died on me ...
*Second, my vacumn then died on me
*third, my phone deceided that i no longer needed a speakerphone or a bluetooth ear piece.
*fourth, my computer did a simple update, and it almost crashes and i can no longer use firefox
*fifth, i almost dropped out of my bible study as im only on chapter 4 and they are on chapter 11 &12!
*sixth, my windshield cracked again (jeeps, gotta love em)
*seventh, i went through a pregnancy scare (ive got 3! lol)

But those and other things... i took in stride. Kept remembering Ro's new thing "blessings" was doing a good job keeping my head up high, tinkered with the microwave, got a part and it works. Vacume works (have no clue what i did, but it does), found an alternate way to use speakerphone... and on and on... i wont let it bring me down!

But today... I needed milk... im coming into the house, with 2 gallons, and 2 bags of groceries... and... i step... down... on a ... toy ... car... and all i feel is my ankle going out from under me, and actually touching the ground. I have ended up with one of the worst sprained ankles of my life! It hurt so bad, i was laying on the floor crying, and my girls (blessings they are) put the groceries away.

Want to know my blessing from this?

Im resting with peace.

For the first time in months, ive slowed down and with a bad ankle have forced myself to rest. Forced myself to let go that i couldnt make a "perfect" dinner.. cereal! haha... God has opened my eyes this evening to some real peace, that there are times when i just need to slow down and enjoy my family.

Here is a treat for you....

James 1: 2-4
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Fireworks and the 4th of July

The 4th of July is always a special time for our family. It seems its one of the few holidays where we can simply be just a family. We always start the day off with the Parade in downtown Monument. Its a great parade, and pretty cool for such a small town. Then we head home for a little siesta before we pack up and head up for a day of fun in downtown Palmer Lake. This year most of the events like the street fair wasnt on the 4th. So we ended up grabbing a spot near the playground, and letting the kids swing like crazy. (oh and of course we did stop by the Rock House to get our yearly ice cream cone).

This year i wanted to try my hand at getting some firework pictures. I got ahold of a Sony Mavica DSLR put it on a tripod and used these settings: ISO 100, f8, and on half the pictures a 2 second release, and the other half 7 second release. I like the longer release setting, i got some pretty neat mixes of fireworks.

(the second one is pretty neat. Look at those stars, those are fireworks!!)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Teen at 7?

Apparently I am not the only mother experiencing this phenomenon (as i found out in a ScrapGirls.com Chat). Why is it our little girls go into kindergarten and come out worrying about who is their best friend, and how much Hannah stuff they have? Then they go into first grade after a summer of trying to help them get back onto the right track, and all they learn is how they have power, and they can push and prod till they get what they want. WHAT??? My 2 little girls are already acting like teens! Angelique wants to have makeup, my tomboy Sabryna wants to have complete power and control. Its amazing!

This is a picture of me trying to get them to behave (in a fun way of course). Notice the spiffy jacket? and the little grin in the back full of attitude? LOL

I just pray and pray, that God will lead them, guide them. Because try as I may, I am not doing a perfect job. Please God, watch over my little girls. Let them be little girls awhile yet. Guide them gently into becoming women of strength and character. Amen.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Missing again!

I do have to say, maintaining a blog is not the easiest thing in the world! LOL. It has been a month since i last posted. Its not like nothing has been happening, so much has. I just keep letting other things pull me away. Im reminded of that email chain that goes around every so often, the a.a.a.d.d poem:

Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder
Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing. As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trash can under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the trash first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take my check book off the t able, and see that there is only one check left. My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke
that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye - - they need to be watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on the kitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers...

Now I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

-the car isn't washed,
-the bills aren't paid,
-there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,
-the flowers don't have enough water,
-there is still only one check in my check book,
-I can't find the remote,
-I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help for it, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Don't laugh - - if this isn't you yet, - - your day is coming!

So, gotta really begin to use this PDA that i got last month. Its supposed to help me be organized. Do I look organized yet?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

changed my desk

I have had my new laptop since February. Its WAY more powerful than my desktop computer. It took me almost a month to move everything over. I was nervous! I have never been completely on a laptop. It seems so fragile, risky to do everything from the laptop and get rid of the tower. Well... My back has been hurting, my wrists have been hurting, everything. It was time to unhook the keyboard and the mouse and the monitor from the tower.

What a difference it has made. (well keyboard would not hook up to the laptop as its too old! apparently i need a usb keyboard! haha). I have my laptop set up as multimonitor. Yes! Both those monitors are output from the laptop. Its really a neat method. Maybe dh can get me another monitor that we can mount up in the space above the laptop.. hmm... oh Randy.....

Friday, May 23, 2008

Dont Give up

I really want to do this blog! Things are so hectic, and i feel like it gets put at the bottom of the pile.

My middle child is in Gymnastics and she has been trying so hard for the last few months to not give up. To keep trying. Its hard for her, and i see that. She is such an entertaining girl. She wants to play with the others, make them laugh, and have them like her. I try to help her to understand that if shes not serious, then we have to find another thing for her to do, something she likes. She is trying. She really is! If she can keep going, so can I!

Here are some photos from her exhibition that she did this last Wednesday.

Friday, May 16, 2008

I Spy Quilt

My Quilt By My Fabulous Secret Pal - ScrapGirls Message Board

On Scrapgirls.com we were having a few rounds of SecretPals (like secret santa). It was a great way to spoil another person, and be spoiled. If you follow that link, you will see this awesome quilt my secretpal Ann made for me. Thank you so much Ann.

Friday, April 25, 2008

Blue Pansy

My 2 year old helped my Girl Scouts with a plant project. She very carefully colored her pot with a red maker, then with extreme and delicate care pealed the sticky off the stickers and applied them to her pot. I was amazed to watch her, at how these 5 and 6 year old girls have been such a influence on her. She adores the Daisy's so much! She can even dance the Princess Pat.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Dont hit with a noodle

A while back, at my sunday bible study, we discussed the book of James. This particular Sunday, the teacher decided to show us how even God uses postive reinforcement and how it really works. One person, was chosen to leave the room. Then the teacher explained to the class. The man was to walk in a certain path, pick up a paper and give it to someone else. Every time this man did the right thing, the teacher would ring his keys. The man came in, and with in just a few short minutes he completed the entire task!

Next, A second man volunteered. He stood outside the room as the teacher told us this time, the man had to simply walk straight to another man and shake his hand. Thats it! No path, no obsticles, this man was straight from the door. This time however, when the man walked in, he was hit with a noodle everytime he did something wrong. The poor guy had no clue what was going on, he was just being beaten and beaten. He ended up running across the room alot to get it to stop! He never got near the man to shake his hand.

How many times I myself get stuck hitting ppl around me with a wet noodle? Alot! But now when I am yelling at my daughter to clean her room, or my oldest to get her homework done. I really see myself as taking a noodle and hitting them with it.

My challenge to you is to use the keys! Show them positive enforcement when they have done right. Its amazing the change you will see.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Go clean your room.

I learned something yesterday, and have been amazed at how it works! Instead of saying to my girls "Go clean your room," I tell them, go pick up your books. Or go pick up your toys. The first time i told them, has been the only time! The theory comes from when your husband comes home and wants you to clean the living room. Well, I feel like its clean, the way i want it. But its not to his expectations, I feel upset because i dont know what he wants from me. Well, little ones can feel that same way. So I tell my girls my expectations "Please pick up the toys from the floor" and they know what I want! (as with most parenting skills i pick up, i hope this works for awhile... )

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Been to long.

Has it really been since December 31st that I last posted? WOW.

I just ran across some photos, that i just have to share. It was the end of a long day, i had just taken out Zoey's ponytails, and had walked away for some reason or another. To come back and see that Randy has been letting her drink Diet Dr Pepper out of the bottle. While i didnt think that was the best thing. I just had to take some pictures!

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