The Bay- A Layout

Our local amusement park has a fun water area that is a favorite summer hangout.

 Supplies:
Paper: My Mind's Eye, Chatterbox, Bella Blvd.
Brads- My Mind's Eye
Fiskar's scissors
Alpha- Chatterbox
black Sharpie

Most supplies can be found at Scrap-tastic.

Sketch: Sketchy Thursdays (Feb 24)

Project 365: Week 30

Most of this past week is just not worth mentioning, much less photographing. It was rough, medically speaking. So let's just stick with Saturday, the only "keeper", and hope for better stuff all the way around this coming week!

Great day swimming with my college girlfriends and our families!

Project 365: Week 23

78 photos this week- now that's more like it! Summer has come immediately after winter here in Ohio, so you will notice a "water play" theme this week...

Sunday- water balloons and squirt guns in the front yard

Monday- playing in the sprinkler with their cousin

Tuesday- lovely sunset

Wednesday- wine tasting at Oakley Wines. Young Professionals for Autism event

Thursday- tiger lilies finally bloomed!

Friday- city splash pad

Sunday- Morgan and soccer coaches at the season-end awards ceremony

Water Babies

This summer was H-O-T. We spent a lot of time at Boomerang Bay, a local waterpark. I took tons of pictures over the summer!

I used circle stamps to carry over that theme, and to add interest behind the title.

Design elements are also a great place to incorporate extra journaling.

Products

Paper: Basic Grey and American Crafts

Alpha stickers: American Crafts

Stamps: Simply Circles by Stampin Up!

Ink: White and silver

Creative Memories custom cutting system

distress tool

Splashing Good Time- a Layout

I am finally getting to scrap a few of the hundreds of water pictures I took over the summer.

These were taken at a coworker's house. My oldest daughter (age 7) has a crush on

said coworker's boyfriend! She was delighted to go swimming with her handsome guy.

Papers, chipboard pieces, and title box all from Scrap-Tastic July kit.

Electric Blue Glimmer Mist- perfect for water pages!

The Happy Book Project

I have been lurking around Jamie Ridler Studios for a while now, and let me tell you, this lady is full of inspiration! I have joined up with her book club, The Next Chapter, and we are currently experiencing The Happy Book. I am coming in on the middle of the project, so from what I understand, we are going to take a page a week and use that to inspire us. The assignment for this coming week is to choose a personal mascot and take pictures of it everywhere we travel. Sounds like silly fun! I have already chosen my mascot (you'll have to wait to see!) and am thinking up creative photo ops.

For today, I will share what has been making me happy and joyful this week...our beautiful weather! After weeks of outrageous heat and humidity, we are finally blessed with blue skies and comfortable temperatures. I have loved sitting on my front porch in the evenings, watching people walk by and chatting with the hubs. I have slept better and had more energy. A trip to the park did not seem like torture. I am getting little sparks of excitement just thinking that fall really is around the corner! I hope things have been pleasant where you are!

Project 365: Days 199-205

This was a "beat the heat" week here at my house...

Day 199- curling up in front of the AC with a book

Day 200- campfire songs without the campfire. Morgan says she has a "very sing-able voice"

Day 201- just another day of laying around and doing kitty stuff

Day 202- pool party with my coworkers

Day 203- desperately trying to get our marigolds to bloom

Day 204- simple treats- ice cream at McDonalds

Day 205- I let the kids raid their piggy banks for quarters, then we killed some time in the (airconditioned) mall playing on the kiddie rides

How did you stay cool this week?

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Summer "Bucket List"

Someone please find Summer and tell it to come back! I know it's still July, but we just received the girls' school supply list today, and it was a shocking reminder at how quickly the summer is slipping away. As in summers past, I had a long list of things I wanted to do before school came around. Some of my wishes have been fulfilled this year, others are still waiting. How much can I squeeze into the next few weeks?

1. Go to Kings Island without the kids
2. make fresh lemonade
3. make smores in the backyard
4. go to an outdoor concert

5. yardsales!
6. eat watermellon
7. help the girls grow flowers from seeds
8. visit a farmer's market
9. light sparklers
10. go to a carnival or festival
11. catch fireflies
12. actually buy something from the ice cream truck
13. have a sleepover
14. watch the sun set with my husband
15. hang out at the old rootbeer stand

What do you still have to accomplish on your summer wish list? I'd love the hear your ideas!

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The Invasion Begins!

Every year my town hosts the National Hot Air Balloon Challenge. This evening the challenge took all the balloons directly over my house! One basket even scraped the tops of the trees in our backyard. The girls and I had a blast watching them.

This is the one that hit our trees! It was really cool seeing them so close.

My personal favorite, considering my line of work! I think this one is new this year.

The girls' fave. Also new to the Challenge this year.

We are heading to the actual festival tomorrow, so look for more pics soon!

My Stories of Summer

Ali Edwards has yet again found a simple and striking way to inspire the way we look at scrapbooking, story-telling, photos and life. Her Stories of Summer series kicks off this week with photos and thoughts behind summer memories.

This is what my summer looks like so far:

This is our first year with Kings Island season passes. A waterpark is attached to the main amusement park, and this is where we love to spend our time. Somehow, without a beach, lake or pool, my girls have become water babies. Sliding, splashing, floating...they can't get enough. And I can't get enough of watching them!