Faith can move mountains

Yes, it surely can! I started this blog just over about a year ago. My first post being about the definition of success. It means so many things to so many different people. Some people think of success as winning, others think of it as overcoming a challenge, and some may think of it as getting through life day by day doing what needs to be done to survive. I believe success can be all of those things and even more.
This past year has been a rough roller coaster. Graduating from college at the ripe age of 40 with high expectations of going out into the world and finding that dream job right away. This past year was a wake up call, for me. Life isn't always easy. Life brings on challenges. 
However, I have also learned that it's a lot easier to just give up and throw it all away, rather than to keep pushing yourself to do better. While it's easier, it's not nearly as rewarding. There were times during this past year where my moral was at an all time low. Sending in resumes, going to endless interviews, and not getting an positive results. Yet, I kept pushing for more. I didn't give up. I did not want to let myself or my family down. And, well, it finally paid off. 

Finally I will be starting a job that's related to my career of choice. 
Finally, the sending out resumes and endless interviews are over, at least, for now. 
Finally, I have gotten my foot in the door and can begin a new chapter!

Next week are start my new job as an assistant preschool teacher and I couldn't be more excited. I know there will be some fun times. I know I will face challenges. I know I am ready for what life hands me!

My advice to all those out there struggling with whatever life is giving you...please, don't give up!

Gary Allen sings, "Every storm runs out of rain, just like every dark night turns into day. Every heart ache will fade away." This has been my theme song for the past year and has kept me going. That and faith that good things will happen with a little (or a lot of) patience and perseverance.

(This was taken at Whitemountain National Park in NH)

It's been awhile!

I haven't made a blog post in forever. I've come to the conclusion that I'm not much for writing. Therefore, I'm going to take my blog into a different direction and hopefully it will peak your interest.
We all have a talent of some kind, that we're good at and we're a little afraid to share that talent with others. We are our own worst critics. Over the past few years I have enjoyed photography and have gotten many compliments on many of my photos. I don't own any fancy big DSLR camera that can do fancy tricks. But my Nikon Coolpix seems to do just fine on it's own. I've always believed that it's not the camera that takes the pics, but the person holding the camera.
In the meantime, while getting back into picture taking, I have been trying to come up with ways to promote my small business Facebook page. I see a lot of quote sharing in today's social media. So I decided, I'd love to share my photos, but don't want to make it a profession, let's add some inspirational quotes to them to help motivate people in every day life.  That is exactly what I'm going to do here, too.  I will continue to post my latest projects...both personal and shop related, however, I will mostly be sharing with you daily quotes on my photos, taken and edited by me. I love quotes and I love photography, so why not combine the two? I hope you enjoy!

Please stop over and visit me on Facebook ... CraftyCountryBumpkin'

From dull to vibrant!

When life gets in the way, we all get busy and sometimes our routine changes. I haven't blogged in almost a month, just because life has gotten in the way. That's not necessarily a bad thing. It just means we have to stop and remind ourselves of the things we like to do and what makes us happy. I've, not only, neglected my blog, but I've neglected my crafts, as well. I am reminding myself how good it feels to get something accomplished, the proud feeling of being able to show off a finished project.
However, even though life has gotten in the way of my hobby, I'm still enjoying it. I'm still continuing photographing life around me for Project Life. I don't know that my photography has improved, but I do know that my editing has. I'm more consciousness about the final look of my photographs.
For example, this picture of the sun shining through the trees, came out rather dull, initially. With some editing in Paint Shop Pro, I've added some vibrancy to it. I was disappointed when I first uploaded the image, but now it's one of my favorites.

Another one, here, is looking through my front door. A simple snow covered tree, turned into something so beautiful. Even those who dislike winter and snow appreciate this photo.

I love taking photos of nature and seasons. It's not a challenge for me at all to photograph scenes like these here. That's what I am enjoying about Project Life. PL is encouraging me to think outside the box and take photos of everyday things that I wouldn't normally take a picture of. 
For example, my bedtime routine. I was never much of a tea drinker, but I've come accustomed to drinking Sleepy Time Tea before bed. It's one of my favorite things. A little bit of milk & honey tops it off just right!

Let me also include that the mug in this photo was given to me for Easter by my mom back in 1983. It's 20 years old and still in one piece! That's amazing to me!

My family thinks I'm crazy for doing this project and they roll their eyes at me every time I stop to take a picture of something in our everyday lives. Like, when I took this photo of a Sunday dinner, they just shook their heads and laughed at me. One day, though, I know they'll appreciate going through this album with their own children.

So, while I haven't had much time to work on blogging and crafts. I've been taking the time to appreciate the little things. I hope that this will remind you, that no, one single moment is not important enough to be remembered and recorded.

"Every day may not be good. But, there is something good in every day." ~Author Unknown

Project Life...revamped!

It's only mid-January and already Project Life, taking pictures every day and documenting everything, every day was becoming tedious. But, I didn't want to quit. Some days I really enjoyed taking photos of the little things in life. With some advice from some great people, I decided to change things up a bit. 

Project Life 365 is now Project Life-A week in review! 
Now I can take pictures when I want, or don't have to take any pictures at all. No stress. What fun is a hobby when it becomes tedious and stressful? None at all. So I've used many of the same photos and changed the layouts to an 8 1/2 x 11 collage format. This size will be easy to print and store, as well.

The cover is the same. I just changed the size from 8x8 to 8 1/2 x 11.

Here's the intro, since I still wanted to use my 2012 Year in Review collage...

Let 2013 begin!

  Week 1:

 

Week 2:

     

  Week 3:

I hope you'll sit back, relax, and enjoy my journey through the year. If you think you want to participate, but you're not a scrapbooker? DO IT ANYWAY! Take your camera, and have fun with it. You don't have to scrapbook your photos in any fancy way. Put them in an album with a little note on the back about the photo. It's so easy, anyone can play! Share with others, like I am, or keep them to yourself. It's totally up to you. The beauty of it is, there are no rules!

“Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second.” ~ Marc Riboud

IMPROVE 2013

It's the time of year where we make all these New Year's Resolutions. We're going to do this, that and the other thing to make life better. We're not going to do things this way anymore, we're going to change everything. 
What are your resolutions? 
Do you believe in them?
Do you follow through?
I've never been on to make specific resolutions because I have no will-power to stick to them. There's no diet plans, exercise plans, etc. There are a lot of things I would like to be different in this upcoming year. But change can be a little intimidating and sometimes demand more than we can handle.
The best thing that I can hope for this year is to IMPROVE. It's easier to improve on something than it is to completely change the way we do it. We can improve our relationships without making changes that scare our family and friends. We can improve our attitudes without changing who we are. We can improve our healthy (or not so healthy) habits and keep some of our old. A little improving goes a long way. It's like taking baby steps instead of jumping right in.
Remember when I started this blog in the summer. I spoke of the One Little Word project that the good folks at Club CK have gotten me hooked on. 2012 my word was success, that was my first blog post. Now it's time to introduce my One Little Word 2013....Improve!

I'm so excited that I get to help out on the board and make these badges for everyone and they can show off their word for the year. It gives me a chance to see all the different words that people are choosing. This is fun! I'm glad everyone likes them and wants more! It's a good start to focusing on my word. Improving my relationships at Club CK. Everyone is great over there. I love to help where I can without over-committing myself.

So how am I doing with my improving this year? Well, it's still too early to tell. One day I do good, other days not so good. I'm keeping up with Project Life, but that is in it's early stages. Still looking for a better job, but baby steps, as I've said before. We'll see how the year goes as we complete these fun little challenges from my friends at CK. 

Here's my January 2013 One Little Word Challenge...

The layout is digi. The kit is from Red Dog Designs Summer Soft. I used CK Ali hand for the font.

It's been a pretty bad day for me today and I'm still trying to keep my over-all outlook up. While I'm a little down, I know things could be a lot worse. Sitting around moping doesn't help matters, so I decided to come on here and blog. That comes with my word again...improving my attitude. I'm working on that!
I love this quote:
“If you try anything, if you try to lose weight, or to improve yourself, or to love, or to make the world a better place, you have already achieved something wonderful, before you even begin. Forget failure. If things don't work out the way you want, hold your head up high and be proud. And try again. And again. And again!” ~Sarah Dessen;Keeping the Moon

Project Life...The Beginning

It's a blistery, cold morning, as I sit here and type this. It was 0 degrees this morning and colder than that in our surrounding neighborhoods.  Buuuur. A good morning to sit in front of the computer with a hot cup of coffee and post the beginning pages of my first Project Life album.
I chose to do this project digitally, as it will be easier to keep up with. I'm always in front of the computer, so why not? After spending a lot of time digging through my digital collection and trying different things, I chose to use the Shabby Princess Promise Collection Kit. The background papers are subtle and won't take away from the photos, there are plenty of little elements to use and the alpha font is neutral, but stands right out. I downloaded some freebies from Becky Higgins website. It's important to be consistent with this project and document everything. Between the kit and some of Becky's freebies, it'll be easy for me to keep track of what is what.
For starters, an album needs a cover. I took this photo yesterday to use it for my cover page. Me with a camera...appropriate for this project, don't you think?

January 1, 2013...I wasn't sure how to start the album off, since this is my first time. Do I just dig right in and take an "everyday" photo or should there be some sort of introduction? I like having an introduction, so instead of choosing a photo from this day, I made a collage with a bunch of different photos from 2012 and put them together for a layout. I took some from the good, not so good, random events through out the year and put them all together. It was  fun to look through all the pictures from the past year.

January 2, 2013...A room with a view! This is where we put our Christmas tree, in front of the window. The Christmas decorations came down today, we've gotten a bunch of snow over the past few days, so therefore, here's a picture of what we see now that the tree is put away. The view never gets old. On a day as cold as today, it looks much better from the inside!

Stay tuned for more Project Life photos as the album continues to grow!

Today's quote is on the 1st page of my PL365 2013 album:
"If you want to keep your memories alive, you first have to live them" Bob Dylan

2012...A Year In Review

So, yes, I'm still here. I've neglected my blog for various reasons. One of my New Year's Resolutions is to get back at it on more of a regular basis. 
As I reflect back on this past year, 2012, I should be excited with the accomplishments that I've made.

• I've graduated from college earning a Bachelor of Science degree at age 39
• I've gotten back into scrapbooking, a hobby I couldn't live without
• I've started my own paper craft business, and while it's a slow start, has had some success
• My brother-in-law got married and I met some family I've never met before

So why do I look at 2012 as being such a bad year? Maybe it wasn't so bad, after all? It wasn't, necessarily bad, but it was rough. The beginning started out with having continued health problems. I was doing a full-time internship while working part-time. Right after graduation I had surgery and spent all of Spring and early summer recovering. Still not having a full time job after graduation certainly made for a rough ride, financially. I suffered some hard losses of very special family members this year. One due to cancer and another due to a long term illness. I guess the losses of 2012 have over-powered the successes and triumphs. 
But on a positive note, it has also turned me into who I am today. I'm embracing this new year of 2013 with open arms. A new year for new dreams, new hopes, and most importantly, new goals! It will be a good year, one way or another. I'm going to document it all, the good, the bad, the everyday life! That's the scrapbooker in me talkin'!
That's where Project Life comes in. I've heard it talked about in the scrapbooking communities. I've wondered if it's possible to keep up with it all year long. What is Project Life? If you're not familiar, it's taking pictures everyday of everyday things such as work, maybe what you had for dinner, etc and documenting them. I like to call it a photo journal of sorts. Like keeping a diary with pictures included. I'm going to do it digitally and will share my pages and photos with you here. I figure digital is easier to keep up with, less expensive, and it's a lot easier to sit here in front of the computer than try to get all the supplies together, etc.
So here's to a new year, new goals, and Project Life. No fancy quote for today, just some personal advice...never give up! You won't fail if you keep trying!

(From Becky Higgins-Project Life)

Trendy

Are you a trend follower? Do you do something just because it's what everyone else is doing? 

There are so many trends. Trends in fashion, technology, hobbies, etc. 
I'm convinced I'm not a trend follower. I like to do my own thing. I don't do something just because it's what everyone else is doing. If there's a trend out there I don't like, then I won't do it. I'm not big on fashion, can't afford to be even if I wanted to. I don't own a pair of Ugg's or a Coach purse or anything else that may be popular out there, and I don't have any desire to.
There are trends in scrapbooking, too, of course. Technique's people try, like, and catch on to or new embellishments that are must haves. I'm not entirely a scrapbook trend follower, either. However, if something is out there that everyone's doing, if I like it, I will try it. 

Sewing on layouts seems to be the thing that everyone is doing. I like the look, it's rather neat. But you, most likely, will not see it on my layouts. I'm not a sewer. I have a sewing machine, but I can't tell you the last time I took it out to use it.

There are some other scrapbook trends that I do like. I do use them on my layouts because I like them and it's fun and will do it even if it's no longer a trend.

Here's an example of one that I really wanted to try. Misting is using spray ink on paper. You can use a little or you can use a lot. It's totally up to you. It adds a little something to the pages. Use it on solid cardstock or patterned paper, doesn't matter.

You can see here where I just used a touch of purple mist on just a part of the layout.

Another trendy scrapbook thing is Washi Tape. What is washi tape? Basically it's tape with a pattern on it. Easy enough! I wasn't going to bother with this, because I just didn't see buying a whole role of the same thing. But, then, I realized, how different is it from buying a whole role of ribbon for a page or two? Same concept and easier to use. So, I caved, and bought some Washi Tape. I picked one with different colors and different patterns that would go with so many different papers. 

The colors of this tape aren't the main colors on this layout, but it does add a little something to it. I'm happy with the results.

Here's the over-all "trendy" layout. Some trends are worth trying, even if you're not a trendy kind of person!

If you're hesitant about trying out a new trend because you aren't a trend follower, try it anyway. You might decide it works for you and if it doesn't, that's ok, too. At the same time, don't feel obligated to try a new trend if you already know it's not for you.

Does your hobby have trends? What are they? Do you use them? Why?

"Don't follow a trend. Follow your heart." ~ Krist Novoselic

So, what's new?

I've been a little MIA and neglecting my blog this past week. We've been experiencing some major internet issues and it's been difficult to do even the simplest of things. Still having issues but they are hit or miss, so hopefully I can get a post in.
I don't have any layouts or stories to share with you all. Hope you're not too disappointed. But I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to promote some new items in my shop that I'm really excited and proud of.

I'm slowly building inventory, and I've had a couple of local sales...so we're heading in the right direction. Now, it's time to really get the word out there!
First, here is my favorite thing in my entire shop. I've considered keeping it for myself! lol. But I'll share with you all, because you so deserve it! This is my new "Country Bumpkin' Shadow Box". Created with pretty paper, fibers, flowers, and some cutesy charms. Can you see, now, why I wouldn't want to part with this??? 

Now, while I would rather wait until November to start thinking about the Holiday Season, I am learning that in the retail business, that is not allowed. I'm not rushing the season, I love everything about Fall, and Halloween may be just as much of a favorite, if not more, than Christmas, itself. However, I know the holiday shoppers are out there and they're lurking..many even shopping already! So here goes, the first of the Christmas/Holiday cards are in!

Wait, there's a little more. We have a brand new product! Who doesn't like to sit down and drown themselves into a good book? I'm not a huge reader, but when I do read, I'm usually scrounging for a bookmark. I tend to find scraps of paper and use them, or an envelope, what ever may be laying around. A person who loves pretty paper should not have this issue! So, now we have bookmarks in the shop.

Our first set, is a set of three, Girl Scout themed bookmarks. Now, these aren't just little rectangle pieces of cut, pretty paper. These are patterns, matted on cardstock, matted on a heavy matte board (the kind used in picture frames), made to last a long time! A perfect gift for that special Girl Scout in your life...or even a leader and/or volunteer.

There will be more bookmarks with different themes added as time goes on. But, for now, here is our first set...

Stay tuned for more. Thanks for looking. I wish you all a blessed day!

" The idea is there, locked inside, and all you have to do is remove the excess stone. "~ Michelangelo

Color Me Happy

I love colors. What would our world be like if we didn't have color? Seriously, blah! Colors reflect a lot of things and are a symbol of life.
A scrapbooker looks at colors just like an artist does. Well, heck, a scrapbooker is an artist, after all. Right? Scrapping encourages us to use color combinations that we wouldn't think to use together. 
Take the color brown, for example. Brown, by itself, you may think is not a pretty color. But add something else to it, like yellow & turquoise, and it really changes the perspective.
That's what I love about scrapbook challenges. They encourage us to experiment and try new things. Things we may not think of on our own. I would've never thought of combining those three colors, if it weren't for this month's CK Color Challenge. Turquoise & yellow, yes...even brown & turquoise, yes...but the three together? I, most likely, would not have done on my own.
So I went with it, and the results...I'm extremely happy with! I used a light brown with this layout, but just the same, it's brown! Here's the layout I came up with...

These are pictures from our annual trip to the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse, NY. We go every year. It's our mark of the official 'end of summer'. Our last big hoorah before the girls go back to school.

And, if you don't know it already, my sewing machine and I don't get a long well, so I never sew on a layout. But, I do like the looks of stitching on a page. So I compromised here, and used a Sakura pen to do the stitching around the letters. It's not cheating! ;-) There's also some stitching on the ribbon...it came that way!
 

Among this layout, I spy some Amy Tangerine, Prima, & K & Company...

I had some help in figuring out where to put the photos on this page. I love, love, love sketches. Sketches are fun, and again, encourage us to try new things. This is based on the October sketch from PageMaps.

So there you have it. My advice for you is to be creative and use your imagination. Try new things. You never know the outcome until you do it. You may decide it works for you. If it doesn't, then you know and at least your tried! Remember, you can do this with any craft or activity...not just scrapping!

Have a blessed day and happy creating!

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most. ” ~ John Ruskin

ONE is NOT the loneliest number!

Woot my first blog hop. I almost messed up and completely forgot about it! Just getting back on track after a rough week. Hope I don't disappoint you. If you are participating in the hop, you should have found me through Amanda's blog because she is the host of this fun hop. But, most likely you're getting to me late. If you're just starting. You should definitely stop at Amanda's first to get the scoop on how this hop works. She's got some give-away's too!

I'm usually a multi-photo scrapper. I love putting multiple photos on a layout that tell a story of an event. However, every now and then there's that one image you want to capture. A picture is worth a thousand words. There's that one photo that can tell a person's personality, or maybe describe a place you visited. 

I do both, digital and traditional scrapping and like to do a lot of one-photo layouts with my digi scrapping. For some reason I save digi scrapping for those layouts that are more personal. Those extra special layouts (even though, they're all special).

Here's one of my favorites, "Moments." It's so hard to get a photo of all three of us girls together, since I'm the one usually with the camera. This layout was done last summer. (Sorry, I do not know the designer of the kit used).

Here's one of my DD's that I did several years ago, back in 2008. This one is a traditional layout. I love this quote! Even though they were so little, I'm sure they think that about each other now! "I'm smiling because you're my sister, I'm laughing because there's nothing you can do about it."
I feel that the design of this layout really captures the photo because the photo takes up the majority of the page. There is that touch of elements, but the photo is the main focus and it's obvious.

Ok, so I didn't totally cheat with this blog hop. I did complete a fresh layout this morning. I have several one-photo layouts to go with song lyrics. I could write a whole post just on that. I love using song lyrics on a page. It helps with journaling. When you don't know the right things to say in your own words, look to a song. The whole song, part of a song, either way works.

This one is a digital layout and was made with the "Celebrate Life" kit, brand new from TeresaDigilDesigns.

I hope you enjoyed your visit here and got some ideas on using one-photo layouts. Now, guess what, it's... Adele's turn! Have fun hopping! Hope I didn't make you wait too long!

1 photo: Heather
1 photo: Crafty Country Bumpkin Jen
2 photos: Adele
2 photos: Heather M
3 photos: Becky
3 photos: Colleen
4 photos: Devra
4 photos: Carolyn
5 or 6 photos: Steffanie
5 or 6 photos: Dana
7 or more photos: Laura

Oops, almost forgot...
"A photograph is always about two things. It is about what is being shown, and it is about the response to what is seen."~Tom Bentkowski

 

Our Adventure Through Vermont

I'm trying to start a tradition with my girls where every year we do something Fall related. Something more than the traditional apple picking, pie making activities. Being a lover of the outdoors, I love to explore and go on adventures. My adventures usually turn into real adventures, we either get lost, or stuck taking detours etc. For example over the summer, I wanted to take the girls to Trenton Falls, but the park was close, so we ended up going a little further north to Pixley Falls. 
Anyway, we didn't get to go on any Fall adventures last year. Two years ago we made it all the way up to White Face Mt. in the Adirondack's. The original plan was to visit Santa's Workshop, stopping along some scenic points on the way. I did not realize how close Santa's Workshop was to Whiteface! Now that was an adventure! A successful adventure, and totally worth the trip! Here's a layout from two years on our Whiteface adventure...

Now, our recent trip to Vermont was a successful adventure, as well. We started out ahead of schedule Monday morning. Our first stop was The Chocolate Barn just before Arlington, VT. One of the girls' favorite part of the trip. Handmade chocolates, maple syrup, maple candy. It smelled so good. Yes, of course, we left with some goodies!

The next stop was in Arlington, VT. Here, we were hoping to find a place called The Candle Mill. I remember being there when I was a kid and making candles with my mom. Unfortunately, The Candle Mill is no longer there. We were lucky, however, to find the building it was in. So, at least we didn't get lost trying to find a place that didn't exist. We explored around this quaint little town. The beautiful creek with the Fall foliage that was behind the building. My favorite was the covered bridge that was just up the road. We got to really drive through it!

Next stop was Manchester. On our way to Manchester we stopped at a little country Christmas shop, called Christmas Days. It's a popular little store on the scenic route. I didn't take any pictures here, and actually managed to refrain from buying anything, but we enjoyed looking around. The lights, the sights, and the smells of Christmas in this place made it worth stopping at.
When we got to Manchester, we did some more exploring and a lot of window shopping! Outlets, country stores, and beautiful scenic mountains. Of all things, though, my favorite part of this stop was that moment when everything in the world was perfect. Two little girls who go through life bickering and fighting with each other, calling each other names, etc, and so on, we're getting along, naturally. Not because they were told to do so, but because they were truly happy. The better thing is, they didn't know I was taking their picture!

Oh, and let's not forget Sarah's new friend...

and some more of a "mother's favorites"

Our final stop was Bennington. We stopped and saw the Bennington Monument, which reminded is of the Washington Monument in DC, only smaller...a lot smaller!

and the girls made another friend...

and, of course, you can't go to Vermont in early October without catching a glimpse of the foliage...

It really was as close to a perfect adventure as perfect can get. I hope that my girls will remember this day when they get to be my age, just as I remember the time I've spent with my mother visiting here.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover".Author: Mark Twain

OktoberFest

October has officially begun. The season for apples, pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins is at it's peak! We love October for so many reasons. The crisp, Autumn air, the pretty colors.
What started this Oktoberfest tradition? It's a 16-day festival that starts at the end of September and runs through part of October. It takes place in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It is a huge and important event among the Bavarians. Oktober Fest has been going on for over 200 years, starting in the year 1810.
Here's a photo I found on google images of the view of Oktober fest. Kind of reminds me of the New York State Fair, with a lot more people!

As having German descent in my family genealogy, and having a birthday in October (we'll discuss turning 40, later!), I figure we should celebrate this festival here, as well. While we may not have the carnival rides and all the wonderful German food, and beer, we can still celebrate in our own way.
During the month of October, my Etsy shop and Facebook are coming together and offering you 10% off my shop, any item. Ok, there's one small catch. All you have to do is go onto my Crafty Country Bumpkin facebook page and like the page. The coupon code is there, posted on the wall, just for facebook fans! That's, it! Easy? I'll make it even easier for you and give you the link. You don't even have to search for it! How's that for a celebration!!! 

Crafty Country Bumpkin on Facebook

And, of course, we also have a crafty item to share. To help celebrate the month of October, I just added these "Bootiful" notecards to my Etsy shop.

Not to fear, I have a quote for you, too! I really like this one! Enjoy. Have a blessed day!

"There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October." -  Nathaniel Hawthorne

A Successful Endeavor

It sure is nice when we can use both of those  words in the same sentence. Yesterday I attempted to make pie filling and jar it, using our abundant supply of apples from this past weekend. Well my attempt turned into quite a success. I managed to get two jar fulls! I may have done more but that's a lot of peeling and cutting! I wanted to make sure the process was going to work. 
I have never canned anything in my life, so this was all new. Then upon my research I found that, yes, I can do this. Even with no experience, no fancy canning equipment...I can do this! Not only did I do it, but it was rather fun, too!
First, I pealed and sliced my apples. Added a bit of lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.
Then I made the yummy, cinnamon sugar mixture...which, by the way, smells amazing when it's cooking, and leaves your kitchen smelling good for hours after!
I put the apples in a large pan with a little bit of water and boiled them for about 10 min.
After sterilizing my jars and lids, I filled them, leaving room at the top of the jars, poured the syrup in the jars, making sure there are no air bubbles.
Sealed the jars, and put them in a large stock pot of boiling water. The jars boiled for about 15 minutes. Carefully, with tongs and pot holders, I took the jars out, allowed them several hours of cooling time, and voila. 
That was it! The lids sealed properly, and we're good to go!
Yes, I did the happy dance, alone, in my kitchen, no one was around. Shhh.

So, of course, yes, I scrapped about it. Are you kidding me? Did you really have to ask? 
This was perfect for my One Little Word Challenge. Using my word with Endeavor and trying a new technique on a layout. Oh yeah! 
Let's see, so my scrapbooking endeavor here, was experimenting some more with misting and masking. Never before, have I done either of the two. Cool, huh?
With my little word being success, I'd say, all and all, it was a pretty successful day!

 The journaling on my layout pretty much summarizes what I've said here about my endeavor. I added a teeny dab of mist on the journal block, as well, just for the fun of it!

Yes, of course, we have a quote, too:

“Feeling and longing are the motive forces behind all human endeavor and human creations.”~ Albert Einstein

How 'bout them apples?

It's officially Fall. I love Fall in NY. 

• The colors
• The smells
• The crisp air
• Fresh Cider
• Pumpkin Spice Coffee
• Apple cider donuts
• Fresh apple sauce
• Apple butter
• APPLES

The list can go on and on!

A few years ago we had an apple orchard open up that's only a few minutes away. (Where we live, not much is just a few minutes away!) Windy Hill Orchard is a small orchard but has plenty of apples to go around! You can also get all the other yummy Fall goodies such as cider, apple butter, and more!

Apple picking is one of those things we do every year, it marks the official start of Fall, in my book. Fall wouldn't be Fall without fresh apples. It's a rule! Apple pie, apple cider, applesauce, apple bread, apple butter, apple crisp, etc, etc, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Here are some of the pictures from our favorite Fall adventure...

One of my favorite seasons to scrap is Fall. Remember, I said one of the things I love about this season is the colors. The reds, oranges, yellows, etc. They make me feel all warm inside. 
Here, I share with you a layout from last year's adventure:

My scrapbooking has grown so much. Can't wait to play with this year's photos with new techniques.



"Autumn is a second spring, when every leaf is a flower."~Henry David Thoreau