Monday, July 6, 2015

Reminiscing...

 So did all you Americans enjoy a holiday weekend to celebrate the 4th of July?? Did you picnic and grill like there was no tomorrow?
 Not us. Hubby and I kept it very relaxed and low key. I didn't even barbecue on the fourth! Those years of hosting are gone! Instead we took a stroll in town to hopefully find some places open. And of course, McCarthy's Red Stag Pub was open so there's where we had our dinner.


 Bill had his favorite which is the "plain ole burger"- a very generous burger-and no grease:) And I just had to have my fave- the open faced roasted pepper, onion jam and melted brie! Hubby helped me with the coleslaw and chips. And, after taking a few bites, decided he liked my choice enough to order it himself sometime:):)

 Cheers to the friends at T Stands for Tuesday!!

 And here's a card -also for my T gang, and for the Simon Monday Challenge this week which is "Coffee or Tea?"


 I used an old direct to paper technique on glossy cardstock. The stamps are also old. Cup- PSX, coffee beans- Rubber Stamps Of America, sentiment-Ann-ticipations. I also used Versafine Jet Black ink and a variety of Ranger Distress Inks.

  I have also been watching the Tour De France cycling race every day. The first  day began in the Netherlands and then moved into  Belgium. The rest of the tour will be in France. How I LOVE visiting so many beautiful places via the bicycle. It brings back SO many memories of time spent there with family. And I especially long for it this time of the year with the tour, my Mom's birthday, my dear aunt's birthday (she lives in La Seyne Sur Mer-moved recently so I have yet to see this area), and the celebration of Bastille Day on the 14th. I was also able to enjoy pearshapedchris's recent posts of her trip to France! So how could I not put my longing to go back into a journal page?

                                                        " Her heart is often in France"

 The background and her dress are gelli plate prints on deli paper. The Eiffel tower bit is a collage sheet image and the stamp is from a letter from my family in France. Linking this page to the new theme for July over at Art Journal Journey ( Post and Postage), for the continuing theme of "the facial profile" at Mix It Monthly, Art It Friday-Show Your Face, Art Journal Every Day, and Paint Party Friday.

 This is the second last week of the Summer Of Color Challenge and the colors are green, green and pink. I am already envisioning a girl with green hair so am off to see what I end up with:) The entries last week were absolutely amazing and what  joy it was to see so much red!! I know it is going to be equally exciting this week too. Won't you join in?

 Hope you all have a great rest of the week! See you soon.

" The heartland lies where the heart longs to be. Sometimes it takes a lifetime to find the true place to plant it."                             Vera Nazarian



45 comments:

  1. Glad you had a nice Fourth. Ours was pretty low-key and relaxing as well. Sorry to hear that you're missing France so much. I feel that way about Russia sometimes--part of my heart still lives there.

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  2. Our fourth was very low keyed too. I put in a couple of hours at work while the hubs was helping his son move back in our home. I was amazed at how much stuff he has accumulated in his short life. :) LOL! We did all go out and eat on SUnday though.

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  3. Good that you had fun at least. Great effort with that challenge. Have a wonderful week!

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  4. Beautiful post, the food looks great! Love the journal page, beautifully made, and thanks so much for lining to Art Journal Journey. Valerie

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  5. Great to hear you had such a good meal without having the whole work at home.. very clever!!!
    The card is lovely and the page is just ADORABLE dear Linda ! AWEOME!
    I am so happ you share it with us at Art Journal Journey! Always a pleasure to have you with us!
    Happy T-Day !!!
    hugs
    Susi

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  6. I enjoyed your relaxed Fourth. I can't say the same (relaxed, that is). Your meal looked wonderful. I was seriously wishing I had that sandwich about now, even though it's nearly 2 am where I am.

    I also enjoyed the coffee card, and think it's a great poem. Really fun and lovely art. Speaking of art, I thoroughly enjoyed the AJJ piece. It was gorgeous. I haven't even thought about my SOC entry yet, so you are definitely ahead of me.

    Thanks for sharing your beautiful art AND your food and drinks with us for T this Tuesday. I still want that sandwich!!

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  7. Glad you enjoyed your holiday. Your French girl is lovely.

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  8. Your dinners both look very tasty - sometimes a quiet night is the best. I love your journal page, it expresses how I sometimes feel about England when the snow is piled high outside my window and I check the weather in, say, Penzance or Newport. From now on I will be checking it in Salisbury, which is the kind of place one would go and live for a while, to finish writing a book, perhaps.

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  9. We went to see family on the 3rd and had the Independence Day cooking done for us. Our 4th was low-key, too, with take-out BBQ at home while watching West Wing episodes on DVD.

    I love green hair! :)

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  10. Good of you to have a meal out, it's always nice to celebrate without the stress of cooking. The journal pages are fantastic, love the second one. Vive La France!

    Have wonderful week, sweetie!

    Love and hugs
    Maarit

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  11. That sandwich sounds awesome! Love the page you made for AJJ!
    Happy T day!

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  12. Your lovely French girl is so soulful and beautiful Linda! Love that piece so much.
    Our 4th was very low key too.
    We step outside to watch the nearby country club's fireworks which were quite lovely again this year.
    Yours sounds very nice.
    We've been cleaning and clearing like crazy (I think we need over night company more often!).
    Happy T Day dear Linda
    We pick our boy up from Dulles this afternoon...so excited.
    oxo

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  13. I loVe your journal page! I love watching le Tour for the same reason as yours - looking forward to seeing more of Normandy and Brittany this time! So glad you're enjoying my photos - more to come! !! Your plates of food look tasty - nothing like a relaxing day! Happy T day! Chrisx

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  14. Pretty pages! I was on R&R from packing so Karma and I had a very quiet 4th.
    Happy T-Day!

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  15. Mmmm, your meal looks yummy!

    Super journal page, I love her Gelli dress :)

    Looking forward to seeing what you create for SOC. I think I've kinda got an idea, just don't know if I am capable of doing it!!

    x

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  16. Beautiful pages and your celebration dinner looks wonderful!! So good to just get a reprieve from cooking at this juncture!! Glad you enjoyed! Happy Birthday to your mom and aunt too!!

    Hugs Giggles

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  17. Your lunch looks very tasty indeed and your art is so beautiful. Many thanks for your comment on Wee Man's post :D Happy T Day :D

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  18. Your choice sounds very tasty. I love the wishful look of the red haired beauty.

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  19. A gorgeous work of art for all challenges- beautiful and emotive!

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  20. Well the food looks yummy!! Hubs and i do not celebrate the 4th... By the sound of it everyone else around us does a good enough job for all of us... Hmmmm exactly how far out in the country would i have to live to get away from the sound of fireworks...lol Happy happy tday! Hugs! deb

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  21. Sometimes 'low key' is just what you need ~ glad you did what you and 'hubby' wanted to do ~ Love the 'French Connection' creation ~ beautiful and didn't know you had relatives in France ~ I would love to go there sometime ~

    Happy Week to you,
    artmusedog and carol

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  22. We had a low key 4rh as well. Your lunch looks great to me. LIke both pieces of art you showed this week. I hope you get to return to France soon.

    Darla

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  23. UOH....I would love to eat that sandwich, sounds like My kind of food. I also love Your very pretty coffee page.I do like coffee so any art with coffee in it I usually end up liking.

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  24. I LOVE a good ole hamburger, but I confess.......YOUR'S sounds so delicious, made my mouth all watery.....LOL

    Thanks for the visit on T-day and for the comment ;)

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  25. Love your card with the bright colors and the cups all around the sentiment.

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  26. Fun getting little glimpses into your life! Your coffee card is bright and cheery with a lovely sentiment. Thanks so much for joining us at Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge!

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  27. Stunner! Totally amazed with your spread!

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  28. Your meals look awesome. I know what you mean by not hosting. We don't do that any longer. We just do our own thing. Great job on all your beautiful work. Thanks for stopping by my blog, it's always good to read you.

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  29. Gorgeous collage! No, I did nothing but stay off the roads on the 4th. It used to be a big deal when we had young children.

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  30. I love your post Linda. I also wonder sometimes where I should really be living, as I often yearn for the Southwest of the USA. Maybe because I grew up watching Saturday morning Westerns on TV? Your dinner looks sooo good!

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  31. This is stunning love the softness you capture :)

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  32. It sounds like you had a nice fourth. I think many of us are going for low-keyed holidays now. Your work is lovely. It is always is so soft and pretty. Have a great weekend Linda.

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  33. We also had a quiet 4th of July. Very low key.
    I like your girl thinking of France. I like to use gelli printed deli papers in my art, too. They're so much fun to work with.

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  34. How gorgeous, she looks so serene, and a perfect sentiment too. Lovely card too and glad you had a nice meal for 4th July. Thank you for linking up to #ShowYourFace and for the shout out too. Kx

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  35. What a beautiful face, Linda! She does look very French herself, actually. I love the composition on this page as well as the sentiment. Your 4th July meal sounds delicious! xxx

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  36. Great post!! 4th of july was never a big deal in my house. Lovely art.

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  37. Love your art. The closed eyes and the heart get your message across so well!

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  38. Thanks for visiting my blog! Your brie burger sounds fantastic - I got hungry! And I love your French girl card.

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  39. Love your girl, the closed eyes look great.

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  40. Wow, this is wonderful. Love it! - eric

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  41. Yes, pretty dreamy with France!

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  42. Love the down-facing expression.

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  43. Sorry I'm late....
    Traveling gives us good memories...my heart is often in Spain :)

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  44. Lovely card and journal -- great effects!

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  45. Lovely page - my heart always returns to Sweden:-)

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Thank you so much for your comments; it's a pleasure to connect with you!