A few of my favorite things...

Got this idea from Punky B. Here are some of my bathroom favs:

Bath & Body Works Juniper Breeze, Colgate Total Toothpaste, OPI Nail Envy base coat, OPI nail polish, Seche Vite topcoat and Crabtree & Evelyn Le Source hand lotion, Avon foot cream, Avon day and night moisturizers and Vaseline Intensive Firming body lotion, Goldwell hairspray and root lift (not in the right order).

What are some of yours?

Weekend update...

Well, I did not scrap this weekend. I started on the monogrammed cards for my cousin's bday gift. I made 5 out of 10 so that's not bad. I ended up having to take my 17 yo to Dunkies (as my Nana used to say) around 9 to get a coffee. He was bored and I felt bad, as always. So my 6th card did not get finished.

Had a lot of fun at my Ranger Palooza class in Concord, NH the other day with Sally Lynn. I just love their products. We learned some great techniques. I bought the marigold distress powder and tried it when I got home. I was a little disappointed in the color because I thought it would match with my SU marigold morning paper but it doesn't. Oh well! Can't wait for my next class with Tim Holtz in a few weeks!

This is my last day without a boss. :-( And I forgot my camera card at home so I can't upload the photos of my favorite products (as seen on Punky B's blog). Maybe tonight?

misc. ramblings...

Ok, I forgot to say that the sidebar photo is the side of my head. I know it looks like a lion!! It's my new crazy do. My hair is so wavy and in motion on that side and I"m tired of fighting with it. I told my hairdresser to do whatever she needed and that's what she came up with. I don't even care what it looks like but it's much easier.

I've been the cardmaking queen again. Cannot stop myself. I am going to try and scrap tonight. Here's one I made for my BFF who is going through a rough time right now. It's not a great photo but I used SU Delight in Life flowers, Studio K "in my thoughts" and SU papers and inks (marigold morning, old olive and elegant eggplant for both). Oh yeah, and I used Pebbles chalks to color the big flower in.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Fifty Eight

Appetizer
Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.
Ok, don't laugh too hard but my mom bought me a doll (I had a doll collection). This doll was kind of like a Raggedy Ann doll, soft and stuffed. It had my picture for a face. She's very weird looking. Anyway, I put it in the guest bedroom to scare my friend when he comes to visit! He jokes that she's Talking Tina from the Twilight Zone.


Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?

I'm so observant, I notice the same people every day on my way to work. I've posted before about the woman who walks every day and I always feel bad. She's going in the opposite direction though and she'd probably think I was weird to ask her if she wants a ride anyway. (Ok, I forgot to give myself a number. I'd say a 9).

Salad
Where would you rather be at this very moment? I'd love to be on a beach on a beautiful island. How about Hawaii? My boss is there at a conference. I don't want to go to the conference though!!

Main Course
When was the last time you learned something new? Hmmm...can't think of anything at this time. I'm learning all about the circus by reading my current book, "Water For Elephants".

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I have been to Hawaii (on the same subject) but I haven’t been able to go back yet.

Hydrangeas....

We bought two hydrangea bushes when we first moved in 12 yrs. ago. Would you believe they've never flowered? We get big beautiful green leaves but no flowers. So, dh dug them out from the back yard and decided to throw them out front just for the heck of it. One is still leafy green but no flowers. A couple of weeks ago dh called me out the front door and said I had to see something. It was two hydrangea flowers in a GORGEOUS blue. I ended up cutting them to put on the table. Soooooo pretty! I hope we get more.

Whew, it's been quiet!!!

I guess everyone is away or enjoying the summer. I don't know why I bother posting any more but feel lost if I don't go through the ring each day.

It's pretty dead at work which is nice.

So....nothing new here really. I made a few cards last night, cased from Take Ten magazine. I've found I seriously need some lavender or purple papers and some browns.

I seriously need to get going on my cousin's monogram cards. At least they go pretty fast. Maybe I'll start tonight.

A few quick ones....

I actually scrapped last night...just a quick one page for my ds' book. It was another Christmas lo. I have two more to go and then I can move on.

These are cards I made for an inspiration swap. It was a bedspread with circles in those colors. Not sure which I'll send yet....opinions please! Here's the inspiration photo:













Got layout inspiration from a newsletter from Angela at the Button Farm (sidebar link).















This one is my own idea. Simple, using SU paisley background, Rubber Soul cocktail, Mike's STudio G "celebrate". Sorry about the blurry photo (as usual).

General babble...

We went out to dinner last night with friends to a new (to us) restaurant. It was really nice. We tried to sit outside but it got really windy so we finished our drinks and headed in for dinner.

Today I signed up for a class for next Sat. so that I can meet Sally Lynn and Marta. I'm excited. I"ve never met an SBA'er before. I spoke with Gofordiana on the phone once but never met anyone. So it'll be fun. It's an hour away from me and the class starts at 10 so I'll get an early start.

I'm really proud of my 17 yo son. He went to his friend's 21st bday party tonight at a hall. His parents are having a family & friends gathering. So I thought he could get a ride home because it ends at midnight. He called when he got there and asked if I could pick him up at 11:30. He said the friend may be drinking because they had beer there for the family (thought this was a really bad idea on their part since some kids are under 21). Anyway, I was happy that he was smart enough to say he wanted a ride instead of getting in someone's car who had been drinking. NOT happy about going out at 11:15 but that's ok.

Sat outside on the patio today. It was gorgeous out! Nice cool breeze, nice warm sun....ahhhhhh.....still haven't had that margarita!!!

Per Linsey's Request...

Steak Marinade:

½ c. Cooking oil
3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar *
3 Tbsp. Ketchup
3 Tbsp. A1 Steak Sauce
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire
1 Tbsp. Dry mustard
1 Tbsp. Red wine or cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. Black Pepper *
½ tsp. Chili powder
1 tsp. Celery salt
3 shakes Tabasco
½ c. hot water


Notes: I use 4 or 5 heaping Tbsp. of brown sugar because we like ours semi sweet. And I cut back a little on the pepper so it’s not so spicy.

I use this recipe for a package of sirloin tips. I cut the meat and put it in a ziplock and pour in ¾ of the sauce. I marinade overnight or for at least 4 hrs. Then I use the remaining sauce for the zucchini, summer squash, mushrooms, Vidalia onions and orange peppers. De-lish!!

Back on the beach...

Well, I started back on South Beach Monday and have done well so far. We had corn on the cob two nights in a row and I was very tempted but didn't indulge.

Last night our friend from Maine was staying over so my dh cooked delish steak tip kebabs with mushrooms, onion, orange peppers, zucchini and summer squash. I have a scrumptious recipe for a marinade that I got from my uncle. It has a gazillion ingredients but all very simple (A-1, ketchup, brown sugar, celery salt, garlic, dry mustard, pepper, etc.).

Anyway, it was very good and I stuck to the diet.

Totally different subject here though. I have a question for you. I was sticking to the tile floor this morning (just washed it this weekend). So I was wondering, where do you spray if you use hairspray?

My dh sprays over the bathroom rug by the shower and I sometimes spray where I stand at the sink and other times go into the bedroom. But then I think I"ll ruin the carpet. At least the floor can be washed. I just hate the sticky surfaces it creates but I couldn't live without!

Additional income...

I'm trying to get some additional income by signing up for http://www.blogsvertise.com/. I got this from Jodi's blog ( http://www.jodis-thoughts.blogspot.com/)

It's a site where you can earn money by posting about certain products on your blog. The product info is assigned to you once you sign up.

I hope to get some assignments soon!

Back to the grind...

Ugh...vacation is over. Good news - my boss has a meeting on the other campus so I have a little bit of breathing/settling in time.

I'm still white. I tried and tried to get some sun but it just wasn't in the cards for the beach or back yard. I did sit out on Sat. for a bit but my legs are still semi-white. Why does it take so long for legs to tan? My arms & chest got good color but my legs did not, as always. I know I should not be sitting in the sun. I just can 't seem to keep out of it.

Yesterday I cleaned the house, hopped in the shower, made some things to have for dinner later and ran out back to the beautiful sun on my patio. My son who had been in the house for a day or two with no friends to hang out with, came out and asked if I could drive him to someone's house. So...of course I did. I came back and it was pouring rain. Oh well.....white I stay. It's better for my skin anyway.

Our Maine trip...

Here are some images from our quick Maine trip. This is the area where we ate. I did get my fried clams yesterday but they weren't on the coast. It's a little hole in the wall that's close to my house. We didn't have time to get to Gloucester. My dh had a decent interview and that's what counts. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed at this point...

My not-so-beach day....

I never got the chance to walk the beach. I barely got the chance to take a photo because my dh never stopped. We drove by restaurant after restaurant. We settled for one that was decent but very family-ish. The lobster roll was delish but the ambiance just wasn't there. I laughed while I was drinking water and choked. I had a coughing fit and couldn't breathe out. It was just a bunch of large gulps of air going in. This happened to me before and my dh almost called 911. Not sure why I get those spasms but I guess I should find out.

So, I should have started to say we got off the wrong exit because my dh was talking about his interview today. So we got lost, ended up on this street that had lots of beaches and guess what? The speed limit went down to 25 and we got pulled over. Luckily we got a warning. DH told the cop that we were looking at the map because we were lost and didn't notice the 25 sign. Whew!

So we continued down the Maine coast through Old Orchard Beach (no stops), Kennebunkport (no GW sightings, thank God), Kennebunk, Ogunquit and finally stopped in Wells for lunch (this was 3:45). Drove the rest of the way down the coast, got on the highway and home.

We may or may not end up going for the fried clams in Gloucester today. My dh has an informal interview and I'm a nervous wreck....

More later.

This is from the other trip to Maine....Moooooooo! Which is what I feel like after eating all this food!

More...

This is very hard to see. I lifted it from a SU catalog (older). All images/papers are SU. The inside says, "Hope you're back to your cool self soon".





I'm not nuts about this one. Got the paper from a friend who got it from a friend who is a Fossil rep. It was used for their displays. Anyway, I used an Amuse Stamp for the drink.

I just can't stop stamping!!!

This one was lifted (story of my life) from Paper Crafts. Theirs was an engagement card. I used SU "grateful" and DCWV printed card. Very easy.










This is a baby congrats. I used SU papers and Mike's $1 stamps. Another VERY easy.

Future vacation lo.....

I can see it now, "What I Ate on Vacation"!! This is all we've focused on. Today we cleaned out the basement because we had a realtor coming over to evaluate the house. So, after all that hard work, my dh took me to my favorite sub shop. It's a restaurant that's owned by someone I graduated with in my old hometown. He makes the BEST Italian subs...perfect roll, fresh salami, provalone, mortadella, chopped pickles, tomatoes, and the best ever hot pepper relish. YUM. I'm still stuffed.

So tomorrow we're off to Maine and I"m sure we'll have something good to eat. We're meeting with a possible future builder.

Thurs. my dh has an informal interview and then we'll head to the coast to get some fried clams, my favorite!

Maybe Fri. or during the weekend we'll go over to the other side of town to get a Kimball's ice cream. It's made at the farm and is so rich and creamy. They give you a huge portion but you have to wait in line! The pack as much as they can in one little dish. If I get my favorite, pistachio, it's totally loaded with pistachio nuts. Or the almond joy...packed with coconut and choc. covered almonds...Delish!

I don't know what else I have to get out of my system this week but I"m sure I'll come up with more.

I seriously need the SB diet on Monday. Oink out!!

Another vac day...

Went shopping for bookshelves for my sb room. They still don't have them. :-( Anyway, I ate my fav salad at Panera, the Fuji Apple Chicken. YUM!

We stopped and bought corn on the cob for tonight. It's band practice here so we usually make it an easy dinner.

Here are a couple more cards. I've been creating away!! And I'm more than 1/2 way through my book!

Lifted this from a Paper Craft magazine, I think! I'm trying to get rid of all of the ideas I ripped out of mags.













I made this for a bling swap. Somehow I feel like I already posted it though. My memory is toast! I used SU paisley background, Delight in Life flower and SU cs and HS bling (I think it was a prize from Kathy M).

Book update for Stacy...

Sorry, I forgot to mention which book I finished and which book I started. I finished Jonathan Kellerman's Therapy (Alex Delaware series). It was a good book. I always love a good murder mystery.

I just started Bad Business by Robert Parker. It's another murder mystery with a little bit of humor. No clue where I got it but it was in my huge pile of "to read" books. It's going pretty fast seeing that I'm on vacation. I've been reading a little during the day which helps a lot! Thanks for inspiring me to read more, Stacy!

A few cards...

Not a great day so I thought I'd just post a few cards instead of whining.

Can't seem to stop using that Junkitz Salsa paper!!





This was for my old boss & his wife on their first gchild. SU rattle, Bazzill cs.





Lifted the idea from Hero Arts website but had to substitute Technique Tuesday circles instead of Hero Arts. And the celebrate is a MIke's $1 stamp.

Update..

Yep, my dh has to have surgery on his knee on 8/3. Good thing he's unemployed...or not. He has something in the works with an informal interview on Thurs. Please keep your fingers crossed. We really need this to work out!!

My new boss has been really good. She's very cautious but is trusting me to do my job as I have been for over 5 yrs. It's not as bad as I thought it would be but I still miss my old boss. I'm dying to find out how high my inbox is on my desk when I get back. Ugh....one thing I hate about vacations!

We're heading up to Maine on Tues. but just for the day. We'll have to plan another day trip for Wed. or Fri. This will be a trip to the coast of MA or NH since I really want some fried clams! We are only about an hour from either coast. And about an hour from the mountains. I love where I live for this reason! (I hope I haven't already asked this!!).

QOTD: Do you like where you live and can you get to the ocean or a lake without much trouble? I lived in MI for about 18 mos. and seriously missed my ocean. I did enjoy the beautiful Lake Michigan while there though!

Vacation...

Yay! I'm on vacation. Feels weird with no place to go but it's nice just relaxing. I scrapped a page last night to bring me to a whopping 30 pgs. for the year (much less than last year at this time).

I'm going through old sb mags and giving them to my son's gf who is a scrapper. I need to clear out some of my huge piles of magazines!!

Gotta take my dh to the dr. for his knee and they'll decide if he needs surgery today. Also have to run to the post office to make a rak and hopefully pick up my SU order today (small, but at least I'm getting retired paper!!!).

Enjoy your day!

Good Morning!

Got off to a great start this a.m. I heard Eric Clapton's Change the World right before I got to work. I love having a great tune in my head for the day!

I'm excited. I have the rest of this week off and next! We don't have any plans other than Tues. going to Maine for the day to meet with a builder. This is just for info at this point. We'd need to downsize before we can build up there.

We may just do some day trips to the beach. I see a plate of fried clams in my future! LOL

Anyway, here's a lo I did last night of Maine. I had fun inking the letters with 4 Ranger Distress Inks. It's a horrible photo of me. I made a funny face because the rock was killing my butt!

Interesting day....

It's the first day of my new boss. I have to prove myself all over again. I have been working with the same man for 5 yrs. and he's moved up. They say it's temporary but I have my doubts. I'm very happy for him but not for me. It's not that I don't like my new boss, I really do. It's just that her mgmt. style is the opposite of my old boss. I will be micromanaged hopefully only for a while. I'm so used to telling my old boss what is going on with budget, payroll, etc. instead of having to print and analyze budgets to share with my new boss.

I was asked what my functions are and are not. I really have to think about the things I do. I do them automatically and some are seasonal so it's hard to remember everything.

So today is the day our new leader will be here. I guess it's the changing of the guard all around. Everyone is moving up, around and out!! I already miss my old boss.