Check Out Those PJs!

My niece and nephews loved the PJs I made them for Christmas! Here is a video from Christmas morning when my youngest nephew tried his PJs on. I was so happy that he didn't just toss them aside to open other presents!! They are a little big on him... but still cute... and he can wear them next year, hopefully!! (He's a little modest mouse... can't change in front of people... hehe)




Ok, that was all! Happy New Years Eve Day!

A Tow Truck... I Mean "Trike"

My dad is awesome. He worked up a hair-brained idea to take my nephew's tricycle and turn it into a mini "tow-trike". If I haven't mentioned before... my dad has his own auto body and tow truck business. My sister's kids come in to the garage sometimes to "work" and usually end up riding their tricycles around the waiting room. Sometimes the boys pretend to be working on this little VW bug pedal-car. They'll prop it up on a chair (aka: "lift"), bring out their tool box and slide underneath to "check things out". Well, my dad thought he could spruce things up a little and add a wrecker to their little garage get-up. My nephew LOVED it!! Needless to say, it is going to be the source of many hours of entertainment!!

Ok, so I know his face is silly... but my sis's kids are hams for the camera!
What fun!!!

Flashback Friday #8

So, since it's Christmas... I thought I'd share a Christmas picture from way back... I would say that this was around 1987 (don't know for sure). There really is no story to go with this picture... I just think my face is HILARIOUS!

P.S. - I used to be so jealous of my sister's PJs. They were like I-Dream-Of-Jeannie, silky and sheer... by the time they would've gotten passed down to me... they were in tatters! DARN!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!

See more Flashback Fridays at Christopher&Tia's!!

A Merry Christmas Eve!!

Today is Christmas Eve (obviously). I have spent the morning so far in the kitchen. Not only were there a crap load of dishes to do... but there was also baking to be done!! My in-laws are the hardest people to get presents for. They are simple and sweet and really just don't expect presents. Plus, I can't imagine what we could get them that they don't already have or that they would really want or need anyway. SO... Cory and I decided to bake some raisin cookies for his dad (we got his mom something else). We swung around to a couple of stores and the raisin cookies were almost $4 (for like 6!)!!! So, after buying some shortening for $2 and some raisins for less than $2... we had everything else in the pantry and set to work this morning! I, personally, do not care for raisins... but they seemed to have turned out well... and the recipe made 20 cookies! So I think he'll be set!

Anyway... I wanted to share with you my Christmas Cards! I had made some back in November and tried to scrounge through my scrap booking papers for Christmas things to use... and I even went to a couple of craft stores and couldn't find anything that wasn't WAY too expensive. So I used what I could and made around 11 or 12. Then I decided to send some regular cards out that I had gotten at the end of the season last year. Well, wouldn't you know... I was at a Christmas Event at a local store where all Christmas items were 25% off... and I came across some make-it-yourself card kits (originally for photos) that were a good price... and I decided to get them and continue my block printing cards to finish out the rest of the addresses I had yet to send to. So... my apologies to friends and family who didn't get the handmade card... I am going to make more of an effort for next year!!
Don't forget to swing by tomorrow for Flashback Friday!!

Another Christmas Project COMPLETE!

I am SUCH a procrastinator!! I planned on making my niece and nephews Pajamas for Christmas since the summer... but here it is less than a week until Christmas and I am still not finished! Luckily I did get the night gown completed for my niece the other day... and yesterday I completed my nephews Curious George PJs! Here they are!! Now I just have to finish my other nephews Kermit PJs and I am DONE with Christmas! (Other than wrapping a few last things up)!!! WOOT! I'll share the Kermit PJs when I finish!!

On more serious note... my cousin's fiance got his vehicle stolen. It was at his Army Barracks and it was locked with an alarm. They said whoever stole it must be experienced because it had to have been hot wired, etc. I am not sure if they had cameras around the lot... but I would hope so!! Please pray that they are able to recover it in the condition it was in before it got stolen... or else that the insurance company will give him enough money to get something similar. He's only had the thing for like 5 months... so he is pretty devastated!! Not something you want to go through right before Christmas (or EVER!).

Also, my dad, who is a tow truck driver, was called out last night to a fatality. He said it was only the second time he had to see someone removed in a body bag. He lives in a small town... so the girl who died was the girlfriend of someone my dad knows. She was only 21. So please keep her family and friends in prayer. This is the third tragedy in 2009 of people from my high school. The first was a suicide in July... another was the weekend after Thanksgiving... a fluke medical condition.... and now this one. All of these families could really use some prayers!!

**UPDATE**
Here are the Kermit PJ's! Didn't take NEARLY as long to make! Yay! Now I'm done!

Flashback Friday #7

Attack of the JNCO's #3

Ok... so... this picture is embarrassing... I look... gross. But oh well. This picture was taken during my first (and only) semester at college. Notice again that I am wearing JNCO's... and that tie-dye shirt was (Ok... it still is... but it has a bajillion holes in it now) one of my absolute favorite shirts!! It has a batik VW symbol on the front. Hard to believe this was in 2001. I feel like it wasn't that long ago... but holy crap... it was almost 9 years ago!! I definitely needed to do something with my eyebrows... and I think I was possibly surprised by the fact that a picture was being snapped!After my dropping out of college, my "style" changed due to the fact that I had to get real jobs and JNCO's didn't quite cut it as work attire! LOL! I must say... I do kind of miss my long hair though... but what can ya do!?

For more Flashbacks... head on over to Christopher and Tia's!!

All Cracked Up...

Have you ever really thought about what the inside of an egg would look like frozen? Honestly, I never even gave it a thought until the other day when I went up to collect eggs from our chickens. We only got one that day... and it was cracked. So I brought it inside and pulled the top off... and here is what I saw...It's kind of cool! It wasn't frozen like an ice cube... it was more of like a slush. I know it's kind of a random thing to post about... but I thought it was interesting!

In other "news"... Tuesday Evening my mom and I hosted a Ladies Christmas Party for the women of my former workplace. We have done it the past two years. In the years prior to our "take-over"... the ladies would get together for dinner and do a gift exchange. The year that it was my turn to host it, my mom and I knew of a family who was having a hard time financially and so we organized the party in such a way that the ladies would still come for a dinner... but they would also buy presents for this family and bring them to the party to wrap and decorate. It would all be done anonymously--so the ladies wouldn't know the family and the family wouldn't know where the presents came from. The police agreed to take the presents to the home on Christmas Eve so that it would come from a neutral source. The idea was a big hit with the ladies and it REALLY blessed the family (we heard through the grapevine). So... we did it again the next year... and then again this year (blessing different families each time). So, Tuesday night went really well and I am so excited to know that we are going to help make Christmas special for a family who is struggling in these hard economic times. :) My cousin helped us out with decorating, setting up and serving... and my nephew was there also... which brings me to my next story that kind of ties in. Earlier that day, I stopped at Goodwill to look for sweaters to use in some of my projects. As I was browsing the SALE rack... I came across this hilarious little outfit. It was a corduroy, plaid one-piece jumpsuit... in a 4T! I had to get it. It was only 29 cents! So, I brought it with me to the Christmas Party.. and while the ladies were eating... my mom bribed my nephew (with money) to put on this jumpsuit while we were in the kitchen. He wasn't too sure about it at first... but after awhile, he enjoyed the attention... and it was a RIOT!!! We tried to get him to pose like John Travolta... but it didn't work out so well... LOL! Here are a couple of pics I thought I'd share... he is too cute and he cracks me up!!
Happy day before Friday!!

Lookie What I Found...

This little guy was in our chicken coop Friday morning!! I went out to feed the girls... and TAA DAA!!! I was so excited!! Finally... they are laying eggs! Not on a consistent basis... but it's a start! We actually had 2 in the laying boxes... but one had frozen and was broken (RATS!). I am looking forward to feeding the chickens each morning now in anticipation of possibly getting an egg or two! WOOT!

After church today, Cory and I are going out to eat with some other people from church. May not seem like a big deal to post about... but... we don't KNOW these people. We really don't know anyone at the church. We've been attending since August... but we are still trying to settle in there. We like it... and the people have been super friendly... but we basically just come for the service and slip out the doors, only greeting a person or two. We did stay for a Fellowship Dinner once... which went well... but we still feel like "newbies"... so lunch today--HUGE step for us! We are both dreading it... haha! Not really in a bad way... but in a "we feel awkward" kind of way. So wish us luck!!

Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Operation Starvation

Please check out this site... and consider giving... even if it's only a couple of bucks... every little bit means the world to these kids! (And it's totally legit... this guy is a friend of the family's)Link Here!

Flashback Friday #6

Attack of the JNCO's #2

I may have mentioned it before... about how I used to go to this music festival in Illinois every summer called Cornerstone. It was the highlight of my young life. My cousin and I would spend the whole school year passing notes about our previous summer's trip to the fest and also daydream to each other about the next festival. We couldn't wait for summer break! Once the snow started to melt and spring started to bloom... we had ants in the pants! Every once and while you'd catch a whiff of air that just had that smell to it. You know... the smell of the muck and dirt from an old pig farm... (that's where the fest was held... but don't worry... there weren't pigs there anymore). We would catch that whiff and say to each other, "Smells like Cornerstone!"... and then get even more ansty!! Yes, we were nerds. But we didn't think we were nerds... we had a blast! So... today I share with you a picture from one of the festivals... I believe this was maybe Cornerstone '01. Again with the JNCO's. ((rolling my eyes))It's a little blurry... but oh well. Here I am sitting under our community tent (the big tent we would sometimes set up in the middle and then put all of the other tents/campers around). The big white mass in on the left in front is some kids back and ummm.. gray underwear. Apparently these 2 guys thought they were funny and were wrestling around. I was apparently amused as well. I am wearing my rolled up JNCO's... which was the evening attire at the fest... because once the sun went down and your sunburn started to cool... it got a bit chilly! (Man, I was TAN!) I am also wearing a dinosaur t-shirt from goodwill--which I still have. AND.. when under a black light... you can see the dino's skeleton. Around my waist is my studded belt... and you can't really make it out... but on the ground beside my chair... was my messenger bag. The grayish part of it... yeah. That was FUR. I lined the top of my bag with bigfoot fur. Don't ask me why.. but I liked it.. it was also covered with a ton of band patches and pins.
When I look back and think about all of the things we wore... some a little more silly than I'd like to admit... I also think of a lot of good memories... and so I'm not too embarrassed! It was so much fun running around from stage to stage... catching awesome bands... meeting people... getting a tan. I stopped going a couple of years ago because it just got too darn expensive! Tickets plus GAS (13-14 hr drive from PA to IL)... plus food and all of the camping stuff you have to take. I just couldn't afford it while trying to pay bills and a mortgage. Plus, the last year I went... Cory didn't come and I left a couple of days early because I didn't like to be away from him... and the fest just wasn't any fun alone (my cousin was off with other people the whole time and I was mostly by myself). So... maybe some day I'll make it back... but either way... I have some great memories.
I am kicking myself because I CANNOT find my photo albums with my old pics. They must still be packed up somewhere... but I have some great pics I could share if I could find the darn things! Oh well...
If you want to catch more Flashback Fridays... stroll over to Christopher and Tia's!!

Christmas Project Complete!

I decided this summer that I was going to make the Christmas presents for my niece and nephews this year. Of course I have procrastinated! Now I have less than a few weeks to get it all done and it stresses me out! I have taught myself (with some tips from my mom and the internet) how to sew... and trust me, I'm a beginner! I like the patterns that are emblazoned with the words EASY across the front! I just don't know what all of the sewing lingo is yet... and I would rather not deal with the hassle of having to figure it out!

So, the projects I needed to complete were pajamas. Pants and tops for the boys and a night gown for my niece. Easy enough, right? My mom picked up some fabric and patterns, etc. for me for my birthday... and I was SET! Until I actually got the pattern out for the night gown and read the instructions. Oh my gosh. It seemed so complicated! There were folds and tucks that I had no idea about... and then it called for BIAS TAPE. What in the world was that!? Amazingly enough, I had gotten a huge box of sewing stuff from my old co-worker's wife... and after digging through it (I'd looked it up online to see what it was)... I found some! Yesterday was spent almost entirely on sewing that darn night gown... (except for the breaks I took to get on the computer and rest my neck/eyes). I am SO glad that is done with... so I thought I'd share the finished product with you! I think it turned out pretty good! (Cross your fingers that it fits her!!)
Are any of you working on projects for Christmas? I'd love to hear about them or see them!!

Flashback Friday #5

Attack of the JNCO's - Take 1!!

When I was about 13 or 14, I was given the opportunity to work a summer job for family friends at a Shaved Ice Stand (which was actually a vending trailer... not a little table with an umbrella... LOL). It started off as just here and there when they needed me to fill in the first couple of summers at a local festival... but when I was old enough to drive, I was trusted and responsible enough to work all day, every day of the festivals/fairs. I was able to have a co-worker (since the family friends pretty much let me run the business without them)... and so I asked my cousin Meghan to join me(and after Meg went off to college in KY... I asked my other cousin, Alyson). Meghan had a little experience from before... we had asked her a couple of times to help us out during the parade at our local fest. We would literally have lines backed up for HOURS! People waiting to pay $2-$3 for flavored, sugar-packed snow! (But oooh did it taste GOOD!) Anyway... those were some good times! Despite the fact that sometimes we would not sit down for hours.... our hands would be sticky.. or freezing cold... we would be proposed to by scary carnival guys with two teeth ((shudder))... rainy days were OH SO BORING... aaand... sometimes we didn't leave the trailer from 9AM-11PM (except to get food or go to the bathroom).......... The money was good... and we had a lot of fun meeting people and listening to some good music (Jimmy Eat World... totally Classic)!!! I still work shaved ice some... however, now that I've married and moved farther away from the festivals that I used to work... I only fill in now and then. Not to mention the fact that their own kids are getting old enough to work there themselves! (EEEK! I'm old!)

(Yes, those are crayons--we had to bring things to do during the off time!)

During these summer break days of shaved ice... there was a lot of denim around. More denim than I care to admit... (Sorry Meg!)See her jeans? Ummm.. yeah... you can't see it in the first picture of me... But I am wearing an equally gigantic amount of denim. What.were.we.thinking? LOL! This fad went on for a couple of years with us... Oh Dear. At least it is a memory! :) Annnd... we had a pretty rad summer job!

If you would like to check out more Flashbacks... check out Tia's Blog!

Sweater Totes!

So, I started making these really great sweater tote bags!
I've posted a few in my Etsy Shop, if you want to check them out! They are 100% wool and great to use as a purse or a craft tote (especially for you knitters!).(Sold!)
I'm offering FREE Shipping in my Etsy Shop through Dec. 19! Check it out!

Remember that Flashback Friday where I said that I have an ugly sweater that was my grandpop's? Guess I know what I'll do with it now!

If you have an old sweater that you would like for me to stitch up for you... feel free to contact me! (100% wool works best)

Flashback Friday #4

So... I was totally planning on sharing a really embarrassing picture of myself from my teenage years... but I didn't find it... so I will save that one for next time! I think I know where it is but don't have time to dig it out right now.

Here is a picture of me and my dad taking a ride on the lawn mower when I was about 4!This was definitely the 80's! Notice the car in the background (and the old school mower)!

Well, I have a busy day. It's "light up night" in my hometown... so we are going to go out and decorate my parents truck (from my dad's business) for the parade.......... My nephew spent the night here and we have to get ready to go. Not to mention I have to go find my cat. She just threw up a couple of minutes ago (from eating tinsel off of the tree)... I almost barfed myself... so I want to go check on her and make sure she didn't ralph elsewhere in the house! I hope you all had a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Oh... real quick... remember back HERE when I decided to start to try to lose some weight again? Well... I weighed myself (on the same scale as before) and I've lost 5LBS in a month! WOOT! Technically I know that its not safe to lose much more than a pound a week or so... but you have to take into consideration time of day, what I'd already had to eat or drink, etc. before I weighed myself... So it obviously isn't 100% accurate. But still! YEEEEEE!! 15 more to go (I hope!).

Get Your Own Font... For FREE!

Yesterday I was just nosing around in the blog world... and happened upon this blog that will turn your own handwriting into a font that you can download to your computer... FOR FREE! They also have other fonts that you can download. I haven't tried this myself, I am waiting to show it to Cory to see if he would know how to download, etc (I don't want to mess up the computer!)... but I am kind of interested in getting my own font made! Looks like it might be a little challenging... but if you're interested... check it out! It looks cool! I will let you know if I end up doing it!
Check it out HERE!

I also wanted to blog about this great give away at Busy Bee Lifestyle! They are offering the chance to win a free Personalized Stamp from Invitation Jane! (I LOVE snail mail... so I'm a stationery, pen, sticker, stamp FREAK!) Go on over there and check it out! They also have a lot of great discounts and deals that you might be interested in!

Christmas Shopping!!

Have you completed your Christmas Shopping yet? Maybe you haven't even started! I have gotten a few things... and I'm working on some projects... but I think I have a pretty good start.

I just wanted to share with you this awesome piece of pottery that my mom made... She threw it on a potter's wheel and then hand built the face. It is so funky and unique! Of course my photography skills leave much to be desired... but you get the idea!

Oh... did I mention it's for sale?
Grab it before it's gone! It would make a great gift!!
**SOLD**

A Milestone in Our Lives...

Today marks 6 months since I married my best friend!

(Tonight, we are going out for dinner to celebrate! Yea!)

HAPPY 6 MONTH ANNIVERSARY CORY!

I LOVE YOU!

**Update**
I just got flowers from my sweetie!
What a nice surprise (other than the dog jumping on the delivery lady! oops!)!!!

Flashback Friday #3

As the holidays approach, I am reminded of years gone by. Thanksgiving was always something I looked forward to... the LONG (2 hr) drive to Grammie and Grandpop's cabin to visit with my mom's side of the family. Us kids would run around and play... drive the adults (mainly my grandpop) bonkers until it was time to sit and eat. The wood stove was always a million degrees, which made us zonk out not long after the meal... Man, I remember always feeling so suffocated in that heat!!! As we got a bit older... we would play cards and games a lot, sometimes even with the women... and my grandpop also aquired a slot machine at one point... it was a nickel slot machine, old fashioned and oh-so-cool! We were limited on the amount of time we could play on it (and had to follow his "house rules"-LOL!). Back then I just couldn't understand what the big deal was... but now I realize that we were pretty young (and there were cousins younger than myself as well)... and we probably would've beaten the thing to a pulp had we been given free reign. Needless to say... it was a TREAT to play that slot machine! I'm not sure what ever happened to it. Wish I would've gotten it after my grandpop passed away... that would've been neat! Come to think of it (kind of off the subject)... I don't really know what I DO have of his. I know I have an old, ugly sweater that was his... but I don't think I got that as a keep-sake... I think it was passed down to my dad who NEVER wears sweaters, and the sentimental fool that I am, couldn't bear to see it go to Goodwill. Other than that... I have an old fashioned picture of Grammie and Grandpop--that really WASN'T old fashioned... it was just one of those novelty pics you get at the Boardwalk or wherever. I have an old spoon and recipe card that was his mother's... which I would like to put in a shadow box one of these days before it gets ruined! Hmmm... I really don't think I have anything of his other than that... which all of a sudden makes me teary-eyed. We were never close... at all. He always seemed to be kind of stern and harsh... the kind of guy who you couldn't eat potato chips around for fear of crunching too loudly... or heaven-forbid you would scrape your fork against your teeth as you were eating something and pulling the fork out of your mouth! But when I look back, as I'm now an adult... I really don't see those things as all that ridiculous--maybe because they've rubbed off on me and become my pet peeves as well! :) I regret not having been able to know him better. He died from cancer when I was almost 19... my mom had her hand over his heart when it stopped beating. I often wonder what he would think of all of us now.... grown up... married... some with kids... some gone off to college... some never finishing college! The political arena these days would probably horrify him--but I find myself wondering what he would say about it all? Wondering if he would be more affectionate toward his great grand-babies than he was toward any of us grand-kids? I wonder if he would be proud of us... each in our own ways? The last day I ever saw him... he was in a home (before they brought him to his own home to live his final days). I was such an idiot teenager. Sure, you think you're all that, grown up at 18... but looking back--I see what a kid I was... and what an opportunity I missed... just even to tell him that I loved him. I know we shouldn't live with regrets... but that's a hard one to just let go....
So for today's Flashback Friday... I am sharing with you a picture of my grandpop and me. Unfortunately, it's one of the only ones we have together... but I guess that just makes it all the more special!As you gather with friends and family this Thanksgiving and Christmas season... please don't forget to tell them that you love them. You don't know when you will have the chance to again in this life... I only pray that someday I will have the chance to make it right in Heaven.

For more Flashback Friday--visit Tia's Blog!

Mom's 50th... Take 1... and 2!

The past couple of months have been full of planning for my mom's 50th. We had not one.. but TWO parties for her... and boy was it hard not to want to spill the beans about the second. It was a surprise party! We ended up pulling it all off and scaring the crap out of her! So I thought I'd share some pictures!

Here is my niece helping make a Pinata for the surprise party. She did a great job! I made the actual Pinata cast with the newspaper, balloons, etc... and then she came over to my house once it was dry and helped me put the tissue paper on it.

Here is some family at the First party... just hanging out.
And here are me and my nephews lighting the candles on the cake!

And here is my mom opening a present! (Of course she was surrounded by the kids... they can't resist "present time"! I don't blame them!) (She loves the Johnny Carson show)

I didn't get any pictures of her blowing out the candles since I was the one who delivered the cake to the table!

Of course, since we had THIS party... Mom didn't have any inkling that we would do a party the next weekend as well!! It was a lot of planning and such... but it turned out GREAT!

Here are some pics of the decorations I made... we also decorated with hay bales and we all wore plaid shirts and jeans (my mom's trademark outfit).

It's hard to tell... but that is bandanna wrapping paper that I used for the letters! And those are chickens and eggs too!
This was our version of Pin the Tail on the Donkey--except we made it "Willy" (one of my mom's horses). The kids played this... as you can see all of the tails were pinned pretty much ALL over the horse!

Here is my nephew taking a swing at the Pinata! It was a hard one to break... but after the kids took many turns, they got it down! (He knocked the head off first, as you can see it dangling there!)

This was the cake we had made with a picture of her horse Coby...

And last, but certainly not least... my mom's priceless expression as she walked into the party!
GOTCHA!
We love you mom! Hope you enjoyed your 50th!!!

Flashback Friday #2

I can't believe I haven't posted anything since Saturday. I meant to... I guess I just got busy. My mom's birthday was on Monday... so I was back in my hometown for that (and a meeting). I went for a bike ride with my cousin earlier in the week. We went 15.5 Miles! It was the first time I had been on a bike since I was probably 12! It was a lot of fun... however, we totally didn't realize that we should ride on the Rails to Trails... and we rode on the side of the road. Which is legal, if you use the correct hand signals and obey the road laws... but MAN... there were some crazy hills and once we found that we could ride the Rails to Trails... it was a lot nicer! And it was nice to be around the scenery and not worrying that a car (or 8 HUGE DUMP TRUCKS IN A ROW) may whiz by just a bit too close for comfort! It felt good to be out riding... unfortunately, the snow will soon fly and the bikes will have to be put away. We are hoping to get a couple of more rides in though before the weather gets unbearable.
Hmmm... also... Cory had Veteran's Day off. That was nice. We lounged around and did a little bit of running (errands... not literally running). It made me feel like yesterday was Monday instead of Thursday! I got a bug in my butt to clean out the guest room a little better... so that was my main project yesterday. I still have some things packed in boxes. Our house is small with little storage... and I really don't have many shelves to put things (especially DVDs or CDs)... so the guest room has kind of become a "catch all". I finally made the effort to get it under control though.... and although it isn't exactly how I want it AT ALL... it is OK for now. Things are put away. Clean sheets on the bed. I organized, threw things away, straightened up and vacuumed. That was nice. Today... I am going to clean the bathroom!

Anyway--back to the Flashback Friday!!! Since I went on a bike ride Tuesday with my cousin... I thought I'd share a couple of pictures. One, from when we were little (of course, I have many more... but this is the one that I have on my computer). And then one from Tuesday... on our ride.
Here we are on my first birthday... That's me there... with the party hat on.. having a BLAST! And that there is Meghan, held by our grandma. I think perhaps Meghan is sad that it is not HER birthday... notice the semi-scowl on her face. LOL! (Actually, she was probably just pooping!)
And this... is a picture of us on Tuesday. Now... of course I have MANY other pictures of us growing up... and they are much more hilarious than this one... but since we actually have a picture from Tuesday... I thought I'd share it. Cory thinks we should be embarrassed. He said we look "special"... but really, we were just having a lot of fun... and sometimes having fun means acting like a goober! And of course, we wore helmets and bright clothes! Better safe than sorry!! And if you can't have fun.. what can ya have!? HAHA!!

Check out more on Flashback Fridays... HERE!

I gotta go clean my bathroom! Happy Friday!!

The Big Five-Oh... on Monday.

Monday is my mom's 50th. Since Monday is not a convenient day for a birthday party... we are having one tonight. Just a small family get-together at my sister's. My aunt and cousin drove up for the weekend, so that'll be fun. The menu... Lasagna, Salad, Bread... and CAKE! Guess who got to make the CAKE!? ME! ME! ME! By no means am I a cake artist. You won't see me on the next Food Network Cake Challenge... or on Cake Boss... or whatever that show is. However, I do think it's fun to have a special cake on your special day. Here are a couple that I have made... one for my brother in law and one for my nephew. Like I said before.. I am not a cake artist! However, that's not the point. Soooo... it being my mom's 50th and all, I thought I'd try my hand at something else. (Let me just say that all of the cakes I make are free-hand... I don't even look at a picture... so that should count for something right??)
My mother is a unique person, to say the least. She gives, gives, GIVES to everyone else and rarely does for herself... unless it comes to her horses... HAHA! Of course, I guess that means she gives to her horses and not really herself... although it all comes around in the end because the horses make her happy! Anyway... she is also VERY creative (note the Halloween Costumes in my previous post) and doesn't hesitate to paint faces, signs, decorate, design, etc. etc. etc. for anything that comes up! She is also an awesome cook (Mmmm... Potato Salad)... and has a hilarious sense of humor (Although I didn't think so when I was a kid and she'd start singing in public or perhaps even more embarrassing... when she would say "Walk this way!!" and start walking in a deep, exagerated lunge through the aisles of the grocery store.... oh the humiliation!!!). Anyway... even though it's not quite her birthday... I'd like to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the best Mom in the world!!! I hope you like your cake!! I made it just for you!

Flashback Friday #1

I happened upon THIS blog through another friend... and thought it would be fun to join into her Flashback Friday Meme. So today... I would like to share with you a picture from my very first Halloween!!
That's my sister on the left... The Chicken... and I am on my great grandpa's lap... The Egg. (My cousin is on the right). My mom was the AWESOMEST at making costumes and having us do creative things when we were younger. I always thought that this Chicken/Egg Costume was a cool idea. If I remember correctly (from other pictures)... she even had my sis pull me in a little red wagon that had a nest of hay in it! Of course, at the time I had no idea......... thank goodness, since my sister was only 2 and I can imagine she didn't quite grasp the concept of GENTLE when it came to babies (otherwise known as ME!) :) Haha! This picture is special to me because it is one of the only ones that I have with my great grandpa. He passed away a number of years ago and I miss having the opportunity to have appreciated him as I became an adult. My great grandma is still kickin though! A whopping 93! Or is it 94? Either way... she is still hanging in there... although I believe she is ready to go anytime the Good Lord wants to take her!
Check out the other Flashback Fridays on Tia's blog... and check back here next week to see what I'll come up with next... or heck... come join in the fun and post your own!!

A Break In!!!!

We had a break in on Sunday... no, not at our house... but our Chicken Coop!! Cory had left earlier in the morning to travel to Buffalo, NY for a Bills Game (they lost!)... and I was vegging, waiting until I had the motivation to get ready for church. I heard the neighbor's dog barking non-stop... but didn't think anything of it really. She does that sometimes. But a little later there was a pounding on our door... and when I finally made it to the kitchen, I saw that my neighbor was up at the chicken coop. I went out and he said that all of our chickens were in his yard and he had to lure them back over with bread! Something had busted right through the wire of the coop. It's odd though because whatever it was didn't hurt any of the chickens. It did, however, steal an apple that Cory had put in there the night before... because about 8 feet away from the coop laid an apple that was all marked up by teeth (I would assume). We can't figure out what animal would be strong enough to cut through the wire, but only care to take an apple and not touch the chickens? Maybe the neighbor's dog spooked whatever it was enough that they dropped the apple and took off? I am thinking a skunk. But would a skunk be able to get through the wire? Surely it wasn't a raccoon or coyote... they'd go after the chickens, wouldn't you think? So baffling! Here is a picture of the coop (from the inside). Our neighbor propped the bricks up in the hole with tarp straps so that the chickens couldn't get back out. But you can see where the wire was ripped open. I rounded up the girls into the coop--which was a TREAT... let me tell you. I think whatever it was literally scared the CRAP out of the chickens... lets just say my shoes didn't enjoy the experience. Cory's parents came over to help patch it up. I probably could have done it myself, but I would have been unsure if I was doing it right... and I just felt better to know that his dad was able to look at it and see what he thought. The girls stayed inside all of that day... and boy were they happy to get out the next! Silly hens!

Anyway! I have been working on my Christmas cards. I thought I'd show you a sneak peek. I looked at Michael's for some certain cards and items that I was hoping to use... with no luck. Not to mention, I didn't have a ton of money. So I am making due with using some Christmas wrapping paper and some odds and ends that I had in my craft stuff! They aren't what I was hoping for... but they are still OK. I will try to do better for next year! I also know that it's weird... I used pewter ink on silver paper... but I actually think it looks kind of cool in real life... and it was the only color I had! I would like to have done a two-color block print... but I'm just starting and I will save that for another day when I have more time to plan my approach!

This past weekend, my niece came to my house for a sleepover. We played games and watched Little Women and read books. She helped me out with some projects I've been working on. It was nice to have "girl time"... and we even blow-dried her curly hair and took a straight-iron to it... I couldn't believe how long it was!

And lastly, I would like to share this LINK to a cookie recipe on the Weight Watchers site. Last year, I did WW's and lost 17 lbs in 3 months. (That was with barely exercising--I loathe exercising!!!). I've done pretty well at keeping it off... until recently. I've just kind of had some ups and downs emotionally and my comfort is in food. It's so easy to let it get out of control and I have gained about 5 - 7 lbs back. I am not so thrilled about that... so I am starting WW's again. Except not "officially". I don't have the money to pay WW's... so I am just using info that I remember from before to try to get back on track. Also, Cory is a math whiz... so he helps me translate the nutrition labels into the correct amount of Points and we've determined how many I should have per day, etc. This coming weekend is a birthday dinner for my mom's 50th... so I'm saving up my extra points for that... since I know we'll be having lasagna and salad, bread, etc. But I am determined to be smart about it... and so far, so good. I was making cookies for Cory yesterday (for his lunches)... even though he insists that I don't have to (he knows it's a struggle for me to not want to eat the dough or sample the finished product and he wants to be supportive). But I like to make him things... it makes me happy. So I honest to goodness... made his cookies without even licking the spoon!!! But it definitely got me thinking that I could go for sweets. (I am a sugar addict!!!). So I looked up recipes on the WW's site and found the recipe for mini chocolate chip cookies. I made them... and granted, they aren't like grandma used to make! But they sure take the edge off when you need something sweet! 2 cookies = 1 point... and I thought GOOD GRIEF! When you measure the cookies onto the cookie sheet, you use a rounded HALF teaspoon! Talk about TINY! But in reality, they aren't THAT small... and 2 small cookies is just about the same size as 1 cookie would normally be... so you get the illusion of eating more for less points. You can see how small they are sitting on my cooling rack.. 14 cookies would normally take up the whole rack! I actually had 19 cookies on the cookie sheet in the oven (while I was taking this pic)... so they didn't even take that long to bake! If you are trying to watch what you eat, but still need a little something sweet... I recommend these cookies. :)

I am off to work on some more Christmas Cards and get ready to eat some lunch! My cousin is coming to visit me this evening! I am excited to have some company!!

Trick or Treat!!

Happy Halloween!
Love, Boo

This is what you do when you don't have any kids! Unfortunately, we couldn't get her to hold the bucket in her mouth, so we pinned it on. She was quite the little cow girl and surprised Grandma and Grandpa last night (Cory's parents) for Trick or Treating.

Something to think about...

This is worth the 7 minutes:

Weaving Project #1... FINISHED!

So, I finished the scarf a week and a half ago or so... I can't remember the exact date... but I procrastinated on posting pics. No reason really... just being a procrastinator! I don't have a picture of me modeling the scarf... but that's OK. I am not 100% happy with the outcome. A light bulb went off in my head the other day about something I didn't do right in the set up... but that just means I will know better for next time.

This is at the end (yes, those are panty hose! Don't worry, they aren't a part of the finished product!):


This is after I gently washed it. You are supposed to lay it flat to dry so the fibers don't pull out of whack... so I had to improvise with my laundry hampers and sweater dryer!:


I think I know what I want to do for my next project... however, I have some other things to take care of first... like making my Christmas Cards! I had bought some on sale last year that had a really great message. Sometimes I think people get so caught up in the commercialism of it all, they forget the real meaning of Christmas. No, not Santa Claus and presents... JESUS!! So these Christmas cards I got have a great message. They are matter-of-fact about JESUS. But... the other day, I decided to make a Block Print... and decided that I wanted to use it to hand-make my cards this year. So... I think I'll put the other cards on the back burner for now. However, my hand-made cards reflect Jesus as well! I'm not going to post a picture because I don't want to spoil it for those friends and family who may sneak a peek at my blog! But I will be sure to post a pic at some point. I must say... I VERY MUCH enjoy block printing. I was so afraid of not being able to do it well that I kept putting it off so I wouldn't have to deal with the disappointment. (I'm too critical of myself!) But, finally... I did it... and I loved it! And now I have many more ideas running through my head! :)

Finally, this past weekend I went to see one of my absolute favorite bands. If you want to check them out.. go here: SLEEPING AT LAST . Cory and I help out at a teen center in my hometown. We used to help out every weekend by volunteering our time to hang out and be the "responsible adults" for the kids that come in... but after getting married and moving 45-50 mins away, it's just too hard to get back and forth. Especially with these ridiculous gas prices ($2.75!!!) and not to mention, the place closes at 11PM, so we wouldn't get home until around midnight or so. (We are not night owls... LOL!) SO... part of how I help out, besides keeping up with their MySpace page, is to book Christian Concerts. I contacted Sleeping At Last with the minor hope that they may keep us in mind for some day when they were traveling through... however, they wanted to book right away!! It all happened pretty fast! They came and were SO nice... and their concert was AMAZING!! I can't believe it's over already!!


Cory was nice enough to take pictures so that I could just sit and totally enjoy myself! :) (I know, I have a sweet hubby) Anyway, they were awesome and I highly suggest you check them out and go see them if they are in your area!

My mom might be bringing my nephews over, so I have to go straighten up a little bit! Cory had a tick on him this morning! ((shudder)) So I am going to vacuum the house and the couch, etc just for good measure. *YUCK* And it's also a beautiful day to hang out laundry!

HAPPY MONDAY!

A Cozy Day Inside...

It's been snowing here the past couple of days. Yes, SNOW! I had gone to a nearby town yesterday to meet my sister and niece for lunch and had to drive through some pretty snowy/slushy roads as I went over the mountain. It's a little too early for snow in my book, however it gave me a warm feeling being in my cozy car... and made me look forward to the upcoming holiday season! Of course, I'm not opposed to the cold weather receding a bit so we can get back to the normal autumn beauty... but it's given me a boost to work on some more with my loom and also get a little sewing done. I am hoping to do mostly handmade gifts this year for Christmas... although I won't mention what they are here since I never know who will be reading my blog! I would like to share a photo of some skirts I've sewn up. I just sewed the corduroy one today! I get such satisfaction out of finishing a project! (I need to get that scarf done!!) I hope you're all keeping warm (or cool) depending on where you are!

My Favorite!

I have been lucky enough to book one of my all time favorite bands to come to the local Teen Center I volunteer with. Here is a peek at their new video. (Pretty creative, if I do say so myself... although the words touch me to the core the most!)

(I know the video doesn't fit the screen--I need my sis to help me adjust that!)

Sleeping At Last - "Green Screens"

Oh Deer!!...

Recently, we had a couple of visitors in our front yard. Not exactly sure where they came from, but we have an idea. Not quite sure it's legal either... but CUTE!!
That deer followed that dog around like it was it's mother! We kept our dog inside! We took some video as well, but I can't get it uploaded right. :)