to be creative...

What does being creative mean to you?

There are so many outlets to showing your creativity.  Personally, I love to scrapbook, make crafts for kids and bake!! 

This is the process I am working though for my sister's wedding album!!

I find scrapbooking so much fun!!  It is challenging to figure out what kind of layout to use, which paper looks best, is it enough or too much embellishing and now what pictures do I use?!  Once that page or pages are complete you sit back and look at what you have done and oh my it is satisfying.  I always have to show my husband (he really doesn't care but he still looks at it and compliments my hard work) because who doesn't want to show people something they have taken time to create.  We are proud of our work!!

I also LOVE to bake!  I could really care less about cooking supper, but you tell me you need 8 dozen cookies tomorrow and it would be take out because the oven is busy!  This is not the most healthy creative outlet, so that is why I have more fun with it when I can share it with others and not keep it here at home.  We would be hard core sugar addicts!!

Cake Pops!!  I finally made them and they turned out great!

A bake sale needed some cookies so my daughter and I set off to work.

I can't find my creativity with cooking everyday meals but I would taste anything.  When it comes to baking desserts, cookies, treats, etc. I just love it.  Like those Cake Pops for example, I have seen them everywhere in blog land and kept putting it off.  Then I got asked to donate some baking for a local bake sale and thought, alright here is my opportunity.  I couldn't stop there though, since I really wanted to make heart shaped sugar cookies with my daughter we made those too.  The Cake Pop idea came from here and the sugar cookie recipe came from here.  Both were great tasting and so glad they left our house!! 

Since it is Valentine's Day we did a craft for our daughter's playschool group and they turned out great too!!

We made crayon hearts!!  Soooo cute!!!  I found the idea, again everywhere in blog world, but used these instructions here.  Really easy besides all the peeling of paper.  Boo.  I used our silicone heart shaped ice cube tray from Ikea and put in the oven for about 10 min.  I just watched them and made sure they were all melted.  They sat on the cupboard for quite awhile to cool down and then they popped out easy peasy!  Great idea for favors, birthday gifts, stocking stuffers, and a quick craft to entertain kids.  LOVE THEM!!


I truly believe everyone is able to create something.  It doesn't really matter what it is as long as you do the work and enjoy the feeling afterward.

And last by definitely not least, my two greatest creations.  My girls.

Obviously baby pictures of both but this is how I still see them! 
Aw. 
My girls.

gifted...

There are so many blogs out there.  Many days I could lose myself in them.  Decorating, crafting, parenting, DYI, recipes, photography.  The list goes on and on.  I sit truly amazed at individual's talents and bringing their visions to physically being present for everyone else to enjoy.  They are gifted and I soak up all they write and photograph.  It is inspiring.

My sister-in-law has been blogging for awhile (GO HERE) and boy do I enjoy it.  When she has a new post I grab my coffee and sit down to listen to her talk (I know I'm reading it but she writes like she is talking to you!). 

Reading her blog with my delicious coffee!

Laura writes so beautifully!  She has a fascinating life with 4 beautiful brown-eyed kidlets, a devoted husband and life experiences to last a lifetime.  There is so much knowledge in that gorgeous head of hers that I just drink in all she tells me.  We have our differences but who doesn't.  I feel like I have known her all my life (really only a 1/3 of it) or maybe I feel like she knows the real me sometimes.  I loved how she said she want dig deep and really get to know people.  Those are the conversations that are worth letting the laundry wait and who cares if the house is dirty let's get to know you the REAL you conversations.  I love those ones.  I love listening and sometimes I love sharing them.  My husband told me once that people find it easy to talk to me (sometimes I'm not sure why they are telling me such personal things but I won't turn them away) and I love listening to their lives.  Their hardships, their passions, their adventures it is all so important to who they really are and who they want to become. 

Laura is on a journey and who isn't.  Bless her heart for sharing all she has and all she will. 

Another blogger I know, more through others than personally, is Randi (GO HERE).  Her blog is about being a mother and all that goes with it.  Really she writes about it all!!  I love it.  I relish in her words, her thought and her opinions.  They are refreshing and honest.

Drinking some coffee and joyful words.

These women are sharing and it is powerful.  Randi has a funny approach to somethings and I love that side too.  She wrote about her pregnancy in our local paper and I couldn't wait for the next article.  I has already had our first daughter and so much of what she said was so relevant and honest.  Honestly is suppose to be the best policy right?!

More blogs are out there than it is possible to read.  So many ideas, thoughts, dreams and opinions.  Brilliant, honest, open and caring individuals write their hearts out or just enough to leave you wanting more. 

It is awesome! 

Thank you blog world for letting us connect to others and enjoy every ones gifts.

beatiful music...

Pat playing something beautiful.

My husband can play the piano.
No I mean my husband can REALLY play! 
Not just the few easy songs everyone can work there way through.  He can hear a song take a second and start playing it on the piano.  AMAZING.

I know lots of people that would love to play the way he does including me.  We were given his grandmother's piano and I believe he has played it for at least 10 minutes every day since (that was almost 3 years ago now). 

He can play so fast his hands are blurry.

He can whistle a tune and then just start playing it.  He has a ear for music far beyond what I even understand.  This is one of his many gifts and the girls and I are lucky to be able to listen to his creations. 

I don't think I tell him enough just how good he really is.  I think he would just brush it off and keep playing.  I love it when he gets so into the music he doesn't notice us stop and just stand there listening. 

Beautiful.  Amazing.  Gifted. 

I wish he would share his talent with others so they could have the pleasure in listening, in absorbing the notes to their very soul.  It has taken my breath away on many occasions and I feel honored to bear witness to it and all that he does.  If there is a piano or keyboard in the room he will get to it eventually, he'll start to play and then stop once he realizes people are watching.  He'll stop because they are listening although I don't think he sees that they are amazed to hear this beautiful music that he is playing and they appreciate it.  Everyone appreciates great music and live is always better. 

He is truly gifted. 
He is my husband and I feel lucky, blessed, and honored to know him and be in his presence. 
He is the love of my life and the father to our children.
He is who he is and I love him.