Audubon Zoo

LIONS!





























and TIGERS!














and BEARS!






























OH MY!

Since Children's Hospital is literally next door to the Audubon Zoo, we decided on a visit after Kevin's OT appt. on Wednesday. The sunny and mild weather meant the animals were out and about, and ready for their pictures! I could watch the monkeys, especially orangutans and gorillas, all day. They are so fascinating. One big boy reached his arms up into a bush and pulled off a branch of bright red berries for munching. He immediately turned away as if to protect his cache from hungry onlookers.











































Hopping here and there from branch to branch, stopping only to take a bite, these little guys were some of the most active at the zoo! Some of the trees in their exhibit were showing the colors of autumn. It was a striking scene with leaves and fur of orange against the bright blue sky.











































And one final animal...homo sapien. This particular specimen wanted more than anything to climb on the big old oak trees in the park. We found the perfect one on our way to the sea lion pool (his favorite exhibit). He scurried up the big branch that swooped near the ground and posed for several photos along the way. But THEN...about 6-8 feet up, he realized that getting back down wasn't going to be as easy! Ooops! A little coaxing and he backed down far enough for me to catch him. :)

Believe

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson



Another entry for the Magistical Memories DT contest, this layout of Brendan on the beach showcases several pieces of chipboard: a Magistical Memories Window Tab, a Magistical Memories Flutterby (butterfly), a fancy letter "B", and chipboard sand dollar. All of the pieces were given a basecoat of paint and then stippled with additional layers to achieve the shadow and highlight effects.

Are We Human

Every once in a while I hear a great song that has it all...intriguing lyrics and soulful melody. This is one of them. From their new album, Day and Age, the Killers...

YouTube-Human-performed on BBC2's Later

I did my best to notice
When the call came down the line
Up to the platform of surrender
I was brought but I was kind
And sometimes I get nervous
When I see an open door
Close your eyes
Clear your heart...
Cut the cord

Chorus

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer
Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Pay my respects to grace and virtue
Send my condolences to good
Give my regards to soul and romance,
They always did the best they could
And so long to devotion
You taught me everything I know
Wave goodbye
Wish me well..
You've got to let me go

(Chorus)

Will your system be alright
When you dream of home tonight?
There is no message we're receiving
Let me know is your heart still beating

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?
My sign is vital
My hands are cold
And I'm on my knees
Looking for the answer

You've got to let me know

(Chorus)

Are we human?
Or are we dancer?

Are we human
Or are we dancer?

Feels Like Alaska!

Yep...it's been a bit chilly here in the South! Snow is blanketing other areas of the country. Won't see that here, but two summers ago, we were fortunate enough to see Alaska via cruise ship! Those snow topped peaks were so picturesque. What we heard was true...there was a new postcard view every few minutes! I took soooo many photos and scrapped a few here:

Inspi{red}

Kevin's BO{RED} T-shirt was perfect inspiration for this page. But, he was definitely not bored. Tired? No, not that either. Wired? Probably! We were heading home after a long afternoon at the school fair, and he was gulping down a Coke, trying to replenish the fluids he lost while playing on the inflatables for a few hours in the heat. The small framed photo shows his new "hip" pose. Every single time I point the camera at him I end up with one of those shots in the mix! Funny!



























A few of my favorite things: Magistical Memory chipboard frames, October Afternoon patterned paper (LOVE that newspaper print!), and a Jenni Bowlin bingo card!

Meant to be mine?

We're badly in need of new furniture in the family room. We've been shopping...but I can't ever find anything that I like or else I'm intimidated by the choices! Last memorial Day we went out to several furniture stores. I even took home sample fabrics. But I wasn't sure what I wanted. Nothing jumped out at me. Until this past weekend. Shuffling through the ads and pricing TVs, I came across this sofa and wow...I fell in love with it! The perfect style. Neutral fabric with nicely patterned pillows. It fit me well.





















And then I read the ad!







Is it fate? Should I go and purchase it NOW...and cover it in plastic until the boys move out...like on that hysterically funny Everybody Loves Raymond episode!? Tee-hee! Well, at least I know what I like now. And maybe when I go shopping again, I can bring this photo along to show the salespersons.

Who's Who

This is one from a while back, but I just LOVE it! ALL of the cousins (well, except for one) are in the same place at the same time...and they are actually standing still for a photograph!!! Everyone was casually dressed for a crawfish boil, and the colorful mix of clothing makes for a fun and lively photo! The inspiration for my title came from the Magistical Memories chipboard owl. I had so much fun dressing him up in paper and paint, and even added a bow...which I guess makes it a "her". :) Now to figure out all the ages so that I can finish filling out the journaling card!

Love Ya Cuz!

"Colorful Friendships" is the theme for this week's Lifetime Moments feature article. The members of the design team celebrate friendship on their layouts, using a variety of colorful scrapbook products. My favorite project this week is a page titled "Love Ya Cuz!"























Bright pastel patterns populate the Basic Grey Urban Prairie collection, and my favorite paper in the entire pack combines every single one of the colors into a delightful, sampler-like design. It is equally amazing that almost all of these colors are found in my photo by way of the kids' clothing. These five are the youngest of the 14 kids on my side of the family, and not one of them are siblings! Everyone has a playmate...or two or three or more. It makes our week at the beach together all the more enjoyable. Photo taken June 2008.

There's No Crying in Scrapbooking!

Let these three truths be evident:

In scrapbooking like art, there are NO rules. There are NO mistakes. And there's NO crying in baseball..., er scrapbooking!

Of course things don’t always go as planned. The ink smears, the paper rips, or adhesive spills on an almost done project. Bummer! But, it doesn’t have to mean your work is ruined. Think creatively. Sometimes, those little mistakes turn out to be quite fortuitous. Make the best of them!

Here's an example. While there’s no expiration date on the packaging, rub-ons DO get old. How do I know? Heh-heh…I found out the hard way. Maybe it’s because I’ve had them for YEARS. Maybe it’s because my house had been without electricity and HOT for weeks at a time in 2005. Maybe it’s just the nature of the material. (Maybe they’ve been improved!) Anyway, some rub-ons deteriorate, and it’s not readily noticeable…until you try to use them.

I simply wanted to use an old KI tattoo letter to “dot the i” in the word “friends” on my layout titled First Friends. I rubbed and rubbed. Some of it stuck. The rest was like powder on the page. As I dusted the “crumbs” off, I noticed that a faint outline of the letter remained, and it looked COOL!

Hmmm…what if I took more of those rub-ons and rubbed them on all over the paper?! Oh yeah…that’s what I’ll do! And I did. The imperfect look of those old rub-on tattoos ended up working pretty well with the designs I had already doodled on the page! :)

No worries, no tears, as an "uh-oh" moment turned into an exclamation of "Oh, look!"

Yeah Me!

A couple of weeks ago I submitted a few pages to the Magistical Memories Design Team call. I am happy to say that they liked my entry enough to select me (and 26 other talented designers) for the next round. We will each receive an identical package of chipboard products with which to create. I love chipboard, so what could be a more perfect fit?! They have such an array of original chipboard designs. Painting, papering, inking, stamping, sanding...anything goes with this versatile product and I can't wait to play!

This was one of my entries. Distress EP, walnut ink, and semi-gloss varnish transformed these chipboard train shapes into a rusty-looking engine, car, and caboose. (Aren't the boys cute...and so tiny? Now they're taller than me!)

Fortunate for the Opportunity

This is a fortune I pulled from my cookie after a meal with friends at Panda King on Saturday. How perfect is the advice on this election day?!

"You can't make someone else's choices. You shouldn't let someone else make yours."

So, get out there and vote! We are fortunate indeed that we live in a country where we are free to do so.

Always Vote!

"Always vote for principle though you may vote alone, you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -John Quincy Adams

Spook House

Oooooo...the ghouls were peeking from the windows of our creepy haunted house. Made from black plastic sheeting, these are my favorite Halloween decorations. Next year we'll cut and hang additional faces from the dormer windows as well. AND I'll be sure to look for a pumpkin in advance. There were none to be found on October 31st! Ooops!