Monday, September 24, 2007
A day in my town
I got to thinking about this last night. If I had a friend who had never been to visit what would I do with them if we had 1 day. Well, to start with, if it was an art friend, we'd have to hit the scrapbook stores and Michael's and Hobby Lobby in Cordova. If not, we'd start out at the Peabody downtown for the march of the ducks. We'd go on top of the building and talk about all the buildings and sights you can see, then we'd take a stroll down Beale Street. Reluctantly I'd go to Graceland if my friend was Elvis inclined. I say reluctantly because it really is over-rated and very expensive. Since we were downtown, I'd have to say maybe the Rendevouz for lunch. That is a pretty famous BBQ place. If we were in the Cordova area looking at art goodies, It would have to be Corky's. I mean it's Memphis folks, you have to eat BBQ! Dinner would be at my place, because I love to cook and would just HAVE to cook at least one meal for my company. Then there are all those out of the way hole in the wall places if we had more time like JunLee, which is in a bad area of town, but yields a good haul on a a shopping trip for women's accessories, like costume jewelry, purses, and hair barrettes, and bands. Then there is midtown. We would HAVE to hit Maggie's Pharm which is an herbal shoppe with amazing little trinkets, and you can make your own bath and lotion potions there. And then there is Wizard's which has incense and nifty bumper stickers. And last but NOT least if it is an art friend we'd have to hit The Art Supply Store in midtown. Now many would say how about the zoo or the Pink Palace? Well, you have a point there. Those are both interesting places, but if you've been to one zoo.... And the pink palace is a super cool place. Especially at Christmas when they have the Enchanted Forrest to go through. But seriously, that place takes a good 4 hours if you don't go to the IMAX or the Planetarium, which of course you would want to do, so that would have to roll over to day two if there was one. Anywho...now that you have taken a walk with me through a day in my town, what would you do in yours? Post it here or on your blog. Inquiring minds want to know!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Some artwork
O.K. maybe not really artwork. More like STAMPwork. Since almost all of my art supplies are packed up, I have been stamping, making cards, and now after seriously missing ATC's making a few "quickie" ones. Here are some pictures of recent cards and batches of stamped ATC's.
A closer look at a few. This is called a magic card because when you pull the ribbon at the top the card pulls out to magically reveal color.
And here it is opened
Here is another close up. This is such a beautiful color combo and I just love these stamps...
And last but not least a few muslin transfers....
Before and After
Now It has been a week since I went to Louisville and spent the most amazingly wonderful weekend with Katie. We chilled, and had a nice lunch at the lake, and spent Saturday night with Brian walking down memory lane and laughing our patooties off.
My very first blog entry was about the painting of the cabinets. Well, as usual some things are a blessing in disguise.
After meeting with an interior decorator who took pity on us and didn't even charge us for her services after having played host to us AND the kids for two hours in her store, we decided on a few color changes. Since I had to repaint the bathroom cabinets.
ANYWAY, I changed the colors. Here are the before and after pictures. I like the earthiness of the colors now. I think they will make nice art room colors too. Lemme know what ya think!
Before the trip
Powdered Coffee creamer. I never thought I'd use it, but after weight watchers started I learned to use alot of things I never thoght I'd like. Now sugar free vanilla coffee creamer is THE BOMB to me. It is the spring in my step in my lil cuppa coffee in the mornings. Especially when those mornings do not include a run to starbucks for my sugar free vanilla non fat latte...VENTI...always venti.
So today I decided to go grocery shopping, with the kids, for two weeks worth of groceries. Why you ask? Well the alternative was this...leave Greg the grocery money and let him go to the store this weekend, because I WILL NOT BE HERE!!! Can I get a YEE HAW??? I am going out of town to Louisville, my hometown, to spend the whole weekend uninterrupted by children, with my friends!
How did I get this fortunate? Well, it's like this. Hunting season is comming up...three months of hunting season, and during this time my dear hubby will be gone every single chance he gets. So I get ONE weekend away before this atrocity begins. Now back to the shopping trip...yes, I said two weeks worth of groceries in 1 trip with three kid in tow.
First let me just say the phrases 'Boy , three boys, wow, are they twins? Man, you sure have your hands full!" get sooo old after the first twenty people you pass. Now to get groceries it takes two carts. One for the kids, and one for the groceries. Andy, my little independant kiddo likes to ride all alone, and stack the groceries. so he goes into one and Alex and Nathan ride in the other.
Now I have to admit, this is a little anti-climatic, but on this particular trip my kids were actually very well behaved. Alex only knocked 1 item off the shelf and Nathan only asked for 400 things as opposed to his normal 4000. SO we get the groceries, along with three new movies, three new toys, and three chocolate bars, all of which cost 1.00 or less.
After checking out off we go to load it all up and get it all home. Now this is also a feat because you have to now watch two full carts and make sure no one hits you or the carts on the trek through the parking lot, and also once you get to the car that your carts stay put and don't run into any other cars while you are loading kids nto the car. Once this feat is done we are on the way home. Now powdered coffe creamer you ask...what exactly did you mean by that? Oh I'm getting there, just give me time!
Ok home, groceries unloaded, getting packed up for my weekend away. Kids are hungry, well, hey, aren't they ALWAYS hungry? So Into the oven goes a magnifcent dinner of mini corndogs and french fries. I must say here that I have never bought mini corndogs for my kids, this is a first time junk food treat for them. So in the bedroom packing clothes, and crafting goodies for my weekend away, did I mention there was a weekend with NO KIDS? Hmmm, those corndogs smell so sweet. Sorta like vanilla. Yep, JUST like vanilla. STrange, I didn't think vanilla would be in corndogs. O.K. Better go check this out.
Oven door opens and what do my wondering eyes see? You guessed it. A brand spanking new container of powdered vanill coffee creamer. I guess the twins thought I needed that heated up with the corndogs and fries.
Now let me explain what happens to a plastic container of powdered coffee creamer when it is baked in the oven. The plastic container expands...I mean it grows like one of those spongy gets up to 400 times the original size toys you had as a kid kind of big. And the plastic begins then to melt onto the oven rack. To remove this you need two potolders, one ofr the top and one for the bottom. When you begin to remove the container it tends to burst into flames, mind you, so don't expect to come away unscathed. Imagine singed arm hair. Yep, you're getting the picture. Now once the flaming mass of plastic has been extracted, you still have the powdered coffee creamer that spilled into the oven that is baking, toasting to a nice light golden brown color on the bottom of the oven. Of course you can't remove that while the oven is hot, so it continues to bake until the oven cools off.
So this is the fun day of shopping and learning I've spent with my kids. I mean, who doesn't need to know how to toast powdered coffee creamer???
So today I decided to go grocery shopping, with the kids, for two weeks worth of groceries. Why you ask? Well the alternative was this...leave Greg the grocery money and let him go to the store this weekend, because I WILL NOT BE HERE!!! Can I get a YEE HAW??? I am going out of town to Louisville, my hometown, to spend the whole weekend uninterrupted by children, with my friends!
How did I get this fortunate? Well, it's like this. Hunting season is comming up...three months of hunting season, and during this time my dear hubby will be gone every single chance he gets. So I get ONE weekend away before this atrocity begins. Now back to the shopping trip...yes, I said two weeks worth of groceries in 1 trip with three kid in tow.
First let me just say the phrases 'Boy , three boys, wow, are they twins? Man, you sure have your hands full!" get sooo old after the first twenty people you pass. Now to get groceries it takes two carts. One for the kids, and one for the groceries. Andy, my little independant kiddo likes to ride all alone, and stack the groceries. so he goes into one and Alex and Nathan ride in the other.
Now I have to admit, this is a little anti-climatic, but on this particular trip my kids were actually very well behaved. Alex only knocked 1 item off the shelf and Nathan only asked for 400 things as opposed to his normal 4000. SO we get the groceries, along with three new movies, three new toys, and three chocolate bars, all of which cost 1.00 or less.
After checking out off we go to load it all up and get it all home. Now this is also a feat because you have to now watch two full carts and make sure no one hits you or the carts on the trek through the parking lot, and also once you get to the car that your carts stay put and don't run into any other cars while you are loading kids nto the car. Once this feat is done we are on the way home. Now powdered coffe creamer you ask...what exactly did you mean by that? Oh I'm getting there, just give me time!
Ok home, groceries unloaded, getting packed up for my weekend away. Kids are hungry, well, hey, aren't they ALWAYS hungry? So Into the oven goes a magnifcent dinner of mini corndogs and french fries. I must say here that I have never bought mini corndogs for my kids, this is a first time junk food treat for them. So in the bedroom packing clothes, and crafting goodies for my weekend away, did I mention there was a weekend with NO KIDS? Hmmm, those corndogs smell so sweet. Sorta like vanilla. Yep, JUST like vanilla. STrange, I didn't think vanilla would be in corndogs. O.K. Better go check this out.
Oven door opens and what do my wondering eyes see? You guessed it. A brand spanking new container of powdered vanill coffee creamer. I guess the twins thought I needed that heated up with the corndogs and fries.
Now let me explain what happens to a plastic container of powdered coffee creamer when it is baked in the oven. The plastic container expands...I mean it grows like one of those spongy gets up to 400 times the original size toys you had as a kid kind of big. And the plastic begins then to melt onto the oven rack. To remove this you need two potolders, one ofr the top and one for the bottom. When you begin to remove the container it tends to burst into flames, mind you, so don't expect to come away unscathed. Imagine singed arm hair. Yep, you're getting the picture. Now once the flaming mass of plastic has been extracted, you still have the powdered coffee creamer that spilled into the oven that is baking, toasting to a nice light golden brown color on the bottom of the oven. Of course you can't remove that while the oven is hot, so it continues to bake until the oven cools off.
So this is the fun day of shopping and learning I've spent with my kids. I mean, who doesn't need to know how to toast powdered coffee creamer???
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Kids and Pictures
Hmmmmm, let's think about this one. Kids and pictures...yep, sounds good, BUT (my famous but,) there is always a hitch. Like "Mom if I smile and act good do I get to go to Cheuck E. Cheese afterwards?" No. You don't get to go to Cheuck E. Cheese. If you smile and act good you don't get a spanking....sound like a good deal? Yeah, I thought so.
Well, try that with 2 2 1/2 year olds. First it was Andy who was defiantly NOT going to sit on that rock wall with the trees in the background. THEN it was Alex who was definately DONE with posing for pictures...6 shots into them. So we wound up trying for 45 minutes to get 1 good picture of all three kids, just looking the right way, no matter about smiles, shirt tails, or high rise pant legs...just ONE picture with all three faces.
We finally realized it was a futile effort and gave up. Wound up with a picture of all three sorta looking and smiling at the camera, and one absolutely fabulous one of Nathan and Andy throwing fall leaves everywhere. Want to know how hard the photographer tried? She even tried taking pictures of Alex while he was helping clean up the leaves...yep, it was that bad!
What percipitated this decision to have the kids pictures made? Well, I suddenly realized that we hadn't had their pictures formally made since spring '06. I decided that what with moving this fall and of course DEER hunting, which CAN NOT be interrupted, it was a 50/50 chance we'd get back in for Christmas pictures as a family, so I'd better take some while the moment was ripe.
Ripe. Yeah, I like that. Ripe. that is the perfect description of the situation, not ripe as in the moment was right, ripe as in, smelly WAY too over the hill ripe attitudes ripe. Ripe as in trick or treat smell my feet give me something good to eat ripe. Ripe as in yeah, you want to wake ME up at 8:15 and get me dressed in clothes and DRIVE me to a photo studio ripe.
And yes, 8:15 is early for everyone in my family. We are a family of late people. We get up late, we go to bed late, we run late, we ARE late! I guess my kids have again taught me a lesson. DON'T get me up early for pictures if you expect me to be happy about it! Guess I'll have to remember that one next time!
Well, try that with 2 2 1/2 year olds. First it was Andy who was defiantly NOT going to sit on that rock wall with the trees in the background. THEN it was Alex who was definately DONE with posing for pictures...6 shots into them. So we wound up trying for 45 minutes to get 1 good picture of all three kids, just looking the right way, no matter about smiles, shirt tails, or high rise pant legs...just ONE picture with all three faces.
We finally realized it was a futile effort and gave up. Wound up with a picture of all three sorta looking and smiling at the camera, and one absolutely fabulous one of Nathan and Andy throwing fall leaves everywhere. Want to know how hard the photographer tried? She even tried taking pictures of Alex while he was helping clean up the leaves...yep, it was that bad!
What percipitated this decision to have the kids pictures made? Well, I suddenly realized that we hadn't had their pictures formally made since spring '06. I decided that what with moving this fall and of course DEER hunting, which CAN NOT be interrupted, it was a 50/50 chance we'd get back in for Christmas pictures as a family, so I'd better take some while the moment was ripe.
Ripe. Yeah, I like that. Ripe. that is the perfect description of the situation, not ripe as in the moment was right, ripe as in, smelly WAY too over the hill ripe attitudes ripe. Ripe as in trick or treat smell my feet give me something good to eat ripe. Ripe as in yeah, you want to wake ME up at 8:15 and get me dressed in clothes and DRIVE me to a photo studio ripe.
And yes, 8:15 is early for everyone in my family. We are a family of late people. We get up late, we go to bed late, we run late, we ARE late! I guess my kids have again taught me a lesson. DON'T get me up early for pictures if you expect me to be happy about it! Guess I'll have to remember that one next time!
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
A few links that I like...
Want to know some of the places I frequent on the web? Here are a few:
www.youtube.com OK most people know this one, but you can find some pretty funny, cool, and interesting videos here.
www.splitcoaststampers.com This is where I get a lot of inspiration to do stamping and art projects. They have amazing tutorials and downloads for fun and easy projects of all skill types. Want a fun one to try? Look in the tutorial forum for witch shoe template. That is SUPER CUTE!!! You can also look in members galleries for gbnaabennett (my gallery) or qbee (My friend Brenda's gallery)
www.makeachildsmile.com This is a website where each month two children are selected and they ask that you send a card or small gift to them. You can also access the gallery for children from past months to write to. These children have anything from cancer, to sickle cell anemia that they live with every day.
www.chemoangels.com I was a chemo angel for over a year and stepped down until after my last buddy graduated. I will pick it back up again after we move. It brought an amazing amount of love and gratitude for all the little things in life.
www.starbucks.com I mean those who know me should know I live for my Starbucks! "The Way I see it" on their site is very interesting reading.
http://momtomy6pack.blogspot.com This woman is simply hilarious to read.
www.weightwatchers.com This is where I plug in nutritional info to calculate points for weight watchers. So far I have lost 38 pounds. I have 22 more to go, and I plan to get there by the end of the year, holiday food and all!
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=160193088&blogID=308419555 My friend Katie's blog
http://mystudio13.blogspot.com My friend Carrie's blog
http://stampitscontagious.blogspot.com My friend Brenda's blog
www.youtube.com OK most people know this one, but you can find some pretty funny, cool, and interesting videos here.
www.splitcoaststampers.com This is where I get a lot of inspiration to do stamping and art projects. They have amazing tutorials and downloads for fun and easy projects of all skill types. Want a fun one to try? Look in the tutorial forum for witch shoe template. That is SUPER CUTE!!! You can also look in members galleries for gbnaabennett (my gallery) or qbee (My friend Brenda's gallery)
www.makeachildsmile.com This is a website where each month two children are selected and they ask that you send a card or small gift to them. You can also access the gallery for children from past months to write to. These children have anything from cancer, to sickle cell anemia that they live with every day.
www.chemoangels.com I was a chemo angel for over a year and stepped down until after my last buddy graduated. I will pick it back up again after we move. It brought an amazing amount of love and gratitude for all the little things in life.
www.starbucks.com I mean those who know me should know I live for my Starbucks! "The Way I see it" on their site is very interesting reading.
http://momtomy6pack.blogspot.com This woman is simply hilarious to read.
www.weightwatchers.com This is where I plug in nutritional info to calculate points for weight watchers. So far I have lost 38 pounds. I have 22 more to go, and I plan to get there by the end of the year, holiday food and all!
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=160193088&blogID=308419555 My friend Katie's blog
http://mystudio13.blogspot.com My friend Carrie's blog
http://stampitscontagious.blogspot.com My friend Brenda's blog
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