Finished the "Gracie" collection for scrapgirls and am supremely happy with it. Not the "happy I'm done with it" kinda' happy, but that warm-feeling, content-all-the-way-down-to-my-toes happy. love how it came out, how it honors Gracie Nicole, for whom it was named. and notice I said "love how it came out", because that's how i try to design. the thing itself, the beauty that is the set, is out there, waiting to be, like, unlocked or found or freed. I don't usually start with anything in mind, I push things around, try things out, and those things lead other places and before I know it, I have this thing that has taken on a presence and personality of it's own. it practically breathes. Then, and only then, is it done.
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whisper hello to gracie, a new little soul who has just joined us a week ago. we've had two baby girls born in our office this week, and a boy a few weeks ago. it must be something in the water! and i had the honor of taking little gracie's pics this morning. you can not honestly look at the face of a new born babe and feel anything but love and compassion and a deep-seated peace. welcome gracie.
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edited: a layout with this and a few other Gracie pics can be seen here: Full of Grace
warning: proud mom moment ahead. Shade went to volleyball camp this week, in preparation for high school Vball starting at the end of the summer. She worked out and practiced and sweated - a LOT - and never complained. Saturday a.m., they (her and some friends from the week were all spending the night together) got a call from one of the HS coaches saying a tourney that was going on that day (coincidentally) had a team drop out at the last minute and if they could get to the HS in 30 mins, they could take the spot. This is the same tourney that turned them down earlier in the week because they were too young to compete at that level (which consisted of HS varsity team girls.) So they got a spot, went, played hard despite the fact they had only played together this week at camp, and, against much more experienced players...you guessed it - they WON. WON. wonwonwonwonwonwwwwwoonnn. can't even begin to tell you how proud i am of them. no, they didn't win the most games, but as it was a bracketed competition, they won when it counted. and that boys and girls, is my lesson to you for the day. in life, you will benefit most if you WIN WHEN IT COUNTS. get it? got it? good!
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aahhh, sweet, sweet summer. miss you girlies (carsey, above, and shade, in the post above) :( mom
It happens all the time. The little voice in my head, criticizing, admonishing, berating... Some say "the grass is always greener...", which, sometimes, is true. But part of being happy, and accepting others, is to first accept yourself. Accepting the things you know to be true and, like it or not, moving on. This is where I am today. Working on accepting me, how I am, who I am, today. The me that, even in the midst of summer, is thinking about Fall. And in Fall, worrying about Winter, Winter about Spring, Spring to Summer, you get it. The passage of time, of which I have no control. I need to remember to accept this fact, let it go and move on. Take a minute and think about something that bothers you. Maybe even keeps you up at night. Give yourself as much time as needed to really mull it over, both good thoughts and bad, explore it. And then let it go. See - you're taller now without that on your shoulders.
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