Complete Yumminess

My husband and I went for a drive last night around dusk and we saw 5 different deer along the way. This cute little one was just sauntering down the lane without a care in the world. So cute. I snapped a photo as we drove by. Then before we got home we saw the beautiful round moon just sitting so pretty right above the tree line. I just love it when the moon is full and low in the sky.
Today I actually got inspired by my friend Michelle's blog about her blueberry buckle. It looked so good that I had to try it myself. OH MY GOODNESS! It is soooooo good. The recipe is actually not hers and can be found here.


It is loaded with blueberries and would be good with ice cream but I only had whipped topping to smother on top. Mmmm....................................................................................
I think I will end on that note. YUM, YUM!

Summer is fading

I can't believe that August is already here. I don't know that I have accomplished any of the things that I should but I have slowed down and relaxed into the days. I have tried to enjoy each day for what it was and not have huge expectations. We have had some huge transitions this summer and so I have just stayed home, been there for my family and tried to keep the peace whenever possible. Chaos tends to reign so keeping peace is a full time job, let me tell you.

Last week was so hot around here that keeping cool was the order of the day. I did get a couple of pages done in my summer journal. The top page was from things that came in the mail like catalogs and a note from a dear friend.

This page came from my daily reading of the bible in Jeremiah 17. I have come to a place in my life where I am past putting on a face for people. You get what you get and it is not always pretty but Jeremiah reminded me that when we are going through tough times it is easier if our roots are planted by a stream and have been allowed to go deep.

I met with a friend that I haven't seen in a long time and she wants to start an art journal. I am so excited for her because I find so many nuggets of truth through the pages of my journals. Letting the pages create themselves and then speak to me of who I am and where I am and where I want to go is priceless. It is a conversation for me not just a place to create pretty pictures. It might have been the gallons of coffee I drank while we talked for hours catching up but I was shaking with excitement when we were done. To find another art journaler on the brink of discovery brings delight to my artistic soul. Welcome to the wonderful world of art journals my dear friend. I look forward to taking this journey with you.

Good lesson to learn

I learned a very important lesson this weekend. Make sure your memory card is in your camera before you take a ton of photos. My little point and shoot will take pictures even if the memory card is not in it and store everything in the internal memory which later you can transfer to the memory card. I had no idea that SLR cameras are not like this. I also broke with my normal habit when I took my memory card out of my SLR and dropped the memory card in my purse to go to the store to print photos. Forgetting to put it back in my camera I went off taking pictures all day Friday. Some of them I had to hike a mile in on a treacherous trail to take. Only when I got back from the hike did I notice that all the pictures I had taken, and mighty good ones I might add, where not on my camera. Not only was I disappointed about this but I couldn't figure out where I would have put the memory card. The rest of the trip I tried to figure it out. I pulled out my little camera for this one last photo. Only after I got home and slept on it did it occur to me to look in my purse, that I had with me all day, to find the memory card safe and sound hiding in the bottom of my purse. UGH!!!!!! I had it with me the whole day. Well, it was a good lesson and I can guarantee I won't do that again. In spite of the camera fiasco, I had a great day hanging out with my hubby. We saw three lighthouses that day and this was the last one right before the sun set.

Hot Summer Days

Boy, we have had some hot days this week. I have been keeping close to home and not doing a whole lot. On really hot days I like to sit in front of the fan and read a book. One of my favorite memories as a kid was either laying on the floor in summer reading Nancy Drew mysteries or in winter sitting by the wall heater and reading a book. Maybe that is where my sitting on the floor habit came from. I find myself sitting on the floor quite often for some reason. This week I have done these journal page sitting on the floor of my bedroom watching TV shows I taped. Oops! I just realized looking at this picture that when I made a mistake and blacked out the word, I forgot to go back and write it in in white ink. I think I will do that right now.

Hope you are all enjoying summer and doing the things you like to do with all the people you like to do them with. :)

Seattle weekend

Here are some pictures from our trip to the Seattle area this past weekend.The Seattle skyline taken from Admiral Way lookout.
We were able to tour the Alki Point lighthouse.

While we were gone I worked on more pages in my art journal. I have been having fun using watercolor in this journal.

This page was done with Teesha Moore in mind. I love her journal pages and would love someday to go to Journalfest or at least take a class from her.

This page was created about our weekend away. I was trying out a new set of travel watercolors. All you need is a micron pen and this set of watercolors and you are good to go on a trip anywhere. Lots and lots of fun. Now I just need to travel a bit more.

More Art Journal pages

I met with a friend last week and we just sat and visited and worked on our individual art projects. I dabbled in my art journal. I didn't feel terribly inspired but I think this little guy is pretty cute. He reminded me to rise above any negativity in my life. Even though I may not be able to soar like an eagle right now I do have tiny wings to lift above the turmoil of life. This page is from the same journal and is a reminder that no matter what the weather is outside I can choose to enjoy whatever I am given. I think I sense a theme here.

This journal page is from the class I am taking from Teresa McFaden. We painted the page and then looked for shapes from the paint strokes. Mine ended up looking like a cake sitting in the summer heat too long and getting a bit droopy. I used watercolors, a bouquet of flowers image that I copied 3 times and cut up, micron pens and a calligraphy pen for the writing.

I have a couple other pages that are in process that I hope to finish this week. I am recovering from the stomach flu and almost all my family has gotten it so we are taking each day at a time. Whew, I'll be glad to be on the other side of this one.

American Idol concert

Tuesday was a very exciting day. I was surprised by my dear husband with two tickets to American Idol. He had no desire to go so I got to take a friend. We took the 2 1/2 hour drive up to the Tacoma Dome and it was such a fun day. The lights in the arena were low and we were far enough away that the flash was not going to work so the pictures are not very good. But I bought a program with amazing pictures of all the idols and these photos are just to prove I was there.

Here I am with the on-stage screen in the background. The last time I went to American Idol they had a huge cardboard cutout of the idols so that you could get your picture taken in front of it but this time there was nothing like that. I was a bit disappointed about that. As we were standing in line, waiting to get into the arena, this expressive young man came running up to his friends next to us and said he could just die because he had hugged and smelled Adam. People are so funny sometimes. Who would have thought smelling your favorite singer was a highlight?

Danny was so great. He made me cry as he was talking about following your dreams, even if it is the worst time in your life. His wife died 4 weeks before he tried out for American Idol and he said he pushed through to follow his dream and it changed his life even though it was the hardest thing he has ever done. It was very encouraging. Sometimes we put our dreams on hold until life settles down and then we never do what we were meant to do because life never does settle down.

Allison was her cute rocker self on stage and did a great job too.

Of course, Adam was amazing. You would have thought he was the winner by the crowds response. When he came on stage the audience literally exploded with cheers. It was deafening.

Every one of the singers did an amazing job and it was a very good concert. Each of the singers sang songs in their style of song and I was very impressed. I think they even sounded better than when they were on the show.