We Are

Last week we took a quick trip out to Kansas City, KC for my nephew's wedding.  All four kids were involved, in some way, in the ceremony.  It was freakishly hot - in the 90's the entire time - but thankfully the humidity didn't' really ratchet up until the day we left.  It was a lovely ceremony and the kids had a great time at the reception.  Saturday we spent driving to St. Louis, touring the Arch, and driving back to KC where we enjoyed a late dinner with hubby's brother's family, who hosted a post-nuptial dinner.  

Because of being on the road last week, I didn't post, so there's a few things to catch up on.  Brace yourselves.

• It's like watching a Gazelle . . .
• Or not
• With the final Cheetos throw, Field Day 2016 wraps
• Last Day of Second Grade
• Somewhere under the five pounds of topping lies a tablespoon of ice cream
• Two destinations for fishing nets zero fish, and one sign with the closest spelling of your name you'll find
• An impromptu trip to to the Nature and Science Museum, for a brother to meet an online friend, means strolling through the exhibits.  Water wins.
• Do Mule Deer hear any better than 7 y.o.'s?
• You put them down as recipients for your ACT and SAT scores and they like what they see so far.
• West Kansas plains
• I am NOT, read NEVER, ready for the heat of summer.
• I miss road trips in the same car.  More than I even anticipated when we lost the car that fit us all, and decided not to replace it.
• Two Servers . . .
• A Ring Bearer . . .
• and a Reader
• The Happy Couple
• During the Father/Bride dance, they invited all the dads and daughters.
• During the Mother/Son dance, they invited all the moms and sons - our dance looked more like a Rugby Scrum, though.
• Dancing
• Lots of dancing.
• The inevitable crash after a night of hard partying
• The Arch.  I've been one other time and it's much the same.  Though the experience of getting in has changed a lot.
• Looking cooler than the 95 degree heat would lead you to believe
• Afraid to go up, but once up we couldn't get him out of the windows
• View from the top
• 630 feet up Group Selfie
• Scrubs?  Check.  Clinicals coming up.
• The first casualty of the year.  #RanIntoTheWindow
• 4 v 4 Soccer nights with friends.  He's still got some skills.

Happy Wednesday,

Stash Busting

I have a fair amount of ribbon.  I don't need spools or racks or some special contraption to sort and hold it all.  I have mine stored in five mason jars, sorted by color.  So, not bad.  But then I don't usually have a problem using ribbon on my layouts.  I have gotten creative with ribbon in the past, but usually, it's a border, or wrapped around a block of paper, knotted, or tied in a bow.  

Ribbon is, however, fairly versatile and adds great texture to layouts.

If you even have five lengths of different ribbon in your stash, you can do this simple, and cute ribbon trim.  You can do more or less.  Different widths.  Hang it from the top of the page.  Drop it down the sides.  "Hang" a few less strands from buttons.  Take the inspiration and run.

Mix in some ribbon with your patterned paper pennants and banners.

Photo Corners were a frequent embellishment way back when.  They were great for highlighting a photo or covering some photo "noise."  You don't see them much anymore, but using ribbon to create a Photo Corner. . .well, there you go.

I mentioned I've wrapped a journaling card or some block of patterned paper with ribbon.  I'm pretty sure I've also done a photo, but this is just a good reminder.  Instead of trimming off the "deadspace" wrap ribbon over it.

A few strips of ribbon can create a border.  Go diagonal (like above), keep it straight along any other edge.  Embellish where all the ribbons cross.  You can even add a smaller version of this border under embellishments - a grouping of flowers, a journaling card or a diecut. 

Now, go unravel your ribbon and play.

Go.  Create.

We Are

We are down to one Field Day and one, ridiculously short "day" for the 7 y.o.  Seriously, released at 10:30 - when school starts at 8:00 - what's the point???  Then all the kids are home, and summer break is underway.

• Corey Jr., the adopted fish from college, met his maker.  We all think it was his fish friend, who was bought to keep him company, but chased him endlessly around the bowl.
• Summer classes. . .no bueno
• Evening views of Denver from the top (photo:  17 y.o.)
• The 17 y.o. was still so wired from finals and projects and push-push-push, he was bored.  So bored, he took the dog to the dog park, where she promptly discovered water
• And the frisbee
• The 17 y.o. hasn't been so bored since.  The dog, however, is always willing for the trip.
• When your older sister is bored and home from school
• Remembering all those who gave it all
• Hiking was the name of the game on Monday morning.  The girlie and a friend, and the 17 y.o. and his group, all headed out for some early sunshine.  (photo:  19 y.o.)
• Laundry . . . nothing good comes from it.

Happy Wednesday,