Christmas Recap Part 1

We are back from the holidays and had a wonderful time! We actually got back last Tuesday night but I've been sick and we've been busy, so here we are on New Year's Eve! Had a wonderful time seeing so much of our family, but despite our best efforts, we missed some! Thank you to everyone we did see for so much fun, hospitality, good food, great company and awesome presents. Here's some of my favorite photos from the weekend.

My mom and Bill - even though I was sick, we still had a great time. Mom cooked us dinner and fudge, we opened gifts, and played the Wii. Both mom and Bill want a Wii now. We learned through this experience that mom's bowling balls roll soooooooooo slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. She says they roll that way in real life. At least the Wii is accurate! And, yes, we're still willing to stand in line to get you Wii's of your own -

Mom and Bill being goofy and having an oven mitt war!

My mom's cat Paisley taking in some sun...he was my cat, BTW, but he likes my mom better now. Hmmpphhh!!! That's a cat for you:

We spent Christmas Eve at my grandma's house. Usually, Greg and I get in late Christmas Eve after spending the day with his family. But this year, we went straight through to my family and got to partake in our family's Christmas Eve tradition for dinner: oyster stew! That is absolutely one of my favorites...such a treat. My grandma is Norweigian and Swedish, and this tradition comes from that heritage. For the weak of stomach we also have chili. But I don't waste room with that...I go straight for the stew oysters and all. Mom says they would cut them up small for me and put them on my high chair and I'd eat them when I was little. Grandma and I are the only ones who LOVE it, though mom is learning to enjoy it. I'm just fine if no one else likes it though...more for us! We also opened presents that night.

We got a star filter for our camera so I couldn't resist this picture of my grandma's tree. I still remember most of these ornaments from when I'd help her set up the tree when I was little:

My grandma Wii'ing...yes, grandma! She's pretty hip...she emails and uses and iPod too!

We also made sure to get some family pictures! My aunt, uncle and cousins:

Greg, mom and I:

Mom, Grandma and my aunt:

Christmas Day was spent with Greg's family...stay tuned for part two.

Some Inspiration for you Stampers

Check out this lady's blog! It's fantastic. Snoop around a bit and you'll find all kinds of tips, techniques and tutorials she's created.

http://paperpleasing.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Have a fun safe New Year's Eve!

Michelle

Randomness for today

I was just downloading some pictures I'd forgotten about today and thought I'd share them.

First, a card I made for a few people I didn't get to see at Thanksgiving, inspired by a similar card I found on Two Peas:

I used my Silhouette to cut out the ovals and the stem; the papers are all Basic Grey and everything else is from my stash.

Second, a funny one...you know you're from Nebraska when...

...you go home to visit and you see this driving down the freeway. We don't know what kind of hoofed-stock these were, or where they were going. What we could see of them almost looked like buffalo, but they would've had to be young ones to fit in this truck. Mom and I were returning from a shopping trip, I was busy talking, looked over and saw this and all I could say was "Look, mom, dead animals". We both started laughing...it seemed like an understatement.

Festivities Galore

This is the first holiday season in three years that I haven't worked retail as a second job. And I'm loving it. I finally have time do things like make my holiday cards, shop for the perfect gift and wrap it in perfectly coordinating gift wrap, bake, and participate in gatherings.

This weekend was our annual Twin Cities scrapbook group crop at which we also exchanged cookies. I baked my great-grandmother's ginger snaps for all who participated. We also had peppermint cookies, peppermint fudge, chocolate mint cookies, sugar cookies, lemon cookies...this list goes on and on...and it was all fantastic.

Then last night my friend Bonnie hosted an ornament exchange. We each got to take home one of each ornament that each person brought. Some were homemade, others storebought, some came from as far away as Holland. I made snowmen ornaments, and took my color inspiration from this years' funky Christmas colors, in particular Elsie's holiday paper line. I ended up making 15 of these little guys.

So very thankful...

Thank you to each of you have called or emailed me today to check on my family and friends in Omaha. It means the world to me that you would take a moment out of your day to check on me and make sure things were okay. I'm counting my blessings over and over tonight as I read through the news leads about the tragedy in Omaha.

None of my family or friends were involved, though one person very dear to me was shopping at that Von Maur not more than an hour before the incident. Thankfully, he was in and out of the store on a quick errand and avoided the whole mess.

Unfortunately, though, many others were not so lucky. I can't help but think of how scared they must've been. How terribly sad the holidays are going to be for their loved ones. At how their precious lives were wasted by one careless, troubled soul who wanted "to not be a burden" and "to be famous."

I'm sad. I'm angry. I'm at a loss of words. How can someone do this to someone else? I just don't get it.

If you're the praying type, please pray for these victims and their loved ones. Pray for the killer. Pray for the people who tried to take him in, in hopes of getting him back on his feet. Pray for the community of Omaha, my hometown.

And also know that besides counting my blessings for the safety of my family and friends, I'm counting my blessings for friends who thought of me and my family yesterday and today. I thank you. I really do.

Super Cool

...So how'd they do it?

Map Story

A fun creative weekend

As the weekend winds down, thought I'd share some of my work with you. I just finished a card tonight using Deja Views paper, the felt snowflake ribbon by Martha Stewart, a modified oven mitt Silhouette shape, Silhouette flourishes, stickles and twill.

They sure know how to live it up...

So, I was sitting around making my ornaments and I realized I hadn't seen my cats in awhile. Usually they love to be around anything crafty because it's fun to play with (ribbon to pounce on, buttons to slide around like a puck on ice). I found them snuggled in our (unmade) bed. Cats sure do know how to be cozy on a blustery winter day...I'm tempted to crawl in for a nap :) Oh, and the flash woke Baci up so he yawned nice and big for me!

Mmmmm.....snow

I LOVE SNOW! Personally, I think cold weather is a waste if there isn't snow on the ground. I know, I know...traffic stinks in this weather, but aside from that I think it's awesome. I especially love it when you wake after it's been snowing all night and there's a perfect layer of white fluffiness on the groud that hasn't been disturbed yet by kids, animals and cars.

So today, I'm snuggling in, watcing all the Oprah's I've recorded and haven't had time for and making my Christmas ornaments for a party I have in a few weeks. I set up a little factory in the living room about 8am this morning and have been enjoying my coffee, my Oprah, and my crafting.

I hope you all are having a wonderful day...enjoy this weather for what it is!

Michelle

It's Been Awhile...

...We've had a great few weeks getting into the holiday spirit. We were able to much of our family over the Thanksgiving weekend, so that was something to be thankful for. Despite our best efforts, there were some that we missed and we feel badly about that, but we did the best we could.

I don't know if I'm getting more sentimental because I'm getting older (my cousin Melissa too quickly agreed about the me getting older part, by the way) or what. But this year I've really taken a look at all the things I'm thankful for. Of course, the usual things like family, friends,food, shelter, warm clothing, etc. crossed my mind immediately.

But it goes deeper than that. I am thankful for a job. I heard a statistic on the radio the other day that the unemployment rate has gone up again, and another radio blurb today about the economy possibly taking a downturn, with Minnesota being hardest hit. Not only am I thankful for a job with salary and benefits, but I'm also grateful that it's a job that I love, with people who appreciate me, people who are passionate for what they do and have a great work hard, play hard attitutde. I'm grateful that Greg's is the same way. I'm grateful that my layoff this year went so smoothly. So few people have that blessing. And so I am thankful.

I am thankful that for another Thanksgiving with my grandma. I always knew my grandma was tough. She was the second youngest in a family with four brothers. She played basketball in high school in the 40's, went to college in the early 50's, and raised two daughters on her own after in the 60's. She taught school and drove a tractor on their acreage. But this year, she topped all that by both beating lung cancer and healing completely after a hip replacement. I am thankful for that. I know there were a lot of days that were hard on her this year. But I am grateful for every one of those days, if it means more holidays, and more special times like this weekend with her.

I am grateful for family. They are so loving and so supportive of us. They are fun to be around and inspire me to be better in so many ways. We spent a lot of quality time over Thanksgiving with my family baking cookies, getting family portraits done, attending a wedding reception, enjoying a wonderful meal on Thanksgiving. For that I am grateful. We also got to spend quality time with Greg's family, playing pool, eating good food, laughing, catching up, and enjoying the antics of our nephew.

There are so many other things for which I am thankful, a loving and supportive family, amazing friends you can truly count on, our snuggly furbabies, our belongings (both necessities and luxuries). But most of all I'm grateful for the chance to reflect on these blessings....to slow down and really take it all in. Before my wedding a friend told me that best piece of advice she got for her wedding was "to slow down and really take it all in...make mental notes of the people you saw, the things that were said, how things felt and smelled and tasted because the day goes so fast." That really was good advice for our wedding day, but it also is good advice for every day life. And that's just what I did this Thanksgiving.

And to end this post with a little humor...at my grandma's Thanksgiving dinner, which is usually a little more formal (i.e.we eat in the dining room on her nice china with her nice linens, we say grace and please and thank you and we avoid controversial or gross topics), my cousin decided to tell us a joke: "How do you make a hormone?"................"You don't pay her." Which she topped off with a "buh dum dum ching"...while the rest of us stared back, then laughed after we picked our jaws up from the mashed potatoes. OK, I don't think Grandma laughed, but most everyone else did.

Cranberry Salad

This is one of my favorite seasonal treats. It's a recipe my aunt makes. She got it from her late Mother-In-Law. I made it this weekend for a friends' party and took it in the bowl my aunt gave me. It turned out super good.

Two tips: you can grind the cranberries very easily in a food processor or blender. And two: I got slivered almonds (which were good) but 1/2 cup of those went a long way. My aunt usually uses chopped walnuts and the full cup of those turns out well too. I guess it's really just your preference and what you have on hand. The reason I chose almonds was because I couldn't remember which walnuts were kind I like (black or english?), and which ones were the ones that I don't.

*** *** ***
Cranberry Salad

1 package 12 to 16 ounces) fresh cranberries, ground (in produce isle)
1 cup sugar
1 cup drained crushed pineapple

Mix, let stand overnight in refrigerator. Add next morning:

1 package (10 ounces) miniature marshmallows
1 cup Cool Whip
1 cup chopped nuts

Chill.

*** *** ***

Happy Thanksgiving (early)!
Michelle

One Year Ago...

...I married my best friend.

So, this weekend marks one year since our wedding. And man, has it really flown by! We kicked off the weekend with shopping and dinner out on Friday night. We both picked out new slippers because coincidentally, we were both missing one slipper from our pairs of slippers. I found these awesome super pillowy, super fluffy, super pink (duh!) ones and Greg found some sensible black fleecy manly ones. Saturday, we went to Fogo De Chao for dinner. We enjoyed the Brazilian tradition of gauchos, their signature drink (similar to a mojito), and endless grilled meat including filet mignon, top sirloin, ribeye, beef and pork ribs, sausage, wings, bacon wrapped chicken, parmesan pork....this list goes on! You also get to help yourself to the salad bar (the best salad bar I've ever seen) and traditional Brazilian sides (plantains, fried polenta, and garlic mashed potatoes) which were all good. We topped it off with a papaya cream dessert...very cold, soothing treat that supposedly has enzymes to help digest the protein we'd just eaten. I would highly recommend this restaurant to someone looking for a spot to celebrate something special, or just to have a new experience and excellent food!

After that we walked over to the Shout House where we enjoyed Dualing Pianos and a few adult beverages. Two really cool coincidences...an orchid topped our dessert at Fogo, which was a flower in my wedding bouquet and the pianists played our wedding song "A Beautiful Day" by U2...we didn't request it, and we've never heard them play it in the half-dozen or so times we've been there. So, it was a really cool coincidence to be there when they played it.

Sunday we just hung out around the house and that evening we went to see the Disney musical "The Lion King" playing now through most of November at the Orpheum in downtown Minneapolis. What a fantastic show! I would highly recommend it to anyone. Like in the movie, there are some "scary" parts so I would think twice before taking small ones who don't like that sort of thing, but otherwise it was a great family show. True to Disney form, there were a few adult jokes in there. Beyond that, the costumes and set were enough to mesmerize an audience of any age. Truly fabulous, truly over-the-top...the best I've seen in musical theatre. The singing was outstanding (we bought the Broadway soundtrack and we think our crew did even better than that recording) and we loved that there were some new songs in the score that weren't in the animated movie! If you go, try to get seats on the main floor, and if possible near the inner aisles. I won't ruin the surprise, but it's definitely worth it! I promise.

So all in all it was a wonderful weekend of trying some new things, and well, out right spoiling ourselves!

wedding photo courtesy of Emmerlee Sherman

Happy Halloween!

Greg and I had fun carving last night. I did Jack Sparrow, he did Batman! Have a fun, safe Halloween everyone!

In the spirit of Halloween...

...here's the Skull cupcakes I made for a halloween gathering we went to last night...they were super easy to make, looked great and tasted yummy too!

Happy Halloween (early)!!! ~~

No bones about it, partygoers will get a scream out of this playful treat.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
12 marshmallows
Confectioners' sugar
24 unfrosted cupcakes (white or yellow works best)
White frosting
Junior Mints, chocolate chips, and slivered almonds
1. Cut the marshmallows in half widthwise using kitchen shears dipped in confectioners' sugar (this keeps them from sticking). 2. Carefully pull each cupcake liner partially away from the cake and tuck half a marshmallow between the paper and the cupcake to create the skull's jaw. 3. Frost each cupcake and marshmallow, then add Junior Mints with white frosting dots for eyes, a chocolate chip nose, and slivered almond teeth.

Recipe from Family Fun

This is for you Suzy!

So, I went to a crop last night at Scrapbooks Too with a group of friends last night, and my friend Suzy commented that my blog was, well, lame because I hadn't posted in awhile. I thought that was real rich coming from a woman whose own blog hasn't been updated in several years (yes, years!). But in any case, I'm back, and this post if for you Suzy Q! So what I have been up to?

Well, I've been reading, hanging out with family and friends, enjoying the fall weather, getting acclimated to my new job and doing some deep down fall cleaning and reorganization.

The first book I finished was the Third Summer of the Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. Yes, it is a book for teenagers, but I have been following this series for a few years now. They are really quick reads and you can't help but just feel like one of the gang when you read these books. Definitely not high on the literary value but fun to read nonetheless.

The second book I finished, definitely more age appropriate, was The Queen's Fool by Phillippa Gregory. Earlier this year I had read The Other Boleyn Girl by the same author and couldn't put the book down. So I had to save this one for when I would have the time to read it, and could afford a few late nights. This one, I daresay, might even have been better than The Other Boleyn Girl. While this book was still an artfully woven mix of historical fact and pure imaginative fiction, court romances, and juicy "gossip" like the first book, it had an even more compelling theme. It covered the era of Mary Tudor's reign which was marked by religious inquisitions and all the ugliness that came with it including torturous means to find heretics and then the burning of heretics at the stake.

It was told from the point of view of Hannah Green, a young Jewish girl who had fled the Spanish Inquisition with her father after the rest of her family had been burned at the stake. In this novel, she struggles to deal with that trauma.

In addition she is being torn between serving Queen Mary (strictly Catholic monarch, who represents Hannah's nightmarish past) and Mary's sister Princess Elizabeth (known as the Protestant Princess, who represents the enlightened Hannah's hope for the future) who both won her loyalty and fondness. She also searched to find a balance of her own unorthodox independnce while still trying to honor her family's customs, including a rocky arranged marriage to a fellow undercover Jew.

In the end, you are proud of the person she becomes, and of course, anxious to know what happens next. But don't worry...Phillippa has solved that with The Virgin's Lover, which I'm reading now! :)

We have also been enjoying the fall weather. We went with some friends out to Emma Krumbee's with some friends and their son. We bought some squash and pumpkins to add some fall flair to our table top and porch steps. We also bought some squash to eat and picked plenty of apples to make apple crisp. Yum!

We've also travelled to see family. My cousin Melissa and I drove home to see our family and celebrate her sister's birthday. We had fun driving the six hours jamming to Hannah Montana, Eminem, and Journey, among other things.

The next weekend Greg and I drove down to see his family and celebrate his dad's birthday with good food and bonfire. It rained, but we didn't care: Greg brought the patio umbrella out the fire to cover us.

I also started my new job which I love. I went to our headquarters this week for some training, and have been getting to know everyone. It's been a great start at a great company.

And that, my friends, is what we've been up to.

A new chapter starts right here...

After a long summer of layoffs, potential buyouts, and hauling 50 years of an office down to four 20 cu. yd. dumpsters and 30+ shredding/recycling carts, I'm done!!! I finished yesterday and topped out the night with some champagne. A new chapter begins today!

I am very sad to say goodbye to my friends and colleagues. We have all bonded so well over the past year. I was also very sad to realize that I won't be working with my current boss on a daily basis anymore. But, I also know this industry is small and all of our paths will cross again, and I look forward to that day.

I do have my next position lined up and for that I'm grateful, and also very excited. I will be joining a firm close to home, with great leadership, 3 people I already know really well (two of whom are former colleagues, the other was a groomsman in our wedding). In the few times I've met this firm prior to my interview I've always perceived them as a fun, hardworking group that's excited about what they do, and they do it well. How can I not be excited about that.

Until then, I have the week off and I plan to:

• Sleep in
• Work out daily
• Take a card-making class
• Participate in a Euchre tournament
• Do lunch with some friends
• Read
• Shop
• Scrapbook

And I start it all off today with a massage with my sweetie.

:)

The Office and Scrapbooking

Did anyone else notice on the second episode of Season 3 of the office (when they're at the office supply convention) there is a booth for "Glue Dots"? So cool...

9/11

Six years ago today, I was sleeping in at my apartment in Ames, IA. I didn't have classes until late morning that day, so took full advantage of that, as most college students do. Greg (my now husband, then fiance) had gone to work that morning and called me on my cell phone. He said, very seriously, "Get up and go turn on the TV. A plane has hit the World Trade Center in NYC."

"What?" I questioned, Surely he couldn't be right. Then I said, "How could an accident like that happen?" By this time I had fumbled around and got the TV on. It was all live shots of NYC with scrolling words at the bottom. He responded, "They don't know if it's an accident or something else." Not long after my old TV had finally warmed up to reveal the footage, the second plane hit the tower. It was then that my heart sank and my stomach dropped. It my heart of hearts, I knew that this couldn't be an accident. But I still kept hoping that it was...that perhaps something had gone wonky at the control tower, or something wasn't right on the navigation system. But deep inside, I knew. I sat glued to the TV most of the morning, breaking only to jump online and see if classes had been cancelled.

They never did get cancelled, and so I went. The one class I had that day had a very strict no-skip policy, and when I got there we only spent the first 10 minutes or so discussing the attacks. By the time I had left the apartment for that class, very little was yet known, so most of our discussion was based on speculation. None of us yet realized the enormity of the situation. How else could we have sat there and discussed the finer points of fluid mechanics if we did know? Once class was over, I headed home and stayed glued to my TV the rest of day. As the day went on, more details and images became available.

My mom called me to let me know that her work (in Omaha) had let them out early and she was at home safe. She also told me that my grandma, who was on a tourbus on the East Coast got stuck in Canada. They were scheduled to cross back into the US that day to go to NY. Needless to say that didn't happen. She was fine, but shook up. My mom called again later that day to check in again, and we talked about President Bush coming to Omaha because that's where SAC (Strategic Air Command) is. Greg watched from work for awhile then came home early. I greeted him at the door with a huge hug.

I think I remained glued to the tube most of the next three days, breaking only for class. I know I didn't cry those first few days, I know I didn't believe it those first few days. How could someone intentionally do that to innocent people?

Nearly 2 years ago, Greg and I had the honor of visiting both the WTC site and the WTC Memorial in Battery Park. I still get goosebumps when I think of those experiences: the relatively unscathed, salvaged sculpture; the eternal flame symbolizing the thoughts of all of those old enough to remember, "We will not forget!"; the surrounding buildings still missing glass nearly four years later; the still huge hole in the ground and the still huge holes in our hearts. It was during this visit, that it finally hit home to me. I cried. Hard. The reality of the situation, the braveness of those fallen heros, the sadness for the victims families, the thankfulness for those who fight to defend our every freedom...it all finally hit, harder than it ever had.

So this September 11, I salute those who keep us safe each and everyday, I send prayers and hugs to the families of the victims, I send up prayers for the victims, and I thank each and every person in my life for bringing light to my life. Life is to short to not appreciate what we have each been given.

It's officially fall in my mind...

Yesterday we went out to one of our favorite little spots, the St. Croix Vineyards. The weather was cool (almost sweater weather), the grapes and apples were ripe. Anyway, this weekend was their annual grape stomp competition. We took my brother-in-law (David) and he got be in this competition, and he won! He stomped with two other people and they ended up putting on quite the show with their dancing and bucket swapping! Some friends from work joined us as well and we enjoyed walking around the vineyards, orchards and the tourist attractions. Greg and I picked out a couple bottles of wine that we haven't tried before, so it will be fun to break those out sometime. We learned a couple things yesterday: stomped grapes look quite disgusting, but cool at the same time (it'd be a great witches brew at halloween) and don't eat plants in planters, even if they look like lettuce. It will give you a swollen scratched tongue. Sorry I dared you to do that, David!

A relaxed weekend

We had a fantastic weekend! It was funny, though, because Greg and I went to Omaha, but our family wasn't there. My mom and Grandma went to Seattle, so Greg and I housesat/pet sat for mom. My cousin Emily was away at school, and my aunt, uncle and cousin Melissa were moving Melissa into her dorm. So for Friday evening and Saturday we were on our own. We enjoyed coffee on the deck each morning, some great homecooked meals (thanks mom) and some shopping around town. I went to the scrapbook store that started it all for me, though it has since changed owners. And we stocked up on our Nebraska "imported" coffee to take back to Minnesota with us (their customer service is amazing, as is their coffee. Our favorite is Heavenly Delight). Sunday my aunt and uncle got back so we went to their place for dinner and went to see The Bourne Ultimatum...that was SUCH a good movie! I just love that series. And thankfully, I think they left the movie open for more, but closed it enough that it won't leave you hanging if they don't make more. Monday we went down to the lake with my aunt, uncle and some family friends. We had a really nice time relaxing down there. Yesterday we drove back to Minneapolis, stopping in Des Moines for dinner with Greg's family. It was fun to catch up with them. Of course, my nephew was entertaining as always (love that kid!!!), and Greg's sister got to tell us all about her new job. Knowing what a photo nut I am, my MIL had printed some pictures for us, which I always love. So all in all it was a great weekend, and now we're back to work and the week is already half over.

The Three Miss Margarets

About a week ago I finished a book called "The Three Miss Margarets". It was a nice, easy summer read. I'd give it a 3 out of 5. The story opens with a mystery and that mystery slowly unfolds through a series of flashbacks and recollections by each of the three Margarets. It is in these recollections that we begin to understand the bond between these three women, and the history (the good and the bad) of the town in which they live. It reminded me a lot of the Ya-Ya's which, although it may not be fair, made me judge this book a bit harder. If you can get it at the library, borrow it, or find it at a used paperback store, it's definitely worth the few evenings you'd spend flying through its' pages.

Damn, it feels good to be a gangsta...

Last November when Greg and I got married, our friend Nick told us that his gift to us would be to cook us dinner on an evening of our choice. You see, Nick is well-known for his masterfully cooked chimichangas and brandy slush. Well, as it always does, time got away from us, and finally ended up nailing down this weekend as THE weekend.

So we decided to precede dinner with a gangster tour of St. Paul. Nick and his girlfriend Robin joined us for the afternoon. Did you know that quiet, quaint St. Paul, MN has a corrupt past? Yup, and it attracted all kinds of famous gangsters to this area. So we got on a bus with "John Dillinger" and he took us to see the sites and told us the stories. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone who is looking for something fun to do one afternoon.

Relax

Few things in life are as good as relaxing with loved ones on a hot summer day. My husband and my nephew, relaxing on a hammock on Father's Day. I love these papers...I found them at Scrapbooks Too this past spring. It was a new line called Stacy Boyd Claire by EK Success...I just loved the colors and geometry.

Here's to hoping you can find some time to relax and enjoy the company of loved ones during these last days of summer.

A great weekend!

Well, for whatever reason, blogger is not letting me upload pictures today. Oh well...I guess my verbiage will have to do! Anyway, it's been awhile since I've posted a real post (not that Simpsons aren't real) so I thought I'd dive back in.

Friday night we went to a fundraiser beer bash at Shaw's in Northeast (lest you be confused, that's the Home of the Shaw Burger) for Make-a-Wish. Saturday, we participated in the third annual Wifflin' for Wishes (incidentally, we have played every year) which is also a fundraiser for Make-a-Wish. We always have so much fun. Greg has been able to organize three teams from our offices to play each year and a good time is had by all. A shout out to our friend, Truck, and his team of organizers who make this event possible! After a playing in the sun we were exhausted so we took it easy and watched movies that night.

Sunday, we spent the day doing practical grown-up things...running errands to Target, cleaning the house, doing laundry, that type of stuff. I was excited, though, so finally get out and do something that I've been meaning to do for several years now: Stuff the Bus! Greg and I got out and did a little back-to-school shopping for charity. Can I just tell you how very much I LOVE school supply shopping? I think it's the greatest. To me, it signifies the start of a new year: new classes, fresh starts, potential of new friends and new experiences.

And then today, it was back to the grindstone.

See you soon!

I've been Simpsonized!

But it wouldn't let me change the cats to look like mine. Bummer. Fun anyway though. Check it out here: http://simpsonizeme.com/##

A few more layouts to share...

The top three layouts are pretty self-explanatory. On the graduation one, the journalling is hidden on a tag under a photo. This is my youngest cousin on her graduation day this year. My aunt is in the turquoise, my mom is in the black with terracotta, and my grandma is in the black and white. That's me in the all black.

The journalling on the layout at the right explains the layout: ""March, 2007 – These pictures make me smile BIG TIME! Melissa & Trudy came up to visit the U of M & also to celebrate Greg’s graduation. While they were here they said they were going to be downtown. I told them they HAD to stop into Target to see their cart escalator. Having come from Nebraska, where there’s plenty of room for urban sprawl, our Target stores are only one level, so this is a sight to behold. Not only did they go, but they took pictures…and gave them to me! Of course Melissa, being the typical teenager, said she was embarrassed that her mom made her take pictures, but I find the whole thing amusing! Thanks, girls, for humoring me."

Another new layout...

Another layout of me and the boy. I really, really love how this turned out (not to toot my own horn or anything). The patterned paper is from My Mind's Eye (actually the flowers and the swirls are cut from MME paper too). The swirls have a chipboard base that is by Making Memories. I got the rhinestones in a generic package at JoAnn's and the letter stickers are American Crafts.

A new layout

Just a simple one. Had a little serendipitous moment when I realize the Heidi Grace "forever" charm I bought 2+ years ago matches this Carolee's paper I got in April. :)

Creamy Lemon Squares

Here's a recipe a co-worker shared with me recently and it is divine! Great cool summery treat for an office gathering, baby or bridal shower, or picnic.

Creamy Lemon Squares

20 Reduced Fat NILLA Wafers, finely crushed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold margarine
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (she used the 1/3 less fat and it was just as good)
1 cup granulated sugar (can use Splenda)
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. grated lemon peel, divided
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. powdered sugar

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Line 8-inch square baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Combine wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup flour and the brown sugar in medium bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 15 min.

MEANWHILE, beat cream cheese and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs and 2 Tbsp. flour; mix well. Blend in 1 Tbsp. lemon peel, lemon juice and baking powder; pour over crust.

BAKE 25 to 28 min. or until center is set. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tbsp. grated lemon peel just before cutting into squares to serve. Store leftover squares in refrigerator.

Graudation Layout

Here's a layout I finished up tonight. I used Cloud 9 patterned papers (they're actually from their Dog Line) but I love the colors and the geometric/graphic nature of them that I adapted them for this. The letter stickers are American Crafts. Actually I had to get creative with the "r", "u", and "n" because I didn't have those letters left. The "r" is cut out of a lowercase "h" and the "u" and "n" are cut out of two letter "m's". The flowers are by Prima and the pearl brads are part of the Bazzill Bling line. The photos are from my BIL's graduation ceremony in May. He graduated with a lot of honors. In fact, he's the top-ranked non-native speaking Spanish student in his home state based on a test that he took. Pretty cool, huh? The other pictures include our family and his girlfriend. Thanks for looking.

Little things go a long way...

In spite of a few lows this week, I have to say that I have found happiness and inspiration in two of the smallest things, and I wanted to share those with you.



First, I had the honor of hearing Bill Cosby speak in person this week. He is every bit as fabulous as you think he's going to be. Funny, humble, smart, just AMAZING. One of the bits that I took with me was this: "Make yourself into a cocoon. Develop yourself. And when you emerge you have two choices. You can be the ugly moth that flies around with no direction and ultimately smears itself on a windshield. Or you can be a butterfly. Be the butterfly that flies around God's Garden doing beautiful things." Loved that. Be the butterfly.

Second, along the gardening theme, I went to Home Depot on Thursday night to get mulch and a few more bedding plants to fill in the blank spots. I found some gorgeous gerberas and also some petunias and some white flowers that are tall. I pushed the cart out to my car and was loading the plants all into the trunk. While I was doing this, a guy that worked there was collecting all the carts. He saw that I was about done with mine, and instead of just standing there waiting, he loaded up the mulch for me. How sweet was that? I mean, it's something I'm perfectly capable of, and its not something that his boss or another co-worker saw or that he was probably even told to do, so he did it just out of the goodness out of his heart. Very cool. He was being that butterfly.

Toodaloo!

Photography...

A few weekends ago, Greg was out of town for a bachelor party for a friend, so I took our new toy (a digital Canon Rebel) out to play. I drove up to Como Park for the day and shot around 500 photographs of plants and animals. It was a great day...learned some new tricks on the camera! You can see some more in my gallery at:

Zoo pics gallery

Let me know what you think....constructive criticism always welcome.

Sunday Brunch

A layout I did with pictures from brunch a few weekends ago. The papers are by Bo-Bunny Press, the flower are Prima, the letter stickers are American Crafts, and the swirls were cut with the QK Flourish Revolution die. I got the rhinestones in the bead/sequin aisle at Michael's or JoAnn's. The scanning job is bad, but the border does go all the way around the layout evenly in real like (like the border in the lower left corner) and the flower/flourish combo in the upper right also isn't chopped off in real life.

And another new layout...

I had the pleasure of meeting some of ladies from Stemma (the company that designed this paper) at the beginning of May. They were really great ladies. I was so excited by their new line (you can find it here: http://www.artsytartsy.com/). A simple layout of one of my new favorite photos of my mom and I two weekends ago. Patterned paper by Stemma, rub-ons by Doodlebug.

A new layout...

A layout I did tonight from St. Patrick's Day this year. Based on a sketch at Page Maps: http://www.pagemaps.com/apr07maps.htm. Papers are by Reminisce, and while it doesn't show up well in this scan, they are faintly glittery. I cut a few of the circles out and then popped them up with pop dots. Flower by Prima, brad by Queen and Co.

Looking for a good read?

I just finished this book and LOVED it. Would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read. It was a page turner for me...over six-hundred pages and I finished it in about a week-and-a-half. That's how good it is!

I have to admit that I can't think of a time that I read a piece of historical fiction that wasn't part of an assignment in school. So this book would've flown under my radar if my mom hadn't had it laying out the last time I was home.

The author, Phillippa Gregory, does a fantastic job of weaving real historical facts with rumours, speculation and just plain fiction. She brings her characters to life so well, and chose a fantastic point of view when she chose Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn (King Henry the VIII's second wife). It starts out with Mary as a young courtier in Queen Katherine's court and as a pawn in her family's game to become the most favored family in England. From there we see Mary struggle with right and wrong, loyalty to her family, her King, and her own desires. As the book continues we watch her mature and start to catch on the ploys of those around her. She transforms from gullible and frusteratingly obedient to strong and admirable.

This book exposes the life in the King's court, and shows that while we outwardly see richness and propriety and beauty, we aren't seeing the whole story. It goes back to that old adage of "if it's too good to be true, it probably is."

I can't tell you how many times I put down the book to run to the computer and Google information about the Boleyns, King Henry and the Tudor court. It was amazing to me to see how well Phillippa tied together bits of fact with intriguing fiction. I will be picking up the follow up (The Boleyn Inheritance) soon. Happy reading, friends!

More Inspiration...this time it's stuff I made...

Thought I'd share some of the projects I've been working on lately. I've been trying to stay on top of the 2007 photos and catch up on the 2006 photos. The top layout is of my nephew, who will be one later this month, taken after he was born. I still just marvel at that sweet tiny face in all its' perfectness. The second layout is about my grandma and I celebrating our birthdays together this year. My great grandma's birthdate was one week before my grandma's and mine is one week after. Pretty cool, huh? As usual, my family made it special with favorite foods and great gifts, but the best gift of all was having grandma there to celebrate after a tough year of chemo and hip problems. The bottom layout is just a collection of family pictures, all taken in January. Clockwise from the upper left: my uncle Ric, my aunt Trudy, my grandma, my mom, Greg, me, my cousin Emily and my cousin Melissa. Enjoy!

Michelle