gave it a good ol' try

So, you've all heard of scrapbooking, right? Yeah, me too. Never been into it. I always thought it was silly cause there was no way that I would ever be able to scrap the bazillion pictures I take. Then I found a whole other world of scrapping that I had never known about. (thank you Elsie, Tara and Ali!!!)I'm still not 100%, but it's definately is fun to play around with.
This is my first try at 100% digital. Paper, ribbon, stickers, journaling, photo. Everything is done on the computer. Want to try? This is where I got all the supplies FOR FREE! Pretty cool. I love Creating Keepsakes magazine. It usually makes it's way with me up to the check out counter at Barnes and Noble once a month or so.
[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

picture fun

playing with Photoshop last night. love these.
[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Links to amazing stories

As I go through my day, I usually think of at least 10 different things I could blog about. Problem is I usually forget by the time I get home and have time. So today, I decided that I would do it now while I'm thinking about it.
As you all know, I am a BIG advocate of adoption, especially China adoptions. My blogroll is full of blogs from families that have adopted or are getting ready to do so. I love, love, love following along and seeing their little ones grow and blossom. Several of the families that I have been following for over a year now have decided to adopt again. It was so exciting to open their site for the day and read the fun news. So I wanted to share their fun stories with you. Each of these sights are public sights and I found almost all of them on a site (www.chineseadoptionstories.homestead.com) which is in my "Links" section on the right.
So, if you are looking for a good read, forget the book and click on one of the links below. You won't be disappointed.

http://www.twotwinterrors.blogspot.com These are Emma and Esther's stories. Their oldest sister is the one who writes the blog. On the right side, they have a link for their individual stories plus their "movies." I LOVE this site. They are in the process of adopting a boy. Their 7th (!!!) kid! Be sure to click on Esther's blog to read her fun story. She just came home this summer.

www.waitingforsophie.blogspot.com Sophie was adopted from China a year ago. Right now, the family is in Guatemala adopting 2 more. Her new little sister's site http://princessisabella.blogspot.com/ is full of fun news. They are waiting for their little boy now.

www.always-in-myheart.blogspot.com today's post was a tear jerker. This family has adopted 4 little ones from China. And wait until you hear the story for their 5th. I just love the quote under "about me." Their videos are under the link "our family website." So neat! If you don't have time to read everything, watch the videos!

http://www.jazzieandtahlia.typepad.com/ 2 little cuties. Both from China. The pictures of these girls are priceless. Be sure to watch the videos under the Videos links. I've watched them several times.

www.familyalwaysandforever.blogspot.com The first site I found. Start HERE. Miyah's story grabbed me from the first picture. They are in the process of adopting their second.

And if you are touched by the stories and want to get involved, head on over to Shaohannah's Hope. It's an amazing organization that gives grants to Christian families who need funds. You can donate $$, pray for specific kids, or buy a Christmas ornament which all the proceeds go towards adoption grants. Plus, it has great info if you are wanting to adopt but don't know where to start. I've LOVED being a part of this ministry.

Enjoy reading!

Been thinking

and working lots lately. Our staff was on a staff retreat for the last 3 days.

Been thinking about lots of stuff: friends.... it's December and the year 2006 is about over (does anyone else think that this year went by quicker that normal?!).....enjoying the Scrubs premiere last night (this clip from the upcoming musical is hilarious!)....contemplating spending an enormous amount of cash on a new camera....thinking about where my life is going.....thinking about the things I see in myself that I need to change....being more confident in who I am as I get older(which is huge for this introvert)....realizing how much my life has changed in the last 2 years....feeling guilty for things that I fail to do. I guess it's just one of those days/weeks when I feel more caught up in my own head than I do in the world around me. Always good to re-evaluate and take inventory. I don't ever want to be at a point where I think "I am there. No change needed."
Also feeling the need to create something. Just don't know what it is yet. It's exciting to anticipate what it may be though.

[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

And I'm thankful for...

• Moments like this (camera dorks happy in their element)
• Family. I have the best one.
• Friends. They make my life sparkle.
• Job. It's the most challenging, frustrating, glorious, amazing experience I've ever encountered.
• My cottage. I never get tired of the water view.
• The Bible
• Blogs
• Email
• My imagination.
• Chocolate
• Cheese
• VCR's
• TV
• My many travels this past year.
• Pictures
• Water
• Babies on the way
• Comments on my blog (hint, hint, hint!!!)

[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Around town

I adore "downtown." It's old, quaint and charming. Today in the brisk cool fall weather, I walked around downtown with friends. It was fun to show it off to someone who had never been there before. (We walked down this fun little alley that was too narrow for 2 people side-by-side. The bro decided that he wanted to scale the walls. Of course he had to have proof. There you go.) I know lots of towns have cool places, but I've never been anywhere like this. I was telling my gal pal that if God ever decides it's time for me to move away, I'll cry buckets. As many places as I've been too, this place is still my favorite. And being surrounded by friends that I love too makes it seem even more like the perfect place to be...

cause it's been a couple days

Been sick this week.

Also, started swimming at the local pool. I'm really excited about it. Love swimming, but not good at it at all. Can't wait to be better at it.

Got fun stuff in the mail. Paper stuff. Yummmmm.

Loved the Office and Veronica Mars this week. Oh, and ER. I'm addicted, like back when I was in high school/college in the George Clooney and Anthony Edwards days.

Working this weekend, but definately making time for Battlestar.

Realized the other night that I really watch a lot less TV than I did last year. I know, I know. Hard to believe isn't it!

I recommend this for viewing pleasure. You won't be disappointed.

And this for listening pleasure. Ooo, and this too. They've been on repeat lately.

Been thinking about a bloggy friend lately. Praying for her. I have no reason to complain in life. Truly.

There you go. No pictures, but I PROMISE there will be plenty next week. The whole clan is going to be home for the holidays. Oh, yeah!
[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

FYI

This week is adoption week on Focus on the Family. Today's broadcast was a replay of an amazing interview with Steven Curtis Chapman. He talks about how his family became involved in adoption (from China) and about the organization he started with his wife Shaohannah's Hope (they, along with many other things, give grants to families who are wanting to adopt, but don't have the $$). It's a really great interview. I am usually teary eyed by the end of it and I"ve heard it several times! You can listen

HERE

BACK

Okay, so tonight was amazing. Now, I know I've poured out my thoughts here often, so I must have talked about how much I hate living so far from all of my gal pals. I usually have to jump on a plane or drive a-ways to see any of them. Well, this past week, something really cool, yes, truly, amazingly, incredible happened. One of them moved BACK!!
So here's the story of me and Mel. We grew up together. Youth group trips, camp, Bible studies, coffee shops, shopping trips. We have a million and one stories. She wrote me letter after letter when I was in college (this was before the wonderful, easy world of email) . I LOVE this girl. She is so kind and generous and taught (and still is) me amazing lessons in life. She got married a couple years ago and moved away. We still saw each other every once in a while when she came home for holidays (not nearly enough). A couple months ago, she told me she was moving back. And, this is the coolest part, they moved back 'cause her husband is going to start a church. They were happy and content where they were...serving and growing, but they felt like God was calling them elsewere. They went. They followed. That's just amazing to me. So brave and so trusting that God has a perfect plan for them. She's about to have a baby in a couple weeks. I don't even need to tell you how excited I am that I get to be around for new little one! I went to get coffee (our old standing "thing to do") with her and her husband tonight. We laughed (oh my gosh, that girl makes me laugh! I missed that so much!) talked and just enjoyed each other's company. I was again reminded how there is nothing better in life than someone who loves you for who you are and just enjoys that God brought you together to learn from each other.

So any of you other girls feel like comin' back.......

Photoshop practice

inspiration found

I love it when I feel inspired to create. Here are a couple things that have created that spark lately.

• this post from Elsie. She has been a big inspiration for me since I found her work in the pages of a magazine a couple months ago. She's an amazing photographer (and scapbooker by trade). So when I found her post, I decided to pull up a bunch of my shots and play with them a little bit (hence the above shot).
• The new Disney commercial with the kid's that are doing something normal like jumping on their beds and then they start to fly like in Peter Pan (probably my favorite childhood story). Everytime it comes on, I stop whatever I'm doing and watch with my imagination running wild.
• The weather has been crazy the last few days. Yesterday, the fog (still loving those pictures). Today, sunny and warm. The colors are amazing in the trees. No humidty and great light. I see the world through the viewfinder of my camera when it's this pretty outside. If only it wasn't DARK when I get off work at night.
• Remembering my trip to Europe last year. It was a year ago this month. I've been looking at my pictures again and remembering all the sights and smells.
• Writing, writing, writing. I go through phases of wanting, no, needing to write. To get my thoughts down on paper. To create through words. I love it! Been filing up my journal lots lately.
• And Big Ben. The first time I saw it I had to catch my breath. Crazy how something so simple just "captures" you sometimes. Pictures don't do it justice.

What have you been inspired by lately? Have you created anything? Share the wealth and maybe you'll inspire someone else....

a foggy day

I came home from lunch today and gasped when I saw these sights across the river. I ran (literally) back to the office, grabbed my camera and spent my lunch break snapping away. It felt to good to take pictures again. It had been about 2 weeks since I had taken anything creative. Nothing had been catching my eye. When I saw this I couldn't say no. The fog was perfect against the leaves. I loved this new effect I downloaded for photoshop (on the first picture). It's called "brownie" like the old brownie camera by Kodak back in the day.
[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Can't forget

I've been blessed to travel to lots of places. In this country and out of it. And it's crazy. I get on a plane and step off in a place that I've only seen in pictures. Those pictures were usually what drew me to that place. Images burned in my memory that called me to come and see. Then I get there and see it in living/breathing/life. It usually gives me chills. I have to take a second to catch my breath and realize that I'm not closing my eyes and imagining that I'm there. I take a deep breath and drink in every piece of my surroundings.
Some of those places are a little different. I realize while I'm there that this place is unusual. The sights are amazing, just like I thought they would be. But there is something more. It's almost like a part of me had been living in the place all along. I feel like it's welcoming me. It feels familiar. Like I had been there before and made myself at home.
Hawaii, Prince Edward Island, Paris and Seattle have felt that way to me. When I came home, I couldn't get them out of my head. I could still smell them and feel them and imagine walking through the pictures I had taken. I wanted to go back the second I left. I think about them so often.
California was the same way. I miss it. I miss the sun, the palm trees, the sunsets, the warm breezes. I imagine living there at least once a day. The picture above is my screen saver. When it pops up, I always pause and stare at it for a couple seconds. I'm ready to go back. now.....

eta Jan 31st

When I went to see my sis in October, she let me take some shots of her tummy. Here are a couple favorites. Doesn't she just look adorable! Come on, little peanut! Your auntie is so ready to spoil you to pieces!


[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Reason #149....

why I love my brother.

My sister sent an email to the family to see what everyone wanted for Christmas. She's so ahead of the game (getting ready for that little one comin'!!). Here was my dear little brother's answer....

"Now for what I want...
1. Russian mail order bride. Must include all paperwork including greencard.
2. A Lamborghini Murcielago. I would like it in black, but gray is also acceptable.
3. A robot servant. I need a versatile model that can clean my room, make dinner, and wash my car. It must also me able to dance reasonably well.
4. A big machine gun like the one that Arnold uses on Terminator 2 at end. I will also need lots of ammo for the machine gun cause it shoot like a gazzillion bullets a second!
5. An all expenses paid trip to a Shao Lin temple in Chine so that I can learn to be a super kung fu master ninja. I need the one that includes the monkey and crane style because those are most useful for dealing out maximum violence against enemies.
If anyone has any questions, please let me know."

I don't think I need to say anything else...the kid makes me laugh like no other.
[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Oh, my gosh....

WICKED!!!! I've been in love with this musical since I first saw it on the Tony's the year it won for best musical. Bought the soundtrack and memorized every song. It's incredible. Always wanted to see it. On Broadway.
Finally, I get to go with friends who love it too. And oh, my gosh, I can't wait. I was listening to the CD today and singing along. Seriously! I get to go!
And I have to admit my love for musicals and theater. It's a deep love going way back to the days of Sound of Music and any Rogers and Hammerstein I could find to watch. When I went to college my love turned into a deep appreciation. At my school, everyone had to do a "Christian service" every semester, which was some type of community work. About 60 hours a semester. Mine was doing backstage work on the musical for the semester. Operas in the fall and muscials for the spring. I was in heaven. The smell of the theater. The energy backstage right before the curtain went up and the lights dimmed. The cast getting their voices ready. The props to set up. The applause and laughter after a great, funny scene. It was intoxicating. I was so sad when I graduated and knew that I probably would never get another chance to do that.
Plus I took class that changed my perpective on musicals forever. We had an amazing professor that taught a musical theater class that I was able to take my last semester at school. We studied a different musical every week. I LOVED that class. It was by far my favorite from all my 4 years of higher learning. I learned a ton. She was a tough professor, but the kind that you really wanted to do well for. I remember that one of the kids in my class was writing a musical for "the Shadowlands" (CS Lewis' life) and he had a guy perform one of the songs in our class with all the lights out except for 1 candle. Still gives me chills when I think about it.
So Wicked it is. In December. And NYC at Christmas will be magical too. Can't wait!


[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

So last night.....

I saw this.

wait till you hear this story....

So, as you can see, there are pictures on this post. Pictures of my trip to the west coast last month. Remember how I have been promising to post them. Remember how I've NOT posted them. (like I need to remind you of that) Well, aside from having picture uploading issues, here is the reason why....
I put my CD full of every picture I took on the trip on top of a pile of outgoing mail. And outgoing it went. I'm losing it! I "mailed it out" and never saw it again. Thankfully, all of the photos were saved on my parents laptop, or I would be a crying mess. Lesson learned....must back up everything TWICE!

So here is the continuing story of my trip with pictures to enjoy. Last post was about Vancouver. We left Vancouver by way of the sea. Here we are heading out and taking some goofy shots along the way.


Our beautiful boat. Each little partitioned off section is a balcony from a room. We had a slightly different view. But on a cruise like this, we were off the boat more than 80 percent of the time, so it didn't make a huge difference.

[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

must.visit.this.site....

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=27753303

It's Jenna Fischer's (Pam from the Office) myspace site. She does a blog from her desk on the set. I had heard about it a couple months ago and just remembered it. Totally addicting. It sounds like so much fun to be on that set! Buy Season 2 HERE.


[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

creativity explored

This week, my Bible study group joined with the guys study and we had a pumpkin carving contest. Here's the little guy I created.....


 

here, there and everywhere

*******this wouldn't post when I wrote it, so it's a couple days old. Blogger is finally working!

Okay, so I didn't go here this weekend, but it is a visual aid for one of the things I did.

Side note: I did get to go to the set of the funniest show on TV besides Scrubs (went to that set too!) when I was in LA. The studio is in the middle of yuckytown LA. Not pretty. Not palmtreeye. Not beachy. Just industrial. Perfect for what they need. If you have ever watched the show and they are outside of the office building, this is where I was! There were Dunder Mifflin signs everywhere. Too cool. Me and the bro were a little excited as you can see in this photo.

This weekend started off with a bang. An AMAZING episode of Battlestar Galactica. I mean, really...can it get any better?!! (for those of you who still mock my TV choices. continue as much as you would like. I'm the one who's laughing!) It was one of those times when you have to call someone to share in the fun during commercial breaks. Oh, yeah!
Then Saturday morning, the bro and I headed to see Flutag (pictures to follow later). It's the Red Bull human flying machine competition. Oh...my...gosh... I'm glad I took pictures cause you wouldn't believe some of the things that these people made. The idea is to make a "flying" contraption that you and your "team" push off of a HUGE platform over the water. The judges score on how far you go (30ft, etc...), creativity, and something I can't remember. Basically, it's 1,000 of people standing around watching a bunch of crazy people fall in to the water. And man, oh, man was it fun! You can't help but laugh everytime!
After that...went to a birthday party for a friend. SO GOOD to see her.
Came home late and watched "The Office" season 2 (see? that's why the picture is there!)
Then...Sunday, went to church (really good as usual. I love my church!) and then the Renessaince Festival. Again, it's a freak show. Where in the world do these people go when it isn't going on? People watching is the best activity there.
We:
ate pork pockets (delish)
ate HUGE apple dumplings
stared at the people dressed up like, well, I don't know how to describe it. Just imagine any 3 Musketeers movie or even "Ever After" with Drew Barrymore. That's the style they were going for.
watched really good shows by a comedy troupe who does Shakespeare
watched a sword swollower
saw a guy dressed up as a Stormtrooper get in a fight with a random kid who tackled him.
Guess what was the most talked about event?!!

Good weekend. Full of great memories. Time well spent.

in the news

My life right now....

• Shopping this past weekend at the scrapbook store by my sister's place. I gathered a huge pile of goodies to use in future projects. 7 gypsies everywhere.
• My new LG phone. Internet, MP3 player, camera. It's wonderful compared to the old timer that I had for 2 years.
• Warm sunshine after being in the cold all weekend. I got to spend 2 hours outside today working the climbing wall. My fingers are raw, but the sun felt amazing.
• TV is in full swing. Veronica, Battlestar, ER are my favorites so far this season. I love going home at the end of the day knowing there is something good to watch in the evening.
• West Wing season 1. I was addicted to this show during it's glory days. I bought this season on sale at Best Buy and have loved watching it again on my lunch breaks. Those characters are priceless.
• Missing my friends. I really miss my girls who live so far away. I'm ecstatic that one of them is moving back (yesssss!!!) to the area. I can't wait.
• Must print out pictures. It's the horrible, ugly secret in digital photography. I'm almost a year behind. (yup, I never printed out all of my Europe trip. that's sad...)
• Wondering if anyone reads this blog. Seriously. Do I just write it for my own sake? Do I write just to get it out of my head? Is anyone listening to me? (as the field trip lady says on Billy Madison to the group of 2nd graders)

[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Painting with the moon

I took these pictures way back in the thick of the summertime and then forgot about them. The moon was HUGE one night over the water. I had my brothers amazing camera that night and decided to have some fun. Kinda like a sparkler leaves a trail when you play with it. I left the shutter open for a long time and moved the camera around at the same time. This was final product.




I know. I know. Why am I not finishing posting my pictures from my trip. Well, I don't have them within grasp today. I so very much enjoy a post with a picture, so this is what you get.....
Great time this past weekend was had by the sisters in my family. (aka me and my little sis) It was fantastic to see her and see how her belly is growing! It's still weird that I have to get on a plane to see her. Then my flight home....I sat on the plane for 2 hrs. Technical problems. Not fun. But not really such a huge deal either. Southwest has been a favorite airline of mine for a couple years. Their employees are so nice and they really do try to make you comfortable. So yes, it was their fault, but they did their best. It's easy to forgive someone when they are trying so hard to make things right, isn't it?!! I'll fly them again cause they are so darn cheap. Love that! 

Wisdom from Oswald

As I have posted before, I love, love, love Oswald Chambers' My Upmost for His Highest. It is humbling and thought provoking. If you have never read it, DO it! Here is the entry I read last night while doing my devo's. I had to read it twice and still feel like I should really read it again to fully wrap my brain around it. I know it's only a human's response to the Bible, but wow!

"We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step-we either have a relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more from sin-'But if we walk in the light,' we are cleansed 'from all sin' (1 John 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected. But if we turn away from obedience for even one second, darkness and death are immediately at work again.
All of God's revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosphy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God's truth work into you by immersing youself in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know the truth of God is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. If you obey God in the first thing He shows you, then He instantly opens up the next truth to you. You could read volumes on the work of the Holy Spirit, when five minutes of total, uncompromising obedience would make things as clear as sunlight. Don't say, "I suppose I will understand these things someday!' You can understand them now. And it is not study that brings understanding to you, but obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience opens heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become yours. Yet God will never reveal more truth about Himself to you, until you have obeyed what you know already. Beware of becoming one of the 'wise and prudent.' 'If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know....' (John 7:17)."

It's amazing....I was blessed in the fact that I came to know Christ at a very young age. To the outside world, it would seem that being saved over 20 years should make me an expert. Yeah, right! How humbling to realize that I am just getting started to understanding God. His wisdom is something that I still can't explain or even judge myself against. It leaves me speechless and small and insignificant and there is no other place in life that I would rather be.....
[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

SREAMING loudly!!!!

Today was one of those days when things just didn't seem to go right anywhere. My computer wasn't playing very nice which always makes me grab the screen and shake it. So to dissolve my anger, I took a jaunt over to You Tube to clear my head. The oh, so lucky You Tubers made 2.5 billion dollars today for selling themselves to Google. Not too bad for a days work.
Anywho...found this fun clip from Veronica Mars last week. It made me laugh. Just what I needed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFfZKX0PiTM

What's better than 2 of your favorite shows referencing each other. So for those of you who don't watch Veronica (shame on you) or Battlestar (even more shame upon your heads), it will make no sense and you will just think I'm weird. Just go and rent Veronica Mars season 1 or Battlestar Galactica season 1 instead.
As for me, I'm laughing and enjoying the moment and thankful that someone decided to create You Tube all those years ago.


[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

filmed in....

Vancouver, BC, where production sets abound. It's was a TV girl's paradise...

"the talon" from Smallville. Unfortunately I didn't spot the adorable Clark Kent...

Battlestar Galactica's headquarters. This place is HUGE!

This was just the streets of Vancouver. We were walking to dinner for the night and found all these trucks set up. Found out from someone working there that it was for a movie with Renee Zellweger. There were trucks like this everywhere in the city. Pretty cool!

Not 1,000 words

I know the saying is that a picture is worth a thousand words, but for some reason, I can't upload today. I have a post all ready to go but without the pictures, it just seems silly.
Instead, I'll give you a link to a new website that I am in love with.

http://www.boutwellstudio.com/blog/

The world of photography still amazes me. I've never been into art in the form of painting or drawing or sculptures (though I do try since that is the form two good friends use to express their creative sides and I want to appreciate their handiwork). So going to an art gallery isn't all that exciting for me unless I really put effort into it. It seems like art should grab you, not let you look away, take you to another place or wish that you could, make you FEEL something or send a chill down your spine. That's how I feel when I look at a photo. I love my own pictures. I look at them over and over. I love looking at other people's as well. I love finding photography blogs. I have several that I look at everyday. They inspire me. They make me think. They give me new ideas to take my own photos. Plus they make me want to save my $$ for the camera that I'm dying to have.
This blog is amazing. The entry for 10/6/06 made me gasp. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. How absolutely, unbelievabley amazing would it be if I could use them as my photographers one day!

Charming Vancouver

Such a nice city. Busy, yet so much more easy going than most American cities. The weather was BEA-U-tiful while we were there so that couldn't have hurt my impression either! It was amazing how many times we saw people shooting this movie or that small film. (More on that in a later post....) We had a wonderful time and just like my family said I would... I loved it there. Here's a couple of my favorite shots...

From the cruise boat as we left the dock. These glasses (which my brother constantly teased me about) were a source of great mocking on this trip. The bro called me "Skelator" everytime I had them on.
Lions Gate Bridge, which the film studio (that my bro worships at the feet of) Lions Gate is named after. So cool. You can walk across it or bike across it as well as drive. I took this laying on the ground in the middle of the pedestrian path.

The view as our cruise boat pulled away. I love how the city looks in this picture.

The crew enjoying the evening in the city. We had just had dinner at the Spagetti Factory. Sat outside to eat under the heat lamps. A film was being shot in the direction we were looking.

This shot reminds me of my Loch Lomond shot.

Funny Story:

My Daddy-O forgot his sunglasses one day as we were driving around. I offered him my "skeletor" glasses and he wore them most of the day. As we were at a stop light, I noticed 2 guys staring at him from their car next to us. I said "Dad! Turn and look at them! I think they are laughing at your glasses!" When he turned around, they doubled over in laughter and gave him 2 big thumbs up. That happened at least 2 more times that day! Seriously, those glasses have their own story to tell about that trip...

The lions guarding Lions Gate Bridge.

[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Here begins the vacations photos....

These are of my time with the W's. It was so, so, so good to see them as usual. Mommy in the family was my college roommate. We've stayed close through the years and I love going out to see her in Seattle as much as I can. She and her husband are so much fun to be around. She has two little gems now. This was my first time meeting her youngest. He's a charmer, let me tell you. A smile that is pure sunshine. Her daughter is too cute. She was singing along with us in the car to "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge. I love that she actually remembered me this time and didn't want me to leave. It was really hard saying goodbye after only 3 days, but it was SO good to see them. I wish that we could live closer. They are amazing and I hope that everyone has friends as wonderful and loving as they are. I tooks tons of pics of the kids. Here's a couple of my favorites.




[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]

Ali's weekly challenge

I'm a big fan of Ali Edwards scrapbooking style. I check her blog often to get ideas for cards and pages. At the end of last week, she posted a little challenge to try. A mini album of 5 favorite things right now. I LOVED this little challenge and decided to go ahead and give it a try. Here's my finished project. It was so much fun to create! I had so many great ideas and just went with them and didn't second guess my ideas.

Here is what it says...

#1. Photographs (sticker: 7 gypsies)

#2. Blogs (paper: Basic Gray, number by Heidi Swapp)

#3. In Style (circle stamp used throughout from Paper Source)

#4. Zach Braff

#5. Paper Crafts (paper: Basic Grey)

On the back, I wrote why I picked each one so I wouldn't forget 10 years down the road. Again, so much fun. Try it! Even if you just write it down in a journal or on a scrap of paper to find a couple years down the road.

Oh, and don't show it to your mid 20's brother. He won't be impressed and will basically laugh at you. You would think I would have learned that by now.

Three other things...

1. I will post pictures from the trip. I will. Just be patient....

2. I'm ecstatic about Battlestar Galactica starting on Friday. I will be planted on my couch as soon as 9pm hits. 2 hours of sci fi goodness.

3. Veronica Mars starts tomorrow. mmmm, Logan....

AND I found out that Josh Groban has a new CD coming out in a month. Oh, happy day! You can hear the new single on his website

[View Guestbook][Sign Guestbook]