Here's Lookin' at You, New York!

It's long overdue, I know, but here is a quick peek at my trip to NY in August.  It was a wonderful whirlwind few days filled with sightseeing, scrap shopping, a Broadway (and a drum corps) show, celebrity sightings, tons of walking, VERY little sleep and of course, being in the audience to see Brene Brown on the Katie Couric show.

My brother Chris met me in New York and while he got his fill of about a hundred (OK, maybe just four) Broadway shows, I hit the Manhattan must-see scrapbook shops, The Ink Pad and Tinsel Trading Company.  I would have LOVED a chance to attend some of the classes at The Ink Pad - they have quite the fantastic line up.

Our celebrity sightings included Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Kristin Davis, James Earl Jones and (best for last....) John Stamos.  Chris and I took in the musical Once together.  I also managed to see DCI quarter finals in the theatre near Union Square, which was a great, nostalgic experience.

Of course, the real reason for the trip was being in the audience for Brene Brown's appearance on the Katie show, which should be airing sometime in the next few weeks.  Chris took a shot of me in the lineup to get in.  A few ladies and I were interviewed on camera before the show, but I'm not sure what they will end up using.

Look for me if you're watching Katie in September.

In other news:

• Back to school went very smoothly at our house, and since I'm still at my Project 365 - I've never made it this far into the year so woo hoo - I have back to school photos of the kids to post sometime soon. They are still on the camera and I haven't uploaded them yet, but I hope I can get to them soon.
• I'm really excited about Scrapfest Oshawa coming in less than a month! 
• Here's to Sue's cookie dough recipe, which I'm sure will leave us feeling like we don't need any dinner! :} 
• I'm also lucky enough to be heading out on a photo walk with Lee Currie in October.  Hooray!
• I have a layout coming out in Canadian Scrapbooker's winter 2012 issue - toot! :-}
• Scrapping Nook's 100 Photos of Summer deadline is fast approaching and I still have a TON of photos to upload. 
• And, believe it or not, I have at least a dozen scrapbook pages and part of my New York trip Smash album scrapped that I haven't had a chance to post yet.   I'm hoping to get something photographed and posted soon.  Stay tuned!

I hope the back to school transition went as smoothly at your house as it did at ours.  Fall weather is here reminding us that summer is truly over, much to our chagrin.

Thanks for checking in and have a fantastic fall!

My State of Mind...

Can you guess where I'm headed next week? :-}

I'm lucky enough to be going to New York to see Brene Brown interviewed for the new Katie Couric show that will air in September.  Are you a Brene fan?  Want to come too?  I'm still looking for a taker for the second seat, so drop me a line!  My brother Chris is meeting me in New York, but can't come to the taping since they're having an all-female audience.

While we're there, we're also seeing the musical Once on Broadway, as well as DCI prelims through Fathom Events in the theatre right in Manhattan!  That's sure a lot crammed into one short and unexpected trip.  I'm so excited!

image credit

(Don't know what DCI and Drum Corps are?  This video is a few years old, but it's a fantastic and informative clip.  The theatre showing is mentioned starting at about 3:10).

Since this has all come together very last minute, I'm sure I'll be packing into the wee hours the night before we leave.  I'm planning on doing a Smashbook style mini album on the trip, so I have to get scrap shopping!

Oh, and if you're a travel buff and/or have been to Manhattan - restaurant, sightseeing and scrapbook store recommendations are totally welcome! Tinsel Trading Company and The Ink Pad are already on the list!

Have a fantastic long weekend!  Details about the trip (and hopefully some nice NY photos) to follow soon!

T is for Technology!

When you combine a new Macbook Pro, a (somewhat) new look and feel to blogger, a (similarly somewhat) new look and feel to photobucket and the crazy schedule of three kids and a business, what do you get?  Nothing, that's what!  Nothing on my blog, that is, for more than two months!  Man, that's quite the hiatus for me - a longer break than I've ever taken from blogging. 

All of the technology changes have made a quick post less than quick, so even posting something short and sweet has been a bit daunting

But it's been a good hiatus for our family - a bit hectic, but filled with sunshine, swimming, recitals, visits with cousins, as well as great report cards and piano exam marks!

Sadly, it's been filled with very little scrapbooking.  In my last post I mentioned skypebooking with Leanne over the NSD weekend.  Here is a little peek at one of the layouts I created that night.  It is from an awesome Kelly Goree class kit I purchased at Scrapfest, and it still needs journaling, but it's a cute tribute to our lovable pup, Merlin.

I've also started the Scrapping Nook's 100 Photos of Summer challenge once again this year.  I had so much fun doing it last year so I hope I can capture as many of the images this time around.  Stay tuned and I will add a few of those shots here.

Also upcoming for me and the kids - we're attending a drum corps show later this week.  Can't wait!  It will be a first for the kids, and I'm sure they'll love it, particularly now that Evan is taking drum lessons - yes, you read that correctly!  More on that to follow too, hopefully in less than two months! :-} 

In the interim, thanks for checking in here after such a long time, and I hope you're having a spectacular summer! 

Even Now...

Even Now, the Barry Manilow song, was the closer for the Sacramento Freelancers Drum and Bugle Corps in 1982. And even now, 25 years later this past weekend, I can't believe that it has really been that long.

25 years ago this past Saturday night, Montreal's Olympic Stadium hosted the Drum Corps International Finals competition for 1982. So I felt quite the pang of nostalgia as I sat at my aunt's house in Montreal this past weekend, waiting for DCI 2007 results from Pasadena.

I recall being overwhelmed walking into Olympic Stadium back then for the first time. Each Top 12 corps was given an opportunity to rehearse on Saturday afternoon on the Stadium field, prior to the show. The corps pulled into the empty stadium, our convoy of buses and equipment truck dwarfed within the vast building. Voices echoed. We saw an unimaginable number of seats in the huge, empty stands. It was almost eerie.

Back then, unfortunately, while I did have a camera, I didn't have a lot time or opportunity to take photos (nor did I have a ton of money for film). Regardless, these are a few of my favourite memories, and while they may look grainy, they are clear as yesterday in my mind's eye.

These sheer blue flags were hidden inside our jackets during the show, and we pulled them out and slid them over our rolled flags while facing backfield just before Even Now started. They were so pretty as they shimmered under the lights. It was one of my favourite parts of the show.

Since I lived that year in the import house with 9 other out-of-towners, we had the cool opportunity of having Bus 8 actually pull up to our house to pick us up for 2nd tour. It was a ton of fun to see a drum corps bus parked on a residential street, loading up corps members right from the house. Our neighbours must really have been surprised!

As a teenager, it was hard to see 25 years into the future and imagine recalling these memories a quarter century later. But time really does fly by, and that quarter century has passed. I'm glad to have at least a few photos to go along with these important and defining memories.

Probably not YOUR dream photography job...

...but it sure could be mine one day!

For competitive drum corps, this is crunch time. Your show is about as good as it's going to get, and the biggest competition of the year is a week away. It has me thinking a lot about drum corps lately.

I wish my camera and I were headed to a DCI. I haven't been since 2000.

The above 2006 photo by Johnny Gilbert for DCI was posted on Flickr.

My friend Mark is going to a few shows, including Finals, and I'm so jealous!

Amateur photographers rarely can get as close to the action as the few assigned pros, who are allowed close to (almost right on) the show field. The link below is to a gallery by Johnny Gilbert, probably my favourite drum corps photographer since Dick Diehl in the 1980s (sshhhh - I'm dating myself!) Please, take a peek, particularly if you only have heard of drum corps through my blog. It will open up a whole new perspective for you.

This is awesome stuff! Really - these are great photos, regardless of whether you're a fan! Just take a peek at a few and you'll find yourself viewing the whole gallery.

Johnny Gilbert Drum Corps Photography

Maybe if I keep doing my homework for my ScrapAbility Photography course, I will get there someday!

May Scrapalicious DT Creations Revealed!

Here we go! Three LOs for May. In addition to these pages for the Scrapalicious Icing Crew for May, we each also created a "mystery" LO. Details will follow. Do you think you can tell which designer created which design?

You are the Sunshine of my Life, by Stevie Wonder, was our first dance as a married couple, and it is very special to me. This is probably the least patterned paper I have ever used on a LO. This LO features Cosmo Cricket Dutch Girl pp and American Crafts thickers, one of my favourite stamps by TTs - French Quarter; also a few sticker letters and stamps by EK Success. Doesn't hubby looks handsome? He's a bit shy about being on display on my blog - much less on the wall of the store. Love ya, hun!

Having twins, I couldn't resist the pun on counting blessings twice! I'm happy that my girls are still willing to be dressed alike - as I am sure the day will come when they won't want to do that anymore. These were their Easter dresses.

In addition to the Cosmo Cricket Dutch Girl and American Crafts felt arrows, I used stamps by MSE and Autumn Leaves on this LO.

Tag pulls out with some personal journaling about blessings.

Nothing disappoints a 3 year old like thinking that her play date has been ruined by rain. Alicia might look sad, but in no time at all, the sun was out and she was splashing up a storm.

Once again, this LO features Cosmo Cricket pp and American Crafts, as well as stamps by EK Success and Autumn Leaves, and chipboard letters from the Crillon collection by Li'l Davis.



BTW, if you're a drum corps nut like me, you know that You are the Sunshine of My Life was also our opener for the Freelancers 1982 show, another reason the song is special to me, tho' my hubby is the main reason. At least that's what I tell him! {{wink!}}

Where I wish I was tonight!

Most who have met me in person will admit that I can be a bit of a nut! Well, I am - in more ways than one! Fans of the most spectacular musical event known to man, Drum & Bugle Corps, are affectionaltely referred to as drum corps "nuts". And I am one!

Whether you love feeling the loud, raw beat resonate through you at a crowded, live rock show, or whether your sensibilities are best satisfied through the perfection of an exquisite ballet, there is truly something for you to love about drum corps.

There is a great annual event happening tonight at select movie theatres all over the US. It's a movie, played simultaneously at 236 theatres across the country, featuring 8 surprise selections from the greatest drum corps shows of all time. Sadly, there is no venue in Canada.

Check out the movie trailer here: Classic Countdown if you would like to get a quick taste of what this "nut" friend of yours is talking about. (Takes a sec to load - so you have to be patient - it's worth it!)

This annual event has a bit of a cult following, and I would love to be there! Drum corps "nuts" will be sharing their common passion for music and motion, guessing at what show will be presented next, remembering their own marching days, and just drinking in the excitement and the experience.

I'm there in spirit!