Tagged by Marelle

I've been tagged!!!!

Thanks Marelle.

The Rules are:
1. Add a link to the person who tagged you (see my friends links_
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. List 6 random things about yourself
A) I love being a SAHW
B) I am in love with my husband
C) I miss my kids
D) I have learned to like livingin Sebring
E) I love my scrapbooking friends
F) I am constantantly rearranging and straigntening my scrapbook studio

4. Tag 6 people at the end of your post

5. Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog
My 6 randon things about myself.....
* Loving my first scrapping job at Create on Garden.
* I start way too many projects at the one time and wonder why my space is a MESS.
* My father passed away nearly five years ago and I miss him terribly.
* Both my kids will be at school next year!!!! yay
* I think I have an addiction issue - scrapping, handbags, food etc etc
* I hate pea's cooked but love them straight from the garden.

Now I have to tag some of you ladies....
Firstly the gorgeous Marelle, and Skye and I don't really have anyone else to tag as the Kaiser DT blogs and these guys are the main blogs I check. No-one else will know me.
Hey Marelle, check out my friends list! We all know you at the SJ MB!
Have a wonderful holiday season!

I'm tagging:
Kris
Jana
Dana
Lisa
Jodi B.
Patter

Let's Have A Little Pre Thanksgiving Fun!

Highly Productive!

Where this energy has come from is any one's guess! I think it's due to the stimulation and competition for the design team. In between doing voluminous amounts of paper crafting I'm getting laundry done, cooking meals, and preparing for the Holidays!




As I've said in the past, I don't do fall, we just don't have that seasonal look that comes across the majority of the United States. I did realize this season that our ocean has a definite seasonal effect as the air cools off and the waves sometimes "white cap". The most notable is the sea weed that dies and washes ashore. It's much different than kelp. I'll save looking up what it actually is for another day! Here's a picture of our shoreline during the fall.

Although this picture is "staged" these are items found along the shore in October at Cracker Crop. The poor little sea turtle didn't make it to the ocean.

Now that I am back home from the coast I find myself actually looking forward to Christmas. I got my husband to put up the tree today so that I can fluff it up this week. It would be so much fun if we could all sit around and make paper crafted ornaments for the tree, as I have loads of Basic Gray Christmas Paper and all kinds of empty glass ornaments and styrofoam balls at the ready to be decorated. I've found directions on making paper stars as well as other demensional ornaments out of paper. It could happen but I'm not holding my breath! I'm sure I'll slip in a few ornament projects in between the other Christmas gift projects I have in mind as well as my projects for ShortCuts. I've really enjoyed creating these assignments and of course I hope I am chosen for the new design team. Well, the washer just buzzed and it's time to move the clothes to the dryer.

Just wanted to say hello and wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving if I don't get back to blogging this week!

'Tis the Season

Thanksgiving dinner was the last meal my father ate before he died December 8, 2004. I was chatting with Kris on IM last night and told her how lonely I had been that day! I wanted to call one of you but I don't want to call at a bad time or bug people. Yes, the pain is still there but I have, I think, finally learned to live my life. I'm finding my way in the community that I hated to move to. I've stopped complaining about "I DON'T WANT TO BE A NURSE" as DH has finally relented and accepted the fact that I'm not gonna do it! The psychologist told me last week that it had been several sessions since I had even mentioned nursing...she said that was progress. I've got one life and I don't want to spend any more of it in a hospital. I have a dream job in mind but don't know if it will ever come to pass. It's in God's hands. If you notice in my picture with Cassie I am wearing my necklace of a teardrop filled with some of my father's ashes. I wear it around his death and birthdays. Wow do I miss that man, he was my cheerleader, he'd say "go for your dream job Jan!" Now I live with two practical people in my life, both bean counters in a sense, my husband and my mother. What happened to the fun?

Scrapbooking and papercrafts, along with the friends I have made with this common interest have made my life so happy! I'm so thankful for this craft, heck let's just go ahead and call it an art!

Getting Ready For The Holidays

This time of year my thoughts begin to think toward the direction of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. Most times I dread all the work that it entails and try to put it out of my mind. This year has been different!



Following Cracker Crop (mid October) I found myself with a Scrapin' and Stampin' Studio that looked as if a bomb had gone off! I'll tell you it was enough to make a grown woman cry!



Since moving furniture, for carpet cleaning, was first on the list I quickly unloaded two china cabinets and two glass top tables. Knowing my men they would have tried to move the cabinets and tables contents and all! As every woman knows, one thing leads to another so began the dish washing baseboard cleaning and cob web dusting!



Happily, I report that the reorganized furniture is to my liking and I don't have to ask for something else to be moved.



My son (22 y/o) began to ask why I wanted to switch the two tables and two cabinets, why did I want to change the furniture, on and on. His father stopped him by saying, "We don't ask why, we just DO IT!" 17 years later my husband has at least learned one thing!



Looks like all the holidays will be coordinated and held at the home of my husband and myself! He is a great help in the kitchen both in the cooking and cleaning up departments!



Last summer I decided to design and make my Christmas cards way ahead of time! "Well, the best laid plans of mice and men...". I think that I can get an assembly line type "build a card" and get my cards done. My favorite is to mail them the day after Thanksgiving! It seems that the only cards some folks are sending out are to people who have sent them cards....



Off track here so back to my achievement! I have spent hours, literally organizing and hooking up electronics for my Scrap Studio! I'm so tired of being in my left brain it hurts! I'm going to jump in and create this afternoon!



Here are the pictures proving I've done a pretty swell job at getting my things organized!

This is the view of my closet. Yes, the doors will close!

Given to me by a friend who owns a retail shop, this K&Company display case is awesome for holding lots of little goodies and has 12 slated slots at the bottom to hold projects and/or matching collections.

I'm a freak about saving anything that I think might be cute altered. These items are stored on this shelf. I've got everything from wood cigar boxes to tin dishwasher detergent boxes!

Finally my work area complete with holders designed to hold baby food jars and a Pampered Chef organizer that I use of pens and tools! All of my Stampin' UP Inks are at finger tips.

When I want to go online all I have to do is twirl around in my chair and log onto my laptop print pictures or program my Cricut!

I'm ready to rock and roll!

Saturday, November 8

Finishing up my weekend blogs here on Sunday night! Saturday I went to the LSS to support a fundraiser for MS. I really didn't take anything to scrap but worked on their blog and other computer related details! By 1:00 PM, I had a headache that would not quit! I found a massage therepast I know, who happened to be booked solid, and she gave me five minutes of head meassage that helped some!

I came home and took Tylenol Migraine, although the h/a wasn't like those I've had in the past. I put ice on my head, took a nap and got ready for our picinic at . Todd picked up my favorite rye/onion bread. we had cheese, bread and wine before the concert.

Next to us was sitting a 4.5 y/o girl who recently took up ballet. Also a young boy who wanted to "show his moves! It was more interesting than the concert to see them dance!

There were no bugs out and the air was clear and cool. Following are some pictures:

Bok Tower Gardens\

A Fun Day With Tina

Friday, November 7, I picked up Tina at her hotel near the Orlando Convention Center and together we went to Downtown Disney to meet Cassie!

Tina and I don't get to get together often but this was a rare day, our day!

After leaving Cassie and Company we headed to Seasons 52 for a fabulous lunch!

First we had drinks, I got my "guilty pleasure" drink of Grey Goose Vodka along with stuffed blue cheese olives. We started with an appetizer of broiled crab & shrimp stuffed mushrooms with roasted garlic and caramelized parmesan. We also ordered a cup of mushroom and wild rice soup! Since the entree's arrived before the appetizers the chef deducted them from our tab. NICE! Tina ordered the grilled sea scallops

ending witI enjoyed Gulf Shrimp & Fusilloni Pasta sautéed with market vegetables in a light lemon-basil sauce.

We love they way they present their delicate portions of desert without the large portions. Tine enjoyed Mocha Macchiato while I chose the more traditional southern desert of Pecan Pie with Vanilla Bean Mousse. We also enjoyed a cup of espresso!

After dining we took off to the Mall at Millenia. While walking around Tina commented that the difference between the malls she usually frequents in this mall people were not carrying packages! Yes, it's a fun place to visit but totally out of our financial league!

We did wait until 4:00 PM when Blue Martini opened and sat outside enjoying the 77F weather and watching the palm trees blow in the breeze. The cheapest drinks were $12.00 each so we each only had two, only to find out it was "happy hour" and drinks were half price! I could have gotten my Grey Goose but enjoyed the fruity,Sex In The City
Van Gogh Blue Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Cranberry and Pineapple Juice and Mango Madness
Van Gogh Mango Vodka, Mango Schnapps, a splash of Pineapple Juice martinis. Tini chose the more creamy martini's starting with Caramel Swirl
Three Olives Vanilla Vodka, Butterscotch Schnapps, Irish Cream Liqueur, Caramel Syrup, in a Caramel Swirled Martini Glass and h Mochaccino
Van Gogh Double Espresso Vodka, Starbuck’s Coffee Liquor, Dark Crème de Cocoa and a splash of Cream, garnished with a Rock Candy Stir Stick. We nursed these two drinks over two hours!

Being on a business meeting with her honey, I dropped Tina off at her hotel and drove home arriving about 8:00 PM! I was very tense in my neck from all the driving and getting lost looking for the resturant and hotel! All in all it was a wonderful day!

Meeting Cassie

I've known Cassie for three or more years online! First it was Scrappers Galore and that message board went belly up! Now Cassie and a friend, Alicia have put together Scrappy Arts. We chat on and off with Yahoo IM! Cassie is great at helping me with techno questions, walking me through things as I head toward my goal of technogrannie wannabe!

Now Zack was shy, or pretended to be so while Mally was just as I expected, cute as a button and full of fun!

Cassie is so down to earth, friendly and a beautiful woman! I'll be keeping up with her as she is a professional photographer who does awesome work! She is a scrapper so she has that scrapper's eye and takes those candid shots every scrapper hopes for! I didn't have long to spend with them as they had to head off to meet up with the rest of their family! It was so great putting a face with a name!

Colorblind!

Call me what you will, but I was so colorblind before the election that it really hit me off guard when watching Oprah yesterday afternoon I realized how the election of candidate Obama had turned into a "whole 'nother thing!"

Yes, I was alive, a little child, during the civil rights movement. My mother had to explain to me what "colored" toilet and "colored" drinking fountain was! For all I knew I'd prefer the "colored fountain" as it might just shoot out red Kool-Ade!

I was ashamed of how black people were treated, not by my family, as I was taught that each person has dignity and value because they are created in the image of God.

Yes, we had black people help us out around the house but they were the ones who wanted the work and we paid them cash money! My mom was good to them, she fed them, she took them home and picked them up. Whatever needed to be done.

I'm a WASP, when I dated a Puerto Rican guy in my teens my mom's housekeeper, Josie, went off on me! White girls can't date Puerto Rican's! Why?

I didn't and still don't think that president elect Obama has the experience to lead this country. Where did he come from anyway? Oh yeah, Chicago!

I'm glad that people of color can excel in this country! I'm glad that I don't have to feel ashamed of the way most white people treat blacks. I'm not even sure what the PC term for that skin tone is anymore!

I did what I could, I voted.

Once again I will say that I am happily sitting here in my own little world exercising free speech. I'm glad that my TV has an on/off switch too!

Cracker=The term used for a Florida native. Cracker is the sound of cracking whips of cowboys herding cattle. It's not derogatory!

Election Day Has Passed

I woke up at 6:00 and turned the TV on to see the results of the election. Then I turned it off.

Now, being the good Calvinist that I claim to be I must accept that it is all God's will and plan that our president elect was preordained (predestined) by the God of the Universe. This is not what I would have chosen and frankly, I'm quite unhappy and frightened! I'm even fearful of turning the TV back on as I do not wish to hear all the commentary on the election. For now I want to sit in the quiet of my home, maybe read another chapter in "The Shack".

God's timing is perfect, maybe that's why my friend Lisa's mention of this book came so close to the election. I fear for our country's future, I remind myself of the system of checks and balances with the Congress, Senate, and Court System, and yes, the president.

Psychologically this puts me in the denial phase re: the president elect. Yet, here I sit writing, exercising my free speech.

This is the land of the free and the home of the brave, so I'll put on my brave armor of God and trust Him as He is in control. I'm so glad that I voted as I would kick myself if I had not! Everyone in my immediate family voted, even my children. For that I am proud!

Monday Late Post!

Today, Dh took a "day off" to help complete the projects we started yesterday,changing furniture around. It's amazing what a new look you can achieve without spending money! We put the antique looking dining room table, chairs and hutch into the family room and put the, and put the smaller white hutch and dining room table in the living room to make way for the Christmas tree.

We're having the company Christmas party at our home, once again so I hope to "jump the gun" and be ready before the party! Next w/e I hope to put up the fake Christmas tree and fluff it before decorating it!

I like the new look of our home having clanged the semi-formal family room to a better look and make our living room a bit more formal! It's late so, like Alicia says,Lights out! More, with pictures, maybe, tomorrow!

It's November!

The time will change tonight and the sun will start going down earlier and coming up sooner. Why do they have "dayliight saving" time anyway? Fall isn't bad with the "falling back" part but "Springing Ahead" kills me every year!

The weather holds cool here. I'm thankful for the break in the heat but the q-tips are returning and our town is swelling!

Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here and gone before we know it! I feel more like a Maxine than a Martha this year!