A couple of notes...

Hoping to be back later with a real post, but wanted to update a couple of things.

2 items on my bucket list I posted the other day are either done or in the works.  I have listed something in my etsy shop.  Jar Opener Working on lots of other stuff to list there, and a "Christmas in July" sale.  It involves a free item with every purchase, everyone loves free right!?!  And last week Mark and I celebrated 10 years, and for my gift he bought me a copy of Little Women.  My mom bought me a copy years ago, but has since taken it back to display with all her Little Women dolls.  Now I have a copy I can read and then hand down to Audrey in a few years.  Plan to start reading it after I read "Sizzling Sixteen" which I will be picking up at the library tomorrow.  Can't wait to read it, usually doesn't take me long to get through Janet Evanovich's books, especially the Stephanie Plum series. 

I'm working on some more concrete ideas of how I want this blog to go, or more so how often I plan to update.  Life has just felt really crazy lately and while I don't feel I'm getting more control over certain areas in my life, I've decided to really focus on those that I do have control over, like this blog.  My biggest struggle lately is so many ideas, so little time.  If only I didn't have to actually sleep I might be okay.  With it being summer the kids have been staying up later and I feel like my "me" time is getting less and less.  We are working to get back to an earlier bedtime with them.  Not as early as during school, but earlier than say 1:00 that it's been a few nights.  It's been so nice outside that we've been spending most of our evenings out there with neighbors and time gets away from me.  Although it's been nice having Audrey sleep past 7:30. 

Dart has his last baseball game for regular season tomorrow night.  Then come July 5th we start practicing at least twice a week for the Show Me State Games.  He is so excited about that.  Then it won't be long after those that we will begin practice for fall baseball.  He has decided to skip at least this year of football and focus on baseball, we will see if he goes back to football at all.  If he doesn't that's fine, he says he can't wait for college and NFL football to start back up though.  He has absolutely loved baseball this year so he really wants to focus on that. And tennis.  All the boy talks about lately is tennis.  He gets that from his mom, although he's more into it at 8 than I ever was. 

Exciting stuff going on

So for a while I debated about not even giving this a go.  Hit a rough spot and just felt uninspired and blah for a while.  However, I've been re-inspired and am ready to go.  I have a memory game sitting on my table at this moment waiting to be colored.  I have planned 4th of July pinwheels, lots of cards sketched out and waiting for me, a few mini books I want to put together and lots of other stuff.

The biggest news right now is I have one thing listed in my etsy shop.  Very excited about it, although it was made by my grandpa.  It's a jar opener that mounts under your cabinets therefore leaving both hands free to hold the jar to make it easier to open.  Works great for anyone with arthritis, even really bad cases.  My grandma has a horrible time with her hands and she is able to open pretty much any jar or even bottle out there.  I only have one Jar Opener listed, however I have lots more on hand to sell. 

Also right now through the end of July I am running a "Christmas" in July special.  Buy any one item get your choice of 10 Christmas tags or 5 greeting cards free.  If you are interested in purchasing something please email me at pinkowldesigns@gmail.com.  Working to get more samples posted here and some more items in the etsy shop as well. 

At the Moment:

Something I think I will be doing weekly. Quick and easy, but a great way to record the everyday things for myself.

Listening to: Paperclipping Roundtable Podcast.  All about scrapbooking.  Love this podcast.

Eating: nothing, but thinking about cutting up some cucumbers and tomatoes to eat.

Drinking: coke.  I know I know. But I need caffeine today.

Wearing: shorts, CYFL Golf Tournament t-shirt, no shoes!

Feeling: a bit stressed. Lots of pictures to edit and then life stuff.  Annoyed by stupid flies.

Weather: actually very nice for June in Missouri.  Low humidity and in the mid 80's.

Wanting: my download for Elements + to hurry up so I can work on pictures. So excited for it to be done. Tried CS5 and decided that I can do all the stuff I need and want and then some in elements and with elements+.  I love Elements and am really wanting to dig deeper into it and learn so much more about it.

Needing: to do dishes and pick up the house.

Thinking: oh so much stuff there.  About working on photos, baseball tonight and more.

Enjoying: the weather being a bit nicer, Audrey playing with her new stuff from her birthday.

Wondering: when Sizzling 16 will finally be in at the library for me to pick up.  I can't wait to get my yearly Ranger/Morelli fix.

Lots o Lists

I feel like I'm buried in lists right now.  I have 2 to-do lists, one being a master to do list that as I think of something that needs to be done I add it to that list and then there's the daily to-do list.  I take things of the master to do list and decide what I can and what must be done from the master.  Then I have a list of projects I want to do, that list seems to grow every time I get on the internet. I have a list of projects to finish, which seems to grow faster than I cross things off of it.  I've got a grocery list, things I want list, things to do this summer list(which seems to consist of a lot of baseball), a Christmas gifts to make list and the ever growing list of pictures that need to be edited. 

I've been trying to figure out a way to make my list habit a little more controllable(guess that is a real word!) and a little less overwhelming.  I mean the point of a list is to make life a little less crazy right.  I've tried all sorts of planners, online list stuff, printable to do list sheets and even list making on my phone.  None of it works quite as good as an old fashion spiral notebook for me.  I don't know why, considering I've tried planners that are similar to the notebook.  Just something about the freedom of no dates and times I think.  So after much trial and tribulation I am finally content with my notebook and pen.  Of course it helps that there are so many cute notebooks out there now, not just plain blue and black anymore.  The only problem with this is that every time I'm in Target I check out the selection.  I will be in big trouble come back to school time. 

I started this post and got about half way through the previous paragraph and the skies went from bright and cheery to horribly scary and dark.  Decided I better shut the computer down.  In the time I was gone I crossed 6 things off my to-do list.  This made me decide that I should shut my computer down everyday for an hour.  I usually have it up most of the day to work on either editing photos or other stuff, but even then I'm often checking Twitter or email or Etsy(working on getting my shop going).  I think completely shutting the laptop helped me get a lot more done. 

Now I'm getting ready to start a little mini-book project for Audrey for her 5th birthday next week.  Oh how I've missed scrapbooking.  I've made lots of cards lately, but I don't remember the last time I worked with pictures and telling a story.  Very excited to get back at it, especially since in my time off I've decided to approach it differently.  That will be a post for another day.

I hope everyone is enjoying their Saturday.  Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there.  I know of several who will be celebrating their first Father's Day this year.  Such an exciting time for them and so excited for them.

Back later this week

Life got a little crazy last week and I think I'm finally starting to catch back up.  Dart and I made a trip to ES on Thursday to watch Audrey perform her dance camp routine(so cute) and then spend some time with my family.  Had planned to come home early Friday because Dart had a baseball game that evening.  Mother Nature changed all of that and we didn't even leave ES until 9:30pm Friday night.  Was nice to get the extra time there, kids loved it as they spent a good chunk of it in my Aunt's pool.  Then Saturday I had a bridal party/reception to do pictures at.  Came home with 456 shots, yay that's going to take a bit of time.  I hope to be back Wednesday with some new fun stuff, including a new lens for my camera thanks to my brother-in-law David.  It's awesome and I can't wait to get to know it better.  Oh and one more thing before I go some very exciting news in my family.  My cousin Aimie and her husband Wes welcomed Henry Paul into the world at 4:49 Friday morning.  From the few pictures I've seen the little guy is perfect.  Very excited for them.  Can't wait until he's big enough to eat Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and drink Dr. Pepper.  Aimie used to give that to Dart all the time when he was a little younger.  Gotta find a crazy noisy toy to send him.  Since he lives in Dallas, I don't have to worry about hearing it.  They will be amazing parents and the little guy is very lucky.

Love this shot of Dart.  Haven't done anything to it yet.  Was playing with my new lens while we were swimming on Thursday. 

Bucket List Part 1

I've been thinking a lot lately about my bucket list.  I've had friends recently who have lost loved ones way to young and it has had me thinking about things I want to do in my life.  So here's a start to my list...

1.Visit New York City.  My only fear with that is that I wouldn't want to leave.  I have always wanted to visit there.  Something about all the lights and things to do makes my heart beat a little faster. 

2. See Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and National Football League Hall of Fame.  I think this would be a trip for Dart and I to enjoy.  I have always wanted to go to MLB's and I know Dart would love the NFL Hall of Fame. 

3. Read Little Women.  That may seem a bit crazy for many reasons, but my name came from the book and I have yet to read it.  When I was younger it just didn't interest me.  Now that I'm a bit older, I would love to.

4. Open an Etsy shop.  Well, I have my shop on there, but nothing in it, so really I guess it should be start selling stuff there.  As soon as I get stuff in the shop I will post a link here.

5. Knit a scarf.  I have attempted knitting several times and for some reason I struggle.  I think part of it is just needing the time and patience to do a project. 

There are several more things to my list, but for now this is a good start. Oh and I guess I could add seeing the movie Bucket List to my list.  Never did see it. What's on your Bucket List???

Thank you to 20 College Student/Athletes

Over the weekend Dart participated in the CYFL/Mizzou Youth Football Camp.  It is a huge event that seems to get bigger every year.  The first year(2008) they held it the attendance was right around 275.  This weekend 500!!  There were families from Georgia and Texas there. 

On Saturday evening the local high school coaches along with CYFL coaches run the camp.  The boys get to eat pizza and drink Gatorade in the Tiger Club while watching highlights from the previous seasons games.  I don't even want to think about the number of pizzas ordered to feed them all.  They pair the boys up and each pair gets a box of pizza, plus all the adults get a pizza.  Domino's probably loves that order!  When camp is winding down that night the director calls all the parents down to line up on the hashmarks on the field and then each grade level gets to run on the field from the game day locker room just like the real players do.  Talk about a thrill for the boys.  Dart still gets excited about it after 3 years.

My view at dinner Saturday night!

 Sunday is "THE DAY".  Camp is run by current Mizzou players.  In past years we have met guys like Jeremy Maclin(Philadelphia Eagles), Sean Wheatherspoon(Atlanta Falcons), Chase Coffman(Bengals), and Danario Alexander(undrafted which I am still trying to understand how that happened).  This year the big guys were Derrick Washington and Wes Kemp.  I follow Derrick Washington on Twitter and he and Kim English(Guard for Mizzou Men's Basketball team) are always arguing over who the real #24 is at MU(they both wear 24).  Dart asked Derrick who the real 24 was and after he laughed a bit he said "You know Kimmie is".  Later that day he even Tweeted about it, which had Dart walking on air for the rest of the day. 

Dart, Derrick Washington and a friend of ours, Josh!

 It amazes me the amount of players that come out each year.  This year we had 20 MU players out to help.  I think they have as much fun, if not more fun than the campers do.  It is so nice to see these guys giving up their Sunday morning to come out and coach 500 kids age Kindergarten-8th grade.  Camp on Sunday begins at 8:00 and goes until after noon.  They run drills with the boys and a girl this year, take them on a tour of the facilities including weight room, meeting rooms, and locker room, then come back to the field for the kids' favorite part...autographs.  The campers are given t-shirts and posters for the players to sign.  The posters this year were really cool.  You can always tell who the big player is because his line crosses the entire field. 

 Wes Kemp #8 signing Dart's poster!

As we were leaving I was telling a few of the players we passed thanks for coming and doing this and everyone of them thanked me for bringing my son out and told me they had a blast and look forward to doing it.  These guys could easily spend Sunday sleeping in or doing anything other than being mobbed by 500 boys and a girl.  So to the 20 players who gave up sleep thank you for understanding your job as a role model.  Please remember you now have 500 more young fans looking up to you and watching what you do.

7 Things on my wish list right now

1. Lens-I would love a 50mm f/1.2, but there is no way that is in my budget or will be in my budget for a while.  This lens would be an awesome addition to my camera bag though.

2. Camera Bag-
The bag I have now was a cheapy I bought at Walmart years ago and it has seen it's better days.  I just can't decide what I want.  There are some gorgeous bags on Etsy.

3. A stamp for the back of my cards for my Pink Owl Designs and Crafts business.  I would love to add that info to the back of my cards, but in no way do I want to write it all the time.  Besides, it just looks tacky when I do that.

4. A manicure and pedicure.  Never had either and would love to have one.

5. Tons of stamps mostly these: All Occasion Messages by Hero Arts, Sweet Wonderful You 6X4 Clear Design Stamp (Hero Arts), Big Flowers Pattern 6X4 Clear Design Stamp (Hero Arts), Clouds Wood Mounted Stamp (Hero Arts), Stamp A Garden 6X4 Clear Design Stamp (Hero Arts)

6. Some cool and funky rings.  If anyone has links to some send them my way.  I'm not a big jewelry person, but I love rings.

7. Adobe Photoshop CS5 So many cool things that can be done with this.  Although my brain would probably explode from all it would have to learn.

Oh and of course winning the powerball is always on my list.  Might have a better chance of winning if I actually played. 

7 Things Inspiring Me Right Now

1. For some reason right now I am finding myself very inspired by music. I have always loved music and find it inspiring in many ways, but for some reason right now more than ever music is inspiring me. 3 of my favorite songs right now are "The House that Built Me" by Miranda Lambert,
"Love Like Crazy" by Lee Bice, and "The Things We've Handed Down" by Marc Cohn.

2. Daisies!! I love daisies and seeing them around just makes me smile. I always think of the Meg Ryan line in You've Got Mail, "They're so friendly. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?" I really do think they are a friendly flower.

Found on Flickr by pieceoflace.

3. Colors! Not a specific color right now, but just color. It was a long winter here and then we had a very brief period of what felt like spring and then it went gray and gross here again for a long time. I am hoping we are through all the gray and gross for a while. The trees and grass are so green and those that have flowers(not me because I could kill a cactus) they are so bright and colorful.

4. Pictures. I spent the other evening backing up my pictures for the Spring Season. I sort mine based on season. I back up weekly to my external hard drive, but then at the end of every season I also burn them to a dvd. I know dvd's won't last forever, but for now it's what is working. I am working on getting them all uploaded to flickr and winkflash as well. Back to the original point, I love looking through my pictures. I know this is what drew my to scrapbooking and why I can often be found with my camera attached to me. There is just something about the fact that a picture can in an instant take you to another place and time and tell an amazing story.

5.Audrey, yes my daughter who will be 5 later this month inspires me. She still has that innocence to her and that attitude of "I don't care what you think, I like it and that's all that matters." I wish I had a bit more of that. She is such the "All-American Girl" too. She loves all things girly, music, dance and arts. She spends hours coloring and listening to her MP3 player.



6. Movies, especially movies like UP. I love Up and can watch it over and over. The color of the balloons and the story of it all just make my heart melt.

7. Summer. The sounds, colors, smells and the laziness of summer make me want to create and take pictures. I love the smell of sun screen and chlorine. The sounds of kids laughing late in the evening because they don't have to get up early in the morning. However, I am a nut for routine so this year I'm going to try my best to embrace the laziness a little more and let go of my need for routine.

Hello June

I am in denial that it is June already. I know everyone says time is flying by, but I really would like it to slow down for just a few days already. We had a great Memorial Day weekend. Very low key. In fact once I got home on Friday, I did not leave the house until Tuesday morning taking Dart to school. I needed a weekend of nothing, the next few are busy busy busy so I was looking forward to a weekend at home.

I am going to show my dorky side now. I feel like a giddy teenager right now and most people will be thinking "okay, she's crazy", but this makes me excited. I have an acquaintance who makes these amazing things called Lens Pets. I was reading Erin Cobb's blog(amazing photographer who I want to be like when I grow up) and she was doing a series on mama with a camera and mentioned ways to get kids to look at the camera. I sent her an email with the Lens Pets info. I was really excited when I got an email from her, but even more excited when I saw my name on her blog. Yes, I am a dork. Really though it's exciting to know that handmade items are being bought and used. Dork time over.


I have been attached to my photos lately. Not only because I am wanting to get back into scrapbooking. I have done a lot of cards lately, but I can't tell you the last time I did a scrapbook page. I'm excited to have some downtime this summer so I can get back to scrapbooking. I can't wait to scrapbook the above picture. Audrey and her "boyfriend" Carson. Such cuties.

Hope to be back tomorrow with some fun inspirational links.