They are Married!

taken at the rehearsal luncheon/BBQ Saturday noon

Wedding on Sunday afternoon: their rings were tied to ribbons in bird nests carried by Jamie's cousins

first dance

at the Monday Brunch/Pool Party

The Gift Bag Project

I finally finished the gift bags for Andrew and Jamie's wedding which is next weekend.  Hope to get them in the mail tomorrow so they'll be there before I am.

This is the second set of 37/38 bags.  I made the first set by recycling linen clothing but I didn't like the way the stamping looked on them--really needed to use fabric paint and I am running out of time.

So...

I cut out all 72+ pieces at my quilting group on Tuesday and I sewed everything together today and then stamped on them and heat set the images with an iron to make them permanent.

Here's the stack all ready for the priority mail box--which I have to get at the post office tomorrow.

Here's a close-u[ of what I stamped on each bag.

PaperCrafter's Corner (I)NSD Challenge: OUR PEEPS

For the PaperCrafter's Corner (I)NSD challenge:  OUR PEEPS, I chose to scrapbook about my second cancer journey (2012 to present) and a couple of the ways that I give back since my first diagnosis in 2010.

journaling, upper left:  Breast Cancer July 2010--lumpectomy; chemo, radiation

                                    Breast Cancer July 2012--double mastectomy; chemo

                                    Dr. Melinda Molin, Breast Care Specialists of Maine

                                    Mercy Hospital Oncology Center

journaling, across the top:  

Rockin' my bald head!

July 2012

Andrew + me

Jamie + Andrew

journaling, top right:  

My son Andrew and his fiancee Jamie had a vacation different than expected in July 2012.  We had two days together before my surgery on July 3rd.  After taking me home on the 4th, they took my car and went to northern Maine for a few days.  The photos with them were taken at Two Lights/The Lobster Shack on July 10th before dropping them off at the airport and driving myself home.

journaling, center:  

I made greeting cards at every treatment to give away to others there, too.  I continue to send cards to the oncology social worker to hand out.

The Spa Ladies.  I took an enlargement of this image with me for every chemo treatment.  I called these days my Spa Days.  These Spa Ladies represented my friends and their good wishes who were with me in spirit each time.

Dr. Roger Inhorn--my oncologist

I'm done--November 2013

6 mo. checkup 5/2/14...A-OK!!!

journaling, at the bottom of the page:

Relay for Life June 2012--volunteer for Survivor/Caregiver Committee; Memory Garden and also for June 2013

One of the ways I give back...

June 2014--co-chair of Survivor/Caregiver Committee

close-up of the top half of the page

The work I do for Relay for Life is really important to me because all kinds of cancer are represented, not just breast cancer.  Throughout my treatment I met a lot of people dealing with all sorts of diagnoses and treatment plans.  Raising money for cancer research and other important programs of the American Cancer Society benefits all of us.

PaperCrafter's (I)NSD 2014 Challenge:Around Town

For the Around Town Challenge at PaperCrafter's Corner for (Inter)National Scrapbooking Day, I made a page about Litchfield Fair.  This agricultural fair takes place every September less than a mile up the road from where I live in Litchfield, Maine.  The Fairgrounds is often the site for anything big that happens in town in the summer or early fall--the fair, two bluegrass festivals, a country music festival.

Journaling
top left:  Blue Ribbon Winners for Dad:  Scarecrow--1st place, Sr. Div. (he was 90 last fall); Dahlias; Green Peppers; Butternut Squash; Birdhouses; License Plate Dustpans; Bird Whirlygig and more!

bottom left:  Blue Ribbon Winners for Anne:  Collages; Handmade Books; Scrapbooks; Mixed Media Books; Greeting Cards; 2013 Calendars; Adopt a Shelter Dog Poster Contest Winner, 1st Prize.  Other ribbons for Pillows; Double Irish Chain Quilt; Pickles

far right:  Dad and I spend the last few weeks in August and the days leading up to the fair gathering things we've made as well as vegetables and flowers from the gardens to show in the Exhibition Hall.  There are no entry fees and the paid premiums are more than enough for the next year's seeds.

center, on the map:  Litchfield pop. 3,624; area 39.66 sq. mi.

center, on the white tag:  Held on the first weekend after Labor Day
BINGO/entertainment; agricultural exhibits; midway; livestock; animal pulling events; horse shows; historical fair museum; Old MacDonald's Farm Petting Zoo; Exhibition Hall

PaperCrafter'sCorner (I)NSD 2014 Challenge: Childhood Memories

PaperCrafter's Corner has several scrapbooking challenges this weekend in honor of (Inter)National Scrapbooking Day.  This is an entry for the Childhood Memories Challenge:

This is the journaling:

Andrew spent many childhood hours at Jean's Jungle, a wildlife rehabilitation center run by his grandparents, Jean and Gene Thompson.  Over the years, more than four hundred (400!) raccoons resided at Jean's Jungle.  Most came as babies and many had to be bottle-fed.  Some were named individually, but most came as kits in family groups of two to six and were named as a group based on their origin or circumstances.

• The Sawmill Survivors--went int o the mill in a log; rescued just in time
• The Sofalites--born and raised on an $800 sofa in a vacant cottage
• The Road Crew
• The Kamp Kids
• The Masketeers
• The Boothbay Brats and Babes
• The Oak Hill Raiders
• The Gardiner Tigers

Ralph, a lifetime resident (9 years) of his own choosing, was Andrew's pal.  Ralph loved pizza and pasta of any kind.  He loved it when Andrew fed him Fudgesicles!  Ralph came to Jean's Jungle quite spoiled by a warden and his sons who had him for the first month of his life.  Ralph loved to be cuddled and he was extremely friendly.  He lived in the old playhouse, had his own doggie door to an outside play area with a tire swing, a tree for climbing, and a swimming pool.  He would often go for walks in the woods with us, but he always wanted to go "home" afterwards.  Ralph never missed a free meal!