(diva)logues

"A daughter is one of the most beautiful gifts this world has to give..."

The one thing everyone tells you after you have a child is how fast time will fly by. I don't think you can fully understand how fast it really goes though until you're actually experiencing it and one day you wake up & realize almost 11 years have passed in the blink of an eye. I went to school today to surprise Bryn with lunch. I had several teachers stop & say, "I can't believe this is Bryn's last year here already." I just shook my head. I can't believe it either. I think the real wake-up call happened last month for me during her middle school transition night.

I just keep praying... please God... let her be more willing to talk to me about future issues & drama with girls & boys than I was with my own mom. So far, she tells me about most things. Although I have checked her texts & see that there's issues on the bus involving girls that she's friends with. It appears in her texts that she stays in a neutral position...not taking either side... which is good. But the drama is just beginning sadly. I spoke to her about the girls on the bus the other day & she was so surprised & wondered how I knew about it. I said, "Moms have a way of finding out everything." ;-)

If only she could stay in half-day Kindergarten, coming home to eat lunch & take a nap, forever. I can't even say how badly I miss those days.

New chapter though! Just gotta keep trying to make each second count & remember to not take our time for granted. So easy to do...

Mostly the October Afternoon Schoolhouse collection on here. I love it... so sweet & girly. I added a SRM Baby's First Year sticker sentiment on top. Also used my Marvy scalloped heart punch to layer a couple stitched hearts...

Just reminiscing today. And I probably have a minor panic attack every time we are getting ready to travel without Bryn. It happens so infrequently that we leave without her so on the few occasions that we do... I'm usually ready to cancel the trip with second thoughts the day before we leave. Once I get there, I'll be fine though! And she's going to have a fun weekend, herself, I have no doubt! :-)

Stuck on Helmar...

Nikki Sivils recently partnered with Helmar in their holiday blog hop.  Since I had received various Helmar adhesives earlier this year, I was happy to use them to create a new page using Nikki's new Happy Holly Days line...

 

 

 

I particularly love their Scrap Dots & used it underneath my nutcracker.  Love that it's dimensional AND clear.  I also used their Premium Craft Glue on my nutcracker to add some more texture.  I picked the cotton off the end of a Q-Tip to create the hair, beard & fur on the boots.  Then of course I had to use some Glossy Accents on the hat, belt & boots, since I'm using that stuff on everything these days!  The top border was created using my Marvy Uchida ribbon cartridge from their new border punch system, plus I added a chenille flower from Creative Charms... 

 

 
Bryn wrote the letter a couple weeks ago, but I used a photo from last year on the page since we haven't gone to see Santa yet.   Once we do though, I plan to swap out this one for the new one!

And speaking of Christmas, I finally came up with a Christmas card... minus the formal family photo shoot.  Just found some photos from the past year & went with it.  Less grief that way.  ;-)  I just ordered them on Sunday from Shutterfly, so as soon as they come in I'll be delegating the stuffing + stamping of envelopes to my able-bodied assistants.  I can hear them jumping for joy already...

SRM Stickers loves Marvy Uchida (& so do I)...

Recently, SRM Stickers teamed up with Marvy Uchida!  They were so generous to send us some of their new products & I've been having fun creating with them.  I've always been a fan of their punches & these new products are just as GREAT!  They are so easy to use & really make creating border punches so EASY... leaving no room for error! 

And guess what? They are giving several away to SRM followers! Check out the SRM blog for details!

For my first project, I used the new Clever Lever Quick Borders Craft Punch (scalloped shell cartridge) to make my "grass."

 

To make my tree, I used the oak leaf Clever Lever embossing craft punch,   which I just purchased at Michaels.  Love it!  I framed my project using one of Michelle Baca's 12x12 Everyday Scrapbook wooden frames. 

For my card, I used the ribbon stitch cartridge (my favorite cartridge) & the new Paper Trimming Buddy.  I used 3 different blade cassettes... straight, scoring & scallop.  So easy to use... love it! 

 

For both projects, I used the same Thanksgiving-themed SRM Stickers...

 

Thank you again for your generosity, Marvy!  Your products are the BEST!