(almost) Empty Nest Syndrome anyone?

I'm sure this month has been or will be a difficult one for many moms and dads as we watch our babies pack up all their belongings as well as their most prized possessions and head off to life on a college campus. I know I, for one, have dreaded it more than I could put into words. Sometimes I fear that I'm too much of the overprotective clingy mom...and yet I don't know how to not be that mom. From the time my oldest son was born I vowed that nobody would love and protect their children more than I would. I wanted to be *the* mom...you know, the one who was always volunteering, the one who was the most supportive and the one who was always cheering the loudest. I'm not ashamed to say that for the most part I have been that mom. I've served a lot of hours working in concession stands, going on field trips and working at school carnivals. I've sat for countless hours at baseball games, basketball games, football games and even a few track meets. My husband and I continue to strive each day to unconditionally love and support each one of our children.
So, while I do still(thankfully!!) have one child left at home, yesterday was still a very difficult day for this clingy over protective mom.
It was the day my "baby boy" moved into his college dorm to begin a new chapter in his life. He is now living his lifelong dream of being a college athlete.
I can only imagine how scared, nervous but most of all, EXCITED he is! And, make no mistake, I am excited for him. And so very proud of him as well!

But, I'm also dealing with some major emptiness in my life that is accompanying the excitement and pride. It's now just my husband, our youngest son and me and there is a definite emptiness in our home. Not only is Garrett not here, but  his friends aren't here either. He's not just down at the courts playing basketball or out running. He's not at his girlfriend's house. He didn't run to town for this or that. He really won't be home again for awhile.
There is a quietness that is out of the ordinary for our home. His absence is almost palpable. His room sits empty just as he left it 2 days ago. His personal items are absent from the bathroom. His car is not in the driveway. Nobody is sitting on my bed beside me saying "mom, you have to watch this" or "you have to hear this" as he shows me his favorite new song on youtube. There's nobody doing laundry at midnight because he needs a shirt for school the next morning.
 I could keep going but I won't...I can barely see through my tears to type at this point. Garrett is special...he annoys me more than I could convey at times, but he also evokes a love in my heart that is beyond expression. His personality is bigger than life and I guess I miss not only his presence but also his very essence.

But, like the millions of moms before me and millions who will come after me, I will get through each day and cherish the fact that his dad and I have raised an amazing young man who is on his journey to make his mark on this big old world. I know we have guided him to the best of our ability and he's as ready as he'll ever be to face his future. Go get 'em son...and know that we are here for you always, no matter what! Love you big as the sky, Garebear!

This will be his home for the next 9 months or so

And THIS picture brings tears to my eyes every single time I look at it. I took this after we said our goodbyes in the parking lot and he headed back upstairs to his room. He stopped at the window to give me one last wave. Right as he turned around and walked away from the window he also gave me the "I love you" sign. Gosh, I love that kid...he's got me wrapped and he knows it lol. 

Crepe paper butterflies and more!

I've got a few projects ready to share! Don't get TOO excited lol...it's a new scrapbook layout and a couple other projects.
I'm fairly pleased with my level of crafty productivity this summer and hopefully I can keep the momentum flowing even when school starts again.

First up, I'll share my latest layout finished up last night. As usual, it looks nothing like I had it planned in my head but that's just typical and I've learned to accept that. But, even though it isn't how I envisioned it, I am still happy with it. I put a lot of time into it and made most of the embellishments myself. Obviously, the gems, brads and sequins were not made by me--I'm crafty but not that crafty lol.  I try to be as frugal as possible with embellishments because come ON...they're expensive and I'd rather spend my scrapbook money on tools and materials that give somewhat of a return. I'll try to put a list at the end of the post stating what materials were used just in case anyone is interested. I can't promise that it will be a perfect list though.

And next up is a large chipboard letter I bought at Hobby Lobby for my living room. I had seen several on Pinterest that I loved and wanted to replicate so I got the letter and the yarn and got busy. I admit this wasn't as simple as I'd anticipated. Not meaning it was difficult, but it was somewhat tedious getting the yarn wrapped just right. And, as with most of my projects, it isn't perfect but I'm quite pleased with it nonetheless. I also used the same material I used in the hallway furnace project to make a fabric flower--my very first.
I still need to take some paint and touch up the bottom of the letter where I wasn't able to figure out how to get it wrapped...but really and truly it is barely noticeable when looking at the letter in person.

And the final project I want to share with you are a couple of butterflies I made using a butterfly punch, some plain cardstock, white crepe paper and a few odds and ends. I saw some Prima butterflies in the scrapbook.com superstore and loved them but holy moly those things are pricey! And if I can make something similar then I usually do.

I'm not sure if you can truly see the lovely texture carried over from the crepe paper (basically white party streamer) but I was very careful when adhering the crepe paper onto the cardstock punch out not to smooth out the texture. I was extremely pleased with the result.  Also hard to tell from this photo but the butterflies are double layered and very dimensional.

For the purple I didn't use a stamp because I was rushing just to see how it would turn out but any stamped image would look great on these--especially swirls or flourishes. For the green, I used a musical stamp and it turned out wonderful.
Isn't it truly amazing what can be made just from things we have in our stash or purchased very cheaply? I picked up a large roll of the crepe/streamer at Hobby Lobby for no more than $2 and I only used a few inches making these butterflies. I intend to make lots more!

Here are the basics of how I made them and I'd be happy to do a tutorial later on if anyone was interested.

SUPPLIES:
I used an EK Success large butterfly punch
white smooth cardstock
hot glue gun
YES glue (purchased from sb.com and LOVE it)
Glimmer mist
inks
stamps
fake snow I've had for AGES (like literally years)
misc. flower stamen used as the antennae

Punch two butterfly shapes to make one butterfly
cut off a few inches of the crepe paper...enough to cover your butterfly and spray it with Glimmer Mist or whichever spray or medium you perfer.
I dried mine with my heat guy but you can also just leave it to air dry.
Use YES glue to cover the cardstock and then gently smooth the crepe paper onto the butterfly.
Once it's dry you can basically embellish your top butterfly however you like.
Be sure and glue your antennae of choice between the two butterflies.

Gosh, was that clear as mud?? LOL...hopefully you can understand and if not please don't hesitate to shoot me a message and I'll try to explain more thoroughly.


Hope you've enjoyed today's post and please check back soon!!

Rhonda 

It's my anniversary!

Today marks 28 years from the time Tim and I made it official. We didn't have a fancy wedding--I believe I've mentioned before that my family was not in the best shape financially--but I was so excited and nervous walking into the courthouse in Chattanooga that day! Tim had to work that day but we were suppose to meet inside the courthouse at 3:00 pm. When me, Mama, Kim, Billy and Brian got there Tim was nowhere to be found. I was convinced he'd backed out lol but I was wrong. He was running a few minutes late but much to my happiness, he showed up! It was all over in no time...just a basic ceremony with a judge (gosh I've forgotten his name!!) and we were married. It hasn't been all sunshine and roses and that's putting it mildly. There were times I thought I hated his guts and I'm sure he felt the same about me. There was even a time when I didn't want to be married to him anymore but he somehow convinced me to keep trying and thank God he did...I can't even imagine my life without him. We've both changed and grown so much over the years and we continue to do so, but we're together and we're happy. We truly are living our happily ever after :)

Happy anniversary honey and here's to many many more!

Here are the gorgeous flowers he brought home to me today...he hand picked them all at the flower shop...he knows I love lillies <3
I took pictures from different angles to try and get them all in :)

I hope to get some more scrapbooking done this week so be sure you come back soon!

Rhonda

Back to Scrapping!

It looks like my scrapbook mojo has really and truly returned to me and I couldn't be happier!

Here are a few photos of my latest finished layout :)

This layout took me almost 2 days to finish...There is a lot more detail here than what may be apparent.
I punched all the flowers and greenery, added Ranger's Liquid pearls and Tim Holtz Stickles for some bling.
 I actually freehanded the clouds (don't scrutinize those too much lol) and ran them through the texture Boutique to add the embossed hearts and then used some Colorbox chalk ink to highlight.

 Used liquid pearls again with a piece of transparency to mimic the pearl heart bling I have--I didn't want to use it so I copied it the best I could.

I used Martha Steward fringe scissors for the faux grass

For the fence, I used my Expression and cut one that I found online and then I used an iridescent embossing powder on it...I did 2 layers. It's hard to see how pretty it is in the pictures but I LOVE the fence...it's my favorite part of the whole layout I think! I also used dimensional foam tape to give it the raised look which is also a little difficult to see from the photos.

The title is also cut with the Expression...I used my Sure Cuts A Lot software and the fonts
"Brody" and "Ariel Black". I had seen a similar title in a wood veneer for sale at Scrapbook.com and again I just did my best to emulate it.

There are also some miscellaneous stickers and chipboard embellishments as well as some ribbon and embroidery floss.

Be sure and let me know what you think and check back soon!
Have a great day!

Rhonda

Crabby Neighbor

 Does everyone have that one neighbor who is a nit picky grouch or is that just me?
Honestly, the gentleman who lives across the road from us is always looking for something to fuss at the kids about.

I had a long post I was going to post but the more I typed the more I realized that he really is just a lonely old man. He's not the type to encourage friendliness---he turns his head when we happen to meet on the road or even at the end of our driveways pulling in or out. He lives alone and rarely has visitors. He has a dog that he takes to town with him and he has a horse he seems to care for.

So for now we will just stay on our own side of the road and allow him his privacy.
Sorry this post turned out to be kind of boring lol...I'll try to do better next time ;)

Be sure you check back soon!

Rhonda

Another scrapbook layout!

I'm so excited about having my scrapbook mojo back I could just do the banana dance!
I finished another layout last night...I decided to take a picture rather than scanning but this time even the picture is a little off in color...but I'm sharing anyway! Maybe I'll inspire somebody to dig out their scrapbook supplies and get scrappy!!

and by the way...there's a small typo in the journaling but I didn't care enough to go reprint it lol...maybe later :)

I used lots of goodies on this layout...stickers, rubons, diamond stickles, Glimmer Mist, Thickers
sew easy banner, and more :)

Just a couple of close-ups to give an idea of all the yummy dimension :) Also you can see how bright the colors are in the close-ups.

Happy 4th of July everyone...I hope it's a happy and safe one for us all!

Being a Scrapbooker

For as long as I can remember I've had a desire to be crafty. I said I had a desire to be crafty, not that I was crafty lol. To say that money was in short supply growing up would be the understatement of the century. I still found ways to be crafty--whether it was cutting out pictures from Nonnie's Sears catalog and using them for paper dolls, or cutting shapes out of paper, it satisfied that desire within me. As I grew into an adult I took up several crafts including crocheting, sewing and embroidery. But I've always been a huge picture taker (thank goodness!!) so when I was introduced to scrapbooking in 2003 I knew deep deep in my heart that I'd found my calling. I'm not the greatest scrapbooker--I've never been published, never been on a design team and never been one who received a lot of comments on the layouts I post online. But scrapbooking makes me HAPPY...it satisfies the extreme sentimentalist inside me and I truly believe that I will always be a scrapbooker.
I worry that the hobby is losing ground and it scares me. I see so many of my online friends that I met via scrapbook.com giving it up and selling their scrapbook stuff. So very many of them are taking up other hobbies or have simply decided they just don't have the time or desire to scrapbook. A little piece of my heart breaks every time I see it happen. I just want to be able to reach into my own soul and take a piece of the desire, longing and joy that scrapbooking brings to my life and share it with them. Unfortunately, I've never been able to do that. So for now, I'll just keep on doing what I love and what brings me joy. And I'll keep hoping and praying that scrapbooking doesn't become extinct. I feel it's such a real possibility and especially after the top rated scrapbook message board and store announced last week that they are closing their doors. When I heard that news I was absolutely floored--I was a member there but never posted or purchased from them because scrapbook.com is my "go to" for those things. I'm sad for them but my real hope is that people will realize that this industry is stumbling and maybe they'll find their love for this hobby reignited. With every scrapbook layout I do, I imagine my children, grandchildren and so forth as they look back on my thoughts and my memories--I hope these albums bring them as much joy to look at as they bring me while creating them.

And with that being said, here are 2 layouts that I've done this week. And I'm about to start a new one :)

Happy Scrapping everybody!

NOTE: the bear paper piecing was made using a file I bought from Miss Kate Cuttables @

cute bear

The ol' "shampoo switch-a-roo"

Ok I admit it...I'm a shampoo hopper. I rarely buy the same brand or type shampoo twice in a row. Not sure why I do that but it's the way I've always been with shampoo...which is odd because I'm pretty much brand loyal with most products I purchase. I have to really be enticed and wowed to switch because I'm just leery of spending money on something I've never bought before and being unhappy with which would mean money wasted. SO a couple months back I got some shampoo that I absolutely FELL.IN.LOVE. with....bought it I think 3 times in a row which is almost unheard of for me. But seriously, I loved it! And since I know you're dying to know what incredible shampoo captivated me , here it is...

Yep...good old SUAVE :)  Seriously, loved this stuff ^^ And not only did it meet all my shampoo needs, it smells heavenly...I'm talking about sneaking and sniffing your own hair heavenly.

So while on a shopping trip to WalMart (don't be a hater, we don't have a lot of shopping options around here), I decided I better pick up another bottle since I was getting low. You know how WM is...seems like everything you want to look at there are 5 people already standing there. Happens to me every single time! And of course they move all the products around periodically (which drives me INSANE!!!!) so you have to really search for what you need. And thus all odds were against me on this shopping day. The aisle was crowded and everything had been moved. But I pushed through determined not to leave without my now favorite shampoo...hey, having a shampoo you love is a great feeling lol. I spotted it down below just a big and snatched it up and tossed into my buggy never giving it another thought.
That is until I opened it up and lathered my hair up during my shower the other day. I was brokenhearted to realize that I had grabbed the wrong shampoo :( :( :(   While I accept my share of the responsibility for this terrible shampoo mix up fiasco, I am also certain that Suave was trying to trick me into buying the stinky shampoo by placing it in the exact color bottle....shame on them! I may never recover from this shampoo switch a roo.

But being the frugal type that I am I thought I'd finish up the bottle and then hopefully find the shampoo I loved again. But I'm here to tell you friends, as I was showering today and having to endure the scent of this impostor shampoo I came to the conclusion that life is way way too short to be washing our hair with stinky shampoo. Seriously. Ain't nobody got time for that, right?
So this shampoo will make its way into the other bathroom and perhaps the boys won't notice or care that it stinks...they're boys after all.
I am now hoping that the shampoo fairies will look favorably upon me and my hair and the shampoo I love will still be available...wish me luck on my shampoo quest!

disclaimer: Just because "I" don't like this particular shampoo doesn't mean you won't.  Don't let my personal opinion hinder your purchase :)