Happy Birthdays All Around!!!

Happy Happy Birthday to my sister Patti, oh and my friend Cathy in Colorado, hmm and Donna, my friend since the second grade!!! Hmmm I think I might be leaving someone out... Oh yeah - today is my good buddy Crop's Birthday!!!! In her honor, I have a small gift for everyone. She made a kit called Summertime - (from KimB's May CC) you can pick it up here at her blog - Crops2Dawn Creations. I made a layout with some grandchildren photos from our recent trip to Bozeman. I enjoy the color of this kit.

I also have the quickpage that goes with it. Enjoy... and why not pop over and tell Miss Croppie Happy Birthday!!!! I am pretty sure she said she is 29 AGAIN!!!!!!!!

Click the preview to go to 4shared

I have been pretty busy here of late. I know we are just moving into our Spring... but we are currently loading the woodshed with next winter's supply of wood. Did I mention I am married to a former boyscout (always be prepared) ~slash~ Engineer (I will design a plan)... so it is May , and in a few short days, the shed will be full, and I will be needing to see my chiropractor... LOL.

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We have tons of trees down so the wood lot will be quite full as well. We are definitely taking advantage of the nice (but not too hot weather). We spent Memorial Day weekend at Seeley Lake - opening up the summer cabin. Friday and Saturday were beautiful - Sunday, not so much...so we came home a little early, and found that 40 miles made a hug difference. It was great here. The time spent at Seeley was not wasted. I was up on the roof, sweeping all the pine needles and pine cones off. It helps to find any loose roofing nails. Then I got to rake all the stuff from the roof (4 wheel barrel loads). I didn't have to help per sea... I had plenty of cleaning inside to keep me busy. But I figured the faster hubby is finished, and the less tired... I may well earn a steak dinner at Lindey's. YUMMMMM, they have the best steaks. I will tell you what - work all day - a steak dinner, and poor Eilajean was DOWN for the count by 8:30. I haven't been asleep at 8:30 since I was a kid.

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I am so happy that the weather is good for being outdoors, and that is where I am headed now... well, after I grab a bite, and read up on some of your blogs. I am soooo behind.

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Have an awesome day all!!!

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Big Hugs!

eila

Montana Spring YAY!

Good Afternoon One and ALLLL! It is yet another gorgeous day! It did not start out that way... 26 degrees, but the temp is climbing nicely. We are at 60 now. Not bad for May. We have finally been able to start doing some things outdoors YAY! So here are a few photos of what May is doing in Montana. Patsy... How many days left?

We had elk in the yard - again - LOL. These guys are starting to shed their winter coats... so they are a bit nappy.

The fielded area by the wood shed shows where they were in relation to the house.

Below are the peonies. We finally got around to mulching. I will plant peonies all along the front by next spring. Hubby used some sticks from the yard and rope to make the fencing. Feels like home - and holds the bushiness back. I like it LOL.

Our front porch. We will be replacing it with Trex this year... and the current one is destines to become a new ramp for our dock... Always recycling.

And the back porch. We finally got the hummingbird mobile feeder up - This pic has a lot going on - you can see both dogs - the feeder - and that is an elk down in the meadow.

OK, so there is your Spring time Montana tour!

Have an awesome day!!!

hugs!

eila

Psychotic Hummingbirds and Renegade Grizzlies ~ HAPPY SPRING!!!

Hello... yes it would be me. I have been very remiss in my blogging, and I have no excuse, other than to say I have been side-tracked. Yes Graduation was a week ago. My son loved his new book. Of coarse the DIL now wishes to have one about her life. It is only fair. I told her she would be doing all the scanning and would have to provide info. This should keep relations good. Mothers, sons, and the women they marry ~ it can be a touchy area sometimes. I am happy this dynamic is usually fair and balanced. But I digress.

Below are photos from Graduation. I am so happy it is done, and they get to move on.

Credit goes to Creative Memories Jewel Achievements Package (free) and 1001 Free fonts - see previous blog for link...

OK, so no road trip is ever perfect. LOL! As we were driving to Bozeman for the graduation we got caught in a cattle drive. It is all part of the early Spring thing. It was fairly cloudy and icky driving there, but by the time we got there... the sun came out and it was an amazing weekend. We could not have asked for better! Especially since the forecast called for rain. I was very thankful for how it all turned out.

Sweet Spring may actually be here YAY. We have not had a fire in the wood stove in 3 whole days!!!! We did have snow last Wednesday. But today it is sunny and 75. The trees are finally getting buds... and things are green YAHOO!!!!! Yesterday we did steaks on the grill tonight it will be ribs. I have been really hungry for charbroiled food!!! It is just another sign of Spring.

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Two more very distinct signs - grizzlies and the crazed hummingbirds. When we were in Utah, the hummingbirds were so laid back. They shared the feeders with ease. Here they fight - and I mean really crazy aggressive activity. I just want to know WHAT IS UP WITH THAT?!

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I just received notice a week or so again that we had a grizzly kill some sheep a couple miles from here. NICE! A couple miles is not much in the span of griz travel. So Bear Spray it is LOL.

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I am so sorry I have been such a dolt. I think the last hold out of winter sapped my creative flow - OK - so did facebook. I will try to get back on track... Been missing all my blog buddies - except you CROPS - now get back to work... LMBO!!!! And for the record - the reason I do not miss Crops is that she has been sucked into the same facebook (games) vortex as I. But we are back to work GF Yes?

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Have a wonderful day all. Have windows to do today - but after that, will try to catch up on all the reading I have missed. And I will try to never get so far behind again. You will be hearing from me soon at your places.

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Cheers!

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eila

The last of the "Book" Layouts

I am finally going to finish posting some layouts from the book. I was just going through the book thread, and it kinda blows me away that I did about 90 layouts in approximately 2 weeks. That is just plain NUTS!!!!! I will NEVER do that again LOL. I am getting ready to start 2 more books (Hubby's old family photos) I want to make books for each of his siblings for Christmas. That should give me enough time to put it together. (and find a good deal on printing). I also want to put another one together for our other son and his family. The kids are growing so fast, and I have a bazillion photos... that should be a fun project.

And here are the final layouts I will post from this last endeavor...

I have really enjoyed looking back. There were so many memories that made me laugh and made me cry... It has been a wonderful journey so far, and I am so looking forward to see where it takes us from here. Gotta LOVE the pink hat!!! Let this be a lesson to all children... pictures WILL show up that are related to the past.... This was our first trip out to the US... the left page is from central Pennsylvania. If you are anywhere near Scranton, PA, put Ricketts Glen on your list of places you simply must go!!! Nice camping - and BEAUTIFUL waterfalls. We have played there many times.

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ALL But One layout - and I will specify that when I get there... are made using Creative Memories Packages and 1001 fonts.

More must go places!!! Montana - I will vouch for her beauty. New Zealand is also on the top of the list. It reminded me of Montana with shoreline. I would love to live there -with one exception. I love all the wildlife we have, and theirs is fairly limited. I do, however remember playing on a beach in the Catlins (Cannibal Bay) with a bunch of seals and sea lions. We were married there - perfect setting I might add.

This next layout is my oldest brother. He was great at Baseball, but was taken from us far too early. He was killed in a car accident when he was 15. The precious memories remain even after all these years.

oops - Angel Wordart is by Inspired Mommie Designs

This is my Youngest brother. He is a year younger than I am. He is an amazing human being. We are so lucky to have him in our lives. I just love some of the photos of him!

Credit goes to Beth Turner - The kit is called Let Freedom Ring. here is her soon to be "old" site and here is her new site. She has a good bit of patriotic stuff.

Last - but certainly not least... Arizona. It was not my favorite place to live... but man 'o man, the sunsets were incredible! The other photos are from prom and a road trip he took to LA with friends. The foot prints are Jack Nicholson's

I was going to wait to post this since I JUST posted yesterday... but I have some really exciting news... so I just could not wait...

THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'RE HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DOING THE HAPPY DANCE ALL AROUND THE OFFICE - I HAVE LOOKED AT THEM AND THEY ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IT WAS WORTH IT!!!!

...on that note I will sign off and say see ya ~ until next time!!!!

ciao for naio,

eila

A Couple Layouts - and A Couple of Gifts

Whew - I have actually been a bit on the busy side here of late. I decided to do some spring cleaning out in our guest cabin. It doubles as storage (one room). I decided it is time to get rid of some of the things we have not even looked at in 3 years. Makes sense to me. I have had to have a fire going in the wood stove because winter has returned - and I am not so sure it will ever leave!!!! It is not even 40 degrees yet today, and it may not even get there. OK, so I will quit whining. I keep saying two words over and over in my head ("Snow Pack"). But it really is almost May, and Eila needs MORE vitamin D!!!! OK OK, I guess I just wasn't quite finished whining.

Moving on. MY BOOK IS ON THE WAY!!!! WOO HOO!!! I should have it in my hot little hands by the end of the week. I am so excited to see the fruits of my labor. I am posting just a couple more layouts because they are done using kits from some of the designers I so greatly admire, and I wish to give them credit... and a huge THANK YOU!!!!

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This first set was done using a number of designs:

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LEFT PAGE ~ Creative Memories (background)

Squiggly elements, bluebird, and giraffe ~ my buddy Crops - Crops2Dawn - pop over to see her, and tell her Thanks for all she does!!! She RAWKS!

Wordart by hilleke at Scrap Depot

Font ~ 1001 Free Fonts

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RIGHT PAGE ~Creative Memories for the border text - the beach alpha and background is from Vicki A Work In Progress - from her Beach Holiday kit that was featured in Scrap N Art last July (I believe). She has a fairly new store... ~ Scrap That Idea ~ You can buy "her store" (the kits she currently has for a mere $30.00 - so go check it out (the offer is expiring fairly soon!!!) I have shopped there, and cannot wait to play with some of my new stuff... Was my boy just too cute or what - hence the wordart I chose to use LOL!

This one is from a kit from Mrs Miles' HEART STRINGS MINI KIT. She does some of the most beautiful work. This matches a page I had previously done - it is the opposite page in the book - you would have to go back a few posts for the other side. Thank you so much Mrs Miles. This is on of my fav all time kits. I guess because of the passion Boy and I both have for music. So pop over to her place an say "hi".

The next one was made using Barbara ~ Just Passing Through's Colorful Grunge Kit. She is a great designer, and works very hard for us - so if you snag any of her work, be sure to say a heartfelt thank you!!!

Oh GOSH!!!! I almost forgot (not really). I just happened to make a couple QPs using that very kit.

I tried to take into account those with slower downloads... so I broke it into two parts. Enjoy!

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Oh yeah, and if it is not too terribly much of a bother, would you mind leaving a quick thank you if you do download. You of coarse are not obligated to do so, but it is just good manners, and I appreciate the feed back.

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You can pick up the first one here

and the second one here

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I really must sign out... I have a care package to put out for a friend who is going through a bit of a rough patch... Hoping to send a smile.

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Ciao everyone!!! Hope it is sunny where you are cuz it sure isn't in Montana!!!

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eila