Hormonally charged or getting crotchety in old age?

For years, I have witnessed how "old people" seem to get crotchety in their old age: They talk about yesterday's news and gossip to start new news, often attempting to solve the world's problems. They tell you what they think, whether or not you welcome their advice and somehow manage to say whatever they want. (Growing up, I remember my Aunt Sue saying "I can't wait to get old so I can tell people EXACTLY what I think".) They talk about their health (and the health of others) as if a broken record. Somehow, once you hit a certain age, it seems that you have to re-adjust your life focus to dwell on illness and other people's business.

Being only 33, I don't feel as if I am "old", but I am starting to fear the path of getting there.

Being a VERY happy-go-lucky person, I worry as-of-late how I find myself clenching my teeth and sometimes feeling downright angry. I wonder if it is hormones or plain old "OLD-AGE" setting in.

One of my cats has been irritating the heck out of me by bellowing out loud ME-OWS while the baby (or the entire household) is attempting to sleep. 

I often find myself irritated by messiness and having to pick up after everyone. I have been on a quest to clean, sort and purge, ridding us of "extra junk" that we've been holding onto.

I find myself biting my tongue when I get angry, wishing how I could ask for some help without coming across as "nagging". (My husband informed me that I nag him - like 18 times - to do something, leaving me to question WHY he doesn't comply after the first couple of requests; other than the simple fact that he knows that eventually, I will just do it (the task) myself and save myself the frustration.) I grow frustrated that I have to "ASK" for help; I have to ask for the over-filled garbage to be taken outside and must carefully choose my words so that it is set (specifically) inside the can instead of just outside the door for critters to get into. I am baffled that I have to "INVITE" my husband to help me fold a mountain of laundry or help to clear the table as he often just watches me. 

Somehow, being a stay-at-home-mom has blurred the lines of WHO does what, leaving me to feel as if I am responsible for doing almost everything at home, while he makes the money to pay our bills. (NOTE: I TRULY AM GRATEFUL that he sacrifices so that I can stay at home to raise our child, instead of having him grow up in daycare.)

Perhaps, VENTING this on my blog will make me feel better to get it off of my chest. Deep down, some appreciation for my hard work, leaving an unexpected "love note" or simply telling me that I look nice might go a long way. I am reading "The Happiness Project" and am trying to teach myself NOT to let things bother me so much; also, I am TRYING not to nag as much, which basically just means to stop expecting help, do things myself and bite my tongue, yet give praise in the event that I do get a little outside help.

[[DEEP BREATH]] Duties call... baby is awake. (Thankfully, I managed to sneak in a shower.)

KR turns 21

Kristen turns 21 this weekend! (Gosh, that makes ME feel old....)

HB Dolly

I have been busy organizing and sorting lately. I have now purchased and assembled a paper rack with drawers that will house my 12x12 scrapbook papers BY COLOR, as well as some paper scraps. In an attempt to use up some of my scraps, I made this card for Dolly's upcoming birthday.

Looking back on the blog

I kind of forgot why I had started this blog in the first place. I went back through it today to see what I had posted, other than a few recent cards that I had made. Turns out, I had started it in February 2008... not knowing anything about blogging. I had done it to satisfy my desire to write. I had mentioned that I had wanted to be a writer and that this is the closest thing to it. I had used the blog to document my feelings and fears of moving to another state. I had used it to document how great I felt in meeting my (current) husband and how I felt like I was the luckiest girl in the world! I documented how he was driving me crazy with his SECRET PROJECT and how "if he knew how much it would bothered me, he would have started it much before my birthday". Funny how, once we were married, he seemed to have forgotten my birthday completely.... and if I hadn't said anything about having grandpa come babysit so that we can go out this week, he would have forgotten our anniversary, too. However, we ARE BUSY and our lives ARE different. I have gone from working retail and having all the free time in the world to make cards and scrapbook... to being a stay-at-home mom with little free time. And Mike works A LOT of hours and has been in the process of ripping up our kitchen for a few months now. All in all, life IS good. And perhaps, I do need to continue THIS BLOG... for me, while the Journey of Life one documents life as a family.

Life is good.

New Baby Boy(s) at M's 1) Jarred 2) Liz

2nd Assistant GM Jerrad Pieper and wife Amanda welcomed their first child - a baby BOY last Sunday.  Having had a busy week, with a mid-week trip to Burlington, I sat down to make some cards this afternoon while Mike worked on the kitchen remodel and while Sydney napped.

Also, LIZ, from the CapApps department is expecting her baby (presumably a boy) in another 3 weeks. So, while I had all of the supplies out... I just made TWO. (I started making them both the exact same, but I am not an assembly line cardmaker so, I decided to switch things up a bit...

Here are my 2 baby (boy) cards, inspired by SplitcoastStampers.com:

Card stock: white, SU soft sky* (light blue), SU blue bayou* (dark blue)

Ink: SU bashful blue

Ribbon: a handle from a baby boy gift bag.... recycled.

Punch: SU 1/4" square, word window punch

Stamps: SU Itty Bitty Backgrounds, SU I'm Here, SU Warmest Regards (most likely all of these sets are retired, but I still like them!)

* Both were former SU "in-colors" that I believe have since been retired; unfortunately, I don't believe that I had ink pads to match. After-the-fact, I wish that I had it all matching because the footprint stamp looks SO different in color.

Wedding Congratulations to Katie@M's CabAp

This is the card that I made for Katie, one of the girls from the Cabinets & Appliances Department who helped us design our kitchen. She will be getting married on June 26th and this lovely card will arrive via USPS to her mailbox.

I did not have any textured cardstock so, I improvised... I use ordinary cardstock and I just kept crumpling and wrinkling it in my hand(s) and then unfolded it to discover some depth and texture.

Cardstock: black, white. 

Accents: two half pearls for buttons.

I had found the idea posted in a gallery on www.SplitcoastStampers.com

Here was the inspiration that I borrowed the idea(s) from:

Happy engagement Kerri & Greg

For some reason, it slipped my mind to send an engagement card to Kerri and Greg. I was SO TOTALLY EXCITED to get the news, but making cards has not been a high priority in my life this past year. I realized my mistake a few days ago and started playing around with beautiful type on my computer, in hopes of making a card for them.

If, by chance, you (Kerri) happen to check this MyTwoCents blog before your card should arrive in the mail, please ACT SURPRISED! I am SO HAPPY that you have found each other. You, Kerri, deserve happiness. I am honored to be part of your wedding as well. You are a WONDERFUL FRIEND!