55 isn't so bad

like i said, it was strange not being in the cold weather for christmas. something just felt off. i was a little bummed that i missed all the snow, but there's still small mounds on sidewalks here and there. i was a little upset too that it was "cold" while we were in florida, but after a day like today {brrrrr} i'll take it. dear winter, why do you taunt me and my skin so?

we're home

it was a somewhat uneventful trip, thanks to a cold week in florida (of course) and some other issues. like the all over body rash. i'm at my wits end with my skin. i just don't know what it is and i fully believe that the only reason anyone visits a doctor anymore is for prescriptions. they never know what it is unless it's something simple like the flu or poison ivy or a broken toe, and you can self-diagnose all that stuff anyway!!

so how was everyone's christmas? i have to admit, it was a little weird without the snow and the reindeer sweaters and the hot cocoa. plus the traveling was nothing short of a nightmare.

like my husband said, it's always so good to get home, no matter where that is.

8 days

it's been that long since my last depressing post, so i thought i should update lest you all think i'd gone off the deep end. {thanks so much for all the supportive comments...) i've nearly survived this year, filled with work stress, unexplained sickness and endless visits from people we love. needless to say it's been a busy one! but that's to be expected since we moved to the quickest-paced and most demanding city in the world. i now fully understand the need to take sabbaticals to remote milk farms in vermont with nothing but a pair of wellies and a few good books. seriously, that sounds delicious to me right now.

but in spite of it all, it's a wonderful life, and though i don't have nearly enough time to enjoy it, i do appreciate it. next week i'll be taking a long anticipated trip away where i will hopefully suck in all the necessary rest and relaxation {and vitamin d} that my body has vehemently demanded.

so in the meantime, here's some short info:

currently reading: pride and prejudice and zombies.
currently loving: a charlie brown christmas album.
currently wanting: an apple peeler/corer from williams sonoma.
currently waiting: for my vacation.
currently missing: my mother.
currently walking: to and from doctors appointments.
currently adjusting: to my new hair! or lack thereof.

change of pace

things have been, shall we say, pretty hectic in my life lately. i keep waiting for that moment, that peaceful moment where you breathe in deep and it's all ok. but it hasn't gotten here yet and with the busiest season of all just a couple of weeks away, i think it's safe to say peaceful-breathe-easy-moment won't be knocking on my door anytime soon.

but then i think, this is my life. it's always like this. it's jam packed full of roles that i can never potentially fill. it's like there are pieces of me pulled in each direction and my head is a dizzy mess trying to focus on each of them. and in the end i'm just tired and stressed and mentally exhausted (and then i end up with weird physical ailments like flesh-eating leg rashes..). i know we all feel like this from time to time (hopefully minus the rashing). i know i'm not alone. right?

i feel there's a life change needed here. somewhere, sometime. soon.

personalized art box tutorial

so you know those great art boxes that they sell at the local craft store for only a few dollars. well they make great christmas gifts for creative kids, but they look pretty blah, and when you have more than one kid they're easily interchangeable, especially when one box happens to be missing several crayons. so here's an easy way to make one with a little pizazz.

1: supplies you'll need, printed or scrapbook paper (i made mine using a free digital scrapbooking kit and photoshop), an exacto knife, a corner punch and a ruler.

2: using the exacto knife cut the cover of the art box at the top and remove the blah cover.

3: cut the printed or scrapbook paper to the size of the cover, using the old cover as a template. at this point you can personalize the scrapbook paper with the child's name or anything else you wanted to add. clip the bottom two corners of the paper using the corner punch.

4: insert the new cover into the plastic and voi la!

5: make a few for easy, inexpensive and personalized gifts.

ahoy mateys!

i know i know, it's december and i'm posting all these ocean pictures. sorry, but i love going to the beach in the fall/winter. there's nobody there! it's the most peaceful way to take in the coast without any of the hassle of tourists and beach traffic.

so what do you all think of the new format? does it take too long to load now? let me know!

macy's day parade

this is about the view we had. not much to see besides giant balloons. maybe next year we'll wake up super early and it'll be super cold and we might get a super view...i was still thankful for good friends to share the holiday {and some turkey} with. here's to next thanksgiving!

giant photos? check!

and there we have it. LARGE photos. i couldn't find a new template that wasn't a complete html headache so i reworked the one i had. how's that for recycling?

found this image while looking through old files for the annual {friend's} christmas card. so, do you like the new look??