Thursday, April 30, 2009

Spool Mini Project

I missed the Somerset call for memories on a spool but I still wanted to make something because it sounded so fun. I'm going to be teaching a class of 3 mini projects in the next couple of months and I've included this project as one of the 3...



It closes by wrapping a ribbon around the brad that I made with the Chatterbox brad maker.



The photo is one of my grandmother. Her life story is really interesting. She and my grandfather eloped and he was in the service. He lived in the barracks and she had no place to live. Sounds like things weren't entirely thought out. She would pick up old pop bottles in the street and do housework for a woman who gave her a place to stay. Her pay at the end of a week was a dish towel and a head of cabbage. Some of the soldiers would help my Grandfather sneak her in for some "alone time" and keep watch. I guess you could say she suffered for love during that time. Eventually they were able to lead a normal life and they had my Mother and three other children. They helped raise my sisters and I and they brought so much love and fun to our lives, I just can't even begin to tell you.

I'm excited about this weekend which starts early for me because I'm off work tomorrow. I have a fun day planned with a friend, scavenging for vintage finds. Saturday we're going to let the day take us wherever and Sunday is the antique flea market and ZNE show. I'll post pictures later this weekend of anything I find!








Saturday, April 25, 2009

Happy Saturday

Today was a beautiful day. I headed out to Berkeley for an afternoon class that was really fun. I had a great bunch of ladies. Before I left the store I treated myself to this stamp set...



I saw the set the last time I was there but it seemed expensive at $23.99 so I passed. I decided I needed them since I was still as crazy about them today as I was a month ago. I just opened them a few minutes ago and I was thrilled to see that they are all wood mounted. I still prefer the wood mounted over the new stamps that you put on the acrylic blocks. Definitely worth the money, I'm so glad I picked them up.

I also picked this book up this evening at Borders...



It's exactly what I need right now. I'm kind of at a cross roads when it comes to what I want to do, what direction I want to go in. I love workbook type books that pose questions that involve a lot of thought. I'll let you know what I think of it.

I have to give a shout out to The Husb. I was gone all day today and I came home to a clean house and clean children. ALL the laundry was done and even put away in my drawers - where they go. Don't hate me but this is a regular occurrence. I know I'm lucky to have a husband that majorly chips in. It's nice when I have classes that he does what I can't at home so I don't have to come home and do it.

So...I haven't posted any pictures recently of projects in progress. That's because I've been watching too much TV. (By the way did anyone else LOVE Adam Lambert signing The Tracks of My Tears? It's stuck in my head). This week I'm going to let the DVR fill up with all my reality shows so I can get back into the swing of things. In fact I'm going to bid you a goodnight and get started on the next idea on my list. Enjoy the rest of the weekend!








Friday, April 24, 2009

Questionnaire Fun

Here's a little bit of fun for you. I've done everything that's bolded:

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars. (Girl Scouts - Coyote Hills 1982)
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo. (Silver Springs & I rocked it out...)
11. Bungee jumped. (This is super scary, just FYI)
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child. (If we have a 4th he/she will be adopted)
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. (SO FUN!)
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked. (No, but I picked one up - SCARY!!)
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Built a snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run. (Should have been a double but there was alot of fumbling, yeah for me!)
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Kissed in the rain.
50. Been in a movie. (I was on the Price is Right & I'm counting it...)

There were 100 questions but I cut it down to 50. These kind of fun facts remind me of the slam books we used to make in school, did anyone else make them?

We had a great Friday night. We headed to SF and had dinner at Pier 39 at the Hard Rock. It's nice to go there because the music is so loud it drowns out the kids and all their craziness.

I'm teaching 3 classes at 2 stores this weekend and I still have some prep to do so I better get to it.

Leave me a comment if you post the questionnaire on your blog and take it. Leave your blog addy so we can blog hop and check out all you've done!








Friday, April 17, 2009

I will be here tomorrow...



Tomorrow morning I'm off to Arizona to teach a class of 20 at Mystic Paper in Mesa. I'm so excited, I've never been!

Enjoy your weekend!








Sunday, April 12, 2009

Oh, This & That...



No, I'm not confused about the holidays. The picture above is my work in progress for the Vintage Halloween Somerset call. I love Halloween so I definately wanted to participate.

I hope everyone is having a great Easter. We're waiting for the kids to get up from their naps so we can color eggs...

I found this great shadowbox recently for $5 on clearance, I have plans for it so check back in the future to see what I did with it.



I've been wanting to do some embroidery work lately so I went to the store to buy some supplies. The first type of crafting I ever did was embroidery so we'll see what happens.



I bought this great book not too long ago on a trip to Anthropologie. It's a do it yourself autobiography. It looked fun and thought provoking. I took it off the shelf to flip through and maybe answer a few questions this week.



Looks like it was thought provoking for someone else in the household already. At least it's in pencil.



Happy Easter!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Book, Shoes, Lemons & Camping

Today I finished this book and put it in the mail to Mystic Paper in Arizona...



I'll be teaching there April 18th, I'm so excited. I don't know how warm it will be but I'll be ready with some new shoes if it's sandal weather. I saw both of these this week and thought that it was time for something Springy. It feels like I've been in boots for months.





Lemons. Where do I begin? I've had a lifelong habit of eating lemons with salt. So much so that when I was a kid my Mom had my Dad cut the lemon tree down in the backyard because my sisters and I wouldn't stay out of them. I don't want to say how many I've eaten this week but I will tell you that I pulled two off of a tree that isn't mine today. After my husbands comment that he "likes girls with tooth enamel" I've begun eating them when he's not around. I think that signifies that this is serious. That and the fact that my teeth feel like small pieces of chalk. Yeah, I'm going to have to lay off.

Tomorrow we leave for a weekend camping trip. The kids are really excited and I am too. Seems like the last several weekends have been rainy. I can't wait to catch up on some reading by the campfire.

Enjoy your weekend!!