Wordless Wednesday

Happy Gnome, June 2010

Ten on Tuesday

1) Did you hear about the longest tennis match in history? 11 hours, 5 minutes. I am a tennis player and that is unbelievable!

2) I found biodegradable garbage bags at Whole Foods. Wahoo! They also take #5 plastics and recycle them. Double wahoo! Way to go Whole Foods.

3) I've been enjoying my farm share, especially the garlic whistles.

4) One downside of my farm share is the need to store the veggies in plastic bags and with paper towels. I ordered these, but they are on back order. My sister and I purchased some larger produce savers, but I anticipate still needing to use plastic bags. Not ideal.

5) I was watching Italy's performance in the World Cup because Punch Pizza was having a special if they won any of their matches. Now, they are already out of the tournament. Bummer.

6) I finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Steig Larsson. It was definitely a page turner, but I was quite disturbed by the violence of some of the scenes. Not sure they were necessary.

7) I am a list and note taker, but not in a centralized place, so I'm currently drowning in a pile of paper. It's stressing me out. Need to resolve it.

8) I had the chance to see my nieces play their last few games in their soccer season. They're both great players!

Here is D playing goalie.

9) Recently found Ella Publishing. There's a lot of inspiration in their eZines and on their blog too. I am thinking of purchasing 8 is Enough. I am a big fan of those five designers.

10) We're supposed to have great weather this week, a reprieve from the severe weather that has dominated the last week. I hope to walk to work a few times.

American Crafts Challenge

This week's AC challenge is to use Detail embellishments. I honestly haven't used Details that often. I can't believe it either because they are really fun. They are full of layers of awesome detail (hence the name!) that add great depth to a page.

My layout this week is much different than my usual. I used paint! I took the eraser end of a pencil and dipped it into the paint and then just plopped it on the page. I love the fun splotches it made. I also didn't use a picture. When I decided what I wanted to do, I realized I didn't have a picture, so I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out. A good reminder to keep the story at the forefront. That pictures are awesome, but not necessary to tell the story. And now I have a page about one of my favorite things. I have been enjoying shaking it up a bit and trying different things on my pages lately. Definitely recommended for those who are in a rut.

and a close-up.

Journaling reads:

One of my favorite things is to read a book in my overstuffed red chair while drinking a piping hot cup of green tea. I can't believe it took me until I was 32 years old to try tea for the first time. Now, there's no turning back. I'm a tea drinker for life.

What is one of your favorite things?

Products used:

American Crafts

Details; Pantry

Flair; My Home

Thickers and Thickers Accents; Vera, Flat, Tenant Phrases

MiniMarks; Dear Lizzy Pounce Phrases

Making Memories

Paint; Red Wagon and Daiquiri

Cosmo Cricket

Paper; Early Bird

Tiny Type

Basic Grey

Basic White 6x6 Paper Pad

Basic Trims

Happy Tape

Wordless Wednesday

Ten on Tuesday (Father's Day Version)

Since Sunday was Father's Day, this week's Ten on Tuesday is dedicated to my Dad.

Ten reasons I love my Dad.

(Just for the record, there are more than 10 reasons!)

1) I love that he's up for anything, whenever, wherever.

2) I love that he dances with his granddaughters.

3) I love that we share a love for telling our family's story.

4) I love that he always believes in me, even when I don't believe in myself...especially at these times.

5) I love how he loves, truly unconditionally.

6) I love that he always bought my artwork at the "art store" my friends and I made when we were kids.

7) I love that he's my biggest fan.

8) I love that he enjoys music so much and that he's shared that love with his kids. I wouldn't know Buddy Holly and Little Richard otherwise.

9) I love that he tells me to "watch out for farmers" on the road before I head home after a visit.

10) I love that he would do anything for those he loves.

I love you Dad!

(Father's Day 2010)

Busy Scrapping

The last few weeks I have been scrapping it up and finishing a lot of pages. I used to scrap chronologically, but the last few years, I've started scrapping based on the stories I want to tell. It feels so much better to do it this way than to do a page because there happens to be photos. I will eventually get "caught" up though too, because I'm also a type A personality and I can't not. Ha!

The first page is from my niece's fifth birthday. I love this photo of her blowing out her candles. She looks very determined to get all the candles in one blow.

I've tried making banners in the past, but never quite got it right, but I really like how this one turned out. The varying sized triangles turned out pretty cool. I also masked the title using mist, which was a first for me. I've never used a mask before, but it was fun, and I think I'll try it again.

and a few close-ups. I love that little bird, so cute.

Next up is a layout using the shadow picture I shared in a previous post. This is one of my favorite pictures of the summer so far. I had fun misting and being messy with ink. I don't normally use two different alphas on a page, but I've been trying that out more lately and I like the results. I'm trying to stretch my creativity and change up what is possible on a page.

and a close-up.

And the last layout for today is from a trip to the local arboretum. It's one of my favorite places. I also get great photos! I used a bunch of different collections on this one; American Crafts, Basic Grey, Jillibean Soup. Even though they were different manufacturers, I think it all looks good together. I especially like the cluster of journaling sprouts and the title.

Thanks for stopping by today. I hope you have been busy doing something fun too.

Flashback Friday

When Rich Met Peggy

This week's Flashback Friday is very special. My parents are celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary tomorrow. How wonderful! I'm so blessed and thankful that they love each other so much. My life was so enriched (and still is) because of their relationship. I hope I have a relationship like theirs someday.

I asked them to write about how they first met. Here it is in their own words.

THE SUMMER OF 1964

In retrospect, this is really a mystical meeting of soul mates in the first place! Why Milford, Iowa? Why is Peggy staying at Rich’s best friend’s sister’s place anyway? Peggy has gotten a job this summer at Okobojian Girl.

We are both out of college for the summer and working in Milford. Rich has worked summer months in carpentry and lawn service jobs. His high school friend, George, is a carpenter.

Peggy has found summer residence at George’s sister’s home.

Well, as it turns out Rich is tooling around Milford one noon hour in George’s pickup. Peggy is apparently walking back to work from noon hour and we spy her on the sidewalk just west of Main Street. Peggy is well dressed and has a beautiful gait. She is petite, has long hair and glasses and looks just very intelligent, among other things.

Gloria started telling Peggy about this great guy they want her to meet practically from the first moment she walked in the door. Peggy thinks Gloria and George were plotting for quite awhile before the MEETING took place. Rich is very good looking with dark hair and glasses.

Both of us believe that Rich goes to their friends' place one night and therefore meets Peggy. We go on a double date with our friends to Arnolds Park and to a drive-in food place.

This is back in the day when Catholics were still prohibited from eating meat on Friday but both of us had a hamburger that Friday night. Were we too gaga to realize what day of the week it was?

Several days later Rich and Peggy go on a date and drive to Arnold's Park and are just driving around when Rich’s car accidentally throws rock into a police car directly behind us. Well, we turn the car off and address the officer. After that, the car will not start and so Peggy and Rich walk back to Milford on a clear moon-shining starry summer night. A time to remember for sure.

We won’t talk about the time that Peggy was covering for the newspaper the appearance of the Everly Brothers at the Roof Garden and Rich stood her up! He was supposed to meet Peggy there and never showed up. Neither one of us can remember what happened or what his excuse was but Peggy can remember being really angry! She obviously got over it.

Time goes fast and we find ourselves going back to college-Peggy in Sioux City and Rich in Mankato. We begin to write to each other.

We wrote to each other everyday. You can really get to know someone through daily letters. Much more so than phone calls or emails.

We are not sure of the timeline, however Rich drove to Sioux City with his college friend’s '46 Chevy one cold wintry night. It is there Rich understands what he is getting into and gets that feeling that he cannot live without Peggy! As if Rich did not know that he was in love with this girl by this time, something also happened to him at a gift store during that visit that clinched that feeling that is too mystical to explain!!

We become engaged in December of '64 in the car going to a movie!!

The next thing we know we were at the church in front of Father Borman and with many family and friends.

For a 10:30 a.m. wedding! Lunch at noon and we were off to our small apartment in Sioux Falls. This was a beautiful hot, windy summer day in northwest Iowa. We stopped on the way for dinner. We loved our small apartment and our time in Sioux Falls. Especially since Peggy worked at Fantles Department Store and Rich sat around and did nothing. After several months we were off to Spencer, Iowa where Rich had landed an auditor position with the State Auditor of Iowa!

And 4 children, 4 grandchildren, 5 houses, a number of Ford cars later...

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. I love you!

American Crafts Challenge

Wow, two posts in one day! That's a first.

This week's American Crafts challenge is to make a layout about an important boy or man in my life. I chose to make a layout about my nephew. It's a simple layout, but I love the bright colors of the Abode collection. I especially love the yellow dot paper. I use it on almost everything! I should stock up. The journaling is about what Sam was into when I saw him in April. These are some of my favorite layouts to look back on.

and a close-up.

Product used:

American Crafts:

Paper: Abode

Thickers: Apartment

Flair: My Home

Jillibean Soup:

Red Journaling Sprouts

Technique Tuesday:

Today You stamps by Ali Edwards

Glimpse

On the grocery list: Popcorn
On the radio: Train's Soul Sister
On the TV: The Bachelorette (yes, I'm admitting it)
On the nightstand: The 19th Wife, by David Ebershoff
On the to do list: Put music on my Ipod, return green shoes and do the dishes.
On the scrap table: A card for my Dad for Father's Day and anticipating projects for this.
On the movie list: Knight and Day and Eclipse

What is your glimpse today?

Wordless Wednesday

(I've seen this on several other blogs and thought I'd give it a try. Post a picture and let it speak for itself.)

Ten on Tuesday

1) I had a fun scrappy weekend. Nine layouts. Four cards. Wahoo!

2) I bought these shoes in green. I wanted to get these too, but held off. I'm coveting colorful sandals.

3) I really loved the Glee finale. I can't wait until the second season.

4) If you like making cards and you're near an Archiver's, you should check out this Homespun Greetings class. Very fun cards and you get cool papers from Cosmo Cricket.

5) I got an awesome, unexpected gift from my sister. So thoughtful. Unexpected gifts are the best!

6) I get my first box of farm veggies this week. Can't wait!

7) I missed out on a trip up north because of poor weather, but my good friend and I still had a fun day of scrapping, eating and shopping.

8) I'm ok with a rainy day now and then, but this is getting old.

9) I wish I could be as bold and brave as Stephanie is on her blog, especially this post.

10) I'm afraid I couldn't come up with 10 things this week, so I'll leave you with good wishes for a great week.

Favorite Layout

This week's American Craft challenge is to pick one of your favorite layouts using AC product. This was quite difficult because I use so much AC, but I chose this one about my youngest niece. I saw her in April and kept a list of things she was loving at that moment. I love looking back on layouts like this.

I've been admiring and been inspired by a style lately that is less linear, has more tidbits and is a bit messier. I do most of that here. Lately, I also have been liking the photo off center and using a smaller photo. All different from my usual and I love it. It feels good to be able to stretch myself creatively. It's so fun!

and a close up.

Products:

American Crafts

Paper: Dear Lizzy, Abode and Blue Skies

Thickers: Cupid

Flair: So Fun

MiniMarks: IM Phrases

Basic Grey

Bling

Martha Stewart

Butterfly punch

Ten on Tuesday

1) I love all the color that comes with summer.

2) I made fish tacos (this recipe) this weekend. I love fish tacos, but these weren't the best. We figured it was because the fish weren't deep fat fried.

3) I got a big order of photos in the mail yesterday. These are the best packages. Ten layouts in the making. Fun, fun.

4) I'm looking forward to this weekend.

5) I went to a many person garage sale at the fairgrounds. I found an old camera and a green Ball canning jar. Love them both.

6) I wish I could slow things down. Life goes by much too quickly and with each passing year the pace increases.

7) I have seen these books everywhere. Anyone read them? Any good?

8) I love this minibook.

9) I'm waiting patiently for our first veggie farm share box. Still have to wait a couple weeks.

10) I love a good jumping photo. I got the idea from K.P. Check out a few of hers here and here. My Dad took this one of me. I see a layout possibility..

Summer...finally!

We've had really beautiful weather around here lately. After work one night, I met a friend and her son for a walk around the lake and a picnic. A perfect evening. Stay tuned for a layout with the shadow photo. I love this photo! I love how we're in a shadow cocoon.

Weekend In Photos

I thought I would share a few snapshots from my weekend. I got this idea from Kelly's blog. You should take a look at hers too. Living in NYC must be really amazing!

Anyhoo, onto my weekend.

A lovely dinner out on a patio on a beautiful evening. This is one of my favorite things to do.

Pictures in the park before the concert. I love this city!

Beautiful peonies that filled the room with a wonderful aroma brought from parent's garden.

Breakfast at a new restaurant on a beautiful morning. And delicious waffles too!

Still at breakfast, outside. I like that I caught my reflection in the window.

Card playing with the family.

Some hide and seek.

And a great dinner.

Brought to us by these wonderful people.

That's it for now. Thanks for going along for the ride.

Ten on Tuesday

1) I have three small cacti in my office. One of them died. I killed a cactus. A cactus people.

2) I made this lemon and sage chicken. It was delicious.

3) I entered a challenge on the Crate Paper blog. I didn't win the challenge, but they posted all the entries on their blog. It was fun to see my work on a blog other than my own!

4) I've been thinking a lot about how much plastic I consume. It's everywhere. It's in everything. I've been trying to reduce how much I use, but it's really difficult. For awhile now, I haven't purchased bottled water, I take bags with me when I go shopping, I recycle what I can and I've cut way down on the number of plastic sandwich bags I use, by buying glass containers for my lunches. But there's still tons of it that come in packaged foods. I'm not sure how to avoid that and I haven't found a blog with any insight. So, the next two things I'm going to try are to buy biodegradable garbage bags and cloth produce bags.

5) Joshua Bell is an extraordinary violinist. If you ever have the chance to see and hear him play, go. It's so worth it.

6) I had the chance to eat outside four times in the last week. I love summer!

7) I finally finished Owen Meany. Good grief it took me forever. The last 200 pages were the best and I cried at the end. But about 200 pages could have been edited out in the middle. I'm looking forward to moving forward and tackling my reading pile.

8) I made this recipe recently too. It was very tasty. Will definitely be making this again. You should also take time to read Kristin's blog. Her posts are fun to read.

9) I had some disappointments this weekend. Trying to move past them.

10) And just because it's fun to share photos.