Jennifer – Page 243

James’ First Camping Trip – Garner State Park

Posted on December 29, 2008 by Jennifer

Can you believe that my husband had never been camping prior to 2 months ago? We camped at Garner State Park with our friends Aric and Kristy and their dog Dalton, and our friend Ranger the last weekend in October. On the way there Saturday morning, we stopped at Lone Star Motorcycle Museum and Ace Cafe. This was really a neat place to stop and eat lunch. You can check out the classic and modern motorcycles while you wait for your burger or Australian meat pie to cook up. It also gave us perfect timing to arrive at Garner State Park about 1:30 and get our campsite so we could set up our tents.

James, Ranger, and Aric

Jennifer, Kristy and Dalton

We hiked the Bridges trail where the view from the scenic overlook at the top was worth the steep climb. I was the self-proclaimed camp cook for the weekend and dinner Saturday was delicious Camp Chicken Cordon Blue cooked over our campfire grill.

James on the Bridges Trail

View from the Scenic Overlook

Dinner Cooking Over the Campfire

Sunday morning, we walked by the river near our campsite and played some cards. After a tasty lunch of grilled ham/turkey and cheese sandwiches, we hiked the trail along Horseshoe Canyon. Unfortunately, the rockiness of the trails was hard on poor Dalton’s feet and he and Kristy turned back and just hung out while we went up to the Crystal Cave. On the return hike, we saw the cutest little armadillo.

James and Ranger in Front of Our Campsite Number

Along the Frio River

Kristy and Dalton

Jennifer and James at the Crystal Cave

Armadillo

Sunday night was a lot more quiet as there were only a handful of campsites occupied compared to the handful that were unoccupied Saturday night. We ate chicken fajitas for dinner, roasted marshmallows over the campfire for smores and had to shoo a skunk away from our campsite by hissing at it.

Monday morning, we packed up and headed to nearby Lost Maples State Natural Area where we hiked the Maple Trail and a portion of the East trail.

Fall Foliage

Dalton, Ranger, James and Aric

Over all, our camping trip was a lot of fun and I think we’re going to have to plan another one or two for the spring.

Austin SCS Shoebox Swap

Posted on November 11, 2008 by Jennifer

On World Card-making Day (Oct. 4th), I attended a Split Coast Stampers swap held in northwest Austin. When I first heard about the swap back in August, I wasn’t completely sure I wanted to participate, but I decided it sounded like fun and signed up. However, the swap had gotten full during my time of indecision and I was put on the waiting list. About a week and a half before the swap, I found out I had a spot if I wanted it. I planned to be out of town the weekend before the swap, so I would only have 5 weekdays to prep the supplies for 45 woman to make a card of my own design. I decided to say oh well to sleep and do it anyways. The Halloween card below was the card I designed for the swap. It was the first time I had inked up my Pirate Riley stamp. The card came out really great, simple enough for a swap yet cute enough for all the talented women that would be at the swap.

Happy Halloween Card

Stamps: Hanna Stamps Pirate Riley, Stampin’ Up Canvas background (on black) , SU Weathered background (on pumpkin pie), SU All-Year Cheer III (Happy Halloween)
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun, Whisper White
Ink: Stazon black; Stampin’ Up Pumpkin Pie, Craft White; Versamark (Canvas background)
Markers: Stampin’ Up Creamy Caramel, Close to Cocoa, Garden Green, Ballet Blue, Real Red, Certainly Celery
Accessories: Hobby Lobby Halloween ribbon

Another part of the swap was the door prize. Due to the short time I had to prepare, I could have opted out, but then I wouldn’t have gotten to take a great door prize home. So I took a Hobby Lobby paper mache bag, some Halloween designer paper, some Hobby Lobby Halloween ribbon, a candy corn decorative accent and put together the following cute package which I filled with some Halloween stamps, ribbon and lip balm.

Door Prize I Created (picture was taken before I completely finished)

The following are some of my favorites of the cards I made designed by the very talented swappers. This cute elephant card by stampinlibby that showed me the technique of using gamsol. This tree card. Isn’t the ribbon gorgeous? This good witch or bad witch card. The googly eyes on this card are just adorable. The colors of this card by smileytexan are just beautiful.

The following is the door prize I won. I’m not sure who put it together, but I enjoyed it. The little tin had chocolate nuggest with stamped labels.

Door Prize I Won

Trip to Vermont

Posted on November 10, 2008 by Jennifer

The last weekend of September was a long weekend for me that started on Thursday. My brother (Jason) and his wife (Julia), my husband (James) and I flew up to Albany, NY where we met up with my parents (John and Mary Ann), my sister (Sarah) and her husband (Brian) and sweet baby Cameron. It was our yearly family trip. We stayed at the Hill Farm Inn just south of Manchester, Vermont. We filled up almost all of the main house of the bed and breakfast. The owners and staff at the inn were fabulous and breakfast every morning we were there was delicious, partly because of the free-range chicken eggs plucked from nests in the hen house out back of the inn.

Unfortunately, it was kinda dreary weather-wise the entire trip due to a hurricane off the Atlantic coast, but it was still a lot of fun and very relaxing. Thursday night dinner was at Mulligan’s Pub & Restaurant, where the inn owner had secured a reservation for us as we were a large party of 8 plus baby. The food was pretty good, but the service wasn’t weren’t we southerners were accustomed to. On Friday morning, we (minus my Mom, Sarah and Cameron) hiked the trail around the inn near the river. Then we ate lunch at Maxwell’s Flat Road Grill where we had some tasty buffalo burgers and browsed some shops in Manchester. We also drove and visited Chiselville, one of the area’s covered bridges. We at dinner at the Sirloin Saloon Steakhouse & Bar, which was okay.

Inn's Pasture

Jason and Julia

James in front of the Chiselville Covered Bridge

Saturday, we drove to Peru and attended their yearly festival to raise money for their schools. The festival is known for it’s roasted pig and artisan-run booths. We watched clog dancing and a magic show and really enjoyed ourselves. Afterward, we went to Bromley Mountain and did the alpine slide followed by a scenic drive up to Weston where we visited the Vermont Country Store and enjoyed some locally brewed root beer. Dinner was at The Perfect Wife where the turkey schnitzel was to die for followed by some ice cream sundaes at Friendly’s since the little Ben & Jerry’s stand in Manchester closed too early.

John and Mary Ann under the Peru Fair Banner

Riding the Chair Lift up to Beginning of Alpine Slide

Jason About to Fly Down the Alpine Slide

Cameron in the Pumpkin Pickup outside of the Vermont Country Store

Cameron in the Pumpkin Filled Pickup outside of the Vermont Country Store

Sunday, my Dad, Jason, and Brian went fly fishing with guide Peter. The rest of us who find that kind of thing not so interesting relaxed at the inn for a little while, took a slightly different hiking trail around the inn, and then shopped at some of the outlet stores in Manchester followed by lunch at Zoey’s Del & Bakery where they had some unusual sandwich combinations. Then we met up with the rest of the gang to drive back to Albany, NY to be able to catch our early-Monday morning flight home.

Gizmo, the baby goat, and James

Inn's Pasture

Mary Ann, Cameron and Sarah

Church near the Inn

Pink Flower

Operation Baking Gals Round 3: Team We’ll Eat Everything

Posted on October 19, 2008 by Jennifer

Yes, I know I’m late in posting this. Yes, I know I forget to email Lauren of I’ll Eat You to tell her about what I baked. I’m a bad bad Baking Gal. On the flip side, yes, I did bake cookies and send them to sailor Eddie and his buddies, so I can’t be all bad. I put together a goodie box that included a recent edition of Texas Highways (what can I say, I found someone at work who didn’t want their copy), some goldfish crackers, mints, and a very full container of Lime Meltaway Cookies. I had been wanting to make these cookies since I read about them last June in one of the blogs I peruse (unfortunately I can’t remember which one). They were delicious, because I, of course, couldn’t make them for Eddie without saving some for my hubby and me. I hope Eddie and his buddies enjoyed them as much as we did. The cute little boot plate was given to me by brother and his fiancé at the time (now his wife) for Christmas last year. Aren’t they adorable? I have no idea where they got them, but according to the back of the plate they’re made by the Boston Warehouse Trading Corp. I tried to find them online for those of you who have addictions to cute plates like me, but no luck.

Lime Meltaway Cookies

Oh, and I also made a card to include in the goodie box. This card is inspired Lexi Daly‘s simple style. I stamped the Stud Muffin twice, once on white cardstock and once on the card, cutting out everything but his tail and whiskers and then adhering the colored cut-out on top of the stamped Stud Muffin on the card giving his tail dimension (plus who can cut out that teeny tail).

Thank You for Serving Card

Stamps: Saltbox Studio’s Celebrations Sayings Set

Cardstock: A Muse square French Roast notecard; Stampin’ Up Certainly Celery and Whisper White

Ink: Stampin’ Up Basic Brown

Markers: Stampin’ Up Blush Blossom, Creamy Caramel, Barely Banana, Basful Blue

Accessories: Stickles X-Mas Red

My sister, who found out about Operation Baking Gals from perusing my blog, also joined round 3, but on a different team. She made snickerdoodles, but forget to take any pictures, otherwise I would share some for her.

Heart to Heart – World’s Alzheimer’s Day

Posted on September 24, 2008 by Jennifer

World’s Alzheimer’s Day was was this past Sunday. It is a day on which Alzheimer associations concentrate their efforts on raising awareness about dementia. There are an estimated 24 million people around the world who currently have dementia. My grandmother is one of them. Last October, my parents moved her from her home in El Paso into Manor Park. Every time I see her or talk to her she talks about going home. It is sad, because she will never get to go home and she wouldn’t understand why not. Below is a picture of her and I taken last November at my parent’s house for Thanksgiving.

Myself and my Grandmother

Carolyn King, a stamp designer and paper crafter, posted some serious blog candy on my her blog to promote knowledge about Alzheimer’s. Her grandmother also had Alzheimer’s. To enter for a chance to win the awesome blog candy that a lot of companies donated to, Cammie wants you to make a card to thank Alzheimer patients’ caregivers. I made the following card which I am sending to the staff at Manor Park. I used Lauren’s mytimess06 sketch.

Thank You Card

Stamps: Stampin’ Up Roses in Winter, Greetings Galore
Cardstock: Stampin’ Up Elegant Eggplant, Lovely Lilac, Whisper White
Ink: Stampin’ Up Elegant Eggplant, Lovely Lilac
Accessories: Elegant Eggplant grosgrain ribbon

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JAMSquared

Author Archives: Jennifer

James’ First Camping Trip – Garner State Park

Austin SCS Shoebox Swap

Trip to Vermont

Operation Baking Gals Round 3: Team We’ll Eat Everything

Heart to Heart – World’s Alzheimer’s Day