The Present...

"Tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift.  That's why it's called the present" - Fr. Pat Crino, Pastor, Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church.

Wow!  This statement was a summation of Fr. Pat's homily at Mass yesterday.  It was one of those "stop and smell the roses" moments and got me thinking the truths that resonate from this.  Whatever else the day may bring, it is our "present" and what better way to enjoy the fullness of a present then to share it with others!  So, dear family and friends, without further adieu, I will share my "presents" of the past week with you!

I love a Monday when I have Kiera's Basic Grey class....super way to start my week.

Our creative, crafty Kiera with the 2 page layout 

my work-in-progress

AND...we also made 2 cards...what a deal!

Tuesday was not a good day as allergies got the better of me  and I had to cancel my lunch date with Nancy (to be rescheduled).  

Wednesday was a much better day and spent it lunching and shopping with "Recently Retired Rhoda" but alas, FORGOT my camera!! So, no pix from our wanderings.  Spent too much money on my "paper habit" and had quality chat time with my dear friend.

Ron was called out of town unexpectedly for a couple of days and that always spells "dinner out" with my girls and/or girfriends!  Grabbed Mandy and Debbie and headed to one of our faves - Pei Wei.

beautiful Debbie

beautiful Mandy

beautiful Orange Peel Chicken with sauce on the side (recommended by dear Sandra and now I'm a fan!)

Poor Schotzie had to close that night, but we brought dinner home for her.

Spent the rest of the week creating:

and scanning all the treasures Rich and Pat sent.  Here are a couple that just tickle me to death and I'm SO blessed that we have this history!  Oh, and another  nugget...  because we have the birth certificate for my paternal grandfather, I finally know my great grandparents names - Moritz and Nanette!!!

My paternal great grandfather Moritz

My maternal great grandfather Leo

My beautiful mother, age 10, in a silk dress which she embroidered

My darling dad, age 3, en route to Europe with  family

And two of the cutest brothers a girl could have!  That's Erik on your left and Richard on your right

So, the scanning is finished and the treasures are making their way back to Portland....now, just have to find out what N.Y. brother Erik has to offer!  The family heritage book with be the next BIG project.

Well, kids, I've cooked up a goodie for you this week....I call it "My Buttoned Down Mind Book (MBDMB)."  Why that title?  Well, we begin with an old fashioned composition notebook, you know...the kind where you can't tear the pages out 'cause if you do, it will haunt you forever by dropping the "mate" pages!

This is a journal/note to self/planner/organizer/to-do list book.  Therefore, if I have my MBDMB with me at all times, I will for sure have a buttoned-down mind!  The fun part is that you get to decorate it however your muse directs you!  So, before we begin, let me show you a few pages from my most current MBDMB (yes, you will have many in time), so you get an idea of where we're going with this...

front cover

Well, what are we waiting for???? Let's go!

MY BUTTON DOWN MIND BOOK

Materials

Composition notebook

Paper scraps of choice

Ribbon, embellishments of choice

Ink and stamps - optional

Mod Podge or any other gel medium
Sponge brush (small)
Scissors or paper trimmer

Directions

1.  Select your papers.  Cut/tear to size and lay on the cover to get the positioning you like. By the way, I'll be covering the back of my book in this tutorial.

2.  Open notebook, lay flat and apply mod podge to the cover with the sponge brush, giving it a smooth, medium coating.

3.  Begin laying down your papers.  Where they overlap, be sure to apply mod podge to the back of the paper.

4.  Smooth out all air bubbles.  Layer more paper if desired, but be sure to apply the mod podge to the back of the paper.

5.  Trim away any excess paper along the edges.

6.  Apply mod podge over the entire surface, horizontally and then vertically to ensure you've covered all spaces.

7.  It's a messy job, but now's the time to use your fingers and gently smooth out those air pockets that have surfaced.  Let your project dry for 30-40 minutes.

8.  Once the cover is dry, you will be able to age your paper with inks or stamp images on it.

9.  Add a ribbon and tie at the top.  This is nifty when you need to slip a paper inside the back cover!

Well, those are my presents for this week...let me know how you do with your MBDMB (or whatever you name it) and have simply glorious presents this week!