Thrifty Thursday

There has been a lot of chatter on the blogs I read about some fun finds at the Dollar Tree. I went in to pick up a few pieces to make this hurricane vase. You just have to glue one of the glass candlesticks and the vase together with glass glue and you have a great new addition to your fall decor. I found the colorful filler at Craft Warehouse and the candle was on sale at Pier 1 ... a wonderful spicy aroma!
The other item that has popped up quite often is the ceramic pumpkin ... yep, $1 and it matches the color scheme of our home so well.
I love a bargain and it's fun to see a touch of fall here ... there ... everywhere in our home! Even though it is in the 80's this week in NW Oregon, it's fun to put out our fall decor. I hope you have added a few great finds for fall in your home.

Subway Art

In my RSS feed I have about 65 blogs I subscribed to dealing with the home. I have found some fabulous ideas and I love how this generation loves to repurpose things and live frugally.
One thing that stood out to me was their creations of Subway art. I thought it would be fun to put a smaller one together with the names of all the cities we visited during our trip to Italy.
I have a wall in the family room designated for photos/art from our favorite vacation spots. We love watercolors and ink drawings. Those and Christmas ornaments are the souvenirs we usually carry home in our suitcases. Anyway, this is the new featured art on that wall. I love looking at it and being reminded of all the wonderful memories from our trip.
I purchased a 12x18 frame from Michaels and, of course, it was on sale @ 50% off. I created a new file in PSE to fit the frame and left a white margin with the inside filled with black. I downloaded Waukegan LDO font and placed the names ... adjusting as necessary. I specifically picked this size because Costco prints it in an hour for $2.99.
I have seen other bloggers create their family rules in this art form. Many have purchased canvases and painted the words on. My version was a bit quicker to complete : ) I wonder what it would be like to print out a Wordle Word Cloud and have it framed? Holiday words? The possibilities are endless.
I would love to hear your ideas ...

Lab Decor

My new employment location is in the testing lab. For students, coming to this room is about as exciting as going to the dentist for a root canal.
I have been busy doing software updates, installing the new browser, auditing computers and sanitizing keyboards and mice ... getting everything in order.
One thing left up to me is the room decor. I thought it would be great to put up some inspirational 18 x 24" posters and got to work creating them in Photoshop Elements. The room now has something of interest and looks a little more warm and inviting. I still have three more to create plus a welcome banner.
I am thankful that Loretta gave me a folder of jpg stock photos a few years ago and it was the basis for finding quotes to match. I also found a great site if you need photos for a project: www.freedigitalphotos.net
This kind of got me in the mood to start scrapbooking again. BUT first ... our iMac needs more memory ... a project Walt and I need to work on together -- hopefully soon!

Back to Blogging

Another reason I have not been blogging ...
At the end of August, without much hope of being hired by a school, I created a new blog with a different focus. I was going to focus on some of the things that worked for me when I was a stay-at-home-mom and where I was going in this new season of life ... "forced retirement." I had a theme for each day, recipes to share, craft projects -- digital scrapbooking, furniture before and afters, etc. I worked for days on getting it all set up ... and life changed within days of launching it.
So, I have been in a tug-of-war ... go back to the old blog or go ahead and kick off the new one? But for right now I just don't feel like I have the time and energy to do what I had created it for. Maybe at the beginning of the new year ... always a good time to commit to something new.
Keep watching ...

Hhhhmmm ... Where Have I Been??????

I have one steadfast rule when it comes to blogging ... posting about my job is off limits ... so I've been off the radar for a while.
As many of you know, the Media Assts. were RIF'd again in the district where I was employed and it did not look like they had an action plan to save our positions. So, for the first time in 40 years, I made a claim with unemployment over the summer. I wish that I could tell you that I enjoyed those weeks of filing claims, updating my resume, visits to the WorkSource office, taking tests, filling out applications and going for interviews ... but, sadly I did not adapt well. I never have been fond of roller coasters and this summer felt like the twists-and-turns, the upside-down-thrill-to-the-bone ride of my life.
Just when I had given up hope ... the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend I had an interview for a part-time position at a middle school and started work the following Monday. Even though I am in a different building and surrounded by students taller than myself : ) ... it is good to be back "home." I have worked in schools for over 20 years now and I just couldn't imagine employment in any other field.
I am so thankful for the opportunity to work another year ... and even with a part-time position ... to retain my rating/wage/insurance and PERS. Thank you to all who have been praying for me ... it's nice to get off the roller coaster for now!
Enough said : )

Boxing Up Barbie

Once my party hosting was complete for August I vowed I would start on our bedroom remodel. I got the brainstorm to remove the wallpaper while taking a shower in the morning. Now we're committed! Yikes ...
I thought I had better start boxing up the Barbies to protect them from the upcoming project. I need to protect my collection from possible paint splatters or disaster.
I know one little girl who will be disappointed when the Barbies are no longer on display in Grandma's bedroom. Hopefully, we can unbox them soon!
P.S. Notice ... I am storing them in pink storage boxes : )

A Taste of Italy

Yesterday was quite a day ...
At 9:30 a.m. I had an interview in a neighboring school district. When I accepted the appointment time I knew I had a long standing date to host a luncheon for the RIF'd Media Assistants on the day we would have been scheduled to return to work. What a great group to spend the day with!
Planning the luncheon was actually a great distraction for feeling anxious about the interview. As I prepared the food ... set the table ... cleaned house, it was a great opportunity to go over potential interview questions and keep my mind busy.
What a fun day it was to spend time with gals I have worked with over the past nine years. Even though we were in different buildings we were always in contact through email, meetings etc. They were all a great support when you needed help with a book request, a Polaris question, inventory ... just a great group of friends.
In the coming year we will all be going in different directions. One gal has already been hired by another district ... congrats to Janet! Whatever changes are ahead ... I believe we will all stay friends.
P.S. I tried several new recipes and I thought the food was rather tasty! It brought my senses right back to Italy : )

P is for Peaches

Monday the sun was bright, the sky was blue and the air ... hot and humid. It was a good day for a drive to Sauvie Island Farms to pick peaches ... EARLY in the day.
It didn't take long to fill my quota of peaches with the help of the grandkids. It wasn't my intention to pick them for canning at the time but as I drove home I felt inspired to dust off my equipment and see if I could recall the process taught to me by my good friend, neighbor and canning mentor, Barb. Here's a post from 2005 about "Canning 101"!
I am so thankful I stored my jars and canner on the top shelf in the garage when we moved here or they would have been long gone to Goodwill or a garage sale by now. You have to keep in mind ... I have not canned since the early 80's.
Due to my schedule I wasn't able to work on this project until Wednesday morning. By then, with the extreme temperatures, the peaches were a little too ripe but I decided to proceed anyway. I was amazed at how much of the process I could recall. Since I was working in a different kitchen I had to adapt to a new workflow. There were just enough peaches to fill six quarts and a few halves left over to top my waffles. It's great to enjoy a tasty breakfast during the water bath process.
The best part of preserving food is to hear the lids "pop" ... the sound of success!

Celebrate!

I know ... it has been awhile since the last post. Life has been a whirlwind so in September I'm thinking I will be back on track ... perhaps with a different blog ... a new look ... a new focus. Just a few things I have been pondering. I have some ideas floating around in my head but I am waiting to see where life takes me in the next few weeks.
Anyway, this week our Tuesday @ Five Bible Study group celebrated Melney's birthday and since I hosted, I took the pictures. Here's a glimpse of the fun ...
Credit is due for the party ideas pictured:
Your Homebased Mom:
Paper Bouquet
Best Chocolate Cake Ever
Simply ... This. That. And The Other:
Fruit Jellies on a Stick

























Layout Credit:
Template: Mandagirl, Template 26 -altered
Font: ChromosomeLight, American Typewriter
Paper: ae_bdaydoodles2_paper2
Wordart: ae_bday_wa_5 and wa_3
I haven't scrapbooked for nearly nine months and I have to say, it was fun putting a layout together. I need to get re-acquainted with my digi supplies. I found some great stuff while creating this page.
Perhaps the next "season of life" will provide opportunities to have more creative time in my schedule.

Adjusting Back to Reality

My "time clock" needs adjusting since we've returned from Italy. I have been waking up between 3:30 and 4:30 a.m. every morning and then I feel groggy the rest of the day.
So with my "extended" morning I have been working on a web page for our travel group. We thought it would be a great way to stay in touch, share our pictures and stories and preserve memories from our trip. We were able to get the basics up before leaving for Wallowa Lake and we'll add more detail when we return. It has been fun going through our 2,400 pictures and compiling information about each place we visited. Scrapbooking our adventure is at the top of my project list during my unemployment period.
Now I need to focus on packing lists, shopping, etc. for a week at the lake ... perhaps going "solo" for the first time. Will be interesting setting up camp on my own : ) especially with a new tent!

Vacation of a Lifetime

Italy has been better than we ever imagined ... here's a sneak peek of a few things we've experienced. We still haven't downloaded all the pictures from the past few days so I will post more as internet access allows. We move locations about every two days so I never know if internet will be available. I am sitting outside our hotel in Sorrento. It is warm and dry -- nearly 11:00pm ... a lovely evening. Tomorrow we will be in Assisi and will celebrate our 36th anniversary.

At the Vatican Square-Thursday

Visiting Piazza del Popolo -Thursday

A Glimpse of the Colosseum -Thursday

Scooters everywhere in Rome -Wednesday

Gelato as soon as we arrived-Wednesday

Hello Wash and Wear ...

Goodbye curling iron ... Goodbye velcro rollers ... Hello wash and wear hair!
After wearing my hair the same way for twelve years it was time for a change. I gathered my courage and asked Alyssa to cut my hair. I have seen what she can do with scissors and a comb and I was impressed. I had complete confidence in her!
Well, she got rave reviews when I went to school the next day not only from the staff but the students. I was told that I had taken ten years off with the hair ... YAY! : ) One boy called me over during lunch duty and I thought he needed help with something. Instead, he said, " Mrs. Germer, that is the best haircut I've ever seen." So ... compliments to Alyssa on a great job!
This will be so much easier to take care of while on our trip. I think it only takes about four minutes to dry and style.
Thanks Alyssa for removing those ten year ... hahaha ... and helping to rid my routine of time and tools. This is so much easier and stylish.

Loads of Fun

The last piece to our remodeling project arrived Saturday afternoon ... our new steam washer and dryer set.
Wow ... I think we will have to take a class on how to operate these machines. They are much more computerized than our older set. The dryer even plays a song when the cycle is complete. I love these new modern conveniences.
This pretty much completes our basement remodel project. Great timing before our trip. When we return we will move to the guest room and then start on our master bedroom/bathroom. Depending on what the school board decides tonight about my job ... I may have a lot of time on my hands to tackle several projects around the house!

Drumroll, Please ...

After five long months of blood, sweat and a few tears : ) we finally finished the last of the bathroom remodel yesterday. The entire project will be complete when our new steam washer and dryer set is delivered in a week or so. What a huge accomplishment! Walt did a fabulous job and we are loving the end result.
Here's a small preview of our remodeling journey ...















With experience under our belt we will tackle the master bed/bath when we return from our trip. Seems like there's always a new adventure ahead as a homeowner!

Sixteen Days

When I arrived home from work one evening last week I found a package on our front porch ... our "Best of Italy" itinerary and ticket information.
Only sixteen days to get ready ... most of the shopping and "gathering" has been done. Now we're down to buying lightweight luggage and getting everything in them -- and still getting them zipped -- I have to remember there's a weight limit : )
With this extremely wet NW spring we've experienced this year it is nice to see that Italy is in the 80's right now. Hoping to enjoy some warmth and sunshine while there!

Here We Go Again ...

In the "Waiting Room"
... a repeat end of the school year ... the District is recommending RIF'ing the Media Assts. once again. We are now waiting to see if the Board approves ... as we did last year, we are making adjustments in life.
Here's what I'll be aligning my life with ... I always find encouragement in the Psalms ...

"She is not afraid of receiving bad news;
her faith is strong and she trusts in the Lord.
She is not worried or afraid ..."
Psalm 112:7
I did change the he's to she's : )

I'll keep you posted as decisions are made. Would appreciate your prayers!
Thanks ...

Merrell Shoes It Is

I spent a Sunday afternoon with my dear friend Donna shopping at the Merrell store for a pair of comfortable walking shoes for our trip. With the great suggestions from Merrell expert/shopping assistant, Cindy I found a great pair of shoes.
Here's a little info on these beauties:

A Mary Jane that’s neat, easy but close-fitting and quick as needed, thanks to a breathable mesh-line canvas upper custom-cinched with a click-down adjustable strap. Supportive, ventilated, and stride-aligned in the Merrell manner, with an encore sole with wide-range grip.

UPPER/LINING
• Strobel construction offers flexibility and comfort
• Vegan friendly footwear
• Mesh upper
• Adjustable strap with clip closer locks in fit in one adjustment
• Breathable mesh lining treated with Aegis® antimicrobial solution
• Ortholite® Anatomical Footbed

MIDSOLE/OUTSOLE
• Molded nylon arch shank
• QForm® comfort provides women’s specific stride-sequenced cushioning
• Merrell® air cushion in the heel absorbs shock and adds stability
• Merrell encore Sole/Sticky rubber
• Weight: 14 ozs.

I have to say I LOVED everything in this store and would fill my suitcase with an entire Merrell wardrobe if I could afford it. Thanks Cindy for helping me find just what I was looking for! Just think of how comfortable I will be walking the streets of Rome : )

Thirty-Seven Days

We're starting to count down DAYS until the "Best of Italy 2010" ... 37 to be exact!
Today I cleaned out the guest room closet and started pulling potential articles of clothing/accessories to set aside for packing. All the websites I've studied say to gather everything and then pack half of it! I've narrowed my color scheme to black & white while coordinating that with red and turquoise tops ... so that it doesn't get boring or colorless. I'm thinking the weather will be warm so I've packed with layering in mind. It's hard to think of everything I'll need for 16 days and still stay under the 50 lb. luggage weight limit : )
I am now down to finding the perfect -- comfortable but stylish -- shoes. Any suggestions????
We are nearly done with our bathroom/utility room remodel so now we can concentrate full-time on our exciting adventure ahead! Can't wait!

They're Engaged!

It's official ... they're engaged! Whooohooo ... we are so excited.
This evening while shopping at Lowe's for trim boards and a bathroom light fixture a call came through my phone from Scottsdale, AZ from Matt sharing the good news.
It's so exciting to have another girl in the family ... Welcome Kathy! We love and adore you : )
Colin will be especially pleased with the news!

Happy Birthday Grandpa

I thought I would try out a new template downloaded from Ali Edwards site. The theme seemed to fit the occasion. You can almost hear Colin describing how he picked out his special gift for Grandpa and look at the anticipation on Calleigh's face as she patiently waits for Grandpa to open her present.
I love how the grandkids know just what we need!


Credits:
Font: Pea Quinn
Template: Ali Edwards
Wordart: Unknown