Just me My Soldier and our 4 little chicks

Favorite Moments of 2012

up today, favorite moments of 2012.

i have to warn you this one is LONG. i just couldn't choose.

it's times like these that i'm so grateful for a blog. i had forgotten about so many of these things until i looked back.

here we go!

february- throwing sadie a rainbow themed birthday party

 

march- the big girls planning and throwing me an anniversary dinner when j was deployed for our 9th wedding anniversary

march-accepting a job with MME

 

march- savannah st. patrick's day parade

 

march-harper learning to ride her bike

 

april-getting to skype with j on a deployment for the first time ever!

 

may-finding an awesome house in RI

 

may- throwing harper a pottery party

 

may-harper unexpectedly being a soccer beast

 

june- throwing a savannah summer porch party with my bestie

 

june-running the savannah mile with the girls

 

july-meeting my favorite author

 

july- j coming home

july- jimmy's change of command

 

july-overnight getaway with j

 

july-my amazing friends surprising me with a goodbye party

 

end of july-moving to rhode island and meeting AMAZING friends along the way

like the feketes:

and laura and charlie:

 

august-october-a million happy moments of simply being together

 

october-j's 10 year west point reunion. seeing my best friend and finally meeting someone i adore!

 

october-apple picking for the first time

 

november- the babies turn two

 

 

december-holiday ball

 

december-our very first snow as a family

WHOA.

A year seems like it flies by but when you look back at it this way,

you realize how rich and full and blessed life really is.

wow.

can't wait to see what you share.

link below!

xo

Christmas Miracle?

Just wanted to share a few shots of the girls.

It's super rare that I get good photos of all four of them together,

I feel like this was a Christmas miracle.

Happy New Year. :)
xo

s

Have Yourself

Merry Christmas from the Howell family!

I am so grateful for each and every one of you.. I mean that with all of my heart.

Merry Christmas.

xo

p.s. i want to say thank you to the amazing geraly sy for designing our card. she's fabulous.

Let's Connect!

Hey y'all! How's it going out there in blogland?

It's been so quiet lately. I know that I'm brokenhearted and I bet many of you are too.

So let's talk.

If you are reading this, I want you to say something.

Yep, even you blurkers (blog+lurkers) that I love so much.

Yes, even if you are reading Google Reader. I want you to do the dreaded click through. :)

What makes me feel better when I'm sad? Connecting with other people.

So tell me what you've been up to. Tell me what you are looking forward to. Tell me what you are praying for.

Help me figure out our 26 acts. I need more ideas.

Are you doing #26acts? If you aren't you SHOULD. It's a beautiful,beautiful idea.

Tell me what's been going on in your world.

In ours? Well, I'm working hard on my BPC class. I can tell you that it's a February class...

and that it's called "The Ties that Bind, Scrapbooking Life's Relationships".

I'm SO excited. And nervous.

I'm doing so much praying. So much. And it doesn't seem like enough.

Lately I'm also praying for this man. Please read the link and pray too. Can you imagine?

Yesterday Cate decided she wasn't scared of Santa anymore.

She cut in front of a long line, and climbed in his lap and latched on to his finger.

The parents in line looked unhappy with her, but I have to admit...I let her sit for a second. It made my eyes well up with tears.

We are all on Christmas break as of today.

You know what makes me sad? I've seen a lot of complaining on FB (well I always see complaining in general there...a big reason I don't like FB that much)

complaining about children driving parents nuts, annoyance with minor issues at children's schools...

and i want to say STOP IT. isn't this the time (if there ever was a time)

TO STOP IT.

Let's focus on what we do have.

Love. Life. One another. The gift of another day.

SO many do not have that now.

So talk to me. I'm demanding it. Don't act like you didn't see my demand. I know you did. HAHA!

I guess i should also say please. :)

I want to hear what you are doing, believing,thinking...and anything you want to tell me.

I'll be reading and responding in the comments.

Love to all of you.

December Daily Share

Hey y'all. :)

I wanted to share a December Daily post today.

For those of you who are part of the Boot Camp class and have been checking for updates...thanks for your patience! I didn't want to share every day (can you say DD overload??:) and thought weekly would be better!

To recap...I used the Gossamer Blue kit (which is now sold out) but I linked almost all the products I used below.

For the ones I didn't link, check the GB page.Lori has all the products listed there (under the photos).

 

Dec 5- This is a 2 page spread b/c Dec 4. had an extra insert for our Christmas card.

A fun accent is the circle on the bottom of the left page.

Jimmy and I went out to dinner and on top of the butter dish was a vellum circle with the restaurant's name on it.

Yes, I put it in my purse. And no, it didn't have any butter on it. HA!

Dec. 6/7

Dec. 8/9

Dec 10/11

Dec. 12/13

Dec. 14/15

I did not want to gloss over the tragedy on the 14th. But I didn't want to put anything scary in either.

I was so confused what to do, but I did my best. Still not sure what I should have said...I notice that many people haven't mentioned it at all. But I wanted to.

Dec. 16/17

And one more quick share...I used my MME goodies to make gift card holders for Sadie's teachers.

All you need is glassline envelopes, doilies, washi tape, and sticker accents. Easy peasy.

Each envelope holds Amazon gift cards.

I LOVE her teachers and one of them is interested in Project Life for 2013, so I thought Amazon was the way to go. :)

Have a beautiful day. xoxo

InLinkz.com

even in the midst of the bad

there is some good. some good news.

our friend richard has been freed in syria.

i've been so worried for him. you see,he's genuine.

when i think of him, i think of his eagerness. his earnestness. and he has a bit of what i've always seen as vulnerability.

that's not a bad thing. he's a good guy.

one of the good guys. and wouldn't you agree that our world needs the good guys right now?

and speaking of the good guys, i'm tossing around some ideas with friends.

ideas of how the crafting world can help the good people of newtown.

please check back y'all.

and...welcome home richard. we need you around.you make the world a better place.

xoxo

there is so much i could say and so much i don't know how to say.

what happened to those precious babies in connecticut makes me sob.

it makes me want to scream until i have no voice left.

it makes me want to whisper this is bullshit.over and over and over and over and over. WHY?

it makes me wonder if there is any good left in this world (even though i know there is).

it makes me get down on my knees and pray until there is no prayer left in me.

i was the first one in harper's carpool line yesterday. i held sadie in my lap all the way through the line as tears dripped down my face. i wanted my girls with me and i wanted them home.

part of me feels that i will never let them leave this home again (even though i know that's not reasonable).

schools

movie theaters

malls.

it's everywhere. hatred. voilence. fear.

those parents. those students. those teachers and administrators. the citizens of that sweet little town. right before christmas? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD?

i can't take it. it is agonizing. and wrong. and evil.

but i believe that there is light. that there is good. this prayer from max lucado says it better than i ever could.

i wanted to share it with all of you.

sending you love,comfort,light,hugs,and hope.

s

 

Dear Jesus, 

It’s a good thing you were born at night. This world sure seems dark. I have a good eye for silver linings. But they seem dimmer lately.

These killings, Lord. These children, Lord. Innocence violated. Raw evil demonstrated.

The whole world seems on edge. Trigger-happy. Ticked off. We hear threats of chemical weapons and nuclear bombs. Are we one button-push away from annihilation?

Your world seems a bit darker this Christmas. But you were born in the dark, right? You came at night. The shepherds were nightshift workers. The Wise Men followed a star. Your first cries were heard in the shadows. To see your face, Mary and Joseph needed a candle flame. It was dark. Dark with Herod’s jealousy. Dark with Roman oppression. Dark with poverty. Dark with violence.

Herod went on a rampage, killing babies. Joseph took you and your mom into Egypt. You were an immigrant before you were a Nazarene.

Oh, Lord Jesus, you entered the dark world of your day. Won’t you enter ours? We are weary of bloodshed. We, like the wise men, are looking for a star. We, like the shepherds, are kneeling at a manger.

This Christmas, we ask you, heal us, help us, be born anew in us.

Hopefully,

Your Children

Hero Arts 2013 Catalog Blog Hop!

Welcome to the 2013 Hero Arts Catalog Blog Hop!

I'm so excited to share the 2013 Hero Arts stamps with you.

To those of you who are visiting my blog for the very first time...

WELCOME! I'm so glad you are here. :)

Hero Arts sent me a box of pretty stamps and it was so fun to open it up.

For those of you who know me, I love stamps and I love to buy them,but I am not an advanced (or even intermediate!) stamper by any means.

I love using stamps in simple ways,though.
Right now I am obsessed with making gift tags. I am also obsessed with GOLD. I use gold on everything.

I made some gold embossed gift tags with the goodies that Hero Arts sent.

I used these two powders:

I topped the tags of with some Dear Lizzy glitter thickers+some gold and silver foliage from Michaels.

The results were super simple but also chic. And that makes me happy.


   
Hope you have enjoyed the hop so far! Thanks for stopping by...

If you leave a comment, a little birdie told me that Hero Arts will be giving away several prize packs, with winners randomly chosen from ALL of the blog hop comments received by midnight PST on Monday, December 17.

Now hop along to your next stop...my beautiful and incredibly talented friend Kelly Goree!

And remember, if you find a link that doesn't work, you can always hop back to the Hero Arts Blog for a list of direct links to all the blogs in the hop!

TGIF!

xoxo

wordless(ish?!?) wednesday

okay. this one's actually not wordless(ish) at all. even by my standards. but here goes.

this week's image:

this image might seem simple. nothing extraordinary. the girls climbing on j while he plays a game with harper.

but to me? it is extraordinary. and it brings tears to my eyes.

because (for six months now) we have been together. every day, every night. we wake up together, fall asleep together.

pray together,eat together,laugh together,

get sick of each other TOGETHER.

it's a luxury. one that i'm not getting used to (because that's dangerous and is bound to lead to heartbreak)

but one that i'm savoring. the way i savor a delicous piece of chocolate. holding on to the sweetness for as long as possible.

i am NOT taking it for granted. this year, these memories, will get me through many lonely days and nights down the line.

i will hold on to his smile when he walks in the door each day (at a NORMAL hour...early even!)

i will hold on to the shrieks of "DADDYYYYYYY!" that i get to hear every day.

i will even hold on to the dirty clothes allll over the floor,dang it.

because it's worth it.

and it's a gift. i think of all of the beautiful,strong women and mothers i know who lost their brave husbands.

i think of their children. and how for them there is no more together. not until eternity when they will be with their soldier again.

how can i possibly not realize what a treasure this is?

it's so sweet.

this year we are together.

thank you Lord. how could i ask for more?

xoxo

Scrappy Sunday-Martha Stewart Crafty Goodness

Happy Sunday! Today I have some really fun stuff from the folks at Martha Stewart Crafts!

You might remember a while back I got to review the Doily Circle Edge punch...well this time I've been sent some fun holiday products to share with you.

And make sure to read the promo info under each product...MS is sharing a fun discount code for all of you, not to mention a fun contest!

Rich Essentials Glitter Set

you should have seen harper and sadie's EYES when they saw this big box of glitter!

it's beautiful.

you should have seen MY eyes when i thought about what would happen if the babies got their grubby mitts on it. HAHAHA!

i waited for naptime yesterday and we made some pretty holiday ornaments.

here's a couple of close-ups...these are just the super cheap plaster ornaments (on clearance!) from Michaels:

aren't they so pretty? and YES, it was messy. but the glitter trays helped. and also...

i don't get too worked up about stuff like that. it's just glitter. and the bigs had a BALL.

next i decided it was time for mama to have craft time. here's what i made:

don't you just love these? and i had so much FUN making them.

i have big plans to make lots more of these to adorn holiday gift boxes.

here's some info from martha stewart crafts:

Bling On The Holidays with a Glitter Girl Party!

The holidays are the perfect time to add some sparkle to your life. Create a glitter wonderland with help from Martha Stewart Crafts! Their glitter collections and project ideas will help you add dash of glitz to just about anything – from holiday decorations to party invitations. Why not share the fun and hose a Glitter Girl Party to get to glittering?! Invite your girlfriends over for some wine, snacks and an evening full of bedazzling creativity.
 
Try starting with the “Rich Essentials Glitter Set” from MarthaStewartCrafts.com. The rich array of 24 elegant colors lets you shine on the sophisticated side, whatever you’re glittering. Creating party invitations or sending out holiday greeting cards? Another glitter get is the “Essential Christmas Glitter Glue” pack – perfect for writing on cards and scrapbook pages, and the fine tips are ideal for detailed and dimensional designs.
 
The Martha Stewart Crafts “Decorative Boxes,” in designs like stars, poinsettia and pine cones, can be covered in glitter and used as ornaments, decorations or unique gift boxes. One fabulously simple décor idea: glitter a group of them and then cluster together as a table centerpiece.
 
Worried about the mess from your Glitter Girl Party? Martha Stewart Crafts has the solution! Keep crafting surfaces clean by using the “Glitter Tray and Rack,” which features an opening in one corner to easily brush excess glitter back into its container. And, if something does spill, the “Glitter Cleanup Roller” makes removing it a cinch. Plus, the roller remains sticky even after washing!
 
So go ahead and add a sparkly sprinkle to your holiday cards, decorations, party invitations, place cards or gift tags! For project ideas and glitter guidance – and to find the items mentioned above – visit MarthaStewartCrafts.com.  Order by 12/31/12 and save 20% when you enter Coupon Code BLOG20 at checkout!
 
Feeling inspired? Save 20% at MarthaStewartCrafts.com when you enter BLOG20 at checkout through 12/31/12 – and enter the Martha Stewart Crafts "Bag Your Holiday Bills" Contest for your chance to win $2,500! Contest entry & details: Enter here  -- or for mobile, here!

and one more share...

Doily Lace Loaf Trays

love these new baking packages. this is what i will use to package pumpkin bread or gingerbread for the h&s's teachers.

my favorite part is that they've included the sweet little tags and ribbons.and DOILY trays? i know. love.

confession- i tried baking a loaf of bread to show you how it will look, but a.i burned it and b.it was TOTALLY the wrong size.

HAHAHA!

but here's a look:

and some info:

You put so much goodness into your holiday cookies, why settle for boring packaging? Ditch those old beat-up tins! Decorative treat bags, boxes and wrappers from Martha Stewart Crafts add the finishing festive touch to your homemade gifts – so they’ll look as good as they taste!
 
Martha Stewart Crafts can even dress up your breads and fruitcakes with the “Wonderland Bakeable Trays.” Beautiful and functional, you can bake right in these trays – then use the cellophane bags, ribbon and labels to turn your confections into gifting perfection.

Feeling inspired? Save 20% at MarthaStewartCrafts.com when you enter BLOG20 at checkout through 12/31/12 – and enter the Martha Stewart Crafts "Bag Your Holiday Bills" Contest for your chance to win $2,500! Contest entry & details HERE.

 

sorry about the L   O   N   G post y'all! but hopefully you found it inspiring.

make sure to take advantage of those discount codes!

xoxo

disclosure: baking trays and glitter are c/o martha stewart crafts. so grateful for their generosity and kindess! :)