Friday, December 26, 2008

Ho, Ho, Ho!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!

We were together as a family with DS visiting us for Christmas. What a treat that is. He was lucky to get out of the Pacific Northwest due to all the snow. For a while, we weren't sure he'd be here for the holiday. He made it! We so enjoy his visits.

Did you have a wonderful holiday? Was your tummy full? I made our Christmas menu a bit different this year. We had a fabulous ham from Basse's Choice. They are sooooooooooooo delish! With that, I made grits rich with Gruyere and Mozzarella cheese. DS doesn't like potatoes so grits was the substitute. I also made wild rice with cranberries, mushrooms, onions, celery, and topped with crispy bacon and cashews. Oh, that was really good! We also had an artichoke casserole and orange jello salad made with cottage cheese and cool whip. It was a nice light dessert.

Just after dinner, a storm moved through the area. Our lights kept flickering, the wind was really blowing - I mean gusts at 50 mph! The rain was coming down in torrents. What an odd December!

I found a couple of sites this morning that are giving away a really nice blog candy offering. Here are the links. They have some wonderful blog candy offerings! Check them out!

http://linda-wright.blogspot.com/2008/12/blog-candy-up-for-grabs.html

http://crafts-international.blogspot.com/2008/12/blogg-candy.html

http://thepaperfreak.blogspot.com/2008/12/im-offering-my-first-blog-candy.html

Join in the fun - maybe one of us will win!

I haven't taken any photos or done any scrap work for the past couple of days. I've just been working on other things.

I hope your holiday was very special! Come back soon!

XO

Chris

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Las Vegas Snow & Here, Too!

"Oh the weather outside is frightful"
"And the fire is so delightful"
"And since we've no place to go"
"LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW"

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The Snow Fairy Came!

No, this isn't a black and white photo! This is how it looks outside this morning!


I am sooooooooo excited! The snow if just falling thickly. We have a fire in the family room fireplace and the blinds are open so we can watch the snow fall outside. The landscape is white, and our Christmas lights are twinkling. Sadly, our lighted, moving reindeer have shorted out, HA, HA! They are dark and still! LOL. They couldn't take the snow! I feel like I'm a kid again. I loved winters in Pennsylvania. This is a wonderful treat!

My first experience of snow in the Mojave desert was in 1974. Las Vegas had nine inches! At that time, there was only one snow plow in Clark County, NV, and it was at Mt. Charleston. Since then, the county purchased a second one! LOL You have to understand that Clark County, Nevada (where Las Vegas is) covers 8,091 square miles! It's very large! The streets were a mess!

Driving to school that morning was "interesting." I had a Mercury Cougar XR7 with a huge engine. The back of the car had no weight. I remembered that my dad told me to always make sure the back end was weighted down. So, before leaving for school, I packed a 20 lb. bag of kitty litter in the trunk and filled the trunk with cinder blocks, my encyclopedia books, and a bunch of textbooks, LOL. I did make it to school without an issue! LOL I definitely had enough weight in the trunk!

We had three inches in 1979. DH and I had just moved into our home and one of the access roads to our area was a steep hill that was still dirt. DH and I decided to go skiing! We carried our skis and spent the evening skiing down the hill and walking back up. We had a blast! It was so much fun. We skied until about 10:30 that night. School was cancelled the next day, so we were able to play late!

In 2003, Las Vegas had another significant snow. DS was so excited, he came and woke us up about 2 AM. DH told us to get dressed. We piled into the Navigator and went to a park where we took some photos. Then, we drove around taking more photos of The Strip and other areas until 6 AM. The neat thing was that we weren't the only people at the park or just out and about. Lots of people were in the park at 3:00 AM playing like we were! People were on The Strip taking photos of the snowy hotels.

Today, Las Vegas is, once again, being whomped with snow as are we just north of Vegas, It started about 4 PM and hasn't stopped. There's about 3 inches on our lawn so far. I AM SOOOOOO EXCITED!!! There is nothing I love more than winter snow. It just makes things so beautiful! It just makes it feel more like Christmas, too!

OK, I've bored you enough. I'll post some photos in a bit. I have to download them from my camera. I hope it snows all night! I can't wait to look out the window tomorrow morning to see just how much we've gotten.

Here is a photo of our home taken at night:


This is so much fun!

XO,
Chris

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Christmas Cards to Share

Oh, we're supposed to get snow tomorrow! I am soooooooo excited! I feel like I'm 10 again! The anticipation, the beauty, the feeling of Christmas! I so hope that the storm holds true and we get the 3 - 5 inches that are predicted!

I've been making cards. I thought I'd share some with you.

The first one is of DH when he was sooooo little. This photograph just places a huge lump in my throat! The innocence in DH's face. Santa looks so real. We're sending this card to DH's dad as his Christmas card. I think he'll like it. I tried to make it vintage looking by using vintage colors with gold. What do you think?

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This card uses a Tilda stamp. I am so in love with these little characters! Her pants are a rust color, but for some reason, they don't look brown, but a dark red. Oh well. I used some old BG PP for the matting. I love the vivid colors. I also placed her on pop dots so that she stands out from the card.

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This is a Pageframe Design clear acrylic card. (See Happy Scrappin' link) I apologize for the yellow look, but if I used a flash, it would create a glare. So, I had to take the photo without the flash. I used a clear sticker on the front of the card as well as some "snow" effects. The bird, leaves, and branch are all silver. It is so pretty. Then, on the inside, I added the sentiment and a ribbon w/ snowflake brad. I like the dimension I achieved.

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This is another Magnolia stamp. I thought this Santa was so cute. He's on pop dots so that there is some dimension to the front of the card. The colors are so rich.

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Another cutie patootie Magnolia stamp. The simplicity is so wonderful. I embossed the back mat using a Cuttlebug embossing folder entitled Snow drops.

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Here is Tilda holding a Christmas wreath. If you look closely, you can see that I embossed the back mat using my Cuttlebug "Winter House" embossing folder.

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This card is dark green, but it looks black. I embossed gold paper with the Cuttlebug Christmas ornament embossing folder.All of these folders are available at Happy Scrappin'. I took some colored rhinestones and glued them to some of the depressions in the foil. I wanted to add a bit of sparkle and a bit of color. I used red, green, blue, and clear rhinestones. Then, I remembered I had these beautiful gold pointsettia Primas. I used that to cover the knot in the bow.

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And now for a single layout! This is one of DH's favorite photos of himself and our son. I tried to keep with the rusts and navy blues found in the photo. My guys went for a hike at Zion National Park. There had been a snowstorm the day before. If you look closely, you can see a snow plop on DS's hat and wet drip marks on DH's jacket! I used copper elements to keep the LO very masculine. This is one of my very favorite color schemes. I did some stitching around the edges of the PPs. The alphas are navy blue felt Thickers. TFL!

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Father & Son


Thank you for stopping by! I hope I get some snow photos to share. **keeping my fingers and toes crossed** I am so glad you took the time to visit!

XO

Chris

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Deck the Halls!

Oh, I just love this time of year. Everything looks soooooo festive! We have the lights along the rooftop, the lighted animated deer on the front lawn, and the tree is up! Our two felines, who are normally banished from the living room and dining room, have been given the ability to roam freely in there, too. They just need to stay off my white sofas and chairs! They may think they look absolutely gorgeous against the white, but, the floor is their area! LOL At night, we'll put the baby gate back up and close the double doors that lead from the dining room to the family room. I can just see the two of them snoozing away on something white! The tree has cat friendly ornaments along the bottom.

My scrap room is a disaster! I've got so many projects going on that it is a total mess! If a burglar came in, he'd think someone already had been there and ransacked it! It's on my "to do" list. (at the bottom)

Here are some LOs I did. Hope you likey!

I did this LO for DS. It's a photo of his "fur baby." She was given to us by my father-in-law. The minute Holly (the cat) saw DS, she took to him like white on rice! If she could crawl under his skin, she would! She is devoted to DS more than any animal I've ever seen. I hope he likes it. I used Basic Grey's Offbeat for most of the layout. The photo doesn't show the grey that I used on the left side and the paper behind the birds. It looks tan.

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My Love for You is Sublime


When I saw this photo, the title came to me right away! I used Sass Lass for this one. One of the clouds has been elevated using pop dots.

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Pucker Up Sweet Cheeks


This LO has my little sweet Annapurrna. She passed away a year ago at age 17. I miss her dearly. She was such a sweet animal except when she decided to imitate a snake and bite as fast as a rattler! She never did stop that habit. She'd sit and watch me do my hair and makeup. I'd pretend to put it on her and she'd squint her eyes the way cats do when they are making "love eyes." I used BG Urban Prairie. The fish are Scenic Route. I've elevated the fish on pop dots, too. I also added clear colored rain drops to look like bubbles.

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Day Dreaming


I took this photo of DH at our beach house. Summers on the Oregon Coast are so peaceful and sleep comes easily. When I took this photo, the Sony Mavica camera was the one to have. LOL Compared to the digitals out now, the Mavica was archaic. The photo is horrible! The solid mat behind the photo has been embossed on my Cuttlebug. It is navy blue and from the Boxer line as are the other PPs and embellies.

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I Love to Listen to You Breathe


Thank you for stopping by! I am glad that you took the time to visit!

XOXO,

Chris

Thursday, December 4, 2008

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

DH and I did some shopping yesterday. We got the cutest Nutcracker. He's about 3 feet tall and made of wood. We also got a red conical shaped "tree" that has lights. It stands to the side and behind the Nutcracker outside by our front door. The red "tree" has lights, too. I'll take a photo of it and post it. It looks so cute! I love to have something by the front door each month.

I worked on a couple of mini albums. It was a labor of love. DH took it down to the copy place to have them bind it and the gal there didn't bind it right and two of the inner pages fell out because the holes weren't placed right. I was sooooooo miffed! It took a week to make the album. Luckily, I was able to lessen the width of the cupcake top by cutting off the holes she made. Poor thing. She just didn't know.

This album uses pretty much all Basic Grey Cupcake goodies - paper, embellies, chipboard shapes, buttons, etc. DS was two on the day these photos were taken. I'm guessing he got the sweater as a b-day gift as he has a summer b-day and summers in Las Vegas were easily 116+° (47+°C.) which is hardly sweater weather! I baked the Big Bird cake because, at that time, he was so in love with anything Sesame Street. I also added touches of bling here and there - balloons, word, gift, etc. It turned out better than I had thought! LOL Here it is:

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I hope you liked how it turned out. I just had so much fun doing it, too!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

XO

Chris

Monday, December 1, 2008

Can You Believe It's December?

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We were lucky enough to have our DS and DDIL here for a visit that was sooooo appreciated. Bless their hearts, they drove for two days to get home. They did get back home safely and my prayers were answered!

Congratulations to Susan! There were only three comments posted, so the odds were good, LOL. Susan will be enjoying some new Basic Grey Ambrosia. Please PM your address so I can get this out to you, Susan. Calia and Kerry, thank you, also, for taking the time to comment. It was a bit disappointing that I only had three respondents, but I know it's a busy time of the year.

I recently did this LO with the crisp, clean reds and greens of the Christmas season. I LOVED the CS because of its leather-like texture. I bought it a couple of years ago and saved it for just the right layout. I thought this was it! The red and green solids are suede so there is yet another element of texture. The stitching and glittered highlights add a third. Here it is:

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Joy to My World!


Thank you for stopping by!

XO,

Chris

Monday, November 17, 2008

Just a Little Blog Candy

Well, I thought I might make a separate post tempting you with a little blog candy! Wouldn't you just love to get your hands on some Basic Grey Ambrosia? I don't mind sharing! It is such a beautiful line of colors and patterns.

What do you need to do? Why just leave a comment and spread the word! It's as easy as that! Let your friends know. If they mention your name in their post, I'll put your name in once for each separate mention! I'll let Random.org do the drawing. The more times your name goes in, the better chance you have to win! I'll select a winner the day after Thanksgiving! That should give you plenty of time!

Good luck!

Chris

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Fall is Flying By after Summer Dragged On!

Is time going faster or what? Summer seemed to never end. Here we are in the middle of November! I want Fall to last longer. It is such a beautiful time of the year!

The holidays are quickly approaching. We had our Christmas lights hung outside yesterday. No, we haven't turned them on! It's too early! We were able to hire the guys before things get crazy for them. It's so nice to have someone else string them up and take them down. We'll turn them on the day after Thanksgiving. They did it last year for us and DH was soooooo happy that he didn't have to do it!

I am in love *sigh.* I can't get enough of Basic Grey's Ambrosia! Out of all the lines Basic Grey has ever come out with, Ambrosia is my most favorite! The colors are so rich! The patterns are so much fun with which to work! I love Ambrosia so much, I want to share some with you! Just leave a comment. I'll use a random generator to select a name and send some to you! How's that for a deal?

Here are my newest designs:

This is one of my most favorite layouts ever. Isn't my DDIL beautiful? Look at that face! I have elevated the plume so that it is the high point of the LO. The butterflies are also elevated and the wings bent upward so they look as if they are flying. I also cut the "U" from chipboard and covered it w/ paper. Do you ever do a LO and surprise yourself? I surprised myself with this one. Here it is:

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U are So Beautiful


The next LO is of a petroglyph panel that is quite large entitled "The Great Hunt." It was carved into the desert varnish by Fremont Indians thousands of years ago. The canyon walls are covered with these carved images. Sadly, they are being ruined by truck traffic on the miles of dirt road. The petroglyphs are very close to the road. With these tanker trucks using that canyon all the time, the dust and exhaust are destroying them. It is so sad. For this LO, soaked the cardstock and crumpled it several times to get lots of wrinkles in it. I did this technique with my students when I was teaching. Next, I let it dry, and then inked the high points. It looks great IRL and has lots of textures from the burlap to the twine to the metals. Thank you, Kerry, of Scrap in the Box, for the chipboard owl. I covered it with Paper Perfect and added tiny pieces of mica while the Paper Perfect was still wet.

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9 Mile Canyon


The last LO is of my silly son and DDIL dressed for Halloween. My child is the one in drag! He's supposed to be Sarah Palin while my DDIL is a moose, LOL. Just wait until they look at this photo when they are in their 60s, LOL. I thought it was hilarious! Such a pair of cuties!

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There's a Moose on the Loose


I've made some holiday cards, too. These are just missing the silver word stickers on the fronts. I haven't gotten them yet.

I love this sweet stamp. I also used my favorite papers - you know, the kind that are too pretty to cut up. Well, I took a breath and started cutting. I used Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits. I can't find Gamsol where I live. I think it might work better than the generic mineral spirits. The bench and the little girl are on pop dots so that they stand up a bit. I also used one of my sets of Nestabilities to cut the circles. I got my sets at a great site called Cut@Home. Sign up and you will get a monthly discount code to apply to your purchase.

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The next card was made with my Lace Tree Cuttlebug embossing folder which I purchased from Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking. The owner, Sharon, does ship world wide, too! I added some gems and Stickles so that there is a sparkle. I did use white CS, but it looks a bit yellow.

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The last card is my favorite! I used green suede paper. It is so rich looking. I cut a border and then trimmed it to the size I wanted. Once again, I colored the angel with Prismacolor pencils and mineral spirits. I also used Copic markers for the darker points. I'm still learning how to use those fabulous markers! I cut the rectangle using one of the rectangle Nesties. I also used a Cuttlebug embossing strip using Swiss Dots. It's hard to see, but the embossing is between the fold and the green suede strip. I also purchased this from Happy Scrappin' Scrapbooking

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Thank you for stopping by. I really love having visitors! I hope I've given you some ideas!

XO,

Chris

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

History Was Made Tonight

My heart has been so touched by the speech I just witnessed by President-Elect, Barack Obama. I have witnessed the passing of the baton that is so American - the peaceful election of a new administration. I am humbled. The speech that was just given was of such a high caliber and given by a man that belongs to a select few - FDR, Abraham Lincoln, JFK. This is a moment in history that speaks of greatness. How lucky for the young generation that this is THEIR generation and THEIR President just as I was a part of the JFK generation. I am in awe tonight as I was when Kennedy was elected.

As I looked at the crowds shown on the TV screen, I loved seeing the diversity of America - MY AMERICA. I pray that President-Elect Obama will be blessed with the knowledge to get us back on the right track. I pray that his inspiration will spread to each and every one of us.

In my lifetime, which hasn't been all that long, I have seen blacks going to different schools, sitting at the back of a bus, drinking from appointed water fountains, unable to go into some public places. Slowly. over the years, those barriers came down. This - this is a moment in time that is historical and I have been witness to it.

What I saw in the faces of those gathered to hear this man speak were the faces of hope - a lifting of spirits that have been down for such a long time. People, knowingly or unknowingly, feeling the pressures of the past eight years were feeling their burden lifted with the promise that together, we can make change for the better. So many who have felt generations of being "held back," that there was no future, because of race, were finally witnessing something this nation holds true - that ANYONE can be president. We were reminded that WE are the United States of American - each and every one of us - a collective group.

God bless the United States.

XO,

Chris

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Race to the White House and Diversions

It's everywhere. You cannot get away from it. Political commentaries! Talk about mudslinging! If any of these candidates had noses that grew like Pinocchio's when untruths were told, my gosh, they'd be falling all over themselves - doing impressions of elephants or anteaters! I have to say that Utah is 99% quieter than Las Vegas was. The TV ads are sparse and yard signs, trash mail, door fliers, etc., are basically nonexistent. It's sooooooooooooooo nice! It's just sad that when watching these candidates on TV, the political "spin" is an insult to the intelligence! OK, enough of my political diatribe! No one cares what I think, LOL. However, this is my blog and I can voice my opinion, right? I anticipate a political breath of fresh air - a different tact - a more gentle way of interaction.

Enough...

If you are into Nestabilities, have I got something for you! There is a website, Cut@Home, that sells them. If you sign up for their newsletter, each month, you get a 40% off coupon code which is applicable to one item each month. I've been buying the four packs of Nesties and taking the 40% off! When I say four pack, I mean, for example, large rectangles plain, large rectangles scalloped, and the next smaller size of rectangles in plain and scalloped edges. You can use them in your Cuttlebug. Just remember to get the tan mat, too. There are two mats in each package. Your 40% off coupon code may also work for the single sets. I'm not sure, though. I have 3 four packs making 12 complete sets of Nesties. That little coupon code is perfect!

My printer died. We sent it back to HP for repairs. They called and stated that they are returning it to us for burial. I'm thinking a good Irish wake or maybe a New Orleans style tribute is due. That little printer was the little printer that could. It was soooooo good and sooooooo reliable. I loved how my prints always turned out beautifully. Now, I'm lost. I haven't scrapped in a week. I'm in the dumps. I don't even want to scrap. I have a big printer that prints on 12 x 12 papers, but the quality of the photos is stinky compared to the now departed one. I've been spoiled.

Below are the last photos HP printed before he went to Printer Heaven. Out of desperation, I made some cards. Here they are for you to view. Enjoy!

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For this card, I rolled the background image using a stamp wheel. I water colored the little girl, pumpkins, and ground. I added some glitter to the bat's wings and the tummy of the little sweetie. I love these stamps!

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On this card, the gold paper is a bright, clear gold. I added a little piece of sheer ribbon for her hair bow. Again, I used water colors to color the picture.

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The last card looks very, very vivid. I'm not sure, in real life, the colors are this harsh looking, but if I look at each component, the colors are right on.

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Baby Boo


Oh, this was way back when I was young, had good eyes, and thick hair. Time has taken its toll! I liked showing the two photos of DS - one where he was crying, and the next, after he got his bippy! I think he was too hot. LOL I made most of my costume using gold Christmas tree tinsel stitched to the neck, hem, sleeve cuffs. The dress was yellow satin. I also had openings in the back where the elastic for my beautiful wings threaded through. I was a fairy princess with crown and wand. I made a little pair of ears and a hat for DS. He was also wearing yellow fleece jammies. He looked like a fuzzy stuffed animal. He was just two months old. *sigh*

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My Honey


This is my sweetie. We're coming up on our 33 anniversary. I get so sad sometimes. We're getting older. My health isn't what I'd like it to be. DH has longevity in his genes. I know he'll marry after I'm gone. That just makes me soooooo sad. I'm selfish. I don't want to ever share him. OK- back to the LO - I added some gold foil CS to each corner to add a bit of sparkle. The title strips are fabric and attached with little screw brads.

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Sweet Fall Memories


I wasn't sure how this LO was going to turn out. I knew I wanted to step out of my comfort zone by braving orange and blue. I'm not sure I like the result, but it is bright! The leaves in the upper left have a touch of foil in the leaves' veins. It's also hard to see, but I stitched around the inner and outer circumferences of the circle to add some texture and draw the eye to the center. Each year, in the center of town, the Chamber of Commerce (I think) sets up this gorgeous display of pumpkins. It's quite large and in an uncovered covered wagon as well as all around it on the ground. It's there just for photo shoots and visual enjoyment. Of course, it's an annual event to take photos of DH. The title is glittery. It was gold until I colored it with ink so that it wouldn't clash.

Well, I'm going to see if my clothing budget is $150,000 for the next little bit. I need to make sure I can toss in a couple of Manolos and Jimmy Choo's. Oh wait, that's the clothing allowance the RNC provided for the VP candidate - forgetting that is against the RNC's own guidelines to provide a clothing allowance!!!!!!!!!!!!! *grumble* Someday, I should share how I feel, LOL!!!

I've seen women like this before. I had her pegged after the first interview. There are those that walk among us that will walk on us, no matter what it takes, to get where they want to be - even if it means casting your integrity to the wind. "She" is an insult to the female gender - a manipulator (remember the winks). She's found it worked before. Six years, five colleges later, a BS degree, LOL. She can't complete an extemporaneous thought! When she speaks off the script, her thoughts are disjunctive (I think that's the right word - they don't connect). ! If she's given a speech, she can "parrot" that perfectly, but don't dare ask her a question that deviates from the appointed, rehearsed, prepared speech. You know it's coming! She gets this vacuous look and makes a feeble attempt to "snow" whomever is interviewing her. This is not the last of You-Know-Who. She'll never go away. Americans have short memories and will not remember her inability to intellectualize let alone complete a coherent sentence. She's smart enough to learn to talk the talk for the next time around. Sadly, this isn't the kind of smart a leader needs to flaunt. Her intelligence needs to be intrinsic. A piece of advice to Ms. Palin - during those long, dark, Alaskan nights - PICK UP A BOOK AND READ!!!!!

Welcome to the blog to no where, LOL

Have a good one!

Chris

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Let the Voting Begin!

Yikes! Early voting is beginning across the USA. How will this election result? There are less than 20 days to go. It's getting exciting - if you can ignore the negative campaign ads. I think I should have a contest for the most POSITIVE presidential campaign ad! Who knows, maybe I'd start a trend!

My sweet husband and I were out taking photos a couple of weekends ago. You've seen the photo of Cedar Breaks and the snow which I posted right after we went. I thought I'd share a couple of additional photos to help you get into the fall mood!

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Oh, that's not an Autumn photo! It's a Choco Taco! LOL I used to buy these by the box for my husband and son to munch on! They are sooooooooooooooooo good!!! Are you thinking about licking the screen? Don't. It won't work!

Hmmm, back to the photos. Here are a couple to really help you get in the Fall mood:

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Doesn't Mother Nature do a wonderful job! Look at those leaves!

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I took this photo after I made my darling husband drive up and down the highway until I found this tree again. I love the contrast of the flaming leaves against the black lava flow. If I could title this photo, I think I would name it "Determination." How that Aspen grew through that basalt rock just amazes me. Gotta love Mother Nature!

This photo should be entitled, "Follow the Yellow Leafed Road." LOL
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Lastly, here is a LO I did after our photo shoot. The mountain in the background is a volcano cinder cone. The area in which I live is extremely geologically interesting! There are cinder cones, deep canyons, huge fault lines, dinosaur tracks, volcanic flows, and the beautiful, deep red sandstone.

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Thank you for stopping by and thank you for leaving comments on previous posts. It's nice to know who is visiting and if there was something that you liked!

Have a good one and be careful of errant ChocoTacos!

XO

Chris

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Utah's Weather is Wonderful - It Snowed Already!

Sadly, it didn't snow where we are because we're too far south, but it did snow 40 miles north of us! The high today was in the 50s and by Wednesday, we'll be back to the upper 80s again. *sigh* I love Fall and Winter. In the morning, we have the house open. Almost every morning, I hear geese and ducks squawking their little hearts out as they are heading south for the winter. They sound so cool! Our night time owl is back. We hear him in one of our trees at night. I just love it!

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I'm not going to bore you with tedious chat. I don't even know if you read anything I write or not. LOL. It's OK if you don't. I get it. I would love if you left comments though. Everyone loves to get "warm fuzzies," and each comment is a treasure to me.

Here are some layouts I recently did. You don't want to hear the story behind them, do you?

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My Silly Boys


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3 Goofy Boys


The layout below is absolutely beautiful in person. The camera just didn't pick up the lime green and black very well. This is a shot of DDIL who participated in a sidewalk chalk art community activity.
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Freedom of Expression


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Machine Washable Boy


Again, this LO is so beautiful in person. The colors just didn't come up well. I used copper metal alphas and then ran copper floral rub ons up the side. I have given thought to removing the flowers. I'm not sure I like it. We filled our garage three times when moving here from Las Vegas. Hint - before you move, do get rid of almost everything! LOL
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Moving Day


One of the things that we, as a family, did all the time was take day trips. The apple didn't fall far from the tree (well, actually, it did. It fell from the tree and then rolled right out of the orchard). I wanted to make sure that this family activity was not forgotten as time passes. By scrapping a LO about our day trips, someone will remember. The red grid is half of a clear acrylic 12 x 12 sheet by Page Frame Designs. I liked that it added something different to the LO. Then, I used acrylic alphas to carry that through.
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Our Day Trips


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My Guy


I hope that this little girl is smart enough to stay within the boundaries of the National Park! It's hunting season and sweet babies like this are becoming targets.
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Autumn


I'll be posting some cards that I've been working on as well. It takes me as long to make a card as it does a layout! Is that normal, or am I just too pokey?

Thank you so much for stopping by. I love having visitors. The company that runs the map at the bottom of the page clears the maps each year. I was so sad that they cleared mine! I loved watching the little red dots grow!

Blessings to you,

Chris XO

Thursday, October 2, 2008

So Much To Do - So Little Time

When I was teaching, I was ten times busier than I am now. Why, then, now that I'm home all the time, is there not enough time to do all the things I want to get done? Is time just passing by in a faster manner? Am I so old that it just takes me longer? LOL I'm still extremely organized (until I go into my scrap room), but it just seems that I just don't get as much done.

Fall is here. The temps are below 100 and the leaves on the trees are beginning to show signs of yellowing. The trees in the mountains have already begun to show their Fall colors. Fall and Winter are my two favorite seasons. I long for snow. I love the cold temps. I love the colors and scents of Autumn. Woo Hoo! It's October!

I've been a bit busy scrapping. I have a lot to share. I'll try not to bore you with tons of details, LOL. When I do challenges, I always dig into my older stuff first. It gives me a chance to use up things I've thought were too pretty to use, LOL. Do you do that, too?

The first LO is one of my current favorites. I love the colors and the die cut paper.

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He Loves Me


This LO was another opportunity to use some paper I've been hoarding. I am soooooo NOT a purple person! I took the plunge creating this LO.

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Ladybugs are Angels with Freckles


Layout #3 was for a challenge to use five different kinds of PP. I thought it would be fun to get away from the usual strips or blocks. This was taken about 30 minutes from our home. The peaks in the far back are those of Zion National Park.

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Kolob Plateau


Are you hungry? Well, this will drive you to the kitchen! This was also done for a challenge. This wonderful cake box opens up and is perfect for holding something special. I used an extremely dark brown Bazzill CS. I inked the bottom in a darker brown to resemble crust. Then, I used tiny pieces of paper to make the coconut. The bow is made from strips of patterned paper, too! You could make eight of these and have a whole cake to display!

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Not for Human Consumption!


The following images are those of an album I made for my sweet husband. He can put the photos in that he wants. I loved this PP and just thought I could do something special with it. The base is made of brown Bazzill CS to which I added the binding after the LO was done.

For the cover, I did some stitching using floss, added felt flowers, some glitter on a chipboard arrow, flowers, buttons, sticker alphas, and an epoxy butterfly.
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The next two pages are great for DH. He won't have to think too much about the photos. The chipboard alphas are from the new BG line, Ambrosia. On the second page, I used brown rub on alphas and stamped a swirl to which I added bronze metal flowers. I wanted to keep it masculine.
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This set of pages uses more Sass Lass. I just loved to use those borders. I just couldn't cut them and toss them.
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Enjoy the sunshine, but remember sunscreen! I put some of the alphas on pop dots just to give it some dimension. I also stamped the owl on white CS and then colored it to match the page.
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This set of pages turned out so nicely. I loved the colors and the stamps I used.
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I really tried to achieve a variety of styles and colors. I love the woven ribbon technique with my new punch! LOL
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Last, but not least, are the pages in teal.
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My husband loved his album. I loved making it! Think anyone would buy one similar to it? LOL I don't like to make things exactly the same.

OK, I've taken enough of your time. I am so glad that you stopped by to visit. Thank you!

Have a good one!

Chris