Running With Scissors...

Strawberries ‘n Stuff

 

My days have been so full of summertime activities I don’t know how I find time to stamp at all, yet here I am again with more.  This time it’s Power Poppy’s Juicy Strawberries digi.  I sure did figure I’d be using gingham with this image, but I had this strawberry paper. . .

 

 

So I made a frame and added a little something in the corner.

 

 

I’m not quite crazy about the arrangement of the corner elements, but I wanted them all on there and after fussing over it too long I decided to just let it go.  I used the following Copics for coloring:

 

 

Speaking of those summertime activities, here I am looking like a farm girl, but it coordinates somewhat with the strawberries, don’t you think?  Maybe not as cute.  Actually, we were having a doggie/picnic day at the river and it’s not a place for make up and fashion statements.  That’s LuLu with me, by the way, and she always looks cute as far as I’m concerned.

 

 

Might as well include this garden color spot with some perennials coming along in pots.  I’ve run out of space in the garden beds, but for the time being I’m still able to tuck a pot in here and there.

 

 

Okay. . . back to the card.  I love the sentiments that come with the Juicy Strawberries digi set so I used the second one inside:

 

 

Since I made this card with a purpose and, in fact, it’s already on its way to a friend, I’m going to link again to Power Poppy’s Happy Mail Challenge.

 

That’s it for today.  Squooshy hugs from me to you!

 

Stamps:  Power Poppy Juicy Strawberries digi set  Paper:  X-Press It Blending Card (for colored image), Neenah Classic Crest Solar White (punched flowers, tag, inside), dark green Bazzill textured, SU! Garden Green, Crate Paper Pretty Party designer paper  Ink:  Printer, Memento Tuxedo Black, Copics as pictured above  Accessories:  Stickles Stardust Glitter, flower punch, Scotch brand foam mounting tape  Dies:  Memory Box Oval Master Frame, Poppystamps Stitched Mainstreet Tags, Impression Obsession Large Bow, Paper Smooches Foliage 1, Impression Obsession Leaf Cluster, Memory Box Groundskeeper Tools

A Whole Lot of Green!

 

Honestly, I will get back to stamping soon, but thought I’d invite you in, once again, to share some of the doin’s that keep us so busy around here.  Rich is glad to have the June hedge trimming behind him now.

 

 

This is the street side before trimming.  Yes, it’s long, and I’m sure it seems infinite at the start of the job.

 

 

But that’s not all.  Pictured below is the side that separates our driveway from the one next door.  Rich trims their side, too, because it’s our hedge.

 

 

Somehow he stays good natured throughout the whole ordeal.  Here’s Wally helping to keep his spirits up.

 

 

The trimmings are hauled to “The Pile” – over the bank to compost.  When we first moved here The Pile was actually a gully.

 

 

Here’s our big puppy, Wally, looking happy, as always.

 

 

Aren’t they helpful?

 

 

Time to take a rest in the shade.  Whew, they’re exhausted from all that helpfulness!

 

 

Come October it will be time to do it all over again, but in the meantime there’s still plenty to do.  It’s a good thing we enjoy being outside.  There are few things I enjoy more than gardening, but when it comes to hedge trimming I’m just a watcher.  Rich will keep doing it as long as he’s able.  I hope you’re enjoying your springtime, however you like to spend your days.  Take care!

 

Golden Things

 

LuLu wanted me to share this picture of her with the pretty stick she found.  She brought it all the way into the house to show me, and then picked up the rope, as well, on her way out.  She’s so proud of her sticks.  Gee, I wonder if it has anything to do with the big deal we make over how pretty they are.  This one was really special with all the “decorations” hanging off of it and everything.  It came out of the gutter when Rich was cleaning them and LuLu was quick to claim it as her own.

 

 

Not to be out-cuted, Wally had to grab the first thing he could find that we would fuss over, too.  Ever since he learned to fetch shoes he’s certain we’ll always be glad to have them.  And we are.  Wouldn’t dream of telling him we don’t need them right now.

 

 

Of course, shoes are good for this, as well:

 

 

I also wanted to share this rose because it’s such a ray of sunshine:

 

 

It’s my only rose.  I don’t do well with them because of the deer and disease and bugs.  Don’t like to spray because of the dogs.  Can’t use certain products because it’s in a pot on the deck.  This one has been sprayed with something organic, but the foliage is still turning with fungus or whatever that stuff is.  Beautiful blooms, though, and very long stems.  My son gave it to me for Mother’s Day last year.  I’ll continue to work with it because it’s special.

 

Wishing you a happy weekend!

 

Saturday Smiles

 

Hello!  So happy to see you!  That’s Wally smiling on the right, and LuLu on the left.

 

 

Happy play time below.  LuLu’s trying to engage Wally in a tug ‘o war with a raggedy old towel.

 

 

Here’s a friendly face on the garden steps.

 

 

Spring color is always something to smile about.

 

 

Okay, so maybe a deer nibbling the smoke tree isn’t something to smile about, but, in fact, this teenage buck didn’t eat the smoke tree.  He tasted, but didn’t bite.  He walked up to the daisies and turned his nose up at them, too.  That’s good to know.  Mom and young fawn were browsing another part of the garden.  When they got interested in my hydrangeas and azaleas I politely asked them to leave and they obliged.  I don’t like to run out there raising a ruckus to chase them off as I’m afraid they’ll dart out into the street with unpleasant consequences.  We’re on the edge of a wooded area and I would just as soon they slip back under cover and live to nibble another day.

 

 

There are many works in progress in the garden this month.  I haven’t planted the annual pots yet, but the decks have been refinished and I’ve done some perennial planting and transplanting.  I love spring!  Have a happy day!

 

March Calendar Photo

 

It’s hard to believe we’re into the third month of the new year already.  We’ve turned the page on our Wally and LuLu calendar, and this is what we’ll be looking at this month:

 

 

I’ve shared this picture before.  It inspired Rich’s Father’s Day card last year:

 

 

Have a great day!

 

February Calendar Photo

 

We turned the calendar page to February yesterday so today I’m sharing what’s on the wall this month.

 

 

There they are all wet again and having a fabulous winter day in the Great Outdoors.  Lots of room to run and swim, and not another soul in sight.  Yes, I made them sit still for the photo.  Good doggies!  Have a wonderful day!

 

Winter Sightings

 

During a recent break in the weather we took Wally and LuLu out for a good run in the sand dunes.  The winter lakes are full with all the rain we’ve had, and Wally and LuLu do love the water.  When we stopped for a picnic in the scrubby pine woods I thought I would try to get some January pictures for next year’s calendar possibilities.  I’d rather have candid shots, but that’s unreliable, so I posed them in a spot I liked.  Too bad they’re looking away, but it’s still nice, and the photos always look better printed in 12” x 12”.

 

 

LuLu’s being a little lady in the photo below, sitting pretty in a froth of lichen.

 

 

The weatherman predicted pm rain so we timed our outing carefully.  By late afternoon it looked more like twilight and a rising moon, and we still had a long trek back to the car.  That’s actually the sun in the photo.

 

 

Back home in the garden a couple of days earlier the robins were enjoying the bird bath.  I’d moved it out to clean it, but I rather like the moss.  It appears he spotted me and is pretending to be a garden ornament.

 

 

The photo below was taken January 2.  Looks like nature is making like a Valentine.

 

 

Just a little this and that, getting out when we can and enjoying life.  Wishing you a happy day!

 

The Yearly Photo Projects

 

It’s the time of year when I begin the all-consuming process of sorting through 12 months of photos to make selections for our yearly photo book as well as for our Wally and LuLu calendar.  I haven’t made any decisions yet, but I like this one of Wally in April with the English Daisies sprinkled through the spring-green grass behind him.  It might be calendar worthy, so I’ve cropped it square to fit the 12 x 12 page format.

 

 

The next is LuLu.  Not sure about calendar quality, but it will make the photo album.

 

 

And this one is just for fun.  It will probably be in the book because it is so representative of daily life with The Millers.  Wally and LuLu get a teensy treat every time they get in the back of the truck.  Don’t know why we started that, but they sure look forward to it.  They’re so easy to please.

 

 

I hope you enjoyed.  Wally and LuLu always make me smile!  Hugs to all!

 

Look Who’s Four!

 

Our sweet LuLu turned four years old on Saturday, the 12th, and here she is with her new/old purse – a gift from a friend.

 

 

You see, LuLu always loved to carry my purse for me when I came home from work, and when it became old and worn I gave it to her for her very own.  She was beside herself with the pride and joy of it.  She carried it with her everywhere.  From one room to the next.  She greeted people at the door with it.  I can’t even begin to tell you how adorable it was.

 

Wally respected the fact that it was LuLu’s purse, until one day when we were all outside in the yard he slipped into the house and came out with LuLu’s purse.  Well, we all know boys don’t know how to act with purses and he got a little silly with it, prancing around and showing off.  Oh, boy. . . LuLu would have none of that!  MY purse!  Give it BACK!  Next thing you know it turned into the best tug of war EVER and there was not much left of the purse at the end of it.

 

LuLu still carried the sorry, unrecognizable tatters around, but it was a sad, sad sight, indeed.  Now she has a new purse and, really, isn’t this animal print just perfect for her?

 

 

I thought she might like to carry some toys in her purse, but she promptly removed them.  I mean, who carries toys in their purse?  Maybe I’ll give her my old wallet one of these days.

 

Happy birthday, LuLu!

 

A Bomb Went Off???

 

A mega-stamping day for me is three cards and that’s what I did Saturday.  Afterward it looked like a bomb went off.  Keep in mind this is not a 360 degree view.  The actual sensation of standing in the middle of it is much worse than it appears here.

 

 

My stamping days are never entirely stamping days, though.  There’s still morning bouncy ball. . .

 

 

And after dinner sniffy walk. . .

 

 

And the usual laundry, cooking, and kitchen clean up to contend with.  I had to walk away from the stamp room mess, being plum out of time near the end of the day, but I would do a thorough cleaning and tidying on Sunday.  Oh, my word, what a chore!  I didn’t finish it in one day, but at least I can tolerate the sight of The Stamping Command Center now.

 

 

A complete room re-do is on the list, but so are a lot of other things.  I’ll just chip away at it.  Thanks for dropping in!