Pie for breakfast.....

It's Quiet Around Here

My little guy, Kiefer, started feeling bad yesterday afternoon.  He was lethargic and just wanted to lay in his little bed under my scrap desk.  By 9 p.m. he was vomiting blood, so we immediately took him to the local animal hospital, where he was admitted.  He is still there, and we don't expect for him to come home until at least Monday.  The tests have revealed nothing so far (which is a good thing, yet very frustrating).  He is on IV fluids and antibiotics. 

They are taking very good care of him.  We were able to visit with him this afternoon.  Although he still looks very sick, he is better than he was when we left the hospital last night at midnight.  We are hoping that he has a good night, and is stronger tomorrow.  The house just isn't the same without him.  Both Mark and I keep thinking that we hear him. 

All morning we sat around the house waiting for updates from the hospital.  I finally headed to my studio, because I thought that scrapping would help get my mind off things.  I decided to create a layout about Kiefer, and it was really peaceful.

This week's challenge at C'est Magnifique is to create a layout using some of the old paper and embellishments you have in your stash.  I thought I'd use some old Basic Grey (Motifica and Hang 10).  I have no idea what year they came out, but I know it was a long time ago.  I really enjoyed digging through my stash and I proved that paper doesn't have to be new to be fun!

Check out the C'est Magnifique Blog tomorrow for a new challenge from design team member Beverly Sams. 

~~~Valerie

 

A Good Day

It has been a tradition for many years that Eryn and I go to the Zoo on the Monday prior to her starting back to school.  This Wednesday she will be entering high school.  It doesn't seem possible. Here we are at the zoo in 2003 when she was entering 1st grade (before I had a nice camera).

And here she is today, getting ready to start 9th grade and still willing to go to the zoo with me before her summer ends. 

The polar bears are fairly new at the Columbus Zoo, and quite an attraction.  We were fortunate that they gave this female and her sister some fish treats while we there so we got to see them in action. She looks very ferocious in this photo, but she is actually stretching and yawning before she gets into the water.

I love this photo because she appears to be looking at her reflection in the water.  She is still trying to decide if she wants to leave her rock to get in the water.

She finally took the plunge.  This one shows her beautiful brown eye.  These photos were taken through glass so there is some reflection.

I was so fortunate to catch this shot of her shaking.  I love this one!

We even rode the train today.  The weather was perfect!

And last but not least, "Seriously dude, planking in the middle of the walkway?"  Maybe I'm too old to understand.........

Thanks for a fun day at the zoo, Eryn!

~~~Valerie

August Color Combo Blog Hop

Hi everyone.  Welcome to the August Color Combo.  This beautiful color combination is from Design Seeds.  Wow, I really fell in love with these colors the moment I saw them. 

Here's the layout I created using this amazing color combination.  This is a photo of my son and granddaughter, taken in 2008.  When I recently showed this to my granddaughter, she said she hated the photo.  I asked her why and she said, "Because my hair is so out of style".  Well, that's because it was taken three years ago, my dear, and things change.  Three years from now, your current hair style will look outdated to you. I think that's one of the wonderful thing about photography and scrapbooking - it allows you to take a look back and see how things have changed.  Eryn saw a difference in just 3 years.  Imagine what it will look like 100 years from now when someone is looking through your albums.  We are creating memories that will be extremely important in the future.

I am last on this month's blog hop, so you probably arrived here from Stephanie's Blog.  Speaking of Stephanie, she is a scrapbooker and sociologist who did her dissertation research about scrapbooking.  Very interesting blog.  Hope you spent some time there.

In case you didn't start at the beginning of the blog hop, I will include the entire list so you can start at the beginning.  Have fun taking a peek at how others used this color combination.  And if you did start from the beginning, thanks for sticking it out until the end!

~~~Valerie

Amy Soto - Our Host

Curly Scrapbooker

Michelle Roycroft

Snaps and Snippets

Scrap Your Life

Sugar and Scrap

1200 Some Miles

Sue Althouse

Crafty Goodies

Adrienne Falzon

Alysse Photographs

Everything Digital Scrapbooking

Scribble Monster

Spud Pickle

Stephanie - Scrapworthy Lives

Valerie Serfozo - Pie for Breakfast (that's me!)

 

 

 

 

 

10 Things on the Tenth of the Month

It's time once again for 10 things on the tenth of the month, the brainchild of Shimelle.  You can find a complete list of everyone who is participating at her website.  My mind went many directions when I thought about what I wanted to list this month.  In the end I decided to go with it, and let my 10 things go different ways. 

1.  Last month I mentioned that I was working with someone on something new.  I can finally talk about.  I am on the design team for a brand new kit club, C'est Magnifique.  My friend, Leslie, had a vision for a very unique kit club, and I'm so happy that the first kits will be going out in mid-September.  The kits will be very sophisticated and feature international papers.  She is looking for guest designers, so if you're interested, check it out.  All the information is on the Blog. 

2.  My sweet niece Callie, who was very ill when she was born, is improving.  Each week she is getting stronger.  It's truly an answer to our prayers.  She hasn't completely recovered, but we are happy for all the little steps. I love her sweet little face.

3.  CHA has come and gone.  I am always inspired by new things.  Here's one of my very favorite items - these adorable bird nests from Prima.  I knew I would love all the Prima flowers, but these nests are just too darn cute!

4.  I finally joined Pinterest!  It's been on my "things-to-do" list for quite a while, but I just got around to it.  Oh my, I love all the inspiration that I found.  I could (and did) spend quite a bit of time there. 

5.  Numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are going to be "Quote" finds that I pinned.  Enjoy!

Source: holdonlover.tumblr.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: weheartit.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: avintageposter.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

 

Source: jillmcdonald.blogspot.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: pinterest.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

Source: misskaelovesyou.tumblr.com via Valerie on Pinterest

 

So, do you Pinterest (not sure if it's a verb like google)?  If you do, I'd love for you to follow me, and I'll do the same for you.  There is a 'follow' button on the top right of my blog.  After all, if you're reading this, we probably have a lot of the same interests.

If you don't Pinterest and want more info, leave me a comment and I'll get in touch with you.  I'm not an expert, but it seemed very easy to use.

~~~Valerie

August Happiness Blog Hop

Welcome to this month's Happiness Blog Hop.  If you're following along, you probably arrived here from Jules blog, Scrapping Mojo.  If you found this another way, I will list all the participating blogs below, so you can see what they have posted this month.

When I read that this month's theme is "Buy Some Happiness", I was totally confused.  After all, I've always heard that you can't buy happiness.  I have not been reading The Happiness Project so I had no idea where the author, Gretchen, was going with this statement.  So I went to her website to find out more.  There I discovered this YouTube video which describes her theory on Buying Happiness. 

I loved her first point - people are made more happy by experiences than stuff.  How true that is.  I don't create scrapbook layouts about stuff.  I create scrapbook layouts about experiences!  It's the experiences in life that are "scrapworthy".  Experiences are the things we want to remember.  I then created this layout, where I journaled about the reality of this.

To continue your journey, head over to the Scraps & Sass blog.

 

Scrapworthy Lives

Scrapping Mojo 

Pie for Breakfast (this is where you are)

Scraps & Sass

1200 Some Miles

Slice of Life

Our Life with Spiky Potatoes

Abstracts Mixed with Extracts

Your Memory Connection

Kiss and Tell Scrapbooking

Melissa's Blog

 

~~~Valerie

Days Five and Six of a Day in MY Life

Yesterday I was so busy working on a Smash Book for dad's 80th birthday that I barely took any photos.  I did jot down notes during the day, but honestly, it was an entire day of scrapping and doing laundry.  And since I don't want to bore you with a photo of my laundry, here's Kiefer, who was under my scrap table all day.

This afternoon my family got together at a restaurant to say goodbye to my brother and his family who are moving to California.  I'm sure they will love it there.  Even though I didn't see him often when he lived nearby, I will miss him.  I took my camera, of course, and shot this photo of him holding the newest addition to our family.  Sorry for the terrible lighting, but they wouldn't let me move the furniture!

And I gave my dad his Smash Book.  By the look on his face, he really liked it.  The wishes from everyone were truly touching.

My mother asked me about the photos from last Christmas, so I guess I'd better start editing some of those!

~~~Valerie

Day Four of a Week in MY Life

 

Short post tonight.  Today I had a lot going on and snapped more photos.  I was able to collect a lot of goodies to add to my layouts.  I think that will be the really fun part of it. 

I also started working on a scrapbooking project.  We celebrated my dad's 80th birthday last month.  Prior to the party, I purchased a Smash Book and had everyone there write a birthday message to him.  Now I need to add all the photos, so I'll be scrapping all day tomorrow.  I can't wait to give it to him this weekend. 

 

~~~Valerie

Day Three of a Week in MY Life

It's day three and I only took a couple dozen photos.  To be honest, it was a pretty boring day.  I was at work for most of it and was really busy.  But there are enough photos to put together a collage of my day. 

I've been diligent about taking notes every day, so I will have plenty to journal about.  I have also been collecting little bits and pieces of my day to add to my layouts.  I think those will be a lot of fun to look back at.

This morning I was a "brave girl" and took a photo of myself first thing.  The dog is much cuter, and of course I took photos of him today, but I thought I'd share this one. 

~~~Valerie

 

Day Two of a Week in MY Life

 

I kinda like the idea of carrying my camera around with me all day.  It makes for some strange looks and sparked a few interesting questions like, "why are you taking a photo of your bowl of cereal".  I took 41 photos today, which is about one-fourth the number I took yesterday.  But, today was a different day than yesterday.  I wasn't around family all day.  I was at work.  But I pulled out the camera before I even got there and took some photos while waiting in construction traffic.

I've also decided to record "what's in the mailbox" each day.  Mostly junk, but maybe something exciting will come this week.  I keep thinking I will run out of things to photograph, but I haven't yet (but then again, it's only day two).

My little buddy and I played ball outside today.  Thankfully it was a little cooler (down to 88 by early evening) and less humid.  He loved it!  He wasn't a very good boy last night, so I'm hoping the exercise will make real tired by bed time.

~~~Valerie

  

 

Week in MY Life

 

This week I am joining a lot of other scrappers in the Week in the Life project.  Ali Edwards is the brains behind this.  I've never done it before, but I think it's an interesting idea.  Essentially what I'll be doing is documenting my day through photos and journaling.  For 7 days I will be carrying my camera around with me all the time.  I'll also be writing notes all day, that I will later use to create my journaling. 

I am going to follow Ali's plan for the most part, but will be tweaking it a little to suit my personal preferences:

1.  As she suggests, I am going to spend the entire week taking photos, writing notes, saving memorabilia, and doing some journaling.  I will not begin to put together my scrapbook pages until next week.  That way I can focus on my life this week. 

2.  I am going to use the same album as Ali, because I love these 3-ring albums.  I chose this one in a beautiful shade of teal, because it's one of my favorite colors to use right now.  I'm using the 8-1/2 x 11 album because I really like her idea of using a baseball card sleeve for each day.  The sleeves have 9 pockets, so that's 18 little slots (using both sides) that I can fill with journaling, photos, and little bits from my day.

3.  Ali has a digital kit that she's put together, but I'm not going to use that.  I want to use some of the beautiful paper and embellishments that I have.

So, today was pretty easy because I had a lot going on.  I took a whopping 180 photos!  I'm sure that won't be the case every day, but I was excited to have a lot to photograph today. 

I plan to share a photo each day this week.  It may be from the current day, or from a previous day.  I haven't posted a photo of my favorite little buddy lately, so here's Kiefer, laying on his blanket that covers half the sofa.  He's pretty good about staying at "his end". 

If you think this sounds interesting, I challenge you to give it a try.  Check out Ali's website where she has all the details.  You don't have to start on a Monday.  You can begin with any day of the week that works for you!

~~~Valerie

My Latest Photography Project

The more I learn about photography, the more critical I am of my own work.  Now that I've taken Karen Russell's class, I think I should be producing images that are as wonderful as hers.  I am sure she would be the first one to tell me that you only get better by taking more photos (practice, practice, practice).  And I know that, but it's not easy to be patient.  We live in a world of instant gratification, you know.

I would like to be able to use my photos straight out of the camera (SOOC).  Unfortunately, I am not yet there.  That means my photos are still in need of editing.  I have learned some new editing skills from Erin Lincoln's Clean Color video.  Purchasing this video was a great investment.  As my photography gets better, I hope to do less post-processing, but for now it's a great help.

I was really excited when my niece, Karen, asked me to photograph the newest addition to our family, Callie.  She is such a sweet baby and we had fun gathering props and photo ideas.  Finally the day came.  I thought the lighting was good in one room of their house that had a sky light.  I set my white balance using an expo-disk (love that thing!), got the aperture and ISO where I wanted them, and began shooting.  To me, everything looks good on the preview.  I did occasionally stop and reset the white balance.  I suppose these photos are better than what they would have been had I been shooting in auto mode, but these are things I could have done better:

1.  I did not adjust the exposure compensation, so the photos were under exposed.  I know that's better than being over exposed, but it would have saved me a lot of editing time had they been properly exposed.

2.  I wish I had changed the aperture more often.  I wanted ISO low, so I most often had the aperture at f/1.4.  It would have been nice to have more depth of field in some of the photos.

3.  I had my husband hold a reflector, and the gold one looked beautiful as it cast a warm glow on the baby's skin.  Well, that look did not look good in the photos.  They were all too yellow, and I had to adjust the color more than I wanted.

4.  We had way too many poses planned.  Next time I think I will limit it to 3-4 poses/change of outfits.  It was a warm day, and I think it just got too complicated.  I need to remember that she is just a baby, and there will be many chances to photograph her.

5.  I edited 83 photos.  That's way to many!  I need to get better at selecting just the best images, and edit only those.

So, here are a few of the photos. 

 

 

 

 

Time out for a little relaxing after she ate.  She seems to be very comfortable in the antique wooden bowl.

 

 

Callie did allow me to get a few photos of her awake.  I was glad to be able to see her beautiful blue eyes.  

 

 

Her big sister, Macy, was so good while we were taking photos of her baby sister.  She had a toy camera, and she was pretending to do what I was doing.  

I would love to hear what you think.  If you can offer any constructive criticism, I'd greatly appreciate it.  In the meantime, I'm going to keep practicing. 

~~~Valerie 

 

 

 

July Color Combo Blog Hop

Happy Saturday everyone.  If you arrived here from Stephanie's Scrapworthy Lives Blog, you are in the right place.  If you arrived from somewhere else, I will have the entire list at the bottom of this post.

I hope it's going to be nice weekend where you are.  My husband and I are going to make our first trip to the farmer's market this morning.  It's still a little early in the growing season here, so I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm sure we'll find something yummy.

It's time for this month's color combo from Design Seeds.  The selection we are using is called "Summer Hues".  When I signed up to be a part of this blog hop I was very skeptical about using a defined set of colors on a layout.  I though I would find it to be a little too restrictive.  But I have found it to be an interesting challenge, and I've been combining colors that I might not have thought of before.

Here are this month's colors:

 

And here is the layout I created, "A Reason to Celebrate"

(Supplies:  Crate Paper Portrait Accent Cuts, Cosmo Cricket Odds & Ends, Lily Bee Stationery, Lily Bee Picket Fence, Pumice Stone Distress Ink, Staz-on Ink, Prima flowers and stamp, American Crafts Dragonfly, Glitz Teeny Alphabet, Paper Reflections clock sticker)

Do you like to work with color combos, or does it seem too restrictive?  Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below. 

Are you ready to see what others did with this color combo?  All you need to do head over to Kirsty's Blog to continue the hop.  If you are out of order for some reason, the full list is below.

Amy (who puts this together each month)

Scribble Monster

Snaps and Snippets

Scrap Your Life

Crafty Goodies

Michele Roycroft

Bunny Freak

Sugar and Scrap

Curly Scrapbooker

Stephanie at Scrapworty Lives

Pie for Breakfast - this is where you are

Kirsty - this is where you should go next

Through the Camera Lens

1200 Some Miles

Helena

Alysse

 

Have a great weekend everyone!

~~~Valerie

 

 

 

10 Things on the Tenth

Welcome to the 10th of the month.  I am joining Shimelle's 10 things on the tenth of the month series.  Since the subject matter is up to me, I thought I'd share 10 happenings from the past month, so here it goes:

One -  I love to read books, but don't usually make the time to do it.  Reading is very relaxing to me, so much so that I typically fall asleep when reading.  Right now I'm reading "Seal Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper".  These guys are truly amazing.

Two - Our sweet granddaughter graduated from Middle School.  It was a happy ceremony.   She is one great girl!  Hard to believe she'll be entering High School in the fall.

Three - I tasted my first sweet watermelon of the season!  YUM

Four - My Chemo Buddy lost her battle with cancer.  Just like her, I had faith that she would be cured, but her stomach cancer was too progressed.  She was a remarkable woman and left behind two wonderful adult children.  I am now awaiting assignment of another patient through the Chemo Angels program.  There are patients who need an angel.  I urge you to visit the website and see if it's something you'd like to do.

Five - I haven't been scrapbooking a lot this summer.  Instead, I've been drawn to my art journals.  I recently purchased some new art supplies and can't wait to use them.  It doesn't mean I'm not scrapbooking at all, just that I'm allowing more time to play with paint!

Six - Along the lines of art journaling, I just registered for Christy Tomlinson's "She had 3 Hearts" on-line class.  It starts on the 25th of this month, and I can't wait.  I love her work.

Seven - Our family was blessed with a new baby to love on June 3.  She is my great-niece and her name is Callie Jane.  She was very ill when born and was hospitalized for 34 days.  She recently came home, and we are all so happy.  She is such a precious baby.  I live close to the hospital so I was able to spend time with her so others could have a break. I loved holding her.  I haven't posted photos of her before.  It just didn't seem appropriate when she was in the hospital.  But here's a photo I took on the day she was dismissed from the hospital.  It was so exciting to see her wearing a dress and disconnected from the medical equipment.

Eight -We celebrated my dad's 80th birthday on June 26 with a cook-out at our house.  Since it was the weekend before July 4th, we decided to go with a red, white and blue theme.  There were 32 of us, and we had so much fun eating, playing games, and celebrating.  It was a lot of work putting it together, and I honestly couldn't have done it without the help of my three sisters.  They were amazing!  These are the centerpieces my sister, Cindy, made.  She hand painted each pot differently. 

And here's a photo of my parents with all their grandchildren except one, who could not be here.  It was nice to see them all together.

Nine -While baby Callie was in the hospital getting strong enough to come home, we kept her big sister, Macy, for the weekend.  This girl loves to swing.  I mean she really loves to swing.  During my dad's birthday party, she was sitting in a swing for at least 4 hours.  It was amazing!  Here's a photo taken of her when we went to the park.

Ten - I'm working with someone on something new, and I'm pretty darn excited about it.  Unfortunately I can't say anything else about it right now.  I promised I wouldn't talk about it until it's time. 

That wraps up 10 things from my past month.  I hope to make this a monthly thing!

 

This Month's Happiness Blog Hop

Welcome to The Happiness Blog Hop, based on the book "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin. This month, nine scrapbookers are participating in the Blog Hop by posting something related to our love of scrapbooking, and how it brings us happiness.  

Stephanie Medley-Rath is coordinating this Blog Hop.  Stephanie is a scrapbooker and sociologist who did her dissertation research about scrapbooking where she analyzes "the study of scrapworthy lives, that is, how lives become structured by scrapbooking and how people show others that their own life and lives of their loved ones are value - or scrapworthy".

I feel that scrapbooks give us a peek into the lives of the subject, as well as the scrapbooker who created the layout.  Someone put a layout together because they felt the moment was worth documenting, worth sharing. 

I recently found a website that allows people to share a photo that is very meaningful to them, in a unique way.  The website describes itself as "a picture of a picture from the past in the present".   Hmmm.......have you figured out what that means?  Well head on over over to Dear Photograph and see what it's all about.  I think you will find it to be a very interesting way to tell a story.  I smiled my way through the photographs that others have shared, with nothing more than a short sentence to accompany the photo.  Sharing these photos is the contributor's way of sharing something that is important to them.

Be sure to come back here after you've taken a look at the Dear Photograph website.  I'd love to hear what you think of this website.  Isn't it a great creative way to tell a story?

Your comment here on my Blog will give you one entry in a giveaway from Scrapworthy Lives, so be sure to comment below.  You can earn one entry per blog. So that means if you visit everyone’s blog and comment on each of their blogs, you can get 9 entries! All entries must be posted by Friday, July 8 at midnight Central Standard Time (Chicago, IL, USA). I will ship anywhere in the world. The winner will be announced on Sunday, July 10 on Scrapworthy Lives..

You can continue this Blog Hop by heading over to Rebekah's Blog, I Stamp, Scrap and Craft.  Below you will find a complete list of those who are participating this month. 

Scrapworthy Lives

Scrapping Mojo

Pie for Breakfast -- this is where you are now.

i Stamp Scrap & Craft

Scraps & Sass

Take a Picture and Remember This

1200 Some Miles

Slice of Life

Our Life with Spiky Potatoes

 

I hope you found a little happiness at the Dear Photograph website!

 

 

Color Combo Blog Hop

Hello, and welcome to this month's Color Combo Blog Hop. If you arrived here from Kirsty's Blog, you are in the right place.  If you are here and didn't arrive from her blog, the entire list is below, so you can start back at the beginning.

Here is the color combo we're using this month from Design Seeds:

I haven't created a layout in over a month, so I was glad to have this bit of inspiration to get me going.  I have been painting in my art journal lately.  It seems I am more drawn to that in the summer for some reason. 

But, like I said, I needed to create a layout.  In my layout below, I've used a photo of my nephew and his beautiful wife and daughter.  They were blessed with a new daughter 15 days ago.  Her name is Callie and she has been in ICU since birth.  She is simply adorable, but the doctor's haven't yet figured out what is causing her illness.  She is at a wonderful hospital, but it's very difficult for her parents and sister.  Their life has been turned up-side down.  It's difficult when something doesn't go as planned.  This was the weekend I had planned to take newborn photos of her.  But that will have to wait until she gets better.

So, creating a layout of them was sort of therapy for me because they are on my mind all the time.  It gave me time to concentrate and pray for them (and Callie) while I was putting the layout together.  I can't wait until I can take a happy photo of the 4 of them. 

My question for you is........have you ever created a layout because you were thinking of the person, or because you needed to spend some time thinking of them?  Hope you'll leave me a comment and let me know if you've done this in the past.  It was really a peaceful time for me.

Now head on over to Adrienne's blog to continue on this fabulous color combo hop!  Happy hopping and have a great weekend!

Here is the entire Blog Hop order:

Amy Soto

Alysse Photographs

Helenas Creative Maven

I Stamp Scrap Craft

Handmade by Kirsty

Pie for Breakfast - This is Where You Are

Adrienne Falzon

Scrap Worthy Lives

Spud Pickle

Curly Scrapbooker

Sugar and Scrap

Everything Digital Scrapbooking

1200 Some Miles

Michelle Roycroft

Crafty Goodies

Scrap Your Life

Snaps and Snippets

Scribbles Sticking Stitching Stroking

 

 

The Happiness Blog Hop

Welcome to The Happiness Blog Hop, based on the book "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin.  A group of 14 scrappers have taken the premise of this book and applied it to our craft/art, scrapbooking, and specifically how scrapbooking makes us happy.  I'm sure that as you go from blog to blog, you will find various ways we find happiness through scrapbooking.  Personally, I know I find happiness (and sanity) through the entire process, from taking photos, to creating a layout, and recording the memories.

I'm going to share one of those aspects with you.....taking photos.  If I didn't scrapbook, I'm not sure I would enjoy taking photos as much as I do.  Then I would not have these beautiful smiles that make me extremely happy!  So here's some happiness brought to you by those I love the most.........my family.  Some are new photos, and some are old, but they all make me smile.

 

If you arrived from The Constant Scrapper's blog, you are in the right place.   If you are here and didn’t come from the previous blog, I am listing the hop below so you can go back to the beginning if you wish.

Scrapworthy Lives

1200 Some Miles

Take a Picture and Remember This

Scrap Your Life

My Life in Photos & Words

This Kalil Life

Fun Mama

Scrapping Mojo

XNomad’s Blog

Nuggets

The Constant Scrapper

Pie for Breakfast (this is where you are now)

Scraps & Sass

Abstracts Mixed with Extracts

You can continue your happiness experience by heading over to the Scraps & Sass Blog.

Thanks so much to Stephanie for coordinating this hop.  She is having a giveaway on her blog. To enter the giveaway from Scrapworthy Lives, be sure to comment below. You can earn one entry per blog. So that means if you visit everyone’s blog and comment on each of their blogs, you can get 14 entries.   All entries must be posted by Friday, June 3 at midnight Central Standard Time (Chicago, IL, USA).  Stephanie will ship anywhere in the world. The winner will be announced on Sunday, June 5 on Scrapworthy Lives.”

Blog Hop Winner!

Thanks to the 14 who commented on my blog during the color challenge blog hop last Saturday.  In a random draw number 6 was drawn.  Congratulations to:

Rebekah said...

What a gorgeous work of art! TFS! I'm saving up for a new telephoto zoom lens for my Canon Rebel.

Send me an e-mail, Rebekah, and I'll get your prize out to you.  My e-mail address can be found on the right side of my blog.

~~~Valerie

 

 

Color Combo Blog Hop

Hi everyone.  Welcome to the Color Combo Blog Hop.  Here's the color combo we're working with:

As you "hop" from blog to blog, you will see how each person used these colors in their project.  I made this card that I plan to send to my patient through the Chemo Angels program:

If you arrived from Kirsty's blog, you are in the right place.   If you are here and didn’t come from the previous blog, I am listing the hop below so you can go back to the beginning if you wish.

Amy

LeaVon

Jennie

Through the Camera Lens

Heather

Melissa

Alysse

Calendula

Lesley

Jules

Michele

Kirsty

Valerie - this is where you are

Cheryl

Jo

Susanne

Connie

Ade

Sharis

Sara

Rebekah

Jo

Xnomads

To thank you for stopping by and participating in the blog hop, I'd like to send someone a little gift.  We all love getting things in the mail!  All you need to do is leave a comment below and tell me what's on your craft or photography-related wish list right now.  I think it's really cool to find out what everyone is wishing for.  I am currently saving for a new camera lens - a Canon 24-70mm f/2.8.  I'll announce the winner on Friday, May 20th, so be sure to check back.

Now head over to Cheryl's blog to continue on this fabulous color combo hop!

~~~Valerie

A Little Peek

I love this beautiful color combination from The Inspired Bride.  Be sure to check back this Saturday to see what I've been doing with these colors.

For those of you not in the scrap world, last Saturday was (Inter)National Scrapbook Day.  Yes, there really is a day when we celebrate by (hopefully) scrapping all day.  Scrapbook Express had a week long on-line crop and it's just what I needed to get me scrapping again.  Sometimes I just need a little push.

 

I am very fortunate to have some beautiful little girls to love!

~~~Valerie

Guest Post

Hi all.  Lorraine (who I met in an online blogging class) is ready to move up from a point-and-shoot camera to a DSLR (yeah, Lorraine).   She asked for volunteers to write a guest post for her blog to help her in this search.  I slowly raised my hand (who wants to know what I think?), and offered to give her my take on it.  She has been featuring articles all week by other guests, and mine will be posted today.  So please check it out on Lorraine's Blog - The View From Here.  Be sure to scroll down and read all the posts.   Lots of good information there.

To go along with the guest post, here's a photo my kit:

I currently shoot with a Canon 7D.   Now that I'm learning to use it, I really love this camera.  Other items in my kit include:

Jill-e Medium Leather Camera Bag (we also have a backpack style bag, but this one is mine).  I can fit so much stuff in here!

A reflector kit that includes black, gold, silver, silver/gold striped, white, and white translucent reflectors.  Everything is sitting on the white reflector in this photo.

Three Pods - a gorillapod, monopod, and a tripod

Black Rapid RS-5 camera strap (love this thing, too!)

Lenses:

Canon 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (kit lens)

Canon 50mm f/1.4 (my favorite lens)

Canon 28-135 f/3.5-5.6

Canon 100-300mm f/4.5-5.6

 

I will leave you with a photo of Kiefer who was exploring and trying to figure out what I was doing!  He just had a bath, so he is super white.

 

Decorah Eagles

I have found my new favorite reality show........Decorah Eagles.  I am in love with this family.  The link is to a live video feed of the Decorah Eagles from atop their tree at the fish hatchery in Decorah, Iowa.  It all began in late-February when the female laid the first of three eggs.  The mom and dad took care of the eggs until they began hatching on April 2.  Oh my, how the little eaglets have grown since then! 

I am rather obsessed with watching this darling family, and seeing the little ones, who mostly eat and sleep, but they are becoming more and more active.  They change every day.  I hope you'll stop by and watch them for a little while (although I must warn you, it becomes addicting).  There is also a chat room if you want to sign up.  They provide moderators so you can ask questions, or just see what everyone is chatting about.

I'll leave you with a photo that has nothing to do with the eagles.  I am fortunate to have several little princesses in my life, and this is one of them.  Here she is all dressed up in a tu-tu, looking like a little ballerina.  Often it can be a challenge to get a toddler to sit still long enough to take a good photo.  Well, it was easy this time.  In her hand is a video game device.  She is busy playing a video game.  Not what you would expect from the average princess, but........whatever it takes to get the shot!

If you get a chance to check out the Eagles, let me know what you think!

My Day in Photos

 

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

See more days here

The Progression of a Thought

When I finished this layout Saturday, I started thinking about how it got to this point.   There were many thoughts along the way that seem unrelated, but they were all a part of this project.

1.  It really started about two weeks ago, when I eyed my Brother label maker sitting on my desk.  Not to digress from the topic too much, but I really love this thing!  I am very organized and I use this to label everything in my studio.  I had a few minutes so I thought I would organize a couple of my vertical paper holders by putting labels on the outside so I would know what's inside.  In one, I had a folder of what I called "shaped paper".  You know, the ones with decorative edges, in various shapes.  I made a mental note to use one of these on a future layout. 

2.  It was Saturday evening and I had an hour or so before dinner, so I thought I would put together a layout, all the while remembering that I wanted to use one of the shaped papers.  So I pulled out a blue circle with scalloped edges.

3.  Then I headed over to Scrapbook Express to find out what challenge was going on this week.  I figured I might as well do something challenge related because that gives me a chance to win a prize, and who doesn't love to win things?  The challenge was to use paint on a layout.  In the example, Mara chose to splatter paint, and since I love that technique, I decided that's what I would do.

4.  Now it's time to grab some photos.  I print my photos on-line, usually at Scrapbook Pictures because I love the quality of the prints, and I typically order around 100 photos at a time.  I keep the most recent print order on my scrap table because having new photos inspires me, and it's easier to grab a photo from the stack, than to go through a photo album.   I found two photos of my niece that I thought would go well with the circle-shaped paper that I had chosen.

5.  From there, I went through my scrap goodies and pulled out some things that went with the colors in the photos  I also wanted to bring out the green border of the circle paper.  I flicked some paint on the background paper, and when I finished, this is what I had:

My layouts don't always start with a Brother label printer, but this one did.  I love to begin my layouts with a challenge, sketch, or product in mind.  Sometimes I begin with a photo, but not very often. 

So my question for you is........how do your layouts typically begin?   If you think about it, I bet you will find that sometimes it's something as simple as a label. 

Happy Birthday to Someone Special

I love to celebrate children's birthdays.  Nothing feels better than making a child feel special.  Nothing.  It's a joy to watch them open their gifts, read their cards, squeal if they received something they really wanted, or toss the gift aside if it's something boring like clothes.  I think balloons are happiness floating in the air, and the birthday cake is always a peek into what they love at that particular age.  In our family, we have lots of princess cakes as well as super heros, and cars. 

Today our granddaughter, Eryn, turned 14.  I can't believe she's 14 already (like you haven't heard that one before).  I wish her happiness today and always.  Here are some photos of her that I took over the weekend. 

 

 

 

So Many Choices, So Little Time

I need a little help with my blog.  Some of you feel the same way, I'm sure.  There is never enough time, I'll get to it tomorrow, I can't think think of anything to say, etc.  So many excuses.  But I decided to do something about it.  I signed up "Beyond Blogging for Scrapbookers", and on-line class that started yesterday. It's a 3-week class and my intent is to improve the content on my blog (which means I'll actually have to post, of course).

If you read my blog, you are likely to have found me somewhere in the scrapbooking world.  Or you may be a family member who stops by sometimes to see layouts I've created using family photos.  It's possible that you found me because I have an extra special Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that I like to blog about.  No matter how you found me, I'm glad you're here.  If you've been lurking, I hope you'll leave me a comment once in a while.

To kick off this week, I thought I'd leave a poll for you.  We all have hundreds of choices when it comes to allocating our time each day. It seems most of us could use a couple of extra hours each day to accomplish all the things we want/need to do.  So let me know what you wish you had more time for.  Feel free to select more than one option.

Want to know my choices? I'll save that for another time.

I found a few layouts from this year that I thought I'd post:

There's just so much to love about this little guy!

Now from summer to winter.  We love to put peanuts out in the snow to attract birds.  It was really interesting to watch the blue jays dig in the snow for the peanuts, then fly away with them. 

Here are a couple of really sweet sisters!

Hope you have a great weekend!  I'm going to.

 

Photography Class Assignments

Today is the due date for my photography class assignments.  Why do I always wait until the last day?  But this time it worked out well, because I had Sandi here to photograph.  She went home this evening, but we loved having her with us this weekend.  Kiefer is still sitting at the door waiting for her and Mark to come home - they left about an hour ago.

So here are some photos of her.  I think this one reflects her gentle soul.  How about those catch-lights in her eyes?

In this one, I think she's missing her family, but she knows they'll be together again soon.

Here she is, acting as though she owns the entire sofa.  We didn't have this blanket when she was here, and I think she likes it!

And this one is why I got the camera out to begin with.  No, it's not rotated.  She is laying on the sofa with her feet up against the back of the sofa.  For some reason her ears are perked up and pointy.  I think she was laying like this, hoping that Mark would rub her belly (which he did).  She got so relaxed, she fell asleep. 

I also had a couple of other willing participants this week.  Eryn spent one day of her spring break with me, and let me take some photos of her while I was experimenting with white balance. 

And lastly, I needed a human participant today, so I coaxed Mark to pose for me outside.

I've been posting like crazy this week, but it's fun when I have these photos that I like.  Photos that don't need to be edited.  These are all straight out of the camera, and I like that.  I have so much more to learn, but I love what I've been able to do so far. 

 

Maybe Navy IS the New Black

This week's challenge on the Scrapbook Express Blog is to create a layout that is at least 50% navy.  I have had this photo of my niece and her daughter sitting on my scrap table, and thought it would look good against navy.  I think it's a great photo!  I wanted a lot of the navy to show, so I used just a little patterned paper and a few embellishments.  I splattered some Twinkling H2o's in the corners to add a little shimmer.

I love new products!

For years I've used only Faber-Castell Pitt Artist's Pens for my journaling.  I have them in both black and brown in various sizes.  So I was excited when I read about a new product from Faber-Castell - Color Gelatos and Big Brush Pens.  Ellen Huston featured them in a recent newsletter, along with some beautiful projects.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on them and at last they have arrived. 

On this card I used the set of red Big Brush Pens to color the flowers.  I grabbed a Hero Arts rubber stamp and used the brush pens to color directly on it, instead of using an ink pad.  I blended several colors together.  They're made with India ink, so the image is very vibrant.  I love that about them.  I haven't had a chance to play with the Gelatos yet, but I can't wait to give them a try.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

Two Puppies to Love

We're excited to have our former foster-dog, Sandi, staying with us for a long weekend.  We miss her terribly, but know that she is happy and loved in her new home.  She adjusted to being back in our home almost right away.  She remembered everything!  When we went to bed last night, she crawled under our bed in the exact spot as she did when she lived with us. 

Look at that darling face.  She is looking up at my husband last night as he was grilling Reuben's for dinner.   The photo is a little dark, but the only light in the room was the range-hood light.  Taking that into consideration, I like it.  Her eyes are so beautiful!

I've been chasing her around with the camera all morning and I think she's becoming annoyed with it.  She refused to look up at me when I was photographing her in her bed.

Of course I have also been snapping photos of Kiefer.  I shared some new venison goodies with both of them this morning.  Kiefer is so goofy when it comes to eating treats (which we call "cookies").  He seems to have a process.  First, he puts it in from of him and leaves it alone.  Then he stares at the treat.  He might paw at it and sometimes will roll on it.

After that goes on for several minutes, he finally puts it in his mouth.  Typically he will carry it around for a while.  But he doesn't chew it.  He walks around pretending that there is nothing in his mouth.  Then he returns to his rug and lets it fall out of his mouth.  After that, he continues to stare at it for a while.  He may go through this ritual several times.

I'm not sure what prompts him to eventually take a bite of it.

After he begins eating, he seems to savor every bite.  He doesn't eat it quickly, and takes little bites.  Here he is with just one morsel remaining.

The entire process took around 15 minutes so I had plenty of time to play with the settings on my camera.  I guess he's just a dainty eater, but we love him and all his quirks.

Spring Break Update

Here's an update to our spring break situation.

It's sad.  Very sad.

Thanks to my husband for going out in the cold to get this photo.

This Just Isn't Right

It's spring break week here, and right now it is snowing like crazy.  Huge flakes are falling AND it's accumulating.  I can't see the grass, or the daffodils, or the other flowers that are starting to pop up.  I started to grab my camera and go outside to take some photos, but I don't want my camera to get wet (and it's cold out there).  Instead I put on a hoodie and made myself a cup of hot cocoa to keep warm.  The cocoa is sugar-free, but the whipped cream is the real thing (oil or cream......I choose cream).

So if you didn't head south with your family this week, you are stuck in Ohio with no trips to the zoo or park.  Instead everyone is scrambling to find indoor activities to keep their children happy.  Me, I'm going to curl up with my hot cocoa, study photography, and watch the snow fall. 

Lately, after creating a layout, I leave everything out on my desk and make a couple of cards.  Here's a design team layout for Scrapbook Express.  It's my last month on the design team and I still have so many goodies left to use, including lots of Little Yellow Bicycle Twig Collection that I can't wait to dig into.  But for now, here's a layout that created this week.  I love this photo of Eryn and my son, Brent:

I've been following a thread at SplitCoast Stampers where fellow hoarders (yes, I'm one) discuss how difficult it is to use up an entire package of anything (embellishments, alphabets, etc.)  Do any of you have that problem?  I mean it's like there won't be anything new available.  Well, I'm trying to work on that.  So before I put away my scraps, I grabbed a package of Basic Grey Woolies, and made cards until I used up all of them.  It was a really good feeling!  Here are a couple of them:

Have a great week everyone! 

Design Team Opportunity

My six-month term at Scrapbook Express is coming to an end, but that's good news for you because you have a chance to join the design team.  You will love this group of women who are passionate about scrapping.  Head over to the forum to get all the details.  I hope to see you there!

Twenty-four years ago today it was a sunny, warm, 70 degree day, and I married my wonderful husband.  Happy anniversary Mark and thank you for loving me the way you do!

Here's a photo of the beautiful tulips (my favorite) he gave me.

Shooting Mode: Av, Shutter Speed:1/10, Focal Length: 50mm, Aperture:f/2.8, ISO:100, unedited photo.

Since I'm half-way into Karen Russell's photography class right now, I knew he would want to see this, and know that I changed several settings and liked this image best (and yes, that's the DOF I was looking for!)

Here's a layout I created as one of my design team assignments this month for Scrapbook Express.  I love this photo of Macy giving Meredith a big kiss (also known as a "sloppy joe").

There are some winter CHA items arriving at Scrapbook Express! 

Preorders for new Lifestyle Crafts (QuicKutz) - there's paper, borders, flowers and whole lot more

American Crafts Campy Trails Collection - great collection of outdoorsy (is that a word?) paper

American Crafts Confetti Collection - a cute mix of bright colors perfect for birthday layouts and/or cards

American Crafts Hello Sunshine Collection - this collection makes me think of spring and who doesn't want a little spring right now.

My Mind's Eye Lush 2 Collection - there are 4 new colors available (fuchsia, navy, orange, and turquoise).  I see myself mixing a few of these!

My Mind's Eye Good Day Sunshine Boy and Girl Collections - both are really adorable

My Mind's Eye Stella and Rose Collection contains four separate lines.  You'll have a difficult time choosing which one you like best:  Gertie, Hattie, Hazel, and Mabel.  There are lots of embellishments to go with these lines so you can put a layout together quickly. 

Little Yellow Bicycle Twig Collection - I already have this entire line and I love it!  The colors are beautiful and there are some amazing embellishments. 

Remember that you'll never pay full retail price at Scrapbook Express.   It's not too late to enter for a chance to win a Silhouette.  Check my blog post HERE for all the details.  You have until the end of this month. 

Have a great week everyone!

Photography Class Give-Away

Karen Russell is giving away one spot in her next photography class.  I am currently taking her class and it's AMAZING.  Head over to her blog and leave a comment.  You just might be the winner.  But do it soon, because she is drawing Wednesday morning.

A Week of Photos

I just completed week 2 of my photography class with Karen Russell.  I have devoted a lot of time to the lessons and have loved every minute of it.  I've also had the camera out more than usual and taken more photos, although the last two weekends were spent at horse shows, where the lighting is terrible.  Here are some photos I thought I'd share.  Not all of these are for the photography class, and some of them aren't really "good" photos, but they have a story to tell.  I learned that a photo doesn't have to be technically good to tell the story.

This was taken at the horse show at Ohio University.   Although this has nothing to do with horses, it's a great shot of Michael, the one who keeps things going,  getting a kiss from his Jack Russell.  Too cute.  My husband shot this one.  

Speaking of Kiefer, here's the little guy, snug in his bed under the desk in my studio.  The little chew marks on his bed are from when he was a puppy and liked to chew on his bed and drag it around by the corners.  Although I didn't like the look of the torn up bed, it IS where he likes to hang out most, and it does tell a story.

Yesterday we were at a horse show at Otterbein University Center for Equine Studies.  It's a beautiful facility and only 15 minutes from home.  This isn't Eryn, but it's an amazing photo.  This horse only had to jump high enough to clear the low cross-rails, but he cleared it by another 2 feet.  Now there's a horse that likes to jump!  My husband shot this one.

Eryn rode this beautiful horse when she was showing, but this guy was ready to run.  You can see it in his eyes.  She spent the entire time trying to hold him back.  All he wanted to do was go!  He was finally happy when they called for a canter.  But she did a wonderful job of controlling him and her form was very nice, despite the fact that she was pulling on the reins the entire time.  I was so proud of her.  This was the last show for this season.  My husband took this photo.

She is happy afterwards and posing with her 5th place ribbon, which was higher than she expected based on the circumstances.  Personally, I think the pink ribbons are prettiest!

This is a photo I took today for one of my photography class assignments.  Since it was a little warmer than it has been lately, we decided to go for a walk after church.  I followed Eryn around the neighborhood as she walked Kiefer.  I thought it turned out nice.  My husband walked in the room and I told him that I thought it was one of the nicer ones I took.  He immediately started laughing and said, "Except for those big antlers growing out of her head!".   Oh well, I did learn that those are called "mergers", but I guess I'm not yet the best at spotting them.

I like this one better.  It was supposed to be more of a candid shot, but when I got in front of Eryn, she gave me a big smile.  You see, I've been conditioning her for 13 years to look at me and smile when she sees the camera.

This is another one for my assignment.  Eryn agreed to be my subject while she studied for a test.  I love the way I can see her eyelashes, her hands, and her handwriting.  I like this one.

This one wasn't for the assignment, but of course Kiefer had to be in the sun-room with us.  Where else would he be?  He is my little shadow.  He was very confused when I climbed up on the coffee table and began taking photos.  But I was excited to get this one with him looking up at me.  This was before his bath today, so he's much cleaner now (but I still haven't gotten used to that wet dog smell). 

8A Rocks!

Friday was fun day.  It's a tradition at Eryn's school that the two 8th grade classes compete in a volley ball game.   Eryn is in 8A, and in the past 8B has been the winner.  But this year was different.........8A won 2 of 3 games.  They were finally able to break the streak. 

As you can tell, they had a lot of fun.

Tomorrow she'll be riding in a horse show at Ohio University.  I sure hope she rides well!

 

A Great Monday Morning

Today is an exciting day for me.  I'm enrolled in Karen Russell's Photography Class and this is the first of 10-weeks during which I have an opportunity to learn all she has to teach.   She is wonderful.  I am on my way to better photographs and can't wait to get started.   I have already read everything on the message board and downloaded and printed the lessons for this week. 

On another subject, have you ever created a layout using only white/cream?  I hadn't until this weekend for a challenge at Scrapbook Express.  I started by getting out everything I own that's white or cream.  I knew I wanted to use lots of flowers.  This is my darling niece, Macy. 

 

 

Win a Silhouette!

Want a chance to win a Silhouette?  Of course you do, and it's easy.  Just head over to the Scrapbook Express Store Facebook page and then......

1.  Like the Scrapbook Express page to receive one entry in the giveaway.  Be sure to post a comment to let them know I sent you there!

2.  Tell all your friends about the giveaway and have them like the Scrapbook Express page, too. You receive an additional entry for every person who tells them that YOU sent them there!

On February 28th they will have a drawing for a free Silhouette SD die cutting machine (retail value $300.) They will choose the winner from their fans and referrers by random drawing.

Good luck!

Silent Night, Holy Night

Being sick is a terrible way to spend the three days leading up to Christmas.  Hopefully I will feel better by tomorrow when the antibiotics have had more time to work.  But I'm going to miss my favorite part of Christmas - attending Christmas Eve services.  It just won't seem the same without it, but I'm really not feeling up to it.

Here's a photo of our little guy.  He wasn't crazy about wearing a hat, but we managed to get this photo of him (with a few treats tossed his way, of course).

It will be an early night for us so...........

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Have a wonderful Christmas as you gather to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

What Were They Thinking?

I love Ohio State, but today I'm not especially proud to be a Buckeye.  Five football players have been given a 5 game suspension in 2011 for violating NCAA rules (receiving discounted tattoos and selling memorabilia).  I thought we were a better team than that.  Not that I blame Tressel, but I thought that as a coach he would have gone over these things with them numerous times.  Personally, I don't think they should be allowed to play in the Sugar Bowl. 

What were they thinking? 

Random Thought.......

Today I find myself asking - When we gather for Christmas celebrations, what are we celebrating if we aren't celebrating the miraculous birth of our Lord and Savior? 

And to go along with my random thought I thought I'd share a photo of a couple of sweet young ladies (Sidney and Eryn) giving Santa a little peck on the cheek.  This happened despite a declaration by a certain someone that they are way too old to sit on Santa's lap, and would never do it.  Well, here's the proof that you're never too old to sit on Santa's lap! Perhaps he's wound a little too tight, don't you think? 

 

It's that time of the year

Time to make chili, that is.   My husband is the chili-master in our house.  I came home yesterday to see these beautiful peppers in a bowl, waiting to be chopped up and added to a big pot of chili.  I couldn't wait to grab my camera and get a photo.  They're so festive looking!

Off to decorate the tree today and attend our granddaughter's confirmation.

I Jumped

I really enjoyed creating this layout for the November Monthly Challenge at Scrapbook Express where we were to list 10 things about ourself, and to include at least one photo.  I love it when I'm challenged to scrap about myself because it's something I don't do often enough.  I chose to list 10 times in my life when "I Jumped" (and I'm glad I did).

I'm sure all of us have times in our life when we jumped out of our comfort zone, and more times than not, it turns out to be a good thing.  I wanted to document some of those things. 

As often happens, the layout turned out completely different than my initial vision, but the 3x3 grid is still there.  I was going with a straight grid design, but couldn't stay within the lines, so I just let it extend beyond the boundaries. 

Black Friday

I've enjoyed a nice quiet Black Friday at home.  No shopping and fighting crowds for me.  My husband and granddaughter are having an "Eryn and Grandpa Day", so I'm not allowed to tag along.  I think it's wonderful that the two of them can spend an entire day together.  They were planning to see the Harry Potter movie, have lunch, shop at North Face, and a couple of other stops.  They left 6 hours ago, so I hope they've found a parking place by now!

After that, they're going grocery shopping.  As a member of student council at school, she is working hard to coordinate and collect items for their annual food drive going on through the end of the year.  We gave her $20 to spend on food and her goal is to get as much as she can for the food drive.  They have really fun themes each day such as: Oodles of Noodles, Toiletries Thursday, Tuna Tuesday, Cool Condiments, and Grains for Grades (which entitles the student to a free homework pass).  I can't wait to see what she comes home with and how many items she was able to purchase with her $20.

Here's a recent layout of Eryn and her little sister:

It's been a week-end celebration at our house

The birthday weekend at our house began on Thursday when we celebrated Kiefer's 2nd birthday.  I must admit that these celebrations are less for the dog, and more for the people in their lives, but it's still fun to spoil them a little.  He loves to go to the pet store, so we made a trip there.  We bought him a little doggie birthday cake and a couple of new toys.  Here he is enjoying his cake and the sprinkles on top (which stuck to his nose).

Then on Friday we celebrated my birthday, which has turned into a birthday weekend.  My husband took the day off work Friday and we drove a few hours to shop at some stores that I'd been wanting to visit.  Of course they are paper crafting related.  One of them was a store that sells only paper items.  They had great prices and I ended up purchasing 16 pounds of paper!  Now I have enough paper to make hundreds of cards, and envelopes to put them in.  After a morning of shopping, we had a wonderful lunch at Miss Molly's Tea Room in Medina.  Yes, my darling husband took me to a tea room.  It had lace tablecloths, and pink floral wallpaper.  Not exactly his style, but he was most gracious about it.  I left there with a new tea cup (pink floral, of course). 

Saturday we were pretty lazy during the day, watched the Ohio State Buckeyes win (barely), then had prime rib for dinner at J.Alexanders.  It was so yummy, and I saved some of mine to bring home to Kiefer.  He's such a spoiled dog!

After church this morning we had brunch at North Star which has quickly become my favorite place for brunch.  The organic breakfast tea and yogurt with granola and fresh fruit are fantastic - not to mention their biscuits with cherry preserves. 

I suppose the birthday weekend has to come to an end sometime, but for now, I still have a few more hours left in this beautiful day.  It's been one of the best birthdays I've had in a long time!

Oh...........and I received cards from both Kiefer and Sandi!  That made me smile.

 

I'm Gonna Miss this Girl

When our friends told us that their beautiful rescue dog, Puffy, had cancer, we offered our foster-dog to them.  Puffy lived longer than expected, but crossed over the Rainbow Bridge last Friday.  She was very loved by her owners and will be missed.  They rescued her from an abusive life and gave her all the love and attention a dog would ever want.  

Now it's time for our foster-dog, Sandi, to try and fill the void.  So we packed up her bed, her toys, and her food, and drove her to her new home today.  She was so excited, because this dog truly loves everyone.  Sandi will never take the place of Puffy, but hopefully she will help ease the pain.  We've had Sandi for 15 months, and it was a tearful afternoon, but I know she will be loved very much.  And it's not like we'll never see her again - we get to pet sit whenever they go out of town. 

I know she is where she should be, but I miss her already. 

Pumpkins Galore

I had a little time to scrap this weekend and created this layout using a photo of my darling niece, Macy, at the pumpkin patch.  I love her smile and I'm so fortunate to have lots of photos of her!