Friday Favs 6/18/10

I didn't have time for my normal list, it has been a busy week with Oliver being back in the hospital... but I did want to share a funny story of something that happened to us one night when we were driving back from visiting him in the hospital in Fargo...

***

We were coming home from Fargo tonight and a TINY baby skunk ran out in the road in front of us- I freaked out and yelled at Matt not to hit him and Matt swerved and went right over top of him... we jumped out of the car to see if he was alright, and he started hopping and waving his tail at us. I think he was trying to spray us, but he was the size of a hamster and not very successful. It was hilarious... and obviously he was fine, just mad!!!!

I am sooooo relieved the skunk was ok,

but after seeing how adorable it was (and TINY!)

now I want one so bad as a pet....

I would get him "De-PU'ed"! ♥

SOOOOO...

The skunk is my Friday Fave for this week!

Scrap Yourself Challenge 5

It is Wednesday, which means it is Reveal day on the

Scrap Yourself Challenge Blog

This week's challenge is:

"The Biggest or Most Important Decision You Have Made"

I thought the obvious answer to that prompt would probably be marriage, and I wanted to dig a little deeper. I decided to make the page based on our family's decision a few years ago to move across the country and have a different life.

"Moving To North Dakota Changed Me"

Supply List:

Paper: CTMH, Bazzill; Border, Flowers, Chipboard: Prima

Thickers: American Crafts; Stickers: Making Memories;

Glimmer Mist: Tattered Angels; Other: Tag, Butterfly, Stitching

I printed 2 copies of the same picture, cut out the butterfly of one and "popped it up" on top of the 2nd photo for a 3D effect! I love how it gives the butterfly some "flight"!!

I used the same 3 colors found in the photo as my color scheme: blue, orange and cream/tan. I absolutely love the effect of the orange glimmer mist on the paper!!

I wrote all my journaling on a vintage dry cleaning claim tag and hid it behind the photo.

Journaling:

"I can think of only 2 life changing decisions I have made in my 32 years... when I got married, and years later, when our family decided to move across the country to North Dakota. We left everyone and everything that we had ever known for a completely different life. I had the FALSE assumption that everywhere in the U.S. was pretty much the same... NOT! ND is so completely opposite of Florida in almost every way. It was a HUGE culture shock moving here and it took me a long time to adjust.

Now after living here for 3 years, I can HONESTLY say that I am a better person because I have lived here. North Dakota changed me. I have learned to slow down and enjoy life and simple things. I appreciate my family more. Nature more. Community more. Friends more... LIFE MORE! I have learned that you can be friends with anyone and social classes and differences don't matter here. I have learned values and what is valuable. I learned how to LIVE. North Dakota changed my life! "

*****

If you haven't already, head over to

SCRAP YOURSELF

and see what the rest of the design team did for this challenge.

Hopefully you will join us and make your own

page or project reflecting the Biggest Decision You Ever Made!

Friday Favs 5/14/10

1. Finishing my "To Do" List

I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get all my errands done on a busy day!

(at the top of my list today was

mailing out all the BLOG prizes!)

2. Lee & Crystal's Duet on American Idol

this might be my favorite performance of the whole season...

with only Didi Benami's version of "Terrified" rivaling it

(IN MY OPINION!)

3. Getting Compliments

Seriously, I went to pick up pictures from Walgreens photo lab today, and the lady asked me if I had a PHOTO RELEASE from the photographer.

She thought my pictures were professional!!

Honestly, one of the BEST compliments ever!!

(here are some of the pics in question)

4. IBC Rootbeer

self explanatory

5. Famous Daves BBQ

Moving away from the Deep South is a traumatic experience, but it is so nice to find an island of SOUTHERN food in the middle of all this mid- west chaos! haha!

Fun with Photoshop

Ok- I have never played with Photoshop before...

I know, I am WAY BEHIND!

Anyway just started playing... here is my first project

Love all the colors!

In love with "Life's Portrait"

Just finished up my first page with "Life's Portrait"

by Webster's Pages

I am sooooo in love with this gorgeous new line!

AND!!!

I finally got the Bloomers

that have been on back order since CHA! YIPPEE!!

I made this page to complete the 2nd LEO Challenge

over at the Tally Scrapper site.

We were challenged to scraplift one of the new DT members,

and I chose a beautiful layout by Mikki Boyd-

thanks Mikki for the great inspiration!

"LAUGH"

My friend Emily Dawes took this picture of my mom and me laughing. This is one of my very favorite pictures of us! I have been waiting for the perfect paper to scrap it... what can be more perfect than a paper line called "Life's Portrait"?

Only 2 more days 'til the weekend....Happy Scrapping! ;0)

Blessings~ Zoa

Spring Flood of 2010

We have had warm, spring-like weather here in NoDak for the past couple weeks... very unusual for March {spring generally happens in late April/ early May here}

And although this Florida gal is REALLY enjoying the early warm up, it is causing flooding all over the Red River Valley. Last year we had record flooding in the eastern part of the state, and this year we are waiting to see how high the water will rise. The Goose River branches off the Red River and runs right through my town of Mayville, which is the main source of flooding here.

I decided to start a daily photo journal documenting the rising water here in Mayville.

Here are the pictures I took today 3/18/10 at appox 5:30pm

huge chunks of ice clogging up the river

an abandoned house on the river bank, already flooded

2-3 days before the crest

the river has already crested the bank on the south side of the

bridge and is flooding the campgrounds

the river is flowing rapidly

flooded camp ground

The Rainbow Gardens underwater

more overland flooding

Island Park starting to flood

The road is already underwater here

The Pizza Shop had some of the worst flood destruction last year.

This year, they are rebuilt and prepared for the worst

{still open for business!}

this road has also been closed

I took this picture to measure the rising of the water.

I am interested to see how high the water will reach

on the hydrant tomorrow

More pictures to come tomorrow!