September!

Happy belated Labor Day ya'll! Hope everyone had a nice, long weekend. Mandi and I spent Saturday up at the Renaissance Faire in Bristol, it rocked! This was our 4th time up this season (next year I'm doing season passes) and we enjoyed it as always! Sunday I floated around in my pool for awhile and my mom came over for dinner and some pool time too! Monday, again, hanging in the pool and a traditional Labor Day bbq with mom! Sadly, Miss Mandi developed a nasty cold on Saturday evening so she hasn't been able to enjoy the weekend as much as she had hoped...send some get well wishes her way if ya can!

Here we are in a new month...just a few more weeks and it will be officially fall. I've stated a hundred times here so far that I am dreading winter, but I am trying not to focus too much on that fact, instead I'm trying to love fall like I always do, and for all that fall brings, the crisp air, the beautiful colors and the apple pies I love!! Mom made a batch of homemade applesauce on Sunday and brought some over...oh my heck, can I just say delish! I told her that she seriously needs to show me how she makes hers applesauce step by step, so that is my plan for the next coming weeks...I know Mandi will be in serious applesauce heaven, it's one of her favorites!

What else did I do this weekend? Well, in keeping with the Halloween theme, I played around in the sCRAP room and made a few cards! Using some of the scraps of papers left over from my Halloween House project, this is what I came up with:
I used some Thickers for the word "Boo"...love me my Thickers!! I also used a sketch that I found at this gals blog, Ana Wohlfahrt. I have been surfing tons of card making blogs lately and ran across hers..I altered the sketch just a smidge and didn't use the small title block part...and, I've decided that I really like sketches, heck, it takes all the pressure off of me in having to create a design! LOL I will still create some of my own, but I am so loving the fact that someone else has done the hard part for me! :)

Using the same basic sketch idea, I created this next one. I used some Melissa Francis papers that I got last year this time while visiting my sister in Arizona at the fabulous Mystic Paper! I'm heading out there next week again and hope to stock up on some more yummy goodness!! Added to this one is a cardstock sticker! I also turned on my sewing machine and did a little stitching around the border..

Today was the bestest happy mail day!!! I got orders from Cornish Heritage Farms, Papertrey Ink, Ellen Hutson and my kit from Carol Wingert!! I am so stoked with all my new goodies, can't wait until after dinner tonight when I can play a little!

What else is going on? Well, I'm huge into reading "The Art of Happiness" by his Holiness the Dalai Lama. I have always had a fascination with Tibetan Buddhism but it wasn't until my trip to Cambodia/Malaysia this past winter that I really developed an intense interest in learning more about it! While I enjoyed every aspect of the wonderful experience I had, meeting and getting to have my picture taken with a couple of Buddhist monks was a highlight for sure!
(this was a layout I did for a challenge awhile back).

come on, just look at this man, doesn't he exude peace and contentment? My wish is to one day be able to travel to India to hear him speak, what an experience for life that would be!

I really recommend you to read his book "The Art of Happiness", if you are looking for a way to bring total happiness and contentment and peace to yourself, this will certainly be a jumping off point for you.

Alright then, I think that's about it for me today! Gotta run, dinner needs to be started and I've got a ton of new toys just calling my name to be played with!

Until next time,
blessings!