Photo-a-Day December 6

We spent most of the day getting the house ready for Christmas and while doing that it was also a great time to dig in ... clean and scrub the entire house from top to bottom.
Even though we are tired this evening it is a pleasure to enJOY just sitting in our "holiday home" and focusing our minds on the true meaning of this season -- the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior!
I think I'll grab a cup of tea and enJOY ...

Photo-a-Day December 5

This week I gathered up as many Christmas papers and elements from my "stash" and created six Christmas cards for the TCC Regional Ministry team in reaching out to those in our community.
It was an enJOYable project since cards are usually not part of my creative outlet. It's quite amazing to see what you can do with limited resources. Nice to have a "hands on" paper project after focusing on digital layouts. I wish I could discipline myself to work on projects like this year round. Sounds like a resolution for 2009!

Photo-a-Day December 4

Last week my Bunco group had our annual Christmas gift exchange and this was the gift I brought home ... a new doormat. How festive our front entry looks with these fun frosty snowmen.
Hey Wally Weatherman ... when will we have snowfall on the valley floor???? These guys look a little out of place with the weather we've been having ... : )
P.S. Nice job on the gift Donna ... great shopping at Home Goods.

Photo-a-Day December 3

During the past month I have been busy, busy, busy creating, crafting ... enJOYing!
I had the day off Monday so with the help of "Master Jeweler" Nancy I was able to add something "Merry and Bright" to my list of completed Christmas projects.
Thanks, Nancy ... even though I had to string it twice : ) I gained a new skill, learned a valuable lesson in patience, and left with something precious ... it was exactly what I had in mind.

Photo-a-Day December 2

What a welcome sight after a long day ... to come home to comfort and JOY! It's nice to have the tree up and all the memories over the years hung from each limb. As I have shared before, our tree is like a travelogue of our lives. Each ornament represents an event, friends, family, vacation etc. It's a nice reminder of those we love ... of those who have journeyed with us ... of those who have brought much JOY to our lives.

Photo-a-Day December 1

Sprague Labs (a blog I subscribe to) declared it's "Photo-a-Day in December" starting today! I enjoyed this in May and others have shared that it was fun to check in each day to see the "Photo-of-the Day."
My first picture is a Christmas memory from the past ... DECADES ago ... WAY back to my childhood -- do you remember Christmas bubble lights?!?!?!?

I can remember going to Grandma & Grandpa Smith's house to celebrate Christmas. They had an aluminum tree that was placed on a coffee table with a color wheel splashing bright colors on its shiny limbs. I remember how fascinating it was to watch the bubble lights and all the color in the room. Below the table were gifts wrapped in festive papers just waiting to be opened. To a small child this all seemed "magical" and exciting. It was a fun time to be with the family -- good memories.
As we were decorating our tree this year, we found a bubble light set in our ornament box that we had purchased in our early years of marriage. We probably bought them because they represented good memories and we wanted to share them with our children. Saturday we plugged them in and they still work ... bright and bubbly as the memories I have stored from the past.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around our house!

Tickled Pink

After 15 years of collecting holiday Barbie Ornaments I finally found the perfect tree for displaying them while shopping on Black Friday. Yeah to Michael's for the great deal on a pink flocked 36 inch tree ... every little girl's dream.
Knowing how much Calleigh loves dolls and Barbie I wanted to have a fun display she could enjoy and remember for years to come. The ornaments are high impact plastic so she can touch and admire each one.
I know how you all can't wait to see this : ) ... tours available by request ... hahaha. Now you can feel sorry for Walt who has to deal with a pink Christmas tree on display in our home : ) But not to worry ... we do have a traditional tree set up too!

Thanksgiving

After our delicious Thanksgiving meal and clean up it was time to celebrate Tim's birthday and play games. Colin brought his new game -- Tumblin' Monkeys that he received as a birthday gift from Uncle Tim. Then it was time for Left Right Center which was new to the Gears. Have you ever laughed so hard it felt like you'd done 100 sit-ups??? That's how much fun we had -- especially when Keith rolled three C's to end the game. This is a fun game for a large group -- great for all ages and it doesn't take any skill or concentration. Since we only had time to play a few games on Thanksgiving, we really need to plan a Game Night soon!

Black Friday Ads

While the fudge was cooking the girls spent time checking out the Black Friday ads. Calleigh was only interested in finding the Barbies : )

Fantasy Fudge

I believe the tradition of making six pounds of Fantasy Fudge on Thanksgiving morning goes back to when we were first married. We are now passing this long-term tradition down to the next generation. When most families "fight" over the wishbone ... we battle over who gets to "clean" the fudge pan and lick the spoons : )
At our house there are two kinds of fudge -- Yummy (includes nuts) and Boring (plain old fudge). We have to pour one pan of each to satisfy everyone's preference. Walt convinced the kids years ago that Boring fudge was the best which left more Yummy fudge for me! Way to go Walt ...

Toy and JOY

One of our favorite Christmas traditions over the past twenty years has been joining friends at church for a progressive dinner/gift exchange. This year we had a change in our gift giving and I have to say it was not only fun for us but will bring JOY to a child's life this Christmas.
We drew names and shopped for a toy that reminded us of that person. How fun is that??? and I had the JOY of buying Hawaiian Barbie and Ken for our recipients ... a double bonus for a Barbie fan : ) The toys we opened were then donated to the Toy and Joy Program. What great food, fun and fellowship ... and an opportunity to make a difference in someone else's life.

Knit One, Save One Update

Several posts ago I shared an opportunity for knitters to get involved in making a difference in our world. I made a commitment to knit as many baby caps as I could before the December 31st deadline and from one skein of yarn I made six caps. I carried this project with me everywhere ... I spent time knitting on breaks at work, waiting in long Costco gas lines, and I even knit a row or two while waiting in gridlock traffic!
This season I am focusing on a more "missional" Christmas. I want to see my world through different eyes. This year our Black Friday was focused on what we could buy for those in need ... sock and gloves for City Team, clothes and toys for a family our REACH group is sponsoring. I am so thankful for our church, friends and family who have encouraged me to put "feet" to what my ears hear ... what my eyes see. I encourage you to REACH OUT this Christmas and then make it a habit year round.


Yes ... we can make a difference!

Fourth Birthday

What fun it was to join our little "Jedi" in celebrating his fourth birthday a few weeks ago! He chose a Star Wars themed party and Michelle went all out with decor and activities. The cake was the same one his dad had at one of his childhood parties ... R2D2. I'm glad I saved the cake pan from a time "long, long ago" : ) It was fun to see many of the girls with their hair fixed like Princess Leia.
The big birthday surprise was special guest Ammy. She enjoyed her first weekend pass at home from the hospital. Good news! She will be discharged December 11th An answer to our prayers!!
Here are a few pictures from the big event ...

Oh, my ....

We received our first Christmas card yesterday and several of our neighbors put up their lights today!
I'm starting to feel a little overwhelmed : )

Dine and Design

I'm a little behind on "current events" but spent some time this weekend working on a few layouts from our annual Family Cookie Day in October. It's amazing how a spoonful of frosting and a few sweet treats can transform an ordinary cookie into a work of art. Colin was really in to it this year. He had some very creative ideas and enjoyed the "sugar rush."
Now I need to return to my Thanksgiving 2005 scrapbooking project before the upcoming holiday.

Credits:
Time with Uncle Tim
Template: Studio Ellie -Where's Ellie #3
Elements: Misty Cato -Date Bits; Digitreats -Jump Patch; Amy Bleser -Rainy Day Tag, Twill
Font: American Typewriter, Witchcraft, Pea Jenny Script
Paper: Amy Bleser -Rainy Day Paper 2&3; Anita Designs/Nana's Attic -All About Me Paper 3


Cookie Day
Template: Misty Cato Blog Template 12
Paper: Michelle Coleman -Happy Halloween 02
Brushes: Be Up2date
Fonts: Artistamp Medium, Pea Jay, Pea Frankie

"OPEN" ...

Gulp ... last week when Calleigh was visiting she noticed my boxed Ballet Star Barbie on the shelf ... which, by the way, was a gift from her Mommy a few years ago.
Calleigh has started noticing that Grandma has a lot of Barbies around the house. As a collector, I believe I have more than 100 Barbies ... still in the original box ... in mint condition. Many are from dear friends and family members. Some mark an occasion or event in my life.
Well, back to the story ... On this particular day Calleigh points to the box and says, "BARBIE!!" followed by "OPEN" Oh, dear ... this could get complicated.
Psst -- After a lifetime with all guys ... I'm lovin' it : )

Fall Family Fun

As our family gathered a few weeks ago on the last beautiful warm day of the season, we set up our tripod/camera and tried to capture THE perfect family photo. Perhaps for this year's Christmas card???
It's a little tricky getting nine people to pose for the perfect picture. We always have a good laugh as Grandpa sets the camera timer and nearly breaks a leg trying to jump in and look relaxed and casual. Or the grandkids only want to pose for a few pictures ... when Grandpa a.k.a. "Papa-razzi" has a huge memory card waiting for their smiles : ) The plan was to take a group picture by our bridge but the sun was much too bright that day -- too much squinting.
Regardless ... it's all about the journey ... we had a good time together in the process. Will this be THE 2008 Christmas card picture??? Perhaps, but we still have several weeks for another photo session : )
Credit:
Font: Pea Stacy's Doodle Script, Pea Tiphanie, American Typewriter
Elements: Daniela Peuss -Jump Into Fall Wordart 06; Wendy's Crafty Creations -tag 14; My Scrap Shop MSSOCTDDZANFALL -Date Spot
Alpha: Pixelninchen -Alpha Holz
Template: Lina's Layouts #34
Paper: Pam McNicoli's/Digitreats -Josh Papers -Green Solid

Imagination Taking Shape

There are a few things Calleigh loves about visiting at Grandma & Grandpa's house. She loves the tray of fiber "balls" on my coffee table. She has the freedom to play with them without worry. They serve a dual purpose -- a decorative element in our living room AND something she can play with.
As the novelty of this slowly wears out, she has been heading down to the playroom with one thing on her mind ... PLAYDOH. Grandpa captured some great photos of the creative process in her new found joy. I see great artistic talent here! Keep at it, Calleigh ...

Credit:
Font: Tuesday, RA-type, CK Ali's Writing, Pea Simone
Paper: Grumblescraps -Tuff Fluff 10
Template: K@trine -Template 6
Alpha: Amy Sumrall -Playdoh Alpha
Arrow: Hummie -Swirly Arrow 2

Trick-or-Treat

Charlotte -- I finally got this posted : )
With so much going on this week I haven't spent much time on my photos or layouts. I thought I would share our fun Halloween evening with you. Here's the "story" in the journaling:

"Brian, Michelle, Aunt Sissa, Colin and Calleigh came by to “trick or treat” our neighborhood. Colin was Luke
Skywalker and Calleigh dressed up as a fairy princess. Michelle has been learning to sew and decided to tackle making costumes for the kids this year. She did a fabulous job!
It was a perfect evening to be out in the neighborhood -- mild temperatures and no rain. Our first stop was the Myers’ house to see “Mr. Chris.” Ella was dressed as Tinkerbell and between each house Colin wanted to hold her hand. After a full evening of “trick-or-treating” our cul-de-sac we had two very tired little ones."

I hope you enjoyed the weekend -- especially the extra hour!

Credits:
Template: Purple Tulip Designs/Suzanne Blair -PTD F001
Font: Chromosone Light, Century, American Typewriter
Paper: MaryAnne Curth -bpfreebie paper 2; Cate Sforza Absolutartist -CSforza Fall Splendor Paper 1
Elements: Scrappin Obsession -Trick or Treat Button
Word Art: Digitreats -Pumpkin wordart; Purely Pixels -Trick or Treat

Knit One, Save One

One of my co-workers printed out information about Save The Children's Knit One, Save One program. I did this two years ago along with 22,000 other Americans. Our caps went to newborns in Bangladesh, Malawi and Vietnam.
With a deadline of December 31, 2008 I think I could knit several caps while on break at work, waiting at appts. or watching TV ... except 24! : ) If you would like to join me in this project, go to: http://www.savethechildren.org/programs/health/child-survival/survive-to-5/knit-one-save-one.html and download the action kit. You will find much JOY in doing this!

Ammie

I love to play with our photos using effects where the the subject is clear/focused and the background is blurred. Your eye catches what the photographer wants you to home in on. That pretty much describes my life since Saturday.
Five-year-old Ammie was admitted to Doernbecker Children's Hospital Saturday and had surgery that evening lasting in to the early morning hours to remove a tumor on her spinal column.
My days, my heart, mind, prayers have been focused on Ammie. Life ... my "background" seems blurred and out of focus. Things that seemed so important last week -- the economy, the election etc. -- all seems to fade away when compared to what Ammie is going through.
Ammie has always been special to us. She's our grandkids' cousin, she calls me "Grandma Karen," and every Christmas she gives me a new Barbie since we are both fans and I'm a collector : )
There has been an outpouring of love, support and prayers for the family. Right now we are waiting on test results and celebrating each step of restored health and healing. Please join us in praying for Ammie and her family. Check Brian and Michelle's blog (Germer4) on my sidebar for frequent updates.
Credits:
Brush: fmarini cool notes 1429
Font: Amethyst Zucchini
Wordart: Sugarplum Paperie wordart frame -heart/joy
Quick Page: Annie Collection RRD -Gone with the Wind
Alpha: Totally Cute Scraps/Jeannie Byrd -Princess

Fall Getaway

This is our fourth night in SunRiver and we have been enjoying the sun-shine and rest. The first day was spent on the couch with a sinus-thing but I felt much better yesterday. I have been reading ... finished Grace by Richard Paul Evans. He must release his new books this time of year because it seems that I am always reading his newest book while here in October. I really liked it ... I always like his books.

I have also been spending a lot of time with the newest Digital Scrapbook magazine October-November 2008. I spent much of my morning lingering over the article "Life Online." I have found many resources/great ideas while visiting the recommended sites. I still have a third of the magazine to go through and look forward to the inspiration ahead. I really need to get a subscription for this magazine -- it's great.

Today the weather was absolutely gorgeous ... sunny blue-sky day. We went for a long walk to the village and back. It's an hour each way. I am pretty out of shape so this has pretty much wiped me out. We did enjoy a great reward for our effort -- a stop at Goody's for a Nutty 'Ol Marion" ice cream bar. It's the best ... something to look forward to each year.
We still have three days to look forward to ... what a JOY this Fall getaway is!

Btw ... it's Wallowa reservation time : )

DigiScrap101

Check out this digital scrapbooking site.
I haven't set up my page there yet. More to come!

Moving Right Along

This evening I made another mosaic of the digital layouts I've been working on over the last few weeks. I am moving toward Thanksgiving 2005 ... a big step forward. Not only am I completing pages but I am learning something new from each layout. To see the mosaic enlarged, click on the image.
You'll notice right away that most of the layouts feature Colin : )

Pumpkin Patch

What a gorgeous day to be outside. We ventured out to Lee's Farm Pumpkin Patch with Colin and Calleigh. We enjoyed the pony ride, jumping castle and pumpkin donuts ... a great treat. Calleigh napped through some of the fun but Colin wanted to experience everything!
Today was one of those Fall days where you leave chores and cares behind ... and get out and enjoy one of the last lovely blue-sky days.
It doesn't get any better than this!
Credits:
Font:Diesel, Pea Mystie, Palatino
Paper: Summer Driggs, Happy Halloween 1&2 -yellow swirls, orange circles
Template: Purple Tulip Designs/Suzanne Blair, PTD F001-LAN

Two Thumbs Up

Find the JOY in your life ....
The Bucket List is the story of two men with terminal cancer experiencing healing through shared experiences and finding "unexpected" friendship in this comedy/drama where they make a "to-do" list of their dreams before they die.
Don recommended this movie to us in August and we just got around to renting it. It has been awhile since we've watched a movie we enjoyed so much. I love Morgan Freeman's voice in the narration ... it pulls you into the story.
If you haven't seen it yet ... we pass the recommendation on to you.
http://thebucketlist.warnerbros.com/

Mosaic Maker

Scrapbooking Update -- I've been moving through 2005 and I'm closing in on October : ) I thought I would make a display of the layouts I've completed using Mosaic Maker -Big Huge Labs created with fd Flickr Toys. I've used this before but have never posted any that I've created.
I need to stop "creating" and start packing. I'm heading down to the beach with my Bunco Buddies for our annual retreat. The weather should be nice.
Hope you enjoy your weekend ...

Reunion Weekend

What a busy weekend of REUNITING ...
Saturday I was able to stop by the annual Englewood reunion at the Spaulding's for a few hours before heading over to the Irvington Tennis Club for the long-awaited Faubion 40th. The planning team put together a fun evening for classmates to share and reconnect.
When you entered the door you were warmly greeted and asked to pose by the 8 x 8 foot picture of the front door to the school taken by "Fran the Photographer" -- it kind of had that "cruise" feeling -- you knew a special evening was ahead. The dinner was catered by The Original Taco House -- an East Portland favorite we all remember.
After much trivia, including a "Who lived in this house?" powerpoint presentation featuring many childhood homes, time was well spent sharing about each classmate. Since their class had a band back then, it was only fitting to have live music from that era to end our evening.
For those who wanted more time to unwind, we met over at McMenamin's to continue the "party." I believe it was close to 2:30 a.m. before we got to sleep ... but we'll catch up ... it's not very often you have an opportunity reconnect with old friends and classmates. Even though I didn't attend this school I knew many there from the neighborhood and high school. What a great group of lifetime friends ... what a rich history they share!

Credits:
Font: American Typewriter, CK Ali's Writing
Elements: Misty Cato -Tabbed #10
Paper: Sylvia Laupitz/PC Scrapbooking-Fotosusu, Colorfuldays Paper Freebie
Template: Digital Crea -ABCDelf Template 48
Brushes: Scrappincop -Bracket Journal 2470; MCO Handstamped Alpha

Welcome William

Another chapter in our Wallowa story ... this week baby William arrived bringing much JOY and happiness to his family, friends and adoring fans.
Grandma Paula can't wait to hold her new little guy.


Love the Cowboy hat ... that is so Doug : )









Credits:
Fonts:GF Halda Normal, Artistamp Medium, American Typewriter, Nueva Std.
Brushes: JHE Text Brackets
WordArt: Clickphoto-lienHappy Feelings, Andrea Cox, New Life-blue, Barb Derksen, Howdy Pardner
Paper: Elizabeth Blust / Pillowgirl-Boy Oh Boy -boywordppr1, Julieitis, Oh Boy-Mini -Bgd3, Debra Tope, -Crumpled Old Cardstock Paper Pack, Clip Mask Base
Template: Patti Knox, PKnox Web ChallengeLT-081008

Family Beach Day

To celebrate Brian's birthday we drove over to the coast in the family mini-van Sunday and prayed the weather conditions were better than the forecast predictions. After lunch and some bargain shopping at the outlet mall we drove over to Wi-ne-ma ... to our delight it was warm and sunny!
We played in the sand, chased waves, visited with friends at Family Camp, and enjoyed a fish and chips dinner -- a wonderful way to end our summer vacation!
For many ... this week begins new schedules and routines. I hope you enjoyed your summer as much as I did!!


Credits:
Template: Dani-Free Template-Sept.
Font: American Typewriter
Date: Misty Cato -Date Bits 2
Paper: Two Boyz00 -Paper 4 and 6; Vicki Parker-A Work in Progrss -AWP About A Boy Paper 6; Kat's Designs -DBK Hunny Pot Paintstrokes
Journaling Circle: S.J. Wright Creations -sjw citystatestamptemplate

The Fruit Loop

At the suggestion of the Gears we put the Hood River Fruit Loop on our list of things to do for the Labor Day weekend. There are always projects and to-do lists but the beautiful day was calling us for adventure. We loaded the car with a few snacks, our camera, the Loop map -- and headed east.
This outing proved to be the perfect day ... Our first stop was Pearl's Place #2 where we bought a box of Diamond Princess peaches ... the tastiest! The Gorge White House Farm Stand #3 was next. What great scenery ... the dahlias were a brilliant backdrop for our photos and the house, which was built in 1910, is very charming. We purchased a bottle of pear dessert wine after enjoying a tasty sample. This was one of our favorite stops ... very hospitable staff. We made a short stop at Rasmussen Farms #9. It looks to be a fun stop for an Autumn outing. We couldn't bypass Packer Orchards and Cookie Stop Bakery #15 ... the bakery part pulled us in : ) Now, this stop is worth the whole trip. We split a peach pastry and sampled nearly every cookie ... yum! From there we meandered through the loop finally stopping at Apple Valley Country Store, Bakery and BBQ #25. This was an amazing stop ... the aroma of BBQ in the air, sampling many of their 50 varieties of jams, syrups etc., checking out their fresh baked pies and desserts ... just heavenly. We bought their apricot jam and sweet onion mustard. What a hard decision with all the choices available. Also crossed paths with Kyla & Ernie there ... fun to see a familiar face far from home.
What an enjoyable day ... a new adventure that we will certainly repeat in the future. We highly recommend it to you if you're looking for a great "Stay-cation" idea!
www.hoodriverfruitloop.com

credits:
Template: Lina's Layouts #25
Paper: Pamela McNicolis Digitreats, Josh Papers -Green Solid PP
Font: An Unfortunate Event, Big Caslon, Artistamp Medium, American Typewriter, Pea Frankie

Meeting My Goal

One of my summer goals ... catch up on my scrapbooking and finish Summer '05. I have one more layout of Family Camp to finish and then .... I've reached my goal!!! I return to work Wednesday so who knows??? I may speed right on in to October.

This digital layout is one I've been working on this evening. It made me a little homesick for Family Camp -- it starts tomorrow evening. We went every year from 1984-2006. Our kids "grew up" there and playing on the Winema dunes was like being in "their" backyard. We always enjoyed the speakers and their messages, the fellowship, activities and the wonderful surroundings. We did make an attempt to find lodging a few weeks ago but everything was filled. We got drenched in 1976 while staying in our tent so we were a little hesitant to give that a try again.
Perhaps next year .....

Credits:
Template: Pattie Knox, Designer Digitals -PKnox Ad Challenge 041308
Font: CK Ali's Writing, Copperplate Gothic Bold, Witchcraft
Proverbs Word Art Design -Karen Germer

Overlays

I've been experimenting with a few new things I've learned in Photoshop Elements. I wanted to create an overlay that included a word / date. Here are two examples from our summer activities ...

Summer's End BBQ

Saturday night we rounded up the family to celebrate the last days of summer with a BBQ.
Uncle Matt brought a new Star Wars "gadget" so we were honored to have Darth Vader(aka Colin) join us as special guest.
Our evening of fun included a great dinner, playing at Lafky park, enjoying our last s'more of the season and ended with a competitive game of Nerts ... which included hilarious conversation -- always a Germer family tradition!
Now as the season changes ... our work schedules, routines and the weather will change also. It's good to have summer memories ... and perhaps, a new tradition!
Credits:
Paper: Kris Myers Designs -ScrapArtist.com, Orange Stripe
Element: Nancie Rowe Janitz, Sunny Daze Mini Kit; Misty Cato, Date Bits 2- 2008
Template: Lina's Layouts Template 016
Font: American Typewriter, CK Ali's Writing, Eccentric Std, Pea Ink & Post, Pea KatieH

Good Summer Reads

This was inspired by a layout posted on one of the sites I subscribe to: {we are} Storytellers
I have enjoyed a summer of reading and listening to audiobooks. While I mostly read books, if I have a project to work on, my iPod is on ... multi-tasking ... listening and working! I even schedule my tasks and exercise around my listening pleasure!
At the elementary school where I work summer reading is encouraged for both students and staff. I can't remember a time when books have not been a part of my life ... I LOVE reading! It's a great escape and many times it's sad turning the last page of a favorite book.
I hope you have found leisure time this summer to enjoy reading a great book ....
Please share something you've read. I'm always looking for new authors/titles : )
Credits:
Template: Meridith Tiede, Moriginal Template #39
Paper: LouCee Creations; Icc Stepping Out 8
Elements: Lindsay Jane Designs; Summer Heat EL02, Amy Sumrall; asum-eplsumroo, Misty Cato, Date Bits 2 -2008
Font: DiMurphic, Pea Alisha

Focal Point

I tried something new in Photoshop Elements this evening ... "play up a focal point in your photos." I thought I would use a photo of Calleigh at the Marina from our Wallowa Lake trip this year. For added interest I used a couple of the brushes I downloaded from the internet and new fonts I've been wanting to try. The project gave me the opportunity to use something new (new to me, that is) the Elliptical Marquee tool.
It has been fun to expand my skills during my summer break. I've found a few web sites with tutorials so I think I will give it a try. I'll let you know how it goes! More to come ...

Learning New Things

After spending time today with Loretta showing her a few things I've learned in Photoshop Elements this year, I decided to go through my CK Computer Tricks for Scrapbooking magazine and try a few of the projects I have dog-eared and tagged with post-it notes. I figured now that I have worked with digital scrapbooking for a while that maybe things will make sense to me now.
Here's a picture from Wallowa of Calleigh enjoying Mt. Huckleberry ice cream. I was able to erase the B&W layer to reveal the color below. Doesn't it make the ice cream look delicious? I thought it was fitting for our day with over 100 degree temps.
Hope you are staying cool ... perhaps a frozen dessert will help!

On the Path ...

I took this photo on our hike with Colin while camping at Wallowa. I wanted to capture a picture for a layout and since I have been reading Proverbs this summer I had something in mind. It was fun getting a little creative with fonts and trying something new.
Tuesday we decided to hike after the thunderstorm had passed through. The warm sunshine gave us the motivation to get on the trail. We headed up the Mt. Joseph trail with the bridge as our destination. We stopped at a viewpoint to see an elevated view of the lake, ate snacks while sitting on the bridge and had the pleasure of watching the horses pass by on the trail. We counted them ...17. We had front row "seats" as we made room for them to go by. Colin did great on the trail but he was a little concerned on the way down about the "monsters" in the woods. We stopped for ice cream on the way back to camp ... a great reward for reaching our goal. The temperatures had elevated to the "swimming" zone so it was down to the lake to cool off.
A precious day ....

















Credits:
Fonts: Bambino, CK Ali's Writing, Cooper Black, Diesel, Artistamp Medium, Bloktype, Pea Lacy Chunky, American Typewriter, Pea Jenny Script
Overlay: NRJ Freebie Inked Edges

Thanks, Cindy

Saturday night we enjoyed a great time at the Dehaze's -- the night before Cindy flew back to Missouri after a three week visit.
The caption reads:
"Friends and family gathered for Cindy's last evening in town. We enjoyed some competitive games, delicious food, tempting desserts, and great coffee made to perfection by Pierre.
Cindy gave me my birthday gift ... “Civil War Nurse Barbie.” Such a fitting gift from a nursing student -- what a wonderful addition to my collection! Always reminding me of the special person who gave it to me."
We all miss you so much ...

Credits:
Template: Template 29 -Jilljackscraps
Paper: Color Me Solid 08 -Michelle Coleman, Little Dreamer Designs, Cafe-digi paper 2a -Paper Life Journey
Font: American Typewriter, Fabulous 50's

Great Catch, Cindy

Matt and Cindy had the opportunity to attend a wedding of one of Cindy's childhood friends while she was visiting here for three weeks. I've heard rave reviews on how awesome they looked together ... and by the pictures I have to agree.
Way to go Cindy ... she caught the bouquet! Great catch ...

Credits:
Font: Cricket, Constantia, American Typewriter
Template: D'nia Stella Acauan, template 5
Paper: cafe digi lj pap2a -Paper Life Journey, J
ulia Kit-Brown Vine PP -Digitreats/Princess Pamela
Elements: Ribbon -AWP Pink Coffee Cream Ribbon 2,
Flower - AWP Pink Coffee Cream Flower 3, Vicki Parker@ A Work In Progress

A Week of Wallowa ...

We snapped 830 photos while at Wallowa this year ... wow, that will fill an entire scrapbook album : ) ... and out of all those photos I think there were 3 of us together. I will need to make note for next year -- take more pictures of us as a couple.
Once the storm cleared we had amazing weather the rest of the week. I reached my goal ... wearing shorts all week. BUT Chris wins the prize by wearing shorts and a short sleeve t-shirt even when the temps dipped in the evening ... bbbrrrr!
During the week we took Colin on a nice hike to the bridge on the Mt. Joseph trail, enjoyed the rodeo, Rae & I sharing our birthdays (on the 24th) together for the first time, drifting on my floatie -- just enjoying the mountain view. It's a great group and we had an awesome time spending the week with everyone. The Bible says, "Laughter doeth good like medicine" and after a few fireside chats over at the Myers site ... I think we were all healed of whatever ailed us : )
This year it took seven shots to get a group photo ... we even had to "photoshop" Brad in since he was in the shower for our photo session. You'd never know by the photo ... good job Walt!

We're already busy planning next year's trip. While packing up and leaving at the end of our week, Colin said he wanted to "stay forever" and I have to say I agree with him. For us Wallowa is like "coming home."

Creating and Experimenting ...

Michelle & Brian gave me the new Digital Scrapbooking magazine for my birthday and I found instructions for the technique I mentioned in a previous post.
I created a few word templates and picked out just the right photo from our recent Wallowa trip. I can see how this could become addicting ... maybe scrapbooking our camping trip using a different word on each page : )


Well, back to more designing, creating and experimenting .... there's so much to try in this magazine!












Credits:
Digital Scrapbooking Magazine 8&9/08, Jenny Seiler
Font: CK Ali's Writing