Monday Mailer

I've got a couple of Monday Mailers to share with you. This is the card Nikki sent to me. She used the top note die with Candy Lane DSP. The stamp set is Happy Heart Day.

This is the card I mailed today to my Tina, my MM partner. It is an acetate card.

Stamp set: Itty Bitty Buds (hostess set)

Ink: Riding Hood Red; Regal Rose; Garden Green

Paper: Candy Lane DSP; Black; Whisper White; Pink Pirouette; acetate

Access: Photo Corner Punch; Pink Pirouette Striped Grosgrain; brads

This is the inside of the card.The saying is from Echoes of Kindness, another hostess set.

A Busy Week

It's been a busy few days.  Our friends from Texas, Margaret and Graham, were here for a few days to visit us before heading over to their daughter's home to babysit.  After we picked them up at the airport on Wednesday, Margaret and I convinced the guys to drop us off at a stamp store in Charlotte for a little bit!!  We spent about half an hour just browsing.  Surprisingly, the only thing I bought was a "C" plate for my Cuttlebug which I gave to my daughter last month.  My C plate broke in half and I have been unable to find one to buy anywhere.  Then we headed to Davidson to the Brick House to have dinner, drinks and conversation.  The restaurant was really crowded with Davidson and Clemson fans waiting for the basketball to start. 

Thursday, the guys volunteered for the Red Cross while Margaret and I played in my stamp room.  We had a ball visiting and crafting.  On Friday, we went to Churchill Assisted Living in Mooresville and helped the residents make calendars.  It was so rewarding.  My neighbor, Marilyn's mother is there and she asked me if I would do this for the residents.  My sister, Marianne and friend, Judy came along too to help.  In fact, Judy and I split up the kit making - with Judy making 15 and me making 15 so it wasn't too bad.  We had a really good turn-out after coaxing a few of them to join us and the ladies (and a few gentlemen) were quite pleased with their calendars.  I think we will probably do something similar again next month for Easter.

We took them to Charlotte on Saturday to meet their daughter.  Our visit always ends too soon and there's always a lot of projects we want to do that never get done.  Margaret tells me every visit that she will come back for a week on her own next time but that never happens!!  (Her husband retired as a pilot from American Airlines so it's not a problem to get on a plane and fly here.)  Oh well, we just make the best of the time we get when she is here usually.

Judy, Marianne, Margaret and me at Churchill -

Some of the residents working on their calendars.

Marilyn (in middle) helping two of the ladies make calendars.

100 Things to Do ....

I've seen this before and decided I would finally do it. This list is a questionaire of sorts. You are supposed to bold or color the things you've done. I bet my daughter's list will be longer than mine!! (edited - I missed #42 - thanks Ashley!)

Feel free to play along!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (tambourines - out of tune, I'm sure!)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland, (Disney World)
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelos David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving,
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had Chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Monday Mailer from Last Week

 

Another card that's been traveling around in my purse!  I received this from my Monday Mailer buddy, Nikki last week for Valentines.  She used the new heart punch, the die cut envelope and the stamp set, Love You Much.  Isn't it gorgeous!!

Thanks Nikki!!

A forgotten Valentine

 

I just realized I forgot to share this great Valentine I received last week.  That's because it's been in my purse for several days.  Isn't this just yummy???  I just love it.  It is from my friend, Brenda, who owns Stampers Alley in Mooresville.  The green is just beautiful especially with the little green crystals!

American Idol

OK, folks - this is Post #2 for today.  Can't forget about American Idol.  Just thought I'd give you my take on it tonight.

First off, they had us confused with the change-up of the format.  It was hard to pick just 3 from the 12 to go on this time.  What if when you get to another group of 12, they're all bad and you could have picked 5 from another group????  I do believe they are milking the show - 3 nights of 12 performances each!!

1. Little Less Conversation — Jackie Tohn - She just didn't do it for me.  The spandex pants were a little too much!!
2. Ricky Braddy - He got one of my votes.  I liked him and thought it was cute that people had on Braddy Bunch shirts.
3. Never Loved A Man — Alexis Grace  Another vote-getter for me.  I thought she was really good.
4. Hick Town — Brent Keith He was ok, but I don't think country songs are going to make the grade with the judges.
5. You Belong With Me — Stevie Wright  Not good at all!!  She needs to go back to her high school talent show!  I felt sorry for her, but at 16, she didn't cry.
6. Angel of Mine — Anoop Desai  I really like him, but not so impressed with his choice of song.  Think he'll make it through.  Got another of my votes.
7. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic — Casey Carlson  No - she's not going to make it either.  She was a little distracting with making faces.
8. I Don’t Wanna Be — Michael Sarver  I really like this guy but not sure that he'll go through either.
9. Natural Woman — Ann Marie Boschovich Don't think the judges were sold on her plus she put her foot in her mouth at the end talking to the judges! 
10. Stephen Fowler  I felt so sorry for this guy last week during Hollywood week.  He forgot the lyrics and started over; then screwed up again and ended up banging his piano and walking away.  But they gave him another shot.  Unfortunately, the judges didn't like that he picked a Michael Jackson song.  I actually thought he was pretty decent.
11. Saving All My Love For You — Tatiana Del Toro This girl has just about driven me crazy all during the other shows and I figured she would be just full of herself tonight.  She does have a very good voice though.  But tonight, she was very subdued.  She had the judges stumped!!  And she didn't even laugh (she sounds like a hyena!!)  I just don't think she has America on her side though.
12. Hero — Danny Gokey THE BEST!!!  This could be our next American Idol!!  He definitely got my vote!!  This guy has a hard luck story (don't they all?).  He lost his wife last year.  During all the try-outs, his best friend has been competing too.  Unfortunately, his friend got cut last week at Hollywood.  He was sitting in the audience tonight supporting Danny.

Sympathy Card

Sympathy cards are always hard ones.  A girl in my Newcomers Group lost her father last Saturday and I wanted to send her a card.  This is the one I made.  I really like it - simple but elegant.

I have this Crate Paper for a while and I just layered it on a black card.  I used a different pattern to die cut the leaves.  I used my Nestabilities Labels #2 for the words.  The stamp set is from Little Paper Shop.

This Week's Monday Mailer

I went to the movies today and saw "Taken" with Liam Neeson.  It was really good.  I would recommend it to you!

Here is the card I mailed out today to Tina, my Monday Mailer partner.

Recipe:

• Cardstock:  Pink Passion; Pink Pirouette; Black; Whisper White
• Ink:  Black, Pink Passion
• Stamp:  Love You Much
• Accessories:  Big Shot, Texturz Plates, Circle Punches; Markers; Pretties Kit flower; Scallop Punch

My Milk Carton Box and my sister's were on another blog site today.  I got the pattern from Becky Roberts and her site is a really good one.  Check out her blog here.

Birthday card and challenge

I started out the day by having to get rid of most of my African Violets.  I was so sad!  I had about 8 violets and they always look so pretty - one plant I have been able to grow well.  A few weeks ago, I noticed one of them looking a little droopy and had some dirt on the leaves (or so I thought).  A few days ago, I discovered that most of them had this "dirt" on them.  It really looks like little specks of brown dirt.  I researched it but never came up with what it might be.  So, I am figuring it is some type of pest - aphids or something that has spread from one plant to the next.  I had a couple of plants who looked like they were O.K.  So, I tossed the other plants in the garbage.  I took all the pots and soaked them in bleach water.  I repotted and divided the plants I am hoping are ok, so we will see.  Tomorrow I am going to go out and get some spray for them to make sure I get it all.  Keep your fingers crossed for me.  Perhaps, you have some suggestions????

Sonny rode down to the beach with my brother in law to pick up some furniture, so I had a good old lazy day!!  I slept in; ate my leftover BBQ about 2 pm and had scrambled eggs for dinner!!

I made this card for a challenge posted on the NMBS Blog.  The challenge was to use paper piercing in a way that you may not have before.  Here's what I did - I paper pierced the designer paper and around the cupcakes.  I've enlarged the area so maybe you can click on it and see it better.  You, too, can enter this challenge - go to the NMBS blog and see how.  Let me know if you make a card for the challenge & I will post it on my blog (if you e-mail it to me).

This card is for a friend of mine .... who used to be a friend of my son's until he got married.  Funny how that happens, huh?  Anyway, her birthday is Feb. 22nd and I always send her a card.  

Recipe:
Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes & All Year Cheer I (retired)
Paper: Cameo Coral; Orchid Opulence, Whisper White; Rose Red; Raspberry Tart DSP
Ink: Copic Markers; Black & Rose Red stamp pads
Access:  New SU Scallop Punch, Corner Rounder, Ticket Punch, Dimensional Adhesive, Paper Piercing Tool & Mat Set

Happy President's Day!!

What I've Learned this Week

Musings of a Housewife sponsored a carnival about What I've Learned This Week.

Well, I don't know if what I learned this week will make President Obama stop and say, wait .... let's see what Sharon has to say, but here goes anyway!

• I learned Blissdom sounds like a lot of fun!!
• I learned that when it comes to blogging, some people (not mentioning names) think it's ok to blog about other people in a derogatory manner. They think it makes them look "cool". I do NOT!! That's rude and crude and probably reflects your up-bringing.
• I learned that you should not believe everything you read .... especially on the Internet. Especially if you don't know the full story!
• I learned that people who are not rational themselves should not call others irrational.
• I learned that it is good to have a lot of friends even if everyone does not approve of said friends.
• I learned that sometimes families can be very dysfunctional and there's not a lot you can do about it .... but wait it out.
• I learned that family members and good friends can come through for you and can be that shoulder to cry on to get you through the tough times.
• I'm trying to learn to keep my mouth shut and not be the bait for others to control.
• I've learned the Serenity Prayer this week BY HEART!!

Chocolate for Valentine's

Giving dark chocolate to your Valentine might be more than sweet; it could help guard your true love against cancer. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that have been shown to combat cell damage that can lead to tumor growth. These antioxidants occur naturally in the cacao beans used to make all chocolate products. People should look for dark chocolate that contains at least 65 percent cacao, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Recommended servings for dark chocolate are seven ounces per week, or about one ounce per day.

Well, I bought a bag of Dove milk chocolates Sunday to use them for Valentine treats. Guess who's eaten more than she's given away???? Dove are my favorites!!! Maybe I'll put a few in Sonny's Valentine tomorrow.

Here's the Valentine my hubby's getting. We probably won't do a lot for Valentines - maybe go to the movies and out to eat. After 38 Valentine's together, we know we love each other every day!! He actually asked me last week if I'd just go upstairs and make a card for him!! He said he had a lot of money invested in my card stuff so it would be better than him going to Hallmark!! Of course, I suggested that I get all the supplies out and let him make his own. Don't think that's gonna happen!! Ashley, where are you when your dad needs you????

HERE are some interesting facts about Valentine's. Did You Know???

Hope your day is SWEET and you get lots of chocolate or whatever will make you happy!!

edited to add - Well, I got a beautiful card for Valentine's - not hand-made, but from Hallmark. I'm so bad - I always check the back to see how much they cost. $5.00!! That's highway robbery!!! Of course, he also gave me the Hallmark bag .... seems they're having a sale where you got 20% off everything you can stuff in the bag!!

Serenity Prayer

I am going through some family trials and have been repeating this Serenity Prayer to myself. It's funny how the mind works. I was checking out my daughter's Facebook last night and discovered that she has been saying the prayer also to get her through the day. Maybe that is why we are so close and love each other so much - we are definitely on the same wave-length. Hopefully, it is true what they say - life doesn't throw more at you than you can handle. And when I look at this sweet face, I know it is all worth it.

I love you, Jayce!

SERENITY PRAYER

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Monday Mailer

I want to share the Monday Mailer that I mailed this week.  I really love how this card turned out - hope Tina does too!! 

I used the Love You Much stamp set and the Candy Lane Designer paper.  I punched a hole through the top layers so you could see the love birds.  And I used the hearts to make leaves. 

This is the card opened.

MAYA ANGELOU'S' BEST POEM EVER

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
enough money within her control to move out
and rent a place of her own,
even if she never wants to or needs to...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
something perfect to wear if the employer,
or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..a youth she's content to leave behind....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to
retelling it in her old age....
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra....

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,
and a recipe for a meal,
that will make her guests feel honored...
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..
a feeling of control over her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

how to fall in love without losing herself..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without;
ruining the friendship...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder... and  WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....
that she can't change the length of her calves,
the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect....but it's over...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.. .
whom she can trust,
whom she can't,
and why she shouldn't take it personally...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
or a charming  Inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...
EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
What she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...

On A Roll

Sunday I was on a creative roll!  I've not felt too creative lately.  Seems I come upstairs to my craft room and just putter around and end up spending too much time on the computer - reading blogs, playing spades, etc!  But on Sunday, I got up and actually fixed breakfast and read the paper.  Afterwards, Sonny went to the garage to work on our map table that he is redoing and I came upstairs and made a few cards.  I actually should have been downstairs cleaning since my bridge ladies were coming on Monday.  Oh well, they were just here in January and saw a clean house that time!  Actually, we met my family in Mooresville for dinner (Yum - Mexican!) and I straightened up when I got home ... with Sonny's help vacuuming for me!  Ain't he sweet???  Think I'll keep him!

I made this card using the Sale-A-Bration stamp, Polka Dot Punches.  I just love this card!!  I stamped the flowers on Night of Navy, Bashful Blue and Pink Pirouette cardstock in white craft ink and heat embossed.  The middles are stamped on Certainly Celery and the leaves are actually the flower petals cut apart.  The patterned paper is Bashful Blue Patterns paper (p. 159).  The saying is a rub-on from Chit Chat.  The little pink flowers is actually a Sizzix die cut (page 198).

This is the die cut Flower.

This card was for a challenge on NMBS (No More Bad Swaps) group that I am a member.  We had to create a shaped card.  This is a Wordsworth Wild Card template.  The card base is Kraft cardstock with Manchester designer paper.  The little train and giraffe are from Great Impressions (from their Stamp of the Month for this month).  "Hugs & Kisses" is SU's All Holidays.  I used an exacto knife to cut away the triangle.

Here is the card opened.  Isn't this perfect for a little boy???

Love You Much Monday Mailer

This beautiful card was my Monday Mailer this week. It came from my NC SU friend, Nikki.

She used the stamp set, Love You Much with the Candy Lane designer paper. She used the new Heart Punch to punch out the little hearts on the circle. I really love this card!!

I Love A Bargain!

Don't you just love a bargain .... or at least thinking you've gotten a bargain?  I think I got a couple of bargains today!  I taught my class this morning.  I had a full class of 8 ladies and it went a lot smoother than my Thursday night class - they're the guinea pigs!!  After class, Judy and I went to lunch which proved not to be an easy task.  We were trying to come up with something a little different so we decided on Chinese food.  Well, after going to 2 different Chinese restaurants in Mooresville and neither being open, we opted for the Sport Page and had burgers!  After lunch, my Michael's coupons were burning a hole in my pocket, so we headed over there.  Right in the front door, I found the bargains!!  I bought this for $3!  It had been $24.99!  The handle on one of the drawers was not attached, but when I got home, Sonny fixed it for me with pop-rivets.

Then .... I found this for $4.  It had also been about $25.  The middle handle is on upside down (who cares?) and it is a little warped, but for storage purposes, you can't beat $4!!

I'm not sure yet what I'll keep in the top one.  Right now, I have a catalog in the top part and some cards I'm making for a couple of swaps in the lower containers.

But, the 3 drawer container, I have all my Sizzix and Cuttlebug "stuff"  in.  Here's a closer look.

Milk Cartons

This week has been all about making milk cartons and a holder for them!!  Last night I did a class at Stamper's Alley in Mooresville making the milk cartons from Becky Roberts.  (check hers out HERE).  And tomorrow, I'll be doing another class.  Here's the one we are making in class.  It was supposed to be for Valentines, but some of the gals didn't want it to be too "hearts and kisses" so this paper is versatile enough I thought for any occasion.

 

My sister wanted to make one too but since her son has a soccer game tomorrow, I told her to come on over today and we'd make one.  So this morning, she and my friend, Judy, came over.  We had a great time making their boxes, chatting and then enjoying my pasta salad at lunch!  Marianne's company has just scaled them back with a pay cut and 4-day work week, so this was her first Friday off.  We had to celebrate it someway!!  Here are their boxes - although they are not quite finished (they still need ribbon on the handle) but you can admire their handi-work!

This one is Marianne's.  Her favorite color is purple and everything she makes has purple in it!!  She stamped the flower from the retired SU set, Time Well Spent.

This one is Judy's.  She used a circle punch to punch out some of the little circles from the decorative paper - wasn't that clever??  She is also taking my class tomorrow and is making these for her grandchildren.

Pass Out

This picture brought back some funny memories!!

When we were dating - back in the '70's - I had this game.  We were playing it one night with some friends in our apartment complex (we lived in a Singles Only complex in Greensboro).  Per the instructions, you had to take several drinks during the game for various reasons.  When you had to go to the bathroom, there was a little plastic whistle that you had to blow the whole time you were in the bathroom.  Whenever you stopped blowing the whistle, you had to take a drink when you came out of the bathroom.  Well, I had a very shy bladder and trying to "pee" and blow a whistle at the same time was not an easy thing for me to do.  In fact, I could not do it at all!!  When I came out of the bathroom, I had probably stopped blowing about 5-6 times at least and to top it off, I had never been able to go pee!!  In hindsight, all you had to do was just not blow the whistle at all & that would only have counted for only one stopped time!!!  We weren't thinking that straight - we were young, what can I say??!! 

Final January Monday Mailers

As promised .... some cards to share.  These are the last Monday Mailer cards I received from Brenda last week.

This one is my favorite.  I love how she did the foggy moon.

This is an acetate card.  The snowflakes are stamped on the acetate.  I love the blue and red color combo.

This month, it is a "Love Month" theme.  We are making cards with hearts on them OR a red or pink card.  I forgot to take a picture of the card I sent (was in a hurry to go to Pittsburgh).  But, when I receive my card from my Monday Mailer partner, I'll be posting it for your enjoyment!

We Made the News!

Yesterday after we left the hotel, we had to make a few important stops before heading back to NC.  We went to the "strip district" in Pittsburgh where vendors sell everything "Steelers" on the sidewalks.  We wanted to get some Super Bowl gear and a copy of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette before we hit the road.  After buying our stuff, we were headed back to the car when a reporter stopped us and interviewed us about the game and what we had just bought.  Since she was a reporter for the AP, she wasn't sure what paper her article would be in - whoever picked it up.  Well, today we did a Google search and found out her article was picked up by a bunch of papers - New York, Penn., Chicago, US News & World Report, Boston, etc.  She made a few errors in her report - like Sonny's age and the fact that Harrison is not our grandson, but our nephew, but, hey .... we're in the news!!

Here is an excerpt of the article.  If you want to read the whole article, click HERE.

Pittsburgh restaurants and bars were packed on Sunday for hours before and after the game. Bars and clubs in popular sections of the city tacked on a cover charge. One trendy bar began at $5 about an hour after the victory and within minutes had upped the cover to $10. Despite some face-making, wallets opened and people partied.

Sonny Maranich, 60, a native Pittsburgher who drove seven hours from his new home in Mooresville, N.C., for the Super Bowl, spent the last few hours of his weekend in the Strip District, buying everything from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to that one last Hines Ward jersey.

His grandson, 14-year-old Harrison Webb, had already bought his Super Bowl hat the night before and had it perched backward on his head early Monday.

The family stayed in a suburban hotel for the weekend, their second visit to the area in a month; they also journeyed north for the AFC Championship Game in mid-January, when the Steelers secured their spot in the Super Bowl by beating the Baltimore Ravens 23-14.

Maranich paid $50 just to reserve a table in a restaurant to watch the game, and the family had to be there by 3 p.m., giving them three hours to spend money before the game even started.

Maranich's wife, Sharon, 60, was thrilled that she would be driving home with a happy husband and a plastic bag full of new Steelers stuff after an exhausting weekend of football and shopping.

"It was a nail-biter," she said. "My heart can't take it anymore; I'm getting too old for this."

Wish we could have been there today for the PARADE!! (click to  see video)

I promise ..... I'll post some creative work tomorrow!!

Sale-a-bration is here!!

Starting Sunday Feb 1st- March 31st... Sale-a-bration begins.

* Free product/s from the Sale-A-Bration catty for every $50 you spend.

* Host a workshop of at least $300 (before tax and shipping), you'll receive a free Sale-A-Bration reward, in addition to all of the regular hostess benefits! *

*Join the SU family to be a demonstrator, and receive a FREE stamp set of your choice (up to $47.95 value) - not to mention ALL the other perks of being a demo.

AND the Starter Kit is 15% off the regular $199 --that's $335 worth of products for only $169.15 and shipping is included! Substitutions are available to customize the kit a bit.

Contact me to get your freebies!!

We've Got the Six-Pack!

 

Pittsburgh has been called "a drinking town with a football problem," so it's no coincidence it boasts a Super Bowl tradition second to none. The Steelers have brought the Lombardi Trophy back home for the sixth time - surpassing the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. And as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said earlier this week, fans who have taken to yelling "Six-Pack" at him aren't simply ordering the local brew.  Pittsburgh now has it's Six-Pack!

Contrast that with the Cardinals, whose laid-back fans haven't seen a championship in 61 years and didn't expect to anytime soon. They aren't just happy to be here, but downright surprised.  That wasn't an option for the Steelers.  As if expectations weren't sky-high already, President Barack Obama jumped on the bandwagon and Mike Fincke, who grew up in a suburb of Pittsburgh and is commander of the NASA expedition en route to the international space station, recently took advantage of the gravity-free atmosphere to unfurl his Terrible Towel!

Wow!  Did we have fun.  But my heart can't take too many of these nail-biters.  We were doing so good - leading 20-7 in the fourth quarter, we were all too confident.  Then Kurt Warner and his Cardinals staged a rally to go ahead 23-20 with 2:37 left in the game!  We were all near tears and Marianne was figuring she'd have to find a bus ticket to get back home on Monday.  She did not want to ride back with Sonny if his Steelers lost!  But, Big Ben and Santonio Holmes struck the last blow Sunday night with Holmes' "immaculate reception", and when Warner fumbled in the final seconds, the Cardinals’ dream of winning their first NFL crown since 1947 were gone.

We reserved a table at the Steelhouse the week before ($50!) and had to be there by 3:00 PM to claim our table.  Remember, the game didn't start until 6:30!!  By game time, I would estimate there were close to 1200 people in the place & it was crazy.  I am sure there were some who don't even know when the kick-off was (drank a little too much, maybe!!)  We definitely paced ourselves, plus our waitress's visits were few and far between.  She was also a true blonde & would usually not remember what we had ordered even though she was writing the orders down!  My nephew, Harrison, who is 14 definitely got an education .... since he was missing school on Monday, we did our best!!!  But he had a ball.  He had two jersey's - one for offense and one for defense so he changed them each time the offense and defense were on the field.  Here are some pictures of the night.

Unless you are familiar with Steeler fans, it is hard to describe them to you.  But a few things that really amazed Marianne while she was there ....

• we saw a cop directing traffic with his whistle in his mouth, his billy club in his hand & his Terrible Towel hanging out of his pocket
• we ran into the grocery store on our way to the game and there was not a person in there who wasn't dressed in black and gold PLUS their recycle grocery bags have Steelers stuff on them!
• school was to be delayed 2 hours on Monday morning because of Super Bowl.
• every store we passed had either Steelers merchandise being sold in it or GO STEELERS signs in the windows.
• a lot of stores and restaurants - Subway, Chinese restaurant, drug-stores - were closing at 5 PM so their employees could watch the Super Bowl.

An over-view of one side of the bar/restaurant & the crowd celebrating - standing on the tables and the bar -

All 5 of us decked out in our Steeler garb -

Sonny & Ashley happy with the WIN!!

Coffee Filters

COFFEE FILTERS

Not just for making coffee....
1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in themicrowave. Coffee filters make excellent covers.
2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free so they'll leave windows sparkling.
3. Protect China. Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.
4. Filter broken cork from wine? If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.
5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.
6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.
7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.
8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.
9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.
10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot.. Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.
11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.1
2. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows? Use strips ofcoffee filters.
13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. Soaks out all the grease.

Now .... run don't walk to the Dollar Store and buy some coffee filters!!

What Does Lite Really Mean?

There is a standardized definition developed by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for every low-this and reduced-that on the food labels.  Below are some of the more common label lingo and the nutritional information that it represents.

• Sugar-free: Contains less than 0.5gm of sugar per serving.
• Calorie-free: Contains fewer than five calories per serving.
• Low-calorie: contains 40 or fewer calories per serving.
• Reduced-calorie:  Contains 25 percent fewer calories than the regular product.
• Fat-free:  contains less than 0.5gm of fat per serving.
• Low-fat: Contains three grams or less of fat per serving.
• Reduced-fat:  Contains no more than 75 percent of the fat found in regular versions or comparable food.
• Light or lite:  contains one-third fewer calories or half the fat of the regular food.
• Cholesterol-free: Contains less than two milligrams of cholesterol and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
• Low-cholesterol:   Contains 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol, 2 grams or less of saturated fat, and 13 grams or less of total fat per serving.
• Reduced-cholesterol:  Contains 75 percent or less of the cholesterol found in the regular food and two grams or less of saturated fat per serving.
• Sodium-free: Contains less than five milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Very low sodium:  Contains less than 35 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Low-sodium:  Contains 140 milligrams or less of sodium per serving.
• Reduced-sodium:  Contains no more than 75 percent of the sodium found in the regular food.
• Extra-lean:  Refers to meat, seafood, or poultry that has less than two grams of saturated fat, less than five grams of total fat, and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 oz serving.
• Lean: Refers to meat, seafood, or poultry that has 4.5 grams or less of saturated fat, less than 10 grams of total fat and less than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per 3 oz serving.
• High in:  Supplies 20 percent or more of the Daily Value (DV) of a given nutrient per serving.
• Good source of:  Supplies 10 to 19 percent of the DV of a given nutrient per serving.
• Fresh:  Refers to a food that is raw, that has not been processed, frozen, or heated, and that contains no preservatives.
• Freshly: Refers to a food that has been made recently; may be used with "baked".

~~Women's Edge, Food Smart by Susan G. Berg and the
Editors of Prevention Health Books for Women

Did You Know?

Cinderella's slippers were originally made of fur. The story was inadvertently changed by a translator in the 1600s, who confused the very similar old French words for "glass" and "fur" - verre and vair, respectively.

Botanically speaking, the banana is an herb, the jalapeno is a fruit, and apples and peaches are members of the rose family.

Pineapples, oranges, lemons, watermelons, and tomatoes are all berries.

Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.

The first American ice-cream parlor opened in New York City in 1776.

~So, Now You Know... by Harry Bright and Harlan Briscoe

Super Bowl "good for you" Munchies

Here are a couple of low-fat munchies for you to prepare for your Super Bowl watching party .... while you are cheering on my favorite team ..... GO STEELERS!


Ingredients:

1 fat-free (or nearly fat-free) hot dog (like the ones by Oscar Mayer, Hebrew National and Ball Park)
1 portion Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent roll dough

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut hot dog into 4 even pieces. Stretch or roll out the triangle-shaped dough slightly, to make it a larger triangle. Cut dough into 4 long, narrow triangles. Beginning at the base of each triangle, roll a piece of the hot dog up in the dough until the point of each triangle wraps around the center. Place dogs on an ungreased baking pan and cook for about 12 minutes (until dough appears slightly browned and crispy). Enjoy!

Popcorn Shrimp
3 oz. raw shrimp; peeled, deviened and cleaned
1/4 cup Egg Beaters, Original
1/2 cup Fiber One bran cereal
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour Egg Beaters into a bowl. Using a blender or food processor, grind Fiber One cereal to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Pour Fiber One crumbs into a plastic container that has an airtight lid (or into a plastic food storage bag). Add as much salt & pepper to Fiber One as you like. Next, prepare the shrimp by ensuring that they are as dry as possible (use a paper towel to soak up moisture). Place shrimp in dish with Egg Beaters and coat them thoroughly. Transfer shrimp to Fiber One container or bag and secure lid/ seal bag. Then shake until shrimp are well coated. Place shrimp on a baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Cook shrimp for 15 – 20 minutes (flipping them about halfway through), until outsides are crispy. Let ‘em cool; then serve 'em alone, with ketchup or with some cocktail sauce. *3 Points!

Card Shares

I've got a few cards to share with you today.  The first one is the Monday Mailer I mailed out on Monday to Lynn.  This is the last week for our January Winter theme.  (Does that mean this is the last of the winter weather????  don't think so!)  I did the Dryer Sheet technique.  If you are unfamiliar with this technique, hop right over to Splitcoast and check it out!  I used the stamp set, Big on Christmas.  The Designer Paper is Pacific Point Patterns with Riding Hood Red matted in black.  I popped up the snowman on the outside of the dryer sheet.  (You should have seen me searching for a used dryer sheet - ended up dampening some towels & throwing them in the dryer for a few minutes!  Heaven forbid I actually do a load of laundry!!)

This next card is for a friend who had foot surgery last week.  I actually made this card in a class last year and have just never sent it.  I'm really bad about hoarding cards I make.  My resolution this year is to send them out - ones I make and ones I have received in swaps.

This card is a sympathy card for one of our friends in our Game Night Group whose father died.  Sympathy cards are always difficult to make.  This one I received in a swap.  It uses the stamp set "Always in My Thoughts". 

Telling the Truth

Well, I went to the dreaded weigh-in today (for my monthly Weight Watchers).  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  I did have to pay, BUT, I was only 1/2 pound over my allowed weight.  As a Lifetime member, I have to weigh in once a month. If I'm more than 2 pounds over my lifetime goal, I have to pay the weekly fee.  I had weighed on my scales at home and they were showing me to be 1 1/2 pounds over, so, for once, I was loving those scales at the meeting!!! 

Of course, after the weigh-in, I had a Soup Kitchen Volunteer meeting at .... Panera Bread!!  So, just decided to have lunch there while I was at it.  My sandwich selection was probably not recommended by WW (tomato-mozzarella panini) but I didn't get the chips and got an apple instead for my side!!! 

I had a few errands to run after the meeting and had plans on going to the "Y" - even had my work-out clothes with me.  Sonny & I had a Red Cross Volunteer meeting at 7 pm, so I'd decided to just stay in Mooresville till the meeting.  Best laid plans and all .... Sonny called me around 4 and said he was debating on going to the "Y" or going somewhere for a beer & appetizers.  You know, it doesn't take much to talk me into temptation!!  So, Beef O Brady's was our choice!!  I did have a salad for dinner though!  And they had our Steeler's on TV.  Today was media day in Tampa and the reporters were interviewing the different players, so I figured we made the right choice??!!!!

I found out today that someone (hi, Jackie!) actually made the Tropical Smoothies that I had in my blog a few days ago and she said they were very good.  So, thought I'd give you another good recipe to try that's also WW approved!   These are Yummy Muffins - really moist.  I make a batch & freeze them.  Good for a snack with a cup of tea or coffee!

• One Chocoate OR Carrot OR Spice Cake Mix
• One can Pumpkin (pumpkin - NOT pie filling)
• Mix all together.  The batter will be lumpy - that's ok.  Line muffin tin w/paper cupcake liners or spray w/Pam.  Fill the muffin cups & bake for 18 minutes at 350.
• If you use an 18 cup muffin tin, it is 2 points each; if you use a 12 cup tin, they are 3 points.

ENJOY!

Speaking of cupcakes, check out this cool blog about .... CUPCAKES!!

I have a new look!

How do you like the new look???? I've been playing around with it this evening and decided I really like it!! Hope you do too. Well, as you can see, it's pretty late - need to get my shower & get to bed.

Keep your fingers crossed for me tomorrow ... I have to weigh in and I don't think it's going to be pretty!! I've got to get myself back in gear and QUIT EATING!! (I only have a few Moravian cookies left!)