a local swap, a full gander at some bella crafting, and some wonderful girlfriends...

Last night I met with the girls at the Pink Pineapple for our Summer's Savory Sweets Reveal Party and it was such fun. Everyone in the swap made a recipe page based on their favorite summer treat and I bound them all together on rings. We all brought in samples of our recipes for tasting and it was so nice and relaxing sitting and enjoying time with the other swappers.

What a sweet bunch of gals!

and...

I know I probably am not supposed to do this...

I have been working on swap after swap after swap. Let's see, in the last month I have done 3 swaps for a girlfriends weekend (totally worth it!!!), signed up for NINE for Silver Bella (hosting 4) and one more for Kim's event Artistic Affaire L'Automne (which, by the way, there are only a few spots left and she is closing registration soon so be sure to sign up if you are on the fence, I hear there will not be another for a while and her events are to die for!!!), and of course the one mentioned above.

Anyway, in 2 short months, I have run up a total of 14 swaps!! And since my blog is about my life... and you can only imagine how much of my life is spent adding detail after detail, I just feel that I must share SOMETHING. So if you don't want to see, turn away now. Fair warning...

Here is what I made for our apron flair swap, simple but I love them. I used vintage button covers, and stitched on felt to make leaves. I hope the girls like them!

And finally, I finished my Woodland Faerie Hideaway from the class Christine Rose Elle taught at our girlfriend's weekend at Big Bear.

and while I am on that subject (wow I am all over the place tonight, aren't I??!!)
here are the girls from that sassy little weekend in July...

Big Bear Girls Club: (back row left to right) Jamie, Holly, Joy, Cheryl, Kim H., Jenny, (middle row) Sherry, Jessi, Kim C., (front) Cynthia, Me, Alice and Christine

Talk about a treat! Such kindred spirits.

~xo

freshly sharpened pencils and warm copies...

Today was my official first day of school. Normally the saddest day of summer because I am forced to cut back on the time I get with my family. As the school year wanes I find I spend so much more time with other people's children than my own. HOWEVER... today was special because my not so little boy will be coming to school at my school this year! I look forward to breakfast with him, quiet conversation on our rides to school, homework in my classroom after school and even an occasional pop in at lunch. I love knowing that he will be close, and he loves the idea of it too. Now, if I can remember to not hold his hand while walking into school...

~xo

Whew, I Am Back...

After a long hiatus, I am back and going to try and do a better job of blogging. Our summer is almost to an end here and so much has happened. Instead of droning on and on about it all, I will do a quick photo update and move forward... hey, better than nothing, right?

At the end of May, my little one sang the Star Spangled Banner at the Ramona Rodeo, pretty exciting!

My not so little guy had his 5th grade "graduation."

We flew my Gram out for a visit in July.

The bottle I made for Kim Caldwell in an altered bottle swap (i love her butt!)

AND the AMAZING bottle she made for me... see St. Joan of Arc?

The book pages I made for a journal swap

We took my mom to see Smokey at the OC Fair... still smokin' at 69!

The unexpected road trip we took to spend time with family in the midwest and went through 16 states, puppy dog and all!

and back in time to see Trace Adkins and Toby Keith last night... What a show!

"Never apologize for being patriotic!"

~xo