Artsy Chaos

Over at Etsy , there's a discussion in the forums on what keeps you coming back to a blog OR what turns you off from a blog. It got me thinking. As a parent, I have tried my darndest (dangdest? are these even words?) to raise my children to be individuals... to be true to themselves... to not follow the crowd just for the sake of popularity. I want them to be comfortable in their own skin, to trust their own feelings, observations and preferences. I want them to know that it isn't the person who does something big who stands out from the crowd over time, it's the person who does smaller things consistently who ultimately stands out. I never want them to feel that they have to conform just to "fit in". Yes, there are times when it's necessary to be part of the crowd but I want them to understand the difference. You could say I am fierce in defending the right to stand out and be unique in a world of cookie-cutter thinking. What a boring world we would ha...

Today was my baby's birthday party. My 12 year old baby ! Does that make me old if my baby is nearly a teenager ? Well, let's not go there. *smile* Seems just yesterday he was such a little guy. Now he's big and grumpy ! Seriously, why does this junior high age, pouty, know-it-all, bad attitude, leave me alone, listen to me but don't give me advice, I'm going to blow my eardrums out with my iPod age happen anyway ?? I, for one, find it completely unnecessary and I am sure parents everywhere would be in complete agreement. I can't help but love him to pieces despite all that though. :) Hugs your kids, tell your parents you love them and smile despite it all... xoxoxoxox ~Wendy

I'm currently reading the book The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory which is loosely based on the life of Mary Boleyn, sister of the more famous Anne Boleyn, 2nd wife of King Henry VIII of England and mother of the great Queen Elizabeth I. I say loosely since not a whole lot is known about the details of Mary's life. My sister loaned this novel to me since she's an avid reader and devoured this one in just a few days. I was particularly interested in reading it because I knew that in our family pedigree charts, Mary Boleyn was in our line and always found it fascinating that somewhere in the really not so distant past, I am related to royalty and well-bred courtiers. (You'd never know this by coming to visit at my house though !! haha) Seriously, I just think genealogy is so cool. My husband doesn't have much in his pedigree charts so we've decided his family popped up from a rock somewhere. ;) You may have to click on the image below to make it bigger and...

Four hundred buckaroos for a car wash in this neck of the woods !! They better spit-shine my car for that kind of money !! My husband found this sign the other day and did a double take. Too funny. Want or need some great tips for scrapbooking on a budget ? Here's an article at All Things Frugal that might give you a few ideas. I have used the brass brad tip before using embossing powder to change the color to match my layout. Some of my favorite tips are to save fun and interesting clothing tags, cut buttons from old clothing that can't be donated or reused, use beads and pieces of broken jewelry and save ribbons from packaging - just iron and they're perfect for reuse. Here's the cover of an altered board book I made and adoring it is a clothing tag and a piece of broken jewelry that I saved: Hope everyone has a wonderful week !! xoxox ~Wendy

Just a quickie today... here's a little reading and a giveaway to keep you occupied this evening. Persimmons Gal is giving away some really cute stuff on her BLOG to celebrate 10,000 views. Go forth and leave comments ! (You might win, you never know.) Are you a fan of color and fun patterns ? Print and Pattern is a really fun place to check out new scrapbooking papers and just plain get inspired ! Seriously, this blog will just make you happy. xoxoxox ~Wendy