Half Dome

Yosemite....sooo beautiful!

Spooky

Is it a ghost? Or perhaps a photo taken from a driving car?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

In-N-Out

Ever been to In-N-Out Burger? If not, go west. Then go eat. Its way worth it.

Oh, and remember to order it animal style.

Your tastebuds will be pleased.

Orchid-take two

My Pinnochio orchid now has two flowers!!

I gain great enjoyment from this plant.

I even talk to it.

Like a crazy woman.

Wait....

Autumn colors

Ahhh, fall.

And fall colors.

I love them both.

Cloudshine

Fluff. Cotton Candy. Just plain cotton.

I love to look at clouds!

Ocean sunsets

So, we do have really pretty sunsets in Iowa...

but most of them don't involve sand. Or saltwater.

Sooooo pretty.

Build-A-Bear

Another thing regarding Stampin' Up...

They've got an agreement with Build-A-Bear.

But instead of stuffing the bear, you dress it. With paper. Super cute.

Socks revisited

My second pair of knitted socks have been finished.

And they've been gifted.

My sis knew these were in the works, soooooo....

instead of waiting till winter was over to give them to her for her birthday,

she got them as soon as they were done.

As an 'early birthday' present.

It really annoys her hubby when we give each other early and late birthday presents all year.

So, of course, we do it all the more.

I announced this was an 'early birthday present' quite loudly when I presented the socks.

He rolled his eyes and said "oh, good grief!"

Sorry, Charlie!

hahhaha

Stampin' Up

Stampin' Up has branched out a little in the past couple of years...they now offer the Big Shot, a die-cutting machine similar to Sizzix...it actually uses Sizzix dies, but here's the kicker. Stampin' Up has exclusive dies that match their stamp sets.

Here's something one of the super creative ladies in my group brought to the last meeting.

Yes! Thos ARE pins. They're created with a die. Out of fabric. I'm impressed...and I'll be making some...as soon as I get my die. These meetings are DANGEROUS!

Meow

Pupil-less cat, mid-complaint.

Lovely.

Spicy~!

The pepper plants in my sister's garden were abundant in fruitfulness this year.

I can't even begin to describe the wonderful aroma in her kitchen.

Mmmmmm.

More Flora

Can anyone tell me what kind of flower this is? I honestly do not know...but I think its purty!

I love my job.

I have a wonderful boss who sends me to great places with sun, sand, and beautiful turquoise water. Ahhhh!

Charleston

Mom and I took a long weekend trip to Charleston. It is a lovely city! Next time we'll probably try to go that direction when its not so lovely at home, though...it was hard not to think of our fall passing by while we walked around and sweated. ;)

Orchid

I got this orchid at the Iowa City farmer's market. I've had orchids in the past and have never been able to keep them alive. This lady told me exactly how to care for this Pinocchio orchid...I've had it for a month now. There's a second bud that looks like it will bloom soon!

Loot

I went on a bus trip to Stitches Midwest.
I came back with LOTS of yarn.
I will add that half of this is for my momma.
But, half of it is MINE.

Wildcat Den

Iowa Corn Desert Hikers at Wildcat Den.

Home territory!

ROSE!

My friend and college roomie Rose came to visit Iowa.

We had fun exploring the Muscatine and QC area.

Sledgehammer

It turns out I CAN wield a sledgehammer. And here's a photo to prove it. I will not say that I do it with great skill or finesse. But at least I can lift and sling that thing!

My sis, on the other hand, make it look easy. She weilds with skill. And finesse. What a woMAN.

Tomato Worms

Ever had these?

The delightful creatures eat the living daylights out of tomato plants.

And they're glow-worm green.

My nephews enjoy them.

Even as snacks.

They get defensive when we threaten to eliminate thier 'pets'.

And turn them into auntie eyebrows instead.

Wales-Snowdon

We hiked. And hiked. And made it to the top.

And then we went back down.

It was foggy.

It was wet.

It was glorious.

The hikin' crew.

England-Cotswolds

Yellow stone. Thatched roofs. Must be the Cotswolds.

England-Bath

Famous housing.

The Avon River.

The Roman Bath.

Bath was enjoyed by all equally. We talked about bathing in one of the 'baths' of Bath...wondered if they were co-ed. And if you got to wear swimwear.

But we didn't bathe.

We showered at our hotel instead.

England-Stonehenge

The natives called it a 'pile of rocks'. But, they went along without too much grumbling.

And enjoyed the tour.

England-Seashore

We took a chilly boat ride.

And encountered a stiff breeze.

England-Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle was a lovely stop. We got there too late to go inside, but walked around the wall and had a gander at the outside.

England-London Bridge

Our mini river cruise took us away from the London Bridge...its NOT falling down!

Grin!

Smile!

We traded cameras with some other people who were down by the bridge.

I'm pretty sure they missed getting the bridge in our photo!

England-Big Ben

Here we are, combover and all, in front of the 'symbol of London'.

I've noticed that pretty much everywhere I go, I get a little obsessed with taking photos of one type of thing. Big Ben got the prize in London.

Its such a pretty timekeeper.

England-London Eye

Jen and I had our trip to England in early July. It was fabulous.
One of the first things we saw on our venture out the first morning was the Horse Guards Parade Grounds...with the London Eye as a backdrop.


Later, we took a ride on the river Thames, seeing the sights along both shores.