triplesee

just to make you smile.

walking into work at 8:20 i can always think of the many places I would prefer to be... opening an email from my mother in law, Vesta Brereton, (Josh's mom) made me smile....

A little video of Fran & Marlo Cowan (married 62 years) playing impromptu recital together in the atrium of the Mayo Clinic. He turned 90 in February...

I wanted to find out a little more about them, and I found this... warm my heart.

Thank Mr. and Mrs. Cowan for your faith and sharing your talents so openly

My grandparents are fast approaching their 63 anniversary.... Here is to hoping Justin and I have this much spunk.

on the 7th month and the 8th day and the 9th year of 2000

at 10:11:12 am...

i was in a meeting for work. (and glad i wasn't the only one who wanted to take pictures! thanks paige.)

left to right:

Alisha (she was looking in the first picture, but it was VERY blurry. she is always cute!)
Sarah (just getting to know this girl.)
Clairice (simply wonderful. the kind you keep around for a long time- i hope.)
Lindsey (i would keep her in my pocket just to smile at me, but apparently she has other commitments.)
Jen (head only... sorry. this girl has got the talent.)
Paige (my personal idol.)
David (my very cool boss. can take it like he dishes it... which is an amazing quality.)
Courtney (i want her hair cut. please.)
and Richard (the one who you go to for a positive outlook. thank you.)

and me:

luckily we got ben's thumbs up. because you can't have a shoot of everyone at work without BEN! he is the go to man... for everything!

but i wanted one of me in focus...

thanks alisha!

back to our regularly scheduled programing

not that a regular schedule has ever happened on this blog...

but a few glittery crafty things today (don't be hatin' on the glitter until you have seen it!)

and tomorrow sneaky peaks at the new lines American Crafts is coming out with! (or at least a few of the projects I made with them...)

on with the show... (i am glad you didn't pay for this show, it would have been a rip off.)

just a layout about the stuff i currently like... You may recognize the background as the stencil for the layout about alisha. (she's still really cute.)

I simply covered the "stencil" paper in watermark ink and threw Zing! all over it.... got love messy/fun layouts.

glitter thickers! i am not a big fan of things that glitter... at first, but i had the opportunity to choose a few fonts and pick all the colors. (i LOVE picking colors.) thoughts? feelings?

i once again couldn't scrap without the amazing photography skillz of Kari. yep, with a Z... simply how cool she iz... (ok maybe iz is headed in the uncool realm, but i am comfortable there.)

glitter on a boy layout!?! not even a little boy... i know! but it looks HOT! yep, lovin' the red also. photos by the oh so talented sharon. the photos are from family photos way back when...

and more about the boy on the bike... GRANT IS AVAILABLE.     just sayin...

 

and new york. and the back of justin's head... in new york.

these pictures where taken on day five... which was spent mainly in the MOMA. (if you didn't guess.)
more on that later (maybe.)

exhale.

it was crazy. and wonderful. stressful. and exhausting. and WONDERFUL.

bijou market that is....

i will call my first boutique/market a success. everyone loved the cake/jewelry stands... (more to come.)

i also made belts using vintage ties (two styles), scarfs using t-shirts, feather headbands (a few different styles).... justin sold his code hero t-shirts. and my mom and i made some beautiful succulent plantings.... (really i just bought the teacups and candle sticks for her to plant.)

nothing would have happened if not for justin and my mom. thank you both from my tip toes to my eyebrows.

and my supportive friends. i can't tell you how much it means to me to have my friends show up. (i cried to justin later that night about how many great people i am surround by....)  again, thank you.

the only thing i regret?!?.... i forgot my camera. as a professional scrapbooker this should never happen to me, but i stole some images from paige.... 

 

the view from my booth. i had a great location (thanks emily.)

me as a hunchback. and my mom as an ogre. at my booth.

 

two of the above mentioned amazing friends. paige on the left and alisha on the right.

etsy shop coming soon. another craft show in august. so many fun opportunities on the horizon.

and the post script: if anyone has anymore images or find some in this crazy www please let me know. thanks.

a first.

this saturday i am a part of my first ever craft market...

my heart jumps a little every time i think about sharing my little creations to other people. i would share my many insecurities about this, but i don't want to. (they become bigger and grow teeth when you talk about them...)

i do want to invite you to come and look around. PLEASE!

there will be over 40 local vendors who create all sorts of goodness. it is free and there will be a live band in the evening.... so no excuses.

here is the info:

you can check out all the vendors on the Bijou Market Blog.  there you can find my little creations under the name, 



also, at the Bijou Market there is an opportunity to donate to a great charity, Kharisma Imports  is collecting school supplies and summer clothes for an orphanage in Bali. I met these women at another event... beautiful people inside and out.

please feel free to take the poster and links to spread the word. THANK YOU for all your support.

see you saturday! (until then i will be hiding in my basement making stuff like crazy... the pay-it-forward winners may even see their little creations soon. maybe. hopefully.)

dad.

thank you. for everything.

i don't think my dad knows i blog.

i wish he would blog... if he did, it would be intelligent, witty, and comfortable. like an instant best friend because that's how he is.

i love you dad. a lot.

my life.

i love this man.

Thank you for making everyday a joy. Happy Birthday Justin.

i need your help...

in two days it is justin's birthday.

i know.

crap.

what to get a boy would doesn't know what he wants? any ideas?

he likes:
ME, baked goods, the outdoors- particularly treks through slot canyons, me, playing that crazy game on the computer (get this: there is no winner to this game. i don't get it.) (and, yes, he is a nerd.) playing his drums, good(?!?) movies, more me, good food, hanging out with the boys, reading good books - lots of non fiction, long boarding down the canyon, barbecuing killer food, working on his motorcycle or RX7.

he doesn't like:
???? he is really laid back...

ok. let me avoid the pressure for a few more minutes... and so you some scrappy stuff.

back to the point...WHAT DO I GET FOR JUSTIN'S BIRTHDAY?

oh and if you read this we would love to see you at this...

at 6pm... i am a little distracted.

workin' and scrapin' and workin' and scrapin'

and scrapin' at work.

i really really do love books. i took this picture in powell's in portland. have you heard of powell's? the book store takes up a whole city block and is a few stories tall! heaven, nirvana, whatever you want to call it i love getting lost in it.

cute boy... look at those eyebrows! i love this little one. he is such a perfect gentlemen. I get to see him and his big brother in a couple weeks. excitement is building... (yes we only live 7 minutes away. you know life is out of control when you plan 3 weeks in advance.)

the parental units of this little guy are amazing. (yes, i am excited to see them too.) in fact his mother is the one who took the beautiful photograph above and the group below. (if not for her i don't know what i would scrapbook. serious talent.)

like the layout. love the boy.

funny smile is right... jaden is crazy and crazy wonderful.

and layout about the roadtrip to CA for CHA last January. not just good times, but great times were abundante.

"Paige, Lindsey, Alisha and I stuffed ourselves into the Prius. First big stop was St. George to hit the local In & Out. Then straight onto Vegas. We wondered until our feet failed us. The suite we slept in was nice, but not our final destination. Califorina called, CHA was the place to be. We saw Paris Hilton and so much crafty goodness it overwhlemed. An afternoon was spent on the beach, maybe our favorite. Although Disneyland was a day not soon to be forgotten. Really, my favorite part was spending a great vacation with great friends!"

Post Scirpt. All the layout shown above and the first in this post are made from kits soon to be at Micheal's and Hobby Lobby... they also happen to be on the back of the packaging.

the creating room

I and my studio were featured on the AC blog this week... but I thought I would give you the extended tour.

anyone interested?

ok. well... we will do it anyway.

(please excuse the photos. it was dark (early morning) and i am playing with actions WAY to much.)

the room when you walk in the door. it is a basement room, pretty small and packed to the gills. my goodwill table takes up most of the room. and the last survivor of the great kitchen chair debate.

 

this is my current project. a commission with a hard color palette, but I think it is turning out ok..

 

a few more hours and they should be done... thoughts?

 

when you clean up the paint for a quick photo shot, this is what appears. my closet is VERY full (as you can see) but pretty organized. at least i tell myself.

photos are in shoe things from ikea. paper in racks... best purchase ever! but i feel like there is wasted space above them... any ideas?

 

i have a few addictions. pretty paper being on of the minor ones...

 

cheap but beautiful yarn being another. and no... i don't know how to crochet or knit. and yes i know i have a problem.

on the next wall is my prize procession... bright yellow lockers. thanks again Lori!

 

fabric in the lockers. color coordinated. guess which color i have to have two lockers for!?! i promise it wouldn't be your first guess...

 

oils hang on the closet organizer in ikea tins. color coordinated.

 

i make HUGE messes when i paint with oils... and yet i can't give them up.

 

i do keep acrylics and watercolors handy... just in case. and yes, those are color coordinated also. i store them in my goodwill bright red tool chest.

 

on the shelf are various containers (most from goodwill and clearance racks) with odds and ends.

love odds and ends.

 

small ribbon pieces. color coordinated.

 

and ribbon on spools. color coordinated. justin made me this great frame with molding and masonite.  i painted it with chalkboard paint and orange happiness around the edges added some old door knobs... and i was happy.

 

under the frame is an old box for my books. half are fun, half are for tea staining. (all my paintings. ar backed in books.)

then are the thickers. now before i show i would like to ask you not to judge me. at least to harshly.

 

some of the box is rub ons... and a few stickers.

 

but it is all American Crafts.

i know i have a problem. let us move on...

 

this is my bin of stuff to put away. it is full. guess the put away part of the plan is hard for me.

 

my flowers... 3d and otherwise.

 

3 of 4 "inspiration" boards. they are really just pictures of people i love, project notes, quotes and tons of chinese fortune cookies.

the tv was a christmas present... justin was sick of me bring me all my stuff into the tv room. he is a problem solver.

 

 

i found an old frame and stapled chicken wire on the inside. house from AC decorates clothespins which hold everything up... I want to make one for my jewelry, just can't find the right size of frame.

 

this is where i keep my inspiration. one for house projects/crafting. one for scrapbooking. and one for painting. guess which one is for painting... hehe

 

i have even taken over part of justin's music room. the desk i moved out of my craft room was suppose to turn into something he could use for his projects.

it obviously hasn't happened yet.

my to do list is long.

i hope you will come in person soon... i LOVE to have people over, keeping me company and creating stuff i can copy.... come one, come all.