Scrapbooking, no? Surely you jest?

I do still scrapbook, believe it or not. :) Summertime and the usual post-vacation let down is kickin' my ya know...I just can't seem to get out of the funk lately. I'm thinking I might retitle my blog "I need a brownie."

LOL!

I had 2 items ready to post here--2 layouts that utilized some of the ever growing (exponentially) stamp collection at my house. I posted them at 2peas and within a day was contacted by the editor of www.scrapbooking.com about having them used in their next edition. www.scrapbooking.com is one of the oldest scrap websites around and I have been a reader since it's inception--way back when Jennia Hart was the owner. It's an online only publication...an online magazine, if you will. It's a cool project and I look forward to seeing what they do with my projects.

Anyway, because of that, I had to take the two items down from 2peas and delay posting them here until after the web mag issue comes out.

I know...you're just heart-broken. :)

In other news, I am working dilligently on the NWYC Cruise scrapbook and it is progressing. When it't done, I'll link it up here.

You all know how much I love www.scrapbookpictures.com right. Doug and the crew there are fantastic. I ordered enlargements for the cruise scrapbook from them and they are seriously fabulous...and the prices are not outrageous either. It was a sizable order but I paid for the regular shipping--$2 and they upgraded it to Priority at no charge. I appreciate that more than you know. Scrapbook Pictures wins in customer service in my book!

I am working on the cruise book but I am totally thinking about the Maine scrapbook in my head. I'm thinking seriously about printing all the photos for our Maine book in the 8x8 size. Just let the whole photo take up the whole page...journal on the back.

Speaking of Maine, one of the members at 2peas posted a super cool layout today that reminded me of our Maine adventure. Isn't the crab fantastic?

And finally, based on the ability to create embossed suns, as seen here at Bonnie Sharp's blog from back in May, I ordered this--the Spellbinders Nestabilities Inverted Scalloped Circles (Large). Look at this card...isn't that some hot summery embossing?

Happy Tuesday!

The Best Little Sandwich on Mount Desert Island!

The first day of our time in Bar Harbor we lunched at this sweet little local sandwich place--Michelle's Brown Bag Cafe. It was quite the busy spot, even for the off-season, so we took that as a good sign. While we waited in line Joal decided to try the Maine Handcrafter Root Beer. He later said it was stout and stuck with him for a long time.



We ordered the gourmet Tuna Salad and it was a total hit! It was tuna with mayo, served on toasted sourdough (large slices), with thinly sliced tomato, a layer of spinach, red onion, sprouts, and a piece of cheese. It was fantastic. Each sandwich came with a homemade pickle and Cap Cod chips. I stole Joal's pickle--they were really good.

Sometimes the simplest things, done well, can be really surprisingly amazing. :)

Joal and I have never been on a non-work, non-family-centric vacation alone together before. And yes, seventeen years is a long time to wait. I can tell you for sure that it was a mistake to wait that long. It was so beyond words to settle into a different place with just him, to be together alone, to be ...to just be. Quietly. Calmly. Without distraction and without anything or anyone else pressing in. It was nice. It was healing.

There's no one else on this planet that I'd rather be with. I knew that before...but now I remember why.

One of the great things about Bar Harbor is that everything is centrally-located and walking is the best way to get anywhere. Getting extra excercise was an unexpected benefit--because we surely did eat well. :)

Right smack in the middle of BH is a little ice cream/frozen yogurt shop. I'm pretty sure that we became their star customers for the three days we were there. Joal enjoyed each flavor of frozen yogurt (he's allergic to dairy) and I stuck with my first love--Cappacino with chocolate chips. It was lovely.

Got Stickles?

Would it be ok if I just schmere this stuff all over everything? It's called Waterfall Stickles. And I am so hooked. I've decided life just looks better when covered in Waterfall glitter! I think it would make good eye shadow too. My fingers are already covered in it. I could just swoosh a little across my eyelids. It dries fast.

It's the perfect accent for my cruise project...in conjunction with the Chipboard Thickers that I found at Big Lots. Painting and glittering...what more could a girl ask for in the wee hours of a Saturday morning?

Yes?

Lobster Roll--a first

So, as a southern girl, I had never had a tried and true Lobster Roll. As the little sign at the corner cafe said "it's alot of lobster, on a roll, with just enough mayo to keep it all together. And yes, it's good."

It was served with a pickle and Cape Cod chips.

It was good. I'm glad I tried it. Probably won't do it again as it was a little pricey and for that kind of money, well, I'd rather have shrimp. But it was something Maine-ish that I wanted to say I had experienced.

As you might imagine, Lob-stah is everywhere and in pretty much everything in Bah Hahbah...foodishly and decoratively.



This guy sits on the sidewalk outside the famous Ben & Bill's Chocolate Emporium...and yes, it's a heavely place full to the brim of heavenly temptations. And a mighty fine collection of antique lunch boxes. Even Lobster ice cream. No, we didn't indulge.

Ahh, Maine. Forget San Francisco. I think I may have left my heart in Maine.

What We Didn't Do On Our Vacation

The Chicken Barn

My father-in-law told me about this place...I think it probably deserves it's own weekend. Unfortunately this is exactly not the kind of place that is condusive to spending time with my husband. This is pretty much his idea of t-o-r-t-u-r-e.

Next trip.

Found Fabulousness on Friday

This card is just so detailed and delightful...can't help but smile. It's created by *forevercatchingup* and can be found here at twopeas.




This layout inspired my this week...I am all about the waves. See it and other views here at twopeas.

As if Fridays weren't fabulous enough already. :)

Take a look...

I love this man.

That's all.

Another shopping adventure in Bar Harbor...windowpanes

I wrote the title to this post and then realized you are probably thinking that all I did on my vacation was shop. Ha! Not true. We did nature things, and we ate at fantastic seafood, and we enjoyed our trip alone immensely...but yes, I did do some seriously fun shopping.

One of the things about Bar Harbor that I find incredibly appealing is that there are no major chain stores...no major chain eateries...not many major chain hotels. It's very much "small town America" at it's finest. Well, except that Pepsi has a stranglehold on the area...but I digress.

So, eventually I will tell you about the other, non-shopping things we did but for now you are stuck with the fabulousness of a little store called *Windowpanes*.

Oh my. The love bloomed the moment I saw the window. Sorry about the reflection of the cars and such, but if you look closely you can see the hanging fabrics, which I later realized were snappy napkins and placemats.





The white cabinet was filled with all these napkins--heavy duty, quality napkins in the finest of fantastic colors...as you can see.

Windowpanes sells the yearly lighthouse calendar of artist Alan Claude seen here. These large prints are stunning and I came home with plans to order one from the artist immediately.

Gerbera

The boys and I take many trips to Lowes during the summer...and I reward myself by taking the camera along. I got this picture on our first trip of this summer--can't wait to print it.

Daisies are my favorite flowers...big ones like this, and small simple white ones...I love them all. To me, there is just no comparison.

Enjoy.

Sand Beach

Who says a Quilt Store isn't dangerous for a scrapbooker?

While Joal and I were in Bar Harbor, he discovered a store called Fabricate while on his first morning walk around town. We ate breakfast at the Cottage Street Bakery & Deli--our first indulgence into the world of blueberry pancakes and blueberry-topped french toast that is so very popular in Maine. It was a calm and perfectly delightful meal, not only because we were the only patrons present at the little cafe, but also because they are actually one of the far-too-few eateries in Bar Harbor to offer actual Diet Coke. For what it's worth, "no Diet Pepsi does not suffice."

I digress.

So we enjoyed a fabulous breakfast on the patio at the bakery and then I decided to check out the fabric/scrapbooking store--Fabricate. It's a small place on Cottage Street that features mainly quiting fabrics and supplies...with a small room of limited scrapbooking goods off to the side. Many of the scrapbooking items I picked up there were *Maine* specific things--like a fabulous piece of lobster ribbon and an embroidered lobster "patch". I enjoyed the beautiful quilt pieces that were on display and photographed a few (with permission).

I was attracted to the fat quarters of beautiful watercolor-ish fabrics. I selected a few (seen above) and am still kicking myself for not finding out the manufacturer of them, especially the multi-color one below. Isn't it so lovely? It shouts summer to me!

This one (above) says "ocean fantasy" to me. Below...this one is just a lovely wash of blues and purples...so "gentle waves".

Are we seeing a theme developing here?

Meet Sophia

Popa and Gramma have a cat named Sophia.

Whom Julian fell in love with.

Seriously.

He was so gentle and sweet with her.

He spent so much time quietly petting her.

Watching her.

Calling out her name when she wasn't around.

He bugged her a bit.

She swatted him.

He laughed.

And learned where not to touch her.

She was so forgiving.

He needed alot of forgiveness.

She brought him such tranquility.

I bet you see what's coming.

Miss "I am not a pet person" is considering the acquisition of both a cat and a fish.

The things I get roped into.

The boy loves fish.

Ever since our trip to Uncle Andy's G has been lobbying for a fish tank and some fish. He can be somewhat convincing so it appears that we will be enlarging our family in the midst of June.

Tonight he and I visited the local pet store and I admit, I fell in love with a couple of little slimies called Kissing Gourami, aka "kissing fish". We'll have to have a few of these... :)

I hope they get along with Nemo and Dori.

Food Memories

I have ordered a book--Kitchen Memories by Anne Snape Parsons and Alexandra Greeley. I can not wait for it to arrive. When I read the commentary, I knew I would love it.

Memories of grandmother's cooking are warm, inviting, sustaining and comforting, but most people have not taken the time to preserve their family's favorite recipes. As a result, many treasured recipes are lost to the fast-food generation 'overtaken by pizza delivery, eating out and convenience foods. Kitchen Memories aims to slow that trend down with a lovingly compiled collection of 120 family recipes from 25 countries' handed down from one generation to the next and gathered from families and cooks. The authors, leaders in the Slow Food movement, have interviewed hundreds of people who have shared their most precious recipes, the ones they want to pass on to their children and grandchildren. The process of talking about family recipes triggered many happy memories for the book's contributors, and as such, each recipe includes detailed homespun cooking tips and sidebars rich with personal stories of family and food. Twenty-five countries are featured including the U.S. and some of its distinctive regional and ethnic cuisines.

Pages at the end of the book are provided for cooks to preserve their own favorite recipes, thoughts, tips, photos, and memories. The authors have tested all 120 recipes. A helpful glossary and appendix offering a brief sketch of each culture are included. Insatiably curious about traditions and cultures, food and travel writer Anne Parsons is a native of Scotland and has traveled extensively around the globe. During her trips, she spends most of her time with local people, eats regional foods and visits their places of worship. She is currently writing a medieval mystery novel with the spice trade as its focus. Ms. Parsons lives in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where she is a leader of the Slow Food Convivium of East North Carolina.

What a way to make a living, huh. :)

I have many food memories...my Nannie's biscuits cook in an iron skillet, my grandmother's coconut pie, the reason everyone calls my mom, "Pud", the legendary birthday cake that my dad made for my grandmother, my diatribes on Sweet Tea in Mississippi, Pistachio Salad, and so on...

What food memories will my children have? Oh dear. I hesitate to think about that too much. I have to do better on those.

What food memories do you carry with you?

Honor

Wood County Texas, specifically Holly Lake and Hawkins, honored our boy with a very nice Texas Bar B Que dinner on Saturday evening.

More shortly.

Andy (May)

Cory took this picture of Andy at church...I thought I would share it...flashy fashionista sunglasses aside. :)

I have the pleasure of leaving on Friday to go to Tyler for a dinner on Saturday night honoring Andy in his former hometown of Hawkins, TX. Andy's first gig as a volunteer fireman was at the Holly Lake Fire Department, near Hawkins. Those folks seem to think quite highly of him..LOL!

It'll be a family affair--Mom and Dad, Daniel and I, possibly others. It will be a fast trip but I'm excited. I'm going alone this time and that's not something I get to do very often.

--Sarah