Just me My Soldier and our 4 little chicks

scrappy sunday- 1/31/10 edition

patterned paper- sassafras (linen background and border under photos), basicgrey (bird cages and brown behind photos), making memories (lace die cut paper), studio calico (doily border above photos)

labels, butterflies, banners, letter stickers- jenni bowlin

flower- prima

baker's twine- studio calico

sponsor info

back soon with scrappy sunday!! xoxo

proof that kindness means something (corrected the link- sorry!)

hey guys- just a SUPER quick post w/ something i forgot to mention the other day.

you may remember that we went to NYC back in october and on our trip happened to get a chance to meet the NBC gang that covered the Viper Company story during jimmy's deployment

everybody was beyond nice. but the biggest surprise? brian williams.

he was down to earth, kind, and there were NO walls around him  like you expect with a "famous person". he was just lovely. with us AND the girls. he told me all about his children and what they were doing..and asked about us. and really listened.

and the whole team was like that. they have our christmas card framed on the desk there.

genuine...nice people, you know?

regardless of political affiliations or opinions it's possible to be friends. to carry on an intelligent discussion.  and some people don't seem to understand that. but it's true.

so anyway, brian did a fantastic blog the other night on the topic of obituaries, how he writes them, and his belief in respecting those who have passed.

i left a comment, i was compelled to do so. mind you i've NEVER done so before and i did not in any way, shape or form expect a response. i just felt like saying something.

Brian-
I knew you were a good egg before I met you. You and your team covered Viper Company with such thoughtfulness and compassion. The time my family spent with you confirmed this. This blog entry doubly confirms my feelings. Thanks for your sincerity, kindness, and integrity.
stephanie howell

Then I went about my merry way and a day or so later i got an email from ML Flynn, a producer at NBC who has become a friend...and she sent me a link.

A LINK TO THIS.

and then? i peed my pants. not really, but i freaked. and then i calmed down and realized "Hey! maybe this kindness stuff really does work!" even with someone like him- it doesn't go unnoticed. glad i made that choice. and glad that i'm sticking to it.

brief sidenote- i never handed him a picture of j, not sure what that's all about?!?!!?!?!? myyyystery.

alright. random post over.

thanks for your sweet words on the post below. a friend told me that the wife always out-ranks the husband b/c of all the hard work they do at home,

so i'm signing this

LTC Howell heeeeee

xxoox

major!!!!

this post very well may be boring to lots of you. i'm cool with that. ha!

but i'm (SHOCKINGLY) over the moon proud of J and wanted to share some photos of his promotion ceremony today.

little miss h was SO excited. she wanted to wear her "crewcuts" skirt and fancy shoes. and pearls. and cashmere. and she wanted to wear her hair DOWN LIKE A PRINCESS, MOMMY!!

we took sadie to hourly child care here on post...she would have been all over the place, to say the least. she's two for pete's sake! not the appropriate venue for her.

harper is so well-behaved and old enough to go to something like this...and she was so proud of her daddy.

can you tell???

 

yes, she is wearing mommy's lip gloss. not worth the battle. ;)

 

total daddy's girl. i wanted to cry when i saw how excited she was to see him and how special she knew this was!

 

she kinda thought the party was for *her*.

dancing for the rangers:

 

trying to get daddy to dance, too:

 

 

pinning his new oak leaf on (well velcroing)...love the look on his face. harper got to help me.

 

 

very serious in my facial expressions. HA! he gave a little speech and thanked me and of course it made me teary.

 

 

 

i had j take some shots of me and my girl, she was being a total ham.

and maybe i was too???? wonder where she gets it.

and then it was back to the posing.

 

so...major howell it is.

when he came home harper yelled HEY MAJOR HOWELL!!! and i totally didn't tell her to do it. swear.

so proud. of him and all that he stands for. he has my heart and protects it, too.

xoxox

 

baker's dozen.

last night the studio calico february kit (baker's dozen) and add-ons went on sale.

unfortunately, they are sold out of almost everything at this point, but there are still some goodies left-

like more SC patterned paper (my favorite they've ever made)

more patterned paper (the colors are heaven)

and add on patterned paper.

i think if you combine the papers with some of the shop goodies, you'll be close to recreating the kits.

i got all three add-ons this time. and i have to tell you, i loved every bit of it. it was a joy to create with, and i still have lots left and plan to do more projects when i have time.

here are my layouts and some words about each one. there won't be as long of an explanation this time b/c i did way more than usual. ;)

please leave any questions in the comment section and i'll happily answer them there!

 

made using the main kit.- yes i know i'm not so good at cards. or using the computer on cards. HA! i love how some of these are the wrong sizes and how the text isn't really in the right place. but you know what? they make me happy. and i will actually use them.

i also used the martha stewart scalloped dot border punch - i'm back to using this one on EVERYTHING!!

 

made using tea cakes add-on, martha stewart doily edge punch, and uniball signo white pen.

ha! love this old photo of me as a teenager. i loved that flapper dress.

and- miracle of miracles- a stamp! haa!!

 

mish-mash of main kit, all addons, and shop extras. there's that SC doily banner paper i adore so much. punch used- martha stewart triple butterfly

had to document these photos of my wild child. i mean, seriously? she looks like she's on a baby harley, wearing a tiara, jewels, and heels. that? is classic sadie.

 

made using petit fours- there's that doily banner paper again!

for sure my favorite this month. i've been holding on to these photos, they are so dear to me.

and this addon just was perfect. those doilies matched their hats...and it's so bright and happy. i swear i took these photos before i knew what was in the add-on!

 

another one made with the tea cakes add-on.

i've been thinking about this so much lately. i don't remember harper at all when she was sadie's age. what she was like...her little personality, likes/dislikes...anything. i was so tired. with a new baby, and fear about J leaving...i just draw a blank when i look back. and i feel a bit bad about that. hence this layout.

the flowers are cut from the basicgrey doily paper.

i know the journaling isn't spaced evenly, but yet again...that's me. and kind of relates to the topic of the page anyway.

 

made with the main kit

oh, look how beautiful and grown up she looks. this prompted lots of thoughts on her growing up. i wanted the page to be delicate and feminine.

 

made with scones.- using martha stewart large monarch butterfly punch.

i'm adopted. and proud to be adopted. what a precious gift. it's one of my favorite facts about myself. lots of times people think i must have some sob story. or feel different. and that's simply not the case. i wanted to get those emotions down on paper.

that's it for today, i hope you are having a wonderful day!

xoxo

a layout based on yesterday's post

thanks for all of your wonderful comments yesterday.

it makes my heart happy to know there are so many of you out there who value kindness as well.

this is a lift of some of the elements of jill sprott's layout (2010). for her layout, click here.

and follow her blog if you aren't already. she's fabulous.

anyway, journaling reads:

no matter what sort of day you are having, how frustrated or busy you may be...never ever forget to be kind. your words and actions have more power than you know.

SUPPLIES:

cardstock: doodlebug embossed

patterned paper: october afternoon

journaling card: collage press

banner stickers and alpha, butterfly, labels, stick pin, ticket- jenni bowlin

stamp- studio calico

twine- vintage

flower sticker- sassafras

flourish- little yellow bicycle

i'm also going to share a photograph i took the other day, it made me smile.

have a beautiful wednesday! xoxo

on the subject of being kind.

first, i wanted to say i'm SO sorry i forgot about scrappy Sunday! it completely slipped my mind. i actually didn't have anything at all to share, but i'm sorry i forgot anyway. ack. scatterbrained mcgee over here!!

the studio calico february reveal is in a few days and i'll have lots to share then!!

so there's something that's been on my mind, that's always been on my mind,

and i wanted to talk about it today.

being kind.

i want to point out that there is a difference between being a kind, nice person...and being a pushover. i'm not suggesting it's a good thing to be a door mat.

anyone who knows me knows i have a sassy side. i can be snarky with the best of them. i have to watch myself. i don't like hurting anyone's feelings and one of my resolutions this year is to not gossip. at all. i've been hurt by it too many times and i shouldn't be doing it. at all.

let me backtrack here for a moment. i'm sure lots of you have seen the video of conan o'brien's goodbye speech. it's circulating all over the internet. a friend sent it to me yesterday.

i am going to show you the short clip b/c what he says is something i believe with all of my heart and soul. and they are words i try to live by. this is the short version...tara whitney linked it on twitter and it cuts to the chase. so i'll share this one instead of the 4 minute version.

"If you work really hard and you are kind, amazing things will happen."

My favorite part? He included the word KIND. and i love this.

According to what you see on TV, it's not cool to be kind. You've got the Bad Girl's Club. The resident bully on every reality TV show. Dating shows on MTV where parents talk to their parents like they are you -know-what on the bottom of their shoe. You've got parents who let their kids do whatever they want, whenever they want. Girls gone Wild...Mean Girls.

And you know what? It's not okay.

Words you say to someone? They stay with them.

I still remember that boyfriend years ago that made me feel ugly. I still have to work to feel good enough some days. I still don't like what I see when I look in the mirror some days. And I STILL hear his words ten years later.

The girls that were too cool to be my friend in junior high? I still remember that.

You know what I also remember?

The man who carried all my packages into the post office when I was crying outside b/c my husband was deployed, I had two screaming little girls, and i couldn't get the STUPID boxes in the door.

I remember the counselor that held my hand the first day of camp when i ten and a little bit scared.

Kindness matters.

And if you think it doesn't you are wrong.

I know that there are days that everyone feels too busy. In a rush. You've got to answer that phone call, hurry out the door.

But smile at someone. Help a mom that looks frazzled. Teach your children to not be cynics. To be kind.

Because I really believe that kindness can change the world.

Whether it's the "in thing" or not.

Have a beautiful Tuesday, sweet friends. xoxo

love is in the air

you guys know, since i've mentioned (often)

that i LOVE valentine's decor.

i think it's b/c it's such an unabashedly girly holiday.

and it should come as no surprise that i love girly. girly? i can do.

i've been scouring stores for cute and affordable valentine's decorations. sadie's birthday party is on feb. 13, so i have a good excuse to buy some new v day goodies this year.

i found some really cute (and cheap) stuff at oriental trading.

paper doilies in various sizes:

garlands:

 

string-able foam conversation hearts

 

foam doilies (the plain white circle doilies on the left are actually from publix):

i also found some sweet things at hobby lobby:

a heart chain:

 

felt roses:

 

heart wreath:

 

and i also got a few packages of these making memories embellishments:

 

i've also seen super cute decor at michaels, target, and the dollar spot at our PX (the military version of a wal mart).

i mean, these items were all super affordable, and i have big plans for them!

here is an idea i'm definitely doing...how simple yet pretty is this??
( from tumblr, where i have an inspiration blog)

 

photo credit: elena  found via laboomeria on tumblr

i'm also going to hang some doilies on twine using clothes pins.

lots of banners, etc.

yes, i know all of this is very "trendy" and "in" right now. but i've always had a weakness for doilies, etc. when i was in junior high, i ordered an old fashioned valentine kit. it had victorian images, doilies, lace...i had so much fun making those cards. i doubt any of my friends appreciated them, they were way more into NKOTB. heee!

so anyway, thought i'd share. have a beautiful monday! xoxo

winner of the ella book! and a link for questions.

8 Stephanie Eaken said...

Glad to hear your dad is doing better w/ each hour!
Love the cards!!

way to go, stephanie! email me and i'll send you the code!

i'll be back later, but i also wanted to share something.

last night j went to sleep early (like fell asleep in all his clothes early...bless his heart, long week!) anyway, i was bored and got my twitter friends to ask me questions on formspring.

go over and ask me a question...i'll answer it and share the answers here. i thought it would be a great place to keep all the questions together.

i'm sorry i haven't been great at answering questions. i know one of you wanted to know if i meal plan. and i actually have a post planned about that.(can you CONTROL your excitement?) heee!

here is the link. i'll be back later!!

xoxo

s

on the topic of being mortified.

in recent memory:

when sadie goosed me and yelled "BOP BOP" on the playground.

when harper yelled "DON'T BEAT ME!!!!" in the target parking lot. we were racing. she didn't want me to win.

when we finished a meal at a mexican restaurant and harper yelled "GOOD JOB MOMMY! YOU ATE GOOOD!! YOUR TUMMY IS BIIIIIIIIIIIIG!!!"

when sadie slapped me across the face with a packet of raw bacon at the grocery store.

when harper lifted up my shirt at hobby lobby when i was nine months pregnant.

the time that harper told me "everyone makes mistakes mommy. like that necklace."

the aforementioned incident at disney when my leg got stuck in the stroller and i looked like a fool hopping about.

i almost rang the wrong doorbell for bunco the other night. it was wig bunco. i had on a kate gosselin wig.

harper was obsessed with clocks. she would scream "CLOCK!!!" every time she saw one. problem was, she couldn't pronounce the "l".

sadie licked me from chin to forehead in target.

never embarrassed when:

i take the girls on errands whilst they are dressed in full princess regalia.

the girls dance without abandon in public places.

harper makes candid observations. everything is a teachable moment.

i hold j's hand in public.

i embarrass my husband:

 

quite frequently always.

and he loves it.

I can laugh at myself:

without fail

happy friday!! giveaway below is open until midnight EST!

xo