Live, Laugh, Love, CREATE

I've moved...my blog

2010-05-19T08:51:00.002-04:00

So I've MAJORLY neglected this poor blog and there is just too much going on in it that I'm not happy with and I'm too lazy to fix it :( Sad I know... However, have no fear! I've created a new happy place :) It is still kind of in the works and could change a bit here and there over the next couple days/weeks. But I promise to keep up with it more than this one and I'm going to work on transferring all of the stuff that I had on this blog over to the other so stuff is not lost! I hope that you will now follow me over on my new blog!

Peace and Love Jen

For my new blog click HERE

Alive... I promise

2010-03-26T14:06:00.002-04:00

I feel so bad...I've been neglecting my blog :( I've been caught up in packing, collecting, and running around town to get ready to move. As of Thursday, we will officially be closing on April 9!!!! I can't wait to get moved in, unpacked, decorate and finally be able to craft again!!! My only creative outlet lately and it has mainly been from the standpoint of trying new recipes. But once we move and get kind of settled, I'll be sure to post pics of the new house!

Menu Week 5

2010-02-14T20:51:00.005-05:00

Oops I've been a slacker! Okay, maybe here but not in real life. I've been crafting and packing like crazy. Our week 3 dinners didn't really happen because I got a REALLY bad sinus infection that week and couldn't eat anything because I was only allowed to eat bland foods :( But we made most of what we were going to have last week and a couple few out to eat nights because it was one of THOSE weeks. Plus we've had super bad luck with snow and have found it is best to just stay home and only go to the grocery because we were out of milk. Anyways.....on to our menu... There are a couple old favorites and quite a few saw it on another menu plan, in a magazine, on TV and we just have to try it! Recipes to come later :) Plus some catch up..

Monday: Oven Fried Chicken from Paula Deen and cheesy "fried" potatoes and probably a fruit or veggie

Tuesday: Ham steaks and leftover mac 'n cheese from our Valentine's Day dinner (hubby makes a special dinner/dessert every year)

Wednesday: Pronto Pasta Italiano

Thursday: BREAKFAST!

Friday: out?

Saturday: easy dump & go chicken

Sunday: Cheese stuffed meatloaf

Here goes nothing!

Need dinner ideas??? Head over to orgjunkie for TONS of dinner ideas

Menu Week 3

2010-02-01T12:54:00.002-05:00

We diverted a little last week because I can't read. I had turkey sausage and not ground turkey..oops. Never fear! Kroger had ground turkey bogo, so I have ground turkey now!

On the menu this week...
Monday: Saucy Mexican Chicken and salad
Tuesday: 5 Cheese Skillet Burgers & Mac n' Cheese
Wednesday: Buffalo Turkey Burgers - carry over from last week
Thursday Chicken Noodles Romanoff & Salad
Friday: Leftovers
Saturday: Pork Chops
Sunday: Chicken Ranch Tacos

4 new recipes this week...look for the recipes through out the week. All recipes from last week should be posted, if there is one you'd like that I didn't post, let me know.

For more recipe ideas head over to orgjunkie

When bird poo attacks

2010-01-29T19:54:00.000-05:00

My husband and I were out and about Saturday and after lunch at the Cheesecake Factory, my car was blessed with presents from a bunch of birds. Well my husband pretty much freaked out and cupped the spot on the window (from the inside) with his hand because if he looked at it, he was going to throw up. Lucky for him, I needed gas and the gas station I was going to happened to have a car wash. Had I not gone through the car wash, he would have sat sideways in the car all the way home. It kind of makes me wonder what he is going to be like when we have kinds and he has to change poopy diapers or clean up baby spit up! Help?!!??!

Weeknight Ravioli Bake

2010-01-28T19:44:00.000-05:00

We are trying quite a few new things this week...this being one of them and according to my husband, this is a keeper.

I got this recipe from the Kraft Food and Family Holiday Issue

What you need
1 jar (26oz) spaghetti sauce
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (we left these out)
1/2 cup water
2 pkg (1lb each) frozen cheese ravioli
1 pkg (7oz) Kraft 2% Milk Shredded Italian Three Cheese Blend
2 tbsp Kraft grated Parmesan cheese

Make It
Heat oven to 400 degrees
Mix spaghetti sauce, tomatoes, and water; spoon 1 cup onto bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish
Layer half the ravioli and 1 cup shredded cheese over sauce mixture. Top with remaining ravioli and sauce mixture; cover
Bake 30 min.; uncover. Bake 15 min. or until ravioli is tender and heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Enjoy!

We will definitely be making this dish again :)

Chicken with Onion Soup Gravy and Rice

2010-01-27T19:34:00.003-05:00

So I don't really know what this dish is supposed to be called because I could have sworn at one point I heard my dad call it "Forgotten Chicken" but I keep second guessing myself, I mean I could call him and ask but for whatever reason that sounds too much like work...anyways...here is the recipe...

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into cubes
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 can H2O
1 pkg onion soup mix
pepper to taste
can of corn (or frozen bag works too), optional
steamed rice

Lightly brown chicken in a frying pan. While that is browning, in a large soup pot or crock pot mix the cream of chicken soup, water, onion soup mix and pepper (do not salt at this point, unless you do the finger test) Add chicken and let simmer until chicken is well done. If it gets too thick, add more water.

Optional: drain a can of whole kernal corn and add 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve over a bed of steamed rice

We are building a house

2010-01-26T19:36:00.003-05:00

So you may or may not have heard that Matt and I are building a house! It has really progressed in the past week/week and a half and I'm already super anxious to close on the house and move in. I'm so ready to move that I actually started packing last weekend! Totally can't wait....I digress....I've decided that maybe you want to see this house that I keep talking/raving about...well here are a couple collages I created, not the best but I'm still learning the program....

Above: Kitchen cabinets, counter tops, flooring, bath cabinets, fire place, tile around the fire place, siding and front door color

Above and below: Progression of the house over the past week/week and a half

I can't wait to move in!

Meal Plan Week 3

2010-01-25T21:49:00.004-05:00

We stuck to the menu like white on rice last week. Okay, so we moved a couple meals around but we stuck to what I posted. We have a new favorite (2 pepper chicken with honey butter) and stuck with a couple old favorites (sausage casserole)

This week we have quite a few new recipes (I love Kraft Foods magazine and Taste of Home) and one old one...

Monday: Leftovers (I had a crafty class)
Tuesday: Buffalo Turkey Burgers and salad
Wednesday: Weeknight Ravioli Bake and salad
Thursday: Ultimate Crispy Grilled Cheese Sammies with Tomato and Herb Soup
Friday: LaRosa's Pizza (I have a coupon(s)!!)
Saturday: Turkey and Broccoli or leftovers (not sure yet)
Sunday: Roast, Potatoes & Salad

Head over to OrgJunkie for more recipes and Meal Plans!

Craft Block

2010-01-24T19:17:00.000-05:00

I feel like lately I have not been crafting as much as I would like and for good reason. I'm trying to pack up my "craft crap" because in 2-3 months we are moving!!! Yes that is a rather large time frame, however, I would hate to start a project, not finish, and when we get settled in the new place forget my vision. So until then, it could be a little random and recipe heavy, but once we get to our new house...it is on like Donkey Kong!

My husband cooks too!

2010-01-23T19:01:00.000-05:00

And to prove it, here he is making the corn bread muffin recipe from Rachael Ray's 30-minute meals....

Matt mixing his cornbread muffin mix

The finished product, sorry for the blurry-ness...Matt must have been nervous...

Needless to say, I will be seeing more of these little guys filled with cheese and bacon. Whatever makes hubby happy, hubby can have :)

Rachael Ray's Corn Muffins with Bacon Bits and Cheddar Cheese

Ingredients

A drizzle of EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)

6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 box corn muffin mix plus ingredients according to package directions to make 1 batch of muffins

1 rounded tsp smoked sweet paprika

3-4 tbsp finely chopped chives

1/3 pound brick sharp yellow cheddar, chopped into 1/4 inch dice

Directions

Preheat oven to muffin mix package directions

Drizzle a little EVOO into a small skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add bacon to hot pan and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel. Set aside

Prepare muffin mix and muffin tin to package directions. Stir in paprika, chives, chopped cheese and crip bacon bits. Fill muffin tins and bake until golden brown.

Cool, if you want, or dig in and enjoy!

Oh Wow

2010-01-22T18:21:00.000-05:00

The two words my husband used to describe Wednesday night's dinner. When he says those two words or ones similar, I know I've found a keeper. This one I found while going through everyone's meal plans over at orgjunkie and because it was a chicken dish, I couldn't turn it down. This one came from Kayren at Everything's Coming Up Daisies

Two Pepper Chicken with Honey Butter

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
1 tbsp white peppercorns, crushed ( just used 2 tbsp of the peppercorn mix we have for our pepper mill)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
2 tbsp honey

Coat both sides of the chicken with peppercorns. Heat oil in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in oil 15-20 minutes, turning once until juice is no longer pink when the centers of the thickest pieces are cut.

Mix butter and honey. Top the chicken with honey-butter mixture. Makes 4 servings.

While my husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed this dish, the next time we make it will have to be during warm weather/open window season because my sinuses haven't been that open since winter started but it was soo delish!

Thanks for sharing Kayren

Sheely Family Favorite

2010-01-21T18:01:00.002-05:00

This is probably one of my husband's favorite dinners, when he remembers that it is in the recipe box and when he remembers that it takes about an hour to bake. Now something you have to know about a Sheely family recipe, you sometimes have to interpret the instructions. In this case you put the ingredients in your baking dish in the order listed, browning the meat before adding it......

Sausage Casserole

Depending up on the size of the casserole dish you decide to use, place at least 1 layer of raw potatoes on the bottom of the dish (I prefer 2 because I LOVE potatoes)
1 c. sliced carrots, I prefer to shred them a bit because it tastes better that way.
1 c. uncooked minute rice...make sure it is minute rice, trust me
1 c. onion
1 lb each of sausage and hamburger, browned together
12 oz tomato juice mixed with 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 1/8tsp pepper

Pour the juice mixture over the top and bake at 375 degrees for 1-1.5 hrs

It was a Ranch-y kind of night

2010-01-19T18:52:00.001-05:00

Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix that is...The other day my sister-in-law, sent me a recipe for Ranch Chicken and we thought that we would try it Sunday night....It wasn't too bad. Next time we will either use more than 2 pieces of chicken or less ranch dressing. To save money and from wasted food, when we buy meat (chicken, pork) I portion it out into freezer bags, usually 2 pieces, sometimes more depending up on the size and thickness. With it being just the two of us, it makes sense we get just enough and we don't have to remember to that there are leftovers in the fridge that need to be eaten. Anyways...the real reason I'm "writing," the Ranch Chicken recipe...

Ranch Chicken
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
1 envelope Dry Ranch Dressing
3/4 cups crushed corn flakes
3/4 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter-melted

Directions
Mix ranch, corn flakes, and cheese together in a bowl. Dip the chicken breasts in butter and then roll the chicken in the corn flake mixture. Place in greased casserole dish and pour any leftover corn flake mixture over the chicken. Cook for 45 min at 350 degrees. ENJOY!

And keep with the Ranch theme, we made hash brown bake for our side. I got this recipe from the December/January issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking....

Hash Brown Bake
1-1/4 cups fat-free milk
3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
6 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 bacon strip cooked and crumbled (I used bacon bits)

Directions

In a blender, combine the milk, cream cheese, and salad dressing mix. Cover and process until smooth. Place potatoes in an 8-in. square baking dish coated withe cooking spray: top with milk mixture. Cover and bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees (maybe longer for darker looking potatoes, check before cooking longer though). Sprinkle withe cheddar cheese and bacon. Bake, uncovered, 8-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and potatoes are tender. Enjoy!

Meal Plan - Week 2

2010-01-18T18:05:00.007-05:00

Well, week one went so so...we went off track two days, one day because we wanted to see the progress of our house so we went to Chic-fil-a and the second day was due to company coming over so we made appetizers for dinner. For this week (yesterday included), we are trying 2 new dishes and bringing back a bunch of family favorites...

Sunday: Ranch Chicken and Cheesy Hashbrown bake
Monday: Sausage Casserole Tuesday: Leftovers
Wednesday: 2 Pepper Chicken w/ honey butter and veggies
Thursday: Pizza Spaghetti
Friday: Make your own favorite- Matt: baked acorn squash and leftovers...me: sausage, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and butter bread
Saturday: Cheesecake Factory for a late lunch ($25 gift card)
Sunday: Forgotten Chicken and Rice with bread/biscuits

Keeping my fingers crossed that we stick to it!

I'm linking up to orgjunkie's Menu Plan Monday. If you are looking for something new and exciting check it out!

Coupons and Free Stuff

2010-01-15T07:52:00.003-05:00

Two of my favorite words! I'm mean who can't appreciate a coupon that lowers the price of something or getting something in the mail that is FREE. Maybe it is because I'm still coming off that poor college kid high where you value those two things, especially the free part. Anyways, I digress...I have a new favorite blog that I follow Couponing to Disney, maybe it is because of all the hard work and dedication she puts into sharing they deals she finds as well as those that others or the fact that she is doing all this to take her family to Disney, the BEST place ever! Either way, I'm in love, and today when her feed came through my inbox and I saw one of the freebies, I just HAD to share. How many of you use those pretty reusable bags when you go to the grocery? How many of you have them but by the time you get to the store you say to yourself "Crap I forgot my bags"? Well maybe this link will help you to not forget those bags...

Conserving Now is offering free window clings to remind you to bring you reusable bags! I'm in love and can't wait to put mine on the window of my car. If you don't use reusable bags, I highly recommend using them because a lot of stores are starting to offer anywhere from $.05 to $.15 off for each bag you use. Now while that may not seem like a lot at first, over the long run it could add up and save you a little extra at the check out. I hope that you consider because personally I don't know where I would be without them. They seem to hold so much more and my husband is more likely to help bring the groceries when I use the reusable over the plastic ones!

Thanks Couponing to Disney!

I <3 HGTV

2010-01-14T19:45:00.003-05:00

I love watching HGTV because I can usually learn something new (technique, how to repair) or get an idea of how to decorate a room in my house. Today I love the channel even more because in the 45 minutes that I've watched there have been two great deals....

Go to www.dentek.com click on consumer and you can print off a $1.00 off coupon for dental floss picks

AND

Go to Lowe's Creative Ideas where you can subscribe and get 2 Creative Idea books, home and garden and one for woodworking, for FREE!!!!!

Thought I'd share...I'm REALLY getting into this coupon thing..

Happy Birthday Matthew

2010-01-12T20:51:00.000-05:00

Today is my husband's 26th birthday!! I took him out to dinner over the weekend and we went and saw Avatar (not to bad I might add). Other than that, not much planned because we have both been sick (even poor Charlie)

Family photo at Midnight New Years

My husband's parents, sister and her daughter, Lilly, came down on Saturday and we all went out to eat for Matt's birthday (Montgomery Inn, YUM-O!). Lilly had fun playing with Charlie before we left.

My parents came Sunday and brought Sadie....Charlie and Sadie like to share toys and cuddle at the same time..

Charlie likes the cold but it is WAY too cold to stand outside and let him eat snow...So I brought a bowl of snow in for him to eat...he was in heaven...

Thanks for stopping by :)

Meal Plan Attempt #1

2010-01-11T20:38:00.004-05:00

I've heard all these rumors about the benefits of meal planning, especially the cost and times savings. So I thought I'd give it a whack and while making dinner tonight, I came up with this weeks meal plan...

Monday: Mama's Amazing Ziti...I found it through the Organizing Junkie (who I'm linking up too)...not too bad, will probably make again only with Ziti noodle and not the noodles we found at the store...

Tuesday: Skyline...We have to run to Lebanon to pick up the blueprints for out house so we need something SUPER quick and it is one of Matt's favorites..got to please the birthday boy.

Wednesday: Ground Turkey Tacoes w/ Mexican Rice

Thursday: Turkey (Hormel style, good stuff..ready in 5 minutes) and Green Giant Broccoli and Cheese...love these things..throw the bag in the microwave and TADA

Friday: Homemade pizza...using Mid's pizza sauce, we've only ever found it at Jungle Jim's and Martha White Thin Crust..just add water

Saturday: Leftovers

Here goes nothing!

I'm linking up to The Organizing Junkie's Meal Plan Monday

Yummy Yummy in my Tummy

2010-01-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

We've been trying to make at least new one meal a week, trying I say, trying...Well I like to watch Paula Deen and Rachael Ray, pretty much every day. One day on Paula's show, she made some super delicious chicken tenders (well thats what we made them into). They are called Oven Fried Chicken Tenders and the recipe can be found here. Oh my gosh! So good! I recommend leaving out the Thyme though, I thought it made it taste wrong. But the panko bread crumbs made it oh so crispy and delish!

In Paula's recipe she left them at breasts but I thought it would be more fun as strips/tenders/fingers.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Panko bread crumbs

1 Cup grated Parmesan

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 tbsp freshly minced thyme leaves (in my opinion, optional)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsp water

2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil and place cooling rack over pan. Spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.

In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, cheese, 2 tbsp olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper (to taste). In a separate shallow dish, combine mustard, water, s & p, and remaining olive oil. Coat each chicken breast with mustard mixture; dredge in bread crumb mixture. Place on prepared rack in pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Our sides for the night were Green Giant steam fresh veggies (love them!) and these...

Ranch potato wedges! So easy and sooo yummy. The recipe can be found here

Ranch Potato Wedges:

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes

2 tsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp ranch seasoning (it depends upon how ranch-y you want your wedges)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the potatoes into wedges. Toss the wedges in a bowl with the olive oil and ranch seasoning. Spread a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 min, turn the wedges and bake for an additional 15-20. Enjoy!

Wii Wii Wii all the way home!

2010-01-10T19:59:00.002-05:00

For Christmas, I got a couple of gift cards and some money to do with what I pleased and I was more than happy to go to some of my favorite stores to get exactly what I wanted. Well my husband and I ended up at his favorite store, Game Stop. Now while I'm not a huge gamer, my husband is and I can't pass up a chance to look for a new Wii game. I happened to spot a new game for the Wii called "Your Shape" Have any of you played/used this game? I LOVE it! I'm keeping up with it for almost a week now, had to take a couple days off thanks to colds hitting everyone in the house, including my dog :( But I plan to definately pick back up tomorrow! If any of you have been looking for a great excuse to work out, THIS IS IT. You can SEE yourself on the TV. It does a great job of correcting you if you are doing an exercise incorrect and you can use your exercise equipment with it (exercise balls and hand weights). Best game I've ever bought for the Wii.

Frugal Finds

2010-01-08T21:04:00.005-05:00

Many moons ago my mom and I went to our favorite Goodwill (as mentioned in this post) and I had a BALL! I was a little upset when I found out they changed their pricing strategy from price per piece to price per pound...BUT....I'm pretty sure I still made out..... I bought all of this for $13!

Gatlinburg Hard Rock Glass, lil jar, and a very dirty (but now clean) purple glass dish

Couple unfished wood pumpkins and blocks, 2 things of ribbon, random scraps of paper, couple yards of felt, whatever the orange stuff is, and a promising storage caddy

The start of my Dicken's Christmas Village

And my recently repainted mirror!

I'm linking up to Finding Fabulous's Frugalicious (love this word) Friday....found here! Come back next week for more :)

Mirror Makeover #2 and a Picture Frame

2010-01-04T18:20:00.000-05:00

A couple few weekends ago, my mom and I went to our favorite Goodwill, the digging one. It is an outlet Goodwill that you litterally have to dig to find your treasures. It isn't for the faint of heart because when new bins come rolling out, people line up with their bags, and will PUSH you out of the way to get to the new stuff first. It is definately a thrill. I digress... I saw this lady looking at a sea green mirror and I told my mom that if she puts it down to grab it (I was getting in line with the crazy people). Well the lady put it down and I snagged this beauty...

Okay, so the mirror is missing from the before picture, but this was just before it got hit with some spray paint....

This is the after...

Not the best shot but you get the picture that it is now black and oh so pretty. I can't wait to hang it up in my new house :)
I was making monograms for my family this year but decided that my uncle wouldn't really appreciate one in his manly house so I came up with the above picture frame for him to put a picture of his son's football picture in it (he needed a frame and not clothes). All I really did was modge podge a piece of skull scrapbook paper and then cut out "WC PIRATES" using Mickey Font on the good ol' Cricut and TA DA. He only asked that next time, I actually put a picture in it...sorry Uncle Ernie :(

Christmas Wreath

2010-01-03T22:01:00.000-05:00

I'm going to start out by asking if anyone knows where I found this (because I have lost where I put the post) PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE LET ME KNOW! Now onto the wreath....

I saw this wreath and I just knew I had to make this for my MIL and I wanted it to be buckeye themed. Well, I couldn't find buckeye fabric but I found Christmas/Winter fabric that was buckeye colored and after about 5-8 hours (I lost track)...I came up with this....

My Supplies....
And we're getting somewhere....I recommend cutting a kind of thin, but not too thin (I didn't measure) and a little long than 6 inches b/c it made it way easy. And then I started a pattern between the prints and solids, wrapping one strip around two of the rings, alternating between the top two, middle two and bottom two.....The wire wreath base can be found in the flower section of Hobby Lobby and probably any other craft store for that matter..

Finally finished...

She loved it! I think my husband wants me to make one for us now. I told him he would have to wait awhile, my fingers need a rest.

My Belated Christmas Wrap Up-In Pictures

2010-01-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

Our Christmas goodies

Chocolate Carmel Chex-Best EVER...recipe below
Choclate chip, Mom's Chocolate Cookies (recipe later), peanut butter, and peanut kiss
My mom decided to "Go Green" this year...I'm not sure what she was getting at by putting 1 ornament on the tree but okay.
My super cute neice, Lilly, enjoying her rocking chair from her Grandma Sheely.
My super easy Christmas cards that everyone seemed to throughly enjoy, except Charlie

My Christmas present from my hubby...Willow Tree Nativity... It isn't complete but maybe next year :)

Chocolate Chex Carmel Crunch

Ingredients

8 cups Chocolate Chex cereal

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 tbsp butter/margarine

3 tbsp light corn syrup

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c white vanilla baking chips

Preparation Directions

1. Into large microwavable bowl, measure cereal; set aside. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper.

2. In 2-cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup uncovered on HIGH 1-2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until melted and smooth. Stir in baking soda until dissolved. Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave on High 3 minutes. Spread on cookiesheet. Cool 10 minutes and then break into bite-size pieces. (I skipped the microwave on High for 3 min and I thought it actually tasted better)

3. In a small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla baking chips on High about 1 minute 30 seconds or until chips can be stirred smooth (bowl will be hot). Drizzle over snack. Refrigerate until set. Store in tightly covered container.

You will not be disappointed, I promise!!!!

Random Crafty Moments and a Win

2010-01-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

I am ashamed to say that it has taken me this long to post a picture of the beautiful frame that I won from The Chubby Dove (a thousand apologies to you my dear), although good reason as to why, trying to find the perfect picture but I never found it. Definately next year :) Anyways..here is the precious beauty....
My MIL and FML's wedding anniversary was on yesterday and I thought I would whip something up real quick like....
I love making any type of monogram using my Cricut right now, too much fun...Anyways I used Winter Woodland and Home Accents...they LOVED it. I also made one for my husband's Aunts, little different but just as pretty. Last but not least, this is something that I made for a company picnic to label my boss's apple pie. Probably one of the hardest things for me to make patience wise because I wanted to make sure that the little red squares were straight and looked perfect (I'm a pain/difficult like that). I used my Cricut again, this time using Lyrical Letters and From My Kitchen.

More to come later this week! Thanks for looking and come back soon :)

Super Coupon Lady

2009-12-31T17:27:00.003-05:00

Some of the blogs that I stalk/follow are home to some of the most amazing coupon using ladies I've ever known. I mean, my mom is good but some of these ladies are damn and some of the best out there....until my Uncle Tom sent this to the family.... Coupon Lady ....SERIOUSLY $.01 FOR A CART FULL OF GROCERIES....I wish I was that good! Maybe that will be a New Years Resolution of some sort for myself. What's the most You've ever saved using coupons? I think the most I've ever saved is $50 using coupons, capitalizing on sales/clearance I've saved $350 at one store, one trip.

Speaking of New Years Eve/New Years Day....I'm doing absolutly NOTHING. Maybe a bit of grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning here and there, maybe a workout or two but I plan on planting my butt on the couch watching TV or in bed sleeping. We have been so busy lately that this 3 day weekend will be a perfect time to do absolutly nothing but rest and relax.

Good news though..... Wednesday is ground break day a.k.a. they day they officially start building our house!!!!!!!!!!!! So excited!!!! Will update more later :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'm still alive..

2009-12-30T12:56:00.002-05:00

but barely.... It has been awhile, again, but with good reasons. Between work, baking, crafting for Christmas, making Christmas cards, shopping, wrapping, packing, cleaning, and finding room for sleep...I, like most of you, have been super busy dealing with Christmas. Some much to tell and so little time (lunch only last so long at work), I promise to have lots of updates starting this weekend! Yay for 3 day weekends! Hope all is well out there! Merry belated Christmas and a Happy New Year too!!!!!

*~*Jen*~*

Craft Mess...

2009-12-08T15:51:00.001-05:00

I once had a decently oranized/functional craft area in the second bedroom in our apartment. That is, until I made room for company and pushed everything in a corner and continued to pie more stuff on top. It hasn't helped that I got some things from my Uncle and Aunt when they were cleaning my grandma's house out and that I went thrifting with my mom and found some amazing things (will show eventually)....now this is what my craft area looks like....

So embarassed....needless to say something has GOT to be done... I can't find anything and it is really just starting to creep me out. Hopefully in the coming weekends I can get it reorganized so I can start haning things on my beautiful inspiration board ..... I"ll be sure to keep you updated!

Honey, this is amazing!

2009-12-07T14:44:00.004-05:00

While roaming around blog-land Sunday afternoon, I found a recipe for Pizza Spaghetti over at "Organize Your Stuff Now".... So I told my husband about my find and I could of sworn that I said "We need to make this sometime!" However, he took it as "We need to make this TONIGHT!" We he started talking about making it for dinner, I thought crap we have maybe 1/2 c of mozarella cheese and I'm not even sure if we have swiss....So we crammed into the kitchen (we have a very small galley kitchen in our townhouse), and started looking for everything we needed...well we found the spaghetti, the sauce (we substituted pizza for tomato), the pepperoni (turkey pepperoni), and a random mix of cheeses (swiss, mozarella, and colby monterey jack) and, of course, if I'm making it...garlic! Mixed pretty much close to the way her directions said, threw it in the oven, watched it baked and enjoyed. Now I think My husband may have been a bit skeptical but this is the second time I've made something new and for 20 minutes he raved on how good it was.....needless to say he doesn't underestimate my cooking abilities anymore!
Pizza Spaghetti

1 4 oz. pkg sliced pepperoni
1/3 cup margarine, melted
12 oz. think spaghetti (cooked)
4 oz. grated swiss cheese
16 oz. grated mozzarella cheese
2 cans tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil

**We didn't use basil or oregano since we used pizza sauce instead of straight tomato sauce**

Boil pepperoni for a few minutes to remove excess fat. Pour margarine into a 11x7 baking dish. Toss cooked spaghetti in margarine (you could use a small amount of oil instead of margarine). Cover spaghetti with one can of tomato sauce, take it to the edges of the baking dish. Layer as follows : 1/2 of the grated swiss cheese, 1/2 of the pepperoni, 1/2 of the mozzarella, then sprinkle with oregano and basil. Pour on second can of tomato sauce and spread to edges. Layer as follows: swiss cheese, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes @ 350

You can add anything you might normally put on pizza...sausage, mushrooms, onion, olives, peppers, hamburger....whatever you want to make it yours...

Enjoy! And thanks Leanne for the amazing recipe!!

Idea Board

2009-12-06T18:18:00.003-05:00

I've been meaning to post pictures of my idea/inspiration board but everytime I go into that room I cringe, switch the laundry and run out of the room (more on why later). Well I finally got the hitch in my giddy up to take pictures tonight....

This is a bulletin board that I have had since high school. It used to be plastered with random quotes I found from magazines, pictures of friends, family, and travels and really anything I thought was "cool." When my husband and I moved into rental #1 last year, my dad wanted me to come over and clean out the "cave" and I found my trusty board. All in all the transformation cost roughly $5.....$2 for the words (yay sales!) and $3 for the pretty purple fabric. The black and island blue paint $0 because I already had it in "stock." Now if only I could actually get to the board....

A place to sit

2009-11-23T20:54:00.003-05:00

I needed a place to sit...not to tall, not too short but just right..... I found all of that in a unfinished wood stool from Michael's..... with a little bit of black, purple, blue and white paint....

Live, Laugh, Love, Create....corny I know...but I like it :)

Bravo Board! and a mini house update!

2009-11-16T19:39:00.007-05:00

I was asked to decorate/create the "Bravo Board" for the HR department where I work, it all started with cards and a little something I made for the VP. I couldn't turn the opportunity to use my CRICUT down, that would be UN-AMERICAN!! So one weekend I set to work, measuring, gluing, cutting, designing..... until I came up with this..... My super cute people!

Everyone loved it and I was pretty impressed with myself :) I used Mickey Font, Paper Doll Dress Up, and Plantin Schoolbook. Lots of welding, lots of fingers stuck together and a couple hissy fits (can't help that I am a perfectionist).

In other news, we signed a contract yesterday to build....SUPER excited!!! More to come once things actually get rolling..

Oh, I almost forgot!...Rachelle over at Fingerprints on the Fridge is having a SUPER cool giveaway this week for reaching the 100s! Good luck to all who enter!!!

Until next time :)

Fed Up!

2009-11-11T19:15:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I haven't posted in a few days, but for good reason. I've been working on a project for work and it needed to get done fast. On top of that my husband and I are looking at building a house, so we've been touring, talking and getting pre-approved.

I'll post pictures of the work project later, it is super cute. However, on to more pressing matters... I had come to this conclusion a week or so ago when I saw what someone had posted but it became even more apparent that I get my butt in gear when a lady at a dress shop pretty much called me fat today. Now usually I'm not one to give a crap but she really hurt my feelings the way she was talking down to me. Enter back story....About a year ago, I started gaining weight, yes I realize that when you get married it is said that you gain some weight but I'm going to give you REAL numbers here...you don't gain 50lbs and not lose any no matter how hard you try. So after getting lectured by my mom and some suggestive belly rubs by other family members who thought I might be pregnant, I started to take matters into my own hands. I started working out more, ate healthier, drank more water but nothing seemed to work. Then I started getting EXTREMELY tired, so tired I thought about skipping lunch and taking a nap in my car. I was constantly thirsty, drinking 3-5 liters of water a day and most annoying of all, I would get SUPER hot at night and in the morning to where I would stand naked in front of a fan for 10 minutes just to cool down, not to mention try to do my hair. So I started going to the doctor and after many blood tests and an endocrinologist later.....It turns out I have Hyperthyroidism. Now anyone who knows anything about thyroid problems will tell me that no you have hypo b/c of the weight gain...well it turns out in a select few with Hyper gain..here is why....hyper speeds up your metabolism which increases your temperature, heart rate and in some cases (mine) increases appetite. So I've been on this "diabetic" diet, which is basically limiting my most favorite thing in the WHOLE world....CARBS! and I've been put on this nasty tasting white pill and it has been working..well at least slowing my thyroid down.

....On to the real reason for this post today....I saw somewhere out in blog-land, sorry I can't remember, that someone had gained some weight and did something about it...and she looks AMAZING, well she inspired me (if you know who she is please let me know) and I am bound and determined, especially after cranky lady, to lose the 50 pounds I gained by April (I'm in a wedding in May). So here goes nothing... I've pretty much got the food part down, just have to cut some carbs again, now I just have to get the working out part down.....WISH ME LUCK!

Thanks for stopping and sorry for ranting..

Apothecary Jars

2009-11-01T09:49:00.003-05:00

In my stalking/following/idea getting (whatever you wish to call it), I have noticed that everyone seems to have really cool decorating ideas with apothecary jars. Now I have to admit I can't recall ever seeing any at a store or GW or a yard sale when I'm out shopping. Sure I've seen them on TV or Movies (especially older ones) but never really in person. Anyways, the other day I found a a blog, Pandora's Box, where she made apothecary jars using jars with lids and fancy candlesticks and I thought it was SO cute and I just HAD to share....

Images courtesy of Pandora's Box

If you go HERE, you can see instructions on how she made these little beauties (remember to give credit where credit is due). Now I don't know about you but I find glass jars and candlesticks ALL the time at GW.

As always, thanks for stopping by! :)

Mini Update-ish

2009-10-30T21:04:00.004-04:00

I've got a couple projects finished this week and a couple more to start...my husband is begging me to actually finish something..but what is the fun in that...I told him I promise to finish something sometime in the near future (maybe even a couple this weekend.

I'm attempting to branch out and not just read/stalk other blogs by participating in their different "parties"

This week I put the Charlie Treats jar on "Trash to Treasure" blog hop. I've found new people to follow through it and I figured to throw my jar out there....
Just make sure you never drop the lid on your head...it HURTS....

Hopefully more to come tomorrow :)

Thanks for looking :)

P.S. I tried to add the button but HTML hates me....so if you click on Trash to Treasure it will take you to the site :)

Pumpkin Buns and Giveaways

2009-10-27T20:33:00.003-04:00

Once upon a time I was blog hopping and found myself at one of my favorites Happy Nester posted a recipe for Pumpkin Buns. Well we had lots of company this past weekend and decide it would be a good idea. Well, of course, I didn't really read how long then need to "rest" so the first day we went with plan b for breaksfast (biscuits, eggs, fried taters, and sausage) and had some of the buns for a snack and store the rest in the fridge to make for bfast Sunday. Well these little babies are AMAZING!!! So good and a new favorite that I will definitely make again!!!!

Here is a recipe and a picture of our finished product:

Ingredients:

1 envelope (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 teaspoon plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar; let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Beat in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the eggs, butter and pumpkin.

2. Gradually add 5 cups of the flour and the salt, scraping side of bowl, until soft dough forms. Turn out onto floured surface and knead remaining 1/2 cup flour into dough, adding more if sticky. Knead for 10 minutes, until smooth. Dough will be soft.

3. Grease a bowl; add dough. Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot until doubled, about 1-1/4 hours.

4. Coat two 13x9x 2-inch baking pans with nonstick cooking spray. Make Filling: Mix butter, granulated and brown sugars, and cinnamon in a bowl.

5. Punch down dough. Roll out half onto a lightly floured surface to form a 16 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread with half of the filling. Starting on one long side, roll up jelly-roll fashion. Pinch seam to close. Repeat with second half of dough and filling.

6. Cut each log crosswise into 12 generous 1-inch pieces. Arrange 12 pieces, cut-side down, in each prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap; let sit in a warm spot until buns double in size, about 30 to 45 minutes. (You can refrigerate one pan overnight or cover plastic with foil and freeze at this point. Thaw in fridge overnight, then thaw on counter while preheating oven.)

7. Heat oven to 350°. Uncover pans and bake buns until they are golden brown and bubbly, 28 to 33 minutes (thawed buns, 36 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes.

8. Glaze: Blend confectioners sugar and milk. Drizzle over buns (about 1/3 cup per pan). Serve warm.

***when cooking, check on the buns at about the 20-25 minute mark, we found that our second round tasted better when we did not cook them as long as the recipe stated.***

Next, Blue Cricket Design is holding an AMAZING giveaway next week and you should join in the fun!!!!

Just post the button and follow along on the site for your chance to win!!!!

Long Weekends and Crafty Fun

2009-10-26T19:07:00.003-04:00

I took last Thursday and Friday off because my birthday was on Thursday and I wanted NOTHING to do with work. So Thursday I set out to get new tags for my Jeep, get my car fixed, and visit my grandma. It was a long busy day but I rather enjoyed being able to have dessert. Friday I picked Matt's cousin up and brought her to our place for the weekend. The 3 of us and 10 other people went haunted housing Saturday night and it was SOOO much fun. I wish there was more time to do it again this year. It was definately a great birthday weekend.

Awhile ago, I made a birthday present for a friend of mine. She LOVES jewelry and when I asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she said she wanted something for her jewelry. After getting ideas of what she was looking for, I came up with two little jars with the words "Insipire" "Dream" "Love" and "Faith". I think she will REALLY like them (no I haven't given them to her yet but I couldn't help but post them.

I added a little brown ribbon to the rims for a little extra cuteness.

That is all for now! Thanks for looking

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

2009-10-21T20:44:00.006-04:00

Thank you Happy Nester....because of you, I found a new site today called Vintage Junky and she is hosting something called a Wish List Party and I thought I would play along...

I would love to have a Nikon D90 so I can take better pictures, especially when I have kids...

I'd love to go here againI'd really LOVE to stay in the castle but doubtful it would ever happen. I'd also prefer to go when it is sunny and nice not rainy and crappy (thanks Tropical Storm Faye).

I'd love to have my dream craft room with TONS of storage....like these options from pottery barn...

A cruise would be nice, espcially some place nice and warm...

Of course you have clothes, shoes, purses...I'd like a new truck, yes truck and not car (hubby wants a car)

Plus, I would LOVE to either buy or build a house, right now....too many bad things have happened in this apartment in the few short months we have lived here..... That pretty much covers the basics....

Remember to check out Vintage Junky for other Wish Lists

I'm off to get the apartment ready for our SUPER fun weekend....YAY FOR MY BIRTHDAY TOMORROW!!!

*~Jen~*

Background Pt. 2, Cricut Storage, and Updates

2009-10-20T20:57:00.013-04:00

1st of all...apparently I broke the "code" for my preivous background because well I'm a computer idiot (just ask my husband) so I found another....It works for now...I really want something with purple in it but I can't find any cool-ish ones that I like...

2nd...went to the endo doc today and my thyroid medicine is WORKING!!!!! Now I just have to work on losing the weight I've gained because of it. I'm so glad my TSH went from 0.15 to 0.92 which is .08 from the low end of the normal range, but it is close enough for me :) I'm sleeping better, I don't see the need for a fan to get ready in the morning, I'm not constantly thirsty, and I when I swallow...it doesn't hurt!!!! FINALLY!!!

Okay enought about that stuff.... on to the crafty-ness of it all.....

My 24th birthday is on Thursday and my husband decided to give me a present about a week early because he was tired of seeing some of my cricut stuff all over the table and he was tired of me accusing him of stealing/hiding the cartridges..... He had been looking around the web for Cricut storage ideas and he found one that uses snapware and plastic cross stitching like stuff (not sure of the technical name). Whatever it is I LOVE the idea.....

Thanks to Splatter Pattern for the amazing idea and instructions. Love my new storage piece.

I've been meaning to post this next project for awhile now but for whatever reason I haven't. My friend Jeremy (Check him out on Living the Dream or HERE to see his favorites) LOVES to travel and take pictures...and LOVE is putting it mildly....anyways... he takes a lot of great pictures and one conversation led to another and I spent 4 hours one night going through his pictures and picking out the ones I like and then he sent them to me. My first project was taking all the flower pictures I liked (well most of them) and put them in a collage photo frame. Its eventual destination is my craft room but shockingly enough my husband likes it so it now has a home next to the front door....

Not the best picture but I LOVE it. These flower pictures come from around the world. I know that the bottom left is from Windsor Castle in London, top row second from right is from his recent Egypt trip, and second from right bottom row is from Switzerland, and the rest are from Cox Arboretum in Dayton, OH. I've got a couple more ideas for some of the other pictures... I just have to find the perfect frames......

More tomorrow....

Thanks for looking!

New Look

2009-10-19T22:39:00.003-04:00

For the second time in probably less than a month, I have changed the look and added a couple random bits and bobs.

Mucho thanks to "Shabby Blogs" because with them, half of what is now on my blog would not exist.

Tomorrow I plan on uploading a card and another project, which also happens to be an early birthday present.

For now it is off to bed because tomorrow we go to the endo doc.

Updates, Wins, and More Cards

2009-10-18T19:57:00.007-04:00

Like I promised a few posts back, a better picture of the Charlie treats jar and here it is....

Still not totally perfect but its better than the other. My husband was nice enough to help me figure out how to get a better picture, even though it still has some issues...

Wins... I follow/stalk around the blogging world and I've fallen in love with quite a few because some of the women out there are so gosh darn creative that I wish I had a house that I could full out decorate like these ladies. I don't have the space now or I would, that and my husband only lets me do so much with a 8 month old puppy. Anyways, went off on a tangent there, I've been following The Chubby Dove and let me tell you she is good. Well she had this giveaway and I decided to enter, not hopeful that I would win because I have NEVER won anything in my life. Well I went to check out the winner and I saw my name...I was SOOO happy, jumping around and what not. Matt was laughing and didn't know what to think. So I won this super cute picture frame, that I'm not going to post a pic yet because I want to wait until I can find the perfect picture for it.

I was on a card kick for awhile. I"ve got a couple more to do this week but here are some of my latest and greatest (?)

Wedding card for a friend of mineBirthday card for another friend..

Paint by number I've been working on... It is amazing how adding one color changes the whole thing

Thanks for looking... Hopefully more and more will be added this week (maybe)

Sympathy Card and Revamped Mirror

2009-10-01T19:43:00.010-04:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOE!!!!

Today is my little brother's 22nd birthday and 21 days until mine!

A lady at work lost her father about a week ago and I offered to make a card for all of us to sign and give it to you. Everyone at work liked it and I found out today that she liked it as well :)

I used Lyrical Letters for the wording and Home Decor (I think) for the bird on the inside. The paper came from a summer (again I think) Die Cuts With a View pack.

In 2004 or so my mom got me these two mirrors to decorate my bedroom. I love the whole sun/moon thing and I started buying one each time we went to Mexico to add to the theme. Well they were gold and I'm not really a fan of gold....

So I bought some silver spray paint and they got a makeover.....

I've got a few touch ups to do this weekend but they are ready to go up in my not so crafty craft room.

Thanks for looking

Jen

Halloween Cards

2009-09-30T20:56:00.005-04:00

First before I post the cards...I've decided that this weekend I need to get some better pictures of the Charlie Treat jar..its just bad photography at its best...Anways, on to the cards....

First one, although sideways, was real simple and unfortunately I didn't use my Cricut. This one just has some random shapes from the previously mentioned K & Company Halloween packs I'll find and some polka dot paper on black cardstock.

This would be one of my MOST FAVORITE cards I have made. This card was a huge hit when I showed everyone at work and even inspired me to recreate the front of the card, only bigger, for the VP of HR. I made this card for my Big Bethany (Sorority sister) and her fiance, Craig. They are getting married in may and I just couldn't help putting a spin on "Til death do us part." I also made them this card because Bethany had a rough summer and I figured she could use some MAJOR cheering up, and that it did.

That is all for tonight, more to come tomorrow.

Thanks for Looking

Jen

Stuff from around my house..

2009-09-29T18:39:00.008-04:00

Wow, almost a month and I'm just updating again...Well I've been away for good reason, I've been SUPER crafty. I've done everything from puppy cookie jars to cards, gluing to etching. I'm dedicating the rest of this week to all the things I've been crafting/creating. Enjoy!!

I'm going to post two things today.... Charlie's Treat Jar and my monogram "S" frame.

First, Charlie Treats... I wanted to have a jar for his treats instead of keeping them in the ugly cardboard boxes they come in....here is what I came up with....

Not the best of pictures but it works...I used "Mickey Font" for Charlie Treats and the two dog bones. Then I just etched them on using Armor Etch. I'm very pleased with the results, I just need to find a seal for the lid so it doesn't drop on my head again.

Next, my monogram "S".....Hobby Lobby has the cutest framed glass "monograms" and I can never find the letter "S" or if I do....it looks odd...So I made my own! Basically we found a frame we like and I cut the "S" out using my cricut. Use the vinyl because it's sticky and makes this project SUPER simple and quick. Also, make sure you flip the letter so when you sick it on the backside of the glass it goes the right way. It also helps to fall in love with a frame that the glass doesn't fall out or you'll need to secure it in the frame some how..... But in the end you have a perfect monogram the way you want it to look.

Hope you've enjoyed seeing my creations, round 1....comments are welcomed...

Peace & Love

Jen

Oh My! Happy Birthday

2009-09-05T20:02:00.005-04:00

I've been at it again...crafting away....here is my latest...a birthday car for my neice Lilly, she turns 1 this month....Minnie Mouse sounded like a good idea. I used Mickey Font for everything...

Things have been a little rough again....Charlie has a UTI and tapeworm. So he has been a bit under the weather and on a LOT of medicine. Hopefully things clear up soon...

Happy Crafting :)

Halloween Card

2009-08-23T17:36:00.003-04:00

I was able to make it to Wal-mart a couple hours ago to get the final thing that I needed for my Halloween card I mentioned earlier........

Puppy Love and Card fun

2009-08-23T14:38:00.006-04:00

We have had Charlie for a little over a week now and things are going pretty well. He is mommy's little terrorist who likes to sleep a lot in the oddest of positions. I some how sweet talked Matt into letting me put my crafty stuff out in the living room so I can craft and play with Charlie without worrying if he is going to mess in the house b/c daddy isn't paying attention...men and their computer games.

Well I have designed three or four cards this week and actually cut/paste/made 2... The Halloween card I used Stretch Your Imagination and I believe Potpourri Basket. The paper is some random bits of scraps I had, except for the web paper..it came from Hobby Lobby. I used some stickers on the inside that I had lying around...not going to post the picture just yet...I still have a finishing touch to add, then I'll post.

The Fall card was done with Stretch Your Imagination and Plantin Schoolbook. I got the leafy/fall paper from a set I got from Hobby Lobby by Paper Studio. The solid sheets I've had for awhile, most likely from Hobby Lobby b/c it is my favorite store ever!

Not much else is going on. More dr. appointments and random stuff this week. And lots of puppy loving (maybe giving this whole leash thing a shot at a more hard core pace). Peace, love, shave the whales ;)

Baby Shower and Graduation

2009-08-16T20:18:00.005-04:00

Since I got my Cricut Expression I've made 2 Mother's Day cards that only a mother could love, no pictures (thankfully), 3 graduation cards (I only have picture of one), and 1 baby shower card. For the baby shower card, I used Potpourri Basket. I printed the "It's a Girl" 2 times, once in pink and once in yellow to do the apostrope, flower and "a" in a different color. Nothing special on the safety pins, just cut them. The paper is just plain old white and the Baby paper came from a "Die Cuts With a View" pack I got a couple years ago. The graduation card I used Tear drop to print out the letters and word "Congrats." I also tried to do a shadow but I didn't totally work out in some spots. The "tribal" print came from another "Die Cuts With a View" pack. Let me know what you think....

WOW it has been awhile...

2009-08-16T20:03:00.004-04:00

So it has been awhile since my last post and a LOT has gone on..... Matt got a JOB!!! He works for Tata Consulting as an IT consultant. He is currently working on a project at GE. He really likes it and seems to be fitting right in... We also moved out of the Springboro house. We tried to buy a house but the realtor = not so good and we lost the house (not so happy). But we've moved into a huge townhouse and we are loving it. However, the weekend we were scheduled to move in, I unfortunately could not help as I had to go to the U.P. (Upper Pennisula of Michigan) for my Grandma Shirley's funeral. I got to say a little something at the service. It was nice to see family but it would have been nicer on better circumstances.

I've almost made it three years with no tumors (December 26 will officially be 3 years) but I have a new problem now, lucky me. The day my grandma passed away, I found out I have 3-4 goiters on my thyroid which explains a lot it is just a matter of getting on a path that will help fix the problem.

Today is mine and Matt's 1 year wedding anniversary !!!!!! :) We didn't do anything fancy-shmancy, mainly b/c for the next two months Matt is not allowed to take vacation... We went out to dinner and had some wedding cake. The most exciting thing we've done is...... WE GOT A PUPPY!!!! His name is Charlie and he is a 12 week old black lab mix who likes to chew and bit mommy's ankles

He is a keeper.

I'm going to try to stay on this more and my way of doing this? Well I'm really into this super cool scrapbooking/craft tool called a Cricut Expression and I've really gotten into making cards and I'm going to try to use this blog as a way to display, remember the cards I make and to see how/if I grow as a card maker. :)

Family Visits and Niagara Falls

2009-04-07T19:30:00.003-04:00

March was a pretty busy month for us. We saw the ONU Men's Chorus sing at a church in Kettering, which was a lot of fun and entertaining as always. The second weekend of March my Cousin Kelly and her husband Nick and their daugther Ann came down to Ohio along with my Uncle Donnie, Aunt Laura and their dogs, Dakota and Shadow. It was a great weekend. Lots of visiting, picture taking, food, shopping, laughing...typical family reunion type thing. The following weekend Matt's family that lives in Hawaii happened to be in town. So we made a trip up to Lima to visit with everyone. It was another great weekend filled with pretty much the same as the last, only different people. The weekend after that Matt and I took a little mini vacation up to Niagara Falls. We stayed on the Canadian side and had a nice view of both falls from our room. It was a really nice weekend, little chilly but you can't have everything in life. We watched some lolliologists make candy, REALLY good candy, had the BEST pizza ever at a little brick oven pizza place. Went to a museum, walked around and just enjoyed the place.

I've recently planted some flowers, dahlias and a couple tulips. The dahlias are coming up nicely, except one, and the tulips are coming along nicely as well. I'm attempting this whole "green thumb thing." We also bought a beta fish. I've named him Sammie, kind of after the first fish I had when I was in college. His name was Sam.

All in all things have been going well, I've put two links to a couple albums I have on facebook. Whether you have facebook or not, you can still see them.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2039134&id=36001040&l=b837604be1

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2038771&id=36001040&l=69322e581e

2009-02-23T19:19:00.004-05:00

Life has slowed down a bit... about a week ago we finally got Matt's truck back from its second trip to the body shop. The decal for the driver's door finally came in so it is nice to have his truck back in the driveway.

WE MADE IT TO SIX MONTHS!!!!!! On February 16, Matt and I celebrated 6 months of marriage...it was exciting....Matt made maple glazed salmon and coconut rice for dinner with a heart shaped cookie cake for dessert. He also got me some gerber daisies :)

Matt's finishing up his final year at the University of Cincinnati, mostly working on his senior project. He is working on something called DDoS Prevention. It has something to do with UC's DDoS server/prevention stuff (I don't really know the technical jargon so give me a break here) is out of date and the company that has been providing the service is no longer providing updates for the program. So Matt and this other guy are testing different DDoS offerings to see which one will best meet UC's needs without costing an arm and a leg. He really likes the project because it goes hand in hand with the whole security aspect of IT. When he is not working on his project or playing video games (rare occurrence, I know) he is updating his resume and looking for a job...it is a work in progress.

As for me, I'm really enjoying my job, most days. I work for Axcess Financial which is a sister company to Check 'n Go. I'm responsible for the payroll, 401k, and FSA journal entries along with accruals for some accounts (wages, 401k, mileage). I also do various reconciliations, maintain different spreadsheets and reports/charts. On top of that I help process payroll and other various payroll related things. More recently we've been dealing with W-2 requests and other tax time related issues. Somedays its a little stressful but you learn to let it go in one ear and out the other or get just as evil with them. The running joke in the payroll area is don't make Jen mad...she might just call you chief.... One day I accidentally called a lady cheif when she told me I had an attitude with her and when I told her "Well, you've had an attitude there too chief" she apologized and I, along with my co-workers busted a gut for the next couple few minutes.

Happier Times

2009-02-14T16:13:00.002-05:00

Okay, some happier moments since we've been married.....

In September, our niece was born! Her name is Lilly Marie and she is pretty cute....

For Halloween, we carved some pumpkins and handed out candy to the kids of the neighborhood. I dressed up as the Theta Chi Dreamgirl (Matt's Fraternity) and Matt was the Alpha Xi Delta Sweetheart (my sorority). It was a lot of fun but really cold.

Christmas was a lot of fun. Matt and I had a lot of fun decorating the house both inside and out. We had "Santa Land," "Snowman Place," 2 manger scenes, 2 Christmas trees and lots of lights outside. We also spent a whole weekend baking and have decided next year to delegate more and not take all the responsibility on ourselves. We spent Christmas Eve with Matt's family and on Christmas Day my family came over to our house to celebrate. It was a lot of fun having our first Christmas together as a married couple also being our first Christmas as the hosts of Christmas. It was a lot of fun and I think my mom really enjoyed it because she didn't have to spend all morning cooking.

Some Bad Luck

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They say that if it rains on your wedding day that it is good luck. Well everyone said that with the amount of rain we had on our honeymoon, that we should have a lot of good luck. We've been wondering when that good luck is going to kick in and here is why......

The day we got back from Disney we had to get a new dryer because Matt broke the old one and it wasn't worth fixing.

A couple days after we got back from Disney, the Jeep's windshield got a crack in it and then after awhile it slowly started to get bigger... so we had to replace it....

Memorial Day weekend we were out getting somethings for the house and on our way home, the front driver's tire on the Jeep blew out in the middle lane of 75. We ended up spending an hour in the center median until AAA showed up to take us to my dad's so we could put the spare tire on. Since then I've replaced two of the tires with non-goodyear tires. I had previously had a tire blow out on my way to school in Amish country. Thankfully someone was nice enough to pull over and helped fix the flat because while I can do it myself... the jack was burried under the backseat.

In September, Hurricane/Tropical Storm Ike paid Ohio a visit and we lost power for I think close to five days. Others were without power for a week or more. It was quite entertaining to watch some of the neighbors during the storm. Some were blowing the leaves during the peak of the storm others were walking in their yards and looking up at trees that had already lost a lot of limbs and looked like they could lose more. It was a pretty intense storm and we know have a better understanding of how hurricane victims feel after one comes through

A couple weeks after we got back from Disney, I lost my job with Deloitte. Originally I was upset but then I came to realize this isn't so bad after all. I worked at Mike's shop for awhile doing anything that needed to be done. In November, I found a job with Axcess Financial as their payroll staff accountant. Axcess Financial is the sister company to Check 'n Go, but where I am we process the payroll and keep track of all the financials for all of the stores. There are other things that go on in within the company but like my boss put it "We are the red-headed step-children" of the finance department so we never truely know what is going on. I really like my job though, some days the people really make me mad but then we laugh it off.

After that, things leveled off until December......

Our bathtub ended up needing recaulking and because of that we couldn't use our shower for a couple days so we had been going to my mom's after I got off work to shower...well one night there was some freezing rain and we had no problem getting there but when we went to leave we spun out into a pole and broke the Jeep's rear tail light and busted the bumper and the tailgate a bit. Luckily neither of us was hurt and we were able to get it fixed rather quickly.

On Christmas Day, our sink backed up and we tried our best to get it unclogged but we lacked the magic touch so we ended up having to wash some of our dishes in the bathtub (I scrubbed the tub first) because it was going to be awhile before we could get someone to come look at the sink.

Two days after Christmas, Matt and I were out running some errands and getting dinner when we got in an accident. Our light just turned green and we were waiting for two cars to turn before we approached the intersection (we were the first car out). The two cars turned and Matt entered the intersection after the car behind us honked, he was waiting for a car to turn and then BAM this lady hits us. We call the cops, I go to the hospital, the lady blames it on us when it was clearly her fault. No one got cited because there were two different stories and she still denies it to this day. We got a copy of the crash report and this lady is crazy. I have yet to figure out if there was 4-5 car lengths in front of her and she was going 25 mph how she couldn't have stopped. Who knows.

A couple weeks after that it had snowed/iced again and Matt was headed to the mailbox and slipped going down the driveway and landed on his elbow. He didn't break anything just badly bruised so that was ER trip #2.

No real other battles yet...we kind of had one with the University of Cincinnati but that one is done and both of us are made at Duke Energy because they lost one of our checks..not cool....

Things have calmed down since then, thankfully

From the Beginning

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On August 16, 2008 we got married at Memorial United Methodist Church in West Carrollton and it was one of the most exciting, fun, and exhausting days of my life. The wedding was beautiful and the recption was a blast. It was so nice to have all of our family and friends come together for our special day. The food was great, the music was great....everything was pretty much perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about that day, except to maybe do it all over again. I have posted a couple pictures below, maybe a few more to come later.

After the wedding we went to Disney World on our honeymoon. It was a lot of fun but Tropical Storm Faye put a bit of a damper on the week. We still managed to ride all the rides and see all the sights that we wanted to see except for Fantasmic because we decided that sitting on metal bleachers in a thunderstorm wasn't smart. On our last night there we had dinner in Cinderella's Castle (it was AMAZING!!) and then later that night we got to see the fireworks. It was one of the best fireworks shows I have ever seen. We are definately going to have a to go again soon.

Because you love us

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Since most of our family and friends live out of state or in a different city, we decided to start a blog so everyone can stay up to date with what is going on in our lives. Hope you all enjoy!!!!!