Lisa's Little Bits

And Other Christmas-sy, Winter-y Cheer!

2011-12-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

I know everyone's been busy. That's not an "excuse", it's just real. I haven't been taking pics of everything, but have been taking pics of some... and here's just a bit that isn't DT stuff...

If you follow me, ~~you know that I make photo spots for the kindergarten classes~~ (um... I guess I've never posted these either?)... Let's start over.

I make photo spots for the kindergartners and their parties. I began last year with our little Leprechaun party. Ok... so apparently I did post it ~~but don't know how to label or had a brain fart or whatever~~. So, since I had some JW's in the class, and their mommas wouldn't let them take a pic because they told me, "We don't worship Leprechauns..." (I put that italicized schtuff in there... they didn't emphasize it...) GASP!!! "I don't either..." I said. And thus began my research into things that had NO religious symbolism WHATSOEVER!!!! The "Spring" party came... and I made a Spring Chicken... no eggs, no crosses, no pieces of egg(shells), no bunnies... Ha!

And now onto Winter (in other words... Christmas... Shh...)

Now... let's get this into perspective. It's not that I am dissing the JW's. Or any other religion or non-religion. I respect them. All of them. I firmly believe that we should learn and glean information from ALL religions so that we each understand one another and uphold that respect. I do not believe that we should be ignorant on any level. For those of you who are "older" like me... ahem... You might remember studying the various versions of Santa Clause in other countries. You know... what he was named, their Christmas or other holiday traditions, etc. I remember making dreidels and Menorahs and singing Dreidel songs. I remember singing an African song in the Winter Commemoration. And I am NONE of those religions.

I also believe that kids should be kids. And when the 5 and 6 year-olds are having a party, where all they do is eat, sing songs, make a craft or two, and take photos, it's just another day celebrating LIFE. The classes are a bunch of combined religions, and as a public school, we're not putting religion into it... or politics... we just want kids to be kids and enjoy the fun and fantasy of "fairy tales". Life is magic, too. And so here we all are.

~~Stepping off my soapbox... WAIT! It was a HIGH platform!!!~~

Ok, enough with that.

And so... instead of a Santa cut-out, or an Angel cut-out, I made a SNOWMAN. Yes, I did. He comes with glitter and all...

Here's my kid in it. She wanted to take a pic, because she is not in kinder anymore...

Isn't that background just AWESOME? I know!!! It was achieved with a can of spray paint and me moving closer and backing up and over and backing up and... just totally having a blast. ~~I did it out on my driveway and you should've SEEN the cars slowing down... I'm sure I totally looked like a tagger, sweats and all!~~

Here's just the background...

Now I'm kinda thinkin' I might want an airbrush system... hmmm... another "toy" to play with!

So, I painted the snowman and hills a white, then sprayed them with adhesive and sprinkled glitter. While that dried I painted on the trees and sun. I had originally started to sponge it all, then I had a VanGogh moment and Starry Night appeared in my brain, so I brushed over the sponging and let the streaks show... Loved it! When the gluey business was dry, I sprayed a glaze over, to seal the glitter, because WHO wants glitter all over the place?

The hat is cardboard, coated with adhesive then covered in black construction paper and cut. ribbon added, and VOILA! He's all done. (Since then, I've stapled a little ribbon scarf to match the hat on the outside of the snowman. It's all good. It's a work in progress. And I'm not perfect. ~~Did I really just say that?~~

And on to my 1st grader's "gifts" to everyone in her class... Reindeer Noses!!!

Aren't they just too cute? I got the idea from Craft Gossip's posting on them... But... I didn't "feel" like drawing each and every one ~~and HECK! if I was gonna do all the work~~, so started looking for a digi stamp (free, of course!). And I found one, HERE! at Bits N Bobs! I went through a lot of them (stamp links and sites), and finally found the one that would be perfect for a 6yo to color. ~~(and also one that was not "Christmas-sy" and a JW could eat without feeling guilty for not telling his parents!)~~

Those are malted milk balls (Whoppers). The original poster (Zoe Robson @ A Personal Touch) used red gumballs for the Rudolph noses. However... first off, Walmart didn't have any, and second off... I wasn't gonna spend over $7 a pound to go to the Candy Store. Ugh! I was going for inexpensive and simple. So... I picked up the Strawberry Shake malted milk balls (Whoppers, again!), as they appeared bright pink on the outside of the box. ~~You know... Rudy probably burned it out a little...~~ However... they are NOT very bright pink and are truly "fleshy" colored. So... I told my 6yo to just say that Rudolph had a busy night and his nose was a little tired. ~~First-graders love a good story!!!~~

They were a total hit! She was so excited that everyone loved them. And were like, "Whoah!" "Awesome!" "Can I open them?" And I'm sure her teacher was pleased there wasn't "too" much candy in them...

Whew! That's just a bit of what's been going on here. Hope you enjoyed it. And please! PLEASE! pay homage to those that originally posted some ideas. I always give credit where credit is due, and if you stop by and say, "HI!", those wonderfully creative peeps will feel the appreciation they deserve. Thanks and have a wonderful~~ly hectic~~ Week BEFORE Christmas!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: "Christmas" Layout

2011-12-16T05:00:00.001-08:00

I've not been doing so many layouts lately. My main focus has been on gifts and cards ~~and kindergarten projects~~. There have been LOTS of school projects. LOTS of birthdays, too! I haven't been taking pics of all my work, as me... the procrastinator that I am... doesn't seem to quite find the "time" to take the pic before I have to rush off and give it to the intended... ~~Guess I could take the pic while the glue is drying, hmm?~~

Anywho, our special DT challenge was to do a Christmas-type/Winter-type layout. And while I "forgot" to order pics ~~and I'd probably forget to pic them up, even if I ordered them!~~ I was going to post this sans photos. However, we (at a restaurant table after a busy busy Elementary School sing-along) were talking about the Mission Inn, and I decided to dig out some old photos to go in my layout. Ok, so I added a little bit of hand-written captioning, but hey... the layout is done, and I'm happy. By the way... I ~~hate~~ dislike glossy prints. And ~~hate~~ dislike the old camera these came from, but I was able to capture the memories AND use up these pics that have been sitting in a box for more than 12 years... ha!

Hmm... Blogger's being "weird" again. This pic was taken landscape, shows up landscape, but isn't loading landscape. And YES! That is my kitchen floor!

The left side... ~~see my shadow?~~

The right...

And a bit of detail. I LOVE Doodlecharms, and I LOVE Stickles!!!

Boop-boop, be-doop! Whoop!

And no... I didn't procrastinate in the layout, but just the photos...

And now, if you'd like to participate and see everyone else's layouts, head on over to Miss Tanya's blogarooni and see what every one else has got... and HAVE A GREAT DAY!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: Christmas Card

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

Yes... I know... it's been almost a month. No excuses, just no mojo, and no battery... and no... and no... (enough with my excuses already... ON! with the challenge!)

So, last year... at the Day After Christmas Sales... I found myself at Target. Going through their clearance stash and came across a couple of bolts of white feather boa "ribbon" for $1.99, marked at 1/2 off LOWEST price. ~~Ya think they might've miss-marked THAT?~~ And so... me, being the totally frugal ~~hoarder~~ person that I am bought them all up! With a card in mind... for this year...

And it took me MANY challenges to finally DO it!

So here I am, presenting it to you... I mean... What's more Christmas than a little Santa Claus?

How did I get here?

Here's some things NOT to do:

Do not ~~cheat~~ simplify by trying to glitter over the red... it shows through. So, instead, glitter over a black cardstock strip, and you'll be good.

Do not try to heat emboss a plastic slide ~~thinking it would act just like a shrinky-dink~~ to make it look like a belt buckle. It morphs into something utterly at the bottom of a volcano. Ugh. What a mess! And a waste of my precious metallic embossing powder. Instead... Cut the dang thing out of REALLY thick chipboard, instead.

Just another note... when using a really thick "ribbon" like this white feather boa... cut slits to tuck the boa in. DO NOT try putting the belt and the buckle over the ribbon... it makes Santa more fat and bumpy than he really should be...

And another note... DO NOT WEAR BLACK WHILE DOING THIS PROJECT! Unless you want white feather fluff to show all over you... my fleecewear is still recuperating.

Hope you had a fun time and enjoy it! Now... if you want to check out the others for our December Challenge, go on... and go to Miss Tanya's blog! Leave a little love for each of our designers, and join in the challenge, too! Mwah!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: What Are YOU Thankful For?

2011-11-04T06:35:00.000-07:00

I had to think a lot about this, and try to focus on one or two things... as I'm thankful for a lot.

Thankfully, I didn't have to think to hard, because... as I was perusing through my stash of Cuttlebug folders, I came across one that had LOTS of things to be thankful for on it! HA! (You'll see in a sec...)

I've been trying to utilize my stash, so I remembered this Debbie Mumm stack that I bought several years ago (unlike others, I rarely buy stacks...) and so, I cut out the stacked pumpkins. They are so sparkly and awesome. I just HAD to use them.

Then I ran some orange cardstock through a Pumpkin Cuttlebug embossing folder, inked up the Lots to Be Thankful For (don't really know the name of the folder, but that's what I'm gonna call it...) Cuttlebug folder with Walnut Stain Distress Ink (to make the words POP!), then ran some vellum through it.

I sprayed the vellum with a spray adhesive by 3M (love it!!! it SOOO doesn't show!), and attached it to my card; then attached my stacked pumpkins with a little ATG love, added the "Give Thanks" ribbon (another stash-y item), and called it a day.

And so Provo Craft did something right! They invented something that states ALL the things I'm thankful for when Autumn comes... well... if it ever comes, HERE, in Southern California...

Unfortunately, you can't really see the pumpkin embossing, but that's ok. It still gives it a little dimension.

Now... to see other peeps who are thankful, please check out Ms. Tanya's blog... and if you want to, let me know that YOU want to be a Paper Hoarder, too! We'll sign you up!

Lastly... join us for the challenge. What are YOU thankful for? Thanks for looking!

Wordless/full Wednesday: Halloween,,, Present-Day

2011-11-02T13:15:00.000-07:00

Let it be known... today is kind of wordy... and tomorrow will have costumes from the years before (the ones I made... and a story to go with it...)

Halloween was just the other day. And we had loads of fun. The kids dressed up (even the olders), and we went out trick-or-treating (tot). Went to Grandma's (Mom's) house for dinner (traditional Ghoul-ash and Mummy Fingers [cheesy breadsticks] and tot-ing , went to the "old" neighborhood after, then back to Grandma's to have our traditional donuts and apple cider, before we trekked home 60+ miles.

The "Kids" Gang... (l-r, Stacy, Travis, Rey, Marissa, & Xanny, too!)

Grandpa and the Ghouls:

Friends' house...

they go "all out!"

Marissa, kissing her favorite cartoon character... (and Rey... posing!)

Look!!! It's Colonel Sanders (KFC for those of you too young to know who the Colonel is...)

and his chicken!!!

We're just having fun, MOM!

Look at how pretty the sky is...

It's hard... but they finally got a pic of me... (with my older girls)

She passed out on the long ride home...

Remember to come back tomorrow and relive the days... of the HOMEMADE costumes, before my kids "liked" storebought.

Oh! and if you wanna link up to others of wordless/wordfull Wednesdays, check these sites out: http://www.twoofakindworkingonafullhouse.com/ and DANG! I can't find the site for wordFULL Wednesdays... if anyone remembers, please be sure to leave me a link. Thanks!!!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: HALLOWEEN Shaped Card

2011-10-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

I love shaped cards. You can ask my friends (those that receive them) how often a card they get (from me, of course) is rectangular. Not very often. Don't get me wrong, I do DO them, but... when it comes to holidays or birthdays (unless I'm doing in bulk!), I try to find something a little original to do. And sometimes I'm stumped.

And sometimes, I have more ideas than one.

Like this week.

Let's just say the final card IS NOT what I had originally designed. This was meant to be a witch's hat. And it was ready to be cut. But then... I sold my first sale in my new Etsy shop! And I changed all thoughts. You see... I sold two ghosts! And with that sale... I changed my total idea to all things ghostly. (just a little plug... if you'd like to see my shop and/or order, just click here. i will do things custom and will soon post more holiday-theme items, seeing as the holidays are quickly approaching. what do you want to see?)

*note: due to the sticky nature of this project, photos were taken mostly at the end.

First off... I picked a ghost from Paper Doll Dress Up. Then I enlarged him to a 5.5. I copied him, then I flipped him from side to the other side (horizontally). Then I scooted him until he was up against the other one, a mirror image that overlapped. And I welded him together with his twin.

(whew! we're not done yet with the Gypsy, peeps!)

Next, I went to "advanced" and "hid" the elements I didn't want. On one side (the bottom side), I hid all the inside cuts (eyes, billows at the bottom). On the top side, I hid the billows, but not the eyes. Then I cut him out and scored him on my Martha Stewart Scoring Board.

Took out my Christmas Red Stickles (yes, he was still folded!), and did the eyes (remember... the eyes were cut on the top!). This left them red-rimmed on the outside of the card, and red-rum-my on the inside. I opened it and stamped a creepy ax-y-lookin' stamp (something that had fallen off, perhaps?) in Distress Inks and let him dry.

Here's the sticky part... then I cut a used Bounce sheet (you know... the fabric softener sheets) into the ghost form (with my Cutter Bee scissors. my regular paper-type wouldn't cut it) put it in a soda case box and sprayed adhesive glue on it. I tossed glitter (the iridescent pixie glitter) on it until it sparkled and shined! Pretty! I tried to let it dry. It took a long. time. But it was dry for the most part. I picked it up, flipped it over, and sprayed it AGAIN (on the reverse side) with spray adhesive and quickly picked it up.

Getting it to to stick on properly was a chore in itself. Ugh! Messy. Glitter and sticky icky adhesive glue all over my fingertips. Yeah... no pics for this... But when it's wet (the Bounce sheet), it's more stretchy. (My note to self for next time? cut it a little bigger... it seems to want to shrink!) Got it pretty well matched up and stretched out and on. And I let him dry. (notice... the bounce sheet is now on the card, so we're back to "him" again...?) Here's a pic (I got a chance to finally wash my hands!)

After drying, I couldn't see the red Stickled eyes so well, so I added them to the outside. Let him dry again, then took him out for a stroll in my Halloween Haunted Walk (outside my door! see the orange-y lighting? and cobwebs? and black roses?). Yeah... cool-e-o!

Hope you like my shaped card! And if you'd like to see others, simply stop by Miss Tanya's website, as she's got the whole group posted! Please be sure to leave a comment for the cards you visit, as everyone likes a prop or two. Have a HalloSCREAM!!!!!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: The Sweetest Day

2011-10-07T00:58:00.001-07:00

So... it's been a little bit. Yeah... I'm still here, just been busy and frustrated. My mojo's been tampered with and well... yeah... but! it's challenge time again. So you know what that means! And our challenge this week? Um... the Sweetest Day (Make a little sum sum for your honey.)... Say what?

I'm from California, so... I'd really never even heard of it. So... I did a little research and found out there's a reason I never heard of it! Apparently, (per Wikipedia...) it's mainly based in the Great Lakes regions, and was introduced as a "Hallmark Holiday". Oh! and... apparently, it's for gifts to be given to boyfriends, husbands, etc... NOT a reciprocal holiday. So... um... sweet...

Had.

Me.

Stumped.

I'm not sweet. I do things for my hubs all. the. time. Does he appreciate them? Uh... NO...

But... seeing as our anniversary is THIS Saturday, I thought I could do something for that and cover all bases at the same time. But I'm not giving him candy... I'm making him a full menu (Huevos Rancheros for breakfast, Grilled Paninis for lunch, and Bbq-ed STEAK for dinner). It's all his faves and things he's been asking for, so I've got the pork in the crock pot for the Chile Verde, and I'll be doing some more shopping tomorrow night.

So... (clearing throat)... I made this card to go along with it...

I'm a little corny sometimes, and all I could think of (with the lack of mojo-ed-ness here) is a monkey, and inside having it say, "Thanks for hanging around..." Granted, he's hanging on a heart (I welded two hearts together to form the card...) and there are vines and things on that heart, but it's been a jungle of 7 years (we've actually been together much longer...). And I'm glad he's made the constant choice to stay, as I'm ~~super difficult~~ not too easy to live with.

I just love that shiny paper... so I made the card base with it. (Heart - Gypsy Wanderings)

Then folded it a la Martha Stewart-style... bone folder and board...

Did my little monkey...

and added some flocking to his fuzzy (messy little) face.

Had to get some of those vines and leaves around... and in different colors and textures.

I "hid" the heart that came with the monkey and vines... (Monkey & Vines - Sweethearts), so I never cut it and it didn't show in my cuts, because the card base was big enough. Who doesn't have a big heart?

Hope you like it and so does he! You can join in the fun, too! Just go to Ms. Tanya's blog and participate, too! We'd love to see what you come up with!

Happy "Sweetest Day"!!

(WW) Wordless/full Wednesday - A World of Color!

2011-09-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

First... let me get the words out. I'm changing my Wednesday title to WW. That way... when I want to be WordLESS, I can. AND! When I want to be WordFULL, I can. Simply put. That way, I have it all, because sometimes, you just want to tell the story behind it all...

And on with it:

Pow WOW!!!!

It's FEED ME FRIDAY! (Roasted Garlic Hummus Edition)

2011-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

courtesy of Daphne's California Greek

Whelpers... it's kinda still warm here. And I feel like melting. But... I have a major craving for hummus. Mmm... I really don't feel like driving all the way into Riverside and eating at Daphne's "California" Greek (WHY? did they change the name like that???)

and I really do just feel like pita bread (not to be confused with PITA - pain in the ass... bread) and hummus.

I love traditional. I love roasted red pepper. I love tahini (sesame seed paste). I love it all. And I really, REALLY love garlic. (shhh... don't kiss me!)

Most of the recipes I'd found start with canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans). But... I really don't like the briny-ness. Ew! ... and besides, I have some dried ones in my pantry. Some garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, some sesame seeds and a little oregano... and I'll be good to go. Yum-O!

THIS is the recipe I'm gonna try before I do the above recipe. I'll adjust the seasonings, and tell you how it was!

And fyi (if ~~anyone in my~~ family Santa is keeping my list)... most of these recipes require a food processor. Yes. I have one already... but it's old and dying (it squeaks!). So... to keep things on the quiet side (my hubs sleeps during the day, and heck! I'd like to totally watch my ~~addictive~~ television programs while I'm cooking/prepping... THIS is the food processor of my dreams!!!

It is quiet. It is quick. It is totally awesome. It has THREE! bowls (that all fit inside each other!). It has blades galore! It does everything I've ever wanted to do with food (except cook it, of course!). One disc has an adjustable blade... so YOU can adjust the thickness of a slice, should you want to...

But... it is a Williams-Sonoma exclusive. And... I can't find it anywhere else... for less than $299. Ugh.

My daughter and I love it so much... we're willing to split it as a Christmas gift together? (do I sound desperate?)

So... as I'm pulsing away with my chickpeas and garlic, I'll be fantasizing about this... and what could be... have fun! and if you try it... let me know how it was! Toodles!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: Fall Colors Challenge

2011-09-16T00:00:00.000-07:00

It's another round of Paper Hoarders Design Team. And guess what? I didn't buy a thing... didn't open anything new... used lots of scraps and my stash...

We had to do something (anything) other than a layout, because... as you might remember, I'm on the everything DT, which means... we still can't do a layout. There's another team that does that next week. But... the challenge? "Fall ( pick 2 of the following colors and use on your project.. you CAN use more.. red, orange, yellow, brown, gold)" And so... I picked THEM-ALL!!!! Bwahahaha!

First... I took searched my shelves for Modge Podge Glitter! Yes... I got it on clearance quite a while ago at Joann's. And it comes in quite handy... dries clear (with little flecks of gold glitter)... you'll see... keep reading and scrolling...

Then... I sponge-brushed it on 5"x4" acetate panels (2 of them)... and let it dry... and went to a tennis match (they didn't win, so I came home and worked more on my project...)

See? It's all clear now!

Then, I worked on my Gypsy a tad... typed in FALL, and found close to nothing on carts I had, so I did it myself with Storybook (loooove that cart!). NOTE: I did not weld it!!!!!

Cut it out on Terrifically Tacky Tape (sheet)... well, what was left of it (it was 3.25"x3.25"). It ran off the edge, obliterating an "L", so I deleted 3 letters from my screen, rotated and moved the "L" to squeeze it onto the leftover bits of the sheet (improvisation at it's finest!) and cut again. Um... I programmed it to cut it 2x. HOWEVER... cutting through sheets of plastic like this... even at high pressure, I probably should've gone a 3rd time... so I had to do a bit of careful separating... my fave thing to do...

Now... here's the really CAREFUL part. I outlined (on white paper... the one I used as a mat while I Modge-Podged them) the area of the acetate. Then... I centered lines, so the placement of my letters would be just that... CENTERED!

Then, I super duper carefully peeled the white backing off my letters, and placed them on the acetate, beginning with the center letters, then adding the others to achieve this...

and carefully peeled off the red plastic coating to get THIS... (another note... I placed the white paper underneath ALSO so that bits of things wouldn't cling to the acetate... I hate when that happens...)

Then... added a little burnt orange ProvoCraft glitter (thanks to goodness to clearance sales from years ago... twenty-five cents keeps on going!!!)... to achieve THIS. (it'd'n't purtee?)

I had already cut out an aperture in a card blank (craft! one of my FAVES!!!), large enough for my acetate. (btw... I can't find the pics of these steps... sorry...) I adhered the non-FALL acetate to the underside of the card opening, sprinkled in some punched out apples and leaves from various scraps, put adhesive around the edges of that acetate (be sure to adhere the complete perimeter, so that whatever you're putting in your shaker-box doesn't escape through an itty-bitty opening!!!), lined up my FALL acetate, and pushed it down.

Then I finished it up, by inking the framed portion of the card with Cat's Eye gold ink...

... tied a strip of twine (recycled from a kids' toy packaging! be sure to check out the awesome extras that come with your kids' toys!!!! [this held HAIR on a Barbie-type doll!] you'll be amazed at what you paid for and are throwing away!!!) around the card's "spine"... and found these two little leaves (yes... I only had TWO!), pierced a hole in them with a piercer... threaded the twine through and knotted it from behind...

Really... I am super happy with the total result. You have to look "beyond" the pictures, actually look "through" them to see the full thing. I loved the idea! (it wasn't my original one, but... um... I didn't ~~think~~ know that E6000 eats through Styrofoam [maybe I should've saved and read the packaging?], and so that particular project died on my table... literally... it shrivelled up and d.i.e.d.!)

My 17yo loves it so much... she wants it. Hmm... let's see what I can get her to do for it... Bwahahaha!

Thanks for stopping by... and if you'd like to participate in our challenge, feel free! You can visit Miss Tanya's blog and see what all the other designers have in store for you, too! Meet the challenge... do it for yourself. I had fun, and so can YOU! (and if you want to... come back later for FEED ME Friday! where you'll see something new and delicious to make [or inspire you to go out and eat...]!)

Wordless Wednesday - Sweet Innocence

2011-09-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Cousins!

*you don't wanna know how long it took to get them to BOTH look at the camera together!

It's FEED ME FRIDAY! (Smoked Tri-Tip Edition)

2011-09-09T12:38:00.000-07:00

So, we went camping last weekend, for Labor Day... it was a grand weekend. and full of food. But we did something different this time...

We smoked some meats BEFORE we went!

We did tri-tip and pork ribs. The ribs used my special rub, click HERE for the post and recipe. And the tri-tip? I called my momma for that one.

She uses:

for the marinade...
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. soy sauce
1 bunch green onions, sliced (just the green part)
and for the rub... (poke holes in the meat and rub it in)
black pepper
garlic salt

And... like I always do... I adjusted it just a little:
for the marinade...
1/4 c. Worcestershire (Lea and Perrin's ROCKS!)
1 c. LITE soy sauce (Kikkoman's makes the very best)
1 bunch green onions, sliced (the whole flippin' thing)
4 cloves garlic (pressed or minced finely)
a pinch of ground cayenne pepper (for that little oomph!)
for the rub... (I don't have garlic salt, and wasn't about to buy any)
garlic powder
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper...
I mixed it all up, and rubbed the stuff WAY into the meat, massaging it throughout. I decided NOT to poke holes, as I didn't want any other "openings" for the moisture to get out later in the process... then... I put that puppy into a gallon Ziploc, poured in the marinade, threw it in the fridge, and flipped it over every coupla hours...

Hubs got the grill/smoker thingy going the next a.m. and we tossed it in there, along with some hickory chips. Mmm... boy! did that smell good. Smoked it for about 4 hours, basting it, when water was being added to the water bowl.

Anywhoo... here's the end result:

And when it was sliced:

Makes the best sandwiches... EVER!

Also, it makes for a much easier campout, with the meat done and everything... Woohoo! Means more time for PLAY!
Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Paper Hoarders Challenges! Back-to-School with a RULER Layout!

2011-09-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's Paper Hoarders Design Team Day... and the Challenge? Back-to-School!!! Woohoo! Yes, the kids went back to school earlier last month, and I took time to take a pic. And since my Senior won't let me take one in front of the school anymore, I snatched this pic while she was in the car about ready to step out. Unfortunately, it didn't make it into the layout, as... if you know about my incident with Walgreens last time (if you don't, you can read about it HERE), I sent away for MAILED pics... Snapfish is my friend this week (hopefully!), and they are on the way.

So, anywho... the challenge had to be back to school and contain a ruler. Wow! I had ruler paper (Little Yellow Bicycle has a great line that has rulers in it...), I had ruler ribbon (dunno where THAT came from, but I have it!), had some stamps (woohoo!), and I had a GREAT FANTASTICAL embossing ruler border from ProvoCraft for the Cuttlebug. Can you guess which one I used? Ya think? Nooo! YESSSSS!

I did!

And I inked the "top" side with Tim Holtz Walnut Stain Distress Ink (because I love it SOOOO much!), and put in 1" strips of bright yellow paper, and ran it through my trusty CB. Woohoo! added some PopDots, raising the bar (ruler, of course!)...

Then I placed it around where the pic should go (when I get it!), Wrote on the top with chalk (lo-ove chalk!), cut out SCHOOL (designing on the Gypsy - S is Hannah Montana Rockstar, and the remaining letters are HM Daddy's Girl, welded the two O's together, because I'm cool like that!), Stickled the star, and glitter-glued the school (it was on craft cardstock...), glued it all down and added chalk exclamation points.

Then... I Stickled the inner star (from the "S"), Stickled the letters of the high school and "Seniors"... and wrote in WHITE gel pen the "Class of 2012". Easy peasy pudding and pie... it's so easy I made myself cry!

And I love it! I can't wait for the photo to come in and put the first page in her Senior Scrapbook! and just a little FYI... when I finally DO get that pic, I just might put a little bling-bling on her head in the form of a tiara... just thinkin'!

And ya know? um... I did this LAST week, because... (see the post here!), and I'm SOOOO glad I can finally share it with you!

Join in our super fun fun fun and go to Tanya's Blog, check out the LAYOUT DT's shtuffs and link up to participate in the challenge! Woohoo! And then... come back again NEXT week to see what more wonderful things we've all come up with!

Wordless Wednesday - Doggy Barky Beach!

2011-09-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was Labor Day Weekend!

Traditionally, we go to the beach on the Sunday before the actual Labor Day itself...

But this year, we had an additional family member and had to change our plans... just a little!

For our first excursion like this... We all did pretty good. It was a big bark in the park!

Just as a reminder, if you'd like to join in the fun of Wordless Wednesday, please go to Two of a Kind Working on a Full House and link up there AND! the HQ of Wordless Wednesday!!! And don't forget to comment. As much as we love for you to look at the shtuffs we share... we also like to know you were here and what you have to say! Share your thoughts... we LOVE it!

Paper Hoarders Design Team Challenge: Back-to-School (with a RULER)

2011-09-01T23:45:00.000-07:00

Ok... so... the first post I did (which you WON'T see until next week) was a layout. And why won't you see it... yet? Because, I'm a total nerd/dork/goober, whatever you wanna call it and didn't even think that I couldn't make a layout. Why not? Because I am on the everything BUT a layout team. That team does it next week. Dweebie me! and so... I killed two birds in one night.

Throwing an idea together... I didn't want to do a card. Everyone was already doing cards, and I wanted to be a little different, plus... my fabulous idea (see next week's post!) kept glued to my head.

Now, bear with me, as Blogger won't seem to let me finish uploading photos, but if (I'll keep trying throughout the day!) it'll let me finish without kicking me out, they'll all be up before you know it.

And so... I ran from Back-to-School Night (at the high school), because yeah... we've been in school for 3 weeks now... to Walmart. Try to look for a wooden ruler there... NOT! because they just plain don't have any...

So... I got this super flimsy plastic ruler from Fiskars. Red, for the apples... I looked for green, but no such luck... WHY? Probably because that's what I'd set in my mind...

and I used my Silent Setter to punch holes in it. Teeny tiny holes so I could thread these white cup hooks in... (starting at the 1" mark and continuing at the odd inch marks... there's 6 in total)

Then I punched holes in the upper corners using my Big Bite!

See? and my husband said I needed to use a drill... um... I guess he doesn't understand MY kinda toys... uh, huh...

Threaded simple yellow ribbon through...

Cut out "WELCOME" in Plantin' School Book (in black card stock) and added a little chalky-chalky...

Added some black-backed (had to, on account a the ruler was already red... spoilin' ma plans!!!) red ripe shiny apples (used Colorbok shiny paper for these!) with a couple of little green leaves, and

Voila!

The teach now has an awesome little hanger for hall passes, office passes, keys, etc.

I'm sure she'll just love it! Hope you do, too!

And if you'd like to join in the fun-ee-oh!, swing by Miss Tanya's blog and she's got a little line-up going for you. Don't forget to do the challenge yourself... we all had fun doing it!

***Woohoo! The pics are all finally up... just a little add-on here...
To do the chalk letters, I kept them on an older mat and chalked them while still on the mat (after taking off the negative paper), makes it MUCH more easier. Also, I realized I forgot to add that I cut a strip of craft paper, painted it blue, then the edges green and fastened it on in orange eyelets. Thank goodness the Big Bite goes through this stuff!!!

Wordless Wednesday - First Day of the Last Year

2011-08-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

Me: Rey, are you happy Senior Year is starting?

Rey: Hell ya!

Another beginning to the end... (tears...)

Cricut Circle Sisters' Fall Blog Hope and BLOG CANDY!!!!

2011-08-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

First of all... let me say... I'm not a Circle Sister. I can't participate in their challenges because, well... I'm not a member of the Cricut Circle (an EXPENSIVE and elite club of Cricut Members sponsored by ProvoCraft). I just can't afford it. And that's okay. But still... I get to look at these fabulous creations by some of the members, and I swoon. I wish I were a Circle Sister.

Today (Saturday, August 27, 2011) began their Fall Blog Hop. And boy oh boy! Is it HOPPING! So many awesome projects to be found, and a lot of nifty little tips - tips that I'm favoriting as I hop along and storing them in my head as well to use in the future. They are also using LOTS of Cricut carts that I never really thought of using, and now... um... yeah... I'm thinking I might need them! (hahaha! NEED!!!!) Yes, I'm grinning in a wildly ferocious, fearsome grin, thinking of all the wonderful things *I* could do if I had these cartridges in my hands (on my Gypsy!).

So... here's the breakdown...

We begin with Kristen at Fantabulously Pink. She starts the Fall hop with a bang and a great give-away!

Then, we follow to Michele who makes an awesome fall home decor piece. She also has blog candy...

Roberta was next, but she didn't have her Hop post up yet (I'll go back again and check later...)

Well, I don't want to ruin the talent for you, or the excitement, so... I'll just re-direct you to Kristen's blog, where you can start your hop on your own. I'd like to thank all of these ladies for participating. It certainly kept me going (and my dishes from NOT getting done...) on a super-dee-duper HOT Saturday night (it got to 109 here!!!). By the way, there are TWENTY-THREE entries. So... if you have some time on your hands, or even if you don't you should check each and everyone of these ladies out, as they have tons of stuff to show you.

And also... some of them have even MORE friends that have blog candy, so you really should check out their links, as well! Check out some of them HERE:

Chris at ChatterScene is giving away a Scrapbooking with Cricut book for her 400-follower-giveaway. September 1st is the deadline, so you'd better hurry. It's a great prize! She's got lots of great projects, and a forum, too! Seriously... go check it all out!

Have a great Saturday night/Sunday morning. Hope those of you in the East stay safe and dry and hoping that Hurricane Irene passes you by...

Feed Me Friday!!! A Recipe for My Special Rub...

2011-08-26T15:41:00.000-07:00

And it's hotter than heck here... over 100 degrees! Whew! We're kinda sweltering, but hoping that our fellow countrymates survive Hurricane Irene. Cheers to you over there!

But, we're barbecuing this weekend! And pork ribs (with my special rub!) are on the menu...

It took me TWO years to get this just right, because I'm that picky! But it was worth it... I love it, my hubs loves it, my whole family loves it, and every time my hubs takes some to work for lunch, he always gets asked for the recipe.

Well folks... it's not a secret, and I aim to share, but... please do not sell it or make a profit off it, because... that wouldn't be fair.

Please note: I use light brown sugar and I grind my own spices, making them extra special fresh.

Lisa's Sweet N Spicy Rub N Grub

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 T. chili powder (just powdered chilis, NOT the preseasoned chili mix!)

2 T. ground cumin

2 T. garlic powder (I'd use fresh, but it would be ultra sticky!)

1 t. ground black pepper

1 T. onion powder (I grind up dried onion flakes for a little more texture)

1 t. fine sea salt (gives it a *special* taste)

1 t. ground cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on your taste buds... the sugar balances it out)

1 T. paprika (I prefer the smokey Spanish-type, but go with whatever gets your gusto)

(recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or however many 'led you wanna do. just put the leftovers in an air tight canister AWAY from heat)

Mix it all together (I thread it through my fingers and crumble the grains between my fingers [clean hands, of course!] to get most of the lumpy bumpies out and make sure that it's really all smooth and as consistent as possible.). Rub it all over your meat GENEROUSLY. Massage the stuff in, and leave it with quite a bit on top that still sticks to it. Let stand at room temp about 30 min (while your coals are getting ready). Spray foil with cooking spray (I use olive oil cooking spray). Wrap the meat up semi-loosely, leaving room for steam, but not too much, and crimp the edges of the foil (if you used two pieces do it all over, if you used only one, then at each seam), sealing it well. Your coals (or grill) should be about ready, and move them over to one side (or turn off one side gas burner). Put the meat over the unlit side, close the lid, and let it slow cook for 1 hour, then flip it, and do the same thing (be sure to check your heat source every once in a while to make sure it's still good!). Carefully take off the foil (there will be LOTS of juices... you can try to salvage them and make a sauce* or just let them go and give off steam, but DO NOT open it over the flames and put out your heat source. you're NOT done yet!) and place your meat over the DIRECT heat (the flames/coals... whatever) for 10 minutes each side to get the grill marks and finish it off. Let your meat rest covered (I use a turkey roaster) for 10 minutes, then carve and serve.

*If you'd like to make a sauce with your rescued juices, simple get them into a sauce pan and simmer them over med heat until syrupy. Makes for finger-lickin' goodness! MMM... mmm... YUM!

This is especially great with pork ribs (spareribs are better than country style) or even a roast. I love it with beef and chicken, too... and it's pretty great on veggies. Have a great grub!

Mama Kat's Losin' It Writing Prompts: 1.) A mom fail moment.

2011-08-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

First of all... I'd like to say to you (and have you realize) that I have a lot, and I mean a lot of mommy fail moments. Don't know what these are? Um... right... In case you're serious (which I doubt...), a mommy fail moment is that moment when you realize that YOU as a mommy (or other parental-type) failed. You or your kid did something bad (or just not good or rude or...) and you realize it's your fault because the example you set wasn't so hot.

If you don't have a lot, or at least some, then you should write a book. And the rest of us would buy it, because... we want to see how to raise your child perfectly. Uh, huh. Yeah...

Anywho... it was hard for me to pick just one. ONE that wouldn't totally embarrass my kids. ONE that wouldn't totally embarrass me. ONE that wouldn't be judged so harshly (because we have those, too!). ONE that I really didn't mind blogging about. It was really hard. So... here goes!:

The Fart Fairy

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away... a little girl was passing gas (quite a lot) on an ordinary Springtime Day.

The girl was super sad and felt rumbly in her tummy; she didn't like the way it smelled. It made her feel crummy.

Her loving mother assured her to all beings it was inherent and that the smell wasn't quite always apparent.

And so her mother sat her down and told her a fairy story... full of breaking wind and all the glory.

Of witches, goblins, fairies and fairy dust, the tale cast a spell while the little girl fussed

And pouted and cried and shouted

But then her mommy told her about the Fart Fairy... a wing-ed chubby chick, who was slightly hairy...

Who came in the night and waved her wand, taking farts from all the children as they yawned

While they were sleeping, she'd poof them out and take the gas to prevent the children from weeping.

The girl laughed and giggled, guffawed and wiggled

And wanted to hear more... Her mother was just happy that she was back to before

To happiness and peace in the air; previously she'd thought she'd pull out her hair!

And so it goes... that every time the young girl farted, the giggling fits and laughing started

And then one day, she went to school and there was nothing in the golden rule

About not farting, not passing gas, and when the children gathered in mass...

Someone tooted! They all laughed and made awful an awful joke, then the little girl up and spoke...

"Don't worry, I guess the Fart Fairy didn't visit you last night. Don't worry. Sleep tight tonight and all will be right.

The Fart Fairy will come. She'll wave her wand and take your farts away. And when she does, you won't have much gas that day."

Needless to say, the mommy has had many teachers and parents calling and asking lots of questions where EVERYBODY mentions...

THE FART FAIRY

The moral of the story? Be careful what you stories you share. They go around. Any time. Any place. Any where...

And that, my fellow failing friends (or non-failing!) is a Mommy Fail Moment! Ta-da! and should you want to check out what others wrote about, or join in yourself, please check out Mama Kat's Losin' It. We'd love for you to share, too!

Wordless Wednesday: Woohoo!!!

2011-08-24T06:11:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!!

This was a fun little experience!

1) I'm afraid of heights, and getting WAYYY up there on the green-screen mannequin was SCA-RY!

2) The disc wasn't ready when they said it would be... and then they couldn't find it.

3) Printing them ala Walgreen's was a bitch. (See details HERE!)

If you'd like to join in the fun... link up and see fun pics, too! It's a hoot and it'll get you revved up for (what I prefer to call it) "slump day". And if you'd like to see what I do on "other" days, check this out! Have a great Wednesday! (and check out my haiku challenge poem from today, too!)

Write a Haiku Weekly Challenge - Back-to-School

2011-08-24T06:09:00.000-07:00

My kids returned two weeks ago, exactly, to be exact, so... thought I'd play along with this new challenge. For fun!!!

Back to School

Time on my hands, not enough

There is no Free Time

Not enough "ME!" Time, Oh Why?

Yeah, I know... not "really" about back-to-school, but it is... ya know? It seems that since the kids have been back, my life is CRAZIER!!! Flying everywhere, and doing everything. *sigh* but... all in the name of love of the kids that have gone back. We'd do anything for them!

You can play, too! Write a haiku! First line = 7 syllables + Second line = 5 syllables + Third line = 7 syllables. Let's see what you can do! Thank you, Mommie Daze for prompting this challenge. Made me think a little. Link up yours to hers (she started it!). And then... check out my Wordless Wednesday pic... fun, fun... all in the middle day...

Tip-sy Tuesday - Tips from the Photo Printing World

2011-08-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

My Monday Mojo is running a tad late this week. I think I left it at Walgreen's yesterday...

I had ordered prints for my "California Project" (this week's DT Challenge), and had "issues" at the above-noted establishment.

Let's start at the beginning...

I uploaded online. I always do. Usually, I have them mailed to me, because... *sigh* I'm not a "glossy" person. I'm a "matte" person.

Glossy just attracts things. Things like fingerprints. Things like dust. Things like GLARE when you're trying to take pics of them. And glossy just can't be played with as much (i.e. coloring with markers, pens, paint... whatever...) without being totally obvious and taking away from the effect.

So matte is my fave. I love to play with my photos, both in PhotoShop (I have two programs!) and the more traditional way, the manual way... where I can do it myself.

But Sunday night, I ordered prints to pick up at the store, and they only do glossy in the store. No bigsters. Ok.

I went to pick them up after working in the kindergarten class yesterday morning (around noon'ish). They did not have my order. They had nothing. It didn't show in the queue. Um... WHAT? And so... being the SmartPhone that it is, I whipped out my trusty cell phone and got on the dang internet. Whew! (I looked really tech-y, I'm sure!) Logged in... and it had me at an order continuation page. Um... yeah... It told me that my available time was no longer available. Meaning? I had to resubmit my order! Seriously? And then it happened AGAIN! Ugh! Finally, it went through... ok.

TIP #1: ALWAYS check to make sure the order went through before going to bed for the night. (a confirmation screen must be seen!!!)

The order confirmation page told me my pics would be ready in an hour. The tech said give me 15 minutes. And then he went on his 15 minute break? (So not my day!) And so... I'm sitting there. I've already browsed the store, picked up a couple-a school supplies that were steals.. um... DEALS! and perused the alcohol (did you know that there is a chocolate red wine imported from Holland for $12.99 a bottle..? not sure about that one...), came back and sat on a stool waiting. And I waited more... (it's air-conditioned, ya know? and it was well above 95 outside...).

A manager came and asked if I needed help. I told said manager that my prints were going to be done by noon, and she informed me it was AFTER. WHAT?? uh... and so... she looked in the queue, printed out the pics, and stopped. She informed me that she could not let me take the 5x7 photo I'd ordered. She said it was copyrighted.

Yes... I told her. I know that. And I paid for the copyright. (It is a Sea World photo, with all of us on Shamu... no jokes, please...) She said she'd have to see the copyright release. Ok... and so, I wasted gas and went back home to get the CD.

And I came back. I handed her the CD. She told me she didn't have a way to "read" it. Seriously... Ok, well, can't we just put it on the kiosk thingamajiggy and read it there. Only the kiosk only accepts photos and videos she told me. (I'm sure my eyes were rolling to the back of my head at this point, and I really didn't care if she saw me do it or not, but the folks at Sea World assured me I would have NO problems, that photo places knew about the discs and copyrights... and here I was... over 1 1/2 hours from the time my pics were supposed to be ready! AND! the fact that duh... she could've probably viewed it on the screen anywho...) *huff* and so... I went back home, as it was closer than the Kinko's she suggested (and cheaper, too!) and printed the dang thing.

TIP #2: When in doubt, print it out (if you believe you may have a copyright issue).

And I came back... again... Apparently, there's some peeps out there who are so frickin' desperate that they fraudulently print the copyright doc, as well, because... she tried to tell me I could've just done that myself. (Guess who was getting a call later that afternoon? uh yeah... Corporate Walgreens!) But then... the printing operator came back and showed her the copyright page with the THEME PARK EXCEPTIONS! and handed me my items (without even an apology) and sent me on my pissy little way.

Yes, I did call. That phone call took another 20 minutes and made my day much brighter. I'm that kind of person. Bad customer service and harassing customers, especially from management, deserve a phone call (and not the good kind). On the upside, after huffing and puffing and ruffling my feathers (wait... I had to pull my panties outta the bunch!)... I ended up with a hefty (read: FREE prints!!!) discount the next time I order in store (like I'll ever be doing that again!).

TIP #3: If you have a problem, let people know. If they can't help you, take it to a higher power... and so on...

And so, my steam and my mojo were well spent at Walgreen's... (hopefully, it'll come back soon!)

I'd show you the pic in question, but I'm saving that little tidbit for tomorrow...

How did the rest of my day go? um... let's just say... (not a photo printing tip... sorry...)

TIP #4: When putting loads of cooked beans (pinto or other) into the fridge, do not put them in one of the throw-away containers like Glad. The lid comes off and someone may have to clean the floor!

So... here's hoping you all find yourself some useful tips. Thanks for your awesome comments, and I hope to be using them soon! And... have a great day! Remember... it could be worse...

Feed Me Friday!!! and the Proposal of other Days...

2011-08-20T22:56:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know today is Saturday, but meh... Whatcha gonna do 'bout it? huh?

And I thought of this late last night... so the thought process was still working and here's my thoughts written down.

Starting THIS coming week... (can I get a drumroll, please?) I'll be writing/posting MORE! Woohoo! I'm thinking I'm going to have "days" (and hopefully... when I can... posts in between, as well). But, someone had commented to me (on another post I posted... of all things! YES! I totally DO read your comments and take them to heart!) that she specifies a certain day for a certain thing, and this sort of keeps her on a schedule.

School has started back, and I'm seriously trying to get on a schedule for ME! Yes... I said ME! ME does exist, it's not just for the kids or the hubs, ya know...

So...

Mondays - Queen of My Craftroom's Monday Mojo - where I post Design Team challenges that I've linked to her blog. By all means, please feel free to go to the Queen's blog as well, and see what the other designers and challenge-takers have done, as well!

Tuesday - Tip-sy Tuesday - where I post tips whether they be crafty, gardener-esque, shopping-esque, cooking-esque, or just general-wannabe-knowledge-esque. Pretty much what I've learned or found out through experience or others. And I totally love to give credit where credit is due, so if you'd like to share a tip, send it HERE (please... no SPAM!) I'd love to give you a shout-out and link up to your blog or website as well, so let's open the communication lines and begin a wonderful relationship! And I may even feature tipsters who haven't sent me anything... my friends and lovely/loyal followers and commenters... I love you all!

Wednesday - Wordless Wednesday - where... yeah... I post a picture that's worth more than words. I usually link up to Two of a Kind Working on a Full House, where she's got great tips and contests (win some FREEBIES everyone!) on everything from parenting to just life in general, and the Wordless Wednesday "HQ". Lots of my following friends (including A Nut in a Nutshell - another awesome friend with contests and tips!) It's fun to see what everyone's been up to and what thoughts/pics they have on the brain... Click around and check their posts out. Make some friends... I do! AND PLEASE!!! Leave comment love for peeps. Everyone needs a scratch on the back!

Thursday - Mama Kat's Losin' It Writer's Workshop (Writing Prompts) - on Sunday or (sometimes) Monday, Mama Kat posts some writing prompts, and a bunch of us "writers" post, based on these prompts. They are often fun and sometimes humorous, but sometimes sad, so... grab some tissue and jump around, because the tears will be flowing, either by hilariousness or compassion. And once again, this is a great way to visit others, leave some comments, and make new friends.

Friday - Feed Me! Friday - I'll either post a recipe that I've tried out with a photo tutorial and/or *gasp* maybe even a video or... a review of a restaurant or food product I've tried and what I opine about it... and for those of you who know me... I have LOTS of those! As a matter of fact, last night, we went to a "new" restaurant (new to me, but has been there for years, and I'd just never visited... huh?) and I was being me... analyzing everything. (Yeah... I do THAT!) He told me he didn't want everything to be analyzed... but then proceeded to hand me over a piece of fried tortilla from a chimichanga and asked me what I thought. Well... without "thinking" I started to tell him, then stopped, apologized and said, "Nevermind..." My 17-year-old daughter started cracking up. He didn't get it. Um... yeah... don't tell me NOT to do something and then ask me to do it! Very confusing for the blondness!

Saturday and Sunday are currently freebies for whatever I might decide to do. As... well... I haven't decided just yet. But hey! leave me a comment and tell me what you think of my lineup!!! I totally love that you leave me ideas and such and comments just totally rock (makes me feel like I'm NOT talking/writing to myself so much... hee, hee!) Blast 'em out, Baby!!!

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 5.) The perfect hiding spot.

2011-08-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Where NOT to Go?

If you're a fly

or a teensy little ant

Stay still

Stay quiet

And hide inside my plant

If you're a child

Playing hide and seek

Go into a closet

Close the door.

Don't laugh

and

Don't peek!

But if you're me

Trying to get away

From the things that bother you

Every. Single. Day.

Don't go into the Craftroom

They'll find you there.

They know you...

Yes, I know... It isn't fair.

So smile and take

Your purse and the car keys

Go to the mall...

And only answer the cell phone

IF YOU PLEASE!

Yes, you've found it!

The perfect hiding spot

Can they find me or you?

No... I think NOT!

Wordless Wednesday: Ready, Aim, AIR!!!

2011-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

This was the last day of Summer Swim Lessons...

School started the following week... : (

Monday Mojo: Altered Project (Late, but Better Late than...)

2011-08-16T23:48:00.000-07:00

Whew! This past week has been super duper crazy!

School started for the kids last week, and I've been working in the kindergarten classroom, helping ease the newbie kinder parents of their seperation anxiety (translation: pulling the kids from their parents' arms and pushing said parents OUT the door). It's been a week now, and yes... we're still having to deal with it. Apparently, this year is the worst ever. I won't go into too much detail, but ugh! It's been wild.

On top of that... if you've noticed, I haven't been posting as much as I'd hoped/promised. But that's all about to change!!! I've been having problems with my internet loading, with each page loading, with photos loading, etc. So, I finally got tired of it all and called Time Warner. Today, my newest friend (bow down to Jaime!!!), came over and fixed it all for me. New modem, new router, a splitter change, (input all the time to find the issues, as the splitter wasn't inside, but outside), and voila! I am BACK!

The issues had been driving me nuts and freezing the system, and now there are no problems, whatsoever. So... here's hoping Blogger won't give me any problems, either!

And on to Monday's Late Post! This week, we (at Queen of My Craftroom DT) were to do an altered project. Um... I had in mind I was going to refurbish and paint and decoupage a tray that I had long-ago given to my girls, only to have them never use it and donate it to a yard sale when they finally cleaned their room this past weekend (um, yeah... I did imply their room is clean!!! Which, YAY!!!! It really IS!!!). So... I took it back! But...

A beloved group called "Paper Hoarders" (um, gee... I wonder WHY I'm in that sort of group... *snicker*) had a challenge for an altered project also, which was... again... due Monday. The other part of the challenge was it had to be round. Round meant any way, shape or form of being round, not including my belly, because well... who the heck wants to see a decorated flabby round-shaped belly? And so... began with this little containter that my good friend was tossing. (Don't know what it had in it previously, but the sticker said $18.)

Marissa (my 6yo) is changing daily. She is finally letting me put "things" in her hair and lets me put it in different formats nowadays. (Yay! sooo different from last year where she had to wear it down every. single. day.) And I thought I could put hair bands, ribbons and bows in this great tin and she'd know what it was because, YEAH! you can see right in there!

And so... I measured, cut, glued, and all that jazz and started to wrap the tin. Oops! totally forgot abou the window. So... I measured, cut, and glued a frame, inked it up a tad, to blend in with the blue leopard print (I don't care for it, but Marissa sure does...), Cut a topper piece, a band, added a beautiful blue satin ribbon, and we were good to go! (Don't worry... the purple inside won't be seen, there are enough hair things to fill that sucker up!)

Unfortunately, because of the internet fiasco, and the not loading of it, and all the business, when I rushed home on Monday, I couldn't load it to the group's contest. So, I texted it, knowing it was late. I still wanted it to be known that I did do it. I felt accomplished! Whew! I wouldn't have won a prize anyway, seeing as it was simple, easy, and not a whole lotta thought about it, but... it was on my to-do list for my daughter's room, and... ta-da! Two challenges completed and one happy little girl is a success to me!

And so... If you'd like to get in on Queen of My Craftroom's challenge this week, you can join us over here. Just post an altered project, and you're good to go, too! Michelle and the rest of us would be glad to have you!

It's Monday Mojo... and Back to School!

2011-08-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

So, I know that lots of you out there think you've got plenty of time until school starts. Um, yeah... not so here. My kids start tomorrow!!! Yes, before the middle of August. And what better way than to celebrate the beginning of school than a Back-to-School challenge! and YES!!! I know it's TUESDAY, but we were super busy yesterday getting ready for back-to-school!!! Do forgive...

Over at Queen of My Craftroom, the DT's challenge was to make a card or layout. And so, in the spirit of back-to-school, my family gets back into a schedule (don't we all?). With that schedule, I try to make dinner every night and incorporate my kids helping to cook, as well. To make it a little more fun, I started a 6x6 recipe book.

Since some nights are chaotic, with homework and project assignments, tennis practices, shopping, and overall life, I did a fun, classic-style meal that the kids can make (parents, too!)... Lunchtime! Pigs in a Blanket! (can be dinner, too!)

This awesome paper was in my stash, and I cut it down into 6x6 squares, then sliced one of the squares in half (on the diagonal) and glued it on the full square, so that the cute border still made it onto the layout.

The bus is from Doodlecharms, and the cutie-pie kids are from Paper Doll Dress-Up.

A little chalk, some Stickles later, and we are zooming off to school!

Hope you like it, and don't forget... You, too, can join in the fun of our Back-To-School challenge. Make your card or layout, go to Queen of My Craftroom, and add your post (not the full blog!) link to Mr. Linky. We'd love to see what you've got to give! (the challenge link may not be available just yet, but keep trying...!)

It's Monday Mojo with Create-A-Critter!

2011-08-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, Happy August, folks! Can you believe it’s already here? Our summer is almost at an end, the kids go back to school next week!!! I am sooo not ready for that. There are sooo many things I didn’t do, that I wanted to. And so much sun to enjoy! But alas! All good things must come to an end. So… what’s better than a birthday card to cheer up the end-o-summer blues?

That’s right! The Queen of My Craftroom Design Team did a Create-A-Critter (CAC) project. And yes… here’s mine!

I was going to a birthday party (taking my 6-year-old so I had an excuse to get an invite... hee, hee!), and the birthday girl (who was turning ONE!) happens to affectionately be called "Baby Bear." Ah ha! I said!!! What better cartridge than to break out my CAC cart and whip out a cutie patootie bear! Woohoo! and the fun began...

I don't quite remember the height, but I believe it was around 4", as the card (*gasp*!) I made twice the size I usually do. That's right... it wasn't the typical A2 (4 1/4 x 5 1/2, folded in half), it was a whole wonkin' 8 1/2 x 11, folded in half! Yes, I went big today! Hey!

The layers were fun, though. She's a little bit darkish (Thank you, California Sun!), so I made her bear dark, as well... with a Stickled eyes, nose and smile. I inked the blush on the cheeks (what's a baby bear with out a little messy-ness?) and popped a cute present in her hand.

Her balloon friend, I cut the base piece twice. Once in dark grey, and once in neon pink. I didn't want the nose and inside-ear parts to be dark, and I didn't want the string to be pink. And so... I played with the pieces, snipping them and placing them where I wanted them. It worked out just perfect for me. Then, I inked the sides and stuff with a little more blush ink.

The "Happy Birthday" sentiment I took from another cartridge. Uh... I was working quickly and really don't remember which one... but I cut it out in a nice pastel pink to match the centers of the flowers (in the background paper) and passed it through Swiss Dots on the Cuttlebug. The "1st" I welded together (just a little bit), glittered it up with some Stickles and slightly pop-dotted it on top.

And... my final product once again. This went together really fast, with my ATG gun and my Zig 2-way Glue. I wouldn't have gotten anywhere without them. Thanks for stopping by, and YOU, too! can join in the fun and join in the challenges. Just pop in to Queen of My Craftroom, see what all of the other DT members have done, and add YOUR linkie! Toodles!

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 1.) A list of 10 old TV shows you’d like to make a comeback.

2011-07-07T17:32:00.000-07:00

Okey dokey. Let's take me back... to tv. (Like I don't watch enough already!) My top pics, because it DOESN'T say they have to be kids shows, adult shows, family shows, non-reality shows... are a bit all over the place. Just. Like. Me. (see previous post about me being all over the place!) And it all really depends what your definition of "old" is. (hee, hee!) Some are a little more recent, because... well, let's face it. Don't YOU get tired of investing your time into the characters and story line, only to have then snagged from you midseason or never to return the following season? Me, too!

1) The Facts of Life... You take the good; you take the bad; you take them both and there you have the Facts of Life, The Facts of Life... Seriously, who wouldn't want an awesome second Mom like Mrs. Garrett? Everyone loved her. She was wild; she was crazy, she was unpredictable, and most of all... she taught us all great life lessons, the true Facts of Life.

2) Fantasy Island... Ohhh, yeah... yum... My seven-year-old self lusted after Ricardo Montalban. To this day (at the ripe old age of forty!) I still think he's hot. Romantic, suave, classy... and then there was the show. I loved staying up on Saturday nights to watch people pay for a fantasy... and have them learn a lesson. To me, it was a lot like a different-type version of the Twilight Zone.

3) The Love Boat... promises something for everyone... Yep. Yessiree! It promised a seven-year-old an hour of romance and sailing the seas. Vicki was the luckiest girl alive... and I think every young girl aspired to be a cruise director... Calling Julie to the Promenade Deck!

4) Magnum PI. I have only two words for this one. Tom Selleck. (now I watch Blue Bloods!)

5) MacGyver... Kids today don't realize where the terms they use really came from. This one carries on...

6) Land of the Lost (the TV series... NOT the Will Ferrel movie!!!)... My 6-year-old loves it. We TiVo it whenever it comes on. Granted, the effects aren't that great (anymore), but this ancient series still has it's charm.

7)Will & Grace... one show that had absolutely everything. Humor. Fun. Wildness. Drama. Poignant moments. Romance. Heartfelt warmth. And a cast of actors that beat them all. I will always love this show... and I miss it so...

8)Moonlight... oh another YUM! Vampires... the adult kind that aren't so totally off-kilter and racy that they are rated R and on paid cable channels. And adult enough that you don't smack yourself for fantasizing about them... Totally taken before it was ready to go. I love you Alex O'Loughlin!

9)Women's Murder Club... another one that left us hanging. Out of sight Lindsay Boxer (Angie Harmon) and her other kick-ass-figure-it-out group solving murders and having romance (let's not forget Lindsay's ex-husband-turned-BOSS [Rob Estes... can we say YUM!!!! again?]) But we never knew if the Kiss Me Not Killer was ever caught, and he was after Lindsay... I guess if I really want to know, I can read the books... and add that to the long list of summer/everyday reads... ugh...

10) Samantha Who? Where? What? Happened? ugh! We all fell in love with the charming used-to-be-total-bitch-that-only-cared-about-herself-and-threw-everyone-else-under-the-bus-and-hurt-them-spitting-them-out but is totally sweet know because she was hit by a car and has amnesia. It's too bad she's gone...

There's a whole lot more I could add... and then some. As you can see by my sidebar, I'm a junkie... a tv addict, I was back then, and I always will be. Seasons and shows come and go and somewhere, somehow... the television gods have massive control over it all, including us (me). This alone, makes my list of shows-gone-bye grow... up into that great tv set in the sky...

Wordless Wednesday: Pretty Sights

2011-07-06T10:05:00.000-07:00

Miracalous view on the way to watch fireworks... If you missed this due to some beer goggles...it was real. Please excuse the bird shit... (and the crappy photo. not all phones are SMART!)

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 3.) What do you find most challenging about blogging?

2011-06-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

Wow! Where do I start? Everything is challenging, at times!

I'm not sure where my voice is sometimes. I'm not really sure who or what I wanna be when I grow up, so I just stick with being me. I'm a little bit all over the place. And that's why there is the name "Lisa's Little Bits". Yeah. Because... that's who I am.

But the most challenging? Hmm... it's remembering or having the time to actually post. Sure, I take lots of pictures of everything that I do, that my kids do, that my friends do, that I see other people do, etc. I also take lots of pictures of just about every. little. freakin'. thing. And... they actually do get put into the computer. But what doesn't always happen is a post.

Like most people, there isn't enough time in my day. By the time I'm done blog-hopping (please see the give-away - blog CANDY!!! on Scrapping at the McCalley House for the All American Blog Hop!!!) and reading other people's blogs and comments and all that other stuff, I seem to forget to do mine, or think that mine is less important... that those other people have better stuff or something more important to say or their story is better than mine, and HEY! who's reading it anyway? And so... I put it off to go pay homage to other people. (Please see blog candy reference in parentheses in this paragraph to believe me! lol!)

If... if I could get a focus or design team or something like this that would "require" my input? Yeah, sure! I'd totally do it in a heartbeat. I love writing for other people or with a commitment or goal in mind. And yeah! I'd find the time and totally make the effort.

So I guess, by reading my own post... my most challenging thing about blogging is actually myself. I need to make sure I put the time in and make sure that I have confidence that what I have to say/do/be is important!!!!

So, thank you, Mama Kat! One day soon... I'll get there again...

*** NOTE! If any of you came here after 7/4/11, OOPS! I posted the WRONG link. Please go to today's post HERE. Thank you and have a wonderful day!!!

Wordless Wednesday: I'm so GLAD it's Summertime!

2011-06-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 2.) Write a poem inspired by a picture you took last week. Share both! (and SOS Challenge 5)

2011-06-23T09:47:00.000-07:00

um... In my busy-ness these days, I barely remembered to take a photo of a card I made. Scratch that. I didn't remember, so I asked the receiver if I could "borrow" the card back to take a photo. She understood. She's my friend, and she knows me well.

Here's the card:

But of course! I went to a baptism.

This is more of a close-up... There are two foil layers, and OMG! Those were hard as heck to get. A full sheet of 8-1/2 x 11, and only those two came out all right. The others were bent, crinkled, or puckering. Ugh!

I seriously believe this was the hardest card I've ever done in my life. I couldn't think of what to do, what to say... without it sounding like a heavenly-joining-God-type of sympathy card. And it was for a kid. So... I spent more time on the poem. And then I dashed to my Gypsy, and got the card pumped out. Martha (my favorite friend... you know, the one with the last name Stewart?) helped me out a tad with the awesome butterfly punch. This is a wonderful tool that was STILL in the packaging. EEK! And so... I decided to put it to some good use and loved the intricate wings it gave me. Vellum is my friend, too, as it makes those little flutterbies (yes... I did that intentionally...!) look delicate and kinda real, no? Just stick glue on the "body" and fold them up a bit, and they look like they're flying into Heaven, itself! and it just wouldn't've (like that conjugation? hahaha, thought so!) been complete without a little bit of Stickles down the body, to make them golden.

Anywho... part of this prompt is a poem, too. Um... gonna cheat a little here, as I actually wrote a poem for the card. Seriously, it took me FOREVER, sitting in front of the computer and changing words and fonts, and such, but... I got it done, and I don't believe it sounds like "death", so I went with it. (Since the card is in cream, white, and gold... the font was in a chocolate script.)

And here goes...

Welcome, Loreli

To Jesus’ world

With your bright smile

And your hair all curled

Now you are blessed

As blessed as can be

We watched you be baptized

We came to see

We watched you anointed

And welcomed you to the fold

Becoming a part of

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Where the butterflies fly

In the Heavenly Land

And you walk by God

As he holds your hand

There are many folks who thought I might've found this on the internet. Uh, nope. I did it all by my lonesome. I always do. And these same-type folks believe I should sell this kind of stuff. Truth is, folks, I'm not that confident in what I do. In "my" world... the world of bloggers (writers and crafters and paper people makers, etc.), everyone can do this. And many do it much better than me. *sigh* It's a competitive world out there, and I really can't handle rejection. I simply do it for my friends and family, so that I can share a part of myself with them.

Now... if I knew I could make it... I'd take a chance and do it... Yeah... I'm fickle like that.

And yeah, I'm trying to get back into my blogging, my writing, my crafting, etc. Part of how I plan to do this is... CHALLENGES! and here... I fit in two birds! (um... I mean BUTTERFLIES!) Woohoo! If you're into making cards and have lots of stash (or don't...), check out S.O.S. (Shopping Our Stash) to enter into the weekly challenges and USE some of the hoarding we all do... If you're into writing, check out Mama Kat's Losing It for her writing prompts each week, and join in! Maybe, just maybe... you'll wanna do BOTH!

Wordless Wednesday: YES!!!

2011-06-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

and with THAT! the stress is all worth it.

I'm coming back!

Trying to Find My Footing... Ooop! There It Is!!!!

2011-05-14T18:28:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, life just whips you. Others whip you, too. And sometimes... it just gets to be too much and nothing that YOU wanted to do gets done.

I can't blame anyone but myself. I'm the one who volunteers and who gets volunteered. But I'm the one who ultimately does not say, "NO!". I pride myself in helping out when and where I can, for whoever might need it. And my stuff (no matter how piddly it may be)... gets put on the back burner. And it fizzles out. (I did the decos in the background here... for the Father/Daughter Dance...)

You know what I mean, right? It fizzles out, because I'm worn out or the "mojo" just isn't there anymore. Dunno know if it's truly a depressive state or something else, but I'm trying to get it back and find my footing. Sometimes, you have to move stuff around to find it again!

So, there you have it! Thank goodness for my friends. I have wonderful friends. I have friends in the blogosphere, as well as friends (and family) in real life that encourage me and tell me how great I am. Although it may be a lie, it gives me a sense of hope in myself... a feeling that I am not totally doomed; I just need to find the right step.

And so today, on this day, I am thanking (specifically!) Lisa (love the name, don't you?) at Papergrace Designs. She has influenced me to get off my ass and do this "challenge". What challenge? Um... S.O.S. And that's exactly what I need.

While some may believe SOS to be "Save Our Souls" (Selves... WHATEVER!), in this case, it is "Shopping Our Stash," which may well save my "self" or "soul". Because... Um... I need a challenge to push my butt in gear.

Sure... I've done challenges (like Jingle Belles!), but I got a lot to do at one time and am now a whopping 5 weeks behind! (6, if you count this week's challenge!) One thing I've done a lot of is shopping my stash. I haven't bought anything for any of those challenges since before Christmas 2010. Actually, except for the rare impulse buy or great deal or necessity item (doing my daughter's grad album!), I have seriously been using my stash and then some.

But... as you will see... I have a whole lotta stash to deal with. The first challenge, which they gave some of us (the ultimate procrastinators) 2 whole weeks to do, is to post pics of our area... our stash. I've had the craft room for 10 months now, and have never posted pics, except on Twitter. huh.

I've always promised that I'd straighten it up, add a little pizazz here, a few touches there... and then I get all overwhelmed again. But NO! The peeps at SOS want us to NOT straighten and organize it all, just to post it. Woohoo! And... I can do that.

And without further ado... here we go! (hey...! NO judging!!!):

and behind the black curtain...

the super duper messy table!

the wall!

cutting station

sewing station and other supplies

And YES! I know I need to clean it up, but with Mother's Day, Prom, lots of birthdays, PTA stuff, Kindergarten classroom stuff, etc., I've just been all over the place and not quite had the time to clean up after myself. (It's not like the crafting critters are gonna come take it all away, now... are they?) My footing is right here, where I left it. Things just need to be shifted around a bit for me to keep it.

And now I challenge YOU to join in... maybe we can all push each other to reach to a higher limit, to use our stash, to SAVE money, and make the best of what we already have. AND! If you link up, maybe YOU could win some blog candy, too (they're offering some FABULOUS stuff!)!!

Wordless Wednesday: It Says It All On It's Own...

2011-04-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Just a cutie-pie card I made my mom for her 60th...

Wordless Wednesday: Beautiful Things Can Be Found...

2011-04-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

... a hop skip and a jump from your very own BACK YARD!

(This gorgeous nature version was found on a walk... just around the block!)

Jingle Belles: Batman (uh...) Smells. And Who Else Did What?

2011-04-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

At first, I thought the challenge sprung on us on none other than April Fool's Day was a joke. Apparently it wasn't. We were to make a humorous Christmas card. Umkay.

First of all. I have no "funny" Christmas stuff. Yeah, I have funny Get Well stuff and funny Birthday stuff and even funny miscellaneous stuff. But no funny Christmas stuff. Ick.

And so... after perusing LOTS of blogs and commenting on all of the other challengers who posted, I kind of got an idea (or two). I ran them by one of my kids. Strike ONE!!!!

Said kid thought they were both totally dumb (she's 17... like she knows anything!), but thought one was even more dumb than the other. (dropping shoulders in defeat...)

As I rolled my eyes and toyed in my brain with the least "dumbest" of the two, it started to form in my mind's eye. I could vividly see it. Now... to only portray it and match it to that picture. Ick.

And so... I told the idea to two close friends. Karen, who laughed. And Lisa (l-o-v-e that name, don't you? hee, hee!), who thought it was cute, too.

And so... I sat down and toyed with my Gypsy while watching my shows (I'm a total addict, ya know...) and holding my beloved dog on my lap. Well... I got kind of distracted and it took a while. Not sure it will turn out the way I wanted it to, but meh. Had to try to get it accomplished.

And so... I'm actually writing the majority of this post before humorless card is actually even completed. Heck! It's not even cut out! It's sitting in my Gypsy as a design only. I have yet to pick the right papers. But hopefully, I will get to it. It might be a little tricky, and I'm running out of time.

I am leaving in a few hours to speed to LA County and spend a couple of days with my mom and all four of my girls (pooch included - gotta take the dog!). I'm hoping to get it cut out and thrown together and pictures taken and this dang post finished before 11am this morning. Do I think I'll accomplish it? Um... we'll see. I really would like to meet the deadline again...

And so... here's my idea:

i'll do better pics when i get back, as this is a scan... and i was in a hurry.

It's DONE!

You see here, EARTH done in blues and greens... and some "peas" sitting amongst the EARTH.

of course... i just had to put little hats and Peachy Keen-stamped faces on the little critters!

and the little hats (buggers to size just so to fit atop each little pea head!)... had to get some flocking in... and some STICKLES!!!

Love the night sky, because that's the way I see EARTH sitting in the universe... and added little gold stars to the starred background sky...

And on the inside... it reads:

Okay! Who asked for PEAS ON EARTH for Christmas?

It's as jolly as it gets, honey... at least I tried! lol!

Just a reminder... You can still join in on the Jingle Belles fun! Just go to their blog, hop around and look at what everyone else is doing, and you can do it, too! Enjoy!!!

I've Got Friends...

2011-04-03T10:47:00.000-07:00

in Virtual Places...

Where the witty drowns
And the Cheer chases my blues away,
And I'll be okay,

Now I'm not up with network graces
Think I'll head on back
To see their computer faces...

'Cause I got friends in virtual places!

(sung to Garth Brooks' "I Got Friends in Low Places"... if you couldn't already have figured that one out!)

I'm not one to be big on country music (ducking the tomatoes and baling wire!), but I do like this song. And right about now... I'm feeling just a little down. A little left out. A lot of unwanted. Totally sad. And utterly useless.

So I decided to go blog-hopping on my own. I didn't do any following parties or anything, even though there's LOTS of those going on. I am just feeling kinda like I don't belong. (you know... like the song...)

So I went hopping along to bloggers that have posted comments on my recent posts. I shared the love. They are my friends in virtual places. And they always make me feel the love. Nobody's ever been negative to me there and they pat me on the back (virtually, of course... commenting on projects or written words). My virtual friends make me feel appreciated and loved. And I thought I'd return the favor a little.

I try to comment on others' posts. I believe they are in need of a little praise. Afterall, they did a great job just be creating a blog and posting on it. And I appreciate them.

I visited funny stories, wonderful cards, lovely heart-wrenching posts, honest open-ness, and beautiful words that picked me up a little bit.

So if I visited/commented on your blog in the past couple of days, please know... you gave me a sense of worth. And I thank you. (and if I haven't, leave a comment, and I'll be sure to visit you soon!) CHEERS!

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 3.) What I know for sure.

2011-03-31T14:40:00.000-07:00

I know lots of things. I'm one of those people. Yes. I am.

I read a lot of books. And if I hear about something that I don't know about... I research it. Because, well... I like to be one of those people.

I'm not a know-it-all. Because, I don't know everything. Nobody does. I know lots of things, though. And I put it together. I figure it out.

But what I know for sure is... I am one of those people. I'm proud of it. I like to be one of those people, because, well... I don't like having to ask everyone else everything else. No, I don't.

I like to have one of those other kinds of people ask me. I like to feel... mmm... not like I know more than others, but like I have a some-type-of-purpose-other-than-merely-existing sense to my being. Because... people like me have a paranoia about them. People like me feel like they have no purpose in life, at least not a significant one. So... people like me... those kind of people feel somewhat important, like they do have a purpose in life.

And you know what I know for sure, even more than what I knew for sure just a second ago? Um... I'm really kind of silly. And nobody knows anything for sure, huh? Even those kind of people... people like me!

Jingle Belles: The Holly, the Ivy and the Missing Card!

2011-03-30T14:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know... I'm posting at the most absolute last minute again. But hey! At least I did it. AND! I did the missing JB08 Sketch card, because well... I'm just not that organized that I lost it and had to do it all over again. So there!

JB13 is something having to do with foliage, and I did 3 cards. 2 of them were... meh. Uh, nah... and so I began again.

I punched the branches out of green, added some stickles and ribbon, a little ink and VOILA! Simple and deckin' the halls, still! I probably could've made the wreath a little fuller, but... uh... the adhesive was already covered. Oh well. (I am not posting the fuss-ups today, because I forgot to take pics of them and am TOTALLY running out of time!)

JB08? Yeah, well... I used the same Martha Stewart branch punch, but in white, flowed it into a half-circle added cutesy bluesy prints, some ribbon, bling and more stickles. Done.

can you tell i l-o-v-e blue?

And now caught up!

You can join in the fun, too, ya know... Check out what others did at Jingle Belles and play with some cards, too! Another challenge will be posted on Friday. (Maybe next week I'll actually get everything done earlier. Ya never know!!!)

Wordless Wednesday: Art Speaks

2011-03-30T01:16:00.000-07:00

Taken by my daughter Summer 2010, but something I hope to see...

It's on my bucket list!

Mama Kat's Losing It Writing Prompts: 2.) April is national poetry month...Write a poem about hope.

2011-03-24T09:54:00.000-07:00

Something that fills us
Makes us all warm and fuzzy
Gives us insipiration
And mystery

A feeling
A joy
A psychic ability
Premonitions moving strong

Propelling us
Keeping us
Moving...
On...

Playing Posting Catch-Up with the Jingle Belles!

2011-03-23T18:58:00.000-07:00

So ya know... I feel like crud. My body's okay... my my chest and head are just full of congestion and all the yucky stuff that goes with it. So... I took a week off. Big whoop. But... I didn't fully take the week off. I still did everything I had to do... you know... 'cause I got me some K-I-D-S! and Momma don't get sick time... And so, I sucked it up. I'll post (tomorrow maybe...) the other things I did throughout last week, crafty-wise, and you can see my St. Patty's Day project underneath this post on Wordless Wednesday.

But for today! I am super duper L-A-T-E posting this, as I got totally into it and kept changing and getting things just so... that I totally missed the deadline to link up. Oh well. Boogers! I actually thought I was going to skip it, but had a little time and decided to give it a go, since my idea just wouldn't leave me.

And here we are! JB12! It was a sketch, which I'm just usually so not good at, but this little bugger wouldn't leave my brain until I actually did it. And yes... it took a while... and my interpretation is WAY different than everybody elses', but hey! I love it!

The flocking had to dry... and so did the glitter...

That cute little face? ... is a Peachy Keen Stamp! Gotta love them! A little chalk for blush and red-nose effects, black mark to enunciate the separations... And see that hat? Um... yeah... I cut the hats (TWO! because one was in white and the other in red), then handcut the "furry" parts off the white and flocked them. But uh... I had the hat the. way. it. came. I forgot to "flip" it. And so... I just flipped the red hat over, cut the pompom off the white flocked fur, flipped that, adjusted it, and glued the pompom down? Can you tell? Huh! I can't!

The sentiment is hand-written (and so are the "bricks"!) with white GellyRoll pen. The glitter is my fave... that I am almost out of...

and the little snowflake-y button-y thingies? were leftover from Calendar swaps last November. I just love utilizing bits of things and different techniques! Gotta love it!

Next up... last week's card... JB11! I'm just late posting, but hey! the card got done. The challenge? Craft, pale blue and white. Woohoo! My fave colors to work with. But. I went super simple. I was really feeling out of it and just wanted to get it D-O-N-E. And done... I did it!

The card is craft cardstock... and this blue background is one of my favorite papers (I'm gonna have to find me some MORE!) that I'm almost out of... I did the tree in white on the Cricut (swirl tree - Christmas Solutions), added a little rafffia bow and stamped a "Peace" Star sentiment at the top of the tree, embossing it in holographic Ranger powder. Easy. Simple. And I went to bed...

I still have one more left to find... it seems to be eluding me, but the sketch challenge from JB08 is missing! I have yet to take pics of it. I will give it one more search, and then I'll make another... Ugh! Sometimes, organization eludes items... lol!

Anywho... Peace be with you... hahaha! And hope you like the cards! I had fun, and I'm sure you would, too... If you'd like to join in, you still can! There's many more weeks until December, so check out the Jingle Belles Blog and join in the fun!

Wordless Wednesday: Got Gold?

2011-03-23T17:59:00.000-07:00

My daughter in Kindergarten class, St. Patrick's Day 2011 (last week!).

**Note: I made this for the kindergarten teachers to keep. Got the idea from Women's World. My friend (Mindy) bought the science projectboard, and I did the rest freehand... a little paint, a little construction paper and LOTS of glitter... If you want the instructions, lemme know in the comment section (with an email!) and I'll be glad to get it to you.

Jingle Belles: Home for the Holidays (and others)

2011-03-09T14:59:00.000-08:00

It's another shot of Jingle Belles Rock! I'm on my way to lots of cards for Christmas... ahead of schedule!

So... I've been a little behind posting my cards (and I can't find one of them to take a picture of!), but here's catch up... and super duper LATE!

First up... There's No Place Like "Home for the Holidays" (I know you know the song...) is the theme... um... I live in Southern California, so it's pretty much always sunny at Christmastime... and... I really couldn't think of anything else... (had a blank moment...)

Next up... "Text Me" (where we had to use some text as the basis!)

I soooo love the sentiment!

And I highlighted it with pine boughs and golden pinecones...

with a little Glimmer Mist as a background...

And I also have... "No Red, She Said!" (the one where we didn't use any red...)

A striped vellum background, attached with eyelets... some cool blue ribbon,

aqua-ish "joy/joy" stamping, and a carefree bird (touched up with some Stickles)

Flying free!

So... I still have to find the one I did for a sketch, and I'll be all caught up! Woohoo! But in the meantime, if you'd like to join in on the fun, feel free to go to Jingle Belles and see other awesome cards and also... to see what you've been missin'!

Wordless Wednesday: Reflections

2011-03-09T06:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we find beauty in the simplest things... and out of nowhere.

Some Kids Can Be Cruel - Others Can Be Awesome!

2011-03-08T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, we were going to a birthday party. It was a bittersweet day for Marissa (6-year-old), because this was the last birthday party for the two little girls (whose birthday it was) here. (They are moving to another state in the middle of the country at the endish of the month.) And she was sad about it.

She took her time in getting ready. My daughter, who doesn't usually like to dress up, wear earrings, do her hair, etc... took lots of pain-staking time to plan her outfit. She matched her top and her bottom. She matched the bling that was on her top to a headband that had bling, too. Since the headband was blue, she chose her favorite blue snowman socks (her top and bottom was black and white). And well... Twinkletoes (Skechers) just go with everything, I mean... A girl can wear bling, right? But she asked me to put in bling-y earrings, and she brushed her hair until it was soft.

And then... she did something that is fairly new to her, she lightly misted herself with body spray. And she was ready.

Me? My heart poured and pulsed with pride, overflowing, I could feel it pounding in my chest. She was SO proud of herself. And I was proud of her, too.

Off we went to the party...

Things were good to begin with. But somewhere... something happened. And I had a 6-year-old bawling, crawling onto my lap. She curled herself up in a ball, burying her face in my neck and told me she wanted to go home. My heart clenched in pain with each rack of sobs. I got her to calm down a little bit and she was able to get out the story...

Another girl had told her (rather nastily) that she didn't match for anything. Only her top and bottom did. And I understood the pain she felt.

Her pride and her feelings were now mortally hurt. She felt less than nothing. Like she could do nothing right.

Now... I know some of you are thinking, "What's the big deal? It's nothing." But, please remember... this was a major effort that she undertook, and she was so proud she did it on her own. I believe in letting children identify with themselves. Unless it's for an appointed photo, let them dress how they want and choose who they want to be (within reason, of course... let's not have gang-bangers and Madonna's at 6, please!). And my little girl is on the way to discovering her own style... herself.

Yes, there are times when I want to say, "NOOOO! Put that back...!" But... that day... her logic was there and she had gone through it piece by piece, and it didn't look bad, it looked like a little girl had picked her outfit and she was trying to say something about herself.

Ok... off my soapbox and back to the story...

I asked Marissa which little girl it was, and what was she wearing. Between sniffles, she told me. (By the way... by now, my shirt was pretty drenched and it looked like I had been breastfeeding and leaked... but I'm okay with that!) Of course, I couldn't be obvious and pull a Linda Blair act, as she was somewhere behind me, so I waited until she was in line for the upcoming game and within my eyesight. Daggers and dirty looks were being sent over our way... for no reason. Apparently, when someone does something to someone else, even if that someone else doesn't do anything back to you, dirty looks and huffy attitudes are the thing to do... *I'm not sure of the other little girl's age... but, she looked to be somewhere between 9 and 11.

The hostess came around asking if the kids were going to play a game. She wanted to know why Marissa wasn't going to play. So, I briefly told her, and also let her know Marissa was going to be okay. After all, I really don't want to get anyone in trouble. It just takes time to calm a kid down. She told my daughter how beautiful she looked and that she loved her outfit.

The hostess asked which little girl it was. I told her. (YES! I was a snitch!!! But I did it so that in the future, Marissa wasn't placed next to her for any reason...) She then pulled the other girl out of the line and talked to her privately. She came back to us and told Marissa, "Marissa, you look absolutely beautiful! You are at a party, and YOU are supposed to have fun and not worry about people being mean. The other little girl is on a big time out, so please come and play with us."

And Marissa did. The other little girls were so nice to her and gathered around to include her... it was... WOW! My daughter had the best day ever, after that. She enjoyed herself to the fullest.

My friend, the hostess, is truly what the phrase "the hostess with the mostest" is. Because of her grace and kindness, and the other little girls just enjoying the party, too... my daughter had the time of her life. And she didn't go home early. She got to spend precious time with her friends.

please forgive the fuzziness of the photo my 17-yo lacks focusing skills (ha, ha!)

The other little girl? I don't know why she was that way that day... but I was told (by my hostess friend) that she is always like that, but it's not okay for her to ruin the party for others. I'm sure there's something underlying somewhere, and I hope one day she overcomes her anger with the world, but it saddens me that it had to be that way.

Maybe if she let's those awesome "other" girls surround her with their awesomeness, some of it will rub off... just like it did on my daughter... so that she, too, can have the time of her life.

***And to my hostess friend... if you are reading this, THANK YOU! from the bottom of my heart for making a little girl feel good about herself again. Because you know... little girls don't always believe their mothers. And you will be missed. I love you!

Wordless Wednesday: Sometimes You Just Feel Like...

2011-03-02T07:25:00.000-08:00

A Big Pile of **it!

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!

Wordless Wednesday: Just Kickin' It

2011-02-16T07:14:00.000-08:00

Jingle Belles: Baby It's Cold Outside!

2011-02-09T14:21:00.000-08:00

So... this week's (due in a couple of minutes!!!) challenge was "Baby, It's Cold Outside." And so... me, being the lover of all things steamy (get your head outta the gut-ter!!!) and warm, and scrumptious and that fill my mug up (yes, my cup runneth over...), I went with the cup o' jo card from Cricut's Joy of the Season cartridge. Using the "card" feature, I programmed it to cut at 8.5" wide, which got me an almost A2 card. Woohoo! No figuring at all...

Quickly (because, we ALL know I procrastinated again... well... I was really busy for the past couple of days, so hey!) I masked off the card with painter's tape and left the mug free for GLIMMER-MIST SPRAYING!!! And I zapped it with Cinnamon... peeled off the tape and got this:

A little messy, but we (I) can fix that up...

Long story short, I mitered (again! I just love the more "finished" look of mitered ribbon) some gingerbread ribbon to make a border and cover up the messiness, adhered a "Merry Christmas" background to the back of the cut... and then realized the challenge wasn't "How to Warm Up"... it was supposed to feature mittens or scarf of something... so...

I cut (in a royal blue), mittens and a scarf (Winter Woodland cartridge) adhered it to the bottom of the card, filled in with glitter glue and touched up with some more... and glitter-glued (yes, they are all STICKLES!!!)the steamy swirls of the cup of coffee/hot chocolate/hot-buttered rum (use your imagination P-E-O-P-L-E!!!!). And voila!

We (I!!!) were done...

If you'd like to join in, please check them out at Jingle Belles, as another challenge will be up and running every Friday morning. Toodles!

Wordless Wednesday: Spring is COMING!

2011-02-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

Just a bench stop at the Los Angeles Zoo... three weeks ago...

A Letter to a (My) Teenager

2011-02-03T16:01:00.000-08:00

Dear Future Teenager,

While the world is growing and things are advancing, like technology... you might come across this letter and think, "How the heck did she write this?" and "What the heck does she mean?"

I know, because, well... I thought those things, too.

Language uses change, as does meanings of words. People change, as they get older, becoming less tolerable.

If I say you are sick... it doesn't mean it is fabulous. It either means you are being disgusting or you have an illness.

If I say something is ridiculous, it doesn't mean fabulous, either. It means it is stupid, preposterous, or laughable.

If I say you are beautiful, that doesn't mean sarcastic, as I would never tell you that with sarcasm and have it mean the opposite.

When I say, "I love you", it means what it is. Love from me that is there for you. Please hold this in your heart forever.

So... if ever I say things to you that you might find offensive or embarrassing, please remember, in my time, they weren't offensive, but meant something that I would want you to be or believe that you are. So, in my own way... don't take it the WRONG way. I don't mean to embarrass you. I just mean to tell you the honest truth, and have you keep it with you, as a memory in your brain.

Love always... Mom

This post is courtesy of Mama Kat's Losin' It Writers' Workshop, Weekly Writing Prompt: Write a Letter to Your Future Teenager. Thanks, Mama Kat!

Wordless Wednesday: There are no words...

2011-02-02T14:26:00.000-08:00

except... AWE-SOME!!!

Sketchy Week for Jingle Belles!

2011-02-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

Hello there! We are on WEEK 5 at Jingle Belles. And this week, our challenge was to follow a sketch. I'm not usually fond of sketches, but this week was a super cool, super simple one by Amy. It allowed me to use lots more of my stash... FYI... this week everything is from my stash!

Here's the finished card:

(please forgive the bending of the card... I still need to lay it flat!

Glimmer Mist can do that...)

I Glimmer-misted the whole card in English Ivy (love! how the Glimmer Mist makes the white space look like a misted-green sky with greenish stars...), added some gold ribbon from my stash (circa 1991... yes, I've been "collecting" that long!). It needed to be cut in half, as it was much too wide for my card. I mitered the edges of the ribbon and glued it on down with my trusty ATG (I still love that thing!). Then, I stuck on part of a red star garland (from the stash again...) with some mini Glue Dots (I love those, too!).

See that reindeer? I have no clue where he came from, but there he was... in my stash... complete with red fiber and bell. He got stuck on with some mini Glue Dots, too. Then I Xmas Red Stickled a semi-frame to add a little more color and... VOILA! There ya have it!

Thanks, Amy and the Jingle Belles! I'm so lovin' these challenges.

And if YOU want to get in on it, check on Jingle Belles and join in on the fun!

I don't like CRAP!

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

Last time I wrote about pets, I didn't have anything other than two cannibalistic fish (read about them here). But, as some of you know, shortly before Thanksgiving 2010, my husband gave in to our wildest wishes and let us get a dog, Xanny.

Xanny is short for Xanadu. Xanadu is the 80's movie with Olivia Newton-John... you know, where it's like a fantasy and awesome place, and just a great movie in general... Xanadu is also a legendary, ancient, heaven-like Chinese city, pronounced Shàngdū, once visited by Marco Polo. It has a lot of history and even more meaning.

So, we call our wonderful miracle ~~that we ever got her~~ Xanny, pronounced Zan-nee. She embodies all that we have ever wished for and suits her name, as it is as close to anything heavenly will see on this earth. It was also better than the girls' other choice, Odette, as Xanny looks nothing like an "Odette." And so her "look" chose the name.

But... if you read my previous post (the one mentioned above...), you know I have issues. With Xanny, some of my issues have been taken care of.

She is a poodle mix. Aha! Yes! You can have a dog without fur issues! Hahaha! Neener, neener! And you all thought it wouldn't happen. And so, our dog barely sheds. She sheds MUCH less than us girls and is small and furry and cuddly and all that. She even listens to me ramble and loves me unconditionally, like every ~~daughter~~ dog should. She is one of my best friends and stays quiet for my our walk in the mornings. And I like it like that.

Oh! You remembered I have other issues? Oh ~~shit~~ crap! That's exactly what I'm talking about... C.R.A.P., POOP, that is. And that's the question, if you could change anything about your pet, what would it be? I would either make her crap smell like roses... well, not roses, because those really don't smell very well and can be totally overly pungent and leave me with a heady-passing-out-type of feeling. So... let's go with honeysuckle. I'd like her crap to smell like honeysuckle, which is mild and slightly sweet to the nostrils.

And if my doggy's crap smelled like honeysuckle, then maybe I wouldn't have to hold my breath and puff out my cheeks when I picked it up, because... like my other post said, you knew the kids weren't going to do it.

And another thing... I'd make those little ~~shitty~~ crappy useless organs that dogs have (renal glands) gone... POOF! There you have it. A completely gross thing that needs to be done every couple of weeks... expressing the renal glands... Do you really want to know? Then go here to see a video on youtube... It's pretty gross!

But, no matter how her crap smells, and what glands I have to express, I will continue to do what I need to do for her, because I love her... unconditionally, just like a ~~mom~~ owner should love their ~~daughter~~ dog.

Rockin' On...

2011-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:00

Whew! I almost didn't make it. But, here it is! The Jingle Belles Rock 4th week challenge... to use Pink and Green. Uh... yeah... not my fave of color combos, but here goes...

Here's my card. It's a HUGE conglomeration of all kinds of things... there is chalking, stencilling, flocking, glittering, daubing, etc.

First, I subtley chalked the background in an ultra-light pink and blended it with a makeup sponge... (I wanted it to look light and ethereal... hmm... not sure if I got the effect I wanted...

Then!

I used one of those Michael's sets of stencils that's kinda been sitting around forever... I ink-daubed to fill it in with Direct Memories ink daubers. The colors used were neon green, forest green and pink. So... by now, my stencil is a gooey mess, but heh! I'm not done with it!

Ha, ha!

Grabbed me some Stickles (gotta have the glitter!!!) and stickled-stencilled in the star in silver. I put in glue in the snowfall drops and let it all dry a tad.

And then... the FUN-flocking began. I'm tellin' ya! It was snowing in the craft room (in 76 degree weather!!!). I flocked the snowy-balls and the the tree base in white, then I flocked the little squiggly-lines under the pink rick-rack a nice bright pink (Studio G).

All in all? It's ok... like I've said before, pink is NOT my color, but hey... someone must like it somewhere...

And... I still got to use up stash and do some things I hadn't done in quite a while. (Refresh your skills and techniques, people! They tend to get a little rusty... Trust me - see all that excess chalk, flocking and glitter on my mat? I'm just sayin'...)

And don't forget! You can still be part of the Jingle Belle's Challenges. It's never too late... or too early to start making your Christmas cards. Check it out at... http://jinglebellesrock.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday: Take THAT!

2011-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

I'm a Junkie. I'm Pathetic.

2011-01-25T10:22:00.000-08:00

If you look at the right-hand column, you will see I tape/watch a heck of a lot of television shows. I am guilty. I am an addict. And I'm not proud. I'm not ashamed, either. But... I am pathetic.

I have got to be the worst tv-watcher ever. I have/had a couple of months' worth of certain shows to catch up on. And I "tried" to do that last night. Only... I didn't set the TiVo correctly or didn't watch them soon enough, as there were only 5 episodes of certain shows left... not all of the episodes that I needed to see, as it is my crack... well one of the forms of my mental crack, anyway.

Trying to find them all last night (online) was a tv-crack addicts dilemma. Did you know... that if you are watching regular cable series, you only get a certain few episodes to watch online? Uh... yeah. That is, if you want to watch them for FREE! And so... since I only had 5 epi's of each of the following:

Burn Notice,

Terriers,

and Sons of Anarchy

(which if you watch anything on FX, you know that some of the "episodes" are 3 minute replays... waste of an episode taping!), I was on the search for freebie episodes.

Didn't get to watch them. Except for 3 Sons of Anarchy and 4 Terriers episodes, the rest is unavailable, unless I want to pay premium fees. Or watch them on Amazon at $1.99 or $2.99 each episode. Burn Notice is all paid.

And these aren't even for paid channels!!!! I'm not talking about Showtime or HBO series! I'm talking about FX and USA channels! WTHeck?

So, as a junkie... I guess I'm not truly a junkie, because I won't pay for them. First off... I can't afford to pay for them. Secondly... I'm not that addicted. At least I guess I'm not. I won't pay to feed my habit. So... what am I to do?

Uh... note to self: Change the frickin' TiVo setup to KEEP all episodes until deleted. AND watch them on a more regular basis. If it's a cable channel... watch QUICKLY! they might disappear!

As for my other crack-habits... I'm still a-craftin' and computin' away... Dunno what to do about those...

Once again, as a junkie... in anything, I'm pretty pathetic. There are just some things I refuse to pay for. What about you?

18? Already? And Testing Out Adulthood...

2011-01-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

2 weeks ago, my oldest bio-child (you know... one of the ones I actually gave birth to... one of the ones that caused me great pain pushing through the you know where region...) turned 18. OMG! I am the mother of an ADULT! No friggin' way! But yes... I am.

The problem with that? Nothing really, except... she's still in high school. And an adult in high school is not a good thing. Especially when adult high schoolers think they know it all and try to re-structure their schedules (that you've been fighting with the administration for, that you've been keeping the administration and doctors and everyone and everything on the same page for), thinking they know what's best for them, because... you know... that's not what they want to do and so... they won't.

Kids! I believe they are more problematic when they turn into adults... adults, that are still in high school. She wants to stay out late on school nights. Um... no. She wants to do this... do that... and pretty much do what she wants. Um... WRONG!

Don't get me wrong. She's a totally good kid, but... she doesn't get it sometimes. Kid... your schedule was created to be the very best for you. It was created to help you transition into college. It was created with all of your teachers and counselors, so that that we, together, can get you through high school, and help you with your disabilities, problems, and life (in general). We did this because we care. We all care. We all worked together to get you here. So please, please! Don't go ruining it. Just follow the schedule and all will be well with the world.

At least... my world. Because, seriously! Those little yellow pills that I only take when my heart is pumping really fast, when I feel like I'm about ready to pass out, when things aren't on that schedule I so much need to depend on, when life throughs me massive loops and feels like I'm hanging upside-down (like now!)... those little yellow pills are something that I really don't want to take, so I'm hoping she gets it soon. I'm about to explode. I'm trying not to... that's how much I love her.

Kids try to make their mark. I get it. They think they know it all, but when you have parents and professionals aiming for the same goal, and it is all set... stick with it. Their (the parents' and professionals') experience and understanding is what is going to help get them (the kids) through it. So... explain to them (the kids), they can make their mark, in a different way. It shouldn't be on your nervous system...

They need to do it elsewhere. Find a different way. A good way? Check out: DoSomething.Org and make your mark in the world... not on your parents!

* A SPECIAL NOTE: And YES! I do know my "audience" changes several times... this is how affected I am by all the goings on right now, so forgive and don't judge... it could happen to you one day...

Catchin' Up on JB01 AND! JB02 - Jingle Belles Challenges

2011-01-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

Last night I was so tired. Had to get my sleep on. Had to get up and walk the dog (our most loveable family member... she deserved that extra quiet time, and so do I!). Now I've woken up most of the kiddos and am sipping my coffee... So, here's the little bits I promised last night.
Let's go backwards...

Last week's challenge (JB02) was "inchies" (from "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" [GET IT? I do... lol!]). Now some of you might not know what "inchies" are literally an inch. It is art in a box... a one inch box. Some of you may call them deco squares, but most people call them inchies, and they are super popular right now. FYI... if you have lots of scraps around, use them to make these simple items and decorate your borders, your ATC (artist trading cards), your regular cards and other things.

Here's my take:

My "Inchie" Card

I don't usually make square cards, but I was feeling a little square after making all these inchies...

(I know the background is a little busy [see all the craft crap?] but forgive, as I was busy!)

So, here's a closeup of my inchies...

I actually did the background (shadow) of the inchies in 1 1/4"

Then I cut white cardstock into inches and Glimmer-Misted them with English Ivy

And then... I used my stash! Those green-glittered pieces? are the leftovers off my Cricut mat

from my Scrolled Christmas Trees (Christmas Noel Cartridge)

that I just.couldn't.bare.to.part.with.

I prefer the phrase "frugal crafter", people... NOT!

Hoarder...

You see this? This is pleated ribbon. I totally tried to give credit where credit was due,

But, CRAP! I can't find the blog or the video where someone did this!

I used Tim Holtz's Tiny Attacher to pleat the ribbon, folding it this way and that as I stapled

teeny tiny little staples all over that card. Yes... I worked it. (and caught up on some TV while doing so!)

If you know where the video or blog is, please leave it in the comments and I'll hook it up. Thanks!

On to the first week's card (JB01)... The challenge was "Something Old, Something New". Um... yeah. I'm old, so I'm puttin' that up there! I pondered and thought, thought and pondered. And so... I was looking through all of my accumulated stash (once again, people... NOT a hoarder!!! Frugal crafting is the correct terminology here...). I found all kinds of stuff, but nothing that really inspired me. And then... I started going through my sewing stuff. I found some super old lace and went off that!

I had some ribbon that is fairly new that I would never even use so... yeah... don't know why I even had it... because, well... pink is just NOT my thing. But... I decided to go with the flow (and it was flowin'!), and I came up with this:

I used my Fastenator for the two sentiments.

Tip? Um yeah... make sure you have the correct "word" and facing the right way before you push down!

See the ribbon? So not me, but oh so very cute... AND! It is self-adhesive,

so it saved me some of my own...

(and btw... this is the "new" because everything else was "old"!)

And, I used beads from my stash, buttons from my stash,

cool green lime chalk (for the background) from my stash,

and awesome chunky red glitter from my stash.

Can I get a "WHOOP, WHOOP!"? I did it... all caught up and cleaning up to do! Woohoo, woohoo!

Jingle Belles ROCK! (and so do I!)

2011-01-18T21:32:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know... it's WAY either past Christmas or way too early to start. But Phsshh! to you!

If you know me... I am a total bargain hunter. I begin my shopping for Christmas AND the year's birthdays to come the Day After Christmas! That is the best day... sales galore!

And so... those ladies over at the Jingle Belles have begun an awesome thing. Because, heh! They must've known that I was coming. AND! They must've known that procrastinating is my profession. Because... well... I'm SO good at it.

But they decided to create/make a different Christmas card every week, with unique challenges put up on Fridays to do it. And I... since I just found it last week... decided to join in. Now... they were on WEEK 3 for the challenges, but yeah... I decided I could try to catch up. So... I'm posting not one... not two... BUT THREE CARDS!!! Omgosh! Can you imagine that? Whelpers, neither can I... but here ya go!

Let's begin with this week's challenge - to use acrylic paints. But that wasn't the whole challenge... the challenge was based on UPC (Use, Practice, Create!) and that I did!

I created a simple card. And I seriously thought (in my head, of course!) that it would be simple to make. Easy peasy, right? Uh... whatever...

It took me a total of 3 tries to get it close enough to the way I had envisioned it, but here we are:

Attempt #1:

I brushed white acrylic paint over a Cuttlebug folder,

thinking the image would be impressed into the dark blue cardstock.

The Verdict: FAILURE #1!

Attempt #2:

I brushed white acrylic paint over the other side of same Cuttlebug folder,

again thinking the image would be impressed (but) onto the dark blue cardstock.

The Verdict: FAILURE #2!

AND! The Final Attemp (#3), for Jingle Belles Challenge #3

(hmm... do you see a pattern with that number???)

The trick? Since the other attempts were blotchy and soaked into the cardstock upon pressing... I chose to brush the whole folder with white acrylic paint... and then... I LET IT D-R-Y! Yep! I did... and then the emulsion was pressed through the Cuttlebug onto the dark blue cardstock and very carefully, strategically, even... the blue cardstock was peeled off the folder. I kinda like the end result.

I'm kinda pleased... I then painted glitter glue on the snowy rooftops and glittered the whole night sky. Because... I kinda like glitter. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" (Studio G stamp) was heat-embossed in opaque white (Ranger embossing powder).

Whew! That was a lot! And so... since it's so late... and I still have to link up to their post, I am retiring for the night and will post the other two cards tomorrow. G'Nite all...

Oh yeah! And if YOU want to participate (or just see what others did for the challenge)... go check it over at the Jingle Belles! Rock on!

New Calendar? Time to Organize!!! (yeah, right!)

2011-01-17T09:24:00.000-08:00

One of the many things I do in January is schedule things on a calendar.

Now... I'm not one of the most organized people, but I like to be aware of all things that might seriously screw with my schedule and cause me to hyperventilate (because I think I might be losing my mind) or have an anxiety attack and cause me to consume one of those itty bitty teeny tiny yellow pills up in my cabinet that take me to a better place...to a land of relaxation, where all is peaceful... It doesn't exist? That's what YOU think! Hahaha! But seriously...

In the many weeks of January, I put up and take down my manual calendar. I prefer the Coca-Cola ones, because it really fits in with my decor. And I like there to be space in each day. And I like all of the general holidays already printed on it. And... and... And...

And so... I look up various websites. The one I reminded myself today when I said Self... DOES the mail come today? AND! Does the trash come one day later this week? And so... I headed to usps.com to look up the "Observed Federal Holidays" and came up with this:

Saturday, January 1 - New Year’s Day

Monday, January 17 - Martin Luther King Jr’s Birthday

Monday, February 21 - Washington’s Birthday (President's Day)

Monday, May 30 - Memorial Day

Monday, July 4 - Independence Day

Monday, September 5 - Labor Day

Monday, October 10 - Columbus Day

Friday, November 11 - Veterans Day

Thursday, November 24 - Thanksgiving Day

Monday, December 26 - Christmas Day (Observed)

Monday, January 2, 2012 - New Year’s Day (Observed) 

My Waste Management company doesn't have that many observed holidays, but still... I like to know... IN ADVANCE!

And so... I go through the calendar and on each of these day I write, "no mail". Yeah... it looks much prettier than this, because it's in my neat little writing, because sometimes, I like things the old-fashioned way and I want it available for EVERYONE to see, so there are no questions.

Questions like... When is our next school holiday? When do we go on vacation? When's our next restructuring day... When... When... When...?

The questions are never-ending. I therefore grab the school schedule (given at the beginning of the school year) and copy all that stuff down, too. I write in when semesters and tri-mesters end, when finals are, when Sr. Projects are due, when the Prom is... And for days that school ends at a different time... I write the time next to it.

Because I'm like that. And I like things in a certain schedule. I like them the way they are supposed to be. The way they should be. I like to know... so that um... when there's going to be ANY kind of predictable interruption or change in my day, I'm not unprepared. Because being unprepared makes me very afraid.

I am afraid of the unknown. I am afraid of being the world's worst parent and not knowing that my kid got out at 12:14, while I'm way the heck on the other side of the second city over and they are stranded and have been sitting in the parking lot for hours already. Didn't I know? uh... well... NOW I do...

Because, you see... It's all on the calendar. Oh yeah... I put birthdays and anniversaries and stuff like that, too. But... basically, it serves me as being somewhat organized AND it saves me money. How? Um... a) I don't have to go to my shrink to get a new prescription [$20 saved!] and b) Do you KNOW how much those little pills cost? [$??? Saved!] oh yeah! and of course... c) I don't have to go back and forth when I now know when these kids are all getting out. I can schedule my day and my errands around the school schedule and super duper save on gas! [$$$aved!]

And so... when my hubs asks me, "What are we doing next weekend?" or my kids ask me, "Are we doing anything next Saturday?" or myself asks myself, "Is this a postal holiday?"

I simply say, "Check and see if it's on the calendar..." And VOILA! Everyone's coordinated with me! (AS IF! it were truly that easy! but hey... let me live in my calendar world and think that I'm really ok... and I am ok with that...)

Every Buy One of Those Microbead Pillows?

2011-01-12T14:45:00.000-08:00

well... I did! After a couple of years... it starts to look like this:

Deflated, and utterly, truly ICKY! (Because, you know... you can't wash them, only wipe them down.) Kinda gross... Ewww...

So, I got this idea. I thought to myself, Self! Since there is another Microbead pillow (that no one hardly ever uses), then why not EMPTY OUT the Coke one, wash it, then fill it up and add the beads from the other pillow!!! Sounds easy, right? And that's what I thought.

So... on New Year's Day, I emptied out the Coke pillow... what a friggin' mess!

These itty bitty teeny tiny beads floated all over the place... and had a hard time coming out. (There is a cloth tunnel that I'm just certainly sure they [the manufacturer people] put a rubber tube and gushed the stuff right in there, so they didn't have to deal with it [or inhale it]!)

And so, I ripped that stupid tube out! Forget this crap! I was going to dump it all and never see it again!

And as I dumped, they clung to every inch of me... not wanting to leave...

They covered my face, my pants...

They passed by my glasses and got into my eyes, my ears, my nose... I had microbead boogers!!!!

I don't want to describe what the inside cloth looked like after years of "sponging" the outside... Let's just say GROSS! And so... I washed it.

It sat until this past weekend, empty and lifeless. But... I was missing my pillow. And so I stuffed it. I stuffed it until it was puffy and fluffy, and then I sewed it up again with loving care.

And now! it looks like this:

All cuddly, lumpy, bumpy and soft! And sitting nicely on my sofa...

And it can be washed... whenever I want it to be! Never again will I EVER buy a microbead anything-or-other. It is simply not worth the grossness that will be forever embedded in my mind... Can you say YUCK?!?!

The Snow AND A Phenomenal Detour

2011-01-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday, we took Marissa up for her first snow. Yeah, I know! She's 5, almost 6 and has never seen snow. WAIT! That's NOT true. We can totally see snow from where we are. It's up there on the mountain (pointing NE), see? Seriously, though. That's as close as we've gotten. Between all of our busy schedules and the heat that melted the snow too early, we never got there.

And so... since hubs had vacation and all my girls were ALSO still on winter break, we trekked up the moutain. Now... we had to go in through the side, as the "quick and easy" way was closed (due to two broken spots on the road), but we did. The view was gorgeous, from the snowless view, all the way up... up... to the snowy peaks! ~~Ok, I didn't get that far, but I can only imagine.~~ (and a note... please excuse some of the bluriness of some of the photos... I'm adjusting to a new "automatic" camera and in some of them, I was moving, whether in a car or otherwise)

We played, we sledded... well... they did, I took pictures! hahaha! Marissa made friends, as always...

We found a family of awesome snowmen!

Xanny and Marissa and Stacy and Rey all had SO much fun!

But... we had to be leaving as Xanny got snowballs glued to the bottom of her furby body and began shivering after a couple of hours.

And so... we headed back down the sideway... and got ALMOST to the bottom, and it closed. There was a major accident (I am so sorry for those people...), and we had to go around the loooooooonnnnnggggg way. Which... turned out to be 50 miles or more of a detour. But... what a glorious one it was!

I got to watch the sun changing the pines and firs and redwoods to stunning shades of gold.

And then... I encountered THIS:

Just like I've always seen in postcards for Hawaii! But on a beautiful wonderful California day. AND in the mountains!

We left Big Bear at 2pm'ish and got home... finally at 7pm'ish. What shoulda/coulda/woulda been a 1 hour 20 minute trip, took much longer. But it was SO worth it. We can't wait to go again!

Isn't it PHENOMENAL?

And I can't wait to scrap it all!

*And another note... I'll be back more often (as hubs is back at work!)... Hope you missed me, my silent computer friends...

Saying Goodbye...

2011-01-04T21:06:00.000-08:00

to Christmas 2010, that is! I forgot to take pics of all my decorations and lights and displays this year, like so many other years before. I can't believe I did it again!

But, before throwing out the stale Gingerbread house that Marissa and I worked so hard on, I actually remembered to take pics.

Let me set the stage for you... ~~and include some pics of the building of the Gingerbread House 2010~~... *yeah... you know that's not gonna happen... lost the external hard drive where they were all stored... BOO!!!*

We had purchased a kit last year at the "after" Christmas sales. I will never do this again. Even though we saved a lot of money on it (75%), it SO was not worth it.

For one, Marissa likes to eat the gingerbread, the candy, AND the icing.

Ew... the icing was almost as hard as a rock. EVEN in an air-tight bag. Super gross. I worked it, too. I kneaded it with my warm hands, soaked the bag in warm and hot water, microwaved it... everything I possibly could, to no avail.

The gingerbread was hard. Ok... that's a given, because we all know in those kits... they're hard anyway. Like cardboard. (But hey! it still smelled good!)

The candy? Nah... I wasn't even going to try it...

But yeah... we put it together anyway. (If you notice some clear-ish glue... keep your comments to yourself and don't judge. Heck ya! I used the hot glue gun! It wouldn't stay up, otherwise...)

I threw together some icing... Well... um... Marissa was getting impatient and wanted to do it RIGHT NOW! (She'd already been waiting while I tried to soften the kit's icing.) So... I opened a can of vanilla Betty Crocker stuff. (Yes... I keep some in my cabinet - I love "instant cookies". What are these?, you ask? Graham crackers with frosting inside. Yum!)

Put some in a piping bag with a #3 tip and let her at it.

That didn't last long... Icing was coming out of the bag opening and not through the tip. Will kids ever listen? And so... Mama took control. I iced, and she put the candy on.

Where was Daddy through all of it? Uh... taking pictures (that got lost in the hard drive... when it crashed the week before Christmas).

Zooming into today. Today, it was the last thing sitting out... a reminder of Christmas Past ~~except for the wrapping paper still in the dining room, waiting to finish wrapping presents that still need to be shipped up North~~. And so... I thought it appropriate to give it a little boost into the trash can. It was completely inedible, stale, and beginning to collect dust.

I grabbed a couple of shots, turning it this way and that, then off-loaded it into the waste can outside... Adios! Until next year... when we might... YES! we just might... make our own next year. ~~No more nasty-tasting gingerbread houses for us!~~

Hoping your day is as sweet and sunny as this "Sun" is!

Too Good To Pass UP! Cricut Carts @ Michaels... $9.99

2011-01-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

Kristin, over at The Crafty Kitchen shared the news. Listen up...

ALL CRICUT CARTRIDGES NORMALLY PRICED $69.99 WILL BE $9.99!!! (excluding Imagine carts...)

Are you happy? I am... now I just have to find some money! If you'd like to see the original post, click here.

There's some talk though... on other sites, that the sale may/may not start on SATURDAY... so... call your local Michael's and find out. Woohoo! And if you see me there, I'll either give you cuts or you can give them to me! (scratchin' eachother's backs is a good thing!)

And btw... I just discovered this wonderful blog, and I'm running right back to check it out some more... you should, too!

It's January? Break Out the NEW Calendar! (Calendar Swap Pages)

2011-01-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

Yes, I took a much needed break yesterday. I lounged around, checked in on Facebook a little, made a "boxed" dinner (Stove Top Stuffing ROCKS, btw...), watched some television, and read a little, too. (Oh yeah... and in all of that, I also hit up Walmart for some 75% off stuff...) After all, I had to recover from taking down and putting away all things holidays...

But, I'm coming back today! And... with something a little bit crafty, too.

I am in a couple of groups online. The Scrapbook_Bingo group on YahooGroups does swaps occasionally. This last time, we did a calendar swap. We each signed up for a particular month to put together a "Header Page" (you know... the one that goes at the "top" of each calendar month) and made 12 landscape-style layouts for it. We then sent them in and would get a full year's worth back! Woohoo! I just love assembly-line style...

This is what I got back:

January! (You already know it came from me... Don't you just love the cheery snowman?) For more information on this layout, click HERE.

February... the month of L.O.V.E.

March... the month of Leprechauns

A super cute list of dates and an adorable buttoned 4-leaf clover were added to complete it.

April brings RAIN SHOWERS... that make uh... FLOWERS!

And I just love the matting and felt flowers!

May(be)...
(NOT)

June... oh, so sweet!

a little more detail on those super CA-YOOT! lady bugs...

July... full of sparkle and patriotism!

August... is a good summer month.

September... School Days!

October (another one by yours truly!)... a Boo-tiful month!

Notes on October... this cutest paper was a pack at Big Lots... adorable and so fitting! The web was Stardust Gellyroll-penned for glitter effects. The Floating Ghosts are cut from the Paper Doll Dress-Up and pop-dotted at the eyes to keep them afloat in the air.

And the webbing behind the mat is leftover Halloween "webs"... The font is Blackletter, which I thought I'd never use. But! I did, especially since it came for free with my Gypsy download. I added Red Stickles for the glitter-y blood effects... Boo!

November... time for leaves to fall.

A closer look at the details... very nice falling leaves.

And these pumpkins are look so sweet... perfectly inked and irresistible.

December... a month for celebration and magic... just BELIEVE...

This layout is simple, yet... majestic. The tree just makes it that way!

The calendars were then bound with my friend's wonderful Cinch. Later... I customized calendar pages and printed them from KeepAndShare.com (which is a FREE site, so check it out!!! GET IT? FREE Printables!!!), and adhered them with my trusty friend... ATG! A quick hole, punched with my Crop-a-dile Big Bite (exactly in the center at the top of the pages), and Voila!

And so... I created two calendars, both of which were given as gifts, which I'm sure the recipients will cherish forever and ever, especially since they have to add their own photos... I'll show the glorious wrappings another day...

What type of calendar are YOU using for 2011? Get crafty! It'll make you want to use it more. (AND... fyi... these calendars CAN be used over and over again, by simply re-printing new years and placing them over the old... maybe update the photos a little bit, but hey! very economical!)

Before I hit the sack... Here's the 1st Give-Away of 2011!

2011-01-01T02:00:00.000-08:00

My friend (Lisa) over at Designs by Papergrace Designs is doing a great give-away to break in 2011! Check it out by clicking the link or clicking HERE. Just so you know... she is awesome in everything she does, even having the awesome name that she has (*snicker*). I am very lucky to have her as a friend... I even made her Christmas Card list, and boy, oh boy! was it a ca-yutie patootie card!

I love her. Please... show her some love and leave comments. Peruse her sight and see the awesome work that I see. She is so talented... words cannot describe it, so look at her work. AND PLEASE! Leave a comment (or two or four) for her. Love is needed everywhere, and everyone needs to hear it a little now and then.

Thank you! And have a Happy 2011!

New Year's Eve 2010...

2010-12-31T23:55:00.001-08:00

New Year's Eve is a time for having that last bit of 2010 fun, and we did!

Tonight was a completely impromptu evening... so impromptu, that I did not have a camera with me, except my camera phone. Therefore, please excuse the super crappy photos. And thank you!

Juan (hubs) and I took the munchkin out to Outback (thank you, Jolene & Abe for the giftcard!) and had a late lunch... It was totally yummy! I'd show ya pics, but I was too busy enjoying the food... NOM NOM NOM...

Then, we went to AMC Theaters and saw Tangled. (You know... we had to use up those passes that expire today!) Funny, funny movie! It was a riot, and I'd love to see it again, and buy it... when it comes out on DVD.

The elves show the way to the Mission Inn (Riverside, CA)

Then, trying to catch up on Christmas lights, we re-visited the Woods Streets (in Riverside) and went by the Mission Inn. Thinking it really wouldn't be open... boy oh boy! Were we wrong. They even still had carriage rides going (even though they jacked-up the prices!).

We got to see all the lights of the Mission Inn, and take our time strolling around and throughout. A much more relaxed atmosphere... such a pleasant time. Crowds did not push and pull us through, and it was bliss.

Shocked from the COLD!

Thanking Daddy for the most BESTEST surprise!

The weather was still cold (apparently, the same temperature as New York City!), so we bundled up on the carriage ride. Munchkin girl was so surprised to have this last day of 2010 in a Cinderella Carriage!

(not possessed... don't worry...)

And Santa, was snuggled in an oversized chair, outside the Antique Store... resting his weary body after a long, hard Christmas (the economy is killin' everyone, people!).

Santa, resting his weary feet... in a Massive Chair

And we walked around the shops, though most of them were closed, I couldn't resist this pic... I just love the idea of Baby New Year, and this shop did him such justice. How adorable, no?

And with that... Have a Happy, Safe, and Wonderful New Year, as we say goodbye to 2010 and tuck it in... And hope for a good year to come in 2011.

She'll Build Her OWN Float!

2010-12-30T17:15:00.000-08:00

Southern California is going through some cold, tough weather. If you've read or follow my blog (HELLO! to my 18 Followers, and THANK YOU!), you know most of us can't handle "inclement" weather. Yeah... we can't handle the C.O.L.D., either. At least... I can't.

I've lived in cold climates before. I've endured the snow. Getting up to shovel snow at 6:30 am is NOT my choice of a lifestyle. uh... yeah. I've endured the cold. Shorts and flip-flops are not options. uh... no. And so... I moved back to my beloved Southern California lifestyle, where I can go visit these climates, if I want to, and when I want to. And that works for me.

But waking up to 30F weather, is a little chilly. I'm not sure how low it got last night, or how low it's getting tonight, but when my 5-year-old is asking if we're going to the "Parade" this year (2011 Rose Parade) and camping out... my answer is a firm, "NO!" You see, if you want good seats, you need to camp out. And that begins tomorrow morning at the crack of Dawn. It is COLD! And, you can't layout tents at all. Sleeping bags, mattresses and the warm stuff (including fire pits) can't break out until later in the day/evening. Heck, you can't even "move" into a real spot until around noon. And so.... you sit there and freeze.

Don't get me wrong. It was a wonderful experience, and it's a lot of fun. But... this year, with a congested cough and these freezing temperatures? Uh, NOT gonna happen!

Call me a wimp... I don't care. I am going to sleep as late as I want to, in my nice warm bed, and watch from the comfort of my warm home. And if I miss it... first of all... it plays all flippin' day! And if I miss that, HECK! I already set the TiVo to record it (and TWO different channels!).

Anywho... back to the 5yo... She is in good spirits! And so... with a lot of my collection of Christmas popcorn tins, and some of the everyday ones (they make excellent inexpensive storage, ya know!), She put together 10!. She covered them with decorative blankets, added pillows, and then!

She placed her Barbies and Disney Princesses and Horses and Little toys on TOP of the float, so they can wave, "HI!" to all the people.

Her stables and animals needed to be included, too. And she has the Nutcracker Army standing guard.

At one point, she had all of the Princesses' arms (well... once each) up, waving the Princess Wave. And she hides behind the float (her secret hiding place, because YOU know! the people that control the floats hide, too!)

(See Rapunzel up there, in her TALL tower?) Awesome... just awesome... and creative, too! That's my girl!

New Year's Resolutions? NOT!

2010-12-29T23:59:00.000-08:00

Nope, I say! NOT for me! This year, I will not set myself up for failure like so many other years before. Less than a month (sometimes more, sometimes less...) into it, most of us just can't do it any more. Most times, it's from burnout. We/I may have overly done it. We/I may have gone way too gung-ho. We/I may have gone cold turkey (uh... no! I'm never giving up Coke, The Real Thing again!) We/I may just simply not have been ready to do it.

~~RESOLUTIONS~~

No matter the resolution made, we/I have not been one that keeps it. It is not in my daily regime, or even in my life for that matter. I cannot remember a time when I kept it up for more than a month... well... I take that back. There was ONE time, that I kept it up for 47 days.

I exercised, doing Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred. And I loved it. Until, that is... my body decided to get sick and I pulled a muscle on top of it. And then... I did what I always do. I make excuses. I'm good at that. I can give/find an excuse for anything and everything. And I know it.

What does a resolution do, anyway? A resolution sets oneself up for failure. Seriously. Who the heck has carried out a resolution without being forced to (for medical or financial reasons, or maybe even being incarcerated)? Yeah, I thought so. And so... it just makes me/us feel crappy and bad and the self esteem drops to an all-time low. I won't do it again. I won't set myself up for disaster with an ending pity party. I can't and I won't.

My time is NOW. I am going to stand up to myself, for myself. Self... get a grip. You can do anything you set your mind to... when YOU are ready. When the circumstances are right. When... (do you remember I'm a professional procrastinator?) YOU feel like it. Don't feel bad. It's ok. It really is. You see all your friends out there...? Go ahead and laugh now... and say, "I told you so." Because we all know, it is futile, and it won't last long. Self... I will NOT make a resolution this New Year's.

I simply am setting goals for myself. NOT resolutions. I figure this way... I have a much longer time to achieve it or get closer to it, and even if I semi-reach it, I have accomplished something so much more than with a failed resolution.

(mini)GOALS ARE THE WAY TO GO!!!

What are my goals? Yeah... that's another post. But basically, I aim to be a little bit better in everything I do. Just a little. Not a lot. And I aim to try to straighten out my life. And I've already begun that journey to that goal. So... my little bit is already accomplished. Now other things need to get into place. And this is why I don't believe in resolutions any more. BECAUSE... no matter how hard you try... there's always someone or something out there to help you fail... that wants you to fail, or just not succeed.

And so... with every little inch, pound, step, etc. I am getting to goals of "little bits". And I have reached those goals.

Here's to a better year in 2011. May you all reach your goals, and get there just a little bit at a time.

The After-Christmas Cookie Affair

2010-12-28T23:45:00.000-08:00

Today... was a good day. I did those things that I put off yesterday. And it was good.

I had Rey bake sugar cookies from a Krusteaz bag...

The "Un-Dipped" Truffle Balls

And I made cookies, too! These cookies (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles) just sounded divine, and I couldn't do without them! And so... they ended up in my cookie lineup. (Please note: I did not use Wilton Candy Melts, but instead melted Nestle Toll House Morsels in a double-boiler, dipped chilled dough balls, then drizzled melted white chocolate [Nestle] and refrigerated.) Yum-O and a total keeper!

The Cookie Dough Truffle Bowl...

Another note about those Cookie Dough Truffles - If you haven't checked out the link for the recipe, because you are afraid... Don't be! They may taste like raw cookie dough (inside), but they have NO EGGS included and are absolutely safe (and super duper easy, too!). This is definitely a recipe to put in your repertoire for holidays in the future! It was SO good... see the bowl? Licked clean!

And I also made one of my faves... Butter Spritz. Classic Recipe. Something similar can be found HERE. I did a simple poinsettia-style flower and sprinkled with red colored sugar before baking. Simple, because... you know... I procrastinated and was running out of time AND forgot that I had to allow time for the dough to chill... oops!

And so... I had the older girls help set up tables, chairs, food ware, and crafts. Overall, I think it was a success. It was a little unorderly, but the kids appeared to be having fun.

They decorated cookies with homemade butter cream (made with real butter) icing and sprinkles, made a snowman craft, put Nativity stickers on paper and ate pizza (YES! I made that!) and salad... And then they played Just Dance Kids on the Wii and fought over the remote. (Note to self: You seriously need to purchase another Wii remote, so there is more than just ONE!)

The "Blue" Cookie

The "Perfect" Cookie

The Overly Sprinkled Cookie

Thank you ladies for a big success!

Us ladies chatted and ignored the screaming meemies in the other room. We swapped cookies... And it was good.

So, as I sit down and snuggle with my coffee (and cookies, too!) before I go to bed, I think to myself... "Yes... I think we might do it again next year, only not so "after" Christmas... Because it was good..."

Getting Ready for the New Year... and Cookies, too!

2010-12-27T23:25:00.000-08:00

So... last week, a couple of friends... uh... well... I know them all, but none of them know each other. It's a funtastrophy. We'll see. Anyway, a couple of my friends were supposed to come over and have a mini-cookie exchange thingy. It didn't happen (insert "The weather started getting rough..." music from Gilligan's Island here). The wind and the rain were killin' us! Floods were happening everywhere. And then there was "the week before Christmas" rush. I don't think any of us were truly ready.

And so... it's gonna happen tomorrow. Tuesday. Three days after Christmas. And one person has already let me know they're flaking. They told me tonight.

(Sigh.)

Oh well...

I still have to make cookies. And I will. Tomorrow.

I still have to go to the store to get baking soda (so my cookies aren't flat like the chocolate chip ones we left for Santa, because my baking soda died). And I will. Tomorrow.

You see, because today... I'm cleaning up the craft room from the Christmas/holiday mess and straightening it out and lounging around and catching up on all those Lifetime and Hallmark Channel and ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas and Lifetime Movie Network's Christmas and Happy Holiday Cheery-type movies that I TiVo'd during the past couple of weeks but haven't had the chance to watch and that might get recorded over because there's no more room on my DVR. (grabbing chest and catching breath because... well, HECK! that was a long-winded statement!)

And today... I don't feel much like going out. Because... I'm tired of the crowds and the grabbing and the traffic and the angry post-holiday people. And I just want to sit on my ass and chill or veg in the craft room and do my own thing.

Is that too much to ask?

Because well... my husband thinks it is...

And so... I'm cleaning up and getting ready to be the most organized non-procrastinator-that-ever-lived for the New Year. Do we think I can do it?

I will...

Tomorrow...

Xanny - being just as lazy as I'd like to be... livin' the life!

Boxing Day? December 26 - What Do You Do?

2010-12-26T23:20:00.000-08:00

In early England, December 26th was labeled "Boxing Day", in order to give the "help" time with their families, since they usually worked on the holiday. I used to think "Boxing Day" was the day they put Christmas in a box... But, I have never done any of that stuff. Personally, I believe it should be named "Shopping Day".

Traditionally, I take all of my gift cards and money (if I get any of those) and go "After Christmas" shopping. I hit the stores and get the best deals on can, getting ahead for next year.

Stocking Stuffers are a must on this day. At 50-75% off, I save a ton of money, especially since I stuff 6 stockings! I get all kinds of loot. However, I do not purchase candy. We have extreme heat temperatures in the summer months, so candy... regardless of the form, can melt or mis-shape itself.

I also purchase Christmas and holiday/winter-type shirts. Great buys! And even more wonderful gifts for others.

Decorations? Heck ya! I don't ever purchase those things at full price! But those just go with the decorations, and I weed out stuff I no longer like, is broken beyond repair, or never ever use...

I run home, catalog and separate my purchases (I keep a journal - $.50 in the Michael's Dollar bins, at a discount, too!). I list the items purchased, the location where it is stashed and who it could possibly be for or a blank for no designation. Stocking Stuffers go in a double bag and are placed in a box, along with other Christmas/holiday gifts and marked "GIFTS". This box (or boxes) go up in the rafters, with the Christmas decorations, ready for next year.

The journal stays in a hidden spot throughout the year. I add to it when I find deals. The journal also serves for "inventory" for non-Christmas related gifts I purchase throughout the year.

I have found that keeping a journal (rather than a spread sheet on Excel or other program) is portable and keeps my budget low. I do not duplicate gifts and can keep all the kids as equal as possible. I added the "where located" column a couple of years ago, because, well... I'm really good at forgetting where I stashed stuff and had lost LOTS of things, only to find them a year or two later. Oh what fun!

This year, because of a total brain fart on my part, I will be adding my crafting items that I buy specifically for making specific gifts on the list, as well. This will keep me more on time, and not searching for that thing that I got to make so-and-so such. (I'm good at that, too!)

Every year is a development of my system. I am trying every year to be more organized and get ahead of the game. This year is the year I hope to perfect it.

And so... on this day... What did you do?

Merry Christmas! Whatcha Doin'?

2010-12-25T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hello all! First let me say the obvious... Merry Christmas!!!

Secondly... Whatcha Doin'? I'm taking a break from my chores to keep up with my challenge (the challenge where I post each and every day for the month of December). I got up and did my SD (Santa Duty). I cleaned up a lot from last night (the night where we had our Mexican Christmas of tamales, rice, beans and family). I prepped for today's White Christmas (the one where we do all things traditional white way... breakfast, family, more food, presents, family, family, family). Heck! I've even walked the dog!

I've been going, going, going since 6am. And my kids (NONE of them!) are still not up. That's right. The most exciting day of the year, and they're sleeping in! Ugh... I want to go WAKE THEM UP! But ah, nah... I'll finish what I have to do (I'm making a list and checking it twice ~~so I don't forget anything, because I'm really good at that~~).

Currently, I have bread dough going. Already finished the dough and other prep for cinnamon rolls. Have put together a dough mix for when I get to my mom's. And I have everything and anything put together for our trip out the door.

But these kids have GOT to wake up soon! Because, ya know... Santa came here, too! And we have presents to unwrap here, before we go to my mom's. Because I have to fill up my computer's hard drive and make sure I have pictures that I can back up another way (~~YES! I'm still on that rant!!!~~)

But most of all, these kids have to wake up so I can go take a shower. Get on with it! Open the presents! I want to be done with it all so I can take a shower! Not really... Yeah... I feel totally icky after tamale clean-up (greasy goo all over my arms... ICK!), but I just need to NOT be IN the shower when they wake up. Because I don't want to miss anything.

So, I'll just randomly show you these pics with pretty views in Southern California... you know the ~~almost only~~ place you can see palm trees and snow in one place without PhotoShop-ping them...

Again... whatcha doin'? Because I know all of your kids are normal and woke up at the butt-crack of Dawn to tear through their gifts... So... I ask you... Where ~~the hell~~ are my kids?

The Santa Curse? - Is it REALLY, or Just a Lesson Learned?

2010-12-24T06:03:00.000-08:00

On Monday morning (YES! This past Monday!), my life shattered and fell into multiple pieces... Pieces that I don't know if they can be restored or not.

What happened? My external hard drive crashed. I know this might not be a big deal for some of you... But it totally is/was for me. You see... my WHOLE life was on that drive. Every document that I've written and/or wanted to save, scanned (instead of copied!) items to keep on record, a 1000-page cookbook that I've been copying/pasting recipes to (AND making changes with notations), my kids' school papers, my school (college) papers, and pictures. Did you catch that last one? I said "PICTURES!!!"

That is over 8 years' worth of digital photographs, since I got my first digital camera! That is half of my older girls' lives and my 5-year-old's whole life. Sure... I have some printed, but that is nothing in comparison as to what was stored there.

What? Didn't I have them on CD? Uh... no. Didn't I have them on my original hard drive and use my external as my back-up? Uh... no, again. Look, there are so many questions you could ask me... but in the end, the answer is going to be the same. Yes! I was S-T-U-P-I-D, stupid. Yes! I now know all of these things that I coulda/shoulda/didn't do. Can it be restored? That we shall see.

Currently, our most recent computer dude checked it out and said that he couldn't do it, that it wasn't a simple fix like a cable or something, that we would have to be referred to someone else, and it could cost a lot of money, that it depended how important it was to me. REALLY? How important is this to me? It was my whole frickin' LIFE!

And so... we're going to get a couple of estimates and hope/pray someone (anyone) can fix it/restore it for us long enough to make (SEVERAL) backups.

But in the end, we need to ask ourselves... Is this the Santa Curse?

"Huh?" you ask. Yep. I said it. The Santa Curse. Last year, hubs (who wasn't too experienced with ANY camera, let alone digital), got a new Canon PowerShot. We had just taken Santa photos and I had him take sneaky set-up photos (you know... the kind where they're all candid and fun and stuff), because, well... those are the kind that I really like. Cute pics they were, too. We got home, and before he had me download the pics... he decided to see what "format the card" meant. Yep... you guessed it. New Santa pics wiped out. Needless to say, he learned his lesson.

Enter this past Sunday (the day before the doomed Monday when I lost all my pics). I downloaded this year's candid Santa set-up photos (click on this to see that story and the final pic story here) on Sunday.

Did you catch that? Last year I didn't get to even download the candid pics, and they were gone. This year, I got to download them, and do nothing with them, because... Enter "Monday". and Woosh! while trying to upload pics onto a photo site (you know... to print them for a Christmas present or two...), all of a sudden, the stupid computer/site doesn't recognize or even register the external hard drive. Uh, oh!

Panic set in... and I tried to do everything/anything I could think of to recognize it. And I mean everything. I even cried, and that didn't work. Didn't work. Nothing worked. And like I said before, the current computer dude can do nothing. So, we'll wait.

Patience is hard for me. And I have to breathe in slowly and deeply. But, I cried. I still tear up. And this is why I wonder if it's a curse... The Santa Curse... or just Fate. Fate telling me that I need to shut the hell up and quit procrastinating and taking things for granted, because... well, ya know! I do that.

*Note to the above: There are no pictures to describe how the hell I feel... words cannot describe them. My lesson learned: Always have back-up to any method of photo and/or document storage you use. That is all.

One of My Favorite Ornaments - A Snowman

2010-12-23T09:15:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite projects from my early days of crafting on my own...

I love snowmen and snowflakes. The first one is the only type of man that you can totally create to your liking and won't talk back (don't ya'll just l.o.v.e. that!). The second? The only type of flake that I like (besides corn of course!).

Years and years ago... (over 18 years ago), I got a wonderful idea for an ornament. It was based on these top hats I saw in the Bridal section of a craft store (I believe the store was in Reno, Nevada). It was an a-ha moment for me, but I made a couple with fervor, after finding all of the supplies I needed, both from the craft store and my local grocery store.

What you see here is a Sugar Ice Cream Cone. It has been basted approximately 10 times with Modge Podge (and is still sturdy and good after all these years!). It gets really soft when you first apply, just don't add pressure, and all will be good. Also... let it dry thoroughly between each coat to build up a good tough hardness.

A larger styrofoam ball was whittled down do fit in the cone, then another smaller one glued on top. I then covered both balls, and made a "drip" effect with SnoEffects (glittered) down the edges of the cone. (btw... the SnoEffects still hasn't discolored, either!)

I quickly stuck in a small portion of an orange pipe cleaner and black beads (eyes, mouth and buttons) and snatched off a little glittered twigs for the arms. I glued the top hat and let it all dry... and still... to this day, he sits in my branches of my Christmas tree every year. I love him. He will always be with me. (Ok, so maybe there are a couple of things I'd do different with my current knowledge and experience, but hey! Don't judge... I still love my man, and he won't melt away!)