{ Teresa's Spot }

2011-11-02T10:01:00.001-05:00

He barks. He barks when he's happy, he barks when he's sad, he barks when he's bored and wants my attention, he barks when he's mad. He barks at people outside, not to scare them; more like, "Hey, get over here and play with me!" He barks at blowing bags and leaves outside, he barks at imaginary things outside. He barks at dogs on TV, he barks at noises from the neighbors and at his reflection in the entertainment center. He barks when he's walking, he barks when he's standing still, he barks when he's hanging out the car window. He barks.

Case in point: Barking at his reflection in the window.

2011-10-28T12:10:00.000-05:00

Shelby & Bailey, October 2007

It's Halloween!

Here are some tips to keep your pet safe:

1) Halloween candy is poisonous to your dog - Never let your dog have Halloween candy. Chocolate is toxic and tin foil and cellophane wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed. Seal your stash and keep out of reach.

2) Door bells can be scary - All but the most social dogs should be kept away from the front door during trick-or-treat time. A repeatedly ringing doorbell can be very scary and stressful. A great alternative may be to sit on the porch with your pal and hand out candy there; great for socialization too!

3) Make sure your dog’s ID tags are up-to-date and ON - Repeatedly opening the door for trick-or-treaters may give your dog an opportunity to make a break for it. Current ID tags can ensure that your BFF is returned safely.

4) Be careful with open flames near your dog! – A curious nose can be stuck into candle-lit pumpkin leading to a burn and a stray tail can knock anything over. There are numerous no flame, no mess alternatives out there for both décor and to light your pumpkin.

5) Wires and cords can harm your dog – Safely secure all wires and cords leading to holiday lights and props. Chewing on cords can cause cuts, burns or possibly life-threatening electrical shock.

2011-10-25T11:41:00.001-05:00

One of the challenges of living with a dog is dealing with their instinct to hide or bury things. Murphy is especially comical in his efforts to put something aside 'for later'.

He shoves whatever it is down between the couch cushions or in the folds of the comforter and then uses his nose to shove things around in order to cover it up. Unfortunately, this can sometimes lead to raw, red spots on his little nose, which breaks my heart.

Last night I gave him a Halo Spot's Pumpkin Chew and proceded to watch him head for the bedroom, clearly his 'safe place'. A little bit later, while getting ready for bed, I found it - under the covers and shoved into a pillow. Whoops!

Once he sees that I've found it, it's time to rehide! Off to the closet he goes...

Apparently, he thinks that if you put it in there, no one will ever find it. The closet is definitely his preferred spot. (I give him points for at least trying to put things away.)

The important thing is, even if you know where it is, you must never let him know that you know. Otherwise, the process starts all over again. So, needless to say, that treat is still in my shoe!

2011-10-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

Basic White Bread:
3/4 cup water
4 tsp oil
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup bread flour
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Add ingredients to the bread machine in the order listed, measuring carefully. Use basic cycle.

Makes (1) 1 lb. loaf

2011-10-23T12:50:00.002-05:00

And the baking continues...

Pumpkin Bread
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup butter
½ cup water
3 eggs
2 ½ cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, butter, water and eggs. Beat 1 minute at medium speed. Mix dry ingredients together and then add to pumpkin mixture. Beat at medium speed for about another minute. Pour into 2 greased 8x4 inches or 9x5 inches loaf pans. Bake at 325°F for 50 to 60 minutes, until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pans about 5 minutes and then turn out to finish cooling.

Yield: 2 loaves

2011-10-19T16:57:00.000-05:00

I find myself with extra some free time this week and Fall must bring on my nesting tendencies. Yesterday it was homemade bread and today, cookies.

Very rarely do I share my Gramma's recipes, but she was the BEST baker! Truly an old fashioned recipe, these cookies are buttery and not overly sweet, crisp on the outside and chewy once you bite into them.

Grandma Pete's Sugar Cookies

1	cup	sugar
1	cup	margarine
1		egg
2	cups	flour

1/2	tsp	baking powder
1/2	tsp	cream of tartar
1/2	tsp	salt
1	tsp	vanilla extract

Mix together sugar and margarine. Add remaining ingredients, mixing them together in one big mixing bowl. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets and flatten with a fork ( # ) like you do for peanut butter cookies. Bake at 350 degrees until the edges are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Servings: 36 cookies

2011-09-18T18:00:00.009-05:00

This kid. I cry every time I hear him sing. He is so passionate about the theater. I can only hope that one day he will realize his dream and be able to turn it into a career.

2011-09-10T12:33:00.003-05:00

Just say "NO" to companies that test on animals!

You might never guess that big-name dog and cat food companies would conduct cruel and invasive tests on animals in laboratories. But the companion animal food industry is big business, and in their efforts to slap "new and improved" labels on their products, some corporate competitors conduct CRUEL experiments on dogs, cats, and other animals.

Dogs and cats may be locked in cages and driven stir-crazy from confinement, playing the role of imprisoned taste-testers. In other cases, invasive and even deadly experiments may be conducted on dogs and cats as well as other animals. Ironically, these cruel experiments are often conducted so that companies can boast about the safety or nutritional adequacy of their products.

None of these tests is necessary or required by law, and humane alternatives do exist. Non-invasive, nonlethal, and cage-free "in-home" testing is conducted by PetSci, and collaborative veterinary clinic studies allow sick animals who are volunteered by their guardians to participate in humane feeding trials that can determine the beneficial effects of nutrition on a specific illness.

The following companies have assured PETA in writing that they do not test on animals in laboratories:

• Active Life Pet Products

• Artemis Pet Food

• Evangers

• Halo, Purely for Pets

• Natural Balance

• Newman's Own

• PetGuard

• Wysong Professional Diets

For a complete list, go to http://www.peta.org/living/beauty-and-personal-care/companies/search.aspx?Product=4.35

For even more info, go to: http://www.iamscruelty.com WARNING: The videos are horrific!

2011-09-07T18:24:00.007-05:00

Ridiculously proud....

2011-08-07T13:39:00.000-05:00

The Dog Days of Summer. Hot. Oppressive. Uncomfortable. Sticky. Miserable. I have always loved the heat, but living in Arizona has really spoiled me. I like the dry, desert climate so much more than the moisture-laden atmosphere of the Midwest. Unfortunately for me, heat has no effect on Murphy - he is always ready to go. Hurry up, Fall!

In the meantime, stay cool!

2011-08-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

I have a new love - Pinterest! What a great source of inspiration.

Go pin something!

2011-07-16T10:20:00.001-05:00

What a difference a year makes. Well, not really. It's been 12 months since my last post and one would think that there would be much to tell. Not really. I guess I just don't think that my life is that interesting and what with the many options in social media, it seems easier and requires less thought to say something in 140 characters or less than it is to write a more lengthy blog post. Yep, it's all Facebook and Twitter's fault. I had originally intended to use Blogger as an online journal but what is it they say about the best laid plans? They also say that life is what you make of it so where does that leave me? Needing a change, I think.

2011-02-09T09:00:00.005-06:00

RIP Bailey

why would anyone want to put soap in her eyes?

2010-07-17T11:13:00.022-05:00

Did you know that Beagles are one of the most popular dog breeds in the world? Happy-go-lucky, these merry little hounds are neither aggressive nor timid and will befriend everyone they meet. Beagles are wonderful, loyal, loving companions. I have been blessed with Bailey in my life for 10 years now and have truly never owned a better dog.

Unfortunately for Beagles, these congenial traits and the fact that they have very few genetic health problems have led to them to be chosen for animal testing more often than any other breed. Beagles are used for testing cosmetics and household products, experiments in medicine, environmental science and biological research. Even the FDA has used Beagles for testing chemical substances and food toxins.

Recently, 120+ Beagles made the journey from a research lab in the New York area to loving forever families. Here’s their story:http://network.bestfriends.org/golocal/newyork/15638/news.aspx

I’d like to urge you to take the time to look in your medicine cabinets and pantrys and make the switch to products produced by cruelty-free-companies.

For more information on animal testing and a list of companies that do not test on animals, see PETA's Shopping Guide for Caring Consumers:
http://www.peta.org/actioncenter/testing.asp

2010-07-11T14:25:00.005-05:00

So maybe sometimes there's just not much to blog about. Work, home, work, home, work, home, repeat. I think I can only bore you so many times with that, right?

Not today, dear readers! Today I did something new! I made jam. Okay, so one of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn't pay more attention to my Nana and her recipes. That lady could cook, bake and can things. In her basement were jars and jars of pickles, relish, tomatoes, beans, you name it. And that lady's strawberry-rhubarb pie was to-die-for! It's such a shame that she never wrote much of it down and when she died, all that homespun do-it-from-scratch stuff was lost.

Anyway, I have been thinking about learning to make jam for awhile. It probably came from my love of that strawberry-rhubarb jam that I get from the Amish lady at the Farmer's Market. Seriously, that stuff is like crack for me! So, I read some different recipes and found one that looked easy enough to try. (God forbid I would ruin a whole big batch of fruit...) It's done and in the freezer!

Triple Berry Freezer Jam

2 C. crushed strawberries

1 C. crushed red raspberries

1 C. crushed blackberries

1 1/2 C. sugar

1 pouch (Ball brand) freezer jam pectin

Combine all the berries in a medium bowl and set aside. Stir sugar and pectin together in a large bowl until well blended. Add fruit mixture to sugar mixture and stir for 3 minutes. Ladle jam into plastic freezer jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Adjust caps. Let jam stand 30 minutes to thicken. Label and freeze.

2010-06-12T08:23:00.005-05:00

Two more sleeps. Hard to believe that I have been off work for 10 days. It's even harder to believe that I haven't even wondered what's been going on at the store for almost the entire time! I guess that really speaks to how much I don't like my job, doesn't it?

The storms have rolled in and it's dark and rainy outside, with thunder and lightening peppering the morning's soundtrack. I have no plans for the day except for picking up where I left off yesterday on my journey through Tim Holtz's new book of techniques. Oh yeah, and maybe a nap!

Thanks for stopping by!

2010-06-08T15:46:00.009-05:00

SHRIMP CREOLE
Serves: 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 14-ounce can Ro-tel tomatoes w/ green chilis
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon worchestershire sauce
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp
Chopped green onions for garnish

Preheat crockpot on high. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and then add peppers, onions and celery. Cook until softened. Add chili powder and saute' until caramelized.

Remove from heat and pour into crockpot. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire, sugar, salt and pepper.

Cook for 3 hours. Add shrimp and cook for about 3 minutes.

Serve over rice; top with chopped green onions.

Crazy-delicious! Enjoy!

2010-06-07T17:19:00.007-05:00

Got up early this morning because I had to run into work for a meeting. Yes, even while I'm on vacation I get stuck traipsing into that place! While I was there, I checked my email really quick and I'm glad I did because it looks like I'll be travelling to Rockford for a meeting next Tuesday. Have I mentioned that I absolutely HATE travelling for this job? In any event, I left in a hurry, not wanting to spend any more time there than absolutely necessary.

Then, I had the dreaded doctor's appointment. As I suspected, not great news. My blood sugars are about the same; blood pressure, cholesterol, etc. all good, BUT I've gained about 20 pounds since last summer. Totally disappointing, totally disheartening. I stopped myself from running to Panera Bread and drowning my sorrows in a sweet, sugary treat.

So, I came home and tried to get crafty. My heart wasn't really in it today, but I felt if I did absolutely nothing I would be wasting a valuable day of freedom. So, I got out the paints and painted some Grungeboard embellishments to be used later - even Halloween stuff didn't cheer me up, but here's some of what I did:

That's it for today! Thanks for stopping by!

2010-06-06T14:34:00.005-05:00

Well, wow. I've had long bouts of 'no blogging' before, but I think I'm at a new record of about six weeks. So, "What's been goin' on?", you ask. Well, life in general. Two jobs, errands, end of the year school stuff with the kids, more work and in general, overall lack of motivation to do just about anything else. Haven't been eating right and my body says so. I know I've gained about 10 pounds - can't wait to hear what the doctor has to say about that! I'm on vacation this week, so maybe I can find the creative mojo to do some crafting and the overall motivation to get off my butt and move!

2010-04-17T16:07:00.004-05:00

Mental health day off from work. Okay, I'm just switching out days and working tomorrow instead, but I really needed this. I've spent the day taking care of 'to-dos' and minor errands, regrouping for the most part, but preparing for another busy week ahead. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. On tap for tonight: a huge ribeye w/ a baked potato and some major veg-time on the couch or maybe straight to bed?

2010-04-12T21:11:00.007-05:00

I love this kid. I've been so busy since like forever and I found myself realizing that I haven't spent any quality time with the kiddos. So, today after work I ran over to Mary's house and nabbed Shelby for a 'date night'. We went to dinner at Fiesta Cancun, my fave mexican spot and then over to the salon for manicures. She was really surprised and pleased with my plan. I need to do this again - soon; next 'date' > Jacob!

2010-03-28T20:45:00.004-05:00

I haven't scrapbooked in so long and it's really been bothering me that somehow I've lost the time to be creative... Today I had the entire day off and felt absolutely no motivation to get crafty. But a voice in the back of my head kept nagging at me: "Look at all the time you're wasting. You should make use of this free time. Yada, yada, yada." So, as I was printing out some photos for Mom, I found some pics from last year that didn't warrant a whole page on their own, but still brought back a specific memory. I threw those pics into a 2009 recap-type layout. I'm not thrilled with how it turned out, but I did realize as I looked through last year's pics, there weren't really that many. I need to renew my efforts on Project 365 and actually find a way to get myself into more photos this year! Stay tuned...

2010-03-27T21:23:00.001-05:00

Drove down to the Quad Cities today to spend some time with my nephew, Trey, who is home on leave from Afghanistan. We spent the afternoon hanging out, playing Wii, eating, talking, laughing and playing board games with the rest of the family. I love this kid and am so very proud of him!

2010-03-07T08:51:00.005-06:00

I {{heart}} markers, especially Copic Sketch markers. Here is a FANTASTIC link to a great introduction to these babies:

http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/02/copics.html

2010-03-06T15:47:00.006-06:00

I was productive all morning! Got some MAJOR Spring cleaning done. My 'supervisor' was ever-vigilant on the couch, eyeballing my every move:

She finally said we could be done. Now what?

2010-03-05T22:27:00.005-06:00

Hey readers, remember me? You know, when I started this blog in 2007 I had the best intentions of writing every day, diligently documenting my life. Ha! What is it they say about the 'best laid plans'? In any case I find myself with a little extra time tonight and I thought I'd at least check in. Most of you who follow me on Twitter or Facebook at least know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth....

My last post was February 14th and I believe I was making cards, or at least saying "Happy Valentines Day". In the past three weeks, it's been work, work, work, BIRTHDAY, work, work. I spent a lot of time with my friend Jason, which meant that nothing productive got done. Gonna try and fix that this weekend...

More later,

2010-02-28T08:01:00.001-06:00

Today I am 49 years old.

2010-02-14T14:31:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-01-27T13:27:00.003-06:00

Day off. Well, not exactly. I called in. I took a nasty spill on the ice and my body feels like it's been run over by a truck. I just don't feel up to being on my feet all day in the Hobby Lobby frame shop. So, you'd think that I'd jump right in and use the time to get all crafty, right? Nope. Not in the mood to drag everything out when the ceative mojo isn't screaming, "Let's do this!" Instead, I'm just browsing the web, reading some blogs and doing a little light Facebook stalking, but not for long. Soon, I'll be back to my book - I have been reading (on Shelby's recommendation) the 'House of Night' series of books by P.C. Cast. They sort of remind me of the Harry Potters, but not nearly as good. Fortunately, they are an easy read and I can finish one in about 6 hours... Today, I'll read the 6th one and then have to wait until April for the 7th. And, on that note dear readers, I'm off to find my book!

'Til next time,

2010-01-23T08:01:00.008-06:00

Wow. So much for my New Year's resolution to be a better blogger. 22 days. In my defense, It's been a crazy 22 days without a single day off. Can't wait for tomorrow. On a positive note, Project 365 has come along better than I expected, give or take a day, although I realize this morning that I am 3 days behind. I have discovered that I do not like taking pictures with my phone. Sure, the phone is good for random shots on the fly like a pop bottle sitting on my desk.

(BTW, yeah I drank that Throwback Mountain Dew. It was the most sugary, blissful 15 minutes of January 9th. But, I digress...)

To capture the real stuff that's going on around me, I gotta have my Nikon CoolPix! I was again caught with just a cellphone when I decided to capture this moment during the ice storm this week:

Hard to see, but this little elderly couple had slid into the stop sign and gotten stuck on a sheet of ice. The cop came and called a tow truck to get them back on track. The sweetest part of the whole thing was that the policeman helped them walk across the street to get to their car. The bad part of this moment was that right after I snapped this shot, Bailey decided to prance out into the middle of the street to say hello to the policeman. Luckily, leash laws don't apply during an ice storm!

Off to work. 'Til next time,

1.2.10

2010-01-02T17:20:00.003-06:00

my best friend

Project 365

2010-01-01T12:47:00.002-06:00

When Taylor McKnight started taking a photo a day on January 1st, 2004, he never imagined the project would not only serve as a way to remember a year, but also help him understand what was important to him in his life.

Whether it was his relationships, his career, or his fashion sense, recording a photo a day for a whole year left him with a rich visual history of his life. And it made him a better photographer to boot!

This year, I've decided to take on this project. Here's a tutorial on how and why to create your own daily photographic history:

Project 365: How to Create a Daily Photographic History
www.photojojo.com/content/tutorials/project-365-take-a-photo-a-day/

Why do it?
Taking a photo a day is a big undertaking with big payoffs. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider doing it:

•Imagine being able to look back at any day of your year and recall what you did, who you met, what you learned… (Often we find it hard to remember what we did just yesterday or even last night, let alone a whole year ago!)

•Your year-long photo album will be an amazing way to document your travels and accomplishments, your haircuts and relationships. Time moves surprisingly fast.

•Taking a photo a day will make you a better photographer. Using your camera every day will help you learn its limits. You will get better at composing your shots, you’ll start to care about lighting, and you’ll become more creative with your photography when you’re forced to come up with something new every single day.

Tips on How to Do It - Here are six tips on how to create your own Project 365:

1.Bring Your Camera Everywhere
Yes, everywhere. Get in the habit. Grocery stores, restaurants, parties, work, and school. Going to a movie theatre? Snap a pic of the flick with your phone–there are photo-ops everywhere. If you have one of those tiny tiny cameras, you have no excuse not to have it in your pocket all the time. And if you don’t? Camera phones are a great substitute.

2.Make Posting Easy
You can install blog software like Movable Type or Wordpress on your own site and create an entry for each photo, but for true ease of use, try a photo sharing site. Flickr will let you post a week’s worth of photos in 2 minutes flat, and fotolog and Photoblog.com are geared toward a photo-a-day workflow. Making it fast and easy means you’re much more likely to do it.

3.Vary Your Themes
Try to capture the day’s events in a single photo. Perform photographic experiments. Take a photo of someone new you meet, something you ate for the first time, or something you just learned how to do. Take a photo of something that made you smile. And don’t forget to take a photo of yourself at least once a month so you can remember how you’ve changed, too.

4.Tell a Story
Use your blog entry, or your photo description, to explain what’s going on in each day’s photograph. How good did that dinner taste? What made you want to take a photo of that stranger? It’ll help you remember down the road, and it gives friends following along a better appreciation of why you took the photo you did. You don’t need to write a lot, just enough to add some color.

5.Don’t Stop, No Matter What
This is perhaps the most important tip of all. You will get tired of taking a photo every single day. Some days, you will consider giving up. Don’t. The end result is worth the effort. Remind yourself why you wanted to do it in first place.

There will be times you’ll think there’s nothing interesting left to take a photo of, and times you’ll think you didn’t do anything exciting enough to take a photo of. There’s always a great photo to be made.

Get out of the house and take a walk. Or stay inside and look around. Take a photo of something important to you. Take a photo of the inside of your house so you can see how your taste has changed over the years. Take a photo of anything, just don’t stop. It helps if you’ve told your friends about the project and asked them to follow along. Their encouragement will keep you going!

6.Post early, post often
Plan on going through and posting your photos at least once a week so you don’t get backlogged and feel overwhelmed. Ideally, post every day or two. Again, spend the time up front to make sure it’s quick and easy to post. It’ll make all the difference.

2009-12-31T23:59:00.000-06:00

What does a new year mean? To me, it means a clean slate and a fresh start; time for a 'do-over'. You have an opportunity every single day to believe in the possibility of achieving your goals and getting what you want...

2009-12-30T22:55:00.001-06:00

Wow. 2009 is ending with a bang, so to speak.

My mom was diagnosed with lung cancer the week before Christmas and 7 days later was having surgery to remove 1/3 of her right lung. She's out of the hospital now and recuperating at home, thankfully. The road to recovery for her will be an extended one and we are hoping for the best.

I finished the year still holding down 2 jobs with very little free time in between. I'm going to cut back to just 2 days/week at Hobby Lobby in the hopes of finding a little more 'me time'. My motto for the coming year will be: "Work to live; don't live to work."

I'm spending New Year's Eve at home with a friend; no raucous partying for us... At the rate things are going, we'll be lucky to make it 'til midnight, which is fine by me. I'm ready for a new year and a fresh start!

2009-12-29T11:09:00.000-06:00

After a long dry spell, I finally finished a scrapbook page. It's definitely not my best effort, but it felt good to get all ink-y again!

2009-12-13T16:18:00.004-06:00

Two weeks since my last post and not much has changed other than the fact that I've been sick this entire time. Nothing horrific like H1N1, just a nagging sinus/head cold thing. Still all work and no play with every free moment spent trying to get better, which translates into early bedtimes.

I worked this morning and cam home early. Now baking some pumpkin bread; gonna have and early dinner and go to bed yet again! 'Night!

2009-11-29T11:47:00.005-06:00

Still no time for crafting. Only work. Today, on a day off from both jobs, there would appear to be time for crafting, but there's only rest, relaxation and 'New Moon'! Woot, woot! Oh yeah, and a trip to the grocery store afterwards so I don't starve this week. (Like THAT would actually ever happen!)

'til next time,

2009-11-16T05:57:00.002-06:00

Since I started working two jobs it seems like I have no creative time anymore - I'm always too tired; either that, or I've lost the creative mojo. 8( Gonna work on that and I promise I'll post some new stuff very soon! In the meantime, I gotta go to work...

2009-11-15T09:09:00.003-06:00

Another heartbreaking loss for my Hawkeyes last night. You'd think I'd be used to it - every time we look to be on the verge of 'the greatest season ever', disappointment prevails...

Still, the Hawkeyes have a 9-2 record, will probably finish the regular season with a win against Minnesota next week, and will no doubt receive a bowl bid. Win or lose, it's a great day to be a Hawkeye!

If you need me, I'll be on the couch for the rest of the day...

2009-11-14T11:14:00.002-06:00

Saturday morning. Gameday. Looking for a Hawkeye Big Ten Championship today...

2009-11-13T11:11:00.000-06:00

Good morning, dear readers. Well, inventory at Lowe's has come and gone. I rocked it out like a champion (with a lot of outstanding effort from the team, of course). We blew our goal out of the water and, amidst a lot of praise from the district and regional teams, I start to worry about the possible new goal for next year. Will it be within reach? Only time will tell...

2009-11-07T08:29:00.002-06:00

Goodbye October, Hello November. Okay, only 7 days late with that one. Seriously, time is just flying. Inventory at Lowe's starts Monday and, although I think we're ready, I'm still nervous as hell. I've always looked at inventory as the report card for what kind of job I'm doing. Self-criticism is always the worst, I guess. So, only one more week, dear readers, and thing should be back to normal. Okay, as normal as they're gonna get with the holidays right around the corner...

Enjoy your weekend!

2009-10-28T18:29:00.003-05:00

Regrouping today. Started with a radical hairstyle change. What do you think? Hit the grocery store because the pantry was bare and then rounded out the afternoon with a little shoe shopping - scored 2 pair of Sketchers. Sweet! Tonight starts with honey teriayaki glazed salmon, baked potato and fresh green beans for dinner. (I have been eating on the run way too much lately.) Finally, it's @ home Spa Night > mani, pedi & facial. If there's time, there might be some reshuffling of the closet to tuck away the summer clothes...

Back at it tomorrow.

2009-10-28T07:58:00.002-05:00

Wow. Just reading my last post. Boy was I ever in a negative place. No worries; things are better now. Why? Because Coffeemate Peppermint Mocha Creamer is back! Sheer bliss in a cup!

Kind of excited about this weeks' events. Work has been going good - lots of recoveries to boost my ROI. I helped my friend get a job at Hobby Lobby and am hoping that this helps him turn a corner. Day off today, the first in 15 days. What to do? First up is a haircut. I'm going to update my 'do for the holidays; something funky and fun. Then, maybe a little shopping... Finally, I'm planning on an at-home facial tonight. Can't afford the salon version, but I'm hoping to find some products today that will get the job done...

Thanks for stopping by!

2009-10-18T11:24:00.003-05:00

Not much going on these days except for work. Getting ready for inventory at Lowe's; three weeks to go and I'll be glad when it's over. Working at home today. Big pot of chili on the stove...

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Life is funny. You think you have it all figured out. You think you know who you can trust to have your back. Then, instead of having your back, they stab you in the back. Kindness, generousity and loyalty are repaid with rudeness, indifference and betrayal. I have come to the conclusion that I need to pick and choose my friends more carefully in the future.

'Til next time...

2009-10-11T11:47:00.003-05:00

Wow! Another two weeks of silence. My bad... Continued busy-ness with both jobs.

Finished my 21-straight-day stretch last Saturday morning - with 36 free hours ahead of me it was hard to decide what to do first. Obviously, first on the agenda was to come home and watch the Hawkeye game. A friend was here to hang out and before you know it, we had decided to go up to La Crosse, WI for Octoberfest. It was a really fun night, followed by a long haul back home at 4:00 am. I made up for everything by camping out on the couch for the entire day on Sunday. Monday thru yesterday was pretty much work, work, work...

After work last night Bailey and I went over to my friend Lori's house to watch the Hawkeye game. It was a nail-biter, but the Hawkeyes beat Michigan. Bailey had a great time playing with Lori & Ryan's kids and exploring their house. By the time we came home, we were both ready to drop, which we pretty much did.

Today is a day off from both jobs. Sitting here drinking some coffee and waiting for the laundry to dry. No craftiness on tap for the day - too tired, I guess. I did repaint a picture frame for the bedroom. I've been inspired to update some of my home decor'. (I am loving my job in the framing department at Hobby Lobby and wished that it paid enough for me to just quit Lowe's...)

Well, that's about it. Thanks for stopping by!

2009-09-27T19:00:00.008-05:00

Almost two weeks without a word? You poor readers must be in a panic wondering what's going on in my life, right? Well, not much. The whole two-job-thing has really consumed my life. It's not like I'm working so many extra hours at Hobby Lobby (12-15), but when I gave the HL manager my Lowe's schedule and said, "Here, work around this," he really took it to heart, scheduling me 3 hours at night after a Lowe's shift and really honing in on my Lowe's scheduled days off. Needless to say, I haven't had a day off in 2 weeks and am looking at 6 more days before I get one! Thank God Hobby Lobby is closed on Sundays!

Needless to say, there hasn't been much free time and I've been super tired every night. The Hobby Lobby job is a more physical one and I spend the entire shift on my feet - not necessarily a good move for the girl with the reconstructed right foot! I do like the extra paycheck though - it leaves plenty of breathing room after the bills are all paid and I like the fact that I can pay extra on my credit cards; I'd love to get those suckers paid down!

With free time so precious, I've become even more efficient at multi-tasking and running errands on the fly. Slightly irritated with the next-door neighbor this weekend though... I've come home 2 nights in a row with the intention of doing a load of laundry and she's had clothes in both the washer and dryer with her car nowhere in sight. Last night, she was gone for at least 5 hours before she came home and finished. Tonight, it's been 2 hours. Seriously, how rude! My alternative would be taking her stuff out and throwing it on top of the dryer, but I'll let it go 1 more day. She'd better be out of my way tomorrow night though! ;-)

And with that, dear readers, I'm going to go spend some quality time with my little dog who has been quite the trooper in putting up with all of my comings and goings...

2009-09-24T21:28:00.000-05:00

A coworker got married a couple of weeks ago and my gift was to start a scrapbook for them. Just finished the pages and put them in the book:

Off to bed!

2009-09-13T21:47:00.005-05:00

Crafted like a madwoman today. With two jobs, either my free time is non-existent or I am just too exhausted to be creative. Made up for lost time today though: 2 swap cards, 1 wedding card, 7 Halloween cards and 26 Christmas cards. Most of the Halloween cards were a revival of an old favorite:

But I did this one just so I could bust out the Distress Crackle paint:

And don't be that impressed with the quantity of Christmas cards - I'm doing photo cards this year and it was simply a matter of assembling them. Still, I feel like I got a lot of stuff done and know that I won't be caught off guard with the Holidays sneaking up on us already.

On the craft table now are the beginnings of what will be my Fall/Grateful/Thanksgiving cards. Wish I had another day off - I seem to be on a roll...

2009-09-06T14:21:00.003-05:00

Not a lot to blog about. I did start a second job at Hobby Lobby two weeks ago. This might have bad news written all over it, as I can see myself spending more money and taking on more craft projects, LOL. However, I feel like I can exercise some self control and actually take that second paycheck and pay some bills with it!

Work at Lowe's is the same. Busy, as always, with more programs, checklists and daily things 'to do' coming all the time. I'm thinking of telling my boss that I'd like to step away from the Davenport store mentorship, as visiting there only once a month seems futile. We shall see.

Today is my only day off this week and I am totally unmotivated to do anything. I did manage to get the laundry done and straighten up the house, but now I feel the need to log some serious couch time!

Until next time,

2009-08-16T11:29:00.004-05:00

Last weekend was my 30th class reunion, a luau-themed night of food, drinks and entertainment. I had such a good time connecting with old friends! Of course, I had to scrap about it!

2009-08-12T14:37:00.003-05:00

Jacob & Shelby were in Willie Wonka at the Bell Tower Theater last month. I scrapped the pictures, but forgot to post the page, so here it is:

More to come - soon, I promise...

2009-07-25T11:43:00.003-05:00

Why is it that every time you go on vacation you come back to twice the work? The last 2 weeks have been spent playing catch up in between visits from the district staff. Ugh! And why is it that no matter how many great things you do, they always find those little deficiencies to pick at? Maybe their mentality is that no one is perfect and we're gonna make damn sure she knows that she's not perfect... Who knows? Still, it's a job that pays the bills and provides me with health care, which is more than some people can say these days! I'm still holding out hope that PetSmart will call me and say, "Teresa, can you come manage our store and oh, by the way, would you please bring your dog to work everyday as well?" Hey, a girl can dream, right?

2009-07-10T10:25:00.003-05:00

Vacation - Day 5. Not much accomplished this week, but I guess sometimes that's the whole point of vacation, right?

The kids are in the summer production of Willie Wonka Jr. this weekend at the Bell Tower Theater, so stay tuned for pics...

2009-07-08T13:07:00.004-05:00

Chilly and rainy. Where did summer go? Thinking about going back to bed for the day and can't seem to find a reason not to...

2009-07-06T17:28:00.002-05:00

Vacation, Day 1 - Taking it easy, resting and regrouping. Work has been kinda tough lately. They've been asking me to travel more and take on all kinds of new responsibilities. Now, you know I love a good challenge and have never minded additional responsibilities, but the things they are asking me to do fall more under the realm of someone with a much higher salary than I...

I spent the day puttering around the house, watching seasons 1 and 2 of "The Office", cathing up on emails and posting some unused crafting supplies for sale on Craig's List.

The weather is in the 'in between' stage - not quite hot enough for the A/C, but still a little sticky. I've settled on keeping the windows open to enjoy the fresh air and slight breeze, but have dug out the tank tops...

My nephew Trey left for Afghanistan last week - hoping he stays safe and hurries home soon.

Had a great Fourth of July weekend, despite the fact that I had to work both days. My brother John was here and we spent the time hanging out, watching movies and playing games. Saturday night, we skipped the fireworks and resorted to setting off 'illegal fireworks' in the front yard. By 'illegal fireworks' I mean firecrackers, LOL. Only in Dubuque...

And that's it for today!

2009-06-25T19:08:00.001-05:00

R.I.P. MICHAEL JACKSON

August 29, 1958 - June 25, 2009

2009-06-21T16:01:00.003-05:00

Tweeked my resume' a little bit and posted it on monster, careerbuilder, etc. I applied for two jobs online and will apply for at least one job a day until I find something that suits my needs. I'm thinking of contacting a couple of headhunters to get my resume' out there. The biggest challenge is that Dubuque is a small town and the opportunities are limited, but I'll find something!

Keep your fingers crossed for me as I begin 'the big search'!

2009-06-20T14:14:00.002-05:00

Horrible week at work and that's all I'm going to say except for the fact that I'm heading over to Monster.com right now!

Have a great weekend!

2009-06-13T10:30:00.005-05:00

Guilty pleasure Saturday:

coffee with 'cinnamon bun' creamer
watching Paris Hilton's 'My New BFF' on MTV, cheering for Stephen
stalking people on Facebook, LOL - stalk me back @ http://www.facebook.com/teresapete

Have a great weekend!

2009-06-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

I did a little creating today and made this page about the kids' Spring concerts:

I kept it simple, focusing on just a couple of pictures because my last two pages have just been loaded. Going to spend a little time tomorrow working on some new techniques...

Thanks for checking in!

2009-06-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

Busy day off today, starting with trip to the salon for a mani/pedi, and haircut & color. Then, lunch at Panera with my friend Judy - love her! Next was gassing up the car and a car wash; then over to Mary's house to have the kids help me wax the car and detail the inside. Now, I'm home and working on laundry and cleaning the house; burning CDs for the car in between... Buffalo chicken salad for dinner - yum!

See ya next time!

2009-06-08T17:53:00.000-05:00

Overwhelmed. Work is kicking my butt. I am working on an investigation that keeps me running back to the store after my regular shift is over and in on my days off. I feel like I can think of nothing else besides work. I even forgot that Mom was having a medical procedure this morning and didn't remember until I called Mary and she said that they were in with the doctor... Geez!

Tomorrow I am on the road to Davenport, but there are rumors that our Regional Director might be visiting our store, so plans could change at a moments' notice. Help! I need a vacation! (Luckily, I have one scheduled for the week after the 4th, so I'm counting down the days.) At least tomorrow, I'll be able to stop in at Jim's house and have lunch with the family...

Keep checking in!

2009-06-05T09:31:00.002-05:00

Friday morning. Payday. Paying bills and lots of errands to run. Gotta get to PetSmart and the grocery store... This is my life.

However, here's a little something to look forward to:

Damn! That Jacob is lookin' good...

Have a great weekend!

2009-05-29T14:05:00.006-05:00

It's a nice little Saturday morning... I'm busy being crafty, making some birthday cards since I realized that I was out. There's a 'The Hills' marathon on MTV, so I'm engrossed in that guilty pleasure. The weather is beautiful - mid 60s. (Too bad I have no desire to go anywhere.) Hey, at least I'm dressed! Bailey keeps eyeballing me, waiting for a sign that we're outta here. Soon, little girl...

Last night I finished editing some home video of the kids' Spring concerts. Here's a clip of Shelby playing her bass guitar with the Jazz Band:

Thanks for stopping by!

2009-05-29T14:00:00.003-05:00

Found this little quiz on Jennifer's blog (http://www.jenniferstewarts.blogspot.com/)
She was having a little down time; I am just procrastinating, so here goes:

What is your current obsession? games on Facebook for some reason
What is your weirdest obsession? games on Facebook, LOL
What are you wearing today? gray gym shorts and an old blue t-shirt
What’s for dinner? grilled salmon w/ garlic pesto
What would you eat for your last meal? a huge steak, baked potato & asparagus
What's the last thing you bought? a Venti Mocha Frappucino from Starbuck's
What are you listening to now? Rachel Ray's TV show
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Rocky Road
If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be? Asbury, Iowa
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? Phoenix
Which language would you want to learn? Italian
What's your favorite quote (for now)? "Do or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
What is your favorite color? emerald green
What is your favorite time of day? early morning
What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? my skinny jeans
What is your dream job? probably working with animals...
What's your favorite magazine? Real Simple
If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on? groceries, LOL, the pantry is pretty bare...
Do you admire anyone's style? Jennifer's!
Describe your personal style - casual, flexible, evolving
What are you going to do after this? edit home video from the spring concerts
What are your favourite movies? The Godfather, Boondock Saints, anything w/ Will Ferrell
What's your favourite fruit? any and all berries
What inspires you? a clean and organized workspace (how lame!)
Do you collect something? memories

Thanks for checking in!

2009-05-24T20:55:00.003-05:00

Thinking about the reason behind the Memorial Day holiday...

This weekend we pause to remember. To honor and thank those who paid the ultimate price so that we can have our picnics and parades and parties. To recognize the sacrifice of the families whose loved ones gave their lives in order that our freedoms could be preserved. To consider the ongoing challenges of those who voluntarily put themselves in harm’s way to protect our country, our values and our way of life.

Check out Cards for Heroes, a non-profit organization whose mission is to "support our nation's armed forces by sending blank greeting cards to write home on, as well as cards of gratitude to encourage them." I'll be working on a challenge with my card group in the upcoming weeks to support this organization. Let me know if you'd like to help...

2009-05-17T22:00:00.001-05:00

Well, don't think because I haven't blogged in over 2 weeks that I haven't been doing anything, LOL. Crazy busy! Jacob and Shelby were in the ERMS production of CATS. I scrapped a lot last week and made pages for the family to frame. Here's a look at the finished product:

Thanks for stopping by...

2009-04-30T05:48:00.003-05:00

Another crazy 10 days or so that have kept me away from the computer, blog, etc. Mom continues to recover from her surgery, has gotten her staples out and was cleared by the doctor to drive a couple of days ago. Thank goodness! Let's hope that she doesn't try to do too much too soon...

Work has been busy as we enter the "100 days of hell", a term we use for the spring planting season. The garden center at Lowe's rocks and rolls on a daily basis and we receive truckloads of plants every week. The big challenge is always keeping those plants alive until we can sell them, LOL. At least the weather has finally broken and I don't have to worry about cold temperatures killing plants! I am still mentoring 3 other stores and today I am headed down to Davenport to work.

This coming weekend brings 2 exciting events: 1) Farmer's Market starts, and 2) the big production of 'CATS' at ERMS. Neice Shelby and nephew Jacob both have major roles with lots of solos, so I'm sure they'll be many proud moments to scrap and brag about...

Stay tuned, dear readers!

2009-04-12T08:57:00.007-05:00

Well, it's been a long and crazy week. My mom had hernia surgery on Monday and was in the hospital for three days. We brought her home on Wednesday and my sister and I have been alternating staying at her house to help her. She's been in a lot of pain and we were just afraid she'd try to do too much on her own. Fortunately, she's feeling a lot better and can now be left 'unsupervised'. She still has a lot of healing to do, but I think we've turned a corner...

On top of all that, Jeff's (my sister's husband) grandma passed away last weekend, so we had a wake and a funeral in the middle of the week. In and amongst that, I managed to work about 25 hours and took some vacation time to make up the difference.

The family finally had our Easter dinner last night; better late than never.. Today will definitely be a day for resting and regrouping before getting back to work tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in!

2009-04-11T21:33:00.005-05:00

May the Easter Beagle be kind to you this year...

Dirty Broccoli

2009-04-09T21:15:00.003-05:00

Got this recipe from my friend Adrian. (Her cousin is Food Network chef Ellie Krieger.) It is crazy-delicious!

1 bunch broccoli (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 T. water
2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. fresh bread crumbs made from day old whole wheat bread or 1/4 c. plain (store bought) bread crumbs
1/4 t. dried oregano
1/4 t. salt
pinch of pepper

Cut the broccoli into spears and place in a large microwave safe bowl with the water. Cover tightly and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Drain the broccoli well and set aside.

While the broccoli is cooking, heat the oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring, until the crumbs are toasted and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, toss to coat with bread crumbs and serve.

2009-04-05T17:09:00.001-05:00

Cold, cloudy and rainy, with snow in the forecast. What's a girl to do? Time to play with some of my new Tim Holtz stuff, of course!

Today's project was an inspiration journal. I am always clipping ideas and examples from magazines, but had no where to keep them, so I made this blank book. I used all kinds of Tim Holtz (my hero) products on this:

The cover is Grungeboard, inked with Distress Inks; heart/wings/crown are again Grungeboard painted with Distress Crackle paints and wired together; the clock stamp is from his new collection @ Michaels and the metal game spinner is his too! I think the flourish stamps are from HOTP and the ribbon is from my stash. The letters are 'Spare Parts' from The Paper Studio.

2009-03-29T20:59:00.002-05:00

Lazy weekend for the most part. Friday was payday and my inventory incentive bonus was tacked onto my check, so after paying a bunch of bills I did a huge Sam's Club / grocery store run - so happy to see a full freezer, fridge and pantry, not to mention that Bailey has been keeping a close eye on the new big bag of dog food in the corner. We like being stocked up!

It has been kind of cold this weekend and actually snowed a couple of inches yesterday afternoon/evening, so I have enjoyed playing the hermit. I spent almost the entire day Saturday downloading new music, adding it to my iPod and burning CDs for the car. Today was laundry day and rest; swedish meatballs and noodles in the crockpot made the house smell awesome. I didn't do any crafting this weekend, I'm afraid - I just didn't have the ambition and the couch seemed way more inviting.

Big week at work coming up - I'm working on a couple of big investigations that will hopefully net me an internal case or two. So, with that, I'm heading to bed!

2009-03-20T00:58:00.004-05:00

Not much going on, although Spring has finally arrived. Did a little scrapping and a little cardmaking today. I mostly used up some scraps to shore up my card stash; then I stamped a couple of images and colored them with my Copic markers (which are worth every penny, btw). Here's the scrapbook page I completed:

okay, so I changed my mind

2009-03-10T23:07:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago I sat here proclaiming that the new season of American Idol 'sucked'. Clearly, I must have missed Adam Lambert. Well, I've changed my mind; here is the guy I think that America will ultimately select:

random stuff

2009-03-07T21:25:00.008-06:00

Raining tonight. In fact, it has been raining all day. But, hey, better than snow. Chilly tonight, but not really. I think my body is just way too ready for Spring.

Didn't do much today - a few errands and then stopped by a friends' house for a couple of hours. I did spend some time this morning organizing the 'craft closet', making room for a bunch of new Tim Holtz stuff that I got at Michaels. Couldn't resist - you know I love his stuff. Watched a bunch of his demo videos tonight, getting some ideas on how to use the new stuff (http://www.timholtz.com/demos.html). That's a typical 'me-move' - buy it first and then figure out how to actually use it. Now on my next day off I'll actually have to do some creating instead of just looking at my stash!

Waiting for the laundry to finish up. The dryer is taking forever. Just went around the house and set all of the clocks ahead an hour in anticipation of the Daylight Savings Time change tonight.

Johnny Deep / Pirates of the Caribbean on TV. Can't go wrong there. Who doesn't love a little Captain Jack Sparrow?

Just want to crawl under the covers and go to sleep... Have to work early tomorrow; I hate working the weekends. It's all I can do to make myself stay the whole day. Whoa - dryer is done. I'm outta here. Goodnight.

life the life you've imagined

2009-03-04T19:47:00.007-06:00

I did some crafting this past weekend and I find that my style is evolving. I have become quite a fan of Tim Holtz, a Designer & Senior Educator for Ranger Industries, one of the leading manufacturers of inks, paints, and embossing products. As a well known designer, Tim travels across the country and internationally to educate and introduce people to his world of ink techniques, clever projects, and so much more. He truly lives his motto that creativity is an endless journey where we should always take the scenic route. As my journey continues, here's a look at what I created this weekend with some of his products:

Tags made with alcohol & distress inks.

ATC - background paper is glossy cardstock with blended alcohol inks.

I was incredibly excited to see that my local Michaels has begun to carry a wider range of Tim's products from Ranger Industries. For a better look at Tim and his style, check out his website: http://www.timholtz.com/index.html

happy birthday to me

2009-02-28T15:23:00.011-06:00

Wow. I am 48 years old today. It's been a great week - my sister, her husband and I started the 'birthday week' tradition many years ago. Basically, it's like Hanukkah, celebrating 7 days of your birthday. You get a present each day, starting out with something small like a candy bar or bookmark, and working your way up to the big present on your birthday. So far I've received an Iowa Hawkeye pencil cup, Iowa Hawkeye socks, the 'Caddyshack' DVD, a flexible little tripod for my cameras, and flash drive for the computer and windshield wiper blades for the car. I wonder what tonight will bring?

My brother John surprised me with a package yesterday - a great selection of Will Ferrell DVDs and a book on design basics. Very, very cool!

Unfortunately, to put a damper on the week, I have spent the better part of the last couple of days at home with a sick little dog. Bailey apparently got into something on a walk the other day that was either poisonous or highly allergic. In any case, her entire face blew up like a balloon from Thursday night to Friday morning and she vomited quite a bit on Thursday and Friday. This morning I made her the hamburger and brown rice bland diet that the vet always recommends and she has managed to keep three very small meals down so far. Thankfully, other than the upset stomach, she is completely fine - drinking and playing normally...

Well, dear readers, as I am now another year closer to being a senior citizen, LOL, I think I will indulge myself with a little nap before the family heads out to dinner at Applebee's (love that place).

{PS: Day 7's present was a gift certificate to my favorite salon / spa!}

2009-02-25T19:40:00.004-06:00

Is it just me, or does this season of 'American Idol' suck? I've been sitting here watching the first 40 minutes and I am honestly searching for something else to watch! I know we're not down to the finalists yet, but good lord, these guys are terrible. Maybe they are saving the best for later in the show... Perhaps I'll stick it out.

In other news, well, there's not much going on. I had the day off and could not get motivated to do a thing! Hey, 'Top Chef' is on...

2009-02-21T16:58:00.008-06:00

The votes are in! I polled some of my peeps and here are the results:

Yes, leave the music = 3
> Shanda and Rachelle said, "It's yours & you should be able to customize it the way you want to. It's also nice to know a little more about you, music says a lot about a person.

No music, please = 3
> The main reason why people didn't want the music was that they were already listening to their own music while surfing the web.

John, you may be right from a design perspective, but the music stays for now. Besides, who doesn't love a little Madonna, mixed with Fall Out Boy, mixed with Rihanna and Christina? I promise I'll keep the playlist fresh!

2009-02-21T07:37:00.005-06:00

I need your opinion! After changing my blog layout and adding music, my brother John (the artist) said:

"My God, you turned it into a big MySpace page! The visual design is alright, but I'd lose the music. I love Madonna and all, but people tend to become annoyed when they navigate to a page and music unexpectedly plays at them (at least I do). Just a suggestion."

So, music or no music? Leave me a comment and let me know. Thanks!

By the way, the piece of advice that little brother gave me that I will carry with me was "A good designer understands that just because they can doesn't mean they should."

And just to give John some exposure, here's a link to his blog:

http://jmpetersen.blogspot.com/

2009-02-16T11:29:00.003-06:00

Like the new blog layout? My friend Rachelle pointed me in the direction of a great website - www.thecutestblogontheblock.com . It's super-easy to use and I just fell in love with this layout (for now); I love the pink and black combination. All you do is copy and paste HTML codes into the 'add a gadget section' of the 'customize' your layout part of the dashboard here on Blogger. While I was at it, I added music from www.playlist.com . Snazzy, huh?

Today is a "don't get dressed day" and I want to get busy making some art, but the day is slipping away from me so I'd better get going... More later!

2009-02-15T20:09:00.006-06:00

Well, it's been over a month since I've posted. Not the best blogger, I know. I guess I've been in one of those dead-of-winter-not-much-going-on funks... Seriously, it's been just a month of work, eat and sleep; no crafting, no going out, no nothing! But, now that we've had some glimmers of 40-degree weather and the worst holiday of the year (Valentine's Day) is over, I am sure I'll be snapping out of it. Hey, on the bright side, Mardi Gras is right around the corner. I don't think I'll have time to make a traditional King Cake this year, so I've decided to do it the 'monkey bread way':

MONKEY BREAD:

4 cans buttermilk biscuits
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/4 stick butter

2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 large plastic bag

Preheat oven to 350F. Separate biscuits and cut into quarters. Roll quarters into balls. Mix 2/3-cup sugar and 1-tsp cinnamon in plastic bag. Shake biscuit rolls in the plastic bag until evenly coated. Place biscuit rolls in Bundt pan (or shape into an "O" on cookie sheet). Pour extra sugar mixture left over from bag on top. Mix brown sugar, butter, and 1-tsp cinnamon in saucepan. Boil for 1 minute. Pour over biscuits. Bake at 350F for 35 minutes.

-------------------------------------------------------

TO MAKE THIS INTO A KING CAKE, YOU'LL NEED PURPLE, GREEN & GOLD COLORED SUGAR AND A 1" PLASTIC BABY DOLL. When the cake is done, alternate the three colored sugars around your cake. Make the first section purple, second section green, and the third section gold, repeating until the entire cake has about 3 sections of each color. Before you cut your cake, place the baby in one of the pieces where the person eating the cake can easily discover it.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

2009-01-10T08:59:00.005-06:00

And the snow continues to fall... It looks like 3 - 4 inches so far, the light, fluffy, pretty flakes that I don't mind at all. Bailey, on the other hand, has decided that the front porch is about as far as she wants to go. I haven't seen or heard the snowplows yet this morning, so it appears the city is not too concerned with clearing the streets. Fine by me. I stopped at the store on the way home from work last night to stock up on a few essentials and am prepared to spend the weekend at home. That's probably a good idea anyway, as I am still suffering the tail end of the cold / flu / pneumonia or whatever I had....

It's been a busy week back at work after my vacation, with lots of paperwork and post-inventory stuff to catch up on. I'm glad to have the weekend off to regroup. So, I'll probably spend the rest of the morning working on some handmade cards and then hit the couch for an afternoon of movies.

Enjoy your day. Here's a look outside my front door right now:

2009-01-02T17:22:00.005-06:00

Yesterday was spent at the craft table, working on two new scrapbook pages. It felt good to get my hands all ink-y again because it's been awhile. Here's what I accomplished:

(christmas page)

(year in review)

I love my 'year in review' pages! They're full of photos that really don't merit a page on their own, but spark a memory nonetheless! My scrapbook is all caught up. Now what?

2009-01-01T14:59:00.005-06:00

Among other things, New Year's Day is traditionally a big day for football, right? Nothing made me happier this morning than to wake up, flip on the TV and see my Iowa Hawkeyes playing in The Outback Bowl. It was a great game - the Hawkeyes trounced South Carolina 31-10! Even Bailey got into the spirit. After all, she's a Hawkeye too!

2008-12-31T22:21:00.004-06:00

Still sick. I think I have a sinus infection because my head feels like it's going to explode! Not the vacation I had in mind...

As we (meaning me, Bailey & Carson Daly) get ready to count down to the new year, I've started thinking about resolutions. This year, I'm keeping it simple - I resolve to cherish myself. This starts and ends with being healthy and happy.

May the new year be an amazing journey for us all...

vacation, day 3

2008-12-29T21:09:00.004-06:00

sick. sick. sick.

Not sure what I have, but it feels an awful lot like a head cold/sinus infection. It totally caught me offguard, especially since I didn't get sick at all last winter. I guess it's a combination of not enough sleep, stress at work, the holidays and the absolutely frigid weather we've had for the last couple of weeks.

I spent the first two days of vacation in the house. Although I should have been resting, I just couldn't bring myself to waste the days. So, Saturday I took down all of the Christmas decor and hauled it out tot the garage. Then, I power-cleaned the whole house. (This was brought on by the fact that I noticed an awful lot of dust all over everything.) A couple of errands later and I was spent.

Sunday was a wasted day. I can't even remember what I did? I think a lot of my time was spent in front of the computer, mindlessly surfing the 'net...

Today was not much better. I went out to Sundown for awhile, but felt like crap and came home after about three hours. Then, I spent nearly 6 hours downloading music from Limewire and loading it onto my MP3 player... http://www.limewire.com/ ;-) (Okay, another wasted day, sort of...)

Now, at 9:17 pm, I am exhausted and can only think about bed. Goodnight!

home for the holidays

2008-12-25T20:34:00.001-06:00

Merry Christmas!

Baby, it's cold outside!

2008-12-21T21:05:00.000-06:00

1:24 pm - Eleven degrees below zero? Not a joke. We are experience blizzard-like conditions with blowing and drifting snow and a windchill factor of -37 degrees. No one in their right mind is going out today. What am I doing? Going to work, of course! More later...

9:00 pm - It's very windy. There are areas of blowing snow everywhere and there's a chance of flurries overnight with a near record low around 16 below. Wind chill readings to 39 below... Hope the car starts in the morning!

saturday

2008-12-20T10:42:00.003-06:00

After an incredibly full week, I am spent. Inventory at work came and went, and, although hugely stressful, everything came out great in the end and we met our goal and earned bonuses for everyone, including me! The only problem is that we have to wait until March for the check. :-(

Yesterday morning brought 12" of snow and I am very grateful that I did not have to go to work. In fact, I spent the entire day in bed, mostly due to the post-inventory celebration hangover from Thursday night... (Most of you know that I am not usually one to drink to excess, but things just got away from me and the empty stomach did not help.) But, hey, who doesn't deserve a day spent in bed napping and watching bad TV?

Today, much to my dismay, I have to go into work. There are a lot of things that got pushed aside due to inventory and I need to catch up. So, It will be a day spent in my office with the iPod headphones in, tuning out the world and plowing through paperwork...

Have a wonderful Saturday!

sunday afternoon

2008-12-14T18:05:00.004-06:00

I spent the day at the scrapbook table catching up on pages that have been waiting to be completed. I finished three new layouts, and, although I'm not entirely happy with how they turned out, I know that there will never be a perfect page.

Here they are:

Now it's time to hit the shower and into bed early tonight. (It's inventory week at work and I have to be there by 5:30 am every day!) Can't wait for it to be over.

Goodnight!

holiday baking, part 3

2008-12-14T00:30:00.002-06:00

I just finished making the last of my holiday treats. These meringue cookies are super simple and taste delicious. There are three important things to remember - 1) you must line your cookie sheets with aluminum foil or cover with a silicone baking sheet, otherwise they will stick; 2) crush the candy canes up really good because a fine dust is much easier to sprinkle over the tops and looks a lot better; 3) do not over bake, because you will ruin them. Here's the recipe:

Teresa's Peppermint Kisses

3 egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2/3 cup sugar

6 candy canes - crushed into dust

Beat 3 egg whites with 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while beating until glossy. Continue beating until peaks form when beaters are lifted up. Place mixture in a large baggie and cut off a small corner. Pipe "kisses" onto a foil-lined or Silpat-covered cookie sheet. Sprinkle kisses with crushed candy canes. Bake 1 hour, 15 minutes in a 225 degree oven. (Time varies with humidity - check often after 1 hour.)

holiday baking, part 2

2008-12-13T21:09:00.001-06:00

Today was another day of holiday baking. For the very first time, I attempted to make Grandma Pete's Date Pinwheels. I got the recipe last year, but ran out of time before I could make them. You have to cook the filling, make the dough and then roll it out, spread the filling on and roll it up like a jelly roll. After chilling the rolls for a couple of hours you just slice and bake them. It's a bit of a project. My cookies taste like Grandma's, but they do not look as perfect as hers did. I guess that was either from years of practice or the fact that she had Papa to slice the cookies with his electric knife. Here's the recipe:

Grandma Pete's Date Pinwheels

2 cups dates - cut fine

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs beaten

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 cups flour

Make filling first - chop dates finely, add water and sugar and cook until thick. Set aside to cool.

Make dough - Mix shortening and sugars; add 3 beaten eggs. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Flour hands and surface well. Roll 1/2 of the dough into a circle. Spread 1/2 of the filling onto dough. Roll up like a jelly roll and chill. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Chill both for a couple of hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice and bake on cookie sheets for 10-12 minutes.

this guy

2008-12-13T00:06:00.002-06:00

My nephew Jacob is an amazing kid. At thirteen, one minute he's a silly little boy and the next minute he's a maturing young man. He's smart, funny and incredibly talented. He plays the cello in the school orchestra and sings in the church choir, two choirs at school and was just cast as 'Rum Tum Tugger' in 'CATS', the school's spring musical, a character usually portrayed as the feline equivalent of Elvis Presley or Mick Jagger.

Here's a video clip of one of Tugger's songs from the Broadway production: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4G8WMbmCJY&feature=related

It's a huge part and we're all very excited. Jacob has a really 'big' personality and loves to perform, so I know that he can pull this off. Can't wait to see him in action!

holiday baking, part 1

2008-12-12T22:33:00.002-06:00

Today started with laundry, some quick housecleaning and a couple of errands to get out of the way so I could move on to the big project for the day - making Grandma Pete's version of Pfeffernuesse - small, hard, round cookies that have been a family favorite since before I was born. (The name translates into pepper nuts in German, Danish and Dutch, describing their spicy blend of cinnamon, cloves and anise.) The process involves bringing the wet ingredients to a boil, then cooling it off before adding the spices and flour. The, you have to chill the dough for a couple more hours before rolling it out into ropes, cutting and baking them.

I finished making the dough at about 2:00 and started baking about 5:00, finishing right around 7:30. My family is pretty excited that I have revived this holiday tradition and I received a couple of phone calls this afternoon to check on my progress...

Grandma Pete's Peppernuts:

1 cup molasses

1 cup dark Karo syrup

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon (not quite) ground cloves

1 teaspoon (a little more) cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground anise

1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1 T. vinegar

6 cups flour (more or less)

Heat 1st four ingredients to boiling point, then chill to cool. When cool, add spices, the soda dissolved in vinegar and finally the flour. Mix together to make a real stiff cookie dough. Chill.

Take pieces of the dough and roll into rope lengths. Slice ropes into 1/2 inch thick "peppernut" pieces. Spread pieces on cookie sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Cool.

rock star

2008-12-11T23:33:00.003-06:00

Tonight was (my niece) Shelby's Winter Band Concert. I am so proud of this girl! She plays the bass guitar in the Jazz Band, the flute in the Concert Band and she's learning keyboard in her spare time! (In addition to that, she sings in the church choir, two choirs at school and was just cast in one of the leading roles in 'CATS', the school's spring musical.)

Anyway, they apparently did the same concert four times yesterday - once in rehearsal, twice during the day at school assemblies and again last night for friends and family. By the time the night was over, my little guitar hero had blisters on the middle three fingers of her right hand from playing the bass all day! She toughed it out though. What a little trooper!

thought for the day...

2008-12-08T22:01:00.003-06:00

Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are.

When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

- Lao Tzu

random

2008-12-07T22:31:00.004-06:00

Long weekend. Yesterday was my last real day off for awhile. We have inventory next week at work, so the next two weeks will be spent working, eating and sleeping. Can't wait for it to be over...

I spent yesterday making the last of my Christmas cards, addressing envelopes and getting about 50 cards ready to mail. Not sure why I always send so many because I never receive that many in return. Habit, I guess. Either that, or I just don't want to leave anyone out. Not sure.

Weather has been super cold for December. Feels more like January or February. I can't seem to get warm. We're expecting a major snowstorm tomorrow afternoon/evening, either 3-5 inches or 5-7 inches, depending on how the storm tracks.

I'm starting to get a bit of a runny nose and feel a little achy, probably a sign of a cold or something coming on. It figures, with two super stressfull weeks coming up. Plus, the cold weather has every bone I've ever broken and every injury I've ever sustained throbbing. How much Tylenol Arthritis can you take before you puke?

I should have gone grocery shopping yesterday. The fridge is looking pretty bare - not much in there to pack for a lunch, I'm almost out of coffee creamer and there's only a couple of dog treats left, a sure sign it's time to panic. By the way, Coffeemate's Peppermint Mocha creamer has to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. If there was ever anything that could motivate you to drink and entire pot of coffee in under two hours, this is it! They should make it all year long; I wonder if it freezes...

I'm worn out. Time for a how shower and a warm bed. Goodnight.