Here are a couple of cards I've made recently. The top one is a combo Easter, birthday and engagement card. (Nothing like killing three birds with one stone! - and, yes, there was a gift included!)

The second card uses the new QK alphabet I purchased from e-bay - an early birthday present. It's called "sunshine" (the little sun die cuts come with it, too, as well as some other very cute dies to make flowers with). I love this set! It's so whimsical.

I have this thing about alphabets. I have a zillion in my collection - in all different formats: stickers, die cuts, stamps, rub-ons. And lately, I've been getting into hand-lettering as well. All this is part of what makes scrapbooking and card making so fun - I get to PLAY with all my toys. I can never have enough alphabets (the same goes for paper, of course and these cards are both using some new paper I got).

If this all sounds very superficial to you, I would like to add that a great part of the enjoyment in making cards is thinking about the recipient of the card and the occasion that prompted it. I'm not making that up just to justify my obsession, either!

All this talk about playing makes me want to go do just that. And I have half a day still before me. So, off I go - to CREATE! 

Is this a great picture, or what? I love the look of happiness on Mom's face and the curiosity that "Jazz", my brother's dog, is expressing! These two could be friends for life!

Jazz and his family, (that of my youngest sibling, Dave) visited Mom while I was there over Mother's Day weekend. While I'm sure Mom enjoyed my brother, his wife and their adorable children, it was Jazz she kept talking about for days afterwards.

If it wasn't for the walking, grooming, feeding and general care a dog would require, I'd say Mom would be a perfect candidate for having a little doggie pet.

Oh, well. I guess we'll just stick with stuffed ones for now... 

I'm flying home today. I've been at my mom's for a week now and it hasn't really been a vacation. She's moving in December, so it's been a week of trying to get her down-sized. She's been really great about it - much to my relief.

I feel like I need to do the same thing when I get home, now that I'm off for the summer. Of course, what I really can't wait to do is scrap daily! But I think I'll dedicate my mornings to actually getting some work done around the house, since I never do that while I'm on my regular (go-to-work) schedule.

My mom's house (though a bit cluttered right now due to rummaging through her stuff) is always immaculate. And she has this big, boat-like Cadillac (that I drive while here). Consequently, when I go back home I always feel like I drive a junker and live in a shack. Just in comparison, you know? Well, okay, so my Toyota Avalon is an ugly gray, is in desperate need of cleaning (inside and out) and has about 156,000 miles on it. And I do live in a log home that, after 20+ years of living there, isn't quite finished yet.

But I love my home, really.

Well, it's okay - this all just makes me want to go home and clean and, hey, while I've got the urge, I should just go with it, because I don't get the urge often!

Anyway, I'm on my way to home-sweet-home and the real beginning of my summer vacation. Bring it on!

The question has been asked: What in my scraproom makes me happy?

I love it when I go into my scrap room the next day after completing a layout and see it sitting there on my desk. The more time that has elapsed since I've worked on it, the more I see it with a new perspective, a new freshness - like it's all new to me. It gives me great joy to see something not only completed, but that I created!

And, yeah, I love all my stuff, but I love the process more - handling everything, doing all the little creative steps to get to the end result. Even the perhaps mundane tasks are fun because while I'm working/creating, I'm thinking about the person(s) the project is for or about, or I'm reliving the circumstance I'm scrapping.

To come in the next day and see it all anew is sooooo satisfying - and fulfilling. It makes me
h a p p y !

This is the flag that is right outside my building at work. I love seeing it when I come in. It's glorious - especially when there's a nice breeze blowing. It's a beacon in the community, calling us, hopefully, to remember how great our freedom is.

I love my job. I love my work environment and I work with the best people. I love my work schedule, too. And today is my last day of work before summer break. I'm on the student's schedule, so I get all the days off they do.

I LOVE IT! I love my freedom and ALL that it stands for! I'm feeling very blessed to have the life I have....

Welcome!

I'm just coming over from myspace. The whole blog thing is a new experience and after seeing some other blogspots I decided myspace was a bit too "noisy" for me. I'm liking the blogging thing and I just want to do that and post pictures and have my friends and family be able to keep in touch with all the spectacularly exciting stuff (NOT!) that is my life...

...so I'm throwing out the welcome mat here.