Thoughts of spring....

I have no clue why I am in a spring mood. I just can't "get into" winter this year. I guess it is because our temperature goes from 23 one day to 60 the next and back down in the 30's the next.



It is crazy. I'm so confused. I don't mind winter. In fact, I like a little snow days once in awhile. Cozying up in the house with a good book or a craft project. Snuggling on the couch with my favorite blankie that my Mom made me.

Sipping hot chocolate with marshmallow.



And just watching the snow fly outside the window. That what winter is supposed to be about. Not 60 degree days. Even my poor trees are confused.

It's a long way to go for spring and they are already showing buds. Since I just moved in the first of November last year, most all leaves were gone so we don't have a clue what kind of trees they are.

I don't get the blahs in winter when it is snowing. I get the blahs when it can't decide what it wants to do. So bring on the snow and let's get winter rolling so we can get it out of the way.

My love affair with yarn....

I love yarn. I can't help myself. The deep rich colors, the soft pastels, the variegated shades and mixtures. If it is yarn, I will like it.

I make a lot of plastic canvas projects...mostly baskets, boxes and coasters. I find it very relaxing. Since I make up some of my patterns as I go and some are so easy that once you do it one time, you never need to look at the pattern again. I can do a coaster in about an hour. Baskets and boxes take longer so I work on them a little just about every evening that I don't have anything else going on.

I have let my projects go for quite a while. I have a bad habit of going gung-ho and then if I have to stop for any length of time, it takes me a while to get going again.

Last night I decided to clean and organize the yarn area of the craft closet. While I was at it, I cleaned out the drawer that has my plastic canvas material. I keep most of my scraps for those times when I need to make something small and can find enough pieces that I can cut it out of without having to use a new sheet. While I was cleaning that out, I saw my assortment of pre-cut shapes I bought last year at Hobby Lobby on sale. I had forgotten about these. I'm going to figure something to do with tall the little hearts for Valentine's day.

I found some projects in the drawer I hadn't finished...for one reason or another. So I'm going to work on everything this week and get some of them finished. One of these little coasters is completed, but the other one only needs stitches around the outer edge. About a 3 minute job at the most.

I started this about a year ago and had forgotten all about it. It is going to be a box to hold Yahtzee pads, dice and ink pens.

This past summer I started this little basket to sit in my bedroom to drop my watch and rings in that I wear the most. I never did get it finished.

I just started this two nights ago and have the top, bottom, one side and part of another side done already. I'll finish it by Tuesday or Wednesday. It's a box for my sister to put on her dresser to keep her bracelets in.

Now all my yarn is organized. All my works-in-progress are in one place with my current project in my craft bag. I'm ready to catch up on things. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has projects laying around that I've never completed. What are your incomplete projects?

That's just plain crazy...

Our bitter cold temps of 18-23 degrees took a jump yesterday to 60 degrees. Not sure where that came from, but I'll take it. I had to run over to the store. So I (snicker, snicker) put on my flip flops.

Call me crazy but I couldn't help it. Sixty degrees felt great and I was just going to be gone a few minutes and well, I've been having flip flop withdrawal.

Hubby worked last night and I was bored without him there, so I surfed the web to find out what is going to be available in flops this year. Maybe that wasn't one of my smarter moves, because I can see a lot of shoe store trips in my future. Here are some of my favorite finds....

I actually found tons of "jellie shoes" that are coming back into style.

These blue ones are just too cute. But I'm on the fence about the pink because I don't like the strap around the back.

Crocs has a gorgeous selection of two tone flip flops.  

I love the little butterflies on the lacey pattern. Too cute.

I alrady have about 3 pairs from this collection, but would like more colors.

I have these in blue. I would like to get the brown as well as gray and black. These are from Kohl's and usually go on sale for about $5-$10 at the beginning of spring. Absolutely my #1 most comfortable flip flop of all time. I could wear them everywhere and my feet and legs never hurt.

I am just falling in love with this next pair. It comes in lots of colors. I'm not sure why but blues and aquas keep drawing my attention this year.

I'm also loving corals and peaches. These little bows just make the shoe. I have got to find these.

How beachy are these? Love them! (Again with the blue/aqua. What is up with that?)

These are too cute in the red as well.

These were at Shoe Carnival. Don't they look so comfy?

I'm not normally an animal print person, but I do have one summer tank top that has assorted animal print on it with a little glitz and glitter for dress. These would go perfect with that shirt and my capri pants.

What about you? Do you wear flip flops or are they something you can live without. I have over 30 pairs and add to it every year. Can't seem to force myself to part with any of them. Please tell me you have a lot of pairs as well....or am I just addicted?

Scared for life and scarred for life...

On Wednesday's Hodge Podge, one of the questions was do you watch scary movies. I don't. I am not even tempted to pause on one when I'm channel surfing.

But one of my readers posted something that brought back a memory for me. She doesn't like scary movies either and feels it is because of watching Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds when she was younger.

I totally agree with her. I had forgotten about something that happened to me about 15 years ago.

My hubby and I were on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico, taking a day cruise on the Captain Anderson off the coast of Panama City. As we left dock and headed for Shell Island, the seagulls were flitting and flying around the boat as we were leaving. I was admiring their aerodynamics when one of the mates on the boat mentioned that if you bought Cheetos at the snack bar and held them out between two fingers, a gull would come down and gently remove it from your hand.

I thought that sounded really cool so hubby bought me a little bag of Cheetos. I proudly carried the little bag to the railing, all the while anticipating like a little child the excitement of actually feeding the seagulls right from my own hand.

I pressed up to the rail. I tore open the package. I gently placed one lone Cheeto in between my forefinger and thumb. I gently leaned a little over the rail, the ocean breeze blowing in my face. I extended my arm out hoping to attract a gull.

Boy, did I! All of a sudden over a dozen gulls flew right toward me as if in attack mode and honed in toward that one lone Cheeto. I freaked out. I had a flashback to Alfred's movie The Birds. I could just sense they were waiting to peck my eyes out. I panicked. I screamed, threw the Cheeto in the ocean and tossed the entire bag, package and all right into their midst as I backed away and clung to hubby.

Everybody got a good laugh at my expense. But I didn't care. I braved the Birds and walked away with all fingers and both eyes still in tact. I still chuckle today when I think about it.

Going together like PB & J

....like pen and ink

....like a pencil and eraser

Somethings are just meant to work well together. One of my most favorite combos that I cannot live without is Duncan Hines and Pampered Chef.

If you have ever made brownies that don't turn out right or they stick or burn around the edges, no matter what you try, then you need to mix Duncan Hines and Pampered Chef.

I have tried every brand of brownie mix out there. Betty Crocker, Ghiradelli, Pillsbury and numerous unknown store brands. But nothing and I mean nothing compares to Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge brownie mix. They are delicious.



There are several pan size options on the back....9 x 13, 8 x 8, 9 x 9...and I have tried them all. I have bought Wilton cake pans and specially made brownie pans where they come out pre-cut. I've tried Bakers Secret pans and I've tried all three sizes. But I am here to tell you that the best pan for these brownies is the 8 x 8 square baking pan of Pampered Chef.

Just grease the bottom of the pan and pour the mix in and bake per the directions. It is the absolute best brownies you will ever eat. They turn out perfect every time. As a matter of fact, I'm going to go one with some ice cold milk.

Getting Your Photos Organized

I am having a panic attack. This is the year I promised myself I would organized my printed photos. I have to say I am overwhelmed as to where I should start, how I should organize them, what I should do.

The three top containers and part of the fourth one is full of photos.

 

In addition to that, I have all these albums that have photos in them. Some are full and some have room to add more. I can't believe I'm showing this as it is a wreck inside this cabinet.

And then I have some Grandma's brag books.

And that doesn't include the stacks of pictures I have scanned for my blog or Facebook that are in a drawer that haven't been put back in a box or album yet.

Add to that the fact that I have this nice stack of CD's and DVD's that go all the way back to 2001, each one completely full.

 

Would anybody like to tell me where to get started on this daunting task? The CD/DVD's will be easy since I can look at them and label them a little more specific about time of year, occassions, etc. Then I'll get a nice notebook with those CD sleeve inserts to store them in for easy access. I like the look of this one, but not sure how many CD's it will hold. I'll have to check out Staples.

 

I had the great idea one time on how to sort the pictures. I was going to gather ones of my children, my grandchildren, my nieces and nephews, my siblings, etc. But the problem was overwhelming. Many of the pictures have a mixture of everybody in them as we are a huge family and very close. The cousins are in a lot of the pictures with my kids. So do those get grouped with shots of my children or shots of the cousins or a basic overall family pile. I just don't know. I spent about an hour just trying to figure out HOW to sort everything and never actually started sorting.

 

I feel like there needs to be some kind of method to this madness. A moment when a light bulb will go on and I'll just KNOW that's the best solution. But so far...nothing...nada...zilch. I'm still clueless. Any help and advice will be appreciated. I know it will be a time consuming process because just glancing in the containers reminded me I have so many memories in those boxes.

 

My twins and my first niece when they were little...

 

My siblings, myself and my parents...

Me and my precious grandchildren...



My Great Grandpa Mose McComas

My great-aunt Romaine at 98...

Do you see why it's going to take me so long to do this project?



 

Wednesday Hodge Podge

I'm joining up with From This Side of the Pond.

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2011?

Crazy, changing, hectic. It seems like last year flew by in a whirlwind. We suffered hail storms that totaled two cars. Hubby went back to work in the food industry. I learned all the rules and regulations for Interstate trucking laws and what is needed for apportioned tags. Old friendships faltered. New friendships were made. Started doing more website designs. We didn't make it on vacation last year. There just didn't seem to be a good time for it. All in all, it was a pretty good year, the crazy changes that came our way ended up being for the best.

2. Do you like shrimp? What's your favorite way to have it prepared?

I have this obsession about NOT liking shrimp. I do not even like to see it in the store. When we pass the seafood section of raw seafood, I have to look away so I don't gag. Of course, that is true of just about any fish. I do love Starkist tuna...loaded with Miracle Whip. I only eat fish if it is made by Mrs. Paul and in a stick form. Then I convince myself she raises it in a nice clean aquarium in her house, just for me. But shrimp? Ooo, yuck. No way.

3. Is your house de-Christmased? If so when did you tackle that job? If not, when will the decorations come down?

We normally wait until January 1st to take everything down and get back to normal. But that was on a Sunday and I don't do that kind of work on Sunday's. So I took everything down the Thursday before New Year's. I love our new place. Before, all the storage was in a building out back and you had to move things out to put the Christmas stuff in the back for another year. Now that we moved, we have HUGE closets with lots of storage space and all my Christmas stuff is on the back wall of the big walk in closet.

4. Do you like to watch scary movies?

No. I am more of a comedy/romance/musical type movie person. I watched scary movies when I was young. Back when they were scary, but not really realistic. Nowadays they are so realistic that if I watch any, I would never feel safe in my house, in my car, in the store, on earth or even in outerspace. I would get paranoid and suspect of everything around me.

5. ice skating~sledding~skiing~snowboarding~of the four listed which wintertime activity do you most enjoy?

I love sledding. We had a wonderful hill for it when I was growing up and I enjoyed many, many hours out on that old Flexible Flyer sled. However, I would absolutely love to ice skate. I think it is so graceful and beautiful and love to watch it any time I can. They had a tribute to Peggy Fleming on TV the other night and I watched every moment of it. The only problem

6. Did you have a childhood hideout? Describe it.

Yes, I had forgotten all about it! My sisters and our two friend, who were also sisters, used to love to take walks up our road. We lived out in the country and would sometimes walk for one or two miles There was this one section that didn't have any houses, but there was a wide path that led from the road up a little hill into some thickets. In the middle of the thicket, was a little clearing with the softest grass you ever saw. It never got mowed and the grass got so tall it just fell over into a sort of cushiony area. We would walk up the path and one of us would be appointed the "door keeper" for the day and we had to do a secret handshake to "get in" the "clubhouse". We would set there for hours talking about the multitude of things young girls would talk about. We went there all the time the summers we were 11 through 13. Such sweet memories.

7. What's a place or space that motivates you?

I actually have two places. One is the mountains and the other is the beach. Either place is so full of grandeur and splendor that it makes me realize the overwhelming power of God. Either place helps me feel renewed and rejuvenated. When I visit either one, I come away fresh and motivated to tackle what the world throws my way.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I guess my random thought is something I would like to borrow from Albert Einstein - Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.