Created by Coffee

Miracle Diet? We Shall See...

2010-10-25T22:07:00.005-04:00

I'm sure you've heard of the Acai Berry Diet, right? I heard it was featured on Oprah, so I assume everyone on the planet knows about it. Well, I'm finally getting around to trying it for myself, and thought I'd keep you updated on my progress! Lord knows I don't exactly starve myself, and the only exercise I get is at work, so if I lose weight...well, it's gotta be the pills.

Several of the sites I visited paired a colon cleanse of some type with the acai berry. I got both products at my local superstore, a 3-month supply for about $13 each. WAY better than the $87 a month from one of the scam sites. (The acai berry supplement came in a twin pack, but one daily serving is 2 softgels.)

I started on Friday, Oct 15, with a starting weight of 167 lbs. My goal weight is 135 lbs. I'll weigh in every Friday and let you know how it goes. I forgot last Friday, but yesterday I weighed in at 162 lbs! Of course, that could've been because I worked all weekend and didn't eat much at all. Still...exciting! If I start an exercise program, or change my diet, I'll be sure to let you know. Hoping this is for real!

PS~I should mention I don't have any health issues like high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer, gout, hernia, arthritis, bunions or any serious ailments. PLEASE don't take these supplements without the advice of your doctor if you think it could...you know...KILL you.

Recent Randomness

2010-10-14T17:03:00.005-04:00

Gotta visit the blog more often! FaceBook occupies too much of my time. It's a travesty. Wonder if that new movie The Social Network is any good? Anyway, I digress.

Really enjoying my new job at the bakery, but my hours are sporadic at best. I'm either working every day, or hardly at all. Hoping that once they hire me in full-time (fingers crossed), they'll give me regular hours. For now, just know I can't commit to anything more than, like, 12 hours in advance.

Our baby niece was born Sunday, October 3rd (just one week before 10-10-10, dangit!)! We just love her...she's SO adorable! Welcome to the family, Aliyah, and congrats to Vikki & AJ and big brother Elijah!

Just celebrated 14 years of wedded bliss with my wonderful hubby! And speaking of marriage, I got to attend the wedding of one of my best friends yesterday. Congrats to Shyla and Jeff! May the state of matrimony be good to you both.

Managed to find some time to scrap a few pictures...really enjoying all this creative time! SO glad to be able to participate over at Tally again, and I'm thinking of applying for a DT spot at another kit club this week. Wish me luck!

Scrappin' Again...

2010-09-28T15:34:00.004-04:00

...and it feels so goooood!! Not sure how long it's been really since I've scrapbooked with any sort of regularity, but it seems like forever. I decided I'd been away from Tally for too long, joined in with some of their challenges, and finally my scrapping slump seems to be over! Which is a good thing...I've got a crapload of pictures looking for a home in my album. A. Crap. Load.

Here are my recent layouts. Looking forward to creating many more in the coooold months to come. If there's one thing winter's good for, it's staying inside to create!

Distractions (a bullet list)...

2010-07-25T14:37:00.004-04:00

Just found my new favorite blog and feel inspired to dust off my sewing machine!

Planning to take my new art projects in to a local store to be sold on consignment. They get 25% commission, but I don't have to pay anything to have a space in their shop. So excited!

Almost done with book number 75 for the year. Seventy-five! I think once I reach my goal of 100, I'll stop reading altogether. Then I might have time for things like exercising and house cleaning.

Been editing a ton of photos lately...still have a few to finish from Rachel's visit. Already looking forward to crashing at her place next summer! I love my Rachel. :)

What on Earth??

2010-07-15T13:49:00.003-04:00

Whoa, it's been a month since I blogged, really? Ooops! I have about a gazillion photos to edit and upload, and I think the sheer number has me kerfluffled. No worries, it's on my agenda...and I can't wait to show you the art I've been making!

Steve and Kelly's wedding is this weekend...which means more pictures. I'm so excited for them! Tomorrow is the rehearsal and dinner, then Saturday is the big event and reception...we'll be staying overnight in a hotel with Brian and Katie while our kids stay with my mom. Hope to have some great party pics to share next week! (And the secret project for the newlyweds...) Yay!

Have a happy Thursday! :)

PS~I'm currently reading my 70th book for the year...wow! This may explain why I've been absent from my blog for so long. Hmmm.

New Gutter Girlz Prompt is UP!!

2010-06-16T21:11:00.004-04:00

And I'm so proud of myself for putting my procrastination aside (for once) and getting the Gutter Girlz challenge DONE!! Uploaded it on time, and everything. You can find the new prompt HERE!

Come play along in the Gutter with us!

It's a Blah Kind of Week

2010-06-09T10:54:00.002-04:00

The weather has been cold and rainy, the kids keep picking on each other, and we all just feel kind of...blah.

Could summer arrive soon, please? This rain is the pits.

Also, just looked at my phone and realized I'd pocket-dialed a number I don't recognize...and I'd been on the call for an hour-and-a-half. Great. Hope they liked listening to our Kermit the Frog movie and the sounds of children wailing and gnashing their teeth. *sigh*

Aah, Springtime...

2010-06-04T13:30:00.006-04:00

...the perfect blue sky filled with puffy clouds, the happily chirping birds, everything green and new, the warm sun oh so fine on our upturned faces.

It was all of these things together that put me in such a good mood, one fine day not too long ago, that I dared to attempt the impossible...

...I took Jacob the Naughty to the park. Just him and me. Alone. Only the two of us.

What was I thinking??

Before you get too frightened, thinking this will be a tale of massive injury and destruction, allow me to ease your mind. Jacob was actually pretty well-behaved. He even took turns on the slides with some other children...he waited his turn! I couldn't believe it. My heart swelled with pride. And then, eventually the dreaded hour arrived...it was time to leave.

But I won't bore you with the ugly details of that inevitable exchange and the minor altercation that followed...let's remember the happy part of the day, shall we? Here are some happy pictures of our happy, happy day! (before it all went in the toilet, but we're ignoring that part.)

Aaaah, yeah. Good times. You know, Jacob's pretty lucky I have the ability to repress traumatic events, or he would've been dropped off and abandoned at a hospital or fire station by now. *sigh*

Oh, right...happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.

I Love this Time of Year...

2010-06-03T14:08:00.003-04:00

The weather is perfect for picnics in the sun...

The flowers are blooming...

Baby birds are making an appearance...

And the seasonal ecards at someecards are hilarious.

Happy sunny Thursday!

Memorial Day Weekend

2010-06-02T11:48:00.008-04:00

Wow, this was the.
Longest.
Weekend.
Evah!
We packed so much sun and fun into a few short days, there's no way I can fit it all into one post. But am I gonna try? You betcha!

Let's start with Friday. Alex and Maggie spent the night at my mom and step-dad's condo on the lake, so they had a day filled with fun and adventure. I got a call from my grandma letting me know my dad was in town from Virginia, so I loaded up the little boys and went over for a visit! (Rick stayed home cuz he had to work early Saturday morning. Boo.)

Saturday morning was dedicated to housework, so the little boys and I cranked up some Adam Lambert and boogied while we cleaned! We were a little preoccupied, so imagine our surprise when we went to our backyard and saw this...

Our neighbors were having a birthday party! They had asked Rick if setting up a bounce house would be okay with us, and that our kids were more than welcome to play on it...he just forgot to mention it to me! It was like going to the fair...without leaving our yard. The kids loved it!

Saturday night was karaoke at Bowly's (of course), and our kids got to see their cousins for the first time in forever! Alexis, Brock and Ethan spent the night even! I didn't get any pictures of them together Saturday, but I had another chance on Sunday...at Steve and Kelly's first BBQ of the season!

Everybody had such a great time! There was swimming...

The Twinkies were there, and they did some swimming...

And also...swimming! Jack and Jacob were in the pool from the time we arrived until it got too dark to see outside, with only a break to eat and several rest stops for potty time. I'm serious, they were in that pool ALL. DAY. LONG.

There were also a couple of random-partner-draw cornhole tourneys (Rick and I were on a team for the second tourney and got 2nd place!)...

And we ended the night with a bonfire! It was awesome.

I know Alexis and Maggie don't look too excited in this picture, but they were worn out from the pool and the sun...plus, they may have been a little hypnotized by the flames.

And Monday, it was back to Grandma Jo's for a Memorial Day lunch! This time, Rick and the older kids came with us. It was a good visit, and I'm kicking myself for not getting more pictures!

Okay, I don't think I forgot anything...we were just going, going, going all weekend! And it's weird to me that today is Wednesday already...it really feels like Monday for some reason. Maybe my internal clock dedicated to keeping track of the days of the week got too much sun.

Saying Goodbye...

2010-05-31T20:47:00.003-04:00

We knew it was coming, but that doesn't make it any easier. Our sweet Nicodemus fat rat passed away last night. He was over 2 years old and had really started showing his age, lurching around like his back legs didn't work right and refusing to eat. It was sad...but he had a happy rat life, and he knew he was loved. I miss you, sweet boy.

New Art Journal Pages!

2010-05-30T07:00:00.001-04:00

When my computer died over a month ago, I needed to find something to fill the aching hole it left in my heart. Rick's laptop just wasn't the same, with its touchpad mouse and its Internet Explorer. So I turned to my art journal, sometimes creating 4 pages in a single day. Thankfully, I was almost a year behind on the prompts from A Year in the Life of an Art Journal, so I had a lot to keep me busy.

Now I've grown much more attached to Rick's laptop, having downloaded both Picasa and Firefox to his hard drive (easy to remove once I get a computer or laptop to call my own) to make the adjustment bearable. I've also figured out how to upload new pictures, and all I have left to learn is how to access our scanner without my poor deceased desktop PC. I'm sure I can do it, I only lack the motivation to teach myself at the moment. (I inherited my procrastination from my father, and my ability to blame other people for my shortcomings from my mother. It's a nice balance.)

So until then, here are a few of the art journal pages I completed during my time of transition, photographed instead of scanned, for your viewing pleasure. These are my favorites...you can see the rest on my Flickr page. Hope you have a great Memorial Day! :)

Recycling and the Victory Garden

2010-05-29T07:00:00.000-04:00

We want to do our part. As Americans in a recession, as a family watching our health, and as human beings trying to take care of our planet. So we've taken some steps. Not HUGE steps, but lots and lots of little ones.

You may think it takes a huge step to make a difference, you may think that making a change for your family's health and the Earth's well-being would be an inconvenience at best. But I'm here to tell you that you can make a difference, no matter how small your living space and how limited your funds. Because we've done just that. Here's a list of small changes we've made as a family to improve not only our own health, but the health of our planet.

Reduce. Pay attention to the products you're buying. Do you really need a multipack of individually packaged applesauce, or could you buy a large jar and portion it out at home into reusable containers? Also, can the package be recycled? I've stopped buying juice boxes in favor of Kool-Aid Cool Bursts because the juice boxes contain both plastics and cardboard that can't be separated and are impossible to recycle.

Reuse. Thrift stores aren't just about low prices. If more people purchased second-hand items, there would be less STUFF churning out of factories every day, using up resources and polluting our planet. One person's trash is another person's treasure...ever heard that saying? I pretty much live by it. :)

Buy only cleaning products that are phosphate FREE. You'd be surprised at how many aren't. Take the time to look.

Plant a garden. You don't need much space, and you'll have your own organic produce! Right outside your back door! The internet is also a plethora of information on organic gardening and container gardens for apartment-dwellers.

Our garden before planting was just a trashy weed-filled section in our back yard.

After a few hours' work, we have 6 Roma tomatoes, 6 green peppers and 3 green beans. I also plan to have a container garden of peas in the next week or two.

Keep your small appliances unplugged and lights off when not in use. I'll bet your mom and dad told you this when you were growing up, and you know why? Because it saves energy! Not watching the TV? Turn it off. Not currently charging your cell phone? Unplug your charger. Easy peasy.

Use canvas bags every time you shop. I keep several of these in my van at all times. I use them at the thrift store, at the grocery, at Target, at yard sales. Everywhere, no matter how small the purchase. Or I don't use a bag at all.

Pick at least one day of the week to have a meatless dinner. This is not only cost effective, but helps limit the fats and nasty animal byproducts in your diet. Choose to make pasta and a salad, or a bean and vegetable soup. Lots of great vegetarian recipes can be found online!

Recycle everything. We're a 6-person family living in a 3-bedroom apartment. If we can find the time and space to recycle, then you can too! I use canvas shopping bags to "sort" my recycling. Cardboard goes in one. Paper, newspapers and magazines in another. Glass, plastic and tin cans in a third. When one is full, I take it out and put it in the back of my van. At the end of the week, when I go out to get groceries, I stop at the recycling bins across from the store and drop everything off.

So there you have it. Just a few small ways we're trying to make a difference. In what ways does your family make a difference? What changes do you plan to make in the future?

I'm Sure She Takes After ME

2010-05-28T07:00:00.002-04:00

When Rick and I got the letter inviting Maggie to join our community's Accelerated Learning program...well, we were some pretty proud parents. It wasn't surprising news...after all, Maggie's always loved writing and illustrating her own stories, even before she knew how to spell. And this year, she attended the Young Author's Conference, where she got to share one of her stories with her peers and heard two children's authors speak about the challenges and rewards of writing.

But leaving your school and most of your friends behind in order to pursue a more fulfilling creative learning outlet is a tough decision for a kid to make. It helped a lot that her friend Julia was there.

And the teacher had a great project for them to work on during a social meet-and-greet night that really helped get them excited for the new year. They did a "scavenger hunt" that took them all around their new school and helped them get familiar with the building.

We're not going to think of this as a "temporary" school...Maggie knows she can't just decide to quit and go back to her old school after a week or so. We're going to stick this out...and it'll be awesome. I may even join the PTO. Wonder if they have a Gifted Parent program?

I'll bet my parents would be pretty surprised when they got that letter.

First and Last

2010-05-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

I can't believe today is already the last day of school...I mean, is it just me, or didn't we just have Christmas break a few weeks ago?

Here's a picture of Alex, Jack and Maggie on their first day of school last August...

And this is a picture from this morning. What a difference one school year makes!

And today isn't just any other last day of school...

Maggie was accepted into the accelerated learning program for gifted students, so next year she'll be at a different school. We've already met her teachers and toured her new building (blog post to come). Several kids from her 3rd grade class will be there, so hopefully the change won't be quite so scary. She says she's looking forward to it.

And Jack...my little Mister Boo...he'll be a big 1st grader next year! Not that Kindergarten isn't real school...but, well...first grade is a lot more, uh...schoolish. You know what I mean.

Next year, Alex will be a 6th grader. My little mouse will be a big boy, a middle-schooler. Wow. He's seems excited about it...I guess I have mixed feelings. Don't these kids realize that if they keep getting older, then that means I have to keep getting older, too? Rotten brats.

Now, this is one kid I'd love to get into a classroom...

Keep your fingers crossed for all of us that the HeadStart program is still accepting students for next year. Jacob needs the structure of school just as badly as I need him out of my house for a few hours a week! *sigh*

All right! Bring on the summer vacation! Days at the pool, trips to the zoo, afternoons at the park, picnics in the back yard, golden tans and mosquito bites, BBQs and birthday parties...

Only a few more hours to go...

Today

2010-04-20T12:33:00.003-04:00

Today I am still in mourning for my computer. Using Rick's laptop means I can't upload pictures online, I can't print anything, and I don't have a mouse. While I'm happy to be able to get online at all, using Rick's laptop is the total suck.

Today I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the mountains of clean laundry that await folding, the dirty bathrooms, the undone dishes. I need a vacation from ignoring my housework.

Today I just want to sit outside in the sunshine and watch Jacob and the Twinkies play in the sand, blow bubbles, color with sidewalk chalk.

Today I know Alex is going to forget to go to choir practice again, and I'm going to want to strangle him.

Today I'd like to create something artistic, but I have no idea what.

Today I exercised AND got a shower, and I feel pretty good about both of those things.

Right now, I'm going to get off this computer and make some lunch so the kids and I can go outside! What are you doing today?

Make Your Own Upcycled Pocket Journal!

2010-04-08T16:38:00.007-04:00

Here's a step-by-step photo tutorial on how to use thrifted and recyclable items to make a pocket-sized upcycled journal! Maggie and I made these for her school's Market Day, and they were a huge hit. Let's get started!

Supply List:
empty box for cover (postcard weight works best, cereal boxes are a little thick but still usable)
Contact paper (at least a 5x7 inch scrap)
scrap patterned paper for inside cover
adhesive (not pictured)
embroidery floss
needle
hammer & awl
bone folder (not pictured)
embossing tool with narrow end for scoring (the round end of a paint brush would work)
hobby knife
ruler
scissors (not pictured)
junk mail or other blank scrap paper (I got most of mine from old journals I found at Goodwill)

First, use your ruler and hobby knife to cut a 4 1/4 x 6 1/4 inch rectangle for the cover. (All scrap materials from this project were recycled!)

Using your cover piece as a guide, cut a piece from your sheet of Contact paper about 1/2 inch larger on all four sides.

Gradually peel off paper backing from the Contact paper, applying the cardboard piece blank side down (to avoid having any print show through). Cut the corners as shown and fold over edges.

Cut a 4x6 inch rectangle from your patterned scrap paper and adhere to the inside of your cover.

Using your ruler and scoring tool, impress a line 3 inches in from each side of the 6 1/4 inch length. Fold on each score line and use your bone folder to create a clean fold. Don't press too hard during this step, or you may tear your paper!

You should have a nice, crisp 1/4 inch binding like so:

Next, cut your blank (or lined, or both) scrap papers to 4x6 inches. Stack together and fold in half, using your bone folder to make a sharp crease. You should be left with a 4x3 inch booklet (called a signature). Save one page (called a folio) to use as your signature-punching template.

Making sure the pages are tightly together, use your ruler and hobby knife to trim the outside edge of your signature to eliminate the fore-edge creep.

Using your ruler and the awl, mark your template on the crease, once in the middle (2 inches in from either side) and 1/2 inch from the top and bottom.

Place the template inside your signature and using it as a guide, press the awl through all the pages, tapping with the hammer. When marking the cover, make sure your guide is in the middle of the binding, not aligned with the top or bottom. (I make a small mark with the awl, remove the template, then make the hole larger with the awl after assuring the hole will be in the middle of the binding, not close to one of my score lines.)

Align your signature inside your cover. Cut the embroidery floss to an 18-inch length, then separate into 2 or 3 strands. Thread your needle with the strands and enter the middle hole from the inside, making sure to leave about a 4 inch tail.

Enter through the top hole, then again go through the middle hole to the outside, keeping your thread snug.

Enter through the bottom hole, then pass your needle underneath the binding stitch inside the book.

Tie your loose ends in a double knot, then trim to about 1/4 inch.

This is what the outside of your booklet will look like (I used dark thread so it would be easier to see for this tutorial, but you could use whatever color you like):

The inside:

You can affix a label or other decoration to the outside to personalize your notebook, and you've made your very own upcycled pocket journal! Congratulations, excellent work!

Thanks for following along with my tutorial...and if you decide this project doesn't seem like something you'll have time for, I'm sure I'll have some available in my etsy store soon. Have a fabulous weekend!

An Update & A Recipe!

2010-04-07T09:25:00.007-04:00

Okay, I'll admit that my New Year's goal of blogging once a week hasn't been on-target so far. Not by a long shot, actually. BUT, I'm halfway through book #26 of the year, so making my goal of reading 100 books in 2010 seems like a good possibility. AND I've been putting my creative muse to work, most recently with these silly sock creatures! Aren't they cute?

The little blue guy is Mr. X, and he's Jacob's new buddy. The rainbow guy is Rupert, made especially for the baby girl my sister Kim is expecting any day now! He has fully attached felt eyes instead of button eyes, so he'll be safe for lots of slobbery baby kisses.

Maggie's finally done with her 6-week Girl Scout program (thank GOD!) and got her patches a few weeks ago. I'll be using them on a scrapbook page, since she won't be a Brownie after this year, even if she decides she still wants to be a Girl Scout.

And in other news, I attended the Spring Children's Clothing Sale with my sisters-in-law a couple of Saturdays ago. The sale started at 8am, but we were there at 4am so we could be first in line! Yeah, we're totally crazy. This event is a big deal...HUGE crowds every time! We were almost too frozen in this picture to smile...looking forward to the warmth of the fall sale in August!

Scored some really great baby clothes for my as-yet-unborn niece along with a ton of other stuff! And I only spent $51.25. Not a bad day's work, and totally worth the wait!

And now I shall share with you one of my family's most favoritest recipes...baked spaghetti! It's a crowd pleaser...serves our family of 6 with plenty of leftovers. Making it requires dirtying a lot of dishes, but the end result is soooo worth it! Invite some friends over and serve this casserole with garlic rolls and salad...they'll be singing your praises, I guarantee!
Guarantee not valid if you, by your own ineptitude, manage to screw this up. :)

Baked Spaghetti
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 28oz can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 small can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
Italian seasoning
salt & pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
12-16 oz spaghetti
***************************************************
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large pot, put water on to boil for spaghetti. In a separate large pot, brown beef and sausage with garlic, green pepper and onion until done. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives and seasonings, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat 10 mins. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain. In a large, greased casserole dish, spread 1 cup meat mixture. Then layer 1/2 spaghetti noodles, 1/2 remaining meat mixture, 1/2 shredded cheese. Repeat layers. In a small bowl, mix mushroom soup with water; pour over casserole. Top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Lost and Found

2010-03-24T11:12:00.003-04:00

A week or two ago, I discovered that the memory card Rick had been using to record songs on his karaoke machine was full of pics from last summer! Pictures that I had forgotten even existed...and to the heart of this scrapbooker, it was like finding the lost city of Atlantis! Well...maybe more like finding that really cool pen you thought someone walked off with but then discovered while vacuuming behind the couch.

Hey, there were a lot of great pics on this card!

This one, for example, of Jacob meeting his baby cousin Kassie for the first time...

Or how about this pic of Maggie's first manicure? I'm so glad these weren't lost...you know, since she'll never have her FIRST manicure ever again.

And this weekend, my sisters-in-law Vikki and Emily will be at the Wakarusa Spring Children's Clothing Sale with me...Vikki and I went together last year and waited for hours in the early morning dark for the sale to start! We played Dutch Blitz (!) and were generally crazy from sleep deprivation and caffeine overload. It was awesome!

I mean, look at all these people! They only let in 50 at a time, and because we'd been there since 4:30 in the morning, we were in the first group. Haha, suckers!

And this picture, while not exactly flattering, represents a great memory...Shyla's birthday! We went to see Public Enemies at the Dollar Theater and had beer and wings at BWWs. Fun night!

So now these photos are edited and stored safely in my Flickr account, never to be forgotten again. Lesson learned...get Rick his own dang memory card!

Recent Scrapiness...

2010-03-13T02:33:00.006-05:00

Seriously, I DO have more to blog about than just my recent art projects. Really! But to avoid putting it all in one post and possibly subjecting anyone to blog overload, I'm going to eeeeeaaase you into it, real sloooow like.

First, scrappy layouts! Some of these were started months ago, but only needed some finishing touches, like a title and journaling. So proud of myself for finally getting them ALL the way done! A few others were completed at a scrappy event I went to with Shyla on the 1st weekend in March. That was such a great time! Miranda and her friend Jamie were there, and it was hosted by Connie, the mother-in-law of the amazing Kristy Caldwell. Fun, fun! Can't wait to go back in May and see my girls again!

This first one was made using the January kit from Jen's House of Scrap!

Just discovered tons and tons of pics on the memory card Rick's been using in his karaoke machine...guess what I'll be doing this weekend? :) Hope yours is a great one!

Art Journaling Once Again...

2010-02-27T16:00:00.003-05:00

...and it feels so good! I finally did the first 3 prompts from A Year in the Life of an Art Journal blog (run by my bestest good friend Rachel), and now I'm inspired to complete the prompts I missed last year. There's just something so freeing about slopping paint onto a page...makes me happy!

And sometimes, when I get a little too inspired, I end up accidentally creating a new paint shirt. Totally worth it.

Notice Anything Missing...

2010-02-24T16:13:00.009-05:00

...from this sad, lonely parking spot in front of our apartment?

If you guessed a vehicle (or more specifically, my VAN) then you are correct! Sadly, my van decided that since we weren't planning to spend any of our tax return money on a nice gift for it, well then it would just drop it's transmission out on the highway so we'd have to get it a new one. Nice, huh? But the joke's on the van...we aren't getting it a new one, we're just having the old one rebuilt! Heh heh. That vehicle just doesn't understand the human smartness it's dealing with here.

So anyways, I'm kinda stuck at the house until we can manage to pick it up later this week. Not that I had plans to go anywhere, luckily.

How about a 2010 Goals recap:
1) BLOG at least ONCE a WEEK.
Um...still doing better than last year. I consider this a win.
2) Be in a size 8 (or a 6...hey, it could happen!) by the end of the year.
My weight seems to be staying the same, which is frustrating, but I'm still exercising 5 days a week. And I now need smaller underpants, so something must be working!
3) Edit and organize my pics from this year and last, and get them on Flickr.
Yesterday I edited our Christmas photos (better late than never, right?), plus a ton of other pics, and finally uploaded them. Whew!
4) Read 100 books.
I'm halfway through book #15...not exactly on target, but I should at least hit 50 by the end of the year!
5) Get back into my art again!
I've scrapped several pages this year using the January kit from Jen's House of Scrap...I even did this month's prompt for GutterGirlz! And here's my proof:

I've also managed to make 2 etsy sales so far this year, and my robot pinback buttons are being reviewed soon on THIS BLOG...pretty excited about that. :) Hope your Wednesday is happy!

Valentine Cookies

2010-02-14T00:45:00.000-05:00

I had Jacob and the Twinkies help me cut out and decorate these super easy cookies! You'll need plenty of flour on your rolling pin and countertops, cuz these suckers are sticky, even after refrigerating. Makes for a soft, yummy cookie though! Here's the recipe:

Valentine Cookies
1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

FROSTING:
1 stick butter
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 c. milk (approx.)
1 tsp. vanilla
red food coloring
*************************
Cream shortening and sugar well. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and gradually add to shortening mixture. Chill dough 3 hours in refrigerator or 45 mins. in freezer. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on floured surface. Cut with heart-shaped cookie cutters. (TIP: Keep dough refrigerated between batches.) Bake on lightly greased cookie sheets 7-10 minutes, or until bottoms are barely browned. Frost and decorate with sprinkles or as desired.
*************************
FROSTING: Cream butter and 1 cup of the powdered sugar. Add 4-5 drops red food coloring. Mix remaining powdered sugar alternately with milk and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy! And have a happy Valentine's Day!

My Twinkies

2010-02-06T15:20:00.005-05:00

I can't believe I've been watching them for almost three months now, and I have yet to blog about my Twinkies! These two little cuties belong to our good friends Brian & Katie, and they also happen to be our godchildren. I love these babies so much! I can't believe I never offered to be their full-time sitter before, but I live about 25 minutes from where Brian & Katie live and work so it didn't seem like a good option for them. However. Lucky for me, in October, I got to watch the Twinkies for a few days while there was an illness at their other sitter's house. It worked out so well that I let our friends know how much I'd love to have those babies here every day!

Long story short, on November 9 they came to stay with me while Mommy & Daddy are at work, and I couldn't be happier! I look forward to seeing them every morning, and I'm pretty sure they like me, too. *smile*

We do all kinds of fun stuff, like:

Pretending to stir cookies...

Sometimes, we do more than just pretend...

We play in makeshift living room tents while we wait for the weather to be nice enough to play outside...

We, um, actually I'm not sure what this picture is about. But he sure is happy!

We make home-made play dough and have fun squishing stuff into it...

We create beautiful art and have our own drawers of art supplies...

We make big messes...

...and we help clean them up.

We make wonderful (and really loud) music...

We read lots of books, we know our colors and (so far) how to count to two!

And every day is full of laughter and these adorable smiling faces!

I tell ya, I have the best job ever!

What I Did Over Christmas Vacation

2010-01-18T11:23:00.004-05:00

How can I explain the total awesomeness that was this week at a Smoky Mountain luxury cabin? Sharing time with family, roasting hot dogs and S'mores over the fire pit on the back deck, go-karts and mini golf in town, playing games, soaking in the hot tub, taking in a few movies on the big projection screen in the home theater room, playing games, cooking together, shopping and lunch with the ladies, enjoying morning coffee outdoors on the porch swing, playing games, ringing in the New Year with champagne and fruity Sierra Mist, spying a "wolf" (which may have been a big dog) right outside our front door on our last night there, playing games....do you begin to see the awesomeness?

It's hard to explain in words, so here are some pictures!

Thanks, Mom & Dad, for an amazing vacation!!

Goals for 2010

2010-01-07T15:35:00.003-05:00

Wow, 2010...already? Hard to believe that this is the last year I'll be teenager-less...Alex will turn 13 in 2011. My baby will also start kindergarten that year, so expect me to be a frenzied mess, buying calcium and anti-wrinkle cream in bulk. Surprisingly, the only thing that bothers me THIS year is the fact that my MOM will be SIXTY! That really makes me feel older than anything else...but don't tell her I said that. Love you, Mom!

Okay, I know I've been gone almost 2 months, and my blogging before that was sporadic, at best. I think 2009 must have been my year to take a break from my blog, from my art, from my etsy store, from the internet groups I've always been so active in before. Of course, I'm addicted to too many Facebook games to leave the internet altogether, but I think you know what I mean.

So number one on my list of goals for 2010?

1) BLOG at least ONCE a WEEK.
Since I'm posting this on the 7th day of the New Year, I'm totally within the one week mark.

2) Be in a size 8 (or a 6...hey, it could happen!) by the end of the year.
I've only got 30-35 pounds left to lose, so this is totally possible. I look forward to shopping for new clothes!

3) Edit and organize my pics from this year and last, and get them on Flickr. Also, download a manual for my camera, so I can actually figure out how to use it.
This is a tough one. I'll need prayer.

4) Read 100 books.
Since I received the Twilight series for Christmas (thanks, Rachel & Rick!!), I'm already 2.3 books on my way to meeting this goal! (Technically, I finished Twilight before the New Year started, so I'm not able to count it.) I'm considering a list here on the blog with the books I've read so far. Maybe.

5) Get back into my art again!
Art journal prompts, design team work, schtuff for my etsy store...any and all of those things I've neglected for TOO LONG!!

That's all I can think of for now. I hope you'll come by and visit me once in awhile, you know, to help keep me accountable. Sorry I was so...absent...last year! I'm still a comment junkie, so anything you'd like to say to me here will only fuel my determination to make this blog awesome again!! LOVE my internet friends, and I've MISSED you!! I'd love to hear your goals/resolutions for 2010...Happy New Year!

Latest Scrapiness and a Recipe!

2009-11-16T08:48:00.003-05:00

Been busy lately working with the November kit, Grandma's Attic, from Jen's House of Scrap! Here's what I've made so far...

And this potato soup recipe is from my friend Katie, with just a few small additions...

Creamy Potato Soup
1 32-oz box chicken broth
1/2 pound bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1 pound ground sausage, cooked and drained
1 family-sized can cream of chicken soup (or 2 small cans)
1 can creamed corn
2 8-oz blocks cream cheese
3 pounds red potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
pepper to taste
*********************************************
Place all ingredients in Crock-Pot and cook on low 8 hours.
Top with shredded cheese and serve with cheddar garlic biscuits, if desired.
Enjoy!

Family Picture Success!

2009-11-05T10:27:00.004-05:00

It's over. We have achieved the impossible...all six of us made it through a family photo session unscathed and with our sanity intact. (Well, as intact as our sanities were to begin with, that is.) Even the photographer survived, which is no small feat.

These pics are from the Olan Mills website. And no, we didn't order any packages or extra sheets. We'll only receive the first pose, since it would cost an outrageous sum in order to get them all (like, more than we spend on groceries in a month outrageous), and I only wanted the one family pic anyway. But there's some photography studio law that forces them to keep shooting, then try to use their salesmen wiles to get you to buy all 20 amazing pictures for the same low price as a used car. Luckily, I've had lots of practice resisting the forces of salespeople; we've been through the photography studio spiel many times before.

They were all really great shots, though.

I Just Couldn't Stay Away Any Longer...

2009-11-03T12:47:00.006-05:00

I know, I know. I'm weak, what can I say? I was trying to ignore the fact that I even HAVE a blog

....but in a moment of weakness, I've decided to return.

After all, who am I to deprive my public?

I'm sure you've all been wandering listlessly through your days, awaiting an update of any kind...just something, anything, from your humble Coffee to get you through your day. And, like the celebrity I am, I've selflessly returned from my sabbatical to grant your seemingly improbable wish.

So what have I been up to, you wonder?

For your convenience, a bullet list:

Threw a rockin' cool birthday/slumber party for Maggie, complete with personal pizzas, karaoke, and a movie. Have had to suffer through Supermom status ever since.

Got to see my dad when he came up for a visit around Columbus Day, and took the kids to the Pumpkin Farm in Ligonier. Freezing cold, blustery day. Typical. Considered concealing myself in the bed of his truck just before he made the trek back to Virginia, then disregarded plan due to having to go 13 hours without being able to pee.

Got a job (although, I think if you really plan to enjoy it, you can't really call it a J.O.B.) babysitting the Twinkies, starting Monday.

I'm not even sure what this picture is about. Nothing to do with Halloween, however. But fun just the same.

There have been multiple doctor visits due to my constant/chronic allergies; so far no miracle cure. I'm currently on an over-the-counter allergy med with decongestant, a nasal spray, an inhaler, and a nighttime allergy medication, in addition to the thyroid pill and dose of Tylenol I take every morning. Might as well add an anti-depressant to the list, seeing as how winter is already breathing down our necks.

Family pic scheduled for tomorrow evening. Will post results as soon as they're available...will be our first professional family pic since before Jack was born. Timely.

Listed some new items in my etsy store, and put my folk art dolls on SALE!! Offering a limited-time-post-Halloween sale, hoping to get some Christmas money, since I'm told the children will be expecting presents this year. Typical.

So, lest this blog post be all about ME, what's new with YOU? I've missed blogging, SO much, and will be making the rounds to visit you all throughout the week. Yay! Have a wonderful evening!

Blogger Fairies ROCK

2009-10-06T15:09:00.002-04:00

Hello!! It's the blogging fairy here!! Christi has been so very busy here and there and everywhere... and her computer is spooty. It's bit the dust, and she's been using her hubby's computer, which last night, also decided not to cooperate with her...
SO
I figured being the ROCKING blogger fairy that I am, I would bring you all up to date.
She's been busy welcoming new nieces into the world...

and getting new baby rats settled in...

and she's been busy working on scrappy pages...

and the kids have been eating delicious things at fairs...

and she has been accepted into a NEW design team for a kit club!! She's going to be designing for Jen's House of Scrap!!
HOPEFULLY, the computer fairy will get off her arse and bless Christi with some good internets and computer loves... Until then, if you've emailed her, or are waiting for an email back from her, it might be in your best interest to contact her by phone. :)

PS even though this post SAYS that Christi posted it, she totally did NOT. I just have awesome ROCKIN' log in abilities... because like I said. Blogger fairies ROCK.

I'm Blaming My Camera

2009-07-28T11:57:00.004-04:00

All summer, I've taken very few pictures because my frikkity camera is the suck. Who can be inspired to scrap or blog with pics that are either grainy or blurry...always?! Unless they're taken in the bright light of day, that is. It's bordering on ridiculous. The thing is really no better than a disposable, except that it can zoom in a little.

Maggie will be inheriting a "new" camera very soon.

I have my eyes on the prize, folks. My new camera awaits...I have but to assemble the money, then ride victoriously to whichever retail outlet offers the best price and claim my boon.

I'd LIKE to sell one of the children and get my camera NOW, but I'll most likely need to wait a couple months until my birthday.

Waiting is the suck.

PS~My trip to Texas was AWESOME...I just don't have any good pictures of it. Yet. Most of the wonderful ladies that were there are sharing their pics, I just haven't downloaded them. (This goes back to my whole procrastination thing for which I'm sure there's a helpful medication I can't afford.)

PPS~School starts in only 2-and-a-half weeks! Whooptie-dooooo!!!

8 More Days...

2009-06-29T11:24:00.006-04:00

...til I'm on a plane headed for Texas! I can't believe the time for the Tally Rally is almost here! I've been looking forward to this for months...and it totally snuck up on me. Seriously, eight DAYS?? What on earth have I been doing with my preparation time? Oh yeah, now I remember...

hanging out at the pool with Shyla and our kids. Every. Freaking. Day.

It's a blast. We just can't get enough of it, and I have the best tan I've had in years from basking in the sun for endless hours. Also got the best sunBURN I've had in years, but it's gone now and I really don't like to think of it. Because of the nightmares, you understand.

Let's see, what else have we done this summer? A TON of stuff....guess I'll do a bullet-list.

I convinced Alex to cut his shaggy mop of hair, and he loves his fresh new 'do.
Jack made a new best friend, named Aaron, whose back yard is behind ours. Jack is over at Aaron's more than he's at home. They're like peas and carrots.

We've made several trips to the library, and I finished the "Twilight" series. Loved it. Can't wait for the "New Moon" movie...November 20, baby!
Alex turned 11...we had a pool party for him, of course. And ice cream cake, which was my favorite part.

Been to several BBQs.
Got to meet my 3-year-old nephew, Tobias, for the first time. He totally loved me, even gave me a slobbery kiss before they left to attend a wedding, then head home to Wisconsin.

Visited my Grandma Jo and saw my dad, sister Kim and brother David there.
Watched all of Season 4 of "The Office"...the DVD set was my Mother's Day gift, and I freaking LOVED it. Can't even tell you my favorite episode, since they were all so super fab.
Finished another folk art doll (Flora Bloom) and listed her in my etsy shoppe, along with Aurora Fawn.

Took Jack in for his Kindergarten physical...poor guy got 4 shots and didn't even cry. My big boy.
Rick's taught me a few cornhole pointers and I've done a bit of practicing for the big tournament at the Tally Rally. Hopefully Rachel and I (or "Team Chowder" as we've dubbed ourselves) will be able to win at least one game. Keeping my fingers crossed.
We've been to the pool every day...did I mention that already?

That's all I can think of for now! I've got a LOT of cleaning to do before the week is done...laundry, dishes, vacuuming...not to mention organizing the schtuff I need to take and packing for my trip. Busy, busy, busy....wonder how long I can put off the packing before it's officially considered "procrastinating?" Better not try to find out. Off to pack!

Or at least work on the list of what I need to remember to pack. That counts, right?

Slowly, but Surely...

2009-05-20T15:22:00.003-04:00

Starting to feel like my old self again.

I've almost lost the apathy, the trance-like feeling that's plagued me for weeks.

Almost.

Hoping to update my etsy store in the next few days and finish the last 2 projects of my DT term with Lotus Paperie.

Stay tuned, won't you?

Man, I've missed me.

Remember Me?

2009-05-12T19:55:00.002-04:00

lack⋅a⋅dai⋅si⋅cal
–adjective

1. without interest, vigor, or determination; listless; lethargic: a lackadaisical attempt.

2. lazy; indolent: a lackadaisical fellow.

I really HATE feeling this way. Supposed to hear the results of my thyroid test soon...I AM working on getting myself straightened out. In the meantime....

Disintegration Project

2009-04-22T15:31:00.008-04:00

Happy Earth Day! Found this e-card and had to share. It appealed to my warped sense of humor and gave me a chuckle.

Last weekend, Rachel told me about a blog she had discovered that was forming a group of people together to create art, then leave it outside for 6 weeks or so, just to see how the elements would change the artwork. You could bury your art, submerge it, hang it in a tree, whatever you liked, as long as it was exposed to nature. Did I want to participate? Hells, YES! I mean, what a cool idea!
SOoo, here's what I came up with, basically a piece of cardboard with metal and paper elements stapled to it. Jack helped by coloring some dictionary pages with water soluble pastels, which I then used as the background for the project. Some of those pages are torn and stapled down the side. I just kept adding layers of STUFF until it looked done. Neat, huh? Already the paper umbrella has faded and the pastels have blended....can't wait to see what it looks like around June or so!

(HERE is where you can find out more about the project, and see what others have done.)

Today while the little boys and I were out running errands, Jacob decided he would slay us with a few knock-knock jokes.
Jacob: Knock-knock!! (he shouts EVERYTHING)
Jack & me: Who's there?
Jacob: (thinking) CAR!!
Jack & me: Car who?
Jacob: I DON'T KNOW!!!
me: (pause) You are SO cute!

I'd share the other jokes with you, but since they all had the same punchline, I'm afraid it would seem really repetitive.

Tonight is $2 margaritas with Shyla! Whoo-HOO!! Have a happy Wednesday....now go out and recycle something, walk somewhere close instead of driving, or turn out the lights and electronic equipment for a full five minutes! Let's do something to make our Earth happy today! :)

Wanna See Some Zoo Pictures?

2009-04-21T16:11:00.008-04:00

If your answer to the above question was NO, thanks...then you, my friend, have come to the wrong blog.

I've got zoo pics. LOADS of them.

Rick and I each had a camera...I got him his very own for his trip to Vegas last month, and it's so awesome that he's not afraid to use it. I don't have to nag him, or anything!

But before entering the zoo, we had a picnic lunch...it was such a beautiful day!

Okay, I think I should mention that even though Rick doesn't mind taking photos, he doesn't so much enjoy posing for them...

And since the baby tried to run off several times during our picnic, it was a good thing we had brought along his leash.

A lot of the animal exhibits were vacant until after Memorial Day...part of the fun of living in Indiana is that the outdoors are uninhabitable by most living things until at least that late in the year.

But we saw tigers...

...and lions (one of them even gave us a nice, long, barking roar that was really loud and scared several small children nearby)...

We saw camels...

...prairie dogs (um, this picture is obviously of us, but we're totally watching the prairie dogs)...

...we even saw a few different types of monkeys (again, this is us just outside the monkey cage thingie)...

Ah, finding this drinking fountain was apparently a happy moment worth preserving (we were pretty thirsty)....

...and there were some beautiful tulips just outside the exit that were just too perfect NOT to plant our kids in front of in the hopes of getting the ever-elusive shot of all four of them together. (And no, they're not all looking, Jacob has his hand in front of his face and Alex has his eyes shut, but they're all four facing the camera. I count this as a win.)

(I should note here, if you wanted to see zoo pictures with more actual zoo animals, you should check the web and see if one of the monkeys has a blog. There were some framed paintings in the Reptile House done by a chimp...maybe he updates his blog with zoo pics. On this blog, you're mostly going to see pics of my little monkeys, and that's all there is to it.)

In crafty news, I finally finished the baby deer for Aurora Fawn....and after painting it, I think it actually resembles a deer more than a pig/rabbit, which I was unsure of when beginning the sculpting. Didn't turn out bad at all for my first paperclay animal! I'll be listing her in my etsy store soon, then I'll start working on another doll for summer. I already have some ideas, so I'm excited to start!

Happy Tuesday!

Try, Try Again

2009-04-18T11:05:00.001-04:00

This is, like, the 14th time this week I've tried to sit down and blog. Seems like every time I try, some huge kid catastrophe drags me away from the computer. I get distracted and forget what I was doing on the computer in the first place, and Jack hops on and takes over the computer while I wander off and try to remember what it is I'm forgetting.

I think my new meds may not be agreeing with me.

Here are some things I DO remember about the past week or so...

First, let me show you my newest toy....an exercise bike I found yesterday for $20 at Play it Again Sports! I've been stuck at the same weight for weeks now...not losing any more, but not gaining either. Hopefully, a half hour on this thing each morning will get things moving again. Isn't it CUTE?!

On Easter Sunday, we shared a dinner with my mom's side of the family in Plymouth. The kids loved the Easter egg hunt! Kim and Jim's yard was just full of great places to hide eggs.

A couple days later, we finally got around to dyeing a couple dozen hard-boiled eggs, another beloved Easter tradition. All four kids suddenly decided (as they do every year) that hard-boiled eggs are their new favorite snack.

My newest doll, Aurora Fawn. I'm still working on a cloth and clay fawn for her to hold in her arms. Just have to finish up painting him. She may be my favoritest doll yet!

Here's this week's Lotus Paperie layout:

Last week's layout for the Survivor challenge at TallyScrapper:

And I just love how this one came out, for the current GutterGirlz challenge:

Okay, that's all I can think of for now...today we're packing up to head to the zoo! We bought a family pass for the year so we can go whenever we want for FREE! I'm really hoping that between the zoo, the park and the library, we'll have enough to fill up our summer so we can avoid killing each other. Maybe it's a lofty goal, but I've always been a bit of an optimist.

Alex and Maggie start soccer practice on Monday, so that's something else we're hoping will fill our days. There's been a lot of laying around in front of the TV and playing video games this winter...now that spring is here, it's time to get off our butts and make some meaningful family memories!

Which I will most likely forget within a week.

But that's why I take pictures, right?

Hope you have a wonderful and memorable weekend!

In a Nutshell...

2009-04-09T21:03:00.004-04:00

The kids had a theatrical performance on the 31st....Maggie and the second grade did a program called "Under the Sea" that was super cute, complete with sailor hats and kazoos! Then Alex and the fourth graders put on a musical play called "Heroes All," and Alex had a small part as Albert Einstein! (Sorry about the poor quality of the pics, but all I had with me was a point-and-shoot camera and we were about 7 rows from the very back of the auditorium. On a related note, the zoom on my Flip video leaves much to be desired.)

My CT scan last Friday went very well, thanks for asking! (I told you I'd have the technician take my picture....she even gave me a print-out of the scan, since I told her I was a scrapbooker, she thought it would be something I could use in my album!) Turns out I have a nasal spur, and I get to find out whatever the heck that means on the 21st.

On Tuesday, I took Alex, Maggie and Jack to see "Monsters vs. Aliens".....it was totally hilarious! We saw the 2-D version, because I wasn't driving 30 minutes away and paying extra for the 3-D glasses when we could see the thing in our own town, just down the road. I used the money we saved to splurge on popcorn and soda.

Yesterday, we had an actual sunny day...no snow, no rain, and the temps were in the high 50s. We just had to go to the park! It was a good day. The little boys slept like rocks as soon as we got home.

And my new Wednesday night tradition....$2 margaritas at Hacienda with the girls! Last night they had orange flavor....oh my YUM! Harvey went along to make sure I didn't overdo it.

I've been working on a new doll, too! She should be done soon, then I'll post pics...I really love how she's turning out! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! :)

Wants and Needs

2009-04-02T09:52:00.006-04:00

Some of the things I NEED to do today:

create an altered challenge for Tally (cyber crop this weekend!)
finish the layout I started for Lotus Paperie and upload
laundry for all 6 of us
deposit Rick's check
pay rent

Things I WANT to do today:

take the boys to the park, then the library (you can see from the pic what happens when they have too much indoor time)
make another "In the Kitchen" video (brownies version)
start a new art doll
work on tags for my etsy store
mail a package to my TallySis
consume brownies

I went to the doctor yesterday to have blood drawn so they could see how my thyroid meds were doing. But....turns out, they need me to actually be ON my meds for that particular test. Since I've been OUT of my thyroid script for over a week, they had to reschedule. So, was it a wasted visit? On the contrary, it was quite productive! For instance, I got my thyroid script refilled, another med switched to the $4 Wal-Mart version, and a script for a nasal spray to help stifle my constant sneezing, stuffiness and general nose rebelliousness. (A nasal spray that cost $120, so this will probably be the only month I take it...we get reimbursed, but I don't want to use up our entire reimbursement amount on my freakin' nose!) Oh, and speaking of my nose. Turns out, the doc thinks I may have a polyp blocking most of my nasal cavity, high up in my left nostril. Hawt, right? I get to have a CT on Friday. Tell me you're not jealous! I'm totally asking the nurse to take pics.

Before I forget, here's my latest craftiness for GutterGirlz:

This one for Lotus Paperie (to use a transparency as a background):

And this was for Week 7 of Survivor at TallyScrapper:

Met Shyla last night for margaritas at Hacienda...only $2 a glass! We had a great time just talking, and I can't believe we've never gotten together (just her and me) before! Thankfully, Hacienda has these special margarita nights EVERY WEEK! Did you know about this? I feel like I won a frozen drink sweepstakes, or something! May have to make a new Tuesday ($3 mugs) or Wednesday night tradition 'round here.

All right, that's all from me for now...gotta get done with that first list if I want to cross any items off the second. Have a happy Thursday!!

I Feel Like Eating an Entire Bag of Chocolate Chips

2009-03-29T16:46:00.004-04:00

I'm sure this is partly because my thyroid medicine has run out, and I won't get a new prescription until I go in and have more bloodwork done.

It may also be because a childhood friend unexpectedly killed himself on Tuesday....I attended his funeral on Friday. The sanctuary was packed....standing room only. Terribly sad loss...makes you realize that you should renew ties with old friends NOW since you might not get another chance.

I may be feeling this way because the change of seasons hasn't officially kicked in yet....here in Indiana it's snowing right now. After one or two days of 65/70 degree weather, the snow again is so disparaging.

Whatever the reason, I'm feeling really UNcreative right now. I'm ready to stop feeling this way. I'm ready for SPRING!!

I'll schedule a doctor appointment on Monday, since that's the one thing I have some control over.

Stupid broken thyroid.

To Homeschool or NOT to Homeschool

2009-03-16T10:37:00.002-04:00

This is something I've been thinking about a LOT lately. Not because I think my children are in a horrible school, not really for anything I've found lacking in their current place of education. Just for a lot of little reasons, and the thought that maybe,

just maybe,

I could nurture their creativity and help them discover what they love to do. And instead of squashing that desire and snuffing that tiny spark of interest, I could fan the flame and encourage them to be what they WANT to be.

I don't want my children to be told they CAN'T take a particular subject or elective in school for any reason. Learning should be something they ENJOY, not something they're FORCED to do. I don't know if this makes any sense. Maybe this video will explain it better than I can. I cry every time I watch it, but of course I'm a bit of a sobby girl....just don't say I didn't warn you.

Pros of homeschooling:
Involvement in our childrens' educations
Daily structure
Individual attention for each child
Field trips
No "homework" (since all schoolwork would be done at home)
Shorter school day
School would be conducted on OUR schedule
The kids wouldn't spend an hour-and-a-half on the bus each day
No fund-raisers
No parent/teacher conferences (as much as we love those)
No forgotten notes/permission slips/book orders
Allowing the kids to help determine the curriculum
Making learning FUN

Cons of homeschooling:
Small apartment and all four kids would be home ALL day (unless we were on a field trip)
What if I'm not a good teacher?
Cost of materials?
Hard to start something new/develop new routines
Missing out on the "first day of school" and "first school bus ride" photos for Jack & Jacob's albums

Really, I think the pros by far outweigh the cons. What do you think? Any homeschooling tips or advice?

Recent Scrapiness

2009-03-16T00:14:00.002-04:00

For the new prompt over at GutterGirlz:

For this week's Survivor challenge at TallyScrapper, to use only office supplies:

For a challenge at Tally to use something from a magazine (I cut the birds from a scrapbooking mag):

For the prompt "real" at One Little Word:

And this one was just for fun:

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Friday the 13th, Take Two!

2009-03-13T09:03:00.005-04:00

First things first....

Michelle, Becky and Adrienne, I need you to email me (latte_grande921 [at] hotmail [dot] com) your snail mail addys so I can get your RAKs in the mail! You technically have a year before you need to Pay-it-Forward on your own blog, then I come after you with a rubber hose! lol

Today is another wonderful Friday the 13th! Have I mentioned how much I love those? Rick and I are going to attempt to see the movie tonight, but so far I've been unable to contact the theater to see about advance tickets. They don't offer them online. Wth, people, get with the 21st century! So anyway, wish me luck with that.

I also get to pick up Harvey today! I'll be sure to share a picture of him all fired and handsome....I may crackle and antique him first, though. I'm so far undecided on that. I don't know if you knew this about me, but I don't really care for shiny and new.....I much prefer rusty and old! lol And speaking of gnomes, Geoffrey the TallyGnome is flying to his next home today! Wonder where he'll end up....?

Another thing to look forward to today...my new sewing machine!! My old one finally bit the dust, and I dropped it off at the thrift store yesterday. I ordered a new machine at Amazon.com on Wednesday, and just got an email that it had shipped already! I didn't expect to get it until the end of the month, so I'm just super excited. I've been wanting to work on another doll, so I can hardly wait!! This machine is designed for quilting, and has an attachable table for large projects. Isn't she purty?

Let's see....what else happened this week?

Maggie brought home her new classroom laptop on Tuesday....the state of Indiana just received a grant for these computers especially designed for little hands. Out of the whole state, only 20 schools were selected to have their 2nd-graders use these machines, and our school was one of them! Cool, huh? She only gets to bring it home once in awhile, and there are very strict rules regarding its use while it's here. Our kids were so fascinated by it that I was actually able to get a picture of all four of them facing me at the same time!! I consider this a belated Christmas miracle.

Baby Elijah has been with us for a couple days while his momma takes her classes (his regular babysitter had some doctor appointments), and last night he spent the night with us! He's such a good baby.....Jack and Jacob like playing with him, as you can see!

In scrappy news, there's a new challenge up today at Lotus Paperie!! This one is to use 6 or more pictures on a page, which is right up my alley. LOVE multi-photo pages! Here's what I came up with....using pics of Jacob's 1st haircut from last summer!

And I finally got my new kit put together and listed in my etsy shoppe...say hello to Earth and Moss! Woodgrain contact paper, vintage fabric, clay buttons.....I'm really happy with this one, lots of great projects just waiting to happen!

Okay, peeps, this has been a much bigger update than I had planned...we just have a lot going on, I guess! Happy Friday the 13th....enjoy your weekend!!

Broccoli Schmoccoli

2009-03-07T15:02:00.006-05:00

Mmmm...doesn't my lunch look GOOOOD?? Seventeen pounds of raw broccoli with a turkey braut on the side and a smidge of ranch dressing. This is NOT a diet where I feel starved, THAT's for sure! *burp*

Today is rainy and kinda cold, but yesterday was so nice we just about fell all over each other trying to get outside in the sun! No jackets, fresh air, warm sunshine.....ah, it was wonderful! There was much running...

some grass wrestling...

and a little cloud gazing.

Just one fine afternoon of being out of the house. I can almost believe that Spring is on its way! Less than 2 weeks away now. I better get some tanning time in before shorts weather officially arrives....I'd hate to accidentally blind some poor unfortunate soul when the sunlight reflects off my pale legs! lol

Yesterday evening, Katie and I had a Girls' Night Out! We went to Pottery Schmottery in Elkhart and did some ceremics painting! I had never been there before, but I'm sure I'll go again...it was a great time, for reals. I found the cutest little garden gnome, and Katie chose a square plate and bud vase to match. Look at how happy we are!

This is what artistic bliss looks like...

Katie in the zoooone...

Look at how elegant Katie's vase and plate turned out! She used an awesome technique involving lace and a whole lotta toothpick tweaking....I can't wait to see what they look like after they're fired!

And my finished gnome....his name is Harvey and he really enjoyed hiding among the paint bottles. (He likes me, so I was able to coax him out for this picture.) I think he'll find plenty of places to hide at our house!

After the schmottery, we went to a nearby Mexican restaurant where I promptly put my diet on hold for the wonderful chips and salsa! (And a strawberry daquari, just a small mug. Heehee!)

Then I came home and finished this!

What a wonderful Friday! Today I'm working on Maggie's quilt...I REALLY want to get that done for her! Next project will be another folk art doll since Deidre Clementine was SOLD this week!!! Thanks SO much, Staci, the fact that she's going to YOU just fills my heart and gives me the warm fuzzies! She'll be on her way to you Monday, and she's so excited to meet you. :)

Hope you all have a great weekend!

The Cleaning Powers of Coffee

2009-03-05T11:33:00.003-05:00

Just a few moments ago, Jack came into the office where I was assembling a box for shipping. Now normally, him being in the office isn't a big deal. It's a bigger deal when baby Jacob is in here, but normally I can keep them from destroying things just by being in here with them.

Not so this time.

My morning coffee was sitting on my desk as it usually is. The difference this time was that I was not parked at the desk, too. No, I was preparing to DO something with my day, like go to the bank, get a few groceries, drop some things at Goodwill, run to the post office. (I've been following the teachings of the FlyLady lately and feel a lot more organized in general.) The kitchen is clean, laundry is being done, I'm ready to get a few errands run before lunch.

Now, back to the unattended coffee on my desk.

Who knew one swift movement with a swivel office chair could do so much damage?

Jack saw that I wasn't at the computer. This is his cue to jump in the chair and start playing on the computer himself. A habit that we need to break by changing the password (since he knows the current one). When he swung the chair around, the half-finished quilt hanging on the back knocked my almost-full cup of coffee flying. Coffee all over my computer tower. My printer. IN my printer. On the power strip that all of my technology is plugged into. I'm amazed that nothing exploded. Not even the coffee mug.

And now that it's all cleaned up, my computer looks shiny and new.

Of course, whether or not my printer still works remains to be seen. So maybe coffee isn't the best thing to clean your electronics with after all.

And Now, Let There Be RAKs!!

2009-03-04T16:55:00.001-05:00

Three of them, to be exact. ;) For those of you not familiar with the term (probably just my dad, but you never know), RAK stands for Random Act of Kindness. Recently, my wonderful scrappy pal Kristy offered up a PIF RAK on her blog, and I was one of the lucky three to receive a sweet goodie bag from her! A PIF RAK is different from a regular RAK in one very important way. PIF stands for Pay It Forward. So, you don't get something for nothing, you get to pay it forward and bless someone else with a gift! Cool, huh?

Okay, now that you know what it means (and I'm sure most of you already did), here's what I'm offering.....

Two toadstool pincushions and a whimsical stuffed owl! I'll also include some of my vintage-style clay buttons and some other fun treats...promise you'll love it! Be one of the first three to comment and you're a WINNER!! Just make sure that if you WIN, you pass on the love by giving away a PIF RAK on YOUR blog. Thems the rules, people.

Now that we have that taken care of....

I'm SO proud of my little people! Yesterday was a big day in our home. Maggie and Jack starred in the first EVER episode of "In the Kitchen," making chocolate chip cookies all by themselves. We'll be making more videos like this in the future...it was a lot of fun!

Hope you all have a fabulous Wednesday!!

It's a Hard Knock Life

2009-03-01T09:41:00.006-05:00

I just noticed that this is my 99th post....so I decided that my next update will be when I finally Pay-it-Forward and offer up a RAK to 3 fortunate souls. More details on that next time.

This will be a photo update blog, lots of randomness, but with pictures! Sorry, I haven't had my coffee yet this morning, so my wit and general joviality haven't woken up yet.

In case you're wondering what's up with the "Annie" song on my playlist....lately that movie has been playing 24/7 at our house. Maggie has decided it's the best movie ever, and Alex likes it, too. And of course, Rick and I both secretly LOVE musicals, so our whole family has "Annie" on the brain....pretty much all day long. My favorite song from that movie is "Maybe," but Project Playlist didn't have it. Bummer.

Totally forgot that yesterday was the last day of February so I completely spaced on my GutterGirlz layout. The new prompt is UP now, be sure to check it out HERE. This is the layout I did for this Friday's prompt at Lotus Paperie to use doodled circles, and I LOVE how it came out!

I have a new obsession with Polaroid cameras. They're the coolest looking contraptions evah, and I just want them to look cool on a shelf in my office. BUT. When Miranda and I were thrift store shopping yesterday, she found the larger of the two cameras for me, and that thing is in perfect condition. AND it has film. So, I just need to get some batteries for it, and I think I'll be taking some Polaroid pictures! SO excited about that.

This morning, Alex asked if we could have cinnamon rolls. Since I was busy with a project, I told him, Sure...as long as you make them. He had no problem with that. Look how proud he is!

Maggie helped with the frosting. And NO, I didn't have any. Didn't really even want any! I've lost 10 pounds so far, and I really don't want to mess up my progress. I can have cinnamon rolls once I'm skinny again, and I'm cool with waiting.

Speaking of baking, I picked up some cookie and brownie mixes and plan to make a cooking show with Maggie and Jack. I got this idea from my Rachel, whose husband makes "Cooking with Macs" videos that are just hilarious. Our show will be called "In the Kitchen with Maggie & Jack" and it will air on YouTube. Coming soon to a PC near you. (Or a Mac, if you're one of those people.)

I'm making progress on Maggie's quilt! Almost halfway done now.

I'm making a quilt for baby Sophia NOW(just taking a little coffee break, then I'll sew the squares together)...and her baby shower is only a few short hours from now, so I need to get back to it! Hope you have a happy Sunday!

Random Kewt

2009-02-25T10:06:00.002-05:00

I don't know why, but THIS I love....

Seriously, is it not THE kewtest thing evah?

Okay, sorry, I'll stop talking like that now.

Monday Again? Hecks to the NOOOOEE!!

2009-02-23T13:48:00.009-05:00

Monday means it's my cleaning day. Monday means it's back to work, back to school, and back to the daily grind. Monday means I STILL haven't updated you on my Friday the 13th. The day I visited my mom's hometown. I got to see the church where my parents were married.

The house where my mom grew up...looks totally different now, with new siding. The new owners tore down the corn bin, too, one of my favorite places to play as a kid.

I inherited this watch from my aunt Violet's things, and just had a new battery put into it. I think it's beautiful.

Monday means I haven't yet told you about the new challenge over at Lotus Paperie, to use this awesome sketch!

Here's the layout I came up with, and the one I did for this week's Survivor challenge at TallyScrapper:

Monday means it's time to update you on my weekend! I can't believe it's over already, to tell you the truth. Friday I finished our tax return....but I don't have a picture to show you of that. :) Saturday was the Fun Fair at the kids' school, which was kind of a disappointment since we showed up for the last hour and they shut things down 30 minutes before the fair was supposed to be over! We missed out on the balloon animals AND the bounce house, which really sucked. The kids had fun, but next time we'll go earlier.

(Sheesh, that kid needs new glasses....look how crooked those are!)
After the fair, Alex and Maggie went to a birthday party/roller skating party/girls' slumber party (yeah, Alex was back home and missed that part), and I went to an Archivers' crop with Miranda! Got to see Kristy and Amy again, which is ALWAYS a good thing. And I'm not sure how this happened, but I only got two stinkin' layouts done! Well, mostly done...

(See that little Taco Bell dog in the corner? Rick and I take turns hiding that for the other to find, and he had tucked it into my packed scrappy supplies! That made me smile.)

And lastly, here's a sneak peek of my newest mini kit....I'll be adding more to it, but this is what I have so far. Still haven't thought of a name, but I want it to have the word "green" in it. Can you tell by my redecorated blog that I'm in the mood for green? :)

Sunday? I can't remember Sunday very well. I know it involved grocery shopping, a stop at the thrift store, then the rest is lost in a YoVille-induced haze...

Ooo, wonder if it's time for me to check in at my widget factory job yet? The next time I get paid, I can get that exercise bike I've been saving for...

Okay, remember how I said that Monday is my cleaning day? Yeah. I better get going on that before I get fired. Have a happy Monday!!

In Case You Were Wondering....

2009-02-19T10:50:00.004-05:00

....about the weight loss ticker at the top of my blog....well, here's the scoop.

I recently took a picture of myself for a scrapbooking challenge on Tally. I did NOT like what I saw. I knew my clothes had been getting tighter, but I didn't really realize how bad it was until I saw that picture. Then, at my mom's house a few days later, I weighed myself.

And was completely shocked.

So, I know I've mentioned my largeness before, but now I intend to DO something about it! For 30 days, I'll follow the CEA-HOW food plan of NO sugar and NO starch. Not even beans, peas, corn, rice....NO starch AT ALL. Day 30 will be on St. Patrick's Day! After that, I'll add in the starchy vegetables, but continue NOT eating anything with flour or sugar. Seriously, people, I've been following this plan for 4 days now and I'm down 9 pounds and feel awesome. More energetic. Clear-headed. I think either the carbs, or the over-processing of "convenience" foods were really effin' up my system.

And since I strongly believe that no weight-loss journey can be completed without a little exercise, that's something else I've been doing every day. For 30 minutes. A brisk walk outside, following along with the insanely happy and fit aerobics instructors on my TV, or even doing sit-ups and leg lifts. Just MOVING. My goal is to get an exercise bike, since the 30-minute walk I took Tuesday morning gave me some monster blisters. Yeah, I'm outta shape. But I don't intend for it to stay that way for long.

Finally, I'm taking charge. And it feels GREAT!

This is my BEFORE picture....

I'd love to know if you're taking a similar journey, so we can encourage and support one another! Even just to share exercise or recipe ideas. Let me know, and have a happy Thursday! :)

Best. Valentine's. EVAH.

2009-02-17T01:12:00.003-05:00

Okay, so last Friday we didn't get to see "Friday the 13th" after all. Turns out, the 9:40pm showing had sold out at 7pm...almost three hours before we even got there. So, what were two horror movie fanatics to do? Easy.....we saw "My Bloody Valentine" instead. And WOW!! We had never seen a 3-D movie in the theater before. But we're all familiar with those cardboard glasses with one red lens and one blue lens, right? Weeeelll....these glasses were NOTHING like that. They looked like regular (if slightly enlarged) sunglasses. (I'll post a pic soon, we both kept our amazing shades.) And how did the movie look? The entire thing, from opening to closing credits, was like looking through a window at the action taking place outside. It was SO real! Every thrown pickaxe, every blood splatter and severed body part looked like it was going to frikkin' HIT you in the face. Real. SO awesome.

And you know what?

There's a Friday the 13th next month, too.

We'll be pre-ordering our tickets. :)

Coffee's Shoppe is in the GUTTER!!

2009-02-15T16:13:00.006-05:00

That's right, this month my etsy store is sponsoring the Gutter Girlz! This is the prize you could win simply by participating in at least one of February's prompts, then linking it up in the comments!

And speaking of my shoppe, I added a couple new listings today. Finally, Deidre Clementine is available for purchase...

And I have a few new tags for sale...

Now, speaking of the GUTTER...the new prompt is up NOW!!
THE PROMPT:
WHATEVER, DUDE.
THE SONG:
I don't THINK SO by Kelis
THE PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE:
Handprint
Here's what I came up with:

People, it's been a great weekend. I'll be sure to give you a run-down SOON...it involves a scary movie and revisiting my roots, with an antique store side trip. But first, I must get some groceries before my family members end up devouring each other. Have a great day! :)

Too Early for Titles

2009-02-13T09:55:00.005-05:00

Well, it's Friday again, can you believe it? Friday the 13th, to be exact. Like the best kind of Friday evah. Hoping Rick will take me to see the new Friday the 13th movie tonight for Valentine's Day, 'cuz that's how we roll, people. Scary movies just flat out DO IT for us. *happy sigh*

Another Friday means another new challenge over at Lotus Paperie! Challenge 111 is to use hand-cut circles, which went really well with the flower tutorial I just did over at TallyScrapper. Check it out, this may be my personal favorite.

And the season premiere of Survivor last night means it's time for another round of Survivor challenges over at Tally. For this first one we had to have a wrinkled background page, a photo of ourselves in a mirror, a vertical title, a label sticker, notebook paper behind the photo, and the color green. Tough one! Here's my take on it:

The subject matter is a little depressing, but I'm really happy with how this came out.

New GutterGirlz prompt comes out this Sunday, so be sure to check it! You still have time to link up a layout for Prompt 16:
The PROMPT:
First Love
The SONG:
Like a Virgin by Madona
The PRODUCT/TECHNIQUE:
Fabric
The prizes are killer, and you could be selected as our next guest designer!

Okay, I think you've been updated now on all things scrappy in my life....busy day, so I gotta motor! Later, all...have a happy Friday the 13th!!

Valentines!

2009-02-12T22:17:00.002-05:00

I just have to thank my bestest and most creatively wonderful friend, Rachel, for her awesome Valentine's Day idea! She and I were chatting on the phone, as we occasionally do, and she mentioned that she was using ScrapBlog to make Valentines for her son Josh. Really? I asked. What a fabulous idea!

I'm totally copying you!

And because she's my bestest most awesome friend, she answered: Okay!

Here's what I came up with. And if you check out her blog, you can tell we were on the phone creating at the same time. It's funny how we used similar elements, yet came up with totally different Valentines. And our kids are thrilled with them, which is probably the most important part.

Happy almost Valentine's Day!

Feeling Domestically Inclined

2009-02-10T13:38:00.004-05:00

I don't know if it's this bout of warmer weather or what, but lately I've been in the mood to get healthy and clean house. Today my windows are open. I'm drinking water. Doing laundry. Eating bananas (and I really don't care for bananas unless they're in a muffin, or in Runt form). Having ONE serving at meals instead of two or three. I'm planning wonderful meals.

Last night we had baked chicken breasts, cut up and put on a salad. Today for lunch, I took some of that leftover chicken, along with some cheese and onions we had from Sunday's taco extravaganza, and made a pizza. And salads with carrot sticks to go along with it. I'm so proud of myself for only having two pieces of pizza! Not sure what tonight's dinner will be yet, but it will be something with leftover chicken, since we have MUCH left over.

Another aspect of this strange health-kick and cleaning phenomenon is implementing a Chore Chart system for the kids. They're pretty excited about this, since they have the chance to earn an allowance for doing relatively easy work. Things that they should really be doing anyway....but the difference here is that now they WANT to do their chores, instead of me having to nag them about it over and over (and over and over and over) again.

So, without explanation, with no rhyme or reason, "Spring Cleaning" is setting in.

I hope it decides to stay for awhile. Even when the cold comes back, which should be by the end of the week. Maybe my house will be entirely clean and organized by then?

Now, I need to get the dishes done, and as a reward for MYSELF I'm going to enjoy some scrappy time. But before I go, I just had to share this picture of Jack from last night. He fell asleep looking at his baby album. Isn't that sweet?

Hope you all have a wonderful Tuesday. Enjoy the weather if you can!

Dirty Rice!

2009-02-05T21:53:00.003-05:00

Despite its unappetizing name, this dish is a family favorite! And it's super simple to make, I promise. Just a small note: we have a family of 6 and this recipe feeds us with enough for seconds AND leftovers!

Ingredients:
1 family-sized box Zatarain's dirty rice mix (this is the part that makes it easy)
3.5 cups hot water
1.5-2 pounds hamburger (can make half of this spicy ground sausage for a tasty variation)
0.5 cup diced onion
0.5 cup diced green pepper
1 small can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
Optional:
additional seasoning such as Old Bay Seasoning, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash, etc.
shredded cheddar cheese
sour cream

In a 5-quart stock pot or Dutch oven, brown the meat with the onion and green pepper. Drain off most of the grease, keeping about 2 tablespoons or so in the pan. Add the hot water, tomatoes, corn and additional seasoning and bring to a boil. Stir in the dirty rice mix, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, stirring once during cook time. Remove from heat and let sit uncovered for 5-10 minutes before serving. Garnish with shredded cheese and/or sour cream. Enjoy!

Meet Deidre Clementine!

2009-02-05T12:27:00.004-05:00

After adding a few finishing touches, my love-themed folk art doll is finally complete! **Thanks to Kristy C. for helping me with her name...I love it!**

Deidre (meaning "broken-hearted") has had some unfortunate relationships in the past. She was always searching for the love of someone else to make her feel complete. Now she's barefoot and poor, with her grandmother's heirloom necklace as her sole remaining possession of any value. After a string of greedy and hurtful lovers, Deidre has decided to brush herself off and mend her broken heart. And though she's lost her way before, Miss Deidre Clementine is finally on the right path. She's beginning to learn how to love and respect HERSELF.

Deidre is enjoying her time here in our home, but she's feeling the urge to travel and see what this world has to offer. I'll be listing her in my etsy store in the hopes that someone out there will provide her a loving home and the opportunity to heal and grow! I know there's a kind soul out there that would love to care for Deidre through the rest of her journey....could that person be you?

Today is a Good Day for a Fort

2009-02-03T13:29:00.006-05:00

Complete with blankets, pillows, toy cars and twinkle lights. Just the ticket for two adventurous (read, "trouble-making") boys with no TV. Oh yeah, did I forget to tell you about our technology conspiracy? Apparently, all of our remote controls decided to either go on strike or take an unplanned vacation...we haven't heard from any union leaders yet, so we can't be sure which. Since we can't operate the TV without the remote (yeah, what sort of brilliant mind designed THAT cable box??), and you can't play a DVD without the ability to press "Play" on the remote (our XBox is subbing for our DVD player, which is broken, and has no buttons...I've already tried using a game controller)......*sigh* We DID find out today that we can play VHS tapes! YAY for old technology!!

Now I'm off to make lunch, but I just had to share these pics of Jacob modeling his big brother Alex's outgrown glasses. Isn't he CUTE?? Don'tcha just wanna scoop him up and squish him in a giant bear hug and smother him in kisses??

I LOVE this boy.

Hope you have a fantastic Tuesday!!

Okay, So I Didn't Watch the SuperBowl. BUT....

2009-02-02T13:42:00.002-05:00

....I DID take the time to watch the commercials! Every. Single. One of them. And in case you missed them, here are links to a few of my favorites (in no particular order). Enjoy!

PS~Make sure you hit "II" on the music player before viewing the ads. :)

Bridgestone: Jump Around

Doritos: Lucky Day

Hulu.com: Alec Baldwin

Now, if you DID happen to see the game, does ANY part of it compare to Alec Baldwin and his infectious alien laugh? I thought not.

Progress!

2009-02-01T10:52:00.005-05:00

Yesterday she was given form and structure...today she'll be given a face! I think I'll get to the painting tomorrow, and give the paperclay a full day to dry. I can't wait to see what she looks like...this is my favorite part!

Before I get started, I thought I'd share some pics from Thursday night. Vikki took Alex & Maggie and their cousins Nick & Hailey out bowling!

Aunt Vikki came in first, then Nick, third place was Alex, then Hailey, and Maggie came in last place. Too bad they don't give out extra points for cuteness!

So, what are your plans this SuperBowl Sunday?

Need Cards??

2009-01-31T12:42:00.005-05:00

For Valentine's Day, Sweetest Day, an anniversary?

I got to play with the newest card kit over at TallyScrapper all day yesterday, and I have 6 new cards to show for it....with the potential to make so much more! The fabulous First Lady Jen designed this kit, and I think she hit a home run! Check it:

Needless to say, this kit is a winner...you don't want to miss it! I predict you'll be inspired to make enough lovey-dovey cards to cover any and all romantic occasions in 2009! ;)

In other craftiness, there's a new prompt over at Lotus Paperie to use molding paste (I used gesso, which is similar in appearance, but thinner):

AND, a new prompt just went up over at GutterGirlz! First Love, "Like a Virgin" by Madonna, and fabric are your inspirational cues...and I tell ya, after all these hearts and working with 25 different shades of pink, I'm ready to work on my Love-inspired folk art doll!

What's on YOUR agenda for the day?

Normally, I Never Do This, But....

2009-01-28T00:40:00.003-05:00

....I just love her SO much. *sigh*

My bestest good friend, Rachel, has convinced me to participate in a photo tagging game. I honestly don't usually continue blog tags because 1) I am Blogging Without Obligation and 2) these things are usually cyclical, and the same person ends up getting tagged for the same 25 questions by 14 different people until their head eventually explodes.

Okay, so I've never known that to ACTUALLY happen, but I'd hate to be the first one, know what I mean?

If you're someone who has tagged me in the past, please believe me when I say it truly makes me feel special to be tagged. The thanks I expressed in your comments were sincere. Please don't take it personally that I didn't participate. The buck, as they say, stops here.

Usually.

Unless my best friend tells me that this one is DIFFERENT. It's FUN, she says. She PROMISES. So, I'll play along. But I'm NOT tagging anyone else. If you want to play, please do so with no pressure. (And let me know so I can come see!)

This is a PHOTO tag. The rules:

Go to the section of your computer where you store all of your photos.

Select the 6th folder.

Select the 6th photo from that folder.

Post and explain about that picture.

Tag 6 other people (I'm ignoring that one. You do as you feel led.)

Ah, just seeing summer sunshine makes my heart ache a little. This pic was taken of "the guys" at the 4th (5th?) annual Henderson family 4th of July BBQ. Just a fleeting moment captured in time of truly inspiring male camaraderie, probably mere hours before they were too drunk to operate the grill. And then there was cornhole. And I subbed in for Brian's partner at the end of the night and we either won or came in 2nd, the details are fuzzy. Oh, yeah. Good times.

You May Begin the Oooohing and Aaaaahing...

2009-01-25T23:26:00.005-05:00

On Saturday, I altered a tin I found at the thrift store to hold cards I plan to make for the 52 Questions prompts from Emily Falconbridge...

I'm absolutely THRILLED with how this came out! (You can see it in more detail HERE.)

Then on Sunday, after Rick and Alex got back from seeing the new baby, it was Maggie's and my turn! We were all so thrilled to meet Sophia Louise!

The pictures just do NOT do her justice...she is one adorable little sweetheart! And it's so nice to have another little girl in the family!

Okay, one last thing...

Have you ever heard of Someecards? It's a website filled with humorous (and a bit risque) e-cards you can e-mail to someone who hopefully shares your sense of humor....otherwise, things between you may be awkward later. Here are some of my favorites:

Hee-larious!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

I am ON it, Dog-gonnit!!

2009-01-23T10:02:00.005-05:00

Yes, this week I'm actually on TIME! Allow me to introduce you to my newest layout for Lotus Paperie, for the sketch challenge that just went up this morning!

I also just finished my art journal page for the 2nd prompt, "Because." You should check out the video on the art journal blog! Really awesome, healing technique that I'd like to do again sometime.

ALSO, I mailed out the clay button order for Scrap Muse...

...got a package in the mail for my Tally Sis, and sent an order from my etsy shop overseas...all the way to the United Kingdom! (Nicole, today I'm working on assembling your custom kit...I didn't forget about you!) I feel so very productive!

A BIG THANK YOU to Miranda & Troy, who came over yesterday to do me a big favor.....since Rick has to take my van to work while his car is out of commission, Troy stayed with the kids while Miranda gave me a ride to the vet....with Nicodemus. Yeah, it appears that he has pneumonia, too. But this time we may have caught it early enough to save him. He's already had two doses of his antibiotic, and though his activity has slowed and he's stopped eating, I'm really hoping these meds will kick in and he'll start feeling better! Poor guy. And thank goodness for these etsy orders, or we may not have been able to foot the $77 vet bill. *sigh*

Today's "To Do" list includes listing some new goodies in my shop...

Working on a tutorial for the TallyBlog...

Getting started on my 52Q project, hosted by Emily Falconbridge (who just found out she's pregnant!)...

And maybe even getting some laundry and dishes done! Set your goals high, that's my motto.

Hope your Friday is happy and productive!!

Sick & Tired of Being Sick & Tired

2009-01-20T10:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, seriously, can I be DONE blowing my nose every five minutes already? I feel like I've had a stuffed-up head since November and I'm ready to feel normal again. Whatever THAT is. I'm hoping it's something as simple as needing to change my allergy meds....later this week I'll pick up a bottle of generic Zyrtec and see if that helps. In the meantime, I think I'll just take DayQuil every few hours to keep from dripping snot on everything I see.

Needless to say, I have NOT gotten much done on the clay buttons.

Some randomness:

My brother Mark stopped by for a visit the other day.....and Jacob promptly attached himself at the hip. I think it's SO cute how much he loves his Uncle Mark. And he doesn't act that way around any of our other visitors. So bizarre!

We got a new pet rat over the weekend! His name is Pepsi Max, and he's the cutest little guy! He and Nicodemus are getting along quite well, but Max isn't sure what to think of us yet. I expect in a week or so, he'll be ready to come out and play with his new humans. :)

SO glad the kids went back to school today. They had a snow day on Friday, then MLK Jr day off yesterday....made for the longest weekend EVAH.

We were able to see our BIL Mark for a minute or two over the weekend....he's on his 2-week hiatus from Iraq, and his plane came in Sunday. We all met at IHOP for dinner, and a good time was had by all.

Some of us had a little TOO MUCH fun (ahem, Vikki)...

My layout for the current challenge over at Lotus Paperie (use a frame):

And this is my new etsy kit, "Love Blossoms," which I still need to list in my etsy shoppe!

All right, consider yourself updated! I'll try to remember if there's anything I've forgotten, but I'll need coffee first. :)

Have a happy Inaugeration Tuesday!!

Another Week Bites the Dust...

2009-01-15T10:04:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it's Thursday already?! Really, where did the week go? I've been in a polymer clay-induced haze for days now....the good news is, I'm almost done with the order! Oh, did I mention that yet? My Tally friend Ashley is on the DT for a scrapbooking kit club called Scrap Muse, and she just happened to mention my clay buttons to the owner. Well, Traci wants 25 dozen buttons for one of her kits! I still can't believe it! I've been happily crafting buttons since Sunday or so...I'll be sure to post a picture of my efforts as soon as I'm done.

In other crafty news, last weekend was a cyber crop over at Tally, and I managed to get TWO layouts done! This first one was for a unique little challenge called "Shopping List" where you chose three things from a list of ten, then replaced those three with more elements of your choosing for the next person to pick from. The three things I chose were the color red, lace cardstock and ink.

Then there was Minda's "I Challenge Thee" challenge....a Tally tradition where your challenge is personalized by Minda herself to be something to get you outside your comfort zone or to scrap something that has a special meaning just for you. Minda has a gift for creating the perfect challenge! Mine was to scrap about my new technology and to get my inspiration from a layout done by Becky, one of my scrappy heroes! I LOVE how this came out:

This next layout is the one I did for the current challenge over at Lotus Paperie.....a new challenge goes up tomorrow, so be sure to stop by. If you decide to create a layout for a Lotus Paperie challenge, be sure to link your creation in the comments section so you can be eligible for the prize drawing! :)

Now I must get back to my buttons.....just for fun, I leave you with this:

Okay, Not to be a Total Bummer, But.....

2009-01-13T14:54:00.003-05:00

...our pet rat Whetzel got sick somehow over the weekend and died last night. He wasn't even a year old yet, and he was my very favorite pet ever. We only just got him and Nicodemus in July, but they quickly became part of the family. Whetzel especially...he would come when you called him, he loved to be held, he gave the sweetest little kisses, and we miss him SO much. My eyes are welling up with tears just typing this now. I plan to get another rat, Nicodemus shouldn't be alone since rats are very social creatures. First though, I need to make sure Nicodemus didn't catch Whetzel's pneumonia. *sigh*

Bye, my sweet baby rat. I miss you.

Back to the Daily Grind

2009-01-07T14:46:00.006-05:00

So the holidays are over, a new year has begun, and it's time to get back into a daily routine involving alarm clocks and schedules.

Thank GOD!!

Seriously, I SO NEED my schedule back....I feel like I've done NOTHING for weeks. I can't entirely blame the internet, though the addicting games on MySpace and Facebook haven't helped me to stay on task in the slightest. So yeah, I'm totally blaming the internet.

I HAVE managed to get a few layouts done, this one for GutterGirlz...

...and this one for Lotus Paperie:

But I haven't been on Tally in days, I haven't started Maggie's quilt yet, I can't remember the last time I've read my bloglist, and my own blog has been seriously neglected! So I've come up with a plan. I won't call it a New Year's Resolution, but since it IS a new year, this plan could easily be mistaken for a resolution. Which it is NOT.

Anyway, I digress. My plan, starting tonight, is to make a list of the things I'd like to accomplish the next day. THEN, (and this is KEY) I'll set an ALARM to wake me before noon so I can get a shower and most of my list done before the little boys wake up. It's a great plan, a SOLID plan, and the reason it's NOT a resolution is because I'm not going to abandon my plan in early February. Here are some of my other plans for building a better ME:

1. Save up for a second-hand treadmill to run on each morning before my shower.

WARNING, some may consider the sharing of this next facet of my plan to be TMI:
2. Be intimate with my hubby every night. Yes, EVERY night. (Well, barring menses, since that's disgusting. Hey, don't say you weren't warned.)

3. My art journal. I've missed it so. I'm taking part in some new challenges this year, one for each letter of the alphabet. Rachel is hosting the prompts (on the 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month) on Tally, AND on a new blog you can find HERE. This is what I came up with for the first prompt, ACTION:

All right, that's all I've got so far. How about you? Have you made any resolut- uh, I mean, positive changes recently? I'd love to hear how your holidays went and I promise to keep in touch more often....say, before taxes are due?

Lotus Paperie & a GutterGirlz Sneak!

2008-12-29T13:19:00.005-05:00

Hey, I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping you updated on my various blog challenges, have I? Just for future reference, new Lotus Paperie challenges are posted every Friday, and new GutterGirlz challenges are on the 15th and 30th of each month. So mark your calendars, people. Now here's what I've come up with.....well, wait, first things first....wanna see my new phone?? (Or, more accurately, a stock photo of my new phone.)

Isn't she GORGEOUS?!! I used the Christmas money from my grandparents to upgrade my cell and add unlimited texting to our plan....now this beauty is my new favorite toy! Rachel and I can send video and pics back and forth for FREE, whenever we want! The two of us may make Verizon reconsider the whole "free in-network calls" thing. Got Verizon? Got texting? Email me your number (latte_grande921 AT hotmail DOT com) and we can get jinky with it! (Also, I haven't thought of a name for her yet, and I'm taking suggestions.)

Okay, NOW I can share my new pages with you! This one is for the current sketch challenge over at Lotus Paperie:

And here's a sneak peek of the GutterGirlz prompt that will go up tomorrow!

Hope to see you there....have a happy Monday, the last one of 2008!!

Merry Christmas!!

2008-12-25T17:46:00.003-05:00

Well, we braved the bitter cold and crazed, last-minute shoppers to go see Santa at the mall for our traditional Christmas Eve picture of the children....only this year, Alex decided he was too old to sit in a photo with jolly old St. Nick. I still love how this came out!

And I figured I could just get the four of them to sit together for a picture amid the Christmas scenery at the mall. It didn't have to have Santa in it to be a good picture, and I could do it myself, right?

Hmmm....for some reason, I can't get all four of them to look at me at the same time...

Man, the lighting in here is awful! I'm using the high ISO setting on my camera, and everything!

Okay, guys, now this is just ridiculous....

Ah, forget it! Merry Christmas, anyway! :)

We're Ready!

2008-12-24T09:57:00.003-05:00

We've decorated, we've visited with family and have plans to do it some more, we've done our shopping, we've made snack mix and buckeyes.....

....today the kids will see Santa (a Christmas Eve tradition), I'll get the presents wrapped, and we'll make some more cookies to set out for Santa by the tree! Along with a note for Santa and some carrots for the reindeer, of course. I can't believe it's finally Christmas Eve!

This is my newest project that I'm planning to work on over the Christmas break...

...a new quilt for Maggie's bed! She doesn't want flowers, no rainbows or unicorns, no pink....no, my little princess/future zoologist wants an animal-print bedspread. So I've been looking for fabrics that won't make the finished product look like something from the set of a jungle-themed porno (a difficult task, let me tell you). And after much searching, these are the fabrics I found. Thankfully, she LOVES them. Can't wait to get started....but first, we need to get this Christmas thing out of the way! Hope your holiday is happy!

Fa la la la LAAAAA!!!

2008-12-20T14:17:00.004-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pics with you before I scoot out the door...

Maggie on "Wear a Silly Hat" Day:

Jack and his cousin Ethan (we had some friends and family over for dinner this week):

Jacob and Jack sporting their fabulous new hats at the Dollar Tree:

This is the oven mitt and cookie-in-a-jar I made for each of the kids' teachers:

And my little brother Mark stopped by to say hello yesterday! I love that crazy kid! (Notice how Jacob is still wearing his silly hat? He and Jack are nuts about those things!)

It's almost Christmas...only five more days, if you've lost count. And today, I get to do some last-minute shopping! Keep me in your thoughts, would you? Maybe say a prayer that I don't get knocked down by some crazed lady making a desperate grab for the last lion Webkins.....oh wait, that lady might be me. :) Happy Saturday!

In the Mood to SEW!!

2008-12-14T22:36:00.005-05:00

Oh, yeah, BIG time! I've been totally addicted to my sewing machine for the past week or so. I'm still taking pictures each day for my December Daily album, and I'll post pics of my progress on that soon. But mainly I've been staying away from the computer, and....sewing! I finished the baby quilts I started last summer (!) and gave them to B & K when we babysat them last night. Don't they look so thrilled with their new blankies?!!

I already have the materials I need to make Christmas gifts for the kids' teachers, and I've been finding all kinds of cool fabrics while out thrifting for yet another exciting sewing project. I'm so freakin' stoked, I just can't wait to show off the finished products!

I haven't totally abandoned scrappin', of course. I don't think I have it in me to take a break from that! Here's the page I did for the current challenge over at Lotus Paperie:

If you haven't gone over there to check out their challenges yet....well, why on earth NOT?? First, let me know so I can smack you upside the head with a rubber hose. Then, get on over there and participate! There are PRIZES to be won, people! Prizes!! Plus, they have some really awesome kits for sale in their etsy shop....and I just happen to have a Lotus Paperie coffee mug on my Christmas wish list (located in the sidebar for your convenience, lol)!

Okay, I'll try to be less scarce now that I've temporarily kicked my winter funk. Stupid winter already giving me the blues and it's not even officially arrived yet! Stay tuned........hope you had a wonderful weekend! :)

Happy Weekend!

2008-12-06T12:18:00.003-05:00

This has been such a long week....I just haven't had a chance to update my blog! I'm FAR too busy playing Mobsters, Vampire Wars and Mob Wars to involve myself with time-intensive efforts such as blogging. I HAVE been keeping in touch via twitter, so if you're not yet following my tweets...well, what are you waiting for? If you had been in my small, very exclusive (yet open to just about anyone) circle of twitter friends, you would've already heard about: the spaghetti bake I made on Monday, Alex puking on Tuesday night (uh, not because of Monday's dinner), my secret mission (having flowers delivered to Rachel on her birthday), my awesome thrift store finds, and my plan to spend this evening at an Archiver's crop. See all the wonderfulness you've missed? All right. Twitter. Be there or be square.

One other thing, don't forget to check out the new prompt over at Lotus Paperie! This time, instead of using a sketch, the prompt is to use lots of buttons. And I'm ALL about the buttons! Here's what I came up with:

And finally....my new sweater!

I got it for $3.50 the other day at the thrift store, and I LOVE it. Plan to wear it every day. LOVE.

All right, I HAVE to get ready for the crop tonight. I've got my pictures edited, I just need to print them and pack my stuff. Oh, and shower. I should probably do that, too.

New Gutter Girlz Prompt and Other News

2008-12-01T08:45:00.004-05:00

Just a friendly reminder from this dirty girl....Challenge #12 is UP over at Gutter Girlz! And I am SO stoked to announce that the amazing Linda Woods joined us this time as our first EVAH honorary Gutter Girl! Check it out and play along! We love to wallow in the gutter with company. It's so much more fun that way! :) Here is what I came up with:

And Rick wasn't even surprised to see me photographing myself hanging upside-down off the edge of the couch. Apparently I do things like that pretty often. Hey, I'm an artist. We're supposed to be eccentric, right?

And speaking of art, I finished my December Daily Album over the weekend. I used an old hardback book, cut it apart and covered the outside with fabric. Sorry for the crap picture...I took it at night, so the light was bad. I'm pretty dern excited to fill this with pictures and notes from our month! Stay tuned for more updates on this project.

Okay, one last thing....over the weekend, Jacob and Jack decided to slather Jacob's head in Vaseline. Just one more reason to be suspicious when the two of them are quiet for more than 5 minutes! I took this picture of Jacob after I had washed his head with Dawn THREE times...and he STILL has crazy greasy hair. So, to recap: Vaseline + hair = NOT GOOD. Also, getting Vaseline in your eyes is apparently not a good thing and makes for one grouchy baby. Especially after having your head vigorously scrubbed and being forced to hold still by an overly caring mother who doesn't want to get dishsoap in your eyes. *sigh* I think this pic says it all.

Oh, Yeah.

2008-11-30T23:37:00.003-05:00

So my best friend Rachel was telling me about her WAY full sink and overflowing trash can, so I challenged her to a "Worst Mess" photo comparison-a-rama.

And I have to say....

My mess is TOTALLY worse.

This is what happens when I take the weekend off.

I really need to see about getting a raise for all this pending overtime.

Fun with Crayons

2008-11-25T21:31:00.006-05:00

Last night, Jack had on his Thomas tool belt filled with Crayolas....he was ready and equipped for some coloring ACTION! And he was super cute, too.

Today I was able to distract the boys (long enough for me to take a shower) by giving them some cardboard to color on! I guess it was kinda like coloring on a wall, so it was quite an enjoyable experience.

(Don't ask me why, but they've both been removing their shirts lately. I'm just as puzzled as you are. Hopefully, they'll remain clothed at our family's Thanksgiving get-together! I may sew their shirts to their pants, just to be safe.)

DONE!

2008-11-23T22:45:00.005-05:00

Her name is Gwyneth Anisa (which means fortunate companion, blessed and faithful friend), and I absolutely LOVE how she came out!

I'll be making another one of these soon, but I'm in a scrappy mood lately....already finished the Tally Survivor challenge that isn't due until the Thursday after Thanksgiving! Whoot! :)

Last Night's Dinner Experiment...

2008-11-18T16:30:00.004-05:00

...was a success!! SO much so that I just HAVE to share the recipe. And I wrote it down this time! With measurements, and everything! The basic idea for this stew came from a Gypsy soup recipe, but I substituted and added so much that the finished product is totally different.

Christi's Sweet Potato Stew
2 lbs ground beef
2 small onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 stalks celery, chopped
5 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
*******************************
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp basil
1 tsp cayenne pepper
32 oz carton chicken broth
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 can chili beans
3 Tbsp brown sugar
*******************************
1. Brown ground beef in a stock pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, sweet potatoes and carrots and cook with beef, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft. Season with paprika, cinnamon, black pepper, basil and cayenne pepper. Stir to blend, then stir in chicken broth. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
*******************************
2. Add chili beans, green pepper and brown sugar to stew. Simmer another 10 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender.
*******************************
Makes 10-12 servings

Our family LOVED this, and it's a great freezer stew if you want to make extra. Enjoy!

Well, I haven't had a chance to work on my doll yet today, but I DID finish my Survivor layout for Tally and the sketch challenge over at Lotus Paperie. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty great day! Hope your Tuesday was happy!

Houston, We Have Snow...

2008-11-17T11:42:00.003-05:00

So, I guess this means our Indian Summer is officially over, huh?
NOW I'm in the mood to decorate for Christmas.

For those of you who asked about my pumpkin pancake recipe...uh, I really don't HAVE one. I plopped a can of pumpkin into a bowl of Jiffy pancake mix, added water until it was the right consistency, then some allspice just for fun. I had to use a much lower temperature on the stove to get them cooked all the way through without burning the outside (thanks for the tip, Rachel!), and in hindsight, I probably should've only used 1/2 a can of pumpkin. I'm kind of an experimental chef...usually what I try works. Sometimes it doesn't. The Pumpkin Pancake Experiment went well, but I can tweak it and make it better next time, kwim? Um, does that help you at all? lol

I'm scrapping today, getting a few required pages knocked out so I can work on my folk art doll.....finally! My goal is to get her started tomorrow. Wish me luck! Hope your Monday is happy!

Gutter Girlz and Random Miscellany

2008-11-16T03:46:00.006-05:00

The new Gutter Girlz prompt is UP!! If you haven't stopped by to wallow in the gutter yet....well, WHY NOT?? We'd love to see you there, and there are great prizes to be had. But you have to PLAY to WIN. If you're on the fence about it, or you've been MEANING to try one of the challenges, stop putting it off and just jump in! We'll keep a spot warm for you. :)
Here's my layout for the new challenge:

And now for the miscellany...
Pumpkin pancakes. Mmmmm....SO good. Hey, now that I can make them myself, who needs IHOP?

Check out this amazingly awesome fabric I scored at the thrift store! It's going to make such a fabulous dress for my doll....I can't wait to show you!

And finally...

Jacob is going through a very, um, expressive phase. It's hard to capture ALL of his different faces, but here's one of my favs. Not sure what this one means. To me, it says, "I have to poop." Makes me smile.

Recent Scrappiness

2008-11-13T10:58:00.006-05:00

I finished this layout last night for the Survivor challenge over at TallyScrapper. We had to use a poem for our journaling (hey, I like poetry), follow a Tim Holtz distressing technique (right up my alley), and use a frame around our pic reminiscent of vintage photos. Um, am I crazy or was this challenge MADE for ME?!!! Seriously! I LOVE how this one came out. Love it.

This layout is my first EVER 12x6! I followed the sketch from Challenge #97 at Lotus Paperie (where I believe they're introducing me today, yay!). These pictures are from 1999! Recognize them, Miranda? ;)

I figured I can include it in Alex's baby album pretty easily since the album is 12x12. I may even get crafty and sew down the approximate middle of a page protector, essentially resizing it. But that's not happening on THIS day. No, THIS day I have a headache. I'm pretty sure I've gone so long without my allergy medication that the sinus pressure has built until it's finally unbearable. I'll be going out today for drugs. Hopefully BEFORE my head explodes.

But first.....COFFEE! It just finished brewing, thank heaven. Have a happy Thursday!

Still in shock...

2008-11-12T08:30:00.002-05:00

I still can't believe it....I made the Design Team over at Lotus Paperie!! They made the announcement yesterday and I'll be introduced tomorrow!! I am just SO stinkin' excited! They're a challenge blog where you can find a new challenge every Friday.....here is my take on #96! My term will run for 6 months, from Dec-May, so I'll be getting a LOT of scrappin' done!

PS~The current challenge over there is #97, and it's a 6x12....I'll be working on that today with my layouts for the Survivor challenge and for Gutter Girlz. That's why I'm up so early, lol!

Before I go, I'd like to share a story with you. Last weekend I went to a crop with my friend Miranda, and somehow convinced her to go to the thrift store with me afterword, with the promise that we would NOT look at clothes. Because then we'd be lost in the racks for hours, and we were both kinda anxious to get home. Well....while browsing through the "junk" shelves, I found the most BEAUTIFUL vintage baby scale! My breath literally caught in my throat, and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped for a moment. Unfortunately the price tag was a bit more than I was willing to spend. So with a heavy heart I left it on the shelf, thinking there might be a small chance it would still be there when the store had a 50% off day. Imagine my surprise when Miranda, after asking me several times if I were crazy for being so head-over-heels in love with a slightly rusted and dusty old scale, decided she wanted to buy it for me! So THANK YOU, Miranda, you are my HERO! I cleaned up my beautiful treasure, and it's currently holding some of my craft books. Isn't it beautiful? *sigh*

Saying goodbye...

2008-11-10T18:19:00.010-05:00

Today was the day we saw 2 more brothers-in-law off to their training for Iraq. The local news was there, and AJ made the cut...you can see our little nephew Elijah in the video, too. HERE is the link. And in case the video isn't working, HERE is a link to the story. Be praying for them, okay? Ross, Emily, little Hunter and new baby (due this winter) and AJ, Vikki and baby Elijah. Thanks. Your thoughts and prayers mean so much.
ETA: Okay, they changed the video, so AJ's interview isn't in there anymore. (Probably because he wasn't crying.) But you can still see him hug Vikki and lean down and give Elijah a kiss in his stroller, and Ross is one of two guys they show at the front of the indoor formation. Rick and I think they missed out on a big story with Vikki's husband (whom she met in Iraq) going back over in the same unit as her brother.

Just in Case You Forgot...

2008-11-04T17:01:00.005-05:00

In my neck of the woods, the polls will be open for another half hour. That means that those of you on the west coast still have over three hours to get out there and VOTE if you haven't already. I'll be watching some of the news coverage tonight. Finally, after all these months, the payoff.....we'll get to see someone give their acceptance speech! May the best candidate win!

PS ~ Thank you to Rachel for the "I Voted" button! :)

And the Blog Candy winner is.....

2008-11-02T09:08:00.009-05:00

Heehee, sorry for my tardiness....there's a good reason, I promise! The winner of the drawing for a fabulous PINK prize in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month is:

vannasmom said...
wow , love all the pink on your blog!! go boobies!!
And I am also going to put that on my blog!!
are you also saving the little pink lids on yogurt??

Congrats, Dawn!! You were picked by my husband, using my oh-so-technical style of asking him for a number between 1 and whatever. :) I'll get your prize mailed out to you right away!

Now, the reason I was a day late, besides my addiction to Mob Wars (I'm level 11 now, by the way, lol) is that I've been working with the amazing Happy Holidays Card Kit from TallyScrapper! You'll be able to get your own on the 7th, and you won't want to miss out....here's what I've made so far:

...and I've still got a TON of stuff left to make at least a gazillion more cards! In case you don't hear from me for awhile, it's probably because I'm shaking my Christmas groove thang.

Oh, and better late than never.....here's my layout for the current GutterGirlz prompt:

Stop on over there and check it out! You have until the 14th to link up your creation.

Okay, I've got some cleaning to do before our company gets here....hope you all have a fabulous Sunday, and don't forget that Daylight Savings ended this morning.....set your clocks back!

They Call Me "The Percolator"

2008-10-31T21:58:00.005-04:00

Finally came up with my Mob name while sitting here with a sugar headache editing our Halloween photos. "The Percolator" seems just right, doesn't it? Okay, it's not REALLY a mob, it's just another Facebook application....but it's kinda fun! If you're on Facebook and decide you'd like to join my mob, just let me know and I may send you an invite. After I clear it with the Godfather, of course. Thus far, I have mugged and burgled, knocked over a liquor store, and performed several car jackings. Fun! No rival mob wars yet......but soon.

Okay, enough about my mafia game.....did everyone have a safe and happy Halloween? What costumes did you wear/dress your kids and/or pets in? Rick had to work, so we decided Jacob would wear a costume and come trick-or-treating with the big kids, as opposed to being strapped into a stroller and tagging along with mommy like a wee baby. So he was Batman, Jack was a magician, Maggie was a Scary Godmother, and Alex was a creepy clown. We had a lot of fun putting their costumes together, and the big kids did a pretty good job of looking out for the little ones. What wonderful weather we had, too! Usually Halloween is cold, windy and rainy. EVERY year, I swear, the temperature could be 80 degrees the day before, then the next night the temps plummet into the 40 degree range. With rain, wind and occasionally.....hail. It's ridiculous and it happens EVERY year. EXCEPT this year! We could hardly believe it! Got some great pics, and the kids all had FULL buckets of candy to get sick on for the rest of the year! Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, right after Christmas and just before Easter. (Uh, not calendar-wise, but favorites-wise, lol!)

We went trick-or-treating in the neighborhood I grew up in....this is the house I lived in for most of my childhood! Looks a bit more beat-up than I remembered....and they took out the plum-colored tree that grew right outside my window, the jerks! *sigh*

In spite of how grouchy they all look in this picture, they really WERE having fun trick-or-treating, lol!

Hope your Halloween was happy!

Tomorrow I'll announce the winner of my Breast Cancer Awareness Month RAK!

Just a Quick Pop-in!

2008-10-27T21:10:00.003-04:00

No time to blog! Too busy twittering and baking clay buttons! Finally done with those, got them listed in my etsy shoppe, and now I need to finish my GutterGirlz layout. Oh, AND my Survivor layout for this week! Yikes....at least my house is (mostly) clean! I'll update again soon!

More Etsy Goodies!

2008-10-23T18:58:00.003-04:00

I've been working the past couple of days on getting some kits and mini albums ready for listing, and they're available for sale now! My new mini album kit, Autumn Hearth:

And some upcycled mini grungeboard albums:

Later this week I'm hoping to add some clay buttons. Stay tuned!

Got Frozen Juice Lids?

2008-10-22T16:25:00.006-04:00

I've been saving the lids from frozen juice containers for awhile now, and just recently decided what to do with them..... and now I'm passing that on to you! I've been having a lot of fun making them.....Now here's my first blog tutorial: Juice Lid Mini Albums!

Supplies: patterned paper for the inside and outside "cover"
white cardstock for pages
adhesive
Crop-o-Dile
2 5/16" circle punch
2 frozen juice can lids
book ring
optional: spray paint, ink

Step 1: Spray paint juice lids, if desired. I like to use Krylon Fusion since it requires no priming and seems to "stick" to almost anything.

Step 2: Using your 2 5/16" circle punch, punch 2 circles from each of your patterned papers and about 10-12 circles from your white cardstock.

Step 3: Ink the edges of your patterned paper, if desired, then adhere to both sides of each juice lid. HINT: The side with the raised edge will be the INSIDE of your album.

I wanted the butterfly to be on the outside of my album, so I adhered it to the flatter side of the lid.

Step 4: With the raised edge of the lid facing UP, use your Crop-o-Dile to punch a hole approx. 1/2" from the edge.

Step 5: Using this first hole as a guide, line up the second album cover where you want it and mark where the hole will go. Punch with the Crop-o-Dile.

Step 6: Do the same with your pages. Use the Crop-o-Dile again to punch through the entire page stack at once. You can use a binder clip to secure them together for punching, if you like.

Step 7: Put your album together using the book ring! Easy peasy! And now you'll be a juice-lid-saving addict like me. :)

I've been crafting this week to keep my mind off our very stressful financial situation....no more on that except to say that we got some good news today that takes away some of that stress! Which obviously puts me in the mood to blog, finally! Here's a card I made for The Art is Found blog. Their prompt this time is board games! Since our kids destroyed our CandyLand game, I made sure to salvage what I could and used one of the little men for this card. I just love those little candy men!

I've been on a little bit of a card-making kick lately.....here are some more:

Sorry for the bad scan on the last one...my scanner didn't like those buttons!

Okay, must go and put some kids down for a nap, I think. If I sound distracted, it's because I can barely concentrate through all the arguing, wailing, and general freaking out that's going on around me right now! ::sigh::

Hope you enjoyed my first blog tutorial and have a happy Wednesday!

Some Halloween Freebies

2008-10-20T15:15:00.001-04:00

You have to check this out....free downloads of some amazing label art by Love Manor. Seriously. Awesome. Found out about them through THIS site, which has loads of other freebies. Don't say I never gave you anything! :)

Scrapiness

2008-10-16T12:03:00.005-04:00

As promised, the pages I completed at the Rally last weekend!

This one was for the challenge over at Dream Girls...we had to use black & pink, lace, and NO patterned paper.

These next two layouts were done using sketch challenges issued by Christine. We had one hour to work with a random sketch picked from a magazine, and another hour to follow a Love, Elsie recipe card. It was a lot of fun! I think I may have gone a *tad* over the time limit though. I was too busy socializing to pay attention to such things as deadlines!

In other news, my dad is in town from Virginia this week to help my grandma set up her new shed in the backyard. I need to clean the house today because I think he'll be stopping by here later!

Oh, and I almost forgot! I just put my first mini-album kit up for sale in my etsy store! This one's called "Taste of the Orient," and it includes Japanese rice paper, some pages from a book written in Oriental characters, and two paper umbrellas. Fun stuff! I'll be making plain mini albums to sell and putting together another kit with an Autumn theme hopefully by the end of this week.

Okay, I need to get off the computer and commence with the cleaning! Ugh. Have a happy Thursday!

I'm Back....

2008-10-15T11:41:00.007-04:00

....from the TallyRally in South Carolina and the longest road trip EVAH!! lol Looking back, I'd make the trip again in a heartbeat, but it was a LOT longer than I expected. For some reason, I thought the total trip would be about 9 or 10 hours. Instead, the ride down (for me) was 15 hours....coming home took 13. Add those two numbers, I dare you! Betcha come up with more hours than there are in a day, just like I did when I added them. Good thing the four of us got along so well!

We had a radio show hosted by Rachel on Saturday night, and there may have been some drinking involved....you can listen to that HERE. Anything said about me was most likely a blatant lie, I'll just tell you that up front. Heehee! Here's a random shot of our scrap area....the store was really nice and the cottage was beautiful, thanks so much to Jan for organizing this for us!!

We got to meet TallyNerd, the co-creator of Tally and our official tech support....he's such a great guy! And, as evidenced by this photo, a really good sport about letting a bunch of deranged and slightly drunk women have their way with him. Thanks, Nerd! :)

You can see more pictures HERE in our Flickr group!

All right, I've gotta get going....got lots of projects that need done TODAY and I haven't even started yet. Next post I'll show you some of the layouts I got done at the Rally....all three of them, lol!

Some reminders before I go:
The new prompt is up over at GutterGirlz today, so be sure to check that out! We did a swap with the Dream Girls this time, so if you want to see what WE did, make sure you stop by their site, too. :)
The October kit at Tally is available for sale today! It's been designed by the uber-talented Staci Compher and it totally ROCKS!! I can't place an order until tomorrow, so if there's not one available for me, I'm pretty sure I'll cry. So, on second thought, just ignore this particular reminder. You wouldn't want to see me cry, would you?

For My Rachel....

2008-10-08T13:24:00.002-04:00

Big changes coming to my blog soon....hopefully before I leave for vacation in the wee hours of Friday morning. Stay tuned! :)

Worst Week Ever

2008-10-06T08:51:00.003-04:00

This was supposed to be the week I was documenting for the project on Ali Edward's blog, and it's just been AWFUL!! A whole lot of miscellaneous "little things" and then Grandpa McDiarmid had a stroke and passed away over the weekend. Thankfully, we were able to say goodbye, and now his suffering is over, but losing him is still hard.

I think I'm allergic to our apartment, and Claritin isn't helping. I've had a stuffy, runny, sneezy nose pretty much ever since we moved here. Wonder if my weekend retreat will help clear me up? Maybe I'm allergic to my rats? *sigh*

Sorry for such a bummer of a post. It was a rough weekend.

Some Never-Before-Seen Creations

2008-10-02T18:54:00.005-04:00

Recently I created two projects for the first ever Jenni Bowlin Design Team search.....projects that I couldn't share until the contest was officially over. Well, I'm proud to say that even though I wasn't one of the three winners, I DID get a second email requesting more info....and only 14 of us were being considered! That makes me feel really good! You should hop over to Jenni's blog and congratulate the winners...some really beautiful stuff over there, and I can't wait to see what they come up with for future kits! For the contest, we were supposed to make a layout and an altered project using the August kit. Here's what I came up with!

This is the typeset tray I found at that barn sale in Nappanee this summer!
(You can click on any picture to view it larger.)

I also added some new calendar tags to my etsy shoppe.

I plan to add some mini album kits soon. Be on the lookout for those, they'll be awesome!

Sorry I don't really have much personal news to share....I've been feeling kinda blah today. Probably because of the rain? Rent is due and I'm stressing about money? I've only had half a cup of coffee today? Who knows why, but I've spent the day feeling kinda sad and mopey. Tomorrow will be better! And Survivor is on tonight! Whoo-HOO, I feel better already! :)

Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY this month! Check it out HERE!! Happy Thursday!