A day at the ZOO!

Today was jammed-packed with fun activities! Our first destination on our first day of the last-weekend-of-summer was the Point Definace Zoo and Aquarium, but in order to get there, we had to cross the newly constructed Tacoma Narrows Bridge. It's only been open for less than two months, but it feels like it's been there forever. It was pretty cool to drive across such a major icon.

Our visit at the zoo was so much fun! I'm glad the weather held out until we left. We saw an array of critters enjoying the good weather including...

...a tiger



...penguins


...and, a couple of humans!


Our favorite animals were the small-clawed Asian otters. They remined us so much of our ferrets in their appearance and in their mannerism.

Let's not forget our own native otters, too!


I even stopped to take a quick picture next to this amazing snake sculpture.


When the rain started to fall, we knew we had to take cover, and we headed over to the most important building on the grounds - the gift shop! I scored the cuttest hat on clearance for just $8!! And if that wasn't the best deal ever, I dragged my hubby to Big Lots to see what kind of scrapbooking loot I could find, and oh-my-goodness did they have some great deals! We're talking big-name companies like Making Memories, Inkadinkado, K-ology, KI Memories, and Heidi Grace! Check it out...

After all that walking and shopping, we were hungry! We drove over to the most AMAZING sandwhich shop ever - MSM (Magical Sandwhich Makers) on 6th Ave. If you live in the WA area, you should definitely check out MSM. I practically lived off their sandwhiches when I was in college at UPS.

Talk about a great day down in Tacoma!! I hope the next three days are this exciting.

Great Deals!

Ever have one of those great shopping days and just had to share it with everyone?! I had one of those days today. I happened to find myself at my local Target, and to my surprise, they had scrapbook supplies in the $1 section! Well, I found some rocking stuff for just a buck - a set of alphabet stamps, epoxy stickers, 3D sticker frames, 12x12 paper, small albums, painted brads, punches, and ribbon! I think I scored a pretty sweet deal. And what am I going to do with my new found loot? I'm going to make "Sunshine Albums" for children with cancer. My scrapbook message board is collecting and donating these adorable hand-made scrapbooks to children who are stuck in the hospital batteling this terrible disease. If you want to help, please contact me!

Goodbye, Harry (no secrets revealed)

I just finished reading the final book in the epic Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and can I say, "Wow!"

J.K. Rowling is truly an exceptional story-teller. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that reading this last book was a bitter-sweet experience. I was thrilled to find out the fate of Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the Hogswart gang, but I was also sad knowing that this would be the last time I cozied up to a new Harry Potter book. This was the last time I would journey with Harry through the wizarding world. It was, simply put, a goodbye to Harry, and a fitting one at that.

Meet the Family!

I have a rather large and unusual family. Most of them are furry and walk on all four legs. One is scaly and lives in a large terrarium which greets people as they walk through the door. Who are these fascinating creatures?? Let's meet the family...

By far, the largest member of our brood is Sedona, a 180-lb female Great Dane. She'll be four years old on October 27th. She's just a love.

The next four members of the family are wiggly, cuddly, and very, very clever! Meet the ferrets - Beowulf, Poker, Keno, and Zoe.

And what house wouldn't be complete without two cats, Attila (the black and white one), and Isabel.

My last critter is a four year old bearded dragon which I named Weasley, after one of the beloved Harry Potter characters. He's a very charismatic young man!

There's never a dull moment at my house with all these fur balls running around. All of them are unique in their own way and display great personalities. Plus, with all these critters, I'm never without a great photo opportunity!

Welcome!

Welcome to the beginning of what I hope will be a long and creative journey together! My name is Samantha, and I am many things: wife, mom (to a small menagerie), daughter, scrapbooker, jewelry-designer, creative instructor, exercise enthusiast...the list goes on, but you get the picture.

I live a rather quiet life on the edge of the Puget Sound in the beautiful state of Washington. Right now, we're having lovely weather, but I know that gloom and rain are just right around the corner, so I'm soaking up the sun every chance I get! Today, I played fetch with my 180-lb Great Dane, Sedona.

As you can see, she's rather large and incredibly strong!!

Even Travis, my hubby, got in on the act.

Oh, my! Look at the time!! I better get settled into my normal evening routine - reading the last installment of Harry Potter. It's a bitter sweet experience knowing that my journey with Harry, Ron, and Hermione will almost be over.

Until next time, have a creative day!