little gi

total blathering idiot...

that's what i'm sure maria from scrapbooks etc. thinks of me...

i got a call today ***insert HUGE grin here*** requesting one of my kenner road layouts for their "make it yours" section (i LOVE that section!).....seriously....i'm freaking out!!!!! 

& i guess when i'm all freaked out i sound like a total blathering idiot....

maybe maria would understand if she knew that this was what i was dealing with :)

ryan thought it would be super great to do some facepainting on kate with highlighters :)

yep....never a dull moment around here...lol

hope you are having a happy tuesday!

xoxo

g

monday finds....

i've got lots of crafting to do this week since my tarisota box just arrived on saturday plus i have a special project due on wednesday & i'm up on board next week for onelittleword...whew!  my sewing machine is going to be getting a workout :)

i put up a post on the kenner road blog today...hope you like it :)

oooh & check out these cool links i've found recently...

* this project is SO fantastic....oooh i want to make this so badly....

* this jam jar topper is the cutest thing....what a great hostess gift!  wouldn't a little green christmas tree be the sweetest on top?  with maybe some cranberry chutney inside or something?

* omgosh these little skirts are the sweetest!  & the owner does bi-weekly give-a-ways...how fantastic!

* donna downey has really been inspiring me lately...one of her latest projects using pieces of canvas in an album is just spectacular...canvas is on my shopping list now :)

* these witch hat treats look so cute & yummy too :)

& i have to mention my philadelphia phillies....going for the WORLD SERIES tonight BABY!!!!!!!!
GO PHILLY!!!!!!!!

happy monday!

xoxo

gi

i love ny :)

i do....
i really, really do....

it is peak leaf peeping time here & i absolutely love it....i'm sitting here on my couch & just glanced outside the sliding glass door & it is unbelievably gorgeous outside...bright blue sun, leaves falling carpeting the ground with gold, orange, red, brown...i love it....

plan to soak in as much of the gorgeousness this weekend because it will be gone in the blink of an eye :)

friday fill in time :)
1.  Right now, I'm feeling hungry (as usual...lol).
2. Right here, right now is where I want to be.
3.  How does one organize & store their photo files?  i suck at that
4. Creating a list keeps me on track.
5.  Please don't eat the corner pieces of the brownie batch...i love those.
6.  Watching my kids enjoy childhood fills me with joy.
7.  And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to the reading pajama party at the kids' school, tomorrow my plans include soup making, scrapbooking, shopping & drinking red wine while watching the wire and Sunday, I want to have a fantastic time tailgating & having fun at the turkey bowl! it is our town's pee-wee football team's last game of the season...they have lost every single game, but they are so adorable & try so hard, seriously they are the cutest little guys...here's hoping for some touchdown celebrations this sunday :)

eta....check out this fantastic blog for some really awesome tutorials!!!  fabric & felt is calling me i think :) 

oh...& jessi...this is for you :)

have a happy friday!

xoxoxo

gi

it's thursday????

for real???

how the heck did that happen????

totally scatterbrained today so beware reading below...lol

i totally want this whole outfit...the shirt, the jeans, the bag, the shoes...everything...
do people still say outfit?  maybe i should say ensemble (make sure to say it all french like too)
anyways....isn't this gorgeous???

it definitely passes my "but can it be worn with jeans???" test...lol

last night i went to see the secret life of bees with a friend...so fun...i loved the book, never wanted it to end & the movie was a good depiction of the book actually...really enjoyable....totally love queen latifah in the role of august boatright...she did a fantastic portrayal

talked to my girl, ker, on the phone the other night for 4 hours...had to switch ears numerous times...lol...but oh it was great...i miss her terribly...she needs to get a freaking web cam so we can have monday morning coffee together each week...

spoke to another one of my favorite people, ronda, today....ah....what i would give to just be able to swing around to the local starbucks & meet my favorite women for a cuppa....THAT truly would be awesome...

did 5 miles yesterday & have to do another 5 tonight if i'm going to make my 75 miles for october...too bad all i feel like doing is curling up on the couch with survivor & the j.crew catalog....& eating halloween candy...can't forget the halloween candy...i'm definitely going to have to wear that shirt above UNtucked...lol!!

happy thursday!

xoxoxo

g

since i'm home for 4.2 seconds....

these past 5 days have been CRAZY busy...CRAZY full....CRAZY CRAZY....
i think i've spent the majority of the time in the truck....
or fiddling with seat belts in the truck...
and listening to "mama mia song"...

today is catch up day....
i have to catch up on my miles...because of the crazy schedule since friday morning i haven't been able to log any in & it is starting to make me nuts...i have gotten to the point where i need to run...i miss that pounding sound of my feet on the treadmill...the focusing on my breathing...the challenge & the accomplishment...i miss john stewart...lol
i have to catch up on the pile of papers that is steadily growing in my catch everything basket...
i have to...i want to catch up on recording my special memories in my everyday loves book...like when kate woke up from her nap & was looking for her roll over puppy....

umm...kate you don't have one?...
but mommy...i was playing with it in my bed...where my roll over pup-py?
roll over puppy?  you mean the one you saw on the commercial? 
sweetie you must have been dreaming!

or when kelly came home with some schoolwork where she had to list 2 wishes she would make if she found a magic pumpkin...she wrote:

i would wish for a horse and lots of candy corn

or how every single day when ryan gets off the bus he stands in the driveway & waves as it pulls away & then immidately runs up the steps, drops his backpack & runs onto the lawn to jump & play in the leaves...

yes...my days have been crazy busy...they've been flying by...but that have been chock full of good stuff...

which brings me to today's word up over at onelittleword...
jessi's turn this time & she chose a good one....IMAGINE...
at first i was stuck....just singing john lennon's song in my head over & over again...
& then i balked at it...thinking of something like "stop just imagining & get off your butt & DO something"...
but then it came to me as i pulled out my photos & sat down to scrap...
i saw our family photo from our hike last weekend & it struck me....
how different my life is than i could have ever imagined...how different I am than i ever could have imagined...
how when i used to think of growing up & being a wife & mother, i could never have imagined how it would change me...how my heart would grow so big that just even trying to describe how much i love & treasure my family, tears well up in my eyes & i am profoundly aware of just how freaking lucky i am....
how at church on sunday i am on my knees in front of that cross repeating over & over again..."thank you...thank you...thank you..."

when i was younger i may have focused on the material....the "having" of stuff when i got older & had a family....maybe i focused on what the requirements would be....what the expectations would be...
maybe i thought that was it...the stuff....the role...the stereotype...the whole image...

but now i am so accutely aware that all of that is so superflous to me...
yes it would be great to have a house out of the pottery barn catalog & a cleaning crew to go with it...
but if you asked me to make a wish...i would wish for the health & happiness of my family every.single.time...guaranteed...& i guess i'm still surprised that when it boils down to it, that is me...because i guess i never really imagined it would be....

so thanks jessi for this word...

now i'm off for a run before ryan's bus gets here...

hope you all have a wonderful day :)

xoxo

gi

p.s...thanks everyone so much for the "feel better" wishes...i'm feeling much better this week :)

the spark is sparking...

just a little bit today....

& it is totally spurred on by the following:)

* ngaire's post on aussie scrapbooking the other day...
i think i've got a date w/ some fabric today to make these :)

 

* isn't this fantastic!

 

& i think i've got a date w/ some paper today to make more cards for my spinner :)

* this paper flower tutorial....ummm...GORGEOUS!!!!  how beautiful would that look w/ double sided paper???!!!  i'm totally diving into my kenner road willowside today & creating some more :)

* my friend, petrina, has created the most fabulous chipboard embellishments...i've got some right here to play with & i think today is the day....especially after seeing what patty did with them!  omgosh...LOVE!!!!!!

& here is a little something i created for a friend's birthday with my kenner road goodies

i can feel it...today is going to be a good day :)

hope yours is too!!!

xoxoxo

gi

in a fog & attempting to scrap....

i'm still a bit behind the 8 ball with this sinus infection but i'm trying to create since kenner road's new kits launch tonight at midnight...unfortunately my mojo has gone missing...& that is a bit frustrating at the moment because i've got gorgeous willowside & bramble staring at me....i'm trying to just scrap right on through it...that old bite the hair of the dog philosophy i guess...lol

so far i've got:

the above layout is completely inspired by davinie fiero...i LOVE her work & her most recent layouts for studio calico completely blew me away...i had to try her paper ruffle :)

ran another 4 miles this morning..so i'm down to an even 50 to go for october :)  i'm defintely feeling myself get stronger, despite this sinus issue...running faster for longer periods of time....the trick is to keep pushing myself & not just settle in at a set time/pace....good thing i've got john stewart & the daily show to keep me going...i pop it on & get going & don't notice the laps going by....i had been watching rachael ray's talkshow last week but that is a bit torturous at times...poor thing can cook, but geez!  her audience just does not seem to be in on the jokes half the time...then she repeats the joke over again & it is like omg...rachael just move on!  put the potatoes in the pot!!! 

now i feel like i'm turning into andy rooney quite rapidly so i'll wrap it up here...lol

hope you are having a happy monday! 

xoxo

gi

still running :)

despite this horrible sinus infection, i managed to get in 13 miles since monday....
so i'm down to 54 miles to go :)

& just because...here are the friday fill ins :)
1.  One of the best concerts/plays/movies I ever saw that I really didn't think I'd like was John Leguizamo's one man show off broadway - Freak.
2. Butternut Squash Risotto is a recipe I recently made that was delicious!
3.  It's time for a shower & get going.
4. Mike's hard cranberry lemonade is quite refreshing.
5.  If I never hear the word pnemonia again, it'll be too soon.
6.  To one side of the curving road was me calmly talking to kate & giving her a timeout all composed, and on the other was me trying not to loose my mind b/c kate is completely stubborn & going crazy.
7.  And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a party at a friend's house , tomorrow my plans include a birthday party & running & apple picking & the Wire and Sunday, I want to get to Church on time for the first time ever.

hope you have a happy friday!

oxoxoxoxo

gi

keep....

word up wednesday today over at onelittleword :)
& this one was extra special because the pencil lines crew joined us!!! 

& karla's word choice this round is fantastic...i love it how a new word makes me look at it & examine its meaning in a whole new way...i never really thought much about the word "keep" before, but now that i have i've come to the conclusion that i really like it..."keep" is an active word...it requires action on your part, you've got to be involved & have that strength of will...that dedication...that drive to "keep" what it is you want to keep...or keep doing or striving for what you are heading towards...focus is demanded...staying steadfast through struggle will be required...

i like that...
makes me think about dory in finding nemo when she goes "just keep swimming...just keep swimming..." & i love that...

i love that notion of diving in & being active in the direction of my life...
not just let things happen TO me...
but actively greeting each day anew & striving to make it the best....
& yes, i am well aware that i make and will make many mistakes & come across lots of bumps along the way, but that is where that active "KEEP" comes into play...there are lots of distractions....
but if i keep my focus squarely on what is precious & important & good & true & fullfilling...then i'm headed in the right direction...& i just have to keep on course :)

geez this must be some coffee i'm drinking this morning...lol!!

so here is what i created for this round....
a little life lesson i wanted to make sure i included in my scrapbooks for my children...
something that i think is SO vitally important but can be so damn hard at times...
keep your heart wide open....even when you are tempted to close it up to keep it safe...don't...keep it wide open so you can let all that love that is out there for your taking come right in

hope you have a wonderful wednesday!!!

xoxoxo

gi

go take a look :)

i just put a post up over on the kenner road blog :)

oh & ker has put up some sneaks of the kits going on sale on the 15th too in case you're interested ;)

hope you have a happy tuesday!

xoxoxo

gi