document life now

playin in the sun

I have found, in the spring of my 40th year, that I have this need to be in the sun. I want to be outside, feel the sun on my face (properly sunscreened, of course) and enjoy the outdoors.

I've never really thought of myself as an outdoorsy sort of person. I was the kind of person who would be in the air conditioning on the 4th of July, rather than outside battling mosquitos to watch fireworks. I didn't like to sweat. Didn't want to be away from the TV and electronics. I didn't see any need for summer and warm weather to change my daily routine.

I think it started changing last year when we started spending our vacations in the woods. Suddenly, I wanted to be outdoors... all the time. I spent an entire day at the pool, watching Chesney swim. No don't get me wrong... I'd still rather be in the shade than in the bright sun... but I want to be out. Not sitting indoors when the weather hits 60 degrees.

I've been dying to go to the lake. Not swim -- because I'm not insane with it -- but be by the water. Sunday, I convinced my family to join me. We tried a new to us lake, and we liked it (at least better than the one we usually visit). I think I've got them talked into buying an annual pass to the lake so we can spend the day there whenever we want.

I need to work on the menu. I didn't take nearly enough food (which strangely enough, it would have been plenty at home, but I guess being at the lake makes you work up an appetite). Brady's picky, so that makes it difficult. We need another lounge chair. But it's going to come together. I'm going to say that come June, you can find us at the lake every Friday for the rest of summer. I can't wait.

P.S. Sorry for the cheesy Haygoods song reference. I cannot get it out of my stinkin head. It's apparently the soundtrack for our lake visits.

kinda been a scrapping fool

When I first started scrapbooking, I had a very distinctive style. It fell apart over the last 2-3 years, and it got to the point where I scrapped so infrequently that I didn't seem to have a style at all.

I want to get back to my signature style. Lots of color. Clean lines. Focus on stories and photos.

Here are some of my latest in my campaign to redevelop my style:

What do you think? Am I getting there?

P.S. Most of these layouts were created with products by Lauren Grier. Lauren is a wonderful mom and digital designer who has been hospitalized for the last week with life threatening blood clots. You can support Lauren by purchasing from her personal store Scrapfastic Designs or by purchasing the fundraising kit done by her designer friends, which is available at Sweet Shoppe Designs. I did my "friends and family" layout using the fundraising kit... it's amazing!

yum... Chinese

I love Chinese food. I learned to love it from a young age, from my dad, who also loved Chinese food. Much of it was Chun King from a can, but for awhile we'd go to a Chinese restaurant for dinner about once a month, and I'd order Beef Chow Mein.

Now I'm all grown up, and I'm trying to teach my children an appreciation of Chinese cuisine. It's difficult. My husband doesn't like onions or peppers, two major ingredients in most Chinese food. Luckily, a little counter service Chinese place opened up not far from us, and sometimes, when he's in a generous mood, Dan will let us go grab Chinese as long as we pick up Wendy's for him.

For me, it's Szechuan Beef. Love that hit of red papper.

Brady eats the same as me, although his favorite is the Spring Rolls that come with it. Ches gets the kids' Sesame Chicken (and eats it all up).

Mykiah gets steamed veggies with chicken.

The chicken is the white stuff in there. Dan had quite a great time making fun of Mykiah's chicken. Here's what I'll say: she ate the whole thing. She doesn't often clean her plate when we get food from a restaurant. This was good -- and healthy -- stuff.

Both girls used chopsticks to eat.

You totally can't see that the chopsticks are attached at the end. It was way cooler before you knew that, wasn't it?

might as well jump

This is the last of them. My girls have a thing for jumping. And I have a thing for catching them mid-jump.

more photos from my models

I have tons. They're all so great, I can't decide which ones to share, so you're going to get all of them.

Hope you don't mind.

recipe: Spaghetti Braid

Let me clear this up. This recipe is for a Spaghetti Braid. It got really confusing when Brady asked me what was for dinner, and I answered "Spaghetti Braid." You see, I call my boy Braid sometimes (not sure how you'd spell it, but Braid is how I pronounce it.) So he thought I was saying, "Spaghetti, Braid" and not "Spaghetti Braid."

Are you thoroughly confused now?

OK, on to the recipe...

Spaghetti Braid

1 can refrigerated pizza dough

1 lb browned and drained ground beef

1 1/2 cups pizza or spaghetti sauce (I used pizza. It's thicker usually.)

1-2 cups mozzarella cheese

2-3 tbsp butter, melted

Tastefully Simple Garlic Garlic seasoning

Unroll pizza dough onto a cookie sheet and put aside (don't try to fit it to the cookie sheet, just roll it out and set it aside).

Mix ground beef and sauce. Set aside.

Melt the butter.

Hopefully your dough has now warmed up a little. Press it out to fit the pan size. You do not need a rolling pin to do this. I just used the heel of my hand.

Cut strips into the dough about every 1-2 inches on each side. So you'll have a strip of untouched dough down the middle and strips cut down the side. I used a sharp knife for this. It worked better than a cookie cutter.

Pour the meat mixture down the middle and spread it evenly across the dough. Sprinkle cheese liberally across the top of the meat mixture.

Now you start to braid the dough. Just criss cross the strips over the top of the meat and cheese mixture. Try to cover the meat completely, although if you don't there's no big harm done.

Add the garlic seasoning to the melted butter. Spread the butter mixture across the top of the braid.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Let set for a few minutes, then cut into slices.

We served ours with a side salad. It was really good. So good that Chesney asked for seconds before she ate her first helping and wanted to make sure that we added this recipe to our rotation.

It's so pretty, too!

spring has sprung

And with it, gorgeous colors, bright flowers, and children playing outside until it gets dark. I would say I love Spring, but darn it, I love fall, too. They are both times of change and hope.

Great beauty exists.

spreading the word

Last week, my sixteen year old son called me a retard.

I would rather he called me the worst of  curse words than to use the word he did.

It horrified me. It reduced me to tears.

It's a hateful word, and it stands for all the things that are wrong about how we treat people with disabilties.

It's been on my mind. I can't shake it.

I want to say here and now that it's offensive to me. More than offensive, it's hurtful. On behalf of every child I've ever taught who fits the clinical definition of mental retardation, it hurts me.

So I'm going to resolve to do what I can to stop the use of that word. If I hear it, I'm going to speak up and say something. Or I'll simply walk away, because I don't want to be around people who think that word is OK to use in conversation.

Click on that logo and you'll be taken to the website that is leading this campaign. Bless them.

I've tried many times over the last hour that I've been writing and editing to put into words why the word is offensive. I can't seem to find the words. So I'm going to let these parents of children with disabilties speak for me. They say what I can't seem to do.

Love That Max

On the Use and Power of the Word Retard

The Word Retarded Is Not Cool

Because Words Hurt

I don't want to tell you what to think or what to say. You have your freedom of speech.

Just keep in mind that just because you can say something doesn't mean you should. As my friend Jason would say, it shows a lack of creativity to continue to use that word. Find a word that's not offensive.

Me... I'm going to take the pledge. Try to spread the word about the word. And make the world a nicer place.

For everyone.

a bit of a photo shoot

So I told my girls I'd like to go do a photo shoot with them. I gave them free rein in styling themselves.

My girls watch Top Model. They know about styling, and posing.

And they totally rocked it.

 

See. Rocked it. Seriously.

new release: On A Whim & a template pack

I have a new kit that I love in my shoppe today...

on a whim

Seriously full of spring and happy colors, isn't it? Check out these layouts using it:

by Lynett

by Sharon

by Christie

I also added a new template pack to the store. Available in .tiff and .psd for those who use Photoshop and Photoshop Elements as well as in .page format for those who use SBC+.

my style template pack 5

Both are on sale through the weekend, so grab them now!