Saturday, December 6, 2014

Wrapping

Hi Everyone !

Like me, I am sure you all have read, seen or heard recommendations about wrapping all your Christmas gifts in the same paper. 

When the pretty bags came along, a lot of us were pretty thrilled to have our wrapping dreams come true !  But they just don't look or feel the same as a beautiful package all wrapped in gorgeous paper and tied up with ribbon or string.

I began wrapping my gifts all alike a few years ago, and I must say, it really isn't all that much harder than putting them in a bag.


This is paper I picked up from Costco around $10., and we used it for three years, and still have some left.  I only bought different but similar paper this year as our main tree is black and gold.

I also bought some kraft tags from Target, about $5 or so, which I used for a couple of years, and the ribbon is always wired, maybe three rolls a year for (on sale at Michael's) about $10.  So, you can see it is a pretty cheap project. 

I generally wrap the ribbon around the package just once, and do a double knot on top.  I fishtail the ends of the ribbon, and since it is wired, I can poof it into a little bow look-alike.

The final look, as you can see, is so beautiful.  Funny, but no one thinks they are REAL presents !

Wrapping like this is pretty fast, and so simple my husband always wraps all of my gifts just like these.  Give it a try - it is so festive !!


Wednesday, December 3, 2014

2 Wall Projects


Hi Everyone !

Today we are going to look at two really easy peasy projects for your wall.


Top:

There are several companies that make cling type sayings that look as if they have been handwritten on your wall.  I have seen these at a number of stores, including JoAnn's, Michael's, and Home Goods.  The prices have sure come down in recent years, and they are easier than ever to adhere.
Just make sure they are level, and that you flatten them down with an edge, such as a credit card.
Less than 5 minutes to do, and sooooooo cute !

Bottom:

All this is, is a white canvas, white letters (and in this case Dream is all one piece), glue, spray adhesive, glitter and a sawtooth hanger.  This one MIGHT take as long as 5 minutes !

1. In the back center, hammer in a sawtooth hanger.

2.  Glue the chosen word on the canvas.

3.  Spray adhesive all over.

4.  Add the glitter.

5. Hang !!

This one too is pretty cute, and so simple.  Both projects will add a lot of interest to your wall, and
make your holiday home so festive.

Monday, December 1, 2014

Red and white tree

♥♥♥♥♥

Every year Dom and I put up a few trees, usually 3-6.  This year we have 3 full size, one pencil tree, and one small undecorated (so far) flocked tree in the kitchen.

The more the merrier I think !  Although, it can be pretty exhausting, lol.

This year we chose a red and white theme, a black and gold theme, and a white and silver theme for our full size trees.  Today we are going to have a peek at the red and white tree !

We don't use red much in our holiday decorating, mostly because our house is green inside, and we strove for many years to maintain a monochromatic look.  But this red was such a happy surprise after it was complete !

This is a new tree we bought this year at Walmart, already flocked.  So, not a real expensive one, around $150 on sale I think.




Initially I filled the inside with red silk poinsettias, just to give some depth to the tree.

I added ribbon, berries, a sign, and some balls.  I also popped in a few little squiggley items, a red bird cage filled with red and white balls, and a framed photo of Spencer sitting with Santa.  I will have some close ups of those later.

This tree is in our media room, so we see it more than the others.

Also later, we will be looking at a garland I made for this particular tree !

Have a great day, and there is more coming tomorrow !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Thanksgiving


♥♥♥♥♥

Hi Everyone !

Today kicks off a month of photos and tips on Christmas decorating, and maybe even some recipes.

Thanksgiving comes tomorrow, and I always have a fall tree up to celebrate !

Here is one of our trees from a couple of years ago ....


and this year ....


This is always a simple little tree, so I can strip it quickly and redo it for Christmas.

I think the green tree, now that I see the photos, is the better choice for fall.

I am of the "stuffer" mind set, and stuff silk fall flowers and leaves quickly.  I add some brown balls, and acorn decorations to complete the fall look. 

I will be posting a lot of really easy quick decor ideas, so I hope you will join me !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Wednesday, November 5, 2014

The house telling you to close your eyes


♥♥♥♥♥

Wow, things are so busy !  So much coming up, including our trip to WDW with our Brie, Jason and Spencer at the beginning of 2015.  Whew.

We are coming up on Thanksgiving but doncha know we still have a large pack of wild turkeys on our street.  (Someone should warn them ....)  Last year we had 9, but this year we have about 24, one of the hens is an albino.  I have seen two other large packs around town, but I have heard they have invaded all over.  Anyone else having turkey troubles ??

Well, today I did get a card done, thank goodness ...

Today's card is heading over to 

with this sketch ...


I turned it on its side ...


Pretty simple.  Hope you like it !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Friday, October 24, 2014

Truth may vary this


♥♥♥♥♥

Today's post is heading over to


and here is their sketch this week ...


Though usually at this time of year I am still working on Halloween, I am finding myself a little ahead, and went with Christmas instead !


Hope you like it !!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Thursday, October 9, 2014

your mind is playing tricks on you


♥♥♥♥♥

We had one fall day, and then right  back to summer again.  Today is mid 70's, a wee drop from the 80's we have had, and we have more of the same coming.  Endless summer for certain, and it is my least favorite of the seasons.  

Today I am entering the challenge at


with this sketch ...


and here is my card ...


Hope you like it !

♥♥♥♥♥


Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Buried with our past


♥♥♥♥♥

Today's card is going to


whose DT has been so supportive of me this year.  Thank you soooo much !

The theme this week is Thanksgiving.

Canada's Thanksgiving is coming up this Monday.  I always think of it, remembering the 9 years I spent living in Canada, and the Canadian accent that comes out in me on occasion !  

Here is the sketch ...


and I turned it on its side ...


I have to laugh, as I start out with just a slight change, and then it morphs all by itself into this.

lol

Hope you like it !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Thursday, October 2, 2014

Little talk


♥♥♥♥♥

Almost my sweet daughter's birthday, and I haven't made her a card yet, yikes !!

Today's harvest card goes to


with this sketch and a harvest theme !


and my card ...


Hope you like it !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Wednesday, September 24, 2014

We must all go home ...


♥♥♥♥♥


Big thank you to the ladies at  Try Stampin' on Tuesday who counted this card in their top 3 !!

Busy busy fall here !  Sunday our street participated in Sunday Streets, which closes off  two neighborhood miles to autos.  We had several thousand people pass our way, and I swear, every one of them stopped here at our house.
 
The fun thing is that we had no idea what might come down the street, and they had no idea what was up ahead.  Of course, Spencer had his strawberry lemonade stand, and a sandwich board, and he was quite the hit with his silliness.  We also put out a couple of hundred lunch boxes, what we had left from our garage sale on Friday and Saturday.  People enjoyed the nostalgia, and we even sold a few.  A great way to spend a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

Today, we finally had rain, it has been 6 months since we have had a good rain soak.  Doesn't sound like Oregon, does it !  But we are back to gray skies once again, and I have missed it so.  No one is complaining !!

Today's card is entering the challenge at

whose theme is trees and leaves, and this sketch ...


and my card ...



Hope you like it !!!

♥♥♥♥♥



Friday, September 19, 2014

Some Trouble Tonight


♥♥♥♥♥


Big thank you to the ladies at 
Try Stampin' on Tuesday
who counted this card in their top 3 !!

More beautiful days for us here in Oregon.  It was a good time to clear out the attic, or so Dom thought, and have a garage sale.  Turned out we made a few bucks today, and will be open tomorrow, and Sunday, when the city will close our street for Sunday Streets, a time to bike, walk, visit neighbors, sell some lemonade, have a sale, and give away some balloons, all of which we plan to do.  Along with Spencer, of course !

So I have not been making many cards, but I did manage to get in this sketch


from

and here is my card ...


Hope you like it !

♥♥♥♥♥


Thursday, September 11, 2014

Satin dress


♥♥♥♥♥

I have actually found more and more uses for Halloween cards, which is a weird surprise for me.  No one has actually ever given me one, but I think they make for fun random acts of kindness.  As long as they aren't too scary, right ?

This one is going over to


with this sketch ...


and here is my very scary card,
and it's lil tag ...



Hope you like it  !!

♥♥♥♥♥

Look what I can do with my feet


♥♥♥♥♥

We are having one delightful day after another, although we are heading into the 90s this weekend.  

Today's card is for


with the inspirational word
Leaves

and here it is!



Hope you like it !

♥♥♥♥♥


Tuesday, September 2, 2014

The endless skies


♥♥♥♥♥


Big thank you to the ladies at 
Try Stampin' on Tuesday
who counted this card in their top 3 !!

Although it is September, we still have a few gorgeous weeks of summer yet.  But I cannot help thinking of fall coming, with great delight !  Spencer went back to school today, and I wonder if he will be the same character he was last year.  

Over the weekend we let him use a video camera of ours, and he was such a riot as he introduced his "Kid's News", which included a section on plants, on storm drains, and a reminder to wear sunscreen, along with interviews.  He interviewed Patti at Albertsons, who works in the bakery, and showed Julia, our server working hard.  It was really quite well done, considering he is only 6.

Well, today I feel the back to school spirit of all moms, and join in throwing up my arms in joy, even though that part of my life is long gone.  I had to make a card, right away, of course, and off I was to


with their sketch, and the last of week of 
whatever makes you happy !


Here is my card. Although not an exact rendering of the sketch, it "made me happy" to stray !


Hope you like it !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Thursday, August 28, 2014

Sometimes you're the bug


♥♥♥♥♥

Second post today - I have been so busy this week things kind of got away from me.

If you missed the nice story in the newspaper about my daughter, see the post below !

This card is going over to


and here is their fabulously fun photo this week !!


and my card  ....


Hope you like it !!

♥♥♥♥♥


We are the champions


♥♥♥♥♥

I often mention my daughter is a top golfer here in Oregon.  Here is a story about her that was in our newspaper on Monday.


A Stone-cold finish

Brie Stone, Joel Johnson win OGA Mid-Amateur Championships at Emerald Valley Golf and Resort

 

 

 

 
 
CRESWELL — When she walked off the 18th green, Brie Stone knew she had won her fifth straight Oregon Golf Association Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship, though not until then.
“Out here, you can double-bogey a hole from nowhere, really,” the 33-year-old Veneta resident said Sunday after her one-stroke victory over Lani Marie Elston at Emerald Valley Golf and Resort. “You hit the wrong part of the green, it can just happen so easily. I never quite felt safe, but I try to stay in that, too. When you think you’re safe, that’s when you’re not.”
Joel Johnson didn’t feel quite safe until the trophy was finally in his hands.
The 28-year-old former University of Portland golfer shot a 1-under 70, tied for Sunday’s low round and good for 1-over for the tournament. The left-hander had to wait for two threesomes to finish after him, then the totalling of scores, the anticipation of a very possible playoff — and a mistaken announcement that Bend’s Charlie Price had won the tournament, quickly corrected — before securing his first Men’s Mid-Amateur title, by one stroke over Price, who played in the last group and suffered bogeys on the last two holes.
“I knew those guys had to play the last few holes, which were playing difficult, with the wind picking up out there,” Johnson said “I was just holding my breath.”
Stone, who followed her first-round 73 with a four-over 76 (women’s par was 72 in the tournament, men’s 71), found herself tied with Elston going into the back nine but made key putts of about 6 feet for par on No. 11 and for birdie on No. 13, while Elston missed shorter putts on the same holes.
“Those were definitely the two big putts,” Stone said. “Those were huge.”
When Elston, a 31-year-old former player at Arizona who teaches piano in Milwaukie, triple-bogeyed the par-4 14th hole after pulling her tee shot into the marsh on the left, Stone’s bogey gave her a four-stroke lead and some breathing room. With the pressure of her unprecedented Mid-Am winning streak, she needed it. Stone had two bogeys over the final four holes but safely recorded a par on No. 18, while Elston rallied from her triple to finish with three pars and a birdie on No. 18 to come up a stroke short of a playoff.
“I felt more nervous out there today than I have in a long time,” said Stone, who was Brie Del Bone when she was a local juniors golf phenom and star at Sheldon High. “I can kind of fool myself sometimes that I’m not the favorite, but once you’ve won four in a row. ...”
There were worries for her caddie, husband Jason, too — though he’s carried her bag on occasion, he hadn’t in any of her previous Mid-Am victories.
“He said he was nervous about that,” Brie Stone said. “I said ‘don’t say that to me.’”
The continuation of the winning streak, Stone said, is “pretty awesome. I just never imagined that something like that could ever happen. This one is just as good as the first one. They’ve all been hard-fought and could have gone either way. I feel pretty fortunate.”
Johnson, who lives in Portland, began the day five strokes behind another former Sheldon star, former Oregon golfer Jack Dukeminier. “I knew I needed to make some birdies, fire at some flags,” Johnson said. “Fortunately, I did that. I wasn’t sure where I stood. ... I tried to look at the (leaderboard) at 15 and it wasn’t updated. So I just tried to come in solid and see where I finished up.”
While Johnson was gaining, his three bogeys off-set by four birdies, the 25-year-old Dukeminier, who works for an accounting firm in Portland, was coming back to the field, en route to a 7-over 78 that left him tied with three other golfers, including his brother, Chris, for fourth place.
“It was a tough day,” said Jack Dukeminier, who had several three-putt greens on the front nine, and errant tee shots that led to double bogeys on No. 10 and No. 13. “I played alright coming in, but it was a little too late.”

We are so proud of her ...

Now on to my card for this week's challenge at
and their sketch !


Here is my card !


Hope you like it.  A little preview of fall ...

♥♥♥♥♥


Thursday, August 21, 2014

Wings


♥♥♥♥♥

Hullo !

Yesterday was both my hub's birthday and our 37th wedding anniversary.
Now, he was mighty smart as he set the wedding date, and guess what !  He has never forgotten our anniversary once, hmmm, I cannot imagine why ??

For dinner last night he took me to a popular Asian fusion cafe, walking distance from our home.  
We are pretty lightweight when it comes to eating a whole lot, and I had some wonderful Vietnamese chicken wings for lunch today.  What a lovely day it was.  

Today I have a card that is heading to 
who had this darling inspirational picture ...


Here is my card ...





Brown, floral background and soft colors were my inspiration.
Plus, of course, sweet sweet sweet !

Hope you are having a wonderful day, as summer is winding down !

♥♥♥♥♥


Monday, August 18, 2014

Eyes full of sorrow


♥♥♥♥♥

Hope your week is getting off to a wonderful beginning!

Today's card is entering two challenges ...



(tho I admit my colors are a little more pastel)

and 
this sketch from


and my card ...


Hope you like it !

♥♥♥♥♥


Thursday, August 14, 2014

I just can't see


♥♥♥♥♥

I stopped at TJ Maxx today, and saw that they had out a load of Fall candles, the ones that smell like baking or apples.  We still have at least a whole month left here of summer, and maybe even 6 weeks, but I do dream of fall colors and smells about this time of year ...

Today's card is posting on two different challenges

with a washi tape inspiration


AND 

with this sketch ...


Here is my card !


Very simple.

While Brie was playing in the Oregon Stroke Play tournament this week, Spencer spent one day with me.  We drove him out to his dad's job to drop him off, about a 20 minute drive.

As soon as we were in the car, we became the captain, the side captain, and Smee.  Oddly, Spencer had found a treasure map in the back seat of the car !

Here were his instructions ...

Drive over a river
Drive through the Conjet (which means Country in some strange Spencer language) of Henry
Pass a field with three roaming bison

which we followed, although when we did not find the field with three roaming bison
Spencer suddenly said
Oh no !  I have this map upside down !

We turned into the pirate golf shop, and walked into the shop, following Spencer.  But he soon returned to us, and complained

No dawdling !

And a man who was shopping said to us

Did he just say "dawdling" ????

oh yes, he certainly did

and that poor guy laughed himself silly.  Told us it made his whole day.

Yup that is Spencer, making everyone's day a little more joyful !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Friday, August 8, 2014

Turn my way 2


♥♥♥♥♥


Big thank you to the ladies at 
Try Stampin' on Tuesday
who counted this card in their top 3 !!

Today's card is going to the challenge at
one of my most favorite challenges !

Here is their sketch this week ...


I chose a fairly simple style to fit this sketch,
plus I had to make a manly card, as
my hub's birthday and our anniversary are only two weeks away !


I have not been to Paris, and I will never get there,
BUT
France at Epcot is pretty close, isn't it ??  lol
AND
one of our favorite places too !!

Hope you like it !

♥♥♥♥♥


Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Somewhere in the night


♥♥♥♥♥

Another lazy hazy day here, summer is just flying by, isn't it !

My card today is heading over to
where Nancy has given us the word "Ribbon" for inspiration !!

Too easy !!

Here is my card ...


Hope you like it !

Here is a pic of my sweet grandson, Spencer ...


He is such a loving child, and wow, so much fun !!

Here is a pic of us in the wetlands park close by.
We were looking at some ducks !


and one more ...



Chef Spencer is always a welcome addition when there is talk of food !!

Have a great week !

♥♥♥♥♥


Monday, August 4, 2014

Healing works


♥♥♥♥♥

Today we have a smokey valley, from the many wild fires in the mountains.  Earlier, in our residence here in Oregon, we often had smoke filled skies thanks to our large grass seed crop.  Always a delight to see in December and January, our emerald grass grows alongside the roadways, so brilliant it is blinding.  For years our farmers burned their fields at the end of summer, just as the Native Americans did long ago.  Unfortunately, the pollution it generated surrounded us for weeks, until finally burning fields were banned.  If you watched any of the World Cup, 12 gorgeous green soccer fields in Brazil were the product of Oregon's grass.

Today's card, featuring Alice (and it should have been Dorothy with all my talk of emerald green!) will be posted at
who feature this sketch ...


and here is my card ...


Hope your week is beginning in a wonderful way !!

♥♥♥♥♥


Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Mission bell


♥♥♥♥♥


Big thank you to the ladies at 
Try Stampin' on Tuesday
who counted this card in their top 3 !!

Isn't it a wonderful day !

I spent the morning with my bff, Rufina, and we looked at a couple of hundred pictures she took of Spencer last Sunday.  She is an amazing photographer, and the photos were so much fun !

I am posting today's card at
and here is their sketch this week ...


My card ...


Not quite my usual thing, but
hope you like it anyway !

♥♥♥♥♥