Lauren Nwachukwu | There are no mistakes in art, just opportunites to embellish.

How many ways can you eat CLAMS???

I had such a blast in Manchester, NH.  Manchester is only about 30 minutes from Boston. 

I have not been back to Boston since I graduated.  I have not found a reason to go back. 

One of my best friends passed away suddenly three years ago.  The majority of people that I went to school with moved to other places.  So there was never any reason to go back until now.

I had to teach at CKC Manchester.  I had a great time.  The first thing I did when I landed was run to the Clam King.

I ordered fried whole clams and licked my fingers when they were all gone.

I then went to a local seafood bar and had everything that I could have ever wanted.

I had clams on the half shell.  I had oysters on the half shell.  I had  cherry stones on the half shell.  They were small and out of season, but they were good none the less. 

I had New England clam chowder. I had a clam roll, I had fried fish sandwich, I had it anyway I could get it.

I never realized how much I missed the whole fresh fish thing. 

It was a regular on a Saturday to go to Boston Fish Market at 6.00 am to get the first catch.

It was a great time. 

I am tired and going to spend some time with kids. 

until we meet again,

I finally put the camera on auto focus...

I was trying to figure out why all of the other photos were so out of focus.  I had to put the camera on auto focus and the waving hand.  So that it would stop shaking when Chi-Chi took a photo.

When we were at Shannon's we went to one of those artsy fartsy towns. 

I gave Chi-Chi the camera and told her to have a blast.  Well, I was surprised at how much better she has gotten with taking photos.

She loves taking pictures now!!!



until we meet again,

bagles, pizza and dunkin donuts... oh my

Yep, I have finally gotten over the fact that I will not have these things for a long time.

OK, so let me back up a bit...

Shannon's husband Ken took Chi Chi fishing for the first time in her life.

According to Chi-Chi the worms are "gross" but the fishing in fun. 

Ken is a strictly fish and release type guy.

She really had a great time.  When she came back she was all smiles and quite excited about her accomplishments. She caught 4 fish.

Then I went and spent some time with my Uncle Van and Aunt Glenda. 

It had been over a year since I had seen them and Chi-Chi loves going there. I think it is mostly for the pineapple upside down cake that she makes.  I forgot to ask for one this year, but don't you worry, I will not forget next time.

I drove past the house I lived in two times this weekend.  I really miss that house. I know that I have not lived there in years. I just always thought that mom and dad would be there forever. 

We had a blast and I can't wait to go back.  I had a blast. 
I love Atlanta.

And I miss my Bagels, Pizza and Dunkin' Donuts.

until we meet again,

family portaits by chi-chi

I was looking through the photos ans saw that chi-chi had taken a bunch of the whole family and some of them are just precious.

It is amazing what she sees and how she sees it.  Don't you just love the mind of a 5 year old. 



I had to stop and take a really good look and figure out which one of the kids these pictures were. 

I love the look into her world. 

She is just amazing. 

And to think that these are the body parts that she focused on.  Yes, that is my mouth.  Say no more.

until we meet again,

the world according to chi-chi

OK, I have a new category to introduce...

It is called the world according to Chi-Chi.  Yep, that is what I have finally decided to call it.

I had an old digital camera and was going to throw it away.  A friend told me to give it to Chi-Chi and let her take pictures of her world.

What a great idea!!! 

I loved it and that is what we have been doing for a while now.  She is having a blast taking pictures of anything and everything.

So every so often, I am going to go through and share some of them with you.  I promise not to change, enhance, edit or rotate any of the photos in any way.  This is chi-chi's world unedited.

Now you know and I know there is no way that I could share them all, she has taken too many photos to even begin to do that, but I have decided that I am going to keep them all. 

Yep out of focus and all.  Then I am going to make her an album of my favorites with a CD inside of the rest.

Just one more thing to put in her time capsule for when she turns 16.

until we meet again,

home sweet home

Can I say that it is good to be home!!!

I had the best time in New Jersey.

I got a chance to hang out with old friends and meet new ones.

I met some really great women.  They were just fabulous.  They made me laugh like we do in Jersey. 

Loud and from the pit of our stomachs.

PLUS, I got to go to AC Moore.  We don't have one in the Atlanta area, and I love it even more when I have a coupon.

It just amazes me how young our kids are starting out crafting.  I am always impressed with the lack of fear to try something new and different. 

I am so excited to have the young ones in the class.  They really show the adults what it means to step out there and have fun.

until we meet again,

I am truly blessed!!!

Can I just tell you how blessed I am!!!

First let me go backwards to go forward...

In my other life, I was at the top of my game and people came to me to ask for help or get answers to questions that seemed impossible.

Now in this whole paper crafting thing, I am the one running and asking questions and getting help and getting answers.  And each time I thank my lucky stars that I have enough phone numbers in my iPhone to get most of my needs met.

Well, here I am in NJ visiting one of my best friends in the whole wide world.  I have known Shannon for over 20 years.  She knows stuff about me that my mother does not even know.  You know, we all have a group of girl friends like that.  Trust me, she could write a tell all book about me.

Anywho, as we are driving to dinner, I jump in the car with her husband Ken.  He is a great guy and just worships the ground that she walks on.  I love him because he loves her like cooked food.  He is also an avid fisherman and he took Chi-CHi fishing for the first time this evening.  Yes, She caught her first fish... But that is for another blog entry.

OK, no more digressing...

Well, I am telling him about this life changing experience that I am living and some of my struggles right now.  He looks me dead in my face and says "Lauren, I can solve both of those problems for you with a phone call."

He gets on the phone, set up an appointment for me on Sunday before I get on the airplane to come back to Atlanta and he has a friend shipping me a box to my house that will be there before I get home.

Never ever in my wildest dreams did I ever think that my non-scrapbooking friend's husband would ever be able to help me the way that he has this evening.

For me it is not the details of the help, but the fact that no matter what road my crazy life takes me down, all of my friends are willing to support me in this process and they wish the best for me.

All I can say is watch out because I am woman and hear me roar...  with the help of my friends and family.

Y'all, I am truly blessed to live in my skin!!!

until we meet again,

We have landed ...

Ok so here we sit on the tarmack at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Chi-Chi slept the whole plane ride. What a blessing that was to finally get a chance to have some downtime.
After we landed she looks at me and says, Mama I am having the best time with you here right now. She just made my heart sing.

Oh my, I almost forgot...

As we were walking through the airport in Atlanta, my five year old daughter started walking up to the men in uniform and said "thanks for protecting our country".

I did not even say a word she did that all on her own.

I did not even know that she knew about the war in Iraq.

And apparently she also has feelings about it.

until we meet again,

Family Bonding for Mom's Birthday

Yesterday was mom's birthday. 

So Saturday, we took the whole family and went to go see The Lion King.

Now, I have seen it 4 times and B'dway.  I even convinced my parents to take her to see it on B'dway when they lived in NJ.

But the boys had never seen it.  And I really wanted them to see it.  So since it came to Atlanta, I convinced my Dad to purchase 9 tickets so that we could all go.

For me the experience was, seeing their faces when the actors came down the aisle and being able to watch that glow.

I will admit that the show seemed much more dramatic to me on B'dway.  But that could be me just having that northern blood running through my veins.

No matter what, a good time was had by all.  The boys did not know any different.  Chi Chi who had seen it already did not notice anything different.  She just smiled and sang along with it like it was her first time seeing it.

I just think back to what I was doing when I was 3 and 5.  Nope, I was not sitting in the theater watching a play.  Nope, I was lucky to get to the movie theater.  Yikes!! 

until we meet again,

I'm going Home!!!

Well,

I know that Atlanta is where I live now. 

But New Jersey will always be my home.  I grew up there all of my lifetime friends are there and I have to admit... Minus the snow and the rude people, I love the place.

I did not realize how rude I was until I moved to the South and went back.

Can I tell you that I was appalled at the self-centered behavior. 

And yes, in spite of what you think, I am much better than I use to be.  I actually will not use the F-Word unless it is absolutely necessary. 

So I am taking Chi-Chi with me.  She is going to spend some time with her Godmother while I am at Memories Expo over the weekend.

Then we will be home on Sunday.

I am not ready.  I have not finished laundry, I have not packed, I have not got every thing ready for me to teach classes.

So basically, I have less than 12 hours to get ready and no plan.

Oh PS, did I tell you that in the middle of all this, I am making art.  YEP!!!  I am making some art to have with me on the plane.

So let me get to packing.

until we meet again,

Yoda has shown up with some friends

Y'all,

Can you believe that my Yoda has shown up!!!  And he came with friends.

I am so motivated to create it is scary. 

I have been asked to help a friend with a project and at first, I felt put out but knew that it was a sign from God that this is my time. 

So I did one and then another and did not like it.

I took a nap and there was YODA.  I am so fired up. 

I cannot just teach.  I must create.  I must make art.  I must be in my creative zone as much as possible.

I have decided that from now on I will create what I have to at home and then I will bring things for me to work on while I am traveling. 

Even if it is just a small piece of something, I need to be creating all the time.

until we meet again,

My youngest crafter ever...

OK Ladies, so you know that I have had a man in one of my classes when I was in Pleasanton, California.

Well, while I was in St. Louis, I had the youngest crafter I ever had.

Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Leah, she has the honor of being my youngest student ever.

She was in my Explosion Box Class.  She not only kept up and put her box together, but she put her Grandma Joan to shame. 

Leah was so creative, she really took her box and made it her own.

I was so impressed with her freedom to create and her "this is my project and I am going to do it my way" spunk, it just made me proud to have her in my class.

You know that generally children under 10 and in some places 15 are not allowed in class.  Well, can I tell you that when Joan to me that Leah had been crafting since she was 2 and could handle it, I was surprisingly impressed.

She cut paper just as good if not better than some of the ladies in my class.

It was pleasure and honor to have Leah in my class.

until we meet again,

I'm Beta testing for TypePad

Yes, I volunteered to Beta test for TypePad.

So there are going to be times when things on my site do not work. 

It is only because they are in the process of bringing some great new features.

So if you are having a problem viewing anything on my site PLEASE let me know.

I fixed the comments and I am in the process of working on the images in the gallery.

I should have all that fixed by tomorrow. 

So just bear with me and the TypePad engineers.  I love the new features, just trying to work out the kinks.

until we meet again,

We had fun this weekend...

You know that I have been traveling all month. 

So this weekend when I was out in Nashville, I took Chi-Chi with me to visit her friends.

Shelly watched Chi-Chi when I was working in Nashville. Chi-Chi took her first steps in Shelly's living room.

When Chi-Chi would spend the night, she would push Ms. Shelly out of the bed and sleep with Mr. Davey.

Shelly has two wonderful children Sam and Alex.

When the three of them get together, watch out.

The kids gang up on me and make me PINKY PROMISE to bring Chi-Chi back every time I come to Nashville.  And y'all know when you PINKY PROMISE, those are the ones that you cannot break.

So once again, I have promised to bring her back with me next time I have to go and teach at the store.

I am so glad that the kids have made such good friends and real love each other.

It makes my heart sing to know that the girls are going to have a lifetime bond. 

I never had friends like that until I got older and in college. 

Kids are the most amazing little people.

until we meet again,

Timeless Reflections had a Make Over

And what a make over it is!!!  Can you say fabulous.  Say it again because I don't think that you believe me.

Michelle Luther, the owner of Timeless Reflections has expanded her store!!!

It is just amazing what she has done in the past week that she had been closed.

She has knocked out two walls, added some of the most amazing inventory.

I met Michelle at my very first crop in Nashville.  It was Claudine's Christmas Crop. 

Ladies, this was even before I had the boys.  I was just starting out and she and I hit it off.

Then I got pregnant with the boys and moved back to Atlanta. 

A good friend of mine Shelly Lewis was in Michelle's store and told her that I had made the Ranger Design Team. 

And that was all she wrote.  Michelle called me and told me that I had to come to her store and teach.  I have been teaching there ever since. 

Y'all know that we do not have any local stores here in Atlanta and so I drive 387 miles one way to hang out with my ladies.  Yes, they are MY ladies and craft. 

It has never been about the money with them.  I barely break even.  It is always about the love and willingness that they have to go for the creative ride with me. 

Basically, that was the Southern way of saying that they let me test run all of my classes with them first.

Really, all of my own classes that come out of my head (read butt) are done first at Timeless Reflections. 

If you find yourself in the Nashville Area, you must, I mean MUST stop by the store and see all the stuff that she has. 

Timeless Reflection
110 Sanders Ferry Road, Suite 11
Hendersonville, TN 37075
615-822-7148

And when you get there...  Tell her Lauren sent ya' and then give her a big fat kiss on the cheek.

until we meet again,