Five Pounds of Bliss

Oliver, enjoying a roll in the dew.

Too Funny.

Simple Design for a Simple Weekend

My weekend was mostly spent out and about with friends (on Friday evening), and my husband, little pooches, and camera over Saturday and Sunday [in the heat I might add].  But I did grab some crafting time to design a card for a friend of mine that has a birthday just around the corner.

This is what I came up with.  I liked the simplicity of the design so much, that I went ahead and replicated it several times, but for other purposes...

Such as Get Well, Friendship, and Thinking of you.

Here's another meant to bring a smile to someone a little under the weather:

The images are from the {ippity} set, 

how YOU doin

that you can get HERE.

It's a versatile set that I find myself going back to it over and over again for so many special occasions!

Tests of Patience....

2012 Rebecca Daniels
Cyanotype Trials

Broken in many places and 

only slightly able to swing on it's hinges, 

much like a  tainted heart, 

opened itself up to a spread of decay 

that covered more than a century.

(Rebecca Daniels, 2012)

Serenity

This is one reason I start my day with a walk in the woods....

Party Favors and Spoiled Babies

Another Friday is here and I'm ready for the weekend, aren't you?  We are actually getting a bit of a break on the temperatures...today we're not supposed to top 80F.  Nice.

I haven't been able to participate in FWF for a few weeks now and I'm happy again to pop around and view all the great creations!

But weather aside, I wanted to show the favors that I made for Oliver's little doggie party.  They were very simple, using Unity's "Party All Day" set.  The doggie on the treat bag I made is from a long ago retired stamp that I will never part with (cuz it's just too dang cute!)

Another closeup of the cupcake!  They were tasty, by the way!

Aren't they silly?!  Layla wasn't interested in wearing the hat or having her picture made for future humiliation...all she really wanted was to steal that meatloaf cupcake from the birthday boy!

Oliver, "It's my Party and I Can Cry if I want To"

Cuz he was tired of having his picture taken and was very worried someone would steal his treat!

Okay, with all that, enjoy your weekend!

Love Ewe

What an exhausting and hot hot week we are having.  Today, when my 'lil critters and I meandered out of the woods early this morning after our walk, I actually could have used another shower.  The temps weren't so bad, but the humidity...amazing.

What a wimp I am compared to my college years when I lived in southeastern TN and summer temperatures with high humidity easily reached 100F.

One of the memories that always stand out in mind (especially during the summer) was the year my daughter was 2.  We lived in a townhouse that didn't have any AC, and in the midst of the heat wave that year, the temperatures were reaching highs of over 105F.  I would get home from work/school/daycare as the sun was setting and it felt warmer INSIDE than it did OUTSIDE.

We learned what was open late...and what was cool.....Needless to say, we hung out at those places (late and cool) until they closed (mostly the university library).

Ahhh...those were the days....

Well, okay, enough of the memories, but my card today took me back there, because it's been so long since I've had a small child.

I don't know about EWE (snort laugh), but the images in this card just make me smile.

Today the {ippity} Fabulous Feature is all about Love...and...Family...and...Birth...

BORN IN MY HEART

Which, of course, took me back to when my daughter was a whee one.  And for me, that is what inspired this card.  The sentiment "because of YOU our dream came true". Of course, to go along with the sheep (LOVE YOU), I changed it to "EWE".

And I love to remember when she was so tiny.  She was such a smart, loving, happy girl.

She still smart, happy, and loving....And makes me smile whenever I see a picture of her...even as a grown-up!

Judge Morris BackYard Lily Pond

The dogs and I took a walk early in the morning over the weekend on a path I hadn't yet ventured this year.  It's part of the White Clay Creek park system, but is typically over wrought with mountain bikers...making the walk highly unpleasant for me, because my sweet little Oliver becomes an almighty devil dog!

But usually early in the morning is safe.
And cool enough to tolerate.

I noticed some yellow reflecting off some water, so we wandered down across the field and found the most wonderful and GIANT Lily Pad flowers.

As we approached, we must have upset the amphibious wild life, because a GIANT TOAD noise emitted from somewhere among the beautiful sight.  It actually startled and frightened Layla a bit.  It really was the loudest toad sound I had ever heard...followed by a very loud splash.

I had my Widelux camera with me, because I have been experimenting with it.  The shot above does not adequately capture the beauty of the pond, but you can get an of the vastness and size of the flowers.

Widelux F7 (26mm lens)
f11 1/125
Fuji 200 Daylight C41
Taken 14-Jul-2012

So, if you live in the area and you haven't had an opportunity to visit Judge Morris Estate, put it on your list.  You'll be glad you did!  We were (and I'm going back with my digital camera so you can get a better picture of the GIANT YELLOW flowers!)

Oliver Turns Two

Oliver turned two years old today!  To celebrate, I made meatloaf cupcakes for dinner.

It was a hoot all around...
From making the little party hats
Devising a way to make meatloaf in cupcake foils,
Watching Dave and John roll their eyes at the thought of havng to also eat them for dinner (and yes, they did!),
To watching Layla and Oliver have fun trying to figure out whether or not they were ALLOWED to eat the treat.

Curtis Paper

When it's hot outdoors, a dark lab is the best place to be.

On a trek to the old Curtis Paper plant in Newark, DE...hot and sticky.  To emphasize the tall standing structure and the thick heat bouncing off the pavement, I thought it might look a little more dramatic if I used some extreme blur.  So, I pulled out my my LensBaby lens, popped it on my film camera, and snapped a shot.

Handmade Gifts are the Bestest

One of my best friends recently graduated from Nursing school.  I cannot say enough what an amazing accomplishment this was - for she was not just a student, but also a mother, grand-mother, and manager/owner of a pretty large poultry farm.

With ALL that on her plate, wouldn't you agree with me when I say that so few could do so well.  All of us that know what she is capable of never doubted she could do it.  WE all know how when she sets out to do something ...she does it...no matter how big a task it is.

And she did...with flying colors...

So proud of her.  Trying my hardest to figure out what that perfect gift should be, was difficult for me.  Not sure why I put so much into the giving of a gift, but I do know that there is so much I'd like to say to her, but words never come.  So I can only express it through the  meager gifts I offer.

Being a very much a handmade gift sort of gal, I decided to make her a hand woven scarf.

And of course, to add that perfect touch, I very quickly made a tag to go along with it.

I know that most of the awesome projects you've seen today on the {ippity} blog are using the {ippity} set, "What's Cooking"...and they are food related, but I couldn't resist using it for my gift tag....along with  {ippity} Stitches of Buttons, and Unity's itty bitty, "Fun Burst".

Because, well, this gift, really is made with love.  To my good friend, Jean. I'm so proud of you!

Blooming Happy

So...Who's Happy?  Besides these two critters?

A boring trip for a human (we were on our way to a speciality hardwood supplier) is an AWESOME vacation to a pet that spends (98.9%) of their time in a home.

Of course, that is how they guilt me, but in reality...they get all sorts of exposure....

Either way, who couldn't smile when presented with that face?

Summertime...Yummertime Mio

Summertime refreshment is always welcome...from fresh squeezed lemonade to something a little "harder".  And the past few days....well, cold beverages are a requirement if out in the sun.

I submitted this card for a swap featuring beverages and I wanted to create something bright and cheerful, since summertime always make me crave fruity icey sweet colorful drinks....I guess it takes me back to relaxing beachside with a cool breeze with no worries in the world.

Anyway, this card features the {ippity} "Live Half FULL" itty bitty Unity Stamp Company set.

Here's the drink recipe that inspired the card:

Annie's Summertime Mio

Recipe
5 oz. Dry White Wine
2 oz. Soda Water
2 Fresh Strawberries, Muddled
1 tsp. sugar
Twist of orange

Directions
Mix together and serve over ice in a sugar rimmed glass.

The Flowers of Summer

Recently, I took a little trip to Chesapeake City, MD to pick up some fiber and yarn at one of my favorite stores..favored because of esquisite selection as well as location.  The small town features interesting architecture with a small, water front town spirit.  

This photo is one of the few from that roll of film that I really like.  I guess I'll have to go back, eh?