Always a bridesmaid...

I truly lead a very boring, uneventful life... I'm posting about crafting. Yikes! This summer has been great. Not much to do, and enjoying every minute of it! My house is immaculate, and my yard is in pretty good shape. So, I am blogging about a little project I just completed.

Several years ago when I was much more ambitious, I decided to start "something" by making a wedding sampler for all of my old color guard captains as they got married (from my days of teaching at Lone Peak High School). Well, I made the first one many years ago and so far have kept up with the tradition. Well... I did miss one girl during a mid-life crisis... Cami, I owe you and you know it!! I will be making yours next.

I think I could make these things in my sleep. I've made many over the years and hopefully, the people who receive them enjoy them a little bit. Here's a peek at the one that I just finished this week.
Congratulations Emily!!

Ahhh... done with the sewing.

After the million coats of black paint.

Home from the store and ready to paint.

All finished and ready to go!

One more down and many, many to go.

Catching up...

I'm guilty of blog neglect. I usually blog before or after school. But now that summer break is here, I'm not at my school. I also don't have the internet at home. Can you believe that?! Crazy, I know, but it's by choice. Mine. I am afraid I would spend too many mindless hours surfing the web and doing nothing. I'd rather waste my time another way. I do pick up someones wireless connection in my neighborhood, but it isn't very strong or reliable so I wouldn't attempt to blog on it.

A lot has happened during the first twelve days of my summer break. Here are a few of the highlights (as pathetic as they are)

Sleeping in!!

Shopping

Lunches with friends

Movies (Up and Star Trek)

Not getting dressed until noon

No children

Tank time

Naps

Catching up with old friends

I also posted several things today that have happened during the break so far. Just catching up from my neglect. It may not be thrilling, but it is what's going on in my life right now.

My ongoing project...

You know, sometimes I think it might be a good thing that I don't have any children of my own. It wouldn't leave me much time for my OCD's - house cleaning and yard work. I've been spending time in my yard since school got out and decided to post some pictures.

The backyard

My unfinished, work in progress corner.

I've got to have SOMETHING to do!

The north side of my back yard. Ferns and hosta! Perennials, baby!

Everything in these pots came back from last year. Dianthus and snapdragons. Hallelujah! Less planting for me!

One of my many clematis plants.

Tank kept trying to walk into my pictures!
How can you not LOVE this dog?

The front yard

Impatiens are my favorite annual. They love shade and bloom constantly. I always try to put as many in my yard as I can each year.

Close up of the impatiens. In a few weeks, they will be so spread out that you won't be able to see any soil.

This is the other side of my house. The roses haven't bloomed yet, but the yellow and pink zinnia's are starting to open on the left.

I also have four of these planter boxes across the front railing of my porch. I planted these as well and think they add a lot to the front of my house.

These pansies are the same ones I planted earlier in the spring. They're doing so well that I don't want to take them out and replace them with something else quite yet. We'll see if they can make it through the summer.

Kitchen complete!

Since school has gotten out, I've also finished decorating my kitchen. With all of the stress that "painter man" threw my way, I'm happy that it's all over with and done. My valances that I had to special order finally came in and I found a shelf and a few other things to buy when I was at Gardner Village picking the valances up. I love that place! Spendy, but fun! Anyway, it's nice to come home and feel like everything is finally in its place!

A new baby in the family...

Something else that has happened since the break began is that we have another member of our family. This is the 6th grandchild for my mom and dad. My brother Clint and his wife Martha had their fourth child on June 5th. They named her Eryn Grace. (pronounced Erin, by the way) She's a cutie and everyone is glad she made it here safe and sound!

The happy family

(well, as happy as you can get in a hospital room)

From left to right: Wesley, Wyatt, Clint, Martha and baby Eryn, and Camille.

How teachers REALLY spend their summers...

I work with some truly amazing people! One of the best parts about being a teacher is having the summer months off. Yippee! But the bad part is that I don't get to see the other teachers everyday. Our first grade team is seriously going through withdrawals! We've already done several things together. There is actually seven of us that teach first grade, but there are four of us that like to get out and do something fun. One week after school got out, Allison. Jacquie, Kim and I went to lunch and then to the spa for manicures.

Jacquie and Allison demonstrating their Chinese food etiquette.
Kim and I. We opted to not eat in the picture.

At the spa...

Me and Jacquie (her back is to the camera in the blue shirt)

Kim and Allison.

I can't think of a better way to spend one of many days off!