tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71633999883560918292024-02-20T22:11:58.994-05:00Beeps 'n RaysBeepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.comBlogger388125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-81051600988159590962012-07-10T21:51:00.002-04:002012-07-10T21:54:49.680-04:00Summer has been GOOD to me so far<ol>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">The Brazilians came to visit and hubby was happy with his best friend in town.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Vacation down at the Gulf of Mexico... ooh yeah!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Seeing our Floridian friends twice (count 'em, TWICE) in the span of 30 days.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Shopping spree at the outlets</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">A short-lived power outage during the <i>derecho</i>, but an extended weekend stay at my parents!</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Baby shower for my little sister</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Bridal preparations with my dear friend B</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Unveiling hubby's citizenship video</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">Indulging in all three 'Fifty Shades of Grey'</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: black; color: #eeeeee;">A pint of ice cream in my lap and my favorite show on TV</span></li>
</ol>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-423522102680717702012-05-16T17:35:00.001-04:002012-05-16T17:35:34.500-04:00I Conquered My Camera!Monday I took a 3-hour workshop called "Take Your Camera Off Program Mode" presented by Okello Dunkley. I've had my DSLR camera since Christmas, but every time I've ventured away from "Auto Mode," I've ended up with dark or blurry pictures. About a month ago I saw this workshop offered through Living Social, so I decided to give it a try. Afterall, the price was right...<br />
<br />
It was SO worth my while! Okello went through the basics: ISO, aperture (F-number), and shutterspeed. It was just what I needed to feel like I know the mechanics of leaving "Auto Mode" behind and forging ahead into the world of Aperture Priority and Manual (oooh... shivers down my spine!). Anyway, I felt so empowered that I stopped at the park after school yesterday and tried my hand at capturing the beautiful clouds while not losing the brilliance of the trees below. No edits! What do you think? Not bad for a first try... right?<br />
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<br />Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-17825972445577750862012-04-24T20:00:00.002-04:002012-04-24T20:00:52.252-04:0010 for Tuesday: Anticipation<i>Thanks to a little inspiration from Jackpot, here's my 10 for Tuesday:</i><br />
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<ol>
<li>My new bathing suits were waiting at my door when I got home. Now if only it was time to fly to the Gulf already!</li>
<li>I took a break from Mary Kay this month, but she's sending me little signs that it's time to get busy again. Watch out, May!</li>
<li>Hubby and I have plans to re-stain our balcony, and as soon as we do I'll be able to buy my summer flowers and plant, plant, plant!</li>
<li>I can't wait to see my Goddaughter this week! She's 15 months and changing every day. (I'm looking forward to seeing her momma, too).</li>
<li>A fresh pedicure and my cute little toes wiggling in the warm sun. It's almost time for sandals and flip-flops!</li>
<li>This book I'm reading is HOT. The next few chapters will be fun...</li>
<li>This weekend I'm going to get in some girl-time with my sister-in-law AND catch up on my digital scrapbooking. Yay!</li>
<li>For the next two days I have to work, but not at school. I always love a break from routine and a chance to catch up with my friends who work in other buildings.</li>
<li>Dinner will be delish... we're repeating a recipe that we tried last month for the first time: chicken stuffed with roasted red peppers and feta cheese. Simply scrumptious.</li>
<li>Going to bed early and catching up on those elusive Zzz's...</li>
</ol>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-18314300847760990162012-04-16T20:10:00.000-04:002012-04-16T20:10:34.749-04:00Brazilian BuddiesHubby and I hosted our dear friends Lin and Yoko. Lin is actually the guy who introduced B and I all those years ago at that Snoop Dogg concert! We loved having them with us for 3 short days, and we crammed in as many local activities as possible.<br />
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<b>FRIDAY</b><br />
Chaps Pit Beef<br />
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A Quick Tour of the Inner Harbor<br />
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Drinks in Fells Point with Eizzil and her hubby<br />
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<b>SATURDAY</b><br />
Six Flags (and <i>yes</i> I actually went on 3 of the roller coasters!)<br />
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Red Robin followed by the Cheesecake Factory<br />
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<b>SUNDAY</b><br />
A Walking Tour of DC<br />
<i>(including the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Capitol, the American History Smithsonian, and the Butterfly Garden)</i><br />
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</div>Pizza at Ledo's<br />
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Lin! Yoko! When are you coming back?!Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-31368359399914357532012-04-09T18:42:00.001-04:002012-04-09T18:44:32.920-04:00Custom CurtainsWoohoo! Take a look at our sun room before the curtains...<br />
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...and after! The fabric is perfect and my crew of workers couldn't have been better! My mom and I sewed for a day and a half straight (it was a LOT of fabric to deal with) and then my hubby and dad hung the curtains for me today. Aren't they cute?!<br />
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Picture perfect!<br />
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I got the original idea from a page that I ripped out of Good Housekeeping. I loved the bold print and Roman shades--and I already had the red couch--so I decided to copy cat. The result is just lovely! Whimsical, light, and airy, just like this room should be. I would be remiss if I didn't also mention that I followed a <a href="http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/2009/06/fixed-flat-fold-roman-shade/">tutorial </a>for the faux Roman shade.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqOQ7idXC2JhbwIiHCzPXGydLPsM0PDxIePKMcnuR-cRf6L7jt-_3e8y7yx2Lzt3CwqioIkNmGIAeSZLS95WJ99AVOjgEiCOzQHapyvWIIsXwchM2WIhsJKX2EMpQDYXDPGyJfqxjZuGP/s1600/DSC_0511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUqOQ7idXC2JhbwIiHCzPXGydLPsM0PDxIePKMcnuR-cRf6L7jt-_3e8y7yx2Lzt3CwqioIkNmGIAeSZLS95WJ99AVOjgEiCOzQHapyvWIIsXwchM2WIhsJKX2EMpQDYXDPGyJfqxjZuGP/s320/DSC_0511.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-48732345984276238662012-03-23T09:58:00.000-04:002012-03-23T09:58:04.073-04:00Reclaim Your Free Time!"Culturally, there's now a vision of work without end as the central focus of one's existence--but leisure is a crucial part of the American Dream."<br />
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These words really spoke to me this morning as I lay in bed, about to get up and start my day. Today's plan was to include a complete overhaul (ie: Spring cleaning) of my house. I still intend to take advantage of this day to whip things into shape, but first I'm taking a moment to blog and do something that I enjoy.<br />
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"To reclaim our free time--and enjoy it--'shifting our standards is critical... our expectations that we can get everything done are totally out of sync with our lives.' <u>We would be happier if we prioritized time for ourselves</u>, thereby allowing ourselves to tackle our responsibilities later in a better frame of mind. In our survey, women who set aside free time on a regular basis even though they had not finished all their chores were happier, more cheerful, and more optimistic."Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-55942063582353107402012-03-22T22:54:00.001-04:002012-03-22T22:58:21.850-04:00Dangerously DeliciousToday I discovered an amazing new taste sensation... Girl Scout Trefoil cookies + Trader Joe's mango butter. Yum! I ate an embarrassingly large quantity of these today when I got home from work. Oops!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">PS: I just realized that this month marks my THIRD ANNIVERSARY of blogging. I have to admit, I was completely shocked by this, and had to go back to reread my first post and verify that it really was written 3 years ago. Where did the time go?!</div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-86376560144129150152012-03-20T20:36:00.000-04:002012-03-20T20:36:42.637-04:00Fabulous FlowersSo this might just be my <b>most</b> favorite time of year because of all the flowering trees. Yesterday I got out and had some fun with my new camera!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16osDxQ6rMLSWk3ZQl_rBZnrJLuvH5H_o-tOhhDFrlVlBnZLihYOTFCyJLLqnf3lND86VSNmFNkg4xO-2Tzxqbk9iNuF7jTrvQxUFTozrPZd2tx9UJenBD1cRLEKKfbsaSEix1KytXOnu/s1600/DSC_0483.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh16osDxQ6rMLSWk3ZQl_rBZnrJLuvH5H_o-tOhhDFrlVlBnZLihYOTFCyJLLqnf3lND86VSNmFNkg4xO-2Tzxqbk9iNuF7jTrvQxUFTozrPZd2tx9UJenBD1cRLEKKfbsaSEix1KytXOnu/s320/DSC_0483.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-89846430959972452012-03-04T20:29:00.001-05:002012-03-04T20:30:06.650-05:00Good WeekendI'm happy to report, that I've had a good weekend. I worked hard at my Mary Kay business and as a result got to spend lots of time with good friends. My in-laws are still here visiting, so we went shopping together. And the icing on the cake was a delicious brunch at my favorite Sunday local: Annie's. Many people from my dad's side of the family were there for our annual family get-together. Twenty-one in all. That was pretty darn good for the B family!<br />
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It's now 8:30 pm, I'm sitting around the TV with my hubby and in-laws catching up on high-lights from the Oscars, and listening to LOTS of Portuguese. Nice and relaxing, but maybe it's time to turn in early? I have a new book on my Kindle that I'm ready to start...<br />
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Good night to you all!Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-43130620374659483982012-02-09T22:01:00.000-05:002012-02-09T22:01:50.813-05:00Thankful ThursdayTonight has turned out to be an incredible evening because of some lovely ladies in my life. About a month ago I decided to start my own Mary Kay business, and so each week I have a training meeting. And these meetings offer so much more than just training. Motivation. Support. Hugs and smiles. Encouragement. Suggestions. Supplies. Even though I only just now got home (notice, it's nearly 10pm), I am feeling more energized than ever. The neat thing is that the more time I spend in this company (of women), the more I feel the positive energy rubbing off on me. What a blessing!Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-74992915433008320452012-02-07T22:24:00.000-05:002012-02-07T22:24:07.964-05:00Knock, knock...Who's there?!<br />
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So I guess I missed my chance to blog about all things January 2012. Suffice it to say I was B-U-S-Y, mostly because I started my own business. I am excited to share that I am now a Mary Kay consultant! Have any of you ever sold MK before? Just wondering...<br />
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Several of my friends have nudged me to get back on here and blog. This is a short one to say the least, but it's late! It past my bedtime, and I should be asleep already. I'll just leave you with one little picture of my current sewing project.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5MD_hC68lSnUJzkgOGWxoGFuK_clxXZWOCWxeFl2ZSd8pby-111dmmKnCHeXszJv9oiRjzYuFZPQJRrz9K5r8Zw6xlNqQohqr5JcnPz_Qou0CvwO7-JtVh4sHoMjfK0f1ldoTAmWaS1m/s1600/DSC_0440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-5MD_hC68lSnUJzkgOGWxoGFuK_clxXZWOCWxeFl2ZSd8pby-111dmmKnCHeXszJv9oiRjzYuFZPQJRrz9K5r8Zw6xlNqQohqr5JcnPz_Qou0CvwO7-JtVh4sHoMjfK0f1ldoTAmWaS1m/s320/DSC_0440.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-31954211476143738762012-01-02T16:40:00.000-05:002012-01-02T16:40:30.375-05:00Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!What a year it's been! I waved goodbye to my twenties, took some amazing trips with my hubby, finished a quilt that I'm very proud of, watched my little sister get married, got a promotion at work, and received a dSLR camera from Santa. Each of these blessings has come with challenges, but I feel like I've learned a lot and come out the better for them. It's funny, but I feel like it took turning 30 to finally get to know myself. Maybe wisdom really does come with age?! I know that I'm blessed to have a hubby as supportive and loving as B, as well as friends and family to balance my life. I just wouldn't be "me" if it weren't for all of you!<br />
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Here's to a happy, healthy new year for you and yours!<br />
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Cheers!!Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-48970761657589922322012-01-02T16:38:00.000-05:002012-01-02T16:38:33.062-05:00A Cold Hour OutsideA cold front is on its way in, and it's blustery outside! But the sky was so pretty, I braved the weather so that I could play with my camera a bit. I was going to post just <i>one </i>picture, so as not to bore/overwhelm you, but I couldn't quite narrow it down to just one. Considering how many I took, though, five isn't so bad. My favorite is first...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyOqf-SgV7D7MdLpF1JVTIJFKHk0RgeM8r0UM8pv8aMYEvqMSjluuiW_fm3eIWRtNhVSyzNHN3fbsowop-bK6OZQBcNh1sIK0eBcy72xhr2-UagnLkHNO_u7XTPQCNK9Ffexu8Fmriyqy/s1600/170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmyOqf-SgV7D7MdLpF1JVTIJFKHk0RgeM8r0UM8pv8aMYEvqMSjluuiW_fm3eIWRtNhVSyzNHN3fbsowop-bK6OZQBcNh1sIK0eBcy72xhr2-UagnLkHNO_u7XTPQCNK9Ffexu8Fmriyqy/s320/170.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-13535327482746065322011-12-30T09:01:00.000-05:002011-12-30T09:01:06.406-05:00Pinterest giggle...The English teacher in me just LOVES this one. I couldn't help but chuckle, and then jump right over here to share it with you. Maybe you'll giggle, too!<div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMqSjNlNi3Q/Tv3D_O7hz3I/AAAAAAAAC74/awMi8TgKofw/s1600/eat+grandpa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BMqSjNlNi3Q/Tv3D_O7hz3I/AAAAAAAAC74/awMi8TgKofw/s320/eat+grandpa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-80617980946907543772011-12-29T11:58:00.000-05:002011-12-29T11:58:07.618-05:00Camera StrapI made a camera strap for both my sister and Jackpot's birthdays, and they came out so cute! I loved that the <a href="http://littlebiggirlstudio.blogspot.com/2010/08/tutorial-camera-strap-cover-with-lens.html">tutorial </a>I followed included a pocket for the lens cap. Unfortunately, my sister's lens cap did not fit in the pocket, so hers was a bust.<br />
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Since my sister's lens cap was too big, I decided to tweak the original tutorial a bit in order to eliminate the pocket altogether because I didn't want the strap to be any wider than it already was. My version came up a bit short (literally) but I think I know what to do for the next one. I decided to keep my "guinea pig" version, so now I feel ready to try my hand at yet one more for my sister.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lv_dDisJPwc/TvycD-pMpII/AAAAAAAAC7s/KPofs3FE0Oc/s1600/CIMG4659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lv_dDisJPwc/TvycD-pMpII/AAAAAAAAC7s/KPofs3FE0Oc/s320/CIMG4659.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-17072954290554339882011-12-27T23:49:00.002-05:002011-12-27T23:57:38.183-05:00Walters Art MuseumMMC took me to an art museum today to play with my new camera. I was literally giddy with glee. She caught me giggling when I took the one below. Look at the cab in the center of the circle!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-6214761624422041112011-12-26T19:03:00.001-05:002011-12-27T10:13:06.739-05:00I got a cam-ra,I got a cam-ra, I got a cam-ra, hey, hey, hey, HEY! (*sung to the tune of "<a href="http://youtu.be/pRMbdU0u0PQ">I got a dollar</a>" from the <i>Little Rascals</i> movie that came out a million years ago).<br />
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Here are some of my first pics, which I took during a walk around my neighborhood yesterday. I was so excited!<br />
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<i>That poor bird nest is sideways and hanging on by a thread!</i><br />
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<i>The contrast of colors just 'makes' this photo. It wouldn't have been the same without the blue sky.</i><br />
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<i>This photographer's first self-portrait.</i><br />
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<i>Texture, texture, texture!</i><br />
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<i>I took a picture of this same branch from two different directions. The lighting in this one was so much prettier.</i><br />
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<i>I just love all the little white butts in the lake. You can tell they were completely UN-interested in me.</i><br />
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<i>The way the light was coming through the grass was just lovely.</i><br />
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<i>Something green! Lines! Shadow!</i><br />
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<i>Does anyone know what kind of bird this is?</i><br />
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<i>Hubby really liked this one, so I included it here.</i><br />
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<i>Like, totally, frickin' amazing. I love my new camera!</i><br />
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<i>Neat.</i><br />
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<i>Such warmth. The monotone color is fun, too.</i><br />
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<i>I was having fun with this arrow on the street. Can you tell?</i><br />
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<i>I was really taken with the colors on this bark.</i><br />
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<i>If you made it this far in my post, I hope you enjoyed. I had so much fun on my walk yesterday! </i>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-79475311523579060542011-12-25T18:33:00.001-05:002011-12-25T18:40:21.180-05:00A Thank-you QuiltSeveral months ago, one of my mother's friends generously offered to refinish a table that she was giving to B and me. Since then, I had been planning on making something for him as a thank you. I finally decided upon a strip quilt, which I thought he would be able to use since he has two, very young granddaughters. In order to get it together a little faster than normal, I decided to sew around the edges inside-out and then flip the quilt right-side out through a small opening that I left. I ironed around the edges and then top-stitched to give it an edge. This was certainly much faster than bias tape, but it really complicated the quilting process because it didn't allow me to stretch and baste the pieces of the sandwich together. As a result, many of my quilted lines puckered near the edge where I had top-stitched. Of course, these were really just minor imperfections that disappeared after the first washing/drying.<br />
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All of the fabric that I used came from my cousin who donated so many beautiful prints. I enjoyed going through them and figuring out the order for the strips. For the back I ended up using a perky green print with bold flowers. The colors were perfect with the citrus colors on the front.<br />
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In the end, the recipient was so pleased with the quilt and used it just a few days later to tuck his granddaughter in for a nap. Great success!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYTkoSU3aig/TvewutHYb9I/AAAAAAAAC3Q/xBl_685CNx4/s1600/CIMG4604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sYTkoSU3aig/TvewutHYb9I/AAAAAAAAC3Q/xBl_685CNx4/s320/CIMG4604.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-27630942310140159772011-11-28T18:01:00.002-05:002011-11-28T18:08:38.826-05:00This Year's Tree OrnamentI got this bullfinch (birdie) pattern <a href="http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2011/01/easy-little-bullfinch-pattern-from-kajsa-of-syko-scandinavian-stitches/">here</a> and decided to use whatever scraps I had lying about. So instead of black, white, and red, mine are... well, you can see for yourself! I used them to decorate the wine bottles I was giving to some of my family members.<br />
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I've been working on other sewing projects, too... but I have to keep those under wraps (pun <i>IN-</i>tended) until after Christmas.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfg47tT4CramVr_zNxjQgFJ9CClc0dj9MSm09iKlkWd3BFPIjIWPJ5tuHaCD8IDmfB4ngwHKO9ajByhVC-_jy7SatK_NsAwt5-p_IhORQ6ug1GKZzw111cqSOr8YKneyK3weQ_iSXJ4ui/s1600/CIMG4594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfg47tT4CramVr_zNxjQgFJ9CClc0dj9MSm09iKlkWd3BFPIjIWPJ5tuHaCD8IDmfB4ngwHKO9ajByhVC-_jy7SatK_NsAwt5-p_IhORQ6ug1GKZzw111cqSOr8YKneyK3weQ_iSXJ4ui/s320/CIMG4594.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-78513812775674336252011-11-23T22:48:00.000-05:002011-11-23T22:48:19.233-05:00Stuffed Elephant (cute!)Today I got inspired to sew something for a friend's up-coming baby shower. After a little nudging from MMC (thanks for sharing the pattern) I embarked upon the stuffed elephant from Retro Mama on Etsy. I made the elephant out of soft flannel and embroidered its eyes--my first time doing a satin stitch. The elephant alone didn't quite seem like a complete gift, so I added some coordinating burp rags. I'm happy with the finished product, and I hope the mommy-to-be is, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_Znx9DCpehdgkwcPDL_qYpJvwc-_wWcvtegwI_A7JaFt6OxJxbyeOYuZXHwfNG5KXc1V6MvaWrmnHW1TD-wvbLviZ5DwQSZrLjGILXqOfnePKdSx6dqY-c9kiMnbip1JXsyvRvkfWTAD/s1600/Elephant+and+diapers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_Znx9DCpehdgkwcPDL_qYpJvwc-_wWcvtegwI_A7JaFt6OxJxbyeOYuZXHwfNG5KXc1V6MvaWrmnHW1TD-wvbLviZ5DwQSZrLjGILXqOfnePKdSx6dqY-c9kiMnbip1JXsyvRvkfWTAD/s320/Elephant+and+diapers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-36950158069936702832011-11-14T20:58:00.002-05:002011-11-14T20:58:24.017-05:00Crunch, crunch, crunch!Yeah, I went out of my way to walk through a pile of particularly crunchy leaves today. Hehe!Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-47329245219705969492011-11-13T11:47:00.000-05:002011-11-13T11:47:57.267-05:00Grandpa's CraftYesterday I drove home to visit my mom, Grandma, and Grandpa. They were together at a Christmas Bazaar selling Grandpa's wooden wares (bowls are his specialty). I came home with a set of gorgeous napkin rings Grandpa turned. I love that although they're all made of walnut, none of them match. They make me want to start using fabric napkins with every meal!<br />
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Since I had my camera with me, I couldn't help but stop along the way to snap a picture of the fiery Autumn trees lining the street. Stunning!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkBbm0atzDJdxsRymGh8y-L6QNKeCLdahY0pOEMy723L_ftWop0iiM5OELxVaRMODlBVeUrNd1imOC6WnZD_liPxzSJnTMfb5_vXaXvnAdXaO-sKwK3X3OLdmPjLltrSYOaRdhG0yPJHP/s1600/CIMG4559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXkBbm0atzDJdxsRymGh8y-L6QNKeCLdahY0pOEMy723L_ftWop0iiM5OELxVaRMODlBVeUrNd1imOC6WnZD_liPxzSJnTMfb5_vXaXvnAdXaO-sKwK3X3OLdmPjLltrSYOaRdhG0yPJHP/s320/CIMG4559.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-86664340057508376872011-10-24T19:05:00.001-04:002011-10-24T21:03:25.819-04:00Jackpot is FamousRemember this serious sewer?<br />
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Well let me just show you how awesome she is. She's being featured on a blog as this week's "self-taught sewer." Check out her <a href="http://oneelevenone.blogspot.com/2011/10/self-taught-sewer-spotlight-shanea-from.html">interview</a> at One Eleven. I'm so proud of her!!!Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-80971775118002174872011-10-23T13:28:00.001-04:002011-10-23T13:29:36.732-04:00Hakuna MatataWe're back from seeing The Lion King on Broadway. AMAZING! We had such a great trip.<br />
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We took a bus to NYC and checked into our 4-star hotel, The Kitano, right on Park Avenue.<br />
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We had just enough time to freshen up before heading out for our dinner reservation at Joe Allen's. We started with fried calimari and a yummy Malbec. Bruno ordered a steak, and I had shrimp-pesto pasta. Delicious! After dinner we wandered around Times Square a bit before heading to the theater.<br />
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For the show, we sat in row K, 11 rows from the stage and just two seats from the aisle, which was perfect since animals walked down the aisle multiple times throughout the show. One of the coolest things was a life-sized elephant (I think there were four people working the puppet: one in each leg), but my favorite were the giraffes! Bruno loved the rippling sun that looked like it was really rising over the African savannah. There were bird kites that flew above our heads and a stampede of animals that rushed down the stage. The singing and music was so moving, they nearly brought me to tears several times. The show was truly everything I had hoped for.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUf-F_oUchyphenhyphentmrPY5-Wzw0IYL1q1ACEF2Zj40-IJePzVN_p5mjWCOe-2RjPFe-kXchyYDGAAV6MjQ38_WQYez_sPgEEYxieiQX1fUa3f4q5xIiiY_4sfB2whkdQ_0VqH67WRw9zvjOjogM/s1600/nalasimba.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUf-F_oUchyphenhyphentmrPY5-Wzw0IYL1q1ACEF2Zj40-IJePzVN_p5mjWCOe-2RjPFe-kXchyYDGAAV6MjQ38_WQYez_sPgEEYxieiQX1fUa3f4q5xIiiY_4sfB2whkdQ_0VqH67WRw9zvjOjogM/s320/nalasimba.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163399988356091829.post-1401970454993410572011-10-20T19:23:00.003-04:002011-10-20T19:24:54.899-04:00The Good Stuff<ol><li>National Writing Day was a blast! I loved sharing with my kiddies</li>
<li>Getting re-inspired to record "things that speak to me" in my Olmert notebook</li>
<li>Shopping for fabric. Jackpot and I bought the makings for 2 quilts that our sewing club will donate</li>
<li>Hearing that little N wondered where "Auntie C" was today after school</li>
<li>A good work-out at the gym</li>
<li>A long, hot shower (no need to rush because of work)</li>
<li>Planning my NYC outfits: dresses everyday!</li>
<li>Looking forward to seeing The Lion King on Broadway... check that off the bucket list</li>
<li>The house to myself for a while</li>
<li>Papa John's for dinner with hubby</li>
</ol>Beepshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16953831181535024289noreply@blogger.com1