Family

Family is really important to me. When we moved into our home in NC, I acquired a lot of old pictures of family members - most who are not with us anymore. On both sides of my dining room, I have pictures of these family members - my grandparents, great aunt, mom, dad, me and DH as children and of course, pictures of my son and daughter. So, I was delighted with Stampin' Up's new Decor Elements! I have been wanting to put something like that on my walls. My daughter-in-law has a "wallie" in her house and one of my good friends has one or two in her home. My order arrived Friday and today, I put up my own FAMILY!! It was so easy to apply - took about 20 minutes! Here's a link to the brochure so you can view other options. My other favorite is "Life Is Good". I saw a picture the other day of it on a truck window and on a boat!! Hmmmmm!

Watermelon anyone?

I received a great Monday Mailer this week. For July, we are to send cards using SU's Bold Brights. These used to be my favorite color combo, but I think I'm more of a Rich & Regals gal now. But, for summer, Bold Brights are great!! My card came from Hulda Pollock. It came along with a new stamp set I just bought from her. She sold me the hostess set Older and Wiser. I can't wait to use it. I think it is so cute.

Hulda's card is also very cute. She made a watermelon!! She used her Scallop Punch to punch out the "eaten" part. (a little tip she gave me ..... punch the pink & green scallop separate - the punch won't go through both pieces together .... how do you think she knew that?????). It looks like she hand drew the seeds and did a great job of keeping them uniform.

Thanks Hulda!

End Table Troubles

Our new end tables arrived last week while we were in DC. Yesterday was the first day we had a chance to drive to Hickory to pick them up. I had Sonny drop me at Hobby Lobby to shop while he went to the furniture store to pick them up. (didn't take him near as long as I had planned!!) After lunch, we were driving back home, when he asked me "Do you know that the tables don't match?" Duh ..... no, I didn't know that. When you buy 2 tables to put in the same room, you expect matching tables. The tables are square with an oak base and 4 slate tiles on the top. The slate are all different colors. When he told the guys at the warehouse they didn't match, they said, yep, that's the way they come. Wouldn't it have been nice for the salesman to tell us that? So, when we got home and opened them up (some assembly required!), sure enough .... one table (which I kept) is real nice and pretty much like the one in the store. It has 2 black tiles and 1 tile that is sort of a copper color and the other is sorta marbled greenish.

The other table has 3 black tiles, but one of the black ones has what it looks to me like discoloration on it and the 4th tile is dark brown/coppery. Not even close to matching.

I called the store and was told that this is the way the natural stone looks - that anything from nature is that way and they could not guarantee that they would match. Well, why not tell us that before we pull out the Visa Card!!! But, she said they would just send me a box of tiles and I could replace them and pick whatever I wanted from the box to put in the table. Well, about 30 minutes later, the Parts Dept. called to tell me that they had just gotten the order for the box of tiles, but, SORRY - these tiles don't come out. They are siliconed or something in the table and no, there is not a Manager available. I could return them, BUT would be charged a 25% restocking fee! I was all ready to call the store this morning and demand satisfaction. But, surprisingly, they called me and told me they would refund them if I wanted. I really like the table so we went back to Hickory and took the "ugly"one with us. Of course, the salespeople in the store oohed and aahed over the stone in this one - how unique and different it was. (they can have it!) We were told that all the tables are different. . . At the factory, they just randomly pick tiles to put in the tables. And the funniest thing is, I told the Manager that I couldn't believe that the people putting together these tables couldn't match the tiles - that if this was going to be a floor in her home, she wouldn't want all different colors of tile. She said that a computer pulls the tiles and assembles them. That you would only have matching tables if you were buying from a high-end furniture store (can you believe she said that??). But that is the reason they are #1 in the country - because they make and sell in bulk. I don't think I'd tell a customer I don't consider my store high-end!! And I'm not talking about Wal-Mart - this is Ashley Furniture. After much discussion, the manager told us she would work it out for us. Don't know what she is going to do, but my guess is somehow she knows how to get these tiles to match! I will have to say, they were very agreeable and helpful and we didn't have to get ugly!! We'll see what happens - I'll keep you posted - if you care!!

These Boots Are Made for Walking and other Boot info

When Judy came over yesterday, she brought me some really cute 12x12 western paper and a package of western style stickers by Jolene. So, after cleaning up my stamp room yesterday (surprised my hubbie too!! I even vacuumed!!), I proceeded to create a card with my new goodies. I really love the way it turned out. I used SU's Vanilla Cardstock with the boots paper layered over it. I stamped the cowgirl (from My Favorite Things) in brown ink and colored with my blender pens. The skirt is Ruby Red and the boots are in Thyme (last year's In Colors). Then I layered it with Thyme; More Mustard and another piece of 12x12 paper (in dark mustard-y color). The rope and horseshoe are from the Jolene's sticker pack. I stamped the saying on a strip of the mustard-y colored paper and raised it up with dimensionals.

One of the pieces of paper had all kinds of stuff I didn't know about BOOTS!! And I lived in Texas for 20+ years! Did you know .....

A boot set atop a fencepost is a sign that someone is at home.

It is bad luck to step into your left boot first.

Drop an old boot outside the front door as you leave on a journey and you won't have any bad luck on the trip.

If you wear your boots out on the toe, you'll spend your money as you go.

Never wear a pair of old boots or you will walk in the former owner's troubles.

New boots that have never been worn should be placed high above the floor for good luck.

Pun Fun Card Set

I had a very productive day today. My friend, Judy, came over this morning with her sister-in-law (also named Judy - I didn't have to remember names!!) for a mini workshop. She was treating her sister-in-law to the class so she could take what we made back to Florida with her. She is very involved in Red Hat's and I thought this would make a cute little gift for someone. We made this Pun Fun Card Holder Set. When you open the card holder, it folds downwards to reveal four 3 ¼” x 6 ½” tag cards in their decorated envelopes. The envelopes are attached to the inside of the card holder – when you’re ready to give a card, you just tear away the decorated envelope and attach it to your gift! Each card “tag” opens in a different way. I got the directions for the holder from Andrea. She is so clever!!

I will be doing this class at Stamper's Alley in September using stamp sets from Inkadinkadoo.

June Monday Mailer

This is the last card I received from Tammy Howell for my Monday Mailer. We had to do cards using our punches. She outdid herself on this one! She used SU's 5 petal flower punch to make the flowers and the Word Window punch for the trellis. Then to make the base of the flower, she used the 1 1/4" square punch. Isn't she clever??!!

I love it!!

Sharon

July 4th in DC

Finally back home!! We had a great vacation, but I am worn out!! We were on the go from sun-up until sun-down! Seriously, we boarded the metro about 10 a.m. most mornings and returned home about 10 or 11 p.m. too tired to do anything other than hit the bed! After Day 1 of touring DC by bus (and our feet!), we headed to the Spy Museum and Holocaust Museum on Thursday. If you have never been to the Spy Museum, you need to go if you're ever in DC. It is really fun. When you first go in, you are given a few minutes to memorize facts about a new identity and at the end of the tour, you are asked questions about your identity. If you cannot remember the details (name, destination, birthplace, reason for visit, etc.), it is recommended that you be detained and not allowed to leave! I didn't do too well - even though I "cheated" and jotted down some of the details. I wouldn't make a very good spy for sure!! After being in the Spy Museum for about 3+ hours, I grabbed a quick hot dog as we headed to our next destination, the Holocaust Museum. Ashley was able to meet us there and take the tour with us. What a moving experience. How could humans treat other humans that way? It is inconceivable to me, but alas, it is going on all over the world in many ways I think (Darfur for an example). Hats off to the survivors of this atrosity. Another must see for DC.

Friday, July 4th, was much more laid back for us. We started the day off with breakfast at the Pancake House - Sonny's favorite restaurant in DC!!! Yum .... strawberry crepes with whipped cream and fresh strawberries for me!! Then, we gals were able to get in some shopping at A C Moore!! Finally bought a little sewing machine for sewing on my cards - now, let's see if I use it!! Ashley had to go in to Bethesda to check on one of her patients, so the gang rode in with her to take a quick look around Bethesda Naval Hospital (at least, the grounds - not inside the hospital). Later in the afternoon, we went to Walter Reed Army Hospital and toured the National Museum of Health and Medicine. This was very interesting - much more than I would have thought. I particulary enjoyed the exhibit of embryos showing fetal development (showing actual feuses!). There was also an interesting exhibit on leprosy in America that I didn't know about. Did you know there is a national leprosarium in Louisiana known as “Carville,” a refuge for leprosy patients from all over the world? I didn't. There was a PBS documentary about Carville which aired in March (I didn't see it) but I would be interested in seeing it.

After leaving the museum, we dropped in on a July 4th BBQ at some of Ashley's friends; had a quick bite to eat and visited with old friends for a while. Then, we were off to catch the Metro for downtown DC and the Fireworks. Of course, by this time it had started to rain!! Luckily, by the time we got downtown, it had changed to just a drizzle. But .... oh so many people! We had just found a spot on the ground for our chairs when the fireworks began. They were spectacular but I don't think they were as impressive as I have seen before. Because of the rain and the heavy atmosphere, they didn't seem to be as high up as they should have been. So, instead of being over the Washington Memorial as they are pictured, they were actually beside it. But, it was fun anyway and a great experience! After they were over, we wandered around the streets of DC trying to find our way back to the Metro. We had hoped to be able to view the Korean Memorial at night but they had the area to the statues roped off for the fireworks.

Independence Day

Thank you to those who are serving or have served our country and have made sacrifices on our behalf whether here at home or in far off lands.

THANK YOU and LET FREEDOM RING!

Happy Independence Day!!!

HAPPY 4th!!

Walking the streets of DC

Just a quick post before we head out this a.m. I am in our nation's capital - Washington DC having a wonderful time. We arrived about dinner time on Tuesday and have been going non-stop since we arrived. We had dinner at Stomboli's - yummy! and then headed to an Irish pub for a game of trivia. We were respectable at least - came in 4th I believe, thanks to Ashley's knowledge of random stuff! Wednesday we took a tour of DC. We have friends with us who have never been here (and are originally from England) so it was fun to show them the sights. We did a LOT of walking and our feet were tired last night. We met Ashley at the National Cathedral and headed to Georgetown for more walking and a visit to a few historic pubs and .... pubs!! In order to get to one of them on the edge of Georgetown Univ. campus, we went straight up a set of 75 steps! Thought I was going to need help at the end of that. We found a better route down though. That bed sure felt good last night - even my husband's who is sleeping on an air mattress on the floor!!

Today we are headed to the Spy Museum this morning. Then a quick lunch before we walk over to the Holocaust Museum. Sonny & I have been to the Spy Museum and really enjoyed it, but have never experienced the Holocaust Museum.

In the meantime, have a wonderful day and I will try to post again tomorrow.