Graduation Book Recommendations

I attended my niece's graduation from high school this week. She attended my alma mater (my two sisters and I all attended there), and she finished with high honors. Sitting in the audience, I got very teary eyed. Twenty five years ago, I sat on that same stage and knew then that it was the last time our class would all be together. Such fond, vivid memories came flooding back. I need to scrap them this week--I'm going to make a commitment to do just that...

I know I am not alone this graduation season. Whether it is your son or daughter, or a close family friend or family member, I wanted to share a few of the books that I'm using as gifts this season (and it makes me feel better about just handing them a check...)

Feel free to add any you would like to share... (These can all be found at Amazon or any local book store!)...

I got this one for my niece. I love it so much that I'm going to make it into a mini book!! So inspirational and filled with joy...

...just like my niece Cassidy. Love you, sweets. I couldn't be any prouder of you if I tried!!

Summer Is Here...

Summer has arrived as far as I'm concerned. This past Monday we experienced a record high of 94 degrees for May 24, beating the last record by seven degrees.

Summer has arrived because yesterday I walked by my kitchen counter and saw this little pile of vegetable that my mother had prepared for supper.  I was captured by their bright and vivid colors.  Don't they look good? 

Just a day or so ago, they were still in my garden, growing... Now they are ready for the wok!  Only in the summer, do we get such garden fresh vegetables that my family grows...  I can't wait for more! 

And who can resist this amazingly delicious and all-around healthy vegetable: baby bok choy? :) Can somebody say "namesake?" :)

Mineral Oil

This POTD was one of my projects from last week. Let me sing the praises of mineral oil!! This teak wood bench was a gift from my mom years ago, and while I love how it has weathered with time, I don't like that faded look (even from teak). So with a dry cloth, I gave it a good rubbing of mineral oil, and it looks new!! Careful to let it dry at least 24 hours--and be sure to wipe it with a dry cloth the next day to be sure there is no leftover residue, and enjoy!!

How are you all doing with your Project Life/Project 365/POTD's?? We're almost half way through the year...can you believe???

Need a lift?

Recently I read the book LIFT by Kelly Corrigan and I cannot tell you how much this book “lifted” me. It’s a short book one you could probably read in an hour, but in that hour I promise your thought process will change.

The book had me both laughing and crying and everything in-between. It also had me wanting to journal more about my childhood and my children’s childhood. Journaling about the person I was then. It makes me want to more than scrapbook, but journal all those little details!
The book is actually a letter to her daughters and this excerpt from the book really spoke to me:


I heard once that the average person barely knows ten stories from childhood and those are based more on photographs and retellings than memory. So even with all the videos we take, the two boxes of snapshots under my desk, and the 1,276 photos in folders on the computer, you'll be lucky to end up with a dozen stories. You won't remember how it started with us, the things that I know about you that you don't even know about yourselves. We won't come back here.


You'll remember middle school and high school, but you'll have changed by then. You changing will make me change. That means you won't ever know me as I am right now - the mother I am tonight and tomorrow, the mother I've been for the last eight years, every bath and book and birthday party, gone. It won't hit you that you're missing this chapter of our story until you see me push your child on a swing or untangle his jump rope or wave a bee away from his head and think, is this what she was like with me?

Happy Tuesday!

Hello there! Happy Tuesday - I have a couple things to share today!

First, if you have an iphone I have an awesome app to share with you today.  If you haven't already seen it - it is amazing and so fun!  It is the Hipstamatic app.  It is a camera app that you can change the film, flash, lens, etc.  It is fun!  And really it is hard to take a bad pic with it.  Shimelle does a fabulous job at explaining what this app is all about.

  Here are a couple of photos that I uploaded a couple days ago.

hehe - I normally wouldn't post this many photos of me - but as you can see it is fun to play with and my only subject sometimes is me:)  I printed one of these out and it looks great! 

ok - here is the second share I have for you today.  I have some sneaks of the June kit.  It is BEAUTIFUL and one of my favorite so far.  Seriously love the colors and  I have not been able to stop creating with it!

So here are the sneaks...

That's all I have for now.  Have a wonderful day!

Celebrate

Memorial Day is just a week away. Sigh…summer is in sight. For many it’s a day off of work, time with friends and family, and maybe even a weekend camping trip. But I want to remember its original intent, and that is to memorialize those who have fallen for the sake of our country. We have family members who served and gave their all. As well as many involved in the military that went on to live productive lives, yet are no longer with us. It’s a day to remember those and cherish the memories they give to us.

A few ideas for celebrating the day::

Send a card to someone in the military
Fly the U.S. flag
Bbq with friends and family
Try a new summer food or drink recipe
Tell a story of a loved one for your family album
Lay flowers or a wreath on the grave of a veteran
Be thankful for your freedoms
And most importantly, thank a veteran.

These would be fun items to go with whatever festivities you may plan::

paper straws::etsy

crochet coasters::etsy

burlap banner::etsy (love this)

However you celebrate Memorial Day, may it be joyous!

Costco, you're killin' me...

If you have a Costco near you and you're not a member, you should join. Not only is the photo processing the best around...you can find unbelievably yummy snacks on a Saturday while walking the miles of aisles looking for your husband. Once in a while, I get a winner. (Snack, not husband. You know what I mean.) This week, I got three. Go grab some. I'll wait.

Project Girl

Jennifer Allyson (aka the Project Girl) did this amazing lift of the paper dress garland, and I'm in awe. She rocks. And she turned it into digi cutting files, too. How awesome is that? Check out all the details here.

Oh my. The possibilities...

Betcha didn't know...This stuff about our Design Team...

..once dated the keyboardist from Nine Inch Nails.



...just ran a half marathon this past weekend (not bad for someone who quit smoking 7 years ago--way to go, Tina!!)

...lived in Bolivia three times for a total of two and a half years when she was a kid. She lived in a haunted house in a small village and didn't have hot water in their house, nor did they have a shower or bathtub. They had to take sponge baths in a giant sink outside that was designed for washing clothes. Every few weeks, they would walk a couple of miles of dirt road to a public shower where they would pay for the luxury of taking a shower. Then they'd walk back home on the dirt roads, covered in dirt!

...is due with a baby boy in a little less than three months, and is in the middle of an awesome vacation with her family in the Grand Canyon.

Pretty cool, eh??

Have a wonderful weekend, friend. :)

Betcha didn't know...Photography Tips

*Rhee Drummond is not only the most awesome cook, but she is also quite a photographer. Known as the Pioneer Woman, she offers many of her gorgeous shots for free here on her website for your own personal use. How cool would one be on a 20x20 canvas?

This article on composition is awesome, and this follow up article also proved to be informative and fascinating. Love that site.

*Sometimes I point my camera in a direction and just take pictures and don't even look through the viewfinder--and end up with awesome, unusual shots. Kind of fun to just play.

*To prevent camera shake, breathe out as you snap the release button--don't hold your breath.

Enjoy your day!!

Betcha didn't know...Gardening Tips

*If you stick a dryer sheet in your pocket before you garden, the mosquitoes are likely to leave you alone.

*Milorganite fertilizer is my secret to everything. It doesn't burn and it will give anything you want to grow a boost. I can't say enough about it!

*Squirrels hate cayenne pepper and won't come near it.

*For ant problems, create small mountains of cornmeal. The ants will eat it and not be able to digest it, and die. It may take a little while (especially if it rains) but it is a safe alternative with pets and small children.

Enjoy your Wednesday!!

Betcha didn't know...Food Storage Tips

*Store your newly opened blocks of cheese in aluminum foil--it will stay fresh much longer and not mold.

*Peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating raw. Peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom are firmer and better for cooking.

*Add a small amount (1 Tbsp.) of water when cooking ground beef. The water will help rinse away the greasy fat and is equivalent to buying lean meat, but with the flavor.

*When using canned store bought frosting, be sure to whip it with your mixer a few minutes before putting it on the cake. It will nearly double in size--giving you loftier frosting and fewer calories per slice!!

*For a really rich scrambled egg, add a couple of spoonfuls of heavy cream, cream cheese or sour cream to the eggs before beating, then whip them for an extra minute--delish!

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Betcha didn't know...Cleaning Tips

Going to start off a whole week of "Betcha didn't know" tips that will hopefully teach you a thing or two!! Today: Cleaning tips!!
*You should scrub your lint catcher from your dryer every six months. Even if you're meticulous about removing the lint, the build up from dryer sheets over time creates the motor to burn out quicker than normal. When I tried this tip, water just gathered in a pool and didn't seep through the screen until I scrubbed the residue. Cool tip!

*If you own a whirlpool tub, fill it with the hottest water you can, and add a cup of bleach and a Cascade Dishwater Packet, and turn on the jets for a solid 20 minutes for a good cleaning. When the time is up, drain the tub water and refill it with clean water and run it for another 10 minutes with the jets on as a rinse. No need to purchase those expensive Jacuzzi tablets to maintain your spa tub experience!!

*Clean dryer sheets used as a cleaning cloth cleans vinyl slat blinds AND makes your place smell fresh and clean.

*To clean your garbage disposal, pour a cup of baking soda and half a cup of white vinegar down the drain (watch it bubble--the kids love this!) and rinse with cold water. Fresh and clean!!

Enjoy your Monday!!

Playing with the June WIP Kits...

I gotta say...this one has been fun to play with...

Enjoy the rest of your weekend...

June WIP Kits...

The June WIP Kits are available for viewing on the "Monthly Kits" page of the blog!! The Main Kit sold out to subscribers and there are less than 4 of the Project kit and 2 of the Add-ons available. If you are interested in ordering, please email Trish at Turay413@gmail.com with your paypal invoice address. Thanks so much!!

ETA: The ADD-ON kits are now also SOLD OUT, and there is only ONE Father's Day Project Kit left. I'll keep you posted!!

Introducing TWO new WIP Designers...

So happy to make this announcement!! You will recognize these two wildly talented ladies as past guest designers...Please welcome...

Jing-Jing Nickel and Debbi Tehrani!!

You will begin seeing Jing-Jing's creations with the June kit (up for sale tomorrow!) and Debbi's creations beginning with the July kit!!

Be sure to click on their names above and visit their blogs. You'll be seeing a lot more of these talented ladies in the near future!!

Welcome!! SO happy you're on our team...

I {heart} Kristina Proffitt

I can't tell you how wonderful it was working with Kristina these past two weeks. She is the one responsible for this beautiful new blog, and I can't recommend her highly enough. I knew what I wanted and had worked with others before in trying to convey my vision, but never has it worked out like this. The clouds parted, angels sang...you get the idea. I had a favorite quote--she created custom artwork to include it. I wanted a blinkie--she jumped on it. I wanted to create a blog with several pages--take a gander at the options above!! Kristina, you are my earthly blog angel.

I'm over-the-moon happy with it, and I hope you enjoy checking out the different pages. I'll be updating them periodically, as the creativity flows. Gotta love a spot for favorite new recipes and photos (and those two are newly updated!!)

I want to thank all of you for your wonderful comments and emails and inquiries. I love hearing your feedback!!

Oh, be sure to stop by Kristina's blog for a chance to win a free blog makeover yourself!! The creativity over there is contageous...be warned!

Crabby.

You knew it was coming...
Oh, Martha. I love you so...

And the best part? These pinchers will be included in the June WIP Kit as a little bonus...along with the eyeballs to boot!! I got the shadow box at Michael's--it's a 5x7. All you'll need is a handful of pop dots and cardstock for mounting, and you'll have a cute little summery decoration to adorn your home...

Enjoy your Wednesday!!

some gallery favorites

happy tuesday everyone!
today i want to take some time and tour a few of my favorites from the may gallery. may was one of my personal favorites as far as trish's kit selections go. the colors were so full of springtime goodness and possiblities.

emily's is the classic in terms of bringing spring to the page through photo and color and keeping it all full of light. i loved how she layered the lily bee chipboard with some of the flowers from the dear lizzy elements. but then...i just love layering.

and laina here is stepping out of her box! and it was a hit with me. not only did she use one of the lovely doily's from the main kit, but then played it up with some lime and teal mist. and don't miss out her sewing here and there. she tied this together so beautifully.

and how fun is this? michelle made me smile with the chipboard elements and using them as clouds. don't you love that? another thing that i thought was sweet were the 'flower boxes' placed lovingly under the 'windows'. very creative!

and there is that doily again. did you not just LOVE the doily's in the main kit? tina often makes great use of childhood photos, and this one is no exception. that and the inking and distressing helped give this layout it's beautiful vintage feel.

then there is our dear ms. trish. did you notice how she cut out the patterned paper in which the photo is placed? the banner around that photo also adds emphasis to a very sweet photo.

finally, since this may kit just keeps giving, i have been busy making more use of it. that brown trim was one of my favorite elements in this collection. i used it here again...just because i could.

now, your turn...get that kit out and play.

enjoy your day!

~jamie