Leap year…day?

 

Is that what we would call it?  February 29th is …cool!   I get this feeling every

four years…or so.  Truthfully…I don’t remember  much about the

2008 year.  My Mom had 2 falls and TWO hip fractures that

required surgical intervention! (need I say more?) 

Hence….(!)  THIS leap year, 

I’m makin’ a change!

I am going to jump in with both feet on this

leap year …um…day(?)  and  do some  catching

up on my blog and “possibly” posting a leap frog

post. {posting x 2}

Since the WHOLE month of February has gone 

by in a total blur…except for this 24hrs of a grace period by which another day has been added. I’ll try to get you up to date!

I’ll try to be brief.  Just the facts !

"{…ah…maybe}

February in the ER has brought a tremendous amount

of really sick patients…of all ages.  I’ve worked a gazillion hours {it feels like} 

My whole body feels beat up, spit out, run over! worn out….my feet ache despite the handfuls of ibuprofen I’ve taken all month!

{don’t try that at home folks!}  

And my brain even hurts!!  {you get the picture?}

So…if I wasn’t working those 13 hr. days…I was home sleeping or in a trance like state, sitting in front of the  t.v.!  I’ve had a couple of days off.  I’m ready to …leap!

In honor of Leap Year DAY! I hope to post twice on this day!

I have managed to work on my Project Life album. It took me all of February to get caught up!  But I did it!

1st I had to sew my pages dividers on my sewing machine.

Being too cheap frugal and using what I already had.

 

worked pretty well…especially since I had these 8.5 x 11 inch clear plastics sitting WAY back under my other stuff.  So far back that I had completely forgotten about them! Simply retrieving them and putting them to good use!

I lined them up on my cutting board, measured the available options for dividing them….measured …

again…

after messing up the first time. And voila!

plastic dividers for my PL album.  I sliced up my papers to fit.  Plunked down a photo or two.  Typed up a comment

{oops!  sorry for the glare}

or three.  There you have it!

{above} are copies of actual photos of the Eiffel tower and a “mustang” plane that my Father photographed while in WWII! {I scanned the original, printed, framed and sent it to my brother in CT who had never seen them!}  Yup..he DID love it.  Well…actually…he said “wow”.

That’s Bro’ talk for “love”.

More later!

Just checking in….

 

 

After a tumultuous month of working

in our ER where I could swear at times

I was back out on the “streets

of raw trauma” working as a

paramedic 

{image found on-line at “bing”}

I’m now back in the swing of things…I hope.

Beginning in January, I have

“poured” myself into several

different -yet –similar projects. 

Last month,

I was able to view and be inspired by

“Creative Jump Start” hosted by 

the uber-talented Nathalie Kalbach.

She put together this international role-

call of scrapbooking Celebs that would

appear each day via U-tube to share

their own ideas of “jump starting”

their  creativity.

Then, with the ringing in of the new year

brought a new word.

One little word…

{from Ali Edward’s blog site}

started several years ago by one of our

own scrapbooking celebs. (I can’t remember

if it was Ali Edwards, Jessica Sprague??)

This project is fairly new to me;

participating now for 3 years.  This year

I chose: 

HOPE…{looking for}. 

This keeps me focused in a very plain

and simple way!

{photos on-line from “bing”}

I’ve learned a lot from

my 2 previous words “TIME” and “Believe”.

Lastly,

a learn- as –you–go (for me that is)

“Project Life”. 

The brainchild of  Becky Higgins.

I heard of it last year.  I didn’t get much

further.  This year it appealed to my

simpler yet informative side of thinking.

Stream-lining my journaling and

photos.  Becky Higgins has several

prepackaged, ready to go kits just

for this Project Life. 

She has a

wonderful step-by-step  guide

lines and the special plastics for your

3 ring binders! 

I’m taking the frugal,

Yankee way of “making do” with

what you have on hand, approach.

because I have so much darn stuff

to get rid of!

I’m taking photos of my progress.

I’ll be sharing soon.

I think I’m going to like this new

approach.  Not to be replaced by my

full and fussy layouts that I enjoy so

much!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

More later!   Enjoy your week-end!

    

Starting the Year with a GIVEAWAY!!

 

Whew! Time flies by.  Well over 2 weeks went by in a flash!

So….

           to start things off right, let me tell you about a

give-a-way that Anne Lorys of the 

Fiona and Twig.blogspot has announced!

All of the followers of her blog, fionaandtwig.blogspot.com

can enter for a chance to win the brand new, premiere  issue of

“Romantic living”magazine!

If your not already a follower, it’s simple to sign up under “followers” on her side bar.

Just like mine.

Anne is a very skilled photographer.   Not the average run- of –the- mill kind either. 

She is the “why didn’t I think of that?” a simple but elegant,  polished photographer that makes you day-dream back to a simpler,sweeter time when you see her photos! 

She has done some FABulous shoots with a romantic, vintage edge that speaks of a unique and talented eye.

 

Anne has been published in many magazines. 

Just recently, she  had her very own photos AND  wrote her own article ABOUT her photos in

“ Artful blogging”!

 

 

{sigh…} 

Yes folks…she’s THAT good!

 

So head over to her blog.     fionaandtwig.blogspot.com             Leave a comment.  Become a follower.

If you mention her give-a-way on YOUR blog,  facebook, etc…you get entered twice!

I’ll be back blogging soon.      

Happy Birthday to my daughter!

Born in a small Concord, Ma hospital on a wintery, snowy night.  You were not due for 5 more weeks, but you were healthy and beautiful in every way!

{I tried to make that “29”}

 

Everyone was so excited the day you were born! It seemed like the whole world was celebrating when we brought you home that New Years Day! 

I never knew how a Mother’s heart could grow that big and be filled with soooo much love!

The thing I remember the most about that day, was how your Grandfather {Grampy Brown} stood at the end of the hospital bed {long} after you were born and just…smiled!  Grinned from ear to ear.  Didn’t say too much.  His gigantic grin said it all! 

 

He couldn’t take his eyes off of you!  {neither could I!!!}

 

Now, 37 years later he is still smiling down on you!  If he were here right now he would hug you and call you “Grampy’s girl!”

{my daughter, Christa and “my three sons”}

 

Happy Birthday sweetheart!  I love you and miss you so very VERY much!  I hope you had a great day.

 

love you forever,

Mom 

Happy Happy…Joy…Joy…Joy!

Yes…I know

it’s three days…actually ONLY TWO days

until Christmas (it’s after midnight here).

But..I actually had some last minute

project(s) that I had been working on

AND…(thought I’d probably finish AFTER Christmas)

BUT…!

I finished them!!! 

All of them.  I’m pretty sure this is a first folks!     

The Christmas Photo album (kit by Heidi Swapp)

It’s for my Mom.

I officially put the finishing touches on today.    

The circle cut outs compliment the opposite page circle pop up.

{I did mention that my brother is OLDER…much older than me? didn’t I?}  {ahh…I luv ya Bro!}

I love how easy it was to just down load this whole kit; print it out and she gives a step by step directions to put it all together!  The cover to the book was made with an (empty) Ritz cracker box!! Plus the kit itself was like, 60% off! (another reason I’m a bit late with this project.)

The very back cover.   Cute huh?

My little “Christmas Elf”

Silly kitten, you know you need your glasses to see!

Otherwise you wouldn’t have to get so close to read. (ha)

About a week ago, I  finished another of the Pink Paislee, Heidi Swapp album.

It comes with 2 plain wooden covers that I used glimmer mist over a screen, stamped with ink (using the fabulous stamps that come with the “Nantucket” kit) 

I just sent this up to my cousin on Cape Cod.  I had so much fun putting this one together.

This album is all about our visit this past summer.  I even glimmer mist the ribbon I found  in my Mother’s old sewing chest.  I think it was one that was used for my ponytail when I was little.  The glimmer mist made it look almost brand new!

I did make a few Christmas cards.  My inspiration was from

Keisha at “A Bit East- Coast”

and I used the paper from the Jenni Bolin Christmas line.

 

A pillow that I LOVED

and PINNED on

Pinterest got me inspired to make one of my own!

(and…for a lot less $)

Today…I was able to put together my pillow.  (with a little help from my personal Santa Elf!)

After I found some light weight blanket material (mostly b/c it was the right color (light linen).  I had picked up some felt at JoAnne’s in a darker wheat color. ( I think they were 4/$1.00) I needed just two.  Next was the metallic thread.  This was the “bulk” of the cost for this project.  $2.49 for each spool.  Everything else I had.  So the total cost for me was about $3.00!

Next, I needed to have a circle to place all of the leaves.  I used a pie plate.  Perfect size!

I used the photo from “pinterest” to guide me for the leaf template, the colors and general size.

I traced the leaf shape…after getting the right size (note the cut outs I made on my pinterest photo.  You’ll need about 90 leaves.  Not too bad cutting them all out.  Just make sure you scissors are sharp!

Next, glue the leaves down to the light color fabric. (I used “Aleene’s original Tacky Glue”)   I measured the pillow size (after) I glued down all of the leaves.  I know…I know it’s a bit backwards but I wasn’t sure how the leaves would make the wreath…look. (does that make sense?)  I did kind of rough it in before I cut the 18” (sort of ) square. 

Next…stitching the leaves down with the pretty metallic thread!

Cool!

(Silly Elf!) 

Now…it was time to sew the plain material to the front. 

 

Stuff the pillow!

I sewed the last seam by hand using the blind stitch.

Glued on the cute little pom-poms and…

DONE!

  

I think “somebody” is getting a little sleepy!

It’s hard work for all the little elves this time of year!

 

Merry Christmas.   I think I’ll take my “new” pillow and my sleepy Elf to bed now!