Holy Snow!

Okay... first of all, let me tell you that this is the SECOND time that I have attempted this post. I tried to copy and paste what I had already done, but my "copy" got erased so now I have to start over. My friend Amy lives in Hawaii, and after talking to her today several times, I promised her pictures of our "Arctic Blast 2008" scene at my house. I have been taking pictures for days. I have always been a huge fan of snow. My childhood love for a snow day has shifted into a teacher's love for a snow day. This last weeks has been such a treat for me. Not because I missed school, because luckily for the most part I didn't, but because I love the peacefulness. I love be stuck here. I love the quiet, the glow off of the white, and the giggle that comes out of me each morning as I look out the window. So... Amy... here they are. Enjoy.

It started snowing last Sunday. Look at how pretty it is.
Monday morning we didn't have class because we just didn't want to risk it. Because of this, our Three-year-olds didn't get their holiday party. I know, it's very sad. For all of us. But we really didn't want anyone to hurt themselves or their cars trying to get to school so :( Tuesday was super cold, but not very snowy. Then Wednesday I woke up to this. Yippy!
Puma was loving the new sites. I was like a little kid on Wednesday morning and just couldn't help myself. Yep, I did that, in my pajamas... I made a snow angel on my back patio. :) On Thursday it was more of the same and I even had to miss a Blazer game I had tickets for :(. But on Friday I went out again and this time made a tiny snowman to start my day. Yep, I was in my pajamas for this too. He's maybe about 8 inches tall.
So then by Friday afternoon, my snowman had a little lean. We had gotten a bit more snow, but nothing like what we would be seeing.On Saturday it snowed and snowed and snowed all day long, and then it turned into freezing rain. Here's me before the rain hit... look at all the snow! I went out in the evening because there were all of these weird drifts of snow. Some were almost a foot tall. (that is a bad picture... it's at about 10 inches) Crazy. And look at my sad palm tree... wondering what the heck is going on here. I wrapped him up in a towel. Hopefully he will survive this cold.So this morning everything was covered in a sheet of ice. So now we have about 6 inches of snow, topped by about a 1/4 inch of ice and now topped again with another inch or two of snow. It was so much fun to stomp around my yard this morning. For no reason other than getting pictures and just hearing the ice crack. It was so peaceful out there this morning. There were no cars really on the road and everything is coated in a deep blanket of white. Here's the rest of my ice pictures. Each blade of grass was coated in thick ice... I should have zoomed in better. Here's my rhododendron... it looks like it's going to die. These are the berries on a tree in front of my house. I love this picture. And finally... here is my snowman today... nearly buried. I wonder how many inches we've gotten. Can you tell it doesn't snow often here? I love it!

I can't believe it's been so long...

Oh my... I'm terrible at doing most computer related things on schedule. It was only about two years ago that I finally made it a routine to check my email daily. :( So... here I am... and as the snow falls creating a beautiful scene out my back patio doors, I sit with coffee in hand and a fridge with enough food to last me a week. AHHH... it feels great. School got out yesterday for me and luckily that was the case because today school was canceled and this way we were able to have our holiday parties for at least two of our three classes yesterday. I have most of my Christmas shopping done and all of the supplies I will need to craft the rest of them. My house is decorated and thankfully warm and I am feeling generally pretty peaceful. :)

I am sorry that I have done such a terrible job at keeping you all updated. For those of you who have been reading my blog you know that I have been going to an event in Eugene the last few months that is hosted by Ali Edwards (my scrapbooking idol:) and a few other wonderful ladies. Last month I went down there to be part of a "Creative Boutique" and although it was somewhat of a bust financially speaking... it was a lot of fun and the little publicity that it got still managed to get me my first sale on etsy just the other day. Yea! It was great to be able to send something off to someone's mother for a Christmas gift. It feels good to know that someone finds my creations worthy of such a thing. :)
So at the event in early November, Ali did a talk about her "December Daily Album" and it was such a treat because she did her talk to only me and one other gal. It was great to get her one on one and needless to say, I was very excited to give this album a try for this year. So, that is why I have been lacking in the blog department. I have however been documenting each and every day of December in some shape or form. Perhaps (but no promises here :) I will be able to post some very soon. I lost my memory card from my camera about a two weeks ago, so I have been a little down on digital because of the upset. It literally was just gone, removed from my camera sometime in a 24 hour period. GRRR. Hopefully, with any luck at all, it will show up, but I'm thinking it won't. I haven't remembered all that I am missing out on just yet, but each day or two I manage to remember at least one picture that I have lost. :( SO... I will try to update more soon, but for now I wanted you all to know that I am well, and that I plan to update more soon. Happy snow day!

Getting ready for the Creative Boutique

Oh my goodness. I have been working my tail off for a few weeks now getting ready for a little show thing that I am bringing some of my hand crafted goodies to. I have worked a little bit each day and have almost managed to reach my goal. I wanted to bring a little bit of everything that I make. I have some holiday frames, some beaded silverware, and lots and lots of my soldered pendants. I managed to finish over 50 necklaces and Justin was wonderful in assisting me to come up with some amazing packaging for them. It looks all professional and stuff. I love it.

The show is in Eugene at a lady's house that I met about a month ago. She is really fun and her, Ali Edwards (a scrapbooking genius), and two other fun gals are putting on somewhat of a garage sale/craft show that they are lovingly referring to as the "Creative Boutique". I don't know how much traffic it will attract or anything, but it's just been so fun to have a reason to get my act together and get things made! I've also set up an etsy store. For those who don't know what "etsy" is... it's a wonderful website that is sortof like an ebay for hand crafted goods. There is no serious bidding like on ebay, but you can post all handcrafted goods on there and it is amazing. I have bought on there several times and have found out how fun it is to get handmade goods as well as give them. It just makes you feel good to hold something in my hands knowing that it was crafted without machines and has minor imperfections here and there. The site is www.etsy.com and you should really check it out if you haven't already. As for finding me on there... it's possible, but I don't really have anything on there yet. The ball has started to roll, but I need another few weeks to get it totally up and running. Right now I have one, yes one, frame on there. I'll be adding much much more soon. Oh... it feels so good to get going on things like this. It's inspiring and great for me to get out there and try to make this whole thing work for me. Those of you who know me will tell you that I have tried to make a business out of crafting, but honestly, I just can't find the time to make it work. This craft show has given me a reason to get my act together, and even if I don't sell a darn thing while I'm there, I'm just thrilled that I have stuff made up and ready to go. So check me out on etsy in the next few weeks... I'm looking forward to that first sale :). It's www.creativeleighchic.etsy.com YEA!

And now I have put off my crafting for long enough... it's back to work for me in the frame room for another hour or so before bed. Yikes...

Words of clairity... from a five-year-old

Okay... as you all know... I am a pre-school teacher. I think if I had to, I could find something to write about every day just from my classroom experience. Children at the ages of 3, 4, 5, and 6 are so amazing. They are still so innocent and honest. They are truly FUNNY and I can find myself fully engaged in conversation with them. They keep me grounded and remind me what is important in life. They give me pride when they accomplish even the simplest things. They still love school and their teachers. The boys are still fans of the color pink and the girls just as happy with a sequin they find on the ground as they would be about a diamond ring. It makes me feel so lucky to have this as my job. I am so blessed to have so many parents share their little ones with us several times a week and I am grateful that this is all possible due to my mom and her dedication to teaching. I am just so lucky.

So... this leads me to my reason for writing tonight. Last week I overheard a conversation with three of our five-year-old girls. One girl was telling the others in a very matter-of-fact manner that she had plans to

"go to college, pick flowers, and get married".

Just like that... life was stated in three simple steps. I chimed in and asked her...

"so you said you're going to... go to college, pick flowers, and get married?"

and she looked at me... shrugged her shoulders and said...

"Yea!"

I thought about it all day... it was just so cute... so simple... and so matter-of-fact.

So here's my question... should I just pick some flowers now?

How did I miss this?

I can't believe that I went nearly 29 years without knowing how much fun football season is. This may sound silly to some people (especially most of my girlfriends:), but I live for Saturdays right now. I'm not sure if its the getting out of town, or the thrill of the competition, or maybe it's just because I get Justin's company for a complete two days. The bottom line is that I just love it. I'm so lucky that Justin's family has taken me in as a part of this family tradition. I am an adopted Duck and I'm loving every minute of it. I think I even understand the game of football now. I spent every football game in high school either talking to friends, dancing on the field at half time, or just cheering whenever everyone else did. :) In college I went to one football game to watch a friend of mine play... when he hadn't played at all by the forth quarter, we left. He then proceeded to make a huge play at the very end of the game and we missed it all :(... not that I would have known what to cheer for :). I never really got it at all... I knew there was a quarterback, but I didn't know what that meant. I didn't even know that there was a defensive team and an offensive team. What? There's two different sets of players on the field? Who knew? Today I enjoy football. I actually enjoy the game more than the tailgating. It's great to have another team to cheer for... another reason to feel competitive... and I love the quality time with Justin and his family. It's just another reason that my life is so good right now... one of many reasons. :)

What is it about the rain?

Sometimes I feel a little different than most people. Here's my little secret... I love the rain. I do... I enjoy the sound of it waking me up on my skylight at night. I love the smell of it as it falls and I enjoy the smell of it evaporating from the earth even more. Even this morning... when a group of us are meeting to do some yard work for a dear friend... I'm still loving the rain. I can hear the gusts of wind at my windows and see the tree branches bouncing around and the leaves flying across the lawn. In only an hour, I'll be out there too... fighting the wind and the rain drops on my glasses. But for now... I am warm... with coffee in hand and the heater cranking out the warmth... I think that's why I love this weather so much. It reminds me how lucky I am... to have a cozy place to be and feel at peace. I'll probably have to post again. AFTER my day in the lovely wind and rain. But for now I'm in great spirits. I'm looking forward to an outdoor adventure with friends and the fun we will have together. Happy Fall!

A little heritage...

So... how's this for interesting? I'll cut to the chase here... the baby in the picture is my grandfather who passed away several years ago. The guy holding the baby is my great-grandfather, and the man in the hat is my great-great grandfather. This summer I went to a scrapbooking retreat type of event and it got me really looking at my old and my family's old pictures. This picture is one that I got from my grandma on my last visit to their house while my grandpa was still alive. She knows that I love pictures and had recently had many of the old heritage photos scanned and placed onto CD. This picture has been sitting in my computer for years and I haven't gotten a good look at it in a while. How amazing is it that this picture is in such great shape? I can't believe how much my great-grandpa looks like my grandpa... or even my dad for that matter. It is so strange to think that this baby is going to become a doctor who cares for people in time of war. It is also so strange that this is the same guy I know to be my grandpa. Heritage is such a mind boggling thing for me. I really don't know much... I'd love to learn more. This picture can tell so many stories... I'm just sure of it. Where are they? Who took the picture? What did that camera look like? And who could I talk to today that could give me some answers? I'm going to have to work on this a bit. This is just yet another reason I love pictures and scrapbooking.

Yep... that's my guy

This picture is what is going to inspire me tonight. I uploaded this about a month ago and cruised right by it... then the other day I stopped and really looked it. This is Justin and his nephew Landon. I love this picture because of the looks on both of their faces. They both look thoroughly amused and genuinely happy. I noticed Justin first... he looks like he's laughing and enjoying every moment of his job here... but later I caught the look in Landon's eye. It's just that look of joy... and admiration for his Uncle Justin. So darn cute. Justin got nominated to paint faces at his niece's birthday carnival... Landon wanted to be a cow... so Justin willingly turned him into a cow. :) Such a simple chain of events that helped me to capture this amazing moment on film. Love it.

A happy photo

Go Ducks! Looking forward to tomorrow's game. Plus... I needed a pick-me-up after that last blog entry.

My biggest fear

So I just got home from a long day/night at work to find 8 fire trucks, 3 ambulances, several police cars, Clark Public Utilities vehicles, some weird red fire bus, and many other utility vehicles one block away from my house. The air smelled of smoke & fire and there were people milling around everywhere. It was an amazingly frightening sight to come home to. I have NEVER seen so many flashing lights in one place in my life. I walked down to the scene and found out that there was a house fire... obviously a large one... that had started in an attic and had only been out for minutes when I had arrived.

I have feared the idea of a house fire my entire life. My mom had a fire in her apartment when she was in college and I have always heard about how devastating it can be. I think about all of the things in my house that I love and cherish. I've got so many pictures, memorabilia, and sheer scrapbooking and crafting product that it would just devastate me. Not to mention my cats :( Oh... I feel so badly for the family involved and only hope that no one was injured.

It is one of those moments that reminds you to:
make sure you have insurance
make sure that candle in the other room gets blown out
unplug that computer charger that seems to spark a little whenever you plug it in (yes... I have one like this)
take care of any sketchy wiring in you house
for the love of god, keep your smoke detector batteries working and appreciate when it starts to beep relentlessly at 4am
and finally... just be prepared

So, my neighbor just knocked on my door and informed me that not only did we have that fire here in the cul-de-sac next to us tonight, but there was a house fire only a couple more blocks over right near Mt. View earlier today and a car had crashed right in front of that cul-de-sac also earlier today and caught fire as well. Wow.

I've got to stop thinking about all of this... so, with the news of hurricane Ike hitting Texas at any moment broadcasting on my tv and the sounds of sirens ringing in the air... I'm going to try to catch some zzzz's after a chapter or two of Harry Potter. What a week.

A look back... circa 1982ish

So today I thought I'd get a little more thoughtful in this whole blogging thing. I've been sitting down to write a little something at nearly midnight each night and I'm often concerned about getting to bed... tonight I've got a bit of time to reflect so here it goes.

I was scanning photos and came across this one. My brother and I circa 1982ish. It gives me such a cozy feeling inside. Not because I remember this day or anything... but maybe because I don't. :) I have no idea where we are or what we are doing. My mom could probably fill you in, but I'm not so sure that's necessary. Please look at my shoes and my brother's socks. They are amazing. Not to mention Kevin's arm lovingly placed around my shoulder. :) This is a day before two more little sisters... back when it was just us. Like I said, I was too young to have any real vivid memories of these times, but I do remember just loving my big brother and wanting to do everything with him and his friends.

• I have the best memories of playing baseball with the boys in our cul-de-sac until it got dark out. To this day I think you could take me back there and I could show you where all the bases were... and the pitcher's mound. :)

This picture makes me feel loved all over again by him and I just love it. My siblings and I are very fond of eachother... but we don't call eachother for no reason or talk too much about daily life. That is perhaps something we should all work on... And unfortunately, now that my brother and I are getting older and finally have more to talk about, he now lives all the way across the country in Florida. I miss him not being here and hope that someday he will decide to move his family back out this way. Until then, I look forward to holidays and summer visits with him, Amanda, and those two amazing girls of his. More on them another day... but for now... here is my favorite picture of them... so cute!!!

Yep... I'm lucky

Okay... so I have always struggled with finding the right guy... a nice guy... one who will always treat me with respect and never give me a reason to be angry. I've found him. And although he is not always forthcoming with his thoughts, I know that he loves me by the way he treats me and makes me feel. (Not to say that hearing it more often wouldn't be nice sometimes... in case you (Justin) are reading this)

So... Justin isn't huge on surprises or gifts for no reason... but today he surprised me. I just bought a huge new t.v. on Monday and while I was at school today he bought and hooked up a fancy dvd player with all the trimmings for me. It was such a nice treat to come home to and I'm just so excited to watch a movie and enjoy the show. Thank you Justin for the lovely surprise... It was so nice of you :). Some girls go for jewlery... all I need are some fancy electronics. :)

Tuesday nights

I truly think that I hate Tuesday nights even more than I hate my Wednesday. Wednesday should be the worse of two evils because I work about 15 hours and have a very little break... but there is just something about knowing that it's coming that just seems worse. Tuesday night means making sure everything is taken care of that needs to be done until Thursday evening. It means everything should be cleaner and more organized than it needs to be any other night that I finally go to bed. It means my clothes need to be chosen wisely, that my apron needs to be located (and clean), and it means the dishwasher should be run, the cat boxes need to be cleaned out, emails should be answered, and anything I need done for the weekend needs to be thought out and in the beginning processes NOW. Geez... just think what my list will look like if I ever have a child to worry about too... this list will look silly. That's probably all that you folks with children were thinking already anyways. :) Well... for me... Tuesday nights are terrible. At least on Wednesday it's just go go go... good thing I love teaching and at least like the people I work with at the restaurant. Otherwise... Wednesday may win as the worst time in my week.

Okay... It's day two...

So... I promised that I would post another blog tonight so here I am. I think I might have convinced another person to start up a blog too. She at least has a child to tell stories about, but I am already hooked and the more the merrier! I think she's going to love it. I love reading my friends' blogs. It is such a treat to get a day to day look at their life when we are too busy to talk to eachother on a day to day basis. I'm hoping to use this as somewhat of a creative journal and a way to update those who want to know what I do that requires two crafting rooms :).

This last weekend I was in Eugene for a football game on Saturday and managed to find a scrapbooking gathering to attend after the game. I was lucky enough to meet up with my scrapbooking idol Ali Edwards (she's got a very inspiring blog... I have to figure out how to link it to mine so you can check it out) and a few of her friends. I think there were ten of us there. We got to create a little something and just sit and visit for a few hours. It was so great to have some face time with Ali and have to opportunity to flip through some of her very own amazing scrapbooks. I know it sounds silly to some that a scrapbooker could be so high on my list of idols, but it's true. She is a very real, very talented, and very inspiring person and I consider myself very lucky to have been able to spend time with her.


The next day was Sunday and the same set of ladies had a field trip scheduled for the Coburg Antique Fair which was really a lot of fun. I ended up going with Justin's mom rather than them, but I did find what I was looking for. In one of the books Ali Edwards has written, she had a picture of a piece of wall art that she created out of an old antique type-set drawer. Well... after hours of looking, I found one. It's huge, heavy, dirty, and I'm sorta overwhelmed by the thought that I could ever create something truly hangable... but I'm going to try. Justin came over and helped me out by removing some of the extra dividers in the drawer so that I can fit bigger things. I'll upload some before and after photos when I am finished. Here's to hoping I will succeed in making something useful.

Well... Monday night football, teaching a full day of class, having a broken air conditioner, and purchasing my first 42'' flat screen tv today had totally tuckered me out. Maybe I'll attempt to add a picture to my blog tomorrow. That's the goal.

Wow... I did it!

Okay... so I've wanted to do this for a while, but let's be honest... the idea of blogging... without any children to talk about... just seemed a little silly to me. Then I realized that I was thinking about it way to often not to just go ahead and do it. So... if you care about what I'm up to... my current projects at home or in my (two) crafting rooms... then you can read my posts. Otherwise... this will just be for me. :)

I've already missed my bedtime by deciding to do this, so for now... it's off to bed. I've got to start week two of the new school year rested. I'll (with any luck) post again tomorrow.