Crop-A-Doodle-Do

Every year in the springtime a couple of friends and I get away for a scrapbooking weekend. A couple of weekends ago we all headed to a bed and breakfast called Crop-A-Doodle-Do in Arcadia, Indiana! (You can check it out HERE.) It's an adorable old farm house in the middle of a wide open field that has been renovated to cater to scrapbookers. (I still dream of doing something like this one day.)

I must say it was a very relaxing and restful weekend...two things I desperately needed! However...with all of the struggles that I had just getting out of the house...I wasn't sure the weekend was even going to happen.

I was suppose to drop the kids off to Jeff at his work after preschool, stop by the scrapbooking store near his office for some supplies, then hit the road...but NOOOOO! As I was leaving preschool pick up I get a call from my oldest son's school that he's complaining of his stomach hurting (a stomach bug had been going through our house that week...it was now Logan's turn to get it). Then Jeff had a phone call go long and he was an hour later getting to our house than planned. In the meantime I'm trying to arrange for a sitter to come to the house around 5:00 so the sitter can watch the kids while Jeff takes a prescheduled conference call, figure out how Frank and Logan were going to get to piano lessons from 4-5 (before I knew Logan was sick), and then get Frank to his 5:30 soccer game...and not feel guilty that I'm heading out of town in the midst of all of this.

Needless to say it all magically worked out and I made it to Crop-A-Doodle-Do in time for dinner.

Over the weekend I got a few pages and cards done, had a lot of laughs with some really funny women, got two full nights of sleep (don't think that's happened in a long long time), didn't get out of my PJs all day Saturday, and ate everything in site! It was a good weekend!

Here are some of the pages I did...










I'm sure you noticed how some of the pages don't have pictures on them...that was another road block I encountered while trying to pack up and leave...our printer ran out of ink. So I just did the pages with papers and embellishments I liked and figured that I'd find pictures to match them later. This method was actually a little bit easier for me because I wasn't all caught up on the color in the pictures and the paper matching perfectly. My motto for the weekend was "Don't over think it...just do it!"

This layout I put into my new hanging frame that I bought from a friend's Creative Memories party. Where the 12x12 layout rests is magnetic...so it can easily be changed out. My plan is to change this with pictures taken from what is going on around here that month. It's my hope that this will allow me to keep up with a family album. A BIG hope...I'll let you know how that pans out:)

Well, that's all for now...

Some updates...

I just wanted to say thank you to those people who have been sending in cards for James and his family! When I go to my mailbox and find cards sent for James...it is truly more exciting than getting personal mail for myself! The furthest location one has been sent from is the Netherlands...AMAZING! I've also received cards from New Jersery (thanks Judy!), Wisconsin, and Texas! I'll be sure to post any updates I receive from the family in regards to the cards. Thank you again...and keep them coming!

Here a few that I plan on adding to the mix...

These are a few I made over my scrapbook weekend away at Crop-a-doodle-do...I'll be sure to share about that weekend soon!

The answer to the Knock Knock one is..."i - 8 lunch already...where's dinner?"

For Grace...

Obviously for James...

Another update...I've recently purchased my web address where I hope to sell my cards! My next step is to get with a designer and bring it to life. As soon as there is the tiniest thing to look at on the website I will be sure to post it here. So, I've put it out there...I've spent money on it...now I have to follow through!

Well, that's all for now...

I am a Flying Pig...

This past Sunday I was able to scratch one of my New Year's resolutions off of my list...I ran Cincinnati's Flying Pig Marathon!

Yesireee...I ran all 26.2 of the miles that it took me to get from the start to the finish. Although my goal was to finish in under 4 hours (I finished in 4 hours and 1 minute) I was still excited to have ran it nonetheless! (Don't you worry though...I will crush that 4 hour mark sooner or later:)

I have to give a huge shout out to my AWESOME husband who ran the marathon with me every step of the way. He encouraged and reassured me at all the right times. He knew when to make the conversation light hearted and knew when to keep it to himself :) Without him I never in my life would have considered running a marathon and never would have actually followed through with it! His drive is contagious...one of the many things I love about him! Thank you Jeff!...the last one to Boston is a rotten egg!

Several of my friends in our neighborhood were running the PIG as well so I decided to make up some little goodie bags (filled with runner type snacks) for them to wish them good luck...and of course a card!

These were not necessarily fuel for running...but a sweet treat when all was said and done. They're pink chocolate pigs!

Get it??? GU-d luck!

Overall I really enjoyed training for this marathon. Sure some of the runs were painful (getting up for a 5:00 a.m. run after dealing with a newborn during the night, running in snowy streets, the dreaded treadmill for a 16 mile run, dehydration, sore legs, chaffing...in unspeakable places, the hidden dog in someones yard that jumps out and scares the crud out of you, etc.) but the sense of accomplishment as I checked off the miles each week closing in on the marathon keeps me coming back. Will there be another marathon??? ABSOLUTELY!!!

Well, that's all for now...

PS - I'll be sure to post the picture from the marathon finish when I get it!