September pages finished

Got some pages done this week. I am at the end of the class I took from Kelly Kilmer. I may take it again for October. It motivated me to get some pages done, especially on days I didn't feel like doing anything at all. I was thinking the other day that at some point in my life I feel like I fell down the rabbit hole and now I find things getting curiouser and curiouser everyday. I wonder if it is even possible to get back to tea parties, white dresses and reading a book under a tree? Basically, the sane life I used to have.

This page was fun. If you had a personal assistant, what would they do for you? I would definitely have them handle my schedule and drive me around to every appointment. I would also have them babysit my teenagers so that I could go on vacation without worrying.

Random things to say

I have been keeping up with a journal page a day but need to take some photos of them. It is quite a process to take the photos, download them into Photoshop Elements, adjust the image size, save it in another file and then download it into the blog. I will try and get them ready and show you tomorrow. I love the colors in this page. The red, yellow and orange makes me happy.

I got to see my art journal group this week. We took August off and I have missed them so much. Each one of these ladies is so talented that I wonder quite often what I am doing there but they lift me up and encourage me in so many ways and I love what each one of them brings to the group. From left to right we have, me, Michelle, Karla, Lani, Paulette and Jaron is in front. Love you girls and big hugs to you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was out on the road yesterday and saw this very interesting motorcycle. I didn't know they had such things out there.

We saw another lighthouse up in Gig Harbor, Washington. It is a tiny little thing. I'm not sure if it is in use but it sits there at the mouth of an inlet and is cute as can be.

Dinner Out

The family went out to a restaurant on Sunday. It was one of those all-you-can-eat places. Always a good idea to take growing boys to that place. Now that two of the kids are moved out, practically the only way I can get them to show up is by promising them food.

My eighteen year old thought it would be funny to see how much ice cream he could shove in his mouth. The pile was pretty high too. I think he got a brain freeze on that one. Do boys ever grow up?

Hugs

I got to watch my grand baby last night. We had the best time playing outside. I love the static electricity that builds up when you jump on a tramp and rub balloons in your hair. I had to get a good one of his hair standing on end. We play hard but every little bit he runs over and gives me a hug. It just makes my day. What a sweetie he is.

Organizing

I worked on one of my goals today. I am such a clutter bug. It mostly comes from not knowing what to do with something and so I just set it in a pile and soon there a few piles and so on and so on. Today I sorted, stacked, recycled, and threw a bunch of stuff away. By the end of the day the stacks were gone and I could actually see clear surfaces. It feels so good. I don't know why I don't do this more often. One of my goals is to live more simply. The only way for me to do that is to have a lot less stuff so I am on the way to de-cluttering my home. It blows my mind how much stuff comes into the house everyday. At least I don't have four kids in school anymore. Those papers where just too much to manage.

I was thinking about all the kids that are back to school. Fall is my favorite time of year and part of that is the back to school shopping which I don't have anymore. I was tempted to buy a set of beautiful sharpie pens when I went down that isle the other day. It was just too tempting. Pens are my favorite school supply but a close second is all the organizational boxes, bags and pouches available to put them in. I really love organizational stuff so why am I so disorganized? It is a mystery. What is your favorite school supply?

All dressed up with somewhere to go

The class reunion was a fun time. I got to see people that I haven't seen in quite some time. The woman on the left I have known for 41 years. I remember the day she showed up in church with her ringlets and black horn-rimmed classes. There is just something about people knowing you through the good, bad and the ugly that is comforting somehow. The woman in the middle I have known for almost as long. Our husbands had a great time talking at the table as we wandered around the room saying hi to everyone. I felt so blessed when the night was over because everyone kept telling me that I looked the same as I did in high school. This may not be true but it still made me feel good. It was very funny though that as people were looking at each others name tags they needed to put glasses on. We are definately getting old and it was even funnier when at 10:00 the room started to clear out. I think we all wanted to be home in bed by that time. Our coach was about to turn into a pumpkin. Now that we are all connecting on Facebook, I wonder if that will change things at all or if we will just go back to our lives and see each other in another 10 years?

I have been thinking about life a bit and what changes I want to make. Life just got too complicated for a while and I have been feeling the need to simplify, slow down and be open to new possibilities. I want to be available to friends and family more and to do that I need lots of time of quiet by myself. I have wished so many times that I was the kind of person that gets filled up by being around people but sadly it is the other way around. I can go long periods of time not talking or seeing anyone and feel quite content but I seem to be surrounded by people who need lots of attention. I want to be there for them so there has to be balance. I am learning how to find that balance and fit into this life I am destined to be a part of. You would think this would be easy but I haven't figured it out yet. I hope my life isn't over before I can figure it out and live it. I have heard it said that life is what happens when you are out making plans. I think I will keep my plans simple and see what comes my way.

30 year reunion started

I went to my 30 year class reunion last night and have the formal dinner tonight. I wasn't sure what to expect. I had a good time talking to people but I discovered something. Everyone recognized me but I wasn't good friends with any of them. We had 495 graduation students in my class and some of them I had gone all the way from kindergarten with. It was fun to say hi to the girls that I was in Bluebirds and Campfire girls with. Most of the ones I remember the most were those I was friends with in Jr. High. I was so involved in everything then and by the time I got to High School I didn't do anything. I was so quiet that no one really knew me that well. The three gals that I was the best friends with didn't come. I did meet up with one friend that I have known for 40 years (I can't even believe that) and another girl that I was good friends with in Jr. High. None of us wanted to walk in alone and our husbands weren't going last night. Tonight we get to dress up and go with our hubbies. Our event was on a deck overlooking the Columbia River and the weather was perfect. I didn't take any pictures because I was talking the whole time but I will try and get some tonight. It will be at the same place but inside this time. Some of the people who weren't there last night might show up tonight. I can't wait.
Here is another journal page for September. I love that baby's face, so cute!

Lani's give-a-way

My dear friend Lani over at Healing Expressions is having a give-a-way. You should stop by and sign up. She has been doing some cleaning in her studio and has some really nice things to give a way and to sell. You know how those styles you grew up with that come back around and get recycled and become popular again? Well, my dad loved short hair and so me and two sisters were taken down to the beauty shop and given pixie haircuts. I hated it at the time but now I actually think I might like to have one. I only hope that the perm I had in sixth grade doesn't come back in style.

Would you choose the ocean or the mountains? I love the ocean but a cabin by a lake would be really nice too. I really find peace listening and watching water of all kinds. Waterfalls are nice too. I would love to go right now. I have to insist on clean and bug/rodent free accommodations though. One time we stayed in a friends cabin and I didn't sleep at all the whole time we were there because there were spiders and mice all over the place. So horrible. I never want to go back there again.

September 5-7

I have been doing pretty well keeping up with a page a day but sometimes I do two in a day because I was busy the day before or I am having so much fun that I can't stop. I really need to get to creating more than just pages in my journal. Maybe next week?

A driving tour of covered bridges

My husband and I took the day to drive around Oregon and take pictures of covered bridges. It started out to be very dark and rainy and I wondered if we would get an good pictures. By the time we got to the first bridge it was sunny and beautiful. Weddle Bridge

Stayton-Jordan Bridge

Short Bridge

Schimanek Bridge

Gallon House Bridge

I'm not sure what the name of this one was.

This little covered foot bridge was so cute.

Hannah Bridge

St. Mary's parish

I love to take pictures of churches too.

There are so many pretty ones out there especially in Europe.
I love the sky too.

As we drove around the countryside I snapped a couple other photos.

This is the kind of place you could sit with your journal and hear God speak.

I bet it is so beautiful when the leaves start to change.

Labor Day weekend art journal pages

My day started out at Starbucks and I fell in love with their new add campaign. The side of the cup says, "We don't want to just make your coffee, We want to make your day." They are the masters in advertising. When I saw the cup I said, "Awe, how sweet". Now the cup is sitting on my counter and don't want to throw it away. I'm such a sucker for great lines.

My friend told me that I would love the book and bible study called The Sacred Echo by Margaret Feinberg. Her other book sounds good too, Organic God. I would love to do a really good study with some women who love art journaling and we could do pages to go along with what we are learning. That is my dream anyway. I'm not sure who would be up to that with me but when I find them I am putting the coffee on and pulling out the pretty china. I guess I will have to pray about that one and see what happens. If you did the study already, I would love to hear what you thought.

These last two pages have many layers of paint and paper scraps on them. Some of the paint combinations have been fun to use. I will try to not say this everyday but Kelly Kilmer really makes her class worth the cost because she gives you so much. I love her style too.

The Stonehenge paper I am using is a dream. I have a few other kinds of paper I want to try but they are going to be beyond amazing to beat this paper.

Journal pages

Here is one of the last pages in my Summer journal. It is kind of sad to set it aside. As much as I like starting a new journal it as sad to put away one that I have spent hours in.

I am working in a new journal with Stonehenge paper. I love this paper. It is thick and takes all kinds of abuse. I am doing one journal for each month and then binding all twelve of them together for a comprehensive journal of the year. I didn't think of this plan until this summer so I will be short a few months this year but I am all ready for 2010.

These last two pages are from Kelly Kilmer's A Prompt a day workshop. I have been working with watercolor so much lately that it was fun to play with acrylics today.

September 2nd?

Vacations are exhausting. I was down at the beach for a week with family and friends and it is taking me the longest time to recover. I had a great time but I came home tired and the introvert in me is feeling the need to hide out for awhile. I sure wish I could freeze frame life like they do in the movies, that way I could get my break and it wouldn't effect anyone else. They wouldn't even know about it. Either that or they are going to have to get that cloning business up and running faster so that there can be two or three of me. ( I'm totally joking about that, of course). Anyhoo, I realized that it is September already and I need to get my monthly journal ready and start my journal/datebook experiment. Yikes! I am already behind. I don't think that is a good way to start.
We interrupt this blog to handle a meltdown by my son.........................
OK, I'm back. This is why I get nothing done during the day and lose the first two days of the month, poor planning by kids needing something at the last minute. ARGH!
I did do something fun today though. At least I am expecting it to be fun :) I signed up for Kelly Kilmer's A Prompt A Day, September class. Anyone want to join me? I'll let you know how it goes. Now I am off to have lunch with a friend.