Thursday Thirteen #7

Thirteen things about the color RED!
Red is one of my favorite colors, and lately I have really been drawn to it. So with Valentine's Day coming soon I thought I would use the color red as the topic for this week's thirteen.

1. Red is a strong color that conjures up a range of conflicting emotions from love to violence.

2. Red can increase the rate of respiration and raise blood pressure.

3. Red is power -- think of "the power tie" worn by business people and VIPs.

4. Red is the color of happiness and prosperity in China and may be used to attract good luck.

5. Red is the color of mourning in South Africa.

6. Red Ruby is the traditional 40th wedding anniversary gift.

7. Red letter day - a day of special significance.

8. Red carpet treatment - make someone feel special.

9. Paint the town red - celebrate, go out partying.

10. Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning; red sky at night, sailor's delight - good and bad warning signs when at sea.

11. Seeing red - to be angry.

12. Red herring - something that deceives or distracts attention from the truth.

13. In the red - losing money or overdrawn in a back account.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! gentle jen rashenbo qtpies7 sweetkitty angela giles klocke mom's secret life stacie elizabeth rose crygibb queen of wands jane miranda artemis ms_teacher susan helene gottfried janie hickok siess, esq raggedy amy mrs lifecruiser jill john985 crystal alisonwonderland ancsweetnsassygal Leanne sanni ann topchamp

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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A Reminder for Me

Slow down and enjoy life. It's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast - you also miss the sense of where you are going and why. ~ Eddie Cantor

Another Snow Day

Today was another day off of school for Olivia. I am so glad this really cold snap is over! We were up to 7 degrees (windchill -5) this afternoon with snow falling. It is done now, and we got about 1.5 inches. It's strange to get snow when it is so cold. Usually, when we get snow around here it is around 25 or 30.

Tomorrow will be back to school, and let me tell you I am glad. Olivia just doesn't know what to do with herself and is driving me nuts! Grrr...LOL! Thank goodness the school year doesn't end in say December and start up again in March. Think of how stir crazy the kids living in cold climates would be. I shudder to think of it...lol!!

Snow ...err... Cold Day

Olivia's school and many in the area were closed today due to the cold. We had windchills of 38 below zero this morning. Yesterday's high was -2 with windchills around 30 below! Brrrrrrr!! Tomorrow will be down right balmy if we hit 8 like they are predicting! LOL!

I did not go to the Y today because I didn't want to leave the house in this weather since I didn't have to. I did go downstairs and use our treadmill for 30 minutes. It's better than nothing!

I used this day to do one of those things that always gets pushed aside because I HATE it. The laundry closet -- removing the bi-fold doors, pulling out the washer/dryer, cleaning the vent, sweeping and washing the floor. Boy, was there the dog hair there. It nearly filled a plastic grocery bag. YUCKY! It was hard to believe it has only been about three months since it was done last.

Did Jeffrey Dahmer Kill Adam Walsh?

This isn't the kind of thing I normally post. I realize it is controversial, but I followed the Dahmer story closely. The arrest, the fallout after his arrest, the trial, and his murder by a fellow inmate in 1994. It was all so horrific that it was like something out of a book or movie.

I remember that summer like it was yesterday. The stories of missing young men. I remember the flier of one in particular -- a deaf man named Tony Hughes. It hung for weeks on the door of McDonald's (I worked there at the time).

Did Jeffrey Dahmer confess to all his crimes?
There's a call to reopen the investigation into Milwaukee's most notorious killer.

There are new questions about Dahmer's criminal history before he returned to Milwaukee and never-reported details that some believe link Dahmer to one of the United States' most notorious cold cases.

The boy at the center of that cold case is now a household name. Who can forget the toothless grin of 6-year-old Adam Walsh, the Florida boy abducted, dismembered and dumped in a drainage canal in 1981.

A Miami author is making the case that Dahmer may be responsible for the Walsh slaying.

If interested in the rest of the story, you can read it on themilwaukeechannel.com or see the video here.

Thursday Thirteen #6 (on Friday)

The last thirteen CDs we purchased
Yes, we still purchase CDs! We buy CDs when we are pretty sure we will like more than one song. When there's a catchy tune by someone we don't want a whole CD of, we purchase & download that song.

1. Frank Sinatra Romance Songs from the Heart(Bob's)

2. Christina Aguilera Back to Basics (Shared)

3. Guns 'n Roses Greatest Hits (Bob's -- I kept asking what he was thinking, but after listening to it a little I found out there are more songs on there I like than I cared to admit...lol!)

4. Point of Grace Winter Wonderland (Mine)

5. Daughtry Daughtry (Mine -- BY FAR THE BEST!!!)

6. U2 18 Singles (Shared)

7. Sugarland Enjoy the Ride (Mine)

8. Keith Urban Love, Pain, and the Whole Crazy Thing (Mine)

9. Rascal Flatts Me and My Gang (Shared)

10. Panic! at the Disco A Fever You Can't Sweat Out (Mine)

11. Nickelback All the Right Reasons (Mine)

12. Bruce Springsteen Devils & Dust (Bob's -- I don't even want to hear Springsteen when we are in the truck together...lol)

13. Mariah Carey The Emanicpation of Mimi (Mine -- I can't believe it, but YES I bought this CD. I loved her when she first hit the music scene. I have her first three or four CDs. Then she had a few duds. This one was kind of back to what made her popular. It is pretty good. Not one of my favorites, but still good.)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! alisonwonderland jo

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Thank You Brett!

"TractorWatch" is over!! Al Jones, sports writer for the The Sun Herald and friend of Brett Favre, writes Favre to play in 2007!

I am SO glad to hear he will be back! He is an amazing player!

I do find it funny that it is first reported in a Mississippi paper...lol!!

Bracing for the CCCCold

Look what's coming our way!



Check out Sunday -- windchills to 30 below! brrrrrr!

Thursday Thirteen #6

I haven't forgotten about Today's Thirteen. I was hoping to have time to post it this afternoon, but that just didn't happen. I have a topic picked out, but not enough time to type it up right now. It was just one of those days were everything takes twice as long to do than you were expecting!

My Camera Shy Man

Bob absolutely hates having his picture taken. Every single time he notices a camera aimed at him he either covers his face or attempts to run before the picture is snapped.

While he was getting ready for the black tie gala, I was able to get some good shots of him "running" from the camera. I converted to black & white and LOVE the way they turned out:



I think these will make a great scrapbook layout! :)

Bye Bye Jewel

As some of you know, I use the Grocery Game to help save money on our grocery bill. Well, the only grocery store available to me through the Grocery Game will be closing. Jewel-Osco stores in Wisconsin are for sale. Five of them were sold to Roundy's and will become Pick 'n Save (They closed today and will reopen Friday). The remaining ten are still on the market. If they do not find a buyer, they will close on March 23.

I may drop Jewel before my next billing date. I would still be able to use that list for about five weeks before they close. They have already changed store hours to 8am-9pm. They will not issue rainchecks which I think translates to we aren't going to stock enough sale items to keep customers happy. I don't want go there just to find out the items I really wanted are gone.

I sure hope they add another grocery store before or soon after the Jewel stores close. It just makes my grocery shopping SO easy!

Today's numbers:

Shelf: $62.16
Paid: $26.42
Saved: $35.74* (or 57.4%)

*Does not include the $10 off you next order coupon that printed when I checked out today!

Reporting on Thin Ice

A local tv news crew was heading out to do a story about the danger of thin ice. Call it their reminder of even though we have had some cold recently it hasn't been enough to make lakes safe to drive on.

oops!!

The driver thought she was on a snow covered road, but it turned out to be a channel. The driver was the only one in the vehicle, and she wasn't injured.

They even made Good Morning America this morning!

Playing Dress Up

All ready to go!

The mirror shot!
I like the this one!
Too bad Bob is blurry, and there's a camera in it.
I don't know what it is about them, but I LOVE those mirror shots!

My hair!
Medium curls pinned up with LOTS of bobby pins and even more hairspary!

Three Years

Today is the third anniversary of the day I changed my eating habits. I struggled with weight most of my life. I was tired, uncomfortable, and unhealthy! I knew I needed to make a change so I did! I had wonderful success and lost 69 pounds in about 18 months.

One of the old habits has crept back (skipping meals), and with it I found a few of those lost pounds. I started tracking EVERYTHING I eat and am making sure I am getting enough calories. (Did you know your body will go into starvation mode if you don't get enough calories and losing weight will be difficult?)

I know once I am back to eating as I should and regular workouts those pounds may come off. If they don't, I am okay with it. As long as I am doing healthy things for my body, my body will decide what weight it is comfortable at. In the beginning, it was about the number on the scale and on the tag of my jeans. It was a big step, but I have come to realize good health doesn't have a magic number.

If I can do, it anyone can!!!!

Workout: 15 minutes treadmill, 20 mintues upright bike, and 30 minutes elliptical (back to weights on Monday!)

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen Fads I wore in the 70s & 80s
1. GASS shoes

2. Banana Clips

3. Diaper Shorts -- Made of a long strip of material with ties on each end. To wear: tie the front "panel" around your waist with the tie in the back. This will leave the back "panel" hanging down in front of you. Bring the fabric up between your legs just like a diaper to cover your behind...lol. Wrap ties from both panels around to the front of your waist and tie in a nice little bow. These were usually made of safari print fabrics. I think they took about 15 minutes to make so I had about 10 pair...lol!

4. Jelly Shoes -- I even had a pair of them in HIGH heels! UGH! To wear with my diaper shorts of course!

5. Leg warmers

6. Ear cuffs -- A metal cuff that slid on and fit closely around the cartilage of the ear. Usually they had a charm of some sort on them.

7. Moon boots

8. Roach Clip Hair Clips -- A roach clip decorated with leather strips, beads and colorful feathers. We wore them in our hair, clipped to a belt loop or a purse. I was so naive; I didn't know what these were "really" used for until about 10 years ago...lol!!

9. Satin running or boxing shorts with matching tube tops. YIKES!

10. Terry cloth anything -- In sixth grade, I had a dress with a red & white striped knit bodice and white terry cloth skirt. It was supposed to look like a two piece outfit. Man, that thing was hideous!

11. Big hair and LOTS of AquaNet.

12. Express off the shoulder sweatshirt and matching spandex pants. The color of Express and the pants were bright pink, turquoise, orange or green. Mine was the turquoise!

13. Swatch watches (nope not just one...lol) with the swatch bands.

I could go on and on! Remember wearing about four or five shirts? A turtleneck, a polo or two, with an oxford or two over those and the collars up on all of them! LOL!! Talk about layering!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! brit stacie Ms. George kimo & sabi

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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The Y-M-C-A!

I finally got back to the Y after a long break! It felt good to be working out again. I didn't realize how much I had missed it! The strep & sinus infection are all cleared up, and I won't allow myself anymore excuses. :)

Workout today: 35 minutes on treadmill* & 35 minutes on upright bike!

*I hate the treadmill, but all my favorite machines (the ellipticals) were being used. :(

Fashion Change

I wasn't able to find the shoes I posted yesterday in my size. I am not going to run around to three more malls. I have enough to do this week without spending another day or two running around town. Here they are:

Nina Spicy, Black Luster

(Again, the picture is in a color other than black (red) so it is easier to see the details.)

I love them!! I think they go with the style of my dress a little better than the ones I picked out yesterday. The best part is the are more comfortable than the ones I picked out yesterday. I think that is because of the platform.

The Shoes & Jewels

I found the shoes I wanted for the gala. Of course, they didn't have them in my size at the mall I was at today. Luckily, I live in an area with 5 malls who all have this store. It's just my luck that the one closest to me doesn't have my size in stock.

The shoes:

Nina Fashion, Black Luster
(The image is actually steel luster.
I used this color for the image because it was easier to see the detail.)

The jewels:

apt 9. Crystal Opulence Necklace

apt. 9 Crystal Opulence Earrings

The Brett Favre Watch

During the Packers season there was really no talk of Brett Favre's retirement. Last season was a different story. Mostly due to their record. It was a pitiful 4-12. This season was better at 8-8 and narrowly missing the playoffs. So there really wasn't much talk about his retirement. That is until his interview after the last game of the season against the Bears. Favre cried and was extremely emotional.

Now every time he does something it is analyzed by the media. Last week he didn't renew a membership at some country club; that meant he wasn't coming back. This week the talk is about hiring a cleaning lady so that means he is coming back. Would they just stop and talk about it when he makes his decision? Grrrr!

At least they aren't calling it "TractorWatch" like last year!

Calling Harry Winston or Fred Leighton

I hit the mall yesterday afternoon and found my dress for the Winter Gala in about 45 minutes. I tried on seven or eight dresses. The one I picked was the second I tried on and knew the second I slid it over my head. I kept going just to be sure.

Before Christmas I saw this dress and have had it stuck in my head since. I had my heart set on it and was hoping I would still be able to find it in my size now. I did find it in my size, but it accentuated ALL the wrong places on me. The waist is pleated which made the full skirt add WAY too many inches to my backside. It would be darling on someone with the right shape.

The second dress is Jones New York. It fits perfectly in all the right places. It camouflages all the spots that need a little camouflaging. The chiffon & lightweight satin with deco faux brooch was the winner!

I wasn't able to find an image of the dress online and hanging on the hanger doesn't do it much justice.

The dress is made of a light weight black satin. The straps and the fabric draping from the faux brooch are chiffon. The straps cross in the back. I LOVE the bodice on this baby!

Bob wasn't too crazy about me wanting a red dress for this event, but what does he know about fashion? The little black dress isn't just black anymore...lol!

I still need to find shoes and jewelry. Do you think if I called Harry Winston or Fred Leighton, one of them would would loan me a couple baubles? LOL!!

Thursday Thirteen #4

Thirteen Myths About Breast Cancer*
1. Only women get breast cancer. (About 1% of those diagnosed with breast cancer are men.)

2. Only those with a family history of breast cancer are at risk. ( While a person with a family history of breast cancer is at a higher than average risk of developing breast cancer, over 80% of those diagnosed with breast cancer have no identifiable risk factors for the disease.)

3. All breast lumps are cancerous. (80% of breast lumps are caused by non-cancerous changes in the breast.)

4. Small breasted women cannot get breast cancer. (The amount of breast tissue does not affect the risk of developing breast cancer.)

5. If a lump is painful, it is not cancerous. (Up to 10% of breast cancers are associated with pain. Pain is very rarely the only evidence of a breast tumor.)

6. A breast cancer diagnosis means the breast will be lost. (A lumpectomy followed by radiation is commonly used to treat early stage breast cancers.)

7. Underwire bras cause breast cancer. (A book called Dressed to Kill suggested wearing an underwire bra could cause breast cancer. The authors attributed the high rate of breast cancer in North America to the face that most North American women wear bras. They failed to take into account any other genetic, environmental, or social factors that could contribute to the breast cancer risk.

8. Mastectomy insures breast cancer will be eliminated forever. (A mastectomy does not guarantee that breast cancer will not recur. Some will experience recurrence at the site of the scar. There is also the possibility the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes of other parts of the body.)

9. Older patients diagnosed with breast cancer do not need "full" treatment. (The mortality rate among older women with breast cancer is increasing because many older women do not receive full breast cancer treatment at the time of diagnosis. Though breast cancer generally has a slow rate of growth, it can also be an aggressive, fast-moving disease that can metastasize (spread) quickly to other parts of the body.)

10. A mammogram prevents breast cancer. (A mammogram cannot prevent breast cancer; however mammography is an excellent tool to screen for and detect the disease at an early stage.)

11. A mammogram causes breast cancer. (A mammogram is a safe procedure that uses extremely low levels of radiation to create detailed images of the breast.)

12. Mammography always finds breast cancer when it is curable. (Mammography is the most accurate screening tool for breast cancer. While annual screening mammograms will detect the vast majority of breast cancers, some cancers are extremely aggressive and can metastasize (spread) to other areas of the body before they are detected by mammogram.)

13. Mammography is 100% accurate in early breast cancer detection. (It is estimated that mammography detects 85% to 90% of all breast cancers. While the vast majority of abnormalities are detected by mammography, some are simply not detectable. For example, sometimes an irregularity goes undetected because surrounding breast tissue is the same density as the irregular tissue. If a patient has a lump or other change and the mammogram is "negative" (interpreted as not suspicious or cancerous), the patient should still pursue that finding with her physician.)

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! amy rose caylynn raggedy my 2 cents Leave your link in comments, I'll add you here.

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


*If you would like to read more about breast cancer myths/facts, you can find more here. If you want to read a the story of a survivor who inspires, read Carolynn's story of breast cancer during pregnancy at pinkribbonmiracle.com.

YUM-O, Almost Better, & Knee

Supper tonight was delicious! I made this recipe one other time, but this time it was even better. Rachael Ray's chicken enchiladas and spanish rice (made with brown rice, of course)!

I took my last dose of antibiotic tonight. I have been able to eat without any swelling in my salivary gland the since Saturday afternoon. It seems to have been an infection again. So strange that it happened again a year later almost to the day. I did a little reading online and my symptoms seem to point to the infection rather than something like a stone. Did you know you can get stones that block your salivary gland? I had no idea.

Bob has been having trouble with one of his knees for a couple months now. He went to Dr. Schwab, the doctor he sees for the avascular necrosis (AVN) in his hips, who ordered x-rays. The x-rays didn't show any AVN which is good news. The trouble he is having is similar to how his hips were before he was diagnosed with AVN. Since the x-rays didn't show anything Dr. Schwab wanted an MRI. The MRI show either a cyst of edema on a bone near the hamstring. He would like to see Bob again after about six weeks of physical therapy.

Benny Parsons

Benny Parsons, 65, died this morning of complications from lung cancer. He had been hospitalized since December 26.

Complete story is at www.nascar.com

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

I Am Big Black Boots!

You can be best described as: attitude You've got lots of it - and you love to give it A guy has to be pretty gusty to hit on you But if he's your type, you'll warm up... a little

So, What Kind of Shoe Are You?

Usually, when I take these little quizzes, they are pretty accurate; but I don't that is the case this time. What were your results, and are they accurate?

I'll also add that a guy has to be pretty gutsy to hit on me because I am married not because of the attitude...rofl!

Return to the Regularly Scheduled Season

Yeah -- winter is back!

The National Weather Service in Milwaukee/Sullivan [WI] has issued a winter storm warning, which is in effect from 6 pm this evening to 6 pm cst Monday.

Expect snow, possibly mixing with some sleet, to begin early this evening before quickly changing over to all snow by 10 pm. The heaviest snowfall is expected to fall between 10 pm and 4 am when snowfall accumulations of 3 to 5 inches will be possible. During the early morning hours, the precipitation is expected to mix with or changeover to a combination of sleet, freezing drizzle, and snow, especially south of line from Milwaukee, to Madison, to Dodgeville. Some additional light snow will fall from late Monday morning until afternoon as some colder air filters into the region.

Storm total snowfall accumulations by Monday evening will range from 4 to 6 inches, with some locally higher snow amounts possible along the lakeshore counties, due to moisture enhancement off the warmer waters of Lake Michigan.

From: themilwaukeechannel.com

Sick of Being Sick

As some of you might remember, last winter at just about this time I got some weird thing where my face just in front of my ear and down to my neck swelled up. It would change in size quite rapidly. At one point, I stood in front of the mirror and could actually see it getting larger.

It was right before New Year's so I didn't wait to see what would happen. I figured it would get worse right about the time the doctor's office was closed for the holiday. I saw my doctor who was just as baffled as I. He wrote a prescription for an antibiotic and gave me instructions to wait 24 hours before taking to see if it would start to clear up on its own. I waited those 24 hours he suggested, and it got worse. After two pills, it pretty much clear up and by the time the antibiotic was gone it was better.

Last Friday afternoon, I got that familiar tenderness just in front of my ear. It's not something I feel all the time, but it was tender when I was washing my face. Sunday evening while eating dinner that tenderness turned to a tingle, a familiar feeling from last year also. It was the same feeling as when I watched that area swell in the mirror. I moved my hair and told Bob to watch. He didn't believe me last winter when I told him I could see it get larger. It freaked him out and he was ready to run out of the restaurant to take me to the ER. It went down shortly after, but I had already decided I would be calling the doctor first thing Monday morning. I felt fine other than that annoyance.

I saw the doctor Monday afternoon. As I waited in the waiting room for my doctor, I noticed my throat was feeling a raw, I was beginning to feel feverish and a sinus headache. The doctor is still baffled by the swelling thing, but I do have strep and a sinus infection. If this other problem doesn't clear up after I am done with this round of antibiotics, the doctor wants to see me to follow-up it. He thought it was very strange that it happened one year later almost to the day. He said it could be that I got in early enough last time that whatever I was coming down with hadn't taken hold and the antibiotic beat it before it got a chance to. However, he also said it could just be completely coincodential that they both happened at the same time. It could be a problem with one of my salivary glands (he mentioned this last winter as well).

Due to this swelling thing I cannot chew foods. The swelling will go down and if I chew something it pops right back up. I didn't have any swelling at all until I had one tiny piece of cheese. I thought I was over the hurdle, but no such luck. I am so sick of oatmeal, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, soup, pudding, etc. One the bright side, I have lost 6 lbs this week without working out for one minute.

The laundry looks like at mountain, the tree is still up (I think it's the only one left in the neighborhood). I don't feel like doing anything, but curling up on the couch and sleeping.

ETA: Oh my, I just reread my entry after I hit publish. I sound like a big whiner! I promise I am not! Usually, I am one who takes things in stride for what they are. I know there are many out there with worse ailments than some little infections. Please forgive my momentary lapse there.

Thursday Thirteen #3

Thirteen PAST and CURRENT COLLECTIONS
1. Rocks -- This was my very first collection. My favorites were pieces of glass worn down from the sand & water in Lake Michigan. (past collection)

2. Scottish Terriers -- I had blankets, pins, stationary, blown glass, framed prints, and ceramic items. (past collection)

3. Frogs -- The swim team I was on in high school used a frog as their mascot. This turned into a collection of mostly pins and stuffed animals. There was a huge stuffed frog that would travel from event to event with us. A senior would pass it on to a freshman at the year end banquet. It was passed down to me. I passed it on as well. I wonder if that frog is still around. (past collection)

4. VC Andrews books -- This started after seeing the movie Flowers in the Attic. I think I was the only girl in school who hadn't read that book until the movie came out. (past collection)

5. Small picture frames -- silver vintage & vintage looking frames. They hold pictures no larger than about 3.5 X 5 inches. (current collection)

6. Vases -- Pottery type from the 1940s and 1950s such as McCoy, Abigdon, Red Wing, Haeger, etc. Mostly in white, pink/peach, and green. (current collection)

7. Hull Sunglow -- The yellow with pink floral design. I have wallpockets, mixing bowls, salt & pepper shakers, pitchers and a covered casserole dish. (current collection)

8. Universal Cambrigde Laurella -- This is know as "poorman's" Fiesta in the dish collecting world. The colors are similar to the original Fiestaware dishes, but the design along the edge of plate is laurel leaves and bows. I am missing the nested mixing bowls and the salad serving forks. I have never seen the salad forks, and have only run across the mixing bowls once. Sadly, I lost that auction. Other than those I have at least one piece of every item that was made for this set. My favorite piece by far is the covered casserole dish which is in MINT condition. (current collection)

9. Just the Right Shoe -- You don't even want to know how many of these I have...lol! While this is a current collection, I don't add to it as much as I once did. I did make a few really GREAT friends through a wonderful online community because of this collection. Since Take a Seat was the creation of the same artist as Just the Right Shoe I will include it here. It is still one of my collections, but this portion of the line has been discontinued.

10. Lefton Rustic Daisy -- My mom & dad were given the cookie jar as a wedding gift from my aunt & uncle. A few years ago my mom gave me the cookie jar and we both have added pieces to go along with it since then. (current collection)

11. Pink ribbon/breast cancer products -- I have shirts, jeans, hats, pins, blankets, pillows, ornaments, stationary, blown glass, magnets, figurines, and probably a few things I am forgetting. (current collection)

12. Capodimonte -- This collection originally belonged to my husband's great aunt. I have added one piece. You can read about that thrilling find here and see the collection here. (current collection)

13. Universal Cambridge Mount Vernon -- This set belonged to my husband's grandmother. It was made in the 40s. (current collection)

ETA: I know I haven't listed at least two other collections, but this list might end up being endless if I listed all my collections...lol!!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! mikala caylynn my 2 cents melissa sparky duck Leave your link in comments, I'll add you here.

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View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Olivia is Growing Up *sniff*sniff*

Olivia signs up for next year's classes tomorrow and that means HIGH SCHOOL classes! I can't believe how quickly the time goes by!

More Sad NASCAR News

I was checking to see if there was an update on Benny when I saw this sad news.

Hamilton, 49, dies after battle with neck cancer
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
January 8, 2007

Bobby Hamilton, the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series champion and a four-time winner in the Cup Series, died Sunday. He was 49.

Hamilton, a native of Nashville, Tenn., had been battling cancer for nearly a year. He announced in March 2006 that he was undergoing treatment for neck cancer. He immediately turned over his driving duties in the Craftsman Truck Series to his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr.

"He will be greatly missed as a husband, a father, a grandfather, an owner and a friend," Hamilton's family said in a statement. "We want to thank everyone for their love and support of our racing operation and the outpouring of care and concern during his cancer battle. One of Bobby's greatest loves in life was racing and we will continue on in his honor."

Liz Allison, a family friend who co-hosted a radio show with Hamilton, said he was at home with his family in Mount Juliet, Tenn., when he died.

In addition to Bobby Jr., Hamilton is survived by wife Lori and a granddaughter.

If you are interested in reading the rest of the article, it can can be found here on nascar.com.

Will "They" Ever Learn?

The middle school Olivia attends is on the same campus as the high school. After a $42 million ticket from tax payers and a couple years of construction, it opened in September 2004. Since that time there have been a minimum of three bomb threats per year. Finally, the school got smart and instead of canceling classes they would be evacuated to a nearby church, elementary school, and the YMCA.

Over the weekend there was another threat left on an answering machine. Now the idiots who decided to call in the threat have made it possible for each and every student on that campus to not be able to carry school bags or purses of any kind on to school property. The only bags allowed are lunch bags which must be the small paper ones.

It may sound like we live in an unsafe area. The opposite is true. It is very safe. We just have too many immature kids who think this would be a fun way to get a "free" day off of school. Most of the other kids who have called in the threats have been caught. Unfortunately, their sentences/punishments don't get much publicity so they never learn.

Getting Back to Normal

We were actually home ALL day today. That NEVER happens on a Saturday! It was nice. I spent the day taking down the rest of the outdoor lights and the Christmas things in the kitchen and family room. All that is left is the tree and my Jim Shore Nativity. The tree will be taken down on Monday. I will probably leave the Nativity up for a few more days.

It was fun to bring a few different things out in the kitchen! Some of those "heirloom" pieces from my mom are now very happy on one of our counters.

Benny Parsons is in ICU

I have posted a couple entries about Benny Parsons. Back in July he annouced he was diagnosed with lung cancer and in October said his cancer was in full remission. Unfortunately, he has been in the ICU at a Charlotte hospital since the day after Christmas due to complications stemming from his lung cancer battle. You can read the complete articale a nascar.com .

Adopt A Playoff Team

Did your team miss the playoffs like my Packers did? If so and you are looking for someone to back, you can get an answer here!

I already knew I would be backing the Jets, Chargers, and Saints. The little quiz told me the Jets were the perfect team for me. I decided to try the test again. The second time around I was asked different questions. The result of the second test was the Chiefs. I will not be cheering for the Chiefs. That is one of those teams you never like, but don't know why.

Thursday Thirteen #2

Thirteen Things TO DO IN JANUARY 2007
1. Pick out tile, counter top, and vanity for upstairs bathroom.
2. Declutter, organize, and clean the basement.
3. Take donations to Salvation Army Donation Center.
4. Buy shelving system for basement.
5. List good items just taking up space on eBay.
6. Organize printed photos in albums.
7. Finish organizing digital photos.
8. BACK UP new newly organized photos!
9. Take more pictures.
10. Scrap at least one page per week (either digital or paper).
11. Buy dress for 2007 Reinhart Winter Gala.
12. Help Bob pick out his tuxedo for the Gala.
13. Attend 2007 Winter Gala on January 27 and have fun!

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! chickadee my 2 cents terri melissa john985 raggedy sparky duck scribbit Leave your link in comments, I'll add you here.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Poor Puppy

This story ran on our local news this evening. Poor little Bella!

Italian Greyhound Needs New Home After Christmas Injury

MILWAUKEE -- A puppy injured over the holidays is looking for a new home to start the new year.

Bella, an Italian greyhound, broke her right front leg during the commotion of opening presents on Christmas morning.

Her owners could not afford the surgery to fix the leg, so they gave her to the Wisconsin Humane Society.

Bella will have the surgery Thursday and will start looking for a new home shortly after that.

The Humane Society is trying to raise the $4,500 it costs for the surgery.

You can get more information about Bella and the fundraising efforts by visiting http://wihumane.org.

from: themilwaukeechannel.com

Happy Birthday

Happy 62nd Birthday, Mom! Hope you had a wonderful day. I love you!! :)

Happy New Year & Hooray

Happy New Year Everyone!!

The Wisconsin Badgers are champions of the Capital One Bowl!

Arkansas - 14
Wisconsin - 17

Woohoo!

Too bad Michigan didn't do better against USC! :(

Which Superhero Are You?

I am Wonder Woman



Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Too funny since I always wanted to be her when I was growing up...lol!

Heirloom Christmas Gifts

A gift I received for Christmas this year is probably by far the best gift I have ever received. Last Christmas we decided the adults would not exchange gifts. (Actually, my brother and I only exchanged one year. We decided to just put that extra money toward a gift for our parents. We were both young and still living at home rent free so why not give our great mom & step-dad a little something extra for putting up with us...lol!) Anyway back to my story, that rule only lasted one year. My mom is giving gifts again. I guess old habits die hard...lol!!

My brother and I are each handed a gift bag. In his was my grandpa's (dad's dad) old Miller Brewery Zippo lighter. He was a pipe smoker, but even when he wasn't lighting a pipe he would be sitting in his chair with that lighter in his hand. Along with the lighter were two of grandpa's badges from his days as head of security for Miller Brewery.

You won't believe what was in mine! It was her wedding ring!! My parents divorced when my brother & I were VERY young. I was 7 when the divorce was final, but they seperated when I was 5 & my brother 3. I have always loved that ring. It isn't a big beautiful stone, but I love it because it was mom's. Even though I haven't seen it on her hand for about 30 years I can still picture it. Strange the things that are etched in our memories.

My mom decided each Christmas she is going to pass along to us things she would want us to have after she is gone. Some of them may be things we wouldn't know the story of if she didn't pass them along. The things from this year were very obvious! :)

Thank you, Mom! I love the ring and know Scott loves Grandpa Brewer's things.

First picture is Grandpa Brewer sitting in his chair. He is holding something, but I don't think it is the Zippo here...lol!!

Second picture is my mom and dad on their wedding day May 6, 1967.

Thursday Thirteen #1

While reading one of the blogs I visit occasionally, I ran across Thursday Thirteen.

I think it sounds like fun so I may join in for at least a few weeks to try it out! Not sure if I will be able to come up with a theme every week (lol), but I will give it a try! Here it goes:

Thirteen Things about ME
1. I am 36.
2. I am married.
3. I have one 13 year old daughter.
4. I have a 6 year old Black Lab/Shepard.
5. I have a 3 year old Lab/Chow.
6. I am a SAHM (Stay-at-home Mom).
7. I live in Southeastern Wisconsin.
8. I have three brothers.
9. I have two step-sisters.
10. I knew all my grandparents.
11. I have NEVER flown on a commercial airplane.
12. I attended Trinity Bible College.
13. I am a neat freak, who tends to procrastinate.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens! my 2 cents alisonwonderland chickadee Jenny Ryan jo melissa guusjem caylynn Leave your link in comments, I'll add you here.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

What is the Thursday Thirteen?

Thursday Thirteen is a blog meme with one purpose - to get to know bloggers better. Thirteen is the magic number - because Thursday Thirty is too many!

Every Thursday, bloggers jot down thirteen things about their week, Thirteen secrets they’ve never shared before, Thirteen random things about themselves or their lives that give the reader a better idea of who they are. Then the fun begins, you go bloghopping! Find other Thursday Thirteeners, spend some quality time getting to know your fellow bloggers, interact with them through their lists and invite them to yours!

Is there a theme every week?

Nope! Your Thirteen Things can be about whatever you want. Just remember, most of your fellow Thirteeners expect to learn more about who you are or what you’ve been up to that week! If you do a themed list, you may want to keep that in mind.

The Silly Girl

Olivia is really good at making goofy faces and/or poses when she sees a camera comes out. Yesterday, was no exception. I caught this one of her while we were opening gifts over at my mom's. I love this pic because she was being silly, but had no idea the picture was going to be taken.

All Wrapped Up

I am proud of myself. *snicker* ALL the gifts were wrapped before the clock struck midnight! I was actually ready for Christmas before Christmas morning! Woohoo!

Merry Christmas!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day filled with love and many special memories! See you all on Tuesday, when I will be back to my regular blogging schedule!!

Back in Arizona

We had a really nice time with Bob's parents Sunday, and the food turned out perfectly! They are back home in Arizona now. The ten days they were here went WAY too fast. Frankly, I don't like them living so far away. It was nice to hop in the car and be to their house in five minutes.

We hope to make it out there for a visit in March. It all really depends on Bob's workload as that time gets closer.

Speaking of work and vacation, you can probably tell we didn't make our pre-Christmas trip. Bob was so busy the last two months and it put us behind with things around here. Namely, Christmas shopping, decorating, etc. We decided these days would be better spent taking care of the shopping. Wouldn't want Olivia to wake up with nothing under the tree Christmas morning...lol!

We got most of the shopping for her done Monday. Today, I will do the rest while Bob goes into work DURING his vacation.

Brittany the Elephant Gets New Friend

She has been alone at the Milwaukee County Zoo since Lucy died in September. She now has a new friend!

Milwaukee County Zoo Elephant Gets New Friend
December 15, 2006

A 26-year old African elephant named Ruth just arrived at the zoo from her former home in Brownsville, Texas.

Ruth will be company for Brittany, who has been alone since her companion Lucy died at the Milwaukee County Zoo in September.

"We wanted a good companion for Brittany, and Ruth met all that criteria, and more. It turns out that Ruth's companion had died, and so Ruth needed a companion also. So it was a perfect match," a zookeeper told 12 News.

Ruth will be kept in quarantine for 30 days while she gets used to things.

The two elephants can already see and hear each other from their separate enclosures, and they are starting to get acquainted.

source: TheMilwaukeeChannel.com

Change to the Sunday Meal Plan

My grocery store only had the flavored pork tenderloins yesterday afternoon. So I had to change my meal plan slightly. That's okay this change will me a little less work for me. :) The new plan:

Meal:
Honey Mustard Pork Tenderlion
Brown/Wild Rice
Fresh Green Beans w/EVOO & garlic pepper

Dessert:
Triple Chocolate Bliss Cake (I made this cake this morning and it smells SO good.)

Sunday Meal Plan

Meal:
Pork Tenderlion w/Cranberry Sauce
Wild Rice
Fresh Green Beans w/EVOO & garlic pepper

Dessert:
Triple Chocolate Bliss Cake

Jeff Gordon's Going To Be a Daddy

from: nascar.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --- On Wednesday, Jeff Gordon announced that wife Ingrid Vandebosch is pregnant.

"We're obviously very excited," Gordon said in a statement that appeared on his Web site. "Christmas came early for us this year.

"This is a very special gift for us -- one that we're both looking forward to. The due date is early July, and Ingrid and I can't wait to be parents.

"We've known for a little while, but we couldn't wait any longer to share the good news with our friends and fans."

Gordon, 35, married Vandebosch in a small, private ceremony in Mexico on Nov. 7.

Gordon and Vandebosch have been together since 2004. They appeared in the movie Taxi, in which the 37-year-old model played a bank robber and Gordon made an uncredited cameo appearance at her invitation.

Gordon announced his engagement to Vandebosch in Sonoma, Calif., in June and then won the Nextel Cup race the next day.

Christmas Comes Early This Year

At least for us! Bob's parents are in town -- woohoo. They arrived Saturday afternoon. Olivia & I went out to dinner with them and Bob's brother's family Saturday evening. Unfortunately, Bob wasn't able to make it because of all the craziness at work.

Friday evening we are taking them to The Packing House, one of our (and their) favorite places to dine! Sunday afternoon we will be together at our house for our Christmas celebration!

Oh no, Sunday is only a few days away! I need to wrap their gifts, bake a little something, and plan a meal! I better get moving!! *snicker*

Procrastination Turns to Motivation

The photo taking and digital scrapping I have been doing lately was at first me trying to put off things I know need to get done in preparation for Christmas. Well, it has turned into motivation! I don't know how, but working on those photos and pages recently has put me into the mood to get things done!

Must bring back the wonderful memories of Christmases gone by! I am looking forward that family time. Bob has been SO busy with work that Olivia and I have hardly seen him in the last week or so. It will be so nice to have that time together!

Here's a "motivation" layout:

New Profile Pic

I rarely like seeing pictures of myself, but I like this one. I guess the key is to take it myself while looking in the mirror with only the Christmas tree lights on in the room...LOL!! Here's a version with less cropped out! :)



I love the softness of the light and colors in this photo.

Scared of Santa?

I think these kids are...lol!

Cool Advent Calendar

At harpold.com/advent each day contains Chrismas memory, a holiday link, and something special. I found this link at this stop in my blog travels! :)

Gearing Up for 2007

Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. ~ William Morris

I know I have mentioned before wanting to simplify! I have made some progress during this year, but I want to make even more next year! I am mapping out a plan for my ring-in-the-new-year declutter! First up, the basement! It will be perfect because that is where we store the tree and ornaments. So just before I take the tree down I can begin that project!

Happy Birthday Jim

I'm a baaaaaad sister-in-law! I almost forgot to post a happy birthday to Bob's brother, Jim!

Happy Birthday, Big Guy! We love ya!

I Call This Procrastination!

I should be doing laundry, dusting, or writing out a few Christmas cards, but I needed a little break. I decided to look at some old pictures. I saw one of my favorites and had to scan it to play a bit!

They are 5 & 3 in this picture!
Where has all that time gone?

Grandmas Say the Darndest Things

My grandma has trouble pronouncing a few words most of them see to be french. My mom and I always spend alot of time with her and some of them are words that come up often enough that we have to think before we say them so we don't say them incorrectly...lol!

Somedays we laugh so hard with her when she says a new one. I have told grandma I am going to write a book entitled Guide to Speaking with My Grandmother or an English to Grandma Minnie translation dictionary.

Well, this morning during our morning phone call a new one came up. She was talking about watching this. It is a repeat of Episode 1 and shows the preparation for a visit from France's President Chirac. She told me they were preparing to show a shortened version of Les Miserables to the guests at that event. Only grandma called it less missle robels. She is one cute lady! I love you grandma! :)

On Making Friends

You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years by trying to get other people interested in you. ~ Dale Carnegie

Sad News Day!

James Kim's body found after massive search. I had been following this story since I first read about it here.

Three people killed in Falk Corporation Explosion. We live at least 15 miles south of this factory and could feel and hear the blast at our house. Bob was upstairs getting ready for work, and I thought what the heck is he doing up there.

Girls-Only Blogthings

Recently, I ran across a cute site in my web travels called girls-only blogthings!

Your Celebrity Style Twin is Gwen Stefani
Trendsetting, unique, and stylish.

Who's Your Celebrity Style Twin? Take the quiz and tell me your celebrity twin style! :) Be very careful though...lol!! The first time I was there I think I spent about 25 minutes taking those little quizzes.

Editing to Add: My celebrity style twin has signed a fragrance deal with Coty! Read about it here.

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

How lovely are thy branches...

Thank goodness for Target! I decided to pick up purple, turquoise, and green ornaments. They are GREAT jewel tones and from a collection called Holiday Couture! They fit in nicely with the golds we already had.

Just a fun shot!

I left this image larger than I usually do for blog entries.
If you click on the image, you can see the ornaments a little better.

It's hard to see the in the pictures, but the new ornament have gold glittery designs on them. I still want to find some floral picks to add to the tree, but other than that I am finished! Woohoo!

Holly Hobbie

Did you know Holly Hobbie had a makeover?

I had no clue until this morning while out shopping for my niece, Caitlyn. Won't she just love this little girlie? I sure hope so!

Holly sure has come a LONG way from when I had a Holly Hobbie bedroom, dish set, lunch box, etc! It's fun to see the popular dolls from when I was growing up making a comeback!

As you can probably see, I got a tiny start on my Christmas shopping. Three people down. I think that leaves about ten or twelve -- yikes. I better make my usual tracking list so I don't skip anyone! At least only 5 need to be done for this weekend!

The Blizzard of 2006

Now it's really beginning to look alot like Christmas! We got about 13 inches of snow today, and it fell in about ten hours! Woohoo!

All schools in the area were closed. Bob went into work, but found out shortly after he got there the Milwaukee office was closed. Think they could notified at least one of the area stations who announce school & business closings? Instead he got an email about 45 minutes after getting to work. NICE!

I spent most of the day in the house working on our tree. It is a pre-lit that decided it doesn't want to be pre-lit anymore. I am not sure my fingers will ever be the same after taking off all those little doodads they use to attach the lights to the tree. Some new lights are back on now. I will decorate it a little later tonight.

I did clear off the deck so the dogs weren't bringing in all that snow and kicking more in as the doggy door swung back and forth. Ever try letting the dogs use a doggy door with a foot of snow outside it? I will tell you it is not pretty! Still have to tackle the driveway, but will wait for Bob to get home so he can share in that joy...lol!

I will add some photos of our winter wonderland later. I need to hit the shower and figure out what I am making for dinner.

Here is one to hold you over until then...lol!!

Chevy looking out the patio door.
I think he is wondering
what is all that white stuff,
and do I really want to go out there?

Oh, did I mention we were in the 60s Monday, Tuesady, and Wednesday?

House Aglow

A couple shots from last night...



I just love the second one!

Labels

I upgraded to Blogger Beta not too long ago. It allows me to add tags or labels to my entries. I think it will be nice to have the ability to have "related" entries linked together with one click. I have begun adding them, but it will take a little time to add them to all my entries.

I think photos will be my fav!

Beginning To Look Alot Like Christmas

After Bob got home from work last night we put up the lights along the roof line. This afternoon I put the lights on the evergreen bushes in front of the house.

We keep it simple, but one of these years we do plan to put lights on the second story as well. I guess 10pm the night you are putting lights up isn't the time to decide that. We need more lights and a longer ladder to accomplish that. There's always next year.

I need to add the wreaths w/ red bows around the lights on the garage. The local stand where we usually buy them isn't open until tomorrow afternoon.

If you click on the image above, you will be taken to a larger picture where you can see four little "lights" in the front window. Those lights are Boomer & Chevy's eyes...lol!

Where Oh Where

have all the purple ornaments gone? Ever get an idea in your head and then head to the stores so you can execute that idea only to have your hopes dashed? That's what has happened to me the last two days! Last Christmas I thought wouldn't it be fun to replace all our deep red ornaments with deep purple. I wanted a tree decorated in deep purple and gold. Well, from the looks of it everyone else in my area had the same idea. In the last two days, I have been to THREE K-Marts, TWO Targets, and Milaeger's and all the purple ornaments I wanted are GONE. I also checked Wal-Mart, but the purple they have is too bright for me. I am going to check a couple other places tomorrow and if I cannot find them I will just use the deep red again this year.

Smokin' Hot

I mean his music!
(this time! *snicker*)

I picked up this CD today! If you liked Chris on American Idol, you are going to LOVE this CD.

I'm Back

Not that I was really gone, but the four day weekend was busy anyway! Hope you all had a GREAT Thanksgiving weekend! Time to kick into Christmas gear! :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope you all have a wonderful day surrounded by those you love!

UGH!

Finally, have my car back from the shop! Had to have a coolant leak fixed and was without it for a couple days. Thankfully, we are having some GREAT weather so Olivia was able to walk home from school. It is a long walk, but not so bad on a nice day!

Would you believe we are supposed to be close to 60 degrees tomorrow. Before you say yes, remember this is Wisconsin & late November...lol!!

Winter Look

My winter look is complete, and I am pretty happy with it. I may tweak some of the colors bit, but basically it will stay the way it is for the time being.

I have taken a look at it in the browsers I have available to me and all looks okay. If any of you see any crazy stuff, please let me know! :)

New Look!

You can probably see the colors of my blog have changed! That can only mean one thing -- a new banner will be unveiled SOON!! Hint: Think winter! :)

Where Has the Week Gone?

I can't believe how quickly this week went by! I didn't get nearly as much done as I planned to. Oh well, there's always next week!

I will kick into full Christmas preparation gear on Friday, but not by going to the stores! I am staying far away all next weekend. We do make one trip to Milaeger's*, a local garden & gift shop. The have really great Christmas stuff. Actually, they have really great EVERYTHING! That place is dangerous...lol!!

Tonight I am going to test the outdoor lights so they are ready to go when I send Bob up on the ladder next Friday morning! *snicker*

*I'll be on the lookout for a Milaeger's exclusive breast cancer Radko ornament! Not sure if there is a new one, but we were suprised a couple years ago! ;)

Joey's Gone; So I Say

Go Emmitt! Go Emmitt! Go Emmitt! :)

Preparing for Christmas

Bob's parents will be in town from Dec 9-18. On Dec 19 Bob, Olivia, and I are planning to take a LONG over due family vacation, but will return before Christmas. That means I will have to have all my decorating and shopping done earlier than usual. The shopping is started, but no where near done. I have begun addressing cards -- doing a few a day makes it seem like less work. I won't put up any decoartions until next weekend, but have pulled out what I plan to use this year to save a bit of time when decorating day rolls around.

I am sure I will still end up wrapping a few gifts at about 2am Christmas morning!

Lovin' Everyday Minerals

I recently discovered a new brand of make-up, and I am in love! I am not a big fan of foundation, but let me tell you I need it...lol!! I ordered the Everyday Minerals sample kit last Tuesday, it arrived Friday. I could not get the package open fast enough. This stuff is wonderful. I do not feel like I am wearing any make-up and my skin looks better than it ever has with any make-up. It's similar to Bare Minerals, but I like the price tag on Everyday Minerals MUCH better! :)

You can order the sample kit here. All you pay for the sample kit is shipping, and you chose how quickly you would like to begin using EM!

CrAzY!

Is the Gnarls Barkley song stuck in your head now? LOL!!

The weather here is really, really cRaZy! Yesterday it was 66! Tonight it is going to snow! Thundersnow to be exact. There is thundersnow just a bit to the north of us. The storms are moving quickly and we should only have about an inch of accumulation. I say bring it on...lol!

The Last Half Bath Entry

The accessories I mentioned about a week ago are in the bathroom now. So here are the pictures I promised you all. :)

This bathroom is so small
I had to stand in our pantry across the hall to get this shot!
Yes, it's really that small...lol!



The wastebasket is my favorite piece.

I haven't gotten the print framed yet, but will spare you another picture of our bathroom when I do have it done...lol!!

Bad Blogger II

This is beginning to sound like a bad series of movies...lol!! This time bad blogger isn't me. It's Blogger.com. When I wanted to post my entry last night, that portion of Blogger was down. Seems to be functioning now! So no more bad Blogger.

Election Day

Did get out and vote? If not, you can't complain...lol!!

Tomorrow's Shopping List

The country portion of our music collection will grow by two!! Woohoo!

Bad Blogger!

That's what I was last week. The days just go away from me somehow and I never got back here to post an entry for some of those days. This will hopefully be a better week!

Three Cheers for Bob

Bob came home from work early (early for him) last night and gave me the night off from cooking. Woohoo! The three of us had a nice time and good food at Champp's!

I will post pictures of the bathroom later today. I have to wait for the batteries to charge. Someone (Olivia you little stinker...lol) used the backup set in her camera and didn't charge them when they were drained.

Wow! What A Day!

This was definitely not a simplify day! I spent most of the day running, but it was all necessary. I guess those days cannot be avoided and are okay as long as they are few and FAR between!

On a happy note, I did find the pieces I needed for the bathroom. I hope to get them out tomorrow and will post pictures once it is done. The print I ordered arrived, but I will have to have that framed. I am waiting for a better sale (or coupon) at Michael's for that one! It feels good to be so close to completion on the project that began SO long ago.