House ATCs

I made these for a swap at Altered Gypsy. I can't wait to see what I receive in return! They will also be a kit you can make yourself from Altered Pages. Check here soon for when they're available.

Altered Pages Collage Sheets used:
AP-449 Mini Images Collage
AP-444 Mini Images
AP-890 Awesome Archways
AP-1546 This Old House
AP-1616 Adorable
AP-1055 Je T'aime
AP-544 Gene Pressler

One World One Heart Giveaway

** GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. THANKS SO MUCH FOR PLAYING! **

Ohhh, you're in for a treat! Since we were out of town the weekend that One World One Heart started I didn't have a chance to get anything posted/put together for the start. Then, I figured I was behind and late so I wouldn't play along this year. However, today Jackie from AlteredPages contacted me. Trisha had suggested that AlteredPages put forth a gift certificate for the One World One Heart giveaway month and thought it could be done from my blog. Jackie thought that was a great idea! I'm so excited! I have the distinct honor of giving away a substantial prize! Yay!

Have you ever used Altered Pages' collage sheets? I am blessed to be on the design team but believe me, if that were not so, I would be buying sheets from her anyway. They're so diverse and I'm partial to pics of women and she has so many!


To win this item, make sure to leave a note on THIS POST ONLY to be eligible. This post will be open to sign ups through 11:59 PM February 11th, Central Standard Time (Midwest time.) Please be sure you leave a way for me to contact you (either through your blog or an email address.)

** To see any of my artwork using the collage sheets, just use the upper left search button and type in 'altered pages'. **

You are in no way obligated to do this, but if interested in keeping up with art that is made & posted on my blog (especially with AlteredPages collage sheets which I use almost exclusively), please feel free to enter your email in the box to the right.

THANKS FOR VISITING! I'm happy to meet you all!

Balaboosta & Favorite Poem

Balaboosta (n.)(bah-lah-b00-sta) A Yiddish term meaning the perfect housewife, homemaker, wonderful mother, cook, and gracious hostess. She does it all and does it well. (This is an impossible-goal-to-achieve word!)

I've had a week. A good week. We got back from vacation last Friday and this week was busy. We restarted homeschooling after a long break, we began a new way of eating healthy (no more 'diets' to follow, just healthy foods.) I found the Balaboosta website while looking up recipes today to marinate the Pork Loin. Yes, I was cooking. Let me tell you what happens when you start eating right. You feel better. You feel more awake, less lazy/tired. You feel like you can handle more. At least I have.

This week I cooked almost every night (made other meals too), was more involved with the homeschooling, caught up on some reading, creating art, cleaning & dishes too. I'm involved more. My family may not have noticed, but I did. I noticed a different feeling while cooking, cleaning and during just basic living. I'm happy. Usually I'm so stubborn about not wanting to have to do everything for everyone that I slack off because you know its just going to get messed up after I clean up something right? KWIM?

I think I'm getting the point of my whole 'Live Consciously' challenge for this year. I want to be a better wife, mom, teacher, etc... It's important. There is a certain joy and self satisfaction in putting others first sometimes. I didn't realize how much I had slipped into a me-me or don't-think-about-it phase. This is the year to change some things. How I take care of my family, how I take care of me (hence the new eating.)

I've been tired of us all eating different foods/meals. We had a vegetarian, a lo-fatter, a sometimes lo-carber (that's me) and a self-proclaimed carbetarian (the little one. ha) We never ate the same thing, at the same time, in the same room. I'm planning to change that. The teen and I sat down and planned 1 month of healthy meals that everyone can eat a part of. DH and I are both just eating healthy instead of focusing on some fad diet. The little one is eating more veggies now too.

I'm back to creating things as I said. One of my favorites is for this week's Creative Therapy Catalyst. The prompt should be up today. Go participate! It's a great way to get inspired.

Creative Therapy: 'What is your favorite poem? Why?'

Why:
I love the 'How Do I Love Thee?' poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I'm not completely sure why. I remember in Jr. High taking a calligraphy class. We had to choose something to write and I chose this poem. It's so beautiful, rolls off the tongue. As you read the words you can see her clutching his letters in her hands, writing with a feather pen and inkwell, telling him how much he means to her. You can feel her love for him, it's complete, it's whole, it's unconditional. I like to think it represents my love for my husband and my daughters. I don't think I could have expressed my love for them any better than Mrs. Browning did.


Techniques: Nothing real special here. All I can say is scraps, scraps, scraps! I keep several bags & a stuffed drawer of scraps and just start pulling pieces out and slowly a combination of colors seem to start going together. Even the stamped pieces were scraps I had saved. I recommend keeping everything, much to my DH's dismay.