Halloween

Witchy Little Collage..., originally uploaded by HA! Designs - Artbyheather.

I confess, I've never been a HUGE Halloween fan...I don't like the dark side of the holiday...the kid-friendly fun stuff, sure, but the bloody, gory scary stuff, not so much. BUT, this year, I sort of decided to try my hand at a little Halloween collaging. I'm just not inspired. I'm not surprised, though. I think I'll skip ahead to Thanksgiving and Christmas. My brain has been filling with Christmas ideas...there's just something about the school year starting and the holidays just rushing at us...inspiring!
:o)

Funky Little House Charms

Funky Little House Charms, originally uploaded by HA! Designs - Artbyheather.

I love funky...I love ephemera...I love houses...I love decorating houses...so these charms were born out of all of my love for those things. I have bigger versions in the works...and haunted Halloween houses! ooooooh...scary!

Look What I found!

Look What I found!, originally uploaded by HA! Designs - Artbyheather.

Oh how I love thrifting! Today I wandered into Value Village...I rarely go there...it's out of my way most of the time. So, today I found these shoe forms. They're old and weathered and pointy and have the most fabulous letters and numbers printed on them! They're women's sizes and super duper narrow! I love 'em! Primitive at it's best! I don't know what I'll do with them yet...for now they sit on my antique blanket chest looking fabulously old.

Recharging!

Recharging!, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

I remember these days...when the little ones would go down for a nap and I'd sit on the couch with my lunch and breathe...then I'd jump up and try to accomplish something before they woke up!
Now my twins are gone...away at college and I only have my "little one" left...another teenager. I'm enjoying the time alone with her...she's so fun! I do miss the others though...I miss the noise and activity...the friends storming the kitchen and eating our food. sigh.
When they were this small, I never saw this new time in life coming. It seemed so far off into the future...but the kids grew up fast and here I am...creating cards to encourage the moms still struggling to make it to nap time!

Confucious said so...

Confucious said so..., originally uploaded by artbyheather.

I normally don't give the fortune in my cookie much merit, but when I received this one at Panda Express the other day...well...what would YOU think? I thought it was pretty good advise and while I don't normally believe in the psychobabble of psychics or palm readers or tarot cards or for that matter, fortunes in dry, tasteless cookies, I decided that this one should be followed very carefully. I intend to follow it to the letter...soon! My energy is nearly depleted at the end of a very busy summer! My kids...aaaahhhh my kids...I love 'em but they wear me out! My two oldest are going off to college and there's something about that summer before they leave that just wears you down to the point of wanting to tell them not to let the door hit them on the way out. I never thought they'd drive me to that point but I guess that's God's way of providing a nice clean break between mother and child. I thank Him for that. I'm ready now...
So, I share this good fortune with you...it was meant for every tired mom in August. Good job! We deserve a break! Let's go!!!

FUN!

FUN!, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

Honestly, how fulfilling would life be without a little fun? You should really make it a priority. Work is important and to work hard is very fulfilling, but if there's no fun after the work is done, what is the point? I've always made fun a priority...perhaps it's gone ahead of work a few too many times...but the sky didn't fall in and no one got hurt! :o)
I'm going to have a little fun today...THEN I'm going to finish the laundry!

Graduation Fabulousness

Graduation Fabulousness, originally uploaded by artbyheather.

Ah...I'm so proud! They graduated! They really did it! I wasn't as emotional as I thought I'd be...the day was too happy for tears! We had a nice family shin-dig afterward and it was really nice to celebrate them! They did high-school right. They got involved, tried new things, excelled at what interested them and what they discovered talent for, worked hard for good grades, chose good friends, and leave without the need to cling. They know that these high school years are not their best. They know that the future holds more than these 4 years could ever contain. That's GOOD! So they are happy to go and make new memories...meet new people...have new adventures! Yay!