Monster Truck 5 years Birthday

Today Was my grandson, Xander's 5th Birthday Party! HE sure loves Monster Trucks. We had a great time today on a Great Adventure for the day!

 First stop was the Brevard Zoo where his Papa Charlie works. Jessica and John met us there and we had great time seeing all that the zoo had new until it got too hot and then we all gathered at Cici's Pizza. A pizza buffet place that we most often have family birthday party's at. 

The only thing Xander had asked for was "Monster Trucks" and he is truly what he got. In all shapes and sizes. He was so surprised from the BIG monster truck he got from his "Mimi" (Aunt Jessica, Brittany and Chaz). He was so cute when he opened his birthday cards. He knows that he was suppose to read them when you open them, but being only 5, instead of saying, "Can you read it mommy? or just throwing it a side to get at the package, he began to make up his own word, "Happy Birthday Xander! I love you, Love Mommy." It was so cute, as the second card he opened, he made up his own story of the graphics that was on the card and in it. What a sweet boy! He said, "Thank You", which time he opened a gift. Without being told to do so. Good matters, too! (Great job, Mommy!)

WELL, this will be my last week of "Summer Vacation" for me, as I start back to college. Still working hard on my Associates Degree. 3 Mini term courses that I lucked out on and got them all online. I got more out of the online courses than the ones on campus. That may be as I started out going to collage on line. By this time next year, I should finally have my associate degree!

Well, it is late so I will close for now. I do have some really cute photos of our family adventure to but I want to edit the batch and resize them first. I hope that everyone has a wonderful week and I will be back soon!

Happy Crafting and Scrapping!
credit to Albums to Remember for her digital scrapping kit called "Monster Truck" sold at MyMemories.

Rekindle A New Creative Outlet

It has been so long since I have blogged, that I wasn’t sure where to begin. I know most of you do follow me on Facebook, so you know that I am still alive and kicking. I have been using my creative MoJo in a different direction. I shouldn’t really say totally different, but in a way that I like to call, a huge “stress reliever”. I will get back to those facts and information later in the post.

At times, I will visit my blog looking for a link to something, then say to myself, “Dawn, you need to blog about something. It’s really been that long since I have blogged?” Which in turn gets my mind to wonders off on how much I haven’t shared, then the overwhelming thoughts of collecting and organizing what I would need to do to do so take over. By the time I get back to what I wanted to say, it got lost in the overwhelming - ness of doing so… so I have decided to go with a different mindset about it…just “move forward” and don’t make a huge task of trying to catch up on the past. This will help in avoiding and adding to my overfilled and flowing platter (I have graduated to a platter, as my plate just wouldn’t hold enough).

My LIFE has been over flowing plate mode, most of the time I have been MIA. Whether I am just getting older (too old) and can’t handle the constant fast pace anymore or I have allowed my life to spin out of control so much, that it is hard to stay grounded enough to keep up with my wants and my need, K(now)W(hat) I M(ean)? I am kind of leaning toward the first one.  I am a true believer in “Life is what YOU make it!” but something’s life gets in the way of itself. Sometimes I try to sit back to regroup and analyze what I have collected on my platter (a plate is too small) but it gets so over whelming, which makes it hard to organize, complete and wipe off. So I just sit the platter down, walk away and hope that it takes care of its self. We all know that rarely happens, but don’t knock a girl for trying it once in a while. As I look for a calming retreat, I usually find myself sitting and doing nothing, daydreaming of other things, looking right past the platter that so badly needs my focus to complete, wondering if it is ever going to just slow down enough to take a breath to breathe. So is this what getting older means, all work, responsibilities’ with all the serious and depressing stuff …SERIOUSLY that isn’t what life is meant to be or is it just (My) LIFE and what I made it. Sometimes how we (I) deal with it, just looking past the plate and pouring it on a platter, is a coping mechanism to keep our hopes and dreams alive.

With all that said, it brings me here to share an age old craft which I have rekindled, that has helped me cope with life’s challenges and helped me finally quit smoking is CROCHETING! I find it to be my calming retreat, keeping my hands busy; my mind dreaming and my sanity in tack. With is stitch or pattern I get in a rhythm doing, I am always thinking of the next projects or who I can make with for. This is all very comforting to me and a huge “STRESS RELEIVER”. I have always found it very heartwarming to make things for others. Giving gifts from the heart is a gift in itself. I have always been very passionate of hand-made gifts through all kinds of crafts very special, especially when I am the one giving them.

My love for digital storytelling is still one of my favorites, but after 6 or 7 years of telling my families story, I am a bit burnt out on the production of it and sitting at the compute for hours, after a long day’s work, is not comforting anymore.  I find myself wondering and getting nothing  accomplished  because the W(orld)W(ide)W(eb) and Social Media keeps sucking me in. L.(aughing)O.(ut)L.(oud).   

So I will end this post with, Life is too short to not “Make it” what you want! Finding a way to be at peace with what life has or is throwing your way can be the key. Everyone has CHOICES, but it is what you do with the choices, that will make your life your own.

Above are a few of the items I have made. To see more you can take a look at my gallery here on my Flickr account.  I have credited all the wonderful designer of the patterns on my Flickr uploads,  most of which you can find on Etsy. 

I hope to be back more often to blog and share but we will see what choices I make in what life has in store for me.

Love, Peace and Happiness!

Dawn aka Snowsmoon’s Design

Well, Hello Scrapland! 

WOW, I can't believe it has been almost a year since my last post! I been going to college and fall term I did 4 very hard medical classes, plus life has just been crazy! Working on my associates degree and the rest of the classes I need to take are not offered until next fall, so with enough Pell Grant left, I am able to take 3 photograph classes. WOO HOO, something I am very passionate about. What I would love to do is photo restoration and other services as well. I am so excited, but one step at a time. Classes first and a new business plan. 

The photo's I have posted, are part of the my digital photography class and we are learning to use CS5 and the tools to edit photos to look their best, and print their best. I know I have found lots of tips through the years of scrapping but I was totally amazed at the things I didn't know it could do. Here is another photo I post on FB too! It was an over cast day, manual setting so if it isn't the most prefect picture, I am learning to correct them to look better. Will let you know when I print them in class.

  The original above and corrected below.

I am sharing with you as you all have been a big part of the encouragement and have gave me the support I need to follow a dream instead of a 9 to 5 job. I can do this, especially with wonderful friends like you in my corner.


I will be sharing all the tips I learn, in hopes it may help you out as well. I miss Scrapland and I am BACK! Will also be updating you on a few other events that have happened over the last year. Here is one of the most important one, please welcome my newest grandson, Mateo!

Happy Scrapping!