Not complaining any more...

Or at least I won't be complaining for a few days! I cannot believe the snow they had in Maine!!! I have never seen the snow banks that high. Our friends have been pummeled, one storm after another of a foot each!!

We couldn't even catch the snowmobile out the back because you couldn't get there without sinking.

Here are a few photos. They have a metal roof so the snow slides down and blocks the door and presses against the windows so they have to shovel a path around the house.




Looking out the front:










Looking out the back windows:










Their porch:










Some serious snowbanks (ds is almost 6 feet tall):

Ah, the waiting is a killer....

We are waiting for the snow to stop and to hear from our friend as to whether or not we'll have a place to park if we head to Maine today. If not, we'll head up early a.m. I can't pack the food because I"m not sure if we'll need it yet. Our clothes are packed just in case.

Anyhoo, thought I'd post my cousin's bday card made with my WU Friendship blooms set and River Rock, Groovy Guava and Ruby Red SU paper, Groovy Guava ribbon. I used CTMH brad and buckle. I hate the fact that I always revert back to the same old card los!

Not green....

I just saw the weirdest thing and had to share.

I was on my lunch break and was driving over a bridge. I hate when I'm stopped at a light ON the bridge. I get jittery. So I was looking around trying to keep my mind off it when I saw this man bend over to pick up a plastic cup someone dropped. I thought it was so nice of him to do until I saw him bend over again, put the cup in one of the grates and proceeded to step on it so that it went through to the river!!!!!!!!! WTH?!!!

I almost rolled my window down and yelled at him but I was afraid he'd beat me up. He looked a little rough around the edges.

I wondered what my blog friend, Theresa, would do in that instance.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Eighty One

Appetizer

Who was the last person you hugged?

My son, I think. It's been a while.

Soup

Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us.

If your bangs need a trim but you're not ready for a haircut, just take the scissors and cut upward, all the way across so that you're taking small amounts out. My hairdresser taught me that since my hair grows so fast. You can't really notice the cuts.

Salad

What does the color yellow make you think of? Lemons

Main Course

If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around? Nature, definitely!

Dessert

What was the longest book you ever read? I think it was I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb (it was a big book but it flew by).

A tween card...

I had to make a card for my nephew who is a tween. I know it wouldn't be cool to add ribbon and other things so I kept it really plain in manly colors.
I used elements from my penguin (Memory Box) set. Also, I used SU papers and some inks (pumpkin pie, old olive and I cannot remember that blue one that's NOT night of navy). The sentiment was part of a new SU set I got from Sale-A-Bration.

Update on the good deal vs. bad deal...

Just had to share...

I went to the mall during my lunch hour. Found a cute Liz C. jacket to go with the cheap pants. The jacket was NOT cheap (discovered this after I tried it on and loved the way it fit). There was a cute shell that went with it too. So I was about to put the jacket back and noticed it was on sale for 25% off. I put the shell back and took the jacket because I had the $10 coupon. I found a tee on the way to the register (several actually).

I asked the woman to ring up a tee separately (on sale for 12.99) because I knew I wouldn't return it and the coupon would be used. She said it was ringing up regular price ($22.99). I showed her the sign and this other woman said it was different than the ones on the rack. I argued for a minute and then realized she was right. Somehow I picked the ONE tee that was different in a pile of black tees. So...she checked on the price and told me it was my lucky day. It was on clearance for $2.50!! Good deal.

Good deal?

Did you ever get a good deal and it turns out to be more expensive than you hoped? I've bought jewelry before (not expensive - Lia S., etc.) only to find out that I really didn't have anything to wear it with. So....off I go to the mall to find something to match the jewelry - NOT a good deal.

Yesterday I went to the mall in search of these pants that fit me like a glove. This is very unusual since I'm not an easy fit (big waist, long legs, small hips). Anyway, I found the same pants for 9.99 in brown. I never wear brown. I wear brown tshirts with my jeans but that's it. (I will tell you that I bought an additional two pairs on sale but not nearly as cheap but they were buy one get one 1/2 off so I got my usual gray (above) and black).

Anyway, I remembered I had a pair of brown shoes - worn once or twice. Pulled those out this morning. I looked and looked and looked. I finally found a blouse and jacket that kind of matched and wore those.

So guess what I'm doing on my lunch hour today? Going out to find a top to wear with my cheap $9.99 brown pants!!! Probably not such a great deal after all....

A congrats card...

Someone I know just passed their test for U.S. Citizenship. I'm so happy for her! Made a quick card last night. I just love this paper. I used it for another card recently. It's older and has been in my stash for a while so it's good that I'm using what I have, right?! The flower is MM and the sentiment is CTMH. I cannot remember the paper manufacturer! I used a splitcoast sketch for this.

After the storm....

We ended up with between 10 and 11 inches of snow from Friday night's storm. My ds made it home safely with the car.

After it was all cleared out (thanks to dh, ds and his friend), I went food shopping, came back and scrapped, cooked dinner and then scrapped again. Nothing too exciting this weekend!

I made this Fri. night with my new penguin set by Memory Box. I think I will get my money's worth out of this set!!

In lieu of Friday Feast....

I didn't like Friday Feast questions today (I'm crabby). So...I decided to play along with Juls/Punky B over at Our Life and Stuff. Thanks, Juls!



You have to use 3 words to answer each question. No more, no less. It’s harder than you think.


1. Where is your cell phone?
in my purse


2. Your girlfriend/boyfriend/hubby?
at home


3. Your hair?
short and sweet! ha!


4. Where is your father?
in the country


6. Your favorite thing to do?
scrap and stamp


7. Your dream last night?
I got married


8. Your favorite drink?
margarita with salt


9. Your dream car?
a convertible Mercedes


10. The room you’re in?
the office


12. Your fears?
family getting hurt


14. Who did you hang out with last night?
me, myself & I


15. What aren’t you good at?
drawing


16. Muffins?
hanging outta pants :o( (I have to keep this one, Juls!)


17. One of your wish list items?
A Cricut Expressions


19. The last thing you did?
Walked into building


20. What are you wearing?
green & black


22. Your pet?
none for me


23. Your computer?
Dell desktop


24. Your life?
pretty calm

25. Your mood?
I'm grouchy


26. Missing?
My scarf


27. What are you thinking about right now?
How much snow?


28. Your car?
2006 Ford Explorer


29. Your work?
office mgmt


30. Your summer?
Beach, I hope!


31. Your relationship status?
married with children


32. Your favorite color(s)?
Aqua, Celery & Gray


33. When is the last time you laughed?
Last night


34. Last time you cried?
Quite a while


35. School?
attended some college


Jules said:

I don't know why there are no questions for #5,11,13,18 & 21.

Lunar eclipse....

We had a great view of the lunar eclipse last night. It was clear as a bell! I got a photo or two from the front door before it really started to darken. After that, I watched from the family room window. It was amazing!!!!!!!! Did any of you see it?

My photos are horrible but here you go:

A Toast to My Cousin...

My cousin got engaged so I made a quick card to send. She lives in MD. Anyway, trying to use up the stash still.

Little things....

Ugh...my dh has had some major respiratory problems lately and has been through 2 prescriptions.

On Friday he took his car for service. Guess what they found? A dead mouse in his fan!!! And a huge mouse nest.

So now we are wondering if that was the cause of it. He drives around practically all day in the car. He's been breathing in mouse hairs and whatever. SO disgusting.

We first found out about a mouse in my mom's car. Her tissues were gone and she found droppings. The fingers on her gloves were gone too. Then a week or so later, my dh found his tissues gone.

Our cars are pretty much spotless, no trash or anything so I guess they were just trying to keep warm.

We (he) set mouse traps in the garage to see if we can get any remaining family members and not one has been caught yet!!!!!! Maybe they moved away after the mom/dad lost it's life in the fan?! Yuck.

18th birthday dinner...

We had my ds' bday dinner yesterday. My boys are so easy. They get the choice of going out to their favorite restaurant or having me cook their favorite meal. They both always choose the same thing - chicken, broccoli, ziti at home. It used to be chicken lasagna which was a little more work but the adults enjoyed it more.

The other thing is, they don't like cake. We always have to have a Carvel ice cream cake. Not anymore....my youngest loves a homemade ice cream cake that I made over the summer with ice cream sandwiches. It's in the Kraft Family Foods magazine. So I made two of those just in case. I am NOT a cake decorator and I thought it was just family. I put an 18 in Hershey's chocolate. It came out terrible but it tasted good.






















He brought two friends for dinner - one male, one female, so we had a dining room full. It was fun though.

We had so much fun playing with little Miss Reese! They pulled her bandana up to give her a bubushka. It was hysterical.




















Then she had to leave....She has a cute little hooded fleece. Hysterical!








Oh, he loved his grungy card!!! His ff could not believe I made the card! Too cute. If she only knew how easy it is....

I can't stop myself....

I just keep on making cards. I really need to take a break to clean or to get back to my scrapping but I just can't! I have too many new stamps and papers and I can't contain myself. Besides that, the occasions just keep coming up!

The color is definitely way off on this. I used SU's Barely Banana and Ballet Blue. The blue is really not that bright!

My baby is 18....

(a grungy card for my boy)









I feel old. It just doesn't seem possible that it's been 18 years. I just had to post some random photos of my son on his birthday.



































































Forgot my favorite (my boys would be angry with me for this):

Another little birdie told me...

A few recent cards...

Another day, another card....

Ok, so my life is boring!! I made this last night using my new SU stuff. I love the kraft paper and I'm glad I bought it. I also used the new In Colors - Purely Pomegranate, Wild Wasabi and Blue Bayou. I used a little Amuse stamp for the flower background. The sentiment is SU.

Go ahead, make my day....

My wonderful SU rep said she'd deliver my order tomorrow because she wasn't feeling good. I saw someone walk by my window up to the door. I was so surprised when it was my rep with a box of SU stuff! Yippppeeeee! Got to play today instead. She definitely made my day. It was snowy so I didn't want to go out anyway.











Tried my new set (So Many Scallops) and my new corner punch. AND I used my stash - some Wild Asparagus paper from a trip to Mike's a long time ago.

Award..

Jodi is so nice. She gave me this great award!





I have to give it to:

Maia
Snoopmurph
Theresa (sorry for the misspelling. My SIL is Teresa but I meant the award for you!)
Stacy
And of course, right back at you, Jodi!!!

Freaky Friday questions

Bethany's Freaky Friday Questions

Freaky Friday Questions

What are some of your favorite websites? See sidebar.

If you had boy/girl twins today, what would you name them? Julie and Justin

What was your favorite grade in elementary school? Did you have a favorite teacher? I did have a favorite teacher in 4th grade. She was so nice!

What types of punishment did your parents use while you were growing up? Which were most effective on you? I was always grounded. I don't know that it worked!! I had to sit at the rink and watch my brother's hockey games. See why I hate sports?!!

Can you parallel park? Did you have to parallel park for your driving exam? Yes, I can parallel park but I get nervous if it's a main city street and there's traffic. I don't think I had to but can't remember.

Bonus: Use this site to find where you should live. What are your top 5 and have you ever been to them before? (Sorry the site is hard to see- it is http://www.findyourspot.com)

My top five are: Lewiston, ME, Deer Isle, ME, Portsmouth, NH, Saranac Lake, NY, Windham, NY

I've been to lots of places in Maine but I don't think I've been to Deer Isle. I've definitely been to Portsmouth, NH. I have not been to the NY locations. What's really funny is Maine is where we bought some land. Some of my other choices were NH locations (Concord, Littleton) and I've been to both.

Warning: this is a LONG quiz and you do have to put your name and address & email in.

Ooops, spoke too soon...a new Friday's Feast

GABRIEL's FRIDAY FEAST


Appetizer - What would be your most treasured memory of your childhood?
I'd have to say Christmases with my big family!

Soup - When was the last time you just 'bit your tongue'?
Don't jinx me here, it's been a while.

Salad - Name that silly fact about you that was unknown...until now.
I constantly have a song playing in my head. Sometimes it's one I hate and I can't get it out!

Main Course - You're a superhero, but with 'non typical' superpowers. What would your super powers be, and what would you like to be called?
I'd like to be able to zap some money into needy people's hands. Maybe the Green Machine?


Dessert - World Cup final, Olympic Games, Superbowl, World Series, NBA finals, Stanley Cup... which one would you like to play in?
I really don't like sports and I'm not very athletic. I guess I'd have to say the Olympic games - maybe skiing?

Friday Feast's

What? No Friday's Feast? I came in early so that I could post before work!! Oh well...I understand the technical difficulties....

Nothing new to report other than I have a major sinus headache today and it's STILL flurrying out.

Have a nice weekend!

another card....

I always have a tough time coming up with guy cards without using the same old sailboat or lighthouse image. This time I gave up on the image. Got the inspiration from a splitcoast sketch. This is a Stampin' Up sentiment & the paper is Bazzill (cs) and Chatterbox printed papers.

Blizzard anniversary...

I completely forgot to post my memories of the Blizzard of '78. Today is the 30th anniversary of the nasty storm.

My husband and I lived in NH and worked in MA. It normally took about an hour, give or take, to and from work each day.

The blizzard started and most people went home during the morning. I had to wait for my hubby to do some things at work. We finally left around noon or 1, I think.

The snow was blowing down sideways and it was complete white out conditions. We headed north on the highway. There were hardly any cars on the road, thank God. We couldn't see out the windshield so I was looking out the window watching the guardrail and telling him when we got close. It took us about 2 1/2 hrs. to get home.

Some people weren't so lucky. There were cars all over the highway and people had to be rescued. I worked at a company that had 3 shifts. The second shift guys couldn't leave and were stranded for the night. They had emergency vehicles delivering food to people. It was a horrible situation. MA declared a state of emergency.

The next morning, we dug the car out from a couple of feet of snow and we went skiing! NH was clear and could handle the road clearing. We did the same thing for the next day or two. I think it was about 3 or 4 days we weren't allowed to come down to MA to go to work. We weren't complaining....

Unfortunately, I don't have photos. I found this one on amazon.com which shows one of the main highways.

Another day in paradise....

(thanks, Kimi, for the title).

We had the weirdest weather last night. I didn't sleep much. It was raining when I went to bed. Around 3 or so it was pouring out and thundering really loud! I had a hard time getting back to sleep. When I woke up, it was all snowy white outside. My son had a 1 hr. delay.

It is a slushy, crunchy mess out there!! We are supposed to have flurries all day.

Two Things Meme

Stacy posted this “Two Things” Meme and I thought I’d play along. Thanks, Stacy!

Two names you go by… Michelle and Shell

Two things you are wearing right now… necklace and earrings.

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship… laughter and honesty

Two of your favorite things to do… stamp and scrap

Two things you want very badly at the moment… my retro pay and the day to be over!

Two pets you have or have had… not a pet person but I had Budweiser (Buddy) and Oscar Meyer Weiner growing up (both daschunds).

Two things that you did last night… stamped and read

Two people you think will fill this out… maybe Maia & Linda? (no pressure!!)

Two things you ate today… peanut butter and whole wheat toast

Two people you last talked to…my boss and coworker

Two things you’re doing tomorrow… working and stamping

Two longest car rides… to Florida with a 5 week old screaming infant and a well behaved 4 yo.; and starting out in MA to East PA to West PA, to MI, to MD, back to East PA and home to MA. NEVER again.

Two favorite holidays… Thanksgiving and Christmas

Two favorite beverages… water and margaritas

Two people no longer alive who you’d like to talk to… my nana & my stepdad

I won’t tag anyone, but let me know if you decide to play!

A little birdie told me...

My mom used to tell me that a little birdie told her.....(usually it was something I did that I wasn't supposed to).

I have too many borrowed stamps on my table so I thought I'd better get some cards and images made and send them back! I stamped a bunch of Kimi's pretty stamp, some regular and some embossed. I'll color those and put them together later. I borrowed a CTMH set for the letters and ended up using the little birdie. I'm not really a bird person but this one is kind of cute. I stamped a bunch of these for later too.

I have one more borrowed stamp but I can't for the life of me remember what it is! Oh yeah, it's that Painted Garden set that I posted before.

See what happens....

I swear I have a creative block when I have to do something for my card group. As soon as I seal the envelope, I come up with better ideas.

I'm very tempted to open the sealed, stamped envelope and put a better card in for my partner.

I used a splitcoaststampers sketch to make these two kickstand cards. I'm not saying they're great but they're a little better than the last group. I need to get out of the pink/green mode. These are not my colors (brights). So .... should I leave the envelope alone and just send it or should I waste the envelope and stamp and give her a better card. I can use the wish one for my aunt who loves tulips (bday is March). Thanks for your opinion.

Gobble, gobble....

We must have had snow during the night. I heard it pouring at 4 a.m. So I woke up to a messy slush.

My son usually has a ride to school but he didn't today. I drove him to school and on the way back I decided the traffic was moving too slow and I was in a hurry. I turned down a back road (very windy and narrow). I'm driving along and suddenly I came across 5 big giant turkeys in the road. They just looked at me like I was bothering them! Finally, I edged up toward them and they slowly decided they should get out of my way. Guess I should have stayed on the main road. The back one was pretty slippery.

Boooooooohooooooo......

I'm not a football fan but I desperately wanted our Patriots to win. That didn't happen. How can you go win every game during the season and blow the big game?!! I really wanted them to shut those Dolphis up. I'm so disappointed. I'm also exhausted. We had company so by the time I cleaned up it was 11 or so and then I was wound up. Six o'clock came way too early.

Sunday Scrappin' Meme

Ok, this is my first time with this meme.

I find time to stamp/scrap just about every night after dinner. I don't watch much t.v. (except Thurs. night) and my kids are grown.

I usually end up making a few cards a night.

My goal will be to try and get to my last page or two in my Hawaii album instead of making cards.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Seventy Eight

Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of cereal?

Don't laugh .... I started on the South Beach diet a year or two ago and tried their cereal. It tasted like Splenda covered cardboard at first but now thats all I eat!

Soup
When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go?

Does a pillow count? If so, it goes on my side of the bed. I hate a mushy pillow. Before that it was probably a coffee maker.


Salad
What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen? You got me here. I hardly watch t.v. I would say the one with the guy driving along with animals in the car singing, Rock Me Gently. I don't even know what product they're advertising but probably the car!

Main Course
Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey). The Garlic Giraffe!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I haven’t had any soda since I was hypnotized for weight loss at least 8 years!

18....

I can't believe my youngest will be 18 (I think I already posted that but I'm still in shock). I made him a card last night and forgot to take a photo. It's mostly black with silver stars and big black 18 letters with a crown over the 8. I hope he likes it. Now for the inside....NO clue.

Thanks for the votes on the cards below. I took Dawn's advice and added purple stickles to the middle of the butterfly, just three little dots. It looks better. I still don't know who my partner is for the swap so I may have to re-do it altogether. If I get one of the technique queens, I feel pressured into making a more elaborate card.

Which one....

I had to make a green and pink card for a challenge. Which one is best? One uses purple so that's why I'm questioning it. I never use brights like this. They're a little much for me. (I better state that the images are SU except the sentiment).

MIA....

It's the first week of classes and it was really busy yesterday. Today I have two jobs because my co-worker is out. I'm sure it will be hectic and the rest of the week won't be much better. I may be MIA, but I'll be back next week for sure!

Just a quick question for you....do you let your gas tank get down to empty before filling up?

I thought of this on the way in. With my son sometimes taking my car, I don't realize I'm on empty until the car beeps at me. We try to go up to NH while shopping. The gas is cheaper there.

On my way home last night, my light/beep went off after I passed the expensive full serve gas station. I decided to wait until this morning since it's only a mile from my house. I even thought of going to the cheap place near work but I was afraid I wouldn't make it. I ended up paying the full serve price and stayed nice and toasty in the car!

Do you push it as far as you can? Or do you fill up when you're getting to a certain point?

Snow much fun...

We went snowmobiling for the day yesterday. It was really tiring but fun. Some of the trails were in excellent condition and some were horrendous! We went through muddy, rocky, icy parts that were hairy. When I got nervous, I'd sing "Love Song" by Sara Boreallis (sp?). We went over a railroad bridge (scared the you know what out of me) but I managed to zoom across. We had to go down the sides of a few roads and up a snowbank, down the street, which was kind of scary too.

I got a little nervous during one area and gunned it so I didn't get stuck in the icy mess and I almost hit a tree! I stopped just in time, a little off the trail. My ds was so cute. He got off his sled and ran over to see if I was ok. He pulled my skis out of the snow and moved the machine for me. We had the best day together. I only wish it could be like that all the time.

Here are some photos. We didn't take a huge amount. I am SO sore today. My back, shoulders, arms and thigh muscles just ache. Can't wait to go out and help dh shovel the stairs and walks. It's SNOWING again. So surprising.




























This was one of our stops right in the middle of an apple orchard. You can see Mt. Washington way off in the distance to the left of the mountain range.











This is a place called Devil's Den. It is breathtaking at the top. You can't see from the photo but it drops down where the snow ends and it's a LONG way down. You can see for miles.










ds caught dh eating in this one! LOL As you can see from my do, this is not a glamorous sport! It was really bright up there too so we are squinting in the photo.











And speaking of eating, you see the funniest things on the trail. Our friends got hot dogs from this place. We brought sandwiches and snacks.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Seventy Seven

Appetizer
How many times per day do you usually laugh?

I love to laugh and do it as much as possible. I probably laugh at least 5 times a day.

Soup
What do your sunglasses look like?

I have several pairs. My current favorite are the big movie star ones that are the tortoise look.

Salad
You win a free trip to anywhere on your continent, but you have to travel by train. Where do you go?

Oooh, I'd definitely do the Orient Express. It looks like such a beautiful trip on the Travel Channel. It goes through 5 National Parks, I believe.

Main Course
Name one thing you consider a great quality about living in your town/city.

We are spread out pretty wide but we still have that small town atmosphere/mentality. We have several cute little mom & pop shops. We also have a ski area.

Dessert
If the sky could be another color, what color do you think would look best?

I don't think I would like to change the color but if I have to choose, maybe pinky/orange? It's so pretty at sunset these days. Took this on my way home the other night.

weeeeeeeeeeeeee.....

My dh's machine was squeaking away last night. I was getting irritated but didn't feel like getting into a cold bed in the spare room. I'm wiped out again.

I made a few cards last night. My friend lent me a cute SU set, Painted Garden. I forgot the camera so I can't post. They were just ok.

I've decided I need to sort my SU paper by color, not by color family. I used to keep it by family (In Color, Soft Subtles, Brights, etc.). I can't do this any longer. I can't see what I have or make up my mind what I need. Can't wait to place my order next week. It's been way too long since I've gotten anything new (well, ok, so it was Christmas, but still....).

Stolen Love Hate Meme

Got this at Stacy's Blog and I thought I'd play along.


I love to eat: Can’t it just end there? I really love filet mignon, shrimp, ribs, nachos, you name it. And I have a major sweet tooth.
I hate to eat: fish & lima beans. I do love shellfish but not finfish.
I love to go: to the beach.
I hate to go: to that doctor for my yearly checkup I can’t beat your answer, Stacy!
I love it when: I get a snow day!
I hate it when: I call the emergency number and the man says the univ. is open with no weather-related cancellations, and I’ve already psyched myself up for a snow day.
I love to see: poor people win the lottery.
I hate to see: anyone being beaten up. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.
I love to hear: my favorite songs on the way to work.
I hate to hear: annoying radio and television commercials. Sometimes I can’t get those stupid songs out of my head for days!
Please let me know if you are going to play along!

Nothing new....

I was going to get some cards done last night for my group swaps but when my son came to the door for band practice I heard some little scratches on the door. It was cute little Reese and my son's sweet gf.

A was making an adorable tissue box cover. She used brown/pink/green flowered paper and tons of green & pink buttons. SO cute! So while she did that, I tried to figure out my SU order without breaking the bank.

I made a boiled dinner and Reese was looking hungry. I ended up giving her bits of ham and some potatoes. I still cannot believe my attitude about this little dog. I'm wondering what made me change my mind about not liking dogs in my house? I think it's because she's not a jump-on-you kind of dog and she's so little and cute. I still don't think I'll ever have a pet. I just like when she visits. As for cats, I'll never like them.