It's going to be a pool day

with friends and a duck.

The duck keeps tabs on the temperature of the pool.

That noodle is for bobbing and its mine.

And I don't share.

Raise your hand if you love to bob.

Bobbing is relaxing.

We'll also be grilling and picnicing.

Awesome  wildlife day!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this month's Studio Calico kit!

Marks & Co.

Usually I spread the kit out and inhale it all in.

Then I commence to fondling and caressing each piece.

Several times.

This time I pulled out each piece one-at-a-time.

Gazed fondly on it.

And commenced to scrapping.

Whoooo - Wheeeee

Found the perfect papers from the kit to highlight

Miss Amelia.

Actually the papers, sequins, and stars are from this month's kit.

The rest except for the doily, pinwheel and basic grey chipboard alphas came from

Studio Calico older kits and some I ordered from the store.

And the little bird tucked in there.

SC all the way and I need to get more!

I tried to match the "girl" to the everyday (you know b&w).

April says its kind of whimsical.

I can do whimsey.

And I'm working on more.

Girl with a parasol

I have done this photo many times; adding into my heritage pages, a comparison page, and my roots album.

However, this is the original.

Sitting in the way-back box was doing it no good so it was time to do it again and get it protected before it just falls apart.

Which would annoy the snot out of me.

I love the paper. Could be a Studio Calico kit paper as its designed by Josephine Kimberling and I have some really cool diecuts from her that I had ordered from SC that I am using on another page, so I'll assume it came in a kit, because honestly I would have never bought that on my own. And what a shame that would've been. I love it. I have to tell you though, it did sit around with the photo on it for about a week before I actually committed.

Everything in its time.

Of course there's no date on the photo, so I'm guessing that my Gram was about 16-17? maybe. So that makes it about 1924. I love the dress and then the parasol accessory. Who knew Gram could be a fashion statement. Actually I did. She did keep up on fashion and I can't tell you how many times she would inform me that this or that style was "all the go."

The stamps and cancellation actually came from my Grandpop's collection of stamps, cancellations and envelopes, so it was cool to add to her page. The bits of paper are basic grey and authentique, with some magic mesh, dusty attic fountain, and heart doily. Thickers and basic grey alphas. And the bird is recollections I believe and that is the last one. Woo hoo!!!

Stash has been used.

Got my new Studio Calico kit today and already jumped in - and that is unusual as I usually fondle everything for a day or three before using any of it.

I am doing a victory lap!

If you look above in the NAV bar -

 I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO PUT WORKING

TABS IN MY BLOG!!

Wooo freakin' who!

Okay so I didn't mark the link. 

BUT I can tell you what I did more or less.

In case you care.

Open design and then pages.

Click on new page - then WEB address.

When you click on WEB page you need a URL.

In another tab on my browser - I opened my blog and

did a search on the "key" or "label" word I wanted to emphasize

in my tab, i.e. ourwildlife.

On my search on the keywork wildlife looks like this.

http://murphyslaw-lynn.blogspot.com/search/label/wildlife

copy and paste that in the URL.

Save arrangement and check your blog. 

When you click on the tab all your labeled and/or key word in the blog

should appear in your new page.

I know it sounds like "blah blah blah" but it works.

GO ahead click on my tabs :)

Celebrating the 4th

I found these two photos and printed them out at the same time.

One for me and one for them.

Both pages use a mix of Authentique and My Minds' Eye. The pinwheels were handcut from the papers on MME and glued on toothpicks.

Nothing tricky on either except I used all the BG stars from my Studio Calico Kit.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the photos. The first one -- 2 siblings and they are just showing the love and telling a secret.
So not posed or cheesy.

Secrets between the two of them. Would've loved to be a fly on the grass just to know what's going on in their little minds.  Or not.

The second one is mine all mine and are the 3 together 2 siblings and a cousing. I did a Shimelle as I was running out of paper and I happened to also like the B side. So I used the polka dot as the base and cut the ledger paper up and reversed to the B side for the middle. ooooooooo I did mix up white and beige but I really like the stickers. Couldn't help but throw on some twine and the rest of the stars. I wish I had more to journal on the page but alas I'm scrappin' from afar which is better than never scrapping at all.

Good day @ the game

Jill sent me a series of photos starting with the boys walking up the steps to Fenway Field.

In fact that was what she titled that photo. And as more photos came over the phone, Jill was sending me a story.

I find that I build better pages if I have the story first.

So in my head I was like OMG! She took a photo of the field and I can blow.it.up. I got the idea from Miss Ashley over at purplemailbox but I had to find this in her 2peas gallery because I couldn't locate it on her blog, however, check her blog out because she is chockful of ideas and makes awesome pages.

Well I first had to determine if they were iphone photos and they were. And although 12x12 flitted through my head, A. I wasn't sure if the 8mp camera would blow up well and B. all the pages I do for the kidlets are 8x8.

So I decided to print out the 8x8 and OMG! (again). It printed out amazing.

Then the remaining photos I decided to use as 2x2 squares to tell the story. Of course the boys walking up the steps and the 2 of them all smiles. I have to admit I was torn because there was another one of the boys from the back looking at the field with their arms around each other.

The smiles won out.

Of course there were two of Amelia on daddy's shoulders and I did the strip a couple of times because I needed a certain order and this was the one that got in. Of course the other one had better smiles. I honestly didn't notice right away. My bad. And the last one came over black and white. My printer which was out of ink and I didn't notice right away printed them all in b&w and it was not quite what I wanted. It just didn't pop.

So I requested the color version and wa-la.

And a story was formed.

 I also used white cardstock to cover up the crowd and use for the title and additional journaling. I made myself cover up the player in the outfield because there was something else catching your eye therefore, the weight needed to be on the left. The journaling is left blank as most always is up to the parents to do and I believe I left plenty of room. And there is always the back since I backed the 8x8 photo on cardstock to stiffen it up a bit.

I am really jazzed - scrapping on a large photo. I have to admit it was hard to start.
IT IS A PHOTO FOR PETE'S SAKE.  It was the hardest part. However, once I started going it did become easier. I CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN!

Nothing better than fresh pineapple.

And its even better when you grow them yourself.

And can call them organic.

No pesticides.

At.all.

And we have 5 that have become harvestable over the last few days.

And we've been whacking them up and eating them.

So other than taking a picture of this gorgeous one. the rest

will be left up to your imagination.

I have been rooting and planting the tops for a few years.

I started with a store bought pineapple and

after you whack the top off you need

remove all the pineapple and take it down to 

the top bottom. (You'll know it when you see it).

I put them in water and get some good roots going on but

you can stick them right in the ground if you want.

They do love a morning sun.

It takes a couple years to get your first one so patience is required.

So after the first 2 years and since I have about 8 plants

we have been harvesting them almost every year.

You know when they ready when they're more or less golden and

when you touch them, the fall off the vine. (so to speak).

Our pineapples have evolved into sweet and juicy fruit that we

eat straight out of the husk with no frills.

And we have been eating at least one every other day.

YUM!