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.

where did it go?

when did CJ go from the first day of the first grade to the first serious girlfrend?

but how cute is this beach picture? i never would have got CJ to (1) go down on the beach in the sand (2) take off his shoes & socks since he hates feet (3) and walk out into the water. but Hannah can! don't get me wrong, she is as cute as can be and i really do like her. they have been going out for about 9 months now and she is here almost every evening. someone, please help me find this block of time that i have lost. i can't even wrap my head around how fast my kids have grown up. girls, and you know who you are, i know your kids drive you crazy at times (and i remember crazy) but don't lose you block of time like i have. take lots of pictures, write feelings and events and the funny things they do and say down somewhere so you can remember it all. and don't even get me started on Bailey!

weekly recipe

i am thinking that maybe i should post a recipe that i really like once a week. since the title of my blog says i want to be like Paula Dean, my favorite Food Network Star, i should stand behind it. try this one. i think i got it off of another blog so i tried out on my family. now the kids ask me to make it all the time. especially CJ. that kid can put away the food. when it's convienent for him. trying to get him to eat dinner with us is impossible. i am fixin' (technical cooking term i think) to change that once school starts.


Not your mama's brownies
1 box of fudge brownies from Betty Crocker (plus all the ingredients to make them..eggs, oil, water)
1 package of milk chocolate chocolate chips
I container of vanilla frosting from Betty Crocker
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1-2 cups of salted peanuts..crushed
3 cups of rice crispies
Bake the brownies just as the box instructs. Let cool completely. Frost with vanilla frosting and sprinkle the top with crushed peanuts to your liking.(I like lots o nuts) Let chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. In a small pan, melt chocolate chips and peanut butter, stir continually to avoid burning. Once melted, pour the chocolate peanut butter mixture over the 3 cups of rice crispies and stir until completely mixed, then spread over the frosted brownies, and chill for another couple of hours before serving. Cut into bars and enjoy...refridgerate left overs..if you have any..lol :)


peace out.

here i am again

i thought i should give this a try one more time and see if i could keep up with it. i have a lot going on in my life right now and it might be nice to get it out on 'paper'. let's see if i can give you a feel for what is "my life" right now:

• my husband has decided to change careers at 39 years old. yes, he quit the nursery and has begun an apprenticeship to become a plumber. once he is done he will make awesome money working for himself without having to deal with the hell that is a family business. i totally understand and support his decision to leave the nursery but this new path takes a few years and doesn't ear anywhere near what he was making. big adjustment when there doesn't seem to be anything in our budget, other than cable, that can be cut.


• i closed my scrapbook store. i don't know what possessed me to open another one. i wasn't good with spending then and i wasn't good at it this time.


• i am taking an on-line course to become a medical transcriptionist so i can work from home. it pays by the line and i type fast so hopefully i can make good money. let me tell you though...it's fricken' HARD! i really want to work from home because of CJ. he is 14 and i want to keep a close eye on him. he is a really good kid other than sometimes it seems like he has 'a time of the month'. he also has a girl that he has been dating for 9 months or so that lives about 4 blocks away and i am sitting right in the middle of that one. as much as a mother can. i know that this relationship won't last forever but there will be others.


• bailey is getting her license in couple months and that makes my stomach turn over every time i think about it. i will admit that there is a small part of me that is liking the thought of sending her to the store to get milk or to Taco Bell.


• Roberto is having hand surgery in August. it is his right hand so that will be a little difficult for him. plus, it pushes some of his apprenticeship out a couple months.


• CJ is starting high school. help me, jebus!


• and finally, i have been having a lot of problems lately with restless leg syndrome. our family on my Dad's side has it. i seem to have developed a bad case of it. i have tried a couple different medications for it. the first one worked but made me sick to my stomach. so we are trying a different one that doesn't seem to be working. i would rather be sick to my stomach before bedtime than have my legs hurt. so i think i will go back on requip.

so that's me lately. a whiner. i guess that's a pretty OK second entry. hopefully i will try again soon.

peace out.