121812 Bad Blogger!

Well, yesterday was our 36th wedding anniversary! And I didn't take one photo... We had a wonderful evening at Brick Street. So inspired by our potsticker appetizer we have decided to go on an Asian cooking kick for awhile. That means that chicken stir fried rice is what's for dinner tonight!

Finally been working on my Christmas card, inspired by the color scheme this week at The Play Date Cafe!

I knew I wanted to include these photos of my darling grandbabies:

And what else is on those faces but pure

Gathered up some possibilities...

I wanted to include an ornament that can be removed from the card.

 And we have a Christmas card!

The ornament will be slotted into the corresponding spot on the inside of the card!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!!

PDCC#160

Am loving the Play Date Cafe Challenge! Isn't this gorgeous? So inspiring :~)

So I dove into my Basic Grey hoard...

A little closer look...

120812 Date Day Saturday

Started the day off ready to photograph this layout for the Whimsical Musings #67 Challenge in the daylight, but I'm still not happy with it... I may add another small dark patterned border to the left before I post it.

El came over to keep care of Aunie while we went out about the town, and Lincoln was fascinated with the snow, 

 So Grandpa gave him a closer look

Then we went to a local coin show. These are always fun for my DH as he took one to school for lunch every day as a kid! They sure feel & sound like real money...

I kept busy while I was waiting.

 We got an inside doormat so the new floor won't get ruined

Brought home leftovers from lunch at Logan's Steakhouse

And dessert from Pesto's. That was all we could eat so far!

Enjoyed a wonderful day of getting out, talk-talk-talking grownup talk & just being together :~D

120312 I'm Trying a New Playground!

Although I have been stalking it for awhile, I finally decided to play at The Play Date Cafe! What an innovative concept - a new color scheme each week to inspire your crafting. This week's challenge, PDCC#159, was a Color Splash challenge! What's a 'Color Splash' challenge?

it's simply...

Black & White with a 'Splash'

 and this time, it's a splash of MAROON

 

Well, I was ready to bust into my special birthday gift, 

my Fireside Chat Sassy Kit made personally for me by my scrap-bestie, Lynnette!

 

 

I fussy cut the yummy Simple Stories paper that looks like vintage wallpaper - I adore the full blown roses.

 

 

I took one of the Farm House Paper Company flowers & used a 

deep maroon Creative Imaginations rhinestone for the center.

 

 

Glitz & Fiskars stamps, some Maya Road stickpins, my b/w photo with a little stitching a trim, 

and a title from the Pink Paislee "fetching" letter set & Bo Bunny Etcetera minis in the kit and voila!

 

  

11/24/12 THANKFUL

Just finished enjoying the major blessing of having both of our daughters & their families here for the holiday.

The cousins got new outfits for Thanksgiving

But Lincoln wasn't so sure he liked sharing Grandpa with Chloe.

Grandpa tried to protect Chloe from the Grammarazzi

Lincoln tried his first dill pickle

Chloe loved being with mama at Gramma & Grampa's

El & Chuck announced that grandbaby #3 is...

a boy! Cooper Lewis Hendricks, due April 7, 2013!

Grandpa got his Chloe fix

The cousins bonded

Christmas photos were accomplished beautifully by our resident professional photographer

And a good time was had by all :~D

111712 A Peculiar Date Day

Today the Deer Widows Weekend Scrapbooking & Stamping Show 

was right up the road at the Birch Run Expo Center. 

With only a 2 hour window to be gone from home it was a bit of a scramble.

This was Martha, one of the greeters! 

She really dressed for the occasion, lol

And every time I hit a scrapbook event, I run into my friend, Becky!

(I am really, really bad at selfies, btw...)

The crop area - with shopping right at your elbow.

Well, sometimes these hold-the-camera-as-high-as-you-can & 

hope-for-a-decent-shot photos don't exactly do the subject justice. 

This is just a small sampling of the smorgasbord of scrappy goodness.

This was totally my favorite booth - 

all the yummy stuff: Prima, 7 Gypsies, Jenni Bowlin...

My haul - some older stuff but all inspiringly good deals.

My fave? These charming ladies! I have the PERFECT photos to use these with - 

some fashion shots my mom had taken when she was, if I remember correctly, 19.

I'm tempted to send one to the first 3 comments left on this post - 

email your snail mail addy if you're interested!

My knight in shining armor/chaffeur hung out with a Starbucks double caramel macchiato 

and some magazines while I was shopping, then off to Menards to look at 

anagalypta wallpaper for the kitchen ceiling & E6000 to repair some broken china. 

Take out lunch from Red Lobster rounded off our date day!

111212 - 80% Recovered from SHOtime LOAD!

Well, October was a great scrappy month for a wonderful EXCLUSIVE band of LOADsters over at ScrapHappy!  Our fearless leader, Lain Ehmann, let the inmates run the asylum and Lynnette & I had a ball co-producing this extravaganza.

Dubbed S.H.O.time LOAD for ScrapHappyOnly LayOutADay we went with an entertainment theme. Just shy of 1,900 layouts were posted in October! 5 different random prizes were awarded & a grand prize of $31.00 as a reward for 31 straight days of scrapping was won by one lucky participant!

Here's a quick view of my 31, although they weren't all accomplished on time due to a flu outbreak at our house (ugh!).

Take a closer look on my Flickr set. As always, LOAD gets me to stretch in new directions, and takes me to stories that would never have been documented otherwise. And I meet & get to know some wonderful new friends who inspire me with their creative, innovative, revealing, stunning, hilarious & artistic peeks into their hearts & lives. Love ya, LOADsistas!

100612 Another Precious Date Day

Saturday we got out again for a 4 hour stretch, but this time was centered around errands.

I don't know what kind of advice I will get about a new stove from THESE clowns, hehe! Got one ordered & it arrives Thursday - woohoo! Glass cooktop with a Speed Heat burner & warming burner plus convection oven - can't wait to bake!

Looking for the Faber-Castell watercolor Gelato crayons rumored to be available at JoAnn but not only could I not find them, they have completely reorganized & ruined (I might add) the store! It looks & shops like a tacky variety store - ick... bought these cheapos just because I really want to try them. I doubt I'll be happy but I'll give them a whirl.

 

On to Harbor Freight for a gizmo for DH's telescope - a magnetic angle finder to find the azimuth when he's searching the sky.

 

On to Pesto's for lunch. Always delish & I always try one of the specials.

Today? Pumpkin ravioli - I'm not really a sweet/savory kind of gal, and these were tiny but very sweet - almost like yams with marshmallow - they actually tasted like candy corn! Served with turkey with gravy & broccoli. Won't be a repeat but glad I tried it. G had his usual artichoke pizza. Oh, yes! And pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. Mine didn't get eaten for 2 days!

I'm seeing a theme here - stopped at Tim Horton's for a dozen fresh baked pumpkin spice donuts! Those will last us awhile. I even mailed one to my Jersey girl scrapsista - hope it makes it!

 

Couldn't resist stopping to snap this photo.

 

Last stop - flooring for the breakfast room! The kitchen rehab is our winter project. G trimmed out the doorway last weekend so all that is left is the floor. Have settled on a design & ordered everything today. That's next weekend's project!