Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Saturday, May 15, 2010

I Have Often Walked . . . . .


I have often walked . . . . . . . . . down this street before!



Sometimes I think that my husband Lee and I take for granted the wonderful mountain scenery around us. After all, we have lived here in the same house, on the same street, in the same city, in the same state, for over 20 years! So I guess it's easy to understand how we may have become overly accustomed to our surroundings.

But every now and then, I'm struck by how truly lucky we are to live in such a scenic area of the country, and at times like these, I do indeed feel humbled and blessed by the natural beauty around us.

I grew up in the Midwest (Kansas, to be exact), but I've long been drawn to the mountains. My first recollection of seeing mountains was during my family's early road trips to Colorado to visit my aunt who lived in Denver.

Later, I went to live in Denver for a time with that same aunt, while attending college there. I've been "hooked" on the mountains from that point on.

I lived in Denver for five years, then moved farther west into the Rocky Mountain state of Utah, and have been here ever since.


The weather here in Salt Lake City has been somewhat unpredictable this Spring, not an unusual occurrence for this part of the Rocky Mountains. The past week has been rainy and chilly. . . but today was quite beautiful.

We started the day with a clear sky, full sun and temperatures in the high sixties. A few scattered clouds found their way into the sky later in the day, but luckily, the high clouds brought no rain.


By late afternoon, when I decided to take a leisurely one-mile walk around our neighborhood, the temperature was still mild, a gentle breeze was blowing, and the light was perfect for a few hand-held scenic mountain photos. (Luckily, I had the foresight to take my camera along!)






Even after all these years, I am amazed that these kinds of views can be achieved while walking around our own little Salt Lake City neighborhood, within less than a mile of where Lee and I live.

Thank you all, once again, for visiting my Blog!

And until we meet again. . .may you each have the opportunity to enjoy unique and special views of your own. . . from the street where you live!

Ciao!

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!


The best conversations with mothers always take place in silence,


when only the heart speaks.

~ Carrie Latet ~




Monday, May 3, 2010

So. .. . Who's PERFECT, after all??


Any of you who have been following my Blog for a while and/or who know me fairly well through my paper-crafting work, have figured out by now that I'm a self-proclaimed "perfectionist."

Given that, I've been a little slow in grasping the concept that part of the beauty and uniqueness of handmade cards is the fact that they are NOT exactly perfect. . . .nor is that the goal!

The more experience I gain with my cardmaking, the more adept I become at "going with the flow" and letting designs evolve. Sometimes that process involves trying out a new technique or a new product. Other times, the process may actually involve changing the original design that I had in my head, to cover up some unintentional "owies"!

So THERE . . .I've confessed! And you know what? I think I feel BETTER!

This cute card, created and sold a while back, was my first serious attempt at stamping and hand-coloring an image and incorporating it into a card design.

I haven't made a card like this one since, but I think I'm just about ready to tackle this technique again.

I have to admit, this sweet little zebra and turtle hand-stamped image still makes me smile whenever I look at it!





Thanks, once again, for visiting my Blog!

And until we meet again. . . Here's wishing you all . . . Freedom from PERFECTION!