Treasure Hunt Update and other things

Hey there my friends!

Just thought I'd drop by and give you an update on one of my projects.  You may recall a few weeks ago this bit of $3 treasure find.

Well, slowly but surely I've been working on it.  The most time consuming part was deciding on color(s).  I knew I wanted red but then I couldn't decide what to pair it up with, white because that's what I had on hand, or a gingham pattern if it was even available, or maybe black.  I finally bit the bullet and just went red on red.  I'm a little disappointed only in that the reds don't match.  Then again, I knew they wouldn't be exactly the same since they are different products by different makers.  But I was hoping they'd at least have the same hue.  The vinyl is off just a tad with more of an orange cast to it.  Oh well, I'm sure it sits perfectly fine anyway.  Here she is our new addition to the kitchen. 

drum roll please.........

TA-DA!

This is what my great fisherman brought home for dinner Sunday.  Mmmm they were sure tasty and will be for future dinners to come.  Y'all come on over, ya' hear!

The blue one Bill is picking up is a Lin cod, very tasty.  There are 7 black bass, 1 rock fish, and 2 new types I don't know about in that cooler.  Not bad for a days adventure in the little blue boat out in the Pacific!  Check Rocky out!  He's so noisy.

I have a question for you all.  Actually two.  First, have you heard of or currently use Pinterest?  The best I can tell it's like an online bulletin board.  Why do you use it?

Secondly, what about using LinkedIN?  I opened an account several years ago, never really used it, actually forgot about until recently.  Now I am receiving a few invitations from the daily work world and art world.  I updated a lot of my information as a result but I wonder how best to utilize the tool.  Anyway, your thoughts and ideas would be greatly appreciated. 

Oh ya!  I almost forgot.  I won a prize today!  Yea! me!  I was checking my morning Facebook entries because that's what I do to keep up with my family in Texas.  I also quickly check Networked Blogs just to see what's going on in the world I love.  The daily title 'No. 24' caught my eye so I clicked on over to learn I had been chosen as winner for a gift from the blog!  How cool is that!  I've never won anything like this before.  I was so excited Bill had to come check on me because of all the noise I was making...hehehehe.  Go visit them and let 'em know Kim in WA from TX sent you over, just because:

http://www.scrappingirlfriends.typepad.com/

I'll talk to you later, gators.
~hugs of love

Groceries by Boat and stuff

Hey there my friends!  How are ya'!  I'm good, thanks for asking.

We had another great weekend here in the Pacific Northwest.  For that matter the whole week to ten days have been pretty darn awesome, weather wise.  I know you might be thinking, "she's crazy!  always writing about the weather-who cares.."   Seriously, I'd get it if you did, I probably would too, if I lived somewhere else.  You just have to remember I'm a transplanted Texan and well, it's immensely different in Washington.  My fellow Texans are continually breaking the suction of sweat between their backs and the back of their car seats, even with the A/C on full blast.  Although a few with Escalades that have the heating/cooling in the seats, those dudes got it made!

Back to Washington....  We live in a bay area, that's what's named but nothing much goes in or out except logs now a days.  Back in the old days (1930's-1940's) this was a bustling town.  Much of the traveling between the big city of Olympia and Shelton was done by water due to the poor condition of the mountain roads.  A little history lesson never hurt anyone.

Bill had gotten a little project boat last winter.  He worked really hard on this project.  Stripped the insides completely out, refinished the flooring, wiring, new seats, compound waxed etc...  Just to have something we could run around in on the Hood Canal and he could maybe fish out of too.  Well, he's learning the fishing is not so great in the waters close to home.  However, we can still run about in the little cutie.  This weekend was the first with nice enough weather and no other land activies we wanted to do so off to market we went.  Check out Google Maps or any other favorite mapping tool look up Shelton, WA then look over to the right and down just a smidgen, you'll find Olympia, WA.  Now travel it by water with me!

 At the boat Arcadia Boat ramp looking out at Squaxin Island.

 Our little mermaid.

 The is the capital Olympia, Washington.  You can just about make out the Capitol building.

  

 Sorry for the blur but we were moving and I was using Bill's camera.

 Now you can see the Port of Olympia better.

Approaching the Guest Mooring at Port of Olympia.

  

Once we went up the ramp from the mooring we were pretty much right in the Farmer's Market.  It's not as large as one you'd find in Dallas but it works here.  Actually, most every little town in the state has a Farmer's Market during the appropriate season up through Sept/Oct so a large facility really isn't needed.

We knew we wanted to get some onion sets for Bill's garden so that was our primary mission.  We also wanted to find some fresh veggies or fruits.  We began with the plan to just scout it out first.  The vendors are set up in a big circle with an inner circle.  We made it through turns one and two before we caved and bought some bees wax of all things.  I know, I know but I had to have it.  I've been learning how to use it in a mixed media class.  I got just a tiny bar to experiment with so it's okay.  The lady was really nice.  Bill started talking to her about how to raise bees, he's thinking he might want to start a hive.  Crazy but true.  We then just began to admire again and look what I found!

 Aren't they beautiful!



Aren't these just lovely!  I took loads more pictures but I'm trying to limit myself on the flowers here.

Bill finally found his Walla Walla onion sets and grabbed up quite a few.  I wanted flowers but we held back this trip, maybe next time.  We did pick up some beautiful asparagus and oh my goodness it was so fresh!  The bottom of the steams looked fresh cut and they were so pretty.  It's kind of weird writing that a veggie was pretty but it was!  Then I spotted the cherries.  mmm cherries.  Ask my kids their favorite treat at the lake when they were growing up and I bet 'cha they say fresh cherries.  They'd get the bag of cherries and sit on the swim deck and eat those babies up and spit the pits in the water.  I always wondered if that would be considered littering, but we decided it helped feed the fish or birds.

Anyway, I digress, I also grabbed up a new variety of Washington Apple to try.  You would be amazed at the various varieties of APPLE!  I love Red Delicious for just snacking, and of course Granny Smith for baking but man, they are just nuts about their apples here!  It's fun really to experience a different regional flavor of life.

There were Seniors doing some type of variety shop at the stage area.  I never did quite figure out what organization they were from or why they were performing.  I was really quite fascinated by the ladies getting up there and dancing in their little skirts.  I'd look around and see other women my age looking a bit fascinated and amazed at the display too.  I don't know why that was really but it was something to behold for sure.



Mmm they were good for dinner along with the asparagus we got earlier and my favorite mashed potatoes.

We also grabbed two langers (I think that's what they're called) for a snack until we could get to the house.  These are little dry smoked German sausages about the size of your finger.  They reminded me of a small Slim Jim sausage but without all the greasiness.



On the way back Bill wanted to explore a marina we passed.  The lady who owns a rental house next door to us operates a Marina in the area, but neither Bill or I could remember the name at the time. We thought if we saw it then the bells would go off, not so much.  But we did see some really beautiful boats. 

Lord help me, he's thinking about buying a sail boat for his next project!  Neither one of us knows a thing about operating a sail boat!  Well, except to watch out for power lines tangling with the mast.  We watched a couple, years ago, try to launch a sailboat but ran into the over head power line with the main mast.  It was funny at first then we realized someone could've been really hurt, they weren't but still.

We left the house around 11:30ish and got back around 3:30 pm.  Not to bad a little trip!  It was a beautiful ride, the sun was shinning and the wind was calm.  We couldn't have asked for more.









 Home again at the Arcadia boat ramp.  Looking more toward our Oakland Bay which is not visible here.

Our sweet little ride.  She was a honey.

Well, that's was our big event for the weekend!  I hope you enjoyed the ride.  We did.

~Hugs of love





Wednesday Play

My creative mojo is coming back around.  I like it like that!  I truly do not care for feeling all wack-a-doodle.  (shiver)  I just don't like it, then again, I don't know anyone who really does!  Anyway...

I had started working on this project a day or two ago.  I've had it in my head for awhile and finally just started putting something down.  I figured if I didn't love it I could always gesso right over it!

Do you see the Russian Flash card?  I told you about these awhile back.  Pretty different!

Oh! that paper on the left is a pre-made collage paper I can not take credit for all that layering.

I'm at a stand still with the layers.  My idea was to depict a little sand, water and sun scene.  I have this sand product I want to use but I also want to experiment with real Pacific sand and Mod Podge.  I think a test run might be prudent.  Maybe tomorrow evening I'll give it a try on scrap paper.

I played around with these little rosettes a bit this evening while watching TV with hubby.  I've seen them done on two different blogs and they are just so simple. 



Step 1:  Cut your circle from a piece of felt.  (I used sticky back and non sticky back felt.  One is no better than the other.)

Step 2:  Cut strips of your fabric in about 1" to 1.5" inches wide and depending on the circle 12" -36" inches long.

Step 3:  Dig out your hot glue gun, heat it up etc...  Tie a knot at the end of your strip.  Glue it down in the center of your felt.  Begin twisting your fabric.

Step 4: Lay a short line of glue around your center knot.  Begin laying down the twisted fabric, continue to lay down glue, twist fabric and apply.  Rotating the felt as you go, continue to repeat until you run out of fabric or felt!

Step 5:  I ended the fabric piece two different ways.  One: I tucked it under the back side and tacked it down with glue.  Two: I applied hot glue on the end and twisted it down using a pair of tweezers and tucked it up under the previous row.  This is a little trick to make neat but I really liked it best.

Step 6:  I haven't yet ended by covering the complete circle of felt.  I've just trimmed off what I didn't cover and it still looked pretty round.

I'm not sure how I'll use these little beauties but use them I will.  I cut quite a few of the foundations in different sizes, so I'll probably make a bunch of white ones I can later color with paint, dyes or sprays.  They can be made to look like a flower, lollipop or whatever your imagination decides!

That's about it for today.  I sure hope y'all had a great day.
~Hugs of love.

Eat, Pray, Love ~ really!

No happy crafting today or treasured surprises.  Today I write for myself because basically, no one is really reading this except me.  But, for those of you who may stumble upon this little pity party, my apologies.  Feel free to move onto something different.  I would completely understand.  There are so many more important or interesting things going on in other places today.  Maybe that's part of my problem?  I don't find myself as having a significant or important role in life.  hmmmm.  I need to keep working on finding value in myself but that seems to be slipping a bit recently.

I finally watched the movie today.  I know, I know it's been out there for awhile.  Heck, I've owned it for about 8 months now but see, I've been sort of afraid of this movie.  Silly and wacko-a-doodle as it may seem but there it is, I was afraid of a movie because of the emotions it would stir up.

The movie was pretty great actually.  I usually love Julie Roberts in anything.  The storyline was plausible and real, for me.  I've actually lived some of it (the emotional parts not the travel parts-unfortunately), thus my fear.  I'm okay for now.  I feel lost a lot of the time and that was what I've been afraid of most. 
Life will move forward and I along with it.  I'll find myself again, dust myself off and start all over again.  Life is just not working out at all like I had hoped it would.  I know you laugh because we all experience the same shocking results.  It was simple for me or I thought so.  Step one, just simply raise my children the best I could.  Step 2, then somewhere in my 40's meet a guy to spend the rest of my life with in adventures we make.  Step 3, watch my children live happy prosperous lives.  Step 4, grow old with my love into our twilight years.  Of course, all the while I'm just doing my job working everyday until the day I can't.  I've always been real about the reality of needing to work.

Like I said, it hasn't turned out at all like I had hoped.  Somethings have been better, somethings have been not so good.  Other things have been gut wrenching blind sides resulting broken hearts.  Oh, I get it's all from the choices I've made along the way and sometimes I'd like a do-over with some of these choices.  We don't get do overs in the real world, now do we?!  I do my best every day to get up, put on a happy face and make the best out of what God has granted me. 

This too shall pass.  Until it passes, a few quiet tears will flow.  I'll miss my family and get up every day and put on a smile.  I will then look for the greatness in the day granted to me.

~Hugs of love


ps See this movie made me all weepy and emotional...grrrr.

Forest Festival Weekend and more!

Well Hello again!  Here's hoping you had a terrific time this past weekend and enjoyed yourself, I know we did. 

These lovelies greeted us Saturday morning.



We had a super weekend here in Shelton.  This was the weekend of The Forest Festival.  An annual event where the community comes out of the dull drums for winter to celebrate the joys of the forest and sunshine of spring. ( I'm making this part up but I think I'm pretty much on target actually.) 

You see, it rains here, a lot!  For me it's not the skies or rationed sunshine that pulls me down through the end of the winter months.  It's more not being able to get outside and move around without getting cold and wet!  I think that's why the forefathers here began the celebration of The Forest Festival.  It begins with the crowning of the court at the local high school back in February.  (This is a lot like October Homecoming Events in the south ~ to me)  Then this first weekend of June it accumulates into a festival.  A carnival came to town for a four day visit.  Saturday there was the Annual Paul Bunyan Parade.  Take a look at some of the unique floats.



In one of the local sports fields there was a bazaar set up with arts and crafts vendors along with other various businesses.  The food was super too!  I ate the most delicious pulled pork sandwich.  OMG!  I wanted another for dinner but they had already closed up.  Anyway, there was a mile long line for the yummy elephant ears (a funnel cake on steroids with strawberries & cream). 

A traveling logging show was there too.  This is were you watch loggers scale the tall poles with a rope harness and boot spikes!  There was ax throwing, log rolling, buck sawing just amazing displays of skills the old school loggers used daily. 

And there was SUNSHINE all day long.  I for one have my fare share of sunburn, affectionately known as a farmers tan.  I'll have to work on evening this out now but it was joyous to achieve.  The day ended with a firework display sponsored by a local logging company.  Then cool gentle breezes filtered in during the evening to gently rock us to sleep after such a full day.  Sunday had a car show downtown.

I was was a bit more relaxing around our house on Sunday, well sort of.  I had to do the laundry,  Bill did yard work, yuck!  I'm starting to feel about laundry like I do about grocery shopping.  It's such a waste of time and money because it's never ending but so vital.

Oh, I almost forgot!  Look at the lovelies I purchased Friday evening...(giggle-giggle).  Pan Pastels.  I know, you're like what the heck KIM?  It's paint in a dry form.  You basically use sponge tools to apply the pastel paint which you can then leave dry as is or wet to activate the paint.  It's not a chalk but works like one at first.  They just have a super rich pigment and are so fun.  I played around a bit to get the feel but I've also scheduled myself for a class to learn more. 



I've been watching http://www.christytomlinson.typepad.com/ use these in her She Had 3 Hearts workshop and http://donnadowney.typepad.com/ use them in her Inspiration Wednesdays videos.  They are so fun, you should try it out!  Start with 3 or 4 to get the feel then I betcha you get more!

Anyway, that was my weekend.  How was yours?  Let me know what fun exciting things are going on in your world.  Until then,

~Hugs of love.

Post Card Klips

I started collecting post cards from antique and thrift shops. I don't know why really, except I really find myself in a happy place with particular cards.  My subject matter seems to run in a very eclectic pattern, which really isn't that unusual for me.  You should see my song list in iTunes!  It's all over the place and I passed that trait onto the kiddos, which they seem happy about.

Back to the postcards...I got to thinking this morning and said to myself, "Kimberly Ann! (that's my name when I'm being scolded)  If you are going to buy these things then use them.  But before you use them, scan them for preservation and future uses."  Then I proceeded to scan, and scan and scan.  Do you have any idea just how boring scanning bits of little pieces of paper can become?  And, yes, I do argue with myself too and I always win.

I was going to start a weekly posting of some of these so you could snag them for your projects but then I remember there are laws about that kind of thing.  (Dang it!)  Well, so far I've learned the laws get tricky around 1923, images that were published or created before that date are in the Public Domain. Works that were created or published after that date are in more of a gray area.  I'll have to spend some more time on this subject because I really like these sweeties.  Take just a peek...

This is a souvenir folder with an accordion fold out of various movie stars' homes.  I just love the graphics.  The stars included here are:  Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Alice Faye, Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Ginger Rogers, Mickey Rooney, Jack Benny, Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, Myrna Loy, Gene Autrey, Judy Garland, Jane Withers, Tyrone Power, Clark Gable and of course the grand dame, Bette Davis.

I have other folders but of different subjects.  There is one for Los Angeles celebrating "The New Civic Center", the postage indicated on the folder is 1 and half cents for mailing, imagine less than 2 cents to mail a letter!  The other is of silly animated cartoons, I also have 3 different ones on Canada.  Yes, I know, Canada?  Let's just say it's in the area of  where I live now.  Look at this little gem.  It measures 3 3/4" x 2 3/4", and all the tiny photos are there.



A while back I picked up some flash cards and post cards a local thrift store here in town, they are Russian subjects.  Pretty cool although I can't read much of the description on the back of the cards.  I liked the post cards for the architectural subjects, the flash cards might be good foundation in a mixed media project.

This has pretty much been my activity for the day.  I sure hope you all are having a good one and maybe enjoying some wonderful sunshine.  It keeps playing peek-a-boo around here!

~Hugs of love



Wacky Wednesday

So, how was your Wednesday?  Mine felt a bit wack-a-doodle.  It started when I was making change for a customer, which should've been $1.19 but for some reason I tried to give him $7.19, where did that come from?  A few other things happened, just silly minor things but it's making think I might just be cracking up.  Anyway...

I started to plan a mixed media canvas piece last night but stopped cold in my tracks when I realized if I tore into this cute little book it would be gone from me forever.  OH-NO!

So what was I to do?  I could try to search out another copy of the book and if I was lucky I'd find one or, I could ... scan it ~  Ta-Da!  Thanks technology!  I scanned the little cutie.  I just love the graphics of that time, probably because that's what I used to learn to read.  This particular reader has parts copywritten in 1951.  I have others even older but this one with Dick and Jane just calls to me every time.  I seem to recall being so excited to learn how to read as a child, then there was the rebellion and I never wanted to read.  Then there was a time when others thought I was in a fantasy land because I just devoured books like chocolate (but I didn't really watch TV and we didn't have DVDs etc., so who cared right!).  Such is life.

New subject, have you discovered Pandora radio yet?  No, well search it and check it out.  It's a free internet radio that will pick songs or artist simular to the ones you have either 'liked' on Facebook, or searched out within their gooey.  For instance, I have Nora Jones so it's gone through and picked out Adele, Duffy, Sara Bareilles, and Etta James along with others.  Lovin' it!

That's all I've got today.  So tell me how did your day go?
~hugs of love