My daughter, Leah, is on her school’s website! Her class planted pumpkins for fall and they took pictures. She is one of the kids whose picture made it on the site!

The other pictures are of her classmates.

About this time of year every year, I always start to get really excited about the holidays. Fall is one of my most favorite times of year. I love the change in weather and the colors and the crispness in the air. I love when its cool outside and my house is toasty and warm. And I also love the thought of the holidays getting closer and closer. I’ve already started my Christmas shopping and I can barely wait until Thanksgiving. Halloween sort of kicks it all off for me because once Halloween is over, the stores start to look so festive and fun. I’ll probably put my Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving (if I can get my hubby to drag it down from the attic). My kids always love that activity and I can’t say I blame them. There’s something warm and inviting about a Christmas tree. I’ve also decided to make my own Christmas cards this year, and I’ll probably get started on that pretty soon. I’ll definitely post pictures here when I do that!

Early this morning, I decided to get the movie, Georgia Rule, on PayPerView. I had been wanting to see this one since it was released in theaters, but there was no way my husband would actually pay money to see a “chick flick.” I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this movie. It is borderline chick flickish, but not nearly to the extent of what I thought it would be. I definitely deals with the relationships between the women in the family, but it’s a lot more complex than that.
Lindsay Lohan is amazing in this movie. She does such a great job with her character, Rachel. Poor Rachel is struggling with tons of issues and the character is so multi-faceted. You hate her, love her, wanna slap her and then hug her. I was surprised at how beautifully she played this role. It’s a shame her personal life is so dramatic, because the girls got talent.
Jane Fonda was wonderful too. This was actually my favorite movie that she has starred in (and I really liked Monster-In-Law). She is so endearing in this film. Her character is firm, yet loving; funny, yet serious. Not to mention, she looks great in this movie!!
The story is so moving. I won’t give too much away, but any mom or daughter can appreciate the themes portrayed in this movie.
Garrett Hedlund has a supporting role, but the scenes he’s in really stand out. I want to see more from this actor… and soon!
Thankfully, I Tivo’ed the movie as I watched it, so I can have the pleasure of watching it again!

A friend of mine recently showed me how to use Windows Movie Maker to make a photo montage. So I decided to play around with it and make a video using photos of my son. This is what I came up with. Keep in mind, this is my first attempt!!

Gray autumn sky hangs dampened overhead
while leaves of orange and red flurry,
hurried by the insistent October wind.
In the crisp, brown garden,
brightened only by the happy yellow of chrysanthemums,
she dances amidst the wind-swirled leaves.
A pink chiffon ballerina,
her grace and softness
stark against the harvest-hardened stage.
Her smooth finesse taunts the wind,
so hectic, as it stumbles past
in its haste to carry winter closer.
She is Spring! -life in this dying season.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I think most of us know someone who has had cancer in some form or another. It is so prevalent in our world today and, to me, that’s scary. Of course, one of the cancers that affects women at the very core of our femininity is Breast Cancer. Immediately, two women come to mind. My husband’s grandmothers… yes, both of them. His maternal grandmother has been battling breast cancer on and off since I’ve known her. I’ve known her for fifteen years now. She’s becoming worse and worse now and has just recently started on hospice, but she has fought this disease harder than I can ever imagine doing myself. My husband’s paternal grandmother also fought breast cancer and is now cancer free.

Most women know it’s a good idea to do a monthly breast self-exam. I try to stay on top of this. Usually, I do mine in the shower, and since I’m no expert, I just feel for anything that seems different. Luckily, thank the Lord, I have never felt anything suspicious. But, honestly, it’s kind of hard to really tell even if I did feel something. Breast tissue is naturally sorta lumpy. My mom introduced me to a device that helps a woman feel more when she does her self-exam. It helps your fingers to glide smoothly over your breast and magnifies any bumps in the tissue so that you can better identify a lump.

To check out this amazing little device, you can go here: Plexus Pink
They are inexpensive and they may help you find a lump that’s so small you wouldn’t feel it otherwise. Since early detection is key to battling and beating breast cancer, it seems silly not to use something that can help you find it in it’s earliest stages.

I just had to post this here because it’s just too funny. Anyone with a cat can relate!

I was chatting with a friend of mine today and was happy and relieved to discover I’m not the only one with a laundry room full of socks. When I do laundry, I just grab. I grab whatever looks light if I’m doing lights and whatever looks dark if I’m doing darks. Somehow the socks never get grabbed and before I know it, I have a basket full of socks in the laundry room and my kids are searching everywhere for a clean pair! Today, I did an entire load of nothing but socks!! How crazy is that?? Now, I’m sitting in the living room staring down a large laundry basket full of socks that need to be matched up and put away. And I don’t wanna!! But I must. At least they’re clean now.

Just two weeks back in the working world has made me appreciate my stay-at-home status in a whole new way. Yesterday was my first day back at home and it was blessedly mundane. How wonderful. I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen, swept and Swiffered, and took care of the dishes in the sink. Not once did I have to wipe a nose or change a diaper. Excellent!
Today, my second day of freedom, I am going to my monthly scrapbook layout class. We are doing a really cute Halloween layout, which I will post here as soon as I can. Lots of oranges and black and pumpkins, so stay tuned for that!
Now, since I did quit my job and now I’m not helping with the household expenses (that’s why I got the job in the first place), I’ve been trying to decide what I could do to make a little extra moo-la. I have tried Pampered Chef in the past. The stuff is too heavy to lug around and, when the new catalogs come out, you have to buy a new kit. I found the same to be true for AtHome America when I tried to sell that. So, I decided this time, to go with something that I truly love and have a passion for, which is books. I LOVE books and I read constantly (another thing I missed during my brief stint in the workplace). I have also encourage my kids to read and, in doing so, have become a fan of children’s books. So, I have begun my journey with Usborne Books at Home. And, hopefully, I can expand my own library of children’s books while earning a little extra money. Anyone interested in shopping from my online bookstore can visit the link I’ve added on this blog (right there with the other links to your left).

These are some really cute cards I made this week at the Stampin’ Up club I go to each month. We did 2 Fall/Halloween themed cards and an adorable brown and blue friendship card.

Gratitude

Boo!

Friendship