Please Don't RETURN to sender

Elvis, please don't!!!!

Greetings!!!

This soooo totally cracks me up, but also makes me happy!!!!!

Sending FuN MaiL! Ya gotta do it!

Who doesn't like receiving something other than a bill or advertising in the mail. With Bubba off at college it has given me a new RELEASE on sending CREATIVE things through the mail.

Even the mail lady LOVED my packaging. At first I thought she was going to YELL at me!! It appears by 10 am she was already having a rough day. I didn't want to make it worse with my stack of : one 6lbs box, a 3.2 0z padded envelope and a mostly flat standard invitation size envelope. I asked her and she said go for it.... create and doodle away!!!!!

I couldn't get the original label completely off... so I incorporated it.

And I left one side blank.

Ran out of packaging tape, and Bubba loves duct tape.... so why not!

I remember a few years back someone shipping a 2 liter soda bottle... what can I ship? I'm on a budget!!!

The only sad thing is, will Bubba really care? I mean, he'll care about what's in the 'care package'... and then that leads me to will he remember that his mom took him to soccer, baseball, basketball, hockey practices/and was at every game... that I created THEME birthday parties with homemade cakes, was his room mom andon volunteered to go on field trips, painted his room to reflect his favorite NHL team, planned adventures to the park and went on fun vacations including Disney World? And sent him some FuN MaiL while he was in college???

I sure hope so!!!!

Gnome-body Knows

Inside it reads: Gnome Sweet Gnome

A fun little friend card!

Gnomes still got it. I have 4 scattered throughout my not so secret garden. Gname the Gnome was on one of my very first blog posts, about 5 years ago.... I'll have to look up my blogaversary!!! I was going to follow the adventures of my spiritual dude because I didn't think I'd have anything to talk about. ba ha ha:0) Look at all the different directions my blog has taken me!

The Travelocity Gnome has a lot of snarky commercials. His cute and whimsical spirit makes us giggle. I even know of someone who wants to be a Gnome for Halloween... won't that be cool... a daring small humanoid creature, guarder of mines and under ground treasures, umpa lumpa-ing around!!!


I can just imagine the fun, whimsy and muse spirit of a hip and trendy Gnome being my leader as I go to a meeting at:

Hokey Pokey

Anonymous

A place to turn

yourself around!

- pinterest

Book Pages Wreath

I'm excited to show you a new paper craft item I found to make (on Pinterest, where people pin their interests) out of pages from an old book. A flower wreath that cost me $1.75 for the wreath shape that I got 50% off at HL. I already had the book, tons of glue stick and the tulle ribbon.

You cut the pages in half, round the corners and then cut a swirl into the paper. Roll up the paper tight around the starting point to make a bud and let it unwind itself, then used the hot glue to hold the bud in place.

Here's the book, I got at Goodwill for about $.50. What's neat about this book is that the pages were already worn all the way around the edges.... I didn't even have to make it look old.

Here's the wreath. I would have preferred a Styrofoam one... but they weren't on sale and cost over $8.... crazy. Note to self: Next Goodwill run, look for wreaths and weathered old books.

Here's what it looks like on the front door. The pages have a cream tone to them. Hubby thought it looked kind of 'plain'. I like it! Sissy even said that maybe she'd take it to her shabbychicbedroom and hang it in there, then!!

Skyped Bubba over the weekend. He's doing great! He got a job in his dorms' cafeteria 6 hours a week. He's met lots of new people from all over the US and even some of the foreign study students. He also found an even partner for tennis. He looks very happy and healthy. Makes me proud!!

Magic School Bus

I saw this card... well really a similar card, because this is the one I CASed while blog surfing the other day and thought it would be perfect for a back to school letter, note to the teacher, reminder of the hard work ahead. I just love to look at these type of cards and try to figure out how to re-create them with the supplies I had on hand. The library tag (I made a template on my computer) can be easily pulled from the pocket and a surprise note written on it too!

The days are getting better, as I knew they would, and as another mother of a college bound kid said.... it takes about two weeks for things to be the "new" normal. I read that somewhere recently too, it takes 21 days to make or break a habit.

I ran into another mom while walking the dogs.... her daughter is going to a college 15 hours away (Bubba's one way trip is 3-1/2 hours and I thought that was long!) She said her daughter was having some difficulty transitioning. And she is so surprised because her daughter was so strong willed and confident about the choice of going that far away for school. The mom was at a loss of what to do, but support her over the phone. In talking with other parents, it makes me go to that emotional wave of sadness again, but it just reassures me that I am not alone... and of course that we mom's love our children!

I'll repeat a favorite quote of mine: Nothing lasts forever- not even your troubles.

Out With The Old

Well, not that Sissy is old... but that old sophomore is gone and the new Junior is in!!! First day of school and our annual at the door picture is complete. Today, REALLY, the house is quiet!

Here is the during of the "out with the old" hail damaged roof. NOW, in with the new guaranteed for 20 years roof. It turned out to be a beautiful day yesterday for us (hot and humid for the workers).

Today I leave you with a word of the day, how ironic when these just come to you via a random email:

sanguine adj: cheerfully optimistic, hopeful or confident

Favorite Emotion

It's getting better! The food is not disappearing as fast. It's very strange. The missing of Bubba and the quietness in the house.... well except today we are having a new roof put on... it is very, very VERY noisy!!!

On my street alone there are 3 (in the cluster of three houses across from each other) of us who sent our oldest off to college in the past week. On the street behind them, two more homes are one less. I thought I needed to do something for us moms. It's like we are all part of a new club.... semi-empty nesters... the first one's flown the coop to college... and ironically the 2nd one.... we've all got new drivers in the house too.

Although we are no where near BFF's, I just wanted to put something together as maybe a common acknowledgement of being in the same position.

I really wanted the bird kicking the little one or gently guiding it out of the nest... but the silly falling and flapping works too. A little doodle and a bit of Stickle Glitter on the baby bird.

Inside it reads: Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion.
- Steel Magnolias

Picture Card EMPTY

Wow, this is really a first for me in a long, long while.... I could say I'm speechless, but I could if I had too.... talk about anything... but today I have no new pictures to post, either of artwork, family, dogs.... I got nothin'.... and let me tell you that is truly a scary thing!

I'm still working on the loss I feel for my empty nest. In my head I knew I would be a mess, but did not know how my heart would handle all this change. I've been doing a lot of reading and am comforted greatly in knowing.... that millions of moms (and dads) are letting their children gRoW.... go... (off to college, off to war, off to kindergarten....)and many express the wave of emotions. Some cry easily, and others just gone about their daily life, with little outward emotion.

I'm not silly (well I am in some ways)... I know it was time to kick him out .... but now after 18 years... I need time to find out who I am again!

So keep your head high, keep your chin up and most importantly keep smiling, because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about!
Marilyn Monroe

In the Beginning

The Matching card

Since I have 'some' extra pretty paper lying around in my stash, (some crafters hoard supplies, can you imagine???) I challenged myself with this mini scrap book by Laura at Following the Paper Trail.... it's like a Josephs Ladder, the album can flip from back to back (not by itself, silly) but you can open it either from the front or back.

Full of fun and bright butterflies.

I often think I should try and sell these at the one day craft fair I'd sign up to get a table for.... Sissy thinks I would be crazy to charge $15.00 for these, although the time involved, it is worth way more than $15.00.

Complaint department!
Whine at your own Risk!


Inside there are flaps to hold a double 4 sided pull out tag. A spot to pull out a tag with beautiful swirls and butterflies, and then 3 spots on each page to put a photo or journaling!

Pretty bow on top wraps it all together so nothing falls out. The matching card is the top pic, so when I give it away as a gift... then that person can use it, or re-gift it with card and all to another friend.

If you create art

You are an Artist.

PERIOD

Bubba starts classes as I type this on Monday morning 9 am. I am so proud of him. I miss him. I need to get a move on or I'll get teary all over again. Enjoy your babies!!

Do not give up, the beginning is always the hardest.

6 Layers

Pretty popped up butterfly on the almost fallish Thinking of You card. I love this Martha Stewart punch and I loved when I saw someone punch out three and then fold two of them and glue them back to back on the wings, and what a cool way to make a dimensional popped up butterfly. This is the kind of thing I blog surf for, and find such great ideas.

Feeling a sense of loss today and all teary, so I will end today's post with this nice quote I saw on Pinterest:

Some day everything will all make perfect sense. So for now, laugh at the confusion, smile through the tears and keep reminding yourself that everything happens for a reason.

Thinking of You!

College kid

Always be a first rate version of yourself
instead of a 2nd rate version of someone else.

where ever you go

no matter what the weather

always bring your own sun SH!NE

Mothers of little boys work from son up

until son down.

Bubba in his dorm room, looks happy, doesn't he?? (Silly Sissy)

Today is the first day, for all of my new tomorrows!!

Move in Eve

Life as I know it, will change.
At this time tomorrow we will be taking the first born to college. I get teary thinking about it.
It's time.
We ALL need to move on and move forward.
I've completed the first 18 years...
It is time!

It's a beautiful morning, the windows are wide open and the birds are chirping, the sky is blue and the sun is warm (not HOT, yet). It's that time of year, summer is not over, but some people think it is. Many moms are saying it should be! The kids need to get back to school and everyone needs to get back on a schedule.

My cards reflect fall, even though that wont officially start for more than a month from now! The top card doodle is a CASE from a SU! stamp. I love pears like this and thought the text inside and around it was too, too cute. And the bottom card is a Zindorf tutorial. She used a basket of red apples, the pumpkin (SU!) was the first thing I put my hands on.

Nothing lasts forever -
not even your troubles.

What's Perfect to You?

I still feel them buzzing around my head! Silly us... I think we need to go Geocaching after the first frost, look what we went headfirst into ( I mean we walked to this beautiful picture spot, but on our way disturbing hundreds of nice little buzzing bzzzzzzzz) .... breeding pools of mosquito madness! We did find two more 'cache' this past weekend on our journey across McHenry County.

Not perfect! Yikes! When I went back in my office I found a pretty button and twine embellishment laying on the floor. Looks like this picture is missing something!

I CASed this card from Homegrown Hospitality I think being perfect or the word perfect is overrated... it doesn't describe to me what it means. Doing things to the best to 'my ability'. Never doing a project or leading my life just partial.

I'm reading all the time and came across this:

Give up trying to be perfect- The real world doesn't reward perfectionists, it rewards people who get things done.

(I'll quote the author on another post)

The card isn't picture perfect, but it still looks cute!

Thoughts and prayers going out to all of my kids grandparents as they overcome their health "stuff". On to a happy and speedy recovery♥

THE Quilt

TA-DA!! The t-shirt quilt is done! Well, it has been done for a while, but it's time to fold it up and box it with all the college 'stuff'.

My mom did an amazing job sewing everything together!!!! I had kept some of Bubba's t-shirts since his first sports teams when he started at four. Soccer, baseball, basketball, pro sports teams he liked, school t-shirts, and ones that just made up his name.

I cut the shirts into somewhat squares and my mom did her sewing magic. I also helped knotting black and gold (Hawkeye school colors) yarn, tying the quilt together.

This quilt is twin long so it should hopefully fit on the dorm bed!

A project that has taken 14 years, moved from three different houses to three different states, for one terrific kid who is now heading off to college : priceless

Leaf Print

The work you do while you procrastinate is probably the work you should be doing for the rest of your life (pinterest quote) .... hmmmm true????

I really love these moss green cards.... reminds me, (REMINDER--->) I need to buy some more cardstock (order from SU!).... not that I'm running low... but running out of my favorite colors, moss green, baby blue, pink and yellow... then it makes me think outside the box to find a new color to create with... which is not a bad thing, but I do have my favs.

Pretty blue skies right now, and it's a wonderful 70 degrees, relief finally from the extreme, oppressive heat of the upper 90s with humidity. We (DH and I) were thinking we had more than 6 weeks straight of that icky sticky kind of weather, with out any breaks. We like a little weather variety here, please!!!

Change will be happening, sooner than later!

My view

With my homemade brew of delicious iced coffee nearby, and the steady buzz of a lawnmower down the street and the hum of swirling fans in all the rooms above me, this is my beautiful spot with my morning view.

I can see things a bit more brightly... during all those storms we had last month we lost a lot of valuable shaded limbs. Some places are seeing where the 'sun don't shine'! I love my view, but I am a bit sad.

In a week Bubba will be off to college, Sissy starts school the following week (we are currently in negotiations about a drivers license) ... all 3 grand parents are in the midst of health issues, the DH is working extra hard at his new job during this econmic upheaval. I am once again easily brought to tears because of the changes all happening, and I am left to wonder what will be my purpose. I've kind of lost my mojo.

It's a tiny pitty party, I don't want you to come, because it needs to over with real soon...

Okay, and so in conclusion... where I find a lot of inspiration... Pinterst and a few quotes

Be kind
for everyone
you meet is
fighting a hard
battle.

Life is
beauty
FULL

Sometimes you gotta pretend everything is okay.

She's crazy, and just when you think
you've reache the bottom of her craziness,
there's a crazy underground garage.

Breathe deep & let go of things.

Chin up buttercup!