Wordless Wednesday...

I'm OBSESSED...

With the QUEEN ANNE'S LACE SCARF...

Keeping Busy...

We've been busy with our Hoiiday Events...


Gingerbread Houses with Friends...

Classroom Christmas ("HOLIDAY") Crafting...

Visiting with "SANTA" (or as Lilley-Kate told me "Mom... he's not the REAL SANTA")...

And the 2nd grade HOLIDAY concert...

We still have to make cookies for the neighbors (and ourselves)...

and Go look at the neighborhood Christmas lights...

Tomorrow is the last day of school before WINTER BREAK...

And the snow continues to fall...

THIS Hot Mess...

Is at the TOP of my "TO DO" List...

Hem Hawing...

Well... it's COLD... 17* this morning... THAT is COLD...

I've been staying busy... doing a lot of things that I'm not really a FAN of doing... (this is NOT my favorite time of the year if I may offer a confession)... you know... all the HOLLY JOLLY HOLIDAY STUFF... I've been visiting LOTS of blogs and am just in AWE of all the neat crafty things people are doing for this holiday season... I think (ok... I pretty much KNOW) I was born "sans" the "I LOVE CHRISTMAS" gene... inherited (or I guess NOT inherited) from my FATHER'S side of the family tree... I mean... I don't DESPISE the whole season... just the "rush" of getting things done... having (OK.. not REALLY having... but being made to FEEL like "HAVING TO") to DO... when I don't REALLY want to... I'll get through it... but I am looking forward to Jan. 2nd already... is that WRONG???

One of the things I've been doing is HEMMING... HEMMING... HEMMING and more hemming... I don't MIND it... but I am NOT a FAN of this particular sewing "talent"... especially when the hem differs by about 1/2" on each leg (you know... the whole one leg longer than the other thing... really... I AM NORMAL)... I measure TWICE... and then TWICE more... and then one more time before I make the cut... I would like to know WHO the heck has legs as LONG as manufaturers make these pants??? (Peggy... betcha NEVER have to hem right???) So the HEMMING has come to an end for the moment... all pants/jeans/skirts DONE... something I had been wanting to mark off "THE LIST" since FALL...

On to the next thing...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We hope EVERYONE has LOTS of things to be THANKFUL for!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY...

Wordless Wednesday...

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

We woke up to RAIN this morning... Michael kept a close eye on the radar all day... and by noon all the rain had passed and by Trick or Treat time we were starting to see a bit of blue in the sky!!!

The HARDTS came over for Trick or Treating... since they live in the "country"... it's safer (and more "candy profitable") for them to come to our house for Trick or Treating... we make an evening of it... out for ToTing and then homoe to our house for some HOT CHEEZIE PIZZA and games...

Lilley-Kate was a MONARCH BUTTERFLY this year... and her friend Kylee was a BUMBLE BEE... the girls had a BLAST ToTing and saw lots of their friends in the neighborhood!

Hope everyone had a HAPPY HALLOWEEN too!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

CRAZY FOR...

CRAZY LOVE...


He's done it again... watch this... a single off his latest CD

Wordless Wednesday...

Look What I Got!!!...

Isn't it funny... it's the "littlest" things that can make a girl HAPPIEST!!!


Living in a house that is now almost 75 years old... with NO LINEN CLOSET... WHERE did the former owners in those 70 years PUT THEIR LINENS???


Well... I know WHERE I'm putting ours now... Michael "made" me a LINEN CLOSET (actually partially converted an exsisting closet in the spare room... he kept the "closet" and built around it)







The shelves sit on "cleats" and can be easily removed...

OH... the things that make us girls GIDDY!!! A place to put our towels... LOL...

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY...

Fall Fun...

Fall has "offically" arrived... Michael and Lilley-Kate spent Saturday afternoon raking up leaves in the backyard (the first of many "rakings" they will do)... we'd had a few days of damp, drizzly weather... translate... WET LEAVES... but that didn't stop Lilley-Kate from making her own pile to jump in!




Saturday was our first "sunny day" in a WEEK! A bit CHILLY... but SUNNY!!!

Today since Lilley-Kate didn't have school... we decided to try to beat the rain forecasted and headed out into the country to our (my) FAVORITE pumpkin patch... AAAAAAHHHHHH... pumpkins "gathered" by SIZE, SHAPE, COLOR... all in neat rows or stacked into BINS (You KNOW how HAPPY that makes me!!!!)

We made it there... CHILLY, MISTY, a bit BREEZY... and saw some pretty funny looking pumpkins...

We thought these "bumpy" gourds and pumpkins were hilarious!!!

I even cajolled Lilley-Kate to take her jacket off for a quick pic next to the scarecrow (it was CHILLY!!!)

We had to cut the visit a bit short... as the light drizzle turned into more... but we had a nice time....

Hope everyone had a nice weekend and Holiday!!!

Wordless Wednesday...

"SECRET" SAVER...

I (along with a couple of my "peeps") LOVE to save money... yes... I'm a "couponer"... I use them AND share them... whenever I make a shopping trip... I typically sit in the parking lot in my van before going in and go through my coupon organizer... plucking the coupons I intend to use... AND... any coupons I may have that are set to expire (within a couple days to a week) and then head into the store... as I am shopping (parusing the aisles) I tuck the "extra" coupons I have onto the shelves (or pull that plastic strip back enough so the coupon sticks straight up in front of the item) and become a "secret saver" (maybe "surprise saver" is a better term?)... I once stuck a BOGO coupon for womens razors on a shelf... and continued down the aisle... when I noticed a Mom and a teenage girl grab the coupon AND another pack of razors... they didn't know who left the coupon... but it sure made me feel good seeing someone get one of the coupons I was leaving... It doesn't take a lot of extra time... or effort (since I only clip coupons for products that I use)... and it makes me feel good knowing I MAY be helping someone else save a little "coin" during these hard times... I've even gotten friends of mine to start becoming "secret savers" too!!!


Every little bit helps...

Something to Think About...

Learning Something New...

The paints arrived today in the mail... I was so excited to try them out... I've been watching tutorials on YOUTUBE all week... Lilley-Kate was estatic!!!

5 On Friday...

WOOOOOOWEEEEEE... seems every time I turn around it's FRIDAY again... So here we go with my "5 On Friday"...




1. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the "layway" option... it's a DANG SHAME that MORE STORES don't offer this "service"...

2. Although I LOVE browsing other blogs... I am a bit baffled... how can "someone" post a SINGLE PICTURE with NO TEXT and get over 200 "hits"/comments???... and some of the comments don't relate in ANY WAY to the picture that is/was posted (I realize everyone interprets things DIFFERENTLY but still... )

3. I'm making it a goal that once the weather turns colder I am going to learn what I can of PHOTOSHOP... I believe it IS POSSIBLE to learn more than I know (which is how to load the pictures into PS and whiten teeth)... I'm determined... D E T E R M I N E D!!!!

4. Soon it will be CHILI and POT PIE season!!! Our "coldest" night so far has gotten down to 42*!!!

5. I don't understand... the kids have been in school LESS THAN A MONTH... WHAT could there be for parents to complain about ALREADY??? SERIOUSLY... I wish some people would just take a deep breath and step back...

Have a GREAT WEEKEND EVERYONE!!! :o)

A Day of Rememberance... 9/11/01

It's really hard to believe that it has been 8 years already... time has gone on... as have we... as individuals... and a nation... only stopping momentarily to briefly remember that life-changing, nation-changing day in 2001...

I heard today referred to as "Remembrance Day"... on the news and radio... and it made me wonder... DO WE REALLY REMEMBER??? TRULY REMEMBER that day... and the events that unfolded???

I remember... I WANT to remember... everything about that day... the CLEAR CLEAR blue sky... the sun shining so bright... the FEELINGS... HORROR... FEAR... DISBELIEF... ANGER... and SADNESS... deep deep SADNESS... and the SILENCE... so STILL...

I want to remember the guy down the street who came outside and walked up and down our street playing Amazing Grace on his trumpet... while the neighborhood came out, gathering in their front yards to listen... and just be... together... I want to remember the FLAGS... that appeared everywhere... a sign of UNITY and STRENGTH against an "UNKNOWN"... and the way I felt... seeing those flags... STRONG... and PROUD... UNITED

But with the passage of time... Memories have faded... and FEELINGS have changed... for some individually and as a nation... but I WANT TO REMEMBER... and if I my memories start to fade... and my feelings start to change... I WANT TO BE REMINDED... it's just that important...

That I NEVER FORGET...

5 on Friday...

WOW... it's FRIDAY already??? Yep... so here it is... 5 on Friday

1. I think people would be surprised to know what runs through my mind sometimes...

2. I could eat PIZZA for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner 365 days a year...

3. I LOVE Summer... HOT... HUMID SUMMER... the HOTTER the BETTER (I thank my Southern upbringing for that!)

4. I hate to be cold...

5. I wish I knew THEN what I know NOW... it would've made things a LOT easier!

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

DANG GOOD DIP!!!...

Wanna make the BEST DANG DIP for your next party??? Well... here ya' go... SUPER SIMPLE... and BELIEVE ME... once you make and take... it'll become a regular request!!! THREE (yes... only THREE... well... 4 if you like things on the SPICY SIDE) INGREDIENTS to YUMMINESS!!!


Ingredients Needed... 4 BLOCKS Philly Cream Cheese (gotta go "full fat" on this... it's a consistancy thing people... you won't be sorry!!!)... 1 lb. Jimmy Dean Breakfast Sausage (Regular... BUT... if you like SPICY then go with the HOT)... and 1 can ROTEL Tomatoes and Green Chilies... Again... like a bit of HEAT??? Then include the Crushed Red Pepper in the ingredient list!!!


OK... let's make some DANG GOOD DIP!!!


In a Large saucepan brown up the sausage, "chopping" it into small pieces as it browns... ***Add some crushed red pepper at this point if desired***... Drain (very well) the ROTEL and add to the sausage... heat through... reduce heat a bit... drop ONE BLOCK of room temp CREAM CHEESE in... stir to melt... adding additional blocks one at a time until all melted... STIR STIR STIR to mix well... SERVE HOT with corn chips (we like the kind shaped like little bowls)


DONE!!!


Just some "tips" to make this the BEST DANG DIP EVER... Drain the ROTEL WELL (you don't want to end up with PINK DIP (lesson learned!)... also... I have TRIED to "go cheap" on the Cream Cheese... DON'T (another lesson learned!)... my advice... if you want to "add some heat" do it while browning the sausage... once the cream cheese is added it's hard to get a good intensity over the cream cheese (lesson learned a third time!!!) And if you want the dip "less creamy? Just use 3 blocks of CC instead of 4 (it's a preference thing for some people but I always use 4)... Can be left out at room temp during the party (no worries) and reheats in the microwave GREAT!!!


I have been making (and taking and taking and taking) this dip to places for YEARS and it's ALWAYS a hit!!!


ENJOY!!! You're about to become the most "popular" guest at the party!!!

Wednesday WACKINESS...

Just some funny stories to make your WEDNESDAY a little "brighter"...


EMBARRASSING MEDICAL MOMENTS:

1. A man comes into the ER and yells, 'My wife's going to have her baby in the cab! I grabbed my stuff, rushed out to the cab, lifted the lady's dress, and began to take off her underwear. Suddenly, I noticed that there were several cabs -- and I was in the wrong one.. Submitted by Dr. Mark MacDonald, San Antonio , TX

2. At the beginning of my shift, I placed a stethoscope on an elderly and slightly deaf female patient's anterior chest wall. Big breaths, I instructed. Yes, they used to be, replied the patient. Submitted by Dr.. Richard Byrnes, Seattle , WA .

3. One day I had to be the bearer of bad news when I told a wife that her husband had died of a massive myocardial infarct. Not more than five minutes later, I heard her reporting to the rest of the family that he had died of a, 'massive internal fart.'Submitted by Dr. Susan Steinberg

4.. During a patient's two week follow-up appointment with his cardiologist, he informed me, his doctor, that he was having trouble with one of his medications. Which one, I asked? The patch, the nurse told me to put on a new one every six hours, and now I'm running out of places to put it! I had him quickly undress, and discovered what I hoped I wouldn't see. Yes, the man had over fifty patches on his body!Now, the instructions include removal of the old patch before applying a new one. Submitted by Dr. Rebecca St. Clair, Norfolk , VA.

5. While acquainting myself with a new elderly patient, I asked, How long have you been bedridden? After a look of complete confusion, she answered....Why, not for about twenty years -- when my husband was alive.' Submitted by Dr. Steven Swanson, Corvallis , OR

6. I was caring for a woman and asked, 'So, how's your breakfast this morning?It's very good, except for the Kentucky Jelly. I can't seem to get used to the taste,' the patient replied. I then asked to see the jelly, and the woman produced a foil packet labeled 'KY Jelly.' Submitted by Dr. Leonard Kransdorf, Detroit , MI

7. A nurse was on duty in the emergency room when a young woman with purple hair styled into a punk rocker mohawk, sporting a variety of tattoos, and wearing strange clothing, entered. It was quickly determined that the patient had acute appendicitis, so she was scheduled for immediate surgery. When she was completely disrobed on the operating table, the staff noticed that her pubic hair had been dyed green, and above it there was a tattoo that read, 'Keep off the grass.' Once the surgery was completed, the surgeon wrote a short note on the patient's dressing, which said, 'Sorry, had to mow the lawn.' Submitted by RN, no name.

AND FINALLY!!!...

8. As a new, young MD doing his residency in OB , I was quite embarrassed when performing female pelvic exams. To cover my embarrassment, I had unconsciously formed a habit of whistling softly.The middle-aged lady upon whom I was performing this exam suddenly burst out laughing and further embarrassing me. I looked up from my work and sheepishly said, I'm sorry. Was I tickling you? She replied, No doctor, but the song you were whistling was, 'I wish I was an Oscar Meyer Wiener.' Doctor wouldn't submit his name (Can't blame him!)

Happy WEDNESDAY EVERYONE!!!

Wanna Win Somethin'????...

WOW... here is a GIVEAWAY you don't want to let pass you by!!! It never ceases to AMAZE me how much TALENT there is in "blogland"!!!

Hurry over (or do that skippy thing if you are so inclined) to SKIP TO MY LOU and leave a comment (follow the entry instructions... super easy) for your chance to win a 12x12 print from her website www.redletterwords.com!!!

Deadline is September 6... so hurry on over!!! (And don't just enter for the giveaway... check out her blog and tutorials too!!! You won't be sorry!!!)

GOOD LUCK!!!

Back To School!!!

Today was the first day of school here... SECOND GRADE (how the heck did THAT happen so fast???)... Lilley-Kate was SO EXCITED to be going back to school... I think mostly because her classroom is located on the second floor... LOL... she was EXCITED and "rarin'" to go this morning... aaaaaaaahhhhhhh... UNIFORMS... LOVE THEM!!!





"Daddy" surprised her and met us at school this morning so he could walk her "only to the FRONT DOOR" (because according to Lilley-Kate "the big kid parents don't walk to the classrooms"... um... WHEN did you become a "big kid"???)...

Every year since Lilley-Kate started school we "surprise" her at pick-up with flowers and a balloon... I was glad that our local florist had a couple of "back to school" balloons this year!!! (Could it be possible the florist was tired of my griping about their BTS selection of balloons... or LACK of selection???)

Have a WONDERFUL year in SECOND GRADE Lilley-Kate!!! :o)

Easy Peasy...

We kinda did a "redecorating" of Lilley-Kate's room this Summer... Changed the WALL COLOR... from my FAVORITE Martha Stewart BUTTERCREAM to a FUN ART DECO PINK... went from a Cherry "theme"... to CANDY/Cabana STRIPE... (it was suppose to be SHABBY CHIC... but when Lk saw the stripes on a visit to "our" WALLIES I relented and changed direction)... I bought a few extra body pillowcases to do some "extras" with... ONE of them was a MEMORY BOARD for her room... She LOVES to have pictures in her room... so I thought this would be a FUN project...

I must say... seeing all the BEAUTIFUL Memory boards out in "blogland" that had been made was a bit intimidating... but I read (and reread... and REREAD again) a couple of tutorials and decided to plunge right in... and can I just say... "WHAT THE HECK WAS I AFRAID OF???!!!"... Not only was it SUPER EASY (thanks to some really good tutorials)... but I was able to "modify" my design (ok... I didn't have enough ribbon to do the criss crossy thing... so I used BIAS TAPE)... I have to admit... I LOVE THE RESULTS!!! I will DEFINITELY be making some more of these!!!

Most importantly... Lilley-Kate was THRILLED with it!!! :o)

Just a little "sidenote"... if you want to "know how" to make something ... just do a SEARCH for it... there are LOTS of GREAT TUTORIALS out there in blogland/on the web... I'll DEFINITELY be trying other things now!!!

5 On Friday...

WOW... it's FRIDAY already!!!



1. I've struggled this Summer... I'm HOPING Fall will be better


2. I'm EXCITED about the FALL TV line up... THANK GOODNESS for DVRs!!!


3. It never ceases to AMAZE me the TALENT that some people are "gifted" with... I wonder a lot... is it NATURAL talent... or something that was LEARNED??? Check out THIS girl and her TALENT.... AMAZING!


4. Lilley-Kate is VERY EXCITED about school starting on MONDAY... I'm excited for her... we worked over the Summer (daily "learning pages") and can now tell time on an ANALOG clock and she's got a good understanding of money...


5. I am ADDICTED to BOB'S OLDE TIME peppermint candy PURE SUGAR STICKS.... YUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMY!!!!


Hope everyone has a nice weekend!!!!

SUPER SUNDAY... (NIGHT)

We're winding down the weekend... starting the last week of Summer vacation... Last night I made ENCHILADAS for dinner (my sister's recipe) and they were YUMMY!!! Definitely will be making them again and putting my own "twist" on them!



Tonight is one of my FAVORITE TV nights!!!

BIG BROTHER
THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD aaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnd


MADMEN!!!!!!!

Hope everyone had a nice weekend!!!

FIVE... 5... CINCO... on FRIDAY...

Hi Everyone!!! It's THAT time... the "end of the week" (or do YOU consider SUNDAY the last day of the week???)... either way it's time for 5 on Friday!!!





1. Michael and Lilley-Kate went to the COUNTY FAIR this week... they had a GREAT TIME ("fairs" aren't MY cup o tea... so I stayed home and watched the TOP CHEF MASTERS marathon with our "shy child")... This is the second year Michael and Lilley-Kate have gone to the fair... and Lk was VERY EXCITED this year... she was tall enough to ride the SCRAMBLER!


2. We've had some FABULOUS thunder and lightning lately... and POURING rain... then 15 minutes later it's SUNNY... weird... of course this whole Summer has been weird weather wise!





3. I get REALLY SAD when I ride by a couple of the car dealers around town... the one's participating in the CASH FOR CLUNKERS scam (I mean PROGRAM)... one not far from us has a 2006 JEEP COMMANDER spraypainted ALL OVER and the front windshield smashed... I have to wonder... was that car REALLY a CLUNKER???

4. I think THIS SEASON of BIG BROTHER (11) has been the BEST YET!!! And the BIGGEST LOSER starts on September 15th!!!

5. Hard to belive next week is our "last week" of Summer vacation! School starts here the 31st... thinking of planning a couple of "fun" things to do... we'll see!

Have a nice weekend EVERYONE!!!

Tids and Bits on Tuesday...

Just a few random thoughts for today...

Watched the season premiere of MADMEN last night (ended up having to DVR it on Sunday)... let me just say FAAAAAAAAABULOUS!

Our $5 Bill "fast" is doing GREAT... I haven't "counted" the bills yet... but the can continues to fill... I couldn't remember EXACTLY what day we started it... so I'm going with August 1st

I would LOVE to go see "Julie and Julia"... I've heard WONDERFUL things about it... but with the going matinee price at $8... I'm thinking I'll wait until it comes out on DVD

I WISH I could be as MOTIVATED and TALENTED as one of my DEAR FRIENDS... she NEVER ceases to AMAZE me!

It has been oppressivley HOT and HUMID here... FINALLY... SUMMER... but not for long I'm sure!

I only SOLD 3 auctions this cycle... not GREAT... but I'll take it

We registered for DANCE... starting in September... Lilley-Kate only chose TAP this year... I was a BIT SAD... but she'll enjoy the class (and promised to return to BALLET next year)

LOTS to do to get our "shy child" ready to return to college in a couple weeks... thankfully he was too "lazy" to unpack most of his stuff when he came home at the beginning of the Summer... LOL

Michael is planning to take Lilley-Kate to the county fair tomorrow... we're forecasted for storms the next few days... so HOPEFULLY they will get to go!

Have ironing to do... want to (RE)organize my "catch-all" room... finish up some SEWING...

Hope EVERYONE has a GREAT TUESDAY!

All In The Family...

One of the things that Michael "passed on" to the kids is a LOVE of GOLF... which even after 20+ years of marriage I still don't "get"... anyway...


It has become an evening "ritual" this Summer that they have chipping and putting practice in the back yard... Michael sets up a little kiddie pool (it use to be ABBIE'S pool) out in the yard and they practice chipping the balls into the pool... Michael and our "shy child" hit it more times than not... Lilley-Kate has hit it 4 times this Summer (and done the "Tiger arm pump" each time)...


Soon the nightly ritual will end... as school and activities take up the evening hours... but it sure has been nice to be a spectator of growing relationships in the back yard...

5 On Friday...

My Friend JENN recently started a little diddy she calls "10 on Tuesday"... I thought it was a fun idea so I decided to start "5 on Friday" (I decided trying to come up with 10 interesting things all in one fell swoop would leave me sitting here all day... LOL...) So here we go.... the first FIVE ON FRIDAY...


1. I am old enough to remember life without UNLEADED GAS, MICROWAVES, REMOTE CONTROLLED TVs, ANSWERING MACHINES, CELLPHONES, DIGITAL CAMERAS, and COMPUTERS (and no... I'm not THAT OLD!)


2. I am old enough to remember life with ASSIGNED SEATS ON THE SCHOOLBUS, ASSIGNED SEATS IN CLASSES, CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN SCHOOLS, HOME EC. CLASSES and AFTER SCHOOL DANCES (and again... I'm not THAT OLD!)


3. I am old enough to remember life without 24 HOUR NEWS CHANNELS, MTV, VH1, BET, FOOD NETWORK, NICKELODEON, LIFETIME and CABLE TV!


4. I am old enough to remember life with AFTER SCHOOL SPECIALS, SATURDAY MORNING (only) CARTOONS, THE WALTONS, HAPPY DAYS, DALLAS and WILD KINGDOM! (and I don't even walk with assistance yet!)


5. I am old enough to remember life without DRIVE THRU BANKING, ATMS, DEBIT CARDS, and FAST FOOD RESTURANTS TAKING CREDIT CARDS!

Like I said... I'm not THAT OLD... but sometimes I sure feel THAT OLD!


Have a nice weekend everyone!