It feels like kindergarten!

I have been coloring my stampies with my watercolor pencils and blending them with an aqua-painter and I am quite pleased with the results! Just trying to get some things started for Autumn/Thanksgiving theme cards.

I am getting lots of response about the crop and that has made me a VERY HAPPY gal! I think we will have a pretty big crowd again this time. I am just thrilled that we are growing each time!

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I am thinking that next year at the Heritage festival I am going to sell handcrafted greeting cards as well as having a make & take table. The money raised at the festival goes to Camp Harmony and the Western PA District Church of the Brethren. The committee has been looking for new fresh ideas for booths and I think that this one may be a winner. That said, I am calling upon you, my crafty creative friends! Next time you are crafting a card consider using your scraps to make an "extra" and send it my way for the sale table.

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Work (my paying job) has been quite the chore lately. I am usually good for a while after having some time off, but not so much this time. My frustration with rude people overwhelms me at times. Is it that much trouble to not answer your phone while I am waiting on you? I don't answer my (business) phone while I am waiting on you. I wait until I have finished and then answer it, and pray the person on the other end is not going to rip my head off because they had to wait because it took me longer to wait on you because my mother taught me to NOT interrupt someone who is speaking. ARRRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

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Friday I am helping with the concession stand at the football game. My Mom is one of the people in charge of it. It is Senior Night and they are expecting a pretty big crowd. I am working the "auxiliary soda and chips only" tent. Kinda like the "express" lane! LOL! My Mama told them what my real job is and they apparently think I am well qualified!

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I am seeking some opinions on the following quote. I really feel strongly about it because of what I see at work (the shoplifting, fraudulent returns, etc.) I think that dishonest people think that because it is such a big company that they are not hurting anyone by their dishonest actions.

"Character is doing the right thing when no body's looking. There are too many people who think that the only thing that's right is to get by and the only thing that's wrong is to get caught."

~JC Watts

I want Travis to have character. It should be as easy as do as I do, but geez, we live in a pretty corrupt world sometimes. I wonder if that is enough. How do we instill in the next generation character, integrity, honesty... Let me have it, tell me what you think.

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If the tone was at times heavy today, I apologize. Take care, brighter and better days ahead!

What a BUSY day!

The Heritage Festival Make and Take Table was a pretty big success and I am quite happy about that! (Thanks Deanna for sending business my way!) We made lots of cards and scrapbook pages and I gave out a bunch of registration flyers for the crop. I was up REALLY early, like 5 AM early to do some last minute things for the table so when I got home this evening I curled up on the couch with a blanket and took a two hour nap. SOOOO nice!

My paint can and goodies to fill it up from our grab bag exchange.
Our really fun, fast, and easy make and take from the Crafternoon Crew courtesy of Connie and the
Splitcoast Stampers Criss Cross Card Tutorial.

I wish I would have taken pictures of Barb's and Connie's Halloween cards. They were TOO CUTE!

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Take Care!

The Crafternoon Crew!

That is the name of our card club! LOL! Barb (BS1) thought it up and I love it! We had a great afternoon and did a really easy and incredible looking make and take. (Thanks Connie!) I also got a cool paint can to alter and had a yummy fluffy peachy dessert. (Thanks Becky!)

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If you are attending the Brethren Heritage Festival today (9/15) stop by and visit me. I will be in the lobby of Faith Hall doing make and takes and handing out info for my crop.

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I will put up some pictures the next time I post of my goodies and card from today. I have to tell you too, that I totally enjoyed the roast, carrots and potatoes today. The house smelled YUMMY when I got home and it was perfect food for the dreary evening it turned out to be.

Take Care!

TGIF!

Nothing much to report today. Glad that this week of work is done, I have had enough drama!

I am busy getting things together for my make and take table for the Brethren Heritage Festival.

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REALLY looking forward to getting together with my card club gals in the morning.

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Tomorrow I am making a beef roast, carrots and potatoes in the crock pot for dinner. I love good hearty comfort food and the little bit of chill in the air has made me want to cook a bit!

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Here is a recipe from my cousin Amy, the apple pie queen! This is soooo much easier to make than "real" apple dumplings. I sprinkle the sliced apples with a little cinna-sugar and if you like you can also sprinkle on some raisins. SUPER YUMMY!

Apple Dumpling Cake
3 pounds of apples peeled & sliced in a 9X13 pan

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 cup oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp. baking powder
Mix all ingredients together & pack mixture on top of apples.

Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

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Have a GREAT FRIDAY!

Take Care!

Nothing much to report today...

My DH went back to work today, they are on mandatory overtime which means he is working five twelve hour shifts in a row. I keep teasing him that he needs to find out which one of his bosses' places he is going to crash at, cause I'm not putting up with his tired cranky butt! LOL!! Seriously, I don't expect cranky, just really, really tired!

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Someone left a comment about the cookbook that I made for Brianna. I posted pictures of it a few weeks ago, check the August archives the post is called A Wedding Shower. To make the actual cookbook pages I made a template in word. It was a one half page layout (8.5 inches x 5.5 inches) with text boxes for the title, ingredients list, and preparation instructions. Each section had a table of contents. I had beverages, breakfast, breads, main dishes, sides & salads, and desserts. I made a master copy and printed it on my printer. I printed it once and then flipped the pages and printed it again so that I got two copies on one page. It took almost two ink cartridges. There were over 180 recipes in the book. I only printed on he front of the paper, thinking that Brianna can write more recipes on the blank backs of the pages.

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I then took it to my friendly Staples and had one copy made on beautiful bright white paper. They also took care of cutting the pages in half which was a great big help and time saver. I punched the pages with a two hole punch, also from my friendly Staples store. That took a lot less time than I thought it would. The cover was made with chipboard, which I covered with pattern paper, stamped and embellished. It is all put together with binder rings and mounted onto an acrylic picture frame. I punched holes into the frame with my Crop-a-dile.

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The tricky part then, was that the book was a bit top heavy, so I redneck fixed it with an embellished wooden spoon. I hot glued a bunch of BB's (yes, I said BB's, I couldn't find any nice little flat glass marbles or other pretty as well as heavy things! LOL!) to the spoon and covered them over with some cute little buttons tied a ribbon to it and attached the HEAVY spoon to the bottom of the frame. LOL!! I thought I would take that little secret to my grave, but y'all had to ask how it was made... so I had to confess! LOL!

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That should be it for today! Just a little request from me, when you leave a comment sign your name, I don't get your email address to email you privately, so I often don't know who is reading and asking questions, tell me who you are I'd like to get to know who is reading all my thoughts and confessions! LOL! Thanks for reading, commenting and brightening my day!

Take Care!

Without further delay.... I bought the following...

I have always wanted this style of paper cutter! (Crazy wish for a galwith nine fingers! LOL!) We actually found it at Harbor Freight (gasp!) for the bargain price of $12.99. It will be so handy when I am whipping out stacks of blank cards!
This handy dandy Fiskars punch is four sided and it punches fancy corners and dry embosses them at the same time! Gotta LOVE those tools that can multi-task!
These are the Perfect Pearls we used at Art Tech to make the faux hammered metal letters. I have been wanting to make more do-dads with it but needed to find the right set. Yeah! Best of all the directions on how to make them are on the back of the package!

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Thanks for your patience! I have not been getting very much done between getting taken to fire calls, laundry and working this AWFUL 11-8 shift.

Take care and have a good day!

Just a quick post to let my BSes know that I will post about my new stuff this evening! My blogging plans for last evening were interupted by a structure fire call and laundry.

Nothing much to report today.

I drove, he slept.....all the way to Altoona and back.

DH had Birthday $$$$$ to spend so we went to his most favorite store.

Harbor Freight Tools

He spent his birthday $$$$ plus and came home a happy boy.

He is now the proud owner of a drill press, some saw that he can connect to his air compressor that will cut metal. (The mere thought of cutting metal gives me goosebumps and makes my neck scrunch up... UGGGHHHH!!!)

He also got some three ball quick change hitch thing so we can tow stuff?

We also bought him new steel toe workshoes.

(at Super Shoes, not Harbor Freight)

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My reward for that exquisite torture (shoe shopping with him) was a stop at AC Moore. I picked up some new stuff!! Yeahhhhh!!!! (and that is what I will post about tomorrow... how's that for a cliffhanger?????? )

What have I been up to???

This little project above was for my friend Nancy. It is a display of newpaper articles about a hospital teddy bear ministry that her daughter was involved in creating. Of course it was the perfect place to use some tear bears!
Yesterday and today I got to spend some time with my BS2. Most of my time was spent making "stampies." Stampies are made when you BUM someone else's stamp to make a bunch of stamped images that you can later use in your own projects. Kinda like when you go to a crop and make tons of stuff with the punches and die cut machines to use later. So, about 25 sheets of cardstock and a sore wrist from allllllll that stamping later I have a great big pile of stuff to keep me busy for a long long time. I LOVE IT!

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I can't believe that tomorrow is my lastday of vacation.... at least I missed that first of the month madness at work...

Take Care

Good Day!

Got this in the mail a few days ago. Love it! You can get yours, if you go to Kraft Foods and sign up for it. It is a great FREE magazine that you get a couple of times a year with fast and easy recipes. You also get recipe emails from time to time and coupons for free products.

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I made this one this morning.

I made mine in my trusty old Bundt pan and I skipped the nuts, yuck!

Banana Sour Cream Cake

SUPER YUMMY!
REALLY MOIST!!

DELICIOUS CREAM CHEESE FROSTING!

(Can you tell I liked it? The only thing that it needs is more BANANAS!)

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Here are some other recipes from the magazine that are on my list to try! I will have to report back to you later on them!

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

Peanut Butter Striped Delight

Pumpkin Snack Bars

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I spent the day scrappin' some with my BS2 and it was so nice and relaxing! I got a commissioned project done, will post pics after it is delivered. Also prepped some materials for my Make & Take next Saturday. Finally I stamped some images for cardmaking that I can color when I have time. Not a bad day at all... this vacation is slipping away all too fast.

I was a little "cardy" today.

These were commissioned by my cousin Amy. She is giving them to some residents at the nursing home where she is a nurse. The staff "adopts" residents and give them cards and gifts on special days, like Grandparents Day on Sunday.
Have I ever mentioned that I dislike grocery shopping. I am not sure if I dislike shopping for food more when I do it alone or with DH. I went today and I had a headache until I got home. Crazy, isn't it?

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Tomorrow, I scrap! YEAH!

The New CM Paisley Punch!

(Isn't it cool!)

I am really enjoying this new toy! First, I have to point out that it comes in my most favorite color of all time.. PURPLE! The other feature I like is that CM switched to a lever style punch!It is also quite versatile. I will say though that I do not recommend using it in the upside down position as it tends to eat the punchies. I used it with my paisley stamp (Art Gone Wild) and I have some cute CM bandana print paper for matting the photos that are going on this page.
You can also make pretty fun candles for a birthday layout. (Thanks Jean H!)
This is probably my most favorite though, great big bright posies! How FUN are they?

(Thanks Cindi H!)
I have a few other ideas in my head too...think rain drops or water splashes.

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I am watching the Drum Corp International competition on ESPN at the moment. Here is an interesting tidbit for those of you who did not know me in school. I was in our marching band colorguard and indoor guard as well .... what memories.

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Just for the record, I don't think I am going to get much accomplished this vacation...LOL!

Take Care!

Productive Day

Five Loads of Laundry.... and I washed the dishes too... of course I cooked dinner and there are MORE dishes to wash now.

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Just wanted to remind you about the Fall Crop Day at Camp Harmony

Saturday, November 10, 2007

9:00 AM to 8:00 PM

$30.00

Meals, Snacks, & Beverages Included

Goodie Bag

Door Prizes

Make and Takes

Send those registrations in! We are hoping for a record breaking crowd!

Contact me for more info if you need it!

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We will have an Information and Make & Take table at the Brethren Heritage Festival at Camp Harmony on Saturday, September 15. Stop by and see me!

I am preparing some materials for simple scrapbook pages using some "retro" techniques!

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I am also REALLY REALLY looking forward to getting some quality cropping time in at the end of this month at the St. Andrews Crop!

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Last on the list is I am looking to Update my Blog template page.... so wish me luck... I am not so computer savvy, so that should be a pretty big challenge.

Take Care!

Sooooooo...... I am on vacation this week, and I can't wait to play with some scrapping stuff!

We got these in at my store, they are the Rhonna Farrer FLOURISHES stamps by Autumn Leaves. They are on the same peg as the Swirls ones that I love so much. I guess the buyer can't tell a swirl from a flourish, go figure! Some days I look in our scrapping aisle and think that who ever buys some of that stuff has probably never scrapbooked a page, ever. Occasionally though, they get it right like these stamps! So I got them out of the package and I am ready to do some scrapping and cardmaking..... but there are dirty dishes and dirty laundry standing in my way... UGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Just to catch you up on the weekend... We went through 30 pounds of hot sausage, 3 cases of meatballs, 5+ cases of hotdogs, 10+ cases of hamburgers, 20 crates of bottled teas and milk, 10 cases bottled water, 5 canisters of fountain soda, Gallons and gallons of soup (homemade potato soup, vegetable soup, ham and bean, chicken noodle, chicken rice) 5+ cases of french fries, cases of perogis, hundreds of gobs (regular, peanutbutter filled, and pumpkin ones, too) I can't even tell you how many pies and cakes, salads and fruit salads we sold. Also125 chicken BBQ dinners and 120 quarts of ham pot pie.

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This was the 22nd Fall Harvest Gospel Music Festival. I know it is cliche' to say that it was the best one, but I do have to say that it really was a smooth one. We had a great group of people who worked together and really hustled to make the weekend go smoothly. I did not get to take in much of the music, but it was nice to visit with our "festival family" and get caught up with each other, like we do every year. My DH is one of the guys who handles paking and traffic flow and he even had a smoooth weekend. He likes that job, gets to visit with the groups that are there and is Mr. Social. They all know him and I get to be Mrs. Kenny which is a change for him now, since before it seemed like he was Mr. Liz.... if you know what I mean. He moved here and started over making freinds when we started our relationship. He had some HUGE shoes to fill when Harry asked him to do the parking for the festival. The man that did it before passed away a few years ago and he had been doing it for so very long that it all was really second nature to him. The first year for Kenny to take over was pretty rough, but now the groups know him and love him too!

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Alright, enough said... thanks BS2 and Albert for coming to to the festival! I am glad you made it! Take care... I hear dirty dishes calling my name!

Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

A quick and easy dessert that seems like you slaved over it for hours!

Ice Cream Sandwiches (two boxes atleast)

The last time I made this I used Peanutbutter ICS and Vanilla ICS.

*

Your Favorite flavor Ice Cream (1/2 gallon) soften, so you can spread it on

*Your favorite Ice Cream Toppings

(Syrups and crunchie things like toffee, chocolate chips or sprinkles)

*

Cool Whip

*

Line your pan with a layer of ICS, cutting them to fit the size pan you are using.

Next drizzle with some syrups and sprinkle with some crunchies.

Then spread on a layer of ice cream.

More drizzles and crunchies

Another layer of ICS.

Top with cool whip and more drizzles and crunchies.

Freeze~overnight is best, but a few hours will do.

*

I like to use a big foil roasting pan with the clear dome lid for this. They are nice and deep and you can throw it away when you are done.

*

Just to give you an idea of the last time I made the dessert this is what I used.

Peanutbutter ICS

Chocolate Syrup & Toffee Bits

Chocolate Peanutbutter Ice Cream with Caramel Swirls

More Syrup and Bits

Vanilla ICS

Cool Whip

Chocolate Syrup and Toffee Bits

*

It was quite the hit for DH's birthday celebration! Try it if you need a Labor Day Picnic dessert!

Take Care!

Fire House Fun

I was missing Travis this week. These are a few pics I took this summer while he was here.

This is the "new" engine... I know that I have heard the specifics on it, but quite honestly all I recall is...Blah, blah, came from New Jersey, blah, blah Heavy Rescue, blah blah $80,000.... you get the idea right? Kinda like when I start talking about something scrapbooking... my best guess is that DH hears.... blah, blah, blah, blah (insert new tool or technique here) blah, blah, blah..... LOL, sometimes it is just better that way!

Travis having some fun posing on the tanker. He doesn't like to be photographed, so if he is willing to have his picture taken I take it, no matter where he is!
He really enjoyed spending time at the firehall this summer with his Dad. He learned how to polish the diamond plate... which all future firefighters need to know. The first thing that they learn on their own though is how to climb up on top of the darn truck. LOL!

If you are looking for something to do... Yes, I know there is lots going on in the area...I just wanted to put a plug in for where I will be... the Fall Harvest Gospel Music Festival at Camp Harmony. We have a great time, AWESOME food that is inexpensive, GREAT MUSIC all day and into the night, free parking, kids activities....need I say more???

Everybody have a great Labor Day weekend, the weather is supposed to be FANTASTIC!

Take Care and Be Safe!

My BIG Bargain!

I did a little retail therapy on Sunday while my DH spent his afternoon helping to wash firetrucks and hose out the firehall. First stop was Joann's where I got a few cards of fancy buttons. I like to use them on my purses, but I do not like to pay more than $2 for them. I hit the JACKPOT with some really cute ones. They were originally $3 and $5 for 2 button cards. I got them on clearance for 50 cents!

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Next stop was Michaels were the above pictured items became mine. They are "older" sizzix alpha-bars. I am now the owner of Doodle block upper and lower case and Ransom alphas and numbers. If I had paid original retail price for them it would have cost $350.....Please take a seat when I tell you that I got them ALL for $32. Can you believe it???? I nearly can't!!!!

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Lots of new toys to play with! I am so excited!!

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Some one had a question about what kind of clocks I use to make the altered clocks and where to get them. They are from Wal-mart and are in the Home Furnishings area near the picture frames and lamps. They are a Wal-mart brand item, Mainstays or Hometrends and they are so inexpensive. They are usually $3.76 and come in white, black, navy, red and burgundy frame colors. From time to time other colors are available depending on the season. I just love being a salesperson for my store! LOL! I like to dry sponge brush mine with a little acrylic paint to make them a little bit weathered looking. They are battery operated and require one AA battery.

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If you look at the clock face you will see that the clear plastic cover just sits in the the frame and is held in place by two tabs at 12 and 6. Just slide a thin butterknife (one of my favorite scrappin' tools) in there and gently pry the clear cover off. Next remove the hands by pulling them up. (The butterknife may help here as well.) the face of the clock is just a printed paper. Pull it out carefully and use it as a pattern for your clock. Embellish it as you wish and put it back together in reverse of how we took it apart.

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Some tips that I picked up by trial and error. If you are going to use something lumpy (like buttons) for your number markers make sure that you sit them in from the edge slightly so that there is room for the clear cover to go back on. If you plan to put anything on the hands of the clock (like butterfly stickers) be sure that they are still able to pass over each other freely, otherwise they will get stuck at noon most of the time. Be sure to test it before you alter it, so that if it doesn't work you haven't wasted time and supplies only to have a great looking nonfuctioning clock. ( It IS, quite honestly only a $3 clock from Wal-mart that has probably traveled more miles to get to you than most people will travel in a lifetime, the trip may have killed it! Just take it back to your friendly Walmart and they will exchange it for a new one!) Take the battery out before mailing your clock, nothing raises eyebrows in a post office line like a ticking package.

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If you check out some of the galleries at Two Peas or Splitcoast Stampers and search for altered clocks you will find tons of great ideas for making clocks!

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Nineteen and a half hours til vacation! WOOOOHOOOO!

Take care!

It is beginning to be my time of year!

School is back in session, Friday night football games, Crisp cool evening air.

YES! I love Autumn! ( I don't think that you are supposed to capitalize it, but I think it deserves a capital "A"!)

I am anxious for apples to be available fresh from the orchard! Apple pie, apple dumplings, apple butter! Carving pumpkins, scarecrows, and hardy mums. Piles of leaves, beautiful scenic drives, BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

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Check out the beautiful placemats I picked up at my place of employment. Won't they make the cutest purses for me to accessorize with while I am doing all my wonderful Autumn activities. (Just $2.88 each, still looking for some ribbon to coordinate for the handles.)

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I think that I may be a bit delusional...Just two more 9 hour stints at Wally-world before I have an 11 day vacation. Not going anywhere in particular, just NOT GOING TO WAL-MART! Yeeeeeeeeeahhhhhhhhh!!!!

Take care!

A few baby gifts...

these should be arriving today or tomorrow via the USPS.

Hand stamped birth announcements for Peyton Elizabeth Brooke Beaty.

A Winnie the Pooh Altered clock, picture frame, and a jar night light.

Welcome to the world Peyton!

Proud parents are Kenny's cousin Belinda and Jason Beaty.

Congratulations!

Happy Birthday Honey!

(You are sooooo lucky I love you! The story of the cake...)
So I get up yesterday morning to work on food for my DH's birthday. We had a few of his fireman buddies over and our nice neighbors and my family last evening for a little food and a redneck bonfire. Top of the list for his birthday food was the THE CAKE. (You all know THE CAKE, the Old Fashioned Apple Stack Cake... what i refer to as the PITA cake.) Soooooo I get out the mixer, but before I can get to mixing I have to get to sifting.... the dry ingredients need sifted not once, not twice, but THREE times.

So while all that sifting is going on, I get the apple filling started on the stove top. (Yes, I cheated.... I used premade applesauce instead of peeling, chopping and cooking down fresh apples... turn me into the Gourmet Police!) So, sift, sift, sift... cooking on the stovetop, and oh yeah... the oven preheating to 400 degrees. Mix up the batter.... Remembering that I love my DH and this is really the only thing that he asked to have for his birthday....

Another shortcut, I used disposable pans. Hey, this cake is 10 layers, sue me! (I threw them away after I was done with them too!) So bake 10 layers, 3 at a time, stacking them with apple filling in between. By now it is a little later in the morning and the temp and humidity are rising, and having the oven on at that high temp for that long has turned my house into an oven all its own. Ten layers later the below pictured cake is all done, my house is still about 120 degrees, and this cake is NOT VERY PRETTY. (The cake decorator in me really can't stand that!)All that aside, this is only the third time in 8 years that I have made this cake. My DH has fond memories of this cake and his Papaw Frank and that is why he likes it so much. I would make the cake again, but please only in the dead of winter! This is the first time that I actually hit the 10 layer mark. We had it for dessert tonight. I made something else for the picnic dessert, I will share it with you later.

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Happy Birthday Honey, I Love You!

Yummy Christmas Recipes!

This is also one of my card club's projects, a recipe tag swap, Christmas theme. I am having such good time making these little tags that I find it hard to stop! I already have my next 2 done and I am starting on a third one. ( I am not even sure that we are to be making that many, but I just can't stop myself!) I love the size, although it is rather small, so that makes it a challenge. I also decided for myself when we started this swap that I would not purchase anything new to complete the tags. I have come to the realization that I could likely scrapbook and card craft for the rest of my life and not need to buy anything but adhesives and albums/pages. It has been so much fun going through my stash and using it up! I have come across so many cute things that I forgot I had. I have also really been getting some mileage out of my collection of Christmas theme rubber stamps. I wish I could accurately describe the good feeling I have been having working on my cute little tags! Listen up card club gals, I hope we are planning to do another one of these in a different theme after Christmas!

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Travis is going back to Pittsburgh tonight and I have to tell you that it is hard to see him go. I loved having him here for the summer and he had a great time here. He would like to stay and try school here and we would love to have him full time. My heart is a bit heavy over his leaving. I really get a kick out of some of the things he comes up with and he often gives me a new perspective. He is a whiz kid with motors, switches, and making gadget out of his toys. Thankfully I have gotten over the feeling that he is destroying his "good" toys by harvesting parts from them to build his newest invention. I have a regular remote control car graveyard here. I also have a collection of really bizarre gadgets courtesy of T's chop-shop. I think his Dad is going to miss him a great deal as well, but he will cope by going on a search and recovery mission for his kidnapped tools!

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Take care!

Need a good LAUGH?

Check out this auction from ebay...

LOT OF POKEMON CARDS

and then check out her blog

BECAUSE I SAID SO

I am sure to be exhausted tonight and foul beyond words... we inventory today and I will go in at 4 PM to an absolute mountain of crap (sorry.... fine merchandise that just needs put away) that can't go back to the sales floor until they are done counting for the day.

Have a good day... Take care!

Post #101!

It hardly seems like I have done this 100 times! I just am so hooked on it though! Mostly I love coming home and checking to see the comments, so keep them coming! LOL!

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I wanted to share some stuff from my card club with you all today. We meet once a month to make cards and have lunch and visit. It is sooooo much fun and I just love all the great ideas that I get from the gals! We do a $5 scrap/card related gift exchange and someone teaches a make and take. The hostess is in charge of bringing dessert. ( Dark chocolate pudding cake with peanutbutter frosting anyone?)

How about these neat fall theme stamps and accessories! They were my exchange gift from the last card club meeting. (Thanks Connie!) I am working on some cards using them!
This was our make and take project. BS#1 showed us how to make this cute little tote from a sheet of 8.5 x 11 cardstock. Super simple and you can make it to coordinate with absolutely anything! This is one of those projects that I am sure to make many many times! Thanks Barb!

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Can I just say that I may be in the minority, but I have actually enjoyed the past couple days of rainy weather. It has been pretty awful for the Somerset County Fair to have this weather, but I am loving it. Rainy days are my favorite scrapping days. No need to make excuses to be inside. No guilt about not being outside when it is beautiful.

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Just to answer some questions from yesterday's post... The flowers were silk. Purchased at the WOW outlet in Greensburg I think. I mostly use silk flowers on my cakes now. Icing flowers take too much time to make, are too fragile and you can't eat them anyway. (They taste like dirt, and trust me I know what dirt tastes like... there's a title for a blog.... "Confessions of a Former Dirt Eater")

Alrighty... off to Wal-mart for me! I'll be back to check for comments later! Take care!

Flowers and a Cake~~~ Hawaiian Style

Congratulations April and Drew!

The bride's bouquet above. Her colors were fuchsia and orange and her favorite flower is the hibiscus. Below are the bridesmaids bouquets. I just love the VIBRANT colors she chose! I have to admit that the flowers were quite a challenge for me. I am just glad that they were pleased with them!
The cake , some traditional white and also some of a family favorite, burnt sugar. Decorated with white chocolate seashells and brown sugar sand. There are few feelings better than cutting that last slice of wedding cake. It feels like the entire weight of the whole cake that has been sitting on your shoulders since you set it up that morning has been lifted away. It is kind of like you set the cake up and then hold your breath until it is cut. That first breath is the best feeling. Also wanted to thank the happy couple for NOT smashing the cake, I was so proud of them! They were being encouraged to do it and they kept their promise not to and that means quite a lot to me.
So, after the wedding it was off to Kenny's boss's annual picnic. What a fun time! We stayed up wayyyyyy to late. Like I mentioned before... I had considered not even getting out of bed on Sunday. I did sleep until a little bit after noon. Took a super long shower and just lounged around the house in my comfy plaid shorts and a well worn Dr. Suess t-shirt. Watched some TV and cat napped in the recliner! I feel quite refreshed!

Buttons and Ribbons!

(About the only things in my life that are organized at the moment!)

Someone asked about the crop that I help to organize at Camp Harmony.

Here are the details...
Fall Crop Day at Camp Harmony
Saturday, November 10, 2007
9:00 AM to 8:00 PM
$30 Registration
Meals included, Goodie Bag too!
Make and Takes
Door Prizes
and NEW this time
Additional Vendors (TBA)

If you would like a registration flyer drop me a comment and I will get one to you!

Take care... probably no blog tomorrow and I may not get out of bed on Sunday!

Just a quick post to let you know I am still here!

My craft room looks like a flower shop exploded in it. The house smells like chocolate cake. I have Christmas scrapbook supplies out!

Crazy combo, I know!

I will post some pics of all that after things settle down, probably Sunday!

Our Happy Camper!

There are the makings of one of those Mastercard commercials in these pictures. Something like...

Frame pack $59.99

Camel-Bak $9.99

One kid so loaded down he can barely stand up, but still grinning from ear to ear... ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS!

Sincerely, if some one tapped him on the chest I think he would fall right over and be stuck there like a turtle on his back with his legs kicking in the air!

I just hope that they have a good weather week and a great time rafting. And please dear God, let him bring his glasses home with him this year!

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Hey on a personal note, if anyone has any good job leads for someone with 15 years in customer service send them my way... If the crime at my store doesn't stop I am seriously hunting for a new job. It is ridiculous!

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Busy week here, I apologize to my BS's if I don't blog so much. Take care!

I will *ALMOST* be glad to go back to work tomorrow... LOL... Not not REALLY!

Seriously, it was a pretty busy weekend... Friday we spent the entire morning and part of the afternoon making pot pie. Ham pot pie and Chicken pot pie, about 50 quarts of it. Which is really just a warm up for Labor Day weekend when we make over 100 quarts for the Fall Harvest Gospel Music Festival at Camp Harmony. Friday's pot pie was for my church for a fundraising effort.

Even though it is so much work to make, I love doing it. There is something quite relaxing about running the flour and shortening through your hands until you can feel that it is combined just right. Working the water into the dry ingredients until the dough is mixed but not working it too much because you don't want it to be tough. Rolling the dough.... Cutting through it with the pizza cutter (not quite how Grandma Jake did it... but hey you know us kids and our new fangled gadgets!)
and here is the secret... don't be afraid of the flour.... flour is your friend.... be generous with it when you are rolling that dough out and I promise you that your pot pie will have the best gravy in the world just from the flour that cooks off of the dough squares!

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It was quite a busy weekend... two birthday cakes decorated one for an 8 year old boy and one for an 80 year old lady. Worked at the PAC concession stand on Saturday evening. They put on an amazing production of the Music Man.

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Dropped Travis off at Camp this evening. I am praying for some good weather for them. I hope that they get to watch the stars a little bit tonight. I hope that they got to see some of the meteor shower. I just love to watch the "shooting stars."

More blogging to come this week. I have lots of pictures loaded up!

Some Freebies!

I love to get things in the mail that are not BILLS or JUNK! One way to guarantee some USPS surprises is to sign up for free samples. Here are some that came my way this week.

Just click on the links below and you can have some surprises of your own!

Folgers Coffee

Bausch & Lomb Wear & Care

Downey Pure Essentials

Reynolds Parchment Paper

Reynolds Slow Cooker Liners

Sunsweet Products

Sunsilk Hairapy

Take care!

A Wedding Shower!

My cousin Josh is marrying the sweetest gal this fall. Today was their wedding shower for our side of the family. We had one down here for her with us since she lives a few hours away... North meets the South! LOL! Probably a good thing to let her family get to know us a little bit at a time since we are quite a bit to take all at once. I remember the first time Kenny met the WHOLE family, we had only been dating about two months and I took him to the big July 4th Bash. He fit in just fine though!

The pictures today are of the gifts that I made for Josh and Brianna. She is doing her kitchen in a cherry theme and she got sooooo many really cute things. I can't wait to see her kitchen all decked out with the fun & pretty things! They tease Bri all the time about not being such a good cook, and if you know my family it is ALLLLLLLL about the FOOD! My gifts to her were an altered kitchen clock, a post it note holder/pen set(thanks for that idea BS#1), and a cookbook that I have been working on for over a year. It is a collection of over 170 recipes from family and friends.

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I have to confess that I am truly someone who works best under pressure. As of this morning none of her gifts were completed. The clock and post it holder weren't even started! I knew what I wanted them to look like, but was just having a hard time getting started on them. I think a lot of it was that the cookbook has been such a special project for me that it was hard to complete the first one. Kind of scared that it wouldn't turn out as good as what my expectations were for it. Now that I have the first one done.... everyone wants one! LOL!! (I keep telling them that Christmas is coming!)

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I also must confess that I was nearly in tears when it came time for her to open my gift. The suspense and apprehension was killing me! I wanted her to love it as much as I loved making it for her. I guess after working at it for so long it was hard to give it away. I think it is a little silly that I was so concerned that she would like it and even sillier that I got so emotional about it. Let me just say that I was not disappointed by her reaction and I am now relieved to have one completed copy of the book out there! I can also say that we are so blessed to have Brianna joining our family.

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Take care!

Holy Windmills!

This is one of the three windmills that are standing right now on the Ridge Road heading toward Route 30. I have seen other ones up close, but I guess you forget exactly how massive they really are. When you are driving toward themand get the first glimpse of the three of them it is kind of jaw dropping, stop you in your tracks, make you stand there an wonder how on earth do they get them to stay standing. Just to give you an idea how big they are.... that little person in the left corner of the above picture is Travis. He is almost 5 feet tall and standing at the base of one of the windmill posts. The shot below is a closer picture of the blades all harnessed up and ready to be lifted to the post.
There is plenty of controversy surrounding these windmills. I don't know exactly were my opinion stands. I think with all things there is some truth to what both sides have to say, and that you can make statistics read any way that you want to manipulate them. One of the most interesting things is how some people think that they are the magestic and beautiful and another will think they are an ugly eyesore. Beauty in the eye of the beholder and all.

Any thoughts?

Some Random Friday Thoughts

I was Susie Homemaker today... made Pan Fried Pork Chops, REAL Mashed Taters and Gravy and Sweet Corn for dinner.... gonna bake a little something later tonight too. I have a massive zucchini that our neighbor gave us, so if you have any good zucchini recipes send 'em my way!

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We are going to take a drive up over the hill tonight to see how the windmills are coming along. We are getting some about a mile and a half up over the hill from our house. I think that it is a great place for them, I know that it is darn windy up on that ridge in the winter time when the snow is drifting all across the road. I will take the camera and see if I can get some good pictures of them. Everyone says that they are absolutely massive. We did see some close up in Somerset a year or so ago. There is one that you can drive right up to and it has a geocache nearby.

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Are you Pennsylvania Proud? Pay attention in Civics class or American History?

This came to me from my friend Peggy. I was actually quite surprised at how many I got right!

Pennsylvania Visitor's Center Quiz

Let me know how you did!

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Tomorrow is my family reunion. The Shroyer Family, my paternal grandmother's family. Should be lots of good food, some kids games, bingo, visiting.... all that good stuff. It is kind of strange though, I am not entirely sure how all of them are related.

I hate the first five days of the month!

My place of employment turns into an absolute zoo!

The following are fantasies of what Iwould REALLY like to say instead of smiling and being nice! No need to comment, just venting a little.

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For the record... I cannot cash your paycheck if you do not have proof of identity, no your Social Security card is not a PHOTO ID, neither is a credit card, library card, or a photograph of your family. I also cannot cash your check if it is dated for tomorrow, come see me tomorow and we can talk!

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I do not know why your EBT card is not working, this is the Curse at Me Desk, call the place that issued the card to you I am sure they can help you.

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We have a 90 day return policy, last time I checked, Christmas was still in December...well past 90 days for returning your doggies Santa suit. Who is next in line???

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I cannot call the fire department or the police because you locked your keys in your car. They do not do that. You can call AAA if you are a member or a locksmith or towing service if you like. Heck, I can even let you call someone to bring you the spare set, or a taxi to take you home. Would you like to to look at the bus schedule? Nope, sorry the guys in our garage are not permitted to try to open your car. (We have paid too many times for damaging vehicles, so we don't do that anymore.) So here is the number for a locksmith, you decide.... Have a nice day.

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There is so much more on my mind that happpened the past few days, not much of it kind or PC, so I will just keep it to myself. That being said... next year I will get four weeks of vacation time and I am stockpiling my personal days.... I know there is a way that I can stretch them out so that I don't have to be here at the beginning of the month..... HMMMMM, sounds like a plan to me!

Southern Fried Chicks, Free Font...

If you need to just crack up laughing let me recommend the Southern Fried Chicks to you! I have watched them three times on CMT and am still laughing til I get teary eyed. My guys even love them! Think of what the Blue Collar Comedy guys would be if they were women and you will get the idea! Set your VCR to tape them and watch it when you need a little pick me up!

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Travis and I have also been watching Burn Notice on USA network on Thursday evenings. Kind of a fun show, he is almost McGuyver like in how he fashions all these neat gadgets out of wire, cell phones, duct tape....right up Travis' alley! The main character, played by Jeffrey Donovan, is pretty easy on the eyes as well....that is the part that I like! LOL!

I am not a total TV addicted couch potato this summer, just a few select shows.

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I got this free font download in my mailbox yesterday. It is from Creating Keepsakes magazine and is a Becky Higgins font. If you are a font junkie like me I hope you enjoy it!

Free CK Becky font.

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My parting words today are... I have been working at the cookbook, to be completed by Friday. I will for sure post pics when it is done. Looking for some one willing to go see Hairspray with me at the movies. (My guys will have no part of it! LOL!) Lastly, I got my fall/winter Stampin' Up catalog and WOW is it great!

Take care!