Playing with Dollies ~another Trifecta

So - I love a good challenge and this one was a tough one!  The girls at the Design Dollies BLOG have done it again and enticed me to take on all three of their weekly challenges and enter this week's TRIFECTA!
The BEST thing about about "playing" along with the DOLLIES, is that I get to use up the mountainous "stash" of scrap cr*p that I have accumulated - and it helps me to really get creative!

Here is this week's challenge:

FIRST - the COLORS ~ Black, Yellow & Silver hmmm a bit of a challenge in itself -but wait - there's more!

SECOND - the   ELEMENTS: Nautical but Nice!  OK -not so bad, but you don't think of Black, Yellow and Silver when you think of of the Ocean / Sea / Sailing...... This IS going to be a tough one!!

(at this point - it was Tuesday night- and all I am waiting for is the SKETCH that is issued on Thursday -so I begin pulling out pictures, papers, embellishments that fit the colors and elements and wait in anticipation to see how I can make it all fit!)

THIRD - the SKETCH (below) arrives!


HMMM.....  - the photo I want to use is horizontal - and I only have one that I want to use
-- this IS REALLY going to be a CHALLENGE!!

So....  here is my entry - What do you think??

About the photo - as you can see - it was taken on our Magical Mediterranean Disney Cruise from 2007.
I am not an "up to date" scrapper - and I will NEVER be finished with all of the photos that I have.  I scrap photos when "the mood" hits me - I have to have a feel for what I want to do - I don't scrap to scrap and "get it done" - I scrap to honor -and embellish the photo/story with "stuff" too!  

This photo is from a crazy day filled with LOTS of amazing memories.   The four of us did our own excursion in Villefrance, France.  I spent months and months researching what to do here ( surprise surprise!!!! ) and found a way to get on a public transportation bus, to take us to the beautiful EZE, France on the Cote d'Azur.  Once we got off the tender, and into the port of Villefranche, we walked along the road, seeing some "sights!"  the beautiful and colorful homes and cafes, as well as the naked sunbathers, are memories that we will have for a lifetime - the naked ones were burned in our minds and something we wish we could forget - as they were NOT bathing beauties - but everyday Grandmas and Grandpas - even Grandpas wearing Speedo's too! OH MY!! LOL!

Well, it was a HOT HOT and sweaty day -and we made our way up and up the zig-zag roads (see the different levels behind us in the photo?)  The whole time my 3 non-adventurous men complained about the heat, and me not knowing what I was doing or where we were going ( yes, I did ask someone for directions!) Once we got on the bus, we ended up having to go from Villefrance, to the main bus station in Nice ( the opposite direction of Eze,) then onto another bus back past Villefrance and onto Eze! I enjoyed every bit of the "fun" (beautiful scenery -on the way to Nice and on the way back!) while others in my party didn't see it that way! 

It was all worth it as our day in EZE is filled with wonderful memories, this is a place I would love to go back to one day - hey, it's the French Riviera - who wouldn't!!  Oh - and we didn't end up taking the bus back to the port - (the Explorers would have none of that again!) we took a Mercedes taxi back - but of course! LOL!!

I don't have any names of the papers that I used -I've had them for years - other than the base with Bazzill Black  ( which causes this layout to be able to be entered in another challenge in a facebook group that I belong to called "paint it black!" ) but I can list some of the ingredients that I used:
Dew Drop  Brilliance "Platinum Planet" Ink, on the edges, along with Tattered Angles Glimmer Glaze " Mellow Yellow " and "Oil Slick" also TA Glimmer Mist Chalkboard Glimmer Mist "Banana Pudding" ( in the bottom right corner) - Helmar Scrap Dots to adhere the buttons and the metal flower -which was from a broken piece of jewelry (thanks to my friend John!) the diecut "Vacation" title has been sitting in a draw for @ 3yrs waiting for a new home, and the silver word Adventure was made with Thickers "Rockaby" that I recently purchased to add to my stash - YES, I am a scrap-a-holic and I'm proud of it!! LOL!!

I hope you enjoyed my story and my layout!

Thanks for looking -- Please leave a comment if you were here - just a "Hi" would be nice!

Sherri

Strength, Courage, Humor ~ a Remarkable Man!

Hi Everyone,  I have to share some GOOD NEWS - and maybe help everyone to take a minute and think about how BLESSED we are ALL are to be able to say that we are SO BUSY and don't know how we are going to "get everything done" before Christmas!

You see, my Uncle Bob is in the hospital, recovering from some major surgery - he has been a quadriplegic for the last 40+ years, after a swimming pool accident when he was 16, which in itself is a miracle!

 A recurring bedsore caused him to have to have his leg and part of his hip bone removed, about 4 weeks ago. He is an AMAZING and independent man, always in good spirits and joking, and he still has a long road ahead of him to recover.


Well  - the GOOD NEWS is that TODAY, with assistance,  he was able to get up, get dressed and get into his wheelchair for the first time since the surgery and......It went well!

He had to have a chest strap on to hold him up, but he wasn't dizzy or didn't lose his balance.....He even was able to eat his lunch sitting in his chair. He told my Mom, his sister, that maybe he can use the extra/empty pant leg as a scarf now that it is cold out!!  Just an incredible out look and crazy sense of humor!

I want to sincerely thank everyone who has been praying for him and ask you to please continue to do so, that he may heal quickly and be able to go home soon.

If you are able or so inclined and can send him a card or a note of encouragement in the next few weeks, I am sure he would appreciate it, and it would surely brighten the MANY days in the hospital that he has ahead of him.


His mailing address is:
Mr. Robert Zito
c/o Lehigh Valley Muhlenberg Hospital
2545 Schoenersville Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18017
(Good Shepherd Hospital)
(Room #4013)

SO -in this crazy busy season - when the only parking spot at the mall you can find is the furthest one away - be THANKFUL that you are ABLE to walk - what might seem like a mile - uphill in the cold - into the mall, but mostly be THANKFUL for the MOST IMPORTANT THINGS in life, FAMILY, LOVE & GOOD HEALTH - and take a minute to ENJOY THEM this Holiday Season ;o)


ALL THE BEST to you and your families,

Sherri

A Sketch, Red, Sky Blue, Celery Green, White & Candles = another Trifecta!

So - I found some time to create another layout to enter into the Design Dollies Challenge I was able to incorporate all of this week's Challenges - COLOR: I used ONLY the colors White, Sky Blue, Red and Celery Green, ELEMENT: Candles!, and their SKETCH.

Yes, the photos are from a 2009 Birthday Celebration - but, I didn't want to scrap these great photos, until I had the right "feel" for the layout to honor them.  You see I, like many people, started scrapping late in my son's lives, so I will NEVER be "DONE" with scrapping!  This seems to upset many people, or cause many not to even begin scrapping and honoring their photos and memories because the task seems so overwhelming - BUT - I look at it as an ongoing OPPORTUNITY and don't feel "pressure" to get "DONE" because if and when I am all done - what the heck am I going to do???? ( sleep maybe? LOL!)

My Grandmother "Mom-Mom" as she is affectionately called, and our youngest son Jake, share the same BIRTH DATE, September 27th.  There are "only" 76 years between their Birthdays, and we have CELEBRATED the last 16 years with a joint family Birthday - both of them wouldn't have it any other way!

There is always cake, fun, laughter, and this Happy Birthday Cake Hat somehow started to appear a few years ago, and has continued to be part of the celebration!

We are so BLESSED to have our Mom-Mom in our lives, and to have our AMAZING and Loving son Jake too!  I hope you like the layout!

Here you can see the Electric Blue Glimmer Mist ( and their Happy Faces!)



3 cardstock candles



Products used:   CTMH white cardstock, misted with Electric Blue Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist, Lime Pastel Cats Eye Chalk, Green and Sky Blue Cardstock (scraps,) K&Co. Que Sera Sera collection ( patterned papers, ) Prima white flower, Bazzil green flower, Maya Road chipboard alphas, painted with Luminarte "Radiant Rain" Poppy Red Twinkling H20 dauber, the blue and red rhinestone "bling" was found goodies in my "stash" ( that's why I like playing with the Dollies - I use up thing's I've had for a long time and put them to good use!)  Oh - the "candles" on the bottom left corner are rolled up pieces of cardstock with a piece of string glued into the middle!  Please feel free to "lift" the idea! ;o)

I hope you like it!
Sher

Christmas Crack!

OK  - this is an easy, simple recipe - which is a good thing, since once you make one batch - you'll be making another in no time - so maybe just do what I do, and double it from the start!

I named it "Christmas Crack" because...

1. It is Addicting - like crack!
2. That is what you do to it!
3. You can only make it once a year because it is FAR from no-cal and you may just eat it ALL!  LOL!

So - now that you have been properly forewarned -

Here is the single recipe:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

INGREDIENTS:
35 Saltine Crackers ( I use the regular ones with the salt on the tops)
1 Cup Butter ( 2 sticks)
1 Cup Dark Brown Sugar (packed)
2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (1 Bag)
3/4 C Chopped Nuts - I used Walnuts - you can use Pecans too
Red & Green colored sugar

Line a jelly roll pan ( aka -cookie sheet with edges ) with NON-STICK aluminum foil ( I used a large pan -so I used 2 pieces of foil that I folded /sealed where they joined across the middle (shorter length of the pan)  * Make sure you cover those little sides of the pan too - it will make this much easier in the end!

The recipe calls for 35 Saltines - well - I use bigger pans - and mine fit about 43 crackers -
FYI *** Did you know that Saltines are NOT perfectly square - AND that it makes a difference which direction you lay them in, so you can fit them edge to edge. Hmm - ya learn something new everyday!

SO - cover the foil pan with a single layer of Saltines - however many fit - edge to edge - if you have to break a few to make them fit - then go ahead and do it!

Next in a saucepan - bring the 1C Butter and 1C Brown sugar to a BOIL ( stop stirring once it starts to boil) Let the mixture bubble and boil for 3 minutes - DON'T LEAVE THE STOVE at this point -make sure it doesn't BOIL OVER!

Immediately POUR the bubbling sweetness OVER the Saltines - spread it out as evenly as possible with a spatula.  ( DON'T LIKE THE SPATULA - you WILL BURN your tongue - TRUST ME!)

Put the tray in the oven and BAKE for 5 - 6 minutes - It should all be a tray of bubbly gooey goodness before you take it out.

Immediately and EVENLY - sprinkle the bag of Chocolate Chips over the crackers.

Wait 3 - 4  minutes then EVENLY spread the melty chocolate goodness from edge to edge.

Quickly sprinkle the chopped nuts, and then a little of the RED and GREEN sugar sprinkles if desired.

Cool for @ 30 mins on wire racks - then transfer to the pan to the refrigerator to cool completely.

Once cold and set - peel off of foil and BREAK - OKAY - CRACK it into small pieces.  KEEP IN A COOL PLACE.

Betcha can't eat just one!  ENJOY!! ~ Sherri