Duck Tour

Got to hang with my eldest prior to his 3rd deployment to Iraq, and met his GF, Jill. So we met at the airport and headed on out to have fun. We decided that the duck tour would be the quickest and most fun to get around the city.

And it was fun, informative, and a wild ride through the city.

And it goes in the water.

I love history. It was so cool to hang where the patriots hung. (We didn't get to Paul Revere's church though. Too much construction/destruction lol! The buildings were awesome and stately. And all were OLD. Which was totally cool.

And of course, Cheers. We blew by the original, and ate at the one in the commons. It was de-lish.

So we have BG Periphery. *gasp* I know flash from the past. Tim Holtz grungeboard, MM paint, AC brads. SBEtc template #114. There's a gap (where the swirl resides) because I couldn't find the perfect photo to go there.

The ravages of time.....

I have watched this house erode, decay and generally fall apart over the past 13 years. Its totallya cool look with the color, the texture, the rusticness (I love rustic), but is so sad in a way.

I love shotgun shacks and this one is located near a field that at one time harvested produce. While it felt abandoned and forlorn, not to mention haunted with the trees, it is now so stark. Road work was being done.

Evidently, the trees had to go.

Its also evident I learned how to take better pictures.

go me. :)

Got some action happening. Finally....

I just couldn't make a decision. And you know how decisive I can be. Snort. Seriously.

So I went to page maps and found a sketch I liked in May. AND.....wa-la. Not exact, but it got the ole juices flowing.

Right now I'm whining in my head. I love my mac, I adore my mac, but the ONE THING I miss from windows, in windows explorer are the print templates. I like having different size photos and it was sooooooooooooooooooooo EASY with that. I am struggling to find something comprable for mac. Ideas would so be welcome.

Anyway, the pix showed up in a lone post earlier. (Sorry for being redundant LOL). I used bazzill, 7 gypsies, theresa collins transparency, noteworthy, janna wilson designer labels, qk ck typist, and misc. ribbon, imaginesce brads.

Went to a card class last night and....

had a blast with Mitzi at Treasured Memories, Scrapbooks and more. I had bought this product called Flower soft intending to use it on an album. Well......can we say it looked stupid????? lmao... it totally did.

So ......I don't normally do cards. BUT, I wanted to learn. So with 5 other awesome ladies, we put these together. AND bonus round.....doesn't look stupid. It just adds that extra punch of color and dimension. So like, how cool is that.

Portsmouth, NH - Another 2 pager...

*gasp*faint*thud* holy guacamoli batman.

I know. This lo really has been taunting me. I didn't feel well so I just moved stuff around and it kind of irritated me because my posting streak ended. I was on a roll baby.

Portsmouth is a neat little town, crazy streets, the fishery and a beautiful park with flowers and arts. Loved it. Got to hang with my eldest. Loved that too. And his gf - where we had dueling cameras going on.

So it just sort of evolved. I normally do NOT do 2 pagers. Why? I find the whole balance thing illogical - to me. However, I had pix. And although a mini would've been fun, and I do love minis, I felt the need for conquering. lol!!!

So we have some bazzil and pink paisley going on, colorbok flower, office depot tags, mme, prima butterfly (prima had to be there somewhere lol) paperbilities clock - i neeeeed more of those, 7 g's pp & spinner, magic mesh, grungeboard - with GLIMMERMIST - I KNOW I pulled out all the stops there. lmao.... Anyone remember ginger alpha in QK???? Love funky fonts.

No mojo lurking yesterday either, so again today

I'll be dazzling you with my photo prowess yet again. LOL! Mostly its just to amuse myself. This is Ft. McClary Maine. Set to defend a harbor that has not ONE but TWO lighthouses. I love lighthouses. I adore lighthouses. And now that I remember that, and found this, MAYBE a layout will come about. I actually have an album full of lighthouses. Some taken from our sailing travels, some happened to be at destinations.
I had never been to Maine before and this was right over the line. And its beautiful.
Did you notice that sailboat around both lighthouses? I paid him, and it was worth it. lol! hmm....maybe after physical therapy today - you'll see these puppies actually scrapped. ohhhh!!!

Since my mojo is still MIA....

I was hanging in iphoto and (switched to aperature, because in iphoto my pix disappeared. I have to look that up and see what happened) started playing around with this photo. Somewhere there is a bridge in Boston, MA that we went under during the duck tour. The duck tour was a blast.

This is the original........and after playing with some buttons (I love buttons)...........................This is after button playing. Especially saturation, definition and highlights and shadows. The oxydation rocks.
I find this pix very artistic and something I would've dismissed prior to playing around (who knew). This'll be pretty cool framed. In fact, I should keep a folder of pix to use when I have my "show". SNORT. GUFFAW.....LMAO.....

Hopefully it made someone's day.

Well it appears that my mojo

has left me as vacant as this train bench. LOL!! I snapped this photo from the bench on the other side waiting on the green train to get back to Fashion Valley Mall. Isn't there just something cool about a bench in b&w.

I just missed the train.

I love the train.

It allowed a lot of freedom to come and go.

I had a blast. The people are fun.

You can take the train all the way to border. I didn't do that. It's a long ride. I may do that next time. I'm gonna plow throw my photos and see what "speaks" to me.

Back to my Roots.....

As I've pointed out before, This journal has turned evergreen. As information pops in or I find photos that either were previous hidden, family members share, or couldn't figure out what to do with them before, I return to the scene of the crime and attempt to add them in.

That's what the journal looked like ------------->

I used My Mind's Eye, Paint - tried to keep it from being REAL lumpy. I have torn it apart and it now resides in a 3 ring binder. I'm trying to decide if I now indeed need to revamp the entire book.

Help Me!

This s a great photo. And an original. On that page is also my Aunt Florence's handwriting telling WHO is there. Its a way better photo of my great grandfather - Pappy. And HE is the one I found more material on, although some can't be confirmed but the data matches. Who knew?

I also found a photo of Pappy's grandson. Named for him. Stanley.

Good looking dude too. There are alot of blanks

that I'm sure will be filled in.

Since I don't have anymore MME. I just wasn't thinking ahead. I bit the bullet and used some Crate Paper. I have decided that what I use isn't as important as just getting the information in there right now. I'm not real happy with these. I'm not. So being the decisive person I am. I'm still waffling about this. (Comments welcome-honesty a plus-really).

As I alluded to earlier A TOTAL REVAMP may be in order. YIKES.

Sorry dad.............He is all about mom

I absolutely adore the photo of Owen looking at this mom. Its such a look of complete love and adoration and he's paying no attention to dad taking the photo. When he's sitting with dad, mom's behind the camera.

NO offense to dad, I know Owen totally loves them both, but there's just something about mom's and little boys.

It's special.

Basic Grey *gasp* I know, broke away from CC lol!!! QK tree, prima leaves, michael's bling, noteworthy, ek bookworms, mm definitions.

Hanging at Grammy's - Just the two of us....

I had the best time. Just me and Connor. He's soooo sweet and loving. Neither one of us felt good that day, so we just cuddled together, watched TV and napped.

And when he hugged me, ohmymy my heart just melted. And he sooooooo looks like his daddy that I feel its de ja vu all over again.

So Cosmo Cricket and 6x 12 strikes again. It just sort of happened. lol! All the way. Except for the American craft brads. I have a ton of them.

Secrets of Roots......

As some of you may know, I have a Roots journal that I've been working on for the past 7-8 years.

I thought it was done. Silly me.

This project has turned evergreen because ancestry.com just keeps on keeping on. Spewing information which now has me drilling on down to Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, in-laws and outlaws. For sure. I'm now using a 3 ring binder. Sheesh!

Everyone but us knew the story of my mom's adoption. But us. We all KNEW she was adopted and she didn't find out til she was in her 30's. After everyone passed on. We discovered that my Gram's sister Sarah, became PG out-of-wedlock, and gave mom to my Gram who couldn't have any children. The adoption papers which we poured OVER a bazzilion times, didn't NOTICE the name on it - till it was time is in the envelope. The flourish is kind of symbolic flowing from the birth mother to the adopted mother with MOM in between. Even though mom looks like her birth mom, I can only point out with predudice that she takes after her adopted mom. (I didn't know the birth mom). She was personable, funny and what I term "a people collector."

I went to the Raisley family reunion in order to find more information. Sarah had married Raymond Raisley. I met Gram's side of the family I never knew except in passing and I must say they wholeheartedly embraced me. Very cool. They gifted me with several photos of Sarah, and some stories. We're friended on facebook and exchanged emails, phone numbers and keep in touch. Love that.

Small world - When my parents bought their first house, we lived A BLOCK from Sarah (mom's birth mother) and never a word was said.

I used Cosmo Cricket AGAIN. When I get on a roll I flippin' roll. LMAO....I don't know the envelope - it came in either my Kenner Rd kit or Bad Girls (either one rocks). Bazzill, QK flourish & holiday alphas, EK alpha stamps, Melissa Francis tag, Michael's bling and ribbon, and Prima, BG doily.

Journaling: Out of circumstance, came a blessing for my Gram. Sarah, Gram's youngest sister was pregnant out of wedlock. The blessing came when Sarah gave the baby to my Gram. There was no bond except the secret between Sarah and Mae. We knew mom was adopted. The who was revealed when both had passed on.

A boy and his dog.....

This is such a cheeky photo of O and I adore it. (my favorite SIL took the shot). You can tell from the body language of dog and boy that they adore each other. And they do.

From the moment O was born.

Nikki Silvis ALL the way here. And as you KNOW I ADORE die cut shapes. And hit the motherload here. I did pop off the circle since the colors were so close. And the birds are fun. Not much else needed. LOVE that.

Life is too short for traffic...............

Ain't that the truth. Yet the roads are full - especially during season. Which is heerrreee!! Sigh.

Here's my handsome favorite youngest son with his first vehicle. A.TRUCK. Lord help us. Really. He neeeeeds your prayers. (Who doesn't).

He only needs to complete a few deets like:

get his GED

get a job

get insurance

get gas money

Which'll all work out if #1 & 2 is accomplished. Not necessarily in that order.

I didn't mean to print a b&w. It popped out of my printer that way I swear. I LOVE 6x12 and didn't exactly TRY to do that size either.

I'm so hooked on this size AND die cut shapes.

Cosmo Cricket joy ride says it all. Another no brainer. I am ROLLING.....*swooning*

Gathering *E* Shells

Its kinda nice to have a "hot" lo when its chilly out. lol!!! And none better than my busy Owen who goes non stop at the beach. I also have photos of him at the shore. Snort.

No need for chatty with this Webster beauty. I'm mean really. I came across this paper as I was doing another LO and felt compelled to do a layout. SO that's 2 lo's in a day. bwahahaha! Whatta way to start out the new year. AND......

This has to go down as one of the EASIEST one that I've done. I matted a photo, slapped on a title and a bit of embellishment, and a tad of journaling and wa-la.

The paper did and said it all. And Owen too - oh baby baby!

Gasp*Faint*Thud

Not only did I find the mojo to scrap.

I DID A 2 PAGER!

It has been YEARS since I've done a 2 pager and that was because it was a challenge in a contest.

Using Ali Edwards' guilt free Christmas card tossing for the 4th year.

We received a lot of cards this year.

The point is to include something from every card. Some are cool they have tiny lil pix on the back so that works. I really wanted a 3x3 square punch (anyone know of any?) however, I ended up using a trimmer (doh!). And if I thought the shape was cool. I cut that out. And circle punches. NO rhyme. NO reason. NO RULES. And I added a pocket this year because I got a lot of cards with pictures on them. It was easier to pocket them or seriously it would've been out of control.

So bazzill, cosmo cricket - OLD cosmo YUM! AND some bling and found some cosmo tags and do-dads. woo hoo!!! A 2 PAGER. GO FIGURE.