twitterpated karin

I'm addicted...

2012-01-27T12:40:00.000-08:00

Okay-I admit it...
I'm addicted...
to cute little pants and checked shirts.
To little zoo animals and footballs on shirts.
To little billed caps and stretch hats...

But for this grandma-to-be, my downfall is the thrift stores.
Once an outfit is bought and washed and worn it is used right?
And babies grow fast so many of the outfits are barely worn.
At thrift stores you can find Carters, Old Navy, Osh-Kosh, Gymboree, and other name brands for much less than new.
Add to that the 1/2 off color tags and separates go down to under $2 each.

Yesterday I was looking for some silk flowers and a little vibrating, rocking seat was only $5. These things are like $50+ new!
Today I went looking for a little shelf unit and found a shopping cart cover for less than $3.
New they are $20+.

and I won't even go into the cuteness on the clothing racks!

I don't think I will be buying anything else...
well maybe a little play yard with a built in bassinet,
but other than that gram's house has all it needs.

I am confident I can keep this addiction in control...
at least until I see another really cute little thing that is an awesome deal!

So very true...

2012-01-24T07:00:00.001-08:00

“When you buy from a small home

business, you are not helping a CEO buy a

third vacation home. You are helping a

little girl get dance lessons, a little boy get

his team jersey, a mom put food on the

table, a dad pay a mortgage, or a student

pay for college. Our customers are our

shareholders-and they are the one we

strive to make happy. Thank you for

supporting small businesses!”

-Unknown

We sure appreciate all those that help us grow our business...

Gary and Karin

This and that

2012-01-22T21:52:00.001-08:00

This is a very image heavy post, but fascinating...

Yesterday Gary asked me to drive him out to see the swollen Lewis river. We love to take drives together and since I get motion sick so easily I'm usually driving.

As we neared Battle Ground we saw huge clouds of smoke and I realized the controlled burn of the old elementary school must be scheduled. So we headed that way, there were a lot of people out and the school was most definitely burning. I dropped Gary off as I headed to find a good vantage point from the car. It was nippy and windy outside. I found the perfect spot and headed to let Gary know where the car was parked. As I neared the street, the heat from across the road instantly warmed me. Wow, what power fire has! As I said in my facebook post- Gary had his camera so here are the best of the images he took...

Wasn't that amazing?! We did go to the river too but Gary forgot to get those images ready for me...

Now onto prettier things-

Amy convinced me that we needed to rethink the layout of the craft cottage. So last week Gary helped us move things around. We had to make a trip to IKEA for supplies and then this week
she came and helped with the finishing touches. She is so good at that! We always forget the BEFORE photo though. Here are the AFTER-thanks Gary for the cut rate photography!

What you see when you enter,

most of which I already had, we just reconfigured it....

what I see from my crafting chair,
the boxes in the rack are new-I had a whole bunch of mix matched
plastic bins that you could see all the supplies(crap) through.

Lots of cute vignettes to look at...

the view from Amy's crafting seat...

You know Amy can only come on the weekends...that crafting seat can be filled by anyone who doesn't like to craft alone...hint-hint.

Journaling and classes

2012-01-09T18:34:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly new at this process of journaling. I took the Soul Restoration class last year and did a lot of journaling. Mostly with prompts provided by the class. I searched my past to see what truths/lies I could discern.
I have signed up for another class with the Brave Girls that I hope will finally show me how to be at peace in the body God gave me.
but...I saw this class by Red Velvet and thought it would probably be fantastic. It's self paced, and they give all the lessons at once. So I can do one a week, or maybe one each day for 52 days. Whatever works into my schedule. It is really affordable too. They have ideas and prompts of what to journal about. Totally looking forward to their unique spin on things...

Post Christmas...

2012-01-07T23:51:00.000-08:00

I guess I should say "since I last wrote," because the first photos are actually Christmas...

I laughed when I first saw this photo of me talking to Gabriele because of the look on Amy's face.
She almost looks mad that she isn't part of the conversation. When in reality she is looking beyond us and probably reacting to what is going on there.
Stocking time~looks like Gabriele likes how we altered the dollar store stockings.
My dad looks pleased with his anti-stress doll. Not that he has stress in his life but we thought he would enjoy the eyes, nose and ear things popping out when you squeezed it.
This gift is in route from China so I got a photo of it. The cutest necklace with an owl charm.
Nick and Gabriele wrapped up all the special clothes I had saved from when Nick was little and added a few new items for Amy and Karl to use with "peanut".
Laughing at how short the legs are in proportion to the big butt area~
Nick gave Gary tickets to go see Sherlock Holmes in the living room theaters.
Karl got a baby barbell rattle...can't start them too early I guess.
Nick and Gabriele have there own "you are special" plate...the tradition continues...
Two Francine Rivers books for Gabriele to read during her break.
Daisy liked her new catnip toy...for about 5 minutes and then she ignored it!

*****

After Christmas we got together with a group of friends for dinner here at the house and then went to the Eisinger's house for dessert and games. I loved the Barbie trees she had done. The big tree was white, pink and black with her vintage type Barbie ornaments...
The second tree was pink and full of the accessories she has collected.
We played a rousing game of Catch Phrase too. And took the name literally as we didn't want to get caught with a buzzing game piece!

I have done a bit of thrifting too~as always...found this little piece for Amy's nursery.
Got together with my Brave Girls to share December Daily albums...
and this weekend baked 8 dozen cupcakes for the Magenta Theater's annual awards program.
Oh my did I enjoy tasting these for quality control. Yes, I only tasted them but I wanted to eat at least one of each...
which brings us to the latest...which is an update of "the bump"...
only 14 weeks to go~isn't she cute?!

I bought this book and hope to read it soon-
and this class begins in a few days...I have grand hopes to finally come to terms and peace with the body I have and myself in the process.
Until next time...ttfn-K

My month with lots of photos

2011-12-18T04:28:00.001-08:00

We actually started our holiday shortly before December...

Karl did a drawing on the chalkboard-

oh and that note about weight loss now says 41!

The girls decked out the tree- in red/white and pink

Nick and Gary prepped new outdoor lights and hung them-We tried decking out Daisy-she wasn't impressed-
The dining room got a festive touch-
Even Daisy's little spot got some Christmas cheer-
The hallway with Snowbabies-
The mantle-

An old little chalkboard has been added with the words "it's a boy".
Which could be used both to proclaim the Savior
and little peanut that is making Amy look a bit like Santa-

The finished tree-all shiny and bright-

and then...

I had a few friends over for December scrapbook making-

we saw a steam locomotive decked out for the season-

wrapped some presents-
did a bit of holiday shopping and posing-
watched the Christmas cactus put on a show-
made a few gifts-
baked a few treats-
Got a part-time job~at Patti's Hallmark in Hazel Dell-
and shoes to wear while working-
made some cards (and mailed them)-
met with my friend Jaron for coffee and chat-
did a little thrift shopping-
met a few friends for breakfast-
created a tinsel tree for cards from a tripod-
and kept up with all the fun in my December Daily album-

I hope this finds you enjoying the moments before the big day...remember to take a few to remember the reason for the season and be thankful for all you do have and not so much on what you don't.

as seen on Pinterest

2011-12-02T03:41:00.000-08:00

I saw some glittery ornaments on Pinterest. Did you know my husband hates glitter?! I figured this project contains it so they would be okay to hang on the tree.

Make a mess free, sparkly glitter ornaments for Christmas? Then buy clear ornaments ($6 at Target) and gently remove the hanging part. Add some Mop & Glo and swirl it all around and empty into a plastic cup. Don't shake them which creates bubbles. Leave ornament upside down until all the dripping has stopped.

Add any color of glitter inside-I went with white and iridescent. I used a few different types and prefer Martha Stewart fine glitter. Tap out excess glitter, and place top back on. The glitter looks clean and sparkly in the inside. You could added a some tulle or ribbon bows to give it a little something extra.

This image shows the box full of glittery goodness-
The next image shows a closer view-the Martha glitter in white is on the right. Ooo, I rhymed-

Be sure to buy the big bottle of glitter. I used the small one that comes in the set and it only lasted for about 3 ornaments.

a bit of beauty

2011-11-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

and awe....http://vimeo.com/31158841

i would like to challenge you as we head into the next few weeks-
to take a moment or two
a stand in awe of something
or someone
or a memory
and know you
are blessed...

love to you all and may your Thanksgiving be special between
you and yours.

karin

Giveway of whimsical proportions

2011-11-10T12:49:00.000-08:00

So Miss Michelle of Allen designs is having a giveway. She is also having an open studio event that is always a lot of fun. She used to be based in Battle Ground but recently moved closer. In fact she is amazingly close to my house. Just down the road from UPS. Go check out her blog to
enter for your choice of gifts...

Thrifting fun

2011-11-08T20:02:00.000-08:00

It's the time of year again when I go in search of vintage fun for my Christmas stash. Gary doesn't think I need any more stuff but...

I went with a girlfriend on Friday and hit three stores down towards Oregon City. We were pretty excited about our finds at the end of the day. This first photo shows a couple of days worth of great finds.
This next photo shows the detail on a great "tea towel" I found that I think I will make a pillow from. Amy and I found a similar one at a frou frou store in Bridgeport on Sunday. Way more than the $1.50 I spent!
I hear all the time from people that they never find great things at the thrift stores. You have to go often and early in the day before things are picked through. I look to see what tags are 1/2 off when I enter and actively search for those items. I have a price in my head that I am willing to spend and if it is more, I put the item down and check back in a week or two...it may then be on sale. I find the best prices at Paws and Claws, Salvation Army, Friends of the Carpenter and Value Village. However, Goodwill has the most items because those deposit spots are everywhere.

I'm always game if someone needs a thrifting buddy...just let me know.

Homemade Smash book

2011-11-08T19:24:00.001-08:00

This is my first attempt at a mixed media journal-sort of like the Smash book. Have you heard of them?! I get all excited just thinking of them-they are journal/scrapbooks with cute decorated pages. The user then "smashes" stuff from their life into the books. The one I have I use for special things I do such as movie stubs and for things I find online that are especially encouraging to me.

This one is much smaller but I figured things out as I went and that meant smaller is better.

I set up a Flicker group so you could see all the pages. I used old dictionary, novel and kid's storybook pages as well as grid paper and ledger pages too. Just a collection of some of the massive supply of paper I have. I will probably be adding packets of papers to my Etsy account so others can put their own books together too. It doesn't need to have the binder strip, simple office supply rings or ribbon would even work. Just punch holes and use what ever is around. I've got lots of ideas but not necessarily the stamina to get them all done. Stay tuned....

An offer for you-Project Life

2011-11-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Have you seen all the information about Project Life? It's a super easy way to scrapbook-just slip in the photos and little journaling cards. Becky Higgins designed it a few years ago. I bought a kit thinking it would be great. But...I decided I really like the traditional process more. So I have this kit to sell. It retailed for more, but I could take $40 for it. I just added up the products for the new line which has the components sold separately. The total would be about $80! There is room for over 100 pictures if I remember correctly. Here is the kit lay out, not sure I know where the date stamp is...
Ali Edwards has been doing hers and posting her pages. Here are a few:
She puts bits and pieces from her everyday life in too. She is using hers as a 365 one year project but they could be used for so much more.

Now if even that seems overwhelming-I could put it together for you with your photos but it would have to include $$ for my time.

Let me know if you would be interested.

Soup-it's what is for dinner

2011-11-01T16:45:00.000-07:00

I was looking around on the internet and came across Lyn's web page. I was looking for something different to cook for dinner that was within my eating program guidelines. I came across this soup that looked a lot like split pea. When I read the list of ingredients I was dubious at first but thought it was worth a try.

It ended up with the mouth feel of split pea and texture too. Definitely will be making this again.
I used cubed ham because that was what I could find but a ham bone would have been better.
Low Carb Split Pea Soup
Start with 4 cups of your best low sodium chicken stock, homemade or otherwise. If you have a ham bone to simmer in this for an hour, that is fantastic (strain and then skim the fat when you're done). If you are using store bought, you probably want to season it nicely with a few shakes of garlic, onion powder, parsley, thyme, and marjoram. You can add ham bouillon too if you like, but watch the salt!

Bring the stock to a boil and add 1 1/2 C. cauliflower (I used raw but frozen is fine) and 1 1/2 cups of frozen green beans. (If using fresh, hold off until you add the ham for these) Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Then, remove from heat and carefully puree with a stick blender until smooth. If you don't have a stick blender, cool soup to room temp. and use a regular blender and then return to pan.

Add 10 ounces of lean ham. Try to find the leanest, lowest sodium ham possible; cubes of ham steak or ham shredded from the simmered bone works well. Watch the carbs in your ham! It should be close to 0; do not use honey ham or brown sugar ham. You can also use a smoked turkey leg as the original recipe calls for. Ham is "generally not recommended" on Medifast because of the sodium content, but Nutrition Support has stated that 5 ounces of lean ham can be used as a Lean on occasion. Also, add 1/2 cup of diced celery. Return to a simmer, partially cover and let cook another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add black pepper to taste.

Let this cool for ten minutes, uncovered. It will thicken slightly. Divide into two equal portions and enjoy!
Each portion is one complete Medifast Lean & Green plus whatever condiments you used.
For calorie counters, here are the stats for one serving (half the recipe):
250 calories
6 g fat
13 g carbs
5 g fiber
32 g protein
Each serving is actually close to two cups of soup! This is a very filling and yummy meal and tastes a heck of a lot like split pea soup. Remember, this is a very simple recipe so use good stock and a good ham for best results. Enjoy!

About Friday

2011-10-29T01:17:00.000-07:00

This is what we did Friday night-it was so much fun. We went to the early part too where it was just Steven sitting at a microphone with his guitar. He sang requests, took questions and told stories about some of the songs he had written.
We didn't realize that Josh Wilson and Andrew Peterson were touring with him. That most assuredly was a pleasant surprise! There were more stories through out the night which makes hearing the songs so fun because you know the whys behind them.

Gary even bought the new CD's of each of them that they had available for only $10 ea. So now I get to relive the date over and over again!

Of all the songs sung last night, even including Cinderella, the song that brought me to tears and got me nudges from my sweetie was a song that Steven wrote for his then 11 year old daughter. I have been on a journey of self discovery this year and this song touched the 11 year old in me that never got past feeling "good enough".

The computer is not letting me load the video but I have posted it on my facebook page if you would like to see/hear it. It's not a SCC video but one someone made with the lyrics that so touched me.

Something to see

2011-10-26T19:31:00.000-07:00

So--do you know Curly Girl products? Bet you've seen them and chuckled at the cuteness!

She is having a giveaway over on her blog, be sure to pop over and see what is going on. There are previews of her christmas stuff too. Oh I just LLLOOOOVVVEEE christmas!!

Christmas!!

2011-10-22T13:05:00.000-07:00

Are you thinking-"jeez Karin, it isn't even Halloween yet!"

Well for those who like to do crafts and scrapbooking it isn't too early to think about Christmas. Some things you have to start early. I have begun to think about putting together another Christmas Daily album-
I first read about them on Ali Edwards blog. The premise is to put together a bunch of pages ahead of time and then just add photos and notes as the days progress in December. Stubs from outings, pictures with Santa, tree hunts, etc. I did one last year and used an old book I found as the covers and for some of the pages. Ali sponsors a Flicker group-here is a link to my book.

If you would like to hold a workshop for your girlfriends, with supply packages, I would be glad to come and present. Check in with me for rates...

New workbook

2011-10-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

My Brave Girl group has decided to work through this book next. We did the first chapters over the last few weeks.
"This book will guide you through the expressions of photography, poetry/journaling and mixed-media as they pertain to exploring how we not only currently see ourselves, but how we can learn to see new things hiding below the surface. Each of these sub-topics features a different contributing artist (or the author) and includes tips, prompts, meditations and other exercises, along with plenty of full color inspiration. "

It has been interesting to work in a different format and to take purposeful photos. The exercise that surprised me the most was the middle one of the lesson. We were told to pick a random book/magazine and write down words that jumped out at us. Juicy words. I didn't know what that meant, and I thought about it for a few days. Then I picked up a book and started writing down words. They seemed to be following a theme-weird....

Then you were to take those words and write a poem with them. That seemed daunting. I hadn't written poems since high school, and we all know that was a while ago!! But I started and it just seemed to flow out of the pen onto the paper. It was amazing. I loved the poem and it spoke to just where I am now.

The next step was to make a type of art piece using the poem and photos. Again, I thought about it for about a week, trying to envision what it would look like. I printed the poem out a couple of ways and then I just went for it. It was interesting how bits and pieces found their way onto my collage. And here it is-
I had to put it in the scanner since all my photos end up blurry due to a shaky hand problem. This is how the poem reads:

I stand still and listen,

waiting for the opportunity

to develop.

I hear the

whispering wind tell me,

remember the desperate,

tremulous moments

that a simple prayer interrupted

and whispered to me.

The journey to freedom,

awakens the mesmerizing promise

of patience and confidence.

As gentle as the

wings of a dove,

I am arriving at the place

I belong.

My heart has opened,

like a present,

to the promise of hope.

Karin Canazzi 2011

I'll post more after each lesson-

20 pounds

2011-10-19T17:17:00.000-07:00

That my friends is a photo of a 20 pound note...

Not exactly what I meant about the 20 pounds I am writing about -
but
a lot nicer to look at then what I mean.

8 weeks and 20 pounds are gone from my body. It has been an enlightening few weeks as I got back in the roll of eating prepacked meals. I want to eat a lot of stuff that is NOT in those little
packages. This time though, I am trying to figure out what it is that I am desperate to eat away.
That is the crux of the problem. I was using food for other things than energy!

I do a lot of sitting and staring into space. I'm thinking through a lot of un-lovely stuff unfortunately. This is some of what I have found out; I do a lot of comparing. Even comparing myself to me at another time. Comparing is a waste of time because at the core of it I guess I'm saying I'm not happy with the me that God made. Did I really say that out loud?! I am talking here only of the multiple cells and how they were put together and how they respond to influence of external forces-namely food. Of course I do realize that I was putting way too much influence on those aforementioned cells. So I am working on loving myself just as I am. I had a wise woman tell me that she had heard multiple conversations when people were talking about me. Not judging me or my size, she said it had never come up. Instead they talked of my compassion and love and willingness and skills. Well that is probably what I should be focusing on too. I am also rebellious-I want to do things that I know aren't healthy and not do things I know are. Even though I KNOW chocolate isn't healthy on the whole, I can't imagine not having any around. Even though I KNOW diet soda isn't good for the body at all, I haven't stopped drinking it. Even though I KNOW taking walks every day is good for me, I rebel against it.

So although I do enjoy the clothes getting loose and not clinging quite so much, I will be looking for ways I can loose some other things like condescending words, previous opinions, and certain thoughts. I WILL be cutting down on the diet soda and promised my health coach a 5 minute walk a day. Just remember that these are all steps while although small are bigger than me at the moment.

Boy that was a lot of honesty laid out there and I don't know if anyone cares but I am throwing it out in cyberspace anyway and I'm pretty sure it will make a difference to me.

New favorite thing

2011-10-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of it yet? Chances are you have, and either you're already obsessed (like I am), or you're wondering what it's all about.

Do you love to bop around different blogs and online stores gathering inspiration and just enjoying the fun things people are doing and making? Do you bookmark things you don't want to forget, projects you want to try, etc. -- but then you forget all about those things once they're tucked away in your bookmark folder?

Well, Pinterest is wonderful for visual people. It's like a virtual inspiration board, so you can keep track of all the great things you see online -- crafts, recipes, home decor, anything you like. Set up categories with your own titles, it's always easy to see at a glance whatever you're trying to find. You can also post photos of things you've done or find online. This is what my boards looks like right this now:It's also a fun social sharing thing, because you can follow other people whose taste you like, and others can follow you. If you want to see what I've been pinning, you can take a look here.
Oh, and one nice thing is that you don't have to follow every category a person creates. I have a few people that I just follow their craft posts. Their pins show up on my main page and if I want to add the items I just "repin" them onto one of my boards. It's great that it's not an all-or-nothing follower thing.

Let me know if you want an invite from the pinterest page) and I'll send you one! Be forwarned, you will start lots of conversations with "on pinterest I saw/got..."
This isn't a sponsored post -- I'm just loving all the inspiration that I can't help sharing the fun!

Advertising

2011-10-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Advertising sure has changed and so have attitudes about the sexes and there roles. Thank heavens!

These ads were sent to me via email but I think they deserve their own moment in the spotlight...

Good to know something was helping those with a bit "extra"-

didn't those advertising writers have a compassionate bone in their bodies?

and if all else fails--

If that tooth really bothered you-

nothing is as attractive as this-

for a fun time call-

perfect gift-

really pushing the truth-

really that is all it takes-

I just took naps-

yeah-that is what we are for-

I think Dyson would be more fun-

I can think of other ads I would like to circle-jewelry--

and finally-
relief for those overworked women-

So glad times have changed-aren't you?

A glimpse...

2011-09-26T22:11:00.000-07:00

There have been many things changed since we moved into our home 24 years ago. But this little closet has changed the least since our initial makeover. This was the coat closet, it might have held 5 coats...but it made a perfect china cupboard. We were able to purchase glass shelves at a discount store and had them cut to size. We bought an old door and cut it down to size and then stripped layers of paint off it. A few years ago I added the paint color.
The previous photo was kinda blurry but I wanted you to get the idea-here is one close up.
This next photo is a idea we put together tonight. I had purchase this great paper at Ecru a few weeks back, Gary cut it to size and mounted it to some poster board. I added a cute verse from the internet and set it all back into the frame. Love this-

It fits right into our colorful dining room...

adjacent to our colorful kitchen...

guess what two of my favorite colors are...

More students...

2011-09-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

What we have spent the last month of Saturdays on...plus a few other days here and there.

Daniel

Sisters- Daryen

and Taylor

Dominic

Aaron

Aaron loves restored autos so we met up with him at the Camas car show. One of the guys even let him get in his muscle car, needless to say Aaron was grinning ear to ear.

We have had a few regular photo trips too but I currently don't have access to those. Besides I tend to be the driver on those excursions anyway...

2011-09-09T12:24:00.000-07:00

Senior season is back and it started out really well!

So far only two appointments changed because of weather.
This year because it's too hot...

Here is a sampling of the great images Gary is producing-

I'll post more as they come along...

Last week and beyond

2011-09-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

In my August 23rd post I mentioned my ability to get really good parking spots. Gary made me take a picture of the car right in front of the store we were going to...ecru. You need to check this store out if you have an affinity for cards, paper and office supplies. Ecru describes itself as the modern stationer. It has walls of cards and lots of journals, post it type notes and just general yummy stuff. We got some tape on clearance, sticky notes, a cute storage bag with old camera images and ordered a really cool address stamp. It's in the Pearl District and easy to get to.
Sunday Amy came over and had no real plans so I asked for her decorating advice for my craft cottage. We took everything off the walls and started fresh. By we I mean Gary and I-Amy was the not paid designer! This is one corner- The canvas we had seen something similar online. Amy painted the background, I picked out letters and painted them & then I glued it all down. Finished with glitter Mod Podge because...I could!
close - up...
I bought these two windows at a friend's garage sale. I attached photos I had copied from online to the back with clear contact paper. This one is in the cottage-in case you couldn't tell from the pink boa!
This one is in the living room. Although because of motion sickness I can't enjoy carnival rides,I do enjoy the beauty of them.
This week has been productive with home things and business and a bit of crafting fun. There is just something fulfilling about getting stuff done. I hit Walmart's back to school isle and picked up some cute composition books that I think I will transform into journals to sell. But first I have my current life journal to finish as part of my last Soul Restoration class...

Confession is good for the soul

2011-09-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

This is me a few years back. I don't know why I'm smiling I sure didn't look very healthy. I guess it's because I didn't want to have a dowdy "before" photo. I was embarking on an adventure of weight loss with Medifast products. I hadn't tried this type of program before in my 20+ years of trying to loose weight. I had high hopes.
and it worked- I lost 65 pounds within about 8 months. I was exercising. I was feeling pretty good. I was buying clothes a size or 2 smaller. But...
I had trouble seeing it!!! I still thought I looked fat, I still was bigger than everyone I knew. Then Satan got a hold of me and started playing bad things in my head. And before you know it I was missing a lot of things like this-
and this-
and this-
and this-
and most decidedly this-
and even this-
oh these too-
and so I gave up and ate and ate and ate. It didn't help much, it felt better for awhile. But those things I was hearing in my head were sure loud. My feet started hurting and my knees. The family went through some stuff and I ate to feel better. I ate to drown the voices in my head.

And then January came and I started my Soul Restoration class. I awoke from my stupor. I learned to shut out the voices in my head. Then I repeated the Soul Restoration class with some new and old friends and I remembered that people did like to be around me. During the Soul Restoration II class I started making goals and the steps to achieve them. I caught up with all my scrapbooking and saw A LOT of photos of me after I had lost the weight. I really did look different. I looked healthier, thinner and happy. I decided I wanted to be there again, I wanted to be content again. I wanted to be able to move. I have plans for hikes, and I want to bike and I want to smile for a lot more photos.

So I am back on Medifast. I have a better coach this time. I've asked some friends to come beside me and help me listen to the great truth teller.

And I am planning on looking at least this good come the next Christmas....
definitely not the end....

The big project

2011-08-27T07:24:00.000-07:00

So Friday night was Teri's 50th birthday party...she looked so cute and party-ready!Here she is with her lovely husband Jim who threw this bash for her...
Jim went all out and we helped get it all out and ready for the guests...I was afraid that Teri would not open her gifts at the party and I wouldn't be able to see her expression when she saw the project I have been working on for her. But she did! And she loved the book...here is a little video so you can see it too. It has journaling prompts about her memories and thoughts. Such as "what is your earliest childhood memory" and "what was it like to become a mom."

Here is the smile I got after she opened her gift-she liked it!
and some of my favorite pages...Journaling prompts read-
Did your family move often and if so where and what time periods?
Do you remember the room in which you slept as a child?
Who were your friends when you were growing up?
Do you remember any fads from your youth? Popular hairstyles? Clothes?What were some of the best presents you ever received when you were a kid?
Where did you go on vacations when you were young?Did you have an after-school or summer job,what did you do? What did you like about it? Dislike about it? How much did you earn? What did you do with your first paycheck?
How did you meet Jim and what was your first date like?

And just for the fun of it...the Brave Girls!

Hope you had fun Teri and thanks for letting me share!

2011-08-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

I've been hard at work on a secret project for a very special friend. I have known her for over 30 years. Our lives have intertwined through that time and currently I get to see her every week for our Brave Girl sessions. She has just had her 50th birthday and a big bash is planned for Friday night...can't wait! Have you figured out who it is yet??

It's my friend Teri...Watch this blog for a photo or two from the party...

While looking for Teri's photo I stumbled across some random images Gary has taken for me because I asked him to. He's nice that way!

These geese were so cute with the babies waddling behind-
This house-too weird...
Have you ever heard Gary talk about how I always seem to find the best parking spots? Well a week or so ago we went up to Multnomah Falls and Gary was trying to direct me to this spot way down at the end and I said just let me look...do you see that I got the very FIRST spot!!
Gary was doing test shots and I was brushing Daisy so an impromptu shot-
That's it for now...

Some crafting fun...

2011-08-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I am doing another Brave Gir l session? This one is all about taking the steps to achieve the life you want to live. One of the projects is to make a booklet with your rules about how to make decisions. Things to ask yourself as you process whether you should do something or not.

I made mine from an old child's board book that I picked up at a thrift store. First I sanded it a bit, then covered with gesso. Next came paints and papers to jazz it up and then I added my "rules".

The cover

Just looking at it makes me happy...now for an application....

These next photos are from a baby shower that I helped a friend throw. I made breakfast jummies and cupcakes.
I made her a wall canvas and a crochet blanket. Here is a close up of the canvas...
and the two together before I wrapped them...

One year-24 days

2011-08-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Remember these faces from last year?...
Well it has been a year! Actually a bit over but I have been negligent on blogging so I am just now posting images. Here they are on their anniversary-

oh and there are the mustaches again-

Papa Hayden's made their wedding cake and if you remember to call-will make an anniversary cake just like the top layer of the wedding cake. So glad they remembered-

They were kind enough to share some of their cake with us too.

Congrats to you two-hope your year is full of fun adventures!

Amazing dinner

2011-08-15T11:42:00.001-07:00

This was an amazing dinner I made last week. It was certainly tasty enough to make for company too....

Moroccan Blackberry Chicken with Curried Rice Pilaf

Moroccan Blackberry Chicken

1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 lbs. bone-in chicken pieces (I use a combination of breasts & thighs)
3 tbsp. combination of fresh thyme, rosemary, & basil or 1/2 tsp of each, dried.
2 tsp sweet Hungarian paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
2 tbsp. mashed blackberries (for sweeter taste, use 2 tbsp. blackberry jam)
2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup whole blackberries for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350. Pour 1/4 cup wine into a large glass or porcelain baking dish. Rub chicken pieces with olive oil and arrange in the dish, skin side up. Sprinkle liberally with herbs and paprika. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 cup wine and then the chicken stock to the pan as the juices evaporate. Occasionally baste chicken.

While chicken is baking, combine brown sugar with mashed blackberries, garlic, vinegar,and remaining 1/2 tsp. paprika.

Spoon the blackberry mixture over the chicken and continue cooking for 10 minutes, basting occasionally until the juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and keep warm.

Pour the cooking juices into a non-reactive saucepan and bring it to a boil over moderate heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Season the salt to taste with salt and pepper and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with whole blackberries and enjoy.

As soon as the chicken is in the oven, start the rice.

Curried Rice Pilaf

2 tsp. curry powder
2 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup blanched almond slivers
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ cups long grain white rice
3 cups canned or homemade chicken broth
1 tsp. salt (if using salted broth, adjust amount to taste)
1/3 cup dried currants
Zest of one orange, chopped finely
I added some shredded carrots too

In dry 2-quart pan, heat curry powder over medium heat until fragrant. Add olive oil and almonds; shake over medium heat until lightly browned. Reduce heat slightly, add onion and garlic; cook until translucent. Add rice to pan and stir until evenly coated with oil. Stir in chicken broth and currents and bring to boil over medium high heat.

Cover pan, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in orange zest and cover pan. If there is residual moisture in the pan, turn heat to very low. If the rice has absorbed all moisture, turn burner off, cover pan and allow rice to rest until the chicken is done.

Bird bath

2011-08-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

We have had this little bubbling fountain for a few years now and I have told Gary about the hummingbird couple that visit. Usually they get sent away by bigger birds-but the other day was perfect. No other birds were around and Gary and I were by the back porch and even had a camera with us. This little guy approached and had a bit of a dip, flew off a bit and came back for more. I can't believe how many images Gary was able to take and how dirty the thing must have felt to stay so long.

Enjoy...

It was especially funny to see him sit over the bubbler and lay down too!

Time on your hands??

2011-07-14T06:49:00.000-07:00

I copied this from this blog....

Tidy Tips: How to Fold Bags to Save Space

I am not a fan of plastic bags, not only are they not good for the environment, they are a mess to have around the house. As much as I try to remember my reusable ones when I go to the grocery store, I have many times that I forget and end up with a bunch of plastic bags. They can be bulky and a pain to store, but they are good for sack lunches and dog duty. My Mom taught me this great trick which helps store your plastic bags without taking up a ton of room.

First, flatten bag, then fold in half twice. Next, start folding it in a triangular pattern until you reach the end of the bag.
Once you are at the end, tuck the end tab into the folds, and you have your bag in a small triangle.

I store them in one of the Tupperware containers that I don't use (remember THIS?) and put them in my drawer with all my other bags. Then my drawer stays tidy!

Really? It is compact but really?....

This week-

2011-07-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Well if you count from Friday to Friday...because this photo of my dear friend Teri was taken last Friday! I forgot to ask if I could post it but I assume she knows every photo I take is fair game to go on my blog....

I took this after our Brave girl meeting. We have been having our get togethers in her cozy new living room. And she always has yummy treats that are mostly good for us. She always dresses so fashionably-I take notes!
I had a fun little excursion yesterday. Lovely June was not able to join us at my pj birthday party, so she promised me that she would take me out for a treat. Well I got two- one was spending time with her and the other was some yummy ice cream. We met up at the Ice Cream Renaissance in downtown Vancouver.
Oh me- oh my! Was it ever a wonderful thing!!

This is June with her little plate of samplers and a cookie. She got a latte too and said the coffee was really good.
Me-I never go out for ice cream so I went with the Peanut butter ice cream on a brownie. Oh and a scoop of coffee ice cream so we could try it. I did ask for a tiny scoop like June had but I guess the lady didn't understand me. Oh and the whipped cream just made it look like so much more. It took awhile to eat what with all the gabbing!
Go there...it is a must!

Spent today in the craft cottage and then did some watching of Brave Girl videos. I am loving this class too. It will give me skills to use for some time.

Thanks for popping in...see ya.

Today

2011-07-11T17:11:00.001-07:00

Today I was DRAGGING....as I do most Mondays. The introvert in me just goes on overload from the company over the weekend! Not that I would change it for the world, I am just glad I have Mondays to recoup.

On Friday I gave Nick, Gabriele and Gary a choice of what to have for dinner. I made pasta salad with turkey pepperoni and little marinated mozzarella balls and yummy garlic bread on the side. Then we took a drive out to Border's to pick up this book I had read about on the Brave Girls page.I have only read a bit of it but it sounds really interesting. Here is what Melody of Brave Girls had to say about it- "The book is a collection of stories like mine – stories of how Art Saves. I am one of 20 artists who participated and I am thrilled to announce that the book is available at bookstores everywhere NOW! I can’t wait for you to see it and to be touched as I have by stories about the power of art…to be inspired by it."

On Saturday I was planning a day of scrapping but Amy phoned and asked if we would like to come for lunch. We had some great cheese and bacon sandwiches. Then she and I went off to Yard and Garden and then back to my house while the guys headed to a camera store. When Amy got here I was able to share a little project I had done for us girls...surprise Gabriele! (she hasn't seen this yet) I made some cupcake plates with candle holders I had already and some thrifted plates.
I also found this toy camera and painted it up for our "extra" room where the theme is bright.
And when I went in to get the camera I saw this painting Amy did a few years back and decided to document it too. I can't believe she just free handed the whole thing.
Sunday we went for a little drive in the morning-Gary had seen a few things he wanted to photograph when he was in Portland for the first Thursday event. Then home and a fun day with Amy. We did a bit of organizing of photos and she started scrapping while I made lunch. We had orzo with feta and Kalamata olives and I cooked up some shrimp. We spent the day in the craft cottage until Amy realized it was time for her to leave.

I am hoping to be more productive tomorrow-I really want to get up to date on the scrapbooks before our business starts taking all my extra hours.

I forgot....

2011-07-06T14:35:00.000-07:00

I forgot this photo because it was in my phone-this is what 2 days worth of cardmaking produces around here.
Today I did a bit of thrift shopping and was excited to find this bag. Amy is going to tease me now because I am always getting new bags....
This was just too cute though and my favorite colors. It holds my Soul Restoration stuff perfectly too. Guess how much it cost....
it's a blurry image but you can totally tell I got an amazing deal!
ta-ta

and now it's July?!

2011-07-05T23:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy few weeks for me. A few girlfriends and I are meeting each week to discuss our lessons as part of Brave Girls-Soul Restoration 2. This session will take us through making goals and then decided what tiny steps we need to achieve them. It is a bit scary for me because it will take me out of my comfort zone for sure! The first step was setting up a notebook where I will record all that I will discovering-sorta like art journaling. I love Mod Podge...

I've been doing some other crafts too. I have been doing a bunch of scrapbooking. I was pretty excited today when I finished 2009-only to come across some more pictures that needed to be fit in. When I went to the computer to see where they should be added, I found a few more events that needed to be added. I am determined to get them in the book and move onto 2010 tomorrow. 2010 was way fun, with our 30th anniversary and my 50th birthday. Also a bridal shower and wedding. It will be so fun putting that book together!

I saw a representation like this online and then found white canvas' with black borders at Michaels for 80 cents, so I went with them. I glued on some lettering I had and then proceeded to try to spray them white. A whole can later-I decided my paint was weird and went with gray. They look sorta cool gray on my gray bathroom walls.
I don't know if I am allowed to talk about the reasoning behind this next one. It's almost midnight so I better not call....Anyway, some good friends of ours bought a house downtown and their final move in was Saturday. I made this sign and Gary set it on their car Sunday morning. Hey-I just realized I left out the word "new" on the sign...
This last item isn't a craft per se but baking. Our lovely neighbors put on a great show of fireworks each year that we watch from our driveway. So as a sort of thanks, this year I baked them some "corn dogs"...as in cookies.

Gabriele's wish

2011-06-21T19:23:00.000-07:00

Gabriele's wish for her birthday was that we would do new portraits. Other than the ones from the wedding last year, we had never done a full group and the ones of the 4 kids we had was at least three years ago.

Let me tell you-it was an experience...I mentioned in another post that although our two didn't particularly like having their photo taken when young, they sure like to now. No matter how they look...

This first photo was taken by a photographer friend, but the rest were taken by Gary with a few by Karl.Amy and her mommy-
the girls-
Nick and Gabriele-
Karl and Amy-
There she goes...
the two of them together...oh my...
Gary and Nick-
and don't think that the kids were the only ones goofing off-
The guys...
The two that started the family...
Oh look how nice they look...
oh sweetness...
and then...

And those were only some of the images we took. All in all-between Karl and Gary-they took about 500 shots before editing.

I have a new website I spend a lot of time on called Pinterest. The link will take you to my page with the "boards" of images I like. One of the images I saw on the site was a lower body shot with each person holding something that represented their hobby or job. This is our version...

Totally love it...I think I will get a large print for over our fireplace.

Thanks for letting me share...I do so love these people!

June is fun too!

2011-06-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hey did you see the mini loaf van at Burgerville Salmon Creek last weekend? We have been waiting for it to make it's way here.They cut down regular size vans to make these-I think they made 4 and have been making their way across the U.S. In June we celebrate the birth of Mrs. Gabriele. I made these layered streamers in her honor.
Her cake was white with chocolate chips and fresh strawberry frosting.
Dinner was Lemon chicken risotto...
Then we celebrated Father's day last week. Everyone came even our friend Vicki who rents from my dad. Kinda handy when you want a family shot...even a raccoon showed up...
Dinner was lasagna made from this recipe... I did use ricotta cheese instead of cottage cheese and chicken italian sausage instead of the hot breakfast sausage. No draining needed. Salad and garlic bread. Most of the meal (not the bread) was organic and I used a rice based lasagna noodle. It was the first time I had made it and it is now the only one I will ever use!
Dessert was only one of these chocolate cakes with strawberry filling and ganache. The other was for Vicki to buy for her family celebration.
Shockingly- Karl got a photo of my dad smiling...
oh look...another one!
and this is my favorite of Gary that night. Amy gave him a card that said he kicked ass as a dad. And then something about since she was an adult now she could say ass.
This is the envelope from the card Nick made. To make the card he used my typewriter and wrote about the things he remembers most about growing up with his dad. But the envelope just made us laugh because of the sketching he added.
Karl tried out some fun techniques while Gary shot pool-

and the rest of us played Cranium...
another post will soon follow-about some more fun we had as a family...you won't want to miss it!

I love May-part 3

2011-06-06T18:48:00.000-07:00

Another party!!

This one was with the family and since most of them are working, I prepared dinner. We had pork chops baked with Rib City bbq sauce and roasted potatoes.

When it was time for presents I asked for my boa so I would be dressed for the festivities...
This is the cake I made...meringue disks with chocolate mousse layered between and frosted with mousse. Then I covered the outside with meringue sticks.
And this is what it looks like cut after sitting in the fridge overnight. Let me tell you - this was a yummy dessert and everyone liked it too.

We walked around the yard and looked at all the flowers blooming. Karl was on the look out for birds and bugs to photograph...he found some silly things too.
and this is Daisy helping herself to a bit of dinner...
So that was May...now you know why I like it so much!

I love May-part 2

2011-06-01T22:02:00.000-07:00

I had only a couple parties growing up for my birthday so I plan my own every year! This year I did a take off on the movie "13 going on 30".

Amy designed the invites-

I neglected to take an photo of the goodie bags but they had wishing dust, razzles, pixie sticks, twinkies, a mixed "tape" cd and other assorted fun stuff.

In preparation, the kids strung twinkle lights and balloons for me-

I made "tie dye" cupcakes with chocolate frosting-

We had snacks popular in the 70's-

and mini sandwiches, wienie wraps and bbq meatballs too.

my partner-who knew just how to decorate for a 13 or 15 year party-
and did my bright eye make up and nails...

we had to have a wall of heart throbs-can you name them all??

Presents- including this huge flower-

I did take photos of the gals who came but...since I asked them to come in pj's and not all of them had make-up on-I decided for everybody's sake not to post them!

Part 3 will be coming up soon-

I love May

2011-05-27T07:41:00.001-07:00

I love May because I get to hear how wonderful I am...a lot. And this info comes from someone other than myself! I try to tell myself I'm wonderful every day-how about you?!

I was going to do a long post about why May is so great but then I thought two posts would be more fun. This will be the shorter post, not because it is any less important just that it is a one day event.

Mother's day has evolved through the years around here. With both the kids married I don't get cold toast with peanut butter and a cup of cocoa anymore. Now I fix my own breakfast but get to still spend the day with those I care most about. We are still figuring out what the best solution is so all the moms involved get equal treatment. This year that meant the spouses spent time with their moms and Amy & Nick came here. Since Gabriele's mom ended up working, she got to come too. It was an event for the calendar because...Gary cooked dinner! He cooked me dinner once before we were married but I can't recall him doing it since. I am talking here about a main dish and extras. Nick was finishing up work and the girls and I were looking through magazines at the table in case Gary had questions-but he did it all.

Made salad, melted butter and added stuff for an awesome garlic/Parmesan bread, skewered shrimp and chicken, covered them in pesto and grilled them. YUMMO.

After dinner we all decided on a drive, so we got in the Jeep and headed out. Gary and I wanted to take them to this area where we think the houses are awesome. But we couldn't find it. That is what happens when you take too many photo drives-you can't remember where you have been. We did end up at the Bob's Red Mill site, which was closed. But Dave's Killer Bread was across the street so we went there. Got some awesome raisin bread too.

When we got home nobody was hungry yet and it was time for the kids to head out, so I packed some cake for them to take home and got a bunch of hugs. Love that!!

this is a mandarin cake made by Marsee's and available
at Zupan's and Fred Meyer at Grand.

a Mother's Day post

2011-05-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

I am so lucky that in addition to the two children I gave birth to---I now have two more lovely children who round out the family...Gabriele-
and Karl-
and I say round out because my two- who have constantly been in front of a camera- goof off a lot when I want a "nice" photo.
Here is Amy trying to get Nick to smile...
but Nick likes to strike poses...
and Amy-well she has been doing this look for years!
Another pose...
an innocent look...
a funny look...
an eating look...
Amy hogging the spotlight...
an "I don't want to smile" look...
an "and you can't make me" look...
a "what" look...
again Amy??...
always goofing around...
a scary look...

And I have no idea where they get it from...
Hope your day is good...I'm looking forward to lunch with three of the kids!

an Easter remembrance

2011-05-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

I had been asking for two weeks if the kids wanted to come over for Easter and nobody would answer me. Then on Good Friday when Nick and Gabriele were over after church, they said they really would like to come to our house on Sunday.

I love planning ahead so it felt a bit rushed to me to come up with a meal plan. I'm the only one who loves ham so the "traditional" meal was out. I didn't really want to do a lot of cooking either-so I settled on a chicken, orzo, fruit salad. It is yummy and I could make it ahead of time. I had some mini croissants I had picked up from the discount rack at Freddie's and frozen, so those came out. I made up some banana bread, deviled some eggs, checked the spreadable feta, made a dessert and we were set.

A little decoration to make it festive...Gary suggested an egg hunt but I said I didn't think that would fly!
The happy family waiting to start-
The dessert-dirt cake with peeps on top-

oh and then we played games for a few hours. And that story about the egg hunt...I told it and all three of the kids said "oh, that would have been fun." Guess I don't know them as well as I thought.

More art-

2011-04-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

It has been fun to be creating again. In addition to working on my empty journal pages, I have been creating some things for the house.

This first project is a large rectangle-I did two images to show both the saying and the overall image.

This one was fun because it shows me at the beach when I was 9-
A collection of hearts and butterflys...I just love that saying!
This one I have by my chair in the living room. There is a lot to look at on it but the main message is to "be yourself." Love that...
of course my creative helper Miss Amy has done some canvas' also...she will eventually get around to posting them so check hers out here.

a Soul Restoration recap

2011-03-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

If you have followed my posts at all you have read about the class I took online and about the projects I did. But I know I haven't completely outlined what I learned or how it changed me.
The gals at Brave Girls are having a little contest for those of us who went through the first online class. We are to write about our experience and then post links on their facebook page. If you are interested in reading the posts or even just helping me win...go read the posts and "like" those who inspire you...like me...
This first photo is of my clean new journal before class started. Just a spiral notebook from Michael's...the band is important as you will see...
yep-that is what it looks like now, full of fun artwork, my favorite papers and my soul poured out upon the pages. Here is another look to show you just how full it is and why I needed that band!

Oh look, there are more pages to do there at the bottom of the stack.

The first lesson I learned was what Peace would look like to me- silencing my inner critic, covering lies that Satan wants me to believe with God's truths. One of the great ways I do this is by putting my truth cards right on my dresser so I can pick one each day and then focus on those thoughts. (You can see some of the examples in my Soul Restoration catagory) I also so
appreciate the daily notes the the group sends. They are always life affirming and challenge me to look at things differently.

Looking through my life's timeline also showed me that some of the things I think of and about myself, crept in years before I thought they had. So I try to remember the little girl in me when I get to thinking about acting differently than my authentic self. I realize that the little girl had to grow up too fast and so taking things slowly and making time for play is really important to my soul.
I love the thought of authentic self. You sift things through what you know of life-but being authentic to me means being able to not have to change who I am for each person I encounter. Not having to reign in enthusiasm if that is what I am feeling. Not feeling guilty if what I feel like doing is just sitting and not thinking about anything in particular. How amazing would it be if we all felt the freedom to be real in each circumstance we encounter. Not having to worry about how to say something in such a way that nobody will be offended or challenged. It would be life changing for sure.

Some of the pages in my journal also hold the words to songs that I find especially meaningful like you're beautiful, you are more, what love really means, voice of truth. The songs that when they come on I crank on high and sing right along. Surrounding myself with life affirmation music changes the way I feel, as much as working on crafts or my journal does. The journal was an interesting project to get into. I have a girlfriend who for years has been doing art journaling. She has created amazing books that I love to go through and just relish the creativity. I always looked at journaling as a thing people did daily. Well I don't like the idea of "having" to do things and so I dabbled in journaling from time to time but the whole commitment thing blew me away. Besides each time I journaled I was dealing with the same problems. This time though I gave myself the freedom to journal as the feeling came to me. Having the prompts that went with the class helped me zero in on the issues I have dealt with for years. It enabled me to look at things differently and gently allow myself to feel again. I must say it is way easier to write my soul down on a pretty piece of art than on a big white page of blue lines.

I also liked the lesson where we explored "doing it anyway". By looking at each obstacle or situation I encounter which could have the potential to derail me and start me back into a spiral down and realizing that by looking at it differently, I could continue down my healthier path. I could essentially face the situation and "do it anyway" and still be able to go onto the next thing.

I think my favorite part of the whole process was when we wrote out our "instruction manual."
By writing down the things I do when I am on track or off track, etc. I have a tangible place that I can go to with concrete things to do to keep on the path to a completely restored soul.

Finally, today I made my promise book. This was the last project and I had to go and review the video to see what it was supposed to be like. I had done another book that was focused on God's promises to me. This was supposed to be my promises to myself. I had this little book in my stash from a thrifting trip. Since it was 2 ringed I was able to add an envelope, a photo card as well as other items from my inventory to create a unique book. I was amazed at how quickly I was able to fill it with promises. Things I came across during the class that remind me that I am a prize. A prize not only to God but to myself and those around me.
It has truly been an amazing experience and I am looking forward to part II coming in a few months.

oh yeah baby....

2011-03-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

Gotcha at the photo didn't I?

You want some don't you?

Gonna have to make some?

Well this little photo popped into my inbox as a post from Tasty Kitchen which is part of the Pioneer woman website. I love this gals style of writing and I even own her cookbook and novel.
Anyway-here is the link for the recipe Tasty kitchen.

Well I had to make some-Mr and Mrs are coming for dinner tomorrow-

I did double the chocolate, nutella, peanut butter to get a 9 x 13 size pan full. The rest of the ingredients- rice krispies, pecans and marshmallows I more than doubled- it definately needed more to make it more like the krispie treats you are probably used to.

Oh and for dinner tomorrow....
I made another recipe from Mrs. Pioneer woman-this time from her "cooking" link.
This is spicy Dr. Pepper Shredded Pork. The great thing about her recipe sharing is that she adds photos of each step of the way and inserts humerus bits too. Her recipe called for an 11 oz. can of chipolata in adobe sauce. I only added about half of a 7 oz. can and the bites we tried had more than enough kick for us...but we are kinda weak in that respect.

Happy cooking and eating!

Getting things done

2011-03-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I did a post where I showed my travel journal I was putting together for our anniversary trip. Well I got it all put together and thought you might like to see a bit more. I have photos, journaling, bags, notes, business cards, postcards, maps...all sorts of stuff tucked in.
It is a bit loose and floppy but that makes it more interesting. I keep a bit of ribbon around it to store.

I even put in the lists I made for packing. And also one of the pages from when we played pictionary with all the kids.
Amy came over on Sunday like always. Even though I was still a bit loopy from the meds we still did some crafting. I made this for the kitchen with bits of this and that. The class we took had us not put faces on the ladies but I don't know if I like that on this one. I even added a pearl necklace, just what the 50's house wife always wore. Well at least on TV.

Today I finished up the last project for my "Soul Restoration" class. It was supposed to be a promises book. That has been stumping me for weeks. I finally decided that a book full of some
relevant scripture verses would remind me of the promises that God has made to me and that I have made to him. The class stuff had sent this embossed book and Amy added some paint and today I finished it off with glitter glue...just love that stuff!
some pages with random items from my stash of supplies-

I put ribbons and things sticking out the top and sides for interest-
It feels so great to get some items finished.

I signed up for a class called Be gentle, be love.
They send wise words and prompts for projects, journaling or blog posts.
You'll probably hear more from me on that soon...

and then this week-

2011-03-19T23:05:00.000-07:00

So after all the excitement of last week what was I going to do this week? Well on Wednesday Mrs. Gabriele was graduating nursing school, Thursday I was invited to visit an art journaling group and on Friday we had plans to attend Magenta Improv theater. So I stayed pretty low the first few days of the week. Got the laundry done and the rest of stuff put away. Did a bit of reading. After dinner on Wednesday I got all ready for the graduation. Took off the tennies and put on my fancy shoes (Dansko's)-I don't stray too much from comfort. Since it was raining I decided Gary could drive and let me off out front and then he would have to park the car. Good plan-bad entry. As I was attempting to get in the car I inadvertently stepped off the edge of the carport and twisted my foot. My already sore foot from Plantar Fasciitis became excruciating. I iced it all the way to Skyview but it didn't get much better. I hobbled in and sat as quickly as I could.

Here she is ready for things to get going-

and Mr. Nick got to pin on her graduating nurse pin-tears flowed.
Well from me anyway!

So proud of them both for working together to reach this amazing goal!!!

By the end of it I sure needed the rest room. So I hobbled up the stairs and using the railing to guide and help support my aching foot I traveled towards the door. The railing wasn't attached at one point and gouged my finger. So now I was hobbling and bleeding...more drama. As quickly as we could leave gracefully we headed out.

I was awfully glad I was going to the doctor the next day for a rash that had developed on my side. I figured it was something I picked up from the trip...
But that night I got the grand total of about 2 hours sleep because my foot hurt so bad. I did some online research and was convinced I had sprained my foot. As soon as Gary got up I told him that I needed him to call his best friend the doctor and get me in to the clinic before my 1 pm appointment. Well he went to work and then came home a few hours later to take me in. In a twist of fate the PA who saw me did have a sprained ankle and was hobbling around too. She poked and prodded and determined I had just aggravated the fasciitis more. Assured me there was an anti-inflammatory I could take without other drug interactions and would also give me a
stronger pain killer since Tylenol wasn't cutting anything. Oh and the rash turned out to be Shingles.

So for two days I haven't showered or changed out of jammies. I haven't cleaned the house or done many chores. I have prepared some food and read magazines and watched tv and checked my email and facebook on my smart phone. Taken lots of naps and am gradually getting better.
Today I did notice what appears to be a case of athlete's foot (figured I would get something out of the trip) or maybe it's shingles on my toes...

Gary-he is ready to trade me in for a healthier model. Although he keeps telling me how amazed he is that I am not turning into a whiny women through all of this.

Why is it when you decide you are going to try some new things to get both mentally and physically healthy something always gets in the way???

Or should I say someone????

Well tomorrow should be better-asked Amy to come earlier than usual so we will have some crafting time before I'll need a nap. Maybe I can actually get through the day without one-we'll see.

Next week? We will just have to wait and see if things will be back to normal!!

Plus more...

2011-03-14T21:01:00.001-07:00

I forgot the plus more in the last post....

The travel journal worked great-I glued and punched holes and assembled it every few days.
Since we got a call to evacuate on Friday morning at 4 am about the only thing I have for the last day of our trip is the newspaper headlines!

I had posted this She Art style picture I made a week ago and stated that I didn't feel it was finished. I decided it needed more "stuff" and some extra color....

Well here is the finished product and I like it much better-how about you?
ta-da!

Anniversary plus more...

2011-03-14T19:03:00.001-07:00

Got my toes done for the trip...

We took half a dozen photos together and this is the only one that turned out...wonder why?
It was an amazing week! We started the week out with family dinner made by Karl and Amy. Yummy organic hamburgers with most all organic trimmings. They even found an amazing chocolate cake at whole foods. We played Pictionary too which is always fun-why is it you can always guess what the other team is drawing? Amy spent Saturday with us since we wouldn't have Sunday together and we crafted the day away.

Sunday we packed up the car and headed towards the beach via the Astoria route. Although we have taken this road before Gary kept saying it looked different. Maybe because it wasn't raining...It took us over 4 hours to reach Cannon Beach because of the photo opportunities!

These images I took with my phone and played
with the options....

When we finally made it to Cannon Beach we had to EAT-we hadn't had lunch and were very hungry. We stopped at Lumberyard. If you haven't been there...go!

I had ribs-

Gary had fish and chips-

On Monday Gary gave me some lovely presents- a book I have been wanting, a gift card to a craft store and this lovely ring with 3 pearls to represent our decades together and two diamonds to represent our children...LOVE it!On Monday we had lunch in Warrenton at a spot I had Googled-Serendipity Cafe. Supposed to have great Monte Cristos and they did. Gary had biscuits and gravy which were fantastic too.
We drove back roads and ended up at Fort Clatsop that was recently rebuilt after a fire. Gary took photos and I had a little nap. He ended up calling me and saying he had taken a path and was way out past the entrance on the main road so I headed out to meet up with him. We drove a road through the countryside that was one we hadn't been on before-which we love.
Arriving back in Seaside around dinner time I did a quick search on the phone for someplace to eat. Kinda felt like pizza...turns out we were parked behind a place that was supposed to be great in spite of what it looked like in the strip mall. It's right across from Safeway and you would miss it if you weren't looking for it. Angelina's pizza had a fantastic menu!

This is chicken parmesean panini-

This is their cheese calzone with ricotta and mozzarella-

We spent one day of the trip hanging out in the room in our jammies and reading in front of the fire. Didn't feel too guilty since it was extremely windy out.

Another day we took a drive down to Tillamook-had to get some squeeky cheese. I took Gary to the air museum too.

Stopped in Rockaway beach at a cute looking shop called the Frugal Crow. Part gift shop, part antique shop, part yarn store...all around fun and amazing prices. I got this afghan for only $12

We saw these cute bunnies-

We saw this amazing airstream. Never have seen a bus version.

We had a bit of all kinds of weather while we were there...it was kinda fun.

We came home on Friday and Amy, Nick and Gabriele came for dinner and then we went to see Harry Potter.
On Saturday I put everything away and organized my kitchen a bit differently. Sunday Amy came to play and we visited a friends new old home and gave them some suggestions of how to get it ready to live in.
Gary didn't want to go to work today and I had a bit of a tough time getting going...it's hard to come off vacation mode!

Crafting fun!

2011-03-06T09:28:00.001-08:00

Since we are leaving today to celebrate our 30th anniversary...Amy won't be able to come and craft :(
BUT she did come yesterday instead :)

We had purchased an online class called the She Art Workshop. So we sat down to watch the instruction videos. A lot of the techniques we were already familiar with, so we did a bit of fast forwarding. We also didn't watch all the videos for week 1 because we were itching to get to the craft room. Here is my first canvas-with a bit of a glare. I don't think I'm done completely with her yet-doesn't seem like enough on the canvas.

Then after Amy left we ran errands and when we came home I did a bit of cooking and kitchen packing. It was around 9pm that I actually got back to the craft cottage to make up a travel journal. I signed up for a class on Wednesday- I think and just hadn't had time to get to the creating yet. But I was determined...I had picked up a small album with a ribbon tie at Target for $1 and so I used that as the start. I cut up some chipboard pages, a few different sizes and then got out my newly purchased clear acrylic pages and travel punch-outs. Along with other misc. items from my stash I finished it in the wee hours of the morning! The idea is to have somewhere to put those things that represent your trip such as; menus, business cards, receipts, tags off things you buy,etc. as well as adding photos once we get home.

Here is how it looks-I need non purple rings though.

The page on the left is the acrylic with double sided punch outs adhered with staples.
The page on the right is an old plastic file folder cut down and covered with a paper pattern.

The page on the left is a cut down one with a tag attached.
The photo on the right is of my mom at the beach in 1955.

Page on the left is some more of the plastic page protector with punch outs and paint.
The blue page is cut down with a decorative trim and library pocket.

The left page just shows how I put some different elements together.
On the right is another acrylic page with a quote. You are able
to see the next few pages through the acrylic.

A flash card of ice cream is on the left. Ice cream is my dessert of choice.
When we head to Cannon Beach we always stop in at
the candy store for Tillamook white licorice flavor.

On the right is a page for me to list all the books I read.

Just a couple of cute travel journaling pages.
The one on the right has a replica of a service station receipt.
I plan to record how many gallons, prices and how many miles we travel.

Just a few of the pages-I'll show more images when I have it finished.

I need to find our hotel reservation, finish packing, shower and get ready for the day...

Organizing...

2011-02-25T22:23:00.000-08:00

My crafting cottage is a mere 10' x 12' but it is packed full. Awhile back I changed the predominate colors from yellow/purple to white/pink/green. I still like that-it is a calming change from the color filled house...

As I am currently a bit obsessed with the art journaling and canvas painting I decided things needed to be organized a bit differently. Make things more accessible and move the items I'm using more for convenience.
This photo shows the shelves on the north wall that I use to house some favorite things-items that just make me smile. Did you notice the "shadow box" that Amy made for me a few years back with our wedding photo?
This is the top of my messy storage shelving. The white boxes from IKEA hold a mish mash of items. The notes suitcase is where I put cards and letters that mean a lot to me. The canvas assemblage Amy made for one of my birthdays.
This is directly in front of me as I sit at my desk. I put together the birthday angel canvas using a copy of my 4th grade school photo.
I found this wreath as is in a thrift store. I like the white on the white wall. The two pink cards were made my Gabriele/Nick and Amy and the other is a Curly Girl one.
My counter in art journal mode- I use my old license as a paint spreader!
This all sits right next to my chair. I like having my sewing machine where it is easy to get to.
Found the unfinished shelf at Goodwill and filled it with my paints.
Glitter, colored pencils and brushes all easy to get to. All these white shelves are thrift store buys except for the bigger base one.
Buttons in cute canning jars and pens, etc in misc. vases. Most are again thrift store purchases.
Instead of having separate drawers for 81/2 x 11 and 12x12 paper I put them all in the 12x12 file after sorting out the solids.
Inspiration shelves-I love having photos of the kids around. Amy thought the gosling needed a crown.
my really expensive pen holders...
So much easier to see what I have with the ribbons in jars.
More cute inspiration stuff.
and my new old typewirter...so cute!

My set up allows for two people to work so if you are wanting to create a gift or make a card or two let me know...

Dreams and confessions

2011-02-19T12:08:00.000-08:00

The following is from the Brave Girls blog and deals with dreams. Just so you know-the leader for the group came up with using images of birds as a symbol of our truthteller...mine is God. So when I see a bird now, I remember who it is I'm to listen to.
"Going after your dreams has some kind of deep and beautiful pain that I still can’t describe. When you are in the thick of it all, there is a pain that is so real in physical AND emotional feeling…that I just wish there was ONE word to describe it so that when we are trying to tell people how we are feeling about it when they can see that something big on our smack-in-the-middle-of-building-our-dreams-mind…..we could just say that one word that would embody all of the fear, excitement, bliss, feeling of purpose…loneliness, exhaustion, confusion, shame, guilt, then the shame about feeling ashamed and feeling guilty, AND the deep love for our dream, the deep sense of protection we feel for our dreams….AND biggest of all the way we just have just had to let go of control….and surrender…and how when we finally decided to jump with both feet in, and now we feel like we just got pushed out of an airplane at 30,000 feet and then we each have no idea what is going to catch us….but we know that the plane arrived at the exact place that we were each supposed to jump…..so we did….because the faith that we would be caught really was bigger than the fear that we wouldn’t. Then…..we are alone in the so-loud-windy-silence…we are breathless…and afraid out of our minds and thrilled out of our minds….and so dang proud of ourselves that we finally just jumped….but then…still…so very very scared…."

Dreams... what are my dreams? Do I have any? BIG confession here... All I can think of is that I want to be happy and content in my soul. Just where I am and looking like I look. I have struggled with this issue for years and with my Brave girl work and attempt to eat better I am getting there. However, I just wonder how many stew over the same things. Why is it that my heart can't be satisfied with what my head knows- which is I am perfect to the one that matters just as I am. The bible says "I am created in HIS image." The saying-God doesn't make junk should resonate loud and clear. Satan is a sneaky guy and gets those little thoughts swirling over and over. Not good enough, not busy enough, not doing enough. I want to be through with listening to those voices. Through believing the lies. Through not feeling that I don't measure up. My new motto is I am enough.

And when it gets ingrained to the point that I breath the truth I'll look beyond and figure out what I want to be and do next.

a disease...

2011-02-04T03:59:00.000-08:00

I've been looking for the joy and zest for life that I had back when I was this little girl. It is often said that our little child is just trying to get free from a life of busyness...I stumbled across a blog this morning that finally puts into words what I am finally realizing. As I do the work in my Brave Girls group I am coming to terms with what I call "the voices" in my head. I could probably go schizophrenic they are so loud at times. This blog is written by a man! I had no idea men could feel/think the same kinds of things that I do...here is a bit of what he wrote-
"Perfection" infects every corner of society. It infects our schools. It infects neighborhoods. It infects our workplaces. This is not to say that there aren't a lot of genuinely, happy people. I am one of those people. Most of the time. There is nothing more beautiful than a person finding true happiness in who they are and what they believe. No, this is not me trying to diminish the happiness in others. This is merely me pathetically attempting to put a face on a problem that I see everywhere but few people ever notice. That is exactly what I'm working on-finding true happiness in who I am...if you want to read more then go to this blog.

I'm off to leave a comment for him.

Hearts delight...

2011-02-03T15:39:00.000-08:00

I have been crafting today and decided to get the dining room all decked out for festivities. February brings to our house not only Valentine's day but Miss Amy's birthday. Shortly there
after during the first part of March we celebrate our anniversary-this year is #30 ! So we leave the decor up for awhile...

If you are a friend you know to come to the side door and this is what you will see.
The strings of hearts were cut randomly from an old dictionary and then
sewn together along with scrap paper hearts.

Our chalkboard with a string of felt hearts-

Our wall of clip frames that I just change out the images-
the photo of Gary is from about 1979.

I just looked for random images on google and also in my files-

The pink bird one is an Equal ad...
I made a runner by taping paper doilies together.

oh I just love all the pink...but the best part of the month?

Getting to spend time with all the kids together and getting to play games and make cupcakes!!

Shame and fear

2011-01-29T05:27:00.000-08:00

You have heard me talk about the Soul Restoration class. The lesson this week is about reconciling the two entities within us-strength and weakness. Stumbled across this talk by Brene Brown in the forums. NO don't go watch it now, finish reading...(did you know I'm kinda bossy?) It is full of amazing truths but the things I am focusing on are to:
1. Let myself be SEEN
2. Love with my whole heart
3. Practice gratitude and lean into joy
4. Remember I AM ENOUGH-I even made myself a necklace with the statement on it awhile back.

I have to tell you that as I try to live a real, vulnerable life I have found it is infinitely easier than the one I was living. The shame filled, Satan ruled one just wasn't any fun. I am thankful for this class for getting me back on track and for each of you. My friends and family who have loved me just as I was and am. I am sorry I didn't see it before and live fully.

THIS is what joy looks like on me...a little photo from my birthday last year.

May you all have a great day and if you can-let's get together soon!
OH and you can go watch the video now!

Soul Restoration

2011-01-26T14:19:00.001-08:00

I've been taking an online course from my favorite inspiration site-the Brave Girls Club. They send daily prompts to my email that remind me to keep moving forward. The class is called Soul Restoration and they promote healing through weekly video chats, journaling and art therapy. Oh and we use lots of Mod Podge!

Without going into details about what we cover, I will say that although we are only into the middle of the class...I have already noticed some changes in my attitude and outlook on life.

So here is some of what I've created...

my journal cover

my Truth book

my lifeline folder

and my Truth cards...little pieces of art with words to encourage...

I hope you enjoyed looking at what I've been creating. They will be running the classes again and even have a second series of lessons coming up. Check out the site if you want more info or give me a call, I'd love to visit.

Friends and renters

2011-01-18T13:11:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who had a really wonderful thing happen in her life and then a crushing blow. When Gary and I were visiting with her a few weeks back she mentioned needing to move. This was right after we were explaining that come the first of the year some things were going to be changing with regards to my dad...the man fell off a ladder again about a month back! One thing led to another and she has a new start. She moved into the daylight basement apartment at my dad's. You probably remember me talking about the space before in regards to Nick moving in there a few years back.

The rooms we didn't paint then had to be painted so Amy helped us out and we finished in just a couple days. We bought Behr's paint that they advertise as one coat because it has a primer in it. Nope took two and some places should be touched up with a third but I'm done with that! Her bedroom is now caramel color and the office is asparagus. We set up the room Nick used as a bedroom as a guest suite...it just doesn't have a bath.

Dad's house was built around the 70's and had room intercoms-which don't really work anymore but are UGLY. So I got some canvases and painted them up with inspirational themes. She seems to like them a lot...oh and I made her a little welcome sign.

for the living room

for the bedroom

for the guest room

for the office

and a little something in the kitchen

I got all my inspiration from things I saw at etsy.com. Her family has made her promise not to move in the near future...something good for both of us!

An epiphany

2011-01-10T23:26:00.000-08:00

EPIPHANY

a sudden, intuitive perception of or insight into the reality or essential meaning of something, usually initiated by some simple, homely, or commonplace occurrence or experience.

The biblical Epiphany fell this year on December 6. My epiphany came about on the next day...
You see, after all the decorating and baking and cooking and visiting and close to a month of just surface cleaning - my house felt like a pit. Well I don't actually know what my house felt like- but I felt like it was d.i.r.t.y. With all the stuff out on every surface I couldn't really dust,etc.

On Friday, after baking 8 dozen cupcakes for Magenta- these times 24...

and organizing my dad's birthday party I set up a plan. A plan to get the rest of the Christmas stuff organized and stored away for another year. To clean and scrub and put up the everyday decor again. As of about 7 pm that is DONE.

Then I looked at the back room closet that has had stuff shoved into it over the last few months. Not enough shelves have led to disaster. So off to Costco we went for a shelving unit and boxes.
I'll take before and afters tomorrow of the project. It will be so good to get that accomplished.

The online class I signed up for with Brave Girls Club begins tomorrow so I'll probably have updates to share from that in the next few weeks. It's called "Soul restoration" and should be a great way to begin the new year!

My dear friend who is renting my dad's apartment will be moving in this weekend and I have a few treats up my sleeve for that to share too.

a Christmas present

2011-01-05T19:26:00.000-08:00

A while before Christmas I was a Tuesday morning shopping and came across some solid color dish towels. I figured I could doll them up so I picked up 2 stacks of them. Along came December and I began trying to figure out what to do with them so I could give them to Amy and Gabriele. I looked on etsy.com and some other stores online. I popped into the Anthropology shop online and found some really cute towels for $18-24 each!!

So now I had some inspiration...so I checked my fabric stash. I found a fabric with images of sweets. I cut the images out and then stitched them onto the towels. Going around all the outside edges and also stitching in some of the details.
Then I thought about how owls have made a comeback (my granny collected owls in the '70's). So I took some coordinating prints, drew up a pattern, cut them out and stitched them together.

The rest just got bands of some cute fabrics and trims...I think they turned out really cute. Maybe I should make some up for myself!

They definately have the handmade look that Anthropology charges so much for!

Sugar cookies!

2010-12-23T20:49:00.000-08:00

Last night was cookie decorating night at our little house. I made the cookies on Tuesday and then after dinner we started in. Gary took a few photos to get us going...
Gabriele looks like she really wants the snowman-
Awe-they look so sweet as they steal some treats to eat...
OOPS-Nick has the camera now, you never know what will end up on the camera!
Mixing frosting colors and toppings-
that red turned out sorta pink-
artistic shot-
Gary's back!
wow-I was really close to her wasn't I?
My shaky thumb makes it difficult to take in focus shots!
Changed position of my hand and this one turned out but he wouldn't look at me-
Focused-
All spread out to dry-
Nick got a bit adventurous in his colors-
love those big coconut flakes-
a bowtie-
oh and the spiritual one made a Jesus cookie-
now to figure out which one to eat! :)

Baking day...

2010-12-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Baking day-I have been going back and forth as to whether I should make a bunch of cookies or not. What made the decision? I love to bake...now I just need to pass the wealth along cause these things are good!

Had to put the leaf in the table so I would have enough room for this photograph of the largess!

Individually....

the first two photos are of items I actually made a couple days ago-these are our two very favorite things so I made double batches of them...

"Almond Roca" made with saltines

Christmas biscotti with fennel seed and candied cherries-

Lemoncello coconut truffles-

Macaroon mountains-

Chocolate Pixies-these are Nick's favorite!

Chocolate caramel pecan bars-

new recipe that will definately go in our cookie book...

Date and pistachio bars-

Peppermint bark-

this is another new recipe with a ganache center...

Cranberry bliss bars-

Italian Anise cookies-

another new recipe that I liked...not sure yet if everyone else will though

Chocolate chip-

but made with the mint + dark chocolate bags currently at the store...

I ran out of energy and didn't get around to the sugar cookies...maybe Sunday when Amy is here!

Catering Gig

2010-12-15T04:24:00.000-08:00

The people my friend June works with always get together for a breakfast meal and gift exchange during the holidays. This year she asked if I would like to cater it and they could have it at the church she works in. Of course I said yes-I love planning events and this one I would get paid to do which is always exciting.

Now being the person I am it became more than just a meal. I decided to do centerpieces and other cuteness on the wall behind the food table. Gary took the day off to help me since I had an hour only to set up and be ready when people would begin arriving. After he said he had the time off I told him we needed to be in Camas at 6 am! I guess I forgot to tell him that detail before...he was a good sport though and took along his camera too.

Here is a copy of the menu-no detail left undone!Here is a finished table scape (is that even a proper phrase?) - my theme was pink, red and snowfakes-
I got 16 oz. cups so they wouldn't have to fill them as often...man did those teachers go through their coffee! I made the reusable sleeves for them and set a candy cane as a "handle".
The cuteness of these little mittens was unbelievable...
THE table-I did up the individual fruit salads ahead of time as well as the scoops of Greek yogurt with blueberries. I also did the baking 2 days ahead and the frittata prep the day before. All I had to do when I arrived on Wednesday was pour the contents of my baggies into the pie pans and bake them off.
Yumminess...
Every last bit of the eggs were gone-but I didn't eat any...still don't like eggs!
Burned out bulbs are just a craft waiting to happen or a centerpiece-
and lovely Nancee did my nails up for the occasion too-
The next day I read all day and finally put stuff away just before Nick and Gabriele showed up to make cookies in the afternoon!

Decorating for Christmas

2010-12-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

Tradition at this house is to decorate the day after Thanksgiving-we want to make Christmas last as long as possible! I make up a lunch of snacks and treats and the kids show up when they can.

Gary helped with the garlands since Amy and I are
vertically challenged and Gabriele wasn't here yet.

The theme this year was red, pink and bright green and also vintage.
These piles are the ones that Amy thought were most vintage looking.

This is my favorite ornament-it has hung on our trees
since I was a little kid.

This little angel is Amy's favorite ornament.

This bigger angel is Nick's favorite ornament!!

The decorating crew-

Amy and I made this cute wall hanging from the back of my
desk calendar. And I made the little ball ornaments.

Stockings hung in a row- 75% off at Safeway a few years ago.

Our manger set has been in Gary's family since he was
little. I was going to put out a smaller one I had bought
but was met with resistance in the name of tradition.

My snowbaby collection found a new home in the
hall.

Dining room frames were filled with images from a
vintage children's book.

Dining room window filled with bubble lights I
picked up cheap at Goodwill.

Ta-da...the finished tree!

and just in time too-the next day a head cold hit and I spent most of the next 5 days laying on the couch...glad I had something pretty to look at.

100 Awesome Things! - Brave Girls Club

2010-11-25T22:56:00.000-08:00

I love all things about the Brave Girls Club...
I participated in their online "What is awesome" in your life by posting a few things on their website. When I was watching the video I saw one of the things I had written-can you find it too?