Pitt's Kayak Races

So our son-in-law participates in a wild and crazy sport - kayaking. He was in charge of a kayak race in Logan Canyon a few weeks ago. It was so amazing to watch. These guys are crazy. There they are in that COLD river, hooked to their boats, going over rapids, hitting rocks, and literally flipping over and going completely under the water. The time I saw a guy hit his head on a rock and bounce back up, I said, this is a crazy sport. Very fun to watch, kayak races, but CRAAZZZZY!

Here is Pitt running the show, either announcing winners or telling times. He did publicity, entries, organization of races, timing, prizes and more stuff that I don't even know about. There were about 25 racers.

Mike and I watched from the Nature Trail. Mike had a friend here who had been in Japan with him - Kei - from Tokyo. He loved it. I thought to myself, "Why aren't we up in Logan Canyon every Saturday morning? It was one of those classic summer days that we long for in February.

Scott was the photographer and took a hundred awesome photos. The course was from Second Dam to First Dam. Scott positioned himself on a rock almost below the kayakers as they came over some rapids and rocks. He got some great action shots and was very conscientious to get photos of each entrant in the contest. I can't say enough how impressed I was with the kayakers. And so surprising that they were having fun. Did I mention yet how COLD that water is???

this is my husband on....the roof

Scott loves to be on the roof of our house. That's why he placed the flagpole and flag up there, so he'd have an excuse to put up the flag, repair the flag, check on the flag etc. and thus, be on the roof. And then there are the two swamp coolers on the roof that he has to 'service.' He also has a weather vane up there with sensors for the temperature, wind direction, and I'm not sure what else. This photo shows how high the roof is. He can't imagine why I insist that I be home and be told when he goes up there.

I get extremely nervous whenever he starts up that ladder to the roof. This photo was taken this past Saturday when he was getting the swamp coolers ready to go for the summer. He is up there with a shop-vacuum, cleaning the swamp cooler. He hauls that shop-vac up the ladder from the deck - it's on the opposite side from this photo. Then he walks up and over to get to this side. I went into the neighbor's back yard to take this picture--he was surprised to see me there with his camera.

He keeps talking about cutting a hole through the ceiling to the roof and making a 'widow's walk' up on the roof. That's a very appropriate name and I really hate it. A widows walk is...well here's the Wikipedia definition:

A widow's walk (or roofwalk) is a railed rooftop platform, typically on a coastal house, originally designed to observe vessels at sea. The name comes from the wives of mariners, who would watch for their spouses' return. In some instances, the ocean took the lives of the mariners, leaving the women as widows. The women would often thereafter gaze out to sea wishing beyond hope that their loved ones would return home and hence the name widow's walk was born.

On a more pleasant note: I took this photo of the Poole's field to the north of us. We share the fence. I love this view, the beautiful trees, and the white fence.

{ all good things are coming to me today }

About a year ago, I read and really enjoyed the book The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. In spite of the extremes, I found so much good to be learned in the book. I know lots of people who really like the videos too.

Hadn't thought about The Secret in quite some time. The book ended up on a shelf and another took its place. Then I got an email from Scott with the following link and list in it. He had been directed to it by his favorite tech-guru Kim Komando. Now, if I had told Scott to watch anything about some 'secret' philosophy, he'd have ignored me...but if Kim Komando says it's good, then, IT IS! Well I'm glad it resurfaced for me. This video is really wonderful - the music, images and ideas. Enjoy... (click)

http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you

The Secret To You

Today is the beginning of my new life.

I am starting over today.

All good things are coming to me today.

I am grateful to be alive.

I see beauty all around me.

I live with passion and purpose.

I take time to laugh and play every day.

I am awake, energized, and alive.

I focus on all good things in life and give thanks for them.

I am at peace and one with everything.

I feel the love, the joy, the abundance.

I am free to be myself.

I am magnificence in human form.

I am the perfection of life.

I am grateful to be me.

Today is the best day of my life.

http://thesecret.tv/secret-to-you

Looking for a summer read?

A while back I mentioned a self-help book I was reading...well this isn't it. But I want to bring this book to your attention because I just laughed my way through it, and that's a nice change from Eckhart Tolle (Oprah's favorite philosopher). The book is not refined literature by any means, but it's full of good advice and down home wisdom like "Don't be ugly." (This is life-changing advice if you think about it.) Plus, each chapter ends with good ole Southern cooking recipes such as...Hot Chicken Salad topped with, what else, cheese and potato chips! And Fried Dill Pickles, Pork Roast Barbecue, and Sweet and Spicy Pecans. Best of all--the lessons the author's mama taught her about how to live - from cleaning house properly to writing thank you notes to always putting your face on first. Get it for yourself, you'll love it, and it'll bring back some childhood memories.
So from me to you... "Sit up straight and put some lipstick on."

Birthday Celebration in St. George & Vegas

Our little trip to St. George and Las Vegas became a two-day birthday party for me.

Scott in front of the Bloomington Hills Golf Course - sometime we're actually going to golf there.

Birthday dinner at the Ruby River Steak Restaurant in St. George. I had to wear the big foam birthday cowboy hat which reminded me of last year's birthday at Cafe Sabor when I had to wear a big birthday sombrero. This tradition has gone on too long and has to end.

The birthday continued the next day in Las Vegas with Suzie and Winston. We went to the dinner show at Excalibur called Tournament of Kings. Quite an extravaganza of jousting with real horses, knights in shining armour, ladies in pointy hats and more. In true medevial fashion, we ate our meal of cornish game hen, potatoes, vegetables, and apple pie with no utinsels and pounded the tables with mugs of ale. It was actually really entertaining and fun to spend the evening with Suz and Winston.

The two-day birthday ended with a one of the famous "Just Bundt" cakes from a Vegas shop - the yummy white chocolate raspberry flavor. Thanks Suzie!

{ Finally some inspiration! }

I have been struggling with a plan for my flowers out front - just couldn't get inspired to get started. I have a WHOLE bunch of planting to do - about nine pots and a big long strip of flowers that goes up the center of my front sidewalk. The reason I was procrastinating was that I was stuck with all those 'dead' geraniums which I really didn't want to use because they're ugly. Solved that problem by planting the poor things in the backyard where they can hide until they have some time to recover. So now I can start fresh and get the job done. Yesterday I spent the day at the Utah Valley Parade of Homes trying to get inspiration for another project - my basement remodel. Wow, what a materialistic feast that home show was. Later I'll post all my home decor photos. For now, check out the lovely flower pots that have inspired me to use these colors - notice, they're all shades of coral, melon, peach, whatever. I've never used this color exclusively before, and it will take great willpower not to add my favorite blue or violet flowers. It's nice to have a focus now - too bad we're having another cold spell - it's cold and rainy out there, but I just have to DO IT!

{thanks to Home #10 for inspiration}

Geranium Survival

They actually look worse in real life than in these photos. I've had these geraniums for a month - waiting in my garage for the weather to warm up and then for me to get that patch of dirt emptied of a thousand dandelions and fifty million strands of morning glory. I have to give Scott credit for the awesome shovel work. The geraniums were beautiful and full of blossoms when I used them for centerpieces in April. I know more flowers will come, but from the looks of them this afternoon, it'll be a miracle. I can't wait to look out my back window and see this flower patch blooming with red, pink and white.

Out front, I could hardly contain my excitement when I walked out and the first of my Japanese Iris had popped open. I honestly think that if I stood there long enough I could watch one of those flowers unfold. It's been twenty-four hours since this photo and there are now about fifteen flowers in bloom on this plant. You can't tell from the photo, but the Japanese Iris is a mini iris that is charming and delightful!

here's what I love about my job...

I work with the greatest people. Women who are talented, smart, creative, happy, enthusiastic, caring, and really fun to be around. Above photo is me with Tammy, a graphic designer. She is constantly amazing me with how she learns all the new graphic arts programs and technical things she has to be in charge of. She juggles designing, creating our packaging, and keeping track of all the digital files, plus more. The fact that she comes from a crafting, folk-art painting and art-teaching background makes her extra-valuable at Carolee's. She can design the product, then craft it into something wonderful. Plus she's just plain nice. Below is Rachael, a wonderful graphic designer. She's whizzy on her Apple...she has a degree from a graphic arts college in Phoenix. It's just amazing to watch her work on her computer in those mystery programs (to me) graphic design programs. She's also an artist, sculptor, and illustrator.

Speaking of great women, here are the McMullin girls...Carolee, the amazing owner of Carolee's Creations and her daughters. Above is Alison, a talented artist and graphic designer. She's a USU student majoring in art and also designs for her mom. Ali makes wonderful creations on her computer and also paints in oils, watercolors and all kinds of other things. She is always brimming with ideas--and she seems to know what's trendy and in. Below is Georgana Hall, Ali and Carolee. Georgana is also creative and artistic, but she also has the business mind and organizational skills to manage the company, which she does. She's my boss, and she is truly the nicest, most patient boss anyone could have. She's the fastest worker I have ever met. She can whip out scrapbook pages and wood projects like none other. And she remembers everything. Carolee is the one who started the company and keeps it going. She is an amazing artist, and it's too bad 'tole-painting' kind of went out of style because she is really really good at it--a nationally known teacher. But she paid attention to the next "sniff in the wind" as she puts it and switched her company to scrapbooking. She designs and hand-draws many of the papers and supervises the graphic artists while also running her company. She ships product all over the world. I went into work and there was a huge order going to Australia. It's truly phenomenal and I feel lucky to work for Carolee. There are about a dozen more great women who work there, and each is also outstanding. Wow, a woman-owned, woman-run company; now that's cool.

oh, yeah, I have a blog...

I keep forgetting I have a blog. I think about it often, but then when I actually have to remember to go to blogspot.com and post an entry, I forget...even when I'm stalking other blogs ('stalking blogs' - a fittingly descriptive term I learned from my friend Stephanie's daughter, Lacie). I keep asking myself, "How could you be so forgetful?" I know it's because my mind is going a hundred different directions. That's always the excuse of women my age :) The real reason is because, "Sometimes there is a storm in my brain."

Today I got a fun wonderful package in the mail - one I've been anticipating for about two months. There's a cool lady named Sally Jean (I'm not sure if that's her name or if that's just her website name; I think the latter) who makes amazing collaged jewelry pendants and charms - her website is sallyjean.com. I've looked at her stuff for a year and in March I decided to order something. The pieces can be used on a chain for a necklace or as a cool charm bracelet. I spent an hour agonizing over which pendants to get, but I couldn't resist the one that had the word JOY and also the one that said,

"Sometimes there was a storm in her brain."

It makes me smile. I ordered them and paid by Paypal, then kind of forgot about the order because the website said to allow four to six weeks. Today it came, yippee. It was beautifully wrapped and a pleasure to open and see the real things I had ordered. And nice Sally Jean even added another charm for me because the order had taken so long. Here's my loot:

I got this charm because my little grandson Carter was just about to be born. I love anything with the word JOY, and it perfectly described my feelings as baby Carter arrived to Aaron and Aimee, healthy and beautiful. My new JOY pendant is even baby boy blue.

The phrase on this pendant just makes me laugh.

I love the bird and nest theme of this house charm.

This one, called Shopping Fairy, needs to be my next purchase. It's just so me!	No. 44 Shopping Fair

This is how a charm bracelet would look if I keep collecting these little gems. Which I won't because I'm already on to the next "shiny bright object" (as my nephew Derek would say). My next post will be about a great 'self-improvement' book I've been reading...well sometime soon.

Mother's Day mini-album I made

From Georgana's blog click here...is the Mother's Day album I made for the Mother's & Father's Day mini-catalog that we sent out in March. When there's a tight deadline and lots to get done, Georgana (my boss) sometimes asks me to do a project. I'm a pretty simple scapper, not elaborate or fussy. I probably can't call myself a beginner anymore, but my stuff looks like a beginner. Anyway I enjoyed making this album. The pages are made of chipboard - heavy cardboard - that I covered with Adorn It patterned paper. I love the group of papers I used - the Whoopsy Daisy link collection. It was fun for me to pick out just the pink, green and white papers to use. What made the album quick and easy was the already-made flower stickers that I embellished the album with. They're dimensional and cute as can be. Some have little rhinestones in the centers. The ribbon also adds a fun touch. Everything you see was designed right where I work, at the graphic designers' desks next to mine. Carolee, Tammy, Rachael - they're great. My job is to check their spelling when they put words on papers or quotes on stickers. Pretty fun, huh! The album is about 4" high by 8" long. The word "Mother" on the front is a seperate piece; it's laser cut chipboard that I covered with green sticker paper. The best thing is the photos....love every one.

Here's a fun project...

Following is a post from the blog of scrapper-extraordinaire Emilie Ahern click here She is not only a great scrapper, but a fabulous and talented writer, cute mama, and all-around wonderful person. I discovered all this just by reading her blog. (She always has fun music on her blog too.)

Since I love quotes, words, sentences, stories, proverbs, commas, parentheses and all things written, I love her simple project for making and embellishing a frame with a favorite quote. I am so going to make myself one of these - I've got enough supplies in my scrapping stash to make 100 and start a shop on Etsy. But I can't get distracted...

Now my only problem, and this is always my problem, is what quote to use. It's going to take me awhile to decide, but when I do I'll let you know. If you want to add to my frustration, or joy, really, tell me your favorite quote.

I might use a quote from a Kobi Yamada book. Thanks Emilie! (I just can't help this scraplifting habit.) Here's Emilie's post:

Happy NATIONAL SCRAPBOOKING DAY & a PRIZE

Woo Hoo!

In honor of this fabulous day I am going to give you an idea for a fun little project that can be finished in no time. And there's a PRIZE!

The project: Making a desktop "Happy Place". A small inexpensive acrylic frame embellished in some way so that when you look at it you feel happy. This can include a mantra, your favorite quote or pictures of your loved ones. Here's mine with my goal for this year...EAT healthy PRAY more LOVE completely.

Here's all you need:
- Acrylic frame, available at all Dollar Stores.
- Scraps of scrapbooking supplies.
- Pictures (if desired)

Instructions: Simply take the white paper from the frame. Most of these state the dimensions of the frame right on them. You can use any size you want. This one is a 4x6", but mine above is a bit more small than that, measuring just 3x5".




Cut paper to those dimensions and start building a mini scrapbook page.

To add dimension, you can also adhere rub-ons, cut paper or stickers to the outside fromt of the frame. I did this by cutting some extra petals from the flower I used and using gluedots to adhere them to the front, lining them up perfectly with the existing flower.






Voila! Isn't it cute? I just love mine and it really brightens up my drudgery old computer space. I hope you are inspired to create your own HAPPY PLACE for your desktop.

BecKy & Pitt in New York City

Becky and Pitt are in New York City and got tickets to David Letterman. We watched the show hoping to see them...they were lucky that they got seats on the 4th row. Sure enough, halfway through, just after Jimmy Kimmel and before Jimmy Eat World (and Lance Burton's magic act, which Scott and Mike are still discussing how he did it) there they were, right in the middle of the screen. Scott paused the TV and took some photos of the screen. Beck & Pitt are three rows up, center, behind the man with the gray jacket and red shirt. Pitt is wearing purple, Becky is wearing a jacket with light blue sleeves, and they are both clapping. They are having a blast, and it's especially fun because they're staying with cousins Kurt and Katie who are there doing an internship in New Jersey.