Laura Evylin Cinefro!

I have a new grand-niece!

Introducing Laura Evlyin Cinefro!
Born June 26, 2012

She's named after my sister, Laura Ann. And her great-great grandmother, Ruth Evylin and mother, Jessica Evylin. I love that Jess and Nate followed OLD Norwegian tradition naming children after their grandparents. (Ever wonder why there were so many Ole Olson's in the world?? grin)

I wanted to make a WELCOME BABY card that was an expression of me. I think the paper is a My Mind's Eye Valentine paper. But who said Valentine paper was just for Valentine's Day? The Red Lead faerie was stamped over the word LOVE. "WELCOME BABY" is from a PaperTrey Ink set.  I did a quick watercolor for her dress and used a glitter pen over her wings.

Of course big brother, Julian, who isn't quite 2yrs old yet also needed a card.  This little turtle from Inky Antics caught my eye.

Because he has a fun pop-up shell in the middle.

The Copics I used to color the turtle.

Getting Ready...

So, the first step in getting the basement finished, otherwise known as, the "mancave with girlie parts", is to CLEAN OUT THE BASEMENT.

Which I actually did over Memorial Day weekend. But a few things have delayed the start - fire, family reunion/vacation, family visiting, delays with the bank loan, you name it! Meanwhile, my house as been a mess (it looks like I'm moving with the boxes and stuff out of place).

THE GOOD NEWS IS THEY FINALLY STARTED YESTERDAY!!!

The future 3rd bathroom.

The future 3rd bedroom.  Or for me an office.  Notice that pole in the middle of the room?  Step one is moving that to the left about 1.5 ft.  Yesterday they jackhammered thru the floor to pour a new footer.

Standing in the craft room looking into the mancave section (where the BIG TV will be).

And standing in the mancave looking towards the craft room!

MORE SOON!

The new "normal"...

So, the Pike's Peak area is slowly returning to a new "normal". The fire is 100% contained thanks to the hard work of 1400+ firefighters (THANK YOU!!). Areas inside the containment area will continue to burn until the first freeze.

I was able to come home from vacation up Hwy 24 (which was closed nearly the entire time) to a home with no damage. In fact, everybody I know has returned to their homes. But the degree of separation between me and somebody who lost their home is ONE. Four families in my Mom's church lost homes. One of my stamping buddies, Joanna, knows 6 families. (Read her blog entry (Joanna / Sitting on Pens and Needles), about her evacuation from fire storm that night.)

The area now moves to rebuilding and restoring.  Neither will happen fast.   Everyday there is a reminder - either driving into or out of Colorado Springs.  The view is forever altered.  Yesterday, I was sitting at a light and a semi truck drove out of the Mountain Shadows burn area carrying 3 burnt out cars...just bare metal.

The following pictures are what I see daily.

Ironically, this Smokey sign is at the parking lot of the Waldo Canyon trail head. Everything around Smokey burned. But the sign was untouched.

A few yards from Smokey is the trail head.  Before the fire, I didn't know there was a rock formation there.

I took this picture this spring because the blooming yucca were so pretty.   This picture is actually the same shot as the rocky outcropping (above) at the Waldo Canyon trail head.  It's sad that those yucca won't bloom again.

I took this picture of the trail head parking lot the day the fire started.  Smoky would be just behind the blue truck on the far left.  The yucca are on the dirt area above the trucks.

The fire didn't burn everything.  Here the trees in the background are still green and untouched.  The trees in the foreground are burnt.  The fire doesn't always take all the needles...it just looks dried out.  The traffic cones mark an area that could be subject to flash flood or mudslide.

Now that the undergrowth is gone, we face a new danger.  That of mudslides and flash floods.  A week after the fire was contained, we had heavy rains.  In the center of this picture is the hole (just under the tree) left by the resulting mudslide.  For scale...my SUV would fit in the hole.

This is Cascade, Colorado. Here you can see that the fire burnt nearly the entire hill side. Amazingly, the firefighters managed to keep all the houses safe in this town.

This photo is the area over Mountain Shadows (were 354 homes were lost).  You can tell the burnt area from the untouched areas.

This is Cascade.  But everywhere you look there are 100's of signs thanking the firemen and first responders for saving what they did.  They really did make heroic efforts to save what they did.  We are all eternally grateful for their hard work.

So, I will return to my regular topics. I have lots of crafty stuff to share with you (it's been a while, huh?).  AND the building permit for the basement should be approved this week.  YEAH!!

OH!!  ONE MORE THING!   Please, please come visit us in the Pike's Peak area.  While I've shown you all the ugly parts, there are still LOTS and LOTS of  BEAUTIFUL views.  There's lots to DO and SEE.  All the major attractions are untouched, with the one exception - the Flying W Ranch.  We still have lots of hiking trials and camping areas available.  We need you!

Denver Post Photos

The Denver Post has posted a photo array of aerial photos taken between June 24 to 27.   They are quite stunning and if you want to look at the whole array you can find it here: http://photos.denverpost.com/mediacenter/2012/06/photos-aerial-images-of-the-waldo-canyon-fire-in-colorado-springs/38597/

I pulled this one out because it’s of Woodland Park.  Pointed south down Hwy 24 (if the angle was right you'd be looking directly at Pike's Peak).  Hwy 24 makes a "U" through the middle of Woodland Park (bottom center).  In the lower right you can see the turn off where Hwy 67 (my evacuation route) splits off of Hwy 24.  The photo is taken “over my house” (probably not quite but close).  Follow Hwy 24 to the center of the photo…you can see a LARGE building.  That’s Wal-mart.  Mom’s house is directly across the highway and up the hill two blocks.


UPDATED:
I've added a few more pictures to yesterday's post (my internet connection was very slow last night).

A Few Stressful Days

I know in Cyberland you don't always know where the people you follow live.  So let me tell you that I live in a little town called Woodland Park, Colorado which is 20 minutes up Ute Pass (Hwy 24) from Colorado Springs.  A picturesque little town in the Rocky Mountains and in the shadow of Pike's Peak.

The people in and around Colorado Springs have had a BAD week.  A VERY BAD WEEK.

Saturday my mom and I were in Colorado Springs running errands and getting ready to leave on vacation this week. Just before 1pm, I looked up to the foothills and snapped this picture.  I said to my mom, "Oh, this isn't good."   MAJOR UNDERSTATEMENT.

We finished our errands and went up Ute Pass (Hwy 24).  Half way up the pass is a pull out where people can park their cars and hike Waldo Canyon.  The fire started here and so locally the fire is the Waldo Canyon Fire.  The fire was quickly growing.

By the time I got home the mandatory evacuations had started.  Mostly around the entrance of Ute Pass.  I am "housesitting" for a friend who is out of the country for a few weeks.  Thanks to modern communication she started texting me - was it bad?  Where were the evacuation areas?  Could I go get a few things out of her house?   I got back in the car and headed back to the Springs.   The round trip probably took 3 hours tops.  By the time I was headed back up the pass, the fire had grown.   I snapped this picture going thru Cascade (one of the first communities evacuated).

By Sunday morning Ute Pass (Hwy 24) was closed.  And parts of tiny Woodland Park were under pre-evacuation orders.  Meaning...starting thinking about the what you need to take with you.  My mom's house was in this area.  I drove over, helped her pack up, and took her to my house.  I live across town (3 miles).

The fire continued to grow.  We had very little snow this year; NO rain this spring; and record HIGH temperatures.  "The Perfect Storm"

Fortunately, my mom drove off yesterday for the family reunion.  I'm scheduled to follow by air on Friday.  On both Monday and Tuesday the fire had gotten closer and closer to Woodland Park.  We are separated only by one ridge of mountains.

Yesterday...the unthinkable happened.

I sat in my chair in front of the television (where I've been for the last 5 days) and watched my old neighborhood go up in flames. I lived in that neighborhood for 10years.  I sold my house (now a rental) this spring.  I was thinking about the young couple that bought it.  They are just married.  It's their first house.  The renter I had was moving out this week.  The fire got within 2 blocks of the house.  As far as I know it's still standing.

And I think (so far) all my friends who live in the neighborhood still have houses.  The estimate now is 300 homes burned last night.

I packed my car with my mom's stuff, my friend's stuff, and my stuff.  When you're faced with the need to pick and choose what to take (and it has to fit in your car).  It becomes very evident what is important and what's not.  Would I miss my furniture?  Sure.  Would I pick a lamp over my great-grandparents bible?  Never in a million years.

This morning started out beautifully in Woodland Park.  No smoke.  A light breeze.  Noticeably cooler temps.

And then around noon, I got a text from a friend...ARE YOU LEAVING?   What??  Then on the news: "Woodland Park is under mandatory evacuation".   YIKES!  That will get your blood pumping.  I grabbed the few things I hadn't packed (laptops, purse, cat).  Closed the house.  Told my neighbor I was leaving and headed north on a 3hr drive to Denver and then back to Colorado Springs.  A drive to Colorado Springs usually will take me 20 minutes down Hwy 24. 

The following pictures were taken as I drove north to Denver and then south back to the Springs.  They are not edited (other than to change the file size) and come directly off my iPhone.

My trip north to Denver took me thru the Hayman Fire Burn area.  Ten years ago this month Colorado's biggest wildfire was started by a forest service employee.  It burned 138,000 acres and got within 8 miles of Woodland Park.  As of yesterday the Waldo Canyon fire has burnt 15,000 acres and is within 2.5 miles of Woodland Park.  Ten years later Hayman still looks like the far side of the moon.

Driving south out of Denver. The smoke column makes it's own weather (that's smoke going up, not rain coming down). The mountain to the left of the truck is Pike's Peak.

Driving thru Colorado Springs directly east of last nights losses. Normally, a wild fire smells like a camp fire or your fire place.  This smoke smelled like burnt insulation, wires, melted rubber, etc.

One unhappy Poe.

I am thankful for the following:
1) The 800+ firefighters from Colorado Springs, El Paso/Teller Counties, Colorado, and across the country that have come here to help us.
2) That everybody I know is safe!
3) That I have good friends that said, "Of course we'll take you in!!"
4) That I have saved the few things that are very important to me.
5) And for cyberspace...where I have managed to keep up with my friends/neighbors/coworkers; they have been able to keep up with me; and that I can share my heartbreak for my beautiful city with you.

Pray for us!  I'd still like to get my basement finished this summer...I need a house for that!

Deb & Poe, the evacuees

Oops! (not my work)

So, I got my Stampers' Sampler in the mail over the weekend. I knew I didn't have any thing in this issue because I didn't get an advanced copy.

But I always check who submitted the beautiful art pieces because I have stamping friends around the world who are routinely published!

Imagine my surprise to see my name above two beautiful cards!!

I feel for the artist that submitted these two cards...it's terrible not to be recognized for your efforts!

Julian Michael Cinefro

I think I told you about the new man in my life...my grand nephew, Julian.

Julian was born on Oct 22nd. That was the weekend I was headed back to New Jersey to teach at One Little Spark in Tuckerton. In fact, Julian's daddy called me as I was headed to the airport.

I finally got to meet the newest member of the family last weekend. My niece and her hubby invited the entire Corder Clan (we're not that big...only 4 additional people) to their new house in Nashville.

I loved this Webster's Pages paper but it was such a large image (the bottom quarter of a 12x12), that I didn't want to cover it with a lot. So I tried my hand at the rosette. I don't have Tim's fancy die and can't see spending all that money for one when you can make one simply enough. Figure out how big you want the end circle (3 inches for me). Cut a strip of paper 1/2 that width (1.5 incehs). And score every 1/2 inch. Then flip over the paper, offset by a 1/4 inch and score every 1/2 inch. This creates valleys and mountains to help you fold the paper. Fold in sections. I used Glossy Accents and that new glass glitter on the edge of the medallion.

The "Welcome Baby" was from a PaperTrey Ink set. And I sponged color while the Nestie was still in place.

Here's Julian in his reindeer suit blowing bubbles a few days after Christmas. He's such a cute cuddly guy. But he is a big baby! With a mother that's 5'11" and a father that's 6'4" - well is it any wonder that he's 97 percentile at 2 months? (BIG GRIN)

Did you know that I knit? I only knit socks. This was my first try at baby socks (and cabling). Purple is Daddy's favorite color. I'm glad they fit!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I'll have an announcement tomorrow...check back!

A Green Cat

So I teased you a bit yesterday about my new pet companion... If you've been reading my blog for awhile you know I lost my beloved Jazz (10 yrs old black lab) last March. While I still miss Jazz like crazy, I was ready for company again.

I always said my next dog would be a cat. And with my new work schedule there is no working from home AND I'm gone 10-12 hours a day. Not good for a dog, but a cat is a different story.

This is Poe - Edgar ELLEN Poe to be exact. I adopted her from a pet rescue group on Halloween weekend. So I joke and say "I went 'green' and recycled a cat!" Poe is 2-3 yrs old and she's a nice cat. I think she had some bad experiences on the street. She's a bit jumpy when I stand-up or move toward her. But she likes to rub and purr. And we're learning to share a bed.

(sorry about the poor quality of the picture. i took it with my iPhone and the lighting wasn't great. so my gray cat even looks green (she has green eyes tho)).

SURPRISE!!!

LOL...I bet you were expecting a TIM tag tonight! So the surprise is on you. I do plan on playing along with Tim over the next few days (Tag #1 was pretty cool today); but I will be posting my version of tags every third day. (what can I say...I have a lot to share since it's been so long since I blogged!)

Let me say that the best way to keep a surprise party a surprise....HOLD IT TWO FULL MONTHS AFTER THE BIRTHDAY!!! Which is exactly what my mom did.

The Saturday before Thanksgiving, my girlfriend, Carolyn, from Northern Colorado had call to say she was coming down to spend the weekend but her husband and kids couldn't make it. Great! We always have fun stamping and chatting so that was cool.

THEN I GOT SICK! It started with a sore throat on Friday, by Saturday morning it was full blown cold. Fever, cough, plug-y head, etc. I call my mom and asked her to bring me meds; took them; and fell back to sleep. I think I had 3 naps that day. Then the door bell rang and Carolyn said...get dressed we're going to dinner anyway. I'm not sure why I didn't argue...normally I would have. But I got showered, made-up, and dressed.

We got to Mom's house to pick her up for dinner....and Carolyn's husband and kids came out from the kitchen.

No sooner had I greeted them...and my friends from Colorado Springs/Southern Colorado came out of the kitchen. It was about then that my fevered brain kicked in and I knew it was surprise party.

And then the biggest surprise...

My girlfriend, Anne Lise and goddaughter, Maria came out...they had come all the way from Oslo, Norway!!

A big thank you hug for my MOM!!


After all the surprise guests had been greeted and hugged...they sat down an "roasted" me. Or maybe "This is your life" is closer. Each guest (in the order they entered my life) told a little story about me!

We shared some chocolate covered cherries my sister had sent, since she couldn't be there.

I think I'm gonna like being 50!

The Dirty Craft Room!

Nobody ever accused me of being a great housekeeper. There are TONS of better things to do than dust and vacuum. I always shake my head when my niece and mother say they LIKE to clean!!! UGH!!

So here's the DIRTY craft room/office/guest room. I got home from New Jersey and rolled the suitcase in to unpack and it sat there! In addition, every flat service was covered with something from prepping for class. Needless to say stamping was out!



But I did get most it cleaned up. Enough that I had stamping space again! And so here's my VOW!

I promise to post every day in December to this blog!!

If you're a fan of Ali Edward's you know she's been prepping for her December Daily posts. I did that last year (and I will share that tomorrow). This year, I decided to do an "electronic" version! :D

To get my MOJO flowing I did this quick tag last night (I was working on some thank you cards). I saw this post by Shari Carroll last week and love her colors (Distress Ink: Fired Brick, Wild Honey, and Pumice Stone). I paired those colors with Memory Box stamps and some Basic Grey scraps (from the thank you cards).

And I will leave you with this bit of goodness:



Gotta LOVE Tim's ego...LOL! I can't wait to work on my tags with Tim!!

See ya tomorrow!

A Small Vacation

So you might have guessed from my last post - I was off to Seattle! Mom and I flew into Seattle and spent the day seeing the sights. I've been to Seattle several times but never to Pike's Place Market (I know!) My friend, Heather, has been working/playing up there the last few weeks. She showed us around and took me to a few stamp shops (what a HORRIBLE TIME TO BE UNEMPLOYED! With both AMuse and Impress there)!! We had a family reunion in LaConnor, Washington - which was TONS of FUN! And then Mom and I drove south to Cannon Beach, Oregon (my mom's favorite place), for a few additional days of R&R.

What a fun place! I can't believe I've never been to PIKE'S PLACE MARKET!

Heather took us by her place of business!

Mom and The Space Needle from Kerry Park.

Out side our room in La Connor, Washington (GORGEOUS)!!!

Haystack Rock in Cannon Beach Oregon. Even though it looks cold and windy - it was a pretty good week. It didn't rain on us at all and the sun mostly came out for a few hours around 2pm.

My last day in Oregon, we drove down to Boiler Bay for a picnic lunch. Every time my Mom stops here she sees a whale. This day was no exception! He was feeding so he surfaced 12-15 times. (you can see him mid picture above the foam).

So I'm back in Colorado now and have found some stamping MOJO.