Just A Quote For Friday

Why Isn't Anyone Dancing?

Since Rinda's 2012 Summertime Photo Scavenger Hunt began, I've been lots of places and seen lots of things. Washington D.C., Arlington VA, Ocean City N.J., Bloomsburg University, around home and around town. And despite seeing a bride, a string band, a train, and an angel, I had NOT seen a single person dancing.

Since dancing is a universal expression of joy and celebration, I'm kind of surprised that over the entire period I hadn't seen a single person dancing. The cheerleaders at the Bloomsburg game last weekend had a number with a few dance moves in it, but if I was honest, it was really just cheerleading.

But last night, just under the wire, I finally got my photo of #15 Someone dancing.  Sure, I had to sign up for a class to get it, but I got it!

This photo shows the teacher Lisa (the one with the bare belly) and 4 of her advanced students demonstrating the moves we will learn over the next 9 weeks.  Besides a few basic moves, I learned that what I'm about to learn is "tribal" style belly dancing as opposed to "cabaret" style. It is different in both movement and  costume - tribal is danced as a group, cabaret is usually danced by individual dancers in restaurants or cabarets and is very choreographed.  You can see examples of both styles here.

And with that, I have officially found ALL 21 items!  My favorite photo? Probably the string band we ran into on the Ocean City boardwalk to fill the prompt "someone playing a musical instrument."  But I haven't seen a single heart shaped rock or four leaf clover. :(

A Simple Moment in September

I'm joining in with Alexa's new monthly challenge - Simply a Moment. Here's September:

Take Twelve - September

Going to Corsicana, I took only what I could fit in a 12x12 plastic envelope for scrapbooking. Some papers,  foam dots, a couple packs of Thickers, a single chalk ink, a supply of butterfly embellies.  No tools at all - I wasn't paying extra to check luggage and I knew most of my tools probably wouldn't be allowed through security.

Paper scrapping without your normal "stuff" is... well... ummm... an interesting endeavor. I was  lucky that the BPC gals in Texas were very generous and accommodating. I borrowed scissors, trimmers, and a couple styles of liquid glue and glue dots. I was gifted bits of washi tape, Cricut cut letters, ribbons, brads, and paper flowers to complete my layouts. I ended up buying a few more sheets of papers, a sticker embellishment sheet, a set of Thickers, some washi tape, 2 bottles of spray mist and a tube of paint.  I just wanted so badly to play!

Of course, I had to leave the spray mists and paint with my mother, to be sent back to me at a later date.  What did I miss most of all from my tools??? My ATG gun. Never realized just how dependent I am on that baby and how no other adhesive does quite the same job!  I also missed the well marked cutting lines on my Fiskars trimmer. The old grey version borrowed from my mother just wasn't the same.

Credits: papers and elements from "A Happy Thought" kit by Krystal Hartley.

Hello Monday on a Tuesday

Fountain in downtown Bloomsburg (this will replace my sad White House fountain photo!).

Hello Grey Skies.

Hello Rain.

Hello Catch Up.  Yet Again.

Hello Grocery Store.  Putting in an appearance for the third time within the course of seven days.

Hello Tai Chi.  With a class full of newbies, we've had to slow waaaayyyy down.

Hello Belly Dancing?  A new class I'm trying starting on Thursday. Kind of nervous!

Hello Office. Thursday and Friday. Oh Joy.

Hello Bloomsburg Fair. Yes, heading back to Bloomsburg on Saturday. Pray it doesn't rain!

In Search of a Horse

On the now infamous van ride through Corsicana, including the wrong side of the tracks,

I found one of the items for Rinda's 2012 Summertime Photo Scavenger Hunt.  You must understand that as the Hunt winds down I'm nearing desperation. One of the items that was eluding me was a horse. There are plenty of them around where I live - only they are never out when I am. Or if they are, there is no place to pull over and take a photo without putting one's life in jeopardy.  So I figured if I couldn't find a horse in Texas, well then, there were just no horses to be found!

In the same place where Melissa found a great American flag painted on a garage door, I found these:

Okay, I might be stretching the definition of "horse" here, but I have to get points for originality, right?

And then we found this mural painted on the side of the Corsicana Public Library:

At this time the living, breathing creature continues to elude me. But at least I know this counts!

Just A Quote For Friday

Here's something you would never see in a shop window in Pennsylvania:

"All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking."  Friedrich Nietzsche

Someone Dancing

I have yet to find "someone dancing" to photograph for Rinda's Scavenger Hunt - but I want to offer this up anyway... just too cool!



Korean rapper, Psy himself demonstrated how to do the pony move on Ellen yesterday.  I've been trying to figure it out which is quite comical in itself and I end up winded after about 30 seconds. I guess I just don't have the talent of this 60 year old Korean mom!

Happy Birthday to My Babies

Happy Birthday to Rachel (l) and Becca (r).  My babies turn 19 today!!!

Becca (l) and Rachel (r). I still can't quite believe how quickly they've grown up. 

I'm kind of missing those pudgy cheeked baby days. 

Today they are celebrating their first birthday apart.  I hope they both have a wonderful day!

Hello Monday

Sorry no photo today.  I'm coming to you live from the Dallas Ft. Worth Airport!

Hello Airport. Yes, it is time to say goodbye to Dallas and begin the journey home.

Hello Real Life. Arriving back home around ten p.m. and have to be at work at 9 a.m. tomorrow!

Hello Catch Up.  One of the joys of traveling is having to do all of the stuff that didn't happen while you were gone, like...

Hello Grocery Shopping.

Hello Laundry.

Hello Work Emails.  Should be an interesting week.

Hello Bloomsburg.  This coming weekend is "Parent's Weekend" at Bloom and we'll be heading up to see Rachel.

What are you saying "hello" to this week?

In Real Life

I've met my first blog friend "in real life."  In some ways meeting Melissa is exactly what you would expect.

She is sweet and soft-spoken with a soft Texas accent.  It's a mild Southern accent, minus the drawl.  Even though I came to the crop with my Mother, I ended up bunking with Melissa, while Mom wrangled herself a private room. Melissa oozes southern hospitality, going out of her way to make sure everyone is comfortable, happy, and having a good time.  Exactly what you thought right?  Yep, me too.

But then there is the side of Melissa that doesn't quite come through on her blog.  Truly, Vanna White has nothing on this girl!  Melissa is playful, a touch rowdy, and loves taking charge and getting bossy. And doing everyone else's layouts.  Can you say "washi tape"?  Clearly the Queen of the Crop. She has an embellishment that says so.

And spoiled rotten by her wonderful husband Robbie!  Not only did she get a gorgeous floral bouquet delivered to the crop room, but also a very generous gift card to spend in the store.  Not that I'm even slightly envious.  Good going Robbie - you are a keeper!

In our short time in Corsicana Melissa has taken me (literally) to the wrong side of the tracks, the City Jail, and a plethora of historical monuments.  Admittedly in search of the perfect Scavenger Hunt photos (and yes, we got some! those will be coming in future posts, mostly from Melissa).  I've laughed and scrapped and laughed some more. It has been a blast and I seriously hope we get an opportunity to meet up again.

Just A Quote For Friday

Hello Monday

Hello Labor Day! So nice to have a free day to play!

Hello Gray Skies. Yes, it's raining (and supposed to be raining for the next several days).

Goodbye Sarah.  It was sure nice having her visit for the holiday weekend, but sad putting her on a train back to D.C. first thing this morning.

Hello Packing. My suitcase is slowly filling up.  I'm giving myself lots of time to figure it out.

Hello Airport.  See you Thursday morning - bright and early.

Hello Dallas.  So excited for my trip.  I've flown through Dallas before, but never actually visited the state!

Hello Rollins Family. Looking forward to seeing you all. It's been awhile!

Hello to the BPC Crop at Scrappin Goodtime! It's always a special thing when you can combine a visit with extended family with a crop weekend and a chance to meet a blog friend!  See you on Friday Melissa!

Dream Big

One of my dreams came true. 

A dream I didn't even know I had until two weeks ago. 

You all know that I digi scrap. Not exclusively, but it is a major part of my scrapping life.

I've made no secret about the fact that I have some favorite designers out there.  

The Creative Team call went live on August 17th at 6:00 a.m.  I saw it via Facebook. I didn't even know I wanted to be on a Creative Team.  I'd never considered it before.  I mean, sure, I love recognition when I do work that is worthy, who doesn't???  But to be on a team?  The thought had never crossed my mind.  

Until I saw HER call. When a designer who is on your top five GO-TO list (arguably even your favorite designer of all time) puts out a Creative Team call, well, what's a girl to do?  

By 2:00 p.m. that same day, my application was completed and emailed.  

That is, of course, when I started second guessing myself. Would my skills be good enough? What was my competition like? How many applications would she get?  Was I crazy to think I had a snowball's chance in hell????  And so it went, for twelve excruciatingly anxious days.  And life was still happening all around me. Nothing had slowed down while I was pondering what her very polite rejection letter would say.

As it turns out, I wasn't crazy.  

On Wednesday, August 29th at 12:25 p.m. an email came into my in box. I saw it almost immediately.

After a quick perusal, I was wearing an idiot grin the size of Texas. Yes me. Grinning from ear to ear. Well, at least as far as my small mouth will grin anyway.

The email said (in pertinent part):   "I think you'd be a terrific addition to my creative team. I hope you'll accept this enthusiastic invitation to join me."   

Hell, yes!

The email also said:  "Please keep this news to yourself until I've officially made the announcement on September 1."  

Say WHAAAAAT???  

But I want to go shout it from the stinkin' mountain tops! 

Thankfully, I didn't have to keep my big mouth shut for too long.

And here is my first Creative Team layout:
  

Created from the "Lovers, Dreamers, Me" collab kit by Krystal Hartley and Traci Reed.

available here

This post is submitted in conjunction with Sian's Storytelling Sunday.  To read more stories, check out the links at Sian's blog.

One Little Word Blog Hop - September 1st

Hello! Whether you arrived here from Monica's Blog as part of the One Little Word Blog Hop, or you are here because you love me and drop by regularly... Welcome! I love visitors! The One Little Word Blog Hop is a monthly hop run by Margie for members of Ali Edwards' One Little Word class over at Big Picture Classes.

First off, wanted to say for my regular readers ... if you were worried about the train photo, don't be.  I didn't put any more attention into taking that photo than I would have changing the radio station or turning on the A.C.  I had my camera ready before I left the parking lot from work.  I didn't look at what I was shooting at all - just pointed the camera in the general direction of the passenger window and clicked the button! Several times.  And I got lucky and ONE photo actually caught the train!  So no lives were ever at risk for the taking of that photo.  :)

The August assignment for One Little Word was simply to take a self portrait and add a few words. Here's mine:

I'm still playing with self-portraiture.  This one was taken in my bathroom upstairs. I really want to repaint those walls! It's a terrible color for photography backgrounds!

I printed this 5x7 to add to my album, and then, for the back side, created this:

which really summarizes August. And is a great reason to be grateful that the One Little Word homework was so light this month!

And I'm still doing my monthly charts, although I've stopped using stars.  Hmmmm.... maybe the stars would be more motivating???  Truthfully, August was crazy and I'm lucky to have this many check marks!

If you are following along for the One Little Word Blog Hop, your next stop is Lisa's Blog. If you get lost or a link is broken, you can come back here or go to Margie's blog to find your way. 

Margie    http://xnomads.typepad.com

Nikki    http://www.inkyart.com.au

Brighton    www.simplebrighton.com

Kimberlee  http://scrapsandsass.blogspot.com

Monica    http://scrapinspired.com/category/one-little-word/

Cheri    http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com

Lisa    http://backtoallen.com/category/challenges/one-little-word/

Kara    http://iwannabemewhenigrowup.blogspot.com

Ruth        http://suburbansahm.blogspot.com

Jessica B     http://jlfbarnes.blogspot.com/

Veronica    www.veronicanorris.typepad.com

Naomi    http://poeticaperture.com/

Carolina    www.micinnamons.blogspot.com

Kelly    http://mindingmynest.com

Cindy    http://seriousplay.typepad.com

Amanda    http://scrappnbee.blogspot.com