Monday's Random Five

My random five bits for this Monday are:

1. I wonder if Mother Nature is EVER going to decide what she is doing....

(these were taken at the same time with my phone the other day)

2. I devoured this book, which is not surprising as I had been eagerly awaiting the next chapter...

3. And I was beyond words pleasantly surprised by this. If you are a fan, I would highly recommend it.

4. Enjoyed giving the Hubsters his first ever Easter basket yesterday. I loved his exuberance over such a small thing. Of course, I added a bottle of wine to the goodies.

5. Speaking of the Hubsters, he is off this week and although it is only Monday, I am really enjoying his being home with me during the day.

So, what are five things in your world that are on your radar right now? 

Going places

In July a dear friend will be welcoming her first baby into this world. This new little man will be one of the most loved children ever and I am so very excited for both him and they family eagerly awaiting him.

I wanted to make something for Baby W that was unique to his situation. His parents are both active individuals who spend a lot of time outdoors going, seeing, and doing things, so this little man will have a very active life as well. I kept thinking about the Dr. Suess book, "Oh, The Places You Will Go" and how I might figure that into my handmade portion of the baby gift. It came to me like many of my ideas come to me, in the wee hours of the morning when I should be sleeping instead of thinking of things to create.

A travel themed frame to showcase a travel photo! I used a map of the state where Baby W will reside and Modge Podged it onto a wooden frame. There is a small red indicator for his hometown and I used TGF's "Hugh" to make a shrinky charm in essence of what I imagine Baby W to look like when he is older. The "W" is a wood letter wrapped in gardener's twine. Looking at this now, I am going to add a compass charm to the "W" as well before I wrap it and send it on home.

**I also want to give a quick thanks to those who gave me feedback regarding tutorials and classes. I am currently in the process of figuring out the best way to proceed.**

A day with Heidi

On Saturday I was fortunate enough to take a class with Heidi Swapp. I have used Heidi's creations for years, but meeting her in person gave me a whole new perspective on this talented lady. First, she is funny. Like really, truly, genuinely make you laugh, completely surprise you with her comments funny. I love that quality. She is also one of the most real people I think I have ever met. Her spirit is good and you feel good just by being around her. Plus, she said she liked my sweater. ;)

I started the morning with her Daily Junque featuring, you guessed it, the Daily Junque line she designed for Pink Paislee. I love this album so much, I am not sure how I will be able to stress it. The colors of the line are so me, with the navy, muted red, green, yellow, and cream. LOVE it! Then all the air mail, typewriters, maps, globes, etc. Could it be more perfect? Doubt it.

This is the cover of my book, which is personalized.

If you look closely, on the left is Heidi's siggy and a little note from her. Such a doll! I plan to use this book to capture the odds and ends of the year. Just those little bits that make up life, or more appropriately, the junk that makes it a great trip.

I actually just added that little ATC with the "C" on it. I made that in January at CHA with Lisa M. Pace and I figured this was the perfect place for it. I made a note on the back of when and where it was from.

Here are a couple of my other favorite pages from the book. There are pennant shaped pages, acrylic pages, and I even used the glassine-type envelope that held all the ephemera pieces in the book. I figured I could tuck bits inside it.

The afternoon class was this adorable flip out book featuring the Soiree line, another total hit out of the park. So much vibrancy in this line. While it is birthday or party themed, I totally agree with Heidi that it is way more versatile than that. I plan of using this to showcase a few of my favorite photos from our trip to upstate New York last year. The trip's main focus was celebrating our niece's 1 year birthday, but that wasn't the entirety of the trip.

Cute stuff, right? I have to say that the white paper with all the flowers is a total favorite. I would have a couch covered in fabric with that print, a dress in it, maybe even wallpaper. Not all three, mind you, just one of the above.