Recent layouts

I've been busy creating! I get about one double page layout done a day. Sometimes cards, too. Here are a few:

This is from the last day of school in 2007--my friend and I went to the "beach" bar in Queens.



A day out with friends. I loved this line from Scenic Route!!


Finally, my nephew at 2 months old.

You can click on the layouts to make them bigger.

All the layouts were created with fabulous kits from The Scrap Room (http://scrap-room.com/). I love those kits--you get 4 mini kits each month--it's like sampling 4 lines of paper. My goal this summer is to use up as many as possible (to make room for more, of course). Tammy, the owner, does a great job, and you can even opt out for a month if you want.

So an update on the fires: they are still bad and getting worse. Apparently 9 homes have been lost and the winds tonight did not help. There is a layer of dust blowing in the windows, and it's ash from the fire. It's so sad to see this, but I guess it's a once in a century thing. I just hate that people lose homes.


Janet

Fires

Every year when I come home to Montana, there are fires somewhere in the state and Billings is generally pretty smoky. This year is extra-heartbreaking, though, because the fires are in the mountains near Red Lodge. Red Lodge is a town that my Grandmother grew up in, Mom lived there, I went to Girl Scout camp for 10 years there, and my father's ashes are spread near one of the campgrounds south of town. Red Lodge is about 60 miles southwest of Billings, in the Beartooth Mountain range.

I heard on the news today that the Girl Scout Camp was empty, and they evacuated the many gorgeous campground on both forks of the roads. We spent our entire childhood camping in these mountains. I am just hoping and praying for adequate weather conditions to get this thing contained. So many people have already had their homes threatened, and the fire is so close to town!

Here's a couple of pics from www.billingsgazette.com


I am actually supposed to go to Red Lodge on Wednesday for the day, so I'll know more then about what's happening and see first hand how close the fire is. I'll keep you all posted, and please keep this town that's a little piece of heaven in your thoughts/prayers now. Thanks!

Cards galore!

I've doing lots of crafting lately, both scrapbooking and card making. Here are some of my recent cards:

I used BoBunny scraps for this simple card.


For this one I used everything Making Memories, all left overs from a layout.


I got this idea from the galleries at www.splitcoaststampers.com. I did change up the papers--mine are BoBunny. Stamp is SU. Can't really see it, but I used Bazzill Bling for the lighter CS.


This is all from a Scrap Room kit. Their kits are awesome!! Everything here is left over from a layout.


Finally, some cards using my stamp set from Stampin' Up/ All the products are SU, actually. I don't generally do this much stamping on cards, but I like it, so I might have to do this more often.

Thanks for letting me share my creations with you!

My projects

Finally--Here's some of the things I have been working on while I am here visiting my Mom.

These 2 layouts have pics from July 4, 2007







That's it for now--have to get the others cropped, etc, and I'll post later in the week. Thanks for looking!

Tagged!

I got tagged by Shauna over at Simply Obsessed and thought I'd share the info here, too. Here goes!

High school was: something I slept through, and was excited to get out of.

When I'm worried: I cant sleep, or else I sleep too much. Depends.

My hair: is in desperate need of a cut! It’s really long, and getting on the scraggly side. The only person I trust, though, is in NY so I’ll have to wait until the end of summer.

I can't do: mornings. I also am NOT a runner, will never be.

When I was 5: I had a kindergarten boyfriend that I used to hold hands with.

I should be: getting dressed and ready for the day.

By this time next year: I hope to weigh less than I do now, and in better shape.

My favorite scrapbooking celebrity is: Becky Fleck—I love her sketches AND she is a Montanan, too!

I have a hard time understanding: People who hurt others. Makes no sense to me.

I prefer: salty and spicy to: sweet

My ideal breakfast is: Swiss cheese omelet, rye toast, bacon or sausage, fries. Or the breakfast of champions–cold pizza and a diet Pepsi.

If you spend a day with me you'll: spend time scrapbooking, running errands and probably go somewhere fun for lunch (that’s now, in the summer).

If I was an animal I'd be: heck, I don’t know, maybe a chameleon since I fit in most anywhere.

Yesterday I: got together with my sister and cousin to make cards. Made quite a few, too!

If I could have any car it would be: I haven’t had a car in 20 years, so I have no idea. One that I could park for free on the streets of Brooklyn without someone breaking in would be ideal!

My favorite theater outing is: Going to an off-Broadway production and out for Indian food. I love theater!

Okay, now it's your turn!!

Relay for Life (American Cancer Society)

I finally got the adapter I needed to get photos from my camera, so I am posting this a bit late. Lat weekend I participated in the Relay for Life in my hometown, Billings MT. I've done this for the previous 2 years as well. Teams walk throughout the night, and our team takes one hour shifts. We had a pajama theme with the logo "Put Cancer To Bed." I wore my pj's and I got the 4:00 AM shift to walk.

I slept the night at the field, and when I got up at 4:00 to walk, it was surprisingly 29 degrees! Here's the not-so-flattering picture of me about to start the walk--and shivering! I was not prepared for the low temperature.


I also took pictures of the time and temperature board as I figured no one would believe me.




One of the special things about the Relay is the chance to purchase luminarias in the name of someone who has passed from cancer or a survivor. I purchase one each year for my father. These next pictures show some of the luminarias lit up. The ones with purple bands are for survivors.


The luminarias on the bleachers. I love looking at this!












Luminarias line the track that we walk, and you can see team tents lining the track as well.




The Relay made over $355,000 for Cancer research. This is becoming a meaningful family event for us.

Thanks for letting me share!

Colorado mountains

I think it's time to update this blog! Last weekend I took a short weekend trip from Denver to Leadville, CO, and had an awesome time. I love traveling on my own--it's so refreshing!

I got to Leadville after about a 3 hour drive. After settling in, I went in search of some ghost towns. Had dinner in town that evening, and enjoyed the cool mountain air (Leadville is at over 10,000 feet so it was plenty cool!). Sunday I enjoyed a scenic train ride to an old mine, shopped a bit in town, then had a picnic in the rain at a nearby lake. This is definitely somewhere I want to visit again soon!

The view of town and mountains beyond.

The ghost town of St. Elmo, south of Leadville and Buena Vista.

View from the scenic train ride.

Beautiful Turquoise Lake right outside Leadville. I love this picture with the approaching storm.

Now I am in Billings, MT for the summer, relaxing and visiting family. This weekend we are all participating in the Relay For Life benefiting the American Cancer Society. I'll post pics if I can.

Traveling...

Haven't posted for awhile, I've been so busy. I ended the school year uneventfully, but busy. Then packed up to sublet out my apartment and head to Montana for the summer. I am in Denver now visiting my adorable niece and nephew!

This weekend I am heading on a solo road trip to Leadville, CO--the highest incorporated city in America, at over 10,000 feet. I am excited--in all the years I've been coming to Denver I've never had the opportunity to explore the mountains.

On Monday I'll head north to Montana. Can't wait to get there and get some crafting done! I'll post pics from the mountains when I have them, and hopefully I'll soon be posting more of my creations here. In the meantime, enjoy the 4th of July!