Inspired ONCE more... Go {Ali} !!

As IS the norm...I have been browsing all the latest and greatest BLOGGER sites. I admitted this before, but will once again, I am a wannabe/follower... thus, the BLOG browsing! So, again, good ol'e "Master {A}" has done it. In her blog she included an amazing excerpt from a talk given by Anna Quindlen about life and living. AMAZING! I actually took a portion of it and did an entire layout based on her wise words for living in this crazy world. Awesome! If you have time to go peek, {A} has the whole talk posted on her Blog aliedwards.typepad.com It is worth a looksie!

So, in recent news... dh and I are talking about a bedroom makeover!! YEAH! Our bedroom is so drab and dusty and OLD! The carpet is literally threadbare in spots not to mention is it from like the 1960's or something! ICK! We got some hand me down furniture from our friends (dresser and armoire) so we are looking at some fresh paint, HOPEFULLY carpet, some wall decor' and a new headboard!!!! We are looking towards a mossy/sage green tone for the room! Should look amazing with the darkwood trim and pieces of furniture! More on that later...

Vacation/ Christmas Break is almost over! OMG I am SO ready for these crazies to be back into routine! I need to reclaim my home, my quiet time, my HOP time and my completed laundry piles!!!! I love my honey and I love my kids ... but a woman needs her sanity?!

Until next time...

Christmas Wishes and Thoughts....

Merry Christmas my friends...

I hope that this note finds you having a wonderful HOLIDAY with many happy memories. I hope that the Season finds you full of good health, good times, good fortune, and good people surrounding you. This is the time of year when we all start talking about what we'd "like to have" and then, today, "what gifts we got"... let us not forget the greatest blessings of all. I know there is diverse religious choices amongst us so I will not get into detail on one or the other...but instead I will leave you with this quote, I feel it says a lot!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU!

"What you are is GOD'S GIFT to you...what you do with yourself is YOUR GIFT TO GOD." -Danish Proverb

Inspired Again ... Thanks to SJ!

http://stacysbigpicture.typepad.com/

Well, these ladies have done it AGAIN! It seems I am constantly inspired by the 'ladies of scrapping' from CK/SS and so forth. I read all their blogs almost daily and find my eyes flying WIDE open with ideas and laughter! This time I am going to take from Stacy Julian's Blog: "Is there anything better than..." What a fun way to celebrate everyday life, especially this time of year! So, without further ado, here is my version, ENJOY!!

IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER THAN...

-Watching my dear baby boy Micheal snuggle up on the sofa with HIS Papa to watch a movie and share popcorn

-Turning on the radio in the kitchen to some fun Holiday music while baking a quadruple batch of choco chip cookies

-Watching the season finale of Survivor, The Amazing Race and other shows we love and are addicted to :O>

-A big bowl of homemade chicken noodle soup with fresh warm cheddar biscuits to dip in in on a cold Idaho night {OMG AMAZING!!}

-Standing in long lines at the stores watching everyone with carts full of fun gifts for family and friends and even though our patience is shot we are feeling the joy of the season

-Sitting down to my computer and knowing that I have 1001 GOOD friends on CKMB chat to keep me smiling

I could go on and on, but those are just a few things that have made me smile this week. Now it is your turn...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND LOVES!! Darla

I LOVE {A} = Ali Edwards

OK I admit it. I am a follower. I am not a trendsetter or a leader. I idolize others and I am truly a weak measley follower. BUT (always a butt) this can be a good thing! I look at it this way....... IF I were NOT a follower I would not seek out those to follow and I would have never ever stumbled across good ol' Ali Edwards "Master {A} ". This gal is just so awesome. I love reading her blog, her scrapbooking is amazing and she totally inspires me to be a better person. I sit here and literally LAUGH out loud at my desk as I read her blog. NEAT GAL. I am a follower for sure, and I am ok with that. ;O)

http://aliedwards.typepad.com/

SHE IS 21 YEARS OLD???

OMGosh where does time go? I am feeling really really old and really really needing a serious grey hair check or something! Yesterday, my dear neice Megan turned 21 years old! WHEN did this happen exactly? I mean, just a day or two ago she was graduating high school, and just shortly before that she was getting her drivers license...and she just lost her first tooth, and just learned to count to 10...and I was changing her diapers!!!!! This is "one of those kids" that I always say were my first babies! THEY WERE! I lived with my sis when her 3 kids were babes and took care of them like my own....now they are 21, 18 and 16 years old!!

DO YOU KNOW HOW *OLD* THAT MAKES ME???????????????????????????????????????

OK, well, what will I do when it is MY OWN kids that are turning 21? EECK!

Christmas Ho Hums...

"...am I blue.......? Yes I'm bluuuuuuuue..." - george straight

I have the HOLIDAY HO HUMS, in other words, I am broke and bummed out. Christmas just is not much fun if you have no money to go shopping with. I am trying to make do with crafty stuffs but even that is dissapointing bc I have to buy things to decorate! LOL I need to buck up or somthing cu'z the Season IS no longer 'upon us'...it is HERE! Gol darnnit! I have put up a few decorations, made a few cards, some lists, ect...I just can't get "INTO" the spirit. :O( I hope something HOLLY JOLLY happens quick!

Nuff' whining, off I go, anyone got some Bailey's Irish Creme?? LOLOLOL

LET IT SNOW...

Let It Snow - Let It Snow... oh the weather outside is frightful, but the FIRE is so delightful, since I have no car to goooooooooooooo...let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

THE SNOW HAS ARRIVED! I have such a love/hate relationship with winter. I hate the HOT HEAT of summer and it makes me literally sick, so you'd THINK I would love winter and the cool days. However, I don't like to be too cold either! Tsk tsk fickle aren't I? Well, snow is grand, and pretty and oh so season inspiring, but it is also a pain in the rumpus to SHOVEL and keep from freezing to the steps! MORE than once I have fallen victim to our not foot friendly front steps, even in the summer! LOL Winter is bad on Darla's back :O(

I am in the beginning planning stages of our Christmas lists and gifts and things. Nothing like waiting till' the last minute egh? Well, it should get me in the spirit quick so I guess there is some good that comes from procrastinating? Right?

Well, I guess I can non prematurely say HAPPY HOLIDAYS now to you my friends! May you have many wonderful memories and happy times to remember and share! Darla

Giving Thanks = Thanks Giving

I love this time of year, I love being so lucky as to have so much. We are truly blessed. Thanksgiving is a grand Holiday, one of the few throughout the year where we really stop and think about all the GOOD THINGS (ohhh I sound a bit like Martha there?!) in our lives. I know how easy it is to stop and drop all the rotten, no good, horrible, really bad stuff on the ear of a neighbor or friend. Why do we do this? We have so much and are so blessed, we really SHOULD focus on the good. In my own words : FORCED OPTIMISM! So, in the spirit of the Holiday, here are just a few things I am ever grateful for....

My family who is healthy, strong and love me ! (I love them too!!!)
My nice, big, cozy home with more furnishings and electronics than a Best Buy store!
My dh who works hard, plays hard and loves me despite my many many flaws!
Our close friends who are near for the good times and the bad, always kind and loving!
This wonderful land we live in, I can honestly pray God Bless the USA!!!
and the little things...
alllllllllllllll my 1001's of scrapbook goodies!!
cheesecake anytime - anywhere!!
diet mt dew that get's me through my mornings!!
my big hot pink fuzzy slippers, although falling apart, they keep my tootsies toasty warm!!
our 1 out of 4 vehicles that IS running...thank you Lord!!
dh's great job with greater benifits so that I can be a SAHM!!
the many many many tv programs I am hooked on... sanity!!

If I don't make it back before Thursday....HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!! Darla

Christmas! Ready or Not...

Well, I don't know how to say it, but Christmas IS coming! I have to say, for being one of my favorite times of the year, this one is looking a tad bleak. I know that the spirit of the season is SO not about gifts and treats and money and retail...but it sure does make it more fun :O( I fear that this Holiday is going to be a sparse one for us and I don't know how my kids are going to feel about that. I pray that they have enough grace and understanding that they will not be dissapointed or hurt or even worse, greedy and nasty to us. We totally went above and beyond last year for Christmas, so I have a hunch they are expecting Santa to be the party dude he was last year too! LOL So, I am starting to make lists (because THAT is what I do...) and I am starting to think of homemade/made with love things I can do to keep the costs down for us, but when it comes to the kids... somehow a paperbag album or altered notebook just isn't going to do it :O( I wish that I could think of a good way to really treat each of them. Guess we'll see the true blessings of Christmas and hopefully, my kids will be filled with love and peace and enjoy the celebration no matter what is (or is not) under the tree...

Happy Fall ya'All !

My house is very festivus looking for FALL now! I am so happy! My dearest husband has his fun with Halloween and goes a bit 'overboard' on the decor' outside and scares the kiddies all through the neighborhood with our witches, fog machines, howling noises and creeping spiders. (Oh, did I mention the creepy skeletons peeking from the windows with strobe lights?)
Well, now the SPOOKS are all gone and I have some nice autumn peices set out and I am loving it! I have my cute broom with ribbons and leaves upon the door, I have candles set out and a cornacopia of fall foliage on the dinette. We have a nice pumpkin spice candle burning and sending scents of wonder through the house! AND my most exciting part?? A GORGEOUS new table cloth on the dinette as well! Brown, cinnamon and orange plaid colors perfect for the season upon us! Makes the whole house feel festive!!!! I just love it!

Misery Loves Company...so come help me clean house!

Today is going to be a rather dreary, dull, icky day. I can't play the optimism card this time, things just SUCK! I could list them all but that would be wollowing in my own pity so I wont' but I will say that I am having a very bad, no good, downright horrible, rotten day! :O<
So, to stick with the 'mood' I will join my own misery with the most miserable thing I can think of : HOUSEWORK! It needs done anyway, so why not join the two SOB's in a battle till' the end!? LOL Off I go, if I don't come back in 24 hours or less....send in reinforcements!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darla :O) aka: "Miss Optimistic" ?? LOL

The GOOD The BAD and The STRESSFULL.. another day in my life!

Well, I can honestly say I "KNOW" the true meaning of stress now. After all that has been going on in my 'personal' life with friends and family and then today the new minivan goes ca-poot! Is STRESS a 4 letter word? If not, it SHOULD be! LOL Honestly though, I really don't have much to complain about and I am trying desperatly to be very optimistic and joyful! I have a wonderful family who supports and loves me and takes such good care of me. I have a nice home and multiple cars to drive (thank GOD!) and a hunky chunky room full of scrapping supplies! What more could a girl want? :O) Things really are not all that bad. I just need to look for the roses amongst the thorns a little more sometimes. I am very thankful for all the 'bounty' I have and I can honestly say I am happy and content with my SAHM job. I love taking care of the house and the kids and dh, each time I can do a little 'extra' around here truly gives me a bit of joy. I am what I always said I wanted to be ... a wife and a mom! Dream come true baby!!!!!!!!!

Life Lessons on Friendship and Other Facts...

In honor of Halloween I will do ORANGE today :O)

Well, let me tell you a little about friends. Friends do not shame, friends do not guilt, friends do not force, friends do not tell secrets. Friends make time, don't demand it. Friends share their joy and pain, not just their pain. Friends ask how YOU are, not insist on dumping all their crap on you. Friends make you laugh, not stress out. Friends phone calls are welcome, not dreaded. Freinds spontanious visits are short and sweet, not long and disruptive.

do you see a pattern?

I have gone through my life choosing some pretty mean and thoughtless friends. I used to think that it was because I had such a low self esteem...but I think somehow I tend to go for 'needy' people. NO MORE! I refuse to be used, dumped on, guilted out and demanded of. I will choose friends who are fun, loving, crazy, silly, spontaneous, caring, thoughtful, and true. I will choose freinds who CARE about ME and will listen. I will choose freinds who have time for my concerns.

I don't know what else to say.....but this was one hell of a lesson to learn at 34 freakin' years of age!

Darla

PS HAPPY HALLOWEEN (maybe it was ME who got tricked??)

WID Day...no, not WED Day...WID

Happy WID Day...HA! NOT! What is WID Day? Today is Weigh In Day for me and my friend Lisa. We are doing this 'sort of' weight loss/health challenge and every WED Day we do a WID Day... (ok not so funny after all) Well, I am not thrilled to do this today. I have been doing everything in my plan except getting off my big butt and walking or excersizing. I have been very conciously watching my food, journaling everything, drinking water till' I might float away and taking my vitamins. I have been able to track in my journaling and find my 2 KEY problems with eating so I can start to work on that. I just need to MOVE... I am not sure what is going to motivate me to do it, but I just have to. I am hoping this WID will make me stronger, make me mad, make me WANT to do it. This is rediculous, I can't blame my expanded waist and tush to baby fat anymore... I have got to slim it down! DO IT DO IT DO IT! (my own cheer squad)...

*sigh* Darla

Life In Idaho

I was just sitting here reading a fellow bloggers notes about the hurricanes and latest news in Florida and thinking how grateful I am for my happy home in Idaho! Now some, they may think we are in 'po dunk ville' up here in Idaho, but in reality, this is THE place to be! I have several reasons I love it here, I guess maily cuz' I have never lived anywhere else LOL but honestly it is a wonderful state! We get all 4 seasons, in all degrees, we rarely have a natural disaster... only a handful I can think of. In my lifetime, Teton Dam, Challis Earthquake, Valentine Day Microburst storm and the flood in 97'. That is not too bad! The Teton Dam was of course, a man made disaster so that really doesn't even count, right? LOL So, I will take the 100+ degree heat a few days in the summer and the nasty windy snow storms in the winter...and I will relish the lovely springtime (even with snow on EAster) and the gorgous fall days (with snow on Halloween) and just be content!!! If I ever had to leave, I dont' know that I would go far...maybe to Oregon or Washington? I have no desire to head into disaster areas...hurricanes, floods, earthquakes OR anywhere with extreme heat and humidity issues! I could not make it, if I did not turn into a giant ball of stress I would bake to death! LOL I LOVE IDAHO!

Darla

No Deep Thoughts Tonight...I'm Tapped Out!

Nothing important or pertinent to report here so just a quick little 'hello' to my fellow bloggers and a :O) for those who need one. Kind of a slow day around here, Sundays are one of my favorite days because we just get lazy and relax...a day for naps, scrapbooking and lots of dumb TV! One day to wind down to gear up for the next 6 ahead...good perspective! LOL
On a sad note, my sis is sure having a tough time with some personal things in her life and that is certainly weighing on my heart and mind. I never realized how much I can hurt for my sisters. Almost like you hurt for your own kids or spouse ... different, but similar. But my hands are tied on this one and all I can do is be a shoulder and an ear when she needs me. :O( Pretty tough to sit back and do nothing at all.

Well, what an interesting day today was... can we say LAZY? I slept in till' 11:00 am and then mozied around till' I realized I had a ton of housework looming over me and company coming for dinner! :O) ack! Well, I managed to pull it all off and get a shower on top! whoowhoo... really not much else to report or tell. No whitty little whimsical stories tonight. Guess I will call it good. Darla

BLOODY FINGERS....

ACK! Bloody fingers...yup. True story! LOL My dear son Chris (14) has been working on a Scout project carving a block of wood into a chess piece (hmm?) with a pocket knife. Well, today was the THIRD time he has cut himself...and third time IS a charm, right? The first two cuts were minor...'ahhh mere' flesh wounds'... and then tonight he comes to me with blood running down his hand!? So I am thinking "what the heck?" and he proceeds to tell me he cut his hand earlier in the day... put a bandaid on real tight and it was fine. Then tonight he took it off and BAM! it starts gushing blood! EWWWWW! Well, we ran it under cold water, put pressure, it just bled more and more....off to the ER we go. We get there and after "the wait" then the grilling by the triage nurse, we get seen. DING DONG TEENAGE SON proceeds to explain that the cut ORIGINALLY happened at about 4:30 this afternoon!!!!??? What the heck! (It was after 9:00 pm by now) OK nix the stitches... but it was ok anyway bc it was so dirty and so old and in a bad spot (next to the nail) that they couldn't stitch anyway. Whew! Whoever inveted DERMABOND skin glue....bless you. So, cleaned the cut, squished it together, glued it up....went home! All is good. That was MY night...how about yours?

OH, and I missed watching the "real" ER on Tv for all this? Geeeeeeeesh!

Now I am in OFFICIAL Night Owl Mode...

Lord help me tommorrow morn when I don't want to get up! YIKES! Well, here I am , it is nearly 1:30 am and I am wide awake! I am such a night owl. Don't know how or why but I love my quiet nightime. I have been better lately and getting to bed close to midnight, but today, I am wide awake and ready to roll! LOL I sat up and watched two fave TV shows, sorted all my scrapbooking fibers, buttons, and other misc embellishments so they are all neat and tidy AND I gave each storage box a nice new label with description of it's content! Now what to do? I really should TRY to get some sleep but I am seriously pumped up tonight! What is it that is in us that determines the early birds vs the night owls?? Not in reference to the chatters on my fave mb... CKMB, but in our own personal ways... some rise early automatically...some cannot. Some cannot even rise early to an alarm clock!! Then there are those of us who could dance the whole night away and never blink an eye....
AH HA! I yawned! Must be a *sign*..... goodnight, er, good morning?
Darla

TODAY... the first day of the rest of my life! What will I do with it?

Well, today IS the day! Yes, of course it is the first day of the rest of my life... but a healthier life at that! Today is my first official 'weigh in' with my health buddy Lisa! We will be doing the nasty little chore of weighing and measuring and I am NOT looking forward to the numbers :O(
HOWEVER, being optimistic as I am... he he... I am looking at this as a HUGE starting point for me, a true, solid base for me to start being more healthy and loosing some of this huge belly I have accumulated over the past 15 years! (ahhh marriage is good?!) I have never had a good body image, as a matter of fact, I have struggled with my weight for most of my life. I have a very matter-of-fact look though...love me, all of me, or leave me! Right? Well, there is getting to be TOO much of me to love and there won't be enough of me when I am dead because I am too full of fat and cholesterol and gunk to live anymore! ACK! It is time to get down and dirty, 100% honest and true... time to do this! For me, for my family for those I love! I CAN do this...
So, when you see and talk to me, reinforce it folks! Tell me to get moovin' and groovin' baby!

Darla

Wonders Never Cease...

I am a follower. Never had the leader role in my sights...don't want it...dont' like it. I am too wishy washy indecisive to be a leader. So, in my 'follower' role, I also tend to do the "idol" thing as well. I have all my life, I see someone or something and I become obsessed with it... then I move on. LOL I DO! Well, a whole new world of scrapbooking has been poured upon me and I am now a 'follower' once again and I am "idolizing" once again. Two words:
CATHY ZIELSKE

Where has she been all my life!? LOL Seriously, I got my hands on her book "Clean and Simple Scrapbooking" and I am in total awe of her work! She can write like none other, true, blunt, straght forward words, tells a story and you SEE the action taking place. You FEEL it in your heart. And her photos...well in her case, a PICTURE IS WORTH 1000000 WORDS! Wow! She is just so so talented. Lastly, her design. Now, she is a professional graphic designer so I will give her a step up for that...but the clean, simple, clear, precise detail on her pages is just awesome!
So, I am a fan. Enough said. Right? No...well, I could go on...but anyone who has seen her work knows more than too well what talented individual she is. I have always been a HUGE Becky Higgins fan...but sorry girl, Cathy knocks you OFF the dock into the water!! WOW!

So, that is my blog for today...if you have NOT seen this book and her work, GO looking for it, NOW! This will better your scrapbooking and your life!
Darla

Just another manic monday...whooooaah whoooaah...

OK! OK! So I cannot sing, forgive me! Just one of my many NON-God-Given talents... just ask my kids! :OD
However, that title is true to form today, it was a busy busy day with lots of running around and lots of chaos. I wont' bore you all with the details, but I cleaned house, played taxi and played ref to wannabe romper room then came home to cook a chefboyardee, er, Darla, style dinner!
Manic Monday = My Life.

That's it! All of it! What a day huh? Hope you all had a great day and maybe later tonight I can enlighten you all with more musings and enlightening info on my SAHM world!
Darla

I FINALLY Figured it out...Why the sad mood today?

Feeling a tad blue today. Literally. I originally thought that I was just having some Sunday blahhs... You know, the lazy, do-nothing kind of day that often just rushes by us and before you realize it, bedtime is upon you? Well, I just could not shake that feeling today, I even took on some scrapbook shopping therapy and it just didn't 'do it' for me. I went and took a splurge visit with a good friend this afternoon... great time, but still that feeling lingered. Cooked dinner, watched some TV, did the family thing... nope, still that big blue blob of unhappiness floated above me! WHAT ?! WHAT IS IT? Well, I finally sat down here at my computer day planner to work on my schedule for tommorrow and THERE IT WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! Today is the day that we lost my Daddy 9 years ago. Not something I usually "note" in my book to remember...not a day I tend to dwell on or whatever you want to call it. The funny thing is, just yesterday I thought about it, yet I must have put it out of my mind. I don't know, just odd that I literally forgot overnight. Well, I am certain that this was the reason for my gloomy day but it was totally subconcious, isn't that wild how our minds protect our spirits? So, some years I move right along through this date, some years are harder than others, this year was not necessarily hard, but, I still have my moments where I hear or see something that sure reminds me of Dad. I miss him, there is no doubt, and I am not a believer that time heals your heart...but I think time makes you more fond of the memories, more appriciative of those special times, even the not so special times! I love to sit with my sisters and reminicse of Dad and his oddball ways! What a tender hearted, stubborn, pushover, kind, friendly, cowpoke of a man!!!
I miss ya Dad! XOXO

Personal Moral Thoughts...

I had an enlightening experience this evening. Went out with some friends, dinner and a movie. We had breifly discussed the movie rating on our choice and then somehow ended up going to the show that was indeed R rated when we had (or so we thought) decided to go to the PG13. OK so we are all adults, grow up, deal with it, right? Or not? The show was VERY hysterical and had tons and tons of good laughs... it also had outrageously vulgar language AND a lot of sexual content. ALOT. So, in the midst of laughter and literally tears (from the laughter) the moral dilemna tugged....finally, one of our party got up and walked out. A while later her spouse up and walked out. Sad part was, the vulgar parts slowed down and the end of the show wound up being much more mellow and equally as funny and it ended in a good sweet love story. After the show we discussed how it had made the one gal feel and I 'sort' of felt guilty, yet, sort of felt like it was not a big deal. I guess the biggest frustration with this is that I know it is not the type of entertainment our religious beliefs would stand for... so essentially I would be denouncing what I believe in... ahhhhhhhhh morals... such a fine line and such a personal choice. I guess rambling on about it is not an answer hugh? I think I have found my own answer...or I knew it all along. *sigh*

HAPPY 'SWEETEST DAY' TO EVERYONE!

What a nice, bright autumn morn we are having here in Eastern Idaho! The sun is out and the reflection on the gorgeous fall leaves makes them just look like pure gold! It is an amazing morning .... just a bit crisp and cool out but still looks to be a beautiful October day!
I hope that today brings you all much joy and fun...Saturday's tend to be work days or total relaxation days... I think today for us it will be work! The 'landscape' (ha ha) of our home needs final winter weather check and we need to do the weatherization on our windows and so forth. I also have more than my fair share INDOORS that needs attention. Since Sat evening is our standard 'night out' with our good freinds, The Browns... (ahh yes, the Black and Browns!) I feel like I will need to push double today to get the house in order so we can go out in peace. :O)
Today is "SWEETEST DAY"... a not so well known holiday established in 1922... candy factory workers wanted to sweetin' up the lives of orphans and shut in's and brought them sweet treats to bright thier days! Over the years it has evolved in many ways, but essentially it is a more or less forgotten celebration! I HOPE YOU EACH HAVE A SWEETEST DAY TODAY! I hope that you can find something 'sweet' to do for someone, if it be a sweet treat such as chocolate or just a sweet thought or gesture or even a kind word. Spread the LOVE baby! Darla

Testing this out...

please just work with me here while I pidder padder around and figure this whole system out....

A NEW HOME FOR ME! Darla's Blog

Well, I am giving it a whirl...taking the big step and joining the world of online journaling! Hope this does not get complicated because some of us are SO not computer inclined! :O) Please feel free to drop me tips and comments any time! Welcome to the most optimistic blog in the world!

DarlaLOU