so here it is

I have decided that the layout passed the "overnight test". I don't like the way the stamping turned out, but if I ripped apart every layout over one little thing, I'd never get anything done.

This picture of Blake is from March. Wow!

This is mostly made from Crate and Lily Bee.

Thanks for looking.

Dried up

One of my therapists suggested I try to get back into scrapbooking.

He also suggested I get some exercise in to help handle my stress. I've been running for over four months. It's helped some. Some days are better than others. Some days I just walk.

So, I have this whole room of paper, adhesive, stamps, ink and my latest addition of rolls and rolls washi tape. I can't say I've done a lot of scrapbooking but I'm back sitting in my room instead of watching TV in the bedroom.

I dug out some supplies. Unfortunately, most of my ink pads have dried up. My glue is gone, too. I did manage to put together a couple of pages.

I was getting lazy here and didn't even bother to scan this one properly. I just stuck it up under my Ottlite and snapped a picture.

Tonight I made a page about Blake. I have to look at it for 24 hours before I decide I like it. Maybe tomorrow I'll post it.

out for now

This snake and mouse stuff is just not working out

You saw the previous pictures, right? We kept the mouse, named her Snowflake and then four days later Snowflake gives birth to 7 babies.

She's a good mama. She didn't eat one baby. Kat is of course, THRILLED beyond words. I have claimed them as my new grandbabies.

Here they are from yesterday. They have their fur and their ears are up. They still haven't opened their eyes yet:

Sometimes they're like this when I come in to feed Snowflake. As soon as she hears food hit the bowl, she gets up and walks towards the bowl. The babies hang on trying to nurse as she drags them across the cage before they give up and fall off one by one. It's the funniest looking thing.

So, as my title suggests, this snake and mouse thing is just not working out.

Meet Mr. Chubbers:

Casey got this mouse on Friday and brought it over for the snake. Both of us were saying how hard it would be because he is soooo cute!! He's white with brown spots and black eyes. He is certainly much more handsome then the white mice with pink eyes.

Before we left to Trent's school carnival, I dropped the mouse (Mr. Chubbers) into the snake tank. I didn't want to watch, I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted it over with. We were purposely getting male mice because we didn't want to deal with mouse babies again.

I was so relieved when we came home from the carnival (several hours later) and there was no mouse to be found. Whew! The snake ate it and I could go on with my weekend.

We were home all weekend long.

This morning I hear Kat say, "MOM! I see the mouse!!" I thought she meant Snowflake so I got up out of bed and ran out to the kitchen. However, she was standing next to the snake tank. I don't know how to explain the look on Kat's face as she pointed at the tank. It was a mix of being stunned, shock and horror.  I looked under the log and there was Mr. Chubbers. He was covered in the ground up coconut shells we use for the snake's floor. He was desperately trying to clean himself off.

Somehow, he managed to live 2.5 days with a snake. Not one of us saw him all weekend long. I took him out and gave him some food and water. He looked like Mr. Skinny now.

Casey said she would keep him and make him a pet.

I'm so glad I've had this trial run with the snake. I love snakes and thought I wanted one for a pet. The problem is I get too attached to the mice. If they survive in the tank with the snake I somehow feel that they deserve to live. They're little fighters. 

Special Snowflake

All of have that Special Snowflake in our lives, don't we?

From this:

to this in less than 24 hours:

We have a snake.
The snake doesn't eat the mouse.
Someone (see picture above) names the mouse.
Now we have a pet mouse.

The luckiest mouse in the world. Kat loves Special Snowflake. She tells me every 60 seconds what the mouse is now doing...

Mom, Snowflake built a tunnel under her wheel...
Mom, Snowflake is eating a sunflower seed....
Mom, Snowflake is in her wheel, no now she's out...
Mom, Snowflake is eating her bedding...

The luckiest mouse in the world.

I can make anything out of paper

but I cannot frost and decorate a cake. I don't know what my dealio is. Here is the cake I made for my mom:

It shouldn't have to be that hard, right?

Do you remember the cake fiasco I had from a couple years ago? Click here

I don't want to keep practicing because someone has to eat the cake and of course it will end up being me. Usually in the middle of the night when everyone is sleeping.

So, while you're thinking about that, here's a layout I completed. I have had the hardest time functioning like a normal person since I no longer get to see my grandson. I haven't completed a layout in almost two months just because I don't feel like it. I don't feel like doing much of anything.

I have taken up running and that has helped. I'm hoping that when the kids start school again (which is next week) that I'll get into some sort of regular schedule and will set aside time to create pages again. We'll see...

The background paper is from Michael's. I think it's actually American Crafts under their Recollections brand name. The background piece is leftover tag packaging from Daisy D's.

Thanks for looking and thanks for your nice comments.