Let me Sum Up

Seussical was very, very good! We saw it twice--I saw a dress rehearsal (where these pics are from--same day that son H walked over from his school to see it) and Joel went by himself with J opening night. They had a very good production, and J had a lot of fun. We are ALL singing songs from Seussical in our heads--for me, it's the "Notice Me Horton!" song Gertrude sings to Hortong. Super-tricky lighting situations though! I didn't even try to take video or more pictures the second time I saw it.

Next for us is Spring Break. I'm hoping to get a family photo shoot in, so I'm bringing the tripod. I still have to work, so I'm keeping my expectations low. That way, we'll all be more relaxed and have more fun.

On the crafty front, I just taught a class about flag books. Did you know the first flag book was created by Hedi Kyle in 1979? This is a book-making form that is used more by book artists and later adapted by papercrafters. So many neat things to be done with this style of book making! If you want to know more, there is a FANTASTIC online pdf of an old Bonefolder magazine with some great step-by-step instructions on how to make them. (Karen Hamner is the featured artist with the great how-tos there). And if you want to see MANY fantastic examples of this art form, check out THIS link. After I take pics of mine, I'll share. Prepping for this class made me want to make more flag books of the "books as art" variety. Go check out those links--you'll like what you see! I hope you are inspired!

What fun! Creating Keepsakes Convention and Suessical-Lite

J in her "Bird Girl" makeup. Although I like her expression, I should let you know that she was just very tired, not mad that I was taking pictures...

Last Saturday, I was a Teacher's Aide for the Creating Keepsakes Convention. I had a great time working with Sarah Milne of Scenic Route and Bev (I can't remember her last name, sorry!) the owner of Technique Tuesday. It was great to help them out. Although I learned that standing for over eight hours isn't fun, even if I am wearing my favorite pair of Danskos. Still, it was something I'd never done before, and always wanted to try, so I'm glad to have done it!

Also, if you are in my local area and want a fun date this weekend, come on over and see my daughter in her school's musical. It's a great show! She's on the right side of the picture, in the second row, in the dress with hot pink feathers that looks white even though it's light pink. She plays a "Bird Girl" in the production. The kids did a great job, and have some great singers in the lead parts.

I've been hearing back from you on your Stories for our "No Ordinary Stories" campaign. I LOVE IT! Keep them coming! If you leave a comment and put your story on your blog, I'll be sure to post a link to your story here. Let's take the internet by storm!

Speaking of stories, you really need to read Kelly Corrigan's "The Middle Place." I posted a video a while back of her reading one of her essays. Good stuff people! I couldn't put the book down and was sad when it was over. I originally got it at the library, but you can be sure I'll be buying my own copy soon!

No Ordinary Stories

gratuitous picture of the Oregon Coast just to get your attention and because everyone thinks blog posts are more interesting when there are pictures to look at and because I think that this blog post will be VERY interesting.

I promised awhile back that I would tell you more about a project that I'm doing for Stampin'Cat that is near and dear to my heart....and now is the time.

The name of the project is "No Ordinary Stories" and it is an idea that has been bouncing around in my brain and filling my heart for some time now. It's something I've believed in since I was very young. It's a simple idea, but one that is often overlooked. If you distill it down to one basic thought, it is this--in every life, in every person, there are No Ordinary Stories.

Some of you are confused--isn't that the name of the project? Let me explain with what I wrote to introduce the class. I think that it will make more sense then.

I believe we are significant.
I also believe that we forget this important fact.

Let’s talk about stories for a minute. Let’s talk specifically

about other people’s stories.

We can’t get enough of other people’s stories.

We read them in the news, in magazines,

in books, sometimes in the tabloids, on the internet,

and in blog after blog after blog.

We can’t get enough. We are riveted.

Yet when it comes to our own stories, we downplay.

We stammer and become suddenly shy.

We feel like we have nothing to say.

Some of it is that we are taught

not to brag or boast, we are taught not to be prideful.

We decide that our own stories are not worth telling.

I believe we are significant. I believe our stories are significant.

They deserve to be Celebrated, Lived, Loved, and Shared.

I believe that there are
No Ordinary Stories.
Your stories need to be remembered and written down. Your stories matter.
If you don’t tell your stories,
Who will?

I believe those words with all my heart. I believe that somewhere along the way down the road or path or superhighway of our life, we forget parts of ourselves. We get busy furthering our careers, or wiping noses, or going to class, or cooking dinner, or driving to the next destination on our list, or washing load after load after load after load of laundry that we forget to remember how great we really are. Sometimes we might even forget who we are.

This is what I propose: Let's start writing down these stories. I would love to see this blog post passed around and around and around and around. I'd love to see a whole grassroots movement of women remembering their significance in tangible ways. Let's link and share and link and tell and write and share and link again, until we are all connected with a web of words and stories and significance.

I'll provide a prompt here if you get stuck. But I hope that once you start telling your stories, they will just tumble out of you and one story will lead to another and another and another and you'll have a notebook or a folder or a journal or a blog just full of all of your wonderful stories.

I can't wait to read yours.

My baby's growing up...and I'm not sure I like it.

At the Kindergarten Valentine's party

Yesterday morning, C, my youngest, announced that he was "full of snuggles" and didn't need any more. Since he was fresh out of bed, sleepy-eyed and tousled hair, I assumed he meant he didn't need his MORNING snuggles, so I said. "okay." and let it go. Last night, when I suggested our usual bedtime ritual of snuggles and knock-knock jokes, he reminded me that he was "full of snuggles" and didn't need any more.

That cracking sound you hear? It's a little piece of my heart breaking off as my last child moves toward the road of independence.

It's not that I didn't know that this day was coming. It's more that when we made the choice to finish having children with this third child, I didn't realize that there would be a day with no more babies. (not sure how I missed that one...) No more sweet neck sugars to nibble on, no more need for nighttime snuggles as an important part of the bedtime routine, no more of that fierce, intense, and deep unconditional love that only comes from your children when they are too young to be mad at you during the times when you have to parent them. I did know this day was coming--I had just mentioned it to Joel the other day--I just wasn't ready for it to be here so soon. It's like an elephant dropped out of the sky and landed on my chest. It's going to hurt for awhile.

Lucky for me, he changed his mind. Elephant airlifted away, crisis avoided. All systems are go for the snuggles.

And I'm going to hang on to them for as long as I can.

Create

I'm really resonating with this video, originally found on Stacy Julian's blog. I remember when I first heard/saw this talk, and remember being touched even then. It's nice to be reminded of these truths. I hope you enjoy it. HERE is the link to the actual YouTube page, if you need it.

I've made a big decision

I'm going to self-publish an inspirational book. I'll probably go with Lulu, but I also have a local printer friend I'm going to talk to. I may not do anything with it but give it to my mother, and that will be enough. It's something that's been bouncing around in my head for awhile now, and I'm just going to have to bring it to life. I'm going to call it "No Ordinary Stories," inspired by my class at Stampin'Cat of the same name. I'll be using some things I've written here on the blog, like THIS and THIS (well, on the old blog, so if you are new here, you won't have read them yet...) as well as THIS, which is on the new blog. I'm going to pair my stories with my own pictures, and just have fun with it. Wanna come along for the ride?