september photo a day: webelo outdoor challenge

the joy luck club - i'm titling these first four photos "the joy luck club."  even though we didn't bring home the actual prize for the webelo outdoor challenge, these boys are definitely winners.  they worked hard, won all their competitions, and had tons of fun!  what a great weekend!

here they are competing in the first aid challenge . . .

and totally rocking the dining fly competition . . .

and the pick-up football games . . . there's just nothing like fall football, is there?  it was so awesome to see these guys get into camp out sports for the first time.  they're growing up!

little house in the big woods - our tent is always the smallest.  i like it that way.  it's easy to put up, quick to pull down, and holds in all the body heat we can generate.

"reading is a gift" -owen meany - i started a new book this weekend, and this is the spot where i decided it was going to be a good one.

rear window -  the view from our tent.  this shot doesn't quite do it justice.  i only brought my 50mm lens and needed a shorter range to get the right angle on those clouds.  you get the idea though.

outliers - this photo amuses me.  what can i say?  i have a rather distorted sense of humor sometimes.  i'm not gonna lie either.  i do not sleep well on camp outs.  i took two disjointed naps yesterday and am eagerly anticipating an early bedtime tonight.  so looking forward to some clean, dry sheets and a soft, cozy bed.  i can hardly wait.

can you believe i've finished my september photo challenge?  and a day early!  i'm so proud!  and i love all the photos i took this month.  i'll definitely be planning another one early next year.  for october, though, i'm thinking a little haiku challenge is in order.  would you like to play along?  come on!  join us!

True Scrap 5: Sneak Peek Thursday!

Greetings Friends!

I'm "super" excited to be teaching at True Scrap 5 next month!  Have you signed up yet?  It's the "the galaxy’s ONLY online, live virtual paper crafting event" and sure to be a "blast!"

TODAY at 2 PM Eastern you can get a sneak peek at this fabulous event!  Check it out ASAP!  :)

September Photo Challenge: Part Three

"a person's a person no matter how small!" - horton - this little guy reminds me so much of the mantis on a bug's life.  doesn't he look like the consummate gentleman actor exciting stage right?  gabriel and i wonder if he's one of our little hatchlings, all grown up now.

*** if you're here for the jenni bowlin/echo park blog hop/giveaway, you can find it HERE ***

twilight - the moon was so huge as it was rising the other night.  by the time we got home, it didn't look quite so big, but it was still beautiful.  it was a full moon and i think this must be the classic definition of a harvest moon.

let's pretend this never happened - i apologize for the close-up of the creepy spider.  she is creepy in a cool way though, isn't she?  i noticed her dancing about in the light outside my craft room and had to go snap her picture.  she was really quite graceful as she spun her web and waltzed on thin air.  i think she must be one of charlotte's descendents.

"may the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks." from the hobbit - i know i keep sharing pictures of my backyard.  i know you're thinking it's just an open field.  but gosh the light is so beautiful when the sun comes up in the morning.  when there's a touch of fog, it's just stunning to me.

snugglepot and cuddlepie - how cute is he?  very, i know.  he slept three more hours than me saturday morning.  i was jealous.  i have become one of those old people who can't sleep late in the mornings.  meh.  or maybe i just need a blackout curtain on my window?

"riddikulous!" - professor lupin - hee.  milk in a budweiser glass.  totally makes me laugh.  how many of you children of the 80's remember the budweiser frog commercials?  and these are dressed up as florida state seminoles.  i love this glass!  my sister-in-law found it at a thrift store and graciously let me bring it home after i discovered it in her cabinet.  bud. wies! ER.

"small acts of kindness and love." - gandalf - my dear friend tammy gave me this basket, leftover from her mother's funeral.  i have filled it with a whole lotta happy in her mother's honor.



divergent - i'm still loving bi-colored toes.  and i'm still amused that people find it odd.  they're just toenails.  it's just polish.  "but they're different!"  i say different is beautiful.

 

orange is the new black - i signed my sweet potato up for basketball.  hoping the league is kind to him and fingers crossed that he takes an interest in it.

the language of flowers - i trimmed the last few fresh blossoms off the zinnias and then pulled the plants up.  it killed me to do it, but it was time.  on to pansy season . . .

only five prompts left for me this month!  i have SO loved the literary spin on the list!  i think i must make this an annual september tradition.  :)

Jenni Bowlin + Echo Park = A Giveaway!

We have a special treat for you today!  Jenni Bowlin has teamed up with Echo Park to bring you a new line of Photo Freedom product in Jenni's signature Red/Black combination.  Fabulous!

Welcome to the Jenni Bowlin and Echo Park Paper Design Team Blog Hop! Today the teams are showcasing projects from our latest "Jenni Bowlin" Photo Freedom collection. Be sure to follow the blog hop list below as you hop from one blog to the next. Return to the Echo Park Paper blog at any time for the next blogger on the list in case you get lost or confused! ONE winner will be selected from EACH blog to receive an Echo Park Paper collection kit. To qualify for the kit, comments will be due by midnight EST, Sunday, September 29th. The winner will be announced on each blog Monday, October 1st so be sure to check back to see if you've won.

Blog Hop List:
JBS Mercantile http://jennibowlinstudioinspiration.blogspot.com/

Betsy Sammarco http://justapharmgirl.blogspot.com/

YOU ARE HERE >>>   Doris Sander http://dorissander.blogspot.com/

Leah Farquharson http://amusing-to-create.blogspot.com/

Lisa Dickinson http://lisadickinson.typepad.com/gettin_by/

Tina Walker http://adogslife-thirteen.blogspot.com/
Kandis Smith: http://mycreativetreasury.blogspot.com/
Linda Auclair: http://elendae.wordpress.com/
Susan Stringfellow: http://creativelysavvy.blogspot.com/
Echo Park Paper: http://www.echoparkpaperblog.com/

Here is a page I made with the Jenni Bowlin for Echo Park Photo Freedom Kit (page protectors included!).  I like to use color to differentiate the different events on my page.  This kit is Red and Black, but it's oh so easy to add extra color in here and there with markers and washi tape.  Great results and oh so easy!

This is the first spread I've done in my October 2012 Project Life Album.  WHAT?!!!  Yes, I did.  I've gone back in time and started on the 2012 pictures.  Craziness!  I'm excited about the prospect though and have had some interesting thoughts/breakthroughs with the whole scrapbooking/project life combination.  I'll be sharing those thoughts soon!  Until then, don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a great new kit brought to you by Jenni Bowlin and Echo Park!

she scraps! little darwin

goodness. it has been a long time since i've shared an actual layout here.  i have been somewhat slacking in that area lately.  i found this layout stashed in the back of my project life album, finished except for the journaling.  i finally took the time to look on my cell phone for the cute g quote i had recorded there, "i feel like a biologist.  we're recording never before seen by humankind in a long time."  he is adorable, that one.

supplies are from the jbs mercantile august kit selections.  the fabulous gold alphas, black fabric-y chalkboard banners, and map flatback are from the artisan add-on.  the globe paper and lisa's exclusive papers can be found in the papercrafting kit or extra paper pack.  the other flair and journaling cards are from the artisan add-on.  and the all-time favorite washi tape (i will cry if i ever run out) is from the mini-album kit.

quality literature: the greatest generation (speaks)

as i sit here sipping my steaming cup-a-soup and contemplating the backlog of blog posts that i meant to write this summer, i am feeling nostalgic.

tomorrow is officially the first day of fall and tennessee's weather patterns seem to be in sync with this fact.  we had a cold front go through last night and now our forecast for the coming week is upper seventies by day and lower fifties by night.  florida girl is feeling a bit chilly.

i'm ready to pull out my sweaters and corduroy skirts and i'm anxious to go shopping for new tights and boots.  i'm not ready to be cold though.

even though we have been back in school for almost two months now, i've been holding on to the relaxed summer attitude.  sadly, shorter days and colder nights are pulling those last remnants of summer breeze from my mind.

i am ashamed to admit that i am tired of watering my flowers.  i think, perhaps, they are getting tired of blooming too.  i shall miss their riotous color display, and can only say, "thank goodness for pansies."

farewell summer of 2013.  you were a good one.  as fall settles in and winter approaches, i hope to at least hang on to the joy of reading that you rejuvenated in me.  i'm sure my books will be just as lovely under grandma's quilts as they were in your bright sunshine.

photos taken at bryant's grove state park in mid-june.

the greatest generation and the greatest generation speaks were two of the books i read at the lake this summer while the boys swam.   these collections of stories are gut-wrenching, heart-warming, inspiring, and indeed, life-changing.  they are the stories of ordinary young men and women who faced extraordinary circumstances and were forever changed. 

my only complaint of them is in tom brokaw's repetitive argument about the greatness of the world war two generation.  while the greatness of that generation is unquestionable, i wish that he had just let the stories speak for themselves (which he does in the follow up book - a collection of responses sent in by readers of the first book).  for me, the deeper truth in these recollections is that there is greatness in all of us.  every day we have countless opportunities to extend the hand of kindness, to fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, to count our blessings, and to give back from the bounty that we have received.  choose to be great.

project life: jbs mercantile september gallery updates

the jbs mercantile september gallery updates went live on the 15th.  there are lots of fabulous new projects for you to enjoy from our september kit offerings.  i created this project life spread plus insert with the september mini-album kit that leah designed.  my favorite part was her custom flair.  it's a delightfully eclectic mix and i already used five of the seven pieces on these pages.

on this page: the corn picture was taken the day before my baby left with his father for a twelve day trip to visit family in honduras.  oh.my.goodness.  twelve days without my baby.  prior to this trip, the longest had been three days.  i am proud to say we both made it through with minimal depression.  thank goodness for facetime, definitely! i also included the parking pass from when i dropped him off at the airport and the few random photos i took of my boring moments while he was gone.

on this page: i only had four cell phone pics that g's dad sent me from honduras, so i used a 6x12 insert to document g's twelve days without me.  i liked the idea of having our concurrent week and a half apart all in one place, but on separate pages.

the flip side of the insert . . .

on this page:  i added a couple pieces of a honduras map that g brought back with him. since i didn't have many photos, it helped to enhance my theme and added a nice decorative touch.

on this page:  facetime with my baby on the cracked ipad screen, the peppers i waited to pick till he got home, a couple pics of the kitties (he would always want to see them on the ipad every time we facetimed), reunited! at the airport with my baby (and i saved the return parking pass too), a movie the next day (he didn't want to see it in honduras as it was in spanish with english subtitles), and a little crochet project i started for him.

love this spread!  it is a very memorable time.

good blog reads

a few blogs i've picked up over the last couple months.  if you're only going to read one, choose one from these first two.  they are both stunning.

floret flowers - an organic floral gardener and designer on the west coast.  you know i brake for flowers.

manger by mimi thorisson - a french food/lifestyle blog.  the writing is charming.  the husband is the photographer.  his editing is slightly darker than the current style among scrapbookers and it is gorgeous.  the juxtaposition of photos is delightful.  each post is a feast.  truly.

kellie falconer - young entrepreneur.  sewer of skirts.  refreshing.

caught on a whim - mix of crochet and beginning sewing.

a creative being - strictly crochet.

the littlest polly - ok. i obviously have a thing for blogs with girls who wear brightly colored clothing (and hair).  perhaps this is what influenced me to buy the fluorescent peach hedgehog sweater.

house of humble - lifestyle.  vintage. living organically.  living thriftily.

the merry thought - lifestyle with lots of diys and some recipes too.  definite retro 70's vibe.

project life: get it scrapped!

there's a new article up at get it scrapped! today and it couldn't come at a better time for me.  it's all about project life and the various approaches that get it scrapped designers are taking with it.  i'm into my ninth month and going strong!  this spread appears in the article and you can read more about my approach to project life there.  it's an extensive article and i'm planning on reading every word thoroughly.  i've been toying with the idea of going back and documenting 2012 in the project life format and that will require a slightly different approach than the loose-y goose-y one i use now.  i'd like to get started with last october as i'm dying to use all the halloween goodies i've been hoarding.  i don't want to wait till october 31st to have halloween pictures to play with!  might as well use last year's, right?  anyhoo.  i'm sure to find just the right tip in the get it scrapped article to get me started.  if you're thinking about starting project life, you should give it a looksee too.  :)

on these pages:  i believe these were created mostly with the august jbs mercantile mini-album kit (glamping themed) and maybe a smidge of other august kits as well.  and washi from my stash.  must have the washi!  can't project life without it.  :)

p.s. leah has a great post up on the jbs inspiration blog about using the august mini-album kit for layout pages.  :)  <<< --- i seem to be all smiles today.  ha!

september photo challenge: lebanon flea market

oh the places you'll go - we finally headed over to the lebanon flea market today.  i've been meaning to go since the spring and just haven't.  now i wish i had gone in the spring and am already looking forward to going next spring.  such a fun place - it's a farmer's market (including poultry and small livestock), greenhouse/nursery,  flea market, and mexican cantina all rolled into one.  i snapped this photo as we were driving out.  today is just lovely.  the temps have barely hit 70, the skies are so blue and clear, and this truck is evidence that all is just around the corner.

the birds - we checked out the chickens first.  we thought we might get some this spring (just 3ish and no roosters), but couldn't quite manage it.  next spring for sure though!  i'm wanting 2 barred rocks (i adore the zebra stripes) and a rhode island red (for contrast). these two were sure cuties though.  the owner was busy, so i didn't get to ask what kind they are, but their feathers are sure beautiful.

the hunger games - we actually weren't quite hungry when we got there, but as soon as i saw the mexican food wagon, i knew i was going to have to eat lunch there.  they had tacos al pastor and mexican coke!  mmmmmmmm!  g had a cheese quesedilla and carne asada.  so good.  hoping to talk carrie into going after church tomorrow.

 the scarlet letter - g spotted this guy right after lunch.  creepy cool.

the happiness project - here is our haul.  can you believe all this for only $18.60?!  can't wait to swing through kroger and do some comparison shopping.  but the thing is, there is really no comparison.  the mango and pepper are mammoth sized and everything is so unbelievably fresh.  i usually get decent produce at kroger, but not this plump and shiny.  i see some tortilla soup and papaya con limon in my near future.  and to think this place is only 8 minutes away!  i think i will be buying the majority my product here from now on.  especially knowing i can get a taco afterwards.  ;)

loving the september photo challenge prompts at get it scrapped!  they are really inspiring me to get out and take some fun pictures.  my project life pages are going to be happy ones this month!  there's still plenty of time if you want to join in the fun!  :)

summer crocheting

well. i was majorly in the mood to crochet this summer.  go figure.  i always thought crochet was a fall winter "sport."  i only use cotton though, so that's a cooler at least.  seriously though, have you noticed how cool crochet has gotten these days?  i don't remember crochet being this hip since i was a child back in the 80's.  part of my acquaintance with this obsession is due to one sheepish girl's blog.  i can't remember now how i stumbled upon her blog, but i enjoy it immensely.  i've also been having trouble resisting simply crochet magazine.  it's by the publishers of mollie makes magazine, another that i've been having trouble resisting.  their projects are so doable and so fresh and appealing.

anyhoo.  this was my first summer project.  a set of cheerful coasters for the coffee table.  g and his little friends eat there quite often, so these are coming in handy.  when i first started crocheting up a storm back in the 80's, i would make this and that without patterns.  sculpting with yarn, if you will.  so far, i've reverted back to that tendency.  hopefully, i will actually use a pattern from one of my new magazines this fall.

i am apparently a crochet on the go type girl.  i spent many happy hours crocheting by the canal while the boys fished on our florida trip.  and look!  i have finally figured out what to do with my grandmother's old bundt pan.  it makes a perfect crochet project keeper.

this is a quick snap of my second summer project.  a little coin purse that my mother claimed as soon as i finished hand stitching the zipper in.  i decided i didn't like the hand stitched zipper.  my stitching doesn't look tidy at all, and it takes too much time.  i also realized that i need to loosen up my starting chain.  i like nice tight crochet stitches, so i use a smaller hook than suggested on projects, but i definitely needed to loosen up just a bit on the starting chain so the bottom wouldn't curl up like that.

here is take two of the coin purse. i found this awesome lighter weight cotton/acrylic blend.  it's called cotton-ish by bernat.  i found it on an endcap at joann's and fell in love.  and luckily i was able to get the whole selection at 40% off.  joann's was having their coupon commotion sale at the time.  i grabbed what i could with the in-store flyer, went back for more with the circular i got in the mail, and then my dear friend tammy grabbed me the last few colors with her leftover coupons.  major score!  isn't that just a happy pictures!  an added perk of the lighter weight yarn is that the weave is thin enough for machine stitching of the zipper.  unfortunately, i have yet to perfect my machine stitching on crochet technique.  i'll keep you posted.

i also snagged that tunesian crochet hook.  i'm kind of anxious to try that after seeing a lovely dishcloth on a blog or in a magazine somewhere.  i just forget where.  i swear, summer seems like such a blur since school started back.

and i will end with a public service announcement.  holding a kitty in your lap while wearing shorts can be dangerous.  holding a kitty in your lap while wearing shorts and crocheting can be VERY dangerous.  happy crocheting!  :)