My Corner of the Northwest

Rachel Platten - 1,000 Ships

2012-02-12T22:19:00.000-08:00

I had the pleasure of seeing Rachel Platten live last month and meeting her after her set. She is a sweetheart! The song of hers getting airplay has been 1,000 Ships and the CD version is alright however when you hear the acoustic version it is simply wonderful. You get to enjoy her voice and hear her talent on the piano as well. When an artist can wow you stripped down that is when you know they really have talent. She's got it in spades!

Enjoy!

Oh and if you like this you can get the acoustic version on Noisetrade. Her CD, Be Here, has some wonderful songs on it as well.

Spotlight Designer Surprise

2012-01-19T11:31:00.000-08:00

Well I got a surprise on this snowy day. Yes it is snowing...again! The area of the country famous for rain is white and cold however my heart is feeling very warm.

Over on 365 Blog a card of mine, from challenge day 320-Fringe, has been selected and because of that I get to wear this neat little badge now...

Well I should say, my blog gets to wear it. As surprised and as big of a smile as I was wearing when I saw my card up there I won't be printing it out and wearing on my shirt after all. I mean I am a bit of a nerd, but not that much! ;) I am about this much of a nerd...

I really am thrilled about this little surprise though. And want to say thanks to the gals over at 365 Blog because the challenges are so much fun to participate in and the design team always seems to have wonderful cards to go with them. That really helps when I am not feeling very inspired.

And last but not least...I give you the snow on the coast.

I took these photo's when there was a break between snow storms. This was after the first but before the second. The second arrived in Washington with so much wind that I now have fall leaves on top of winter snow. Your guess is as good as mine as to where the leaves came from since the ground is covered in snow and the trees have been bare since a November wind storm.

Fringe

2012-01-16T17:53:00.000-08:00

I have none. Oh I have ribbon. Tons of ribbon but I have no fringe. Nothing that I would even consider as remotely fringe-y. Is that even a word??? Well, either way I have none and this challenge over at 365 Blog just would not leave my head.

An idea popped into my head using a tree sticker that I like from My Mind's Eye. I thought I would create some fringe and turn it upside down so it was grassish and then I would attach it to a yellow circle so it would look like rays of sunshine. Tada...I give you FRINGE!

The challenge required the use of fringe in two places and one of them could not be at the bottom of the card. It was a fun, quick little card to throw together and is sort of a take off on the card I did back in June out of Echo Park paper only this card is all out of scrap paper except for the sticker. Yep, I am spending a bunch of time trying to use up those scraps.

Here you can see the sun got a lot of dimension. I think it might be impossible for me to create anything that is flat. If there is not a button, flower or brad on it I add a pop dot.

Thank you cards

2012-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

January is the month of my birth and so I have the happy occasion to mail out thank you cards.

The layout for this card came from the "super sketchy sunday" challenge over at 365 blogs. I really liked it as it let me use some of my favorite paper from K & Company, Wild Saffron, that I had in my scraps bin. I don't know about you but when I fall in love with a collection like that I tend to want to use every inch of the paper. The tag that I stamped thank you on is is also from the same collection. The background paper is also K & Company however it is so old there is no name on it. I would say it has been in my stash since I began scrapping almost 14 years ago. The stamp is from one of my favorite Washington shops, Impress Rubber Stamps.

It is difficult to see in the larger photo so I took a close up. The three crystal's are blue to carry the blue throughout the card. They are Me and My Big Idea's.

The idea for this card is also from 365 Cards. On Tuesday they offered up a card recipe which you can find here by clicking here...recipe. I had fun using one piece of pattern paper from sassafras. They give you a double sided paper with that great edge and I used it all on this card. The stripe, the floral print and the scallop was the edge. The thanks stamp is another one from Impress. So can you spot the sticker???

Here is a photo zoomed in on the stickers. Yes those three brad looking items are in fact stickers from colorbok. All the look of a brad with the ease of a sticker. Got to love that!

Sunshine in January

2012-01-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

The northwest has a bad reputation. You have probably heard it. Something to do with rain and constantly. Well lets just say it is not true. It is sort of like saying it is cold in Minnesota all the time, where I have seen my fair share of triple digit temperatures while growing up in that state. Or saying that Texas is always hot. Did you know it is something like 6 degrees in Amarillo, Texas today? Brrr! I believe these are stereotypes and we all must concede they are not true.

This is January in western Washington...honestly.

Monday it was so cloudy it felt as if the sun did not rise.

Tuesday...well Tuesday was just about perfection with the sunshine and the high in the low 50s.

The Olympic Mountains and Bainbridge Island

Mt. Rainier

Today it is partly sunny and the same is expected tomorrow. It does rain here, hence all the green, just not every day and for that I am very glad.

Winter Rainbow

2012-01-02T19:49:00.000-08:00

Today is was the typical northwest winter day. Some sun, some wind, some clouds and some rain. The rain brought out a small but bright rainbow over the water for a bit.

Winter Wedding Card

2011-12-15T22:47:00.000-08:00

Some friends were just recently married and it is time to send along my congratulations. They had a winter themed wedding and I wanted my card to follow along those lines while still feeling like a wedding card. I have to admit I am a sucker for wedding gowns, tuxedos and those beautiful flowers and so I love making cards for weddings, bridal showers and the like.

The 365 Blog was the inspiration again for this card. Two of the most recent challenges honestly. The first being make your own flower and the second to make a card using a base made from anything other than cardstock.

So here is what I came up with...

The shimmer on all the layers is difficult to capture with the camera but it is there in person and oh so pretty! I used Sheer Shimmer Mist from Tsukineko in Sparkle and Frost on this card. The card base is acrylic. The embossed paper was white cardstock that I ran under the faucet, crumpled and then put in a cuttlebug embossing folder. When the cardstock was dry I inked a bit of distress ink on it and sprayed with the mist. The flower is created from 3 scallop circle punches layered on top of one and another.

Here you can see the flower better as well as the shimmer on the paper from the mist. Love those mists and with these you can get refills that are much less expensive than the original bottles. The originals where around $8.00 for the two color set and each mister holds just under half an ounce. The refills run between $9.00 and $11.00 for two ounces. A much better price and if you order them from Amazon, and are a prime member, you get them shipped for free. :)

The 365 Blog challenges have really kept me creating the last few days. Here is that link again should you want to check them out... http://365cards.blogspot.com

Mt. Baker and an Aqua Winter Card

2011-12-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

The sun has been shining on the northwest the last couple of days and it has been stunning! Just absolutely beautiful!

Here is Mt. Baker in all its glory during the sun filled day. It is about 120 miles away across the straits from here. Makes for a pretty view.

And a view that only gets better as the pale pinks of sunset begin.

I had the need to make a card today that really did not call for a sentiment on the front. There will be a note on the inside. This time of year is all about Christmas however this card is not about the holiday so I really did not want to use any of those colors yet I wanted the card to be festive. I got my inspiration from 365 Cards challenge to use blue-green on your card. There is lots of it on this card. The cardstock is aqua, the velvet ribbon is aqua and the pattern paper also has aqua in it. I really like how the colors work together and I do not believe I would have pulled it together this way without the challenge. So yay for that!

The snowflakes are a favorite embellishment of mine that I found a couple of years ago at my local discount store in the sewing section even though they are not a button. I add a flat back crystal to the center for just a little extra sparkle. As you can see they have great dimension.

In this picture it is easier to see the crystal added to the center.

The 365 Blog has a different card challenge each day. Be sure to stop by there to get some inspiration.

Link: http://365cards.blogspot.com

Christmas Cards - Take 2

2011-12-11T21:43:00.001-08:00

Here are a few more Christmas cards I have completed. This year for some reason it has been more fun and I have had less "scrapper's block" while creating. Maybe because I did not put any pressure on myself. I just began with the purpose of having fun and that...gasp...translated into stress-free fun?!?! It has worked out so well I plan to use this system again next year at the holidays! ;)

Christmas Cards - Take 1

2011-12-07T15:14:00.001-08:00

It is that time of the year where we sing carols, bake yummy cookies (while getting to not feel bad at all for eating them) and we mail greetings to friends and family. Christmas cards are just about to go in the mail here and I thought I would share some of them.

Rushing

2011-11-10T17:45:00.001-08:00

There is a blog over on Tumblr that I follow and read each day. Some days it makes me smile, some days tear up or still yet on others laugh. This was posted a few days ago and I cannot help myself but share it. This made me laugh because it is so very true. I am a lover of Christmas yet I do enjoy the holiday that is all about family and friends (and all that really good food!). I dislike that we humans rush it and seem to focus on the the hurry to Christmas and really the wrong aspects of Christmas. We are not rushing to enjoy family. We are not even rushing to remember the reason for the holiday in the first place, the birth of Christ. Instead we rush to buy more and more. So this seems to fit how I feel with a big dose of humor.

Busy Scrapdesk

2011-11-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Although I have been busy I have managed to find a few minutes here and there over the past couple of weeks to work at my scrapdesk. Here is what I have been working on.

Musical Morning

2011-11-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have been busy, busy lately and music is something that makes the work go quicker as well as easier. I saw Matthew Mayfield live in Birmingham last February and became an instant fan. He has a new video for one of my favorite songs, Fire Escape. He has also done a wonderful thing and made some of his music free in honor of it. You can download Now Your Free his newest CD at the following link, http://www.mediafire.com/?648cs3qr899s643

Matthew covered this song when I saw him live and in my very humblest of fan opinions it was better than original. I like the original however I LOVE his voice with the lyrics and wish I had an MP3 copy I could listen to anywhere.

Lovely Northwest Evening

2011-09-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Summer arrived late and with fall looming for most of the country our weather has just gotten perfect. Warm days in the mid to low 70s filled with sunshine. The Olympic Peninsula is the place to be right now.

This evening the sunset was simply lovely so much color lighting the sky.

I was also able to capture so of the lights as the sun has set as the water is so calm and there are no clouds or marine layer on the water this evening.

This is one of the Holland America ships bound for Alaska. At night they seem to sparkle as they go by and tonight with the calm water just made the reflections even better.

The large tankers in the harbor keep things bright as well.

On the clear nights like tonight the lights of Victoria are a highlight of the view too.

A baby of any kind is just adorable!

2011-08-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

Baby birds? Cute. Baby horses? Cute. Seriously, babies of just about any critter on the planet? Cute. Last night is was a fawn. The fawn is getting old enough that the spots are begining to fade yet the cute factor is still there. This was the first time the four year old Mama deer has brought her fawn into the yard in the evening for apples. The fawn was much more interested in the tender leaves of the maple trees though.

Tree Topping and NOAA

2011-08-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Caught this use for a crane yesterday...Tree topping.

And one of the ships in the NOAA fleet was in the harbor yesterday.

Seattle (in less than three minutes!)

2011-08-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

Ran across this video set to Owl City's song "Hello Seattle". In less than three minutes you will see the highlights of the area. If you are local it is fun to pick out what you know as it flies by and if you aren't it is just neat to see. (I remember back to when this place wasn't home.)

Deep Blue Something

2011-08-11T20:09:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I was thrilled to see an old CD in a friends collection. It is one of my favorites, Home, and it is by a band called Deep Blue Something. Its another Texas band that I adore like Jackopierce. Interesting enough they broke up just like Jackopierce and have been back together since 2007.

Home had a hit on it called Breakfast at Tiffany's. I love the movie and adore the song. Here is a link in case you don't recall it or would like to revisit this precious gem. http://youtu.be/1ClCpfeIELw

One of my very favorite tracks from the CD is the title track, Home. It reminds me of being young in Texas with close friends. It also reminds me that home is a place in our hearts not a place on the map.

Arts In Action

2011-07-27T10:11:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the little town I live in held one of my favorite festivals, Arts In Action, (My other favorite is The Crab Festival in October.) and everything was perfect for it. The sun was warm as well as abundant not something that we have been able this summer following a la nina winter.

The highlight of the Arts In Action festival are the sand sculptures. The festival is a qualifier for the world event so competitors are drawn from all over the world. The theme this year..."world wide sports". In other words, sports that that had a fan base beyond the USA as well as in the USA. The sculptures amazed us all again with their talents.

With fond memories of last year and years before that milling in my head I am already looking forward to what they will create for us all next year.

Walk In The Park Card

2011-07-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

This was the second challenge card I made in June and it used pattern paper from Echo Park's Walk In The Park line as well as the challenge item which was a dark aqua rosette ribbon. I cut the ribbon apart and used it to embellish the tree. The inside was stamped "sending you sunshine".

Good Stuff

2011-07-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Friday!

Found this idea for making flowers for scrapbook pages and cards early this morning and wanted to share it. Using the paperbags as she does would be great for cards or any application where acid-free wasn't a concern. I think kraft paper could be substitute if acid-free was desired. The flowers remind me of the expensive ones I have seen over the last year from Prima.

And in honor of the Fourth of July...

Mix of things

2011-06-22T22:47:00.000-07:00

Things have been busy around my corner of late. There have been some interesting sights as well. The Wings of Freedom have been visiting my town and in the air there has been a B-17 and a P-51 from WWII. I have not been able to get a photo when they have flown past the house I will admit I have been a bit in awe of the sight. Click on this link to see a video post on our area newspaper's website. It is short and gives a feel for the planes. http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/section/videonews?startID=25387325

The Wings of Freedom is a flying exhibition of planes that maybe coming to your town as well. You may find out here... http://www.collingsfoundation.org/cf_schedule-wof.htm

Now to some of the things I have been working on over the past week or so at my scrap desk.

Father's Day

2011-06-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

This week I was reminded of a very old memory shared between my Dad and I so journey back to the 1980s for a few minutes with me...

The year is 1983 and it is a Saturday afternoon in Minnesota.

The sunshine was warm and the air had a nice cool breeze. My parents and I were out in the yard busy bringing a dream of mine to life...an orchard! Earlier in the week my Dad had taken a day off work to spend it with me and we had found several fruit trees at a discount. The original plan for the day had been to go see Superman III at the theater after having lunch at my favorite burger place, Fudruckers. That plan went out the window when we found the trees. Dad gave me a choice...the movie or my orchard. I picked the trees. I was going to have an orchard just like Anne from the Green Gables books! The trees were bought and we returned home to get our big red truck so we could bring the trees back to the house. Excitement filled me until the weekend arrived and we could begin to dig the great big holes those five trees would require. I was eight years old and underfoot at every turn trying to be very helpful on that Saturday afternoon. So much so that when my Dad began to fill in a hole the shovel handle came back and caught me in the nose. Oh the pain! And the tears! And the bloody nose. Now I knew the moment it happened this was all my fault. I was eight but not dumb. I shouldn't have been standing behind Dad. He didn't know I was there. Dad being Dad helped Mom fix me up and such as well as saw my earlier excitement was dashed. Restoring that excitement became his goal and he told me he would give me anything. Do you know what I asked for in that instant? Not a toy. Not candy. I asked if he would let me go up on the roof of the house. He had let me the previous summer and I remembered from there I could see all the way to downtown Minneapolis to my favorite skyscraper, the IDS Tower, and I wanted to do it again. He got the ladder and followed me up telling me to be careful but not too careful because accidents happen that way too. There I stayed for the rest of that afternoon as I watched them finish my orchard. It was that day that I knew my Mom had to be the smartest woman ever because she married a real Superman.

I believe all these years later he still is Superman and that my Mom is the smartest woman ever for marrying him.

Happy Father's Day to Superman...my Superman.

This is the song we are dancing to in that photo above and it is one of his favorites.

Northern Girl

2011-06-18T12:47:00.000-07:00

Terri Clark has a new song on the airwaves up here that I love. Actually I will have to say I don't have a clue if it is getting play on American stations or not because the radio station in Beautiful British Columbia is much closer. The song is about her childhood in Canada and I must say being a northern girl from Canada doesn't sound much different than being a northern girl from Minnesota. This song brought back some incredible memories and made me miss home. Yes, even though I live in an amazingly beautiful place I miss the shores of Lake Superior, the Mississippi River, the Minnesota State Fair (where you can get any food imagined on a stick), Twins games and the Twin Cities.

Lets Laugh

2011-06-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this online and it made me laugh. Through the years I have overheard things like this and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and laugh.

For Fun

2011-06-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here is that challenge card that had my desk so messy several days ago. It has arrived at its destination down in Alabama now. My friend Stephanie and I are challenging each other to use certain supplies each month on cards just for fun.

Lovely Week

2011-06-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

The week here has been full of some real beauty.

A rainbow after a storm.

A beautiful sunrise.

The sunrise made for such a lovely start to the day.

And one very messy scrap desk. Proof I have been in here working on something. Just can't show you at the moment. It is a card...a challenge card of sorts. A friend and I are challenging each other each month using certain supplies and then mailing the cards to each other. I want her to see the new card first.

Parachute - Kiss Me Slowly

2011-05-19T21:58:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this new Parachute CD to come out and I am not disappointed. You see I fell in love with this song, Kiss Me Slowly, a couple of weeks ago and eager would be an understatement concerning my feelings towards the release.

Enjoy and consider checking them out!

Amazing Days in Olympic National Park

2011-05-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

The sunshine comes out and you cannot help but want to get in the car and drive. At least not with sights like these near. At least that is how I feel. ;)

Lake Crescent

Hwy 101 hugging the edge of the lake and lets just say it now...Should you visit the park please come very close to obeying the speed limit. This is a national park so that means a speeding ticket is a federal offense. In other words if you want to ignore it thinking, "Oh that was all the way up there in Washington and I am down here Florida." Think again. You'll get a visit from the US Marshalls and you'll have a federal warrant for your arrest. So deal with a ticket should you get one. Or just be really crazy and just drive the speed limit through the park. I know what an outlandish idea!

I was so excited to see this goose! This is the same goose from last year that I joked should not be called a Canadian Goose when it is clearly an American Goose. Nesting here on a log in the lake.

Lake Crescent has an amazing color and clarity that is quite difficult to capture in photos. The log jetting out allowed for me to do that. It is almost blue you see much further south in the sea of the Caribbean.

Here we are at the destination of the day...Ruby Beach.

Destruction Island

I wish I could put on here the sound of the waves crashing on the beach and around the sea stacks.

It is spring and so everything is in bloom.

Seattle, X-Band Radar, Cruise Ship and Mt. Rainier

2011-05-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

How was that for a title to a post? Could I have fit any more in there? It was a beautiful day in the city yesterday and I got some great shots of the lovely Emerald City as the ferry was headed for Bainbridge Island and away from the Coleman Docks.

Remember you may click on any of these photos to bring up a larger image.

Downtown

Sapphire Princess and the Coast Guard Vessel that shadowed the ferry yesterday evening. The announcement said it was "perfectly normal". I would just like to add that in almost 14 years here I have never been aboard when they have done this even after 9/11. Now we have K-9 dogs that check out our cars before board and such however I had never seen this until last evening.

The X-Band Radar Vessel that passed my home earlier in the week is in dock and work has begun on it.

Mt. Rainier in the background there.

The Space Needle

The hole shebang!

As I said it was a beautiful day and a lovely evening. On days like this you can see way we all live in the Northwest...mountains, tall green trees, blue skies and even blue water. Doesn't get any better than this folks!

X-Band Radar Vessel

2011-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

It is a beautiful May here in this part of the world.

Do you notice that white dot out on the water though? Yep, I did too. I got out the binoculars and took a good look at it. The vessel is huge! Around it were tugs and Coast Guard Cutters. What is it you might ask yourself? Well it is part of our missile defense. It is an X-Band Radar Vessel coming in for some upgrades to a shipyard near Seattle. Not everyday you see this go by that is for certain.

Simple Sunday Afternoon Cards

2011-05-01T14:00:00.000-07:00

Its a beautiful weekend here in my corner. Two days in a row of sunshine. A miracle! The rain returns tomorrow however the sunshine and the need for sunglasses has been a joy while its lasted that is for sure. Here are a couple of quick simple cards inspired by the sunshine. Flowers are on the brain.

Friday Friendship Card

2011-04-29T14:04:00.000-07:00

Playing around with some more October Afternoon paper and an adorable Pooh stamp. Friendship is on my mind a lot at the moment because of the storms that blew, literally, through the south and were so hard on Alabama this week. I am very grateful that my friends in Alabama are safe and sound. It is so hard to watch the reports on this as these are places I have been and been recently. Friendship is a treasure and certainly does make the world feel like a smaller place doesn't it?

I Understand

2011-04-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was Easter and I was blessed to have my family at my home on Sunday. The house was filled with laughter, love and the favorite...good food.

I was even spoiled with a lovely lily and this amazing chocolate egg. The egg is so pretty I almost don't want to eat it. Notice I said...almost! ;)

My Dad forgot his camera and it has given me a chance to download some photos to my laptop from the last few days of the trip we took together this past fall. I can now say I get my Mom's comment about having almost half a million photos of me but most of them with my camera in front of my face. It seems that is how I was captured most. Looking through these photo on my Dad's camera this photo below sums it up. Well it sums up at least 25 photos of me.

And amazingly enough there are about 5 like the one below where my face is visible and you can see I am having a great time.

Squared with a matching envelope

2011-04-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Playing around this afternoon with some paper and here is the outcome...

Since it was an odd size, 5X5, I needed to make an envelope for it and so that is got a little extra too. Love that pattern paper from October Afternoon!

You and Me - Ryan Star

2011-04-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

11:59 came out in August. I had his EP before then and I was lucky enough to see Ryan Star live twice in September. Still I haven't had enough of 11:59 or Ryan Star. This song is one of my favorites on 11:59. It is called You and Me. When I saw him perform it live it was Ryan on the guitar and Dallin on the drum. So simple yet amazing! Hope you enjoy.

For A Laugh

2011-04-17T19:44:00.000-07:00

Because I am sick, because I found this funny and because I always like a funny on a Sunday...

My first thought after laughing was...Well I have to say I've not seen a "Beware of Lion" sign at my local store before so I guess the "Beware of Dog" was as good as they could do. My second thought was...Or did they just not think to warn against the lion?!?! Who knows maybe the lion is more friendly. ;)

One Week

2011-04-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

I watched this quiet little independent movie last night. As it begins Ben finds out he has Stage 4 Cancer on a Friday afternoon and he doesn't know how to react. He is told go now, seek treatment fast. He is told with treatment he has a 10% chance of recovery. Ben isn't ready to be sick yet. You see like many with that dreaded c-word he doesn't feel it. Ben feels fine however he knows what they intend to do to him to cure him will make him feel very sick. Instead of beginning treatment the following Monday he heads west through the Canadian countryside looking to have an adventure. I liked the ending. No, I adored the ending. It is wisdom for all of us. We all need to hear this and we all need to remember the quote on the chalkboard..."To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."

Whole Lotta Nothing

2011-04-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

For days and days the house has been filled with the sounds of coughing and versions of the phrase, "I'm dying." Seems we have the flu. Three letters sure do bring a whole lot of yuck into a house. Fevers, chills, aches, coughing...yuck, yuck and yuck! So there hasn't been a whole lot of anything going on around here. I will admit to laying in bed watching episode after episode of this...

Monarch of the Glen from the BBC. The setting is amazing and the story has been humor filled. My husband has shaken his head at me as he doesn't understand how I can love "British humor" so very much. Personally I think its healing me, all the laughter, because I seem to be recovering at a faster pace. ;)

Proper Signage?

2011-04-12T02:38:00.000-07:00

This past fall a friend of mine, a very good friend, spent several weekends at my home. She took to calling the guestroom, her room. We joked about a sign. Then out one day we stumbled across pattern paper from Crate Paper that was covered in purses and if you knew my friend you would know this was just...well it is just her! So that joke became a reality. Tonight I put it all together and here it is. The guestroom door can now have it's proper signage!

Matthew Mayfield - Fire Escape

2011-04-11T22:17:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of hearing him live back in February and he made me an instant fan. I bought his EPs at the concert and then found that he had a song on a sampler at Amazon put out by TuneCore. The song was Fire Escape and I loved it. Now flash forward to April and the release of his new CD. A better, cleaner version of Fire Escape in on this CD and I am just more in love with the song. It has an energy and an emotion that just touches.

Submarine

2011-04-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

The months between November and April are filled with rain, cold, wind and not a lot of variety on the Staits. The Stait of Juan de Fuca that is and if you want to get from the Pacific to Seattle you have to navigate the Staits. So for months the marine traffic has been cargo ships, container ships and oil tankers until this past weekend when there was an odd blob sitting low in the water. My eyes said it had to be a Naval Sub however my eyes also told me there was too much bulk for it to be one. When the subs move through the Straits you often don't know. Sometimes however it occurs in the daylight and above water so there are Coast Guard Cutters and air support heard flying above. This is the fourth time in almost 5 years that I have seen one. Saturday was rainy with dark skies and so the photos are not wonderful by any means yet still so cool to just have it go by. And the extra bulk I saw turned out to be a barge next to the sub. There were two Coast Guard Cutters escorting this sub as well.

This is cropped to focus in on the sub and barge. There is also one of the smaller Coast Guard cutters just to the front of the sub however it is difficult to see as it blends in with the water so well.

The Straits are 18 miles wide at this point between the US and Canada's Vancouver Island. In this photo you can get more of a sense of how far away the sub is from our shore, out in the shipping lane.

Spring

2011-04-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

Spring is upon us and what a welcome idea that truly is around here. March in our part of Washington was full of rain. Yes I know it is the northwest and it rains here. So that is the rumor I hear. Well this past March we had double the normal amount of rain and it had begun to feel like the building of an ark was needed. Now April has arrived and with it the weather has changed just enough that I am dreaming of this...

And I can almost smell these...

And know that soon blooms like these will be everywhere...

Yes it is that time of year when everything is new again. Isn't it wonderful?!?!

Live!

2011-04-06T14:29:00.000-07:00

Music always seems to be playing around my house. Some houses its the TV. Here its music and it could be almost any type of music as the likes are varied. This song has been a favorite of late. Its from 2004, the message however is timeless...live. The title, "Live Like You Were Dying" The words remind me of so many good things that should take place each and every day. If you've never heard it, I hope you'll give it a listen. If you have heard it, I hope you will listen again and remember to treat today as though it were your last. Make sure to love those around you, forgive quickly and do something no matter how small it might be that adds joy to your life.

A Layout!

2011-03-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

After I realized how long it had been since there had been any scrapbooking done in this scraproom of mine I set out to change that. I will say in my defense I did a mini-album for my Dad back in January for the occasion of his birthday. Interestingly enough it was on the same subject I have now decided to scrapbook, the cross country trip we took this past fall. So without further talking from me here is the layout.

Pattern Paper is My Minds Eye, Cardstock is Colorbok and CTMH, Ribbon is unknown I am afraid as its been in my stash for ages and ages, Chipboard is a combo of Heidi Grace and Lil Davis, Ink is Olive from CTMH

This page will be the title page for the whole album. So page number one done now on with the rest of the album! lol

Sara Bareilles

2011-03-26T22:42:00.000-07:00

This is an old one however I just love this video. The song is "Gravity", and if you notice by the end it is as though you have moved away from the planet during the course of her singing. As though she has defied gravity. Love her voice and I can't think of a song she has made I don't enjoy listening to, even the sad ones, because her voice is such a joy.

Cards times three

2011-03-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

Cards! Cards! Cards! I scrapbook. Really I do. lol I simply cannot remember the last time I did a layout. I should probably work on changing that.

This is a card I recently made for a male friend of mine and I have to say cards for gentleman are difficult. Don't most of our papers and embellishments lend themselves to women? Have you noticed that too? Well I have gotten some practice in the last couple of weeks as I have been trying to make sure a mailbox in Texas is seeing something besides bills these days. As I told him during this time I want him to get some good mail. Something to make him smile. I think we all like to open the mailbox and see the handwriting of a friend when we are going through something difficult.

This card uses several things I am just adoring these days...Stamps designed by Tim Holtz, new paper from MME and that bracket shape.

This is another card kept simple because again it is for a gentleman, the same friend. I used paper from MME's Hattie paper pack that I recently picked up at Impress. The stamp is another designed by Tim Holtz.

My Scraproom Updated

2011-03-25T00:20:00.000-07:00

I received a request to post some updated photos of my scraproom showing the last two shelving units that were added last week. The shelving units added are the smallest ones in the Expedit series at IKEA. I have the medium and the small in the room now along with the desk attachment on one of the medium ones. I've been working in the room now for a month and I still love them. In these photos you can also see red boxes in some of the shelves, white in others and those are also from IKEA made to fit with these bookcases/shelf units. So on to the the updated photos!

This one is just inside the door and to the left. Inside its shelves are my scrapbook and card magazines. IKEA again for the magazine holders. I really like the white ones with the metal edging because the price was right and they are reinforced with the metal to hold up with the use I'll be giving them. The red boxes hold some books I want to keep in my scraproom and some papers yet housed like this it makes for a very clean look and also makes keeping things clean easy. The unit puts my paper cutter at a perfect level as well.

In this view of the room from the door you can see the unit that has been added at the end of the desk. At first I was not crazy about this because the new unit is about an inch and a half taller than the desk. Now though with my laptop on it and a few days to think about it I like the idea of that height difference as it protects my laptop from what I am doing on my scrap desk. It also keeps brads, eyelets and other small items from rolling away. Now as for what is in the unit...I got the covered white boxes here because I am keeping various stamps in these (wood mounted rubber in one and flat rubber & clear in the other) and I wanted a lid on them. In the other two spots I have temporary containers holding inks and cards that are made and ready for mailing. Next time I am at IKEA I will be picking up two more of those red boxes for these spots.

Here is how the desk looks now that the bookcase has been added to the end. It is so nice to have all this space to work on. Everything is handy and so scrapping is enjoyable and clean up is a breeze.

Greg Laswell

2011-03-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

I got sent home several weeks ago with some new to me music to listen to. One of the songs, Comes and Goes(in waves) by Greg Laswell has become a favorite. I am loving his voice. Between wanting to get some of his songs and Matthew Mayfield's new CD my downloads from Amazon are going to be busy the next few weeks.

Perfection On A March Day

2011-03-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite movies is "Bed of Roses" and one character thanks another for a day of "too much perfection". Well yesterday as I was on the way into Seattle that line came to mind. It was a day of way too much perfection here in my corner of the northwest. No matter which way you turned your head nature's beauty surrounded you.

Click on any of the photos below to bring up it up in a larger size.

Here is a look back at the Olympic Peninsula as I was crossing the Hood Canal Bridge.

Leaving Bainbridge Island aboard the M/V Tacoma

Mt. Baker as seen from Puget Sound

Mt. Rainier as seen from Puget Sound

Downtown Seattle, the Cascade Mountains and Elliot Bay

Close up of downtown Seattle

This shot lets you see just about everything. On the far left is Queen Anne Hill, then the Space Needle, downtown Seattle, Qwest Field, Safeco Field and of course the Cascade Mountains behind it all.

Buttons, Buttons, and more Buttons!

2011-03-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

A happy little card filled with buttons in honor of the first day of spring. My favorite part was playing with the whitewash cardstock by coredinations on the tree trunk.

Supermoon

2011-03-19T20:44:00.000-07:00

Do you know that tonight the moon isn't just the moon but a supermoon? Yes, it comes complete with a cape, tights and all. Okay maybe not a cape or tights I made that part up, it will be very bright though. I hope you will have a chance to see it. Here is a very quick shot I managed to get as it was rising over the harbor here. The photo doesn't come even close to how beautiful it was in person. Sorry you just had to be here.

Retro Moment

2011-03-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

Hanging out with one of my friends last night watching the Dual Spires episode of Psych, which was their tribute to Twin Peaks, somehow this song came up in the conversation.

The song is One More Try by Timmy T. I had not thought of the song or heard it since high school. As soon as my friend, Leslie, mentioned it I HAD to hear it. The song was played a lot back in 1991 when it was number 1 on the billboard chart and I owned the cassingle of it. Just now listening to the song on YouTube and watching the video I must say I giggled. I enjoyed the retro moment and hope you do too even if you have no memory of the song I hope you can at least remember the clothes, the hair, the cars or something from those time and it makes you smile or chuckle. Thank you Timmy T for this enjoyable, albeit slightly cheesy, retro moment!

Amazing

2011-03-18T20:56:00.000-07:00

This week has been amazing. I can't put my finger on it just something about it has left me feeling thankful and very aware of those small things in life that keep you connected and feeling close to the important people in your life. For me it's one those things that make life worth it and just leave me feeling happy. You know that unexplained feeling that comes from inside and becomes a big smile lighting up your whole face. That smile that leads people to ask you, "Why are you smiling?" and you don't have an answer for them. Because honestly how can you explain a text from a friend saying simply "okie dokie" or one that told you that you make a friends heart happy or even another you got back from a friend in the middle of the night when you got home after a long drive glad you were there safely. To anyone else these small things wouldn't matter one teeny tiny bit. To me these small moments with my friends have made my week amazing. Along with a discovery of the very best corn dogs ever courtesy of one of my friends. This is the stuff life is made of...all these small things. Yes sometimes it is big moments that take our breath away however a lot of the time the really good stuff in life, the priceless stuff, can be found in these small, amazing moments. So if you see me and I am smiling for no apparent reason you will know this is why. I have great friends!

And just a small bit of left coast beauty from my corner. The days are getting longer and spring is...well it is springing and that is just springy! lol

New Favorite Embellishment

2011-03-16T21:59:00.000-07:00

In my area I'll admit it I am lucky. Within a 100 miles I have just tons of great LSS and rubber stamping stores that I can visit. One of my favorites is Impress. They have three locations in the Seattle area and also you can shop with them online. I was there on Monday and picked up some goodies. One of my new goodies is a bag of pearlized flower stamens. I know that may not sound too exciting however within the last few days I can't believe how I have fallen love with this new embellishment. I am sticking them in the middle of so many paper flowers. Since you can cut the stem to be just the right length to stick in the center gluing them in place is a breeze. Love, love, love these little guys. If you would like to give them a try stop in to one of the Impress locations or click right here to go to their online store.

MOJO Week 182

2011-03-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

Here is my take on the card sketch over at MOJO this week. Yeah I know it's Wednesday and MOJO is Monday. I had stuff going on. You know important stuff. At least I got to play with the stetch the same week they posted it! ;)

A couple cards

2011-03-15T23:40:00.000-07:00

Made a couple cards today. The first with a stamp I have been dying to use. I got this stamp when I was traveling across country earlier this past fall. Found it in the darling stamping store, Guadalupe's Fun Rubber Stamps, in Santa Fe, New Mexico on an absolutely beautiful October day. Oh.....to be there now. Yeah okay back to the cards. It was nice to be working on something at the new desk I must say.

The stamp says, "Wish you were here. I'm not on vacation. I just miss you and wish you were here." The postmarks at the bottom are from Fiskars new wheel. It took a time or two to get setting it up down to a science but I do like it. I like that it uses flat clear stamps and only one bulky wheel to run them all. The cost for the stamps is affordable too as at my local Joann's they are about $4.00 each.

With this next one we have two cards in one...kind of. It is also the smallest card I've ever made. Here is the close up of the small one that is embellishing part of the large card.

Here is the whole card. Most of the card made using Echo Park papers although there is some fabric on there too. I am playing around with the best way to adhere that to make my own fabric paper.

Never Let Go

2011-03-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

I saw this online today and was struck at the honesty of that little blurb. Letting someone go out of your life because the situation might be difficult to work through is simple. Hanging on to a friendship or even a romantic relationship through a difficult time creates one that in the end you will only treasure more. In girl scouts you sing a song about how there are old friends and new friends both good but one is silver and the other gold reminding us that there is a true and valuable treasure in older friendships. I am glad to have hung on to my friends especially those that have known me for a time. I am blessed. Truly blessed.

Greys Anatomy

2011-03-14T23:21:00.000-07:00

Driving around Seattle today with a friend and talking about music I couldn't help but remark how I missed the Grey's Anatomy soundtracks. The first three seasons of the show some of the great music was released in easy to download collections. I loved them. Maybe I was the only one? Suppose that is possible although I do doubt that. They have some awesome music on them, like this one from Tegan and Sara...

Lisa Loeb

2011-03-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Digging around, well if you can calling looking through your digital music digging that is, I stumbled across this older CD from Lisa Loeb and I do just love her. This is a great song from the CD, Firecracker. Its is "I Do"

Matthew Mayfield - Download

2011-03-12T15:21:00.000-08:00

Matthew Mayfield has been kind enough to offer a free download of a track off his upcoming record. The song, Come Back Home, is wonderful. I heard him play it the other night live while he was on Birmingham Mountain Radio and am excited not to have the long wait until the records release on April 5th.

To get the download of "Come Back Home" just go to Matthew's website, matthewmayfield.com, or click on his name above. Once you are there you'll see a place to enter your email address and from there follow the instructions for the download. Its a great song and I'm really looking forward to April 5th when I can download "Now You're Free".

Unexpected

2011-03-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight several gals gathered at my home for a monthly crop. We scrap, we make cards, we talk and most importantly we eat. lol As one of the gals arrived she presented me with the most lovely bunch of flowers. It is a mix of roses and star gazer lillies. Oh they are so very, very pretty and so unexpected. Just what I needed today. Isn't is wonderful when you are having a day that is just a little more difficult than others and something like this happens out of the blue? It lifted my spirits and they will continue to over the next several days as those lillies open and only become more beautiful.

About the crop. I didn't get much done tonight. I spent a lot of time getting things and I'll admit it...showing off my new scraproom. I believe I'm in love with that new desk. I do have a couple simple cards I managed to get finished and another I will finish up in the morning. Here are some pictures of what I was working on.

My Room

2011-03-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

Here it is with most of the furniture in place. Notice I said most. Now that I have the desk and bookcase in the room I've realized I'd like another one, possibly two, of the smallest ones and have room. My scraproom is in the smallest of the bedrooms in our home and now it feels spacious. I have carpet to vacuum and I have! lol This bookcase grouping is very affordable from IKEA and so I don't feel guilty going back for two more. Enough of alll that...let me show you around.

As you enter the door this is what you see.

You see that I have a bit of an addiction to all things Coca~Cola and I use those containers to organize in as well as set a theme for the room. I also adore the color apple green. The bookcase against the wall hold the newest of my pattern papers, felt shapes, fabric, magazines, shaped papers, punches, chipboard, glitters, flocks and cards already made ready to be mailed when needed.

If you turn to the left this is what you will see next. My new desk attached to another of those IKEA bookcases. Here more Coca~Cola containers hold diecuts, tools, inks, flowers, colored pencils and pens. The shelf you see hanging on the wall is also from IKEA. I loved the idea that it had drawers in it. I needed a shelf and combining it with more storage was just a genius idea...thank you IKEA! One drawer holds journalling tags and the other hold the dies for my Revolution. The dresser in the corner doesn't quite fit with all the IKEA white in the room however I can't see it go as its been in my family for almost 170 years. I keep mailing supplies and wrapping paper stored in the drawers.

On the right side of the room you see these closets from IKEA again. (yes, I have an IKEA addiction.) Inside are rubber stamps, clear stamps, photos, Xyrons and other various supplies. The shelves in between my husband built to fit the gap. That is where cardstock and ribbon is kept by color.

Here is a close up of that desk I cannot wait to get to work at. So excited I tell ya!!! One last thing, see that big jar on top? That's an idea I got when I was in Alabama in Stephanie's scraproom. She has a much larger jar with the most adorable round pins and ribbon wrapped around them. I had to use regular pins however the idea is the same and for all those $1.00 ribbons that are multi colored this is a great way to store them.

Friendship

2011-03-09T15:33:00.001-08:00

To know someone here or there with whom you can feel there is understanding in spite of distances or thoughts unexpressed - that can make this life a garden.

Goethe

Redesign

2011-03-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

Much of my free time is spent in my scraproom. For the last several years I've had an L-shaped desk that once upon a time was in my office at work. It was much better suited to that life than to scrapbooking and cardmaking. After much thought I made some decisions and the redesign is underway. What a mess!! I can say already though that it will be worth it. Real photos of the room will follow soon. Right now things are just too disorganized to allow the camera in to capture the room. Here is the desk I decided on and I must say I understand why I've read for years as fellow scrapbookers have sang the praises of this line from IKEA. It does fit the hobby and make such sense. Adding the desk to the bookcase is just a natural extension.

True Companion

2011-03-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

He is mine. Always faithful and always waiting for me when I return home. I was folding some laundry today when I turned around and saw this...him napping with his favorite toy behind him. The moment was too perfect to pass up. I was glad that my camera was only about two steps away from me. His naps are getting longer these days and his playtimes much shorter. I know the day is coming when he won't be at the top of the stairs to greet me when I return at the end of a day out so I need to enjoy each and every moment left. This month Rom turns 13. This is quite old for a large breed dog. At his prime Rom was a very strong 150 pounds. Quite a gentle giant. Well unless you were the wall in a our back hallway. He put a rather large hole in it one day with a floss toss rope toy as he was throwing his head side to side. Right then the decision was made...no more tosses for large dogs. Then on he received the toss made for small to medium dogs. Rom could throw his head side to side as much as he wanted and the house was still standing at the end of the day.

He has been an amazing companion, the truest of companions. I hope with all my heart that our time together is not as limited as it might seem.

Ice Cold

2011-02-25T20:36:00.001-08:00

It is truly ice cold around here. At one point the high was 27. The sun was out and that was the high. I felt as though I'd been returned to my childhood back in Minnesota with snow outside the windows and icicles hanging all over the house. This does not look like Washington at all. I have faith though spring will arrive and with it daffodils and tulips.

Time

2011-02-24T11:59:00.000-08:00

Life varies its stories. Time changes everything, yet what is truly valuable - what is worth keeping - is beyond time.

- Ruth Senter

Crazy Weather

2011-02-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

It was just a week ago that I was sitting in the sunshine enjoying the 70 some degree day with my friend in Alabama. Now I find myself in the middle of some crazy winter weather. Mother Nature can't seem to make up her mind. Shall it be windy and cold? Or shall it snow? Maybe some ice pellets shall rain down on the Olympic Peninsula. One thing is for certain lets keep it sunny through the whole dang event! lol What a crazy weather day?!?!

Love

2011-02-21T13:43:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine had this posted on his blog a few days ago and when I read this quote from Paulo Coelho I couldn't help but agree. When you fall in love you pray for paradise...for heaven. At first love always is because there is that rush of emotions and that just pure rush in all the newness of it that love can't help but be heaven. Heaven on Earth. The true test will of course be if the journey of the love remains long and still feels like heaven after the test of time. I am reminded today, as a there are a lot of people at a memorial service in Plano, Texas for a wonderful woman that I know, whether this journey of love feels like paradise, hell or a combination of the two that love never ends. It continues on. It is always a gift. A gift we are privileged to feel and have in our lives. Love allows our hearts to cross miles and boundaries our bodies cannot. Love is amazing. It is my hope that it fills your life and your heart.

A New Day

2011-02-21T13:10:00.001-08:00

Love it when a new day begins with such beauty. The Cascade Mountain Range was on full display along with the gentle colors of the morning sunrise. You can also see the fishing boats headed out for the day, again hoping they will be catching the one that will win them the $10,000 in the derby that is taking place this weekend here.

Mt. Baker was of course out saying good morning as well.

The whole view towards the east from the deck. It was quite a morning!

Vineyard

2011-02-19T00:12:00.000-08:00

One of their most beloved songs and here it is from the night I saw them live. I found this tonight on youtube and I wanted to share it. When I watch the video I still can't believe I was there. That I really did get to see them. After so many years of listening to their music it still feels surreal. What can I say I am just a tad crazy for Jackopierce? Just a tad! ;)

Beautiful Sight

2011-02-18T21:41:00.001-08:00

Making dinner I look up to see this in the larger Douglas Fir tree outside the kitchen window. It is a large male Bald Eagle. Such a beautiful sight on a lovely sunny day.

Cards Side by Side

2011-02-15T14:21:00.001-08:00

This afternoon we challenged each other. We took turns picking the supplies me the paper, then Stephanie the buttons and finally me the ribbon. Then we got to work to see what we would each come up with using the same supplies. The paper is out of the DCWV Mango Frost stacks, the buttons are out of a bag of buttons and the ribbon is from Hobby Lobby. Here is what we came up with. Steph's card is the one that says "Dear Friend". Mine is the one that says "Do Great". The afternoon has been fun and to see our cards side by side is a blast. Be sure to check out Stephanie's Blog for more photos. She is so talented and will be published for the second time in the March edition of Cards.

Matthew Mayfield

2011-02-15T09:28:00.001-08:00

He played this during his set at Workplay in Birmingham. So if you hear he is coming to your town get out there and enjoy. He is wonderful as I said before.

Working On

2011-02-14T21:44:00.001-08:00

Here is what I've been working on...

Honey loves to be up on the scrap table "helping" out! ;)
This card uses a flower stamp by Studio g, background stamp by Impress and a thank you stamp by Close to My Heart. Papers by Prima. Inks are Studio g and Stampin Up.

Stamp is by Fiskars, patterned paper is by My Minds Eye, Cardstock by DCWV, Ink by Studio g and ribbon by American Crafts.

Stamp by Inkadinkado, Punches by Fiskars and Whale of a Punch, pattern paper by Prima, ink by Studio g.

Stamp by Studio g, Ink by Studio g, pattern papers by Prima, ribbon by American Crafts and glitter glue by Studio g.

Alabama

2011-02-14T17:55:00.000-08:00

I have been horrible about posting so far this year so I will try to make this a good one. 2011 has found me across the country from my corner and deep in the south of Alabama. I am here in my friends scraproom after a day of scrap shopping. (Rosey, you know her!!)

As my birthday gift my friend took me to see a band that I have loved for years and have always wanted to see live, Jackopierce. This is Matthew Mayfield, the opening act, hitting the stage. He was wonderful. His first full length CD comes out in April.

This is Jackopierce. I was in HEAVEN getting to hear them live. They sounded amazing and were such fun. Jackopierce is made up of Jack O'Neil with the dark hair and Cary Pierce is the blonde.

This visit down here in Alabama has been so much fun. Two more days and I return home to my corner but it is so tempting to just stay put here with a good friend that is such a fun person and a great scrapbooker.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T13:21:00.000-08:00

Wishing You and Yours A Merry Christmas

What a winter day!

2010-12-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

On a day like today winter doesn't seem so bad. I can wait calmly for the sunshine and flowers of spring with a view like this one out the living room window. Mt. Baker was stunning today. Absolutely stunning!

As were the Cascades.

Today also gave me new understanding to the phrase, "Don't let her get her talons in you." I know how this came about. Eagles mate while they are in flight and normally during a free fall from great heights. This poor male Bald Eagle is normally so beautiful with a pristine white head. I'd say she got her talons in him! Poor guy.

2010-12-01T19:57:00.000-08:00

I heard this last week and really liked it. I am learning just how true it really is currently. I am glad life is a journey filled with friends, family and lots of different experiences.

Manage Me

2010-11-28T21:39:00.001-08:00

When I am having a bad day that is how I feel. Just step in and manage me, please. Help me get to the next page of the book where everything looks better and brighter! I know logically that I am fully capable however on those bad days I just don't want to. I don't want to deal with me or those tedious decisions of the day such as what is for dinner.

Remarkable

2010-11-26T17:20:00.000-08:00

This is a clip from Immortal Beloved, the story of Beethoven's tragic and secret love. What always amazes me is the passion and the beauty in the music. I shake my head when I hear people describe classical music as boring. I wonder how can they not hear what I hear?

Winter Wonderland

2010-11-22T10:34:00.000-08:00

Its official, it is winter. I don't care what a calendar might say about it still being fall but when I look out my window and see this I can't say the word fall in relation to the present season. Sorry just can't do it!

That snow covered blob appears to be my beautiful black Mercury. I don't believe it is going to be going any place anytime soon though.

Now with this one I look at the apple trees and I can see the two seasons mixed together. The apple trees haven't lost their golden leaves yet and now those leaves are covered in winter's white snow.

It is coming down so fast that getting the camera to focus on Rom and not the passing snow flakes was a real challenge. I think Rom got annoyed with me calling his name to look towards the camera. If a dog could tell you to knock it off I do believe he would have done that this morning to me. Something along the lines of "Put down the camera and throw me a snowball!"

I do believe this brings grilling season to an end. Yes?! lol

Difference

2010-11-21T13:11:00.001-08:00

Such a difference a week makes. Well and about a 1000 miles I suppose. Last Sunday this is where I was, Stinson Beach in northern California. It was a sunny warm day with the temperature at the beach reaching 70 degrees and inland a balmy 84 degrees. So very nice!

This Sunday I find this is my reality...the first lowland snow of the season. This is a la nina winter here in the pacific northwest. It means we can expect it to be a wet one and if the cold comes down from Alaska to say hello that wet becomes snow. It is lovely to look at on the Sunday afternoon while I can curl up inside with a good book near the fire or scrapbook the day away upstairs yet I know tomorrow when it is around and folks have to return to work it won't exactly be so lovely. Lowland snow isn't very normal weather for us. We like it up in the mountains where we can look at it from afar and say, "Doesn't that look so nice" and "Oh, look at that fresh snow. How beautiful!"

Grand

2010-11-21T09:40:00.001-08:00

The Grand Canyon

Getting to see this amazing natural wonder was a highlight of my recent cross country trip. You walk right up to the edge and look out at this beauty, seeing at the bottom the Colorado River. All the while knowing that flowing river created it over millions of years. You feel like such a blip on the Earth's map.

Me happy to be enjoying the South Rim of the Grand Canyon!

Curl Up

2010-11-20T18:29:00.000-08:00

Doesn't that just look like a wonderful place to curl up with a good book and read your day away?

Sara Bareilles

2010-11-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

While traveling across country I had a bit of time to listen to music and this song has become a favorite of mine. It is peppy and the lyrics remind you that it is YOU that should set the course of your life.

Change

2010-11-20T08:28:00.000-08:00

Change comes in so many formats in life. Some change is amazing and other change can be heartbreaking. Sometimes it is a bit of both. I believe there is a word for that, bittersweet. You can be so very glad that someone is in your life yet sad that the relationship has changed. Maybe friends aren't as close as they once were or they are moving across the country or that someone special to you is now just a friend. Whatever the the change you just know things are never going to be same and you can't help but morn the loss in the same moment that you are glad that person is in your life. Yes bittersweet is the the perfect word for it.

Ryan Star Start A Fire

2010-10-28T20:51:00.000-07:00

When Ryan Star was in Seattle playing at Chop Suey in September he announced that Start A Fire off of 11:59 would be the next single and now there is an official in studio video for the song. It is one of my favorites from the CD and absolutely one of my favorites both times I have seen him live.

Travel Buddies

2010-10-12T19:14:00.001-07:00

Walker and Mags are our travel buddies. Every RV should probably come with a set. They alert you when anyone gets too close to the RV, thinks about getting to close to the RV or I believe even dreams about it in their sleep! Walker is the wire haired Jack Russel (on the bottom) and Maggie is the Rat Terrier (on the top). Here they are between the seats in the front and they both want to be near me as I normally don't travel in the RV with my folks so this is a rare moment they want to take advantage of to the fullest.

Journey of Journeys

2010-10-12T19:03:00.000-07:00

It begins aboard the Washington State Ferry Tacoma. Well really it began about 2 hours earlier by heading east on Hwy 101 but I didn't take any photos of that.

The morning of Day Two found us in Montana waking to an amazing sunrise. Chilly too! 31 degrees with frost on the ground.
One of the many vistas from the interstate in Montana. It was truly a day full of eye candy.

Day Two has ended in Wyoming where the mountains in the distance are even taller than many we have seen all day. Out of the 9000 foot range and back up into the 1000 foot range and higher.

The vistas from the interstate in Wyoming.

Pink = Breast Cancer Awareness

2010-10-06T23:29:00.000-07:00

That is my Mom and in this photo she is trying on one of over 40 hats that she received at a "Hat Party" in March of 2006. The party was the weekend after she started chemotherapy. We, her friends and family, gathered to support her in the visible way. To celebrate the fact that her surgeries had gone well. To celebrate the fact that just like the first time she had breast cancer in 1994, the tumors were caught very early and the prognosis was very, very good. So there was the battle head of chemo and radiation yet much to celebrate. Later that afternoon with everyone there she would go bald having my husband shave her head and in support a friend would also shave his head going bald with her.

So this month you will see a lot of pink. Wear it proudly. Remember why you should. Do Breast Self Exam (BSE) each month. If you don't know how learn. Go to Susan G. Komen and download a printable card that will teach you how. Both times my Mom found her own tumors by doing BSE. It really can save your life. You know your body best. You know what feels normal and what doesn't. And if you find a lump talk to your doctor and get it checked out quickly. Don't delay. Please.

Because of BSE and great medical care in Dallas and Seattle we can now say my Mom is a two time Breast Cancer Survivor.

Extraordinary

2010-09-27T16:15:00.000-07:00

This was the thought for the day on a blog that I frequent and I liked it so much I wanted to post it as well. It is a good reminder that no matter how life might try to jade us that people are worth the risk.

In The Pink

2010-09-27T14:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I got all my holiday stamps out and began thinking about Thanksgiving cards and Christmas cards. So what do you think I begin to create? Would it be a Thanksgiving card in some of those wonderful colors of fall or would I pull out a few Christmas papers to play with some ideas for this years card? NOPE! My mind rebels and I get in a pink mood. lol

I find a lovely piece of patterned paper in one of DVWV stacks that actually has several patterns on it and I begin to cut it apart to create several cards all with pink in them. Here are a couple.

All the paper here is DCWV except the black and white which are AC Cardstock. Border punch is EK Success. Grosgrain ribbon is Offray. Stamp is Kolettle Hall. Used black Staz-On Solvent Ink. The stamp is accented with small pearls, small crystal and yellow stickles.

Again on this one it is all DCWV paper. The ink is Close to My Heart in Blush. The ribbon is brown velvet from Maya Roads. The button is probably one of my new favorites. It is from AC (American Crafts) and I got them as part of a kit from Hip 2 B Square (Thank you again Leslie!!) a couple of weeks ago. The colors of the buttons are fun and they are glittery to boot! The flower and sentiment is a stamp from Studio g. The hearts on the light pink are a stamped background from Stampin' Up called Petite Patterns and it is an old one from 1999.

Here you can see that great button just a little better!

This too!

2010-09-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

This is video is from the concert I was at on the 13th at Chop Suey in Seattle! I still am so thrilled to have been there. I am so looking forward to hearing this song, which is going to be the next single released to radio, live again.

Hoping to see this too

2010-09-17T19:54:00.000-07:00

I hope Ryan Star will perform this one. It is a bonus track on the Deluxe version of 11:59 which you can download at amazon or iTunes. Love the song!

Looking forward

2010-09-17T19:44:00.001-07:00

Sunday I am looking forward to seeing this song performed just like this. This is Train performing the song Words live.

Ryan Star Thank You

2010-09-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Last night my friend and I were at Chop Suey Seattle to see Ryan Star. What a live show it was! I can now say that not only does Ryan Star sound great in videos and on his CDs but also during a live show. He also puts his heart and soul into it. The audience is entertained by his voice and also by his wit. The man kept us laughing between songs. We had such a good time that Sunday we will actually be going to another concert where he will be opening for Train. Like Train but going honestly to see Ryan Star perform again. I will also say that Ryan took the time to greet fans and my friend and I got a moment to chat with him twice. Both times he was quite nice.

Before he took to the stage a man by the name of Ry Cumings performed and this was the first I had heard of him. His songs wowed us as well. Here is a video for one of his songs.

Messy, Messy Corner

2010-09-11T12:26:00.000-07:00

Several years ago my husband and I moved out of our 1920s era home that we had remodeled and into a multi-story 1970s era home that needed updated. In that really hot real estate market that the US was experiencing several years ago this beauty with an unobstructed water view was just sitting and sitting. She had been on the market 6 months when we looked at her and man oh man was she ugly. Her worst feature the white and brown brick story and half fireplace that was featured not only in the living room but also in the entry of the home. It was awful and it was the first thing you saw as you walked in the house. So needless to say this house has taken some vision and hard work. With the inside shaping up we are really starting to look at the outside of the house. Last summer it was getting rid of that dark brown color it had been painted and this summer it is a bit messier as the photos below show.

We have a great big yard, yet no way to get there from the front entrance area. Well here comes one. A few weeks ago we had a friend dig up the yard with a back hoe and now with the forms in place the concrete truck arrives to begin pouring the slab that will allow steps to be built. That's my Dad and Brother helping my husband out for the day. My husband would be the one in the middle of the concrete getting the messiest! Just how do you get concrete stains out of cotton?!

Here you can really appreciate the mess. Mess equals progress and I am doing my best to keep that in mind.

A bit of the progress. The first float of the new front porch!

Cards Abound

2010-09-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in my earlier post that I'd been busy making some cards...

Used some patterned papers from the new DCWV autumn stack for this card and the one below. I am loving that it is time for Fall.

This baby shower card is a take off on one I saw in the magazine from the UK. As I mentioned I have been getting some ideas from this new magazine. Fresh inspiration and I am enjoying it! The patterned paper is My Mind's Eye from their Quite Contrary line. The flower are Prima and Close To My Heart. I got to use my new EK punch on this one and I love those fold flat punches. Genius idea!!