The First Day of Fall & Mom's Birthday

Fall has arrived, which is hard to imagine here in NC since we're going to hit a high of 95 today.  Sheesh!  But I'm ready for it and the cooler temperatures it promises to bring. 

I'm ready for the leaves to turn and hope to make a trip to the mountains while the display is at it's best.  I've got a few things to change in the house to mark the change of the season as well, though it's hard to pull out afghans when it's still in the 90's.

Today is also my mother's 76th birthday.  Happy Birthday Mom!  They're coming to spend a night or two and I'm looking forward to that.  I made 4 batches of Chex Party Mix and wrapped 2 of the big plastic containers with white tissue paper & streamers of curling ribbon.  Not really her gift but she'll be tickled.  We'll eat from the unwrapped container while we play dominoes tonight.  And I'm making apple dumplings using a recipe from my friend Lynda, instead of a cake.  Totally different from my mother's recipe, so I'm hoping she'll be impressed.  Is it too early to start baking????

A bit of fun with the STARS

Many of you know I began a local stamp club ages ago called STARS (Stellar Triangle Area Rubber Stampers).  Last Thursday night it was my turn to come up with a project so I decided to use some IKEA frames I had left from another class.  Our swap for the month was to make at least one large background, any technique, that would be cut up to share.  So I suggested we take it a step further and use hand punches and die cuts to create flowers to decorate these frames.

I had made several 11x17 sheets and used a vine die cut so everyone had a base for their flowers.  My color palette was made up of greens & blues with a little raspberry thrown in for good measure.  I'd also made sheets with other colors of course.  Those of you familiar with my "motherboard" will recognize the dimensional pearls and dabber dots & stripes you see on flowers in all these photos.

We began with ink pads to color the frames, then punched oodles of flowers.  One of the girls brought lots of hand punches with the tiniest flowers you've ever seen, and those were a huge hit.

I had asked another member to bring along her Big Kick and a few more flower dies, which she did, so no one was standing around waiting for anything.  In the above photo you'll notice lots of dimension created by curling the petals on each flower. 

No two were alike, which is always the case with this group of talented ladies.  Our backgrounds were also different.  There was overstamping in brown (rather than the black I always use), embossing, textures, even inking and painting over scrapbook papers.  Clever girls!!

For the members who couldn't be with us this time, you missed a LOT of fun!  For those that came, thanks for playing along.  And for those of you out of town and out of state, wish you were closer!

Ah, to be a kid again

This is probably my favorite photo of my son...taken more years ago than I prefer to think about.  The truck he's sitting in actually belonged to me.  One of the best Christmas gifts I ever received as a child.  It ran on batteries and would go forward, in reverse, the wheels could be turned with the little steering wheel inside, and best of all, it would really dump.  I played with that truck for years and years, then saved it for the day I'd have kids of my own.  And then Tiny Tot destroyed it.  As a child David couldn't tolerate a sticker on anything.  He'd start tearing off the decals while waiting in line to pay for a toy.  I can remember when he bought himself a Nissan Pathfinder.  You wouldn't have known what it was if you saw him driving it because I swear he removed every emblem, be it metal, plastic or adhesive.  What's up with that?

This was another favorite photo, only because he's wearing his little hogwashers.  He always kept his hands tucked inside them, just as he's doing here.

Labor Day weekend I had some of my family over for a cookout and David had these old photos on a disc for me to download, including a few of my grandson shortly after he was born.

Now that's a keeper if I ever saw one, simply because of that goofy hat.  Am I right?  Next weekend they're having family photos taken because he's 6 months old as of today.  Can it really have been six months ago that he was born?  Have mercy.  Time flies whether you're having fun or not.

I know, it's shocking, but yes, that's my high school portrait.  Back then I thought I knew everything, so in that respect, nothing's changed.  I still think I know pretty much everything.  And of course, I didn't then and I certainly don't know.

But I do know that I'm a happy little camper most of the time.  So here's a huge thank you to my family and friends who keep me laughing.

And here's to being a kid again. 

Read a good book lately?

Many of you know I'm attacked by allergies several times a year, and for the past 2 weeks and 2 days I've been plaqued once again.  How do you pass your time when you're ears are so stuffy that you can't hear the TV?  By reading of course...when my meds don't have me sound asleep...as I've been most of the time.

Some of you may remember the movie One True Thing with Meryl Streep and Renee Zellweger, but the book is well worth reading.

Just to clarify, yes, I read all four of these books by Anna Quindlen and have requested more from the library, but they're not necessarily the "happily ever after" type, so be warned.  However it should tell you something that I read one (Every Last One was the first I read, which happens to be her most recent), and I immediately wanted to read more of her work.

If thrillers are more your type, you've got to check out Lee Child and his Jack Reacher series.  Again I read his most recent, 61 Hours, which was a 7-day loaner and finished it in just over 2.  Which meant I had to have another so last night I checked out Bad Luck & Trouble.

But if you just want a good laugh, you know I love Lee Smith.  I've just begun Family Linen, which so far is hysterical.  And normally that would be a good thing but it makes me start coughing, which is a very bad thing these days.

And I've also checked out a few cookbooks in conjunction with all these cooking shows I love to watch.  Of course I'll have to feel a whole lot better before I trade my chicken noodle soup for something more substantial, but surely the day will come.

Thanks for coming by to visit.  Do come again.