I made a post a while back called "I Didn't Need to Know That" (read it here). A brief explanation of how this game works is this:

Shall we play a game? It's called "I Didn't Need to Know That". It can also be called "Sentences I Never Needed to Hear". Here's how it works: think of a time when someone shared way more information with you than you ever needed, or wanted, to know. Post it in the comments section and then everyone can sympathize with your uncomfortableness.

The reason I'm visiting this topic again? I have another one to add to the "Sentences I Never Needed to Hear" archives. Last night we got our taxes done. Our tax preparer is a nice guy...a bit chatty...but nice. They have two beagle dogs that are super well-behaved and very cute. Now that we have Pixel, who is part beagle, we were chatting about dogs and puppies. Keep in mind that this man is what would be considered an acquaintance...we see him once a year when he does our taxes...not someone that we chitty-chat with on the weekends or anything. Things got a little uncomfortable/strange when talking about the dog he said,

"She used to make it through the night without going out...but we found out she has infected anal glands...and ever since she's had these infected anal glands she has been having to go out in the middle of the night again...about 3 am."

Who uses the phrase "anal glands" twice in one sentence? To a stranger nonetheless?

Posted by Courtney at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

One of the things they tell us at Weight Watchers is that you should eat to live and not live to eat. They remind us that everything shouldn't center on food. Once we spent a whole meeting talking about other ways to celebrate or get together with family besides food. You know, go bowling instead of having a cookout...that type of thing. Well let me tell you...everything in life revolves around food. They're just trying to convince us that it doesn't. Whether it's having cake for your birthday, going out to dinner to celebrate a promotion, or making BBQ ribs because it's finally nice outside. Trust me, if you have a food/weight problem (or maybe even if you don't) it's not too hard to find an excuse or reason to celebrate with food.

Proof of this? My mom is coming home from San Francisco tonight. Her plane gets in at 7:50. My dad and brother are going to pick her up. I'm going too. Am I going because I miss my mom, who has been gone for a week all the way across the country? Nope. I'm going because we're stopping at Red Robin for dinner in North Olmstead on the way home. It's all about the food baby! The added bonus? It's Weight Watchers meeting night...that means dinner is a freebie and I won't be counting points!

Posted by Courtney at 2:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This side dish recipe is a little out of the ordinary...but extra yummylicious! The added bonus? It counts as a fruit serving for all you weight watchin' gals! It's also great for moms who want thier little ones to eat more fruits. Now I don't want you to get all "you want me to put my fruit on the grill?" on me. Trust me...it's delicious and quick. The other thing I love about it is if you pair it with grilled chicken or steak teriyaki, you only dirty one plate! Minimal clean-up is always a plus. This recipe makes enough to serve four people, but it's super easy to adjust it for how many you're cooking for. So here you have it...

Grilled Pineapple

1 pineapple
1 lime
2T. honey

If you buy the whole pineapple you'll need to trim off the skin. To do this easily, cut off the top and bottom so you have a stable surface. Put the pineapple up on end and trim off all of the outer skin. Then cut it into quarters, and cut out the core (just cut down on an angle where the core is). Cut each quarter into three or four pieces. If you go the quick and easy way and buy the already skinned and cored pineapple, you'll just need to quarter it and cut the quarters into three or four pieces. The goal is to have long pineapple spears, whichever kind you buy.

Zest the lime and reserve the zest for later. Please don't skip this step because you think a little zest won't make a difference...it will...and your pineapple will suffer for it. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice over the pineapple. Place the pineapple spears on a medium to medium high grill. You can use your outside or inside grill for this. It will only take about five minutes to cook, so keep a close eye on it. It will basically be cooked 2-3 minutes on each side...once it starts to get the grill marks it's getting close to being done. Remove from the grill when cooked. Drizzle honey over the spears, sprinkle with zest, and serve!

Note: When I halve the recipe to make it for two I still use a whole lime, because, what the heck am I going to do with a half a lime? Let it rot in my fridge until I have another occasion to use it, that's what.

Weight Watcher Points: 2 spears = 1 point

Posted by Courtney at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The following card samples are from a swap I hosted recently. The instructions were to create card samples using the new giant Monogram letters from the Spring Mini Catalog:

Designer: Courtney

Designer: Trisha Smith
I love the simplicity of this card! Quick and fabulous! I am also liking the turquoise and brown combo...never would have thought to put the two together.

Designer: Peggy Lucas
Totally diggin' the color combo! This is also another great example of how much several different stamp sets coordinate for a great look.

Designer: Teresa Shaw
I can't imagine how long it took to cut out the frog! Love it! Once again, perfect coordination among a few different stamp sets...the versatility that stamp sets offer is wonderful.

Designer: Consuelo Banks
I like the reverse monogram! It's like getting two stamps in one. The flower punch (along with the big flower being cut out) looks so cool when it's stacked to make one big flower like this...love love love it!

Designer: Jackie Victorson
The use of these two backgrounds (French Script & Floral) really makes this card look quite elegant. I also enjoy the color combo...the pinks and browns looks very nice.

Designer: Christine Lotz
What a cute kitty card! The eyelet is non-SU, but matches the Hodgepode Hardware so well that it really completes the look! The K also has Crystal Effects on it...really makes it shine in person!

Designer: Sarah Pendergrast
I can't begin to imagine the work that went into this sample! From the glitter, to the embossed polka dots, to the punched out flowers, to the dry embossed flower...fantastic all the way around!

Designer: Karen Foltz
I enjoy the use of the ribbons on this card, along with the Linen background, which is done with the Vanilla Craft Ink...so subtle but so perfect! The way the F is raised with pop dots really makes it pop at you!

Posted by Courtney at 10:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Note to the horrible lady on my mom's flight to San Francisco on Wednesday: it is NEVER acceptable to hit another person's child. In fact, you're lucky the child's mom didn't go all crazy and beat the crap out of you. I understand that you were ticked because he touched your red spiral notebook...but come on...he's three years old. Maybe he thought it was a coloring book. He certainly didn't think that some sweet looking little old lady would smack him. The mom made a great point when she advised you to keep your hands off of her kid...and suggested that you tell her if you have a problem with his behavior. But that wasn't enough for you, was it? You had to pick at every little thing this poor three year old did for the next 1000 miles. He was looking at you. He was being too loud. He was casting an evil spell on you. Okay, I made that last one up...but still. From the accounts of all of the other passengers around you, you were the terrible one, not him. He's a child. On an airplane. A curious three year old child. Couldn't you give him a break? One last thing...you know that you're a terrible ogre when a passenger on the flight has to go get a flight attendant to move your seat because he was sick of you picking on this lady's little boy. Heaven help us if you're a grandma...

Posted by Courtney at 9:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

When one begins Weight Watchers, they are given the goal to lose 10% of their current body weight. This is so that it's not so overwhelming, and appears more manageable. They say to focus on losing 10% and then go from there for another 10%, and so on until you weigh what the chart says you should for your height. It's a good thing that they do this, because one doesn't want to leave the first meeting saying, "Holy crap! According to that chart I have to lose 120 pounds. I totally can't do that so I'm not going to even try."

When you lose your first 10% you get a really cool keychain that's to remind you that you can do it, yadda yadda yadda. Well, on Wednesday I received my 10% keychain! We (me, Mom, and Grandma) started in January and I've already lost 10% of my starting weight. I, of course, have set another 10% goal...and am still going at it. Okay, enough tooting of my own horn. One of the things that our leader always asks is, "How has your life changed since losing the 10%?" Allow me to share with you:

1) I am wearing (currently right this minute) jeans that I could not wear when I started Weight Watchers. Usually "they" say that after losing your first 10% you'll be one complete size smaller. That hasn't been the case for me. I'm in that dreaded in between stage...one size is too big...we're talking need a belt and they're still too big...and the next size down is still too small...but only in certain brands. While I'm thinking about this, why the hell isn't there a universal size type of thing? If I buy a size 12, I'd like it to be a size 12. No matter what dang brand it is. Seems like cruel and unusual punishment.

2) I've been doing some free shopping...no I'm not stealing...I'm shopping in my own closet and in boxes of clothes that are packed up in the basement (and the garage) because, "I'll wear them again someday". It's so fun to discover that I can wear a t-shirt or pair of pants that I haven't worn for a while...all without spending a dime!

3) I feel better about myself. I've got more energy. I'm starting to notice that things are fitting better and looking better. We all like to receive compliments, and there's nothing better than someone noticing all your hard work, right? Let me give ya a quick story. There's a man in our Weight Watcher's meeting...he's so super nice...even though most times during the meeting he doesn't have much to say. He'll just hang out in back (with his wife, she comes too)...and probably wonder what all of us crazy women are prattling on about. But you know what? Twice he has made my day...just by offering a simple, "You're lookin' good kiddo, I can really tell." It's so nice when people notice! So if you're a friend of someone who's trying to lose weight, keep that in mind and make sure you let them know you think they're doing great...even if you think they already know how you feel...because you never know when that person has had a terrible day...and you just may be the person to brighten it up a bit.

So there you have it...three things that have changed for me since I started Weight Watchers. If you're a current member...keep on keepin' on! Don't stop doing what you're doing...even if it seems like it's not working...and even if it seems like it's not worth it...because it is! I can tell you, I did this before, and I lost 53 pounds in about eight months. There's a lady in our group that's lost over 120 pounds. It works, and it will work for you. Just be patient. And if you think you're going to eat something that's going to cost you too many points...or you feel like you're getting out of control and reverting to your old eating habits...occupy yourself some other way. Come to this site and shoot me off an email and tell me about it...maybe I can help...at the very least it will keep your hands busy so you don't go eat that entire container of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer!

Posted by Courtney at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last night Larry and I went to dinner with the family. Not the mob...we live in Ohio. We went with Mom, Dad, and my grandparents (Dad's parents). Grandpa is 82 and Grandma is 80. We went to the newly opened Olive Garden nearby. The dinner was relatively uneventful...except for the fact that Larry kept asking me for more 'fredsticks' instead of breadsticks. The real enjoyment came when the bill arrived. All 6 of us were on one bill...and Grandpa snatched it up. Mom and Dad were both asking how much theirs was when Grandpa advised them that he would be paying the bill. He then looked...quite seriously...at my Grandma...and the following conversation ensued.

Him: Where's your purse?

Her: I didn't bring it.

Him: You didn't bring your purse?

Her: Well, no.

(Keep in mind that at this point we all thought he was serious...that he didn't have enough money and was expecting her to help pay since he had offered to buy...it quickly became apparent that he was teasing...)

Him: You...asshole.

(This was said in a hostile whisper...much like Napolean Dynamite exclaimed "Idiots".)

Him: You did that on purpose, didn't you? To stick me with the bill.

It's been a long time since I thought that I was going to wet my pants from laughing so hard...but I'm telling you...you haven't seen funny until your 82 year old Grandpa has called your Grandma an asshole. This is the stuff legends are made of. I can see us, twenty years from now, exclaiming, "You remember that time that Grandpa called Grandma an asshole?" And I think we'll laugh just as hard as we did last night!

Posted by Courtney at 1:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Courtney: You know what? I've acquiesced to your idea. Why don't you just leave it alone?

Larry: Wow. Did you just use the word acquiesced in a sentence? Good job, babe.

Posted by Courtney at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

CBT in this case would be everyone's favorite chatty bank teller. I've posted about her once, here. Let me tell you, though, she's so chatty that she deserves another (if not weekly) posting...so here goes...

Note to the chatty teller at the bank: I don't care about your dog. Now don't get me wrong, I love pets. I have two of my own. One of which is an adorable puppy. You know the difference between me and you? I don't bother you with a million stories about how wonderful she is. That, I save for my blog. All I want you to do, especially on a Monday morning when I have four transactions, is to process my damn deposits. I don't need to hear about how the dog likes to chase birds...how you just "don't know what he'll do if he ever catches one"...how your kids can't feed the dog because he's a little scary and a lot bigger than them...how you don't ever take him on walks because he's so strong...how when you tried to take him on a walk and he just pulled your arm out of your socket...how he broke his collar...how he was exhausted from your walk...or about how he stole some bacon from your breakfast table. While this may be interesting to...well to you...it's not interesting to me. I just want to leave my deposit, get my change, cash my check, and be on my merry way. One last tip...when someone gives you a blank...vacant...nobody's home...stare...they're not listening to you...in fact, they've given up on pretending like they're listening to you...that's the prime time to zip your lip.

Posted by Courtney at 3:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I realize Christmas was four months ago...and I therefore realize that the timing of this picture isn't exactly 'current'. Nonetheless, I feel the need to share it with you.

Take a close look...that's Larry...sitting on Santa's lap...in the grocery store...it was taken this past Christmas. The reason behind the photo? Whenever I send him to the store to get something, he always brings back stuff we don't need. Diet Coke. Peeps. M&Ms. Cookies. This is why I rarely ask him to go to the store. If he goes for one thing, he comes back with three or four extra things. Things that we can do without. Well, one day in December I sent him to the store (I can't even remember what for, now)...and he saw Santa. He asked if he could get his picture taken...with Santa...Mrs. Claus...oh and can the elf be in the picture, too? He apparently told them that he was getting the picture because his wife always yells at him for getting stuff at the store that we don't need. They apparently thought that was funny. Me? Not so much. I think that's the last time I sent him to the store by himself...wait a minute...maybe that's his plan...

Posted by Courtney at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the big Idea Book & Catalog there are clear checkbook covers...and they are way cool! You can just stamp and/or decorate a piece of cardstock, slip it in the clear cover, and you have a fabulous (and personalized) checkbook cover! It makes me happy to pay bills because that means I get to look at my cool checkbook cover. *Please note that this is the point at which I am falling out of my chair laughing hysterically at the absurdity of being happy about paying bills*. Okay, so they don't make you deliriously happy about paying bills...but they are fun!

They're not all that expensive, and you actually get two in the package...perfect to make one for yourself and a friend! The other awesome thing about having a handmade checkbook cover is that when I get tired of the one I have, I simply stamp a new one, and I'm good to go! That's precisely what happened a few days ago...I got bored with the one I had had for the past six months, so I got to workin' on a new one. Here it is:

Even though there's no stamping involved, I think this turned out very cute and quite 'spring-like'. I used some leftover pieces parts from the Island Blossoms Simply Scrappin' Kit (Level One Hostess). Let me say, I love love love these scrappin' kits! I made a 25 page 6x6 book, several cards, and this checkbook cover with one kit...and I still have more stickers and a few 6x6 sheets of the designer printed paper. What a deal! The colors I used are: Tempting Turquoise, Certainly Celery, and Barely Banana. I used the Crafter's Tool Kit to do some paper piercing around the little squares, and a silver brad in the center of the big flower. There's also the direct to paper technique in celery around the edges. This went together really quick...and it makes me smile a little when I pull it out of my purse...but only for a second...until I realize that getting it out of my purse means I'm paying yet another bill...

Posted by Courtney at 3:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Pixel had her 16 week checkup last week...complete with spaying and final shots. She now weighs 18 pounds, and the vet said everything is lookin' good! Her shots are up to date through next year, and the worm test came back negative. I wanted them to give her a "calm the hell down" shot, but they assured me that she will naturally calm down as she gets older...I'm still waiting to see the results on that one.

Let me tell you...taking your beautiful little puppy to get cut open is a surefire way to make you feel guilty. She went in all unsuspectinglike, and when I went to pick her up she strolled out looking like they had fed her marijuana all day. Moving swiftly was not something she was in the mood to do, and her eyes couldn't have been more glassy. Once we got home I tucked her in on the couch to rest. The vet assured me she'd need tons of rest and that she'd be pretty calm and would probably sleep a lot. I guess if they had just cut out my insides I might be inclined to sleep a lot, too. She spent the rest of the evening sleeping under her leopard print blanket. I spent the rest of the evening being thankful that even though there's no shot for it, she certainly had been calmed the hell down.

Okay, back to the whole guilt thing. Our poor baby had such problems going to the bathroom for the next two days. We're talking whine and bark and cry while going. She'd just look up with this pained expression...an expression that seemed to say, "Do I have to do this? Isn't there any other way?" One time after taking her out to potty, Larry was telling me how he felt terrible that she was in so much pain that it made him want to cry. So here we are, two puppy parents, feeling guilty that we rid the dog of the parts that make her have a menstrual cycle. Guilty to the point that we are about to cry when she looks at us in such pain. I kept thinking that if we're going to cry over getting our dog fixed, what in the world are we going to do when we have a child in pain? Not going to be an easy thing to deal with, I'm sure.

Luckily the painful phase of her surgery passed within a few days...and she is, of course, back to her normal (ornery) self. And while it was nice to have some peace and quiet for a few days, I'm glad to have the real Pixel back! We had her in for a checkup and the vet said her incision is swollen but otherwise looking fine. It's swollen because we're not "limiting her jumping and activity enough". Well please, tell me how exactly we're to keep the dog (that runs the house) from jumping and running for two weeks? They may as well have had us solve quadratic equations...at least there would have been a possibility of success!

Posted by Courtney at 7:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

We all love the look of stitching, right? But, how many of you actually take the time to thread a needle and stitch something on a stamping project? I can promise you that I will find a million other ways to embellish a card or scrapbook page before I'll bust out a needle and thread. I've also seen those handy paper stitchers...a friend of mine had one, but it just never worked quite right for her. Let's not even get started on the odds that I'd dig my sewing machine out of hibernation just to do a little stitching on a scrapbook page. The odds of that? Nil. A technique that can be your new best friend? Faux Stitching. I recently learned it and am lovin' it! Here are some step by step directions on how to fake your stitching:

The items you'll need are: the paper piercer, piercing template, and squishy (technical term, I know) mat from the Crafter's Tool Kit, and the white uni-ball Signo Gel Pen (page 223). The gel pen can be used for this technique along with being a great way to write on dark cardstock!

Line up the template and poke holes following the template. You can do a zig zag stitch or a straight stitch...a short stitch or a long stitch. Just poke the holes where you want it to look like it's the end of the stitch.

In the example I'm doing a zig zag stitch...this is what it looks like when all the holes are poked. I did every other hole in two neighboring lines on the template.

Now simply connect the dots with the white gel pen!

This is how it looks when all the stitches are drawn in. Sometimes it's necessary to go back and re-poke the holes if the gel pen has settled any ink in the holes. That will make it look all the more authentic because it looks like the stitching actually goes into the paper.

Here's the finished card! I used some leftover pieces parts from the Island Blossoms Simply Scrappin' Kit (Level One Hostess Freebie). The card base is Tempting Turquoise and is stamped with the speckle background from Itty Bitty Backgrounds in turquoise ink. The stitching is done on Certainly Celery. The flower is a self-adhesive sticker from the Scrappin' Kit. I put a silver brad in the middle to give it a little somethin' (another technical stamping term), and added some turquoise grosgrain on the side.

You'll want to be careful to allow the gel pen to dry completely...it only takes a few minutes. I do the stitching part, finish the card, and then go back and adhere everything. Smeared gel pen lines will not look like stitches, I promise!

Posted by Courtney at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Here you have the projects we did at a workshop this weekend. Following each one is a description which includes the products and colors that were used. To follow (later today in a separate post) will be detailed directions on the Faux Stitching technique that is mentioned on a few of the samples.

This project uses an empty mint tin that's covered in designer paper in the inside and stamped paper on the cover. I used Only Orange paper with Real Red (Direct to Paper technique), a strip of designer paper, and a Pink Passion stamped C from the Whimsical Alphabet. I also used a silver brad to add a little embellishment! The card was measured to fit directly inside the tin so it can be given as a gift...then the tin can be reused by the recipient. The card is done in Green Galore, Pink Passion, and Whisper White. The stamp set used is Festive Four. The basket and eggs are colored in with the Stampin' Around Markers. To accessorize the card I added Crystal Effects to the eggs and sprinkled some Microbeads on while it was wet. The stitching on the card is done using the Faux Stitching technique.

I love how this card turned out...it uses three different stamp sets, but in true Stampin' Up! style, they all coordinate perfectly! The stamps used are: Favorite Teddy Bear, Tag Time (egg at the bottom), and Loads of Love Accessories (the eggs in the wagon). Since buying the Favorite Teddy Bear set I have had so much fun finding things from different stamp sets to put in the little wagon! If you own this set I encourage you to experiment with your other stamps...who knows what you'll come up with? The colors involved are Bashful Blue, Certainly Celery, and Whisper White. It also uses the Layer Ease to do the matting of the bear picture.

This one uses designer paper for the majority of the background...these packages of paper can go a long way if you're using them on cards! I used the stamp set Birthday Banter (which I only bought for the "floral moo moo"). The accessories involved on this one are silver brads and google eyes which were attached with Crystal Effects.

My mom did this card. I felt the need to clear that up right away because it uses Cameo Coral which is NOT my favorite Stampin' Up! color. Luckily having two of us means we can show off a variety of colors instead of always gravitating to one color combo (or avoiding a certain color combo...like coral and tan). She used the Seaside Sketches and Wonderful Words stamp sets. The colors are: Barely Banana, Cameo Coral, and Close to Cocoa. She used the heavy duty watercolor paper because when coloring in the sketch she used the Wonderful Watercolor Crayons and Aquapainter. This card also features the Faux Stitching technique.

This is a 6x6 scrapbook page we did as a demo...our hostess has a son named Carter (hence the tag). It uses So Saffron, Taken With Teal, and Certainly Celery...along with a piece of designer printed paper from the Level One hostess Simply Scrappin' Kit. I did direct to paper in the Taken with Teal around the edge of the page, and 'Carter' is stamped in Taken with Teal using the Classic Alphabet...it's then framed with a piece of pewter Hodgepodge Hardware. The giant C is one of the Spring Mini Catalog monogram stamps, and it's stamped in Certainly Celery on Certainly paper.

Posted by Courtney at 4:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh yeah! We (meaning Larry) finally got things finished on the 'behind the scenes' work on the website! It should be fully functional now. Woo Hoo! It's been an involved process, and I'm glad it's done. My simplified way of looking at things makes me say things like, "Um...why is this taking so long? My contact page and comments sections look like crap." I had no idea how much work is involved in changing just one tiny thing when you're talking about web design. It involves creating templates, editing templates, editing source code, fixing padding, and all sorts of geek speakery. I don't know much about what any of that stuff means...it's just phrases I heard Larry mumbling to himself over the past few weeks!

All I need to know is that things are up and running! You'll now find a working 'contact' page, which includes a contact form for those of you that don't like email. There is also a working 'about' page which includes 100 useless (or useful depending on how you look at it) facts about...drumroll please...ME! I had lots of fun writing that, and I hope you all enjoy reading it!

Now that things are running smoothly (in all kinds of different browser's according to Larry), I can quit bugging him to get things fixed and get on with the stories, recipes, and stamping samples! Oh yeah, one more sneak peak thing...we're working on a photo gallery for my stamping masterpieces! Things will be categorized by type of project, and it'll include a list of supplies for each project. I heard Larry say something about the fact that it uses Ajax, which I interpreted as being programmer speak for blah blah blah blah...

Posted by Courtney at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just when you think your husband is clueless about your desire to receive flowers from him for "no reason"...he may bring them home from the grocery store on a Sunday morning when he went out to get cinnamon rolls for breakfast!

Posted by Courtney at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I made this card for my mom's friend who was recently married. It uses the Stampin' Up! stamp sets Summer By The Sea and Wonderful Words. The colors involved are Night of Navy, Baroque Burgundy, and Whisper White. I stamped the images in black, and did all of the coloring with the Stampin' Pastels. The accessories I used were silver eyelets and silver cord. There's also a window sheet over top of the sunset image (it's hard to see in the scan), which makes it look really shiny and cool in person! The window sheet is attached with the eyelets. I also tore the bottom edge of the card...but only on the front...look closely...you'll see! This is a really simple card that, to me, looks so serene and beautiful. After all, what is more lovely (and stress-free) than enjoying some peaceful time on the beach watching the sunset, with the one we love?

Posted by Courtney at 6:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our home has become grill central the last few days! For those of you that don't live in northern Ohio...the weather here hasn't exactly been outside grill weather...it's been in the low 40s...and sometimes the high 30s...and it's been rainy. But I don't care...there's just something about the longer days and the rumor of warmer weather that makes me want to grill. Well that and the fact that we didn't even have a grill until a few months ago. I've been holding in my urge to cook outside for over two years...and now I've got to catch up!

I'm particularly proud of what a great deal I got when I purchased our grill. The story starts in November...the day after Thanksgiving to be exact. At that point we had closed on the house and were going to be moving the following weekend. As an apartment renter I would spend Black Friday going to the mall, WalMart, Staples, Kohls, et cetera...but as a home owner I found myself wanting to go to Lowe's. I told Larry that I was going in search of a grill because we didn't own one, and I knew that there would be deals to be had since it was the end of grill season. I also knew that if we waited to buy one then there would always be 'more important' things to buy. So I totally didn't listen to him when he said it was stupid and that I shouldn't buy one. Luckily. I found a really nice gas grill at Lowe's for $65. Granted I had to get up at 4 am...but it was worth it!

The grill sat in the garage for all of December, January, and February. It was still in the box, and therefore unassembled. Earlier this week I heard that it was supposed to be in the 50s and 60s on Friday and Saturday. You know what that meant? I had to start nagging Larry to get the dang thing put together. Well, Tuesday was the day. We started on it at lunch, finished after work, and were grillin' by 6 pm! I have to say, I am amazed that we assembled the whole thing without one argument. Not once did either of us storm out of the garage cursing at the other. Nor did we find the need to name call. And, there was no "well you're so smart why don't you figure it out". Truly unbelievable.

We've grilled out every night since then. I don't care if I needed a coat, a hat, a ski mask, gloves, a raincoat, golashes, and thermal underwear...those burgers were deelish!

Posted by Courtney at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week I went to Greektown with Mom and a friend of mine. Boy was that fun! How can gambling, instead of working, not be fun?! Before I left, Larry gave me $20 that he wanted me to play at the blackjack table. He had been telling me all week that he wanted me to play at one of the tables...I kept telling him there was no way I was blowing that kind of money so quickly. I'm a nickel slot machine girl. I can spread $20 out to occupy myself for an hour on one of those babies! Side note: there are 2 cent slot machines for the extra extra cheap gambler...I'm not even that cheap.

We played in Nickel Heaven for a while when we first got there...then we made the trip downstairs to the tables. I busted out my $20...and I was feelin' good! I kept thinking how cool it would be to win thousands of dollars. Do you know how many stamps I could buy with thousands of blackjack dollars?! Of course, this wasn't a realistic viewpoint. The only blackjack table they had open had a $10 buy in. That means, unless you win, $10 gets you two hands. Let me tell you...that was the quickest two hands in my life. I felt bad that the dealer had to waste time to shuffle the whole deck to only have to deal out two hands to two people (me and mom both tried our hand at it)! It was rather anti-climatic. So now that we had that out of the way...and my visions of being a thousandaire had quickly disappeared...we headed off to the roulette table.

At least at the roulette table the buy in was only $5. I was feelin' a little miffed at the quick departure of my $20 at the blackjack table, so I just watched. Mom asked the guy to explain the game to her so she didn't make any kind of faux pas when placing her bets. Once she had the goods on the game it was time to spin the wheel. Wouldn't you know it...she won on the first spin...on a section of the board that payed 2 to 1. Suddenly her $5 was $15. As she was playing several other players came up and placed various bets. I have to say...there was a guy that bet more than my car payment...in about ten minutes. Crazy crazy crazy.

While she was playing we were also given the pleasure of having an outspoken game observer hanging around. Okay, let's just call him what he was...a loud-mouthed, know-it-all, jerk...his name was probably Richard. Mom was excited that she won on the first game and the dealer told her that it was luck (or something along those lines). Well Richard starts arguing with the dealer...it's not luck...it's a bunch of crap...etc. We all politely ignore him...because the things I wanted to say weren't going to be polite. Mom plays a few more games. Richard's still hangin out. He's just a' bitchin and moanin the whole time about how stupidly terrible this game is. This goes on for a good ten minutes. Of course I'm thinking that if he thinks it's so stupid he should just shut the hell up and go somewhere else.

Seriously, some people just aren't good losers. Luckily I don't have that problem! I left that day with $95 and came home with $0. Good thing my friend bought our lunch! But you know what? I don't care. I had so much fun winning five or ten dollars at a time (and subsequently losing ten or fifteen) on the Monopoly nickel slot, that it doesn't matter that I lost everything I took with me. I gained a stress-free (except for when Richard was around), work-free day hanging out with my mom and my friend. And that's way more important than winning. Of course if I would've won... *wink*

Posted by Courtney at 10:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

How often do you find yourself adding cheese to vegetables? You know...the kids (or husband) don't like broccoli...but they'll eat it...if it has enough cheese on it. Well I'm a fan of this philosophy because in most cases, vegetables do taste better with cheese on them. We even have potatoes au gratin which when translated means thin sliced potatoes dripping with lots and lots of cheddar cheese and other fattening ingredients. The point I'm making is this: you can make things taste better by adding cheese. You can also make things taste better by adding bacon! Bacon cheeseburgers, bacon on a grilled cheese sandwich, a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, and what about a BLT? I don't think they'd be as popular if they were just LTs...that's just a salad on bread.

I've always had a problem with asparagus. It just isn't my favorite vegetable. The only way I've found that I like it is the way they prepare it at a restaurant in San Francisco. Let's face it, everytime I have a hankering for asparagus I can't just hop on a jet...mostly because I'm terrified of flying. Well I am pleased to tell you that I've finally found a recipe for asparagus that I like. We like it so much we had it twice this week! It's a recipe from my grandma's friend (thanks Marlene!), and it is super duper yummylicious. Who knew that adding bacon to asparagus would make it edible? Now you know! I urge you to try this recipe if you (and/or your family) don't like asparagus...what a difference some bacon makes.

Bacon Asparagus

2 lb. asparagus
2 T. olive oil
2 garlic cloves
3-4 oz. pancetta (Italian seasoned bacon)
3 chopped scallions

Snap the ends off of the asparagus by holding each end of each stalk in your hand and bending it...the asparagus will break naturally at its tough point. Tip: I just break one stalk like this and then line up the rest of the bunch (line up the tips), and chop the rest of the ends off even with the broken point. (Clear as mud?!) Cut the asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Preheat a skillet over medium heat...drizzle in the olive oil. Bring a pot (saucepan) of water to a boil. Chop the pancetta (or use your kitchen shears) into small, bite-sized pieces. Chop the garlic cloves and put them in the skillet. Next, add the pancetta. Cook the pancetta and garlic for 5 minutes or so...until the pancetta crisps up. Now is the time to add the asparagus to the boiling water. It only takes 3-5 minutes to cook...so make sure you keep a close watch on the time...even bacon can't help soggy asparagus. While the asparagus is cooking, add the chopped scallions to the garlic and pancetta. Drain the asparagus and add it to the skillet with all the yumminess in it. Toss to coat the asparagus with the oil, garlic, and pancetta. Serve warm. This recipe serves 4.

It's only fair to tell you...I only use one pound of asparagus...but I keep the other measurements the same! This way it serves two with no leftovers (asparagus doesn't reheat well). And it's like extra garlic and bacon. And that's never a bad thing!

Weight Watchers Points: 1/2# (1/2 of the recipe if you make it for two, 1/4 of the recipe if you make it for four) is 2 points.

Posted by Courtney at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bubble Queen is my mom's favorite stamp set...so needless to say it gets a lot of use...we're talking stained wood blocks here. The following card is one she made to send to my aunt in San Francisco, whose favorite color is red...and even though the girl in the picture was meant to be her, I'm positive I've never seen my aunt wear blue eyeshadow. I suppose that was my mom's artistic license...you know, change the eyeshadow color to protect the innocent...or something like that!

The curve around the bottom of the card was achieved by tracing the curve on a dinner plate and then cutting along the pencil line. The card flips up to open (after the ribbon is untied), and I think this is a cool twist on the 'standard size fold down the middle' card we often end up using. It still fits in a regular envie, it's just that you cut the 8 1/2 x 11 paper on the 4 1/4 instead of the 5 1/2 like usual. The colors involved are: Sahara Sand (way to go Mom...I know this isn't your favorite color), Real Red, and Whisper White. The ribbon is Stampin' Up! red gingham. We own almost every gingham color...love that stuff! The other accessory that Mom used is a square Real Red button with some silver cord tied through the holes. Take a close look at the bubbles, too. She used Crystal Effects on the bubbles to give them a glossy/wet look...then dusted them with Dazzling Diamonds glitter. They're very shimmery in person! The colored in parts were done with an Aquapainter and the Watercolor Wonder Crayons.

Don't forget, even if you don't own this set you can use this design with a similar sized stamp that you do own! Perhaps you have Favorite Teddy Bear...you could stamp and color in the bear...use a different saying (Happy Birthday, maybe)...and you have a child's birthday card! Anytime I see a sample that I love, that uses a stamp set I don't have, I tend to try and find a stamp set that I do have that would work with the same layout or colors. Experiment with things that take you out of your comfort zone (especially color-wise if you find yourself constantly reaching for the same colors over and over)...you never know what fantastic creation you'll come up with!

Posted by Courtney at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Did any of you catch the 78th Annual Academy Awards last night? Larry and I did...only because Jon Stewart was hosting. Okay we didn't watch the whole thing...it gets over waaaaaay past our bedtime...but we did catch the first hour. Let me first say that I cannot believe that George Clooney won best Male Supporting Actor...only because I cannot believe that Jake Gyllenhaal didn't win for Brokeback Mountain. Un-Bee-Lee-V-Able. Now that that's out of my system...I feel much better. As Clooney was walking to the stage they announced that it was his bazillionth Oscar. Whoop-dee-do. Whilst listening to several acceptance speeches (I'd like to thank God, my director, my hair people, the real estate agent that sold me the many million dollar homes I have, my pedicurist, my personal assistant, my dog groomer, the car salesman that I bought all of my luxury cars from, my cell phone company, etc)...I got to thinkin'...how would I accept an Oscar? Who would I thank? Well, here you have it:

The award for Best (and Quickest) Separation of Food on a
Dinner Plate goes to: Courtney

As I walk to the stage it is announced that I've won this category every single day since this award was created.

"Thank you. Oh gosh, I just can't believe that I won...okay well I can since I always win this award every year...but I'm trying to sound humble. First I'd like to thank my grandmother for teasing me about my desire to have my food not touch. Thanks, Grandma...reeeaalllly helpful. I'd also like to say thank you to my grocery store...for selling me my non-touching food. A big hello and thanks to my family...especially my mom...because she pretty much told Grandma to shove it when she started in about my 'issue' with my food not touching. In fact, while I'm at it, let me just say that IT DOESN"T TASTE THE SAME WHEN IT"S ALL MIXED UP...that's why we don't pour our dinner plate contents into the blender. **This is the point at which they'd start playing the 'shut up and get off the stage because you've talked too long' music.** But most of all, I'd like to dedicate this award to the companies that manufacture divided plates...for without you I'd be forced to have my food run together in a nasty nasty way."

Posted by Courtney at 7:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Since starting Weight Watchers (about ten weeks ago) I've lost 19.8 pounds. I'm wearing jeans that I haven't in over a year, and I think we all know how good THAT feels! The funniest thing I've found is the odd places I've noticed my weight loss. For instance, my wrist watch has had to be tightened to the next notch. This tells me that I no longer have a fat wrist...which for the record, I never knew about in the first place. I sorta feel like I've spent this time, engery, and money to lose weight...only to find that it's coming off in a place that only I know about.

A few friends of mine (that I've met through Weight Watchers) received their 10% award this past meeting. That means they've lost 10% of their total body weight when they each started. This is the first reward we receive as Weight Watcher members...with it comes a "10" key chain that is to serve as our anchor to remind us of the reasons we joined, etc. It's a very cool deal! Our leader also has the member come to the front of the room and share with the group. Members take this chance to relay information to the rest of us (what worked for them, tricks they've found). This is also a great chance to tell everyone how you're feeling, what's changed for you since losing your 10%, etc. One of my friends that recently received her 10% award was talking to the group and told us that the number one compliment she receives is "I can really tell in your face". Her reply? "I wish you could tell it in my butt." I feel the same about my recent wrist watch discovery. It's great that I'm losing weight, feeling better about myself, fitting into clothes in my own closet again...but truthfully I wish I could tell it in my thighs more than in my wrist.

Posted by Courtney at 12:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I apologize to you all for my recent lack of posts...right after I just said that I update almost everyday...now it's been like three whole days. It's been a rough week for us. Larry has been having some health problems that require someone to be with him during the day, he can't work, etc. I'm doing good to keep up with cleaning the kitchen this past week or so...therefore it's been difficult to update as frequently. I haven't even **gasp** opened the door to the stamp room in the last three days. We're trying to hang in there until his doctor gets back from vacation on Tuesday. I'll be trying my best to keep the stories coming in the meantime...it just may not be as often as usual.

I went to Greektown yesterday (on a trip that's been scheduled for over a month), with my mom and good friend. We had fun...although we're all still going to work today, so obviously we didn't hit the jackpot!

Posted by Courtney at 8:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)