The Weekend *some pics*

Dear Diary,

This past weekend was my first weekend home in awhile…. maybe a month.  I had a lot of catch up around the house.  Seasons are changing a bit, too which always causes a switch up and extra work around the house for me.

Keith had been taking care of the mowing for maybe 5 weeks or so which was kind of him.  Historically I’ve done almost all of the mowing.  Although he was doing the mowing he doesn’t do all the detailed stuff like edging, weeding, trimming, etc.  I spent about 6 solid hours of hard work getting the yard back under control this weekend.  It looks so much better!

I also gave my car a wash and wax yesterday.  Let’s not talk about how it has rained TWICE since then.  It still looks pretty and shiny in spite of the rain.

On Saturday morning I went out to look for new sheets for the spare bed.  My mom recently finished a quilt and gave it to me during her summer visit.  I put it on the spare bed but needed sheets that match.  Keith has family coming into town this weekend.  That prompted sheet shopping….  This is the quilt she made for me…. A lot goes into a project like this.  It’s a super generous and appreciated gift!

And the sheets…

 

I had a bit of scrap catch up to do from the recent beach weekends that I worked on in between chores….  i ended up adding some of the artist trading cards to the layouts when applicable….

The two cards I added to the above sandcastle contest layout….

This is a picture from last weekend that I don’t think I shared here.  It was on my phone.  I scrapped it this weekend.  I also printed a copy to display in my office and at home.  I think it’s a neat pic…

scrapped….

And just the picture…

More beach fun…

I was getting ready to photograph this layout and Reagan popped in for a look…

Pictures from playing with his dinosaurs on the beach…

These pictures are from when Reagan wanted to race my mom on the beach….

Sand Creations…

 
Reagan with his beach friend and then a couple of pictures my mom captured of Reagan snuggling with me while I was trying to nap on the beach….

 
I was getting lazy about taking the pages in and out of the book to photograph and just took this layout pic while it was still in the page protectors…


I dug out the scrapbook paints for the title on this next one….

I like how this next one turned out.  I added one of the artist trading cards to it up in the corner….

Another ATC on this next one….<br/>

A layout from the Sandcastle contest….. Reagan’s entry….

More Sand Creations…  This next layout has a couple of Artist Trading Cards included, too.

When I decided to join the Artist Trading Card group I knew collecting the cards probably wasn’t for me.  I thought maybe I could use some of them on scrap layouts or on cards.  This weekend I was able to incorporate most of what I had either on cards or pages.  I felt pretty good about that.

Back of the above card….

Last time I was at the camper I started working on these corrugated cards.  I was pleasantly surprised how many of the ATCs ended up working with them….

 

The backs of the two directly above….

 

This one I gave away today for a birthday…

I feel really good to have put most of the cards to use.  And I think the outcomes on both the cards and pages are pretty nice.

Each month we are given a challenge item at the Artist Trading Card meeting.  Last month it was gold stars.  The month before that it was a party tooth pick.  This month is was a silly rubbery ring from a prescription bottle.  I cut it up in little bits and made a border around these Artist Trading Cards.  One I’ll trade in the challenge.  The other I’ll keep and use…  I added a few watch crystals on them.  The rubbery stuff was stick resistant.  I ended up using Arlene’s Clear Tacky Glue and then I added glitter just for fun….. I think I’ll go with "Fruit Salad" for a title….

 

This is a set of cards I made one of the evenings in the camper on our last shore weekend….  It’s a BoBunny line….

This weekend I also replaced our shower curtain rod in the bathroom and switched out the bath decor.  It’s still beachy but in more fall like colors.  I should take pics.

I put away our springy/summery bedding in our bedroom and washed and put the fall set on.  This includes changing out bed ruffles and valances, too.

I put away the spring / summer decor that was throught the living/ dinning and mud room.  I added a outdoorsey decor theme I have to the livingroom.  We are having our long,  lodge weekend just after Labor Day.  This will help put us in the mood.  I haven’t brought this decor out in a year or two.  It is fun to have out again.  I should take pics of that, too.

What else….   All this switching makes for quite a bit of laundry.  That’s all caught up.

I cleaned out the linen closet.  That it is tidy and organized makes me happier than it probably should.

I also packed up some more Thomas toys.  The transitioning out of toys is something I don’t feel like I have a strong grasp on right now.

Keith finished putting the roof on the garage and then did some cleaning out and organizing in the potting shed and in his workshop area.  

Oh! I made a recipe for Zuppa Tuscana soup that diarist Justthe3ofus emailed me.  It was perfect! Just like Olive Gardens!  I’ll be making that again for sure.  I did the salad and breadstick thing, too.  

I had several audio books from the library that I transfered onto my player.  I’m well stocked with books to listen to!

I also watched the movie Miss Potter one evening while working on an Old Maid ATC project.  I loved this movie!  Somehow it didn’t click when I grabbed it at the library that it was going to be about Beatriz Potter.  Such a sweet surprise.  As a girl I used to ride my bike to the library.  Even though I would always pick a handful of other books I was sure to choose a Beatrix Potter book, too.  I never owned them as a kid but almost always had one on hand from the library.  I love how small and sweet they are.  I did get a set before Reagan was born and I read them to him when he was a baby but we had not read them in recent years.  They were tucked behind other books on his shelf.  I dug them out after watching the movie.  I told him my little story of riding my bike to the library to get them and then we read Peter Rabbit.  We have about 18 or so of them so I plan to read them to him over the next month or so.  The movie was good!

I was back at the office today.  Even though I’m busy here it’s relaxing compared to how busy I was at home this weekend.

I did manage to get my lazy buns out of bed early this morning for some exercise.  I’ve been getting up at 5:45 but this morning I talked myself out of bed at 5 and got about a mile and a half in this morning.  I walked on my lunch, too and I’m at about 13,000 steps for the day so far.  With a bit of day to go still I’ll probably get to 15,000.  I’d like to budge the scale down before the cruise.  I’d love to lose 10 but will take anything I can manage….  I just need to keep starting my day with exercise…. easier said than done.

This coming weekend is a four day shore weekend (our last before school starts *sad*).  We will have a three day weekend down on Labor Day Weekend.  I’ll also continue to do Friday eve – Sunday eve at the shore through Halloween.  So, beach season isn’t officially over for us but I’ll miss the long weekends.  I need to finish packing the next couple of nights.

Okay, this was a lot of rambling….

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
My Library at LibraryThing