What a week!

Okay. So it's been over a week, I realize but there has been a lot going on! I had my graduation reception on Saturday, July 12th and it turned out pretty good. Mostly family and closest friends attended. My best friend from Rawlins, Wyoming came down with her husband and son and stayed with us. We had so much fun and I was so sad when she had to leave to go back home.

July 17th was my birthday. Thirty-Four years. Geesh. Another year bites the dust. I was watching E.T. with my kids the other night as it was a 25-year anniversary showing. I really felt old. I realized that I was my daughter's age when the movie came out. I was NINE. And I remember going to the theater when the movie came out. But the funny thing is that despite how old I have aged, that movie remains rather timeless. LOL

Let's see...what else have I been doing? Well, I am still working on the murals for the fire dept. I basically got the concepts of them mapped out and this week, I am probably going to be sketching them out on the walls. Maybe ready for paint by this weekend.

I also went to Taylor Swift/Rascal Flats concert with my nine year old daughter, a friend of hers and her friend's mom. I was told that Taylor Swift wasn't very good in concert, but I have to admit, going in with that expectation, I was rather surprised that she wasn't really that horribly bad. She actually was pretty good. My daughter was absolutely thrilled and just beamed the entire time that Taylor played and so, that is what really matters. On a side note- my daughter has aspirations to be writing music, learning guitar and such so that by the time she is 13 years old, we'll go to Nashville so she can make it big just like Taylor Swift. Ahhhhh....to be nine again.....oh but I guess I am still dreaming, too....so perhaps I am still nine as well? As for Rascal Flats....awesome, awesome, awesome! They actually happen to be one of my favorite bands and so getting to see them was definitely a PERK! I would love to go to another concert of theirs in the future...hopefully with better seats or maybe even standing room only. Those guys totally rock!

'I Am Free'

Okay...I realize that this is TWO posts in one day but I had to say something about {we are}storytellers. They have some of the most awesome digital scrapbooking kits that I have seen. Not that I have seen a lot. I'll admit- I have never done any digital scrapbooking before. I guess I have been busy with other realms of creativity, I have never crossed over into this area before. But I wonder why??? Oh, the time I could waste...I know that I could get easily lost in my own private world playing with this stuff! I have tons of scrapbooking stuff at home, love rubber stamping, creating altered art and such. I have never done a lot of scrapbooking, though, despite all the stuff I have to do it. Most of the time, when I get into creating stuff like that, I have ended up creating cards or altered art of some sort. But rarely a scrapbook page. Don't ask why because I have no idea. But in any case- this set of digital scrapbooking called "I Am Free" totally ROCKS! I don't know if I would necessarily use it for scrapbooking, as my given history, but I could totally come up with some other great ideas in which to use these for! This is the sort of stuff that inspires me and speaks to that creative monster inside!!!

Cool Luggage!

I don't know how many of you follow trendhunter but I will sometimes check it out just for fun. I went and was looking at it this morning and found this awesome Pop Top luggage made by Publicworks. I made the mistake a couple of years ago by investing in a simple, standard black luggage set. I didn't realize until I had to use it on an airflight to Atlanta that my luggage looked like everyone else's! I recently went on a trip to New England and found this same issue. Granted, I should have found some way to mark my bags so they would be easier to recognize, but I didn't. And I remember standing there by luggage claim in Boston, waiting and waiting and waiting for our luggage to come around, only to discover that it was already there, set aside. The dumb thing was that we had walked by it and I remembered seeing it and thinking it looked like ours yet thinking, "Nah, that can't be ours." Well, it was. In any case, I plan to do something to my luggage to make it more identifiable for the next trip we take! I would love to have this luggage but I have a feeling that I am going to have to wait awhile. But I still wanted to share because I love this concept! Funny enough, the dots, while they make me think of things like comic book art and pointillism, I also thought about Unboundary which is a design studio located in Atlanta that I was able to visit last year. It's just FUN, how could you not love it?!

Recuperating & Reviving

Wow! That 3-Day weekend blew by way too fast! I hope that everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend!

Our neighborhood had a block party. One of my neighbors decorated their entire backyard with a tropical theme. They had tropical plants, waterfalls, tiki torches, leis, grass skirts. You name it! There was even an open bar serving beer and fun foo-foo fruity drinks like dacquiries, margaritas and pina coladas. (All my faves!) And to top it all off, we had a hog roast and a fire pit. Later that night, we all pooled our fireworks and blocked off part of the street in front of our house (with city's permission, of course) and had quite a display. It was good times, for sure!

Well, now that the holiday is over, it's back to work...I have a lot to get done this week! This week is not just about recuperating but also reviving! My graduation reception is this Saturday and so I have a lot of prep work to get done for that. I also need to get those sketches done for the murals for the fire dept. this week. Someway, somehow...I need to make it happen! Pass me some caffeine, please!

"Drewsie's"

I have been thinking about an idea all morning and am wanting to find a way to make it happen. A little girl from here was hurt in a farm accident this last weekend. She and her brothers actually went to daycare and preschool with my youngest children. My daughter suggested making a card to send and that sort of triggered my idea. As I am wanting to work on creating my own line of stationery and accessories, I thought it would be really great to also create a line that would be for tweenies and call it "Drewsie's" after the little girl hurt in the accident. And then, once I am able to produce and market pieces for "Drewsie's", a percentage of the sales would go to help her family out. This isn't something that I'll be able to do overnight as I realize the work that will have to go into this. But I would like to be able to use my design abilities to do something to help out in some way. I wish I could give all proceeds to the family, but unless I can get the materials and printing costs donated for the cause, I have to use some of the proceeds to cover that expense. Otherwise, what's left will be donated for the cause.

But in any case, this will be something that hopefully I will be able to talk more about as I am able to work on it and able to get things to take off! The biggest problem is that I have so much I am wanting and needing to do, that it may be a while for it to get developed. But I am hoping that the longevity of the work will be beneficial for some time to come. And as big as my aspirations may be, hopefully go on to help other families in similar situations with needs. If you have any additional ideas, suggestions or information to help me get "Drewsie's" to take off, please email me at darcyleadesign@gmail.com. Your email would be so greatly appreciated!

Anyhow- I hope that everyone has a safe and fun Independence Day weekend! As for me, I'll be enjoying tomorrow at our neighborhood block party sipping on fruity foo-foo drinks and watching fireworks with my family. I'll catch up with you all next week!