Thanks to a few special friends...

I played with paper and glue this weekend...

I was lucky enough to spend a relaxing weekend in Mississippi last month with some friends and I finally unpacked those layouts too... 

Most of them are double page layouts, so just pretend I have mad photography/blog skills and can place them together... but that would ruin all of my creative relaxation, so I have to leave them as is...

I did realize that I haven't put layouts in albums since December 2011 - no wonder the stack was "this high"!!  That sounds like an awesome job for Morgan as soon as I buy enough albums... hopefully Hobby Lobby has the right sale this week :)

I'm hoping these special friends are going to keep me on the right track and creating regularly... I'm just a glitter kinda' girl at heart!

We made it!

It's the final hours of tax season... my first real tax season after two years of illness...  And it is one for the books for sure!  I have a new partner who like my husband balances out my "crazy" with  quiet reassuring calm... We have made an amazing team this tax season - I'm so proud of what we have accomplished and what exciting things are on the horizon...

Ashley and I thought we were going to sell the practice last year, but in a interesting turn of events, instead we brought in a new partner and Ashley decided the new partnership didn't fit her families needs, so she left in February.  So I went from potential retirement to full time business owner in a few short months and although it was a surprise and an adjustment... I am loving it!  Coming out of hiatus in a big way!

My clients this tax season were my biggest cheerleaders.  Everyday was filled with hugs, kisses, flowers, treats, a few good tears and genuine happiness that I survived the past two years of hell...  Even when my body was tired from the new routine, our clients would remind me how lucky I was to have survived... Each day is a gift...

I am reading a book titled "Lean In" by Sheryl Sandberg the COO of Facebook.  I'm definitely navigating the "having it all" mindset and this book is helpful.  This tax season my body reminded me in some not so gentle ways that it has limitations.  I had to find a network of people to help with the girls after school.  And thankfully 15 years ago I chose a husband who not only loves me, but packs school lunches and washes soccer uniforms when Mom is at the office until 10pm.  But this is my new life.... and I'm making the new rules as we go...  Each day is an adventure, and as one client told me this tax season.... the only thing that is constant is change...so enjoy the ride!  and don't worry...even the most stressful days included a LAUGH!!

a little scrappin'

earlier this month I got a chance to scrapbook at Camp Crop-a-Lot in Baton Rouge... I haven't done the new year resolution thing in ages - I mean the fact that I wake up each day is pretty much a miracle.... but if I could scrapbook just a little every week, that would make me much more "creatively well rounded" and I'm pretty sure that's not a technical term...

So if I was one of those crazy new year's resolution making/breaking people, I would "Try to scrapbook once a week"...so let's see how quickly my plan combusts... but I'm off to a pretty good start....

I did a few layouts at CCL, printed pictures three times (once really didn't count because when I went to pick them up I realized they were still sitting in my cart and I hadn't hit "complete purchase"...), downloaded pics from camera to computer to "the cloud" four times AND even started a layout at home...

ALL of that since January 1st - and it's not even February - plus I spent a week in Antigua, so I did all that in like three weeks, not four! AMAZEballs!  as proof, here are a few layouts...

and let me just say, my scrap life would be much easier of all events could be captured in ONE PAGE LAYOUTS...  Does anyone else feel this way?  The majority of my layouts are multi-photo (read: TONS of photos) double page spreads, but when I get the chance to do a single page layout, I'm like a kid in a candy shop...

just imagine the above layout as a two page spread - I'm not very good at taking the picture of the two pages side by side... just a few pictures from a Carnival Cruise in July...

Christmas 2011, not 2012...  why would I rush??? Does anyone recognize those Pink Paislee tags  (1st edition??)

Hope you find some time to scrap... and laugh today!

It's that time of year...

when the girls get all gussied up for a date with Daddy...  

It's the annual Father Daughter Dance, but just in case you think I can dress them up... take a look at these...

 yep, that's the REAL Morgan and Avery... I just try to dress them up for public... but who am I kidding?

I got a special invite tonight too... a date with my boys...

take that!!  in fact, me, Ashley, Jen, GiGi and the boys met for dinner at Sammy's...dinner and kisses from my guys - now THAT's a great night!!

Hope you had a great night too - one filled with laughs!!

My December Daily Debacle...

So I wasn't very good at daily blogging during December...On the days when I did have time, there was nothing but boring routine things to report, and who wants to read that I went to work, did laundry and fed the girls?

On more exciting days, my eyes closed long before I had a chance to blog... Better luck next year...

I did try to take a few more pictures, so I have a few more to share...

Believe it or not, I've never been to Fulton Street at Christmas.  I attended a Tax Conference for two days in NOLA and Shane came down for dinner at Manning's (Archie and Cooper were a few tables over), and we snapped this pic in front of the decorations on Fulton Street...

The next night, we went to the final Shaw Christmas party before the buyout by CB&I in February... we even saw Shaw Santa...

We made it to Saints vs Tampa Bay game with the Zuppardo's...

In mid-December, my Mom, Jen and I went to the Ladies Leukemia League Luncheon in New Orleans...

and whenever I was looking for Shane this month, I could usually find him in the backyard in his new "chair"...

Luckily it doesn't take much to make him happy...

Four Day Update...

In between the regular activities of daily living, I've been preparing for Shane's big 40th Birthday Party... but even the most prepared hostess (of which I am not) probably has a million last minute details - therefore I had 10 ZILLION!

But with plenty of help, I made it... I admit, I obsess and many people might not clean the carpets, repaint bathrooms, pressure wash concrete, re-mulch the gardens along with the usual decorations, food and bar sundries...  but I'm nuts... and some things can't be helped...And my Grandma Ethel used to say you have to have a party once year to complete all those pesky unfinished projects...

But I was completely relaxed at the party and enjoyed the company of so many great friends...Here are just a few snapshots from the party...

Shane's actual birthday is December 14th, but we scheduled the party on my real birthday - it was total birthday BLOWOUT!!  Happy Birthday to US! (but let's all be clear that I DID NOT hit the same milestone as Shane... that is YEARS away :)

Hopefully now I can resume some daily December blogging...hey, a girl can dream....

December 5th...

It's way too late to be reading about Annuities...

but keeping up with Continuing Ed is part of the job, so I better keep studying...Why didn't I pick the easy courses??