The Week I've Had!

Whew! I really wasn't sure I was going to make it to this morning. It has been a hectic last week, who am I kidding, it's been a hectic last month! I won't go there though, don't worry. Focus Lara, focus on just this LAST week. From going to the Bi-Water Pumpkin Farm to opening HAMLET to watching the leaves start to change and dressing in warmer clothes to anticipating Halloween and trying to somewhere take care of a sick little boy, my oh so tired self, AND keeping it all together while Rick went off to Toledo for 3 days!!!

That was the run on sentence of champions. Heh.

Thank goodness for the cooler weather, it really is helping me keep my wits. There is something about it, maybe it is just numbing the madness.

Opening HAMLET has been great. I really have enjoyed the cast and playing Shakespeare has been so interesting. I thought I would have to be so focused all the time that I couldn't let go and enjoy myself. But, I discovered that is not the case at all. This weekend I felt like I was hitting some kind of stride - I had a little more fun with it, ya know? I do wish more people were coming to the show. I mean, it's HAMLET for goodness sake, who doesn't want to see that? I know, remove my theatre head and put on my common person head - but still.

Bi-Water farm was fun. We hadn't been there before so we felt all excited about experiencing all they have to offer! We are such geeks . . . They had a haunted house, a petting zoo, lots of pumpkins for picture taking, a train (Aidan was so excited about that train!) AND a hayride out to the patch and the corn maze. BTW, does anyone else get the play on words there - corn maze? Get it?!

See the collage for a visual buffet of our last week!

Which Bag?!!?

So, I REALLY need a new laptop bag. I have searched the local stores for something cute and stylish, yet functional - but to no avail. Haven't found a thing. Zilch. THEN, I remembered Jessica Sprague's post that mentioned these great laptop bags from Janine King Designs. So I ran right over to her Etsy shop and started looking at bags. I soon discovered that what I really need is a laptop sleeve. But there are sooooo many to choose from, I can't decide which one to get. I think my top two favs are the two on top in the pic. Those are the ones Livi likes too. And that's where you come in - help me choose, won't you please? Drop me a comment about which one you think my little MACBook would look nicest in. Thanks!

Happy Birthday to Me!

So, yesterday was my birthday. It was a fine day but it wasn't really full of celebration. Mostly because I had rehearsal from noon to 10pm!! I knew there was no getting around it and so I just tried to stay positive. I thought of my new printer, the pillows and throw my mom had sent me earlier in the week, and the BEAUTIFUL roses my sweet hubby and children gave me. And, I was happily met with many Happy Birthday wishes from my fellow cast members - it was very sweet. To top it all off, my husband surprised me with a gorgeous cake. The icing work on it was very intricate, and the flavor was delicious! I didn't take a picture of it to share - sorry! Anyway, I am getting closer to 40 and this morning, I think I am feeling it. I am really tired and just want to sleep all day. Unfortunately, I won't get my wish. Oh well, suck it up girl and move on.

Crazy Day Today

So, this town is goin nuts! Our University team, the UK Wildcats, won against LSU today. I had no idea that LSU was ranked no. 1! I saw all the traffic on and around campus today, just figured it was a normal UK turnout (these people are wild for cats!!). Then, during rehearsal tonight, the cast was all a buzz about the game. I was like, what's the big deal about the game?! Many wide eyes and shocked gasps later and I was being schooled on Wildcat football. So, tonight when they won - after 3 overtimes mind you - this whole city was a little nuts with victory! Ah, sometimes it takes but a game to bring a town together . . .



On a completely different note, my son has a gash down the side of his sweet little face. He fell off the patio chair and landed on the brick with his face. He looks like the adorable version of a pirate or Frankenstein or something!! I caught this picture of him as he was hiding from my camera in the laundry room. He kept opening the door, looking into my camera and then slamming the door, all the while saying "no, no, no, no!" It was pretty darn cute.

Not a Baby, Mommy!

Oh, it's happened! My little boy looked up at his Daddy this morning and said "I not a baby, I a big boy, Daddy." I missed the moment but it's probably a good thing. I am sure I would've burst into tears!! Why, why does he have to come to this realization? I was so enjoying asking him who was Mommy's baby and him joyfully pointing to himself and saying "Aidan is the baby!" Thankfully, as soon as he informed me that he is a big boy now, he asked for his binky and snuggled into my arms. There is a little baby in there yet!!

Two Weeks?

So, I have been trying to finish this book order I took in September. Ugh! I really should have it finished by now. Thankfully my customer has been very relaxed about setting a deadline! And despite the guilt over not having it finished - I am really having fun creating these pages. The subjects in the pics are beautiful and I have been trying some new things style-wise.




Sometimes, it is so hard to scrap outside your comfort zone, so I am trying to be a little more free with this process. For instance, I have played around with placement of the photos. I have also tried to come to grips with the fact that not every inch of the page needs to be embellished. It's okay to have some blank space - still having trouble with this one! Also, I have tried to use more layers and papers that don't necessarily go together. My customer told me that she doesn't want anything too frilly so restraining myself has been a challenge on some of the work as well. I think I have come up with some cute pages.

Oh, oh! How can I forget? I have used my new printer too! For the Christmas page, I printed out the tag and the striped bracket from a purchase made at Jen Wilson Designs - I LOVE her stuff. Anyway, I printed out those items on some lightweight cardstock, cut them out and added them to the page. Woo, hoo!

Should have it done in the next two weeks? I think I said that two weeks ago!!

Ooo, Aaah

I came home today to an interesting package on my front porch. It was a Hewlett- Packard blue box. Really, a BIG box from HP. I thought, oh I got the neighbor's package better go deliver it to them, but my name was on the box! Had I in some crazed fit ordered this printer and then promptly forgotten about it?? Noooo, surely not. Then I was reminded of a Dateline episode that covered an identity theft type story where those doing the id thefting, would have their purchases shipped to random people. Could I have been one of these random receivers? At this point it was a mystery as to where this box could have come from. So I give my hubby a call and, sure enough, mystery solved! He informed me that my dad had sent it for my BIRTHDAY!!! What a treat, an HP All in One printer, scanner and copier. Woo Hoo! I am so excited (especially since my B-Day isn't until the 14th!). Can't wait to figure out all the doo dads on this baby. I am a lucky lady - thanks, Dad!

"The Lady Doth . . .

protest too much, methinks." Yes, this is from HAMLET. It is a very famous line that the Queen speaks during Hamlet's play. I am trying to learn my lines by tomorrow and I am really trying not too protest too much!! I am so tired right now - this is where I launch into my pity party, ready? My son has been sick the last few days and so that means I don't sleep well. I guess in the back of my brain, I am thinking about how he isn't feeling well and is he sleeping okay and can he breathe and . . . worry, worry, worry! I am also putting together a short performance for my Upper School Drama students this month. It isn't that it is terribly stressful, I am just always worried (there's that word again!) that the students won't participate and that it will be a total waste of everyone's time. Then couple that with work, both at home and at school - I am just about worn out. Oh, and I didn't mention rehearsal!! We have been rehearsing about 4 or 5 days a week. And, don't get me wrong, I LOVE it - but it's just one more commitment that I have made and need to be sure I follow through with. Whew! I think the pity party is over, I feel better now.