Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday! As usual, we are hosted by Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. 

I am super late getting this posted but it is still Monday so guess that's okay. I have had a plugged up kitchen sink for two weeks so dishes and cooking took twice as long as usual having to haul water from the bathroom and doing dishes in tubs on the counter. Today the sink is finally flowing free plus hubby put in a new faucet which was really needed!

So, let's get started!

As I look outside my window...
Well, it is night now so it is dark...and cold! It didn't get very warm today so I was super thankful for our wood stove and a good supply of wood.

Right now I am...
Talking on the phone with my daughter while typing this post. My darling granddaughter "broke" as Stampin' Up! stamp pad so had to talk my daughter through putting it back together again. I can do it but wasn't sure I could talk her through it. Success!!!

Thinking and pondering...
Thinking about what projects we are going to do for our Happy Stampers Club on Wednesday.

On my bedside table...
Me and my Sisters by Sinead Moriarty
We are on our last book in Louis L'Amour's Sackett series! I think there are 17 in all.

On my TV tonight...
I watched Paradise on PBS last night! I think I am going to like that series:)

Playing on the radio...
Sounds like elevator music playing in the background.

On the menu for this week...
Monday -- Haystacks (tortilla chips, pinto beans, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, avocado, salsa)
Tuesday -- Vegetable Stew
Wednesday -- Town Day
Thursday --
Friday --
Saturday -- Church Potluck
Sunday -- 

On my to do list...

• Get projects ready for Happy Stampers Club
• Make swap cards (nope, still don't have these finished)
• Clean kitchen
• Work on my 20 things to get done before Thanksgiving

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

• I finished a crocheted scarf using some yummy llama wool. I am hoping to purchase some more soon.
• I am joining my granny squares! It's about time, right?!!!
• Crocheting a pair of slippers 
• Cards! Cards! Cards!

My simple pleasure...
Blogging:) I love to blog, especially when it's quiet and I am alone with my thoughts!

Lesson learned the past week...
I think Sandra and I must have had some similar experiences this week. I got super annoyed with someone who said some not very nice things to me. After stewing for a bit, the verse came to me, "Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165.

Looking around the house...
Cat's sleeping on the couch; dogs are sleeping on the floor next to me; hubby is reading on his computer in his chair. We won't talk about the kitchen...I did some cleaning but it needs a lot of work tomorrow.

From the camera...

The cactus I started for my daughter is blooming!

On my prayer list...

• Family of a friend who died recently
• My family members for various reasons
• Friend with health issues

Bible verse; Devotional...

I have to go with the one I quoted above as I keep having to repeat it each time the enemy reminds me of the hurtful words...

"Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them." ---Psalm 119:165.

Well, that's it for me tonight! Time to go to bed, read a couple chapters in my book and get some shut-eye!

Kat

Christmas Wishes

Yesterday kinda got away from me and I didn't get a post up! That's what I get for blogging "in the moment" instead of having some scheduled and ready to go. Someday, maybe!

Today it is foggy and cold:( At 1:00 in the afternoon it is still only 42 degrees (F)! The fog makes everything look dark and dreary.

I am participating in two monthly card swaps: the Happy Stampers Swap that I coordinate and another swap my Stampin' Up! team member, Margarita, coordinates. Margarita's swap has us sending to ALL the participants making that six cards this month. I recently received my swap from Ella and it is AMAZING!!!

This is what this awesome card looks like closed. check out the coffee packet attached in a very unique way using a Scallop Circle Punch and a Circle Punch! I love the Mosaic punched out of sparkly paper and topped with Candy Dots!

The card opened shows all kinds of wonderful elements! Do you see the retired Stampin' Up! Ornament Punch? 

This is a great card and a big THANKS to Ella for sending it!

Have a great day!

Kat

Happy Homemaker Monday

Welcome to Happy Homemaker Monday! Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom is our weekly host so be sure to hop on over to her blog to see what's up!

So let's get started!

As I look outside my window...

The clouds are rolling in:( It was bright and sunny this morning. Cold, but sunny! The temperature dipped to a low of 32 degrees (F) and doesn't look like it will get over 45 degrees today. I think the weather report is predicting rain for tomorrow.

Right now I am...

Cooking some lunch/dinner while writing this post. I just fed hubby and the electrician who is hooking up our new solar array so now it is time to think about something for me.

Thinking and pondering...

I have been trying to decide on a menu for Thanksgiving; thinking about the swap card I want to make six of; thinking about projects for my next Happy Stampers Club.

On my bedside table...

• Still reading How to be Organized in Spite of Yourself by Sunny Schlenger and Roberta Roesch.
• Starting Me and My Sisters by Sinead Moriarty (recommendation from DD)
• Read aloud: Ride the Dark Trail by Louis L'Amour (only one more book to go in the Sackett series after this one)

On my TV tonight...

Maybe a little of The Voice but not sure. 

Playing on the radio...Nothing!

On the menu for this week...

Monday -- Curried French Green Lentil Soup with Garbanzo Oat Burgers

Tuesday -- Leftover Curried French Green Lentil Soup (add some kale, extra carrots and potatoes) on Basmati rice

Wednesday --

Thursday --

Friday -- Potato Corn Chowder (didn't end up having last week)

Saturday -- Potluck at Church

Sunday -- Mizidra

On my to do list...

• Make swap cards
• Dishes--camping style!
• Laundry
• Clean kitchen
• My list of 20 (deep cleaning) things to do before Thanksgiving
• Finish organizing/cleaning my office

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

• Cards
• Crocheting the blocks together for my Granny Square Afghan

My simple pleasure...

Spending a couple of uninterrupted hours at my craft table:) Bliss!

Lesson learned the past week...

I had something and was going to write it down (and didn't) but then forgot what it was so I must not have learned it very well:(

Looking around the house...

• Kitchen is a disaster after cooking lunch/dinner! Kitchen sink still not draining so hubby will most likely have to cut out a section of pipe under the house and replace it (he is NOT looking forward to this job).
• Dogs enjoying the heat from the wood stove.
• Everything pretty tidy if you don't look at the kitchen.

From the camera...

Our new solar array that is being hooked up today. And yes, I do have a post planned:) The windows are part of the greenhouse. The greenhouse is covered with Lexan to allow light and heat in. Hubby has shade cloth to pull across the ceiling when it gets too hot.

On my prayer list...

• Friend who lost her husband in September
• Brother
• Sister in need of hip surgery
• Family needing a house; currently living in a motel

Bible verse/Devotional...

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."   James 1:5

Creative Post Due

Yesterday I showed you the picture below and said it was a "tease" so today I will show you the rest of the project! 

I couldn't believe I forgot to post this project as we made it at our Happy Stampers Club in August! In August the Happy Stampers made projects suitable for gifts.

Getting a good picture of the whole project was a challenge with my little point and shoot camera. I am still trying to talk hubby into buying a new camera for work and giving me his old one. I think I am making progress:)

For this project, I totally CASEd one I found on Pinterest done by Melissa Davies at Rubberfunatics. 

I love the flower in the corner. This project uses two of my favorite stamp sets...Creative Elements and Postage Due.

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

• Paper: Very Vanilla, Sahara Sand, Early Espresso and Crumb Cake cardstock
• Stamps: Creative Elements, Postage Due and Loving Thoughts
• Ink: Early Espresso, Crumb Cake and Sahara Sand
• Other: Modern Mosaic Embossing Folder, Scallop Squares Duo Bigz Die (retired), Postage Stamp Punch, Early Espresso Bakers Twine, Basic Pearl, Dimensionals and Glue Dots.

This was a fun project! I am looking forward to doing more framed projects. 

I will be back a little later today with Happy Homemaker Monday! 

Kat

Sunday Night Chit-Chat

Hello and welcome to the Sunday Night Chit-Chat! Our weekly host is the very talented Carla at My 1/2 Dozen Daily. Check in with her to see the beautiful aprons she recently made for a custom order. She does exquisite custom sewing and I am the proud owner of some of her beautiful creations.

A little tease of a project I will show later this week.

I am...

Reading...Well, I took a break from reading How to Organized in Spite of Yourself by Sunny Schlenger and Roberta Roesch and read two more Debbie Macomber books. This week I will be back to reading about how to get organized; I sure do need it!

Listening to...absolute quiet:) 

Watching...Nothing! I may see what's on so I can watch while I am working on my Granny Square Afghan. Yes, indeed, I have picked it up again and am putting those squares together:)

Cooking/baking...I cooked up a pot of Curried French Green Lentil Soup on Friday that will last us a week! Well, maybe not quite that long; we will finish it up to tomorrow over rice. I bake two loaves of Whole Wheat Bread--haven't done that for awhile because we have been eating store-bought sprouted wheat bread. 

Happy I accomplished this week...I have been working on my 20 things to get done before Thanksgiving. Each one of these things should be broken down into smaller pieces but I am working my way through the list...slowly!

Looking forward to next week...I am looking forward to getting some organizing done that I have been working on for months. 

Thankful for today...Hubby was able to get the storm door on the front of the house replaced before the cold, rain and winds came. It is the side of the house that takes the brunt of the weather.

*Bonus Question* Describe my "perfect pizza"? First of all, pizza is my favorite food! However, I am not able to eat my "perfect pizza" anymore:( It was the Gourmet Vegetarian from Papa Murphy's Pizza with a creamy garlic sauce, lots of veggies including artichoke hearts, mushrooms, spinach...yum! We now order the Gourmet Vegetarian with red sauce and no cheese--not the same but better than no pizza at all. It doesn't matter to me if the crust is thick or thin as long as it is good tasting. 

Well, that's it for me tonight. I will be back tomorrow for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Kat

Another Cupboard Trilogy Design Team Project

Now for my second Design Team project for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges! Again I used circles, not spots! My circles being the ornaments and the circular paper doily. Hey! I got the stripes right again though!

I am loving the combination of Island Indigo, Coastal Cabana, Pool Party and Smoky Slate! I don't normally like blue but I am constantly being drawn to Island Indigo!

Did you know that you can still purchase the Ornament Keepsakes stamp set and Framelits even though they aren't in the current catalog? Well, the answer is YES you can! I love this set and these ornaments were perfect for this card.

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

• Paper: Island Indigo and Whisper White cardstock; Silver Glimmer Paper; Winter Frost Specialty Designer Series Paper
• Stamps: Ornament Keepsakes and Endless Wishes Photopolymer
• Ink: Coastal Cabana and Island Indigo
• Other: Decorative Label Punch, Holiday Ornaments Framelits, Tea Lace Paper Doily, Silver 1/8" Ribbon, Basic Rhinestones, Dimensionals and Glue Dots

It's supposed to get cold here this weekend with lots of wind. I will be thankful for our wood stove and good supply of wood! It's time to bring out my winter clothes and my Keen Bern Baby Bern boots! They will be three years old in December and still look like new! 

Stay warm and have a great weekend!

Kat

Spots & Stripes for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges

Welcome November! 

First off I have to explain that somehow "spots" translated in my brain to "circles". I read the challenge several times and each time it translated for me the same...circles! It wasn't until after I had completed and submitted my design team projects to The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges that I realized my error. Well, it is what it is! I didn't have time to do the projects over but those neat spots from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set would have looked great on this card before embossing the bottom section. Hmmm...I may have to try that! At least I got the stripes right:) 

Thinking I was supposed to use circles, I decided to try my hand at making circle punch roses. Making them this small was a little challenging especially for my first time. I do think I will try them again. Make sure you have Glue Dots on hand if you try making these roses; so much easier than glue!

So, how did I come up with adding the Coastal Cabana to this card? By using the Color Coach, of course! I am finding the Color Coach to be a very valuable tool when trying to decide what color to add for that extra little pop!

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

• Paper: Very Vanilla, Old Olive, Pumpkin Pie, More Mustard and Coastal Cabana cardstock; Sweater Weather Designer Series Paper
• Stamps: Chalk Talk
• Ink: Chocolate Chip and Coastal Cabana
• Punches: 1 3/8" Circle and Bird Builder (for leaves)
• Big Shot with Stylish Stripes Embossing Folder and Chalk Talk Framelits
• Other: Dimensionals and Glue Dots

I will be back a little later today with my second design team project for The Cupboard Trilogy Challenges.

Kat