Friends

Lately I've been thinking about trends and friendships.

Those might seem like completely different topics, 

but when most of your friends are in cyber space

they seem one and the same, to me at-least.

Have you felt a change in Blogland?

A disconnect?

I sure have, I also know I have changed,

well at least in term of how I blog and connect with my blog community.

I fully admit I'm a little ashamed of myself.

I've let myself become a bystander to some of my dearest friends. 

I visit blogs only occasionally, and instead of leaving a comment

or simply sending out a friendly "hello",

I PIN! 

Yes, I am ashamed that everyday I pin beautiful inspiring images,

but don't often give a second thought to the artist, mother, and even friend 

who brought something new and lovely into my life.

I've allowed cyberspace to become an interpersonal wasteland,

which is terribly sad because I've know it to be so much more.

Through the years I have been touched so much from the friendships 

I've forged through our connected interest and stories. 

My relationships here have felt just as real as any I have ever known,

and again I am ashamed that I have let myself disconnect. 

Please know I love and cherish my internet community dearly,

and I make a pledge starting now to be a better friend.

So here is to starting a new trend,

to making new friends,

and reconnecting to old and dear ones!

So in other news

I just finished my 5th digi kit for Kitschy Digitals called Once Upon A gypsy.

This kit was a pain in the butt! 

LOL No seriously, it really drove me crazy from day one all the way to the end.

It started with these fortune cards I found that once would have come out of 

one of those mystical machines you might find at a fair or on a pier.

They were the starting point, but you wouldn't believe how 

indecent they were, which shocked me because 

I couldn't help but imagine

 little children trying to understand what the fortune teller foresaw of their future.

Well kids, let's just say it's best kept a secret! 

I debated for so long whether or not I ought to just scrape them, 

but I so loved their quirky generic answers and vibrant old-school printing

that I finally decided to clean them up - literally and figuratively. 

Everything else was just a matter of finding and learning the skills to 

achieve the desired end result. 

So in the end all the headaches and endless hours was so completely worth it 

because I love the way it turned out. 

So now it's time to move on to kit number 6,

and see what headaches and exciting new skills it will require. 

I'm not sure about you, but I both HATE and LOVE learning something new.

A Day Of Dress Up

I've been working on some promotional images 

for a new product line I'm working on for Yo Yo Pretties,

and while these items aren't quite ready to make their debut 

I just couldn't leave these images floating on my desktop a minute longer.

Besides today is my last day as a blond,

so I best share my current look

(minus about an inch of dark roots).

now before you all start saying 

"stay blond" like the rest of my family.

I actually went blond with the intention of going pink

but now with IVF coming up

I want to be my natural color

so that I don't have to mess with colorings

during pregnancy

(CROSSING FINGERS)

If you're just jumping into my blog

this is my dear friend Tara.

Sometimes I'm not sure why she puts up with my crazy antics

but I'm sure glad she does! 

I can't wait to finally get these clips in the shop... 

but unfortunately time is never on my side these days...

but I swear they will be available in just a short 2 weeks.

Normally I do pretty well in front of the camera,

but with Tara and my Mother-in-law in tow

I was a bit too excited and giddy... 

and so most of my pictures were a total disaster. 

But I love this one with my cheesy happy smile!!! 

Thankfully Tara had her act together!

Tara was actually the one who came up with the design for the shoot.

Her AMAZING shoes were the inspiration for the clip design.

I couldn't believe she would trek through the countryside with these beauties.

If they were mine I would certainly be to scared

to even take them out of their box. 

Tie A Bow

Does Rainbow spiral of death mean anything to you?

If you're a Mac user I'm talking about that rainbow icon that pops up

when you've overwhelmed your hard-drive with to many commands too quickly. 

Well that is precisely the state I've been in...

In just the last past week

there has been news of a family members pregnancy, after which I was

blindsided by news that not only is my baby making gear not adequate

but neither is my husbands.

After that I Spent an entire day in the Maternity Ward

holding one of my foster child's parents hand 

because she had no one else to turn to.

Early this week we had our first consultation for IVF 

and just today I am unexpectedly sending our foster baby to his extended family.

I can hear Mrs. Gardiner from Pride and Prejudice saying

"Take care, my love. That savors strongly of bitterness."

In one week my poor emotions have been strung out for everyone to see

and they have been anything but pretty.

Luckily there is a silver lining up ahead!

If all goes well with IVF we will be pregnant by the end of September.

Of coarse there is only a 50% chance it will take

but after three and half years that number doesn't seem quite so scary anymore.

Infertility is an ugly beast

and I sincerely apologize to those of my friends and family

who have been affected by my bitterness and jealousy.

I hope that you will all keep me in your hearts

as my husband and I move towards this next step. 

I know that the next few months will not be easy -

if the hormones don't make me crazy

I know my own anxiety and excitement will!

I just finished this new vintage inspired baby kit 

called Tie A Bow.

I've been working on this silly little kit for over a year,

partly because it was too emotional, but also because I wanted to get every detail just right.

My dear friend Elizabeth, of Creative Breathing

sent me a felt heart years ago that had the words 

"Tie a Bow" embroidered on it.

If you are familiar with Elizabeth

you know that if she sends you a gift it is a rare and most special treasure.

Those three little words chosen especially for me,

 were exactly what I needed to make it through my dark periods.

When the only job I'd ever wanted in this life has been to be a mother

it was hard to stay focused on what amazing gifts I possessed

and that despite not having babies I still needed to live my life.

So that is exactly what I've tried to do,

and there have been wonderful and unexpected blessings

and roads that have made me grow as a person and even as a mother along the way.

If not for infertility we would have certainly not become foster parents

and while today I may want to very much throw in that towel,

foster care has blessed us and taught us so much more than I could have ever imagined.

I'm sure I have a few friends out there who have their own tales of infertility.

If you've been down the road of IVF 

you know how scary and overwhelming the process is.

It's always nice to know you're not alone,

that is party why I share so much about our personal lives

here in blogland.

I felt so sorry for myself going into that appointment,

but after walking down the halls 

where easily thousands of pictures lined the walls

I realized I was just one of many who have gone down this road,

and it gave me hope!

- on a side note, you may notice that my Tie A Bow kit is used as part of my blog design.

All my kits are available for "personal" blog use. 

Of coarse there are rules - 

you can not use them in any way to promote any commercial endeavors,

such as to promote your products, or if you make money through your blog 

via advertising or what not.

but if you think your blog may need a little love 

and along the way you fall in love with one of my kits 

 feel free to send me a note 

and I would be happy to send you a copy of the terms of usage

if the concept of "personal usage" is a bit confusing to you. 

Also the top HOPE page incorporates digi goodies from my next upcoming kit

I'm calling Once Upon A Gypsy.

Should be ready before the end of the month :D 

Stitching around edge is from Minitoko

who is also a Kitschy Digitals designer!

Raggedy Ann Party

Time flies by so fast

and with all the change our little home sees

I'm ever so grateful for the moments forever captured 

with those tiny squares of color called pixels.

I think some 15 kids have been welcomed in to our home thus far -

some leaving a bigger mark on our lives than others.

This little doll is one such little soul that I will NEVER EVER forget,

and I was so excited that just yesterday we got a very special little visitor!

Typically I can't share my kiddos faces here,

but this little gal's momma gave her blessing!

We are so so proud of this momma,

and feel very blessed that we have been able to piece together a friendship

were in the world of foster care 

things are sadly usually anything but friendly.

As with most cases,

children leave just as quickly as they come

so it's difficult to get the opportunity to both say goodbye

and most importantly to celebrate their next chapter.

So lately I've been collecting and working on little party ideas

 that are both uniquely special to each child in our home 

but also easy to throw together at a moments notice. 

I used some of the paper dolls for my Freebie 

Raggedy Ann and Andy Digi Kit

available for instant download at Kitschy Digitals

to create a quick and easy little banner.

I've been collecting Raggedy Ann items for a while now,

(although strangely I don't have a single doll)

so it was fun to see all my little treasures together like this.

I quickly pieced together the wig 

using diy instructions from A Beautiful Mess

it took a bit longer than I anticipated

 so I was glad to find a bonnet in the

dress-up box to cover the back of her head.

I believe I painted each child's face at least 3 times!

The more I dive into motherhood the more I see myself

as a "suzy Homemaker" 

and that is especially true in the kitchen.

I was so excited when I finished this cake!

(no box and double layered!)

Sadly it didn't save me a bit of money

which was the initial idea,

but it did seem to make it extra special.

Don't you just love those Raggedy Ann and Andy flower picks!?

I really didn't buy anything for this party

except for the food and a few balloons. 

If you're anything like me you just have stuff!!!

So I just borrowed from room to room

until I had my fold out table perfectly festive.

That's one of the keys to throwing a quick party I think

Just go all out in one area,

decorating the entire house is too much work,

I mean come on it's hard enough to have the house itself clean.

Isn't this vintage 80's record just too fun!?

So far none of my kids are really into my record collection

they are too "cool" I guess.

Although it may just be a volume issue -

we really need to get some type of an amplifier 

so that the kids can really feel the music.

This little doll filled our lives with so much joy and laughter

and while we would have selfishly kept her forever

we are so happy that she is home

where she truly belongs!

"We must all have all the fun we can together!"

- Raggedy Andy

A Special Gift

I'm really fortunate to have such amazing friends,

most I have never personally met,

and others whom I would have never met had we not found one another 

through the internet.

The world internet is so perfectly suiting -

Just as the word implies, we throw out a net to find answers to our questions, 

uses for our time, and most significantly we find kindred spirits. 

My friend Tara is one such spirit. 

Perhaps our paths may have crossed, 

but would we be the friends we are today if we hadn't first 

gotten to really know one another from afar?

Our personalities are so wildly different 

that I'm not sure we would have hit it off 

had we not had those months of long intimate e-mails. 

Although we have only met now a hand full of times

I feel as if we have always been friends,

and I count her among the blessing in my life,

 and would gladly and without hesitation be at her side

 at a moments notice if ever she needed me. 

(Tara modeling a new Yo Yo Pretties creation - more about this coming soon)

Tara and I have a bit of a history of sending each other special little gifts. 

It's fun to put a little something special together for someone you really care about,

so when I finished my Qtea Party digi kit 

I just knew I had to make something up for Tara

as she's the only person I know who really appreciates a good cup of tea.

For me on the other hand it's all make believe,

although I have recently fallen in love 

(in a bad way)

with Monster Energy's, Raspberry Peace Tea. 

I purchased a sample pack of tea from Celia Linnemann of

 Portland, OR 

from her etsy shop - Kyra Botanica

The sample pack of 3 was the perfect way to fill these little canister

 I picked up from World's Market for .99 cents each.

I designed the labels and printed them out on my home printer

then wrapped each label in cellophane to help them last.

I then used E600 glue to attach heart shaped cabochons to the tops of the canisters. 

Isn't this little strawberry tea cup just darling!?

I found it at Ruche - an online retail shop

(much like Anthropologie)

Even if you don't have any computer skills or software

you can easily print out the tea tags

for embellishing your gifts or for making party banners or what not. 

Digi kits are a great way to make packaging extra special!

I'm not sure if Tara will ever have use for all these sugar cubes,

but I just could help myself... 

One of the things that makes Kitschy Digitals extra sweet 

(-especially for this busy girl who doesn't get the opportunity to craft 

and scrapbook quite as much as I would like)

is the Creative Design Team.

These lucky artist get the first opportunity to play with our new kits. 

I practically sprung out of my chair with excitement when I first saw 

these amazing recipe cards done up by artist and blogger Marie Lottermoser

of a Stitch in Time

It's such an absolute treat and thrill to see other's inspired creations using our kits!

So please do share if you yourself get inspired 

- you can e-mail me at redchelseann (at) gmail.com