Summer Memory #28-Dragonflowers (and a Break)

What…oh what…could have happened to my beautiful dragonflowers? 

Sunday morning they were beautifully blooming.  When I grabbed the camera to take a photo of them…

 

Well…I wonder WHAT ever could have happened to my dragonflowers? 

I just wonder…

Also-I wanted to let everyone know that I am going to be taking a short break from the blog.  A Blog-cation, if you will.  I have some things that I want to work on and I am going to try to drag…wean…no-drag… myself away from the internet for a while.  I’m not even sure that I can stay away for long.  But I will be back.  I might even make some changes to the blog.  Who knows? 

Happy Thursday and Happy Blog-cation!!

Camp Scrap-Final 2 Layouts

I loved this “journaling” layout.  I love the idea of using word stickers for journaling.  I also absolutely LOVED the style of this layout.  I was ordering some other stuff from Two Peas in a Bucket and I saw this beautiful Anna Griffin Paper and I had to have it!  It worked perfectly along with a few other things that I picked up from 2peas. 

 

I could NOT decide on a photo for this page.  I love the idea of using circles and punches and chipboard and tons of my stash and I knew exactly what color scheme I wanted to use.  I even used some pink crepe paper that I had purchased for another project and never used.  And once I chose a bunch of things that were laying around on my desk (seriously-I only had to get up once to choose stuff for the layout! 

I loved Camp Scrap.  I had never taken a class with May Flaum before, although I have taken several BPS classes.  I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the HUGE number of page ideas that I came away with in this class.  It was very unexpected and I haven’t done this much paper-scrapping in a LONG time.  Thank you, May-your class was fantastic! 

Happy Tuesday! 

Summer Memory #27-Mom’s Short Visit

 

The first thing I said to Mom, “I almost wore my shirt like that today.”  {But I wore my brown polo shirt to church last week:)}  I did change into it after church, just because…

My husband was busy playing on his computer and couldn’t get away…but we got some GREAT photos :) 

This one is my favorite.

Mom did TRY to move into the photo…

I love that Elizabeth is always goofy for our our successive photos…

Love this! 

and this!

But especially this.  Thanks for coming up, Mom!  It was great hanging out with you on Sunday afternoon.  And thank you for being William’s sponsor for Confirmation!

I can’t wait until next month when we will all have a longer visit. 

Summer Memory #26-Gumball Pasta

Remember: William told Daddy that the chicken/pasta/tomato/zucchini stuff that we had for dinner was really good with Bubble Yum bubble gumballs and that was how he ate it, so Daddy needed to eat it with the gumballs. 

  

So that is how Daddy ate it.  Not sure if he ate the gumballs after dinner or not…

Happy Monday! 

{May your day be filled with yummy gumballs.}

Summer Memory #24-12 minute mile

I don’t really talk much about my journey toward losing weight this year.  {Maybe I don’t want to jynx it?} But this is one that I definitely want to remember.  I have been walking since about my 4th week on Weight watchers (I am doing the online thing.)  I started out walking because I needed to boost my weight loss after about the 4th week.  I had been doing yoga a few times a week, but I found that I needed to do a little more (I DO like to eat, afterall :)  While logging my activity points in the online tracker, I found this massive increase in activity points if you reach a 12 min mile.  I often walk on the track at the gym, so I bought a watch that allows me to keep track of my laps and my time per lap.  Now, I walk pretty quickly, but I couldn’t walk anything faster than a 13-min mile.  And I average a 13.5 minute mile.  I simply could not walk any faster than that.  That is when I started thinking about running.  Because let’s face it.  I am an electrical engineer.  I strive to make my job and my life more efficient so that I can get the most done in the least amount of time, while not decreasing the quality.  I love walking.  I can walk 2 points in 40 minutes and it is very therapeutic.  But if I increase my time to a 12 min mile or less, I can work off 4 points in 30 minutes.  So Thursday night, I finally decided to try it.  I walked a lap, ran a lap and did an 11.5 minute mile for the first mile.  I was originally only going to run/walk for 20 minutes.  It was my first time really pushing it, and that gives me the same points as walking 40 minutes.  But I felt really good.  So I did a full 2 miles.  In 24 minutes.  And I am very very happy.  I’m not sure where I want to take this running thing.  Probably no farther than just knowing that “I can do it.”  And using it as a tool to be able to work out for 30 minutes instead of 50-which is very efficient :) 

Happy Weekend!

PS.  I am currently at -18.6 pounds.

Summer Memory #25 Found Photos

I found this on the computer.  Cute.  I assume this is a photo that Elizabeth took since Matt is her boyfriend.  I LOVE the magnetic letters.  The kids write all kinds of things with them. Happy Saturday!

Project Life

It’s here. 

 

 

Here is my photo of me with the Project Life box where the mailman left it.  I can’t wait to open it and start using it.  But it’s Thursday.  And we go to the gym on Thursday.  So I have to leave it until later.  So I did.  I was on the fence about ordering this for about 3 months.  And then they sold out.  So I waited patiently until they were back in stock.  Then I couldn’t decide if I wanted it or not.  So finally I just ordered it.  And here it is.  Woot.  More later…I have some scrapbook stuff to play with. 

Have a great Friday and a great weekend!

Summer Memory #23-Lilies

I was so excited on Sunday when I saw that the Oriental Lilies were finally blooming.  I have been waiting forever!  So beautiful! 

Happy Thursday! 

Bonfire

Roasting wienies over an open flame.

 

Yum. 

I have some Camp Scrap Scrapping to work on, so I decided to do a quick post about our night.  A nice quick dinner for a beautiful summer night.  More on that forthcoming.  Happy Wednesday!

Summer Memory #22-Fish Fry Sunday

Taking photos of Elizabeth with the wind blowing to get a good photo for the “Summer Breeze” prompt.

 

First cucumbers from the garden.  This is actually the first time I have ever grown cucumbers.  Daddy took the first bite of the cucumbers.  Me: “How does it taste?”  Daddy: “It was warm.”  Warm?  Well…I just picked it out of the garden…duh.

Mmmm….Lettuce from Walmart, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from the garden.  Yum Yum…

   

Photo by Bryan.  Bryan was being goofy and got us to really smile.  He’ll make a great photographer someday.

Fish fry!

 

Mmmm…lots of providing for ourselves today :)  Fish from our Summer fishing exploits so far.  And good stuff from the garden.  A pretty good Sunday memory, I think. 

Happy Tuesday!

Camp Scrap Layouts #3

 

Social Challenge #1-The secret of the Disappearing Mystery Reader

Loving May’s Class.  When she posed the challenge for a title that mimicked a mystery book like Nancy Drew, I KNEW I had to work on a layout for it! 

 

Wk3 Sketch-Our 4th

Sarah: “Is this from this year’s 4th of July?”

Me: “Um…yes.”

Sarah: “Humph…”

 

Week 3 Sketch

The story of William deciding to make cookies late on night, then us eating the raw cookie dough and finally deciding that he didn’t want cookies.  Luckily, he didn’t actually put the chocolate chips in the dough, so he didn’t waste those at least.  

 

Random photo from my DisneyWorld Album based on the Week 4 Artistic Page that May Flaum created.  This is my favorite of all the layouts that I have made since class began.  I love the colors and the topic and the gel pen scribbles :) 

I just finished this layout Sunday night.  This one is based on the Week 4 sketch (right side).  I very rarely create 2-page layouts, I turned it into a one page. I used random photos from everyone’s birthdays this year to create a page about how OLD everyone is getting!   

{Ali Edwards-tag and twill.  Pattie Knox-acrylic hearts.  Papers-Pink Paislee.  Tape, staple, and painted elements from Anna Aspnes.  Flower and sketched letters from Sweet Shoppe Designs.}

I LOVED May Flaum’s Week 3 Artistic page, and I hadn’t originally planned to create a digital layout, but my printer wanted to fight with me about printing out the photos correctly, so I gave up and created a digital page with some free elements that I have collected lately as well as some pink paislee papers I have purchased this month (and some old favorites). 

I’m still loving Camp Scrap and I will be sad when the class is over.   

Happy Monday!

Picture Summer Photos Day 13-18-Edited

{13:31} Juicy Fruit

After I posted this the first time, I was able to get some time on Elizabeth’s schedule and so I got some really good shots with the breeze blowing.  The problem is…I can’t decide between these two post-processed shots.  Maybe I will be able to choose tomorrow.

PW 70s-I’m in love with this action this summer.  I love how it saturates the colors in the photo to mimic the look of a polaroid. 

  

PW BW Beauty.  Tracey Clark used a beautiful Black and White photo for this prompt and I love the way it looks. 

{14:31}  Summer Breeze

 

 

{15:31} Picture Postcard

I used a photo from last summer when we were in Colorado.  Beautiful Lake Evans with a 70s photo action from the Pioneer Woman.

 

{16:31} Friday Light-

I loved the way the light was shining through the trees onto the weeds (and the flowers and the zucchini).

 

{17:31} Visual Interest

Something that you saw during a different adventure.  I saw the butterfly while I was waiting for the fish to bite on Saturday :)

 

{18:31} Playtime

I was trying to take photos of myself blowing bubbles.  Um..yea…that didn’t work so well.  Elizabeth got home from a friend’s house just in time.  So I had her help me by blowing the bubbles and I took the photos.  Love how this turned out! 

Have a great start to your week!  Happy Monday!

Summer Memory #21-Gone Fishin’…#3

First things first…we all went!

{Well-we didn’t all go.  Elizabeth thought about it, but she changed her mind} 

While we driving there, I realized that I hadn’t had the appropriate amount of coffee for a complete morning.  (It was 6:30).  I was a little grizzly early on. 

Walking to the spot that we like to fish at was an adventure itself.  Daddy overfilled the cooler with Diet Pepsi and ice.  He had to keep stopping to set it down and rest.

Not appropriately caffeinated, but happy to be outside in the fresh air.

 

Getting the poles ready for bait.

Love the mist on the lake.

Good Morning!

Bryan still gets bored pretty quickly, so most of the time he uses spinner bait.  He also saw a huge fish on the other side of the lake.  He wanted to catch it so badly.  But he couldn’t quite get it.

Bored…I did some journaling, took some photos of my feet.  I decided to walk around the lake a couple of times.  I brought my music and my tennis shoes in case this happened. 

As soon as I finished stretching after I got back from my walk, I caught fish #1.  I fish exclusively with worms.  I have good luck with that.  Always have.  So I’m sticking with worms.

And a little while later, I caught fish #2

Butch, “I’m switching to worms.”  He had been fishing with chicken liver all morning-hoping to catch some catfish with it.   

Both caught-NOT with the expensive Abu Garcia rod.  But with the cheap ZEBCO 202 rod and reel.  I love that thing!  I catch more fish with the 202 than with anything else! 

Unfortunately…I was the only one to catch any fish.  Bryan was pretty bummed.  I even let him use the 202.  It was still a beautiful day (a little hot by noon when we left), but we have enough fish to eat Sunday. That will be another memory.  Yum!!

Happy Saturday!