One Man's Dream!

What a great room!

We wandered through the Walt Disney museum at Hollywood Studios today. It is called One Man's Dream. I love how they change up on of the exhibits.
   This room caught my eye as I am an avid Mickey Mouse collector. I love the bookcase that holds all things Mickey. It also has books in with the other collectibles. I am thinking of changing my collection to include other items.
  This picture will help me remember how much I like this exhibit.
   We were at Hollywood Studios for the morning. We were able to do Toy Story Mania. Russ beat me as always. It is such a great ride.

Everyone heads here first.

 We headed for Epcot. To eat at the French pavilion. Yummy sandwiches were just right for us along with a ginormous chocolate chip cookie.

French pastries

   We decided to try and use a fast pass to get on Test Track. It worked out great cause we could get n in 30 minutes. We got there just in time. There was a 75 minute wait for everyone else.
  We went on Soarin probably for the last time cause they
are closing this ride for February and March to

add another track. 

  We had a lovely snack in Sunshine Seasons where I took this picture of the balloons. So pretty.  I am ready for bed so I will close with balloons. 

  Tomorrow we go to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. 

                                  

Happy Halloween from Disney World!

Ready for Halloween!

I am so proud of myself. I'm ready for Halloween way before Halloween. That is very unusual for me. I have to admit that I found this idea on Pinterest. Since I have been sick I needed a quick but cute idea. I printed this out and stamped "Happy Hallween". I am ready when we get back from our trip.
  We are at Walt Disney World with my sister, Andrea, and her daughter, Emma, and her friend , Jillian. We are staying at Beach Club. This is our favorite resort.
We went exploring when we got here to get
The lay of the land. The weather is quite warm
but lovely. We walked over to Boardwalk and
ate a late dinner of nachos, corn dogs, and a

Beach club at Disney

meatball sandwich.
  The girls went swimming in the pool and I am
here working on my blog in an air conditioned room. Love it. We are planning the next few days to get the most fun here.
 The rooms here are so spacious. We have a two bedroom. There is a living room with a kitchenette.  The best part is that there are two bathrooms. It doesn't hurt that we have a washer dryer in the room either.

A king sized bed

 Well, it is getting late. The girls are still at the pool. The bed is calling my name. Looks like Russ and I might be going to Epcot tomorrow with everyone else heading to Downtown Disney.  It will be fun no matter what cause we will be in shorts!

    Here is a picture of a cute little friend we met while exploring the grounds. 

A little bunny 

Missing Mom

Miss you Mom!

 I have not been working on much for projects this past summer or fall due to the illness of my mom and her passing into glory on September 2nd.
  Mom has been living with Russ and I for the past 4 years. It has been such a blessing to have her here with us.She loved to read and enjoyed her family getting together for whatever occasion or event. She was a painter, and played the piano ( self-taught). She would walk around the flower gardens and enjoy the spring when plants would begin sprouting up. I shall miss her very much.
  The stress of her  illness and her passing was difficult  for us all. As a result I ended up with shingles. A mild case thank the Lord, for I had the vaccine two years ago. I am now dealing with Vertigo. Not a pleasant feeling to have at all.
   But time and life go on. The hard part of losing someone you love is the moving on without them. When I am on the computer in the early hours of the morning, I hear a creak in the house and I forget and think it is Mom stirring. I am not sure I  will ever get over that feeling of her presence.  Not sure I want to either.
   Anyway, I have not really done much of anything in the way of project. I have worked on a few cards that I have given to people for various reasons. I will post those another time.

Love her so much...

 My greatest joy right now is babysitting for our granddaughter, Evy. She is such a blessing to our family.

We see her every Tuesday and Thursday. I love her expressions and how everything is new to her.
  She loves Micky Mouse and is so enthralled when the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse comes on TV. Music is another treat for her. The songs on that show will stop her in her tracks to listen to the music.
   I think seeing her and watching her grow has helped me to deal with losing my mom. Family and friends are a great comfort too.
   I am feeling ready to start paper crafting again now that I am on the mend. My next post will hopefully  have some pictures of  projects that I have started and not yet  finished finally done. Til the next posting then...
   

Summer Is Moving On!

  I can't believe that July is almost gone. We have been so busy with gardening, golfing, and taking care of Mom. Time has just slipped away. I am feeling guilty that I have not posted in awhile. I guess I said that last month . It is easier to sit down at the computer in the fall and winter than spring and summer.
  I am very happy about one of my clematis plants. It bloomed big time this year. The other two plants are

So pretty this year!

  growing but not blooming like this one. Hopefully, next year.

Happy Times

    In June, my sister, Adrianne, got married to a wonderful guy. Lenny is a nice addition to our family.The weather was perfect that day. The reception took place at Sebasco Harbor Resort. It was all perfect.
 I made a wedding card for them that I really enjoyed making. Wedding cards are one of my favorite cards to do.

Wedding Day card

  I was on Pinterest and came across this card that I cased. I used a different embossing folder for the sections. Navy was Adrianne's wedding color so I chose it as my base color.  The flower I had purchased on one of my shopping trips to either Michael's or A.C. Moore. I love how it all came together.
   We have been babysitting for our granddaughter, Evy. She is such a joy. I have millions of pictures and videos of her. She is growing and changing every time we see her. We are so truly blessed to be a part of her life. Nathaniel and Kristin are doing such a good job with raising her.

Happy baby.... 

A good friend of mine, Helen, recently lost her sister. I felt so bad. I know how difficult it is since I lost my oldest sister a few years back. I made a card to send to her to express how I felt.

For Helen

  I used my Stampin Up set called "Garden Collage". I love all the different patterns are there in one stamp. The sentiment is a separate stamp. I used another flower I had purchased at Michael's or A.C. Moore. I love mixing the different patterned paper to come up with just the right combination.

Surprise... surprise....

          We also planned an early surprise birthday party for my sister, Rochelle. It was suppose to be a get together the day before Adrianne's wedding, but we added her birthday celebration to the event. It worked!
  This is a gift we gave her that I found on Pinterest. The gal makes these posters and you can add a picture of your loved one. She does a great job and it is real reasonable . I had the frame already so it worked out perfectly.
 

Phillis and Cary

 My sister, Phillis, and her husband, Cary were up for the wedding; along with their daughter, Danielle, and her husband, Kyle. We decided to spend the day at Boothbay Harbor. It was a lovely day to be near the water. We had not been there for a long while. 

Boothbay Harbor

It is so picturesque there. We found a little restaurant right on the water and had lunch. The time went way too fast. I am hoping they come up again next summer, if not sooner. 

Yarmouth Clam Festival

  Last week we went to the Yarmouth Clam Festival. Russ loves to go to a good parade and this festival usually has a good one. We took our chairs and enjoyed the crowd and the music. We were a little disappointed that the Shriners were not there.I am not sure why, but that is Russ's favorite part. Ice cream was good, though.

  Well, that has been my summer so far. Busy, busy as you can see. We are also dealing with my mom not being so well. She lives with us and her heart is not what it used to be. Lord willing we will have her for a few more years. 

Thanks, Elaine!

  My friend, Elaine, gave me this golfer's pin. I really need this because the last time I played I really sucked. In fact, I have not played since she gave it to me. We hope to get playing more in the next few weeks. Thanks, Elaine.

  I have not done much in my craftroom for most of the summer. I have a need for an inspiration. I need to finish the album I started for my daughter in law on the baby shower last year. How is that for being behind. I hope to have it done by the end of the month. 

  I wish you a wonderful rest of the summer. Happy crafting!

                                          

Love a Family Get Together!

  I have been working on making a Mother's Day card for Mom from all my siblings. We are getting together for a lunch at Macaroni Grill on Sunday. We are pooling our money to give it to her so she can spend it as she wants. It's really hard to get something for Mom.

Bright and yellow

   I was inspired by a card I saw on Pinterest. It was bright and sunny and I thought Mom might like that with all the cloudy weather we have been having here. I really like the pocket I made inside to hold the cash. I used hinges made out of half inch strips that you fold down the middle and glue to the paper. Should hold everything nicely.

Love the pocket to store money.

      I made another Mother's Day card from Russ and I. I love Graphic 45 paper and have become a kind of hoarder; using this paper only on really important projects. The paper for Mom's card came from the Botanical Tea collection. Love it. Again I was inspired by a card on Pinterest, where else?  I really like the way the card

For Mom

has texture with the dotted embossing folder side and then using the
 Graphic 45 paper on the other side. I also used my new Stampin Up edgelit for my interest and to finish that side. I know Mom will like this card 'cause it has a bird on it and she is a bird watcher.
    My sisters and I just finished hosting a bridal shower for my sister, Adrianne. She is getting married in June. We are all so excited for her. We are praying for great weather.
   We have been planning this shower for months and I think it all came together and everyone had a ball .

Greeting our guests

Nautical themed decor

View from living room

     We held the shower at my sister, Chris's home. She and her husband just moved in this past winter. It was the perfect location. On the porch we put my wedding dress on a dress form and had my niece, Lindsay write on the chalkboard. She is talented .
  Mom helped out with the food preparation. The straws are holding dipped marshmallows. We all made sandwiches and dessert . I think we had plenty of food. The tables looked so nice.
  We had all seen this cupcake wedding dress on Pinterest and decided we had to try it. Andrea knew a bakery in Biddeford called Riley's, I think. They sell frosting by the bucketful. They told us how much we needed. It was the right consistency for decoration. Something I have a hard time doing at home. Chris did a great job decorating each cupcake to look like one big cake. I love how it came out.

Finished

Chris is working on the wedding cupcake dress.

 
    We made Adrianne wear the veil we bought her. She was a good sport and wore it for most of the shower. We had alot of fun that day. Can't wait

The future bride to be

until June when the whole family will be together to celebrate this wonderful event in Adrianne's life. Her fiance is a really nice guy, too.
Lenny is a great addition to our family. There will  be pics of the wedding day to come.
  I can't end my blog without a picture of our granddaughter. We babysit two days a week and are just in heaven to take care of her. I love to make her smile and can't wait until she giggles.

Evy smiling.

 I hope everyone has a perfect Mother's Day with their mother or remembering their mother's love. It is a day for families to get together and share what is happening in their lives. After all it started with a Mom and a Dad. Happy Mother's Day!

Spring is Here!!

Ribbon organizer

Sorry is has taken so long to post anything the last couple of months. We have been wicked busy with adjusting to a new schedule and organizing my craft room.
   This is just a sample of the new changes I made in my "happy place". The ribbon organizer is really a shoe organizer that did not work for me. My DH put dowels in it and it works perfectly. I just remove dowels and slide off the ribbon I want to use. Love it!
  I know it doesn't

Shelving added.

look very neat, but my DH added these shelves to the closet in my craftroom and it has really helped clean up the floor. I can actually walk into the closet. That is a first in a long while. I store pictures that should be in albums, but I am working on it. First things first, I guess.

Looks so much better.

   Another project my DH finished is putting a new top to our computer desk. It is a cheap computer desk with veneer finish which I destroyed with gluing
and cutting paper on it. Russ made a whole new top out of wood and stained it. I think it looks great. He enlarged the area some, too. Much more room, but no more gluing.

This is the crane used to lift those
pine trees over the wires. What a
job!

 We had some huge pine trees taken down this past March in an effort to clean up the yard of all those needles and pine cones we get every spring. They brought in this huge crane to lift the cut trees over the electrical wires. We sat at the window to watch. It was amazing to see how well they were able to move the trees around and not once touch anything dangerous. We were very happy with the results.

   The most important change in our lives is babysitting for our new granddaughter, Evy. She is such a joy. We are absolutely in love with her. I love to make her laugh.

Making Evy laugh.

 It is such a blessing to watch her grow up before our very eyes. There will be lots of pictures of Evy to come as we babysit two days a week.
 
 

All dressed up for Easter

 

















      This is an Easter card I made for our daughter, Kristin , who lives out in Colorado. I got the inspiration from Pinterest. I love the three crosses which gives the card a solemn feel to it. I have not made too many cards the last few months due to changing the layout of my craftroom. I will post more pics of the changes next post.

Easter card

    Time with family is so precious. We had everyone over for Easter dinner. What a great time it was. I made this Easter display for the table behind the couch. I love the showing the tomb where our Saviour

Easter display

was buried and rose again.
  I made the three crosses from twigs found outside. I also found the big rock in front of the tomb. The tomb itself is just a small pot with moss over it. I bought the small rocks to use for the bottom of planing pots. It seemed to work here too.
 The sentiment "He Lives" is made from a Spellbinders die that looks like a small book. Love this one.
  It has been a wonderful three months filled with time with family and friends. I won't wait this long to post again. I hope your Easter was a warm celebration of life, too.

Fabulous February!!!!

 Wow what a great month! We are finally grandparents and we couldn't be happier. Evelyn Marie was born on February 15th  at 8 pounds and 12 ounces. She is adorable.  We are just so in love with her.

Sleeping Beauty

  We were worried that she might be born while we were away on our Florida trip the first week in February. But she waited and we got to see her shortly after her birth. What a blessing!
  Nathaniel and Kristin are pretty tired but are doing a great job as new parents.
  I forget how small everything is on a baby from their fingers to their toes. I just love her little tongue when she sticks it out and makes cooing sounds.
  I am looking forward to getting to know her better as she gets older. We are going to babysit two days a week which is going to be such a joyous time for us.
  Anyway, we have had a great February with our trip to Disney coming before Evelyn's birth.

For Evelyn

  I couldn't resist this outfit I found
at the Disney Store. We are starting early with the Mickey/ Minnie introduction. Isn't just too cute?
   I made this card for my daughter-in-law, Kristin. She has a birthday in February along with her new baby girl.

Kristin's Birthday Card

 

Inside sentiment

 I used a two stamp method to get this rose just right. This stamp set is from Stampin Up and  is called Roses in Winter. I really love how you use a darker pink on top of the lighter pink. The die cut label is from Spellbinders. I embossed each section of the background with a different folder. I saw this technique somewhere on Pinterest. I like it alot.

  I have spent a good deal of time rearranging my craftroom to be more organized and to take out alot of furniture that I did not need. It makes my room seem way bigger. I got this idea from my sister, Chris, as she has moved to a new home and is setting up her new craftroom. I noticed how open her space was and it made me want to have that same feeling. 

  I love what I have done so far. I am not quite finished, so next time I will post some pictures of the completely finished space. I will be putting some things in my sister's yard sale this spring for someone else to use them.

  I will finish this post with a few pictures of our Disney trip. We went with my two sisters and their spouses.

Also our adopted sister, Cindy, and her spouse, Dave.  We had a great time! Can't wait to go again.

All of us having fun at Magic Kingdom.
A cast member offered to take our
picture in front of King Neptune, I think.
We did have great fun.

At Animal Kingdom on the Safari Tour. I love this picture sinec
I usually only get their hind end. The tour was great 'cause we
saw lots of animals up close. We go early morning.

Russ and I at Epcot. We have
jackets on 'cause it is a
little chilly. 

Russ outside Be Our Guest. We
had a lovely meal there for lunch.
I would recommend this place
for good eating.

The guys having fun at Downtown Disney
These t-shirt models are outside the
make your own t-shirt place.

This is the yummy case at Downtown Disney. I can''t
remember the name of this store. We go there
every time we go to Downtown Disney and get their
chocolate dipped pretzels. 

This is the new roller coaster ride at Magic Kingdom called The Seven Dwarf"s Ride.
I really liked this ride 'cause I am not a roller coaster person, but I can do
this ride. So can small children, if that tells you anything.

You have to have a Dole Whip
when you go to Magic Kingdom. I hear
they are selling these at the other
parks, too. Good move...

The Electrical Light parade at Magic Kingdom is okay. I loved
Spectromagic, but they don't do that one anymore. I
wish they would bring it back , at least the music .

This is me at Epcot. Russ took this picture and I love it
'cause the flowers look so good. We are looking forward
to going again in the fall.