An Early 2012 Update...

The sudden and unexpected flurry of activity my blog has gotten got my attention - so i figured i'd go ahead and update something other than some of my newer layouts...

Our 23rd (I think) Anniversary is coming up shortly, and it would seem i have a talent for getting into projects that take lots of time and effort - and money it would seem!  This time it's a project scanning years of photos, slides, and negatives of various sizes for archival purposes - well - semi archival - all of which have been eagerly provided by my parents!
I've actually finished with the 12 boxes of slides - and am working my way through a raft of 'no negatives' black and whites right now...
I've done some of the 35mm negatives, and just last night received my newest toy - an Epson V600 - which will take the nearly 2X2" B/W Safety film negatives - with a homemade jig - and the handful of even larger negatives!!   None of the other 2 scanners (one of which i bought 3 months ago) I've used will take anything that big!
So nearly every day I'm scanning I pick one of the more 'fun' pictures and ship it off to my parents to see what kind of reaction it will bring...
and in between I'm building layouts - ways to highlight those pictures that speak to me. 
They will show up here, one or two at a time - and in books going to everyone for Christmas....

My negatives have vanished.  I've scanned what I could find - and am heartbroken over what is missing!!  I keep hoping one day i'll open a drawer or box and find them all - but i'm not holding my breath!

And every day i thank God that despite all the hardships and economic issues around us, Dan and I have maintained gainful employment, while tolerating radically cut benefits and no payraises.  We've started shifting more attention into putting money aside for our retirement - watching what we had had as it decreased in value, and now fearing that we're going to loose even more if the current administration has it's way! I have a new car, purchased in 2012 - a Toyota Rav 4- and although it cost more than I'd planned on spending, I love it.  We can travel for weekend getaways every so often, and eat out when we choose...but the new car payments may affect that a bit, still waiting to see how that all shakes out.

The girls are not here - one in northern Florida - the other in Alabama.  Both forging their own paths, regardless of my thoughts on the topic.  I guess that's the downside of teaching your kids to think for themselves and make decisions for themselves - they do!  Dan and I are thoroughly convinced that 'empty next syndrome' is a myth perpetuated by the kids that aren't being missed!!!  We're enjoying our privacy!!  Sure, there are times when we miss the girls...but on a daily basis - not so much!  

So there it is -
We're busy - very. 
We're tired - usually. 
We're Happy - incessantly!    

New Challenges Answered...

I've got the day off...that's a dangerous thing 'cuz i have a bad habit of sitting and feeding my need for creativity...
And Netta, at Creative Victorian, has posted the next round of challenges...
so here's a few things's I've been doing....

A Tribue to

Josephine and Charles

My Grandparents

For as long as I can remember my family made the trip to Queens, New York, and spent a week or two visiting with Grandma Josie and Grandpa Charlie. And for as long as I can remember, as Grandpa read his paper and commented on events of the day, he and my mom would ... discuss ... the stories of the day - usually very energetically.

And they never did seem to agree on much of anything!

This was done to answer the Heritage Challenge at Creative Victorian Designs Forum.

Once Upon a Time...

A couple of years ago Mom and I were talking and decided that it would be a great for her and dad to spend their 50th Anniversary on a cruise ship with their family. One year and 5 million emails and phone calls later, 15 of us boarded the Carnival Cruise ship Glory. Mom, Dad, my sister and brother, their significant others and children, and my husband and I and our children all managed to find our way every day to the dining room for the 6:30 dinner seating - otherwise we all pretty much went whichever way we wanted.

This was my first cruise - and my husband Dan was very supportive of my having custom outfits made up for formal nights, and buying whole bunch of new clothes for both of us. This is a picture of us from in the Dining room on Formal Night.

The page in all white was done to answer a Hodge Podge Challenge at Creative Victorian, and the page with Dan and I is going in the book next to it!

Netta is getting me to start working on pages with only one picture on them...something I'm not used to doing - and i guess can work better than I thought.