Stay at Home Mom

I've wanted to write for some time about my changing role as a SAHM...sometimes it is fantastic and the best job on the planet but at other times I have really struggled with it. It is the fact that we are so unappreciated by the voice of public opinion. We have left jobs...careers...where are opinions are sort after, we've solved problems, organised others lives, taken on massive responsibilities and been paid. Then our babies arrive....and we carry on doing all these things (minus the money!) but no-one knows. No one sees the sacrifices, the committments, tears, worries, laughter, joy, trials and other things we give up so that our families can fulfil their dreams. I used to struggle with the unimportance of my life. Don't get me wrong, I know my life IS important. I'm raising humans who I hope will be beautiful, responsible, participating members of society. Adults who will give and bring joy into others lives. Our jobs are the MOST important, but not being acknowledged and told that doesn't matter anymore. I finally realised a while ago that it didn't matter if no one ever knew...God knows and my heart knows. More than that...I finally got it! It wasn't all about them...it was about me! I was becoming a better person, I was learning patience, kindness, goodness, caring, courage, strength, joyfulness, contentment and peace. All the things I wanted to pass on to my kids, I was learning first through my job as a SAHM. This is my Well Done. So this Layout celebrates my journey to this truth. Thank you Yolande! for the inspiration, inspiration (those typo's!) and chat on Friday night at your OnLine Class. Here's to all the SAHM's out there!

Cherry Arte

Having just discovered this Company at CC2006 and then again with their new Memory Trends releases....all I can say is WOW!!! I love the color (the Tropic line is my FAV!...gotta get me some of that!), swirls, flowers, chipboard and now STAMPS!!!! Acrylic Stamps are like my new fav thing..and check out these cool circles with stars in them...yes they come in stamps! I struggled to find some paper in my stash to use, but hey, even my scraps work (the arrow, word "years" and the chipboard star). Most all I just love the story about my baby boy turning 5, off to school and my first taste of an 'empty nest'. While he has crossed the tracks, I am left at a cross roads and I'm still working out which path I should take. I see my amazing inspirations Rhonna Farrer, Skye Hardwick and Danielle Thompson are at that place too...and I can't even link you to some of these ladies Blogs because, as of today, they no longer exist. Neither does Cathy Zieskle's. So many women I know are standing at the Cross Roads at the moment, either that or they have just stepped on to a new path. For many it is scary, new, different and they have got there through much soul-searching and self-discovery. I am 10 steps behind them but there courage and initiative is spurring me on to be and do something different in 2007. Stay tuned....oh and I'll let you know how the Cherry Arte goes...man I want that chipboard or stamps sooooooo bad!...but then who doesn't????

Musings and Donna M

Loved this class with Donna M from the Scrapbook Outlet. Fun and easy but looks difficult..now that is my kind of class! I'm slowly moving over to doing A4 pages and more digital scrapping but after last night, got to admit I still love the glues and cutting. I've been so busy with photography, here's a couple of sample images... True beauty huh??? I love this job and the beauty and personality that the lens finds. I am a privileged observer of others' private worlds.