*{designs of a paddymack}*

*{a new 2010}*

here's hoping that 2010 is all that you want it to be....i have lots of aspirations and goals....we'll see what i accomplish, but i'm hoping to make great strides in many areas that i battle in my life....getting healthy (first and foremost).....getting organized.....being patient, giving up caffeine.....i keep on trying.....letting go, forgiving, stopping feeling guilty for things i can't control.....doing things for me....and again not feeling guilty about it.....taking the sweet doggies for more walks, yelling less at the kiddos, jumping on the furniture, exploring georgia and taking lots of pictures, decorating the house how i want to decorate and who cares if karl doesn't dig shabby chic....and taking better photos....making more of each day.....reading a daily scripture, meditating on it, applying it to my life, stop looking at things as half full....trying to turn a negative into a positive.....i can go on and on -- but i am helping the kids decorate the windows with snowflakes....they're cutting them out of construction paper and we have colorful ones, because well, we can...i really hope you all have a blessed 2010 and continue to see the small joys in each day....see you next year....

here's a brief look at what we did this year in our house this CHRISTmas.....you can find this on the MOSD blog....i so enjoyed returning to scrappy goodness with this project....

 

 

 

 

 
  

slowly but surely......

things are starting to feel more normal...and it's feeling more like home. i hope you all had wonderful holidays....we had a nice, just-us christmas......and while we miss our family and friends (very, very much) it was nice to hang out in our pajamas with no rush to be anywhere. the kiddos have deemed it our "best christmas ever" and they were thoroughly spoiled by their grandparents, aunts and uncles and Santa. it was weird to look out into our backyard and not see snow....but at the same time it was super nice to go out yesterday wearing only a sweater, it's bittersweet.....but i'll get used to it in time i think. everyone's fighting a bit of a cold right now - but that's ok, because kiddos are still on winter break and so they have a whole week to kick the cold to the curb.....happy puppies and happy kids make for a happy house....pad is especially happy seeing as how his lego star wars ships are completed and Santa brought him pretty much all lego (which means to him Santa must really know him) and mack is happy because she got a bike from Ba and a easy bake oven from Pop and Nonna -- and that's all she really wanted anyways...so she's content....drawing on the windows with her window markers as we speak....and we finally have internet! (yay!) so i can return to the world of scrapping and start not feeling manic because it's been so long since i created anything.....seriously it was really starting to defeat me.....well that along with lots of other things, but to not be able to channel all of it....it's not helping.....this move wasn't an easy one....it was harder to bounce back from then our move to tennessee....i don't know why. (maybe because i keep moving farther away from the motherland (MI) -- but i'm closer to disney...so it can't be all that bad.....look for more posts and more stuff in 2010.....i have some grand aspirations to try some new things.....so keep checking back....and check back on 12-31 because i'll be posting what i created for MOSD this month and i'll be posting to the MOSD blog too.....stay tuned my friends.

georgia....

in a nutshell....a blur, we're unpacked...well mostly.....and settling in....still no internet though...that's a bummer for me....i'm posting this from karl's laptop --- which i am thankful for him to let me borrow it for a short time to keep me connected to the outside world and my friends.....i miss tennessee, i miss st rose., but we're plugging along, paddy loves school at the "duhn, duhn, duhn" public school.....which is a great school.....mackenzie is digging school too....they started yesterday and were all smiles when i picked them up and didn't look back when we said goodbye to them yesterday morning....to me that's a great testament that they're in a good place and that this is a good change regardless of all of the craziness that we've gone through to get here...in trying to be festive...we've put up our tree and our nativity and some old favorites. i already feel burnt out with the holidays, the only thing that i do look forward to each night is the advent chain and the kiddos being excited to learn about the real reason for the season.....in other cool christmas news, paddy is growing up....asking for practical cool things like a new bedspread and sheet set....and not so much all of the toys.....as great as i think that is, i am sort of sad because he's becoming such a big kid...it's bittersweet.....mack is mack...she's funny and fabulous and whacky as ever asking for everything and telling me she loves christmas because she gets lots of presents and she loves to get presents.....and she hates her socks because they are "annoring"....the dogs, oh my gosh, could there be two happier dogs on the earth? i dunno....cinna and meg are for real down right jolly as of lately...enjoying their fenced in back yard...best thing evah! so why i may seem a little melancholy, there is actually a lot of bright light in our little corner of the world.

sometimes i don't even know what day it is.....

so....it's been so very long since i have posted on my blog.....i'm sure that you all think i've disappeared.....but i haven't, i have however been busy beyond my control and trying to keep afloat.....in august i was asked to join the staff at paddy and mack's school -- which was awesome.....i was so very excited and i love what i'm doing....however i had no idea what toll this would take on my life and the life of my family......it has been such a troubling thing for me to find the balance that i once had.....i loved being a housewife and taking care of my family, but at the time when i took the job, being only a housewife was not taking care of my family, thus God was looking out for me and mine and making sure we're provided for......and so we've made it through what we were going through.....and now of course, He has changed our course again.....and is relocating us to the Atlanta area.....how is this being taken you ask? among the masses that is our family....i think the only "people" taking it well at this point are the 4 legged family members......paddy is plodding along and trying to fight the change he does not want and mack is slowly realizing that this is actually going to happen and wants to live with Mrs. Carney her teacher....who would happily take mack and let her live with her forever.....karl's prepping everything for our arrival....which is happening so, so soon and of course being the procrastinator that i am.....we aren't prepared in the least.....i'm trying my best to have a brave face, a calm self for them.....but inside i'm a mess.....i am very excited for the new change because hopefully God willing (and i'll keep trying to just go with the flow here....but i'm a control freak and He's got to give me a little to have) i'll be able to stay home and be what i originally set out to be - a housewife and take care of my family and be home when my kiddos get home each day and have a nicely decorated house and a kept up house.....not the freaking catastrophic mess of a house that i've got going on now.......so bear with me, keep reading and know that i am just currently with things.....lots of things that i've got to get to the bottom of and get ironed out....and then i shall return with my usual sarcastic humor, ridiculous stories of morgan grandeur and hopefully scrappy stuff.....i feel like soon i'll finally be able to breathe and think, maybe even hear myself again......a post would not be a post without pictures....so here are a few.......

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you haven't picked one up already....

head over to Moments 2 Remember.....August's Kit: Life is a Zoo!

This kit is very versatile too! Check it out:

Pick one up before they're ALL gone! <3 Shannon

*{Calling all scrappers, check out Moments 2 Remember!}*

*{This is a wonderful team to work for and with! I cannot say that enough! Here's the infor for the call! I encourage you to apply!}*

We are looking for 1 enthusiastic, fun, chatty, talented, & committed scrapper to join our team!! 

We are open to your fresh ideas and energy to take our friendly site up a notch.  Please include a paragraph or 2 on why you are interested in joining our team and what you can offer. One specific requirement we have open will be managing our blog.

Submissions will be taken from: July 30th - August 15th, 2009
You will be notified no later August 16th, 2009 via email. Be ready to transition with our current team during the remaining month of August and officially start your position September 1st, 2009.

You will be required to upload layouts for the September kit by September 1, 2009 for the reveal of our kit.

This term will ending December 31st.

Please include in your email:
Name, address, phone number,
link to
your blog (if you have one)
and any online galleries that display the scope of your work.

Please submit: 3 layouts, any size and 1 altered project to Robin at
robin.nash@hotmail.com Please put "Design Team" in the subject line.

**Please also send a paragraph or 2 of why you would like to be chosen for the DT.

Participation on the M2R message board and gallery is strongly encouraged along with the submission.
We would love to get the chance to get to know those applying for the
position.


Design Team Requirements:

The Design Team will be required to complete: At least 3-4 layouts and
either one altered project or a card each month.
Participation on our Message Boards and in our galleries is a MUST.

This includes posting on the boards, leaving comments in the gallery,
posting challenges/questions, moderating at least 1 thread on our forum and most important...encouraging others!
All DT members are required to be a registered member of our forum and post as much as possible each day. Starting threads and answering thread are a must as well as leaving praise in the gallery for our members and your fellow DT. 

There will be a Design Team monthly rotation for hosting challenges,
teaching classes (a how-to for an altered project or layout), submitting how-to articles for the Moments To Remember newsletter and posting on our blog.

We are specifically looking for Design Team members who would be willing to take on the responsibility of managing the Moments To Remember Blog

(http://www.moments2remembernewsupdates.blogspot.com/) 


We would love to have you apply and look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you, Robin & Valerie

www.moments-2-remember.com

My RAH Debut.....

Here's some scrappy stuff.....it's my Right at Home Scrapbooking debut....it was easy to design with all the great stuff I recieved from Lisa. Make sure you check out the site -- it's pretty cool! I have been really busy scrapping, working on stuff for the upcoming school year and I have some pretty exciting news to share with everyone, well it's exciting to me, and I'll tell you as soon as I can! :0)

*{check it out}*

ANNOUCING GJS GUEST DESIGN TEAM MEMBER CALL!!!!!

Yes!  Genuinely Jane Studios is having a call for Guest Design Team Members!  We will be selecting at least one Guest DT member for each month of August, September and October.

The Guest DT members will be sent  GJS products to create with and be featured on our site and promoted on other sites.

To apply, please submit photos of THREE projects (mini-albums, home decor, etc), no scrapbook pages, please toGJSDTCALL@gmail.com no later than Midnight CST on July 18th.

We will announce the Guest DT members within a few days after the call ends.

Please include the following information:

Name

blog address (if applicable)

list of other sites you design for

Phone number

Why you are interested in guest designing for GJS.

Why you like working with wood and/or the benefits of designing with wood.

Any questions?  Shoot us an email at:  GJSDTCall@gmail.com

Yes!  Genuinely Jane Studios is having a call for Guest Design Team Members!  We will be selecting at least one Guest DT member for each month of August, September and October.

The Guest DT members will be sent  GJS products to create with and be featured on our site and promoted on other sites.

To apply, please submit photos of THREE projects (mini-albums, home decor, etc), no scrapbook pages, please toGJSDTCALL@gmail.com no later than Midnight CST on July 18th.

We will announce the Guest DT members within a few days after the call ends.

Please include the following information:

Name

blog address (if applicable)

list of other sites you design for

Phone number

Why you are interested in guest designing for GJS.

Why you like working with wood and/or the benefits of designing with wood.

Any questions?  Shoot us an email at:  GJSDTCall@gmail.com

*{Check it out -- Right at Home}*

On RAH's blog -- there's a sketch challenge for July. Here's the sketch:

Here's Frances's example -- (GREAT JOB!):

 

And here's the prize you could win! See below: 

So HOW COULD YOU win this prize you ask? That's easy -- I'll tell you....you upload your creation using Frances's sketch in our GALLERY and tag your layout with Summer Sketch Challenge and that's it!

 

I'm on the......

*{MOD Squad!}* Woot! WOot! Thank you for inviting me to be a part of your team! I look forward to working with you and getting to know everyone! So look for me on Midnight Oil Scrapbook Designs! And CONGRATS to the rest of the Squad!

Gloria Stengel

Debbie Fitzgerald

Shannon Morgan

Jennifer Hansen

Marisa Faylim

Dolores Cancel

Lori McCausland

Carolyn Lontin

Pamela Jordan

Valerie Chmielak

Naureen O'Neale

KellyJean Gettelfinger

Amy Oxford

Vickilyn Crawford

Erica Hofstetter

Tina Guigui