Commas & Ampersands

It's good to be Ben

Although somewhat delayed, it's still a significant milestone...maybe even more so,,knowing he is ready...

Ben got his Driver's License in September, so Grandma bought him a used car as a graduation present {and Mommy gets to give him the gift that keeps on giving,,,,car insurance :-)

We went to our insurance agent,,,,,picked up his insurance cards, waited at DMV for 2.5 hours to register the car (and pay the fees & sales tax - UGH),,,then off to pick up the car,,,she's a beauty......

I drove it home since it was getting dark and we were unfamiliar with the route,,,the whole way,,, Ben finding an opportunity to say 'my car' in every sentence.... having fun discovering the controls (and getting irritated by the navigation voice!).  He's so excited to have a car of his own and a Lexus to boot,,,,,It's good to be Ben,,,,,Having a grandmother who's a car lover (the first car she gave me was an Audi - my first and only luxury car :-)

So, So happy for him!!!!

Love the photo of his reflection taken while he is putting on his License plate - so serious! Love it!!!

Be Safe\Enjoy!

Where have i been??

 

With all the demands of my crazy career, my personal time is extremely limited and I needed to prioritize,,,,so the blog {facebook and many of my creative pursuits} had to take a back seat for a while. Appreciate the emails inquiring and expressing concern, but all is good,,,,,just busy.

Wish I had the time {and energy} to execute on all the creative ideas and projects, but most weeks I'm happy if I can just carve out some quite time with my family.....

I'll try to post more often, here's one it em on my agenda today (to freeze for cooking on thanksgiving).......I made a sample batch last week and they were a hit,,,,

Beyond cute apple pies

Tonight is the finale of iron chef,,, i've only caught about 4 episodes, but still can't wait to see who wins....  not that i matters,,, Bobby Flay will always be my favorite Iron Chef.....

Enjoy..

 

Delayed Satisfaction.....

Unfortunately I received the automated call early this morning that my flight to Arizona had been canceled.........

I'm booked on another, but won't get in to much later tonight - feel like I lost a whole day of fun in the sun :-(

At least I get to spend some extra time with little dude

Also {since I have time on my hands} thought I'd share photos of the altered paint can I made for Margie - love the way it came out!

Not sure if you can tell from the photo - I painted the 'label' has chalkboard paint and there are charms and a chalk holder dangling from the ribbons.  The flowers on the handle have alligator clips on them so she can clip them to other things too.  And the knob on top came from one of my favorite stores - Anthro!

An I stuffed it with all sorts of fun goodies, including a bucket of bits in CE colors, for her to embellish her Creative Escape album

 

Becoming,,,Nathan

19 weeks doesn't sound like a long time & it certainly went by fast enough.......

But in 19 weeks you went from this mushy, sleepy, sweet smelling, feed me every 3 hours, so I can sleep some more newborn,,,,,,

to Mr Personality.....Mr. 'hmmm this bath concept isn't as bad as i thought'....Mr. 'look mom I can roll over' (and roll right off the bed)......Mr. 'I don't wanna go to sleep cause I'm afraid I might miss something'.......Mr. Smiles.....Mr.Giggles.......

 
 
 
Mr. Nathan Jacob,,,,I fall more and more in love with you each day!
 

Birds of a feather

One of the main reasons I love to attend Creative Escape is meeting and spending time with other creative woman.  We share a passion,,,,we 'get' each other {None of those confused looks,  like you get when you try to explain this hobby/passion to friends and collegues}

So I kinda obsessed over the altered paint can swap - finally went postal yesterday after an additional day or two futzing over it.....
What's nice about the altered paint can swap is that you are exchanging with the same person,,,,
My partner is Margie and I received her AMAZING altered paint can - Stuffed with goodies from my favorite manufacturers!!

I love all the creative details - love the knob on top and although it's not clear from the  photo, Margie added knob 'feet' to the base of the can - what a great idea! All those ribbons and a color coordinated charm danging from the handle - How cool!!!

And if that werent enough - she went totally over the top with a Creative Eascape ENTIRE 8X8 ALBUM!!!!!! OMGoodness!!!!  Margie you rock!

 

I was so giddy over the entire package

to which Andy just shrugged & said,,,,, 
'what's with you and the paintcans?',,,,,

he doesnt get it.......

but that's ok,,,
in two weeks I'll be surrounded by woman 'who get it'....

 

 

Twilight Obsessed {all over again}

As previously posted, I joined a twilight charm swap hosted by the ubber sweet and talented Candi.

So,,,,, as I'm packaging up the charms to send them off, I downloaded the Edward Handwriting font which spurned an another charm idea/concept ~Ugh, why couldn't I have thought of it two weeks ago.....

So,,,,I figure I might as well make some 'extra charms' using my new concept.......

Which,,,,, led a friend to ask me to make her a twilight charm bracelet,,,so more charms

And,,,as anyone who bakes knows,,, it's just as easy to double the recipe (aka why make just one?), So I made a bunch for my paint-can swap partner, who's also participating in the swap.....

 
 
 There is obviously something about Twilight that brings out the obsessive side of my personality........

More CE prep....

Thought I would make bracelets and anklets as RAKs this year, since last year's were so popular...........I ran outta RAKS on Day 1,,,,,, i'm trying to make more for this year...but with my crazy schedule finding the time is always a challenge.....

So I carry my jewlery making supplies around with me in my cute mini suitcase and I'm surprise how easy it it to piece together a couple of spare minutes here and there...

 

 

 

19 days....

Wow - when I signed up for Creative Escape 10 - it felt like it was a lifetime away.... (technically it was -Nathan wasnt born yet ,,,actually I didnt even know I was prego at the time- double wow)  And now it's less then 3 weeks away.......

Still so much to do,,,and I also need to squeeze one more business trip in prior to CE (Tampa)...

At least I finished the charms for the Twilight charm swap

 

I should have the paintcan packaged up and ready to go postal by tomorrow and will post a photo...

Here's little Mr. Independent....his first meal with 'solid' food and already he wants to feed himself

 

38 days and counting

 (Awful photo taken from my blackberry)

Creative Escape is only 38 days away (even less considering I plan on heading out a couple days early to indulge in the Aji Spa......

In previous years this would be the time where I would feel overwhelmed and half crazed in preparations,,,,aka Swap insanity.....

In contrast ....I'm doing well from a timeline perspective.  Finshed my Yahoo Charms,,all 60 of them......Second secret sister package has gone postal and have the third all ready to be packed up,,,,so really all I have left to do is the paintcan swap - and I already have some sketches for that,,,and some RAKs - making breacelets in the CE colors - loving the way they are coming out!  I'll post photos when I get back from Norfolk ( yet another business trip)

Maybe this year I won't be packing my suitcase the night before I leave for AZ......{maybe :-}

 

On the verge of ....greatness

 

ok greatness is a stretch, exhaustion is more like it......

I do love Sundays,,,restful, reflective and pepping' for the week.....Laundry done, House kinda clean, food shopping done,,the simple preasures of life.....

I keep buying toys for Nathan and justifying it by saying,,,I'm putting it away for christmas...

Seriously if christmas were tomorrow, he'd have a pile of presents that hit the ceiling,,,

Things I currently obsessed with...

Have you seen these....Sing-a ma-jigs...beyond cute, not only does Nathan have then all, but I've bough them for several other tots....(Matty,,,Luli,,,,Drew,,,,) Just press their tummies and they sing...

Nathan is mesmerized...

I need to exhibit some level of control and not buy this entire catalog.... (too tempting)

I mean seriously,,,,what {not even 4 months old}kid doesn't NEED one of these (hehehehe)

I must be satisfying some repressed childhood issue,,,,oh crap,,, who am I kidding,,,It's just plain fun to buy toys :-)