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Monday, April 30, 2007

Busy weekend...

I'm one of those people who likes a busy weekend. I'm not one for naps or propping my feet up in a hammock. I like to go, go, go. This weekend was one of those busy weekends that I love! Friday night we ordered a big family dinner from our local pizzaria. Hawaiian pizza, cheesy garlic bread, a meatball sub, and some wings. YUM. I've been craving some good hot wings, and these helped satisfy that craving. Then we ordered Eragon on pay-per-view. My 2 year old loves action-adventure movies. Saturday, we played around the house, all the kids got baths and showers, and we got ready to go to my niece's 4th birthday party. Of course, being the procrastinatir that I am, I had to drag all 4 kids into the local Kohl's, on the way to the party, as I had not yet bought a present. BUT Kohl's was having a HUGE sale, and I not only got my niece a few adorable little sun dresses, but Leah and Ruby both got a dress each, and I picked up some new CUTE CUTE tops for myself. I felt a tad guilty, as I

am not one to spend money on myself, but I had recently gone through my summer clothes, and got rid of a lot of ratty old things that had seen better days, as well as donating a lot of stuff that was just not fitting anymore. I seem to be one of those backwards women, who gets smaller after each pregnancy and child birth. Breast feeding and pregnancy really speed up my metabolism, so my clothes have started hanging on me. I really like what I got:


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Leah got this dress:

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Ruby got this dress:

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I had so much fun just shopping and having a good time.

Saturday night, I went out with my best friend, Adrienne. We've been friends for 12 years. She's such a hoot. We met at a local bar to have a few drinks and see a band. Her dad's band actually. LOVE going out to see them. In case you want to check them out...

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We had so much fun, acted like fools, danced, laughed, and danced some more. It felt really really good to just let loose for a night. Sunday was sort of lazy...I actually went back to Kohl's with my sister Stacey, SIL Lindsey, and best friend Adrienne. We carted ALL 10 f our combined kids up there, yes...it was nuts. The sales people were glaring, but made sure to straighten up racks and buns behind the whirlwind. I'm just like that. Then we had my sister Stacey and her husband Dan and their boys, along with my other SIL Amber, and her husband Jason, and their boys, my MIL Jean, and BIL Dominic-all over for a cookout. That was great! We had a few steaks, some BBQ chicken, hotdogs for the kids, some yummy pasta salad, and the BEST roasted asparagus. My SIL actually ended up running back up to the store to grab 2 more bunches of it, so we could make more. Then we just relaxed and watched the kids play and have some ice cream cones. It was great. I hope you had a good weekend as well.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Help support a great cause...

I've recently contributed a few items for acharity kit called Gymnaestrada. This kit is HUG and is only $8 - it contains 50 papers and over 80 elements (size 226MB). A lot of designers also contributed. This kit was headed up by Shelleyrae Cusbert. What a caring person she is. This kit is benefiting a group of admirable kids.

Contributing designers are:

kimlizzy
Rachel Knight
Laurie Slawta
Brenda Kempf
Lori Wiley
Rachel Martin
Katja Kromann
Natalie Bird
Bernadette Hunt



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The World Gymnaestrada is an invitation only international event that attracts more competitors than the Olympics. It is held every four years, this year it is hosted in Dorbin, Austria on July 8, 2007. The cost of the two week event is AUD$6000 per child and the children have been working hard to raise money. All of the money raised by the purchase of this kit will go to the general fundraising account for the team of eleven, aged between 8 and 21, and all of the money will be distributed evenly between the eleven children. Thank you for the support! If you'd like to see more info about the event please visit their team website http://www.geocities.com/tareegymnaroos/ or the event website http://www.wg2007.com/.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Get inspired...

I'm hosting a bi-monthly Ad Challenge at OAKS. Come join me and get inspired!



Here is this weeks inspiring ad:


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If you decide to play along, please visit the gallery at www.oneofakindscrapz.com and upload your LO there, then post a link to your LO in the Ad Challenge Forum.


I can't wait to see what you come up with! Have fun! Please, post a comment here if you decide to join me! I love hearing from you!

Monday, April 9, 2007

Eye boogers, eye boogers, and more eye boogers.

Oh YUCK! 3 of the 4 kiddos have crusty eyes today! Poor things. I woke up to a chorus of "Mom!" They could not open their sweet little eyes. I distinctly remember this from my childhood, though it seems so much more serene in my memory. My mom, gently swabbing my eyes with a cotton ball dipped in salt water, as she gently caressed my face and whispered sftly to me. This morning was FAR from serene! A grumpy 8 year old boy, yhelping and batting away my hands as I tried to administer eye drops, and 2 year old crying, pulling his own eye boogers off and eating them, and a 1 year old squirming and screaming as I try to hold her eyes open without blinding her with my fingernails. MASS hysteria! LOL. BUT, I survived, and they have all been treated. Shew! And it's not even 8:30am! Hopefully the rest of the day goes more smoothly! :)

Friday, April 6, 2007

Little bunny Foo-Foo, hopping through the forest...

Looking for that perfect addition to your Easter cards or spring LOs? Well, search no further! Introducing Litle Bunny Foo-Foo. Cute as he can be.
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Now available at OAKS

I also want to let you know that OAKS is now offering a free kit with any purchase over $10! All of the OAKS designers collaborated together to make this bright and spunky kit, Colour of Spring:

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Isn't it so fun? I hope you'll stop by OAKS and have a look around. There will be a 30% sale in the whole store this weekend too! So it should NOT be hard to spend $10.

I really can not believe it is April already? We are a fourth of the way through 2007 already! Where does time go? My baby turned 1 last week. My oldest turns 8 this month...I feel old, yet I know I'm not. LOL. Easter has snuck up on me too. I am horrible at getting all "Holiday-ey" (soooo not a word...but I'm famous for making new words up). I've not made the first plan or bought the first chocolate bunny. I know, BAD mommy. I know I'll be running to Target at 9:30pm Saturday night. It's just my way! Oh, and I take that back, I have made one bitty plan. We will be at my MIL's house at some point, and my SIL is making this DELISH looking ham:


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GINGER PEACH-GLAZED HAM

The ham tastes great hot and even better served at room temperature, when the cinnamon flavor is more pronounced. For the best flavor, look for peach preserves made with just fruit and sugar and no artificial ingredients.

5 cinnamon sticks, each about 6 inches long
1 precooked smoked ham, about 15 lb.
2 cups dry white wine

For the glaze:
1 jar (15 oz.) peach preserves
1 Tbs. minced pickled ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground dry ginger
1 tsp. dry mustard
4 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 head chicory (curly endive), separated into
leaves


Preheat an oven to 325°F.

Break the cinnamon sticks into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces. Using a sharp knife, cut 8 or 9 horizontal slits, each 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep and running at an angle in the upper, more fatty side of the ham. Slip the cinnamon-stick pieces into the slits, poking them into the meat.

Set the ham, cinnamon side up, on a rack in a large roasting pan. Pour the wine into the bottom of the pan and tent the ham with aluminum foil, sealing the edges securely. Bake for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the peach preserves, pickled ginger, dry ginger and mustard. Stir well and heat until the preserves melt, forming a glaze.

After 2 hours, remove the ham from the oven and poke any loose cinnamon sticks back into the meat. Increase the oven temperature to 350°F. Stir about 2 Tbs. of the pan juices into the glaze to thin slightly. Then spoon about three-fourths of the glaze over the top of the ham. Sprinkle 2 Tbs. of the brown sugar on top of the peach glaze, then pat it with the back of a spoon so that it clings to the meat.

Return the ham to the oven and continue baking for 1 hour more, then baste with the pan juices and spoon the remaining glaze over the top. Pat with the remaining 2 Tbs. brown sugar. Continue to bake until the glaze is browned and bubbly and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the ham registers 140°F, about 30 minutes more. Remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 25 minutes before carving.

Transfer the ham to a large platter and garnish with the chicory. Beginning at the large end of the ham, carve across the grain into thin slices and arrange them around the platter. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 20 to 24.

Adapted from "Williams-Sonoma Lifestyles Series, Brunch Entertaining," by Janeen Sarlin (Time-Life Books, 1999).


Doesn't that look and sound YUM-O? Mmmmmmmmmm!
 


*blog header credits: glitter vignette-Lisa Whitney / wings-Amanda Roberts / newspaper star-Faith True / background brush-Nancie Janitz Rowe / stitching-Christine Nash / fonts-turbo ripped, verve, and upirpaw