Mariposa Avenue

Anchor

2010-10-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

I just had a chance to see Mindy's music video for Anchor yesterday and fell in love. This is the title track of her lastest album which came out last month. The wings they used throughout the video are gorgeous and the illustrations by April Meeker give it a dreamy surrealism that makes you want to float away.

Week in Review 9/9/10

2010-10-15T10:39:00.000-07:00

OK - this one requires just a smidge of explaining. I've been working the heck out of my new scanner. It's an Epson Perfection V600 Photo scanner that my uber-awesome hubby got me for my birthday and it ROCKS! It will scan photos, documents, slides and even negatives! This baby is amazing!

So I spent a couple weeks scanning a box of slides from my mum-in-law's basement and I've gotta tell you, they are priceless. The images make me want to cry. Aside from that, the beginning of September was all about Homecoming and trying to find a dress that didn't look like it came from the red light district. Ugh.

Cheater Pants

2010-10-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

Yes, I'm totally taking a shortcut here. I just haven't had any extra time to put into the bloggity blog these days. I've been pretty good about at least photographing part of my weeks ... though there's been a major shortage of fun projects and good food. (sad days) Lately it's been all I can do to get the kids through their homework and to school on-time the next day ... with homework in tow, still not sure why this is such a difficult concept for them to grasp onto. Grrrr ...

But with Halloween around the corner and Christmas right behind that, there will HAVE to be a few projects in the works. We also have a new baby in our extended family and one more coming next week, so gifties for the wee ones is also in order. Please hang in there with me. One of these days I'll be able to sink my teeth back into Blogger.

Week in Review 9/2/10

2010-10-09T11:52:00.001-07:00

Week in Review 8/26/10

2010-10-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Week in Review 8/19/10

2010-10-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Week in Review 8/12/10

2010-09-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Wow! This was a while ago, but I'm so glad I have the pictures as a reminder. I took the girls and #5on a mini fieldtrip to Red Butte Gardens one morning for a sort of photo safari. The girls and I are all click-happy and we LOVED walking around the garden picking out cool shots. We also had a Scout Court of Honor with the boys in our ward. I'm so proud of #2 and his accomplishments. We're just a few requirements and an Eagle project away ... Yay!

Because we're such mean parents, we've made the Eagle rank a pre-requisite for his driver's license.

That's how we roll.

Shoot the Kids? I'd Love To

2010-09-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to throw out a brag-rag post with a few shots from this fun photo shoot. Hubby's ex had a birthday in August and she'd requested new pix of the kidlets. I jumped at the opportunity to have a mini-adventure, threw the kids in the car and drove out to Salt Air.It was a great night and a fun adventure for all of us. We laughed so hard we nearly wet our pants ... literally, but I love how these turned out! We'll have to plan another mini-trip soon and take all the kids.

I know ... I know ....

2010-09-18T06:06:00.000-07:00

Time flies and my bloggity-blog has been left behind in the dust. Oy. I really suck at this, don't I? Six plus weeks behind now in my weekly updates? Ouch. I have so many pictures, I promise. We've had all kinds of fun days ... and not so fun admittedly, but that's to be expected with 3 teenagers in the house, right? What else can I do?

I swear I'm editing photos this weekend so I can at least attempt to get caught up, but how about in the meantime I share a recipe today as a lame sort of apology? I found this while putting a lesson together for church. It was about cooking on a budget ... and I found a load of great tips and tricks at allrecipes.com. This recipe sounded too easy and too delish to pass up, and I was right. I got thumbs up from all 5 munsters and hubby too. You should definitely give it a try.Sesame Noodles

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons safflower oil
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili sauce
6 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to boil. Add pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a serving bowl.

2. Meanwhile, place a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic, sugar, oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Pour sauce over linguine, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

You may want to read the reviews here to see how you'd like to adjust the recipe to your own tastes. I made it as is and threw in a couple handfuls of chopped fresh brocolli to cook with the pasta, but could've easily reduce the oil by half. Play around with it and see what works for you.

Week in Review 8/5/10

2010-08-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

Getting behind again??? I swear I don't know where the time goes. Here's our first week of August though - finally.OY! Another busy week ... but soooo much fun! We celebrated #2's birthday, for starters. He's 15 now - crazy. We started off the day with Monkey Bread, as per his request, and had a super mellow day. I felt horrible, because we didn't have everyone here. This means no presents. :( Lucky for him though, hubby and I were crazy ready to go actually find a little brother puppy for Izzy. We've been searching the ads for the last couple of months and couldn't wait any more. So Murphy was adopted and brought home on his birthday. This, of course, means that we had to send oodles of pix to the other chitlins in Colorado so they didn't feel left out. Murphy is the sweetest little puppy and has a great personality too.

Monday the rest of the fam showed up to spread birthday cheer and give loves to the new puppy. That night the girls and I drove down to Provo for Mindy Gledhill's CD release party ... followed by a quick stop at BYU to see #1's new beau and have a double scoop at the BYU Creamery. Yum. We finally celebrated the birthday in full on Thursday, complete with birthday dinner ... pancakes and sausages, strangely enough. The presents this year were kind of funny too since all he had requested was cash. Oh well. He finally got to celebrate and that made us both happy. :)

Blast from the Past

2010-08-06T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well, isn't this just too funny? I took a few minutes to answer some questions about my first year of college at BYU in 1990 ... and they quoted me in the Summer 2010 issue of the BYU Magazine. The article is titled "The First Year - Four Generations" It's an interesting feature about how much things have changed (or stayed the same) for incoming freshman between 1950 and 2010. My lovely little nugget of insight is under the heading "Lost in the Crowd". I know. I'm such a nerd.

Meet Murphy

2010-08-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

I couldn't wait to show you all the latest addition to our not-so-little family. This is Murphy. So cute. Yes. Enjoy!

Week in Review 7/29/10

2010-08-01T09:47:00.000-07:00

Hmm, this week had a rough start with #1 in hot water for ... not knowing how to be 16 yet. She lost her phone and driving privileges and was pretty much under lock-down except for work hours - needless to say, she pulled a double shift on Saturday to stay off my radar. ;) Sunday was the youth sacrament meeting and we got to listen to the youth tell us all about the different summer camps and youth conference. We also found out Sunday night that there was no way on Earth that #2 and Chandler were going to make it back from California anytime soon traveling standby into Salt Lake, so we had to adjust our plans.

Turns out the best fix was for #1 and I to roadtrip down to Vegas and pick the boys up from a flight there. Six hours in the car with my own daughter when we're barely speaking to each other ... let's just say neither of us were sure how we felt about it. I finished up my jetBlue shift, we each packed a bag, gave Izzy a quick bath and finished up the laundry and dishes and we were off. We topped off the tank and zipped through a carwash, grabbed some gross fast food and spent the next 40 minutes or so in awkward silence. Somehow ... thanks to my prodding, we were able to have cleared up most things between us by the time we pulled up to the Red Barn in Santaquin. We peeked around the shop and decided there wasn't anything we wanted so jumped back on the freeway. I have to say that being trapped in a car together without any other distractions and plenty of snack food isn't a bad way to work through some of these things and have a productive conversation with a teenager. (I'll have to remember that for future issues)

Anywho! We pulled into Vegas, checked into the hotel, grabbed dinner at Chili's and very quietly made fun of the couple who were sitting on the same side of their table. Next came the tricky airport business, luckily the boys were able to find us without a hitch. Back to the hotel ... kids texting and on iPods until who knows how late while I passed out. The next morning brought breakfast and the lovely drive home. Oy! Exhausting.

And believe it or not ... Wednesday was even more tiresome! I took the 3 bigs to a "Discover Scuba" class at Dive Utah and redeemed the groupons I'd purchased in June. It was a riot! The kids had a blast, but we were pretty worn out by the time we had to lug our gear back to the storage room. That night we had plans to go boating too. Scuba and boating all in the same day? Yup. Can I tell you I slept like the dead that night? Thursday we tried to keep the schedule more mellow .... it was dreamy.

Embrace Book

2010-07-30T18:19:00.000-07:00

OK, I couldn't wait anymore! Here's the inside of #3's Embrace book. Everything in the book came from the young women in our ward and our fabulous leaders. They each wrote cards and letters and quoted different songs and scriptures that would help her get through some dark days. I pulled different pieces from each of the letters into picture frames and such to emphasize them. The letters are all tucked into their own envelopes so she can physically pull them out and read them. McKenna's letter included a list of 15 songs that help her feel better when she's down - so I indulged myself a little and took the opportunity to burn those songs to a CD to add into the book as well. I did the same with the other songs people gave her and put a separate playlist on a different CD in the back of the book. It was fun to see the project keep evolving along the way.

The book itself was a brainstorm I came up with on my own for once. It's 12 inches tall and the pages alternate between 7" and 5" wide to give it a great layered affect. All the coordinating double-sided paper was from a nifty little package I bought from Scrapbook Steals last year. The picture frames and alphabet letters came from the same kit and were a dream to work with. #1 was my design consultant, as usual, and she even added in all the doodles to help dress it up and fill in the empty spaces. I'm so completely thrilled with how it turned out! I had the whole thing spiral bound at Office Max and I hope it's something she will treasure always. She even took it to her mom's house so M could read it too. Love that!

I know the images here are small. You can see them better here.

Week in Review 7/22/10

2010-07-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

We're desperately trying to get back on track here. For the most part we're back to a normal summer schedule, with plenty of play time. This particular week was a great one too. I was able to take #1 to go get her driver's license and she had her first few outings ALL ON HER OWN. (yikes) We took the littles out for a spin on the lake Friday night and went back again Saturday with all the boys + Chandler. East Canyon was definitely more crowded than we like ... and plan to go back to our mid-week boating schedule. Church on Sunday was awesome and we delivered a 'heart attack' to M that afternoon, to remind her that we love her.

Monday I took #2 + Chandler to the airport in hopes of getting them on a flight to Long Beach to visit Pops. There were 23 seats still available on the flight ... they were numbers 25 and 26 on the standby list. Tight - but somehow they made it on the first try. Yay jetBlue! Tuesday brought hiking with the Scouts. Wednesday I was finally able to finish up #3's book and give it to her. #1 chose the title "Embrace" ... because the whole book is like a big hug. :D I loved watching her reactions as she read through the book. She was really touched by how thoughtful her peers had been - it even made her cry. Twice. That's big. I count it as a huge success and will post more detailed pictures of the pages for you later. The week wrapped up with multiple trips to Top It to redeem our Groupons. Yum.

Family Props to Cam

2010-07-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

Check out how cool my nephew is! This is Cameron Wood coming off that 6 foot jump. He's seriously the coolest kid I know. Love you Cam!!

Tough Love

2010-07-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Friday was ... TOUGH.

There was a knot in my stomach roughly the size of Texas. I knew it. I knew I was being lied to. I finished my shift with jetBlue and called my sweet Hubby. "Hon, I've got to bust her today. How should I do it?" This is never a good way to start a conversation, but it was unavoidable. I was seing red and was risking a full-fledged transformation into Psycho-Mom.

My sweet little new-driver's-license-holding-thinks-she's-so-much-smarter-than-mom of a daughter tried to pull the wool way, WAY down over my oh-so-wise-x-ray-vision-mother eyes and I just couldn't pretend to be that dumb, not for anyone. I've been trying really hard the last couple of weeks to - to loosen my grip a little and give her more freedom. She's sixteen after all and if I'm supposed to be able to let go, so to speak, when she's 18 and graduated ... it's reasonable to bend a little more here and there right now.

HOWEVER ... in light of all my recent efforts to give her those little, and sometimes not so little, bits of extra freedom, it hurt that much more when she took advantage in every way possible.

She really hurt me.

She broke my heart.

And now, I'm tagged the meanest mom on the block ... for what? For calling her on her lies? For expecting her to be where she says with whom she told me, obeying the very clearly stated driving restrictions quoted to us by very creepy man at DMV 4 times in the last 2 months?

Yeah. I know. I have huge expectations, don't I?

Week in Review 7/15/10

2010-07-21T19:16:00.001-07:00

It was about time for some downright happy moments! After what seemed like FOREVER ... we finally got had all the kidlets under one roof again, well almost. (#2 was still in Wyoming) Hubby and I had been really anxious about how the youngest 3 were, emotionally speaking. We hadn't seen them since D's service and had no idea how they were coping with everything. It was a relief to finally have them walk in the door and know we were going to have them for a whole week.

They were ... just fine. A little tender around the edges, but that was all. We planned an afternoon at the library ... a favorite for everyone. We love the Salt Lake City Main Library. It really is a place you could spend the whole day in. The architecture is amazing and there is always something fun going on there. We split up and each went to find our own treasure trove of books to take home. Saturday was a real treat too! We got to spend the morning at the Jordan River Temple where our niece was sealed to her husband and beautiful wee baby. It was a really emotional day for everyone - but very uplifting. #2 met us at home just after we finished for the day and a smidge after that, #1 left us to go to the Justin Beiber concert. Oy.

It felt so good to get everyone back on track. We played and laughed and ate loads of watermelon. I was also able to make some great headway on a book I was putting together for #3. Since she had suffered two losses so close together, I had all the young women from our ward send me letters, lyrics, scriptures or quotes that would help her find some peace. The leaders all contributed as well and before you knew it I had a whole pile of 'pick-me-ups' for her. I scrounged through all my stashes of paper to get inspired for layout options and finally came up with something that was truly beautiful. I'll post pics of the completed projects in my next week in review. I love how it all turned out!

Ooh-la-la-de-da!!! A CD Release Concert

2010-07-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

I'm buying my tickets for this today! I've loved Mindy's songs based on faith and the gospel and am thrilled that she's exploring a new sound that is still completely appropriate for my whole family to listen to. She seems like she'd be so much fun and she even came and danced in the aisle with us at the last concert we went to. If you're in the area and want to have a fun night out with the girls ... go get your tickets here. It looks like there's still plenty of space left, but it won't last much longer.

All About Your Heart

2010-07-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

I almost get sick from watching this sweet little girl spin around so much, but I love the song and am dying to make a tribute video for my daughter with it - something I can give her when she graduates from high school or something. Enjoy.

Week in Review 7/8/10

2010-07-10T07:07:00.000-07:00

The reality of what has happened is starting to settle in now. We tried to have a normal day Friday and #1 and I did some running around together. We popped in and out of a few shops and I even gave blood at a local drive. It struck me as we were walking by the Red Cross trailer that it was the smallest way I could help someone in need that day - but may really save someone's life. It felt good to make some kind of contribution to the medical world after last week.

Saturday morning we stood by family tradition and attended the neighborhood 4th of July breakfast in hubby's home ward. My father-in-law, Sam, had actually been serving in their bishopric when the breakfast was first initiated some 30-ish years ago. We picked Mom up on the way knowing it would be difficult for her to be there - knowing it was another tribute to Sam to go. She did great though. She was able to catch up with a lot of old friends and seemed to talk about the events of the week with ease. She is my hero.

The afternoon was spent at D's memorial services and we were really touched by the stories that were shared about him there. It was actually a celebration of his life and focused quite a bit on the music he loved. The highlight of the service for us was getting to see Little D ... not sure when we'll see him again. I sure love that little guy.

The rest of the weekend was getting hubby and #2 ready for Scout camp. They left for the Carlisle Ranch in Wyoming early Monday morning for a week of fly fishing, whitewater rafting, horseback riding and aviation. You should have seen the stack of waivers we had to sign away on. Yikes. I can't take another tragedy right now. No sir!

Week in Review 7/1/10

2010-07-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law's condition continued to decline Friday and Saturday. His breathing became more and more labored. We were all told that this was the end.

Now, at the same time, my step-children's step-dad, D, was also struggling with cancer. He was diagnosed last August and had been through chemo and radiation, but the cancer kept spreading. He had been admitted to the hospital the week prior and was now back home with the news that he may only have a few days to a week left. So when the phone rang around 4:30 am Sunday morning we weren't sure what the news would be, but we knew it wouldn't be good.

It was hubby's parents' number. His dad was gone.

Monday morning around 10 am there was a call from the other house. D was gone.

Two men.
Two fathers gone.

Tuesday afternoon my mom arrived. She was planning a visit anyway, but it was sad that there was so much tragedy surrounding her few days here. The rest of the week held viewings for both and the service for my father-in-law. We tried to keep the kids' spirits up by taking a trip out to the Kennecott Copper Mine and Thanksgiving Point. We joked around and laughed about silly things. A quick trip to the park seemed to be refreshing for a few of the kids and Izzy too. The kids even ended up building a monster fort in the basement that they all slept in Tuesday night. We sprinkled in a few store-bought fireworks and yummy treats and tried to enjoy our memories of both men. The service Thursday night was truly beautiful. It made me think of the poem by Linda Ellis again, The Dash. They both did truly admirable things with their dash. They lived and loved and worshipped the Lord with enthusiasm.

What am I doing with my dash???

Frozen Watermelon Treats

2010-07-07T21:33:00.001-07:00

I love watermelon in the summer! It always reminds me of the 4th of July and my dear friends in Provo. We buy seedless, less mess, melons and cube them for easy single servings. Of course, my favorite way to eat it is frozen. I'll put a plastic bowl of watermelon cubes in the freezer when I'm starting to crave it, wait about half an hour before eating it. The melon will have small ice crystals all over and each bite will be a slushy treat. I've found it actually makes not-so-ripe melons taste much sweeter too.

Week in Review 6/24/10

2010-07-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

The last day of girls' camp was ... short. I got up around 6 am to start packing up my stuff. We had torn down our makeshift kitchen area the night before, so the bulk of our work was going to be getting the girls up and ready ... fed and packed - yes, it was like moving mountains. All in all, it took about 5 hours start to finish. We had a few minutes to take some group pictures and then pulled out and headed home. I was lucky enough to only have one person ride with me, a sweet girl named Malati from Nepal. I really connected with her, perhaps because my mom had also emigrated from her homeland. It was interesting to learn that they both had misconceptions about what life in the U.S. would be like, based on Hollywood's portrayal in films. We talked about things like arranged marriages, education, job opportunities and divorce. I love this girl!

After getting all the troops to their own homes safe and sound, we quickly unpacked, washed up and tried to start and finish Father's Day. Luckily, hubby was more than happy to offer up gift ideas for the littles. The kids all got up early Sunday to decorate before breakfast. We made him a hearty meal of eggs, sausage and country potatoes, then let him open all his presents before we got ready for church. We had to split the family later so hubby's kids could spend part of the day with their step-dad, D, and we went to my in-laws to share hugs and kisses with Grandpa, who hadn't been doing so well. He was definitely acting strange when we got there and seemed even more tired than usual. He wouldn't get out of bed to sit with the kids, so we spent most of our time in the bedroom with him. The following nights he was so agitated that his kids needed to come and help care for him over night. They paired up and took turns each evening allowing my sweet mother-in-law to have a much-needed break.

Growing old certainly doesn't look easy. I'll admit I'm not looking forward to it ... at all.

Easier said - by Someone Else

2010-07-06T23:01:00.000-07:00

Love and hard times

The light at the edge of the curtain
is the quiet dark
The bedroom breathes in clicks and clocks
The heart's uneasy, it can't relax
your hand takes mine
Thank God I found you in time
Thank God I found you in time
Thank God I found you

~Paul Simon

These next few posts are going to get more difficult. Wish me luck.

Week in Review 6/17/10

2010-07-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

June 11 through the 17th was ALL about camping. It started out with Webelo's camp in Millcreek Canyon, admittedly a nice change from my Bear troop. There was a 2 mile hike and lots of classes on things like how to shoot a BB gun and the fine art of archery. The weather cooperated and the boys were great - can't complain too much about that. Of course ... Saturday, dear hubby was kind enough to drive me up to our girls' camp site to see if it had flooded with all the seasonal rain. It was a mucky mess and I wasn't sure how we'd get through the next week.

Of course, we got the final word that camp was on, regardless of the muddy conditions, so I started piling all our gear in the living room while dearest went to pick up the trailer. The 4th years went up Monday morning and the rest of us followed on Tuesday. Lucky for us, the sun worked some magic and really dried out the area a lot before we got there. Hubby came up with us to help us get all set up. He picked the best spots for the tents, we needed 5, and the girls did most of the tent pitching themselves. The Nepali girls who came with us were beautiful and a pleasure to get acquainted with. Of course there was an immediate issue between my own daughters, complete with tears, but it wouldn't be camp if everyone got along the whole time, would it? We did our best to resolve it and got on with the day.

We started our series of devotionals, which would take us on an imaginary cruise starting in California and ultimately ending at Christmas Island. Each day the girls answered a series of questions about standards to find out the next destination. We talked about things like music, movies, modesty and dating. Each island we stopped at also had a craft to learn. The first day we made hemp bracelets, then beaded fabric necklaces and the last day we made wire rings with stone embellishments. I'll try to post more pics of the crafts with instructions soon - just remember that time flies around here.

For the most part, the weather was on our side ... but there was one morning when all the tent zippers had frozen closed. We actually had to poor hot water on one of them to get the girls out. Good times. Great memories!

Wish Granted ... Fortunes for All

2010-07-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

I've had so many people asking where I purchased the fantabulous giant fortune cookie for my nephew ... that I thought I'd share with everyone. I mean, come on, I'm three weeks behind and haven't given you any fun stuff for ages. I figure I owe it to you. :)

So here it is! For the best fortune cookies around town, go to Tankinz Noodle Manufacturing. Sounds crazy, I know, but trust me. I called the morning I was leaving town and the man who took my call was MORE than accommodating. He had me email in the specs and seriously had my gigantic custom cookie all ready and packaged up by 1:00pm. Now, I'm sure they don't like to be pushed to the limit like that ... but how amazing that they were so happy to work with me. The gift really was a hit and was completely unexpected. I love surprises like that. They get me all giddy.

They have traditional fortune cookies, or chocolate dipped, in regular, jumbo and giant sizes. Just choose they type of cookie you need, determine how many, create your custom sayings and then figure out shipping. Easy-peasy. They are seriously delicious too.

Week in Review 6/10/10

2010-06-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

I know I'm behind. I know. Life is full of surprises as always. We've had a lot of heartbreak recently and I'll try to address them all as gently as I can, but I'm not quite ready yet.

As for the week of 6/10/10, it was busy. We made lanterns to take to camp, planned the 'spiritual journey' that my devotionals would take us on, celebrated the baby blessing of a beautiful little lady, got a perm, made a flag, had a huge hail storm and #1 started Driver's Ed.

Busy.
Full.
Happy days.

Week in Review 6/03/10

2010-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

Still trying to catch up here, but I love these pictures!!! I wish I could see my family more often. The boys are just growing up too fast and I'm missing out on a lot.So this is my family!!! My mom and sis both live in Vancouver, Washington. They are two of the cutest women I have ever known ... and they make me feel like a giant, which doesn't happen very often when you're only 5'4" tall. My 'big sis' is only 4'6" and Mom is all of 4'10" on a good day. #1 and I got to spend almost all day Friday shopping with Grandma. We love to hit the Goodwill stores when we're in town - talk about bargains! Then even had all these Indian sari's that made me want to host a Bride and Prejudice party. We also ran to the Korean store to buy more delicious goodies. That night we picked #2 up at the airport and had another ginormous Korean feast. The baptism was Saturday morning and #2 was the first speaker. He did an amazing job while Grandma and I kept blotting the tears away. We try to look tough, but are softies through and through.

We took a thousand family pictures after the service and then had lunch at my sister's where we could FINALLY break out our surprise for the birthday boy! We brought him a giant custom fortune cookie from a fantastic shop in Salt Lake ... that I didn't even know existed until the day before. Rufus, the owner, was a dream to work with and was able to make our custom cookie with about 4 hours. It was beautiful and their whole family couldn't wait to sink their teeth into it. The giant fortune read,

"I'm learning how to choose the right.
I'll do my best both day and night.
But when I'm not sure what to do,
the Holy Ghost will help me through."
Congratulations on your baptism. We love you.
May 29,2010

He was so cute reading it out loud to everyone and the cookie really was delicious. The rest of the trip was spent playing Korean cards, eating more Korean food and admiring Mom's perfectly manicured yard. It was a short trip, but filled with lots of great memories. I just wish I could have brought all the kidlets and hubby dearest along too.

Week in Review 5/27/10

2010-06-05T19:16:00.000-07:00

Oy to the vey ... how can it get any more busy???

It seems like things should really wind down at the end of the year, slowing down to a nice easy pace ... things I could handle with my eyes closed. Why then did I end up double booked with kid activities almost everyday??? So not good. So hate to pick which even to go to first and which I would only catch the tail end of. Uck. OK. Here's the recap.

We started out the weekend with the big guys leaving for a scout camp out at the sand dunes, followed by several loads of sand-encrusted laundry. Fun. After that, hubby left for Idaho on a business trip and I got slammed with the rest of the week. There was a one-night-only cross country parent meeting for the oldest scheduled at exactly the same time as the pack meeting where #4 would be receiving his arrow of light. Luckily, his mommy was able to attend ... so we sat impatiently through all the cross country mumbo-jumbo and then raced down the hill to Scouts. We missed the presentation by about 3 minutes. Dang. #2 was able to snap some photos for me though.

Next, there was a full day of Airports Training for me followed by ... the mixed chorus concert and mother/daughter church activity ... scheduled at the same time again! So, I high-tailed it up for the concert and then raced down the hill to the church just in time for refreshments. One of these days I'm going to get a ticket on that hill - knock on wood. Thursday started off with a double whammy. There was the 9th grade awards assembly and 8th grade SBO skit assembly ... same time. At least this time they were in the same building. #2 opted to skip out on his own ceremony to come to watch the skits and cheer for his little sis with me. We also let big sis sluff morning classes to come and scream with us. Let me tell you, my 8th grader has got some serious moxy. She performed her own rendition of The Evolution of Dance ... solo. If you don't know it, you should definitely watch it here. Her courage paid off too. She was the only girl elected!!!

So I ran from the assembly, home to pack for my weekend trip to Washington. Got the last bit of laundry done so hubby would be all set. Waited for #1 to get home from school and we were on our way. We made a quick stop at hubby's office as he'd just gotten back into town from Idaho. I saw him for all of 4 minutes, 2 hugs and 3 kisses, then off to the airport, in the air, into PDX, whizzed back to my mom's house where we shoveled down her delicious Korean food and raced to my nephews' baseball games. Yep, 2 games ... same time. What the heck???

Busy, crazy-crazy busy. Whew!

The Count Down is On

2010-05-23T12:14:00.001-07:00

Only nine more days of school left. What? Lots of mixed feelings about this realization. I love summer - boating with the kids, sprinklers, sidewalk chalk, long days with the kids building forts or making a lemonade stand. But what I fear is a lot of this ...You know, those days where you can actually see your kids getting ... shall we say, less smart? I hate those days. Last year, I had a plan of attack. I started the summer with a schedule. All the kids were required to read for 30 minutes a day and the 'littles', as we call them, had worksheets to do that I printed myself from the internet. This way I was in control of their curriculum and could vary it to keep them thinking. We did lots of math ... lots and lots of math for our upcoming 5th grader and loads of spelling and reading exercises for our soon-to-be first grader. I made sure they each had things like mazes, word searches or coloring pages too and #4 even learned how to play Sudoku.

The work paid off and they both had a great school year because of it. They never hit this point where they completely shut their brain down and it made it a lot easier for them to learn new concepts right from the begining of the school year. Now, it's time for me to get back on my game and start searching for activities and worksheets. If you have kids at home this summer and want to give them a headstart for next year you should take a few minutes to check out these websites.

http://www.mathfactcafe.com/ (great for designing your own work)
http://www.tlsbooks.com/ (used tons of these last year)
http://www.helpingwithmath.com/resources/worksheets.htm
http://www.homeeducationresources.com/FREE1.htm
http://treasures.macmillanmh.com/utah/families

http://www.uen.org/k12student/interactives.shtml (fantastic online activities)

This year there will also be organized activities for the 'bigs'. #2 will get to start and finish his Eagle project. #1 will be increasing hours at work as well as picking up driver's ed so she can finally get her license. I think I'll also have #1 and #3 start a charitable effort making hair accessories for the Center for Change. I can't help but want them all to really know how to do things ... and to be involved in doing things for others. I think we'll also look for some local opportunities here. What are your plans for summer?

Week in Review 5/20/10

2010-05-21T20:16:00.000-07:00

This week was all over the place. We had the primary elections for the 2010-11 SBO's, in which #3 was running. The slogan she chose was, "Vote for me. I already told my mom I won." Catchy, isn't it? She put together a great video for her skit too where she sang her own rendition of the Backstreet Boys "I want it that way". This girl's got moxy - I'll give her that. She made the first cut too, so she'll continue on next week. I've been crafting up a storm making samples of the projects we'll make at girls' camp. I'm just about done putting the devotionals together too ... along with the camp skit and cheer. (It's been busy) Soccer games ... photographing extra stock for my shop update that hasn't actually happened yet ... and #4's orchestra concert filled up the rest of the week. OH! And I scored on a great card rack for the Christmas shows - extra motivation to actually get some cards designed and printed up, right? I can always use extra motivation.

The Miracle of Flight

2010-05-19T10:11:00.000-07:00

One of our trainers at jetBlue shared this little treasure with us as we were finishing up class. I laughed so hard I almost cried. It's so completely true! Now, I want to play it back to all the fussy customers who call in to voice their complaints. I know the video quality isn't top-notch, but the dialogue is priceless. Enjoy!

Etsy Love

2010-05-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

My sweet long-distance friend, Rachel, from ReadySetGo featured me in her fabulous treasury this week. LOVE the color Rachel! Thanks for thinking of me!You can view it in detail here.

Eye Candy

2010-05-15T09:45:00.001-07:00

For your viewing pleasure ..."somewhere over the rainbow" by Luba Roniss
By Maria And my favorite by Sipho Mabona

Enjoy!

Week in Review 5/13/10

2010-05-14T09:47:00.001-07:00

Another birthday = another partay! #4 opted to skip the 'friend' party last year, so we went a little overboard this year. We decided to take his rag-tag group of friends to Boondocks for the night of their lives. ;) They were all so excited and were such fun to hang out with. We all had a blast watching the boys run around and get crazy. Driving and laser tag were definitely the highlights of the night ... followed very closely by his violin cake (courtesy of his ever talented mommy ... don't forget I'm the step-mommy so I'm not bragging shamelessly this time).

We also squeezed in Izzy biweekly haircut and were able to have a great visit with hubby's mom on Mothers' Day. Work is ... work. I've finished up counting my leftover inventory from Beehive and have to admit I was more than a little disappointed. I should really just stop selling these in Utah. I can't compete with jewelry, hair accessories and baby items in this market. :( On the other hand, now I have loads of new stock for a big shop update. I just need to photograph like a madwoman and make all the new listings.

I also have girls' camp in the works and have been busy planning craft projects and devotionals for the girls. I'm running out of time for that too, only about a month left. Good thing I work well under pressure.

Cosa Verde

2010-05-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

I was recently contacted by one of the owners of cosa verde. "cosa verde is an online showcase where you can market your environmentally-friendly goods directly to shoppers around the world. Think of us as a craft fair for the eco-conscious." Liz fell in love with my work and has invited me to come and check them out. She's giving me a great discount (free) on a trial basis ... so why not? They're site looks great, is easy to navigate and features some great artists who are also trying to make the world a greener place. Hopefully I'll be all set up within a few days; it will be interesting to see what this does to my Etsy traffic. Here's a sneak peek for you:

Week in Review 5/6/10

2010-05-11T10:26:00.001-07:00

Birthdays, beehives and pompadours!The beginning of this week was filled with anxiety and anticipation for the upcoming Beehive Bazaar. Hundreds of dollars worth of luminaries and night lights were waiting in line at the paint shop. I found out my new packaging tubes weren't going to make it in time for the show so I had to rework my display ideas. Waiting and worrying is not my strong points. I'm much better at pulling all nighters than pulling my hair out. The only real relief was an impromptu bowling adventure with great company. All in all, everything came together in the end and the location at Thanksgiving Point was fantastic. I even got to go to the opening bash Wednesday night with Wanja to see Mad Max and the Wild Ones. What a riot! A family rockabilly band out of Springville, Utah, made up of 3 brothers and their dad ... with the boys age 9, 12 and 18-ish. Too cool.

Then we went directly to the next family birthday. #4 is now 11! We took him out for birthday dinner/breakfast at IHOP, since we didn't have him his birthday morning, and then sent him on our signature ribbon maze to find his present. The ribbon started at the dining room table and wound through most of the rooms in the house leading him all the way to our storage room in the basement. He was supposed to pick up all the ribbon along the way which makes it so much more silly and helps the excitement last a little longer. What was the big surprise??? Yeah, pretty obvious from the photo. I love this little-big guy so much!

Week in Review 4/29/10

2010-05-11T08:44:00.001-07:00

Ah, yes, the big weekend! My baby girl turned 16 on Saturday. 16? How is this right? We actually celebrated Friday so all the kids could be here with her. We had our traditional birthday breakfast with placemat and chair decorations from her siblings. She went off to school and came home to more decorations as we got ready for her party. I found an absolutely beautiful cake at Baskin Robbins that was perfect for her. For the party, we rented out the bounce side of Classic Skate in Sandy and invited just about everyone she knows. The turnout was pretty sparse, but we all had a blast ... including Wanja who so graciously came along to help chaperone. (I have the best friends) She even raced me through one of the inflatable obstacle courses ... where I almost wet my pants because I was laughing so hard.

Aside from birthday celebrations, the week also contained a trip to the Huntsman Cancer Institute to visit a very special patient who was struggling with pneumonia. After that we spent a sunny Sunday afternoon with hubby's sweet parents, started the soccer season for #5, had our girls' camp kick off meeting and made a delicious creamy chicken and wild rice soup. Oh! I almost forgot that Izzy also had a 'friend' over for a few days and was able to get some good girl/dog time in with Maddie. It was really cute to see how they interacted with each other and it's made me start thinking about getting a second pup ... who have I become anyway?

Dear Mister ...

2010-05-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

Dear Mister Angry Jeep Driver,

Just because your old, ugly jeep is taller than my humble Santa Fe doesn't mean you can try to run me into oncoming traffic by bullying into my lane when yours is merging and you are driving right beside me. Hello! What is your deal?!?!

Don't you just love Monday mornings?

L

ps. Weekly updates are in the works. Not sure how I get behind so quickly. ;)

Tick Tock

2010-05-02T11:15:00.001-07:00

Yikes! I'm about out of time to prep for the Beehive Bazaar show this week. Stomach reporting butterfly overload. Losing ability to think clearly. I'll never be able to scold my kids for procrastinating again. (dang) With all the changes at work and everything else going on in the family, May kind of snuck up on me ... big time.

I have over 100 new night lights that need to be picked up from the paint shop and will need label and price all my items, not to mention figure out how to arrange my table there. So ... it's come down to about a week's worth of work that I need to squeeze into 2 1/2 days. Uck. Wish me luck!

Pranav Mistry: Sixth Sense

2010-04-27T08:47:00.000-07:00

What have I been doing with my time? This kid is going to change the world. Truly inspiring.

Inside These Lines - Trent Dabbs

2010-04-26T11:14:00.001-07:00

Just lovely.

Week in Review 4/22/10

2010-04-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

Well check me out! I'm actually posting this one on time! I know the timing seems weird, but my weeks run from Friday to Thursday for a couple reasons. First off, January 1st was on a Friday this year ... and Friday is when our week ends with the kids, as in they flip houses every Friday. So let's see what happened over the last 7 days.

We received news that my father-in-law's health is failing pretty quickly, so the next few weeks may be a bit shaky. My brother-in-law has been in the hospital for his own health reasons. Needless to say there were lots of good-cheer-spreading visits to those we love. I got to actually have a lunch date with hubby dearest, which was way overdue. The cub scouts got to clean the church grounds Tuesday night ... allergy alert. I admired more of the gorgeous spring flowers in our neighborhood ... allergy crisis. I finally made a big dent in planning for girls' camp thanks to a quick shopping trip to Robert's.

The rest of the week was spent getting ready for the big birthday party tonight. (Heaven help us) The guest list was close to 50, but we really don't have any clue how many people to expect. I just hope it's everything she hoped for. You only turn 16 once. Wish me luck!

Save the Date: Beehive Bazaar

2010-04-21T08:44:00.000-07:00

Here are all the details you'll need for the annual spring Beehive Bazaar. This is the first time it will be hosted at Thanksgiving Point and I'm so excited to be participating. I've taken a few seasons off and am ready to get back in there. It looks like there will be oodles of young local artists there. They each have a little blurb on the BB website. You can search them by name or category here. Be sure to mark these dates on your calendar if you're local and hopefully I'll see you there!

Bride and Prejudice

2010-04-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, do I have a treat for you! I don't know how I ever missed this film ... or where it's been hiding out. If it weren't for my sweet friend I may have never had the pleasure of this new ... 'experience'. Haha! Just watch the trailer and have a look for yourself. Think ... Jane Austen meets Hairspray meets Slumdog Millionaire. Fabulous!Thank you Wanja!!!

Week in Review 4/15/10

2010-04-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

Hmm, this was a pretty bland week as far as our typical household schedule goes. Nothing major going on. No one got grounded, suspended or arrested. No illnesses. No training! Whew! It was nice to taste a little normal for once.

I did however get the chance to go and donate blood at the blood-mobile. I really try and go every other month and jetBlue makes that easier by having the truck come to us. I enjoyed lots of spring flowers ... and paid for it in runny eyes and snotty tissues, dang these allergies. I found some great little dishes to use as 'ring keepers'. I have one in my bathroom, one in the kitchen and one in the laundry room. They are so cute. You like?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

2010-04-16T06:44:00.001-07:00

Another fabulously easy recipe given to me by a co-worker. These are so quick to make and a huge hit with the family.

Ingredients:
2 pouches Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix
2 Tbs water
6 Tbs vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 C creamy peanut butter
1 C milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Follow package directions to make cookie dough. Press dough into a 13"x18" cookie/jellyroll pan. Bake as directed or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside. Combine peanut butter and chocolate chips in small sauce pan and stir over medium heat until evenly combined and melted. Spread this over the baked cookie with a rubber spatula and put the whole pan in the fridge to set.

Ooh, yummies!

Week in Review 4/8/10

2010-04-15T21:40:00.000-07:00

It seems our oldest has some friends that don't think highly of us. We got egged again. Uck. This time she had manage the clean-up on her own, so she could learn why we don't egg people ... or hang out with people who egg us. Easter weekend was much better after the clean-up was finished.

General conference is always a treat for me and this year we started a new tradition. We each packed up our own 72 hour kit in our own backpacks during the last conference. This time we started eating from them and will repack them with new food items as soon as they're empty. I want to make sure that these kits stay usable and that we're not putting things in them that the kids won't eat ... or that don't keep well. It was funny to see the kids get so excited about the whole event.

We went to a baby shower for a cousin on Saturday and got to bring a new appliqued baby blanket and set of cute burp cloths. I'm not sure why I have such a thing for making handmade gifts ... I just can't help myself. Sunday we did an indoor/outdoor egg hunt with our nephew. The rest of the week was fairly mellow, no major mishaps and no one was grounded for life. I even got to teach my scouts how to make a few quick desserts for their families. All in all it was great. Now, we're really headed into spring - allergies and all. Yikes.

Out of His Mind

2010-04-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

Where is the guy that would write this for my oldest? Just about to turn 16, as beautiful as can be, who gives a new meaning to the word 'spirited'. She seems to pick some real losers who end up treating her like crap.

Hey, Mr. Good Guy, you're welcome here anytime.

Week in Review 4/1/10

2010-04-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

The play and my training both wrapped up the same week. Whew! Not a lot actually happened the last week of March. I went to Jen Gochner's spring boutique with a couple girlfriends, which is always nice. I had my first few real work days on my new desk ... a little touch and go, but I survived. We had a special guest speaker at pack meeting and learned a lot about helicopter pilots in the armed forces. Everybody loved it, especially the dads who were there. It was cute to actually see there ears perk up as they came to life, not a normal occurrence for parents at scouts. Then there was more spring snow ... just in time for the beginning of spring break. Joy. 5 kidlets at home and crap weather. Yikes.

K, just 2 more weeks and I'm up to date with these bad boys. Tomorrow should be another full day. Stay tuned ...

Brite Revolution

2010-04-14T18:55:00.000-07:00

Lots of posts today to make up for lost time. I owe you some fun new goodies in between the weekly updates, don't I? So here you go! A fresh new site to get free music and support a cause all at once. I love the mix of art and philanthropy at Brite Revolution. These artists believe music can change the world and I think they may be right. Go have a look for yourself ... check out the range of artists, pick out a cause that you can contribute to and download a mix of free songs. There's a new music update every Tuesday too. Enjoy!

Week in Review 3/25/10

2010-04-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Holy scheduling nightmare. Training, training and more training ... waiting for #3 to be released from the hospital. Volunteer hours that still needed to be put in for the play chaperoning the boys' backstage room during the play and the cast pool party the next night. The cast party was, of course, scheduled for the same night as Junior MORP (love their take on 80's fashion). Sheesh! How many places am I expected to be anyways? And I'm surprised I didn't get some kind of funky disease from the gum collection in the choir room. Have you ever seen anything so gross? Ugh! Despite the junior high germ fest, I was caught off-guard by my son's friends though. Just before the play started they all quietly stood in the corner to say a prayer together. I'll admit I was a little misty-eyed. Oh! We also cheered at the next track meet and got Izzy her first name tag. She looks so grown up with her new 'necklace'.

Week in Review 3/18/10

2010-04-14T16:33:00.001-07:00

The third week of March was ... full, to say the least. It was my first week of Crew Support training. We had final dress rehearsals and sound checks for the play. #1 had her first track meet of the season. #3 was diagnosed with strep on Monday, missed 3 days of school and we found out it had developed into pneumonia by Thursday, the opening night of Hello Dolly that she and #2 were both in. Talk about a bummer. She made every single practice and wasn't able to perform once for the public because she was so sick. On the other hand, we flew the 'ex' in from Cali as a surprise for our 2 oldest. It had been a long time since they'd seen their daddy and it was somehow fitting for him to be here for this. Aside from all that, we tried to squeeze in some relaxation and actually had dinner in the park one night and as well as a quick trip to our favorite library. We also enjoyed celebrating our niece's birthday my sister-in-law's house where eating is an art. I wish I could accurate describe the BBQ ribs they make ... and the cake. Heaven!

I'm Alive! I Promise!

2010-04-14T06:51:00.001-07:00

It's been exactly a month since my last post. How pathetic of me. Sincere apologies to those of you who are sweet enough to keep coming back for more. I promise I am trying to get back on track here. A lot has happened, both good and bad, in the last little while all of which have kept me more than busy.

My JetBlue interview was a breeze and I've made the move from Reservations to Crew Support. This gives me lots of gray area to work with and I can actually make decisions to help our customers instead of just stating policy. It's nice feeling a little empowered on the job now ... "I am Crew Support. Hear me roar!" Haha! Of course, this also means we're the Supervisor Desk, so all those nasty people who call in yelling and screaming about how they were only 10 minutes late and the plane left without them ... how dare we leave on time, they're calling their lawyers and will make sure everyone they know NEVER flies with us again ... yeah, all those calls are transferred to us too. Ucky. For the most part, I've been able to handle them alright. It feels a lot like parenting sometimes.

So! The job shift brought with it 2 more weeks of training and now 90 days working from the center. :( It hasn't been too bad so far, but I sure miss the comforts of working from home and having my desk and computer set up just the way I like them. At least I've settled into my new schedule now which gives me a little more free time to 'restock' the bloggity blog. I have 5 weeks in review to post, but I'll start with a fab new recipe from one of the gals I work with. All our kids love these cookies, but I hate buying them at the store. This recipe is absolutely as easy as it gets!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
1 box spice cake mix (I used Duncan Hines, on sale)
1 15 oz can packed pumpkin
1/2 package milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Lighly grease cookie sheet

Mix cake mix and pumpkin in a large bowl until moist and smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and drop in mounds onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes until firm. These cookies won't spread at all, so they'll look just like they do when you drop them. They are super quick and yummilicious. We got 4 dozen, but that would vary based on how big you make yours.

Week in Review: Double Whammy 3/4/10 & 3/11/10

2010-03-14T20:13:00.001-07:00

Time is flying and I've been neglecting my posts ... (bowing head in shame). I'm sorry. Even this will be a short post, but I will get back on track. Promise.The first week of March was filled with a wide variety of events. There was the Blue and Gold Banquet for the cub scouts. I was in charge of decorations and went to town with the balloons. (tip for all: for large quantities of balloons always use an air compressor; it's dreamy) Then we had a fireside and learned about the lives of Joseph and Hyrum Smith from two of their descendants. We sold the family van, watched the box elder bugs come back to life (shudder) and spent hours and hours at parent/teacher conferences ... 24 teachers in 2 days. Fun. Our two oldest daughters ended up grounded for the upcoming weekend as a result of the conferences. Ah, the joys of parenting.The second week was a different variety altogether! First, there was lots of sewing for items that I donated at our service auction. I made two more appliqued baby blankets (so fun) and two sets of appliqued burp cloths (adorable). The auction in itself was a blast; it was hilarious watching these sweet women go at it for the good buys. The Uruguayan empanadas were by far the biggest draw. Then there was an exciting trip to the Apple store to buy hubby dearest a new computer ... oh how I love my Mac. I was also taught a new technique for taping up my daughter's feet for track. The picture is only about half the process. We had spring snow and spring sun and it was all beautiful! Oh, and I interviewed for a new department at jetBlue! Results will post later this week.

Week in Review 2/25/10

2010-03-03T20:50:00.001-08:00

So much to do. So little time. This is way past due and I need to post my next one in 2 days ... grr ... at least I'm keeping up on the part of it like a good girl. That was the biggest problem with project 365. I can only do what I can do, right?

So, let's see ... updates? Last week was another full one for us. I suppose the biggest event was getting Izzy 'fixed'. The poor thing had no idea what she was in for. She cried almost the whole ride home but was relieved that she wasn't being left at the vet forever. She has 6 lovely stitches in her belly and spent most of last week either sleeping or scratching at her tummy. She's just getting back to normal now and it's nice to see her playful side again. Hubby got a new work truck, which has been dreamy for us.
I've completed MORE training at jetBlue and am now back up on two help desks. The art program finished up at school so #1 is done helping out with that and #4 got to show off his creations at parent night. It rained. It snowed. We cooked. And I've finally returned our stack of cookbooks to the library. Oy.

And, yes, I'm still in possession of my wedding ring. We've become quite close again.

Animated Love Notes

2010-02-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

When you have a minute, go to Imagination Cubed and make a happy little drawing to send to someone you love. I had a few extra minutes while the phones were slow today to dink around a little and sent one to my hubby and one to my sweet friend. The email will actually play the animation of you creating your drawing. I wish I could actually play an example for you here here, but we're out of luck. Anywho ... anyone can do this. Go try it out for yourself.I know they're not anything to go all gaga over, but hey, I only had a few minutes. :D

Week in Review 2/18/10

2010-02-20T19:59:00.000-08:00

We're approaching 2 full months of 2010 and I haven't missed a week so far. Now, there's a lot of year left ... but I'm feeling hopeful that I can keep it up.

This week was another full one. We watched the Winter Olympics begin in Vancouver, had yummy desserts, watched Izzy dance like a rock star, celebrated the end of cutover at jetBlue, had a fun shopping day out on the town with my oldest while she finished up her 3 week grounding, drove through spooky-ooky fog soup and most importantly found my long lost wedding ring!

Lost and Found

2010-02-17T18:20:00.000-08:00

This is horrible to publicly admit, but I have lost my wedding ring more times than I can count. Usually it turns up in a day or so at the bottom of the washing machine or in a pocket of my purse. It's not my fault, I promise. The design is just so open and intricate that I take it off a lot to keep from getting lotion and goop stuck in it. I swear I only take it off to protect it. The problem is that I get sidetracked all too often and will forget to put it back on right away and then lose track of it.

Last night I'd had enough. I just had this feeling it had to be in my closet somewhere. I pulled all my shoes off the floor tipping them upside down and shaking them like a crazy person. It had to be there. Somewhere. Then I pulled out my shoe cubby thinking maybe it had fallen out of a pair of pants and behind the wood cabinet. Nope. Going against what all my common sense was telling me I started pulling the shoes out of the cabinet to look in each cubby. (stupid me, I started at the top for no reason) It wasn't until I got to the 10th compartment that I saw it ... back in the dark corner, shivering and afraid. We smiled at each other and both breathed a sigh of relief.I just don't understand how it ended up there of all places. In my closet. In my shoe cubby. Way the heck behind a pair of wooden sandals I haven't worn in over a year because they make me sound like a horse clomping around. How do you explain that one? Leprechauns? Evil house elf? Whatever it was it couldn't keep us apart. I was so glad we found each other. I immediately burst into tears and said a long prayer of thanks. We enjoyed the evening together and had a great day getting reacquainted. Isn't she lovely? I love her white gold goodness. She's my perfect jewelry match!

Drumroll Please!

2010-02-15T20:10:00.001-08:00

Today is the day! The One World One Heart Magic Carpet Ride has come to an end. I've visited hundreds of new blogs in the last few weeks and it has been great to 'meet' so many new people from so many different places. It has been quite the ride and now comes the best part for me. I get to announce my lucky winner!!! To be fair I entered the number of entries I received at random.org and let their random number generator do the picking for me.So, without further ado ... the lucky winner is .... Abigail from Rusted Wings Studio in Whitefish, Montana!!! Congratulations, my friend. This lovely package will be coming your way shortly. I hope you will truly enjoy it.(I am hoping that Abigail will indulge me and let me post her beautiful picture and her own artwork in a future post for you shortly)

Week in Review 2/11/10

2010-02-12T22:33:00.002-08:00

Another busy but beautiful week filled with all kinds of family and all kinds of fun. We had a baby shower, talent show, the family 'Love Dinner', a zesty orange popsicle mask, hubby's parents' 52nd anniversary with 52 fun gifts for them to open ... our anniversary and a very silly night out with the kids, jetBlue's 10th anniversary with hundreds of cancelled flights, a fun craft show and lots and lots of overtime hours with more commuting. I'm beat and can't wait for some down time. When is it that I have that scheduled in? Someone make a note on the calendar please.

Happy Anniversary Honey!

2010-02-11T07:51:00.000-08:00

This was the happiest day of my life. I know it sounds corny, but it is absolutely true. I'd been looking for this guy for WAY too long! What in the heck took him so long to find me? I love him so much. This is a day our whole family celebrates, since that's the day we became a 'whole family'.

Week in Review 2/4/10

2010-02-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

I really mean to post these every Friday, but that just hasn't been happening. At least I have the pictures. I haven't missed a week in review yet ... so this is going a lot better than my commitment to the gym. ;)It was a great week. We had the Raingutter Regata, a baby shower for our neighbor, driving time with Izzy, shopping time with #2, mixed in with practicing for the talent show tomorrow and getting the older kids ready for school registration next year. This week's off to a great start too. Can't wait to post the pictures.

Raspberry Chipotle Pork Medallions

2010-02-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

This is way overdue, but here as promised. I hope you like them as much as I did.

Sauce:
1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C low-sugar raspberry fruit spread
2 T white balsamic vinegar
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 large chipotle pepper seeded and chopped

2 lbs lean cut pork chops
2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 T olive oil

1. Place all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix well. Set aside.

2. Rinse pork chops with cool water, pat dry with paper towels. Use the palm of your hand or a meat mallet to flatten each piece to 1/2-inch thickness. Combine remaining ingredients and rub into both sides of each pork chop.

3. Drizzle a small amount of olive oil into a large nonstick skillet and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the chops and cook a couple of minutes on each side or until nicely browned and no longer pink inside. Remove the meat from teh skillet and set aside to rest. Cover to keep warm.

4. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for a couple of minutes, or until sauce is reduced by almost half and is syrupy.

5. To serve, place your beautiful piece of pork-licious on a serving plate. Drizzle each serving with some of the sauce.This is adapted from a lovely recipe found in Secrets of Good-Carb/Low-Carb Living by Sandra L. Woodruff.

The Urban Baby Blanket Revisited

2010-02-04T21:59:00.001-08:00

I was due for a good crafty project and this fit the bill perfectly. I love making baby blankets! I can't help it. Just strolling through the fabric store, there are so many great prints and textures that would make gorgeous blankets that make a statement. Now, don't get me wrong, I love sweet little prints and polka dots just as much as the next crafty mama ... but I like to do things my own way. This time I found a nice big floral print and paired it with a lightweight denim. I cut flowers from the extra fabric and appliqued the 'stack' to dress up the plain denim. Gorgeous! I love shaking it up a little, don't you?

Music Inspiration ... Butterfly Boucher

2010-02-04T06:30:00.001-08:00

I have to admit with all the ups and downs in the last week and a half, I can't help but feel a little down. This song is exactly how I'm feeling. Thanks Butterfly.

Week in Review 1/28/10

2010-02-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Wow! I'm spending way too much time at jetBlue these days and more time than ever in my car commuting. Can you tell? So far the whole cutover process has gone smoothly. There are a couple hiccups in the system which was to be expected, but it's been great to have different duties in the meantime. It's hugely refreshing to take calls from crew members instead of customers for a change. It was about time to shake things up.So, lots of work. Lots of driving. A quiet, tear-filled dinner, just me and my oldest girl, to give her the space to clear the air with me and earn back a little trust. A quick trip to the vet for Izzy's last set of shots. A yummy dinner out with the whole family and a homemade pot roast somewhere in the middle.

Mission Cutover

2010-01-30T06:03:00.000-08:00

Well, here we are at the jetBlue call center. Today is the big day, the one we've been prepping for for over 12 months ... countless hours of training, programming and troubleshooting. Today is the day. We're all on pins and needles in the Center waiting for headquarters to actually flip the switch. It will be interesting to see how this all unfolds and what the media review will be later.

I've been here since 5:30am and am working a heavy load of overtime today and tomorrow. The rest of the week is a little up in the air at the moment. My week in review should be up tonight sometime ... still playing catch up here and so glad I've got my iPhone camera with me at all times.

Honesty 101: Tell It Like It Is

2010-01-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

I'm having a hard time understanding why this is such a hard principle to teach my children. Don't they want people to believe them? Do they really think we're that stupid? I've explained time and time again that, "If you're doing something wrong ... you're already in trouble, mister (or sister for that matter). Now, if you top that off with a big fat whopper of a lie, what exactly do you think is going to happen?" But somehow, they still end up going through these phases where they must truly think we are complete idiots.

Just tell it like it is. If you wet your pants in the middle of the night or broke Mom's favorite vase, just tell it like it is. If you lost your hat, forgot your homework or left work to run an errand with an 18 year old boy that we've told you not to associate with ... just TELL IT LIKE IT IS. Why make it so much worse by trying to pull the wool over our eyes? I promise I will always know if you brushed your teeth, washed your hands or went to a party you shouldn't have.

And now the task of coming up with our latest and greatest, logical but painful punishment? Where do I even start on this one? How do you handle honestly issues in your house? I'd love to get your advice., feel free to leave me your 2 cents ... or 20 bucks, your choice.

A Few Etsy Favorites

2010-01-26T08:45:00.000-08:00

Just a few things I have my eye on these days.

One World One Heart - Let the Magic Begin!

2010-01-25T09:04:00.000-08:00

It's that wonderful time of year again ... One World One Heart. For those of you who aren't familiar with this event, you're in for a real treat. It's a massive, worldwide blogger giveaway event. Last year there were 911 participants from 28 different countries. We're talking HUGE! I can't wait to see how big this year's event will be.This is my first year participating and I'm thrilled at the opportunity. I've put together a fantastic giveaway package for you too. All items in the photos above will go to one lucky winner, to be announced on February 15th. The only thing YOU need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. Easy-peasy. Just make sure I have a a way to reach you if you're the 'chosen one'. (ie: email is probably best, but a linky-do to your blog, etsy or other works just fine) This fantastic collection of wonders are all from my personal 'storehouse' of crafty goodness. They are all handmade, mostly upcycled and absolutely one of a kind. Altogether the package is worth over $75 and it could be yours, ALL YOURS. ;)

Item details:

3 white hanging luminaries for a sexy Arabian evening
2 night lights to brighten dark and spooky places
2 adjustable resin-dipped button rings to fancify your fingers
4 ice cube magnets for magically holding things in place

For more details about this hugely successful, wonderfully inviting event, click on the Magic Carpet Ticket below. Be sure to visit all the other ticket holders in the sidebar while you're there to meet new people and win beautiful gifts.

Music Inspiration ... KS Rhoads

2010-01-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

I find this song completely haunting and inspiring at the same time. It soothes my soul on the dark days and makes me want to write poetry. KS is amazing to see live, I highly recommend it if he's ever in your neighborhood.

Week in Review 1/21/10

2010-01-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

Lots and lots of hours at JetBlue training to be a trainer, ha ha. I will be a teacher's assistant for 5 whole days, which required 5 whole days of training. Interesting. It's refreshing to be doing something different though. I can't wait to meet our class tomorrow, of course this means more long ... LONG nights and less time with the fam. At least my paycheck will show a substantial increase. It will be nice to have a little breathing room for a change.

I was able to actually finish a book this week too, The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner. It was for book club, which I've never attended and missed this month too. (I'm working on it, at least I read the book this time) I got to see awesome cloud formations as a storm rolled in on Monday, witness a good deed as I drove in to work, got a surprise package from Whimsy Love and made delicious Pork Medallions with Raspberry-Chipotle Sauce. (Recipe to be posted later)

Now, I'm off to bed ... and even before midnight. Yay me!

Loving Shape Collage!

2010-01-20T12:21:00.001-08:00

Alright, I admittedly spent too much time in front of the computer today, but I needed a creative diversion before heading back to JetBlue for another 8 hour session of training. Blech. Now, I'm running on very little energy and even less sleep so my new toy offered the most fun with the least effort.

These were all created from the same batch of 200-ish photos of my oldest girly-girl. Processing time wasn't too bad, except for the last one with the background. I'm still deciding if I like the idea of a background or not, there's something about it on a clean white area that I just love. Anyway, I've discovered that you can preview as many times as you want and it will rearrange the photo spacing each time, which is nice. Oh! And plan to walk away from your computer while it's creating. This program definitely takes a lot of juice to run, so hands off is better or everything will slow waaaayy down.

New Toy, New Toy! I Have a New Toy!

2010-01-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

Photojojo absolutely rocks! I love getting their newsletter with fun how-to projects and photo tips. They are always a treat and today was no exception. Today they introduced me to Shape Collage, a magically fantastical program that will takeyour own personal collection of photos and arrange them into a glorious collage in the shape of your choosing. I've only had limited time to play in it this afternoon, but it is soooo much fun! Make a custom image for your sweetheart, parents, grandparents, sister, boss, etc.

The first image I sampled was a double heart I found online. The pictures aren't the best, I just grabbed the first album I saw ... Izzy, and named it Puppy Love. (oh the cheese factor!) I love the shape though and will definitely make another with a better grouping of photos. This one only took about a minute to create and has 125 photos in it. Not bad.Then I did one with a red velvet background just to see how the program would output it. Yuck, but this was my bad. The fabric photo is too detailed, too close up. It overpowers the photos and makes them look too flat. A field of grass way off in the distance or a nice patch of blue sky would've looked much better. This one took about ten minutes to create.The last test for today was a doozy. I'll be the first to admit that under some circumstances I just love to push the limits as far as I can, so I through over 600 images into this one from different family activities over the last 3 years. I wanted to see how the program handled a really detailed, full 'shape' and had a great brainstorm of making a photo family tree. This beauty took a little over an hour to create ... and I'm wishing I'd bought the upgrade so I could edit it and push a few things around in PhotoShop ... maybe after payday. It's also the only way to get rid of the watermark.Next time around I want to try some custom text ... oh, the possibilities. Go download it yourself and have a blast! So many ideas brewing ...

The Rule Book

2010-01-16T17:25:00.000-08:00

I'm sure this picture was taken just a few weeks ago. I'm sure that this little girl is only about 5 years old and is sweet and funny and just wants to pal around with me all day long making crafts and painting pictures. Where have the last 10 years gone? How is it that now dear Hubby and I have to come up with some kind of rule system regarding how much time she is spending with senior boys and where she is and isn't allowed to go with her best friend who just got her driver's license? She can't hang out with boys who look like this! No way! Look at her. She's just too little. Too young. Too ... my little girl. You know it's funny, when my kids were younger and I was single, I sat them down one day and we had a long talk about how each child is different and none of them come with their own instruction manual. I wanted them to realize that just as I was figuring out all the in's and out's of whatever stage they were in at the moment ... that in almost that same moment they were moving on to a new, unexplored stage and I had to start the figuring all over again. Sometimes it feels like parenting is just that - writing the rule book over and over again. I just love the fact that Hubby and I are always on the same page, so much that I can actually phrase questions to him like, "How do we feel about this?" without us both cracking up.

For the moment, we're trying to be reasonable and responsible. I think that's fair to all the kids. What are the hardest things for you to make clear-cut rules about?

Jamaican Me Crazy!

2010-01-15T08:57:00.000-08:00

Warning: Be advised, this recipe is sure to bring many corny jokes told in poor taste to your dining room.

After a long, hard day of being the meanest mom on the planet, it was nice to throw a few ingredients into the blender, slop that onto some meat and grill up dinner to feed the 'beasts'. The whole process was just quick and violent enough to soothe my frazzled nerves.

Now, don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kidlets, each of them, very much. I've just come to the conclusion that they all cycle through lovely, unpredictable phases where they are alternately angelic or demonic. I'm not sure if the shifts are based on cycles of the moon or weather, growth spurts or their pH balance. All I know is that just when I think everyone is in their happy place, myself included, one of them falls off the wagon. I do my best to keep my cool but I'm only human, and yesterday I lost it. It was short-lived and everyone is back onboard for the moment. So, for those days when you feel like cooking in a mad frenzy, here's a great recipe for you.

Jamaican Jerk Rub

1/2 C coarsely chopped onion

2 Tbs lime juice

1 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp curry powder

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp dried thyme, crushed

1/8 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, quartered

Put all ingredients in a blender. Cover and process until smooth. Spoon evenly onto chicken breasts, turkey breast tenderloin or pork chops. Rub in with your fingers. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grill or broil meat.

This is one of the recipes from The Sonoma Diet book by Dr. Connie Guttersen, RD, PhD. So far, it's my favorite of all the library books I brought home. I even omitted the allspice and thyme since I didn't have them on hand and it still turned out great. Even the little monsters raved about it as they gobbled it up. Since all their halos were beaming, the slew of jokes that came with the recipe's name were at least bearable.

Week in Review 1/14/10

2010-01-14T20:39:00.000-08:00

So, somehow the week came and went and you haven't heard very much from me. You should know that I think about writing here all the time ... it's just hard to find the time to 'get her done' some days. Things here are busy as always, but things are getting done and there are new projects in motion which is always fun.We have #4 in an after-school art program for the next six weeks. He's chosen the drawing/painting class ... and #1 is a high school volunteer for the program helping in his classroom. Since they've never been in the same school together this is a treat for both of them. I attended my very first Geography Bee that #4 was a contestant in, very exciting. (I would have failed miserably) I've drilled over 100 night lights that need to be cut. We're still on track for eating healthy. (New recipes coming soon) My toes are painted and my leg is healing from a classic Lisa moment in the icy school parking lot ... and Izzy is cuter than ever!

Oh! And get this! We've received a formal invitation by mail to attend the Love You Dinner at hubby's parents' house in February. They are the sweetest people I know. What a great idea. I'll have to log that one in for future dinner dates with the kidlets after they move out. It was such a treat just to get the invitation in the mail and it almost made me cry when I read it. Pass this one on and host a Love You Dinner for your family members too. I'll try to be better about posting next week. I'm shifting jobs at JetBlue for a smidge and will train in the evenings all next week so my days will be free! Yay!

Starting Small

2010-01-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

So far ... so good. Just reminding myself publicly that sometimes we need to find success in the little things because, over time, they'll add up. So today I accomplished the following:

Started/Finished 5 loads of laundry
Completed 1.5 hours of JetBlue training
Researched online Driver's Ed courses
Had a great lower body work out
Cooked a healthy dinner the whole family loved
Poop-scooped the back yard
Taught #5 the < and > signs for his math homework
Gave myself a pedicure and finally repainted my toenails

Not earth shattering, I know, but things I can remove from my to-do list. Now I just need to make a shopping list and hit the grocery store tonight. Fun. Tomorrow I'm hoping to clear out the 4 boxes of cans in the living room so I can cut a nice big batch Wednesday. It's been way too long since I've lit up my torch.

Week in Review 1/7/10

2010-01-07T23:02:00.001-08:00

I'm doing my best to learn from all the creative people around me. Sometimes, it take a while for things to sink in. This is the first installment for a new project inspired by my gal pal Nikki at Whimsy Love. She is one crazy energetic craftster that I stay in touch with in the blogosphere. (She even has one of my cupcake night lights in her kitchen! I love this girl.) Anywho, we both started Project 365 last year and both quit at some point, but she revamped it into something that really worked for her, the Week in Review. She made a photo collage every week for the entire year. Genius. It was great to 'follow' her and be a part of all her crazy crafty adventures in 2009 and seeing the compilation of all of them finally made something click. I can do this.

Now, this was a pretty uneventful week, so the photos are less than stellar. The highlights included Izzy's first haircut, starting a new fitness program, cross-referencing recipes from several different schools of 'diet theories' to find what works for our family ... and prepping oodles of cans for cutting. It was a pretty messy week, but not exactly exciting. That's my life, welcome to it.

Blueberry Vanilla Oatmeal

2010-01-05T15:33:00.000-08:00

Here's my new favorite breakfast for you to sample. It's quick to make and will keep you satisfied for hours.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Bob'sw Red Mill Scottish Oatmeal
1 cup water
frozen blueberries
vanilla protein powder
cinnamon
skim milk

1 - Combine the oatmeal and water in a microwavable bowl. Cook on high for about 2-3 minutes. This will vary depending on your microwave. Watch it the first time to make sure it doesn't boil over.
(very messy)

2 - Remove bowl and stir thoroughly, breaking up the clumps on the bottom. Add a dash of cinnamon and 1/2 a scoop of the protein powder. Mix well and let sit for a couple minutes.

3 - Add a small handful of blueberries and stir. Microwave on high for one more minute.

4 - Remove. Stir. Add a dash of milk and enjoy a hearty/healthy bowl of yum.

If you want to really mix it up you can try it with chopped peaches or mangos... mmm.

Music Inspiration ... Matthew Perryman Jones

2010-01-03T17:24:00.001-08:00

I'm loving this song right now. It's available on iTunes from his album Swallow the Sea.Watch and enjoy.

Feeling Resolute

2009-12-31T17:47:00.000-08:00

I confess, I'm the worst at keeping resolutions. In fact, I really suck at making and keeping goals or having any real kind of plan. Maybe it's because there so many areas of my life where consistency and maintenance are necessary, that when it comes down to losing a few pounds or putting money away for a rainy day ... I just can't do it. I make decisions based on emotion and end up all over the place.

So when my dear hubby asked what my New Year's resolutions were going to be this year, I had to laugh. I had already determined, in order to avoid utter failure ... again, that my only goals would be to do more of the things that I should and less of the things that I shouldn't. I was all set! Success would be mine at last. But nooooooo .... I was put in my place at church last Sunday and left feeling like a complete loser because I was more than happy to set the bar that low.

So, what was I supposed to do now? I know, I know, resolutions are good. Goals help us to have direction and purpose. How could I make a resolution general enough that I would succeed, but focused enough to require real, targeted effort? After squeezing into my jeans yesterday morning and grumbling again about the never-ending battle of the bulge (which I've determined I'm officially losing) I figured it out.

My generally specific New Year's resolution for 2010 ....

TO STRENGTHEN MY CORE.Initially, I was daydreaming about being able to slide into a sleek pair of skinny jeans every morning ... but then decided that in all aspects of my life, I'd really like to strengthen what lies at the center of me.

Religion - study more about the things I believe

Family - make us a stronger, happier unit

Home - clear out the clutter and get back to basics

The 'bod' - lose the gut, flab, jiggly thighs and arms (ick)

Finances - pay off my only existing credit card and build up my savings account

Business - revamp my Etsy business and really get it off the ground

Are you getting the picture? I'm hoping that for 2010, as I make daily decisions about what things will take up my time, what things I will purchase, what things I put my energy into, what things I put into my body ... I will remember what is really important to me and make the choice that will strengthen my core. I want to be more free, more focused, more grateful. I want to be stronger and more healthy. I want to be more secure in who I am and what I'm doing.

What will your resolutions be?

All Together Again

2009-12-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

Monday night was a hoot. We finally got all the kidlets back under the same roof and got to listen to all the silly stories from their trips. After dinner, we opened a family gift from Grandma. What surprise did she have in store for us? Pictionary Man! Haha! If you haven't played this game yet ... you're definitely missing out.We just about ran to the table with it, popped in the batteries, skimmed over the rules, reminded everyone to be good sports and jumped right in. You actually draw on Pictionary Man or either of the two props using a dry erase pen. So, if you get the word 'cheerleader' you can draw a cheerleader's uniform on Mr. Man and make the round prop a pom pom. We went through words like puppeteer, mascot, lingerie, John Lennon, Marie Antoinette and Titanic. It was a riot and we were all having some good old fashioned fun. Then our son needed to know what a proctologist was for his turn. Ha! Nice. Our youngest passed on jockstrap and I about wet my pants when I pulled Bosom Buddies for my last turn. Good times. Good times!My sweet Hubby set scones out to rise for our 'Christmas morning' breakfast and we sent the little angels off to bed. It was nice not having to wait up for Santa this year. We all got some much needed rest and were up by seven to tear into the presents. Stockings first, as always, and then we cycled through the kids so we can all see what everyone got. Izzy even got some great new chew toys. It's so good to have everyone together again. I love Christmas!

Snow Dog

2009-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

Izzy loves to race around in the snow. She leaps around the yard trying to land in our fresh footsteps, then she'll poke her head deep into the mounds of snow looking for buried treasure (her poop). Aside from the poo hunt, it's super cute. By the time she's ready to come in the house her whole face is covered with snow. Adorable.In the meantime, the rest of us are freezing our tushies off; it's barely 20 degrees out there. I sure wish I had a built-in fur coat to keep me toasty.

On a Christmas note ... we have 2 kidlets back against all odds, and 3 more are on the road now coming in from Colorado. We're in countdown mode now.

It's Still Looking a Lot Like Christmas

2009-12-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

Not one present opened. Not one. Our tree is doing a fine job guarding the pile of gifts and the 'critter fence' helps to keep Izzy out of them. It still looks like Christmas morning here, everything bright and festive, but I can't help but feel a little sad. I miss my babies. I can't wait to watch them open their goodies and see the surprise light up their eyes. I miss that. But only two more nights and a wake up, as hubby would count it.Everyone should be back sometime tomorrow. Two are flying in from California; they're coming Standby on JetBlue, thanks to my flight benefits. And three are driving back from Colorado. They'll share all their new Christmas stories with us and we'll throw in a good holiday movie and have hot cocoa together. Then, the Tuesday 'wake up' is our Christmas morning. Can't wait.

'Twas the Day After Christmas ....

2009-12-26T14:29:00.000-08:00

And all through the house, was playing free music ... OH YEAH! I got 50 free songs today by a stroke of pure luck. Go get yours while the downloads are still available. The first 20 are from a sampler from iTunes made in collaboration with Starbucks, which allows users to download 20 songs for free. To download your free iTunes Starbucks Sampler go here. The offer expires 1/31/10. Just follow the directions and they'll drop right into your iTunes library.Once that finishes, click the blue box that says More Free on iTunes and you can still download the iTunes Fall 2009 Sampler ... 20 more songs! This will expire 12/31/09. The Holiday Sampler is no longer available, but there are a few other singles up for grabs on the iTunes Store homepage as well.

After you're finished snagging your new music there ... head on over to SPIN to download the 10 sons on their 2010 A Look Ahead album.Merry Christmas to me! Merry Christmas to you! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas To All

2009-12-24T20:48:00.000-08:00

Wherever you are and whoever you're with, have a wonderful Christmas!
This is a time of remembrance and love.

Remember Him.

Love each other.

Fantastic Santa Incentive!

2009-12-23T21:18:00.000-08:00

If you haven't been to the Portable North Pole yet, it's time you did my friend. This is the most realistic, personalized, Santa-knows-who-you-are video I've ever seen. You can make your video for a child, teen or adult. For the older kids you can even say if their naughty or nice. You can see the video I set up for my daughter here. It's a riot! How great for little kids too, to see that Santa is out there and knows personal things about them. This actor fits the part perfectly too. The costume, voice ... you name it. They really nailed it. Go make one for someone you care about now: hubby, mother, boyfriend, daughter, cousin, lots of choices here.

The Sock Partay!

2009-12-23T15:01:00.000-08:00

Holy hoopla, this has been a busy couple of weeks. Just about every extra minute was spent either making gifts, or shuttling kids out to get their shopping done. And now ... we are kid-free. Weird. We flip holidays with the other parents so this is our 'off' year for Christmas. It's quiet. Weird. But before the children abandoned us we were able to squeeze in some good holiday memories.

Sunday night we went to check out Christmas Utah (aka the Clark Griswold of SLC). It was a riot as always. I can't imagine how long it must take to get all of those lights set up, not to mention choreographing the music and light show to go with it. The kids love it though and it really is amazing to watch the lights dance.Monday was the infamous "Sock Party" at hubby's folks' house. This is always the Monday before Christmas and the whole family comes for dinner, presents and sock stuffing. It's such a fun tradition for everyone. It's a chance for us to all get together and visit and give everyone a little something in their stocking. After dinner we set a big PVC frame over the dining room table and all the families hang their stockings up. Then we get to go around and put little goodies in them. At the end of the shindig, the families scoop up their socks and take them home to check out the loot. The kids are so cute about it. This is one tradition I will definitely carry on with our own family down the road.

Gift Tags Galore!

2009-12-16T19:38:00.000-08:00

So apparently my patience level has bottomed out since we're just nine days from Christmas. Instead of going to buy new ink for my printers, I threw a few more designs together and just emailed the file in to Office Max for them to print. They turned out great! The nice bright colors make all the difference. Of course, the photo really doesn't do them justice, these gray days are horrible for lighting.But this time, I've included the file for you. You can download all the tags here. Just print them on white cardstock so they're nice and sturdy. Merry Christmas!

Gift Tags for All

2009-12-11T19:26:00.000-08:00

I promise I'm trying my best to keep the projects coming ... it's just been hard to find blocks of time that are 'mine'. I seem to get blindsided by the kids' schedules constantly, then there's dinner and dishes and trying to squeeze in any kind of quality time with hubby. Anywho! I've managed to grab onto a small window tonight and thought I'd finally make these since they've been on my to-do list for way too long.

I started by opening a business card template in my Pages program. I split the card in half with the page rulers and set up a simple graphic image and a text box. I grouped everything together and duplicated it to each space. Quick and easy.Then I made another with a word cloud from Wordle.
Print. Cut. Stack. Clip.

With me so far?

Now, we're going to use either white glue (Elmer's) or padding compound, if you have it. Brush on a generous coat and leave it to dry for about half an hour. Use a heavy-duty hole punch to punch through the stack. If you don't have one that is strong enough, then punch them before you glue them together.There are 20 tags in each nifty pad. These are so great to have on hand with your gift wrapping supplies. My next batch will need to wait until I get more ink for our printer, running a bit low these days.

10 out of Tenn Show

2009-12-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

Oh my, we had so much fun at the show last night! All of the artists were truly amazing and it was great to see them all sing back up for each other and rotate through the different instruments. The playlist included Trent Dabbs, Andrew Belle, Erin McCarley, Tyler James, KS Rhoads, Andy Davis, Jeremy Lister, Katie Herzig, Butterfly Boucher and Matthew Perryman Jones, not to mention Will Sayles, who played drums for the whole set. There were no other backup musicians. These singer/songwriters literally took turns playing all the backup parts for each other. AMAZING! I can't wait until they come back through town.It was great to see Katie Herzig in person, since I've just recently discovered her through Noisetrade, but I have to say that it was Butterfly Boucher who really rocked the show. Now I want to write music too (and play bass and cut my hair really short). ;) Dang, too bad I have no talent in the music realm at all. I can hardly even carry a tune these days. For my own consoling on this note, I took it upon myself to come home with all 11 CD's they were selling at the show! Now, I should mention they gave us a killer deal so it was hard to resist in the first place. And hey! Now I have loads of great music to keep me company while I wait for them to come back to SLC. Yay me!

Photojojo Shop-o-rama

2009-12-07T20:12:00.000-08:00

Ooh ... these items are all on my wish list this year! I have loved the projects posted in the Photojojo Newsletter, but visiting their store is a whole new kind of medicine for me. Just look at these great finds!The Fuji Instax Instant Camera, the new polaroid phenom, at just $90.The Bad-Ass Bowler Camera Bag is as sexy as a camera bag gets for only $50.The uber cool Monsterpod that sticks to over 1.000 surfaces and is the ultimate other-worldy tripod for your point and shoot.And then, of course, there's the infamous Photojojo book, chalk full of DIY photo project goodness and ringing in at $22. Yay! Where to start? I'll talk one of each please.

Catching Up

2009-12-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

It's here, the holiday rush. Hustling and bustling around town has only been semi-productive so far. I have little gifts taken care of and that's about it. I've hit most of the holiday boutiques in the area and have taken advantage of every $10 gift card Kohl's has sent my way. At this point I'll take just about any discount I can get my hands on!

I'm just glad that before things really got crazy, I was able have a wonderfully calming morning in Heber at the letterpress class. Eva and Kirk were fantastic and the small class size kept everything nice and cozy. They explained a some of the history of printing, showed us the mechanics of their lovely press and went through the process from start to finish and then we were off! My dear friend Wanja (the coolest girl on the block) and I went first. We took turns printing and inspecting each other's cards. It took a few tries to finesse it, but we got the hang of it and the rest was cake! I felt so industrial. ;)After that, Kirk was kind enough to cut them for us on their heavy-duty-yes-this-can-cut-all-your-fingers-off machine. Whew! We spent the rest of the time cutting envelope liners to pretty up the presentation.Talk about a great way to spend the day! Now I have small buds of a dream forming to get my father-in-law's printing press cleaned up and working again. Ooh ... definite project potential there.

Puppy Update: I am officially a dog person, or at least an Izzy person. I can't believe how much I love this little ball of fluff. She's naps while I'm working and is my buddy when the kidlets are at school. She hasn't asked talked back or asked me to buy her anything yet. She's perfect! :D

Surprise! Introducing ... Izzy

2009-11-27T19:38:00.000-08:00

Drumroll please .....

Meet the latest addition to our family, Isabella (aka Izzy)! Isn't she the cutest? We've been planning this little surprise for the last couple of months and were lucky enough to find the perfect little pooch this week. We went over and met her family on Monday, fell in love with her instantly and purchased her on the spot.After that, it was just a matter of deciding when to bring her home. We had originally planned on December 18th, but had absolutely no will power and didn't want to miss these precious puppy days ... so we chose Black Friday instead. We picked her up around noon today and had a nice car ride to her auntie's house where she was able to meet her cousins and have a nice bath.It only took the short drive home to get her calmed down again and then we placed her in our lovely gift box. We told the kids we had an early holiday present for them and they all lifted the lid together. I don't know what they thought it was going to be, but no one predicted a puppy. I've been pretty adamant about not having a dog in the house.What can I say? She's completely won me over and I'm undone. Can you blame me? Jut look at that face!And she has been absolutely perfect ALL day. She's very affectionate and seems to love all of us. She is right at home in her crate. She hasn't whined or whimpered a bit and has a perfect record on the potty count so far. Yay!

So Much Fun!

2009-11-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

What a day! What a weekend! If I'm not careful I'm going to ruin all the surprises here. Let's see, let's see ... today our family is going to receive a HUGE surprise. I can't wait. Hubby and I are in countdown mode, but it's still too early to spill the beans here. You'll have to check back tonight to follow along.

In the meantime, I'm also so excited to take this class tomorrow with a dear friend. We'll drive out to Heber tomorrow morning where we'll get to meet the lovely Eva and Kirk Jorgensen and their letterpress. I can't tell you how much I love getting my hands into a new craft. I'll admit, I'm a little teeny bit of an addict. (hubby would argue the 'little teeny' point) I just can't help myself. It's completely therapeutic to me and keeps the wheels turning. Besides, I'll get to spend the afternoon meeting some wonderful new people, learn the basics of letterpress printing and come home with 50 Christmas cards that I will have printed all by myself. Yay!After all this, it will be our little one's birthday on Sunday. He's turning seven ... SEVEN? How is this possible? It's like I blink and another year has passed. We'll have a big birthday breakfast for him and a fiesta in the afternoon, complete with sombrero and little black mustaches for everyone.

Now I should really get back to my regularly scheduled morning sneakiness before the other kidlets wake up. Stay tuned for the photo play-by-play and have a wonderful Black Friday.

Ssshhhh ....

2009-11-25T19:17:00.000-08:00

I have a secret and it's a good one! I've zipped my lips and no one will know until this Friday. The end.Until then, have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your families. We're spending the day in Sandy with hubby's parents and two of his sisters. I've been assigned mashed potatoes and pearl salad. That works for me. Cooking the actual 'big bird' still makes me a little nervous. When we're done, we'll come home and set up the tree and other decorations. How do you spend your Thanksgiving?

Ten out of Tenn Tour

2009-11-22T21:30:00.001-08:00

Last week I got a fun little email from Katie Herzig (& co) letting me know that she is coming to SLC! She will be on a Christmas tour with the Ten out of Tenn bunch featuring: Butterfly Boucher, Erin McCarley, Matthew Perryman Jones, Trent Dabbs, Jeremy Lister, Andy Davis, Tyler James, Andrew Belle, KS Rhoads. You can find out more about the artists and specific tour dates here. In the meantime, here's some ear candy for you.
If any of you are in the area go get your tickets now. I'll meet you there!