...Because I have nothing else to do...

The Idea Room is having a link party in which participants list random facts about themself in order for readers to learn a little more about them.  So I'm playing along, seeing as how I have nothing else to do while I wait for the lasagna to finish cooking. Here goes.

Random tidbits about me:



* I am afraid of birds. I don't know why. No, I was never attacked by a bird. No, it isn't from watching the movie,which I've never seen anyway. They're just creepy!

* I blog when I'm bored. Can you tell I've been bored lately? : )

* I've lived in 15 different cities and 5 states! (Texas, Colorado, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Indiana) and Colorado is by far my favorite! With Indiana in second.

* Jason had to propose three times before I said yes. : \ Isn't that horrible of me?? It's not that I didn't like him or anything. I just didn't feel like I was ready to get married yet. I wasn't that girl that was searching for a husband and had her wedding colors and flowers picked out from the time she was 10. I kinda liked being young and single. We were 23 when we finally married. AND we eloped. Then, had a church wedding a year and a half later. I know it's confusing. I don't think friends and family know when our anniversary is. I think our roles are reversed in this relationship. I pursued him. He said I love you first. He wanted to get married first. He wanted kids first. Am I weird??

* I have chocolate in my sweatshirt pocket right now. Hee hee. And I keep some in my nightstand for emergency snacks! Mmmm, I love chocolate.

* As a kid I was scared to eat strawberries. They looked weird with the seeds on the outside!

* My fave tv shows are Modern Family, Castle, The Office, Private Chefs of Beverly Hills, Cupcake Wars, Chopped, The Next Food Network Star, What Not to Wear (I secretly wish I could be Stacy London and walk around and tell everyone what's wrong with what they're wearing even though I'm a complete mess myself!)

* I didn't start crafting until this year. I've been collecting supplies for years and finally began scrapbooking, cardmaking and other crafts. What took me so long? It's an incredible outlet!

* A few decades ago back in high school I was a cheerleader. Yep. Me. It's funny to think about it now. I probably still know most of the cheers and will break one out every now and then. It's good for making the hubby laugh!!!!!

I can't think of anything else and the timer on the oven just went off. I hope you all had a Happy New Year. I say "had" even though it's still hours away as I write this because I am sure I'm probably the only one home on my computer tonight. It will most likely be 2011 when you read this. BUT if you are reading this in 2010 leave me a comment so I know I'm not the only one who isn't out celebrating. : )

Also, please feel free to play along too!

Rumparooz on Sale

Rumparooz are my favorite cloth diapers! And now through the 31st they are having their annual End of year yellow sale. Only the yellow ones are on sale. Why yellow? I don't know.

But they are 25% off!!!

This is a GREAT deal. If you've ever thought of trying these snatch up a few at this price. If you already love them like I do then stock up on a few more. If you buy any please tell her I (Amber Sheaves) sent you and let me know too. She gives rewards points for both purchases and referrals! And I'm just a few points from a free diaper =)

Here is a review my cousin did of these diapers on her blog.

Fried Pickles

Fried pickles??? Yes, fried pickles. They are sooooo good. This recipe is from the June issue of Food Network Magazine. And they go great with the Cheeseburger Salad recipe below.

Pretzel-crusted Pickle Chips with Mustard Sauce

For the sauce:
1 1/4-inch-thick slice red onion, finely diced
3 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1/2 tsp paprika
3/4 garlic powder
Kosher salt

For the chips:
vegetable oil for frying
6 large dill pickles, sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
2 cups salted mini pretzels
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
celery salt, for sprinkling (optional)

1. Make the sauce: Mix the onion, both mustards, mayonnaise, paprika, garlic powder and salt to taste in bowl. Set aside.

2. Make the chips: Heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil in large skillet over medium heat. Gently pat the pickle slices dry with a paper towel.

3. Crush pretzels into coarse crumbs; transfer to a plate. Whisk eggs in shallow bowl and put the flour in another bowl. Dredge the pickle slices in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in beaten eggs and then in pretzel crumbs. Working in batches, fry the pickles until golden crisp, about 1 minute per side. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with celery salt. Serve warm with the mustard sauce.

So I wish I had some pics to post, but I don't : (   I guess sticky, floury  pretzel-coated fingers and splashing hot oil don't make for good photo-taking opps. Maybe next time I'll remember.

Cheeseburger Salad

So, is it a cheeseburger or a salad??

It has all the flavor of a burger, but with less carbs and more veggies! This is one of our go-to meals for the week.  It's easy, affordable and the whole family likes it! And, of course, it's a Pampered Chef recipe again.



Deluxe Cheeseburger Salad

4 sesame seed hamburger bun tops

1 small red onion, divided

2 plum tomatoes

3/4 lb 95% lean ground beef

1/2 cup finely diced pickles

3/4 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp yellow mustard

8 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce

1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice buns into 1/4-in. strips. Arange on bar pan and bake 8-10 minutes until slightly toasted. Let cool.

(I didn't have sesame buns so we just used regular. And I use the bottoms too.)

2. Cut onion in half crosswise. Slice half of onion crosswise into thin rings. Cut tomatoes into quarters lengthwise and slice crosswise.

3. Cook ground beef over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes until no longer pink. Meanwhile, chop remaining onion half using food chopper. Finely dice pickles using chopper as well. In large bowl, combine chopped onion, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Add cooked beef and mix well.

(This seems really gross to me, but it does taste so good.)



4. To serve, arrange lettuce on large serving platter. Spoon beef mixture over lettuce. Top with cheese, tomatoes and sliced onion. Arrange hamburger bun croutons around edge of platter. Serve immediatley.

 We like to serve this with fried pickles! Also sounds gross, but so good! I'll have to post that recipe later.



I'm sure you probably have all the ingredients on hand anyway so try this recipe and let me know what you think!

Cricut cartridge sale!

Cricutmachine.com is having a 48-hour New Year's sale on Cricut! Visit www.cricutmachine.com/specials.php to see the sale items. There are over 60 cartridges marked down to only $14.95 each!!! There are some really good carts on there too (I stocked up with all my Christmas money which didn't last long)! And they're already shipping the newly released ones as well. Happy Shopping!

Well, Owl Bee

There's a great new blog called Well, Owl Bee. It's "a journal of accidentally crunchy moms". How cute is that? They have lots of product reviews and just did their first giveaway. The current review is that of my Lemongrass Spa products! I think you can get a lot from this site especially if you are a mom of young kids, a new mom or a mom-to-be! Go take a look!

p.s. The owl, aka Brie, happens to be my husband's cousin : )

Blog Candy Giveaway

Stacy at Scrap with Stacy is having another fabulous giveaway! I think. Well, you see the prize is a surprise!

Although, she has confirmed that there is some Tim Holtz product involved! Remember that last Tim Holtz giveaway she had?! So head over to her blog to enter. You have until December 31st and the winner will be announced on January 1st! Good luck!



Blogger Award!

Awwww, I was awarded this blogger award! Rhonda from Scrap Happens was kind enough to give it to me. She makes these super cute mini albums. Check out her site if you get a chance. She even gives away these adorable books! You know how I love giveaways!!!

There are some rules are for accepting this blogger award.....

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this
2. Share 8 things about yourself
3. Pay it forward to 8 bloggers that you have recently discovered
4. Contact those bloggers and tell them about their awards

Here are the 8 things about me:

1. I am such a procrastinator. Big time. I don't mean to be - it's just how I am. I've learned to work great under pressure though! But still, I wish I wasn't.

2. I am a horrible homemaker. I think it has something to do with #1.

3. I stopped eating meat about 20 years ago. But I eat turkey bacon like there's no tomorrow.

4. I have an unnatural fondness for Nutella. I just discovered it a few months ago. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!

5. I love those cheesy made-for-tv family movies. I love when abc family does a marathon on the weekends.

6. I've never been in a spa or had a pedicure, manicure or massage.

7. I have never lived anywhere for more than three years. Ever. And I am 35 years old. I've moved a lot. Always the new kid.

8. I'm a geek at heart. I grew up a Trekkie and have come to be a fan of Star Wars as an adult.

Here are the 8 bloggers that I've recently discovered and would like to give the award to:

1. Khristen's Craft Room

2. The Green Bean's Crafterole

3. Fireflies and Jellybeans

4. Full of Great Ideas

5. homemade by jill (I just found this one today!)

6. In Between Laundry

7. Disguised as a Grownup

8. Cassandra design

Please visit their blogs for some great ideas, fun crafts and some laughs.

New Cricut Cartridges and a GIVEAWAY!

Obsessed with Scrapbooking is having a few giveaways to celebrate the release of several new Cricut cartridges. Here is what's up for grabs:

The Winter Frolic cartidge

The pink ATG gun with 2 refills (what I'm craving!!!)

SEI's Kris Kringle paper pad



Just visit her blog post for the details!

Blog Candy Giveaway

Wee Memories is celebrating 700 followers by having a giveaway!! There will be 2 winners. Here's what's up for grabs:

Just visit the blog post HERE for details.

The Fam

We had our annual family pics a few weeks ago so I thought I'd share a few of my faves.

 

 Okay, I know I said I'd share a few but it was so hard to just pick a few!

Our photographer's website is http://www.yourlifemylens.blogspot.com/ if you are in the Denver area and need some photos or if you just want to have a looksy.

Cappuccino Mousse Trifle

This is one of my favorite recipes. I take it alot to events and people always seem to love it. It's great for breakfast or brunch or even as a dessert. Since it's a Pampered Chef recipe it's also easy and quick.

Since I was in a hurry when I last made this to take to MOPS I didn't stop to take photos before or during. So all my pics are after we started eating. I apologize for the unprettiness of it!!

 The recipe actually fills this trifle bowl up even more but since we started eating it it sank down.

This is what it looked like before I cleaned it up for the pic above! See how much higher it went??

From the top. I don't know why but this just makes me laugh.

1 frozen prepared pound cake (16 ounces)

2 1/2 cups cold milk

1/3 cup instant coffee granules

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

2 containers (8 ounces each) frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

1 square (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate for baking

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes.

2. Whisk milk and coffee granules. Let stand 5 minutes or until dissolved.

3. Set aside 1 cup of the milk mixture. Add pudding mixes to remaining milk in large bowl. Whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Gently fold in one container of whipped topping.

4. Place one third of cake cubes in trifle bowl. Pour one third of reserved milk evenly over cake cubes. Top with one third of pudding mix, pressing lightly. Grate 1/4 of chocolate over mix. Repeat layers 2 more times. Reserve the remaining chocolate for garnish.

5. Set aside one cup of remaining whipped topping. Spread the rest of the whipped topping smooth over the top of trifle. Pipe remaining cup of whipped topping ointo rosettes around edge. Grate remaining chocolate in center; sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Refrigerate 30 minutes, or overnight.



Love Birds

This is for Off the Wall Craftiness Challenge #32

 The solid cardstock is SU pear pizzazz and peach parfait. Dotted paper is Apple Cider from Imaginisce (still my fave!). Owls are from a SU punch.

 The branch is from one of the Paper doll cartridges. It was a  leaf and I cut off a few pieces so it looked more like a branch.

 These owls are so fun to make. This is a fun punch. Even the kids can make these.

Some random layouts

Here are a couple layouts I did last weekend for ScrapbookSteals.com's online crop challenges.

 The first was called 4 is the magic number.

It had to include 4 patterned papers, 4 brads, 4 stickers or rubons, 4 ribbons, and 4 of anything else of your choosing (I chose photos).

 I decided to scrap Wyatt's first Halloween for this one. He was such a cute little scarecrow!

The second challenge was to scrap something you are thankful for. I picked these photos because 1) I am thankful for my husband and 2) I didn't really have any others to scrap!

I LOVE this paper line from Imaginisce called To Love and Cherish. It was just meant to go with my love pictures! I cut out the swirls so that they could go over the photos instead of being covered. Even though I added 6 rhinestones and 3 flowers I still don't think it's finished. It needs a little something else. I have some black diamond stickles that want to play. And I need to do something with the title to make it pop more. But in general I really like the way the vivid photos look on the black and white!

Thanks, Teacher

This card is a double-entry. It's for Wee Memories and ScrapbookSteals.com.

Wee Memories Challenge #29 is a free for all! We got to pick what to do.

And the Monday Card Madness #4 at ScrapbookSteals.com is a sketch:

This is a Thank You card for my son's teacher who loves apples (or at least I think she does judging by her classroom).

This was my first gate fold card and it was both really easy and really fun! Here it is opened:

I finally used the Apple Cider paper from Imaginisce that I LOVE sooooo much. The apple was cut from a Cricut cartridge and now I can't remember which. Just Because Cards, maybe??

My handmade tag!

Happy Halloween!

Since I haven't crafted in over a week I've been itcing to post something. So here are some baked crafts we made for my son's preschool Halloween party:

These spiders are covered in dark chocolate frosting and then rolled in a mix of black sprinkles and black edible glitter. We stuck in black twizzler legs and m&m eyes.

For the pumpkins we piped on orange frosting and added pieces of green twizzlers for the stem. The tendrils were made using the same twizzler cut into then strips, coiled and stuck into the frosting.

Mummies! Cupcakes were smoothed in white frosting. We added m&m eyes, piped on black pupils, and added a candy fruit slice for the mouth. Then with a straight tip pipe on the bandages.

Nothing fancy or too much work because they are preschoolers and wouldn't appreciate anything more intricate!

 

And I wanted to share the costume I made for the baby. He was Jack-Jack from The Incredibles!

I took a red sleeper (which is his brother's old one and still way too big for him!). I covered the blue collar and cuffs with black felt that I stitched on. For the logo I drew it out onto paper and cut it out to make a template. I cut out the pieces of yellow felt and glued them onto a black oval. I pulled out my scrapbooking supplies and used chalk to add some orange to fade into the outer yellow pieces, which now that I look at it you can't see it too well in this photo. I sewed on a couple pieces of velcro to attach over the zipper and still be able to get it off. I even made a super cute little black mask. He let me measure it by holding it up to his face several times to make sure it was the right size. But then when it came time to actually wear it he wanted NOTHING to do with it. The little monster. It would have been SOOOO cute. But I was able to spike his hair like Jack-Jack at least. : )

Cricut cartridge giveaway

Obsessed with Scrapbooking is having a giveaway HERE. She's giving either the Christmas Card mini or the Christmas Village mini cartridge. Plus, she got some samples  using the NEW Cricut cartridges. I LOVE the new releases. My faves are definitely Paper Lace and Wrap it Up.

Here are the two carts up for grabs:

Good luck!!

Happy Birthday card

This one's a triple entry!!

1. Off The Wall Craftiness Challenge #29

2. ScrapbookSteals.com Monday Card Madness#3

3. Wee Memories Challenge #27