Oops ...the party is at 11 am Honey

I have to laugh when I think bout the miscommunication issues I have with my husband and all of these Christmas party dates times and places. There's a holiday party today...I thought that it was to be held down town at the Civic Center this evening at 5 or 6 pm. But wait, it's at 11am in the building where he works. We have so much going on this month that it's just plan hard to keep it all straight. I'm laughing because I ordered 2 roasted chickens for today and so did my husband. Four roasted chickens...we're going to have roast chicken coming out of our ears! Oh my gosh how seriously funny! Good thing that they aren't expensive, LOL!

So here I am looking for something to wear that isn't too overly holiday-ish looking. I've decided upon muted earth tones. I'm wearing something that won't look like I'm trying to show up anyone else who has decided to dress in holiday fashions. I want an understated yet classic look. As it is, this will be the first time for most of these folks to meet me since my husband took over this position last month.

How are your observation skills?

For some more fun...here's another test, these always make me laugh!

Your Observation Skills Get A B+

Your senses are pretty sharp (okay, most of the time) And it takes something big to distract you!

How Observant Are You?

more right brain left brain stuff

You Are 45% Left Brained, 55% Right Brained

The left side of your brain controls verbal ability, attention to detail, and reasoning. Left brained people are good at communication and persuading others. If you're left brained, you are likely good at math and logic. Your left brain prefers dogs, reading, and quiet. The right side of your brain is all about creativity and flexibility. Daring and intuitive, right brained people see the world in their unique way. If you're right brained, you likely have a talent for creative writing and art. Your right brain prefers day dreaming, philosophy, and sports.

Are You Right or Left Brained?

The search continues...and other things

Okay I've been hunting my my daughter's night retainer with no success for 3 days now. Yesterday I took apart her room and it was no where to be found. Hannah lucked out because I ended up cleaning her entire room...dusting and everything, LOL! Next was Andrew's bedroom...he didn't fare so well as I left his room in total chaos. I moved on to our bedroom...oh my gosh I HATE having stuff under the beds! Growing up our house was small and we always had the underneath of our beds crammed with boxes of "stuff" that was being stored there by our mother. This is the first time since our 16+ years of marriage that we've had things under any of our beds. It's driving me bonkers! I've not found the OG appliance (aka night retainer) but I have found lots of things that either need to go into storage or be tossed to the curb. I found magazines that were 2 years old, needless to say they found their way to the recycling bin rather quickly.

So today I will continue my mission of looking for Hannah's retainer, finish my ornaments and make some Christmas cards. Heck I might break down and buy some at Hobby Lobby today and be done with it. I also need to take time out and write my family Christmas Newsletter-ugh! Did I mention I'm starting my Holiday baking today as well? It's cheesecake city today! I'll be baking 3 of those pups today to give as gifts. So where do I get the energy? Plain and simple...COFFEE! Yup, I love the stuff! Especially Millstone's Swiss Chocolate Almond...it's my all time FAVORITE! You can check out their site here http://www.millstone.com/ it's got all sorts of cool stuff on it:)

So I'll grab another mug of my ever so yummy coffee and get on with making some more ornament toppers and think about making 40 to 50 some odd Christmas Cards...buying them is looking better and better, LOL!

Right Brain Left Brain

Did you know that there really are differences in right brain thought and left brain thought? Check out this site http://www.mathpower.com/brain.htm and see for yourself. It's pretty interesting stuff. So why am I bringing this up today? Well I do a lot of things with both hands that normal left handed or right handed people would do with their dominant hand. Growing up I thought that everyone could write with both hands and do things with both hands. As I got older I found out that that is not the case. Apparently not all right handed people can write with their left hand and visa versa. I liken it to my having an eye for color. I can look at colors and match them up without any hesitation. I've understood color theory my entire life and never understood why my sister couldn't match her clothes to save her soul from the devil. The right brain left brain thing really puts it into a perspective that I can share with others. So are you a left brain thinker or a right brain thinker? Check it out and let me know...it's interesting reading!

Yea it's Tuesday!

I'm so glad that it's Tuesday, it just seems to be an easier day of the week than Monday.

I've got 1001 things I want to get working on today...most of them being scrapbook related projects. Of course I want to whip up something for dinner that I know the kids will love, so I think I'll make quesadillas (everyone here loves those). Those go quickly and it won't take away too much time from my scrapbooking today.

Christmas parties- yes we have MORE of those to attend this week. I also want to get working on layouts from the pictures we took while at some of the parties we've recently been at.

There's the OSC album...it's come to mind that I have never shared those layouts. Well I've got to get some more work down on those albums (there are 4 of them plus my own). I want to get them finished up and then post the layouts to my webshots page.

My mind is always working on something...be it scrapbooking, cooking up a new recipe, sewing, counted cross stitching or thinking about a new book that I started to read. Never mind that restless leg syndrome, I have restless mind syndrome, LOL! I've always got something going on.

No Tuesday the 12th picture as of yet for my picture a day. Then again it is quite early yet.

a Picture a Day ...my progress report

So here I am on day # 11...believe it or not, I AM up to date on my Picture a day/ Layout a day December project. Journaling, picture and layout out together along with my embellishment attached to the page! Not only has this been a challenge but in a way a growing experience too. To have a peek into the little things that make me "Me". I've been thinking about taking this into being a year long project. Granted I'm still on the fence about it because that right there would be taking on quite the project. Think about it, 365 pictures, 365 new topics to write about. Not that I've ever been at a stand still on finding topics to talk or write about. But this would go into my own scrapbook. Doing a project like this would be a huge undertaking and take some serious dedication to complete. I need to photograph my layouts and give you all a peek as to what I have done so far on this project. The background paper is Bazzill Black, I think that this project needed a strong neutral color of sorts and black was it for me. I choose to use a Bazzill card stock (not sure which green it is) for my circle and a brick red (not sure what brand it is) for the other ascent circle. The brick red flowers are by Prima and the brand center is from Hobby Lobby. I added Tulip brand Pearl dimensional fabric paint in Snow White to the silver brands to have them looking like pearls. The acrylic stamp is from Limited Editions the Danelle Johnson Art Warehouse collection.

It's Monday Monday Monday, need I say more?

Monday, the kick off day of my week. I only have a 1001 things to do this week (or so it seems). I had a good nights slumber and feel ready to kick some butt on Monday. Just the word "Monday" seems to be not as scary to me today as it did yesterday. Sometimes it feels as if it's looming over me with some sort of black cloud filled with dread. But today it's pretty cool...more like a steamy mug of hot cocoa filled with white fluffy marshmallows.

I've got kids in both bathrooms getting showered and ready. Hannah's crabby (so what's new, LOL). Andrew has a bunch of big stuff to drag to school, canned food for the food drive in his math class, Angel Tree gift for his JRROTC class, then of course there's his gym bag, back pack filled with 18 pounds of school books and he has to be dressed in his ROTC uniform today. Whew, that's a lot of a 14 year old to deal with on a Monday.

Hannah has her pre-op appointment this afternoon. Surgery is a little over a week away. Today I'm doing the count down down. Hannah's so ready for this surgery to be done and over with. She's been waiting for what seems to be an eternity to have this done. I don't know if my own mother would have gone through the roller coaster of events that I have to make this surgery a reality for my daughter. I'm still unsure of how much we're going to have to pay for all of this, but when it comes right down to it, that's why we have insurance, to reduce the burden.

As I look at my day planner and see my week spread out in front of me...it's going to be another busy one. I attended 6 holiday parties over the weekend...WOW! That's got to be some sort of record for myself, of that I am certain! This week will be busy too! I'm still struggling to get all of the acronyms down for the different squadrons that make up the Mission Support Group. It was so easy when it was just a single squadron and it was a number and not some crazy mixed up set on initials.

Alright, I need some coffee in my system if I'm to get anything done today.

Saturday's parties

Yesterday brought another assortment of holiday parties. The first one I attended was a Holiday Tea at the base commanders house. It was held for those involved in the Key Spouse Program. A lovely woman (both inside and out) named Rohini organizes and runs this volunteer program. She herself puts in at least 40 or more hours each week, she too is a volunteer. It was a lovely afternoon spent with a terrific group of ladies. Our commander's wife is an exceptional hostess and made her home open to all of us during the holiday season. It was a beautiful and welcoming place to have our Holiday Tea.

The next party on our agenda was held at the Grand Gateway Hotel in Rapid City. Oh my word it was so elegant! The ballroom was newly refurbished and it was breath taking! I don't know about the food because we were there fr cocktails and then of to the next party but the room certainly looked fabulous!

Off we go again, this time it was to the VFW in down town Rapid City. The place was not as elegant as the other parties we have been to, but this party was very family oriented. There were activities for the children and a children's dining table as well. They also had a real chef preparing their holiday meal. This party had a warmth to it and a true family atmosphere.

So after all of this we come home and kick off our shoes and relax. It truly was nice to get out and meet other spouses and to be able to chat with them. All in all t was another enjoyable evening. My feet are still aching from wearing high heels for 2 days in a row. Today calls for something a little more casual, my Veggie clogs will be on my feet all day long!

Christmas parties galore!

Last night was amazing! My husband and I along with another couple attended 3 Holiday Parties. The first one was at the Holiday Inn (for cocktail hour), the 2nd one was at the Hotel Alex Johnson (for Dinner) and the 3rd one was on base at Dakota's (a combined officer/enlisted club). It was a total blast! Tonight we have 2 different parties to attend, on at the VFW and another at the Grand Gateway Hotel. Then of course there's the Christmas Tea I am attending this afternoon.

It's such fun to dress up for these events or at least I think it is, LOL! I enjoy meeting the people that work for my husband and their spouses. It's nice to be able to put a name and a face together.

My picture a day is coming along well. I've yet to get yesterday's picture printed but I do have the journaling done. I've yet to work on today's topic. Such is life for the Christmas party hoppin' gal that I've become this season :D

Christmas is in the air

Last night I attended my 3rd holiday party and I loved every minute of it! The program director (Angela) of our group (OSC- Officer Spouses Club) has done such a marvelous job in selecting programs, menus and entertainment. The club will be missing her when she and her family PCS (military term for move). The young lady that played the Harp was out of this world! One of my personal favorite instruments is the Harp. A hush came over the crowd and I swear I've never heard us (as a group) be so silent for so long. So here I am (on the left) with one of the ladies who attended the function. It's not that I'm very short, it's that my friend is VERY tall, LOL!

Last night I brought in a New York Cheesecake for our raffle at the end of the meeting/function. Oh my gosh, I was very flattered at the response it received. Many ladies brought items for the raffle table (it's another way for our groups to make some extra $$). Although I didn't win anything from the raffle table, I was very happy for those that did. As for who won the cheesecake, the dear sweet lady who heads up of Key Spouse program here at Ellsworth. I do not think that there could have been a more appreciative winner. She was so happy to be bringing home a cheesecake to her husband...his favorite dessert in the entire world!

I'm baking more cheesecakes today plus am going out to get a couple more 8 inch spring-form pans. I have no idea where mine have gotten off to. I could have sworn that I had more that just the one, same goes for the 9 inch spring form pan. Oh well...I'm off this morning to get some more and a few more baking supplies (I need need more graham cracker crumbs).

did someone say Cheesecake?

I'm baking my little heart out today; cheesecake #2 is currently in the oven as I type. These cheesecakes are for the deployed spouses brunch that is being given on Saturday. They need to be thoroughly chilled before eating. Tomorrow I'll be baking yet another one...that one will be for my husband :) as he dearly loves cheesecake.

I have different recipes for different sized cheesecake pans. Since I have 3 different sized spring-form cheesecake pans (8, 9 and 10 inch), I have at least a dozen different recipes for my husbands favorite...New York Cheesecake. Then of course there are the other kinds...Raspberry, Blueberry, Zebra and many more.

If you've never made a cheesecake before, do not be afraid! They are fun to make and even more fun to share with friends! The trick is letting your ingredients get to room temperature, beat them until they are very smooth and creamy. Philadelphia brand cream cheese works best. Trust me I've tried a couple of other brands and it just isn't the same. Those other brands are just too dry, they aren't creamy and they make a dreadfully dry cheesecake that cracks all over the place. I do place the big cake pan filled of boiling hot water on the lower rack in the oven with my cheesecakes to keep the air moist...and it did not matter with those "other" brands of cream cheese. So I stick to the brands that work best for me.

White Fluffy Snow

White fluffy snow, it's everywhere this morning! The air is cool and crisp and the snow seems to add this sense of calm to everything. It's might be beautiful now but in a few short hours it will mostly likely be melted away from the sun. It's a light fluffy kind of snow. not at all the kind that is needed in the way of making a snowman.

What's YOUR hot must have Christmas item?

What do you perceive to be the HOT Must Have Christmas item? Is it different that what the advertisements are saying? How about the marketing firms? Are they right in their predictions? Or is it all a bunch of hype? Being someone with a background in marketing I can see through the smoke screen of hype.

I bought my husband the Homedics Shiatsu massaging cushion...but trust me I'll be using that gift! I've only seen one commercial for it (so far) but dang if it isn't blasted all over on local radio stations (especially in the morning hours). Did I fall prey to commercial hype? No, this was something that I've been looking at for a while and waited to buy when I saw it at an irresistible price. I enjoy shopping around for the best deal. I'll check the Internet as well when it comes to looking for good prices, but beware of those shipping costs! I saw a good price on something on line then I checked out the shipping costs- OUCH! I might as well buy it local, I'd come out ahead. All of the so called "savings" are shot when you add in the shipping and handling. And those so called handling fees can add up to as much as the shipping costs. So pay close attention to the "final costs" when shopping on line.

So what's on my list this year? I'd like to have an Ott Light lamp, but I haven't told anyone about it. So chances are that it won't be under the tree for me. It's just not the thing I'd ask for for Christmas, LOL! I like being surprised, my husband and children are good for surprises too!

My Husband the Miracle worker

I'm amazed at what my husband can do. He got some of those plastic straps (green ones too) and some wire and had got the tree back together, as he said to me it's good for one last hurrah (meaning the tree). So we're back in business!

Hannah being our child how loves to decorate put up the "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree that I bought last year. I wanted a skinny tree to have in another room, I just didnt think that she would want to put it up this year as she had such a fit about it being so skinny last year. I've never done a themed tree before but I'm going to give it a go this year. Our Charlie Brown tree will be done up with snowmen and snowflake ornaments. This should be fun to do since I collect snowmen and snowflakes.

Time to get my chickens ready to leave the roost. Have to drag Hannah off for her blood work (needs to get done today) and Andrew needs to catch the bus today.

the Tree

I've got 2 days of pages done on my 31 days of December. Pictures, journaling and it's even in a page protector. I'm working my angle on day 3. I've got it in the works but I'm almost embarrassed to get it down on a page. It's about our sorry excuse of a tree, LOL! It used to be a very good tree until our cat attacked it and tore 3 branches off of it. Of course we've wired them back on and all but it's just not the same. Parts of the pre-lit tree no longer light up and well after spending terribly hot summers and very cold winters out in a storage shed or in an attic...well our tree is on it's last leg (so to speak).

Holiday Decorating

I'm still working on the picture a day, I've got a couple of pictures that I want to work with and will be printing them up later (since everyone is still asleep with the exception of myself). Once I get them done Which means complete with journaling, I'll post them here and on my web shots page.

I hope to be able to get some holiday decorating done today. My house feels ready to get into the Holiday spirit, and I'm feeling it too! I'll need to rearrange some furniture here in the dining room to accommodate the tree. I look forward to taking pictures of my husband and daughter fighting with the tree, trying to make it cooperate with them. It's always good for a laugh! This event will call for some hot apple cider and some goofy Christmas music :)

Holiday Cheer

You know it's December because? All of the holiday parties. We have several more to attend this year than in previous years. I don't mind, it's actually rather fun to get dressed up and mingle with friends, new and old.

Friday night's party was held at the Holiday Inn in Rapid City. They did a wonderful job at everything! There were over 460 people in attendance, that's a record number for this event. Since seating was limited the coordinators for the event had to actually turn people away because the event was sold out, how extraordinary! All of the tables were packed, our table hosted 12 people! I loved the people that we were sitting with, it was a great group!

So I have to tell you that the best part of the evening was seeing my girlfriends all dressed up for the event. Everyone looked so beautiful in their long gowns, and they were all smiling for the camera (I was able to get quite a few pictures).

Last night's Holiday party was held at Mount Rushmore. They do a fantastic job up there. The food was delightful, and it's not your usual holiday fare (which for some odd reason always seems to consist of turkey). There was dancing and a raffle ticket drawing for prizes...of which my husband and I won one :) A $50 gift certificate to a local restaurant, The Corn Exchange. Our table was the lucky table, of the 4 couples at the table 3 won prizes. Okay so one guy got a gag gift...that was a laugh riot! Mount Rushmore was lit and it was breath taking! The thoughtful part of all this was the bus...the squadron always hires a bus (it's a small one) to shuttle it's folks to and from the event. The bus came to our door on base and dropped us off in front of the doors of the event, then it took us back home again, very nice! We were able to skip the hassle of finding a parking space, the long walk from the parking lot to the building where the event was being held (and it was VERY cold last night too), no worrying about driving on the icy roads. Not to mention we could have cocktails at this party and not worry about having a designated driver, LOL!

My Scrapbook Nook

In this little base house there is a little room that I lovingly call My Scrapbook Nook. That little scrapbook nook hosts a constant source of inspiration in my ability to create cards and scrapbook layouts. The energy I get from being in that room is amazing! The bright colors that keep the senses alive is the best part. I love color, especially when it's arranged in the rainbow manner. My spools of ribbon that hang over head is just once source of energy, then there's how I have my card stock arranged, again in the roy-g-biv manner (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet).

I actually look forward to our next move because it gives me hope that I will have a larger space that I can call My Scrapbook Nook. I do realize that I've been blessed with my little space. Since moving here I have downsized the materials that I don't use or are no longer interested in using. I've donated them to a good cause. My space is limited and I need to go through what I have in there from time to time and just "cull the heard" so to speak. Have you done this lately to your scrapbooking stash? Look at donating those unwanted items to a local girls and boys club or the children's ward at your local hospital, they will greatly appreciate your donations!

Day 1 of picture a day

So here it is, the first day of my picture a day scrapbooking adventure. I look forward to doing this project and will be in search of the everyday life angle. I reread the article and the person who did this project printed her pictures at the end of the month and put it all together in one evening. I'm not sure if this is how I will be going about this project. Today is the kick off so I better hurry up and figure out what I wan to be doing...procrastination is not my strong suit, LOL!

Tonight we have the Bomb Wing Christmas party to attend. The dress is Holiday casual (no jeans), I love the fact that we can get all dressed up events like these, if we so want to. Me? You bet I'm getting dressed up! My friend Theresa must have a closet full of gowns, because every time I need one, she'll pop up and say "Sandie, have I got the dress for you" and she comes over with a different one for me to wear (and they are all lovely). I don't know if she realizes it, but she has saved me a small fortune! Tonight's dress is a long sleeved scoop necked emerald green velvet gown, the color and design are fabulous! I wore a lavender colored gown of hers back in May for a military dining out ceremony. I could not get over the amount of compliments that I received on it. I made sure to thank Theresa and to let her know that her gown had a very good time and how everyone admired it:-)

I'm bringing my camera tonight and I hope to get more pictures (and better pictures) than I did last year. Maybe this year I'll get someone to take a picture of my husband and I together...someone with a steady hand that is, LOL!