Paper Delights

I Dig You!

2012-02-11T07:35:00.002-06:00

Nathan had a birthday recently, and as usual, after creating a customized card, I promptly forgot to photograph it before sending it away! ::Doh!::

So it seems like a good time to sneak in a masculine card in his honor anyway.

I Dig You stamp set; Very Vanilla, Early Espresso, and Peach Parfait cardstocks; Stampin' Sponge with torn paper for landscape and whispy sky; Early Espresso, Peach Parfait, Basic Black and Bashful Blue Classic inks, and Versamark pad plus Clear Embossing Powder; 3/4" and 1/16" circle punches; Silver brads.

Hubby asked me if I was going to call him on his birthday. I said, no, that his time was at too much of a premium, and I was sure one sibling in particular would call, plus certainly his girlfriend would be calling, so I doubted that talking to his mom would be the way he would choose to spend his miniscule free time, especially on his birthday. Hubby agreed.

But a few hours later, guess who called me? Yup. Nathan. How nice is that?! It felt more like it was my birthday than his! ::Whattaguy::

Guess I'd better get moving on getting all that Christmas stuff out of his room because if he came home right now, it really would look like a "Happy Dirtday" in there! :)

Gnome Sweet Gnome

2012-02-10T15:21:00.000-06:00

Typo, you say?

Nope! Not this time!

This is actually the title of a stamp set from the current Occasions Mini Catalog! It pairs rather nicely with another set of sentiments called Gnomenclature, and together, make up the sets involved in today's card I am posting.

Gnome Sweet Gnome and Gnomenclature stamp sets; Lucky Limeade, Cherry Cobbler, Whisper White and Baja Breeze cardstocks; Twitterpated DSP; Cherry Cobbler, So Saffron, Baja Breeze, Blushing Bride, Sahara Sand and Certainly Celery Stampin' Write Markers; Black Stayz-on ink pad; Modern Label punch; Old Olive 1/2" Scallop Dots ribbon.

I got this set for free from SU for participating in a "booking blitz" of sorts, and I think it's adorable. Despite the fact it may look like I don't respect it since I had my ribbon "skooched" up a bit too high and bad lighting when I took this photo, it is just not true! ::Sorry! There I go again!::

Today really is a Gnome Sweet Gnome (er, Home Sweet Home) kind of day around here. This morning we had a regularly scheduled vet visit, and thankfully it was sunny and still, even if it was snowing giant flakes and my tablet of paper for recording the info more resembled tissue by the end. Soon after, and I do mean soon, the whole weather system turned on us. Literally from the time that I walked from one end of the barn to the other, and out the front door, it kicked up a fierce wind. An "I can't look up and keep my eyes wide open!" type of wind. So we are all hunkering down for the cold spell tonight. That is, we will hunker down after we are in for the night.

Adding insult to injury, we have gotten texts occasionally, with funny little captions like this from our children who reside a bit further west than we do:

"Another wintry Southern California Day."

Uh-huh. Ni-i-i-i-i-ce. Rub it in. You may pick our nursing home, as they say, but we still sign the will. ;)

It's (Almost) That Time Again!

2012-02-09T14:28:00.001-06:00

Did you realize that today is already the 9th of February? I know!

Can you believe how fast time flies? Chances are if you're reading this you're not a clock-watcher sitting in your 4th or 5th grade classroom waiting for "this class to be over". ::And if you are....Get back to work!::

While there isn't even one small part of me that thinks that describes you, you might be the parent of one of those kids, and you might be responsible for securing the valentines which they will be taking to school in a few short days.

Now, really.....do you want to be sending them with some leftovers from the store, or do you want some really nice ones this year?

Look here for some wonderful examples:

http://204.228.150.61/catalogs/flash/en-US/2012_OccasionsMini_iwer/index.html

Am I right? Yup. Beautiful samples. If you've decided you need to have some of those materials to create those, I can help! You should know that an order at this time probably doesn't leave you enough time to secure the supplies and create the valentines in many multiples for Valentine's Day 2012, but you can always prepare for next year!

You also can use the supplies for other types of celebrations like wedding and anniversary cards, or maybe just for a card to show someone how special they are to you all of the other 364 days of the year!

In the mean time, I'll share with you one of the valentines I made this year.

You're My Type and Love & Laughter stamp sets; Basic Black and Whisper White cardstocks; Red Glimmer Paper; Basic Black Craft Pad; Black Embossing Powder plus Heat Tool; Real Red Classic ink pad; Perfect Polka Dots Textured Impressions Embossing Folder plus Big Shot; Real Red 5/8" Satin ribbon.

It's very difficult to see here, but the bottom of the card is embossed with the Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder.

Yes, I am still apologizing for the batch of bad photos I took, and by my count, I'll be doing it another 13 times! :(

In hindsight, it might have been a tad smarter to just retake most of them. ::Heh heh::

But for now, I am looking at the clock, and fully realize it is time for me to also get back to work!

Sharing

2012-02-08T07:11:00.000-06:00

Isn't sharing a wonderful thing? Some people are so thoughtful and generous, and then there are times when one would hope someone wouldn't have been quite so generous.

For example, I somehow, despite keeping my distance, washing my hands as one always should, and generally just being aware, have managed to share my cold with my family. ::Thanks alot, eh?::

But for those times that you need a thank you note for someone truly generous with something you really needed or desired, I present this sample:

Sweet Cake stamp set; Poppy Parade, Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White and Lucky Limeade cardstocks; Sweet Shop Specialty DSP; Pool Party, Lucky Limeade and Wisteria Wonder Stampin' Write Markers; Poppy Parade Classic ink pad; Fashionable Hearts Embosslit die plus Big Shot; Cherry Cobbler Dazzling Details; Everyday Enchantment Designer brads; Old Olive 1/2" Scallop Dots ribbon.

I think this is a really "happy" feeling card with its bright colors. And the DSP makes it so easy to choose your coordinating colors that it's practically silly! :)

But my wish for you today, is that you are on the receiving end of someone's intent or action of sending you a Thank You note, because that means you've done something wonderful for someone!

Birthdays

2012-02-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

I went to visit my mom and sister today. It's always good to visit, but it always, always eats up more time than I care to admit. I guess that's a good sign. If it was the opposite, that would not be such a good thing. ;)

More to the point, someone brought up birthdays, which led to Mom bringing out all kinds of genealogy info that she had.

BAM! Then the time was gone. It's a weakness I have....what can I say?!

Have you done extensive genealogy work? Have any tips to share? I'm very blessed to have been the recipient of the fruits of others' labor in one line, but the other lines.....not so much. And just from bringing it up, I did learn one more caveat today, which I shall record. ::Er, make that more like I will stick a note in my mass of info and leads to follow, and hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle, and that I live long enough to actually compile the mess into something understandable to others!::

But back to the birthday part....

Mixed Bunch and Sweet Cake stamp sets;Whisper White, Pacific Pointe and Pear Pizzaz cardstocks; Blossom, Decorative Label and Large Oval punches; Pear Pizzaz and Pacific Point Classic ink pads; Square Lattice Textured Impressions Embossing Folder.

This card was made by Vicki Towell. Just look how fast and easy this card is with the help of a Big Shot! I'm telling you, if you don't have one, it's well worth it. You get a lot of "bang for your buck" with that Big Shot!

And speaking of "bang", that noise should be my head hitting the pillow tonight earlier for once. I am writing this post one night ahead to post in the morning, and I am stinkin' tired! I woke up about 3:30AM today, probably being unable to breathe, and my cold is only marginally better. I just really cannot get back to sleep after that.

So if this post reads like I was under the influence, it was just me nodding off as I typed.....no biggie....as long as you don't see something like this: jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj.

Because then you'll know I nodded off completely and woke up just in time to hit "Post". ;)

A Little More Digital

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

As mentioned previously, I've been working with My Digital Studio, trying to get something together so I can get it printed, and thus fulfill all my requirements to be certified in it. That has been my hurdle.....getting it printed.

I keep hitting a wall somehow. Not because of the program...not at all! Just in the items I am choosing to work on....then deciding that no, somehow that's not the one I want to print, etc. The program is FABULOUS!! ::But I really must focus and get something printed!::

So one day, I just decided to randomly go through my very long list of files that hold my photos, and just grab one day at random, and scrapbook it. This was the result.

And page 2:

Yes, I do realize it's not a traditional Halloween layout, but that's all good with me, since we don't celebrate Halloween in a societal way, but rather in a costume party only way.

Besides that fact, it was the only time we would only have one grandchild, so the theme could be "costume specific" for that year only! Still I did manage to get some traditional orange and black in there.

You likey? Me likey. ;) But it's easy to do when you have such good material to work with. :)

Forward....March!

2012-02-05T09:08:00.001-06:00

I just hearkened back to my childhood with that post title. I can't even remember what the reference is, but I recall that command being used in our childhood games somehow.

But it expresses how I feel about finally getting around to posting these much more pertinent cards that are going to be on the blog from now until they are used up. They are pretty much all from either Sale-A-Bration (SAB) sets or from the Occasions Mini Catalog. Of course, you never know when I might sneak in one from the 2011-2012 Idea Book and Catalog though.

Elementary Elegance (SAB) stamp set; Daffodil Delight, Whisper White, and Night of Navy cardstocks; Old Olive and Night of Navy Classic ink pads; 1" Circle and Curly Label punches; (whoops-looks like we accidentally used some non-current ribbon here) Old Olive 3/4" grosgrain and 1/4" Night of Navy grosgrain ribbon; Sticky Strip; Stampin' Dimensionals; Antique Brads; Houndstooth Textured Impressions embossing folder.

This card was made by me, but didn't want to cooperate with me for its photo-op. Truth be told, I took all these photos in haste one day, and it shows, but I hope you'll bear with me.

You can't really get a good look here, at how the card appears when it's closed. But then, you wouldn't be here if you didn't have a good imagination, and creative side, right? So I have faith in you, that you can figure it out! :) Suffice to say, it looks much better than the photo "in real life".

Then, of course, when you open it, the sentiment is carried through to the inside.

Left to my own devices, I'd have put the motif a bit lower in the front (and inside, of course) but I was limited by how far the Curly Label punch would "reach in" to the card. I think it still works out well enough though, don't you?

Stay tuned for more samples created by Vicki and I. I have a whole bunch to post, but will probably limit the "chatter" during this time, as I am still trying to get through my boxes of Christmas stuff, which almost cannot be done without cleaning out a portion of attic, and believe me, that's no small task. Especially with this weird cold I have.

We visited our favorite neighboring church last night, as hubby wanted to "carpe diem" Sunday while he had a helper and lots of work to do. I'm tempted to say I sniffled my way through the service, but that's not the kind of cold it is. I cannot get air through one side AT ALL! No amount of peppermint oil, steam or cold air has allowed that to happen in two days. Luckily, sometimes I can breathe through the other side. ::Whew:: It all rather hinders the brain power that I have though, assuming there was some there previously. ::Some days I wonder....:: Here's hoping you're feeling better than me, because you're not going to enjoy the big game or the commercials this way. ::And neither am I....but it has nothing to do with the cold.:: :)

Caught Up!

2012-02-03T12:54:00.000-06:00

Card-wise, that is.

And only card-wise. ::But let me revel in that for a bit, won't you? Ahhhh. There, I'm done.::

This card was made by me. I had stamped it awhile ago and had it in my "catch-up" pile, but the stamp set really is in the current catalog, although I gave it a Christmas type twist.

Sweets for the Sweet and Tiny Tags stamp sets; Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon; Linen thread; Real Red, Daffodil Delight, Wild Wasabi, and Sahara Sand Stampin' Write markers; Whisper White, Daffodil Delight and Wild Wasabi cardstocks; Versamark stamp pad and Iridescent Ice EP (with little black specks as discussed in a prior post!); Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds; Jewelry Tag Punch.

Then there is this card, also stamped by me, made with the same set. I don't know...maybe I was hungry that day or something.....

Sweets for the Sweet and Perfectly Penned stamp sets; Ticket Corner and Lace Ribbon Border punches; Whisper White, Chocolate Chip and Regal Rose cardstocks; Versamark & Chocolate Chip ink pads, Clear EP plus heat tool.

I have been spending some time with at home-non-stamping-(boo-hiss)-paperwork lately. It's always good to see the piles decrease, but the haste with which they increase again is quite disheartening! It's been a year since I stopped regularly babysitting, and I can only think of maybe two piles of stuff that have been reduced in that time. OK, maybe 4. Maybe 6. But it should be pretty much all, right?!!

Leave me a comment on what gets you motivated to attack things you dread. I could use the help. :) Repeatedly.

Catch-Up (Part 7)

2012-02-01T10:03:00.001-06:00

This is the second to last "episode" of my catch-up series, and the very last of the Christmas cards that didn't get posted on time. ::Yay!::

I absolutely adore this set, yet only got around to making one card with it this whole season. Shame on me. On the upside, I will definitely use it again, perhaps in just a few months when I get started on 2012's Christmas cards.

This was my one use of the set. Believe me, had I had the time, I would have done better. It was really my concept card, that I never got to fully explore. But it will still do as a concept card for next year, as I tweak the colors used, etc.

This was stamped by Ms. Vicki. Her concept was fully developed. :)

For some reason, when I edited this photo, I couldn't seem to keep the colors true. So, I apologize for that, Vicki, but I think they will get the point just the same.

In other news, it's "Gala" time of year again. That is, it's Gala prep time. I am starting to work on the auction, and it's really great to see everyone again. Karen T. (otherwise known as Kathleen's mom, or "the other grandma") is doing such a great job that I'm starting earlier than ever, I think! At least I have more donations to get off to a great start anyway! But of course, there's always room for more! So, computer work will be my life again for awhile. I really enjoy it, and it's so good to serve, and serve at something you genuinely enjoy is a B-I-G plus.

Now hopefully I will finish up going through my boxes and boxes of Christmas decorations that haven't seen the light of day in 2 years so I can plow my way through the storage rooms in the attic! And really, really hopefully it will be before Nathan comes home over Easter so he can have the full extent of his room back, since I've been spreading it out in there! Sounds like a good way to mix it up after sitting at the computer for long periods of time, right? Right!

A Few More! (Catch-Up Part 5!)

2012-01-30T16:43:00.000-06:00

I still have several cards or rather, days of cards, to post before getting through the second to last batch of samples and swaps that I never got posted. Thanks for hanging in there!I will try to keep it short!

This first one was made by Vicki Towell. It was a fast and easy one, made so, by the stocking punch and glitter paper. I also like her detail of the scored "square" to offset the stockings.

This polar bear card was made by me.....but I'm not sure I should admit it! :) Mostly because I was having some trouble getting the gel pen to work on the glossy cardstock. At least consistently work well. But also because it didn't photograph well. Those spots that look....uh.....spotty..... are actually snowflakes, stamped in Versamark and Iridescent Ice EP. However, my powder had some kind of flecks in it, from when we do not know. Sometimes it looks, er, not so great, and other times it doesn't seem to bother the design. So I intend to use it up, regardless. But I really should get a new bottle, don't you think? ;) I actually "CASEd" this card from somewhere, but since it was so long ago, I can't even remember if Vicki brought the photo or if I had found it, so I certainly can't tell you where it originated. ::Sorry!:: At this point, the artist would probably not really want to be associated with my crummy-gel-pen-and-speckly-EP card anyway! ;)

Last but not least (by any means!) is this one made by Vicki! If I remember correctly, she "won" this stamp set for FREE from Jerilyn's team meeting so had to give herself a challenge to use it right away. Very nice, very easy, and best of all, very fast!

I am still trying to get my Christmas stuff packed away. I am thoroughly, and I mean thoroughly going through all my ornaments right now. Actually I am done, with the exception of a few stragglers that I have to peg the owner of. I always labeled the "gifted" ornos each year before putting them away, but over time, some have come off, unfortunately. And, truth be told, I am just sick of looking at some of them!

Plus, I think they multiply when the box is shut and the lights are off. It is cold up there in storage you know. I can't prove it, but it sure seems like it! ;)

But it's definitely getting warmer around here already. Besides not having really, one extended, "When will this weather end?" stretch of cold this year, yesterday brought me into contact with not one, but two, boxelder bugs. ::Oh yay. Can't wait for them to start again.::

Catch Up (Pt. 4)

2012-01-27T12:08:00.001-06:00

Yup. Still at it. Just a quick post today....so many things to attend to....but catching up is one, so here goes....

This card was made by me! I used the Big Shot, with the embossing folder and placed a thin cardboard "shim" to create the opening for stamping. If you'd like to know more....contact me by commenting

The background and ink color is actually Elegant Eggplant, though it doesn't translate well in the photo.

This card too, was also made by me, and was a classic example of good idea that really didn't work out so great. As a result of too little forethought, and a desire to not waste too much materials, I know I could have done much better, but since I am a person who believes in showing the not-so-great, as well as the "wow" cards, this is what you get. ;)

This is what is behind the window! ::Open the doors and see all the people! Or in this case, open the walls.:: It was so long ago, I can't even remember what the struggles were, but just that at some point I went "Too bad! It is what it is!"

Then, saving the best for last....

This card was made by Miss Vicki. Isn't it great how much difference that glitter paper adds to the card?! And you don't have to use a whole sheet! Just a little torn strip. You could get many cards out of a quarter sheet using it this way! (But it does come in 12" x 12".)

Bee-U-tiful.

Did you know you can customize the color of your glitter cardstock? Yes you can! Leave me a comment if you want to know how!

Unrelated Catch Up! (Pt. 3)

2012-01-26T10:04:00.000-06:00

Mish Mosh today. ::AKA "The Story of My Life".::

Today I am sharing some samples I've put together at my second up-line, Jerilyn Wood's team meetings. Mind you, I only assembled them. They were her creations.

Don't you love this little card? It's a money holder style card. How often have you given or gotten money in a card over the years? Pretty often, I am guessing. Isn't this a lovely alternative to the money card that you see the president's face through?! I mean....save the money....just give me the card! ::OK-busted. Depending on how much money I might be missing out on! :) I mean, it might be enough to buy some stamps, cardstock or some bling with, and I wouldn't want to miss out on that!:: ;)

Fabulous Florets stamp set; Whisper White, Basic Black, Pink Pirouette, Pretty in Pink, Regal Rose, and Rose Red cardstocks; Basic Black Classic ink; Basic Black 5/8" Satin ribbon.

Just look how simple this card is to create but what a statement it makes as well!

Jerilyn is so generous with all of her downline, and it is very much appreciated! Not only do I get exposed to products that my humble little hobby wouldn't often if ever afford, but she regularly gives us all gifts of product as well. Then we get to take them out for a test drive! ::Thanks Jerilyn!::

Flirtatious Specialty DSP; Pretty in Pink, Wisteria Wonder,Whisper White, and Pumpkin Pie cardstocks; Pumpkin Pie, Wisteria Wonder, and Melon Mambo Classic inks; Delicate Doilies and Curly Cute stamp sets; Dotted Scallop Ribbon Border punch; White Baker's Twine; Basic Rhinestones.

I hope you enjoyed these samples today! I still have a few more days of catch-up, so bear with me. Keep in mind these are all ideas you can use for yourselves, if not with the same sets we used if they have expired, but that the layouts are always relevant.

There is supposed to be a big warm-up today, hubby told me last night. Generally I'm in favor of that in January, but it always seems that the calves go through health challenges when the weather can't decide what season it wants to be, much like people do. So, the thought really doesn't thrill me that much.

Then there's the challenge of crossing the driveway with two five-gallon pails of milk for the calves, when it is solid ice with water over the top. Gotta love that. It's difficult for anything to stay upright in that situation, much less doing the Bambi "dance" with full pails! ::I know. Now you've got to get that picture out of your mind.:: As I told Vicki last night, I never thought I'd be concerned about "breaking a hip" at my age! ;)

Late last week when we had the same water-on-ice situation out there, I had to set my pails down, stay bent over, and do a "step-step, pail-pail; step-step, pail-pail" maneuver across to the other side. I had two thoughts: 1) If anyone sees me they're going to think I'm 90 years old, and 2) If any machinery comes along, they are going to wait for me to cross, and I don't care how long it takes! Of course, all the while I was hoping no one would see me at all!

Vicki said I should have sat on the pail, and scooted to the other side. A bottom wet with milk replacer didn't seem like an attractive option either, however.

Ah, such is the glamorous life of farm wife. ;)

A Few More (Catch Up Pt. 2)

2012-01-25T10:10:00.000-06:00

As noted the other day, I am going to plow through the Christmas cards I didn't get posted before Christmas! I just can't let them sit in a pile collecting dust after Vicki and I put all the work (read: fun) into them, now can I?!

OK, OK. Busted. Yes, they will likely sit in a pile, and yes, they sort of were collecting dust (inside the box I put them in for protection, which I then forgot their location, effectively hiding them from myself, which I probably shouldn't admit). But, I will now put them into my nice little carrying case which I purchased to keep all my Christmas cards in, so they will be ready to use next year! And the dust will be on the outside of the case, not inside. ::What? Like you don't have dust in your house? Admittedly probably not as much as me, but still...::

This one was made by me, and the colors didn't really turn out very "true" here, but just humor me for a bit, OK?

I colored in the sparkly ornament with a Versamarker, hit it with Heat 'n Stick, and applied Iridescent Ice Glitter on it, if I remember correctly. (It was a very long time ago....)

Vicki Towell made this one. I should have placed it on a dark background for photographing, but, well....refer back to the other 47 statements of "in a hurry" nature. Don't you love the "crystals"?

What's that? You don't love the piece of brown thread that made it's way onto that photo?! Me neither! I first noticed it now! ::Oops! Sorry Vicki!::

Aaaaaaaand ......

....this one was made by Vicki also!

As was this one!

Didja notice it? Huh? Huh? Didja?

The "balloons" are also the "ornaments"!

In the words of Timothy Q. Mouse in the Disney classic, Dumbo, that's a "pretty trick schlick!", don'tcha think?! ::And for those of you who may be wondering about now, no, I do not see any pink elephants in the room!::

Gotta run! B-I-G and long day ahead. All the things I scheduled for this week are at the point today where it could all fall apart yet, so, I will continue to be "in a hurry" (48 for those keeping tally), until I get all the "old" cards posted, and can concentrate on the Occasions Mini and the Sale-a-Bration going on now! Stay tuned! It's going to be good!

Catch-Up Break

2012-01-24T14:46:00.000-06:00

One day. One day is all it took for me to already abandon "the plan" to catch up.

::And I wonder why I never complete anything.::

But I just had to mention that Sale-a-Bration has begun!

So I had to offer a sample of something only available for you if you purchase a qualifying amount during Sale-a-Bration!

Yup. This card (front) was created with My Digital Studio and the Piece of Cake CD that you could earn with a qualifying purchase, for FREE!

Be sure and click on the "button" on the right to have a look at all the goodies you could earn! But be sure and wear your bib, because you're going to be drooling with all those creative juices running through your mind!

Pre-Catch Up!

2012-01-23T13:55:00.000-06:00

Oh, how I would love to title this post "Catch-Up!" But the simple truth is that I am so far behind in posting I can't even do that with good conscience! :)

I had mentioned once, perhaps even twice or three times, that I had a lot of cards to post and I even promised to get to it "soon", I am fairly certain.

Can we at least agree that "soon" is a relative term?

Good.

That's why I like you all so much--you're so agreeable! ;)

I'm going to "fast-forward" here. Not in the "future" sense, but rather in the "Let's skip really quickly through the past" sense!

The card above was one I made for hubby for Father's Day. ::Yeah....it really has been sitting around that long.:: The kicker is, he really could care less about it, so it sat in a box with one of his gifts that he also could care less about, until shortly before Christmas! ::Honestly. I don't know why I even bother....::

The joke is on him though. The gift was a comfy, cushion-y, keep cool-type of seat cushion that I thought he might like for one of his worn out tractor seats. He pooh-poohed that idea. Then I said maybe his dad would like it for mowing lawn because he will often show up and just start mowing around here. He pooh-poohed that idea too. Grumble, grumble-Shouldn't have bought it etc. So, after looking at it sitting in the box long enough, I took it for myself and put it on my "stampin' chair"! Now I can sit longer and comfier to stamp. ::Heh heh. I'll teach you to be ungrateful!::

These next set of cards you will see are all made from the same set.

They were a set that I was assigned to make for a team meeting. One that is long gone by now!

Still, I thought maybe you'd enjoy seeing them all at once.

I tried to make them very different color schemes, but that is a bit of a challenge when you are dealing with "fall" themes! :)

I won't go into materials here, since it is so far past already. I just wanted to get them on. Then I can move them over to my "posted" pile.

I will try to get the batch posted that Ms. Vicki and I stamped the second-to-last time we were stamping together (shameful, I know). They are almost all Christmas cards! But still....it might give you motivation to get going and make your own for next year if you didn't already this year! :)

And, uh, sorry about the lame photography. I was in a hurry and really didn't pay much attention to lighting. Unfortunately, after spending so much time editing, I know that really wasn't a time saver after all!

Hitting the Nail on the Head

2012-01-14T08:58:00.001-06:00

This post has nothing to do with Paper Delights, nor anything going on in my life. ::Whoo-hoo! I heard that, you know.::

What it does have to do with is a topic that some people in "my age group" have to deal with now and then, if they have children "of marrying age". So, moms, read on, because you are going to want to pass this along if you need to. Or at least quote it (the article, that is).

I came across this article, and decided to read it, because someone I know was dealing with much the same attitude/thought process at one time. It was well worth the read. Find it here:

How I Went from Bridal Shower Critic to Guest of Honor

In fact it really hits the nail on the head. 'Nuff said.

Inspiring!

2012-01-12T13:40:00.001-06:00

I found this online today, thanks to the weather, a "sinus day" (i.e. not feeling like doing much else) and a desire to get more acquainted with my MDS to better serve any potential customers. I'll let you decide which one influences me more. ;)

It is a tutorial by a clearly awesome MDS "stamper" name Julie LeBlanc. It will be so worth your while to watch, whether or not you own it. Be careful though. Results like this will strengthen your desire to own MDS. Sorry, but it's the truth. Can you handle it? ::Visions of Jack Nicholson: "You can't handle the truth!"::

It should also assist Ms. Vicki with dealing with the lack of paper here. Even if this is "virtual paper".

Enjoy. You will be awed.....I promise.

Huh? Huh? Was I right?

You betcha.

Cute Stands Alone

2012-01-10T06:42:00.000-06:00

Levi got a gift of a comical pacifier from someone this Christmas.

He is so stinkin' cute with it, I thought it made it's own blog post.

As silly as it is looking at it with his serious face on, I think it's even funnier when he actually is smiling behind it. Unfortunately I've never gotten a photo of that so I can't share it.

But who do you think gave him that silly thing? Go ahead, guess.

Yup. Uncle Nathan.

He is always so good at finding gifts for people. When he retires from that other gig of his....he's got a job as a personal shopper waiting for him. ::Hee hee. Just kidding! Relax!::

Cap 'n Gown, Once Again

2012-01-09T14:30:00.002-06:00

Back in December, (while things were breaking down around us, before we could fix 'em fast enough-heh heh), the child "of which we do not speak" graduated from college! ::Yay S....!:: (Remember we do not speak of her on the blog.) In fact, she is such a work-a-holic that she graduated early. That is fairly rare, I do believe. And I can unequivocally say, she doesn't get those talents from me, but rather her dad! Her knowledge of useless information is the part she gets from me.....but that's another story for another time. ;)

Anyway, it was a treat to get away for the day, and to meet the people she often spoke of as well!

But first.....the stage was set......

.....the procession, um, well....proceeded....

...fingers were in mouths, awaiting the perfect moment to let out a loud whistle.....

(....or, wait....maybe not for that reason....)

....the dignitaries arrived and took their places....

....the speakers spoke....

...the programs were printed and in hand.....

...and soon the deed was done. She had graduated! See the beaming face? Yeah. That's what that looks like.

Grandpa coached Levi to yell out a great big "Whoop whoop!"

(It didn't take, however.)

No matter. You can see his excitement written all over his face. ;)

The grad and the terribly proud parents!

The best picture we could get with so many fatigued people. ;)

::Hey. What just happened here?::

Some of the bosses and former co-workers....

...one of the former roommates....

...and some more best buds.

After all the picture taking we went out to eat at a w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l restaurant in a nearby little town called The Winzer Stube. They advertise as being picked the 5th best German restaurant in the country. I don't know whose job it is to determine that honor, but we can say without hesitation that they are the amongst the best two we ever ate at! (In all honesty, we've only eaten at two that I can remember, but still, it was awesome.)

Unfortunately, one end of the table couldn't talk to the other due to the amount of people attending!

But afterwards, we were able to finally make contact, and met Miriam and Greg, Kate's folks who graciously hosted "the child of which we do not speak" in AZ awhile back.

And we met Marv and Ruth as well, part of her "church home away from home" family. They shared the bounty of their garden all year with her and her roommate, Kate, amongst gifts of many other natures. They are such wonderful people to be so generously supporting the youth of the church!

Good work S***** Zastrow! We know it's just the beginning! I would say, "Go. Set the world on fire!", but these days....it just doesn't sound so good.....and in another post for another day, it will become clear to you, why. :)

Eventually we all parted ways, but it was great meeting these people! ::Whoop whoop!!::

My Digital Experiment

2012-01-06T20:52:00.001-06:00

I purchased My Digital Studio a little while ago, after an upline provided me an "A-hah!" moment.

At one of our team meetings, she, Jerilyn Wood, showed us a calendar created in My Digital Studio.

It was very nice, as was everything I had seen (photos of) created in the program. I just didn't "get" why anyone would give up the tactile experience of stamping for the digital one, and so, I never "sprung".

Well, in the course of her presentation, she mentioned that she could just picture a bunch of young mothers, sitting on the couch late at night after the kids had gone to bed, scrap booking with their laptops.

And truth be told, I can't remember if Jerilyn said it, or if my mind just "went there", but still, my next thought was, "Holy Cow! Just imagine if I'd had had a laptop and this program when my kids were still playing grade school basketball!"

Translation: I will never get back that time spent on bleachers in those days of grade school basketball, with interminable seasons. I swear I lost years, yes, YEARS of my life to that particular sport. And let's not even talk all the things that got put on hold due to it. With five kids, and each of them played for no less than one season, but most played for 5 seasons, and furthermore, some on two teams, plus cheerleading!! ::It's hard to believe but I'm really only 29. I only look over 50 due to grade school basketball. Hee hee:: Seriously. Then add in practices for each team, plus tournaments that had no end. Uh huh. Admit it. You can, you know. They're old enough to take it now. Plus, don't you think they really ought to know what they are getting into when they sign up their own kids? ::Or maybe you're more of the "parental revenge" type? Ooooh. That's kind of evil!::

But I digress. Really there is nothing wrong with grade school basketball seasons for the parents that a few more years of therapy won't cure.

I hope. ;)

But back to MDS. Now, had I had it, I would have been productive on those bleachers, rather than sitting there watching the clock, thinking of all the work I had waiting for me when I could finally leave. That would have been sweet!

Wow. It boggles the mind. Paired with the digital camera, I could have taken the photos, downloaded them and had the scrapbooked before the game even ended!! ::Of course all those many years ago a laptop would have been the size of a piano, and a digital camera would have cost something akin to the annual budget of the Pentag*n, probably, but still....I can dream, can't I?

So I really thought I owe it to my customers to get the word out. I mean, for goodness sake, you can still use the tactile method of stamping when you do have the time. And you can actually do the digital method and "punch it up" with "real" stamping, creating a "hybrid" result. But if you don't have time or opportunity for that, you can go totally digital, and be the envy of the other basketball mom's completing your scrapbooking projects in no time flat!

To offer some proof to that statement, I am posting this page I made of Mr. Levi with his 6 month photos that Kathleen sent over this summer.

Isn't he just adorable? ::Yes, yes I am prejudiced, why do you ask?::

And if I keep this up, I will have more time to spend with him, rather than from afar behind a closed door doing my scrapbooking.

What's not to like about that?!

Coming Up for Air!

2011-12-30T15:55:00.000-06:00

I'm terribly sorry it's been so long. It's not that I have nothing going on in my life (despite the fact that I often refer to that very sentiment). It's more like there has been so very much going on!

However, I seriously doubt that you'd enjoy hearing about it.

Any of it.

Really.

But since when did that stop me?

::Bwahahahaha! Gotcha.:: No, I really won't revisit long days of cleaning, bookwork, etc. Suffice to say....it's been the Christmas season. For all the wonderful (human side of) things it brings, it also brings a lot of work! And that, my friends, is what I am coming up for air from, just now, before I take a deep breath and dive into it again. Besides, a person can only take so much of one thing at a time.

Update: We have a working washer (just in time for Christmas!), working DVR and satellite (just in time for New Year's Eve-heh heh-can you say "B-o-r-i-n-g!"?), working vacuum, furnace at rental house, well pump, tree lights, and a working Car #1. Printer is still finicky, as is Car #2, and outside lights....well....I gave up on them. Fooey. The inside of a garbage pail will do for that set!

But before we got this far, the computer even had a meltdown. I know! Now that's just going too far! ;) Happily my occasional computer tech Nathan was in residence at the time, and took care of getting it up and running again. He did what I would have ended up doing, but he determined in about 1/10th of the time that that was what was needed, so I am grateful! Especially since I was about ready for a meltdown of my own at the time. ;)

So, since I have been sitting at a desk for the better part of three days and nights, I decided to browse the long neglected news online (besides, I'm not sure I can assume any other position by this time anymore), and came across this:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45825409/ns/today-books/

It is a fun little article about words, over-used, mis-used and generally useless with a link to the full "banished" list.

I'm sure you can find a few gems in there that will give you a chuckle. I know I did!

A Very Merry

2011-12-24T09:24:00.000-06:00

While I'd love to say that I am finally carving out time to post in the quiet solitude of Christmas Eve morning, and I am all prepared with the aroma of warm cookies waiting to greet my children as they arrive home today, it would all only be a dream.

And I don't even have the time to sleep, so how could I have the time to dream?!

Today, however, despite what the world is handing me, I feel pretty put together. If you'd see this place you would have me taken away in a straight-jacket for a comment such as that. ::Just keepin' it real here, folks.::

Nonetheless, that is how I feel, because the tree is up and working, and most all of the gifts are wrapped and under it. More than that, I cannot ask for now.

All the Z's are descending upon us throughout the course of the day. (At least if nothing else goes wrong.) That being said, when they arrive, there isn't a clean floor or table to park themselves in or on, and we just hope we have water by that point. There is another service man in our basement as I write.

Beginning back just before Thanksgiving, we have had the following "go out" on us, in full or in part: Car 1, Car 2, Car 2, Car 1, refrigerator shelf brackets (still not fixed), DVR and dish receiver (took 4 communications, and 3 technicians plus sending us 3 new machines) clothes washer, vacuum (fixed itself-who knows for how long), printer (still not fixed), outside Christmas lights, furnace at the rental house, (BRAND NEW) tree lights, (BRAND NEW) tree lights, (BRAND NEW) tree lights, (complaint filed about brand new tree lights), outside Christmas lights, Car 2 (same problem recurring), and as of today, the well pump.

And this all isn't including anything that broke "outside" for the farm, of which I know there were a few instances as well.

Is it any surprise I gave up on getting my Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas?

Plus, another snafu rendered me incapable of doing my bookwork for the entire year. Well, isn't it just peachy that this finally gets settled, and now, at the end of December I can finally proceed, just when I don't have a minute to spare!

The other day I was at the hairdresser, telling my stylist about everything that has broken down lately (and that was pre-the last three items!). The lady in the other chair told her (but I couldn't hear under the dryer, and she told me later) that if she was me, she wouldn't even get out of bed in the morning!! :D

::I didn't know I had the choice!::

So, you're wondering how it is that I am wasting time posting today, aren't you? Well, the simple truth is, when you've got too many things stressing you out, you always go back to something you enjoy for perspective, right? At least I do. It gives me time to chill for awhile, regroup, and get some fresh eyes on the problems.

So this post might turn into a novel while I work this all out. ::Kidding!:: As the child "of which we do not speak" said today, these are the physical breakdowns. The mental breakdowns are coming yet. ;) Stay tuned.

But really, it's not so hard to keep in mind that these are the "small" things in life. Yes, they add a measure of difficulty. Yes, they require large amounts of time to address. Yes, they will nearly drive you mad!

But then, no, they aren't the big things. No, no one is physically hurt by them. No, they will not interrupt our family time together this Christmas. No, no one has actually been truly driven mad by Christmas lights. Gotten mad, yes. Driven to madness, not so much. ::Although I believe there are some clinical trials going on for treatment of those teetering on the edge from the Christmas lights thingy. Where do I sign up?!::

So now that my brain is almost ready to focus again (despite only 4 hours of sleep due to my son waking me up with a three part text at 5:13AM quoting Frank Costanza's Festivus story), I want to wish you all a very Blessed Christmas! May the only transportation you concern yourself with today is that long ago trip to Bethlehem. May the water that matters most to you be that of Holy Baptism. And may the light that shines brightest for you be the Light of Christ, and may that light be shared everywhere light will go!!

As for the Festivus texts? Well, I'd put him in the dog house, but it would probably break down around him anyway. ;)

A Visit with Santa

2011-12-15T12:41:00.000-06:00

Awhile back, great grandma treated the gang to a visit with Santa, hosted by one of her community minded groups that she's involved in.

She bought tickets for the whole family, so Grandma KT came along as well!

Between all of us, we had the kids well out-numbered. Just the way you like it in such situations. ;)

It was a little hard waiting in line, but a sticker they gave Miss Avery on the way in, occupied her for a time, even if it did make her scowl. :)

Daddy had a hard time waiting too, but they didn't give him a smart phone on the way in--he brought his own toys.

Soon Miss Avery was making it to the front of the line for the balloon toys they were making and handing out! Just a few more people to go!

::Yeah. Yeah. I want a pink teddy bear!::

::Oh it's so hard waiting!! I can hardly stand it!::

::Helllllooooo. What's this?!::

Uck. Yuck! No Avery! Don't!

In her defense, that is the first time in her whole life I had seen that. Unfortunately, my camera happened to be snapping just then. I guess even our little angel's halo gets tarnished now and then. ;)

It's almost done!

Yup. Yup. Almost!

No, really. It is.....almost. I'm not kidding.

Viola! Finished!

::Don't even think about taking it away from me! Do you have any idea how lo-o-o-ng I stood in line for this baby?!::

Yes, my dear, I do. Remember I was the one standing with you!

And all the while, great grandma and Betsy were hard at work, serving the meals to others.

Pause for a picture, ladies! Er, maybe "paws" for a picture?

Time to exercise Daddy's salesmanship abilities!

Levi is checking out this whole "jolly old elf" thing.....

Levi has come to a conclusion, and he's not having it!

Avery is practicing the "ostrich syndrome". ::If I don't look at them, they don't exist, right?!::

::Listen Avery! I'm telling you there's something amiss here! Mommy?! Mo-o-ommy!!::

::Oh, gee, Levi. Maybe you're right! But it's not fun hugging a "security balloon teddy bear"!!::

::All right. Settle down here. I'm telling you, Avery, all the kids are doing it! No? No? Are you sure? Well, OK then.::

Now there's your money shot.

Thanks for the fun time, Great Grandma!!

Touching

2011-12-12T14:13:00.000-06:00

Saw this online yesterday. Now that's a community.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Blast from the Past

2011-12-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Something, and I know not what, made this spring to mind the other day, and today I had time to look it up and see if it existed on Y*utube.

I grew up watching the Dean Martin show once a week. Back in the day there were lots of variety shows, and my mom was a fan of them all, I think. So, since she controlled the TV, we watched what she chose, back before we began to get lives of our own! :)

I still think Foster Brooks was hilarious, to this day, and you can't say that about an awful lot of things that entertained you from childhood into adulthood, can you?

The fact that it entertains me, might say more about me than I really should admit, but I can take. ;) (As long as it's for entertainment, not in "real life".)

Go ahead. Look up some of these related videos on Y*utube, but beware---some of them might be offensive to some people.

One More Down

2011-12-10T11:22:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we were privileged to attend Bradley's graduation!

It has been at times a somewhat convoluted path to get to this point, so we were determined that "neither rain, nor snow, nor dark of night shall keep us from" our chosen roles as parents, to attend the big day when it happened!

In fact, it was so exciting to be there that even my picture snapping showed it.

Yeah. Real nice, I know. It wasn't the camera, it was me.

There was the usual fare---speakers with one last lesson to pass on....

Some thoughtful contemplation going on.....(we assume). ;)

Then comes the big moment and his name being read.....

....preparing to be hooded.....

...then, being hooded....

Congratulations! ::It's all "good in da hood" I guess.::

And he's off (to face his future)! My goodness he was in a hurry! ::Not really. That was me and my camera again. OK. Just me.::

The proud parents with the grad!

The proud roommates! ::Well done, guys!::

And lastly, the group that managed to carve out some time during the busy holiday season and go out to celebrate!

We got to meet some more of Brad's friends, which was great. And as you might expect they are such nice people. We haven't gotten that opportunity in the past, so it was very welcomed!

Congrats Brad! Now off to the rest of your life!

Ready?

Set.

Go!

Thanksgiving Day

2011-12-07T10:43:00.001-06:00

It was "turkey day" and it was generously held at Adam and Kathleen's house!

It's no secret. I hate cleaning. Not so much cleaning, as getting ready to clean. With the hoarders (Kidding! OK, sort of kidding) that reside in our house, it's the "getting ready to" clean that takes time. And with one person who never wants to, or participates in getting rid of anything at all, it's extra tricky. (But that's another Pandora's Box for another day.)

So anyway, I cook, and Kathleen hosts. It's a win win.

After dinner, we google-chromed, or google-somethinged with one who could not be with us!

Levi was highly impressed with the technology as you can see. Looks like they're discussing world politics by the serious looks on their faces.

Or, just the ups and downs of teaching and being a stand-in parent to a large group of teen-agers. Either one is quite daunting, but I think the politics is much easier. ;)

As you can see, the digital guest was none other than Nathan!

After numerous signal loss episodes, we reverted to the desktop to see if we had better luck there.

Um, yeah. Not so much.

Eventually we decided Nathan will be a blue silhouette, if it means we can hear him.

Eventually, the child "of which we do not speak" noticed a little moustache icon at the bottom of the screen. Because she loves facial hair she said something like, "Hey, what's this? What does this do?" So Kathleen decided to find out.

You see, it's not that Nathan was boring us or anything. If I have to label it, I'd call it a mix of fatigue, and holiday brain.

Well, guess what fool stepped into the frame and became the "victim"? Yup. Me.

We soon found out that the moustaches "follow" you! It was camera time again!

Kathleen got one......

Gary got one....

I got one.....again.....

And soon it jumped back to Kathleen with this "Handle bar meets Snidely Whiplash" number.

Ya gotta love a woman who has a moustache and decides to "own it".

Pretty soon it's all just too much. She loses it.

But wait! There are two people who haven't gotten in on this yet!

As much as she tries to make Levi "the victim" it keeps following her instead!

Hey, even the computer knows he's too young for facial hair.

Or, is he?!

Oh right. Only his Nuk has a "stash", not him. Babies are sacred, right? ;)

Eventually I think Nathan gave up on us. ;)

And the tryptophan kicked in.....

Game time!

Dessert time! ::Yum yum!::

Now we've had some sugar so it's "Jump on Daddy Time"!

::Mnlphfthgmlpmrph:: Daddy need to breathe, kids!

Hey, Auntie, they don't need your help to assault Daddy! They do it fine all on their own!

::Ooh. Stinky feet! That's the last straw!::

OK, Mommy's getting the camera.....time to call it quits. ::Isn't that always the way?!:: :)

I hope your Thanksgiving was as fun as ours!

Ugh. Just Ugh.

2011-12-03T09:55:00.001-06:00

I had to step out of my comfort zone today.

Way out.

Way, way out.

I may never touch the vacuum again.

You see, our living room has been invaded of late.

You can imagine I don't like to think about this much, much less admit it, but, these have been our frequent "guests".

Picture Source: beigephotos and Animal Photos!

Uh huh. Not an easy thing to admit. But it's probably our own fault. We didn't put the bait out soon enough this fall, and we're paying the price now! But I have been hearing the same from others. I think it's a particularly "mousy" year.

And this morning, I came across a live one in the living room, and went on the attack.

There was just no way I was going to let it go, and wonder where it went, so I grabbed the vacuum hose attachment and went to town like Captain Jack and Will Turner. ::Heh heh. OK, more like a crazy mad woman. But sometimes we have to imagine it our own way as a coping mechanism.::

The best part (excepting my success) was that hubby was in awe. ::Hee hee. I may not like to cross paths with the beast but I can rally if I really must!::

Besides, that was nothing compared to the large rat I beat to death out in the barn early one morning about 5 years ago. ::Pshaw:: I'm pretty sure rats that size eat mice that size for breakfast, and floss with their tails!

::Eeeew. I'm even starting to gross myself out. That's enough of that.::

Got any mousy stories of your own? Do tell.

Out With the Old

2011-12-02T13:01:00.001-06:00

So, we had this stereo, you see....

::Does anyone even call them stereos anymore?::

Regardless.

We had this stereo. It was a very nice one, for the price, and while it lasted. And it did last. In fact, it's not really dead yet! The cassette player portion still works. And if you can stop laughing long enough, you will read that the radio portion still works as well!

Yeah, well....have your fun! The one it replaced had a turntable and was twenty years old when we put it out to pasture. And it still worked....except for the 8-track portion! ::Hee hee. I'm starting to crack myself up here too!::

Now what if I told you it is still working and still being used daily?!! Yes indeed. It is our barn radio! I believe I've mentioned before we don't lightly get rid of things. That puppy goes back to hubby's first "big" purchase (non-farm, that is) in high school. And it's still chugging along. (Farmers' first big purchases are typically machinery or animals, so I had to qualify that comment. And both cost a lot more than stereos! But if you want to be able to afford the stereo, you have to make a living first, right? Of course right!) But I digress....

So, this is the space that baby (that dusty, dusty baby sitting on the floor in the first photo) took up on my kitchen counters. A substantial space it was. But I wanted to use it, and had no where else in that room to put it.

Part of it also took up this space! ::Yeah, I know. Also dusty.::

Plus, at any given time there was a large stack of CDs there as well!

But time marches on, 1996 is gone, (coincidentally the year the first mp3 player hit the market and the year I got the "old" stereo from my family as a gift!), and so, change is inevitable.

The CD portion quit working on the stereo so I sprung for an mp3 player. iWhat? Yes, you read right. An mp3 player. There are no "i"s in that. I am not one to waste money on labels.

So, for a mere $30 and something the size of a credit card I can hear all of my fav CDs and carry them with me. For a bit more, I bought a speaker system/docking station that takes up less space than just one of the old speakers, but has sound every bit as good.

I am keenly aware that I am getting on board with this format way, way, later than most. But I am also keenly aware that I saved loads of money coming late to the game, and don't feel one bit of humiliation due to that fact.

Especially when the child "of which we do not speak" tells me I'm still way a head of her because she still uses a boom box!

::Nothing to be ashamed of there, sweetie! It still works, right? Right!::

Now there is room for my bread maker and my George. You knew that room was going to be taken up by something, right?

Is This Something We Really Need?

2011-11-29T21:08:00.001-06:00

Hubby told me today that he was signed up for a webinar and had to eat his breakfast by the computer.

He had some trouble connecting to it, we found out, after he got a screen quite a few minutes past when it was supposed to be starting, that it would start soon.

Eventually I came in there to see what was up.

My apologies to those less "sophomoric" than I am at times, but it struck my funny bone when I came into the office and saw this on the screen:

My first thought was, "Really? Do we want to spread lameness* around by teaching people to be 'lame'?" (in the slang sense)? I mean, aren't you already lame when you can't connect to a webcast by yourself? ::Heehee::

I'm a fine one to talk. When our dish was hooked up, they somehow didn't reconnect up our DVD-R correctly, and we cannot do the one thing we really want to do with it.....record!

That was about 2+ years ago, and Adam told us (twice) he would come check it out for me (but he's been a little busy), so I haven't even tried. You see, the last time it was my job to hook up components, it took a whole team several trys to get everything working. Eventually I just said, "That's it! We are never, ever moving off this farm, if it means we have to do this again!"

So, I guess I'm not too anxious to toy with a dish, that I know next to nothing about, and how it all fits together with all the other components!

Maybe they'll broadcast a "How not to be lame" TV show on the dish, and I'll get it figured out from there.....

.....but I doubt it.

*To be clear, they are referring to cattle becoming lame, and the causes and treatments of it.

I Know I Keep Saying This But.....

2011-11-28T21:49:00.001-06:00

....I finally am getting around to posting one of the many things I kept saying I have on deck to post!

Can you believe it?

Me neither. But it's true.

And it is definitely worth the wait!

Just look at this beautiful afghan that Stephanie and Dave got for a wedding gift!

Steph had "pix-ed" me a message of it from her phone in early October, but it wasn't a very good picture. I just had to know more about it!

You see, while we were out visiting them, her pastor's wife told me that it was on it's way via mail, but hadn't arrived yet, so I was in on the big secret. Well, as it happened, the creator of this beautiful piece of art, met our wonderful son-in-law before we did! You see, Dave had gone out to Denver, where she (Katie B.) lives, and stayed at her house with some other members of their church, when they were going to move the pastor from Denver to Wyoming.

So, being friends of Katie, pastor and his wife asked her to make one of her creations as their gift to the newlyweds! Since these things take time.....loads and loads of time....it arrived just after we left WY so I never saw it in person.

But I had to know more, because even though Stephanie has knit, and she's seen me do plenty of crocheting, she couldn't tell me much about it. So I emailed my neighbor.

Huh? Your neighbor, you say?

Yes, my neighbor! Because that's the way it is in WELS! :) Like family! My neighbor's sister is Katie. They both grew up not far from here. So I asked neighbor Diane how it was done. But Katie emailed me back, sending these wonderful photos.

Who needs the six degrees of Kevin Bacon? As it happens, Stephanie and Dave were only a few degrees away from each other since....forever. It just took the Internet to get them in touch.

From this photo you can see their wedding verse.

I don't know whether Steph and Dave will spend their whole married lives in WY (right now it's not the plan), but wherever they roam, this will be a reminder to them of their time spent here and the beginning of their wedded bliss.

So, get on board Washington D.C. politicos! We need this family closer to home! Get this economy in shape so they can move! ::Please::

And, thanks for sharing Katie! What a talent! It was nice to see you the other day!

Savor the Season

2011-11-27T16:32:00.001-06:00

Well, it's a few days past Thanksgiving. Surely you know me enough by now to know I will post family T-day photos. It's just one of the many, many things on my mental list.

I have to knock some things off my "mental health list" soon, however, if I want to attempt to keep it altogether when Christmas arrives, so for today it will wait. ::Hee hee::

::Besides, when Kathleen did the re-inker thing yesterday....it had to take top billing.::

So for now, let me say, since t-day is past, I am going to focus on Christmas prep. Not because I can't get enough of it, but because if I don't.....I will never finish in time. ::Not that I ever do.::

And I've been remiss in telling you on the blog about something special you can get during this pre-holiday season. Details are in this video, but remember it is only available until Dec. 31st!

So if you haven't discovered the many benefits and fun of digital stamping and scrapbooking (and all around creating!), take the plunge now! You'll be glad you did!

So Many Ways to Use Re-inker

2011-11-26T16:14:00.001-06:00

There are so very many ways to use re-inkers.

To name a few:

1) Re-ink stamp pads ::Duh::

2) The baby-wipe technique

3) The Marble Technique

4) The Window Sheet technique otherwise called Acetate and Tissue

5) Use with Blender Pens

6) Shaving Cream technique

7) Watercolor with them

8) Make Glitter Bulbs (ornaments)

9) And the list goes on. Really, anything you need color for!

And then, I have to say by way of liability.....that this next one is NOT a technique I would recommend.....EVER!!

But it happened......all is well.....and we can now have a good time with it. Read on:

http://lifewiththezs.blogspot.com/2011/11/most-for-you-will-not-be-surprised-this.html

When you're done reading and laughing about it, reply with some more ideas with legitimate uses for re-inkers. Maybe it will prevent this from happening to someone else.

Today's lesson: Stampin' Friends don't let Stampin' Friends walk away with stamping supplies. Be a responsible stamper, and nobody gets hurt. ;)

So Funny but...

2011-11-22T05:30:00.000-06:00

...something says it is just so wrong.

I saw this over at "Whatever" blog. (See link at right.)

You simply won't believe how long it goes on, and how the dog never gives up.

I know people that couldn't even learn that many dance steps, nor keep a rhythm that well.

And I may or may not be one of them. I'm just sayin'.

I don't even want to think about the time invested in training this dog.

Enjoy it. Seriously. You will.

I Love Muppets!

2011-11-21T08:21:00.001-06:00

Last week hubby and I went to a Tonic Sol-Fa concert. It was very good. It really was.

Well, you know me. I have to be honest! I had a few issues, most of which were about the people surrounding me. An elderly "space invader" sat next to me, so I had use of about 3/4 of my shoulder space. Not normally a problem until the hands start falling asleep from being "crunched up" too long. Ugh. Thank goodness for intermissions.

Then there was the group of high schoolers behind us that nearly split my eardrums several times, and just overshadowed too much of the concert for our enjoyment. Finally one of them (yes, them) told a few of the others very loudly down the line, "Shut Up!" and then the last quarter was much more enjoyable. I really should have intervened earlier, but hubby doesn't much like that I'm willing to speak up, and since he was along.....

And lastly, it was a holiday tour. So, I'm all good to hear some, but I'd have preferred less holiday music. I know....Grinch. But I like their other stuff so much that I'd have much preferred to hear that instead. But I guess if I'm not willing to travel to see them other times of the year, I was willing to see them when it's convenient. I think though, that they looked around and saw the larger demographic there, and dialed it down a bit. The trouble for me was that the last time I saw them, they were playing to about 7000 Stampin' Up! demonstrators not 700 retirees, two 50-somethings and two dozen high schoolers. Um yeah.....so I know what they are capable of, but they played to the crowd. They did have a pretty hilarious Beyonce bit, but I think only the high schoolers and I "got it". :)

Anyway, if you get the chance, go see them because they are awesome. But go first when it's not holiday time. You'll be very entertained, I assure you. Then you can always go again. If you don't believe me, you will when I tell you I bought three more of their CDs! :)

The part I missed the most was their version of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". I thought for sure they would do it as an encore.

Wrong!

It is just hilarious. They do it as Muppets. They start normal enough, then turn into Muppet characters: Kermit, Beaker, Animal, the Swedish Chef and throw in a little Miss Piggy and Fozzy Bear too. Too funny.

But I did get my Muppet fix anyway. Look here:

Muppets. Gotta love 'em.

Break It Down

2011-11-18T12:37:00.001-06:00

No, this isn't an MC Hammer homage. Not even close.

I thought this might be a handy little reference as you head into the political election season, at least if you're a visual learner like me. :)

But really......when isn't it the political election season these days? We all wonder why we're stressed out?! Election seasons don't end. The "Christmas" shopping season begins before Halloween, and that's just one retail nightmare. There's also the "Easter", Graduation, Summer Vacation, Back to School, Halloween, Thanksgiving, "Christmas", as previously mentioned and New Year's Eve shopping seasons as well. There's probably a few I don't even remember. Ugh.

I put quotes around Easter and Christmas because in retail land, although those are religious holidays, they typically have absolutely nothing to do with the real meaning of the day.

So here's my bit of advice for the day....DON'T buy into it people! Get only what you need, when you need it and while you may not land in the top 1%, you'll be a lot closer to it!

I know, I know! With two kids in retail, I might be cutting off my nose to spite my face, as they say, but they're smart cookies....they'll do fine. ;)

Too, Too Funny

2011-11-16T21:28:00.001-06:00

I spied this the other day on-line and I just couldn't resist. My kids grew up with Reading Rainbow, and Jim Morrison was a little before my time. (At least my "aware" time.) To me it is just too stinkin' funny because I grew up with the "myth" of Jim Morrison. Kudos to Jimmy Fallon for this piece of work!

The child "of which we do not speak" does a radio show once a week at her college and after I linked her to it online, she had to play it on her show. (I just knew she'd love it. Nathan, did you catch this too? I pegged it as your sense of humor as well!)

A Wonderful Story

2011-11-12T19:22:00.001-06:00

I still haven't taken my photos of all the cards I want to show you, but in the mean time, enjoy this heartwarming story of a father's love for his little boy.

Homemade Machine Helps Boy Walk

This Little Piggy

2011-11-06T14:40:00.000-06:00

In a vain attempt to play catch-up, I present today, two cards, which will wrap up the presentations from my July (yes, you read right-J-U-L-Y) stamping session with Miss Vicki.

In between then and now, there has only been one session, but it produced a bunch of wonderful cards, and Christmas cards at that, so I am anxious to start getting them photographed and posted! We have also attended three or four team meetings, so there are things from that as well! Now if only I buckle down and do it! :)

Go on. Encourage me! ::Shameless plug, I know.::

Button Buddies, Netting background, and Short and Sweet stamp sets; Blushing Bride, Whisper White and Basic Black cardstocks; 1/4" Basic Black grosgrain ribbon; Basic Black and Blushing Bride Classic ink pads; Subtles Designer Buttons; mini glue dots; Framed Tulips Textured Impressions Embossing Folder (plus Big Shot and accessories).

This little piggy card is dedicated to Deloris, my MIL. It is her birthday sometime in this two week span (remember, I don't reveal birthdays), so it seems appropriate that I capitalize shamelessly on that. ;)

Seriously though, I do wish her a wonderful birthday, but the whole chubby little pig tiptoeing through the tulips (embossing folder) has me chuckling. Anyone who's ever dealt with pigs would know of what I speak. Trust me when I say, tiptoeing is not a term normally associated with pigs of any size.

Hello Doily, Delicate Doilies and unidentified SU! word stamp; Very Vanilla and Soft Suede cardstocks; Very Vanilla 5/8" satin ribbon; Jewelry Tag punch; Linen thread; Versamark, Soft Suede and Crumb Cake Classic ink pads; White embossing powder; sponges.

This beautiful card, was made by Vicki Towell! I'm a sucker for a monochromatic card pretty much no matter what. I know some people don't like them, but I am starting to believe it is typically "young people" who seem to desire lots of brain input, shall we say, in the form of bold colors, lots of noise (think music) and all things "in your face". It seems to me by the time you've 'got some miles' on you, you can appreciate the simplicity of the monochromatic color palette, and other things softer and gentler. :)

So, Mom Z. consider it a complement that I "sent" you a virtual card that, even though it had a little piggy on it, wasn't monochromatic. ;)

Follow the....

2011-11-04T15:30:00.002-05:00

Leader?

Maybe.

This is, after all, Levi's first Halloween/Fall Harvest celebration. He'll need a little guidance.

And he does look a little suspicious of that advice. Could he possibly be old enough to be skeptical of those who would "share" his candy with him?

I don't think so.

Yes, yes, Levi, I said "candy".

Any guesses what Mr. Levi is dressed up as for his first night of begging ever? Anybody? Anybody?

::crickets. crickets::

Does this picture help? It definitely puts him in context. If you can't guess it now....I'm telling you.....Get outta the vacuum that is your life!!

And how about Miss Avery? Maybe it's just me, but I've never seen a more beautiful blue-eyed Wicked Witch in memory! :)

I didn't get to see the kids on their trick-or-treating day. It was a series of both families having a little too much on their respective plates, and even though we tried to make it work, in the end, it was better this way. As it happened, we went to Sem to the Reformation service (with three choirs!) and had to leave just about the time they were heading out for their big afternoon. Night time was already booked, and besides, aren't the kids usually just a little "spent" after all that ruckus?

I'll answer that. Yes. So we waited until the next day.

Er, night rather.

So that night, after chores, and after a long day of shopping, and after I overbought (I know. Me?!) at Costco, for the capacity of our fridge*, we decided to take that wonderful pumpkin pie that I'd bought, along with us to their house.

*At different times, we have had up to three working refridgerators, so there was always room for everything! Not so, anymore. It's a nasty habit I must break. :)

Let's just say, I didn't have to make room for it in the fridge after that. :) Some of us, and I'm not naming names here-although there are multiples involved-are just certifiable when it comes to pumpkin pie. ;)

Kathleen had put the kids back in their costumes for our visit!! How nice was that?! And the grandma who never leaves home to visit the grands without her camera.....

.....left.

.....it.

.....home.

But Kathleen was nice enough to take photos for me and sent 'em out. ::Yay!::

And her mom, took the ones from Trunk 'n Treat day, and sent 'em out. ::Yay! They spoil me! But I'm not even going to try to stop 'em.::

Can you believe Kathleen made the costumes? Aren't they great?! It was the word "certifiable" that made me remember that. That she is....about the Wizard of Oz. :) 'Nuff said. She could probably have made these in her sleep. :)

All we were missing that night was the green face and, um, Levi's pants. ;)

But who knows....maybe his newfound freedom was a good thing, because in just a few short days, I got sent this phone pic from his other grandma.

It seems he pulled himself up for the first time (that anyone saw, anyway!).

I guess once you're a flying monkey, it's kind of hard to keep a guy down.

Maintenance

2011-10-28T13:51:00.003-05:00

We had our furnace maintenance done yesterday. This once a year ritual never fails to annoy me, due to the assuming nature of the service personnel. (Sorry, but I'm just going to go with it here.)

Sometimes, you're lucky if they even decide to have the good manners to knock or ring and ask for entry. It doesn't seem to happen any longer, but "back in the day" they seemed to think if they'd gotten a phone call two weeks prior to schedule it, that they could simply walk in, without any common courtesy involved. ::Grrrr::

In fact, over the years, I got so perturbed with their behavior (and never was the same person here twice, so it's not like you "know" them), that I decided to answer the door and when they started advancing in, I simply stood my ground with a blank stare until they learned they had to announce who they were, and wait for me to allow them to come in. I mean, really? Really? Who do you think you are?!! You may live in Podunk, USA, but that doesn't excuse you from manners!

Besides, we both know after a short while of work, you are going to present me with an exorbitant bill, so good manners, I should think, is the least of what you could offer!

The rest of my annoyance comes from them deciding they can return in and out of the house, simply walking around, anywhere, no matter if you haven't heard a single noise in thirty minutes or more from them. ::Cre-e-e-a-k. Footstep. Footstep. Footstep......:: Never do they knock and announce their intentions much less ask, "I need to check X, Y, or Z, OK?" Never.

And you know what, if we talked before hand and he said something like "This is what I will need to do. Do you have any problem with me letting myself in?" I'd be totally OK with it. But, alas, no. That doesn't happen. He just keeps skulking around. It's all a bit unnerving.

So, I'm reasonably sure that no service personnel are reading my blog (Ha ha! Really sure!), but if you know of any, get 'em up to speed. Good manners never go out of style. :)

Tool Shed, Frame It, and Pennant Parade stamp sets; Basic Black, Whisper White, and Marina Mist cardstocks; Basic Black, Marina Mist and River Rock Classic ink pads; Metallic Brads.

So, while I very much appreciate the skill they bring to the job, (especially in the dead of winter!) I'm really only asking for a little thing: For the money I have to pay, how about some common courtesy please? Thank you! :)

Oh yes, and it wouldn't hurt to not be 1 hour and 45 minutes late next time either.

Back me up here readers! Does this type of thing, or any other behavior by contractors and other service types bug you? Tell me about it in the comments section (but don't name names please!).

Grand Opening!

2011-10-27T16:11:00.003-05:00

In the early morning hours of....yesterday....

....people were bustling about, getting ready for their days.

But for some people, it wasn't an ordinary day! Some had to awaken considerably earlier than their normal time to rouse. Others were up as usual, but had a change of their usual morning labors. Still others overslept, and worried, just for a moment, exactly what the price would be to pay for that faux pas. But soon they were all on their way, because none had time to waste on this morning.

And all of these people gathered together to show their pride and support for one member of the greater family unit.

We tried to get them all in one place, and all paying attention, for a commemorative photo, but it wasn't easy! There was a low rumble of activity and excitement all around, as we all waited for the big moment.

Avery! Avery! Turn around. Gary! Jason! Where's Kathleen? Karen, look here!

Let's try this again, shall we?

Avery! Karen! Mom, look up! Oh, there's Kathleen! Gary! Levi! Jason, tell them to turn around! ::Sigh::

Yeah, you're right. Let's just do this in stages.

There, that's better. Smile Karen and Avery!

Now these guys. Hubby, and Adam's friend Jason.

Nice shot guys. Thanks for playing.

Here we go. Great Grandma and Levi. At least they know how to cooperate! :)

Finally it was time to start. The flags were presented and the National Anthem played beautifully. ::Sure beats singing that beast....especially with early morning voices! ;)

With everyone where they belong Adam, the guest of honor (for us anyway!) was introduced. It was mentioned that given the topic, he might well keep us there for a l-o-n-g time speaking on it. So they put him on a clock. Five minutes max. :)

He thanked everyone for all their hard work, from the butcher to the baker and the candlestick maker. OK, that sounds like he went go on and on, and it's not true. He did a fine job of including everyone that helped in the tremendous job of expanding a store, while keeping it running.....with construction going on outside in the street as well. Ugh.

I kept shooting away because I like choices, and we're proud of our son(!), but in the end, I had not chosen the best setting, and some were quite blurry. But I got what I needed anyway.

It was quite a thing he's been going through, taking on this project so soon after he became store manager! I think of our remodeling projects, then multiply it many times over, and in my mind have the public going through, often times being critical.....and then I wake up screaming. Not really. I'd just throw in the towel. But he didn't have that luxury. He saw it through. ::Yay!::

Then his boss spoke for a bit.

And the village president spoke a few lines as well.

Then is was time for the "pat on the back" for the employees that had been with the store since it opened, twenty years ago. They were to do the ribbon cutting.

Some did, some didn't. Adam said "On Three!" and soon followed by "Three!". Some followed directions, some didn't. Hmmmm. Will those that didn't be there in the next twenty years?!

Just kidding! They know him by now. He knew the reaction he would get. He likes to have a bit of fun now and then.

Then it was time to start the day with their Wal-mart cheer, and get this store expansion off with a bang!

Some "celebrities" came to spend the day. Great Grandma took Avery to meet them. ::One question. How do you tell your grand daughter not to run in the store when the racing sausages show up?::

I wouldn't say she was afraid, but she wasn't fully convinced either!

Then it was time for the other Great Grandma to have her picture taken with them. My sister and I laughed when they knelt down in order to accommodate her height in the photo! :)

Eventually Levi said, "Well if Great Grandma can handle it, I sure can! Just give me my Nuk for support though."

And then Adam said, "Well if Levi can handle it, I guess I can too. And look, no Nuk!"

OK, so you probably figured out that Adam didn't really say that by now. But, can you explain why his father then has, a security blanket on his shoulder?

I know. It just boggles the mind. But that's another story for another day. ;)

Did I mention there was cake involved? Look what portion of the cake the servers saved for Adam, their store manager!

Wow. You k-n-o-w you rate when you get the picture of Sam Walton on your piece of cake. And delivered to your office too!

After all, isn't he the person who made this all possible?

Oops. Sorry. Momentary lapse. She is the person who made this all possible. Yes, Kathleen. With the patience of a saint.

Well, OK, they both had a lot to do with it. ;) Now why aren't those kids in that picture with you? Oh yes.....they're SHOPPING(!) as Avery told me yesterday. :)

Shop away, Avery. I think even Daddy wouldn't mind.

So Many Miracles*

2011-10-24T15:34:00.000-05:00

Anyone who says "Miracles don't happen anymore." should have been a part of our lives early this morning. We experienced so many, just in the course of a few hours time, it's just "unbelievable"!

Here's how it went: I went to sleep around midnight. At 3:25AM there was no good reason for me being awake, and yet I was. I turned and tossed a bit, trying to convince myself I could just quietly return to sleep....but to no avail.

After a few minutes, I decided to get up, (and, you know....use the restroom, get a drink of water, grab another blanket, fluff a pillow, or whatever else we do to stretch a bit, get more comfy or such). I heard a noise in the basement, which I attributed to the water softener recharging.

After a short time, I heard a cow or two doing a little bellowing. This isn't unusual per se, as we've had several cows freshen in the last few days, and often they will be the "noisy" ones, since they've been switched to another group, moved into a pen, or occasionally are calling their calves. But the "water softener" noise became somewhat inconsistent, and I decided to look out the window to see if everything was OK outside. It was.

But the noises continued.....inconsistently, interspersed with some bellowing now and then. I looked out the window again. Still, all seemed peaceful.

Yet the odd noises continued. Why I didn't just open the basement door to listen, I do not know. I was half asleep, so I'll claim that. :)

I was headed back to bed, when the noise troubled me, just a little more. I decided to look out the window from another room. In the distance, past the yard lights, in the very darkness of the driveway I saw something move. However, since we own a black and white dog, and black and white cows, I attributed it to the dog. Until.....

Suddenly, I could barely make it out, but I realized I was seeing two things move, and the second thing was most decidedly not the other dog! Too tall, too white, too quiet. Whatever this was, it was time to wake hubby!!

We both got dressed to go outside, and I was warning him, as we were doing so, that the noises I had heard and now attributed to animals, could suggest "the bull". Doubtless, he thought that was impossible.

This bad boy lives up the road, and takes care of breeding all of our heifers. That would be quite a stretch to have him all the way at our house.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H!!

Hubby got outside first and managed to round up a few stragglers that were right near the cow yard. In the process of that, he realized that yes, indeed, these were members of his (uh, the bull's) "harem" and told me so right after I got out there. He said to stay put. I had no protection as everything was closed up and locked up, so he said to get into a truck. I didn't argue.

I got in, and prayed fervently for him, and anyone else who may happen onto an animal on the road, perhaps. But my biggest fear, of course, was the bull. He was announcing himself constantly. If you've never heard a full grown bull....well, let's just say it sounds pretty ominous, and even more so, when there are only two of you, and it's dark out to boot!

My prayers were answered. In the course of about fifteen minutes or so, hubby took cover in a tractor, located the rest of the group which was thankfully all together, and they allowed themselves to be herded into a holding area without incident.

For the next half hour or so, we double checked the numbers of animals, and fortified the holding area. We found out that something must have spooked them and they broke through the electric fence gate, as it was still hooked up and intact, with the exception of being totally stretched and lying on the ground. That of course, is the good news, and the bad news. At least it is obvious how and where they got out, but now, one has to ask, what was the cause and will it happen again?!

There were so very, very many miracles that happened, even before I woke up. The Lord took total control, and was obviously watching over this whole situation, so much that it just boggles my mind to think about it! Anyone with animals will know this all, but for the benefit of those who don't, let me list all the strange and out of the ordinary things that happened here.

1) The animals broke out....at the gate.

2) They all stayed together and turned toward the farmstead.

3) They came down the road, and no one was driving on it at the time. No one hit any!

4) They turned into our driveway.

5) They ran behind the buildings (rather than making a ruckus on the lawn, and near or on the road).

6) I woke up after only 3.5 hours of sleep.

7) I bothered to look out the window three times.

8) Except for the early few Gary rounded up they stayed together down here.

9) Since those few separated, he was able to determine quickly where the animals came from and that a bull was on the loose, rather than literally walking into a death trap.

10) He was able to get them rounded up, without us calling for back up.

11) And it was done quickly!

12) All this took place and was "tidied up" before any helpers arrived. Had they come upon it, and we were still sleeping, I shudder to think.....

13) No one was hurt. No one. Unbelievable.

Praise and Thanksgiving to God! He takes care of our every need, and we are so very grateful. So. Grateful. So, so grateful. ::This is where I lose it. Sniff sniff::

*Late yesterday we got word from a neighbor that they had "signs" of loose cattle in their driveway. Their dog was barking at 3AM. So it looks now, as if the party was at the neighbors, but moved back home here for more appetizers and liquid refreshment. Gotta keep 'em happy, I guess. :)

Tabloid Title: Treading Water

2011-10-23T22:13:00.000-05:00

That sounds so desperate, which I am not. But if you just consider this a little "tabloid posting" you and I will get along fine. ;)

What it really amounts to is that I am trying to tie up some loose ends in posting some very nice cards I never got posted when they were more relevant. Still, they are too nice to ignore completely, so today I am playing catch up, trying to keep my "posting head" above water. ::Hee hee. Not such a big deal was it? Yup.....tabloid.::

I should not be resorting to this, considering I am the first one to complain about all media which resorts to it, be it print or video.

And of course, it seems to be happening more, and more all the time. I will click on an online article to read it, and it is pretty much nothing more than the same content that was there yesterday, but the author used a turn of a phrase to make it sound provocative, as if there have been some new developments in the story.

The same thing happens in our "local" TV newscast, especially with one station in particular. You tune in to the intro of the news, and the story bary matches up if it does at all to the "tease". There is nothing faster to make me switch channels.

I don't mind if you play games with me in my entertainment choices, but don't subject the news to that nonsense. ::If that impies I read tabloids, it is so wrong. I wouldn't dream of it.:: You totally lose credibility with that approach. Don't they get that?

Don't answer that.

They seem to think all consumers are idiots. In all honesty we are on occasion, but it's because we wanted to be that day at that time. In our house, if we "cave in" to something we know we really didn't need, we come home, pull in out and literally announce it! "IMPULSE BUY!"

Admittedly that is done to beat the other person to the punch, because you know you are going to be heckled, but still. It keeps us all aware of our purchases, and on track....most of the time. :)

Now that I have gotten totally off track.....Let's get back to the cards, shall we?

Created by Vicki Towell: Tiny Tags and ?? stamp sets; Houndstooth embossing folder plus Big Shot and accessories; Jewelry Tag & Lace Ribbon Border punches; Linen thread; discontinued SU DSP(?); Whisper White, Night of Navy and Marina Mist cardstocks; Night of Navy 1/4" grosgrain ribbon; Baja Breeze and Always Artichoke Classic ink.

This beauty, as noted, was stamped by Ms. Vicki Towell. Don't you just love the texture of the embossing folder? It add so much!

The bizarre thing to me is that you can use an embossing folder that seemingly doesn't coordinate with the card theme and it still looks great! I don't know how they do that, but rest assured when I try to dress for an occasion, for example, I don't get that good of a result! But on a card, regarding texture, virtually anything goes! :)

Wisteria Wonder, Whisper White, Daffodil Delight and Melon Mambo cardstocks; Wisteria Wonder and Daffodil Delight (sponged) Classic ink; Daffodil Delight 1/8" taffeta ribbon; Flirtatious Specialty DSP; Scallop Square, 1-1/4" Square, 1-3/4" Scallop Circle, 1-3/8" Circle, and Lace Ribbon Border punches; discontinued stamp sets.

And this card was stamped by me. Unfortunately, as noted previously, it is a little old and out of date, but the concept could still be used, as could most all of the supplies, so I thought it still worth posting.

So, was I right? The post title hyped the content a wee bit much? It left you feeling a little cheated?

Uh-huh. Sorry. But I did warn you didn't I? ;)

Wow!

2011-10-19T22:48:00.003-05:00

Have you seen this?

All I can say is "Wow!"

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I mentioned in an earlier post that "digital" books would never replace bound books for me.

Nothing like this baby to drive that point home, eh? :)

Hungry?

2011-10-18T19:04:00.000-05:00

Hungry? I've just "done you in" if, perhaps, you are in another time zone (like some of our kids) and it's closing in on your dinner hour. ::Heh heh::

Sorry. I can't help it. I bought this chicken on a whim one night when hubby and I hit the grocery store after night time church (an increasing thing around here during harvest time).

We were both hungry, and ended up buying deli broasted chicken. I know. But it was on sale! ::Mmmmm::

So anyway, I bought it, and made it late yesterday. I was running a risk. I hadn't roasted a chicken in memory.

Seriously, I knew I could....I just never do. Chicken "parts" I make often. Whole chickens, uh, never.

I don't know why I had such trepidation about it. I've handled turkeys so big they had to be cut up to fit in the oven! I just never do whole chickens.

Probably because when the family was home, we'd have needed about six. ::Heh heh. Kidding! Sorta.:: But you moms of teens know from what I speak. You spend a long time on a meal, and it gets devoured like a shark feeding frenzy. No leftovers. A cardinal sin in my book. OK, not really. Not even close. But you know what I'm saying. I like leftovers! So I learned to make more automatically.

Now I have to unlearn, before I drive hubby crazy. Too many leftovers now! I never thought I'd see the day! :)

I remember when all the kids were home, if we'd gone out, say, for instance, to the grands, or greats house for a meal, or somewhere for a potluck, "they'd" want to send leftovers home, "....because you'll eat it! You've got lots of mouths there!" Well, OK, yes, we do . So you'd get handed something, and find out it was about enough for an appetizer for my big farmer hubby. It never even saw the light of day. Amounts like that would only tease the appetites we had around here.

Naturally, now I can see it differently. When there are only two (or even one) in a household, you don't go through that much food, and you really don't want to see those leftovers, day after day. With smaller numbers, and smaller portions (without growing young 'uns in the house) that same amount lasts much, much longer. It "gets old" very quickly.

But with meat, no matter how old we get, hubby can't get enough, so that's never, ever an issue. A real carnivore that guy is.

I'm pretty sure I'll be roasting those whole chickens more often now! We both enjoyed the change.

Happy Birthdays!

2011-10-17T14:20:00.000-05:00

As mentioned before I still have a batch and a half of cards I've made or swapped and still not posted! In fact they are getting a little "ridiculous" sitting around here, just glaring at me, wondering when it is their turn in the sun.

OK, so I don't really believe my cards are animated. ::I heard that.:: But much like every other pile of stuff around here that I don't get to in a day (read: week, month, year or decade), it feels like it takes on a life of its own, scolding me every time I turn around. ::Hee hee. Or maybe that is my conscience. Jiminy? Jiminy Cricket? Is that you?:: :)

This card was stamped by Vicki Towell for swapping. I thought I knew which stamp set in incorporated, but as with so many things....I was wrong. Do share with us, Vicki, which set it is. I know some of the details like: Subtles Designer Buttons; Stripes textured embossing folder; Whisper White, Daffodil Delight, Rose Red, Certainly Celery and Marina Mist cardstocks; Marina Mist, Rose Red, and Certainly Celery Classic Inks; and Perfectly Penned stamp set.

In any case, I do present this card in celebration of each of my kids with their October birthdays! ::Yay!:: Since I don't reveal those dates, you know you're going to have to "share" your birthday, much like you did since you both graced this earth. :) I truly wish you (both) wonderful birthdays and know that we love you (both) very much!

Where Does the Time Go?!

2011-10-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know. EVERY post could have that title, right? It seems like it was just yesterday that I had about a dozen blog posts lined up in my head, and here it is four days later, and I haven't gotten one on.

And so it goes.

Last weekend (Was it last weekend, or the one before? I really don't know!) I was invited to what has become an annual "Halloween Party". Well, it is, and it isn't. It's actually as much an anniversary party for a young relative who got married on Halloween, and incorporated some dress up fun into their wedding dance. So, it's a costume/family party under the larger label of Halloween.

We've been invited every year, but haven't attended since the first one, since, uh, my hubby is.....is.....well, you know the saying...."Every party has a ------". Yeah. It's him. It comes under the heading of he has to get up early, so I ask, but if he doesn't bite, then I don't really care. He comes along now and then if it's really important.

So up until the last few hours, I didn't really know if I was going, but I did know that I offered to bring something if I came, so I had to make something! But because I didn't decide soon enough, I had to make do with whatever was in the house. So I web-searched.

Then although I didn't come up with anything definitive, I spring-boarded off an idea of what we used to call "birdseed". Basically a mixture of sweet, salty, crunchy, and most definitely....chocolate! You can make it your own, so I did. I made a buttery "cinnamony" mixture and tossed it over some frosted mini (wheat) squares type cereal, then added Reese's pieces type candy, peanuts and "craisens" or dried cranberries. Oh my. It turned out wonderful! Addicting!

So, I had my item to bring, but now I was on a mission. I'd used up some cereal that had been sitting around a bit (don't worry--it was still perfectly good), so I thought, "Hmmm. I could possibly use up something else too!"

I dug out a suitable container to "serve" it in. Something festive!

Uh, yeah. Pay no attention to all the junk in the background. If I can still be a happy pumpkin here, so can you!

And I made a recipe, which was basically truffles, and rolled them in various mixtures of straight cocoa powder, and cocoa mixed with different amounts of powdered sugar. I also had some decorating sugar in black and brown as well. Then, since I was on a mission, I intermingled it all with some "rock candy" that I had bought awhile back, when I actually thought I had time to make a gingerbread house one Christmas. ::Hee hee! Delusional, I know!::

The effect was varying shades of brown and black. Of course, I had to keep the shapes random too. And I certainly couldn't make them all quite small as the recipe asked for, because I had a large amount, and was running short of time. ::Me? Running late?! Surely you jest!::

And because I know this family finds much of its humor in, well, shall I say, "weirdness", I decided to put some of my sugary "googlie eyes" on too, just for effect. It worked. They noticed them, and loved them!

Of course, when I found the right font on the computer, and the right stamp for the background, it was the icing on the cake, and brought it all together.

Unfortunately, other people also brought things, and the hostess made lots of food, so I had lots of leftovers, as did the others. But hubby "cleaned up the gravel" over the next few days. And the pay-off was I used up a few items in the pantry. ::Yay!:: And of course, about 9:30PM I was going to head home, and ::POOF!:: it was 12AM when I finally left. Where did the time go?!