January 2023 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

I hope everyone survived the "Big Chill" that swept over the country.  If I could have just bunkered down in the house for three days, I wouldn't have cared so much.  But, as it is, I had to be out in it every day to feed my horses and to make sure they were out of the wind and doing ok.  It was brutal, but we survived.  If you live in a warmer climate, squeeze an ice cube as hard as you can for 5 minutes.  That's pretty much what it feels like, even with winter gloves on.  One week later, we're at 50 degrees today and most of the snow has melted.  If only this were the end of winter instead of just the beginning.

These days, the only babies we have in our family have 4 legs and a tail, but these colors just screamed "BABY" to me.  So, here ya go. . . 

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Fan Freebie --

I added a few more papers and graffiti to enhance your layouts.  Have fun with it!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

And this is how I found Boo when I got back to the house.  He pretty much lounged around and slept through the 4-day winter storm.  Not spoiled at all.  Entitled!

Happy New Year everybody!   See ya next month.

December 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 Another year of the Digital Scrapbook Blog Train is coming to an end.  When I originally worked on this back in October, I was kicking around the idea of maybe having a more elegant Christmas this year.  But, living on a horse ranch and having 50 years of country-style ornaments that I dearly love, well....the house will once again be decorated in the country style that so very much suits my character.  I'm blue jeans and boots all the way.  Instead of a wreath, however, I found a pony head fashioned out of pine boughs and decorated with a ribbon halter, ivy and holly berries.  It's just adorable and will be perfect on my wall covered with pictures and paintings of all of my horses.  Nonetheless, my photos this year will be scrapped with this more elegant look.  Best of both worlds!

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Nothing spells C-h-r-i-s-t-m-a-s better than the smell of sugar and spice baking in the oven while it's snowing and blowing outside.  While you're preparing for this holiday season, be sure to snap a picture of the baker in your kitchen.  It wouldn't be Christmas without them!

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The Boo Update --

Decorating Boo for Christmas is almost as fun as decorating the tree!  Maybe even more fun :)  If I actually plopped a hat on his head and shoved bells in his mouth, I can only begin to imagine how many band-aids I would need :)

November 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Our annual Thanksgiving gathering is a day to just be thankful for what we have, to share what we have and enjoy the day with our friends and family.  I love having my family here each year, spending the day catching up on what everyone has been doing, playing games together, cooking together and eating together, of course!  It's always one of the most pleasant days of the year for me.  Also, there's plenty of people around to clean up the kitchen afterwards so that I can spend some thankfulness time with my horses and other animals in the barn.  By the time I get back to the house, the kitchen is clean and it's "Game On" time!

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Fan Freebie --

I carried the same colors through to the fan freebie so you would have extra elements for scrapping your pages.  This month's colors were extraordinary and so much fun to work with.  Enjoy!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update

Boo was helping me make the guest room bed.  Help, as in making a 5 minute job into a match of who could move faster.  I threw the bottom sheet on and before I could tuck in one side, Boo was already underneath the sheet playing hide-n-seek.  So then I'd have to pull him out and set him on the floor, but with springs in his feet. he'd be on the bed again waiting for the next sheet.  Putting pillowcases on the pillows was a total tug of war.  Everything is a game to him!  Not sure how I finally got the blanket on.  By the time I got to the quilt and found he was already under part of it, I was exhausted.  Obviously, so was he.  Shortly after I took this picture, he was sound asleep and stayed there for the next 4 hours.   So, 6 hours later, that bed was finally made. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

October 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 Up here in Wisconsin, we usually tolerate September just to get to October.  Days are shorter for sure, but it's usually warmer and less rain.  The days are perfect for visiting a pumpkin patch with the grandkids, complete with a corn maze and feeding baby goats.  We get out to the pumpkin patch on an old wagon pulled by two beautiful Belgians.  I raise horses, so that's always the best part for me!  Another tradition is that the kids come over and we decorate Halloween cookies.  It's a fun way to spend an afternoon. Thought you might like to see last year's cookies.  I just put out all the sugars, decorations and candy and let them get creative.  Not to brag, but I think the kids are following in their Grandma's artistic footsteps :)

I loved working with the deep, rich colors for this month's Blog Train.  I hope you enjoy it for scrapbooking your own October Memories!

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Fan Freebie --

I love Halloween.  It's just a sweet, fun holiday.  

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The Boo Update --

Happy Birthday, Boo!  I can't believe you're 4 already.  Now, please get off of my kitchen counter!

Until Next Month!

September 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

August flew by way too quick, and here it is September already.  I've had such a great summer working with my horses and other animals, gardening, and just enjoying sunny, warm days outside.  Since time stops for no one, however, I guess we might as well embrace fall, too :)  Now, I'm voting for a longer fall and an early spring.  We'll see.

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Here are a handful of graffiti stamps to enhance your layouts.  Have fun!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo likes his meals ON TIME.  Around 11:30 each morning, he tends to hang around the kitchen waiting for L-U-N-C-H.  I can't say the word out loud, because he KNOWS that word when it's said.  I'm also beginning to think he can read a digital clock.  That said, this is how I found him when I came in from the stables LATE, as in 15 minutes late.  He wouldn't let me into the kitchen.  He was like "if you want coffee, you feed me lunch first!"  He won.  I fed him lunch just so I could get a coffee refill. 

Until Next Month . . .

August 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Summer has been moving right along and here it is August already!  Summer seems to fly by way too quickly if you ask me.  I pretty much spend my summers outside and enjoy every minute of it gardening, training horses and just soaking in the sun.  Never a boring minute.  And we've had just enough rain to keep everything green and growing :) 

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

If you read my text above, now you know why you've been getting graffiti as a Fan Freebie for the past few months :)  Gotta run . . . the great outdoors is calling me!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

I came in from outside and found Boo like this.  Had to take a picture!  The back of his head is hanging off the barstool, as is his hind leg closest to the cabinet.  I just shake my head.  Sound asleep and no care in the world.  I wonder what he dreams about.

See ya next month!

July 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 It's been a long time since I've even been near an ocean, but with this month's colors, it just seemed like the right way to go.  The little mermaid in the bottle frame is my granddaughter, Claire.  And she wanted everyone to know that she doesn't really have a tail -- just in Grandma's computer.

I set up the frame in the sand so that all you need to do is slip your photo behind it.  I also included just the bottle frame alone so you can position it anyway you want.  Just slip a sand border behind it and a sand border in front of it.  Tilt the bottle frame any way you want.

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Thought you could use some "wishy-washy" graffiti to dress up your pages!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

I had to take Boo to the Vet last week for an eye problem.  It just didn't look right and, as time went on, it seemed to be getting worse.  There were times that one eye was totally open and the other partially closed.  That is not normal and the 3rd eyelid looked swollen.  In this photo, I'm not sure if he was trying to distract me to get the coffeemaker going or daring me to tackle him once again to get his eye meds in.  The one thing I have learned is that saying "hold still" does not work!  After a week of meds, his eye is looking much better.

Til next time . . .

June 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Well, you can call me "happy"!  My irises are blooming, the delphiniums have their first buds, the bleeding hearts are in full bloom and all of the other plants and flowers are growing beautifully.  This is going to be a good summer!  I turned my horses out to pasture, just for an hour each day until their digestive systems can get used to green grass again after eating hay all winter long.  They were like little kids turned loose on a playground.  They run, jump and rodeo kick the first day out.  As soon as I open the gate, I just stay out of the way :)  It really is a sight to see.  I love it. 

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Here are some graffiti and couple extra elements to enhance your layouts.

  

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

I'm not sure how Boo gets through that little door, but he still fits.  He usually prefers to sprawl out on my bed, but on rainy days, he seems to prefer to cuddle up in small spaces.  For comparison, when I first brought him in, he could sit in that door opening without his ears touching.  I honestly never expected him to grow this big -- from a fourth of an ounce to 20 lbs.  Who knew?!!

See ya next month!

May 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 May is finally here!  The days have mostly been in the 40s, sometimes in the 50s.  But last weekend, it actually hit 81 degrees!  Unfortunately, the wind was blowing so hard, nobody could actually enjoy it.  We're back down in the 40s again and . . . no wind . . . of course.  I kind of have to laugh at myself though.  You know life is good when the only thing I have to complain about is the weather!  It's just that I'm so tired of wearing fleece and winter coats.

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

I like graffiti to add that extra "something" on my pages to really make them POP !!

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Where there's a will, there's a way!  This old faucet finally wore out and was dripping about one drop per minute or two.  That's why you don't see any water running :)  And, he's sitting on top of my big pasta kettle that was supposed to be drying in the sink.  He is soooo spoiled!

See you next month!

April 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

Every year at Easter time, I think back fondly of my years living in California.  By Easter Day flowers were blooming, the sun was shining, and kids could have their Easter Egg Hunts outside in beautiful weather.  Here in Wisconsin, it's definitely hit-or-miss.  It could be just sweater weather or we could be wearing sweaters underneath our down coats and wearing boots rated for below-zero weather.  I'll just be happy if it doesn't snow :)

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Fan Freebie --

Spring isn't here yet, but I remain hopeful that I won't have to wait much longer!  

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

 

"Oh, look!  Mom thinks she's being funny!"

See you next month!

March Blog Train and Fan Freebie

 A full month later and we're still experiencing up and down weather.  One day it's in the mid to high 40s, the next day it's 5 with the wind chill factor reading 7 to 15 below.  Cynthia asked me last month how we keep the horses warm in weather like this.  We don't.  They keep us warm.  If you stick your hand under their manes, it's as toasty as sitting next to a fireplace.  Horses can handle winter better than people.  I can always tell what kind of winter it's going to be by how soon they start growing their winter hair.  Yes, horses have hair, not fur.  When winter finally hits, they are all so hairy, they look like wooly mammoths :)  They can survive quite well in temperatures as low as minus-40 or 50 if they can get out of the wind.  So, the horses have shelters they can go into if need be for this purpose.  If you bring them into a closed up barn, for example, they could develop pneumonia.  So we have the shelters, and let them decide when and if they want or need it.  They are amazing animals.

Onto the Blog Train --I love the colors for this month's blog train.  It reminded me of the colors at sunset at Casa Corcovado.  The only thing missing in this kit is the Howler Monkeys swinging through the canopy at 3 am every morning!

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

Here are some colorful grafitti to enhance your layouts using the kit above :)

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Oh that Boo!  When my kids were little, they would be off playing, having a wonderful time, until...the phone rang.  Then they would surround me, asking me questions, wanting this or wanting that, and definitely unable to wait until my phone conversation was finished.  Boo pretty much does the same thing.  In this picture, he was hanging onto my slipper and I was just pushing him to the left with my foot and he kept hanging on when I pulled him to the right.  I suppose being a cat, he thought this was great fun.  Just like a kid in furry clothes.  When I hung up, he went off to do his own thing....just like a kid :) 

See you next month!

February 2022 Blog Train and Fan Freebie

As I write this, we're having real yo-yo weather.  Yesterday was 17 below.  That's colder than the freezer in your house.  Somewhere through the night, it warmed up to 20 above.  Tomorrow is supposed to be somewhere below zero again.  No matter the weather, I have to be out in it to take care of my horses.  So....my husband gave me my Valentine's Day present early.  This is one of the sweetest, most thoughtful gifts ever -- a Milwaukee heated jacket.  The first day I wore it, 10 below zero felt like a summer day.  Even my fingers don't get cold anymore!  I knew he was a "keeper" the first time I met him.  

Click  HERE  to download

Fan Freebie --

While you're munching on your heart-shaped treats...Think Spring!  I start thinking about spring the first day after Christmas every year.  

Click  HERE  to download

The Boo Update --

Boo wanted to show you "our" king-sized quilt I pieced together last summer using all Batik fabrics.  I could only work on it while he was napping or else fabric, threads and pins would be scattered everywhere.  Shortly after this picture was taken, he was curled up and sound asleep for the afternoon.      

Stay warm!  See you next month!