20 days???

that's how long it's been since i have posted? wow...talk about time flying. i have been pretty wrapped up in school and keeping my head above the water. oh, wait, isn't it Christmas, too? that always helps push the days by faster and faster. just too much to do.

i only have 3 secret santa gifts to buy for and shopping for Roberto. the only reason i haven't shopped for him is because i just finally got him to give me his list THIS MORNING!! now i just have to wrap it all. i kind of like that part. seeing the presents pile up under the tree. knowing that my kids will open each one and be happy to see what it is. that fills my heart that i made them happy. i know that is materialistic but when they are 14 and 16 and living in the world of "today" i will take what i can get.

i am a huge blog reader and this time of year is the best!! i have gotten so many recipes it is insane!! i could go broke buying all the ingredients to make them all. plus i would be handing out food to every Tom-Dick-and-Harry that walked by.

one of my favorite blogs is Donna Downey's. i get so much inspiration from her. she put a link on her site from someone who inspired her. Suzi Blu This picture just spoke to me. i love her art. i have been finding a lot of whimsy art like this from different artists and i wish that i could buy a bunch of them, frame them all, and make a wall of them in my scrap room.



















i am glad that Thursday was the kids' last day of school. i like having the kids home for Christmas vacation. call me crazy but it makes it feel like "home" when we are all here. though i will tell you that little Miss Bailey is running around in her car like if she doesn't put 10,000 miles on it before the end of 2007 it is going to turn back into a pumpkin. she came into my office 2 days ago and tells me that they are going to the movies. i said "what did you say" and she repeated herself. i repeated myself. lightbulb moment for her "CAN i go to the movie?" i told her that just because she has a car it doesn't mean that she gets to do what she wants when she wants. she still has to ASK. did i mention that she is 16?? help me when CJ gets to 16!!

Roberto is loving, loving his job!! it is a strange adjustment for us though. he doesn't leave for work until about 8:20am and gets home at 6:30ish depending on traffic. that puts dinner a lot later than we are used to. it works well for him because he is not a morning person so getting to leave for work a little bit later is good for him.

well, i thought i would share my favorite Christmas decoration of my home. NO ONE gets to touch it. i put it up and i take it down. it is from Pottery Barn and you can bet i am the only one in this family that understands what that means. LOL i still need to get some kind of xmas decoration for the mirror and take the foliage garland that i have there down but i haven't found anything that strikes me yet.

















i purchased this set of 3 snowmen a couple years ago at Costco. they bend so you can position them anyway you want. again with the 14 year old boy. this is what i get:



















and then there is the not-so-nice of a gestering snowman:























and last but definately not least the snowman that is taking a dump. CJ is very into detail. he is sitting on a container of 'chocolate' frosting and reading a newspaper.
























Merry Christmas!

Peace.

been down

my closest friends know that i have problems with ups & downs. i am in a down that i can't kick. maybe it's the shorter days, the big-time changes in our lives, the stress of Christmas...which usually isn't a stress but is this year.


i talked with a friend yesterday who helped me see a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. she helped me make a schedule. i did. it's way more packed than i thought it would be but i am going to give it my all. so far, so good. i know it's only been one day but i did yesterday perfectly. as soon as my morning coffee and blogging is over i am on to day 2. i will finish day 2 if it kills me. thanks friend.


berto is working at the Benton County Senior Dial-a-Bus. he is dispatcher and is in love with his job. he loves to dispatch and loves helping the older people who need this service. he has even had to run out twice now and pick-up and/or drop-off two clients that a certain bus couldn't or didn't get to. he even thought that was pretty cool. there is some room for advancement so that is good as well. i am very happy for him. and to be honest....the paycheck.


i am so in the mood to scrapbook but just know that i can't because at this late date my school work has to come first. i need to make sure our crop group has a scrapbook day in January. hint, hint, Anne, go check the schedule!! i am all packed and ready to go!!


since this post seems so down (sorry about that) i thought i would post some funny pics. those of you who know me well know that i am ALWAYS behind in my laundry. there is always a pile of dirty clothes on the floor in my bathroom. the other day Bug and Jack were wrestling around in the pile of clothes and out runs Bug with the arm of my bra around her. not around her neck but over her head and behind her 2 front legs...almost like a harness. i swear....not a single person in this house did it to her. how she did it is beyond me. then, as i am taking pictures she gets one of the hooks stuck in the carpet and can't go anywhere. we were dying laughing. 'gotta love a pet that can keep you laughing.

peace.

Jeff Dunham - Achmed the Dead Terrorist

normally these ventriloquists (sp?) bug me but this guy's characters crack me up! he has quite a few of them. this one is my favorite one so far. thought i would share.

one of my faves!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

a fork in the road

when i owned my scrapbook store i used to read blogs from wholesale companies to try and keep up on what was going on in their world. one of the blogs that i read was that of Melody Ross, the owner of Chatterbox. her blog didn't really do much for me but one day she posted something that hit me up side the head like "i could've had a V8!!". i ran across it last night and thought i would share it with you. it seems to hit home right now in some way.....

What Are You Afraid Of?

Afraid of Being the Adult.....This is a beautiful photo of a fork in the road...in case you can't tell......when you are the adult...you have to be the one to decide which road is to be taken........ugh. Remember when the biggest choice you had to make every day was whether you would wear your hair in a half-ponytail or in pigtails? Remember when you'd contemplate for HOURS, every day in November about what you were going to tell Santa when you sat on his lap next month? Remember when the only fork in the road was the one that went to your friend Susie's house or your friend Gina's house to play Barbies?

Sometimes I just totally hate being an adult. I hate that I have to always make these giant choices that mean giant things either way. I want to throw myself on the ground and throw a fit and say..."I don't want mac and cheese OR pb&j....I only want a cooooookieeee!!!! WAAAHHHHHH!!!" Of course, my mac and cheese and pb&j just happen to represent large decisions that could potentially make way bigger messes than even grape jelly on champaign colored carpet.

You know what I always tell my kids when they throw those kinds of fits? "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!" Is that how life works sometimes? I am not sure yet........I guess I have to think about what I had to do before I said that to my kids...I had to give them what I thought was best for them, when they really believed that a diet of cookies was the best thing for them....I had to hand over the carrots and some diced up little pieces of chicken, pull the cookie away and say "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit...." So, I guess in the end, it really was what was best....

......and maybe that's just how life works? Always? Even when you are the adult.....sometimes God has to give you what HE knows is best.....and even with all of our kicking and screaming and silent treatments and starvation tactics....sometimes He just has to say...."you get what you get and you don't throw a fit...."

right?

......maybe I'm still in spiritual babyfood mode and I have to grow my teeth before I can start eating the solid food? I don't know.........maybe I would choke if I got what I really wanted.....maybe I just have to eat my vegetables and I'll finally get surprised with a cookie if I'm really good.

Who knows...........I'll be a good kid and eat my vegetables......

and......don't you wish someone would wrap you up in a blanket every day at 2pm and MAKE you take a nap????

i'm a sucker for jack nicholson

put him in any movie and i will watch it. this one looks like i will laugh, cry, and watch it over and over, and over. morgan freeman is in it as well and he is another of my favorite actors. and isn't it great to see sean hayes in something since will & grace? so watch this preview and see whatcha' think.

The Bucket List

holidays

i don't 'host' family holiday dinners. that is still in my Mom's department for now. i am keeping an eye on her every move though, so hopefully when it is my turn i can make some of the same amazing dishes that she does.

this recipe is one that i make that she doesn't. it's not traditional (so my Dad thinks because it hasn't been made by my Mom forever) but my husband loves it.....and he doesn't like stuffing. i was given this recipe from a friend that i had a long time ago and it is amazing. give it a try....it might just surprise you.

WILD RICE MUSHROOM STUFFING

1/2 cup uncooked wild rice

day-old french bread (about 4 ounces)

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms*

1/2 tsp. rubbed sage

1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (i leave these out)

Rinse and cook rice according to package directions; set aside. Cut enough bread into

1/2-inch cubes to measure 4 cups. Spread in single layer on baking sheet. Broil 5 to 6 inches from heat 4 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring after 2 minutes; set aside.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sage, dried thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Add cooked rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in broth. Add pecans and toasted bread cubes; toss lightly.

Transfer to 1 and 1/2-quart casserole dish.**Preheat oven to 325F. Cover casserole with lid or foil. Bake 40 minutes or until heated through.

*or, substitute 1 1/2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

for 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms(this is what i do)

**At this point, Wild Rice Mushroom Stuffing may by

covered & refrigerated up to 8 hours before baking.

Bake 50 minutes or until heated through.

and if you want to satisfy you sweet tooth (and almost everyone else's) make these!!

PEANUT BUTTER ROCKY ROAD

1 lb. white bark

1 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups rice krispie cereal

1 cup mini marshmellows

1 cup roasted peanuts

In a 2 qt. bowl melt the bark and the peanut butter for 3-4 minutes on 50% power in the microwave, stirring once half-way through. Add the vanilla and stir until well mixed. Fold in the cereal, marshmellows, and peanuts. Spread into a 9x13 pan that is lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set. Cut into squares and serve. Store in air-tight container.

i have a few other recipes i would like to share but have to head out right now. have a great Sunday.

peace.

Veterans Day Tribute

I am so thankful that my family who served are still here with me today. My heart goes out to those families who cannot say that.

God Bless all of those who have served and who are currently serving to protect our Country.

the mid-term it over

and i got....

84%!!!!

boy am i glad that is over. now i begin a new section of chapters (11 of them i think), a final test on those chapters, a short course on using the transcribing equipment and i'm done. i can't wait for that!

peace.

i hate tests

well, i took my 2nd review test last night and got an 84%. that's pretty good i think.

but, tonight my proctor, Dawna, is coming over to watch me take my mid-term and i am nervous as hell. what if i bomb? do i get to retake it? i can't find any info on that. i guess i have to call and ask. wish me luck. i will keep you posted.

on a good note....i have been selling all of my Longaberger baskets on Ebay to make money while i am trying to finish school. i have been doing OK. sold a set of nested serving baskets (that i adored) for $165. i have to head into town and ship 4 boxes today.

Monday i am headed out to Cocoa Daisy with Pam to start putting together the kits for December. i can't wait to see what they are going to have in them!

peace.

Timbaland - Apologize (feat. One Republic)

i finally found this song! i have been looking for it since i heard the chorus on a promo for an upcoming episode of "Without a Trace". love it!

teenagers shouldn't trick-or-treat

...but one of Bailey's friends, the nerdy student pictured below had never been, so i figured it was OK this year.




















Bailey as Sally from 'The Nightmare Before Christmas".





















her friend Becky. what a silly lil' mime.





















peace.

settling in....sort of

well, work is going OK. i guess i can say that i don't hate it. other than one girl i really like the people i work with. the bummer is that Lisa, the cook, is leaving at the end of this week. she has helped me more than anyone. plus she is really funny. we crack each other up all the time.


my hours have evened out this week. i had been 2 days here and 3 days there but now i am set into my original hire agreement. tuesday thru friday, 8-3. it works really well for me. plus, opening, 8-9 is pretty fun. pretty easy, too. i will be starting to slice meat, cheese, tomatoes, and onions on the automated slicer when Lisa leaves because Cindy, who does it now, will be taking over the cooking duties. i will also be doing a little bit of prep-cooking in the afternoons when the lunch rush is over. i like that.


oh, and we do some catering as well. so in the mornings we get it all done...box lunches and platters. this morning i made, wait for it......68 f-in' sandwiches!! thought i was gonna' die! at least i wasn't maker for the lunch rush. i would have had to hurt someone.


the best part???? Pam got hired at the deli. her hours are almost the same as mine so we will get to spend our days together again. i am so excited. i missed her so much. we had a really hard time getting together over the summer. i am glad we will have this.


things have been tough around here money-wise. the Target job that Berto got didn't work out for him. so, he is back to job hunting again. cross your fingers for him. we seem to make it by the skin of our teeth but we won't be able to last much longer. it's amazing how cheap you can get by when you really try. this is definately a good lesson.


my mom gave me a little bit of $$ on the sly to spend on scrapbook supplies because she knows her daughter well enough to know i was dying to get some new stuff. little does she know i collect more than i scrap but that's another story. i saw Ali Edwards working on this and had to get one. it arrived today.


























i also read Donna Downey's blog and she created this cool Christmas scroll. i thought it would make a great Christmas decoration. she made 22 kits with full directions and sold them on etsy. i was lucky enough to get in on one. finally i hit something right on time.



























i want to send out a belated 2-year anniversary greeting to my friend Anne and her partner, Jamie. congrats!! love you guys.

well, i'm off to see who gets the boot on this weeks Dancin' with the Stars. it better not be my Cameron!

peace.

just sharing a few recent layouts

the left side swirl, flower in the lower right, and the label at the top right are felt pieces from Fancy Pants. they are so cool. the letter stickers, patterned paper, epoxy stickers, and the buttons on the felt are all love, Elsie.

these papers, stickers, and epoxy stickers are from Marah Johnson. the flower is from Bazzill and the round bling in the center of the flower is from Heidi Swapp. the chipboard brackets are from Basic Grey and the chipboard arrow is from Scenic Route i think. the bottom ribbon i got from my good friend, Anne. she is working on her ribbon-sharing abilities these days.

i'm too lazy to go figure this one out completely. i think a lot of it is Fancy Pants. another one of the round blings from Heidi Swapp. 7G's stamp. Fancy Pants transfer on the picture that came off like SHIT!


peace!

beginnings and endings

it's been a strange week to say the least. it's odd how you wake up on a Monday morning and think you know how your week will play out. just the same old things. you just might be wrong.

roberto got a job at the Target Distribution Center in Tangent. it tides us over until he gets on with the state, city, or county. he has at least 6 applications in right now so we are hoping something will come through soon. try, try, and try again some more. i just hope he gets a Target discount!!

i started my job at the Wine Depot on Tuesday. i enjoyed it a lot more than i thought. it was a whirlwind trying to absorb all the information that i could. i suck at remembering names so i was constantly repeating everyone's names as i walked behind them. they probably wanted to punch my lights out.

so all is well and then BAM! life throws up a ball of emotion that sends you spinning. my maternal grandmother, Oma as i called her, passed away in the early hours of Wednesday. she has been in a nursing home since May and i knew that it wouldn't be long but you know what they say, "you're never really ready for it". i wasn't good a visiting her. i would get so emotional and depressed when i did that it was so hard to go. pretty selfish now that i think about it. i did get to say a few last things to her. i thanked her for being the one to buy me my first bra. for being the one to buy me my first pair of high heels and teaching me to walk in them. for being the one to teach me to cross my legs and to sit down gracefully and not the "plop" down. i told her how i remembered on Wednesday nights she would let me comb out her really long hair and try to put it back up "my way" because she knew that Thursday was the day she went in and got her hair washed and set. i told her i remembered playing dice with her and taking picnic lunches to Opa during the summer. i think she heard me when i talked to her. i know that she is happy and pain free now. Opa kissed her and told her he would see her in Heaven. i believe he will. we will bury her tomorrow. all i can do now is stand as strong as i can next to my Mom and give her all of the love and support that i can. she needs me and i will without a doubt be there for her.

after losing my grandma that morning i had to go to work. it was my 2nd day and there was no way i could not go. it was a long day and i thought a lot about my Mom and how she was doing. i got to do a few more new things a the Deli and am getting pretty good at the things i learned on the first day. i will say one thing....making my own latte' rocks!

Bailey was inducted into the National Honor Society. Roberto and i are so proud of her. it was a short ceremony where each inductee signed their name into the book, lit their candle, and received a pin. this is one of those things that i am proud to say she got from me. i was in the NHS, too. now we are pin-pals. sad humor, i know.



















today Bailey got her Oregon Driver's License. talk about beginnings and endings all in one sentence! she begins a whole new part of being a young adult. and i end having to take her happy-ass everywhere!! ha!! seriously though, it scares me to death.













there was no school today nor will there be school on Monday. it's the end of the first 6 weeks. i think CJ did pretty good this time. i sure hope so. it seems like he has been trying hard. plus he has a study hall this semester and i think he gets a lot done in there. if it helps i need to make sure he gets one every semester if possible. i would rather him have a study hall than underwater basket weaving.

here is a wonderful picture of my son 2 years ago this month for Halloween. his grandpa took him to Hooters to get a girls' t-shirt for his costume and the waitress gave him her shorts since they don't sell those. i promptly washed them and this was what he walked the streets looking like that night. his friend was a stripper. what guys won't do to get girls to pay attention to them.




















speaking of CJ, when i got the call Wednesday morning about my grandma i started to cry really bad. the kids were getting ready for school and Roberto was still asleep. CJ doesn't show a lot of affection, being a teenage boy and all, but he went into the bathroom, got a cool wet washcloth, brought it to me, and held me and let me cry until he had to leave for the bus. i have often wondered if my sweet boy was still in there and now i can quit wondering.

this reminds me of how my heart has been breaking for my dear friend, Pam. her son, Noah, made a decision to move Israel to attend school. she is still reeling from the change and misses him terribly. Pam, you are incredibly brave. i know things will get easier. hang in there. i love you tons.

peace.

a weird thing happened today

i got a job. nothing earth-shattering. no big bucks. just a punch-in-punch-out job at The Wine Depot in downtown Albany. i am torn as to how i feel about it. i should be doing transcription work by now but because i have been having a hard time learning the material and dragging my feet working on it i am forced to make money somewhere else while i finish the course.

i am nervous about working for someone else. what if i screw up? i don't like to get into trouble or be yelled at (though the owner that interviewed my was so lovely) so i don't think "yelling" will be that often. i will be working with the public taking their orders or actually making their order. so, i either over charge them or f*ck up their sandwich! geez.

...and, a small part of me, and i mean small, is looking forward to getting out of the house. i can't go out and about like i used to since i don't have any money so this is what i can do....and make money at it.

i start next week. i am testing the waters for a couple days and then will get my food handlers permit and my liquors license. fun. my hours are good though. 8-3 M-F. not bad. no weekends is great. being home shortly after the kids get home is even better.

well, i have to go serve up dinner and hit the books but i will leave you with a picture of my daughter and her "posse".

peace.

so i hear i'm a slacker

i guess i probably am. life is so different for me that i don't know what to say. i am going at a snail's pace on my school work. roberto is not going to go into the plumbing field after all. which means he is not working. he is home all the time. that is strange. the kids are back in school. i am trying to find a part-time job so we will have a little bit of money coming in.

roberto is going in for carpal-tunnel hand surgery on Tuesday so he will be out of commision for a few weeks. he does have his application in for a job coming open at the Linn County Jail where he has a really good reference of a person who works there. cross your fingers.

on a good note, i have been scrapbooking and that does feel good. i have a bunch of stuff packed up and ready to go. lately i scrap at my friend Anne's house. other than having to haul all my stuff up a flight of stairs it is pretty cool. it's nice to get away. we have a group crop on Saturday that is going to be fun. i am so excited to spend time with the girls from the shop.

i just recently got home from visiting Danea in California. Asa is the cutest. it was great having a baby to love on again. it's been a long time since i changed a diaper and burped a baby. boy, today's moms sure have some cool stuff. i feel so deprived. it was awesome spending time with Danea. it always seems like our time together goes by so fast.

my friend, Miss M., talked about how some bloggers post rosey pictures of their lives on their blogs. that they don't go into their trying or negative times in their lives. i hope that i do both. like she says, it's nice to have a place to get some of it out. here is a picture that shows my mood some days.

peace out.

4am madness

it has happened before. twice. a live mouse. a small, fast rodent brought in by one of my cats. while chasing the first one around and not getting any where i got a great idea. the shop vac!! massive power and i don't have to get close to it. it totally worked. just corner it and suck that little rodent up!

the cat that brings me these "gifts" has no front claws and has a condition where her eyes go back and forth. we say she has "wonky eyes". how the heck she catches a mouse is beyond me.

my little gift giver: Izzy

and my tool of choice for small rodents:

if you should find a mouse in your house....grab for the shop vac!!

change

i can't decide if i like it or not. it's usually a negotiation for me. "ok, i will give you this, if you give me that". i have a hard time with the "that".

the this: one of my best friends Danea, just had the most beautiful baby boy. he is perfect. i am so incredibly happy for them. that little man couldn't ask for better parents. i am so excited to see him and cuddle him.

the that: our relationship is forever changed. a quick trip here to visit me is a lot harder now. pretty much i will have to go there for quite some time. traveling with kids isn't so much fun. i don't mind going there but having her here is great, too. our personalities haven't changed so we will relate to one another the same. i am so thankful for that.

just little changes.

the this: Bailey is driving now. she is so excited to have a car and have some independence. on some level she can come and go as she wants and she loves that. she can meet up with her friends or they can all go together without trying to get a parent to take them.

the that:the above 'come and go as she wants'. we will have final say on things but since she is a good kid that is not going to be a problem. which means she will be gone a lot more. that will be strange. lonely on some level.

just little changes.

peace out.

it's all in a picture

Karen's class has had my brain runnin' all weekend. i keep thinking of the pictures that i have that are way from perfect and most of the time there is only one taken at that time. the 'snapshot' she was talking about.

so i started looking through this rubbermaid box...oh the horror!...of those 'snapshots' and came across so many pictures that i love so much. these are 4 of my all time favorites that i thought i would share with you.

this first picture is of me and my parents when i think i was about 3. i don't know exactly because my Mom's mom wasn't one who put dates on the back of photos. are you loving the plaid vest that i am sportin'? what about my Mom's hair? but what i do remember is that even at that age i hated that outfit and every other outfit she made me wear. especially the dresses! i remember the huge, prickly rollers that my Mom would put in her hair with a ton of bobby pins. on the day that she put them in she would put on a pretty floral, sheer scarf over her rollers and we would head out for the grocery store. i wasn't embarrased. i thought she looked great. and i got to play with the rollers when she took them out.

in this picture i love how my Daddy is looking at me. i was a Daddy's girl from day one from what i was told. to some extent i still am. i love that. it's pretty amazing what one picture means to me. i love that i can look at just that 'snapshot' and remember so much about life then.

here is another 'snapshot' of my Daddy keeping his eye on me. making sure i didn't get into trouble i am sure. i look at this picture and see that awful blue couch and can picture my Oma's house. how much time i spent there. when i look at that picture i remember loving it ever since i realized that it was me and my daddy in it. i pointed at it hanging on the wall constantly when i was over there. this picture is on my shelf today. i smile when i see it.

these 2 pictures are like gold to me. i loved my grandma's kitchen. it was huge and my grandma spent a lot of time in there. i made up my mind that when i got a house of my own i would have a kitchen just like that. she had a dishwasher that she rolled out and hooked up the hoses to. she had enough counter space for 3 kitchens. the one i am sitting on was low so she could bake. there was a stove that had a side warmer compartment that i thought was the coolest thing in the whole world. the stove was the joke of the family because other than baking my Grandma burned everything she made. it was so sad. on this day Grandma let me help her make her famous Gum Drop Coconut Cookies. they were fabulous and became a Christmas staple. we have a huge family and the long dinning room table was always half full of cookies and candy on Xmas eve but her cookies always got eaten first.

i was lucky enough to somehow get my hands on the original recipe that she wrote down. the paper is pretty fragil so i photo copied it for scrapbook use but i adore it. her handwriting has always been shaky and i love that. i remember at Christmas she would put gifts under the tree on Christmas morning that were supposed to be from Santa. all of us kids would look at the tag to see who it was from and just by looking at the word "Santa" on the tag and seeing that shaky writing we knew it was from her. this picture and this recipe flood my mind with all the Christmas rituals we had every Christmas Eve.

as a scrapbooker i guess i need to write them down.

peace out.

thanks karen

karen russell's class on Friday night was awesome. her classes have great projects but always teach me something as well. not just a scrapbooking technique but something important emotionally that i will use in my scrapbooking from here on out.

the class i took was called Snapshots of a Good Life. we made a 5x7 chipboard album that is full of random, snapshot pictures. the imperfect ones. the ones we all have and don't know how to scrap. random. crappy. only one of. poor quality. the album has an easel on the back so it can be displayed on a shelf.

i have been using Making Memories paints since early 2004 and loved them. until last night at the class. there was a fair amout of painting and i chose to use 3 of the Fresh Anthology paints. apparently they felt they need to change the formula for painting on chipboard. makes no sense to me since i have been using them on chipboard for just as long as i have been using the paints and they worked just fine. this new formula sucks! it is way to thick and gummy. i put a fairly good amount of the paint onto the paint tray and held it up on it's side. didn't move. didn't run. nothing. nada. zip. what's up with that? it wasn't just one color that it happened with so i know i didn't just get a bad batch. not to mention it streaked really bad. done with the paints unless it's a 'must'.

i am sure most of everyone else knew they were out there but i just discovered the Ranger Acrylic Paint Dabbers last night. i think these will work so much better. wish me luck.

oh! i won a door prize, too. i have seen this book, Totally Transparent, forever but never got one. Danea told me i needed one so i have been looking for it ever since. it's what i won. i was so excited!

peace out.

holy 'crop' Batman!

what an awesome Saturday crop. i am so happy to be getting back into the swing of scrappin' again. owning a store = no time to scrapbook. i wish i would have remembered that before i opened The Scrap Yard. i take that back. had i not had the store i would have not met some of the most special people i have ever known. i am very blessed to have them in my life.

Saturday's crop was held at the rec room at Anne's apartment complex. what a cool room for a crop. large tables, comfy chairs, tv, dvd player, cd player, couches (which i tried out with a nap), and a kitchen. we will definately use that location for future crops. matter of fact we are already planning our next crop. confirming a date is the hardest but we give it our best effort.

Anne altered a letter 'S' for me to put on my shelf and then created some cards, Trish worked on LOs from her daughter's dance performance, Jamie finished a mini-book kit, Michelle whipped out some awesome LOs using oversized pictures, Kati took a trip down memory lane going through her pictures, and i created one 2-page LO and another 1-page LO. We did pretty good i think.

yummy cupcakes that Anne made. the frosting was to die for.

peace out.

knocked on my butt

i hate being sick. i am usually a whiner. i know this. i have come to terms with it. but this was awful. massive stomach cramps if i moved at all. they started monday night. i still have some lighter ones now but can keep them pretty much away as long as i stay on top of the tylenol and don't move too fast and sit often.

i think, and i am pretty sure, i got sick from one of those pre-cut bags of salad. on monday i was in a huge hurry and hadn't really done much with my hair & make-up, so i swung into a grocery store that i will usually only buy non-perishable items at. i was after pop, bottled water, junk food for CJ, and canned chili. the produce dept. is right at the front and a salad sounded awesome so i grabbed a bag of salad, a package of sliced mushrooms, and a tomato. i knew i had a cucumber, shredded cheese, and sliced chicken at home. yum! it looked great. i did think the lettuce tasted a little strange but figured it was because it was a 'fancy' lettuce mix and a brand i wasn't familiar with. maybe it wasn't the salad. who knows. i just know the was i feel has sucked!

and i am not missing my crop tomorrow!! i am still looking for my circle scissor but other than that i am ready to see my peeps!

thought i would share this fun quiz i found on my friend, Sara's, blog:

You Are the Middle Finger

A bit fragile and dependent on your friends, you're not nearly as hostile as you seem. You are balanced, easy to get along with, and quite serious. However, you can get angry and fed up with those around you. And you aren't afraid to show it! You get along well with: The Index Finger Stay away from: The Pinky

What Finger Are You?

i wonder what The Pinky is? i would be willing to bet that Berto is The Index Finger. he is pretty easy going. if anyone takes this quiz and ends up being The Pinky, let me know what it is.

Oh!! Big News! Big News!!

we bought Bailey her first car! she is just beside herself. mommy of the year here, found her a white 1997 4-dr Pontiac Grand-Am GT. it was $6100 and i talked the guy down to $3800 by using my pleading skills, my poor me skills, and my "look how pretty my daughter is, shouldn't she have something cool to drive?" skills. we are taking it to get it detailed next Friday so it will be perfect. now she just needs a license. i will post a pic when i get out and about with my camera again.

peace out.

weak at the knees

these CHA sneak-peaks are so cool. i am loving to see what stuff is going to be out there for me to "covet", as my friend Anne would say. looking at all of these supplies though does point out to me that there are really only half-a-dozen or so companies that i really like anymore. and those companies kind of all have the same 'look' to them. i used to like almost anything that came out but now i guess i am a lot more picky. these pics are from companies that are high on my list. drool safely.

autumn leaves' patterned paper with their awesome die-cut patterned paper. i think they were the first company to make those. they were a huge hit and now there are a few more companies doing them. i think they are so cool and great time savers.
fancy pants. awesome stuff. this are felt shapes!! from what i can see felt is really big at this show. i will try these and see what i think. should add texture with out a lot of bulk. that's cool.
more acrylic stamps from fancy pants! i love these. sorry Angela. i can't tell if these are the 12x12 ones are not but they are cool either way. their stamps are pretty good quality.

OMG! shaped cardstock from ki memories. i might have posted these before but either way it is so totally worth repeating. how awesome! what an easy way to embellish....anything!

off topic: did you see that Lindsay Lohan got busted again for DUI, driving on a suspended license and possession of cocaine? her blood-alcohol level was .12 and she had the drugs in her pocket. is she an idiot? she will do some kind of time for this one. what is up with these chics? they have more than enough money to hire a driver. i just don't get it.

seperate bedrooms

Roberto and i have a problem. we are polar opposites when it comes to bedtime. get your mind out of the gutter.

1. he likes it completely dark and i like to leave the bathroom light on.
2. he likes just "white noise" and i like to fall asleep with the TV on.
3. he hates having the cats sleep with us and i like it. (they sleep on my feet anyway)
4. i like to watch TV until 1 or 2 in the morning while he listens to a book on tape. his way it is still completely dark.
5. he likes the room to be an arctic while i prefer it a little warmer than that.
6. he likes the door shut and i like it open (for the cats).

if we were in our 80's there would be no question...seperate bedrooms. but that is completely ridiculous now. neither of us would like that. it's funny how sleeping habits can change. his haven't really but mine are no where near the same. i have never liked a completely dark room but the rest of 'his way' was fine.

in the last 6-9 months i am like a different person. i have become totally OCD on the way i sleep. 3 pillows: one flat down, one foam core one that kind of stands up so i can rest my head on it, and the last one bridges the gap between the two. i sleep with a down comforter and at my feet i lay a blanket across for the cats to sleep on. then under the comforter on either side of me, at my hips are my dogs. jack on the left and bug on the right (that's their choice, not mine. talk about OCD). oh, and my 2 remotes lay on my lap.

i wonder what is on the horizon? scary.

peace out.

summertime goodness

chelsea and bailey getting their float on

CJ rockin' the waves


i was all set. piggy tails to keep my hair out of the suntan lotion, shades, swimsuit, beach towel, flip flops, and tunes! apparently i wasn't 'socializing'. LOL

i just started saving my files on to one of my two external hard drives. of course i started with my pictures. i found this file called 'old computer' that was under My Documents. i think Roberto saved everything from my last computer and transfered it all on to this computer that way. guess what i found? pictures i had forgotten! gotta' love that. these pictures were from a day we spent with our closest friends at Moose Creek 2 summers ago.

these pictures make me think that it is the 3rd week in July and we haven't had crap for hot weather and sunshine. today was an overcast, muggy day. i don't really like weather that gets up into the high 90's or the 100's but i do like enough heat for it to seem like summer. this picture reminds me that i did have a really good day that day. it reminds me that maybe we should plan another day like that. it seems like we all just do the same 'ole, same ole' week after week. that's sad. i need to call them and set up a play date.

not my Mom's Sunday's

i remember a spotless house from the ritual of a good Saturday house clean. i remember a fresh baked dessert on the counter and the smell of a slow cooking meal filling up the house. i remember the sounds of Dad's crap-TV sounds in the background (football, Bonanza, Hee Haw, 7 Brides for 7 Brothers...that kind of crap). i remember Mom coming back from the grocery store. i remember her sitting in the living room reading a book. i love these memories.

....not at my house!!

my house isn't spotless (it's not a disaster but not like Mom's). there's a bag of Oreo's in the cupboard and i haven't come close to figuring out what's for dinner and don't think it will be very spectacular. i still have the sounds of crap coming from the TV but they are caused by my son and they include Futurama, South Park, and Family Guy. i haven't went to the grocery store in about 5 days and will probably send Roberto to 7-11 later for bread and milk. i don't own a book and will sit here in front of the computer for hours if you let me. these are the memories that i am making now.

what a difference 25 years makes. funny thing is, what was going on at Mom's house then still goes on there now. the only interuption is when they travel. i wonder if my life will stay so similiar? my parents will be married 39 years on this Wednesday. if my life stays the same as their's has then it will be perfect.

sneak peaks

3 times a year scrappers get flooded with new products from scrapbook suppliers. it is almost too much to deal with. there are products that just make you swoon.

this time for me it is ribbons and flowers.

last year it was patterned paper and die-cut cardstock.

every time it is something that i gotta' have. how whacked is that? i have more scrapbook supplies than 10 people need and i think i need more. but, i will buy more.

summer CHA runs for the next 3 days. sneak peaks will be flowing.

and i will be watching.

where's my daughter??

in her bedroom with

Harry Potter!!!

{she'll be done reading the new book by tomorrow}

i get a gold star!!

i took my first official quiz on Lesson 1 yesterday. it actually gets registered toward my certificate.

i got 100%

i am so excited. i studied so hard. the first Lesson was very difficult for me. jumping back into 'school work' was just weird...and hard. not to mention that medical terms are a friggin' different language! prefixes, root words, suffixes, OH MY!

feel my pain:

dia- prefix that means 'complete'

epi- prefix that means 'above, upon'

crin/o root that means 'secrete'

erythr/o root that means 'red'

nephr/o root that means 'kidney'

cyst/o root that means 'urinary bladder'

-gram suffix that means 'to record'

-cyte suffix that means 'cell'

-algia suffix that means 'pain'

there are 16 prefixes, 40 root words, and 23 suffixes in this lesson. bring on lesson 2!!

thank you Olive Garden

feel the need to post some cuteness:

moving on.....

i went to visit my bestest friend Danea in CA and we met our friend Missy for dinner at Olive Garden. i had this dish there and loved it. then when i got home this recipe dropped in my lap...i didn't go looking for it. i was so excited! so, here is my recipe of the week.

Risotto with Chicken and Asparagus
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon olive oil or butter
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 (5 ounce) skinless, boneless
chicken breast halves - cubed
2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
1/2 large onion, minced
1 cup Carnaroli or Arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
8 ounces asparagus, finely
chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1.
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a small saucepan, then keep warm over low heat.
2.
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the cubed chicken, and continue cooking until firm and lightly browned; set aside.
3.
Heat remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil in the saucepan and cook onions until they soften and turn translucent, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice, and continue cooking until the rice turns opaque, and the onion begins to brown.
4.
Stir in the wine and asparagus; cook, stirring constantly, until the wine evaporates. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in 1/3 of the hot chicken stock. Cook, stirring constantly, until all of the liquid has been absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes.
5.
Stir in another 1/3 of the chicken stock and continue cooking and stirring until absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Season the risotto with oregano and basil. Pour in the remaining stock, and stir until absorbed again, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then stir in the Parmesan cheese and chicken cubes.

well, i ordered all of my pictures for the Karen Russell class that i am taking in a couple weeks. i went to scrapbookpictures.com and uploaded the pictures that i wanted to use and then cropped them, added a white border, and changed them to black and white. i needed six 5x7 photos, sixteen 4x6 photos, and six to twelve wallets sized photos. i was frustrated because some of the pictures i have saved on my computer are cropped already and large enough to get good prints of other than maybe a 4x6. i wasn't saving the original sized photo as well. i know better now. funny how learning more can be frustrating as well. i ordered in doubles so it will be fun to have those black & white photos with white borders to scrap myself since this class makes a 5x7 chipboard album that has an easel so it is displayed.

peace out.

finally

my friends and i have been planning an all day crop. it has been a mess! the bummer part of it is that not all of us can make it on the same day. so, we will end up having 2 crops but that won't hurt anyone. so we finally settled on a day and are just putting together the details. it is going to be so great. i thought i would post this LO as inspiration and to try to get us back to getting more than one picture on a page. i love this one. i also like the white edges on the picture. enjoy.

peace out.

what a beauty

spending the summer home with my kids makes me learn more about their personalities. they change so much. Bailey is so calm and peaceful. she is strong and has a solid sense of just who she is. i wish i had that. she is an old soul. i am so very proud of her. i just wanted to share a picture of who i think is one of the most beautiful people alive. this picture was 2+ years ago but it is my favorite of her teenage years. my love for her cannot be put into words. i hope i have done her justice as a mother.

peace out.

happy birthday

just wanted to say 'happy birthday' to Dana.

totally feeling old

one of my oldest friends, Dana, is turning 37 tomorrow and we are the same age. that's not what's really making me feel old. she finally got herself a new car...with a CD player! i know, big deal, we all have a CD player. none of her cars ever have. she so deserves this. she has waited a long time and worked really hard. anyway, back to my story. i got her a gift card for the Salem Center Mall but my life-situation as it is, it isn't for very much. i have a TON of music on my computer. old, new, pop, rock, country, alternative, rap, and thanks to my son, a few 'screamo' songs. so i thought i would burn her a couple CDs for her car. the first one i burned is really cool. it's all women artists....Alanis Morissette, Avril Lavigne, Carrie Underwood, etc. the second one i burned was songs from high school-ish age. warning! never do this to yourself. i repeat never do this to yourself. here is what some of the Artists are:

• A Flock of Seagulls
• Andy Gibb
• Bobby Brown
• John Cougar
• Kim Wilde
• MC Hammer
• Steve Perry
• Tommy Tutone
• Young MC
• Vanilla Ice

so are you feeling my pain, gasping in horror, or rolling on the floor laughing? when i listen to some of these songs i flash back to a day, a time, a person, or even a phone call (how weird is that?). on one hand that is good but now these songs are making me feel OLD. i think in a race, feeling OLD is pulling ahead.

on to better things. guess what?? i signed up for a new Karen Russell class today called Snapshots of a Good Life. i am so, so excited. it is in Salem at Scrapbook Fever the first weekend in August. the project is a small album teaching you how to use those 'less than perfect' photos. the album has an easel on the back so it can be displayed. i think ALL of my friends should sign up for it. the cost is $45 and the class is 4 hours long. c'mon, you can do it!

peace out.

"where does the film go?"

i am feeling a little frustrated lately. unless i develope a love affair with my scanner to get all of my older photos onto my computer i can't send pictures or post pictures via my computer. developing a love affair with my scanner?? ain't gonna' happen in this lifetime. it hates me.

what do i do with all of my negatives in regards to my computer? is there a service that will take my negatives and scan/transfer them onto a CD so i can get them onto my computer? as a scrapbooker having my pictures on my computer makes my life so much easier.

sometimes i hate technology!!

those of you who had children after you had became a scrapbooker are so fortunate. even becoming a scrapper within the first few years of your child's life is a blessing. my pictures of bailey are horrible for the most part. there aren't enough of them, a lot of them are off center, are not in focus, and i think when we moved one time i pitched all the negatives!! OMG the horror! what the f**k was i thinking? i know that without a doubt the memories are there in my mind but the visual aspect isn't. it is all going to be a diary-type of scrapbook. that will be a challenge.

on a positive note i have actually been scrapbooking! once i opened the store scrapbooking for myself went right out the window. i took a class from Karen Russell at Scrapbook Fever a while back and we did 2 layouts. i actually finished both of them...pictures and all. that has never happened to me. usually i start it and then put the kit all back in the bag and swear i will finish it at home. never happens. but THIS time i finished them in class. she inspires me. i needed someone to kick me in the ass to get my mojo going. plus my friend, anne, who forces me to go to all-day crops and talk about curtains. i have been finishing LOs there, too. i will admit it is hard packing up stuff and going some where else to crop but i am starting to think that it might be a good thing. i have too many options here at home and i waste a lot of time looking for something to use. i think i get overwhelmed. at a crop i have to work with what i brought. the only thing i pick out is cardstock. of course i buy other stuff for later. hee hee

i miss my girls and need to plan a crop for us. a pot-luck crop. pick dates girls...let's organize! talk amongst yourselves.

peace out.