Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Off Again

Heading out to northwestern Maine later today to go visit my sister-in-law and her husband at their cabin in Rangely, Maine. Since Dave isn't working and we were invited, we figured we might as well go. I've been to Rangely once, when I was a kid, so it will be fun. Maybe I'll see a moose or two.
This little trip is only for 2 nights so I will be back on Thursday so I can work Friday.
Anyhow, a few more photos from my big trip to Glacier National Park and the Canadian Rockies.
Today, wildflowers and garden blooms-since they were blooming up a storm.







I'll be back at the end of the week.
Have some beautiful blooming days till then.






Monday, July 30, 2012

More Photos-Glaciers

WARNING:
If you don't like other people's trip photos, then don't read this post.
LOL-
I want to show you some of the over 2000 photos I took-yes, a lot of them aren't anything much, but if I show you a few, that is ok. I promise you won't see all 2000.
Big ice bus that we rode up onto the glacier-this is up on the glacier. You can see people out there walking on the ice...
And here's the glacier we went up-that white streak on the back just left of center. I am standing a ways up at the visitors center, which is across the street. In this photo it looks rather small and like nothing, but in real life it is HUGE!
Here's a close up, with my finger over part of it unfortunately...
And here's me, getting back on the bus after slipped and sliding around the glacier for 20 minutes.
This glacier is as thick as the Eiffel Tower is tall!
That is tall!
So it is almost the end of July-can you believe it?
Summer, as usual, is flying right by.
Enjoy your day.







Sunday, July 29, 2012

I'm Home

We got home last night from our fantastic vacation adventure. We did so many fantastic things-rode a 6 wheel drive vehicle up a glacier, looked at glaciers, hiked and walked a lot, saw tons of black bears, a mama wolf and her two pups, tons of big horn sheep, a few mountain goats and elk and deer galore. The scenery was beyond beautiful and we drove over 1700 miles.  We heard a glacier break off a piece-like thunder, and drove through some spectacular mountain scenery. I saw prairies and mountains and raging rivers.
It was fabulous-
and that's an understatement.
Anyhow... I tried to post in Canada but couldn't access my account.
Here's a few other photos. Some have been touched, some haven't.  More to come another time.
Top is Lake Maligne in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.
Totem in downtown Jasper.
Glacier on the Icefields Parkway, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada
Maligne Canyon, Jasper National Park.

Anyhow, back another day.
Thanks for visiting.



Saturday, July 21, 2012

We're still in Glacier

It is Saturday and we are still in Glacier National Park with no internet service. I wrote this post before we left and scheduled it. It is only a snippet of a project I have been working on this summer. 
I was hoping to be caught up on my summer journal before we left on this vacation but that didn't quite happen. Kind of defeats the purpose of a journal, doesn't it? But I am not going to let it be a problem. When we get home I'll finish up those unfinished entries and then add all the other entries. I did decided I am not going to do a lot of pages from this vacation in my summer journal-I will make that a book of its own.
So what have I been missing out there in blog land? 
Hope everyone is doing well!
Be back some other day!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Summer Journal

I am scheduling a few posts for a few days since I am now away. Today we are driving from Spokane, Washington to Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana. Not quite sure what we are experiencing right now, but I am optimistic it will be different from New Hampshire.

So here's a page from my summer journal. I used this set of stamps and a phone die from Die-namics. Really like this little phone and all the phone sayings that go with it.
Don't know if I'll have any phone service at Glacier-not sure I can call home and see how Katie and the critters are doing. I miss them, but I think they will be doing just fine.
More later.
Thanks for visiting.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Taking Off

Today is the day! We have an early flight to Vegas and from Vegas to Spokane, Washington. I have never been to Washington so it is a new state for me! Plus tomorrow we will be driving through Idaho to get to Glacier National Park which is another new state for me! I want to make it to all 50 states and this puts me at like #38 (if you include Michigan-but in reality I have only been to the Detroit airport a couple of times). 
We're in Glacier until Monday and then we are driving north to Banff, Alberta (another new place for me- I have never been to Alberta) and then north to Jasper before heading back to Spokane to fly home on the 28th. Maybe I will even make it through a bit of British Columbia which would add another new location.
It is exciting.
But since we need to leave the house before 5 a.m. for our flight I will hold on my excitement until later.
I am bringing my laptop so I may have some new posts while gone.
Until whenever that is, let me show you a few more pages from my ready for travel journal.

I do like this past springs Globe die cut by Tim Holtz. Didn't think I would, but since I adore traveling and rambling the globe whenever I find the money or the time...



And I bought myself some new running shoes for the trip so I can run up a few mountains-
HA! HA! HA!
What do you think?
Until next time-
take it easy and have some adventures.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Packing and getting ready

Almost time to travel.
I am getting excited.
We discovered today will be Dave's last day at work but he is seeming pretty up beat considering.
He does tell me he is excited for this trip and I think the trip will be a good way to transition for employed to unemployed.
I hope.
I know he's been talking about this trip for months so I think the timing of it couldn't be any better.
And on the trip topic-
Here's some more photos of my travel book for recording deep dark secrets and new discoveries from our trip..




Thanks for visiting.



Monday, July 16, 2012

New Week

So I hoped everyone had a great weekend. I did. And now it is a new week  and this is a big week for me since Dave and I leave Wednesday for our trip to Glacier National Park in Montana and also Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, Canada.
I am getting excited-there's been so much going on that it took me a bit to get to this point.
Still have a lot to do before we leave, but thought I'd show you a few photos of the travel journal (pre-trip) that I've put together.
I made this journal in a little 3 ring binder I picked up at Staples. This is my inside cover page-using some 7Gypsies  covers. I  made the tree using Tim Holtz's Sizzix pine tree die. I actually cut 2 of them and trimmed some of the branches off 1 and added them to the other to give the tree a bit more 3D layers. I used some tiny typewriter letters to stamp the title, and the July and Vacation were also stamped using some Versamark to give this watermark look. Then I added the 2012.
I covered the backside of the title page with this paper. And then I used some 7Gypsies journal pages (right side) and I stamped the planes (a new stamp I picked up from Impression Obsession) and the Wednesday word from Hero Arts/Studio Calico.
And I also used some 7Gyspies tags which I punched to fit the notebook. I also wanted a bit of design, but lots of space to record my journey. This page is stamped with some October Afternoon images and words and also some Technique Tuesday words. I can color or fill in as I want when we are away.
You can see some more tags on the right. The top one was stamped with an Inkadinkado tree and a post mark from old set (maybe Fontworks). The bottom was stamped with a Technique Tuesday word (colored with Tim Holtz markers and then I used a wet brush to give it a little bit of a watercolor look.)
And on the left page, which is covered with some paper and then I added the Canadian Flag from a Quickutz/Life Style Crafts set. 
What I love about the 3 ring binder format is that I can move pages around once I am away, when I know better what I need for each page. If I need a bigger page or more blank page...etc.
Anyhow, got to do a few things today-Mr. Puppy-dog is getting groomed, I want to pack a few items, laundry, try to squeeze in some studio time. 
That's my plan.
What's your for today?




Saturday, July 14, 2012

Messes

My summer dilemma-the clutter around the house. My motivation to clean it up... hardly existent. I don't mind doing a small project, but I don't have a lot of totally free  stay home time. (OK-way too busy out playing -and I am having a ball!) And when I am home, I want to play in the studio or sit on my screen porch and read, not clean. So the clutters  are little by little getting cleaned up, but there still seems to be so many messes! Could my house possibly be bad? And here's one mess I should clean but seem to be happy living with-  the table in my studio is still horrible. Let me show you that mess.

And I have some wall painting to do too. My bedroom, the bathroom.
And a few other projects...
Notice how I have been bringing up this topic a few times this summer....
I feel like I should be more ambitious.
Maybe I need someone to tell me it is ok to not get these projects done, and that summer is not about getting all this work done.
It is about relaxing and playing and having fun.
Maybe I need to get past this puritanical New England work ethic mode.
I definitely I have a problem with this.
Anyhow, today I am working at the lake and then going to a cookout at my mother-in-laws. Should be a fun day.
And NO messes will get cleaned or walls will get painted.
Besides, it is VERY hot and humid. Too hot and humid to work-a better day to go swimming.
I am my own worse enemy.
Thanks for listening to me unload for a couple of minutes.
I feel better already.





Friday, July 13, 2012

Friday? Already?

Where did this week go? It just flew right by- I guess just like every week does. So for this week's10 things Friday, I am going to show 10 pictures from my week.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

10.
Hope you had a great week and thanks for visiting.









Thursday, July 12, 2012

Wild Wild West

You might surmise that this journal page might be a dead give away of why my post is titled as it is. But I picked this topic because of my adventure yesterday.
But first, my wild west journal pages. We went to Tombstone last February on our trip to Southern Arizona. I like this page-although  it is quite uncomplicated. A little spray ink-yellow and brown, some bead board paper under the photo. Some craft paper die cut letters. The gun from the Tim Holtz western set stamped a few times, an October Afternoon button and this cool wood looking sticker from a set of western stickers I bought last summer at Archiver's. Not sure who made them
Here's another page from inside the Birdcage Theater also. I don't like this page as much as the one on the top. I used some brown and yellow striped paper on this page that I brushed ink onto. I added a bunch of tape and some more of those western stickers. I don't know about you, but pages like this are hard to get the color right when you download them, they get this yellow tinge I can't get rid of. Anyone have any suggestions?
My favorite part of this page is this horse shoe. It is a chipboard die cut from October Afternoon. I painted it and then used some crackle glue. Once dry I inked it in some darker brown. I also added some small brads to the holes and then sanded half the finish off of those to give it an old worn look.
So anyhow, why I titled the page the wild wild west. That's because my friend has a sort of new car- she bought a 10 year old in like new condition Porsche Boxer. Convertible. Just YUMMY! We cruised out to the western part of New Hampshire which is hardly Tombstone but is the west of this state. Western NH is beautiful and very different from where I live here in the Eastern part. It is way less developed out there-fewer box stores, more little local stores. Didn't see one Home Depot or Walmart or MacDonald's or Target on the whole trip. We traveled these little back roads. Fabulous. Not tourists today but travelers. Part of our 8 hours of chatting was trying to decipher the difference. Lots of little towns with a town common and the white meetinghouse that is from the 1700's. Lots of beautiful old colonial homes. Quieter. Less traffic. More rolling hills-we aren't flat here but we are getting into the lower end of the White Mountains. We're not quite as gentle a scenery either.
Western NH is kind of like it was in NH back in the 1970's. It is so beautiful out there. I had such a great day.
Took some photos I will post later on. 
And today I am off the the very eastern part of my state-to Portsmouth-to go meet with my intern at school. I am not ready to go into the building, but hopefully this will take about an hour and then I can fly free. I was hoping not to do this until August, but he is impatient and that is indeed a good thing to see.
Explosive Eighteen: A Stephanie Plum Novel (Stephanie Plum Novels)
My latest read! And what I am really waiting for-that I pre-ordered on Amazon and should be here  tomorrow according to the tracking number

Shadow of Night: A Novel (All Souls Trilogy)
I should be all set to read it since I am close to finishing Explosive Eighteen.
Anyhow-
have a great day- can you believe it is already Thursday and already July 12th?



Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Adventure Awaits

Today I am off with a friend in her new toy-she told me to wear my sunglasses and a hat I can tie down. Does that mean she bought a convertible? Katie thinks it is one of those 3 wheeler trikes. Anyhow, we are off to Harrisville, NH-where I have never been to visit a yarn store I have never been to either. Obviously I have never been to this store if I have never been to Harrisville.
I can't wait to discover what the surprise toy is.
And it is a beautiful day.

So yesterday was busy-between a 4 hour shift at the lake, trying to do some gardening, a haircut and a few errands. Plus this week is filling up to. So much on the calendar!
But it is mostly fun things and that is what summer is all about. Having fun and getting out of the schedule. Going new places and doing things you can't do the rest of the year.
Got to love it!
Except it keeps me out of the studio.
I think when we get home from our adventure trip to Glacier I am going to make a point to try to calm down my social life.
But that sounds a little downer too.
I think I just need to give into this schedule, be thankful that I have a lot to do and can do it, and enjoy the ride.

I like to over analyse things.

The other thing is, I don't know quite why I have such a busy social life lately.
I usually don't.

I don't know quite what to make of it, to be truthful, though I don't want you to think I am complaining. Friends are wonderful to have.
I think some of it is because we have all become empty nesters.
Or when you get to this age and you realize you need to just have fun because life flies by SOOOO fast.
Not that I am really that old. Just middle aged.
And my hairdresser told me last night I am getting a lot more gray.
Just thankful I went this long without it.
LOL!

So a couple of little photos for you today. They have to do with my trip to a yarn store-of course.
So here's my latest knitting-the yarn, the start of the socks and the pattern. 
Here's a close up.
Happy Hump Day!