In the Storm

documenting pieces of life.

First up is the sweet Valentine story that was my life this past Valentine's Day. I'm pretty much blessed!

Pretty, pretty. And cold. Super easy and fun page using a nifty digital template - just had to find some matching papers and this page was done in a snap.

I've used this digital template before - one of the beauties of digital is being able to reuse pieces, be it templates, embellishments, papers, etc.

I have realized after posting these three digital pages that besides my Project Life weekly pages, life is sure getting documented. I'm sure part of the motivation has been emptying out old albums, stacking pages and pages of scrapbook pages into piles chronologically, and getting ready to re-insert into document protectors and new matching albums labeled chronologically, year by year. I'm getting there but it is definitely a process. I also am not sure I still have enough of albums or 12 x 12 document protectors for the new albums.

what I've been reading.

I finish the 12th new book of 30 I want to read in my 50th year.

Seven (7) by Jen Hatmacker. Convicting to say the least. Amazing read. For anyone he needs a bit of perspective in their life - read this.

Life is a Verb by Patti Digh. I suppose if I was a truly creative soul this book would have had more of an impact on my life but in fact I just wanted to get it done.

Concealed in Death by J.D. Robb. I'll never get enough of Robb's In Death series - and I hope she writes many more.

Not sure what's next on my table but so far I'm averaging about three new books a month so I should get done in plenty of time. Lovin' reading new, challenging myself to read different, like Co. Aytch (which I'm halfway through): the memoirs of a Civil War private in the Confederate Army. So good!

Moving along...

 

52 gratitudes | 08

Can't you just drown in those eyes? Oh, and he is a hoot. And, he still has to hike up every pair of pants he wears because they slide right down his tiny body. What a kick in the - pants!

san antonio in digital pages.

I breezed over my trip to San Antonio in last weeks Project Life mostly because I knew I'd make digital pages, of seperate stories about the weekend. Here are a few of those pages. And I'm not quite done.

Amazingly good restaurant.

So glad we made it to the Alamo - it was truly the one thing I wanted to make sure happened - besides just spending time with my family.

 

 

project life 2014 | week 7

I took the colors of Valentines Day for my two pages, used Cathy Z templates and a couple of her journal cards and brushes, Ali Edwards 'week seven' title and called it really good.

I am loving my simple, basic, clean approach to project life. Words + photos + clean and simple and it is exactly how I want to continue throughout the rest of the year. About 1 1/2 hour later and Week 7 was done. I can handle that.

Highlights from the week:

Valentines from my guys. Jeff and the boys gathered oak logs for an upcoming Boston Butt cook in May. Ears was her normal silly self. Jeff and I had two date lunches and a date night with a movie, Robocop. Grocery shopping with a stop at Taco Bell for lunch (I shocked Jeff by saying yes to Taco Bell whereby breaking my 8-year or so, no Taco Bell streak). Boys made A's on a difficult Biology test. They completed an art project at home that was due on Friday.

san antonio.

San Antonio. Oh, how I miss you. It's not just you, San Antonio, that I miss - it's really my family, my daughter, my son-in-law, my grandsons, living in your old city, on an old army post, in an old military housing unit, far away from me. But, you are a beautiful city and you treated me well.

friday finds | 03

Eat this.

Make this. Love finding a blog with numerous projects that look inviting. And doable.

Ponder this. While I'm not typically a Zen girl, a few of his posts offer some words worth pondering, considering.

Live this. Words of encouragement.

Want this. Hidden within an electrical online store of all places, these delightful bowls are to die for.

Drink from this. What amazing artistry!

Wear this.

Admire this. A unique, creative business venture, adventure. Elise rocks!

 

 

sausage, spinach, & tortellini soup.

Is it cold out? Go make this soup. It is amazingly easy and tastes fantastic. You can relegate the heat by the italian sausage - we use hot italian sausage. The fire-roasted tomatoes add a tremendous depth of flavor. Careful not to leave the pasta in to log or they get too soft and mushy and just taste overdone. But, done just right and this is a hearty, flavorful, winter soup perfect for the freezing temperatures.

project life | week 6

Even though it was a whirlwind weekend of lots and lots I kept Week 6 pretty simple touching on the highlights of my weekend in San Antonio and leaving room for Digital Scrapbooking pages of the entire weekend and the small stories.

Ashley got a kick out of me taking a photo of a 'heart' embedded in the broken concrete in the parking lot of Crazy Janes, an amazing burger joint, while it was drizzling.

I grabbed all of my favorites of Ian and Wyatt for a 11-photo right side of Week 6. I have a ton of pictures and will need to make several pages-worth of the weekend but not sure when I'll get the opportunity - and really wanted to get Week 6 recorded.

 

i love | february edition

i love   |   february 2014 edition

It's interesting what draws the eye. What makes one think. I have two sets of beautiful pepper mills that were both made by my maternal grandfather so long ago. I got two sets by accident (my grandfather had forgotten he'd already made a set...and there was no way I was going to turn another set down - because they are amazing pieces.)

But.

The pepper mills have a very small tub-like whole in the center of the mill for the peppercorns. If we eat rosemary bread served with pepper infused olive oil, the corns are gone in one meal.

So.

I've been on the lookout for a larger pepper mill. I would preferrably like a pepper mill that is about a foot tall with a large area for peppercorns - but this 1 is great too.

And I'm in love with bowls of all different sizes. I have an old set of corning ware bowls in the brown/tan colors and my mom got me a colorful, 4-bowl lightweight, ceramic set of bowls that I use ALL the time, but I'm always on the look out for interesting sets of bowls. Like 2.

Love bracelets. 3 is so pretty and delicate. Just gorgeous.

I want to learn how to can foods. 4 has some great reviews, and the book is geared to the beginner. Aah - that's me!

Crocheting or looming is on my 50 in my 50th year list. I found 5 on Etsy. How sweet is this loom.

6 is the first of many ideas for the boys' bathroom. It's high on my decorate list after a front porch of course. The bathroom plan is neutral, but slightly manly. Woods, burnished nickel, browns, tans, creams, no theme otherwise.