do what you love ...

I love this time of year .. it makes me smile.

Despite the horrible music at work .. I like the season, itself.

One of my favorite parts is each year when we choose an ornament to 'represent' that year.

If the world does end this year as millions of people are saying - I have to admit I find this ornament worthy of the title : 'last family ornament in the history of ever.'

Christmas, Merry may yours be.

Other than the Christmas music

I really do, do what I love and 

I love what I do

I don't have a dream job

but I don't have a nightmare one, either

I may work too much

and probably won't ever be rich

but I'm lucky in love

I'll take that any day of the week 

... and twice on Sunday.

I made this printable .. just because. 

click here for my FULL SIZE printable version

from a desk to an entire room ..

At the beginning of November - we moved into a new house.
Although it was an unexpected move that completely threw us off and beat us up.. it turned out for the best; so I'll just leave it at that. :)

As we unloaded box after box - I kept looking at the husband saying "I don't know how we ever fit into that tiny trailer."

I remember being super stoked about the 'craft area' we made for me exactly a year ago.  I'd never had my own 'area' before for crafts, whole crafts, and nothing but the crafts .. so it was very exciting for me.

... now imagine the excitement about having an ENTIRE ROOM.

Our new home is so big, we had a 'leftover' den area that was donated to my need for crafts.

It's even got this built in desk with a pencil sharpener (look close on the left)

there's more cabinets than I know what to do with, a sky light and shag carpet. 

It pretty much rules. :)

Just in time for winter .. the best time to craft, because you can't be in the sunshine.

105 days until the first day of spring.

instahooked ...

a few years ago when people started 'twittering' ... I ignored it for 2 main reasons

• I find the word 'tweet' annoying & deem it to be pretty much the dumbest word in the history of ever.
• If I want to know when you're taking out the trash, balancing your checkbook and going to the bathroom, I'll look at your hourly Facebook status updates.

regardless of the judgment first passed upon the tweeterverse - I decided to check out this 'twitter' when I got my new phone.  I can't believe that this has taken over social media.  I'll put it politely ...   I'm enraged about the 6 minutes of my life that I'LL NEVER GET BACK ... :( 

after deleting the crap app (another 30 seconds I can't have back .. ) I stumbled onto instagram.   This was another trendy app at the same time as twooter, but it was only available to hipsters with i-phones and starbucks coffee.

I remember being envious of this app before, as written here.  So, needless to say I was actually kinda stoked to see I could get it on my new android.  I may or may not have pulled over a few times on the way home from taking the kids to school ... snapping pictures in the morning sun with the sole intent of 'instagramming' them. :)

I have to admit though .. I like the program I wrote about here - MUCH better.  It has a TON more choices and cool effects.
But instagram is pretty cool to snap a little 'nugget' on your phone, to go.  ;) 

our 'happy little nugget'

freddy kruger pumpkin found @ IHOP Mesa Mall - Grand Junction, CO

Moab morning sun on the mountains

He loves stuffed animals and freshly cut grass <3

it could always be worse .... scary

I don't want to call Forrest Gump's mama a liar, so let's just say she was confused

life is NOT at all like a box of chocolates

unless she meant life would leave me feeling bitten in 1/2, chewed up & spit out 

if that was her intention - she was spot on.

More times than I can count, we'll be plugging along one day, just fine and WHAM!

something scary or painful or both comes along and stinks up our happy place.

where I come from, our chocolate doesn't kick you in the face

as hard as it may be, I keep remembering .. 

21 is the number ...

quitting smoking can suck it.
lol, I say that because I may or may not have had a few cigarettes since my last post.

I have a stupid high amount of stress going on in my life, right now and don't have time for your judgment, dammit! >_<

21 was the date in September as well as the number of days I made it before I started stopping quitting smoking ....

LOL ? what ? :P

.. I've had a handful of cigarettes in a week - I don't feel all too bad after 21 years of several cigarettes a day.

chocolate cake and orbit gum ...

On the 31st of August I turned 35.
I had the realization I've been smoking cigarettes on & off for 20+ years

So, in my new mature 'old age' - I decided to quit
... just QUIT all together.
COLD TURKEY

No patches, nicorette gums or acupuncture .. I just stopped.

The first few days I had leftover birthday cake to sustain me through tough times
these days, it's a lot of orbit's curiously strong 'pure' gum

It's been 19 days and I don't want to kill anyone .. yet.

here's to another 19 ... :)

... ps - I have a small pack of nicorette hiding in my bedroom in case I have a meltdown.

home faked deliciousness ..

Even though in my teenage years I worked at a Red Lobster & made hundreds of dozens of the actual 'cheddar bay biscuits' ... I had never attempted to make 'em at home.

until now ...

I made 'em ... everyone loved 'em.

what else matters ?

haha oh right .. a recipe might help, eh ?
I used the recipe below @ the girl who ate everything.com.

I hope your family enjoys them as much as ours did :)

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick

4 Tbsp cold butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Butter Glaze:

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease or line one cookie sheet with parchment; set aside.

Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter (I just used 2 forks). Don't worry about mixing too thoroughly; there will be small chunks of butter in the mix about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and garlic powder. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

Drop 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto the lightly greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes in preheated oven or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

While the biscuits are baking, melt butter is a small bowl in the microwave. Stir in garlic powder and dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread the garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on the freshly coated biscuits. Makes one dozen.

THIS is the LIFE ..

I know, now, why my mom was so tired and grumpy at the end of our family vacations.
It is an exhausting, stressful, hair-raising adventure that I can't wait to repeat .. lol

we drove 800 miles to San Diego 

this FedEx plane made me laugh - looks like it's scraping the top of the trees

we watched the sun set on the water ...

this is a million times prettier, in person

we visited Shamu and friends

I loved the whales - they were so huge but so graceful

we got to explore TWO different submarines  

AND a pirate ship that was in the Pirates of the Caribbean ..

made some new friends at the zoo ..

we played in the sand at the beach ..

mmmm fresh seaweed !

we watched some more sunsets on the water .. 

saw a cheetah run, full speed, 3 feet away ...

and got to go 'on safari'

I tried to 'keep it down' on the 'taking a photo of everything'
.. but that didn't work out so well.

5,096 is the number of pictures a crazy woman takes on a week-long vacation

clearly not all of the other 5,079 pictures .. but more of our vacation pictures will follow, later.

In honor of our epic vacation ... I made a printable or two or three ...

I made this one, because I am blessed to know that THIS is the life
THIS is where I want to be .. THIS is where I am happy

my print size version of "THIS is the LIFE"

flip flops and seagulls .. very much in theme with my vacation

my print size version of "learn/live/hope - beach style"

I love us .. more than anything; I LOVE US!

my print size version of "I love us." 

and ending it on a green theme ..

my print size version of "learn / live / hope - earth style"

califooorrnnniiiaaaa

for the last week, way more sentences have started out with -
"this time next week .. we'll be ___ far from the ocean."
than I should admit

I can't wait to smell the salt in the air and watch our girls play in the sand

"CAAALLLIIFFFOOOORRNNIIAAAAAAAA
here we commmmeeeeeee."

dumb dog bite .. day 5

I told my dad I'd post pictures of the dumb dog bite I received Monday, here.

backstory of the dog bite - made kinda sorta shortish : I was 70 feet away from my front door with Nugget - unleashed; despite my better halfs' better judgment, when a neighbor's dog ran around the corner (also unleashed) and Nugget ran towards him - tail wagging.  The other dog barked aggressively at Nugget's face, kinda biting at him.

Nugget tail tucked immediately between his legs and he ran towards me; to hide behind my legs.

That DUMB DOG kept running at me, despite my hollering like a mad woman "NOO! GET BACK!" .. like he didn't speak English or something .. wth ?   where's that dog whisperer guy when you really need him ?   My "I'm the alpha pack leader!" attitude and stance did NOT work .. :/

I guess because I stood in the way of him biting Nugget's face off - he settled for biting my forearm and shoulder, instead.  We went to the ER, I'm on anti-biotics and the dog has been 'quarantined.'

On a happy note .. 2 days until vacation .. :) <3

live a colorful life ...

the time has come and we've started to book our hotel rooms
we're for sure going on vacaaaaattttiiiooon !

it sounds weird to say type that
it'll be our very first vacation - in over a decade
we've gone on road trips here and there
a couple of 2 day outtings
camping in the mountains, etc.
... but nothing over 500 miles
we're pretty local folk

I like it that way ;)

anyway .. I'm excited and I made this printable in honor of today.
Today, being the first day of the rest of our lives.
Lives where we will be able to start a story 'when we were on vacation.'

click here for fullsize printable picture

it's here .. it's here !!

You'd be hard pressed to find a day where I splurge on something specifically for me.  correction    "...where I splurge on something new and/or expensive specifically for me."

we'd researched extensively and had our hearts set on getting me a Canon T1I before we go on vacation, this year. It was really exciting for me, because my nicest camera to date was a Kodak Easy Share.  $89 on it's most expensive day. 

I was on the phone with my dad,  who has always shared & encouraged my love of photography.  I informed him about my exciting purchase plan, when he said 'you might want to reconsider.' 

I thought maybe he'd heard bad things about the Canon or had some advice to offer; when he dropped a bomb on me.   

During my parents' visit next month - apparently he'd been planning on giving me his Nikon d40x AND three kick-ass lenses.  oh. my. gosh.   

words just cannot explain my level of gratitude and excitement!

after running around like a kid, screaming with joy ruining the surprise of actually 'giving' it to me .. he sent it all to me, the next day.

It arrived after a mix-up with the Post Office.  By mix-up .. I mean I heard FedEx when he said post office .. then freaked out for 2 hours when FedEx couldn't find the tracking number.   what ?  .. they sound similar.  fed ex .. post office. fed ex .. post office. 

He also sent all his books, guides, and instruction manuals.  It's going to take me at least a year to get through the basics of the camera.         

after realizing how much would be involved with this camera - I made the very adult decision to put off the purchase of my silhouette, until I've got this baby down.   

*pats self on back*









anyway .. onto the point of the post - these are my favorite pictures (of the 243) from day 1

the last, lone survivor of the fishies we adopted in 2008

'one of four'

cutest. dog. ever.

I can't take enough pictures of our foliage 

don't you love how his tongue is the same angle as his neckerchief

how everyone will be seeing my face for some time to come ... smile !

our four-legged baby .. so sleepy

I love the moon coming out while the sun's up

this is her 'take the picture & hurry up' smile

"deer tracks mom, you HAVE to get a picture with your new camera!"

I love random shots like this .. au natural

lol the teen doesn't like 'au natural' .. she 'ducks n runs' or smiles big :P

and this  last picture isn't really a nice picture lol

it's just to compare the size of the 'big' lens to a giant wendy's drink .. that's all.

I love my new camera .. <3