Tags and Straps

Well ok this isn't a tag or a strap, but I thought it was darn cute. This morning after Caleb got up he climbed into my bed and grabbed a book from my nightstand and was laying in my spot "reading" aloud. It was so funny. He does like to read though, that is for sure. I have been doing alot of reading lately and I just thought it was cute how he is doing what mommy does.

Here is my camera strap cover. I want to go to Joanns tomorrow and get some pretty fabrics and make some more. They were so easy and quick to make. I am going to make my mom one too. The ones I have been seeing online had a nice edge, but I decided to make mine rough and let it be frayed. I like that look. I guess if I decide to sell them it would give mine a different look than all the rest.

Here are some of the tags I made. This is the blue snowman ones. I stamped them in light blue, and then I added the black line around it and the black dot to the eyes, and the dots to make the mouth. I added some scrappers floss to tie it onto the gift. I really like how they turned out. Oh I stamped them on Kraft Bazzill (one of my all time favorite colors). I am working on some candycane ones that I stamped in white and added some red stickles to. They are still drying at the moment though, so I haven't cut them out yet.

I am thinking I will sell some of the tags in my etsy shop. (Even though I haven't made a single sale yet :( ). Well off to the grocerry store real quick for a few things.

Green Bean Casserole

I wanted to share one of the dishes I am making for Thanksgiving. We are going to my moms first and then to Jacobs moms. Then it is home for the day. Jacob starts a MUCH NEEDED 9 day vacation on Thanksgiving and I am so glad and so excited.
Growing up I never liked green beans, but something happened as I got older (and wiser maybe :) ). So to my moms I am taking Green Bean Casserole, cheesecake, a cherry pie (at Marcus' request), maybe brownies and I think that is it. I am making the napkin ring holders also, which as my usual self have not even started on yet. I have the idea in my mind so I don't think it will be too hard. I need a few more things and am going to pick those up tomorrow when I go into work to pick up my paycheck.
So here is casserole recipe (we do it a bit different though then the original calls for )

GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE

1 (10 3/4 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 (14 1/2 oz.) cans cut green beans
1 1/3 cups Frenchs Fried Onions

**Our twist is that I usually double the recipe and instead of using two cans of cream of mushroom soup I use one can of mushroom soup and one can of Cream of Chicken Soup.
**Also sometimes we will add some cheese (usually the mexican blend cause that is all I buy) in with it as well.

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix soup, milk and pepper in a baking dish. Stir in green beans and 2/3 cup onions (1 1/3 cup if you double the recipe)
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot.
3. Stir. Top with remaining onioins. Bake 5 minutes until onions are golden.

(photo taken from French's website)

I made some really cute gift tags last night and will share those later. (I need to take a few pictures first). I also made a cute camera strap cover yesterday. I have been seeing them all over online (especially etsy) and decided to make one of my own. It was so easy and I am thinking of making a few more and trying to sell them on my etsy store as well. I want to go to Joanns tomorrow and get some pretty material. I made mine out of Miami Dolphins material because that is what I had laying around. So I will try to remember to take a picture of that as well.

Been busy also planning our wedding. I am pretty sure we now have the date set at April 11. We are going with Navy Blue and White. I have so many ideas and I couldn't sleep last night becuase all these ideas were just flowing in my brain (and yes I did write them down so I wouldn't forget). I am going to start full force working on that at the first of the year. It is too much to try to do at the holidays time. So I will be sharing that stuff as well later on.

Off to clean up the house, and then do some creative stuff. I have a full day of to dos tomorrow so I won't get a chance to get anything fun done or around the house. (well tomorrow night I have to work on those napkin rings though).

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

I found this HERE . I just stumbled across this blog the other day and I loved this little story if you will call it that. It is so true. The things we had in our childhood days have never even been heard of by some of the children these days.

"When I was a kid, adults used to bore me to tears with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were. When they were growing up... what with walking twenty -five miles to school every morning uphill barefoot... BOTH ways …yada, yada, yada. I remember promising myself that when I grew up there was no way I was going to lay a bunch of nonsense like that on kids about how hard I had it and how easy they've got it! But now that I'm "over the ripe old age of 30"… I can't help but look around and notice the youth of today. You've got it so easy! I mean, compared to my childhood, you live in a stinken Utopia! And I hate to say it but you kids today don't know how good you've got it! I mean, when I was a kid we didn't have the Internet. If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library & look it up ourselves in the card catalogue or in World Book Encyclopedias! There was no email! We had to actually write somebody a letter, with a pen…on paper! Then we had to walk all the way across the street and put it in the mailbox and it would take like a week to get there! There were no MP3' s or Napsters! If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the music store & shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio and the DJ'd usually talk over the beginning and mess it all up! …or you'd just buy the 45 record. We didn't have fancy stuff like "Call Waiting"! If you were on the phone and somebody else called they got a busy signal, that's it! (Unless you were on a party line…then you really had to wait your turn) And we didn't have fancy Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was! It could be your school, your mom, your boss, your aunt, your bookie, a collections agent, you just didn't know!!! You had to pick it up and take your chances! We didn't have any fancy Sony Playstation video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics! We had the Atari 2600! with games Like 'Space Invaders' & 'asteroids' & PacMan. Your guy was a little square! You actually had to use your Imagination!! And there were no multiple levels or screens, it was just one screen forever! And you could never win. The game just kept getting harder and harder and faster and faster until you died! Just like real LIFE! You had to use a Little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on the T.V. You were screwed when it came to channel surfing! You had to get off your behind and walk over to the TV to change the Channel & there was no Cartoon Network either! You could only get cartoons on Saturday Morning. Do you Hear what I'm saying!?! We had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons, you little dirt-bags! And we didn't have microwaves, if we wanted to heat something up we had to use the stove ... imagine that! That's exactly what I'm talking about! You kids today have got it too easy. You're spoiled. You guys wouldn't have lasted five minutes back in 1980! Regards, The over 30 Crowd"

Week 17

The topic question for this week is...

Week 17

What is your dream car?

A math trick...

This is pretty cool. Marcus brought this home from school today. Give it a try...it totally works.

Ok here it is...

1. Grab a calculator. (You won't be able to do this on in your head)..and make sure you click equals after calculation but use running totals.

2. Key in the first three digits of your phone number. (NOT the area code)

3. Mulitply by 80 =

4. Add 1 =

5. Multiply by 250 =

6. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number =

7. Add the last 4 digits of your phone number again =

8. Subtract 250 =

9. Divide number by 2 =

Do you recognize the answer? Hmmmmmm.. It should be your full phone number.

This was a fun trick.
I think I am coming down with a cold or something. I don't feel great today. I am losing my voice. Caleb was a little extra fussy yesterday too. I have been working on some Christmas gifts, some napkin holders for Thanksgiving, a few more layouts.
I changed my blog look. I went with the Christmas look. I love the black and red and white together. I really LOVE Santas, but couldn't find one that I liked so I went with the next best thing which is this adorable Snowman. I am so excited for Christmas. We usually put out the tree the day after Thanksgiving, but this year we are going on the search for a real tree. So since the kids are out of school the entire week next week, I might pull out the decorations and sort through it.
Off to start dinner now. We are having Stroganoff.

Week 16

Oh my yesterday was such a LONG day. I was so ready for bed once the time came. I swear so many little things kept going wrong it was driving me crazy. Put a few cranky children on top of that and it makes a long day.
So the topic question for this week is

What do you do for fun?

A few layouts

Today I am just having one of those days. But I just won't go into details. I have been on a role the last few days and got these layouts done. Just wanted to share.

A card, a sewing project and Hannah pictures

Ok I just realized that this picture is a little blurry. Oops. Oh well. It says... Making a List and checking it twice. I had fun making this card. I hadn't shared it here yet so I thought I would. It is up at the store right now. I used the scroll die from the pirate release and made it into santas list.

I made this today for my neice for Christmas. This was a plain white turtle neck that I got at Target for $3.00. I added the puffy heart on the front and the ruffle around the collar and the sleeves.

Then I got these pants at Walmart for $4.50. They are stretchy pants, not jeans. I made the belt and added the puffy heart as well. The pants are glittery too. I love them. I really like the way the outfit turned out. I can't wait to give it to her on Christmas. I am going to make her sister one too, if I can find a white onsie turtleneck in such a small size. I think I will have to check The Childrens Place. Love that store.

Now lastely I have to share a few more pictures of Hannah. We went over there yesterday to visit Jamie and the baby, and Hailee too. Marcus held her.

Jacob loved her and was so excited to hold her. He wanted her to go outside with him and Hailee. He held her twice and really didn't want to give her up. Caleb just kept coming up to her and looking at her strangly. Then towards the end I was holding her and he wanted me right then and there. The rest of the time he could have cared less and was just playing with toys. He used to look so small to me, until compared to Hannah.

Here she is. I got her with her eyes open.

I love little baby fingers and toes.

It was so cold today. I am enjoying it though. I wish it would just rain already. I love working on projects when it is cold and raining outside. Drink some hot chocolate. :) Back to the regular old routine tomorrow. The kids are off school Tuesday (which I find strange that they go one day, off the next and back the rest of the week). Jacobs last night of graveyard is tomorrow night and that makes us all so happy. The kids really miss him while he is on that shift. I hate it. Jacob got into bed with daddy tonight at 8 and fell asleep with him, just because he wanted to be with daddy. So sweet.

Going to work on some more sewing projects tomorrow. I have one pair of pajama pants done and I still have 2 more small ones to make and the Jacob and the older boys too.

Off to bed now.

Week 14 and Week 15

The topic questions for last week and this week are...

Week 14
Describe your best and worst personality traits.

Week 15
How did you meet your best friend of significant other?

I have to work this afternoon. This is going to be my last Friday working. I will still be working some on the weekends, but no more Fridays. Everyone has to cut stuff everywhere. It is ok though. I will miss going in on Friday afternoons though.
On another note though I have noticed that gas is coming way down. I paid $2.52 yesterday, but noticed when I was at Costco that it was only $2.45. That is great. I never thought we would see the day when it was under $3.00 a gallon again. I would LOVE to see it under $2.00 a gallon, but I am not pressing my luck.

I have so many projects that I am working on, I wish there was more hours in one day sometimes to get them all done. I have mostly Christmas projects going now, but a few Thanksgiving ones too.
I am making napkin rings for the Thanksgiving table for my mom. I am making the Recipe Boxes for Christmas (that I am freaking out about them not having the same ones at Michaels), Christmas ornaments for Jacob and the kids, and then for the extended family as well (both sides...which is about 15 ornaments), trying to get caught up on some layouts, gift card holders for the cousins gifts, what else... Well trying to Christmas shop on top of that. Thinking that there aren't that many more paychecks left until Christmas time. Yikes.
Well off to play now.

Inspired by this layout.

I forgot to add this with my last post. I am totally inspired by this Halloween Layout from Priscilla. She is the Quickutz Club instructor at the store each month. I am so loving this layout from last month. Thought I would share. Now that I have my Halloween pictures printed I can see what comes of all the Halloween paper I bought this year.

Halloween pictures

Halloween came and went so fast. We had a busy day that day. The older kids had school that day. They didn't dress up. Infact they weren't going to dress up at all (as they felt a bit old for it. lol. ). We had tons of errands to run including the bank, Target, lunch. Then the boys had their first junior high school dance that afternoon. Picked them up from school, (Jacob and I were both off that day), we all went to the grocerry store, came home and Jacob made us YUMMY pastrami sandwiches and fries for dinner. We ate and headed out to my moms church Halloween carnival. Which there was so much going on I didn't even take a single picture (dangit). The kids decorated cookies, did a book walk and got free books, played tons of games and got tons of candy, got cotton candy and popcorn on the way out. We stayed there for about an hour. After that we met Jacobs family trick or treating over near our house. We walked around for a while and it started to sprinkle on us, but very little. It was actually the nicest Halloween night we have had in several years. The kids got tons of candy that will eventually sit around until we end up throwing out what doesn't get eaten. It was good. I of course could not caputure Ryan and Marcus long enough to get their picture. At the last minute their costumes came thrown together as Ryan being a cheerleader (my old high school one), as a dare from his dad to wear it. Marcus wore my high school graduation gown and got some red devil horns from his cousin and went as a devil. Here are a few highlight pictures from the night.

The candy loot when we got home. They all combined it all.

Caleb the skeleton (with his jeans showing from underneath), and Jacob as spiderman.

Jacob, Caleb and Hailee the ladybug

Elizabeth (I don't remember what she was)

BIL Frank dressed as a woman (Frankcheska)

Frankcheska sitting on Jacobs lap. LOL.

Here is Hannah...

Here is my new neice Hannah Katie.

Details are...

Hannah Katie

11.4.08

6 lbs. 9 oz.

18 inches

She is adorable. She is so tiny too. They kept telling my sil that the baby was small, and then at the last minute they decided that she was going to be too big and she needed to be induced. Her due date was 11.11.08 (she was induced on the 3rd). But then she was born pretty small. My sil got to come home yesterday afternoon. I called her today and she said Hannah is doing good, and she was too. Hailee (my sils older daughter) is in love with her baby sister. She wants to kiss and love on her all the time. I told the kids we would go over there this weekend so they could see her. They couldn't go to the hospital because of their age. So this weekend will give my sil some time home to relax from it all and be settled. So I will take them over there this weekend and we will spend some time with them. I can't wait. I am sure that I will take more pictures of her then. I had the ones that I did take printed out today and I picked them up at Costco this afternoon. I can't wait to dig out my pink scrapbooking supplies and get started on that.

I voted...

Did you vote? I did. I have a mail in ballot and dropped it off this afternoon. Been a busy couple of days. Halloween, Work, My sil had her baby this morning at 2 am, all kinds of stuff. I will post pictures tomorrow of my new neice. Her name is Hannah. She is so tiny.
Off to bed.