Musings of a Domestic Goddess

Blog Book Tour - You could win an Barnes and Noble gift card!

2011-04-12T08:05:00.000-06:00

I am excited to be participating in a Blog Book Tour for first time author Julie Ford. I was fortunate to meet Julie as she is a friend of my sister in law. When I heard that she was looking for bloggers to participate I jumped at the chance.

Her new book The Woman He Married is just out. Here is a brief synopsis of the book:

As an aspiring young defense attorney, Josie McClain looked forward to taking on the injustices of the world—one case at a time. Eleven years later, she is a stay-at-home-mom battling demons that don’t require a law degree, but do demand the ability to remain insanely busy, while nursing a heavy dose of denial. Only keeping up pretenses proves more than she can bear when a bracelet that should have been hers shows up on the wrist of another woman. Now, in the midst of an Alabama judicial campaign, Josie’s marriage to candidate, John Bearden, slowly begins to unravel as an ex-lover comes back into her life. When he offers her the dreams she thought she’d lost, Josie faces one of the most difficult decisions of her life. She embarks on a journey of self-rediscovery, finding that fulfillment was unwittingly within her reach the whole time.

Julie is an amazing woman. She graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Political Science and a minor in English Literature. She later attended the University of Alabama where she received a Masters Degree in Social Work. With an MSW, she had hopes of working as a family therapist. However, this ambition had to be put on hold when she was diagnosed with Lymphoma during her third semester of graduate school. In addition to her primary job as a stay-at-home-mom and budding author, she has worked as a substitute high school teacher, Lamaze Certified Childbirth and Infant CPR instructor, family therapist and don’t forget, Parisian’s sales associate.

Let's hear Julie's take on life and her new novel.

Question: How much of this story was driven by your work as a marriage and family therapist?

Answer: I’ve only practiced as a therapist for short period of time but have notice some common threads that run though the couples I’ve treated. One being that infidelity, unless chronic, doesn’t cause divorce, lack of communication does.
With Josie and John their problems started in the beginning when she chose to let him dictate the roles of their marriage. She sacrificed her dreams for his instead of telling him what she wanted. But then over time began resenting him while he was left wondering why she wasn’t happy. Resentment doesn’t exactly encourage productive communication.

Question: What role does today’s culture play in the demise of marriages?

Answer: Couples in today’s society seem to get so caught up in doing the “right” thing. Fathers feel compelled to build a prestigious career, provide a larger than necessary home in a safe neighborhood, expensive gas-guzzling cars, country club memberships and vacations to hip places. The pressure to provide financially is overwhelming.
Mothers feel they need to stretch themselves and their children to the limit with extra curricular activities, volunteering, social clubs, church and even a career. All the while keeping close tabs on what their kids eat and watch on TV, how they dress, and their grades. Parents get so caught up in what society says they “should” be doing that their marital relationships are forced to take a back seat.

Question: The book has a somewhat PG-13 element to it. Why not clean it up and make it suitable for the Christian market?

Answer: The book is clean and contains no graphic language or sexual content. But I wrote the book from a non-LDS perspective so that the story would appeal to all readers. I think a story about a woman’s struggle to hold onto her identity while dedicating her life to the service of her family is applicable to women of all walks of life, and I didn’t want to limit my audience to only LDS readers.

Question: Being a member of the LDS church comes with its own unique challenges. Why would a book about a woman with very little faith appeal to women in a church where god is their central focus and the example they look to for guidance?

Answer: Although Josie doesn’t have a strong belief in/or understanding of God in which to draw upon, her struggle to find the right answers is not unlike any woman’s. In the end, she does turn to a higher power for guidance, thus illustrating the need we all have at times for a little divine intervention.

Question: As church members we have been taught that women fulfill the measure of their creation by becoming a wife and mother, yet in this story you have a shown a woman who is somewhat resentful of those roles.

Answer: I think a lot of women, especially those who forgo a career to stay at home and raise a family, question at times if anyone really values or even appreciates their sacrifices—if their time and energy wouldn’t be better spent pursuing other venues. But motherhood is worth it, and thus Josie was able to find fulfillment in the very place she had thought she never would.

Question: Why give Josie a problem with alcohol?

Answer: We all have our vices that may include food, hobbies, or staying so busy we don’t give ourselves time to think—to feel. I gave Josie a problem with alcohol because, whether we want to admit it or not, we all have our own hidden demons. Simply put, I thought this one fit a politician’s wife the best.

Ok, now here is your chance to win an Barnes and Noble gift card worth $50 and a free copy of the book!

All you have to do is leave a comment on my blog about this review, Julie, the book - you get the point. Julie will pick a winner from all the blog comments. The more you comment the more of a chance you will have to win. For a listing of other bloggers participating in this book tour you can visit Julie's blog.

Life of Pi, My Review

2011-03-27T09:27:00.000-06:00

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Note: this review does have spoilers. If you haven't read the book and you plan to, don't read this review. It will make your reading more enjoyable to not know how it turns out.

Pi is a nickname for the main character, whom you meet while he is young and in school, and where the reason he later gives himself the nickname is fleshed out. This book is about his family, who run a zoo, decide to move to Canada and sell the animals to other zoos. They board as ship, with animals in tow, which ultimately sinks and Pi and four animals end up on a lifeboat.

Told in three parts; early life before the move, life on the boat, life after rescue, you almost have to rate each part separately as they are so different.

The first part gives you background on his family and the zoo, him, and his ultimate following of three religions at one time. Some of this was hard to follow only because I wasn't familiar with much of the religious wording used. All the Hindu gods and stories were foreign to me. Just as to him, wandering into a Christian church and seeing the statue of Christ on the cross was a foreign concept to him. Why would a God allow himself to be put through this he wonders. None of the Gods he worshiped would do this. They would use their Godly powers to overcome this adversity as a proper God should. Ultimately he learns form the preacher that Love is the reason.

The middle part was my favorite because it was the most interesting and riveting. At times it was horrific as you can imagine how a hyena would interact with an injured zebra and a female orangutan in a confined space. The most interesting part is how Pi decides that he needs to train the tiger so he will be able to survive. Quite a resourceful boy he makes do and ultimately survives the ordeal.

The last part was strange in a way. Officials from the Japanese shipping company whose ship sank come to interview him to try and find out why their ship sank. During the interviews they had a hard time believing that this story was real. How could a boy survive on a boat this long with a tiger on board. No one had seen the tiger in the jungle since they hit land. How could this be? Finally Pi tells of a different story, one which the animals are really symbolic of people who were on the boat. This story he tells to them because it is what they want to hear. One of human savagery not of a boy's triumph over a wild animal. It makes you wonder; which story is really true? In the final report the interviewer goes with the tiger story and that is the story that I want to believe as well.

This book has some hard things to read in it. At times he talks about cruelty to animals at the hands of zoo keepers and stupid humans who do stupid and unbelievable things.

Aside from that this is a very enjoyable book. I read it over a weekend because I was so interested in finding out what happened.

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Me and my Treadmill

2011-03-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

So I am sitting here after spending 45 min. on my treadmill. My legs have tiny explosions throughout as my muscles relax from the effort. I kind of have a love/hate relationship with my treadmill. I enjoy walking and want to work up to running but the process of getting there kind of sucks. I have never been a runner and running with a 40 something year old bladder and the added weight isn't much fun. The reason I want to work up to running? You can get a higher calorie burn in a faster amount of time than with walking. Fortunately my treadmill is in the family room with the TV. My hubby hooked up a long cord for my ear buds so I can listen to a show on my DVR or a movie on Netflix without bothering the rest of the family.

I have started back on my weight loss journey after taking a break for many months. (broken foot, holidays, sinus infection for 3 months and 4 antibiotics, antibiotic induced tendonitis) Anyhoo, it always amazes me how fast you can lose fitness when you don't exercise.

I also started using my Spark People tracking for my nutrition/fitness/weight loss. I absolutely hate counting calories and this is the place I have found that makes it easiest for me. It comes with reports that you can view in graphs or pie charts that show your progress. ooohhh, pictures!

I had to put in my weight and measurements in when I started tracking and imagine my dismay when the little arrow went the wrong way. I have gained weight since I was doing this about a year ago. It is frustrating when you realize you are the kind of person who can't trust yourself with unconscious eating. As much as I hate calorie counting I am beginning to realize that it is something I will have to do for for the rest of my life if I want to get my weight down to where I want it and then maintain it.

It is kind of like marriage after dating. You don't just say, oooh, now I'm married, I don't have to work on it any more. You can't just lose the weight and think you don't have to work on it any more.

So here I go, starting up a process that I have started many times before, hoping this time I will stick with it and do it right!

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain, my review

2011-03-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain by Portia de Rossi

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, what an amazing story. Portia de Rossi gives you an extremely personal view of a someone dealing with an eating disorder.

As she says in her book she didn't start out to be an anorexic, it just snuck up on her in the guise of a healthy diet and a professional attitude.

Her pursuit to be loved, admired and to feel worthy of her position as a TV star lead her down a path of unhealthy eating and an obsession with food and exercise. Her entire day, apart from about three - half days per week, was spent in the pursuit of counting calories, burning calories and trying to lose weight. She was obsessed with food. She was obsessed with exercise.

The truly sad thing is that this way of thinking started when she was a young girl. As a 12 year old model she learned about binging/purging, starving and ways to lose pounds in preparation for a shoot.

She has to win and be the best at everything. That meant that being a size 8 when all the sample sizes were size 6 wasn't good enough. She had to be perfect and fit into the sample sizes. If a size 6 was good then a size 4 was better. If people were thinner than her then she wasn't thin enough. She was obsessed with being good enough.

This paragraph really struck me:

"I don't now where this pressure came from. I can't blame my parents because it has always felt internal. Like any other parent, my mother celebrated the A grades and the less-than-A grades she felt there was no need tell anybody about. But not acknowledging the effort that ended in a less than perfect result impacted me as a child. If I didn't win, then we wouldn't tell anyone that I had even competed to save us the embarrassment of acknowledging that someone else was better. Keeping the secret made me think that losing was something to be ashamed of, and that unless I was sure I was going to be the champion, there was no point in trying. And there was certainly no point to just having fun."

This was very fast read for me because the story was so compelling and unbelievably interesting. It is amazing that a woman who seemingly had everything, beauty, fame, wealth, felt like she was nothing.

If you want to see what goes on inside the head of someone with an eating disorder, you should read this book.

If you want to learn some of the signs of an eating disorder, you should read this book.

If you just want to read a compelling story, you should read this book.

View all my reviews

With Love and Laughter, John Ritter - My Book Review

2011-01-17T21:10:00.002-07:00

With Love and Laughter, John Ritter by Amy Yasbeck

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a lovely book. This is written by Amy Yasbeck (Wings, Robin Hood Men in Tights), the wife of John Ritter.

This book is written with love and humor and in such a conversational way you feel that you could just talk with the writer. She has a fun sense of humor (I could totally hang with her) with which she lets you glimpse a little into the life and heart of one of our most beloved comedic actors.

I grew up with John Ritter as Jack Tripper. It was fun to reminisce a little about some of the roles he played. She tells you a little about her life, then his life, how they met, and some fun experiences that they had together.

One such story is the time they were invited to a party a Elizabeth Taylor's home. They were completely star struck. They had gotten their plates of food and weren't sure where to go. They saw Ms. Taylor seated next to and talking with Johnny Depp. Again, star struck. Ms. Taylor patted the floor next to her and they both quickly sat down on the floor so excited that she had invited them over only to notice her gaze looking elsewhere. They looked to see to very disgruntled pooches whose place they had just taken.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loved John Ritter as an actor or who just wants to read an absolutely lovely tribute of a wife to her husband.

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Mockingjay - My Book Review

2011-01-10T22:13:00.004-07:00

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

(Contains spoilers)

I have real mixed emotions about this book. I had a really hard time getting into this one.

I read the first two books back to back in a week. I was riveted during the Hunger Games and when I was finished with Catching Fire (I hated how it ended so abruptly and left you hanging) I couldn't wait until Mockingjay came out. Well, that was a year ago. It had been long enough that I was having a hard time remembering who everyone one was. New names were being brought in now that they lived in District 13, old names were bandied about; this person died, they saw this person when they did this etc. I struggled to follow along at first. They kept referring to the pearl that Peeta gave to Katniss. I really couldn't remember anything about the pearl.

Once I got into the middle of it things picked up. There were a few twists that surprised me and I think I like the way this one ended. I was shocked when Katniss first goes in to greet Peeta and he tries to kill her. Who would think that sweet loving Peeta would be that crazed. I love when Katniss was getting ready to shoot President Snow that she turned around and shot Coin instead. I was sad that the author decided to kill off Prim at the end. It just seemed unnecessary. I was glad that Peeta was rehabilitated and they ended up together. I liked how in the very last pages it showed a glimpse into the future with them being happy and having children. After all the sadness and darkness in the series it is nice to have a happy ending.

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Katie Up and Down the Hall - My Book Review

2011-01-05T08:08:00.002-07:00

Katie Up and Down the Hall: The True Story of How One Dog Turned Five Neighbors into a Family by Glenn Plaskin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a nice little book to read. A story of how dogs can enter our lives and change them.

This dog brought neighbors in a New York high rise together into a family. I thought the author spent a little too much time, at the beginning of the book, talking about his profession and the celebrities he interviewed but all in all it was about the dog and the people she brought together.

I was amazed at how dog friendly New York is; at all the places he was able to take his dog with him and all the places into which he was able to sneak his dog.

I enjoyed reading about the hall races Katie had with young Ryan; how Pearl, the Grandma of the group, loved this dog and Ryan as her own. I was riveted when reading how this small group dealt with the tragedy and displacement of 9/11; the Twin Towers being across the street from their apartment building.

This story covered the 15 or so years that Katie was with Glenn and the changes that life will inevitably bring. I was brought to tears when reading about the owner having to come to terms with Katie's end of life and the possibility of euthanasia.

There were a few pages in the middle of the book with pictures of the people you read about. It is fun to put a face with the names and stories. I would recommend this book.

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Nuclear Jellyfish - My Book Review

2011-01-01T15:57:00.002-07:00

Nuclear Jellyfish by Tim Dorsey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book from the get go because I now understand the Serge character and there weren't as many intertwining plot lines as there were in Atomic Lobster. This would have been a better book to start with when reading my first Tim Dorsey book.

Serge is a serial killer that you just love. He is ADD and OCD and a basic psychopath with seemingly boundless energy. He tries to help people out and only kills people who deserve it; usually in an attempt to "help" someone out. He likes to stay in touch with his kindergarten self and often has some great words of wisdom. He hangs out with his buddy Coleman who is in a perpetual state of getting and being stoned.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Example:

(Coleman)"Am I damaged?"

Serge placed a hand on his pal's shoulder. "Coleman, there are three - and only three - kinds of people in this world: Those who don't know they're damaged and blame others; those who realize they're damaged and blame others; and then people like you and me, who wear damage like comfortable pajamas."

Coleman swigged from his pint bottle. "Mine are the ones with the little feet."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here they are in a library where Serge wants to find a bar that was around in the 1970's:

(Coleman):"How are we supposed to get to the bar from inside a library?"

"Time travel."

"But time travel's impossible."

"Usually." Serge pulled a book off the shelf. "Unless you're at a library. I'm already in the time pod."

Coleman looked around. "I don't see anything."

"Children have it all over adults, possessing magical powers of imagination. Then they grow into cynical tall people. That's the whole problem with the human race: reverse metamorphosis. We turn from butterflies into caterpillars. The key to keeping your wings is regular exercise of your kindergarten muscles of make-believe." Serge grabbed another book off the shelf and flipped pages. "Wait here. I'll be right back." Serge stood perfectly still.

"But I thought I was coming with you," said Coleman.

"It's just a one-man pod."

"If the time pod's make-believe, can't you add an extra seat?"

"Pretty dangerous," said Serge. "Could put too much stress on the dilythium flux capacitor."

"I'll take the risk."

"Okay," Serge closed his eyes. He opened them. "Time pod, Mark II, with more leg room, extra seating and a killer sound system."

"Shotgun!"

"Don't forget your seat belt."

Coleman made a phantom motion across his chest.

"Stop farting around in the time pod. The strap's on the other side."

"Sorry. Got it now. Click"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having read both of my Serge A. Storm books, I am sad I don't have another one to read. I think I will have to go out and buy me a few.

I won this book through First Reads!! Yay me!

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Atomic Lobster - My Book Review

2010-12-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

Atomic Lobster by Tim Dorsey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed emotions about this book. When I first started reading I didn't like it. I felt like things were all over the place. I would be reading and all of the sudden it would change to something else and I wouldn't know what was going on.

Example:I was lost during the Greek religious festival. I think if I had known that the young boys standing in their swim suits, the priest officiating, the boys jumping in the water, Serge talking about this being the sponge capital of the world, the boys diving and coming up frustrated, then Serge coming up with a white cross to have his buddy take pictures with, would have made a lot more sense to me if I had known that the boys were looking for something, namely the white cross and not, perhaps, sponges.

As it got further into the book and I figured out the Serge character a little I began enjoying it more. Like when his therapist told him to go to an anger management support group and he gets thrown out for fighting, she sends him to the Non-Confrontationalist Anonymous support group to try and have some sympathy for the other side of the spectrum. The group goes on a field trip to the zoo (staring down lions and tigers in cages to build courage), the bus ride reminds Serge of field trips in Kindergarten and gets everyone on the bus singing "If You're Happy and You Know It".

Then later in the book he gets the group together, puts everyone in masks and starts a "Fight Club" sort of thing to get them expressing themselves.

There are some pretty funny escapades that everyone eventually ends up in the same local and mishaps aplenty ensue. I did actually laugh out loud a couple times.

I take one star off this book, and feel I can't recommend it to most of my friends, because of the very liberal use of the F-bomb.

I won this book from First Reads and am now off to read Nuclear Jellyfish which I also won.

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BESTeam Feature: Fluttering Flowers

2010-12-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share this Etsy shop with you. Welcome to Fluttering Flowers.

Everything in this shop is teeny tiny and so cute you just almost can't believe it and the prices are beyond reasonable. This is a polymer clay paradise and since a picture is worth a thousand words I am just going to get to the pictures so you can see for yourself.

bwahahahaha - Squished bug!! - only $1.80!

Small Sleeping Baby - $1.20

Small Bonsai Tree - $2.40

Toadstool Buttons - $4.80

Three Tiered Cake - $2.40

Giraffe - $2.40

Girl and friends - $6.00

I don't know how she does it. Everything is so detailed and yet so small. It just makes me happy looking at all this cuteness. You need to check out the cute bunnies!

Take a minute and visit Fluttering Flowers and see all the other fun items available. You can also find Fluttering Flowers at her blog Polymer Playtime where you can keep up on her polymer creations and see some pictures of her big fat turkeys!

BESTeam Feature: Elizabeth MD

2010-12-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

Meet Elizabeth of ElizabethMD. No, she isn't an MD she is Elizabeth M Duquette. A daughter a creative parents who has been drawing and designing jewelry and clothing since she was 15.

She graduated from Fashion Merchandising at Fanshawe College in 2004 and has turned her love of design, into a love of one of a kind handmade jewelry. She started designing jewelry when she wasn't finding the kind of jewelry that made her excited to wear it.

You're one of a kind, so why shouldn't your jewelry be? This is the philosophy behind ElizabethMD. Come look at a few of my favorite one of a kind pieces.

Red Berry earrings. ONLY $5!!!

I love these berry earrings. So festive for the holidays. Only $5!!

Copper Bouquet necklace, $16

I absolutely love this necklace. "A bouquet of flowers trickle down from this necklace."

Double Stranded Lampwork and Agate Stone Necklace, $31

This is such a versatile piece that would go with just about any outfit.

Gift Certificate, $10

For that woman who has everything, how about a gift card, available for $10, $15, or $25, so she can choose what she wants!

You can also find Elizabeth at her blog Elizabeth MD Jewelry Designs. Stop on by for her latest updates and deals.

Request a Tutorial

2010-12-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

I would love to put some more tutorials on my blog. I did one in 2006, a cute little tote out of a placemat. and it still gets tons of traffic. This tells me there are other crafty bloggers wanting to expand their crafty abilities.

So - I am asking for your input.

What would you like to see as a tutorial?

Give me some ideas of what you would like to see demonstrated.

Visit my etsy shop. Is there something there you would like to learn how to do?
Is there a craft or project you want to make after I figure out how to do it first?
Have you seen something in a magazine or on a website that you want to try and make?

Leave me a comment with your tutorial wish list.

Make sure to follow my blog so you know when your tutorial goes up!

If I use your suggestion for a tutorial I will send you a little gift of crafty goodness.

(maybe even the thing you wanted demonstrated)

Let's get our crafty on and make some stuff!

BESTeam Feature: Our Home To Yours

2010-12-02T19:39:00.000-07:00

What could be better than buying handmade goodness from a Mother/Daughter/Daughter etsy shop? You probably think I am talking about my Etsy store, which is a great place to shop, but this time I'm not. I found another shop that has that same trio as ours.

Our Home To Yours.

You will find things to keep you warm, things to accessorize, things for weddings, home decor and more.

Debbi (the mom) and Amanda use yarn, thread, beads, paper and paint and Alison uses any and all material she can get her hands on. (sounds like my kind of crafters!)

Here are a few of my favorite things from "their home".

Crayon Roll, $12

For the person you know with a touch of OCD that loves crayons (and who doesn't). My 19 year old wants one!

Eternity Scarf, $20

I love this scarf idea. It is made in the round so their are no seams. You loop it around your neck one, two, or three times depending on how loose you want it.

2 Rosette Headband, $10

Headbands with adorable wrapped roses.

Crocheted Tam, $10

Something for that man in your life to keep his noggin warm! No girly colors here!!

Pink and Purple fuzzy scarf, $12

I just loved this picture. We used to wrap things around our girls faces when they were little and pretend they were flowers. This would be a "scarf flower".

Come on over and visit this fun little shop Our Home To Yours. You can also find them at their blog under the same name.

BESTeam Feature: Elle's Beads

2010-11-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Here is some great holiday shopping without all the chaos and potential battle scars of Black Friday shopping. Plus you can stay in your jammies.

Take a look at Elle's Beads.

This shop offers one of a kind (OOAK) funky handmade jewelry. You can also find brooches, book marks, cell phone charms and barrettes. Her shop is a lot of fun to look at too. She has make her pages into a beautiful palate of color. Looking for red jewelry? They are all together. Need blue jewelry? All the blues are together. Not only is that very helpful when you are shopping but it is beautiful to look at. Yellows fade into orange which then turn to red then on to pinks etc. I am amazed by it. Don't really know how she keeps it this way.

Here are some of my favorites.

Mosso is for Music Lovers - Antique Silver Charm, $10.00

I thought this was beautiful. The silver with the aged piece of sheet music. A great find for that music lover in your life!

Vintage Pearl and Diamond Charm Necklace with Sterling Silver Chain, $20

I know a few lovers of vintage, pearls and diamonds. I am guessing you do too.

Swirling Silver and Black Crystazzi Beaded Earrings, $20

I love the design of these earrings. This is a great pair that would go with just about anything. You could use these for New Year's Eve dress up or go casual with a pair of jeans.

Stop on by Elle's Beads to find some fabulous Christmas (or any time) buys. You can also find Elle at her blog. You can sign up for her newsletter and follow her blog to stay abreast of the new items that are put up.

BESTeam Feature: Midnight Chalk

2010-11-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share a fun little shop from UK. Midnight Chalk.

Sandra from Midnight Chalk is a mom of two who likes to explore the countryside, find beautiful things and record them, either as photographs or as fine art sketches and drawings.

Upon first inspection of her Etsy shop you find three photos offered there. But like looking for hidden treasure, if you search a little deeper you will find much more. Here are two of my favorites:

If you see a picture that you like, you can convo Sandra about ordering different sizes. You can also find additional photos on Sandra's blog.

Here is a photo from her blog that I think is absolutely adorable:

Midnight Chalk is a fairly new shop, opening this year in April. Take a minute to visit her and give her some Etsy love.

Driving With Familiarity; What Does it Really Breed?

2010-11-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

Article first published as Driving With Familiarity; What Does it Really Breed?, by Linda Voss, on Technorati.

The saying goes “Familiarity breeds contempt”. Lately I have been wondering if it breeds something else.

There has been a lot of road construction happening on our freeways of late. It has become apparent that we are busting at the seams and need more lanes. While this construction is going on there are a lot of road detours, orange barrels, and wonky lane changes. There are sections of the freeway where you will have narrowed lanes, others where you will make a curve to the far right then a curve back to the left, and times when you will actually be driving on the other side of the freeway.

When the construction first started it was scary driving on these new sections of the freeway. You weren’t exactly sure where you were supposed to be going. The cement barriers that were put up along the sides of the lanes made you feel boxed in and like you were going to crash into them. (Ok, they make me feel that way).

The posted speed limit in these construction zones is 55 mph (miles per hour). In the beginning that speed was all too fast. Now that construction has been going on for several months people are more accustomed to the changes and know to expect the unexpected. Mostly we keep an eye on the traffic ahead of us, watch for speed traps, and slow down when we see a friendly policeman reminding us of the speed limit.

One day I was driving home on a straight section of freeway that wasn’t actively being worked on. I was driving a little faster than the posted limit, 80 mph, when in my rear view mirror I saw a big truck coming closer and gaining on me. I was just about to turn on my blinker to move into the middle lane, because I am a considerate driver like that, when he zoomed into the middle lane, passed me, zoomed back into the left lane and sped off into the horizon.

Remember I mentioned I was going just a little teeny bit over the speed limit? It makes me wonder how fast he was going. This is when I started thinking about the familiarity thing. It bred something in him but I am not quite sure what it was. Apathy, confidence, stupidity, or was it just plain familiarity. At times we get so familiar with things that we become comfortable with them. In that comfort we stop being so careful.

Maybe this is why teenagers text while driving. They are so familiar with one thing that it doesn’t seem like adding it to another will do any harm. That and teenagers tend to feel invincible.

An accident injury law firm cites the following statistics of accidents in highway construction zones: “Crashes in highway work zones have killed at least 4,700 Americans – more than two a day – and injured 200,000 in the last five years alone.About 85% of people killed in work zones are motorists, not workers.”

You would think that this thought process and my knowledge that I am NOT invincible would make me more wary of driving fast. I was on the freeway again yesterday and thought I would stay in the right lane and go slower. That lasted about 15 minutes. I can relate to Sammy Hagar when he sings “I can’t drive 55”. Going 55 mph stinks.

I speak with that bravado now but wait until it snows. Maybe then I will be back in the right lane.

BESTeam Feature: CyndesPlace

2010-11-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome to CyndesPlace. Where handmade and whimsy meet.

CyndesPlace feels the most perfect of days "starts with a steaming cup of cinnamon coffee and the whole day to sew." This type of day is when she will make the handbags and accessories that you will find in her shop.

Here is a sample of what you will find:

Peaceful (get it!) Night on the Town, $26.50

Weekend in Wonderland, Extral Large Duffle, $160

Felted Fall Handbag, $60

Madalin Carries it all Handbag, $75

Money Envelope Clutch, $8.00

Like a style but want a different fabric or color combo? Convo her and she will make something to your specific needs, or wants.

You can also find CyndesPlace at her blog Hip Chic Designs. Stop on by. She has giveaways, tutorials, and will introduce you to wonderful Etsy finds that she makes.

I never thought I'd say "I knitted a cozy"

2010-11-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd say I had knitted a cozy. That is something that we tend to make fun of in our house. "Oh, why don't you make a cozy for it".

You know. People, I guess those who haven't discovered amigurumi and don't know what else to knit or crochet, make covers for everything. Toasters, tea sets, coffee pots, tissue boxes, calculators.

Tea cozy, click here for the pattern

Tissue box cozy, click here for pattern

But now I can join the ranks. Hopefully mine will be in the "hey, that's really cute" category and not the "why on earth would you make that" category.

Here is my cozy.

I made a few to try and sell on my Etsy shop FromShirlee. They are MP3/cell phone/iPod cozies.

My girls think they are cute. Now we just have to see if anyone will be willing to pay me for one!

Is what you write free for the taking?

2010-11-05T07:55:00.000-06:00

Article first published as Cooks Source Magazine Bagged for Printing Writer Article Without Permission, by Linda Voss, on Technorati.

Writing seems to be a hard knock business. Most people who are writers write for the love of words and writing. To actually get to a place of note and maybe earning a little money takes a lot of time, experience, and possibly luck.

That being said you would think that someone who has been in the business for 30 some odd years would know that taking an article written by someone else and publishing it in your for-profit print magazine, without their permission or even their knowledge, is wrong.

You would think. Enter Judith Griggs, editor of Cooks Source Magazine. This is exactly what she did. The article she printed without permission is a Tale of Two Tarts, Redactions of two English apple pie recipes and a discussion of how they changed over time, by Monica Gaudio.

Monica recounts her experience of learning about this, through a friend who wanted to know how she got published, on her blog

Aside from the whole intellectual property infringement, going against good taste, and doing something that even a high school student would know was wrong, the truly amazing part of this tale is the response Judith gave to Monica’s request of an apology, acknowledgement and a donation to her alma mater.

Judith’s response, which was quite snarky, said in part: “But honestly Monica, the web is considered "public domain" and you should be happy we just didn't "lift" your whole article and put someone else's name on it!” . . . .
“I have a bit of a difficult time with your requests for monetary gain, albeit for such a fine (and very wealthy!) institution. We put some time into rewrites, you should compensate me!”

The internet, Facebook, and Twitter is all a buzz about this event. Bloggers are in an uproar. The Cooks Source Facebook page has increased a fan base by over 2000 people since this happened. It isn’t that they are truly fans of this magazine it is so they can post comments and flames on the page.

Judith is responding with the likes of “you children should go to bed” and “you would think people would understand”. Her personal Facebook page says “Why are all these people so mad at me? I was just helping that silly girl, and I get treated like this?!?”

There is also some talk on these same bandwidths that this all may be a big hoax. If it is a hoax it is a doozie. Monica is getting a lot of publicity about her apple pie article and a lot of traffic to her blog. Will the traffic be sustained? I don’t think so.

One thing you can take from this, true or not, is that what is on the internet stays on the internet and travels like wild fire. Take care what you put out there because you can ruin a reputation in the blink of an eye, the turn of a phrase, or the theft of an article.

BESTeam Feature: Arm Candy For You

2010-11-04T22:51:00.000-06:00

Today we are going to go to India for some fun candy for your arm. Yes my dears, we are talking about purses. I am going to introduce you to Priti. She is the force behind Arm Candy For You.

The purses you will find in this Etsy shop are made from materials like Indian Silk, Indian Brocade, Velvet, Vegan Rubber, Vinyl and Faux Leather. You can even buy patterns if you feel like tackling the job of sewing your own bag.

If, however, you are like me and like buying purses more than sewing them, you are in luck. There are bags ranging in price from a $15 Wristlet to bags for $170. Here are some of my favorites:

Plaid Vinyl Tote, $85

I love this bag. The plaid is so cute and there are pockets galore inside. I love me some pockets!

Chocolate Brown Leather, $80

You have to love a purse made out of Chocolate, even if it is chocolate leather. Isn't the flower cute!

Dalmation print Wristlet, $15

Maybe I am getting a bit of my Cruella DeVille on but I love this little number. The print is adorable.

Vegan Rubber Tote, $65

I've never had a rubber purse before but this one could make it on my list.

When Priti isn't busy sewing some Arm Candy, she can be found at her blog. You may want to visit. She shares some mighty tasty looking recipes. You can also find her on twitter and her Facebook page.

Stop on by and get your self some candy that is calorie free and will look fantastic on your arm.

My New Badge

2010-11-04T19:22:00.001-06:00

I have written a few articles for Technorati and I now get to proudly display this on my blog.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-11-03T08:00:00.000-06:00


My craft table. Stuff needing to be put on etsy. I need to get busy!!!!

BESTeam Feature: Nevita

2010-10-28T09:05:00.002-06:00

If you are in the need of something warm and snuggly I have a great Etsy find for you. Nevita, From My Hands to Yours.

Nevita is in Bulgaria but her wonderful knitted accessories are as close as your keyboard. Most items free or for the low price of $5.

Here is just a sampling of what is offered here:

Fingerless Gloves, $24

I love fingerless gloves. They are perfect for wearing when you are typing or crafting and get those freezy cold fingers.

Cable Shrug, $69

This is just adorable. She lists that the knitting time is up to 7 days so I am guessing this will be custom made for you. With this in mind you could request different color choices. Convo her!

Gobelin Needlepoint, $699

This tapestry is absolutely stunning. I can't even imagine the time that went into making this. There are several tapestries available on the site but this was my favorite. Nevita even tells you about the symbolism of the butterfly.

Hat and Glove set, $49

Doesn't this make you feel warm and cozy just by looking at it! Imagine how you would feel wearing it.

Chunky Scarf, $32

I thought this black and white fuzzy scarf was cute and funky. It would look great with just about any item you paired it with.

As you can see there is a lot to choose from at Nevita, From My Hands to Yours so swing on over and give her some Etsy love.
You can also visit Nevita at her blog Boutiqueaholic.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-27T07:24:00.000-06:00


Amigurumi Turtle Family. They are a happy family.

How much does YOUR dentist charge?

2010-10-26T11:59:00.000-06:00

Article first published as Editor Skips Out on $45,000 Dental Bill , by Linda Voss, on Technorati.

When I think of going to the dentist I plan on a bill that is maybe $100 - $200. My braces cost me a bit over $3000. If I were hit with a $45,000 (you read that right, 45 thousand) dental bill I don’t know what I would do. Those would have to be some pretty amazing teeth for a bill like that. I would be expecting a little “bling” for that price.

Lyss Stern

This is the bill that the editor of the New York Observer’s Playground magazine, Lyss Stern, received and didn’t pay. In lieu of paying the bill she offered to publish a positive review, in a three to four page article, about her dentist and his being at the forefront of cosmetic dentistry.

Why do we know about this? Lyss didn’t publish the article as promised and the Manhattan dentist, Lowenberg & Lituchy DDS, filed suit against Stern.

Why do we care about this? People are questioning her journalistic integrity and posing questions about a similar trade-off involved in another issue. What? We can’t trust what we read? If it’s in print it must be true. It may be true but it may be biased. Marketing rules the world and may be running into journalism.

The question I ask is what kind of work was she having done for $45,000. That is more than a good majority of American’s earn in a year. I can’t imagine why, given the opportunity to write an article in exchange for paying that bill, she didn’t just write the article. I bet if you went up to any person on the street and told them you would waive $45,000 of their debt, in exchange for writing a glowing recommendation piece for publication, they would do it in a heartbeat. Granted, we would have some really crummy articles out there, but they would jump at the chance!

Something I find even more puzzling is that after the story ran on Monday the lawyer for the dentist, Michael Laufer, said they would no longer be suing Stern. No reason was given for the suit being withdrawn. I wonder if we will be seeing a glowing recommendation after all.

All I can say is I am glad I don’t go to her dentist.

Gordon Ramsey Won't Eat at My House

2010-10-24T12:02:00.001-06:00

Article first published as Gordon Ramsey Won't Eat at My House, by Linda Voss, on Technorati.

I’ve decided that Gordon Ramsay wouldn’t like to eat dinner at my house. If you have ever watched him on Hell’s Kitchen or Master Chef, you know he is extremely picky about what food not only tastes like but looks like. I think he would be mortified by the fact that I make casseroles. I happen to like casseroles. They taste good. My family thinks they taste good. What more could you ask for.

I think my meals, presented on his shows, would end up in the trash can followed by a “donkey” and several expletives then I would probably get thrown out of the kitchen. This is why I don’t try out for his shows. Well that and the fact that I don’t want to be a chef. I don’t enjoy cooking that much and wouldn’t want to work under that pressure.

I am all about fast and easy when it comes to cooking. I figure if I am able to open a can of Cream of Mushroom soup to put in something, why would I spend the time and effort to make my own cream of something sauce to add. It’s me and Betty Crocker all the way baby! I don’t think a caper has ever found its way into my house. What is a caper anyway?

I understand that what I serve for dinner doesn’t come anywhere close to what Chef Ramsay would serve in his restaurants but who needs high priced fancy schmancy food all the time. There is something to be said for good home cooking and comfort foods. I think casseroles fit into the comfort food role.

Don’t get me wrong. I like to have a nice meal every once in a while; especially when someone else cooks it for me. If Gordon Ramsey showed up on my doorstep one day just aching to cook dinner for me I wouldn’t turn him away. I’d even go buy the capers.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-10-21T14:59:00.000-06:00

I told my Young Women's group that I would bring treats to volleyball. This is today's treat. They turned out so cute and yummy I thought I'd share.

Yummy
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 cups flour
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Cream butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Add remaining ingredients.
Drop from teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 degree for 8-10 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Makes about 80 little mini cookies.

Some tips:
If you cook these enough they will be a cakey cookie. If you don't cook it enough they will be gooey and doughy but not in a good way.
I used a cookie scoop. They pretty much stayed about the same size and shape as the cookie scoop. They are cute little mini cookies. They don't expand and grow like a chocolate chip cookie will. You can fit a lot more on the pan while you are baking.

It's like a little cookie colony.

These are a favorite autumn cookie at our house. I hope you enjoy them too.

How Deep Does Your Beauty Go?

2010-10-20T23:13:00.000-06:00

Article first published as How Deep Does Your Beauty Go? , by Linda Voss, on Technorati.

You know the old saying that beauty is skin deep. My dad used to take it one step further and say "beauty is skin deep but ugly goes to the bone". That saying is referring to the inner beauty of a person's character but have you ever wondered how deep your physical beauty goes? Could it be that what is underneath the skin and deeper into the body factors into the beauty we see on the surface?

As women we are bombarded with images of the “perfect” woman. With everyone being professionally made up, lighted, touched up and air-brushed it is understandable why there is such a distorted view of beauty today. Since we don’t all have those services at our fingertips what can we do to give ol' Mother Nature a little help?

There is an article in the The Sun Times, by Janice Norris, quoting two doctors who touch on this very topic.

Dr. Thomas Spies, at an annual meeting of the American Medical Association, said “As tissues become damaged, and they lack the chemicals of good nutrition, they tend to become old. They lack what I call ‘tissue integrity.’ If we can help the tissues repair themselves by correcting nutritional deficiencies, we can make old age wait.”

Dr. Oz says that sugar and hydrogenated fats (basically processed foods) are the two things that age us fastest.

Both quotes give very timely and relevant information. Would you believe, however, that Dr. Spies said this in 1957? If he was concerned about nutritional deficiencies then just imagine what he would be saying 50 years later.

We all know that diet and exercise is the best way to keep our body healthy and fight the signs of aging. Still, I struggle with this. Some days I just don’t feel like getting on the tread mill and, dang it, I want a brownie. That being said there are small changes we can make that will impact our health and therefore our beauty.

Eating at home more frequently and cooking some of our meals. This cuts out many of the processed foods that Dr. Oz talks about. Eat more whole grains. Instead of buying Wonder Bread try heartier whole grain breads, or, learn to make whole wheat bread yourself. Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables will also make a big impact in giving you vital nutrients such as vitamins and minerals that processed foods are lacking.

It won’t happen overnight but it can help. Go for a short walk and have an apple. The fresh air will do you good and it’s a start in a positive direction.

BESTeam Feature: LoveElycia

2010-10-20T12:01:00.000-06:00

If you love people with a sense of humor, and rainbow colored hair, like I do then you are in for a treat. This week I get to introduce you to a fun Etsy shop LoveElycia.

I am going to let the pictures do the talking.

Incognito, custom moustache headband, $9. Can also be used as a disguise.

Panda headband, made to order, $11.50 GRRRRRRR

Boo, Word Bubble headband, $12. So scary!

Not so tasty but oh so cute (and calorie free!), Cupcake Headband, $12

Elycia has a great selection of fun headbands with some Fall and Halloween specific ones as well. She also sells vintage dresses.

One fun thing about ordering from Elycia is that she introduces you to the muse of her creation. You will get a card featuring that personality and her story. You can also go to her blog link, given on the item description, and read about her.

Here is an example from the cupcake headband. Meet Carrie:

Carrie

Carrie is the best baker on the block. Cupcakes are her specialty and she loves making sweet treats for every occasion. Carrie helped me whip up the recipe for the Cute as a Cupcake accessories. Definitely not her tastiest creation but absolutely the cutest.

You can find Elycia here:

Twitter
Facebook
Etsy
Blog

Stop on over and get to know her.

Wild Kingdom. On a Wall Near You.

2010-10-18T21:51:00.000-06:00

When I started college I wanted to be an interior designer. I ended up getting married, going to work, and not continuing my studies. Now my interest is more along the lines of English and art.

That being said I still consider myself to have a good sense of style. It would be an excellent sense of style if I had someone else's unlimited fundage to shop with, but that's another story.

There is a fairly recent trend of decor that baffles me: animal heads on your walls. I understand the whole "I am hunter hear me roar! I caught this animal. It is now a trophy on my wall" mentality. I don't like it, I think it is kind of creepy to have a dead animal head looking at you, but I understand it.

What I don't understand is taking it to another level: porcelain animal heads. This is an "I went to the pottery store. I am an urban hunter. I fired you in the kiln. You are now a trophy on my wall" type of mindset. What baffles me even more is the kind of money one has to spend to get said urban trophy on the wall.

I found this in the Ballard Designs catalogue. Priced at $119 and $249.

There is a different option for the more cost conscious. Sea Grass animal heads. Priced at $49 and $99.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I do need to go back to school to appreciate decor such as this. I don't think so.

Article was first published as "Wild Kingdom. On a Wall Near You (But Not Me) by Linda Voss on Technorati.com

Foolproof Whole Wheat Bread

2010-10-15T18:42:00.001-06:00

I used to be afraid of bread. Well, not the bread per se but the making of said bread.

You know, get the water too hot you murder the yeast, too cold it won't come to life, let it rise enough but not too much, beat it up and let it rise again. Mess any of that up and you will bake a rock instead of loaves of nice fluffy yeasty goodness.

Since I am a SAHM again I thought I needed to tackle this fear. I also had a lot of wheat and a wheat grinder that I wanted to make use of. So I turned to my lover, yes, the internet. I Googled "foolproof whole wheat bread". I figured with my lack of experience, foolproof would be the only way to go.

I looked around on several blogs (some were pretty scary talking about optional things like dough enhancer and things for texture, longevity, rise and crumb) and finally found one that was pretty straight forward.

I also read a really great tip on water temperature. Make it like a nice warm bath. I can relate to that. Not too hot but not too cool.

Here is the recipe:

fresh out of the oven

Foolproof Whole Wheat Bread

5 ½ cups warm water

2 T. dry yeast

2 T. salt

2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup honey

12 cups whole wheat flour

Combine 5 ½ cups warm water, yeast, salt, oil, and honey in Bosch mixer bowl. Let stand 5 -10 minutes to activate yeast.
Add 8 cups of whole-wheat flour to mixing bowl. Blend the ingredients, then mix on low speed until well blended.
Add 3 – 4 cups more flour, 1 cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl. (The amount of flour required will vary according to the moisture and protein content of the wheat. The stickier the dough - the moister the bread.)
Knead dough on low speed for 10 minutes.
Oil hands and working surface. Remove dough from mixing bowl and divide into 4 equal portions. Mold into loaves and place in oiled pans. (Oil top of the loaves if a soft crust is desired.)
Cover with a damp cloth and let rise 1/3 in bulk, or approx. 35 minutes.
Bake at 425* for 8 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350* for the balance of the baking period (27 to 32 minutes).
Remove from pans when done, cool on baking racks. Brush tops with butter or oil.

The other three loaves.

You know what! It actually worked and it tasted wonderful.

The family liked it for toast and hot out of the oven but they weren't thrilled about it for sandwiches. Said it was too heavy. So this is when I kicked it up a notch.

I added Vital Wheat Gluten. This is something that also used to sound scary to me. Basically you add 1/2 a cup of this to the above recipe and it helps make the bread more moist and light. We bought it at our local grocery store but you can get it at health food stores if you frequent those.

Now, we pretty much only eat this bread. We use it for sandwiches and it is wonderful. Basically I don't fear the bread. I make the bread and I eat the bread. Hopefully you can too.

I have one more recipe for you. Bakers Grease. You grease your pans with this stuff and your bread pops out like a charm.

Bakers Grease:

1cup crisco

1cup flour

1cup oil

Mix this together and store in the fridge. Use this for breads, cakes etc. You can use a pastry brush or just a paper towel.

Now you know what I'll be doing in the morning!

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T10:18:00.000-06:00

My first painting project.

BESTeam Feature: BabaMoon and MoonAngelNay

2010-10-12T16:26:00.000-06:00

This week I get to tell you about two Etsy shops run by one very talented lady. Meet Naomi. She lives just a hop skip and a jump over the pond in the United Kingdom. Naomi is a photographer and a knitter, hence the reason she has two shops, the two talents are so different.

MoonAngelNay is the photography shop. I am going to give you a peek at some nice things then focus on the BabaMoon shop because the babies modeling the knitted items are so yummy!

MoonAngelNay.

Angels Glow Scrabble Glass Tile Pendant, $10.00

Who would think of going to a photography shop for a piece of jewelry. Well, think again. You can get pieces of her artwork as jewelry. Simply beautiful.

Iced Swan, 8 x 8" square Fine Art Photo, $30.00

You can find art at Moonangelnay to fit any budget. From this beautiful swan at $30 to being able to pick any piece sized to 32 x 48 for $340.

Choose any print, 32 x 48", $340.

Now on to the yummy babies I told you about at BabaMoon.

BabaMoon Baby Knits is filled with fun squishy items, all original designs of Naomi's, that are beautifully photographed (remember she is a photographer) on fun squishy babies.

Ok, hold on to your seats because you may just experience an over supply of cuteness!

Pumpkin Hat, 6-12 mo, $35

Just in time for Halloween and Autumn. A Pumpkin hat to put on your little punkin'!

Flopsy Bunny Hat, 3-6 mo, $18.00

OH MY GOSH I just want to kiss those cheeks!!

Big Flower Headband, 6-12 mo, $14.00

I don't remember babies being so stylish when my girls were little. I know, theirs was a hard and deprived childhood.

Flower Headband in Punk Pink, 0-3 mo, $14.00

Punk Pink, for the little rocker to be.

Cocoon Swaddler Green Pea Pod, Newborn, $42.00

Wouldn't you just love to carry your little pea around in a pod!

Flower Hat, 3-6 mo, $24.00

How cute is that!

Naomi will make all of these items in a range of sizes from 0-3 mo to 3T. You just need to contact her and let her know what size you want. Hmmmmm, I wonder if she will make the bunny ears in adult size . . . . . .

You can find Naomi at her two Etsy shops listed above and also here:

Blog: http://moonangelnay.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/moonangelnay

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MoonangelnayPhotographyOnEtsy
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonangelnay/

Whew, cuteness galore. Did you fall off your seat? I warned you.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-06T10:48:00.001-06:00

Peaches I bottled yesterday

My nasty "I've been bottling peaches" nails.

Raspberry Jam

Peach Jam

BESTeam Feature: Rae of Light

2010-10-04T14:13:00.000-06:00

For this week's feature I am bringing you a Rae of Light. Photography that is.

Rachel, the Rae in the Light, has always enjoyed looking at the world in different ways "finding beauty . . . most people pass by".

Rae of Light Photography offers prints, puzzles, magnets and more with very affordable pricing. Here are a few pieces I enjoy:

A Sunny Hello, original fine art print 11 x 14 , $30

Just so cheery, what's not to love!

The Curley Gates, original fine art print, 11.14 $30

This piece brings to mind a scene (I imagine, as I don't read them) in a romance novel.

I can just see a fair maiden lifting the bottom of her full gown and running, long tresses streaming behind her, to open the gates where Fabio is waiting to embrace her, heaving bosoms and all.

Flower Shopping, Two (2) 4x6 prints $10

These two floral prints could be framed or, as Rachel suggests, used for postcards.

Gerber Babies, Original fine art print, 11x14, $30

I love that she calls them babies instead of daisies.

I noticed that I unintentionally picked a very floral theme. There are many other styles of pictures available. You can also order her prints in different sizes. Many are pictured in two different frames to give you a taste of what they will look like once you frame them.

You can find Rachel:
On Etsy
Her blog
and on Facebook

Give her a little internet love and stop on by. Tell her the Goddess sent you!

How I lost 8 lbs in one day, or, The Diet from Hell

2010-10-03T09:55:00.000-06:00

On Facebook I mentioned that I was excited for Conference weekend because I love watching church in my jammies. Little did I know how prophetic a statement that was going to be.

You see, I didn't end up with the "yay, I am watching church in my jammies" kind of day. It was more of a "I wish I were dead because I would feel better" kind of jammie day.

Yes, I was in my jammies but I wasn't watching conference. I was worshiping at the porcelain throne. Not only was I worshiping, I was ultra religious. I didn't just kneel. I sat at the throne with a bowl on my lap and I was like clock work. Every 1-2 hours I had a religious moment again.

I caught a few snippets of conference on the radio but mostly I was in an out of my religious zen or on my bed wishing I was dead. By late evening the only thing I wanted was a cherry Popsicle and some jello.

Cherry Popsicles remind me of when I was young. That was something mom would give me when I was sick. It would help bring down fevers and was easy on your tummy. Maybe that is why I was craving it. A little mommy vibe.

Today I am a little more resembling human life form. I actually had the where with all to get in a tub and lay there like a slug. So today I am going to try this whole conference thing again.

I am skipping the jammies!

BESTeam Feature: Campbell Jane

2010-09-29T15:54:00.000-06:00

I recently joined a Yahoo group called BESTeam (Best Team), a group of blogging Etsy store owners. The point of this group is to help promote other entrepreneurial Etsy store owners by featuring one in a blog post each week.

This is my first BESTeam feature and I am happy to introduce to you Campbell Jane.

This is one busy and talented woman. She is a full time artist and owner of two Etsy shops. She likes to create "a colorful whimsical world of works" for both shops.

Folk Art by Campbell Jane

This shop is where her whimsical art world lives. Of her whimsical characters she offers angels, dancing crabs, (I really like the dancing crabs) mermaids, Jesus, and flowers to name a few. She also offers her art in many ways: unframed, on cards, on canvas, printed images of originals and the like. This makes her art accessible to many different tastes and budgets.

Here are a few of her pieces that I really liked.

Tiny but Mighty, 8x8 unframed print $15

Dancing in the Moonlight, original unframed 5x7 $45

Nothing but Blue Skies, original unframed 18 x 20 $400


I Wish I May, I Wish I Might, 5x7 print unframed $15

Campbell Janes Shananigans

This is her second shop. When Campbell Jane isn't painting she is "up to some other kind of crafty Shenangans!" and you never know what you will find in this shop. I just have to like someone who is up to "crafty Shenanigans"! Sounds like the kind of gal I could hang with.

Shenanigans has a variety of craftiness from crochet patterns and actual crocheted items, to jewelry, to original linocut prints. I had seen a term previously that I had to google because it was on one of her items. I learned that OOAK is One of a Kind. Now that you have been educated here is some eye "candy" for you. (you will see what I did here)

Candy Ball Bracelet $23. (did you see what I did!) It has handmade polymer beads in colors that are good enough to eat: sweet blue, yummy orangey pink, and buttery yellow.

This Beret is the OOAK item. You can buy it for $23.

Easy crochet hat pattern, $3.95

Remember that I said she is a busy lady. In addition to her full time painting and two Etsy shops Campbell Jane has three, count them, three blogs.

Campbell Jane's other "Happy Places" are:
http://www.folkartbycampbelljane.blogspot.com
http://www.campbelljane.blogspot.com
http://www.alteredpages.blogspot.com

Take a minute to stop on by. And as Campbell Jane says with each item "God Bless and Thank You for stopping by!"

My latest Etsy creations.

2010-09-28T17:38:00.000-06:00

I finished some magnet boards today and am just getting ready to put them on my store. I found my inspiration here and with a little tweaking and a different spin on it came up with these:

Pink and Brown Round Magnet Board:
I thought the round magnet board would be cute and "girly" so I made flower magnets from coordinating paper and pink brads to finish the look. I really like pink and brown and thought it would be a cute color combination. The pink "rope" that is bordering the paper I made from embroidery floss. (see tutorial below)

Christmas Countdown Magnet Board:

I love Christmas and my girls have always loved having something to countdown on, even as teenagers. I thought a Christmas Countdown magnet board would be a cute idea and came up with this. I made enough number tags to count down for 25 days.

While the paper is mod podged onto the metal I thought that laminating the number tags would be a good way to make them a little more wear proof. This ended up posing a big problem that I hadn't bargained for; the magnet wouldn't stick. I tried scrapbook adhesive dots. They didn't stick either. Then I got out the big guns, E-6000 all purpose glue that sticks to anything. Well, as it turns out, it doesn't stick to the laminate that my Xyron uses. I was left with two options:
1. remake 24 tags
2. cut little patches of laminate off the back to stick the magnets to.

I chose option 2. So, after scraping the glue off the magnets and cutting little rectangles of laminate off of each tag I now have stickage!

I know that I got the original idea from another blogger (to whom I fully give credit). I would just ask that if you are going to make these you don't try and sell the Christmas Countdown idea.

Here is a little crafty tutorial for you on how to make the rope used on the round magnet board. You can make this with thread, embroidery floss, yarn, basically anything that you can get a long piece of and twist.

Making decorative Rope:

Get a friend to help you. It can be done by yourself but is much easier with a friend. I looped this around my water bottle and did it myself but make your hubby or one of your kids help, it is fast and easy.

My buddy helping while reading her homework.

Me winding my end.

Get your piece of whatever you are making Rope from. It will need to be at least double what your finished size should be.

You hold one end and your helper holds the other. You both start twisting in opposite directions so it gets wound tighter and tighter. You don't want your partner unwinding what you are winding.

Holding center away from ends.

Once it gets fairly tight you want to grab the center point and hold it away from you. In your other hand put the two ends together then let go of the ends while still holding the center.

smoothing

It will start twisting up and wrapping around itself. This is what you want. Just run your fingers down the rope to smooth it out and you are done.

Finished product.

If you have to cut an end just put a little craft glue on it so it won't unravel.

Have fun!

Me and my new shoe

2010-09-22T21:52:00.000-06:00

So after a few weeks of foot pain I finally got in to see a podiatrist and he gave me a new shoe. I thought that was rather nice of him. Too bad for me it wasn't a very attractive shoe and doesn't match the shoe on my other foot. It does have velcro though and that is always entertaining.

Aside from the shoe being a gift there wasn't much good news. Yes, I have a stress fracture. I didn't realize my foot was that stressed. If I had known I would have taken it out for a massage or let it have some vacation time. Not knowing my foot wasn't dealing with life very well it has now "cracked" under the pressure.

So, this is a cautionary tale for you. Pay attention to your feet. Give them a break (ha ha, get the pun!) or you too may end up with a new shoe.

I'll have a side of angst with my mystery, thank you!

2010-09-08T17:52:00.001-06:00

I get up in the mornings and hit the treadmill. Not literally, just go there for some exercise. I like being able to watch something on TV; it makes exercise less heinous.

Now that we have Netflix I have been watching some old series' that I never watched while they were on TV. I am also getting a lot of ribbing from my family. I got hooked on Veronica Mars. It is a teen show about a girl, Veronica, who's dad was Sheriff but is now a PI. She does a lot of sleuthing with him. While she is in High School she ends up doing a lot of sleuthing for her peers.

My family likes to tease me that I am watching a show for teenagers. My husband asked me "didn't you have enough angst in High School?". They don't even have to listen to it when I am on the treadmill. My hubby rigged up a really long chord for the headphone jack and I use my headphones while I am getting sweaty.

I like dramas, mysteries, cop shows etc. I think I finally decided why I liked Veronica Mars so much, aside from the fact that I actually enjoyed the characters and story lines, it's that a show geared toward teens isn't filled with sex scenes and foul language. I could get my dose of mystery and intrigue at a PG level.

So, I have decided that they can rib all they want. I will keep on watching teenage shows if I enjoy them. Besides, you are only as old as you feel. Maybe that's why I enjoy it!!

Since I finished Veronica Mars I am now watching Friday Night Lights. It is about a small Texas town that loves nothing but High School Football. Because they are in Texas there is a lot of prayer on this show too. Although it is a family show it is also classified at a teen show which will make it prime for family ribbing.

Bring it on!

Where do your prejudices lie?

2010-08-15T19:40:00.001-06:00

I watched Paper Clips, a documentary about a small Tennessee town whose Middle School was trying to teach it's children about diversity and acceptance. They came up with the idea to teach them about the Holocaust. During a discussion about the 6 million Jews that died a girl asked what 6 million was; that she had never "seen" 6 million. They decided to search for something that they could collect to represent this number.

Enter the paperclip. They discovered it was invented by a Norwegian and that people in Norway wore paperclips, during the war, to represent people they knew who had been killed or taken to the concentration camps . This was there way of silently remembering and speaking out so as to not be taken away themselves.

The kids started writing letters, one thing led to another and they ended up collecting over 27 million paperclips. Most would come one or two at a time with a letter telling the kids about the person the paperclip represented. They had visitors who were survivors and ended up getting a rail car that was used to transport Jews. It was brought to the school and set up as a memorial that 6 million paper clips were housed in. They are now sharing this lesson with other schools who come there on field trips.

One of the things that was mentioned in the documentary was how quick we are to judge people. We may think we are not prejudiced because we are fine with Jews, with African-Americans, with Latinos or Asians etc. etc. etc. But how often do we stereotype people.

Here are some common ones that I have heard:

Southern drawl = stupid red neck.
Overweight person = lazy slob.
Disheveled and unkempt clothes and hair in a Wal-mart = white trash.
Mormons = those crazy people with 6 wives who wear long black coats and have horns.

People think these things but they are all wrong. I personally don't have 6 wives or horns. I shave mine down for ease of hairstyle. (bazinga!)

It made me really stop and think about how quick we can be to put labels on people and what a travesty this is. The thought doesn't really hurt the person, (if there is no action on the thought) I think the person it hurts is the one doing the labeling. Why cloud your head with negative thoughts about others. What is the point?

Judge not lest ye be judged ( I read that this is the most mis-quoted scripture and is actually Judge not, that ye be not Judged - Matthew 7:1)

It really gave me something to think about and put into practice. To have more compassion, pity, and love for others who are different. It also makes me wonder what labels have been put on me.

Where do your prejudices lie?

Where is my wagon?

2010-08-13T18:35:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I have fallen off the diet wagon and I am trying to get back on. I have gained a few pounds since I have been back home and unemployed even though I have been walking/jogging/doing yard work etc.

I am cooking dinner, bread, trying new recipes etc. and it has gotten tougher to follow a strict diet. When I was working I would fix myself a lunch, usually a salad, and snacks for the day. Now that I am fixing food for the whole family I have to make stuff everyone wants to eat. Another problem is that my youngest LOVES to bake brownies, something I have a very hard time saying no to.

Today I tried to find my wagon and take the driver's seat again. School starts in a couple weeks so that should cut down on the brownie baking. Hopefully I can take the wagon for a ride and control the beastie.

Home Alone!

2010-08-05T16:33:00.001-06:00

Today has been somewhat strange. Hubby and oldest daughter are at work. Youngest daughter is at girls camp. It has been me and the pug home alone all day. Needless to say the house has been quiet. It has been an overcast rainy day; the perfect type of day for a nap. I have to admit I nodded off while I was crocheting in front of the t.v. I am working on a granny square afghan to put up on the Etsy shop.

My mom always said that she liked rainy days. It made her feel like she could stay home and get things accomplished instead of having to go out running errands. I usually don't like rainy days because they are dark and gloomy. The older I get, the more I like rainy days. I am starting to see them through my mother's eyes. They make you feel like snuggling into a blankie and reading or going in the kitchen and baking something yummy.

Even though I like a rainy day I am much more productive on a sunny day. I am more energized by them (if I don't have to be out in the hot blazing sun which makes me feel like popsicle melting onto the pavement).

It's strange how you can be affected by things like the weather, the sun, having other people around. I will enjoy it while I can. The youngest, the noisier bouncier one, will be home tomorrow. Although I love her energy, her joie de vivre, I will savor the quiet a little longer.

Where did that come from?

2010-07-28T10:44:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted in a long time and I have been trying to figure out why. After a bit of thought it is probably because for the past several months I have had a lot of turmoil in my life. This would seem to be the perfect time to post and get things out, however, most of it was regarding work and I didn't feel like I needed to talk about that publicly.

My life has drastically changed during the first half of this year and after not posting for so long it is hard to know where to begin. That added to the delays in posting.

In February, after working for my company for 3 years and in an Office Manager position, they did some departmental restructuring and eliminated my position. I was told they didn't want to lose me so they asked me to stay on in a recently vacated position as a Billing Specialist/Team lead. This is a position I had just been manager over. This was a very difficult thing to do. Part of me wanted to just quietly leave the company and never talk to anyone about it. Another part of me thought I just needed to suck it up and take the new position, especially in this economy. I stayed. It was a very difficult transition to go from being a manager to being a non manager in the same department and moving from an office to a desk in the general area. This new position also came with a lower rate of pay. It was especially difficult for those working with me. The first week or so a lot of people didn't want to look me in the eye and you could tell they were really uncomfortable around me. It wasn't a general announcement and the majority of the company didn't know about it and still treated me as though I was a manager. Really strange dynamic.

The "team" had a full plate with three people and was currently only two people. Needless to say we were swamped but we held on and actually made progress and were doing some great things. I was able to start a new auditing process that was finding a lot of revenue that wasn't being billed and catching things before they billed in error and preventing potential refund issues. Part of this new job was to be logged into a queue half of the day taking phone calls. Anyone who knows me, knows that I don't like being on the phones. However, I did it and was great on the phones. My luck to excel in something I don't like. People who know me also know that I am a tad vocal when I notice things I feel are wrong and are causing problems. I tried to channel my "vocal inclinations" to my direct manager instead of talking about them to co workers and basically kept my head down and worked hard.

Mid June I was "let go". I was told I had a bad attitude and trouble prioritizing. I was totally surprised. I had never been written up.

Anyway, I am once again a stay at home mom. The thing that surprised me is how much I am enjoying it. I used to feel like being a SAHM was nothing special and to really be important or make an impact on the world, I needed to go to work. I needed to be a professional to be something.

I am so surprised by how much I am truly enjoying the time I am having this summer with my two teenagers. We are spending time crafting a lot and have just decided to open up an ETSY shop together. I am relearning how to cook. I have changed my eating habits a lot over the last few years in an effort to lose weight and get healthier. While I worked full time I rarely, if ever, cooked dinner. I am pretty much cooking every night. I am baking homemade wheat bread with flour I ground myself.

I am feeling like I am actually getting my Domestic Goddessness back. It is wonderful. It is scary not being employed and I am grateful for unemployment. I am still looking for a job, although in this economy it is really hard.

I don't know how long I will be unemployed but in the mean time I am trying to use my time wisely and take advantage of the time I have with my girls.

Where-in-the-world-is-the-Do-me-stic-God-dess?

2010-02-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

While I was safe at home in my office checking email, I was apparently also being mugged in London asking family and friends, old and new, to wire money to me.

Yes, my Facebook account was hacked and someone was chatting up people while pretending to be me.

It was very disconcerting to look at my online chat, which is set to off line, be online and active. I saw several chat boxes open and having conversations with people. One chat was dropping the f-bomb quite liberally. I turned the chat to offline and went to answer the phone. A family member seeing if I was alright. When I came back to my facebook the chat was active and going again. This time I logged off and restarted my machine.

I had several concerned phone calls that day from friends and family asking if I was ok. They figured I wasn't really in London, knowing that if I really was going to London they would have heard about it from me a long time before this. I also had a few responses basically stating " I would have sent you money, but they obviously haven't looked at my account" or "I'm the poorest person on the planet" or "I haven't talked to her in years, why would she contact me when she has that huge family".

Basically, I was hacked by a stupid person.

It was heartening to know that my friends and family are smarter than this stupid hacker person. Many asking probing questions that the stupid hacker person wouldn't know but the real me would have known. It was also nice to feel the care and concern from those contacted by this stupid person.

Facebook, being the wonderful institution they are, has disabled my account because I violated the terms of use by impersonating another person and sending out solicitations for funds.

Seems the hacker isn't the only one who is stupid.

Growing old gracefully? Well, that depends . . . .

2010-01-29T06:37:00.002-07:00

I learned something about myself last night. My body doesn't like to run.

Now, for those of you who love me and think I am perfect and want to maintain that illusion, this is a TMI alert that you may not want to read what follows, however I know that many of my girlfriends will totally relate.

I was doing a fat burn speed program on my treadmill last night. Now let me qualify speed. The maximum speed that I put on the program was 4 mph. The program will run at different speeds up and down throughout a 30 minute workout.

I was doing great. 2.8 up to 3.4, moving a little faster, swinging my arms, having a good time. Then it moves up to 4 mph which is a bit of a jog for me.

When I say my body doesn't like to run I don't mean the fact that I have to hold on to the treadmill so I don't trip and fall flat on my face, or that I was huffing and puffing like an asthmatic, or the fact that my knees were screaming at me "hey, what did we ever do to you"! No, the reason my 41 year old body doesn't like running is the up and down, pounding action that was happening on my bladder.

I was hanging on trying not to fall on my face when I start thinking to myself "I kind of need to go to the bathroom. I need to go to the bathroom. I really need to go to the bathroom. I can't stop in the middle of my work out but I really really have to go to the bathroom". I am trying to hold out through the short segment of 4 mph for the up and down pounding to stop when it happened. I had a little leakage. (I warned you!)

Now this wasn't a release of rushing waters, just a little leakage, but still! How humiliating.

Having birthed offspring I know all about the leakage when you sneeze or when you laugh too hard or when you cough or when you look at someone cross-eyed, not really but you get the idea. I have talked to my Dr. about that and have a lovely pill that I take now. However, what are you supposed to do when you are holding on trying not to fall on your face for an extended period of time?

My scrapbook girls want me to do a 5k with them. What is a (fabulous) middle age bladder control challenged person to do? Am I going to have to saddle up to a "product"?

I think I would rather stay home and scrapbook.

Who says the grass is greener?

2010-01-12T19:39:00.001-07:00

In my job, managing a department, I have the occasion to learn things about people's personal lives. Having done payroll and working in the accounting department also affords me those opportunities. Oft times more than I really wanted to know.

Sometimes you look at people and think "they have it all together" or "I wish I had such-and-such like they do". Mostly, it makes me look and my life and think it isn't so bad.

Today is one of those days. I have my own personal struggles, insecurities, failings; what have you, but all in all, my life isn't so bad.

I have a husband who supports me (most of the time) in things I want to do, my kids are mostly obedient and smart (although I wish one would clean a little more and one would go get a job), I have a good job and I like my job, we can pay our bills, I like my family and his family and we are healthy.

Not everyone can say that.

Theny I hear about this earthquake in Haiti. Our company adopted an orphanage in Haiti. The CEO of our company has two babies there that they are in the process of adopting. It is hard to get word from Haiti. They are very impoverished and don't have the kind of infrastructure to withstand such violent earthquakes.

Tonight I know my babies (teenagers as they are) are safe and sound.

I hope we can all take a moment to be grateful for the grass we stand on, weeds and all and say a little prayer for our brothers and sisters a world away.

Glittery Goodness

2010-01-10T18:23:00.003-07:00

I used glitter today, something I haven't done in a long time. I had to make a sample of the craft I am doing for a YW activity.

I decided to make something using the theme for the Youth this year and I think it turned out really well. I did a flower in each of the YW Value colors and the glitter is the center of the flowers.

I am going to have each of the girls names printed out so they can personalize their notebooks. My point was to really personalize the popped up portion of the scripture.

This is a fun calling but here is the challenge: Find something that 12 to 17 year old girls would all like to do that they can make in 1 1/2 hours and keep the cost down to $1 to $2 each. Then be prepared with enough supplies that if all 35 come they can all make it. Rarely do you get everyone but you can aim high!

For this sample, I cheated a little. Being Sunday, and not having an extra notebook, I made the sample on the back of one I made for Christmas.

This is a 4x6" notebook that you can get a Wally Word for $1. Everything else was from my scrapbook supplies.

I have been doing this for a little over a year and I am running out of ideas.
If you have any fabulous ideas that will fit the bill, I would love to hear them.

Resolutions Schmesolutions!

2010-01-03T20:32:00.001-07:00

So the new year has come and we are officially in the "10's". I can't believe how time flies the older you get.

I have just enjoyed a week and a half of vacation time and it all ends tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off. I spent a lot of time in my jammies. What could be better!

The last three days I have helped my daughter paint her room. We learned a new technique: "ragging". We bought a rag roller (Ralph Lauren; don't be impressed. The only person who sells one). It is basically a lint free cloth scrunched up and attached to a roller. You could make one yourself using rubber bands but I figured $9 is worth the trouble. I rolled the glaze onto a small section then she followed after with a sponge to soften the application. We kind of used two techniques together to create her unique look.

I am not much of a New Year Resolutions gal. I am more of a think it over in my head then do it kind of gal. I figure if I need to do something why wait until January 1st. If I haven't gotten to it by January 1st, I don't want to make a production out of deciding what to do.

I have been working on trying to get a little more balance in my life. I have a tendency to go whole hog into whatever I am doing. My husband uses the word obsessive; I prefer to think of it as dedicated. Anyway I have been trying to leave work at 5 instead of staying until 6 or 7. Stuff will still be there tomorrow.

I am going to keep on with that through out the new year. In part of my balance I want to try and attend to some more spiritual parts of my life. I want to focus on my tithes and offerings, serving others, and reading my scriptures. It is very easy to get carried away in work and fun things (like crafting and reading and scrapbooks) and let the spiritual things fall by the wayside.

I want to take more time for myself and spend more time with my family and friends. I also want to work on the creative outlets in my life. Scrapbooking, making (and sending) cards, and blogging.

What "think it out in your head and do it" kinds of things will you be working on this year?

Passing on a Work Ethic

2009-07-13T20:54:00.003-06:00

Oftentimes I wonder if I have been a failure as a mother or if my kids are just being kids. It has been a strange transition to go from doing everything myself and to my standards to having the kids be responsible for things and striking a balance between what I want and their abilities and/or willingness to do things.

My house used to be so much cleaner when I wasn't working full time. Now much of that responsibility falls on the kids; kids who would much rather spend time surfing the internet, playing guitar hero, sleeping, or hanging out with friends. When they do get to their chores it is doing the bare minimum to get by with having done it.

When does that desire to do things at a better or higher level kick in? Does that come with being solely responsible, having your own place and no one else to do it? Because I sure haven't found a way to instill it in my kids yet. And if I have, they sure aren't letting me in on the secret!

It makes me wonder if they are ready to be adults on their own. I wonder what kind of employees, mothers, wives they will be.

If I could go back and do anything differently while raising them it would be to let/make them do more earlier. My biggest failure with that was I either thought they were "too little to do that" or they couldn't do it to the way I (being a perfectionist) liked it done or it was easier to do it myself than to spend the time teaching them to do it "right".

The problem with this is they grow up thinking that mom will do everything and if we ask them to clean their rooms we are so mean and unfair. When my oldest was about 4 years old we told her to go and clean her room. She turned around and looked at us and said "but mom is the worker".

Wow, talk about straight to the heart!

We can joke about that comment now but the underlying message of the statement still holds true. So I want to know. How do you get that work ethic kick in? That is one torch I want to pass on.

School Daze.

2009-07-05T18:32:00.003-06:00

Did you have a favorite subject in school? One you dreaded?

School and I got along fine. I was a good student, the teachers liked me, I liked most of them. I think my favorite classes were English/Reading/Literature classes. It took me a while to realize this though. When I graduated from High School my plan was to go to school for Interior Design. Now that I am older when I think of going back to school I want to study English with an art minor.

I had a lot of other classes that I enjoyed. I took French for two years. I loved my co-ed P.E. class, which says a lot for me because I am not Mrs. Sports. I had a Needle Arts class in which we did all sorts of hand-work crafty type stuff. Right up my alley.

Sometimes I have dreams that I am back in High School and I am going to my French class, but in my dream I am failing it. I am so afraid that I am not going to graduate because of it. Graduation was held in the Marriott Center because we had a class of 400+. At graduation time they used to put a big map of the seating chart up on the window of the main office. You would see everyone's names and where they were seated. If someone wasn't graduating they would have a big X through that seat. Can you imagine something like that happening today? Anyway, my seat was X'd out in this dream because I was failing French class.

I don't know where this comes from. I did pass that class and did graduate from High School. Isn't it weird how 20 some-odd years after High School I would have dreams like that.

I never have the dream where I show up at school not wearing anything though, thank heavens. Those who know and love me know that I am too much of a non-nudist. I like my jammies too much.

So, what bad dreams do you have about High School?

See why I need help!

2009-07-05T17:35:00.008-06:00

In an effort to do better at journal writing I made a Journal Jar. It is really an old Ovaltine container covered in paper and "Mom's Journal Jar!" stamped on the front. Anyway it is full of journal prompts to get you going. Problem is, I made this thing with my girls about 7 years ago and I think I have used about three prompts from it.

See why I need help!

A few months ago for an activity in Young Women I had them make Journal Jars. I rededicated myself to journal using my blog. I am all about typing instead of pen and paper. Much faster. Have I used it? No.

See why I need help!

Well, I was talking with some friends at church (one of which mentioned I never update my blog), so when I came home from church I thought I would catch up on reading people's blogs. Lo and behold when I came to her blog, she was doing Journal Jar posts!

This has re-re-dedicated me to use my Journal Jar. Thanks Sheral!

So, to make sure I actually live up to my re-re-dedication I am actually going to post again, this time using my . . . . . you guessed it, Journal Jar!

Go to bed, I'm tired!

2009-06-18T21:16:00.003-06:00

I never understood why my mom used to say that to me when I was a kid. I always thought "well, if you are tired why don't you go to bed"?

Now that I am the mom of teenagers I completely understand the sentiment. I am tired. I want peace and quiet. When you are awake I can't have that peace and quiet. I am also afraid to leave you unsupervised with friends while I am sleeping. I am tired and want to go to bed, thus you need to go to bed.

Long story short: Go to bed, I'm tired!

It's amazing that the older we get the more we realize just how smart our parents really were.

The "eyes" have it!

2009-06-14T14:33:00.003-06:00

I don't know what is worse, getting soap in your eye or an eyelash.

I experienced both in my shower. Here I am washing my face when my daughter, taking a shower in the other bathroom, did something that adjusted my water temperature. I was startled which caused me to briefly open my eye and get soap in it. I did my best to rinse it out and carried on with the business at hand which then led to shaving my legs. With both hands covered in foaming shave gel and holding a razor - I get an eyelash in the other eye. I switch between frantically blinking to get it out and keeping my eye closed so it doesn't hurt, all the while peering through one eye to finish shaving.

Finally finished with my shower I emerge only slightly damaged; my eyesight still in tact with only a few nicks from shaving.

So, if you see me with bloodshot eyes and a band aid on my leg; don't ask!

Are you a wordie?

2009-04-08T22:16:00.003-06:00

I love words; love word games, crossword puzzles, plays on words, reading etc. My favorite word is superfluous.

[soo-pur-floo-uhs]
–adjective

1.	being more than is sufficient or required; excessive.

2.	unnecessary or needless.

3.	Obsolete. possessing or spending more than enough or necessary; extravagant.

I learned it in a High School English class and just loved it. It is fun to say. Come on now, say it out loud. See how it just rolls off your tongue! So much more fun to say than "you have too much".

I also love the work plethora.

[pleth-er-uh]
–noun

1.	overabundance; excess: a plethora of advice and a paucity of assistance.

What are your favorite words?

Slow down world!

2009-04-07T20:37:00.004-06:00

I was wasting time on Facebook and clicked a link. I waited for about two seconds and thought "hm, I wonder if it didn't really click". I was on my way to click again and then saw the little hourglass and it struck me what an impatient society we have turned in to.

I remember growing up when we would call someone on the phone. We didn't have answering machines. If they were home, they would pick up; if they were on the phone, we would hear a busy signal; if they weren't home, we would call back.

I don't think my kids even know what a busy signal is.

Things that we have now are completely amazing and we get irritated that they "take so long"! The microwave - what, it takes 5 minutes? Computer - ugh, this page is taking so long to load. Cell phone - someone didn't text me back for 10 whole minutes! I actually get frustrated when I call someone and they don't have voice mail. You mean I have to call them back?

The old saying "The hurrier I go the behinder I get" rings more and more true. Doesn't it feel like that some times? We rush and hurry, fit more into our days, do more at work with computers but work longer hours and spend less time at home with our families. We order take out because it is faster and wonder why our waistlines grow and our wallets shrink.

When did the world start spinning faster?

New Beginnings

2007-11-23T14:24:00.001-07:00

So my 72 year old Dad is getting married.

I am really happy for him. He is marrying a woman that our family has known for years. She lived in our neighborhood growing up. She and her husband were my parents best friends for a long time. They would go camping and do other things together.

Once the decision was made, they decided to get married quickly. Next month. I guess when you are in your 70's and have known each other for over 20 years, why wait? I told my dad he moves pretty quick for an old guy!

Although I am really happy for my Dad, I had to do some fresh crying over my mom. The two things aren't really related, it just made me think about the reason that my dad is able to get married again. She has been gone for 5 years now. I can't believe it has been that long.

I'm happy they will be together and will be able to keep each other from being lonely.

Here's to new beginnings. Cheers Dad!

Your name is Count what?

2007-10-09T20:38:00.001-06:00

What is the fascination with vampires? I don't know.

I loved reading the new Twilight series and am really liking the new Moonlight series on TV. They picked a great guy to play this vampire. My daughter says he is exactly how she pictured Edward Cullen from Twilight. My hubby likes the Blade movies, although mostly for the martial arts that Wesley Snipes does.

Vampires are intriguing. The thought of being strong, agile, beautiful, and eternal. Very appealing. The whole drinking blood thing, not so much.

Here is a vampire from the past. I saw this, along with Boo Berry and Frankenberry at the grocery store. I didn't think they even sold this stuff any more. We never ate this as kids. We were Cheerios and Wheaties kids, but I remember the commercials. He is pretty goofy as vampires go. You can even dress up as Count Chocula. This is not the attractive and appealing image that I think of when reading about Edward or Carlisle though.

If you remember The Electric Company, from the 70's, there is a great vampire sketch with Morgan Freeman. Picture him in a casket full of bubble bath, holding a bath brush. He sings a song called "I love to take a bath in a casket". We watched a reunion show, with our girls, where they played it. Our girls thought it was so funny. We occasionally hear it sung in our house now.

I prefer showers. Although I do like a good soak every now and then. Mainly in the hot tub. I wouldn't like taking a bath in a coffin. I think I would be too afraid of the lid closing on me. Just a tad claustrophobic.

Look into the Crystal Ball!

2007-10-06T17:35:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I don't believe in that sort of stuff, but was at a friend's blog and she pointed me to The Amazing Death Predictor.

My death prediction was so amazing, I had to share it.

At age 90 you will fall from the fifth floor window of a hotel
while under the influence of Robitussin DM.

What do you have to look forward to?

Everybody's working ON the weekend!

2007-10-01T21:30:00.001-06:00

Today was my big payroll day. The day I get timecards turned in and compile everything for paychecks. On this day, nothing else but payroll gets done.

When I started this job in January, I was doing just accounts payable (paying bills) and payroll. Now I am the Accounting Office Manager too. We have increased the number of people in our company (my department has doubled from 6 to 11 with one open position) and we have added contractors in to the mix. Not only that, but contractor payroll has just moved to weekly instead of twice a month like everyone in house.

My work load feels like it has doubled along with my department. We aren't, however, at the point where I need a new full time payroll person, so I still do it.

We have weekly team meeting and I just finished having one on one's with everyone in my department. I just finished creating job descriptions for everyone in the department and turned them in to HR. That is the part of my job that I love. The people part.

I worked 108 hours these last two weeks. (nope, salary, no overtime) Yes, I went in on both Saturdays to do some catch up. The interesting thing is even with all that time, I am still behind. I feel like I get caught up, just in time for payroll, to get behind again.

There is a pinprick of light at the end of the tunnel though. I hired a couple of new people in my department and once they are trained and take work off of another guy in the department, he will take over some "accounting" stuff that I am doing. Hallelujah!! That would be the least favorite part of my job. Bank statements. Ugh!

Don't get me wrong, I love my job. I love my department and have an awesome boss. I am just crazy busy right now.

This Saturday, I have a massage scheduled. No work for me this weekend. I think I am ready for a little relaxation.

It's official!

2007-09-24T19:22:00.000-06:00

I'm a slacker. According to my brother anyway. It has been a lonnng time since I have posted. My daughter is threatening to take away my privileges.
I figured out why I haven't been posting though. It isn't that things have been dull and boring.

(I got a promotion at work, we have been to several more concerts I could tell you about, daughter turned 16, kids are back in school, husband put up the mother of all radio towers in the back yard)

It isn't that there isn't anything to post about. The problem is that when I spend 8-10 hours in front of the computer at work, just about the last thing I want to do when I get home, is sit in front of the computer again.
So, I need to figure out a better blogging schedule, because I do miss it.

I wonder it misuse of company time and all that applies to blogging??

Clapton - 'nuf said!

2007-03-13T18:57:00.001-06:00

Thursday night our family went to see Eric Clapton in concert.

Talk about an awesome concert. Robert Cray opened up for him, playing about 40 minutes. We waited about 20 minutes for them to re-work the stage and then Clapton came on. He played for 2 hours. He did a lot of songs from his Cream days and ended with some of his bigger hits. Layla, my favorite Clapton song, was awesome! He even did an "unplugged" segment in the middle of the concert. He ended with "Cocaine" and everyone was yelling it out with him.

The guys in his band were awesome too and I thought it was really neat how he allowed each of them to get some front time and some recognition. Real talent on that stage.

Besides having a wonderful time with the concert, we had a great "anti-drinking" learning experience for our girls. The beer was flowing that night. The guy behind us was drunk before the concert even started. At one point in the concert he wanted to start stomping his feet, so he went out to the stairs (we were aisle seats) folded his hands out in front of himself and started doing that Russian sort of kicking dance. His poor girlfriend was so embarrassed the whole night.

There was a girl the next section over and a couple of rows down basically having her own little rave. During "Wonderful Tonight" she looked like she was going for the "big-O".

Since beer was flowing, it was being spilled a little, and being drunk all around us. My girls, who aren't used to it, were getting a little nauseous from the overabundance of beer aroma. I happened to have a purse sized Shalimar and spritzed a little on them to smell. After I spritzed them I said "remember this when someone tries to get you to drink!"

The people sitting next to us on the row, two couples in their 40's and 50's were having a grand old time too. They went for beer refills several times during the concert. During the last two songs one of the guys was up, just dancin' and swingin' his arms. He turned and looked at those of us who happened to be sitting and yelled "What's wrong with you people!" My family all thought "We aren't drunk!"

Anyway, a good time was had by all (some a little more than others) and we were able to expose our girls to some great music, some different experiences and had a fun family outing.

Some things I've learned

2007-03-04T17:20:00.001-07:00

As you know, I recently started a new job, hence, my lack of posting. Things have been going well and I really like my job. I have great people to work with and I have learned a ton of things. I would like to share a little of the wisdom I have gained so far.

Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Take good notes.
Thank God for back ups!
The IT Guy is your friend!
iPods are great when the country station gets turned on at work.
Good friends are priceless!

Now to elaborate just a tad on these things.

1 & 2. I was hired to do something I have never done before. A/P and Payroll. I had 3 weeks, with the person who was going to train me, to learn everything I needed to know to do my job successfully. Thank heavens she was patient with me. I definitely asked for help, asked a ton of questions, and took a ton of notes. I still refer to them. - I even bought a cute notebook to put them in. May as well have fun while you are doing it!

3. Someone wanted to know how much personal time they had. They happened to call while I was in the middle of working on a report and finishing payroll. Since I am so good at multitasking I decided to pull up the spreadsheet and tell her quickly. Best to get it done now. Well, when I clicked ok to open the spreadsheet, up came a blank page. Huh? I closed Excel and reopened the file. Blank spreadsheet. Then it started to dawn on me and panic set in. I thought "Don't tell me I just did what I think I just did!" Instead of clicking on the "open" icon I had clicked on the "save" icon and saved a blank spreadsheet over the personal time spreadsheet. OOPS!!

4. My friend the IT Guy, having nightly back ups, saved me from my own stupid self.

5. I love the people I work with. Really great people. Generally we have on a generic radio station that doesn't offend any one and plays pretty lame music that you can listen to in an office. Occasionally though, the country music station gets turned on. Other than rap (ugh) about the only type of music I can't stand is Country (in all it's varied forms). So, when that station comes on, I get out the iPod. My coworkers check on me to see if I am doing ok. "Yep," I say, "I have my iPod earphone in. I am doing alright!"

5. Now that I am working full time, I rely heavily on my good friends. They take my girls to and from school. One does it full time, but when she can't, I call on other good friends to fill in. I tell them how much I appreciate them doing this for me, but they probably can't fathom how important it is to me. They are taking precious cargo (what a way to talk about my kids, eh!). It is such a stress relief to know that my girls are safe and taken care of on their way to and from school.

All in all, my new job has been a huge learning experience, a lot of fun, a huge lifestyle change, but fairly uneventful (except for #3).
I am really enjoying going back to work. Now if I can just justify the cost of a maid, life would be bliss!

Change - the only thing that stays the same.

2007-01-30T17:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been a while since my last post. First off, thanks to everyone who contacted me to see if I was still alive.

Needless to say, the past two months have been busy.

In December I learned that my part-time-work-from-home job was going to transition to full-time at the office 1 hour away. I said thanks but no thanks. So at the beginning of January, I started sending out resumes to see what was out there. My forte is Administrative Assisting. So it is amazing, and a bit funny to me, that the job I started last Monday has nothing to do with that. I am learning how to do A/P and Payroll.

Now, I have no experience in accounting. I mentioned that in both interviews and on the phone setting appointments for the interviews. I actually applied for a posting of Administrative Assistant/Auditor for the accounting department. I learned that during my second interview, with the VP of Finance (whom I would be working with), he decided that I would get bored with that job and he wanted me to take the A/P Payroll job that they hadn't posted for a replacement yet. I guess that my Goddess-ness shone through enough to make them want me anyway. So, I have three weeks with the gal I am replacing to learn everything I need to know how to do.

My head is so full of new information it is really amazing. (thank heavens for Excedrine!) I am pretty comfortable with everything I learned last week, which is good, because payroll starts now. That is the big stressful part. Fortunately she will be there through two payroll's to help me out. Yeah!!

Anyway, I hope that things will settle down enough that I will be back permanently and be able to visit all my bloggy buddies - because you have been missed!

Think happy payroll thoughts for me!

Is it just me?

2006-12-13T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have just converted to blogger beta. I read that I can "customize" my blog layout with drag and drop. I thought I would be able to add a third column, which I have been wanting to do, so I upgraded.

Now that I am upgraded and can't go back, I find out that I lose my custom template and have to use one of their boring ones. I also find that I can't "drag and drop" a third column in. I am also trying to copy in some code from my old template, which I saved in Word, and it won't accept it. For some reason code that worked in blogger won't work in beta. hu?

I am so frustrated!!! How can something that is supposed to be so easy make me feel so stupid?

Gone Gone Gone I Been Gone So Long

2006-12-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

You know, my last post was on Thursday, only five days ago, but it seems like a really long time.

December is a really crazy busy time for me. Let alone the whole holiday spirit, shopping and decorating thing, I have a part time job and after that help my brother Cheez with his on-line mall processing orders (the bedwarmers are divine by the way!) . Yes, if you place an order, I am the lovely assistant handling your order.

So anyway, being a retail business, this is a crazy time of year. If you notice my posts being reduced and my visits to my bloggy friends lacking, it isn't because I don't want to be there, I am probably just pulling out my hair over some order problem or am comatose in front of the TV late at night because I can't think any more.

I remember growing up when it was the day after Thanksgiving and I was chomping at the bit to put up Christmas decorations. I would do the decorating and could never understand why my parents weren't as excited as I was to get going on it!

When I got married and had my own home to decorate, I was very particular about my decorations. My kids didn't like "my tree". It is all silver and white, not full of color as they would have it. It was my tree, I was going to decorate it the way I wanted and don't touch it because I will do it! Dang it! I told them that when we finished our family room I would buy a second tree and it would be theirs to decorate. And decorate they did. Talk about decorations! Full of color, home made ornaments, most of them made at school. It was a great tree.

Lately though, I haven't been as excited to decorate. I have been so busy that it has been one of the last things on my mind to take care of. I want the decorations up but the whole process of getting them there seemed like a chore.

A few years ago the girls put up their tree and I didn't put my tree up in the front room. This year, however, the girls put up MY tree while my hubby and I were out shopping. And you know what, I think it is fabulous. It isn't decorated exactly the way I do it, but it is up and it looks great. A few years ago I probably would have "redone" some of the decorating. At this point in my life, though, I realize that there are just some things that are not so important.

I now know why my parents didn't chomp at the bit to decorate. They were just too darn busy! Perspective is a wonderful thing.

Thursday Thirteen - Christmas Movie Favorites

2006-12-07T07:33:00.000-07:00

Thirteen Characters, Quotes or Events I love from Christmas Movies:

Frosty – the original
“she dinks imb cuuuuuuute” Rudolph
“messy, messy, messy” the evil magician in Frosty
“Bumbles bounce!” Yukon Cornelius in Rudolph
Bergermeister Meisterberger – love the name, Santa Claus is Coming to Town
the Charlie-in-the-Box on the Island of Misfit Toys - Rudolph
The Snowman that sings “Silver and Gold” – Burl Ives is the voice, Rudolph
the sad little spindly tree Charlie Brown picks
“fra-geee-lay. It must be French.” “It says fragile dear” - A Christmas Story
“It’s a major award” - A Christmas Story
when the little boy can’t put his arms down. “put your arms down at school dear” – A Christmas Story
when the crossing guard swallows his whistle - Frosty the Snowman
the Santa in Frosty the Snowman.

I will be working at the office today instead of from home. My work day will be longer so I won't visit you until tonight or tomorrow - BUT - my pledge to you, I will visit everyone who leaves a comment today!

What are your favorite Christmas movies, characters or lines?

Wordless Wednesday

2006-12-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

(Santa visits Pugs too!)

It's been HOW long?

2006-12-04T14:56:00.000-07:00

Today, my hubby and I celebrate our 19th anniversary. We like to joke around that we have been happily married for 5 years.
Anyone who is married, or has been married, can relate to that statement. Marriage is hard work. Once the courtship ends, it isn't all roses and starry skies. It is dirty laundry, socks on the floor, bills, dirty dishes, his family, her family, his traditions, her traditions, kids, dirty diapers, not enough sleep, unemployment, and on and on and on.
Over the years and through it all, we have made it this far. We have ridden the roller coaster up and down and for the most part, are on the upturns.
He makes me laugh, something that I need in my life. I can get to serious and focused on things. I ground him, something he needs. He can be too playful and unfocused on some serious things.
If you ever want an example of opposites attracting, we are the poster children for that kind of union. Things that were fascinating and wonderful at the beginning can become annoying and irritating later on, but most of it keeps things entertaining. IF we choose to laugh at life.
My hubby asked me this morning if his contract was still good, if I was ready to re-up for another year. I said, "yeah, sure". I told my friend that and she said "you didn't re-negotiate"? Well, I didn't know I could!!!
So after 19 years (next year I will officially have been married longer than I was single) Here is to another 19 years of being happily married for 5!
Love you honey!

Things that go BUMP - into your home!

2006-12-01T15:16:00.000-07:00

Think your dead bolt is keeping you safe? Think again.
The average person, read criminal, has available to him the Locksmith tool of the trade. They can use a "bump key" and open your lock leaving no sign of forced entry.
I heard about this last night on a radio news program and after doing a Google and You Tube search, I am amazed at the amount of information out there. There are tons of instructional videos to teach you how to make your own bump key and use it successfully.
This is a brief news clip which demonstrates bump keys and gives information on protecting yourself against this happening to you.

Thankful Thursday Thirteen

2006-11-30T10:13:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the last in my series of Thankful Thursday Thirteen Extravaganza. My final Thursday in November celebrating all things wonderful and worth being thankful for.
You can visit my other lists starting here.

makeup
acne cream
brushes
hair dryers
my pillow
my blankie (ahhh, to be in bed with my blankie . . . .)
doggie-poop-free grass (no explanation needed)
teddy bears
clean drinking water
being out of debt
indoor heating (it's 15 degrees outside - it sucks!)
brownies ( chewy, rich, chocolate, mmmmm, don't you want one!)
milk (can't have a brownie without milk)

Ok, while you are eating your brownie, if you need a laugh, be sure to check out yesterday's Wordless Wednesday post below.

Have a fabulous Thursday!!

Wordless Wednesday

2006-11-29T08:28:00.000-07:00


alien song

(this isn't mine, I don't know who to credit but it always makes me laugh. enjoy!)

Now that's odd!

2006-11-28T14:46:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Anthony at My Sick Mind has tagged me for some "internet fun". I get to select six of my favorite oddities to share with the world.

According to the rules…
Each player of this game starts with the “6 weird things about you”. People who get tagged need to write a blog of their own 6 weird things as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave a comment that says “you are tagged” in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

So, Anthony, World, here we go:

Deal me out: I have (just a tad of) OCD in my veins. Therefore, I can't enjoy several card games such as Spoons or Pounce. I am too busy straightening the card piles.
PJ's are our friends: I have to wear PJ's to bed, even in the heat of summer when I am complaining about the heat. Something to do with a fear of having a fire and ending up on the street in my underwear or, God forbid, less.
Don't mess with my shower: I am a tad fussy about my cleanliness. I have a way I shower, an order of doing things you might say, that I execute every time. (can I hear you say OCD?)
Make it a Virgin please!: This may amaze some of you and be really really weird to others, but I have never had a drink of any alcoholic beverage. Just consider me your designated driver!
Those are what???: I don't like caviar. Nasty looking. Nasty tasting. Just plain nasty.
It was only a dream: 20 years after graduating High School, I still occasionally have dreams that I am failing French class and won't graduate. I see the big seating chart with a black X through my name. Something to do with fear of failure I am told.

There you have it. So, we all have issues, now you know a few of mine. I would like to pass this fun on to six of my newer blogging buddies:
Tara @ Coffee Crochet
Colleen @ the Colleen Scene
Jennifer @ Wilson Six - (who by the way sent me a cute notepad. Check out her stuff)
Molly @ These Little Moments
DK Rymer @ A Flyover Blog
Becky @ Absent Minded Housewife

If you don't like playing along, blame Anthony. He started it!

My Scariest Day!

2006-11-26T11:07:00.001-07:00

It was a beautiful day. The kind of day that makes you want to be outdoors. I was enjoying the sun dappled shade of a towering oak when I noticed a young girl setting a picnic for one. She was lovely, with golden hair that fell in natural tendrils around her face. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue that rivaled the sky on this warm summer’s day. She wore faded blue jeans and a blouse the color of a lime. She was barefoot, having taken off her sandals, and I noticed her toenails were painted pink with little white flowers on them.

As I was also alone that day, I decided to venture a little closer and introduce myself. Perhaps we could picnic together. I enjoy making new friends and the park is usually a great place to find them.

As I was getting closer I could see the items she was setting out for her picnic. She had lain out a red and white checkered blanket on which she had her opened picnic basket and a small stool to sit upon. She pulled out her utensils, a cloth napkin and finally her meal. An odd meal, I thought, it looked like cottage cheese.

I had gotten close enough to introduce myself and quietly cleared my throat. That is when we made eye contact for the first time. Then all hell broke loose. She let out the most horrific scream I have ever heard. I covered my ears, in vain, trying to block out the noise. She started waiving her arms in the air, swinging at me, and yelling “get away, get away from me”!

I didn’t know what to do, my heart was beating so fast and I didn’t know what had set her off. I tried waiving my hands back at her to tell her to calm down. That set off another wave of screams. This time she picked up her napkin and started swinging it at me. She knocked me off balance and I fell to the ground. Before I could get up she picked up one of her sandals and started swatting at me. I was so terrified the only thing I could do was quickly crawl back up my line, into the safety of my web, in the sun dappled shade of the towering oak.

"Thankful" Thursday Thirteen

2006-11-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to my month of Thankful Thursday Thirteen. If you are interested in my previous Thankful Thursday Thirteen lists, because they really are worth experiencing, you can go here and here.

And because today is the ACTUAL Thankful Thursday, I will give you not one, but two lists. That's right! Two lists for the price of one!

Where else would you get this kind of thankfulness value!

So, on with the lists!

nice people (mean people, not so much)
teachers
neighbors with tools
neighbors with tools who are willing to share
scrapbook stores
scrapbook supplies
my scrapbooking buddies
paper products
Bryers Reeses Peanut Butter Cup icecream
comedians with family friendly humor
Veggie Tales (ya gotta love Larry Boy!)
colors
rainbows

and list two:

teeth
dentists
Novocain
q-tips (water in my ears just drives me batty!!)
ears
water
bats, no wait, not bats, um - deodorant
ibuprofen
anti-depressant drugs (yes, the Goddess is a highly functioning medicated individual and will chat with anyone about it who is interested enough to ask)
brooms
vacuums
spell check (I actually spelled vacuum right)
eyes

now my wish for you - "Have a very happy Thanksgiving day (those non US folks can just have a fabulous Thursday)." I am off to make pie!

You'll never look at it the same way again!

2006-11-20T09:59:00.002-07:00

Today, I have a fun, fast, and easy crafty crafty project for you. I am going to show you how to make this cute tote from *ta dum* a placemat!

First you need a placemat. Fold it in half (the sides of the placemat will now be the top of the tote) with right sides together and stitch together on each side.

Now you are going to take the corners and fold it to a point.
You want the side seam to line up with the imaginary mid-line from the bottom of the tote.
Measure in 2" on the seam and draw a stitch line. Sew along line.

Do this on both corners. It will now look like this.

Turn the bag right side out. It will now have a squared bottom.

(inside view)

Now you need some coordinating Gros Grain (pronounced "grow" grain) for the handles. Measure 12" plus how long you want the handle. Cut two. (In my sample I used 24" - 12" for the handle length and 6" for hang down on each side.)
Pin the ribbon where you want the handle to be sewn, with the 6" hang down on each side.

Stitch the ribbons. You can do a fancy stitch or just zig zag. I like to stitch a rectangle with an X in it. You just need to secure it well.
Do that on both sides. Now that the handles are sewn on, tie a double knot with the 6" hang down.

Now you have a cute tote. This is the perfect size for carrying scriptures (Scripture Tote), can be a purse, can be for knitting or other crafty crafty projects.

Tacky is as Tacky Does - or - O.J., it isn't just for breakfast anymore.

2006-11-17T13:09:00.000-07:00

I remember when O.J. Simpson was revered as a great ball player and all around great guy. Remember him in the Airplane movies? Remember the commercial (Avis car rental I believe) where he ran through the airport terminal?

Then I remember when I reacted with a literal jaw drop when the verdict to acquit him came from the "Trial of the Century".

Now I am somewhat stunned as he comes up with one of the most unbelievably tacky stunts imaginable. If you haven't heard, He has now authored a book titled "If I Did It, Here's How It Happened", where in he details how he would have carried out the murders, if he had in fact done it.

Is O.J. that desperate for money and decided to "get gain" at the cost of the memory of his wife and dragging the families through this again? We know that some time after the acquittal, He was ordered to pay about $33 million for costs of the crimes, in a civil trial, but it is understood he has only paid some thousands of dollars to the families.

Or, is he just feeling left out of the spot light and this is the only way he can think of to get attention.

Shame on you Mr. Simpson. For bringing this tragedy back into focus in a way that mocks the event, the judicial system, the families, and your participation in the murders. Yes, we all believe you did it. Yes we feel like this is finally your confession. Who knows, maybe you do have some bit of a conscience that prompted this, but I doubt it.

My thoughts and sympathies go out to his children. It is bad enough that they had to lose their mother in this horrific way but now they have to live through the memories and added press all over again.

I would hope that the American public would show their disdain for this pathetic attempt at the spotlight by not wasting their hard earned money on it.

What will the next books be, author Kato Kaylin with "Testimony, The House Guest's Guide", and "Face First, Using Your Deposition as an Audition"?

Thursday Thirteen

2006-11-15T22:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to my Thankful Thursday Thirteen extravaganza!!
As a reminder -

In homage to the month of November, I will be posting Thursday Thirteen’s this month of things I am thankful for. Last week's list.

(These lists will delve deep into my thankful pot because I am not going to list the typical: husband, children, God, the internet, parents, friends, job, family, the internet, freedom, liberty, the internet, etc., so consider those already listed)

cell phones. I feel so much safer when driving along in:
cars
containers.I love containers.They make me happy
mountains
flowers
bees buzzing
peanut butter
peanut butter m-n-m’s
when I don’t have to cook
when someone else cooks
delivery pizza
UPS (even though they don't deliver pizza)
public school(my kids and I would not make the poster children for homeschooling)

Wordless Wednesday

2006-11-15T12:07:00.000-07:00

(mmmmmm, peanut butter filled Kong)

Would You Pass 7th Grade Biology?

2006-11-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

As I was driving my daughter home from school today she quizzed me from some flash cards she had made in Biology class.

My deduction was that I would flunk 7th grade. I know it has been a while since I have been in 7th grade, but I don't even remember studying some of the things she was quizzing me on.

I consider myself an intelligent person but this is kind of damaging to my psyche. Are all the 7th graders running around smarter than me?

I am going to give you the mini quiz she gave me. See how you do. I guess I am either trying to validate that it isn't just me (misery loves company) or that I really need to go back to school.

1. What are Heterotrophs?
2. What is Light Reaction?
3. What is Dark Reaction?
4. What are Autotrophs?
5. What is the formula for Density?
6. Explain Photosynthisis:
7. What is Stage 1 in the Respiration Process?
8. What is Stage 2 in the Respiration Process?
9. What is Mitochondria?
10. What is Respiration?

Answers are in my comments. Good luck!

Is your child as safe as you think they are?

2006-11-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

My kids are teenagers and therefore we don't belt them into car seats. Although sometimes they act like 3 year olds.

I was over at Plain Jane Mom's and she mentioned this video. It is a very powerful video and I have enough friends and family with young children that I felt the need to share it.

If you know someone with young children, please take the time to share this with them.