Sunday Night Chit-Chat

This week has just flown by and now it's time for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat once again!!! Where did the week go? I am so glad you came by to visit!

To help deal with my stress level we decided to start our vacation a day later so will be leaving tomorrow morning. Whew! I will be fine once we get on the road but trying to do everything that needs done before we go is the problem! 

American Girl doll I bought for my granddaughter for Christmas!

Let's get started with the Chit-Chat!

I am...

• Reading: The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society by Darien Gee and starting The Desire of Ages by Ellen White...again
• Listening to: Hubby's internet radio
• Watching: Hoping to watch The Christmas Lodge tonight
• Cooking/Baking: Went easy today--Curried French Lentil Soup, sandwiches, chips, carrot and celery sticks.
• Happy you accomplished this week:
• Hubby's customer Christmas cards made out and in the mail.
• Neighbor Christmas cards done so hubby could deliver with bags of Cuties.
• Happy Stampers Club for December done and order placed
• Finished packing for trip tomorrow
• Tax info figured so hubby could talk to accountant today
• Looking forward to next week: A week's vacation with my wonderful hubby! So glad our son can be home with the dogs and to take care of things while we are away.
• Thankful for today: Temperatures have warmed up a bit to give us a reprieve from the cold temps! We sure burned a lot of firewood during that last cold spell! But thankful we had it to use.
• Bonus question: Am I finished with my Christmas shopping? I have two gift cards left to buy but otherwise am finished:)

I hope to be able to blog while on vacation but it depends on internet access sooo keep your fingers crossed!

Kat

Overwhelmed

I found the above quote on Pinterest and LOVE IT! I want to be that kind of woman. I am finding it hard to pace myself so have ended up overwhelmed...again! How did I ever have time and energy to work?!!! 

I did manage to get the following done...

• Hubby's customer Christmas cards made out and in the mail.
• Neighbor Christmas cards done so hubby could deliver with bags of Cuties.
• Christmas presents bought
• Happy Stampers Club for December done and order placed
• Halfway packed for trip tomorrow
• Tax info figured so hubby can talk to accountant tomorrow before we leave

Still needs to be done...

• Finish packing for trip
• Wrap Christmas gifts
• Make out and mail Christmas cards to family and friends

Now that I look at it written down, it doesn't look like I have that much left to do. I will take the Christmas cards with me to do on our trip so will just have the wrapping to do when I get home. Thanks to my friend, Barb, I was able to cross "making doll clothes" off my list...at least for now. She bought some adorable clothes on Amazon and shared some with me. Bless her!!!

So, how am I planning to make the devil say, "aw crap, she's up"?

1. Spend time each morning in Bible study and prayer
2. Exercise regularly--4 to 5 days per week
3. Eat better: don't eat foods that I am sensitive to; eat less calories; eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables
4. Schedule my time to make better use of it
5. Spend at least one hour per day doing something that feeds my soul:)

Thank you for letting me ramble a bit today! At least I organized my ramblings into neat little lists:)

What feeds your soul?

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

There will be a lot of homemaking going on at my house today! Laundry, dishes, floors, feeding the fires, etc. I feel blessed to have a house to clean, clothes to wash and wood to burn in our wood stoves! I look forward to Happy Homemaker Monday each week with Sandra from Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. It makes Monday a little less...Monday:) So, let's get started!

As I look outside my window...
Snow is still on the ground from last week. Though the temperature was in the single digits when I got up this morning, it is nearly 30 degrees now! Whoo Hoo! We're havin' a heat wave!!! While it was bright and sunny this morning, it is cloudy now:( 

Right now I am...
Sitting in my chair by the wood stove, drinking a glass of Zip Fizz (guilty pleasure?!!!) and typing this post.

Thinking and pondering...
About our vacation coming up; what to take...clothes, food, books, craft projects! Also Christmas and what I still need to get done.

On my bedside table...
Still reading The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe--almost finished; just a few pages left to go! Next up is Be My Valentine by Debbie Macomber (a library loan on my iPad). Our read aloud is Christmas in My Heart book 22, compiled and edited by Joe Wheeler. Yes, we FINALLY finished Louis L'Amour's Sackett series!!! If you haven't ready the Christmas in My Heart books, you must try them! I own all 22 books and LOVE these timeless Christmas stories!

On my TV tonight...
Nothing on TV interests me this week.

Playing on the radio...
Nothing right now...just love the silence! But have you heard I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas? I could listen to that silly song over and over again! Sooo cute!

On the menu for this week...

• Monday -- Baked Potatoes, Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts
• Tuesday -- Rice and Pinto Beans
• Wednesday -- my town day; no cooking
• Thursday -- Curried French Lentil Soup
• Friday --
• Saturday --
• Sunday -- 

On my to do list...

• Make Gift Certificates for stamping customers (with cards)
• Make Gift Card Holders
• Finish addressing Christmas cards for Hubby's customers
• Get ready for Happy Stampers Club (Wednesday night)
• Laundry, dishes, floors, oh my!

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

• Lots of cards!!!
• Still neglecting my granny square afghan but hope to work on it on my vacation.
• I WILL be making doll clothes this week!

My simple pleasure...

As mentioned above, I love to sit and have a glass of ZipFizz late morning or early afternoon! I don't drink coffee so this is my little pick-me-up!

Lesson learned the past week...

It's not worth it to have my fingernails painted on the rare occasions when I get a manicure (one every 5 years or so). I got a French manicure last Thursday so my nails would be pretty for Hubby's Christmas party on Saturday. I wore gloves to wash dishes and clean but still had nicks in the "paint" before the party. Fortunately they looked "okay" but I am waayyy too hard on my nails to fuss with them. Lesson learned!!!

Looking around the house...

Dishes need done, bed still needs to be made, kitchen floor needs to be swept, dogs toys need to be picked up.

From the camera...

Closeup of my beautiful new centerpiece.
There is one of these adorable sparkly packages on each side.
Sooo pretty!

Prayer List...

• Nephew and wife who are expecting their first baby
• Friends who got sick while caring for their great grandchildren
• Families who need a place to live
• Friends' daughter who is going to Namibia for a year to work
• Friend whose daughter is going to Namibia as she will miss her sooo much!
• Young friend living and working in China for a year

Bible verse; Devotional...

"Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." 1 Peter 4:12, 13

Well, that's it for me today! I need to get myself up to the craft room and start working on those projects that need to be done this week!

Have a great day!

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Welcome to the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! We are hosted each week by Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. 

It is bitterly cold here! Last night's temp was 5 degrees (F)...brrr! During our drive home we came through an area that was -5 degrees (F)!!! Hubby has been having to run a heater in our insulated fruit room and manage the vents in our root cellar to keep things from freezing! We have a little bit of snow but it drifted pretty bad so don't know exactly how much we got; 3-4 inches most likely!

DS has been participating in The Journey to Bethlehem in Hermiston this weekend. It is an outdoor program and they have been struggling to keep warm. Tonight is the last night and I'm sure he won't be sorry about that.

Last night was Hubby's company Christmas Party and I brought home this beautiful centerpiece...

I will really be enjoying this centerpiece for the next couple of weeks:)

So, on with the Chit-Chat!

I am...

• Reading: Still reading The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe. I should be able to finish it tonight:)
• Listening to: I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas:)))
• Watching: Not sure. We were talking about watching Wives and Daughters on Netflix.
• Cooking/Baking: No cooking today! We ate leftover Potato Leek Soup with green salad.
• Happy you accomplished this week: Staying warm and keeping things from freezing has been a big focus! Hopefully will warm up a little this week.
• Looking forward to next week: It's time for my Happy Stampers to meet again:D Always love meeting with the ladies!!!
• Thankful for today: Our wood stoves and a good supply of wood for the winter. With temperatures of 5 degrees (F), it is a blessing to be able to stay warm!
• Bonus question: What is your favourite Christmas carol? I just heard this carol last night for the first time and downloaded it to my iPad...I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas by Gayle Peevey! I also like I'll Be Home for Christmas.

I hope you are all warm and comfy in your homes tonight!

Kat

The Cupboard Trilogy Design Team Projects

I sure hope it is warmer where you are than it is here! Today is definitely a stay inside by the fire kinda day! Brrr!

The Cupboard Trilogy theme for this month is Christmas/Holiday so I looked through my stamp sets to see which ones were being neglected this holiday season. I love this little retired Stampin' Up! stamp set and I hadn't used it yet so got busy!

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

• Paper: Cherry Cobbler, Old Olive and Whisper White card stock; Season of Style Designer Series Paper
• Stamps: Scentsational Seasons (retired) and Tags 4 You
• Ink: Baked Brown Sugar, Old Olive, Cherry Cobbler and Basic Gray
• Label Bracket Punch
• Other: Dimensionals, Basic Pearls

The second card I made for The Cupboard Trilogy...

I love the way this one turned out! I still think there need to be something in the middle of the sparkly mosaic but haven't figured out what yet so am leaving it alone! The Ornament Punch is retired from Stampin' Up! but is new to me so am loving using it!

Inside

There are so many things I like about this card!

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

• Paper: Pool Party and Island Indigo card stock; Silver Glimmer Paper
• Stamps: Tags til Christmas (retired), More Merry Messages
• Ink: Island Indigo, Pool Party, Old Olive
• Punches: Ornament (retired), Scallop Border and Mosaic
• Other: Dimensionals, Glue Dots, 1/8" Silver Ribbon, Basic Pearls

I hope you enjoyed these cards today! I always enjoy making them and sharing them with you.

Have a great weekend and I will be back Sunday night with the Sunday Night Chit-Chat!

Kat

Festive Flurry Gift Goodie

I was wrapping a gift for a customer the other day and decided to make this gift goodie to go on it! I am loving the Festive Flurry Bundle from Stampin' Up! No only are the stamps gorgeous, but you have Framelits to cut the snowflakes out with! This was the first time I used all four snowflakes in the bundle.

Oh so pretty!!!

For this Festive Flurry Gift Goodie I used the following Stampin' Up! supplies:

• Paper: Whisper White card stock and Silver Glimmer Paper
• Festive Flurry stamp set
• Big Shot with Festive Flurry Framelits
• Ink: Island Indigo, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party
• Other: Dimensionals, Glue Dots, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Frosted Finishes Embellishments, Basic Rhinestones

I am looking forward to making more of these Gift Goodies for my own Christmas packages!

Are you finished with your Christmas shopping or just getting started? Me? I am just about finished:) I am working on getting Christmas cards out and hope to get them all done by the middle of next week!

Have a great day!

Kat

My Dilemma

I have been having a bit of trouble keeping up lately. Well, actually since July but I really think it is going to get better. At least I hope so.

Today was a real treat! Hubby and I went to town (about two hours away) to do a little Costco shopping, have lunch and to get a pedicure! Actually, I got a pedicure AND a manicure!!! Don't know if I have ever done both in the same day before! Hubby's company Christmas party is this Saturday night so now I am good to go:) However, it is sooo cold that I am sure no one will ever see my pedicure but me! No strappy sandals for me this weekend:(

For the last several months I have been telling my husband that I wanted the iPhone 4s for Christmas. Oh, maybe I should start with...I don't have my own cell phone. My husband has an iPhone 5 through Virgin Mobile and my son has something that he got from Straight Talk. I thought at 59 years old, I was a big girl and should have my own phone. Hubby was going to buy me the iPhone for Christmas (and still would) but I would need to pay for the service out of my allowance. 

Today, after talking to a cell phone service provider, I decided that maybe a cell phone is an extravagance for me. Why do I say that? 

• We live in a very rural area and cell phone service is not good. You could make a call from my house if you really needed to by going outside and holding your mouth just right. So using the phone at home would be out. 
• The company that would be the cheapest is Virgin Mobile at $30/month. 
• They don't have service in the town I travel to most. However, Virgin Mobile (Sprint) works great when I travel to the city (Portland or Seattle).
• I only travel outside my local area about 30 days out of a year.
• So at $360 per year, if I use the phone 30 days, the cost will be $12 per day of real use.

Am I missing something here or do you agree that it would be nonsense for me to have a cell phone? Having a phone while traveling long distances would be nice for safety's sake but I traveled for years before there were cell phones.

I hope you will give me some feedback on this so I can make an intelligent decision on this. When I look at it as $30 per month, it doesn't sound too bad but when it look at it as $360 per year that's a different story!

I hope all is well where you are! 

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

I am doing my Happy Homemaker Monday a little late today! Okay so it's a lot late but at least it's not Tuesday!

Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom is our weekly host for Happy Homemaker Monday! So let's get started!

As I look outside my window...
Well, it's late so it's dark but the weather is turning cold and we may end up with snow in the next day or two.

Right now I am...
Watching a little TV while writing this blog post.

Thinking and pondering...
About all that needs to be done this month!

On my bedside table...
The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe

On my TV tonight...
CMA Country Christmas

Playing on the radio...
Nothing

On the menu for this week...

Monday -- leftover Mizidra
Tuesday -- leftover Bread Dressing, Brussels sprouts, baked Sweet Potatoes
Wednesday -- Town Day
Thursday --
Friday -- Potato Leek Soup
Saturday -- Hubby's Company Christmas Party (always super yummy food)
Sunday --

On my to do list...

• Get Christmas cards ready to mail
• Get ready for Stamping Club next week
• Write names on Snowflakes for a Hospice Benefit
• Thank you cards for hubby's customers

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

• Still need to finish my granny square afghan
• I am starting some doll clothes for my granddaughter

Lesson learned the past week...

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.
— ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Looking around the house...

Need to do some vacuuming and there are a few dishes in the sink. Those things will get done in the morning. One dog has gone to bed and the other one is at the foot of my bed as I type this post.

From the camera...

I don't have one this week.

Prayer List...

• Our little church
• Friends and family
• Friend's daughter who is going to Namibia for a year to work for Cheetah Conservation Fund as a Vet Tech.

Bible verse; Devotional...

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." James 1:17

Well, that's it for me tonight! 

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

It appears I dropped off the face of the earth for a few days! We had company for Thanksgiving, hubby's brother and sister-in-law who stayed for a few days plus a lovely 91 year young friend. We had a lovely Thanksgiving Day and enjoyed the time we spent with BIL and SIL afterward. 

Tonight is time for the Sunday Night Chit-Chat hosted each week by the super talented Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily! I love checking in with Carla every day to she what she has been creating! So many wonderful designs and fabric combinations:) Makes me think that I need to get my sewing machine out this week to make doll clothes for my one and only granddaughter!

Found on Pinterest and love it! From likelemondrops.com

So, let's get started with tonight's chit-chat!

I am...

• Reading: The Beach House by Mary Alice Monroe
• Listening to: Our bulldog snoring at the foot of my bed
• Watching: Christmas in Conway (Hallmark Hall of Fame movie) will be on tonight.
• Cooking/Baking: Just leftovers! However, for Thanksgiving I made a Gluten-free Vegan Pecan Pie that was delicious!!! I also made a non-dairy Coconut Milk Whipped Topping that was incredible! So happy for good tasting alternatives:) 
• Happy you accomplished this week: I was able to get the house cleaned for our company; made a good Thanksgiving meal; with all that was going on I did not have a melt-down! 
• Looking forward to next week: Doing some sewing for my darling granddaughter for Christmas; Hubby's company Christmas party; maybe doing a little more Christmas shopping done; hoping to spend a little time in my craft room.
• Thankful for today: Today was a down day for me--just relaxed, read and did some repinning on Pinterest! 

Well, it doesn't look like Carla has put her Chit-Chat up yet and it's midnight her time so I am going to post anyway. I hope all is okay in her neck of the woods. See you tomorrow for Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday!

Kat