Roundup June and July

I thought I would try a round up that Katie the Scrapbook Lady talks about for June and July. She is a co-host for the Digi Show Podcast. I'm not a digi scrapbooker - and never will be. Most of their topics apply to paper scrapbookers.  May is the  end of the  school  which s a big blur. I'm starting with Memorial Day. Yes, this has been on my iPad a while.

Reading
My summer goal was to read  10 books! I know - what was I thinking. Well I've read 7! I've read the 50 shades Trilogy. I'm not sure it's worth the hype. Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan. It's the sequel to Waiting to Exhale.  I really related to the characters in this book.  I've read both books when I'm at a similar age of the characters. The other 3 strictly beach reads. There’s been a lot of blog surfing due to Pinterest.

Entertainment

Went to one movie - Magic Mike - great eye candy. I saw  the musical Dream girls at the muni - amazing. Jennifer Holliday played Effie. I watch a lot of TV in the summer. My summer series include Drop Dead Diva, Bunheads and Longmire. I also have enjoyed daytime TV. that are reruns, but new to me which include The Nate Berkus Show, the View, and Judge Mathis.  I started watching judge Mathis because his show is between the View and the Chew. I love the Chew. I record it during the school year. I love the way the Judge talks to people. There is also a local show I started watching when the View's hot topics are to intense. They have 4 co-hosts  that just crack me up. One co-host does a Pinterest craft occasionally.

 Fun things with family and friends
Memorial day weekend I attended a good friend's wedding. My Mom and I decorate over  25 graves at 3 cemeteries that weekend. One cemetery is military so it is organized. The other one is not so easy to navigate. I somehow manage to find the section but it's never easy. We buy the flowers after Memorial day when they are marked clearance, and store them until the following year.

I went to Florida for a week. It was very relaxing. I  saw Winter the dolphin in A Dolphin's tale, at the Clearwater aquarium. It was my 3rd time at my friend's time share. It is definitely the way to start my summer break. Raspberry vodka and lemonade help too! I also attended a family reunion with my mother, brothers and their families.  I met a cousin who lives 20 minutes away from me. The reunion was in Springfield Illinois and  included a visit to the Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library. Everyone needs to visit the museum. I need to go back when I have more time.

Gifts
My Birthday is in July so one highlight is having dinner with my friends.  We went to one if my favorite local restaurant - lots of laughs, the best Ahi tuna, and bottles of Polka Dot Reselling. My birthday dessert - creme brûlée ! We had a private dining room so all our laughter did not disturb other diners. Going to dreams girl was a gift from a friend. I also received a magazine subscription to Craft Stamper. It's from the UK. Cash and gift cards  are always appreciated. I gave a friend a cropadile for her birthday. She has  started making banners with her Cricut. I think everyone should own a cropadile.

Health
Well my ankle was getting better after I tore ligaments in March. I had physical therapy for a couple of weeks.  I got a little to energetic and over did it. Now I have to do low impact exercises for a while. – NO ZUMBA.

Disappointments
My house is still for sale. NO ZUMBA

Goals
I always make a summer list. I've done some things.  The yard work has not happened thanks to the lovely heat wave in the Midwest. The weeds are still growing even though the grass is dead! I started my Christmas cards.

Hopefully I will be more timely with August. I love having summers off - but it is very unstructured. It's very easy to procrastinate or just blow things off - like organizing my drawers! I made some cards.  I took a class, Stretch your Stamps from Online card classes.  I never uploaded them to the class gallery. So that's June and July. Katie"s questions did make me think about the month(s), and what I did or didn't do!

This card used a collage stamp. I really need to work on my photography.

10 Things - August

Yes - I've been absent here for a while. So for this month -

10 Things  I love about this Summer - In no particular order but 1, 2, &10 are my top Three!

1. Sleeping in
The one big perk for being in education. For me - that means staying in bed until 8 am.

2. Hanging out with my people
I have met my friends almost weekly for breakfast. My local Panara may not thinks it so great, but I do! Having fun it is not a quiet thing. I have had 3 scrapbook/crafting dates with friends. My friends help keep me on track. I tend to get distracted!

3. The beach
Florida for a week. The biggest decisions - what swimsuit do I wear? Is it 11:00 somewhere?

4. Staying up late watching TV

5. Staying in my Pj's until??

6. Losing track of the days of the week

7. Reading until the book or should I say Trilogy is finished!

8. Summer TV series
I've started watching Longmire  and Bunheads.   

9. Wasting a lot of time playing games on line- Words with Friends, Bejeweled Blitz and Mahjong

10. More time with Family
I attended a family reunion - my Mother's paternal side. It's every other year with 4 branches of the family. My Mom, brothers and their families were also there. I always meet new cousins and have a great time. We visited the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois. There is so much to see.

So I've been doing all these things and no blogging!





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Stamping through the pain

I actually made this mother's day card last week! I am still a procrastinator! I tore ligaments in my heel - still not sure how. I wore a boot a.k.a. Frankenstein foot! I had lots of time to craft! The boot was more painful and uncomfortable than the injury. I love this stamp but I hardly ever use it. I recently reorganized my un-mounted rubber stamps. They are now closer to my work table.


I did make some cards for my mom as part of her gift. I'll show those soon. I need to work on my photography. That's on the summer "to do" list!
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My Banner Business

My craft space is in my unfinished basement. It allows me to be messy, and not ruin the finish on anymore furniture. Yes, I've done that! I have a lot of stuff. A couple of weeks a go, it was time for my yearly termite inspection.

The man asked if I had a small business! It is time to downsize.
Back to crafting - I have been working on some banners. This one is for a first birthday. I couldn't find patterned paper I liked for the cupcake icing. I decided to emboss the top with my cuttlebug for some interest.


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10 Things - April

For Lent I gave up spending money on anything not necessary. I allowed my self to buy an outfit for scholarship dinner. So I had to use supplies on hand. I should add that my basement looks a small craft store. So for my first 10 Things, I picked the the 10 craft products/items I use the most. There's no particular order.

Cricut expression - I use it all the time. I started with the small cricut then upgraded.

Cuttlebug - I use it with embossing folders and metal dies.

Stampin up card stock - It's smooth great for stamping and you can't see through it when you stamp on the other side after a mistake.

Stamps- wood mounted, cling, acrylic - I collect them all!

6X6 paper pads - They are great for people like me who have a hard time with patterned paper. There a whole lot easier than using a large background stamp

Cropadile - the key is having it accessible. It even works on adding a hole to a leather sandal! I've been using mine to punch holes in banners.

Background noise- iPod dock /radio and TV. I need something in the background when I craft.

Xyron Create a Sticker -It's great for all those small die cuts.

Ink- You cant just have one type, but I use dye based 90% of the time.

Markers - I have several brands.

When I first started stamping I had a Versamark pad Stampin up pastels and paper-that was it!







This card uses a stamp, ink, marker, patterned paper, Stampin Up white card stock, and my Cricut. Happy Birthday was one stamp and I colored it each word separately with marker to stamp. I used 6 of the items on my list!!!

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Welcome April

A month has gone by and only one post. One of my project 2012 goals was to post once a week.
My first quarter excuses:

January - I was focused on my Mom's party.

February - I recovered from my Mom's party! I was actually sick and missed a couple days of work.

Which brings me to March

My house has been for sale for almost a year with no offers. It really is a cute starter or start over home. The last person who looked at it said he didn't like the kitchen - and I told my realtor neither do I! She suggested I paint the kitchen cabinets because they were blue. So I painted them white which really helped. Then I looked at my lovely fake wood peel and stick tiles. I told a friend I wanted to replace them. She said she could help me lay ceramic tile. She and her wonderful husband gave up a weekend to tile. I had decided to add cabinets above the refrigerator and stove so I could attach a microwave. Th My kitchen is only 8 by 12 with 3 doorways, so getting rid of the microwave cart helped. I really love my kitchen now!

the new cabinets and microwave

the shelves are new too

The Craft Scrubbie does get off latex paint really well!

I hope to do some serious crafting in April along with some yard work.

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No more multitasking

My goal was to start listing 10 on the 10th of each month like Shimelle. Well, I would first have to know it's the 10th of the month! So I am now aiming for April! I mentioned the Craft Scrubbie a few months ago. Yes - it works on latex paint! I have been sprucing up my kitchen. I painted the kitchen cabinets white - next is the floor. Not much stamping going on these days. The older I get the less I can multitask, although that may not be a bad thing. I did make a birthday card for my Uncle. I think I've used this stamp on every card I've made for a man this past year.


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