Monday Mailer and good news to share

I want to share the Monday Mailer I mailed last week.  Our theme this month is to make a card using the Big Shot (or Cuttlebug) in your card.  I used my new Lattice die. 

It's hard to tell, but the Autumn DSP from the mini catalog is in the background.  The bird is from Wings of Friendship.

Hope you enjoy it!

I have good news also.  After much praying, my daughter got TWO offers this weekend on her DC condo.  The first offer came in on Friday and was ridiculously low.  These people have been looking at her condo since July!  If they've seen it once, they've seen it about a dozen times.  She's probably lowered the price a couple of times while they were looking.  Guess they thought they could get a bargain if they waited long enough.  On Saturday, her realtor called and said there was another couple coming to look again with plans to draw up a contract.  The contract was sent to her today and it was much better!!  And .... they want to close earlier - Nov. 6 with no inspection!  She is going out tomorrow in San Antonio with her realtor there and looking for a house there.  Even though we looked at over 60 houses in June, most of the ones she liked are now gone.  But, at least she knows the areas she wants to look.  I just hate I'm not there to help her pick out her very first house.  But, I know she'll do fine!  Her criteria is a great kitchen and backyard for entertaining.  And of course, plenty of room for her parents to visit!!

My Steelers won today but had me scared again in the 4th quarter!  Final Steelers 28 Lions 20

We had dinner tonight at my sister's house.  Luckily, the Panthers won so she was happy!!

Trivia Answers

1. According to ExtremeChocolate.com's annual Halloween candy survey, Candy Corn was the most popular Halloween candy in 2004. In previous years, Snickers had held the #1 spot.
2. According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, you will see your future spouse.
3. 
   The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made in Ireland out of hollowed-out turnips. A piece of coal was inserted into the hollow and the "lantern" was meant to guide the way of poor old Jack who wasn't welcome in Heaven but was also barred from entering Hell for tricking the devil. According to legend, the devil gave this crude lamp to Jack so that he could walk the earth forever in limbo. When the Irish brought this tradition to America, they apparently decided that pumpkins were much easier to carve than turnips, and the modern-day Jack-o-Lantern was born!
4. 
   Although there are many theories on the origin and history of Halloween, it is generally accepted that Halloween dates back to an ancient Celtic festival known as Samhain, or the Celtic New Year. It was believed that the spirits of everyone who had died during the year would return on the eve of Samhain to seek living bodies to possess for the following year. The Celts would dress in ghoulish costumes and hold noisy revels in an attempt to frighten away these spirits. Food and drink was also offered to pacify the dead. There are many tales of unfortunate souls being burned at the stake because they were perceived to have been possessed by one of the returning spirits. Around the turn of the first century AD, Romans abandoned this custom of human sacrifice in favor of the burning of effigies.
   
5. According to the National Retail Federation's Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, the most popular Halloween costume in 2004 was Spiderman, with 2.15 million children dressing as their favorite superhero. Other popular costumes included princesses (1.8 million children), witches (1.3 million) and vampires (899,000).
   
6. The world's record for biggest pumpkin is currently held by a gigantic gourd weighing a whopping 1,385 pounds!
   
7. According to legend, a unibrow, tattoos, hairy palms, and a long middle finger are all signs of a werewolf.
   
8. The average American consumed 24 pounds of candy in 2002! It is believed that a large portion is consumed by kids on and during the days immediately following Halloween.
   
9. None of the "witches" put to death in the Salem Witch trials were burned at the stake. All those executed were hanged but one, Giles Cory, who was pressed to death. Several others died in prison, including Sarah Osborne, Roger Toothaker, Lyndia Dustin, and Ann Foster.
   
10. Samhainophobia refers to an abnormal and persistent fear of Halloween. This time of year may also stir up other phobias such as the fear of: cats (ailurophobia), witches (wiccaphobia), ghosts (phasmophobia), spiders (arachnophobia), the dark (nyctophobia), and cemetaries (coimetrophobia).
    
    
    
    
    So .... how many did you get correct?  Probably more than me!!  Leave me a comment and let me know.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Halloween Trivia

Here's some trivia for you.  Answers will appear here in the next few days.  See how many you can guess.

1) What was the most popular Halloween candy in 2004?

Choose Your Answer: A: Snickers, B: Candy Corn, C: M&Ms, D: Tootsie Rolls

2) According to superstition, if you stare into a mirror at midnight on Halloween, what will you see?

Choose Your Answer: A: Bloody Mary, B: Your Future Spouse, C: Your Death, D: Dead Ancestors

3) The first Jack-o-Lanterns were made out of what?

Choose Your Answer: A: Watermelons, B: Coconuts, C: Turnips, D: Pumpkins

4) Halloween is generally considered to have evolved from what ancient festival?

Choose Your Answer: A: Lammas, B: Beltane, C: Samhain, D: Ostara

5) What was the most popular Halloween costume in 2004?

Choose Your Answer: A: Spiderman, B: Witch, C: Vampire, D: George W. Bush

6) How much does the world's biggest pumpkin weigh?

Choose Your Answer: A: 245 pounds, B: 485 pounds, C: 685 pounds, D: 1,385 pounds

7) According to legend, a unibrow, tattoos, and a long middle finger are all signs of what Halloween creature?

Choose Your Answer: A: a werewolf, B: a vampire, C: a witch, D: a golem

8) How many pounds of candy did the average American consume in 2002?

Choose Your Answer: A: 6 pounds, B: 12 pounds, C: 24 pounds, D: 48 pounds

9) How many "witches" were burned at the stake in the Salem Witch Trials?

Choose Your Answer: A: Twelve, B: Twenty, C: Thirty-three, D: None

10) What phobia do you suffer from if you have an intense fear of Halloween?

Choose Your Answer: A: Phasmophobia, B: Samhainophobia, C: Wiccaphobia, D: Halloweenophobia

Mojo Monday Sketch

I haven't done a challenge in a while, so I decided to do one real quick tonight.  Here's my card for the Mojo Monday Challenge.  If you want to participate, just click on the box on the left and read all about it!

I used Taken With Teal cardstock along with DSP, Holiday Lounge.  I stamped the snowflakes in white on the Teal card from Serene Snowflakes (found in the Holiday Mini catalog).  The two rectangles are the DSP and I stamped (and embossed in white) one snowflake on each of them.  The sentiment is from DRS Designs.

Hope you like it!!

Monday Mailer - last one for September

We went to a Comedy Club tonight at the Galway Hooker, an Irish restaurant/bar in Cornelius.  The comedien was soooo funny!!  It is good for the soul to just laugh out loud once in a while and we definitely did tonight!  The comedian was Craig Shoemaker.  He was named Comedian of the Year by the American Comedy Awards on ABC and his half-hour Comedy Central special was voted by viewers as one of the network’s “Top 20” stand-up specials of all time.  He was also on The View last year (one of my favorite shows!)  Additionally, he has had his own nationally syndicated radio show, which after only ten months on the air, won the prestigious Communicator Award “Crystal” prize. Two of Craig’s stand-up comedy routines made it to the Top 10 list on XM Radio, with “Playing Army” ranking #1. His “Lovemaster” routine was voted Most Popular Comedy on XM Radio’s Big Schtick Awards and he did his Lovemaster skit tonight .... really, really funny!!    Anyway, he was great and we had a good time with our friends.  They gave me the Award for the Year for suggesting we go tonight.

I realized today that I did not share my last Monday Mailer of September.  I really liked this card and need to share!!

I used the birds from the Big Shot dies, Birds and Blooms.  Isn't it cute???  Just "go-jus" as Jan Tink would say!

Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

Here's a yummy potato recipe my Weight Watcher leader shared with the group:  Bon Appetite!!

Bacon-Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
Makes 4 servings (1/2 cup each)

POINTS® value per serving: 3

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp fat-free milk
1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup shredded low-fat sharp cheddar

2 slices center-cut bacon, crisp cooked and coarsely crumbled

1 scallion, finely chopped

1.Place the potatoes in a medium saucepan with enough water to cover by 3

inches; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until fork-tender, 20–25

minutes. Drain and return to the saucepan.

2.Add the sour cream, milk, salt, and pepper; mash with a potato masher

until the potatoes become creamy. Stir in the cheddar, bacon, and scallion.


Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cookbook Comfort Classics©2009, Weight
Watchers International Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Here are the final swap cards to share with you.  Hope you have enjoyed them and got some inspiration.  I know I have!

Recipe:  by Michelle Fischer (SDiegoGal on SCS)

Stamp:  Serene Snowflake

CS:  Basic Grey, Black, Vanilla, Apricot Appeal; Sage Shadow; Nouveau Riche DSP

Acc:  Black Grosgrain ribbon; distressing tool; paper piercer

Recipe:  by Lorien Clark (vz5dzh)

CS:  Pendant Park

Ink:  Old Olive; Choc Chip

CS:  Choc Chip; Vanilla; Old Olive

Acc:  Old Olive 1 1/4" striped grosgrain ribbon; Texture Cuts Wood Sheets; Background I Texturz Plates

I'm headed in to town to cheer on my Steelers although sad to say, I'm not too optimistic!

Sheetload of Cards

I subscribe to SheetLoad of Cards.  Every month, I receive in my in-box a free monthly e-zine (you know, like an on-line magazine) with sketches and card ideas.  They have a different sponsor each month and this month, it is DRS Stamps.  I love their stamps and their affordability!  Each month they encourage us to submit cards to them using the sketch in the e-zine.  So, this time, I decided to take them up on the challenge and actually made TWO cards!  Here they are:

I love this DRS stamp!  The sentiment is from Stampin' Up.

Isn't he the cutest??

So, check out Sheetload - they are offering free shipping for their featured sponsor this month!!

Candy

Here's a beautiful blog candy up for grabs!  Check it out!

Deal of the Week, Digital Studio and movies to see!!

Back again this year ..... During the month of October, Stampin' Up! will offer several discounted products as "Deals of the Week." No limits and no minimum purchase required.

Trio Flower Punch - $10.99
5 Flower Punch - $10.99
My Way Punch - $11.99

The Digital Studio is now available for purchase.  Watch a video HERE.  I have seen lots of cool things made with this software package.  It is not just for scrapbooking!  I don't have it yet so I can't give you any first hand knowledge.  BUT .... it is on my birthday want list.  My birthday is coming up in 3 weeks and I have already mentioned it to Sonny.  (Although I think it might have fallen on deaf ears ..... Ashley .... hope you are reading this!!)

I accompanied Sonny to the doctor's office today for that wonderful colonoscopy.  The procedure itself is not bad - you're out and don't feel anything.  If they could just come up with a better solution to the "prep work."  But, when you consider it's a test for colon cancer, I guess it's all worth it.  The doc did find a polyp and it was sent off for evaluation.  Unfortunately, that puts him on the "short list" and he'll have to do it again in 5 years!!  Maybe they'll come up with something better by then!

After the procedure, we enjoyed a good breakfast at Cracker Barrel and then headed to the movies.  Our choice today was The Informant with Matt Damon.  Uhhh ... not so good, in my opinion!!  I was falling asleep in the first hour so I got up and wandered around the theatre trying to find another film more to my liking!!  I found the Jennifer Anniston movie Love Happens.  I really enjoyed it!  Yep, it was a chick flick but I like chick flicks!!  Another thing I loved about the movie was all the great views of Seattle!  As you know, we moved to NC from there 3 years ago.  It is one beautiful place!  Anyway, I would recommend the movie although it is not getting good reviews.