Sweet Virginia

Grandpa and Noni Larsen live in Virginia. We visit quite often. We just went for  a quick Memorial Weekend trip and had such a lovely time.  After so many years in the city I am really starting to be amazed by open spaces, big skies and clean air. All of which Virginia has. 

We are lazy in our time while we are there. Grandpa and Noni get up with the kids. We play at the park, go out to eat and sit on the porch to soak up the sun.

We also get daddy all to ourselves. Which is especially fun for the boys (and dad too). We are all sad when we have to go home to our real lives where dad has a real job, mom has to really take care of the kids, and the kids have to really deal with the crap we put them through. (which G & N never do!)

This time around we went fishing on the Potomac. It was so lovely. We walked from fishing hole to fishing hole. Both Grandpa and Baby Cache fell in the river and Ronin almost hooked every one of us at different times with his violently swinging pole. The boys had so much fun. Here you can see Ronin likes to fish as "spiderman". We didn't catch any fish. We did however catch A LOT of ticks!

Ronin found one early the next morning when he was going to the bathroom. We thought he had been attacked, he screamed so loud!  Then we had to strap him down on the table and do surgery. We then decided EVERYONE had to be checked. Baby cache had 2! One on his back and one in his arm pit and Noni had one on her leg.  Needless to say, we were all a bit creeped out. Ronin is still having a hard time getting over it since he also got a tick in Vermont a month ago. He is reluctant to wear shorts or t-shirts. Its about 90 deg. here in NY and he is out in pants, long shirts and sweaters. Poor boy is just roasting to death. But he says he doesn't want any bugs on him. Thats unnderstandable.

The other thing I love about being in Virginia is the boys get to see what nature is really about. (bugs included I guess)  They love to play in the yard, check out the flowers and enjoy all the sights we don't have at home. Its so great there, we often contemplate moving. And we would if there were a job there for us to do. However, I have a sneaking suspicion that if we did move, it Virginia wouldn't be as special to us because we would be living our real lives. And there is no time for fun in real life!! So I think we will have to do with visiting and being grateful we can visit such a wonderful place with such a wonderful family. Thanks Noni and Grandpa for your love and hospitality!!!

Craft Alert!! I Heart 2 Stamp Challenge

Of course I did another challenge today (that makes three in three days. Whew!) I really like this sketch. Must use it again. but next time with more stamping.

This sketch is from the I Heart 2 Stamp website.

Here's my take on said challenge.

I wish you could see the white brads in the bottom right hand corner. guess the paper is just too busy. I really love how it turned out. I think all the work is being done by the paper and not by the embossed flower. oh well. I like it anyway!

Deets:

Stamp: Beautiful Blooms (PTI)

Paper: Madera Island (S.E.I)

Ink: SU! White Craft

Accessories: hardware (from stash), White brads (American Crafts), Embossing Powder

Craft Alert!! Amy Rysavy Friday Sketch #20

patrick is gone this weekend, so what else would I be doing??


This is Amy Rysavy's Friday Sketch #20. This is my second sketch challenge ever, and it WAS a challenge for me. I started out excited because I liked the patterned paper, but when the card was finished I wasn't as thrilled with the results. I did learn a few things though, which is always good. If I could do it again, there would definitely be some changes. (Hopefully you can see the card ok through these pics.)  

I cut a hole out of the rocket so you could see to the inside. This was for two reasons. It helped the overall look to take out some of the stark white that was overshadowing the rest of the design. Plus I stamped "SO" with  the intention of it being used both for the inside and outside sentiment. The outside sentiment says "It's your birthday".

And on the inside I stamped "so rock-et"...you know as in "rock it!" Rock your birthday! My own little pun! Well last night I thought it was hilarious. But now that I've had some sleep I'm thinking it might be a bit dorky and hard to tell what's going on. That's my brain for ya! I added a strip of DP on the inside with a little rocket punchout embellishment that came in my scrap pack. The inside sentiment is stamped closer to the right edge so I added the strip of DP to help balance it out. Then I added the rocket to help the reader get the pun. Do you get it?? 

Whew! this was fun! Now I wonder who needs to "Rock-et" on their birthday!?

Deets:

Stamps: Rocket: (doodle factory urban set), Simple Alphabet (PTI), "Birthday" from Birthday Basics (PTI)

Paper: K&Company Kazoo Kids Scrap Pad to go,

Ink: SU! Basic Black

Accessories: SU! Markers, Black Brads, Scallop Circle & Rocket Paper Embellishments (Kazoo Kids Scrap Pad)

Craft Alert!! Stamp Simply #38 Challenge

I decided to participate in the Stamp Simply Challenge because it is just my cup of tea. When you stamp (or do any kind of art stuff) you need SPACE! This is precisely what I don't have. I live in 1000 sq. feet of an over stuffed, kid infested apartment. So since I do have interests and need them to keep me sane, (I mentioned kids didn't I ?) I realized that while I may want a lot of things I only have the room for some things. So I have tried hard to limit my crafting supply to the things I absolutely need to keep me happy. So in short, I have to stamp simply.
I put this card together with the mind to make it a small set like I saw on Mish Mash  which she saw here. I thought it would make a nice gift. Just need to fashion up a box of sorts which I will case from someone, just don't know who yet. (*insert evil laugh here*)

The cards are quick and easy and I really do love the simplicity of them. I have only just started embossing. I swore I wouldn't start because of the things you need, but the heating gun I got really doesn't take up much space and I got it for 50% off, so really, could I say no? I really like the look of embossing, but do need to practice practice practice. I'm covered in powder from head to toe. * Note to self: Don't Sneeze!

Recipe:

Stamp: PTI Father Know's Best, Faux Ribbon (sentiment)

Paper: PTI Father Know's Best 6x6 pack, Summer Sunrise CS; Stampers Select White CS

Ink: SU! White Craft

Daddy's Gone

Patrick is out of town this weekend. He is working in Logan, Utah doing Into The Woods at The Utah Festival Opera Company.  This is where both Patrick and I attended college and I think it would be really weird to be back there. (I will have my chance when we go see the show in July and hopefully live to tell about it.) So far today I haven't talked to him since he's been in meetings all day. Not much different than when he is here! His design is great though and we are really hoping it comes off without a hitch. This of course, is every set designers dream and not every set designers reality. Hopefully he will come home in good spirits (he always does) and with good pics to share.

A few things though, about when dad goes out of town; A lot of people think it would be play play play, but that is not the case. That IS what it is like when I am gone, however.  I'm definitely the less fun of the two parents I would say, but I guess it needs to be that way for balance and sanity. 

No, when dad's away that means the kids go to bed earlier (cause I just want some peace already!) Mommy can't sleep because the bed is too empty, she doesn't get to sleep in because there is no else to deal with the kids  AND (the worst of them all) the dishes pile up in the sink.

I hate, I say HATE doing the dishes. I have been walking by them for a while (I will NOT say how long they have been sitting there). I just can't bring myself to touch them. The excuse? Just plain old fashioned laziness, (and today I have been a bit busy).  If we had a cockroach problem, they would all be living it up in my sink right now. (ok. that's gross.) If I don't start being better about these dishes we WILL have a cockroach problem. But still I have a hard time getting them done. Right now I have so many dishes in the sink I will have to do them in batches because not all will fit in the dish drainer at once. OH, to have a dishwasher. What would that be like?  Well, I do have a dishwasher and he is out of town! It's very difficult to get by.

So we are only on day 1 of dad being gone and already we are complete wrecks.  We will try to make it the weekend without you.

Come home soon dishwasher,... I mean DAD!!

Craft Alert!!: Baby Shower Thank You Cards

Since I am interested a bit in crafts, once in a while I will be posting a project that I am working on. I figure that since not everyone will be interested in reading about it, I will post the project with the title Craft Alert!! so that you are fore warned. If you don't want to read, just pass on by. So without further ado....

I have so many friends having babies this year. So I have been doing a few baby gifts and trying out a few techniques that I have seen on other blogs. This post is a baby card set that I have put together for a baby shower this weekend.

These are pre-scored white card bases that I actually bought in a pack of 100 (plus envies) at a Wal-Mart in Virginia, for (of course) cheap. Quite a score for a project like this. I used another favorite stamp set from Paper Trey Ink called Bitty Baby Blessings. I used the paper piecing technique that I saw used by many of their designers and on other blogs around. Basically you stamp the image on patterned paper, and cut it out. I then cut 3 x 3 card stock in summer sunrise and lemon tart (also PT) glued the stamped image on it and added grommets to the corners.

I then altered a clear plastic box that PT uses to package their stamp sets to create a personalized box for the gift receiver. Is that green enough for ya or what?!

Here is my finished project:

On the back I stamped with PT Simple Alphabet. I would post a pic of it, but can't seem to get my computer to download it.

So that's it. Off to the baby shower!

Deets: (all PTI unless otherwise noted)

Stamps: Bitty Baby Blessings, Sentiment: Faux Ribbon

Paper: Bitty Baby Blessings, Lemon Tart, Summer Sunrise, Kraft.

Ink: StayzOn Jet Black.

Accessories: Summer Sunrise and Lemon Tart Ribbon, Purple Grommets (costco set).

Father's Day

Fathers Day is coming up and I put a lot of thought and heart into a gift for Patrick from me and the boys. I like to stamp and scrapbook and have really been addicted to it as of late, so I crafted up something that I thought he would like.

Now he's not a cutesy, kitchy, or crafty kind of a person. He is a designer. Which means, modern, clean, new and innovative things get his attention. I think maybe secretly he doesn't like stuff that I do, but he is way too nice to actually say anything about it. In fact he is very helpful and views all of my things with a positive and creative eye. That's love for ya. Well, when thinking about what to do for him, I wanted to give him something personal, yet something not too "cute" that he could take to work with him so he can have a pic of his boys.

I picked up an accordion scrapbook by Martha Stewart at Michael's (see my local craft store link). The great thing about the accordion is that you can open it to just one page and then have several others to choose from so you can change it every once in a while and also not take up too much desk space. I then used DP from S.E.I. from the line called dill blossom. I also used the stamp set Father Knows Best from my favorite company Paper Trey Ink. I love this company because they have such clean designs with a lot of modern elements. I think they are a perfect marriage of my love for stamping and my DH's love for design. I thought they fit him perfectly.

I wanted to photoshop some of the pics to share, but since my skills are REALLY rusty, I usually have Patrick help me. And of course that was a problem because I couldn't allow him to see the end product until the actual day, so I tried to fix them up myself. I didn't do as good of a job as I had wanted. So bear with them. Anyway, last night, he was helping me with some other photos and found these ones too. SO, the cat is out of the bag, yet again... In all 8 years of marriage I have yet to surprise him with a single gift. Not one! And that is no exaggeration. It's just sad. I guess I will have to try harder.

So with with endless love Patrick, I present your Father's Day gift. Thanks for being such a great husband and dad. We love you!!