he was a hairy bear, he was a scary bear...

*Top 10 Things I Like About Camping*

First looks...

(our campsite was actually on the opposite side of the lake)

Familiar (familial?) expressions...

Supervising tent set-up... : .P

Expansive views...

Cute furry creatures...

Owling (Beth swears its all the rage...)

which immediately lead to...

owl

squirrel

sasquatch...

Hiking...

Playing with fire...

(color swap!)

S'mores...

& Sunset on the lake...

I also enjoyed the fresh air, no technology (including horological implements), 

people who completely understand & accept my weird and off-color sense of humor,

sleeping in & not having to shower : .P

sleeping on the ground (this old body can't take it), chem toilets and flies...ick.
definite disLIKE!!!

but the rest...it was like MAGIC!

BTW - There was only ONE bear!

 

Scrapping the Music - A Night Like This

The song for this round's challenge is A Night Like This by Caro Emerald

I decided to start working in my Smashbook, 

they're all the rage ya know!!!

(watch the video, its pretty cool!)

which made the going a bit easier, as the pages are pre-printed!

I just had to add the pixs and some embellishments and VOILÁ!!!
(click image to see it bigger!)

this photo was my inspiration!

I was enjoying the moment with sunset at Morro Rock

during my solo visit to Morro Bay in 2007.
very good times!

I can't believe how quickly the days have been flying by lately.
a lot has been happening, but I haven't had a chance to put it down here.
I'm off to the wilderness with the cousins for a few days.
maybe I'll have good photos to post when I get back!

father of mine

Bert's visiting...

we've done some fun stuffs...

watched Annie show her pig Mahoney at the fair

hiking

geocaching (without a GPS!!!)

flea marketing

(that's a fuzzy pix of my re-entry stamp)

I scored...I almost have my early American garage sale dining room set completed!

I've got more adventures to post, delayed b/c I didn't have the interwebs for 11 days!

that was agonizing.  I love my interwebs!

Scrapping the Music - Three Little Birds

Its time for another challenge at

Scrapping the Music!!!

Bob Marley's song

Three Little Birds

is our inspiration

this round!!!

Of course, 

"every little thing gonna be alright"

when you're getting hugs from Stitch

at the Happiest Place on Earth!!!

Cute, yeah?!

: .)

Come play along!!!

everything gone white and everything's grey

I have a hard time busting out of my little black & white box.

I gravitate towards those "colors."

I don't think I'm all that definitively black & white,

I like to think I'm more shades of grey, 

even colorful sometimes, 

but then again...

: .P

*     *     *      *     *

"Do not try and bend the spoon. That's impossible.  Instead... only try to realize the truth."

"What truth?" 

"There is no spoon."

"There is no spoon?"

"Then you'll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself."

*     *     *      *     *

I worked on that upcycled piece this weekend.

it took two entire days to roll those newspaper rosettes 

and glue them down.

The canvass is 8"X8"

"From far away, its just a big ole mess!"
Nothing to recommend it, really.

I think the close-up is quite cool!!!

I'm thinking it would look neat if I splashed some watercolors on it???!!!
There's already some color from the newspaper...

I also wanted to do some art journal pages,

I really like this artist's grungy, artsy work...

but I am not so relaxed.

I need things to coordinate and be organized, 

no matter how hard I try to do "messy."
AND whoa! its black & white!
SURPRISE!!!

Here's what came out. 

I wanted to use these Social Distortion lyrics

(Ball & Chain)

for awhile now...

I sent this over to Pens for her Songs In My Heart blog : .)

It was a bit inspired by the rut I've been in, 

and thinking I was going to have to quit running.

I think I mentioned I got hooked up with a trainer???

(Or shall I call him the "body whisperer"...Yes, he is THAT good!)

Already, amazing things are happening.

I was almost crying during today's session.

These workouts have been so much harder than training for

 and running a marathon, believe it or not!

But its been so goooooood.

To feel like 

I'm moving forward, doing something

instead of stagnating.

Yes!

Short week!  It'll be Wednesday tomorrow already! 

hup, hup, hup!!!

beach time

kath IM'd me at work yesterday 

and asked it I wanted to join her and the D's 

at the beach.

you'd think that I would have immediately jumped on that idea, 

but my work ethic reared its ugly head 

and I actually said no at first!

b/4 I could think about it, I got all spontaneous, 

quickly wrapped up what I was doing...

and then we were off!!!

a most excellent day!!!

you too can make this fauxlaroid (with your own photos, of course), 

template and brief instructions generously provided 

by Jennifer Kirk of Ambrosia Creative (via Etsy on FB).  

major details are not listed.  I just kept playing around with the template

until I could get it to look like I wanted (in PS Elements).

the best colors!

exuberant youth!

you can't tell, but its COLD!

kath's elbow.  I realized this am we don't have pixs of us together.

I must fix that!!!

I think they might have been pretending to be seals???

the girl!!!

nature!

lucky shot!  I think he wanted snaks!!!

I spent a lot of time today looking for stuff, 

physically and virtually...it was tres annoying!

that means I have too much stuff!

I started this project!

upcycling!!!

ain't it cool!

I also modified a recipe for lemon pasta, yum!

tomorrow, I'm going over to Jack's and we'll bbq BEEF, 

and watch the first two episodes of True Blood, season 4!

I can't wait!!!

I'm hearing fireworks in anticipation of 

Independence Day celebrations!

Happy 4th, Americans!!!

Scrapping the Music - Blue Skies

The song for this round's challenge is Blue Skies, the Willie Nelson version : .)

I present to you...

Bleu Skies...

"Blue Skies Smilin' at me..."

inexpensive Michael's frame, repainted, 

plaster of paris face, painted cheesecloth, some rhinestones 

and some silver glass beads.  

please bring me my wine...

Lavender Festival and Wine Tasting in one weekend?

It could be heaven or it could be hell!  heh!

(Well, the drive up and back was!  

eeee SCARY! Shannon is THE.WORST.DRIVER.EVER!

But she can pour a mean glass of wine!)

Lavender fields forever!

Busy Bees!

Amazing color, yeah?!

I'm not sure what these are...anyone?!

Geez, horse head in my bed?!   "Leave the gun, take the cannoli." 

But seriously, the shop keeper said she sold 2 of these to a customer just that morning, whaaaaa???

"Gimme your bag and go stand against that cool wall!"

She's a good sport! hee!

CHICKEN!!!  Its not a real chicken!  

 I did see a 5 foot tall metal chicken that I really

wanted to bring home, but Shannon wouldn't let me buy it!

(It wasn't in my budget!)

Linda: Uh-oh.
Kuzco: Don't tell me.  We're about to go over a huge waterfall.
Linda: Yep.
Kuzco: Sharp rocks at the bottom?
Linda: Most likely.
Kuzco:  Bring it on.

(I had no idea those sheep were in the foreground when I took the pix! hee!)

"We got a real jam goin' down, welcome to the Space Jam..."

I made plum freezer jam today!

Fresh plums courtesy of Shannon's neighbor : .)

I'm so tickled that I made jam!

it means no worries, for the rest of your days...

its a worry free...philosophy!  

hakuna metata!!!

ok.  I need a worry free philosophy!

another day, another car accident.

so inconvenient and annoying.

little hot rodder needs to SLOW DOWN!

and no, I am not talking about me!

anyway, its a minor speed bump, haha! right?

my back hurts.

there ARE good things working for me...

I have two benefactors who have provided for me in a huge way...

I had lunch with my cycle pal Letty, I love her...

I spent good time with my heart friends and kidlets (eating & playing)...

ice is nice 

and 

so is Dr. Andre (thanks for squeezing me into your busy day, today!)

martini anyone?  anyone?!

heart I saw in Mary's eucalyptus tree...isn't it too cool!!!

I throw my hands up in the air sometimes, singin' ay oh, gotta let go!

I have an overwhelming urge to get a can of spray paint and take my stencil 

and grafitti the Bay Area!

never mind that in this version I look like I have the chicken pox. 

or maybe at my age, its shingles blisters!  

or a horrible case of adult onset acne. 

heh!

I still like the colors!

tell me baby, what's your story

I think I first saw this idea on Dina Wakley's blog...

She's one of my faaaaavvvvvooooorrrritttttteeee

mixed media artists!

I especially love her grunge & her use of paint & stencils.

In this post, she made a stencil of herself.

So very cool!

Here's my attempt at a Linda-stencil : .)

I used this picture.

Edited in PS Elements

I had a hard time wrapping my head around which parts I had to cut out

to make the right parts show after stenciling.

I think the difficulty I experienced

is related to my inability to parallel parking correctly the first time

(fine, second or third time!)

and the fact that I'm not spatial at all!!!

(please, never ask me to solve a rubik's cube!)

My first practice piece...

I used Tattered Angels white Chalkboard spray ink.

(good Linda, bad Linda?  heh!)

Then I tried some octopus purple Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist,

I think its called Raven, over a page where I had previously

stamped some peacock feathers and spattered (splattered?) purple ink.

I think I want to write some of the Red Hot Chili Peppers lyrics

from Tell Me Baby across that flat part....

I'm supposed to be at an 8th birthday backyard camp-out with the kidlets

right now,

but I begged off.

I was being shy & I'm so tired after this week.

I just needed to be alone in a quiet place.

(home)

I did get the birthday boy's card done, complete with present enclosed!

: .)

Happy Weekend!

wip

this piece just needs a little bit more...ink splatters, I think!

btw - that's not my shot, its hula70's.
remember, she taught the BEST WORKSHOP EVER!!!

I still love the face on this stamp and want to do a rainbow piece with it...

chi running, riiiight.  still no running, period.

this is a watercolor/ink 'speriment...I totally forgot why I made a green background.

until now.  something with dragonflies.

yesterday was cozying up with sweet kidlets, pizza, cake & a friend's good news.

today was just not good. and for no particular reason  I'm just sad & weepy.
a lot lately.
Dr. André, to his credit, tried to lift me up.
its lack of endorphins, I know it.

anyway, just some stuff I'm attempting to work on...

"put a bird on it!" - art imitating art???

as I mentioned in a previous post, I'm participating in 

Marit's 

Summer Camp.

today, inspired by a piece she did of birds on a wire, 

an episode of Portlandia, (cracks me up every time!)

(btw - I have been in the shops on Mississippi Avenue in Portland!  LOL!!!)

and the camp prompts,

I created an avian triptych : .)

ever since I purchased my condo, 

I've used a lot of birds and feathers

in my art and in my decor.

nesting, I guess!

I also experimented with blowing bubbles in ink 

to make background paper.

note to self:  

do this outdoors, in a deep pan, wearing hazmat gear.

I am covered in ink.

I am so glad it was non-toxic and water soluble

because I got it everywhere, 

on my hands, face, clothes, the floor, the counter, the stainless steel sink,

yes, even in my mouth, yuck!!!

I love this background paper from Fancy Pants...

its called "Spring Fever".

that's a Donna Downey stamp.

I just decided on the perfect picture to scrap here.


that's all I got accomplished today, 
aside from dishes, laundry, and a nap to overcome some nausea.
hum...

I went to the Greek Festival on Friday with Vicki & family.

o.m.g!!!  we ate sooo much fuds!

it was crazy crowded, but the eats were worth 

the claustrophobia & the cognitive dissonance.

pastitsio, calamari, spanikopita & loukoumades! 

I brought home some baklava & kourambiethes.

awesome!

I wanna go back tomorrow!

I can't get no...satisfaction

blah, blah, blah...Dr. Wolfe "to stop snoring, lose weight"...blah, blah, blah!

what ever!

and can someone please

respond to communications???

ok, thanks!!!

enough whining...

good things...

1) Creative Summer Camp has started!

I got some good ideas for bkgnds via video today!

2) finally got that appt set up with the new chiro.

3) Calistoga Sparkling water with Lime Essence

4) RB's smile : )

5) starting the new Sookie Stackhouse novel

(guilty pleasure, hee!!!)

(yes, those are rocks.  Texas rocks.  or gravel.  Texas gravel.)

Scrapping the Music - Write a Song

the song for this round's challenge @

Scrapping the Music

is

Write a Song

by 

Dave Matthews Band.

I love this song, Dave can evoke wonderous images with his words.
it was my suggestion and

ironically, I didn't make the cut-off for having it posted at the STM site.

oh well.  that's how things have been going lately.

photo courtesy of my friend Annie,

its her brother hanging off a rope ladder!

I thot he looked exactly like Peter Pan flying thru the sky!
the stars are pixie dust!

maybe I should have included a little Tinkerbell!  : .)

come play along!  

disrespected yo!

oh man. 

we don't need to talk about it...

I'd rather focus on:

1) chat with a personal trainer today,

& finding a new way forward?!

2) a quiet work day

3) deep convo with Bea

4) a glass of wine

5) coconut cream pie for dessert!  

LOL!

oh and yesterday's picture was an old x-ray of my back,

doesn't mean anything except, 

well... I might be revisiting that injury again.

I'm seeing a new dr., hopefully this week...

I dress this way just to keep them at bay, 'cause Halloween is everyday

while I am completely frustrated on many levels, 

I still want to focus on what is gnarly and copacetic right now...

so 5 GOOD things:

1) kid piles (& star wars movies!)

2) melting moments

3) that bit of sunshine we experienced yesterday

4) Italian Sweet Créme coffeemate

(I blame KG, she hooked me up!  : .)

5) remembering...