{capture the moment}

Their Perspective

Do you ever wonder what things look like through the eyes of your child?  It is something I am always curious about.  Everything seems larger to them, so their perspective is totally different than that of an adult.  So I decided to let the kids have the camera.  I showed them how to operate it, and let them loose.  I knew the results would be interesting, and they were. Here are my three favorites. Owen’s favorite food right now is sausage & biscuits.  He would eat them three meals a day if I let him!  So, it is no surprise that he decided to take a picture of his favorite treat, while he was eating it.  It is miraculous that he was able to press the shutter button, hold the camera  AND his biscuit, all at the same time! Then there is the swing set.  Hannah’s favorite activity.  Love the angle at which she took the photo.  It really demonstrates how little she is and how she looks up to everything. And lastly, Owen’s cars.  They are his favorite amusement.  I think this photo is cool because the vehicles are arranged just as he left them, as if time had been frozen, just for a millisecond, capturing what he loves doing best. I got prints made yesterday of all the photos they took and have plans to make a mini-book to hold them all.  I’ll be sure to post the results. I know I am planning on handing over the camera more often.  I even considered the idea of having an album dedicated to their perspective of all the holidays, events and trips we go on.  How interesting would that be for them to look back on when they are older?!?!  What’s your child’s perspective?  Hand them the camera today, post a link to your results in the comments section.  I’d love to see what your world looks like through their eyes!

studio

Know Bob Vila?  I'm married to his twin brother.  Or at least you would think so by the amount of handy work David does around the house.  The extra big blessing from all of this?  I get to have my dream studio for very little cost.  Yesterday he installed some new track lighting for me.  He also built everything you see from scratch.  (You can click on any of these photos to enlarge them.) He designed the back bookcase with cubicles in the lower half that perfectly fit the plastic three-drawer units available at Wal- Mart.  Love that.  The shelf above that holds all of my 12x12 paper.  Then above that is my background stamps and tins holding single non-SU! stamps, divided into categories.  Above that is my new Memory Dock system.  So loving that!  On the little shelves to the left of my cabinet are 26 one-pint freezer containers (4 for $1.25, again, at Wal-Mart), one for each letter of the alphabet.  All of my chipboard letters, alphabet embellishments & alphabet stamps are organized into the appropriate tub.  Makes it so much easier to find what I need.  Also on this side, sitting on my desktop is my Tool Turn-About.  Love having all my "necessities" right at hand. To the right of the cabinet are all of my SU! sets.  I just did a major purge and got rid of about 100 sets in preparation for the new catalog!  In my cabinet are plastic sectionalized craft organization boxes ($1.95 ea. at, you guessed it, Wal-Mart).  These are where I keep all of my embellishments. The left & center stacks are broken down by color, the right stack is divided and labeled for metals (copper, silver, gold) and clear.  I love doing it this way because I am almost always searching for "just the right touch" in just the right color, and this system works great for me.  On top of my shelves are glass jars with my Prima Flowers.  Went in with my two best girl buds (Wendy & Melissa, hi girls!) and ordered a big bunch, then split them three ways.  I got my own jars at Hobby Lobby for $1 each.  My favorite aspect of the space?  I have room for two, whether it be friends or the kids, I can have company while I create.  And isn't always more fun when you get to share?  So that's the tour!  This studio brought to you by David A. Heady. The sweetest, handiest hubby around!

I am...

I am: a mother, wife, sister, friend, artist.

I want: my children to grow up with all the happiness a heart can hold.  And for them to know that no matter who or where they are, they are loved immensely.

I have: innumerable blessings in my life, small and large.

I wish: there were more hours in the day

I hate: being late!

I miss: sleeping in paired with lazy mornings.

I hear: normal everyday sounds, that won’t be so normal when the kids are older.  Taking a moment to savor, Owen’s blaring cartons, Hannah humming to herself as she plays dolls, Ethan inhaling & exhaling as he rests comfortably on my lap.

I wonder: what the relationships will be like between my children when they are older. 

I regret: Not savoring the college experience and trying to grow up too fast.

I am not: perfect, and the recent realization that it is overrated.

I dance: with the kids when they are rocking out to the latest hit on the radio, and they laugh.  Perhaps that will be a silly characteristic they will remember about mom later on.

I sing: when I am happy and driving alone.

I cry: when I am feeling overwhelmed.

I am not always: as organized as I would like to be.

I make with my hands: art that makes me happy.  Food that brings my family together. 

I write: down meaningful memories so I’ll never forget.

I confuse: being busy with success.

I need: to take more time for myself to relax.

I should: reorganize my studio area.

I start: my day with a smile from Ethan as I lift him out of his crib.  And hugs from Owen & Hannah followed by their answers to the question, “Did you sleep good last night?”

I finish: my day by relaxing with David and talking about the day and what tomorrow may hold.

Ispired by my online muse, Lisa Johnson.  Thanks Lisa!

Celebrating Life

So as of early evening yesterday, I was actually caught up on assignments for the magazine!  And I found myself with free time after the kids went to bed to create whatever I wanted.   Unchartered territory for me in the last few months!  So I decided to dedicate my time to scrapbooking. I got three pages done and thought I would share.

For my Daughter:

May you always find laughter

and a reason to smile.

May you always find beauty

in everything that surrounds you.

May you always find love

within yourself and pass it on.

May you always find passion

in whatever you do.

May you always find strength

to hold your head high.

May you always find perspective

to see the other side.

May you always find hope

when things don’t go right.

May you always find meaning

in your chosen path through life.

YOU teach me (from Donna Downey BPS Class)

David: Make time

When I look at what the day holds, I see all of the tasks at hand. Cooking, cleaning, organizing, creating. You see an opportunity to relax and enjoy the ride. The way you are able to lounge while grilling dinner.  Or the way you linger over that morning cup of coffee.  You are always telling me that the next thing on my list can wait till tomorrow.  And I know to stop and listen to your advice.  Because you’re right.  Today only happens once in a lifetime, and there is always a tomorrow.

Owen: Let go

You are the oldest, so you are teaching me to let go.  Here we are getting ready for you to go off to kindergarten.  Am I a nervous wreck?  You better believe it.  But your excitement about starting this new chapter in your life forces me to move along with you.  The world is such an uncertain place, but you’re ready to dive in head first.  And I will be your cheerleader in the stands, to support you, love you, and most of all let you follow your own path.

Hannah: Remember

Perhaps it is because of your gender, but every step along the path of your childhood reminds me of my own journey.  How fun dolls can be to dress-up and create skits for.  The creative lure of arts & crafts.  The pure bliss of dress-up and make believe.  Secret hiding places and little purses.  Thank-you for allowing me to relive the happiness of my early years again, through your eyes.

Ethan: Savor

Because of you I now stop to savor each moment and realize how fast life can pass you by if you don’t stop to smell the roses.  Because of you I am able to experience having a baby in my life in a whole new light… having the opportunity to enjoy you being little…the little toes & fingers, the unlimited cuddling, the softness of your skin, the way the peach fuzz on the top of your head feels under my chin,  the way your hand wraps around my finger so tightly, the blueness of your eyes and how you love to gaze up at me.  Every moment is different this time around, because I know how fast it will all disappear.

I'll Miss

I knew this day would come…the day you would grow-up.  This was an important event for you.  It meant the end of staying home all day to play, everyday.  I’ll miss getting to sit down and have lunch with you.  I’ll miss hearing you create your roaring engine sounds as you play with your matchbox cars.  And that goes along with the perfect lines of vehicles that always adorn the hallway.  I’ll miss having such interesting conversations, that only you and your five-year old brain could conceptualize.  Like what animals eat or what the name of the song is on the radio.  I’ll miss seeing your smile throughout the day; you always bring sunlight to my day, rain or shine.  I know we’ll still have weekends and school vacations. But it just won’t be the same as having my special boy by my side, as I have grown so accustomed to over the last five years of your life.  This graduation day marks big changes for you, and I for that matter. 6 hours a day, 5 hours per week, I’ll be missing you.

Father's Day Album

I just finished this project up this morning.  I made David a super cool scrapbook for Father's Day this weekend, inspired by a design created by the talented Ali Edwards. It is a tribute to him and what a fantastic father he has been through the last 5 1/2 years.  

 
What I like best is that the photos ARE the pages, which really makes them the emphasis.  This compact little book holds a total of 26 photos, all featuring David doing different things with the kids. 

 
The photos are divided into three chapters, which graduate in size making the book more interesting and unique.  The only thing I bought to create this album was the three 1-inch binder rings and two pieces of chipboard.  Everything else is just cardstock, photos, glue and a little ribbon for good measure.  

 
I really enjoyed sanding the photos for a cool antique look.  It adds a nice homey, weathered feel that I love.  

 

All of the patterned papers are from American Crafts, my favorite company right now.  It took a total of 5 hours to make, after I already had the photos gathered and copied.  I'm anxious to give it to him!  I know he will really enjoy reminiscing about how much the kids have grown and changed over time.

In honor of Father's Day, I thought I would share my research for this album and the great quotes I found regarding fatherhood.  I thought maybe one of you might find them helpful and use them in a creation of your own!

"It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons."

"A Father is someone you look up to no matter how tall you grow."

"A father is someone who walks in front of you when you need footsteps to follow... behind you when you need encouragement, and beside you when you need a friend."

"A father sees himself in his child's eyes."

"A father's love is Like a rainbow--you can never find it's end."

"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back. Nor a sail to take us there. But a guiding light whose love shows us the way."

"Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad."

"As many drops that are in the ocean and as many grains of sand on a beach may still not amount to the vastness of the love between a father and his son."

"Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father."

"Dad; a sons first hero, a daughters first love."

"Sometimes it's better to put love into hugs than to put it into words."

"Life doesn't come with an instruction book; that's why we have fathers."

"My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person -- he believed in me."

"My heart is happy, my mind is free. I had a father who talked with me."

"No music is so pleasant to my ears as that word--father."

"That is how I would remember my father. There was never a place he walked that was not better for his having passed."

"There is something ultimate in a father's love, something that cannot fail, something to be believed against the whole world."