special delivery

the thing about moving is that it affords you the opportunity to purge. i have the tendency to collect things, and this goes in spurts. apparently over the years i have "collected" many, many blankets. with all the snow and cold weather we've gotten lately, stephan and i thought it would be cool to find special homes for each of the blankets. namely with some of denver's homeless. (not to mention the opportunity to show the boys how fortunate they really are, and teach them to be charitable.) so tonight we all piled into the van and drove to downtown. we really didn't have a specific place in mind...probably should have looked up a few homeless shelters beforehand...but we didn't think that far ahead - live and learn. now let me tell ya, tonight was flippin' FREEZING!!! as a result, there really weren't any homeless to be found on the streets (fortunately!). this led us to drive around until we could find a homeless shelter, which, eventually, we did. we did encounter one man digging through the trash, so stephan pulled over and asked him if he needed a blanket or two. he was more worried that he was taking away from our kids, which we assured him was NOT the case. so he took two blankets. one to sleep with, and one to make into a poncho - smart! the rest found good homes with people at a shelter in a church. it took us a while, but with determination, persistence and a bit of aimless driving we were led to where the blankets needed to be. all was right in our world! of course i didn't miss the opportunity to get a few stellar pics of denver...come on, would you??

take a stroll with me...

down memory lane (the shock value of some of these pics is extreme...be warned!)

picture 1: i'm happy to report that my sister's eyes did get back to normal. in fact she is quite attractive now! i think it was the effect of the man-eating green carpet.

picture 2: so i think the reason i have this creepy little smile on my face is i was getting ready to goose that cute boy with the rad hair!

picture 3: thankfully my legs weren't split in two by my pulling my shorts up to my neck. and yes, i am officially out of my "orphan annie" hair stage. whew. we can all sleep a little easier!

picture 4: i've always had a flair for the dramatic. this was the first play i was in in high school...sophomore year. i played a silent film actress with an obnoxious voice. fun.

picture 5: ah yes. i've saved the best for last. this is me and my date off to the Christmas dance. dude, i had the freakin' hugest crush on that guy. david lee. i was a sophomore, he was a senior. don't judge me too harshly on the hair, or dress for that matter. it was 1988...need i say more?

gorgeous little moments

it's moments like these...everyday snapshots of life. things that you tend to look past because, well, you see them everyday and they have become part of the backdrop of life. but, you know, as i look back through my pictures, it's the ones that have captured this backdrop that are the most interesting to me. i suspect i'm not the only one. so as you look around you notice, really notice these gorgeous little moments that surround you. talk about looking at things through new eyes...it's so refreshing! of course, i'll take it a step further and scrapbook these moments. i mean, come on, that's what i do!

enjoy your own gorgeous little moments!

dreaming while awake....

this is something i do a lot. in many different forms. one of those is my illustrated journal. it's a place that i put any and all ideas i come across in magazines. i also make notes and date each page. that way when i go back and look through it i can see how my tastes might have changed, or if something is really "speaking" to me. i find that to be the case a lot because i see many reaccuring themes. it's really one of my favorite unwinding activities, and something that has helped me to evolve my own style. i have almost filled my first notebook. it's taken two years because i go in spurts with it. lately though, i've been fillin' it like mad!














































i strongly urge anyone to do this. it's so wonderful, freeing, creatively delicious, and most satisfying. not to mention how my scrapbooks, home and fashion has benefited. truly, try this...i promise you'll have fun!!!
sweet dreams!

revamp, rev-up, overhaul

my car? no. me! it's not all bad, in fact by most people's standards it's not bad at all. however, when buttoning the jeans in the morning i have to pull just a little more than i would like. and, yes, i am 33 and feel age setting in. mainly in my left knee. i refuse, absolutely refuse to become a bitter, whining, pathetic, bag of a woman! refuse i tell you! so we go to what has been tried and true...Tae Bo. ah yes, Billy and i go way back. he once kicked my sorry butt into a puney size 2! HA! i'm telling ya, Tae Bo works it out. all out. you lose weight and inches in places you didn't know you had places. perfect for me at this point in my life. perhaps it's a bit of an early mid-life crisis, or maybe it's the voices inside that are playing havoc with my confidence. either way, it's not all bad because it's motivated me to take action. so last night i put in one of the dvd's and went to work. i had to navigate around a busy three year old and a dog who wanted the tennis balls i had in my hands. why tennis balls you ask...well, you are supposed to use smallish exerisize balls but after moving a couple thousand times i only have one of said balls left. go figure. so with every punch or lift of my arms sammy's head would sway to and fro, complete with pathetic puppy dog eyes. not to worry though, he was rewarded at the end of the workout with his tennis balls. all was right in his world again.
i'll let you know how it's going. i'm hoping that by putting this...goal, declaration, ambition, whatever you want to call it, on this blog it will be further motivation for me not to quit on myself. i need all the mojo i can get. so, dear void, send me that all too precious mojo!!!!!

pure and simple things

are the essence of a great life! my computer frustrations didn't end as i thought they would. no. it's kind of snowballing into a long freakin' process. undeleting things is not as easy as it sounds. especially when you've deleted A LOT and what you've deleted isn't labeled very well. sigh. during the day this process is especially long due to the fact that i have a demanding 3 year old who thinks i am only here to serve his needs. so, deep breath. ahhh...it's all good.
after yesterday you better believe i needed my nightly CSI fix. don't you just love "on demand"? it is divine. i haven't gotten into CSI: Miami. but i'm ALL about CSI: NY and CSI. it is one of the most brilliant shows of all time. now, i'm a realist. i know that most crimes out there aren't handled the way they are on the show. the expense alone is astronomical. however, the technology is a bit mind boggeling. and i am always secretly hoping Grissam will have a hot love affair with SOMEONE. ANYONE. come on! i guess that's part of his allure. and Gary Sinise just keeps getting hotter. actually most of the guys on the CSI: NY cast are delicious. no? dang, i would love to be a csi agent. it's right up there with my Nancy Drew dream. i would rock a mystery! i've got all the proper pensive looks down pat! i have many different dreams that keep me going sometimes. some, i will admit, are a little "out there". that is the beauty of dreaming though. pure and simple things. the stuff of this mystery gals life!

"OH MY...WHAT TH'...HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN...WHAT DID I DO???"

is what i was saying to myself this morning! why? well, it started off well-intentioned enough. i wanted to clear some space on the ye olde computer (and i do mean ye olde) to make it run faster. i know pictures take up a lot of space, so thought i, since most of my pics are on Adobe Elements why not get rid of the files in the computer. smart enough, right? now, let me pause to say that in my head this morning, i thought it was bloody brilliant. i was really quite
proud of my endeavor. back-patting, the whole bit. anyhow, i deleted the jpeg files, then to take it a step further i cleaned out my recycle bin. after all, if i wanted my computer to run faster i should get rid of the files COMPLETELY. again, a brilliant thought, to me, anyway. so after doing this i go back into Adobe to backup my recent picture downloads onto a CD. hmmm. what's this? why is it "searching" for the files. they're right here. surely i clicked on a wrong key somewhere. okay, let's try this again...uhhh...ummm...(heart beat is quickening. breathing faster. palms sweating). oh sh#$! what did i do???? this can't be true! you're telling me that the files need to be on the computer in order for me to do anything with my pics?????!!!! NO. i won't accept it as truth. okay, so after 10 minutes of frantic searching i finally accept the cold, hard, brutal truth. i have made a grave mistake. perhaps even an un-do-able mistake. quick, think of someone who is computer savvy who can get you out of this one kim... i've got it, my sister-in-law.

fast forward 5 or 6 hours later: i have caved into buying one of those "undelete" software programs for thirty bucks. i need those freakin' pictures back. i mean, some of them are "ansel adam-esque". so far, i think there is light at the end of the tunnel. it's a long process to get them back, but i think i can. yes. all is right in my world again. deep breath. a crack of a smile. okay...so i am allowed to make an incredibly dumb mistake once in a while, right? it's all good.

and because i have a hard time posting without having a pic. here you go. it's not too recent, but it's kind of how i feel right now. content and even a bit giddy at how the day has turned out!

Christmas day!!!! :)

Mom and sis arrived yesterday...Christmas day! Sister leaves today :( SADLY!

And here I am with my girlies...Christmas day. We had such an awesome day, truly a blessed day.

I am so thankful for everything, but mostly thankful that my mamma and jade sista could fly in for Christmas!

Thankful, thankful, thankful! :)

More posting later!

I am a slacker...

Yes, I am a slacker blogger. But I have good reason!! I do! I have moved to yet another state. Colorado. Hubby got moved to a new account here, and his family is here, and well, we've wanted to come back to CO since forever, so...here we are. We found out, and within a month had to be out here. Crazy fast doesn't even begin to describe it. What's life without some adventure, right? This family wouldn't know what to do without it.

On a lighter note, we are in a HOUSE!!! So completely awesome, lemme tell ya. I have a large space in which to scrap, create, whatnot. Well, here, let me show you:

It's fabulous, no? I love it, and it has proved to be a very inspirational place indeed. I have been crackin' out some great scrapbooks ;) Let's see, other than that things have been good. I like it here in Aurora. It's not the Springs, but it's Colorado nonetheless. We've gotten some snow since we've been here - cool. I've been able to wear my sweaters, yay for that! I love my sweaters.

Christmas prep is, well, coming along I guess. I'm not very good at having all the shopping done before, well, the 23rd-ish. I'm doing my best, but it's hard to get motivated. We got our tree last weekend. Got it up. It fell once on my mother-in-law. Drama. Wouldn't be a holiday without drama. It's a 9 1/2 footer. It freakin' rocks!! Here, let me show you:

It's only partially decorated in this pic. Now, well, let's just say it would take your breath away! So things are coming along. Slooowwwly coming along.

Mom and sis get here on the 21st. I'm pretty stoked about that! I get to show my house off, and have lots of peeps in the house for the holiday, and bake, and sip hot cocoa, and, oh so much more.

Well, that's all I have for now. The merriest to you and yours!

my creative process...

when it's quiet, and i am alone with my thoughts, my mind races. it races from one concept, to another idea, to a scrap page, to a collage card, to a great shot i could capture. the passion and excitement fill me and my hands are jealous of all the fun my mind is having. they can't wait to go back to my creative spot and be let loose! where will they begin? what project gets first dibs? it's anyone's guess. i'll fill pages of random notebooks and scrap paper with these ideas. all so grand in concept!
finally a quiet moment finds me and i go to my creative spot. i sit and look at my supplies. hmm. i thumb through pictures i've taken. hmm. i grab the latest magazine i've marked up. hmm. suddenly my hands don't know where to begin, or even how. curious. my mind tries to lend a hand, but there is another conversation brewing there: how long will this quiet session last? do i have enough time to complete a project? will i be interrupted and then lose my focus and mojo? will i have to leave my project to tend to a child, dog, or huband? will sleep becone me and persuade me away? perhaps i shouldn't start anything right now. maybe i should just plan some more.
it doesn't always go like this. many a night when i sit down at my creative spot, my hands can't be contained - or even interrupted. if a child calls, i beg my husband to answer. if my husband calls, i look at him pleadingly for more time to create. he understands - somehow, and willingly gives me what i need. he couldn't possibly know the gift that this granted time is to me. i am in a zone, and probably producing a long thought out concept. it's being born - finally! realized, after being trapped in my mind, or behind the bars of a page. it may not be a "mona lisa", but there is so much satisfaction in releasing it from it's prison.
when i'm done i will proudly show it to him. beaming like a five year old child. it's my art. produced from my soul. realized. it is what feeds my soul and keeps me...well...me!

for the love of pumpkins...

so what's been on our mind lately???????.......

hmmm?......

PUMPKIN PATCH TIME!!!!!

yep, it's that time of year again. round 'em up in the ye olde mini van, head 'em out to the ye olde pumpkin patch, touch every single pumpkin you see...and pick them up by the stem...and sometimes give 'em a good kick (well, that's noah's policy - one that we are trying to amend). mom will be viewing it all more behind the lens than in front of it, because, well...that's what this mom does. photo op...hello!!! we let ben and kyle make the executive decision on which was THE honorable family pumpkin. they did a great job at picking the perfect one:

look at that team work! i think the pumpkin weighs as much as ben, so it did take two of them to haul it into the trusty wagon. (more photo ops for mom) we went to a pumpkin patch on hwy. 1, right outside of santa cruz. a pumpkin patch where the pumpkins actually grow there! that's a new concept for this city girl! i was in love with the charm of it all. the rustic, rugged beauty was alluring to say the least. we bargained in a bag of green beans with our pumpkins...not too shabby for these city slickers!

now, without much further ado...i give you our cherry family pumpkins (one for carving and seed eating, one for the chef in the family to cook with).

senseless brilliance in stickers...

need i say more? i think it's pretty clear.

my sister brought these stickers back from China for me. they just rock! and...they really make no sense. i love it. is 99.9% hello a really nice way of saying that 1% of this cute lamb wants you to go away?? or do we care because we are so distracted by the cute factor of the lamb? after all, it is winking at you! pretty irresistable.

then, there's this:

Love 15g. i showed this to my 10 and 8 year old and sarcastically said, this is very true...don't you think. my 8 year old, kyle, said "yep...makes perfect sense to me". i said, really, what does it mean to you? he says: "Love 15 grandmas". PRICELESS!!!!!! sure, i'll buy it. why not.

i could go on and on showcasing the fabulous stickers. and don't think for a minute they wont be showcased in my scrapbooks! cause they will. you can't get much better material than this to work with. really.

on that note i'll leave you by saying: 99.9% goodbye.

hotties and sweethearts...

i want to send a shout out to a few of my peeps. more specifically a hottie, my sister. and a sweetheart, my husband. my life is very rich. blessings abound around every corner! why is this the case? MY FAMILY!!! without a doubt! i am probably one of the luckiest girlies in the world. i dearly love all of my family: my mom, my kids, my extended family. but today i want to focus on two very special, very... snazzy, if you will, individuals. okay, so my sister nichole...see her in the pic? she looks like one of those gorgeous model types that is so stuck up and snobbish that you would never expect her to actually give you the time of day. NOT TRUE! couldn't be furthest from the truth. nichole is one of the most grounded people i know. talk about having her stuff together...she does, and then some. you couldn't get two more opposite lifestyles than hers and mine. i am "stay- at- home -mommy-barbie". involved in church, kids, hobbies, etc. she is world traveler-babe extrodinaire! her job requires her to travel like every other week. to exotic locals...places that indiana jones might never have seen. she is a single gal, who has made it clear that friday nights are off limits, as that is her club-hopping, partying, whooping it up night. she is well read, smart, kind, generous, loyal, comfortable in her skin, the funniest person i know, i mean the girl is FUNNNNY, and beautiful inside and out. a total package. i learn so much from her and admire her so much. i just love her so much!!!!!
then we need to talk about my hubbie, stephan. my sweetheart. my heart, for that matter. i seriously don't know what i did to deserve him! for reals!! if i could create my perfect soul-mate, yep, it would be him. no doubt. his qualities go on and on. amoung other things he is: a great father (understatement), loving, smart, probably tied with Nic on the funniest person award, he cracks me up 24/7, silly, lighthearted, spiritual, strong, manly, a magnificently talented chef, active, he's got some pretty sweet dance moves too. i just adore this man! truly. i thank God for him every minute of the day.
was this an over-the-top cheesy blog entry? maybe so. but i absolutely mean every last word. i want the whole world to know that true love exists. it happens every day. people do live their fairly tale life. i am living proof. my life is far from perfect, but who has a perfect life? i am blessed and honored to be surrounded by greatness in so many people.
so, thank you to all of my "pee-pee's" (people).
peace out.

stop and smell the flowers...

...on haight & ashbury! went to s.f. this weekend, specifically haight ashbury. love it there! so inspirational, fun, laid-back and yes, groovy. it's just got a great colorful vibe. the pictured house is the grateful dead house, where the band was busted for drugs in the '60's. now i'm not a dead-head, but it's still a cool house. we enjoyed lunch at the people's cafe... yummy. i really love living in northern california because there is so much to do and explore. on our way back to san jose we drove along hwy. 1. so beautiful and majestic. i am grateful, blessed and fortunate to live amoungst this beauty. just about every weekend we embark on an adventure. most of the time we hang in santa cruz. again, the vibe is so awesome. it is a place i find much inspiration. there is a marvelous taqueria there. we sometimes will drive to santa cruz just to eat. crazy? no, just spontaneous! that's us, and i love, love, love it that way!!! we probably won't live here for more than a year...colorado springs beacons us. so i feel the urge to take full advantage of california. we are, and it's rockin' my world!!!! :)

peace!

mr. personality

this, my friends, is mr. personality. this one just doesn't stop! if a camera happens to be pointing in his general direction, he'll stop, get the persons attention, and pose like zoolander. is he 2, or 22? some days i just don't know. definitely takes after his father. not that i'm not a cheesy one myself, but this one is a charmer and flirt to boot! dude! so much cramed into such a little body. oh, and can i share some of his latest "noah-isms".... "what the heck", "love you much", and my latest personal favorite: "momma, i pretty?", asked after finding his brothers chapstick and applying it liberally. what could i say? yes, sweetie, you are just gorgeous. the other day as we were leaving, he piled a bunch of random toys into a little blue felt bag i recently gave him. while walking down the stairs, with the bag slung over his shoulder, he says: "yep, got my purse". stephan immediately went into de-program mode. i just laughed...hard! these are the moments that make those un-bearable poopy diapers worth it. kind of.
so, here's to my littlest guy. let's all lift a glass of milk and toast, mr. personality!

a few scrap pages...

i just wanted to share some of my passion....

let's talk about....

self portraits. it's something that makes most cringe. there is definitely a certain stigma attached to taking a picture of oneself. things that come to mind: arrogance, vanity, self-obsession. well, i'm here to dispell all of those myths! a self-portrait is a GOOD thing. how often is your camera pointed at your kids, husband, even your pet. now, how often is it pointed at you? i'll venture to say not very often, if at all. well, let's remedy that!
it's pretty simple really. doesn't have to be too posed or fancy. no tripod is even needed. simply go into your bathroom (the lighting is generally good there) with your camera. now, give yourself permission to have fun! think the way thought when you were, say, five. totally free to be. now, point the camera at the mirror, look into the mirror, at the lens. click away. remember to be yourself. the real you. the you that maybe not too many people get to see because of inhibitions. don't worry that the camera is in the picture, this can be cropped out very easily. smile. make a face. be serious. be pensive. be a model. BE YOU!
okay, now that you've done that, go a step further: scrap these pics! tell your stories, your point of view. make yourself known to your kids, or future generations. this may be the only way they know certain things about you. i really feel passionately about this. i think it is so important for your stories to be known. don't let them stay buried inside.
so go. do it. TODAY!!! and don't forget to have fun with it!

wanted to share...

here are a few pics of my beloved family. have i mentioned how much i adore photography? i'm pretty sure i've covered that before, and if you know me at all, you know this. something about capturing essence. freezing a moment in time - for all time. LOVE IT!
these particular photos capture each personality. noah...large and in charge. ben...sweet and completely present. kyle...such a dude. stephan...intense and crazily HOT!
that's it. just wanted to share this passion. something i will do quite often on this blog! :)
enjoy the rest of your wednesday!

6 months later...

6 months later i am:

a stay-at-home mommy again
still loving taking pictures of - everything!
scrapbooking like a mad woman
still madly in love with my husband and kids
a runner ;)
still happily having many adventures
33
somewhat weathered
thankful, blessed, and living amoungst lovliness!!!!!

i decided i needed to start blogging again...mostly for me. writing is such an intrigal part of me, that i definitely notice a difference when i'm not doing it. plus it's a good way to keep friends and family updated on my day-day excitement! i do live a very exciting life. lemme see, on a daily basis i....referee many a heated battle of dueling siblings, navigate the psyche of a complex two year old, creatively divise ways to disguise food as something absolutely irresistable for a two-year old palate, delve into the fast-pace world of 3rd and 4th grade studies (you think i'm kidding? i'm NOT), stay on top of 5 different calendars...we are incredibly busy! Scouts, Young Womens, school work, school activities, meetings, and, of course many adventures in between. whew. life. gotta love it, and it just so happens that i do!
so, stay tuned for lots more excitement. :)