Summer Dreamin' and Schemin'

 So here we are...approaching mid-August..and what have we done? Every fiber of my being is completely rejecting the back-to-school promotions right now! I've still got summer plans to carry out! While my official summer break is over, and I'm back to the office 40 hours a week--I'm not giving up on my summer dreams and schemes! I actually love my work--and that includes all my work--but I do love and appreciate the actual work I get paid regularly for. I have a lovely office, and work with the most wonderful people. I'm pretty organized, and I get a lot done. Sure, I'd love to be able to just write all the time and create my stuff--but a paycheck and health insurance are true blessings! I live close to my work, so I have several hours even after I get home to get creative, and I have the weekends and a lot of holidays and vacation. Am I ever tired? Sometimes I think I'm always tired! But it's not a sin to be tired. I even walk two miles every morning when I get up, first thing. So I know how to push through tiredness--and even a pinched nerve in my back. I'm pretty good at just acting like I feel wonderful! And sometimes, when I act like that long enough, I do!

So back to my summer dreams and schemes...I'm working on a few things...designing...sketching out plans...finishing up a big writing project...and having fun in the middle of all of it. My little idea book and creative journals are hopping with creative madness and mess. I've simply got more cutting, coloring, gluing, stitching, cooking, gardening, writing and socializing to do before we call it a summer kids!

I'm warning you--it might be late September before I call it another summer-past. If it stays warm, and I'm still picking tomatoes...it's summer!

In the meantime, I think what I like about having plenty of summer dreams and schemes is knowing that I'm cooking up a lot of projects that won't even be through until the middle of winter. When I move in for the winter, and I'm not sitting in the sun and out in the garden, I will need plenty to keep me busy and happy in the house!

Sadly, my big writing project actually involves Christmas--they are Christmas scripts and I need to get them to my publisher by September! The other Christmas item I want to do way ahead of time is make my own cards this year--I think that's a fab idea. Along with that, here are the other schemes I've got going and things I just want to do. I'm sort of rewinding and fast forwarding at the same time.

I want to make more cards--like this one for my daughter's birthday this summer. I love adding tags to cards--and I'm working on acquiring more of those lovely stamps. I think stamping is a lot like when I was little and had a coloring book in my hand all the time. Because you're not drawing--the stamp does that--you're kind of decorating...and that is so fun and relaxing.

Here we go--I had to have an excuse to show my doodle-embroidered cutoffs again! Doodle embroidering is at the top of my list and I have two more pairs of cutoffs to do. I don't know where to fit them in with all of the other things I want to do--and timing is critical so that it's still warm enough to wear them for heaven's sakes! One pair is green, like these, and the other is white--talk about a blank slate with doodle embroidering on white shorts...the possibilities are endless!

I keep wearing these all the time because they make me feel crazy creative!

Okay, do you see this tree? This pitiful little dead cherry tree? It is in the very back of my property, past the garden. It used to be the most gorgeous cherry tree--we enjoyed its harvest, year after year. So did the birds if we didn't pick the cherries soon enough! But sadly, one winter, a horrible ice storm hit, and our sweet little tree didn't recover. I can't bear to have it completely cut down...soooo...I'm going to yarn bomb it! I can't wait! I think it will be really cute. So stay tuned for that--I'm saying no more!

 In other news--I'm going to keep eating more veggies! Fresh, steamed, whatever...I'm going to keep doing this. I had an excellent checkup at the doctor--my bloodwork, blood pressure...all that blood stuff...was EXCELLENT! At my age, I'm very happy and proud of that. (51, by the way). So veggies, let's do this thingie!

Speaking of veggies--I'm going to keep picking and eating cherry tomatoes, every day, until there are no more. I'm not tired of it...no really...I'm thankful. Love these thingies! They are expensive at the store, so glad to have them for free right in my own backyard.

And speaking of tomatoes in my own backyard--I've got tons, including yellow ones. So I've decided to fresh-preserve the yellow ones too! I think they are pretty and unique--you probably can't buy canned yellow tomatoes at the store. Right?

 I'm going to keep planting seeds--especially basil--it goes with my tomatoes and I LOVE fresh pesto.

SAD! But not for long.

We are beautifying this sad little alcove by our outdoor workshop building. It is going to be ahhmazing--we're talking lots of paint...furniture...creative flooring...even beads, hanging things and painted rocks--so fun. I'll share all about it when it's done with all the before and after pics--this will go well with the yarn bombing. Can't wait! (Can you tell I've been watching Worlds Most Extreme Homes?) Of course, my hubby is in on this, doing the heavy lifting. He's the best.

Here's my hubby with some friends--we've had some fun times this summer, and I want to meet up with more friends and have more fun!

I will let sleeping cats lay...even if they're laying in a basket of my fabric!

Reorganize my sewing niche...

Buy more notions...

Open my Etsy store...Teacup & Pebble...

Bake more rosemary and tomato bread...

Glitter more and create more papercrafts...(this project was so fun!)

Work on my mixed-media projects so dear to me...(yay bowls o buttons!)

And one more thing...go to more ballgames! That's me on the left, peeking out from behind our mascot when I sang the National Anthem with a group earlier this summer. I love going to the ballgame with my hubby--having a bratz...sitting outside in a nice breeze. It has been horribly hot this summer--so I'm ready for some nicer evenings and simply more fun. We also go to my little nephew's ballgames...very fun. Family time is important, most of all. And I think my creative life just makes me a better mom, worker, family member and friend.

Keep scheming and dreaming!