Park Fun

This week's American Crafts challenge is to create a boy themed layout. I, of course, scrapped about my nephew. I don't get to see him or his sister as much as I'd like and so I look forward to the week we get to spend together every year. We spend a lot of time at the park. I think it's so cool that we play at the same park that my brother, sister and I used to play at growing up. Thankfully, they replaced the equipment a few times though.

I used the Abode line, which I find myself using a lot when scrapping about my nephew. It has great, bold colors and fun patterns. I chose to keep it simple and linear. I punched out a few circles from the patterned paper and used the negative to house a few details. My apologies for the poor photo. Natural light is few and far between these days.

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great Friday.

Supplies used
American Crafts: Paper: Abode, Thickers: Apartment and Dear Lizzy Fantastic, Flair: Abode Sugar and Spice, Chipboard: MyHouse Abode, Puffy shapes: MyHouse Abode

On The Easel

I've been eyeing the Studio Calico kits for several months now. I love their blog and the projects created by their design team. I find a ton of inspiration there. I finally decided to purchase one of their kits last month. I must admit I love the idea of receiving a box full of scrappy goodness every month.

The kit is called On The Easel. Honestly, I didn't love this kit. I created three layouts with it, but each one was somewhat difficult for me to finish just using the supplies from the kit. There wasn't as much there as I thought there would be. I think you're supposed to purchase the add-on kits to accompany the full kit, but there's an additional cost for each add-on. That adds up! So, the verdict is still out if I'll subscribe or not. But I will certainly continue to visit the blog and enjoy the talent of the design team.

Now, onto the layouts.

This layout is about my first time playing on a clay court. I was expecting the bright red clay, but apparently the US doesn't make their clay courts like that. Bummer. I was hoping to get red clay all over the back of my shirt like Nadal when he falls onto the court with joy after he wins the French Open. The kit came with a bunch of window chipboard shapes from Maya Road. This was one product I was having difficulty with, never quite knowing how to use it. I also used a few strips of the decorative tape, which I have no problem using. Love it!

This layout is my favorite of the three. I do love the color orange. There is a polaroid stamp as part of the kit that is really neat. I stamped it three times and then placed a small photo in each image. I'm a huge Crate Paper fan, so, I liked the few sheets of patterned paper that was included in the kit. Lastly, I fussy cut out the Market part of the title from a 12x12 piece of patterned paper, which was fun.

First up, my apologies for the poor photo. The weather has quickly turned this week and there has been very little natural light. I love the photo in this layout. A picture of my nephew trying to avoid an ostrich at a animal reserve. The animals had no problem coming up to say hello. I painted the white number stickers yellow. I'd never done that before and I liked how it turned out. I also used one of the window chipboard pieces to house part of the title. I painted this chipboard the same color as the number stickers. I like the little bits of yellow and red throughout.

Thanks for getting this far! If I decide to try out another kit, I will definitely share here. Do you subscribe to a scrapbooking kit? Do you like it? I'd love to hear what others are doing.

Ten on Tuesday

I spent a long weekend with my brother and his family this past weekend. Here are the 10 things I'd like to remember about the trip.

1) Jamming to the Glee soundtrack and listening to John Stewart's Earth on audiobook made the drive there bearable.

2) I had a nice welcome when I arrived.

3) I get to cross off #2 on my 33 list. It may seem strange to go to a taping of a radio show, but it was really enjoyable. I was surprised by all the ad-libbing that won't make it on the air, but done only for the audience. Mo Rocca and Dick Van Dyke were very entertaining.

4) We went out after the taping to a cozy little restaurant. A delicious meal, great conversation and splurging on desserts made for a great way to end a fun evening.

5) My nephew and my Dad played Stress Free Chess for hours.

6) I went to my nephew's ice skating lesson and my niece's ballet class, (which the teacher didn't allow me to stay in the room for. Yes, I'm bitter)

7) We hung up Halloween decorations and carved pumpkins. 

8) I ran another 5k. This time I ran with music and I ran a bit faster than a few weeks ago. Wahoo!

9) On the way home, I stopped for a quick visit to see a good friend. We ordered pizza and ate ice cream and thin mints and played with her baby daughter. It was so good to see her and I'm thrilled she lives closer again. Hopefully, we can do that more often.

10) One downside to the trip was I missed my Dad receiving a lifetime achievement award from the MN CPA. A much deserved recognition for a wonderful man. I'm very proud of him.

And So It Begins

When I saw the American Crafts challenge for this week, I knew what I wanted to scrap. I snapped this photo of my niece this weekend texting to her friend. She doesn't have a cell phone, but figured out a way to text on an old iphone. She was even texting with her friend while in the same room together. Hilarious. I also had to tear her away from it to play a game. And so it begins...

I used the Blue Skies, and Dear Lizzy Spring and Enchanted collections. I love these papers! I can't wait to get my hands on more of the Enchanted line.

I really liked how this layout turned out. It's one of my all time favorites.

Product used
American Crafts
Paper: Cardstock, Blue Skies, Dear Lizzy Spring and Enchanted
Ribbon: Lovely, Leafy and Butter
Thickers: Dear Lizzy Fantastic, Berry and Bliss
Brads: Pearl Baby Boy
Echo Park
Letter stickers: Walk in the Park
Making Memories
Journaling page: Noteworthy Spiral Notebook

Wordless Wednesday

Also seen on On The Table.

Ten on Tuesday

Round Lake, October 2010

1) I enjoyed a beautiful Saturday with my nieces; playing hide n' seek chase with D. She's fast! And playing Connect 4 and Mancala with M. I had to tear her away from texting.

2) A very good friend of mine had her second baby about two months ago. I've been going over there almost every week, bringing dinner and trying to help out as much as I can. Although this week, she made dinner and it was delicious! I've so enjoyed spending time with her and the kids. We haven't spent this much time together since high school. Very cool!

3) My farm share is over. Thank goodness. Don't get me wrong. I loved supporting local farms and the fresh veggies were awesome, but it was so much work and the quantities were always difficult to split with my sister. I think I will stick with the Farmer's Market right down the street.

4) I finished The Ape House. A definite page turner. An interesting topic. I liked Water for Elephants better.

5) While I have enjoyed this unseasonably warm weather, I'm really ready for the more typical fall weather to kick in. I'm ready to wear socks and sweaters.

6) I need to get going on my December Daily for this year. You can check out my album from 2009 here.  You can read about the concept on Ali's blog here.  I'm really liking Ali's book this year; full of very cool transparencies. I gotta get my hands on some of those.

7) I'm running another 5k on Sunday. I NEED to setup my ipod. I don't know why this has been so difficult for me to finish?!

8) I'm loving Glee and Parenthood this season.

9) Can it be true it's only 10 weeks until Christmas? Eee gads!

10) I tried the veggie Boca burger and surprisingly, it was quite tasty. I paired it with some fried potatoes and wallah! a quick, tasty dinner.

Glimpse

On the grocery list: Chickpeas and avocado
On the TV: Parenthood
On the nightstand: The Ape House by Sara Gruen
On the to do list: Order photos
On the scrap table: A page about how much I enjoy playing tennis
On the movie list: Nothing (Anyone seen anything good lately?)
On the dinner plate: Black bean and rice burrito

Run, Baby, Run

I ran the Twin Cities 5k, along with my sister and parents, on a beautiful, clear, crisp fall morning. I love this race. I love the camaraderie of this race. I love the anticipation as we wait to cross over the starting line. I love running along tree lined Summit Ave. I love catching sight of my sister, my Dad, and my Mom along the course, and throwing them a big wave. I love the last mile, running down hill, seeing the finish line (finally) in sight. I love hearing people cheer you on in the last 200 meters. I love the feeling of accomplishment as I cross over the finish line.

I didn't train this year and my time was not impressive, but I still enjoyed every minute. I even enjoyed the stiffness in my legs for two days after. It was a reminder that I moved my body and it felt good. I will try and remember this good feeling when winter is in full force and the idea of exercising is the last thing on my mind.

I'm already looking forward to next year.

The List

Ten on Tuesday will be back next week, but today I'm sharing the list of all lists. My 33 things I want to do during my 33rd year list. By the way, how in the heck am I 33? Good grief, life has certainly sped up.

This is my third year creating a list like this. I do this instead of New Year's goals. I find that I stick to these more. This year, fun was my focus. I've included a few from last year's list that I didn't complete, but I'm still determined to cross off, like #10. I included several unlikely ones, like #24. But oh, how fun that would be! I included several aimed at bettering myself, like #26. I will try and document each one as I complete it and share it with you here. Could make for a fun mini album!

1. Create a tour of cupcake shops in the area and then take the tour, of course.
2. Go to a taping of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me.
3. Go to a movie alone.
4. Buy a new camera. (Get this one done already)
5. Have a drink on three new restaurant patios next summer.
6. Visit the James J. Hill house.
7. Document a week in my life.
8. Be brave. Get unstuck.
9. Go to a Twins game at the new Target Field.
10. Travel overseas. (Get this one done already too!)
11. Write something. Anything.
12. Organize a food shelf donation project.
13. Have a girl's weekend.
14. Change up the blog.
15. Watch a documentary
16. Visit three cities in MN I've never been to. At least have lunch.
17. Scan old photos.
18. Skype more with my brother and his family.
19. Watch a film made before 1980.
20. Give out more compliments.
21. Make another pillow.
22. Take a Summit Brewing tour.
23. Take deep, cleansing breaths.
24. Be a part of a flash mob.
25. Make a blurb book.
26. Be better at admitting I'm wrong.
27. Refrain from eating out for a month.
28. Go to a Josh Ritter concert.
29. Send more snail mail.
30. Learn Photoshop Elements. (Ongoing)
31. Send an email commenting on a newspaper article, a piece on TV, etc.
32. Make a crisp.
33. Be thankful for all of it.

10.10.10

Wow, sorry I disappeared all last week! Thankfully, it was all really fun stuff keeping me busy. I was celebrating my birthday and volunteering for the Jimmy Carter Habitat Work Project. I'll be sharing about both of these things, but today I'm going to recap yesterday, 10.10.10. It was a glorious day. Shake your head in awe kind of day. In the 80s. Record breaking weather for Minnesota in October. I was wearing flip flops for goodness sakes.

The day started with a trip to the Farmer's Market, which is just down the block from me. Because I'm part of a veggie share, I haven't been to the market very often and I miss it. There's so much wonderful produce. All the color and seductive smells. Yum. I picked up some radishes, green peppers, apples, a mum and a couple mini pumpkins.

Next up, brunch at the Cheeky Monkey. Now, if you live anywhere near St. Paul, you must eat at the Cheeky Monkey. Really delicious food and a cozy atmosphere. All dishes are made with fresh, local produce. My niece got a book at the library about Chinese astrology. I learned that I'm a Yin Fire Snake. Really? A snake? Of all the choices, I had to be a snake. The characteristics didn't fit me very well either, but it was fun to read about it with M. We shared a lot of giggles.

We ended the day with a Mississippi River Fall Colors Cruise. This was something I had asked to do for my birthday. We were supposed to go last weekend, but the flooding on the Mississippi made it impossible. It was worth the wait. What a lovely ride. The colors were a bit past peak, but the day was picture perfect. We enjoyed the beauty, listened to the history of the river, waved at passing speedboats, played tic-tac-toe and Hangman and inhaled several boxes of popcorn.

The day wouldn't be complete without a jumping picture, or an attempt at one at least.

I'm so thankful for my family who helps me to fulfill my wishes. I know I sometimes have some crazy ideas.

And thanks to all of you for sticking with me during my absence.

What have you all been up to? Leave me a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

I'm off to have a cup of tea and eat a cupcake. (Thanks Mom!)

Have a great week everyone!

Hello October

Photo by Evgeni Dinev

I know Friday is usually reserved for Flashback Friday, but I've been having a hard time thinking of content for it, so today I'm trying something new.  I will sprinkle Flashback Friday in every once in awhile, but Fridays won't be reserved for that purpose.

So, October is here. Hallelujah! My favorite month.I love fall and October is true fall. The cooler, crisper weather. The sweaters. The hot chocolate. The changing leaves. Oh, the leaves. So beautiful. September is nice too, but I'm usually mourning the end of summer and not completely immersed in the changing season yet. The only downside to October? It passes by in a flash. In an attempt to enjoy my favorite month to the fullest, I've made plans. No surprise there, right?

I'm looking forward to:

*Running two 5ks

*Taking a Mississippi Fall Colors Cruise

*Going to a taping of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. 

*Volunteering at the Jimmy Carter Habitat Work Project

* Long, meandering walks through the crunchy leaves

*Going bowling

*Partying down with my nieces on Halloween

 and of course

*Celebrating my birthday!

What are your plans for October?