Where Have I Been...

These are the two most recent lo's I have created. Only two. Oh, that is killing me. If you are interested in more by Cottage Arts please click on my active blinkie to go right to the site. I'm too sleepy to deal with HTML code right now...hehehehehe.

OMG! 7 days straight of working retail for a supposed part time job...thanks to that girl who quit. Who at this point, I have quit feeling sorry for her and feel some animosity about her stupidity. JK! LOL!

Thanks to those of you who visited my post and left a comment over at Tangie's Creative Team Loft where I was featured.

For those of you who have been following my gardening saga, I have a pic to share of my empty pots. This is the before. I got a postcard from our local nursery and am copying their planting as best I can. So once I finish planting (TODAY), I will take a preliminary picture, and then share the postcard. Then I will take a pic once my pots fill in and look glorious, just like the postcard! Okay, blogger is being aggravating and won't let me post my before pic. But I will eventually!

I am not sure what I am doing today aside from the usual exercise, cooking, cleaning, scrapping and gardening. Maybe that is enough. I am going to watch my DVR episodes of Hell's Kitchen and AI. I LOVE NEIL DIAMOND!

It's My Birthday Today!

Today is my birthday, and my dear sweet dh started early (Major Bonus POINTS) by giving me my card last night (aha early shopping...additional bonus points). It is hilarious. On the front it says," A long, long time ago..." in a Star Wars manor...and when you open it, it plays the theme from Star Wars and says, "you were born." It is a riot. And he is so cute, he played it this morning when I was coming down the stairs like I was Miss America!

My bff, Mandy, is taking me to a brand-spankin'-new mall today. I think it opened about a week ago! Neither of us really has any extra cash, but we just want to check it out, have lunch, and goof off.

I like to take a picture of myself on my birthday. I'll do a lo about it, too. I started a lo last night but I got a whopper of a migraine which severely interrupted my night. However, I do believe that a celebratory day of scrapping is in order...perhaps tomorrow? Not sure what the fam has planned for tonight!

I'm sharing two things with you I found recently on my blogging adventures. I absolutely love this freebie created by Andrea so I have included a link for you in case you didn't see it yet. You may know her as Boyervillescraps. Check out Andrea's free kit

As a fan of Chris Daughtry from the day he opened his mouth on AI for the very first time, I have been sorely disappointed in the contestants until I saw David Cook. Holy Schnikes (a line from my favorite movie, "Tommy Boy")! He is one talented dude!


Want to see a star being born? Watch this video!

Now, did you know today is the 50th anniversary of Tab Mad Libs. Have you ever played those? My best friend in high school, Terry, and I used to play them all the time. I guess we were dorky! LOL! But the game I remember the most is when she used every form of the F-word to fill in the mad lib. We laughed and nearly peed ourselves. I guess as it was completely forbidden, it made it funnier. I'd type it, but I don't want to be completely offensive on my blog. You can use your imagination to make the noun "F" into verbs, adverbs and such.

One more garden saga:

I was attacked by Fire Ants again. Innocently leaning over to examine a stupid cigarette butt thrown by an errant passer-by, I had my hand on the ground to brace myself and felt the tell-tale burning sensation. When I looked down there were about five on my hand and WORSE, there was an army attacking my shoe and crawling up my pants leg. I felt a sting on my ankle as I was madly wiping them off my hands and feet and pants. This was a sneak attack. No mound. No warning. I drowned that bed in fire ant killer. I"m sure I killed all their aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, friends and assorted remaining relatives and all future generations. I sucked down two benadryl and my regular allergy pill and tried not to notice the cottony feeling growing in my throat and the numbing of the back of my tongue. I really was not in the mood for a trip to the ER. This of course, caused me to start to hyperventilate. I'm such a dork. To calm myself down, I looked up remedies for fire ant bites, which includes washing the remaining poison off your hands (I did) and applying ice to control the swelling (I did). That appears to have worked two ways...calming me down, giving the benadryl time to work and it did keep the swelling down.

And finally, can you guess my age? If you can, I will give you a little freebie I made. It's an embellie, and it's a surprise, and no you won't hurt my feelings if you guess what you really think.

A New Lo and No Garden Tales

Digi credits:HERE

Another vintage photo! I'm on a roll here! Been busy downloading assignments for Scrapstreet.com for July and August. Only to find out that one of them is due April 1st. I think I missed the deadline, don't you. So I gotta get cracking on that.

I do not have any garden tales for you today. We had a lil ole cold front come through, and I wasn't about to go outside. It was windy and cold. Things should warm up by the end of the week so then I will be back in the yard.

Short post today as not much else is going on.

Featured CT Member AT Tangie Baxter

(Created using Perennial Paperie by Tangie Baxter Designs, Tiptoe Through The Tulips by Sherrie Drummond, Hardware Pack by Natalie Bird Designs)

Next Tuesday, I will be featured on the TBD Creative Team Blog. I will be following Cathy, who is featured this week. Anyway, we have to make a header for our article so that is the header that you will see if you pop over and check me out next Tuesday, April 22nd. And don't worry, I'll feature a link on my blog.

I put out seven bales of pinestraw yesterday. My goal was to do 10, but it got sooooooo cold. The temperature dropped, and it got so damp. I also managed to put weed killer on the backyard lawn, pull some weeds and move my Oleander bush to a pot for the time being. My roses, which are in very sad shape from neglect, also got a little fertlizer and bug repellant. In my continuing GARDEN SAGA, I did get hives on my arms and another splinter.

Anyway, I don't think I will garden today as it is 40 degrees outside right now. I will do some stuff inside the house today. I am not a fan of cold weather.

I used a spray weed killer that you hook up to the hose and it mixes with the water in the exact amount so you don't (1) kill yourself and (2) kill your lawn. It is my concerted opinion that the Chinese are single-handedly going to kill the American economy by continually sending us poorly manufactured crap at ridiculously low prices. Actually, I'm sure dh had no idea the bottle was MADE IN CHINA. The spray part didn't work in the ON position. So I had to juryrig it a little bit which caused the weed killer to get all over my hands and probably cause my untimely, early demise from chemical poisoning sometime in the future (LOL!). It gave a poor attempt at a spray, but beat the heck out of the STREAM setting, which worked perfectly, of course, but who wants that?

Finally, I got a coupon from a local lawn/garden shop that will give you a FREE six pack with the purchase of a box of whatever. More importantly it said they would plant and maintain your pots for you. Can you imagine how beautiful that would be if you could really afford that? It would look just like the gorgeous picture they sent, which I might try to imitate and see what happens.

Anyway, that's all for today as I try to stay warm in my gorgeously sexy ensemble of socks and heavyweight nightgown with random pajama bottoms for extra warmth! LOL!

Weekend Layouts

I have two lo's to share with you. One features Beth Rimmers "Every Now and Then Add On" available at Digitals. Credits: HERE The other features Rasberry Roads "Too Cool For School Girls". Credits: HEREBoth lo's use templates by NadlM! And photos of my Mom. I'm nearly done the heritage photos I had scanned a while back so I will have to go scan some more.




I decided not to blog or blog train over the weekend...thereby freeing up the time that I normally do that! LOL! Anyway, I had to work early Saturday and then on Sunday, I spent the day pruning some tea olive bushes and pulling weeds.

Since I have shared my garden ailments before, I will share the horror of the splinter. I ran my hands through my hair and felt a sting on my ring finger. That action must have pushed on the splinter that had lodged itself between the nail and my skin. ACK! My dh had to get the tweezers because I couldn't get it out. After I yelled out, "HOLY MOTHER OF GAWD!", he said, "That was it." Whew. I'm not sure my weakened condition could have taken any more pain! LOL!

"Deadliest Catch" starts on Tuesday. Is anyone else excited? We are. I've been watching the marathon on and off over the weekend. And I discovered that Discovery is HD, too, so I have the most excellent, sharpest picture.

My ds is spending his spring break earning money by picking up extra hours at his golf grunt job. I'm so proud of him. He is excited to have extra cash and to have the car as dd is at the beach with her friend's family. No sharing! I told him he had to pay for the gas he used, and he is so happy, he doesn't even care.

My tax accountant called and didn't get our tax electronic filing form to file our taxes, but I mailed it. I expect they will get it tomorrow. If not, I am going to lay an egg.

A Simpler Time

10/15/1956
Do you realize there was a time when a simple photo of my mother's cheer squad was news? Not for doing anything wrong, but because they were simply being cheerleaders and doing what they do! My mom is top row all the way to the left, standing next to her very best friend, Sara Smith. Look at those long skirts, socks and saddle shoes. It ain't yo momma's cheerleadin' no mo'!

Let's see, I have a fire ant bite on the bend in my index finger so as I type, it is sending out a minute bit of pain because, for those of you who don't know, fire ant bites HURT AND ITCH. And I'm sacrificing my comfort to blog today! LOL!

Actually, my garden wounds include the infamous fire ant bites from my recent attack, a splinter in my palm, a gash from being stabbed by a tree branch and many thorn stabbings from reaching in to weeds. Ah, the glories of gardening. I normally wouldn't mind, but here I am at work showing people jewelry accented by the beauty of my wounded hands and fingers! LOLOLOLOLOLOL!

Please go check out my challenge at The TBD Loft because you can win a $10 GC for Tangie's store. I know all y'all can do it and you don't even have to use her stuff. And if you do pop on my to have a look-see, leave a comment and say HI!!! Why? Cuz it will make me feel good! LOL!

I am off to pick up my taxes. I'd go on and on about this but who really cares? We all got something to say about it....hehehehehe

And then to get a few maintenance items for my pool filtration system. Although, why? It is going to be in the eighties today probably and then on Sunday night down to 37 deg. BRRRRRRR! But that is April here...lots o teasing for the great weather to come.

I am working on a lo that I started yesterday that I will probably post tomorrow. Anyhow, I need to get my butt in gear and this show on the road and all that!

Alot O' Nuttin' Today!

These are some before photos of my painting adventure in the master bathroom. I will have after photos this weekend, although I just painted the trim and cabinets and doors. These will be scrapped soon, too!

I was looking out my kitchen window at this fat black bird of some type standing on the edge of my pool at the ladder. I was wondering what the fat black bird was doing as he kept looking at the pool. And then he jumped on the top rung of the ladder, shook around, and hopped back out. He looked around some more, jumped back in, shook his fat birdy body, and jumped back out. He then hopped over to the side of the ladder, looked in the pool, and decided it was too deep. He popped back over to the ladder. Looked around a bit and jumped back in on the top run for another shake. My pool as a bird bath! I wanted to get my camera, but I knew if I opened the door and the screen door, that fat black bird would be gone.

I am disgusted by the group of girls that they keep showing on the morning show. They lured that one girl over and beat the crap out of her while two boys acted as look outs. What kind of young women beat a girl to the point they knock her unconcious and then when she comes back around, beat the tar out of her again. And then the one girl's mother comes on to say it wasn't her daughter's fault she beat the *%$)(#* out of that girl because that girl was talking trash about her daughter on Facebook or My Space. WTF? Unfortunately, putting these girls in juvi will only teach them to be better criminals. It is a sad tale, and sadder that a parent tries to blame the victim for her daughter's bad choices.

I have to have a chuckle about these lawn commercials they keep showing...families rolling around in their lawn, actually lying on the grass...these are obviously commercials filmed by northerners. No southerner lies in the grass because we know we will be carted off by fire ants!

Speaking of fire ants. I was attacked while gardening yesterday. I have a nasty bite on my hand. I usually will go barefoot until I get the first ant bite on my toesies, but this year, I will not. Although I love being barefooted, there seems to be an inordinate amount of fire ants this year springing up. Too risky!

And lastly, I am sharing this bread recipe my friend sent me over the weekend because it is soooooo freakin' good. It tastes like bread from Carrabbas she says. We don't have a Carrabbas here, but it is chewey on the outside and light on the inside. Best served straight from the over with lots o butter!

Recipe: Basic Free Form Loaf
FLORIDA TODAY • April 3, 2008

Yields 4 loaves3 cups lukewarm water

11/2 tablespoons yeast (two packets)

11/2 tablespoons kosher salt

61/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, more for dusting dough

Cornmeal for the pizza peel



In a large bowl or plastic container, mix yeast and salt into water. Stir in flour, mixing until there are no dry patches. Dough will be quite loose. Cover, but not with an airtight lid. Let dough rise at room temperature 2 hours (or up to 5 hours).

Bake at this point or refrigerate, covered in a bowl with air holes, for as long as two weeks. When ready to bake, sprinkle a little flour on dough and cut off a grapefruit-size piece with serrated knife. Turn dough in hands to lightly stretch surface, creating a rounded top and a lumpy bottom. Put dough on pizza peel that is generously sprinkled with cornmeal; let rest 40 minutes if the dough hasn't been refrigerated. (Let rest for an hour and 40 minutes if it has been refrigerated.) Refrigerate any unused dough.

Place broiler pan on bottom of oven. Place baking stone on middle rack and turn oven to 450 degrees; heat stone at that temperature for 20 minutes.

Dust dough with flour, slash top with serrated or very sharp knife three times. Slide onto stone. Pour 1 cup hot water into broiler pan and shut oven quickly to trap steam. Bake until well-browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on baking rack.

Variation: If not using stone, stretch rounded dough into oval and place in a greased, nonstick loaf pan. Let rest 40 minutes if fresh, an extra hour if refrigerated. Heat oven to 450 degrees for 5 minutes. Place pan on middle rack.

Digitals, Tangie Baxter and A Recipe!

I created this lo for my roaming CT work at Digitals. We get a new designer to work with every month. This month I am working with Christina Guillermo who goes by Scrap4brains. I find that very funny!

Anyway, she had a school stuff kit, which I bought actually because it has a lunch tray in it, and i wanted to use the lunch tray like folks have been using boxes. However, my sil sent me this cute photo of my nephew sliding into home, and I had to scrap that first. He is in 2nd grade and the 2nd smallest guy on the team, but he has good hand-eye coordination. Anyway, at this age, baseball doesn't care how big you are. I know he must've been really proud of himself as he had 2 RBI's that night, too. He's just a cute little boy who is very ernest about everything.


This lo was created using those fantastic Digistrations and the soon to be debuting the Future Authentic Artist at CRD's French Twisted kit (bead bottle, Eiffel tower, bead string), plus a real pic of my glasses! LOL! This lo is for a refrigerator challenge coming up at Tangie Baxter Creative Team Loft on April 18th. I think it is really about what is in it, but Tangie made this to announce her CT, and I had to save it, and I've finally gotten to scrap it.

ORIENTAL COLE SLAW (GRETA'S SALAD)
Printed from COOKS.COM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


DRESSING:

4 1/2 tbsp. vinegar
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. oil
Salt and pepper
Flavor packet from Top Ramen noodles (chicken flavor)

SALAD:

1 pkg. cole slaw mix
1/2 c. toasted almonds
1/2 c. green onions
3 tbsp. sesame seeds
1 pkg. dry Top Ramen noodles, crushed

This salad needs to be put together at the last minute to make sure that everything is crunchy. Toss the salad ingredients first and then toss with the dressing. Serve immediately.

I made this recipe for dinner tonight, well, along with some bbq chicken. Let me tell you, it was good, easy and cheap! So I hope you will try it!

A small comment about AI: David Archileto made the hair stand up on my arms. He was amazing last night, and I'm David Cook's biggest fan! So there ya go!

CRD Revealed

Okay, the lo I made on my previous post was using products from a Future Authentic Artist at Christina Renee Designs. Now how do you accidentally fall into a lucky spot like that? Just being on Tangie Baxter's Design Team. This future Authentic Artist is collaborating with Tangie on some kits and through that relationship we get to be her CT for CRD products. So the spot she will be selling is revealed, but the mystery as to who she is still remains...


Click here for credits This terrific kit comes from the multi-talented Beth Rimmer at Digitals. If you haven't seen her spread in Somerset Magazine this month, you are missing an incredable altered art mini album made from digi! Pages 24-26 if I remember correctly. I went to BooksaMillion and checked it out because any time one of my designers is featured, I'm excited!

I really like altered art. I like doing it, too. I haven't been doing it so much just since I've been addicted to my computer and doing the digital scrapping thing. I am doing a little digital altered art type project with making that little ID Badge mini album for my son to celebrate his DL. The only thing holding me back on finishing it is finding my card for my computer because the pics are in my phone so I have to use one of those cards that takes the mini card from my phone.

Prom was last night in our town. All three high schools had prom on the same night. I was working my pt job, and you would not believe how many mothers and daughters were in there buying last minute prom jewelry. I would not be taking my dd to the store the day of her prom to buy last minute jewelry. Now her wedding, maybe, but prom..no way. That is so nuts. They were all stressed out trying to squeeze this in as if they hadn't known about it for a month. INSANE! Of course, one lady I know whas there with her older daughter and was upset because she had landscaped her whole backyard for prom photos, and we had 4" of rain all day yesterday.

My mother planted colorful flowers in her beds for our wedding reception, but she didn't relandscape the whole yard for my wedding, and I certainly doubt that she would have relanscaped the whole yard for my prom pictures. I think sometimes people lose perspective.

I remember thinking I would DIE as a senior if I didn't go to prom. I mean what kind of life would there be if I was ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE who didn't go to prom? I went, of course! Only to find out as you go to college and go through life, how many terrific people you know just didn't go to their prom. And they are terrific, and their life wasn't over by being labeled a NON PROM ATTENDING PERSON.

So relandscaping NO. And I'm sure I will take my own prom photos as I know what I'm doing, and I will pay for ds to get his photos done at the prom because you have to have that pic, too. I'm not relandscaping for DS to attend the prom. His date's mother can do that! LOL!

Actually, my worst fear is the apres prom parties which involve hitting the beach about 1 1/2 hours away. That just sounds like a recipe for disaster if you are a parent, doesn't it?

DH was so funny lecturing dd that there would be parties on prom night, and if she went to any and there was alcohol, that the police were out and about. They were going to try and find probable cause to enter homes and arrest everyone who was in the home attending the party of liquor was found for underage drinking. So he suggested she just leave if she got to a party and there was alcohol. Ds was working so it wasn't an issue for him. And it wasn't an issue for dd. She wasn't attending any parties...as if we would let her attend prom parties because we would suspect there would be alcohol there, and she doesn't need to be in that environment. But I just thought it was cute that dh was giving his fatherly warning!

OK. I've chatted long enough about that! LOL! I've got some kits to play with and lo's to create. Happy scrapping to ya!

A Mystery, to be sure...

Digi credits: HERE. There's a new designer coming out, and she's debuting at an exciting store. Due to her affiliation with Tangie Baxter Designs, we get to create for her, too, which is a HUGE honor, trust me on that! Anyway, all I can say is that she is a "Future Authentic Artist". I'm using her stuff, and I love it!


Digi credits: HERE
This is the cover of a mini ID badge book that I am making for my ds who got his license as I mentioned on yesterday's blog post. I'm just going to have a few quotes in it, and his pics from the DMV that I took with my trusty EnV phone! I got this fabulous idea for the mini ID badge book from Beth Rimmer who is hosting a challenge at Digitals with these dandy little things. She even has a set of 4 templates to download to get you started!!! Details here.

Ds drove himself to work today. I think he is rather pleased about it. DD was miffed, but her friend got her dad's car this afternoon, so they were able to make the rounds in another vehicle. I do believe that took some of the edge off of having to share a car! LOL!

I believe I spent the day making that first lo, and taking dd to get her athletic physical and to another appointment.

May I rant for a moment? Sure I can because it is my blog. I have been taking my family to the same doctor for 13 years. My dh went to college with his partner. They are a very nice practice, and I like going there as I trust them to handle any emergencies if we had them. They had a new lady working their check out area. Apparently she is just a bitch. I was so mad when I left that I was considering calling the office manager. I'll just wait until the next time I have to go to the dr.'s office, and I am going to tell him about her. I've only complained to him about an employee once before, and he left the examining room to handle the situation immediately. Therefore, I don't like to do it lightly or abuse it. But this lady was arguing with me over my insurance and how it was handled by their office. How the freak does she know if she is brand spankin' new? And she is the type that has to look things up and try and prove it to you. WHAT? And she wasn't letting me go until she made her point. Lovely. Even my dd commented, "What is wrong with her?" Attitude. Bad attitude.

Ok. I'm done. Off my soap box. That wasn't so bad was it? I try not to be completely insane!

My girlfriend told me a joke yesterday so I will part with that. A blonde lady was robbed. They took all her valuables. The police dispatched their K-9 unit to her home. She was distraught, sitting on her front porch crying when the officer stepped out of his car with his dog. Her friend was there and asked her why she was so upset. "After all, the police are here."

The blonde lady replied, "Well, it's bad enough I was robbed and they took all my valuables, but they sent a blind policemen to my house with his seeing eye dog."

A Great Day in Our House

My cousin's son last summer in our pool.
The Briny Deep
My Bracket Fetish I
Paris Cafe Alpha Clear
Doodle Frames Rebecca McMeen (not available)
DST CT Appreciation Alpha
Inspiration Scrap Words CottageArts

Okay, I have another driver in my home. Ds passed his driver's test. He is so excited. And how long do you think it took for the first fight over sharing the car? I'm not even sure they made it out of the school parking lot.

I got a call. It was dd. DS was going to McDonalds. She wanted to go get a book for her class. Intervention! Peace! It all worked out.

Had to explain to dd how excited she was when she got her license. So ds wanted to drive. Ah, the beginning...

And dd made Varsity cheer again this year. She made it last year as a sophomore so it was a pretty good guess she would make it this year, but you never know!

So each kid has something to be happy about, which makes me happy, too!

It took me all night to make that scrapbook page. I just kept working with it and trying to get it how I wanted. Anyway, while I was scrapping, I watched "Hell's Kitchen". That guy is some kind of mean, but I do enjoy the show since he is not yelling at me!

David Cook rocked AI, imo! He's my fav for this year. I know David Archileto (sp) is cute, but I'm a rocker, and I'd buy David Cook's stuff before the cute lil guy!

I love how teachers assign books to be read when (1) there aren't enough copies at the school for all the students in the class (2) there aren't enough books in the library for all the students in the class (3) there aren't enough books in the public library for all the students in the classes (4) the teacher never coordinated with the local bookstore so one doesn't have their books in on time and the other, well, we got the last copy. I might suggest to the teacher that she make sure that the bookstore and her reading are timed appropriately. Otherwise, how do all the students get the material in a timely manner to complete the assignments?

And I leave you with a chilling thought from my world...

Now, who will be driving to school tomorrow?