Handmade "Mummu's Letter" Mothers Day Card

I want to wish everyone a very happy Mothers Day!

I made this card for my mother.

 This is how I made the card:

I started with a blank cardstock card that measures 5" by 7".

The background paper is from "Heritage Post" Bitty Scrap Pad from Provo Craft (a Goodwill find).

I used "Mummu's Letter" from Mo's Digital Pencil as the focus point of the card. I colored the image with Copic Sketch markers. I it out with a Spellbinders die and then framed it with another die cut.

The sentiment sticker at the top of the card is from a Tim Holtz "Small Talk" pad.

I embellished the card with a white paper doily, some cream-colored vintage lace, two cloth roses and a red heart sticker.

I will enter this card in Mo's Challenge #251 "Anything Goes".

Thank you for taking a look at my card. Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Handmade Mothers Day Card

This Sunday is Mothers Day and it is time to get a card in the mail. My mother is an excellent cook so I made this card with the vintage stove image from Mo's Digital Pencil Store.

I have learned that handmade cards do not have to be perfect. The important thing is that they or unique, original and made with love!

I will enter this card in Mo's Challenge #158 - Anything Goes!

M Is for the Many things she gave me,
O Means only that she’s growing Old.
T Is for the Tears she shed to save me,
H Is for her Heart of purest gold.
E Is for her Eyes with love light shining,
R Means Right and Right she’ll always be.
 

Put them all together, They spell MOTHER.
A word that means the world to me.

Thank you for taking a look at my card.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: Baby Laughs by Jenny McCarthy

Baby Laughs: The Naked Truth About the First Year of Mommyhood

Author: Jenny McCarthy

Publisher: Plume (Penguin Publishing)

Date: April 4, 2006

Guest Book Reviewer: Cindy Phelps Thomas


About The Author
Jenny McCarthy is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Belly Laughs, Baby Laughs, and Louder Than Words.  The former host of MTV's hugely popular dating show Singled Out, McCarthy began her career as a Playboy model, before launching a high-profile comedic television and film career.

Mommy and Baby

Baby Laughs takes the reader through a humorous journey of the ups and downs of the first year of motherhood. The book starts with delivery, touching on natural delivery and cesarean section delivery. She then moves to discuss the debate of breastfeeding versus the bottle, the changes in women’s bodies as they heal (i.e. hormones, post-partum depression, weight loss), split parenting, illness, doctor’s visits, poopie diapers, and even has a section for the dads.  

The topics are looked at in a light-hearted manner. This is not a medically written book, but a book by a first time mother who also happens to be a comedian. There is some graphic language in this book, if you are easily offended you may want to think twice before picking up this book. This book made me laugh out loud (literally, my husband thought I was going crazy a time or two) and it also made me cry thinking about the times that I’ve had with my little ones and comforted by the fact that someone else felt the same way.

My Thoughts
I personally related to this book in so many ways. I love that Jenny calls her son her “Baby Bird” and herself the “Mother Bird”. This always makes me smile. Baby Laughs is easy to read and gives a realistic/comical view to the first year of motherhood. I highly recommend this book for a good laugh and a few tears for new moms (and moms of all ages). Think of this book as learning from a good friend or relative who has already lived through it and is sharing with you.

Rating: 5 Stars Out Of 5

Cindy Phelps Thomas is a U.S. Navy Veteran (2001-2005). She earned her BS in Psychology/Criminal Justice from the University of Houston at Clear Lake. She received an elementary teaching certification and is a former kindergarten teacher in the La Porte, TX School District. She is currently a stay-at-home mom and is working on her MBA degree at the University of Houston.

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Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: The Reason - Help and Hope For Those Who Grieve

Sally Grablick tells the heart-wrenching story of her son's suicide in "The Reason; Help and Hope for Those Who Grieve". Ms. Grablick shares the feelings she experienced in the days, months and years following her son's death. This is a story of lessons learned, tools used and insights gained while navigating the way through grief to hope.


"When it comes to grief, the real 'expert' is the one who has experienced it firsthand, and then lived to tell the tale. In this case, that would be me. (Sally Grablick)


Each person must find their own path that leads from grief to acceptance. This book is a memoir of one mother's journey.



Experiencing A Tragedy
Ryan Wecker was 19-years-old when he shot himself...in his room, in his parent's home, with a rifle. Sally Grablick tells how she went from walking five miles, five days a weeks, to sitting on her deck smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. The experience of losing her son left Ms. Grablick paralyzed both physically and emotionally.

The author has done extensive research on the subject of overcoming grief and surviving the suicide of a close family member. She is very open and honest about her experiences. She wanted to know; "Where did he go, and is he alright?"
The author believes that one tool for dealing with grief is to cultivate an openness to the presence of their loved one's spirit. She has found closure and peace by recognizing signs that her son is near her and finding ways to communicate with him.

My Thoughts
This book is a very engaging and touching read. The author is very direct in describing the heartache and pain that comes with losing a child by suicide. Ms. Grablick makes it clear that the road to recovery is very long and very hard for the entire family.

I really liked the way the author shared the "tools" that she used to deal with this tragedy. She admitted that she took antidepressant medications, sought the help of an experienced therapist and depended on friends and family for emotional support. She also shared her experiences with getting readings from psychics and  fortunetellers.
I admire her determination to explore every available avenue to find closure. You might not agree with all of her methods, but you will rejoice with this mother as she finds acceptance and peace.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary digital copy of this book to read and review from the author's publicist.

Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Book Review: The Best Worst Thing

The Best Worst Thing, by Kristen K. Brown, is the story of a 34-year-old widow, mother, author and entrepreneur, who has found a way to deal with tragedy and manage the stress that goes along with it.

Kristen K. Brown found herself a young widowed mother when her husband died of a heart attack at the age of 30. Kristen experienced feelings of grief,  regret, denial and anger as she struggled to survive the days following her husband's death.

This is a true story of love, loss, rebirth and self-discovery. This is an amazing journey through the grief process and into a new life of acceptance and happiness.

Love
In the opening chapters of this book, Kristen shares the story of her courtship and early marriage to Todd Brown. Kristen and Todd had attended the same high school but did not start dating until several years after they graduated. Kristen and Todd shared a strong bond from the beginning of their relationship and dated several years before getting married. I especially enjoyed the story of how Todd proposed and the details of their marriage.
Kristen was excited about being a mother and gave birth to Brooke on December 1, 2006.

Death
Todd Brown died suddenly in his sleep on September 9, 2007. The entire family was together to attend the wedding of Kristen's sister. An autopsy was later performed and the results showed that Todd had suffered a heart attack. He did not have any history of medical problems or heart issues. The death came as a complete shock to everyone involved.

Acceptance and Growth
Kristen learns to survive and eventually thrive in the weeks, months and years following Todd's death. This was not an easy journey but Kristen slowly builds a new life for herself. She quit a job that was making her miserable and launched a new business that she named Happy Hour Effect.

"After all that's happened, I like to say now that I may be money-poor but I'm happiness rich...and that's all that really matters, isn't it?"

 It was hard to put this book down. Kristen really opened her heart and exposed her inner-most feelings. Most of us can't imagine what it would be like to lose a spouse at such a young age. This book will teach you how to mend a broken heart.  Healing and acceptance is what this book is all about. A very good read.

Disclosure: Kristen Brown sent me a complimentary paperback copy of this book to read and review. Thank you!
I love to hear from my readers ~ Please share your thoughts in the Comments Section below.

Motherhood Is Easy: Book Review

Rebekah Hunter Scott is a hilarious mommy blogger who has written a book about her life as a mother of two young children.  "Motherhood Is Easy...As Long As You Have Nothing To Do For the Next 50 Years" is a collection of humorous stories about the perils and pitfalls of motherhood.  The author has a real talent for expressing everyday events in a humorous way.  I found myself laughing aloud many times as I read this book.

Ms. Scott writes about her experiences in a way that all mothers will relate to.  She wants mothers to know that they are not alone.  Sometimes we have to laugh to keep from crying.  Things don't always go as we plan...especially when we have a toddler and an infant to care for. 

The children will grow up all too soon.  My daughter is now 28 years old and my granddaughter will soon be seven.  Where have the years gone?  This book will help you appreciate the time that you have with your young children and realize that you just can't take things too seriously.  It is also a good read for a grandmother who survived the child rearing experience and can now look back and smile.

Wanted: Your Funniest Motherhood Moments.

Did you make it all the way to the grocery store with your child before realizing he’d put one of your bras on under his shirt? Did your daughter pinch a stranger’s behind while waiting in line for a movie? Did your kid yell the most hilarious thing ever in the middle of a hushed bookstore?
We want to hear about it.
Send us your funniest (and oftentimes most embarrassing) motherhood moment and you could win! The top three stories will receive an autographed copy of Motherhood Is Easy…As Long As You Have Nothing Else To Do For The Next 50 Years, and publication on the Motherhood Is Easy Website.

Guidelines for Entries:

Length should be 600 words or fewer (not including your name and contact information). We can only accept emailed entries. You may submit more than one entry (because who doesn’t have multiple hilarious stories to share?), but please no more than three per person. Please include your name, phone number and the ages of your children with your entry. The deadline for submissions is midnight on April 22nd. The winner will be announced at the book release party for Motherhood Is Easy, April 29th, and also April 30th on the Motherhood Is Easy website. Please submit all entries in the direct body of an email to mail@motherhoodiseasy.com, with the subject line Motherhood Contest Submission. We cannot accept any emailed attachments.
Good luck!

http://www.motherhoodiseasy.com
http://www.motherhoodiseasy.blogspot.com