7QT: Bright Week Edition

--1--

Christ is Risen!  Christos Voskrese!  Christos Anesti!  Ding-dong, Lent is done!  

I've never been so happy to make it through to Pascha.  We had a lovely end to our Holy Week, the kids did reasonably well, given all the late nights, disrupted schedules and hotel sleeping, and now we are into Bright Week.  

Birdie even did pretty well during the long midnight service--I expected to have to bail after the procession and go back to the hotel with her, but she made it (with lots of breaks to walk around outside) and we were all able to stay for the feast afterward!  

The kiddos at the feastal meal afterward.  It was about 3:30 a.m. and they were pretty manic at this point.

--2--

This may or may not have been my lunch on Thursday.  I plead the 5th.

I spent Monday and Tuesday being pretty sick to my stomach with a virus of some sort and battling seasonal allergies, so I feel like I missed a few days there, but that is okay.  Crispix with chocolate milk for breakfast!  Chili and cornbread, cheeseburger pie, Shake Shack hamburgers for supper! Strawberries and angelfood cake with whipped cream for lunch!  Cherry Garcia ice cream for dessert!  So lovely.

--3--

And this, dear friends, is what one's fridge door looks like during Bright Week--dairy with a side of chocolate dairy.  And whipped cream.  Oh, and some seltzer water for the inevitable tummy issues that result.

--4--

Anniversary roses.  The arrangement used rosemary as the filler, which was lovely, as I usually can't stand the smell of regular green filler.

Wednesday was our 8th anniversary--this is the first year it has fallen pretty close to the liturgical day we got married, which was Thomas Sunday (the first Sunday after Pascha).  It was also pretty nice to have a Wednesday anniversary fall during Bright Week so we could go out for good burgers and get Capogiro gelato afterward.  Mm-mm good.  The weather even cooperated, as it was rainy and nasty during the day, but then cleared up and got quite nice by supper time, so we spent some time walking around Rittenhouse Square and browsing Barnes and Noble (and making fun of the sorts of things publishers make coffee table books about).

--5--

I just bought Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's album, Love Has Come for You, after a great review in The Week, and it was a Good Buy.  Who knew Steve Martin was such a multi-talented (in addition to being wild and crazy) guy??  The album is very bluegrassy because of Martin's excellent banjo picking, but I like it.

--6--

When I was laid out on the couch earlier this week, I watched a fascinating Danish film called A Royal Affair that stars Mads Mikkelsen.  I've seen a few other things he has been in (he's probably best known in America as LeChiffre in Casino Royale), and I think he is just a brilliant actor.  The movie is about how the Enlightenment came to Denmark in the late 1770s.  Danish actor Mikkelsen (oddly) plays a German doctor who gains the ear of the monarch, Christian VII, but the movie is mostly told from the point of view of his English queen, Carolina.  There is much to love about the film, and I found myself pondering the influence of the Enlightenment in Europe, and how good it really was for general society.  It is too much for a brief discussion here (perhaps I will take up that mantle over at the other blog sometime).  My recent readings of Jonathan Last and Douglas Rushkoff have certainly influenced my thinking, as has my real-life experiences as a mom of more children than the average.  In any case, there is a scene near the end that made the film for me--Mikkelsen only has one line,  I think, and the rest of the scene he conveys a myriad of emotions and thoughts without speaking a word.  Masterful acting, that.  (And great European writing--I don't like being handed things on a plate). I watched that scene in awe.

--7--

Self-curated outfit, currently his favorite thing outside pajamas--leggings rolled up to his knees and too-big t-shirt (one of the size fives that he is in love with).  I give up.

When your first child is one of those rare creatures who wears all his clothes on time (that is, according to the size label), and outgrows them on schedule year after year, you can get a little bit cocky about buying clothes for your kids.  I've got this,  I think to myself.  But Boo isn't that child, and has never worn clothes on time, outgrows things with frightening regularity and pretty much foils all my clothing purchase plans.  This season I really screwed up.  Boo and Piglet are fairly close to the same size now despite the age difference (Boo is big for his age, while Piglet is average), and I thought Piglet was probably ready to go up a size in t-shirts from last summer (his shirts last year were size 5/6, and he is getting out of size 5s).  Boo is out of 4T shirts, and I thought he could wear Piglet's shirts from last year, and I would get new 6s for Piglet.  (Following me so far?)  Turns out that Piglet isn't quite ready for size 6 (he is 5 after all) and Boo isn't quite ready for 5, and there is a difference between 5 and 5T.  So I've ended up ordering three sets of summer t-shirts in three different sizes all in the last three weeks.  Le sigh.  At least it won't be wasted--next year's t-shirts are already bought. 

--Bonus--

And now we've reached the 36 week mark, and I'm staring down the home stretch of this pregnancy.  I will confess that I've spent the greater part of this pregnancy feeling panicky about the labor and delivery because that whole mommy-amnesia thing?  Total lie.  I remember every moment of the last four labors/deliveries, thankyouverymuch, and the thought of going through it all again was enough to make me reach for a brown paper sack to breathe into.  I forgot, however, how compelling the final weeks are when you just. want.that.baby.out.  Labor-schmabor.  Bring it.  I'm ready for you.

Go see Jen for more Quick takes!

Bloggy housekeeping

I'm not sure how many of you come here to read about my life and how many come here to see my stamping creations, but you may have noticed that I'm not posting much stamped stuff these last months, and that many of my blog posts have become more life-oriented.  It wasn't an intentional move on my part; it just sort of evolved over the spring months.  I'm still a demonstrator for Stampin' Up!, and I still love to create cards, but I've not been as crafty this spring what with my advancing pregnancy and all the illness, accidents, and assorted crises that have been running through my family.  I'm hoping things settle this summer after the baby is born and we find our new rhythm.  

What I mean to say is, if you are here for the cards/crafty stuff, stay tuned!  I'll post crafty stuff as I can, and try to keep up with my weekly Quick Takes posting.

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled programming.

~phfr~

Doing a different link up this week--I am planning on a Bright Week Edition of Quick Takes tomorrow, but I thought I might give Pretty~Happy~Funny~Real over at Like Mother, Like Daughter a try for the first time.  I usually don't take enough photos of "regular life" to make a full blog post, so haven't participated up to now, even though I always enjoy reading their posts!

~Pretty~

I'm really not supposed to eat berries with a lot of seeds because of my gastroparesis, but lately I have been craving strawberries like crazy.  The organic ones from Driscoll have just shown up in the grocery store and they are delicious!  (I know it is technically too early for seasonal strawberries here on the East Coast, but I say pregnant girls get to have what they want in the third trimester).  I have to restrain myself or face the GI consequences.  I bought an angel food cake and some whipped cream (it is Bright Week, after all!) to make a nice dessert with them for the weekend.

~Happy~

It's the little things in life that can make such a difference.  I have two little boys and one big one who CONSTANTLY slam the toilet lids in this house.  It drives.me.bonkers.  The noise (on top of the normal kid-chaos noise) is just over the top, and I find my tolerance for unnecessary noise is pretty low right now.  Earlier this week, my husband stopped at Lowes to buy a toilet (more on that below) and bought toilet seat bumpers at the same time.  What a beautiful thing!  And so simple to install!  And so much quieter!!  Whoever thought them up deserves every penny he has made.

~Funny~

Birdie has turned into a two-paci girl lately.  She doesn't actually suck on a paci that much, but she likes to have them both clipped to her dress, and she always wants two.  The conversation goes something like this:

B: Paci! Paci!

Me: It is clipped to your dress.

B: (putting one in her mouth and the other in her hand) Two!! Two!!

Or alternatively, when I'm getting her dressed in the morning, she wants to hold both before I put her clothes on.  It is sort of weird and funny and cute all at the same time.  Sometimes she even puts both in her mouth.  Oddly, she doesn't appear to do it for soothing or comfort, at least not the way the boys did/do.  More like a comfort object like a stuffed animal.  Strange kid.

~Real~

We have a toilet in our living room right now.  Not a functional one, because that would make sense.  In our house one must climb stairs to do anything--get into the house, use the bathroom, go to another room, etc.  Those forty-seven stairs must be used every day, all day!  No, we have a toilet in the living room because the third floor toilet needs replacing, and my nine-months pregnant self couldn't help my husband carry the darn thing up three flights of stairs.  (I have to say, it really classes up the living room--not in quite the same way that the decorative toilet in our college Sonshine campsite did years ago, but still, it has its own charm).

So the plumber is going to do it sometime today.  Yay for that!  We've had to call Roto-Rooter twice in the last two months for that dumb thing, and it acts up a lot for no apparent reason.  There is a weird hook in the base in the toilet that I suspect is the problem, so hopefully this new one will be better.  As I said, it's the little things.

Because we're classy like that.

7QT: The Monty Python Boys, a Car, and Evidence of Creative Genius (or something...)

--1--

I mentioned last week my problem with blog writing amnesia; of course, the minute I published my post, I remembered what I was going to write for take 6!  My husband and I have commented several times lately that watching Boo walk or run down the sidewalk is not unlike watching the Monty Python boys on their "horses" in The Search for the Holy Grail.

Behold:

--2--

In other news, we bought a car!!  On Saturday, we took a family road trip into Lancaster County (also known as Amish Country around here) and went to see a man about a car.  We test drove a white Mazda5 that was an ex-rental, had it checked out by PepBoys, ate some fast food and the kids and I browsed a dollar store whilst waiting for the car inspection to be complete.  Considering one of my children *cough*Birdie*cough* is one of the worst car travelers evah, the trip went spectacularly well, and we now own a car that will seat our whole family come June (without having to contemplate who rides in the trunk!)

 

It is technically a microvan, and has sliding doors like a minivan, but it is much smaller so we can park it more easily in the city.  (It is only 9" longer than our Corolla, actually).  It doesn't have much cargo space, but as we were comparing it to the six inches of cargo space in the Kia Rondo, it seems fairly spacious to us!

--3--

Speaking of dollar stores, I usually avoid them for a variety of reasons not worth going into here, but that said, $4 buys a lot of happiness when one is waiting with three impatient little children while waiting for a car to be finished!  They all picked out a $1 pair of sunglasses, and I ran some quarters through a vending machine that dispensed jumbo erasers shaped like birds and between those and the little plastic action figures in the Happy Meals from McD's, everyone was pretty happy for the rest of the afternoon.

 

 --4--

We have this pretty flowering tree outside our house that looks very nice, but is basically the bane of my existence from April-October.  (It also doesn't belong to us; it belongs to our neighbor).  In the spring, before it flowers, it sends out these annoying little pods that get into everything and stick to everything and get tracked all over the house.  A few weeks later, it flowers, and then the petals rain down on everything and also get tracked in all over.  It is like a flower storm over here!  I'm dust-busting the floors multiple times a day just to get up the petals (and we are shoe-free in the house, so what gets in is what is blowing in whenever the door is open for a minute or two).  Things aren't too bad over the summer as the tree just has green leaves once the flowers are done, but then in the fall the mess starts up again as the tree sheds its leaves and anything else that didn't come down in the spring. 

We've had a lot of viral respiratory illness these last two weeks, and I'm sure all the pollen on that tree isn't helping. On the other hand, the nicer weather means the kids can play out on the back patio again, so that is a bonus.

--5--

Speaking of respiratory illness, I came down with a pretty bad sore throat about a week ago, and my voice has gone from mid-range to authentic Lauren-Bacall-whiskey-soaked-range.  I feel like I should be auditioning for To Have and to Have Not:

My singing voice is total rubbish, and my speaking voice kind of comes and goes, so I can't really get after my kids with any kind of volume, but I suppose that is a reasonable penance for the end of Great Lent.

--6--

As for the end of Great Lent, tomorrow is the unofficial start of Holy Week for us; it is Lazarus Saturday, which makes Sunday is Palm Sunday. Then, we are in the race to Pascha!  I'm so ready for Lent (and this pregnancy) to be done!!  It is unlikely I will post any Quick Takes next Friday, as Holy Friday is always a busy day full of lots of extra church services.  

--7--

I have nothing crafty to share today except the evidence of my creative genius (i.e. a messy craft desk), but I will share pics of my scarf-back-roll hair do that I've been relying on a lot this winter (plus a gratuitous 34 weeks belly shot...because it's my blog and I can do what I want to...).  I used Tasha's excellent hair tutorial, and it really is a snap to do.  Takes about five minutes and voila, an instant vintage hair do!!

--Bonus--

 

 

My boys play with the Little People Farm and Zoo exactly the same way, Every Time. I can't decide if it is some kind of weird commentary on our childproofing situation or the ways in which our house is small.  Either way, it always strikes me as slightly sinister.  But maybe that is just the hormones talking...

Go see Jen for more Quick Takes!!

Oh, Hello!

I mentioned previously that I volunteered to make some boards for a stamping event in June.  The second set of cards I made had to feature one stamp set, but could use any layout or color combination.  I found the best way to go about this project was to peruse the splitcoaststampers gallery and pick 12 cards I wanted to CASE.  (I originally picked closer to 25 cards, but then narrowed it down based on complexity of project and available supplies). I admit, this stamp set wasn't super high on my wish list when the catalog first came out, but it has definitely grown on me!!  I'm glad I got it, because it is turning out to be a super versatile set.  Most of these cards are straight copies, but I did adapt a few here and there a little bit.

7QT: Catcalls, book repairs and Mama, the Human Train Track

--1--

When you live in a big city, random weird things happen when you are on the street.  This past Tuesday, I was waiting at a bus stop, and this random guy came out of the nearby Wawa, gave me an up-and-down look, clicked his tongue, and said, 

"Mmm, girl, you look fine."  I was flabbergasted (especially as he'd caught me subtly readjusting my clothing a bit), and just looked dumbly at him.  (In my head, I was thinking: "Hello?  8 months pregnant, here??")  

He looked back at me again, and said, "I don't mean any offense or anything, but you look good."  

"Uh, thanks, " I said weakly, never so happy to see a bus pull up in my life.  

In case you still care: 33 weeks tomorrow

I'm still not sure whether to be flattered or creeped out.

*A note about the dress I'm wearing (in case anyone cares): it is a vintage feedsack dress from the late 1930s, bought on etsy last year.  (It was one of my first vintage purchases!)  I bought it big so it does fit now, it's just a little short (thank goodness for ASlipShop slips!!)

--2--

Sad packing tape repairs

We have a book problem in this house.  There is the obvious problem of volume--my husband and I were dual academics before children came along, and had the requisite home libraries of two pretty dedicated bibliophiles.  When we moved in, we had 60 boxes of books.  We've since pared that down, but we have also added a whole new category to our collection: children's books.  I have a love-hate relationship with children's books.  Many of the newer titles are just dumb and painful to read more than once, and the classics can sometimes be hard to come by (although I'm having great luck with the Little Golden Book "Classic" series, which features titles all published before 1955).  I love that my kids love books, and want to read them, but I hate that all the sensory issues in this household mean that our books take a serious beating loving from the kids.  I feel like I'm constantly repairing books with packing tape and it drives me bonkers that they are so hard on these books, many of which are out of print and difficult to replace.  I've always had the most precious books up out of reach, to be read when an adult is supervising (ChildCraft series, I'm lookin' at you, kids).  I know I shouldn't be so attached to books--they are things after all--but I do regard books like friends and it pains me to see them treated so harshly.  

I'm sure no one else has books that look like this inside! (snort)

--3--

He only looks innocent.

 Yesterday, I think I had a parenting first.  Boo was running his Henry train over my arms and legs, using me as a train track.  I didn't mind that until he started running up my neck and into my hair, where Henry promptly got stuck fast in one of my pin curls.  Because I couldn't see how it was tangled, my attempts to disentangle him just made the wheels more stuck, and in the end, I had to give him a yank and took some hair out with it.  After that, I declared all areas above the neck to be train-track free zones.  I did have

a clump of hair in my hand this morning after I took the pins out.  Oh well.  Preview of post-partum coming attractions.

--4--

My awesome summer danskos that are just a leetle bit snug.  I have an open-toe version that might be okay; it hasn't been warm enough yet to wear them.

I wrote several weeks ago on the other blog about my Vintage Seven fashion picks,* with maternity and nursing in mind.  My shoe picks included Dankso sandals, which have been quite fabulous for me in the summers, pregnant or not.  This pregnancy, however, is rewriting the rules on so many different levels, and I suddenly find myself without casual shoes that fit well and it is only April 19!!  I can still get my dansko sandals on, but they are snug, and because of some non-pregnancy related foot issues I'm having, almost all shoes are a little painful to wear right now.  My green AE ballet flats are okay, but not great, so I'm on the hunt for something to wear on my feet for these last 6-7 weeks, as I hope the swelling in my feet will go down.  I'm considering some Blowfish flats, but I have a terrible time finding flats that don't tear up my feet because I have bone spurs and high arches, so I'm hesitant to take the plunge (and mostly, I don't want to spend any money on shoes right now, since I have several perfectly good pairs that will fit again soon!)

--5--

Update on the car drama:  We test drove a Mazda5 last night, and we are sold!  It has more cargo space than the Rondo, I like the captain's chairs set up in the middle row, as it allows easier access to the third row, and I really like the way it handles.  We were able to park it easily in the neighborhood (we borrowed a friend's car to try out), and the kids seemed pretty happy in it.  The blind spots are less troubling than in the Rondo, which I like very much as well.  We decided that it was better to get a car that suited us best now, rather than buying a car on the contigency of another child in a few years.  We can cross that bridge if we come to it, says I.  It is also easier to find a used Mazda5 than a Kia Rondo with the specs we need, and frankly, I just want to check another box on the list of Things That Need to Happen Before This Baby Comes.

Obviously, after driving an old Corolla for so many years, my husband and I will have to get used to driving the bigger vehicle, but that would be true of any car we buy.  There are two potential used vehicles within 45 minutes of here, and my husband is planing to go check one or both or them out tomorrow.  Perhaps by Monday, we will be proud owners of a car that will fit our whole family!  

--6--

Sometimes I have great bloggy thoughts as I'm drifting off to sleep, and I think, "I should write this down so I remember to put it in the blog in the morning."  Then I get lazy about going down a flight of stairs to write something down at my desk and think, "Nah, I'll remember it."  Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. I know I thought of a great take last night about Boo, but can't remember it now (and I'm sure it has nothing to do with the splitting headache I woke up with, or the fact that the kids have been fighting non-stop since 6:30 a.m.)  

To be perfectly honest, lately I feel a bit suffocated by my kids.  Boo has always been a clingy kid, and needs lots of hugs and cuddling, but lately, he freaks out whenever I leave the room, and is constantly climbing on me, rubbing my legs and arms, and generally hanging all over me all.the.time.  Piglet and Birdie, who are the complete opposite when it comes to physical affection, have also gotten clingy lately, and it is driving me a little bonkers.  (Not to mention the physical strain on my increasingly awkward body).  

The trouble with having three kids five and under with sensory issues who are also going through a clingy phase is that when I can't give them what they want, they cry and scream and carry on for hours, because not one of them is good at self-soothing.  So even though I've had some good days lately, I still feel worn out by the daily grind with them.  I know it probably has a lot to do with the impending arrival of the babe in the bell, and that things should settle back down sometime this summer, but that seems a long way off. 

--7--

I felt pretty bad on Monday after having to run around after the kids so much on the weekend, and so took it easy that day.  I woke up Tuesday feeling worse, and thought, here we go again.  Then suddenly, around 2:30 on Tuesday afternoon, I perked up, got a second wind, and started feeling much better!  The rest of the week has been smoother, for which I'm grateful.  I won't say I feel fabulous, but I definitely feel better than I did.  I even got a few days worth of stamping work done!  I'm doing a project for my upline, Claire, and this week had me making mini cards, using up some of her old dsp scraps.  I didn't have time to photograph all the iterations, but this is what I made this week:

 

 
Go see Grace and Co. (while Jen is still recovering) for more Quick Takes!!

7QT: Of Headwounds and Early Mornings

 

--1--

This is feeling like the longest Lent evah.  I keep thinking we are much closer to Holy Week than we really are, and by the time I got to today (Friday), I was thinking, it's only been one more week?  Really?  

Last week, I wrote that my husband was in Brooklyn test driving a Kia Rondo.  He went there knowing that the dealership was slightly dodgy, according to online reviews and his own phone experience with them, so his expectations were pretty low.  It turned out to be a classic bait and switch, so he wasted an early morning train ride, plus the hassle of getting out to Brooklyn.  On the upside, he was still able to keep his morning plans pretty much intact and attend the conference he was in town to attend.

On the downside, we still don't have a vehicle that can accomodate all of the children we will soon have, and I can't decide whether this makes me feel incredibly stressed, or whether I'm feeling all Zen about it.  We were hoping to have the car before Holy Week so that when we are navigating all the extra services of Holy Week, we have some options for shuttling kids back and forth.  I guess we might just end up renting an extra vehicle for those few days.  It's really not a big deal, but I was hoping we'd have the car puzzle piece in place by now.  We are also reconsidering the Mazda5, and have the opportunity to try a friend's car this week, so that might influence our decision as well.  I'm just trying not to think about it much.

--2--

In other news, my husband traveled to Washington DC on Wednesday for a moot court, and stayed late to attend the pre-sanctified liturgy at one of the big cathedrals down there.   Around 8:30, I got a call from a 202 area code and a woman's voice on the line told me she thought that my husband was okay, but that they were in an ambulance going to the hospital.  He had fallen and split his head open on the marble floor of the church, and was bleeding profusely.  "Oh, that.  That's okay," says I.  "Head wounds bleed like a crazy and always look worse than they are."  She sounded relieved that I wasn't hysterical.  "Oh, so you have experience with this?"  You have no idea, lady.  As it turned out, my husband required stitches for the laceration on his forehead, has an impressive black eye, a few chipped teeth and is achy and sore all over.  His CT scan was negative, and it doesn't appear that he did anything to damage his neck where he had surgery years ago.  He fortunately did not break his cheekbone or nose, although the bridge is slightly bruised.  The people from the parish were very kind, and the woman who called me accompanied him to the hospital with her husband and they waited with him there until he was nearly ready to be discharged.  The priest from the parish also came to the hospital and kindly drove him to the hotel where he spent the rest of the night.  He came home yesterday morning and spent the day in bed, doped up on painkillers.  He was a bit perkier this morning and even went to work (although he took the bus instead of biking as usual).  I am grateful that he is doing okay, and seems to have suffered no lasting damage.

--3--

He only looks harmless.  That cheeper is a killer.

After all that lovely drama, I didn't get to bed until after midnight on Wednesday night, and then Birdie was up for an hour from 2:00-3:00, and then both boys were up For.The.Day at 5:00 freaking a.m.  I asked why Piglet was screeching to get up when it was still full dark, and he said "The birds are awake."  (Insert expletive of your choice here--birds!) This over a noise machine!  It explains the other day this week that everyone woke up for the day in hourly increments starting at 3:00 a.m.  Today started at 5:30 a.m., so I'm pretty much running on fumes. 

--4--

And now for another TMI post.  I just wanted to update after last week's razor story.  I did pull out the razor on Monday, and it seems that whatever was going on last summer seems to have abated for the moment, so I'm very happy about that!  It may be because of the edema that is currently going crazy in my legs, but whatever, I'll take it.  (A plus for pitting edema!--never thought I'd say that!)  I did buy a hypoallergenic electric razor on ebay last week on the off-chance that it happens again.

--5--

"Let's look all dark and broody, and then everyone will want to buy our album."

We've been listening to 2Cellos and The Piano Guys on the stereo this week, and Piglet really likes several of the faster pieces on each album, and especially enjoys "dancing" to them.  When he was a young toddler, his dancing consisted of something that resembled squats--Birdie dances that way now.  It is hilarious.  As he's gotten older, however, his dancing has matured, and now he does the chicken dance.  To everything.  It is pretty funny.

--6--

32 weeks of sausage fingers

We've also had the weirdest weather this week.  The weekend was very temperate, being in the mid-60s, but Monday-Wednesday, we had a freak heat spike and it was in the mid-80s (April, people, April!!).  I will say I've had my heat now, and I'm done with summer.  The last two days have been much cooler and rainy--I'll take mid-40s over mid-80s any day!  The temperature changes have coincided with my body temperature finally catching up with my hormones.  This has been one of my "cold" pregnancies, where I can't get enough layers on my body, no matter what I do.  I felt like my core was cold all winter and I just couldn't get warm.  (Oddly, my last winter pregnancy was the same way).  Since Sunday, however, when I woke up with sausages for fingers and hams for feet, I've been feeling the heat.  So in with the summer maternity dresses, and out with my beloved cotton tights (although it must be said, I was ready to put them into the drawer for the year). 

--7--

I did CASE this one from a "real" card I saw on some blog, but the other two are all me.

And some cards!  I am participating in a stamping event in June (even though I won't actually be there in person--I'm making samples for the boards).  The challenge was to use one sketch, color combo, or stamp set in different ways.  I ended up doing the sketch challenge with My Digital Studio, and the stamp set challenge using the Oh, Hello! stamp set.  The MDS cards arrived today, and these are three of the twelve.  They are all quite different, but the layout is the same. 

  

Jen is busy tending to her new baby, so go see the always hilarious Grace for more Quick Takes!