When In Rome: DEEP DARK SECRET for One Little Word

Since it's throw back Thursday over on Facebook, I thought I'd post something that isn't quite new to me, but might be new to you. Its Kinda a deep dark secret, or perhaps it was until my Dad spotted it when I bent down to get something off the bottom shelf of the fridge several years ago....

Yes, I have a tramp stamp. I am probably one of the last people you'd suspect in real life of having a tattoo. I probably won't get another although you never know.

Over at One Little Word, they are challenging us to scrap about something that EVOKES memories. Mine reminds me of Potsdam. The home of two colleges with two other colleges another town over, getting a tattoo was fairly easy. Deciding what to get took me a bit longer!

My friend Lisa went with me and distracted me with youtube videos of heavy equipment smashing things. Yes, that would entertain me. There were a couple of moments where she told me to put on my big girl panties and suck it up. Lisa runs a scrapmetal business, so you can image....

The Alchemistress who was working on my tat was also a farmer, so she was entertained as well. I We were probably a welcome distraction from drunk college kids. ;-) The shop is perhaps the coolest building in Potsdam making the whole thing quite the adventure.

I decided to use a vintage P for my last name on this page, a Lizzy Hill flower, and a huge acetate sheet that I made with alcohol ink. I was trying to cut out a rather large clear dragonfly, but that was not as successful as I would have hoped so recyled onto my page.

And what you ask does my tatto look like? Ahaha! Somethings must be left to the imagination!

Happy Thursday!

Chipmunk Lottery

The radio station yesterday morning said to do a Random Act of Kindness. It's a movement! Cruising at 70 mph down a sunny highway with the radio blasting, it seemed like an easy task at 7:30 am. I had already walked a mile, was wearing earrings, perfume, a new shirt and my stomping boots. (The earring part of that sentence was the biggest deal since I had put away all my jewelry in my jewelry box, something I have been avoiding for a month)

I was off to work and part of moving means I go into an office a day or two a week.

Easy peasy Lemon Squeezy except that it is much easier to control the outcome of your day when coworkers are not involved.

Turned out that the philly cheesesteak I had for lunch would be the highlight of the work day and I crawled home with my tail between my legs and mentally exhausted.

Talking later with THE MAN in the garage I pointed out that wasn't all that fantastic of a day. Yes he said. It was a Monday.

I did however fit in my RAK. When I got home from work, the dog after a hugely enthusiastic omg you have been gone for days, years, decades even tail wagging & yipping greeting was taken outdoors for a pee.

She ran out the door and missed completely the small movement by the rock wall. She quickly rounded the corner of the house leaving me to investigate. A small hole at the top of the rock wall had a chipmunk tail sticking out of it. Of course, I had to tug the tail a little and instantly it vanished completely. Wisely I had not continued to tug & add chipmunk bite to end of no fun day.

Remembering I wanted to fill the feeders I went back in for the bird food. After filling two feeders and letting the dog back in, it occurred to me that it would funny to toss a handful of food on the chipmunk in the hole.

I imagined the little booger in his hole and sunflower seeds landing on his head. Now, technically they are just mice with stripes and my Mom who wages battle with them at the farm daily is wincing at my kindness. However, I thought it was funny. Kinda like those commercials on TV when someone shows up with a huge check made out to millions in lottery winnings. Or on a smaller scale, someone handing you a cupcake. I could have used a cupcake yesterday. We all know that makes everything better!

Altered Metal Suitcase: Mixed Media & Shabby

The other day I stumbled into my new favorite second hand store. The ReStore is run by Habitat for Humanity and has all kinds of fun stuff. My favorite side is the used hardware & tool part. I found this lovely metal suitcase there and snatched it up! It was an easy purchase for $4! Since I was wandering through with the kids, I didn't do a deep dive for anything else, but plenty caught my eye!

Here is it before white spray paint!

Of course this prompted me to take a second trip to find the local scrapbooking store. The Crafting Cottage has moved about eight times since they opened, but I found them! They had this great Painterly Paper by Fancy Pants that caught my eye!


































I had to shabby it up further of course with gold paint, lots of extra washi, brown StazOn, and some flowers.

I am pretty sure I am going to line the inside with map paper, but I am still thinking on it. 

Not sure if I'm finished with the outside yet too, but boy have I had fun so far with it!

I can't wait use this little suitcase! I think I'll store some mixed media things in it! 

Happy Monday & thanks for popping by!

An Owl in the Bathroom and a Peeping Woodchuck

No, it's not a real owl. (thankfully) Somedays here the wild kingdom gets to be a bit much. THE MAN just informed me two tree frogs were playing catch the moth on our bathroom window.

But, I digress.

This is the bathroom Lexi decorated. She picked out the tree shower curtain, the lacy curtain in the window and helped paint the owl.

Anyone still remember the owl? It seems like a life time ago I picked up at the second hand store in Potsdam.

I had to show you the door itself with the Toilette sign. I am pretty sure the lady two owners ago that spent some time in France is responsible for that, but then again I could be wrong. This house makes me  happy with it's little details. The wildlife, not so much! ;-)


































Just a simple coat of spray paint and it's much less fugly!

My other new statue is this ground hog.

No just kidding, it's not a statue. In fact, he (she?) interrupted a phone call I was having in my office.

Excuse me for a minute, I believe a woodchuck is launching an attack on my house.

The window in my office goes down to the floor so we were nearly touching but thankfully had glass between us. I used to think these chucks were cute, but this one was menacing me!

TGIF! Hope yours was great!

New Digs Layout

We have been spending LOTS and LOTS of time in the garage. Last weekend we spent both Saturday and Sunday out there. We had previously taken out a wall so it then made sense to also take out a door that was extra. THAT was the fun project.

Sunday we spent working on the service entrance. We replaced it as the original was fuse based.

All the REALLY fun stuff like furniture painting & whatnot happens in the garage so I am anxious to get it up and running. Of course THE MAN would really like to unpack since currently all of his stuff is on the trailer with a tarp under the carport.

Randomly the new owner of our old house wanted to buy all the work benches. Since they were built on wheels for moving as we intended to move them, we were a little taken aback. He managed to convince THE MAN that they needed to stay with some cash so the next project is to build more!

I managed to scrounge a few things for my layout during the project. The new service entrance came with some paperwork and stickers that I used. I also took the logo off the front of the old one. It was cool with the red & the black, so based my color scheme off that.

The little metal hammer was a light pull that came with the new lights we installed. I have a TON of those and they are way too cool to throw a way.























Just a little sideview. I was going for really grungy so when I accidentally stuck my fingers in the black ink and it smeared, I was happy! More grunge!

Happy Thursday! May it speed quickly along so we can get to the fun stuff! THE WEEKEND!

Hugs!

Lights Layout for Scrap Around the World

OH goodness. I haven't made a layout for a challenge in ages! Felt good to scrap Saturday am early. I had taken this photo the night before of all the happy light around the house. THE MAN is a big fan of installing outdoor lighting. And he installed a bunch of lights to light up all around the house. I followed up with some small little solar lights along the pathway.

I played along with a mood board from Scrap Around the World. I used a smattering of the colors on the board just because they were lovely. The map paper was inspired by the scattered dandelion hot air balloon in the bottom corner. All the peeps that play & design at SATW are from allllll over, so it made sense to me.
The mood board looks happy, so I chose to use a photo/image that made me happy.

 I also used some pretty Lizzy Hill blooms that I upcycled off a frame I was tired of. They made me happy all over again with some thick gold washi tape and that crazy vintage sheet of buttons!

Of course, who does not love gold glitter letters????

One does need a nice little splash of sunlight to take a good photo. Snuck out today during a bit of sun and grabbed these photos!

Happy Tuesday peeps!

Not Time for a Martin House!

Occasionally I annoy THE MAN quite a lot. It's a skill one acquires after 16 years of marriage.  Most recently I was down the bank in the front of the house trying to figure out how to take down the martin house we inherited when we bought our new house.

I don't know if you can tell from this aerial image, but we live on a hill. To be more specific, a surveyor I work with called it a cliff. So, I was dangling over the cliff, looking at the bottom of the pole of this Martin house yelling for tools.

It's about 10 feet up in the air and I was in the middle of the plants at the base trying to undo the bolt. See, I read on-line about Martin Houses and they said specifically they needed to be CLEAN to get new martins. They also said most of them are designed to be easily cleaned and swivel down for unwanted bird removal. (Any birds that are not Martins should NOT be allowed to nest, although that kinda seems mean, but anyway...)

I figured if the country club down the road had martin houses, we must have martins. We have all kinds of other critters, so why not a bird that adores group living.

Thankfully it came down in one piece and also didn't smash me since I was sent back up the hill due to my inability to get the bolt off. It quickly became too heavy for THE MAN who was now hanging on to a huge heavy house on the end of a long pole. He said things testily like I can't hold onto this all day and what do you want to me to do now.....

Before you feel too badly for him....lets take a minute to put the location of this martin house into perspective. THAT my dears is my huge glass windows where I sit working & scrapping. We also consider that to be the front of the house. See, a colony of purple birds to watch would be awesome (although in theory we're in the midst of summer and that whole bird nesting thing is a bit behind us. Let us not remind THE MAN that).

 So, now I am repainting & reworking the Martin House roof which was sadly too old to be reused. THE MAN did help cut a replacement top out of scrap board but can be heard mumbling not time for a Martin House every time he walks by the carcass in the garage.

Fun times! Wish me luck! Part of it has to be painted ON THE POLE....

Over the Top Happy 42 Top Hat for my Sistah In Law

My much older than me Sister In Law is turning 42 today and nothing says a lot of love heading our way from NY to North Carolina like an over the top birthday top hat!

I had so much fun stacking all kinds of fun goodies on this piece last night between the gold sparkle letters, silk rose with a burlap bow, and a crazy feather from Fancy Pants. 

Now of COURSE, I have procrastinated so this hat won't make it in time to be there today in person, but my Amazon Prime order will. They help peeps like me out who remember at the last minute they need to get goin' on a pressie!

THE CUTTING CAFE ALSO helps out in a pinch with a super quick down loadable cutting file! This top hat file is easy peasy to cut & assemble. Making it over the top will take a bit more time and some rummaging through the stash. Not to mention some evil giggling and quite a bit hot glue....

I was happy dancing when I found that silver sugar bowl top in my stash. I had been saving it for a very special project. I think it pushed this Top Hat from pretty to obnoxiously over the top! 

Hope you have a super terrific day, Jennifer and keep your eyes on the look out for the UPS guy. Here is hoping you get a hot one in shorts with nice legs as an extra treat!

Happy Thursday too!

Of Mice and THE MAN

I decided yesterday I was done with shingles. The doc said to expect they would last three weeks or longer and having reached the three week mark I decided I must be over them. I threw the pain meds out over the weekend. They were supposed to "change the way your brain reacts to pain" however my brain had not fallen for it. Oh those shingles are still lurking, but thinking about them differently helps. 

Thankfully THE MAN was on board with a post shingles party consisting of tearing the divider wall down in his garage. The garage for THE MAN does have the right flow so we are working on that now. We had dueling cordless screwdrivers going. And boy did it feel good. Right up until the point the mouse turds in the insulation rolled down your arm. 

Lucky for me I have a strong stomach. THE MAN however had a few tense moments where he felt a bit flip floppy in the stomach department. He took a minute to walk into the house for another glass of wine. Serious deconstruction always involves some wine. More so if you had a good mouse turd trauma. 

In the middle of the tearing down event, we heard the whine of a dirt bike on the pipeline right of way by the house. So we decided to investigate. Some yahoo was riding his dirt bike UP that hill. That picture does it no justice. It's freaking ginourmous and I don't think I could even walk up it due to it's steepness. Lets all hope he doesn't roll down it someday and show up a hot mess asking for help.

See, that is the major difference between the North Country House and this one. It's flat there compared to here. We promised ourselves when we moved back that we'd not live on a hill or own a paved driveway. Wait you need another photo to see how confused we are. 

 THAT is a switch back in our driveway. See, peeps install those when you live on a really steep hill so you don't have to climb straight up it. Oh and yes it's paved. 

I don't suppose you can really see the slope here....but you can see the garage we are working on. Very important to get that set up and soon. All the fun stuff happens there with the air sprayer and tools....He has promised the girl a special made bed and I have things I want to build! 

Happy Hump Day! 

At The Neighbors Layout for Another Freaking Scrappy

What fun! A super simple sketch is up this time around at Another Freaking Scrappy!

Easy peasy!

I had to add a little swooooopty to the title though because I could. Gold letters make me happy, gold letters in a half semi-circle really make me smile!

And there, you can have a good giggle at how I am tallest in my family. ;-) Those little turd kids of mine keep growing! I can't take it! It's either that or I keep shrinking....but I don't think that is the case as I'm always having to buy them new clothes!

My favorite new thing is that gold dot washi tape....Oh love that!

Huge thanks the best neighbor ever Shirley who had us over for dinner before we left the area! We never get family photos so this is especially cool!

Happy Tuesday!

A Fan of Fans

The biggest thing we've had to get used to at the new house besides having central air is the lack of air moving. We have gotten addicted to ceiling fans and by virtue of that, THE MAN is quite good at installing them. It's usually not terribly hot in New York, so we honestly usually have fans running in the summer. 

The chandelier that was here originally was fabulous and qualified in every way to make someones sparkle tooth sing. After the forth moving guy clonked his head on it we decided it had to go in favor of something more sedate. Actually I showed a moment of weakness for a new light & fan combo and in two seconds THE MAN was cutting it down and helping a moving guy box it up. Mac the Mover was convinced his Mom needed a new light or more likely story, THE MAN gave him a $20 to think that way. 

I also figured out where to put all my thrift store silver platters. This is a one story house so no huge walls asking for a montage of silver like the last house. There are also two lighted cabinets for china in the kitchen, so it made more sense to use my black cabinet for it. 

Fun times! Back tomorrow with a layout for Another Freaking Scrappy as it's the 15th again!

Happy Monday!

Chocolates from France & Cherry Pie Roses

The other day Luke and I got back from lunch and found a yellow DHL Delivery sticker on our door. Was pretty sure I was not expecting anything so texted THE MAN and asked if he was. A little while later he said the package was from France.

Now, under normal circumstances, I would imagine it was my package as due to blogging I've gotten things from all over. However, having just moved, I was pretty sure that nothing was coming for me. THE MAN wondered if it wasn't so and so from work who just went to their plant in France. So, we filled out the little slip and put it back on the door.

The next day a huge silver box arrived nicely wrapped. Chocolate from France!

Not our chocolate though. ;-(

I googled the name on the box and decided that I'd call the other address listed since the first address for the individual was actually mine. And it wasn't the people we had JUST bought the house from either. Turns out she owned the house before Marsha & Felix, the super cool previous owners.

She was hot on the trail for her chocolate, so I invited her over.

I figured if she was anything like me, she had a sticky beak for what the house looked like now.

Now for the record, this whole shingles thing is quite the pain. By the afternoon I'm usually wiped and propping my eye balls open with tooth picks but how often do you get to meet previous owners and especially those who order chocolate from France.

Arlene and I had a nice stroll around the flowers at the house. She told me where her kitty is buried and about the bear & the bird feeders. She liked Marsha's flowers on the side of the house and said they were much nicer than the bushes there before. She approved of my new Cherry Pie roses. She was sad Marsha repapered the powder room bathroom but happy to see her tile on the "sun porch" was still there. In fact, I got the distinct impression that my little craft room was her favorite room in the house as she made a bee-line to see what I had going on in there!

I agree Arlene! That is the best room in the house!

Altered Milk Glass Container for LESSology's Sewing Challenge

Found this milk glass jar at a second hand store the other day. 

It happened to be the ONLY thing I walked out with that day, believe it or not. I sometimes have a case of the pickies! 

Honestly I didn't even have a plan of what I was going to use it for. I just really liked it!

After staring at it for a while, I decided it either needed a label or for me to build a little scene on the very flat top. 

I opted to go with the more difficult idea of course. 

I actually had that green fake grass & trees left over from a previous project my son did for school. The little mushrooms & fairy I picked up at a local greenhouse. 

I added in a little hand dyed lace to match the fairy and the spool tassel. The spool tassel idea I found on pinterest although I like hers a whole lot better than mine. But I have a ton of spools so no doubt will try that idea again. ;-)

This is also a great photo to see how I cheated. That Tim Holtz Ornate plate I used was originally flat. I used a dead blow hammer & anvil to get the curved look. Had to fill it in with hot glue to get it to stay. ;-)

And another photo of the whole project again!

Sew Much Fun!

And what you ask will I be using this awesome container for? I need a small spot to stash my pin cushion, a seam ripper and a few other sewing things. I am hoping this jar makes my sewing machine hate me just a little less....

Won't you play along with us over at LESSology for our sewing challenge?

Cottage Style Layout: New House

So the other day I grabbed a handful of things I had nearby. The scrap room is still in a bit of a shambles (ok so quite a lot since I need to buy some organizing type things this weekend) and the mojo wasn't quite there...Thought a little scrapping was better than an all out effort to get things moving again. What better to use than things right at hand.

Used up some tags I had, some tags I had been given with a purchase, and a couple of pieces of scrap paper.

I wanted to scrap a photo of the new house and some dreams I have floating around my brain.

Now, keep in mind, I love decorating the inside of the house, but I do like a pretty garden more. Working in the dirt always makes me happy!

This new house (that isn't really the front, but the front is a bit of an awkward thing to take a photo of as is the back-more on all that later) has a LOT of landscaping and plants. That trellis you can see in the photo and the side garden are ASKING for roses though.

The brick with the white trim and black shutters is saying cottage style to me. Or maybe that is the groundhog named Harry, but regardless....I never need an excuse to buy roses! Have some pretty pink ones picked out I need to buy & plant this weekend!

Just a little side view. Found a nice patch of sunshine on my sidewalk to take a photo. Feels good to get back to scrappin!

Happy Hump Day Peeps!

Stalking Jeff & a pain in the Hooha

No matter how well you prepare, how well you plan, and how well you project manage something, you will eventually be handed something you did not expect.

I was talking to my boss a week or so prior to moving and said, I just want it to be a normal move. He asked me what I meant. I told him the last time we moved my dog passed away shortly after moving, which really threw me for a spin. I said this time 'round I'd be happy for everyone making it here in good shape and settling in.

Little did I know MY BODY would be the one giving me fits.

So, the day the movers showed up, I started getting a really small rash on the back of my right leg. Sure it was prickly, but it was blazes hot outside and we had things to get moved and settled. Was right in the middle of things so wasn't too surprised the next day to feel a bit sideways.

The following night I woke up and considered driving myself to emergency. I swear that my leg was thinking about having a baby! Holy beaners it hurt! I was convinced I had really hurt myself. Perhaps pinched a nerve, thrown a disk in my back...I do have a great imagination.

Woke THE MAN up at 3:30 am begging for ideas to take the pain away. It was alternating between leg spasming, heal burning up, and hooha pain all on my right side. When it wasn't alternating, everything was just hurting all at once.

Being the son of a nurse, he lays claim to any possible medical knowledge for the house including anything involving blood or splinters. He suggested that a rash wasn't quite possibly the emergency I was suggesting it was and gave me something to make me sleep.

Finally got to the doc a couple of days later as I am stubborn and always convinced things will work out on their own.

SHINGLES! That is what she said I had. She said they were stress based. I tried to argue that Google said people over 65 get that and I'm clearly 40 but she was not having it. THE MAN asked why wait until now to get Shingles when we re roofed the last house two years ago. Lame!

Others are adjusting much better to the new place. Patti has been trying to make friends with the rabbits named Jeff. Today she watched one for 10 minutes "behind" a tree before shagging him. She appears eternally optimistic that he will not run. The rabbits on the other hand know they have superior running capabilities and are not bothered. They are little rabbit statues until she lunges and then they are gone like magic bunnies vanishing in the woods.

I am wishing their speed on my body getting over itself, but I suppose a little patience on my part is a good thing.

R is for Rebecca Flip Book: THE CUTTING CAFE

I KNEW this project would be cutting it close. Pun intended! A recent move, a craft room nearly settled, the birthday a week passed...

Regardless, I rallied! The best way back in the groove is to start and start I did! 

Ran a short little cable to my cutter since the long USB cable has yet to be located and fished behind the furniture and cut this happy little R file! Straight from Regina over at THE CUTTING CAFE and straight into my heart! LOVE IT! This R is from the A-Z Letter Set Templates and Cutting Files. You can make a card out of it or just leave it as a stand-alone letter. It cuts a larger sized letter to slide in behind the first which makes it super pretty!

Now I want to make a whole bunch of fun things out of letters!

The letter is on top of a canvas flip book that has been in my stash for ages from Maya Road & flipped to fit a bigger letter. I inked it up with rainbow colors to match my pretty niece's photo. 

My neice Rebecca has turned another year older and I hear she has gotten ANOTHER BABY BUNNY!

We are fond of bunnies ourselves, but the hopping in our grass, eat our clover variety. We have quite a few at this new house and we call them all Jeff since you cannot tell them apart. Now Miss Becca has a very good handle on hers and spoils them rotten. And does not call any of them Jeff....

I am sending her a gift card to PetSmart and this book in hopes she'll document what they are up to. Kinda like a brag book. Hopefully I'll get to see her & the book this summer now that things are finally settling down. 

One more peek at the book with more of my new lawn. Those are tiger lillies you see blooming there. This time of year in NY they line road sides and bloom. I had them across the road from my house growing up and in fact, they are still there! Also a split rail fence that defines the top of the hill. Yet again we are living on a hill, which was something we SWORE we'd never do again. It's funny how those things work...

Happy Monday!