A Rainbow's Life

Days

2011-01-11T08:54:00.003-06:00

It's a good thing that I didn't decide I was going to do a P365 or daily blog this year, lol. I would have totally failed. I'm just one of these people that if I don't have anything to say...why speak? Right? So basically just don't expect there to be any kind of real schedule on this blog, just whenever I get a wild hair or have something to say or to share. Last week was kinda, not great. As I posted last week, Casey had strep throat, and while she never really felt terrible, she missed 3 days of school so the weekend was spent being kinda lazy and helping her catch up on all the work she missed.

Sunday was a not so great day. A friend of mine had made some choices a few weeks back and ended up having some folks sayin some things about her that weren't so nice, which, me being me, got me all kinds of upset. There aren't a whole lot of things I'll say about myself that are really positive, but one thing I'll say is that I'm loyal, so when somebody who's close to me is having issues, well, I get all tied up. so that really bothered me and I spent quite a bit of Sunday being on edge and doing my best to defend my friend without making the shit storm worse.

And we won't even talk about yesterday. Let's just say major stress, and leave it at that.

A few good things did come though. A few days ago one of my friends blogged about a friend that she'd kinda lost touch with over the last couple of months, and had been reconnecting with within the past week, and how that made her happy. As I read it, I didn't really think she was talking about me, but I thought about how I could kinda fit into that same scenario, and that made me feel pretty good. Anyway, within a day or so after she blogged, we were chatting and I mentioned having read that, and how even though I didn't think she was talking about me, it had made me feel good anyway. She was like, you doofus, it WAS you! lol Well, let me tell ya, that really did make me feel like a million bucks. She's one of those friends that means a ton to me, but I know I don't tell her that often enough, so to know that our reconnection made her feel as happy as I am about it, well, yeah, it was a great feeling.

And another friend and I have also reconnected. Life just kinda got in the way and we hadn't talked much in the last few months, but we've been talking more lately too, and I'm so glad. She's another one who doesn't know how much she means to me, even though sometimes it takes a stressful situation to get us back together again, lol.

Oh oh oh!! And I almost forgot this. Some of you who know me, and know my digi-scrapping addiction, know that I have LONG been in love with Kristin Cronin-Barrow's designs, and have dreamed of being on her CT. Well, Friday night I got a DM from her on Twitter, asking if I'd like to join her team as her ad maker and a promo type girl for her. OMGosh!! Are you kidding me? So, I'm now Kristin's ad maker and I couldn't be more thrilled to have joined her team.

And on that positive note, I'll shut up for today, lol. I'll leave you with some of my recent layouts, well, cause it's my blog and I can do things like that, lol

this one is from Aaron's (Sir Scrapalot) release from last week. Kinda love this kit. It's actually one of my favorites of his.

And one from Traci Reed. This birthday kit is absolutely adorable. I LOVE the little animals in it, and she drew them all herself! How awesome is that?

And finally, this one is from Meghan Mullens. She's doing an alphabet collection this year, and I am in LOVE with this idea. This is the 2nd kit in the series, and it's so bright and girly, I just love it.

That's it for now...I'll have some more stuff to share later. Til then,
Live, Laugh, Love
Life is so much better when you do!

Ugh...Strep

2011-01-06T07:51:00.005-06:00

So on Tuesday, I took Casey to the doctor to have some bites looked at. While she's there, the doctor looks her over (which they do no matter what she's there for, one reason I love my pediatrician's office) and she didn't like the look of C's throat, so she does a quick swab. Guess what? The swab comes back positive for Strep. Sigh. I got a really bad feeling. I hadn't felt good for a few days, so I mentioned this to the doctor, and she swabs me too (another reason I love this pedi). And yup, I have Strep too. Sigh. Casey hadn't been feeling bad at ALL. No sore throat, no fever. So they caught it early, got her on the antibiotics and told me to keep her home from school until today, when she wouldn't be contageous anymore. Ok, I can handle that. But this morning she wakes up, and...you got it...fever and sore throat. Sigh. So she's home again today, puny as all get out. One thing I've realized, when my days are out of routine, it's harder for me to take photos. I just get all out of whack. Add to that me not feeling well, and my camera gets a little lonely. But...I have managed to snap a few the last few days, one of them this morning, of Casey as I've seen her more often than not the last couple of days, sleeping. So here they are...hope you enjoy.

A glance back...and a look forward

2011-01-03T01:09:00.004-06:00

I have to say that I'm pretty glad to have put 2010 to rest. It wasn't the greatest year for myself or my family. We've been through a lot, but have managed to come through it with heads held high, stronger than ever, and closer as a family. And, I will say that 2010 wasn't all bad. Despite all the lows, we had some amazing high's as well. I personally have made some amazing new friends. Friends who have been there for me through the lousy times and listened to me whine and moan and complain until I'm sure they were ready to scream, but never once made me feel as though I was imposing on their lives. And they were there with me to celebrate the amazing moments and to be happy for me as only real friends can be.

2010 was also the year that I reconnected with the best friend I have ever had. As friends all through school, we were as close as sisters, but managed to lose touch over the years since high school graduation. But this year, we "found" each other again, and renewed our friendship, and found that our friendship hadn't changed in all those years. I discovered the true meaning of the "words" BFF. At the point of the year when I needed a support system the most, she and her husband were there, in more ways than I can describe. I was in awe to realize that not only had I found my oldest and best friend, but in the process I had found a new and just as amazing friend in her husband. And in them both, Casey found pure, unconditional love and support, also at a time when she needed it the most. To the both of us, J and S are among the most valued treasures in our hearts. If you guys read this, we love you both more than you know.

And now looking forward to 2011, this is going to be a year of growth and change for me. This is going to be the year that I learn to believe that I deserve the good things in life. Not "things" really, but friends who love and accept me as I am. A life that is full and happy rather than lonely and empty. 2011 is the year when I begin to see myself as my friends see me. It's going to be the year that I finally learn to love and be proud of myself, and the year when I actually gain some confidence in myself.

Last year, I set a goal for myself to do a Project 365. This year I have decided not to put that pressure on myself. Instead, I'm challenging myself to take, or have taken, one photo of myself per week, and scrap it. Part of learning to love and accept myself includes my physical appearance, and I figure this challenge is a good start on that process. Now, just because I'm not taking a photo a day doesn't mean that I won't be taking lots of photos and documenting the every day. I'm just choosing not to pressure myself to take a "meaningful" photo on a daily basis.

2011 got off to a fabulous start. Casey and I spent the day with our dear friends J and S and their children. I cannot remember when I enjoyed a day more. It wasn't a perfect day, but it didn't have to be. We laughed and joked and just enjoyed each other's company. And part of what made it so great, was the knowledge that now that we're living only 2 hours apart, this can be a regular thing for us, and that makes Casey and I very happy. Here are a few photos of our New Year's Day.
Casey and Uncle J

Me and S

J and I making a pot holder. Mrs. Crass would be so proud, lol.

And really, the most adorable part of the day, S's new Boston Terrier, Mac. He really is the most precious thing, but trust me when I tell you that he's a weapon of mass destruction, lol

I hope that everyone (the few of you who read this anyway, lol) have a fantastic 2011. I know I'm going to ;)

Live,Laugh, Love
Life is so much better when you do.

A Christmas Survey

2010-12-01T22:14:00.002-06:00

It's been a long, LONG while since I blogged, but Darcy Baldwin posted this over at Sweet Shoppe Designs, and it looked like fun, so here we go!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate. With mini marshmallows. Yum

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Usually Santa just puts presents under the tree, but there's always one small gift in the stocking (usually a piece of jewelry) that is wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? Colored. White lights are SO pretty, and I love them, but I'm just a colored light kinda gal, they look more festive to me.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope. My house consists of 3 single women...not a whole lot of point there, right? lol

5. When do you put your decorations up? I usually put up our tree and my indoor decorations on Thanksgiving weekend. My outside lights go up during that next week.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? My mom's caramel nut rolls. She only makes them once a year, for Christmas morning. So yum.

7. Favorite Christmas memory as a child? The year my Grandpa came down from Michigan and spent Christmas morning with us. We had Christmas at home, then went to my Gram's and her husband (who was also Grandpa). I remember loving having both my Grandpa's with me. I was a spoiled little girl that year, lol

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? I don't remember how old I was, but I'd gone into my mom's room searching for our cat, who had a habit of getting locked in the closet, and when I opened the door to let him out, I saw a camera sitting on her closet shelf. Christmas morning it was under the tree from Santa, and that was that, lol

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? C does. She gets a new pair of flannel or fuzzy PJ's every year, and she gets to open those on Christmas Eve. She always knows what it will be, but it's fun for her to get that "peek" anyway.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Usually, with C7 flasher bulbs, garland, and tons of ornaments. But this year we splurged on a real tree, so we have micro LED lights, a few ornaments, and a blooming TON of tinsel. (C went a lil overboard with the tinsel, lol)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Snow, I love. Ice...not so much.

12. Can you ice skate? Honestly, I have no idea. I've never tried.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? A silver and gold crucifix that my uncle bought for me when I was 16.

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you? For me it's the spirit that seems to fill the air. Giving thanks for family, friends, and loved ones. The goodwill that I feel. Teaching my daughter that the meaning of the holiday is more about giving than receiving.

15. What is your favorite Christmas Dessert? Wedding Cookies. (Pecan shortbread cookies covered in powdered sugar)

16. What is your favorite Christmas tradition? Um...wow. This is a hard one. There are so many. I think I love our Christmas Eve the most. We order pizza for dinner, watch Miracle on 34th Street, then I read the Christmas Story and Twas the Night Before Christmas, then C goes to bed, and I sleep in the living room with the Christmas Tree lights left on.

17. What tops your tree? A star.

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? I love the giving. For me, it's all about finding just the right gift for the people on my list, and the look on their face when they open it.

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I have 3. I love Oh Holy Night (when it's sung properly, by someone with the voice to do it, like Josh Grobin, wow). I also love Do You Hear What I Hear, my fave version of that one is by Bing Crosby. And Christmas Eve Sarajevo by Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? They're good for stirring into hot chocolate and decorating the tree. That's about it, lol

21 Favorite Christmas Show? I haven't seen it in years, but I used to LOVE the Garfield Christmas special. And who doesn't love A Charlie Brown Christmas? The ending? iCry.

22. Saddest Christmas Song? This is another hard one. The only really sad Christmas song I can think of is Christmas Shoes.

23. What’s your Wish for Christmas? That my friends, family, and loved ones are filled with the peace and joy of the season.

Merry Christmas!

Scrappers Give Thanks

2010-11-15T07:33:00.000-06:00

They say that the children are our future. I totally agree. And because children ARE our future, it's super important for us to take care of them. I'm a lucky mom. My daughter is happy and more important, healthy. Not all moms are as lucky as I am when it comes to that. They have children who are ill, facing dreaded diseases. Living through the fear that all moms have hidden deep in their hearts. As we enter the holiday season, I realize how incredibly grateful I am for my daughter, and for all of the children in my life. And it occurs to me that I need to do something to show that gratitude.

This is where Scrappers Give Thanks comes in. SGT is an annual scrapbooking community project that benefits a specific charitable group or organization. Founded by Jennifer Wilson, with support from Anna Aspnes, the first project resulted in over 650 handmade cards being delivered to Operation Write Home in 2009. In 2010, the focus of Scrappers Give Thanks is children in hospitals across the US and Canada. The goal? 2000 cards, giving joy, laughter, and inspiration to these children, and their families. I have set a goal for myself to design and submit 12 cards to this project. One for each child in my extended family.

If you would like to contribute to this wonderful cause, please click the Scrappers Give Thanks logo on the right side of this page. The link will take you to the Scrappers Give Thanks website, where you can find out about how to submit your card. Want to help even more? Spread the word. Blog about it. Put the badge on your website. Tweet about it, share it on Facebook. My biggest reason for being grateful? This beautiful girl right here.

Somedays

2010-06-23T23:04:00.000-05:00

Some days are better than others. I have good days, where I don't have a problem being "up" and I roll right on through the day. Then there are the "some days." Some days, things get to me, and I find myself cranky and withdrawn. Today was one of those days. It's hard to focus, my brain seems to move in slow motion. I have a hard time coping with life. I feel tired and just blah. I was told to expect this. Despite the fact that I had the treatment 2 weeks ago, the medicine will be in my body, in my system for weeks. And there will be days I feel it. Days it makes me tired, days I feel sick, days I just want to crawl in bed and stay there. But ya know what? Expecting it, knowing these days are "normal," doesn't make getting through them a lot easier.

The Story

2010-06-21T23:07:00.000-05:00

Throughout my life, I've had to deal with Cancer. Twice as a child, my grandmother underwent mastectomies for Breast Cancer. My great-grandpa passed away when I was seven from Leukemia. When I was a Senior in high school, a little girl I babysat died from Brain Cancer. When I was 20, my grandfather passed due to Abdominal Cancer. In 2007 my best friend fought the same battle and I lost him too. I've always known Cancer, known its effects on people. And in the back of my mind, always knew that at some point in my life, it would be something I dealt with on a personal level, within my own body. There were just too many people in my family who had dealt with it for me to imagine that it would never strike me. Back in March of this year, I went to the doctor for some small cysts. They weren't painful, or anything like that, just annoying. The doctor agreed that they needed to be removed. He informed me that once removed they'd be sent to a lab for tests, and that this was standard procedure. So in April, I went in and had the surgery to have them removed. Turns out, they were malignant. (Cancer.) I was, to be honest, stunned. I'd expected Cancer, but not now. Not like this. In the span of 2 seconds I became a Cancer survivor. As that sank in, he explained that he needed to do more testing to find out if there were any more abnormal cells. If any were present, we'd need a biopsy. I went in for the tests, and he found three areas that popped for abnormal cells. He did the biopsies and explained to me that from there we would have three options. 1, they would come back as Cancer and have to be removed immediately. 2, they would come back as something we would need to watch very carefully, which would mean biopsies every month. 3, they would come back as just abnormal cells and we'd keep an eye on them and biopsy them every 4-6 months. When the results came in, 2 of the 3 areas were Cancer and surgery was scheduled. He also set me up on one round of oral chemotherapy. He was convinced the surgery would remove all of the Cancer, but the chemo would take care of any that he might possibly miss. I had the surgery, and 5 days later I went in for the chemo. It was all rather anticlimactic. I took the pill, sat in his office so they could watch me for any immediate reaction, and came home. I have had a small bit of nausea from the chemo, though the nausea medication I was given keeps that under control. And I am losing some hair, but I have enough that so far it isn't overly noticeable, both of which I'm very grateful for. And that's where my story is for now. There are days when it freaks me out. When I wake up thinking about how scary it is, how different it could have been. I thank the Lord every day for bringing me through this, for giving me a wealth of friends who have been there to support me, cry with me, chit chat with me to take my mind off things, make me laugh, hope with me, pray with me and stand behind me telling me that no matter what I need they're there for me. If nothing else, my journey down this road has taught me that with the kind of friends I have, the family that has chosen me, I can make it through anything.

**This post approved by Amanda Heimann ;)

Kelleigh Ratzlaff Blog Hop

2010-03-29T09:09:00.003-05:00

I'm SO thrilled to have been a guest CT member for Kelleigh Ratzlaff this month, and even more excited to be able to participate in her blog hop! All of the projects in this hop are adorable and so inspiring! And the best part?!? YOU get to play along! Just visit all of the blogs in the list, and then go back to Kelleigh's blog, and vote for your favorite project. And there just might be something in it for you if you do!

Here's my project, using Kelleigh's Sassy Purse #3 Template and papers from Amanda Heimann's Ba-Da-Bing kit.

***You Are Here***Sally - http://arainbowslife.blogspot.com/
Tracy - http://tracykosofsky.blogspot.com/
Laura - http://www.lauras-little-corner.blogspot.com/
Juli - http://julifreshfish.blogspot.com/
Julie - http://mycrazylifeasamomandawife.blogspot.com/
Christy - http://scrapsofme.com/
Dana - www.paperdaydream.blogspot.com
LuAnn - http://livelaughcreate-luann.blogspot.com/
Jacinda - http://www.digikiwichick.blogspot.com/
Viva - http://vivaartistry.blogspot.com/
Dalis - http://www.stampergirl.com
Holly - http://lv2scrapnjp.blogspot.com
Sharyn - http://analteredlife.wordpress.com/
Karen Lewis - http://scrappingmum.blogspot.com/
Linda - http://www.yamstamps.com
Alice - http://aliceslittlewonderland.blogspot.com/
Mel - http://domesticatedlady.com
Sunghee - http://www.creativityinprogress.com/blog/
Carolina - http://creativepad.typepad.com
Debbie - http://www.debbieseyer.com/my_weblog/
Kim - http://paperrocksscissors.blogspot.com/

Jennifer Fox new releases

2010-03-25T20:34:00.004-05:00

Head over to The Digichick and check out Jen's new release, Whisper of Spring and the Easter Sunrise Add-On. They are beautiful, soft kits with springy colors and elements. Easter Sunrise is a faith based add-on with gorgeous word art and elements.

ALSO....if you are interested in joining Jen's super fun CT, tomorrow is the last day to apply so head on over HERE and check out her call!

Oh! And one last thing, if you head over to Jen's blog, there's a special blog only coupon for her store!

Catching Up!

2010-02-27T00:56:00.002-06:00

Wow this has been a crazy hectic week. Don't ask me exactly how it happened, but somehow this week I've picked up FOUR new CT gigs, lol. Yup. I'm now creating for Wild Dandelion Designs, Geek Chic Scraps, hybrid team for Jennifer Fox Designs, and I'm guesting for Kelleigh Ratzlaff next month! Wow! But, as a result of all this excitement, I've gotten way behind on my blog posting, sorry about that! So here's the last few days worth of photos, and hopefully tomorrow I'll have the weekly layout posted. And of course, Sunday night or Monday I'll have the February layout done. But in the meantime, I'm playing catch up with my photos. So here we go!

February 21
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

February 22
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

February 23
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

February 24
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

February 25
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

February 26
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

February 20

2010-02-20T22:16:00.002-06:00

February 20
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I made homemade bread tonight! It was my first time making it and it made my house smell SO good! And it tasted REALLY good, lol.

February 19

2010-02-19T22:31:00.002-06:00

February 19
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Chocolate. Yum. Who doesn't smile when they see chocolate? Especially when it's wrapped in pretty flower foil? lol

Week 7 Layout

2010-02-19T00:34:00.002-06:00

Week 7's layout. Lots of fun stuff this week. Casey's first dance, my weight loss goals kicked back into gear, Valentine's Day, and a new camera!!

Week 7 Layout, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

February 18

2010-02-18T16:22:00.002-06:00

February 18
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I've been taking random photos, trying to get used to the new camera. This was one of my favorites today.

February 17

2010-02-17T23:16:00.002-06:00

February 17
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I was wandering around my house looking for things to take pictures of with the new camera, and these butterflies that "float" from my daughter's bedroom celing caught my eye. I thought they were pretty in front of her blue walls.

February 16

2010-02-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

February 16
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

The very first shot I took with the new camera. Loving it!

February 15

2010-02-15T23:27:00.002-06:00

February 15
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

My new camera arrived today!! So get ready for some MUCH better quality photos from me, lol. I'm so excited to get out tomorrow and really play with it!

February 14

2010-02-14T19:16:00.000-06:00

February 14
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

The drawing my daughter did for me as one of my Valentine's Day gifts. She's quite a talented artist and I love it when she does drawings for me.

February 13

2010-02-13T11:51:00.000-06:00

February 13
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I'm kicking my weight loss goal into high gear. I bought these two DVD's and plan to use one every morning and the other in the evenings.

February 12

2010-02-12T23:32:00.005-06:00

February 12
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Casey had her first school dance tonight. She went with a group of her friends, and this is a photo of her with the little sister of one of her best friends.

Casey's First School Dance
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

And here's a picture of Casey before the dance, I had to show her off, lol. Can't believe how pretty and grown up she is.

Week 6 Layout

2010-02-12T00:30:00.003-06:00

Here's the weekly summary of my Week 6 photos

Week 6 Layout, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

February 11

2010-02-11T10:44:00.002-06:00

February 11
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

A cute little box I made for Casey. I'm going to fill it with Sweetheart candy for Valentine's Day :)

February 10

2010-02-10T23:43:00.002-06:00

February 10
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I did a layout for ADSR of things I love about hybrid. This is one of the photos, a small portion of my hybrid ribbon stash.

February 9

2010-02-09T23:06:00.006-06:00

February 9
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Well we got our snow. Another 8 inches last night and this morning. And more on the way. Casey did snow angels today.

February 8

2010-02-08T23:10:00.000-06:00

February 8
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Time for soccer! The season started today, and Casey had her gear set out for me to bring to her for practice, but they cancelled it due to the snow.

ADSR Season 5

2010-02-07T23:23:00.002-06:00

It started today! My good friend Jennifer and I are partnered up for the race this year, check out our team blog to see our Challenge One Layouts!

Same Brain Scrappers

February 7

2010-02-07T13:46:00.000-06:00

February 7
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

We have more snow predicted for tomorrow, but with all the coats hanging on our coat rack, I'm pretty sure we're ready for it! lol

Adorableness from Amy Sumrall!

2010-02-07T01:17:00.003-06:00

So Amy is one of the guest designers at Scrap Orchard this month, and she's released two kits this week that are just adorable. Check these out! The kit images are linked to Amy's store over at SO.

Peaches for Me

Here's a layout I did with it:

Forest Frolic with Suzy Q Scraps

And a layout:

February 6

2010-02-07T00:07:00.002-06:00

February 6
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

It's been cold and rainy here for several days. Since it's Saturday, I can break out the sweats and fuzzy socks. Comfy and cozy. Perfect attire for this nasty weather!

February 5

2010-02-05T13:56:00.002-06:00

February 5
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Rain. It's been raining for days. Not exactly making me happy, but it will make me appreciate the sun more when we finally see it!

Week 5 layout

2010-02-05T13:55:00.003-06:00

P365Week5Web, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

The layout of all my Week 5 photos

February 4

2010-02-04T12:29:00.000-06:00

February 4, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

What can I say? I love my dog. She's always doing something goofy to make me laugh. And she cuddles with me, lol.

February 3

2010-02-03T19:14:00.001-06:00

February 3, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

Ordering pizza for dinner is always a treat, it means I don't have to cook for one night, lol.

February 2

2010-02-02T13:53:00.000-06:00

February 2, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

I love having a neat and organized desk. It makes it much more enjoyable to sit here and do all the things I do on the computer.

February 1

2010-02-01T21:53:00.000-06:00

February 1, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

The Biggest Loser. Bob is my hero. I love it when he gets all mean and evil and then turns around and gives the contestant he's working with a hug.

January Layout

2010-02-01T00:46:00.003-06:00

This is the first of the monthly layouts. Each month I'll do a layout that looks like this, an overview of the month. It's really neat to have this layout to get a quick view of all the photos I took. Project 365 is going really well for me so far, and I'm really enjoying it!

January Layout, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

January 31

2010-01-31T22:42:00.002-06:00

January 31
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

My kiddo and cousins built an awesome snowman today. They have had so much fun playing in the snow this weekend. Back to school tomorrow though!

Week 4 Layout

2010-01-30T22:49:00.002-06:00

Here's my layout of my Week 4 photos!

Week 4 Layout, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

January 30

2010-01-30T12:38:00.002-06:00

January 30
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

And it snowed some more! By morning it had finally stopped snowing but we had a total of about 10 inches of snow. My daughter is out at my Gram's farm so she can play in the snow with my cousins. My uncle has been pulling them around on the four wheeler and they've been sledding. I'm sad that I'm not there to play with them and take pictures, but I sent my camera with them so they could take lots of pictures for me. (Someone had to stay home and take care of the animals here, lol.) I'm using my daughter's camera for these couple of days, so the photo quality isn't going to be as good as it usually is, but I wanted good pictures of them playing in the snow, so I sent mine. Hopefully someone out there is a decent photographer! LOL

January 29

2010-01-29T23:34:00.000-06:00

January 29
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

It snowed and snowed and snowed! I took this photo at about 10pm and we already had 5-6 inches. We don't get this much snow very often, so it was neat. You can even see some of the flakes falling where the flash caught them. Very cool!

January 28

2010-01-28T23:59:00.000-06:00

January 28
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Yes, my photo for today is bragging on my kid again, lol. I'm allowed to do that, tee hee. We found out today that she got 2nd place in a poetry contest, and I'm super proud of her. A couple friends asked me to share the poem, so here it is:

Morning in the Forest

The wind blew through the forest
Her legs clung tightly to the flower as she sucked down the nectar
Refueled and ready to fly, she slowly spread out her wings
And then she waited
She waited for a gust of wind to blow her out into the morning sun
Slowly it came and gently plucked her off of the flower and carried her away
She felt her wings surge gracefully up and down to the beat of her heart
She was flying
She was beautiful
She was magnificent
She was a butterfly

Pretty good, huh?

January 27 and a blog revamp

2010-01-27T22:43:00.000-06:00

January 27
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Here's my photo for today. Casey made the honor roll for 1st semester, so she got a certificate for a free pizza from Papa John's.

Hopefully you've noticed that the page has been renamed. I spent some time thinking about it and I decided that I want this blog to be more about my life in general, as opposed to just my Project 365. I'll still be posting my daily photos, and weekly layouts here, but I also want to be able to post about other things happening in my life, and I didn't want to do a seperate blog for that. My goal for this year is still to find joy in everyday life. But I've decided that trying to focus my P365 on that is quite restricting when it comes to taking the actual photos. The thing is, obviously whatever I photograph is something I find some joy in, or I wouldn't bother to take a photo of it. So my new idea for my P365 is just "life." Whatever it throws at me that I want to photograph each day. I might try to set myself some themes, but for the most part my photos will be completely random, just whatever strikes me and says "take a photo of me."
This blog is still about a journey, and it's still about finding the joy IN the journey, but now I just feel a bit less restricted about what I can photograph, or what I can post here, and THAT makes me feel good! :)

January 26

2010-01-26T23:10:00.003-06:00

January 26b
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

A hybrid project I'll be working on tomorrow. Have it all printed and ready to go!

January 25

2010-01-25T21:09:00.000-06:00

January 25
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

The kid and the dog, lol. Asia has a couple new miniature tennis balls and she has to have them in sight. Just seconds after I took this she jumped on the one in Casey's hair and scared Casey to death, lol.

January 24

2010-01-24T23:15:00.000-06:00

January 24
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

How can this picture not make you laugh? This is my Gram. She's 80 years old and obviously can be goofy as all get out. But she's my rock. My home port in a storm. But I love that I point the camera at her and she makes faces at me like a 4 year old, LOL!

January 23

2010-01-23T22:12:00.000-06:00

January 23
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

My new best friends, lol. I don't go anywhere without one of these two water bottles. I've cut down from 8-10 diet coke a day, to MAYBE one. I'm pretty proud of that. I'm now drinking about six of the purple bottles per day. (That's about 144 oz of water, lol)

January 22

2010-01-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

January 22
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Every other Friday I put fresh sheets on my bed. I love the smell and feel of clean, fresh sheets when I go to sleep at night. The dog being there is because she was following me all over the house tonight and when I went to take the photo she jumped up on the bed and wouldn't move, lol.

Week 3 Layout

2010-01-22T09:56:00.002-06:00

Here it is, my Week 3 layout. The kit is from Wild Dandelion Designs and Kristin Cronin-Barrow and the title alpha is from Suzy Q Scraps.

P365Week3Web, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

One Love...for Haiti

2010-01-22T00:23:00.003-06:00

“One love refers to the universal love and respect expressed by all people for all people, regardless of race, creed, or color.”

Forty-eight designers from around the scrapping community have joined together to bring you this incredible kit with the common purpose of raising funds for Haitian aid and relief. Our theme, “One Love”, symbolizes not only our heartfelt effort to help the people of Haiti, but also encompasses the diverse styles of all the designers involved in this project. This kit represents the diversity of our community and shows that even though we are all different, when we come together the result is truly spectacular.

The proceeds from the sale of this kit will be donated to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. We chose the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund not only because it embodies the spirit of One Love, but also because 100% of the donations will go to the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti and because they are working to provide both immediate relief and long-term support to the earthquake survivors.

This beautiful kit includes 114 papers, 356 elements, 3 alphabets, 6 page templates and 1 hybrid template and 16- 12 in. x 12 in. .png quick pages.

This product is only available for a limited time.

You can purchase the kit, the quickpages, or both together as a bundle. Click the links below to go to the Scrap Orchard Market to purchase. The Kit is $15, the Quickpages are $10, and the Bundle is $20.

The Kit

The Quickpages

The Bundle

January 21

2010-01-21T23:21:00.000-06:00

January 21
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I'm on a HUGE hybrid kick right now. I'm just loving playing with something in PSE and printing it and then having something real that I can touch and play with and add ribbon to, lol. This cute little truffle box was made using a template from PixelGeek Designs and decorated using Momma's Boy from Amanda Heimann Designs.

January 20

2010-01-20T22:30:00.002-06:00

January 20
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

This isn't my first hybrid project, but it's the most involved that I've tackled to date. I'm really proud of how it turned out. I used a template from PixelGeek Designs and the kit Taking Chances from Wild Dandelion Designs.

January 19

2010-01-19T22:20:00.002-06:00

January 19
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I have to admit that I actually took this photo for my friend Jennifer. She's been after me for several weeks (if not months) to get into hybrid scrapping. So today for some reason I got really excited about it and went out and bought some hybrid necessities. I'm super excited about actually being able to do some hybrid stuff. Don't be surprised if one of my photos next week is of flowers and brads and buttons, lol!

January 18

2010-01-18T22:52:00.002-06:00

January 18
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Yep, I live in a zoo. This is our massive guinea pig Sammy. And unlike most guinea pigs, he bites. Hard. So he doesn't get to come out of his cage much, but he still makes me laugh when I walk by his cage and he runs along beside me, lol

January 17

2010-01-17T21:33:00.002-06:00

January 17
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Yet another animal in my house, lol. My dog Asia, who sleeps with me every night, UNDER my covers, lol. She's a giant pain in my butt, but she makes me feel loved!

January 16

2010-01-16T22:36:00.002-06:00

January 16
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Yesterday was Licorice, so it's only fair that today be Caramel, lol. Caramel is our "queen" cat. She walks around acting like she's too good for everybody, and I really get a kick out of her haughty attitude.

Now here's something else for you to check out!
On January 22 designers from Scrap Orchard, Sweet Shoppe Designs, After Five Designs, The Lilypad, Scrapbook Graphics, Shabby Pickle, Scrap Matters, Cat Scraps, and Peppermint Creative will come together to release a charity kit to benefit Haiti. Stay tuned for more information coming soon!

January 15

2010-01-15T21:28:00.002-06:00

January 15
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

One of two cats that live in our house, this is Licorice, and I completely adore her.

Taking a Moment...

2010-01-14T22:57:00.006-06:00

I know that everyone has heard and is probably completely horrified at the devastation in Haiti after the earthquake that hit there. Through the wonder of the internet, I have become acquainted with and friends with a wonderful lady named Corey who as adopted FIVE children from Haiti, and right now she's just a mess. Her family have kept in touch with all of the birth mom's they've adopted from (as much as one can keep in contact with anyone in Haiti), and the orphanages they adopted through, and they have many friends that live and work in Haiti. At this moment, Corey has no idea if any of these people have survived. Estimates are that as many as FIFTY THOUSAND have lost their lives. Please, please take time to remember these people and pray for them. ALL the people in Haiti. This is a country that is fighting to survive on a daily basis and this tragedy has increased their struggle ten-fold.

Besides praying, if you feel led to help, here are a few sites worth checking out. I would trust any of them with my money.

I have personally donated to the American Red Cross and Yele Haiti via text message.

You can text "Haiti" to 90999. This will give a $10 donation to the American Red Cross Haiti fund.

www.yele.org is an organization dedicated to helping Haiti, started by Wyclef Jean, who was born in Haiti. They also have a text donation set up, text "Yele" to 501501 to donate $5.

Heartline Ministries, an organization that works with women and children in Haiti. They especially need help so they can continue their work in Haiti.

Real Hope for Haiti This organization runs a rescue center for children in Haiti.

World Wide Village is another group that works with children and families in Haiti

Any and all of these organizations need your help. If you cannot give, that's ok, I know things are tight everywhere. But you can pray, and I beg of you to continue to do that. Pray for the rescue workers, the missionaries, the searchers, the medical personnel, the Haitian-Americans waiting for word on family members, families like Corey's, and most of all the residents of Haiti.

Also, there are MANY blogs who are donating money per comment by readers. For a list, please visit Money Saving Mom: HERE All this takes is some time, and you have contributed to helping Haiti. Please, please visit as many of these sites as you can and comment. Time is one thing we can all spare and share.

January 14 and Week 2 layout

2010-01-14T22:21:00.002-06:00

January 14
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

So one of my goals this year is to get healthier. I blogged earlier about needing to lose about 35 pounds, and I also need to get off the diet coke and drink more water. So I've set a goal to drink at least 96oz of water a day. To encourage myself, I bought a Pur water pitcher. I'm doing pretty well so far. I've been drinking more than 120oz of water a day for the last couple days. Yay me! lol.

Here's my layout for Week 2. I have to admit I'm really very happy with myself that I've kept up with doing this so far. I know, I know....it's only week 2, but hey...by week 2 last year I'd already given up on the layouts, lol.

Week 2 layout, originally uploaded by Sally Bouley.

January 13

2010-01-13T20:56:00.003-06:00

January 13
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

We finally got a Wii for Christmas, and we're having tons and tons of fun playing on it. I enjoy playing but I also really love watching my daughter get crazy over the New Super Mario Bros.

January 12

2010-01-13T00:00:00.002-06:00

January 12
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Snapping pictures of Casey and Asia, and the look on Asia's face in this one caught my attention. She had gone to Casey and sat right next to her, but the look on her face seemed to be saying "Get this kid away from me!" lol I just had to laugh.

January 11

2010-01-11T22:39:00.002-06:00

January 11
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

My daughter brought home one of her costumes that she will wear in her dance recital in May. She wanted to try it on to show me. She absolutely takes my breath away. My ultimate joy.

January 10

2010-01-11T00:46:00.002-06:00

January 10
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

My Gram and I have always had a very close relationship. She's been my rock for all of my life and her home has always been a safe haven throughout many of the storms life's thrown at me. When I left my ex-husband, I moved in with her, and called this house home until I got on my feet again. Turning the corner onto her road, this is the view of her home, and it always gives me a feeling of peace and safety and comfort.

January 9

2010-01-09T15:23:00.002-06:00

January 9
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I love to cook! A few weeks ago the very cool Corey had a raffle on her blog to raise money for a badly needed ambulance in Haiti. (The fundraisers met their goal by the way, they raised enough money to buy the ambulance!) Anyway, because I donated a prize to her raffle, I was given an entry, and I won these cookbooks! They arrived today and I am totally thrilled with them and can't wait to start using the recipes.

Week 1 Layout

2010-01-09T12:38:00.003-06:00

After looking and thinking more about my week 1 layout, I decided I really wasn't all that happy with it. It just really wasn't my style. So...I re-thought my plan for my layouts for this year, and re-did this one. As Jennifer said when she saw the re-do, this one is much more "me." So...here is my Week 1 Layout take two.

Week 1 Layout
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

January 8 and Week 1 Layout

2010-01-08T22:37:00.007-06:00

January 8
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Today's photo is of our pain in the rear end dog, Asia, lol. She got a new harness and I just love how bright it is against her dark fur. I also love how she sits on the back of my loveseat like a cat with her paws crossed, lol.

Well, I made it through week one, and did pretty well. I took photos every day, and even though I didn't blog daily, I still have a week's worth of photos and memories and moments of joy. I finished my Week 1 layout today, and I'm pretty happy with it. I'm hoping to find several different layouts/templates and rotate through them on a weekly basis. So...here it is! Love to hear what you think! :)

Week 1
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

January 7

2010-01-07T22:38:00.002-06:00

January 7
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

I love this book. I absolutely adore this book. I would marry it if marrying books was legal. Ree Drummond is my hero, and I want to be her when I grow up! Just looking at this book makes me happy, and cooking recipes from it? Heaven.

Tomorrow I will post my week one layout, I hope, lol. I'm working on it tonight and hope to finish it tomorrow.

January 6

2010-01-06T21:11:00.002-06:00

January 6
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

It's such a small thing. But in all my adult years I've never owned a pizza cutter. When I cook pizza at home I cut it with a large butcher knife. So tonight I decided I was going to buy myself a pizza cutter. Small thing, lol, but one that makes me smile!

January 4 and 5, and something else!

2010-01-05T20:04:00.007-06:00

January 4
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Yesterday saw us getting back into our regular routine. School started back and as much as I love my kidlet, it was a relief in some ways to see her off on the school bus. Having my time to myself again is nice. I've got my own routine I'm trying to get into now, but more on that later. Today's picture is of a wall in my living room. About 5 years ago my Gram and I painted it, and it's so cool to have a daily reminder of that time we spent together working on it. (Not to mention she's amazingly talented!)

January 5
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Now, on to other things. You might notice that I added something new to the blog. Over on the right is a weight loss ticker. I'm not talking specfic numbers here, lol, but I do need to lose about 35 more pounds, and my goal is to lose it by my birthday (the end of June). So, I put the ticker up to help keep myself motivated by tracking my progress. I will weigh in once a week and update the ticker!

January 3

2010-01-03T22:13:00.003-06:00

My daughter makes these flowers from tissue paper, and after the holidays I asked her to make some to put in vases on top of my entertainment center. I love that she's so creative. She loves to paint and draw and do any kind of art project. And the flowers are so bright and colorful, how can they not make me happy?

January 3
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

January 2

2010-01-02T18:45:00.003-06:00

January 2
Originally uploaded by Sally Bouley

Can a new mouse bring joy? You bet it can! My old one was driving me crazy. Double clicking when I only wanted to single click, clicking at weird times and places. So I bought a new one. Now it clicks only when and where I want it to. This makes me happy, lol.

January 1...The Joy is in the Journey

2010-01-01T22:46:00.014-06:00

January 1
Originally uploaded by OTR Photography

Today I went to my grandmother's, and as I was driving there, I was thinking about the journey I'm challenging myself to take this year, to find the joy in my everyday life. Just before you turn onto her road, there is this huge hill. When I was a kid, we used to sled down it when it snowed. At the bottom of the hill the road curves to the right and disappears. I thought about the connection of that road and life. Life has ups and downs, twists and turns, and sometimes our path disappears, and we can't see exactly where it's leading. But it's still a journey, and each up and down, twist and turn, builds it's own memories. So today I chose to photograph this road, not only for the happy memories of sledding down it years ago, but also because I'm excited about the journey I'm taking through life. I hope that you are excited about your journey as well, and if you're doing a Project 365 and blogging it, I'd love to see it, so drop me a link in the comments. Here's to a 2010 full of love, laughter, and most of all, joy.

Joy in the Journey
Originally uploaded by OTR Photography

Finding My Joy

2010-01-01T00:00:00.005-06:00

Welcome! You've found your way to my new blog, Joy in 2010. This blog is more personal, and is focussed on my Project 365 and Word for 2010. After a really difficult 2009, which found me spending a lot of my time upset, sad, stressed out, and even depressed, I'm determined to give 2010 a brighter outlook. My word for 2010 is joy. My focus is going to be finding the joy in my life. And my Project 365 is going to reflect that. Each day I will take a photo of something that brings me joy. Now, that may mean that you will end up looking at 350 photos of my daughter and/or dog, and if so, that's ok, because they are wonderful places to find joy in my life. But the only rule I've set for myself is that there are no rules. ANYTHING that crosses my path each day that brings me joy is fair game to be photographed. Now don't get me wrong, I do not expect that there will not be moments when I am not feeling particularly joyful, and that's ok. As long as each day I find ONE thing that brings me joy, I will have succeeded in my goal. I will, of course, post my P365 photos here. I may also post layouts or other projects that I work on. But this blog will also be a place for my personal reflections on the joyful, and not so joyful, times in my life. I hope that by blogging, not only will my friends and family get to know me a little better, but also that I will come to a better understanding of myself. Now that I've rambled on for quite a bit, let me say that I wish each and every one of you a Happy and JOYFUL 2010. Thank you for following along my journey with me!