headed home for a few days.......

1. green grass of Gilroy, 2. Gilroy, CA -- Pacheco Pass 9, 3. Above Gilroy, Santa Clara County, California, 4. Gilroy - The Old City Hall building, 5. Gilroy Gardens, 6. Gilroy, CA, 7. Gilroy Garlic Festival, 8. Gilroy Garlic Festival, 9. Structure 4: Front doors on old Wheeler Hospital building

camping in the giant forest

what I love about summer.....
the freedom of being able to decide at the last minute that maybe you NEED to spend sometime outdoors..... (really, really outdoors... no tv's, no computers, no cell phone service....... just lots of fresh air.....
here's what we did in the giant forest.....

packed up the jeep and hit the road.......

drove thru a tunnel log!

was awe inspired by the beauty of Nature!

found a few pine-cones almost at tall as us :)

look up ..... always look up...... I had to take this shot!
Trees are the earth's endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. RABINDRANATH TAGORE

took in the amazing view - GIANT sequoia trees, lots of granite rocks and most importantly lots of FRESH mountain air.....

a close encounter of the brown kind! (yikes)

he loves me :)

the shadow knows!

a new perspective .......

can you taste the SMORE's ??

gotta love a 6 yr olds perspective.... he found a happy tree! The boys termed it the AFLAC tree..... check out it's bill..... (they crack me up)

This tree fell... and it was hollow..... back in the 1800's it was part camp hideout part saloon! (how cool!)

view on the ride home.... it's breath taking isn't? We are so blessed to be a few hours south of Sequoia National Park.

so blessed to be a few hours from loving family..... that's where we are headed next.. up north for Nana time.....

heavy metal

wow - time has flown by... it's been one month since last bookclub and as I mentioned (a few posts ago) my contest about "Heavy Metal with an American Idol twist"..... I was scrambling on Monday evening because I had bookclub on Tuesday and I still had not completed a project..... AHHHHH! I had one night and half a day to make something for our meeting..... (what's a crafter to do?) Our bookclub kit consisted of all things metal...... brads, embellishments.... metal glue sheets, glitter..... Since it was metal - the main colors seemed to be black and silver / pewter..... I challenged myself to add COLOR!! While making this other little kit ( a family mini book - I had a bunch of scraps - they happened to fall next to my metal kit..... and I said "HEY - that almost coordinates....") All month, I was planning on making a mini book - using tons of metal....(about DMB) BUT as luck would have it...... I had printed out an inspiration piece from TIm Holtz.... he called it patchwork pandemonium.... (third picture down - if you follow the link) I mostly was drooling all over the picture...... I never intended to actually attempt it!! BUT as I said.... luck was on my side and I had just the right amount of scraps......... that coordinated with my metal.....

I started cutting up two x two squares... 4 x 2 rectangles.... - pulled out some fragments...... threw some glitter onto chipboard...... busted out the glossy accents........ covered chipboard shapes with the glue foil (black metal) ..... had some bare spots........ don't know how but this picture of my son was sitting on the table and it fit just PERFECTLY into one of my bare spots..... so I dug up the other two pics that went with it..... and ALL i had to do was glue everything down!!

HOLY "patchwork pandemonium"!! It's not quite the perfect rendition, as Tim's is all grungy and alcohol inky (and geniusy) ... But mine is heavy on the metal (as I had wanted), had the color I was looking for and some really cute pics of my kids...... voila!

I asked my DH what he thought...... (I wanted to know if he thought it was too busy?) DH said... "well... you have that whole rod iron thing going....." HUM? not quite the answer I was looking for...... so this past Tuesday night, I nervously took my patchwork attempt to bookclub..... Thinking the ladies would say...... "WOW, you have that how rod iron thing going for you......" but I think they actually liked it..... ??? I won my own contest! I really did not plan it that way... I guess I'll have to blame it on my cute kid's photos.......

C'est la Vie,
xo,
amt

a lovely little book

wow....... I'm one lucky lady..... i have lots of talented friends in my life.... but three in-particular are very dear and very near to my heart. A few months ago.. by chance, I purchased a somerset issue on altered books.... it was about a collaboration of altered books, in a round robin form, on the theme of love..... well- it was packed with yummie goodness of vintage multi media spreads in a variety of different forms.... I wanted to do one of my own....... So, I asked my expert friends... how the heck do I do it? Then it transpired into ... OH .. will you work in my LOVE book? At first, I though I was going to alter a HOPE book....butterflies.... but as luck would have it.... this little Shakespearian sonnet book took it's place. Back in late February, altered the cover.... "attempted" to alter a few pages of my own. and mailed it off to Nathalie. She played in .... mailed it to Linda. She played in it.. and mailed it to Katie. Katie played and then mailed it back to me..... I think I just about lost my mind when I received it.

The first page here is expertly done by Linda..... with a love sonnet of it's own.

this spread - on the left was an attempt by me..... but on the right was the GENIUS of Nathalie..... WOW - she created a pocket with furry tags peeking out with love notions, all about it..... I seriously covet the typewriter touches! YUM

This spread is very romantically done by Linda.... It's a love letter tucked into this love worn little envelope..... dated back to January 29, 1800 (complete with wax seal!)

this spread is a transparent beauty! I love how she used tissue paper to reveal yet another little love letter tucked into a triangular pocket.

this spread, again by Linda is her "sign in" she left her MOO card :) then she whipped up a little weave.... and stamped it with one of my favorites she owns.... oh la la! mourez aussi pour

next we have Katie....... an beautiful angel.... with a broken heart. I love it's transparency (not sure what the angel is printed on?) it really is divine.... seriously- it's glossy and angelic in every form. I LOVE the bookmark... She also weaved that into the book then beaded it with a cross.

Next a page of royal beauty.... some Dresden touches and rhinestone shimmer..... yum yum (katie - you are so talented!)

The desire sections.... again Katie out does herself! touches of wallpaper like pages... dreamy images of love, hidden love notes with vintage flair.


And one of my favorites a la Katie... a mermaid swimming across the page..... so graceful

a youthful love story on this precious page by katie.....

love this spread! one of my favorite stamps from katie, as well. I love wings and this just puts me over the moon!

Alas, we reach another Nathalie section. I am in awe of the endless talent of this Stamper Extraordinare. She can really work a spread.... First she paste a background paper.... stamps a romantic scene - sews in her "sign in" complete with library cards ephemera .... adds a few postmarks... voila! the talent of a pure genius.....

Another amazing spread..... done with a steady hand...... a spiral peekaboo page - WOW!

it's so fantastic I wanted you to see it...... flat.....

This progression of tabbed pages, is so amazing! Seriously....

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the font, the stamps, the story...... (ahhh!)

Before I sent the book off, I had no idea it would return to me in such beauty, such awe inspiring inspiration of lovely talent. I knew I asked the right women to work in it.... because they have captured my heart with their amazing art abilities from the beginning of our friendships. But I had no idea this LOVELY little book could have possibility turned out so perfect. It is one of my most treasured possessions...... My gratefulness knows no end when it comes to these amazingly talented women... Thank YOU - Thank YOU - THANK YOU!!!!!

And since they have inspired me sooooo - I'm off to play in a few more pages myself...... au revoir!
MERCI!!!

spin the bottle

Ok Miss Nathalie...... I have been meaning to respond to your great blog challenge about childhood memories.....
so in typical anna form - I made a mini book.........

the cover is a spinner...... with a "variety" of questions - first kiss - most embarrassing moment - stupidest thing u ever did..... blah blah blah.......I felt that the cover was a little plain because I could not figure out what kind of ribbon to put on it (argh) but I had fun on the inside...the book base itself is made from Martha Stewart (18' x 18') cardstock - I took it down to Kinko's and sliced it to 6' x 18' - then scored and tri folded back into itself making it 6' x 6'.

There is ONE picture in this book...... (my blog profile pic) and the rest is straight up journaling..... I used a typewriter font......and cut the sentences (sometimes words) into strips.....

With in the tri fold - I created sections..... fold up down or sideways... you will find two answers to the "spin the bottle" questions.... with little flaps to reveal the answer...... I had to make people work for the answer some how..... :)


The book's cardstock is a chocolate brown color and all the patterned paper is Cosmo Cricket's new line. The metal accents are all from TIM Holtz ( he rocks the metal.....) and ribbons and buttons are just scraps that coordinated with my color theme....

What... you want to know the answers? :) ok... I will share few....
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my favorite fantasy

as long as we are talking fantasy...... I would sleep in til 9 am (ish) have breakfast in bed - prepared by my favorite chef, Matt. Get dressed take a LIMO to the day spa get a mani/pedi, facial, massage and healthy lunch. Get back in the LIMO... head to the nearest mall, met my girls and have a shopping spree, grab a frappachino, get back in the Limo.. head to Simply Scrapbooks and have a SHOPPING SPREE! Back in the Limo, drop my girls off pick Matt up go to lovely French Bistro and have a 5 star supper. Pick my girls back up, head to our very own PRIVATE Concert with DAVE MATTHEWS BAND... rock out until midnight (or so...) Meet the whole band and crew... pictures autographs.... have a few beers.... become BFF’s .... call it PERFECT!!!

stupidest thing I ever did

After high school - I finally passed my drivers test......somehow CA issued me a license...... My first week driving my pimped out ’66 Karmanghia (yes it was a stick and I was just learning how to drive) Headed out in the windy mountain roads of my hometown. I nearly drove off a cliff..... seriously.... had to get a tow truck to come and rescue me..... So sad :(

my most embarrassing moment

College years....... hanging out with my friends at the beach.. head to the wharf for lunch...... I decide (by myself) to check out the sea lions...... I guess I got to close to a sea gull..... He bit me...... Darn bird left a big welt on my head for a few weeks...... My friends still don’t let me live that one down.......
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So Nathalie, it's not quite the childhood memories you were looking for but more of teen novelty to reveal my most ridiculous thoughts and memories and since I never played "spin the bottle" in real life...... it was kind of funny to think back on those ohhhh TOO traumatic years know as the late 80's and early 90's..... lordy - lordy - glad that's far behind me :)

xo,
anna

disney memories

Memories from the happiest place on Earth.....

straight away after checking in to the hotel we met..... GOOFY!

we reviewed "the rules"

we saw a parade........



we met LOTS of friends!

Had the "finest of meals"...... seriously, peanut butter and jelly pizza???

had an "incredible" encounter :)

tried desperately to become a JEDI.......

passed out in the most comfortable of places....