Cut and Paste

This year I will be stepping into the Christmas Card Exchange.  You know, the ones with a current picture of my family and maybe a letter summarizing what we've been up to the past year.  

For the record, I love sending Christmas Cards...the other one.  The personal letter one.  But, I never seem to have enough time to write to everyone that I want to. 

Now that my family is a party of three (and I do mean party), I think that I'm ready to switch to the picture one.  I absolutely love, love, love getting these in the mail.  Hint, hint.  Especially with a letter summarizing what everyone has been doing.  Hint, hint.  Most especially if it's funny, BIG HINT.

With that time of year, right around the corner (or staring some of us in the face), I have got to get going on mine.  Of course, I'll make it mostly myself!  

I'm on the lookout for any and all inspiration.  I stumbled across CutandPaste and found all these incredible images that are inspiring my new and found crafty side.

Please, please, please, send me more inspiration!!!

Cute Clutter

Everyone has two things:

1. Someone who is not related to them who basically should be related because they know everything and they've been there for everything.  

Well, mine is in town and we started looking at nurseries online and realized that we both LOVED Audrey's nursery.

2.  Stuff that they did as a child that still happens now.  For me, I loved to be in my room by myself and:

dance

play house

play store

rearrange my room*

and rearrange and rearrange all the knick-knacks on my shelves and dresser and desk*

*lots of time spent

And I still do all these now-the mature version, not the play version.  

One of these things I don't do as much-rearrange knick-knacks.  I hate them.  I feel like they make things cluttery.

As my sister {who is not related to me} and I were talking about Emily's house, I said, "I love how she has little things laid out and it looks so cute.  It doesn't look cluttery.  When I do it, it doesn't look as cute."

My sister {who's not related to me} said she thought the same thing!  We realized we do this with everything.  For fear of looking like I'm dressing up for theme day at my high school, I stay away from the cool Anthro look.  Hence, my standard t-shirt and jeans look.  

For fear of looking cluttered, I quit arranging little things that are pretty.  {Side note: I have a collection from my teens of little vases and creamers that are stored in my attic that I love and have stashed away.}

I'm going to stop that.  I want a cute, sophisticated look, and I'm going to try to get it.  Some days, it might not look right, but I'm going to keep trying.  That's where the fun is, right?

Stay tuned...

Evolution

Being pregnant with my first child, there was one thing that I heard over and over again, "It goes so fast!"  If I had a nickel for every time I heard that, then I would have AT LEAST $6.  Despite hearing it several million times, it did not mean anything until I had him.  

It hit me hard.  This life is just a speck on eternity.  A breath.  I want to soak it up, but I know that there are much bigger and better things to come.  For now, I'm enjoying Burl.

He was a newborn barely holding his eyes open.  Now, he's sitting up and playing with toys (on his bench/baby desk that his Granddaddy made for him).  

Watching him grab the string and see his feet was miraculous.  It's simply amazing to see him, to watch him, to witness a little newborn evolving into a toddler.  (Not trying to be dramatic, just trying to be accurate.)

My days are filled with watching Burl move, role, scoot, inch and "crawl."  His room is especially fun.  The other day, we were in there...me, folding laundry, Burl, flopping around.  Next thing I knew, he was rolling towards the crib.  I got nervous that he was going to hit his head, but this kid is smart.  He ducked under the railing and went right in.  I guess he wanted some private time.  

But, since I don't get any private time, he doesn't either.  I yanked him out of there and kissed on those cheeks.  (Those cheeks seem to be getting smaller these days...yet another thing to add to the list of things that go by quickly...)

He went back under the bed.  And I yanked him back out.  And I kissed those cheeks.  And we do it all over and over again.  And I hope that I can always remember each step along the way, because it really is a whole lotta fun.

This Week's Menu

Here we go...My menu this week.  Pretty much everything is from Real Simple.  Hey, I would love to see what everyone else is eating!  Menu ideas-needed!!!

Fettuccine Bolognese

Black Bean and Chicken with Brown Rice

Bean and Bacon Soup

Pork Tenderloin, New Potatoes, Spinach

Cubans, Chips