Posted on July 5, 2010 by crazydaisy
Do you ever feel so tired you can’t really think about anything but being tired? That’s me right now. I’m tired. Note the tired eyes in the picture above. I went to bed before fireworks …. that’s how tired I’ve been.
I’m finally home and get to stay put for at least three weeks. I’m relishing the thought of not packing a suitcase, boarding an airplane or toting a backpack for three whole weeks. The hubbs keeps telling me “Chin up. At least we bot have good jobs. We shouldn’t complain.” And he’s right. I’m just so tired.
So, my attempt to make it back to the States before the Fourth of July was thwarted. I flew from Copenhagen to Prague and then … missed my connection to Atlanta. The very nice ladies at Czech Airlines tried to help me get home, since there’s no Delta counter in the Prague airport, but their help just seemed to make things worse!
I ended up boarding a plane to Frankfurt. Hung out in the Frankfurt airport while Germany was winning its game in the World Cup. Then I went to Chicago, where I was suppose to be able to meet with a Delta agent and get a flight home to Arizona that night (July 3). Too bad every single stinking person who works for Delta had gone home by the time I landed in Chicago. And so, I had to spend the night in Chicago. It’s almost worse to make it so close to home, but not quite get there. On the morning of the 4th I was able to find a flight, get a ticket and travel to Arizona all before lunch time.
If all of this wasn’t bad enough … the train I took to Copenhagen from Aarhus, Denmark didn’t have working air conditioning. It was 95 degrees inside the train for the 3 and 1/2 hour train ride. I thought I was going to melt away. It was miserable.
Oh and I mention I “lost” my passport in the Copenhagen airport? I left it in a shop where I had purchased a bracelet and only realized I didn’t have it moments before I was suppose to board my plane. I had to run through the airport, find my passport and run back to my gate before my plane left without me. This was seriously the WORST travel experience I’ve had in a very long time.
Meanwhile, while this is all happening … my husband hatched a plan to throw me a “Welcome Home” (and 4th of July) party. I travel a lot, so I don’t get welcome home parties much. We’d be having them all the time if that was the case. But since I was having such a cruddy time trying to get home, he planned a little surprise party. He let Shelby pick out all sorts of very cheesy decorations (steamers, balloons, party hats, flags galore, etc.) at Party City and they covered the house in 4th of July goodness. It was such a sweet idea and it made my weekend.
The best part? A huge sign that said “Welcome Home Mom.” The sign was all Shelby’s idea. And with the help of Daddy .. .she created it and hung it in out kitchen (it’s still up there and I smile each time I walk into the kitchen).
Even in the worst of moments, life isn’t all that bad. I did make it home. I did get to celebrate the Fourth of July with my family. And I know without a doubt I am loved by some very wonderful people.
Posted in Crazy Daisy Kit Co.
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Tagged Crazy Daisy Kit Co., crazy daisy kits, Family, Fourth of July, ideas, Kimberly, scrapbooking, story, What's New
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1 Comment
Posted on May 18, 2010 by crazydaisy
Procrastinator.
Lazy.
Tired.
Unmotivated.
I’ve been home from Brazil for little over a week now and I’m having the hardest time getting back into the swing of things. I haven’t been feeling my best, which only complicates matters … but I have way too much to get done and feeling so unmotivated is putting a serious cramp in my productivity.
So what’s new? I cut my hair. I chopped off about four inches. I was tired of dealing with it and wanted a change. So chop. My daughter also got her hair cut (see photo above). She usually is highly adverse to getting her hair cut. Trims are even too much for her. She loudly proclaims, “I just want it blond mom.” Umm, it is Shelby. But for some reason on this outing she told me she wanted her hair cut, gasp, short. So, we went with a shoulder length bob. It looks adorable.
Cooper is getting bigger by the moment. Seriously, I don’t remember Shelby growing up this fast. I love, love, love my little boy. He’s just so sweet. He has started to reach out for me and wraps his chubby little arms around my neck. I love to nuzzle him and drink in everything about him. He’s on the verge of walking and he doesn’t stay still all day long.
With the weather so fabulous here in Arizona, my hubby has been motivated to work on our backyard. Last weekend alone he and Shelby planted some new trees (including a peach tree), tomatoes and lots of pretty plants and flowers. He trimmed our wild Oleanders and beautified our planters with red mulch. Our backyard is starting to look good! As soon as I’m more motivated, I’ll share some photos.
So, what am I actually motivated to do? This.
I even packed up my supplies with me and brought them to my favorite Starbucks (the place I like to work during the day when I need to get out of the house and REALLY focus).
Onto some Crazy Daisy news … Jennifer has been working her little heart out planning kits for the rest of the year. There are some fun things planned for the remainder of the year and I can’t wait to show you little peeks. We’re also planning lots of fun giveaways … this is going to be our Summer of Giveaways, so stay tuned for more information .
Here’s a little (very little) peek of what is planned for June. I love this kit and I’m sure you will too.
Happy Tuesday! Let’s cross our fingers I get out of my funk!
Posted in Crazy Daisy Kit Co.
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Tagged Cooper, crazy daisy kit club, Crazy Daisy Kit Co., Family, ideas, June 2010 Sneak Peek, Kimberly, life, Scrpbooking, shelby, Summer of Giveaways, What's New
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3 Comments
Posted on April 30, 2010 by crazydaisy
Hello there.
It’s me. I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off (this reminds me of a funny story about my mom, but I’ll have to save that for later).
I leave for Brazil tomorrow and I’m in the final stages of getting everything ready. Since I’m the mama … I feel the need to make sure everything in my house is in order before I walk out the door.
Laundry must done.
Groceries for the week purchased.
Mid-week field trips prepped for (Shelby has an overnight camping trip next week, yikes. So I have to get her packed for that and make sure our nanny can watch the little one while daddy camps with the big one … see what I mean about crazy).
Birthday party presents wrapped (Shelby is oh so popular and has lots of parties to attend!).
Fish food secured (poor fish hasn’t eaten in a week).
And the list goes on. And on. And on … it’s a lot to remember. And I pride myself on remembering it all and getting it all done. I might go nuts, but it all will be done.
As I was driving Shelby to school this morning, she said to me, “Mom, I can’t wait until we get to relax. I can’t wait until we get just one day where there is no school or no work.” She went on to talk about a vacation she is planning (in her head) that will take our family to Hawaii. I sure like the way my little girl thinks. I’m ready for that day too. But in the meantime, I’m a smart, resourceful girl … so I’ll make it through the crazy. I got the following thought in my email box this morning and thought it was oh so appropriate for me at just this moment.
Even with all the craziness, I’m reminded how much I love my life and how grateful I am to have such a wonderful and full life. There’s lots of people who have never even been on an airplane and here I am traveling around the globe and taking my kids with me most of the time. … how cool is that?
As I was shopping for Shelby’s class earlier this week I was thinking about how everyone and every parent is different … and that’s okay. I might not help in Shelby’s class every week, but I do what I can, when I can. Each person has a different story. Each family has a different dynamic. When I look at my kids and see how smart and happy they are …. I know that our way is just right for us.
Have a wonderful weekend. Scrap your little hearts out for National Scrapbooking Day. I’m going to do some digi layouts and share them … hopefully I can post them while I wait for my connection to Rio in Atlanta. Otherwise, I’ll share them with you all as soon as I land in Rio. I’ll be checking in next week with pictures from Rio. And of course … the May Kits will be up tomorrow.
Hope your life is as CRAZY fun and happy as mine!
Posted in Crazy Daisy Kit Co.
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Tagged chaos, crazy daisy kits, Crazy Dasiy, Family, Kimberly, memories, Rio
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4 Comments
Posted on April 26, 2010 by crazydaisy
1. Creative Escape 2010
Last year Jennifer and I were lucky enough to be picked to attend Creative Escape.It was an awesome experience. Loved all of the creative inspiration and left feeling super motivated to craft. Creative Escape 2010 isn’t until the end of August, but I can’t stop thinking abou the fun in store for us. Personally, I’m looking forward to Claudine Hellmuth’s class. I have every book she’s written. I love her style. And I’m in awe of creativity. I can’t wait to be in the same room with her and learn some of her cool techniques. I’m also excited to have the opportunity to take a class from the amazing Jessica Sprague.I’m taking one of Jessica’s self-paced digi classes right now, and it will be cool to meet her in person and get some digi tips.
2. Cooper Walking
I know. I shouldn’t want my little boy to grow up any faster than he already is. But. He’s so close to walking and I love the walking phase. I can’t wait to see him chase his sister or our dog. right now, he’s really into holding onto my hands and walking around the house. It’s just so precious. I had forgotten how much I love this age. Everything is exciting to Cooper and it makes my life that much more exciting.
3. Books
If you know me well, you know that I’ve been a bit of a bookworm all my life. For as long as I can remember I have lost myself in books. However, life has been busy for me. The last few years have been a blur. I haven’t had a chance to read as much as I’d like. But I seem to have found more balance and I am SOlooking forward to tackling the stack of books that has been growing on my nightstand. Among the offerings?
“The Last Time I saw You,” by Elizabeth Berg
“The Girl Who Played with Fire,” by Stieg Larsson
“Three Cups of Tea,” by Greg Mortenson
“The How of Happiness: A New Approach to Getting the Life You Want,” by Sonja Lyumbomirsky
4. San Diego Marathon
I’m walking the San Diego marathon. So is Jennifer. We have been walking our little hearts out for months now. The race is in June and we are going to squeeze in a trip to Sea World while there … so I’m not sure which I’m more excited for! No matter what, all of this walking has been good for me. I have dropped 4 pant sizes since having Cooper a year ago and 60ish pounds. I had a much better post-baby weight loss experience this time … and that’s worth cheering for!
Posted in Scrapbooking Inspiration
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Tagged 4 things, claudine hellmuth, Cooper, Creative Escape, Family, looking forward
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5 Comments
Posted on April 6, 2010 by crazydaisy
Hello world! I’ve missed you.
I apologize for not posting sooner. I have a good excuse. Life has been beyond nuts. As our week long vacation to Disneyland was coming to an end, my little baby boy got sick. Very sick. So sick we had to take him to the hospital straight from the airport and he was admitted …
It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch my baby be poked and prodded. He screamed. He kicked his little arms and legs. He would look at me with the most pitiful look that seemed to say, “Why aren’t you helping me mama?”
That’s my little guy hanging out in the ER. Notice the thumb sucking? He’s my little thumb sucker. He never wanted a binkie, he has always preferred his thumb. As we waited for doctors to decide what to do, Coop slept a little bit. It was one of the rare moments the staff wasn’t bothering him, so he was able to rest. My poor husband had to endure the worst of it, as I started to cry around the 3rd attempt to get an IV in. It took 5 tries total to get his IV in since he was so dehydrated. His little veins were so dry that when they did find a vein on his chubby body, it would collapse. They had to poke him a few more times after that to draw blood … so he was stuck by 7 different nurses and each of them stuck him a couple of times. There were chest x-rays, ultrasounds, temperature checks … a long night of little sleep and one fussy baby.
Horrible. Just plain horrible. I was the only one who could calm him down. Babies want their mamas when they are sick or hurt. So I spent most of the night holding Cooper and loving on him. To say I was scared would be an understatement. I knew I loved this little guy, but this experience made me realize that I love him more than anything in this world and would do anything to protect him and keep him safe. If I could have been the sick one and spared Cooper of all this pain, I would have. He’s such a sweet little soul, which makes it even harder to see him in such pain. No one deserves that, especially not Cooper.
Cooper ended up spending his first birthday in the hospital. Not exactly what we had planned. He missed his own party! However, I am so grateful we have great health insurance and access to the best care possible. The folks at UMC took wonderful care of Cooper and even helped make his 1st birthday extra special. At one point, the entire pediatric staff came into his room and sang happy birthday to him. They brought him cake, balloons and even wrapped presents. Our nanny had made Cooper the most wonderful and elaborate birthday cake, and brought it by the hospital too … along with good cheer and love for our sicky.
In the end, it was a very bad stomache bug that hit Cooper. All the vomitting, diahria and high fever had beaten up on his little body. We were able to take him home and he slept the final hours of his birthday in his own crib.
P.S. Disneyland was great. We discovered Shelby is a MAJORthrill seeker. She loved all the roller coasters the best. Because we had a baby, she got to take advantage of Disney’s passenger switch policy and ride every ride twice … once with daddy and then again with mama. How’s that for cool? We’re glad we waited until Shelby was five to take her to Disneyland. She was tall enough to ride every ride and really enjoyed the experience. It was a thrill to see how much pleasure the whole trip brought her from hanging out in the hotel and shopping to riding rides and seeing her favorite characters. Disneyland is so much better with kids!
Posted in Crazy Daisy Kit Co.
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Tagged Cooper, Crazy Daisy Kit Co., Disneyland, Family, family time, life, scrapbooking, shelby, Sick, sick baby, vacation
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5 Comments
Posted on March 1, 2010 by crazydaisy
It’s Monday. And we’re spending a little time with family. I had to go back to Los Angeles to pick up my passport and visa from the Brazilian Consulate, so I thought we’d make a family trip of it.
I loaded Shelby and Cooper in the car and we embarked on a road trip from one desert to another. Shelby is a road trip pro. Cooper … well, he’s 11 months old. Need I say more? He’s wiggly. He needs help eating. I can’t give him a DVD player and have it entertain him for 8 hours. Luckily, Shelby is a pro at entertaining her little brother. And she’s also quite helpful when it come to bottles and snack time. I’m super lucky to have such a capable helper.
First stop on our little journey? Las Vegas. Mike (my hubby) came with us for this leg of the trip and we dropped him off with his best friend Arnold. Mike and Arnold have been friends forever, and sadly we just found out Arnold has cancer. He’s a great guy and the father of four kids. Mike wanted to be close to Arnold as he finds out what exactly to expect. We are so blessed to have wonderful friends in our lives and Arnold makes the top of our wonderful friend list. We are saying lots of prayers for him right now and hoping for the best.
I headed on to California (where I grew up and Jennifer still lives) to see my mother. Two of my brothers all stopped n to see us, which is wonderful. They live pretty close to my mom, so it was the perfect chance for some of us kiddos to get together. Everyone likes to see us right now … Cooper does that for us. He has increased our value 1000 percent with his chubby cheeks, toothy smile and warm snuggles. Everyone loves a baby, right.
I’m so grateful for family time. At the end of the day, there is nothing better. I appreciate the opportunities I have to spend with my family … especially since I have such a full and busy life. What a blessing they are to me. From my husband and kids to my parents and siblings, my family adds so much richness and joy to my life.
Tonight we’re headed to Jennifer’s house (there’s the “Bachelor” finale to watch), and then tomorrow it will be working on packing up all the March kits and visiting the Brazilian Consulate. It’s been a crazy fast trip … but a good one. And it was especially nice for my kiddos to visit with their Grandparents, Aunt and Uncles. These are the moments worth remembering and sharing through scrapbooking.
Posted in Crazy Daisy Kit Co.
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Tagged blessings, Family, ideas, Monday Musings, scrapbooking
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Posted on January 22, 2010 by crazydaisy
My litle boy is growing up so fast. I can’t believe he’ll be 10 months old soon. I was pretty sure I wasn’t cut out to be a mom to a boy. I had gotten used to having a girl, since my oldest is a girl and there is 5 years between my kids. I have been amazed at how easy it has been to adapt to having a boy and a new addition to our family.
This is a time in my life I never want to forget. My children are healthy and happy. My husband is doing amazing things with his family’s business. And I have the opportunity to both travel and be involved in a creative business with my best girl friend. How awesome is that.
This doesn’t have much to do with Crazy Daisy … other than I’m one half of Crazy Daisy and I have been reminded a lot lately of how blessed and lucky I am.
I’m grateful to see the goodness in the world. To watch my adorable baby boy grow. To laugh at the silliness of my very grown up five year old. To hold my husband’s hand as we watch movies or watch our kiddos. Life isn’t so bad. Actually, it’s great.
Here’s hoping you have a wonderful Friday. a fabulous weekend. And you take the time to find the goodness in your life. It’s there. Just stop for a moment and look.
Posted in Scrapbooking Inspiration
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Tagged Crazy Daisy Kit Co., Family, ideas, inspiration, Kimberly, scrapbooking
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2 Comments
Posted on January 14, 2010 by crazydaisy
I would classify myself as a searcher. I’m always looking for things that inspire me, move me, motivate me … I read a lot of books. I visit countless web sites. I listen to just about any podcast I can get my hands on. But I had an epiphany this morning. I’m searching too hard. The things that really inspire me are with me all the time. The colors I see. The stories I hear. And most of all the people I love.
This last weekend my daughter was taking a shower. Showers for her are a very elborate process. She can play in the shower for hours if I let her. She has such a fantastic imagination and I always see it at work when she’s playing make believe in the shower. Maybe it’s because she doesn’t realize anyone is watching (or listening), but for whatever reason she just lets go and has fun. I walked into the bathroom this last weekend, toting my baby boy (Cooper) with me. I set him on the floor while I brushed my teeth; Cooper could hear Shelby in the shower and scooted over to the shower attempting to get a better look. He was enthralled by what was going on in there. As I picked him up and started to leave the bathroom he got super upset. He didn’t want to leave his sister.
I put him back on the floor and watch him scoot back over the shower to attempt to open the shower door. I asked my little guy if he wanted to get in the shower and as if he really understood me he smiled and started pumping his chubby little arms in excitement. I was pretty busy at that moment, but I threw caution and schedules to the wind. I stripped both Cooper and myself down and we joined Shelby in the shower. You should have seen the pure glee both Shelby and Cooper experienced as they played together under the gentle “rainfall” of the shower.
These two amazing little people inspire me. Their love of live inspires me. Their love for each other inspires me. Their fearlessness inspires me. I never want to forget what it was like to watch them together, playing in the steamy shower and simply enjoying each other. I want to tell their story.
This morning, as I was feeling a little overwhelmed with life, I reminded myself of our shower moment and tried to focus on the little thing in this world that inspire me; add joy to my world; and bring me peace. Yesterday that little thing was a box of cupcakes. It’s amazing what a $3 cupcake can fix! I ordered two dozen fancy cupcakes to be delivered to one of my customers. They’ve had a rough go at it as of late and just needed a little pick me up. You should have seen the joy on their faces as they partook of these yummy treats. Who knew all it would take was a cupcake. Find the joy.
Posted in Scrapbooking Inspiration
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Tagged Crazy Daisy Kit Co., Family, ideas, inspiration, kit clubs, scrapbooking, searching, stories
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Posted on August 18, 2009 by crazydaisy
My sweet little girl started kindergarten yesterday. I’ve been riding a wave of emotions for the last few weeks. I’m certainly excited for her, but I’m also so sad. Where did all the time go? I seriously feel like it was just yesterday that I was holding her in my arms at the hospital and she was looking up at me with those big blue eyes. She was so little, so precious and just so sweet. And then I wake up one day and five years have passed.
I’ve been surprised at how emotional I’ve been over this transition. Shelby is extremely independent. She’s been going to preschool for years now. And for my “real” job I travel quite a bit and have had to spend time away from her countless times. We’ve adjusted to life as we know it and Shelby is totally comfortable talking on the phone with me each night no matter where I’m at in the world or video chatting with me online. That’s just how our life works. So, I shouldn’t be so sad to send her to kindergarten, right? I guess it’s not so much that she’s away from me during the day, it’s really what it represents: my first born is growing up. In a blink of an eye, I’ll be dropping her off at college. I’m not ready for this.
This is one of the main reasons I scrapbook. I don’t want to be 60-years-old an unable to remember what Shelby looked like on her first day of kindergarten. I don’t want to forget how I felt sending her off to school. I want to be able to recall what she said after she returned home on Day 1. I want to record our story and save it forever.
Why are you scrapbooking today?
Posted in Scrapbooking Inspiration
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Tagged Crazy Daisy Kit Co., Family, journaling, kindergaten, memories, recording memories, scrapbooking, scrapbooking kit clubs
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2 Comments
Posted on April 4, 2009 by crazydaisy
The Crazy Daisy family just got a little bigger!
I went to the hospital earlier today and now my little boy is here. Cooper arrived at 5:58 p.m. (PST) weighing in at 7 pounds and 11 ounces. He’s 19 1/4 inches long. He’s such an adorable little boy and already love by many. He’s alert and so aware of everything around him. His big sister came to meet him and already I can tell you those two are gonna be quite the duo.
Time for mama to rest. I can’t wait to scrap my little Cooper. Hope everyone is having a wonderful day … I know I am!
-Kimberly
Posted in Crazy Daisy Kit Co.
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Tagged Cooper, Crazy Daisy Kit Co., Family, new baby, scrapbooking
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3 Comments
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