Wonderful Birthday

Many thanks to all who sent me e-mail wishes, cards and salutations on the mbs. I had a wonderful day. Barb Stephens, my roomie from our scrapbook convention days and very good pal, made me the wonderful little "Ocean" album with lots of pictures and notes from our traveling days. My favorite is the one of us toasting. Somehow when these posted, the pictures of her amazing book got separated by the beautiful humming bird feeder that the kids gave me. Hope that the little emerald humming bird we saw in our garden will be lured back for another visit.

The Kipster came up with two very cool gifts for me. (Hope she likes what I got her for upcoming 60th as much!) The coolie cup will make me the hit of every crop I attend. The pretty purse is one we saw when we visited Janet M on Anna Maria Island the last time. Thank you thank you! Love it!

Speaking of Janet M,she is due up sometime around supper. E has been slaving over a hot stove all day. Tomorrow we meet up with Kip at Ruban Rouge and scrap the day away. Gotta love summer time.

Have a great day!

Black Market Paper Society: Lucky 'n Love line

I am lovin' these papers. They have a wonderful linen-y texture and both sides of the paper are awesome. These two layouts were done on the same sheet flipped since I couldn't make up my mind which side to use. Of course, doing layouts this way has the added bonus of getting more for my money. I cut some pieces from other sheets and cut parts of one side loose to overlap on the photos. You will be seeing lots more of these papers as KnK will have all the lines (and one is more lovely than the next)before you can say "Black Market Paper Society". Watch my blog and Kip's for more fun things with these papers for KnK.

Home again home again...

What a fun packed weekend. The road trip was a blast but than hanging with G-a, Sonia (aka Sophia), Barb and Kip can not help but be anything but a blast. We headed to Lakeland on Friday after everyone arrived and went to one of our favorite places to shop in that area, Violette's (or, as Kip calls it "Nicolettes"). Kip and got some of the wonderful Black Market Paper Society papers and I did 3 layouts with them at the Ruskin crop (will post those later today) and G-a gave us the great news that she will soon have the complete lines and all of them in her store at Kit N Kaboodle! (www.knkclub.com)! So, if you like what Kip and I do with these beautifully textured papers, and don't happen to live in Lakeland Florida, you know where to find the now. And I have to tell you, the owner of the company has the best sense of humor.

As we drove through some of the smaller towns in Florida on our road trip, we saw this building for sale and thought it one of the most ironic signs of the time...a mortgage company for sale by owner. How sad is this?

And finally, people should not leave Kip and I unattended. While waiting for the other gals to check out of Violette's, Kip and I amused ourselves taking pictures of ourselves. Cute, huh? lol.

The girls treated me to lunch on our road trip to kick off my birthday which is not until tomorrow. I love it when the celebration starts early and continues on and on.

The crop in Ruskin was wonderful as always. Linda Jenkins is the Queen of Crops! Hilltop Memories' crops rock! Deb has found us the perfect place to play in the meeting hall of a sweet little church where her husband is the pastor. And, I actually got 5 layouts done: 3 with the Black Market Paper Society goodies and 2 more for my "Through My Garden Gate" album. The most I ever get done at a weekend crop is 2 let alone 5 at a one day crop.

Barb and I followed G-a and Sonia from my house yesterday to Ruskin as after the crop, they were heading back to Ft. Myers. I left the crop after supper with plenty of sunlight as I don't drive well after dark. I made it home to Tarpon (a mighty ways away) in under and hour and a half which is great time considering I somehow went through the greater Tampa downtown area not once but twice. I knew that I needed to go North and West and found my way home eventually. I think I have seen parts of Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater/Tampa/that few residents have seen. P.S. The ladies in the toll booths are very helpful! lol

Watch this space for some layouts! and have a great day!

OH, and how do you like my new glasses?

Sneak Peek

I spent a lot of yesterday having the time of my life with this darling little cupcake book that I am designing for class that Gerri-anne (knkclub.com) and I will be teaching at the Birthday Crop on June 27-29, here in Florida. Linda (owner of Hilltop Memories Retreats and Traveling Store www.hilltopmemories.com
) runs the best crops ever and, if you have never attended one, your life is missing something big.

So this is the prototype so far. The little arrows on the front are optional. Each layer opens downward to reveal the next and I'm building in mini albums shaped like presents,a pocket page with tags for journaling and wallet sized photos and lots and lots of "icing on the cake". I'll be sending Linda the scans and description by Tues and she'll post classes when all the instructors have sent their classes in to her...hope she is not waiting on me!

Can't wait til Gerri-anne, Barb and Sonia get up here tomorrow. Kip is driving up from St. Pete and we are all going on a road trip to Violette's (Kip calls the store Nicolettes, no clue!)and then back here to Ruban Rouge where I shall be using my coupon from the Treasure Hunt. I want one of the big leafy dies from QK. I don't have a QK machine but these work just great in my Cutterbug. Hope I can use the coupon on this item.

Off to do some more work on the cupcake book. Have a great day!

Traveling south this summer?

Whenever we travel, I google the area for stamp and scrap stores. Sometimes I am very lucky and chance upon a good one or two or the mother lode like Kip, Jill, Janet M and I did shopping in AZ last year when we attended Creative Escape with a bunch of the Hilltop Memories gals.

So, I'd like to make a few recommendations for the area of sw Florida that I know best: Ft. Myers and then, maybe tomorrow, post about the stores in my area where we live now.
I am working my way south on Hw 41 in town.

First of all, I simply love Dee, the owner of Dee Scrapbook Store, in Ft. Myers (239-334-4333)located at 2012 Beacon Manor Drive. She is warm and welcoming and her store is so cute, all arranged in related groupings. I've never gone in there but that I haven't found something fun and new to get. Her staff is well informed and helpful.

Next stop for you should be the Owl and the Pussycat stamp store (15881 S. Tamiami Trail, 239-489-4311). Take a deep breath before you enter as you may forget to take another one...the displays are awesome. The owner, Regina, is one of the most talented paper artists in the area, perhaps the state! I've taken her classes and have learned tons and tons. Her Wed. demo days are free and she shows how to use new products. Call for times and arrive early as there is always a big gathering even in off season.

And finally, but not last by any means, is Scrapbook Etc. in Bonita Springs ( 3465 Bonita Beach Road, 239-495-9199)I have known Janet since we first moved to Florida 8 years ago this month. She is a fun gal and runs a great store. Her store was one of the first I even visited and she has grown the store into a wonder. She and her daughter, Colleen, not only have great classes and crops, but also have a good selection of product with a whole wall of beachy papers and embellishments to complete your travel album!

With the current economy and the influx of big box stores carrying scrapbook supplies, it is increasingly hard for the lss where we can crop and take classes to thrive. I am a firm believer in supporting a company where I am treated well and that is why I am recommending these three. If you have lss in your area that you love, please promote them from time to time on your blog or by word of mouth.

(you will notice that I have not mentioned on-line stores or kit companies....you just have to look to the left to find Hilltop Memories and Kit N Kaboodle!)

Off to scrap with the second graders

Today is my dd's last day with her students. She has two teacher work days after this one and then she is a 'free' woman for the summer and can see more of her hubby who is currently working the night shift at his job.

We started very simple "My Second Grade Scrapbooks" with her 16 second graders one day last week for two hours. I had preprinted the title for the cover and several headings of events that she had pictures of each of them for. I had also precut mats for the titles and journal blocks for the writing. For some reason, gluing down the pictures seemed to be the thing they loved doing the most. To encourage them to write a bit about each of the events so they would remember years from now, we made them show us their journaling before they were allowed to glue! The back cover of the little 10x10 albums will read "Autographs" and they can exchange these after lunch if they finish the album before. That should keep them busy this last half day and should leave both my dd and I completely exhausted...lol. I came home the last time and took a long siesta!

I do have to stop in Dunedin on my way home from her school and pick up the drawer pulls for the bottle class (pictures here) I am teaching at the Hilltop Memories Birthday crop the 27-29th of this month. (www.hilltopmemories.com). This is going to be another great crop. Linda does it so well...great food, fun accomodations, and just wonderful women scrapping the day away. Can't wait! I only have 7 sets of the bottles so won't be able to have more than that many in class. Linda will post the classes on her site later.

Have a great day!

Only four more days 'til the weekend!

I made it through Round 4 of the contest at Scrapperie.com. The last challenge was to create a layout inspired by art of some kind. I chose an oil painting (Lahana Afternoon) by Cao Yong. When I printed out the picture I had taken down on the Sponge Docks of some shrimp boats in port, the photo seemed way too one dimensional to me. I took the photo through editing in Photo Bucket (love the new features there btw) and turned it into a sketch with some color. Then I got out my paints and watercolors and went to town. I'd had the little compass for a long time and created the post card on a vintage one I had picked up at an antique store here in Tarpon Springs. I really like how the photo now had depth and texture and caught some of the play of light for which Yong is known.

Our anniversary dinner was lovely and we are looking forward to many more of the same. Many thanks to all of the well wishers!

Off to the eye dr.s to get fitted for my bifocal contact lenses...wish me luck and have a great day.

Then and Now

E and I were married 13 years ago this evening in a wonderful little Lutheran Church by Pastor Dan, whom we loved. We had known each other for years, having taught together at the same high school. We shared a common love of teaching, working cross word puzzles, having fun with our mutual friends and, eventually, a shared love for each other.

Since that time, we've experienced the deaths of his father, a very close aunt and uncle and my mother and my step father, Papa Joe. We shared in Kristen and Chris' beautiful wedding also performed by our beloved Pastor Dan. We've retired and moved, built a house in Ft. Myers, helped Kristen and Chris move here to Florida, survived a few hurricanes, made great new friends and kept the old, sold that house, found this one and moved again near the kids.

We've grown older as the pictures here so clearly show and I'd love to say we've wiser but that is not always a given. Things change so much over the course of a few years but some things never do: our friendship and our love for each other.

So, here is to us! Happy Anniversary.

And they call this 'retired'?

I've managed to do it again...fill my dance card to overflowing. But then, I've always loved to dance!

I had a wonderful day today here in Paradise. I was invited to lunch with Gloria, a fellow art lover that I met at our mutual friend, Sandy's, party a couple of weeks ago. You know how it is with kindred spirits? Gloria served a lovely lunch and the time went so fast. We have lots in common and shared our love of books as well as the creation process.

Our new glasses came in today. Got the call a few minutes before I left for Gloria's. I love mine. There are totally different from any I've had before (I know...where is the picture, Jules? Maybe later, k?)and they don't slip down my nose like my old ones.
E's look fantastic on him. We got him away from the 'aviator' look he has had for eons but he is having major problems with the progressive bifocals. They do take some adjusting to.

Then we went by to see our favorite barkeep, Susie, at Snookers here in town for our Friday happy hour. Old habits die hard from our school faculty happy hours almost every Friday. She has concocted an amazing new drink that as yet has no name: crushed mint, simple syrup, green tea liquor and a little tonic water. Talk about one wonderful sip after another.

So here is how things are shaping up for the next couple of weeks...

Sat. Pampered Chef party at Kristen's tomorrow
Sunday: Our 13th. Anniversary...supper out/Tech goes up at Knkclub.com
Monday: get fitted for my contacts
Tues: work with second graders to finish their scrapbooks
Wed.and Thurs FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Fri: Fun begins for the weekend with G-a, Barb and Sonia coming up from Ft. Myers and Kip from St. Pete and we have a road trip planned for all day. Supper here catered by Chef E!
Sat: HilltopMemories.com crop in Ruskin.

So, what's on your agenda?

Almost Friday

It has been a couple of days since I posted any layouts. These two were out for a call but the time limit passed and they were not picked up so I can post them here. The first is done with lots of goodies from Making Memories {note}Worthy line and some added gems, Thickers and script letters from Zsiage which I love and the second layout is done with more of my fave papers from PDQ by Bisous.biz.

Our anniversary is coming up soon...E and I will have been married for 13 years come this Sunday. Think we'll go out to dinner at a cute little Italian place here in town and toast to many more years to come.

I am having lunch with a new craft friend tomorrow and am looking forward to that very much. And Tues., we finish off the second graders' scrap books....now I remember where little kids get all their energy...they suck it from adults. I was in bed by 8:15 last night, a new early to bed record for even me! lol

Have a great one!

Tuesday and I'm back...

Took a brief pause that refreshes here in Paradise. We had the kids over yesterday for food and fun and, in between, I've been working on my projects for my Tech at KnK on June 1, a layout and a card with the awesome June kit, this round's challenge at Scrapperie (I made it to Round 4...yeah)!, working on my August article for Scrapbooking. com and just some general playing.

I had some delightful news when I opened my e-mails this morning...I've been asked to join the staff at Scrapbook News and Review! I am not exactly sure what I'll be doing yet as I am still a bit pleasantly surprised but I am sure if it involves writing and scrapping, I'll love it. Thanks Katie!

Thought I'd share our wonderful waterfront with you today. I love all the rusty old buildings, the fun touristy shops, the shrimp boats and the sponge docks with their little boats as well. Could I live in a better place...perhaps but can't prove it by me!

Have a great one!

Through My Garden Gate

This was my entry for round 3 at Scrapperie's Gauntlet contest. I survived the cut and I am here to tell you the competition is stiff...the talent in this contest is amazing.

This is done on a piece of 8.5x11 chipboard (thanks Lauri for my stash)as will be all the layouts for my garden book. I was pleased with how it turned out. Lots of Glimmer Mist and Lumiere and the photo printed on canvas with ink and pens and paint to high light.

Thinking of Gerri-anne, Barb and Janet today and hoping they are having way too much fun down in Bonita. Janet, who owns the lss Scrapbooks Etc. on Bonita Beach Road in Bonita Springs Fl, is having a 3 day crop. Wish I could have gone but things don't always work out the way we want them to. Next time, Janet, I promise...and is my bff Sophia there too? lol

Have a great one all.

Happy Three day weekend and Happy Memorial Day

We have a fairly quiet weekend planned. The kids will all be over on Monday for bbq and swimming and I have a few errands to run sometime between then and now. I woke up this morning all excited about it being Sat. and having the whole day spreading out in front of me with nothing but scrapping on the agenda! What a great way to spend the day.

I have my Garden album which has a couple of chipboard pages done and my Nana Album which needs to be finished up. I think the journaling is throwing me for a loop. I want it to be perfect and visual so my kids will know better the woman I called Nana.

Kristen is having a Pampered Chef party the last Sat. of the month so if anyone needs anything, let me know. I've got E's Christmas list already turned in! lol He wants the wonderful can opener and an oil spritzer...must be the only two items he doesn't have out of the catalog! lol

Off for coffee with a couple of cyber pals and then warm up with a layout that is sitting on my desk needed completion. It is so cute with the wonderful little penguins featured this month at KnK.

Have a great day.

It was a dark and stormy night...

Well, not really but it did rain on us at the Sunset Beach concert last night. We had debated most of the afternoon. Should we have Sandy and Walt over here for our share supper or stick to our original plan to meet at the park for the last Thurs. of the month concert here in Tarpon Springs? We decided to take the chance on not getting two wet and go. We were fortunate to find a table under the pavilion roof and stayed high and dry. We did get spritzed on during the concert but Sandy had an extra umbrella so we stayed relatively dry. Thanks Sandy! The trio was loud and enthusiastic and played music we could sing along to (quietly of course for E and I do NOT sing)! We left at the break and, once again, did not win any of the drawings...we were really pulling for Sandy and Walt to win the grand prize which was this incredible lava lamp with a parrot perched atop. Now, who wouldn't want that? But, alas, they didn't win either.

We had a great evening!

I've added some new tunes to the music machine on here. Most have a summer theme and I am certainly in the mood for long walks on the beach, floating in the pool and loads of good summer reading...how about you?

Flower Power

The garden is coming along day by day. We seem to have fixated on purple, lavender and pink in our selections with one poor little orange flowered plant that sticks out like a sore thumb. (Memo to self: variety is the spice of life).

I did another page for my "Through My Garden Gate" album for the Gauntlet contest at Scrapperie and can post it early next week. You can view it in the Gallerie there if you do not want to wait...lol.

KnK's crop was way fun! We laughed and scrapped and Bingo with Laura was a stitch. Can't wait til the next one.

E is getting his 6wk. blood work done today and then off to the grocery store, of course.

We are finally getting some rain here but it is still just sprinkles here and there. It has been a chore keeping our plants alive even though most are bred for low water need. Baring any rain tonight, we are meeting up with Sandy and Walt at Sunset Park for the Parrot Head band concert. Our little town has some sort of music the last Thurs. of every month at the park on the beach. We had such a great time the last time we went, we knew we did not want to miss this one. We are to meet up at 6 and share supper before the concert...watch for pics. Hoping the rain comes early and the concert doesn't get called off.

Enjoy your day

Happy early birthday to me..............

When we were out yesterday hunting for a new center piece for the dinning room table (a long quest here...we've been looking for weeks and weeks), we ventured into Home Goods on 19 between Palm Harbor and Clearwater. I love that store!!! While we did not find the center piece, smack dab as you walked in the front door was this lawn thingy. The color of the rod iron matches our gate perfectly and it even fit in the van once 3 of sales people, the manager of the store and E took it apart. The people at the store were so sweet and so helpful...my return there is guaranteed.

E has hated the table and chairs set I had down on the lower lawn. We've had the set for 7 years and one leg was almost all rusted off the table. We made a deal: I'd get rid of the table, which is currently out by the curb for the trash man (we'll put the chairs in Rob's yard sale on Sat.), and I could have this seat and arbor for an early b'day present.

As you can see, we still have lots of weed guard down in the back that needs mulching and "miles to go before we sleep" until the lower lawn looks the way we went it but we are making strides. I've moved a hanging solar lamp so it shines through the open space in the seat's back and, after E levels it, we'll plant a couple of pretty things on either side and slightly to the front to enclose it a bit.

I'll keep my eye out for an outdoor cushion for the seat and maybe a pillow or two. I am thinking floral print...what do you think?

Before I forget, the second edition of Scrapbook News and Review went live yesterday with my altered martini glasses, my childhood home fold out house, and several of my layouts. Chris Pozzi also has four of her wonderful creations in this edition. This is really a nice e-zine....love the articles by my pal Thena, of course.

Have a great one!

Welcome to Monday

I made it to round three at Scrapperie's Gauntlet 6wk. contest with my card posted here. As soon as I posted it at the site, I found one of the Heidi Swapp mirror birds in pink I picked up at Ruban Rouge that was perfect for it. It is on the card now and I will save this one to send in thanks to someone. I have such fun making these tri folds.

The next round is to scrap something inanimate and, since we have been focusing all our time and effort lately on the lower lawn through our garden gate, I am thinking about scrapping that! It will be one more page in my on-going Through My Garden Gate album. Wish me luck.

I love doing challenges and boy! were there tons of great ones this past weekend at Knk (www.knkclub.com) and the prizes to be awarded are awesome. The challenges are not due until Tues so you still have lots of time to register and play!

We have eye dr. apt's today which I sure like better than going to the dentist but that one is coming up later this month too! EEEK.

Have a great day!

Happy Sunday to all

If you couldn't make the cyber crop at KnK Club yesterday, there is still time to register and join in today's excitement with tons of challenges, games and big prizes!

This was my challenge for yesterday. I found two color pages from last month's Martha Stewart Living magazine and challenged the croppers to use 3 of the 4 colors from either of the pages on a layout. The results are still coming in and everyone is doing an amazing job with this challenge. These are different colors than I think most of us are use to working with and I had fun creating the two sample layouts for my challenge.

The crop starts at ten EST time today so stop on by and play!

Whole lotta croppin' going on!

at KnkClub.com today and tomorrow from ten to five both days with challenges and prizes and fun oh my! And just for a teaser, here is the June kit...I've done more layouts with this kit so far than almost any other. And the penguins are so darn cute. Those of you who know me well, know I don't do 'cute'. But never say never...I am having too much fun!


Will show you some of the things later in the week. Meanwhile, come on over to the crop. It is EST today and tomorrow. Register and join and come play!

It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

And here are a few pictures from our boat trip on Tues and the rest are of our lunch out to Snookers on Alt. 19 for a late lunch with JoAnne before she headed out to the airport and back to St. Louis. We love the food at Snookers (the Cuban sandwiches are the best and the fries are battered,hot and crisp), the entertainment provided by the gators in the pit behind the Tiki Bar where we usually eat and our favorite bar person, Susie.

The crop at KnK starts tomorrow at ten EST and ends at 5 and then has a second day on Sunday with the same hours. The prizes are great, the challenges fun and I've got all mine ready to go. Come join us...join the site and have fun!

The next issue of SNR comes out May 19 and I am looking forward to seeing it. I really enjoyed the first issue. I found it informative and filled with good layouts, projects, and articles and can't imagine the second issue being anything but even better.

Round Two at Scrapperie ends soon. My card is done and posted so I'll just have to wait and see if I make the cut this next round.

Have a great day all!