HE WON!!!!

Hey all! I just wanted to let you in on the super-uber cool news that my brother, Brock, won that comic contest and will now receive a 1-year contract to work for DC Comics! What a dream come true for him! I am so happy for Brock and his wonderful family. Thank you to all of you who helped support him by voting!

You're the best!

The Gift of an Ordinary Day

You know when you come across something special, and you just think to yourself, "You know, I really needed that today."

This very thing happened to me this week.

It is 7 1/2 minutes long, but I promise you, you will love it. You will find a connection there and it will touch you.

It did for me.



Please watch and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear your perspective.

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Mela Kamin - A Singer, Songwriter, & Mom Who Inspires

There's nothing more inspiring to me than meeting someone who pursues their dreams and uses their talents in rich and meaningful ways. Even better? Meeting someone for the first time who is so "down to earth" and within minutes you feel like you are talking to a long-time friend.

Meet Mela Kamin.

This mom of 3 little ones has a wonderful story to share and it was just lovely to be able to meet her at Blissdom and to hear about her pursuing her life-long dream of becoming a singer and songwriter. As I listened to her and really could feel her genuine and sincere spirit, it quickly became very apparent to me how much she loves God, her family, and music.

I thought to myself, "What a wonderful example she is to her children."

Later that evening, I returned back to my hotel room and was anxious to find her website and listen to her music. Mela is a Christian singer and songwriter and every song is a reflection of her deep abounding love and faith. I was very touched by her music. The next morning I couldn't wait to find her and let her know. Mela was so gracious in her gratitude and then sweetly gifted me her CD. I was thrilled!

I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the CD. I think one of my favorite songs is a very upbeat selection entitled, "Surrounded by Your Love." I couldn't help but have a little skip in my step this week while listening and cleaning my kitchen at the same time! :) What a great start to my day! Another favorite? "What He Does" also has a beautiful message and the harmony on this is absolutely mesmerizing.

You can listen to some sampling of her music right here!



Hope this puts a little skip in your day as well! If you are interested in learning more about Mela and her music, you can visit her website at www.MelaKamin.com. Her music is also available on I-Tunes!

Inspired by the Red Rubber Ball

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you see this...

Elementary school? Recess? A hurried game of kickball on the field? Or does anyone remember the game of handball? I remember just racing outside at recess to get to the handball court. And then running back inside with the sides of my hands & wrists bright red from the powerful encounters with THE BALL.

Good times, good times.

So with that being said, when Friday's keynote speaker at Blissdom came on stage surrounded by red rubber balls, indeed it had captured my interest. For someone I had no idea who he was beforehand, I sat there so intrigued by his story, that by the end of his talk, I couldn't wait to tell him thank you. I left so inspired in every way.

Kevin Carroll is a man on a mission indeed. He travels all over the world, sharing his childhood story of how a red rubber ball influenced his life... and I would dare say, changed it. He helps others to identify what their "red rubber ball" is- those things that inspire you, that are important to you, and that you are passionate about.

For me? No doubt it's my family.

And there's another part of this analogy, too. And that is that PLAY is as important as is to eat and sleep. Really? you may ask. And I would say, "Absolutely." And for me, if I can incorporate more play with more of my family, then I indeed am a very blessed mom.

Because they just grow up way too fast.

So for 2010, there will be more of this...

and this...

and yes, even this...

All too often, I think I sit on the sidelines to watch. But I know without a doubt, that they love it more when I actually are with them. I mean, really with them.

Sometimes "resigning" from adulthood is a good thing.

Even for a few minutes. (Phew! What a relief!) :)

Happy mama...happy kids. Happy kids...happy MAMA!

Kevin has several books on this subject, one of which is this:

The representation of a simple red rubber ball has a powerful message to it about life and Kevin outlines 7 rules of the red rubber ball in his book. Once you've found out what that means to you, then here are the 7 rules that one should apply:

1. Commit to it.
2. Seek out encouragers.
3. Work out your creative muscle.
4. Prepare to shine.
5. Speak up.
6. Expect the unexpected.
7. Maximize the day.

So much more thoughtful detail for each of these areas are in the book. It is one I would highly recommend. I sat there in that room, feeling so proud of this man who overcame so much in his young life and has now gone on to do some amazing things.

A red rubber ball is an easy visual that I know I will keep that in mind when my 3-year-old asks me to play Candyland for the 5th time in a row, or my little guy wants me to go jump on the trampoline with him. Hey! I even went to Walmart this last week and picked one up for our family! My kids have had a ball! (No pun intended.)

It's a different stage of life for me then it was when I was running out to recess to play on that handball court.

And those good times are even better times now.

A Perfect 3-Year-Old Angel

Aunt Kim came over this afternoon and here was the conversation:

Kim: How'd you like me to take the 3-year-old shopping? I've got to run down to the grocery store for a few things.

Am I dreaming? It wasn't a dream! Aunt Kim rocks!

Me: Um...are you sure? I mean, she's not the easiest little gal to take to the store. She'll never stay in the cart and you have to watch her like a hawk before she runs under the t-shirt racks. And she's going to want everything in sight. (gulp...but please say you'll still take her even though I did the right thing by prewarning you...)

Kim: (without hesitation) Oh...she'll be fine! And it will be fun. No worries. Let's go!

An hour goes by. Kim comes back with a huge smile on her face. She says to me, "She was a perfect angel."

And then she shows me this pic from her i-phone...

Um. Ya. And this one...

Awww....nothing so precious as seeing your little one nap between the Cheeze-Its and the milk jugs. Oh, and don't forget Aunt Kim made a pillow from soft, 2-ply toilet paper no less.

She takes such good care of her.

My question is though...why doesn't she ever do that for ME? :)

I'm still cracking up. :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

PLEASE Help Me Win "Sister of the Year!" :)

OK All...I NEED YOUR HELP! :)

Actually, my step-brother does, but in the spirit of blog disclaimers, I'll tell you this... IF YOU HELP ME OUT & VOTE FOR A SOLID GOLD COMIC of all comics, then I could totally win in his eyes- SISTER OF THE YEAR. That's right Kim...top that one! LOL!

Slightly confused?

Here's the scoop. My step-brother, (OK, so I HATE the word 'step')...my BROTHER, Brock is one amazing artist and writer. This guy has been drawing ever since he could hold a pencil. And he's very, VERY good at it. So good, that he and his two business partners are in the running for a very prestigious honor to work for a major comic book company, DC Comics. Pretty cool, huh?

What astounds me is his clever wit, creative eye, and how it is all expressed through his comics. He's got quite the talent!

But even more so, I know that winning this would be a dream come true for him. A real tribute in every way. It is what he has wanted since he was a child. Winning this would be such such a blessing for his family as well.

Speaking of which...

Is this not the cutest picture of his family? These two little sweeties and his beautiful wife are his absolute pride and joy. Here's another pic I just love...

LOVE these guys! (And for the record, they live way too far away.)

Even though you may or may not be into comics, could you take a minute to help me out today? Here's the low-down:

To participate (vote, favorite, leave comments, etc.) you'll need to register an account over at Zuda.com. It only takes a minute or two, tops. Click HERE to make it easy. The competition runs until February 25 and the entries are STRONG. He is SO CLOSE!

And when you're THAT CLOSE...you can taste it.

I get that.

I promise it is very easy to do. Votes are very important and you can only vote once. You can also add it to your favorites, add a star rating and even leave a comment if you'd like. If you know of anyone else who might be interested in voting, please help spread the word! (Twitter, Facebook, etc.)

You guys are awesome. Truly.

Thank you.

Studio 5 Segment: *UPDATE* Decorate With Pillows! (KSL Segment LIVE)

Kim and I will be going on KSL's Studio 5 today to show a couple of fun techniques for making pillows for your home! I will be sure to embed the segment on the blog as soon as it goes live. Here is a sneak peak though at what we'll be showing!

Flowers are HOT right now and there are so many fun ways to embellish with them. We'll show a couple of different techniques using both organza and felt. We even have a free pattern for you to download in order to make the felt flower. Click HERE to get your copy!

And although Tuesday’s show will be more about how to make those unique flowers for embellishing pillows, I knew you might like to know the measurements we used for making the pillows themselves. So here they are:

I am participating today in a few different blog how-tos. Hop on in and see what's going on in the blogosphere!




So Very Creative at So Very Cheri and ...

I LOVE this Commercial...

Brilliantly done by P&G...



What do you think?

Bring on the Valentine Hoopla!

Well, the big weekend is just about here and the kids and I spent the entire evening last night signing dollar store Valentine cards- (A BIG DEAL!), taping dum dum suckers to the cards, making and packaging treats, and yes, I'm exhausted! :)

Here are a few things we put together, however I still need to type out some little tags for some of the items that we're giving to teachers. I'm the room mom for my 5th grader's classroom, and so my whole afternoon is going to be spent teaching children etiquette lessons and then having a Valentine Social. They are to wear their best dress and boy are they excited!

Do you remember making these when you were younger? I'll tell you what...I don't think they've ever gone out of style. It's those candy "chips" that you melt in the microwave and then pour into plastic molds. Remember? And they are a SNAP to make with the kids. Very, very fun.

We then packaged them together in these cute lil' pillow boxes I picked up at Hobby Lobby. Tied with some ribbon I already had on hand, and wala! My middle-schooler was set to go.

Teacher gifts? Checkity-check. I'm thinking you can't go wrong with milk chocolate & caramel bites, along with body lotion. Easy.

Hubby's favorite snack is ready to go, courtesy of the kiddos. We're "nuts" about Dad!

How about "Blowing Some Kisses Your Way..." for a few special Valentines. We attached a pack of bubble gum to a small bag of the chocolate lips made from candy molds.

And finally, a little "puppy love" added to our preschooler's treat bag today. I simply used a test stitch-out I had done earlier and glued it onto a brown paper gift bag. And then last night I whipped out that handy-dandy embroidery machine to finish up an XOXO applique sweatshirt and matching hair accessory which was all done in the hoop!

Have a fun weekend my friends!

I've got something new to share with you come Monday. Just think... a red rubber ball. Every child needs one. :)

Taking the Bliss from Blissdom 2010

Oh wow! I think I have finally recooped...even just a little, from the Blissdom Conference we just attended in Nashville Tennessee last week! It's been one week ago today that Kim and I hopped on an airplane to head over there. And what a wonderful weekend it was!

For those of you who were not able to be there, I hope you don't mind the picture-heavy post below. I would love to share a little more about what I learned and who I met at the conference, and perhaps you'll know someone here that I didn't know before! And to all my new friends from the conference, THANK YOU for being so fantastic! It was absolutely wonderful to meet so many wonderful women who cherish their roles as mothers, and love pursuing some great goals in life as well.

First off, I have to thank Mishelle of Secret Agent Mama and Deanna from Domestic Chicky who contributed some fabulous photos of the conference, some of which I was not able to get on my own. If it's an amazing picture, most likely they took it. If it's so-so, that means it comes from my diddly point-and-shoot camera I had to take with me when my Nikon couldn't make it with me on the plane! LOL!

As you know, Blissdom this year was held at the gorgeous Opryland Hotel. I can't even begin to tell you how unbelievable this place was. Over 50 acres...all inside. The place had its own climate I'll tell you!

Ali, Barbara, and Paula put on a stellar conference. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was planned to a T. Some very generous sponsors such as ConAgra Foods, Hunts, and Blue Bunny to name a few really went above and beyond. For example, look at this centerpiece from lunch one day that was sponsored by Hunts!

Yes, flowers in the tomato can...with additional tomato flowers surrounding. I mean, "Who does that? Really? Who does that?" (You definitely wouldn't see something like that sitting at a table for a MEN'S conference!) LOL!

Hunts also brought a surprise guest with them! It was none other than.... George Duran from The Ultimate Cake Off on TLC! He showed us how to make this scrumptious eggplant dish that I'm actually going to make for my family THIS WEEK. It was delightful!

Kim and I had the opportunity to speak on a panel while there with several other neat, neat women. Our subject was, "Leveraging Social Media to Build Your Business." It was so fascinating for me to sit down with these women before our session started and to bounce ideas off of one another. I would have loved to have had lunch...and dinner...and even dessert with them afterwards just because there was such a wonderful comoradity there that I really cherished.

I've really learned so much over the last several years regarding the important role social media does play in building a business. I really hope that I was able to share some insights to help others learn and be motivated to keep going in what can oftentimes be an overwhelming undertaking. It doesn't have to be though and I think it's key to find out what social media avenues your "audience" uses the most and then really streamline your efforts so that it doesn't have to be daunting. The process actually can be very exciting! Others on the panel with us included Lisa from Lisa Leanoard Designs, Kimba from A Soft Place to Land, Amy from Little Alouette and Kirtsy, and Caitlyn from Mabels Labels.

I think that what I really treasured during this conference was meeting so many wonderful women out there. Some I had known before in-real-life, some only on-line, and others I discovered for the very first time. Here are a few pictures to share...

These gals were awesome. We instantly connected to the multi, multi-talented Lindsey from The Pleated Poppy (have my fabric poppy on my purse!) and Kristi from Pink and PolkaDot. (Love her tagline!) Kristi had such sweet concern and interest in my well-being while I was there suffering from some sinus issues. I'll never forget that Kristi! It was also a JOY to meet Hillary from The Other Mama. Oh my goodness...if you ever want to enjoy a good laugh with a friend who you've felt like you've known forever, then she's the one. :)

Here's another pic with Kristi as well as with Edie from Life in Grace. So warm, so gracious...and did I mention beautiful? Mother of 8 children, this amazing woman gave up her career just 2 years ago as a family physician and now focuses her efforts on everything she really enjoys in life. It was just fascinating to talk to her.

Two more favorites? These gals right here. Meredith from Hoo-dee-Hoo and Lizzie from LizzieB TV! I consider these gals "rock stars" in the arena of "vlogging." Their vidoes are so authentic and real. What you see is what you get...and I love that. Brilliant. Witty. And absolute coolness factor written all over them. :) They both have a great take on life and I am definitely their most recent #1 fan of each of them. I look forward to seeing what they continue to do in the future!

Kim and I enjoyed a wonderful lunch conversation with these two co-founders of Seek the Triad. Especially if you live in the North Carolina area, this is a site you will want to check out. Even if you do not though, Trisha and Mary Jean share a wealth of information on so many different topics. I'm so grateful that we were able to sit down for lunch on a "chance" meeting. So, so kind and so much fun to visit with! In face, I'm following MJ real close over the next 7 months as she tries to meet her goal of having Kelly Ripa's arms! Too funny! ;) Mark my words...she's going to do it, and she'll go on Live with Regis and Kelly to prove it come the fall season. You go girl! :)

Meeting the ever-amazing Lisa Leonard of Lisa Lenoard Designs and her twin sister, Chrissie of Flip Flops & Applesauce. Both seemed so true, sincere and honest. And BOTH are phenomenal business women as well in their own right. Lisa, a brilliant jewelry designer, and Chrissie, a DIY maven! So refreshing and downright enjoyable to visit with.

And how about Kimba of A Soft Place to Land and Jennifer of Balancing Beauty & Bedlam. I'll tell you what, Jennifer is the QUEEN of frugal living. This mom of 5 (yes, 5!) takes saving to a whole new level! I really enjoyed her sharing some things about how much she loves the Goodwill. Everything she has practically comes from there and you wouldn't even know it. And our gal, Kimba? I think she's one of my most favorite people out there. So dang funny and just an all-around great person. She's got an amazing blog and a phenomonal following. I'm sure many of you out there know Kimba! And once you do, I'm pretty sure you have a friend for life.

Check out our sweet feet we're sporting at the "Come Casual" night on Saturday evening!

And I don't want to forget this wonderwoman! Cathe of Just Something I Made was incredibly warm and friendly. Her sweet disposition makes you feel like you want to just hang out with her for hours and share stories of "tween"-aged children and more. She is a master at graphic design and I am in total awe of all her work. What a thrill it was to spend time with her and I hope we can work on some projects together in the future.

And FINALLY...many of you have asked about good ole' Harry!

So. Very. Cool.

He delivered and definitely did not disappoint. It was fantastic!

Thank you Darcy of My 3 Boybarians for this great pic!

Again, I am so sorry for such a long post! If you made it through, then THANK YOU!
I've just had so much to write and even more that I'm sure I have left out. I know that one for sure. All in all however, I really am so grateful that I had the unique opportunity to rub shoulders with all of these women and more. Looking forward to Blissdom 2011!