gotta love a little color . . .

So, since we had to be in Tampa, we decided to pop into Busch Gardens where I immediately fell in love with the costumes on the characters that greeted us. Especially this one . . .

and then this one . . .

and again . . .

and then to put it in a little perspective, this one with my 5'9" husband . . .

so much fun!

art is in the eye . . .

of the beholder . . . or so they say. There was an article on the news a few weeks back about a man who decided to express his creativity by exhibiting his 'art' along the interstate. He partially buried a row of old Gulf Stream trailers in a berm. Seems his neighbors disagree with his take on art. Personally, they brought a smile to my face. What's not to like?

When I shared this with Kelli, she came up with THE best reaction . . . "It's like a Mississippi version of Stonehenge". Made me break out in the widest grin.

early morning beasties . . .

Snoop

and his baby blues . . .

and monster child, who disappears in the dark when she closes her eyes . . .

and Bear, who was not in the mood . . .

happiness . . .

she is tucked in her old bed just down the hall, breathing that same slight cadence left over from childhood.

preoccupation . . .

A couple of years ago, Frank found this odd little spot on the inside of one of his toes. The doctor said it was nothing, the dermatologist said it was nothing, but they biopsied it just to make sure. Turned out to be melanoma. A couple of surgeries later, they got it all. Finite. Over. So what are the chances that the blister that he got under his toe last winter could be more than just a blister from tromping from one end of Boston to the other over Christmas vacation. Or that once it healed, it would come back again after schlepping around the track in the same shoes, in March. Or again in July. But in July it didn't heal so just to be safe, he had it biopsied. And once again the nothingness of it all is melanoma. Monday morning will find us on the doorstep of the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. So, if my posts are a little off, or I seem a little vacant, it's this preoccupation. Please wish us well.

Embossing . . .

I loved embossing in paper scrapping. It's actually one of the things I sorely missed when I switched to digi. I thought I had lost it forever. How naive could I get? Thumbing through the newest issue of Digital Scrapbooking, I found a really easy tutorial. Color me happy, happy, happy.

Paper: O'scraps, Overlay: Scarlett Heels.

It's not my fault . . .

• don't teach me to leap into your arms if you don't want my help baking chocolate chip cookies, it's not my fault if the flour spurts out all over in huge white puffs and dusts me along the way.


• if you won't play with me because you are baking, expect me to lose my toy under the refrigerator at least seven times until you are done and can play. It's not my fault I want attention.


• don't throw my favorite toy while holding me. I need your stomach to launch myself into the stratosphere. It's not my fault I haven't had my pedicure this week.

Love, Ninja