Crazy Busy Summer... continued

Hi all!  Thought I'd better stop in and tell ya what I've been up to!  First off, trying to stay COOL!  We've been stuck in a sizzling heatwave for what seems like an entire month.  I'm catching a little grief over saying that I was looking forward to Autumn.  I can't help it!  I do love that season but I also love long summer days with lots of fun that can be packed in!
Weather has been a tough one in 2011 don't you think?
So Saturday was my birthday and I spent it with my family at a cousin's wedding.
It was a great time!  I did the Electric Slide and danced the night away!  I haven't done that in so very long!
I've been able to squeeze in a little time inside working on my first altered art canvas and it's so addicting that I went out and bought a few more supplies to make some more.  Maybe for Christmas gifts this year?

Not my best work but I know I can get better with more play time.  The bicycle is a Tim Holtz stamp that I had to jazz up since stamping on canvas is hard!! 
I do like the papers that were Mod Podge'd on and will probably try that more and freehand something of my own...

The photo above is a weird yellowish sunset we had a few days ago.  It was weird but neat!
Tomorrow night I'm going to take some pictures of some grandkids for a friend.  I am a bit nervous ... I always want to do a great job and give them the best!

What else have I been up to?  Well I'm also looking into becoming a Big Sister and being a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Midlands program.  I know it'll be a rewarding relationship and can't wait to get started!

Beauty in Nature

Well it's another weekend that has flown by so quickly...  Are you all surviving the hot summer temps?  It is hotter here than last week.  Man oh man!  If we didn't have 50% humidity it could probably be more bearable.  A lot of us try not to complain too much after such a cold winter, though!  Thank the Lord for A/C!  Seriously!!

Last week when I mentioned I was making that salad for another party - I was getting ready to go to my aunt's house in the farm country in the outskirts of the city. We were celebrating my other aunt Gloria's retirement (yay Glo!).  So anyway her place is surrounded by fields of corn on one side and lovely wildflowers on the other.  The sun was low in the sky and I brought my camera to see if I could capture some shots of nature (and family, too).

                                 All photos in this post by me

I was attempting to capture a sun flare in some of my shots...

Ahhh isn't the countryside lovely?  I really wanted to capture the sunset but I was little too late.  I was gabbing with my family indoors in the cool house.  Maybe another time...

Next weekend I'll be going to an informational meeting to check into becoming a Big Sister!  I have a feeling that this will be a program I will enjoy being a part of.  A friend of mine thought so, too.  So I'm diving in and truly hope to be matched up with a sweet girl looking for a big sis just like me! 

Have a great week - thanks for stopping by!  Don't forget to say hello!

Pretty Posies

Happy weekend everyone!  I'm just taking a breather to stop in and say hello and share a couple things before I'm back out the door for another celebration.
I must say that this is the busiest July that I remember in a long time.  God has truly blessed me with several celebrations to be a part of!

I have a lot of friends born in July.  I am also born the end of this month.  So I kind of feel like it's an interesting coincidence that I'm drawn to people born in the same month! I'll have to stop and take the time and count how many one of these days...

I've been a bit of a posey enthusiast lately.   They make the sweetest little gifts or just look great on a window ledge, desktop, and bedside table. 

photo by me

You saw from my last post that I had a bit of fun with red white and blue flowers, which I gave to my good friends Michele and Betsey to enjoy on the 4th.   I appreciated being able to hang out with them on the holiday.  We went to go see "Larry Crowne", which I loved!  Tom and Julia were great in it!

photo  by me

The birthday girl pin with ribbons flowing was a gift for another friend celebrating her 60th birthday.  We somehow were able to truly surprise her at her son's house today!  She jumped when we yelled surprise and sang her happy birthday.  It was such fun!  I got a little teared up.

I've always wanted a surprise birthday party...  it's such a nice gesture of love to do such a thing for a friend or family member.  To me, birthdays are worth celebrating!  Can I get a whoot woot?! 

I wish that I brought my camera to share some pics but I will say that we enjoyed yummy catered food, homemade ice cream (made in the coolest way - John Deere generator and a wood barrel container - I hope I'm explaining it properly).   We had the birthday girl release tons of balloons only AFTER we counted down from 60!  We're a funny bunch.

                                              photo by me

I better get going - off to make some more of the corn avocado salad that I cannot get enough of!   Nothing says summer like delicious sweet corn.  Delish!

I'll be using my new Oxo corn stripper, too.  Beats picking up corn kernels from all over the kitchen counter and floor.

 Have a great day!

Happy Independence Day!

Photo by me

Chop chop!

Hi what's new with all of you?  I've been a busy gal but it's all good stuff!  I have a lot of showers and weddings coming up in the next few months all the way til September! 
I took a couple days off to clean and organize my place.  I'm sick of looking at so much stuff but I'm not at the point where I can purge out the old yet.  I MUST do this as all the clutter and stuff is taking over.  I know many can relate to this dilemma.  Especially my fellow crafters and paper addicts!
Pinterest has provided a little organizational inspiration - lots of great ideas out there!  But at this time let me share what I've been "chopping" (besides coupons!) ...

Delicious pineapple mango salsa! Mmm fruity and refreshing for summer.   It's good on chips, too!

Corn avocado salad.  Ohhhhh man! So delicious I think I may never go back to regular guacamole again.  Serious!  I will say don't go as easy as I did on the jalapeno.  I can be a bit wimpy with the hot stuff sometimes but go for it since the vinegar and the bit of sugar is in it.   It was a hit with my gal pals over the weekend.   Cutting off the corn was quite an experience.  I was smiling to myself when I was taking off the husks as us Nebraskans are called "Cornhuskers". 
Both recipes can be found on Pioneer Woman's website.  Enjoy!

Father's Day Card

He had one request... a handmade Father's Day card.  I was in a pinch on what theme to use.  I have a cool dad.  He drag races, rocks out on the bass guitar, rides motorcycles, into classic cars, a smidge of golf and a little side of wood-working.   He does not fit into the usual retirement-age mold, you see.
I call him a "Renaissance Man" because he can fix and do most anything.  

I've done the rocker-themed card before.  Used a lot of great flashy silver and black paper and guitar embellishments.   I've done the ol' tool-theme, too.

Well, I decided after checking out the grungy distressed look of the Tim Holtz line that I would give it a go.

I'd put away the pastel shabby chic frills for a day and get realllly dirty and try something new!

I worked on this card really late after having a busy weekend and I had to get up early on Father's Day to go to church with the folks.  So please forgive the bad lighting.  I was happy with the results and trying LOTS of new techniques in making this grungy antiqued card.   Dad loves old cars!   Tim has lots of great stamps in the set I bought.  Something I can use for the next masculine card I'll be making for my brother who loves bicycles!

I used masking with Tim' paint dabbers, his embellishments, distress ink and stamps.   I like his tools and may have to take a lil trip to Archiver's to see what kinds of goodies they have in their store. 

I certainly cherish my daddy.  He's been so good to me.  It blesses me when he tells me I'm beautiful and that I can accomplish my dreams.  I have great parents who taught me how to be a good person and I thank God for them every day!

Sweet Summer Day

        

                                all photos for this post by me

Oh the joys of a summer morn!  Isn't my friend so adorable?  I asked her mama if she could be my model and she happily agreed!   So last Saturday I met up at a local park for a photo shoot to sharpen my tools for the upcoming wedding I'll be a photographer for.   I'm getting a little nervous about it!

This sweet & perky 6 yr old goes to my church and her energy and enthusiasm brings a smile to my face!  
Having her as a model was great fun for me.  She was working the camera and I must say she's a natural!

Doesn't this photo scream summer?  The weather was perfect and not too hot.
There were several families enjoying a picnic, some folks were fishing, and some were taking walks with their pups.  After the shoot was over I treated mom and daughter to some DQ!  Yum!

The pretty park and pond ...

I must end with this shot of the huge lollipop (the best prop ever the kid was in sugar heaven)... notice the little bug coming in for a taste? 





June Flowers

It's a hot one in the Midwest today!  Whew! Sooo glad for having working A/C!  I definitely like having the A/C on.  It has always been a non-negotiable when renting an apartment with any of my roomies.
My last roomie (like um ... 11 years ago) said her non negotiable was cable.  I've actually lived without cable and have seriously been thinking about dropping it way down to the lowest tier.

all photos on this post by me

I know it's inevitable for me to ditch the fancy cable.  I also have been trying a little couponing... is that a word?  My cousin is pretty fantastic as being frugal and finding deals and has started a coupon exchange club.

We met up for the first time on Sunday.  There were a few tips shared, how to organize the coupons, and mass amounts of coupons that were exchanged! Wow!  It was overwhelming to go through all of them.  We are definitely meeting again.  At least we know what to expect and can streamline what everybody wants to stock up on.

 

I have a cute binder to put my teensy amounts of coupons inside... I don't plan on being a totally extreme coupon lady.   I don't plan on stockpiling large amounts of food (however if I was that gifted to get tons of stuff for $1 I'd be joyously sharing the wealth) but I would like to stockpile nonfood items... to an extent.  

 

The pics I've shared are some of my flowers.  A couple I need to plant and get going on the mini slab of dirt I have in front of my town home apt.  It's in deep neglect and I'm hoping the salvia will continue to spread, and a few of these perennials will do well and come back.   All I want is low maintenance!

I'll stop talking about boring coupons (but they do give you great bargains if you put forth some effort) and leave you with a sweet baby bunny I found when moving my planter the other day.  So much for getting my gardening on.

I guess I'd much rather be taking pics of baby bunnies!

Have a great week!  I plan on having more interesting stuff to blog about soon!  Hop hop hopping outta here for now!

Quote

                                     photo by me

"Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal"   - Thomas More

I have been thinking a lot about the devastation in Joplin.   Praying for a quick restoration, healing and finding those that are missing.  

                                                                       

My First Friday Photo Feature

Well hello! Tomorrow is finally Friday and a long weekend! Yeah!  It's been a very slow moving week.  Do you agree?
I thought I'd hop on board to a linky party that will challenge me to get out and use my camera more this summer.
I'm joining up with the lovely blog A Rosy Note.  I love the photography and gain so much inspiration from the photos that Tricia posts.  We haven't chatted yet but I'm hoping to make some new friends who also enjoy photography.  Wish you could see me smiling right now!

** Update 5/29/11 It looks like the party is over before I even got to join in. Today Tricia blogged that the First Friday Photo Feature has been unplugged due to the amounts of time it's taking out of her life.  I understand her need to do this and although I'm disappointed there are other fun parties I can join up with or maybe I could just make my own someday.   She was very sweet to leave me such a nice comment on my blog the other day so it was a bit of a surprise to hear it's now kaput. I had to laugh because it's just the way it goes sometimes when I get on board with stuff a day late and a lots of dollars short.  I don't know what God has planned in my life but I have to trust that He has every single teeny minuscule part of it in His capable hands ***

An old friend of mine has asked me to take photos of her daughter's wedding this July!  I am both flattered and nervous at the same time!
Last summer I took photos at a wedding for the first time, ever.  I posted a few of the pictures here.  The couple was looking to save some money by using a new photographer (or student) and I was looking to add some experience under my belt and some new pictures to my "portfolio" (even though I really don't have a portfolio ...yet)!  It was a great learning tool for me and even though I was a bit stressed I was happy with the results.
I love weddings but it was very challenging to do everything on my own.  I also had to rent a flash for the indoor church photos, use a tripod, and have nonstop energy and ideas!  Wow!

                                                 photo by me

I'm very glad this next wedding is small, outdoors (gotta have that beautiful natural lighting) and for a good friend who wants to encourage me in my photography. She blesses me with her wonderful compliments... 
The link party theme is "flowers" and I have so much fun photographing the lovely ranunculus.   I always feel like I'm misspelling that word!  I think they are also called buttercups, too. Below is a pretty vintage canning jar that I bought my mom and a single flower bud laying on top.   It's fun to try unique ways to photograph different items. 

                                             photo by me

All my photos have minimum editing and I try very hard to take a good picture with natural lighting so I don't have to do a lot of clean up. 
I would  very much like to try Piknik and Photoshop because there are so many pretty layers I could add to make the photos have more character as well as give them a vintage aged look.  Photoshop is not in my budget and I hear it's hard to learn.   Piknik is free, though!

                                                 photo by me

I couldn't resist re posting a previous photo I've used earlier this year.  Love the pink, white and brown combo!

                                               photo by me

I've been missing your comments lately!  If you stop by please say hello!  I'd love to meet you.   Have a fantastic weekend.  Remember our soldiers who fought for our freedom which we are so very blessed to have!

Much Better!

                                               photo by me

I'm back and feeling much better! Thanks for the kind words and offerings of prayers for healing, too.  I really really appreciate it!  My doctor gave me some antibiotics and I've continued taking some allergy meds, too.   They are reporting it's one of the worst allergy seasons and that people that normally have minimum allergies (like me) are pretty miserable.

Yesterday I felt so much better and my energy returned!  I was able to get a lot of things done and it was a nice change. 

I even hand-washed my car!  You know what that means... it will inevitably rain!!

                                               photo by me

We had a storm that blew through our city last night which brought some hail, too.  It was short and thankfully my car was under the carport for protection from the pellets falling from the sky.   I ran out with my camera after it was all over.

I just love how the clouds look here.  I see the shape of Africa, do you?

                                          photo by me

I really enjoy seeing the clouds move along quickly by the stormy winds and I hoped to capture the lightning up in the sky but it was quicker than I was as well as being a little unpredictable!  I'm not sure if I'm camera savvy enough yet, anyway!

Today was a perfectly sunny day hitting almost 80 degrees.  The sky was blue and the clouds were puffy white.  I should have taken my camera out with me so I would've captured the beauty after the storms... 

Isn't that just like our lives?  Once the storm passes we can see the beauty around us again.  Have a blessed week!

Soothe

Soothe  - I just love that word.  Saying it just evokes calmness.  I am longing for a nice cup of hot tea with agave nectar or honey right this very moment.

I have been taking allergy meds for about 5 days and hoping my throat and cough will be soothed soon!  The windy and cold weather has arrived and lots of pollen has been blowing everywhere.  All the changes have been hard on everyone.   Healing is another of my favorite words.  Praying for healing as well...

Bear with me as I take a little rest and get better!  Have a blessed week!

Happy Mother's Day!

May all of you lovely mamas out there have a great day today! You deserve it!!

Yesterday I was invited (along with another friend)to take photographs for our church Mother's Day brunch.  We were instructed to take shots of the mothers and daughters as they arrived and once we were done a person went out, had them all developed, then gave all the prints as souvenoirs as each of guest left.  It was sort of being like paparazzi but it was fun nonetheless!

My mother and I were able to also enjoy the delicious food, fellowship and guest speaker.  

Here's the card I made her:

I used some beautiful vintage lace trim to frame the heart and really like how it turned out.   Prima flowers make everything beautiful, too!

Right now Michael's has a dollar bin full of alphabet stamps.  I grabbed up a couple that had nice fonts.

May your all your days be full of precious moments like these... hugging and bonding with your children and being the the most loving and best parent you can be.   God bless!

Tag You're It!

Wow!  What a week!  So much going on in the world and sometimes it's a bit overwhelming.  The highs and the lows.  The heights of celebration and the sadness of loss.   Tornadoes, romantic royal wedding, and Bin Laden.  Gotta say it again- wow!
I've decided to press in and focus my attention on family and a bit of creative time for some healthy and positive outlets!
The recent Easter swap got me in the mood for making more tags!  Using some of my vintage card images I decided to do a couple " thank you's" ...

I just love this cute bear with its sweet eyes and big red bow!  Gingham, polka dots, and fun embellishments.

It's hard to see in the picture but the flowers are pale yellow and creams.  I also added some Stickles glitter to the ice cream cone, flowers, and bow.

This one I decided to add an actual red bow and keep it more simple.   One of these days I will try doing some 3D effects in my cards and tags.  So many options with such a sweet array of images.  

Friday I'll be working on a Mother's Day card and hoping to make it feminine and pretty just like my mama!

I'm also hoping to plant these pretty perennials in my flower bed this weekend.  They have been inside for protection from frost, believe it or not!  The cold just wants to hang on for a long time!  Before I do my planting I will first have to buy fresh fertilized soil to help in their success.  Please work out!

 

 

I'm not the best gardener but I couldn't resist getting these plants because I like the tiny delicate petals and they also are supposed to be attractive to butterflies!
My butterfly bush did not make it last year! It's just a little dried stick in the soil!
What can I say?  I don't give up!  I love having flowers around my humble little home!  Have a great day!

Easter Gifts for Jenny

How was your Easter?  I hope you had a great holiday with your family and friends!  My Easter was spent at church with a friend and with family/friends in the afternoon for brunch at a local restaurant.
I would have loved to have been volunteering in the nursery at church on Sunday because I just get a kick out of those little kiddos in all their Easter finery.  Although, it's a little hard changing their diapers when they are wearing three piece suits!  I heard they had a little egg hunt during the services, too! 
Well, I heard from Jenny that she finally received my Easter goodies sent via snail mail!  I learned a lesson about not sending a package priority mail.  It can take forever! She's been very patient and so sweet about it arriving later than Saturday, which was my original plan. 

Here's the tag I made Jenny - a sweet lamb image I found from a vintage card I bought in Arizona.   I kept it pretty simple yet colorful.

 

Jenny said she liked tulips so I found some fun tulip embellishments, a notepad, and a some other springtime goodies, including an antique doily. 

A cute chick pick for her garden or plant.  "Welcome Spring" - can you bring some sunshine now?  We've had enough rain for the May flowers to grow.  It's been pretty chilly in Nebraska as of late.

A little bunny for her to remember me by!

 

A nut cup basket I made with some goodies inside.  Baker's Chocolates are made in Nebraska and melt in your mouth!  Yum!

It been really great getting to know Jenny! Her heart is full of God's love! Glad we've become friends thanks to Sandy matching us up. Have a great day!