Sunday is over (almost)

And so is my extended weekend as a bachelorette/single mom. And I'm amazed at how much more productive I am without Dan here! I'm sure having the kids play outside as much as they have been is a factor too, but I really do invest a lot of time and energy in my marriage, and while I am sure I get more back than I give, having a couple days of complete autonomy has been pretty refreshing.

Anyway, so much for a "day of rest"! After church we hit the Old Navy sale and got a couple things for Dan and a couple things for me (one which will be returned posthaste), played at the play area, came home, ate lunch and took naps. I finished up a couple layouts that were in the early stages--one is for a handstitching class that I'm super excited about! We had dinner and made a DQ run (I firmly believe that ice cream is mandatory on above-90-degree days). And it took until about 15 minutes ago to get the kids settled (the like to switch bedrooms on "special nights", and the change in sleeping arrangements always means extra talking). I don't think moms ever truly get a day of rest...but I did make a point of saving my cleaning/organizing projects until tomorrow and sticking with things that would reenergize us as a family.

Anyway, I'm off to make the most of this last night of staying up late, falling asleep with the TV on and missing my best friend. :)

The "slipping slide"

She loves it.









So do they.

And while I've never been overly fond of the heat (85 is my limit), I am thrilled that it's finally truly summer weather. The kids are in and out all day long, playing in the hose (and leaving it running when they're done), making up games, declaring today "best sister and brother day"....life is good. :)

I'm flying solo this weekend. Dan is in Illinois paying his respects to his grandfather, who went to be with the Lord last Thursday. Dan's enjoying seeing family he hasn't seen since he was a kid. It's too bad it takes a death in the family to bring people together like that...but it's good that they're together.

Anyway, I think this is the easiest time I've ever had alone with the kids for overnight or longer. Other than an annoying visit from the wake-up fairy two mornings in a row, the kids have been happy and behaving themselves (mostly, though my neighbors might have disagreed with that last statement at 8:30 this morning when Elijah was screaming at the top of his lungs). I'm getting tons of stuff done, way more than on a normal day at home.

However, the one thing that hasn't made it to the top of my list yet is tackling some scrapbooking projects. I have some Kits & Pieces kits burning a hole in...something (my dining table, perhaps?). And my first online class to prepare. And tomorrow to do it all in. I really try to honor Sunday as a day of rest...is it cheating to do my scrap work on a day of rest? I usually try not to, but this week it can't be helped.

I'll leave you with a couple recent layouts, one with each of the new K&P kits:

Vacation

This is why I suck at blogging...I've been meaning to blog and post vacation pictures since we got back, but vacation pictures are on the laptop, and every time I thought about blogging I wasn't near my laptop, so I haven't blogged for almost a month. It's got to be easier than I'm making it.

Anyway, here are some pictures. We spend the first 3 nights at Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park, 9 miles east of Crescent City, CA (the northernmost city on the California Coast). We found a great playground, learned about bears, drove through a tree, played frisbee, took little hikes, played on the beach...and then got rained out.

Fortunately we were able to get our reservations changed at the one-star motel we were staying at in Ashland, OR. We went to the park, went to the ScienceWorks museum, went to Applegate Christian Fellowship, had pizza and bagels (I miss bagel shops--for some reason there are none nearby) and headed home.

We did make it in time for Shiloh's dance dress rehearsal, which was good. And we had a great time and made lots of great memories. It seems like we're wanting to do more family stuff these days instead of getting caught up in getting stuff done around the house or going off by ourselves to get some peace and quiet. And definitely hoping to camp again this summer...probably just weekend trips, but something to get us outside and away from the house. :)

Kits & Pieces DT Call

Kits & Pieces is looking for talented designers! We are looking to add two people to our fabulous design team, as well as identifying future guest designers.

Kits & Pieces offers expandable kits (2 per month), which means you choose how much you get of many key products. This accommodates scrappers who are watching their budgets and want a fabulous kit for under $20, scrappers who want more than one kit without having to pay for shipping twice, scrappers who want a kit jam-packed with all the latest and greatest products, and everyone in between!

We are looking for people who:
*are creative, dependable and flexible
*are willing to be active in our online community
*like to share their work
*are willing to give feedback about kits, contests, classes, etc.

Our DT members are expected to:
*create 3 layouts with one of our monthly kits
*write a brief article for our semi-monthly newsletter (check past newsletters for examples)
*add 25 posts per week to our message board on average
*participate in hosting online crops (every 6 months or so) and help with contests
*post their layouts on their blog and on other websites, crediting K&P when possible
*take 2-3 months off per year--this gives designers a creative break and allows us to keep things fresh

You will receive:
*one kit each month
*a discount to the store
*access to online classes
*in some cases, the ability to teach classes (for cash)

To apply, please provide the following information:

Name, address, phone #, and e-mail
A brief bio and headshot (which will be used if we select you)
A link to your online gallery
Your blog address (if you have one) and any forums in which you are active
List your 3 favorite products to work with,
3 strengths as a scrapper,
and 3 reasons why you would like to design for My Kits and Pieces.
Getting to know us on the message board and sharing your work in our gallery isn't required, but is always helpful!

**International designers are welcome to apply--however, we will need you to pay the difference in shipping, as well as provide an estimated shipping time from the US (if you know)**

Please e-mail your information to mykitsandpieces@gmail.com by July 10. New DT members will be announced by July 15 and will begin with our August kits. Thanks, and good luck!