Ode to Reader's Digest...

NO yawning please....I know for some when Reader's Digest is brought up there is a sort of stigma attached....(oh yeah those collections of short stories and jokes found in many a cardboard box at estate sales etc.) Every person over the age of 60 has at least one of these lying around. Raise your hand grandma! You can't usually give them away much less sale them (just about as bad as those darn Harlequin romances). No thrifting thrill there....right? WELL........insert GASP..I like them. You know why? The covers! Some of them have the most gorgeous covers. I wish I had some of these in scrapbook papers. Soooo fun and bright! I even found one with birds and flowers on them. There really is a lovely graphic quality to them. Great to perch your fave rooster on to...if you like them! HEY and some of the stories ain't half bad either. Maybe.....Grandma was right after all!

Happppppppppppppy Easter Alllllllllllll! Cherry

Given my mantle some love.....

AND again playing with the camara, this time on my night dial. I am very guilty of negligence..when it comes to my mantle. I shudder to think..dare I admit.... that it had become a catch all of sorts. I had always wanted a fireplace...envisioning it all lighted up with a merry fire. Listening to the crackling music that wood makes. Unfortunately we went practical and got gas. There is no tactile sense with gas. This I miss. Such is with romantic notions. Not to mention it didn't turn out the way we wanted when we built it. I had wanted a mix of rustic (cultured stone) with a more traditional but simple white mantel. I have seen many like this in magazines. This one just didn't quite end up right. Alas the white elephant in the room. Sooo the poor thing as been forgotten. I figure ignoring it didn't really fix the problem. It never does when it comes to white elephants. I gave it some love last night. Added some of my fave books..etc. Now have I totally embraced it? NO.....as you have noticed there are no pics of the fireplace as a whole. Once I give the rock some love than maybe I can share. Till then at least the mantle is not the home to hubs school books anymore. Enuffff said.

Playing around with camara

.......and boy do I have a lot to learn! I turned my flash off. Only a couple came out acceptable. Last one I took is with flash. Have to read up in my manual..yet again. I wanted to share my little birds. These had been a gift to my parents on the event of their marriage. They were given by my now deceased adoptive grand-parents...Hazel and John. They meant the world to me...they were the sweetest old couple. She was plump and short and he was tall and skinny. When I was just a wee one Johnny would walk me down to our local post-office to get the mail. It was a site to see such a tall man and such a short little girl holding hands. One day I accidentally drew on one of their walls next to their bedroom...doing what toddlers do best. Johnny would not hear of cleaning it off the walls. He said it was art & was proud of my doodles. I will never forget them. They don't make them like that anymore! So it was just yesterday my Mom gave me the birds. I was sooo delighted! One has been broke and reglued but I will treasure them just the same! Thanks for letting me share in my memories! Happy Day! Cherry

More of the Same..

Hello! I wanted to share a few more layouts with anyone interested. I also wanted to share a new online scrapbooking store that I found. I ordered a bunch of scrapbooking supplies from it....of course! Jill is the owner of Memorable Seasons and has a wonderful selection of paper and embellies. She is a lovely lady and sent me a little something extra. She has some good deals so check her out sometime! http://www.memorableseasons.com/store/home.php?xid=d91ae3bb9ccde16125146e95b70ee25a I have fallen in love with October Afternoon's line of papers and diecuts. I used them of course on my two fave people..my dh and son. One line of papers I am looking forward too is "Pink Paislee". I have seen some of it and it is adorable.

Some Scrapbooking Fun....

I have never shared any of my LO's before....kinda a private thing...but I thought what the hay! Scrapbooking....is such an outlet for me. It is constantly changing and such stimulation creatively. I don't think I have ever had a craft challenge me as much! I love pictures and am lucky enough to have many of my families pictures from wayyyyyy back. Can you think of a better way to leave behind something to your children? Giving them a glimpse into the past and the way things were. As close to time travel as you are gonna get!

I have always loved papers, stationary, etc. I remember getting so excited one Christmas because my Mother had special ordered some stationary and pads with my name on it! Have you ever seen Cherry on anything? NOPE. I still have one paper pad with my name on it. I loved paperdolls and those little villages you carefully cut out and created. I really think the skys the limit when it comes to creating with paper. Anyways.. enough of my love affair with paper. Above are a few layouts I did last night while watching the new Jane Austin movie. xoox, cherry