Wednesday, January 27, 2010

It's Been A While ....

Time to catch up !!!

Here are a few things tickling my fancy these days ...

1. Just finished reading "Knit Two" by Kate Jacobs ... nice to catch up with the gang from the Friday Night Knitting Club ! Now I am on to Wally Lamb's "Wishin' and Hopin". So far it's good ... reminds me of my childhood ... actually it would be EXACTLY like my childhood if I was 10 years older, Catholic, if my Dad ran a lunch counter at the bus depot, if I had sisters, and ... oh yeah, if I were a boy. So it's close ....

2. Magazine Recycling ... I have been bringing stacks of them in here for anyone to take and enjoy ... okay some may be missing a recipe but most are "original condition" ... anyway, it makes me feel good to see them out of my blue bag and off to another home ! Pass it on !

3. TOTE ADDICTION ... I think I have it. Is there a 12 step program ? I have bought 20+ different totes and several shelves and rolling carts in the last 2 weeks. I have put stuff in ONE of them. I just enjoy the IDEA of being organized ...

4. ZIGZAG stitch ... I have been using my new sewing machine and really enjoying it. Those are two words ( ENJOY + SEWING MACHINE) ... I know ...3 ...that I have never said together before !! Anyway, so far just on paper but I have another project up my sleeve ... I have been fusing plastic bags together to make a fabric and the day is coming when that very fabric will become tote bags ... or gift bags ... or aprons ... but probably not pants.
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5. STELLA and her FAB prints !!! I bought this print from http://www.stellagirl.etsy.com/ and I LOVE IT !!! And then she sent me some great gifts too so now I also LOVE HER !!! Check her out and buy something for yourself ... go on ... you'll be sooooo happy !
(p.s. ... do you know the story behind the "Keep Calm and Carry On" ? I love the posters - got one of those from Stella too. It was printed , I believe, in 1939 ( date may be off ...) in Britain to be used during the war to keep people calm and have life carry on. The posters were never used and were only recently discovered. They have become a real phenomenon and the jumping off point for all sorts of great slogans. I saw some products at Chapters this weekend that said "Keep Calm and Eat a Cupcake" ... 2 of my fave things combined !!! Wish now that I had bought one ... next time !!)

6. GLASS TILES !!! Just received a HUGE box of tiles of all shapes and sizes ... I will have necklaces and pendants for sale soon that I will make with them but I will also be selling just the pendants so you can make your own !! And ... hopefully ... the gorgeous Japanese paper to use with them . Soon, my friends, soon.

7. Miniature Wrinkle Dog ... yes, really ! One of Charlie's customers had her puppy in last week ... so cute !! Like a hairy little brindle accordion !! She will only be about 30lbs full grown. SWEET !

8. Music ... loving Down with Webster ( Canadian !!), the new Hedley CD (especially The Sweater Song), and Justin Timberlake's version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah ... only the best song ever written. And written by a poetic genius ... Anyway, you can download it from iTunes for the Haitian Relief effort. Awesome song, awesome cause .

9. Somerset Studio Magazines ... my CRACK !!! I even have an enabler at the book store who lets me know when they have come in. I start jonesing for them as soon as I know they are there . DROOL DROOL ...

10. The new paper lines from PINK PAISLEE ... can't wait !!

11. Jelly Belly Jelly Beans ... I have a big bag of them and every night I take a little pile and slooooooooooooowly eat them. But I have to guess the flavour before the next one. I offered some to Charlie but said he HAD to eat them one at a time. He "handfuls" them. That's just a waste. He refused my offer. Whatever. Anyway, they are so yummy ... except the Caramel Apple ... tastes like meat. UGH!

12. Collaged Canvases ... I have been painting, stamping, grunging, altering, decoupaging, ... to my hearts content !! It is so fun !!
Next on tap ... a glass fusing kit and an awesome book on soldering ... always more projects and supplies than I have time for but there is always something new to look forward to and be inspired by !!

13. A few randoms ... hand cream, skull & crossbones hubcaps ( gotta get me some of them !), Distress Embossing Ink, Claudine Helmuth paints, crispy grapes, pork stew.

Anyway, that's been my week. Tonight I bake cookies for my C.A.P.S. fundraiser this week. Drop in for a Morning Glory Cookie with Cream Cheese Icing OR Chocolate Buttermilk Sheet Cake with Fudgy Pecan Icingand a coffee or tea ... for a $2 donation to CAPS. Let's help those wonderful people with all their hard work !!

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HAVE A GREAT WEEK !!!

P.S. Here's a great coleslaw recipe ... maybe your old recipe needs a makeover ... a ZIPPY little make over !

In a bowl , whisk together ... a SQUIRT of yellow regular mustard (I would say about 3T), a few spoonfuls of green relish ( like for hotdogs), a good splash of rice wine vinegar, a sprinkle of sugar or squirt of honey , and then whisk in some canola oil ... you'll know when it's enough to be a nice dressing consistency. Taste it then add coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Add more sugar if needed. Then toss with whatever you usually put in your coleslaw ... cabbage, carrots, red pepper slivers, etc... Really good !! Zippy but sweet !!

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Here's Nellie , Charlie's feed store cat, hiding in my store ... this is about 7 feet up !!!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

WHiR ... WhiR ... wHiR ...

(that is the sound of a butt in gear ...)

Yes !! Finally !!! The holidays is a time of such ... well... sloth. Too much food, bad food, too much wearing of the pyjama pants, visiting, not working as much, visiting more, eating again, drinking, eating ... SLOTH !! And it is a hard pit to get out of ... hard to get the old "butt in gear". But I have !!

This week has been about being productive ... and digging it ! It's been about cooking ... homemade soup, cheesy biscuits, pasta with chicken/bacon/boursin cheese (yum), salads, ... all good cooked meals. (well ... er ... except for the cardiac canape recipe at the end of the post ...oops ...) I have tidied up (a bit ...) (that may be a direct result of watching "Hoarders" ... I am but one depressing incident away ...). Totes have been purchased to stow all the Hallowe'en stuff, Christmas presents have been put away, baskets have been found to hold all the DVD-VCR-Wii stuff. Things are looking up. I have organized my beading supplies, made plans and ordered supplies. A rolling kitchen island has been added to the kitchen and a cookbook shelf is on its way. I have kicked my old ornery sewing machine in the ass and have bought a new one - I am tired of fighting with that miserable machine !! I am feeling good about all this !!
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I spent yesterday making glass tile pendants and covering note books ... 27 of them actually !!
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I made a Creativity Journal and plan to keep track of what I make & do ... and I hope to do it most days ! So far, so good !!

I also planned out my "Cookies that Care " campaign ... the last weekend of each month looks like the perfect time. This month will be either Giant Morning Glory Cookies with Cream Cheese Icing or Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. I need to do a test run on the Whoopies first. Then I'll decide.

So things are humming along and I am thrilled !!


oh ... this is really REALLY a sloth thing ... but delish !!! ( Believe me - it is !) But you feel like maybe you should have a cardiologist on speed dial or be sitting by the trailer with Julian & Bubbles when you eat it ... everyone that I have talked into trying them or making them though agrees ... delish !!

You take one pkg of weiners, cut them in quarters. Take a package of bacon and cut the slices in thirds. Wrap each little weinie with a bacon piece. Pack them into a baking dish, sprinkle with 1 cup of brown sugar and bake for 1 hour at 350. Then eat. Shhh ... listen ... do you hear that ? CHOLESTEROL RISING !! But you will get this dumb happy but guilty look on your face and your hand will sneak over repeatedly to the dish ... If you want to be fancy, pass the toothpicks !!! DO NOT EAT THESE on a regular basis ... I am sure they could kill you !!!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

It's over !!!! Back to NORMAL !!!

Wow ... the holidays kill me ... I never know what day it is or whether I am supposed to be going to work ... I eat too much junk and I hate all the reruns on TV(those 24 hour "Holmes on Homes" marathons are TOOOOO much !!). So I am always so happy to be back to the so-called normal life ! Bring it on !!!
Christmas was nice ... we frantically wrapped all the gifts for family on Christmas eve, then shoved our presents for each other back in the shopping bags and pretended they were wrapped ... worked for me ... (I hate wrapping !!) So it was a WONDERFUL HalloWIIn Christmas at our house... a new Wii that we are loving and lots of great "Halowe'enie" style gifts. AWESOME!!!
Photobucket (hmmm ... not only did we not wrap them Charlie apparently left the tags on ... maybe to simulate gift tags ...)
Photobucket Some AWESOME movies !!! "Coraline" is one of my ultimate favourites ... it is sooo beautiful (the animation) ... the opening credits are gorgeous and I could (and WILL) watch them over & over. And this time it will be in 3D !!!! And who can resist "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" ??? "Let's do the time warp again ...."PhotobucketPhotobucket
I even scored some cool things for Charlie ... a skull rear view mirror for the hearse, a Dracula tree ornament that TALKS, and a GLOW-in-the-DARK skeleton shirt !!!
And , yes, my friends, that IS what you think it is ... my MOST FAVOURITE thing ... A HEARSE PURSE !!!!
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And then our Wii ... I am pretty much a pro bowler now and a tennis ace ... not to mention an amazing canoe-er. I have never "canoed a boat" before so I am pretty happy with all the records I am SHATTERING !!!! I may go pro ... (except for my very sore arms and shoulders ...) I am worried though that I may become really BUFF from the waist up ... and still have the same legs ... Scary thought !!!
New year's Eve was quiet ... we went to Charlie's step mom's and spent the evening with her ... eating cheese, drinking wine, and having a great chat. Nice way to end the year !! We started the New Year with a funeral ... not the best way to start off but it happens. The funeral was on the Saturday of the snow storm ... we had quite a trek to the graveyard and a horrendous trip home.I was REALLY happy to see our house !!!
Now it is back to normal ... no resolutions ... I don't really believe in them ... no word to "theme" my upcoming year ... don't believe in that either. I just want to do the best I can for myself and those I love. Period. And by doing that,the year should be just fine !!
Hope to hear from you or see you soon !!!
P.S. Here are a few "Dilly Updates" ...
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The baby we call "Dilly"
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Dilly hanging with some of the big cats.
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A bad picture but ... this is what Dilly does to poor Earl ... she climbs on him and uses him as a chew toy ... poor fella !!

... a few of my favourite things ...