Chichiboulie Blog Hop

Welcome to Stamping Bella's Chichiboulie Blog Hop! Who needs to go trick-or-treating when you have Chichiboulie eye candy? You should have come to me from Laura's blog. If not, start the blog hop here.

I am so excited to celebrate Gretchen and her line of Chichiboulie stamps! I have been a Chichiboulie fan since Gretchen's stamps first appeared on Stamping Bella. You can find her Bittybloom stamps here and her Fairie stamps here. Gretchen herself is such a delightful woman! I am so honored to call her my friend. And I am in awe of her talent! Check out her artwork here and her blog here. You'll be glad you did!

Now, onto my project. I wanted to make a picture frame for Emma's room (my granddaughter). Her room is decorated with daisies and ladybugs, so my stamp choice was easy: Daisy Bittybloom! Last year, Emma dressed as a ladybug (with a yellow daisy) for Halloween. I just couldn't resist putting this photo and this stamp together for her room!

I purchased the 5x7 lucite frame at Target for one dollar! Not a bad deal, huh? I used some miscellaneous DP I had in my scrap bag, CTMH Black, SU Whisper White Taffeta Ribbon and Dimensionals, and some paper daisies. This project literally took about 15 minutes!

The best part is that Emma loves it and told me, "Giffy, I proud of you. You did a good job!" Life doesn't get much better than that!

Now, hop on over to Kathy's blog for the next entry. Remember, there is a $25 Stamping Bella gift voucher hidden somewhere along the blog hop. Be sure to comment on every blog for a chance to win! The winner will be randomly drawn from among the comments left on the pre-selected blog. Happy blog-hopping and good luck!

TFL and Happy Halloween!

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!

Rather, "It's the Perfect Pumpkin, Miss Emma!" LOL It has been tough to get to a pumpkin patch here because of all of the rain and mud. We finally braved it last Friday, only to discover that the pumpkins had been decimated by people and weather. But Emma was pleased as could be with the "baby" pumpkins. Check out the "pumpkin tree" in the first photo. They hactually wired small pumpkins to it! Too cute!

After picking the perfect little pumpkin and some fresh apples, we treated ourselves to a local delicacy: fresh cider donuts! I am not a doughnut eater, but these are scrumptious and worth every calorie! They are made with freshly pressed apple cider and are covered in cinnamon sugar. If you ever venture up here to apple orchard country, make sure you try one (or two, or six!) The expressions on Emma's face say it all.

Wishing everyone a safe and fun Halloween!

A Few More Autumn Photos...

that I forgot to include with the others. You know me and photos through tree branches~I love them! These were taken in Hudson, MA, which is the town next door to Bolton. The first two were taken at a small park, and the last one is our church (Grace Baptist).

Miss Charlotte

Meet Charlotte Ketto by Stamping Bella. Is she not adorable?

This is for BTC10 on SCS. Pinky challenged us to use purple and to paper piece. What a fun challenge! Thanks, Pinky! (Supplies.)

Darling Daisy

For last week's Bellariffic Challenge on Stamping Bella, Em asked us to make a card having to do with nature. I love this stamp (Daisy with a ladybug by Stamping Bella) because it reminds me of my granddaughter~her room is decorated with daisies and ladybugs. (Supplies.)

Forever Friends

Jamie offered this fabulous sketch for BSC82. I used this cute gem of a stamp from Stamping Bella: Ruby and Rose Lulu. (Supplies.)

Thanks, Jamie!

A Pot o' Flowers

This is for CCBJ35. The challenge was to make a shaped card~basically anything other than the typical rectangular card. I love this flower pot card. It literally took 10 minutes to make! (Supplies.)

Autumn in Bolton, MA~Part 2

Here are some of the photos I took along the back roads of Bolton. Most of the town consists of country roads like these.

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful autumn scenery!

Autumn in Bolton, MA~Part 1

The town of Bolton, MA, is fairly small, home to approximately 5,000 people. It is primarily an apple orchard town, with quite a few produce farms and horse ranches thrown into the mix. We have a small country grocery store, two pizza places, a dry cleaners, a florist, and a few small chruches. That's it. And yes, main street is actually a two-lane road called Main Street. Here are a few snapshots of this picturesque "country" town.

This is the lake at Camp Resolute, a Boy Scout Camp. Yes, I live where all of the city kids go to "get away from it all." LOL

This is our Town Hall.

Here's one of the churches.

This is our police station.

Here's an apple orchard/fresh produce store.

The Post Office.

Our small, country doctor's office.

This is the original elementary school, which now serves as the district office.

This is a small park near the old elementary school.

This is the entrance to our K-8 school.

Here's the high school. Check out the view from the parking lot!

Every town out here has at least one old graveyard. And by old I mean graves that are 300 years old! Rick's theory is that the graveyards boast the most beautiful autumn colors because of all of the natural fertilizer. Sounds strange, I know~but it's true!

Here are a few shots from along Main Street.

Tomorrow I'll post some beautiful pictures of the "back roads" of Bolton~such beautiful scenery!

Happy Monday!

A Breath of Autumn Air

The old saying goes, "Stop and smell the roses." Life gets so busy that we easily forget to be thankful for the blessings that surround us. Since today will likely be the last day for "leaf hunting" in my area (we are supposed to get 2" of rain tomorrow, which will sureluy strip most of the leaves off of the trees), I decided to "stop and view the leaves" while I had the chance. When I took the time to view things from the perspective of my camera lens, I was left breathless. How can I be surrounded by such beauty and neglect to breathe it in? Here are the photos I took of my the autumn splendor surrounding my house.

The view from my front porch.

The view from the back deck.

My favorite photo, taken from my front porch!

Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with this beautiful scenery! A breath of autumn air is, indeed, good for my soul.

Happy Birthday, Bill!

Sunday was Bill's birthday. We braved the sleet and snow (yes, sleet and snow in October!) to tour Boston. We hit Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox), Cheers (the bars which was the setting for the Cheers television series), the State Capitol, the Paul Revere House, and the Old North Church (the infamous widow where the light was shone: one if by land, two if by sea). The weather kept me from taking photos~didn't want to get my new camera wet!

After getting soaked, we dined at Bacco's in the North End, then indulged on canolis from Mike's Pastries. If you ever make it to Boston, don't miss these two eateries! They are sooooo worth the calories! LOL

We celebrated Bill's birthday at home. Here are the four of us (Lori, Bill, me, Rick).

Here's Uncle Bill's birthday hug from Emma, a true delight since she pretended to be shy around him! Of course, she hasn't stopped talking about him since he left.

Emma and Lori~they are BFF's now that Lori introduced Emma to computer games!

Brittany, Emma, and Brennan

Here's Brennan with Bill and Lori.

Happy birthday, Bill!

Kennebunkport , Maine

Kennebunkport is the quintessential New England town.

This is the Bush family home. I like how it sits out on the water by itself. It is very picturesque and serene.

There are several quaint Bed & Breakfast inns in Kennebunkport. It's a fabulous vacation spot~we want to go back and stay for a few days. If you ever get the change to visit, you should!

Maine Lighthouses

On Saturday, we drove along the Maine coast. What a beautiful place! This is Portland Head Light in Portland, Maine~the most photographed lighthouse. Maine's rocky coast is breathtaking!

I don't know why, but we always forget to take photos of ourselves when we travel. We end up with so many great photos but none that prove we were together! This time I remembered to take a few. Check out my lovely wind-blown do. Maybe that's why I never want to be in photos. LOL (Rick says his is wind-blown, too!)

This lighthouse is called Two Lights in Cape Elizabeth, Maine.

These were all taken on the beach where Two Lights is located.

We ate at the infamous Lobster Shack. Lori couldn't wait to try a lobster roll!

Here's futher proof that Rick and I were together!

Here's a glimpse of the beautiful scenery in Cape Elizabeth.

TFL!

New Puppy Pics...

Tiffany at 9 weeks.

Tiffany 10 weeks, Wylie (right) 4, Indy 6, Vicki 29 LOL!

Tiffany enjoying Rick's shoe!

Where's the puppy?

Tiffany at 11 weeks.

MA Highlights

On Friday. we toured a few more picturesque and historical sites in MA. First, we hit Walden Pond. In the 1840's, Henry David Thoreau lived at Walden Pond. He later penned Walden, the book credited with helping inspire conservation awareness. Walden Pond is now honored as an historical monument, and is identified as the birthplace of the conservation movement.

Rick and Bill

Me and Lori

Proof that we were there together!

Next we visited North Bridge, the spot where the first shot was fired in the Revolutionary War, aka "the shot heard around the world." What an incredible place to stand!

Then we headed into Cambridge to visit Harvard University~what a beautiful campus!

In Harvard Square (the college town surrounding Harvard University), there is a Curious George store! The author in me couldn't resist going in~and yes, I bought Emma a few Curious George books as well as a stuffed Curious George.

Bill and lori bought Emma the sweetest wooden doll house. Emma loves it!

We ended the day with a champagne class at The Boston Wine School. What a fun day!

Little WItchy

This is for CCBJ34. Janet asked us to make a Halloween card. I used this same sketch for a layout last Halloween, and I couldn't resist using it again. I really like the overall effect. My favorite part is the bat flying in front of the moon! The stamps are Little Witchy and Battiful Darling by Tiddly Inks for Stamping Bella.

Leaf Hunters

My brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Lori, are here visiting for five days. We spent today leaf hunting. We started out at two local lakes in Marlborough, MA. I happened to be focused on the geese as they ascended~so cool!

My favorite "shot"is through tree branches.

Next, we went to The Wayside Inn in Sudbury. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his famous poem, The Wayside Inn, while staying here.

Miss Emma

My town, Bolton, is a small country town home to numerous apple orchards and a winery. Here's the view of the winery from the road.

Here's the view of downtown Bolton, a two-lane street appropriately called Main Street, from the winery.

And here's Emma with Aunt Lori.

More adventures to come tomorrow!

Can't Wait!!!

My brother and SIL, Bill and Lori, are on their way for a 5-day visit with me! Can't wait until they get here! Lori's never seen a New England Autumn, and the colors are gorgeous right now. I'll be posting photos, so stay tuned!

Flower Girl

This is another one of Chichiboulie's digi-stamps. It's called Anabel's New Dress, and it's simply darling! I think this one might be my favorite~it reminds me so much of Emma, with the little daisy in her dress! Don't forget to check out these fabulous digi-stamps at www.chichiboulie.com under the Printables section. Have fun! (Supplies.)

If My Heart Had Wings...

I love this Faith Hill song!

This is another delightful digi-stamp by Chichiboulie! Check out all of Chichiboulie's digi-stamps here. (Supplies.)

Bashful Ballerinas

This is another digi-stamp by Chichiboulie! This image is called 3 Ballerinas. It was a dark and gloomy day here in New England when I made this card. Guess I was longing for spring weather! (Supplies.)

Tea for Three

For my birthday, Brittany gave me a date for a traditional afternoon tea at The Colonial Inn in Concord, MA. We were finally able to enjoy it today! Check out the early fall leaves in the foreground. Aren't they pretty?

Emma wasn't sure what to do with the sugar tongs, so she improvised!

Emma felt like such a big girl drinking her hot chocolate from a fine china tea cup!

Here are the Burns girls.

Emma couldn't resist chatting with the scarecrow in the garden.

This old grandma was all tuckered out by 5! A nap was definitely in order. Getting up with my baby at 6 is killing me! LOL

What a fun afternoon! Thank you, Brittany!

Fall Flowers

This is for CCBJ33. This week, Janet gave us a great sketch for the challenge. I used Magnolia's Tilda with a Sunflower. (Supplies.) This week's prize is a bottle of Stickles. Come and join the challenge here.

Janet, thanks for another awesome challenge!

Miss Maisy

This month's Bella's Favorite Stamper is Jami, aka crazedmom on SCS. Congrats, Jami! To celebrate Jami, we were asked to CASE one of her cards. I CASEd this card by Jami. I used the same sketch and sentiment. I changed the colors and DP, the Ketto image, and the sentiment attachment. (Supplies.) Congrats, Jami!

Pretty in Pink

My dear friend, Gretchen Jakub Fabre (aka Chichiboulie) has embarked upon a new artistic/ business adventure: digi stamps! You are sure to fall in love with her designs! For a small fee, you can purchase and then download her digi stamps. Then you can save and print them as many times as you'd like for your personal use. No waiting for delivery, no need for storage~just pay and print! What could be easier or more exciting? You can read Gretchen's blog release here.

Here is one of Gretchen's designs, Girl's Dress. Isn't it darling? It's the perfect image for a baby shower, a little girl's birthday, or just for the little girl inside of us all. Click here to view Chichiboulie's digi stamps. (Supplies.)

Congrats on your new adventure, Gretchen! Can't wait to see what else becomes available!

Showers of Blessings for Amy and Ryan!

For this week's Bellariffic Friday challenge on Stamping Bella, Em asked us to make any kind of baby card. It was the perfect challenge for me~my niece is having her baby shower this Saturday. Her baby boy is due on Christmas Day! Sadly, I cannot attend the shower. But I couldn't resist making this Teddybella card for her. Amy is decorating the nursery with jungle animals, so this CTMH Animal Cookies paper is perfect! I put the mommy-to-be's belly on a 3-D dot so that she'd be showing! (Supplies.)

Congratulations, Amy and Ryan. Wishing you a beautiful shower!

Hugs and Prayers...

...for my SIL, Lori (scrapinglori on SCS), and her family. Her 53-year-old brother, Anthony, died unexpectedly yesterday. Lori's father is having a hard time with this: he has already lost his wife and three of his six children. Please pray for Lori and her family.

You're Tea-riffic

This is for CCBJ32. This week's challenge was to make a tea or coffee themed card. I felt it was my duty to have a Starbucks latte in hand (thanks, Kristy!) while I made this card~just to get that authentic feel. LOL I used Stamping Bella's Cuppa Tea stamp. (Supplies.)

Thanks for another great challenge, Janet!

The Princesses

This is my favorite photo! Genuine puppy love!

Aww...look at her face!

The Littlest Princess

Yes, Tiffany is spoiled. Yes, I am totally smitten. Yes, she fills my heart with joy!

I Left My Heart in San Francisco...

We were quite excited to have a few hours to spend in San Francisco. I hadn't been to the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park for 24 years, and I really had my heart set on going there. I wasn't disappointed! It is still as beautiful as I had remembered. We sat and enjoyed some green tea and green tea cookies in the Tea House. Here are a few shots of the garden.

I love this photo because of the reflections in the water.

This one, of course, is my favorite.

Then we drove over the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out how clear the view was at sunset!

Next, we drove up to Fort Miley. The view was spectacular!

While we were at the Japanese Tea Garden, I actually found a few kokeshi dolls! I just had to get one for Emma and one for myself. Of course, the ones that my sweet friend, Christy, sends me from Japan are just as pretty and cost much less~but I just had to choose Emma's first doll! Here's the one I got for Emma. She loves her ponytails!

Here's mine.

Here's Emma being silly.

And here's Emma imitating my doll's face!

What a fun trip! I can't wait to go back and see my baby again.

Visiting Stanford University

Keaton's girlfriend, Tina, attends Stanford University. While we were visiting Keaton in Berkeley, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to see her and Stanford. Here's the sweet couple:

Stanford is a beautiful university! It has a lot of land and stunning architecture. Here are some of my favorite photos:

We met two of Rick's sisters and their families for dinner in San Jose. This is Mary, her husband Bryan, and their two boys Quinn and Xander.

Here's Keaton with Jessica and David, Barb and Allen's kids.

Another fun day!

Hangin' in Berkeley

Last weekend, Rick and I visited Keaton at UC Berkeley. The weather was spectacular! I have never seen such a clear day in the Bay Area. There's a great rock climbing spot near his apartment. Here's Keaton R & R-ing on the rock. Check out the view of San Francisco!

We toured the UC Berkeley campus. Rick attended UC Berkeley nearly 30 years ago. A lot has changed since then, but it's still a beautiful campus! Here's the fampous clock tower, the 3rd tallest in the world. The tallest is Big Ben, and it's only 9 feet higher.

This is the view from the observation deck of the clock tower.

A few more shots of the campus.

Rick and Keaton

The campus library is home to some original Mark Twain manuscripts. I studied Twain in grad school, so I just had to have my photo taken with him. This is my great-niece, Lexi. She's precious!

My brother and his family met us for lunch in Berkeley. Here I am with Bill.

This is my SIL, Lori (aka scrapinglori on SCS).

Here are Keaton with his cousins (Bill and Lori's kids), Jennifer and Ryan.

This is Jennifer with her husband, Ryan, and their daughter, Lexi.

Ryan and his girlfriend, Katie.

Bill and Lori

What a fun day!

The Colors of the Season

Welcome to Stamping Bella's Show and Tell Challenge for October!

I live in New England. Autumn is my favorite season. Year after year, I grab my camera and drive around for days on end capturing the season's palette. My soul is deeply moved and inspired by the surrounding tapestry woven with vivid hues. The autumn landscape in New England reminds me of the poem, Leaves, written by Elise Brady.

"How silently they tumble down

And come to rest upon the ground

To lay a carpet, rich and rare,

Beneath the tress without a care

Content to sleep, their work well done

Colors gleaming in the sun.

At other times, they wildly fly

Until they nearly reach the sky

Twisting, turning through the air

Till all the tress stand stark and bare

Exhausted, drop to Earth below

To wait, like children,

for the snow."

(Written and copyrighted by Elise Brady)

Let's celebrate the season's new palette! This month's challenge is to use autumn colors and any Stamping Bella stamp. After uploading your card to BSAT5 on SCS, go back to the challenge thread and upload your favorite autumn photo and/or tell me what you love about the season.

For my own card, I used Suzette Ketto by Stamping Bella. I copied the sketch from Christy Stanford. Thanks for inspiring me yet again, Christy! (Supplies.)

As for my favorite autumn photo: I took this last year. It's the view from my front porch, a view that I will enjoy once more in a week or two!

You can participate in this challenge here. A winner randomly drawn from among the participants will receive a $15 gift voucher to Stamping Bella! Please come join me for some Fall fun!