Scrap From Your Stash begins today!

We're off and running!!!!!!!!!! or should I say scrapping. I've joined the ladies and gent at Scrap101 in a SFYS challenge. It goes from today until June 3rd. During that time we are not allowed to buy any new scrapbooking supplies (other than adhesives). We are do create as many layouts as we can out of our stash of scrapbooking supplies........hence the name SFYS.

I was talking to Bobbie and I told her maybe we should change the rules to NO shopping the 2 weeks prior to starting the challenge. I spent almost $100 getting ready for this challenge. ROTFLMBO!!!!!!

Recently there has been discussion about how with 1" of scrapbook paper you can do 100 pages. So out of curiosity I measured my 12 x 12" paper and my 8 1/2 x 11" paper.

Don't laugh because you're either ahead of me or gaining ground quickly. Are you ready to read how much paper I have?????

Okay, you're sure you can handle this???????

Positive????

Are you sitting down??????????

Do you have a friend to hold your hand when you read the amount of paper I have?????

Have you called 911 and have the ambulance standing by???????????

Oh, no!!!! I'm not sure that I am ready to go public with my confession!!!!!!!!!!!!

Maybe!!!!!!!!!

Maybe Not!!!!!!!!!

I'm getting all giddy!!!!!

Is it excitement or is it fear????????????

Okay............I can do this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Really I can!!!!!!!!!!!

Are you sure you are ready???????????????

Tune in next time to find out exactly how much paper this little ole' scrapper in Oregon has stashed away.

Now honestly did you think I'd leave you hanging in suspence??????????????

Me???????????

I'd never do anything like that to my scrapping sisters and brother.

I guess it's now or never.

Okay here it is....................................................................................................................................................15" of 12 x 12" paper..............................10" of 8 1/2 x 11" paper.....................1" of 8 x 8" paper......................and a big huge box of scraps. Of course the scraps are all neat and organized into solid colors and patterned paper in 1 gallon plastic bags.

Whew!!!!!!!!!!!!! I feel so much better since I confessed!!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel so much better.............I think I'll go shopping for more paper!!!!!!!!

NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did you think I was going to lose on the first day? Shame on you.

My First Veggies

This morning I picked my first veggies - green onions from my garden. I can't wait until I can start picking tomatoes, green beans, squash, peppers, radishes, carrots, okra, beets, cucumbers, watermelon and cantaloupe. There's nothing as tasty as fresh picked veggies from your own garden.

I would like to say a Special Thanks to Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa Shaw and Grandma and Grandpa McGuire for giving me my love of gardening.

Trip to the Oregon Coast

Sunday morning after breakfast we decided to drive over to the coast. It's about 95 miles from us. We went to Charleston. We have been over there numerous times but we never could find any easy beach acess. I decided to look at the map and locate Sunset Beach and Shore Acres Botanical Gardens. Well, duh!!!!!!!!!!!!! It really helps to look at a map. We found the beach and we were able to walk down and enjoy wading in the water. I found a couple of nice shells but not a single piece of driftwood. There was a lot of people out enjoying the beautiful weather. There was not a cloud in the sky, the ocean was so blue and the wind was gentle. We sure didn't want to come home.............but Rich had to be at work at 6am on Monday.

My Herb Garden

This is a layout I did for the weekly Quotation Quest at Scrap101. I just loved the quote that we were to use and my photos of my herb garden were perfect for the layout.

Whew!!!!!! What a Weekend!!!!!!!!!! Part Two

After sleeping in a little on Sunday we worked outside in the garden. First off you have to understand that my Rich grew up a city boy. His family never planted a garden or even flowers. I basically grew up a country girl. My family depended upon it's garden for food for summer and winter.

We planted some of the herbs, vegetables and flowers that we bought on Saturday. I decided to plant most of the herbs in a big round planter. I love the way it turned out. I may have too many plants in the planter............I'm not sure as I'm used to planting in a huge garden. Trial and error!!!!!!!!!!! That's life anyway.

Rich built me a raised bed garden this year because of my back and knees. It is based on Mel Barthlomew's square foot gardening. You can see part of the raised bed that the planter is sitting on in the photos. I will post more photos later of the raised bed.

Rich just had to take a photo of my dirty hands. I hate to wear gardening gloves because I love to feel the dirt as I'm working in the garden.

I took Rich's photo while he was standing there watching me plant my herb planter. I love the little grin he has on his face. He may not know much about gardening but he is always willing to learn and help me with the heavy lifting.

After working outside in the garden for about an hour we went inside and spent the rest of the day talking and watching a little TV.

Happy Gardening!!!!!!!!!

Whew!! What a Weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!! Is all I can say about this weekend. I am enjoying my weekends so much now that I am no longer working. Before everytime there was events..........I had to work. I might also add that Rich now works 6am - 2:30pm Monday thru Friday and holidays off.

Rich and I started out the weekend on Saturday morning going to the Master Gardener's Plant Sale. We waited in line for about 30 minutes before the doors opened. Finally the doors opened and we got to go inside the building. Oh my!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So many plants!!!!!!!

We're off and shopping. We were mainly looking for vegetable and herb plants. We bought and bought and bought. We ended up with 4 boxes of plants. What was really neat was that you didn't have to carry all of the boxes with you. The 4-H had set up an area that you could leave your plants and they would watch them. You received a number and nobody else could use that square. After we had finished shopping the young lady helped us carry the boxes to the checkout stand and then to the pickup.

We bought tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, summer squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, lots of herbs and flower plants.

After the plant sale we went to several yard sales. We found lots of goodies!!!!!!!!!!! As if we need anymore goodies.

Next stop..................Wendy's for lunch. I was more than ready to set down for a while. My knees were starting to swell and become painful.

Next stop..................Bi-Mart. More gardening supplies and summer clothes for Rich and I. I found the cutest knit tops and shorts for $3.99 each. I bought 2 sets - one pink and one blue. We found some neat jean shorts and flip-flops for Rich.

Next stop.................Dad and Mae's. Rich had bought a set of mirrors for our pickup and Dad helped him put them on the pickup. Dad kept teasing Rich and telling him that the mirrors would fit his van better than our pickup. They are really nice looking.

Next stop................HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! By now it's 2pm and I so want to participate in the National Scrapbooking Day events. I've always worked so I couldn't join in on all the fun. I decided to participate in one of the smaller sites: Create My Keepsake. It was so much fun.

There was 4 challenges: Make a card and 3 layouts.

The first was to make a Mother's Day Card by hand cutting design elements from patterned paper. Would you believe that a person with hundreds of sheet of patterned paper could not find one single sheet with any design on it that would work. I ended up printing my own paper and then cut out my designs.

The second was to create a list of 10 things you have always wanted to do, etc. I decided to to my list and layout on 10 places I would love to visit in my lifetime. I first made my list, picked out my paper and embellishments. When I finished up my layout I went to post it in the gallery for the challenge. I can't believe it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't know that Bobbie (my sister) was also participating in the challenge. I hadn't looked at any of the entries or talked to Bobbie (she lives 80 miles from me)................Our entries used the same patterned paper and colors, basically the same techniques and similar style.

The third was to create a layout using very little written journaling as possible and let the photos tell the story. I decided to use photos from the Pioneer Days parade. It really turned out cute.

The fourth was to create a layout using a ad photo. I decided to use photos from a mini-vacation to Gold Beach that Rich and I took in 2002. I've done layouts using ads before but I really love the way this one turned out.

We then had to take a SAT...........Scrapbook Appitute Test.

I didn't win any door prizes or big prizes. I did make the dean's list and I get a blinkie for posts.

All of that was Saturday. Stay tuned for Part Two!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!