Drink More Tea

Have I mentioned that I LOVE STORMS?

2009-11-17T00:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah. I do. LOVE THEM - I don't have enough sense to fear them, have ALWAYS loved them. Even in Harney County growing up, loved to watch the lightning striking (even knowing it was setting things on fire), we'd put up lawn chairs and go watch the storm.

Now, these Coos County storms, they tend to happen in the dark, which makes watching them less exciting, you can't SEE A THING - go figure, but they're NOISY and I love that too! The crazy wind blowing the rain at the windows - love it.

Alas, that is why I sleep not - but I *am* nearly finished reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court - by Mark Twain. I love Mark Twain, he is such a smarty pants.

I think the covering is trying to blow off of my porch. YAY for RENTALS :)

Read with home made chai (properly simmered in a pan with milk and honey even)

And HERE we try to embed something

2009-11-16T00:55:00.000-08:00

Which you will probably need the latest version of Microsoft Silverlight to view, if I get it embedded :D
Nevermind embedding, here are direct links:

Photo Shoot Gone Wrong Book
Karli's Visit and our Hike book
Spring 2008 - Photobook
Oliver's Dreams

Memorial Day book MASCULINE-ish\
Memorial Day - Fem book

Luau Book

Sooooo...my friend Sandy...

2009-10-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

Has decided we should start a tag team homeschool blog - and I think that's a FANTASTIC idea! We can share what we're doing, what we're reading, links we find that are cool and advisories of things that perhaps aren't so cool! Sound like fun?? It did to me :)

SO...when we get it together, I will surely post a link here :)

Mini Laptop Give Away at Blissfully Domestic

2009-06-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

http://blissfullydomestic.com/blissful-style/giveaway-hp-mini-vivienne-tam-edition-from-intel/comment-page-42/#comment-34775

Super cute, check it out...

Yay, project 365 layouts caught up again :)

2009-05-26T00:39:00.001-07:00

The Digi Dares #132 - UnSquared

2009-05-12T02:19:00.000-07:00

I try to upload layouts to the galleries where their designers come from, and Shabby Pickle is DOWN...which means, I put it here instead :)

The Digi Dares had something pretty cool this week, so I gave it a whirl. No squares or rectangles, 4 fasteners and black and white photo(s). SO HERE IS MINE!

Everything in the layout is by Kasia at Shabby Pickle Designs, except the shape of the paper which I so carefully scribbled...and the crayon word & scribble I used as a photo mask (layered and stretched and flipped then merged) which is by Holly Designs - also from Shabby Pickle.

I like it :)
**update** I just checked some of the others, and you should too, they're AMAZING!! (which doesn't make me like mine any less - I'm always open to good ideas!)

I'm Learning how to enter I ♥ Faces

2009-05-10T23:17:00.000-07:00

You should check out their site while I try to figure it out...
I ♥ Faces

My Fave SOC shots today...

2009-05-09T23:19:00.000-07:00

First we have the sea lion pup, way too cute. Then a so so photo of Annie & Duke - but a somewhat cool wave breaking in the background...Then Duke & Annie, Duke & Annie, then just Annie...
Then there's the moon (the part that you can see in the daytime), Ruby & Oscar (have a series of these), Ruby and Abby (in a blown out photo that Kurt loves because it looks like a dreamworld fairy tale), and Ruby just being bright, normal, happy Ruby :)

Random Shots Today...May 7, 2009

2009-05-08T00:36:00.000-07:00

Ruby doesn't like Abby getting more photos taken or Abby than of Ruby (I have WAYYYY more Ruby than Abby photos, but Ruby only counts when she actually sees the camera.)

The Nakoa is cool, it's an old rust bucket FULL of color and personality, wouldn't you agree? The three girls need some boosting of color type edits. Eh, whatever. Beck on the tracks has been over boosted on purpose - and Abby just likes to have her mouth opened all the time (like her mother). They are on their way to winkflash.

Photoshop Actions - Magic for your pics...

2009-05-06T23:52:00.000-07:00

MCP Actions

SERIOUSLY - these are amazing! (I want them all)
Think of all the fun things you could do...(Angie...Sister King...I know some of you would have a blast with this kind of stuff).

Contest at I Heart Faces - please do check out their site, lots of neat things (and photography tips) - and actions from Jodie, of MCP Actions are PRIZES :)

Scrapbooking My OOOPS shot.

2009-05-03T18:18:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I forget that running the DSLR in Manual for Sunday morning church means that I set it for bad light, dark conditions, etc...so I rush outside to get cute pics of kids...and get washout. That would be almost white. That's what happened with my photo of the day today, but I USED IT ANYWAY because I LOVED IT :)

Anyhow, I scrapped it mostly with the DARLING *Alien World* kit that I won from Little Dreamer Designs over {inter}National Scrapbook Day [weekend] on their Facebook wish granting frenzy! The only things that aren't from that kit are the piece of string and the ric rac and they are from WHO REALLY KNOWS WHERE - they're in so many kits by so many people, recolored, retrimmed, flipped, chopped and rotated. SO, no credits for string and ricrac. sorry.

I love the single photo layouts all over, the simple ones that TaylorMade always has with her high contrast photos and simple text (and her team as well - they're amazing). What I am not fond of is having the photo so teeny tiny that the page is mostly empty with a postage stamped sized photos. I think I sort of balanced this alright - I can tell this is Ruby. Nothing really to say about the photo - I goofed up shooting it, but she's busy throwing that beanie for the dog and she's just delighted to be doing so :) Liz also has fantastic stuff for the simple scrap (and I have a terrible time scrapping that way, so her quick pages and templates rock!) I have some of the Paislee Press quick page books - and they are awesome (I have actually used 1 or 2 pages...after I messed with recoloring them and all sorts of stuff because I couldn't leave well enough alone, but I can now...I promise).

Now, I am going go scrap with some of myNSD goodies. All night. For real...unless I fall asleep :) I do have a spread started about Ruby being a Ninja Spy Snake that can wah-puh-choooie things...
no wah-puh-chooie yet, but I took these today on the correct settings.
Taylor Made word art, Kasia papers and elements mostly from "Sweet Blossom" - the photo mask for the large photo came from "Winter Romance."

Could someone please tell me where the undershorts are??

2009-04-29T13:38:00.001-07:00

Seriously. I buy undershorts for my children. I give those undershorts to my children. I SEE THEM WHEN I WASH THE LAUNDRY - SO...
WHERE PRAY TELL ME ARE THEY NOW??
Please don't tell me it's time to clean the musty closets and under the beds again, I swear to you I did that LAST WEEK and found no undershorts. Apparently it's time to gut Cam's room again (when he puts laundry away, his interpretation is take the heap, hide it all behind the bedroom door).

I suppose it's time to buy the monster pack of Hefty Trash Bags again, because every time we sort through ALL of the clothing in every nook and cranny of the house, we get rid of 1/3 of all that we have (too small, too holey, too stained, too *oh dear me where did that inappropriate garment come from* - you get the picture).

Laugh. I know you will, but I know that I'm not the only one this happens too (I had a friend once confess that twice annually she THROWS AWAY the entire sock bucket and just goes out and buys ALL NEW SOCKS because it's REFRESHING and LIBERATING).

{{no photo will be posted on the topic of undershorts.}}

**On a side note, does anyone have a cure for firebutt? The children are now thinking the 2 pack of large jars of Greek Pepperoncini might have been a bad idea.**

Last 2 weeks - 365 layouts :)

2009-04-26T22:21:00.001-07:00

Not a whole
lot to say, just thought I would share these latest layouts :)

I am again caught up with my 365 Scrap

2009-04-13T12:55:00.001-07:00

Yippee!! So, I have finished up March and Started April already - time FLIES folks - it's crazy how quickly it goes by. And this represents only 2 weeks of our life...can you believe that? Only 2 weeks - and it's only ONE photo from each day (you should all know by now, I take more than one a day...)

At any rate, it's fun keeping up with this project (and I will eventually fill in the blanks with other photos from these days/months - so each month will have it's own *volume* in the scrapbook series).

Sunday...real life

2009-04-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

The clock was wrong, so we were EARLY to church...but had hurried and missed breakfast, so we drove through Taco Bell and went down to the California Street Dock.

Had a great service, saw the *torch* of the Youth Leader be passed from Michael who's on his way to special training before he deploys to Iraq in May...to Bill. It's an emotional time at Landmark, as Michael prepares to deploy.

We got home, I made potato soup (with bacon...and I'd like to say collard greens, but who knows, could have been swiss chard or mustard greens...I didn't exactly pay attention, I just grabbed a bundle of green leafy stuff that was $0.99).

Then tea. Wish I could tell you we all agreed on one flavor...but no. Abby wanted chai. I'm feeling more green than black chai sweet today. And Kurt, he wanted coffee. So we are breaking in the new little orange teapot...it was cute. It came with a brew basket. It was orange. How do you tell it, NO - I CAN'T BUY YOU?? Well, if you are me, you don't :) You just buy it and pretend you NEEDED another teapot (help me Angie, now is when I need your help...)(it's worse than just the orange one, but the others, well they are at someone else's place until they decide which one(s) they want to keep).

And now, I'm sleepy, but it's BEAUTIFUL out - how could I NOT go to the beach?? Well, it is 4 now, so beautiful, sunny, no wind - still doesn't mean warm.

Photos...and the rest will be at winkflash soon - the ones with E or e at the end - those are edits

Digi Dare #126 - I won??

2009-04-04T00:26:00.000-07:00

I was a random winner...whatever that means. I wonder what I won...makes me want to play again :D

I did the digi dare #126

2009-03-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

For this challenge at Digi Dare

FUN eh??

Layouts

2009-03-28T22:44:00.000-07:00

Journaling on Ruby's layout:
Let’s talk about sensible things to pack while climbing on treacherous terrain at the beach. I’m thinking the can of Pepsi & the blanket might not be bonuses, Ruby is thus advised. Does she heed the warning? ABSOLUTELY NOT! So minutes later we hear frantic, panicky screams. I head back for her, climb over a rock and around the corner to a child stuck halfway around the first bend in the rocks, unable to go any farther because she refuses to put the unnecessary items down to continue.

Hmmm...how often do we do the same things in our walk with Christ?

This Week's 365 layouts :)

2009-03-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

Shot today...24 March 2009

2009-03-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

hmm. i got lost during page 2

2009-03-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

i like page 1 better, it's simple and fills the page...
page 2 - something went wrong. there was too much empty space.
now there's too much stuff on it and it doesn't match page 1 and i don't like it.
whatever. it's a done deal. it's flattened and just to eliminate temptation, the psd file has been deleted. phew. See how crazy they look side by side? and i was liking page 1 so much :D

today's untouched photos

2009-03-17T20:12:00.001-07:00

will be posted at winkflash because the blog is stored at picasa and when it resizes for web display - they're yucky.

PLEASE CHECK by date in my WINKFLASH albums :)

Today is 2009_03_17

the rest of the edits

2009-03-16T21:42:00.001-07:00

Just pics

2009-03-16T20:46:00.001-07:00

Practicing with the xt - and post processing. I'd really just love to be able to shoot perfectly to begin with...

Finished Page 2 of Second Week of March

2009-03-15T16:40:00.000-07:00

MAKING FONTS TODAY - YIPPEE!!

2009-03-13T14:54:00.001-07:00

Cute paper is from Tizzleberry Pop at We Are Story Tellers

If I wanted to spend time properly kerning and straightening things - they'd be a little tidier, but I'm too lazy for that :D

It was quick, easy and fun - YourFonts
It was also FREE :D

YAY - first pages of MARCH 365 project

2009-03-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

Eventually I am going to have to do the fill in pages, because my plan is to have a whole volume (20 to 30 page book) for each month - because we really do have that many photos, but for now, I am happy to keep up with the ONE chosen daily photo :)

Oahu Photos and my 365 layouts

2009-02-16T13:55:00.000-08:00

for starters, you can find the oahu photos Wednesday through Sunday HERE and the other days that are at Picasa will be moved over soon...currently they are at PICASA TUESDAY and MONDAY

and finally, my 365 layouts for the first 15 days of February - I even scrapped on vacation :D I just put all 4 into one preview :D

CRAZY DAYS!!

2009-02-06T23:19:00.000-08:00

I leave for Hawaii MONDAY but we're actually getting our ride to Portland on Sunday...

I have an ear ache, but not infection YET...but have decongestant that should work, and if it doesn't antibiotic I can fill before I leave.

Ruby has a tummy bug, and has vomitted all over my bed already this evening...poor thing, and Kurt's sick too but not quite like Ruby, so when she got sick, he couldn't even move to let her get by and didn't really even realize he was being barfed on. Yay to be the Daddy :)

And my other two children are insomniacs. They don't even have any pseudoephedrine to make them all dingy like me. Grrr.

SO, in recent Smith news, we got a cute mini laptop to share with children - as promised around Christmas but postponed because we didn't get a Christmas bonus and therefore couldn't buy it back then :) I finally replaced the 75-300mm telephoto lens that the kids broke in October-ish of 2007, but this one, sadly, has no macro :( Oh well, it's QUIET and I like it.

Aside from illness and sleepiness, everything here is pretty much great! I'm bummed about missing church tonight because Bro. Stan Gleason is our preacher for the weekend, and I won't be here for Sunday morning - so I'm going (unless Ruby's still really sick) tomorrow night :)

I am keeping up!

2009-01-31T22:11:00.000-08:00

With project 365 that is!! I finished all of my January photo a day layouts :D Here are the last 2 :)

Cardamom

2009-01-24T15:36:00.000-08:00

I think it's my favorite chai spice. I made chai last night - cardamom seeds, crunched a bit, and because I still had a pound of it - ginger black tea, a little cinnamon (just because it was sitting there, usually that's the one I leave out because it's really not my favorite). Then I grated a whole nutmeg and shook it all together. TASTY. Let me tell you.

I even had sweetened condensed milk to dump in with it :) [for those that don't know, traditional chai - aka spiced tea - is simmered for about 20 minutes in a mixture of half milk, half water, the sugar you would put in your tea and the tea, then strained and it's super creamy, yummy and better than hot cocoa]. Sweetened condensed milk is CHEATING but it's quick and easy and creamy and sweet :)

scrapping. some fun stuff :)

2009-01-24T03:10:00.000-08:00

So I scrapped a little - some for project 365 and some just for funzies :)
if only the laptop didn't take so long to OPEN files. irritating. i hate waiting :)

YAY! Another blog!

2009-01-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

I don't want to sully my 365 blog with every day garble (which probably means it's stuff I don't even need to say), nevertheless, here's my new *whenever, whatever* blog :)

Pretty colors even. Now I can post some other stuff that isn't 365 photos :)

Now I can share my scrap layouts (my faves) where people I KNOW can see them :)