31 | Still Home

We are still snowed in . . . . . and I am still loving it!

January 31

"With every falling flake, a unique spark of interest falls from heaven."P. Miller - 8th Grade

30 | Warmth

We are still snowed in! We have gathered in the living room in front of the fire - which I love. I have to admit I kind of being stuck with them for the weekend :)

January 30

"He who wants to warm himself in old age

must build a fireplace in his youth"

~ German Proverb

29 | Brrrrrr

They have been warning us all week about the snow. They said that it would come in tonight after midnight. So while JoJo taught his class I ran to the grocery store to make sure we had enough Juice and Milk. On my way to pick him up it started snowing. About 2 hours later is was coming down so beautiful. This is a shot from our front porch.

January 29

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake,

one must stand in the cold"

28 | Plans

Today Aubrey and I hung out at the house. She is getting to be more and more of handful everyday. She has discovered the toilet and that things can go in there and disappear. . . this is not a good thing. She also has taken up a love for JoJo's Football and Basketball. This is quite cute- they are so big but she tries her hardest to throw them - in the bathtub. As a result I trip over a football everytime I go into the bathroom.

JoJo had an interview today at a local high school. He has always wanted to be a coach and I really hope that he gets to do this. He was late to the interview because the person that was suppose to fill in for him didn't show up but they didn't seem to hold it against - at least I hope.

January 28

"If you can imagine it, you can achieve it.

If you can dream it, you can become it."

-William Arthur Ward

Holla!

I am so excited to announce that I have been asked to be on a Digital Scrapbooking Creative Team *waits for the cheers to stop*. Yes I am very excited! Last week I received an email from Erin Ink saying that she has always enjoyed my work and asked if I would like to join her team. I immediately knew who she was becaus I have been a fan of her layouts for a while but more than that I kept seeing her designs in the Scrapartist Newsletter. About a month ago I even googled her to see if she had a blog. I guess you figured out by now I said YES!!

I delayed the announcement post because I wanted to have some layouts to show you using her designs so I present to you my latest 3 layouts (as always click on the layout for credits) :

27 | Sunrise

This morning I tried a new schedule. I woke up when Joey left for the gym. I wanted to see how much I could do before she woke up so that I could spend more time watching and playing with her. I was surprised to see the sun come up. . . . its been a long time since I have seen the sunrise. This early morning time was good, I was really productive!

January 27
"With each sunrise, we start anew."

26 | Drenched

So much for the beautiful weather. It feels like it will never stop raining and at any moment an ark is going to come down the street. I spent a lot of the day taking photos of our backyard and the neighbors yard. We are trying to get the city to come out and fix a drainage problem. The hill behind our house turns into Niagara Falls whenever we have heavy rains and floods everyones back yard. It is driving me insane!!

January 26
"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet."
~Roger Miller

25 | Sun On My Face

Today was a beautiful day. When we left the gym around lunch time I looked at my thermometer and realized it was 63. Now thats the kind of winter I am used to :)

January 25
"Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow."
Helen Keller

24 | Individuality

We had most of the day to ourselves so we did what any couple who hasnt had any alone time in months. Joey cleaned and I worked - HA!! That afternoon my mom brought Aubrey home and we ate dinner and put her to bed. Of course she found the 3D glasses and had to wear them throughout dinner - such a ham!

January 24
"If I'm going to sing like someone else
then I don't need to sing at all"
~Billie Holiday

23 | Right In Front Of You

Aubrey went to Nana's to have a slumber party with Riley. Joey and I decided to have a date night. . .and the best part about it - IT WAS FREE. For valentine's last year I gave him a movie gift certificate and then last week my mom gave me one to TGIFridays. We put those suckers to use and went to dinner and then went to see AVATAR - I loved it! It was a beautiful story and everyone should go see it and think about it!!

January 23
"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times,
always with the same person."
~Mignon McLaughlin

22 | Good For You

Every day I get up I tell myself this day is going to be different. This day I am going to spend more time with her, I am going to eat better, I am going to exercise today. . . . everyday life gets the best of me. I get my work done while keeping and eye on her, I eat what is quick and I am too tired to make it to the gym. I have to make the decision that I HAVE TO DO THIS!!

January 22
"Do not consider painful what is good for you"
Euripides

21 | Nourishment

I spent the entire day at home - just Aubrey and I. I was so excited because for the first time since we met I had dinner cooked and on the table for Joey when he got home. . . .he was late, Aubrey and I ate by ourselves. I had a frustrated housewife moment later that night!

PS its funny that butter and Salt have prime position - hahaha!

January 21
"When you discover something that nourishes
your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself
to make room for it in your life"
Jean Shinoda Bolen

20 | Reflect

This day was INSANE!!!! My mom came up so I could take her to the fabric store we were rushed because a friend of mine was coming over to take some photos of Aubrey and show me some tips on the camera. We set up a make shift studio in the garage turned the iPod on and watched Aubrey ham it up. We then had to rush downtown to pick Joey up from work and since I didn't do a bit of work when I got home I stayed in front of the computer ALL NIGHT!!!

January 20

"You will never find time for anything.

If you want time you must make it. "

~Charles Buxton

19 | Standoff

I had so much to do today so Aubrey and I decided to stay home. That afternoon we had to pick up Joey from work and Aubrey got to wear some of her new "spring" clothes - she is so freaking cute. That night she was on the floor playing and sat on Dakota, who doesn't like to be sat on at all. Of course she immediately got up and their was a brief stand off before Aubrey gave in and moved. Poor Dakota!

January 19
"Focused. I'm a hustler.

And my hustle is trying to figure out

the best ways to do what I like

without having to do much else. "

Mos Def

18 | Open Doors

My sister has this great opportunity. . a local vintage shop is looking someone to sell their items on Etsy and blog about vintage items - THE PERFECT JOB FOR HER! In order to help her prepare for the interview I took her out and showed her how to shoot product shops. She has some great ideas all I had to do was show her settings on the camera. While out I got this shot of an old building near my mom's house.

January 18

"Every wall is a door. "

Ralph Waldo Emerson

17 | Silver Lining

The weather has been awful the past couple of days. For about an hour today I thought that we were going to have a beautiful. When I walked outside I saw the light peeking through the clouds but very quickly the weather turned awful again.

Toya brought Jordan over today to spend some time with JoJo. He thinks the world of him and they never get to see each other it was much needed time by both of them. He was suppose to only work a couple of hours but as usual he had to stay late and take care of problems. He was so upset because he missed calling and telling Ayden Happy Birthday!

January 17

"After every storm the sun will smile;

for every problem there is a solution,

and the soul's indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer. "

~William R. Alger

16 | Happiness

Joey kept all the girls entertained today and still managed to clean the house! That night I decided I wanted to take photos of him and Aubrey and I caught this one of him while he wasn't paying attention and I just fell in love with it. I love the expression his face, it reassures me that he is where he wants to be :)

January 16

"All men have a sweetness in their life.

That is what helps them go on. It is towards

that they turn when they feel too worn out."

ALBERT CAMUS:

15 | Expression

This day was way too busy! From the moment we got up we have been going full speed. Joey had a client this morning, then we had to pick Jordy up from school, Aubrey up from my moms, back home so Joey could teach his FIRST set of classes. Yes, I took the classes and YES I AM TIRED. We then picked all 3 girls up from my sisters for a slumber party. That night I caught Aubrey and Riley drawing on the walls - Thank God for the magic eraser!

January 15

"Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,

and paints his own nature into his pictures."

~Henry Ward Beecher

14 | Style

We are back to our regular schedule today - going to my moms. While waiting for Joey to pick us up Aubrey walked into the room and sat down on her bear to read a book. However she had altered the outfit I put on her. I put a white tshirt on her and she apparently thought it wasn't stylish enough so she pulled one arm out of the sleeve and wore it. Her daddy didn't like this style at all and immediately put her arm back in the sleeve. . . .hahahahaha

January 14

"Create your own visual style let it be

unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others"

~Orson Wells

13 | Grin and Bear It

Have you ever had one of those days? You know the ones where you feel like you could pack your car up and drive away and change your name, dye your hair, and never come back (not that I have thought it through or anything). Yeah that was my day. Everything just seemed to hit me today. I was stressed out, overwhelmed about all the projects I had to finish, trying to clean up with a 16 month old and tired.

Poor Sable knew exactly how I felt. She was lying on her bed when Aubrey decided she needed a little attention.

January 13

"When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on."

Franklin D. Roosevelt

12 | Organized Chaos

We didn't follow our typical Tuesday schedule . . . we stayed home instead of going to my mom's. I was able to get some work done and spend some time with her at the same time. I felt pretty accomplished. I have had some kind of nesting urge take me over the last couple of days. I spent most of my day cleaning and not just surface cleaning, I am talking cleaning the baseboards with a toothbrush kind of clean. I guess Aubrey caught the bug as well because when we went to the gym to pick up Joey she decided that all the magazines on the table needed to be moved so she flipped through a couple and then piled them all on top of each other. (I shot this with my camera phone)

January 12

Life is denied by lack of attention, whether it be to

cleaning windows or trying to write a masterpiece.

~Nadia Boulanger

11 | Independence

Mondays are always a low key day for us. Gym, home, Yo Gabba Gabba, Nap, Pick up daddy, dinner, bath bed. However tonight Aubrey decided to throw a little twist into dinner - SHE ATE WITH A SPOON ALL BY HERSELF!! We usually give her one to play with and hope that she will figure it. She can get the food on the spoon, up to her mouth and then she usually dumps it in her lap - NOT TONIGHT it made it to the mouth!!!! We are so proud of her!

January 11

Your child will be better prepared to tackle the bumps on the road

of life if he has been given the gift of guided independence.

Jacquie McTaggart

10 | Instinct

It was daddy daughter date day. Joey and Bre were gone most of the afternoon which gave me some much needed time to get caught up on some custom orders. When they got home that evening we all headed down to the kitchen to cook dinner. While we were cooking Aubrey grabbed her doll and sat in the middle of the floor to play. It's amazing how quickly she became interested in dolls and how much of a little mommy she is. Maybe thats a good sign that I am doing something right.

January 10

A girl is Innocence playing in the mud,

Beauty standing on its head,

and Motherhood dragging a doll by the foot

9 | A Birthday Surprise

Today we attended Nona's 2nd Birthday Party. It was a Yo Gabba Gabba theme and we knew that Aubrey would love it. However, EVERYONE was so surprised to DJ Lance show up and hand out goody bags. Aubrey was in aww and freaked out at the same time.

January 9

"Children learn to dance before

they learn there is anything that isn't music"

~William Stafford

8 | Life in a Fish Bowl

Cindy, the fish, and I had a connection today. Dawn was explaining to me that Cindy was pissed because she had put snails in her bowl to help keep the water clean and Cindy didn't like the snails. I thought well maybe Cindy just wants some Cindy time. I mean she sits here in this bowl all day every day and she entertains you and she allows people to come up to her bowl and stare at her whenever they feel like no matter what she is doing. She gives and gives and what do you do in return. . . . . you give her something else to look after!

Sometimes Cindy needs to hear that you appreciate how beautiful she swims, and how beautiful and clean she keeps her bowl. Sometimes Cindy may need a day to herself without the snails so that she can sit in her little fishbowl and scrapbook or surf the internet or maybe just veg out.

Don't worry Cindy I understand you!

January 8

"If today were a fish I would throw it back"

7 | Disconnected

My sister, Aubrey and I spent the day at our mom's. I got a few hours of work done while they kept Aubrey occupied. Later that night I was so frustrated by our stupid wireless internet. It refuses to run or at least run as fast as I want it to. The cable company assured me that it was my computer or the router. However the router is brand new and my computer works fine on my moms wireless. . . . .hmmm Time Warner my faith in you is being tested!!!

January 7

"Lo! Men have become the tools of their tools"

6 | Fly High

It was a pretty awesome day today!! I had an AMAZING day on Etsy. I was asked to be a featured artist on Cara's Blog and wait for it. . . . Shutterfly featured my Words of Wisdom Book in their gallery. Later this evening we had to pick Joey up from work and they were getting ready for some event and had balloons all over the place. I thought how appropriate because the SKY IS THE LIMIT :)

January 6

"Nobody can be uncheered with a balloon"

5| You Mocha Me Happy

We rarely stray from our Tuesday routine. Get up, Get dressed, Get Aubrey a Hashbrown, Get mommy a Peppermint Mocha, head to Nana's. It is a great day for everyone. I get to work, Nana gets grandbaby time and Aubrey gets spoiled. On some days like today I get to throw in some errands and the world is at peace :)

January 5

"Sleep is a symptom of caffeine deprivation."

4 | Independence

One my goals this year is to balance work, Aubrey time, husband time, with me time. I spend all day with Aubrey but not that much time with her if that makes sense. I decided to save my work for her nap time and the evening when Joey comes home. Today she made me realize that was the best decision I could make. I noticed today just how grown she has become.

January 4

"We worry about what a child will become tomorrow,

yet we forget that he is someone today"

While these photos didn't make the POTD I had to include them. . . they are tooo cute.

she picked out her own socks today!

she was given a baby for Christmas

and she has become the best mommy.

Today I caught her rocking her baby!

3 | Mommy Time

I love nap time! It is the time of day that I don't feel guilty for working on stuff I need to work on. Today Joey decided to join Bre and Mr. Bear for a nap. Virgil gave her Mr. Bear for Christmas and it is literally bigger than she is but she carries it EVERYWHERE!

Nap Time - January 3

"No day is so bad it can't be fixed with a nap."

2 | Business Minded

Today was my 1st Quarter Sale at my Etsy shop. One of my goals this year is to make this a business that will thrive outside of Etsy.

Digital Sheet Catalog - January 2

“Success in any endeavor requires

single-minded attention to detail and total concentration.”

1 | A New Beginning

It's a new year which means a new 365 project. I have decided to post my 365 photos on this blog to cut down on all the blogs that I have to maintain. . . . so here we go:

Sunset - January 1

“Know what you want to do, hold the thought firmly,

and do every day what should be done,

and every sunset will see you that much nearer the goal.”

Christmas Wrap Up

Can you believe it? Can you believe that 2009 is over? This year has gone by in a flash for me. If you had asked me January 1 2009 where do you think you will end up 365 days from now I would have not even come close to describing my life as it is today - I will discuss more of the details when I do my post on the 2009 wrap up (cliffhanger lol).

I wanted to take a moment to wrap up our Christmas and Aubrey's first REAL Christmas. Last year she was 4 months old and none of this stuff even mattered to her. I can't honestly say that any of it mattered to her this year but hey at least she was aware of it all - hahahaa. I loved this Christmas - for some reason I was in more of a Christmas spirit than I have ever been. Maybe it was I was experiencing it through the eyes of Aubrey, someone who was seeing it all for the first time. Maybe I have just learned to appreciate things more this year? Whatever the reason was I am not complaining it was a great Christmas.

| THE DECORATIONS |
This was the first time we decorated the outside of the house and I have already warned JoJo (husband) next year there will be climbing and a ladder involved!!!!

The Wreath - gotta love Target

The Windows - I used real garland

The Mantle

The Christmas Tree - we have used the same ornaments
and tree since we moved into our house 3 years ago.
I really do love it!

I love a tree with gifts under it and every year I match
all my wrapping paper to my tree - hahaha!

| MEETING SANTA |

We were so excited to take her to see Santa. Everything was going great. . . she loved standing in line talking with the other kids. She loved all the decorations that were up and she seemed sort of interested in Santa. . . until she met him and then it all went down hill!

Enjoying the wait and the decorations.

Still happy. . . .

Not so happy anymore!

| THE GIFTS |
Of course the gifts we mostly handmade. This year I stepped it up a notch and created shuttefly books. I decided I would create one for my 3 oldest cousins (18, 15, 14). I used my photography plus some family pictures. I then searched the internet for some really great quotes and words of wisdom. This is what I came up with (completely inspired by Brit Girl):

Click here to view this photo book.

** photos were processed using Totally Rad Actions**
**photobook was created with products from designerdigitals.com**