Scary Day in Saratoga Springs, Utah

This morning I got word that the mountain we lived on the side of was on fire and it wasn't looking good.  The pictures started out looking like just a wildfire on the top of the mountain but as the day went on, it got worse.  

Our old subdivision; Jacobs Ranch where we use to live was evacuated in the early afternoon along with Stillwater and others.  

This is a picture of a neighboring subdivision early this morning.  The smoke is thick and dark, not a good sign.  They said the winds had picked up and it was changing direction and moving fast.  At the time this picture was taken, it had only burned 750 acres.  By the time the National news had come on, Lester Holt reported it had burned 4000 acres.  This is one fast moving fire.

My old neighbor Joy took this picture of the fire plane from her driveway.  She lives on street up from us.  To me, this is a little too close.  I later saw on her facebook that someone commented that this plane saved their house. How surreal.

The picture above is of our old street.  We lived two doors down from the house on the right.  This picture was taken at 10:30 this morning so you can only imagine how close it is now.  I am hoping that everyone is safe and as one neighbor said "I just hope we have a house to come home to".  

Please keep the community of Saratoga Springs, Utah, the fire fighters, police and all emergency personnel in your thoughts.

Back to Blogging

So when I started my blog up again after taking a long break, I thought it would be much easier to post something at least every other day, every couple of days if not maybe everyday, wrong!  I started off really good but things happened, life got really busy and I found that even if I had some time, I was too tired to post anything.  Well now that school is almost over for the kids and most end of the year events are done; I think I can post just a little bit more.  In fact, I am challenging myself to it.  So let's see if I can do it.  I may post about my kids, events at their schools, my favorite scrapbook creations, my cooking adventures or just life as I know it.  

First up, just a little Puyallup Farmers Market pictures.  

Since moving to Bonney Lake, WA last year and finding out about the weekly market in Puyallup; Carter and I have hardly missed a weekend yet.  We stumbled upon it last summer and stopped to see what it was and by the time we left, I was hooked.  The fresh vegetables, fruit, plants all the food and craft vendors-I was impressed.  And the best part is, this happens every Saturday and Sunday from Mid April until late September.  So we always make an effort to go on Saturday morning before the market gets too busy and we start our busy day.

Our first stop is always the snow cone lady.  Once Carter gets his snow cone he is good to go.

The many faces of a happy boy with his snow cone.

I love how he always seems to pick the flavor that stains his teeth!

So tomorrow is Saturday and Carter has already asked me what time we are leaving.  He has already decided which two flavors he is having for his snow cone; mango and pink lemonade.  He also asked if I was going to have the same thing for lunch again while we are there.

Of course I told him no I was going to switch it up this time.  This is something I say every week but I always end up getting the same thing. 

A Philly Cheese Steak.  

Only the best one in the Seattle area!

But of course, we will see......

Finally a Package For Me

Yesterday a package came and finally it was for me.  Usually they are for Tim always something work related so when I saw yet another padded envelope I automatically assumed it was for him.

Earlier in the week I placed an order with Unity Stamp Co. because they were having a 55% off sale.

I couldn't resist because all of the Simple Stories stamps were included and I was able to get them much

cheaper than when I order them directly.  I actually controlled myself and cut my order in half before hitting submit.  All of the above stamps I got for $40, whoo hoo!!  I love a good deal.

So my next package should be here this week; another big order from Simple Stories.

Can't wait to use my new stamps!

What A Messy Table

 Oh, what a mess I have right now on my scrapbook table!  I have been busy

creating lately and I usually clean as I go, but after this last round creating I simply gave up.

For those of you who know me well, you know this bothers me more than anything; a mess.

I cringe at the thought of walking away and not putting things in their spot.  Reorganizing all my supplies before starting the next project.  Regrouping my embellishments, papers, ribbons and such.  It

just gives me a feeling of starting with a clean slate.  But I couldn't resist taking a few pictures

of what I have left on my table.  I won't even show you the floor or the closet, that hurts my eyes to 

even look at it!  To know me you know this is out of character for me.  

So as I type this post, I find comfort in knowing that yes I straightened my scrapbook room up and

it is all put back to normal.  But not for long.  I am meeting with Pam from SLATE tomorrow to see what all she wants me to do for her and her store.  So I know as soon as I come home I will be busy creating for her and once again I will have a mess on my hands.  

Four More Projects

I love this layout using Simple Stories 100 Days of Summer.  The paper is so bright and cheerful and it reminds me so much of summer.  Even more it makes me want summer to hurry up and get here.  Sure the sun is out but it needs to warm up about 30 degrees then I will be super happy!

Life Documented by Simple Stories is the line I chose to use for this layout of Taylor.  The colors in the papers remind me so much of her personality that it is a perfect fit.  

Just a quick little card once again using 100 Days of Summer.  After I made this I thought what a cute card to send just for the heck of it.  Super easy, super cute.

One last project.  At the last Scrapbook Expo in Salt Lake I purchases 6 of these shadow boxes all 8x8 in white.  At the time I had no idea what I was going to use them for but they were such a good deal I couldn't resist.  So they have been in my scrapbook room for over a year still wrapped in their plastic coating just waiting to be used.  Many times I thought I would do something with them in the girls rooms - three in each - but yet that never happened.  So the other day while going through the closet in my scrapbook room I came across the boxes and decided at that point I would make something with them.  I didn't get too far, just one box but hey that's a start.  

Who knows, maybe I will get to the other 5 boxes before another year goes by.  

McKinley and Carter Need I Say More

This has to be one of my favorite pictures taken of McKinley and Carter.  They were so cute together.

I took this at the ballpark on the last Thursday night league game for Alex before we moved.  It was a great night.  Not only did they win both games but all of our friends were there to watch her play her last game for Missouri Stealth.  My dear friend Lisa and her two daughters McKinley and Ellie were there to watch as well.    This was cool because Lisa has known Alex since the day she was born and has always been a part of her life.

  When we moved back to Missouri we moved to O'fallon where we lived just a few minutes from Lisa and an instant friendship was born between McKinley and Carter.  They played so well together and we always said they would get married one day.  I took this photo of the two of them hugging which I think captures how they felt about each other.  What makes this even better is that Lisa and her husband Jim bought our house when we found out we were moving to PA.  Carter thought it was pretty cool that McKinley would be living in his house.  When we left our home for our new one, I left the girls some presents on the counter one being a framed picture of the two of them above.  Lisa told me McKinley put it on her room where she could look at it at all times.  I am not sure if it is still out on her shelf where she can look at it but I hope that if it is put away somewhere, that one day when she looks at it again she remembers what a cute little couple they were.  

Oh what a great wedding Lisa and I could put together!!

A Few More Things To Add

Came across a few more pictures here on the laptop to share with you.  One of them is of a magnet board and the other is of a 7Gypsie tray I did for gifts.  Always have enjoyed doing projects like these because they go so fast once I get it layed out in the pattern that I like.  

Above is one of the trays I did for our softball coaches at Westlake High School in Saratoga Springs, Utah.  They were a huge hit.  I was lucky enough to be able to request that one of our local scrapbook stores carry our high school papers along with all of the other high schools they already had.  Being as though we were a brand new high school I had to supply them with school colors and such before they would order it. 

  

This is a maganet board I did the year before for all of the coaches.  Mind you this is a picture before it was finished and before giving them to the coaches we added team pictures and magnets I made to match.  One of the boards still remains in the softball trophy case with team pictures on it.  Pretty cool to walk down the athlete's hall with all of the trophy cases and to see how cool the softball one looks with all the trophies, pictures and such.  

A Few Projects To Share With You

This was a 7 Gypsies Tray I did for Archivers a year ago.  Each store had to do a tray using current product and a 7 Gypsies tray of our choosing.  We submitted it to corporate for consideration for marketing purposes and it was chosen!  WooHoo!  It was used in email, print and web and is currently still on their website in the idea gallery.  The pictures are of my son Carter, daughter Taylor and my other daughter Alex taken by my friend Alyssia whom I worked with at Archivers.  Check out her website here if you live anywhere in the Salt Lake/Provo area:  

http://www.alyssiabphotography.com/blog/

Above are two projects I did for Alex's Alpha Phi Red Dress Gala in 2011.  I was really into doing magnet boards at the time which I picked up pretty cheap at Roberts Crafts.  I think at one time I had about 10 in my inventory!  I found I was making them for every occasion that needed a gift or donation of some sort.  They are super easy to pull together.  Probably the hardest part is deciding on what paper line to use and making sure there are enough embellishments to go with it.  For this particular project I used a Fancy Pants line that I found once again at Roberts Crafts.  I loved the blues and browns together.

And yes, another magnet board and tray!  These were done for my sister-n-law Lisa who came to visit us while we were living in Saratoga Springs, UT.  She always brings us gifts so I thought what a great surprise to give her something when she arrives.  Although I don't remember the paper lines I do know that I used a mixture of lines and embellishments.  My idea was to use paper which would coordinate with her first floor of her house being as though she has a open floor plan but from what I was told, she took them to her office and put them on display with all the other pictures of the nieces and nephews.

I still have I think 2 boards in my scrapbook room to use.  Before Roberts Crafts went "officially" out of business I picked up a few remaining boards which I was able to locate in a few locations.  Soon I will have to look for a new source but until then I guess I will stick to doing trays and canvases.

Alpha Phi Tiles

So after sending the other items for the Alpha Phi Red Dress Gala, I didn't feel like that was enough so I whipped these tiles up quickly and overnighted them so they would get to her in time for the auction.  Well she called me when she got the package and informed me they were not going to the auction they were staying with her!  Really? After I quickly made them and shipped them to her pronto!  Well it ended up that a sorority sister of hers saw them and wanted to buy them so now I have to make another set of tiles but this time I will not be putting a rush on it!

"A's" for Alex

So yet another project for Alex...  She has had these "A's" since I made them for her when we lived back in West Grove, PA and for those of you counting that was almost 4 years ago, but with a different line of paper. Alex requested that I change the paper to match her new colors in her apartment at school.  So luckily I still had some Webster Pages paper left over from another project that matches her place perfectly.  Don't you just love how Taylor had to somehow get into the picture?

Family Tiles and Board for Alpha Phi

A few weeks ago I whipped up a few things for Alex's sorority Alpha Phi for their Red Dress Gala.  Alex requested something simple using warm colors so this is what I came up with.  Not bad for a couple of hours of work!

Taylor found this cute idea for a wreath on Pinterest and decided to try one herself.  She took an old Harry Potter book and tore the pages out and rolled each one then  formed a wreath and went crazy with the hot glue gun.  She then added a cute bow and there you go,  a book wreath.  I thought she did such a great job I hung it on my door to my scrapbook room.

And So It Begins

Well here I go again.  I am attempting to start blogging again and stick with it this time.  I first started blogging back when we lived in Dardenne Prairie, MO and continued after we moved to West Grove, PA.  But when I found out we were moving again, this time to Saratoga Springs, Ut I stopped for a few reasons.  One, I was just too busy and two I was using typepad and I got tired of paying to use it.  I still have my link to my old blog where all of my post are there.  If you are interested you can check it out here:  http://micheleliebig.typepad.com/

I tend to go back and check it out often.  I love looking at pictures I have posted and seeing how the kids have changed over the last few years.  Just imagine if I would have kept up with it!  


So I am going to try something different this time.  I am going to attempt to post more than just things about the kids and things we are doing.  This time I think I might post more of things that I am interested in, wow what a concept!  Recipes I make-from my favorite cookbooks and my own, my creations within the scrapbooking world, some of my favorite finds and yes just a "few" pictures of random things.  So please join me on this new adventure!