The One With the Random Act of Kindness

Yesterday when I opened the mail, I expected this envelope to be a computer generated comment card from the hospital. I was quite surprised to find that it was a handwritten get well note from the nurse who cared for me two days last week. It was such a nice surprise!


I scrapped a bunch yesterday but I think for now I'll just share my Project 365 week one layout. I really like how it turned out!


I hope you have a great weekend, friends! Mine will be very, very quiet and low-key. I am alone (and if we are being honest, a tad lonely), and I plan on scrapping and watching a movie...and maybe a nap!

The One About Me

So I'm participating in Sweet Shoppe Scrapper's Portfolio, and part of that is creating a Book of Me in 2010. I'm pretty good with scrapping about myself, I find it very cathartic. I have printed a whole book of layouts that were about me, my SO, my house, etc; everything not kids related. I called it "The Other Side of the Lens", vol I. But a whole organized book about me, I find this fun. So...I did my first 3 pages. I decided I'm going to do the facing pages using the same kit for some continuity. Here is my opener page, and my first two pages. The journaling and credits are here.



Also, I finished up P365 week one. I'll have a layout to show you tomorrow, it's almost done.

I love this photo, though I was in an interesting angle to get the shot :P
7/365. Snowed In. What fun is being snowed in if you can't crawl back in bed, snuggle, and nap?

That's all from me today, friends. We'll chat later! :)

The One With A Snow Day

I'm pretty excited this morning (because I'm rotten). James was supposed to go home this morning. But, the weather kind of crapped out on us and it looks like he needs to stay one more day. So I'm not-so-secretly thrilled...what is more romantic than being snowed in? Well, really, we aren't snowed in. The roads are quite passable at my place (though they did shut down school b/c of all the hills and back roads)...but where he lives, an hour away, things are all shut down and snowy~! The snow is supposed to be mostly done by evening, so he'll go home tomorrow! I'll take my extra day and enjoy it.

We're on day 7 of project 365...I haven't decided what my day 7 will be yet, but yesterday I had an appointment to have my staples removed. So, that is naturally my photo...while we were waiting for the doctor to come in, James was snapping photos of me, but he was also saying very silly things that were making me laugh...and, with 19 staples in, laughing still hurt very much. So I was giving him "the look". LOL! I am so happy that once Dr. Barton removed the staples, SO much of my pain was gone! I had no idea that the staples were causing my pain. I'm feeling much better today.



I also found a bit of time to scrap yesterday...here's my layout for January 2010: Sweet Shoppe Scrapper's Portfolio Challenge # 22.



Enjoy your day, friends, and I hope the weather is treating you well!

The One With The Triple Word Score

I love Scrabble. There's something about it that just seriously relaxes me. While I've been recovering from surgery, my boyfriend has been staying with me at my house to help me. The first few days I couldn't even get out of bed without help (anyone who has had a c-section understands what I mean). I lucked out because James teaches college and was on holiday break...having him around has been wonderful. He's going home tomorrow *sniff sniff*...but while he was here he played a lot of Scrabble with me <3 Which brings me to my P365 photo from yesterday :)




I scrapped a bit yesterday... I am working through Sweet Shoppe Designs' Scrapper's Portfolio Challenges for January 2010. Challenge #15 was to scrap a graphic style layout with no shadows. I had a hard time with it, but ultimately settled on something simple: the journaling reads:

for 3 weeks following my hysterectomy, I made plans for Parker & Naomi to stay elsewhere. 2 weeks of that is upstairs with Tab. 1 week down and 2 weeks to go, she brought the kids down to see me. Parker wishing to climb on me perfectly illustrates why I can't care for them right now. They both miss me, but judging from the way he immediately tackled me, I'd say he's really missing mama. (I really miss them, too.)

That's all from me for today...I'm headed out to run some errands and have a post-op visit with my doctor. Till tomorrow friends, toodles!

The One With A Little Break...

4 months.

Seriously? Seriously. I can't believe I "shut down" my blog for 4 months. My friends and family know how important blogging is to me, but sometimes life gets in the way. This incarnation of my blog has been in existence for a year and a half, but my "old" blog has been around for years. I can't believe I've been blogging for almost 4 years!

You all know that I went through a divorce in 2009. Honestly it just wasn't something I felt like talking much about. There wasn't a lot to say about it. We were in an unhappy marriage and separately, we are both happier now. I can say that with complete certainty for me, and with probable certainty for my ex husband. I felt for a while in the latter part of 2009 that I didn't want to share things that were going on in my life for my ex to read about. I felt like eventually he would grow bored of checking up on me and I could resume my relationship with my online friends. A public online persona is just that...public, and anyone can read what you write, in most circumstances. I'm granted some privacy on Facebook and on private forums, but ultimately the internet is very public.

I've found out recently that my ex isn't as uninterested as I would have thought. Just today I found out that he is still interested enough in my life to find what he can online. But you know what? That's okay. I don't write for him. And I don't care if he reads what I write. He was a very important part of my life for 4 years, we shared some fun times and made some very beautiful children. But beyond that, I've moved on. In 2010, I'm going to re-embrace my passions...including scrapping and blogging, and I'm making no apologies.

I'm back, friends. It's so good to be back!

With that, let's get to it! I'd love to share my Project 365 to date!
1/365. Get Well Soon. My wonderful sister brought me flowers in hopes of lifting my spirits, 3 days post-op from my TAH/BSO.

2/365. Happy Birthday. Despite 20 degree weather and me being still under the weather, we ventured out for James' 35th birthday. We ate out and picked up a cake, a very nice evening!


3/365. Spiderman Cake. Today we had Tab, Tim, her kids & my kids down for a little party for James' birthday. The cake turned out awesome and was yummy too!

4/365. 6 days out. 6 days post-op and feeling okay. The estrogen is my friend.

Well this brings me up to date! I'm going to go now...I've got some scrapping to do...but we'll catch up more later, friends. Toodles!

Just a quick note to say.....

Bella Gypsy has a TEAM BLOG now! Go here to check it out! My bloggie here will now get a chance to be used for all things personal again (woohooo!) And I promise to update it again soon!

The One With The Rockin' Tuesday!

For those about to rock....we totally salute you! I know I showed you our uber cool punk-y kits yesterday so I won't bother you again with the previews...but I wanted to show you a handful of pages that our CT made this Rock The Cradle, Rebel Yell, and One Tough Cookie! These kits are all new at Gotta Pixel today and only ONE DOLLAR EACH :) Ok, I'll stop yelling now. But...I made you a little bitty freebie too!









Click HERE to snag these babies at Gotta Pixel!

and click HERE to download the frame cluster freebies :)

And...have a rockin' tuesday...I have appts today...nothing that exciting to share..but I'll try to come back tomorrow and show you Parker's new haircut! :-) Toodles!

The One With Exciting News!

I'm here, I'm here! I'm eating leftover spaghetti for breakfast, I've got one eye propped open with a toothpick, and I'm here to share our exciting news!

I know I've been a bit scarce lately...I'm adjusting to designing as a full time income rather than a hobby and I'm adjusting to the "single mom" thing...sometimes it is a challenge and sometimes it is not...same as always. These few weeks have been CRAZY! But most of all we've been busy facilitating this little piece of news: (and maybe playing a little Sorority Life on Facebook)


So it's Monday and we have lots of great new goodies coming out today at Elemental Scraps...but they will also be coming out at Gotta Pixel tomorrow because we are joining their lovely community over there! Here is the ad...if you can't read the fine print you should read it here [it is important]: read the fine print.


Also...would you like to see what a dollar buys today? Of course you would! Empty your change purse into your paypal account and go snag these babies up for such a great discount, K?


We have 3 kits up and a new template pack...all $1 each at ES today! If you prefer to shop from GP, you can buy them there tomorrow, also for $1!
Have a great day friends!

When I Grow Up and Get Married.....

"I'M LIVING ALONE!!!!"

That's what Macaulay Caulkin proclaims as a child in one of my favorite Christmas Movies, Home Alone.

That's kind of how I feel.

I don't want to make my family disappear (most days) but there definitely is NO shortage of company around here...

It's such a strange feeling to be married and living alone. Separation and divorce is such a weird state of limbo. In my apartment it's me and the kids...but as most of you know...my apartment is in my sister Tabatha's basement...so I'm not far away from company....and what that means is...

I've become a squatter upstairs :P

I know I'll outgrow it but for now I haven't been living much downstairs. I buy groceries and they go in Tab's fridge, I buy laundry soap and it goes in Tab's laundry room, and I only go downstairs to sleep.

I'm not scared of being alone. I relish it at times. But at the moment I'd just rather be with people who love me during my waking hours. Who wouldn't?

And for the record.....I apparently know I'm single on even a subconscious level at this point. They say that when you have mastered a foreign language, you will begin to dream in that language. Last night I dreamt....and in my dream I was single. So I thought that was an interesting turn of events...just a lot for my mind to process :)

And to those of you who have contacted me to ask how I'm doing...forgive me for my laziness in response. I'm actually doing quite well. I am focused on my work, my kids...and my happiness. I'm wading through a lot of crap to find my happiness...but it's out there...and I'm gonna get it!

The One With The Exhale

There is our template pack for the week friends....Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy. Tabatha and I work ahead a few weeks on certain things so it's amusing to me that this is the template pack that finds its way for release today...wouldn't it be nice if life was easy peasy?

I've been a bit scarce and *some* of you know why....others do not. I'm going to bring you up to speed! Last week my marriage ended and my husband moved out of state. Things have been understandably stressful here in Bella Gypsy Land! But...we are getting along just fine :) It's an adjustment but life is full of change right?

My sister and I created a kit to mark my newfound singlehood. I am anxious and sad but I still have hope...and hope floats! So we created Hope Floats and the Hope Floats add-on. Enjoy these worn papers and inspirational word art....they are only $1!



The Hope Floats kit is ALSO only $1 :)

There is a special download included with the Hope Floats kit. It's a surprise (shhh, I can't tell you what it is but I promise it's really special!) It is from my friends at ES (that's the only hint you are getting!) and is a token of all of their love and support for me!


And we created these awesome unique girl and boy birthday kits for only $1 too!



Click HERE if you are interested in shopping with us today...we really do appreciate it!

And...thank you ALL for your prayers and positive thoughts!

I'll be back to blogging like my normal self...in a jiffy!

Toodles!