Nine days later

I would love to blame not blogging....on getting my stamp room in order, but that hasn't happened, completely.  Yes, it's 3/4 cleaned and organized but still trying to decide what to do with the other stuff I haven't found a place for (as yet).  

I did manage to make a few cards during this time.  Here is one I made using the Swiss Dots embossing folder. I adhered a piece of TAC's Juliette paper on top and added a scalloped circle sponged with burnt umber ink.   Then, a smaller circle and finally I stamped and embossed a flower from Petal Pack onto a magazine page and then cut it out and put a gold brad in the middle.  

If you haven't tried stamping and embossing on a magazine page, try it.  You do need a little more open stamp then I used but not TOO open.  It's fun to see what designs show up.  On this one, I stamped onto some words.   Not too sure I like the 'faux' ribbon from the Juliette paper at the bottom, but....for now, it stays.
I stamped THANKS from more elegant sentiments onto a piece of white card stock and sponged the edges with burnt umber ink.

After working on my stamp room, I decided I needed to go through other closets and drawers in other parts of the house and oust things I haven't used in years.  Then, as I was doing that....I get this hair brained idea to move some furniture to different rooms in the house.  Well, now my house and hall way look as if I just moved in.  I have boxes everywhere.  

Now it's decision making time.  Do I have a small garage sale and include paper crafting and if yes...then when can I fit that in?   I have to somehow...as all this STUFF is driving me nuts!

Since I last blogged, we took our Granddaughter to the Draft Horse Show, twice. Once on Friday night and the next time on Sunday afternoon.  She LOVES these horses and her Dad's boss supplies the tickets every year for us to go.  There is a catch, tho, I have to make him and my Son a rhubarb pie :-)
    


  


   
We love seeing these gentle giants every year.  I can never pick a favorite.  I love all of them.  I took way over 100 photos but I am sure no one but me wants to see 100's of photos of Draft Horses.  They are just so beautiful!!!

Saturday, our younger Son, Jim, brought out pizza and then took us all bowling.  I used to bowl all the time growing up (my Dad managed a large bowling alley) and I had a really good average.  I even met my husband on a mixed bowling league.  We bowled off and on for a couple of years and then just bowled occasionally and, finally, quit.....it has been over 25+ years since we have bowled.

Well, long story short....I no longer have 160+ average.  My first game I barely bowled 50, if that.  My next game I did break 100 but I also pulled something in my knee.  So, I have been hobbling around ever since.   BUT, it was fun!!!

My granddaughter even beat me both games :-)   She loves to bowl.  She even has her own bowling ball and shoes.  She does have a rather unique way of throwing the ball, tho.  It just cracks me up.  Her arm is too weak to do it the conventional way.......and she bowls pretty darn good for not taking the proper steps etc.  
   I love this photo of her and her Dad.  

Monday my older Sister, Kay, came out and we worked on some cute golf tee holders for a gold for cancer event that her golf club is hosting.  We made 65 of those little buggers ;-)   They were so cute and DUH, I didn't get a photo of them.  We did them in pink with different colored designer papers on them.  They turned out really cute.
 
Wednesday, I went and visited my Sis again and then a friend later in the afternoon.

Yesterday, back to cleaning out drawers and closets and organizing again.

Today is Friday and we'll be heading to the county fair sometime this afternoon.  This is the second event of the summer that my Granddaughter, Zoey, looks forward to.....the Rodeo at the fair!

Hopefully, since DH is home for four days, he'll keep Zoey busy while I get in some stamping time.

Have a wonderful weekend!!!!

Char

Hot Hot Hot

In the throes of reorganizing!!!
  
I don't know about you, but when I am hot, I don't want to do much of anything.  That's been the case the last week or so.  It's finally cooling down to the high 80's so that's a lot more tolerable.

I spent most of yesterday cleaning and re organizing my stamp room/office.  At least it's air conditioned :-)
 

But, no matter how many ways I organize and clean.....the problem is, there still isn't enough room. The fact remains, it IS what it IS.  I can't make more room so I am going to have to get rid of a lot of 'stuff'.   The funny thing is....as soon as I get rid of something....that's when I NEED it!

I did manage to get my stamp table less cluttered by removing a couple of organizers and a Pampered Chef Turnaround.  I won't get rid of that, but at least it freed up some much needed space to work at.  The two wooden organizers that held various things that I felt I needed right at my fingertips.....will be delegated to the garage.   I found that I didn't use those 'finger tip items' as much as I had thought.  So, they are in Rubbermaid organizers on a shelf unit to the right of my stamp desk.  Still easy access yet not taking up valuable space.

I am not ready to put things back in place, just yet.  I am still considering what to do with other things that are taking up space yet I don't need them every week.

I promised my Granddaughter that when I got the stamp room clean and organized, we'd stamp. But, this morning, I realized that this might not get totally accomplished before she has to return home.  So, we will stamp tomorrow, regardless!!!  And, I'll post photos of a clean/reorganized stamp room, later.  Yeah right!

Hope you all are staying cool, some way or another!

Here is a card that I did for my last FUNshop.  I got the idea from two different blogs.  I used the orange slice idea from one blog and then copied the directions from Patty's Stamping Spot

As you can see, I changed it a little and called it a Creamsicle Card but it's a fun card to make!  And, instantly makes you feel 'cooler'.  :-)

An award from Percy!!!

I received this award from one of my SBS16 Sister bloggers, Percy! Thank you so much!!!

Now according to the rules of this award:

1. The winner can put the logo/award on her blog. (which I did)

2. Link the person you received your award from. (which I did)

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs. (whoops!)

4. Put links of those blogs on yours. (another whoops!)

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you have nominated. (a final whoops)

Well, since I have been blog hopping for the past two hours (it's after midnight) and every blog I have been to seems to already have this award, I decided (don't throw tomatoes at me, Percy) that I would just like to honor every person in both blogging Sisterhoods and those people that I talk with on a fairly regular basis, either by e-mail or phone. OH GOSH...this IS breaking the rules, huh??

You see, I get inspiration and encouragement from so many people and some gals don't even have a clue that they have encouraged me, that particular day! Some aren't even stampers or into crafts of any kind.

Inspiration comes in many, many forms. In my every day to day living, I get my inspiration from different people at different times. Some are complete strangers, but something they do or say gives me inspiration or encouragement.

People come into our lives for a season and some stay for our entire lives. Some, that have inspired me, are no longer with us.

So, for this particular award, I just want to say THANKS to everyone that takes the time out of their day to visit my blog. I want to say THANKS to those of you that call me, just to say HI (and you know who you are) and check up on me. Thanks to those of you who e-mail me, for what ever reason.

Anyway, just know that if you have had any sort of contact with me....YOU have inspired or encouraged me in some way....big or small! You just don't always know about it. This isn't a cop out.....it's fro

So, consider yourself an inspiration!!!

I am off to bed!!!!
Night...for REAL this time!!

Another week......all gone!

On our little four day get away, we drove through John Day territory and saw some really cool looking rock formations, but a lot of them had the glare from the window so I had to delete them.
We stopped in Mt Vernon, OR to meet a couple of friends/customers of mine that I only knew from e-mail and phone. It was so much fun to finally put a face to a name. And, guess what? I forgot to take pictures of us together. I can't believe it. BUT, I did manage to get a couple shots of Maurita's yard. I loved the tree root she has in her front yard.
Is that cool or what? I would have never thought to do that....but it was such a cool idea.
This is her side yard that has a lot of shade trees and a really nice place to sit and swing!

Then it was time to get going and we drove just outside of town to a State Park. It had a lot of cottonwood trees and it almost looked as if it was snowing....there was so much of it falling.

Yes, that is a Tee pee in the background. There are two of them at this park and you can rent them. There was also a campground farther out and it would be a nice place to camp. There is also a really pretty little river running through it.


Nice picnic tables on the day use side where you can stop and have lunch.


There were even bird houses up in quite a few of the trees.

Lunch time over and we drove on to our friends' ranch in Eastern Oregon.
We had a great time visiting our friends. She's a fabulous cook and always outdoes herself every time we come. I told her it's like going to a Bed and Breakfast!

Time went fast and soon it was time to head home again. We drove a different route home, going via I-84 and the Gorge.

There was a lot to do when we got home. I have also been reading to my special needs granddaughter, Zoey, so that she can earn prizes for the Reading Challenge through the local library. We have managed to read 47 books in three weeks. Of course, they are not huge books, but still we need to carve out the time during the day to get them read. Her next prize will be a book. Then, the last prize she can earn will be a T-shirt. I hope she can stay long enough to earn that.




















We had a nice quiet 4th. We went to the local parade
and then came home and just relaxed and played games with our granddaughter. Later, that night, we decided we didn't want to drive back up for the fireworks and fight the traffic, so we watched them on TV. First we watched the Macy's Fireworks on a network channel and then we watched Fireworks on our local station. There were some pretty awesome fireworks. It's not the same as seeing them in person, but still....all we had to do was shut the TV off and head for bed....no fighting the traffic ;-)

My granddaughter loves soup so I have made homemade soup, twice, this past week. The first one was a batch of vegetable beef. Today, I made Chicken noodle. I told her we'd make split pea next week. I need a soup break ;-)

Believe it or not, that's what she'll order when we go out to a restaurant...soup and salad.

I have a FUNshop, tomorrow morning, so better finish getting everything ready to load into the car in the morning and head to bed!

Night!!!
Hugs,
Char