Releasing the Dragonfly

I took the summer off.

2011-09-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Unintentionally. Life just comes before blogging, sometimes, and I have a life to live. GET OFF MY CASE! Okay. So maybe you're not on my case. Just be nice to me and welcome me back, alrighty? I haven't been here in so long Blogger wouldn't let me in and I had to go through the whole password reset process. Jeesh.
Passive-aggressive much?

Anyway, I'm back, and I've got some sharin' to do!

Eric and I went to Niagara Falls over Labor Day weekend. We don't get to go away for fun very often, and since my birthday is August 31st, I like to designate that long weekend my "birthday weekend" and use it as an excuse to celebrate. Just a couple of pics:

We went to the Butterfly Conservatory on the Canadian side. I've been dying to get there ever since I knew it existed, but in all my trips to the Falls I never made it. Well, we headed over there on our second day of the trip, and I'll be honest, I have never seen a more mesmerizing place. Truly, I could have spent all day in there. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend it. Also, check out the pic of The Falls from the Canadian side...they really do get the better view, don't they? Oh, and look at us in the middle there, all cutesy. :)

And in other news...

We (and by "we" I mean myself and a boat load of friends) have spent the past month or so raising money for Clarabug's Quest for a Cure, and this past weekend was our picnic/walk to cap off this year's efforts. We raised almost $6,000 this year, all of which will go toward The Golisano Children's Hospital and Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY. For more info, check out the website at Clarabug.org.

Woohoo!! $6,000!! We ROCK!

I made this cute ladybug themed cake for the picnic. Check it out.

I wont tell you how incredibly frustrating certain aspects of this cake were, and I won't point out the many imperfections associated with it. I'll just say it went over VERY well, and was completely devoured, even the little ladybugs, which I made cake-ball style a la Bakerella.

More to share, soon enough...pssst...I have an apple crisp in the oven. More about that tomorrow.

And maybe a card, tomorrow, too.
;)

Thinkin' Pink

2011-06-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

Hello!! It's been WAY too long! But I'm back to crafting, and posting and I'll do my best to visit my challenge sites as much as I can to get back into the swing of things!!

In the meantime, allow me to start by sharing two of the MANY cards I created at a crop this past weekend. Some of my crafty friends and I try to get to get together a few of times per year to do this, and it always turns out to be a great time with way too much food eaten, way too little sleep, and some lovely creations! (And by the way, we started out the weekend with a Zumba class at a local elementary school. It was a fundraiser, so we thought, "What better time to Zumba?" Holy smokes. Zumba...)

Love this...the ribbon, the button, the itty-bitty feet...I thought it turned out well...what do you think?

I'm a bit proud of this one, too. Sometimes things come together just like you pictured them, you know? I LOOOVE when that happens!

All of the PP is from Basic Gray, and everything else if from my stash. I would tell you the colors of the CS, but all my supplies are all mixed up so I don't really know...I CAN tell you that they all came from PTI. (Where else?)

;)

A superstar's birthday

2011-05-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

I made this card for my nephew Dennis, whose birthday was on May 10th. Dennis is a superstar in SO many ways, and I love to tell him so! A quick google search told me that Dennis shares his day of birth with some really amazing people. There's this guy named Paul Hewson, better known to the world as BONO! Also, Fred Astaire was born on May 10 and so was Sid Viscious!! What an eclectic bunch of talented people!

The BG paper is from my stash. The stars are Grungeboard, which I inked with distress ink. The biggest one is also embossed with some glittery EP. I don't get to make cards for boys very often, so I hope Dennis doesn't think the hemp bow is too girly. I needed an accent but wanted to keep it a bit rugged, you know?

I hope everyone is FINALLY getting some sunshine...we sure have needed it here in Binghamton. And for those of you in the Southwestern United States...you're in my thoughts...hoping everyone is safe and sound...

Graduatiooooonnnnn!!!!

2011-05-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

I'm back!

I had to take a couple weeks off from blogging, crafting, and pretty much every day life so that I overcome my ridiculous procrastination problems and finish my work...but I did it, friends!

I'm now a master of Public Administration! WAHOO!!

Now I can get back to card making. What's that you say? I should be trying to find a job? Pshaw! *sly grin*

First Communion Celebration

2011-05-09T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hello! Happy Monday...or happy whatever-day-it-is that you're reading this!

This past weekend, we had loads of fun celebrating with friends for their daughter's First Communion. I really love those times when the sun is shining brightly and kids are running everywhere and I'm surrounded by laughter, great people, and amazing food. It makes me realize how truly blessed I am.

This is the card that I made for Marta. The sentiment is from a PTI sentiment set and the butterflies are from PTI's Round and Round set. The rest is from my stash...don't you love that blue leaf button? You can't tell from this pic, but the PP is embossed with glitter, as are the butterflies. That little sparkle is always perfect for a little girl, don't you think?

I also made cupcakes for the party...

Yes...cupcakes as far as the eye can see...They were a big hit!

Have a great week, friends! I'm off to finish my LAST WEEK AS A GRADUATE STUDENT!!

Finding Joy

2011-05-07T18:36:00.000-07:00

Interesting what inspires us sometimes, isn't it?

Recently, a friend was feeling overwhelmed by life in general and expressed herself on her FaceBook page. A good friend of hers, whom I have never met before, left the following comment:

"...work to find joy in whatever hits you..."

I was moved by this and it started an interesting stream of thought for me. I won't post it all here, because who wants to read a novella when they're scrolling blogs?

I will say, however, that I remind myself every day how lucky I am. My body works properly, as long as I take care of it. I receive love every day, as long as I give it. I do well in my endeavors, as long as I do my share of the work. I find joy in what hits me, as long as I look for it.

This whole stream of thought led to the creation of this card. The image is from DCWV's Travel Stack. The sentiment is from this PTI sentiments set. The flowers and ribbon are from my stash.

Where do you find joy? I'd love to hear it!

By the way, if you're interested in reading a witty, intelligent, articulate blog by a woman who writes with her "true voice" check out the page of Tobi-Dawne Smith, the mastermind behind that lovely quote up above.

Her site is a great read!

Chalk murals and stuff

2011-04-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there!!

If you read my last post with my entry for the Simply Scrapping Crafts April Blog Hop, you would have seen my link to the website of a pretty amazing artist, and I thought I'd share some more info.

My BF, Eric Maruscak, is an illustrator, graphic designer, and cartoonist, but most people know him for something else. He travels to conventions all over the country and draws GIANT CHALK MURALS of superheroes, Anime characters, cartoon and graphic novel stars. He's been to Seattle, LA, Orlando, Chicago, NY, Connecticut, Philadelphia, Baltimore....and he's drawn for companies such as Nintendo, Lucas Films, Funimation, characters from Marvel and DC comics...the list goes on.

Here are a couple of photos to get you started, but you really should hop over to his website at www.pepperink.com to get the full effect.

I strongly recommend you watch the time lapse videos of Eric's chalk murals. They average about 30 hours to complete, but the videos show the whole process in about 5 minutes. It really is quite spectacular.

I hope everyone is enjoying some sunshine, today. I'm off to put the finishing touches on my Master's thesis. Wish me luck!

Daffodil Spring - Welcome to SSC's first blog hop!

2011-04-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

HELLO!!

Are you here for the Simply Scrapping Crafts April Blog Hop??

WELCOME to their, and MY first-ever Blog Hop! I'm so excited to be a part of this madness!

Our theme for this hop was "Seasons." The mission: Create a design keeping our own part of the world's current season in mind. Well, we're in Spring here in Central NY, and all it's done is rain, rain, rain! I try not to gripe about it, though. It just means sunny days and warm breezes are right around the corner!

To me, Spring means daffodils. I adore them for all their brightness and uniqueness, (honestly, what other flower is shaped so crazy?) as well as their resilience. I didn't have a daffodil stamp and couldn't find a digi I liked...I considered taking a photo of one lone daffodil that is growing next to my house, but no time for all that. What to do...what to do...

Lucky for me, the love of my life is a super-talented artist. When he came home from work and I said, "Can you draw me a daffodil?" (and I won't lie, I might have batted my eyelashes a little...) he said, "Sure." Friends, I watched over his shoulder as he sketched out this lovely flower in about 3 minutes on a piece of cardstock.

I colored it in with a combo of Marvy Brush Markers and colored pencils (no yellow or orange Copic in my life right now) I fussy-cut it and struggled with the perfect layout. Tough. So I decided that the flower was too spectacular for a layout and just placed it on the card. It needed a stem, though, so guess what!? I drew one! Not the real artist in the house! ME!

The butterflies were cut from an old calendar page that I had in my stash, and the sentiment is from Stampin Up!'s Friendship Blooms set (now retired.) I added the bow for a little extra color.

Happy Spring, and WELCOME to everyone!

Interested in joining the SSC community and/or getting involved in future hops??
Go here!

Back where I came from

2011-04-25T06:14:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I made a rare visit back to my hometown and spent some time with family. You know how these visits go: zipping around to try and spend "just enough" time with loved ones, and that "just enough" is never really "enough," is it? Also, there were a few people missing, but I'm hoping to rectify that the MOMENT I get this darn Master's Degree out of the way! (Just a few more weeks!)

While I was there, I hung out with my seven-year-old nephew, Nolan, and his little sister, 5-month-old Samantha. I snagged some iPhone shots and filtered them with this AMAZING iPhone app called Instagram. I have many, but thought I'd share two of them.

This is Nolan. Looking very. Very. Serious. Actually, he was trying to pretend he didn't want his pic taken and was attempting fake crankiness. I think it's a perfect shot. The filter is called 'Gotham.'

Here's Samantha. Can you get over those eyes of hers? I think the filter I used for this was 'Nashville.'

And what did YOU do, this weekend?

Design challenges...whew!

2011-04-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

When I saw Simply Scrapping Crafts' Sketch Challenge for this week, I got excited because it perfectly matched a card that I was already working on.

(I know what you're saying: "Excited? Really? You're a big dork, Mary." Whatevs. Don't judge me.)

I kept thinking this needed another element, but since the background is so busy, I decided to go with it and just leave it as it was. The PP is Basic Grey, the sentiment and the butterflies are from PTI's Round and Round Collection. (I know I use that a lot. I LOVE IT!) Everything else is from the ol' stash.

This week's Friday CAS challenge was to incorporate paper piecing into the design. I am not typically a paper-piecer and I don't have a lot of stamps that lend themselves to that technique, but I did what I could do, deciding to make a bookmark (or a tag) instead of a card.

The doves (from Inkadinkadoo's Good News set) are stamped on a PP scrap (Basic Grey, I think) and embossed. The flowers and leaves are from SU!'s Botanical Blooms set, and are cut out veeerrryyy carefully.The BG is colored with a Copic.

I know the pic is a bit overexposed. It's a gloomy day outside and I'm impatient. Again, no judgement. ;)

Hey there everyone, just a thought: While you are celebrating whatever holiday suits your fancy this weekend, please take a few moments and look around, and appreciate the gifts we're received from Mother Earth.
And please, please, give Greetings and Thanks to Each other as People.
Be Kind.

Monochrome Love

2011-04-17T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hi and Happy Day!

I created this card for the April 15th challenge at Simply Scrapping Crafts.

The challenge was to make the design monochromatic, or varying shades of just one color. I decided to go out on a limb and make mine all shades of cream, or eggshell, or off-white...you choose what you think it is.

Did I do alright? What do you think?

I used hand-made paper that my friend Katie gave to me a few years ago and have never really pulled out. I love how the pieces of twine swirl through the BG paper. Such a cool idea. I used a slightly difference shade for the heart. Sentiment is from the Good News stamp set by Inkadinkado.

It's stamped with Tim Holtz's Antique Linen Distress Ink.

Speaking of handmade paper, stay tuned for a review and some fun projects made from my talented friend Kim's handmade paper!

Have a lovely day!

Barry's Birthday Turtle

2011-04-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

I'd like to present to you my first ever digital stamp! WOOOHOOOOOOOH!!

How CUTE is this turtle?
My friend Hadassah contacted me to ask if I could come up with a card on the quick for her boyfriend Barry's Birthday. (Say THAT sentence three times fast!) She told me he dug turtles and that he liked things "cute". (Even revealing the little stuffed kitty he keeps next to his bed...teehee!)
Ahem. Sorry, Barry.
So, because I didn't have a turtle-ish stamp, I went on a search and I found this adorable digi over at
Making Our Mark.

He is colored with a combo of Marvy Brush Markers, Copics, and colored pencils. The sentiment is from PTI's Round and Round set, and the HURRY! letters are just a printed font/cut/glue job.
(Is that cheating? I hope not! Cause I did it!)
The background PP is Basic Grey.

Oh, and I got a little help from my super-perfect, super-talented, boyfriend, Eric Maruscak, to add a bit of texture on the ground around the turtle. It was a perfect touch.

Enjoy your birthday, Barry!! I hope you take lots of time to "Celebrate Today!"

Happy First Birthday, Liam!

2011-04-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Our friends Kim and Jason have this amazing little boy called Liam.

He is sweet, and smart, and hilarious.

Truly, this boy will brighten your day no matter what might bring you down.

Unbelievably, Liam turns ONE, this week!

We were lucky enough to attend Liam's party this past weekend, and here is the card that I made for him.

Not that he cared. Babies don't care about cards, ya know.

But how could I not? He's pretty special, after all.

The PPs are both from DCWV's Nana's Kids Collection.

The sock monkey is a loose rubber stamp from that same giant collection as my last post, which I colored in with Copics and colored pencils.

It's a beautiful day here in Binghamton! I hope the sun is shining on you, wherever you are!

I'm sweet on you!

2011-04-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

I made this simple card for the April 8 CAS challenge at Simply Scrapping Crafts. What do you think?

I actually really like it.

The PP is (can you guess?) Basic Grey, of course.The sentiment and sweets are from a giant set of loose rubber stamps that I have had forever, and are stamped on PTI cardstock (I don't know the color name, sorry...) and embossed with white.

Leave me a comment, I'd love to hear what you think!

Enjoy your weekend! We're off to celebrate our little friend Liam's first birthday! YAY!

Asian inspired...and cake!

2011-04-03T15:07:00.000-07:00

I can't say that I'm totally in love with how this card turned out, but since I was trying some new things, I thought I'd post it.

I stamped that UH-MAZING Inkadinkado background stamp on gray CS withVersaMagic chalk ink in Red Magic. The little Chinese symbol stamps are from Hero Arts, and they say Love, Good Luck, Longevity, and Health. (Or at least, that's what the package tells me. If someone thinks or knows differently, feel free to drop me a line.) I embossed those to really make them pop, and I think it worked. The branch is from a set called (I think) Branches, but I don't have the packaging anymore, and I can't remember where they're from! HELP!

Please ignore those silly swirls around the edges.

They didn't come out like I pictured in my head. Don't you hate that?

Like, sometimes you realize you should have just left well enough alone, you know?

Oh, well. How about some cake?

Texas Sheet Cake. Downsized. (I used The Pioneer Woman's recipe, cut it in half, and baked it in a 9-inch round pan for a dinner with my book club, last night.) It ain't pretty, but it was goooo-ood!

Friends 'til the end

2011-04-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Saturday!

Today's card is for the April CAS challenge at Simply Scrapping Crafts. Do you need a little motivation to get into your craft room and start pulling things out? Join these guys. They have all sorts of challenges going on, every day. (I heart these challenge things. It's a great excuse to get crafty.)

The PP is Basic Grey. (Die-hard fan, over here.) The flower is a die-cut, and the sentiment is a rub-on.

Do you see the little grommets at the bottom? Cute, huh?

What do you think?

OOH!! One more thing!!

I want to wish a WELCOME TO THE WORLD to a most beautiful baby girl,

Brooke Rose Vielkind.
Born 3/31/2011

Little one, I hope you know how lucky you are to have been born into the family that you have.

I can't wait to meet you.
Love, "Aunt" Mary
(And please don't be mad at me when I accidentally call you "Brookie." It's just what I do.)

2011-04-01T10:27:00.001-07:00

Warm Wishes

Warm wishes, indeed! We could use some here in Binghamton. Gloom, gloom, gloom. I suppose all the rain and chilly temps mean that spring, and SUNSHINE is on the way though, right?

I made this card for the final March Challenge over at Simply Stamping Crafts .

Unfortunately, I submitted it too late for it to make the challenge. Woopsie!!
Oh well. Congrats to the winners and I'll try to be more diligent, next time!!

The PP is a scrap from my stash and the green embossed CS is from some that Dana Cuttle-bugged for me. The flowers and the leaves stamp is from Stampin' Up!'s Botanical Blooms set, and the sentiment is from one of those nifty little acrylic sets you find in the dollar bin. I added that fun fluffy ribbon at the top for some extra texture.

I wanted to share this amazing video that I came across that reminds us to take time and enjoy our time here on Earth, and to appreciate the gifts we've been given.

Imagination

2011-03-27T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, and happy-almost-Spring to you!

Today's post is a card that I had actually forgotten I'd made, until I uncovered it while cleaning up my craft area.

*SMILE*

The deep purple (plum?) CS is from a package of textured card stock that I've had for ages but forget to pull out, most of the time. Both the pussy willow image (stamped in Spring Rain) and the sentiment (stamped with a watermark and embossed with silver EP) are from Tim Holtz's Nature's Discovery collection for Stampers Anonymous. The brads in the corners are a soft lavender, even though they're showing up kind of pink in the photo.

Hope you're all enjoying a little sunshine, wherever you are.
Have a great week!

Welcome Baby

2011-03-24T07:34:00.000-07:00

Hey, Friends!

Today's card is brought to you by the color PINK! I don't usually go all-out girly like this, but sometimes it's ok, no? Yes? Of course it is! (Especially when one of your best friends is about to have a baby girl ANY DAY NOW!! YAY! Go, Nelson!!)

This card is my entry into a challenge over at Simply Scrapping Crafts. We were instructed to use only one stamp - just one - on a design. This isn't usually an issue for me, as I tend to use just one image or sentiment on a card and then focus more on my PP and LO, but for this one I found myself WANTING to use some of the cute images I have. Instead, I drew this little carriage (pram? I love that word) on an old piece of Basic Grey and then just cut out the pieces. I know the wheels are screwy...don't judge me, I don't claim to be an artist.
Everything you see is from my stash. PPs are from Basic Grey, polka dot ribbon is (I think) Papertrey Ink, and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Round and Round collection.

I'm here for you.

2011-03-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

My friend is feeling blue. So I thought I'd send her a little pick-me-up. And I couldn't resist using some spring-y colors! (At this point in Central/upstate NY, all we want is SPRING!!)

Not that a pretty card is going to solve all of life's problems, but everyone likes a special surprise in the mail, just for them, right?

Everything you see here is from my stash and the sentiment is from Papertrey Ink's Round and Round set.

French bread and lemon bars

2011-03-03T07:49:00.000-08:00

Well, HELLO!!

Sometimes I get overly excited about visiting friends. And I like to bake. A lot. I use it as a relaxation tool, a procrastination tool, a gift-giving tool, and a way to feed my pretty much constant craving for sweets. So when we were invited over for dinner with our friends the Murphys and their way-cool daughters, I started thinking about what I could contribute.

FRENCH BREAD!
That's your cue!!

This is a great recipe that I found at food.com.

This bread was really delicious...the crust was crispy and chewy, and the inside was perfectly...well...bread. Six year old Abby Murphy even said it was "so yummy she didn't need butter on it." How can you argue with a review like that? I (and Abby Murphy) highly recommend you make it.

I also made lemon bars. I decided to try the Weight Watchers recipe and after one disastrous failed attempt (long story - I'll spare you...let's just say you need to make sure you have powdered sugar in the house BEFORE you start baking. Sigh.)

These were so good...take a look.

Once upon a time in my life (for like the first 25 years of it) I REALLY disliked lemon bars. I know what you're saying. I don't know what's wrong with me, either.

Lemon bar Jenga. Fun if you're a thrill seeker. Not so much if you plan to eat them.

Happy Birthday!

2011-01-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

My friend Marta is turning 8!!

Marta is a fantastic girl: hilarious and giggly and outgoing and smart and ARTISTIC!! She loves to draw and really likes those "learn to draw" books. So, for her birthday, along with a book on how draw princesses, crowns, fairies, and castles AND a package of wicked-cool colored pencils, we picked up a drawing tablet.

Now, this is not suitable for a little girl. Well, it might be, but certainly not one as special as Marta.

So I blinged it out.

(You can't tell from the photo, but it's way blingy, thanks to green and purple Stickles and magenta EP.)

I also made her a card. Cute, huh?

Marta's party is tomorrow. Her mom says there will be about 24 kids there. Is she CRAZY??

I'll post again soon, if I survive.

Butternut Squash Pie

2011-01-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

Hello!

Just a few days ago, I wound up with some extra butternut squash after roasting some up with potatoes for dinner. (Which, by the way, is one of our current favorite side dishes...) I wondered what I'd do with my remaining squash until I got a brainstorm! PIE! Whoda' thunk it? Well, plenty of people, it turns out. I went on a recipe search and found so many variations... since Martha doesn't usually do me wrong, I started with this Martha Stewart recipe. I didn't use her pie recipe, but I did use her ginger snap crust recipe, since I'm not a fan of making - or eating, for that matter - regular pie crust, and I had a box of ginger snaps on hand. I wound up using THIS recipe, since the required ingredients coincided with those in the cupboard at my time of pie-making motivation.

The finished product...er...masterpiece.

I whipped up a little nutty praline topping for our slices with pecans, brown sugar, and butter. I could eat that stuff all by itself, to be completely honest.

Oh lordy...this is just getting better and better...

The verdict...DE-LISH!

This is somewhere between a pumpkin pie and a sweet potato pie...but didn't really taste like either. It tasted like....well, pureed squash with lots of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and brown sugar. And that's a flippin' delicious combination. I highly recommend you try making one NOW, or you know...invite me over for a pot luck and I'll bring you one.

Getting ready to scrap!

2010-09-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

HOLA!

I'm registered once again for the Scrappin' For a Cure Fundraiser. This is an event put on a couple of times a year by my friends the Condies. They lost their little girl about 7 years ago to Leukemia. Through their organization, Clarabugs's Quest for a Cure, they have put so much effort into raising funds to fight childhood illnesses, and have been impressively successful. The funds raised from Scrappin' For a Cure will be donated to benefit the new children's hospital in Syracuse. Follow the link above to read more about the organization, check out the newsletter, make a donation, get involved, or just send a note.
I'm looking forward to some time with the girls, and hopefully I'll come home with lots of new goodies (crafty AND delicious!) to post about!

This time the event is to be held in Geneva, NY. A close friend to the cause and her beautiful daughter, Jade, have been so kind to donate their big, beautiful Victorian home for the weekend, and we're all looking forward to gettin' girly and spending the weekend scrapbooking, chatting, listening to music, and eating. Oh, did I mention the eating? We do plenty of that...more than I want to think about, right now. It's one of those events where you just keep eating because everyone brings their own fave snacks to share...I don't know what I'm going to make. I'm thinking something Fall-y and Apple-y...

like maybe Joy the Baker's Apple Tarte Tatin.

But probably not. Love you Joy...but that looks like it might be too difficult and might not hold up to the drive.
That looks more like something I should make during a quiet snowy night at home with my sweetie.With some cocoa. Oh lordy, bring on the snow.

Maybe I'll make Bakerella's Easy Apple Cake. This might be the winner. It looks like it'll hold up just fine, and the more that topping soaks in, the better it gets. I'll bet money on that one.

If all else fails, I can make Brown Eyed Baker's Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling. Oh my goodness...

Then there's Dana over at Kismet Art and Life. Her Sugar Cream Pie looks GOOD! Sugar and Cream. Two of my best buds.

It'll be a tough decision, to be sure. Maybe I'll just save the goodies for home and grab some Halloween candy to bring with me. Hehe.

Shrimp and grits. Part one.

2010-09-13T16:25:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer that our tastes change as we grow up and honestly, there are many many things that I will happily eat now that I didn't like when I was younger. Here's proof. Eric and I went on a little overnight slip-away recently, and for those that know me, they will be shocked by this revelation.

You ready?

I ate a pancake.
I did.
I won't say any more, because this would turn into a very long blog post. Just let it be known that I ate a pancake. Granted, it had chunks of fresh peaches in it. Granted, it was made from scratch in the gorgeous kitchen of a lovely B and B. Granted, it doesn't mean I'm going to order pancakes from any menu, anytime soon.
But whatever.
I ate the darn thing.
And I liked it.

When I was a kid, I detested grits. REALLY detested them. I don't know if its the texture, or the flavor (or lack of) or if I was just served some nasty grits at some point and never ever tried them again.I think it's time I tried 'em again, and I'm going to start with this recipe for shrimp and grits from Joy the Baker. Have you checked out her page, yet? I have mentioned her before. You should go look. She is fabulous.
And if grits still suck, I can eat shrimp and bacon. And cheese. How can I go wrong?

I bought polenta. Baby steps...

There is going to be a problem...

2010-09-07T14:32:00.000-07:00

...if I don't stop eating this bread.

I made this today because I thought making bread sounded better on Labor Day than doing homework. I cut one of the loaves in half because I wasn't sure it was completely baked through. (I used 2 small loaf pans as opposed to one big one, and had to adjust the baking time.) When I cut into the hot loaf and the steam escaped...E-GADS! The aroma just 'bout knocked me over. What's a girl to do? That's right. Taste it. And share the super-simple recipe, of course.

From The Compassionate Cook by PETA and Ingrid Newkirk

Herb and Onion Bread

1/2 cup soy milk (I used 1% - No soy in the house.)

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp margarine

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 lukewarm water

2 1/4 c. unbleached or whole wheat all-purpose flour

1/2 small onion minced

1/2 tspn dried dill

1 tsp crushed dried rosemary

Heat the milk until tiny bubbles form around the edge of the pan and stir in the sugar, salt and margarine. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water. add the cooled soymilk mixture, flour, minced onion, and herbs, ans stir well with a wooden spoon. When the dough is smooth, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise in a warm place until triple in bulk, about 45 mins.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir the dough down and beat vigorously for a few mins, then turn into a greased bread pan. Let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes and bake for an hour.

As always, my posts come with a disclaimer. Adventurous girl that I am...hehehe. As I said, I used the 1% milk. I also used my AWESOME Kitchenaid Mixer with the dough hook attachment to mix it, not a wooden spoon. It just needed a little help at the end to mix in the flour, which I did by hand. (Keep a close eye on it if you do this. If it gets overmixed by the mixer, you'll need to add a tablespoon or so of flour to get it out of the bowl. Don't ask me how I know that.)

Also, I didn't have either dill or rosemary in the cupboard. I know. I suck. BUT what I did have was this incredible herb mixture that Dana made for me for a former b-day. I keep it locked up airtight and it's just as fresh as can be. I use it to season stuff. A tablespoon of it went into the bread. And it was a GREAT idea. I know. I rock.

This was supposed to go into the freezer for use at a later date. As it stands, only one loaf is making it to the freezer.

Happy birthday to me!

2010-09-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Where have I been, you ask? I'll tell you where. Holed up in my kitchen. Why, you ask? I had a birthday. And I got the BEST GIFT EVER!! Now, don't get me wrong. After ALL of these 29th birthdays I keep having, I have discovered that good food, good sleep, good company, and good lovin' from my honey bunny is about the best I could want. No complaints. But sometimes a little guilty pleasure is ok, right? Right? Yes? Please say yes.

BEHOLD!

Yes. That is the 600 Series Professional Mixer from Kitchenaid. In EMPIRE RED. My amazing boyfriend hooked up with some of our friends and a few family members to get me this beauty for my birthday. I am in love. With my boyfriend, with my friends and family, and with this mixer.

Bread. I've been making bread. I'm very slloooowly working on reducing processed foods from my diet. I could go on forever about that, but I'll just leave you with a few pics of homemade bread.

I made my own ciabatta. All I know is that it smells amazing. I'll let ya know how it goes over after dinner, tonight. And yes. My kitchen counter pretty much always looks like that.

Italian Herb. Yum.

Banana Bread. With coconut. Because I love coconut. Why else?

Somebody just do the right damn thing already, please? (Time for a rant...)

2010-07-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Honestly, at this point in history, does your political affiliation really matter? IMHO, it doesn't.

This country is a mess. We are destroying the environment every day and getting away with it by calling it "economic development." I live in Broome County in the Souther Tier of NYS, and like most of the southern end of NYS and most of PA and W. Virgina...we are sitting directly on top of the Marcellus Shale. It's pretty much a fact that hydraulic fracturing is coming to NY very soon, and it's coming heavy.

Sadly, I'm beginning to think about what to do in a year when I graduate from BU because I can't imagine living in a place that would knowingly contaminate the watersheds and force people off the property that they have lived on for years...whatever. This blog could become very long if I get on that soapbox.

And now I read every day about the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico. And I think our hands are tied. We are the mercy of the oil and gas companies, and whatever corrupt shit is going on in the White House. Is it really a democracy if you can't trust the people in charge to do what's right? When you know, because of legislation that was passed a year or so ago...government and billion-dollar corporations are more in "cahoots" now that they ever were? Don't get me wrong, I think Obama's got some great ideas, but I think he's idealistic and I don't see a whole lot of action coming from him. In over your head much, Mr. President?

I try to remain optimistic. I love my life. Things are going really, really well. I don't know if I can remember a time when I was happier. And I know there are people out there every single day busting their butts and banging their heads against walls trying to make things better. But I'm scared.

I came across this video that a friend posted on Facebook and thought I would share. Watch it if you want. But I think this guy says it better than anyone I have heard, so far, when he says "just do the right damn thing..."

Wilton Classes Update

2010-07-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Hey there, friends!
So, I finished the first round of my Wilton decorating classes. Very basic stuff. I had to decorate a cake for the final class. Here it is, in all it's glory...

This is a strawberry cake with a strawberry cream-cheese filling between the layers. And of course, buttercream icing. I am not a fan of buttercream, to be honest. To me, a cake needs to make me want to take a big ol' bite out of it, and I prefer loads of lovely frosting (note, that says FROSTING) swirled about. Globbed on. I don't want to fight with my frosting to make it perfectly smooth on the cake...in my opinion, that doesn't look like a real cake. It looks like cardboard. Doesn't make me want to bite it.

Yeah, I have issues with smooth frosting. And, obviously, making all my flowers uniform. I think it adds character, don't you?

In the next round of classes, Flower and Cake Design, we learn...well...flower and cake design is my guess. And we start working with fondant. Yee-Haw.

By the way, Eric...apparently...feels like this cake is something that he can take a bite of...

Banana - Blueberry Coffee Cake

2010-06-30T20:10:00.000-07:00

I often find myself with bananas that have gone over to the dark side. Don't you? Bananas that have turned to a new purpose beyond being edible through the peel-and-eat method. Sometimes it makes me sad, because I like bananas, very much. But they must NOT be mushy for my consumption. And when the mush sets in, there is only one thing left to do with them. You know what I'm about to say, don't you? That's right, you put 'em in the freezer until you have time to bake up something luscious with them.

Sometimes that takes awhile. I'm a busy girl. But today I realized that not only did I have bananas in the freezer, I had a carton of FRESH blueberries in the fridge! Oh, what to do...what to do...well, through the magic of search engines...(remember the days before search engines? No? Me, neither.)...I found this recipe for banana blueberry muffins. Sounded good, sounded simple, sounded like something I could throw together in the hour or so I had to kill. Go check it out. (Note: I did NOT use whole wheat flour. I don't care for it...it does NOT taste the same, so don't try to convince me! I will stand my ground on this one!) But I used everything else the recipe called for EXCEPT...!

I wanted a coffee cake, not muffins. So I baked it in a sprayed 8X8 and I mixed up a dish of my tried and true fave crumbly topping of flour, cinnamon, brown sugar and butter. I should admit now that while I was supposed to be mixing it until it got crumbly, I got distracted in my thoughts and mixed it too much. It wasn't crumbly. I had to sort-of spread it on top of the batter. Whoops. No matter. The result was stupendous. I might just over-mix again sometime soon.

P.S. Doesn't my boyfriend take good pics? He's so dreamy. You should go see the fant-ab-u-lous work that he does over at his website, www.pepperink.com

Be prepared to be wowed.

New happenings 'round here...

2010-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have started a new "thing" that I have ALWAYS wanted to do...I am taking the Wilton cake decorating classes at my local Michael's. I had my first class this past Wednesday, and...well...ok, the whole class was centered around making butter cream frosting and practicing with the #18 star tip. Come on, Wilton, I have been using that star tip since I was, like...4 years old! Just kidding. Maybe I was 5. (My mom used to make Wilton shaped cakes for ALL of our birthdays and holidays and I swear, I was pretty young when I first used that tip!) But either way, the instructor was super-nice and it was cool to have a group to talk frosting with. Next week, we progress to actually decorating a cake. Woot!

The other new adventure is that I'm building a new blog. This new one will be exclusively for edible favors...weddings, showers, whatever kind of party someone is having for which they might need some sweet treats. I'm still building it, making samples to post, and figuring out pricing, so I'm not actually sending anyone there, yet. But when I do, be sure to look and tell your friends! This broke grad student needs to make some dough (no pun intended) and why not do it while engaging in one of my favorite past times? Baking delicious treats (and making a mess of my kitchen)? *WINK*

I have some great ideas for favors, including...ummm...WHAT? You thought I was going to tell you?! You will just have to go to the blog (when it's ready) and find out!

Those people at Wilton are geniuses, and I'm not just saying that to get a free class out of the deal. (Wait, can that happen? I'll hype them all they want if that'll work!) I have always loved their shaped cakes. I have a few, and my mom had a bunch when we were kids. But this one takes the cake (another pun, hehe). I love this giant cupcake pan. It's awesome and versatile. And I want it. So if y'all need my address to send a few pennies to the "Get Mary The Awesome And Versatile Wilton Giant Cupcake Pan" fund, let me know and I will send it to you promptly. Hehe again.

Ooh ooh. One more thing. I joined the Sweet Melissa Sundays baking group! I'll be baking a delicious recipe from Melissa Murphy's The Sweet Melissa Baking Book, this weekend. I can't blog about it until it is my turn to host :-( but I can't wait to get started working on all the sweet goodies in that book!

I hope everyone's summers are getting off to a great start and that you too are engaging in some new adventures!

Sopapilla cheesecake pie

2010-05-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Let me cut right to the chase, here. I needed a dessert to take with me to a "Taco Night" dinner, and I remembered this recipe for Sopapilla Cheesecake Pie, that I came across some time ago. (I really just wait for an excuse to bake these wonderful little gems that I find...and dinner with friends?? WHY NOT?!) Check my lovely, drool-worthy pics...I'll just let them do (most of) the talking.

Cream cheese. Sugar. Vanilla. Frick yeah, I'll have some.

Spread it on the bottom crust...and then add a layer of crescent roll dough on top of it...(I didn't photograph that...it really just wasn't that pretty.)

Don't forget the butter...and sugar...and cinnamon...just wipe it all over the top...I know...gettin' crazy, huh?

Don't forget the honey drizzle the second it comes out of the oven. I wish this pic did justice to the way that honey sparkled on the hot topping.

Let it cool 100% before you cut it!! I'm impatient - I gave it 20 mins and then stuck it in the fridge...I know, instant gratification, blah blah blah...it was worth it.

Yep, I do believe we have a winner.

Just a quick note,,,

2010-04-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

...to say happy spring! I think it's finally here, for real! It's been rainy off and on, but with gorgeous, glorious sunshine in between and everything here in Binghamton is sprouting with bright greens and...

PINKS!

These blossoms are one my fave signs of spring, and they hold a special memory of sweetness for Eric and I from when we were just getting to know each other, so when I noticed them across the street from my house, I got a big goofy grin on my face and that warm fuzzy feeling...ok, ok...I will spare you the sap and not tell the story...moving on...ahem...

Another sure sign of spring...a friend posted this to his facebook page the other day and I just had to save it for myself. I wish I could think these things were awesome, but for some reason they just give me the heebie-jeebies. I think it's because I had an unfortunate incident once where I came across a rather enormous one when I was moving some furniture and...well, let's just say I didn't notice the big fella until after the bottom of my shoe did. I don't generally gross out very easily, but it took me a few moments to recover from that one...

ANYWAY. Moving on, once again. Just wanted to say I hope you're all enjoying life and nice weather and gearing up for EARTH DAY's 40th anniversary on April 22! (40 years! Can you believe it?? Those hippies sure were onto something, don't ya think??) Do something special for the planet every day, my lovelies! It'll sure pay off in the end! (Oh, and watch out for snails, because some days don't we all feel like a big slug with a heavy shell on our backs?)

Birthday for a friend...

2010-03-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

Wow! FINALLY! My BFF Dana's birthday was March 15th. (The ides.....Beware of her...) Happy belated to Dana!

I don't know what was happening at the P.O. this past 2 weeks, but it took 12 days for to get the package that I sent to her! Grr....But why dwell? She let me know today that she got the package, and was in awe and joy over the contents. (Ok, she didn't say AWE, but I know her pretty well. That's what she meant, I'm sure.)
And I'm thrilled because now I can blog about it. Forgive the pic quality because, once again, I used my cell phone for the photos and am too unmotivated to try to fix them on my computer. I don't have a high-enough quality photo program for that. Maybe one day...in the meantime, please bare with me.

This is actually the lid from a box of Godiva Truffles that I received for Christmas. (Yes, the truffles are long gone. I ALWAYS appreciate a box of Godiva Truffles. Hint-hint.) Anyway, I covered it with this beautifully-patterned paper that I found at Jo-Ann during one of their awesome paper sales. The owl was part of the paper, I cut it out and, after wrapping a couple lengths of PTI Perfect Match ribbon around the box top, I glued on the owl. The tag was from my stash, and the "enjoy" image was one of those awesome little stamp sets that you find in the dollar bin at crafts stores...you know the ones I mean. And what's INSIDE the box, you ask? See for yourself.

O.M.G. sometimes I just love Wegman's bulk candy bins.

Above is the matching card. Again, tag from my stasheroonie, and "Make a Wish" was from that same nifty little stamp set. Again, I apologize for the pic quality. Those flowers are SO much more colorful in real life!! And this is my fave part...

The paper also had this beautiful bird almost hidden in the pattern of the paper, but I found it! AH-HA! It just wouldn't go on the outside of the card, so I hid it inside. It fit so perfectly. Love it.

I also made Dana a CD of some of the old faves and some newer music that I thought she might like, along with some songs that reminded me of our friendship...she says she's going to listen on her way to work tomorrow...there is even a little surprise hidden in there....teeheehee...I hope she likes it!

Oh, one last thing...Eric and I are going to a Masquerade Ball this weekend. We went last year, and I wore a rather elegant Marilyn-style dress with my hair all pretty and my makeup all sparkly, and a glittery butterfly mask...This year I'm going for a different look...below is a little tease....hee!

Sunshine....

2010-03-26T12:43:00.000-07:00

....makes me happy. Doesn't matter what the temp is. Just sayin'.

So how could I not blog about this? I like to experiment with my cooking and baking. So when I saw this recipe over at my friend Joy The Baker's blog, how could I not try it? Did you go look at her blog? You should, she rocks...I'll wait. Just make sure you come back. (Actually, I have never met Joy. She lives in Cali. But she feels like my friend. Someday I want to spend a day in her kitchen with her...until then, *sigh* I'll just try to re-bake her recipes.)

Anyway, if you looked, you would see that she is adventurous, too, and she made a cake and frosting with avocado. Stop looking so surprised. I told you, she rocks. I trust her. So I wanted to make them, too. (I want to be twinsies with Joy The Baker.) So I did. Here is the recipe (in case you really ARE too intrigued with my blog to go see hers.)

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Avocado

makes 2 8-inch rounds or 2 thinner 9-inch rounds

from Vegetarian in the Middle East

3 cups all-purpose flour

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used almond oil)

1/2 cup soft avocado, well mashed, about 1 medium avocado

2 cups water

2 Tablespoons white vinegar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 8 or 9-inch rounds. Set aside.

Sift together all of the dry ingredients except the sugar. Set that aside too.

Mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl, including the super mashed avocado.

Add sugar into the wet mix and stir.

Mix the wet with the dry all at once, and beat with a whisk (by hand) until smooth.

Pour batter into a greased cake tins. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely before frosting with avocado buttercream.

Avocado Buttercream Frosting

from Alton Brown

8 ounces of avocado meat, about 2 small to medium, very ripe avocados

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 pound powdered sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Peel and pit the soft avocados. It’s important to use the ripest avocados you can get your hands on. If the avocados have brown spots in the meat, avoid those spots when you scoop the meat into the bowl.

Place the avocado meat into the bowl of a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Add lemon juice and whisk the avocado on medium speed, until slightly lightened in color and smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat. Add vanilla extract until combined. If not using right away, store in the refrigerator. Don’t worry. It won’t turn brown!

Now, let me explain a few things...

First of all, I like coconut. A LOT. So, I put a little in the batter. Whatever, it added a little extra munch. I'm thinking coarsely chopped nuts would add something, as well. Second of all, Wegman's didn't have ripe avocados. This irritated me. But I had my heart set on baking this, today, so I bought what they had. I had a VERY hard time smashing them, but just when I thought my frustration would get the better of me, I tried just putting them into the food processor and whipping the crap out of them. Seriously. I turned it on and walked away. Low and behold, it worked! What's that you say? You want pics? Here you go.

This is the frosting. Yep, it really is that color. This was before I added coconut to that, too. I told you, I love

the stuff. Also, I didn't exactly follow the recipe. I didn't measure out the sugar...I just kept pouring it in until the frosting was to the sweetness and consistency I liked. I recommend you do the same.

I have this nifty little pan for making things bite-size. I love it. You want a bite? Seriously, this is tiny. And delicious. You are still questioning that, aren't you? I can tell. Believe me, if these little cupcakes had crapped out on me, I wouldn't be posting about them. The cake is moist and just the right sweetness, and the frosting really is good. Just....a lovely shade of Gak green.

Maybe you want many bites?

I read that adding a little cocoa powder to the frosting is good...hmmm...chocolate avocado frosting? Don't mind if I do. So for the last few, that's what I did. They were right. It is good. I think I even prefer it.

Oh, yeah...I also put some veggie kabobs into the fridge in some super-delicious marinade. Can't wait to grill these up, tomorrow. Yes, that's right. I said grill. 40 degrees be darned. Here in Central NY, WE decide when spring comes, and I say it's grillin' time. Have a great weekend, everyone!!Much love!

Happy Sunny St. Patrick's Day, Everyone!

2010-03-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Goooood morning!!

It's such a sunny beautiful day, I hear birds singing and have my kitchen door open, and this all just makes me so very, very happy, right now.
It has been truly beautiful here in Binghamton, lately...I know it's only mid-march and they are forecasting a little bit more snow for next week...and I'm aware that there will probably be another storm before I can feel like spring has really sprung, but for now I'm going to PRETEND it's here, ok?

So, just a few things to share, today...the first is this lovely picture of my kitchen window. Aren't you excited to see my kitchen window? I am, and I will tell you why. My kitchen is a little bit dreary. It's tiny, shaped funny, and for some reason, has BROWN INDOOR-OUTDOOR carpeting in it. True story. I think my landlord fell on his head at some point, because the bathroom does, too. Same carpet. The rest of the place has uncovered hardwood, but the kitchen and bathroom...*sigh* I could go on and on, but I will spare you.

There is a second reason for the picture to excite me!! The plants are alive!!! I am infamous for plant-killing. I have the blackest thumb I know. HOWEVER! See those leafy green plants on the left and right? I have had them since just before I moved into this place, in early September. Not only are they still alive, they are GROWING! They were much tinier than that when I put them on that sill. (I don't even know what they are...the tag just says "houseplant" so that is what I call them. Hee.) This is a record, my friends. I have NEVER kept a plant alive this long. (I should note that this is not all my doing. They appear to be quite hearty...if they start to dry out, they let me know by drooping their leaves down. I give them a little water and they spring right back up!) I picked up the Crocus and the Hyacinth last week at Wegmans ($2 each!) and they hadn't bloomed yet. As soon as I put them in that window, they sprouted all over the place!
So please, share in my glee over the life of my kitchen window. Really. Don't feel TOO sorry for me over the stupid brown carpet. Just love my window with me, ok?

Happy Birthday to all of my Pisces friends! For some reason, I seem to be drawn to Pisces, (or maybe it's the other way around, hmmmm?) Many, many of my friends over the years have been Pisces, and most of those that I have maintained friendships with have also been Pisces. Anyway, just a quick shout out to Sue, Susie, Caroline, Dana, Jessica, Dan, and Mark...aaaaand my mind just went blank...if I forgot you, please remind me!
I created something lovely for Dana's birthday, (which was Monday) but I can't post pics, as it is going into the mail, today, and she might peek...just keep your eyes peeled for another post, soon!!

Have a wonderful, wonderful Wednesday, everyone, and go soak up some sunshine!!!

Scrappin' For A Cure!

2010-02-17T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hey blog friends! Long time no...uh...write? Read? Whichever it is, it has been too long.

I just wanted to put a post out there about an upcoming event that I am hoping some of you might be able to attend!

A little background...a few years ago, some dear friends lost their little girl, at age 2, to Leukemia. As awful, tragic, and unimaginable as this is for most of us, they have since worked to help others to not have to go through it. They have done their own charity work and have set up fundraisers to put money toward research, and have donated to the Central New York Children's Hospital at University Hospital in Syracuse.
You can read Clara's story and see info about the family's fundraising efforts here:
http://clarabug.org/

Their next venture is....are you ready for this???? An ENTIRE weekend of scrap booking in the lovely Adirondack mountains! Imagine your luck that you tripped over my blog post to find out about this!!
The cost is ONLY $110.00, with a 50% deposit due by 2/28/10, balance due 4/30/10.

Start time: Friday, May 14, 2010 at 6:00pm
End time: Sunday, May 16, 2010 at 11:00am
Location: YMCA Camp Gorham Eagle Bay, NY

(JUST THE PHOTO OPPS THEMSELVES ARE WORTH THE COST OF THE WEEKEND!!)

But hey, it includes SO MUCH MORE!!
Hors devourers Friday night
Breakfast, lunch & dinner on Saturday
Breakfast on Sunday
2 nights accommodations at YMCA Camp Gorham
Scrapbooking ‘til you drop
Consultants available to assist
Scrapbooking products for sale on site and by order

Benefiting: Clarabug’s Quest for a Cure
(A grass-roots organization fighting for a cure for Leukemia and other childhood illnesses.)

If you or some someone you know is interested in going, please send me an email at mary_margeson@hotmail.com
I'll be more than happy to send you all of the contact info!
For those of you with Facebook, click for the Event Page!

Please pass this along to people who you think might be interested...it's such a great cause and it would be wonderful to get us all together for a little spring retreat!

Procrastination...or is INSPIRATION???

2009-11-27T20:45:00.000-08:00

Hi there, everyone!!
Here it is, (almost) the end of my first semester of grad school, and I am SWAMPED!! So what better time for a blog post?? :)
Actually, I visited Verve Visuals' Blog Hop for their new stamp set releases, all centered around thankfulness. Go check them out at the Verve store...they're on sale all weekend, and they are lovely!
I have been so inspired by all the gorgeous creations by the Verve Divas that I wanted to share a couple of my own pics.

I recently spent some time at a scrapbooking weekend thrown at the house of my friend Becky, (which is a GREAT excuse for the girls to get together and gab and scrap and listen to music and share pics of their families...if none of your friends have thrown one of these, I suggest you jump on the bandwagon! Invite your girls over, make some snacks, set up tables, and you'll be AMAZED how much you will inspire each other!!)

So, while all the other ladies made scrapbooks of their children, guess who made Christmas cards?? That's right, yours truly! Here are a couple of examples of my handiwork of a couple of weeks ago...

Because this was not in the recent past (like, you know, within the past hour) I don't know if I can give credit for all the elements, but I will try...the CS is from PTI's Perfect Match collection, and I'm going to take a stab and say it's Ripe Ovacado. (I think. I'm sorry if that's wrong.) The stripey BG is is some that I picked up that very morning at Jo-Ann. (They were having a great sale!) The tree images are from a stamp that I am ashamed to say I opened and no longer have the top of the package, so I can't tell you what they are, but I got 'em at Micheal's!! Now, here's my favorite part: I LOVE STICKLES. I have just begun to use them, and I AM IN LOVE! Those trees are just dab-dab-dabbed all over with green, and the a little gold on the top for the stars. I colored in the trunks with a colored pencil. The trees are stamped on white paper, which I sponged all over and smudged with my Inkssentials blending tool in Versamagic Red Magic chalk ink.

I love this card, and I SO wish my cell phone took better pics...(nope, still haven't replaced the camera...) because this BG, while it looks an orangey-red in some spots, it's actually a gorgeous mauve that I also picked up at Jo-Ann that morning. (Grrr...one day I will post good pics again, I swear!!) Oh right, right...the details. The image is from the same set as the trees above, which I stamped with Versamagic Perfect Plumeria chalk ink, (also sponged around the edge of the paper, creating a "frame" effect with another piece of white...) embossed the ornament image (those scrapbookers were in awe over my EP skills, I must say...), and then colored in with my Marvy Brush Markers.I added a couple of bling-y brads, and a pretty, silky ribbon, VOILA!
I made a few more cards that I would like to post, because as a newbie, I'm still teaching myself techniques and experimenting, and I actually created some pretty cards that I really like. So keep your ojos peeled for more to come! And feel free to tell me what you think!! I like comments!!

Fun Giveaway Over at Bakerella's Blog!

2009-11-16T21:09:00.000-08:00

Hey friends and family!! One of my favorite foodie blogs, Bakerella, is having a great giveaway! She recently went on a tour of the Betty Crocker test kitchens, and was inspired! Go take a peek at the fun contest, (I did) make your guesses, (I did) and enter to win THIS! (I have my fingers crossed!) But you only have until Tuesday evening, so HURRY UP, FOR CRYIN' OUT LOUD!

While you're visiting, stroll around and drool over the fabulous recipes!! She makes the most luscious desserts, and her cake pops are (almost) too cute to devour...notice I said ALMOST.

I hope everyone is preparing to snuggle down and cozy up soon for the cold winter months! I recently spent some time with some wonderful new friends at a FANTASTIC scrapbooking weekend, where I was so inspired that I created some of my most awesome cards to date. (Some of which I will post...but I can't in good conscience post holiday cards until after thanksgiving, so you're just gonna have to wait.) I'm loving all my new tools and have become obsessed with Stickles, my Crop-A-Dile, pretty much anything Ranger or anything associated with Tim Holtz!!

(Late) Autumn Blessings...

2009-11-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

HI!! It has been so long since I have posted anything crafty that I am PSYCHED to be writing, today!! I still don't have my craft room in any sort of functional order, but I couldn't wait another minute to make SOMETHING to share! So I carefully chose supplies and hauled them to the dining room table for a little crafting session. I'm going to a scrapbooking weekend beginning next Friday, so I figured I had better spend a little time honing some skills.

I am NOT psyched by the quality of the picture below. My digital camera recently pooped out on me...(that's what happens when it floats in a purse where you put a bottle of juice with a loose top. Heartbreaking, I know...) So anyway, I haven't been able to replace it yet and so I took this pic with my cell phone camera.I adjusted the colors a bit, but it still doesn't look as bright as the real thing. Argh, but I was anxious to post.

The BG paper is PaperTrey Ink's Lemon Tart, as is the mat behind the sentiment.
For my bday this past August, Dana, my BFF over at Kismet, Art, and Life, gave me some Tim Holtz Mini Masks. (LOVE them!) The designs you see around the sides are from the Floret collection. I placed the mask on PTI's Orange Zest, and then used Inkssentials' Blending Tool to sponge Close To My Heart's Autumn Terracotta all over the card. The sentiment is from Stampin Up!'s Stem Silhouette set, stamped in the Autumn Terracotta and then darkened with a brown colored pencil. I finished it off with some dark copper brads, and VOILA! (PS...I know the brads are crooked...you shush.)

Doo doo doo lookin' out my back door...

2009-09-28T15:59:00.000-07:00

Just a real quick post...I stepped out my back door to break down some cardboard for recycling, and lookie what I saw! Definitely brought a smile to my face on a rainy, gloomy day!!

What made you smile today?

'May today there be peace within. May you trust that you are exactly
where
you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that
are
born of faith in yourself and others. May you use the gifts that you
have
received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be
content with yourself just the way you are. Let this knowledge settle
into
your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and
love.
It is there for each and every one of us.'

I love pie...

2009-09-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

My BFF, Dana, came to visit this past weekend, as I mentioned in my last post, and we made this SUPER AMAZING sweet potato pie. My gosh, it was delicious, and I still have one in my freezer!! I believe she cased the recipe from her MIL, and it can be found on her site, Kismet, Art and Life. She posted this pic on there, too, and I hoped she wouldn't mind my borrowing it to share.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!

So much to do...

2009-09-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

Hey there!
Just thought I'd pop on and write a few lines. I have moved into a new place and it's sloooooooowly coming together. I've been here (well, here about half the time...) for a few weeks now, and TODAY I got internet. And a couch. This is all very exciting, and you should have seen my amusement when the furniture delivery and the internet hookup was all going on at the same time.

One of the best things about this new apartment is this little room off the kitchen that is going to be my...can you guess? Can you guess?? Oh yes, my friends, it's going to be my craft room. I may never move. But I must be honest...
THIS is the current condition of the room:

As I've been unpacking and sorting, everything has gone in there. I MUST get to work on that room!! I'll post another pic when it's all set up and you can be proud of me.

It won't happen this weekend, though. I'm going to NYC with Eric, so he can work his magic at the NY Anime Festival. Have I told you how talented he is? I think I have, but I'll tell you again...check his personal blog at www.pepperink.com. It's also cool to search for him...just google his name (Eric Maruscak) and see all the chalk art, illustrations, and digital art that comes up.

I am hoping to bring back lots of pics, but since my camera took a poop...(well, it happened to be in my bag when I put a bottle of juice in there that wasn't capped tightly...I was able to salvage the memory card but not the camera. It was floating...very sad, indeed.) Maybe I'll have to invest in something temporary for the weekend.

Had a wonderful visit with Dana over the weekend...still enjoying what's left of the goodies we created and trying to finish them up since I won't be here for a few days! Going to be so happy when I come home and find a sweet potato pie in the freezer!!
And hopefully hopefully HOPEFULLY will be posting something crafty very soon!!

HAPPY FALL, EVERYONE!

We really need to meet like this more often...

2009-08-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Hi there, folks.
I am zipping around Blogger, checking out some of my fave blogs, and thinking I haven't been posting nearly enough. I hope to get back into it soon, and I hope to get back into some serious crafting, soon.
Updates on my life...well, I'm currently frantically searching Binghamton, NY for a new apartment, as I will be starting grad school here in a few weeks. Yes, school again. At some point I realized it was a good thing and I want a Master's degree, so off I go on the quest for a Masters of Public Administration from Binghamton University. I was actually afraid I wouldn't get accepted, and I when I did, I went, "Holy you-know-what! Now I have to go to grad school! What was I thinking??" But I'm actually excited and can't wait to dive into my studies. Nerdy, huh?
I'm bittersweet about leaving my current job. While it's going to be tough, I'm SOOO ready to move on from residential work!
I have also found myself in what is probably the healthiest, sweetest, most loving and supportive relationship of my life, and I couldn't possibly ask for more. Not making plans for anything beyond right now, and honestly, I love the feeling of just looking forward to whatever comes next. You know that feeling? When it all just clicks? That's where it is...I would rather be no place other than right here, right now.
Since I don't have anything crafty to post, I'm going to throw on a few pics of a recent vacation to Lake George...enjoy!

These pics are all from a dinner cruise that we took on our first night, there. The views while we cruised up Lake George were so amazing; check out the sky in that middle pic! It was 4th of July weekend, and we watched the fireworks from the middle of the lake, which is now, IMHO, the ONLY way to watch them!

Here I am...

2008-12-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

...once again...a long time since I've posted! I hope everyone is doing well and spending some quality time with friends and family. I hope my blog isn't just turning into plugs for other peoples' endeavors, but here's another one. Back on February first, I wrote a short note about my photographer friend Mike. Still a friend. Still a wonderful guy. Still a great photographer. There is, however, a reason for me to talk about him again besides his great talent. Read this. As you can see, his niece is one incredibly tough and brave kid. I won't go into all the details, as you can read them for yourself. If you can spare the extra $20, please consider buying a CD. Incidentally, my friend Steve played the sax on this album, and I can attest to some serious talent there. The music is relaxing and mostly mellow, but there's some on there that will make you dance around your kitchen, and make the guy in the car next to you laugh when he looks over and sees you singing along. If you're a sucker for the sax, like I am, you'll love the mix of horns and rockin' guitar. If you have myspace, you can check out the band and some of their music, here.
The best way to purchase the CD is buy contacting Mike's sister, because if you buy it through "CD Baby" they keep a lot of the money. Buying it through Robin will help all of the money go to the clinic where Savannah receives her treatments.

Okay, I'm done, now. Go check out some great music!!
And HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Longtime, no see...

2008-05-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

Wow. I haven't posted on here in 3 months. And I'm ashamed to say I have nothing to show for it. Well, thats not true. I got a great new job that has been keeping me VERY busy, relocated, have started a potentially awesome new relationship...I have plenty to show for the past 3 months, but nothing I can really post to show you. Because of the current living arrangement, I don't really have the opportunity to craft much. That sometimes makes me sad, but then something pops up and distracts me and I forget. Amazing how life can get in the way sometimes, huh? Anyway, since I have nothing else to really share, I will do yet another not-so shameless plug for a friend...Eric is a fantastically talented illustrator and artist; this guy can do things with chalk that shock and amaze me...he rocks. Hardcore. He's not unlike Mick Jagger, really, folks. So go check him out at www.pepperink.com
I hope everyone is having a joyful and peaceful start to spring...take some time to smell the blossoms, you won't be sorry that you did.

One more of the babies...

2008-02-03T16:31:00.001-08:00

I just can't resist posting this picture of these my gorgeous nephews!

What do you think he's dreaming of??

Shameless plug for a friend...

2008-02-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot! I have a friend, Mike, in the Rochester area who is an up and coming photographer/graphic designer. He has his first gallery opening tonight, and I wanted to plug his webpage for anyone who might be interested...he's pretty talented, so take a look!

Who DOESN'T need an MP3 player?!?!

2008-02-01T06:20:00.000-08:00

Wow-this is totally worth a look! Those awesome gals over at 5 Minutes For Mom are at it again! They are giving away a super-cool Insignia® - Pilot 4GB Video MP3 Player with Bluetooth Technology! Just go here, leave a comment, and then link back to them from your own blog! The player is from Best Buy, and they are asking that you link to them, too, so here it is! I totally hope I win it, because I have been DYING for something like this, but if I don't, I have my fingers crossed for all of you, too!!

We have been blasted with an ice storm in Central New York, so pretty much everything is closed right now. I LOOOVE snow days! Unfortunately, I'm at a friend's house right now, and all my crafting stuff is at home, because I'm itching to get started on some Valentines that I have some great ideas for. Oh well. I'll just share a couple of cute pics...these are my newest nephews...(I'm up to 4, now!) They were born November 1st...spent a week in the NICU, as they were about 4 weeks early, and are now doing fantastic and growing like crazy!!

That's Aaron on the left, who was a bit bigger at birth...Daniel (on the right) struggled a bit more, but now they are very close to the same weight!

This is Aaron with a gorgeous smile!

And Daniel, laughing his head off!

And today just happens to be their 3-month birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABIES!!

I have always said that snuggling with a baby is the best therapy there is, and you only have to spend about 5 minutes with these sweet boys to remember how sweet life can really be!!

Home sweet home

2008-01-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

So, I recently relocated to one of my favorite tiny-little-cities on earth, ITHACA, NY! I have always loved it here, always felt like it was a home-away-from-home, and now guess what? It is home! YAY! Ithaca has beautiful things to offer, and for photography buffs, I highly recommend this be on your list of places to visit!So last weekend, I picked up my nephew, who spends weekends with his dad in nearby Trumansburg, and we took him, along with my friend Susie's 2 kids to Taughannock Falls State Park. The pic below was our mission..the overlook from the top of the park, which you can just drive right up to.

See how tiny that 215-foot drop looks from that distance?

Here's my nephew Joshua with his ever-present "mohawk" smiling on the overlook. I love this shot-it might just wind up in a frame for his grandma! So, while checking out the falls, Joshua and his friend Riley decide they want to GO SEE the falls. It's almost a mile walk, so we hem and haw for about 5 seconds before Susie and look at each other and shrug. Whatever...what else did we have to do on a gorgeous (oddly 45-degree) January day? So we drive down to the entrance of one of the walking trails and begin our treck. It really is a gorgeous walk-I wish I had taken more pics...next time, for sure!

Joshua and Riley stop to check out a rapids about halfway to the falls.

Almost there!! Gorgeous! (Gorges? Heh...sorry, couldn't resist...) Fun fact: This is actually 25 feet taller than Niagara Falls (American side)!

And we're there! It's looking taller, now, huh?? This is actually quite close to the base of the waterfall...the kids were getting sprayed with freezing cold mist during this pic (and so was my cam!) so I had to take it quickly!
It was a wonderful way to spend a morning...out to breakfast, some nature, some time with some of my favorite kids...does life really get any better?

AND A CARD! (Well, aren't you the lucky reader today?) I found another pic of a card I made a few months ago. This one was for my friend Angie, who provided some TREMENDOUS support to me recently, as well as a place to sleep for many, many nights!

Again, I can't remember all the details, but I'll try my best! The BG is DCWV's Nana's Kids. I used scraps for the lt. blue and soft purple pieces, and the flower is CS with the pink paper and a sweet bead sewn on. The "Thank You" is from my Stash, and is secured with white ribbon. The sentiment stamp is Stampendous, stamped with...some lovely blue ink that I can't remember! For an added embellishment, I used a paper square and wrapped it with some funky, colorful yarn that I have...Angie loved this card!!
I have found that MY personal faves are the cards that I make with another person in mind. So, for the most part, when you see posts from me, it will cards that I have created for someone. I like it better that way.

For my girls...

2008-01-16T07:32:00.000-08:00

Before Thanksgiving, I made a few cards for my friends that I never bothered to post. I thought I'd share them now, as I was looking through pics on my comp and came across them. There are more that I'll post, should I dig them up, but for now, here are two...I can't remembr all the details that go with them, but I'll try my best!

The above is one that I made for Dana, my oldest and dearest friend. The lt. blue BG is from Basic Grey's Pheobe Collection and I added a strip of dk. blue textured paper on the right. The sentiment is on vellum, from a Quote Stacks, and I believe the pp under the vellum is from DCWV's Rockstar Stack, and is layered atop an off-white scrap. I made the photo corners from just cutting triangles from the same lt. blue Basic Grey pp. The "Thank you" stamp is SU and I stamped that in dk. blue ink on off-white and affixed it with a popdot. I finished the whole thing off by stitching dk. blue emproidery floss down the side. I must say, I really liked this card, and enjoyed giving it!

I made this card for my friend Susie. Words cannot express my gratitude to Susie, but I won't go into it all, here. She knows what she's done. This is another card that I really liked when it was finished. The pp on top is from DCWV's Rockstar Stack, and the pp in the bottom is from DCWV's Once Upon a Time Stack (which I loooove)!! The sentiment is a rub-on, which I placed onto white pp, layered it with orange, a green tye-dye handmade paper scrap, and more white. There is a thin white ribbon seperating the two different papers, and a thicker sheer ribbon just above. I finished the card off with some gold eyelets in the bottom corners. Love it. By the way, if you can't read the sentiment...it says "A True Friend Never Gets In The Way Unless You Happen To Be Going Down." I fell in love with this statement, and have found it to be soooo true!!

I got TAGGED!

2008-01-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

So, Dana tagged me with this survey and said that I desperately needed to update my blog, so here goes!

1. Name your two favorite scrapbooking topics?
Scrapbooking?Hmm...well, I have been given a couple of BEEE-OO-TI-FUL new journals that I have thought would make great scrapbooks, but I haven't done anything in them, yet...so I guess I would have to say that my first fave thing is my friends and loved ones that I could put on the pages, and the second would be nature...I love photographing nature...its pretty hard to mess up a pic of something that's already perfect!

2. What are the two best places you've been to?
Wow. I haven't traveled nearly as much as had I wanted by this point in my life. I spent two weeks in Mexico and saw some pretty amazing sites, and I would have to agree with Dana...I love the Fingr Lakes area, my home "stompin' grounds!" As Dorothy Gale said, "if you can't find your heart's desire in your own backyard, then you never really lost it to begin with."

3. Name two things you do every day? Wake up and pet the cat.

4. Tell us two things that everyone pretty much knows about you?
I'm a GREAT gift-giver, and I love to go out and have fun with my friends!

5. Two places you wish to visit? Australia and Costa Rica

6. Two things you may not know about me are:
My mind is often consumed with thoughts of the future, and I have a hard time falling asleep at night.

7. Two nicknames you've had at some time in your life:
Aunt Mary, Mary Margerine

8. Name two of your favorite drinks?
Water with lots of ice and a lemon wedge, and OJ with lots of pulp...(yes, I like to chew my juice!)

9. What are two interesting (in a good or bad way) jobs you've had in your life?
I was a toddler teacher for 3 years and it was the hardest, most fun, most enlightening job I've ever had. I learned more in that 3 years than I could have learned in 10 years of college!!
I didn't get paid for this, but when I was about 13, Dana and I had to ride on a wagon behind a tractor and pitch haybales up onto a pile. Forgive my bluntness: It SUCKED.

10. What are two things you would like to learn?
A musical instrument (I've never been musically gifted) and algebra...(never been mathematically gifted, either).

11. What two things would make your scrapping/stamping work space work even better for you?
Space and time.

12. What are two of your best organizational tips for stampers that do not have a lot of space?
Organize everything so that you can easily get it out and put it away again, when finished; and
ummm...okay, that's all I got!

13. What are your two favorite stamping toys?
I don't have a huge stamp collection, right now, so I LLOOOOOOVEEE rubons!
I also love this little handheld distressing tool that Dana gave to me. I like experimenting with it.

14. If you could have TWO super-powers, what would they be?
Invisibility, and the ability to fly.

I'm supposed to tag two people to do this survey, but I'm not going to tag anyone. If you're interested in filling it out, by all means, go for it! But I won't hold it against you if you decline!(;

Ugh...

2007-10-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hello to my blog-world friends!
Just wanted to say that I am still out here, plucking through life.

I've had some crap come my way lately (I'll spare you the details) and have fallen into a level of despair that I never imagined possible. I have been hurt beyond belief by a person I never thought would hurt me, and it is taking some time for me to recover. But I WILL recover. I know this, because my friends, my common sense, and my resilience tells me so.

In the meantime, I have been taking a break from crafting, mostly because I am lost for inspiration or motivation to do anything other than the bare necessities. And now, since I have begun to drag myself back from the depths, I have started trying to piece back together my life and focus the things I NEED to do, the main item being keeping up with my school work. I have a very good GPA and I'm graduating in December, and I will not allow some &&%^#$%^((**$$#%))*^^$##@*&^ to mess that up.

My main focus right now is healing myself from the inside out and burying myself in my work. So, when I am ready, I will start crafting and posting again. For now, I love seeing everything you all work on and I appreciate looking at your blogs and your talent. Even if I don't comment, I'm looking! So keep it up! Hopefully I'll be back in the swing of things sooner than later.

Thanks!

Real quick....

2007-09-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

Just throwing you a quick link to a super cool giveaway! 5 Minutes For Mom is giving away an AWESOME PINK $400 DYSON VACCUUM CLEANER!! $40 from each sale goes to breast cancer research, and you can pick one up at Target if you make it before they're sold out! (This is a limited edition, so once they're gone, they're gone!) OOOORRR you can go to 5 Minutes For Mom and get your comment in there, and cross your fingers!!
I soooo need a new vaccuum-mine got stolen from my storage...can you imagine? So everyone cross your fingers for me, and I'm wishing all of you the best of luck!

Jumpin in...

2007-09-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

So I have been working on a few things lately but I'm not very satisfied with most of it, and haven't had much time...sometimes SCHOOL MUST COME FIRST. So I don't have any new art to post, right now. I have, however, decided to jump on this bandwagon!! I think my answers turned out pretty cool!

Whoever put this together has a great sense of humor! If you have a blog, try it out and send me a link so I can see what your "Gangsta" name is!
1. YOUR ROCK STAR NAME: (first pet & current car), Angie Intrepid
2.YOUR GANGSTA NAME: (fave ice cream flavor, favorite cookie), Philly Vanilla Chocolate Chip
3. YOUR “FLY Guy/Girl” NAME: (first initial of first name, first three letters of your last name), M-Mar
4. YOUR DETECTIVE NAME: (favorite color, favorite animal), Purple Cat
5. YOUR SOAP OPERA NAME: (middle name, city where you were born), Lynn Geneva
6. YOUR STAR WARS NAME: (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 letters of your first), Marma
7. SUPERHERO NAME: (”The” + 2nd favorite color, favorite drink), The brown water (umm...eww..)
8. NASCAR NAME: (the first names of your grandfathers), Wendall John
9. STRIPPER NAME: ( the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy), Chanel Fudge
10.WITNESS PROTECTION NAME: (mother’s & father’s middle names ), Jane Roger
11. TV WEATHER ANCHOR NAME: (Your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter), Nancy New York
12. SPY NAME: (your favorite season/holiday, flower). Autumn Lily
13. CARTOON NAME: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now + “ie” or “y”) Peach Flippie
14. HIPPY NAME: (What you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree), Toast Willow
15. YOUR ROCKSTAR TOUR NAME: (”The” + Your fave hobby/craft, fave weather element + “Tour”), The Crafting Raining at Night Tour (Wha..?)

While I haven't had time to do much lately, I DID get some new PP last weekend that I'm super excited about!! Can't wait to get started...Let's just say all my "Rockstar" friends might be getting some SWEEEET Halloween cards!!

Scrapdragons challenge-which one should I enter?

2007-09-14T07:27:00.000-07:00

So here are my entries for the Scrapdragons challenge! I don't know if I can enter more than one card, but if I can, here are two! HELP!! I don't think I have very many readers, but those of you out there...which card should I enter???
Don't you LOVE the paper for this first one? It's from a calendar scrapbooking set that I got from Dana. When I saw it, I just knew it would be perfect with the orange dragonfly applique! The bright orange cardstock is from The Paper Co.'s Tango collection, and the green and pale yellow are both from scrap packs. The "inspire" plaque is from my stash, and is secured with orange embroidery floss. I applied glitter to the large lily pad and the large fish. I currently have this card displayed atop my computer desk-I love looking at it!!

This second one is one that I put together and tore apart and put back together again! For the pale purple BG CS, I stamped black dragonflies...I like that effect-I might do something like that again...I layered a dark purple paper, a black CS and a marbly off-white, all from scrap packs. I stamped "Thank You" (Inkadinkado) and another dragonfly (Hampton Art) in black ink. I traced the the "Friend" on vellum from a Quote Stacks sentiment and applied the frame and tiny purple flowers. The photo corners were Dana's idea to add a little more detail, and I think she was right! Too much white space without them! The trim is from my stash, just to add a little sparkle! I realize they're not the same size...it's okay-I don't think it would be me if it were perfect!!

So you guys-oh bastians of good taste and experienced challenge enter-ers...which one shall I enter, if I can't enter them both?!?!

It has been starting to get a little chilly and rainy in the central Finger Lakes area lately, but the last couple days have been absolutely gorgeous...yesterday afternoon, my boyfriend and his daughter went for a walk around town in the lovely sunshine and they took a pic that I wanted to share...

I love marigolds...they're so simple and sweet-and I thought this bright yellow was just awesome, especially since everything right now is starting to turn red and brown! It made me happy when they so happily showed it to me on the camera!

What fun!

2007-09-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

Found a new site, SCRAPDRAGONS! They're hosting a fun challenge where all you have to do is make a card with a DRAGON on it! Check it out!

STICKER SHOCK cards!

2007-09-10T06:51:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm an amateur at this. But I really wanted to join a challenge, and Caardvarks' Sticker Shock seemed like one that would be simple enough, and fun, too! Also, please keep in mind that my digital camera STINKS, and I'm having trouble getting good images, lately! So hopefully you can see beyond the glare....

This first one, super-simple, has a CS of bright blue from my stash, and 3 layers of sparkly blue/greens from a scrap pack. The fish, bubbles, and seaweed, as well as the letters, are all stickers from my stash. All but the letters are embossed and glittery, which is hard to make out in the pics.

This one I LOVE, and I'm sad that the darn flash that I can't seem to turn off doesn't do the colors justice. It's on a pale pink CS from The Paper Co.'s Botanical Collection. BG paper is from Basic Grey's Pheobe Collection. The vellum "friendship" quote is from DCWV Quote Stacks, and the 3-D flower and butterfly stickers are from K & Company. The ribbon along the top is "Funky Fringe" knitting yarn. I drew in the flower stems with a green colored pencil.

This card is on a grey CS with marble-white and marble-off-white from a scrap pack for the BG. For the large green flowers, I traced a piece of chipboard on the light green, and dabbed around the edges with a silver sharpie, then just made a couple smaller ones to match. "Happily Ever After" is a sticker from my stash. I finished everything off by sewing tiny "pearls" into the center of the large flowers and along the edge of the card.

When did this happen?

2007-09-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

No art to post today...I'm working on a couple of cards for the Caardvarks Sticker Shock Challenge, but don't want to post them until they're finished. What I do want to say is this. I am not a mom...in the sense that I have never had babies, myself. I have played mom many times in my life. I was a daycare teacher for 3 years, which was one of the most exhilerating, exhausting, meaningful times of my life, I have many many MANY kids that call me Aunt Mary (even though only 2 of them are so far ACTUALLY the children of my siblings, with 2 more on the way...)

So on Wednesday, I put 2 of these little darlings on the bus...

Morgan, my boyfriend's daughter...is starting Kindergarten...she's excited to be going, we're excited but a little apprehensive about full-days and how she's going to deal with that...we'll see. Doesn't she look happy? And, by the way, she wouldn't have cared if it was 10 degrees and a blizzard outside, she was WEARING that Hello Kitty tanktop and pink skirt...you can't tell, but that Kitty is all sparkly...we have a princess in the making, folks...I might have to hide that outfit when winter comes.

THEN, I went to pick up my nephew to take him out to breakfast. Joshua is the love of my life, I pretty much raised him for the first year and a half of his life while my sister finished school, and have maintained a very close relationship with him...and on Wednesday, after breakfast, I took him to Aunt Perrin's house and PUT HIM ON THE BUS TO PRE-K!! This was a tough moment...he was too big, too proud of himself...didn't cling or sniffle or get nervous...just climbed right up the steps. And then had the nerve to give me a smile and a wave through the window...not a single tear in his eye...darn kids just can't give you an inch, can they??

Okay fine, I'll post it!

2007-09-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

My schoolwork is going to suffer for this new hobby of mine, I can feel it now...I made this for a friend...she needed a thank you for some sweetness she bestowed upon me over the summer and I think she'll love this...The tag is a piece of CB that I covered in funky yellow paper and stamped with Versamark Red Magic. The stamp is SU! I affixed a red heart eyelet and threaded through a piece of natural-colored raffia. For the bracelet, I used 1/4" bugle beads and 2 sizes of "pearls", both from Darice. When I send this to her, I'll hang the bracelet from the raffia.

Here it is!

2007-09-03T08:50:00.001-07:00

Here's my lost card! The BG is just white cardstock with a layer of mauve speckly Basic Grey. I placed a piece of textured white CS on the left and on top of that, a mauvy-pink piece of paper. The sentiment is a rub-on from Scrap-Ease, which I rubbed onto a shiny ribbon...(imagine my excitement when that worked!!)...I know that one petite dragonfly is a little crooked, but it just wouldn't be me if everything came out perfectly!! The dragonfly stamp is from Stampendous.

The flower is 4 layers of flower petals that I got from Dana.

This card is one that I made for a friend at work, who is due to have her baby boy any day. The two layers of blue are both from The Paper Company's Rainy Days collection. On top of that is an off-white CS. The "Baby" stamp and the stars are from G Designs, and stamped with Turquoise Gem Versamark and I wrote the "for" free-hand with a turquoise colored pencil. The train design is from the Nana's Kids collection by DCWV, and I cut out one little monkey and affixed it to the top with a popdot. I also affixed tiny turquoise brads, just to add a little something...I know the stars and train don't really go together, but I made some smudges on the card and covered them up with the stars...hehe! I think it turned out cute, anyway!! '

Have more to post, but I guess I must do some schoolwork, so it'll have to wait!! Have a great day, everyone!!

Happy to me...

2007-08-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

That's what my 3-year -old nephew sings whenever its someone else's birthday, and its the song he sang to me at 8:30 this morning when my SIL called me. I think it's cute-I hope he never grows out of it.

Anyway, my darling boyfriend gave me a great gift this morning and let me have a quiet morning where I got up veeerrryyy slowly and lay around for awhile, played some music too loud, walked around in a bathrobe with a towel on my head for like an hour...ahh...sweet bliss. So what does one DO when she has quiet time on her b-day morning?? Well, she makes a card, of course. In honor of my b-day! Do you ever just do something in honor to yourself? Try it, it's FANTASTIC!
And.....now I can't find it on my jumpdrive...grr...I don't have internet at home, so I have to save the pic and bring it to school on my "removable disc" and now I can't find it on there. Maybe I should get a seperate one just for pics...hhmmmm...well darn it all. Now I'm going to have to wait to post it. Crap-sandwich.

Ask and I shall get what I want, apparently...

2007-08-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pics of my birthday loot from Dana. Its hard to see it all, I know. The pic on the left is a bunch of stuff on the table that I was trying to organize, and the pic on the right is the inside of a gift bag with all sorts of odds and ends...everything from stamps to ink to brads and ribbon and glue and tape and appliques and frames and a scrapbook and raffia...I could go on forever...in the blue organizer on the chair is piles and piles of cardstock. She's the best...don't you wish your best friend were as cool as mine?

So the other night, I got busy...

Both cards are the non-folding kind-just a single page. I made the one on the right for a male friend who has been particularly kind to me, lately. The BG is a piece of textured green CS, and on top of that is a funky piece from Nana's Kids. I secured a textured strip of almost see-through white paper with 2 yellow eyelets. The thank you stamp is Inkadinkado, and the flower in the middle is chipboard covered in green tissue paper and dabbed with Versamark Cloud White ink. The ribbon across the bottem was a last-minute addition, and I KNOW it doesn't really match, but I thought it needed something else. I glued a piece of soft-grey CS onto the back to write my message to my friend.

I made the card on the right as a wedding card for a friend at work and his fiance. I know its not really a conventional "pretty" wedding card, and looks more like a valentine, but knowing my friend and his future bride, I think they'll like this, more. The BG is soft grey CS with a red textured CS overlay. I used a little 3-heart stamp from Rubber Stampede and stamped all over the red CS with Versamark Red Magic, except for the one set of white hearts in the corner, which is Cloud White, again. I added a piece of that thin tectured paper and stamped more hearts on that. The frame and heart brad are from Makin Memories (I think-I opened the packages and poured them into the organizer that Dana gave to me, and forgot where the items came from-WOOPS!) Anyway, I used red embroidery floss to attach the frame to the strip of red CS across the middle, and wrote "Congrats" freehand with a black gel pen, and attached the whole thing with Popdots. I cut out the big red heart freehand, and layered it with a piece of shiny paper, then attached it with Popdots, as well. I'm note sure my photography is the best-need to work on that. Not too bad for a beginner...?

WOW!

2007-08-29T08:06:00.000-07:00

5 Minutes For Mom is giving away an HP Photosmart Compact Printer!! It's so great, and the best part is, its tiny...and doesn't need to be plugged into a computer to work-all you have to do is insert your digital camera's memory card and start printing!! Go on over there and check it out, and leave them a comment!!

So guess what? My BEST BEST BEST friend Dana gave me a TON of art supplies for my birthday! (Which is this Friday-Go VIRGOS!) I took a picture of it all last night while I was trying to organize it...I'll post that tomorrow. And I started making some cards! Boy, am I an amature! But now that I have all this stuff, I have no excuse to be neglectful, right? Dana, do you have this problem...once you get started, you realize you need more more more...heading over to Ebay right now to bid on some stamps!!

I call her VIOLET....

2007-08-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

Here she is, folks...in all her sparse splendor...Looks quite pretty right now, doesn't she? We'll see. I really think her fate is going to be sealed by either the 2.5 hour drive back home from PA, (today) or the cats who are going to spend all of tonight eating her. *SIGH* Thanks for the support, Jen. I might just have to stick to amaryllis....at least I have a pretty planter...hehe.

PS-the pictures look wierd because I emailed them to myself from my cell phone. Digital has dead batteries...):

African Violets

2007-08-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

My friend's mom recently gave me an African Violet. I'll take a pic of it tonight and post it, tomorrow. I should let you (my 3 readers-jeesh) know that I have the blackest thumb I know. I cannot keep plants alive. Actually, that's not true. My mom used to buy me Amaryllis all the time because it was the only thing I didn't kill. Anything else, forget it. But I'm determined to not kill this pretty purple violet. I have been watering it, deadheading it, talking to it, NOT getting the leaves wet....there will be a problem when I take it home, as my cats eat plants. (See? it's not ALL my fault they die. Sometimes they get eaten.) I checked out some info to make sure they weren't poisonous, and I found, on the Cat Fancier's Association website, a long long list of non-toxic plants, where cats are involved. Apparently, they will not kill a cat. They even had this cute picture.

So I guess my Lenny and Lola are safe. We'll see. Maybe I'll take pics of my kitties with it, before they munch all the petals off. Dana seems doubtful that I can keep it alive. I'll show her, darn it!!

Who says Pennsylvania is flat??

2007-08-10T06:40:00.000-07:00

I'm currently in Williamsport, PA, doing some field work for school with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Lycoming County. Since I'm interning for the ED, an old friend of mine, I'm doing some really interesting work and learning a lot about the internal workings of actually running a non-for-profit. (Some of which, TRUST ME, you don't want to know...) Anyway, the point of this post is to mention that, although I've never been particularly fond of Pennsylvania, I've realized that the route I take, 15 South from Tioga to Lycoming county, is absolutely breathtaking. So much so that I felt compelled to pull off the side of the road and take a couple of pictures.
They're a little hazy, as it was humid out when I took them, but the views were just more than I could resist.
There were more fantastic views to be photographed, but considering I didn't have the confidence in myself to drive 60mph and take pics out the front of my windshield with my digital camera...and I figured if I held it out the window I would just drop it, I didn't get them. Oh, well. You get the picture.
I'm a bit disappointed in this bottom pic, the view was much better than the pic turned out. I too am still working on
perfecting my digital photography skills!

BIG turtle....

2007-07-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

So, I thought I'd entertain myself by posting something fun. This is my boyfriend's daughter, Morgan and my good friend Susie's daughter, Riley playing atop Gaia the turtle at the Ithaca Children's Garden.

This thing is so cool, I wish I had better pics of it...maybe next time we go. If anyone is traveling through Ithaca, NY (one of my fave places on the planet,) please check out Gaia and the rest of the garden, which is funded and maintained by Cornell Cooperative Extension, a very cool organization.

Still working on it...

2007-07-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

LOL. I really hope that I do find the time to post some things on this blog. We just purchased a digital camera-FINALLY-and I plan on doing some things in the next few weeks that I can post and talk about. First and foremost, I want to put together some things for my sister's baby shower (she's pregnant with TWINS!). If things go according to plan, posts will include the cake, a couple crib blankets, and maybe a couple of surprises, as my budget allows. I'm looking forward to doing something creative.

Current news: Remember when we were kids and we had those little fake earrings that had adhesive on the back and just stuck to our earlobes? Well, yesterday, my boyfriend's 5-year old, Morgan, decided that it would be a good idea to stick one up her nose. So we spent the afternoon in the ER getting it removed. It took 3 of us to hold her still and she screamed throughout the process as though her nose were being REMOVED. I can look back on it now and see the humor of the situation. SHE, on the other hand, does not see the humor and after the experience of having the thing taken out of her nose, she adamently promises that she will never do it, again.
The doctor says all kids do this at some point. I asked my mom. I didn't.

Welcome to me...

2007-07-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Hello!
I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and begin a creative blog. It isn't going to display much in the beginning, as I don't have much to post, but I thought it would be a fun place to share a few of the creative things that I do when I have the time. I enjoy quilting, scrapbooking, cooking and baking, photography, reading, movies, and spending time with the many, many children who have entered my life in the past few years. (I am Aunt Mary to sooo many...) I'm interesting in learning more about jewelry design and card-crafting.

Aside from my full-time job of taking care of developmentally disabled adults, I'm also a full-time student, and I help my sweet sweet boyfriend to raise his 5-year-old daughter. THAT is an adventure in itself....

So one day, my ultimate goal is to take a moment and BREATHE, but in the meantime, I try to make the most of the adventure that is my life, and hopefully I'll find the time to post some fun, interesting things for others to look at!