Living life one incredible day at a time...

Living life one incredible day at a time...
DECORATE * RENOVATE * CREATE * APPRECIATE

About Me

My photo
Greetings Friends, Family, Fellow Blogging Community!! I'm a 30-something year old music teacher and enthusiastic self-taught decorator, who loves to spend time with my tremendously talented and handsome one-of-a-kind husband, Jon, our two amazing children, Clara and Carson, and my wonderful loving family and friends!! I love all things creative and artsy, including design, music, dance, art, scrapbooking, you name it!! I decided to commence this blog in order to create a fun and creative on-line journal showcasing the exciting adventurous journey of the Botbyl family, and in order to keep in touch with and hopefully inspire other individuals, like myself who love to share a wonderful life's design consisting of love of family, friends, and creative living!! Please leave me a message/comment if you decide to visit my blog, or add yourself to my list of "followers" so that I can visit your awesome blog or Facebook!! Look extremely forward to hearing from you!! Have an incredibly amazing day!!

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Springing into wonderful spring!!

Spring is here, unmistakingly and bold - Beautiful weather, sunshine, and happiness! Can you feel it in your bones?! I...my wonderful husband...has finally found a way to successfully upload my new pictures onto Botbylsmile, and although it takes a little while, I'm extremely happy! I'm not sure at this point if they're editable, or able to be enhanced or cropped in any way but I guess I'll just learn as I go, and maybe I'll discover any easier way. So here are some very raw, not very colorful, photos of my handsome dashing young boyfriend and my curious little ballerina! It feels awesome just to be able to post photos, unedited, uncropped, whatever. Here's a little recap of the last couple of weeks, not in any particular order:
Have an amazingly warm inspiring spring day!! Thank you so much for visiting!

Friday, April 3, 2015

Flashback to Easter 2014, hopes for new inspiring photos, a much needed Spring Break!

Good Morning! Long time no see! I've been away for a while, I'm not sure if I remember how to blog - loving that the wonderful word "blog" is both noun and verb! Several reasons: Exceedingly busy lifestyle, insanity at work, PARCC, two energetic, needy, fabulous children...but the biggest thing is a change in our photo library which prevents me from uploading any photos taken after a certain date to my blog. I will need to count on my entertaining wit and photos from the past to carry me through the next couple of posts while I'm in the process of figuring out how to display photos, which I'm pretty sure will on require a couple of downloads. Basically I've been frustrated at the concept of blogging without pictures, especially when we've taken so many awesome photos over the last couple months that I haven't been able to share, so hopefully I can get something up and running...Photos or no photos, I've been itching to blog!! I've also been awaiting sharing with you a couple of wonderful exciting new projects that will be underway in the near future, for which I need to show you photos as well!

I'm thrilled at the commencement of spring break and the wonderful opportunity to spend much needed quality time with family! During the month of March, I've come down with the dreaded stomach virus twice, and any time I could spare at home was consisted of just me, a bed or couch, trashcan, or toilet. Unfortunately, with 2 little ones, you can't be careful enough. Fortunately nobody except for me got sick the 2nd time around, fingers still crossed! Due to these recent sicknesses, I'm even more excited and thankful for Easter, time spent with family, a much anticipated visit from the BUNNY, and beautiful glimpses of breathtaking spring weather to come - This amazing warm weather I see in our future can not arrive quick enough, I tell ya! However, I can not believe how incredibly fast time has flown by! 

Last year at this time, we made our little Easter pregnancy announcement...and celebrated the commencement of new life! Here are some photos from last year's commencement of spring and Easter break...

1 Year Ago...Easter 2014!

Hopefully I'll be able to add awesome photos from this year to my blog soon with the help of a very skilled husband who is slumbering at the moment! Have an amazing Easter and Happy Spring! Can't wait to see all your awesome Spring and Easter photos on Facebook!
God is Good...

Sunday, December 7, 2014

Facebook and the never-ending sea of statuses, fractured noses, and a profound lesson in compassion...

This post is a bit impromptu, but I'm feeling the urge to compose this as a sortuv beginning of a new week...There's definitely something about the joys of parenting, and taking advantage of opportunities to blog about our experiences, that makes me smile and view life in a much lighter, more artistic, and more comical way, especially when I receive feedback reminding me that there are many individuals with the same lifestyle relating to and living similar types of scenarios and experiences that I love to write and laugh about. (The word "scenario" just took me 6 tries, no kidding!)
I admit that Facebook, which I once considered to be a trend, can be an amazingly useful tool to assist us in keeping in touch with the old friend, the new friend, and the oddball who has become very cool, to whom we otherwise may not have a way to stay connected, and I deeply respect and appreciate the opportunity to reach out and find things we all have in common, while being able to support and receive support from others, in times of need, or when we simply have questions, concerns, comments, or even photos that we feel the need to share. With that said, I sometimes get a little carried away with statuses that sound something like this:
 "Dear husband that must remain anonymous, I'm deeply sorry for pegging you in the private's with Carson's stuffed owl - It was an accident - but there are a few no-no's when it comes to making comments to a women with two very young children, and "A lot of woman do it this way...Why can't you?" is one of them. However, considering the fact that you also have two young children, come to think of it, the same two children, I'm willing to forgive, forget, and give you another chance...Oh yeah, I'm supposed to be apologizing to you. I'm sorry babe..." I've decided not to post this on Facebook because I'm trying to use better judgement, although this would get lost in the never-ending sea of statuses but I will admit I've been finding joy in reflecting upon things, stories, and or conversations that occur via status.
Also, blogging, a passion of mine, makes me feel wonderful and empowered, and the fact that everything I blog about comes from my day to day life experiences, makes it more awesome. I've decided that even if the only one reading this is my Cat, who I've taught to read(?), I'm still happy. But what if...just what if something I've written or provided commentary on has brightened your day, or has changed your perspective, or has offered you inspiration that has helped you in someway...then I've succeeded in connecting with you or entertaining you for even just a split second, and that, my friend, has made it worth my while. I would like to Thank you so much by the way, if you have or do read my blog: It means the world to me that you're interested in what I have to say, and have taken time during your busy day to tune into my thoughts, feelings, opinions, and my life. I can't express how amazing that makes me feel. If you're still interested after this, read on!

Now, for a not-so-funny story, if you consult my nose, but a profound lesson in compassion for my child: Last night, Jon was working late, and in the fall, the busiest time of year for Jon, it's a not so rare occasion that I will bring Clara into our room until she either drifts off to sleep after loudly sweetly singing 20 rounds of Twinkle Twinkle, ABC's, and her new favorite, Daddy Finger. I had begin to doze off myself until my lovely 2 year old decides to abruptly sit straight up and fall back as hard as she could, breaking or so I thought, my nose. Who does that? I ended up being fine, with a slightly bruised, and throbbing nose, but tell me
who? does? that! As I'm writhing in pan holding my nose, she stares as me wondering "what the heck is wrong with mommy?" "You hurt mommy's nose honey...ooouuuh..." Then I notice she starts to cover her face, and has this horrid, devastating, and almost lifeless expression...and my reaction of course is...she's hurt, only to realize she's hurting for me. "What's wrong baby? What is it?" She's all choked up, barely able to speak..."I hurt mommy" she states softly. "I hurt mommy...I hurt mommy...I sorry mommy, I soorrry...I loveooo mommy"
This is probably the sweetest act...not even act...response to someone she deeply loves experience pain that I could possibly imagine. She was truly remorseful and sorry for the 1st time, and not prompted in any way to act apologetically, but it made me see this astounding compassion and love coming from this extremely young individual, and it was remarkable and beautiful to me...(and I will try to remember this feeling the next time she attempts to climb onto the coffee table to put her feet on Carson, which she loves to do.) I just hugged her and hugged her and reassured her that mommy was ok (even though it hurt and I had to lie), and she didn't mean to break my nose (trying not to laugh as I'm writing this..not that it's funny) and that's called an accident...We both drifted off to sleep as the throbbing faded away... memories of Clara from the moment she was born until now...flooded my mind...I felt such warmth, such love...being her mommy.
I'm sure this has happened to you, and your story may be quite different...and I wish you hope you'll share!
Thank you for visiting my blog...and goodnight! God Bless!

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Carson Marson: light snacker, cat napper, and scapegoat!

Recently, poor Carson is getting blamed for everything from subtly tooting to making a gigantic lego mess in the basement, to tossing pancakes on the floor! He's also been given the adorable, yet imaginary-friend-sounding nickname, Carson Marson, which actually sounds more like "Caason Maason" when Clara pronounces it with her cute Boston accent, and has become the family scapegoat! The conversations I have with my daughter sound something like this :
"I think I smell somethi..."
"Carson Marson"
"Oh my goodness, looks like a certain person dumped their legos all over the carp..."
"Carson Marson"
"Why are there pancakes on the flo..."
"Carson Marson"
"Did someone leave the cat out in the sun room all night?!" (This one was my fault)
"Carson Marson"
This is definitely the start of serious brotherly love in our family!

He's also a total cat napper, and just when you think he's settling down for a long afternoon nap, he takes the shortest cat nap in the world and wakes up baaahing like a lamb, ready for a light 5 minute snack! What are we to do with our sweet adorable Carson Marson, besides cuddle him, love him unconditionally, and occasionally pinch those little cheeks?