Babsarella's Pocketful of Sunshine

Lately...

It's been a while since I posted, but all is well and we are just keeping busy. Not a lot of arty stuff going on, however I am working on some holiday tags. We also took a brief vacation last week to Orlando and enjoyed some time at Universal Studios. Some of us rode on scary water rides while the other one (me) took photos. We were hoping to spend a bit more time at the pool, but the weather was not very cooperative. Still was a fun time though.
Also wanted to share a cute photo I recently took of The Furry B. Love the little tongue peeking out.
Been seeing some gorgeous sunrises lately and wanted to give you a glimpse of what I see in the back yard. Makes getting up early a little less painful.
Wishing you a terrific Thursday!

Boston Vacation Part 1...

"Boston Vacation #1"

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Vacation Getaway...

 
 
 
 

We took our vacation last week and headed to Boston and Martha's Vineyard. I'm still editing photos, but wanted to share a few of my favorites so far. Hope to post a slide show in the near future.

We got quite lucky and had some cooler temps during our visit. It was really lovely and thankfully not the sweltering weather they had the week before.

While we were there, I documented our trip (writing and printing photos with my POGO printer) in a little travel journal I created before we left. I used old book covers and various papers to create the book. I'm still working on it, adding more photos and a few finishing touches. Once it is complete, I'll take a few photos and post them as well.

So this week we are back to work, and Miss B is getting all prepared to leave for college. It will be here before we know it. The furry B finished her last round of antibiotics (again), and the vet finally gave her a clean bill of health. Not sure if I mentioned it, but we had switched dog food (based on the vet's suggestion) to try and prevent urinary issues, and it caused a LOT more problems. We are back on the Hill's R/D again, and EVERYONE is much happier.  :0)  

I was thrilled to find a new duck egg earlier this week (in the same spot behind the gardenia bush next to the house). Then the next day we had a second one. By the third day, they were gone, but I finally found the culprit. Seems there is an opossum that is eating them. Not sure what I can do to prevent it, but at least now I know what type of critter is skulking around my yard.

I'm excited to be taking a class this weekend at The Stamp Shack warehouse. Even though the store closed, Lynn is still offering classes in the storage warehouse where she keeps some of her things. This weekend, our class is being taught by the talented Margarita, who also taught previously at the store. I'm looking forward to learning some new techniques and getting that creative muse going again.

Guess you are all caught up...hope you had a great week and you can find a way to escape the heat this weekend.

Getting Ready...

 

We left last Wednesday afternoon (a bit later than I had hoped) and headed north on a little trip. This was the amazing sunset we saw as we headed up the turnpike. So, where did we go???

 

To take Miss B to her UF Preview session. It was quite the whirlwind with lots and lots of info. We went to the parent sessions, while she attended the student sessions. One of the things we learned is that they really want the students responsible for everything. In other words, "Parents back off". That is going to be a challenge. I don't want to run things, but I like being able to look over her shoulder to make sure things are taken care of.  Especially when it comes to dealing with all the financial stuff. But, it will certainly be a good learning experience (for all of us). It was great to speak with other parents, as well as students to gain some helpful hints and tips. We were also amazed at all the clubs and activities the university has to offer. And most everything is free for the students. Miss B also got to spend time with a few of her friends who are doing summer classes, and even attended a fun event (also known as a party). She was happy to head home with her fall schedule (with no Friday classes), as well as a new Mac (required for her major). Oh, and I learned that Gators never tire of saying "Go Gators". LOL

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Belated Anniversary Wishes and Our Trip to Indy and Ohio...

Wanted to share a little anniversary card I made for my BIL and SIL for their recent anniversary last week...

  Happy 30th anniversary...hope the next 30 will be even better!! (Got a chance to try some of the Tim Holtz texture fades on this one).

We had a great time on our recent vacation to Indiana and Ohio. I couldn't believe all the gorgeous flowers, beautiful butterflies, and bumble bees I saw!

  
We saw a bit of old and new...

 
Beautiful homes, unlike the type you see in South FL with so much character and detail...

Dilapidated barns and lots and lots of corn...

Miss B made a new friend...

They shared fun conversations and anti-bacterial lotion...

How could you not fall in love this with adorable bundle of energy???

 
Speaking of friends, I got a chance to spend the day with my online friend Candy, that I've know for years, but had never met face to face. Turns out she only lives about 20 minutes from my SIL/BIL. We spent the day shopping in scrapbook and rubber stamp stores...

We got a chance to have a lovely dinner picnic with our friends in Indy...

And enjoy an outdoor concert featuring John Denver music...

We spent time with family...

while Miss B attended a journalism program at IU...

She had a fun time, a terrific roommate, and even won a $500 scholarship to IU!

After picking her up, they dropped me at the airport (where we met one of my quilting buddies (who is a snowbird) for lunch), and I headed home to a big work weekend, while Mr. Mark and Miss B went back to Ohio for a few more days.

We did a lot of driving, but had a great time with family and friends.

Savannah Slide Show...

Just a quick post to share some of the photos I took on the Savannah portion of our trip. Although it was HOT HOT HOT, Savannah is a terrific city full of history, interesting architecture, and great restaurants! Enjoy...

"Savannah June 2010"

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Photos from Texas and a few films...

I finally got a chance to unload and edit my photos from vacation and wanted to share a few with you. Austin was a lovely city and we were quite impressed with the UT campus. You can tell they use that big endowment to keep the campus in tip-top shape.

The first stop on our tour was to see Bevo.

You have a wonderful view of the capitol from campus since it is only a few blocks away.

The buildings on campus are beautifully maintained.

 
 I loved the details on this building.

I loved the beautiful pink flowers we saw all over campus.

Across from campus was a lot of different street art among the shops.

I think I remembered the street art in the photo below from a movie. Maybe Whip It???

The athletic areas were quite impressive as well. I think there are only about 3 or 4 other college stadiums that are bigger than the one at UT.

On the drive to and from Dallas, one of the things I loved was the pretty bluebell flowers all along the highway. Of course, I made Mr. Mark pull over so I could take a few photos.

Hope you enjoyed my little snippet of our time in Texas. I've spent the last week trying to catch up and have had very little time to get creative, but hopefully I'll find some time this week.

I did manage to catch a few films from Netflix that I wanted to share. Although I can't really say I like either one very much. First up was Law Abiding Citizen. This film was interesting enough, but there were some truly brutal parts that I wasn't sure I could even stomach. In addition to this, I saw Brothers. The story line was sad and there was one scene that was particularly difficult to watch. Again, just not really my type of film.

Wishing you a wonderful week...catch ya soon...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Time In...

 
We took a little time away and headed west to Texas for a Spring vacation. It was nice to visit with family in Dallas, and we also took a few days to drive down to Austin and visit the University of Texas. The school was quite impressive!

Before we left, I created a quick journal to document the trip, using grungeboard, 7 Gypsies covers, lots of patterned papers, and the Zutter binding machine.

The week went by in a flash, and I found plenty to photograph and write about to fill up the book. Just have a few last more notes to add, and it will be complete. I was too busy playing trivia on the plane to finish it up on the way home.

 Now it's back to reality...and unpacking...and laundry...

Happy Monday!

Antiquing with Catherine...

Last Friday I left work for Orlando,where I picked up Catherine Moore for a girls weekend of antiquing in Mt. Dora. Catherine and I have been friends for years, so it was a thrill to finally get a chance to meet face to face!

Although we were looking for similar things, we found that we worked well at spotting things for each other. 

We could not have asked for better weather, and we found many cool things to purchase.

We also found many cool things that we didn't purchase...just so you know we didn't buy out the show!

Love the sewing machine below. According to the seller, it was a working machine. It reminded me of one I used to own.

I got Catherine to strike a pose at the end of a long day. Our feet were tired, but it was a super fun day and we had a terrific time!!!

 

Can't wait to do it again...and bummed that the next show is not until November.
  

 
 
 
 
 

 

A New Project, Weekend highlights, and New York notes...

Here is another little project I did a week or so ago. I used the same Tim Holtz products as in the previous charms I made, but this time I tried one of the little plastic windows.

They are fun to use, but there are a few tricks. Since they are much thinner than glass, you will need to add some additional bulk to get the correct thickness to fit in the frame. I used a few pieces of old cardboard cut the the right shape and it worked great. If you are using the metal corners as a roof, the bubble part will prevent the corner from going down as a far as it would without the frame. It will still fit (although some shapes work better than others), but just not as well as it would with a glass front. If you plan to fill it with glass glitter, regular grade works much much better than superfine. The superfine glitter wants to stick to the plastic (as you can see from the photo).

I made a few more of these, so I'll share them soon.

The weekend went by in a flash, although we had no big plans. Spent most of the time straightening up the house and running errands. Unfortunately the miata decided to break again, so I had to have it towed home on Saturday, then into the mechanic this morning. Thankfully it broke in a parking lot during the day, in a safe area. The weather was ok with no rain and because it was overcast, it was not too hot. Since I always keep magazines in the car, I even had reading material to keep me from being bored. Especially since I had to wait for a 2nd tow truck driver because the first one didn't know how to deal with the car. It seems there is never a dull moment with an almost 20 year old car!

Just wanted to share a few tid-bits about our trip to NY last weekend. The main focus of the trip was for Miss B to check out Hofstra University. We had a beautiful day for the tour and we really liked the school and the campus. Unfortunately, being a private school, the cost is a bit steep, and Miss B knows that in order to attend, she will have to get a really good scholarship. In addition to our tour, we celebrated Miss B's birthday that Friday with a stop at the Today show (we got on TV during the Hoda and Kathie Lee part), visited MOMA and saw the super cool Tim Burton exhibit, Hit the store H & M, a quick look-see at The Plaza hotel, dinner at Sarabeth's, a carriage ride through Central Park, and a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. On Sunday, we hit Greenwich Village and saw some of NYU, and then did a bit more shopping. Sunday evening we saw the show Rock of Ages, which was a love story set to 80's music. It was terrific and lots of fun. Of course the traveling was a big fat pain. I got hassled about my roll-on bag (that I've used for years and never had an issue with). On the way out, the TSA lady made me go back to the counter to check it in. GRRRR. Then, coming home Mr. Mark went past the gate agent with his rolling duffel, then Miss B went thru with the EXACT SAME rolling duffel, except the gate agent told her the bag would have to be checked. I complained (since Mark had already gone thru) and told her Miss B could remove the coat she had put inside if that made a difference. She finally relented and let us go, telling us it would be up to the flight attendants. GRRRR. Makes me never want to get on a plane. At least now I know, I need to purchase a bigger suitcase for checking, because if I have to pay $20-25 to check it, I want as much space as I can get! Oh well, I guess it could have been worse.

Happy Monday!