Thoughts of a Grasshopper

I originally started with another page in mind but I didn't bring it together well enough so I changed the papers and elements and went for a black and white photo. I don't have many heritage type pictures so I dug through my husbands pictures. We had company last night for dinner. It was a fairly simple meal because I hadn't planned on company and didn't have an opportunity to shop for anything I would need for the menu. I marinated some chicken and cooked it on the grill. We had homemade mac n cheese, salad and green beans. For dessert we had caramel brownies. I haven't made this particular recipe in 10+ years. I forgot how good they are and the kids loved them. I was going to share the recipe here, went to snap a picture and they were all gone. Another time.

There is a poster that has a vase full of roses and daisy in the vase with a saying "be your own kind of beautiful". I've always liked that poster. While most people like roses, I'm partial to daisies. So, I tried to create something along that lines. An A2 card is too small to work with for the design I envisioned. Stamps: Hearts & Roses, Daisy (both from Kitchen Sink), One of a Kind CS: Riding Hood Red, Basic Black, Always Artichoke, WW Ink: Close to Cocoa, Real Red, Riding Hood Red, Cranberry Crisp, Sahara Sand, Crystal Blush Opalite, Always Artichoke Misc: Real Red & Always Artichoke markers, gems, Sherbet ribbon, dimensionals ticket punch

What makes it puzzling? I read it for clues to find the coordinates to a cache. I found the book itself interesting and in some ways could see a correlation between the economics in the book and the situation we are faced with now. While we aren't faced with as severe a situation as in the book, I've heard from friends that have closed their businesses due to one thing affecting another and so on and eventually they can't stay afloat any more. The book has several philosophical views of which I mostly agree with. They were explored in fullness in the 1,168 pages and I could have done with a Reader's Digest version. Much of the dialogue in the book added nothing to the book, characters, etc. and could have been eliminated or shortened. As I was reading John Galt's speech (~56 pages) I couldn't help think of a professor I had who commented on an author liking to hear them self talk. I believe that view would have been expressed here by that professor. R...

This didn't go where I wanted it to. As I was working on it, I really wanted a more realistic rose than this. I'm going to try my idea with the Kitchen Sink rose later and see if I can make it happen. I can't help but think how much this set is like Cottage Rose that was retired several years ago. I loved that set. Stamps: A Rose is a Rose, One of a Kind CS: WW, Mellow Moss, Perfect Plum, So Saffron Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Pale Plum, Perfect Plum (stamped off once), Mellow Moss Misc.: Saffron, Moss & Pale Plum markers, punches, Lemonade Twill (from Taylored Expressions )

I pulled several sets off of my shelf to use. They are sets that I've had for a while and haven't made one card with. I still have many more sets to go, but I wanted to start showing some love to these neglected sets. I was originally going to use this set for an anniversary card for my MIL but the flowers just aren't her. I'm not sure who this will go to. Stamps: A Rose is a Rose CS: WW, Mellow Moss, Pale Plum Ink: So Saffron, More Mustard, Mellow Moss, Always Artichoke (stamped off once), Pale Plum Misc: Sherbet ribbon, DD, dimensionals

All three girls have a birthday party to attend Friday night so I needed to get some come cards made (still 1 to go). I wanted the above design with the scallop edge. This is probably the only time I've ever wished I had Nestabilities. Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes, It's Your Birthday CS: Pink Pirouette, WW, Chocolate Chip, Creamy Caramel, Pretty in Pink Ink: Chocolate Chip, Pink Pirouette Misc.: DD, CE, hodgepodge, subtles beads, vanilla ribbon, choc. chip marker, blender pen

When we were taking lights off of the tree and winding them up the kids brought in pipe cleaners and cut some up so we could secure them and not have a tangled mess next year. It is an easy way of doing it and we've done like this for years. However, I seem to lose some of them every year and need to cut more when we are putting the lights away. The kids were making things from the pipe cleaners and once a pair of glasses was made they all did it thinking they looked like Steve Urkel. They wanted the title to include something with the word "Nerds" in it and I couldn't come up with anything. Still couldn't think of thing and dubbed it after the person they were trying to emulate. One of them even hiked up their pants, although you can't see it in the picture. I used several kits from Lindsay Jane Designs on the page: Iced Denim, Grungilicious and Blueberry Fudge. She is probably my favorite designer for kits. It has been a while since I posted a page t...

Just a quick card today. I have a lot catching up to do around here and I'll actually make progress with the kids back in school. I have to say they've been in school all of an hour and I miss them. I'm going to drive my friends crazy with phone calls so I can have some chatter. Stamps: Upsy Daisy CS: Certainly Celery, WW, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose Misc: Certainly Celery and Regal Rose markers, ribbon, taylor tot, glue dot

I love Kitchen Sink Stamps and the way the images layer to create something so real. It took me many tries to get the bear to not be blurred or the colors right. I find with the bear stamp, I'm better off working backwards to get the look I want. I wonder if others have found this too. Stamps: Get Well Teddy CS: Confetti Cream, Pixie Pink, Old Olive Ink: VersaMark, Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Chocolate Chip, Old Olive, Pink Passion, Pixie Pink, Pretty in Pink Misc.: So Saffron marker (bandage) and ribbon

Just a quick card this morning. I have a presentation to work on which I have been procrastinating and it needs to be finished today. Yikes! I needed a thank you card for someone that I overlooked when doing writing thank you cards. Our family was treated to some very yummy cinnamon rolls but with all the goings on of Christmas, I didn't get to writing a thank you and then we went away and I forgot. I opted for more spring-like colors. It has been in the 50s here and just doesn't feel like winter. Stamps: Inspired by Nature, All Holidays CS: WW, So Safron Ink: Bashful Blue Markers: Certainly Celery, Lavender Lace, Mellow Moss, Barely Banana, Apricot Appeal Misc: blender pen, punch, silver hardware, ribbon

The kids met their goal of staying up later than they ever have. We watched TV, had snacks, played board games, read and played video games. While their dad was reading to them, I had interrupted to ask a question about the story because my mind wandered. After it was answered and he went to go back to reading, he took too long for one of the kids and was asked, "Are you going to read?" She has the patience of her mother and I couldn't help but laugh at her question. We are going to spend part of our day taking down the Christmas trees and perhaps some of the nativities. There are a couple of rooms that I want to deep clean and that will determine how much of the Christmas decorations come down. The girls are wanting to get our snowmen decorations up and have commented for days that it was close enough to January that we could them out. This is what was used on the card: Stamps: Always Paper: Apricot Appeal, WW, Regal Rose, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Sweet Always D...