Scrappy Hearts

Summer Manifesto - Part One

I still have 3 more days of school so I am not "late" in publishing my Summer Manifesto, but it is something that I need to accomplish, and soon!

This week, as the school year was winding down, I challenged my second graders to write their own summer manifestos. They were inspired. They felt "old." I mean, "writing our own manifestos!" It was a great experience in the classroom.

Before sending them off to craft their manifestos we discussed what a manifesto is, and why someone might write a manifesto. Then, I showed them the beginning of my Summer Manifesto.Just beginning is the hard part, but in my case, finishing is going to be difficult.

Project Life, Week 23

This week came together very quickly. I was able to print photos out during the week which meant that Monday was not an "all about printing" sort of evening. I actually was able to sew most of the night!

Another thing that helped this week pull together rather quickly is that I was able to journal most days before heading to bed. No catch-up writing to do. That makes the process so much easier. I did want to add the week number to the title card for this week, but tonight I traveled into Philly to have dinner with my son. That was the better choice. The number can be added anytime.

This week many of my photos were of "things" that I was doing. What I was eating, what I was sewing. And, in the case of the bottom photo, what I was signing. Those are the contracts for the last two races that we are signing up for this season. The Dog Day Race in August and the Vineyard Run in October will round out our running season.The top photo shows the progress of the quilt that I am currently sewing. That gavanized tub in the upper right photo, that's the foundation for our raised bed veetable garden. My husband's postal love! He was absolutely thrilled when this arrived! The bottom is rounded out by a photo from my field trip on Friday and a trip to the local water ice stand on Saturday. 

I needed to keep this week simple. I have increased my training and school is a bit more demanding with the end of the year creeping up on me. Simple doesn't bother me. The stories are still recorded and there are photos that capture the stories of our week. As far as I'm concerned, that works.  

This week there is lots of inspiration over at Becky Higgin's blog. Design team focus for June and boy is there eye candy. So many great ways to use Project Life and to make it a part of your regular memory keeping!

I am going to share my link over at The Mom Creative where Jessica has out done herself again. I really love the use of extra page protectors as inserts for extra photos and stories.

As always, if you are the least bit interested in Project Life, I urge you to check out Becky Higgins' site. I just love recording our family happenings this way. Takes the stress out of the process and allows me to go with the flow. Just love it! 

Hodge Podge

There is no other way to describe the current process for assembling this quilt, it is certainly a hodge podge. I blame it on my ADD or my complete and utter boredom from sewing the same things over and over again, so I switch it up. And so it goes. I don't think this makes the process any quicker, but it certainly makes it less boring.

I Just Love Sundays

Five hours in the yard. Today I paused long enough to catch a photo of our first daisies. I just love daisies!Our yard bunny. I think after five hours he was used to running into me!Ready to run. I am getting better, sunscreen and a hat. Unheard of just 1 year ago.Couldn't find a better spot to relax, especially after the weeds have been pulled.This is one of my favorite views of the yard.After eight and finally a chance to eat. Love fresh vegetables from the farmers' market.

Sweet Treat Saturday

After sleeping way too late, we managed a visit to our local farmers market where we enjoyed some wine tasting and fresh baked treats from the local coffee shop. Unfortunately, I always forget to take pictures at the market, what's with that?

Then, it was a trip to Starbucks before heading out for the real shopping of the day, Home Depot.Passion Tea Lemonade, yum. It reminds me of my daily routine in Redmond last summer!

Dinner on the grill, planning in the garden and a 5.6 mile bike ride makes for a very full evening. So, we plan another treat. Masso's for water ice with a coupon. You just gotta love buy one get one coupons!Now I am finally tackling report card comments. Much easier after a few treats!

Tonight We Swam

Jackie and I have started our training for the Danskin Triathlon, and that's a good thing. We are technically ahead of schedule. The training program we have adopted is in a little book that we received free from Athleta. It is a twelve week program and technically, we are about 13 weeks out from the tri. It's a good thing we decided to start swimming early, we need so much work.

Tonight we swam 24 laps and our goal is 33 laps, without stopping every 25 yards. As I said, we have a long road ahead of us. As of tonight, we have a plan and we are moving forward.

On the Wall

New on the wall this week, a baby chenille quilt. This quilt was started back in 2005 and was supposed to be for sweet Emma. But, when my dad became very ill, all sewing stopped. It has be resurrected to become a baby quilt for a dear friend that is having a little girl. As Jason so keenly observed, perhaps I will have it done in time for this baby's birth. At least there is a chance!

The patriotic star quilt was taken off the wall. It was driving me crazy and I just do not have the brain stamina to figure it out at this point. It will be put back up once I think I have the energy to deal with it!The 30's Buck-a-Block is really coming along. Don't you just love the way the star border makes the blocks? I am really loving the way this quilt is coming along. Tonight I spent some time over at Bunkey's just working on the sashing, which is really bright, and the star points. I have 21 more blocks that need the star finishing. Mark asked how long that might take and when I mentioned report cards, triathlon training, work, he said, "Just a ballpark." I have no idea, but I can feel an end in sight and that is a good thing!

Postal Love?

Yup, apparently today my husband was expecting some postal love. He was nearly giddy with excitement. I am not sure what all the giddiness was about. This is what I found in the yard after work today.First of all, it was not postal love. The man in brown delivered it. And love, well, I cannot get excited about something that I can neither sew nor scrap. Apparently, we are to have a raised bed vegetable garden. Go figure. I even found instructions for creating such a thing with a horse trough. Even stranger!Looking at it from all angles, I still do not see the appeal. But, Mark is convinced so I will go along. I only hope that the Jersey tomatoes I am used to, taste the same, when they are grown in galvanized steel! 

Project Life, Week 22

Woo-Hoo! Tuesday night and I am ready to post Project Life Week 22. My printer, which I love, decided to cooperate with me this week and it printed all of my photos without a hitch. 

Week 22 began on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. I decided to keep my weeks separated and so I am sharing Sunday in this spread.The weekend was full, Sunday in particular. We were at the beach and it has been so long since I have spent time there that I just wanted to experience everything. So I did starting with making waffles for the girls. It felt just like old times. I placed the extra photos from Sunday in a divided 6x12 page protector and I left the center pocket empty. I like the way it looks, number one, and I also was afraid to over-tax my printer. I may decide to add text to that section, but for now I am happy.This is the left page with the insert in front. Mark and I in the top section before heading off the beach Sunday evening, and in the bottom section Liv enjoying a s'more.

Monday's news. My new blue bike! Just love it! Just love a three day weekend!The right page with the insert shows the photos taken Sunday afternoon. The antique boat from the yard at The Seawife and Emma's and my legs on the dock during our "talk". It is just those moments that I want to remember; exploring someplace very familiar to me with my husband, as is the case with the boat and then, the special moments that I get to share with people that I love.This photo shows the insert lifted. I used a bit of ephemera this week, the cone cover from Ritas and the movie ticket stub that I used as a tab on Wednesday's journaling card. Many people do Project Life in different ways, but I find it very important, for me, to include the stories from each day. There is so much that I would love to take the time to scrapbook, but until I have the time, the stories are all stored here, in one place!

This week over at Ali Edwards blog, her Project Life Week 21 includes mostly photos. I love the way she added bits of type to the photos!

As usual, I am going to share my link over at The Mom Creative where Jessica discusses the dilemma of falling behind. Unlike myself, Jessica does tend to be a bit more creative and her pages are always worth waiting for. There are many other links already posted, lots of inspiration!

As always, if you are the least bit interested in Project Life, I urge you to check out Becky Higgins' site. I just love recording our family happenings this way. Takes the stress out of the process and allows me to go with the flow. Just love it!

Multi-Tasking

Mondays are my night off from training. I need a night of nothing much to do to recoup from Monday at work.

Tonight, I have spent most of my evening sewing, and that is just the way I like it!

I am nearing the end of my 30's Buck-a-Block quilt and I am loving the way it is turning out. The star block finishing is very striking. My recent success with half square triangles has prompted me to begin the process of finishing the 4 other buck-a-block quilts that I have in process.

Last night I organized the blocks that had been started and tonight I began the process of squaring up all of the half square triangles. I also began the process of fixing the issues I had with several of the blocks. This includes re-sewing some of the blocks so that the points will actually be pointy!

I have managed to put aside a little bit of time each evening to work on my quilting and that is paying off. I actually have a handle on these five quilts and I understand what needs to get done in order to finish them and that is a good thing.