Just Make Stuff

Chicks and ducks and geese better scurry...

Are you singing along yet? "When I take you out in the surrey, when I take you out in the surrey with the fringe on top!" Okay ours didn't have fringe, but we did get it half off with a Groupon...

Trying to get an absolutely necessary family self-portrait was a challenge. The sun had never been brighter and it was nearly impossible to determine an area that allowed us to put the camera down, focus it properly on us, and didn't have items like porta-potty's in it.

When were attempting this particular photographic achievement I was complaining to Sean (as I cursed the sun for it's horrendous shadows) how Erin just got amazing photos with a flashlight, yet I couldn't even come close to capturing something remotely decent... 

Oh well, the beach was pretty.

The other challenge was this little surrey of ours took a lot of work to get it moving nowhere fast (not so good when crossing bridges among the cars).  Here is Sean's determination as he was furiously pumping his legs to get us across (I promise my legs were going almost as fast as I was taking his photo)...

He was able to take a family self-portrait when we were safely out of the way of on coming traffic...

Finally we were at the mercy of our fellow beach-goers as I gratefully handed my camera over to a willing photographer...

I joked we were in the market for Christmas card material...and that one just might make the cut.

(I promise the fact the we all managed to be dressed in grey and blue shirts is simply a coincidence. Please don't point it out to Mac...he'd be horrified to be so matchy-matchy with his dorky parents)

Ten on Tuesday...

1. I was going to participate in Summer Colors week and took a yellow photo yesterday when I cut into a lemon to make crab cakes...

2. But I didn't share it in time...and I didn't take a pink photo today so I'm thinking this isn't my week. I need to be better prepared next time around. In the meantime here is my favorite place to see the colors.

3. Part of the reason I didn't get to it is that I've been extremely busy staring aimlessly at the disaster that is my craft room. I have a new (to me) gigantic steel tanker desk and it's disrupted the delicate balance of organization in here. I'm trying not to go crazy, but I haven't been terribly successful with that attempt. 

4. This is the current state...

5. I really love having a desk not face a wall, but this wonderful thing is so wide that I've yet to figure out a way to make that possible. And if it stays here the wall needs to be rearranged so that I can see what's going on all month...not just 3/4 of it.

6. My brother and I were over at my mom's house on Sunday cleaning out some of the stuff he has stored there. We found one of the best things I ever game him (well if you have a sense of humor that appreciates ruthless teasing, a little religious levity and inappropriate language). I would give anything for the second photo to have been in focus, but I guess that's karma for being mean to him...

7.  McIntosh is quickly becoming my one man PR team. More and more he is telling everyone about my blog. He also is angling to be on here more so he can soak in your kind compliments about him. He loves to remind me that some of the people who read my blog think he has a great smile. 

8. Can I make a request that everyone start watching My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding so that we can discuss what the heck is going on. The sociologist in me really wants to understand their community better and Googling information is just not cutting it. 

9. On Friday I will start grading my first ever batch of papers. I have never been so happily terrified. 

10. I have three gifts to wrap tomorrow...can't wait to share them with you soon.

Blurry Fish...

Thanks to Facebook I learned a couple of weeks ago that a local aquarium was hosting a teacher day. Even though Mac had musical theater rehearsals and performances for about a 100 hours last week we made a little time on Friday to see the aquarium for the first time in years. Mac kept asking me to take photos of everything in sight. I tried to explain the challenges of low-light photography to him as I took one blurry fish photo after another. Towards the end of our visit he broke out his cell phone camera and totally beat my DSLR in the fish photography business...

It's been four years now that we've tried to have Fun Fridays during the summer. I love that the tradition carries on and can't wait for all our Friday fun this year (except this week it's been rescheduled to Wednesday...and it involves a surrey).

Starred...

1. DSC_8167, 2. Untitled, 3. pink-crafty3, 4. Molly's Sketchbook: Citrus Coasters, 5. Blog Design Inspiration, 6. project wedding2, 7. Desk, 8. box top

Just a couple of good things from this past week...

• Love the idea of patterns and quotes together.
• Just loaded this screen saver. 
• I think I need to find some good mint green cardstock because it's been in  a lot of the color combos I've liked lately.
• Green Beans aren't usually my favorite, but these bundles might change my mind.
• I really want to try this salad.

{Starred is a post every Saturday that includes recent Flickr Favorites and the blog entries I've found & saved (with a star) in my Google Reader}

New stuff goes to...

The new Authentique supplies go to comment #18... 
Kim said...Oh dear God, pick me! I'm poor and need new supplies!!!! :) June 24, 2011 at 09:43 AM
Kim please email me your address so I can send them on their way to you.

Few things better...

It's certainly not news to hear that I love new scrapbook supplies...probably a little more than I should. There is just something irresistible about the patterns and details...and all the crafty possibilities.

That's just one of the reasons I am super excited to be part of the design team for a brand new scrapbook company...Authentique. I love the name because it embodies Margie Romney Aslett who is truly one of the most enthusiastically and genuinely effusive people I've ever known. 

A few weeks ago I got to make stuff with their new patterns and supplies...

And I thought it'd be fun to share a little of what they sent me...I have an alphabet, stickers and super cute die-cuts. If you need new scrapbook supplies please leave a "pick me" and I'll do a random drawing on Friday night.

Well Wishes...

A wedding card to send along with a gift to my cousin and his new wife.

Ten on Tuesday...

1. There are no words to adequately describe how amazing the U2 concert was. I will admit though that I was a crying mess through at least 5 songs...

2. I get to try writing my very first syllabus in the next couple of weeks. God willing I'll be doing the same thing next summer, but it won't be a pretend one.

3. The water slide is paid for...the invitations are in mailboxes...it's less than two weeks until our big 4th of July block party.

4. For the second year in a row I totally forgot to write a start time on the invitations. That's not important when throwing a party, right? Good thing my neighbors can just look out their front door to see when it starts.

5. My cousin's husband gave me one of his prints when they visited last month. It is finally in it's new home in the dining room...

6. Because of the size of the mat I had to have it custom framed and am still traumatized by how much that costs...no wonder they always have coupons.

7. I had to invest way too much time cleaning out my downloads folder the other day since it was out of control.  That means that all the fonts I've found over the last few months are organized, ready to use and share again...

 

8. My Godson's "church birthday" was last week so I wrapped up his little gift. I had a little too much fun with the gift tag...



9. That aquamarine stamp pad has been my favorite for at least five years now.

10. Over the weekend, while there was golf watching, I added a links page to the navigation bar up there and made the Making Stuff page a little nicer to look at with large button links to everything...working with HTML still feels like a major life accomplishment. 

The list...

On Friday afternoon, which was our first day of summer all together, Sean and I sat down on the couch to watch a little golf and make one of my very favorite things...a to do list. This wasn't any old list this was THE summer to do list. The one with every task we want completed before the first day of school next fall. It was divided into four quadrants and every box was full...53 items total. I typed it up yesterday into a couple of sheets for my organizer with neat rows of boxes to check off. Then Sean got a straightforward list without a check box in sight since he much prefers feverishly scribbling over each completed task like it never existed in the first place.

I won't bore you with anything written on the "House" or "School/Work" lists, but this was the 4th quadrant. The fun list which is just as important as the serious stuff...

It includes everything from trying to make really good vinaigrettes for salads to my plans to totally beat Sean and Mac in Wii bowling. Really looking forward to Griffin Family Summer 2011. Hopefully it's very productive and lots of fun. 

Sean-a-thon

I coined that term earlier this week when I mentioned to Sean that I have been remiss in sharing his recent accomplishments so I needed to catch up with a Sean-a-thon. Last weekend he ran in his third Pendleton Mud Run AND he got a haircut. Granted the second activity isn't really an accomplishment, but you might change your mind about that when you see how ridiculously long his hair had become. 

First things first, I made this mud run video for him last week. I looked for music to use from his iTune's collection. Please know Sean keeps up a good front that he only enjoys the narrow genre of heavy metal from the late 80's and early 90's. Yet I manged to find a sizable heap of pop and hip-hop in his music collection that has changed who is for me forever. I finally settled on an oldie but goody we both love. Okay last bit of commentary...the opening "scenes" of the video include him sewing on his race number since there was no way it was going to fall off like last year...

Mud Run from NDG blog on Vimeo.

Okay the haircut...like I said normally it wouldn't be a big deal, but he wanted to wait until his mom visited to get his haircut so it ended up about four months too long. He got his wish though as his mom cut his hair in our messy garage. I got my wish when we had a half-time mullet photo shoot...

That's his special look for when he really, really is annoyed with loves me. 

Okay now that I've thoroughly embarrassed him with this discussion of music and mullets I need to want to wish him a Happy Father's Day. Mac is celebrating with his dad so we are taking it easy today eating a late french toast brunch and watching golf, but Sean is the type of guy that still manages to wash dishes or iron the shirts he wore during his last week of school when he is supposed to be resting and relaxing. Sean works so hard for our family in every big and small way he can think of which is just one of the many reason Mac and I are so lucky to have him. And he likes songs like Pump Up the Jam which really makes him a perfect guy. Love you Sean...

Starred...

1. Semana da transformação* / Tansformation week*, 2. So` isses - das Leben, 3. LIVINGROOM, 4. Untitled, 5. Home, 6. Corner of My New Study, 7. orange and pink, 8. Untitled

A few favorite's from this past week...

• One of the things I couldn't do very well in grade school was make friendship bracelets seeing this makes me want to try again.
• Really loved this layout. 
• Mac has been saying he wants to make his own pinata for his party...now he'll have cute instructions.
• Favorite color combinations...one, two, three.
• I really want to master making our own pizza this summer...this looks delicious.
• This post had me rethinking the ways I can make egg salad. 
• I want to make this chicken for dinner tonight.

{Starred is a post every Saturday that includes recent Flickr Favorites and the blog entries I've found & saved (with a star) in my Google Reader}

The infertility clause...

The infertility clause is defined as the space created in our family by the decision we felt we had to make back in 2006. This clause has allowed for my education, Sean's coaching, our long road trips, and many other fun or spontaneous decisions. Sean and I are big on counting our blessings so often when we are in a moment that we're really enjoying we'll point out to each other that this is what we get to have because of what we weren't able to have. Just trying to always keep the grass green on our side of the fence. 

The reason I'm all of a sudden talking about this today is because tonight we are going to the U2 concert. Which is an example of the way we try to embrace our opportunities. We bought tickets just a couple of nights ago when we found an affordable price and we are completely pinching ourselves that we'll actually be there in a few short hours. Now granted we have Mac this weekend so we did need to find a teenager-sitter since we'll be out late (thanks Mom), but other than that we can just go. We last went to a big concert back in 2005 and it was Sean's first ever. Can't wait for his second tonight...

Making light of our situation has really helped us get through it...so thank you infertility clause for tonight and all the other lucky chances our little family gets to take advantage of.

The difference a school year makes...

I really loved seeing Mac's first and last day of school photos together last year so as we left for school this morning I snapped a few before he was off to the final day of 7th grade. The lunch box has seen better days...his beloved Member's Only jacket no longer fits and his hair is longer than it has ever been, but the haircut is already scheduled. 

Tonight he goes off to his friend's graduation. The gifts are ready to give...

And the countdown will be on to his own graduation next year. We're already planning...

I've come to the realization...

As the clock inched closer to midnight last night I was concentrating on hand cutting a couple dozen leaves. In that moment I realized that I am completely obsessed with giving teacher gifts. Over the years I have loved coming up with recipe books to go with various gifts for the kitchen...or holiday gifts...or even just a little something at the beginning of the school year. I just really, really love coming up with teacher gift ideas. 

I didn't come up with this idea though...gift card bouquets are an idea I saw float around the internet at some point and tucked away on the "I want to do that" list. I went looking for it again last week and found a super cute version here. So we amassed small gift cards for both of Mac's teachers...

And then I used my trusty daisy die-cuts, scallop circle punch and dug into the green patterned paper stash...

I ended up covering coin envelopes to hold each gift card. Little green buckets from the Target dollar spot were stuffed with florist foam and topped with a bag of gravel from the craft store. Oh and I used skewers that were painted green by Sean about 10 minutes before midnight (I really went a little crazy with the details on this). The last step was just stamping a "Happy Summer" gift tag (love these alphabet stamps in two different sizes)...

So what I lost in sleep I gained in having gifts that I was extra happy to place on Mac's teacher's desks today as we were picking him up from school...

Amy Tangerine...

It was over four years ago when I saw a mention of a t-shirt altering class taking place at a scrapbook store in Los Angeles. I decided that I had to go...it didn't matter that I was going into the scary big city by myself (we rarely drive into LA), it didn't even matter that I was hosting a party that night...I just had to check it out. The class was taught by Amy Tan of Amy Tangerine. I got to meet Amy and her mom (who makes crab ragoon that I'm still dreaming about years later) and learned a couple of Amy's fantastic stitching techniques.

I have seen Amy here and there over the years as she has become an avid and talented scrapbooker. She has always been so amazingly kind to me and enthusiastic about my crafting. She even asked to use a couple of things I made on her t-shirts which will probably be the coolest thing I will ever be asked to do. Here we are back in 2008 at a store where she was having an event...

Can we quickly pause so my heart can ache over little McIntosh...oh my goodness.

Okay back to Amy...I am so excited to share today that she has designed a new line with American Crafts. As a part the celebratory blog hop I have a little peek of one of Amy's new products to share...

How cute is that?

To see more head over to Ronda Palazzari's blog...once you've seen all the peeks go to the American Crafts blog to leave a comment about which of the products you are most excited about, and you'll be entered to win the whole line!

Can't wait to check out all of Amy's new stuff myself...

There has been...

There has been homemade peach pie in my house this weekend.
And bread pudding.
There has been a fun game that is our new favorite.
There has also been another haircut that included halfway mullet photos that Sean has yet to sign the release for me to share with you. 
All of this means my mother-in-law has been staying with us this weekend and we've been having a great time.

Starred...

 

1. inspiration wall..., 2. bookcase full of inspiration for the new diggs, 3. summer mood garden, 4. floppy., 5. studio progress..., 6. I love my bed, 7. Constance 1956 Vintage Caravan, 8. vintage....

This week's favorites...

• I love this book. Love, love, love it.
• I will make a bedspread this summer...mark my words.
• These invites makes me want to try using watercolors.
• Wouldn't this card be cute as a set with all different colors and patterns?
• Totally inspired by this house.
• Great stamped background on this layout.
• Teriyaki always sound good. 
• And of course color combos...one, two and three.

{Starred is a post every Saturday that includes recent Flickr Favorites and the blog entries I've found & saved (with a star) in my Google Reader}

The plague...

I am overly dramatic by nature. This means I am a royal pain in the butt when I get sick...like today when I have been suddenly plagued by a common cold. I'll try to be stoic about some things, but nasal congestion usually isn't one of them.

Yesterday, back when I completely underestimated how much nicer it is to not have an excruciatingly sore throat, I scrapbooked a tiny little bit. Just one more layout with my new favorite calendar stamps while they were still sitting out on my desk...

I also used seasonal stamps since this time of year I really love summer. That promptly ends 10 minutes after the 4th of July when I start longing desperately for all things fallish. I did mention that I'm overly dramatic, right? 

Well Wishes...

Ten on Tuesday...

1. I would like to publicly apologize to my mom for the use of the words "dear" and "sweet" to describe her last week. It was only slightly meant to be affectionately pejorative. I would also like to thank my my mother for reminding me that "pejorative" is a really good word.  

2. If I'm confessing all of my recent wrong doings here's another one. I added something to the grocery list because Sean and I were right in the middle of an argument on Saturday. I blurred my inappropriate use of expletives...

3. His response is one of my all-time favorite marital moments. 

4. I managed to get a little job on Friday. I received an e-mail, filled out a form, answered the phone and I was hired to be a graduate assistant for two summer statistics classes a few hours each week.

5. I got this job with this answer (when asked about my current statistical skills), "Well, I'll be honest I don't feel that they are that strong right now". Apparently mine was the most encouraging response she heard from all the applicants.

6. Amazing to think it was three years ago that I was terrified of taking stats and now I just might be brave enough to help others with it.

7. Just looking over the scrapbooking I included in that post from 2008 I was reminded that this is one of my all-time favorite layouts.

8. We watched my nephew and one of our niece's for little while this weekend. My sister has always been super attentive to make sure we get to see the kids wearing every piece of clothing we've given them. This always makes me super happy...

9. This is one of my new favorite photos...

10. Two of the best random things ever happened today...one involves a desk and the other a one-way ticket to Las Vegas...I'll share more about both when I get them all figured out.

Get your buttons...

In the past there have been crafts that I've insisted that you have to do and this is officially on the list...

It's from the book The Homemade Home. Just wire and buttons...and all the jars I've been obsessed with saving.

Really loved that imperfection was part of the charm of this craft. The wire gets totally bent? No big deal. 

These will have a home on our picnic table this summer...waiting to glow in the evening with tea lights. 

Starred...

1. Untitled, 2. Cozy Spots, 3. Color Me Pretty, 4. wood & word signs, 5. ribbon, 6. guest room now, 7. lovely package, 8. Little Bouquet

Just a few things from this past week...

• This apartment is more grown up than I'll ever be, but it's really inspiring.
• Such a cute scrapbook page...I really want to try sewing a grid.
• Colors...one and two.
• Love the hanging ribbon on these bookmarks.
• I think these decals are super cool.
• One word...caramel.

{Starred is a post every Saturday that includes recent Flickr Favorites and the blog entries I've found & saved (with a star) in my Google Reader}

The happiest our dining room table has ever been...

If our dining room table could speak it could tell you about a lot of parties from the last seven years it has sat in our house. It has been the happy home to Fondue and Friendsgivings. It has hosted numerous brunches. It has been taken over by crafting. And it was home to a box of peach jello shots a couple of weeks ago when I forgot I was not twenty-four years old like the rest of my graduate school cohort.

Even with all that fun and excitement, I'm fairly certain the best our table has ever had it was last week when my cousin and her husband came to visit. She's a professional Irish dancer who was in Southern California for a little tour. He is an oil painter from Ireland. We haven't been able to spend much time with our extended family over the last several years so to have dinner together was extra special. 

They had traveled with some of his prints to sell at her shows. My sister asked to see them, so they were quickly displayed on our entry table. But then he brought in the little box of oil paints, the tripod he travels with and the 5 small paintings he had done on their drive up from Del Mar to our house that day. Our dining room table became a gallery with paintings that weren't completely dry, propped up on our basket of napkins and empty wine glasses. 

Then my dear, sweet mother brought in her arsenal of musical instruments. Never in your life will you meet a more enthusiastic person than my mom...she consistently wants to try new things and for the last year or so that has been learning several instruments. She also gets very annoyed with me when she catches me quietly laughing at the look of determination she gets on her face when she is in a "jam session". She roped in just about everyone for well over an hour of music. When they got around to Peter, Paul and Mary I couldn't help but join in too...

So there was our dining room table amidst it all...oil paintings, empty glasses, a beer bottle next to a baby bottle and an impromptu concert...happy as ever.

G3: May

In May...

• We set up the backyard for the summer.
• We took this month's photo out there and I couldn't resist using this out-take. 
• I wrote the last of my 39 papers for this school year (yes, I counted).
• Sean finished track which is his third sport that he has coached this year. 
• Mac fell deeply in love with my new Garlic Noodles recipe.
• We hosted two dinners, one party and house guests twice.
• Sean and I went to San Diego.
• Mac went to Outdoor Education.
• We might have started becoming Starbucks addicts (Iced Chai Tea Latte for Sean. Mocha Coconut Frappuccinos for Mac and I) 
• And Sean only ran 100.62 miles.

{G3 is a end of the month wrap-up for our little family}

Well Wishes...