A Ramble Plus A Vintage-y Butterfly Card

Do you ever feel like you might just drop dead from being a mother?  It's been one of those weeks...or months.  But I'm hoping I'll come out of the slump soon.

It's a good thing I have hobbies, or I would go crazy!  Even though sometimes I don't have as much time as I would like for them, I love being able to sit down and do something that I want to do--that is completely unrelated to the needs of my husband and kids (as dearly as I love them).  I think it is a reminder that Mommy is a person (check out that awesome post if you need a reminder) too, and I deserve to have some of my precious time spent on myself.

So I make cards.  I like to tell myself that they will serve a purpose someday.  That I will someday be a thoughtful person who is constantly writing little notes of gratitude and affirmation to everyone I've ever met.  So far, that transformation hasn't occurred...but I do have an ever growing stash of cards waiting for that blessed day.  Until then, I use the wedding and birthday cards pretty often and it is therapeutic to cut and glue and dream about how I want my card to turn out!

Someday I hope to make a different transformation to "incredible scrapbooking mom."  Apparently I am too intimidated by the vast enormity of 12 x 12 inches in a scrapbook layout?  Maybe I avoid it because of my semi-disastrous attempt at designing digital scrapbook supplies (turns out, at the time, I could either be a mother to my brand new first baby, or have my own personal hobbies and interests--not both!), maybe I know that having a scrapbook would have such a profound impact on my children's lives that I get overwhelmed and psych myself out.

Cards are easier.  Smaller.  Less far reaching.  Plus my neighbor helps me stay motivated.

She started a card group--there are about twelve of us that get together every month (except me...this will be my first month back since baby #3...in January...).  We bring 12 cards that we have made, and then we pass them all around and everyone takes one.  Voila, 12 different cards to add to my collection!  It is fun to get inspiration and styles that aren't my own.


This is the card I will be taking next week:

What is your sanity-keeping outlet?