Wicked Tickekts and lazy Saturday

Today was a nontypical Saturday for Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa left home to go stand in line this morning around 6:30 to get us tickets for Wicked. I stayed home doing laundry and downloading and tagging some new scrapbook purchases from Crystal Wilkerson Grandpa came home and watched some TV and, are you sitting down, I fixed lunch. Cooking on Saturday almost never happens in this household. After lunch we took a nap. I didn't leave the house until after 5 today and that was to go to Costco to pick up some 365 pages I had printed.

I did finish Mia's and Luke's soccer pages:

Visit with Jaren

Grampa and I visited Jaren and his parents tonight since we haven't seen them in over a week. As soon as he saw me, he crawled over and pulled himself up on my leg and gave me a big kiss. He spent a lot of time walking between everyone. There was one unfortunate incident--he was standing at the TV playing and fell, hitting his head right above his eye HARD on the glass shelf. He cried hard for a minute and then got up and went back to playing.

Wow, I'm leigh out of the day at Scrapable.net

Uploaded a couple lei-outs at Scrapable last night. I am participating in Scrapable's first ever Swim School, where I get assignments each week and learn lots of new tricks as we swim through these lessons. I was so surprised this morning when I woke up and saw the following message in the forums:

Congrats to QueenShakeNBake for LOTD, Spring.
This lei-out catched my eyes when I made my round through the gallery.
I love this colors, which shows me happiness and gives me a summer feeling. I also like to see a photo different from the family-fotos which we see mostly.



The other lesson this week was to scraplift one of several lei-outs the swim instructors and lifeguards had chosen. I chose to scraplift Digi-Chick Linda's fabulous lei-out

Linda's lei-out.

My lei-out.

Iowa State Fair

The Iowa State Fair currently does not have a category for digital scrapbooking. But the "scrapbooking" category does not specifically preclude digital scrapbook pages, so several digi scrappers I know and myself are going to enter some layouts. The deadline for entries is July 1, 2009. I've chosen five layouts to enter and have sent them to Costco for printing. I may submit a couple more. I need to look at the premium book a little closer. Perhaps next year they will include a category just for digi scrappers.

Click HERE for Contest Information (PDF)

Click HERE for Entry Form (PDF)

Iowa State Fair
P.O. Box 57130
Des Moines, IA 50317
515.262.3111 ext. 242
Fax: 515.280.4841

Thank you Denise from "Time to Scrap" for finding this information.

Here's one of the layouts I'm planning on entering:

Luke doing his form

This kid is such a hoot. I wish I had had my video camera to capture his "form."

Same photo, two different lay outs

I've been playing around with two photos of Mia I took at a soccer game when she was upset with her Momma. I did two completely different style layouts with the photos. Can't believe the difference in the two. One is kind of sweet and the other is grungey. I personally think I like the grungey one better. What do you think?

Supplies used were:

1. Nicole Young's "Retro Jive Girl"
2. Robin Gough's "Urban Myths" kit

Both kits are available at Digital Scrapbook Place.

Happy Belated Birthday Jeremy

Yesterday was Jeremy's 30th birthday. Thirty years ago yesterday Roger and I welcomed a son to our family. Thirty years ago yesterday Carrie was brought to Lutheran Hospital by Grandma and Grandpa Loghry with a stuffed baby that played a lullabye to give to her new baby brother. Thirty years ago yesterday our family was complete. Love you Jeremy. Here's to many more.

Jeremy's lovely wife planned quite a birthday celebration for him, covering several days. On his actual birthday she got family and friends together for dinner at Macaroni Grille, followed by bowling. Then she is taking her two men (Jeremy and Jaren) to Wrigley Field for Jaren and Jeremy's first Chicago Cubs game and dinner at Rainforest Cafe.

Home Sweet Home

My hotel room. Had plenty of pillows.

Dinner at Buca's.


The limo that brought me to the hotel--me and only me.
I finally made it home tonight. Had to really book it to make my connecting flight in Minneapolis. The plane landed in Minneapolis with 25 minutes until my Des Moines flight started boarding. I was, however, in the last row of the plane so the last one off. I got to my gate as they were boarding first class. Good to be home and see Roger. Can't wait to see the grand children tomorrow night at Jeremy's birthday. Sorry Jeremy and Sarah about not getting home in time to watch Jaren.

All in all, the trip was good and I'm coming back with some good ideas and things to think about.

Indianapolis

Another night in Indianapolis. At least tonight I didn't have to eat microwave popcorn for dinner. Our group (16 of us) took the hotel shuttle to Buca for dinner. No one in my group had ever eaten there before so I had to explain to them about family-style dining. We were seated at the Pope's table and I sat next to the "Pope." When I received my bill I was surprised at the total--only $13 something (I had two glasses of Merlot). It was only after I got back to the hotel I realized I only paid for two merlots. Oh well.

I was going to share some pictures from dinner but can't get my computer to read my memory stick tonight (it worked fine last night).

See everyone tomorrow night.

What has happened to free WI-FI?

I'm sitting in the lobby of a Hilton Hotel in Indianapolis because they want to charge me $9.95 per day for wi-fi access in my room. Des Moines International Airport also wanted to charge for Wi-Fi. What happened to free WI-FI?

Did this layout while waiting for my flight to take off from Des Moines yesterday using Nicole Young's "GiggleLand Kit." I love this kit.


My ride from the airport to the hotel was in a limo--my first limo ride with no one to share it with. I'll post pictures soon.

Creating More Realistic Drop Shadows

Just saw this awesome video on Adobe's site on Creating More Realistic Drop Shadows in Photoshop. The video was done by Matt Kloskowski. You got to check it out.

http://www.photoshopkillertips.com/archives/725

The Only Crop in Iowa

Last night several of the DSP digi scrappers got together for dinner and a photo walk in the West Glen Town Center. We walked down to the Gatheway Market to get to know one another and dinner. Gateway Market was nice enough to have a hawk show up and perch on the clock tower for us to take pics. Unfortunately I am still without my 200 mm lens.

Here's a couple videos from last night too:

HELP!!! Which layout is better

What layout do you think is better--the red shovel pic or the black & white pic?

4 Days to Midwest Iowa Digi Scrap Crop

Only four more days until the Midwest Iowa Digi Scrap Crop. Actually 3.5 days since we are getting together with some of the attendees Friday night. I can't wait.

Tonight I did this layout for Hummie's garden analogy challenge:

Why can't news reporters report the true story?

I can be seen on a news story from WHO TV from last night:

5 days to Digi Scrap Crop

Am getting so excited. Need to decide what treat I want to take...can't make up my mind.

This couple is from Ankeny, Iowa. I think they are so cute.