Monday Mini: (Another) One I Copied

All I can take credit for this week is having good enough taste to buy this kit and an amazing ability to follow directions and an even more amazing ability to hoard things for long amounts of time before using them.

I can't even take credit for all of the photos; one of them was lifted from Stephanie and taken by Karl.

Really, it's Jenni Bowlin that deserves the credit.

But, I did have a great time making the mini and can't wait to do something similar with a different set of journaling cards.

All of my favorite people

Saturday I enjoyed the Farmers' Market with Stephanie, AJ, and Karl.







Saturday afternoon I shopped and ate with Angie (no pictures, sorry).

Saturday night I tried red wine risotto for dinner (with organic mushrooms from the morning adventure) for dinner with Brad.



Saturday night we shared a campfire with our favorite little girls.



Sunday I ate like a queen at Stephanie's barbeque.


I brought an amazing cake! I can't even attempt to be modest. It was delicious.

Pictures can't tell it all

I'm home.

I've been here since Thursday. I spent Thursday with Brad (and seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). I spent most of Friday sleeping. Today I went to the Farmers' Market with Stephanie and shopping with Angie.

Just now, I finally went through my pictures from my trip to Vermont.

And, I'm feeling sad.

I had a perfect time in Vermont with Katrina, Rob, Hope, and Austin. I felt at home from the very second I got there. I loved coffee on the deck and hearing stories about Facebook friends and talking scrapping and seeing how lip gloss is made and just hanging out. I loved seeing the mountains and touring Ben and Jerry's and Skinny Pancake and walking around on Church Street and sampling beer. I so loved meeting Katrina's friends and sharing food, coffee, and scrap-talk.

I really didn't want to leave.

So, I have to say I was hoping for a lot when I looked at the pictures. And, I'm sad to say that the pictures don't even begin to capture the hospitality and friendliness.

I was greeted by this. . .


Tuesday included a tour of Ben and Jerry's. I have no idea why I didn't take more pictures of the ice cream. What was I thinking?!!??



We stopped (after the ice cream) for pizza and enjoyed a drive around Stowe. I totally loved the Vermonter (ham and apple).


Skinny Pancake was the choice for breakfast on Wednesday. Anywhere where Nutella appears on the menu multiple times is great by me!




Austin, Katrina, Hope, and Rob


Magic Hat Brewery
Katrina and I took a self-guided tour followed by bottomless beer tasting. I do not recommend the chocolate stout. I do recommend Single Chair Ale.



Flatbread - the absolutely delicious local and organic restaurant where Katrina and I shared dinner with her scrap-friends Colleen and Lori. I'm jealous I can't always be part of their photography and scrapping and eating and chatting.





I had such a fun time that I didn't even really mind that my 6:10 flight was canceled. No big deal, though. I flew out by 6:45.


Big, big thanks to Katrina, Rob, Austin, and Hope. Thank you for opening your home to me and letting me part of your family for a few days.

Monday Mini: Cheap Seats

Today is a special Monday. I'm still in Boston (waiting for my shuttle to the airport) for a few more hours before I fly to Vermont. But, I couldn't leave y'all (I've been with lots of people from the South for the past few days) without a mini.

Made this one to commemorate a little adventure I shared with Stephanie during the past year. We bought a season ticket package to our local theatre's Broadway season.

The mini is made from (you guessed it!). . . Hambly Clearly Heavy transparencies and bound with the Bind-it-All. The pages are just pictures and patterned paper. I used the very last pieces of a Studio Calico kit from January.

I'm crazy about the cover and the inside pages are just a super-simple repeated pattern. I'm still a little tossed up about whether the pages need some embellishment.

I went to Boston and all I got. . .

. . . were these pictures of food.

Technically, I'm in Wellesley at Babson Executive Conference Center for a National Writing Project event. But, I did make little trips in to Boston on Friday and Saturday nights.

(It's really exciting work! There are nine sites from all over the country here to talk about including all types of middle and high school teachers in Writing Project work.)

Friday night we walked through Chinatown and enjoyed some Vietnamese food (and beer).





Saturday night we walked from MIT to Harvard and enjoyed some beer, some dinner and more beer, and cupcakes.




Tonight we finished it all off with a clam bake. I plowed my way through two lobsters - both of which I "peeled" myself! Aren't you proud?


And, some other time I'll tell you the story of the how I missed the very last train out of Boston on Saturday night and had to take a cab. Lots of laughs.


That story will have to wait, though, because I'm headed to VT to visit the fabulous Katrina (and Hope and Austin and Rob). I'm sure I will have many great stories to tell.

And, don't worry. The only thing I did in Boston besides eat was walk. So, the food and the beer and the cupcakes were all walked off.