A vacation is a specific trip or journey, usually for the purpose of recreation or tourism. People often take a vacation during specific holiday observances, or for specific festivals or celebrations. Vacations are often spent with friends or family. 
 . . . and so this week we have celebrated a birthday, Joshua turned 5,

went to a baseball game and the highlight for the boys was getting their picture taken with the tiger,

spent some time everyday at the pool,

and today we went to the Tampa Lowry Park Zoo.

Even though it was 102 (who goes to the zoo when it's that hot out!?) we enjoyed seeing the 1,700 animals and covering 56 acres (and I really think we covered it ALL!).  There were so many unique opportunities if you were interested . . . feeding a giraffe, taking a ride on a camel, holding a lorikeet, feeling a stingray . . . and many more!  There were water-play areas for the kids and zoo rides (which the kids loved).

. . . and the winner of the seam binding ribbon is Scrappyjo! Send me your addy and I’ll get the ribbon out to you.

I can’t tell you how glad I am that I’m finished with school! I took my last two finals this week and now I can relax a little and maybe get some sewing and some paper crafting projects done. I have so many projects I would like to work on.  I am lucky enough to posses some valued family heirloom . . .  my grandmother's handmade linens (I would love to make curtains out of them), all those old photos (that need scrapped), and even my father's football sweater.  These items have been handed down from generation to generation and are cherished by each new recipient.  Family treasures come in all shapes and sizes.  The simplest object can hold the memories of generations past.  Each old photograph that I have acts like a window into my family's past.  That's why I'm an advid scrapbooker, working to capture those precious memories.  I'm really preserving the present for the future and the past for the present.

I have managed to squeeze in a little scrappy time this week and completed the layout sketch and the card sketch challenge at My Sketch World.

Letter to my grandson

Colton,


I just can’t believe you have graduated! As you start this new journey in your life I know you will continue to be kind, funny, wise, sensitive and interesting.
I want to wish you many wonderful happy days. Keep in mind you are going to have some rough ones too . . . they are important so you can appreciate the good ones. You will have disappointments; I know you will be able to handle them. You know life is 10% of what happens and 90% is how you handle it.
I pray you will be successful. Successful does not mean owning a mansion on a hill, being able to buy the latest and greatest or being famous. The definition of successful is; coming about, taking place, or turning out to be as hoped for. I think successful is the opposite of failure. It means never compromising your integrity while living the life you want.
Be assertive in a positive way. Know what you want and go after it. Doing a hard days work will always make you feel better. Working is more than doing something to make money. Your work is an important part of who you are. It’s where you will invest a great deal of your time. Your work should call to you. It should be something you want to do. Your work should allow you to make a statement about who you are and what you want to say. Love what you do and do what you love.
Always let an outsider feel inside, and always be kind. Many people will forget your name but few people will forget your kindness.
Life is one big learning experience where you are constantly making and remaking yourself with every decision you make.
Please learn about the “God Stuff”, it really does work, trust me.

Love,

Grandma

Teacher/Bus Driver gifts

It’s that time of the year . . . coming up with unique and creative ideas for teachers gifts that won’t cost an arm and a leg (especially when you have 6 teachers to get something for and don’t forget the bus driver). That end of the year gift is a thoughtful way to let you child’s teacher(s) and bus driver know how much she/he is appreciated.


Yesterday I made up 7 bottles for my grandsons to give their teachers and their bus driver. These were super easy to make using scraps from scrapbooking projects and Starbucks bottles.

Ribbon Tutorial and Giveaway

Every once in awhile a new tool, product or trend will appear in the scrapbooking world and I will become obsessed with it. These obsessions last for awhile and then I move on to a new one. These obsessions (in a good way) are little things to rev me up.

My new favorite is seam binding ribbon - loving it! I use ribbon on layouts and cards but I’m not a bow maker by any means. I’ve discovered that this crinkled ribbon is forgiving . . . There is no messing it up!
It's so easy to make . . . you only need 4 things.

What you’ll need:
Spray bottle of water
Glimmer Mist
Seam binding
Heat tool

Spray the binding with water and then scrunch the binding together.

Then spray with Glimmer Mist - I used English Ivy. Scrunch the binding together again.

Keep scrunching and dry with your heat tool.

Note: Wrights seam binding will not work. I used Hug Snug from ZipperStop.



Leave a comment and become a follower and on June 9th I’ll pick a winner to receive 3 yards each of the following colors of ribbon.

English Ivy
Antique Brass
Candy Apple Red and
Black Cherry

Projects I've used seam binding ribbon on:

Well after a long gray winter it’s finally starting to look like spring here in Ohio. The flowers are starting to bloom and I’ve even heard birds singing.

A spring tradition at our house is spring cleaning. I know . . . a little weird, but I love to clean and organize things. I’ve actually been accused of being a clean freak!? I don’t know about you but spring cleaning makes me feel energized! Spring is a time of fresh starts, a time to move furniture, clean windows, wash walls and vacuum baseboards . . . all to welcome the return of sunshine and warm weather . . . which I might add is long over due! By the time I’m done our house will be refreshed, renewed and more organized and so will I.



I used the May15th sketch from My Sketch World to complete this layout of Elisha.

Even had enough time to work on a few more challenges for the Crop at My Sketch World.

The Button Challenge:
I covered the buttons with rub-ons.

Card Image Challenge:

I love all things vintage and especially these vintage images.

Life Lessons I have learned throughout my life:


We should be glad that God doesn’t give us everything we ask for.
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see completely different things.
The more you know, the more you know you don’t know!
If I don’t do it today, it’ll still be there tomorrow.
Just because someone asks me a question, doesn’t mean I owe them an answer.
Simple and few is better than complicated and many.



My Sketch World is hosting a National Scrapbooking Day Crop from May 7th - May 14th.

Lot’s of fun games and challenges in the forums.



I completed this layout for the Boy/Girl Challenge:

This layout was for Nick’s Magic 5 Challenge:
( 5 photos, 5 pieces of pp, 5 tickets, 5 chipboard buttons and 5 banner pieces)

Here's my take on the April 15th sketch at MSW:

Weekend card making:

Katie's Polka Dots R Pretty Challenge at My Sketch World.

4/5 Sketch Challenge at A Walk Down Memory Lane.

. . . and one inspired by Julia Stainton in Paper Crafts Magazine.





What is Altered Art?

For me it means the transformation or “alteration” of ordinary, everyday objects into artistic pieces using, fabric, paper, paint, ink, vintage treasures and hand made embellishments.
Altered art has a certain look or style . . . old and faded, vintage, antique, worn and distressed.

When I found these 7 Gypsies book covers I knew just what I wanted to do with them. I LOVE making altered journals! I made this one for a friend to give to her daughter for her sixteenth birthday. There are lots of pages for her to record her feelings and pockets and envelopes for her to hide her secrets.

Here are a few pages from the journal.

 

 

 

 

 

The April 1st sketch is up at My Sketch World . . . and I was inspired to be a little creative and completed a layout that I’m actually going to send to Air Tran Airways. Randy took the picture of the suitcases left out on the tarmac one time when we were flying (thank goodness it was not our luggage). I had him snap the photo because I just new it would come in handy someday. Although the stranded luggage has nothing to do with my ticket situation . . . I’m sure they’ll get the picture and the point of my negative publicity.


I sent the following letter to Air Tran and they did respond within 2 weeks. Their response was not what I was hoping for. They basically told me that since I did not use the ticket it was their’s to resell.

So I’m using my creativity to vent!

March 6, 2011

AirTran Airways
Customer Relations
Dept. INT
9955 AirTran Boulevard
Orlando, FL 32827


To Whom It May Concern:

We purchased round trip tickets on November 29, 2010 from Columbus, Ohio to Orlando Florida, leaving on February 23rd and returning on February 28th. Because of a work conflict I had to purchase another ticket and fly back to Columbus on the 27th while my husband flew back on the 28th.

While at the Orlando airport my husband heard an announcement that stated that the flight was overbooked and that if anyone was willing to give up their seat they would be given two round trip tickets to anywhere Air Tran flew along with a hotel voucher and a food voucher. My husband approached the counter and explained that he had my ticket that was not being used and that he was interested in the deal. The Air Tran employee stated that if I was not using the ticket it was available for them to use with no compensation to me.

Since I paid for the ticket I feel like I owed the ticket . . . being used our not. I feel that I should be compensated for the price of the ticket which was $79.00 plus fees.

If I would have been on that flight and given up my seat Air Tran would have been willing to pay more than that for their error of overbooking the flight.

I am requesting a refund for the ticket in the amount of $79.00 and fees.

Thank you for taking my request into consideration and avoiding any negative publicity. I prompt response will be appreciated.


Sincerely,



Joan Borgelt