900th post giveaway

I can scarcely believe that I've written that many posts!
And even more shocking is the fact that you all are still here reading after all this time.
Especially considering that I've been in quite a dry spell lately.

With that said, I'd like to reward one of you for sticking with me by sending you one of my newly created scrap journals.

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post, making sure I have some way to contact you if you are the winner.
I'll draw the winning name on November 27th.
The winner will have their choice  of cover designs.
Easy peasy, right!?!?

 

Scrappy, scrappy

I've been working on loom knitting again. I have an order for 10 dishcloths and am expecting I'll be getting a few more orders real soon. I decided to use some of my scraps of yarn to give some visual interest to these cloths.

Waste not, want not.

As long as I was thinking scrappy...

I put together the first in a series of journals. 

The cover is a print of one of my kaleidoscopes. I believe this one started as a rose.

I love the look of all the different papers. It's up to the recipient to decide how to use them.

 

It snowed!!

I absolutely love the first snow falling for the season...whether it "sticks" or not. 

It tells me that winter is on it's way. 

YEAH SNOW!

Spoken by a native Minnesotan 

and 100% Norwegian-American.

 

Spreading some joy

Isn't it fun to get an actual card in the mail? 

With email, FB, texting, and numerous other electronic media blasting at us 

from here and there....

a simple hand written note can bring 

a bit of peace and serenity 

to an otherwise hectic day. 

At least that is the hope. 

 

Busy, busy end of school

Ever have one of those weeks that you have all planned out way a head of time...then when the week begins you completely forgot that you had a zillion things to do?? That's been my week. I think the 3 day Memorial Day holiday weekend was what started me off on the wrong foot. Monday turned into Tuesday in the blink of an eye. 

 Tuesday I was a bit under the weather...allergies and such.
Wednesday was filled by inventory at the school library.

Yesterday I got to go to the Arboretum as a chaperon for Little J's class. I really love it there. We should really get a membership...but I digress.

The girls enjoyed the Japanese garden...

especially the koi.

I enjoyed a moment of quiet serenity myself. 

But we can't forget about the flowers...

So many beauties. 

It was hard to choose which to share.

This was my favorite floral photo of the day.

Soft and dreamy...and pink!

Today will be my "catch-up" day. 

The team of fairies I wished for at the fountain never showed. A girl's got to dream, right?!?!

How are you preparing for summer?

 

Snow Day

The two words every kid longs to hear. 

I was shocked when the call came through at 5:30 this morning. 

I figured we'd maybe have a 2 hour late start but CLOSED.  Really!?!?

We are 5 houses from the edge of our school district...if we were on the next street, the kids would have had school on time, no delay today. 

Weird, huh.

We got rain then sleet then snow then freezing rain then sleet again then snow. Needless to say it's very heavy. Check out my neighbors Spruce tree. 

Another neighbor has a tree leaning down into their driveway.

Our dogwood looks pretty encased in ice.

I wanted to take even more pictured but it's rainy-sleety again and I didn't want to get my lens wet.

It's so pretty out and warm.

 

Making cards

Ok...so the thumb still hurts but I can't seem to 

not use it. 

No matter what it is in life...I use that thumb. 

So I might as well make some cards...right?

I made a lot of cards...

they are like chips...bet you can't eat just one...er...make just one.

I've had a couple people ask me lately about my photo cards for the holidays.  Gifts and such I'd assume.

Which got me thinking...I should really sit down and make a bunch with all the photos I already have!

I also made a few more fabric collage cards. 

I really enjoy making these. 

They are what you might call a labor of love.

Too busy for Tea

I've noticed that I've been somewhat unplugged from the blogosphere lately...even from my computer completely.  It's been kind of refreshing. With the end of summer wrap-up we have so many things on the calendar in such a small amount of time. 

I'll be around here and there over the next couple weeks very randomly. I'm not trying to ditch you, if i don't answer an email as promptly as I used to...I'm just not checking email very often.

Happy end of summer to everyone! I'll be back to my "normal" self after Labor Day.

Look want I found today

I think they are baby wrens. The mama of these 3 tiny babies is pretty small herself.  The nest is only about 3 feet off the ground in our dwarf lilac bush along the front walk. She was scolding me from a nearby tree for peeking in on her brood while I snapped a quick picture.

Silent Sunday

What I did BEFORE summer vacation...

Today is it....then it's 24/7 kid time for 3 months. I can't complain. I am lucky to be at home. There is always that adjustment phase for everyone though.

I made a couple of quick ATC's just to prove to myself that I could still create something.

I also put together sets of my photo greeting cards for the teachers and assistants.

Friday Freebie

Friday...Friday...
Where did the week go?

Maybe it got carried away....on this truck.
Ok that was lame.

Enjoy!

An evening stroll

My neighbor and I went for a walk such as we do several evenings a week but this time we walked to one of the nearby lakes with our cameras.


There's a wonderful trail through the woods along the lake.

It even seems slightly magical...

Can't you just imagine this as a little house for a fairy or gnome?!

And this...an arch for tiny woodland creature weddings.

I seem to be all about the photos lately! Probably because we finally have wonderful weather...gotta soak it up!

May Flower Photo Challenge- i heart faces

Wordless Wednesday