I miss this. I miss the new baby. I adore the 4 month old silly baby with the smiles and the giggles, but there is something so precious in those first few days, and you never get that back. I am so grateful that I spent so much time just sitting and holding and being right in that moment this time around.

I used Making Memories paper, punches from Fiskars (border) and Martha Stewart (Butterflies), pins from Maya Road, letters from American Crafts (yes, I roughed them up and sprayed a little glimmer mist on before I used them), ribbon from Cosmo Cricket.

And then I remembered, and I felt. I’m so glad I make stuff that helps me to remember. I feel like I would lose so much more if I didn’t.

(Cosmo Cricket layout, created June 2008)

It has been a year since I tried out for the Cosmo Cricket design team, and what a year! I had such a blast designing for them and being a part of their truly wonderful company! Come July 1st, my contract is up, and it is time for something new, so I hope all of you talented scrapbookers out their will apply for their new call.

Since the official Cosmo announcement earlier this week, I have received several e-mails asking me what I was going to do next. While I do have a few pending projects, for now, I am just going to relax and let what comes come! Since this door is closed, I throw my windows wide open and invite the sunshine in. I’m ok with a break, I’m ok with opportunity. I’m just going to be and enjoy the ride. Don’t worry, readers, there will still be plenty of scrap happening on this blog, and more of my goofy stories and rambling thoughts.

On the 18th Jonas turned 7, Maggie turned 4.5 and Gabe hit the 4 month mark. This summer they are equally driving me crazy and being absolutely fabulous. They are so busy being creative and so intent on learning. I am truly impressed with their innate desire to grow. I think many of us lose that as we age and complacency sets in. Jonas has been flying through workbooks and is jumping reading levels, and it is wonderful to watch. Maggie is practicing writing her letters and making new connections daily. Gabe is grabbing stuff and doing his darnedest to cram said stuff into his mouth. All little steps, all such good examples.

I followed their example and have spent much of my week devouring books: The Continuous Atonement by Brad Wilcox, The Lacemakers of Glenmara by Heather Barbieri. I am partway through the bestselling biography FDR right now, and it is fascinating. It is good to be learning, good to be doing. Work is such a blessing, and a life’s work should be filled with opportunities for learning in small ways and big. Read a book, learn a skill, make a relationship and learn about another person. Keep on growing, keep on serving, and use up your time and talent finding as much joy as you can. It is how you keep life good.

I got to review the book The Lacemakers of Glenmara a novel by by Heather Barbieri. This book is hitting bookshelves today! It is a very interesting tale about a late 20-something, Kate Robinson, who leaves Seattle to visit Ireland after a break up and her mother’s death.

As she travels slowly across the country, she finds her self spending a night in the tiny town of Glenmara. This stop is extended as she meets the people there, and finds a new purpose and direction in her life. It is an intricate look at the intertwinings of several lives, and the impact that one person can have. I enjoyed how she wove the separate stories together to form one whole, and the variations in characters that she created.

This is just gripping enough to be considered a beach read, and is perfect for a little summer relaxation. The characters are well developed enough to be likable, but the book is light enough to be quite palatable; it is an easy, summer vacation kind of book.

These are a set of small enclosure cards that I created using some leftover bits of Cosmo Cricket Early Bird chipboard.

These are very simple to make, fold a card to measure 2.5x3, ink the edges, adhere 1strip of cute patterned paper and then add your chipboard and write a sentiment. If you have character-y chipboard like these, you can have them talk, or you can just write a general message. I inked the edges of everything.

I also made a teacher thank you card using the same Cosmo Cricket line and this nifty school die from Quickutz. Just punch your pieces from the Early Bird, assemble ( I like to use a Xyron to adhere the pieces), cut yourself some fringe as grass, and add a sentiment.

Cosmo Paper, Quickutz number/letter dies. Very simple, grab your Early Bird Scraps, layer 3 of them vertically, plop 3 pics on one side, journal up the other and add some embellished numbers in between. I added bling to the numbers and wrote a few smaller bits of info around them. You could use this format for different counted things; favorite things, years old, freckles on your face, etc.

Now if I could just get this baby to slow down a bit. I am astounded at how quickly he went from newborn to baby. He turned four months this week. I blinked. I almost missed it all.

Cosmo Cricket paper, Quickutz dies.

A Little Lilybee paper with some super cute new Quickutz! I love this number set and the label!

If you go to Wendy’s online to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption site, you can create a digital Father’s Day card to send. For each card sent, Wendy’s will donate 25 cents to the cause. Also, if you are in the mood for a real frosty the site has this in store promotion running as well:

Saturday, June 20 – Sunday, June 21 (Father’s Day Weekend), Bring the Family to Wendy’s for a Frosty and Together We Can Help Foster Children Find Loving Homes

This Father’s Day treat dad to a Frosty at Wendy’s and $.50 for every Frosty sold will be donated to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption (DTFA). The DTFA is dedicated to finding permanent, loving homes for 150,000 children waiting in Foster Care.

There are two other ways you can support this cause. Create a unique Father’s Day card on this site and $.25 will be donated to the DTFA. You can also buy a Frosty Pinup for $1 at your local Wendy’s to be hung on the wall. 100% of Frosty Pinup Sales will benefit the DTFA.

So…

Give Dad a treat he’ll love, spend some time with the family and help children in North America’s foster care system this Father’s Day!

Father’s Day fun and giving back – that’s what Wendy’s Father’s Day Frosty Weekend is all about.

Happy Father’s Day!

Yum for a good cause!