#atozchallenge | B is for Blueberry Picking with Mémère Rose

April 2, 2016May 10, 202036 Comments

My grandmother was unflappable. Mémère could fall asleep in a room full of chaos. Nothing ever seemed to bother her. She had no hesitation taking her young granddaughter into the deep Maine woods to go blueberry picking, even though her granddaughter had a life threatening allergy to bees. Clearly she was right, because no catastrophe ever occurred but rather just wonderful memories eating handfuls of blueberries right from the bushes.

I remember many outings, where we would walk deep into the Maine woods to find the best blueberry bushes to pick from during blueberry season. These were in the days before the evolution of pick-your-own farms. This was old school. She knew where the blueberries were and had mad skills picking them.

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Finally, a Local Scrapbook Crop

March 25, 2016May 10, 20203 Comments

I have been amassing a large stash of scrapbooking supplies for many years now, but sadly my supplies have been sitting mostly unused for the last few years. I am still focused on creative pursuits, but other activities, including a move to more digital memory keeping, has taken me away from more traditional scrapbooking.

It’s not only other crafts vying for my time that has slowed my progress with scrapbooking, but also less opportunity. When I first started scrapbooking over a decade ago, there were many chances to go to crops and larger scrapbooking events. Creative Memories, and other home party businesses, were in full force, so I had opportunities to go to a crop on a regular basis. But in recent years, there have been less events. Part of it is the cyclical nature of crafts. There is a natural ebb and flow of interest.

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7 Differences between Austin, Texas and Portland, Maine

March 9, 2016May 10, 20202 Comments

I spent this past week down in Austin, Texas for a work conference. It was my first visit to the area and while the majority of my time was spent inside a hotel attending conference related events, there were a few things that I was able to enjoy in Austin, that would not have been possible if I had been back home in Maine.

Seven things I would not have been able to do in Maine:

1) Eat Outside. I enjoyed an al fresco lunch soaking in the sunshine. I was in Austin in early March, when things are still relatively chilly in Maine.While eating outside is something that I love to do during the summers in Maine, even with the unseasonably warm winter we’ve had this year, dining outside is not really an option in March. But, it did get me excited for the warmer weather heading our way.

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Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off 2016

February 28, 2016May 10, 20203 Comments

Breakfast is one of my three favorite meals, and on the weekends when we can enjoy something a little more elaborate, it moves up a few notches. There is nothing better than a leisurely brunch. The annual Incredible Breakfast Cook-Off brings together various competitors all vying to be crowned winner of “Maine’s Best Breakfast”. The event is the start of Maine Restaurant Week. During the cook-off, guests taste samples of all the delicious breakfast fare and then vote for their favorites. The event, which was held this past Friday morning from 7:00 – 9:00 am, was a great segue into the weekend.

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Recycled Magazine Circles Decorative Bowl

February 25, 2016May 10, 20201 Comment

The first year with my One Little Word® project, I selected embrace as my word, and one of my goals for the year was to embrace more creativity in my life. I had been fascinated with recycled magazine crafts for a while and decided to give it a try.

It’s a super easy project, although it is time-consuming to make a lot of circles, and you will need quite a few to make something larger like a bowl. It makes for a fun, creative activity while watching TV. There are many great sites out there on the internet that give various instructions and show all the amazing things you can make with recycled magazine circles. The cool thing about this craft is that it’s not exact, and there are many variations on the path to a successful project.

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