scrappinpixie

Happy Monday!

2011-01-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

It was a great weekend - even with the rain. I usually don't mind it, but I do get quite annoyed with the mist-like rain that just seems to be everywhere. And I suppose only us Northwesterners even know what I'm talking about.

I finished watching season two of True Blood. I thought the season opener was terrible, but stuck it through the next episode, and got back into it. It throws me off sometimes, as it tangents off quite a bit from the books, but I am learning to enjoy it for what it is. Loren watched this season with me - I think mainly to hear how many times Bill blurts out with "Sooookhay....NO!".

Last night I made red velvet cupcakes. YUM! I made them correctly this time, as to avoid a dry cake (the lack of champagne while prepping probably helped). The dry goods and directions were part of a Sprinkles mix that I got from Ms. Jen Waters as a house warming gift. I can see why this was a special treat back 'in the day'. I can't imagine mixing butter by hand until fluffy, nor mixing each ingredient in slowly, and for mintutes at each step. It was enough doing it with my Kitchenaid! They came with these cute little button tops, and turned out like the ones below with the red button top. Loren would like me to say that he decorated them with the sprinkle. :D

Photo courtesy of sprinkles.com...I was too lazy to take photos.

Maybe tonight? or....maybe not.

WELL ALRIGHT!

2011-01-28T10:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! I've had a GREAT morning. Why?

- Actually got sleep last night. I have a cold that has been kicking my butt, but last night it gave me a break!
- Loren and I had a great commute to work this morning.
- I HAVE CAFFIENE. Peppermint Mocha.
- I have some petite vanilla bean scones to nosh on this morning. Thank you Starbucks.
- I am listening to She and Him.
- My sister-in-law has photographic proof that my nephew is THE Tony Stark. I know, right???
- And tonight I am going with a friend to get a pedicure.
- This weekend I'm going to use my new Adobe Suite CS5 for some photo editing, and get my scrapping back into shape!
- ....which will be after some FUN shopping and eating of tasty almond tarts and pastries ~~with wild abandon~~ at the Lynden Dutch Bakery with my SIL.

Due to the caffiene, I'm trying hard to concentrate on my tasks today. And not go to cuteoverload or canihavecheezburger or damnyouautocorrect.

Pretty photo

2011-01-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of the ponderosa pine that is in the front yard of my in law's house in Miles City. 'twas the night before Christmas, and all through the plains, a strange fog rolled in and froze all the trees. :D Okay, that is all I have in me for 'poetry'. After opening gifts I went out and took this photo. There were entire groves of trees that looked like this - it was so beautiful.

It's been a while...yes?

2011-01-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

A pot roast is in the oven (thank you Pioneer Woman for having fabulous, yet simple, inspiration for good ol' beef) and I'm listening to classical music, which started with Yo-Yo Ma playing a part in Gabriel's Oboe from the Mission; it is such a beautiful piece. I don't think I've heard it on the oboe, praise the Lord...not my favorite instrument. Remember it from Peter and the Wolf??? They should just let the duck play himself. ANYHOW, I digress. Chores are almost done for the weekend, and I'm making time to blog. I'm finding that if I don't make time to do what I want I end up wasting time.

It has been a while since I've posted...life got so busy the last quarter of 2010. It is the busiest time of year for work and by the time I got home each night it was all I could do to make dinner and make sure our bills were paid before I crashed for the night. And that gifts were wrapped and shipped on time. Christmas cards? Yah, they were mailed out after New Year. A 'little' behind. :D Some highlights of our November/December:

- A new Sony DSLR for yours truly...YEA! Now I need to learn all the ins-and outs. It takes such good shots without any manipulation that it is hard to get motivated to learn anything fancy with it!
- Real snow on Thanksgiving day.
- Got my mom hooked on Angry Birds. I'm getting these knitted ones from Etsy for her birthday...lol.
- We purchased a LIVE tree from Stoney Ridge Farms, which is just a couple miles from us. We haven't had, or have put up a fake tree the last seven years or so. I had forgotten how great they smell (like making love to a lumberjack).
- We had fabulous house guests a couple weeks before Christmas. The kids helped decorate, which was a lot of fun! They did a terrific job of spacing out all the ornaments, and didn't obviously eat any of the candy canes.
- We hosted our first Christmas the house. It went really well - with lots of laughs. The best was our nephew who felt utter disappointment when he realized not all the gifts under the tree were for him. Well, that was SECOND best....best best was the fact Loren got the entire sequence of his emotions on the video camera. :)
- We spent our first Christmas with Loren's family in Montana. It was beautiful while we were there; no snow storms or wind storms. Just cold!
- New Year we spend with Aimee and CJ in Spanaway. Her mom and dad hosted a little gathering with lots of food, laughs, chit-chat and Xbox Kinect.

I'll sign off with a fun list I saw on my friend Andrea's blog...

Bold these if you've ever.....
1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disney World
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

SCRAPPING!

2010-09-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

I actually did scrap this past weekend! I completed a layout for the EFFER DARES, and a Pencil Lines sketch. However, we've had friends visiting from out of town, so I've not taken the time to photograph or post until now. And even now I'm only prepared to post one layout!

This was for the Effer Dare 168 to scrap a memory to music. This is a lovely picture of my late friend Colleen when we were, oh, 16ish. We were hanging out at Universal Studios, and I luckily caught her with her eyes open! She was one of those people who always blinked JUST at the wrong time! The lyrics are to Sarah Mclachlan's "Fumbling Towards Ecstasy". We played her constantly, and we went to this concert at the local theater when Sarah Mclachlan was just starting her career - to top it off, our friend actually won the tickets off of the radio! It was a fabulous time that can never be repeated and will be a memory I cherish forever.

Wenatchee Farmer's Market & Stuffed Peppers

2010-09-09T19:12:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago my mom and I made a weekend trip to Leavenworth. It started out to be a one-day trip to get some fresh fruits and some shopping, but then we decided we didn't want to drive back, and got a hotel for Saturday night. I then found the Wenatchee Farmer's Market was open only until 1pm on Saturday, and knew we would be cutting it close to get there in time (it is a few hours drive from Lynden). So, we then added on Friday night!

We got the the farmer's market and were pleased with the selection of fresh veggies, fruits, chiles and everything else! It took two trips to the car, but in the end we came out with three flats of peaches, one flat of nectarines, a few pounds of saturn peaches, a dozen green AND purple bell peppers, red and white onions and the most delicious cantaloupes. There was so much character, too! Corn and cantaloupes being sold right out of the back of trucks, and the tastiest homemade pork tamales with spicy tomatillo sauce. The tamales were the best I've ever had, and only 50 cents each. Moms and I had two each, and seriously would have gone back for more on Sunday if they had been open! Unfortunately I was leaving a three days later for Vegas, so couldn't stock up on as much as I wanted. If I lived within an hour or two of that market I would be there every Saturday. The prices were CHEAP, and the produce was so much better than what our best grocery stores offer.

Example: Stuffed Green Peppers
Sunday night I made stuffed green peppers for supper/lunches before we took off for our trip - I didn't get a final result photo b/c we were starved and they smelled/looked SO good that I forgot! They were THE best stuffed peppers. The flavor of the peppers was amazing; so much better than any of the grocery store offerings. I'd never had a purple pepper before...when fresh it smelled stronger than the green, but when cooked it turned green and was so similar in flavor that they weren't easily discernible from each other.

(this is my first attempt at at collage for the blog, and I think it turned out a little small.
I'm trying to figure out the correct pixels and am going to just improve as time goes on.

shout out to Loren for putting a generous amount of cheese on the peppers ;) )

Recipe:
This originated from various recipes I found online and tweeked to our tastes. By tweeked I mean actually made it a bit spicy (mid-westerners *say* spicy, but really means *flavor*) and cooked them so the peppers retained some firmness.

2 Cups Water
1 Cup uncooked white rice
4 Large bell peppers, halved & seeded
1.0- 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
15 oz can tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 Cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese
Garlic cloves, to taste (I probably used 6 cloves, diced)
garlic powder, to taste
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
cumin, to taste
vegetable broth

1. Bring water and rice to a boil; cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. Brown the beef, drain, return to stove top and add the onions, cooked rice, and spices. Stir well
4. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, stir well and let simmer for 15 ish minutes. After 10 minutes or so, add some vegetable broth if it looks too dry.
5. Put the halved bell peppers into a 9x13 baking dish. Note: some recipes call for steaming the peppers before hand. However, I really think that 45-60 minutes in the oven is plenty of time, and they do turn out nice and soft, but not mushy. I'm afraid that if they were pre-steamed they'd be much. But, if you like really soft veggies, you may want to try the steaming.
6. Spoon mixture into the bell peppers and place in oven for 45 minutes
7. Remove from oven and top with the cheese. We used fresh mozzarella and it was amazing! I've also used cheddar in the past with great success. Hello, it is cheese...anything would work, I'm certain.
8. Bake until the cheese is hot an bubbly and serve!

Awesome product! and some other stuff.

2010-09-08T14:14:00.000-07:00

Through my friend Stephanie I was introduced to the Good Fortune Soap Company and their faucet soap. People! Go out and get one for each of your showers and a backup! I am using the apple/lavendar scent, and it is soooo nice! It is fresh and clean, and not too fruity. And really, how awesome is it that the soap is already IN the loofa? And if you needed to, you could put the rest of your dove/caress/lava (to each their own, right? ;) ) in the loofa when the apple/lavendar bar is out. But be sure to re-order from Good Fortune.

(stock photo from their site...I wish my faucets were that cool...they aren't. Our guests can attest to our crappy plumbing. The only saving grace is a 75 gallon hot water tank. Niiiiiice.)

The best part about Good Fortune Soap Company? You can use their soaps, lip balms, etc., LOVE them, and know that you are also supporting a company that makes outreach and community care a priority with their profits. I think it is great to actually LIKE the product you are purchasing to support a good cause! Check out their OUTREACH page.

That was the awesome product - now, other stuff.

I'm getting over my cold, and am stoked (yes, I wrote 'stoked') b/c I have 175 photos coming from shutterfly on Friday and I am going to spend my weekend scrapping! I'm going to try to get some lo's done from the following challenges:

- Scrapjack of Maggie Holmes. I know this is expired, but I love it!

- Pencil Lines Sketch 203. I heart Pencil Lines and do not use their sketches nearly enough!

- Dares - saw this on Steph's blog, and she is DARER 168, if you will - "scrap a soundtrack to a memory".

- Good Grief Blog - My friend Jen Waters (if you go to her blog, um, look at all the loot she's recently won. i.n.s.a.n.e.!) is a DT member on this blog, and I have been following it since she joined. Scrapping memories of my friend Colleen is going to be difficult, but I can't think of a better way to memorialize our memories. I don't know if I'll actually get anything done, but I will get some great ideas on how to start.

So, that is it for now. If there are any other good challenges out there this week/month, let me know! :D

Three day weekend!

2010-09-05T18:24:00.000-07:00

But I'm sick! :( The desert air, combined with AC and a couple hours on an airplane, always gives me a sinus infection. UGH! Yesterday I got up at 2pm, took a shower and promptly went back to sleep until 5pm. 20ish hours of sleep. niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice. I do feel better today, so hopefully I will get to enjoy tomorrow a lot more!

While lounging on the couch, I've been lucky to have endless supplies of soup and Gatorade, thanks to my sweet husband. Also, he set me up with some Netflix, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It started out with watching "Son of Rambow". Sounds like a cheesy spoof, right? I was ready for some bad acting, bad lines and cheesy stunts. Not really - turns out to be a sweet movie about friendship and the schenanigans of pre-teen boys. I loved it and laughed quite a lot! It is ticketed as a drama/comedy, as there is some serious situations the boys have in their home life to get through.

Next on the movie ticket was "The Cove". This documentary highlights the slaughter of dolphins in a small Japanese town - I'm not an activist, and began watching this with a jaded eye. I eat meat, and I realize where it comes from. And frankly, some animals are more charismatic and it is harder to believe someone would eat them (ie dolphin vs salmon). I couldn't imagine sitting down to a plate of sashimi dolphin, but I wasn't raised with it either, so I was determined to not pass judgement. This said, I am a strong believer in sustainability and the humane treatment of animals. It comes down to 23,000 dolphins killed in a season, yet....dolphin meat is not available on the market. Dolphins are swimming toxic dumps, with about 2000ppm mercury in their meat - the legal limit is somewhere around .4ppm. After eating enough, one will get mercury poisining. It is believed that the dolphin meat is sold in stores as whale, or other similar meats. Further, the dolphins are killed very inhumanely, a similar style to a whale hunt. It.is.horrific. If you have time and inclination, watch the film, or go to the Oceanic Preservation Society for more information.

Last on the lazy TV watching was Arrested Development. Who wouldn't like a show where the son has been named George-Michael? LOL. I catch bits and parts while flipping through the channels, so it is nice to sit through consecutive episodes. "I know she's a brownish area. With points.". :)

The rest of the weekend is going to be filled with more TV, maybe some baking, and not nearly enough yard work. Oh, well. There is only so much Sudafed one should be taking!

Enjoy your labor day weekend, peeps!

What happened in Vegas....

2010-09-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

...really, really, really will stay in Vegas, right peeps? ;) Loren and I just got back from a six-day trip to Vegas with some friends. It was sooooooooooooo fun! Truly, the only place that can take your money and you feel positive about it. The PG highlights include:

Open beverages
60 oz Mojitos
Texas de Brasil
My first limo ride
Mystere
Wheel of Fortune penny slots
Gelato
Glitter Gulch
Buffets
Bellagio fountain show
Oleksandra spa
Water boy turf wars

We stayed at TI (Treasure Island), which sucked. We will never stay there again. It started with a 45 minute check-in where we were told our 'reservations' were mereley 'requests' and that our 'requested' rooms were not available. WTF? The final room was not a king view room, but rather a double with a closet view of the freeway. Further, the room had crappy AC, no fan in the bathroom, bad TV, no fridge, lukewarm water, burnt out lightbulbs and stained linens. Yuck. We thought about switching hotels...but decided it would have been a greater hassle. Probably. :D It was good to get home to my king bed and 800 thread count cotton sheets, I tell you what!

One bonus of TI? The Margarita bar just outside of the side doors. Mmmmm.

the haps.

2010-08-18T21:18:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy since the World Cup started in July. I am crushed that none of my favorite teams made it through, but I guess there is always 2014. I also had a COMPLETE fail with the brackets...I thought I would be a winner, and was already dreaming about what I was going to do with my winnings - scrap stuff? save for a new camera? clothes? - and then the downward spiral occurred (ENGLAND! BRAZIL! GERMANY! You crushed me!) and I went from 12th to 56th. I stopped checking the bracket daily and boycotted ESPN for a day. Or half of a day. Speaking of, I've added ESPN's Page 2 to my daily web crawl. The articles are short and usually don't get bogged down in historical trivia that I've never heard of. I'm really sport illiterate (outside of soccer). For example, when playing Trivial Pursuit, I have three stock answers: GOLF: Jack Nicholson, Baseball: Babe Ruth, Football: Steve Largent (sometimes I'll throw a curve ball in and answer John Elway"). Eventually, the answer WILL be one of these guys. I'd like to keep it that way. However, I would like to know the quick story to who the heck "Lebron" is and why it matters today. Oh, and some days they have cartoons and fail videos. Seriously, check it out.

Other fun stuff - I got a Kindle!!!! WOO! I used Loren's to re-read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and Loved it. I resisted at first. I thought the Kindle would kill my reading spirit by eliminate the need to go to a bookstore (save magazines and such). However!!!! However, it is SO nice to pick up the darn thing and get a book ordered and downloaded in two minutes. I'm five books into the Outlander series and am trying to finish up my "ANALOG" books so I can get even more electronic books! Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I have a gorgeous purple leather-product cover and a matching skin and a teensy led book light to go with it. :)

Rhapsody is my new music haven...I've found new bands to listen to, such as She and Him, Mims and the Pixies. And have added some old faves like Blondie, Tears for Fears and Garbage. I uploaded the app for my iPhone and was able to listen to my mixes while working in the yard this past weekend. It was great motivation to keep at it, even when it got to 90 degrees. So, any good music suggestions??? So far I have a summer mix, a work appropriate mix and a classical music mix. I must admit, tho, classical music is seriously lacking in variety.

I haven't been super crafty in a while. First there was World Cup for four weeks, and then it got HOT (we have no AC, so our house is miserable), but as the summer winds down I plan on getting right back to it. The first project I'm going to work on is the Sketchbook Project. I saw a link on Christina Clouse's blog, and was hooked. I was intimidated to select a topic, so I went for a random selection, and was given "Capture the Flag". So far I have not had any serious ideas for it, but even so, I am very excited to get started! OH! And I saw in their email last week that Seattle will be one of the exhibiting cities this year!!!!

Loren has perfected the mojito, and I'll leave you with the image of a super Delicious raspberry mojito he made:

ACK! El TRI!!!!

2010-06-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

THE FIRST GAME!!!! Because we didn't want to miss too much work, a few of us decided to come to work early (6:30am) to watch the South Africa vs. Mexico game. We had our Red Bull, Via, Nos, fritters and ESPN3 playing on the projector. Oh, and we stole the cushy chairs from 'reception' for our viewing pleasure. We discussed renting some barca loungers for the month - How do you think that would go over??? LOL. I really thought Mexico would dominate, and they disappointed....and already messed up my brackets by getting a draw against South Africa. FIFA ranks?...17 and 83, respectively...who'd of thought????? So, out of Mexico's disappointment came a GREAT South Africa showing, who actually even got the first goal! The challenge now is to find a way to watch the Uruguay vs. France game at 11:30. GO URUGUAY!

CONFESSION: I really don't care who wins the World Cup, as long as it ISN'T those French or Italians. /evil grin

France: They no longer have Zinadine Zidane, who I think went out on a GREAT note by headbutting that italian. Materazzi (or whatever his name is) deserved it. Second, France has Theiry Henry - enough said (I think I'm Irish today)

Italy: Did you see World Cup 2006?

world.cup.baby.

2010-06-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

World Cup kicks off in just a few short hours, people!!!! This is the only time in my life where I jump out off bed at the butt crack of dawn, or even earlier. And why? To see world class athletes play against their club teamates for their respective nations. Bring on the Three Lions, Socceroos, Les Bleus, Oranje, Blue Samaris and my favorite THE YANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow is South Africa (crazy Bafana Bafana) and Mexico, El Tri. Unfortunately for the hosts, Mexico is going to win, which will make it the first time the host team lost the opening game...and most likely won't make it out of the first group. Oh, well. THE USA WILL!!!!!

My wild predictions - England will lose to Serbia and Brazil will take it all. We'll see, my friends. But even if it doesn't go down like I predict, it will still be a great time of watching some world class soccer.

I'm off to bed now - I have to get up early early early to watch the opening festivities!!!

For Ami. ;)

2010-06-01T20:59:00.000-07:00

Here'sssssssssssssssssssssssss Evan!

Hehehe

Get me outa here!

2010-05-28T21:28:00.000-07:00

And onto the weekend! Seriously.

1) Papa Murphy's for dinner. An amazingly tasty way to begin the weekend, right?
2) A package waiting on the porch from Alice. Okay, so, I LOVE Target, but I'm really loving Alice more right now. Free shipping, and I don't have to deal with the rude Canadians at the store! WOO WOO!
3) Some color and a wax at Gene Juarez. It's about time, peeps.
4) Maybe, just MAYBE a stop at the Coach store. I ~~need~~ want a wallet.
5) Hanging out with the mom doing some shopping
6) Taking Mom to see Stars on Ice as her belated moms-day gift. She just wants to see Evan Lysachek. BTW, that is the CHEESY photo of him ever on the website. We've seen him before, and I'm sure I have his photo that I could upload with this...must find it, tho. Unfortunately Johnny Weir[d] was the 'star' giving autographs last time, so maybe this will be her lucky event?
7) Staying at the Maxwell overnight. Doesn't it look swanky and fun? I can't wait to see if it lives up to expectation.
8) Eating breakfast out in Seattle...but where??? I guess we have to decide. I'd like crumpets at Pike Place, but I'm not sure I have a buy-in with the mom.
9) Folklife festival
10) Home, and it's only Sunday afternoon...NAP! NAP! NAP!
11) Some Small World with Loren
and
12) Memorial Day, remembering those who have died while in the service of our country.

HAVE A FABULOUS WEEKEND!!!

Furries.

2010-05-28T10:31:00.000-07:00

Loren and I were chuckling over the GEEK HEIRARCHY at lunchtime yesterday. We got quite a few chuckles out of it, as we are, or know, someone in a lot of the boxes. And for the most part, it is true. We question the position of LARPers, but that discussion is for another time. What I want to educate you all on is FURRIES. Now, according to geek heirarchy, furries are the lowest on the chart. Until yesterday I'd never heard of furries. According to Wikipedia, Furry fandom (also known as furrydom, fur fandom or furdom) refers to the fandom for fictional anthropomorphic animal characters with human personalities and characteristics. Not so odd...and who am I to judge, as I have an affinity for elf culture (lol...get the reference?). However...some take it to the next level. And I can't lie, I couldn't wait to google furries acting as Star Trek characters. Yes, friends, it can be said that people dress up as an ocelot and pretend to be Captain Kirk. I.am.not.making.this.up. Unfortunately, I had to cut my googling short, as most of it seemed to be tied to ... well ... more adult forms of role play. An image from Wikipedia to close:

A quiet night of podcasts and blogging

2010-04-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was busy with scrapbooking, chambord mimosas, pineapple upside down martinis and amazing food. Mmmmm. I am now chilling while listening to some TBTL. Rowr. I love this podcast - the hosts are from my generation, discuss modern events, with short tangents along memory lane of growing up and it is local to Seattle. Oh, and they freely make fun of celebrities. My FAVORITE is the sound clip of Joquin Phoenix saying: ..."...it's difficult for me to cannote my artism..." Video clip...I think he is super strung out. Artism: Art done by those with autism.

OMG, go to google and lookup "aye aye". What the heck?????????

Oh, and am going to checkout Radio Lab - have you heard of it? I like science talks and these seem to have some humor added, so I think it will be a win.

So, I scrapped mostly out of my Studio Calico kits. I.love.them.a.lot. And my new punches!!! Here are the layouts from the weekend (BTW, I'm having a terrible time uploading images...very frustrating):

I LOVE the alpha stamps from Studio Calico. I think I used them on each layout. And how about those fabric flowers? From the AC tutorial by Elizabeth Kartcher.

Okay, how about THIS beauty? A pure scraplift of Kelly Purkey in the April Scrap trends. My absolute favorite layout at this time. Oh, and it is my first 8.5 x 11 page - which I really enjoyed creating.

Another layout using my favorite alpha stamps and fabric flowers! Oh, and the wood circles are SO fun to use.

I love the colors in this layout - it is a lift of Carina Lindholm, also in April's Scrapbook trends. I am going to use this lift again because it seems to be a great way to use scraps and border punches. :D

Some scrapping, of course. :D

2010-03-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Right now I should be (1) folding laundry (2) balancing the checkbook (3) fixing a hideous scrap page I started. Ugh. Instead, I think I'll FB, watch some Modern Family and Blog. :D

Here is a layout of my SIL, Ami (isn't she cute? From the DMB concert last summer at the Gorge), that I did for the Sunday challenge over at Studio Calico. I hand stitched the floral line and then adhered the banner flags. Oh, I take bad photos of LO's, so please look beyond the terrible position.

Then, I finished this fun layout for my friend Tracy. At a crop she challenged me to cut out a shape on a LO and back it with a stitched pattern. This is what I came up with...bubbles?, maybe?, fun cirlces, never-the-less. I hope she likes it....

So, last night I had a few dinner idea fails, and then Loren reminded me that we had all the ingredients for Pioneer Woman's meatloaf. Yes, people, I said meatloaf. *gag me with a wooden spoon* I haven't eaten it since I was forced to at my mom's house growing up, and I would have been okay if it stayed that way. So I begrudginly threw the hamburger into the bowl along with milk soaked bread, some spices, cheese...and at this point I'm thinking, gosh, my mom just put some 'burger, oats and ketchup....hmmmm, is this really meatloaf? AND then as it is sitting on the pan in all it's 2 pound glory I layered some bacon on top (I know, right??????!!!) and then a brown sugar/ketchup glaze. Um, people, if you have been burned by meatloaf in your previous life, give this recipe a try. Really. Oh, I just realized that it is a recipe for her cookbook only and not on her blog. well then. Sorry, not going to type it all out for you. If you want it let me know and I'll copy it for you on the ol' machine.

How much is that doggie in the window?????

2010-03-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Meet little Bella. Isn't she a sweetie? She belongs to my brother and sister-in-law. However, they have realized Bella isn't getting enough time outdoors like a dog should because they don't have a good yard for her and they work too much. Are you looking for a dog? Do you know of anyone looking for a dog? She is 1.5 years old, part shepherd/boxer, is great with kids, crate trained, likes to play and doesn't bark (I know, right?). I'd say she is a medium sized dog, but definately on the small side of that - she is really thin. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that she is super sweet and loves some good pets and playtime.

GARAGE SALE!

2010-03-19T09:17:00.001-07:00

I am participating in what will surely be a huge garage sale this weekend of just scrapbooking and other crafting goodies. There are at least eleven of us participating, many who are on design teams, so a lot of good stuff. Stop by and spend some of that refund!!!!

2010-03-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Until I really have time to blog about my ideals, you just get to hear about my actual life experiences the past couple of weeks. :D And it has been a great *BUSY* week+! Let's start with last Saturday and a girl's trip to Seattle for Legally Blonde: The Musical. Hilarious! Mom, Ami and I ate at the Cheesecake factory beforehand, where they accidentally made me a large pizza instead of a personal....whoops in MY favor! The musical was super funny and catchy. Aimee still had songs stuck in her head four days later. LOL. Then, our good friend Chris and kids drove for a couple of days to visit with us, family and see TREES, from the bleak, nasty desert of California. The kids had a great time with relatives that live in-town, and made us suet pine cones one day. Well, one was HUGE - a super, duper Eastern Washington 'cone. Maybe 24" long? Anyhow, at some point in the last few days it disappeared. FREAKING RACCOONS or POSSUMS. We were really hoping the birds would come and entertain the kitties *evil laugh*. Loren's youngest sister and her fiance took a mini-break and drove 16 hours from Miles City, Montana to visit for a couple of days. We did our best to give them a tour of what the Pacific Northwest had to offer...lots of seafood, Deception Pass, Fort Casey, a ferry ride where we saw dolphins and seals (I couldn't conjure up an orca, tho), a stop in Forks (hehe), an overnight stay in Kalaloch, wine, beer, wading into the ocean, a big cedar tree, ANOTHER ferry ride, Seattle, Pike Place, Flying Fish Co, Starbucks (first evah), Space Needle, fireworks, Sonic and Taco Bell. I guess there is no Sonic or TB in Miles City, so, we made sure it happened. A couple of my favorite photos:

The four of us at the Fort Casey Lighthouse Loren and Jacklynn goofing off with a cannon Jacklynn and Levi enjoying a dip in the 47 degree Pacific Ocean. Loren, Jacklynn and Levi at Deception Pass LOOK! The Space Needle! (my fave picture ever. for now.) The Keystone/Port Townsend Ferry

Levi got to catch his Salmon at the Market!

SOAP BOX TIME *please feel free to skip if you don't want to hear whining about something that I should have realized*

I like to press pennies for my friend Stephanie. Gives me a little something to send her to let her know that I'm thinking of her. And it is fun. Real fun. So, at Kalaloch Lodge, I press a perfect one -- and slip it into my wallet so I won't loose it. Fast forward a day or so, where we are now at the Space Needle. A little upper class, right? Minimum $35/person? Feel pretty safe with your stuff there, right? Wellllll, not too safe with yer fancy pennies, peeps. So, the dining room floor rotates, allowing for people to get a 360 degree view of Seattle as they dine. The walls and windows do not rotate, allowing for you to put a little memento on the sill, where you will be reunited with it in approximately 42 minutes when you've made your round. DO NOT PUT A PRESSED PENNY UP THERE. Some schmuck effing STOLE it. OMG, people - who takes stuff that doesn't belong to them? A.R.G.H.H.H.H.!!!! I basically said this in the restaurant, where Loren needed to remind me to use my indoor voice. I didn't care....it was one of THEM that stole it!

New York City

2010-02-26T13:03:00.001-08:00

So, I won a trip to NYC from my husband. How? Well, I belted out the chorus of Veggie Tale's "The Bunny Song" over vent to his World of Warcraft guild. To some of you, that last sentence made no sense. It's okay - you are not really missing much. The point is, by me stepping out of my shell and doing this, he said we could go to NYC for a weekend, catch Wicked on Broadway and have a great time. But, a new house, bills, IRS, a pending trip to Vegas, and another road trip to Kansas, we decided to hold off on NYC. So. Stephanie, stop posting photos on your blog. You too, Kelly Purkey. BECAUSE IT LOOKS WONDERFUL. This weekend is going to be awesome - Tonight Loren and I are going out to dinner, then going to see a movie...and tomorrow I'm going to the Cheescake Factory for lunch, then seeing Legally Blonde: the Musical at the 5th with my mom and some friends. THEN, friends from California are going to arrive in the evening and staying for a few days!!!! YEA! Have a fabulous weekend!

Coffee. I.need.coffee.

2010-02-23T08:33:00.000-08:00

I love coffee...especially the aroma. My love for it began in college when we'd spend hours on the top of Queen Anne, either at Starbucks, Tullys or Cafe Ladro. Okay, only Chai at Ladro, tho, because it was the BEST. Anyways, I digress. I guess years of the acidic beans has taken its toll on me, as now I can only have it in delicate amounts about once a week, else I pay for it. If ya know what I mean. So, I now contemplate my options as I sit here. I can (1) "just do it", to borrow a registered slogan (don't tell them I used it - I'm fighting the IRS for my money and I can't afford a lawsuit from Nike), (2) create a ghetto mocha with just a single pump of coffee (Hey, I'm at work. Our coffee comes out of a carafe and our 'mocha' in the form of Swiss Miss), (3) Have tea. boo. So now is the time I must decide...my indecision may just mean a lack of decision.

Tonight I'm making these tasty 'chops for dinner. The recipe link came from my friend Aimee, who says they are super delicious. We trust her. Wasabi and Panko Crusted Pork with Ginger Soy Sauce:

The next while is going to be busy for us with guests here for a couple of weeks, so we did a major Costco shopping. Ummm, One MEEEEELION dollars later they finally let us out with our trunk full of goodies. That place is deadly on the pocket book. We were saved a few dollars because they didn't have any stuffed salmon. Have you ever tried that from their meat dept? It is SO GOOD.

The olympics...hehehe, GO USA! Especially that men's Hockey team. Beating Canada was AWESOME! My favorite part of the game was when the one, two, yes THREE Canadian players piled up on each other - without any US interference. I think the Canadians censored any photos leaving the stadium because I can't find any photos of it, but luckily one guy got it on his smuggled camera phone. I don't know how to add a youtube video, so here is the link... THREE CANADIANS COLLIDE. Enjoy!

Looooooong weekend of scrapping

2010-02-21T16:15:00.001-08:00

Last weekend I spent four days scrapping with friends in Belfair, WA. I didn't get an epic amount of layouts finished, but I got much more completed than I would have if I were at home. :D It was great to be among really creative girls. I just finished unpacking all of my stuff from the weekend and took some photos of the layouts I completed. In no particular order....

A layout of Loren throwing snowballs at me...location is Hurricane Ridge, WA

A layout of our M.I.A. kitty, Omar. YOU COME HOME, MISTER!

A layout of some friends the first time we frequented the Crab Pot on the Seattle waterfront

An OLD photo of me and my SPRINT team on a R&R in Romania.

This layout is from a Studio Calico Sunday blog sketch

A sweet photo of our two kitties, Pru and Giselle.

This sketch is a jack out of a Scrapbook Trends mag that I do not own, so once I figure it out I'll throw out the props.

A layout of day hanging in Seattle - the photo taken from Pike's Place Market is SO good...even Mt Ranier is showing!

This layout was from a 'grab bag' challenge at the crop. I started out with eight items, randomly selected from a paper bag, that I needed to incorporate into the layout. There was a 30 minute time limit. I was surprised that it turned out as good as it did! Here is the final result:

I got home on Monday afternoon, and Loren got home shortly after with this beautiful floral arrangement from a local florist:

What a great guy, huh??? :D

This weekend has been a lot of fun - Friday night we started season two of Big Love. I love this show! And then yesterday I hung out with my SIL, got my hair done, shopping, scrapping, and some Olympic watching! Luckily, we are able to get three Canadian stations in addition to the TERRIBLE NBC coverage, so we've seen a lot of live events. Today we will be watching the USA men's team play Canada in hocky! GO USA!!!!

Another one bites the dust.

2010-01-21T08:51:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks have been hectic at work. Today was a major milestone in the project I've been working on, so I actually got to leave work on time! YEA! And I don't have to work this weekend...DOUBLE yea! Speaking of the weekend, I am going to get some baker's twine....and by some, I mean A LOT. So much that I can't even fathom the true amount without seeing it. If I've understood correctly there will be 185 yards * 6. Loren asked if I was going to have to store it all in the garage. I laughed and said no, but I'm not really so sure...

We finally saw AVATAR this past weekend! I wouldn't give it any points for original story line, because it was predictable from the first meeting. However, graphically, or is it cinematically? it is unlike any other movie you can see. The 3-D wasn't that crappy Disney version, but crisp, clear and really....well, cool. We saw it at the Colossus in Langley, BC, and opted to see just the Digital version, not the IMAX version. I'm glad, as I think the IMAX may have made us motion sick. We went with my brother and SIL, and after had some delicious fondue.

Here is the latest layout I worked on from the Studio Calico kit. I used a couple photos from my day trip to Leavenworth with the moms. I had a lot of fun with this, and was super excited to use my new glitter mist. :D An independent evaluation by a Scrapbook Layout Specialist gave me an "8"...this is an improvement over the solid "7" I've received on the last 15 or so layouts. :D

Scrapping!

2010-01-14T08:59:00.000-08:00

Towards the end of last week I was jumping out of the car as soon as I got home, racing to the front porch, in eager anticipation of receiving this: Well, I finally received my Studio Calico kit on Tuesday. Later than I'd hoped, but better late than never, right????? Oh, and I got the add on kit: So, after doing a couple of chores, I took the opportunity to make my very first SC layout! I LOVE the papers and the alphas so much! The October Afternoon alphas are my fave right now. I used some photos of my very first bear. My mom has a photo of me reading to him when I was about three...he was bigger than me! I kept him until this last move. When I pulled him out of storage he had a strange sticky texture, which I decided was his fibers breaking down. So, instead of stuffing him back into the box and forgetting about it, I brushed him up a little bit and photographed him. Ugh, the hard part was next, where I decided to throw him out. It felt like I was betraying him and even now I have a hard time admitting what I did. Poor Bear. I now have this layout to remind me of him (and my deed): Winner! Winner! :D I.cannot.believe.it.at.all. I won the Scrapjacked challenge based on Steph's layout! I never win. I once went to Sarah Mclachlan concert on a ticket that was won by a friend of mine off the radio (so cool) - that is the closest I've come to winning. OH! I thought I won a door prize a crop....but as the night wore on I realized the organizers were superstars and had door prizes for EVERYONE. I digress. ANYHOW, this win is awesome and I'm stoked! Thanks, ladies!!!! ;)

Weekend goodies

2010-01-11T18:39:00.000-08:00

While I had a Saturday of scrapping to look forward to with my sis-in-law, Ami, Loren had a new TV to look forward to! We've been using a 23" TV, which you know, back in the day was not too shabby. However, in today's market, it just doesn't cut it. My dad visited and commented, "I've been sitting here for five minutes and I just noticed the TV!". So, this beauty arrive on Saturday: Loren got it all hooked up, surround sound and all, and let me tell you, Transformers looks MUCH better on 58". What wouldn't, really? We finally got to play some Wii Resort, where Loren kicked my butt in swordplay (I think he is a ninja, shhhhh), but I returned the favor in some wakeboarding. I then tried cycling on my own - which is harder than it looks. The disappointment was when we played Toy Story Mania. I was really looking forward to this game - arcade games AND 3-D glasses? Plus, we'd been on the actual ride in the recent past. Over rated. The controls are slow to respond, if they show up at all and the 3-D glasses are a JOKE. BoO! LUCKILY, Loren made a version of Pioneer Woman's delicious jalapeno thingies. I failed to take a photo of them cooked...maybe because we couldn't wait to eat them? Here is a photo of Pioneer Woman's final result - ours were quite similar. Mmmmmmm. I hope it was a great weekend for you all!

Vacation Ends.

2010-01-03T17:59:00.000-08:00

Bummer. Tomorrow it is back to work as normal. /cry Here is a short list of what I will miss from my vacation: 1. Spending time with Loren 2. Reading Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse novels. So seriously, who is she going to end up with at the end of this paranormal saga??????????? 3. Sleeping in until 10am...or later ;) Smiling is Buddy the Elf's favorite thing; sleeping is mine 4. Movies and TV Marathons 5. The intention of getting housework completed (HAHAHA!) 6. Time to bake and prepare real meals 7. Being lazy Until next year, my lovely vacation.

A day away and today

2009-12-30T17:28:00.001-08:00

Yesterday my mom and I left early and headed up to Leavenworth for the day. This is a cute little mock Bavarian town that offers good brats, beer, shopping and cold weather (it was a brisk 17 degrees yesterday). We looked into most store, often laughing at the crazy amount of nick-nacks to be had. I found a tree skirt (luckily, because my tree was getting a little red-in-the-face), Christmas cards for next year (nope, not making them next year) and the cutest Krinkles ornament of a squirrel and an acorn. Oh, and Tim Tams! Interestingly enough, Leavenworth harbors an Australian goods store. I found it odd, but am not complaining. Eclipsing the good meals, shopping, snowflakes and twinkling lights was spotting this license plate on the way home. How freaking awesome is it that as a reward for living in THE COLDEST PLACE ON THE CONTINENT, they get polar bear shaped license plates? I read that motorcycles get little ones, dubbed "baby bears". Awwwwwww. All in all it was a fabulous day with the moms. TODAY was also excellent. Loren took me to Belt Sushi for Lunch!!!! I am in love with this place. First, the rolls and sushi are amazing. Factor in the continual display and motion of the delicious food in front of me, and I'm sold! I did use a bit too much wasabi, but nothing some TUMS couldn't fix. I am now trying to cook boeuf bourguignon. Hopefully it is not a fail. First issue was that I did not read the process before buying all the ingredients. Had I, I would have probably stepped away from this recipe. Any dish that estimates a 120 minute prep is not for me. Second, fail was the local grocery does not carry bacon rind. I never heard of it before this recipe, so I'm really not too upset. I subbed in some really thick bacon. Third, I am not a wine connoisseur, so had no idea what a 'young wine' should be. I selected a chianti (not pronounced phonetically, as I was corrected by the lady at the liquor store). Fourth, I don't have a casserole large enough for the oven, so it is now simmering on the stove. It smells good, so if nothing else, we'll have some good stew. I'm sure there will be a five and six as I complete the recipe. After I sign off it will be time to watch some Psych and flip through the new Scrapbook trends that arrived this past weekend.

Challenge

2009-12-28T18:47:00.000-08:00

Day Two of the BLOG, and I am going to attempt at posting a layout. My first attempt at a blog challenge is from Scrapjacked. My lovely friend Stephanie was jacked, and since it is one of my fave layouts of hers, I went with it. Her Painted Ladies layout is beautiful in its design, colors and simplicity. And that balloon stamp!!! I love it. So, here is my take on the layout. These are photos from our first spring living in the Chalet. I tried to keep it simple, which is not in my nature for layouts, so it was a challenge. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the leaves are hand stitched. It took time, but adds some great texture to a simple element. I'm off to finish laundry, watch some Divine Design, stir simmering chili and drink some hot buttered rum. Fantastic.

This is a test post. Test.

2009-12-28T00:03:00.000-08:00

TODAY'S HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Sleeping in. If you check, I am a fan of sleep on FB. 2. Fruit Loops. The top of my mouth is still sore, but it was worth it. 3. Plants vs. Zombies. I hate you POPCAP and your clever little games. 4. Buddy the Elf, my new Beta that resides in a sweet apothecary jar from my SIL. Mine is the cute, short, round one. 5. Seeing this very crafty and clever Christmas banner on a blog. 6. Creating a jack of my friend Stephanie's layout, currently the challenge on scrapjacked. When the lighting is good tomorrow I will photograph it and post. 7. Ordering an ad-on to the Studio Calico kit. 8 Ordering glimmer mist. I may or may not have ordered more than I need. 9. Watching The Hangover. Mike Tyson has a tiger?

10. Watching Julie & Julia. On Wednesday I am going to make Boeuf Bourguignon. If Amy Adams can do it, then so can I. I went to Julie Powell's real life blog...she has a potty mouth. Just sayin'.

11. Spending the entire day at home with Loren.