What defines you?

I have been wanting, for a long time now, to complete a "week in the life" album.  Seriously.  I really think 20 years down the line it would be really cool to show how life has changed for me and what things I still rely on and what I don't . . . I'm nostalgic what can I say?

But as I have been thinking more and more about it, I have had to ask myself who I am.  What defines me?  A recent facebook post by a friend on my page triggered this spark.  And to be honest, I can't remember what the post exactly it said, what it eluded to or what it even was about!  However, it still has made me think.  And I hope my post tonight makes you think. . . but first I'll attempt at answering who I am. . .

Today, at face value, I am a 32 year old married mother of two sons.  I am a teacher.  I am a signer. I am a singer. I am a scrapbooker. I am a Christian. But what defines me?

Melissa (proper noun): a moody girl who loves with all her heart and being, cares deeply and emphatically about those around her and gives abundantly of herself and her things.  She is talented at nothing, but her skills include but are not limited to:  signing ASL, sewing, scrapbooking, writing, vocal singing, story telling, acting, crafting, and teaching.  She makes people laugh, and is free to do so at the expense of herself.  At times, she morphs into the "soccer mom" persona and is all about running her two young sons around to different functions; at other times.  Sometimes, she's a country girl at heart, listening to country music, riding in jacked up trucks, helping with the tractor pull, showing and fixing up tractors and enjoying the simpler things in life. Sometimes, she's a city girl, enjoying the opera, musicals and shows, perusing the malls, and taking in a movie on the big screen.  Sometimes, she's the party girl, although rarely partaking of any intoxicating substances, she can dance till the sun rises, and do crazy things with the best of them.  Most times, she's the girl who enjoys home, the company of friends and family.  She teaches, and loves it.  She teaches students who are deaf and hard of hearing, and loves to analyze language and learning language, and the challenges to unlocking each and every student's true potential.  Melissa is a teacher who learns from her students and puts her learning into practice, she works diligently and puts on the air that she eats bon bons and drinks coffee all day.  She is also a student and working on her Master's Degree.  She's smart, but also stupid.  She can make the silliest oversights, comments and mistakes and then she admits them, and laughs at herself.  She's a mother of two young sons, who some would call both of them difficult.  She's an advocate for breast cancer awareness and autism.  She's a wife, who loves her husband and all he does.  She doesn't show him that enough.  She's a Christian, who believes that there will be signs from God on what directions in life you should go, if you just open your heart, mind and eyes to see them.  She's a believer that believes that sharing her believes on anything shouldn't feel like pressure to others.  She's open minded and doesn't think that any one's life is for her to judge.  If and when she does judge, reminds herself of that statement.  She's optimistic 99% of the time.  And although she doesn't often show it, she can be very deep.  Her life motto is, "I am who I am because of the expediences I have had in my life; good and bad, they've made me who I am today." 

As I look at the project ahead of me, I wonder if I will be successful at portraying these thoughts and feelings.  Now that you have read what defines me, what defines you?  I think it is a good question to ask yourself once in a while.  A professor of mine in college once told me that you need to yearly look at your teaching pedagogy and re-write it annually.  It is high time I did this for my life as well!  Hopefully, as I get my "week in the life" album started next week and going, I will post as I go and you will maybe see some of my defining moments more clearly!

A little storage situation solved!!

 I LOVE ACRYLIC STAMPS!!! I love to buy them here, there and everywhere!  But, to say the least, they were a pain in the bum to go through and keep organized.  SO, I thought to myself, I need to solve this problem!!!  Well, I got some free credit from my last Stampin' Up! show, and ordered the empty stamp cases for their clear mount stamps.  I didn't know how exactly to put them in there, but I solved that problem, too!

 Here are some of my favorite stamps.  I took them out of the big packaging and adhered the printed on plastic to the new stamp container.  So this stamp case now holds six of my stamps.  I kept the cover to the stamp and they stick inside on the stamp, even when the case is closed. 

So now, here is one of my two stamp drawers all organized.  These cases truly made life a little neater!  :)

I really love to have all of my things all neat and organized, so if you have a storage/organization problem or solution, please share - it will help all of us scrappers!

Enjoy!  :)