5 Things Friday

Well, here it is Friday again and I have accomplished so very little this week:( Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily initiates 5 Things Friday and I just kinda play along! Just 5 disconnected things I want to share with you sooo as Carla says, let the rambling begin...(I love that!)

1. I went to the doctor yesterday to have blood drawn for food allergy testing. Won't get the results back until January 3 because of doctor's holiday vacation (I guess he's entitled--he works hard!). In the meantime, hubby and I will go gluten free until we see the results. We don't itch as bad when we don't have gluten. It's not guaranteed though because I had a bad episode this morning.
2. After the doctor's appointment yesterday we decided to eat at PF Changs in Kennewick. We haven't been there for some time because I was a little disgruntled the last time we were there but decided to give them another chance. Truly the Tri-Cities, WA doesn't have a lot of good choices for vegetarians and now we were going to throw gluten free into the mix.  What were we thinking?!!! Well, I am pleased to say that PF Changs added a vegetarian fried rice to their vegetarian menu AND they have quite a nice selection of gluten free choices! We had a very nice meal! Thank you PF Changs! If you live in Kennewick, Richland or Pasco, WA and know of restaurants who offer good vegetarian fare please let me know!
3. Our new featherbed mattress topper arrived yesterday from Costco! Yay! It is super soft and cushy! I hated giving up our memory foam mattress topper but know I will be just as happy with this new one and there won't be any off-gassing. The featherbed mattress topper had NO chemical smell when we took it out of the box:)
4. I really wanted to get some sewing done this week and even have it out and ready to go but just didn't have the energy. I couldn't wrap my mind around anything this week. However, I did finish Daughter of Joy by Kathleen Morgan and am thinking about ordering the Kindle version of Woman of Grace by the same author. I really should read some of the books I already HAVE first:( That's no fun! I am going to try to do some sewing Saturday night and Sunday if I'm feeling up to it. Wish me luck!
5. I tried to order a couple of Christmas gifts plus a light box (for taking pictures of my cards) from nomorerack.com but wasn't able to complete the order. The message said my shipping address was not valid. First I put in my PO Box so that was understandable but then I changed it to my street address and it still said the address was not valid (several times). I would have gone out of the website and back in except it took a lot of time to find the items in the first place and there was no search engine on the website to be able to find them again quickly. After spending about 45 minutes trying to place the order I decided I was done! Have you had any frustrating shopping experiences lately?

Well, that's it for me today! I hope you are having a great Friday and will enjoy your weekend. I will be back again Sunday evening for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat!

Thankful Thursday

Welcome to Thankful Thursday! This is the day each week when I pause from whatever is going on in my life to list three things I am truly thankful for. This is the last week to use the ugly Thankful Thursday button as I am working on my December one and will have it ready for next Thursday. Can you believe it's almost December?!!! Where has the time gone?!!!

#1 on my thankful list this week is that it isn't Wednesday! Wednesday just didn't work for me this week. I did get my project done and posted for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenge but that is all I can say I accomplished yesterday. Even the card project was difficult for me to wrap my mind around. I think the itching is messing with my mind:( So, that brings me to #2!

#2 on my thankful list is that I am going to the doctor today for food allergy testing...a full week earlier than previously scheduled. It takes three weeks to get the results back so the sooner the better. After I see the doctor today I am going to go gluten free until the test results come back to see it that helps. You don't want to eliminate what might be problem foods BEFORE the testing because you want the culprits to show up in spades! Any suggestions on Gluten Free cookbooks or websites? 

#3 on my thankful list today is my very supportive husband who has been so patient with me the last month with this rash. He has tried every way he can to help me figure out what the problem is. I know he will be super thankful when this whole process of finally over. He is understanding of my low energy and crabbiness and doesn't push me to do more than I can do. The man I married 33 years ago wouldn't have been that patient but he has grown to be patient and kind and thoughtful. I praise the Lord for that--it was His doing for sure!

Well, I am off to get ready to go to the doctor for more blood-letting (just kidding!) If you are gluten intolerant or have family members who are then stay tuned because I will share recipes from my journey right here! 

 I thought my Fibromyalgia was bad but this takes misery to a whole new level. A friend of mine recently said, "If you want to torture someone just make them itch continually!"

My thankful list was mixed with a little complaining today but I am truly thankful that we will soon find out what is causing my current health challenge. 

Have a great day and please leave a comment about what you are truly thankful for today. 

Do you or a family member have health challenges that seem overwhelming?

Kat

Happy Stampers Swap Card Plus

If I was any further behind today I would still be in yesterday! It seems I have taken three steps forward and one back all day. I really need to learn to go with the flow and realize that the day doesn't HAVE to go according to MY plan! I have precious little energy with this horrendous rash of mine so I try to push forward but today is definitely not going my way:( Oh well, tomorrow is another day!

Take a deep breath, relax and blog on:)

The first card I want to show you today is a swap card I received from Margarita DelaCruz! Check out the way my reflection showed up in the picture--funny! Margarita is in my Stampin' Up! downline and she is sooo talented! Her stamping club includes my precious daughter! She used White Stazon ink to stamp the snowflakes from the Snowflake Soiree stamp set onto Window Sheets. The greeting is from the Greetings of the Season stamp set. It is truly a classy card. I oohed and ahhed when I opened it:) I am running a monthly swap--you make one card and you are only obligated for one month at a time. If you are interested, just click the "email me" button on the side bar and I will give you the information.

This next card is mine. There are a lot of cards out there with the ornament hanging so I don't know who to give credit to. If this was your idea, let me know and I would be happy to give you credit! What you can't see on this card is the Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the part around the pearl and the Champagne Shimmer Paint Spritz I used to spray the whole card when I was finished. I was going to use this as my project for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenge for December but I didn't read the instructions very well...oops! I almost told you what the next challenge is! That would be so wrong!!! Just suffice it to say that this card wasn't it! I am working on one that is more in line with the theme. Hope to get it posted for them today!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Card stock: Gumball Green, Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White
• Stamps: En Francais, Ornament Keepsakes
• Classic Stampin' Pads: Crumb Cake and Cherry Cobbler
• Big Shot with Holiday Ornaments and Holiday Frame Embossing Folder
• Other: Dimensionals (of course!), Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine, Pearl Basic Jewels, Dazzling Diamonds and Champagne Glimmer Paint (mixed with alcohol to make a spritz)

Well, I am going to continue on with my day and try not to get cranky! My post for tomorrow will depend on how the rest of today goes...you might want to skip tomorrow or maybe you'll check back in because you're curious! Anyhoo (I have always wanted to use that one...I started to type "at any rate"), I hope your day is MUCH more productive than mine has been. There are a few more hours left in the day so maybe I can redeem some time if I ever close this post:)

Have a great day!

Kat

Adventures in Sauerkraut

I have been on the phone this morning with the doctor's office regarding a rash I have had since early September. It is getting worse and I can't figure out what is causing it. I was hoping he might have a clue after all the blood tests he ordered two weeks ago. I have changed laundry detergent thinking that might be it. Then changed my shower soap. Then we took all the memory foam off our bed and totally cleaned and vacuumed everything in the bedroom. I hope he has some answers for me when he comes back to the office on Thursday.

Today I promised you a peephole into our sauerkraut making adventure. First off, I have to tell you this is my husband's "thing"! I help but it is HIS "baby"!!! He first became interested in making sauerkraut when he read online about the health benefits of naturally fermented foods like sauerkraut and Kombucha Tea--especially the probiotics. 

30L Harsch Fermenting Crock ready for cabbage

Our first try with sauerkraut was in August. We used our 15L Harsch Fermenting Crock and filled it a little more than half full of cabbage shredded with my Pampered Chef Mandoline (which was a little small for the job) and salt.  We put the stones in, the lid on, water in the well around the lid and waited four very long weeks before tasting...it was DELICIOUS! Now, I realize some of you don't like sauerkraut and will never like sauerkraut but we like it a lot at our house so this will not be nasty medicine to us. Knowing we would be making more sauerkraut we went to trusty Cabela's (online, of course) and purchased a Weston Heavy Duty Slaw Board and Cabbage Shredder. Now, this baby can do the job!!! Well, fast forward to Thanksgiving Day and we only have 3 quarts of sauerkraut left so...

Cabbage Shredder with shredded cabbage

Hubby purchases several large, firm heads of cabbage, washed up our 30L Harsch Fermenting Crock and we set to work Sunday afternoon. To put the photo in perspective we were using a huge stainless steel bowl and the cabbage shredder is almost 2 feet long and 8.7" wide. I think we used seven large heads of cabbage. Hubby mixed each bowl of shredded cabbage with 2 Tablespoons of Celtic Sea Salt then put it in the crock and tamped it down with an old fashioned potato masher. The idea is to get the cabbage and salt to make some juice. The more natural juice you get, the less water you have to put in.

Shredded cabbage and salt tamped down in crock

When the crock was 3/4 full of tamped down shredded cabbage mixed with salt, we just had to put the stones in, pour in cooled salted water to cover the stones, put the lid on and fill the well around the lid with water (which keeps the air out). Now we just have to keep it at a temperature between 68 and 72 degrees (F) for a few days so it can get a good start. In about 4 weeks we can taste it to see if it's ready to eat:) We will then put the crock in our root cellar and take out of it for eating as needed.

As I said, Hubby does most of the work especially since he doesn't want me using anything sharp after I cut myself on Thanksgiving! I give him lots of encouragement though:) 

A book we have found very helpful in the whole sauerkraut making process is Making Sauerkraut and Pickled Vegetables at Home by Klaus Kaufmann, DSc and Annelies Schoneck. We are looking forward to pickling more vegetables via fermentation next summer/fall and this book tells how to do it.

I hope you have enjoyed our little foray into making sauerkraut. Maybe you'll even try it on your own. Maybe you already have???

Have you been on any culinary adventures lately? I would love to hear about them.

Have a great day. I hope to have something crafty to show you tomorrow!

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

I am so glad this post had nothing to do with morning because my morning went by without a chance to blog:( However, I did get a lot done so that is a good thing! Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday initiated each week by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. So let's get started with her questions today.

Weather...Well, at 2:30 in the afternoon it is 30 degrees (F) and the wind is blowing; not hard but makes it feel a little colder. Sandra lives in Arizona and has 80 degree weather today! I am dreaming of 70-80 degree weather year round! This is our coldest day so far!

Right now I am...sitting in my recliner with my feet propped up:) 

Thinking...about what we're going to have for dinner.

Reading...I downloaded a couple books onto my iPad via the Kindle app--Daughter of Joy by Kathleen Morgan and Homespun Bride by Jillian Hart. For our read aloud we are on the second book in the Sackett series by Louis L'Amour, To the Far Blue Mountains. I still have that Happiness Key series taunting me so may have to pick it up again.

On my tv...nothing at the moment; I am in a reading mood.

On the menu for this week...
Monday--Nothing planned for today:(
Tuesday--Mizidra (didn't make it on the table last week)
Wednesday--Potato Corn Chowder
Thursday--tacos with Quinoa Taco Burger
Friday--Baked potatoes and butternut squash with Brussels Sprouts
Not sure about the weekend yet

On my to do list...
Laundry--nearly finished (two loads for tomorrow)
Send Thank You cards to Hubby's clients--need to make a few more
Make Thank You cards for my customers
Sewing projects

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating...

• Still working on the Infinity Scarf (hard to knit and read at the same time)
• Zippy Wallet using Carla's tutorial
• I bought an adorable pattern to make a kimono for an 18" doll (Christmas gift
• Cards 

Homemaking Tips...One of my favorites for the Holiday Season is to make batches of cookies and then freeze the cookie dough in balls or scoops on a parchment lined cookie sheet. When frozen put them in Ziploc freezer bags. When you have company at the last minute, just pop a tray of cookies in the oven and have fresh cookies to serve your guests. 

Looking around the house...As usual, my dogs are lying around the living room floor in varied distances from the wood stove! Their toys are scattered about but the rest of the house looks pretty good.

From the camera...

My Thanksgiving flowers are still beautiful! 

On my prayer list...Praying for friends who have lost spouses recently. And for friends who are seeking God's direction for their lives.

Bible verse; Devotional...

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." Colossians 3:23

I know I promised more on the sauerkraut but can't wrap my mind around it today sooo...I will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Have a great day and thank you for stopping by today!

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Welcome to the Sunday Night Chit-Chat initiated each week by Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. My picture tonight is of our 30L Harsch fermenting crock that we having been filling with shredded cabbage today to make sauerkraut (more on that subject tomorrow)! We made sauerkraut in our 15L Harsch fermenting crock a few months ago and have about 3 quarts left and that won't last any time at all. 

Well, let's get started!

I am...

Reading...Christmas in my Heart #21 (compiled and edited by Joe Wheeler), To the Far Blue Mountains by Louis L'Amour (our read aloud) and finishing up Bah Humbug by Heather Horrocks.

Watching...Nothing today. I am in the reading mood right now.

Listening to...Rocky snoring and hubby tamping down the cabbage in the crock for the sauerkraut.

Cooking/baking...Bread, baking potatoes and sweet potatoes for dinner along with some cooked cabbage.

Happy I accomplished this week...I got through Thanksgiving without getting sick and we have the 30L crock nearly full of cabbage soon to be sauerkraut!

Looking forward to next week...SEWING!!! Finally, I will take my machine out, set it up and get busy!

Thankful for today...My hubby who has been oh so helpful--with getting ready for Thanksgiving, clean up afterward and the whole sauerkraut thing.

*BONUS QUESTION*

What is the #1 item on your Christmas wishlist?!
I got the item that was on my wishlist--iPad 3 as an early Christmas gift. I really can't think of anything else at the moment.

Well, that's it for this week! Be sure to check out Carla's Chit-Chat and I will be back tomorrow with some more pictures of our sauerkraut adventure.

Kat

5 Things Friday

Welcome to 5 Things Friday!  Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily started this a few weeks ago and I really like the opportunity to share bits and pieces with you. Carla has had sick kids for the last week so didn't do a 5 Things Friday this week but I wanted to do it anyway! Sooo...

1. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day with family and friends. Good food, good fellowship, lots of laughs! Last night my BIL and SIL, son, hubby and I played a game called Things till after 11:00 and laughed ourselves silly! Have you played Things? Great game for a group of people--the more the better.
2. Company is gone; house is put back together; there is a calm throughout the land. Ahhhh:) As nice as it is to have company, it is also nice to have the house back to "normal"!
3. I tried to cut my thumb off while cooking yesterday. Cut right though the thumb nail:( Boy, does it ever hurt! My sister-in-law is a doctor and recommended I put super glue on it! That is keeping it bearable. Before I put the super glue on the split part of the nail would grate back and forth--worse than fingernails on a chalkboard! I don't think I should be trusted with a knife when we are having company. What do you think?!!!
4. Since we got rid of our memory foam mattress topper, our bed feels like a cheap motel mattress:( I was sooo spoiled! But, we have a featherbed topper coming next week from Costco:D Do you see me doing the happy dance?!!! 
5. Time to kick it into high gear and get those Christmas presents made! I will start on Sunday so will be posting what gets done:) Are you making any Christmas gifts this year? What are your favorite gifts to receive--money, gift cards, handmade, electronics, books, ???

Have a great Friday and remember to come back for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! Thanks for stopping by today. Your visits mean more than you'll ever know:)

Kat

Thankful Thursday

There is so much to be thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day! Gotta make this quick today because there is still so much to do before company arrives. We won't be having a large group. To our three we will be adding my hubby's brother and sister-in-law and our dear sweet Joyce, a friend who turned 90 nearly a year ago.

On Thankful Thursday I share three things with you that I am thankful for, so here goes...

1. I am thankful that my dear hubby does the grocery shopping. He is sooo good at it--reads labels, picks out good produce, plus gets everything on my list! Yesterday he called to tell me the store was sooo crowded! I reminded him it was the day before Thanksgiving! I was very thankful it was him out there and not me!
2. I am thankful for the beautiful flower arrangements my son bought me for Thanksgiving! They really brighten things up around here. He is always so thoughtful to buy me flowers for Valentine's Day and Thanksgiving:)
3. I am thankful for the company that will be coming today. It is always so nice to have extra people at our table to share food and laughs!
4. I am adding a bonus this week...I am thankful our house is clean and most of the food is cooked and I didn't get sick in the process. My hubby was so good to help with much of the cleaning:) With Fibromyalgia I never know when just a little extra might be too much.
5. Oh, I am going to add ONE more! A couple weeks ago I sent a care package to a friend's daughter who is going to school in England. Yesterday, I received the sweetest Thank You note from her! Is it okay to be thankful for a Thank You?!!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day! It is my wish that you are warm, dry and with people you love.

Kat 

My Thanksgiving Menu

I love the thought in the picture above and would love to put it on my bedroom wall! Every day is a blank canvas:) Well, this day is full of cleaning and cooking! I have most of the cleaning done thanks to my hubby but have a few areas to tweak! But mostly today is about cooking for our Thanksgiving Feast!

I promised you my menu for Thanksgiving. We will be having a Vegan Feast as my hubby's brother and sister-in-law are vegan and we are nearly there so it works good for everyone.

Oven Roasted Vegetables
Bread Dressing
Steamed Brussels Sprouts
Green Salad with Poppyseed Dressing
Squash Rolls
Tofu Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
Non-dairy Whipped Topping

I don't think I have shared the Onion Poppyseed Dressing recipe with you before and it is oh so good so here goes...

Poppyseed Salad Dressing
from the cookbook Choices by Cheryl Thomas Caviness

1/4 cup small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup honey
2 1/2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (optional but I use it)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light olive oil (or 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup oil)
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

1. In blender or food processor, blend chopped onion on medium speed until slushy.
2. Add honey and lemon juice to onion and blend. Add dry mustard and salt to taste if desired.
3. With blender or food processor running on medium-high speed, slowly pour in oil or oil/water mixture. Mixture in blender will be thick and creamy. (If you use the oil/water mixture to lower the fat content, it will be slightly thinner, but still delicious)
4. Stir poppy seeds in so they remain whole.
5. Store in refrigerator until needed.

I hope you try this salad dressing and like it as much as we do. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Kat

Oven Roasted Vegetables

The turkey will be safe at our house this Thanksgiving! And every Thanksgiving for that matter! We are vegetarians! So what does a vegetarian eat for Thanksgiving...besides a Tofurky loaf? A "must have" dish for our Thanksgiving table is Oven Roasted Vegetables! It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it:) We could more easily live without the Tofurky loaf than without our roasted vegetables!!! A few years ago a friend gave me an issue of Everyday Food magazine that had a recipe for Roasted Fall Vegetables. We tried them and YUM! So delicious!!! We have since made the recipe our own by adding more veggies to the mix. To make your own roasted vegetables, just follow this recipe.

Oven Roasted Vegetables

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

2 pounds new red potatoes (12 to 14), well scrubbed and quartered

1 pound medium red onions (2-3), peeled and quartered

1 pound carrots (6-8 medium) cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths

1 pound beets, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

4-6 cloves Elephant garlic

1/2 pound mushrooms, wash and leave whole

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place all vegetables in a large mixing bowl (I use my BIG stainless steel bowl. Add olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix well. Divide vegetables between two parchment paper lined baking sheets.
2. Roast until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, 40 to 50 minutes, tossing them and rotating baking sheets from top to bottom halfway through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

So, today we continue to get ready for our Thanksgiving company. We (mostly hubby) shampooed the carpets and I cleaned the guest apartment yesterday. Today I have more cleaning to do and tomorrow will be cooking, cooking and more cooking! Tomorrow I will share our Thanksgiving menu with you.

Have a great day! 

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

It's time again for Happy Homemaker Monday started each week by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Be sure to look at her post for last Friday...love the hand knitted dish cloths! I may have to make a few of those myself!

The weekend was good! We got rid of all our memory foam that was on our bed and we're hoping that was the cause of the terrible rash I have had since September. Every night I get angry places where the bumps swell up and the area gets super angry looking! The angry spot is different every night and starts flaring up about 5:00. Benadryl to the rescue! Without it I would itch myself raw:( 

Okay, let's get started...

The weather...Cold, rainy and very windy! I guess it really is November!!!

Right now I am...Sipping a cup of Yerba Mate, listening to the wind blow and making a list of things to do today!

Thinking...about all I have to do to get ready for Thanksgiving!

On my reading pile...Bah, Humbug! by Heather Horrocks and Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour. The Louis L'Amour book will be on the pile for awhile since we only read two chapters a night. I have a couple of cookbooks on the pile as well: Top 30 Vegetarian Dinner Recipes for Busy Women and Vegan Baking Classics. Also have the new issues of Vegetarian Times Magazine and Better Homes & Gardens.

On my tv...Nothing unless I decide to watch a few more episodes of McLeod's Daughters.

On the menu for the week...
Monday--Tacos with quinoa taco "burger"
Tuesday--leftover Vegetable Stew with Dumplings
Wednesday--whatever is easy as I will be baking pies
Thursday--Thanksgiving Dinner will be Oven Roasted Vegetables, Bread Dressing, Brussels Sprouts, Green Salad, Dinner Rolls, and pie (Pumpkin, Pecan and Apple)
Friday--leftovers
Saturday--Potluck at church
Sunday--Mizidra

On my to do list...

• Finish cleaning our guest apartment
• Wash kitchen cupboard fronts
• Clean out refrigerator
• Shampoo carpets (hoping hubby will do this one)
• Bake bread
• Make pies and rolls on Wednesday
• Laundry

What I am crocheting, knitting, sewing or creating...Still knitting the infinity scarf but really wanting to make some dish cloths after I saw Sandra's! 

Homemaking tips...Want help deciding what should stay and what should go in your closet? Hang all the hangers backwards in your closet. When you wear an item hang it up facing forward. At the end of a year get rid of all the items still hanging backwards! This helpful hint is from DIY Home Sweet Home. 

Looking around the house...Dogs scattered across the living room (as usual)! Magazines messy on the coffee table. Otherwise the house looks pretty good.

From the camera...Nothing again this week:( Gotta get some pictures taken.

On my prayer list...A friend of mine with health issues; a church member who lost her husband and a neighbor who lost her husband.

Bible verse; Devotional:
"'Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?' Jesus replied: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22:36-39 (NIV)

I hope you have a wonderful Monday! The Happy Homemaker Monday always puts me in the mood to have a good Monday instead of dreading it! 

What are your Thanksgiving plans? Do you have a signature dish that you serve every year?

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Welcome to the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! My picture is of our sweet Rocky trying to sleep in the dachshund's bed! Petey weighs 10 pounds and Rocky weighs 60--definitely too big for the bed! He stayed there for over an hour, though! So funny! 

The Sunday Night Chit-Chat is initiated each week by Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. Pop on over to see what she's been up to but be sure to come back here:)

This Sunday I am...

Reading...I put Happiness Key away for a bit. Just couldn't get into it. I think it will be good once I get through the first few chapters but I am struggling. So, I downloaded a book from Amazon via the Kindle app onto my iPad and am reading Bah, Humbug by Heather Horrocks! I am on chapter 4 so maybe there's hope! As a read aloud we are continuing to read Sackett's Land by Louis L'Amour. We read two chapters a night so it might take us awhile on this one. The story is really starting to get good!

Watching...I am getting a little bored with Revenge so not sure I will continue with it. I would love to watch another Christmas movie or a couple more episodes of McLeod's Daughters. Did you know there are 224 episodes on Netflix?!!! It will take me YEARS to watch them all! It took me two years to watch 118 episodes of Numbers!

Listening to...The chain saw my hubby is butchering the two Cypress trees out front with! He says they need it but I'm not sure. Time will tell. Unfortunately he is usually right about such things but I hate the way they look right now...and just before company:(

Cooking/Baking...Cooking a vegetable stew for supper. I should be baking bread but looks like that will be one of tomorrow's projects along with shampooing carpets.

Happy I accomplished this week...I really didn't accomplish much this week. I spent Monday and Tuesday getting ready for my Happy Stamper's Club; Wednesday was town day and Happy Stamper's Club; Thursday didn't do much; Friday cleaned house.

Looking forward to next week...Thursday is our Thanksgiving here in the U.S. so that will be fun. Friday, however, I will just be glad I survived it all! I do enjoy all the good food and good company.

Thankful for today...I think we finally figured out what is causing my terrible itchy rash! We won't know for sure for a couple of days or maybe weeks, but we think it is the new memory foam pillows we bought at the state fair in September. I have had the rash since the first week in September. Today we stripped the bed of all memory foam material--2 sets of pillows and mattress topper. Will see if that does the trick. The doctor said he suspected something toxic; this could be it! There are hundreds of comments on the internet of people with similar problems caused by their mattresses, pillows and mattress toppers off-gasing:(

*BONUS QUESTION*
You're handed a round trip plane ticket to anywhere in the world for a weekend and $1000 cash. The catch? You have to go alone, right then and there with only what you have on hand. Do you go? Where do you go?

Yes, I would go to Hawaii for the weekend...all by myself! I typically am a homebody and NEVER go anywhere by myself but I think I might be up for this challenge! I like to think I would take the challenge anyway. A girl can dream...

Well, friends, that's it for my Sunday Night Chit-Chat! Would you take the money and tickets and go somewhere? I would love to know where you would go for the weekend!

Have a great evening!

Kat

5 Things Friday

Welcome once again to 5 Things Friday initiated each week by Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. These are just five random things that I want to share with you so let's see, what can I share this week???

First off I will share the card with you that I promised. This was one of our Happy Stampers projects this week and is also one of Connie Stewart's Flash Cards over at Simply Simple Stamping! I am seriously addicted to these Flash Cards; can't get enough of them. If you can hear me Connie, KEEP MAKING THEM!!! For all the supplies and video instruction click here. Connie's videos are really fun to watch!

Okay, now for number two...Remember the Stampin' Trimmer I bought a few weeks ago and LOVE, by the way? Oh, you forgot already? Well, it's this one...

I sold four of them on this stamping order!!! It is seriously the best paper trimmer I have ever used! Just like slicing through butter...nice and smooth! Lots of nice features!

Now for number three...

I have a lot of cleaning and a lot of cooking to do before next Thursday, Thanksgiving! I guess what I will be most thankful for on Thanksgiving is that all the work is OVER! It would be nice to go someone else's house for the holiday for a change but Hubby loves to have people over. It wouldn't be so bad but with my health issues I haven't had ANY extra energy for at least three months! This too shall pass...

Number four...

I stumbled across a blog post yesterday where the author was writing about how she gets up in the morning, goes to her closet and picks out the shoes she is going to wear for the day, then picks out clothes to go with. I...do...the...same...thing!!! How funny is that?!! If I try to get dressed and then pick the shoes I never can get it right! My husband laughs because I might not be able to remember what somebody looks like but I will be able to tell you what shoes they were wearing:) Can you just see me as the witness to a crime??? 

Number five...

I bought six fat quarters of the BFF Girl Friends fabric by Elizabeth Studios that I have been lusting over!!! I was only able to get the piece pictured and some flowered in both brown and sepia but wasn't able to get the dots I wanted. That's okay, I am one happy camper with these! I also got the cutest pattern to make a kimono for an 18" doll. My granddaughter is 1/4 Japanese so she will love these little kimonos for her 18" dolls, Sophie and Chloe:) Right after Thanksgiving the sewing machine is coming out and staying out till Christmas. I have sooo many things I want to make! Stay tuned for pictures of finished projects:)

Carla threw in a # 6 this week asking about the type of shoes/boots we wear for winter. Well, my favorites are a pair of Docker Mules I have had forever and love because I can wear socks or tights with them and they look pretty good with most anything. I am really going to have to find another pair like them before next winter!

When it is too cold for these, I have a pair of Kirkland Signature (Costco) boots that are Ugg look alikes! They are super comfortable and I don't have to wear socks with them but they still keep my feet nice and toasty.

When I'm wearing dresses I wear my Keen Bern Baby Bern boots--two years old and still lovin' them:)

Well, that's my 5 Things for this Friday! 

Is your Christmas shopping/making finished or are you just getting started? Will you be participating in Black Friday shopping? I am about half done! I have family pretty much taken care of but have a few gifts I want to make for a few super special people:) And, no I will not be shopping on Black Friday. 

Have a nice weekend and be sure to check back in for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat!

Kat

Thankful Thursday #2

Welcome to Thankful Thursday! As you can see, I haven't made any changes to my Thankful Thursday button at the top of the page and finally decided to leave it and start working on my December one:) Looking outside this morning makes me VERY thankful I have a nice warm house--it is foggy, drippy and COLD:(

The NUMBER ONE thing I am thankful for today is my son who turned 40 TODAY! Happy Birthday, Scott!!! We have been teasing him about it for weeks:) He is the best son a parent could ever have! He is thoughtful and giving, patient most of the time (and he needs that with me), a hard and reliable worker, easy to please--the list could go on and on! Oh, and did I mention that I was just 12 when I had him??? Just kidding! That would still make me over 50 so who's counting after that?!!! 

The second thing I am thankful for today is my Happy Stampers Club! They are a great group of ladies and we have sooo much fun at our meetings every month. Last night we made the ornament (pictured left) featured on the front of the Stampin' Up! Holiday Catalog. I couldn't find the cute Faceted Buttons when I was making mine so used an old faceted button from my button box. I could make dozens of these IF I had a cool melt glue gun. 

I kept burning the tips of my pointer fingers and one of the Happy Stampers was not so happy after she got a huge blister on HER finger! The ornaments really did turn out pretty though. These were made with Stampin' Up!'s Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and Holiday Ornaments Framelits Dies.

And last but not least, I am thankful for some fun gifts my hubby brought home the other day. I have a mismatched set of wine glasses that I use to serve sparkling juice for holidays but had been wanting a real set where all the glasses match so...

Tada! I now have a set of 8 (doing the happy dance)!!! The best part is that they were $5 off at Costco bringing the price down to $20! But, I also had a mismatched set of coffee mugs (although we use them to drink tea) so...

Costco also had these adorable Button Candy Mugs for $15 so hubby put them in his cart too! Looks like I'm set for Thanksgiving company. Now if someone would just come and clean my house!!!

What are you thankful for today?

Have a great day! I will be back tomorrow for 5 Things Friday and a card from our Happy Stampers Club!

Kat

Ornament Keepsakes

Hooray! My Happy Stampers meet tonight!!! I enjoy our time together--lots of laughs, food, and crafting, of course! Such a great bunch of ladies! I LOVE being their Stampin' Up! Demonstrator!!!

I love the simplicity of today's card! It is a swap card I made but not saying who it's going to so I don't spoil the surprise:) My club/team started a swap this month plus I am sending a card for Brian's swap at Stamp with Brian. So fun to get the cards from other people who have such GREAT ideas and are sooo talented!

Did you know that Mary Fish's Stampin' Pretty Pals are having a blog hop?!!! You won't want to miss it! There are 25 stops so grab a cuppa, put your feet up and start The Pals Blog Hop. I am not part of the blog hop but didn't want you to miss out on all the amazing projects they have to show. Okay, I think my ADD kicked in so better get back to MY card!

For this card I used the following Stampin' Up! products:

• Card stock: Whisper White, Gumball Green and Cherry Cobbler
• Ornament Keepsakes stamp set
• Cherry Cobbler Classic Stampin' Pad
• Big Shot with Holiday Frame Embossing Folder and Holiday Ornaments Framelits Dies
• Other: Dimensionals (of course), Basic Pearl, Cherry Cobbler Bakers Twine and spritzed with spray made with Champagne Shimmer Paint and rubbing alcohol.

This card is so easy it wouldn't take any time at all to make 50 of them for family and friends! 

Have a great day! I will be back tomorrow with one of our Happy Stampers Club projects! Sure to please!!!

Kat