022513 February CKC Participant Blog Hop

Here we are again with another CKC challenge! And "It is a DOOZY! ... complete a page/project about WHY YOU LOVE _____ BUT you may NOT include ANY photos, JUST journaling!

Well, it took me awhile to decide where to go with this!

With all my cute grandbabies & vintage childhood photos it was tough to go photo-less.

BUT - no one said I couldn't have IMAGES on my page...hehehe!

Until our recent kitchen redo I have had my FlyLady cling on my kitchen window, but she is now retired.
 Boy - was it a chore to get her to let loose!Fortunately I had a fresh one stashed away for a scrapbook page.

If you are not acquainted with FlyLady, the Fly part stands for Finally Loving Yourself.
I gained such an understanding of my "S.H.E." traits (Sidetracked Home Executive).
It was great to know I was not "B.O." (Born Organized) - that explained a LOT!

Anyway, the most difficult thing about doing this page was that my kit had NO purple in it,
and FlyLady's signature color is purple. So I mixed up a little paint & made mist.
Another FlyLady thing are Purple Puddles - when she gets weepy (awww...)
That gave me my title.

I can't begin to express how much my life has changed since I started Flying!

Now YOU fly over to Jemma's blog!

021913 First 10 LOAD pages

Hard to believe we are already 10 days into LOAD213ScrapHappier!
 And I've made it SO much easier by using my CKC Asphalt Jungle Kit on many of my pages.

Day One: Senses
Sight: Wordless Page

Day Two: Saturdays = All About You
The Perfect Day

Day Three: Sundays: Possessions
An Important But Overlooked Item

Day Four: Mondays: Goals
(another healthy & happy grandbaby!)

Day Five: Tuesdays = Relationships
Your Honey

Day Six: Wednesdays = Scrapbooking
Do It Now

Day Seven: Thursdays = The World Around Us
Scrap a Nature Photo

Day Eight: Fridays = Senses
Smell

Day Nine: Saturdays = All About You
Likes & Dislikes of Childhood

Day Ten: Sundays = Possessions
A Visual Quilt of This Stage of Life

Stay tuned for another installment in a week or so!

020913 Another Date Day

How did it get to be Saturday again so soon???

It was a frigid -7F this morning - so cold that we had ice fog.

It left a glaze on the tops of the trees that was beautiful once the sun was up.

We headed south to Cabelas...

...another massive outdoor sports store.

 

I have ALWAYS wanted a mad bomber plaid hat with fur - on sale, too!

 

 

Well...maybe not!

Looked for a new winter coat as mine is disintegrating.

This thing is light as a feather! It has this disco lining...

...that acts like a reflector to use your own body heat to warm you up - genius!

Then lunch at Chili's, but bad blogger moment - neglected to take photos :~(

Grocery run, then home to finish up my LOAD layout for the day.

More about that later...

020313 CKC Asphalt Jungle Kit

Well, I have retired my Quiet January kit.

Only 2 pages, but it was a sad month.

 Let's check out the Magic Blue Box!

Today unveils Asphalt Jungle, a name with a nod to the Scraptastic inspiration kit shown here:

I took my start from the peacock paper in the add-on, knowing I had something like it (bottom left.)

Otherwise I kept the papers similar to the kit, either in color or pattern.

I simply don't do plain cardstock but try to keep to the colors, usually in a simple pattern.

#2 top paper was chosen as a bold graphic in place of the arrows.

#2 middle represents the chalkboard paper.

#4 middle stands in for the deep blue cardstock.

#5 bottom map paper subs for the pale blue cardstock.

I tossed in a handful of flowers & ferns.

The Studio Calico wooden word bubbles replace the negative word pieces.

I replaced the sheet of arrows with arrow washi tape.

My homemade bubble wrap stamp mimics the hexagon mask.

Walnut Ink misters in brown & blue replace Mister Huey.

 Amy Tan potty people stamp instead of the one in the kit.

And my hexagon punches are on hand along with a peacock feather stamp...

Looking forward to getting a start with this one!

It's more inspiring than I expected :~)

020213 Date Day

Another Saturday spent with my knight in shining armor! 

If you've never been to a Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World you have missed a fabulous opportunity 

to shop  in an over-the-top outdoorsy atmosphere. At the back of the stores & all throughout 

are taxidermied animals & fun displays.Check it out:

This wall at the rear of the store reaches about 3 stories high with a cascading waterfall diorama scene. 

And that enormous chandelier is one of a pair - spectacular. Here's the view from underneath:

Here's a small airplane, complete with rotating propeller & dummy pilot!

Here's the ammo aisle. Note the empty shelves behind DH - those are for handgun ammo - hmmmm...

And this must be why:

Hardly a handgun to be had. The arming of America?

Now on to Michael's to check out their clearance sale. Not much left...

And to Petco for a new sweater for Lila - she gets too wet in the snow & needs a spare...

On to lunch at Joe's Crab Shack.

Hot crab dip appetizer anyone?

East Coast Platter: 

Fish and chips, crab stuffed shrimp and a made-from-scratch crab cake. Served with onion strings.

Maine Grill: 

Bacon wrapped shrimp & scallops along with a steamed lobster. Served with seasoned rice & vegetables.

And as if that wasn't enough? 

S'mores cake... groan

Grocery run later, then home to watch Sherlock Holmes - A Game of Shadows.

A girl could get used to days like this!

013113 A LOAD of inspiration

Well, it's just about T minus 24 hours until February 2013 LOAD ScrapHappier begins!

Last night I had a mild panic attack until I double-checked my supplies & verified that I had plenty of adhesive on hand. 

I decided that I really should get some new trimmer blades on my lunch break today, so I headed out to Hobby Lobby. 

Beware the siren call of the scrapbook aisles...especially on the eve of LOAD!

Basics. But hey! Since when do they carry Prima masks?

And what can I do with those cool  Stampendous pearlized mica fragments?

And I love alpha rubons - must have these...

And can't pass up the clearance aisle!

Not a bad way to spend the last of my Christmas money...

Now, LOADsters - start your engines!

The fun is about to begin :~)

This is the last time my desk will be relatively clear for a month!

See you in the gallery!

013013 CKC Quiet January Kit #2

This month has brought us a terrible loss. Our Aunie went peacefully home to Heaven early Sunday morning, January 13th. Although we knew she was in a decline we certainly did not expect to lose her this soon. We were able to get the whole family together which was a great comfort & blessing.

She looked lovely & aristocratic & some dear people helped us celebrate her homegoing. She would be thrilled to know that the congressman's children came to the funeral because they consider her family. We buried her with a watch on her wrist as she adored finding novelty watches, and we had them paint her nails as she used to do. One of the "girls" that worked with her in the congressman's office many years ago related a funny story of how Ann - who always ate her lunch at her desk - just this one time did her nails after she ate. Of course, someone came into the office right after & she was mortified because she couldn't shake hands! Aunie shared many delightful stories about what it was like to be on the campaign trail & to work on Capitol Hill as a congressional secretary. She saw a lot of history in her time in Washington D.C.

She was a hard worker, a generous woman who lovingly cared for her mother until her death at the age of 90. She was a Red Cross volunteer, a Pink Lady at a local hospital in Florida, she delivered Meals on Wheels, and ferried a number of "little old ladies" to the grocery every week. She taught me how to sew and to love crafting & quilting. She was an incredibly special person to my children all of their lives. She leaves a gaping hole in the fabric of our lives which we know will eventually mend as beautifully as her award-winning embroidery projects.

We traveled to West Virginia last week to bury her with her grandparents, parents & her big brother who died of polio at 15. The cemetery was just as my brother & I remembered it, although we must have been quite young the last time we were there. There is a beautiful view on that hilltop, and it was quiet & peaceful. A fitting place to leave the shell of our dear departed Aunie while she enjoys eternity with her Saviour. 

My second page from my CKC Quiet January kit is about that place.

After I had laid out the photos & chosen some things to add to the page, I stumbled across the transparency that included the gate & knew it would go perfectly right over those bright clouds in the large photo. The perfect counterpoint to the photo of the gate post to the cemetery. I like how the earthly one is so sturdy & grounded by comparison. That made me realize how perfectly the background paper surrounding the title looked joyful & light, so I traced around it in white ink. Tracing around the photo at the bottom in black gave me the final contrasting touch.

Until we meet again, Aunie...xoxoxo