Catching up...Heavy on the pix!!

Things sure have been busy around here lately!

We got back from the cabin over a week ago & it's been non-stop since!

Here's a little re-cap (in pix) of the cabin week:

Maggie got pulled down trying to walk Tula (the dog) on our first afternoon - scrapes from head to toe!!

Our niece & nephew wanted to go rock climbing one day...

Carolyn (our niece)

Mike (our nephew)

The road & jeep while rock climbing - pretty, huh?

Maggie, atop her own rock (aka boulder!)

It was pretty wet & soggy while we were up there, but we did manage to take Maggie on her very first mountain hike! We trekked along the valley towards a beautiful lake called Lyle, but unfortunately there was still too much snow to get to the actual lake!! What a crazy year Colorado has had!!

Dad & Mags on the trail

Looking up valley towards the lake area

Mom & Mags - I'm so proud of her!!

We headed home late in the week while Nick's brother & his kids stayed another week. Mike is starting school in the fall at CSU, so he brought his sister down to Denver (she was heading out to her moms for the rest of the summer vaca before returning to Chicago where she lives with her dad) with him on his way to check out apartments in Ft. Collins. The poor kids - Mike's car had a major malfunction that couldn't be repaired even after 3 hours of waiting in Glenwood Springs! So, his 1-2 night stay with us turned into about 5! But the good news is that he found a great roommate & his car's all better now! He just left this morning. It's going to be great having him so close by now!!

While all that was going on, I went to my first ever Super Diamond concert with a gal pal from high school! What a blast!! (Drank WAY too much, but still remember it all!!)

Me & Sally

Kinda looks like Neil!!

A few days later, Maggie & I went to our first painting session at Canvas & Cocktails!! Such fun!! I hope to go again soon with my adult friends to enjoy the vino while painting!

mid-way thru

Maggie did an awesome job! I only had to help her blend a few things here & there! And yes, SHE did the whole tree! I only added a branch! I forgot to take a pic of mine - It's hanging in Maggie's room (hers is to go to daddy's office!), so I will try to take one  & post it too.

All Done!!

In between all that, I've been crafting my tail off trying to meet some deadlines!

I did this fun box for Creative Cuts & More:

http://die-cut-diva.blogspot.com/2011/07/butterflies-fly-free-lots-of-picts-text.html

And I also finished a fun little mini for myself & to show in a joint blog hop we're doing with CC&M & SOUS designs on the 29th (so check back here next Friday!). Here's a little sneak...can't show it all yet!! (I have to say, I've forgotten how to scrapbook with photos!! I've done so many other project without them for the shop that I really struggled with this one!!)

Can you guess the subject?

(Kim was working on hers too but I don't have any pix yet.) And while we were doing those mini's Mom was putting the finishing touches on this INCREDIBLE Garden Book that will be up in the Etsy shop this Friday afternoon!! 24 pages of pure charm!!!

A Whimsical Garden Book by MOM

And, just today, I finished this fun little altered Altoid tin for the shop & a July challenge for Altered Pages (an online digital collage & scrapbook/ATC supply store). I had a blast doing it & think that I NEED to do more!!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78208188/victorian-altered-altoid-tin-box-sewing

I think that's it! Tomorrow I am getting together with mom & Kim to try a few new techniques together as well as brainstorm on possibly a new direction for the biz. Maggie's been in camp all week & I just signed her up for 2 more weeks! So that gives me lots of time to play as well as do some stuff around the house that I've been avoiding - like move curtain rods & patch holes for the new bedroom curtains!! UGH! Maybe tomorrow...