Yikes! I'm a guest blogger...

Ok, my blogging buddy over at Tuxedo Inn has been so sweet as to give me some props over at her place. The thing is, I haven't blogged in a while...sooooo...you have to go back a ways to find any of the "me" bits, so I figure, in honor of our long distance friendship, I will just inject a bit of my real self back into this blog. Thing is, I haven't really done much lately...work has been exhausting, family has been exhausting and my fantasy life of being cool and doing cool things has suffered. I don't watch much tv, my back constantly goes out and ...wait a second, you don't want to hear this kind of stuff!!! Much to boring. So, let's focus on the fantasy for a mo'...
It wasn't that long ago, when my lust for all things Top Gear and of course, James May; led me to the racy, and exciting Tuxedo Inn. I am not sure exactly which Google search did it, but I remember reading the line about James May having much more fun than she did and I was pretty much hooked from my first visit. It is pretty fun to go back and read some of our interchanges from the early days, when the Doctor and Captain Jack featured heavily in our musings, and then, not long after I met Bob, her faithful Camel roomie, who has such eclectic taste in music. It has been quite a pairing, since the Innkeeper and I have post after post of lives that show many signs of having the same course on so many subjects that I have lost count, and I find it kind of amazing that we actually live in sort of the same geographical area, and that one of those infamous "meet-ups" is inevitable. Since our schedules are near polar opposite, it has been a challenge, but we are up to those...
So, it has been a fun and exciting ride, especially since I think you would be hard-pressed to find two women of our approximate ages who are just as interested in the cars as the presenters on the Infamous Top Gear. Maybe they exist, but I can't find them in my walk of life. I don't know much about horsepower and torque, I don't know exactly what a carburetor does, or how to install brake pads, but I know what I like. And I know I'd like someone to teach me about it, preferably an English bloke with a flowery shirt and wild hair, but, hey, I digress.
Justine and I have lately been enraged by America's ridiculous desire to attempt to recreate Top Gear as a show in this country. AGAIN. I thought it was slightly amusing when Jay Leno had his failed attempt at a show and did manage to almost succeed at the Reasonably priced car bit, however, I have to admit that he really didn't manage to capture that particular Britishness that Top Gear manages so well...and I think it is in that one unobtainable point that all American Top Gears will always fail. They try to hard to do something which an American can NOT do and that is be British. Look to Gwyneth Paltrow...study and learn. American men can NEVER be the TG3. That brilliant combination of Jeremy, Richard and James can not be recreated on these shores. The races from country to country, the foreign GPS voices, the Chunnel...where in America can you go for this sort of entertainment???
However, do not give up, you lovers of Englishmen and sporty cars. We have the answer for you. Justine and I have agreed to attempt an American version of Top Gear that we feel doesn't try to replace it or recreate it. Just honor it. And therein lies it's brilliance. We will not attempt to be British, but we will not try very hard to be Americans either. Who better to bring Top Gear to an American audience without sullying it with American-ness...two aging Anglophiles who have had to form a support group to deal with their obsession with aging Englishmen.
It could work...

My dreams... almost real...

I am pretty sure I have posted before about this incredible artist. In fact, if I haven't, then I will need to be severely reprimanded. So much of the way I view life and what is beautiful has been influenced by the art of Carl Larsson. His gentle way of looking at everything, the colors he used and the beauty of faces and places he captured forever, have always seemed to me to be close to perfect. I want to just disappear into those pictures...those scenes of his everyday life that are filled with so much happiness and freedom! The rooms are simple but lovingly decorated with small touches of color and flowers and little trinkets that show you that this was a family that cared for each other and their home. They sought out beautiful places to play and carry out their necessary activities. If I could step into any pieces of art, they would be these...I love looking at them and finding ways to bring that beauty into my life, and the lives of my family. I never am quite satisfied, but that is ok, because that failure keeps me always trying...






images from the Carl Larsson website (signature) and a general image search pulled up the print entitled, Crayfishing by Carl Larsson, watercolor, 1897

6 x 6 Scripture Book- Close to My Heart

A notice on the Close To My Heart Bulletin Board got me thinking about joining the 6 by 6 Scripture Swap, and I was curious about how exactly one went about making a 6 by 6 Scripture page. After looking at a few other blogs I decided to try my hand at one of the books myself to give as a gift. I look forward to seeing how my sweet Mom-in-law likes this book, but I will probably leave out that part about not being able to afford to buy her any gift after two CTMH orders so far this month... Still, I think this is prettier than anything I could have picked up, and I learned that embossing is fun (!) and that 6 by 6 Scripture Swaps might be nice to join! I only used about 1/2 of a Level 2 Paper Pack, I chose Grace, and I used some of the matching Stickease and the Childhood Portrait My Acrylix stamp set. All together I figure it took about 3 or 4 hours to make. Not too bad for a gift! I also used some of the pearls from one of our Connections Club sets from last year. I used Cocoa ink to distress all the edges, found a color similar to Barn Red on my printer and OH, I added some of the honey cardstock, which didn't come in the Level 2 kit, I don't think, but I pulled it from my stash. I used probably 3/4's of a sheet in all. I totally adore this stampset, and I think it embossed really nicely, though I need to put in some practice to get it just right, these are my first embossed images, and I used Versamark ink pad with the Cocoa embossing powder. The ribbons are just some from my stash...not sure of the brand, but I think I got them at a local SB store. It was a fun project, and if I could get a few folks together I would love to offer it as a workshop! We shall see! I think it would make a nice Christmas gift. I chose Scriptures that all had to do with Thankfulness, but you could search under any topic and find similar verses to meet your needs. Thanks for looking! I am making a change to my blog, and putting up more of my crafty-type stuff, so stay tuned!

Christmas in September...

Well, here it comes. Now begins that time of year that seems to start with a yawn and stretch and then quickly steamrolls us right to the end of the year. I read in interesting thought on a wonderful little blog Posie Gets Cozy about the old year folding itself up and touching corners and I think of her and her fam every time I fold a sheet or blanket or towel. Some things just get kind of stuck in your head! You should definitely check her blog out. It is a sweet treat! I am busy playing around with paper and making cards. The idea for this card came from all the latest trends on other people's blogs, like the adorableness of making pleated paper"ribbon", and the pleated paper rosettes. I have always loved paper and have very fond memories of getting ready for back to school because it meant new paper, crayons, and glue. I think some things really never do change! The UPS man makes me so happy when he shows up with my new Close To My Heart goodies! Gotta love 'em! Here's my pretty little ruffly Christmas card. I like the way it turned out but I still haven't perfected the art of sewing on paper. My machine sometimes makes mincemeat out of it, so I suppose I will have to go buy one of those little el-cheapo paper stitching machines. Probably save the wear and tear on my Brother anyway!

Wreaking Havok...

I'm too old for this...

Test Post closeup

Still just a test...

Test Post

Just testing out an image. If this had been an actual blog entry you would have been advised of how to proceed...this is only a test...

Smallish Cakes...

I am back.
I know it has been awhile since I posted anything, but I can't really say why. I haven't been busy, or in a funk. I haven't been away or on a little mental vacay. I just haven't posted. Silly, I know, but there it is. I had a revelation today, though, and wanted to S-H-A-R-E.
Here goes:

Thisis a Rubber Scraper. It is designed to get the last drop of cake batter, cookie dough, etc. from your mixing bowl. It is also a baker's worst enemy. Sort of like the Devil in rubber form.












Allow me to explain...if you own one of these hideous utensils, you will likely use it to scrape the sides and bottom of your mixing bowls clean as a whistle when you make some toothsome concoction, and then you will be missing out on one of the great joys of baking. When I make a cake, I use something completely useless to scrape out the bowl, just so I am sure to get plenty of batter for myself, of course, I can not share with the children, because raw eggs could harm them. I am a better mother than THAT, I tell you. So as my cake is baking, I enjoy a pretty substantial treat, and I will also let you in on a little secret. Warm cake batter is EVEN BETTER than room temperature cake batter! This is more than just a guess! One day, after I had popped my cake in the oven I realized that the amount of batter I left myself was insufficient to take the edge off of my craving and so I stuck a large spoon into the Bundt pan to get some more. It was warm and lovely. I do still leave some in the bowl, but I usually find a deep spoon and steal some from the warmed pan full of batter-ey wonderfulness. I recommend trying this immediately. Of course, be prepared for your cakes to be a little on the smallish side...

Ways to help

http://www.pih.org/home.html
Doctors Without Borders
The Salvation Army has Paypal enabled donations, and also has a text system set up to take your donations through your cell phone bill. Please check their website for exact numbers.
Please do something to help.
The destruction is unfathomable.

Need

Pray, pray, pray for Haiti. Then search for ways to donate and help. Make sure they are legitimate so your money and resources go to people in need. Then pray again...

Resolutions Part Une

Pictorial rundown of what I'm feeding my brain for January...

Good Night Sweet Prince...

Thankfully BBC America has at last heard American voices and aired a hugely popular show in a timely manner(Thanks, BeebA!).
Just finished watching the final David Tennant Doctor Who incarnation. It had its moments...great Wilf moments, great Doctor moments, great worst. rescue. ever. moments. I am off tomorrow to find a cactus for the windowsill.
I did love the wrap ups of all the aliens and characters we have loved, though since I was watching with the kids, I should have known to turn it for the Jack Harkness, Man Tart of the Universe scene. Not like they didn't know what was going to happen, and it was mild by Man Tart standards, but I've never let them watch Torchwood because it is pretty in your face with the whole homosexual normalization. I guess because they are dealing with aliens, they take a little liberty, I'm just sayin'... Anyway, all in all, I laughed and I cried, I looked back with fondness, and looked forward with trepidation. I suppose all of us who LOVE David Tennant will have a predisposition to dislike this "New" Doctor, but as I watched the trailer for the upcoming season, I saw some things that made me very optimistic...I hadn't given much thought to it, strangely, but, DUH, with Stephen Moffat at the helm, the chances are great that there will be some AMAZING episodes.
"Blink" is probably my all-time favorite Doctor Who Episode, followed closely by "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances". In fact when I look back over the episodes that have really stayed with me, they are overwhelmingly Stephen Moffat episodes. I would say that this is a good sign! Plus, watching Matt Smith in the last few seconds of the episode that just aired, I think it would be a great idea to give him some time to relax into the task and feel at home in The Doctor's coat. I won't judge anything for the first few episodes, I'll just sit back and see what comes out of it. In the mean time, I will leaf through my DVD collections and relive all the old times. Revisit the friends I've made over the last 5 years or so, ever since Christopher Eccleston brought the Doctor back to life. I do believe I will miss the tenth incarnation a little more than the rest... Good times....

Rescue me...

I love animals. I really do! I have a West Highland Terrier, he is kind of like my hyperactive toddler dog. Kind of? No, he is actually my hyperactive toddler dog. It is like having a three year old in the house again. We had planned on getting a pair of Westies and having puppies grace our home occasionally, but about a year after we got Angus, we were shocked to discover he was actually a puppy mill puppy. We bought him from what we thought was a reputable local purveyor of pets, not an actual breeder, but we got papers for him and thought all was on the up and up. Turns out not so much. We thought we had to choose a hypo-allergenic dog for my daughters allergies, so we looked and looked until we found our perfect puppy. Well, I love my dog, but any thoughts of breeding went right out the window. He is all terrier, but we couldn't risk passing along any undesirable or dangerous traits to a batch of pups. So, we settled in to life with one dog. Occasionally, I would check Craigslist or the local paper for dogs, I volunteer for my local shelter as a foster family for kittens and cats, but never really happened upon anyone I felt I had to add to the fam. Until now. Then I found her. I went to meet her and do the paperwork yesterday and she is perfect. I can't wait to bring her home! I wonder what Angus will think.....

Merry Christmas James May

...and David Tennant
...and Noel Fielding
...and God bless us, everyone!

My first SWAP! I'm so excited!

I have gone and joined a Valentine's swap. I actually have been wanting to do this for quite some time, but wasn't sure I was actually up to it. I have looked at the stuff these folks do, and I feel a little intimidated sometime, but a Vintage Valentine doll swap popped up on my radar, and I have a LOVELY pattern for an angel with a heart full of vintage-y valentines, as well as a bag full of Valentine's from the 40's and 50's, so I am READY to PLAY! Because there is a blogroll of participants, I decided to post one of my dolls so folks could see what kind of dolls I make.
This is Stella. She is painted muslin with needle-felted hair and painted features. She is all decked out and was on display over the Fourth of July holiday at my house. I love her and my angel pattern is similar, so I am confident it will be swapworthy! I love all kinds of crafts and dolls actually, especially working with felt, but she is one of my faves. Wish me swappish kind of luck! I am so excited!

Multiple Choice Weather

If you look at the satellite picture of Virginia right now, it looks like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man has been up to his old mischief again. All over the state. I am thinking this is a bad sign. From the border we share with West VA. to nearly Williamsburg it is one huge blob of melted mallow. Having suffered today from a blackout of my information gathering capabilities by a poorly timed upgrade by my friendly local cable/internet/phone provider, I am now able to see the radar picture and hear the forecast that I really didn't want to hear. The last time we had snow like this it took me 4 hours to drive home from work. This is normally a 25 minute drive. That is a ___% increase (math nerds please insert answer here...) in travel time which I am assuming I will have to repeat tomorrow. Geez. Can't I find a job where I don't have to leave the house? It would really come in handy when the weather outside is frightful. So, long story short, no Feel Good Friday today. I don't feel good, and it is almost Saturday, so we'll skip it for this week. I really wanted to post something crafty today in honor of my blogging bud RunLoriRun and her great success being in print and all. Give her a click and check out her totally awesome creations and drop her a Congrats comment. And I promise to post something craft next week. Wish me luck!

Random Dancing! (in photos)

That is a reference to my lovely daughter's fave tv show. iCarly. Apparently it is THE BEST.
I love taking pictures, even though I am not terrribly great at it. I don't take the time to actually read any booklets or follow any directions. Oh no! Otherwise, I might actually GET good at it. I'd just have less time to take the pictures because I spent so much time READING about taking them. However, I do know what I love to look at, so I end up with pictures that others might not understand, but I totally get. I decided to share a few of my less recognizable shots from around Disney, as well as introduce you to a few new friends I made while I was there....









Alright already. If anyone has stuck in there with me till the end of this post, you should win something. Maybe you should win several weeks without me posting Disney pictures??? Tomorrow I will post pics my son took while we were there, which shows his budding skill and good eye, and I will mention that I had to pry my new camera out of his hand after I got off my first ride ever. I did NOT need that kind of stress on my vacation! I did start to feel that I was seeing my vacation through the eye of a handycam, though, so I slacked off a bit on day three. However, when I downloaded after getting home, which I think is a bit like a military debriefing, I ended up with over 900 pictures and something like 35 videos. Several times while watching them, my laptop sort of imploded and cut off. I can only imagine what would have happened if I hadn't paced myself as well as I did....

Disney continued...

Here's a few more pics from the vacation of a lifetime! The had this wonderful miniature village set up with several train sets running through it. We spent a long time there just following the trains, looking at the details on the little houses and sets. Take a close look and see if you can spot the filming of a Japanese monster movie...

In keeping with the "monster" theme, my daughter loved the Panda puppet, so I told her she could try it out, and lo and behold, here comes big brother with the dragon. aaaah....to be young, but not the youngest!
Oh if only I could go back for a day or five, or seven.....I told the kids today that when I do go back, I will get through those gates and RUN RUN RUN to the Haunted Mansion! They will not be able to keep up, but there will be no doubt about where they can find me...