Sunday Scrappin’

Here’s a link to my weekly post over at The Lady at Home’s blog.

This week’s topic? Scrapbooking during the holidays.

Friday Five

Okay, I am jumping on the blog/net bandwagon and will be offering my Friday Five each week, starting with this week… It may be five favorite products, five favorite websites, whatever strikes my fancy for the week. The only thing I know for sure is that there will be five of them and it will post every Friday!

This week’s Friday Five are five of my favorite blogs. I recently finished a Blogging for Scrapbookers class and discovered a ton of new, interesting blogs. I thought I would share some of those with you.

1. Elinjanne’s blog: I love her writing style and really love her scrapbooking style. I have been watching her Journal Your Christmas album as she has shared it on her blog. Her photos are spectacular and envious of all the snow that she gets in Norway. (although I am sure this southern gal would die in temps that cold)

2. Dolly’s blog: Dolly also did the Blogging for Scrapbookers class and I was first introduced to her then. I have really enjoyed reading her daily entries and learning more about her life through her scrapbook pages and blog entries. She has beautiful scrapbook pages and the most adorable kitties.

3. Ann’s blog: Ann is doing the JYC class and has created the most interesting 6×12 vertical album. I was so intrigued by her photos of her pages, I just kept going back to see more. Now, I am so inspired by her pages and really enjoy reading about her adventures. And the fact that she considers herself a “mad scientist” cracks me up. I have often felt that way myself!

The last two are not from a class, but they are two that I check faithfully every day:

4. Cathy’s blog: Cathy Zielske’s blog is awesome in so many ways. I love her dry sense of humor, her photographs are always awesome and her scrapbook page designs are ones I almost ALWAYS scraplift. If you haven’t checked out her blog, click on over there and enjoy yourself!

5. Ree’s blog: Oh, my. When I stumbled across this blog, I thought I had found my long lost twin. Ree is so funny and her entries have me alternately laughing out loud at her life observations and keen wit or sighing at her gorgeous photographs. Ree is the Pioneer Woman. She cooks, she bakes, she homeschools, she’s married to the Marlboro Man and lives on a working cattle ranch. The pictures and stories of her life are one of the highlights of my day.

Well, that is all for now. I hope to get some scrapbooking done this weekend and will share some in my next post (if I can get the sickies in my house well, that is).

Lists here, Lists there, Lists, Lists, everywhere

I am a big list-maker. I am also a big paper girl. I love the tactile sensation of writing things down… and then the satisfaction I get from crossing things off the list. Whether it is groceries, gift lists, to-do’s, packing lists, whatever. I have a list for it. (surely I’m not the only one?)

Here are some of my lists:

The obligatory “HONEY-DO” list, the planned dinner choices for the next week, and the grocery list – notice that someone wrote an address on my list – sacrilege! 🙂

My husband laughs at me because I rewrite my grocery list before going to the store. Call me crazy, but I like a nice, neat, LEGIBLE list when I go shopping. But when I’m adding things to my list as it hangs,vertically, on my refrigerator, legibility is not what I’m going for. I’m just documenting things I need. So,I rewrite the list before I go to the store. Invariably, this reminds me of things that are NOT on the list and should be. It also helps if I decide to pull out the coupons. Then I can mark for which items I have coupons and be sure not to forget to turn them in at the checkout.

Christmas is the king of list-making time for me.

I have the “TO BUY” list. The “TO MAKE” list which goes nicely with the “TO GIVE” list as I usually give homemade goodies to our friends and family. (which reminds me that I haven’t made this list yet (eek!).

Then there are the shopping lists for the kids (which has to be very discreetly tucked away as my 8 year old is now getting very snoopy about things like Christmas gifts) and the list of things to purchase for my husband and the stocking stuffers.

I am not doing very good with the list writing this season, though. I have gone almost completely digital this year with my calendar and time management (which was a HUGE adjustment for me – I still carry a little bitty calendar as my “binkie” because I’m so tied to writing things down!) I did a lot of purchasing online this year and used my email confirmations of my purchases (stored in a folder that was mislabeled to discourage snoopiness) as my “PURCHASED” list.

But, I’m feeling rather disorganized because I never made the master “TO BUY” list. So, tonight I sat down and wrote one. Now, I’m feeling a little pressure because I have so much to do! I will have to schedule a shopping day soon and get it knocked out. I am pretty good at that, though. IF I have my list.

What about you? Are you a list maker? Or do you fly by the seat of your pants? (I love that phrase!)

I think I’m getting this down (somewhat)

I have been working more in Photoshop Elements this weekend. Not much, just a little, but I have completed a few more calendar pages.

I haven’t yet tried it in Creative Memories’ StoryBook Creator software. Just Photoshop. In PSE it is a breeze to edit.

Here are some samples:

Note: the calendar template is from ScrapGirls if you are interested in making your own. There is a separate file for each month. All I did was drop in my photos and papers.

Also, If you haven’t viewed these tutorials by Cathy Zielske (and you are learning about Photoshop like me) I would strongly suggest you take a few minutes to watch them. They are very well done.

She has one on using templates and one for creating rounded corners (or just one or two rounded corners) which I think is a really cool effect.

I’m ready, I think, to start doing more things in PSE. I have signed up for Jessica Sprague’s beginner’s PSE class. That’s my next project. 🙂 (’cause I don’t have anything else going on right now! ha!)

I think I’m getting this down (somewhat)

I have been working more in Photoshop Elements this weekend. Not much, just a little, but I have completed a few more calendar pages.

I haven’t yet tried it in Creative Memories’ StoryBook Creator software. Just Photoshop. In PSE it is a breeze to edit.

Here are some samples:

Note: the calendar template is from ScrapGirls if you are interested in making your own. There is a separate file for each month. All I did was drop in my photos and papers.

Also, If you haven’t viewed these tutorials by Cathy Zielske (and you are learning about Photoshop like me) I would strongly suggest you take a few minutes to watch them. They are very well done.

She has one on using templates and one for creating rounded corners (or just one or two rounded corners) which I think is a really cool effect.

Christmas Ornaments – a little bit of history on a tree

I love decorating my Christmas tree each year. We have ornaments that date back to when I was a little girl and I love pulling the ornaments one by one out of the box. As I pull each one out, I remember a little piece of my history. Ornaments I used to put on our family tree as a girl, ornaments I made myself when SuperMan and I were first married (and I had time to hand-craft things like that!), ornaments I've received as gifts from family and friends…

But some of my most favorite ornaments are the ones that my girls have made for us – and the ones that I have picked up through the years on our travels. Instead of other souvenirs, I always try to pick up a Christmas ornament when we make a journey somewhere.

There's the one I got at the Tower of London:

I went to London for business and my mom tagged along that year. We had so much fun picking out ornaments to decorate our trees. Now, I see those ornaments each Christmas and remember that trip – and all the fun times we had together. (like trying to drive a stick shift sitting on the "wrong" side of the car and driving on the "wrong" side of the road)

And this ornament that SuperMan and I got when we went to Hawaii one year (another business trip – that was a good company to work for!)

The one in the background is an ornament I had engraved for my labrador's first Christmas (he was my 18th birthday present to myself) He is gone to puppy heaven now, but I remember him every year when I put this ornament on the tree – I remember when he was my only baby – and these babies I have now were not even glimmers in my eye.

Christmas, for me, is a time of remembering, celebrating, and hoping. Remembering things past, celebrating and being thankful for the bounty of the present, and hoping for the future.

New Jessica Sprague Idea/Inspiration Book

I am new to the world of Jessica Sprague. But I have very quickly become an avid follower. She has very well put-together classes, great content on her website and is always coming out with nifty things to inspire, help, encourage the scrapbooker in me.

Her newest nifty thing she announced today: Inspiration in Hand, a quarterly (FREE) book which will include ideas for “layouts, stories and projects to spark your creativity.”

I am downloading my copy now – you should too!

Crock Pots are a Girl’s Best Friend

With the cold winter days upon us it is nice to have something hot and hearty for dinner. And it's especially nice when that hot and hearty something doesn't involve standing in the kitchen for an hour to cook it!

I am a big fan of the crock pot. I love being one step ahead when that witching hour comes and the kids are cranky and hungry and I'm tired and we all just need a break. I love the way it makes my house smell like "home." I love how I feel like I'm providing healthy meals for my family and it's so easy to do. And economical. Most of my crock pot meals are multi-night affairs… or night and a few lunches at a minimum.

Here's one of our all-time favorite crock pot recipes. I hope you enjoy as much as we do. (Oh, and this makes a great gift meal for someone if they are sick or need a helping hand.)

Fresh Vegetable Beef Stew
1 1/2 lbs beef stew meat
1 small green bell pepper chopped (I use 1/2 bag frozen)
3/4 cup green beans (fresh, or I use 1/2 bag frozen)
3/4 cup onion, chopped (I use 1/2 bag frozen)
3/4 cup carrots, sliced (I use frozen – see a pattern here?)
3/4 cup frozen corn
4-6 red potatoes, washed, cut into pieces (about 1 inch)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp salt / 1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme (fresh) or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
3 1/2 cups beef broth (2 cans or 1 carton)
2 cans diced tomato w/ garlic
1 can tomato sauce

Add all ingredients in slow cooker – I usually put potatoes on the bottom, vegs in the middle, meat on top.
Cook
low 8-9 hrs or high 4-5 hrs

I also season my meat with my own homemade "House Seasoning" (recipe below) (Who says Paula Dean is the only one who can have her own house seasoning?)

Houston House Seasoning

1 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/4 cup onion powder

Mix all thoroughly. For storage, reuse a large seasoning bottle (I reused my leftover garlic powder jar) or a Ziploc-type baggie.

Counting down the days…

Anticipation….Anticipaaaation… It’s making me wait… It’s keeping me waiting…

(remember that song? or am I dating myself?)

“Mommy, how many more days until Christmas?”

“Mommy, is it Christmas Eve yet?”

“Mommy, is Santa coming tonight?”

I must answer these questions (or some variation of them) at least 10 times a day (per kid!)

And, as Christmas draws ever closer, the anticipation mounts. The girls watch the ornaments go on the tree, the gifts start to appear, magically, under the tree each night, and the annual Advent calendar appears.

Ever since I was a little girl, we have had an Advent calendar. I think we may have even had more than one growing up. But the one I remember the most is the one that was filled with chocolatey goodness.

My husband had them, too, growing up. He is the youngest of six and is always reminding our girls that he had to wait SIX WHOLE DAYS for his turn at the chocolate candy (kinda like walking to school both ways uphill in a snowstorm, I think).

Our girls are really enjoying this tradition. Although, it seems unbelievably painful that they only get one piece of candy every-other day (not every SIX days, mind you) it helps them to count down the days until Christmas is finally here.

For me, there are other things I use to count the days of Christmas… the countdown until the last day of school before winter break, the number of days before I get my vacation time, the number of days before I have to have all the Christmas presents purchased, wrapped and under the tree… My countdowns seem to be more milestone-driven, but I enjoy knowing that this time of year is here and our traditions are still strong.

What are some of your holiday traditions? How do you countdown until Christmas is here? Share them with me in the comments! I’d love to hear.

More Cookies, Anyone?

I thought I would share another family cookie recipe with you all… If I am going to gain a zillion pounds from all the baking I will be doing this holiday season, I figure you should join me in the fun!

I have had a cookie swap party at my house for the past five years (this is the first year I had a virtual one, though, did you join us?)

This recipe is one that was made by one of the ladies at my 2005 cookie swap. They are yummy delicious and so light and crispy. I hope you enjoy them.

I experimented tonight and made them with some instant Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal instead of plain quick cooking oats. I also added 1/2 tsp of almond extract. Everything tastes better with almond extract.

Oh.my.goodness. SO, so yummy.

Can you see how thin and crispy they are? And yet, the little apple bits are chewy and sweet in there.

Just so you know, if you happen to break one as you are pulling it off of the foil, you must consume the evidence.

Here's the recipe. I have to go get the rest out of the oven now. They are calling to me…

Oatmeal Lace Cookies

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp four
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add flour, salt, and oatmeal, mixing well. Drop by teaspoons onto foil-lined pans. Bake at 350F for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool before removing from foil.

*foil is important – parchment paper won't give them the brown crispiness. They just get chewy and beige. Oh, and they spread; a lot. So be sure you give them plenty of room to grow.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen. (unless you break a few)

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