August Random

Happy Friday friends!

August isn't my favorite month. Everything is so dry, it's too hot and Target has the back to school supplies in my face. Even though it's not my favorite, I have had some good stuff going on here.

One evening I offered to drive Hubby and friends to dinner in a cooler location. I didn't tell them where we were going and I was impressed that they trusted my judgment.

I drove them to the Lummi Island ferry where we made it just in time to walk on and walk off.  That's how it feels because it is a short trip.  A cool and beautiful trip.

We sat on the front porch of the Beach Store Cafe and we actually got chilly sitting in the shade.

Later that week we drove to Winthrop for lunch.  Yes, it's a long way to go for lunch but it is a beautiful drive and we enjoyed our day trip very much.

This week I have stuck around home because we had seven large trees taken down.  Ice storms and wind storms were becoming stressful.  We called in an expert and he agreed with our choices. There was only one tree of the seven that we are mourning but we do have a lot of trees.  It is Phase I of a much larger project.  Hubby and I are DIYers and we knew we needed the pros for this job. They were fantastic!

I also stayed home this week because a wasp flew up my pajama pants on Monday evening and stung me. I do have bad reactions and though I wanted to ignore it that wasn't possible. Stinging, itching, tightness, swelling and pain on the back of my calf.  And my eyes get puffy.  I'm pretty much shot when I get stung as the Benedryl knocks me out.  I'm better today but I do have a 3 inch bruise on the back of my leg. #ihatewasps  

Since the back to school supplies are at Target I am in a panic about not tackling enough projects this summer.  I cleaned out the linen closet, donated two garbage bags full of  linens to the thrift store and now I'm pretty much over it. 

I am still floating in my pool for one. It's pretty great, actually.

You will all be relieved that I got my sample of my old book to scrapbook finished. Yes, after making one I am prepared to show twenty other campers the how to's of this little project. Hahaha

Next up a two week vacation. I guess August isn't sooo bad.

A Wedding, It's Hot, Many Projects and Random

Last week I saw two faded red, now pinkish, motel chairs on FB buy and sell.  I knew the seller and I told Cindy I'd take them. They aren't super portable but they are cute and Hubby and I kind of like them sitting next to Annie in the driveway.

It's hot and I am getting things done in the morning so I can float for an hour or two in the afternoon. I'd invite you over to my pool but it's a party of one due to space constraints.

Last weekend we had Jake and Kayla's wedding. Kayla is Kassie's sister. It was such a fun wedding.

Baby Jacob came home with us and spent the night. He is the sweetest baby ever.

Even at 2 a.m. 

I love seeing Max and Kassie so happy and having fun.  I brought Huaka'i Annie to the wedding for them to stay the night.  And y'all know I don't share Annie.

 Speaking of Annie, Hubby installed a faucet and plumbing yesterday.  I now have running water.
I'm giddy!
He also reinstalled the jacks.  Hubby did some research (in trailer parks) and put them at a different angle. Super steady now and easy to level.
He's giddy!

Everything had to come out of the kitchen lower cabinets so I plan to really minimize and organize as I put everything away.

Last night Hubby helped me with drilling through old books and then add eyelets to the holes.  I offered to teach a scrapbook workshop at the Nile Valley Rally.  What was I thinking? I'm an introvert.  Also, until last night I hadn't ever actually done this little old book to scrap book project. Hah!  

Hubby made us a new cocktail last night, it's called a White Lady and includes an egg white for the froth. It's delish!  After giving me a lesson in drilling Hubby deserved that cocktail. Not to brag but I've beat him playing cards two nights in a row. That never happens. On hot summer nights we are on the patio.

  Today is devoted to making a completed scrapbook sample. This class is brought to you by someone whose baby doesn't have a baby book. Don't worry Denise and Rita, I got this!

Yesterday I spent hours at Costco, returning an item, having an eye exam, picking up photos, getting groceries and shopping for my back to school wardrobe.  I found a vest and a raincoat.  Hello, my name is Tami and I have a raincoat addiction. My new one is a blackberry color. Don't judge me, this is a new color for my collection. Some day I'll share my raincoat collection on the blog. 

What's for dinner? 

I got to visit with Leslie and Marjean on Sunday afternoon and we always ask each other, what's for dinner?  I've been making salads and more salads for dinner. Last night we had a roasted Costco chicken with salad, we've had taco salad, and an Asian salad with teriyaki chicken.

Please share any good hot weather meals you've had this week. 

Keep cool my friends! Note, when I promise random, I deliver.

Volume Four

 While there may be several reasons why I have maintained my blog one of the big ones is Blurb.  Blurb is a company with software that  slurps  the blog, has editing tools, and then prints the blog into a hard cover book.

 Volume IV of  The Lady in the Stone House  arrived this week.  I don't change the writing or content but I do use the editing to arrange and resize the photos with each post.  I keep some photos fairly small to keep the book size reasonable.  I usually slurp about a year and a half per book.  My next slurp will begin April 2013.  I choose my end date based on number of posts and events in my life.

It's rewarding to get the blog in print and for someone that doesn't scrap book it is a nice alternative.

Can anyone buy a copy?  Yes, but my books run between $95 to $125 per copy.  So, you may want to think that through and just read it online.

By the way Blurb doesn't pay me to mention them on my blog.  

No one pays me anything, ever, to write this blog.

Do You December Daily?

If you have never made a December Daily album you probably aren't going to  get  this post.  If you want to confirm your suspicions that I'm crazy, keep reading, because today I'm keeping it real.

I just watched the entire December Daily video on Ali's blog this morning.  Just as though I have nothing better to do.  It's over twelve minutes.  It is Ali unpacking a box of the new December Daily album aka paper.  It is a paper addict's crack.   The entire kit is 100 bucks.

I couldn't help myself.  I was like a moth drawn to a 100 watt bulb in the dead of night.

Oooh, just look at that shiny, glittering stuff.

While I haven't ever used a kit, I have made December Daily albums.  As a non scrapper, I do love this project.  My last one was a disaster and I still cringe when I see it sitting on the coffee table however; then I open it.  And there is Christmas 2011.  So many details and fun memories that I had  forgotten.

This isn't a project that I do every year.  But if you've ever scrapped this project you know it's a tad addicting.  Are you making a December Daily this year?  

This year I really, really know that I shouldn't make an album.

It's home tour year, and there is a to-do list involved.

As Hubby and I talked this morning, we acknowledged that we have NOT done any projects that anyone will notice.  The looong list is made up of to do projects that would only be noticed IF they weren't finished.  It's all things that regular people have finished in their homes.  In the meantime it is a hot mess here.

A girl with a mattress and pillows drying in her living room shouldn't be considering a December Daily album.

 A girl with a door on the floor in front of the front door shouldn't be considering a December Daily album.

By the way, please do not come to any door right now.  It's not a good time for company.

 A girl with a head board blocking the stairway? That's an easy one.  She shouldn't be considering a December Daily album.

 You eat at your dining room table?  Not me!  I'm fixing a cuckoo clock.  You didn't know me as a "jeweler slash clockmaker".  Oh yes, I'm watching YouTube videos and obviously that makes me an expert.  Cuckoocuckoocuckoo, and I don't mean the clock.

 Last night I put away the paint cans that have covered the kitchen counter for months.

Hubby was curious as to why I would do that as the painting isn't finished.

"Well hon, I just need one clean spot.  Just one little area that looks like a normal kitchen."

Quite possibly, that is why I am watching videos about a December Daily album.

I just need a little normal right now.

And there isn't any in sight.

Zip, nada, zilch, no normal in sight.

Except for one kitchen counter, right?

NYC Smash Books

 Last evening the NYC trip girls came over to my place.  I had treat boxes with a NYC taxi cab and a Statue of Liberty ornament as their place cards.  We had taco soup for a light supper and brownie bites and almond cookies for dessert.  Mom joined us for a visit.

 Jodi and I printed wallet size and regular size pictures to share.  Everyone brought their Smash books, souvenirs, washi tapes and embellishments.  We embellish because we have scrapped with Miss Becky and she is all about embellishing.  Miss you Becky!

These are a few of my pages in my Smash book. 

 The apple dumplings at Knobels are worth flying across the country for and they are page worthy.

 I did a page about our visit to the Hook.

 My hotel page because I love hotels.

 Times Square at night page.  Yes, we saw the naked cowboy.

We made so many good memories on our trip to PA and NYC that we started talking about our next trip.  We aren't sure where we are going yet, but we are going somewhere together.

Shhhh, please don't mention that information to our husbands.  They aren't ready yet.

It was fun to laugh about our good times and to think about our next stop.

Random Again

 Max came for a surprise visit this weekend.  He arrived with a suitcase full of dirty laundry and left with a suitcase full of clean clothes.  I actually made dinner Friday night.  We had a guy snacking on our couch.  It felt just like old times.  Except he is a grown up and he leaves to go back to his own place and he agreed to a walk with his mama.  I think that shows a depth of maturity, to walk and talk with your mama, means that he isn't too cool for me anymore.  Nice.

 You may remember last year I actually carried through with a Pinterest idea and made our Christmas cards into a mini book.  I did it again for 2012.  This year I used a card we received on the cover.  Gretchen makes her Christmas cards every year.  I loved the white glitter and just had to use it front and center on my cover cuz it's just soooo pretty.

 I glue cards the same size together and then mix up the sizes through out.  The card from Eddie and Charlie had two sides so no glue was used.

 Yesterday I put together another book base because I hope to start working my way back.  It could take me a month of Sundays to get to a caught up but I am determined to make some progress this year.

I went to Stampadoodle and cut heavy black chip board for the covers.  All the same size with the same hole placement for year to year consistency.

MOST IMPORTANTLY...

 Happy 23rd Birthday to That Sam I Am today!  He loved to set up his dino collection and have me take a picture when he was little.  I have piles of pics of Sam with his collections, rocks, GI Joes, dinos, stuffed animals, matchbox cars, Lego, playmobil and books.  I still have his collections in the attic.

 Now Sam won't send me pictures or let me take them of him without a fight so I have resorted to stealing them off face book.  This picture is of Sam and his Army buddies, I think they are on their way home from a weekend of hiking and camping.

Happy Birthday Sam!  I love you and treasure the day God gave you to us.

Although I don't actually treasure THAT day since you weighed 10 pounds 4 ounces.

But all of the other days have been great.

Have a fun birthday!

Did you get your package?  Hope so.

Scrapping in the City

 For our New York City Sista's trip we decided to make K&Co Smash books.  They have great pages with journaling prompts and each book comes with a glue stick pen on the side.  The idea is that you just randomly smash in whatever you want.  Maps, ticket stubs, brochures get smashed into the book and then we'll add pictures in when we get home.  Jodi and I are bringing the washi tape, Sharpies and embellishments for everyone.  Karen gave me some great NYC stickers.

 I made treat bags for everyone.  I plan to give them their treats at Sea Tac.  I included some things for their Smash books, gum, mints, snacks, candy and ear plugs.  It was fun for me to put these together.

Nancy gets a bigger treat bag including a Smash book, treats from Lynden, photos of our Grandparents and an ashtray.  Uh, that's a weird hostess gift.  She doesn't smoke...  but in the lower left corner there is an image of a man plowing with his draft horses and that is our Grandpa!  The image is from a postcard.  I am always on the lookout for these ashtrays, mugs, plates and postcards at local thrift stores.  

There is also a white Lynden Plowing Match mug with this image that I love to find.

  

Off we go, flight leaves at 7:00 a.m.

Spinners for Our Grad

Last week I mentioned a small project that was ongoing in the laundry room.  It worked out well to quickly start a load, flip a load and work on the project.  

Max does not have a baby book and is scarred however; as of last night he does have two 7 gypsy spinners.  I got my spinner for my birthday several many years ago and then Jerrie gave me her spinner last Fall.  I had two spinners, photo sleeves and card holder tabs.  

I loved the spinners but never did anything with them.  I felt that if I did something with them it should be something fantastic because they were so cool and we got them at TOM(treasury of memories) before it closed and boy howdy, weren't those the scrapin' days?  Intimidating stuff.  I think Jerrie felt the same way.

The spinners had to be used to their full potential!

Now the spinners are centerpieces for Max's graduation party.  

Obviously, I couldn't very well start the baby book at this point.  Too late!

So, I put a new spin on the baby book.  Pun intended.

 I used wallet sized school pictures and cropped snapshots.  I used some things such as old ASB cards, Fair passes, tags from all the Vans he wore.  Max has been wearing the same shoe style, a grey and black slip-on Vans since seventh grade, it's his signature look or something.  
I added some embellishments.  

But not too many cuz guys don't embellish.  I did some embellishing for Becky... miss you miss becky.

 Nothing is in chronological order because nothing is in chronological order in the ginormous rubber maid storage that all photos get dumped in at our house.  I like to think of it as being  fun random scrapping.

Holly and Kathi came over last night to stitch and scrap.  I needed a block of time to get it finished.  They were very encouraging.  I just have to order a few more wallet photos and Max's "book" will be finished.

I just checked 7 gypsies site and if you want to make a spinner they are available online at 

7 gypsies website. And here I thought I had the last two in the whole world.  Sheesh.