ON BEING PRODUCTIVE

I've been home since late December. I got sick and have been having a hard time shaking this upper respiratory infection and having some asthma trouble as well. I haven't consistently needed a rescue inhaler in about 9 years. I have been SO under control that the asthma just hasn't been an issue and I forget that I even have it (since 10 years old). I've been limiting my time outdoors; I'll run one errand and then come home. And, I cover my face so I don't breathe the cold air.


So, what does one do when you don't go to work and have to stay home? Create!! And, I have a lot to work with. Just before I got sick we went to Florida for my jr. college sorority reunion and then went on a cruise. Plus there were other events during 2011 that I've been wanting to scrap. It feels good being productive but I do miss going to work too. I wish there were a happy balance. I know I'll get better but it's still going to take a few weeks.

The family all got together for Thanksgiving...a rare treat.

And, of course, there was a bit of just plain fun & silliness.

This layout is about my group of friends that call ourselves Red Hots. Whenever we get together we (almost) always manage to get a foot picture. Not sure how this tradition got started but we always have fun with it.

And, of course, I can't forget Adam Luther. He had a great time this Halloween, dressing up as a magician. One of his best friends "trick-or-treated" with him as a dragon.

These next layouts are about the cruise. This was Frank's first cruise. Not sure he'll do it again but it was a trip we'll never forget.

Thanks for peeking in my life for just a little moment. I hope to be back with more.

LATEST LAYOUTS

I seem to be getting more done at the store than at home. Here are my latest layouts. Actually, I revised the one of my parents...I like it much better now that I put the crochet doily on the layout.

this is the first version

this is the revised and final result. Just loved the feel of this Kaiser paper with this photo.

these pics of Frank and me were taken in a photo booth at a wedding we went to this year. We got kinda silly with it. But Frank made me "promise" not to show them to anyone. So, of course I had to scrap them! :0)

This is Nathan, my sister's grandson. All I can say is that she is one brave grandma!

Then, of course I had to add another layout of Tracy to the album I'm doing for her. These pics were taken on her 1st birthday - after the cake. I had never used Bam Pop paper before but the jelly fist just fit here. Backed it up with Crate Paper die cut and a Glitz grid.

Thanks for stopping by!
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NEW STUFF

I think my knitting is coming along just fine. Actually, I'm pretty proud of myself. I found an easy beginners pattern for these booties. I had never knitted with really bulky yarn...it was tricky but I learned a lot. They are Sooooooooooooooooo soft!! Now I'm making another pair for my little 4 year old friend. I even let her pick out the yarn.


The next 3 layouts were made with papers that I bought from Tracy's new store, Scrap~N~Crap. They are all My Mind's Eye and Fancy Pants papers. The first 2 are from Halloweens past and the 3rd is of my sister and me from one of our cruises.




Thanks for stopping by!
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Been Busy!

I'm still working on my NYC Vacation album. I have to stop and do other topics at times but I'm still plugging along.

Frank didn't want me to buy this posed photo but I liked it so...I did anyway!

Little Italy was full of great bargains and great food!

This is a double layout made with a sketch layout from SISiversary (that I didn't attend but received the kit anyway) There was originally a sun in the lower left corner...I turned it into the Lady's crown.

Green Street...SoHo...this is where my father's first handbag factory was and some of my earliest memories are from this factory. We don't know what the address was but it was somewhere on this street.

This was a great sculpture to find in NY - I was surprised it was there.

What a fabulous museum to go to...They showed an un-restored apt, and then 2 other apartments restored to the dates in which the depicted family lived. Fascinating history!

This is the church right next to Ground Zero where many people took cover

Some of my favorite childhood memories grew here...My dad and I went here a lot.

9/11 Memorial wall - across the street from Ground Zero

10 House - The First Responders and their own memorial

Thanks for stopping by & looking at my work.
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WHEN LIFE HANDS YOU LEMONS....or...SCRAPPING UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES

I finally broke down and went to Michael's yestereday for a few basic supplies I may be here for another 4-5 days and I really needed something to do. The hardest part was that the only pics I had were what was already on my camera...mostly accident related. So, since I didn't get to go to my scrapping weekend, I got to play along with some challenges on SIS.


This layout was for a Free Shopping Challenge. You "buy" 3 items off of a list of 10 and then you have to use them on a layout. I "bought" staples, ink and doodling. All of the papers for these layouts come from a K & Company pad called "Day Dreams". Cute stuff!

This was another challenge where you had to use small photos, paint & cardboard. Luckily, I had thought about saving some of the cardboard off of the box one of the flower arrangements came in and got to use it here. I also saved part of the clear plastic and the company logo pick from the edible arrangement. The letters were drawn and cut out of a graph-like paper from the pad I bought and then gone over with a in black sharpie.


This was a fun but very challenging project. The challenge was to take a magazine ad and insert your photo over someone's face and then embellish the ad. Again, the only pics I had were the ones on my camera and the only pic of Steph I had were of her (mockingly) sad face. The only magazines I had to chose from were bicycling magazines. I used some plastic bag closure tabs that I had saved and created my own letters from card stock/paint.

close up of Steph's face

Thanks for all the sweet comments and well wishes for Steph!! She is progressing. Didn't have a headache yesterday but still felt a bit clouded. Still can't walk completely normally but much of the swelling has gone down.


Thanks for stopping by.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Our visit to Philly started off with an interesting sight seeing day. We picked up Steph and drove to a small northern town called Ashland. There, we found a couple of interesting things...a town frozen in time, the Pioneer Tunnel Coal Mine and the world's largest and only 3-D replica of Whistler's Mother! I just had to see that!

The coal mine was really very interesting and wasn't "down" at all...I just thought it was a neat title.

This was the bizarre part... an 8 ft bronze statue created in 1938 by the local Boys' Association to honor all mothers past and present. Not sure whether I feel honored or not!

Thanks for visiting and looking at my layouts.
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