Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Ahhh! Carla is back with the Sunday Night Chit-Chat and all is right with the world:) Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily is our host and I love participating and linking up with her Sunday Night Chit-Chat! I hope you enjoy it as well. Check in with Carla to see what she's been up to. She is such a busy person!!!

So, let's get started!

What...

• Am I watching...Not sure but probably nothing tonight.
• Am I reading...From Paralysis to Praise by Shirley Thrush; The Litigators by John Grisham; and totally enjoying Living Life Undaunted by Christine Caine
• Am I looking forward to next week...Soaking up some sun and getting a few cards made.
• Did I have for dinner tonight...In the teeny tiny town of Granite, Oregon, I enjoyed an Amy's Black Bean Burrito with a bag of barbecued potato chips and an iced tea! By teeny tiny I mean 23 permanent residents and they are all over 60 years old!!!
• Are my 3 top goals for next week...Clean our guest apartment; get my design team projects for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges made and uploaded; start walking on the treadmill again.
• Best/Worst Financial decision over last week...Not sure. I don't think there were any good or bad financial decisions made.
• Happy I accomplished this week...I got the strawberries weeded and got some cards made and mailed off for swaps.
• Was my best moment from the past week...Actually today spent with my son at a huge flea market in Sumpter Oregon! This was our fifth annual trip to Sumpter!
• Is my current favorite website...It is Stampin' Up!--my addiction!
• Is something that always makes me smile...beautiful flowers!

Well, that's it for me tonight! Thank you for visiting!

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday! We are hosted each week by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom:) I always look forward to participating and linking up with Sandra and the other bloggers! So, what's happening in my little corner of the world?

As I look outside my window:::
Today we have some clouds and wind. I don't think it will get much over 70 degrees today (F). I sure loved those days last week when it was 80:) I was soaking up the sunshine!!!

Right now I am::: 
Waiting for dinner to finish cooking so decided to sit down to blog a bit.

Thinking and pondering:::
About how to regroup and focus on what's important. My question is, Important to who? Do I live by the standards of others or do I march to the beat of my own drummer? When is enough, enough?!!! I didn't promise any answers here, only thoughts. Hopefully I will be able to elaborate more later. 

On my bedside table:::
Just finished reading Light on Snow by Anita Shreve.  I am also reading Living Life Undaunted, a devotional by Christine Caine.

On my tv this week:::
Last night I watched Call the Midwife. Before that we watched a teen movie called Monte Carlo. None of us can figure out how it got on the Netflix Queue but it was and it came. We all actually liked it:)

Listening to:::
Our precious Rocky snoring as usual! What would I do without that sweet snore in the background of my days?!!!

On the menu for this week:::
As usual, no menu! Today we are having Mizidra (brown rice with lentils on top then built up like a tostada); broccoli and cauliflower; garlic bread with avocado

On my to do list:::
Laundry - on the clothes line:)
Weed strawberry patch
Dead head lilacs
Clean bathroom--today!
Design Team project for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges
2 swap cards--make and mail
Sort and deliver stamping orders 

Happening this week:::
Working on my "to do" list and delivering stamping orders (hopefully on Thursday)

What I am creating:::
I have been in a total funk lately when it comes to creating. I really need my mojo back! Has anyone seen it?!!! If you do, tell it to come home.

My simple pleasure:::
Talking to my daughter on the phone (when I can't be with her in person).  

Homemaking tips::: 
This morning I decided to give a Pinterest idea a try! I took a couple pieces of aluminum foil, scrunched each one into a ball and threw them in the dryer with a load of clothes that normally get a lot of static. When I took the clothes out of the dryer there was a tiny bit of static on a pair of hubby's pajama pants but not near as much as I have when I use a fabric softener sheet!!! The Pinterest Pinner said they used them up to a year! Love this idea!!!

Looking around the house:::
Dining room table starting to build up clutter again:( My desk is looking pretty 
messy. The rest of the house looks pretty good...by my standards anyway!

From the camera:::

Another little card I made to put a treat in; just the right size for a Ghiradelli Square. These are so cute and I am addicted to making them. This one uses Strawberry Slush cardstock and ink, Flower Shop stamp set and Kaleidoscope Designer Series Paper. Unfortunately that sweet Stretch Ruffle Trim is retired and gone:( 

Prayer List:::

• Friends with problems
• Sister and her hip--much better but she still needs prayer
• Brother who lost his wife almost two years ago--anniversary of her death is coming up in a couple weeks
• Me--self-evaluation, changes, decisions

Bible verse, Devotional:::

"Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." --Hebrews 4:16

Well, that's it for me today. I hope all is good in your little corner of the world!

Kat

Happy Birthday, Barb!

This is the card I made for my friend Barb for her birthday! I love the color and of course was able to use my favorite stamp set, Flower Shop!

This card was CASEd from one I saw on Pinterest by Linda Creech. 

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

• Paper: Whisper White and Bermuda Bay cardstock; Kaliedeoscope Designer Series Paper
• Ink: Bermuda Bay
• Stamps: Flower Shop and Perfectly Penned
• Big Shot with Apothecary Accents and Chalk Talk Framelits
• Other: Dimensionals and Brights Collection Candy Dots

Thank you for visiting!

Kat

Happy Stampers Meet Again

Last night my Happy Stampers Club met and made two "man" cards that we could use for Father's Day or Birthdays. "Man" cards are sometimes difficult to make, at least for me, because I love putting flowers on cards and guys typically don't want flowery cards. Now what's up with that???

The first card we made was designed and prepared by my stamping cohort and dear friend, Barb! Barb also opens up her house to the Happy Stampers each and every month and has for the last 4 years. I don't know what I would do without her!!!

Isn't it amazing!!! I really love everything about this card! Everyone was surprised and pleased with the results using the Hardwood Background stamp and the Woodgrain Embossing Folder! It is pretty impressive, don't you think?

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

• Paper: Soft Suede and Whisper White cardstock; Early Espresso Coordinations cardstock
• Ink: Early Espresso
• Stamps: Look Up to Father and Hardwood 
• Big Shot with Labels Collection Framelits and Woodgrain Embossing Folder
• Other: Cotton yarn (non-SU!), sanding block and Dimensionals

Great "Man" card, don't you think? Thanks, Barb!

Our second project of the night was one I saw on Pinterest and I totally CASEd it!!! We had a great time doing the "rock & roll" method to get the two colors on the fish. It was like MAGIC!!! There were lots of oohs and ahhhs:)

Oh, who did I CASE this card from? Good question! It was Joanna Hooper at Joanna's Blog! Thanks, Joanna for the great card idea! I am sure our dads will love it! Not only am I giving this card for Father's Day but my brother's name is three letters also so guess what he's getting for his birthday. I have several fish stamped and sitting beside my chair waiting for me to cut them out:)

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

• Paper: Night of Navy, Bermuda Bay, Lucky Limeade (retired) and Whisper White
• Ink: Night of Navy, Bermuda Bay and Lucky Limeade
• Stamps: By the Tide and Morning Post Alphabet
• Big Shot with Arrows Embossing Folder
• Other: 1 1/4" Circle Punch, Lucky Limeade Baker's Twine (retired), Dimensionals

I hope you enjoyed seeing what the Happy Stampers did last night! We really did have a lot of fun!

Kat

How Does My Garden Grow

Technically,it's not my garden! But since I live here I am claiming it as my own:) Like having a gardener...who I happen to be married to! My hubby LOVES to make things grow! He plants all the flowers, fruit and veggies on our little homestead! Today as we were walking around checking everything out, he asked when I was going to blog about his garden. Sooo...

Since I took a lot of photos I wanted to share I decided to try making collages out of them with My Digital Studio on my computer. It's a digital scrapbooking and cardmaking program by Stampin' Up! (who else!). A free trial is available if you are interested! But, this post is not about my love of Stampin' Up! 

The top photos are of our little flower area with the Mandevilla, ivy, Amaryllis and Begonias. The bottom photos are of the very swollen buds on the Peony bushes--just ready to burst forth with bloom! The inset is a bloom on a very short peony bush right next to the big one. 

Then on to the food...

The raspberries are blooming and I am so ready for those juicy morsels. On the inset, can you see the bee? The raspberry bushes are full of honey bees at the moment...they are loving it!

The strawberries we transplanted are doing so good! They are very happy in their new home:) Don't they look happy?!!!

Hubby put out 39 tomato plants he started from seed in the greenhouse. He also purchased a few plants that will give us a jump on some early tomatoes. The others will be used for canning, making salsa and pasta sauce.

Check out the spinach. We ate some in a salad the other day. Then their is my favorite--Sugar Snap Peas! Oh, I can hardly wait!

Hubby also has bell peppers, hot peppers, cabbage, onions, collards and eggplant planted. He is still planning to plant beets, green beans, carrots and who knows what else!

I hope you enjoyed my little garden tour!

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

All is right with the world when I am able to participate in Happy Homemaker Monday! Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom is our weekly host and l love to "link up" with the other bloggers who participate in Happy Homemaker Monday:) So, let's get started!

As I look outside my window:::
The weather is glorious! Blue sky, sunshine, green grass, beautiful flowers--ahhh, Spring! I think the temperature will be in the low 70s (F) today but building into the 80s by the end of the week! I am sooo ready!!!

Right now I am:::
Sitting in my chair, still in my jammies:) Just finished breakfast, read my email (and just a little Pinterest). I need to get on with my day!

Thinking and pondering:::
***Same as last week and I am no further along with the project:(***
About all the cards I need to get made in the next few days! Shall I call this a "card crunch"?!! Some people go out and buy cards when they are needed but my family and friends have come to expecthandmade cards from me so I need to get them done even if I'm not feeling particularly motivated! I really wasn't motivated ALL last week but need to get motivated asap!

On my bedside table:::
Living Life Undaunted Devotional by Christine Caine
The Dangers of Contemplative Prayer by Howard Peth
Light on Snow by Anita Shreve
Joni & Ken by Ken & Joni Eareckson Tada (family read aloud)

On my TV this week:::
I plan to do a lot of reading this week.

Listening to:::
Sound of the sprinklers outside and Rocky snoring--gotta love a Bulldog's snore:)

On my menu for this week:::
I don't have a clue what we're eating this week! Time to go grocery shopping, I think! Lots of food in the house but nothing to eat; ever been there?

On my to do list:::

• Laundry--always and forever
• Go through clothes closet and purge!!!
• Organizing in craft room
• Make about 30 cards! 
• Clean guest apartment and sauna

Happening this week:::

Happy Stampers on Wednesday:) Love spending time with the ladies being creative!

What I am creating:::

Right now just cards but should have a lot to show over the next week! Really, this week I will!

My simple pleasure:::

A day home alone...occasionally! I love my family but sometimes it is just nice to have a whole day to myself!

Homemaking tips:::

This is more of a beauty tip: I use coconut oil to wash my face! It is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral! How can you beat that?!!! In addition to washing my face with coconut oil, I also use it as a moisturizer when I need one (usually don't when washing with coconut oil). It makes my skin amazingly soft and free of blemishes. 

Looking around the house:::

Table in the dining room looks better than last week! Lol I need to make the bed. The dogs have been kind...only a few toys lying around:)

From the camera:::

Hubby got two of these huge flower baskets for our deck...so pretty!

Prayer List:::

• My sister still recovering from hip replacement surgery, then broken femur surgery, then blood clot! Still improving but not out of the woods yet!
• Church family still needing a house
• Elderly couple having serious health issues
• Friend selling (sold) her house then going to live near her son and DIL; needs to find motor home to live in.

Bible verse/Devotional:::

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned." Isaiah 43:2

Well, that's it for me today! Thank you for visiting:)

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Hello, everyone! I hope your Mother's Day has been good. 

I checked Carla's blog at My 1/2 Dozen Daily to see if her Sunday Night Chit-Chat was up but it isn't so I am going to go ahead and post mine. If she posts hers later I will link up; otherwise, I am on my own this week. I do love the Sunday Night Chit-Chat...well, any Chit-Chat, actually!

Today I was sharing with my mom about how much I love blogging and am so happy that after nearly 4 years I have over 40,000 visits and have written over 700 posts. Am I the only one who is impressed by that?!!! My mom seemed totally unimpressed. It was like I am about people who do extreme mountain climbing...why would they do that? Well, that's kind of how she was about my blogging...why would I even want to do that? Hmmm...have I ever mentioned how unsupportive my mom is? Now, the question is, why would I even share the information with her in the first place. Lapse of memory, I guess!

The Peonies are just about ready to bloom but I thought they
looked so pretty framing the red tulips.

So, on with the Chit-Chat!

What...

• Am I watching...Just watched Frozen. Last Sunday we watched Saving Mr. Banks. 
• Am I reading...Light on Snow by Anita Shreve.
• Am I looking forward to this week...Happy Stampers are meeting on Wednesday night!
• Am I obsessive about...Having my books in order--some kind of order! I have a book shelf where all the books are alphabetical. I have other shelves where the books are in order by height. Some shelves are ordered by subject. Yes, I have a lot of books and a lot of shelves! A house with a lot of books is a happy house in my opinion:)
• Is my #1 goal for next week...I have to finish getting ready for my Happy Stampers Club! I am such a procrastinator:( I think I say this at least once a month, right?!!!
• Is my Best/Worst financial decision over the last week...I am supposed to be on a 21 Day Financial Fast but it hasn't been going so good:( As a Stampin' Up! Demonstrator I am able to pre-order some items that are in the catalog that launches on June 2 so it's really hard for me NOT to order some of these items to share with my customers, right?!!! Well, let's just say that so far this month I've spent about $100 for new catalogs and pre-order items. Guess it could be worse.
• Am I most happy I accomplished this week...I managed to get the vacuuming/mopping done before I went to the Chiropractor so as not to undo what he did! Hoping to keep everything in place for a couple weeks this time:) For some people NOT vacuuming wouldn't be a big deal but we have two dogs who shed the equivalent of a whole dog everyday! Why they aren't bald I have no idea! We brush and brush and still they shed:( 
• A wonderful Mother's Day surprise...I loved the cards and gifts from my kids today. I loved the phone call from my daughter this morning. I am so blessed. But, I was surprised this morning with a text from my niece telling  me that I am "a beautiful woman, amazing person and wonderful mother"! Boy, how I needed to hear that today! Thank you to my precious niece for this very special surprise!

Well, that's it for me tonight! Can you believe I did TWO posts today?!! Me, either! I will be back tomorrow with Sandra's Happy Homemaker Monday:)

Kat