Sunday, May 31, 2009

Look at This!


My Halloween pumpkins are in the latest issue of Sew Somerset. Its so exciting- and it is such a GREAT issue, not because I'm in there but because of all of the really talented artists in there- and I am so thrilled to be a part of it.
So its been a great weekend but done so fast. Yesterday Dave and I went on a big adventure-boat shopping and ending up in Newburyport, MA- drove out on Plum Island, went to my favorite craft store, out to dinner, to Costco and Trader Joe's- we had a fun time... today I cleaned the hot tub, scrapped, took a nap, it was a funny day- sunny then stormy then sunny...and now-3 weeks of kids left at school, tomorrow is June 1-where did May go to anyhow?

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Check your bank accounts

Just a reminder of a grim fact of computerized life- sometimes people get our bank account numbers and start siphoning out cash. Dave found his was infected today, after we got a 3 box of samples in the mail- fat burner and teeth whiting supplies and then face cream-this one actually had a paper with it that had a phone number and a notice it would be billed to him...
Scary stuff.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009




Rainy days in May aren't horrible-keeps the kids in school mild mannered-especially a raw day like today so it feels more like April not the end of the year winding down.
Watching the Queen with Katie- we rented it today- its a great movie-seen it before but its been quite awhile. Can't say I'm major ambitous, but I am starving- Katie just made us some cookies and they smelly yummy.
Here's a another spread from my cherry book, to enjoy!
And why is it when I don't want to spend money I keep finding stamps on eBay that I gotta have. I know, stop looking-easier said than done when you've got stamp addiction...I am so bad and so weak...

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Another day





I made this book last summer-cherries are such an early summer fruit-gotta love 'em. My ode not specifically to cherries but to early summer- long warm days, everything still green and not yet burnt from the sun, even us, stille xcited about summer and the heat has not yet wearied you...got to love it. A lot. (Especially us northeasterners in New Hampshire who suffer a long winter...too long...)
So someone in Katie's class was killed in a car accident last night (yes, I am going downhill here) but its sooo sad, and as a mom-it terrifies me. How can anyone take it...my heart goes out to the family and parents even though I didn't know this person, but to be a junior in high school and to not have your future...
Ok, lets try to be cherrier here (love my pun, dont you?). I tried to make the juicy page above look juicy, with drippies-what do you think? I am watching Anthony Bourdain, one of latest tv shows. I go through phases...and of course I have the travel bug-what a sickness. But you have to love it? I'm saying that a lot tonight, aren't I? Did lay out a bunch of mosaics tonight-haven't done clay mosaics for quite awhile...but I need to use up some tiles and Dave cut the rest of plywood for me-so glued down 4 pieces-and have a couple more to do...will take some photos once I finish them...but for now, enjoy the cherries.




Monday, May 25, 2009

An Absolutely Fabulous Day






The weather could be no better- clear blue skies, about 70-72 degrees, a breeze, wow. Got lots of planting done today and yesteday morning (though we had some showers around noon yesterday), and my yard looks gorgeous. The photos are from my gardens and the spring blooms! I love my backyard a lot, its a perfect place for me. Also reading my latest book club book- The Painted Drum, by Louise Erdrich, and I am loving that so far too. Will get back to my Elizabeth George mystery again- but this used copy arrived in the mail Saturday and book club is sometime in June, so I'm ready to get it read. I can easily hop books anyhow, always have been able to do that. Today was gardening day, and am laying out some clay tiles for mosaics, now I have no kitchen counter, and last night we went to dinner at my mother in laws, which was very nice...but otherwise, its been a great yard work weekend. So tomorrow its back to school for the final countdown- too many days really, I'm not done till June 24th but the kids leave the 19th and we have added work days to make up for the cie storm last December. Really just need to get thriugh the next 2 weeks and then its senior week and afetr that the last kids week...really isn't so bad. This is such an exciting time of year, with the weather becoming so nice and the flowers blooming and the school year winding down, summer plans brewing...

Saturday, May 23, 2009

a day of work



Lots of chores got done today-Katie worked (first day of the seaon), I got my bark mulching finished (yahoo), got some plants bought, grocery shopped...and still 2 days left to the weekend.I love it.My favorite flowers are blooming-I love lilacs- too bad their season is sooooo short. These photos are from last year, no sun shining today and it was only 60, but still, its lilac season! What an exciting time of year.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

99 degrees




On my car thermometer when I got out of school-sweat city-but they ran the ac in school-for a switch-but it made such a difference and the day was productive...Katie and I went to TK Maxx this afternoon for a fun little shop...dinner at the 99...had a salad because those mirrors at TJ Maxx always depress me...tough to want to be tiny and never am...1 more day til the long weekend-yahoo!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Heat's returning and...




its getting closer to the long holiday weekend! Yahoo! Came home, laid down and was reading my book (back to Careless in Red after finishing Outposts and also haven't been reading much for several days), so low and behold I fall sound asleep and don't wake up until 7-2hours later. I must have needed the sleep but talk about nothing getting done...anyhow...that's ok too. A good nap is a great thing-and at least I'm not in a groggy fog right now.
Here's a few more pages from our Feb. vacation I have done recently. Let me study these up on my blog to see how I like them photographed. (Funny how some pages look better in a photo and som look pretty blah. That doesn't make them bad either way, I grant you...)

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

a few more photos



1 good thing about posting work is that the photo gives you a different view of your work. yesterday I had one page-the one at the airport- that needs something-but there's nothing wrong with a simple page if the others are more complex, right?


Monday, May 18, 2009

A great day off




I had a great personal day off-though it was chilly out- I got a great walk in this morning with no bugs (oh blackflies-ugh), cleaned a bit more of my studio, started a new project called American Journey (will post later), took a nap, mailed out my eBay sales from last night, did some trip planning and a few chores around this house...ah yes. Now tomorrow its back to work for 4 days and then another long weekend-wonderful!
Also- a few more recent pages from my latest scrapping project-our vacation back in Feb. Still more London, someday I'll get to Paris.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Sunday night-and another weekend over


Happy Sunday night! I am taking a personal day at work tomorrow to have 2 long weekends in a row, this one and then the holiday weekend next week.
Was a good weekend- did some scrapping-tried to make some cards but that wasn't working very well (3 in the trash-eeks), saw 2 movies- Wolverine which was good and explained the X-Men story a bit, but not a great film, and saw Angels and Demons which I actually liked-even Tom hanks who I didn't like in The daVinci Code.
So here's a couple of pages from the front of my latest scrapping project-our trip last Feb. Hope you like them.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

The last Buggy Picnic and a Dragonfly too


Been a busy couple of days...yesterday was the allergist, book club and Katie's hair appointment all after school. I have started my lst trip altered scrapbook, need to take some photos because so far I love what I am creating. It feels different from the last London encyclopedia scrapbook. Not too much else new on this front- almost done with my book, Outposts, and did a bit more cleaning in my studio which I'm not really in rush to get done. I did order too many new stamps lately, between some I won on eBay and bought on a couple of sites that had mother's day sales...I'm out of control again and its time to pull back-I work very hard at catching myself when i start to go crazy...but you do need a little crazy at times, its what makes life fun, and its such a weird thing- feeling like you have to have a rubber stamp (I mean really, a rubber stamp). We alos booked our hotel for San Francisco, got a room in the city at a 4 star hotel in Nob Hill for $109 a night-wow, from what I found and hear that's a great deal. I 'm excited...if I want to even make 1/2 of my list I need to keep traveling...more and more.
Gotta love it!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day all you Mom's


Here's a photo of my Mom when she was a girl. Now she's 79, but still my mom. As I wished her on the phone this morning- Happy Mother's Day!
I'm having a nice Mother's Day, its windy and that's keeping the bugs away so I got a great walk this morning, have spent about 4 hours scrapping-just started my Feb. vacation book and have been reading Simon Winchester's Outposts, which is a bit outdated most likely since it was written in the mid-1980's but still an interesting read. Who'd know anything about Ascension Island or St. Helena...which I thought St. Helena was in the Mediterranean (did I spell that right) because Napolean went there but what did I know?
So now Katie and I are going to watch Last Chance Harvey-not sure if its any good but it looked good in the previews way eariler, and I like the idea of chicky flick...and London too...
Will let you know how it is.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Star Trek




Thanks to /film for these photos which I borrowed. Went to see the new Trek film today-in IMAX, I really enjoyed it but I'm not a purist-just someone who enjoys the show but doesn't dwell on the minor details. I'll leave that to the serious Trekkies, but it was a good movie and all the characters did an excellent job playing the roles of characters we already know. A couple of surprises too, but I won't ruin the film for those of you who may read but haven't seen-or want to see. Give it an A!



Friday, May 8, 2009

Another buggy picnic day


And a beautiful day it was today- a few sprinkles but not what they said it would be. Katie came down after work-we needed to renew her passport which expires Sunday- and we went to IHOP for dinner and did a bit errand shopping-like an SAT review book and a $25 bathingsuit for me at Old Navy- not sure I will keep it because I am such a flabby butt gal but its worth checking at home for that price and then we needed a couple of supplies at Walmart like a black patch and a couple of plastic bins-I now feel broke...don't even want to look at my checking account although I got paid today...but anyhow- it was a fun little trip out...and now, except for groceries, my weekend isn't too full fo errands...yeah weekend!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Buggy picnic day 4


Thursday already- and the leaves-they are about to pop to be their full size-they are tiny little versions unfolding and soon we'll be even more green-from brown gray to a little green and now GREEN!-got to love this spring-though today is more gray and wet, but that's ok since I had to work. Got a bit more cleaning in my studio done-not as mucha s yesterday but every little bit takes you to big places-no art this week-but very productive cleaning. And that makes me feel good. And tomorrow is FRIDAY-ready for a weekend. Mother's day too.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Buggy picnic Day 3



So today I made great strides in cleaning my studio-yesterday too-but I am hoping that the great feeling I have from making big strides at decluttering will carry me over- and those items I am sitting on the fence about-I will now want to clean them out so I will have good feelings about that too. Once you're on a roll I guess, its easy to pursuade yourself to stay on that roll and really clean out. Plus I am hoping that I can make some decent money selling my items on eBay this summer-I've had a couple of good years the last 2 summers and besides decluttering which is good for me, I can make a bit of cash...got to love that!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

More buggy picnic


Here's another buggy picnic art piece.
Chilly rainy May day-typical spring weather but I don't mind-especially at school because everyone-me included-are ready for summer vacation, and its still so far off. Not that its a bad thing because this time of year I really enjoy the longer days and warmer but not super hot...oh yeah!
5/6/09-OK, I looked at this photo and decided it needed something- so I added a few hearts to the steam coming off the tea cup and put some red eyelets in left hand corners-so much better. Sometimes looking at a photo and really stepping away from the art lets you see what it needs to finish it off.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Buggy Picnic


Over break last week I made 8 little pieces of art based on the theme of insects and tea-call it my Buggy Picnic. Here's one I did-actually like this set a lot. Its springy but still incorporates nature and tea-2 of my favorite topics. Will show you more as the week goes on.
So my second item of business tonight is studio cleaning- something I've been picking at for a while now-and its time to get serious. Get rid of some clutter-that is my goal. I've gone through many of my stamps and all the ones I mounted I am remounting for acrylic block since those take up so much less room. Plus, I pulled out some to sell this summer on eBay-just to plain get the numbers down. I also started to go through my fabric stash- got a bunch to of scraps to sell on eBay this summer and also am thinking about putting some of it in a box and storing it- want to use some of those drawers to store other items-like my newly growing punch collection and they'd be a good place to put my paints, etc. Open up some shelf space for other items, really. I just want to get rid of some of the clutter-as I said-but here's my biggest issue-I am a pack rat. Even going through fabrics-I find it hard to let go. I know I'd feel so much better letting it go, and I desperately want space- half empty drawers instead of those bulging out. I need a place for odd pieces of paper, inks, paint, trims. I just have too much stuff-really I do. So I pick and pull out a few items-what I need to do is pull out lots. But of course, I tell myself, you don't really have to get rid of anything-you use it...but I will feel better when its not so much stuff.
Really.
I need support! Can anyone help me with any suggestions to become a recovering pack rat?

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Still recooping


Slowly getting over this cold and sinus infection-but thank goodness for antibiotics. The pain on my face is at least gone.
Am taking it kind of easy today- printing more trip photos, cleaned out some stamps and some of fabric, read some more of Careless in Red by Elizabeth George (always enjoyed her books and haven't read one for awhile, but its still an excellent mystery). katie found out she got her summer job today-yahoo- not sure I will get any hours but that's ok too. Am getting my eBay stash ready to sell and clean out...always a good thing.
Tomorrow is back to work- last countdown until summer vacation. And its very light in the morning now-even at 5 a.m., which is another very good thing. Oh, life is good even when its a challenge...and its always a challenge. But that is ok too, most of the time.

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Already Saturday




Where did vacation go to? Wow. Woke up with a sore sinus again today- been dragging and only now starting to feel better. Made me mad though-haven't felt that perfect all vacation. Figures. I'll wake up great Monday-but I am thankful the anitbiotics are kicking in and my sinus-though not perfect- is much better. Tomorrow need to do my vaccuuming-including my car-didn't get as much bark mulching done as I wanted but that's how it goes-I didn't ask to be sick.
Here's a few more Paris book photos for you.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Paris book






Here's a few photos of my Paris book that I finished on Monday. Will show you some more next post.
Today I've got a budding sinus infection- my right cheek is killing me. Got to go get some anitbiotics the dr phoned in for me. This colds been one icky icky one, that's for sure. Dampened my whole week-but it was still a good vacation-went to WPI on a college visit with Katie Wednesday, saw my mom, did my Costco, Trader Joe's stop in Nashua on the way home-long day but fun. Yesterday Katie had her first 2 fillings , I went to my craft store in MA, got a haircut, went to Old Navy...today has been a home day...except taking the dog and Mr. Leo cat to the vet...made a few art pieces, my current theme is tea and bugs...hard to explain...will post some later on when they dry and are finished...
And now its Friday afternoon, almost back to work...glad its the last countdown until summer break...can't wait and we had excellent weather all week-warm, most sunny until today...couldn't ask for more...