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!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
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!!!
Ok, so I know his face is silly... but my sis's kids are hams for the camera!
What fun!!!Thursday, December 24, 2009
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!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!!
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!!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
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!
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!
Friday, December 18, 2009
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!!
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!!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
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!!
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!!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
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!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
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!
Link Here!Friday, December 11, 2009
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!!
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!!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
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!!
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!!
Friday, December 4, 2009
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!
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!)
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!
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