How Sweet It Is

How many times have you said to yourself, "I wish I had...",

"That would have been so neat!", or "If only I had the time"?

I have been planning Bella's first Birthday Bash for weeks knowing that there would be issues with time not only for me but also for the participants.

This was one celebration, silly as it was, that I didn't want to let go by - Bella would only be one once and even though she could care less about a party (let's face it every day is a party for Bella) I didn't want to let the day go by without making her feel special.

So I put down my stamps, turned off the computer, closed my eyes to the dusty furniture, heavily weed hewn gardens and found my favorite sugar cookie recipe to bake some tasty treats for all Bella's "people" friends.

Once the guests arrived, we were going to play games of chase the puppy, fetch, frisbee, ball, and of course the inevitable " catch me if you can" and then off to Dairy Bar, our favorite outdoor ice cream stand for a vanilla cone....it would be Bella's first taste of this frozen treat!

102 cookies later, heavy rainstorms flooded the streets that kept our original guests away, the muddy puddles in the backyard were so deep they were quickly inhabited by Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their brood along with the fact that Bella had came down with an upset tummy - too much excitement I suppose.

Still we had her party it just didn't go the way we had originally planned. She shared her birthday cookies and goodie bags with all our neighbors and their children at our annual block party later that evening when the skies cleared. Bella spent the night running, chasing and playing with children of various ages. The kids on the street sang "Happy birthday to Bella "and one little girl even made her a birthday card.

We never got to the Dairy Bar for her first ice cream treat but I don't think she minded since she fell asleep in my lap with a soft smile on her face later that night. When the flood waters receded, her brothers and sisters came by the next day to celebrate with a game of chase in the backyard a good belly rub. She thanked them with warm licks and kisses to which we all said "Oooooooh".

It was a perfectly sweet 1st Birthday Bash regardless as both Bella and I got exactly what we have always wanted - each other. Life doesn't get any sweeter than that.

Here's a little advice from Bella Boo "Have a cookie and celebrate the ones you love, you never know when the weather will change and you sure don't want to miss the rainbows!"

Laura Anne and Bella Boo

Bella's BIG Birthday Bash

Bella is officially "ONE" year old!

What a Birthday Bash! Presents, prizes and cookies for all! Not to mention the wonder "FULL" goodie bags she handed out at the end of it all :P

As I was planning Bella's 1st Birthday Bash many of my friends thought I was crazy - after all, she is just a dog...in their eyes...

As our family plans our daughter and her fiance's wedding, the same sane crazies are telling me to tell them to elope and save us all the time and the money...

AND then it struck me, "Celebrations are the glue that bind us together".

Celebrations are gentle reminders of how good life can be if we open our hearts to those we love.

Celebrations are the quiet smiles in hospital rooms that pass between loved ones during moments of crisis...remember whens....it will be better soon, hope.

Celebrations are loud. They dance to thunderous bands under stars or high ceilinged halls lit by candlelight...holding daughters and sons tightly as they stumble finding their way through the music with two left feet....knowing their children will follow suit with children of their own....knowing they will love as they have been loved...knowing the wonder of it all.

So on this warm humid afternoon as I look at my very tired but happy puppy surrounded by bones and squeak toys from all our neighbors, friends and family, I am glad that we have found one more reason to celebrate.

Who could resist celebrating a puppy named Bella? Who doesn't want a good reason to eat cake and cookies? Who can ignore the sweet laughter of memories gone by, the sticky hugs of a child or the whisker wet licks of a beloved pet?

Wishing you all a sweet treat today in as many ways as you wish to celebrate your day!


Laura Anne and Bella Boo, who "Officially" turned one on June 14th, 2010

Hazey, Lazy Summer Days

June 1st....the start of a new month, a new diet and summer!


The first day of anything is wonderous.


It is like a blackboard that you can erase and start clean again.
It is like the rain that leaves behind a clean fresh smell and black dirt so rich that your flowers seem to have grown overnight.


It is like a new calendar, new baby, new house, new school, new stamp, new colored pencils, a new piece of paper.......

Life feels new to me on the first day of the week, the month or the year.

This is when the opportunity to become more feels the most possible regardless of the odds. These are the days when I sit down and take inventory of what needs to be done (practical, realistic things) and the things I would like to do (always reaching for the stars kind of things).


So on this first day of June my doorbell rang and the UPS man dropped a shipment of 10 huge boxes of Pan Pastels and the toys I use to create with and it was a "wonder-full" moment!

I can complete the shipments waiting from the last convention as well as pull a handful of "NEW" colors to play with as I work on some of displays.

I can make a card or two for Stamp LaJolla with her adorable Hula Bunnies and send them to her - excitement is bubbling as I write this...yes, I do stamp other companies designs as well - I am as addicted as you all are too!

I can make some earrings for my daughter, using my hoards of beads, bangles, and love....


I can finish drawing my new line - yes, Bella Boo, there will be a stamp of you soon!

OR


I can just sit in the lawn chair and dream of all the possiblities knowing that I have a whole summer ahead of me to accomplish whatever I chose to do.


Hmmmmmmmmm.....lazy, hazey dazing on this first day of June, this first day of summer!


Hugs to all as I dream of warm colors, cool evenings and bright festive filled stamped cards!


Laura Anne and Bella Boo


PS. Please note that cleaning is not on any of my lists!