I love you near and far

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend!  I'm here today to share a recent layout with my favorite blog readers:)

I created this layout a few weeks ago with a pretty, girly Studio Calico kit. I wrote about my feelings as a working mom. The main message I wanted to get across was how much I love my girl--near or far, rain or shine.  I hope that if she reads it when she's a mother, it will remind her that these decisions are not black and white and never easy.

I used lots of girly embellies here, as usual. Not sure what I'll do if I have a boy one day!

I had so much fun playing with the supplies here--the sequins, the plain wood, the textured Thickers, the soft colors....love:)

I love how scrapbooking lets me write to E in the future even though she's so little right now. 

What's one thing YOU wish you could tell someone today?

So Thankful

For this sweet baby

And this handsome guy.

For a happy daddy-daughter relationship (love how her face lights up when he walks in).

For family.

And old, be-yourself-and-laugh-until-it-hurts friends (too many to photograph!)

For pumpkin cinnamon buns (make them--recipe here. Then you'll be thankful too.)

For mommy-daughter dates on Fridays:

(and for Fridays in general).

And for the fact that I get to spend my time with this little face:

On my first Thanksgiving as a mother, I just don't want to forget what it was like before.  I hope she always knows how much she was wanted, and how much she is loved.

Thankful for yesterday--even though it was hard. And for today. And for watching her grow tomorrow.

What are YOU thankful for today?

My heart

I tried to write a light post today (I have so many layouts I finally photographed that I can't wait to share!) but my heart is just not in it.

My heart is far away at the moment. Thousands of miles away.

There are people posting all over facebook, twitter, and the news about the politics involved in the current crisis in Israel.

But I don't want to write about that. Because Israel, for me, is one hundred percent personal, not political. It's a matter of the heart.  Israel is part of my family and in my blood. When good things happen to it, I'm thrilled. When it's under attack, I want to be there myself to be part of it. And the world rises against it, I just want to protect it.  It's the same thing I would do for my own child.

So today, my heart is strained under the sirens and news stories and the lack of understanding. Shabbos is almost here, so I'm looking to find some joy to welcome it. I know this weekend will be filled with so many prayers.

What's on YOUR heart today?

Dear Photograph

Have you seen this book? If you are a scrapbooker, check it out. I read through it while drinking coffee a few weeks ago, and it completely reminded me why I scrapbook.

Photos just take you back in a way that nothing else can.

They remind me of these early days:

and this big day:

And even though it wasn't too long ago, (but it feels like this!), this one:

I love the idea of revisiting the same places to see what has changed.

Have YOU seen this book? If so, what does it make you think of?

Come here....

My baby has now learned how to summon us. Good times:)

There is definitely no shortage of attitude among the Starr ladies, never mind how small!

What's been making YOU laugh lately?

Sandy

As I sit here typing this, I'm still kind of in shock. Other than a serious hurricane in Hawaii when I was in elementary school, I don't think I've ever experienced a disaster this intense.

This tree, snapped like a twig, is only a tiny indication of the tree damage in our area. A house only a few blocks away from us had a tree come straight through the upper floor. 

In the days after the storm, we didn't know the extent of the damage, since we had no power, access to internet, or even cell phone reception. Two days after the storm, our local Dunkin Donuts opened and we spent the day there, warming up in the heat and charging our gadgets.

As I watched the local news there, I was shocked at how bad things were in other areas.

My grandparent's neighborhood was devastated and is still without power, almost two weeks later. Our power is thankfully back, but we have friends still out and another storm is expected to hit today.

Not to mention that Dunkin Donuts was completely out of donuts.  Just to compound the disaster:)

We spent our days trying to stay warm in the house (but cute at the same time!)

And thankfully, my new scented candle obsession came in handy.

Things are still not back to normal (just for one, a utility broke on the New Jersey turnpike last night, causing me a 3 hour commute!) but are hopefully getting better, one day at a time.

In the meantime, I'm so glad I have this blog and Project Life.  This storm reminded me of all the things I take for granted, and I don't want to forget that so easily.

Here's to new beginnings!  Have YOU been affected by Sandy?

Posting with Sandy

I have to say, this storm took me by surprise. I didn't believe all the hype, but it was definitely justified. We are still out of power, trees are down everywhere (including one that fell onto a house nearby), the traffic lights are all out, and there are lines of cars miles long for gas.  My grandparent's area, Manhattan Beach, was hit especially hard and many of the homes were flooded. We are thankful that we are all ok and hoping to have the power (and heat!) back on soon.  

Looking forward to updating you all shortly.