I'm Back!!!

Gosh, I can't believe how long it has been since I posted last.  Where on earth does the time go?  Plenty has happened since I've been gone.  I moved, changed jobs, cars, and boyfriends. Wow! Enough change! I also got a new dog.  A dog that will probably fill many spaces here on this blog.  You have been warned. LOL  AAANNNDDD here she is.....

 

This is Milly and she is a Goldendoodle.  She is smart, happy, and full of energy.  Oh, and did I mention she loves balls. Yup, any kind of ball.  She's not fussy.  Milly keeps me active and has warmed my heart since I got her.  She will be two in March.  So, technically she is still a pup. At least, that's what I keep telling myself when I come home to a house full of chewed up stuff.  ha-ha

  

Have a great night!!!

Easter Goodies...

Okay, I have to admit, "Yes" I love getting candy! However, I also love to see what creative route my friends have taken to deliver such yummyness! Everyone's Easter treats turned out just to cute. So, without further adue. I present to you Easter Treats 2010:

Growing Up Without a Cell Phone...

I received this email and I just had to share it. It is so true. I think sometimes we take for granted how easy daily living has really become. Enjoy!!!!

If you are 30, or older, you might think this is hilarious! When I was a kid, the adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up; what with walking twenty-five miles to school every morning.... Uphill.. Barefoot... BOTH ways…in the snowstorm... yadda, yadda, yadda.

And I remember promising myself that when I grew up, there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of crap like that on my kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it!

But now that I'm over the ripe old age of thirty, I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a Utopia!

And I hate to say it, but you kids today, you don't know how good you've got it! I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the public library and look it up ourselves, in the card catalog! There was no email!! We had to actually write somebody a letter - with a pen! Then you had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox, and it would take like a week to get there! Stamps were 10 cents!

Child Protective Services didn't care if our parents beat us. As a matter of fact, the parents of all my friends also had permission to beat us! Nowhere was safe!

There were no MP3's or Napsters or iTunes! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio, and the DJ would usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our car.. We'd play our favorite tape and "eject" it when finished, and then the tape would come undone rendering it useless. Cause, hey, that's how we rolled.

We didn't have fancy stuff like Call Waiting! If you were on the phone and somebody else called, they got a busy signal, that's it! There weren't any stinkin' cell phones either. If you left the house, you just didn't make a phone call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". OH MY! Think of the horror... not being in touch with someone 24/7!

And then there's TEXTING. Yeah, right. Please! You kids have no idea how annoying you are.

And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your parents, your boss, your bookie, your pastor, the collection agent... you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances, Mister!

We didn't have any fancy PlayStation or Xbox video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'. Your screen guy was a little square! You actually had to use your imagination!!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen... Forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like LIFE!

You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! You were really stuck when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your rump and walk over to the TV to change the channel!!! NO REMOTES!!! Oh, no, what's the world coming to?!?!

There was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you hear what I'm saying? We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you spoiled little rat-finks!

And we didn't have microwaves. If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove! Imagine that!

And our parents told us to stay outside and play... all day long. Oh no - There were no electronics to soothe, comfort, and lose brain cells on. And if you came back inside... you were doing chores!

And car seats - Oh, please! Mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on. If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place!

See! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled rotten! You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980 or any time before!

Regards, The Over 30 Crowd

End of February...

Can you believe this month is over? Where has the time gone? For the past two weeks I have have enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics. I have to say the Winter Olympics is my favorite by far, don't get me wrong I enjoy watching the Summer Olympics, too. It is pretty exciting that the United States finished with 37 medals. In fact the different news mediums is stating the U.S. will leave with the most medals by any country at any Winter Games. Yay...for the Red, White, and Blue!

So, what are some of your favorite sporting events to watch? I just can't say which I like to watch the best. I love pretty much all of it. From curling to figure skating. Oh, and lets not forget snowboarding and hockey. See, I just have so many favorites. I'm already looking forward to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia.

Hope you had a memorable February. See you in March!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I had a wonderful Valentine's Day. I started the day out making two special boys in my life heart shaped pancakes and then finishing it off with a little shopping and getting a pedicure and a massage. Then off to a very tasty Chinese Buffet Restaurant. Oh, and lets not forget the wonderful sweet goodies. Yum-oh! Could this day get any better?

Fun Paper Cutting Video

I found this amazing video on the Paper Crave website. It is incredible and I thought I would share it with you. The New Zealand Book Council has released an absolutely amazing video, produced by Colenso BBDO and animated by London based Andersen M Studios, which uses paper craft animation to promote books and reading. The animation features paper cut imagery using Maurice Gee’s novel Going West, and eight months of intricate paper cutting work went into creating the final two minute video. Who said they couldn't make books come alive?

Todays the Day!!!!!

Another Post!!! Today is the Day that hopefully the VIKINGS will smash the Saints. You need to watch this lil' video it is too funny!



GO VIKES, GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From service dog to SURFice dog

Every Sunday Dawn from Dawns Stamping Thoughts posts different videos that she finds valuable enough to share. I enjoy watching them and have been moved by many. However, this one in particular is just AMAZING! This video touched my heart! So, I thought I would share it with you.




It's truly amazing how animals can touch people. Thanks for stopping by today.

Some thoughts...

Well, we are expecting a lil' ice and snow here in MN tonight. I'm hoping we see some more. We got a lil' over Christmas, but we are in need for more to keep our outdoor enthusiast's happy.

I received this in an e-mail today and I just loved it - every single word of it - so I though I'd share it with you.

HANDBOOK 2010

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.

3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minutes walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.
13. Don't over do. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with His/her mistakes of the past. That will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree...

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time w/ people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends & family will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most is always happy. So, be happy.

I think if we all live by these words - we will have a very blessed 2010.
Jody

Little Cuties, a Favorite Winter Snack

Shh! I'm going to tell you a little secret. I would like to share with you a little treat that has a huge part of getting me through our long winter season. Yep, it is these adorable California clementine oranges. They make me extremely happy. In fact they are my all time favorite go-to snack. They're easy to open, peel and eat! I alone can go through a whole bag in a week. I like to share them with people who have not heard about them before. They are always pleasantly surprised at just how good they are. They are a perfect snack for the winter season blues, giving us that much needed burst of vitamin C, potassium, and B vitamins. Oh, and not to mention satisfying a sweet tooth addiction. Another fun thing about these little cuties is that some of them have a little sticker that reads "Happy Juicy days!" "Seedless Greetings!" or "Sweetest New Year!"

I do have to mention just one problem with these little Cuties. They don't stay around long. So, go and get yourself some and be quick about it, soon they will be gone.

Thanks for rolling by today and have a sweet day! =)

Florida here I come....

and hopping to see lots of SUNSHINE! Doesn't sound like it is going to be super warm, but anything is better than -35 degrees. So, I will take what I can get. Have a great week everyone.

Merry Christmas

Loving God, we open ourselves to you this Christmas season.
As these candles are lit, light our lives with your imagination.
Show us the creative power of hope.
Teach us the peace that comes from justice.
Fill us with the kind of joy that cannot be contained, but must be shared.
Maginfy your love within us.
Prepare our hearts to be transformed by you,
that we may walk in the light of Christ.

Merry CHRISTmas Everyone!!!

Christmas Window Boxes

This is what my window boxes look like this year:



Next year I would love to have these window boxes:

image from Martha Stewart

Trees

When I was out and about the other day, I noticed all different kinds of Christmas trees. So, I had to share with you. Can you just imagine the ones below, all decked out with decorations. I would love to see how some creative person would decorate the black tree. Are you thinking about it, too?

Yes, they even sell a Charlie Brown tree!

This would be the tree I would love to have in my classroom. I just love it! Just look at those huge erasers. I'm thinking the kids wouldn't have a problem finding these.

And last, but not least. My little tree.

Thanks for stopping by today. Have a great weekend!

Grinch

Last year I went down south for a Christmas gathering. After, everyone left my cousins, myself, and my friend went out to a local small town bar. It was fun, we had drinks and popcorn and played some pool. As we played pool, we started talking about the Santa that was sitting at the bar and how funny it would be if he would come over and sit on my friend, Becky's lap. Well, to my surprise when he turned around he had a Grinch mask on. Kind of strange, and not to mention scary looking. Non-the-less we got him to come over and we took this picture with him. So, I have been trying to figure out how to use the pictures I took that evening.





Thank goodness I like to stalk Ellen's blog, because she created a Grinch in punch art form. I consider myself extremely lucky to have found her blog, because this is one woman that is truly blessed with a talent, and I consider myself to be truly blessed to be able to CASE her creations. LOL


So, here he is. I made up a 6 x 6 page for my punch creation book. So, friends I can say that I'm finally one step closer at getting my page done in my scrapbook. Yay! Have a good day and don't put your Grinch face on. Ha, ha, ha!

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

I believe making homemade goodies is one of the best ways to share my love for friends and family. So with the holiday season already upon us, I wanted to show you one of my favorite gifts from the kitchen, and hopefully more to come. This is a recent discovery, a friend made something very similar for me earlier in the season.


I think this might be the perfect Christmas treat because:
1. It's yummy.
2. It's e.a.s.y. So easy! And quick too.
3. Just one batch makes enough to fill up lots of goodie bags.
4. It packs well. It's dry and in small pieces, so it's perfect for filling any type of container, or throwing it in a big bowl for a party.
5. Did I mention it's yummy?

Recipe:

16-20 C popped popcorn (fresh, or about 2 bags microwave popcorn)

1 lb Almond Bark

1 6oz box candy canes, crushed. (About 1-1 1/2 C total)

2 tea. peppermint extract

3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

*one bag microwave popcorn has about 10 cups in it, so if you're air-popping, do about 20 cups.

Okay, I have to admit unwrapping the candy canes and crushing them is the most labor intensive step of this easy-peasy treat. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and have a whack with a hammer, but a heavy marble rolling pin would work.

Thanks for taking a look and who knows, maybe this will become a new tradition for you and your family.

Happy Thanksgiving

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
-Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1864

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

Here Comes Santa...

Laughing all the way! Well, okay maybe he isn't but you probably are. Right? What on earth is he doing anyhow? Doing the "Robot Dance"? I'm not sure, but I'm kinda attached to him. For some reason he pulls on my heart strings. Don't ask. I don't know why. LOL

I can tell you however, that I'm crazy for punch art. Gasp! It seems that lately I just can't get enough of it. I just wish that I was the one that was bright enough to design the creations I will be showing on my blog. Yep, nope not me. I stock Ellens blog and she is the real deal. She makes me look like a baby in diapers. Good thing that I majored in Copying...um I mean Elementary Education. Of course I added my own details, so then is it really the same? I'm not sure, the verdict is still out.

Enjoy and have a great Wednesday!

November Card Class

Last night was our November Card class at JaNells. Yvonne and JaNell put together some fabulous cards for us to make. For the first card we used Stampin' Up's new stencils. Have you seen these yet? This was the first for me. I have to admit that at first I was a bit sceptical about them and then Yvonne should us this card. I feel in love with it! We used brushed gold CS for the card and the top of the ornament. I had not used this paper before, so that was a treat for me. I like!

The second card we made was all about Dasher. We used gold ink on this card. I loved the colors on this card. I also loved the the polka-dot grosgrain ribbon. I will have to add this to my ever growing wish list.

Our last card was made using the Merry Moments paper from SU. I felt like a child again, because it reminded me of wallpaper my parents had in their bedroom. It was not the same color, but the print was similar and it had the same soft texture to it. How fun to travel down memory lane. Our second technique we learned was about embossing. We first stamped our image in VersaMark and then we stamped it in Real Red Classic Ink, we finished off by adding clear Embossing Powder and then we set it using the Heat Tool. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

We received the cutest little gift. It was filled with candy corn. Yum! I love the stuff and of course I already ate mine. *)

Thanks Yvonne and JanNell! I loved all the projects. Job well done!

Free Christmas Shipping...

Did you hear? Many merchants are jumping on board to the 2009 free shipping day, December 17. Thus far, 291 merchants are signed up for the event. When you shop their site http://www.freeshippingday.com/ on December 17th, you get free shipping and it is guaranteed to arrive by Christmas Eve. Scheels, Macy's, Sears, Toys R Us, Office Max, Lego, Omaha Steaks, Nordstrom, JC Penny, Overstock.com, and American Eagle just to name a small few. This would work perfect for us procrastinators....um, I mean those really hard people to buy for. Wink *)

Happy Monday, everyone!