Day 213 [Winner!]

We spent the afternoon at the track.

We attended an annual awards breakfast for my husband's industry, then after the awards ceremony they set up a tent next to the track where we have lunch, our own private bar and betting booth.  It's quite a nice way to spend the afternoon.

This is a shot of my winning horse for the second race.

We are not big betters, so I didn't win a huge pot.

Honestly, I would have been just as excited if I hadn't bet at all, just for the fact that the horse I chose won!

Day 212 [Presenting]

This was the scene upon my arrival at the bottom of the stairs this morning.

When I went to bed last night my cat was having a good ol' time with his little mouse.

I had to laugh at the 'presentation' of him this morning, as if to say.."Ta-da! Your paper ma'am."

He is still sitting there just waiting for my 'mouser' to come and play.

Day 211 [It's Thursday Night]

Thursday night = Scrap night

This is my BFF.

She's just sat down and has no idea I have my camera in hand.

*snicker*

She was rather grumpy upon her arrival but quickly change her tune after I served her two fresh scones.  Sweets always sweeten up a sour mood!

Day 210 [Pink Me]

It's hard to believe, but my BFF's first born turned 9 today!

Now, before you freak out with the thought that I gave a 9 year old something from Victoria's Secret, the contents do NOT come from there!  This is simply a recycled box!

I made a darling picture frame earring holder loaded with earrings for the her.

Of course she was thrilled with her gift...what little girl wouldn't love a bunch of cute, dangly earrings!

Happy, Happy Birthday to Callahan!

Day 209 [Inside]

Desperation at it's best.

Today was a rather run of the mill day with nothing exciting to make me pause to take a photo.

It's getting late and I have not an ounce of creativity in me to come up with anything more then the inside of my purse.  Lame, I know, but it's a representation of who I am and my life.

I do love the pink lining of a purse, which is a wonderful green.

Here you see my wallet, the black 'bag' that holds my zoom lens and my sunglasses case.

Exciting, I know.  I'm sure you are happy to have stopped by today to see such fantastic stuff!

Day 208 [Delish!]

This was one seriously delicious dinner!

Flank steak with boursin garlic and herb cheese, baby spinach rolled up and slathered in a fabulous steak seasoning.  My only regret was not adding more cheese as most of it melted by the time I was done grilling them.  I think when the weather cools down a bit I will try these again but broil them, in hopes the cheese will not seep out after turning.

Day 207 [In The Studio]

Not my studio, but a friend's studio.

We got together today to spend some time together and be crafty.

It felt good.  It'd been too long.

I got three pages done that I have been wanting to do.

It was a productive and fun day.

Day 206 [Life In The PNW]

This is what a gorgeous summer day in Seattle looks like!

We started the day walking 2 miles in the city, popping in and out of shops and a leisurely lunch.

Then we headed over to West Seattle. 

We walked 5 miles along Alki Beach.

Fantastic views of downtown, the Olympic mountains, Puget Sound and the all that Seattle has to offer.  It was a fantastic afternoon and now we are wiped out!

Sun and lots of walking tires you out quickly.

Day 205 [Rising Moon]

The husband and I went to dinner with some friends tonight.

We drove into Tacoma and ate at the Ram on the waterfront.

We chose to dine on the patio.

It was the perfect evening for patio dining.

Long after dinner and dessert, we were sitting talking when I noticed the moon rapidly rising from 'behind' Mt. Rainier.  I was so happy to have my camera and zoom lens with me to capture a fantastic photo for the day.

Day 204 [Morning Masked Visitors]

My husband put food out for our outdoor cat before leaving for work.

He then saw more then one body feasting on her breakfast.

When he looked out there was this one and two others just like it helping themselves.

As cute as they appear they are not friendly visitors.

We will return to putting food out only when our cat is at the door!

Day 203 [Pretty Toes]

I have toenail issues.

You see, from my middle to my pinkie toe the nails grow in this awkward 'uphill' fashion that drives me to cut them short.  Too short!  This in turn causes me to have not the prettiest of toes when I paint them in the summer while they are out on display in my several pairs of flip flops and sandals.

This past weekend I discovered they sell fake toenails!

You read that right...fake. toe. nails.

I decided to give them a try.

Today I bought the french manicure press on nails for my toes and I can't stop looking at my feet!  Never in a million years did I ever think I would have pretty toenails to expose to the world and now I do!

Day 202 [Farewell Trees]

The center median has undergone a few transformations the past year or so.

Last year 'they' added the traffic light at the intersection and in doing so 'they' added a left turn lane.  To accommodate this new turn lane 'they' had to shorten the center median that used to house 5 beautiful trees like the ones that grace the sides of the roads.

'They' left two of the trees in the much smaller median.  While I was sad to see the first 3 trees go bye bye, I was happy to see the two left behind.  Last week when I was leaving to pick the boys up from VBS, as I came around the corner and reached the crest of the hill I noticed the missing trees!

I was so sad to see the landscape change once again and it looks so barren to me.

I understand the reason 'they' removed the trees...the trees roots are starting to cause issues with the road pavement.  It's just so sad to see the once pretty road turn into a regular, run of the mill ugly road.

Day 201 [Scaredy Cat]

This is our cat Tom.

She, yes we named our girl cat Tom, has been our cat for 12 years.

For over a year she has decided to be solely an outdoor cat.

She used to come inside in the evenings during the winter, this past winter she declined to set foot inside.  Now when we see her outside and call to her this is the look we get!

It reads to us as "Who the hell are you and why are you calling me!?!?"

She's always been a bit spacey eyed, but this is just beyond!

We laugh everytime too.

She never forgets where to get her meals, but she seemingly forgets the faces of who provide those meals.

Day 200 [Super Food]

Today I baked a pie.

Blueberry pie to be exact.

Because blueberries are a super food I will consider this pie to be a super pie!

HA!

It's cooling at the moment waiting for us to slice it up and enjoy it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Sounds heavenly huh?

Day 199 [MVP]

Meet Max.

He's our super cute nephew who just turned 3.

Today we celebrated his birthday.

MVP doesn't just stand for most valuable player, but they are also little Max's initials.

He's always our little MVP!

He has the most beautiful blue eyes ever and is the sweetest little guy.

Always willing to give kisses when Auntie requests them, that's a winner in my book!

So, Happy Birthday Max!

We hope you had a fantastic day celebrating a wonderful day in our family.

We were happy to share in your day.

Day 198 [All Wrapped Up]

I realized today, as I was lovingly wrapping the birthday gift for our nephew's party tomorrow, that a entire generation is growing up without the benefit of nicely wrapped gifts.

So many gifts now arrive in the form of a gift bag.

Don't get me wrong, I have used many a gift bags in my time, but I really do prefer giving a gift that's been beautifully wrapped, with fun paper, ribbons and bows.

There are items that sometimes require a bag due to it being too difficult to wrap or the lack of the proper size box to place the gift into.

If you really think about it though...isn't giving a gift in a gift bag just a glorified way of bringing straight from the store?  A fancier bag and some tissue paper.

Next time you give a gift, take a moment to really wrap it, allowing the recipent to marvel in the packaging and revel in ripping it open!

Day 197 [M&M]

Last night was my weekly scrap night with the BFF.

With the craziness of summer schedules it's been over a month since we've taken our Thursday evening to scrap all things precious to us.

Last night she called to say she had to stop at Target on her way over.

I hinted that M&M's sure sounded good...you know, the little packets you can pick up at the checkout?

She showed up with the Medium Bag!

Now that my friends, is a good friend! =)

Day 196 [Lone Guitar]

The lone guitar sitting in the living room.

There is waits for someone to strum it's strings.

My husband was hell bent on owning a guitar and learning to play.

He dowloaded some 'lessons' off the internet on Saturday, strummed a few cords and hasn't touched it since!  He really should take real lessons or at least walk by and give this baby some attention.

Day 195 [VBS]

I got out my zoom lens today and put it to use.

I captured this shot from far away upon my arrival at VBS pick up.

The little guy is participating and my big guy, the one in the green tshirt under the ugly brown flannel, is volunteering as a helper to the kindergarten group leader.

He's having a fun time with the kids and happy he volunteered.

I love it when I can capture a moment in time so perfectly.

Day 194 [Highlight]

This was the highlight of my day yesterday!

My monthly scrapbook kit arrived with the mail.

It's always a treat when this box arrives.

So much fun stuff to touch, feel and get my creative juices flowing.

Day 193 [That'll Hold Him]

I can not take credit for today's photo.

My husband took this on his iphone while we were enjoying our morning Starbucks.

If I would had taken my camera with me I certainly would have taken a picture and used it, so that's my reasoning for using this picture.

We got a really good laugh outta this!

The owner walks up with his Great Dane, slips the leash end under the leg of the chair and proceeds to walk into Starbucks to get his drink.

Like that chair is going to hold that dog if it decides to take off!

He was very well trained...didn't try to make a run for it at all.

That might have had something to do with the fact that when his owner came back out they took the lid off their coffee, scooped the whip cream off the top and fed it to the dog...who delightfully licked it up.

Day 192 [As It Should Be]

He will kill me for sure!

After being away for a week visiting a friend in California, my baby is back at home where he belongs.

He is one tired puppy!  Lots of late nights, full days and tons of fun will wear a kid down.

I hope he sleeps like a baby tonight.

Day 191 [Unhappy Camper]

It appears as if he's peacefully sleeping, but trust me, he's not!

My baby is so NOT happy with this heat.

I'm sure it has something to do with all that fur.

He wanders around the house meowing at me like I'm suppose to magically make it better.

He seeks out any cool place he can find.

Such places include: the kitchen countertops, the metal plate at the front door (we have a screen door that allows access to said plate), the garage floor, or any shaded spot.

I'm miserable so I feel for him as he's got to be ultra miserable with all that fur.

He's my snuggler, especially at night...but the past few nights he just can't bear the contact.

Relief is in sight, so I'm looking forward to getting my sweet baby kitty back.

I don't care for Mr. Unhappy Camper!

Day 190 [Keeping Cool]

Living in a house without A/C, the sun beating on the back of the house the entire day, where all the main living areas of our house face, by the end of a 90+* day it's like an oven.

So, to escape said oven we gathered our laptops and headed up to Starbucks for 2 hours to utilize their free wi-fi and A/C.  It was a pleasant way to spend the evening and by the time we got home it was starting to cool off, making it a bit more bearable.

Yes, that is math.com you see on my laptop.  I am looking to apply for an instructional asstistant at a nearby school.  I will be required to take a basics skills test prior to being interviewed, so I'm taking a crash refresher course so I don't look like a complete idiot!

Day 189 [Play Ball!]

Took in a Mariner's game last night.

My husband scored some awesome tickets!

6th row off of first base.

Given that we were directly behind the media box we were really 3rd row, at least for that section. 

It was a pretty good game too...but in the end the M's did what they do best and gave the game away in the 8 inning.  No matter, it was a perfect summer evening to be at the ball park.

Day 188 [Krusty Krab]

Today the little guy and I played a competitive game of SpongeBob Monopoly.

Good time!

He was doing so well, lots of pineapples and krusty krabs, but he just wasn't victorious.

Day 187 [Alki Beach]

The Hubs and I spent a fabulous day at Alki Beach in Seattle.

The day started off cloudy and cool, but the sun eventually burned the clouds away.

We walked along the boardwalk taking in the breathtaking views of the Puget Sound.

We had a leisurely lunch, walked toward the other end of the beach, sat on a bench for a good long time just soaking up the lapping of the waves.  On our way back to the car we stopped in at Starbucks for a hot drink as it was still a bit cool out.  The Starbucks on Alki Way has the fabulous sliding glass doors that make it more open air.  We sat at a table by the doorway enjoying some great people watching.  Such a fabulous and relaxing day.

Day 185 [Day Of Independence]

Yesterday we not only celebrated the Independence of our great country, my husband and I are celebrating a week of independence of a child under our roof!

We sent our baby off on an airplane yesterday morning to visit a friend in California for the week.

This is the first solo trip for our baby boy and I will admit, I was a bit weepy sending him off on his own.  I know he's going to have a marvelous time and have a great experience!
We went to breakfast after dropping the boy off.
It was at a local joint in town.
My breakfast was HUGE and that was the half order! Can you imagine what a full order would have looked like?  I barely ate a third of the half order!

Our 4th of July was going to be spent all day at my cousin's house on the lake, but the weather was not lake weather!  Grey, dreary, cold, windy and drizzly.

We did go for a few hours but left when the drizzle picked up.  We didn't want to sit around the house so we took in a movie arriving home just in time to watch the Macy's fireworks show on TV, while listening to the booms of fireworks all round our neighborhood.

Day 184 [Independence Day Prep]

It's been a busy day around here today as we prep for our Nation's Independence Day.

We are flying our son out tomorrow morning for his first solo trip to visit a friend.

I'm a bit nervous for him but I'm reminded by my husband that he's 15 years old and will be just fine!

I spent this evening after dinner baking some goodies to take with us to a 4th of July party on the lake.  It will odd not having Bailey with us, but I know he's in for a real treat tomorrow with his hosts.

They are taking him to the Hollywood Bowl for the 4th of July celebration! 

Lucky kid!

We have an early morning tomorrow...best get a few things wrapped up and head to bed. 
The picture is the view out my garden window in my kitchen.

Day 183 [182.5]

Half way my friends!

technically the half way point of the year is day 182.5

I wasn't sure if I was going to 'celebrate' this on day 182 or 183....since 182 isn't quite there I went with 183 to be solidly footed in half way.

I'm very proud of the fact that I have not missed a single day!

Not. One.

I have come very close....very, very close, but I have succeeded!

It's probably time to order more prints to keep my album up to date.  I'm going to be so thrilled to have this book to look back upon in the years to come. 

I hope to continue this project throughout the years and have a collection of our daily life for the future.

FUN!

Day 182 [Iron On]

My son is volunteering to help out at VBS in a few weeks.

Last night he had a meeting and got the iron on for his t-shirt for the week.

Today we went to pick out his shirt...he chose green, and I adhered the iron on today.

That was FUN!

He also wanted his name on the back, so we stopped in at the craft store to buy some iron on letters to blazen his name across the back.  You know, because all those preschoolers know how to read and all! ;)

Day 181 [Ring My Bell]

BUNCO!

It was a festive bunco night, thanks to Becky, out hostess.

She outdid herself with delicious treats and festive decor.

Of course I didn't win...not the money or a prize.

Have yet to win...maybe next month!

In any event, I had a fun time, as always.