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Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Valentine’s Day always been a favorite holiday of mine, and I was especially glad to have something to celebrate something in the midst of the deep-freeze we’ve been having around here. (Not that it’s the coldest place in the country, by far, but too cold to comfortably be outside for very long.) 

One of our many blessings is being in a bubble with Matt, Betsy, and the three girls. Skylar, Ella, and Maddy spent the afternoon with us yesterday baking and decorating Valentine cookies, making valentines, and doing Valentine coloring sheets, word, and number puzzles. Matt and Betsy came back for dinner. The girls helped set the table with a red tablecloth, Valentine napkins, and heart-shaped candle holders. It was quite festive. Getting decent photos while being so engaged is always a challenge, but here are a few. All three of the girls are adept at rolling out the dough and cutting out the cookies.

Valentine Collage

I saved the cards I made for the grandchildren to share today. Like the valentines I shared yesterday, they are mini-slimlines. I’ll be sharing one of these with Just Us Girls. Their new challenge is a trend challenge: Slimline Cards.

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Once again, the cards are the same, but different. I started out by coloring five cute little bears with Copic markers and fussy cutting them. The bear was one of the images from Simon Says “Love You Bearly Much” from the February card kit. I was inspired by this watercolored card by Debbie Hughes.

Caleb

First off, the card for Caleb. I used a piece of red cardstock embossed with Honey Bee’s “Fluttering Hearts” die, and added some striped paper from My Favorite Things. Then I added the cute “Love Speech Bubbles” die.

Hannah

For Hannah, I used  a piece of white card stenciled with Nuvo Glitter Paste using Echo Park’s “Falling for You” stencil, added some patterned paper from The Stamp Market and three Doodle Bug enamel dots.

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Next up, Maddy’s valentine—very similar to Hannah’s but I used the XOXO border stamp from the Simon Says set and no patterned paper.

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Ella’s valentine also uses a stencil, but this time I used the stencil that came in the kit, “Tumbling Hearts” and added a ribbon and three pearl hearts.

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The last of the bears was for Skylar with the same stencil as Ella’s but with patterned paper from MFT and some glittery heart stickers I found in my stash.

I’m also sharing one of these cards at the Inspirational Challenge: Hearts.

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The girls all received their valentines when they were here yesterday to make Valentine cookies. Caleb’s and Hannah’s arrived in Wisconsin earlier this week, and I imagine we’ll get to see them open them when we do FaceTime later today. 

For Tracy’s valentine, I chose a stamp by Anita Jeram who illustrates wonderful children’s books. It might seem odd, but I chose it for the sweet sentiments that are included for the front and the inside of cards. And I have another one in mind for our anniversary! I ordered the well-known Guess How Much I Love You book to accompany it. I’m quite sure both sets of grandchildren already own the book, but we do not. Colorado Craft Company has put out a variety of stamps illustrated by Anita Jeram, and they are all charming. You’ll see another one next month for sure.

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After watercoloring the image, I die cut it with the Gina K Layers die.  I had to add a little pink for Valentine’s Day but chose a soft gray for the card.

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Tracy and I’ll be celebrating on our own tonight. We’re planning to knock the snow off the grill and move it just outside the kitchen door to grill a steak. Years ago when the kids were very young, Tracy grilled a steak during a snowstorm for New Year’s Eve so the weather doesn’t usually deter him. 

Hope you’ve had a good day! We’ve had lots of sunshine which does make up for the frigid temperatures.

 

 

Happy Birthday, Caleb and Hannah!

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Caleb turns nine today, and Hannah is four! We’ve only missed one birthday party prior to this year. But that was in 2019 when we went to Disney World with them in January and the spent another week or so in Wisconsin with them afterward. Nonetheless, here we are in New York, and there they are in Wisconsin. The blessing is that we’ll have a FaceTime or Zoom visit and get to watch them open their presents and blow out the candles on their cake. 

I sent two gifts ahead of time, but one “big” gift is actually enclosed in their birthday cards. Because the cards needed extra postage and couldn’t go through the machines, it took a long time for them to get there. Fortunately, they finally arrived on Monday.

Here are the birthday cards I sent. I wondered if the design was too “young” for Caleb until earlier this week when I saw that Laura Bassen had created one for her 17 year old daughter!

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As you can see, both cards have the same ingredients: My Favorite Things, “Better Together” stamps and dies; My Favorite Things, “Carpool” die; Ellen Hutson “Landscape;” Simon Says “Sentiment Labels” and “Tiny Words;” and My Favorite Things “Bitty Birthday Wishes” and cloud stencil.

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It took awhile to die cut all the pieces, stencil the skies, and color the cute critters with Copic markers, but it was an easy card to assemble once all the pieces were ready.

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I love the pink car, and I chose a couple different critters for this car pool.

Inside each card is a slider tag. I just recently added this die to my collection of interactive dies, and it worked perfectly. It’s quite a bit smaller than the dies for the slider cards I made for the three little girls for Christmas. 

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I covered the tag with two different patterned papers. Caleb’s came from My Favorite Things “Birthday Brights” paper pad; Hannah’s was a loose sheet stuck among the 6X6 paper pads so I’m not sure where it came from. I used 3-D stickers I found in my stash to decorate them. 

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Caleb’s slides up to reveal a second year of “Grandma’s Book Club.” Last year Sarah and I tried to find an online book club that would meet his needs. The clubs were all quite expensive, none had enough choice, and the shipping costs were high. I finally decided to create my own, and it worked great. At the end of each month, I talk to Caleb and he tells me what book(s) he’s interested in, and I have them sent to him. “For the Love of Books” was an Ali Edward digital product I had in my files.

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Hannah’s also reveals a monthly birthday gift–a subscription to a Kiwi kit. When I’m in Wisconsin we almost always work on the kit together. They’re very imaginative, and Hannah really enjoys the activities. There are always three or four projects and a booklet to extend the theme. I downloaded the image from the Kiwi site.

I’m going to pop these into the Simon Says Monday Challenge which is, appropriately, “Celebrate!”

 

 

In Praise of Snail Mail

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For us, one of the most pleasant surprises of Caleb’s homeschool curriculum is a weekly letter writing assignment. He alternates between his four grandparents, and his letters are utterly charming! They require, of course, a card and a note in return. One of the charms of his letters is the way in which he responds to what I write to him. For my most recent note I used a new stamp set (NBUS!) by Concord and 9th called Snail Mail which I purchased with grandchildren in mind. (Must admit, the bulk of my acquisitions in the last few months have been with grandchildren in mind.)

The first card I made was this one.

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The colors just didn’t seem right for an almost nine year-old boy, so here is #2. I’m much happier with it. But I do have a couple of friends who live alone who will find the green card charming–the young in heart!

RedSnailMail

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Caleb and I already had a “conversation” about “Happy Mail” so I told him that Snail Mail = Happy Mail! One of the joys of the holiday season is receiving so much Happy Mail in the form of holiday greetings, and letters from friends we haven’t seen sometimes in years! 

Of course, whenever a card goes out to Caleb, one needs to go to Hannah as well. The dies in the Snail Mail set include this die which creates an adorable card in just a few minutes!

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After cutting out the die, all that the card needed with a few score lines for interest behind the die cut, and a sparkly silver inlaid heart with a pink rhinestone. Perfect for a nearly four year-old girl!

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The AAA Card Challenge is still open for their theme “Made in Minutes,” so I’ll pop this one in the gallery. I’m skipping the optional challenge this time. Also getting this into the NBUS Gallery for December as well. 

 

#180 NBUS

 

 

 

Halloween Recap

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Halloween festivities were, of course, somewhat altered this year during the pandemic. We spent parts of two Saturdays with our granddaughters preparing for Halloween and checking in on them before they headed off to a family party at Betsy’s dad’s. We were invited, but decided to pass this year. We were, however, delighted to see the girls in costume and spend some time with them in the morning. 

As usual, we made cookies. This was the first year that Maddy (age 4) joined Skylar (9) and Ella (almost 6). She took to rolling out dough and cutting out cookies just like her older two sisters. They all enjoy the mixing process, but they could pretty much manage the rolling out, cutting out, and placing on the cookie trays without me. Maddy’s attention was the first to wane, and ultimately it was just Skylar and me at the end. She was just fine with that!

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They all returned for decorating which is Grandpa’s specialty.

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Matt and Betsy joined us for pizza after the cookie making party, but by then I’d put away the phone for photos!

Saturday we headed to their house to check out the girls’ costumes.

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Bat Girl

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The Witch

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The Rainbow Unicorn

Matt and Skylar had the dining room table covered with pumpkins that they were carving. It’s Matt’s specialty, and Skylar carved one of her own this year. 

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Betsy was carving sweet peppers as holders for carrot and celery sticks for the party at her dad’s. She had plans for banana ghosts and some kind of Halloween hot dog as well. I think she was right that the girls wouldn’t miss trick or treating in the least. They were as happy as could be.

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Late in the afternoon, I got out for a walk after several days of being housebound by cold rain. Walking by Highland Park, I was surprised to see so much color remaining.

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Finally, I have one last Halloween card to share. This one went off to Hannah in Wisconsin. They were also celebrating with their “bubble” family, combining a birthday for their friend with a costume party. 

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This is probably my favorite of this year’s Halloween cards. For one, it’s been a favorite stamp set since it was issued many years ago—the “Friendship Jar Fillers: Autumn” by Papertrey Ink. I don’t think I’ve ever turned one of the jars into a shaker before. Love the color combination. I found just two sheets of Simon Says “Royal Velvet” cardstock, and I used every bit of both sheets before the Halloween cards were finished. 

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The star-studded cover plate, also from Papertrey Ink, is no longer available, and I have no idea what it’s called. I wasn’t as careful in the “old” days to label all my products. The sentiment is from Corner Adorner: August, also Papertrey.

Tomorrow is Election Day here. It’s doubtful that we’ll have a firm answer for the winner. My prayer is that there will be no violence during or afterwards. It’s so strange to say that; it’s never even been a consideration in all the elections I’ve participated in. Whatever the outcome, we need to find a way to heal the terrible divisions in this country. It won’t be an easy task.

Five in Five: September

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Today’s photos were taken yesterday—on the 5th—always my intention, for Sandie’s Five in Five monthly meme. We are on vacation in the north woods of Wisconsin with Sarah and her family and the internet connection has been shaky at best. It’s taken awhile to get the photos to download. We spent most of the fifth on the road, arriving late afternoon for a week on Catfish Lake, near Eagle River. We’re closer to Lake Superior than to Lake Michigan which is only a mile or so from Sarah’s house in Racine. The weather forecast is not been great for the week, but instead of cold and rain today, we’ve had sunny skies and warm temperatures. Here’s hoping the good luck lasts. We were up this morning in time to see the sunrise right out our bedroom window. There will be photos of that later. 

The five photos in five minutes were taken yesterday when we arrived, a glorious warm day. Adam, Hannah, and Caleb all were in the lake before dinner last night, and again today. I don’t think there’s much chance my swimsuit will leave the suitcase this week. The lake water is way too cold for me!

The property here is beautiful. The owners have 950 ft. of lake frontage. Here’s a look:

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The view from the patio in front of the house.

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The house is quite spacious, four bedrooms, a large living room, a “lounge” as  Caleb has dubbed it the round room on the left side of the photos with windows on three sides,) and a large, eat-in kitchen. There’s also a bunk house out back. If we had teenagers with us, they’d love it.

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The boat house and dock, three kayaks, and a rowboat. There’s also a shuffle board and all kinds of water equipment. If the weather holds, we’re planning to rent a boat the end of the week. Catfish Lake flows into Cranberry Lake and there’s lots of shoreline to explore. 

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The fire pit. Looking forward to a fire and making S’Mores.

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The lake front. We’ve all spent a good amount of time outside today reading, fishing, and just enjoying the views. 

Linking up with Sandie. I have a few posts ready to go if the internet allows, so I may be back again soon.

 

 

 

Good-bye July, Hello August

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It’s time for the One Little Word recap for July. July was the first month I really didn’t track my progress. I’ll chalk it up to being away the first week of July so my routines didn’t get established. The truth is, however, that July was the month last year that I more or less gave up on my OLW and just let it go. We’re halfway through the year and it’s been a tough one in so many ways, but I’m still COMMITED to working on the projects I set out for myself in January. Not all of them are calling to me right now, but there are enough to keep me going. Here’s July in pictures:

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There are a couple of photos of grandchildren sent to me—Caleb on his new 8-speed bicycle (#19). His dad says he can’t keep up with him any more; he’s way too fast! The three little girls on a bench after they’d been berry picking (#24), and Hannah in her “hiding” place for hide-and-seek (#29). Sarah says Caleb is such a good big brother, he pretends that he can’t see her for awhile. On the 6th, you can see the rocks Caleb, Hannah, and I painted with alcohol inks. They came out great and it wasn’t anywhere as near messy as I expected it to be. On the 21st, Skylar and Ella came to bake sugar cookies. That was a first for me in the summer, but they disappeared as quickly as they do in December. The photo on the 26th shows our patio without the almost “dead” hedge that has surrounded it since we moved in 35 years ago. The 27th shows the new railing that was installed that day. Our patio sits at the top of a hill, and there needs to be some protection against folks stumbling or running off it and tumbling down the hill. I wasn’t sure what I’d think of it, but I really love it. We have a much better view, and the patio actually seems bigger since some of the furniture can be placed right against the railing. I’ll have more photos later. There are photos from our walks and bike rides, and the 31st shows some of the cards and images I colored over 115 days.

I did finish the #100DayProject and continued coloring every day until the 30th in order to finish the second of the 30 Day Coloring Challenges that ended on July 3oth. Even more amazing to me than the completing the project was that almost all the projects were posted on Instagram—something I rarely did, but expect to continue to do on a less frequent basis. 

I made NO progress on purging the photos in my Photo Library, so that’s high on the list for August. Also on the list is to get back on track with daily walking which fell by the wayside with the travel. By mid-June we’d walked a minimum of 2 miles every day for 57 days. Then we left for Wisconsin, and although we walked while we were there we definitely got out of the daily habit, and I’ve found it hard to get back to it. The goal for August is 5 days a week—6 would be better! On the crafting side, my goal this month is to use new stamps and dies that have piled up as I worked on coloring projects. I’m off to a good start already finishing two cards this week with unused (though one was hardly new) stamps and dies. 

Reading was not a problem. I read the five books I set out to read, and read two longer books to Caleb over Zoom. I counted them because I loved both novels, as did Caleb. Tomorrow we start Harriet the Spy. It’s his request, and I hope I like it more this time than I did the last time I tried to read it. Unlike June, I enjoyed all of the books I read in July.

Lila Afterlife Authenticity Tenderland
Liturgy Ivan Bob

The Authenticity Project was just for fun. It and Liturgy of the Ordinary were part of The Unread Shelf Project. I also went through those shelves with a new question to ask: If I saw this book in a bookstore, would I purchase it? The answer for 12 of them was “no,” and they’re in a bag to donate to the library once they begin to accept donations. I’m guessing that won’t happen until the pandemic is truly over. Fortunately, you can now pick up books curbside by appointment, and just this week you may enter the library after signing a document and getting your temperature taken. 

So now it’s August, and today is Sarah’s 40th birthday. I wonder if she’s as surprised by that fact as I am. Her congregation held a birthday car parade yesterday afternoon through the church parking lot. (FYI: Sarah was wearing a mask for the parade, but took it off for this photo.) Someone made a huge sign, and it was delivered to their front yard this morning. They had a beautiful stained glass window hanging made for her, and brought a cake over as well. When we had our FaceTime call, the house had been decorated by Dad and the kids, so it was as festive an occasion as possible during the pandemic.

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Her birthday card this year featured hedgehogs (a favorite of hers) but I also thought the kids would like it as well. These are about as cute as you can find. I love them rushing up the hill with gifts.

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It’s easier to see the “grass” in this photo. I can’t remember the last time I pulled out my fringe scissors, but I’m glad they’ve survived the multiple purges since I bought them years ago.

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Happy Anniversary to Us!

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Today is our 47th anniversary. So hard to believe—it’s gone by pretty fast! But there’s no one I’d rather spend time with than my husband, and after all these years we’re still very compatible—though, different, for sure! The pandemic has really emphasized how important compatibility is; we’re spending WAY. MORE. TIME. TOGETHER! And, fortunately, enjoying it tremendously.

We didn’t expect to do anything special today, but a new restaurant with an outdoor patio opened up just a few weeks ago on Canandaigua Lake. Two sets of friends have already been there for dinner, and said it was wonderful, and every safety precaution has been observed. 

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It is, for sure, a beautiful setting, and it was a gorgeous warm evening. The food was good, and our waitress was charming. There were, however, some details about the occasion which were less than ideal so it’s unlikely we’ll make the drive to eat there again any time soon. Nonetheless, neither of us regretted the trip tonight, and it definitely was a setting for a celebration. Here’s an unobstructed view of Canandaigua Lake.

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And our version of a selfie:

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During one of the OCC Spring Card Camps, one of the techniques was Faux Dip Dye. I originally created this card for that class, and decided right then it would make a great anniversary card, given the sentiments. We’re not regular bike-riders, but we do enjoy it. When I pulled the card out a few weeks ago, I realized the stamping of the bike was not as accurate as it should have been, so this is a recreated version of the first card. I’m not as happy with the faux dipping, but the bike is much improved. 

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The bike and the sentiment (I love the font!) are both from an older Papertrey Ink set, “Pedal Pusher.” Here’s the inside sentiment, which was the deciding factor in making this our anniversary card:

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Here’s hoping the next anniversary isn’t celebrated with masks on!

One Little Word: A Very Late Update for June

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Our trip to Racine to see Sarah, Adam, Caleb, and Hannah spanned two weeks from the end of June to the beginning of July. It threw me off totally in terms of evaluating my OLW intentions and setting some new ones for July. 

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I did keep up with a photo every day, although I took some liberty with this collage, inserting the three little girls’ “last day of home school” photos over the course of three days. Betsy had them get dressed up as if it were the last day of school and they were happy to oblige. Had school been in session it would have ended for the elementary students on the 17th. Skylar “finished” third grade; Ella, kindergarten, and Maddy is still in preschool. There’s no word here, yet, of whether schools will open in September and, if they do, what they might look like. Then, of course, parents have to make a decision whether or not they feel the options available are safe. I don’t envy any parents that decision. Sarah and Adam are already wrestling with it. Caleb’s Montessori school is set to reopen for five days a week. Wisconsin, however, continues to see a surge in Covid-19 cases, and there is a general unwillingness of folks to wear masks. We didn’t enter any stores while we were away, but Sarah and Adam have taken to ordering almost everything online to be delivered or picked up curbside. Many other photos are from our hikes, and some of the fun we had in Racine. You can see Caleb taking one of his Tae Kwan Do classes via Zoom on the 26th. Dad is helping out as he practices his kicks. I documented our daily lunch at home on the 12th. If the weather permits, we eat on the patio and play a game of cribbage while we eat.

I also kept up with the #100DayProject, doing two coloring pieces a day when I missed a day due to travel. 

There was lots of reading time in June, both on the patio, in the morning, and in Racine. I read seven books:

41D1ZZfZUTL._SX327_BO1 204 203 200_ Bookshop Gilead2 Home
I'm Still Here Pull SuchAFunAge

(There was an issue with Typepad formatting these books this time. It’s never been a problem before. I couldn’t get to left-justified margins without these sentences. Who knows?)

I really enjoyed both Marilynne Robinson books. I’d read Gilead years ago, but was glad to have reread it. It’s the first of three linked books about two ministers and their families during the 1950’s in Gilead, Iowa. Not a lot happens, but both books are beautifully written and the NYTimes described Gilead as having a “spiritual force that’s rare in contemporary fiction,” and indeed, I wished at the end that I had underlined major portions of it. Sarah was reading I’m Still Here . . . while we were there, and I picked it up as soon as she finished it. I’ve since ordered my own copy, and our church is sponsoring an online book group about it that starts Sunday evening. The Pull of the Moon was my book for The Unread Shelf. It was a quick read, but not particularly satisfying. I wasn’t a huge fan of The Bookshop, our couples’ book group choice, but most of our group seemed to like it a lot. Such a Fun Age wasn’t as engaging as I expected it to be. Tracy always says that movies and books that get rave reviews rarely live up to the expectation. In this case, that was true. I also loved Rebecca Solnit’s memoir. Memoir is one of my favorite genres, and this one has a very unique take on the genre, but one I really enjoyed. Solnit is a historian and activist who writes extensively on feminine issues and the environment. She’s had a fascinating history.

I’m not planning any big changes for July. The #100DayProject ended a few days ago, but I had already started my second 30 Day Coloring Challenge hosted by Kathy Racoosin so I’ll finish that up. There’s the usual stack of books, many more photos to purge, and some online classes I’d like to take.

Mostly, I’m trying to stay as positive as I can as the virus spirals out of control without any serious leadership from the federal government. Fortunately, our county has remained pretty stable, and in NY everyone is required to wear a mask before entering any indoor establishment. I’ve read of instances where folks have refused, but in the few places I’ve been I’ve not seen anyone without a mask. We returned from Wisconsin just a week before rates there went up enough that anyone coming into NY from Wisconsin must quarantine for two weeks. The list of states for which that is true is updated almost daily. Now people coming to NY on public transportation are met by officials and must complete a written document so that contact tracing can take place if necessary. I hope it helps contain the virus, which is beginning to rise statewide again. There doesn’t seem to be any end in sight, and I find it incredible that there are still people who believe it’s a hoax, and won’t take it seriously. 

Ah, well, here’s to the health and safety of all of us during the rest of the summer. I’m so grateful to be secure, safe, and have access to beautiful outdoor spaces during this lovely time of year. May the same be true for you.

 

 

Maddy’s Fourth Birthday

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Today Maddy turned four. There can’t be a friends party this year, but the family gathered to celebrate. To make it seem special, an ice cream truck arrived. To make it as safe as possible, Leon was the only one who interacted with the server. Maddy was quite excited, and we all enjoyed great ice cream from a Rochester local ice cream store. Here are the three cuties posing for me before their ice cream.

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Then it was on to opening presents. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone as excited as Maddy who exclaimed over each and every gift. “It’s what I’ve always wanted!” “Look, Mom, it’s a rainbow dress!” 

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And, of course, there was the birthday cake. Maddy insisted she blow out the candles without help, and proudly announced, “That’s the first time I’ve ever done it all by myself.” Maddy took off her birthday dress so it wouldn’t get dirty during dinner.

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Here’s the card I made for her. When I saw this slimline die for a peek-a-boo windows by Lawn Fawn, I knew I’d find plenty of uses for it. I ended up using a number of stamp sets to complete it. Many of the images came from a Hero Arts Monthly kit from December 21018. I’ve only purchased two of the Hero Art kits, but they both had wonderful images, and come with the dies and lots of embellishments.

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I started by using the Simon Says “Falling Stars” stencil in a light pink and also stenciled the business envelope as well. I masked around the three flaps and then stamped images on each flap: Hero Arts fairy, sentiment from Papertrey Ink’s “Balloon Bash,” and the rainbow and cloud Simon Says “Best Ever”, and the cake with four candles from My Favorite Things, “Birthday Bears.” 

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Under the flaps, all the stamps came from the Hero Arts sets. Everything was colored with Copic markers. I added clear glitter pen to the fairies’ wings and the icing on the birthday cake. Three small purple pearls were added to the flowers.

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This turned out to be a great sentiment for a slimline card. It’s from the Winnie and Walter “Wish Big” set, and there’s glitter on all the alphabet flags.

Maddy’s card turns out to be a good entry for the current AAA Birthday Challenge: 3-D.

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We got home from Sarah’s last night so we’d be here for Maddy’s birthday. Making the trip during the pandemic seemed a bit daunting, but driving straight through didn’t turn out to be as bad as I thought it would–helped, of course, by good weather. We stopped only for gas, to change drivers, and to get lunch which we ate in the car. Not our preferred way to travel, but as safe as we could make it. It took us about 11 hours each way. Once we were there, we stayed at home, as do Sarah and her family. They order most of their groceries, although Adam did go to the store once or twice while we were there. It was great to see them, and the grandchildren were thrilled to have us there, and sad to see us leave. It was also good to give Sarah and Adam some relief as they both work from home as well as entertaining and trying to provide enriching activities for Caleb and Hannah. It will take me a few days to settle back into routines here, but it’s good to be home.

The New Normal

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We arrived home from Wisconsin two weeks ago Sunday afternoon. By Monday morning, news of the coronavirus had become dire enough that we began cancelling all the moving parts of a planned 17 day vacation to California and Hawaii. It’s taken almost two weeks to get everything taken care of as best we can. As disappointing as it is, it pales in significance to the people whose lives have been totally disrupted and upended by the virus. My prayer list now includes all those whose livelihood is jeopardized by the closure of almost all businesses and cancellations of major events, those suffering from the virus, and the many, many health care workers and caregivers offering their skills and risking their lives to those who are ill.

We have gone from one confirmed case of the virus in our county last week to a total of forty-six this afternoon. The governor of New York and our local officials have moved swiftly and consistently to the current situation where people involved in non-essential services/businesses are required to stay home. We are allowed to leave our homes to get groceries, go to the pharmacy, and take a walk—as long as we stay appropriately distant from anyone we encounter. It’s all transpired so quickly. A week ago Thursday night, my interfaith book group met here. No one would consider such a meeting today.

On Monday we felt comfortable walking outside with Matt and the girls, but now even that level of contact is gone. We cancelled Tracy’s birthday dinner celebration, and are relying on video contacts now even though they live just over a mile away.

Walks are the saving grace. It’s good to get out of the house once a day, and we’re accumulating steps in numbers we haven’t seen in a long time.

We try to find a new route each day. Monday it was the Brickyard Trail with the girls.

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Betsy had given Skylar (8) and Ella (5) a list of 10 things to look for on their walk. All the schools in New York are closed indefinitely, and both of my children are now homeschooling their children. Sarah is also trying to work from home, so it’s a challenge. Her church (as well as ours) is also closed indefinitely, but both churches are providing worship experiences for their congregations online. Our church is live streaming a service each Sunday. My Lenten Study Group met via Google Meet on Tuesday.

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Maddy (3) walked part way, and rode part way.

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The end of the trail.

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On Wednesday, we walked the Erie Canal path from the Jewish Community Center to the lock on Clover Street.

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Not a sign of spring on this walk. You can see the lock in the distance.

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Thursday, we took our longest walk. We walked to Mt. Hope Cemetery. Frederick Douglass (famous abolitionist) and Susan B. Anthony (women’s rights activist) are both buried here.

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Yesterday the temperature was in the 60’s, and we took an early walk before the high winds and rain began. The high today is not quite 30°.

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There were, however, some signs of spring walking through the city neighborhoods.

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It’s taken me some time to adjust to the new normal, and get productive. I finally made a list early this week of creative projects to work on and as part of my OLW, COMMIT, decided that working on two different projects each day would be a good start. So far, so good, so there will be some blog posts coming more regularly now.

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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After crafting for Valentine’s Day for several weeks, the big day is finally here. Some gifts were mailed directly from the company to the grandchildren in Wisconsin, but the little girls who are here will get their valentine cards and goodies today. They’re happiest when the gifts are identical–a different color for each is fine, but they all like the same things. I suppose that will change as they get older, but it makes things easier (usually) for now.

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Despite the weather (the high temperature today is supposed to be 12°), we decided some time ago to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a short road trip to Skaneateles Lake. We have reservations for lunch at an Italian restaurant recommended by several friends, and will make a stop at our favorite Amish market on the way home. 

I do have four valentines left to share today, one of which I’m entering in the CASology challenge: Sweetheart. 

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First off, the valentine for Skylar. Several months ago, she was in my craft room and saw my collection of Copic markers. She wanted to watch me color something, so I pulled out one of these balloons that I had already stamped. We colored most of it, and then I put it aside. I added the shiny hearts and the sentiment to make it a valentine for her.

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Card Supplies:
Cardstock: Neenah, Blueberry Sky (PTI)
Stencil: Rectangular Masking (Taylored Expressions)
Stamp: Up in the Air (MFT)
All the images were fussy cut.

Next up, another little bear valentine, with lots of sparkle thanks to some glimmer spray.

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I ink blended some paper and then die cut the heart and used the Quilted Hearts embossing folder once again.

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Card Supplies:
Cardstock: Neenah, Hibiscus Pink (PTI), silver embossed (Michael’s)
Stamps: Sentiment Suite: Love (The Greetery), Bear Hugs (The Stamp Market)
Dies: Nested Hearts (Spellbinders), Sentiment Suite Basics (The Greetery), Bear Hugs (TSM)

I had stamped three versions of this background stamp from Simon Says on different papers, thinking I’d use some different mediums to color them. This one was stamped on pale pink paper and colored with Copics. The paper isn’t necessarily Copic-friendly, but it worked out pretty well.

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Card Supplies:
Cardstock: Sweet Blush (PTI), Doll Pink (SS)
Stamp: Heart to Heart Background (SS), Sentiment Suite: Love (The Greetery)
Dies: Stitched Rectangles (SS), Sentiment Suite: Basics (The Greetery)

Lastly, a valentine for the seventh grader I see twice a week after school. I’ve been working with her in a couple different settings since she was in fourth grade. She’s now on a full scholarship to an all girl’s Catholic high school here, and doing extremely well! Coming from the Rochester City Schools which struggle at every level, her success is a testament to a work ethic that is unsurpassed. In addition, she could not be a sweeter person.

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Here’s a look at the inside of the card. I can’t list the supplies since everything I used came out of the “already cut or stash” folders. The sentiment and banner are from The Greetery’s Sentiment Suite series. 

Hope your day is LOVEly!!!

 

Happy Birthday Times Two!

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Yesterday was Caleb’s eighth birthday and Hannah’s third. They woke up to a decorated house, and two new birthday posters drawn by their dad.

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Adam started this tradition when Caleb was one, and each year they both get a new poster. This year they are all hung on the walls going upstairs. If you’d like to take a peek, Adam did a short video showing all the posters yesterday and posted it on FaceBook.

Once they’d opened a couple of gifts we took off for the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee. The museum was really crowded, but it didn’t effect their enjoyment in the least.

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Both Caleb and Hannah helped bake and decorate the birthday cake. They also picked out their individual candles while we were at the grocery store deciding what kind of cake we should bake. The chocolate cake with chocolate icing  was delicious!

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We sang Happy Birthday twice, and each one blew out their own candles. There was a huge cheer when Caleb blew all his out on the first breath.

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There were, of course, handmade birthday cards. Hannah’s was a close copy of this card. I don’t own the dies, so it was almost a one-layer card. I purchased this Simon Says set, Critter Crowd, as soon as it was released knowing I’d be able to use it for multiple kids’ cards.

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I used a die from Pretty Pink Posh I purchased at Impress Stamps in Seattle in September, and some images from the Simon Says “Out of This World” stamp and die set for Caleb’s card. 

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Both cards were photographed with my iPhone, and I’m not sure I’m a big fan, but I’m going to keep at it for awhile, and see if I can get the results I want.

I’m working on a Highlights and Faves post for 2019 as well as a One Little Word post for 2020. Hopefully they won’t be too long in coming!

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Ella!

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Ella turned five today, and the family celebrated with a dinner tonight. A week ago, she celebrated with a party for friends and the theme of the party was unicorns. It carried through to the family dinner. I love this balloon that a friend found for her at our local Wegmans grocery store.

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Ella had told her mom that she wanted a surprise party, and we all hid in the TV room until she arrived. She was both surprised and very pleased.

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When I asked Ella what she wanted for her birthday, she said “a big unicorn,” and by luck I found a great one in a catalog—soft, cuddy, BIG, and best of all, quite reasonable. It was a big hit. Dazzle (she came with a name) has an adorable pink mane and long pink tail which don’t show here.

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Of course, her birthday card had to feature unicorns as well. 

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I started with a pink card base from The Stamp Market, and applied Nuvo Silver Glimmer Paste through Altenew’s “Milky Way” stencil. Then I decided I’d like a few clouds, and was pleased to discover that I could add them with the My Favorite Things Cloud stencil with some white ink. 

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The adorable unicorns from My Favorite Things “Fairy Tale Friends” were stamped on Bristol, watercolored, and die cut. After figuring out where I wanted them, I embossed the sentiment in silver. Finally I added the unicorns, popping one of them up with some dimensional tape. It doesn’t show up in either photo, but the wings of the unicorns glimmer with some metallic watercolors. 

 

November 5 in 5: Hannah@Breakfast

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Unlike the past two months, I’m posting right on time for Sandie’s meme: 5 in 5. One of the fun features of my iPhone is the Portrait mode, and one of the last mornings we were in Racine last week I started snapping photos of Hannah while she “ate” her breakfast. These were easily in the five minutes allowed by the meme: five photos in five minutes. I love the variety of expressions Hannah uses in just a few minutes. None of the photos were edited except to crop them to the 4X6 aspect ratio. My only complaint about the Apple camera app is that you cannot set the aspect ratio, so that in order to make prints you must remember to leave some extra room in your composition or crop off a portion of the original photo.

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Hannah wakes up happy every morning, and stays that way for the majority of every day. It’s not that she doesn’t have “her moments.” Like any two year old, she certainly does, but they are generally few and far between. These photos show her true personality.

 

October 5 in 5: Milwaukee Art Museum

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Like last month, I’m cutting it close to get my 5 photos in 5 minutes posted for Sandie’s monthly meme: 5 in 5. And like last month, I have had several opportunities to create a post, but didn’t get to it. Today, however, I had another opportunity. It’s a gorgeous fall day in Wisconsin, and our grandson, Caleb, had a day off from school so we went to Milwaukee for the day. One of  our stops was the fabulous Milwaukee Art Museum. In addition to a stunning building and wonderful collections, they also have the “Kohl’s Art Generation Studio.” It a hands-on studio that provides art activities for families. Today’s activity was print making. After creating his etching, the volunteer helped Caleb create a print. It took less than 5 minutes. 

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After the art museum, we found a great pizza place that was within walking distance to Boswell Book Company. It’s a great independent book store. I’ve been getting their emails for a while now, and thanks to them, Sarah and I spent a delightful evening last night listening to Ann Patchett who is on a book tour for her new novel The Dutch House. I’d never been to the book store so it was a perfect opportunity. I managed to restrain myself but Caleb came home with a new book as well as one for Hannah.