Happy Halloween... in pictures

I made these.
I wore this... I am Dr. Elle Tron... nuclear physicist

We carved jack-o-lanterns

We decorated. They went candy begging.

Happy Halloween!!

You Don't Mind If I Go Over Ten Minutes?

YUP, thats what she said. This was after she had nearly killed us for the better part of an hour. She sweetly said, "oh we are not done, you dont mind if we go over ten minutes?" And then, the incredible thing is that everyone said NO! I was screaming Yes, yes I mind! But I was breathing so hard my vocal cords weren't working. And also every cell in my body was focused on not falling off the bike.

Time to Parade Out Some Christmasy Cards

Everything here is by PTI with the exception of the patterned paper. The PP is by MM. I bought a big stack of it last year and now I am trying to use it up. This card has stamps from PTI's made of snow and rustic snowflake.

Want Some Candy

Go this way and help Denise celebrate her blogaversary!

PaperTrey Ink Blog Hop

Its blog hop time! Hop on over to PTI to check all the details! This month's challenge was to use polka dots. I broke out PTI's polka dot basics to stamp the chocolate polka dots. I then stamped on the coordinating polka dot outline with versamark and embossed it with hero arts seafoam embossing powder. I tied on a chocolate swiss dot ribbon. I then used PTI's wise owl stamps to make the owl. He is stamped in chocolate and ocean tides. I colored him with copics and cut him out with my fingertip craft knife. He is popped up on chocolate and oceantides cardstock.

31 Things

I ripped this off from Lisa, who is a sweetheart but has an invite only blog. I wish you could all see the gorgeous pictures she has of her children playing in the fall leaves. Makes me want to pack up my kids and go get some pictures.

31 Things
1. Where is your cell phone? Probably in my purse, I am not addicted to it though so I leave it all over.
2. Where is your significant other? Bed
3. Your hair color? Mouse brown... but I have lovely highlights done every 6 weeks.
4. Your mother? A survivor
5. Your father? Retired cop
6. Your favorite thing? My crafting stuff and my computer... if I had to pick only one I am not sure which way I would go.
7. Your dream last night? I dont dream... I sleep in a haze of benedryl.
8. Your dream/goal? To give my kids the best life possible.
9. The room you're in? Kitchen
10. Your hobby? making stuff
11. Your fear? Dying before my children are grown, losing somebody I love.
12. Where do you want to be in six years? Hopefully a bigger house with my family and hopefully my daughter will be a lovely teenager unlike myself.
13. Where were you last night? Professional Development- bleh.
14. What you’re not? Skinny (an oh how I wish I was!)
15. One of your wish list items? Stamps and more stamps
16. Where you grew up? CA
17. The last thing you did? ate breakfast
18. What are you wearing? work clothes
19. Your TV? Is currently playing Phineaus and ferb
20. Your pet? getting on my last nerve
21. Your computer? MacBook
22. Your mood? Tired but happy
23. Missing someone?no not really
24. Your car? Sadly i drive a minivan and its filthy.
25. Something you’re not wearing? a nose ring?
26. Favorite store? just one? Macys
27. Your summer? My favorite time of the year! no work.
28. Love someone? yep
29. Your favorite color? blue
30. When is the last time you laughed? this morning when cole was pretending to be darthvader
31. Last time you cried? dont know

Oh hey! Your still here? I didnt think anybody really read these things! Well I am glad you stuck around! If you scroll a little lower you will see the Jelly Star cookie recipe that I got requests for. Tomorrow we will be back to cards! Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday!!

Happy Birthday to my honey! He is 37 today! So hard for me to believe. We met when he was 21 and I was 20.... and have pretty much been together ever since. Back when we met 37 was positively ancient... I guess not so much now!

When Spin Instructors Get Sick...

Today is Monday which means its a spin day. I have got a choice of classes since I dont work on Mondays. I can go at 8am and be killed by the previously blogged about, Michele. I can got at 9:30 and be toppled by Jen...race day and core work. Or I can cruise in at 3:45 and take it easy with Charlotte. Charlotte was one who got me hooked on spin. I bumbled into her class one day when I was sick of the elliptical machine but still had enough sense to know that I could not do step. Charlotte is lovely. She obviously has very good genes. She is tall, blonde, Swedish, and incredibly thin and gorgeous. She looks lovely in sweats and she looks lovely sweaty. These are two things no one will ever say about me. I have gifts but these are not them! Now one of the things I love best about Charlotte is she is not fanatical about exercise. Oh sure she tries to be... but really I can see that deep down she is not wed to exercise. When she goes to Sweden for the summer she doesnt exercise at all. So I know that secretly, she is not in love with exercise. I guess what I am saying is Charlotte's class is pretty easy for me. I mean, I dont feel like I am dying in there usually. Not that I dont feel challenged, I do, however I dont feel that death is eminent like I do in Michele'e class.

So anyway, I wander into Charlotte's class. She is there! Yay, no sub! I get on the bike, start to warm up... other regulars come in (let it be known 99.9 % of them are in better shape than me and clearly adore exercise). Music starts. Charlotte is not getting on her bike. what?

"Hi Guys! I am sick, I have a cold coming on. So I am just going to walk you through this and coach you today," she says.
What?, I am thinking, 'What on Earth is she doing?'
Let me tell you, I wish I had never found out. Coaching from the floor means she turns into that crazed lady from Biggest Loser. You know, the trainer? Yep, sweet Charlotte took on a whole new personality. She knows all our names too. She got right up near your face. And then yelled, "Michele (my name)!!! YOU CAN DO BETTER! TURN THE KNOB! PEDDLE FASTER!! YOU CAN DO THIS!! GO! GO! GO!"

This went on the entire class. I have never worked so hard in my life. I was dripping sweat. My legs feel like jello. The second class ended I slid off my bike and ran for the door... luckily all that sweat hid my tears of pain!

Spinning My Wheels

So the last time I wrote about spin class I was whining about the 8 am chick. You will recall that I said I would not be going to that class again. The instructor’s name is Michele. She is very nice… as a person, but then class starts and I start to feel all kinds of hateful towards her. Anyway I do my best to avoid her class because clearly I am not in good enough shape yet. I need a few more classes and a few less snickers bars before I go there again.

On Friday I was headed to Kevin’s class. Kevin is a big huge guy with lots of muscles. He is really into motivational stuff. His class is hard, no doubt about that, but frankly he doesn’t scare me like Michele. I get to class, I am actually early! (That’s because the kids were left at home with their father.) I get on the bike, start warming up. I am in my happy place, all pleased with myself that I came to class. The door opens, I look up. Who is it? You guessed it! “Hi Everybody! Thanks for coming! I am Michele and I am subbing for Kevin! Are you ready to work??!! We have loads of hills and sprints coming up! You will love it!”

Can I tell you I felt tears forming in my eyes? Only my pride kept me on that bike. I wanted to leave so bad! But I didn’t. I stayed and was slowly tortured in every way possible. I did more sprints than I have ever done before. I thought I might completely pass out. I drank ALL my water. The only thing I hate worse than exercise is drinking water.

I watched the clock, praying to God that 4:30 (the end of class) would come quickly. It seemed to go on forever. Finally we are within 5 minutes. I am dripping in sweat. I probably lost 5 pounds in water weight. (Yeah I am sure I put it back on already.) I am ready to cool down and head out… and then perky Michele says, “ OMG! Is this class only 45 minutes?” Yes!!!! We all scream. “ Oh,” she says, “ I thought it was an hour, we are going to go over at least 5 or 10 minutes. I am so sorry is that ok?”
NO!!!! I want to scream. But I don’t, again the pride thing. All the other crazy exercise folk are saying no problem, lets go the full hour. These folks are insane.

I made it. Just barely. But I walked out on my own two feet. When I got home I fell on to the couch and begged my son to bring me a chocolate. Yes there is a reason I cant lose this weight.

Jelly Stars

Jelly Stars

This is my best “fancy” cookie recipe. Everyone loves these… of course that means they are a pain in the butt to make. I only make them at Christmas but I usually make 4 or 5 batches. Last year I made 8 batches. Never again! The recipe was in Good Housekeeping about 15 years ago. Thank goodness I wrote it down because I have never run across it again.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 ¼ cup sugar
2 eggs (separated)
2 tsp vanilla (real!!)
3 cups flour
1/8 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup raspberry jam (I always use Knott’s)

Beat the butter with 1 cup of sugar until blended. Increase speed to high and beat for 3 minutes. Add yolks and vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt. Shape the dough into two balls, wrap in plastic and chill at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out between 2 sheets of waxed paper. Do not add flour. You must use the wax paper. Cut out cookies (I use star cutters). You need to sizes of cutters. Cut out 2 big cookies and then use the small cutter to cut out the middle of the second cookie. This will give you a top and a bottom. Brush cookies with beaten egg white (I have been known to skip this when crunched for time.) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 10 to 12 minutes… they should not really brown. You want them pale. When they are cool spread the bottom cookies with jam and top with the cut out cookie.

Christmas Card

I made this as part of a Christmas card set. I am trying to use up some Making Memories patterned paper that I picked up last year on clearance. I am famous for buying lots of stuff I don’t need. I really do love this patterned paper though.
Stuff: Rustic snowflake stamps by PTI. PTI cardstock in kraft and pure poppy. White ink by versamagic. Ribbon from American Crafts. Unknown jewels.

Happy Fall

I have been busily working on Fall cards and Christmas cards. Its finally cold enough that I feel in the mood to work on those things. I have a hard time thinking fall when its 90 outside!
Stuff: PTI stamps: Out on a Limb Additions, Take a Bough, Limitless Labels. PTI cardstock: vintage vanilla, PTI ribbon: dark chocolate satin. Dew drops ink: gold, pumpkin spice, coffee, copper

Meme- Q&A

I was tagged by Beverly for a little Q&A. You should check out her blog, lots of crafty goodness plus she is working on her own store!

Now, here are the rules:

1. Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
2. Share seven facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.

3. Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Ok, seven facts about me:

1. I was born and raised in California.
2. I have had the same best friend since I was 3 years old.
3. I am easily grossed out by a bloody nose. (I have never had one! TG!)
4. I like to make stuff. (Gee bet that was hard to guess).
5. I bake like nobody's business. My specialty is cookies.
6. I have had many a science experiment go bad!
7. My feet are huge... size 9.5!!! And I am only 5'3"

I am taking the easy way out and tagging no one. But if you want to play, let me know I would love to come read about you!

Merry and Bright

I have been working on Christmas cards and Halloween boxes. My craft desk looks like a bomb went off. This card uses a set called Merry and Bright from PTI. I love the little christmas trees, so many different ways to stamp them out. The base of the card is Pure Poppy cardstock and the patterned paper is by Memory Makers. Its old, at least last year. I have an addiction... I continually buy paper, I cant seem to stop. I think I have enough to make a 100 scrapbooks, dozens of cards and still have some left over.

Spin Class Nearly Killed Me

Decided that I would return to spin class today, I went back to the gym yesterday. Its always so hard to go back after missing a week and being sick. So today I think I will just go in at 8am and get it done with. I have never been to this particular class because in the summer I was never up early enough and then once school started I was kind of going in the afternoon or at the 9am class. So anyway I manage to drop off my kids and get myself down to the gym by 8am. I walk into class and who do I see but the hardest instructor every!!!! She subbed once for my regular afternoon girl and I thought I was going to die. So here I am, second day back, first spin class back, still cant breathe through my frickin nose... and here is this chick that is all muscle- the I look good-I am tough- I am going to kick your butt muscle. Of course she is smiling as she talks about what an awesome tough ride its going to be, she is just going to work us over! Oh I was afraid. Totally terrified. Felt my feet heading for the door but somehow I managed to coerce them on to the bike. It was so hard! Hard to breathe, hard to make my muscles move, and of course my butt hurt because I hadnt been on the bike in a week. Well I am here writing this so obviously I survived, but I am telling you just barely! I dont think I will be hitting the 8am class again anytime soon!

Give Thanks

I am not much of a Thanksgiving card maker but I thought that Out on a Limb, by PTI, just lent itself to Thanksgiving. This is such a versatile set, especially if you have the add on. Well worth the money, this one is. I made several of these cards and I am proud to say they are going to some deployed soldiers. All supplies by PTI, except for the ribbon-its from Michaels, and the ink on the leaves- dew drops brilliance ink.
Thanks for stopping by- have a great Monday!

Finally On the Road to Recovery!

I am finally feeling better! Gosh, this was a nasty cold. I hadn't felt that awful in quite sometime. I made this card right before I got sick. I used PTI's Take a Bough. It was released last Christmas. I just love this set, so versatile! The branch also comes in handy for my Wise Owl set! Anyway back to the card, all PTI materials. I made the ornaments look glossy with Ranger Industries' Glossy Accents. The hardest part is waiting for it to dry!