Still playing . . .

. . .with my blocks. Now I need nine more blocks. The original intent was a photo cube puzzle with six full size photos. But then I got side tracked by one of Jennifer Stewart's wonderful projects and started with the paper and embellishments. Now I see I HAVE TO HAVE both. I am definitely going back to kindergarten.

(sorry for the flash glare.)

Back on track . . .

I love the net. How else could my bestest scrapping bud Sheri and I cyber-crop all morning when we live 300+ miles apart? She completed a birthday album for her daughter and I played with cubes. I felt like I was back in kindergarten with all the cutting and gluing going on. What a glorious sticky mess I was. Love it! So the idea is to take nine 2" x 2" cubes and then add photos and embellishments. At least one side will be a 6" x 6" photo. But I got so attached to the Urban Couture paper that I hesitated to cover it. So here I am in mid-stream. Waiting for another rush of creativity. The odd block is my Guinea pig. So much fun to play.

Time . . .

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to love, and a time of peace.

Bittersweet . . .

Today is Frank's birthday. It is also Jennifer's mom's memorial service. We will celebrate both of life's milestones . . . one with joy the other with solemn grace.

We marked Frank's birthday last night at our favorite haunt on the river. We only go there on special occasions. Not exactly Micky D's if you get my drift. Katie and I had been plotting. She snuck into town when he was at the gym and parked her car on his side of the garage, disabled the garage door opener and closed the verticals on the window and waited. He barged in the front door, grumbling about the garage door not working (we were peeking the whole time), and ran smack into Katie. You should have seen his face light up. She drove back to school after dinner but it was so worth it.
p.s. She is definitely her mother's child. She bought him a gift certificate to a sports store up at college . . . . so he will have to drive up for a visit!!!!

A very bad day in black rock . . .

. . . my dear friend Jennifer . . . her mother passed away today. They had an extraordinary relationship . . .deeper than mother/daughter . . . stronger than the normal family bond . . . grounded, open, supportive beyond belief. Her mom was a wise, loving, determinedly strong woman who passed those qualities on to her daughter.

We, Jen and I, have been through a lot together. We met at work. And the friendship grew through the next 16 years. She held me up during my divorce, stood up with me for my second marriage, we hugged and cried when she lost her first pregnancy, and her second. We chatted and laughed through her first childbirth, her second came too fast but I got first pictures, she brought dinner and deep friendship to my door when my father died and stood with us when we lost my mother-in-law.

I hurts to see her in so much pain. I wish I could wipe it away.

Here are the guts . . .

0f the One Day, album. I finally finished it. Well almost . . . projects never seem to be totally finished. I find myself going back and adding this or that or something here and there. You know . . . .

Frank saw it finished on my desk and asked to see it. First thing out of his mouth was, "there aren't any pictures" . . . then he quickly adds, "but I like it". Then he gets to the last double spread and says, "here are some pictures" . . . as if I had put some in, in hindsight. I had to giggle. I remember when I thought a scrapbook wasn't a scrapbook unless it had photographs. I do love that he will grab an album off the shelf at odd times and disappear into it happily remembering . . . another good day here in Oz.

A new life . . .

Remember the old iron bench I rescued from imminent death and reupholstered and put in the living room and hated?? It has finally been resuscitated and now lives in the bedroom . . . and I love it. Not only do I love it but it has become very practical from a cat's eye point of view. Bru is getting old and has issues and lately more often than not, his intended leap onto the bed results in a soft thump followed but a slither and then a louder thump as he careens off the side of the bed and lands on the floor. No more. A graceful hop to the bench and an equally smooth step to the bed and he is ready to snooze with the rest of us. But of course, how does one reupholster the bench and not the cornice boards . . . or for that matter, the chair? Yes, I bought a more muted fabric for the chair while we were out. "The chair" . . . let's take a side trip here. Frank and I are avid Antique Road Show fanatics. We always imagine somewhere in the house is a treasure that will support us in a manner to which we have never been accustomed. After watching for a few years, Frank announces that our chair is a Gustav Stickley. While I am giggling at him, he proceeds to flip over the chair and read Stickley burned into one of the rungs on the side. He is ecstatic. However, after a little Googling, it seems that yes, it is a Stickley, but not Gustav's and probably mass produced. Sigh. And we had such plans for that fortune lol. Back to the issue at hand. Yes, I took the same fabric I used on the bench and did one of the two cornice boards. I'm happy with that too. Tomorrow I will tackle the second cornice board that is wider than the fabric and so needs to be pieced. Aarrghhh. I can do it. I can do it. Arrrgghhh. Grumble, grumble. But all in all, I am really proud of myself and my nest. It's been a good day in the cave. What'd ya think?

I've been playing around today and modifying an idea by Courtney DeLaura. I am going to scrap the events of one day in my life. The boring, the mundane, the common and ordinary. Those average moments that fill my day and yet, make my house a home. A little off the normal for she who generally only scraps events. I'm finding it fun to stray. The album is 4x6.25, made of chip board and bound with O rings . . . my new favorite accessory.

Drink Eight Glasses of Music a Day

Imagine filling your soul with eight glasses of music a day or . . . art . . . how about a daily infusion of art? Imagine the possibilities. Eight glasses of nature a day . . . eight glasses of freedom . . . of love . . . PEACE! We eat to nourish our bodies, what do we do to nourish our souls? What makes our souls soar and our hearts go pitter-patter? What is that magic cocktail of happiness? It is an internal journey most of us take, consciously or not . . . to find that place of contentment and peace. Sometimes we are lucky and stumble on a permanent Eden. Sometimes it is a furtive visit . . . a smattering of belonging.

Conversely, if junk food is bad for the body, shouldn't we concern ourselves with that which we subject our souls? As we seek happiness, doesn’t it make sense to avoid those things that sadden our hearts and dampen our spirits? Eight glasses of music a day goes a long way to lighten our loads. Find your eight glasses, whatever they may be and drink in long satisfying gulps.

Then again, some days, you just have to grab for the chocolate.

Magnetic memo boards

A couple of months ago, Frank and I picked up a piece of 18x12 sheet metal at Lowe's. He cut it into two 9x12 sheets for me and bored the holes I needed. I immediately "filed" it and forgot about it. Yep, I do that a lot. This morning I decided to use up the rest of the Daisy D set which just so happens to match my loft/work area. I now have a new magnetic memo board. I quickly ran out of the small magnet sheet I had in my stash and was starting to freak until I remembered all the advertising magnets on my fridge. A whole new supply. This evening I will pull out my Sizzix and go to town with shapes. The next one I am going to use chip board letters instead of rub-on's. But isn't it all about the learning process? Fun, fun, fun.