Dabble Dabble Do

Weekend Plans

2009-09-16T08:47:00.005-05:00

This weekend, I am going to Graceland! Well, I am going to Memphis, Tennessee and will be visiting Graceland. I'm taking my Mother there for her birthday, and it will be just a quick little weekend trip.

The other "must do" on my list, will be Sun Studio.

I hear that this is a must see, and I will be staying down on Beale Street, so it won't be too far out of the way. I believe that this is the recording studio where Elvis got his big break. I'm sure I will know much more about it real soon!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful (and speedy) week! Weekend here we come!

Blog Candy Alert!

2009-09-07T09:12:00.003-05:00

Over at Kath's Blog, she is celebrating moving into her new crafting cubbyhole, by having a wonderful giveaway! Hop on over there and take some time to poke around, because she is one crafty lady. Here is just part of what is up for grabs...

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T08:51:00.003-05:00

Happy Labor Day! I am lucky enough to work for a business that actually closes for this holiday! It's the first time in my adult life that I have actually gotten a paid day off on Labor Day! Usually, I've always worked for a business that does not close (retail and medical services).

I hope that everyone is enjoying their weekend so far. And...I hope that if you are off of work today, you are not busy with household chores. Truly take the day off! And for all of my stay-at-home Mom friends.... no bill paying, meal planning, grocery shopping, appointment making, dishes, laundry, or even cooking if you can escape it (and the thousand other things that are way too long to list)!

August?

2009-08-30T15:19:00.007-05:00

I think that Fall is sneaking up on us very early this year! It's freezing cold here today. Okay, well it's maybe upper 60's, but it FEELS very cold! I'm alright with it though, because I am done, done, done with Summer, and ready for Fall! Before you know it, we will all be feeling these blues....

I made a Halloween card and tag today. The tag turned out more black than the card, and the orange scanned ALOT brighter than it really is, but oh well! I think even if the camera was behaving itself, I would not have had enough sunlight today to take a decent photo.

I think that next weekend, I am going to take a little shopping trip (will have to go further than Walmart), and look at new cameras. Also, I think that I need to get some stamps. All of my cards and tags are starting to look the same! Plus, I need some new papers! Woo Hoo! Now I can't wait! I had better read up on stamping a little bit to see what all I should get.

Update on my job for those of you who know that I kind of loathed it awhile back...I tried to quit a few weeks ago (I can't remember if I put that on here or not). They talked me into staying. I moved to a different department...and well...I kind of like it a lot better now. I'm stubborn, and I hate to admit it, but yes, I do like it now. Don't get me wrong....I don't LoVe it! I like it. I mean, you know, I can live it with it!

I hope that you all had a great weekend. It ended way too fast!

The Good Mail!

2009-08-16T21:32:00.000-05:00

I received this fantastic, super cute shaker card from the super cool Jeannie from Jeannie's Happy World! Even during my loooooong break from blogging, Jeannie stayed right there, sending me the Good Mail, and emails. I couldn't get my camera to see things my way today, so this scan is the best that I could come up with. No way does it do the card the justice it deserves! Thank you so much Jeannie!

She has inquired about any craftiness that has been going on around here, and really the only thing that I have FINISHED lately is these little Halloween tags. Again, the scanner!

The Plan Was....

2009-08-16T17:26:00.006-05:00

...to stick to the plan! The Walmart plan that is. Yep. I did it again yesterday. I went to Walmart, and here is how it went down (imagine the theme song to "Mission Impossible" while reading) and I will warn you now, it is a long story...

Time: 5:30am, Saturday morning, I shot straight up in bed and said out loud, "I'm going to Walmart to get a Cricut". I had a couple of cups of Java and then got ready. On the way over there, (it is about a 20 minute drive), I reviewed the plan in my mind. For those of you thinking..."wow, she makes a really big deal out of going to Walmart"... you are right. I do. I completely l-0-a-t-h going to Walmart!

Where was I? Oh yeah, I drove into town, and BAM! obstacle number one - a farmers market in the church parking lot. keep driving, keep driving, not part of the plan.... I continued on. I pulled into the parking lot, and as planned, I parked very, very, far away. Why? Because when I come out to leave, and the parking lot has become a crowded mess, I won't have anybody pressuring me to hurry up by rudely honking their horn and sitting behind me with their blinker on so that I will leave my nice up-close spot sooner. I will have time to open my soda, open my gum, find the radio station that I want to listen to, put some chapstick on, see how much cash I have for any other stops on the way home, etc, and etc.

Where was I? Oh yeah, I get out of the car and head on inside. The plan is to 1) grab a cart (working wheels or not), 2) take a right and cut through the clothing department, 3) skip across an aisle and cut through electronics, 4) RUN across another aisle and cut across the hunting/fishing mess, 5) make myself temporarily blind and sprint to the dismal craft department. BAM! Vaseline Advanced Healing Lotion-30% free! BAM! Breakthrough technology in colorstay lipstick! BAM! DVD's 2/$10.00! BAM! Candles..pretty smelly Candles! I suck at Walmart! The trick to Walmart is to stay away from the main aisles! That is where they suck you in, and make you pay.

So, after an hour or so, I make it back to the craft department to find the Cricuts. Oh they have 'em all right. They have them all wrapped up in cord, with an alarm on it, and is ticking with a flashy little light. I mean seriously, It's a big butt box. How in the WORLD would you even begin to think about stealing it! So I heave it into the cart, throw in a spatula (because they say you need a spatula), and try to scope out the cartridges. TRY. They are hanging on those long peg things, and they are locked on there somehow. You can't get them off of there to look at the backs of the boxes to see what the biz is all about. So after some impressive Yoga style moves, I was able to twist my head around and check the backs out, and picked out the one that I wanted to buy. Off to the fabric cutting table to ring the bell, as I have not seen a worker since I set foot into the store! The tween that responded to the bell, had no idea how to get the cartridges off of the wall. She said that she would go get the camera lady, she might know. In the meantime, a couple of scruffy looking worker guys (I believe from automotives) came to check the situation out. They stood there contemplating all of the possibilities. Eventually the photo lady arrived. She held in her hand, this thingy. Apparently the thing that would free the cartridge, and let me be on my way. "This one, right here" I said. Did she jump into action? NO! Her, automotive dudes, and tween began discussing what the cartridges are for, and why they were under lock and key. Then they began pointing out other things that were nearby that were more expensive and were NOT under lock and key! "This one, right here" I said again. Two seconds. No lie, that is how long it took photo lady to release me from the hell that lies in the craft aisle at Walmart!

Away I went. I had wanted to get something else, but at that point, I couldn't remember what it was! I was heading to the checkout and BAM! I smell food! I went over and checked out the hot food counter, and it looked good (saucy chicken things) but it was only 8:30 in the morning. I skipped it. I had to get out of there! BAM! Country Sampler, Get Set for Fall edition!

Back to the checkout. And when I say checkout, I mean the one and only checkout out of what, like 20 that was open. A Harley Davidson couple was in front of me. Buying roughly a 1/2 dozen cases, of each liquid, sold by the case, that Walmart has to offer. In the speedy lane, or whatever it's called...the 6 items or less lane. Wait. Wait. Price check on a case of water. Wait. OOh, my turn. Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep. I'm done. Heading for the finish line..... "Please stop, and return to the store. You have stolen something. You are a criminal". Okay, the alarm thing may not say that, actually I have no idea what it was saying, but I knew that it was saying it to me. Greeter lady meandered over, and by the time she got there, I had the cartridge out. As she approached, I said "it's either this (pointing to the Cricut), or this (jabbing the cartridge at her)". At this point, I would write...to make a long story short....but if you are still reading this, I'm guessing trying to shorten this now will not make one bit of difference!

Where was I? Oh yeah. She shuffled over to the wall and picked up this scanner type of gun. I'm guessing to demagnetize whatever set the alarm off. She waved it over the bar code on the Cricut, then waved it over the bar code on the cartridge. Each time, saying it's not that. I asked her if she needed my receipt. Okay, she said. (WTH!, Wouldn't you have asked me that immediately if you were "head security" at WalFART!) So I gave it to her. She looked it over. And she pointed to the figure that represents last weeks paycheck and said is that for this thing? Yes, that is the big electronic gadget that is taking up the whole inside of the cart. And this (pointing to the $60.00 that was listed next to the cartridge)? I waved the cartridge in her face again. Then, she opened my bag, took out the $2.00 stickers that I had bought, and waved the magic wand over it. I kid you not. She looked at me and said that she didn't know what was going on, but I could go ahead and leave. "Are you sure, I don't want this thing to be broke or something and me try to return it, and not be able to because the stupid alarm goes off! Write it down! Write these two things down, on your clipboard". I told her. I told her good! She wrote it down. And I left. Two blocks later, I remembered: Tamales. I wanted to get some Tamales. Crap.

I have no little crafty thing to show yet, because I spent the whole day and night cutting stuff out! I haven't assembled anything yet, because I love cutting the stuff out! I'm happy that I got it. I'm pretty sure that I will have alot of fun with it!

I have no style!

2009-08-09T21:20:00.004-05:00

Well...not just one style anyway! That has always been my decorating problem, I like too many different things!

I really love this dish set! I like the theme, because well, I like just about anything that relates to the ocean, but I LOVE the colors too!

Problem is...... I love these too! And why?....because I love the colors! I think that I am done, done, done with Summer. I am ready for Fall!

And let's not leave these out! Now, I am not a big "rooster" person. However, I am a "Fat Chef" kind of person. Who knew that this kind of goodness could come out of combining the two! I love these dishes (again, could be the color....)!

A Day Off of Work And Nothing To Show For It!

2009-08-04T16:52:00.003-05:00

Well, today I am off of work. I work this coming Saturday, and when that happens, I get a day off during the week. I got up bright and early and was dead set on going to Walmart (a.k.a. the Devil) to purchase a Cricut or whatever they had. Unfortunately to go Satan's Store, I have to drive over to the neighboring town (7 miles one way) which is where I drive everyday to go to work. I thought long and hard about it this weekend, and I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that I had to have a Cricut. I drove the seven miles in a thunderstorm (because I had to have a Cricut). I circled the parking lot 3 times (because I had to have a Cricut) looking for a space up close so I wouldn't have a long walk back to the car with my new purchase in the pouring down rain, and deadly lightening. I dodged the "greeter", grabbed a broken, germ infested cart, and made a mad dash to the dismal crafting section (because I HAD TO HAVE A CRICUT).

There they were. Two different sizes (each with two very different prices). There were two of the BIG boxes (with the BIG price) sitting there. Only one of the smaller sized contraptions were left, and it had most definitely been returned. It was all beaten up, and it had this anti-theft thingy all wrapped around it. I lugged one of each out to the middle of the aisle and began reading what little there was to read on the outside of the boxes. I stood back up and saw that they had about 10 different "cartridges" that you could purchase (maybe not even 10). You could not take them off of the thing-a-ma-bobs that they were hanging on without some super secret Walmart key or some crap. As I stood there looking down at the Cricut machines, then up to the cartridges, I realized...I have no idea what the hell these things really do! If I buy one, will it do anything at all without the million dollar cartridge? Will I plug the thing in, just to have it say "insert _______ now to begin enjoying last weeks paycheck"?

So I stood there, thinking....surely some fabulous crafty person will come along and tell me everything that I need to know about this thing. I waited. I waited. I lugged the two machines off of the floor. Put them back on the shelf. Threw some Martha Stewart corner punch thing in the cart. Grabbed 3 little things of ribbon that were on sale, and headed for the checkout.

So...I still do not have a Cricut or anything else. I would have gladly gotten something else, but the Cricuts are all that they had. What to do, What to do! What DO they DO!? Anybody out there have this thing? Do you like it? If I get one, will I need to drop another couple hundred bucks just to get a circle or a star out of the dumb thing? GRRRR!

Hello Everyone!

2009-08-02T11:52:00.003-05:00

It's been so long since I've posted, I have almost forgotten how to do it! Same thing, different day....so not much to talk about! Let's see, what is new.... Well, I quit my job last week...but they talked me into staying. It really has turned out to be a miserable place to work. Everyone is in a really bad mood because we are apparently busier than ever before, and it is not letting up. The moment that you walk in the door, you are defeated. It's a bummer, but the owner does seem to be trying to help the situation. We seem to be the only gig in town that is hiring right now, and believe it or not, we do not get many applicants! If it wasn't for our ads in the "help wanted" sections, there would not be a "help wanted" section!

I was going to to set sail down the Mississippi River at the end of September with my Aunt on her sailboat. We were going to take a couple of months and work our way down to the Florida Keys. Plans have changed though. We have decided that we are not giving ourselves enough time to prepare for that kind of journey, so we are going to re-evaluate the situation in one year. It makes sense to wait, but it was a cool idea while it lasted. There is a lot of preparation and planning for a trip like that, and we were only giving ourselves 6 weeks to get ready. Most people take at least 1 year to plan this sort of thing!

I am looking at Cricuts and Cuttlebugs online, and thinking about heading out to Walmart today to get one. Any suggestions? I don't have a clue how to use either one of them, or which one is better...Or what they even really do! The weather here has seemed very "fall like" lately, and it has me back in a crafty mood! I woke up today with a touch of the Halloween Bug. I have vowed to not buy a single scrap of new paper until I use up what I already have, but I need new inspiration! I think I need one of these machines...I think...Do I need it?

Anywho...thank you to everyone that has sent me emails during my very long absence. Although I have been gone, you all have not been forgotten! I am trying to get some catching up done today as far as blogs go. I have missed out on so much!

Rainbow Bridge

2009-04-26T19:30:00.002-05:00

Rainbow Bridge

Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge.
There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together.
There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by.
The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...

I had to have JJ put to sleep on Friday April 23, 2009. He's been with my family for 13 years, and the Vet believes that he was probably 2 or 3 years old when he came to live with us. About a week and a half ago, he had a minor stroke. He bounced back from it literally within 15 minutes. Then last Wednesday, he had another one, but that one was major. When I got home from work, he was lying in the back room, and would not get up on his own to walk. I finally got him to stand, but he couldn't make his left side do what he wanted it to do. We made an appointment at the Vet for him, but they couldn't see him until the next morning. We decided if he wasn't any better, that he would have to be put to sleep. The next morning he hadn't improved. He still bit at his favorite ball, and wagged his tail, but there was no will to get up, eat or drink any water. We kept the appointment, and my Mom said the Vet was really great with him. I couldn't stand to be there, so I went on to work. We had a little "ceremony" for him that evening, and he's resting beside the creek on my brothers property.

It's amazing how a pet can altar your life without even knowing it. It has been a very boring weekend. The house is quiet, and I have stopped what I'm doing a million times to glance down to see if JJ is under my feet! I know that we did the right thing for him, as I would never want him to spend one more second than he had to being scared, or hurting. He will be missed though.

A Looonnggggg Winters Nap!

2009-04-09T21:08:00.002-05:00

I have been absent. For a LONG time! I want to officially and publicly say "thank you" to those of you who have emailed me, wondering where the heck I have been! I took a break from blogging and just the internet in general. My not so new job is super hectic right now. It seems that I started during our "busy season". I am on the internet all day at work, and I was finding it really hard to come home and even think about turning the computer on! I'm back now though. Sadly, I have forgotten how to change my banner, add hyper links etc. I'll get the hang of it again though.

I hope that everyone is well. I am going to a baseball game this weekend, and hopefully Sunday evening I will have some time to stop by and visit everyone. I really need to catch up!

By the way, I finished the Twilight series. It seems like forever ago now, but I read all four books in about 5 days. I L♥ved them!

Two Books And A Movie Review!

2009-02-24T12:55:00.006-06:00

I have the day off from work! No, I didn't call off, it's my scheduled day. I have some serious house cleaning that I want to get done. I also want to find some new tunes for my IPOD. And I want to spend a couple of hours reading. I am reading two books right now, and I thought I would share a little bit of my opinion of them with you all. Now remember everyone, I am BEHIND the times! Let me just go ahead and get this one out of the way!

I am so Behind the times, that I think this is some kind of generic book cover or something. It took me forever to find a picture of it! I found tons of sites that had the hands holding the apple. It made me wonder if I was reading the right book! I was at Walmart last weekend, and finally remembered to look for it. There it was, in paperback for $5.95. Well, I couldn't pass it up. Normally I would buy the hardback, as I just prefer the "feel" of a hardback book over a paperback. If I really get into it, I will go back and spring for the good one. I'm only on page 32 right now, but I think that I am going to like it. I'll keep you posted.

This next one, I started about two weeks ago, and I am having a hard time with it! It started off weird, and it keeps getting weirder. I don't really like it, but I have to know how it ends. Again, behind the times. I would LOVE to go see the Broadway Production, but for now I will struggle through the book. I actually prefer to read a book before seeing the movie or stage performance. So here it is...

I am about half way done with it, and it's my goal to finish it before the end of the week. I keep hoping that there will be that "Ah-Ha" moment where it all comes together, and the weirdness of it all makes so much sense. We'll see!

And I am throwing this review in here as a treat just for you. Go ahead, yell at me.....blow off some steam...throw something at the monitor...kick me out of the chick flick club...question my judgment for what I am about to write...I watched this the other night...

...and I don't like it. There, I said it. I didn't hate it (not like I hate "Fargo"!), but I didn't like it.

The first time I watched it, I got into my favorite PJ's, I sat down with my supper and my favorite blanket, and pushed the play button expecting great things! .......hmmm.......

The second time I watched it (same night), I turned on the sing-a-long feature, turned the surround sound on, and sang along to the great ABBA songs!......hmmmmm........

The third time I watched it, (next night), I had been out to dinner and had a couple of drinks. I came home and poured one more glass of wine, scooted the foot stool out of the way, turned on the surround sound, turned on the sing-a-long feature, and danced and sang while I watched it!

Still. Nothing. I must be doing something wrong, because people LOVE this movie! I love musicals. I even liked "Moulin Rouge" for crying out loud.

What movies did you have high expectations for, that left you feeling like the odd one out?

My Favorite Picture

2009-02-22T16:47:00.003-06:00

Jeannie over at Jeannie's Happy World is having a celebration this week, as it's her Blogiversary!! She has started off this sure to be fun week with a challenge. It is to post our favorite picture, and go back and leave a link to it in her comments. Why, you ask! Well, for one Jeannie's super cool and alot of fun, and I like blogging with her, and two...there's a prize! Of course there is a prize!

So here is my favorite picture. It is from the first full day of a vacation that I took a couple of years ago. And yes the time is correct....I was up at 5:00am, because I was not going to miss my first sunrise in the islands! I have many pictures from this trip that I think are very pretty, but this one just says it all to me. So, it's my fave!

Trash to Treasure??

2009-02-22T09:21:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! Later on today, I will be posting a new tag, but I had to throw an extra one in here to tell you a little bit about my new project. And this will be a long post, as I feel that you need a little background information to truly appreciate this story! Many bloggers post pictures of things that they found in thrift stores, and make them over to be cute as heck. Well....My Aunt stopped by yesterday morning all excited. Her exact words were, "Wait 'til I tell you about the stupid thing that I have done"! Translation: "I bought something that I don't need...yes another thing, that could potentially be alot of fun, but I will need your help with it....ALOT of help with it, and we will probably never use it". It's been a while since I've heard these words.

The last time, it ended up being a peddle boat (paddle boat, I'm not sure which one it's called). She agreed to buy it from a guy (man child) through an email based on a picture that she saw on Craig's List. The guy lived in the boondocks of Missouri, and we had to go NOW to snag it before someone else got it. We headed out in one of her 3 vehicles (the one that we might possibly be able to squeeze a boat into the back of), to what ended up being a scene right out of the movie Deliverance. To top it off, she had Obama stickers all over her vehicle (that she had put on), AND Confederate Flag stickers, that the PREVIOUS owner had put on, that she had never taken off. We got alot of confused and sometimes nasty looks. After stopping and asking for directions from a young couple and their 3 kids (none of which were wearing shoes, walking along side the road), we wound our way deeper into the woods passing shanty after shanty, while keeping to the main road as we were instructed to do. I'm not judging...any one of these folks could have been related to me, I'm just sayin'! We finally came to a lake and found the house.

The guy came out to greet us, and his Mother yelled from inside their home "Don't you bring those people in here"! Uh yeah, no problem at all with that lady! We walked down the hill to what they called a dock and there was the boat. Of course my Aunt wanted to take it for a spin in the freezing cold weather. I declined and suggested the owner go out with her. He admitted that he couldn't swim, and kept standing up and almost falling out of the boat. Fiinally, they finished their business, money was handed over, and the boat was all hers! We left without it, and she had to go pick it up with a vehicle more suited to stow a boat in the back. We've used it once since she's had it.

Why did she need a peddle boat in the first place you ask....You see, my family are boaters. Not ski boaters, but live onboard boaters. My Brother has a houseboat (we call it the floating camper, as it's one of the smallest boats at the yacht club where it is docked). My Aunt has a sailboat (a pretty respectable one), and it's docked at the same place. There is about 1/2 a football fields length by water between them. When we head down for the weekend, we need a boat to go back and forth, because it is too long of a walk to take the road back and forth. Now, we had went to the bowels of Missouri the year before the peddle boat era, and picked up a dinghy for this very purpose, but it still has never made it to the yacht club. Neither has the peddle boat. We use the peddle boat at the small lake here in town (once), that also is home to the 2 other smaller sailboats that she owns, which we have each been out on the lake only once. My brother took it to his lake lot (once) and let the kids use it, so he wouldn't have to take them for rides in his fishing boat.

When she got the larger sailboat (it's large enough to have comfortable living quarters), she wanted to sell the pop-up camper that she owned, after all, it had been years since she had used it. I told her not to sell it, I would probably use it. All I needed to do was have the zipper repaired, get it painted, and it would be good to go. It's mine, but I haven't seen it yet, because she hasn't hauled it up here from Missouri. So, technically it is still hers, since it is not in my possesion and it was coming to me free of charge.

So that brings us back to her visit yesterday. And all I will say is...do you remember these famous lines from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation...."Shi##ers Full"!

Yep. She bought another camper. AND....the seller threw the truck in! Yep, they both came with the deal, and she found them on Craig's List! She has a truck already that she bought off of Craig's List, last year. This latest one is a late 1990's model, and honestly isn't that bad. The interior is practically brand new looking. The camper is a 1970's model. My whole family likes to camp, and stay the weekend on the boats, but ANOTHER camper? Don't get me wrong, it could be fixed up inside and be alot of fun, but I would bet my bottom dollar that it won't get used anymore than the boats or the lake lot or the cabin. So anyway, it's my job to get it cleaned up and decorated. It has a kitchen, 3 sleeping areas (including the table/sitting area that lays out into a bed), a bathroom with a sink, toilet and shower, a furnace, and an air conditioner. Here is what I have to work with...

This is the couch that lays out into a good sized bed, and it has a bunk bed over it. The bathroom is on the left here, but you can't really see the door in this picture.

The kitchen and dining area, that lays out into a good sized bed.

A very blurry shot of the kitchen.

So these are the before pictures. My brother is assessing the condition of the flooring, walls, counter top, furnace and various holding tanks today. And after he gets that all squared away, I will be put in charge of cleaning it, making curtains and bedding, and decorating it. I'll keep you updated on my progress, but I know that it will be slow going. As soon as the ice on the Mighty Miss cracks up a little, we'll all be back into boating, and this will go forgotten!

Tag You're It...Love and Romance

2009-02-15T19:06:00.004-06:00

This week over at Tag You're It, the theme is Love and Romance. They have a special prize this week also, and the winner will be chosen at random from the participants! Again, please forgive the photography. I just can't seem to find the spot in the house to take a good picture! And now I can also see that it is blurry! I was in a hurry taking it, because Extreme Makeover Home Edition is on, and I have to watch Ty Pennington every Sunday....

The tag is made from the back cardboard of a used up legal pad! I love saving them, and cutting them up for tags and other crafty things. I hope that you all had a lovely weekend, and thanks for stopping in for a visit!

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

2009-02-14T11:55:00.002-06:00

Tag You're It & A Lovely Surprise!

2009-02-08T16:22:00.007-06:00

Hi all! I hope that everyone's weekend has gone well. The challenge over at Tag You're It this week is a sketch challenge. The paper and flowers are some of the goodies that were sent to me by my bloggy friend Dawn from Crafty Ramblings. The rest of it is just bits and pieces from my stash. Thanks for taking a peak at it.

I had a very aggravating day at work Saturday, and was more than happy when the time came to clock out and come home. When I got home, I found a package in the mailbox! It was from my bloggy friend Nicolle from Boyd's Crazy Mama! She is such a sweetheart, and sent me the perfect things to put a smile on my face. AND!!!!....I now have a Valentine hanging on my fridge! Thank you so much Nicolle and Boyd!

I've decided that the glare on Boyd's Valentine is not from my poor picture taking....It is his bright smile lighting up the room! That's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Oh Happy Day!

2009-02-04T22:46:00.004-06:00

Hi everyone! Whew, I am actually getting to throw a post in mid-week! I was off from work today and spent time doing the things that I have fallen way behind on! Like, taking my car to the shop, going grocery shopping, cleaning house, doing laundry, sifting through a bundle of lovely goodies that I got in the mail! Yep, I got a lovely surprise today in the mail. Dawn over at Crafty Ramblings won a prize. She had a little contest to see if anyone could guess what she won, and she gave us the clue..."it starts with the letter F". Well, I instantly thought of Fiskars, and I was right! Dawn won a Fiskars 4 in 1 Corner Embossing Punch and she sent a prize to me for guessing correctly! Now remember folk, I am no photographer so this picture is borderline lousy and doesn't do the goodies justice!

Look at all of this lovely stuff! There is loads of various papers, some laces, borders, stamped cardstock, a baggie full of little embellishments, envelopes and cards, and things that I'm not sure what to call but they are pretty! I can't wait to make something this weekend! I'm hoping to use some of it in the Tag You're It challenge, which by the way Dawn is on their Design Team!

She also sent this card along with everything. I am thrilled to have received a handcrafted card from her, because well...her cards are truly amazing!

Thank you so much Dawn! I truly love every item that you sent! I hope that I can incorporate some it into a challenge or two this weekend!

Tag You're It...Purple!

2009-02-01T00:00:00.000-06:00

Well, it's week 43 over at Tag You're It! The challenge this week is to create a Purple Tag. The inspiration for my tag is simply this: I had that purple friends embellishment, and I have made alot of new friends through my blog! That's it. I built the rest of the tag around that. I still couldn't get a very decent picture, but the colors in the photo this week are very close to real life at least! Please excuse the artificial greenery in the background! And PLEASE if you enlarge it and see any dust, don't say anything because I will just simply die of embarrassment! Ha!

The purple theme was chosen this week, because they have a lovely guest, Michelle from Purple Onion Designs. And, Michelle has donated some stamps to be given away to one lucky winner this week! If you have thought about joining in on the fun at Tag You're It, this is a good week to get started! All you have to do is create your purple tag, then leave a link in the comment section at Tag You're It! Hope to see you there, and thank you for looking!

Photo Challenge!

2009-01-31T23:03:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! Boy, have I missed a lot in blogland this week! I can't wait until Spring, because I just know that I will have more time through the week to keep up with everyone. For some reason, coming home from work when it is dark outside, makes me feel like the day is done. I instantly get into the PJ's and chill! It's the same every night...Dog outside...PJ's...throw in some laundry if need be...throw some supper together...TV programs...Dog outside...then it's bedtime. I'll feel better when it stays light out until near 9pm!!!

I am way late on getting this posted, but Dawn over at Crafty Ramblings has chosen me for a Photo Challenge! I am to go to my sixth picture folder and choose the sixth picture in that folder and post about it. I am going to just tell you all the truth. I did not use my sixth picture folder because it is full of nothing but the tags and cards that you have already seen! So...I went to folder number seven and counted that one as the sixth. With all of that being said, the sixth folder is of my Brothers 40th birthday party out at his step sons place. We all sat around the pond and fished, then headed inside for supper and cake. I didn't spend THAT much time outside because 1) it was hot as hades outside and 2) there was a baseball game on that I wanted to watch!

The sixth picture in the folder is of my Brother helping his nephew with the fishing pole. There is a bit of a funny store about my Brother and his nephew. This little one here, is my Brothers' wife's' nephew. It is HER sisters' little boy. My Sister-in-law and the wee one here are blood relatives. Are you following me so far??? The little boy ADORES my Brother. He was asked one time if he would like to go and see his Aunt Cheryl. He replied, "Do you mean Uncle Jeff's wife?". He never calls his Aunt by name, he simply calls her "Uncle Jeff's wife". Isn't that funny! Anyway, my brother put one of those rubbery bright and glittery worms on his line for him. He took it off, and carried it around with him the entire day. His Mother said that he insisted on taking a bath with it, and took it to bed with him that night!

I am to choose 6 people to forward this challenge to, but I just can't leave anyone out! I would love to see more pictures from all of you! So feel free to accept this challenge, and please come back here and leave me a comment if you participate. I want to stop by for a visit to see what you came up with! Take care everyone, I'll be back with another post tomorrow!

Tag You're It: Numbers!

2009-01-25T21:00:00.003-06:00

Hello everyone! I hope that you have had a lovely weekend. The challenge over at Tag You're It this week is Numbers. We were to create a tag that included numbers in the design. After much struggling, and too little time, I came up with one! I knew right away that I would do a tag involving a birthday. My SIL's 5oth will be coming up, so I made one for her. I'm sure that we will have some kind of a "make fun of her because she is getting up there" party, so I ran with it. Again this week, I feel that my creative mojo has stalled or something.

On a side note...I have finished my first full two weeks at the new job! I really do like it! It's new and interesting and doesn't feel like work at all! I have more of a routine down now, so hopefully I will be able to keep the blog updated a little better than I have been. Thanks for visiting!

Tag You're It: Sugar Candy Kisses

2009-01-18T13:26:00.006-06:00

The theme over at Tag You're It this week is, Sugar Candy Kisses. I knew that I wanted to do something with sweets, but not for Valentines Day. First just let me say, this is one of those projects where I couldn't just leave well enough alone. I just kept adding and adding and couldn't stop. I'm not very happy with it, but it's done! I did find out that cupcakes are not that easy to just whip up out of paper (at least for me)! In addition to the previous problems, there is no light whatsoever in the house today! It is dark and dreary, so the picture turned out like....well not good. Thank you for taking a look!

I couldn't decide which picture turned out better. So here is one in different light.

Celebrating The Weekend and an Award!

2009-01-17T13:25:00.006-06:00

Hi everyone! I can't begin to tell you all how happy I am to have the time this morning to catch up on all of the blogs that I enjoy reading! When I started my blog a few months ago, I didn't even really know why I was doing it. I somehow stumbled onto some craft blogs, and enjoyed reading them. I didn't even really know what the blog world was all about! So I hopped on board thinking that I would never have anything to post about, or would probably lose interest. That has turned out to NOT be the case! I enjoy it very much, and feel that I have made some lovely friends here.

Audrey from Audrey's Country Crafts, held a giveaway a while back, and I won it! I am embarrassed that I have taken this long to post about it. For fear that my reason for my procrastination will sound more like an excuse, I will just leave it at...I'm sorry. I won a wonderful cookbook ( I just LOVE cookbooks!), and a tote that she handcrafted herself!! She also sent me a lovely hand painted ornament.

I opened up my email this morning to find that Audrey has given me an award! I am very touched by this award and the intent behind it. If you want to learn more about how this award came to be go here please. The only rule is...if I pass it along to anyone, Audrey would like to know who has received it! Well, I knew straight away who it was going to! I enjoy many blogs, but these two ladies are among the first ones that I began following. I'm not even sure how I stumbled onto them, because their blogs are not "craft blogs". They are pure hearted blogs about their lives.

Nicolle (from Boyd's Crazy Mama) and I often joke about being long lost sisters. We have much in common, and I enjoy exchanging comments with her very much. You really must go over there for a visit. If for absolutely no other reason, the current picture on her banner will instantly put a smile on your face!

Jeannie (from Jeannie's Happy World) always has a post to put a smile on your face. From her sense of humor to videos of her daughter Bella singing, dancing, and just being a little girl, there is something for everyone! Especially now that I suspect that Jeannie has bitten by the craft bug!

So this award goes to these two lovely ladies! And to both of you, thank you very much for your kindness and friendship!

Where Did All Of My Time Go!?

2009-01-12T22:10:00.002-06:00

Well, I made it through my first day at the new job! I can already see that I'm going to have a difficult time keeping up on all of the blogs that I have come to enjoy! I am used to staying up until 1 or 2am at night. It was difficult to force myself to go to sleep at 11:30pm (thank you Nyquil!). I hate waking up to an alarm clock. I was up at 4am waiting for it to start buzzing at 6:30 this morning. Once I get into a routine again, I won't need it. I can wake myself up at the time that I need to be up usually. It was quite a boring day actually. I spent most of it filling out paperwork and staring at travel sites. I had an hour lunch break which is totally foreign to me. A whole hour. It was quite boring! Tomorrow I will be learning more about the actual work that I will be doing. I am running out of here now to speed read through my dashboard! Ugh! I wish that I had more time, and it's only day one!!!

Tag You're It - Let's Go Stripey!

2009-01-10T15:55:00.003-06:00

The challenge at Tag You're It this week is, Let's Go Stripey! We were to create a tag featuring stripes! Due to my cabin fever right now, I made this tag for the Spring! I plan on using it on a bottle of booze that will be gifted to my SIL on the first voyage of the season on the houseboat! Until then, I will leave it laying around in hopes that someone will get the idea to send me away to an Island Vacation! Ha! I bet it's still around for the Pina Colada mix this May!! Thanks for looking everyone, I'm happy to be back in the crafty swing of things!

I Went Through My Window Today!

2009-01-09T16:52:00.003-06:00

Well, as many of you know, I have been waiting for a phone call that I should have received no later that Wednesday. I kept thinking this week, when one door closes isn't a window suppose to open? Where is my window already!!!!! That's how I've been answering that in my head! Well, I called and left a message yesterday for the woman who interviewed me two of the three times for the job. She wasn't at her desk (so they said), so I left a message inquiring if the position had been filled. Crickets from the phone I tell ya. This seemed to be a done deal. Out of my hands. Then today. Out of the blue. The phone rings. I had my questions all prepared: "Will my resume stay on file for future openings?" "Is there any one particular thing that threw me out of contention for the position, after three interviews?" and so on and so forth. I didn't even get a chance to ask that much. Here is how it went down...

Telephone: Riinnnnngggggg

Me: Hello?

Two time interviewer: May I speak with Cassandra?

Me: This is she.

Two time interviewer: Hi, how are you today?

Me: Fine, thank you.

Two time interviewer: It's "two time interviewer"I was wondering if you're still interested in the position?

Me: (running into the living room to do the happy dance on the carpeting so it cannot be heard) Yes, actually I am still interested.

Two time interviewer: Great! Can you start Monday?

Me: (acting all cool about it now) Yes, Monday would be fine.

Two time interviewer: Okay, Monday 9am-6pm. We'll see you then!

Me: Uh, well...Is the dress for work casual, just jeans.

Two time interviewer: Oh yes, very casual.

Me: Okay, well...is there a break room or someplace that I will be able to store a lunch?

Two time interviewer: Oh yes, we have a kitchen with a stove, sink, fridge, dishwasher, snack machines, soda machines...

Me: Okay, well...Great! I'll see you Monday then from 9am-6pm! Thank you!

Two time interviewer: Okay see ya then...Bye.

Me: Bye!

So that's it. I got the job! Thank you everyone for keeping your fingers crossed for me! I really thought that this one had slipped right passed me. I mean, my last interview had to be borderline comical. I was on all of these sinus medications, I had a fever, I felt like I was babbling! But it worked out. Like I said, I've never worked in this field before, but with this economy it's better than no job at all! And let me tell you, I've had plenty of other little part-time jobs that were awful!

This is a full-time position, with only one Saturday a month. And that is only from 10am-3pm. And it's in the travel industry. Yep. I will start training Monday to be a travel agent! Thank you again for the well wishes everyone. I'll be sure to keep you posted on how it's going. Tomorrow night, I'm going out to dinner with a few people (family) to celebrate! I already know that I will be having Crab Legs and Sea Scallops!

No News Is Good News......Whatever!

2009-01-06T23:42:00.003-06:00

Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. No word today from the people that are currently torturing me. I would almost SWEAR on a box of chocolates, that they said they would call today. Maybe it was the medicine doing all of the listening (and talking-oops)! I'm done. I'm not going to worry about it. If they call tomorrow, they call. If they don't, ~~I'll hunt them down and make them talk~~ they don't! I'm putting it to the side (for at least 1 more day then I will call them)!

Did everyone watch The Biggest Loser? I got all teary eyed when Daniel lost his 30 pounds! I ate my dinner, then prepared for the show. I really, really want to start my new "get my weight and health back under control" regimen. I sat down with a healthy snack to eat during the program. Here is a sneak peak:

I wasn't really "feeling" it. So I added to my snack as the show progressed. Which turned into this:

Yes. That would be the orange that I sat and played with for an hour. Also, is the Milky Way candy bar. Oh yeah, and the cup has coffee with a packet of Hot Cocoa and two sweeteners in it. I have drank 1 gallon of OJ in the last 2 days. I just couldn't get into the orange. Oh I ate it....but I wasn't into it! The candy bar and the chocolaty coffee drink went down with no problem though! After all of this job hub-bub is behind me, then I'm going to get back down to business with the diet.

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....It's Only A Day Away!

2009-01-05T21:30:00.003-06:00

But it feels like it is a WEEK AWAY!!!

I had my third interview today. This time it was with the very first lady that I interviewed with, and another one of the managers whom I had not met yet. This new lady, picked today of all days to ask me questions!!! I had warned them earlier on the phone that I was battling a horrible cold. I even slipped in to the conversation that I wasn't in top form due to the sinus medication that I was on. I felt like a babbling balloon head!! They seemed to like my answers to the usual questions: "How have you handled multi-tasking"? "How have you handled a customer that had a complaint"? "Why did you apply for this job"? and so on and so forth. One of them even commented that I gave the best answer that they had heard to one of the questions. But then they hit me with the big one....the one I had been fearing most..."You seem so passionate about the bridal industry, why would you want to change to this field, and would you be happy?" Have I told you all yet that for the last 20 years I have worked in the bridal industry (with 10 years moonlighting in emergency medical)? That was a tough one. I gave the best answer my stopped up brain could muster. And then it was done. They said that they would be calling me tomorrow with their decision. So there it is. Just sitting out there, minds already made up, and me waiting! Thank you all for your well wishes and crossed fingers!

On to other things. I have not had one creative bone in my body since Christmas. I am hoping to shake this cold soon, and get back to some of the challenges that I enjoy doing. But I don't believe that I will be digging back in until next week.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend. It's hard getting back to normal life after the Christmas/New Year hub bub. All of the pretty lights are down, no more trees or gift bags. Back to normal everyday food. Before we know it, Spring will be here and I'll be wondering where in the world did Winter go!

I'll be back tomorrow with the verdict!

Third Times A Charm....?

2009-01-05T12:00:00.003-06:00

I was looking through one of my Craft CD's for a graphic to use on this post. One that depicts a sick person, as that is what I am STILL! I came across this. Isn't this cute, and totally wrong at the same time! Maybe it's just my medication. Anywho...I have my third interview today at 2pm. They called this morning. I gave them the heads up that I am battling a really nasty cold. I didn't want to delay it though, I really want to know one way or another! I'll be back with more later today. They said that they will be deciding in the next day or two (after today's interviews). And for all of you out there reading this that are sick, I hope that YOU get cured soon, but not the way this pig is!

Happy New Year!!!

2009-01-01T16:16:00.004-06:00

Well, it's official. 2009 is here, ready or not! I'm not dwelling on the past today. In all honesty 2008 isn't going to go down in history as one of my best years. I'm going to concentrate on this new year. Unfortunately, I am ready to be a little further into it than we are. I'm done with winter! If we aren't going to have snow, then be done with it already! I don't mind the cold and the wind. I don't mind wearing at least 2 layers of clothes everyday due to the fact that I freeze when the temperature dips to even the 70's!! But if it's going to be that way... at least we could have some snow to look at! With all of this being said, I have spent the day with Coastal Living. It is one of my favorite magazines! I am definitely suffering from "cabin fever" today. Here is what I have been daydreaming about all day.

Dang, it's jumbled...It's because I am on sinus medication today! Yep I've been stricken with some nasty sinus icky gross thing! All of the pictures that I have been looking at today have turned into this!!! Here they are pre-sinus medication.

Aren't they lovely rooms. They make me think of Spring and the ocean. I'm not making any resolutions this year. I'm just thinking of things that seem like pretty good ideas. For instance: It seems like a pretty good idea to me to go to the ocean in the Spring. Or... It seems like a pretty good idea to lose the extra weight that I have accidentally gained. Or, It seems like a pretty good idea to move 8 miles from my nearest living relative. You get the picture.

I hope that you all have some pretty good ideas for 2009. Best Wishes, and I am looking forward to meeting even more of you wonderful bloggers, and keeping in contact with the lovely friends that I have made so far!

2008-12-31T14:46:00.001-06:00

Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve everyone!!!

The Evidence!

2008-12-29T23:23:00.006-06:00

Here's just the quick and dirty of my gang at Christmas! I've covered their eyes to protect MY identity!! Ha! From left to right: Crazy Old Aunt (she's not really old at all, I just like to secretly call her that), her friend (almost practically hidden just over COA's shoulder), SIL, Bro, Mom's back. Next photo: SIL, niece. Last photo: well I've went ahead and labeled that one for you, and it is the only picture of me from the event (that's my brother's foot though)!

I was cleaning out my Mom's kitchen after she went to work today. I have to sneak in there and throw out all of the leftover pie, candy, ice cream, crackers, cake, potatoes, dressing, rolls, gravy, cheesecake, and cookies. Really just about everything except for the turkey, ham, and green beans. You see she is a BRITTLE diabetic. And she wouldn't be quite so BRITTLE if she didn't eat crap all of the time. I would surely find her in a diabetic coma (like I have more than a few times now) if I didn't do this, so please don't think that I am being a meanie! Anywho, back to the program....As I was going through the fridge, I found this bottle...

And let's not forget the back label...

I had heard my Aunt and SIL laughing that they had brought the same wine with them, but never paid much attention to what it was exactly (I was drinking my own concoction, of diet pepsi with a splash of coconut rum). I just couldn't help but laugh out loud when I saw this! We are a Top Rated Class Act Group I tell ya! And maybe you noticed (maybe you didn't) that yes, the bottle is now empty. It was actually not too bad!

The After Shock of Christmas!

2008-12-28T13:15:00.001-06:00

Well, another holiday season down! I thought I would inject a little humor into the recall of my family holiday get together. That way I won't seem quite so snarky about the whole thing!

'Twas the Saturday after Christmas, and all through Mom's place

I was dreading the day, it was evident on my face.

The wind was gusting at sixty miles per hour,

I was thinking we'd have to cancel, if we lost all the power;

The noodles were boiling and the spuds they were too,

While visions of flood warnings danced on the tube;

With Mom in the front room, and me in the back,

I told her to call my brother, to keep this day on track,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.

Away blew the trash can, it was gone like a flash,

It tore through the neighbors patio and landed with a smash.

The dog started barking at a ruckus in the street,

Three family members had arrived, so I ran around to greet,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

Was my Aunt toting gifts, even though we said "none" this year.

I took my time, I moved nice and slow,

She had brought one of her friends, and my niece was in tow.

More rapid than snails they walked in the door,

I gave a "hello", and went back to my chore;

they said "Merry Christmas, Here is more food"

"What time will your bro be here with the rest of his brood?"

"No one can tell, I prepared this food to be done at four,

So fill up your plates, or I'll chuck it out the door!"

And only twenty minutes late, through the door they did shove,

It had to be a miracle, straight from above!

We sat around and ate, and chatted it up,

Then I brewed up some java, and we all had a cup.

Soon it was time to open the loot,

Everyone had something that was small and quite cute.

We sat and watched the news, that's as exciting as we get,

Then we watched a slide show of Grandma, so we wouldn't forget.

She always loved Christmas, and without her it's not comparable,

When she looks down us now, it's probably unbearable!

Our eyes -- they grew heavy, it was time to end this night,

So I packed up the leftovers, in containers real tight.

"Who wanted this" and "What with that should I do",

"Someone pick up the trash"...and then right on cue;

"This holidays done, Christmas cheer...I just can't",

"I'm leaving right now" said my grumpy old Aunt!

With a quick little hug to each and every one,

Into the night she went, she'd had enough of the fun.

I looked at my brother, he was rolling his eyes,

And I laughed when I saw him, to me this was no surprise!

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

I knew right away, he wanted to get home to bed;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

Loading the car; then turned with a jerk,

"Sydney get going, the roads could be bad',

And giving a nod, she hugged dear old Dad;

He sprang back to the house, to his wife gave a whistle,

And towards the front door they flew, fast as a missile!

But I heard him exclaim, as he walked through the yard,

"Cass I'll call you tomorrow, Cheryl get in the car!"

Oh well...

2008-12-26T22:43:00.003-06:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I spent the day making spaghetti, eating chocolate, and watching a "Rocky" marathon on TV! My small dysfunctional group gathers Saturday at the stroke of 1600. So far, it looks like it's going to be Christmas business as usual! My Mother became suddenly ill today, until I had her entire house scrubbed from top to bottom, and had the dog bathed. All of sudden she felt well enough to eat a huge plate of "garbage nachos" complete with jalapenos, and a quick trip to the store for about 4 dozen cookies. Now, I'm no fool... I invented this in middle school! My parents actually thought I had some kind of serious stomach problem, because I was always "sick" until the dishes were done after dinner. Oh well.

Then there was my brother. The conversation went a little something like this:

Brother: My shoulder hurts.
Me: Yep, you should have come over yesterday to let me sling it for you. You've hurt your rotator cuff.
Brother: I have it wrapped with a wire.
Me: What time is your Doctors appointment?
Brother: It feels better today.
Me: You're talking $25, and maybe an hour of your time....go to the doctor.
Brother: It costs me $1,000 every time I go to the Doctor and I have good insurance.
Me: Well, you should look into that, it doesn't sound right to me...go to the doctor.
Brother: Aren't we doing something at Mom's tomorrow?
Me: Yes, what time will you be there?
Brother: I'll talk to Mrs. Brother, I'll call you tomorrow.

Most people have a standard "goodbye" or "talk to ya later" or "take care" valediction. Not my brother! Whether he is on the phone or in person, his standard valediction is "I'll call you tomorrow". He Never Calls Tomorrow! Oh well.

Then it was on to my Aunt. Her truck was parked on the street outside of Mom's house. I called her because I was worried that someone would not see it and run into the back of it due to the fog. She asked if I could run it out to her house, and then she would drive me home. Sure thing. On the ride back, our conversation went a little something like this:

Aunt: How's your Mom feeling.
Cassie: She doesn't feel well today.
Aunt: We don't have to do this tomorrow.
Cassie: Fine with me, Mom's the only one it matters to anyway.
Aunt: I hate Christmas, and I want nothing to do with it.
Cassie: I don't know why we drag out the Christmas Torture every year.
Aunt: Don't expect much from me, I went to a couple...I just don't....See ya tomorrow.
Cassie: See ya tomorrow.

This is pretty normal. My Aunt must hold the world record for the fastest "getting in the Christmas Spirit and then zooming back out of it"! She called on Christmas morning and was putting up her tree, and having our traditional Christmas Eve hors d'oeuvre's (that we had when Grandma hosted Christmas). Today...Bam...Scrooge! Oh well.

Then there are the supporting characters in the whole drama. My sister in law...she's pretty much the only "normal" one of the bunch (and by normal I mean she is like me...ha-ha) with a slight problem of asking me about my brother's ex-wife nonstop. And my nieces...who probably won't show up since we made it perfectly clear at Thanksgiving that we weren't doing a big gift exchange this year. Oh well. It's the way we do Christmas, and 24 hours from now, it will be DONE!

On to the job interview! I went for the second one today, and I have to admit....it was weird just like the first one. My first and second interview were with two different people, and neither of them asked me a single question! They did however both make the standard statements "you don't have children" and "you're not married", and waited for me to acknowledge that. They both talked the whole time, while I tried to squeeze in bits of information about myself and how my experience could be beneficial in this position. It's just the strangest thing! She told me at the end of the interview that they would either be calling me back the first week in January to schedule a third interview (WHAT!), or they would call me with their decision. She told me that I was near the top of the list due to my customer service experience. So waiting....again.....Oh well!

Angel Friend!

2008-12-25T18:52:00.002-06:00

The challenge over at Cinema Saturday this week was to create art (card, scrapbook page, or altered art) using the movie "It's A Wonderful Life" as the inspiration. It can be inspired by anything from the movie (theme, title, characters, movie jacket, etc). I just could not bring myself to do another Christmas card, I think I'm done with that theme for just a while! I chose to use the relationship between George Bailey and Clarence the Angel. I also used the colors from the movie jacket. It's pretty simple because I had to kind of hurry to get this in for the week! Thanks for having a look, and I hope that everyone is having a wonderful Holiday!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-23T17:37:00.007-06:00

Christmas is full of shiny things

That sparkle, gleam and glow;
These holiday pleasures dazzle us,
And yet, deep down, we know... That Christmas has its special gifts,
But our year-round joy depends
On the cherished people in our lives,
Our family and our friends.
by Joanna Fuchs

A Different Christmas Poem
author unkown
The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight..
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.

The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.

Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child..

"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts...

To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.

No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.

I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat..
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."

"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Please remember our troops of past and present in you Holiday Blessings.

Grinch....Who Me?

2008-12-21T16:16:00.004-06:00

I am quite upset with myself that I didn't order this in time to wear during my families Christmas dinner day! Next year it is ON! And when I get it, I'm going to Be-Dazzle it! My family isn't having our Christmas get together until the Saturday after Christmas! (insert sarcasm here) Oh happy, joy, joy! So, like Thanksgiving day, I will have Christmas day all to myself again! I called to see if the community dinner that is held, needs any volunteer drivers (to pick people up that don't have a ride) and they have enough. Can you believe it? "Sorry, we can't accept your offer to help out, we have enough volunteers already". Whaaaaat....can you ever have enough volunteers? Oh well, I tried!

Now, on to other bloggy things! Be sure and check out my post on giveaways! I have updated it ALOT over the last few days. You can't win, if you don't play! I always feel kind of weird signing up for giveaways if I am new to a blog. But besides being so completely kind and generous, isn't it kind of a bloggers way to make new friends, and attract new readers? What do you guys think?

I have been a complete slug today. I have not gotten one single productive thing done! I am off now to do up some dishes, and start supper. There is a movie on at 6pm that I was really excited about seeing, and I can't for the life of me remember what it is! Oh well, it's gonna be good I bet! I'm sure it is a Christmas movie. And I'll leave you with this last little moment from my day. I was out on the porch waiting for the dog to get down to business. I took these pictures of the door. It was all frosted over, but there was one thing that stood out! It looks like the shape of a bell! Now, I'm not someone who sees images in their oatmeal or anything, but you judge for yourself! I had been leaning against the door, which I'm sure caused the frost to melt.

So, am I seeing things? I hope that everyones weekend went very well! Have a good week!

Just A Few Fun Christmas Things

2008-12-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

The Legend of Robin Redbreast

From 'A Christmas Stocking' by Louise Betts Egan

On that first Christmas, it is said, the night was wrapped in a bitter chill. The small fire in the stable was nearly out, and the Mother Mary worried that her baby would be cold. she turned to the animals about her and asked them for help.

"Could you blow on the embers," she asked the ox, "so the fire might continue to keep my son warm?"

But the ox lay sound asleep on the stable floor and did not hear her. Next, Mary asked the donkey to breathe life back into the fire, but the sleeping donkey did not hear Mary either. Nor did the horse or sheep. She wondered what to do.

Suddenly, Mary heard a fluttering of little wings. Looking up, she saw a plain, brown-coloured little robin fly into the stall. This robin had heard Mary calling to the animals and had come to help her himself. he went over to the dying fire and flapped his wings hard.

His wings were like little bellows, huffing and puffing air onto the embers, until they glowed bright red again. He continued to fan the fire, singing all the while, until the ashes began to kindle.

With his beak, the robin picked up some fresh, dry sticks and tossed them into the fire. As he did, a flame suddenly burst forth and burned the little bird's breast a bright red. But the robin simply continued to fan the fire until it crackled brightly and warmed the entire stable. The Baby Jesus slept happily.

Mary thanked and praised the robin for all he had done. She looked tenderly at his red breast, burned by the flame, and said "From now on, let your red breast be a blessed reminder of your noble deed."

And to this day, the robin's red breast covers his humble heart.

Here is a pretty awesome holiday tune. I like this kind of music when I'm preparing Christmas dinner.

And if I ever wanted to be a dog, I think I would want to be this one!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2008-12-18T18:44:00.012-06:00

Some of you may remember that my camera quit working on Thanksgiving. Well.....it's fixed! For now! Who fixed it you ask...me! I fixed it the same way that I fix my computer, VCR, DVD player, toaster, printer....I remove all of the screws, jiggle any parts that I can get my fingers on, blow REALLY hard on it, put it back together, then put it back together again (using all of the bits and pieces that were originally on it), and hit the reset button if there is one! It works occasionally, and it did this time!

So, over at Tip Junkie they are having a Christmas Tree Contest. Now, I did not put up a tree this year. There you have it. I did however sneak my tree over to Mom's and put it up while she was at work. She has a very small house, and her artificial tree is absolutely gigantic! I have an artificial pencil tree, so I plopped it up onto her end table so that it wouldn't take up any floor space. I dug and dug in the basement until I found a couple of boxes of her decorations, and used them on it. So here it is. Next year I will most likely do my regular decorations!

The tree with camera flash and without camera flash. The Angel on top is WAY too big for my skinny little tree, but Mom always wants an Angel, so I used hers.

Her nurse ornaments that I used (she's a nurse).

This is her old world Santa.

This is her Scherenschnitte Angel that she made many years ago. When she moved to California I stored it for her. She didn't want it to get ruined. I had never gotten around to giving it back to her (oops!) when she moved back. I snuck it back into her house, and thank goodness I didn't destroy it while I had it all of those years! It took her 2 days to find it!

This is one of my favorite Christmas decorations. Since I wasn't doing much in the decorating department, I brought it over to Mom's.

I hope that everyones week is going great! It is icy and cold here! I'm hoping for a thaw out this weekend.

The Hits Keep On Coming!

2008-12-17T16:38:00.002-06:00

Still being overjoyed that I won a fantastic pink bag today, I got some more good news. I went on a job interview last week, and it seemed to go very well. The ladies in the office were all laughing...chatting with each other...listening to Christmas music...they had snacks and coffee all over the place...everyone had jeans on; My kind of place to work! The woman that interviewed me was so nice, cheery, and seemed to really love working there. She told me that only 3 people had applied for the position, and they would be doing second interviews. I left there feeling pretty darn good about the whole thing! I mean, if only three people responded surely I was bound to get a second interview (especially since she TOLD me about it). I mean the only way I wouldn't is if I was a total nut job! Right? Then for a whole week....nothing....CRICKETS from the phone!

I was debating whether or not I should call them back today and ask if the position had been filled, when I got THE call! They called me and scheduled a second interview!! I mean, they didn't offer me a job or anything, but it's a heck of a lot closer than I have gotten in a VERY long time! Especially in this economy! It's not in the field that I have worked in for the last 20 years, so that concerns me a little. I have not one drop of experience directly related to this field, but it seems interesting, fun, and they actually give you a paycheck! Awwww, to have a paycheck again! My interview isn't until the 23rd, so I'll have to sweat it out until then. I am seriously ready to get started like YESTERDAY though!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

My Morning Routine - Interrupted (yeah)!

2008-12-17T09:14:00.003-06:00

My morning started out just like any other. First, I woke up freezing and realized that I am probably getting sick with the Grand Master of all colds. This is normal this time of year for me, I am ALWAYS sick for Christmas! It usually creeps up on me slowly, then is full force by about 2-3 days before Christmas. By the time we are eating leftovers from the "Big" dinner, I'm coming back around, so I can't complain too much.

I hopped out of bed, and put my usual 3 layers of warm clothes on. Made Coffee and stood there holding my cup waiting for enough to drip through so I could pour a respectable amount. I watched the news for a half hour, then went and turned the computer on and made my bed while it was coming to life.

I logged in to my email (I like to see first thing in the morning if any of you lovelies have left me a comment over night), and I started sifting through it (yeah Dot left a comment, that means she might have a new post!). WRENCH! Pennies In My Pocket? "I follow Melodies blog, but I don't think I subscribed to an email newsletter thingy" (that's what I said to myself). Well, let me tell you....... I WON her Land's End Giveaway! Out the door went the rest of the morning routine. I of course emailed her straight away, went to her blog to comment my great BIG Thank YOU! Ran back over here to my blog to leave a post about my HAPPY HAPPY news. Updated my Giveaway post, ran and told the dog he would have to wait just a few minutes to go outside, ran and got more coffee, ran back in here to finish this post.......

We had our choice of 1 of 3 prizes. A lovely sweater, some shoes, or a duffel bag (on wheels). I chose the duffel bag (in PINK). I have always looked at pink luggage in the stores, and always walk away empty handed. I figure it is a luxury item since I already have a perfectly intact carry on (in a manly ugly hunter green and black color), and will wait until I have a "looser" budget to get a pink piece of luggage. So, here is the bag! I can't wait to get it!

You should go check out Melodie's blog if you haven't already. I'm a new follower there, but it looks like a nice blog to find some good deals, coupons, and quite a few giveaways!

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week. Thank you for stopping by!

Cinema Saturday: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

2008-12-14T12:37:00.003-06:00

The challenge this week over at Cinema Saturday is to create a card using Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone as the inspiration. I am still in need of a few more Christmas cards, so I decided to transfigure Harry into a snowman. I drew inspiration from the things he learned straight away once he arrived at Hogwarts. He is dressed in his Gryffindor colors of red and gold, which he was very happy to be a part of, and considered other members of his house as friends and some as family. He is holding his flying broom, which he had quite a talent at using. Due to his talent, he became the youngest Seeker ever at Hogwart's. I made the snowflakes out of gold foil to symbolize the Golden Snitch, but they just didn't scan properly. And finally, I threw in the green corners to represent the Slytherin House, which Harry did NOT want to have any part of!

Thank you for looking at my card this week. If you haven't checked out Cinema Saturday, head on over there! It really is a lot of fun, and they give you a picture clue on Friday as to what the movie will be!

Tag You're It - Aqua & Brown

2008-12-13T01:00:00.006-06:00

The challenge over at Tag You're It this week is to create a tag using the colors Aqua and Brown. I made my tag(s) for my niece's goodie gift bag that I am putting together for them. We learned a few years ago, it is best to give them practically the same things for Christmas presents. It just seems to work better that way! I made a tag for each of them, and while I was at it, I made them coordinating cards also. I had sort of a difficult time figuring out which of my papers was truly Aqua! The blueish ones looked to blue, and the greenish ones too green!

Here is the card that I made to coordinate with the tags. I made two of them.

They scanned kind of bright! They really are a bit more muted than this. I am going to add some glitter maybe to cheer them up a bit! Also, I will add a feathery aqua ribbon to the tags, to hang them from.

Thank you for looking, have a great weekend everyone!

A Place for Recipes and a Giveaway!

2008-12-12T23:45:00.003-06:00

I was catching up over at For The Love of Chocolate blog, and saw this giveaway that I wanted to make sure that you all saw. Go to Cookerati, and sign up to win a microwave and some Bertolli pasta sauce! They have a lot of entries, but hey it's worth a shot! I hope someone that I know (well you know, someone that is familiar) wins it!! The contest ends this Sunday and it looks like they will be having more in the near future. It looks like a pretty good site for recipes and such. Good luck everyone!

My Favorite "D" Things

2008-12-11T22:00:00.000-06:00

There is a game roaming around Blogland and I thought I would hop on board! Cassandra over at Momma Needs A Time Out got the letter "W" from Jeannie. Cassandra made a list of some of her favorite things that start with that letter. So I asked Cassandra for a letter, and she gave me the letter "D". Here are some of my favorite things that start with "D"!

1. Diamonds - they are a girls best friend!

2. Down comforter-I love my super fluffy, warm blankie!

3. Dark chocolate-milk chocolate, white chocolate, any chocolate...

4. Diet Pepsi-I am trying to cut down on this.

5. Decaf coffee-I drink coffee all night, right up until bedtime. Thank goodness for Decaf!

6. Dawn dish detergent-with bleach alternative, in Fresh Rapids scent! You really must try this! It smells SOOooo good, I clean my sink about 4 times a day!

7. Dolce & Gabbana-light blue perfume. I have a tiny little bit left that I am saving! Saving for what you ask....hmmm....maybe I should just wear it now!

8. Dippity Do-hair gel. Okay like, maybe not since, like the 80's, but OMG! Like these are so hard to come up with! And like, they made it with glitter in it!

9. Dances With Wolves-one of my favorite movies. I ~~sob uncontrollably~~ cry like a baby at the end, when Wind In His Hair is on the cliff yelling down to Dances With Wolves; "can you see that you will always be my friend?" I got a tear in my eye just typing that!

10. Darby Conley-who writes the comic "Get Fuzzy", it makes me laugh....here's one now (you can click on it to make it bigger)!

So that's the game! If you would like a letter so that you can play also, just leave me a comment and let me know! Thanks Cassandra, that was fun!

2008-12-11T17:19:00.003-06:00

I really need to get caught up on the lovely things that I have received in the mail! I have been so very fortunate to have won some wonderful giveaways, and I wanted to give some shout outs and Thank You's!

I received My little elf shoe from Melissa over at Honey Girl Studios today! She also sent me a cute Christmas Tag that she made along with it! Thank you Melissa!

On Monday, I received the Progresso Gift Basket in the mail, that Mandy over at Gourmet Mom On The Go had in her giveaway. It is awesome, I love it!

And, Jeannie over at Jeannie's Happy World, hosted a giveaway for some lovely coin pearl earrings, and I was the lucky duck whose name that Bella drew!

Thank you all so much! I wish that I cold post pictures of me with all of this great stuff, but I haven't scooped up my camera and taken it to the doctor yet!

Don't forget to check out my post about various giveaways. I've made a few updates to it in the last couple of days. I'm trying to post any giveaways that I sign up for. I'll try very, very hard to keep it up to date with the ones that I know about!

The weekend is practically here!

Tuesday Challenge

2008-12-10T14:00:00.004-06:00

The Tuesday challenge over at Created By Hand this week, is to create art using the "tree trio" template that was provided. I made a Christmas card to attach to a gift bag. While I was at it, I also made a coordinating card for another gift bag.

The "NOEL" shows up better in person (it's gold). I couldn't get it to scan any better though.

I can't figure out what to put on the paper strip on this Santa card though. It already has a sentiment. Any suggestions? It's just going to my brother, so he probably won't even look at it, but it bugs me!!!

Cinema Saturday Challenge: Sound Of Music

2008-12-08T14:40:00.000-06:00

The movie theme for the challenge this week over at Cinema Saturday is "The Sound Of Music". I was excited about this one, as it is my favorite musical of all time! I remember the first time that I saw it as a little girl, and I had (have) such a crush on Captain Von Trapp! Years later in High School Choir, we did the play for our Spring Operetta. I played a nun!

"Edelweiss" is my favorite song from the movie. I collect musical snow globes and wanted one that played this song. I searched for years, and to my surprise, had a difficult time finding one. Finally I found a company that let you choose the music for your globe, and they had "Edelweiss". In my opinion, it is not the prettiest of my snow globes, but it is my favorite.

This is my favorite scene from the movie. To see the video of this scene go to the bottom of this post. Much to his children's surprise, Captain Von Trapp sings them this song after he hears them singing "The Sound Of Music" to his guests and thanks Maria for bringing music back into their home. Maria looks on, and at the end of the song their eyes meet! Aw, so romantic! I used Liesl's dress as my color inspiration, and did my own version of the flower, Edelweiss. The top of the torn paper on my card, is supposed to represent the mountains that the Edelweiss flower grows on.

The card came out blurry on the scanner. I think because the button on the flower sticks out from the card so much. As I've said before, my camera went to the Happy Hunting Grounds on Thanksgiving. I now have it laying in little pieces all over the kitchen table, and cannot figure out how to put it back together! I think I will have to take it to the doctor. Thank you for looking, and don't forget to watch this video. Unfortunately whoever created it, cut off the part at the end when their eyes meet-grrrrr!

Giveaways

2008-12-07T12:01:00.096-06:00

A few bloggy shout outs! I've started a link thingy-ma-bob over on my sidebar, listing some of the giveaways that are taking place. My goal is to keep it up to date! We'll see how that goes! I will probably be editing this post as I add to the list

Over at Kath's Blog, there is a Birthday Celebration going on! Yep, Kath has been blogging for one year now, and it is her Blogs Birthday! Go over to join the celebration...and there is a prize up for grabs! It closes on March 10th!

Head on over to SITS for another great giveaway! These ladies come up with THE best prizes! And they feature some pretty great blogs as well! Up for grabs is some fantastic bed linens, winner will be announced March 1.

Do you just love Aprons? Well, head on over to Mama's Losin' It, because she has another giveaway going on! This is week FOUR of her Apron Giveaway Extravaganza!

Head on over to SITS and enter to win a Keurig Platinum Brewing System! If you are a coffee, tea or hot chocolate lover...you don't want to miss out on this one!

Pennies In My Pocket hosts a number of giveaways. Head over there and check them out!

Tag You're It Challenge & Betrayal!

2008-12-06T09:55:00.009-06:00

Over at Tag You're It, the challenge this week is to create a tag that is in the shape of a triangle. Naturally, I took the Christmas tree route. However, I made it last night around 3am so it's more of a "Christmas Tree Jacked Up On Irish Coffee"! I just kept adding, and adding stuff to it! (Keep reading for the betrayal portion of this program!)

While I have your undivided attention, I would like to point out a very serious matter to you. I think the people at M&M's are trying to pull one over on us. You may have heard all of the hub-bub about their fancy- schmancy new flavors, and designer treats they have been making recently. WELL, peanut M&M's are taking a hit I believe. I have sampled 3 different bags of these chocolate jewels (by that I mean I've eaten ALL of each bag), and think that they are making the candy coating THICKER so that they can use less CHOCOLATE and save themselves some money. This is an OUTRAGE! I like chocolate peanuts, but only in M&M form. The ones that are strictly a peanut with chocolate around them, 1) have very little chocolate and 2) the chocolate is waxy! Why must M&M's MESS with my HEAD!?

I thought that you should be aware of this. I think it was subliminally my inspiration for this tag, it kind of reminds me of Christmas M&M's.

A Christmas Poem, and Christmas Cards

2008-12-05T13:48:00.005-06:00

I haven't had a creative bone in my body for quite sometime, until recently! I am addicted to card making now (and toast, but that's a different story)! I'm still a WAY beginner, and my digital camera is still craptastically broken! This first card is neon green and pink, so I think that's why it scanned like poo (it has some kind of funky dark streak down the middle that I couldn't get rid of after the scan)! The second one here, I will either keep for myself, or make another one just like it, because I just love the way it turned out! Below the cards is another wonderful Christmas poem with a "true meaning of the spirit of the holiday" message.

SANTA'S SECRET WISH

On Christmas Eve, a young boy with light in his eyes,
Looked deep into Santa's, to Santa's surprise,
And said as he nestled on Santa's broad knee,
"I want your secret, tell it to me."

He leaned up & whispered in Santa's good ear,
"How do you do it, year after year?"
"I want to know how, as you travel about,
Giving gifts here & there, you never run out.

How is it, dear Santa, that in your pack of toys,
You have plenty for all of the world's girls & boys?
Stays so full, never empties as you make your way
From rooftop to rooftop, to homes large & small,

From nation to nation, reaching them all?
And Santa smiled kindly & said to the boy,
"Don't ask me hard questions.
Don't you want a toy?"

But the child shook his head, and Santa could see
That he needed the answer. "Now listen to me,"
He told the small boy with the light in his eyes,
"My secret will make you sadder and wise.

"The truth is that my sack is magic. Inside
It holds millions of toys for my Christmas Eve ride.
But although I do visit each girl and each boy
I don't always leave them a gaily wrapped toy.

Some homes are hungry, some homes are sad.
Some homes are desperate, some homes are bad.
Some homes are broken, and children there grieve.
Those homes I visit, but what should I leave?

"My sleigh is filled with the happiest stuff,
But for homes where despair lives, toys aren't enough.
So I tiptoe in, kiss each girl and boy,
And pray with them that they'll be given the joy

Of the spirit of Christmas, the spirit that lives
In the heart of the dear child who gets not, but gives.
If only God hears me and answers my prayer,
When I visit next year, what I will find there

Are homes filled with peace, and with giving, and love
And boys and girls gifted with light from above.
It's a very hard task, my smart little brother,
To give toys to some, and to give prayers to others.

But the prayers are the best gifts, the best gifts indeed,
For God has a way of meeting each need.
"That's part of the answer. The rest, my dear youth,
Is that my sack is magic, And that is the truth.

In my sack I carry on Christmas Eve day
More love than a Santa could e'er give away.
The sack never empties of love, or of joys
'Cause inside it are prayers, and hopes. Not just toys.

The more that I give, the fuller it seems,
Because giving is my way of fulfilling dreams.
"And do you know something? You've got a sack, too.
It's as magic as mine, and it's inside of you.

It never gets empty, it's full from the start.
It's the centre of lights, and of love. It's your heart.
And if on this Christmas you want to help me,
Don't be so concerned with your gifts 'neath your tree.

Open that sack, call your heart, and share
Your joy, your friendship, your wealth, your care."
The light in the small boy's eyes was glowing.
"Thanks for the secret. I've got to be going."

"Wait, little boy," said Santa "don't go.
Will you share? Will you help? Will you use what you know?"
And just for a moment the small boy stood still,
Touched his heart with his small hand and whispered, "I will."

Author Unknown

Tip Junkie Christmas Card Contest

2008-12-04T12:51:00.004-06:00

Tip Junkie is hosting a Christmas Card Contest, and some wonderful prizes as well! Today is the deadline, so I'm hoping that this is getting submitted in time! Some of you know that I made my first card (ever) a few days ago, and now I have the card-making bug! Here is the one that I am entering in the Tip Junkie contest. My camera is still under the weather, so I had to scan it. The colors are mostly true, but the ribbon is quite shinier than it shows here. I mostly used (okay, well entirely) scraps from my huge scrap bin! I've vowed to not purchase any more supplies until I use some of it up!

What Does Your Santa Look Like?

2008-12-03T00:01:00.004-06:00

What a fun day yesterday was at SITS! Thank you to all of the ladies that visited and left comments on my blog! Also, thank you to the lovely ladies that worked long and hard to provide us such a fun day full of prizes and new friends.
This poem (the one way down below this long story..sorry) is long, but please read it (I'm begging here)! It is one of my absolute favorites. I think I have always liked it because I was caught off guard one night by my best friends young children. I was babysitting so her and her husband could go out for their wedding anniversary. The kids and I were sitting at the dinner table, and their son looked up at me and said (just as innocent as can be), "where do babies come from?" His little sister just stopped chewing and looked up at me...waiting...wondering! I didn't know what to say! This was the very first year I had ever agreed to babysit even (they were both wiping their own tushies, that's when I will babysit!). I told them that Mommies and Daddies like to tell this story themselves. When they got home, they could ask them. Whew! It worked...they went right back to eating!
A few hours later, the kids heard the car pull up outside. They both ran to the backdoor and just stood there...waiting...wondering. I was going to warn my unsuspecting friends, but there was no time! The moment they walked in the door, their son looked at them and asked "where do babies come from?" Without a blink of her eye, my friend started to answer him. I thought...Wow...they must have been waiting for this...they are prepared! She said calmly "Babies come from Goodwill, and you had better get your butts to bed, or we'll go shopping tomorrow!" Their son said "okay, 'night!" What?! Crap!! I could have pulled that off. Then my friend and her husband went on to tell me how they saw a UFO on the way home. So in honor of all children who may one day ask me why Santa doesn't look like them, or why some children don't get presents, I will always keep this poem in the back of my mind, and vow to answer a difficult question myself!

Can Santa Be Black?

It happened in the kindergarten class,
Right at the table where they were having snack.
Joanie asked the question and they all sat back:
"Mr. Slater? Can Santa Claus be black?"

Poor Mr. Slater didn't know what to say,
Christmas vacation was twenty days away.
There were snowflakes to cut and
Window wreaths to be hung,
Christmas cards to be painted,
And Christmas songs to be sung.

He hadn't time to think
What Christmas was about,
In twenty more days,
School would be out!
Why couldn't they wait
And ask their questions then,
When mommies and daddies
Were home to answer them?
"Mr. Slater? Can Santa be thin?
Is Santa Claus always a him?"

Mr. Slater looked at twenty pairs of eyes,
Twenty children of every shape and size.
He ate a bit of cracker and finished his drink.
"Children," he said,
"I'll need some time to think."
As soon as class was over,
He ran down the hall,
Skidded 'round a corner,
Crashed into a wall.
Ran up the steps to the second floor,
Rapped on the window of the Principal's door.

"Ms. Frazer, Ms. Frazer, what can I do?
The children asked these questions
That now I ask of you:

Can Santa Claus be black?
Can Santa Claus be thin?
Does Santa always have to be a him?"

"Mr. Slater, it's a difficult task
To find answers to the questions you ask.
I think with these I'll need some assistance,
But I'll get you the answers with a little persistence."

Ms. Frazer turned in her swivel chair,
Picked up the phone and dialed Mr. Dare.
Mr. Dare was the head of the P.T.A.,
He called for a meeting the very next day.

"Thank you for coming,"
He began with a greeting.
"I'd like to get right to the point of this meeting.
Mr. Slater, in charge of the kindergarten class,
Needs the answers to some questions
And he needs them fast."

"Can Santa be black?
Can Santa be thin?
Does Santa always have to be a him?"

The parents didn't know what to say,
Christmas vacation was nineteen days away.
There were cookies to bake and lights to string,
Gifts to wrap and carols to sing.

They hadn't time to think
What Christmas was about,
In nineteen more days
School would be out!
Why did children have to ask questions when
Parents had no time to sit and answer them?

"Well, Parents?
Are there any suggestions?
Do we have any answers
To these difficult questions?"

"Who knows best
What Christmas is about?
Let's ask Santa!"
Someone called out in a shout.

The secretary of the P.T.A.
Sent a letter to Santa the very next day.
The reply came back very, very fast,
Addressed to Mr. Slater
And the kindergarten class.

Dear Mr. Slater, Dear Girls, Dear Boys,
Once a story writer caught me bringing you toys.
The year he spied me opening my sack,
My skin was white, my boots were black.
You probably know how that story goes . . .
I laid a finger aside my nose?
All these years, needlessly,
That story worries children who don't have a chimney.
All year long I listen to the news,
Read people's thoughts, see people's views.
At the end of the year, when I see what's needed most,
I take that shape, like a Christmas ghost.
I can pass through keyholes, windows and locks,
Apartment buildings, hospitals, tents, and trailer lots.

One year I used a wheelchair in place of my sleigh,
Once I was blind and had to feel my way.
It's hard to understand when I don't leave a toy:
You can't unwrap a gift like hope or health or joy.
My skin has been black, white, yellow, red, brown;
My eyes have been slanted, crossed, and round.
Sometimes I have been a she:
All these things are a part of me.
You may not believe all this is true,
But that's okay, boys and girls, because . . .
I believe in you. ---

Copyright © B.J. Wrights

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge: Miracle On 34th Street

2008-12-02T16:49:00.002-06:00

I found a blog last week, that is new to me. It is Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge. Every Saturday they post a new movie to use as inspiration for a card challenge. This weeks movie is Miracle On 34th Street. I just adore that movie, and have wanted to make a card for some time now! This is the FIRST CARD I have EVER made! Well, the first one that is not made with finger paints and a child's imagination anyway!

My favorite scene in the movie is when Susan witnesses Kris speaking to the Dutch girl in her native tongue and sings a song with her about "SinterKlaas". This is the moment that Susan begins to remove doubt that Kris is the real Santa Claus. That was my inspiration for my card. My digital camera died a slow, painless death on Thanksgiving, so I had to scan the card. Thank you for taking a peek, I'm thrilled that I finished it in time to enter the challenge!

Merry SITSmas To All!

2008-12-02T08:30:00.003-06:00

Today is the first annual Merry SITSmas over at The Secret is in the Sauce. Wishing all of my SITSta's happy holidays, and best wishes now, and throughout the New Year!

Santa's Christmas Eve Prayer

The sleigh was all packed,
The reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt
By the side of the bed.

"Dear Father," he prayed,
"Be with me tonight,
There's much work to do,
And my schedule is tight."

"I must jump in my sleigh
And streak through the sky,
Knowing full well
That a reindeer can't fly."

"I will visit each household,
Before the first light,
I'll cover the world,
And all in one night."

"With sleigh bells a-ringing,
I'll land on each roof,
Amid the soft clatter
Of each little hoof."

"To get in the house
Is the difficult part,
So I'll slide down the chimney
Of each child's heart."

"My sack will hold toys
To grant all their wishes,
The supply will be endless,
Like the loaves and the fishes."

"I will fill all the stockings
And not leave a track,
I'll eat every cookie
That is left for my snack."

"I can do all these things Lord,
Only through You,
I just need your blessing,
Then it's easy to do."

"All this is to honor
The birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us ...
Your most Holy Son."

"So to all of my friends,
Least Your glory I rob,
Please Lord, remind them
Who gave me this job."

~ Warren D. Jennings ~

To keep the blog-hopping rolling along, visit Lu from Avery Tales!

A Snowy Tag Challenge

2008-12-01T15:36:00.003-06:00

Over at Tag You're It, this weeks challenge was to create a tag with a snowy theme. It didn't scan very clear (probably because it is NEON pink!), and it just wouldn't cooperate when I tried to edit the little goober. To see everyone else's tags go here and check out the comments.

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2008-11-30T23:42:00.008-06:00

Over at Thrifty Decor Chick there is a gathering of gals, talking about "A Few Of Their Favorite Things", so here are a few of mine right now!

My favorite chocolate candy are these addictive little things, and the bag is so pretty! The dark chocolate ones are also very good with coffee!
This is my favorite Christmas photo ever! Like all single 30 somethings, I spent all of my money on clothes and going out with my friends. I frequently stopped by my Mom's house to "go grocery shopping" as she would say (Toilet paper was always on my "to get from Moms" list)! I got off of work at 5:30 am Christmas morning, and let myself into her house, and hung this GIGANTIC stocking up with my Normal size stocking! I ran home to change into my favorite Christmas hat and PJ's and went back over for coffee and present opening. When I went downstairs, there was my practical joke (that I was playing on HER), stuffed full of TOILET PAPER rolls!

This is my favorite performer right now. I just love his voice!
And the final one for now...My first cup of coffee in the morning, is my favorite cup of the day! Head over to Thrifty Decor Chick to read the favorites of other fellow bloggers!

Earring Giveaway Alert!

2008-11-30T17:52:00.003-06:00

Jeannie over at Jeannie's Happy World is hosting a giveaway for some LoVeLy pearl earrings! They are handcrafted by Judy from Silver Dot Jewelry. Here is a peek at what they look like. Go visit Jeannie for the "big picture"!

I Am Being a Slug Today!

2008-11-30T15:35:00.005-06:00

I should be working on a tag with a snow theme, and a card with a movie theme right now! I've lost my creative mojo! Instead I am surfing the web, looking at new blogs, which leads me to new blogs and so on and so forth! I have an extreme case of the lazy's today!

I am making a huge pot of brown beans with ham hocks, cornbread, and fried potatoes for dinner. It smells SOOooooo good! It had snowed just a bit overnight, and now it is sleeting outside.

I watched this movie last night. I swear I have seen it probably 100 times, I love it. Funny thing is, I OWN this movie, and I still watch it on television when it is on! I complain the whole time because they have edited out some scenes to get it completed in just 2 hours! Why I just don't pop in the DVD....I'll never know! What holiday movies do you guys watch over and over again?

I hope that every one's weekend is going well. Oh, I almost forgot! I got an email from Tootie over at Honey Girl Studios this morning. I won her cute little felt elf shoe! She has THE cutest little 2 inch pins that she makes. She has ornaments and such also.

Do Your Photos Need A Boost?

2008-11-28T17:36:00.008-06:00

I hope everybody had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I wanted to share a photo editing site with you. I saw this over on Mama's Losin' It blog (go give her some bloggy lovins, you'll have a good time there). I went and checked it out, and I love it! It is Picnik, and it's free (woo-hoo)! Of course if you pay some cash, you can get the premium service (maybe they turn your photos into diamonds or something - who knows), but there is still a lot that you can do with a photo, with the free membership! Here is a before Picnik picture of my favorite Christmas toe socks, and the after results.

Then after some editing

Here is one more, first the original, then one after I goofed with it a bit. They have pre-formated collage thingy's you can do.

Any who, I just wanted to share that with you. I had never heard of it, and I am always skeptical of sites like this unless someone you trust tells you about it. Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to their weekend!

P.S. I think I need to buy this for myself for Christmas! A pink remote control! The only way it could be better, is if it were also a chocolate fudge dispenser!

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T11:49:00.011-06:00

I thought it was time that I post what I truly recognize and give Thanks for today. This might be long, as I am a bit bored right now! I've already had my coffee/hot chocolate/cool whip combo. I've had my pie for breakfast, then a plate of leftovers for lunch (well, if you can consider 10 am lunchtime), and pie after my plate of lunch leftovers! I've walked the dog a couple of times, watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and am now watching Miracle On 34th Street.

There is a story that I have to tell you. It's been on my mind for a while now. Over a week ago, I was at the dollar store. I was in line at the register. Both registers were open, and I couldn't help but overhear the cashier opposite mine asking her customer what she wanted to get rid of. You see, the woman in line didn't have enough money. She was $5 short, and the employee of the store was not being very quiet about it. The woman looked mortified, sad, ashamed, you name it...all rolled up into one face. She had mostly food items (which looked to be the makings of her Thanksgiving dinner), and some household necessities such as dish soap, toilet tissue etc. With her head hung low, she started picking through bags to find which items to return. The woman standing behind her in line, reached discreetly for the embarrassed woman's hand a placed a $5 in it, and gave her a little wink. The woman mouthed the words "thank you", handed the cashier the money, and grabbed her bags and left. The kind woman that gave her the money, shot the cashier a look that would have sent a chill down my spine had I been her! The other women in that line were rolling their eyes, and sighing as if relieved. All in all, this whole episode only lasted maybe under a minute.

I am disgusted at how the cashier and the rest of the women in line were behaving. It's not like they were in the grocery store, and standing in line behind some drunk woman, who was trying to purchase $20 of booze with only $15 in her purse! This woman, she was buying food. Probably for her family. She probably had been worrying about how to pull a Thanksgiving dinner together on little money for weeks. She was probably keeping tabs of every cent as she put items in her cart, and somehow miscounted. I've sure been there! Just before payday, really wanting to go out to eat, but instead settling on a loaf of bread and lunch meat because it will last longer! I've stood in line thinking to myself "crap, I hope that I calculated this stuff correctly" while you secretly eye-ball your coins to see how many more dollars you can come up with if needed!

I am thankful for this kind woman who didn't hesitate to help someone in need. I am also thankful that the other woman's family will be enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner today.

I'm thankful for this little turd also! He is actually my Mom's dog, but I "babysit" for him ALOT! He is usually attached at my hip! He is adopted from a pet shelter. He was abandoned in his previous owners backyard. They left him tied to a tree with no food or water. After 2 weeks, the previous owners felt bad, and called to report where he was. When the animal shelter people found him, he had been drinking from a mud puddle, and the neighbor kids had been tossing him food through the fence. That was 10 years ago, we figure he is about 13 years old. His name is JJ. He loves to eat, chase cats, sleep, and play with his favorite pink ball!

I'm Thankful for places such as this. I was lucky enough to visit here once, and am anxiously awaiting the day I am going back there with my family! We are planning a trip for my birthday, and they can't wait to see the place I have been obsessing over! My aunt is visiting friends in Florida, and she called this morning as she was enjoying a walk on the beach before getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. She needed the little break from life, and I'm thankful that she got to spend time near the ocean.

And last but not least, I'm thankful for these goofballs (my family). The only ones missing from this little show are my two nieces and two nephews. It's me, my brother, my SIL, Mom, and Aunt. Sorry for the long post! That first story is wordy!

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Sweet Cracker Sandwich, It's Over!

2008-11-26T22:15:00.004-06:00

Well, it's over! I made it through the first of the two longest days of the year. My ~~dysfunctional~~ busy family's Thanksgiving was celebrated today. My Mom has to work tomorrow, and my brother and sister-in-law go to her Moms house for the holidays. My Aunt is out of town, so we just got it all over with today. It wasn't a bad day. It was mostly predictable, with one surprise! My nieces (who I never get to see) showed up at Mom's, and we got to visit with them for several hours. My brother showed up 3 hours late (this was no surprise). My sister-in-law showed up 3 hours and 15 minutes late (this was no surprise either). Here was our menu:

Turkey
Dressing
Mashed Potatoes
Noodles
Broccoli and Cheese Casserole
Corn
Yams
Gravy
Cranberry Sauce
Cranberry Relish
Dinner Rolls

Pumpkin Pie
Coconut Cream Pie
Chocolate Cake (my Mother insisted that I make, that nobody ate...predicted)

I'm Thankful that we all were able to get together. It means a lot to my Mother. Our holiday traditions have fallen to the wayside over the past 10 years, and "making it happen" on Thanksgiving and Christmas is almost always a chore. My brother has never been on time to one single dinner in the history of family dinners!

However...tomorrow I am FREE! I plan to get up whenever I want...have my coffee and hot chocolate...watch the parade...eat pie for breakfast...eat leftovers all day long...and watch football in the afternoon! It will be a glorious day!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving,
Cassie

Happy Thanksgiving To All

2008-11-26T13:13:00.003-06:00

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey be plump,

May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.

May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,

And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off of your thighs!
author unkown

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Yakkity Yak

2008-11-24T22:48:00.002-06:00

David received a parrot for a gift, just before Thanksgiving Day. This parrot was fully-grown with a bad attitude and terrible vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren't expletives were, to say the least, rude.

David tried hard to change the bird's attitude. He was constantly saying polite words and playing soft music; he did anything he could think of. Nothing worked. When he yelled at the bird, the bird got worse. If he shook the bird, the bird got madder and ruder. Finally in a moment of desperation, David put the parrot in the freezer.

For a few moments he heard the bird squawking, kicking and screaming and then suddenly, there was quiet. David was frightened that he might have actually hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto David's extended arm and said: "I'm sorry that I might have offended you with my language and actions, so I ask for your forgiveness. I will endeavor to correct my behavior."

David was astounded at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had changed him...when the parrot continued: "May I ask what the turkey did?"

author unkown

Giveaways at Tip Junkie

2008-11-23T14:35:00.002-06:00

Time is running out over at Tip Junkies "12 Days of Junkie" giveaways. Today is days 10 & 11, so head over and check it out.

Monkey Bread Recipe

2008-11-22T20:46:00.002-06:00

I thought I would post the recipe that I use for Monkey Bread. There are a lot of different ways to make this I believe. This is just about the simplest one I have ever found though. I don't really measure anything when I make it, so these are guess-timates (I think they are close enough though).

I baked this in a round non-stick cake pan, coated with cooking spray (you can use butter also).

2 cans of biscuits (I used Pillsbury Buttermilk refrigerated can biscuits-the small ones-10 to a can)
Cut each raw biscuit into 4 pieces.

1/2 Cup granulated (white) sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon in a zip lock bag or bowl. Toss the biscuit pieces (a few at a time) to coat them with the mixture. Throw the coated pieces into your cake pan.

1/4 cup margarine or butter and 1/2 cup of brown sugar
Melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat (stirring constantly) until butter is completely dissolved, keep stirring until it is smooth. This only takes a couple of minutes. Once it's melted, pour it evenly over the biscuits.

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 12 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then turn it out onto a plate or serving platter. The bite size pieces just "pull apart" from the rest!

You can also sprinkle in some nuts, or raisins before you pour the brown sugar mixture over it.

This is an easy recipe to "play around" with. When you are coating the biscuit pieces, you may need to add a little bit more cinnamon half way through. The earlier pieces seem to really "soak up" the cinnamon quite a bit. If you don't have any brown sugar on hand, you can mix granulated sugar with a bit of molasses.

Do The Doughnut People Deliver?

2008-11-22T15:19:00.004-06:00

I hope that everyone is staying warm, on what I consider, a VERY cold Saturday! I woke up this morning and wanted a doughnut so bad that I thought I would probably just die without one. I poked my head outside... Nope... Don't think so... Too cold... No bakery for me today! Then I remembered something (picture the room getting a little brighter, and Angelic voices singing Awwwww, yep that's what I heard)! Monkey Bread! I haven't made it in a loooong time. I didn't add all of the bells and whistles like, nuts or raisins. But it was still pretty darn good!

So this is my public service announcement for the day. Don't forget Monkey Bread when you need something hot, gooey, cinnamony, sugary, and doughy! You probably have all the ingredients in your kitchens right now!

Tag Challenge

2008-11-22T15:04:00.010-06:00

Well, I knew that the challenge over at Tag You're It was going to be exactly that for me...a challenge! I give up and will present you with what I have (blek!). The challenge this week was to create a tag from the provided sketch.

Here is the tag that I created, thank you for peeking.

I Feel That My Luck is Starting to Change!

2008-11-21T14:45:00.004-06:00

I sat down at the computer this morning after pouring my second cup of coffee, and started my routine. Always first, I check my email, then I check about a dozen different job sites, then I go to a travel forum that I obsess over, then I log into my blog.

Well, when I logged into my email, I had a message from Stephanie over at Our Piece of Quiet telling me she had some good news. I hopped on over to her blog, and...oOoOoO (that's a drum roll) I won her giveaway! It's a cute little necklace... oh heck here's a picture...

If you head over to visit Stephanies' blog, wish her a belated Happy Birthday (it was a couple of days ago). I am so thankful for this lovely little pick-me-up today! I'm just not THAT person. You know the one who wins prizes, or finds $20 in an old coat pocket.

I wish everyone a Happy Weekend, and to all of you Twilight junkies... I hope you have an awesome time watching the movie today. I am going to lock myself in a closet until I have read all of the books so I'm not tempted to run out and watch it. Thank you for reading my blog!

You Stink Justin Matese! Open letter day at SITS

2008-11-21T14:08:00.002-06:00

Today is open letter day over at SITS. Go here to check out more open letters.

Dear Cable Company,

I regret having to write you once again, but I feel that it has been far too long since our last correspondence. In light of the recent "upgrade" in programming and service that you have selflessly imposed upon me, I would just like to say "you stink Justin Matese".

For six long months this year, I spoke to many from your company nearly everyday. I would check channel 26 three hours before the first pitch of the game, and would have to call you to inform you that your "main head" was down. It always started with the customer service representative, then their supervisor, then the manager of the local office , then the manager of the regional office, and lastly the on-call technician. With each and every person I spoke to, I always started with, "your main head is down". Everyone doubted me. After promises of fixing the problem within 3-4 business days, and stories about how the St. Louis Cardinals don't sell enough tickets so they air a blank screen, it would always end with the technician calling me back to tell me I was right. The main head was down.

I am writing to request some compensation for the many hours I have spent on the telephone, explaining to you how to fix your product. I would also like for you to show me something on channel 99 like you promise every week on your radio advertisement. I would also like to have the option of having my cable fixed 24 hours a day if needed, after all I pay for it 24 hours a day.

And last but not least...baseball season is practically around the corner (like 4 months or something), so you had better start working out the kinks on Fox Sports Midwest, or you will be hearing from me everyday again. I will not be defeated!

In closing, I would just like to make the point, that just because you are the only show in town shouldn't give you the right to take advantage of people and their desire for cable television. I hope this letter has not upset you, but as I said at the beginning "YOU STINK JUSTIN MATESE"!

Sincerely,
The lady who you try to talk down to like she is some kind of idiot

Decorating With Candles

2008-11-20T14:34:00.009-06:00

Today I've ~~wasted~~ spent some time surfing the internet looking for some candle decorating ideas. I thought I would share my findings with everyone, making me feel like it was productive and useful time spent! These photos are all from Better Homes and Gardens website. I was just looking for some fun new things to do with candles for centerpieces and what not.

Well this one I love because the photo has pink in it! I also found it useful because I have about 100 votive glasses from a wedding reception that I decorated a few years ago.

This one I love because of it's primitive look. You can find directions on how to make them right here.

I don't have a colander that is this lovely, but I thought I would throw it in anyway! I love this look. The colander has a layer of clear cellophane in the bottom, with the candles and glass snowflake ornaments nestled on the top.

I think this one is my favorite that I have found so far. Usually I'm a silver kind of gal, not gold, but this is sooooo pretty! It basically is just wire wrapped around the votive glasses. It reminds me of the spun sugar on the Croquembouche pictured below this candle arrangement. You can watch the video and get the recipe for the Croquembouche from Martha Stewart here.

Croquembouche

This little crafty candle is so very cute! The directions to make this are right here.

And the last one. Just an assortment of crystal glasses turned upside down to use as platforms for the pillar candles. The bases are embellished with what appears to be glass snowflakes.

Scentsy Giveaway

2008-11-19T13:51:00.004-06:00

Happy Wednesday everyone! The weekend is just around the corner. I'm sure most will be busy thinking about their Thanksgiving preparations! When I was just a wee child (okay in high school), I use to say..."okay today is Wednesday, so all day today we can say, all day tomorrow we can say tomorrow is Friday!" Did anyone follow that?

Anywho... I found a new blog today that looks to be a lot of fun! Over at Peanut Butter and Pickle Reviews, they are having a giveaway with one lucky winner receiving a Scentsy Plug in Warmer, and a Scentsy Sample Bar! I totally want to win this one! I almost hesitated "spreading the word" because seriously, it does decrease ones odds of winning! But.... I just LOVE this picture, and wanted to put it on my blog!

Gooey Butter Cake

2008-11-18T15:48:00.007-06:00

I thought today, I would share one of my favorite recipe's with everyone. It is "Gooey Butter Cake". There are two things that make this cake one of my all time favorites. First of all, it is soooooo sweet and good. In fact, it is really more of a cake to have with coffee, rather than as a dessert. Secondly, it is SUPER inexpensive! It's origin is said to be St. Louis, Missouri. In the 1930's a German baker was making a cake. He goofed up his recipe, and mistakenly created the Gooey Butter Cake!

This is the only picture I have right now! I plan on making another one to enjoy with my coffee while cooking Thanksgiving dinner.

There are many different variations of this cake floating around out there. This is just the simple, no frills recipe.

Mix together; 1 yellow cake mix, 3 eggs, and 1 stick of melted butter. Spread into an ungreased 9x13 pan.

Mix together; 8 oz cream cheese, 1 pound of powdered sugar, and 2 eggs. Spread over the cake mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30-35 minutes. It is done when the center surface is beginning to brown slightly.

This photo is from the Hollyberry Baking Company. That's it! I must confess, that I do not under any circumstances like cream cheese, but I love this cake! I tend to cook mine a bit longer than is necessary to "harden" it up some. If you love cream cheese, go ahead and take it out of the oven just when the center begins to brown. It is best if you can let it cool completely before serving. This gives it a chance to "set up" a bit.

I've read recipes that add a can of pumpkin to the cream cheese mixture, and some that add vanilla, or chocolate chips. This is a pretty flexible recipe, so go ahead and experiment with it! I've always thought that adding a bit of lemon juice to the cheese would be good too!

Edited on 11-19-08
Just wanted to add a few things to the recipe to help out all of you lovely bloggers from abroad!

What is a Yellow Cake Mix? Really it is just a basic cake. The difference between our White Cake Mix (boxed dried cake mix) and the Yellow Cake Mix, is white cake mixes do not use the yolks of the eggs. Yellow Cake Mixes call for the use of the yolks. They are generally lighter than a pound cake, but heavier than a sponge cake. Here is a picture of our boxed yellow cake mix.

If you want to make the yellow cake from scratch, here is an easy recipe. I've altered the recipe to compare to a boxed mix, that being said, you DON"T want to use this recipe for an ordinary cake that you will just bake and frost.

1/2 cup butter, melted
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Here is a picture of our stick butter. One stick of butter is equal to:
1 stick of BUTTER = 1/2 Cup or 2 dl or 2 oz or 60 g.

I hope this helps answer any questions! Thanks for looking everyone!

Another Quilt Giveaway!

2008-11-17T11:04:00.002-06:00

Camille over at Simplify is giving everyone the opportunity to win a quilt! The winner picks the pattern (she has some lovely patterns), and she will choose the fabric! There are many ways to enter, so go check it out!

Good luck to everyone! A nice warm quilt right now is exactly what I need!

I'm not ready for this cold, drafty, rainy weather!

Keeping Up With The Joneses

2008-11-16T14:53:00.003-06:00

Do you keep up with the Joneses? I was watching an episode of Andy Griffith the other day, and it was about this very thing. It got me to thinking..."Do I do that"? I came to the conclusion that I don't exactly try to "keep pace" with the things that other people have, (you know things that keep the social ladder even or whatever), but I certainly do try to "Keep Up With the Joneses" on a different level. For example:

I raked the leaves in my yard a few days ago. They were deep. I just kept hoping that the neighborhood kids would trample through them, scattering them to the wind. But then I remembered that neighborhood kids don't exactly trample much anymore, for the most part. My neighbor has a humungo pine tree that is shaking it's needles to the ground with every little puff of wind. They have raked them (this is no lie), about 6 or 7 times so far this fall. So I didn't want the yard to look shabby compared to the rest on the block, so 20 bags later it is clean.

Nobody in the neighborhood (at least that I've ever seen) goes outside in their pajama's. I took my dog outside last night, for what I thought was the last time for the evening. When I got back inside, naturally I put my PJ's on. Approximately one hour later he decided that he needed to head back to the great outdoors! I was tempted to just throw a coat on over my PJ's, but decided that I didn't want to get caught by the neighbors, so I changed back into my clothes.

I visit the neighbor lady when she walks her dog. Her dogs name is Dutch. He is a Scottish Terrier. He is always clean. I gave my dog a bath today.

I stayed up late last night and couldn't tear myself away from the computer. Many ladies have their blogs decorated for Thanksgiving, and other bloggers have started with Christmas decorations already. I understand the early Christmas thing because some bloggers have a business that thrives during the holiday season. So in the spirit of "Keeping Up With the Joneses", I went ahead and went the Christmas route on my blog. I figured if it takes me two hours to publish a post, I had better get started on changing the layout for Christmas!

So the moral of the story... I think this "Keeping Up With the Joneses" thing is still around.

Anyhoo...Have you ever read the comic strip Get Fuzzy? It is my absolute favorite! The dudes name is Rob, the dog is Satchel, and the cat is Bucky. If you're an animal lover, you should read some of them! Bucky is such a cat!

SheetLoad's Blog Candy Blow Out

2008-11-16T10:55:00.002-06:00

Over at Sheetload of Cards, they are having a BIG giveaway! Today is the last day to enter, so hurry up and scadoodle on over there to sign up! You can check out the details right here! Good luck to all that enter!

12 Days of Junkie giveaway!

2008-11-15T12:44:00.003-06:00

Over at Tip Junkie, they are into Day 5 of their "12 Days of Junkie" giveaway. They are having 2 winners (yep, two!) each day! Head on over there to check it out. I hope add this link thing, and do the Mister Linky doom-a-hicky correctly! I still haven't figured out this whole process yet!

Tag Challenge and Some Trivia

2008-11-14T22:33:00.003-06:00

The challenge this week over at Tag You're It, was to create a tag with the theme "red & green". It didn't have to be Christmas, but I try to create the first thing that comes to my mind and this is what I thought of...sort of!

Any who... Here is a little back story on the song "O Holy Night" in case you've ever wondered!

"O Holy Night" ("Cantique de Noël") is a well-known Christmas Carol composed by Adolphe Adam in 1847 to the French poem "Minuit, chrétiens" by Placide Cappeau (1808-1877), a wine merchant and poet. Cappeau was asked to write a Christmas poem by a parish priest. It has become a standard modern carol for solo performance with an operatic finish.

In the carol, the singer recalls the birth of Jesus. It was translated into English by Unitarian minister John Sullivan Dwight, editor of Dwight's Journal of Music in 1855, and lyrics also exist in other languages.

On December 24 1906, Reginald Fessenden a Canadian inventor, broadcast the first AM radio program, which included him playing "O Holy Night" on the violin. The carol therefore appears to have been the first piece of music to be broadcast on radio. It later appeared in an edition of carols by Josiah Armes, published by Oxford in 1936, subsequently increasing its popularity.

information from Wikipedia.

2008-11-11T22:37:00.003-06:00

The Old Red Barn Co. is having a quilt giveaway! Three winners will each get one of these lovely quilts! You'll have 4 ways to enter, and one of them you earn 50 extra entries (if you're brave, which I am not)!! So go over there and check it out....Good Luck!

Good News This Morning!

2008-11-11T14:06:00.004-06:00

Why oh why does it take me forever to complete a post!! I thought I would start with that, and get it out of the way. I'm just not very fast at this stuff! So... I have some awesome, good news to share with everyone (doing a little happy dance here). I am the lucky winner of one BEEEAUTIFUL bracelet crafted by Aleta over at Fleur de Aleta! Woo Hoo! I left a comment over there stating that I had never won anything in my life, and I thought that was true, until I spoke to my Mom and told her the good news! So I thought I had better clear up my faux pas!

Apparently when I was only 4 years old, I attended a Christmas party for my brothers' Cub Scout pack. There was a drawing, and (according to my Mother) I won a fabulous espresso machine. When I was four. I don't remember winning that machine, but I do remember it sitting on our kitchen counter taking up TONS of space! From what my Mother tells me, (since I didn't seem to excited about the ginormous metal machine) they let me choose a "prize" also. I chose this plasticky, glittery, el-cheapo nativity scene. Which I totally remember, and I totally loved it! And I totally still have it! So... I didn't mean to fib about not winning anything, but can you blame me for forgetting it!? I don't consider the Nativity scene a prize that I won, I always remembered it as a gift!

These are a few "girly" Christmas tags I made over the weekend. I thought they would be cute for my nieces.

Have a good week everyone!

2008-11-11T13:21:00.004-06:00

They Did Their Share

On Veteran’s Day we honor
Soldiers who protect our nation.
For their service as our warriors,
They deserve our admiration.

Some of them were drafted;
Some were volunteers;
For some it was just yesterday;
For some it’s been many years;

In the jungle or the desert,
On land or on the sea,
They did whatever was assigned
To produce a victory.

Some came back; some didn’t.
They defended us everywhere.
Some saw combat; some rode a desk;
All of them did their share.

No matter what the duty,
For low pay and little glory,
These soldiers gave up normal lives,
For duties mundane and gory.

Let every veteran be honored;
Don’t let politics get in the way.
Without them, freedom would have died;
What they did, we can’t repay.

We owe so much to them,
Who kept us safe from terror,
So when we see a uniform,
Let’s say "thank you" to every wearer.

By Joanna Fuchs

Tag Challenge

2008-11-07T16:38:00.004-06:00

The theme for the challenge this week at Tag You're It is, "Tic Toc". We were to create a tag using a theme that has anything to do with time, clocks, watches, etc.

For some reason the theme instantly brought to mind one of my favorite poems, "The Children's Hour" by Longfellow.

Dawn at Crafty Ramblings chose the theme this week!

Thank you for taking a peek at it! Have a great weekend everyone!

I noticed after I posted this (and made it uber-huge by clicking on it) that I forgot to credit the author on the tag! I will be fixing it!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Children’s Hour

Between the dark and the daylight,
When the night is beginning to lower,
Comes a pause in the day’s occupations
That is known as the Children’s Hour.

I hear the clamber above me,
The patter of little feet,
The sound of a door that is opened,
And voices soft and sweet

From my study I see in the lamplight,
Descending the broad hall stair,
Grave Alice, and laughing Allegra,
And Edith with golden hair.

A whisper, and then a silence:
Yet I know by their merry eyes
They are plotting and planning together
To take me by surprise.

A sudden rush from the stairway,
A sudden raid from the hall!
By three doors left unguarded
They enter my castle wall!

They climb up into my turret
O’er the arms and back of my chair;
If I try to escape, they surround me;
They seem to be everywhere.

They almost devour me with kisses,
Their arms about me entwine,
Till I think of the Bishop of Bingen
In his Mouse-Tower on the Rhine!

Do you think, O blue-eyed banditti,
Because you have scaled the wall,
Such an old mustache as I am
Is not a match for you all!

I have you fast in my fortress,
And will not let you depart,
But put you down into the dungeon
In the round-tower of my heart.

And there will I keep you forever,
Yes, forever and a day,
Till the walls shall crumble to ruin,
And moulder in dust away!

What Time Is It?

2008-11-06T14:50:00.017-06:00

This blog sure has kept me busy! All I do is read other blogs!! I decided since I haven't posted anything in a few days, (and have not worked on any crafts, or cooking or anything!), that I would post a quick little note about my own personal Bah-Hum-Bug! Usually by this time of year, I am INFECTED with the holiday spirit! I mean, listening to Christmas music, watching all of my holiday movies, filling the house with pine scented candles....you know the drill! But I'm just not into it! One of my favorite holiday movies was on television last night, and I skipped right over it with a siiiiighhhh. I'm just not ready for this...

... or this...

And certainly not this...

... or this...

What I think I really want, is to eat a piece of pumpkin pie everyday until Thanksgiving! I know some believe that to celebrate Christmas before Thanksgiving is wrong. I don't really usually "celebrate" it that early, I just like the "warm fuzzies" that comes with it all. Maybe this weekend, I will throw some pine needles in the simmer pot, and crank up some Christmas music. Maybe that will get me going! Some people have snow at home already. I have to wonder if this has given them the Christmas bug......hmmm.....

Happy Halloween & a Tag Challenge!

2008-10-31T14:25:00.003-05:00

Shadows of a thousand years

rise again unseen,
Voices whisper in the trees,
"Tonight is Halloween!"

~Dexter Kozen

This week over at Tag Your It the challenge is to create something ghastly with a Halloween theme. So I made a set of coffins, kind of a "before and after"!

The template for the coffin is from Created By Hand (they posted it about a month ago). Thank you for taking a look, and have a Happy and Safe Halloween everyone!

A Thrifty Idea

2008-10-30T14:36:00.003-05:00

I was working on some cards today, and thought I would share this thrifty idea with everyone. The pictures below are just a sampling of various wedding invitations, programs, RSVP cards and etc. that I salvaged from a printing company's sample book. The book was discontinued and replaced with an updated one, so I took it home and started yanking things out of it! If you have ever been into a Bridal Shop, you probably have seen them. They are huge books just filled with high quality paper waiting for their second life! It is a little time consuming prying them from their pages, as they are stuck on tightly with what I call Uber-Sticky-Cement-Glue! So if you can score one of these books (give a ring to anyone in your area that sells wedding invitations and ask for their discontinued books), grab a cup (or two) of coffee and plop down in front of the TV and start prying away.

These are a few items of vellum that I have from the book...

Some very nice frames and bookmarks...

Some various frames I have already cut the text out of...

And some more pieces with vellum.

I probably got at least 20 times this amount from one sample book. I have to be creative, because they are invitations to weddings, and have text on them. But the quality of the paper is great, and the price is just right!

Thank you for stopping by!

Here, There, and Everywhere!

2008-10-29T12:55:00.010-05:00

Since I began blogging (or at least making the attempt!), I have been enjoying Dawns blog over at Crafty Ramblings. She has a fabulous prize in celebration of reaching 20,000 visitors! The challenge is to post pictures of your crafting area on your blog.

This is a tad bit embarrassing to admit, but my craft supplies are currently spread out between two different rooms, one storage shed, and a basement! So here are a few pictures from the various nooks and crannies that I have crammed my supplies into!

This is the bottom drawer of my desk, which is storing various bags of foam letters, paper scraps, buttons and what-nots!

Here I have the bottom of an entertainment center-turned-crafty nook storing some scissors, paint brushes, scraps of stationary/cards, and various other this and thats!

This next little space is the corner of my desk. It has some tags, pens, pencils, paint and my candy dish full of lip glosses. I'm a lip gloss junkie!

I would also like to say thank you to everyone who has left me a comment! Since I've started this, I am spending WAY more time looking at other fabulous blogs, instead of snazzing mine up!
And by "snazzing" mine up, I mean making a new post every other day or so. It took me just about forever and a day to figure out how to put a visitor counter up! Oh well, baby steps!

'Til next time,

2008-10-27T10:42:00.004-05:00

LeeLou Launch Party

Check out this site for some fun drawings, and other cool stuff!

2008-10-26T18:48:00.008-05:00

Found this wonderful technique for leaf rubbing. I can't wait to give it a try!
WhiMSy love: Leaf Rubbings Tutorial

Also, here is a graphic titled "harvest spirit".

2008-10-24T17:10:00.002-05:00

This is my tag for Tag Your It challenge. The challenge was to use a Christmas Tree in the design. I created this tree using the same method used to make a "paper snowflake".

2008-09-29T09:08:00.004-05:00

So I tried my first challenge at Tag You're It. It was a sketch challenge, so here's my first attempt!

2008-09-22T12:38:00.006-05:00

To blog or not to blog? I have spent a LOT of time perusing blogs about crafts, art, decorating...and thought it would be fun to have a blog of my own. So I opened?, started?, created? an account and thought..."now what"? I have absolutely no idea how it works, and don't even know enough about it to ask intelligent questions in the help section! But it will be fun, and will eventually evolve.

I couldn't think of a name for it. There are so many wonderful blogs out there where the name instantly directs your mind to the interest or talent of the blogger. I kept thinking, well I scrapbook a little, I paint (just a very very little), I collect seemingly useless things and re-work?, alter?, re-purpose? them. I love antique?, shabby?, primitive? things. A name. It was making me crazy! I just kept thinking..."no I don't really do that, I just dabble in it". Dabble. I liked that word. I thought, well yep, I do dabble. Dabble I do. Dabble dabble do!

This time of year really gets my creative side going. I love the fall. I've been making Halloween decorations. I've even tried a couple of the challenges on various blogs. If I get brave enough I may put a picture of one of them on here. But right now, I am stalking a bottle on my mom's cabinet tops. It's just sitting there, bare, waiting to have some paper and ribbon or something stuck to it. I might have to "borrow" it for a few days. I'll return it, in its new altered state, and she will probably never miss it.

See..it needs worked on!

So, thank you to anyone visiting my blog. I hope to figure this whole community out, and begin participating in the fun stuff!

Dabble Dabble Do

Weekend Plans

Blog Candy Alert!

Happy Labor Day!

August?

The Good Mail!

The Plan Was....

I have no style!

A Day Off of Work And Nothing To Show For It!

Hello Everyone!

Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge

A Looonnggggg Winters Nap!

Two Books And A Movie Review!

My Favorite Picture

Trash to Treasure??

Tag You're It...Love and Romance

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

Tag You're It & A Lovely Surprise!

Oh Happy Day!

Tag You're It...Purple!

Photo Challenge!

Tag You're It: Numbers!

Tag You're It: Sugar Candy Kisses

Celebrating The Weekend and an Award!

Where Did All Of My Time Go!?

Tag You're It - Let's Go Stripey!

I Went Through My Window Today!

No News Is Good News......Whatever!

Tomorrow, Tomorrow....It's Only A Day Away!

Third Times A Charm....?

Happy New Year!!!

The Evidence!

The After Shock of Christmas!

Well, another holiday season down! I thought I would inject a little humor into the recall of my family holiday get together. That way I won't seem quite so snarky about the whole thing!

'Twas the Saturday after Christmas, and all through Mom's place I was dreading the day, it was evident on my face.

Oh well...

Angel Friend!

Merry Christmas!

Grinch....Who Me?

Just A Few Fun Christmas Things

Oh Christmas Tree...

The Hits Keep On Coming!

My Morning Routine - Interrupted (yeah)!

Cinema Saturday: Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone

Tag You're It - Aqua & Brown

A Place for Recipes and a Giveaway!

My Favorite "D" Things

Tuesday Challenge

Cinema Saturday Challenge: Sound Of Music

Giveaways

Tag You're It Challenge & Betrayal!

A Christmas Poem, and Christmas Cards

Tip Junkie Christmas Card Contest

What Does Your Santa Look Like?

Can Santa Be Black?

Copyright © B.J. Wrights

Cinema Saturday Creative Challenge: Miracle On 34th Street

Merry SITSmas To All!

A Snowy Tag Challenge

A Few Of My Favorite Things

Earring Giveaway Alert!

I Am Being a Slug Today!

Do Your Photos Need A Boost?

Happy Thanksgiving

Sweet Cracker Sandwich, It's Over!

Happy Thanksgiving To All

Yakkity Yak

Giveaways at Tip Junkie

Monkey Bread Recipe

Do The Doughnut People Deliver?

Tag Challenge

I Feel That My Luck is Starting to Change!

You Stink Justin Matese! Open letter day at SITS

Decorating With Candles

Scentsy Giveaway

Gooey Butter Cake

Another Quilt Giveaway!

Keeping Up With The Joneses

SheetLoad's Blog Candy Blow Out

'Twas the Saturday after Christmas, and all through Mom's place

I was dreading the day, it was evident on my face.