5 Favs Friday

Guess it's about time I did an update here. I have a few things I can share as favs this week.

1. A new craft room: finally am moving my tiny craft space to what used to be the guest room. It wasn't used often enough to waste the space. So I've gotten countertops and lights put in so I can sew, scrapbook and stamp all in one place. Here's photo taken last night before it's completely finished.

2. I picked up some of the Basic Grey Wassail line when I was in the Book store that also carries some scrapbooking supplies. I love the muted colors and designs that are not obvious Christmas patterns.

3. Dena's stew. Yes, she invited me over for dinner earlier this week for stew. The beer was a tasty addition to an old cooler weather standby. Thank you, Dena and Zoe.

4. Standard Time returns tomorrow night. I never have quite understood the necessity for DST as I've had to go to work early for so many years that I couldn't take full advantage of the extra hours of light in the summer. I'll be glad to have it light a little earlier in the morning.

5. This one is more of an UNfav. Halloween. I have a love/hate relationship with the trick or treaters. I love to see the little ones all dressed up, but really dislike the older boys who travel in packs with minimal costuming and who are just after the candy. I also don't like having to take my pumpkins in when I turn out the light so they don't end up smashed in the street. So....my fav for this one is that it will be over by this time tomorrow.

Baby Stiles

I'm going to be a grandma sometime around May 6th. Baby Stiles has now officially become a fetus rather than an embryo. That happens at 12 weeks and that is today. The photo below comes from A Child is Born by Nilsson and Hamberger. Fascinating that these kinds of photos can be taken of a developing fetus in utero.

You are beautiful and I can't wait to meet you.

A Questionaire

Two posts in two days must be some kind of a record. I read my friend Becky's blog this morning and she had a questionaire that was interesting, so I decided to answer it. So here it is:

1. What do you add to your coffee?
Coffeemate either Crème Brulee or Hazelnut

2. What are you reading at the moment?
I'm between books

3. Do you own a gun?
Yes, and I know how to use it

4. Are you registered to vote?
Yes.

5. Do you get nervous before doctor appointments?
Not usually.

6. What do you think of hot dogs?
Never eat them, but think they are the feast of the county fair

7. Favorite Christmas Song?
What Child is This?

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning?
Coffee

9. Can you do push ups?
Yes, but only girly ones
How many?
Haven’t tried lately

10. What was the name of your first boyfriend?
Jim Clow in the 6th grade

11. What’s your favorite piece of jewelery?
My wedding and engagement rings from my last marriage. And a necklace my father gave my mother on their 50th anniversary.

12. Favorite hobby?
That’s a a tough one. It’s a toss up between scrapbooking and gardening.

13. Do you work with people who idolize you?
I don’t think that’s the right word, but I work with a wonderful group of people who work together well

14. Do you have ADD?
No.

15. What’s one trait that you hate about yourself?
Procrastination.

16. What’s your Middle name?
Jean, after my grandmother

17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment…
a). I hope I get everything done on my to do list
b). I hope we get lots of rain today
c). What am I going to fix for breakfast.

18. Name 3 things you bought yesterday.
Nothing, nada, zero

19. Name 3 beverages you regularly drink.
coffee, water, milk

20. Current worry right now?
concerns about my daughter’s health

21. What side do you dress to?
Don’t know

22. Favorite place to be?
the beach

23. How did you bring in the New Year?
Asleep

24. Where would you like to go?
The SW US, England, Switzerland.

25. Name three people who will complete this.
Have no idea.

26. Whose answers do you want to read the most?
See above.

27. What color shirt are you wearing?
Wearing jammies

28. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets?
Never even been on satin sheets.

29. Can you whistle?
Yes.
30. Favorite colors(s)?
Green,
31. Could you be a pirate?
No

32. What songs do you sing in the shower?
I don’t

33. Favorite girls name?
Sara – my daughter’s name

34. Favorite boy’s name?
Eric – my son’s name

35. What’s in your pocket right now?
nothing

36. Last thing that made you laugh?
The boxers across the street playing in their yard

37. Best bed sheets as a child?
Only had plain white ones.

38. Worst injury you’ve ever had?
I’ve been incredibly lucky and haven't had any serious injuries. But the worst was being hit by a vending machine van when I walked across the street (in the crosswalk with the walk sign). I spent several days at home on muscle relaxants with back pain. Had no long term effects.

39. Do you love where you live?
Yes. Good thing, too. I’ve lived in this area for over 30 years. I do love my little house that I’ve been in for several years.

40. How many TVs do you have in your house?
One, and it’s seldom on.

41. Who is your loudest friend?
Can’t think of a friend who is loud, but a former co-worker is the loudest person I know.

42. How many dogs do you have?
Just one.

43. Does anyone have a crush on you?
I hope not.

44. What are the most fun things you ever did?
Going to Charleston with my late husband for a reunion of his SeaB buddies. Almost anything we did together.

45. What are your favorite books?
The Anne of Green Gables books, Little Women, Cold Mountain, anything by Amy Tan. I could go on and on.

46. What is your favorite candy?
anything dark chocolate

47. Favorite Team?
don’t have one

48. What songs do you want played at your funeral?
haven’t even thought about a funeral - too busy living

49. What were you doing at 12 AM?
Sleeping

50. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
What time is it?

Congratulations if you made it all the way through this.

Five Favs Friday

WOW! I can't believe it's been three weeks since I've posted. September was a killer month for being busy.

Here are my favs for today:

1. Purging excess scrapbook supplies. I had a garage sale today and moved alot of things I either forgot I had or didn't like once I got them. Now I can actually see the top of my table. Maybe I can scrap again soon.

2. Rain. As a 40 year resident of rainy Oregon, I get really antsy when it gets to be fall and we don't get rain. Finally yesterday and today we've had some measurable precipitation. About time is all I can say!! Check back with me in March or April and see how I feel about rain then. he, he.

3. BPS classes: specifically Cathy Zielske's Design Your Life. This class just started yesterday and it's great right from the get-go. I love Cathy's work and want to be like her when I grow up. She and Ali Edwards can make photos + words and some cardstock look fabulous.

4. Garlic chicken and rice from my favorite Thai restaurant. Had this for dinner last night with a friend as we watched the vice presidential debate. It is so yummy and had lots of veges in it. I think there are enough leftover for dinner tonight, too.

5. Odwalla Mango Tango. This is a fruit smoothie blend and has NO artificial ingredients - and NO straight sugar in any form except fruit juice. It's a little spendy for every day but is luscious as an occasional treat - had one this morning before the garage sale.

Well, that's it for Friday. Hope you all have a great weekend.

Five Favs Friday

Yay, yay, yay. I'm really behind the eight-ball with posting my five favs. But here goes:

1. A free kwik sew pattern to make a cute bag. I'll be in Portland in a couple weeks and will be at the Fabric Depot so hope to find something fun to use for it.

2. American Crafts thickers. I just can't seem to get enough of them. Love them for titles. I like the foam ones, and the vinyl ones, and the chipboard ones. And I love all the different fonts.

3. Parking in my garage again. Last spring I started a total redo of my front yard. My driveway became the staging area for rock, stepping stones, wall building stones, and fert rich (better known as dirt). All the stuff got used up over about 6 weeks except the dirt. I used about 2 yards of it when I replanted the berm, but had 3 yards left. I finally got that last shovelfull moved to the backyard today. So NOW I can part my car in the garage again.

4. Frozen fruit bars. I LOVE ice cream and could probably eat a 1/2 Gal in 2-3 days. And the body I had until this past summer showed it. Well, with all the replanting and dirt moving (see #3) I started eating better and losing weight. So I gave up my ice cream for frozen fruit bars. They are only about 50-90 cal. and really satisfy my cravings for cold and sweet.

5. Clothes that are too big. See #4 above. I'm bagging up a lot of slacks that are way too baggy on me and donating them to our local Sunrise Enterprises store. I anticipate hitting Ross soon for some new winter clothes. :)

Corn Chowder

Tonight I made the best corn chowder that was super easy to make. I followed the basic receipe for Alicia's Corn Chowder with just a few deviations. Instead of the butter I used olive oil, and I added a bit of curry powder and a small clove of garlic, chopped, with the onion. Because I only have 1% milk, I added a little 1/2 and 1/2 to the milk. That was it. I think it took about 25 minutes to chop and dice and cook and then it was ready to eat - YUM. I had a few pre-cooked shrimp with cocktail sauce and fresh tomatoes and lemon cucumbers from the garden. It made a very satisfying meal.

My photo is not as appetizing as hers, but I'll bet it tasted every bit as good.

Five Favs Friday

Just read Dena's 5 favs for this week and have to agree that the journaling circles are the cutest.

Here are my five favs for this week:

1. spending time scrappin' and talkin' and eating with Dena and Tina yesterday. I think I was the only one scrapping, but we sure did a lot of the talking and eating. Thanks to Tina for the yummy soup and to Dena for the salt water taffy.

2. My dog Freckles. I took her to the vet this morning for her annual checkup and she was delighted about the whole thing - loves to see all the other animals, and even loves the vet.

3. and 4. 6 X 12 pages and page protectors; and BPS Have More Fun class. I'm taking Stacy Julian's Have More Fun class on BPS and this month we're working on 'present moment' scrapbooking with a scrapbook devoted to each day and what that day includes for us. I love working within the 6 X 12 format for this project - the pages go together really quickly and look so nice. And I find that I'm gradually becoming more aware of my present moments. I'm one of those people who is at least one thing ahead of myself all the time. This month I'm working on slowing down.

5. These apples. I don't remember what the variety is but I bought several at the Farmer's Market last Saturday. They are juicy and just the right mix of sweet and tart. And are nice and crisp. Love apple season.

So that's it for this week. I'm already thinking of what I can post next week. See....I'm already ahead of myself.