Celebration

It is raining here, what is new. I am having a nice cup of hot chocolate to celebrate the completion of my kids' school yearbook! Wahoo! First I need to share my opinion. Yearbook creating is NOTHING like scrapbook design. Nothing. Second, I am a procrasinator, always have been, hopefully won't always will be, but I have finished this project! Now I just need to finish the rest on my work projects due on Thursday. This is the fun stuff.....

Stacy Julian

Just a few short weeks after I moved away from my home of 30 years, I was feeling pretty down and wanted to find something to occupy my time. I ordered a book to get me back into scrapbooking, it was called The Big Picture. I read it, sent a copy to a friend,and read it again. It compeletely changed my life and how I scrapbook. I didn't need to keep working on the piles and piles of photographs from years past, when my children were growing up right in front of me. I needed to document what I was doing RIGHT NOW! A few months later, I was able to go to Reminisce in Iowa City, with my good friend, Sue, and listen to Stacy talk about her book and the philosophy of Big Picture Scrapbooking. It was only a couple of hours and I learned so, so much. I learned that I needed to change, and I do believe that I have. I scrapbook the moments, my thoughts, my kids right now. I scrapbook pictures from yesterday because I have a story to tell, that might be forgotten when I get to them in years after they are gone and the moment has been forgotten. I don't take hours on layouts, but try to keep the creativity going by working on projects that only take a short time to finish.
Here are a few lessons that I have learned from Miss Stacy Julian:
*You can only scrapbook in the way you are organized (need to work on this one :)
*Limit your options to help with your creativity
*Write down what your kids say
*Take a picture with your heart (This is your journaling)
*I am not caught up, cause' I am so far ahead....
*Sprinkles can change anything
*Scrapbooking is not about the pictures (it is the pictures and the stories)
*Be where you are, otherwise, you will miss your life.
*Make it so

Good luck to you Stacy, in your continuous endeavors. You have inspired so many people, including myself, to be a better person. Just today, I have taken a bit of time to organize my albums, I am reading Photo Freedom and trying to find a jumping off point. I was thinking to myself, "I wish Stacy could see this..." . At most, I still feel very overwhelmed with my albums, photos, etc. But as I look through them and their 'random chaos' I know that I am getting the stories that are important. That is all thanks to you...

Easter Sunday Dinner

Ready, Set, GO!




photos taken by Sydnee...

For Easter Sunday Dinner, I tried to recreate the atmosphere of the restaurant, Table 52, which I had visited with Linzi, just last weekend. Every detail on the table was created with love and kindness. Even though spring really is taking it's sweet time here in Iowa, I wanted to try to bring a bit of Spring to our table. I came home a little bit early from church, to set the table and hide the Easter eggs so they all would be surprised. I think they were, except my little ones thought it was all created by the Easter Bunny, so that made it even more magical!

Hijacking Mom's Blog

Hi

This is Sydnee

I love taking my mom's camera and looking for things to photograph all over the house.

I also love to be on her blog...

Shhhhhh

Don't tell....

Easter Sunday

Easter morning is always a crazy time to try and get a picture of the kids in their Easter attire. Thanks to Craig, as soon as I get one ready, I send them down stairs to have their picture taken. He is always patient and tries to get a good one. From these four, I think he took over 100 pictures...not very much cooperation and lots of silly faces......thanks for the dresses Grandma!

Easter Blessing

In sunshine and in shadow we look to Him, and He is there to assure and smile upon us.
He is the central focus of our worship. He is the Son of the living God, the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh. He is “risen from the dead, … the firstfruits of them that slept” . He is the Lord who shall come again “to reign on the earth over his people”.
None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His Father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God.

-Gordon B. Hinkley

Easter Eggs

Happy Easter! From our family....

The String Tradition

When the kids wake up Saturday morning, they have a candy bar (or granola bar) next to their bed with a string tied to it. They start to follow it, and wind it around the candy, all throughout the house until they find their Easter basket! This has been a fun tradition that started at Craig's childhood home on Easter morning, and we continued when Christian was very young. This year, the Easter bunny was prepared and had different colors of string, so it was fun, and colorful! I loved seeing Christian help Ella wind her string around until she found her basket in the dryer. Christian's was in the corner of the basement, inside the luggage; and Sydnee's was behind a chair in the front room. I am glad that we do this on Saturday, the kids were up at 4 am asking if it was time to wake up. Finally at 6 am, we let them go for it! Why so early???

EMBRACE

If you know me, you know I carry a notebook, or a pen and paper where ever I go....so why didn't I have one with me on Thursday night when Ali spoke at CKU??? Because I would have been trying to write every word she was saying, instead of just taking it all in...She is inspiring. She really set the stage for the entire weekend. She spoke about why we scrapbook and what we needed to focus on, not just for this weekend, but throughout our lives.

We MUST never forget this moment...

The Story of Us....Linzi, Lance, and I
Vogue
Making Good....
Michigan Ave....The Magnificant Mile!
Table 52

I've had to take a few days to put my feelings into words. I have been listening to the Wicked soundtrack, just singing and it almost brings me to tears, so I had to wait to post about this amazing weekend.
Just before the last day of CKU, Linzi came to Chicago to spend a long weekend with me. She took Lance's Story of Us class on Saturday, and I think that after this experience she will continue to scrapbook. Yippee!

After class, we rushed up to our room to get ready for our big night on the town. Thanks to Matt, we were going to the Oriental Theatre in Chicago to see Wicked! I have heard about this show from many people, and I have been listening to the music since my sisters came last year to see it. Even with all that experience, I just wasn't prepared what would happen to me right there in the show. The music just really gets to you and the preformances were flawless. Then how they weaved the story of The Wizard of Oz throughout, is just unbelievable. I need to find a way to see it again, with Craig and the kids. For Good, is my favorite song, and I knew that I would not be able to control my tears during that one, but Defying Gravity just took my breath away. I can't really describe it any other way, it just leaves you in awe.

The next day, Linzi and I slept in just a little bit (hee, hee) and then went for a late breakfast. We decided to drive back into the city to do some sightseeing. It was awesome! It was the first time for both of us in the city. We were the perfect tourists and kept taking pictures at every corner. We drove all along Lake Shore Drive and then up and down Michigan Ave. about five times. We cannot wait till next time to take our husbands, since they are the ones with the wallets (right, Linzi!)

For the finale of our weekend, we had a reservation at Table 52. This restaurant is run by Oprah's chef, Art Smith. Of course, I would say this is some of the best food I have eaten. I have not tasted alot of Southern food, yet I loved every bite. But I think it was the atmosphere that I will never forget. First, I was with Linzi; second, you could just feel the warmth and kindness that surrounds this place. The chef walked by twice to ask us if we were happy with our meal, and then he helped us with our coats and called me 'dear'. If you are ever in Chicago, especially with someone that you love, take them here.

What would a girls' weekend be without a soak in the hot tub and a late, late movie? I am still trying to catch up on my sleep!

CKU Thank U

I have been trying to put this together for a day now, I just can't seem to find the words other than thank you.

Thank you to Lynn for coming and supporting me through this entire crazy weekend.

Thank you to all my 100+ students in the Everything About Me class on Wed. night, you stuck with me and we made it through. I loved all of the books that I saw finished and others that were coming together so perfectly.

Thank you to Lance, or Mr. Pickle, for giving me this chance to do what I love. Teaching + scrapbooking = my passion. Thank you for trusting me with your name and products, to teach others about 'gluing paper to paper' and everything in between. I learned so much from you this weekend....

Thank you to the CK staff for helping a first-timer know where she needed to be at any certain time.

Thank you to my new California family, if you see this post, please leave a comment, I forgot to get your email, etc.

Thank you to Melissa for the nice hug, since it was just after my first CKU class, it was desperately needed.

Thank you to the TAs that helped at the Inspiration Station and also in the Story of Us. You all three were great!

Thank you to all of the students in The Story of Us.....both Friday and Saturday, this is amazing group that each has a love story to share. I was in awe by all the photos and stories, it was very inspiring.

Thank you Deborah from Brazil and others that I met from Canada, Hong Kong, England, and just next door in Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, etc. You all are amazing, and I hope to see some of the locals very soon.

I have many more pictures....and some that I haven't received yet. If you have a picture to share...please email it to me and I will post it here!
Thanks everyone.....

Wicked Weekend

I saw this with Linzi at the Oriental Theatre on Saturday. It was more than amazing! I had a complete moment of euphoria. I have put some of my favorite songs on my playlist.
We must never forget this moment....

CKU Chicago 2008

I am still trying to wake up and wrap my head around what just happened to me this last week. I was completely living my dream. Please come back and check my photo album and read about this amazing event tomorrow.

Frogs

Sydnee wrote this book last night, when she was supposed to be in bed. I quickly took some pictures this morning because she was taking it as a gift for her teacher. It is pretty funny. (Sorry for the sideways pic...I couldn't get it to rotate.)

I am very excited to be headed out of town for a bit of work (ha - scrapbooking) and then my sis, Linzi is coming and we are going to WICKED! I am so excited I don't think I will be able to sleep. I will post as soon as I get back with lots of photos!