Do you see it?

The ever so slight hint of fall!?! I'm so excited. Fall is my favorite season of the year. I love the crisp cool air tinged with the smell of fires burning and the sound of leaves crunching. I love the abundance of color in nature and the cool nights with windows wide open, sleeping under piles of blankets. I love the scents and tastes of fall foods: beef stew, apple crisp, roasts, pumpkin bars. I love the return to routines. I love Sunday afternoons of football (not because of the game, but because I get to scrapbook or read or stitch while Greg watches the game)...time together but enjoying our own thing. I love fall activities: Halloween parties, pumpkin patches, apple orchards, and corn mazes. I love the cozy feel and a great preamble to the warmth and glow of the holiday season. It's when we celebrate our anniversary. It's when we practice and celebrate thankfulness. It's when we get out the warm comfy sweaters. Can you tell I love this season?

About Me Quiz

I got this from my friend Bonnie's blog and thought it was fun...

Ten Years Ago:July 1998 - was the summer between my sophomore and junior years of college. I was in London with my friend Kelly taking a History of British Rock 'n' Roll class...yeah, life was pretty rough! :) We (Kelly and I) were preparing move out of the dorms and into our first apartment together with our other friend Jana. It was the summer I started seeing my first boyfriend (we broke up a year-and-a-half later). I think I worked at Eddie Bauer for a few weeks that summer before and after hour trip to London.

Five Things on Today's To-Do List:

(1) Organize for the canoe trip I'm going on later this month.
(2) Plant some coral bells in my flower bed to fill in the dead spot where the squirrels stole all my bulbs.
(3) Go to the gym
(4) Do some paperwork for a professional organization I'm in.
(5) Go to happy hour with some co-workers

Snacks I Enjoy: I'll agree with Bonnie on this one: fresh guacamole! I also love that People Puppy Chow (chex cereal with chocolate, peanut butter and powdered sugar), almonds (fresh or lightly roasted with salt), and beef sticks.

Things I Would Do If I Was a Millionaire: buy a house, upgrade our cars, invest like crazy, and pace ourselves spending the rest on travel (Italy, Key West and Hawaii would start the list), starting a college fund for any future kids we may have (no, this is not an announcement) and our nephews and then give to charity. I would continue to work, though!

Places I Have Lived: Omaha, NE; Ames, IA; St. Paul and Bloomington, MN; and part-time in Chicago, IL for awhile.

Fishing w/ Papa

Here's a layout I've had rattling around in my mind for awhile but finally got up the "guts" to do it. I don't know why but sometimes there are photos or memories that are just so precious, that it's hard to scrapbook them...almost like whatever I do will never be good enough for it.






Journalling reads: "I remember several times that my grandpa took me fishing. This particular time, grandma & grandpa had taken me to a family reunion near Brainerd, MN leaving mom behind in Omaha to study for finals. That weekend was full of family, campfires, boating, and fish-frys (Uncle Darrill made the best beer-battered fish). While I don’t remember anything specific from this particular day, I love this photographic reminder of all the fun times I had with my grandpa. Fishing, working in the woodshop, taking trips to the hardware store (it took awhile for mom and grandma to figure out why I loved the hardware store so much…it was next to the ice cream store). It was during these ordinary events that we talked, or didn’t talk, about everything (or nothing). It was during these times that my grandpa taught me the kind of person I want to be: patient, kind, smart, inquisitive, funny, big-hearted, & a little ornery."



Products used: Patterned Papers by Sweetwater, Cardstock by Bazzill, heart punch by EK Success, Ribbon by Offray, transparency by Hammermill, Rub-on by Cloud 9 Designs, font is a free font from the internet called "Acoustic Light".

Scattergories

I was tagged by my friend Nicole to fill in the following topics with an answer that begins with "M" (the first letter of my first name):

Your Name: Michelle
1. Famous Singer/Band: Marilyn Manson
2. 4 letter word: Menu
3. Street: Main Street
4. Color: Magenta
5. Gifts/Presents: Mall Gift Card
6. Vehicle: Mazda
7. Things in a Souvenir Shop: Magazines
8. Boy Name: Michael
9. Girl Name: Margaret
10. Movie Title: Madagascar
11.Drink: Mojitos (mmmmm......)
12. Occupation: Marine Biologist
13. Flower: Marigold
14. Celebrity: Matthew McConnaughy (sp?) (mmmm......)
15. Magazine: Men's Health
16. U.S. City: Minneapolis
17. Pro Sports Teams: Marlins
18. Fruit: Mango
19. Reason for Being Late for Work: Missed the alarm when it went off
20. Something You Throw Away: milk cartons
21. Things You Shout: Move!!!
22. Cartoon Character: Mr. Magoo

I don't know anyone to tag who hasn't already been tagged.