friday.

 Taking a deep breath before closing the week tonight. Last night I went to bed around midnight having just seen the devastating news of the tsunami in Japan. Much was still unknown at the time but we knew it was going to be bad. I woke 6.5 restless hours later with a text message on my phone. It began, "Don't want to wake you if you're still in bed. There is a tsunami warning for the west coast..." Not really the way I'd planned on beginning my day. But, as we all know now, the San Francisco Bay remains unscathed. And for that, I feel grateful.

I received two more heartbreaking electronic messages over the next few hours. But I went about my business, because, as I understand it, that is just what one does.  Now tonight I sit with a heavy heart and a deep compassion for so many different people across the world. Some that I know and love dearly. Others that I will never have the chance to know. And again. I feel grateful.

But it's Friday. And that alone is certainly worth a small celebration. And a nod to just a few of the brighter parts of my week...

Like the Martha Stewart fringe centerpiece (pictured above) and found here yesterday. Coincidentally only one day after I stripped our Thankful Tree (yes, I am aware that it is March) and left it barren by the front door. Bet you can't guess what I'm going to do to it next!

Or my dear friend, Lisa's Fat Tuesday celebration. And the oh so comical hunt for the sugar baby that ensued.

And then there was this. A spontaneous dinner theater performed for me tonight. Turns out a little tootie tata & boom de atta was just what I needed.

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you spin me right round, baby right round...

Loving these cheerful pinwheels at Once Around.  Originally inspired by Martha, the crafty folks at Once Around used two sided paper rather than gluing two different pieces together.  Easy peasy. They are perfect for summer birthday party decorations, jazzing up your child's bedroom for the season or just a simple craft project for the whole family! 

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family scrapboxes by Darcy Miller

Let's get this straight, I am not a hoarder. I actually despise clutter. But with that out of the way, I am one of those moms that saves every art project. (I am also the mom that actually buys prints of our digital photos and puts them in albums. Yup, still do)

When the kid's art comes home from school our favorites go up in their room for a few months, until they get replaced by the next fabulous creation. Each kid has their own bin in the garage - one per year, per kid. But once it's filed, no one really ever looks at the stuff until a random memory or emotional breakdown strikes (like last night) in which I am forced to quickly locate something...anything...from when they were born.  Turns out my big one is quite the sap for childhood memories.  Wonder where he gets that?

So it's not surprising that an article in this months' Martha Stewart Magazine really caught my attention. It was called "Family History in the Making".  Martha Stewart Weddings' Darcy Miller shares her collection of illustrations, photographs and objects in "a hybrid medium where scrapbook meets shadowbox."  Above are just a few of my favorites (it was really, really hard to narrow them down).  You can see all of her creations on the Martha Stewart website. And, if you so desire, you can buy the scrapboxes there as well. 

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pom-pom party

I don't have any weddings or fancy dinner parties coming up but who could resist these fabulous hanging pom-poms & coordinating napkin rings just for the fun of it? Apparently all that's needed to do it yourself is tissue paper & cloth covered floral wire. And, of course, these simple, four step instructions courtesy of Martha Stewart. Of course I can just picture our children trying to play volleyball with them now...