Unexpected expenses

For the FIRST time, in a LONG time...probably a couple years at least...I've made a digital scrapbook page. It's just kinda thrown together, testing to see if my program was working...but hey, I scrapped! Yippee!!!

Kit Credit: Antique Beauty by Dustybear (I didn't see it in Blushbutter's shop...so it may not be available any longer.)

What a pain the last couple weeks has been in the computer department around here.  *sigh*  We got up one morning a couple weeks or so ago (or humm...it may be more like three weeks now...my how time flies!) and DH got upstairs before I did, so turned on my computer for me.  By the time I got up here (think I took my shower that morning before coming up...so it would have been a little while after he was up here) my computer was at a screen I've never seen before.  DH said it beeped at him for a while, before it went to that screen.

It wanted to do a system restore for some reason...so that had me worried.  It took it's time, but did finally come all the way on for me, and I went about my day as usual.

The next day, I got  up here to turn my computer on myself, and it just sat there beeping at me, a really loud scary beep when it's coming form my expensive computer.  LOL  I pulled the battery out of my laptop to shut it down...cause it wasn't coming on and just beeping, I didn't want to force it.

I then turned on my old desktop, that basically I've just kept for backup (thankfully) and to use to get to my external hard drives, so I didn't have to hook them up to my laptop.  I decided I'd have to use my desktop till we could get me  a new computer, cause I didn't want to keep trying to turn my laptop on in case it only came on one more time...so I could do it that one more time and get everything off it, once I had a new computer.  I thought it would be easier to get it off my old one than dig through my files on my external hard drives and decide what I just had to have on my computer again.

This is NOT what I wanted to spend our money on this month...especially that much of it, but...even though I'm not on the computer as much as I used to be, I like having one to play with...and like my laptop so I can move it around.

I looked online, and found a fairly cheap laptop that sounded like it wouldn't be any worse than what I had had, and had just a tad bit bigger hard drive (which I desperately needed).  It was in our price range, so we took a quick trip to Best Buy to pick it up.  That was the Monday of Thanksgiving week...so the rest of that week, I only managed to get it set up and window's updated, with having to do a lot of cooking.

Once Thanksgiving was out of the way, I started moving things from my old laptop...which did finally come on again after having to run system restore AGAIN (I didn't shut my laptops down again till everything was moved over...which took three days and nights cause I have a LOT on it)...and  I also started trying to get my programs on the computer.  Since it has windows 8.1 on it, I didn't know what would work and what wouldn't.  My office/e-mail program worked thankfully...and Photoshop went on...and seemed to work, but once I got around to actually trying it out I couldn't do much in it, without it slowing everything way down and taking forever just to mess with a photo.

Sadly...that meant my Photoshop cs3 wasn't going to work out for me.  I knew I couldn't afford the new Photoshop, but luckily right at that time I also saw a post on facebook about the new subscription plan adobe was going to.  Most of it sounded like it was something I'd never be able to afford, but then before I could give up on that idea I saw a special plan they had that I figured I could afford so finally decided to give it a try.

Then the hair pulling sessions started.  For some reason the mini bridge wasn't working on the new Photoshop on my computer.  I read that some people had that trouble...since cs5...so it's been an on going problem they haven't bothered fixing for several years!  *sigh*

Praise God I had paid extra for tech support (that also came with virus software that could be used on three computers) from Best Buy when I bought my computer...and this was software tech support not just an extended warranty.  I spent DAYS calling them up every day having them help me, cause they would get it working and before the day was out, it was back to not working.  I also talked to Adobe, but their fixes didn't work...and one of them I tried but almost locked myself out of my computer making it unusable, so I wasn't trying that again without help, and Best Buy tech support thought it was a stupid idea anyway, so it never got tried.  LOL

Yesterday the geek squad agent finally got it to working for longer than a few hours.  It's still working today...so while I'm not holding my breath, I'm at least more hopeful that it will KEEP working!

I just need to find the time to do a few more scraping pages, to see if it slows down the longer it's open like it was also doing....but haven't found time for that yet.  I'm so rusty when it comes to scrapbooking, my pages probably won't be wonderful, but hopefully I can do something halfway decent at least!  LOL I really want to find time to do it soon, so if it just can't be made to work right I can get out of the year contract with adobe before it's to late to (I have 30 days to try it out).

If Photoshop just isn't going to work, I'll probably have to go back to paint shop pro.  I went so far as to download a trial of it, since PS wasn't working, and it's taking a while for things to come back to me, but I'm finally remembering some of what I used to do in psp and there are even a couple things I like better than ps....just not everything.  LOL  I'd miss some of the things I know and love in PS...but...since I don't seem to scrap much anymore, could maybe learn to live without them...I think.  We will see how the next couple of weeks go with photoshop.

Even if I keep Photoshop for now...in another year or so, if they up the monthly price on me I might just go back to psp anyway, cause I'm not willing to pay much more to use ps no more than I use it these days.

So....while I'm not happy to have had to buy another computer, and certainly not really happy with adobe...I AM happy with my geek squad tech support!  It upped the price of the cheap computer a hundred bucks...but has already been well worth it!  The fact that it covers three computers makes it even better...cause once I get this new one going good, I'm going to talk to them about my old laptop, and see if there is anything they can recommend on it...and also we can use it for hubbies computer if need be!

Now if only that was the ONLY expensive thing I had had to replace in the last month I'd be happier...however...that's another story (rant).  *roll eyes*

I'm just thankful that somehow...after being short on money most of the year...we had enough to do what we've needed to do lately.  It's a major miracle to my way of thinking!  Course I did have to rob from one "fund" or another to get it ALL done...but we are still ok, and for that I'm extremely thankful!

Now...to move on and hopefully start saving instead of spending!  My porch still needs a few things bought for it before we can build it, and I gotta save a little more money before we can.  :-))

Attention Digital Scrapbookers!

For all of you Digital Scrapbookers out there, we are starting a new year of digital scrapbooking challenges on the Blush ~n~ Dusty yahoo group now, so if you are interested come join us! We got a late start, but it's good to take time off from challenges now and then, so that's ok.

Because the group owners are wanting to push publishing your Layouts into books for posterity, they are giving the designer of the winning layout $10.00 so hurry in to the Blush ~n~ Dusty group and find out how to join us!

You have till the end of February to get this first layout in before we do our first poll. :)

Cookbook Section Pages

I don't know why, but the pages I want at the beginning of each section in my cookbook has really been giving me fits. LOL I was able to come up with something finally today but we will see if I end up changing them over the next year.

Anyway, Blushbutter was able to get her part of "Deb's Kitchen" in the store now, and it's fabulous!!! She has a bunch of food items in it, which will work great...that is if I were better at scrapping lately, than I am. LOL I just wish my kitchen was half as nice as the "kitchen" the kit portrays is. I think it will be so fun playing with this kit...if I can just get my brain back in scrapping mode. It's been on vacation for a long time now, so my pages end up either being tossed together, or being the same as the last...just cause I can't think of cool changes. *sigh*


Case in point, these are my first two section pages...yep, they look the same, except for minor changes. They aren't even what I had envisioned to begin with, but that vision didn't go from my head to my computer to well. Ok, I didn't have a clear vision...just a thought that didn't fully form, or translate to my page on the computer. I have trouble like that lately it seems. To much going on, so my brain doesn't fully switch to designing a page like I'd like it to I guess.

I left the red on the right side of the beverage page, cause it's going to be right next to a Snack page, so didn't want the color changing in the crease of the book...so will just change the outside color on the section pages.

I am wondering if I should just do that little line of blue (or whatever other color they end up being) and leave the red the same throughout...or if the red should be blue (or other color) the same as the outside, once we get to the recipe pages for that section. Have I lost you? I think I did me! Ummm...hmmmm...can't think how to actually explain what I'm talking about either. Sorry! *giggle*

Have I mentioned I think my brain is on vacation lately?

Anyway, these two layouts contain papers and elements from Blushbutter & Dustybear's kits called Deb's Kitchen! They are two kits that will make a fabulous cookbook, if you are wanting to make one. I'm sure you can do way better than I am! LOL They even have a couple free mini kits to go with the big ones...and don't forget the recipe exchange we are having throughout 2011 in their Blush ~n~ Dusty Yahoo Group! :)

Hopefully I can get back to scrapping last years photos soon...I was hoping to be further along by now, but I tend to scrap a little then take a long break, then scrap a little...and that just doesn't seem to get the photos all scrapped. LOL To darn much I want to get done this month...it's so hard to believe it's already February!

Ok, gotta run, supper is in the oven, and I need to finish it. Hope nobody is buried to deep in snow! :)

Cookbook pages

I worked on my first recipe pages over this last weekend. I had so much fun with them and since I'm wanting to put the name of the person I got the recipe from on the pages (myself if I got the idea from somewhere and changed them to fit our life) I put a little tab on them for that purpose. Since not all of the dishes will have my name on them, I put a little photo of Peaches in the background kinda as a "signature" so if I use the page in the exchange people may still know where it came from...since I'm doxie on a lot of forums. LOL

I just really love how it turned out, that pose of Peaches is perfect for the shape of the tab...it's so cute! So did any of you think my cookbook was going to be doxie free? If so it was a silly SILLY thought! *giggle*

I shouldn't share these till Blushbutter gets her kit finished and in the store...but I just love them so much I have to share them now! LOL

These are the first two pages I'm making for my cookbook, and will be this months pages for the recipe exchange on the Blush~n~Dusty Yahoo Group. Sorry, I blurred out the recipe's cause of the exchange...if you want them feel free to join us and create a couple pages to share with us...and you will get all that people make this month. :)

Kit Credit: Deb's Kitchen (both full and mini kits) by Blushbutter & Dustybear. I am in love with these kits...I think they are going to make this recipe book extra special!! :) The curly shapes I put on the papers are made with Wool Sweater Streets Die Cuts & Card stock Layer Styles. Since it was a CU shape that will be merged into the page, I can use it in the exchange.


What I'm planning so far, since I can't seem to make lots of pages lately, is to basically use this layout on all the recipe pages, changing the red paper to other papers in the kit for each section. This way I can make it easy to see where each section ends as I flip through the book once it's done.

The wider red strip will be in the binding, I wanted it wider so I could still do a spiral book if I decide to. I would love to, but am afraid they wouldn't hold up real well...but I have a year to decide. That's why I made it so it would work for either version anyway. (I don't know for sure, but I seem to remember reading if you do a spiral book, the binding area needs a little extra room in it) If any of you have done a spiral bound book before, I'd love to hear how you liked it, and how you think it will hold up!! I know mypictales has a 8x8 one...or I can do the regular 8x8 custom hardbound book....just have to make up my mind over the next several months, not sure if anyone else makes them.

Maybe if we win a small fortune I could try both versions of the book out and have an extra one! *snicker* Yeah right...I know...in my dreams.

Now I need to get busy and work on a category page...cause I want a page telling what category the next pages are going to be for...so hopefully I can get to that before time disappears and the month runs away from me. LOL I actually need to get a little ahead and do next months category page too...since I'm going to give them to everyone who participates in the exchange too...least I'm hoping to have them done so I can. :)

I was going to try to do all this last month, and as you can see I didn't get around to it, so hopefully this month doesn't end up leaving me behind again.

Better run, have several things I need to get done today...and it's already afternoon. Hope everyone is having a great week, ours has been busy so far...but still no calf! Guess we aren't to good at reading the "signs"...or she is good at tricking us. LOL

Cows, Weather & Scrapping

When we first got Daisy we heard she was a nurse cow, so knew if we needed her to, she would adopt other calves. It's not something I really want to do at this time, since I want her cream for butter, but it's nice to know it could happen. However, the last couple days she has cut down on milk production and DH told me today he is wondering if it's because she knows Mabel is about to calve, so she is holding it up thinking she will be able to be a nurse cow again.

That Darn Cow! LOL

Unless we just HAVE to have her take over raising the calf, I sure don't want to have her have to, cause I want to be able to keep making butter...since she can actually hold up almost ALL of the cream, if she is nursing a calf, and not give us enough to mess with she may find herself alone in the pasture...and Mable across the fence. We will see how it all goes...and how much Milk Mabel is actually able to give her baby before we decide I think, but she better watch it, if she wants her "sister" to stay close. *giggle*

I was able to scrap a little earlier this week for a change!! I got to playing with Dustybear's new kit and scrapped two pages for this years book. (Yes...I'm still WAY behind. LOL)

The first pages shows a photo of DH picking strawberries this last May...and has a list of some of the things I did with them. I LOVE strawberries, so was really happy to get some to play with for a change. Sure hope we can get some more next year, but I won't hold my breath. LOL


The last LO just shows a summer sunset we enjoyed here.

Kit Credit: Deb's Kitchen by Lara Payton

I didn't use the cool cooking related stickers in the kit, but will be using them in the cookbook I'm going to be starting on. It's a wonderful cooking kit, if you are needing one! :)

The weather has been Nice the last few days. Today it got up in the 60's even...course the wind was blowing which made it seem kinda chilly out there, but still not to bad. However a front has come through and the temps have started falling fast...snow, sleet and/or freezing rain are suppose to be headed our way...oh joy! LOL

Not that I look forward to snow...got my fill last year...but the ice is even worse. Hopefully it won't be to bad, but thankfully we have plenty of food since we just did our shopping for next month yesterday, so won't need to get off the farm for anything as far as I know, if it does get bad out there. Maybe I can get some more scrapping time in, while it's cold and snowy outside...that is if I managed to get a few chores done around here, that I didn't manage to finish today. *sigh* There's always something holding me back lately it seems...or maybe I'm just slow, I don't know. LOL

Anyway, hope everyone stays warm...or cool for those of you in summer. I've gotta run, it's almost time to finish fixing supper. :)

Crazy Week

Well I made myself sit down and scrap this morning...cause I'm getting so behind on this years photos let alone trying to get to last years. I really need to scrap every day but just haven't been able to do it this week....or last week....or really anytime lately. *giggle*

Yesterday we went and did our monthly shopping, which of course didn't give me time for anything much. I've yet to get my Jelly put away even, but that's on the schedule for this afternoon...along with to many other things.

I kept the LO's simple, which is what I usually do...especially if I've been so busy that I'm finding it hard to get everything done. The first LO shows the photos my DH took of the gate he made in April and the 2nd shows our cows standing under a tree they ran to, when it started sprinkling.

Kit Credit: Vintage Celebration by Dusty Bear. Love this cute kit that Lara made, but I didn't do it justice...bad creative team member that I am! LOL The colors are wonderful and I love the frames she had in the kit but I really have no creative ideas lately for my scrapping.

Ok, gotta run, have things to do this afternoon...hopefully I can get some fruit leather made out of our strawberries along with several other things I need to get done in the kitchen. If I don't manage to post again till next week...have a great weekend! :)

LO's of a niece.

I didn't know if I was going to be able to scrap any today or not, as I had to get some cheese started this morning early along with a few other things, but I managed to get back in here and get a couple pages done!!

I wanted to scrap with one of Dusty Bears new kits, so had to go back into last years photos and scrap this one of our niece cranking the cream separator as it's the closest thing to a cooking photo I have for this cute kit. The kit is perfect for those photos of your kids cooking...but not having kids, I had to kinda do with what I had. Love the colors she used in it to. :)

This 2nd LO is to go beside it, and is of our niece feeding the chickens...couldn't use the cute "stickers" she put in the kit, as they are cooking items, so it's a bit plainer.

Kit Credit: Bakery Bears by Dusty Bear.

Well not really anything majorly exciting to write about so I guess maybe I'll have a shorter post today. Besides I really need to get this posted and go work on the cheese again. I'm making mozzarella today, and the recipe I'm using takes longer to make, but it turned out better than any I've made before so it's worth it. Course this is only the 2nd batch I've made, so who knows if last time was just a fluke. LOL I've got to have it for that new dish I want to make with the chili peppers...it actually calls for a different kind of cheese, but will make do with mozzarella. :)

Have a great day!

Challenge LO

I finally got around to doing the Blush ~n~ Dusty Challenge this month again! LOL I've been so lax with it, just got it organized and did the ad and reminders but not the layout. Shame on me. This is the layout for this month though, we are scrapping our baby photos this month. :)

I've scrapped this photo before, for my parents book, it's what Mom always said was my Dad's favorite photo of me as a baby. But for this challenge, I thought I'd scrap it again...and chose this photo, because it's one of my favorite of me as a baby too.

Kit Credit: Darling Baby Kit & Weavers 2 by Dusty Bear

Well better run, got some things to do, and the net is doing strange things, so am hoping this posts. LOL Have a great day, it's already in the 40's here and it's not even noon yet!!! After a long winter, I'm LOVING the warmer temps, as are the animals. :)

Cold Wind Blowing

This is a good day to have a laptop! It's just to darn cold in my office today because of the cold north-west wind, and I wanted to scrap with this new kit of Dusty Bears, but had I not been able to move to my warmer dinning room, I don't know that I would have. LOL I am so ready for the warmer temps of spring, but bummer we are still in February, guess I'll have to wait. LOL Thankfully it is suppose to warm up a little bit this week...so maybe all week won't be like this. I'm so lucky that my DH does the outside work that needs done, so I don't HAVE to get out if I don't want to. :)

These photos that I scrapped are of one of our Great-Nieces this last year, when she visited us. She loved our animals, especially the cats. :) I have to apologize for the dumb titles...I suck at them most of the time, but then there are days they are even worse than usual...I couldn't think of anything half way good at all today. LOL

Kit Credit: Nostalgic by Dusty Bear

Well I hope everyone had a good weekend, we got a little snow here, but only about a inch and a half thankfully. Nothing major going on here, just the usual things.

I better get this posted, so I can post my LO's around and get some things done around the house this afternoon. Have a great day!

Fun Weekend!

Well I managed to make myself do another couple LO's this morning. I've been busy with a new unexpected purchase, so had to make myself stop messing and get busy...more about that in a little bit.

These two Layouts are more of the frost photos I took last month (how can it be last month...January sure went by fast!). I didn't want to do more than a couple LO's of the close up photos, but getting rid of more of them, to have less photos on a page was impossible, so I had to think of how to do it. I remembered this kit from Dusty Bear, with the cool multi photo frame, so decided to use it, and like how it turned out. :)

Kit Credit: Antique Beauty by Dusty Bear


Now about my FUN Weekend! LOL

Friday we went and did our shopping for this month...and I needed ink, so had to go to Best Buy (our closest electronics store). Since I've been saving money for a computer, (figured I'd get it sometime this year, but more towards my birthday or even later) I headed over to take a look at them, once I picked out my ink. Silly SILLY me. I have been wanting a laptop, so I could move it around the house, if I want to...and still play online, or on photo shop, plus have the added benefit of taking it with me if we do ever go anywhere overnight.

I guess I've been mentioning getting a laptop a little to often, cause while I was looking at the computers DH told me I should get it NOW, not wait. LOL He said that way he wouldn't have to keep hearing how I could use one everyday...I denied bugging him about it everyday, just to have him prove that I did more often than I thought I did...he informed me I had mentioned it just the day before, when I was rendering tallow. I had wished I had one, so I could stay in the kitchen, yet be on the computer, and not be wondering around bored, waiting for the tallow to get done (I hated to leave the kitchen, while it was on the stove). I had forgotten that I'd mentioned it, and thought it had been a little while...oops! *giggle*

Needless to say he talked me into it, I'm calling it an EARLY birthday gift. LOL With it being the big Four O this year, I figure it's a good year to get an extra special gift. *grin* (Although frankly, to me, that's just another number...but it IS a good excuse for an extra special gift I guess. *giggle*) I have to say, I'm loving it so far, even if it did take me all weekend to get my programs and files onto it, so I could really start using it!

I had wondered how a laptop would work, running photo shop, but so far I've not had to much trouble...not that I've ran it much. LOL I was having a little trouble with it hanging, (I think it is a windows 7 issue) when I did layer styles, but once I was finished, I went in and changed the compatibility to xp, so maybe that will help it stop...since I never had trouble with it on xp like that. I guess I'll find out the next time I do a LO...which probably won't be today, cause I'm behind on other things, now that I had to get this laptop up and running with all my programs and files (that seems to take FOREVER!).

Being used to windows XP, getting used to windows 7 will take a little time, but I'm getting there. There are a few things I didn't like at all at first...but now a few days into using them I'm getting used to them, so they don't bug me so much. There are a few tweaks I'd still like to figure out how to do, but least now, for the most part, I'm back up and able to work again. I have even networked my two computers together...unfortunately when I'm working in photo shop, bridge doesn't want to go to my old computer for files...which really bugs me, cause I can get to this computers files from my old one, through bridge...so can't figure out why I can't the other way around. I can choose file then open, and get them into photo shop that way, but that isn't as convenient to me. Hopefully I'll run across a fix for that soon...so I can use the networked files.

The only big thing I have to do yet, that I know of...besides try to find a fix for the above problem, is to network my printer, so I can use it on my laptop, through the router. DH got a Ethernet cable yesterday for the printer...so I just have to find time to read the manual and figure out how to set that up...shouldn't be to hard, but...we will see. :)

Ok, I'll shut up now, sorry if I bored you, talking about a new laptop. LOL I'm going to try to get out and see our puppies this afternoon, so maybe tomorrow I can have a more interesting post, and show some more puppy photos...hopefully I make it out there. DH says they are moving around more...with the computer to get set up, I didn't get out there at all this weekend, shame on me! I need to go spoil them more, so better get busy. *giggle*

Hope everyone has a great week, gotta go get some things done, so hopefully I can have time to post again this week. Take Care!

Winter LO's

I got a couple more Lo's finished, these are with another Dusty Bear kit. I scrapping some more photos from earlier this month. The first LO is Shadow with DH the morning of the heavy pretty frost. Shadow was out enjoying the wide open space, and really wanted to play, so DH gave him some attention.

The 2nd LO is Shadow and Tractor buddy being cute together, and DH watching and then picking Tractor Buddy up to take her back to the barn, but Shadow wasn't ready to let her go. The poor boy was feeling kinda lonely I think, with Yani not being in a playing mood. I don't know what he is going to do when the puppies get older and start venturing out and playing more. :)

Kit Credit: Wintertide by Dusty Bear

Speaking of puppies, they have their eyes open now!!! They must be eating good, cause they are fat little things too, but oh so cute. :) DH brought my favorite one inside to see me this morning, and so I got to hold it for a little while, where it was warm (didn't get any photos though, was to busy holding it, LOL). It curled up in my arms and went to sleep, wasn't worried about being away from Mom, or anything. Course I guess I've held it enough that it knows its ok with me. The doxie's of course were really interested in it, they always are with any animal that is brought inside. Autumn wanted to keep sniffing it, and wanted me to put it down, once Rascal figured out it was another dog, he just ignored it...like he does with most dogs. LOL

Anyway, better get this posted, so I can get the LO's posted in my galleries too, to busy to do it earlier. Take Care.

A long post.

I managed to play with Dusty Bear's newest kit today! After my morning disappeared I was afraid I wasn't going to manage any LO's, but I did after all. I scraped some photos I took earlier this month of Tractor Buddy & Shadow.

This kit is so pretty, and was fun to play with!! :) I've got another of her kits I need to play with too...hopefully I can manage that tomorrow, but we will see. If I'm lucky I can find an easy way to toss a couple more LO's together today...maybe with some clusters or something, but I won't hold my breath. I'd really like to make up for not getting any LO's finished yesterday though. LOL

Kit Credit: Graceful by Dusty Bear

I've been doing a bunch of research the past 2 or 3 months on making soaps/lotions and the like. I've always thought it would be neat to make soap, but just never gotten around to doing it. So I've really been studying up by reading books and lots of different places on the net so maybe I can actually get this accomplished this year! I've been getting equipment and supplies gathered for it too, and am nearing the end of that part of it...so maybe I can actually get started soon. I've even just gotten some beef fat today, that I'm going to render into Tallow...so I can have a cheap fat source for my soap. (Cheaper than vegetable oils anyway, and free if we ever start having our own cows to butcher...and since I'm not adverse to using "biblically clean" animal products I don't mind using Tallow. Besides, it uses more of the cow this way...and doesn't waste it.)

Anyway, I just wanted to mention one reason I've not been scrapping as much...I get started looking at recipe's, directions, and supplies online and time just flies by, just like it does when I'm working on my scrapping. Before I know it time has flown, and I have to run around and get some cleaning, cooking and/or churning done before the day ends, that is if I don't get it done before I start studying. *giggle*

I'm hoping I don't get addicted to making soap and all, like I did scrapping though...cause that will cut down big time on my time...AND there is only so much soap two people can use. Even if I share it with my family, I can't see needing to make a batch of soap every week, like I like to work on scrapbooking every week...usually. Oh well, I'm having fun, although some of it I don't fully understand yet. This is also why I've not gotten anything new uploaded to the store for a while, and at the rate I'm going I'm not sure if or when I will. Scrapping time has to be used for LO's, or I'll get hopelessly behind on this years photos too. :)

Yesterday we went to the goat auction, and came home with a new billy (buck)and a couple nannies (doe's). The Doe's are suppose to be with child...so maybe we will actually have some babies sometime this year after all. We have no idea if any of ours are going to or not, the Billies we had were young. Fudge unfortunately, after his cold swim, didn't make it more than a couple days, so we knew we HAD to get one now...not wait till later like I had hoped to do.

Hopefully this billy doesn't decide to go for a cold swim, hang himself, or die from a broken heart like the last three did, or find another way to do himself in for that matter, but only time will tell. Our track record with billies hasn't been great for some reason, and this last year nearly did us in. But it's a new year, and I'm trying to not remember the heartbreak of loosing so many, and move on...that's all you can do, if you love animals and want to keep having them. Whats a farm without animals, which means you have to be prepared to suffer loss...sometimes far more than you want to in a year.


I like the all black of this billy, although have to say I don't remember ever actually seeing a mostly ALL black Boer before...but I kinda like it. DH got this photo with him standing up with his front feet on a gate, and he is really quite cute I think...the goat, not DH, although he is too, he just isn't who I was talking about. *giggle* I wasn't sure at first if I really wanted all black, but he is growing on me and I think I could come to like all black better than all red, but we will see. Not sure what we will call him yet...I said Blaze cause of the white spot on his head, but don't know if that will really fit him.

We have had sunshine today which is wonderful! It's not something we have seen much of yet this year. LOL It's to cold to melt any, but least that way the mud is frozen, and doesn't suck you down into it when you walk. Mabel even got some more of those cornstalks she loves so much, because DH was finally able to get over to get them. We didn't get any of the last snow that was close (yesterday) except there was a dusting when we woke up, but least the most of it went east of us for a change!!

Ok, gotta go, have some things to finish up, that I started earlier. Hope everyone has a great week! :)

Scrappin', laughin' & grumblin'.

I managed to get a couple LO's done, with Dusty Bear's newest kit! I thought these photos of some lace and pottery demonstrations at the tractor show we went to this summer would work nicely with it.

The first layout shows a lady making bobbin lace. That's something that I would so love to WANT to do, but it looks so complicated and long winded, that I just don't think I would have the patience to do it. It's beautiful stuff though and I'd sure love to know someone who did...who also wanted to make me a bunch!! *giggle* It's would be some extra special lace that's for sure, knowing how long it must have taken them to make it. :)

The 2nd layout shows a lady doing pottery. That's something I always wanted to try. I don't know that I'd actually want to do LOTS of it, but it's just one of those things I've had a hankering to try at least once in my life...and I've wanted to for years. I remember when I was growing up seeing a lady do it when we were on vacation in Minnesota and I was itching to try it then...so as you can see it's been YEARS that I've wanted to...maybe someday I can. Whenever I see it being done I just have to stop and watch. It's one thing I could have watched longer...but not being there by myself I had to move on. :(

Kit Credit for both LO's: Splendiferous by Dusty Bear

Today was that dreaded "shopping" day when we go to the "big" city and do enough shopping to keep us fed for at least a month. With us getting older (we must be since our niece SAID we were old when we saw her last month *giggle*) shopping just isn't as fun as it was when I was a kid. However today we didn't even make it half way to the "big" city before DH did something to have me in stitches the rest of the drive. We had a good time together...at least until it was time to check out at Walmart...and then...well that's another story. LOL

On the way to the city, DH was talking on the phone to our neighbor, when he wanted to point out the road that DH and my brother went down to pick up an old truck my brother bought this weekend. Since he was talking, he couldn't just say that was the road, he went to gesture, and had his finger close to his face when he did it (why....I don't know) and he ended up flicking his glasses completely off his face and they flew into the back seat. It was a really slick and quick move, because usually they would catch and only come part way off, or end up falling into your lap, but somehow he whisked them off and tossed them back, all in the blink of an eye. He rolled his eyes (cause he was still talking on the phone...so didn't want to be rude and laugh in their ear) and I snickered and tried to turn and find them for him...but was laughing to much so I couldn't, he had to pull over and find them himself. I managed to not get to noisy with my laughter till he got off the phone. I just kept seeing the look on his face, and it keep cracking me up over and over, all the way to the city. I know...you had to be there to find it as funny as I did...but really it WAS funny!

We laughed and joked our way through the day till we got in line to check out at wally, and got the WORST checker EVER. I have nothing against older people, I love them to death, however there are some jobs they really SHOULDN'T give to them, least not if they are like this guy was. He had to ask what any of the vegetables were, so he could look them up and get the number (which he did in the slowest possible way), and was extremely SLOW moving, I swear we stood in line for at least a half hour as he rung us up. Yes we had a bunch of stuff...but not THAT much. We joked about it at first...but there is only so much we can take of that, and by the time we were finally able to leave, even DH was having trouble joking about it...and he always has a joke handy to lighten any situation.

For the last couple years I have hated to go to walmart, because every time I do, I find something else I hate about that store...if we could afford it, we wouldn't bother going back so we didn't constantly have a bad shopping experience, but there are some things they are just cheaper on...and we can't afford to pay more for something just to avoid them. Oh well, I guess we can't laugh ALL day! LOL I would have complained about it if I thought they would just move him to a different job in the store (he would make a great greeter...just not a very good checker) and not fire him...but there was no way I wanted to get him fired, if he needed the job, so we just left grumbling and and got on with our day. We survived, and got to laughing together again, so we still had a good day together. :)

Mabel's starting to come around....I think!

I got a couple Lo's finished using Dustybear's newest kit!! I used my fireworks photos from this year, since I don't have any little boy photos. I think they turned out ok, although love some of the other things in the kit that is good for those outer space loving boys...or even girls. LOL

These photos were taken from the top of our hill on our farm...one of these years we MAY have to try going into town to see the fireworks but truthfully I prefer staying home since we can see them from here. Not sure the angle would be right for taking photos if we went into town either, since they would be above us...but I think DH might want to go into town sometime...so maybe....a BIG maybe....he might drag me in there one of these years. LOL

Anyway, kit credit for these two LO's is: Spacey Papers & Elements 1&2 by Dustybear.

We had a good day yesterday for our anniversary. Didn't do anything major, in the morning we took a drive, but mostly it was a normal day. It was nice to spend a little extra time together though, instead of DH working outside and me in, not that it's to bad, since I can always go out to see what he is up to, and he comes in a lot to rest. Thanks for all the anniversary wishes! :)

Mabel finally gave us more than a quart of milk per milking this morning!!!!! Not as much as she should be yet, but it was a little over a half a gallon this morning, so hopefully this means she is starting to get more used to DH and will pick back up to at least two gallons a day if not more. I'm really pretty happy with the amount of cream that seems to separate from the milk as it sits in the fridge. We haven't put it through the separator yet, cause we haven't had all that much, but will be soon I think, and then....it will be time to make my first batch of butter! Least if we have enough cream to do it it will be. On a quart of milk, the cream is at least 1/3 of that if not a little more. I have no idea if this is normal or what, but it seems like a nice amount when I'm used to the goats that don't have much separate at all. :)

We have had an overcast sky for several days now, so I'm really looking forward to some sunshine...hopefully later in the week we will get some. LOL At least we aren't having to put up with several inches of snow yet like other parts of Nebraska have. Well I better get off here, I still need to do dishes and put the bread away that I baked earlier...so I better get busy. I hope everyone is having a great week! :)

Scrapping summer photos

I managed to get some scrapping done this morning. Yippee!! *giggle*

I had gotten Lara Payton's newest kit a few weeks ago and didn't manage to use it, and so finally this morning I just sat down and decided I better get it done. Besides that would get me a couple pages finished and maybe get me started back to scrapping. I used a couple photos of our nieces when they came for a visit this summer. This first one is my favorite photo of the two of them, I love how the LOVE shows.

Kit Credit: Casually Worn Vol. 1 by Lara Payton

This next LO is Trista sitting in a chair on our front porch. She is adorable. :)

Kit Credit: Casually Worn Vol. 2 by Lara Payton

We will see if I can manage a couple more LO's tomorrow...I would kinda like to do a couple more pages to go with these two, but we will see. :)

I hope everyone had a good weekend, we went out on Saturday morning for a little while but the rest of the weekend was spent here at home. Nice and quiet and peaceful! It rained yesterday some here and now it's cooler...not that it was hot before but it was in the upper 70's. It's barely suppose to get out of the 60's for a few days now, which is actually nice for us since we love it being cooler like that. The leaves are turning and dropping a lot more now, before long the trees will be bare again...I'll miss the beautiful green.

I can see this week will go by way to quickly again, since it's already Tuesday. LOL I hope everyone has a good week, and I can get some more scrapping time in! Take Care!

Blush ~n~ Dusty Layout Challenge

It's that time again...time for a new challenge to start on the Blush ~n~ Dusty Yahoo group! This month I am wanting to know what every one's favorite Season is...DH would probably say "FOOTBALL SEASON" but I'm not to sure that would count...would it? LOL Fall seems to be coming fast here this year, and it's one of my favorite seasons, Spring just beats it out by a short margin. I hope you will come join us and show us YOUR favorite season!

My layout for the challenge is below, and shows some photos I took in the spring of 2006 (since I've been working on that year's photos. LOL). I blended a photo of a tree into the background...maybe a little to much...and then made some wordart to put on top of it.


Kit Credit: Casually-free (challenge kit) and Affinity pt 2 Both by Lara Payton

We went and did our (monthly) shopping yesterday, so least that's over with for a little longer. We got home at a decent hour too, which is amazing. :)

After we got home DH went and found some wild plums (we had discussed them while we were gone) and so I'm going to have to try to make some jelly with them this week...hopefully it will turn out yummy. He said there are a bunch more that he will try to get when they ripen...so I may wait till we get a few more before I start doing it. I may wish I had gotten another box of jelly jars, cause I only got a couple boxes yesterday...and I think I have a few empty ones in the pantry, but not to many...but I may just make a little bit of jelly, and then can the juice in quart jars so I can make jelly later, if I like it. That way I don't have to have more jelly jars. :)

So needless to say....I don't know if I'll get a bunch of scrapping done this week or not. We have some pears picked (but they have to ripen off the tree...or soften) and then I will be canning them to...hopefully. I do enjoy canning, least as long as I have time to do other things to. It's just so satisfying to have some things that you have canned yourself sitting in on those pantry shelves...least it is to me. :)

Dad is going to the Doctor today to see if his "boot" can come off. I can't wait to hear what they say...wish I could be there with them. I don't think it has really "slowed" him down all that much. He had to repair the "boot" because it was starting to fall apart on him. I laughed and told Mom that they don't expect you to keep working hard with it on so they don't make them THAT durable...but then I don't expect Dad to really slow down just because he has a broken ankle, so I'm not surprised he had to fix it. Hopefully he can stop wearing it, and get back to normal, although I would LOVE to see his first step in a real shoe again, and see if it takes him a little bit to get used to it like it did the "boot".

Tomorrow is Mom & Dad's anniversary so just in case I don't get around to posting tomorrow I have to say... "Happy Anniversary!!!!!" to them in this post. I hope you have a wonderful day together Mom & Dad and I love you both!! :)

Oh and one other thing, for anyone thinking about getting the swine flu shot when it comes out I'd recommend doing some research on it first. Dr Mercola has had several articles on his website about the swine flu, including one about a bad side effect of the shot so I just thought I'd mention it here for those of you interested. I've also heard about it in the newsletter from here and here, so it's not coming from just one source. You can go to any of the sites and do a search for swine flu, and come up with several articles from each of them if you care to.

I don't normally talk about controversial things on here, but now and then I just can't help myself, especially when the controversial subject could impact your health. Do your own research, your health should be in your own hands, not someone else's. It's up to you to learn the pro's and con's and decide what is the best way to go...or at least it SHOULD be. Good luck and I pray that God will keep all of you safe, whatever you decide to do.

Have a wonderful week, and thanks so much for your comments on my blog and through e-mails! :)

Blush ~n~ Dusty Layout Challenge

How could it possibly be July already? Summer...and the year is half over! Time does seem to be flying by at a rapid pace this year...but it seems to have been doing that for some time now.

So now it's time for a new challenge on Blush ~n~ Dusty, this time it's all about Home. I'd love to see a LO showing your home...or one of the homes you have lived in....or even just a beautiful view you had from your home. Don't forget to use one of these pieces of wordart that Lara is supplying in this months challenge kit!! :)

This is my LO for the challenge, it's our home here on our farm. I love this house, it has a few rooms that could be a little larger, but I still love it, it is perfect for us, at least at this point in our lives.

Kit Credit: Home 3D wordart & Affinity by Lara Payton.

In other news I got raked!! Thanks to Carena's Designs for giving me one of her beautiful kits. :)

Also I had to share a funny photo of my Dad. He is good at being silly at times which is one thing I've always loved about him. You can see the photo in his Etsy store here, or his flicker account here.

Well I gotta get busy, this afternoon God willing, we will have a bunch of hay bales to get out of our neighbors field, and I have some things to do before then. I don't know if I'll have a chance to post the rest of the week, as we have plans that could keep me busy, so just in case I don't I hope all of you have a great 4th of July! It's one of my favorite holidays, because it's the weekend my DH and I got engaged. Enjoy the fireworks if you get to see any and stay safe!

Happy Father's Day!!

I've been busy...ok not all week, but when I wasn't busy I was lazy, so I guess that means I didn't get anything finished up so I had something to show you all, which is why I haven't posted this week!

Monday of course was devoted to getting stock photos into the store, but the rest of the week has been...well one of those weeks I just didn't get to much done in, except for a little bit (tiny bit) of cleaning, cheese making, searching for a new book publisher....and reading. I'm in a reading mood for some reason, so have read a few books (I'm a fast reader) even though I should have been doing something else like cleaning or working on LO's.

About that searching...last weekend I worked on getting my finished books (Kali's & my 2008 books) all done and uploaded to the software ready to get them ordered. I was 3/4 of the way getting all the layouts into the software for my 2008 book when it wouldn't let me put anymore in. I e-mailed and asked if they had changed their number of pages they allowed since I last did the book, and was told that yes they had. Well that bites a big one, let me tell you! Especially with my rectangle layouts, because finding a new publisher for that size isn't as easy...especially when I want LOTS of pages AND a custom cover.

I did a bunch of searching....and e-mailing....and asked a lot of questions and think I've finally found a new place, that will print my book and will let me do a custom cover and have more pages...AND it appears that they will sew it too!!! I'm going to try them out, as soon as I can figure out how to upload my book to them, their site is giving me trouble for some reason, and the guy I have to work with isn't there today, so maybe Monday I'll find out what is going on. I'm not in a major rush, just want it done and out of my hair...so it doesn't really matter that I have to wait.

I'm sure I'll let you all know once I get the book, who I went with, IF I like the book and how it turned out. Not that I'm an expert on books or anything, but least it will be another choice for any of you who want more choices...cause it's not one of the usual ones I've heard about. They are a little more expensive than mypictales, since mypictales usually has a coupon that we can use, but least they will allow lots more pages in the books!

Needless to say I think I'm going to change to a square LO for my main yearly books now too, not just for the special projects. Mainly because then I may have a little more choice on who will print my books with a custom cover...although the choices drop when you get over 160 pages...there are still a few of them out there. That is why I did this LO as an 8X8 instead of a 11X8.5. The new company I found said they can do 8X8's too...although not 12X12...but the 12X12 seems like it would be to big for me, so I'm not to worried about them not doing that size. I really like the little 8X8 books I've gotten. :)

Anyway, this LO is one of the photos I took at my parents place and uses a new kit from Lara Payton! I had fun just playing for a change, instead of actually having to get as much done as possible...which is probably why I only got one finished. Well and this morning we were making cheese, so I couldn't play then.

Kit Credit: Affinity by Lara Payton.

It's finally gotten hot here, I really loved the cooler spring we had this year for a change, but knew it couldn't last. We have actually had our air on the last few days, I really enjoyed having the windows open and hate that we had to close them, but also want to be able to sleep at night, which I can't do if I'm to hot.

Anyway have a great weekend and Fathers day...and first day of summer!!

A Special Fathers Day wish goes out to my Dad, whom I love very much. I am a lot like him personality wise, which could be why we haven't always gotten along (ok, not that I get along with anyone ALL the time LOL), but through it all I've loved him and am so thankful that God gave me to him for a daughter. Thanks so much Dad for being there for us, and for loving me all these years! I hope you have a wonderful Fathers Day! I love you!! :)

Blush ~n~ Dusty Layout Challenge

It's May!! Time for a new challenge to start on Blush ~n~ Dusty and this month it's a repeat from last year. A few years ago I promised myself I'd take at least one photo of myself every year...it's just not something I like to do usually or even really could, since I was the one behind the camera most of the time. However since DH has his own little point and shoot now he gets a few now and then...so this year it was easier to scrap a photo of myself, last year I had to actually take one when it was time to. LOL So come join us and scrap one of those photos of yourself...it can be an old one...a new one...from the front...or like me this time from the back with a cat on my shoulders! *giggle*

I think this is one of my favorite photo's of me that has been taken for a while...mostly it's of the cat, so maybe that's why! ROFL Anyway, in the photos in these pages DH caught the cat on my shoulders for a change. The first one she is just laying in my hair, the 2nd layout shows her attacking me as she is playing. Something she really LOVES to do. LOL

Kit Credit 1st LO: May's challenge kit Sprightly mini 2 on by Lara Payton.

Kit Credit for 2nd LO - Sprightly mini 1 by Lara Payton

I just have to say that I totally LOVE the papers in these two kits, they are multicolored and grungy and really cool. I had a lot of fun playing with them and love how things look blended into them.

May is national photo month, just in case anyone was interested in that little tidbit. LOL I only know that because the store I bought my camera from is having a photo contest and I'm thinking about entering it. They want flower photos...which is something I've loved talking photos of and so naturally I have a few I think are pretty good, least good enough to TRY for the prize, which are GC's to their store. I can always use more stuff for my camera! *giggle* Not that I think I have a huge chance of winning, because there are a lot of people out there who can take even better photos, but it would be fun to try. :)

I hope you all have a great weekend, and can spend a little at the Scrapbooking Day sales! I know Blushbutter is having a nice sale and Dusty Bear is too plus a lot of other stores across digiland are going to be on sale so have fun and don't spend so much you have trouble eating for the next month!! LOL My sale won't be till my birthday, since I don't have sales very often and since EVERYONE almost, will be having one this weekend, I thought I'd wait till my birthday (the 19th). So what are you still doing here, get out there and check out the sales and have fun!!

Graduation Plans

First off I managed to do a couple quick layouts today, I've kinda not been in the mood for anything so it's amazing I got them done. This is some more photos from our Thanksgiving trip last year. Jazmine & I had fun hanging out together while everyone else watched the Husker Game. :) I really hope I can get back into doing some layouts, cause I have a ton I NEED to do. Been awhile since I did a bunch in one week.

Kit Credit Adoration kit & mini kit by Lara Payton

We got quite a bit of rain this weekend, 3 or more inches and that's really making the grass grow and get more of that beautiful green coming through the brown. I'm thinking we need to dust off that new Mower DH got last year and start using it...or maybe I should say, HE needs to, since he usually does the mowing now that we have a usable rider.

I'm really disappointed in our apple tree, the one that has the good apples doesn't have many blooms at all on it, naturally the other one is covered...but those apples aren't very good so we don't use them. I was really hoping to play and try to get some photos of bees in flight this year on the blossoms, but since there aren't many on the tree, I don't guess I'm going to be able to do so. Bummer!! Plus I was hoping to put up more apples this fall...guess that's out too.

Graduation is coming up fast, and everyone had been planning on having a party for my niece at her maternal Grandparents house, but after talking to my Mom this weekend, I guess she is now getting two parties, one for her Dad's side, and One for her Moms...all because her Mom refuses to put up with her Dad's wife. You would think this long after the divorce she could put up with things for a few hours so Kali could have all those who love her the most, together in one place, but I guess she (her mom) still has some growing up to do herself. Sad really, while I'm perfectly happy having one at my parents place, I was really kinda looking forward to the other one with ALL Kali's family together (easier to get some good photos for her book that way of ALL of her family...tring to get some at the graduation just won't get as good of ones I don't think, because of the lighting in the school), and while I do get along with her Mom just fine usually, I'm rather disgusted about this latest stunt she has pulled.

I don't guess I should care all that much, as much as I have tried to have both sides of Kali's family in her book, we just have MORE photos of our side, so I don't suppose it really makes a difference if I have mostly her Dad's side in the book for her Graduation photos. I was kinda hoping to end it more even, but...I guess its natural to have more from my side, since I'm the one making the book.

Oh I do have to point out that everyone BUT her Dad's wife is invited to that other party (from what I hear)...but I'm totally in agreement with my brother that if his wife can't come, he won't either, that's as it should be. No matter who does or doesn't get along with her, she is his wife. Personally being the...ummm....witch for lack of a better word...that I am, I would just show up with her if I were him, but that's just me...oh well no it's not just me, that's what DH said too. *giggle* But I guess Kali won't mind to much having TWO Graduation parties, so two she gets...as things stand now anyway. I'm really looking forward to that weekend, I can't wait to see her and give her that hug I've been saving up! :)

Anyway, that's our big plan for May, that trip to Kali's graduation. It should be interesting...since we have to be gone several days, and with having milking goats, we will have to take a few of them along with us...we don't travel light do we. For some reason the theme song for beverly hillbillies always runs through my head when I think about going over there with goats so we can keep milking them. *snicker* Yep Hillbilly Acres really would be the perfect name for our farm! LOL

I hope you have a great week, we have some Dr appointments this week and a funeral, so we will see if I get anymore LO's done. Hopefully I can. :)