When last we spoke – oh so long ago – I was getting ready for trial, the weather was ick, and I was caught up with my pocket scrapping project.
And now, the trial is over, and we basically lost – in record time. Holy moley it was the quickest homicide I’ve ever tried. We picked on Monday, opened Tuesday, the DA put the whole case in on Tuesday, closed and got a verdict on Wednesday. My client was convicted of two counts of third degree, rather than first degree, so that’s sort of a win – but a hollow one because two convictions of third degree murder in Pennsylvania is an automatic life sentence anyway. And, after the trial was mercifully over, I unplugged for a bit, and reveled in doing basically nothing. That client really drained me, unlike any other client in the history of clients, but that’s the job. And, I’m now recovered.
The weather is no longer ick, but it’s not quite what I’d want it to be for Memorial Day. Yesterday, after our office let out early, I did come home, plop my chair in the middle of our ]lawn, cracked a beer, and finished reading The Rosie Project (loved it!), but today is pretty cloudy – and it’s rained every evening, foiling my attempts at grilling.
And, my pocket scrapping is still caught up! I shall show you. When last I left off, Passover was in the books. Now, for Ramos Easter –


The cards are all Studio Calico, the stickers Me and My Big Ideas, and the photo overlay is Becky HIggins. I just love that photo of Joey helping Bryenna off of the trampoline. It reminds me that he won’t be a brat teenager forever, and that there is still kindness in him.

So the first 1/2 of this page is actually an insert. On the top photo is a Teresa Collins epoxy sticker, the Easter card is from somewhere on Pinterest, and the stickers, once again MAMBI.

And there’s the insert flipped over. More Studio Calico cards, MAMBI stickers, yadda yadda. Note from Joe on a We R Memory Keepers card – that’s one way to get him to contribute to the project, yeah? I have intentions of having him fill out prompted cards, but that hasn’t happened yet – waiting for just the right moment to stick the pen in his hand. Just in case you were curious, Birds of Satan is a side project of a few of the Foo Fighters. And, you can see I’m really lovin that pizza – I kept Passover pretty good this year – no cheats. I had matzah coming out of me ears, but as always, it did come to an end.
Onward – next week – the week of April 27 and the high holy day of knitters – the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival!
Passover – half an insert. Easter – also half an insert. Sheep and Wool – a whole page dammit! I love my sheep photos.

This was the first week I used my Azure core kit from my HSN purchase. When I first opened the box, I loved loved loved it. Now, I’m just eh with it. For this week’s spread, that I’m not posting today, and am still working on, I tried to use it, but the colors were just too adult, too subdued for what I was trying to do. And, that’s why I think I’d never be happy using one core kit for the whole year.
So, as you can see I included my quick trial – the press showed up, I don’t know why. So, I cut the headline out, and the rest of the article is tucked behind the photo. In order to get truly ready for the trial, of course I needed a new handbag. So, mom and I went to the Coach outlet the Sunday before – I love my new bag, but of course, I forgot to photograph it. I also got 2 suits at Jones New York – neither of which were trial wearable – one was seersucker – way too early, and one had to have the pants shortened. But, since the trial went so quickly, I really didn’t have to worry about clothes.
And how cute is Lemon with her toy that’s a mini-Lemon? So sweet.
Besides Azure, the two filler cards are Studio Calico, the date washi tape is October Afternoon, and the stickers are MAMBI.

And our yearly pilgrimage to Maryland Sheep and Wool! It’s funny, but I really didn’t take that many photos this year – it’s my fifth or sixth year there, and I feel like I take the same photos every year – yarn, spinners, sheep, alpacas, fried twinkies, sheep dogs. This year, I missed the sheep dog trials, so no dogs, and I only really took sheep. But, that’s ok – maybe I’ll be more into documenting more than livestock next year. The top card is this year’s program, and entrance button. The rest of the cards are from Studio Calico’s Bluegrass Farm kit.

And the back of the insert – the ice cream cone card is actually a 3 x 4 card from Studio Calico that I stuck on a 4 x 6, added the enjoy sticker, and the photo.
This side is a combination of miscellaneous die cuts, Studio Calico and Azure. See that smolder shawl there? FINISHED!!!! Four years, and endless i-cord later, done. Just in time for summer. Great timing, I know, but it’s such a relief to be done. If you can’t tell from the photo, it’s just gigantic. Gi-Gan-TIC. It’ll be snuggly at my desk at work next winter.

Oopsy, forgot to date this spread, but it would be the week of Mother’s Day – again, a half insert, full inserts for sheep only. This is Studio Calico’s May Kit, Camelot, except for the Mother’s Day card, another Pinterest download.

I love those little wood veneer banners that came with this kit – I used one on the photo of us in our new glasses, and again on the second half of the spread –

I really liked the cards in this months kit as well, and I was sorry to use up my favs so quickly. As you can see there’s some pink polka dot washi over the photo of my mom and Danielle, because I created my own photo flip!

You can buy Photo Flips, but I needed one now, and I didn’t have time to wait for an online order – must keep up! Anyway, I had Danielle interview my Mom for Mother’s Day, and that’s that bottom card. And, I sewed on the Bertucci’s card, because that’s where we went to lunch.

And the back of the insert. Since Lemon had figured pretty prominently the last few weeks, I decided to give Olive some face time. Our forever puppy, stuck at 12 lbs.
And finally, at least for today – the week of May 11.

This is mostly Azure. And, I did get out my Portrait – I cut the Bath Time word art which I made on my ipad, and I cut the camera frame – I think it’s Lori Whitlock.

And then the baseball insert –

If you can’t tell – I actually sewed around the baseball on the Take Me Out to the Ballgame card. I found a baseball on Pinterest, printed it out, with the opacity lowered so that it really was just a faint outline, punched some holes, and stitched. Not perfect, but it’s just a baseball. It’s all good.
And now you may be asking yourself- what is up with those glasses?

That’s a sad story my friends. I got my new glasses, and I just knew they weren’t right. I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what was wrong with them, but they were wrong nonetheless. So, when we went back to the store to pick up my sunglasses, the optician studied my lenses and the frames, and came to the conclusion that the frames were too small for my prescription – that there wasn’t enough width for the bifocal. Oh no! yelled my vanity! I love this little pink frames. So, the optician went to work with his mystery tools in the back, and I started trying on larger glasses. Obviously, I’m not in need of the grandma glasses yet, but . . . someday. Uch! Luckily, thankfully, the optician was able to stretch the bridge of the glasses, giving me some more room, and there was so much improvement. But next year when it’s new glasses time . . . maybe I’ll wait a few years until the next pair . .

And for my last trick – another washi tape photo flip. It works, it’s good.
So, I hope everyone is enjoying their holiday weekend. I finished two books -The Rosie Project – thumbs up, and We Were Liars, which is supposed to be this summer’s hot book – meh, another twist book. Quick read though.
Not sure what I’ll start tomorrow, but I know we have X-Men on the agenda.
Enjoy!