Christmas Card - Bird

Christmas card

Christmas Flakes

Thanksgiving card from Ellen

I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving. As I am getting the Christmas decorations out and putting all Fall and Thanksgiving decorations away, I came across the card that Ellen sent to us and, after asking her permission, I am sharing it on my blog.

Animal Video

The animal lover in me had to post this. It warms my heart to think about their kind instinct (kind at least in this instance) . Animal instinct has no equal.

Pieces for the new challenge

This time I am supplying the pieces for the challenge due Jan 23. I just went through my stash of scraps and started cutting paper... The only difference between what I have and what the other ladies received is that one pale yellow at the top of the photo: they have a circle, but I didn't have enough space to punch a 12th circle so I kept the last small scrap of it!


I'll call it the "warm colors" challenge...

New York City Layout

When we went to the Scrapbook Expo in August, I bought a laser cutout of a NYC page design, in anticipation of the trip and the layout I would create after that. Here's the result...

Laser design by Dillon's Laser Designs

Christmas card

This is the last of the Christmas card series for the card exchange... I had some good fun putting this one together.

The "Purple Challenge"

The pieces:

The result:

Thank you card

A thank you card for Ellen...

And Ellen, again, THANK YOU... Really... <3

Angie's Birthday

Saturday was Angie's birthday. Angie is my preschool assistant and the only person keeping me sane daily between 8:30 and 11am! She is a wonderful person and really deserved a one of a kind card. I have been playing with scraps (yes, again!) and vellum, and here's what came out of it. The torn blue papers were supposed to mimic the look of waves... Why waves? Because along with the card, I gave Angie a "Palm tree" key chain...

October/Fall/Halloween Projects

Here are some of the fun projects we worked on in the preschool this past month...

And let's not forget our bulletin board posted earlier on this blog:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYBODY!

Glimpse of New York City

I have been back from NYC for a few days now and I still haven't written about it on here. yes, I know, I am slacking... for lack of a better excuse, I will use my laziness of the past few days and my job as an excuse... Once the Preschool Halloween parties are over with and the month has indeed come to an end, I will write something better than these miserable few words... But in an effort to not leave you hanging, here are a few pictures...

Manhattan seen from the Brooklyn Bridge

On the Brooklyn Bridge

The Manhattan Bridge seen from the Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge

The "Metronome" It is located by Union Square. For more information about the metronome, click here or here. It is in fact a huge clock...

Flatiron Building, seen from a taxi ride...

Central Park

View from Central Park

Central Park

Guggenheim Museum

Times Square at night. So amazing...

That's their Post Office. Look at the size of that building. It takes a whole darn block!

Need I introduce her?

Manhattan seen from the Staten Island Ferry ride...

This flag is displayed at Ground Zero...

Rockefeller Plaza

Rockefeller center

Manhattan seen from the "Top of the Rock" (Rockefeller Center)

Northern Part of Manhattan and Central Park seen from the Top of the Rock

Times Square

NEW YORK CITY!!!!!!!!!!

The day has finally arrived. We have been waiting for a long time for this day! We decided 5 months ago on this trip, but visiting NYC is a long life dream of mine! So time to leave for New York City! Not much time for a long post detailing how flipping excited I am, bla bla bla... You get the picture. I'll make sure to write again when I get back. And post lots of photos.
Melanis and I are heading to the Big Apple! Tootles!

Tablet Challenge from August

Here are some of the tablets that were turned in as part of the "Yellow and Orange" challenge. Why yellow and orange? Because those are the colors of the New Day Foundation to which the tablets are donated. For more details, visit The New Day Foundation website. You can also check out an older post of mine or one of Melanis's.

Quotes from "The Lost Symbol"

"What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal." ~Albert Pike (page 454)

"Time is a river... And books are boats. Many volumes start down that stream, only to be wrecked and lost beyond recall in its sands. Only a few, very few, endure the testings of time and live to bless the ages following." (page 488)

"Small minds have always lashed out at what they don't understand. There are those who create... and those who tear down. The dynamic has existed for all time. But eventually the creators find believers, and the number of believers reach a crictical mass, and suddenly [...] perception is transformed, and a new reality is born." (page 503)

anticipation

LEAVING FOR NEW YORK CITY IN 3 DAYS, THE ANTICIPATION IS KILLING ME... TOO BAD I HAVE TO WORK FOR 3 DAYS, IT'S KIND OF KILLING THE MOOD HERE... LOL...

The Lost Symbol

I finished it tonight... A long book (Over 500 pages) but such a good one. I can see why some people are not fans of Dan Brown. It's sometimes hard to fathom all those symbols and meaning, etc... But you have to keep in mind that the book as a whole is a fiction. Not some kind of propaganda. At least that's how I see it. Already thinking about whether they will make a movie adaptation.

just for some pre-Halloween fun

http://terrisfp.com/hallo1/ghost1.swf

A different way of playing the piano... really amazing

Pumpkin Patch Bulletin Board

This is what my current bulletin board looks like... I am so happy with the way it turned out.

Notes to self: *I used my recently acquired Colluzle letters for the title. Not easy to remember how to use a swivel knife properly but I managed, and the letters look just fine for this kind of work.
* The "pumpkins" are made from small paper plates covered with pieces of torn construction paper. It took them a while, but the kids covered the plates themsleves!

HAPPY PUMPKIN SEASON EVERYBODY!

"Age"thoughts

I just received this in an email, and I found it interesting and true. And yes, the gray hair does apply to me, believe me... If you haven't seen it yet it's because you haven't looked at my hair very closely...

I would never trade my amazing friends, my wonderful life, my loving family for less gray hair or a flatter belly. As I've aged, I've become kinder to myself, and less critical of myself. I've become my own friend. I don't chide myself for eating that extra cookie, or for not making my bed, or for buying that silly cement gecko that I didn't need, but looks so avant garde on my patio. I am entitled to a treat, to be messy, to be extravagant.

I have seen too many dear friends leave this world too soon; before they understood the great freedom that comes with aging.

Whose business is it if I choose to read or play on the computer until 4 AM and sleep until noon? I will dance with myself to those wonderful tunes of the 60 &70's, and if I, at the same time, wish to weep over a lost love ... I will.


I will walk the beach in a swim suit that is stretched over a bulging body, and will dive into the waves with abandon if I choose to, despite the pitying glances from the jet set.

They, too, will get old.
I know I am sometimes forgetful. But there again, some of life is just as well forgotten. And I eventually remember the important things.

Sure, over the years my heart has been broken. How can your heart not break when you lose a loved one, or when a child suffers, or even when somebody's beloved pet gets hit by a car? But broken hearts are what give us strength and understanding and compassion. A heart never broken is pristine and sterile and will never know the joy of being imperfect.

I am so blessed to have lived long enough to have my hair turning gray, and to have my youthful laughs be forever etched into deep grooves on my face.
So many have never laughed, and so many have died before their hair could turn silver.

As you get older, it is easier to be positive. You care less about what other people think. I don't question myself anymore. I've even earned the right to be wrong.

So, to answer your question, I like being old. It has set me free. I like the person I have become. I am not going to live forever, but while I am still here, I will not waste time lamenting what could have been, or worrying about what will be. And I shall eat dessert every single day(if I feel like it).

MAY OUR FRIENDSHIPS NEVER COME APART ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE STRAIGHT FROM THE HEART!

The Phantom of the Opera

Woohoo! Melanis and I are treating ourselves to a Broadway show while in New York City, and what a great show to go see! I am excited beyond words. I just found out today...

Scrap Quote

here's a quote I found in the latest scrapbooking magazine that came in the mail...

"Sometimes it's easy to overlook the little things in our life. Take a moment to walk around and find the small things that put a smile on your face, and then document them." ~Christine Drumheller

Ev's birthday

Here is the card I handed out to Ev for her birthday. Kinda late, I know, bu it seems we hadn't seen her in ages!

Happy Birthday again Ev!

More tablets

Here's what I did last Sunday: covering some of the tablets for the New Day Foundation. We spent a whole day covering a total of 133 back in June, and I never wrote about it but Melanis did here) We also had a Challenge that was based on those, I have to find the photo and share it with my blog readers.
Anyway, I had had these tablets in my scrap area for a few months now.... So I figured that was a good way to spend some of my Sunday. It's all for a good cause.

For those of you who do not know:
The New Day Foundation does a lot and this is where the tablet will go:

A gift box is presented to an adult patient upon his/her first chemo or radiation treatment as a sign of hope and promise. Each gift includes a hand crafted shawl, a general prayer card, a scroll with words of inspiration from cancer survivors, and often includes a small Teddy Bear or relaxing CD.... And now a note book will be added to the gift box...

To learn more on the New Day Foundation, check out their website: www.newdayfoundation.com

"Purple challenge" pieces

This time Ellen supplied the pieces for our next challenge. Here they are. The card is due November 14th.

Next time I am planning to bring in pieces for a challenge...