Project Life

It sure has been awhile since I've posted any photos here. I guess that working 9 hours a day, 5 days a week has put a dent into my blogging time. But here are some of the latest happenings up here in beautiful Pennsylvania!

The girls at church serve up cupcakes they decorated for the "Games for UU and You" game night.
10 below! This winter sure was mean to this poor Florida girl!
This is a carriage house with above living space that is currently under construction that Charles designed.
My first visit to Starbucks in over 9 months! I am one happy camper.
Charles and I post at the little park near our house. We were exploring it with the Peace Kids. (AKA: The girls in my Sunday School class)
The first of the raised planting beds that Charles built.
The eggs in the play yard "hidden" for the toddlers.
The Peace Kids have a slumber party at Miss Jen's house and we go for a hike in the PA Grand Canyon.
The weather is turning warmer and the kids don't need their coats, so they are all lined up on the fence in the play yard one morning.
My tomato seedlings.
Ginger goes to work with Charles for a few days during one of her seizure bouts.
A little Easter home decor project I did this year.
These are the cute name markers I made for the toddler room.
It is funny to me that I'm up in PA buying Plant City strawberries. This might only be funny to people from Florida!
Serving up Blackberry Cheesecake Tartlets to the girls from Stepping Stones at our monthly training meeting.
The car all packed up for a day of scrapbooking at the library with the Blossburg Girls.
Check out the snow that is piled up on the window sill! Holy crud!!
Kiwi poses near a waterfall that we found on an impromptu hike.
The girls from Stepping Stones head to Cast & Crew to celebrate Miss Karen's birthday.
First bear sighting of 2011 is a doozy! A mama bear with four cubs spend about 3 hours in the yard playing and climbing trees and eating the last of the birdseed.
This picture shows just how close they are to our bedroom window.
This is a charming movie theatre in Blossburg that we've been going to since it's re-opening. It has it's (still operational) popcorn machine from the 30's! Love this place!
I love all the trees when they are budding in Spring.
This cracked me up...shopping for potting soil in Lowe's Garden Center while pushing my buggy through piles of snow.
Morning Star Farms brings back their wonderful veggie corn dogs!!! This made my year!
Ginger discovers the joys of an electric blanket. She spent many hours curled up on it this winter.

Today in the Toddler Room

Had to bring this story over to the blog 'cause there is not enough room for this one in my Facebook status...

Today, one of my favorite little friends pulled up a chair to the table while I was putting together breakfast and here is our conversation:

Him: Miss Jen? What is in those breakfast bowls?
Me: Oranges.
Him: No. What's in MY breakfast bowl?
(Now, he knows that I know that he is allergic to oranges, but still feels he should remind me about it at each meal that features oranges for the other kids!)
Me: (With a big smile on my face, 'cause I feel like being funny)
Oranges.
Him: In MY bowl?!
Me: Oranges.
Him: (Squinting his eyes at me)
Are you kiddin' with me?
Me: Yes. I surely am!
Him: (Silence)
Him: (More silence, then resting chin in hand)
I don't need you kiddin' with me right now.

Lesson learned for Miss Jen? Don't come between a boy and his breakfast!!

Hello Autumn Crafting Retreat

Announcing....

Hello Autumn Crafting Retreat

Thursday, November 10
through
Sunday, November 13

At the BEAUTIFUL Linck Hill Inn located in Morris, a part of the Endless Mountain region of north-central Pennsylvania.



This crafting retreat is meant for those of us who enjoy working on our crafting projects while enjoying some good, old-fashioned fellowship with friends. These friends can be the ones that you pack in with you, or ones that you are just meeting over the weekend! This retreat isn't limited to scrapbookers-all crafters, artists or women who just want a long weekend for themselves are welcome! If you are a knitter, a paper crafter, a reader, a nature lover, an altered artist, a quilter...whatever...this is the place to be!! You will have plenty of time to rest, create, recharge, explore, mingle and EAT! All this with a picturesque backdrop of glorious fall scenery!


The Inn was built in 1900 and has been added onto and restored to it's current, beautiful glory. The mansion has 14 bedrooms on three floors, 2 dining rooms, meeting room, game room and tons of cozy sitting areas, all decorated in the Victorian-era style. The grounds boast many great spots to just sit and enjoy nature along with the options for scheduled outdoor activities. Activities like horse-drawn hay rides or horse back riding (for additional fees). The meeting room that we'll be using as the craft room is well-lit & spacious, has lots of windows for outdoor gazing, a large screen for movie watching and a sound system. Inside the game room there is a kitchenette including a microwave for late night snacks, plus a full sized pool table, ping pong table, air hockey, board games and more! Each bedroom is beautifully decorated and has it's own bathroom (either in the room or across the hallway). The rooms sleep between 2 and 6 people and have their own heat.


The retreat runs from Thursday morning until Sunday evening. Since we'll be crafting in the same location as we'll be sleeping and since we will have the entire mansion for our private use, we can come and go from the crop room at our leisure! Yep! This means 'ROUND THE CLOCK CRAFTING!

As usual, I will be cooking all the meals during the entire retreat. Breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner will be served Thursday through Sunday in the Dining Rooms. Since the mansion is located in rural Pennsylvania, there is no fast food, restaurants or convenience stores within walking distance, so you will not need to leave at all for your meals. After visiting this wonderful kitchen with it's beautiful appointments, I've decided that I have to step up the food options (from our "camp fare") and will be pulling out the culinary stops and creating some really POSH meals! I cannot wait to finalize the menu!!


There is even a coffee/beverage station located in one of the Dining Rooms! Pretty, huh?



If you feel like you need to do a day (or so) of sightseeing, there are a few options near and further out that I can suggest. I will not be organizing any "group" outings or attending any of the outings, but I am happy to suggest some spots to visit.
-New York city is about a 4 hour drive away. Benedict's Bus Service, out of Wellsboro, offers a NYC "Your Way" trip on Saturday for $68. You go and come in one day, so it's a long one!
-There are winery tours around the Finger Lakes area which is about an hour, hour and a half away from the Inn.
-Pennsylvania's Grand Canyon offers beautiful views and great hiking and is just outside of Wellsboro, about 40 minutes from the Inn.
-Corning, NY is about an hour from the Inn and has the museum, the Gaffer District for food, museums and shopping.
-Williamsport has great shopping, entertainment and food. Plus that FABULOUS ribbon store that I love and it's a little over an hour from the Inn.
-Further out is Lancaster (3 1/2 hours), DC (4-ish hours) and Buffalo/Niagara Falls (4-ish hours).
Traveling will be totally on your own. You can get together with your group and rent a car if you want to see some sights. If you are traveling "single" I can try to hook you up with other sightseers. We can discuss this more as y'all decide what you want to see/do. And, of course, if you want to do more sightseeing, you can always come in a day early or stay an extra day to see some sights.

One of the things that is NOT included in the below packages is transportation from and to the airport (Elmira, NY). There are options for getting everyone to the Inn, but I do not know how to arrange it until there are registrations and flight reservations. There is a couple of shuttles that I can organize for one or more people. There are a few rental companies that operate from the airport (Elmira, NY) that you would need to book on your own. BUT, I was going to wait and try to "bundle" y'all together so you could travel together and save some money on transportation. So, as of now...transportation is TBA!

There are 4 different "packages" to choose from depending on if you are traveling in or if you are local.

"Out of Town Package"
$325
Includes:
-Accommodations from Wednesday, November 9th through Sunday, November 13
-'Round the clock access to the Crafting Room and use of the entire mansion and grounds
-Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and drinks from Thursday morning to Sunday night.
-Goody Bag
-Games with the chance to win door prizes



"Local Package A"
$200
Includes:
-Any 2 days of accommodations between Thursday, November 10 through Sunday, November 13
-Those same 2 days of 'round the clock access to the Crafting Room and use of the entire mansion and grounds
-Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and drinks on those 2 days
-Goody Bag
-Games with the chance to win door prizes



"Local Package B"
$170
Includes:
-8am to Midnight access to the Crafting Room and use of the entire mansion and grounds (excluding bedrooms) Thursday through Sunday.
-Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and drinks from Thursday morning to Sunday night.
-Goody Bag
-Games with the chance to win door prizes



"Local Package C"
$85
Includes:
-Any 2 days of 8am to Midnight access to the Crafting Room and use of the entire mansion and grounds (excluding bedrooms)
-Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and drinks on those 2 days
-Goody Bag
-Games with the chance to win door prizes



The registration form is below, and if you click on it you will be able to print it out and mail a check to the address listed. Please circle or highlight the package you are signing up for. You can either pay the amount in full, or choose a payment plan. I honestly have NO idea how many people I can get for this event, but I DO know that there are limited slots (40 to be exact!) so if this sounds like a retreat you'd like to attend, make plans and register soon! (Just a FYI-I said that I'd be happy with 20 people coming to the Hello Muddah Crop and I got 60! So...?!)

"Out of Town"-$65 deposit due at registration. $65 due on the 1st of May, July, August and October.
"Local A"-$40 deposit due at registration. $40 due on the 1st of Many, July, August and October.
"Local B"-$40 deposit due at registration. $65 due on the 1st of May and October.
"Local C"-$40 deposit due at registration. $45 due on the 1st of October.

Cancellation Policy:
Cancel before September 10th-Full refund.
Cancel between September 11th and October 11th-Refund payments except deposit.
Cancel between October 12th and November 10th-No refund will be given.

I want my mommy...

I don't say that much in my life, but last night I REALLY wanted my mom around. One of the things that my mom was really great at was taking care of sick people and last night, I was REALLY sick!
All that I could think of last night was when I was a little girl and got sick. How my mom would run her thin-fingered, always cool hand, and over my forehead to check for a fever. She would know just the spots to check before she would pull out the thermometer. She would linger a bit, stroking my hair just because that's what you do for sick kids. If I was "potty sick" like I was last night where I spent more time in the potty than resting, my mom would make sure that I was as comfortable as possible. I remember her setting up small, empty garbage cans in the bathroom and by my makeshift bed-which was on the couch near the TV. I also remember her once setting up a cot in the bathroom, so I didn't have far to go. My mom would immediately send my dad out for ginger ale and Charms lollipops. Those two things along with white toast is what I remember her serving me during these times. She would also set up a little table near the couch with water, ginger ale, ice chips and those Charms. She would tuck "Dirty Whiskers" into bed with me and ask if there were any other "friends" I needed. She would let me pick what to watch on TV, and those were the days before remote control, so she would get up and change the channel if I asked. Heaven forbid I even think of cleaning up my own mess in the bathroom. I was always ushered out, put back to bed and my mom would head back to take care of business! I remember that if I also had a fever, not only would I get the over the counter baby aspirin (the med of choice at the time), but she would set up another bed with towels and blankets, lay me on the towels and give me a sponge bath with water and alcohol which is meant to pull the fever out. This seems like such a small thing, but she had lots of extra towels over me and would only take off a towel for the spot she was bathing so that I wouldn't get chilly. After I would get sick, she would get me back to bed and come rub the muscles that she knew would be hurting after throwing up. I know that when some one was sick in the house, it was a family event. Everyone knew about it, knew what was going on. I can still hear my mom, dad and grandma talking in hushed tones in the next room, going over my temperature, how long I'd been sick, what to do, etc. Even my great Aunt A would drive over during the days to sit with me. I loved the four of us "ladies" on a sick day off from school, sitting in the family room watching their "stories" on TV. Sitting all curled up on the couch listening to the three of them talk about the love, lust, betrayal and drama just seemed like I was sitting in on something scandalous and I loved it! Once I got better, my grandma and/or mom would spend the next few days fixing all my favorite suppers! They never asked what my favorites were, they knew and got it right every time.

Boy! There is nothing like a loving and supportive family when you are feelin' poorly, but nothing AT ALL like a mommy!

Now I love my husband to pieces, but at this stuff he is just ill prepared. He asked a few times if there was anything I needed. Picked up ginger ale at CVS when I called to ask for it. BUT, it was the other stuff like turning off the heater in the room I was sleeping in, asking me WHILE I was throwing up if I had eaten dinner and letting me clean the bathroom myself that got me to wishing for those good 'ole days!

So, I'll say it again...I want my mommy!!

Hello Muddah Wrap Up!

First of all...I know, I know! This post has been a long time coming. I've been meaning to share some photos with y'all and tell you all about the fun we had at the Hello Muddah Crop (2011). The popular consensus was that everyone had a ball, ate themselves silly and want to do it again next year! So, watch for announcements for Hello Muddah 2012. But in the meantime, enjoy a few photos from our camping crop!

This is a group shot of almost all of our campers. What an amazing group of ladies!

The REAL Florida. We all loved this state park and (most) of the Rangers!

The park is just so very beautiful. Lots of ladies were inspired to take amazing photos.

There were just TONS and TONS of deer wandering around camp. In fact, Dawn saw a heard of 20 and Julie almost got run over by a group of "bolting" deer.

The morning Nature Walk was popular.


A few of the cabins in our group.

Some clever gals made signs for their cabin doors.

Getting cozy in the bunks! It felt just like summer camp...only in the winter!!

The much dreaded shower. It was all open screen at the top and quite chilly first thing in the morning. Most of us smarties, waited for the afternoon for taking our showers.

This is the room where we cropped at dusk. My favorite part of any crop is just listening to all the chatting and laughter coming from the crop room. And you could really hear the fun from outside!

Miss Barbara, Julie, Deanne & Kim looking cute as ever!

BethAnne's work space filled with goodie bags and snacks.

One of the buildings built in the 1920's by the CCC-this one we used for our Talent Show.

The audience waits for the Talent Show to begin.

Dawn, Tracy & Pam, AKA "The Scrappie Chicks" showed us how to take care of a pesky man in "Goodbye Earl"!

Stacey and I lip synced to the song, You're Timeless To Me, from the Hairspray soundtrack. No! I have not gained more weight...it was TWO pillows! Thankyouverymuch!

"If You're Chilly, Then You Should've Put A Hat On It!" An original song performed by these three cuties!

Stacey and I spent a couple of days just shopping for the groceries! Here I am with the first load we took to the park.

My spice central!

Lydia serves up some Meatball Subs.

Aahhh! That Pumpkin Bisque! Bliss!

It takes a BUNCH of food to feed all these hungry women! Especially when it's mac & cheese! I made Stacey "photo bomb" the shot so I could get perspective on just how big that pan was!

Lunch al' fresco. Bueno!

Tracy samples the super yummy Sticky Banana Bread Pudding.

Lydia and her fire! It sure was a thing of beauty!

Jo warms up herself and a marshmallow by the fire!

The perfect s'more!

A group of volunteers packed the amazing goodie bags.

This is the most amazing goody bag EVER! Each camper created something different, but all done in the same color scheme/theme so that we could all have some handmade embellishments for our albums. There were also lots of godies, like custom made cookies, cocoa kits and very handy hand warmers.

Lance Anderson from Rusty Pickle poses with Miss Barbara after one of his many classes!

This is one of the cool projects that Lance brought to teach. He is such a wonderful teacher!

The cute project that Stacey taught in one of her class.

Stacey taught a VERY full knitting class. Some gals caught on rather quickly...some, like me, were cussing!

PJ's and scarves were haute cotuer at this crop!

Such sweet gals!

The suspension bridge is a popular spot for a photo opportunity.