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There are father's and then there are "FATHER'S" and eventually, "POPPA'S"!
Two years ago we were on the brink of a baby explosion and now we are full force into the "two's" with the "3 Amigo's". Who would have thought....
Our family motto is
"You call it Chaos, we call it, 'family'".
Life is good! No, wait, Life is GREAT!
HAPPY FATHER's DAY Poppa!
Thanks for being the kind of husband, dad and grandfather that takes it all in stride and changes diapers without a second thought!
Love to all on this special day designated to dads everywhere.
Laura Anne and Bella Boo
Here is where I stand today...on the brink of the first day of spring on a path I did not choose.
Life's reflections are always changing, just like the seasons, just like minds, just like children and grandchildren.
Life is change.
Change is not always easy or easy to accept. Still, that is what "IT" is all about.
Bend like the willow tree or break.
This winter was harsh in many ways. I am hoping for a kinder, softer, more colorful spring with surprises that await me beneath the icy piles of snow that sit outside my front door. Thank you 80" of snowfall in Chicago for gracing us with your beauty if not your ice damns on my roof!
I have begun to work on another piece of artwork for a gallery in Northbrook, IL. It is almost ready to be turned in and I am excited to let my colors and my imagination take me on a journey that I haven't visited for quite a while.
Pens, Pencils, Chalks, Paints and Masking Fluid fill my desk as paper and ideas tumble onto the floor in hopes that I will find myself. As sunlight dances on the floor and the songs of Carrie Newcomer (check this lady out on YouTube) play in the background, it reminds me that
ALL is good as long as I stay true to who I am and those I love and those who love me for me.
Time to come home and enjoy who I am and those who love me. Time to create. Time to play. Time....Time to grab what I can and leave behind what I can't change.
I want to see clear, crisp, vibrant colors in all that I see, do and those I love as well as those who love me.
I am thankful for the path I didn't choose but one that I obviously needed to go down. It has taught me to be strong, forgiving and kind.
I hope the path you choose does the same for you and that your colors are true, honest and kind as well.
Welcome to Spring!
Laura Anne and Bella Boo (all of us are bit muddy and wet behind the ears and still here!)
A little sunshine please!
The weather here in the outlying suburbs of Chicago has been cold, snowy, cloudy and windy.
My patience, my sanity and my creativity are slowly diminishing as the days drag on and there seems to be no end in sight.
How are you all doing?
Longest winter in decades! Longest cold spell ever! 60 inches of snow and now water damns backing up into my house and leaking in the ceilings in my foyer and living room...
Creative measures need to be taken...pots, pans, boots, umbrellas...and most of all chocolate!
I am sure you know how I am feeling. Even poor Bella has not had a good walk since Christmas!
Hang in there. The sun will come out...if not today, maybe tomorrow.
Spring is around the corner. Hugs are on the way.
Stamping conventions are starting to show up in every state around the country for those of us who need a fix of friendship, fun, and frivolous spending!
Hang in there....hang in there....hang in there, I keep telling myself.
Hang in there....
Laura Anne and the Bella Boo, hoping for better days and a long walk soon!
So here we are, the end of one year, the beginning of another.
I can't believe how much my life has changed nor how much our three grandsons have grown in one year.
They are walking, beginner talking little wonders with big smiles, big hugs and most of all, big personalities. They are my joy, my bliss, my creative muses.
They are just like their grandma.
They love to color, paint, and throw their sippy cups on the kitchen floor.
I love to color, paint and throw the ball to Bella, my puppy, on the kitchen floor.
As they continue to grow and change, I am dedicated to making more fun, more art, and even more music.
My stamping has slowed down as has my time, but this year I am dedicated to making sure that more creative time is put aside so that I have time to play and dream and make.
2014 is the year! Take the vow, make yourself a promise that you will find time to do what you love!
Life is short, so make it wide!
Happy New Year to all my friends, family and acquaintances! Thank you for being a part of my life!
Laura Anne and Bella Boo, the cutest puppy in my home
So, What is your summer looking like?
Ours is one of travel, wedding, travel, wedding, travel, wedding, travel, wedding, and on and on and on until the weekend after Labor Day!
You got it - we are on the road for weekend weddings from June through mid-September with only two weekends unaccounted for! That is only because we will be on vacation those weekends...this schedule is worse than my business convention schedule ever was!
So my workshop has been busy with making wedding cards for all the brides and grooms along with sewing rompers for the "3 Amigos" so they have matching Disney Wear when we hit Main Street USA ! Grandma sure likes to keep busy :)
If you like this card, it is about as simple as they come:
Pick a color and run with it. I chose a light lavender cardstock for the card itself.
Cut your cardstock to 5.5" x 8.5". Score down the middle of the card at 4.25"
Cut another piece of white cardstock - you choose the size*** as long as it is smaller than the 4.25" x 5.5" folded cardstock that you just did. ***mine was 3" x 3".
Stamp your pretty little image - I chose a brown dye based ink.
Copic markers colored in the small flowers. My Pink Pan Pastels did the outer edges of the dress and I used a Blue Pan Pastel for the edges of the white cardstock and some of the outer edges of my lavender cardstock.
I then used double stick tape and layered the stamped card onto the lavender cardstock.
GLITTER GLUE! The best invention yet!
Insert a piece of wax paper between the fold of the lavender cardstock and using your lavender, blue or crystal glitter glue tube***I used crystal on the white and blue on the lavender, outline your cardstock on the edges.
Let dry.
WALA! You are done and ready to put on your party dress and eat cake!
Hope this helps all of you to remember that keeping it simple, in cards as well as in life makes for a happier life!
Good words for the bride and groom as well, don't you think?
Hugs until my tires wear out, my dancing feet are worn out and my tummy is full of cake and happy memories of beautiful brides, handsome grooms, toasts a plenty and smiles for all.
Laura Anne and Bella Boo, the puppy who loves to dance to her own tune
