52 First Dates: Week Forty-Nine

Where you able to squeeze in a picnic last week? picnics are so much fun. It's a wonderful way to step back from everything and just be together.  What did you do?

Are you ready for this week's challenge?

This is going to be a fun one.  How would you like to revisit high school?  I don't know about you, but my husband I went to different high schools.  It's really a good thing.  We really weren't ready for each other back then.  Still it would have been fun to see what he was like.  So here's the game plan:

*Menu: Brainstorm ideas like pizza, juice boxes, veggie sticks, fruit cups, ice cream cups, pudding cups... what other ideas can we come up with?

*Yearbooks: You know we all still have them laying around.  Who did your spouse hang out with in high school?

*Dress: Where you a jock?  Brain?  Preppy?  Can you show some school spirit?

*Wanna make this a group date?  Have some friends over and spread the love.

So what do you think?  Are you ready for a flashback? Have fun dating!

Homemade Swaparoo Package... Yeah!

Remember the Homemade Swap I was a part of in April?  Well, we're linking up our pictures this week.  I'm so excited.  I can't wait to show with you the pretty package that showed up in my mailbox last week.

I was paired up with Janna from Happiness is a Journey.  Her ideas were so creative and fun.  They added a great touch of spring to our home.

Even the packaging was fun:

I love the black and white tissue paper.

Then ... the good stuff:

 Have I mentioned a time or one hundred how much I LOVE tote bags?

Love this sign.  Great reminder with little ones in the house.

And I can't wait to hang the Welcome Sign outside my door.

Perfect!

Thank you so much Janna.  And thank you so much to Living the Goddess Life and My So Called Chaos for hosting this swap.

To see more fun packages, check out this link:  Homemade Swaparoo Results.

Frame the Clouds {Review & Giveaway}

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(Image Credit: Amazon)

Recently I was browsing a post at Incourage and came across a song list by an artist named Christa Wells.  I was struck by the deep vulnerability of her music and knew that I had to contact her.  Through our dialogue she offered to send me a CD to review.  I couldn't have been more ecstatic.  But in the back of my mind, I can't wondering who was this Christa and why hadn't I heard of her?

Turns out, most of us probably have heard her music.  Haven worked and written for artists like Natalie Grant and Sheryl Crow, Christa Wells is no new comer to the music scene.  Still it wasn't until 2009 that Wells released her first solo album entitled Frame the Clouds.  Since then she's also released a second album called How Emptiness Sings.

Well's music is lyrical, deep, harmonious, and rich.  It speaks of a life deeply lived, experienced and embraced.  "On the Mountain" resonates with those moments we all find ourselves striving through this life.  We may be standing in front of that mountain, but we still grasp the hope of reaching the top one day.

Frame the Clouds is my go-to album these days where I'm relaxing in the evening or trying to calm the carpool crowd.  It goes on the road with us and gets popped in for afternoon rest time.  Christa Wells is sure to be on the music scene for years to come.  And with a depth like hers, we can all be lucky to hear what's next.

One last surprise...

Christa also sent a CD for giveaway.  Wanna win one?

Here's what you do:

Mandatory Entry--
*Follow Creative2xmom and leave a comment letting me know which track you like from the sample on Amazon.

Additional Entries--
*Follow Creative2xmom on Facebook
*Leave a link on Made by Me Monday

Giveaway entries close next Monday May 23rd at midnight.  Good luck!
*Linked to:

Made by Me Monday

Hey Gang,

I'm gonna make this one quick this morning.  I'm running a little late as I was gone this weekend and got in much later last night then I had planned.  So now it's a Monday morning.  And we all know how Monday mornings are.  They certainly have a way of catching up with us: unpacking, planning a menu and grocery list, getting kids off to school, etc.  Mondays I hit the ground, already feeling like I'm far behind.

Anyways, I spent a fun weekend with some girlfriends out of town.  One friend invited us all up to her place for the weekend, and we spent the time crafting, eating, and talking.  It was a lot of fun.  A little eventful though as my car broke down on the way home.  But all the drama aside, we had a wonderful time and eventually made it home safe.

My friend even created a silhouette project that we worked on, and I spent some time journaling in my scrapbooks.

It was a bit ambitious taking two albums, but I did get journaling done on over 20 pages.  I had some back in the fall of 2008 that weren't journaled so it was about time.  

Here's our menu for the week:

Monday: potluck dish???

Tuesday: Pea soup

Wednesday: Taco Soup

Thursday: Baked Potato Bar

Friday: Spinach Calazone

Saturday:???

Sunday: Small Group BBQ

Doesn't look like a very thorough list huh?  Wish me luck getting groceries this morning.  :-)

Projects I have going this week:

Finish journaling in family album, working on graduation gift, fix car!  :-(

Posts to look forward to this week:

A review and giveaway, creating a craft cupboard, 52 first dates, homemade swaparoo results and so much more!

Should we get started partying?  Write a blog post highlighting your project with a link back here so that others can join in on the fun.  Then link up below to the blog post itself.  You can post more than one project; just add more than one link.  So let's get started!

Lee's To Do List

A group of these Handmade Bookmarks (@Skip to My Lou) would be a cute addition to any graduates gift.

For a beautiful addition to your spring door, try this frugal Butterfly Wreath (@ Bump Smitten).  Who knew paper bags could be so beautiful?

Has anyone tried Kale Chips (@ Dine and Dish)?  I'd be anxious to see if anyone's kids like them.  Have you tried them?

Tis the season for 40 Tempting Homemade Ice Cream Recipes (@ Tip Nut).  I'm getting anxious to try several of these over the summer.

Speaking of summer, I love these Cola Bottle Hummingbird Feeders (@ Margarita Stewart).  They would be so much fun to help the kids learn about nature.

One last wedding idea for this week, these Faux Flower Wedding Kissing Balls (@ Dollar Store Crafts) would be a stunning and beautiful addition to any summer wedding.  They are really beautiful!