Tuesday, September 30, 2008
October Desktop
Here's mine...
Here's the one where they put an owl in the photo window, so even if you do not have digi scrapping capabilities, you can still have a neat desktop...
You can download one of your own here. Don't forget to mark my 30th birthday on the 2nd of October when you download the desktop calendar. hehe :)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Lost & Found
These birds appeal to me of course, because I have a bird obsession that I cannot explain.
This metal heart locket, which I bought today and will be using to make a Christmas present for someone.
These wire wrapped acrylic beads make me happy as well...
And there's just something about these fuzzy velvet covered bead strands that I cannot resist...
If you like to make jewerly, head to JoAnn's today because all their supplies are 40% off right now. I snagged up quite a few adorable baubbles to make a lil something this afternoon. Off to my craft room I go....
Scrapbook Saturday
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Momma's gone CSI
I got out the fancy Canon this afternoon and my rubber gloves and hit the path, the path of destruction they tend to leave throughout the house and yard.
What sparked this CSI-like hunt you ask? Oh, just a little thing called 'the sound of breaking glass'. Yep that's where it all started, right here....
This was a glass of Kool Aid I left unattended on the patio as I snuck inside to go to the bathroom. God forbid I go alone and leave the child or dogs without strict supervision for 2 minutes. This was the handy work of my 5.5 month old doberman.
It's just a glass of Kool Aid, right? I got it cleaned up and no one cut themselves on the glass. However, that was just the beginning, see the following evidence photos for more destruction caused by my lovely little doberman friend (all caused this week of course).
She completely tore up her dog bed. Yes, her crate is in the garage because she would not stop howling/screaming at me the other day when I put her in there to calm down.
She chewed on my cedar planters.
She dug a hole, wait make that two holes, and took a poo in my flower bed. Thankfully it is closed for the winter so I do not have to go weeding around in her poo.
She stole my pen and highlighter and ran off into the grass to chew them up.
She brought dirt into the house and deposited it on the kitchen floor I just mopped yesterday (twice mopped because right after I mopped she came in and muddied it up).
Then there's my husband...Apparently the 5 feet walk from the shower to the laundry room is too much for him, so he stacks up dirty wash cloths on the shower floor for me to gather each week.
He leaves his smelly socks all over the house when he strips them off after work.
He also cannot seem to put his hair products back in the drawer, instead he likes to leave them all over the bathroom counter for me to take care of.
Then of course there is the child, the sweet, caring, snuggle bug child, who has me pulling my hair out this week with his wild behavior, loud voice and constant rebellion against all rules and chores.
This here is a pile of toilet paper in our main bathroom. Yes, it is on the floor. When I saw this I asked him "what happened to all this toilet paper?"...his reply "it is for my dog to poop on". That would be his stuffed dog, not our actual puppy. Where does he come up with this stuff and why does it require such a mess?
There were many more messes created by the child this morning, however they required yelling with frustration like a drill sargaent until he cleaned them up. After which, the following sign was made, discussed and hung up in his bedroom to remind him what to do every day.
Now when you see me on Court TV trying to get these boys and dogs locked up or on trial for something horrible because they did not cooperate with me and I lost my mind, you will know that there is evidence of what I have been dealing with. I am not crazy. Well maybe I am, but if so, it's their fault for pushing and pushing and making me clean up after them. Right?!
A Minty Sale
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Homemade Fun
Friday, September 19, 2008
Scrapbook Saturday
Fabulous Freebies
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I forgot to mention...
Fall crafts I WANT to do...
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Meme Time...Formerly Meme Monday...
I was tagged by my friends Mimi and Melissa.
Where were you 10 years ago?
Ten years ago today I was in Florida, staying with my cousin and her husband, working as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens and battling serious anxiety and panic attacks. I was missing home, my mom and family and friends, but I was totally thankful to have the opportunity to take the time out for me and work hard at improving my life and beating anxiety.
What is on today's to-do list?
Return Charlotte's Web to the library, return some pants to Meijer, get printer paper, clean house, do laundry, cook dinner, make sure my child has fun and learns something and we all survive the day.
What would you do if you were a billionaire?
Oh geez, what wouldn't I do?! I would pay off our house, our parent's houses and cars and set up my son's education. I would set aside money for my son to be able to travel the world before college. I would buy Adobe Photoshop for scrapbooking. lol I would then let my husband decide what to do with the rest, cause he is the financial guru in our home.
Name 5 places you have lived:
Clinton Township, MI
Warren, MI
Sterling Heights, MI
Mt. Clemens, MI
Hudson, FL
Name 3 of your bad habits:
I eat too many sweets.
I collect too many piles of receipts and papers and junk.
I cry a lot.
What are your favorite snacks?
Cookies, or anything chocolate.
Chili cheese Fritos.
Popcorn.
Who will you tag for this meme?
Debateur
Heather B.
Karyn
Trying out something new this Tuesday...
So, here I used an up close shot of my son set to be a bit transparent, with a colored and aged paper in the background. I really like how it turned out and will probably use this technique on future layouts.
This is also a great way to incorporate more photos into your layout. I am a pic queen and take so many and want to use them all, it is hard for me to discard some and only use a few for each page.
Credits: Paper, No. 9 and brackets from the Grunge Kit at KJoi Studios.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Menu Plan Monday
Ok, I totally planned my menu, really I did. But it is way over there in the kitchen and I am too lazy to go get it. So, here's what I can remember...
Monday - we had turkey tetrazzini (it was sooo good)
Tuesday - Meatballs, gravy, mashed potatoes, corn
Wednesday - Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday - leftovers and whatever we find
Friday - Dine out
Saturday - Chili
Sunday - Pork chops
Wow, I cannot believe I remembered it all. LOL The best part of this week's menu is that I planned it all while I was sitting in Panera eating a bagel with cream cheese. I took myself out to breakfast right after I dropped my son off to preschool (yay preschool!). I brought my cookbook and a notepad with me so I could plan the menu and shopping list. It was a nice little break.
If you would like to enjoy a leisurely menu planning session like I did, head on over to OrgJunkie and get with the program.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Scrapbook Saturday
Thursday, September 11, 2008
She did what to a cereal box?
I headed down to my craft room and spent half an hour with my friend Aleene's Tacky Glue and some Cosmo Cricket paper and created a box for take out menus.
If you want to make one of your own, here's what I did...
- I used my craft knifed to cut off the top of the box. I did this freehand leaving the back side a bit taller than the front.
- I loosely traced around the sides of the box onto my scrapbook paper. I used Cosmo Cricket Fleuriste Dew Drops and ColorMates Dark Awesome Aqua. Cut those shapes out and glued them onto the box, inside and out.
- Then I used white paper craft ribbon to cover all the edges (this can be found in Michaels near the rafia and comes in several colors).
- I added the words Take Out to the front using Provo Craft white self adhesive chipboard letters.
- Then I stapled a little ribbon on the inside to hang it from,since I plan on hanging this on the wall in my utility hallway off my kitchen.
This was a very simple craft and only took 30 minutes. The only product I definitely recommend using for this is the Aleene's Original Tacky Glue. This glue is thick, dries clear and has an instant grab with the ability to still move your item, totally perfect for cardstock paper. Everything else could be swaped out, you could use real ribbon instead of paper ribbon, you could even cover it in fabric or felt and you do not have to hang it, this box would be cute sitting on a buffet or counter top.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
First Day Of School Goodies
Wordless Wednesday
Ok, so, I totally swiped my WW idea from my friend Trisha at MomDot. I did put my own scrapbooking spin on it though.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Birthday Mania...
Credits: Papers and elements from the Faith Sisters designer try out freebies Let's Celebrate and Birthday Bash.
Menu Plan Monday
Menu Plan Monday has been awesome. I love knowing exactly what to buy and not constantly forgetting stuff at the store. My husband loves knowing what's for dinner each night by looking at the list on the fridge. Thank you OrgJunkie!
Monday - Cheeseburger Pie (this is a fave of ours from Betty Crocker), mashed potatoes
Tuesday - Chicken Quesadillas (trying a new recipe), salads
Wednesday - Steak, Grilled taters and veggies
Thursday - Cheese Ravioli, garlic bread, green beans
Friday - Pizza or Carryout
Saturday - Grilled Chicken Breasts, corn, rice
Sunday - Super Quick Minestrone Soup (trying a new recipe)
Friday, September 5, 2008
Scrapbook Saturday
Mmmm mmmm good...
This was a new recipe I tried for dinner last night from the Food Network site. Here it is with my modifications...
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless chuck roast
4 quarts cold water
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
2 bay leaves
1 cup diced celery
6 cups frozen mixed vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots, peas)
2 cup diced potatoes
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the roast in the skillet and cook until browned on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the roast from the skillet and cut it into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes; discard the fat. Place the beef cubes in a large stockpot.
Add the water, tomatoes, onions, dried parsley, beef bouillon, dried Italian seasoning, House Seasoning, seasoned salt, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, black pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Add the remaining vegetables and the macaroni and return the soup to a boil, stirring to distribute the ingredients. Reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Just before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste. To remove excess fat from the surface of the soup, swirl a lettuce leaf around the surface—it will pick up a lot of the fat.
House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.