Cocoa Daisy December Layouts

Posting these quick here this morning. I loved the color combination in this month's kit, Amber Snowflake, so much. The light blue mixed in with grey, and gold made for a very lovely feeling. I'm looking forward to creating some more projects with this kit and the add-ons (which are lovely as well).



I love the little die-cuts by October Afternoon that's included in one of the add-ons. I used some of them on every one of my layouts this month. :)



I just got my special Christmas themed kit, Merry & Bright, from Cocoa Daisy as well so am looking forward to the weekend to have some time to create and play a bit with that. To check out the Cocoa Daisy shop click here.

the tree...

is up.  The stockings are hung.  The wreath and pine boughs are hung.  There are little bits of  Christmas all around.  Zoey and I watched our first Christmas movie together snuggled up on the couch this evening. I'm so looking forward to these next few weeks leading up to the holidays.  Some things on the list include:

• Advent by Candlelight Service for Women at Peace Church
• School Christmas Program
• The Nutcracker Ballet featuring Zoey as a mouse and a candy cane (two performances for her this year)
• decorating cut out cookies
• baking
• donating to the food pantry with Zoey 
• decorating a gingerbread house with Zoey
• wrapping gifts
• playing in the snow (assuming we get some)
• drinking cocoa and tea
• snuggling on the couch and watching TV specials and holiday classics
• listening to Christmas music 
• doing craft projects with Zoey for family gifts
• planning for our Christmas Eve meal and the special treats that accompany it

I'm sure that more things will find their way to the list, but for now I'm quite content with what's there.  I love this time of year so much.  I feel like I'm in a good place with the start of things here this year. Zoey's shopping is done.  I just need to finish up a few things for Ethan and then I just have our extended family to think about.  Merry..merry!  I want to remember and feel the joy this season.  That's the biggest and bested part after all!  Pure magic.

And here is a funny photo of Zoey on our way home from visiting my family over Thanksgiving break. Those that know her know that she NEVER sleeps in the car.  She didn't when she was a baby and certainly not now that she's older...until now that is.  Check out this sleeping beauty.

I was positively giggling when I discovered her sleeping like this!  :)

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!

music monday...

the thirty-four year old me...

is pretty much the same as the 33 year old me. I do however apply under-eye wrinkle cream now (which I didn't before). I continue to struggle with my faith, or rather carving out the time to practice and celebrate it. I know it's there, I believe, it's just something that I tend to put on the back burner when life get's busy. Trying to make it more of the forefront of my being these days. I still struggle with balancing my time and priorities. I often put myself last and put others in the forefront. Which works for everyone but me...and in the long run, nobody really. I do however love fiercely and am the most positive thinking person I know. The glass is truly always half full and things can only get better. No matter where you are. I believe it's an attitude. Change is embraced here in my heart.

Thirty-four, I welcome you with open arms!

Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe things happen for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.

projects from the crop...

My challenge for the crop at Cocoa Daisy was WALL ART. Something that can be found in the stalls at a craft fair...I immediately thought of embroidery hoops...only without the embroidery part. :) I got a hoop at my local variety store for less than a dollar and embellished away. People could either create something based on some photos I had posted of embroidery hoops such as a layout, card or other altered art project based on a design that they liked. The winner for my challenge will be announced tomorrow.





And this was a layout that I created for Anja's poster challenge in which you were to create a layout based on a band poster or CD cover...awesome!



We had so much fun and have so many new members now from people joining to participate in the crop! Thank you to those that stopped by and perhaps we'll see you next time to those that didn't make it.

snapshots from the weekend...

Sunday Zoey and I spent the day at an area park and she played and I took some photos and then we both played again.  It was one of those mild days where the fresh air was invigorating and made everything seem right...or pretty close to being right.  I love these moments with Zoey so much and they fuel me to  keep going when things get crazy and real life sneaks in to show it's true colors.



A lot of people don't really care for this in-between time between fall and winter but I do.  If you look closely you can see so much of life and it's offerings busy at work.  There is proof of what once was and what will be again.









And then of course there is this beautiful and amazing life force to reckon with.  What a pure and lovely soul she is.  I am so proud to have the gift of being her mom...God knew what he was doing when he created her for me...she's perfect.





She loves with her whole heart and doesn't hold back.  She trusts her instincts and does the right thing even when not asked.



She is such a good friend to her peers.  There have been little things that she will say or do that makes my heart feel as though it's going to soar right on out of my chest...she makes me so proud of how thoughtful and caring she is.







She plays like there is no tomorrow.  Her ferocity is something to be reckoned with.  Her ideas are always big ideas and somehow, someway, they will come to fruition if she has anything to do with it.



She has been known to shout out from the top of her lungs "I LOVE MY LIFE!" taking no note of where she is or who is around.  What a life lesson that is to me.



Still can't believe that I have a child old enough to have all those holes in her mouth though, but I do and wouldn't have it any other way!



Thank you for the gift of times like this Lord.

Cocoa Daisy Crop this Weekend!

Here's the AMAZING line-up for the weekend's events!  I can't wait to share my wall art challenge with you on Saturday.  Here is a little sneak for you.



I also am so excited to partake in everyone else's challenges and classes this weekend and WOW!...do you see the amazing and talented artists we have lined up for our chats?  How cool is this?!  It's not too late to register on the Cocoa Daisy forum so that you can participate in all the fun.  It's such a riot at times, I look forward to it every year. Hope to see you at some point over on the boards at Cocoa Daisy!

first snow of the year!

We raced home after school today to get on all of our winter gear to get out and play in the white stuff!  Leo even got in on some of the action...can you tell how enthused he was?  :)  He was running all around and digging in the snow with his nose, he was just tuckered out afterwards and a bit put out that he couldn't make snowballs like Zoey can.



I have to admit too that I was just as excited to see the snow in our backyard as Zoey was.  I LOVE the first snowfall.









It will be interesting to see how long it stays around...they are saying that temps may be warmer on the weekend so we might end up with a muddy mess.  Oh well, we'll be sure to enjoy it while it's here!

just a "tooth fairy" update...

Since the last tooth related photo was posted here on the blog she has lost TWO more teeth!!  One was lost on the way home from school one day and the other was just lost today in math class.  They are falling out by the minute it seems.  She's becoming a pro at it, that's for sure!  We are teasing her that she could have been a jack-o-lantern for Halloween with her new smile the way it is.  :)  I think her toothy grin is just adorable!