10-49

We've had some more sad news around here. My uncle's twin brother passed away Thanksgiving morning. (My uncle was married to my Mom's sister, but she passed away a few years ago.) His brother had been sick for some time, then fell and hit his head recently, and didn't recover from that. It was sad. The two were almost inseparable. My uncle will have a huge void in his life now. But his son is staying a few more weeks to help him transition, and of course, my family and I are here, too. So we'll all do our best to help him get through.

But that being said, my uncle got through dinner pretty well, and under the circumstances, we all had a pretty good time. Ryan and Libby and their families were there, so we had a houseful! Something about the sound of kids makes it more special!

So are you wondering what 10-49 is? It's the band Ryan is in. They're pretty darn good! My cousin and I went and saw Ryan play Fri. night and stayed til 1 am! Hadn't planned on staying that long, but was having too good of a time to leave! lol He's playing again this weekend, so I'll be there. I don't drink anymore, so I think it's fun to watch drunk people! LOL OMG! You see everything when you're sober! lol But check out his website. Click on "Multimedia" on the right, then scroll down to "Start the Car" and you can listen to one of my favorite songs that he sings. Yeah, I'm proud! It was a Travis Tritt song, but he's rocked it out! Much better, IMHO! lol Oh--FYI--that 's NOT him singing the song that's playing when you first get on the site. To be honest, I don't like that song. Maybe because he's not singing it! lol

Mexican Cornbread

Here's this month's recipe, as promised! As I said yesterday, this stuff is to die for! lol If you're interested in the recipe, let me know and I'll pass it on. Aren't these papers the coolest? They're Cosmo Cricket's "Wanted". I love 'em! But I love all the papers I use. There's no hope for me! lol I think we're going to take a break in Dec. and not do the recipes. Everyone's just too busy. So don't look for another one 'til Jan.

I'm going to try to get a pic up of the kids soon. It's the one Denny gave me for our 30th anniversary. He had Libby and Audrey take all 4 of the kids down to get the pics taken. I guess it was a big ordeal. It took them 2 or 3 times to finally make it to the studio! But bless his heart, he managed to get it all done, and surprise me on top of it all. What a guy!

If I don't get back to the blog this week, hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! :)

Almost There!

Wow! I didn't realize it had been so long since I've blogged. I've been busy getting things ready for the craft show. This week I worked on tins and my recipe, which is due tomorrow. I didn't make the dish until today, so I had to hurry and take pics of it before we sat down for lunch. I invited my Mom, Uncle, and cousin--they were my taste-testers! lol It turned out pretty good! I'll finish putting the pics on tomorrow at the crop, and will TRY to post a pic of it on here tomorrow night. I like how it turned out. I wasn't sure at first, but I think it's actually one of my faves.

I've already sold a calendar! Thanks, Zenita!!!--wave, wave, wave!!! It was one done in the Daisy D's school papers. She's a teacher, so this one was right up her alley! :) So tell your friends, Zenita, and you guys be sure to come to the craft fair before going to the crop. I need the money for a Wishblade or Cricket! LOL

Getting Ready for the Craft Fair

Brandi got us all signed up, so it's official--we'll be participating in the craft show in Dec.! We've been working our butts off, getting stuff made. I've made purse calendars, checkbook covers, altered letters, and cards, and I'm still not done! I wanted to do some surprise boxes, so I hope I get to them. I took papers with me to the crop last week, so I could start on them, but didn't get the job done. Now I see on CKMB, the surprise boxes are the hit of this season. Everyone's doing them! I'm just ahead of the times, I guess! lol I told you I'd post some pics of some of the projects, so here they are. So far I've made 10 pocket calendars. (I bought 10 more to do!) I love these papers! The first one is Daisy D's, and the second one is Design Originals. I love just about anything retro, vintage, and nostalgic. Ya think??? lol I've posted pics of the rest of them, too, along with 5 checkbook covers, which are actually the first pics you'll see, so take a peek. Just click "next" to see them all! And wish me luck!

Life Goes On

We're finally back and I've been playing catch up. You know how it is when you're gone for awhile. And everything seems to just pile up on you. Things seem back to normal now. Denny is doing fine, for those of you who wondered. And he appreciated all your kind thoughts concerning his dad.

Halloween has come and gone, too. And here's Dakota, the good little witch! lol She was so cute! She even left her hat on. Libby's girls wouldn't have done that. They would have been yanking it off! lol I'd post pics of the girls, but they were pretty gross--Texas Chainsaw massacre-type gross! But they had a ball! I didn't get to see Jacob, but I heard he didn't even put on a costume--he went straight out for the candy! lol

I've been busy making stuff for the craft fair next month. I haven't done one of these in years! I don't want to do a bunch of shows--just this one and see how it goes. Later I'll post some pics so you can see what I've been doing. But I've been having fun!

Till next time--stay happy--stay safe! :)

Gone But Not Forgotten

We're making an unscheduled trip back up to IA. My father in law passed away last night. It was expected, but it's never easy. Julius was 89 years old in Sept. We're glad we were able to be there for his last birthday. His health has been declining for quite some time now. He lost both of his legs to diabetes, as well as his eye sight. And to top that all off, he was deaf. He had been in a lot of pain lately, and I think he had just given up. He was tired of fighting it all. But at least he passed away in his sleep and at home. That's the best any of us could have hoped for him. Goodbye, Johnny! It's been a heck of a ride....

Katie, Katie, Katie!

That's what Kelsea says, anyway! She thinks Katie gets everything. It's just like the Brady Bunch when Jan says--Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! lol

Well here's another digi layout for me. I'm still learning, and did figure out a little something tonight. While these layouts aren't award winning by any means, I'm happy with how they're turning out. And I'm learning, thanks to some nice people who give away freebies! Tonight's layout is thanks to Amanda Rockwell, Eva Kipler, and Megan Leeson. Thank you, ladies! :) And if any of you are interested in where I'm getting these goodies, go here and check it out.

So.....this is Katie in the Octoberfest Parade. She's first chair trumpet. But right now she's the only trumpet! lol She was first chair last year, too, and there were 3 of them! She fought hard for it last year, and maintained her seat.

She's so funny sometimes. She has a dry sense of humor, where Kelsea is outwardly funny, and Jacob--well, at 8, he's just kind of goofy! lol But she's got a boyfriend now. They actually liked each other a couple of years ago, too. Anyway... he's in the 9th grade, and she's in the 8th. I'm still cracking up over this! Today, she saw him in the hall and he was walking with some girl. Well, this girl had her arm around his neck. You know what Katie said to him? "Hey Devon! What are doing with that cheap scarf around your neck?!!" And then she just walked off! LOL I'm still laughing!

Family Picture

Here's Ryan, Audrey, and Dakota--their first family picture. She looks just like he did when he was a baby. I've probably said that before, haven't I?! lol Dakota is teething, so she's slobbering all over the place. You should see her shirt in the other pictures! LOL They kind of camouflaged it in this one. lol If you look real close, she's drooling down her chin, and she slimed Audrey's hand! lol That's the price you pay for getting teeth, I guess. lol Denny is off tomorrow, so we're going over there to pick up our picture of just her. She's at such a fun age now. I talked to Ryan for a minute tonight, and he said she was kneeling in front of their old turntable, turning the knobs, watching the lights and growling at it! LOL She's a funny kid! :)

October's Recipe

Here's this month's recipe page for my swap--Pork Tenderloin with Roasted Vegetables. I cheated and used the pic that was in the book, but I have made this dish many times, and it is de-lish! It was actually in a diabetic cookbook. If anyone wants the recipe, let me know and I'll pass it on to you. The ingredients and directions are underneath the pic. All you have to do is lift it up. The orange CS is scored, so it can be lifted. That's why it looks like there's so much space. I actually did put a row of bling up there on mine. That ribbon looks pretty pink, doesn't it? I was hoping it would take on more of an orange look. But it's staying--I'm not doing it again! lol Now I have to start thinking about next month's catagory, which is casseroles. That one should be a snap! :)

Kelsea's Float

This is Kelsea's float for the O'Fest parade on Sat. I was hoping she'd be facing us, but Libby's boyfriend put the bale of hay they're sitting on too close to one side. The wrong side, naturally! lol Poor Jerry--he tried! :) I'm just glad she heard me yell at her so I could get a pic of her! The kids had a lot of fun, riding down Main St. and throwing candy to the crowd. Now I have to get busy and get Katie's and Jacob's pics up!

How do you like this kit? It's by Faith Guarin. It was another digi freebie. Since I'm learning this digi scrapping stuff, I'm very thankful to these talented people for making their kits available for free. It's sure a nice way to practice!

Octoberfest

I was playing around with a digi kit I got from Melissa Bennett, (thanks Melissa!), and this is what I came up with. I love it! The colors are so rich and the papers are just beautiful! Her kit was a freebie, and it was full of tons of ribbons, buttons, brads, etc. I don't use a lot of embellies when I paper scrap, and the same holds true here. But I could have if I wanted to, there was so much! The possibilities with this kit is endless, so don't be surprised if you see it again! And I tried something new--drop shadows. What do you think? I didn't do them on the letters, tho. I was having a problem anyway just getting the letters on there, so I didn't think of drop shadows! lol

And look at Dakota! She just gets cuter every day! This was taken at the Octoberfest parade last Saturday. She was just in awe of it all! Katie, Kelsea, and Jacob were all in the parade. I tried posting pics of it last night, but Blogger was giving me a hard time. Katie marched in the Jr. High Band, Kelsea and a couple of friends had their own little float, and Jacob was in the Boy Scout float, which won first place! Go Jacob! They all had fun! Afterwards, they went to the park where the limited festivities were. Libby worked the Boy Scout booth selling pop and hot dogs, etc, and they raised $1100. OK... I may be wrong on that figure, but I could have sworn that's what she said. I'll get back to you on that one. That's a lot of hot dogs! So all in all, it was a great Octoberfest!

5 Weird Things About Me

Cindy tagged me for this. Thanks, Cindy! LOL Well, let's see....

1--I balance my checkbook to the penny. I'll look for hours to find it if I'm off by even one cent!

2--I don't like anybody's driving but my own. Not that I'm that great, either!

3--My pointer fingers aren't straight. I may be pointing to the north, but my fingers are heading toward the west.

4--I've got Fred Flintstone feet--big and wide. These puppies will fit in a full sized Kleenex box!

5--I don't like chocolate cake or ice cream, but I love milk chocolate candy.


I'm sure Denny could probably come up with 100 weird things about me, but that's all I've got! lol Now I tag anyone else who hasn't done this on their blog!

Bummer! I Didn't Win!

Here's my gang! There's Kelsea, Dakota, Katie, and Jacob. I told you I had more grandkids than just Dakota! lol This is the first time that they've all been in one place so I could get some pics of them. Last year when the kids got their school pics done, I told them not to buy them, 'cause they always turn out so crappy. I took them to WM and had their pics done, and they really turned out nice. They want to do the same thing this year. So I'll have the oldest ones get their single shots, and then we'll do a group pic of all 4 of them. I think that will be my Christmas present to me! lol

This Sat. is Octoberfest down here in SE MO. It's not like the O'Fest I went to in OR--or probably anywhere else, for that matter. We have a little parade downtown, and it's mostly Biblical floats, beauty pagent queens, and scout troups! lol It's a nice little parade, tho. The local candidates show up and throw out candy to the kids, so they're scrambling to pick it up. Very Americana. Katie will be in the marching band, Kelsea is supposed to decorate her bike and ride it in the parade (they'll judge the bikes later at the park), and Jacob's Boy Scout troup will ride on a float in the parade. So I'll be there with camera in hand! After the parade is over, everyone goes down to the park. There are some food booths, a few crafts, and sometimes a band or two playing. But NO BEER TENTS! We're in the Bible Belt and stuff like that just doesn't fly! I wouldn't drink anyway--anymore! lol But it just kind of cracks me up! lol

I won't be joining in park festivities, tho. As soon as the parade is over, I'm going to the cancer crop. It's the 12 hour crop-a-thon my lss is sponsoring. There'll be about 108 croppers! It cost us $25, but 100% of that is being donated to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. What a deal, huh? We'll all get pink T-shirts, and who knows what else. The lss has been out soliciting donations for weeks now, so there should be plenty of neat give-aways! I won't be working on any layouts, as usual. I'll be working on my projects. I've got a ton to do to get ready for the show I want to do this holiday!

OH, I forgot to tell ya....I didn't win! Boo hoo for me! lol You know how it goes, tho. You don't really expect to--you hope to. But that's alright--I love the projects I made, and I stand behind them. So much so, that I'm going to make more for my holiday show! :) You can check out for yourself the winners.

So that's pretty much it for now. I'll try to be back in a day or two, and show off Dakota some more. She's crawling now! Photo op for sure!

I've Entered a Contest!

I've never entered a contest like this before--you know, where you had to make something, but decided to take the plunge! GinX is having a contest of sorts, and I thought it would be cool just to see if anything came of it. Wouldn't it be cool to win some goodies??? Even if nothing happens, I had fun making this little album. I'm actually going to make more of them. I got these beer coasters from an antique store, and covered them with GinX's His Christmas Wish papers. I love that collection. Probably because I love Christmas Story, which this collection is taken from. I used Ralphie's Secret Decoder, Flick's Flagpole and a couple of others I can't remember at the moment! lol Then I just cut up the papers, added a little bling, a couple of buttons, a few Primas and some doodling, and VOILA! An album! If you want to see what the fronts and backs look like, click here and here. Wish me luck!

I'm Back!

Have you ever seen a pizza that looks as good as this? This is the famous--in my mind--Harris Pizza! OMG! Denny and I both thought we'd died and gone to heaven! lol We got a half sausage half pepperoni. The crust is thin, but they put a ton of meat and cheese on it. The sauce has a kind of sweet taste--not tomato-y. It just works, that's all I can say! lol After we checked into our hotel room and put things away, I ordered the pizza and we made a bee-line downtown to get it! lol We parked down at the levee, just as I said we would, and enjoyed the heck out of this big beauty! lol What a guy Denny is! He held it in his lap so I could get a pic of it, and even suggested holding up the bag it came in so I could snap one of it, too. THEN he even hands me the reciept and says "you'll probably need this, too"! lol Is he awsome or what? :)

We had a pretty good time while we were gone. Denny and I usually go our separate ways when we go up to Davenport. He spends most of his time with his parents, and I get to see my Dad and some friends. This time was no different. I hung out with my Dad at his favorite bar, had lunch with an old friend--I used to work for her in her restaurant when I was still in high school--and had dinner with my girlfriend. She's the one I made the coaster album for, and she loved it! Thanks for the compliments, BTW! :) We lost our asses at the casino, but that's not unusual. We had a great time, tho! Can't wait to do it again! lol We got to eat at Rudy's Taco's, our favorite Mexican restaurant together, so we did manage to squeeze in a few minutes with each other. So can you see a pattern here? Visit and eat. It's all about the food! lol

Going Home

Woo hoo!!! We're going to get out of town for a few days! I've been so busy getting ready for our trip, and tieing up loose ends, but I think I have it under control. I had a bunch of errands to run today, plus laundry, plus I had to make spaghetti sauce for my Uncle's BD tomorrow. That was total disaster. :( I burned the first batch! lol Poor Denny ran to the store tonight to get some more stuff for me to make another batch. I have a really good recipe from a friend who got it from a lady when they were stationed in Italy. So Ragu won't cut it anymore! lol I think it was finally done cooking at midnight. But it's good, and it's not burned! :)

We're going to be going back home to the IA Quad Cities. I love going back there to visit, but not sure if I really want to live there again. As soon as we get checked in to the hotel, we're going to go to our favorite pizza place--Harris Pizza, on 3rd St. That one is the original one, and it's just a carry out. Back in the old days, we'd pick up a pizza and just drive around, or find a place to park and eat it. That's what we're going to do this time. Pick it up and head on down to the levee by the casino and eat it! I love it down at the levee. IMO it's always been a cool place to go, but since the casino's been there, there have been tons of improvements, and the lights from the casino make it so festive! Love it! I'll try to get some cool pics and show you.

How do you like the coaster album? I made it for my girlfriend and I'll give it to her when we go up. Aren't these papers cool? They're the Signature Suite papers. One lady at the crop Sat. night was using them to do a heritage album. It was gorgeous!

See you all when I get back! :)

Here's the 3rd digi layout I've done--of Dakota, naturally! lol I love retro stuff--30's, 40's, 50's--you name it! While this may not be everyone's cup of tea, it's definitely mine! My tastes run from one extreme to another. I'm eclectic, I guess. I just love a whole lot of different things. And it shows in my scrapping--just look at the 3 digi layouts I've done--my decorating, and who knows where else! lol But anyway, I had fun doing this one, too! In the archives here somewhere, I did a paper layout of my Mom using this same kit. I just printed out the papers and started scrapping. If you love retro, I urge you to check out Kathryn's site listed in my faves on the side here. She has got some of the coolest retro stuff I've ever seen! Plus there's a gallery on her site, so you can get some ideas. Worth checking into. Commercial over! LOL It may be a few days before I get to do anymore, but keep checking in. I've got some busy days ahead of me. I'm watching Dakota tomorrow afternoon, Libby and the kids will be over tomorrow night, I have a birthday present to make, and my crop is on Sat. All fun stuff ahead of me!

Denny and I went to Jonesboro, AR today. They built a huge Target there, so we went and I hit the $ spot. Jackpot! I got a bunch of cool scrapping stuff--rhinestone brads, ribbon, rhinstones, and some other stuff. And we got a bunch of Halloween stuff for the kids. I bet I spent a good 30-40 minutes in that section alone. Too much fun! After that we went to TJ Maxx. I like to go there once in awhile to get lotion. I love lotions and creams with shea butter, and managed to find one tube! Then we had lunch at Chili's. First time we'd ever been. The baby back ribs were pretty darn good! Stopped at Fred's and WM, and got home in time to watch Project Runway. I can't stand that rocker guy. What an ass! So that was our day. Hope you all had a good one, too!

I'm On a Roll!

I'm loving this digi stuff! I think it takes just as much time to digi scrap--at least for now!--as it does to paper scrap, but it seems to be more relaxing. And you don't have the mess! My layouts still seem to be scarce--like I need to fill up more space. But that's not me, even when I paper scrap. I have a hard time layering. It looks so cool on other layouts I've seen, but for some reason I just can't do that. I think I hate to cover up the beautiful paper I paid a fortune for! lol Guess I need to get over it, huh?! We'll see what the next layouts hold in store.

This is a cool kit, too, isn't it?! It's by Mindy Tarasawa. I love the flowers! I took this pic of everybody in front of the Snappy Tomato. We had been down at the river all afternoon, and were starving by the time we got done playing in the water! Glad they were still open! lol This is most of our crew. Jacob was with a buddy that day, so he didn't get to go swimming. Just to prove I do have other grandchildren besides Dakota, here's Katie on the left, her friend Miranda, Kelsea, Denny, and Libby. I love this pic! TFL!

I Did It!

I finally did it! This is my first digital layout! I got the the kit from Kathryn Balint, my favorite digital designer. The baby is me, BTW! :) I started playing with it tonight, and I think I finally have an understanding of the basics of digital scrapping. This was fun!!! There's so much to learn, but this was a good start. It's simple and clean, which is the way I usually scrap. I would have added some buttons on here, and typed my info on the stork card had I been paper scrapping, but I still have some learning to do. So you all check out her site! She has some of the coolest retro kits! There are a lot of other neat things, too so get on over there! :) Thanks for looking! :)

Happy Birthday, Libby!

Today my baby turns 30. Yikes! I keep saying I'm not old--my kids are! lol Doesn't seem like she should be this old yet. I was looking at pics the other day and ran across her first day of Kindergarten. She was so little! Now she's all grown up with 3 kids of her own, with the oldest being 13! Time goes fast, doesn't it? Libby, happy birthday to you. I love you! Love, Mom.