A Thing Of Beauty...

It is no secret that being a mother to 7 children and a wife *whispers* (and sometimes it can feel like I'm a mother to him as well.  Husbands, ya gotta love 'em!) can be hard work.   But, I kind of look at it this way, being a mom to a large family is the hardest thing I have ever done and continue to do, bar none, but is absolutely the most rewarding (bit like competing in extreme sports actually).  If I stop and think about it, I get very little sleep (like most times, it can be only a large handful of hours in a week), but I have come to realize that I won't shrivel up and die on less sleep, even though it does feels like it at times.  I certainly feel a lot poorer than my contemporaries, but so very rich in a myriad of other ways.  Many often comment on how do I do it?  But I reckon It really just comes down to nourishing my spirit with those and things that I love, whenever I can.  I am rather unapologetic about this too.  The way I see it is that if I am in good spirits and feeling creative (a valuable asset for those with huge families on a limited budget I can assure you) and at peace, that gets paid forward to those that I hold near and dear and beyond. It's a win-win situation all round.   


As you may have already gathered, everyone in my family is as mad as cut snakes...and that's kind of how we like it.  Needless to say, there is a lot of tomfoolery going on in our home and a lot of laughing until you have tears streaming down your face or at the very least start to snort.  In actual fact, you can either laugh or cry as options for most things in life now can't you?  So, I try and choose to laugh (either actually or metaphorically) as much as I can and lovingly surround myself with whom or what brings me joy and that alone is a real thing of beauty.  Always!

The following card uses a Unity stamp that I love because it is just the best reminder of how true it is that a thing of beauty is a joy forever.  That Keats fella was certainly a man after my own heart.  Bless.

Supplies:  

• Stamps: Unity A Thing Of Beauty
• Paper:  Pink Paislee Sweetness DP, Papertrey Ink Rustic Cream and Sweet Blush Cardstock, October Afternoon DP and Handmade Wool Fiber Paper (2 layer butterfly)
• Ink:  Versafine Olympia Green, SU Chocolate Chip, Distress Ink in Tea Dye, Antique Linen and Spun Sugar
• Accessories:  Papertrey Onk Love Lives Here Die, Tag Sale 3 Die, and Aqua Mist Vintage Button, 4" Paper Doily, 1" Satin Bow, Vintage Crochet Trim, Jute, Diamond Stickles and WRMK Corner Chomper Stub