So....

No pics today - something's messed up with my folder that has them - they're still THERE but Picasa can't see them or something. I need some IT help, LOL! Actually I just don't have time to mess with it, so you get an update with no pics.

I signed up for my very first ever art class. It's with the Art and Soul Workshops which are in Portland Oct 4-7 this year and at my neighbor's hotel. He got me a free registration (which is like $45!) so all I pay is the class, and it was kind of expensive (in my opinion) but I'm sure as art classes go, it wasn't all that high. We're making our own mixed media hanging..creation...is the only way I know how to put it. The pic of the example is totally cool and I am hoping mine will turn out similar.... My block in creativity is just letting it FLOW and not talking it or myself down - so hopefully I can branch out and just let myself go and create a beautiful piece that I can actually show in our home. I am TOTALLY STOKED about it!

The weather is much cooler this week and I am LOVING IT. Waking up to 51 degrees outside is AWESOME, particularly when I have the windows open and am sleeping with a blanket. I may need to move Mina's bed from right by the window though - she looks cold in the mornings...maybe she needs a blankie? LOL - I'm crazy..I know...the neighborhood all know us now cause she's the dog always carrying around her plush soccer ball. It helps keep her occupied and not scared of/barking at new people and little kids. I call it her pacifier...cause it works! We had to get a new one b/c I couldn't repair the holes in the last one (plus it had been washed a few times and was just getting tired).

What else - I have been working on a book of Mina for Ben to put on his desk at work - It's actually a fold out purse, but don't tell him - I don't think it looks girly so I think it'll be OK. I have also done several LOs over the past few weeks that I haven't posted, mainly because I haven't had time to take pics of them. Maybe this weekend during a free moment. I am working on a major software release this weekend, so who knows if I'll have a free moment, but maybe I will....

Have a great day!

ATCs

So I'm making these artist trading cards for a swap. And I have been seriously OUT of ideas....like the whole summer...I guess it's because I have never worked on something this small - they're 2.5" by 3.5" - so I finally got an idea last night (yeah, and they're already supposed to be made!), and this pic is part of it...I'm supposed to be pondering the question of life imitating art....I think it's funny...not exactly sure why...perhaps I just have a weird sense of humor...

I will post a pic when I finish - I hope they don't come out totally DUMB. The others that I've already received in the swap are so pretty that I don't want people to be disappointed in mine :) 

I love my husband

So he goes to the grocery store last night, and find my favorite coffee EVER. Tully's Evergreen blend...so freakin' good....and buys some cause he remembers how much I raved about it and how we couldn't find it last time I went.

He's super! 

Vacation recap

This is quite possibly the best photo from the trip...We have lots of good ones...but this captures my husband so well.

We had a great week in Tennessee, back home visiting with family and friends. C and M came up to join us for the whole week - we had so much fun. One night we went camping at Old Forge, which really just meant that we ate really good food cooked over a fire, and that the boys went swimming naked, and no one got any sleep. M and I were convinced (especially having just seen snakes on a plane) that we were going to get bitten by snakes at every turn. But it was fun...perhaps our next camping experience will be in winter or here in WA where there are no poisonous snakes.

Erin came up on Wednesday and we had a lovely visit with her too. Friday/Saturday, several folks from Atlanta (and Chattanooga) came up to go down the river in what's going to be a tradition each summer. Then we had our wedding reception which was fun, but planning for it was a little stressful - although again, thank you M for keeping me sane and putting things in perspective. We had lots of fun and now we're back home, which is nice too. I am so much happier at work - I knew I needed a break :)

Have a great week. I'll post more pics as I get to it. 

Mina leaves for camp

Since we're on vacation next week, we decided that Mina would enjoy a week at a doggie "adventure camp" So she's staying at http://www.doubledogranch.com for the week. She's been there once before but I must admit I was a little teary when I dropped her off today as she's never been away from us for a week (never more than 2 nights)...I know she will have fun, and I trust these folks to take excellent care of her. We will miss her though.

My family doesn't believe it's a little schoolbus that picks them up...
She's happy and ready to go...although after we sat there awhile I think my nerves got to her and she was getting a little apprehensive herself. I should have brought some cheese for Sam to give her. 

Grandma

These pics aren't the greatest but this is another LO I have done this week. Ran out of A's so I thought subbing with the chipboard flowers was kinda cool.

I like remembering my grandma's flowers...she always had really pretty stuff growing. And she was so good at it too. 

silly quiz -answers in bold

YOUR HOME:::
Coffee table or soft ottoman? neither
Flower arrangements or candle-scapes? neither
TV/DVD/stereo black or silver?
Garden annuals or perennials?
Antiques & flea finds or matching sets?
Office or junk drawer?

YOUR SELF:::
Pony tale or butterfly clip?
Make-up or nada?
Cotton or synthetics?
Flip flops or leather sandals?
Silver or gold?
Purse or pocket?

WITH HUBBY:::
Fine dining or picnics?
In jammies or unmentionables?
You click the remote or he does?
Theater or rent?
Lowes or the mall?
House work or hire it out?

Latest works

This weekend I feel like I've moved up to a new level of scrapbooking, albeit temporarily. I did this page for a "Retrospective Challenge" on my friend Nat's website www.scrapbook-trends.com - it's a cool place , she does great interviews with all sorts of scrapbooking 'celebs'.

This next page is the closest I have ever come to "freestylin' " - I love it...but also wonder if this is a classic thing or one that will fizzle out soon. Like my friend Carl and tattoos..this definitely describes the current time in my life (the art, the photos are from 93) , and therefore it's important, as it tells the story of who I am NOW, and what I think/feel/create NOW. Very apt, my friend Carl is...
The last layout mainly to show off these really cool postcards that my mother-in-law sent us in her thank you card for hosting her and my sister-in-law. Not particularly AWE inspiring but a solid LO none the less...

I am feeling so creative - need to go and make more! Goodness knows I have the photos! 

Overtime = scrapbooking tools

With some of the overtime I have been accruing, I decided (with Ben's approval of course, since we share finances) that it was time to try "the Wizard", this fancy die cutting machine that is supposed to work with everyone's dies. I stalked the UPS man until 6:55PM last night for this order... So I immediately had to unpack it and try it out! Well, I read the directions, and it only took me a couple of tries before I got it - which surprised me b/c I had heard there was a pretty steep learning curve on it. I am sure that once I practise more I will be able to use it faster and get the hang of it better, but I did make lots of circles...I am now VERY anxious to get the alphabet dies I bought off a friend :) They're Sizzix and so I'm curious as to how easy they'll be to use on this, as well as how cute they'll look as titles.

I do think this machine is cool - I'm surprised by people who say it's light, because I personally thought it was really heavy - but I also haven't picked up a Sizzix machine :)
 

Birthdays rock!

My birthday started on Friday when my next door neighbor made my favorite snack/dessert, apricot bars. They're so yummy and she brought them over still warm! Friday night we grilled out and several folks, along with their dogs, came over - it was a dog party and a people party. Lots of fun, plus lots of pomegranate martinis, which I HIGHLY recommend.

Ben went against all he believes in and bought me a kickass Apple iPod! It's so cool, and the pic shows the cute and cheesy inscription he made on it. Several friends were so sweet to get me birthday presents as well - a giftcard from Michael's, a leather storage box, a beautiful set of 6 woolen dinner napkins, and some lovely modern-art style home decor pieces...I love birthdays!


 

My two faves

This picture warms my heart - this is back when we still lived in ATL and before Mina's ears would really lay flat....Totally snoozin' - we got her used to cuddling with us early...I even tried to get her to sleep in our bed...that was not a good idea - she wiggles too much, so we didn't do that but once. 

whew

Well, it's August and I'm so glad. Although this month is going to be as crazy as the last one... Ben and I decided that we were OVER July.

My co-worker has had a emergency that requires him to return to India for a few weeks - I am his backup so that means I do 2 jobs this month. Fine by me - I just hope his family gets well. I am also supposed to take vacation one of those weeks - thank goodness my boss says I still can. I am willing to work from TN one or two days but not the whole week, because this is for our wedding reception. So that's kind of more important - so glad she understands.

In other news, we're halfway through obedience class which is nice but it's going by too fast - I guess if I practised more with Mina I would feel like we're getting more out of it... I am having a craft gathering this weekend - hope it goes well. I think it will be fun - I am always impressed by the different crafts that people do. My neighbor makes needle-felted purses, and another neighbor paints watercolor, another one embroiders, and yet another makes bead jewelry. Too cool! And there are a few people who are interested in making a scrapbook for this or that...so I am looking forward to sharing what little I know about it with them.

Yay friends!

Love this pic! And I love my friends! 

a smile today

I am having a crappy day - work is really stressful right now, so I thought looking through last weekend's photos for a minute would help me clear my brain and have a little smile. This is J and C along with my husband who went to Ga Tech with J. I am very proud of them for everything. 

Mina likes Hawaii

Well, she would, if she had ever been there. This shirt was too cute to pass up, especially since it was only 9 bucks! So I got the largest size possible and it's barely big enough. But I think she looks just adorable in it! (Yes, there's something WRONG with me, I know)I also got her a pair of doggles, doggy sunglasses. It's going to take a little while for her to get used to those, but I'll post a pic soon! 

the A-T-L

Heading there this weekend for a close friends' wedding. Should be fun! Have a great weekend!

Mina loves sand.

She loves to dig in it and EAT it...and run around...

I love how it's on her nose and whiskers and around her mouth! 

Mom's birthday present

Shh, don't tell! Or send her the web address, LOL... This is a book (matchbook album from Lil Davis, actually) of inspirational/leadership quotes that I've made my mom for her birthday. I used the Basic Grey Hang 10 collection, cause I thought it would sort of match her office. I wasn't going to leave space for photos, but I decided that might be good afterall, so I left places for her to put photos of the bank and her co-workers in there. I hope she likes it well enough to put it on her desk.

For Connie - sorry I'm posting these pics so late - it took me forever, I kept waiting on the Mod Podge to dry :)

We live in a beautiful place...

I love where we live - I open the windows and hear the birds (although I think there's a hawk's nest close by cause I hear more screeching these days than usual), and when I look out my windows I see beautiful pine trees and tops of houses. It's still a bit cloudy so I can't see the hills past our neighborhood, but that's OK.

I turned down Banfield again. I think/hope that I left it open enough so that if something unexpected happens, then I will have maybe an option, but I also made it clear that I am not comfortable changing jobs right now. I think it's the best decision. Now I just have to seriously consider the merit of going back to school online. Right now I can't get past the cost, and how we'll pay for that - I am a terrible financials person. I had hoped that Ben would take that over, but he doesn't seem to have any interest in it either. And I'm interested in managing it, but have no willpower. Blech...hate talking about money!

Anyway, Mina is still snoozin - we contacted a playmate of hers from back in Atlanta who was a little younger. A full Dane named Marley - they played together often at our local dog park and were in puppy kindergarten together. Marley is TALL now, 34" at the shoulders. Parkey, her "mom", sent me some pics back. She's totally adorable. Mina has definitely turned us onto Danes as a breed. But we're staying a one dog family for awhile longer, that's for sure.

Lovely rain

It is raining today, the first time in a few weeks. Today it is nice; it makes me feel peaceful. And Mina isn't being a pain cause she's still tired from playing all day at "doggie day care" yesterday. I realised I need to do something for Mom cause her birthday's next week. I think I'll create something - lord knows I have plenty of stuff already here to do that with.

Everyone is talking about sneak peeks for the CHA Summer show...that would be so fun to attend. And I have to miss the CKU-Atlanta this year, it's the weekend after I'll be there for A and P's wedding. Oh well - I think it would be fun to go to a different place altogether for it. Maybe somewhere in CA...anyway...

I made a book for my MIL the other day but forgot to take pictures of it. LOL, I also forgot to send any sort of note explaining what it was to her either, but surely she'll figure it out. I can be such a ditz sometimes.