Life In Progress

The Return

to blogging that is.  I get so annoyed with myself for not keeping up with it.  One of the main reasons why I started the blog was to feel more connected with my friends and family because I now live so much further away.  And, I really do want to accomplish that, so I'm challenging myself to create a blog I love and update often.  We'll see how that goes.

We went to the circus last week.  It was incredible, even for me and Chuck to see.  The only problem with going to the circus on Wednesday is that your 2 year old son feels that we should all go back to the circus to see the "lelephants" and "doggies" on Thursday.  He's kind of strong willed so that was a tough one to explain to him.  

I've got some major technical issues over here.  Both my camera and my vacuum are not working properly.  Is it more expensive to have them repaired, where can I even get that done?  Or to replace them?  Yup, I'm clueless on this one.

In the meantime, here's a new layout.  Have a wonderful Friday!

 

My Best Friend's Wedding

  Friday it rained, and poured, and rained some more.  But, the sun came out just long enough for the wedding pictures to be taken after the church but before the reception.  It was pretty funny seeing the limo driver take each of us girls out of the limo one by one under an umbrella....that took a long time.  It was such a beautiful wedding...my friend Jess looked absolutely gorgeous, so you might be asking yourself at this point, "Great, where are the pictures?"  Well, my flash on my camera broke,I managed about 3 photos of the entire day and they're all of the flower girls who sat by the window. 

 

Can you imagine how sad I was when my camera wouldn't work...it was horrible.  Hopefully, I will come by some pictures soon.  Just to give you an idea, of how bad it is here is an image right out of the camera followed by whatever editing I could do with it at picnik.com. 

 

Anyone out here in Blogland have any suggestions?  Can these be saved or should I give up?

In the meantime, here are some photos of a Jenni Bowlin project from one of her kits from about a year and a half ago that I just completed now.  I really love all of the products in here: the soda label papers, the bingo cards...and of course vintage buttons.  Note, nothing about this project is my own original idea, really just a JB Project Kit that was lots of fun. 

I think the roof of the house was supposed to be made with two additional bingo cards facing out, but I love the soda label papers so much that i had to make them show instead.  Remember, if you have any photo editing advice or you want to tell me it's hopeless when it comes to the photos above, leave me a comment.

One week to go unti Spring Break!...I'm so thankful for that.

Little Conversations

I've been spending most of my free time having little conversations with this guy.

 

It's pretty amazing to hear the little person who was once your little baby, having a full blown conversation with you, or anyone else who will listen. 

He knows exactly what he wants: most of the time that includes his Spiderman boots, a baseball cap (which he insists on wearing backward) and his Cars Pajamas or Hoodie. 

He can play outside for hours.  `

When he wakes up on the weekend mornings, he rolls over and kisses me on the cheek.

He loves to "help" me clean.

He watches "Cars" every night before bed.

He keeps telling me that he is a "baby" and not a "big boy."

He can hear and see an airplane way before anyone else does, I think he has some sixth sense.

He sits in the car and tells me the color of EVERY truck that passes by. 

Today, he woke up early, lifted his head off of the bed and saw me all ready for work.  He cried and said "No go to work Mommy.  Stay here, Lay down."  And, it broke my heart.  Even though I love my job, that little conversation made me so sad.    I'm pretty much at the point where I envy anyone who gets to stay home with their kids, and I know that  I shouldn't because I honestly do feel blessed to have the job that I do, but I miss him.  So I've got guilt coming from every direction.  Does it ever get easier? 

Strawberry Picking and Edward Cullen the Remix

IT'S FRIDAY!!!  And for the first time in weeks, we don't have any weddings, any showers, any rehearsal dinners, any family parties, any bachelorette parties, any birthday parties....we can just relax and relax we will.  Until the following weekend when the madness starts up again.  Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful that we have so many happy occasions to celebrate with people that we love but it's pretty exhausting. 

As promised the rest of the mini album, made from recycled chipboard and packaging.  If you want to see the whole album click on the sidebar. 

 Big plans for Saturday night over here...I'll be watching the Twilight DVD, eating popcorn, and drinking Diet Coke.  Seriously.  Chuck and I have a bet going, as usual, we are always disagreeing on the most mundane things, and then betting chores on them.  He told me last week that he would pick up the Twilight DVD for me at Blockbuster because he has store credit there, I said "What if it's sold out?"  He told me I was crazy and that the DVD would not "sell out" and he bet me $1 because I wasn't wagering chores.  And I said, "You're on Edward Cullen hater."  I'll let you know how it works out.  Thanks for checking in and I hope that you have a fantastic weekend. 

A Farmer's Wife I Am Not...

but I love the new paper line "The Farmer's Wife" from Jenni Bowlin.  About a month ago, I had a box of compasses (you know the ones that tell you direction) and I was trying to show another teacher how to use them to teach magnetism to the students. 

She says to me "Which side points North Nicole, the red or the silver?"

And I say, "The red."

And my favorite custodian who just happened to be in the room says..."Are you asking Nicole about how to use a compass?  She's a city girl, you think she's ever a used a compass out in the wilderness, the woods, camping???  You think she's ever been out in the woods?  I don't think so."

Everyone's a comedian. 

Here is my new favorite project, made with The Farmer's Wife.  Enjoy today.

 

  

   

 

 

More to come....must sleep.

ETA: Alexis Grace off Idol?  And not saved?   What is going on?

Idol Faves: Week Uno

Straight up.

My favorite by far...Alexis Grace.  Totally unexpected because she was not one of my favorites before, but she got my vote tonight for sure.  Yes, I'm 28 years old and I actually vote, my Physics students got a kick out of that today.  What's scary is that I actually share that information with people.

Other favorites: Kris Allen, loved him on the guitar

                        Lil Rounds, of course (she's been my favorite since the beginning)

                        Danny Gokey, he was awesome and I LIKED his dancing (yup I did)

                       Alison Iraheta, completely amazing, she made me love that song again

The three of us are perfecting our Simon and Randy impressions.  And I must say, Chuck is getting scarily close to the real thing.  I know we seriously need lives over here:)

I made this after Idol last night for a friend at work.  The baby carriage out of a scalloped circle is not my original idea, Margie Romney-Aslett used the punch to make carriages in a card class I took with her about a year ago.....ingenius right?  The photos is pretty bad, taken at 6:30 this morning so that I could have a photo to make some more when I have the time.  Sorry for the poor photo, priorities, ya know? 

Peace and love.

Sweet

 

A little layout I made for Jackson and his pals from last summer. I usually scan my layouts in to the computer but this time I just took a quick photo, I like how you can see all of the little odds and ends for other projects out on the desk. 

And my (sometimes) sweet little sister KT had her Sweet Sixteen last weekend.  It was quite an affair to say the least.  The details:

-She had Paris, France as her theme.

-She wore a pink dress and everyone else had to wear black.

-She made a grand entrance: she was carried in on a huge shoe (yup you read that right) by my brother's friends all wearing sunglasses.  I need to get a photo of that one.

-She had two cakes: one pretty classic birthday cake, the other an Eiffel Tower.

-She did a candlelighting ceremony where she said a little poem about all of the important people in her life and then had each come up and light one of her sixteen candles.

-My Dad gave a toast just like he did at my wedding, except he didn't embarrass her by saying "Nicole's had a lot of boyfriends" like he did at my wedding.

-She had both of her two year old nephews wear all black with pink bowties and pink cumberbunds to match her. Jackson tore his bowtie off after having it on for 30 seconds.  She wasn't too happy about that. 

-I'm pretty sure she had the time of her life.

-Happy Birthday K.T.Y.

If I Had Lots of Money.....

 these are the things that would fill my home this time of year:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In case you were wondering, I don't have lots of money.  So the best I can do is make my own stuff inspired by these Williams-Sonoma favorites.  If I get one project done out of all of these, I'll be impressed, with my track record lately one is all I can expect.  All of the pretty pictures above are from Williams-Sonoma and you can order these directly from their site.  Can you believe I almost spent $69 on that Easter Tree?  I'm hoping to find one else where for a more reasonable price.....hoping.

I've got lots of good stuff to share this weekend.  Happy Friday!

You know what can totally make my day.....

when my son points to "Sleeping Beauty" DVD, points to the Princess and says "Mommy."  How sweet he is.

 

Favorite Photos of 2008 - Part Two

August - Singing "Happy Birthday to Jackson" 

 

September - Getting ready to sing "Happy Birthday to Jackson" again....for the big party.  Can you ever really sing "Happy Birthday to Jackson" enough?

 

October - My Mom dancing with my brother's best friend Justin at Pam's wedding.  Pretty funny.

 

November - The little man on Thanksgiving.  So happy.

 

and, December - Our first Christmas in the new house.  Jackson is posing in front of the tree, just so you know this is one of like 14 shots of him in front of the tree, the only one where he is looking up.

Are you happy now Mom?  Lots and lots of pictures:)