The Life of Mrs. Miles

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Every parent out there has a few good messy ‘sgetti photos of your children awaiting to be scrapped, so I’ve accommodated with a whole kit devoted to the whole saucy issue. If you like this add on, then you will LOVE the full kit – and its BIG – enough to scrap all the relatives kids and then have lots left over for tomato canning season later this year. My Olivia’s Kitchen Kit will be available first thing MONDAY MORNING, along with a ton of other terrific new products at the Sophia Sarducci Shop – so ‘gwan over to the shop to pick up the items you need for this week’s menu. The kit preview picture does not do it justice because you can't see the many many extra elements included (durn blogger only lets me put 5 pics at a time) - so you're missing all sorts of fun things like the messy splatter overlay and several other fun items.

Thank you to my friend Sonya who created the smaller check paper (minus overlaid grunge) and straight stick of spaghetti for this mini. You can find Sonya at Kissed Studio at www.kissedstudio.com And also I must give credit to KimB who supplied me with the grungy edging I used in most of my papers - they are WONDERFUL Kim.

My OLIVIA'S KITCHEN KIT - available Monday at SOPHIA SARDUCCI

And be sure not to miss the great new ‘Cardboard Stuff’ by Adriana Lunette there too – no preview here but you CAN see one at Amy’s blog.

Layout of Lex and Logan by Sonya Johnson
Credits:
Olivia Dorazio's Olivias Kitchen Kit
Kissed Studio Template TO121 (their templates Rock!)

I made this layout - myself!
Amy W's adorable Emma covered with sketti!
(yes, there is a sketti Alpha included in the kit!)
credits:
Olivia Dorazio's Olivia's Kitchen Kit

FINALLY – warm weather has arrived. At least it got up to around 75 degrees F here yesterday, according to what I heard. I can believe it to, as I walked in just in my jogging clothes, minus a jacket and still managed to break a sweat, just walking. Its so encouraging to see the cherry blossoms bursting forth, the buds, and the birds coming back. I’ll try to be diligent and take more pics over the upcoming weeks. Thank you for being faithful to coming to visit even when I’ve not been so faithful to write.

Besides creating a new kit, I’ve also been painting – go figure, its sunny and I get the urge to paint inside. The one year anniversary of moving in was last week and I was horrified to realize I’d not painted some areas I longed to. So I’m working in small hour chunks to get it complete. And then the other part of me can’t wait to get outside and I’ve been doing small amounts of work outdoors too, sprucing things up.

PICO award

Woo Hoo! – I’ve been nominated by Sherry D. for the PICO award.

Sherry, your electing me is like receiving a bouquet of flowers, or walking after a rain, refreshing and much needed. Thank you for not only thinking of me, but for taking the time to blog me and visit me. I hope to continue to be worthy of future reads.

The award has rules, the first being to post the rules, so here goes:

) You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also for contributing to the blogging community, no matter what language. (Nominations will follow rules.)
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself. In my case, that would be Caryl of Caryl's Realm as listed above.
4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
http://arteypico.blogspot.com/
Make sure you visit the link above. There are crafts of all kinds shown; you are bound to come away inspired!
5) Show these rules.

So for my Five People I’m choosing:

1. Judy – (Sis in Law) I love your blog, Judy, as it keeps me up on whats happening in the family. I love all your terrific photos and layouts of the kids, grandkids, our brother and your adventures. I was thrilled to see Patty’s award for outstanding achievement the other day, for instance, and your blog was a great way I could say ‘congrats’ too. You are always so interesting, and I enjoy all the photos you take. You’ve come a tremendous long way with your scrapbooking and journaling skills as well. You’re always quick to give credit for the layout kits and elements and you always have an encouraging word. Thank you for all you do.

2. Gina – I’m sure sometimes I bug ya. Ok, I KNOW I do sometimes – but you’re always polite and patient with me even when I pounce on you whenever you’re online. I appreciate the ‘realness’ of your blog entries. You’ve allowed us to join you along your journey of faith, motherhood, tragedy, marriage and day to day minutia. You deliver it with a wry sense of humour and wit. Your blog is studded with little ‘nuggets’ of wisdom and when you choose to cook – well, you rival the food network. I always count on you to keep me grounded and I can count on you to ‘tell it like it is’ – there’s nothing fake about you. Thanks for being here for me. Your faith through your storms has always uplifted and inspired me.

3. Valinda – Come rain or shine, you visit. You not only visit, you ALWAYS take time to leave a comment. You make wonderful elements and give them from the generosity of your heart. I know you have some days when your health prevents you from even getting around easily, yet you still think of us ‘out here’ I feel like I come to your house for coffee when I come to your blog – and I’m still dying to know what your husband is actually making in the garage – like a real picture. Folks, if you have not been to Valinda’s for her elements, you are missing out. My days are richer for your comments Valinda.

4. Cicero Sings – E, your blog is always a wealth of information. I love going for ‘walks’ with you through your blog. You are so knowledgeable about all the plants and animals and I’m sure some of your information has actually ‘stuck’ in this head of mine. You are never idle, and I’ve been intriqued by your many skills, including soap-making and quilting to name a few. I admire your devotion to your Mom – I wish my grandma were here for me to dote on as you do your ‘Mither’. You’re an able cook and I still have some recipes of yours I am looking forward to trying.

5. KimB – you are ‘louder than life’, Gurl! Generous, FUNNY and kind, your blog should be called a slog or a blog-opera because there is NEVER a dull moment. You picked me from all the way across the miles, from some place in Africa, and you’ve made me a friend, despite that we might never meet face to face. You make me tired just reading about your antics – but you’re not fooling anyone, you are a big SOFTIE under that party-girl exterior. Can’t wait to see what you’ve been up to during this much deserved break the past week.

6. Ok, so we are only supposed to do five, but I have a few honourable mentions that I just cannot, will not leave off. For instance, Amy, if it were not for you, I would never have a description for my kits and you kick my butt when I need it too. You are a whirlwind of activity, what /w being a mom to precocious Emma, doing all sorts of church related activities, taking courses and on and on and on. You’re awesome & I don't know what I'd do without your encouragment and friendship. You're a part of my every day! JanMary, Wow – thats all I can say. You’re photos of Ireland, your journaling to share your beautiful homeland, your creative layouts and your sharing your knowledge – you bowl me over. I love coming to visit you too. Becky, well your my real, living close to me, CAN have coffees (with whipped cream) together, love me with all my spots and wrinkles friend. You have SUCH a heart for God and my life is richer for your friendship. Thank you for looking over the garden gate to admire my flowers. You need to update your blog. Haha! And lastly, Shirley. You come to see me ALL THE TIME and you are so positive and say leave the sweetest comments. Your blog is another place I like to visit with a cup of tea in hand.

I will leave you with the following poem today – it was written by a man called John Clare who certainly had his share of unhappiness. He wrote the following poem about hope. My prayer is it would touch someone today:

Is there another world for this frail dust

To warm with life and be itself again?

Something about me daily speaks there must

And why should instinct nourish hopes in vain?

‘Tis nature’s prophecy that such will be,

And everything seems struggling to explain

The closed sealed volume of its mystery.

Time wandering onward keeps its usual pace,

As seeming anxious of eternity,

To meet that calm and find a resting place.

E’en the small violet feels a future power

And waits each year renewing blooms to bring;

And surely man is no inferior flower

To die unworthy of a second spring.

PSALM 118:17

I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the LORD has done.