U of H Layout

Our son James is currently in college, although it seems like it's taking "forever" for him to get through it all!  Yet he's witty, sharp on funny funny comebacks, and so very intelligent!  He loves all things technology driven, computers, motorcycles, gaming, movies and reading among an even longer list.  His sister scraps her photos and Mom hers.  He was delighted when I said I would scrap his photos.  I've printed off the ones he has given me.  And these were the first.  "Move Out" day at University of Houston from his dorm at Cougar Place over a year ago.  Ready for inspection of room is Mom's guess!  The journaling belongs to him after all it is his scrapbook Mom is working on!

Once again I'm delighted to say I just fell head over heals with Nuts About Sketches  #230 and was absolutely perfect for a college dorm room layout!!!  Thank you Shawn!

Belle's Foal

My first Arabian was my graduation gift from my parents upon receiving my Master of Science Agriculture from Sam Houston State Univ.  I was stunned, I had no clue.  Her name Bey Belle a Nabiel granddaughter.  She is shown in the layout below in the proofs shot by Jeff Little.  I still have four more proofs to scrap.  I started scrapping the photos we purchased from this shoot with Basic Grey Mellow.  The colors just seemed to fit Belle's beautiful bay coat.  This one includes the photo of the ultrasound taken for us as she was at Rinconada Arabians being bred to Nabiel for her first foal.

This is the first layout I have done as a design team member of Nuts About Sketches, Sketch 229.  Take a moment if you love double page layouts to take a peek at Shawn Lahr's awesome sketches!  I'm having so much fun with them!

Family Farm

I love I kiss a family farmer!  I have often blogged about family farms and how we are a family farm.  I am directly involved in the work here at the ranch and since last posting about the farm our daughter has graduated Texas A&M and joined us on the farm.  We pay her a salary and pay for most of her living expenses such as water and electricity.  She will pay for groceries when Mom and/or Dad are at our other home.  We are so proud of her with a Masters in Agriculture Leadership, Education and Technology.  I've also written about how we are incorporated.  We are a business just like any other business.  I wanted to share a blog post written by another farmer's wife which describes my sentiments exactly.  I also love the photos from this West Texas Farmer!

http://txagtalks.texasfarmbureau.org/family-farmer-who-decides/ 

But let's not forget to share a photo from May on the birth of a very special little heifer on our farm!!!  Meet Miss FJL Texas Red Pearl 17 a fullblood red Lowline Heifer with a very rare pedigree!

And of course the day wouldn't be a happy day without seeing a layout I did of my son's show heifer way back when named Scout!

I laugh with a brahma in the photo and Holstein cow paper from Studio Calico!  And the cat squashed the flower which I have since fixed....have to love tissue paper flowers!  And I know my daughter showed her instead of son!

Have a blessed day!

before and after....

Yesterday, Larry and I took the long way to the ranch through Waelder.  We had an appointment to go look at Red Kumamoto Wagyu Cattle.  They are so much nicer then the black Wagyu.  And taste of the Red Kumamoto?  Without a doubt the very best beef I have ever tasted!!!  So good we decided to purchase semen.  Seeing them in person, very nice structure on the profile.  Would give them some more width looking from front to back.  Good footed and bone.  Another five years to get this beef to the Farmers' Market.  So just stay tuned.

Today though it was good to be back at the ranch!!!  But typical summer heat pushing 100 and we hid.  Enjoyed Olympics and of course playing with paper.  Today's creation!  Of course Nuts About Sketches Week #224 Sketch!     Another layout sometime in the future since I have ugly courthouse photos of Leon County during it's restoration.

Off to scrap while I can because I have more work to do in Houston this week!

Whoop!!! I'm Excited!

Nuts About Sketches has posted the members who made the Sketch Team!  I'm stunned, EXCITED, and am so looking forward to sharing the wonderful sketches on my blog!!!   Come join us for some scrapping fun!  Sketch 224 is up and I'm looking forward to being at the ranch this weekend to work on it.

The first sketches I get to work with as part of the Sketch Team is in September!!!

I thought I would share this layout I did for the ACOT's July Die Cut Challenge hosted by retiree3.  I just love how it came together using a 4x4 challenge I participated in last year.  I used this layout as my example for a new challenge I'm hosting at ACOT called the 4x4 Challenge!  Hope you'll come view the challenge's there, too.

I love love my state's history and what better way to capture our state's history by it's statues, courthouses, and other historical sites!!!

 

Long time no post!!!  This post is driven by my search for inspiration!   I found a nifty blog about ten days ago and just became smitten!  Now why did I not know about it!!!!  Silly me!  I'm absolutely in love with Nuts About Sketches!!!  I'm really loving their double page sketches!  This is last week's Sketch 223 and my take:

In finding Nuts About Sketches I also found their call for their impending new sketch team.  I've decided to try out for it and this is the layout I produced for that sketch!

Wish me a wee bit of Irish luck!!!  ;-)

Texas Wild Fires

I suppose one might ask why I have this layout with this title. We are attending a Southwest Lowline Angus Breeders Assoc. Field Day just south of Paige Texas in 2009 at a breeder who live on Hwy 21. I finally got hold of this breeder yesterday because I had a feeling they were way to close to the Bastrop Complex fire. As the breeder told me, 'If you could see the photos I took right before we evacuated, you would not understand how our house didn't burn.' Fortunately her cattle are ok, too. As of yesterday they are still not allowed back in to care for the cattle. Yet she has a friend who is allowed access and is feeding and watering her cattle for her.

This past weekend I watched as fires popped up around us. I fear this will be the norm and not occasional occurrence through October. It's stressful! Texas Forest gives daily updates HERE. The map showing current fires is HERE. The closest fire to me is the Limestone 481 and is 95% contained with 3000 acres burned for the past two days. It started due to an electrical line malfunction due to high winds on Sept. 4th. We decided to try to start a green space around barn and home. I just hope the soil temperature has gone down enough for seed to sprout. As of this morning I am also watching my neighbors house as he's in the hospital after having six bypasses.

I ask a favor from you should you read this post. Please pray for our state. At the same time I have sent prayers this morning for those being affected by more floods in the NE and wish you will do the same.

As for the inspiration on this layout. This was the layout I created in April as part of my application to My Scraps and More Design Team back in April. This was the first design team I applied for and I just love the community. I didn't make the team, but I look forward to applying to be on more design teams.