Yes, I got Sick of It

One day I may have a colorful blog background, but that may be the day I stop blogging. Too much clutter for the eyes. So the leaves on the blog left just as the leaves fell down while we were away. There were more leaves than we had trashcans for. Now it's raining. Hopefully, we'll be able to get the last batch in next week's yard waste.

But hello clean-ish background again. Easier on these eyes I have to say.

Change - Just a Bit!

I was seriously getting tired of the green blog background but it seemed a nice change when I was anticipating spring. Now that we had such an early spring and then what seemed like summer, I'd had enough. One day I'll change again, just as the weather has.

Out gardening today, it felt as if we were going into fall. brrrr. But I had a few plants to put in,  some weeding to deal with before the rain comes again this week. I am so not into gardening and the prospect of bugs and TICKS this year makes it all the less appealing. But, my job it is.

But back to the blog...the only thing I still have in mind is a new header. I can't believe I totally forgot how to do that but I did so it won't be happening today! Maybe in early May.

Here's a nice photo from early morning in my kitchen. No I don't always burn a candle in the morning but I just felt like it on Sunday. Nice, huh?

btw, after seeing this photo, the candle holder went into the dishwasher! In this case, the photo didn't lie.

Whatcha Think of the New Look?

After installing a new operating system, and getting a good haircut, I just thought I might do a blog cleanup. Cleaning up the blog is more enjoyable than cleaning up the studio or house! Any thoughts on the new look? Easier to read? I do want to get rid of all the blue at some time but that's another job. I have so forgotten most of the html I once knew. Another project for another day!

I'd love to hear what you think!

Reflecting

I just made this post on Get in the Car which is my sister blog which documents a lot of our trips. I had to think what has kept me busy over the last year since I have done a lot of scrapping. Perhaps not as much as a lot of folk who have growing families they document, but a lot for me.

I looked back on the past year and thought this was the year of digital classes! They did seem to suddenly appear all over the place with the closure of many of the scrap magazines. I do miss Simple Scrapbooks the most because as I scrapped I found that 'simple' was certainly more my style. I'm not a big embellisher and realized that the use of the doo-dads of scrap-booking was what held me up the most.

But as the magazines bit the dust, a lot of the great designers turned to on-line classes. What a great opportunity for us! and I hope a good benefit for the designers who no longer had to travel so much to teach their particular skills. I've taken classes with Anna Aspnes, Ali Edwards, Cathy Zielske, Debbie Hodge, Pattie Knox and Dina Wakely. In earlier years, I'd taken some with Renee Pearson and Jessica Sprague. (Don't ask why I'm not better...the teacher can only do so much for you! The rest is native skill and practice.)


I am reminded a lot about the classes I've taken because I finally had to say NO. No more. Get caught up with a lot of other projects that have been hanging about. Then Shutterfly had another sale, and I said...ok, get two of those half done books finished and ordered! One got done last night, and I know I can get the final 5 or 6 pages done on another before Shutterfly's June 10th deadline for this sale.

I will admit I did order another class bundle to do at my own pace and in my own time. Get it Scrapped has Dina Wakely's Art Journaling classes on sale WITH downloadable videos until June 4th. I had already taken the first one and really liked having someone show me HOW to do the gesso bits etc but I started with a very small - 3"x4" - book that is taking me forEVAH to finish because drying pages take t...i..m..e. Next art journal will be much much larger and I will start with pages that "I" put together. That way a lot of the prep work can be done. I didn't think I would go in this direction but the Creative Spirit has a mind of its own.

Finally...a new winter header

I coulda shoulda - didn't - use a photo from snowmageddon 2010 but instead stuck to the tried and true food pic. I was thinking that the photo of little pretty flowers was not only out of date but probably wishful thinking for this year. Flowers are transient little things but food is constant round here.

These guys were twice the size, at least, last year.


















As I've watched the snow melt, bit by bit, I've seen the occasional serious garden damage. Falling, melting snow snapped the above plants in half. Sigh. My wonderful rosemary and lavenders are still hidden and in areas unshoveled. With my back on the mend, the only shoveling done round here is going to be by himself. I wouldn't even like to try to explain how and where he might shovel now. I've had enough gardens over the years to know that plants come and plants go. That's the cycle of life. I only hope my neighbor's fig trees have survived this year's shock trauma. I love my bowls of free figs!

NABLOPOMO

Ready to keep posting all thru November??? If you loved Blogtoberfest, then here's another way to keep the joy in your life.


Nablopomo...National Blog Posting Month keeps on keeping on.

If it's Monday the 13th

I'm at ...

BLOGHER in Washington DC!!!!!

If YOU are at blog-her....look for me and say hello.

Icon your Blog

Gotta figure this one out. Don't YOU need an icon for your blog on your Iphone? The clever instructions come from Cynthia.

Celestina Carmen had it on her desk this Wednesday. Boy you never know what you'll learn!

I think Cynthia could be my bff if she lived closer!

Wow!

Over 2,500 views of this blog, and over 5,000 views on my flickr site. Who says the internet isn't connecting us?

New Look...

Yes, I changed the layout. I was soooo tired of the brown and the narrow center. I mean, I had to go thru this renovation to get the kitchen layout I wanted, so I suspect it will be the same with the blog. It's still ME tho!!



Now it's time to learn how to make a different banner....long and slim. Learning something new is a good thing.

Note the flowers in the Banner

Just a note today that "them's there my peonies " - getting ready to pop. They were in the ground about 3+ years before they appeared as flowers, and darn it , they are not a color I love. Too bad...I'll appreciate what I've got, esp with the long incubation time!! I thought it was time to add a touch of spring to this blog.

I hope I don't miss the flowering with an upcoming trip. The cherry blossom out front bloomed while I was in the 5-day class, and I only saw it coming and going at the ends of the day. Then it rained. Then the ground was covered with matted flowers. Then they dried, and I am still trying to brush them off the bricks and walk.

Mother Nature has a sense of humor!