3*2*5 - Jaime Warren

As promised...

Two posts this week - sweet!  I'm on a roll, a roll I tell you!   So, first let me say....15 more days until we leave for vacation!!!!!!!!! Ok, that's out of my system (I know you all are sick and tired of my count down, but bear with me lol!!!)

I wanted to share some photos along with some layouts this time...

I love succulents (super easy to care for!!) so I took several and planted them in mini mason jars.  I have plans for planting some more in the larger mason jars for around the house!!  I love how they turned out.  The girls helped me cram the dirt in there (that was the trickiest part) and by the end of it we were all covered lol!

It's that time again!!!  Woohoo!  I have been taking the girls to my MIL's pool and and it has been bliss.  The girls are like little fishies and I just lay back and watch them go crazy.  I have missed the heat and the sun (remind me of these words when it's August and 105, will you?)

My Mother's Day gift from Mac and the girls.  It's Larimar and Moonstone - I absolutely love it ♥

Yep, I finally did it.  Can you believe it?  I talked about getting this bad boy for a year, perhaps more.  After a couple of months of design work on behalf of my awesome tattoo artist I finally had it done.  I. love. it.  It is exactly what I wanted - exactly.  The 3 birds represents my girls and the lyrics are incredibly important to us.  It brings back blissful memories of the windows down, the breeze blowing through our hair, all of us belting out the words as we drove up and down the winding mountain roads. 

I promised a few layouts, didn't I?

A Two Peas Garden layout using some of the new Echo Park goodies ♥

Another Two Peas Garden layout with more delicious Echo Park product ♥

 

A layout for the Crate Paper blog using Pretty Party - which I adore!

This is one of my favorite photos of Addison.  I combined Crate's Pretty Party and Storyteller on this one :)

Alrighty..I'm off, have a fantastic day everyone!!!

♥♥♥

Playing a bit of catch up....

Whew!  I know it's been a while since I've truly shared anything other than a blog hop or two.  I took a step back from anything outside of what was necessary for a while.  In that time I have been playing outside with the girls more, gardening, reading and just concentrating on staying grounded, centered and peaceful.  I didn't realize how seriously I was lacking in those departments.  But I was. 

The girls have really loved having their mommy back.  The stress of it all was doing just as much damage to them as it was to me.  I just can't have that.  I can't have my girls live like that.  We take more time for each other, whether it's to snuggle or to play or just enjoy the outdoors. We all needed this desperately!

I have also started meditating and I start yoga tomorrow.  I'm down 18lbs and I'm almost to my final goal of 125 (I'm at 127.2 now!!)  I realized I needed more than sitting in front of a computer or a desk and pumping out photos and layouts.  It wasn't good for me and it wasn't good for my family.  I was losing my drive and my creativity.  I am starting to follow a brand new path and it feels good.

We leave on vacation in 16 days - woot!  We can't wait!  It won't be long until we are hiking, lounging in the hot tub and just soaking up the beauty of the mountains.  17 days until our hearts and souls are truly home...even if it is just for a mere week.

I have been spending a lot of time in my little garden.  It's not much - a handful of herbs and some new flowers.  But it's been a wonderful way to de-stress.  I've planted some Spearmint, Sweet Mint, Lemon Balm, Basil, Rosemary, Lavender, Sage, Jasmine and some little hanging baskets of periannuals.  Inside I have several different variations of succulents, an aloe plant and bamboo.  The girls have loved watching everything grow just as much as I have.  I had no idea digging in the dirt could be so theraputic lol!!

So does that mean everything is perfect?  Hell no lol!!!  Our a/c caught fire and we went several days with no a/c.  I tried to take positive things from the experience - like the fact that I actually like line drying my clothes - but still, it was HOT lol!

Despite all of the changes and stepping back from things a bit I have still been scrapping - and I have a few layouts to share with you!

 

I created this layout for the Two Peas Garden using the gorgeous new American Crafts Dear Lizzy line!

This layout was created for Webster's Pages using their gorgeous Sunday Picnic line :)

Another one for Webster's Pages!

Another layout for the Two Peas Garden :)

I'll be back later this week to share more of my recent layouts!  Thanks for sticking with me - I truly appreciate all of the kind words of support and emails you have all given me!!!

Webster's Pages Girl Land Blog Hop!

 

Hey everyone and welcome to the hop!  I am so excited to be sharing Girl Land with you all - it's another gorgeous collection full of pink, flowers and tons of sparkle!  Today is the day it's officially for sale and shipping! 

Everything in this collection is just gorgeous!  Take a peek:

During the hop you will want to skip around and find all of the awesome prizes that Webster's is giving away to celebrate the launch of Girl Land (I'm the last stop on the hop, so head over to the Webster's Pages Blog) SOO many fabulous goodies that could be yours!  Just be sure to link up the Girl Land excitement on Facebook, Twitter etc. and then leave a comment with the link at the Webster's Pages Blog! 

I didn't forget, I promise!!

I bet you all thought I forgot to post the winner of the contest, huh?  I didn't forget, I promise.  I was just busy - we are off for our spring break this week and the girls have kept me going ;)  They are so happy to be out of the house and away from their text books!

So, without further ado, the winner of Shannon Tidwell's brand spanking new class is:

Number 49: 

Love those stars too!
jan509

Jan, please send your information to:  jw_photography@hotmail.com

A HUGE thanks to everyone who participated!!! 

I'm off - the girls are ready to play in the yard and I have some dirt to play in ;)

 

Welcome to April's Garden Girls Gardeners' Digest!!

Hey everyone!!!  Welcome to April's Two Peas Garden Girl Gardeners' Digest!!  So happy to have you join me today!!  Let me start out with saying how happy I am that it is finally spring!  We have been thoroughly enjoying the gorgeous weather.  Camping, kayaking and just lounging around outside.  We have had school outside a few days as well - such a nice change of pace for us!  Alright..enough rambling lol!!!

I recently threw these five things in my cart over at Two Peas..can't wait for them to get here!!!

Studio Calico Classic Calico Vol. 2 Tiny Stars Wood Veneer

American Crafts Montage Spiral Daybook Amy Tangerine Sketchbook

Studio Calico Chevron One Kraft 12X12 Classic Calico V.2 Paper

American Crafts Tulip Charmed Dear Lizzy Neapolitan Glitter Puffy Thickers

Studio Calico Take Note Addy Charcoal 6X12 Alphabet Stickers

You may have noticed a slight trend there - almost all of it is Studio Calico goodies lol!!!  I admit - as soon as the new releases started showing up in the store I jumped on them.  LOVE the new Studio Calico products...LOVE!  Especially those little stars!!

  

I am in love with that new Echo Park line - especially the vintage cameras :)  The color combo is just awesome too...and of course I'm a sucker for anything Chevron ;)

As always the gallery has just been full of inspiration.  I came across lilithee's gallery and fell in love.  I adore her light and airy layouts - absolutely gorgeous!

So..about that prize I was talking about earlier...how would you like to win a spot in Shannon Tidwell's new class Sassy Scrapping with Shannon Workshop??

Simply leave me a comment and I will draw a winner from random.org on Tuesday, the 24th! 

Thanks so much for visiting me today - please be sure to visit the other girls participating in the Digest!

julie campbell

wilna

jen gallacher

shannon tidwell

becky novacek

jill sprott

amy heller

lynn ghahary

wendy sue

shimelle laine

lisa truesdell

nancy damiano

♥♥♥ Jaime

I did the craziest thing yesterday...

I relaxed.  Yep.  Told you...crazy!  Yesterday morning I got up, straightened up the mess in the house, washed some dishes...went to put in a load of clothes and my washer wouldn't work.  The washer that I had hoped was fixed just a day ago.  See, it messed up on the same day that my microwave blew up.  Which was after the dishwasher flooded the kitchen.  So, I stood there, with an arm full of dirty clothes, debating whether I should kick the washing machine, throw the clothes, scream or just walk away.  I sort of did a combination of all of those things.

I looked over at the girls and they were all standing there waiting for my next move.  Or potential nervous breakdown.   I called the appliance guy, told him what happened and he told me he would see me Thursday with the part for the washer.  Then I let go.  Let go of being frustrated by it because really, what purpose would it serve?  I asked the girls if they wanted to do school outside for a change...and of course they answered with an excited chorus of yes and woohoo!!!  And that's exactly what we did.  We had school outside...and then I climbed up in my hammock and I read a book for a couple of hours.  It was blissful.  I didn't stress.  I didn't worry.  I didn't think.  I just relaxed.  The girls were happy for the change in scenery and so was I. 

I need to do that more often.  Just let go and calm down.  Breathe.  Climb in a hammock under the trees and read a book.  When I came back inside later that afternoon I felt like a totally different person.  Rejuvinated.  Relaxed.  Refreshed. 

I want to thank all of you who left comments and sent emails about my post the other day.  It was a very hard decision to let go of some of those teams because I truly LOVE the product and the people I worked for. 

Before I end this post I just want to share a few layouts :) 

If you haven't stopped over at the Webster's Pages Blog you need to!  They have just announced an exciting new product called blueprints that you won't want to miss!

Have a beautiful day everyone!!

♥♥♥

That overwhelmed feeling....

I have had it for quite a while now.  I thought I was hiding it pretty well, but, apparently I wasn't.  You see, Friday, right as I was wrapping up a newborn shoot I started feeling pretty lousy.  Achy, sneezing, back killing me.  I figured it was allergies combined with my usual back issues.  By the time I made it home I could barely make it out of the car and to the couch.  I was SO sick and in SO much pain.  And all I could think about was how much work I still had to do before the end of the month.  And I broke.  I just started crying - you know, the snot everywhere, bawling your eyes out kind of crying.  My husband admitted that the work load I was carrying was too much for me and for our family.  I barely had time for them - I was always in front of a computer or at my scrapbook table.  I was always stressed.  I was always two seconds away from missing a deadline. 

That night I made the difficult decision to let go of several of my design teams and to cut back on the amount of photography sessions in the future.  With that decision came this feeling of relief.  Of feeling like I could breathe again...like I could manage things again.  I felt good.  I didnt' realize how heavy I had been feeling until I let go of things. 

For now I'm keeping the blog, but, I can't make any promises of constant updates.  I refuse to let it be something that I feel I HAVE to do and therefore get stressed out about it.  The stress has been too much for too long. 

Today, I stepped outside with Addison for a brief few minutes (I'm still not 100% better) and did a "session" with her.  She had been asking me for weeks and I kept telling her soon...that mommy had too much work to do.  I refuse to let that happen again.  Refuse.  She was SO happy to have that camera on her and to have my undivided attention, even though I was coughing and sneezing. 

Thanks for sticking with me....♥♥♥

March Garden Girls Gardener's Digest ♥

Hello everyone!!  It's officially spring - yay!!!  In typical Georgia style we have skipped right over spring and right into summer with temps nearing 90.  Gotta' love it!  The upside to the hot temps is that the girls are soaking up the water fun and I know they are happy to be outside again.

So, on to the fun stuff - have you noticed all of the new gorgeous goodies at Two Peas?!!!  I think it goes without saying that I have been filling up my cart religiously.  Here are five of my must have products this month:

Prairie Hill 12X12 Collection Pack

Sugar Chic Buzz Words Stickers

Simple Stories Fabulous 12X12 Collection Kit

Heidi Swapp Destination Pennants

Green Diagonal Stripes Washi Tape

Yet again, the Gallery over at Two Peas is on FIRE.  So many awesome projects to be inspired by.  This is one of my favorites - I love the use of the photo strips and the genius way she used the twine and clothes pin!!!

Project - Us 2 Fun Times by terrishere

And here are a couple of my recent Garden seeds - I LOVE that Dear Lizzy line (it's perfect for spring photos and birthdays too!!)

 

Thanks for hopping in for a while!!!  Be sure to check out the lovely Kimber McGray next!!!

♥♥♥

Hey! This post is full of lame excuses....!!!

No, seriously, it isn't.  If you have stuck with this blog for long enough you understand I go through quiet periods when I get insanely busy.  And I thank you for sticking with me, even when the crickets are chirping around here.

It's hard for me to believe that it is actually mid-March...and almost officially spring.  It  has given me major summer fever - I can't wait for our vacation (which is only 70 days away...) I can't wait to lounge by the pool while the girls play.  I can't wait to celebrate Hailey's 12th birthday and Jill's 10th.  I can't wait for random camping trips, kayaking and FUN.  

Speaking of kayaking and camping...we were finally able to go on our kayaking/camping trip this past weekend.  I was a little unsure because the weather is so unpredictable right now, but, I'm SO glad we risked it and went.  It was amazing.  I have never kayaked on the river, so it was a brand new experience for me.  I was honestly surprised by how beautiful it is.  Huge trees, hanging with old man's beard...bright green moss everywhere.  We ended up camping on a little island right in the middle of the river.  This was a true camping trip - Mac made a little lean-to out of a tarp and we put our hammocks underneath it.  It got a little chillier than we were expecting, but, we snuggled deep into our sleeping bags and we were good to go.  Right before I fell asleep I just listened to the sound of the water, the crickets, the owls.  It was peaceful and energizing.  I woke up the next morning feeling like a brand new person.  It was just what we needed - a night of peace, quiet and nature.  It was incredible.

Here are a few Instagram photos from our trip:

Honestly, with the week I have had so far, I would love nothing more than to escape to the little island on the river again.  I hate those time periods where I feel like I can't catch up on the amount of work I have to do.  In trying to get caught up I lose sight of other things and those things start to slide downhill.  Top it off with some school issues (with Jill) and I feel like throwing my hands up.  I HATE feeling that way.  Today I put everything down, put on my bathing suit and went outside to lounge in the sun for a bit.  It helped.  It helps when I step away from the stresses and get my perspective straight again.  Because despite the work load, and the school stress and the house work, I am blessed with an amazing family.  We support each other, we lift each other, we are a unit.  My girls are healthy.  I am healthy. Mac is healthy.  I have an amazing job(s) and Mac does too.  We are blessed and I have to remember that.  Remember that sometimes it's ok if the laundry isn't done and the dishes are piling up.  There will never be a day when I look back and WISH I had WASHED THOSE DISHES.  But there will be days when I look back and wish I had cuddled a little bit more.  Hugged a little bit more.  Smiled a little bit more. 

Thanks for hanging in there....♥♥♥

March Studio AE from Technique Tuesday Blog Hop!!!

It's time!!!  Time for the March Technique Tuesday blog hop!   This time it's all about Spring!  I just love Spring, don't you?  Longer days, blooming flowers, warmer temps.  I still can't believe it's March - weren't we just celebrating Christmas?!!

The brand new March Studio AE stamp set called “Beauty of Spring by Ali Edwards”  is absolutely gorgeous and you guessed it, perfect for those Spring layouts and projects!  Here is what I created using it:

Instead of using the entire phrase, I cut it into pieces to make it fit with the overall design and flow of my layout!  I love how versatile this stamp set is - don't be afraid to cut it up!  And I know many of you are OVER the doilies, but, I love them lol!!!  I haven't gotten sick of them just yet ;)

Be sure to check the blogs of all taking part in the Blog Hop today:

 Ali:  http://aliedwards.com/

 Jill Sprott, our March Studio AE guest:  http://wordplaywordwork.blogspot.com/

 Daniela:  http://danieladobson.blogspot.com/

 Laura:  http://itsallrosie.blogspot.com/

 Nichol:  http://www.nicholmagouirk.typepad.com/

 Sharyn:  http://www.sharyntormanen.typepad.com/

 Teri:  http://terisplace.wordpress.com/

 We love your comments so we are going to draw at random from all the comments left on all the blogs for a couple brand new Technique Tuesday stamp sets.

One person will win Technique Tuesday’s Big Wish stamp set.

http://www.techniquetuesday.com/New-For-2012/BigWi.html

 One other person will win the new Sassy Cat stamp set.

http://www.techniquetuesday.com/New-For-2012/Sassy.html

You don’t need to leave a comment on all the blogs to be eligible to win. But the more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win.

All comments must be made by midnight PST on March 13th.

Tune into the Technique Tuesday blog (http://techniquetuesday.typepad.com/) on March 14^th to see if you are one of the lucky winners.

Thanks for stopping in everyone and good luck!!!