gngsears2010

Photo 202 September 25

2010-09-25T21:12:00.001-04:00

Finally decided to make myself a new bag ~ here are the pieces so far. Love the black & white with the turquoise!

Photo 201 September 24

2010-09-25T21:08:00.001-04:00

My new favorite dessert. I’ve always loved chocolate and raspberries together ~ so happy Yoplait put them together in a yummy yogurt! It’s reeeeallllly good!

Layouts 58, 59, 60

2010-09-18T09:54:00.001-04:00

Soccer Star

Maya Rocks Out

Santa’s Little Helpers

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For my September portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 200 September 16

2010-09-17T19:16:00.001-04:00

We FINALLY broke down and got a new coffeemaker to replace a hand-me-down one we got from Gary’s mom (many moons ago). Nothing fancy, but I don’t really care as long as my coffee’s ready in the morning!

Photo 199 September 15

2010-09-17T19:13:00.001-04:00

Two products I can’t live without at the moment ~ I call them my Frizz-Busters. The Biolage Bodifying Conditioner and the Frizz-Ease Leave-In Conditioner are lifesavers down here!

Photo 198 September 14

2010-09-17T19:09:00.001-04:00

I flew up to MI last weekend to help the girls clean out their Grandmother’s house. She passed away a while ago. Sorting through all the stuff was quite difficult, but we did find this little necklace with three little girl charms with the girls’ names on them. Needless to say, I kept this one for myself!

September 13

2010-09-17T18:59:00.001-04:00

OK ~ now really ~ how difficult is it to take one photo a day? I’ve been slackin’ …

Layouts 55, 56, 57

2010-09-03T21:34:00.001-04:00

Puppy Love

Friends Thrown Together

Maya’s First Day of Kindergarten
==================================

For my August portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 197 September 3

2010-09-03T21:25:00.001-04:00

They just opened up a new Giraffe Exhibit at the Naples Zoo. It'll be expanded in a couple of years to offer us a chance to feed the giraffes. That’s definitely on my bucket list.

Photo 196 September 2

2010-09-03T21:22:00.001-04:00

My foot savior ~ this thick little rubber mat keeps my feet from getting “stressed out” while I’m standing at the ironing board during a sewing marathon. And it’s pretty :)

Photo 195 September 1

2010-09-03T21:19:00.001-04:00

My hubby makes the best stir fry ~ delicious and healthy!

Photo 194 August 19

2010-08-19T13:14:00.001-04:00

Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake from Starbucks (what’s left of it) ~ my favorite thing there besides the coffee. It’s TDF!

Photo 193 August 18

2010-08-19T13:11:00.001-04:00

We saw the brightest rainbow driving home from Englewood today ~ but I was driving so I couldn’t take more pics. Gary took this one for me ~ you can barely see it but it there was a parallel rainbow to the left of the bright one. Love rainbow season!

Photo 192 August 13

2010-08-19T13:06:00.001-04:00

Sunrise in Vegas on the day we left for home ~ and yes, we were up before sunrise every morning, but we did manage to average 4 hours of sleep a night while we were there. We can sleep when we get home.

Photo 191 August 12

2010-08-19T13:02:00.001-04:00

Auntie Maxine ~ my Vegas buddy. She’s the one who gave me the bug for video poker. Thanks, Auntie!

Photo 190 August 11

2010-08-19T12:56:00.001-04:00

Paris – Las Vegas

Photo 189 August 10

2010-08-19T12:55:00.001-04:00

Summer at the Bellagio Conservatory.

Photo 188 August 9

2010-08-19T12:53:00.001-04:00

Heading to Vegas ~ it’s been WAY too long since we’ve been there! :)

Layouts 52, 53, 54 – Parrotheads, Olivia, One

2010-08-19T12:42:00.001-04:00

For my August portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 187 August 6

2010-08-06T20:01:00.001-04:00

Ready for hurricane season? Actually, we go through a gallon of water a day, so this won’t last long.

Photo 186 August 4

2010-08-06T19:58:00.001-04:00

My favorite OPI color ~ can you guess why?

Layouts 50, 51 – Little Miss Personality, Comfort

2010-08-04T20:14:00.001-04:00

For my August portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 185 July 30

2010-07-31T12:56:00.001-04:00

A big bolt of lightening hit right across the street from my MIL ~ enough to knock over a flag pole and open up a big hole in the ground that held the water pipe, throwing dirt everywhere. Big mess ~ and no water for her for a couple of days!

Photo 184 July 29

2010-07-29T21:16:00.001-04:00

We toured the Edison & Ford Estates today in Ft. Myers. Very interesting tour, and the trees, especially, were really beautiful.

Photo 183 July 28

2010-07-28T13:20:00.001-04:00

Took this pic on Bonita Beach this morning. One of these days ~ I’ll get up the nerve to parasail.

Layouts 48, 49 – Paradise, Sunset

2010-07-27T19:11:00.001-04:00

My last two layouts for my July portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 182 July 27

2010-07-27T18:59:00.001-04:00

I don’t normally see a helicopter in this parking lot. Apparently, this one made an emergency landing last night on Bonita Beach Road near Tamiami Trail and they pushed it into the parking lot. I was surprised to see it was still here this afternoon.

Layouts 45-47 – Castaway Bay, 4-Wheelin’, 10

2010-07-24T17:39:00.004-04:00

For my July portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 181 July 23

2010-07-24T13:15:00.001-04:00

Supposedly there was a tropical storm (Bonnie) coming in today, so we took a ride to the beach to see how the waves were. Pretty quiet, actually ~ the birds were hanging out as usual, most of them facing in the same direction (except for that goofy guy on the right!).

p.s. Happy Birthday, Dad! Miss you!

Photo 180 July 21

2010-07-22T16:29:00.001-04:00

One of the challenges in the July portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs is to make a trinket box using a digital kit from the shoppe. I used the Happy Go Lucky kit by Kristin Cronin-Barrow because I loved the colors in it. I may even use the trinket box for something!

Layouts 43-44 ~ Freedom, Love Bud

2010-07-20T21:28:00.001-04:00

For my July portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 179 July 19

2010-07-20T21:21:00.001-04:00

We decided that it was time to wash the comforter, so I made a trip to the laundromat. 45 minutes later, my wallet was $6.00 lighter. But my comforter was clean! :)

Photo 178 July 18

2010-07-18T23:05:00.001-04:00

Beautiful sky tonight ~ sunsets make for some interesting clouds.

Photo 177 July 15

2010-07-17T18:01:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite snacks provided by Mother Nature ~ a bowl full of cherries. YUMMMM!

Layouts 39-40 ~ Princess & Stick out that tongue

2010-07-15T19:53:00.001-04:00

For my July portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Layouts 37-38 ~ Pool Boy, Obsessed!

2010-07-14T18:46:00.003-04:00

For my July portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs.

Photo 176 July 13

2010-07-13T18:52:00.002-04:00

I had never seen one of these flowers before today. Technically, its name is Stapelia Gigantea ~ but I guess it’s known as the Starfish Flower. It’s also a succulent plant, so it doesn’t take much watering ~ my favorite kind of plant.

Photo 175 July 12

2010-07-12T21:04:00.001-04:00

My granddaughter Maya drew this picture of Edward Cullen before she went to see Eclipse. Her mom said she taped it to the front of her tank top when they went to the show :)

Photo 174 July 10

2010-07-12T21:00:00.001-04:00

The Borders store in Naples ~ one of our favorite places to kick back with coffee and a good book or magazine.

Photo 173 July 9

2010-07-12T20:59:00.001-04:00

Back in Florida from our trip to Michigan. Couldn’t believe we had such good travel weather ~ no rain anywhere!

Photo 172 July 7

2010-07-12T20:55:00.001-04:00

My grandson Ryan’s honor roll certificate ~ front and center on the fridge!

Photo 171 July 6

2010-07-12T20:53:00.001-04:00

I just HAD to go and see Eclipse while I was up in Michigan. My kids had already seen it and I was jealous :) Best of all, senior tickets were only $6.50!

Photo 170 July 3

2010-07-12T20:50:00.001-04:00

Remember those cute little ducks and chicks I posted a picture of on April 21? Here they are grown up and cruisin’ around the farm. Unfortunately, the dogs next door got out and killed most of this gang a few days after this photo was taken. How horribly sad.

Photo 169 June 30

2010-07-12T20:42:00.001-04:00

Killing time with puzzles ~ trying to keep up with my son-in-law Greg who’s a brown belt in Sudoku. I just started the White Belt book (and I still have trouble). LOL

Photo 168 June 27

2010-07-12T20:37:00.001-04:00

My friend Cindy has the most awesome house ~ love the painted palm trunk.

I’m a dork

2010-06-25T12:55:00.001-04:00

I took a few photos of this absolutely beautiful sky last night with my phone ~ emailed them to myself ~ then somehow deleted them from my downloads, deleted the message they came in, emptied my trash, and deleted them from my phone (thinking they were on my computer). In other words, those gorgeous photos are no longer anywhere to be found. Darn it!! I’m such a dork.

Layouts 35-36 ~ American Girl Day, FL 2009

2010-06-25T12:38:00.003-04:00

Click on pics for credits :)

Photo 167 June 18-20

2010-06-25T12:32:00.001-04:00

Not a very exciting photo, I’m sure. But this has occupied my time for the last couple of days _it’s now June 20th. First it was our old router giving us grief, so I had to buy a new one. Then the desktop took a dump and wouldn’t start up when I pushed the ON button. What do we do ~ buy a new desktop!? ARGGHHH!!! But then I had an AHA moment ~ we had our desktop from Michigan up in the closet. So I dragged that out, hooked it up, did some finagling to install the new router and printer ~ and it works!! Hallelujah!! Problem solved.

Layouts 31-34 ~ Learning to Walk, Waiting for Mitchell, Mitchell’s Class Project

2010-06-24T20:00:00.002-04:00

More layouts for the June portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs. No time to take photos! Click on the pics for credits.

Photo 166 June 17

2010-06-24T19:46:00.001-04:00

Our new “yard.” My hubby’s been working on a landscaping project ~ in this 90+ degree heat, no less. He ripped out quite a few overgrown bushes, put some stepping stones over to the hose, added a few new plants and some mulch. It definitely looks a lot better than it did! Good job, honey :)

Photo 165 June 16

2010-06-16T12:07:00.001-04:00

I decided to do a hybrid scrapbook project for one of the challenges in the June Portfolio at Sweet Shoppe. I created a layout and glued it onto a wood 8x8 frame. Different!

Layouts 28-30 – BFFs, Growing Up Together, Summer Reads

2010-06-16T12:03:00.001-04:00

Credits can be found in my gallery posts at Sweet Shoppe.

Photo 164 June 15

2010-06-16T10:33:00.001-04:00

Look what we found wandering around the beach today!

He was a busy little thing ~ picking up some lunch in the sand and scooting back into a hole he had made whenever anyone got close. Really fun to watch.

Photo 163 June 14

2010-06-14T18:46:00.001-04:00

My first Silly Band ~ it’s a boat, can you tell? I really want the giraffe :)

Photo 162 June 13

2010-06-14T18:40:00.001-04:00

Our bathroom lights ~ we really need to change them one of these days. We have to unscrew half of them or else we’ll get heat stroke!

Photo 161 June 12

2010-06-14T18:33:00.001-04:00

Stocking up on 5-hour Energy for our next road trip. We can never have too many of these!

Photo 160 June 11

2010-06-14T18:31:00.001-04:00

This little stack of fabric is all set to make into little wallets ~ someday. I just need to get my sewing mojo back.

Photo 159 June 10

2010-06-14T17:12:00.002-04:00

Love this little project! I saw it in a Creating Keepsakes ad for Sizzix ~ think I’ll give it a try.

Photo 158 June 9

2010-06-10T17:18:00.001-04:00

My little wire angel ~ keeping me safe in my craft space. In other words, so I don’t cut or stab myself, or run over my fingers with the sewing machine.

Photo 157 June 8

2010-06-10T17:15:00.002-04:00

My shell heart-wreath ~ posing for close-ups.

Photo 156 June 7

2010-06-10T16:10:00.001-04:00

See the little buds on my foster orchid plant? ~ I’m hoping that those will turn out to be new stems of blooms, but they’re probably just roots. That, too, would be a good thing ~ it must mean that the plant is not going to die on me any time soon :)

Layouts 26, 27 ~ Lovin' Summer, Bahamas Cruisin'

2010-06-06T18:42:00.007-04:00

I’ve been crankin’ out the layouts for the last month trying to keep up with the monthly portfolio at Sweet Shoppe Designs. So here’s a couple I did this week ~ you can see more here in my Sweet Shoppe gallery (credits included).

Photo 155 June 6

2010-06-06T18:29:00.001-04:00

We went to Sweet Tomatoes again today and it was pretty slow, so when we got to the cashier she asked me if we’d like some cookies ~ apparently they weren’t going fast enough and they’d have to throw them away. What was I going to say ~ NO?! Like that will ever happen with chocolate chip cookies! She gave us this bag of 13 ~ “Made from scratch daily” ~ Score!!

Photo 154 June 5

2010-06-06T18:23:00.001-04:00

It really looked like we were in for some rain today the way this cloud front rolled in ~ didn’t happen though. We sure could use some!

Photo 153 June 4

2010-06-06T18:20:00.001-04:00

I took a photo of this ibis on Bonita Beach, but we see them everywhere down here!

Photo 152 June 3

2010-06-06T18:18:00.001-04:00

I found this strange little plant just outside Sweet Tomatoes in Naples ~ I guess it’s called a Shrimp Plant (Justicia brandegeana).

Photo 151 June 2

2010-06-02T16:42:00.001-04:00

Our new door mat ~ love the colors!

Photo 150 June 1

2010-06-02T16:40:00.001-04:00

My hubby planted a new plant in front of our entryway ~ I think it’s some kind of croton, but I’m not quite sure. It’s kind of wild and pretty!

Photo 149 May 31

2010-05-31T21:46:00.001-04:00

It’s “Rainbow” season! I saw my first rainbow of the season today. Definitely one my favorite things about summer down here. Some people call this the rainy season ~ not me. :)

Photo 148 May 30

2010-05-31T21:42:00.001-04:00

One more bud is starting to open today ~ and I’ve found that my foster plant is fascinating to watch on a daily basis.

Layouts 24, 25 ~ Benjamin Franklin, Chillin' at the Beach

2010-05-29T18:08:00.005-04:00

Credits:
4 Keeps by Susan Bartolini & One 4 The Boys by Zoe Pearn (2010 Quarterly Assortment 1)
Stitches by Traci Reed (Bad Sewing Machine XVIII)
Template by Cindy Schneider (Simple Pleasures)

Credits:
Kits: Sunny Side Up and That's My Boy by Connie Prince

Photo 147 May 26

2010-05-27T10:53:00.001-04:00

I finished the flowers I was working on the other day. I think they look really cute in the gorgeous vase that was made by my granddaughter Celia.

Photo 146 May 25

2010-05-25T21:48:00.001-04:00

It’s raining ~ it’s pouring. We need that!

Photo 145 May 24

2010-05-25T21:45:00.001-04:00

The orchid I’m babysitting sprouted a new bloom today ~ two more on the way!

Photo 144 May 23

2010-05-25T21:42:00.001-04:00

I’m trying out a hybrid project with some digital scrapbook supplies. There’s a scrapbook site called Sweet Shoppe Designs where we can create layouts and hybrid projects for different challenges every month. Depending on how many points we get, we receive a discount for the Shoppe. I better hurry ~ May is almost over!

Photo 143 May 22 (special)

2010-05-25T21:30:00.001-04:00

Today (May 22nd) is my Grandma’s birthday. She was born in 1895 (that sounds so weird) ~ and she died just before her 100th birthday. Loved her madly ~ miss her badly. She had a great sense of humor which my whole family seems to have inherited. Thanks, Grandma ~ Love you!

Layout 23 ~ Love this game?

2010-05-22T20:30:00.003-04:00

Celia’s playing softball this year!
Credits:
Star Struck Collaborative Kit by Connie Prince and Lisa West
Tag by Juno Designs

Photo 142 May 22

2010-05-22T20:24:00.001-04:00

One more …

Photo 141 May 21

2010-05-22T20:22:00.001-04:00

I’m taking care of this beautiful orchid for my neighbors while they go to Chicago for the summer. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one so gorgeous.

Photo 140 May 20

2010-05-20T19:35:00.001-04:00

Messy
Neat

Two sides of me :)

Photo 139 May 19

2010-05-20T19:31:00.001-04:00

I’ve always had a thing for baskets. I found this set of square ones at IKEA for 9.99. Bargain of the day!

Photo 138 May 18

2010-05-20T19:29:00.001-04:00

I parked next to this Lotus at the doctor’s office today. Don’t see these too often.

Photo 137 May 17

2010-05-17T21:00:00.001-04:00

That is one BIG guitar!

Photo 136 May 16

2010-05-17T20:57:00.001-04:00

Beryl, Cynthia and I took a girls’ trip across the state to the Hard Rock in Hollywood. These were just a few pics of some of my favorite things in the room there: 1 – My favorite Elvis photo, 2 –the really cool pendant light and the plant in the little nook between the main room and the bathroom sink space (with and without the bathroom light on), and 3 – the leopard padded hangers (I want those).

Photo 135 May 15

2010-05-17T20:40:00.001-04:00

New project! I’m taking step-by-step pics of a new pattern I’m making (at the request of someone who was happy with my first pattern). Eventually it will be a little tri-fold wallet to hold Nintendo DS games. Pics of the finished wallet to follow once I finish it!

Layout 22 ~ #1 Fireball

2010-05-16T00:28:00.003-04:00

Mitchell in his first t-ball uniform ~ the Hillsboro Fireballs.

Credits:

Project 365 Mega Value Bundle by Captivated Visions and Jessica Edwards
Love Without End by Connie Prince
(some elements have been recolored)

Fonts: DJB JenniferK, Goudy Stout

Photo 134 May 14

2010-05-16T00:05:00.001-04:00

I totally agree with this quote. :)

Photo 133 May 13

2010-05-13T21:59:00.001-04:00

One of my hubby’s crocs, all nestled cozy-like in the sand.

Photo 132 May 12

2010-05-13T21:56:00.001-04:00

Gorgeous sunset tonight.

Photo 131 May 11

2010-05-11T20:55:00.001-04:00

Wishful thinking ~ I’d love to have all these colors in my thread stash.

Photo 130 May 10

2010-05-11T20:52:00.001-04:00

I made this walker bag for one of our neighbors ~ but I’m kind of wishing I had made something for myself out of this skirt fabric. LOVE the colors!

Photo 129 May 9

2010-05-11T20:51:00.001-04:00

OK ~ I promise this is the last one. But aren’t they gorgeous?

Photo 128 May 8

2010-05-08T20:15:00.001-04:00

Gorgeous :)

Photo 127 May 7

2010-05-08T20:07:00.001-04:00

Mother’s Day flowers ~ totally unexpected! Can’t wait to see them open up.

Layout 21 ~ Tiger Fans

2010-05-07T20:14:00.005-04:00

Ryan, Nathan and Jarret at a Detroit Tigers game last spring.
Credits:
Kit: Starcastic by Connie Prince at Gotta Pixel
Date stars and photo frame: Cluster Date Frames by Connie Prince at Gotta Pixel
Doodle Border: Delicious Scrap Shop

Photo 126 May 6

2010-05-07T20:00:00.001-04:00

One of our little friends who scamper around our complex. I think I’ll call him Bob.

Photo 125 May 5

2010-05-07T19:58:00.001-04:00

Today was Cinco de Mayo and we spent the evening at the ball park. No margaritas tonight, but we did see this rather ~~big~~ HUGE hamster with a Mexican hat on his head wandering around. Strange.

Photo 124 May 4

2010-05-07T19:55:00.001-04:00

Looks like we’re getting into steamy season ~ the thermometer said it was 87 degrees and that was at 9:30 this morning. Factor in the humidity and it’s gonna be a hot and muggy week.

Photo 123 May 3

2010-05-03T22:45:00.001-04:00

Love this coffee! We get it from Costco ~ whole bean ~ and we grind it fresh every day. The aroma is just “Caribbean Delight[ful]”!

Photo 122 May 2

2010-05-02T23:35:00.002-04:00

The Baumans (minus Jen who took this photo) out on the west coast of Oregon.

Credits:
iNSD GrabBag #1 by Connie Prince at Gotta Pixel