Can you remember when you were a kid, embarking on the first real day of "summer vacation"? If so, you know what I am feeling right now... Freedom... so many plans, so many things to do, trips to take and thinking of the long, lazy , summer days ahead. Garden is planted....the great fresh green beans, new potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini will be only a few steps away in weeks. There is nothing like Summer... I don't care if I am a teacher! I'm a kid at heart.

So if you find this post boring, so be it... the Summer gods dictated that I write my feelings on the subject. Old Craftola deserves some R & R with the end of year I've put in. I'm sure I will share some different projects I'm working on all summer. Cheers to all to a great Summer!

For this week's challenge over at Opus Gluei, I decided to share this bizarre piece of knit and crochet scrumbling that I created. It is perhaps the oddest thing I have ever made! It started with a bag of vintage yarn my Mother found while she was cleaning out the attic. Most of the yarn was mine that I had bought in high school. I'm surprised it wasn't rotted! Anyway, I never use varigated yarn and this bag had such weird colors I felt challenged to put something together that made sense of all the unusual colors. I made two squares measuring approx. 12 x 12 inches and somehow I think the colors turned out working together...if nothing else they are very textural and interesting. Haven't decided if I will make a purse or a throw pillow with them. Hummm.....time will tell!

My newest Murder Mystery Party script is finished, well mostly finished, except for a few rewrites.... thank goodness I gave myself a few days "wiggle" room on it. This was a custom written game and had a quick need deadline. No spoilers, but the title is "Mayday, Mayday...Murder". The premise: 18 people rent a chartered plane to the Galapagos Islands, but end up in a crash landing on a deserted Island. Shortly after the crash, the Pilot is found DEAD! Yep, can you believe it? Deader than a doornail! Then, its up to the group to decide which of the 12 suspects "did" him in, how and why... It was a rough couple of weeks to get it all in place, but it will be a fun one to play. I'll keep you all posted as to when it will be available to the public. So, here I go off to start on the re-writes. I only have 40 pages to go through....

For this week's challenge, I thought I'd share a few pages of one of my first altered books. I love going to the beach on vacation, as I am basically "land locked" - living in the Mid-West (unless you count lakes and rivers as having a beach). Some of my best vacations were spent by the sea. You can't imagine my joy when a discarded book titled "Here By the Sea" came my way....it spoke to me.

This book was only made for my own enjoyment... If I am violating any copyright laws on photos I used, turn me in to the Internet Police... This book gives me great joy everytime I look through it - and the poem I found as far as I know, was authored by "Anon". I hope some of the pages speak to you, as they do me! :>) I even used a few shells from my beach combing stash to add to the fringe on the binding.

I am waiting for the middle of June, as I shall see the sea again, tasting the salt and sand - (Pardon my alliteration - its the writer in me, I guess!)

I can't believe its been almost a week since I've posted, but I have had more than my usual irons in the fire this week. School is almost finished up for this year and there have been many deadlines I must meet. Throw in a few unanticipated bumps in the road and that equals a real rough week for me. Thank goodness for a nice long weekend to regroup with family and friends. I should be back on track by Tuesday, I hope!

What a day, yesterday! Our R.H.S. meeting was in the afternoon with a "Mexicana" theme, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo this month. Everyone brought such delcious foods and unusual beverages to our fiesta. As it so happened, it was also my son-in-law's Birthday, so after we ladies had our meeting, several of the spouses came over and we continued our fiesta with Birthday revelry. Needless to say, it was a very late night! Everyone had a great time, I do believe... :>) Probably too good, by the way I am feeling right now. I'm just not used to staying up late anymore, so the old inner alarm clock still went off about 6 a.m., but the old body sure didn't want to get up that early. Thank goodness for lazy Sunday afternoons! Oh, I think I feel a "siesta" coming on....

(Photo courtesy of Bobbie Peachey)

Okay, here goes....

Scenerio - looked around my work space, saw a papier mache box that I had primed last fall (but never did anything with it!) Looked below that shelf and saw some old sheet music that I had used for my "Memory Bag Book from Memphis"....

then, the big jar of Matte Mod Podge was right behind me, too.... so the 3 met together to start on the box! Of course, I did embellish with stuph I already had. (String, ribbon, some edging stuph and wooden beads, AND the all important GLUE!) The thing I really liked was that I did a new technique I hadn't tried before. The woven flower on the top of the box. I had done this with fabric, but never on a solid surface. This junk came out of a box that I've had in my work room for 20 years+. The flower is made from some kind of silky-ish hem tape - not ribbon..and the white-ish looking one is more like a yuckky ecru color, but it seemed to work and add an antique look to the flower. I'm happy with it and it will go great in the Black and White room! I think it would be great to store some earrings, chapstick, etc....

:>)

Upon arriving home today from a tough day at work, I found a package that was delivered in the mail. Ohlalaa, it was the "Pay It Forward" package from Joanna over from This Southern Girl's Nest...

What a wonderful "perk" to my day and beleive you, me....I needed a perk today! Look at all of the goodies she sent me:

Pens, Notecards, a Wish Token, Coconut Candies, Mints and a Postcard from her home in Florida... Such a kind and generous thing to do. I am paying it forward, too. Check my post further down. Thank you, Joanna, for such a nice and thoughtful package. :>)

Anyone who has ever seen "My Fair Lady" will remember this hat and outfit Audrey Hepburn wore in the movie. Being excited about getting all of the new black and white things for the bedroom, I did a search today just on "black and white". I found several interesting things!

Take for instance this lamp shade:

Doesn't it kind of remind you of the My Fair Lady hat in the picture above? It sure did me. but not as much as this next accessory. I'd call it the My fair Lady Pillow:

I guess classic styles and colors are always in vogue! A black and white combination is my inspiration for Opus Gluei challenge this week... :>)

This is a card I made for my mother for Mother's Day! Like many others of her age group, my Mom doesn't need or want for material things and many times I make her a card or a gift for Mother's Day. We have plans to spend the day together here at my house, going out for lunch with my daughter at our favorite Mexican Restaurant and spend the rest of the afternoon at the Farmer's Market, looking at/buying plants and who knows what! Forgive the wonkiness in the photos, the scanner didn't quite capture the colors correctly. Wishing everyone a Happy Mother's Day early!

(Photos Courtesty JCPenney.com)

Spring cleaning has been underway and I wanted a CHANGE! We've had the same bedding in the Master Bedroom for too long (years!). So I've ordered so something so out of the ordinary for me - Black and White Toile! And that mix of pattern wasn't enough for me, so I ordered a different dust ruffle to go with it which has polka dots... Being a bit of a seamstress, I'm going to use the dust ruffle that goes with the bed set to make valances for the window treatments and use the other dotty one on the bed. Then I thought I'd throw in accents of rosey pink on some throw pillows, lamp shades, etc. Hope it all pulls together. Time will tell and I'll tell you how it goes. Everything should be in by the weekend. Toile...is it an age thing or what? I used to think it was ugly but I like it now. Comments very welcome! (Pro or Con!)

I was introduced to this concept at This Southern Girls Nest by Joanna and I loved the idea! The first 3 comments under this post (who are followers) will recieve an awesome goodie basket from me. The only hitch is...by doing so, you are agreeing to "pay it forward" to 3 people on your blog. That's it! I thought it was a lovely gesture and I'm looking forward to my gift from Joanna and sending out some nice things to brighten someone elses day! Please don't comment if you can't commit to "pay it forward".... :>)

MrsHQuips was the winner of Craftola's April Contest and Giveaway. Congratulations!! Thank you to everyone who participated in the fun. She will receive a goodie basket filled with Springtime Treasures. The tool was a "Heddle Hook" - used to pull warp threads through the reeds of a loom. TGIF - have a great weekend, everyone!