Boston, Baby!

So tomorrow is my birthday, and my husband has a class he has to take for HP starting Wednesday in Boston. And, this time, I get to go with him! I'm looking forward to having a little time away, as well as seeing some of the historic sites to be found in Boston. Our hotel, for instance, is RIGHT on Boston Harbor--home of that famous tea party. Plus, there are THREE, count 'em, THREE Paper Source stores within miles of our hotel. It's gonna be hard spending as little as possible there, let me tell you! Plus we are going to a Red Sox game on Wednesday night (thanks eBay!).

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures as I wander around during the day. Maybe even something for a new banner!

Woo-hoo! We're going to Boston, Baby!

Jumped on the Bandwagon

Well, I caved. I bought some Crocs. I first discovered these shoes a couple of summers ago, but didn't want to buy them online. I wanted to try them on first, see if they were all that they were cracked up to be, and stuff like that. Well, now they are SUPER popular, and I found them locally at the sporting goods store G.I. Joes. I now feel like I want SEVERAL pairs! There's a teeny weeny store in Seaside, Oregon that also sells them, and I'm going to Seaside in a few weeks for a scrapbooking retreat. Hmm...I think I hear a pair of lime green ones calling me....

Truthfully, they are comfortable to wear and light as a feather. I walked all over Costco on those concrete floors without any pain or discomfort. We'll see how the summer goes.

Either way, life's too short to wear uncomfortable shoes!

And that's the other side.

A little color...

Now that I have you all voting for a black and white, here are some color shots I took later in the day. I really fell in love with this light and tooks some great shots of my kids. (I hope to share later....)

Thanks for all of the feedback!

New Year--New You!

So it's been a year since I took my first set of self-portraits. My birthday is in April (on the 30th) so I've decided to take a self-portrait every year in April. Here's what I though was the best 4 (out of the 21 I took so far). Which one do you like best? Count from one to four in clockwise from the upper left and let me know!

Smiles!

Getting closer!

Well, my banner is SUPPOSED to look like the picture in the post below. But I am getting closer! I have no idea why it split itself into 4 parts. If anyone out there knows, please leave a comment and tell me!

Thanks in advance!

tos_banner

tos_banner
Originally uploaded by dianneknelson.

trying to make a banner....keep watching to see if I figure it out!

Look what I made!

So I've been collecting these Crystal Light canisters because I was SURE I should/could make something with them, and last night it hit me--I'll turn them into Inspiration Bookmark Canisters! So I put one together as a gift for a Secret Sister at church, and I am VERY pleased with the results! I am giving away some scrapbooking gift baskets at the school carnival next month, and I think that the free class I will give them will be a Bookmark class! Ta-da!

Plus! I learned how to make a photoshop collage using PSE 2. Yay for me!

And that's the other side!

I Can Change the World

I've been reading the Studio Friday blog and yesterday's posts were all about "working hands" which just kept putting Ben Harper's wonderful song from the Curious George Soundtrack "With My Own Two Hands" in my head. These are my daughter's hands. And, just to share, here are some of the words to the song (I'm not putting all of them in because there are a lot of repeats). I'd try to share the actual song, but that is beyond my blogging knowledge right now, and if anyone has a tutorial, I'm open!

I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands

I'm going to make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I'm going to help the human race
With my own two hands

I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you've got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With our own
With our own two hands.

It's an excellent soundtrack. Hope you liked the words.

And that's the other side.

Feeling a bit better

So I still have stuff to work out in my head (don't we all?) but I am feeling better overall. I plan to get back in the creating groove here asap! My Parks-n-Rec Class was postponed to this summer (because only one person signed up!) We are opening it up to the general population (instead of just for Seniors) and I've also been asked to do my "Baby's First Year" album class. That one will be just for a couple of hours in a workshop setting rather than as a 4-week class. I need to get my samples done asap to show off at the Senior Center to drum up business.

We've decided to go to California for Memorial Weekend for a Price Family Reunion (my Mother's side of the family). I can't remember the last time we got together as a family of Prices--it was between 10 and 15 years ago. I know I scrapbooked it--just have to find that album and see! I literally don't expect to even recognize many of my cousins; I'm the oldest Price grandchild, and I think I'm at least 5 years older than the rest of them. I could be wrong, but that just shows how out of touch with that side of the family I am. Joy is pretty excited. She's really getting into knowing her roots and her heritage right now. It'll be our big trip for the summer.

Well, that's all for now. Make it a great day!

Man...

So I'm in a weird sort of mood. I went on a "personal retreat" to the Oregon Coast with a dear friend. Got a lot of talking done. She's in the mental health field, so lot of it was good, but it's been making me think a lot. (And you guys should really check out Seaside Scents and check out their fragrance oils--YUMMMY! I esp. like their Vanilla Musk, Lime and Coconut, Laura's peach cobbler, and the Lemon Verbena Mint hand cream.)

The bottom line: I just want more from my life. But at this point, I'm not sure I have the energy to do it. Or even if I could say WHAT exactly I want MORE of!

I'm reminded of the title line from the Jack Nicholson movie, where the main characters look around and say, "Maybe this is as good as it gets" I've been looking around and I think that if the way my life is right now is as good as it gets...I'm not sure that's what I want. I love my kids and my husband and a lot of things in my life--but I'm not liking the clutter and the bickery fights my dh and I seem to be having more often and the pervading sense that I should be doing something more--even though I don't know what that is.

I'll have to get back to you on that one.

And that's the other side for today.