{discovering} life

Hi! :)

How are you all? I can't believe that it has been so long since I have posted! Silly! I think about it all the time and just haven't gotten a chance. How was your Memorial Day Weekend? We were suppose to go to Lake Powell, but my Dad called the day before and told us that my Grandma fell and broke her hip and had to have surgery Thursday morning. So, we all ended up going up to my parents for the weekend to just be together at least. I was able to go and see my Grandma in the hospital and got some really precious photos of her and the kids. So that was wonderful...she is such a fighter. Almost 93 and so strong!

Some of the weekend was a bomb...but oh well. I did, however, get to go to, Yes, one of my favorite places....IKEA!!! Yahoooooo!! I actually went twice - they didn't have the bookshelves I needed the first time but they got a shipment so I went on Monday - which was a bad idea. It was packed. Yuck! It was fun though - love that store! So much fun stuff and I left feeling so inspired. I got a bunch of stuff to do up the kids play room - shelves, rugs, organizational buckets and such - it's going to be soooo cute! I'm gonna try to work on it this week and I'll post a before and after pict. I hope it turns out as I envision it! :)

I wanted to share this little playing card that I did a month or so ago. I wanted to create something but didn't want to do a layout so I pulled out my Heidi Swapp Playing cards and got busy. This took no time at all and was fun to just do something....creative. I need to do this more! Love the playing card idea - small enough that it doesn't feel overwhelming - but big enough to play! LOL!

Classes:

I have been struggling with getting these class kits done. I keep thinking of way cool ideas and what I could do and then I get overwhelmed. So, hopefully I'll be able to do a few through the rest of the year. But.....

I am so excited!!!

I have them about done! I'm going to order the last of the product this week - I have a lot already here. So that is awesome! It's so so cute - I seriously love it! Is that okay for me to say?? I hope that you like them too! I don't know how they will go over, considering that I have never done this before, so I am going to offer a limited amount of kits at first. If I have a good response, I'll then preorder the kits and make more. :) Sound good? I'll start to also put together some sneak peeks of product - I just love it! It's all my favorite things!

Hope you all have a good day! I'll be back more this week - lots to share! ;)

Another obsession...

I know that we all have our 'things' that we love...scrapbook supplies...whatever it may be for you! :) Another one of mine...is BAGS! I love them! I get sucked in when I see a cute one. I have way to many - I mean really - how many bags do you really need.

Then, I saw it. I was looking through the Franklin Covey catalog (yeah, of all places to find a bag I love) and there it was. In all it's glory! :) I went to the store on Saturday to check it out and my sweetest hubby let me bring it home with me. Pure love! (The bag and my hubby!) It's so so so cute - so me - so perfect! I love it! Thanks sweety!!!

Thanks for all your thoughts about the mother/friend topic. I agree with all of you that you need to be more of a mother to then in their youth and then you can step more into the 'friend' role when you've let them go a bit. I think it will be a hard balance for me, but hopefully I'll be able to get it right.

It's so sad seeing all my fav shows ending - what the heck am I going to do all summer long without my fav shows! :)

Greys - love that show so much! Loved the finale - love it!

Lost - I just got into this show this year and am hooked! I can't wait for the 2 hr. finale this week!

Bachelor - Am I the only one that still watches this show? Heheheee! I do though - I kinda want Bevin to win - not sure why. Hubby doesn't like her. We will see tonight!

American Idol - it's a mix up for me. I think Blake is totally original and like how he makes each song his own. Yet Jordin is amazing too. I think they both are going to go far no matter who wins!

America's Next Top Model - Anyone watch this too? I love seeing their photo shoots and stuff! I really liked Renee - kinda wish she would of won - I just thought her photos were all so pretty! Jaslene doesn't have "it" in person for me - kinda weird. But some of her photos were great. Oh well.

What else - I can't think right now! I heard Gilmore Girls was great - I may have to watch all the past shows! Oh - yesterday I saw one of the old 'Felicity' shows on some random channel. Loved that show! I think I'm gonna go back and get the DVD's and watch it all over again - I was kinda hit and miss when it was on. I liked it.

Any good summer shows? I always watch Big Brother - what else? Hope something is on! :) Hope you all have a good Monday! :)

Mothers Day

I hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day! Our day was good! It started off with breakfast in bed, my fav waffles from my hubby. Then a little present and cards from the kids. So sweet! I love it when my hubby makes me feel so special and appreciated.

We went to church and at the end of the sacrament meeting, our Bishop told all the women and Mother's to stand to receive a little gift from them.

I eventually stood and turned around and noticed our neighbor, who does not have any kids, getting ready to leave with her husband. I asked her what she was doing - get up and stand girl! And what she said to me broke my heart, because I have been there, she said, "But, I'm not a Mother." It just killed me! Mother's day is for celebrating every woman, no matter what! She stood, was a bit embarrassed and took a gift and I was so proud of her (I know her hubby was too).

I remember those days...the hard Mother's days that would come and pass as we were struggling to have a child of our own. Wondering....would we ever have a child of our own. It was such a hard time and my heart goes out to all of those that going through that right now! Or mourning the loss of a child...I can't imagine how hard days like this must be. I admire you all so much for your strength - you truly should be celebrated and I hope that you were, in your own way, this Mother's Day.

So....

Did you watch the Oprah that week before Mother's Day with Demi Moore and Vanessa Williams being interviewed? It was so great - I need to go back and watch it again. But, one thing has really stuck with me and it's been causing me so much stress! :)

Vanessa Williams mother was there with her and she said, "No, I am not her friend, She has her own friends. I AM HER MOTHER."

It made me sad...did it make anyone else sad? I love my Mom and can't imagine not having a special relationship with her that I can just call her up and chat with her, just like a good friend. Of course, she is also my mother, and was probably more my 'mother' than 'friend' back in high school and those tough teenage years, but now...she is more of a friend. And I'm so thankful for that relationship that we have built and that we are watering and growing each day.

I'm so thankful that I get the chance to build this friendship with her - my Mom's mom died suddenly and very randomly while she was in her 50's - 54 I think. My beautiful mother is 52 (I think! LOL!) and it scares me to think of losing her. I pray every day for her health and that she will be here for a long time to come - I'm sure that she will be and I'm thankful for her and her friendship.

What are your thoughts...

Can you be a Mother to your children....and also their friend?

I hope that I can be. I want to be Madisyn and Hudson's friend. I want them to be able to come home from school and tell me about their day - boy/girl issues, friend issues, concerns about things. I want them to be able to be themselves and talk to me. I do want to be their friend.

Is it possible? I hope so! :)

New Craft Wall

I have wanted this craft unit from Pottery Barn for the longest time - and it finally went on sale - to half-off. I didn't have an inch of space on my wall, but when I got it, I decided to take down my large magnetic chalk board behind my desk and put it up in it's place. And I now love it! I love that I can still put my layouts up on it and it will be so great to put up inspiration pieces on the inside on the cork board, but not have it showing all the time in my room (less clutter!).

Anyway - I thought I would show a new picture. This is right behind my desk so I can reach around and grab things out of the cups and stuff. Now I just need to fill this thing up! Thanks for looking! Happy Tuesday!

Oh - and for those looking...

Perfectly Clear is in stock here at Stamp Attic too for a great price.

Winner!!!

First of all,

THANK YOU for your sweet comments about the cover! Your all so nice! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And thanks for saying hi - I loved reading what you were all doing for NSD (or did)! I can't believe how much some of you got done - one layout takes me days! LOL! So fun!

So, my hubby picked a number this morning and I counted up from the first poster - and the winner is...#16

Cindy Kelle!!!!

Happy NSD! I'm working on teacher gifts for my grandkids' teachers. It seems nobody has just one teacher anymore! 3 grandkids - 6 minibooks!

Posted by: Cindy Kelle | Saturday, May 05, 2007 at 11:27 AM

Congrats Cindy!! Please email me your address and I'll send you a book as soon as I get them.

I changed some things up in my studio on Saturday - I'm gonna go take a picture and I'll come back and post. Hope you have a great Monday!


UPDATE: I just saw that the AL Perfectly Clear book is in stock at A Million Little Things. Go grab it before it sells out! :)

NSD & a Giveaway!

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!!

This week, I got a copy of the new book, Perfectly Clear by Autumn Leaves. Wow - it's so inspiring! So beautifully put together - I just love the AL books. Class act all the way!

I was soooo honored to have my layout on the cover - as this is my first book with AL to be released - it was a really neat thing for me. So thanks to AL and I hope that the cover inspires you as well! :)

If you haven't picked up this book yet - grab it as soon as  you can. I promise you that you will be inspired and love it as much as I did! :)

In honor of NSD, I want to give one of these books away.....to you! :) As soon as I get my copies, I will mail it out to someone - I'll draw a name on Monday. So check back to see if your the winner!

Just post what are you doing today. And if you've got the book already, let me know what you think!

Have a great day!
Hugs,
Robyn

GOODIES!!!!

Guess what I saw today....the

Autumn Leaves Perfectly Clear Stamp book

is in stock here at Scrapgal. It's only $12.35 - hello! That is an amazing price! This book is going to be so fabulous! I can't wait to see it! It was so fun to work on - I was totally inspired and loved contributing to this book! And I'm so excited that it's out! GRAB IT NOW WHILE IT'S IN STOCK!!! And grab some AL CHA goodies while  your there - lots of fun stuff! Lovin' all their stamps like crazy!!

Also...

I noticed that the Martha Stewart Crafts website went live today! I finally got to go through all her fabulous products. I know that there is some controversy over her whole line - but if it inspires me - I'm gonna buy it. I totally support my local LSS and online stores alllll the time! :) I filled up my cart on her site so fast - can't wait to get those goodies! Fun!!!

Still sick - got a nasty cough today - sinus is feeling better. I gotta get some work done in my studio today - hoping to break in there and get busy! Hope you all have a good day!