New card making trick

 My friend J. gave me some embossing pens!  I already was embossing with an embossing press, but this is a little different.  Below, the white flowers were pressed using the embossing machine I found at a 2nd hand store.  The hearts were make by cutting them out with white and then colored with the special markers, sprinkled with embossing powder and heated.  It takes a bit of work, but I thought this card turned out cute.  Unfortunately, my Cricut pen was running out of green ink and so I had to make the letters multi-colored. (I should have used my printer!) I try to not let perfection be the enemy of a finished card!

See how the hearts are a bit shiny and raised?  Some marker colors worked better than others.  I also think it has worked better to marker-emboss on white cardstock.

New countertops

also master bath and laundry room counter.  I love them and wish they always looked just like this :0)

 

College orientation

Anna's dorm for next year

Ivy is the college of business

 

Chewy.....dog 17 if our counting is correct

Chewy is our friend's dog and we dog-sat while they were in Alaska.  Chewy acts like you are the best dream of his life if you ever are away and return home.  This is his response to "want to go for a walk"....this also makes him very happy.

 

Visitors from the EAST

Matthew was in the Metro last Sunday and stopped by.

Joel came to town to go to Hamilton and for Father's Day.  Rita also is visiting, but she came from the west, while Erin's family is in New Jersey

 

Joel's BAHA:SAE adventure

 Ok - I don't know what BAHA stands for, but I did learn that SAE = Society of Automotive Engineers.  But that is the name of the club he is in that builds small off-road cars.

Iowa State took all these adventurous students to Arizona in May 2025.  Right before finals!!!  CRAZY  But that is just a mom viewpoint.  Joel thought it was great fun (except the very very very long drives that were probably not the most efficient route...he mentioned that someone was trying to avoid toll roads....penny wise and pound foolish to be sure)  Joel is smack dab in the middle with the bandana around his neck (blue shirt)

Orientation day at Caterpiller

 

Joel said there are approximately 600 interns across the world for Caterpillar.  Iowa State has the most engineering interns of any college.  (University of Illinois and some other Illinois schools have more interns, but not in engineering!  Go Cyclones!)