Christmas present from ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) duckierose |
[Dec. 21st, 2009|01:31 pm] |
Honestly, the cats have made out better this year than we have. (I only say that because our main gift to each other this year is tickets to Hawaii in March which is 3 months away.)
This year, duckierose made the 'kids' some adorable little mice with hemp tails stuffed with catnip.
Here they are playing with the toys.
( More ) |
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| Kitty gift exchange. |
[Dec. 19th, 2009|04:58 pm] |
This year I decided to partake in the Secret Santa Gift Exchange over on the Kitty Pix community
The box contained some lovely and perfectly wrapped gifts. (Kudos to Lynn for finding such awesome wrapping paper!)
I only managed to get one photo in of the packages before Athena decided she was done being polite.
( Unwrapping Fun ) |
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| Christmas Baking |
[Dec. 19th, 2009|04:38 pm] |
Last year I sort of went crazy and made 33 baskets of baked goods for folks. This year, was a little less crazy. Most of my friends are in 'trying to lose weight' mode, and I really didn't want to insult my friends by giving them stuff that would counter-act that effort.
Instead, baked goods went to neighbors and to my AD staff. Plus, the good thing about baking, I actually don't want to eat any of it after I've made it.
The traditional recipes are as follows:
1. Aunt LaBelle's Fruitcake. - This recipe was created by my Great-Aunt LaBelle Froyd. After several conversations with folks about what they hated in fruitcake, she came up with this recipe that consists mainly of Brazil Nuts, Walnuts, Dates, Cherries and LOTS of Chocolate. Most fruitcake haters come back for second helpings on this new version, and I've had several requests for the recipe.
2. Gingerbread. - My favorite memory growing up around Christmas was the gingerbread had at my Aunt Beth's house. Of course, she always decorated with red hots, which made it that much tastier.
3. Pinwheel Tarts. - A Christmas tradition as made by my Grandma T. This dough contains no sugar, only cream cheese, flour and butter. And the center is either apricot or prunes.
4. Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies - Extremely rich cookie that I started making last year. The batter is chocolate based, and then in between two cookies is a layer of home made peppermint buttercream frosting. The sandwich is then rolled in crushed candy cane. Delicious, but probably bet eaten in small portions.
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| Some days, you need to be lazy |
[Dec. 16th, 2009|06:31 pm] |
A list of things to do before travel, birthday and the holidays.
Guess what I did instead?
I slept. It was delicious. The cats slept with me after the maid left. Clean house that I didn't have to clean, clean sheets I didn't wash, and cuddly fur animals.
Welcome to the 1st day of Christmas Hiatus. |
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| Christmas Cards - Addy |
[Dec. 8th, 2009|05:47 pm] |
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Yo! If you want a Christmas Card and or letter from us, speak up now with your names and addresses. Comments will be screened for privacy. |
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| Workout Weight Loss Filter |
[Nov. 28th, 2009|10:29 am] |
A group of us are planning on going to Hawaii in late March, renting a house at only $30/night for each person.
Speaking of which... Brian, are you two interested in going to Hawaii?
Anyway, a group of girls are on 'Operation: Bikini' with the hopes of looking decent in a bikini by the time Hawaii hits. So, that gives me 16 weeks to lose 2lbs a week and get back in shape. I'll try to be documenting progress etc along with the working out and eating habits blah blah.
If you're interested in getting on this filter, speak up. Otherwise, I won't bore you with the dirty details. |
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| One Step Forward, Two Steps Back |
[Nov. 24th, 2009|10:15 am] |
Got a flat tire last night. Should have listened to my car sensors and not stupid Firestone.
$600 to replace the two front run-flat tires. Oy. |
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| 4th Annual Thanksgiving Gathering |
[Nov. 21st, 2009|05:44 pm] |
This year due to space constraints and other things in our new abode, we had to limit the guest list down to very close friends that we hung out with more on an individual basis. Hopefully that will change next year when mulah and space permit.
This year's table wasn't very Thanksgiving-esque, but it was a color combo I wanted to try out. Also, it was a matter of being smart with money, and re-using alot of items I had acquired over the past year for various girl's wedding.
( Photos and story this way ) |
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| Surprise wedding gift for cousin |
[Nov. 20th, 2009|12:40 pm] |
Almost 6 months ago, I was approached by a family member searching for idea for a gift that the family could give my cousin Heather and her FI, Nik. She was lamenting over the fact that with this economy, and with several family members health failing, not everyone could afford to make the trip out to AZ. She really wanted to do something that all family members could partake in. So, I suggested creating a quilt. She and my aunts jumped on the idea. They acquired mailing addresses of both the bride and groom's family. (Groom's family is all in England.) They then mailed out squares with fabric markers asking each member to decorate their square and mail it back.
Heather's mom (mother of the bride) then lovingly put it all together and this was the end result:
( Pictures! ) |
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| Fan Girl |
[Nov. 19th, 2009|03:51 pm] |
Neil Patrick Harris is singing to me from New York Street.
Well... not to me, but he is singing.
Must refrain from running over there and shouting "I love you, Dr. Horrible!" |
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| DIY Diaper Cake Fun |
[Nov. 17th, 2009|08:24 am] |
So, this was my first attempt at a diaper cake for a friend's shower... a little on the lopsided side because I was in a rush, but it was fun to attempt.
Ingredients:
120 diapers (2 packs of size 1, 2 packs of size 2)
Burt's Bee's Baby Bee Shampoo and Wash
Burt's Bee's Baby Bee Buttermilk Bath Pint
Burt's Bee's Baby Bee Apricot Baby Oil
Burt's Bee's Baby Bee Diaper Ointment
Burt's Bee's Baby Bee Dusting Powder
10 Organic Burpee Cloths
1 Fitted Crib Sheet
4 Receiving Blankets
1 Hand Sewn Baby Quilt sewn in sage and chocolate colors
1 Hand made Sock Monkey (Using knee socks from Target)
The baby blanket was only my 3rd quilting project, but due to the size, I was able to put it together in a morning, I wish I had some pictures of it, it was so neat
Diaper was assembled together, and then wrapped in various ribbon using the colors that she plans on decorating the baby's room with: Sage, Chocolate and Pink. I then threaded the blanket through and placed the sock monkey on top. For "icing" I couldn't find any crate paper I liked, so I bought some card stock and then used our paper shredder to make my own.
Sock monkey was made using knee socks from Target. They have so many awesome socks there right now! I also used embroidery thread for eyes and mouth this time around so that baby wouldn't accidentally chew off and swallow a button.
We also gave a stack of books, including some Baby Sign books, but alas, I couldn't fit anything more in the cake! |
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| Stupid Economy |
[Nov. 13th, 2009|12:03 pm] |
As most of you know, we throw a once a year Orphan's Thanksgiving Party.
It started out with a mere 14 people gathered in our living room.
The following year, it was 33.
Then it exploded into 62 people.
While it is fun, and I can justify the expense of it saying "Oh, it's only once a year!"... this year alas our finances are a wee bit on the strained side and we've decided to severely limit the numbers to the virtual "LA type family only". This meaning people that we hang out with one on one on a regular basis vs people we see more in group settings.
Boooo! Oh well, hopefully next year after we catch up a bit. |
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| Meme from aprilbegins |
[Nov. 5th, 2009|08:16 am] |
Leave me a comment saying "Resistance is futile."
• I'll respond by asking you five questions so I can satisfy my curiosity
• Update your journal with the answers to the questions
• Include this explanation in the post and offer to ask other people questions
These are answers from aprilbegins questions.
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1. Do you think you'd ever try a marathon? Would you do the Nathan Triathlon again?
I'll be honest. I hate running. Like really really I really hate running. Some days I hate running less than I hate abs. But still, running for me is difficult. I had asthema as a child, running and I have never been best buds. Sure, there's a wall I'll occasionally get past, but I've never truely achieved that 'runner's high' that all the runners talk about. Doing a 5K was on my 'bucket list' so to speak. However, marathon is not. Granted, I'll probably let duckierose pressure me into one. But, at the rate I'm working, probably no.
Then again, I really do like swimming, and I don't mind biking. I enjoy sprint triathlons. I'll probably do the Nathan Triathlon next year, but probably not the olympic length if the weather is any indicator. (Either that or I'll train a hell of a lot more prior.)
2. What's a cool prop or interesting quirk with the set of House that a viewer of the show probably can't see?
I kinda signed a confidentiality agreement, so I can't talk about work too much. (Which is why you don't see me posting much about it.)
Some interesting quirk? Um... we have a very talented cast. As in, not just acting. Often times you'll hear our lead actor playing on his piano in his trailer. And when Dr. Chase comes to work, he brings is violin and plays while hanging out in his room.
3. What led you to choose Marie-Antoinette for Halloween? Do you have an affinity for French history or do you just really like the guillotine?
The answer is: Money. (Or lack thereof.) I know, horribly boring answer. Basically, I already had the costume from a couple years ago. Andrew stated he didn't think it was a good idea to spend gobs of money this year on costumes. So, the Marie-Antoinette costume seemed like a good solution. I already owned the corset from ren-faire days, the shoes were shoes from swin dancing. The dress and tights were already owned, as well as most of the makeup and the earrings and jewelry. The only thing purchased this year was a wig and neck prosthetic. Next year I think we'll make costumes.
4. No seriously, where did the idea come from for the laced-up bouquet?
If I recall correctly, the idea came up in a meeting between myself, the bride and the coordinator. We were talking about various options, and the idea of a corset handle came up. I think one of us had seen a photo somewhere like it. Next time I do it, I want to maybe have a little more time to play with it, and sew it up correctly so it holds better. The satin stretched and the grommets were falling out. However, it looked good for the photos!
5. So you're pretty much a Renaissance woman. What's another activity you wish you had the time to pursue?
Hrm... so many answers to this question. My first answer is probably Krav Maga. I wish I had time to learn that. It would keep me in shape, and serve a practical purpose of self defense for those late nights I have to come home, or lock up by myself.
Honestly? I miss acting. I used to be pretty darn good at it, and if I had the time, I'd probably join a theater group.
I also miss at times the a capella group I was a part of.
I wish my parents had signed me up for tap, ballet or jazz as a child, and wished I had started learning earlier in college.
I wish I had time to learn Japanese and become more fluent in ASL.
I think I could successfully run a floral business.
I wish I had more time to work out and get back into being really good at swimming.
At times I miss riding horses and fencing.
I would love to go back to Argentine Tango. (I had a dance partner where we were learning for about a year back when I was doing children's theater in Chicago.) I also wish I had more time for swing dancing.
I wish I had more time to spend with my amazing awesome husband doing fun things.
I wish I had more time/money to travel! |
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| New favorite bouquet? |
[Nov. 2nd, 2009|04:06 pm] |
Oh yeah. Behold the concoction we created in a hurry for Caitlin. I absolutely LOVE it.
Flowers were a simple combo of black magic roses with black mini callas and fiddle head ferns. Add to the mix black ostrich feathers, red and black striped feathers around the outside. For the handle, we created a black satin sleave, punched grommets in it and then laced up with a red ribbon. A charm finished off the bouquet.
Photo by the very talented Mary Frances. |
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| You know you're tired when... |
[Oct. 26th, 2009|07:21 am] |
Friday night/Sat morning I finally got home and got to bed around 2:30a with every intention of getting up at 5a to hit the flower market by 6a to do wedding flowers for Sat morning. I set my alarm on my phone and crashed.
6:36a, the phone rings with a frantinc Anne going "I'm so sorry I'm late!"
"Wha?" says a befuddled lumpyhead "What time is it?"
According to my husband, when my phone went off at 5a, I answered it thinking in my sleep stupor someone was trying to call. When no one answered to my "Hello?", I hung up.
Yeah... I don't remember ANY of that.
Suffice to say, we didn't get to the flower market until about 7:30a vs the 6a that I wanted to. Thank goodness for Anne and duckierose who helped me get these flowers done, or I would have been screwed. Also a huge thank you to that awesome husband of mine, uber_deutsch who fixed the three of us a delicious breakfast. |
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| You know what pisses me off? |
[Oct. 24th, 2009|10:05 pm] |
So, I'm uploading photos from my cousin's wedding a couple weeks ago. You know what pisses me off? The photos Andrew took are AMAZING. As in zero re-touching to be done. He has such a gifted eye for light and composition, whereas my shots, I'm lucky if I get a good one out of 10.
Seriously people, I think he would do well as a photographer given a kick ass camera. |
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| Gainfully Employed |
[Oct. 13th, 2009|07:15 pm] |
Guess what? I FINALLY HAVE A FULL TIME JOB AGAIN!!! (Other than being an awesome wifey.)
I'm happy to announce I've joined the AD staff over here at "House". They're some great and wonderful people, and I feel blessed to have landed such a great gig. |
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| Rest In Peace |
[Oct. 1st, 2009|08:35 am] |
This morning I got an email from my aunt regarding my childhood minister, Gordy Nelson. A bit of history, my family has always been good friends with the Nelsons going back three generations.
I initially met Gordy at a young age out at our church in Phoenix, AZ. The church was in the middle of looking for a new minister and had invited Gordy to come out as a guest speaker from MI. Now, as a child, church can be kind of boring... boring enough to the point that you start counting how many times the speaker clears their throat in the course of an hour so that you don't go insane. However, Gordy was different. He spoke clearly, and with a strong voice. His interpretations of the passages in the bible made them relevant to modern day. And, being an ex-cop, Gordy had real world perspective to offer.
Even at the age of 9yrs old, I found myself listening to this man, waiting to hear what he had to say next, and understanding what he was saying! I told my mother this, and she encouraged me to tell Gordy how much I enjoyed his sermon after church. I relayed this to Gordy, asking if he would come to our church to speak more often. Gordy took it as a sign, and moved with his wife, Julia, from Michigan down to Arizona where he was my minister for the next 5 years before I moved to Illinois to be with my mom. Gordy always teased me that I was to blame for his move.
When I became engaged at the age of 27 and started planning my wedding, I could think of no one else I would rather have officiate at my wedding than Gordy. I hadn't seen him in over a decade, but sometimes the ties that bind never fade over time. He had retired and moved back to Michigan with his wife where he was providing hospice care. However, when I called and asked for him to officiate at our wedding, he kindly agreed to make the trip to California. I was so happy and thrilled we were able to pay to fly Gordy and Julia out, not just so he could officiate, but also so they could visit with my family who love them so dearly.
A year after the wedding, Gordy was diagnosed with brain cancer. Julia and Gordy have been so strong and supportive of each other, putting on a brave face, and making the frequent trips for treatment. On Monday afternoon, Gordy finally passed away leaving behind a loving wife, family, and many friends who will miss him dearly. He was a wonderful, kind and thoughtful man, and I will never forget him.
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