From Chaos Comes Happiness

I can't even believe how long it has been since I've sat at this computer and typed on this keyboard. Years, it seems like. Of course, it hasn't been years. But it sure has been a long time. And the days . . . oh, they have been busy. Instead of taking up a whole bunch of time giving you the blow-by-blow of the past few weeks, I thought I'd bore you with some quick little highlights. (Although, I've just come back to proof-read this part after writing out the whole post, and I do believe I end up giving you the blow-by-blow. You know, nothing is that simple for me! Sorry for that!) It's going to be a bit "all over the place", because that is just sort of how my mind is working these days. Bear with me. I'm sharing a bunch of pictures, too . . . because sometimes a photo just needs to be shared! So, this is the last few weeks of my life: It all started with a great fortune . . . what it means, I have no idea. If I knew what idea it was refer...

                          For those of you who may not be a Facebook friend, a little Annalee for the soul . . . because it is, after all, Downton Abbey day in the U.S.A.! (No, there is no 'official' Downton Abbey Day that I am aware of - but it is the beginning of airing season 4 for those of us in the states.) I never quite understood why the U.S. is so far behind in airing the show from when it originally appears in England. I think it is just their way of punishing us for crossing over the pond those hundreds of years ago. ;)  Whatever the case may be, the DVR is set, and I have plans to have the girls in bed promptly at 8pm tonight . . . when I will be transported to a world so very unlike my own. I am a huge fan of period movies and shows (any period piece, really, from the renaissance times, to the 1950's), and Downton Abbey truly fits the bill! Transporting to a distant land and another time is greatly welcome...

. . . it's been busy. But the good kind of busy. The kind of busy that has you enjoying each and every moment . . . living and loving life.  It's been a wonderful Spring, my friends, and here is a little glimpse of what we've been doing. Around these parts . . . . . . we're waiting patiently for Easter Egg hunts,    . . . and then getting all gussied up.   . . . we're climbing trees, . . . and going on scavenger hunts. We're baking cookies, . . . and delivering them to our friends. We're doing cartwheels, . . . whistling with sticks, . . . and riding tractors. We're doing lots and lots of creating, . . . and really looking at the beautiful things in life. And even though you can dress us up . . .   . . . most days, you still can't take us out.   Yes, it's been a wonderful Spring, and I hope you are having a wonderful one, too, my friends.   Wishing you Peace! 

I've been doing a lot of thinking . . . uh-oh . . . PG would be nervous. I know when ever the words "Honey? I've been thinking . . . " come from my mouth, I am sure he gets some sort of pit in his stomach. The "WHAT" that I have been thinking is never expected. It could be something random, like having pasta for dinner . . . to something as totally drastic, like going to buy a new car that day. (Seriously.) But when ever I am thinking , you can be certain of one thing . . . Change is a'coming. So, I've been . . . thinking. I've had my little "From Chaos Comes Happiness" home here for quite some time. Started wayyyyy backkkkkk  in 2009, actually, when I was a mother of a 6 and 2 year old, was an almost full-time health care worker, was not doing a single creative thing (other than scrapbooking), and was desperately trying to find  . . . me. I think I found her. Me, that is. In the past four years, I have grow...

Garbage Day. My favorite day of the week. I love it. Seriously. I want to get a t-shirt that reads "I 'heart'  Garbage Day!", but I'm afraid people will think I'm one of those hoarders who drives through the town picking up items left curbside, as they wait for the big green truck to take them away. Not that there is anything wrong with that . . . (OK, there is something SERIOUSLY wrong with that). I promise I am not one of those types. But, I am loving Garbage Day for a whole new reason this year . You see, I am de-cluttering. I'm giving it up. I'm letting go. I'm throwing it away. Nothing of value, I promise. I'm talking about all the mounds of other things that have fogged up my brain (and home) for the past 10 years. The scrap pieces of scrapbook paper that I kept because "you never know when your going to need a 2" x 2" piece of red polka dot paper" , and the thousands of little notebooks that the girls scrib...

Here we are, again! It's been a wonderfully crazy and busy week. I've over extended myself, yet again. Running classroom holiday parties, husband traveling, making art, new activities for the girls, oh . . . and then there is that darn job thing always getting in the way of all the fun. ;) I hope to be finished in the next week or two. Yes, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I think. I long for slower days. When I can . . . breathe. When I can . . . read. When I can . . . go to bed early and sleep in late. Maybe in January. January of 2036, perhaps. That's when my social security (God willing) kicks in. Yep, 2036. Until then . . . here's a little glimpse at my week . . . We saw Justin Bieber on Wednesday! Phil, Katie, Ellie, our neighbors Christina, Megan, Jenni and Gabriella, and me.  Phil drove all of us in our mini-van (thank goodness for our mini-van). And with the help of ear plugs, we all survived! I discovered an old love of good o...

. . . hearing the doorbell ring, and hearing the engine of the UPS truck pull away as you open the door and find it sitting there . . . waiting. A brown box. Some can be little. Some can be big. Just depends on the goodies you're expecting. Whatever it is, knowing that the box is from  Blick , it's just about all that matters. Nothing is wonderful as that. The box I received this week contained some new palette paper, a whole set of Mod Podge (matte, sparkle, glossy, outdoors and paper varieties), 50 small 4x4 canvas boards, and 25 assorted paper mache boxes. Yes . . . these. What, pray tell, am I going to do with 25 assorted paper mache boxes? Oh, wouldn't YOU like to know?!? ;)  Oh, I've got some ideas . . . some visions . . . some wheels that are turning. You're going to have to hang in there to see. So, I'm getting busy in my studio, again. I've signed up for another craft fair on November 10th, and I have lots to do to prepare for it. In a...

I found myself on my favorite road again today . . . the trees are so full, yet I know they soon will be turning colors and falling asleep for the season. I've had a wonderful summer, my friends. Absolutely amazing. From trips to Wisconsin and New York, meeting blog friends, visiting museums, seeing movies on the big screen like Singin' in the Rain and Brave , to riding sky lifts and going to Cubs game, it's been one heck of an adventurous summer. And driving down  my road today, I felt this wonderful sense of calmness come over me. I took a deep breath, and exhaled . . . and it felt so good. Where I am right now . . . it's good. Life is Good. Really. All of this reminded me of my "Keeping It Real" posts. It's been a while, don't you think? Ok . . . let's do it again, shall we? Here are just a few of the "Keeping It Real" thoughts that came into mind as I traveled down my favorite road today . . . The truth is . . . I may...

My goodness . . . my mind is a bit silly tonight. I miss my dearest blog friends (that would be YOU) so very much, and decided the best way to jump back in the saddle is to just . . . DO IT! So please forgive me for the randomness of this post, but I have much to share and can't think of a better way to do it than this. In no particular order, here is a bulleted list of the updates of life in our "happy chaos" the past week, or so . . . just to bring you up to speed: The girls have both started their school years off with flying colors! Ella has taken so very well to Kindergarten, and happily exclaimed, "I LOVE IT!" when stepping off of the bus that first day. My eyes were filled with tears for missing her, but seeing her smiling face made it all the better. Katie feels she has the BEST 4th Grade Teacher in the whole school, which makes it extra easy for us to get moving in the morning. She has started setting her own alarm this year (a new thing for us a...

My friends, today we are going to venture into my kitchen, where I will be sharing just about the BEST cake recipe with you. True, I am not one to do many posts on foods or recipes (I'll leave that to the true food experts, like my friend Mary!) But I have been known to post one or two DIE HARD recipes that truly will . . . Change Your Life. (Remember the chocolate covered grapes? Or my super duper special Chocolate Chip Cookies? Yeah, of course you do.) So today, I'm bringing you another family favorite of ours. And probably, yours too. The thing is, you probably have forgotten about it. But chances are, I'm fairly confident that you have seen, tasted and/or made this very cake at some point in your life. Intrigued? I thought so. Let us begin . . . I was at this stage of the baking today, when I decided I should do a blog post about the cake . . . Have you figured out what cake I was making?  No, not yet? Well, let's move on. After sweating for hour...