what's going on!?

Where oh where should I start? I guess I'll do a day by day break down, followed by scrapbooking stuff.

Well as most of you know, Michelle was here visiting! We had a blast, playing tourist. Here's the rundown of what we did:

September 4:

MJ arrived. The kids and I picked her up from the Frankfurt Airport. My GPS was on the fritz on the way home and we ended up getting lost. Here's what we heard outta Grace (that's the voice's name on our GPS...she's British):

"100 meters ahead, take a left."

*as I am about to take the turn, the directions change*

"500 meters ahead take a right"

*I bypass the left turn to take the right, and then I hear this*

"At the roundabout ahead, take the second exit."

Um. There was no roundabout. I was getting super frustrated b/c I was in a town outside of Frankfurt with no earthly idea as to how to get home. So I drove around and finally saw a sign to the autobahn. I found it, and even though I was going the right way on the autobahn, the GPS kept telling me to either turn right, left, or turnaround. After about 30 minutes, it corrected itself and we made it back safely.

That night we took MJ out to dinner at the village guesthouse for some German food.

September 5:

MJ, the kids, and I went to Rothenburg o.d. Tauber for a medieval good time. We went to St. Jacob's church... and the Kriminal Museum We munched on Schneeballen... and basked in the gorgeousness surrounding us.

After a few hours, we took the kid's back home (b/c they can only stand so much culture before it becomes a borefest). On the way home we stopped at a "Blumen" field to pick a sunflower for Anberlin. You see these flower fields around. Basically you can go and pick flowers and leave money for your little crop. Totally cute.

Lucky for us, the "candy lady" came around in her van and MJ was able to see what it's like to buy bread/pastries/candy out of a van.

Yum, right? I bought some candy for the kid's and a pound cake for Josh.

Later that night, after Josh came home from work, we went back to Rothenburg to do the "Night Watchman's Tour" except we got stood up. But it's ok, because we experienced Rothenburg at it's best. The towns people were dressed up in various costumes from different medieval times and had a parade to the town hall. After the procession, a beautiful fireworks display was shot off of and over the new townhall. All of my shots from the parade were crap since there was no real lighting. However, if you have access to MJ's flicker, she has some cool shots uploaded. MJ also did a quick review on how to do night shots (which I have never done before). It was quite an evening.

September 6:
MJ and I headed to Nurenburg, which is about 45 minutes away from me. Our first stop was the Germanisches NationalMuseum which boasts to be one of Europe's largest. The museum seemed to be built around an actual church!

This image right here is will relate to a layout I did. So remember it.
After the museum, we hit up some churches, walked around the downtown area, and then took a trek up a semi steep hill to view a fortress over the city.

You know, I didn't really take a lot of photos! MJ has here stuff stored on my comp right now, so I've been snagging some of her shots! lol. So obviously the photo's with me are really MJ's shots.

OK. I must end this for now, but I will continue tomorrow. Anberlin starts her kinda-first day, kinda-not tomorrow. Her preschool is trying to slowly get the kid's to get used to school, so she has tomorrow with only 6 other classmates. Then Friday she has half a day with her whole class (18 kids) and then Monday (my birthday) will be her first full day with all the kids! It's late and I should really get into bed. So more later. I promise!

xoxo

i know, i know

i owe a super long blog which i believe i will do tomorrow. mj left this morning and i'm recovering from our fun. i took a 4 hour nap this afternoon. lol. it took a lot of me! i'm so used to sitting at home with the kids and maybe going out on the weekends. so doing stuff almost everyday for almost 2 weeks...phew!

tomorrow will be editing the 600 plus photos i took and updating this old blog of mine. plus i have a lot of work to show among family news. :)

till tomorrow.

xoxo

it's a good day

pssssst.

MJ is here...well she's napping from her long flight.

And I'm listening to the new Fall Out Boy single. Right. Now.

Can't get much better than this!

A long update is in order, but not right now. :)

OMG OMG OMG

I have a layout featured on the Sassafrass Lass blog!!!! Eeeeeeeee!

xoxo
jess

PS- Some *$@#tard stole Sebastian's Radio Flyer tricycle. :( I thought I locked it up with the rest of our bikes, but apparently not. Luckily he prefers using Anberlin's old trike, but still. Hopefully the military police will find it.

pho-get about it

Dude, it's been forever since I've updated. I've been semi-busy with scrapbooking, and really busy with the family that I've neglected my poor blog.






Last weekend we took a drive to Nuremburg to restock our pantry with some asian food. I bought lots of smelly things like bagoong (a filipino shrimp paste...smells horrid but tastes good with things like mango or rice), small anchovies for frying, bin bin crackers, seaweed...I also found noodles to make Pho.






Pho is a Vietnamese soup that is SOOOOOOOO good. It has a very delicate flavor. I found a recipe for a quick Pho and it really was just as good.


I also made a filipino dessert called Casava Bibinka which uses Casava (Yuka root) as the main ingredient. The topping is condensed milk (YUM). It's a chewy consistency, but really yummy.

Project Catwalk at SiSTV is still in full swing. I'm at the top of my game, trying to stay in the top 25. Here are last week's submissions:

Week 4's challenge was to make a mini with only red, white, and blue as the main colors. You also had to use certain words throughout. I based mine on Josh's graduation from boot camp and utilized an iPod holder for it.

Then our extra credit assignment was to use the mail from the day before, chipboard, tape, something from the pantry, needle and thread, paint and staples. nothing else. For the base, I used the outer envelope (the portion you throw away) from our netflix movie (Johnny Depp..i mean..Sweeney Todd on bluray...yum!) I then used a mesh bag that held garlic, attached it with embroidery thread. Chipboard letters were outlined using white paint and a needle (since a paintbrush wasn't on the list). The chipboard heart was painted white, then while the paint was a tad wet, i peeled some of the top layer away for distressing. The tape is by Prima. The yellow folded flower is made with those yellow "notify sender of address change.". The little heart is cut out of the inside of a bill...i liked the design. The words are cut out from my USAA insurance bill.

This week's challenge has turned out to be my favorite!!! The challenge was to creat a wall hanging utilizing jeans as your main medium. I altered the canvas. Have to give credit to Jenn Star though! I totally got inspiration from a canvas class she taught in Holland in June. She used the back of the canvas to make a shadowbox.

This is nearly all made out of jeans! The tree bark is dark denim. The "leaves" are made from an old white jean jacket, added the color with glimmer mist. Stuffed it for more dimension using the stuffing from one of my kid's old stuffed dog that was bound for the garbage. The bird is the inside of the dark denim, and the fawn and grass is the white jacket too. The bushes are made using the lining from the jean jacket and from a velvet vest my son had oh so long ago. I really enjoyed this challenge...mostly b/c my walls are bare and I needed a prompt to get some decorating done. ;)

I still can't decide where to hang it though.

Here are some other projects I've worked on. I finally bought myself a heat gun, embossing powders, and pigment powders. Tried it out on this layout filled with lots of vintage elements.

Made another mini for the Fancy Pants design team call. Altered the iPod holder so it actually opens up like a book. The theme is "the Random ABC's of You and Me" which is random memories that Josh and I have had the 7 years we've been together.
I really like it. Each page has a mini photo...thinks like our favorite type of Sushi, where we met, our first date, etc.

I have other things, but I'm trying really hard to get published in magazines, so they're under wraps. Haven't heard anything yet :\ so I may be showing them soon.

xoxo

Quick Update

I'm busy with playing mom and housewife and aspiring manufacturer designer. lol.



I whipped this cute little ATC out in like 30 minutes this morning. It was extra credit time for Project Catwalk and I have a lot of catching up to do, despite my win this week. lol. I really want the prize! A free year of kits. O_O

Thanks to all for the kind words about not making Hambly. You win some, you lose even more (in my case). Ah well. I have to admit, I've been feeling down in the dumps lately from all the rejection I've been getting. So I made this layout, for the latest Scrap Mojo.

journaling reads:

"I took my Power in my Hand
And went against the World-
'Twas not so much as David had
But I was twice as bold
I aimed my Pebble
but Myself was all the one that fell
Was it Goliath was too large
Or was myself too small? "
-Emily Dickinson

It's one of my favorite poems by Emily Dickinson.
Sometimes I like the idea of a realistic David and Goliath. You can't always win in the end, but kudos to you for trying, right?

But those feelings are put aside as I am now working on yet another dt call. Cross your fingers for me.

The photo was taken of a plant I found one morning growing out of my sink, of all places. How about that for symbolism??

That's it for now! I'm in the middle of working on a project that I am totally excited about and can't wait to share it with everyone! :D

xoxo
Jess

Eeeek!

I won the week 3 round at Project Catwalk! Woo hoo! Here's my entry:

The prompt was to pick a dress from last week's "Project Runway" and use it as inspiration. The second part was to then use a photo of yourself and scrap about your scrapbooking style. My style varies, depending on my mood. When I'm frustrated about things, my layouts tend to be really messy b/c I use it as a stress release. When things are great, things tend to be either cute or very simple with clean lines. Here is the dress I chose (which was Blayne's):
You can see how like the dress, I used a black backdrop. Each "style square" also coordinates with the tiers of the dress. I chose this design b/c I tend to do alot of bright layouts with a black cardstock background.
My latest project went up at A Daily Inspiration. I altered this remote control caddy I received as a gift many years ago. It doesn't match our living room, so I altered it to match my bedroom. I really like it!
I did this layout before I left for Wiesbaden for A Daily Inspiration. I took these photos of Anberlin at a pond about 5 minutes away from our base. It's kind of hidden and a really pretty area. Anberlin was running back to the car and I snapped a few shots. I like the openess of the photos, so I went with a very simplistic look for the LO.

Well, the Bazaar scheduled for the end of this month has been postponed and the new dates have not yet been released. I guess this is good simply because it will give me more time for crafts. I just hope they don't reschedule it when MJ comes! If that's the case, I'm definitely choosing MJ over sitting in a hangar for 3 days straight. ;) She'll be here soon...in about a month! Totally excited. MJ, I hope you get over your jet lag fast so we can start our adventure on Friday. Sleep as much as you can on the plane.

We took the kids to see Wall-E last night. Oh my goodness SO CUTE! I love a good love story, and I'll take it any way I can get it...albeit a normal movie or a cartoon! And the Pixar short at the beginning?!! HILARIOUS!

Hmmm. I believe that is all for now. Monday's are my cleaning day so I'm off to do that.

xoxo
Jess

Time Flies

Where the heck did July go??

Our trip to Wiesbaden was too short and ruined partially by the weather. We arrived early afternoon on Friday and our first stop was the Fasanerie, a zoo-like park that has nature trails through a beautiful forrest. There are different animals (boars, deer, bears, birds) found in the park. We spent about 2 hours there and was spent. I didn't take too many photos. Honestly, I felt bad for most of the animals.

Afterwards, we headed to our hotel to get cleaned up and let the kids catch a quick nap. One of the reasons we planned the trip last minute was because...and this is silly...we wanted to see the new Batman movie at the army theatre up there. It isn't being shown down here. Crazy huh? So getting the kids to take a nap (especially Sebastian) was imperitive if we wanted to have a relatively stress free night. I'm sure you're wondering how it went. Pretty good actually, better than expected. Anberlin watched "Cars" on my iPod and Sebastian played "the New Super Mario Bros." on my DS. :) That boy loves my DS. I've been trying to keep it from him for the longest time. Then one day, I walk into the living room and find Josh helping him play Mario Bros. He's not even 3 and he's figured out the basics of the game. I do have to say, it's helping with the potty training. He gets gaming privilages if he uses the toilet.

Saturday morning we woke up early so we could take advantage of the free breakfast at the hotel. It was not first class dining by any means. Breakfast choices consisted of 3 types of cereal, variety of bread (not fresh bakery bread, but sliced bread or bagels), boiled eggs, frozen jimmy dean breakfast sandwhiches, breakfast hot pockets (I snickered at those), and Otis Spunkmeyer muffins. I looked at the bright side though...I could snag a few extra muffins and juice boxes to take with us for snacks later. Free is free afterall.

We drove downtown, not far from the hotel. Our first stop was the Lutheran Marktkirche (Market Church). It was built by Karl Boos from 1852-1862 as a Gothic Revival basilica with 3 naves, the western tower reaches 98m, making it the tallest building in the city. It was the first brick building erected in the Ducy of Nassau. the monument in front is "Der Schweiger" and was built in commemoration of William I the Silent, Prince of Orange (1533-1584).

Brief history on Wiesbaden, it goes back to about 2000 years. In 40 AD, the Romans erected a border fort as a military stronghold. In the 13th century, the city advanced to become a royal court and imperial city. In the 1900s the city flourished, and in 1945 it became the state capital of Hessen. It's also known as Germany's greenest city. It's location, lying between the Rhine river and the foothilsls of the Tuanus Mountains gives it a mediterranean climate.

Back to the photos. Twice a week, behind the church, is a fairly large farmer's market. It's been ages since I've been to one, but it automatically drew me back to living in Sicily and the markets in Catania. The colors from the produce were amazing! If only there was something similar in our area (there might, I just don't know).

Oh, this is how you attempt to keep 2 kids entertained while looking at old buildings and fruits and vegetables. Give them a toy camera.

I look forward to the day I can give them a real camera! Start them young! :D

Photo of the New Rathaus (City Hall).

Going into any large city means a stop at Starbucks. Notice the ever so thrilled expression on Josh's face. I call it the "at wit's end with the boy" look because at this stage, Sebastian was being REALLY bad. Somedays...I mean most days, he can be...how can I put this nicely...a pain. I'm talking screaming, crying, nothing will make him happy. Makes it hard to go out and have a good time, you know?
Shortly after that photo was taken, we left downtown. We grabbed a quick bite to eat on the base and it was back to the hotel to make Sebastian nap again. When he woke up, we went back to a restaraunt we visited the last time we were in Wiesbaden called Sushi World. Yummm. At this point it had been raining hard all afternoon. Luckily after dinner, the rain subsided long enough for us to take a stroll through a park called Warmer Damm (Warm Pond). It was gorgeous and had ducks, so you know the kids were all about being there.


Well I have a few more photos, but blogger is being a little punk. Plus it's late and I'm sleepy, so I'll finish my update tomorrow. :)

Finally!

I've never had a reason to make one of these, but now I do!


Woot! More details on that a little later.

This weekend we had a wonderful trip to the beautiful city of Wiesbaden. I have a bunch of photos to edit which will have to wait. For once, it's WARM outside and we're going to set up a little baby pool for the kids. Hopefully that will wear them out and they'll either take a nap later or just go to bed early. Actually, I'm hoping for both.

xoxo
jess

if vision is the only validation, then most of my life isn't real

Not much has been going on in the casa de Summers. We haven't travelled lately, but blame that on the rising cost of...well, everything. Josh has some vacation time coming up. I've been eyeing Wiesbaden for our next getaway. It's fairly close to Frankfurt, has a beautiful downtown, other sites, and more importantly, an Army hotel with reasonable rates.

Josh has been busy with school. He's taking online correspondence courses from Berklee school of Music. I don't remember the exact degree plan he's taking, but he is really enjoying it. That's important. His music seems to be taking off too. Believe it or not, they've had a couple of offers for shows...but being that he's in Germany and his "counterpart" is in the States, it would be kind of hard. A new song that is extraordinary is coming out soon. Be prepared to shake yer bacon.

Speaking of which, Josh turned me onto a new artist, Sam Sparro. Reminds me of Prince. He's got a soulful voice, with amazing beats, and poetic lyrics. He's gonna be big one day, trust me. If you get a chance, check out his self-titled album and some songs worth a listen (they're all good) are "Black and Gold," "21st Century Life," "Cut Me Loose."

A quick musical complaint. Josh has a Zune mp3 player. Basically he pays a flat fee to Microsoft and has unlimited downloads to his player. It's great b/c I can listen to a bunch of bands before deciding if I want to buy something to put on my ipod. Most bands are free, but there are a select few in which you have to actually purchase the album. And, for reasons I don't know, my fave band Fall Out Boy has become one of those bands. :( It doesn't effect me in the aspect that I have their albums on my ipod, but I like to steal Josh's Zune simply b/c he has more music. I feel so burned.

Anyways! I don't remember the last time I've been so productive, but I know why. I'm sick of making stuff for the craft fair and I'm avoiding it! Here are lots of photos of what's been going down in my dining room.
My Happy Place is my scrap area. It's getting to be quite large and I could seriously go for my own room, but I can't complain too much. The location is perfect, since I can keep an eye on the kids while they play. Or often, they join me at the table for arts and crafts while I scrap. You can see my Mary Blair collection along the top of my shelf.
Not completely happy with this LO, but you can't win them all, eh? This photo is of my husband and the owner of a local italian restaurant, Franco. The first night we went there, he came to our table and asked, "Do you like spicey?" Remember, read it with a thick italian accent. Josh replies yes and he leaves, then comes back with a bottle of his very own, "homemade hot pepper liquor." It was a regular fear factor at our table. Josh took a shot and took nearly 30 minutes for him to recover. LOL!!

This layout was made for a contest going on at SiSTV called "Project Catwalk." For round 1, we had to implement everyday household items. I chose coffee filters and a fly swatter (brand new of course). The coffee filters are colored with Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist (I'm obsessed with this stuff). I then cut them into strips to resemble organza ribbon. The hearts are cut from the flyswatter then painted with black acrylic paint.

This layout was made for Heather's "Reel Classics" on SiS. I used the quote from Casa Blanca, "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." I altered the photo in photoship to make it have more of a vintage feel. I added a canvas texture, then a vignette. Another reason for doing this is the original was a bit blurry.

This was also done for another challenge on SiS called "Pass the Parcel." My item to use for the layout was a book page. I colored it with Glimmer Mist, then stamped with Autumn Leaves stamps. The photos are from 4th of July. Anberlin got a huge butterfly painted on her face. :) When we came home that night, she would not let me wash it off. The next morning she begrudgingly allowed me to wash her face, but then sulked the whole day.

This is an altered agenda book from Kaiser Crafts that I made using the new KI Memories Bloom line. Lots of work went into it. For a complete list of materials and a how to, please visit A Daily Inspiration.
The newest ScrapMojo challenge is up. The prompt is to scrap someone answering the question, "What would you do with a million dollars?" Then you also have to use a pin or a pen. These are my best friends...a few are missing though. lol. I have a big group of friends, but we're all spread out now. :(

That's it for now. I have another project to post, but I have to edit the photos. Here is a link to my other site, geared towards my Memory Works side project. Please drop by here and let me know how it looks. I only have one real entry, but hope to get more up tonight after the kids are in bed. Site is here.

xoxo

Jess