Random Friday ~~ Complete with Pictures =)

Well hello there friends~~

No I have not dropped off the face of the bloggy world =)

We've been SO busy around here that I've hardly had time to write my own blog or to visit yours.

And this weekend may not be any better, as mushrooms may be up and you know how we LOVE to mushroom hunt.

Anyway......

Let's get to some randomness, shall we?

WARNING: THERE ARE 35 PICTURES IN THIS POST!!! So grab you some sweet tea and enjoy =)

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I have been involved in another swap over at Homespun Heart.

I did the Joy Swap around CHRISTmas time, and enjoyed it so much,

that when it came time for this swap, I was all in.

This time it was a Nest Swap, and my Swap Buddy this time was Crystal from Washington.

This is really all I can show you today because she is receiving her goodies today,

and I don't want to spoil it in case she stops by =)

But I wanted to show you just the cover of this cute mini.

This one I made out of file folders again and it turned out SO cute.

I used a paper pack from K & CO and LOVED it.

Got the paper 1/2 price at Hobby Lobby, love that too =)

So this is the cover ~~

Okay, so I guess I'm showing the inside page too =)

This is after you open the "Bless Our Nest" flap.....

On Wednesday, one of my favorite teenagers (besides Dak, of course =) had her 18th birthday.

So I decided with her gift I would make her a mini.

This is the girl that I took to get Senior Pics, which by-the-way are absolutely beautiful~~

Alyssa is such a special girl. She has a very special place in my heart.

Dak was the only child I was able to have, and I so wanted more.

But God knows best and I have peace about it, but I still love me some girls =)

As you know, I have a son, 2 stepsons and a grandson, so when I get a little

girl time, it is special, and Alyssa provides that for me.

I get to spoil her and she doesn't mind at all =)

Well, I have been looking up on youtube some more techniques and had found one on

paperbag minis. I was intrigued and decided I'd give it a try.

So the base of this mini is entirely out of paperbags.

Here is the cover......

(Oh and it is also made out of a paper pack; not K & Co, but another I got with a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby. I do love me some HL sales =)

anyway.....

the cover.....

With the paper bag minis, each side has slots that you can put tags or more pictures in or just whatever you want.

Well I decided to make more places for pictures, so I made picture mats out of file folders and covered them with the signature paper I got for her mini.

I LOVE this style of mini!!!

Side note: I call her baby girl ~~ she loves it that I do ~~ I love her ~~

what a special girl she is .....

Her and Dak, of course.....

And I loved the element on this flap. When you do a mini like this you end up with flaps on each page ~~ so fun!! So you cover those with paper as well and then can add elements like this cute clock. This girl has S-T-Y-L-E like no other girl I know!!

Her and Dak will be going to the same college next fall.

They are hoping to get in dorms close to each other.

I hope they do too.

They are such good friends and they've been through a lot together in high school to test that friendship.

They are so sweet together!!!

And here is one of her Senior Pics.

Just a little sneak peek for you =)

Just wanted to show you some of the elements I added.

This is some ribbon through hole punches.

Such an easy and quick way to add some beautiful pop to a page, especially a pull-out page.

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Okay so let's switch gears.....

Here is Dak on the day of our visit back to MSU to visit their business department.

He was so nervous and happy.....

Here he is at our favorite McAlister's.

Drinking his fav......Sweet Tea ~~

Sweet Boy ~~ He is just gonna rock the business world!!!

Okay, so I do not know what in the wide world I am doing here, other than being my typical, goofy self =)

Dak says this is a sweet picture.....

I'll go with that =)

And here he is enjoying dessert.....

CHEESECAKE!!!!!

For the record, I am not a fan, but he sure enjoyed it =)

See......

Hahahahahahahahahah...........

And my dessert of choice.....

Peanut Butter Cookie!!

If you have not had a McAlister's cookie, oh you must ~~

You SERIOUSLY must!!!

SO good!!!!!

I.don't.know.

WOW it is a good thing this is Random Friday.....

Obviously I had some catching up to do.....

*****

Sir Cuteness and I made Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

and here he is enjoying the fruit of his mixing labor =)

Yes that is garlic salt in my hand and no that did not make it into the muffins =)

Why do I have garlic salt in my hand?

anyway.....

*****

My neighbor asked me one day last week, if I'd like a tree clipping from one of her willows.

I told her sure.

So she brought it over when I was leaving one day, so this weekend I decided to find that tree so we could get it planted.

Well I looked and couldn't see it.

Well, while I was riding my bike up and down our street,

I looked at the side of our house and still didnt' see it........

until..........

I looked at my neighbor's privacy fence and TIED to it was my CLIPPING.

Here it is. Is that amazing or what?

How did I NOT see this tree?

My neighbor is a Master Gardner and can grow dirt, literally.

She is a compost woman.

She threw some clippings in her compost last spring when she clipped hers back,

and she had trees that sprung from those clippings. TREES PEOPLE.

This is growth from JUST LAST SPRING.

Amazing!!!

She assures me it will only get 2 ft taller and then start braching out around.

And I can clip the twirly brances and make arrangements with them.

How fun is that?

Thanks N!!!

Oh and BIG happenings around here in the Sir Cuteness department.

Papa has been building him a Jungle Gym. I mean from scratch.

My husband is a master at welding. He is a production manager at a welding shop and is just a genius at it.

He has made us a leg press machine and a shoulder machine and dumbbells and various and sundry other things,

and he made his own wedding ring.

I'm telling you the man is a metal genius.

It truly is astounding what he is able to do with metal.

Well, instead of spending about $1200.00 on a jungle gym, he decided to build one.

The top is all steel and the swing set that comes out of the side will also be made out of metal.

It will have pegs on the climbing wall, a swing set and monkey and chin up bar (for my man =) when it is all complete. YAY!!!

But here's what he has so far.....

There is still a lot of work to be done, but it is coming along nicely.

And Sir Cuteness is LOVING IT!!!!!

He calls it his treehouse.

So cute!!!!!!!!!!!

The slide....

Slides are expensive.....just sayin'.....

And this my friends, is what we call a REALLY bad idea!!!

Me, my bad knees and Sir Cuteness going down the slide.

With my Mr. Winslow helping to catch us.

Yes, before you ask.......

I was in some knee pain after my adventures of this day.....

but it was SO worth it!!!!!

And I just had to add this.....

This was Sir Cuteness in the car the other day.....

I LOVE his sun glasses =)

*****

Okay and back to scrapbooking projects for just a minute.....

yes I know VERY random, even for Random Friday =)

Dak got Alyssa some kickin' earrings for her birthday,

and so I decorated her bag for him.....

LOVED how this turned out!!!

These again are papers from the pack from her mini.....

And I added a prima flower at the bottom.....

SO CUTE!!!!!

And here is my logo.....

At least for now.....

What do you think?

My mom always has called me her sunrise...

get it Dawn = sunrise :)

So I wanted to include that in my logo and name and here is what I have come up with so far.....

I'd love to hear your ideas and what you think about it ~~

I have several different colors.

Well, there you have it.....

My VERY Random Friday =)

Have a Blessed weekend,