Today's Class

I taught another class today at my local stamp store.  It was another box and set of 4 cards.  I got the directions from Andrea Walford (you can find her blog in my sidebar).  Here is a picture of the project that we made using various stamps and papers sold at my LSS.

Here is the project that I made using Stampin' Up paper and the Fifth Avenue stamp set:

She got the house!

Yay!!  Our daughter is moving forward with the house of her choice!  Several of you have asked about her and I didn't want to post anything until we knew for sure.  She made an offer on a house in San Antonio a little over a week ago and for a week they played the bidding game.  Her realtor was worried that the house would not appraise out at the price they agreed upon.  But, the inspection and appraisal were both done on Monday.  The inspector sent her the report on Tuesday and there are only a few items that need taken care of - the largest one being loose shingles on the roof.  The appraisal came in last night and it appraised out at close to the agreed upon price.  Ashley's realtor sure knows what she is doing because the asking price started out $35,000 more than the agreed upon price.  Yes, it was definitely over-priced to begin with.  It is an older house - build in 1950 but has been updated with about 2200 sq. feet with 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms and a pool!  Guess she'll be hiring a pool boy!  She is scheduled to close November 30 but will rent it back to the girl who lives there now for a week.  Ashley plans on moving in December 7 and being there for Christmas!  We can't wait to see her new house and spend Christmas with her in her first house.

Veterans Day

It is not lost on me that the memorial for the Fort Hood dead in the worst attack in US history on a military base came just one day prior to Veterans Day. An act of war in the fight for our civilization.

What can be said to these unsung heroes who put their lives on the line every day for the idea, the principle, the morality that is America? 

I stand in awe, deeply grateful. And while my words are inadequate, the men and women of the armed forces who serve (and served) this great nation are always in the minds and hearts of patriotic Americans who love this country.

THANK YOU!

Yum .... Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread
makes 6 servings @ 4 points each

• 4 slices of raisin bread 
• 1 1/3 cup powdered milk 
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• 2 tsp baking soda 
• 2/3 cup brown sugar substitute 
• 1 cup crushed pineapple 
• 1 cup egg substitute
• 4 tsp oil 
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 8 oz. pumpkin 

Crumble bread by hand or blender. Place bread and all other ingredients in large bowl and mix well with mixer. Spray 8 x 8 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour in batter and bake at 325 degrees for 40 - 45 min. Test center for doneness. Cool 5 - 10 minutes. Turn out on cake rack to finish cooling.

A Mile High Win!

I was a little nervous about Monday night's game, but guess I didn't need to be!!  We decided to stay at home and watch the game instead of joining fellow Pittsburgh fans at Big Al's last night.  I put on my new Bradshaw Jersey that Ashley gave me for my birthday and settled down in my easy chair.  The first half I was still a little worried.  The Steelers offense didn’t do much in the first half but was full throttle in the final 30 minutes. Rashard Mendenhall ran for 130 yards in the second half.  Ben Roethlisberger completed 15 of 20 for 184 yards in the second half.  The cherry on the top of all this was a five-minute, 74-yard drive late in the fourth quarter, which was capped by a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward. This play was spectacular because as Ward caught the ball, Denver cornerback Champ Bailey was lined up to make a textbook tackle. Ward leaped over him and left Bailey grasping at air.

Wow, what an athlete!!  Ward then ran to the stands and tossed the ball to a guy wearing a No. 86 jersey which is par for the course for him.  I think they get fined for giving the ball away, but who cares?? 

The Steelers defense is back!! Troy Polamalu, who was injured early in the season, has been a major difference. He was flying all over the field last night.  The Steel Hurtin' defense rose up in the mile-high altitude in Denver to deliver a crushing victory last night, the team's fifth consecutive win.  The Steelers dominated the Broncos and won, 28-10. 

The victory lifted the Steelers' record to 6-2 and a tie with Cincinnati atop the AFC North Division.   The Bengals???  Are you kidding me?  What is this world coming to??

The Steelers are primed and ready for a showdown for first place in the AFC North with Cincinnati on Sunday at Heinz Field.  I'll be watching at Big Al's with Sonny and Ashley who will be in town!  If you are a Steeler fan and live in the area, won't you join us?

One Sheet Wonder Class

I am teaching a One Sheet Wonder class tomorrow night at my local stamp store.  I just love the card but the prep work for this class has been tremendous.  What was I thinking!!  But, it will be fun!  I have a full class tomorrow so we will be offering the class again December 1st.  Let me know if you are interested in signing up (if you live close to Mooresville).

Here are the samples:

The paper is by Bo Bunny.  We will make 2 of each card (5 different designs), 2 gift cards and a bag.  Probably in class we will only do one of each card depending on the time and you will finish the second card at home.

Snowflakes

I just love this card I made today -

It is a white card with a Bashful Blue layer (4" x 5 1/4") and a piece of DSP (SU Merry Moments) layer (5" x 3 3/4").  I used my Nestabilities to cut the Ovals and stamped "Peace, Love, Joy" (All Holidays - such a great versatile set!).  The snowflakes are also Nestabilities.  I ran them through the Big Shot and - keeping them in the stencil - using a sponge dauber, pounced Ranger Broken China on the white parts.  After doing that to all of them, I popped them out.  Then I ran Crystal Effects (could use a clear drying glue too) over the snowflakes and sprinkled Chunky Glitter all over them.  Let dry and put them together.  I took a piece of wire and ran it through the buttons and through the holes in the middle of the snowflakes and tied it off in the back.  Then I curled the wire and pulled it out on the side - hard to see it in the picture. (if you click on the card, you can enlarge it & you will see the curled wire)

Open House Make and Takes and Tags

Today the local stamp store in Mooresville had their annual Open House.  I met my sister over there and we did a couple of make and takes (see them below), had a "calorie-conscious" lunch (salad bar) and did some shopping.  I so enjoy spending time with my sister now that I live close.  That is something we have never been able to do unless I was here in NC visiting.  I left NC right after I got married and she was only about 13 at the time and I have been gone over 30 years!.  So, this is definitely a perk to living here now. 

The Make and Takes from today.

I also participated in a Tag Swap at the stamp store and received my tags back today.  There are some very talented ladies out there!!

These tags were made by my sister, Marianne (the Christmas village one) and by me (Christmas tree).

Double Embossed Christmas Card

Well, I've been on a roll lately with my card making.  I had a dry spell for a while and it seemed like every time I'd sit down to make a card, I'd end up turning around to the computer and "surfing" or playing games!  I have seen a lot of cards that did this technique where you can leave a blank space in the center using your embossing folders.  Well, after trying many different things tonight, I finally got it right.  In this card, I cut an oval out of 2 pieces of cardboard and taped them together.  Then, I put a piece of Glossy White paper in my Petals A'Plenty embossing folder and put the cardboard (w/oval cut out) on top of the folder and ran it through my Big Shot.  Voila! 

Holiday Entertainment Booklet .... Home Made Simple

I want to share some tips and inspirational ideas that I have received in a Holiday Entertaining Booklet, complete with time checkpoints and checklists. This is complements of Home Made Simple, a monthly newsletter I subscribe to.  You can print the pages out and fold it into a small booklet.  Anything to keep us organized and happy at this time of year.   Enjoy!!

Weight Challenge for the Holidays

With the holidays coming up, there will be many challenges to those of us who are TRYING to watch our weight and count those calories and points!!  Here are a few websites that may help you in your challenge:

• 16 Ways to Have a Healthy Holiday Season" http://bit.ly/HealthyHoliday 
• "Keep Your Motivation Going Strong": http://bit.ly/KeepYourMotivation 
• "Have a Holiday Game Plan": http://bit.ly/HaveAPlan 
• "Have a Holiday Game Plan: Thinkng About Putting It Off?" http://bit.ly/PlanPuttingOff

And here are a couple of recipes to help also:

PUMPKIN SPICE COOKIES
36 cookies @ 1 point each

1 box spice cake mix
1 can (16 oz) can pure pumpkin
36 pecan halves

Blend dry cake mix and pumpkin. Spoon by level tabls. onto an ungreased baking sheet. Press a peacon half into top of each cookie. 350 degrees 15 mins.

PUMPKIN MUFFINS
Makes 12 servings @ 1 pt each

2/3 cup powdered milk
1/3 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup flour
5 pkgs. artificial sweetener
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg substitute
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients. Stir in eggs, pumpkin and vanilla. Pour evenly into 12 muffin tins sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 12 minutes or until done.

Holiday Gift Guide Promotion from Stampin' Up

Dates: November 1, 2009-January 4, 2010


Details: You'll love the convenience of our Holiday Gift-Giving Guide! With gift ideas for kids, teens, neighbors, and more, it's your one-stop shop for all your holiday needs. When you spend $50 on products in the guide, you'll get a Décor Elements for FREE (up to a $16.95 value)!

Things to Remember:

There is no limit to the number of free Décor Elements a customer can earn. For every $50 purchased from the Gift-Giving Guide, you will receive a free Décor Element valued at $16.95 or less.

FAQs

Q: Can a customer earn more than one FREE Décor Element?

A: Yes! For every $50 a customer spends on products in the Gift-Giving Guide, she can choose a Décor Element valued up to $16.95.

Q: Does a customer have to spend $50 on products in the Gift-Giving Guide to qualify or can she spend $50 on any Stampin' Up! products?

A: In order to qualify for the free Décor Element, a customer must purchase $50 worth of products from the Gift-Giving Guide.

Q: If a product is shown in the Gift-Giving Guide, but is not listed, does that product qualify for the promotion?

A: No. Only products listed in the Gift-Giving Guide qualify for the promotion.

Check it out HERE!

Tag Box Instructions

I have had a few requests to share the pattern for the Tag Box and tags I made in yesterday's blog posting.  I actually got the instructions from another gal's blog.  Here is the link to her blog.  If you make one of these, send me pictures so I can post them here!!

Happy creating!

Gift Tag Holders

Hope you had a spooky but safe Halloween!!  We have friends in town and to celebrate Halloween and also Sonny's birthday, we went out to dinner at a great little restaurant in Lincolnton and then went to a Haunted House!!  I don't think I've ever been to a haunted house before.  It was fun!  We were definitely the oldest people there plus we stood in line for about an hour!!  It was done at an old mill in Vale, North Carolina and done pretty good with people jumping out at you and guys chasing us with chain saws!  Doesn't that sound great???

My daughter has been off all last week doing some serious house hunting in San Antonio.  She will close on her Bethesda condo November 9!  She narrowed her Texas houses down to about 8 on Saturday and went out with her realtor and good friend, Lisa, to make her final decision.  She made an offer last night so we are hoping it goes through and she will able to buy and get moved in before Christmas.  The house she is making an offer on actually has a swimming pool which will be great for the Texas heat, BUT .... the pool has the Texas A&M symbol in the tile on the bottom of the pool!  It will definitely make for a conversation piece.  If you know anything about Texas, you know that people there are divided in 2 camps - UT or A&M (kind of like NC State & UNC).)  Ashley went to Trinity and has friends from UT & A&M so it's no biggie to her!! 

At Christmas, we all need gift tags to attach to all those presents we spend too much money on!  I have made a couple of holders for gift tags.  These would make a nice little hostess gift.

This one is a little folder/card.  It is made similar to a gift card holder but it holds tags!

I used Kraft cardstock that I cut 5 x 8 1/2".   Score it at 2 1/2" and 5 1/2".  With the Word Window punch, punch 2 slots for your tags (side by side) at 1 1/2" up from folded edge.  Tape down and decorage.

This one is a little box that is shaped like a tag.  Below are the tags that go in the holder.

Halloween Candy Count Down

Halloween Candy ~ Snack Size
♦ 3 Musketeers, (2 bars) [140 cal/4.5 g fat/0 g fiber/26 g carbs]
♦ 1000 Grand, (2 bars) [190 cal/8 g fat/<1 g fiber/30 g carbs]
♦ ABC Fruit Chomps, (7 pieces) [140 cal/1.5 g fat/0 g fiber/32 g carbs]
♦ America’s Original Bubble Gum, (4 pieces) [60 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/16 g carbs]
♦ Annabelle's Mini ABBA ZABBA, (1 bar) [50 cal/1 g fat/0 g fiber/11 g carbs]
♦ Annabelle's Mini Big Hunk Bars, (1 bar) [50 cal/0.5 g fat/0 g fiber/11 g carbs]
♦ Annabelle's Mini Look Bars, (1 bar) [50 cal/1.5 g fat/0 g fiber/9 g carbs]
♦ Atomic Fireballs, (1 piece) [40 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/9 g carbs]
♦ Blow Pops, (1 piece) [70 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/17 g carbs]
♦ Dum Dum Lollipops, (3 pops) [59 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber]
♦ Jolly Rancher Mini Stix, (1 stick) [35 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/9 g carbs]
♦ Kit Kat, (one 2-piece bar) [80 cal/4 g fat/0 g fiber/10 g carbs]
♦ Life Saver Five Flavor Candy, (4 pieces) [60 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/16 g carbs]
♦ Life Saver Gummi Savers, (2 rolls) [110 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/27 g carbs]
♦ Life Saver Pops, (1 pop) [40 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/10 g carbs]
♦ Mary Jane Peanut Butter Kisses, (6 pieces) [150 cal/3 g fat/0 g fiber/33 g carbs]
♦ Milk Duds, (4 boxes) [160 cal/6 g fat/0 g fiber/26 g carbs]
♦ Necco Wafers, (1 roll) [50 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/13 g carbs]
♦ Nerds, (1 box) [35 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/9 g carbs]
♦ Nestle Crunch Fun Size, (4 bars) [200 cal/10 g fat/<1 g fiber/26 g carbs]
♦ Now & Later, (3 mini bars) [140 cal/1.5 g fat/0 g fiber/34 g carbs]
♦ Peter Pan Peanut Butter Cups, (4 pieces) [230 cal/15 g fat/1 g fiber/21 g carbs]
♦ Reese's Peanut Butter Bites, (3 pkgs) [230 cal/13 g fat/1 g fiber/24 g carbs]
♦ Skittles, (3 pkgs) [170 cal/2.5 g fat/0 g fiber/36 g carbs]
♦ Spree Twist, (2 rolls) [60 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/14 g carbs]
♦ Starburst, (3 funsize pkgs) [170 cal/2.5 g fat/0 g fiber/36 g carbs]
♦ Starburst Fruit Chews, (8 chews) [160 cal/3.5 g fat/0 g fiber/33 g carbs]
♦ Sugar Babies, (2 pouches) [210 cal/2 g fat/0 g fiber/47 g carbs]
♦ Sugar Daddy Pops, (3 pops) [160 cal/2 g fat/0 g fiber/34 g carbs]
♦ Sweet Tarts, (2 rolls) [50 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/12 g carbs]
♦ Tootsie Hot Chocolate Pops, (1 Pop) [70 cal/.5 g fat/0 g fiber/17 g carbs]
♦ Tootsie Roll Midgees, (6 pieces) [160 cal/3 g fat/<1 g fiber/33 g carbs]
♦ Twix, Regular Size, (1 2-pack) [280 cal/14 g fat/1 g fiber/37 g carbs]
♦ Twizzlers Pull-n-Peel Cherry Candy, (3 pieces) [120 cal/.5 g fat/0 g fiber/28 g carbs]
♦ Twizzlers Strawberry Twists, 4 twists [120 cal/.5 g fat/0 g fiber/29 g carbs]
♦ Wonka Nerds Gumballs, (1 piece) [45 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/11 g carbs]
♦ Wonka Shock Tarts Gumball, (1 piece) [30 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/8 g carbs]
♦ Wrigley's Chewing Gum, (5 pieces) [50 cal/0 g fat/0 g fiber/10 g carbs]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Birthday things from my sister

My sister made me a wonderful Sister's scrapbook wall hanging for my birthday.  This is the sister who told me 3 years ago that she wasn't going to get involved with card making and scrapbooking when I moved here.  Well, needless to say, she has and she is doing great!  She has come a long way with her skills.  The cards she made for me and Sonny for our birthdays are just great!  What do you think??

                                                                      

This is my wall hanging!

Halloween Facts and Superstitions

Americans spend an estimated $6.9 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country's second largest commercial holiday.
The American tradition of "trick-or-treating" probably dates back to the early All Souls' Day parades in England. During the festivities, poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them pastries called "soul cakes" in return for their promise to pray for the family's dead relatives.

Superstition ~ In 18th-century Ireland, a matchmaking cook might bury a ring in her mashed potatoes on Halloween night, hoping to bring true love to the diner who found it.

Superstition ~ In Scotland, fortune-tellers recommended that an eligible young woman name a hazelnut for each of her suitors and then toss the nuts into the fireplace. The nut that burned to ashes rather than popping or exploding, the story went, represented the girl's future husband. (In some versions of this legend, confusingly, the opposite was true: The nut that burned away symbolized a love that would not last.)

Superstition ~ Another tale had it that if a young woman ate a sugary concoction made out of walnuts, hazelnuts and nutmeg before bed on Halloween night, she would dream about her future husband. Young women tossed apple-peels over their shoulders, hoping that the peels would fall on the floor in the shape of their future husbands' initials; tried to learn about their futures by peering at egg yolks floating in a bowl of water; and stood in front of mirrors in darkened rooms, holding candles and looking over their shoulders for their husbands' faces.
Resource: ~~ History.com - The Real Story of Halloween

Beautiful Fall Colors

I think Fall may be my favorite time of the year.  The colors are changing quickly here in North Carolina and they are just beautiful.  I want to drive up to the mountains to see the colors there.  I'm sure they are spectacular!!  We went out on the lake today with a group to view the fall foilage and enjoy snacks with friends via a "raft-up."  Here are a few of the beautiful colors we saw: (click on the pictures to see the full view!)

CARROT FINGER FOOD

 Ingredients

* vegetable dip
* 4 long carrots
* 1 medium carrot
* softened cream cheese
* sliced-almond
* baby carrots

Instructions

1. To prepare them, just fill a serving bowl with your favorite
vegetable dip. Wash and peel 4 long carrots for fingers
and 1 medium carrot for a thumb.

2. With a paring knife (a parent's job), cut a flat, shallow notch
in the tip of each carrot. Then use a dab of dip or softened
cream cheese to glue a sliced-almond fingernail atop each notch.

3. Stick the fingers in the dip, as shown, and serve with
plenty of peeled baby carrots for dipping.

Resource: ~~ Disney Family Fun Halloween Recipes

My Digital Studio Card

I worked on getting my certification for My Digital Studio today.  Stampin' Up has provided us with "webinairs" to watch.  There is one for making an album, making a card, making a calendar and doing multi-media projects.  The webinairs are about an hour each and are really quite helpful.  So, I learned a lot tonight!  Then we have to take a quiz on each of them.  Whew!  I feel like I'm back in school!!  Anyway, here is the card I designed that I am sending in to Stampin Up.

inside of card

Can't wait to receive it back and sending it to SU for printing!

Drinking your Calories

BEVERAGE CALCULATOR – Calories Per Fluid Ounce

As you can see below when you drink your calories they can really add up!

♦ 125 Creme de Menthe
♦ 100 Coffee Liqueurs
♦  85  100 Proof Liqueurs
♦  60  Manhattan, Martini
♦  40  Nonalcoholic Eggnog, Table Wines
♦  30  Ice Cream Shake, Sherry
♦  25  Champagne, Dry White Wine, Frozen Yogurt Shakes
♦ 20  Whole Milk, Fruit Juices (Cranberry, Grape, Prune), Fruit Smoothies
♦ 17   Fruit Punch
♦ 15  2% Low Fat Milk, Fruit Juices (Apple, Grapefruit, Orange), Orange Sodas, Lemonade, Orange Breakfast Drinks
♦ 12  Regular Colas, 1% Low Fat Milk, Beer
♦ 10  Skim Milk & Buttermilk (made with skim milk), Flavored Coffees, Sweetened Tea, Coffee w/cream & sugar, Lite Beer
♦    0  Water, Sparkling Waters w/o added sugar, Club Soda, Perrier, Diet Sodas, Unsweetened Tea & Coffee

Resource: ~~Dr. Jo's Dining Lean by Joanne V. Lichten, RD, PhD

Did You Know?

• Cashews are not sold in their shells because the oil that surrounds the shell is highly irritating to the skin, and peeling the nuts by hand can cause blisters.
• Unlike vinyl records, a CD begins playing near the center and spirals outward toward the edge.
• A cockroach has two brains. [I say, "who cares?" to this one!]
• Ronald McDonald is considered the second most recognizable character in the world, after Santa Claus, and ahead of Mickey Mouse.

Resource: ~~Little-Known Facts About Well-Known Stuff by David Hoffman

Birthday Cards

Yesterday was my birthday and it was a beautiful day here in NC!!  Sonny took me out to breakfast and then filled my car up with gas!!  I had a good day just playing and doing what made me happy ... like NO laundry, NO house cleaning, etc!  We had a Red Cross meeting at 6:30 and after it was over, we went to Chilli's for dinner.  I just love their chips and salsa and had been wanting some for a long time.  My family is coming over Saturday night to celebrate my birthday, Sonny's birthday (10/30), my nephew's birthday (10/16), and my brother in law's birthday (11/1).  Lots of birthdays this time of year!  And we got a call yesterday from our good friends who live in Texas and they are coming for a visit tomorrow.  Margaret's birthday is October 1 so guess we'll be celebrating her birthday too!

The card Sonny gave me had the most beautiful verse, I just have to share it.  We always tease him that he doesn't really read cards all the way through but I know he read this one before he bought it! 

Once there was this guy; A nice guy, really.
And he met this girl.  An incredible girl - truly amazing.
So naturally the guy falls head over heels in love with her,
and pretty soon they're picking out china patterns and rings
and there's a weding and the starry-eyed couple rides off into what will surely be a rosy future.

(open card)
Okay, so now some time has passed and the guy is living in that future.
He's still married to this girl, but now their life includes a lot of stuff -
appliances and bills and loads of laundry and home repair projects.
But between all the to-dos and have-tos, there are these moments
when the guy stops for a minute and looks around him.

(open card)
He looks at his wife, who is still truly amazing,
he looks at their life together, all the ways and different directions it's grown,
he looks at all the responsibilities he's got, and he thinks to himself, so, this is my life.

And then he thinks,
I am one helluva lucky guy.

And then I got a great one from my daughter although it killed her to have to buy a card.  Her stamping supplies are in storage still so she wasn't able to make me a card.  But she found a great one that says it all about our relationship!

Happy Birthday to my go-everywhere, do-everything, tell-each-other-anything ...
couldn't-be-a-better, always-and-forever friend to the end.

I got some beautiful cards from my friends and family and I want to share the stamped ones with you.

From Margaret

from my upline, Carol

from Judy Nelson

from my NCSU Demo group (made by Pat Wilkinson)

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to me!! 

Here are a few more of my beach pictures made with My Digital Studio. 

..

Beach pictures

Well, I'm back from the Reunion.  It was fun and on Saturday night there were actually a couple of people I had run around with there.  It was good to see Jeanne & Carl.  I used to candy stripe with Jeannie and they both went to the same college that I did.  I actually went out with Carl a couple of times in college.  That was before he and Jeannie got together and got married.  They have been married for 41 years!  Wow!  It was amazing how many couples from our high school class married each other ... and are still together.

The Shag dance (a lot like the Jitterbug) is the state dance of South Carolina.  (see the video HERE)  Couples who have danced together a long time and do the shag are just magical to watch.  There was a couple at our reunion who we all enjoyed watching dance - Sheila and Ham McGarity!  Sheila was a cheerleader in my class and Ham graduated a year before we did.  They are actually in the Shag Hall of Fame!  Yes, there really is such a thing.  There are shag clubs all over North and South Carolina and they dance and teach others to do the shag.  I grew up doing my own version of the Beach Shag.  When we moved back to NC, I enrolled Sonny and I in shag classes while he had gone back to Washington to finish the closing on our house.  Well, he was not thrilled about taking the classes, but he did .... grudgingly!  I have tried to get him to take some more refresher classes but with no luck!  In fact, he told me this weekend that he had been afraid that when he died he would go to hell .... well, now he is afraid when he dies, he will have to listen to beach music for the rest of his life! 

Here are few of the pictures from our trip.  I loaded them into a scrapbook with My Digital Studio today.  You can click on the pictures to see a larger version - you just need to click on the back arrow to get back to my blog.

DEAL OF THE WEEK #3

Don't miss this week's Deals Of The Week!

•  Circle Designer Brads  -  Regular Price: $5.95 Special Price: $3.99 
• 1/2" Library Clips  -  Regular Price: $6.95 Special Price: $3.99 
• Basic Jumbo Grommets  -  Regular Price: $6.95 Special Price: $4.49 
• Mini Library Clips  -  Regular Price: $12.95 Special Price: $8.99 

These products can all be seen on page 179 of Stampin' Up!'s current Idea Book & Catalog. These specials are good only through October 26th at 9:50 am (MT) that's 11:50 am (ET).   Let me know if you are interested in placing an order!

Reunion time at the beach

Well, we're in North Myrtle Beach, aka OD (Ocean Drive).  OD was THE beach for us to go to back in the 60's and 70's.  To prove it, there are about 4 high school reunions going on here this weekend .... 3 from Charlotte and one from Rock Hill, SC.  Our group (South Meck) have been meeting here for the past 5 years.  It's just an informal get-together of several classes, but my class ('66) is the organizer so we are the best represented. I feel like I'm in high school again .... not a period in my life I would like to repeat!  I was pretty shy in high school and transferred to South in the 11th grade - after cliques were already formed, if you know what I mean.  And that's what it feels like here now.  They've been meeting for 5 years and have their cliques formed.  You know, the jocks and the cheerleaders!  I have to say though that the guys are a lot more friendlier than the girls.  But, the girls have held up better than the guys!!  There have been 3-4 guys that have really been friendly and inviting to Sonny and myself.  The funniest thing is that there is one guy here who transferred out of South after 10th grade (before I even arrived).  The only reason I knew him was he and my best friend were going out at the time.  Well, when I told him Thursday night she was my best friend (and the only person I have kept in touch with from HS), that is all he has talked about for 3 days!  To hear him talk, she is and was the love of his life.  I sure feel sorry for his wife.  So far, no one that I ran around with is here.  I am hoping tonight a few of them will show up. 

Sonny and I have already scoped out a Pittsburgh bar to watch the football game tomorrow so we are set for some football! 

We have been eating some wonderful seafood.  We drove to Calabash (NC) last night and had some delicious flounder and shrimp.  I'm hoping I can convince him to go back tonight.  Last night I had fried flounder ... tonight I would like some broiled!  The NC line is only about 10 minutes away so it is not a long drive and Calabash is the Seafood Capital of this area!!  It is wall to wall seafood restaurants.

It has been cold and rainy the whole time we have been here until today!  The sun came out and as long as you are in the sun, it is nice and warm.  There is a bit of a breeze blowing that is a cold wind, but all in all, it is nice.  We took a long walk this morning on the beach and Sonny is sitting out on our balcony now reading.  Our room overlooks the ocean and we have left the sliding glass door open at night and sleep to the sound of the waves!  What a life!!

Deal of the Week #2

Check out this week's deals!  If you want to order one of these great buys, contact me by next Sunday.

FLOWER BURST EMBOSSLIT DIE

RETAIL PRICE $11.95  -  SALE PRICE  - $5.99

THREE TIER CAKE POP UP DIE

REGULAR PRICE - $39.96 - SALE PRICE  - $25.49

PERFECT SETTING BIGZ  DIE (from mini catalog)

REGULAR PRICE - $42.95 - SALE PRICE - $25.99

I'm heading to my high school class reunion this weekend so you might not be hearing from me until Monday!  This will be the first reunion I have ever attended so it should be interesting!  I have only kept in touch with one gal from high school and she is not attending, so I'm not sure I'll recognize anyone!  For the past 5 years, a group from my high school - South Mecklenburg in Charlotte - (mostly from my graduating year) have gathered at Ocean Drive Beach for a reunion/get-together.  I just found out about it this year and thought this would be a good chance to give it a try.  Being at the beach, if we don't have anything in common with any of these people, Sonny and I can do our own thing!  Other than the price of the hotel, we only have to pay $10/person for a deejay.  Hopefully, it will be fun.  I was trying to let my hair color grow out (and see just how much gray I really have!) but decided last week, this was not the time to do that!  So, I asked my hairdresser to put a few blonde streaks in to blend in with the gray and brown!!  Hopefully I will look younger than some of the pictures I've seen of people from reunions.  Surprisingly, the girls seem to have held up better than the guys!! 

Digital Studio scrapbook page

I had to take my Mom to the doctor today.  But, when I got home, I had a little more time to play with My Digital Studio.  I made this scrapbook page from a picture my daughter in law recently posted on her blog.  They just returned from a Disney vacation and cruse.  This is a picture of the two youngest kids on the beach.   I thought it was priceless!

This is rather basic because I'm still learning but I did get the picture resized, added photo corners and a stamp in the bottom corner!

My Digital Studio Project

I got My Digital Studio yesterday, but just opened it today and played around for a bit.  I have a lot of learning to do!!  But, here is a card I made while playing with it!

Weight Watcher Recipes

Here are a few recipes my Weight Watcher leader shared with us. 

Apple-Carrot Slaw

Makes 6 servings (2/3 cup)
POINTS® value per serving: 2

1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 Tbsp apple-cider vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 medium head red cabbage, shredded
2 cups shredded carrots
2 medium Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into matchstick strips
1/3 cup golden raisins

Stir the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar together in a large bowl until
well mixed. Stir in the cabbage, carrots, apples, and raisins. Let stand 15
minutes before serving. Serve at once or cover with plastic wrap and
refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

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


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.


Rosemary-Mustard Crusted Beef Roast
Makes 8 servings (3 slices each)
POINTS® value per serving: 4
2 Tbsp seasoned dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (2-pound) boneless eye-round roast, trimmed

1.Preheat the oven to 400°F. Spray a small roasting pan with nonstick spray.
2.Combine the bread crumbs, mustard, rosemary, oil, salt, and pepper in a
small bowl. Rub the mixture over the top and sides of the beef. Place in the
pan and roast, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the
center of the roast registers 145°F for medium-rare, about 1 hour. Transfer
to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes. Cut the roast into 24 slices.

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

Steelers - then and now

THEN:

AND NOW