Scrappy Hour

Holiday Cheer

2009-12-01T11:35:00.000-08:00

Project #1:

For the month of December, I am going to try and post a photo of something that I have created. I planned to start my Pioneer Woman cook-off today, but I have decided to postpone that until January. So much to do, so little time!

So, here is what I've created today. This is a cookie jar that I plan to give to all the hostesses we will see this holiday season!

This was a very simple project, but you will need a few tools to complete it.

First, I bought the jars at Ikea. They were $3.99. What a bargain people. Practically free! Then, I cut the words "Holiday Cheer" out with my Cricut using THESE. (are they not the cutest???)

So, like counting down the days in December, maybe I'll actually get around to making a new project every day in the month of December! Won't Martha be so impressed next week?????

After adhering the letters to the jar, I cut the snowflakes out of green vinyl which I purchased HERE using the Martha Stewart snowflake punch. Voila. Cute hostess gift!

Now, for the recipe:

Put the ingredients in the jar IN THIS ORDER: (and make sure each layer is packed down)
1) 1 1/3 c. Oats (not instant)
2) 1/2 c brown sugar packed
3) 1/2 c. white sugar
4) 3/4 c. chopped pecans
5) 1 c. chocolate chunks (I use semi-sweet by Nestle)
6) 1 1/3 c. flour
7) 1t baking soda and baking powder
8) 1/8 t salt
9) 1c unsweetened coconut.

My tag will include the directions which are:

Cowboy Cookie Mix in a Jar 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine, 1 egg, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Stir in the entire contents of the jar. You may need to use your hands to finish mixing. Shape into walnut sized balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. 3. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Transfer from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Pioneer Woman

2009-11-30T08:49:00.000-08:00

OK, so I LOVE Pioneer Woman. (If you don't know who she is, you can read more about her here!) She has some amazing recipes. I am tired of collecting recipes and not trying them. Therefore, starting tomorrow, I will be trying every recipe in her cookbook, similar to Julie and Julia. My goal is to try one recipe per day! But, because I also need to shed a few lbs, I am going to make them a healthy way! This may not be "do-able" in every case, but I'm willing to try.

So, stay tuned for the kick off tomorrow! I haven't counted the recipes in her new cookbook (which makes a great holiday gift, and you can find it here!) and then you can join in the fun!!!!

See you tomorrow for my first recipe!

Unique Thanksgiving Sides

2009-11-25T09:36:00.000-08:00

Guest Blogger Katie again...
I wanted to share a few interesting side dishes from my friend Hillary Blanchard, the pastry chef from one sixtyblue, Chicago. They are easy to make!

Butternut squash soup

1 (1 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled seeded and rough chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup small dice onion
1/2 cup small dice carrot
1/2 cup small dice celery
1/2 cup small dice leeks
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
6 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Place the chopped squash in a medium-size mixing bowl. Drizzle the squash with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil and place the squash on top of the sheet pan. Set the sheet pan into the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
Remove the squash from the oven and set aside. In medium saucepan sautee the onions, carrots, celery and leeks in the pan and sweat, stirring often for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and sweat for 1 minute stirring continuously. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and add the chicken stock to the pan. Place the squash in the pan with the maple syrup and sage.
Bring the pan to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook the soup for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are all tender. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to a smooth consistency and velvety texture.

Serve the traditional cranberries with this orange curd. It is a great sweet and tart side dish!

Orange Curd
8 yolks
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
½ c sugar
Zest of 1 orange
2 ½ oz butter

In medium sauce pan whisk all ingredients and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until it reaches a boil. Remove from heat and strain. Chill for at least 3hours.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks!
Katie

Brining the turkey

2009-11-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

Wow, what a response I've had to Katie's post! I am also new to brining, and I can't wait to try it next year. But since we're celebrating at Mom's this year, it will have to wait.

While doing my "homework" for my upcoming trip to see Martha, I was watching her show last night. Emeril demo'ed an awesome brining recipe that you can find here. I always thought brining was such a tedious task, but he created this brine in about 5 minutes!

For those keeping track, the Martha countdown is 2 weeks and a day! My new camera bag/purse should be coming this week. You can see it here. I wanted something fashionable yet functional!

My girl NieNie is on the Today show today? Don't know about Nie Nie? Spend a few minutes on her blog. Trust me when I tell you that you will not be able to stay for just a few moments, as her story is absolutely heart-wrenching and inspiring at the same time. (she survived a plane crash with over 80% of her body being burned) She is such a beautiful woman. NieNie, I heart you!

Turkey 101

2009-11-23T14:47:00.000-08:00

I'm "guest blogging" my dear sister Terri today who said she would like me to share some thoughts on making a proper turkey for Thanksgiving. There is one word that I want to share with you. BRINE. If your turkey is not brined overnight it ain't worth eating. I know that is a strong statement. But I have tried it both ways... TRUST ME. There is no replacement for a good old salt/sugar soak. That is the secret to a good brine. It must be a sugar/salt combination. The sugar will promoting browning of the turkey skin in ways that you just cannot imagine.

Also... buy a DIGITAL THERMOMETER. Turkey needs to be removed from oven when it reads 165 degrees. If you wait until that little button pops out on your turkey... I am telling you, all that button tells you that your turkey is over cooked. Cook that bird until the thigh reads 165 degrees. TRUST ME. Not 185 degrees.

My Special Brine Recipe
2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable stock
3/4 cup Kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup brown sugar (or honey)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
2 tablespoon dried thyme
2 quarts cold water

Mix together and soak turkey for 24 hours in the fridge. Use a big bucket. Drain after 24 hours and pat dry inside and out. Brush on melted butter, salt and pepper too. Then, simply follow your favorite recipe and bake as you desire (but only until the internal temp reads 165 degrees).

Hooray and Happy Turkey Day!
Katie

Monogrammed Notecards

2009-11-20T13:31:00.001-08:00

Here is something I've been working on for my sister's first shower, which is next weekend. I wanted to make her some monogrammed notecards with her new last initial. I am really pleased with how they turned out. I'll wrap them all together with some envies in a cellophane bag with a big bow!

Here are the products I used:

Painted Season

Momitude Kit

All ribbon from here

Tutorial soon to follow, if you are interested!

Martha, here we come!!!!I

2009-11-18T05:08:00.005-08:00

I am officially counting down the days until we go see Martha. That's right people. I am taking the Big Apple by storm! I'm so determined to have Martha ask me a question.....oh boy, would that be great or what????

So the official count is 20 days. Maybe later I will post something "Martha-ish". A little project or a link to a recipe.

I have another idea up my sleeve for December too. It's in the works. I'm awaiting a little sumpin' sumpin' from Amazon, which should arrive by Friday. Ooh, what fun. A little hint. It will involve a whisk. :D

Thanks for stopping by. I'm off to spend a day with my manager. Wish me luck!

Martha-Bound Out,

Martha, here we come!!!!

2009-11-18T05:08:00.003-08:00

Martha, here we come!!!!

2009-11-18T05:08:00.001-08:00

2009-10-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Last one today, I promise!!!!!

Just one more little project to share. Remember, you can always check out my stuff at Peppermint Creative too.

Fall Calendar Fun

2009-10-05T10:35:00.001-07:00

Here's another new project I've created using Miss Mint's calendar template and her new Hocus Pocus papers and elements. I plan to hang this in my kitchen and make a new one each month!

I'm just loving my guest designer spot over there! It's really got me stretching my creative limits a bit.

Anyhow, I plan to post directions how to make this on my blog very soon!

My first project as Design Team Member

2009-10-04T10:39:00.000-07:00

Please head over to Peppermint Creative and check it out! PC is a site for digital and hybrid scrapbooking and projects. Back in September, I found out that I was chosen to be part of their design team! SO FUN!

Here is my first project with them.

Credits to Miss Mint and Tay Silver for the products used.

Painted Season Kit

Happy Birthday Word Art

I will be working on 3 projects per month, so be sure to check back and see what all I'm up to!

And please feel free to leave comments. I love to hear from you!

Etsy

2009-08-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

I'm posting some things in my Etsy store this week, so be sure to take a look! :D

Really? Really......

2009-08-24T13:48:00.000-07:00

Look what's coming to a store near you in October!!!!

Looking for another way to enjoy guilt-free hot chocolate? Hot Cocoa is the next limited edition flavor to join the ever-expanding Dreyer's/Edy's Slow Churned Light Ice Cream line. It has marshmallows and everything, humans. It'll hit the freezer aisle in October. We can't wait! ***More good news for chocolate-lovers. A long-term study has found that heart attack survivors who ate chocolate two or more times a week cut their risk of heart-disease-related death THREEFOLD compared to chocolate-avoiders. Pass it on! ***Pssst... Licorice oil may help burn fat. Don't start inhaling Twizzlers just yet, though. Click here for more. ***A new study suggests that eating out with a large group of female pals may cause you to consume more calories. To be safe, start talking about HG and all the great stuff you've read in recent emails before ordering. (Just a little tip!) The study also found that none of the variables -- like group size or gender of the other diners -- affected what the men ordered. (Sheesh!) But overall, the women still consumed fewer calories per meal than the men did. (Score!) That's all we've got. HG out!

Thanks to http://www.hungry-girl.com/ for this one!

Cat's Away......

2009-08-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Mice will work VERY hard! I won't bore you with all that was accomplished this week while my little punkin' was golfing in NC. However, I will share with you a project. The weekends will be devoted to my Martha within. (sometimes that bitch is just screaming to get out, KWIM?)

OK, so months ago, like a bad home owner, I was removing nail polish. I set the top to the remover on my bathroom shelving unit. No big deal...........unless you FORGET that you've set the top there. Which is exactly what happened, resulting in this:

No big deal, but it looked bad. Someone suggested I buy a tray and "cover it up". So, I sashay my ass to Target after church today and buy a beautiful silver tray. Only to find out that the tray is too small and therefore won't cover up the spot. But now, I've fallen head over heels in love with the tray idea, so it ain't goin' back.

Now what?

Get out a paintbrush and paint the top. Why not? It's raining and crappy out. We'll freshen it up, and THEN put the tray on top!

So, here is the top all freshly painted:

And now, with said tray on top.........................

I love it! I am so happy with how it turned out! It was not a "Martha on a Dime" project in the least. Yes, the paint was leftover. But the tray+accessories probably cost me about $35. May have been cheaper to just purchase a new one, but me thinks this gives the bathroom just a tad bit of personality!

So I'm pondering my next project. I'd like to tackle the photo wall and really get some good stuff up there. Off to do my research.....................

Twice in one DAY?

2009-04-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Who am I? I never blog twice in one week, let alone twice in one day!

I'm thinking all this blogging will keep Vicki busy while she's off on maternity leave next week!

Anyhow, nothing really to say today. Just reporting my cals in/cals out:

Cals in: 1447 total

Cals out: 1950

Deficit of 500. Keep it up and I can lose 1 lb by next week!

2009-04-15T03:16:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends,

And a happy, murky Wednesday to you! Lucy and I decided to wake up at the bright and early hour of 5:30 this morning, so here I sit pondering life while watching Channel 4 weather.....

What does one ponder at 5:30 in the morning? Good question, here goes.....

1) "What do I need to do to simplify my life?"

I'm fairly certain this is a rhetorical question. Do I say "no" more often? Do I cut out more activities? I don't know. It seems when I cut something, I always find something else to take it's place! I'm already stressing about all the things we have going on in the month of May......and we're not even there yet! I may have to "bow out" of an activity or two. It's just too overwhelming.

2) "What do I want to DO with the rest of my life?"

(At this point, I don't have any answers here!)

3) I need to re-do some things around my house. But then that is a complete contradiction to #1. Unless I hire some stuff out. Which I am definitely OK with!

What do YOU do to simplify your life? Leave an answer in my comments section, and I have a prize for one lucky reader!

A is for.....

2009-04-10T08:58:00.000-07:00

This week's blog will feature some cool things that start with the letter "A"! (see, informative, fun, and NOT about me!)

I have 3 things to share with you that are "A" mazing!

1) Addicted to CostCo:

In the spirit of blog revival, I turn you to one of my favorite blogs. Now, I can't take the credit for finding this....thanks to Liz for turning me onto this blog. What could be better than CostCo you might ask? A website devoted to telling you ALL THE GREAT THINGS CostCo has to offer!

Click here to see what I'm talking about. You'll love it!

2) Amazing Concealer

You can buy it here: Sephora

It is not a dramatic name. It truly is amazing! I had put this little gem away for awhile----I don't know why! But man, it is some good stuff. I highly recommend it! Great for under eye circles.....

3) How about a yummy recipe??? This is a great, spring-like recipe that gets rave reviews! Would even be nice for an Easter appetizer. Hope you enjoy!

Annie's Fruit Salsa and Cinnamon Pitas:

Enjoy. Have a Happy Easter everyone. I'll be back next week with the "B" installment. I'm off to watch the Masters, take a nap, and have dinner with some girlfriends!

Blogging

2009-04-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

So here I am, trying to decide if I should continue to blog. Several of you have requested more blogging activity. I'm still sorting out what the HELL I have to say that would be of interest to anyone. But maybe my neuroses make you feel better about yourselves, who knows!?!?!

Anyhow, here is the issue with which I struggle.....

Blogs seem so, well, self-absorbed! I mean, you literally talk about yourself and/or what is going on in your life. I KNOW my life isn't that exciting. But, if I could structure it so you might LEARN something now and again, it might be somewhat interesting, huh?

So, look for a new post a week from me. I've decided to structure it in alphabetical sequence, covering any topic that fits the letter of the week. This week, the letter is "A". (seems like a logical place to start, wouldn't you say?)

Please leave comments! I love to hear from the 1-2 of you that read my blog! :)

Off to start this week's entry. Happy Monday.

What to do with Thanksgiving leftovers?!?!?!

2008-11-29T14:28:00.000-08:00

I have been MIA from the blogging world, but something that will change in the near future. Be watching for some new and exciting things!

Here is a great recipe for leftover turkey. We are having it for dinner tonight because K.T. has been sick and this just seemed like a perfect cure!

Turkey and Wild Rice Soup

Hope you enjoy!

You had me at "9"

2008-09-02T19:09:00.000-07:00

(and the 0210 after it didn't hurt either! ) ;)

Oh yeah. Back to West Beverly. I swore up and DOWN I would not get sucked in. "I will not watch 90210, I did that in COLLEGE" (yup, I'm THAT old!) But, DF Liz sent out an email reminding all of us to watch. I, being the somewhat single girl with a boyfriend who is married to Chrysler Financial, thought "well, I could watch once and see if it's worth it."

It's SOOOOOOOOOOO worth it. Cheesy? Hell yes. Dramatic? Mmm hmm. Guilty Pleasure? Already set on my Tivo. I haven't crossed the bridge on what I will do when Biggest Loser comes back on, but like I said, a bridge yet to cross.

And so now I'm on countdown to Mexico. Coronas, here I come! I can't wait to chill and read some good books and drink some foo foo drinks! I am taking my laptop. No, I won't be checking emails. I may blog, who knows. But, vacation to me means I get to scrapbook! So, I'll take my laptop and my hard drive and I HOPE (fingers crossed!) to have completed a book by the time we get home.

So, my guess is this may be all from me this week. I need to pack and work and try to squeeze in a pedicure!

See you all when we return. Adios!

A self-imposed

2008-08-23T11:18:00.000-07:00

Period of rest. Yup, that's right. I'm sitting here with my feet up and I'm kicked back on my bed. "Chillin' like a Villain" as my friend Shannon might say! Tomorrow is my first race day in several months. Who am I kidding, I think we're going on 18 of them. I haven't done a Tri since my mightly Half Ironman last May. And then, the call:

"Hi Terri, it's Molly"
"Hey Molly, what's up?"
"Well, since I had my SECOND KID FOUR MONTHS AGO (keep reading, you'll see why this is in all caps...) I just haven't felt like myself. I've decided I should do a Triathlon"

Well, who am I to let a friend suffer alone. NO, I will step up to the plate and join you friend.

Which brings me to today. I'm a firm believer that one should rest, hydrate, and just chill the day before a race. If for no other reason than it gives me a great excuse to not fold that load of laundry or clean the bathroom today!

So, I'm gearing up....my bag is packed, the bike is on the car, the water bottles are in the fridge. There is something just so "Type A" about Triathlons.....and I LOVE it!

Happy Saturday to all. I will post some projects I'm working on next week.

A fun, new website

2008-08-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

Hello to my 1 or 2 fans out there! How are you all? It is almost the weekend!!!! Wahoo. Although for those of us in the "D", it's also Dream Cruise weekend. SO not a fan. But what is the saying, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?" That's just what we're doing. It has been an exciting week. The new Stampin' Up catalog came out this week, chock full of new ideas for my fall stamping pleasure. Even better than that, my friend Shannon welcomed a new baby girl one week ago tomorrow: Lillian Grace, who joins big sister Laura Kathleen. Lily and Laura. How stinking cute is that? (I'll post a photo when I get one!)

I learned a fun new trick this week. It's called Google Reader. Do you, like me, love to read blogs? But, there are SO many good ones out there. How do I know when they've been updated? And how in the WORLD do I keep up with them?

Enter: (insert magic music here!)

GOOGLE READER!

So, Google Reader is designed to be a little micro-manager of the blogs you read. Normally, I hate micro-managing. But in this case, it's just divine! So I log into my Google Reader each and every day to see which of my blogs have been updated. You simply click "Add Subscription" in the left column, then you copy the web address and paste. Voila. Your first blog that you track.

SOOOOOO, what does that mean for you, other than a delightfully well managed way of reading your favorite blogs? (Have you seen )

It means now you can link MY blog and you'll know when I update it!

And there is your tip of the day, dear friends.

Oh, and if you decide to venture ANYWHERE near Woodward this weekend, the grill will be grillin' and the beers will be flowin'!

MIA...

2008-07-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, I've been gone a long time. I'm sure none of you have missed reading about my adventures. I was away at Diabetes Camp for a week, and then K.T. and I traveled down to Atlanta to visit his parents. I always enjoy going to see them because they take such good care of us all. (*most especially little Lucy!*)

Today, I have a special guest coming to visit me. Molly Schneider! I'm so excited. She'll be here in less than 30 minutes. If you want to read more about Miss Molly, head on over to her blog.
Yes, I am a remedial student in her Shoebox class, so she has to come and rescue me. I'm drowning in digital supplies. (*sigh*)

I will be visiting my friend Liz this week in Cincy. It's always good to see her, not only because she makes me laugh like no one else, but because she usually sparks my creativity. And I have not had much of that as of late. Dunno if it's the nice weather or just feeling burned out at work, but I just CAN'T get myself to stamp OR scrapbook. I did make a page this week, but I am WAAAAAAAY behind. I think Kel and I are going here this weekend to play "catch up".

It's a beautiful, sunny Sunday. We have a graduation party today and I'm so looking forward to it. Hannah was born when I was a Freshman at Albion. I can't believe she is all growed up! Hannah, love you!!!!!

So enjoy the beautiful weather, and I'll see you all soon!

Today's Post: A Recipe~

2008-05-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hello All from Metro Airport.

What to do when your flight is delayed and you have internet access with nothing better to do? Why blog of course!

So, rather than show you a bunch of photos of stuff I have worked on (*kinda boring lately*!) I will share a recipe. Now, this recipe comes with a story. What doesn't with me? (wink!) My friend Molly decided to start a recipe club. So we meet once a month, and the hostess gets to choose the "theme". So, a few weeks ago we went to Molly's and the theme was "Easy Appetizers". APPETIZERS???????? My favorite! I have a gagillion appetizer recipes! Which one to choose?!?!?! My friend Carey, also invited to the recipe club, doesn't cook....at all. Using her own words, "All my DOUBLE oven has seen is the occasional DiGiorno's pizza!" Can we swap ovens Carey? Anyhow, I digress.

So, I'm feeling kinda badly for Carey, so I throw out one of my recipes for her to use. And she did. And it was FAB!!! I couldn't stop eating it. So, here it is for your viewing pleasure! Hope you enjoy!

Sassy Chicken Enchilada Dip

INGREDIENTS
3 cooked, boneless chicken breast halves, shredded
2 (8 ounce) packages light cream cheese, softened
4 green onions, chopped
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS
In a bowl, mix the shredded chicken, light cream cheese, green onions, diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, garlic, and cilantro. Season with chili powder, cumin, oregano, and paprika. Cover, and chill at least 2 hours.

I would serve with tortilla chips, but you'll need a spoon or knife too because this stuff is THICK!

Now, back to the task at hand....when the hell will I ever get out of the airport?

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T04:37:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all of my friends who are mothers! I hope you have a wonderful day!

We are making brunch for my mother this morning. (Thank goodness the culinary goddess, aka Katie, is in town!) We're going to give oranges a whirl in my new juicer for fresh squeezed orange juice! (and champagne, of course!)

Here is a little something I am using for my table centerpiece. I think it is so cool!

Can you see how versatile this could be: baby showers, wedding showers, Mothers Day, etc? And since it's made of paper, it will always be alive, unlike regular flowers!

I'm thinking I may teach a class on this. If you're interested, please leave a comment on my blog and I can either put one together online or at my house!

Have a wonderful Sunday.

Blog Header

2008-05-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday,

How's that for Debbie Downer? It's only Tuesday!

My lunch hour goal today was to figure out how to make a blog header. Who'd have thunk it would take a tutorial? It did. ( I was pissed!) But, I got it done I am happy to report!

It came from my new found favorite blog...

http://everydaydigitalscrapbooking.blogspot.com/

I am so loving this blog! You do NOT have to be a digital scrapbooker to use. Oh no, you don't! There are lots of tutorials for normal peeps in here too. (And when I say "normal", I mean not like said Loser typing this message!)

So, maybe it will give you a great idea for a teacher gift. Or maybe you'll enjoy learning how to make an altered clipbord. Or maybe, just maybe, you'll do a project so great that I'll post it on my blog! Send your photos my way!

Just a quick photo

2008-04-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have been MIA. I'm sure most of you haven't missed me or noticed. But it is nice for me to check in here once in awhile! My Spragaround friends like to check in over here and say "hi"!

Here is just a quick post to show you a photo from my trip to Louisville. Last weekend I was in Cincy and Louisville visiting my dear friend Liz, her family, and then my sister in KY. It was SO NICE to be away, but there is nothing like sleeping in your own bed. I enjoyed my time immensely with Liz and Katie. And I LOVED seeing Liz's boys, Ben and Luke, who are 14 months. They are so stinkin' cute!

Thursday morning, I flew up to Traverse City and then drove to Marquette for business. I won't bore you with deets, but my flight out of Marquette was cancelled last night and I had to DRIVE home! :( So sad. Just made it in early this morning. Now, I'm chilling in my sweats with my sweet pup by my side. Sigh.

So, here's the photo of the little pups that were living behind my sister in KY. Aren't they SO cute? I wanted to bring one home, but when I heard they were part German Shepherd, I kinda freaked. (German Shepherds scare me. I mean, they're trained to KILL in the police force, so um no ah ah for me!)

See you all next week.

Who me?

2008-04-17T17:45:00.000-07:00

I just felt this overwhelming sense of need within my own self the last few weeks. I fill my time with so much STUFF! And I think I am a pretty good "volunteer-er". But, I need something that gives back to me. In a non-selfish way. Something that when I come home, I can say, "I done good here!"

After some soul searching, I have decided to become a volunteer at:

(That is, if they take me!)

I just see these poor animals on Animal Cops, and I see this "poor, rotten" spoiled dachshund who sleeps on my pillow next to me at night (did I mention that in my next life I'm coming back as Lucy?) and I just want to help. I feel my heart being torn when I see abused animals!

So, I'll say a little prayer tonight that they accept my application!

Happy (almost) Friday!

Digi Week 3

2008-04-14T15:45:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got a jump start on this week's assignment. I felt like I was so behind that I would spend hours on the weekends trying to catch up! Not this week my friends. Nope, I stayed up late, got up early and got 'er dun!

Anyhow, I just love what we're learning in this class! I think this LO is amazing! (Of course, I can say that...I literally copied it step by step from our instructor!)

But I am learning things in this class that I can actually APPLY to other things. Photoshop is an amazing workhorse of a program. I just love it!

Well, here's my LO and my post for Monday. Enjoy. I hope each one of you has a super week! Be looking for blog postings of my visit to Cincy and Louisville this weekend!

OCD?

2008-04-11T04:27:00.000-07:00

Gosh, I hope not. But if you were to see the latest organization project in the craft room, you might think so. Way back when I decided my ribbons would look better in glass jars. (See my inspiration at: http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/capture_the_moment/2008/01/ribbon-jar.html)

So after finding the perfect glass jars at Ikea, I got to work. And work. And work. Wrapping each individual ribbon around a clothespin. Can you say "sore left thumb?" K.T. would just sit down there watching TV, occasionally glance in my ribbon swirling direction, and shake his head. At one point, he even suggested we get out the power drill and try winding it that way! Anyhow, I love how the finished product ended up...

Then, as this ribbon obsession is taking place, and Final Four basketball is being played in the background (foreground for the male figure, duh!) He says to me, "Terri, why are all of your pens/crayons/markers/pencils/lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) sorted by type? Wouldn't it be more visually appealing if they were sorted by color?" Oh Lord, K.T. Don't you know about my level of OCD? That's all I needed to hear. And the next thing you know, there is a flurry of activity followed by coloring tools of all shapes and sizes scattered throughout the craft room. However, I will say I LOVE the finished "project". Good idea, K.T. ;) Thanks for feeding the obsession!

Happy Friday!

(A few credits: Nichole Heady for the ribbon storage idea, my new Canon Rebel which takes AMAZING photos, my $1 Spot Target bucket obsession and K.T. for feeding the OCD within)

365 "Days in the Life of Me"

2008-04-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks back I got this amazing new camera. And I got it out of the box, got it all set up, and WHAM! I have no idea how to use the blasted thing! What's a girl to do? Read the manual? No help. It's like a foreign language to me. So, I started a "class" over at my favorite Jessica Sprague website. Now, when I say "started", by no means did I make up the content of the class. But, I am just acting as sort of a "moderator" if you will for the class that was offered at 2Peas. (www.twopeasinabucket.com)

Hence, I decided to get good use out of my camera and take a photo a day. Sounds easy enough? Good Lord, let's see how I do. I am one to go really "gung-ho" only to konk out when life steps in. But I'm determined!

Don't worry, I'm not going to post a photo a day on my blog....my life is SO not that exciting. But this is my photo from Saturday that I think turned out beautious! (totally made up "Liz-ism")

Happy Sunday!

You didn't think it would be ALL crafty, did you?

2008-04-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

Goodness knows I love my makeup and girly stuff too! SO, here's a little "find" during my Target excursion. Wow is this stuff cool! It's concealer, mineral foundation AND blush all rolled into one little nifty package! The concealer is a nice, creamy texture. The mineral foundation seems to be just as good as Bare Escentuals, and I LOOOOOVE the color of the blush! All for $14.99! Not bad, eh?

Please share your favorite cosmetic finds in the comments section, and I'll post them...kinda like In Style's great annual finds!

Digital Kits

2008-04-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

So, can I tell you how much fun digital scrapbooking kits are? They are SO MUCH FUN! There are lots and lots of sites with digital kits, some you pay for, and some are FREE! This is a photo of a free digital kit. Now, you're probably scratching your head thinking, "What the heck am I going to do with a digital kit, Terri? I don't even scrapbook." And/or, "I certainly don't digital scrapbook!"

Stay tuned, my friends! I am going to post a tutorial for this little goodie, along with the link so you can have it too! Gimme a few hours and I'll be back!

Free Rice?

2008-04-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

Nothing too crafty from me this week. I have been immersed in my Digi in Deep online class with Jessica Sprague. I finally (!!!) finished my first assignment, which took me 3 days! (although I will admit, it's a really cool layout!) But now we have 3 MORE assignments, which are supposed to be completed by Monday? Yikes, I have a loooooong weekend ahead of me! One of the cool things we're working on is a quote book. I will post some photos once I complete my LO's. It is going to be cool! That Jessica, she's ingenious!

Anyhow, here is another new obsession of mine, thanks to my friend Tracey Watt....

www.freerice.com

(And, I checked on Snopes to make sure it's not a hoax. I am a skeptic. But it's true!)

So, it's this fun little vocabulary "game" where you try and figure out the meaning of a word. For each "guess" you get right, they donate grains of rice to the UN! How cool is that? It's like the SAT minus the stress!

Check it out, and I'll post some photos over the weekend. It's almost Friday. Yahoo!

Gearing Up...

2008-03-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

For Monday! A few months ago, I entered the world of digital scrapbooking. It is such a nice change from paper! I have already bragged on this before, so I'll keep my "gushing" to a minimum. But, the two aspects of it that have been best for me are:
1) No clean up!!!! In the middle of a page? That's ok. Just hit save and come back to it later and 2) I am totally and completely caught up with my scrapbooking! I never thought I'd be able to say that! In fact, Kelly (my real BFF) asked me the other day, "Are you kinda sad you're all caught up?" and my answer was, "Yeah!" It's hard not having anything to work on. (And no, I'm not taking on your scrapbooking projects! )

But, that leads me to my next point. I got hooked on digital and my advanced, online class starts Monday. And I cannot wait! It is such a fun, talented group of women (and Gary!) that I have met through Jessica Sprague's classes. (www.jessicasprague.com) We are almost giddy with excitement to see what is in store for us over the next 4 weeks.

If you have ever contemplated going digital (or even TRYING it!) I highly recommend Jessica's classes. They are easy to follow and you can watch them over (and over and over!) until you "get it".

So that's my diatribe of the day and I've attached a LO I did encorporating one of the challenges over at Jessica's website. And today, I need to learn how to use my camera!

Happy Weekend!

Once Again...

2008-03-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

I introduce my blog. I was just so not happy with the first two "go-arounds". The first blogger version was just bad! And my Mac version was great, but there wasn't anyplace for people to leave comments. So now, I think I have the best of both worlds!

A big "hello" to all my Spragaround friends who are starting to visit. Thanks for coming by!

Not much today. As some of you know, I lost all of my photos a few weeks back, so until I get up and running on my new camera, photos will be sparse. I am including a photo of just ONE TEENY portion of the craft room which is in sheer disarray....the ribbons. I'm trying slowly but surely to get it cleaned up. Sigh. Pass the wine.

Well, have a great Thursday. See you here tomorrow---that is if you feel like coming back!