Blogging and Baubbles!

Best Seasons. . . 

Blogging again so soon. Who would have thought! 

Papercrafting

Here is my cover--I have been working on my Patriotic Book. I am happy with it--how about you?

I added gold leaf to the book title indention on my navy cover. The cover picture has two parts--the background is a design I downloaded from the Internet and the eagle is copied from one of my vintage books about our Presidents. Both are fussy cutouts. The America is from the Tim Holtz Holidays chit-chat booklet. The seam binding is from my stash. Can’t believe the red is so perfect. The seam binding is just tied around the book--it slips on and off easily. 

It was a tough decision, but I am liking it--alot! I will show you more pages soon.

Studio

Still working on my plan for moving my studio. Need to buy shelves for my new area. Have been watching studio tours and wow, there are some really nice studios out there. 

May all the seasons be sweet to you. . .

Mary

Seasons. . .

A Time for A New Season

Well, I am back again. Seems I cannot get into a blogging groove. Life is busy and so good! I am living and loving my life. My two Grand Sweeties have brought me more joy than I can even put into words. Here is what has been happening with us.

Family Stuff

The Hiatt House is finished, well there is a checklist to work through. Coach, It-Girl, Little Miss 1, and Little Miss 2 moved in just before Christmas. We all worked hard to paint, move builder’s tools out, line shelves, clean floors, scour bathrooms, and vacuum bedrooms so that moving could commence. On December 21, the move was complete--well mostly. There was even a Christmas tree up before Christmas so that Jingle Bell the Elf could visit and Santa would have a proper place to put all the gifts. Since then our loves have made Hiatt House their Home. 

Even Dirtman loves the pictures and bric-a-brac on the walls, new furniture, colorful landscaping, and growing vegetable garden. Love their new home and watching them being a family makes my heart swell with pride and joy. Coach is busy with his AD duties--so thankful he loves his job. It Girl is working hard to make their house a home. Little Miss 1 is swimming, tumbling, and being her sweet but sassy self. Little Miss 2 is growing up too fast--teething, crawling, and smiling through it all.

Studio Update

My studio is still packed with treasures--while trying to get better organized I realized that perhaps I should move to the larger part of the downstairs space and make my now studio back into a bedroom. To be really organized, you need a proper space for required tools--typewriter, iron, sewing machine, big shot, paper cutter, score board just to name a few. Yes, I need more room. More to come on the progress.

Papercrafting

Have been working on projects with my soon to be moving to Florida crafty friend. Here are a few pictures of our work. . .

Before Christmas--well a bit after too, we worked on two Christmas projects. Between working on those, I worked on a “Bookadex”.

This book was made from a Tammy Tutterow tutorial. All of the supplies were Tim Holtz goodies. There are about eight pages in this book. We followed some of the tutorial directions, but added several of our own designs on pages. 

Here is my “Bookadex”. It is made from an old book named “Cherokee Blood Mary”, kinda appropriate for me. Index tabs mark sections of the alphabet and tags have important information written on them. I use this almost every day.

Another Christmas project made from a Tim Holtz small folio and following instructions from a Tammy Tutterow tutorial. the pictures don’t do it justice, it is packed with cuteness.

Our last project (at least until we FaceTime for craft day) is a Patriotic Book! We both love all things patriotic and have collected patriotic items for a long time. This project is not finished, but here is my book and some of the items I have added or will be adding.

The book is made from an old book. Love the navy blue cover, the title is under the gold leafing I added. All of the pages were removed and I added five signatures using a hidden spine with sewn in signatures. The pages are tea dyed. Can’t decide on a cover design, but I am loving the progress.

One of my favorite George Washington pages so far. The printed paper is Stampin Up Typeset designer paper and is one of the only scrapbook papers included. It is great looking when dyed.

You can see in the picture above that five signatures each with ten pages filled the book nicely. Hope it will close when I get all of my treasures in it!

We even made our own copy of the Etiquette for Stars and Stripes book. You can see how old the pages look and how some of our treasures fit right in with the old look. I still have a lot of work to do on this one.

Girlfriend Get Together

Two of my lifelong girlfriends and I took a little “Spring Break” of our own. It all happened on a whim and turned out to be a great trip. We had lunch on Tuesday and after we finished eating our yummy Mexican food, we decided that we needed to get away--so off to Kansas City we went! 

Got there late afternoon, shopped Target, shopped Pottery Barn, ate at Bravo, and checked into our inexpensive digs. Wednesday we took on Nell Hill (bought my chargers), shopped IKEA (like shopping a town), lunched in the IKEA dining room (really good vegetable medallions and inexpensive), shopped Hobby Lobby, shopped JoAnn, dined at Fiorella’s Jack Stack Barbecue (the three bones meal is enough food for a family of six). and called it a night. Thursday it was time to hit as many Home Goods stores as possible--we made it to two where we found many good buys including a few cute clothes from Marshall's--the car was full so we decided it was time to eat a Quik Trip hot dog and head home.

Housekeeping

There is always more housekeeping to do than time and desire to do it. One thing I enjoy doing for fun is setting a table for two for the season. Here is my summer table setting, yes I am on to summer.

Yes, it all about red/white/and blue, flags, and my really unhealthy vice--Coca Cola--the real thing!

The runner is a linen pin striped towel from Upscale Country, the charger is from Nell Hill (love the blue gingham check), the plate is Fiesta, the salad plate is Ralph Lauren from Home Goods, and the red covered dish is from Target.  Really me! Love it!

I also am in to making pom pom garlands and paper chains--here’s what is hanging in the dining room bay window. Is it wrong to leave paper chains up year round? Need to trim the ties on the pom pom garlands, but friends say not to. I don’t know?

Cleaning Out

Oh my, my. My mind is motivated to purge, but I can’t seem to get up any steam! Do you ever look at your treasures and think you really need them, all of them. Have a storage area in our basement with holiday decorations--30 totes or so and a building with that many or more totes holding other treasures--things we are saving! I will tell you how the purging is going, but  don’t hold your breath until it is finished because this is a really slow process for me. How can you love so many things you have--they are just things!

Well, that is a little bit about what is going on here. 

May all the seasons be sweet to you,
Mary

Thanksgiving!

A time to give Thanks. . .

Yes, it is the time of the year when our thoughts turn to what we have to be thankful for. I have a long list and so I feel very blessed. 

It is time to start talking to LM1 about Thanksgiving and what it means. She is so sensitive to others' feelings and I know she will love to hear about the Pilgrims and their Native American friends and how they had a “party” to celebrate blessings. Will let you know how it goes.

I have been on a buying frenzy! With LM1’s birthday, Hiatt House, junking, and Christmas, I have made a dent in my “do what you want” budget! Papercrafting supplies have made a huge dent too.  There are so many cute things to make--here are a few of my new treasures.

Here is the LINK to the Make It Market set. Many cute things to do with that set. 

Thanksgiving will be here and the family will be here.  Can’t wait to start our Family Time with a great Thanksgiving Day.

It is now January 12, 2015...oh yes, can’t believe that I did not finish this post. So for now, this is it and more soon!  So much to say and show.

May all the seasons be sweet to you,

Mary

Celebrations! Birthdays, Bottles, and Babble. . .

A Time To Celebrate. . .

LM1’s Third Birthday was a success--she was a little bit under the weather, but she had a good time and celebrated in her style. I am amazed that she has not eaten a bite of her birthday cakes (3 now)--at least not while the party is going on. The theme, Frozen--trampoline, UnderArmour, and AG doll, the bounty. 

Nannie (Our It Girl’s Mother) also celebrated her birthday. She is also celebrating life's progression--starting a new job, living away from home during the week, and moving from her home and hometown to be close to grands. Her present was my first attempt at book art--a pumpkin.  Took two books, but it was a success, I think!

LM2 is starting “school”. Yes, it doesn’t seem possible, but she is 3 months old. For several weeks now in practice for going to school, we have been working on her bottle skills. Glad to report she is doing well and taking bottles. Let’s hope she keeps up the good work! 

My Grands are loquacious. LM1 is a talker--we have since she could make sounds had long conversations about her world, yes always! She still likes to tell you how it is! LM2 is a talker too--in the afternoon when she wakes up from her long nap, she likes to talk things over. She is very animated when she tells you her stories about her day. Our It Girl wonders where these little girls get their talking expertness; I just smile as I remember the rating that appeared most on my elementary school progress cards; next to “Talks Too Much” the "Most of the Time Box" was always checked. 

A few of my favorite things--falling leaves, sparkling frost on the lawn, crisp air, planning for the holidays, shopping for the holidays, decorating for the holidays, and clean sheets to name just a few.

May all the seasons be sweet to you,

Mary

Busy Time. . .

Hi to all...

It has been a busy time these last months.  I have been wanting to blog, but as I have seen mentioned on others' sites “Life happened at our house”.  All is good. Here is the condensed version of what I have been up to---

Little Miss 2 is growing like a weed.  She is doing well and is such a joy. She is “talking” to us and wants to sit up and be a part of the happenings. Our It Girl goes back to work soon so we are gearing up for that transition. Our hard work on bottle feeding has paid off and we are hopeful that LM2 will do well at school.

Little Miss 1 is three! Yes, we can’t believe it, but it is true. We celebrated her birthday with a Frozen Party. She had a fever and was not quite herself, but I think she had fun. She is going to gymnastics--the class is going well--at least the last two. She loves school and has been the best big sister ever. She calls LM2 “her baby”. 

We are so blessed to have these two beautiful, healthy, smart, and adorable grands in our life. 

Hiatt House (what I like to call Coach’s and Our It Girl’s new house) is coming along. Outside is complete and Dirtman has the yard in shape including new grass peeking up. Work inside is progressing.  Painting upstairs is complete with cabinets and flooring to be installed soon. Downstairs is close to being painted--the den is being used as a paint booth for doors and molding but will be painted soon.

Next, packing, moving, and decorating so Hiatt House is ready for the holidays. 

And then Thanksgiving!

May all the seasons be sweet to you!
Mary

Gratitude

For every season there is a time for every activity under Heaven. . .

On this 249th day of 2014, I am thinking about gratitude. Last year, 2013, was full of seasons--good and bad.  Don’t get me wrong, I am grateful for my life and feel blessed.  But just like all of us, I had challenges in 2013.  But this year is good!

Here is what is happening right now in my life--

Our second granddaughter is here--our Little Miss 2! Little Miss 1 is the best! She loves her little sister and has adjusted to being a big sister well, so far. I have decided to give them nicknames even though Little Miss 1 is not too sure about it. LM1 is Chickadee because she is a like a little bird with a big song.  Little Miss 2 is Cricket because she is like a little bug with a big chirp.  (I know that some experts say that only male crickets chirp, but others say that strong females do too!) Life with these two beauties is joy filled! We grandparents know that Grands are like our own heart walking around. Feeling Gratitude!

Coach and Our It Girl are building a new house. we are hoping they will be in it by Christmas. Here is the progress as of a week ago.  Of course, Dirtman has been “supervising” the progress. He dug the basement, built the workshop pad, dug trenches for the electricity and water lines, moved dirt for the septic system, and ensured that the “yard” is looking its best.  Their home is located on 3 or so acres with a farmed field behind it, a “ creek” to the west, and a cow-filled pasture across the road.  They do have a neighbor to the east, but not close. This home will be a perfect place for them to raise their family. Feeling Gratitude!

New House Front

New House Back

Dirtman and I are enjoying semi-retirement. Of course, Dirtman is bulldozing these days and we are waiting to see if he returns to his “real job” for special projects.  I am still doing my own thing and could not be more grateful! Working in my studio and helping C get ready for a big party.  One of her twin daughters, A, works for a local Chamber of Commerce and it is time for Ladies Night.  The theme is Boots and Bling! Here is a sneak peek of one cute accoutrement!

Bling for Boots

Still working on my Wilna inspired album.  I keep finding new must-include embellishments! Below is a snapshot of my pages--at least what I have gathered so far.  I used  my Stampin Up Smoky Slate ink pad to wash the pages--they have just the right grey mottled background. The color theme is Pirouette Pink and Smoky Slate with touches of Mint Green and of course gold and silver additions such as dotted vellum, glitter frames, and Sharpie metallic gold and silver dots. The pages are layered.

 For the first layer I am using book pages from a book I bought at a resale shop in Kenai, Alaska. The book is titled And the Ladies of the Club by Helen Hooven Santmyer. It is a fictional novel and a good summer read. I started tearing the pages from this in-perfect-condition-hardcover-with-dust-cover book to use in this album. Then one day I was watching Jeopardy and this book was an answer to one of the clues. That sparked my interest and I wanted to know more about it. Now I am kinda sad that I ripped pages from this book. I bought it to use in my paper crafting because it has 1,184 pages, the first page of each chapter is decorated, the color and weight of the pages are perfect for paper crafting, and it has mention of holidays and festivities that I love to celebrate-not to mention that some of the names of characters and towns are familiar too. Even though these pages make the perfect first layer, I might not have used them if I had known the history before the first rip. I used 6x6 paper from Maggie Holmes collections for the next layer and many of the embellishments are from her collections too. 

Possible Pages Collection

Feeling Gratitude! 

If you are a paper crafter and have not found Wilna on the “inter web” as she calls it--here is the link. Check out her site. She leads the best online workshops! I love her style, hope you will too.

Good Friends are such a blessing in my life. A few of these GFs I have known since junior high school. I moved the summer before my eighth grade year. It seemed like the end of my life at that time, but it turned out to be the beginning of one of the best things in my life! We are a group of five women who still share our lives. When we are together it feels like we are teenagers again. Three of us, P and B who are mentioned in my It’s a Girl Thing--A Girlfriend Thing! post and me, are planning a girlfriend-get-together-road-trip next week. Can’t wait! Feeling Gratitude!

Not all I feel gratitude for, but a good start! 

Things I like--the beginning of Autumn, Bosc Wine, Keurig coffee pots, and my freezer filling up with bounty from our garden just to name a few.

May all the seasons be sweet to you, 
Mary

Summertime!

Well, I’m back.  

Now for a few updates. . . 

The Studio

I am working in the studio (can't get used to calling it that--it is my craft room, but my BFF P always calls it my studio--I just have to chuckle).  Here is my messy worktable. Still need wall decor.  I think I will use my PB Flag on one of these walls.

Love the new Grey Chairs!

The Projects

Still working on my Wilna Furstenberg inspired book--it will document the debut of Little Miss H2 and will feature Little Miss H1’s reactions.  Only thing is, I did not make one to document the debut of Little Miss H1. Another project!  Yay!

Cover 

Page Stacks are ready to be put together.

Three of my favorite things right now are my new Gold Stapler and my Gold and Silver Sharpies.

Nate Berkus Stapler (Target)
One Dollar Sharpies (Dollar General)

Have made a few “enamel dots” to use in my book.  Google eyes and Sharpies make pretty good enamel dots.  

Google Eye “Enamel Dots”
Inspiration from 47CMC YT Video

Remember those wonderful circa 1960 book Christmas trees that were commonly made from Reader’s Digest books--well, yes I am making my version.  Will show you the finished project soon.

Christmas Book Christmas Tree!

The Garden

We have had abundant harvests this year--the corn, potatoes, onions, green beans, and tomatoes have produced like mad and we have been busy freezing, canning, and eating our bounty. We have harvested buckets this year! Yum!

A few of the 500+ ears of corn.
Bag of green beans.

Just a few of our yummy tomatoes.

The New House

The kids are also waiting for their new house to be ready for move in.  The basement rooms are framed, the upstairs floor is down, the upstairs rooms are framed, the outside walls are up, and the roof tresses are being put in place.  Each day we see progress! 

New House

The Playroom For Little Misses

The playroom is in the basement of the new house and it will have glass panel french doors into it.  I have lots of ideas for that room.  Hoping to donate my school table and four chairs, the art easel, the rabbit bench (Grandad built it and Grandie painted it back in our craft show days), four large floor pillows, and frames for displaying the exquisite art made by our two little misses.  Here is the inspiration picture and the frames I have acquired so far.  

Via Pinterest-YellowBlissRoad
Love the frames.
Little Miss H1 has these sheets too.

Loving these frames!

Of course, there has to be room for the kitchen, ironing board, and dish cabinet not to mention the baby crib, stroller, and highchair!

The Debut of Little Miss H2

We are anxiously awaiting our new Little Miss. Right now Little Miss H1 thinks that having a baby sister will be the best thing since sliced bread. Hope that is still her feeling after Little Miss H2 makes her debut. It is not long now! Another blessing!

Some likes (have not included any for a long time)--cool summer breezes, gold staplers, edged driveways and sidewalks, my new studio,  and Sunday family days!

May all the seasons be sweet to you,
Mary