24 Olive Street

Fall layouts // Noel Mignon

Hello again! My poor blog has been so neglected. I've been posting on Instagram mostly the last several months and I seem to have forgotten about my poor blog. But that is about to change. I have lots to share and before I get into holiday posts I wanted to share some of my fall Noel Mignon layouts.

Such fun times! All of these pages were created with the All Fall Classic Kit and Daily Diary Kits. I believe there's still a few left if you're behind on documenting all of your fall memories! I still haven't wrapped my mind around the fact that we're nearly in the 2nd week of December!

I'll be back with some of my recent card making projects!

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almost November???

It seems I find myself saying this every year...it's the end of October already??!!

I think it's just this season of life...multiple kids, sports, school stuff, family stuff, etc etc etc.

I know 20 yrs from now life will slow down and I'll be saying "I'm bored!!"

Actually, I hope not. I hope to have more time to do even more of the things I love to do...crafting, sewing, traveling. And hopefully one or more of my kids will still want to hang with their old mom ;)

But for now it's the busy life. Always.

I went to a craft weekend with Olivia a week and a half ago. I'll be honest, I didn't get a ton done but it was still a great weekend. Candice always hosts a great weekend :)

While I was there I got a call from my husband saying they went bike riding and my son crashed his bike and he thought he broke his wrist. It wasn't awfully bad so he waited til I got home on Sunday (of course!) to decide whether or not we needed to take him in. So when I got home I decided that yes, he needed to be checked out. Turned out that he did, in fact, break his wrist (along with some nasty road rash on his other arm).

At least they were running a Harry Potter marathon while we were sitting in the ER!

So after hours in the ER and multiple dr visits throughout the week (to get a 2nd opinion later in the week) he ended up with 3 sets of x-rays, 2 different casts, and an exhausted mama.

I have so much more to share and I'm really hoping to get back in the swing of blogging. I kinda fell out of it over the summer and can't seem to get my mojo back! But thankfully this is my absolute favorite time of year so there's so much to blog about! And, it's almost time to start prepping my December Daily.

...I guess that means I should finish up last year's, right?? lol

Whoa, where has the time gone??!!

How have I not blogged in over a month??!! Do people read blogs anymore?? I mean, I know I do. I have friends who blog. It seems like there's a lot of blogs out there still. But with Instagram, facebook, Pinterest, etc it seems like a lot of people are on these social media sites to see photos & not read about content so much anymore. But with those sites it's so hard to give explanations of things. They're great to share a photo but not so much detailed content. So I hope the way of the blog is not going away anytime soon!!! And honestly, I don't really think it will.

I've still been on those other sites but my blogging has been slacking with multiple kids birthdays, planning a quick trip to Seattle next month, planning our trip to Disneyland for my birthday (woo hoo!!!), getting my design team projects done. Oh, and I had walking pneumonia in January which I am still getting over nearly 2 months later.

Add to all of that I have given up Coke. And let me tell ya, that first week without the caffeine/sugar rush was horrible. Massive headaches, massive fatigue (more than my usual Crohn's induced fatigue), & all around feeling craptastic. I actually had one night that I woke up at 3am with a massive migraine. Ugh. But 2 1/2 weeks later I'm doing pretty well. I usually allow myself a cheat day a week which usually ends in me feeling like crap and wanting to cut that Coke back out of my diet. I know it's bad, I just wish I didn't crave it! But the cravings are slowly going away. Slowly.

We've had beautiful weather lately that my housework has kind of fallen to the wayside a bit. But seriously, how do you not go out and enjoy temps in the 60s with sunshine and blue skies??!

I have a million and one projects going on around the house that need to get done. But sometimes you just need to play :)

My little one started swim classes last month which she loves!

Not to mention baseball season has begun so we're up to 3 practices a week. I think next week it's 4. And my son is in archery, too. Spring is always crazy busy for us!

And after doing my hair myself for the past 2+ years (mostly to save money) I finally went and had it done. It was such a treat to have my hair done and I realized how much I missed it.

I got about 6 inches cut off and added some blonde. I have really missed having blonde in my hair! I love the ombre look (my hairdresser is awesome!) but I think next time I'm going to get it a little lighter. And after growing my bangs out for the past 3 yrs I think I've come to the realization that I need them back.

Tomorrow I'll have some scrappy projects to share!!

goodbye december...and 2014

December flew in and out in a flurry of Christmas activities like it always does. We had school functions with the older 2 kiddos, many visits to the mall (and one to meet Santa), and lots of baking.

December also involved the hubster going to Prague the week before Christmas which was a little stressful for me. It's usually not a big deal when he goes out of town. I'm a big girl, I can handle the fort while he's gone. But right before Christmas was a little hard. But we did get some pretty cool gifts when he came back....cause, I mean, how many times do you get to go to Prague??!

December also included a bunch of things left undone...recipes I didn't get to try, gingerbread houses still sitting in their box, Christmas cards unmailed, decorations still left in their boxes, December Daily half finished (but that will get done in the next week!).

Despite the things that didn't get done we still had some great holiday memories. And as I look over the past year I'm thankful for so much, even in the midst of the occasional and inevitable stressful times. I have a pretty good life here...moving to Washington was one of the best decisions we were fortunate to be able to make. I have thoroughly enjoyed being on the Noel Mignon design team and I'm happy to continue with that into 2015. I was able to be part of the Sweet Stamp Shop design team which was so much fun and reignited my love of stamping and card making.

I'm also realizing that I just can't do it all. It's a hard thing to admit. As a mom it's hard to admit when you're failing at something. It suddenly occured to me that in less than 2 years my youngest will be starting Kindergarten which means I have less than 2 years to spend time with her. In some ways I feel like I've wasted some of that time with her doing 'other' things. Don't get me wrong, we have lots of fun together. And while I think it's good for kids to see that you have a life outside of being a mom I don't want to look back and wish I wouldn't have spent so much time doing 'this' or 'that'. In the next year I want to be more selective with time that is taken away from my family (and, quite frankly, from me).

So with that being said I've realized that some things need to change in 2015. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what that entails. It kind of stresses me out (I was up til nearly 4am this morning cause, yeah, that's just the kind of person I am when I'm trying to figure things out). But there's changes that need to be made for myself and with my family to make things run smoother and, quite honestly, for my health (having Crohn's is hard enough without adding stress to the mix).

But with some of these changes I'm looking forward to a great 2015. Who's with me??!!

noel mignon

I'm in the middle of tagging lots of clothes, baby stuff & toys for the upcoming JBF sale this weekend but I wanted to take a sec and share this with you all.

Noel Mignon currently has July-December subscriptions spots open. I've been a kit subscriber/customer/fan of Noel's kits for years. I've always said I think they are the absolute best value for your money. Seriously, her kits are packed!! Anyone who's gone to a scrapbooking retreat with me knows this :)

I know I haven't been sharing a lot of scrappy posts lately (which I hope to rectify soon) but let me tell you her kits have been absolutely amazing. You can head over here to get all of the details.

You can also head here for the facebook page and here for the facebook group for inspiration :)

Now I need to get back to the mounds and mounds of clothes that still need to be tagged...

Wish me luck!!

What's on your...

Saw this over on Ali Edwards' blog, thought it'd be fun :)

So here’s what’s on my…

VANITY | I don't have one. I had one when I was a kid. I actually have one in the garage that I picked up at a yard sale to refinish.

PERENNIAL TO DO LIST | Loads and loads of laundry, menu plans, what needs to be done for the kids' school, baseball, soccer.

REFRIGERATOR SHELVES | Leftovers (I make extras during sports seasons so we have quick meals for game days), kool-aid, water, meat I found on sale yesterday that needs to be repackaged.

ITINERARY | We don't have any big upcoming plans, getting season passes for Silverwood. Should be fun for the summer :)

FANTASY ITINERARY | Italy, Ireland, Australia, Hawaii.

PLAYLIST | Olly Murs, Train, Maroon 5, Cody Simpson (I know), The Script (and any 80s hairbands when the mood strikes me!)

NIGHTSTAND | I haven't been reading lately so I could even tell you what books are sitting there other than Catching Fire.

WORKOUT PLAN | What's that?? hehe I have been walking a lot more with Addie & Tucker when the weather is nice out.

IPHONE | I have an Android...Pinterest app, Angry Birds Space, Iconmania, Classic Words, Draw Free.

TOP 5 LIST | Hearing Addie screech with excitement when she's happy, seeing Ben get a hit to the outfield, watching Olivia score a goal in soccer, time away from the everyday with my family (which doesn't happen very often!), kisses from my pup :)

BUCKET LIST | Get bills paid off, continue to do more shows, have a great garden this year, take the kids to Disneyland.

MIND | So many projects to finish (the never-ending list), realizing my kids are growing up too dang fast, wanting to get my craft area & basement organized & functional.

BLOGROLL | Stephanie Howell, Camille Roskelley, Meg Duerksen are just a few faves. More are on my sidebar ----->

WALLS OF YOUR FAVORITE ROOM IN YOUR HOUSE | Still working on that. Considering I have all 'builder's beige' in my entire house with the exception of the kids' rooms (Valspar Fountain Mist), I can say I don't really have any favorite walls...yet. I really love the paint colors in this post. I'm hoping either this summer or next to paint my house in a really light grey (thinking of Aloof Grey by Sherwin Williams like in this post)

LIQUOR SHELF | Our 'liquor shelf' consists of a shelf in the fridge out in the garage :) And I think right now the only thing out there is a couple beers & a couple margarita coolers. 

LAST CREDIT CARD STATEMENT | I've been working on getting those to zero so the only thing that's on my statements these days are gas charges & anything I might purchase online (which promptly gets paid off!)  

SCREENSAVER | Photos of my kiddos :)

TV EVERY NIGHT | Favorite shows - Survivor, Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, Revolution, The Walking Dead, Spartacus (last show was last week...sniff sniff), Castle, DWTS, Mysteries at the Museum. 

That was fun :)

blog your heart // february

First of all, the winner to my giveaway!

Michelle said...

Your towels are always the cutest! I haven't seen them at my Target but will have to look. I like your wreath too!!

Reply 02/09/2013 at 04:29 AM

Michelle, send me your address (24olivestreet{at}gmail.com) and I will send them out to you!

Stephanie Howell does this blog your heart posts. And honestly, I wasn't going to post this time around. Just wasn't 'feeling' it. Cause I'm in the frame of mind that will probably lead to a whiny post & I try not to do that too much! Not sure why I'm doing it other than a need to vent.

Sooo...I will not be offended if you don't read :)

I don't really have a lot 'on my heart' right now other than being very frustrated with my Crohn's disease right now. I'm having a colonoscopy tomorrow to see how 'active' it is & determine course of treatment from there. I have no problem sharing this...after 6 surgeries, 3 babies, IVF & countless 'procedures' I've pretty much lost all humility! ha!!

Anyway, I'm on clear liquids today which is killing me because my husband came home from Seattle yesterday with asiago bagels from Panera (because he's required to as my husband! lol) You know what I'll be having for lunch when I get home tomorrow for sure!

Depending on the outcome tomorrow I may be switched to a medication that suppresses my immune system. I hope I do not have a blockage forming again. I started getting joint pain & I've always had pain in my lower abdomen. I have a lot of nausea & some days I'm so tired I feel like I can't get out of bed. Like all body tired. Always feeling achy like I'm getting sick. Having to listen to my husband ask me 'are you sick or is it just your Crohn's?' (I know he doesn't mean it but God I hate that)

It's hard to not become depressed with this disease. Most days I'm ok. You push through, try & not let it get to you. Then yesterday I got a letter from my daughter's school about a field trip & when I looked up the website of where they're going my first thought was 'I can't do this, how can I go??'. I might have to send my husband with her. I have no problem with him going with her but it's just the fact that I can't because of this stupid disease.

Most people don't realize that the simplist things most people take for granted make me panic. Going out to lunch with a friend, or worse yet riding together somewhere, going to a park, going anywhere that you don't know your surroundings (and where the nearest bathroom is). There are so many every day scenarios that send sheer panic through me.

Tomorrow I may have some answers. But probably not many. That's just how this disease goes. There's no miracle diet, no miracle medication that can make it go away. And I know my symptoms could be much worse, so I hold onto that & try to always remember that life is still pretty darn good :)

**********

If you decide to do a blog your heart post, be sure & comment so I can go and read...and say hi or give encouragement if you need it :)

Here are the 'rules' from Stephanie's blog in case you're new to this :)

1. blog whatever is authentic. whatever is truly on your mind and in your heart.

2. it can be serious, silly, short, long. note:no one said it has to be serious. but it should be authentic.

3. no judging allowed no snarky comments, no making fun, no passive agressive digs.if you are going to read the blogs linked below, don't be mean. nothing here is whining. it's me honestly sharing my feelings. if you feel that it's whining, then you don't have to read. :)

4. if you BYH, link back here. i'll add an inlinkz tool at the end of the post. i always read and comment on every single post.

5. feel free to use the graphic above. just make sure to link back to me.

remembering...

blog your heart - may

One of my fave bloggers has a 'blog your heart' post every month (for the most part!). I've read them before but never have done my own for one reason or another so I thought this month I might. You can read her May post here.

So here goes!

1. I am very tired of this extra weight on me and I just can't seem to lose it. I don't eat a ton of food or a ton of junk. I don't eat fast food. I eat about 1500 calories a day and still I have this extra 30lbs that won't come off. And I'm frustrated. Very frustrated. I'm trying a new thing where you cut carbs 2 days a week...it's supposed to jump start your metabolism. We'll see. I'm on week 2. Problem is, carbs are the easiest on my system (Crohn's and IBS). So that makes it more difficult. I'm not a 'fad diet' person, I don't starve myself. I like food too much!! But I'm ready to lose this weight now! I actually took this pic last night with my kids and smiled because it's the first in a long time where I didn't look at it and think I was fat.

2. I'm feeling a bit taken for granted lately as a mom. I get a bit irked on Mother's Day when the only 'special' thing that happens is that I get lunch. Then everyone else treats the day like it's every other day. I get that some kids don't have a mom. I get that some moms are without their husbands on Mother's Day. I realize I have a good life. I get it. But when the people around you don't treat you extra special given all you do for them throughout the year (and I do a lot for my kids these days!) it makes me feel a bit bummed.

3. My house is a wreck and it's making me crazy. Crazy. And it drives my husband nuts which makes me nuts. Nothing like letting yourself down and then feeling like you're letting everyone else in your house down as well. So much that needs to get done and so little time!

4. I miss my Schuby.

Every single stinkin' time I see a golden I miss him. I've never missed a dog so much. I love my dogs but man that Schuby had a special place in my heart.

5. I really love living in WA. I could go on and on about why I love it here. So glad we took the leap to move here!

So that's it for this month! Maybe I'll do it next month, maybe not, we'll see :) If you blog about this be sure to share your link!

Welcome!

Thanks for following me over here!! And if you're new to my blog...thanks for finding your way here :)

I'm still learning my way around here on typepad. So you'll probably see many changes to my blog over the coming weeks til I get it just right. (That header is driving me crazy!)

And while I'm tweaking the new blog, I have pics of some Project Life pages, December Daily pages, & other good stuff.

So be sure to follow me over there on the left & I'll be back with more good stuff!!