July 2024 Highlights

Here's what we were up to July 2024!

We flew to Wallace on July 2nd and spent the 4th of July there with my entire side of the family. I already turned the vacation into a scrapbook so the photos and stories have been documented HERE and you can purchase access to my 4th of July scrapbook album class HERE!

All the cousins.

Our family in Wallace, Idaho on July 4th 2024.

SO excited for next year in Wallace because I'll be teaching a 4th of July scrapbook event! Find all the details and register HERE!

I'm 3 years into trying to read all of the Nicholas Sparks books. I like reading best when I'm outside in the summer surrounded by flowers :)

Blooming bougainvillea.

Happy hibiscus.

Fox being silly atop the cat tower.

Lunch at Crepes & Dreams. If you ever go, try the Paradise crepe, it's absolutely delicious.

Summer is almost over and we've only been to the rec center pool once so far! Been so busy!

We went to JoAnn to see if Adventurous is there yet but no dice for in-person, however you can get it online HERE!

Fox & Jane will ride to middle school together so Jane is learning how to ride her scooter.

When we got home from Wallace 3 baby birds had hatched! Two weeks later they flew away! I think that was the last batch of 2024 since it's been 11 days and no more finches have started the process again. 3 batches this summer, just like last summer: 3+5+3 babies = 11 new house finches in the neighborhood!

Hi! Back in June after the cruise I got a hormone pellet inserted into my hip and the last huge, debilitating headache I got was July 10th. I've had a few headaches that have required triptans since then, but getting testosterone seems to be helping and I am so happy!!! I also had an MRI done for my jaws and have a follow up with the oral surgeon but not until October, hopefully sooner since I'm on the cancelation waitlist. Let's get rid of these migraines once and for all so I can get back to living!

Margi won the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Colorado Authors League so we went to the ceremony to show our love and support.

Congrats Margi!

We spread Jane's birthday across an entire week since I took her and Fox to Seattle over her actual birthday while Chris stayed home to work.

Off we go!

Pretty mountains.

After 30 years of living in Seattle my parents are moving to Eastern Washington so this was my last time flying into Seattle to see them in my childhood home. Had to soak in the lovely views.

We stopped at Bellevue Square on the way home and found a Sweet Factory! I haven't been in one of these in years!

My mom, my sister, and me!

Gorgeous roses growing right up to the top of the window.

More flowers around the yard.

We had to take the suburban down to the car repair shop to fix the brakes so I drove the Jeep which is a manual - just like riding a bike :)

Next stop: Blazing Bagels!

We decided we wanted to go canoeing in the morning so we were faced with the challenge of getting the canoe from the back of the garage onto the Jeep. Challenge accepted.

Where there's a will, there's a way! Success!

Zula being her cute self.

Malm made chicken tacos for dinner, yum yum.

Dald made Jane an extra large cupcake cake for her birthday - still 2 days away at this point lol.

That night I went with my mom and sister and brother to see Longlegs! I enjoyed it - Nicolas Cage as the bad dude was creeeeeeepy.

It was my mom's dream come true to have her 3 kids together watching a scary movie. We're weird like that :)

The next morning we loaded up and headed down to Lake Sammamish.

My arms gave out quickly (I am NOT in any kind of shape) so the strong folks hoisted the canoe all the way down to the dock.

My cuties.

Almost there!

Such a glorious morning.

We used to go canoeing all the time when I was a kid. My dad made this canoe by hand. BY HAND!! Check out these vintage pics of me and my siblings Eric & Allie.

3 generations of canoers!

We took turns paddling around the lake.

Allie & I took a turn.

Riding the waves.

Fox braved the cold and played in the lake for a bit.

These friends swim across the lake every Saturday and asked my dad to take a group photo.

Next we drove out to Seattle for Tanya's baby shower! It was AMAZING! Look at this donut wall!

And this impeccable charcuterie spread.

Lots of pretty flowers.

Eric & Tanya know the gender but aren't telling anyone grrrrr hahaha. We'll know in September!

There was a "guess how many oranges in the basket and win a prize" and my dad won. Apparently this is his 4th time winning this type of game in a row! That's his Google brain for ya lolol.

For Jane's birthday dinner (still not her actual birthday!!) she requested Mongolian Grill so we drove out to Woodinville to eat together with the whole family.

It was sooooo good!

The next morning Allie made blueberry muffins from scratch.

At last, HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY JANE!!!

It was overcast, Jane's ideal weather, so we went on a walk and saw a deer cross the road. Ferns everywhere.

You'd never know there are houses close by.

After church Eric & Tanya and their kids Zoe & Wes came over to swim.

Dald made chocolate chip cookies and once again I added lots of extras.

That evening we went on a hike to Snoqualmie Falls.

It was absolutely GORGEOUS.

We made it!

The next day it looked like this all day and rained and rained and rained. No wonder my parents are moving, 30 years of rain is enough :)

So we stayed inside and went to Costco and the post office and Chipotle.

I brought a MemoryDex tray to try and make a smaller replica with my dad for a MemoryDex card swap at Tricks & Treats Weekend.

We got lumber and dowels at Home Depot.

Then we used high power tools to cut all the pieces.

We took turns drilling partial holes to eventually hold the dowels which hold the cards.

I brought all the wood pieces home in a spare suitcase to assemble. Wish me luck lol.

For dinner our last evening we went to Mod Pizza.

My last night sleeping in my childhood home. I'll miss this house. So many memories made within.

The next morning we packed up and headed to the airport and had lots of time to spare so we ate breakfast at a sit-down restaurant. I don't think I've ever done that at an airport before!

Bye bye Seattle. I sure will miss you! Hope to be back again someday!

Mt. Rainier in all its glory.

The Denver airport is in the middle of nowhere, might as well be Kansas hahaha! But in comparison, the Las Vegas airport is literally right off the strip! I just wonder why the Denver airport is so far away from Denver...

Fox playing Pokemon Go with random people.

We saw four movies in July and I really liked them all, such a rarity to see so many good movies in a row! A Quiet Place Day One, Fly Me to the Moon, Twisters, and Longlegs! A+, A+, A+, A+!

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My kitties are the best :)

Sandy is not much of a snuggler so when she does get cozy, no one moves until she leaves.

I spy Sandy.

Sandy in various spots around the house.

Both girls. They were sooooo confused when I drew the water for a bath.

AMY! SO CUTE!

Amy finds the comfiest spots, like atop 3 huge fluffy blankets.

When I got back from Seattle they wouldn't let me out of their sight which is fine by me!

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Onto scrappy things! I shared 13 of my own projects throughout July: 9 layouts, a pair of cards, and 3 albums. Tap the links to see each project more in depth:

Blooming Wild Weekend Layout //  Cutie Layout // Dream Big Layout
Home Sweet Home Layout // Hello There Getaway Layout // I ♡ Scrapbooking Layout
Cousins Layout // Love Grows Here Layout // Shine Today Layout

I Love You So Very Much Cards

4th of July 6x8 Scrapbook // Round Mini Album // Bon Voyage 6x8 Scrapbook

Registration opened for my 4th of July Scrapbook Event In Wallace, Idaho!

We will make a 6x8" scrapbook album similar to the ones I've made the past 3 years. Gi is currently working on the world's cutest custom sequin album for the event! Register for the event HERE.

I LOVE documenting our 4th of July family reunions!

I received the last few sample items of my new Tricks & Treats collection! Friends, this collection is already oversold so if you see it anywhere and want it, BUY IT! Scrapbook.com has a few items. My order will be here hopefully sometime in August and I will ship out pre-orders once I have it all in hand.

I'm so excited to scrapbook all things Halloween with Tricks & Treats!

But first, lots of projects coming right up with Adventurous! 

The latter half of July I started working on my class samples for the CLUE-themed scrapbook event in Alpharetta, Georgia taking place August 23rd-25th! Only 5 spots left - email Susan at emiscrapbooking@aol.com to register!

We'll fill up the the Adventurous scrapbook and make a backpack-shaped mini album.

The 6x8" Halloween sequin albums and 4x4" Travel sequin albums from Gi in Brazil arrived and the cats 'helped' me ship out pre-orders :)

I do have some of the 4x4" Travel sequin albums in my shop. We're always working on the next collaboration - stay tuned! 

Sign up for the Scrap & Learn Live Virtual Camp taking place August 31st & September 1st HERE! There are some amazing guest teachers and I'm so excited to show you how to create layouts with Adventurous!

I was on the Paper Talk Podcast - give it a listen HERE.

So much fun stuff in the works! I'm going to resume Make With Me Monday but just once a month for now. The next one will happen August 19th - see you then!

Here's to an awesome August!