I'm rolling out the official welcome wagon to my Canadian visitors! I've noticed a spike in website traffic hailing from up North...I'm not sure where you all came from...but I'm glad you found me! I add new stories almost everyday, and I don't charge per visit, so please, check back often! Feel free to leave comments if you like (seriously, how did you find me?). I read and answer every single one...sometimes twice...well the reading part...I probably won't answer you twice...you know what I mean.

We're still working on getting the 'about' and 'contact' pages done...hang in there everybody! Larry had the flu for a week and a half, so minimal (read: no) work was done last week on the behind the scenes stuff.

I have some new card samples that I'll be uploading in the next few days, so be on the look out for those.

One last thing...I got a yellow sticker deal at the grocery store today...when I wasn't even looking for one! I was there for getting some things for work, when I rounded the corner and found a bin of bottled water...the 16oz. size...for 10 cents a bottle! A weight watchin' girl's dream come true...bottled water on the cheap! Okay, so a Weight Watcher's dream is probably no points chocolate fudge cake or something similar...but I'll take ten cent water. Besides, if I drink water with my chocolate fudge cake it balances everything out...riiiiiight?!

Posted by Courtney at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Those of you that don't know me...I live in Northern Ohio...there are few fish that can be eaten that are truly a "fresh catch"...and they're fish you wouldn't necessarily want to eat...now for the story...Larry and I went to Outback for dinner last night. We had some remaining dollars on a gift card we got for Christmas, so dinner was only $15 with the tip. Not bad! As we were seated the host instructed us that the menus were at the back of the table, blah blah blah. The exchange went like this:

Host: Your menus are at the back of the table and our fresh catch fish of the day is Mahi Mahi.

Larry: Where'd you catch that? (Quite sarcastically and extra skeptically)

Host: (Smirking) Can't tell...it's a secret.

Larry: Okay 'cause I didn't think you were out catchin' Mahi in the lake.

The host walked away chuckling to himself. This was funny to me for a few different reasons. First of all, I was impressed that the host thought that quickly on his feet. The way Larry skeptically asked him where exactly he had caught this "fresh catch of the day" was hilarious! He later told me that all he could think of was the host out in a fishing boat in a yellow rain slicker like the Gorton's Fisherman catching Mahi on Lake Erie...a silly picture indeed. The other reason this struck us as being funny is that my Aunt Carole (who lives in San Francisco) always jokes that she can't believe anyone would eat sushi in Ohio because there's no way it's fresh enough because the ocean is too far away. We thought perhaps she'd appreciate that the host was trying to sell us the "fresh catch of the day" of Mahi Mahi...when we know full well that there was no one from Outback out catching Mahi Mahi fresh that morning on Lake Erie. Maybe they should call it the "fresh catch quite a few weeks ago and then frozen until we decided to offer it today as the fresh catch of the day". Just doesn't have the same ring to it I guess.

Posted by Courtney at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Note to the woman who had the nerve to give me the evil eye at dinner: You were the one being RUDE, not me. Receiving a cell phone call in a restaurant is pretty obnoxious...and rude to the others at your table...let alone the rest of the restaurant. After the second call I was a little less forgiving and became substantially more annoyed. I even rolled my eyes behind your back and commented to Larry about the hightened level of your rudeness. I gotta tell ya though...call number three was my breaking point. Now after the first call I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt, thinking that perhaps you had a babysitter at home with your kids and needed to be accessible. Or maybe you're an undercover FBI agent that was waiting on a case solving cell phone call...although I'd guess not. I also ruled out the fact that you were a movie star waiting on a call about an audition (fat chance), a sports agent to an NFL player (didn't think so), an on call doctor (most likely not), a fireman (don't see that one happening), an EMS worker (nah), a Secret Service Agent (something tells me that's a no), or the President of Liechtenstein (methinks that's not the case). If any of those scenarios were the case, at least I would have understood the reason for you to be carrying a cell phone, with the ringer turned up (to the volume level of 'bleeding ear'), inside of a restaurant. So after call number three I felt the urge to speak up. Maybe my choice of "GEEZ", which in fairness was said rather loudly...and snottily...wasn't the way to go. Come on though...three calls? In less than ten minutes? I couldn't help myself...and I did feel surprisingly better. Until...you gave me the evil eye. Not only did you give me the evil eye...but you took the effort to turn around in your chair so you could see the person you were delivering the eye to. I must say, though, you didn't accomplish what you set out to do because I found it to be hilarious! It's been a long time since I've received the evil eye...possibly since high school...made my day. What didn't make my day? Having the first restaurant dinner, in a long time, with my husband interrupted three times by your damn cell phone. You're not that important. Trust me.

Posted by Courtney at 1:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here you have part two of "Courtney's Plan to Make the Olympics More Dangerous" and by proxy, more interesting. If you missed part one, you'll want to read that first for a more in depth explanation as to what sparked these fabulous ideas.

Groin Shot Curling. I thought curling could use a little excitement, so here you have it. The event will be carried out the same way it is now, with the exception of one additional rule. Well, I'm not sure if it's an additional rule or an additional allowance. Each team member is allowed one groin kick, deliverable to a member of the opposing team. There is no warning necessary, in fact, I'd advise the sneak attack. Athletes will be disqualified for wearing a cup.

Polar Bear Speed Skating. This event will include a hungry polar bear. Said polar bear will not be fed 2 weeks prior to the event. Speed skaters will compete as normal except that on lap 2 the hungry polar bear will be released. Skaters will be permitted one speed skate clown who will function as a rodeo clown...his job will be to distract the polar bear. I imagine that job will not be highly sought after. The beauty of this event is that one can "win" just by outskating their slowest competitor...they don't have to be the fastest, they just have to be faster than one other person. Points will be deducted for going out of the assigned lane...and no points will be awarded if the Olympian is eaten. Extra points will be awarded for finishing the race after the polar bear chomps off an athletes arm.

Eye-Poke Ice Skating. This event will put the figure skating couples at each other's...eyeballs. Each pair will be permitted to have one member enter the rink during the performance of the couple that skates after them. That team member will be allowed to deliver one eye-poke to a member of the couple that is currently skating. The eye-poker will not be permitted to wear skates, they will be sock footed, and they will be given a time limit of 45 seconds to deliver their eye-poke. The possible eye-pokees will be awarded points for evading the eye-poke and continuing with their program. The eye-pokers can earn extra points for...successfully poking their opponent in the eye. Extra extra points will be awarded to the eye-pokers, for strategically poking, if they poke the male in the eye during a lift.

Shot Put Snowboarding. Half pipe snowboarding just got trickier. The members of the Summer Olympics track and field team will be included in this event. The snowboarders will perform their event as normal, while the track and field Olympians throw the shot put at them. Snowboarders will be given a bag with 8 grapefruit in them that they can throw at the shot putters to throw them off balance. Points will be deducted for not completing the event due to a shot put injury. Extra points will be awarded for hitting a shot put thrower with a grapefruit...two points per hit.

And there you have it. If the Olympics Committee would take these suggestions into consideration they would have a greater chance at beating American Idol. Please note: The ideas for improving the Olympics that are shared on this website are the intellectual property of the blog owner, Courtney, and they are available for sale to the Olympics Committee at a price that can be negotiated according to my mood on any given day.

Posted by Courtney at 9:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

So the Winter Olympics was trounced by American Idol in ratings last week. Want to know why? Because they show a six hour block of Olympics that covers 8-10 different events. Who the heck wants to watch five hours of skiing when what they really want to watch is the one hour of ice skating? I enjoy several of the Winter Olympic sports, but there are a few that I don't like...and I'd rather not have to watch the entire six hours of coverage...who has that kind of time anyhow? I've taken to DVRing the coverage and then fast forwarding to the parts I want to watch.

While watching the Luge I noticed that there is a point on the track where there is a V shape...where there are two entry points to the bottom part of the track. I later found out that this is because they use the same lower track for the Luge and Skeleton. That got me thinkin'...I started to forumlate a plan to make the luge more exciting. I decided that it'd be more fun if they let two Lugers start at the same time from the top and let them work it out amongst themselves when they get to the V. Whomever is there first gets to be first down the bottom half of the track. Now I know this increases the opportunity for injury...but like I said...it'd be more interesting. Then as an extra bit of fun, I think all of the sports that use the track (Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton) should be stopped using parachutes like in drag racing. Think of all the possibilities this opens up for sponsors. Companies can buy the rights to have their logo on the Bobsledders' parachutes. One company that would for sure be interested? McNeil Consumer Healthcare. Who are they? The folks that distribute Imodium A-D. They're all about making people stop going.

The other event that I think is a tad bit strange? The biathlon. This is the event that offers the joining of two sports...cross country skiing and rifle shooting. Now let's think about that for a minute. You ski...then you shoot...strange and possibly a bit dangerous. I don't know that I'd trust someone to shoot after having just skiied...out of breath...huffing and puffing...a tad unsettling. So again, that got me thinkin' and I've altered a few other Olympic events with the goal of making the Olympics more dangerous...and by proxy...more interesting. I call it "Courtney's Plan to Make the Olympics More Dangerous" which will then of course make them more interesting. I present them here for you:

Machete Ice Dancing. The athletes will be required to do their entire routines with a machete in their hand. One per person. There will be no handing off of the machete to the other partner. There will be extra points awarded if the machetes are twirled like a baton. Points will be deducted for slashing your partner's head open.

Scissor Skiing. This will be the union of cross country skiing and scissors. You know how mom always said not to run with scissors? She never mentioned skiing. The athletes will complete the cross country skiing route with a pair of scissors in each hand instead of ski poles. Points will be deducted for wearing goggles.

Landmine Slalom. The slalom hill will be peppered with landmines for this event. They will be random and different from one contestant to the next. The participants will probably want to carry a backpack with tourniquets and bandages...bloodloss affects people quickly. Extra points will be awarded for finishing the race after hitting a landmine. Points will be deducted for Olympians that compete with prosthetic limbs...landmines just don't have the same effect if there are false legs involved.

The 12 Gauge Skeleton. Ah the skeleton...racing down the luge track. In My Olympics this event will require the athlete to carry a 12 gauge shotgun down the track, and shoot targets along the way. The trick? The targets will be interspersed among the spectators. Quick thinking and reflexes will be a must for this event. Points will be deducted for shooting a spectator...obviously.

These are my first four ideas to improve the ratings of the Olympics. I know I'd watch more often if there was a chance there would be blood involved. We as a society love blood and guts, so let's update the Olympic sports to include that...it worked for CSI and all those other death ridden TV shows. Tune in tomorrow when I'll improve Speed Skating, Curling, Snowboarding, and pairs Ice Skating!

Posted by Courtney at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday morning I was rustled from my slumber at 7:30 am (on a Sunday, no less) to the sound of Larry throwing up. Lovely. He came in the bedroom after he was finished and proclaimed that he felt much better and was going to take a shower...and I should go back to sleep. He left the door to the bathroom open, I'm assuming so the dog wouldn't whine in the hallway and keep me awake.

Next thing I hear is the door to the shower sliding open, and:

"You wanna take a bath, Pixel?"

"Well come on in."

"Come on. Jump right in."

I can tell the moment he brings her in the shower because she starts to protest. He quickly closed the door and sealed her fate...she was gettin' a bath, like it or not.

At this point I could no longer sleep. I was wondering if he even had her puppy shampoo in the shower or not. Then I got to thinking that I better make sure because people shampoo isn't good for puppies. So I snuck into the bathroom and found the funniest scene ever.

Imagine this: You enter the bathroom to find your husband all soaped and shampooed up because he's taking a shower. You see him crouched down on his knees, washing the puppy...who is also all shampooed up. She's trying to escape by climbing the wall of the shower. It was priceless! My mom said, "Too bad you didn't take the camera in," because we have a clear glass shower door...woulda make a great scrapbooking moment, huh?!

Final note: He did have her puppy shampoo, and I suspect she'll never again be curious as to what exactly is going on in the shower!

Posted by Courtney at 4:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The day I've been waiting for since last November is finally here...Daytona 500 day. I've scheduled everything for the day around this event. Mom and I are going to the mall...with the understanding that we leave there by noon so I don't miss anything important. I have my race day gear all set out...Jeff Gordon lounge pants, Jeff Gordon shirt, and checkered flag socks. Sounds dorky, I know...but I don't care. I've even planned our food around the race. For lunch (which will be done pre-race so we don't miss anything) we're having tail-gate burgers and curly fries. I'm grillin' the burgers and I thought (even though it's a stretch) the curly fries would represent the springs/shocks of the cars. I also spent last night and this morning making Daytona 500 cut out cookies. I just used a sugar cookie mix, rolled them out, used a glass and a spice jar lid to make the tire shape, and frosted them.

There were quite a few fiascos involved in making these masterpieces. First I had to go to our local craft store to get a cookie cutter and black food coloring. This isn't a fiasco in and of itself...but the guy that works there belched in my face once, and he follows you around in the store like you're going to steal something...so I dread going there...but when they have what you need, well, what are you gonna do? I leave said store with my food coloring and a doughnut cutter. I figured the doughnut cutter would be perfect because it'd do all the work at once...cut out the tire and the inside. Fast forward a few days to when Larry is cleaning the kitchen. He throws away the bag with my goods...it's the day before trash day...so by the time we realized what happened it had already gone out in the trash. Side note: I did search through the 2 trash bags that were out there just in case it was post-trash-day. Of course I didn't know that the stuff was gone until it was 7pm Friday night and I had mixed up the dough, and the craft store was closed.

In comes Mom to save the day. She suggested I use a glass and cut the inside of the tires out with the lid from one of my spice jars. Merrily I went to do the cookies. I used the mix like I said, so it only made 2 dozen cookies...which is good because by the time you roll and cut out 2 dozen tire cookies, you've had enough. Plus there won't be 6 dozen cookies sitting around my house just begging to be eaten. I make plans to frost the cookies Saturday night after our Stampin' Up! workshop. No problem.

Also in the mean time, my aunt is discharged from the hospital (on Thursday actually) where she had been since Monday. I figured that she wouldn't want to be cooking, having just returned home, so I made a lasagna and some chocolate chip cookies for their family. Do you see where this is going? Saturday morning we took over their lasagna and plate of foil covered cookies. Now do you see where this is going? I didn't check the plate. I GAVE THEM OUR DAYTONA 500 COOKIES...only I didn't realize it until last night at 8pm when I mixed up the frosting, uncovered our foil covered plate of cookies to discover, much to my horror, chocolate chip cookies. I quickly called to see if there was any way I could exchange our plate for theirs. They had eaten all but 2 or 3 of the unfrosted Daytona cookies. What luck I have, huh?

We headed out to the store (only because Larry insisted...I was ready to throw in the towel) to get more cookie mix. So at 8:30 at night I started making more tire cut out cookies. They were frosted black at 9:30pm. I did the writing this morning (around 8am), and all is well. As much work and effort went into them...and as much as it seemed the powers that be were against me making them...they better be some damn good cookies!

Posted by Courtney at 8:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Want a look at the projects we did at a workshop earlier today?? I knew you did! The demos were the 6x6 page, the smile card, and the topiary card. The other two were the make-n-takes along with a jelly bean bag topper. The jelly bean bag topper is in bright springy colors and uses the bunny from Tags & More. Following the photos are the recipes for the projects.

This weekend's hostess has two daughters, so I designed this 6x6 scrapbook page for her to use for a picture of them. It uses the Print Pattern background, Classic Alphabet, and Island Blossoms stamp sets and Pixie Pink ink. The papers are my new favorite color combo, Rose Red, Certainly Celery, and Elegant Eggplant. Embellishments include the eggplant grosgrain, a silver brad, silver cord, and a clip from the pewter Hodgepodge Hardware.





I modeled this card after the card sample on page 86 of the Idea Book & Catalog...that card is pictured below mine. I simply turned the direction of the card and changed the colors and stamp sets. Colors involved are Certainly Celery and Bashful Blue. The stamp sets I used are Sweet of You and Curvy Verses. I used the Coluzzle to cut the oval and then roughed up the edges with my fingernail.



Mom did this one and it shows off our new favorite way to use the Hodgepodge Hardware...so much easier than having to glue the ribbon down, etc...you just tie the ribbon through the buckle. The colors she used are Pink Passion, Tempting Turquoise, and Apricot Appeal. Stamps include Itty Bitty Backgrounds, Tiny Talk, and Bloomin' Wonderful. Embellishments are pewter Hodgepodge and Turquoise grosgrain.



This is a technique that we just learned...it's called Crayon Resist. I'd heard of it before and just hadn't had the chance to try it out myself...I must say, I'm hooked! It looks fabulous! I wheeled the Flitting By jumbo Stampin' Around wheel in Brilliant Blue (because my black is dry and the black reinker is on order) on glossy cardstock. The glossy cardstock is the key. Next I used a white crayon to trace the outline of the butterflies. Then I used a sponge to apply Real Red, Only Orange, and YoYo Yellow ink...blending them together at the seams. The last step is to use a paper towel (or your t-shirt if you don't have a paper towel handy) and rub all over the glossy cardstock. This removes the ink where the crayon is and the beautiful white glossy paper shows through. This technique can be done with any stamp...you're not limited to wheels...so have fun and see what you come up with! I also used 'a happy hello' from All Year Cheer I in Real Red ink, and the yellow and orange grosgrain ribbons.



Sometimes it's hard with all the flowery stuff we have to come up with a masculine card, but I think this one does the trick! It uses Bravo Burgundy and Always Artichoke papers and ink. The stamp sets used are the Headline Alphabet, Birthday Best, Print Pattern background, and Everyday Flexible Phrases (or EFP as we call it). The embellishments are gold cord and gold brads. This card is a different fold than a 'normal' card. To do it you'll cut the 8.5x11 cardstock on the 4.25 mark (long ways) instead of the 5.5 (short ways), fold, and secure with the brads. The sentiment slips inside, and you can attach a ribbon so the recipient can easily pull the sentiment out, if you like.

Artwork © 1990-2005 Stampin' Up!

Posted by Courtney at 9:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One of the dangers I've run into since becoming a Stampin' Up! demo is that if I'm not careful, my "stamping time" turns into my "prepare for a party" time. Sometimes I'll end up spending all of my spare time doing things for parties (which I LOVE LOVE LOVE to do), and find I miss the excitement and fun of stamping...the excitement I felt which caused me to sign up as a demo. Don't get me wrong, I totally love being a demo...I've made some great friends and totally look forward to their upcoming parties so I can see how everyone is doing. It is nice to be able to work on my own scrapbooking and stuff...which can get pushed aside at times. That's one of the great things about being a demo, though! I set my own schedule and can take "time-off" as needed. Anyhow, I'm getting somewhere with this....

I placed an order yesterday for supplies for an upcoming scrapbooking class I'm having...and I was like a stamper in a stamp store! This is the first time in, I'd say, at least six months that I've ordered stuff for myself...just because I wanted it! The things that I've been ordering have been for workshops, my Christmas cards, etc. There are quite a few stamp items that I've had on my constantly growing wish list for a long time, and I just haven't had the chance to order them. Well I was feeling quite generous yesterday because I ordered more than I intended to, and I find that I'm feeling that excitement I used to feel as a customer. It's that I-can't-wait-for-UPS-to-arrive-because-I-ordered-fun-stuff-for-me excitement!

I just checked and the order is picking...woo hoo! The things in that box that are 'just because I want them':

Tag It personalized stamp (it says hand-stamped by Courtney)
Whimsical Alphabet Upper
Whimsical Alphabet Numbers
Celery Grosgrain Ribbon (I'm loving this color)
Bold Brights 12x12 (my stash is really low)
Paw Tracks Stampin' Around Wheel
Noteworthy (SAB freebie)
Giant Monogram 'C' from the upcoming Spring Mini Catalog
(available March 1st)

I'm anxiously awaiting the Big Brown Truck's delivery of my loot! Notice I said anxiously...not patiently...

Posted by Courtney at 10:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here comes another angel food cake recipe. This is one that Mom created and it is Dee-li-ci-ous! And low points (for my Weight Watchers gals)! This recipe uses one angel food cake. I usually get the store-bought because by the time we decide that it sounds good I'm not all about waiting 45 minutes to bake one. I did acquire a fancy shmancy angel food cake pan since my last angel food cake recipe. (Thanks, Mom!) My point is that this is one item where you will pay dearly for the convenience. Store bought angel food cakes range from $3.50 to $4.50, and when I'm buying chicken for $1.75 per package a four dollar cake is pricy.

Jello Angel Food Cakeness

1 angel food cake (store bought or homemade)
2 boxes strawberry Jello
1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
1 small container Cool Whip

Cube angel food cake and scatter in 13x9 pan. Prepare Jello according to package directions. Pour over angel food cake cubes. Sprinkle strawberry slices over top. Place in refrigerator until jello is set. "Frost" with Cool Whip.

Ways to make this Weight Watcher friendlier: Use sugar free Jello and fat free or low fat Cool Whip.

Another combo to try: Orange jello with mandarin oranges. You can also leave out the fruit and try any Jello flavor you like...mixed fruit...cherry...lemon...peach...lime...grape...the possibilites are endless!

Weight Watchers Points: 1/12th of the cake is 2.5 points. If you leave out the fruit and try a different Jello flavor, 1/12th of the cake is 2 points.

Posted by Courtney at 11:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I went to do the weekly grocery shopping yesterday afternoon around 4 pm...gotta love it when payday equals food day! When I entered the store I immediately noticed thier huge Valentine's displays of flowers, stuffed animals, candy, etc. I also immediately noticed that the floral section of the store was packed...with men! I did a quick count, while trying not to stare, and found six men in the tiny floral department of my grocery store. Six! I thought, "Ahh...the procrastinators are out..." They were all milling around perusing the flowers and such. And of course being that it was the total last minute on Valentine's Day (don't men figure out that it comes around every year on the same day?) the flowers were more overpriced than the green peppers. They were: $39.99 for a dozen roses with a stuffed teddy bear, a small pot of tulips (probably 3 bulbs) for $9.99, and a little daisy bouquet (arguably the cheapest flowers on the planet) for $7.99. Quite possibly the most outrageous was the single rose for $5.99. Now I probably shouldn't be saying the price because my younger brother (he's 16) did buy one for Mom...and she's probably reading this...and he probably doesn't want her to know how much he spent...but you've got to agree that $5.99 for one rose is a little steep. It's a beautiful burnt orange color, and he did take care to find a tightly wrapped one so it would open up and last longer. Well, Mom, at least you know he cares. He spent $6 of his own money for a rose, for you, to make your Valentine's Day special. I think everyone knows that a sixteen-year-old boy selflessly spending his own money for something for his mom is pretty darn special...especially a sixteen year old boy that thinks Valentine's Day "sucks".

Back to the story...I continue my grocery shopping. It was another Yellow Meat Victory for Team Courtney yesterday! I had to restrain myself the deals were so good! I found: two, one pound packages of ground chicken (I'm using them to make Chicken Florentine Meatballs...if they're good I'll post the recipe) for $1.35 each, a one pound package of chicken cutlets for $2.99, and four, one pound packages of chicken tenders (I'm using these to make stir fry, grilled chicken salad, and chicken broccoli casserole) for $1.97, $2.04, $2.07, and $2.21. I had to stop there. They did have pork chops and roast marked way down, too, but I feared I wouldn't have room in the freezer for all of the goods! (If you are not familiar with Yellow Meat, I refer you to this post.)

I check out ($73 for 2 weeks worth of groceries...made my Valentine's Day), and head to the car. On the way out I cast another glance towards the floral department where I spot seven different men doing thier last minute Valentine's Day shopping. Now I'm a fan of procrastination...I do it often...but I couldn't help but smile as I thought to myself that these men, they totally won the procrastination award for February 14th, 2006!

Posted by Courtney at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In honor of Valentine's Day I wanted to post these tidbits of how to be a 'good wife' that I found a while back. It's taken from a Home Economics high school text book in the year 1954. I'm sure we can all use a refresher (or a first time lesson) in how to be a good wife. We all want to make doubly sure we're good wives on Valentine's Day, don't we? The commentary that is in red text is my attempt to bring these tips up-to-date and into the 21st Century...some of them are just plain funny...I hope you have as good of a laugh as I did. Keep in mind that the black text was written in all seriousness for that 1954 text book:

1) Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal, on time. (Hamburger Helper, anyone?) This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Sounds resonable enough...of course this doesn't account for the fact that we both work...at the same place...the same hours...there's no 'have dinner ready' at our house, we ride together for pete's sake. I'm not even going to start about the whole 'concerned about his needs' malarky...

2) Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so that you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, (makeup?!) put a ribbon in your hair (I wonder if a ponytail counts?!) and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. (Read: his secretary) Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

3) Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. They're his children, too! He can wash their faces when he gets home.

4) Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer, dishwasher, or vacuum. (How does he think I'm going to get my "work" done if all of these appliances are off?!) Try to encourage the children to be quiet. (Good luck with THAT one!) Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad he is home. Glad he's home so he can watch his kids so I can go stamp...

5) Some don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he is late for dinner. (He can microwave the leftovers...IF I save him any food...) Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. (Umm...I don't ever see him offering to take off my shoes...of course that's because I'd die laughing if he did...) Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

6) Listen to him. You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first. Let him talk first...ha....that's a good one...

7) Make the evening his. Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment. (Simply go without his lame butt.) Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax. I'm sure it's much more relaxing for him if I'm out of the house...yet another reason to go out without him...

8) The Goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit. How about him just being happy with the fact that your home is the place where he eats, gets clean clothes, and spends time with his precious wife (and children where applicable)? Who needs peace and order? It's overrated anyhow...

Posted by Courtney at 8:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today I was asked two questions, by my wonderful (and usually prepared) husband regarding Valentine's Day. When he asked them I immediately said, "that's totally going on my blog". They were:

1) What exactly do you want for Valentine's Day?

2) I think I'm going to have to buy you a card (ack...the horror) because I won't have time to make one. Can't you just make one and I'll sign it?

Here's hoping that he was joking. Here's hoping that your significant other is prepared for the "holiday" tomorrow. Extra bonus points for them if they stamp your card!

Truthfully though he wouldn't have to get me anything...okay maybe a little something...but the fact that he does the laundry every week and the dishes every day is enough of a year-round Valentine's Day gift for me! Oh yeah, and the fact that he's told me "I don't mind cleaning up kid-puke"...I've stored that one away for when we have children because THAT is priceless!

Regarding the store bought card thing. Those of you that are card makers, do you find yourself cringing at the prices on store bought cards? I do! Especially at family birthday parties where the couple buys a card, then they let their kid pick out a card, too. All I can think is, "Wow. They wasted $7 on two cards. Do you know how much it would cost for them to make two cards?"

Back to the original topic...I know one thing he's getting me is a personalized "Hand Stamped by Courtney" stamp...which I've been wanting...so I guess a store bought card would be okay (said in my most un-it's-okay voice). No pressure, honey!

Posted by Courtney at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Note to the suave guy I saw wearing a wig: It's obvious. Really obvious. I like the fact that you went all out and got the full wig instead of just a hair piece, but please don't walk around as if no one has noticed that you have fake hair. I was in a car and I could tell. In fact, it was my mom who noticed...and she was on the other side of the car. How could I resist looking when she said "wow, check out that guy's rug"? I couldn't. I also replied to her, "It's covering the whole room, not just a section of the room...I think it qualifies as carpet, not a rug." It's too dark for your age, and it's too perfectly placed. Perhaps bald would be the better way for you to go. Wear a hat so you don't get cold. Believe me, hats look better than rugs. Have you seen Donald Trump lately? Case closed.

Posted by Courtney at 7:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's Saturday and I am proud to announce that I spent much of the day scrapping! I finally had the chance (last week) to get some pictures of Pixel printed...so today was the perfect opportunity to catch up my book. Here's the goods on each page:

Bath Time: I used the Headline Alphabet, Loads of Love Accessories, and Bubble Queen stamp sets, the colors are Real Red, Bashful Blue, and Whisper White. Please note: The bathtub at the top of the page normally has a lady inside, not dogs. I used the black marker to stamp only the bathtub, and the puppy dogs are from Loads of Love Accessories. I am so proud of how absolutely freakin' cute the bathtub puppies turned out! I used Crystal Effects and Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the bubbles and the flowers that surround the title. The ribbons involved are the blue and red gingham.

Pixel Perfect & Sleepy Girl: These pages use that new color combo I was talking about, Rose Red, Elegant Eggplant, and Certainly Celery. The stamping on these two is done with the retired stamp set, Quirky Alphabet, the Just Journaling lines, and the speckled background stamp from Itty Bitty Backgrounds. The titles are done on a preprinted strip from the She's Too Cool Simply Scrappin' Kit...the sticker embellishments are from there, too. Ribbon accents on these pages are silver cord and eggplant grosgrain.

Goofin' Off with dad: This page was fun to make because all of the pictures are playful! I used the retired color Positively Pink (because my 12x12 paper is from the pre-color-change days), and YoYo Yellow. The stamps used are the Headline Alphabet, Classic Alphabet, the Just Journaling lines, and the confetti is from Perfect Party. I used YoYo Yellow and Pixie Pink (close enough, isn't it?) ink. Embellishments on this page are yellow grosgrain ribbon and 3 left-over Positively Pink eyelets (glad I had those stashed away!).

Artwork © 1990-2005 Stampin' Up!

Posted by Courtney at 7:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Do you ever find yourself in a color rut? Do you have your "go to" color combinations? I'm sure we all do! To help with that you could consider purchasing the Stampin' Up! Color Wheel which offers tons of color combinations for all of the Stampin' Up! exclusive colors. Another thing that helps me when I find I'm constantly reaching for the Brocade Blue (one of my favorite colors) is to browse the catalog and find a card or scrapbook page that catches my eye. Then I can just look at the recipe in the back and I've got a new color combo to try. See, those catalogs really are a great value!

I have to tell you about my most recent "color combo I never would have thought to try if I hadn't seen it in the Stampin' Up! catalog". I was working with the Simply Scrappin' Kit "She's Too Cool" (more about how absolutely awesome these kits are is coming at a later date). The combo in that kit is: Elegant Eggplant, Certainly Celery, and Rose Red. I must say I've never even used Rose Red before. My mom and I were trying everything we could to even see what color it was because it didn't look familiar to either of us. I really wouldn't have thought to put those colors together and am glad I found that combo through that Scrappin' Kit because it looks very nice. It's an interesting girl's color combination that I urge you to try in your scrapping and card making alike!

Posted by Courtney at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Larry wakes me up every morning for work around 6:45. He usually does this by bringing the dog in to say good morning. Pixel, by 6:45 has been up since 5 am and is NOT in the mood to lay nicely. A few days ago, however, he came in and the two of them crawled under the covers. She was actually calm and just stretched out (just like a daschund does). So she's laying there, ever so cute and lovable, and the following conversation ensues:

L: If we were ever stuck, like in a blizzard, and it came down to it...would you eat the dog?

C: (shrieking) NO!

long pause

L: Oh...me neither then. long pause. You know they eat dogs, like in China.

C: That doesn't mean we would eat our dog!

L: Well I don't think they just walk up to the dog on the street and chomp into it. I think they remove the fur and stuff and prepare it.

C: That is just wrong on so many levels.

I can't believe he took that moment to suggest eating the dog. If there were ever a moment that I'd consider eating the dog it would be when she needs to go out at 2 am...when she was just out at midnight...and I know there's no way in hell she has to potty again. Now if he'd ask me then...well maybe I'd think about it...but not while she's laying all stretched out snoring softly under the covers of our nice warm bed. You just can't contemplate eating something that adorable. Think about it...if chickens were cute, would we eat them? If they had little puppy dog eyes and floppy puppy dog ears instead of ugly old beaks and stinky feathers I suspect they wouldn't be as tasty.

Posted by Courtney at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well here you have part of my redesigned website. Now Larry's just working out the bugs. This has been going on behind the scenes for a few weeks now and I'm super excited to have it up and running (partially at least)! Some of the links may not work (the about page and the contact page for sure), but they will be working within the next few days. Just think of this as phase one of the changes. We're under construction for a few days now, so please excuse our dust!

Posted by Courtney at 7:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I stumbled upon this recipe while Mom and I were cooking for my grandparents this past weekend. Every Sunday we cook for them (my dad's parents) because Grandma had a stroke and can no longer cook. They requested sloppy joes...but they don't like Manwich. I first had to get over my astonishment at the fact that there are people on this Earth that don't like Manwich. That's THE way to make sloppy joes as far as I'm concerned. I set off to find a non-Manwich sloppy joe recipe. I managed to find the one that follows. Please notice the bolded part of the instructions.

Non-Manwich Sloppy Joes

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 c. ketchup
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. ground mustard (I used regular mustard)
1/8 t. pepper
6 hamburger buns, split (don't they come split in the pkg?)

Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium heat 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in remaining ingredients except buns. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 10-15 minutes. Fill buns with beef mixture.

Now let's look at that bolded part of the instructions one more time...Stir in remaining ingredients except buns, huh? I tried to think of one person that I know that would be stupid enough to read this recipe and stir in the buns. Who in the world would read that and go, "Oh, that's strange...I usually have my sloppy joes on the bun...but this recipe doesn't specify...does that mean I mix in the buns, too? What a conundrum." The end result (after I finished ranting about how stupid it was that they had to specify not to mix in the buns) was yummy...if you don't like Manwich or would like to try a different way to make sloppy joes, I'd recommend it...but I'm still a Manwich girl.

Posted by Courtney at 6:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Conversation Larry had at the dog: "Pixel, get over here! Do not eat the cat barf. Ewwwwwwwwww. Oh, dog that is so gross! What's wrong with you? I bet she thought 'Well I like cat food, and this stuff is just cat food that's already chewed up.' Dog you are nasty."

Throughout this tirade Pixel continued to try jockey into position to eat the cat barf. He followed this up with: "Quick, go give mommy a cat barf kiss!"

The day I hear him tell one of our kids to "quick, go give mommy a cat barf kiss" well then it'll really be on.

Posted by Courtney at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and those of you that are still looking for that "cute little something", may have found it here! Following are step-by-step instructions for sour cream containers. They're named this because they resemble the sour cream containers you get at fast food restaurants (Wendy's for example). These are perfect for kids' Valentine treats...they can even help you make them! They also work nicely as little surprises for husbands, moms, sisters, co-workers. You'll find you can make a lot of these inexpensively and fast! This is also a fun project for other occasions, as well. The possibilities are endless...they make great party favors...weddings, baby showers, birthday, Halloween...just change up the stamps, ink, and paper colors and have fun!

The paper size for each of these is 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 (one quarter of an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper).

Stamp the image(s) on your paper.

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Use Sticky Strip on the 5 1/2 sides, and regular adhesive on one 4 1/4 side.

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Roll your paper towards the regular adhesive and secure. It should look like a TP roll.
Remove Sticky Strip backing.

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Press one end and seal..."Squish" would be the technical term I use!

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Fill with candy...not jam-packed full...just toss in a couple.

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Squish the other end the opposite way of the 1st squished end...I crimp the ends, too!

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Artwork © 1990-2005 Stampin' Up!

For this project I used: Confetti White Paper, the Oh So Sweet stamp set, Chocolate Chip and Creamy Caramel inks, and Sticky Strip. You'll want to use Sticky Strip (or another comparable, extra sticky adhesive) because the ends have a tendency to come un-glued with regular glue. Here's another tip: If you use a Stampin' Around Wheel you can wheel the entire sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper and cut it apart...using a wheel on these makes them go extra fast!

Posted by Courtney at 4:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Note to Wal Mart: I would be more likely to bring myself to enter your establishment if you had more than one register open at a time. Are you only allowed to have one open at a time? Is there a rule in the Wal Mart handbook that associates shall never open an extra check-out line even when there are 20 people waiting to check-out at a time? I find that it takes me longer to leave your store than it does to shop for a week's worth of groceries. You have plenty of employees...I know you're one of the leading employers in town...so where are they hiding? They're not opening registers. They're not helping people in the pet department. And they're certainly not emptying the trash cans in the restroom. So I ask you Wal Mart, employer of many, PLEASE allow them to open more cash registers. Now I won't get all crazy and request that you have all 35 of your cash registers open at once...we're talking baby steps here. However, it does make me wonder why you have so many when you have no intention of opening them even when the line stretches through the clothes and back to the baby department. Let's start out slow...how about 10 check-outs open at a time? Now that would make my day.

Posted by Courtney at 1:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pixel had her first vet checkup today and everything is super! The doctor said that she looks good. I think they were surprised at how well she behaved. Truthfully, I was surprised at how well she behaved. They gave her a treat to chew on and she was oblivious to everything else. She weighed in at a hefty 11 pounds and Dr. Wendy said she doesn't expect she'll get much bigger. All the vet ladies loved her name and her cute little face! She didn't even yelp or cry when she got her booster shot. What a good little girlie she was!

And we got a total bonus from the vet...a puppy welcome kit! It included an 8lb. bag of puppy food, a puppy toothbrush and toothpaste (who knew we should be brushing her teeth?), her first heartworm pill, more chewie toys, two books with tips on everything puppy (one of which has a coupon for another 8lb. bag of food), and a puppy vaccine chart. How cool is that? Of course I'm mostly excited about the free food! Hey, that's like 2 months worth of food. That in addition to the BOGO deal we got at the store this week and Pixel should be eating well for a while!

Posted by Courtney at 8:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What is yellow meat, you ask? I shop at the same grocery store all the time (even though they overcharge for green peppers) and they offer discounted items based on their expiration dates.

Side note: I shop there so often that I organize my grocery list in the order of the store aisles. Don't judge me. Don't call me anal retentive (like my mom does). I do it because it saves me TONS of time scanning my list to make sure I don't miss anything. Please tell me some of you do the same thing? Please tell me I'm not alone...

Anyhow...I'm sure that your grocery store probably does the same discount thing, right? Well let me tell you, Larry is NOT fond of buying the discounted (or as he puts it "rotten") meat and dairy items. Those of you that do the grocery shopping for your household know that groceries can be expensive. I try to buy these discounted items (and have been known to do so in bulk) and freeze them for later use. I've explained over and over again that these items are not spoiled and have found a drastic reduction in our grocery bill by purchasing them. Doesn't he wonder how we can eat pretty well while still having affordable grocery bills? Does he think I buy everything at full price and the grocery fairy comes and pays the bill? No, it's through dilligent shopping on my part thank-you-very-much.

These discounted items are marked with a yellow sticker, so Larry has taken to calling them yellow meat. If the milk is discounted (sometimes down to $1 a gallon) he just calls it rotten milk. So last night we go to the grocery store and I approach the meat section. I was elated to see the meat man with a whole cart of yellow stickers! I told Larry we'd have to come back to the meat department after he finished marking stuff because I didn't want to miss out on any yellow meat deals. We continue shopping. I found myself wondering just what would be marked down...and how low...how many things could I get on the cheap...those yellow meat stickers are like drugs I tell you. We go back to the meat department to find that the meat man has marked down the CHICKEN! Oh wonderfully happy day! Chicken can be expensive and I rarely pass up a yellow sticker on a package of chicken. Not only was it chicken that was marked down, but it was chicken cutlets...the really thin breast cuts that cook super fast. These can go for $4+ per package. I hit the yellow meat JACKPOT last night and I got them for $1.40-$1.75 per package. Hot dog! I put 3 packages in the cart and Larry said, "Keep loadin' 'em in." I'm not sure if he was being sarcastic or not. I ended up with 4 packages of chicken cutlets for...drumroll please...$6. Now where can you get 4 packages of chicken for $6? Only in yellow meat land.

I popped them all in the freezer and we're now good to go for dinner all next week. The watchful shopper gets the deals. When we checked out Larry did say, "Wow, only $6 for all that chicken?! Way to go babe!". And that, THAT makes it all worth it! I really did win the yellow meat jackpot!

Posted by Courtney at 2:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Here is a recipe that includes two of my favorite things: chocolate chips and pie. My grandma used to make this pie when she and Grandpa owned a restaurant and it quickly became a family favorite. Larry absolutely loves this pie...it doesn't last long around our house! I think you'll find that it's a crowd pleaser...husbands, children, in-laws, and moms will enjoy! After all, who doesn't like chocolate chips in their pie?

Tollhouse Pie

2 eggs
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened (NOT MELTED Grandma says)
1 c. walnuts (I've used pecans and it's equally yummy)
1 c. chocolate chips
1 (9") unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 325. Beat eggs at high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, sugar, and brown sugar until blended. Beat in butter. Stir in nuts...these are optional of course...sometimes I make this without nuts and it's still super! Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Bake 55-60 minutes (or until knife inserted 1/2 way between edge and center comes out clean).

A funny story about this pie: Larry once made this pie as a surprise to me. Now I know you're thinking "that's sweet...not funny..." Well let me tell you, the biggest surprise is that somewhere along the way he got distracted and forgot an ingredient...the chocolate chips. Imagine our faces as we cut into this beautiful pie only to find no chocolate chips inside. I just piled them on top of each piece and it was still delicious! (Sorry honey, I had to tell them...)

Just like chocolate chip cookies, this pie is best while it's still warm! Now I don't expect you to eat it all in one day just for the sake of eating it warm...although you can if you want...I'll never know! For that "just out of the oven" warmth pop each piece in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Top with vanilla ice cream if you like the pie a la mode type-of-thing. It tastes like a giant, gooey, yummilicious chocolate chip cookie! You'll be a rock star when you make this...and if not...then you'll have lots of chocolate chip pie to comfort yourself with!

Posted by Courtney at 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)