Archaeological dig.

Walker will be home in a couple of weeks.

His room needed a thorough dusting.

 

I took every book out of his room and stacked them in the hallway.

 

It's almost like a archaeological "dig".

 

Hardy Boys

Harry Potter

lots of grammar and English books

Science Fiction

Adventure novels

Spanish, Japanese, German dictionaries

Science Textbooks

Classics

ancient Greek and Roman books

 

His mission will be to look at every book and put the ones he wants back his the shelves.

I know he has a big pile of books to bring home too.

 

This photo doesn't even show the 7 boxes of stored books from his closet.

 

Old Friends.

Full tilt boogie travel journal

I've been working on this journal to take with me on our:

Road Trip to Michigan

Our Stay In Hillsdale/Graduation

The Return trip/visit to St. Paul

 

The hardest part was choosing the paper to go inside.

and the outside "tapes".

 

I've been wanting to use this book.

Maybe it doesn't really fit the theme,

but it felt like it fit my mood.

 

I made seven signatures.

map pages

music paper

hand painted paper (gelli)

watercolor paper

 

I gesso-d over some areas so I can write or sketch there.

 

I made a lobster stencil.

I love how it looks like the shadow of a giant lobster looming over a city...

 

And the back of the book.

It is tied shut with a grey velvet ribbon.

 

I'll show you more once its filled with memories.

My Day

A little slice of my day...

 

 

 

 

Notice the binky in his hand?

 I asked him to take it out for the picture and he did!

He loves this little basketball hoop and never tires of making baskets.

 

We went to the park.  I helped Wyatt walk the "log".

Notice miss Tori's shoes?

She was up high on a slide when she took this.

 

And its hard not to "pose"

 

This is one of the playmobile characters I got for Wyatt.

I named him "uncle Walker" so Wyatt would get used to his name.

  I didn't notice the black eye and the beard until I saw it enlarged here!

 

Tori and I made iced lemon water to cool ourselves.

 She took this photo.

 I just found it on my camera.

A successful experiment

Something yummy

 

"Mushroom Casserole"

 

 

It contains mushrooms

butter, bell pepper,

bread, eggs

milk, cream of mushroom soup

grated Parmesan

 

A successful experiment.

 

Today I found these treasures in the thrift store!

 

.25 each. 

 My grandma toy box just improved by 100%

 

This is what I sketched while my mushroom casserole baked.

Sitting on the deck in the late afternoon sunshine (note shadows).

"in training"

Good Morning!

 

 

These flowers are from Trader Joes.

Sometimes a girl just needs flowers.

 

I am going to try to sketch these, but I thought I better "preserve" them just in case my good intentions are slow to happen.  I bought them with the purpose in mind of sketching and painting.

 

Big news at our house over the weekend was Phil and Alan FINISHED fixing Alan's truck and he drove it down the driveway home! It's been a grueling process and everyone is so relieved.

 

A peek into my sketchbook from the weekend.

Those things that look like stacked cushions are really chocolate donuts.

 

I'm in training for my "Michigan Road Trip" sketch journal.

need.more.practice.

 

 

 

Here is an early glimpse of that sketch journal.

I'm making via FTB*, an online class I started.

 

I have to get busy though, we're leaving in 12 days!

 

*Full Tilt Boogie

www.dispatchfromla.com

Sketchbook/fun with Gelli/ and 900th post!

Still not quite done with the camera show..

I'm always amazed how quickly these little pages come together.

I suppose that's the beauty of watercolor -

fast drying!

 



 

I pretty much copied this idea from one of my boards

on Pinterest.  I wanted to try the hot air balloons and

the figures in the foreground.

 

I always end up liking my "original" stuff much better though.

 

I got my Gelli plate about a week ago and have been have lots of messy fun with it. I took a mini class from Julie Fei Fan Balzer ($15) to help me get started.  I learned a lot there, and there is a lot to be learned just from youtube videos on the internet.

 

This image was from Julie's class. I put a magazine illustration under the gelli plate (it's clear) and painted over the top of it.  a quick print - I think it looks like a linoleum carving.

You do have to work fast, before the paint dries. 

 

I also had some fun with a lobster mask and rubber stamps.

 

doilies and scrapbook paper...

 

and experimenting with printing on music paper and other book pages.

 

I am making a travel journal, and I am going to make my own pages to go in it.  I like the idea of using the masks and leaving an area blank to journal on.

 

Also, I just noticed this is my 900th post!

I started this blog when Walker went away to college. He graduates in 19 days.

I think I might start a new blog later this summer and retire this one.

 

Sunday morning

Even though I have a list a mile long (exaggeration) to do today,

Sunday mornings still feel relaxing and slower paced. 

I like doing a few things in my pj's and drinking my share of the coffee before showering.

I have had my donut maker sitting on the counter for about a week (good intentions). Finally this morning Phil asked if I was making donuts this morning...that motivated me.

 

I've had this recipe for Chocolate glazed donuts printed out for future consideration.

Today seemed like a good day to try it.  As I went along, I decided I probably wouldn't use this recipe again.  Too many ingredients...too much fat...etc.

 

But they were pretty good.

I think I prefer my donuts with real(ish) frosting on top.

 

Sunday morning is also a good time to go see what's happening in the yard...

I love to see these ferns unfurling. I've seen people at parks collecting these (or they look like these) to take home and steam like asparagus.

 

The apple tree is about to blossom.

I hear we have a 70 degree day coming up...

that should do it!

 

The Japanese Maple is doing it's thing...

 

The Hellebores of course are on their way out,

but I do appreciate their cheery colors

first thing in the Spring.

 

 

A project finished!

A project I've had in mind for a while...

 

I think it was on Pinterest, but I'm not sure any more...

directions for making cute refrigerator magnets

out of wooden puzzle pieces.

 

The hardest part is finding a reasonably priced vintage wooden puzzle.

I found this one for $1.49 at Goodwill!

(but I've been looking for quite a while)

I think the images are adorable!

 

The pieces actually fit kind of tight and difficult to get in place.

But that was ok with me.

 

I went to JoAnn's and bought these round magnets (10 for $1.29)

and found my hot glue gun.

Quick and easy!

 

They are those kind of magnets that fall off the fridge if you really think they are going to hold up all your lists and photos and coupons.  These are more for the toddlers to play with and to add a certain cuteness to my kitchen.  I will watch carefully to see that the magnets stay secure.

 

One project - finished!

 

 

a colorful day.

A friend posted her grandchild with PLAY-DOH on facebook.

It got me thinking...Is Wyatt ready for play-doh??

 

A quick trip to Target and the experiment began.

 

I think it was a great success. 

 

 

He loved playing with it. 

 Tori and I made the zoo animals, which he decorated with blobs of play-doh. The snake didn't make it to the photography stage, but it was especially enjoyed...

The nice thing about play-doh is even the older siblings love it.

 

I think grandmas and playdoh go together like peanut butter and jelly.

 

I've been meaning to share the above beautiful duct tape flower that Tori made for me.

 It is on the end of a pen! I love it.

 

 

I have a new project coming up which will be revealed soon, but I needed some special fabric pieces for it.  I went to my favorite discount store (goodwill) and bought the above two pieces of velvet - the green velvet with the decorated lace was a camisole. The purple velvet was a girl's dress.

The fabrics are lovely.

 

The above three pieces came from the "home decorating" department at Goodwill.

Two pillow shams and something that looked like a Christmas stocking but not in the shape of a sock.

Most were half price so everything was very thrifty.

 

Yes, its been a colorful day.

 

Did the sun shine on you today?

A sweet gift from my dad...

It's a sugar and creamer set.

The boy on the trunk lifts the lid to hold sugar...

The Couple pour the cream out through the point of the book.

cute huh?

 

 

I think Its Phil and I and Walker a FEW years ago!

 

 

We went out for a walk today and spotted these neighbors working hard.

 

The Horsetails are coming up.

 

The skunk cabbage is finishing.

 

The alders are leafing out.

 

Did the sun shine on you today?