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Friday, November 29, 2013

Computers...

I was watching an old episode of "Sale of the Century" on Game Show Network this morning.
The prize for the winner was a $3000 computer:

Whoa boy, if we hadn't just bought a new computer...
... I would have been jealous!

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving!

May your heart and tummy be full
May your family and friends be safe (and hopefully near)
And may your turkey be moist!

Happy Thanksgiving!

and may your husband be the one to make the turkey!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Our 2 1/2 weeks with Anna...

Wow, it was two weeks ago that we took Anna to the airport.  Amazing to think that she's been gone almost as long as she was here.




I think that we had about the best exchange student experience that you could have.  Rhyanne already knew Anna because she spent a couple weeks with her this summer in Germany.  They knew that they got along.  She was only here for two and a half weeks, so not really long enough to get sick of being here, or of each other, etc etc etc.





I really can't believe how busy the girls were while she was here.  Football games.  Welcome party.  Bonfires.  Sleepovers.  Dinners.  Birthday party.  Shopping.  Trip to Mall of America.  Farewell dinner.  Seems like the girls really weren't home that much, they had so many things to do!



If I had it to do all over again, I would.  It was great.  And I hope the girls get to see each other again.





I think the cutest thing was when it was time for the Germans to go upstairs to security at the airport.  Rhyanne went upstairs with Anna.  She just wasn't quite ready to let go.



Monday, November 18, 2013

Crepe Flower Boutonnieres

This is the story of how the boutonnieres for our wedding came to be...

Not too long before the wedding, maybe one month or so, I had not yet figured out what I was going to do for corsages or boutonnieres.  There were so many ideas, but all the research and trying out I had done had not led me to anything workable.  And I was starting to freak out about it.

As I spent hours upon hours of making flowers for the wedding, 

I suddenly realized that was the answer.  Make flowers.  I was using organza, or dressing lining in most cases, to make those flowers.  But I also had some thin crepe in off-white.  So I set to cutting circles.  And when it melted, it didn't crinkle so much as slightly bend.  Which mean the flower I was making a feeling of more classy, less crafty.  Perfect!

Once I put all the flowers together, I needed a center.  For the women, that was easy.  I had learned of the joy of shopping in the jewelry-making aisles of craft stores.  I was able to pick up jewelry pieces that I knew either fit the personality or the clothing choice of the woman it was for.

But for the men?  Jewelry?  Not so much.

As Tina and I were at JoAnn's, waiting at the cutting counter, there were sale-priced buttons on the counter.  And they had anchors on them!  Perfect, I said!  Dad had been in the Navy!  So I was off to the button aisle to find something for the other two boutonnieres I was making.  Finally!  The centers for the bouts were bought!
Dad's boutonniere 

So, here's how they were assembled:
(all by hand, no machine sewing b/c I don't own a machine.  yeah, you can tell that these are not done by a master craftsman.)

I hand-sewed the flower layers together, not including the top, as well as the leaf.  Then, I cut a hole in the center for the button post to go through.  If I'd been brave, I would have cut the button hole of Jeff's suit open and added a button to the back of this.  But, I just couldn't do it.  I just couldn't take that pair of scissors to his lapel.  

The button needed to be held on though, so I pushed the stem of the feather through, added the floral tape, and hand-stitched it on.

The leaves were green dress lining.  I cut them into leaf shape, used a good ol' candle to melt the edges, and then melted a little of the inside like the stem on real leaves.

I was so happy with the results.



I added a picture of Jeff's Dad to his boutonniere, so he was there with him on that day.
Kiaj pinned it onto Jeff's lapel.

so nice, if I do say so myself.


Sunday, November 17, 2013

11 Random Things About Me: The "Specific Questions"

Did you read yesterday's post to catch the first half of the 11 Random Things About Me?  Good.  Here's the rest of the "survey"...

Specific Questions


1.)  What's one thing you're currently looking forward to?

Next week, 3 vacation days, home with Jeff.  It makes me happy.

2.)  What is your favorite post on your blog?

I don't really have a favorite, but I really enjoyed writing about our trip to Alaska.   It was fun re-living the trip, going through my little book that I wrote things down in, picking and choosing my favorite pictures...

3.)  Who is your best friend and why?

I've never really been a "best friend" kind of person.  But I would say Jeff, because if I had to chose one person to spend all my time with, it would be Jeff.  Oops, too late!  I already picked him!

4.)  Are you a spender or a saver?

The summer of 2009 I experienced first a 10% cut in pay, then an every-other-week layoff.  So I was really down to 45% pay, which unemployment doesn't cover.  It was really hard, emotionally, financially, but I had help from my parents, who even though I've paid them back monetarily, I could never fully pay back, so I made it through.  Now to get the credit cards all paid off...
So, long story short, a saver.  I will always be worried about money, my whole life, so I'm focused on getting the debt paid down, trying not adding to the debt, and the hard part is to not worry about money.  Not to focus on money.
Moral of the story:  Don't work for a company that makes car parts during a recession...

5.)  What's your favorite joke?

I don't really have one.  But I do a mean Norwegian accent to go along with my Ole & Lena jokes!  Like this one:
Lars & Sven were walking down the street when the police officer found them.  "I'm so sorry to hear about Ole."  "What about Ole?"  "You didn't hear?  There was a fire at his house!  The coroner needs you to identify the body."
So Lars & Sven go to identify the body.  First Lars goes in the room.  The body is badly burned, especially the face, and he asks the coroner to turn the body over.  The coroner thought, "Well, that's weird, but okay," and does so.  "No, that's not Ole," says Lars.
Next, Sven's turn.  He also asks the coroner to turn the body over.  "No, that's not Ole," Says Sven.
Finally, the coroner thanks both of them for coming down and asks, "Why did you have my turn over the body?"  "Well, because when we would be walking down the street, people would yell 'There goes Ole with them two assholes!'"

6.)  What's one hobby you'd like to learn, but haven't?

Quilting.  I blame Pinterest.  I didn't have any desire to learn to quilt until I was on Pinterest.
Luckily my aunt is a quilter and she said that whenever I'm ready to learn, just to go out to her place and she'll teach me!

7.)  What's your favorite part of the day?

Going to bed and talking/joking/holding hands with Jeff.

8.)  What's your favorite dish to order at a restaurant?

I usually order something different when I go to restaurants.  But at the Sunrise Diner here in town, I always order the Packer Omelet, with mushrooms.  It has spinach, feta cheese, and of course mushrooms.  So delicious.  It's the only restaurant where I'm in a rut.  Happily in a rut.  :-)

9.)  You have a time machine and can go back in time and change one thing without negative consequences.  What would it be?

Getting in a fight with Shannon Baratta in 7th grade.  We were egged on, both of us, by everyone else in class, and I wish I had stood up and not fought.

Also, permed mullet of 5th & 6th grade...

10.)  Who is your imaginary celebrity bestie?

Christina Applegate, Lauren Graham, Melissa McCarthy, Ellen Degeneres, Drew Barrymore.  In that order.


11.)  What's the one movie you could watch over and over?

Ever After with Drew Barrymore.  The first time I saw it we had rented it; it was Junior year of college.  I watched it 4 or 5 times that weekend.  I just fell in love with it.  I mean, I love the Cinderella story anyway, but I love how in Ever After
a.)  she is loyal to her home and the other servants she had grown up with.
b.)  she is strong enough to save herself.
c.)  the bullied step-sister finally stands up for herself.

Thank you to Shelly for posting this on your blog!


Saturday, November 16, 2013

11 Random Things About Me

5:00 AM.

I was awake at 5:00 AM.  Maybe it's because I went to bed before 7 last night.  Which was probably smart because
a.)  I was tired, and
2.)  I was sick.

I missed a day and a half of work because I was sick.  Sure, I could have stuck it out Wednesday afternoon, and when I was too sick on Thursday to go to work, I wished I had, but, alas, a day and a half it was.  Plus when I'm sick I get really dumb.  Ditsy, really.  My brain can't freaking comprehend a question sometimes when I'm sick.
Upper respiratory, I believe.  Other than a soar throat and ears that hurt (but are apparently beautiful, according to the nurse at work), all is now well.

So, since I was up at 5AM, and awake, and I knew that if I wanted one later I could nap, so I just plain got up.  Showered.  Started laundry.  And then I decided to write to you fine folks.  Yes, you are lucky.  :-)

I started following a blog by a woman who lives in the middle of nowhere, Alaska.  It's called The Cunningham family in bush Alaska.  The other day she posted "11 random facts about me."  And I thought I would give it a try.  After all, my profile when Jeff & I met was "10 random things about me."  So, you know, can't be all bad.

11 Random Facts About Me

1.)  If you had an unlimited amount of money to spend in one store of your choice, where would you chose?

Target, even though they don't have a good clothing section for plus size.  I figure I could buy EVERYTHING else there, and so I would have money for clothes shopping elsewhere, right?  Before Rhyanne went to Germany, we went to Target to get a few pieces of clothing to fill in the gaps, some tank tops, some layering pieces, a pretty yet comfortable dress.  I'm happy to say I've seen her wear many of these since she's been back.  And we may have gone overboard, spending $300 that day, so yeah, an unlimited amount of money to spend at Target would be lovely.

2.)  What's your favorite place to eat out?

This is a hard one.  I want to say Pedro's, since that's where Jeff & I had our first date, but it's so run down and in the biggest need of a deep clean, I just don't want to go there.  So, how about this instead:
a.)  Date Night:  Probably the Melting Pot.
b.)  Family Sit-Down:  Cracker Barrel or Olive Garden
c.)  Fast & Easy Lunch:  Culvers or Arby's

3.)  When not blogging, what do you do for fun?

I love love love spending time with Jeff.  Just doing nothing special like watching TV or cooking with him, just being near him is my favorite.  The other thing I like to do, surprise surprise, it crafty stuff.  I don't have a good place for crafting since having a crafting table/station set up would greatly diminish our living space, so I don't do it at much as I want, but I really enjoy being creative.  I wish it was something I could make a living at.

4.)  Favorite PRINT magazine?

The only place I read magazines is at the doctor's office I always hope they have an issue of Reader's Digest.

5.)  Your life is going to become the script for a movie.  Who would you want to play you?

Either Lauren Graham or Melissa McCarthy.  Can you guess that one of my all-time favorite TV shows was Gilmore Girls?

6.)  Coffee or Tea?

Neither.  I would prefer water over either of those.  In fact, I order water at restaurants almost all the time.

7.)  Book or Movie?

Depends on what I have time for or in the mood for.  I really prefer romantic comedies, and I think those are best as movies.  And I really don't like to read after I've watched, or vice versa.  I have a tendency to be nit-picky about what it's spot-on.
BUT, I must tell you, the Hunger Games book trilogy is AMAZING!  I hadn't really heard about the books until the 3 of us went to see the movie, which I LOVED!  Then about a year later, I read the book, which I LOVED!  However, shortly after I read the book (the first book, it goes with the first movie), we watched the movie.  Hated it.  The book was so much more explanatory.  I knew what Katniss was thinking, instead of just what she was doing.  I've since read the whole trilogy (I really couldn't put it down), and don't know if I should see the rest of the movies as they come out or not.

8.)  Camping or luxury hotel?

Oh, please.  Hotel.  All the way.  I will not camp.  Jeff, are you reading this?  Seriously, why would people go to all the trouble of packing stuff up to go out into the wilderness where bugs and snakes and spiders live so they can sleep on the ground?  Sounds like a lot of work to be miserable.
Doesn't help that my only camp experience when I was a kid was horrible...  But that's another story for another time.

9.)  What's the worst gift you've ever received?

The summer between Junior & Senior year of high school I worked in the kitchen at the local Jellystone campground.  We worked Thursday, Friday, & Saturday nights and Sunday morning; they served buffet dinner on Friday and Saturday and buffet breakfast on Sunday.  The job actually started a couple of weeks before the end of school.  Mom always said that my job was school, so other than babysitting, it's the only time in high school that I worked during the school year.  So when Finals came around, I had to tell my boss that I couldn't work that Thursday because I had to study for finals.
Then the campground had Christmas in July.  And each department picked names for Secret Santa and gave gifts.  Guess who picked my name?  My boss.  She went to the dollar store, the first one we ever had in the area in the mall, and bought things like a ruler/calculator combo.  I think Dad ended up using that in his workshop.  Nothing like using Christmas in July to teach someone a lesson...

10.)  If you could eat only one thing the rest of your life, what would it be?

I would have to say pizza.  I really don't get sick of pizza.  I like plain cheese, goat cheese & veggies, Hawaiian, Fetalicious, pepperoni, even Jeff's supreme pizza, sometimes.  Oh, and breakfast pizza!  Tina & Larry make a really good breakfast pizza...

11.)  What smell do you like the best?

I don't think I have an answer for this.  But it would probably be some sort of food.  :-)

Stay tuned for the second half of this, the "Specific Questions"...

Friday, November 15, 2013

Pinterest Review: Veggie Burrito Bowls

I try to make some vegetarian meals.  It doesn't happen as often as it should, but I try.

So when I saw these Veggie Burrito Bowls on Pinterest I knew that we had to try them.  It didn't hurt that the picture looked kind of like the burrito bowls at Chipotle...

Veggie Burrito Bowls


  • 100g brown rice
  • 1tbsp sunflower oil
  • 3 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper (I used green, but any colour will do)
  • ~12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1tsp hot chilli powder (adjust as desired!)
  • 1½ tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 x 400g tin black beans, drained (240g when drained)
  • Salt
  • Black pepper
  • 40g cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1tbsp fresh coriander, chopped



  1. Boil the brown rice according to the instructions on the packet.
  2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan, and cook the onions, garlic and pepper over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, along with the chilli powder and paprika, and cook for a few more minutes. Squash the tomatoes a little with your spoon to release their juices. Add the black beans, and season to taste.
  3. When the rice is cooked, drain it and add it to the bean mixture. If the mixture seems a little dry, add a dash of water (you might not need it – it will depend on a few things, e.g. how much liquid your tomatoes released).
  4. When the mixture is hot and well combined, serve topped with the grated cheese and fresh coriander 


.............

First of all, this recipe is obviously foreign.  So, no, I did not follow it to the letter.  I made enough rice for us - I have no idea if it was anywhere close to how much her recipe called for.  I used as much oil as I normally would to sweat the veggies (oh, and EVOO, I don't necessarily fully follow recipes).  I used jarred minced garlic, and pretty much just guessed at how much.  And I learned that apparently coriander is the seed to the cilantro plant (and I hate cilantro - yuck!) and I just used the ground coriander that I already had in the cupboard.  I tell you all this because I want you to know that I don't think you can really mess this recipe up!

Verdict?  Awesome!  Loved it!  The spices gave it this nice red color, and it did NOT look like a burrito bowl from Chipotle, but I loved it!  I paired it with Hint of Lime chips for that extra tang.  Oh my gosh, meatless meals just might become more frequent with this one...  Try it!  And don't be intimidated by the measurements or "fresh coriander".  You can so do this!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Snow

Other people have already seen snow, weeks ago even.  But today I'm seeing my fiest snowfall of the season.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

my purse is a clown car

Quickie post to say that I cleaned out my purse today.  I pulled out things like paystubs from September and coupons that expired in July.  JULY people!  July.

And I found out that I can go get a free barbecue sandwich at Dicky's.  Yum!

Funny thing is, if I were to try to put everything back into my wallet that I took out, it never would have fit.  Ever.  The stack of receipts seemed as thick as my wallet.  How did I cram all that in there?

I guess I need to do that more often...

Sunday, November 3, 2013

SHS Football Banquet

 We just got home from the Football Banquet to end the season.

Guess who lettered in Varsity Football?

This girl!

Way to go, Rhyanne!

Saturday, November 2, 2013

kinda rustic, kinda fancy, Americana initial wall decor

My cousin Daniel returned from the Middle East in April, reunited with his wife, and all within a couple of months had completed his enlistment and moved back home to Ohio.  All just in time for a Fourth of July party at his parents house.

Little did Daniel & Bethany know, it was also a surprise housewarming shower for them!  I decided to make a holiday wall hanging for them.  Which holiday?  Fourth of July of course!!!

I started with...

...their last name initial, a flower like I made for the wedding, some lace, red paint, Mod Podge, seed beads...

I mixed the seed beads with Mod Podge and put that in the middle of the flower.  

When it dried all you could see were the seed beads and they all stuck together.
I had beads left over, so I covered it with cling wrap, just in case...


I sanded the S down and painted it red.  It wasn't quite what I wanted I wanted, so I dry painted some gold onto the edges.  It gave it an "aged" or "shabby chic" look to it.

Using the Mod Podge, I put the lace on part of the S.  

I was disappointed that once it was all dried, the lace was kind of translucent.  
But it was still there, and I did like it.

I put some of those seed beads in the Mod Podge that I had left over, and put them on the edge of the letter, for a little extra shimmer.


I used super glue to glue the flower onto the the lace.
All in all, I think it turned out great.

And, guess what?  Bethany said that she is decorating her kitchen in red, white, and blue!



Friday, November 1, 2013

Pinterest Review: Three Envelope Pot Roast

We're not big beef eaters.  Neither Jeff nor I will order a steak, he doesn't ask for roast or beef tips.  But the other day, while perusing Pinterest, I pinned a Pot Roast recipe, and so then of course I had a hankerin' for some pot roast.

Only way to make roast in my world is in a crock pot.  I don't want to know how hard and tough it would be otherwise.  Plus I prefer to shred the roast and throw it back into the juice.

I actually had to ask the butcher at the store what roast to use for a pot roast.  True story.  He showed me the rump roast and said those would fall apart real nice.  I am not above asking people questions at the grocery store.  Often times they are older women who look like they cook, but sometimes it's actual employees.

3 Envelope Pot Roast

  • 3 to 5 pound beef chuck roast (or other braising roast)
  • 1 cup of water
  • One envelope of dry onion soup mix
  • One envelope of dry Italian dressing mix
  • One envelope of dry brown gravy mix
  • 1 (8 ounce) jar of Pace Original Mild Picante Sauce
Whisk together the water with ingredients from all 3 of the envelopes. Pour about 1/4 cup of the liquid on the bottom of the crockpot, place the roast on top. Don't be tempted to season the roast. There is plenty of salt and other seasonings in these envelopes.

Pour the remaining liquid mixture all over the top and all around the roast. Pour the jar of picante sauce on top of the roast, cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high 4 to 5 hours.

................
I didn't have 8 hours to let it cook, but I know that low & slow is best, so I started on low for a few hours then changed to high.  The way the recipe is written didn't call for enough liquid for the roast to be covered, which I thought was weird, so I put in the beef stock I had, plus water until it was covered.  I eventually had to take the roast out of the crockpot in order to shred it; the fibers were going the wrong way for me to do it within the pot.

Verdict:  Oh so yummy!  I buttered and grilled little buns, and a caramelized mushrooms & onions.  I threw some "steam it" bag of potatoes & beans in the microwave and called it a full meal.  Jeff really enjoyed it, even though the cooking smells tried to turn his stomach (like I said, he's not so into roast).  It was also really good the next day for lunch, even though I didn't take any bread.

This has been moved to the "will make again" board...