Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!

I took a BIG step this week y'all! I got a hair cut. More than one actually, and quite a bit for me!

When I was sixteen years old I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Disease. The Doctors that were caring for me decided the best course of treatment would be Radiation Therapy followed up with Chemotherapy. I am so thankful for these Doctors and I know that GOD deserves ALL the Glory that I continue to be cancer free over thirty years later.

I tell you that so that you can understand my affection for my hair. Since I was a little girl, I have always loved long hair. Crystal Gayle fascinates me! I also have an older cousin(my namesake) that had thick, beautiful long brown hair. I wanted that hair! What I have is a lot of thin, straight, baby fine hair. It of course fell out shortly after they began the radiation treatments. Just in the back, from the crown of my head back. Weird stuff, that radiation! As a young teen I was devastated. We did find a cute wig, but it just isn't cool when you have to wear it, no matter how cute it is. So once I was finished with my treatments and my hair was long enough to cover my bald head, I ditched that wig and set about growing me some LONG hair! It took a LONG time, but I have some hair now!


Forgive the poor picture quality! Have you ever tried to take a picture of yourself backwards?? LOL!
I have been contemplating what to do with my hair for MONTHS. I was getting very frustrated with it. The majority of the time I was twisting it in a knot and clipping it up because it was always in the way. Bend over to pick something up, here comes the hair. Sit down, move the hair. Lay down, move the hair. I was OVER it! So I talked it over with the Handsome Prince and he was very encouraging (I think he was tired of the grumping!) I took a deep breath and called my hair stylist. She was very surprised when I told her how much we were cutting - she asked several times if I was SURE I wanted to do this. Yes, I am sure.

It feels SO MUCH better! We put a few highlights in there too. I MAY have some gray...

I think it looks great! AND I am donating the ten inches we cut off to Locks of Love, so that a child in need can have a cute wig!

My First Award!

My friend Lindsay has nominated me for my very first blog award! Hooray for me!!

Here is how the "Honest Scrap" award works - I share ten random things about myself, and then nominate ten blog friends to do the same. Since the people I would nominate were already chosen to take part in this, I nominate anyone reading this that would like to take part in the fun!

Let's see, ten things about me...

1. Food segregation is important to me! I don't like my food to touch. Everything has a place, veggies, potato and meat. I don't want corn in my potatoes. I don't want soggy bread because it got in the sauce. I know it all ends up in the same place - don't try to reason with me! We have big plates so I can keep everything separate.
2. I love office supplies. I can spend hours looking at file folders and paper clips. And Pens! I love Back to School time because everyone has great sales on their "stuff". Too bad my office is always a disaster! I should be very organized!
3. I also love dishes. I have a set of every day dishes, Christmas dishes, and china. Twelve place settings each. I had four other sets that I gave away. It is a sickness...
4. I like to keep the dining room table "set" all of the time. It looks pretty, and it justifies #3 for me:)
5. Blue is my favorite color. Followed closely by purple and red.
6. I LOVE FOOTBALL!! Nebraska Cornhuskers and Minnesota Vikings - if they are playing, I am watching!
7. I've lived in eight houses in my life. Which means I have moved only seven times. Four of those moves came after I was married.
8. I dated my Handsome Prince for only ONE month before we became engaged. We were married three months later. We'll celebrate 26 years in December!
9. The first job I had when we moved to Arkansas was at McDonald's. I lasted one day. I was not cut out to be a fry girl.
10. My Grandma taught me to do counted cross-stitch. It is a hobby I really enjoy, and wish I spent more time doing. Unfortunately, I'm figuring out what Grandma was talking about when she used to tell me she did her hobbies in the morning "when her eyes were good".

Okay, now it is your turn!! If you would like the "Honest Scrap" award, I nominate you! Just copy the picture and add it to your blog, tell us ten things about yourself and then nominate ten friends to share in the fun! Be sure to leave me a comment if you participate - I want to learn more about you too!

An Amazing story - to me anyway!

Let me tell the story about my Miniature Schnauzer, Teke (pronounced teak). I was 21 when I got him as my very first pet. He was just 6 weeks old and so adorable! He went everywhere with me. When I met The Handsome Prince it was definitely a case of "Love me, Love my dog" - and he did! Since we did not have children, he was treated like our baby.

On August 11, 1993 we had to put him to sleep because of a tumor I found in his ear that had spread in to his brain. He was 11 years old. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, and I was sure at the time I would never have another pet.

Then came a few cats, and although I tried really hard not to get attached, I did - I guess that's just how I am! Our latest kitties, Sylvester and Tweety seem to like it here okay, and the two of them can find all sorts of mischief to get into.

On more than one occasion Larry and I have discussed that we would like to get another dog. Last spring we even went and looked at a litter in a town near us, but we did not feel a connection with any of the pups and decided we just weren't ready to commit. Last week - on August 11th - I had just come in from work and Larry and I were talking and getting our dinner ready when I glanced out the bay window and TWO Miniature Schnauzers were in the back yard. They were obviously lost pets because I could see their collars and tags, so I flung open the sliding glass door and they came running in the house. We got them a bowl of water and put them in the laundry room while I called the vet from their tags. They gave me the owners information so I called her. She said she didn't own the dogs anymore, but would have the new owners call me. About a half hour later a lady called and got our address and said she would send her husband over - they were about a mile from our house.

While we were waiting on him to get here, Larry and I were discussing the possibility of keeping the dogs. When he got here he said they had only had the dogs 9 days and they had already run off twice. He said they didn't know what they were going to do. Larry and I looked at each other and Larry said to him we would be interested in keeping them. He wanted to go home to discuss it with his wife and we agreed. But we made a trip to Wal*Mart while we waited on his call! We bought bowls and a bed and dog food and a baby gate. Oh, and 2 stakes and leashes. At 8 O'clock that night we adopted Lucy and her son Gatsby. Lucy is 7 years old and Gatsby is 6 years old. They are very loving and already act like they have lived here forever. Larry doesn't like the name Gatsby, so he is calling him Max and he will come to either name. I call him Gatsby!

Here he is the first night we had him. Worn out from his bath and the excitement of the day.

And here is Gatsby after he went to see the Groomer on Friday! He is very proud of his new 'do! (sorry about the picture quality, I was using my phone)

This is Lucy before her haircut.

And loving her new look.

They seem to be adjusting very well. We have made them a "room" in the Laundry room for while we are at work. So far they haven't had any accidents so we may expand their living space. We are very excited pet owners, and spoiling them rotten already! Sylvester and Tweety still aren't very sure about them, so we have deemed the back yard their space and the dogs have the front yard!

So that's what is new at our house - what did you do this weekend??

My 100th Post - It's a Giveaway!

In October of last year I started a little experiment that has grown into a really fun hobby for me. A few of my "Real Life" friends have blogs, and I enjoyed reading them. Then I began reading some of my friends favorite blogs, and I was discovering so many women with wonderful recipes and decorating ideas! I found myself drawn to some of these blogs on a daily basis, and began considering them my "friends" too. Soon, like it does for almost everyone I suspect, I found that I was hooked. I needed to try this too!

I have had so much fun watching Mason and Mackenzie and Peyton grow in real life, and keeping up with their activities through the blog world too. Even though I have never met her, I was so excited for Kelly as she and Scott looked forward to the birth of Harper. Like you, I cried and prayed like crazy in January when Harper was so sick when she was born. And I rejoiced and Praised God as HE performed a Miracle and Harper is now healed and home. My Husband can't understand this. "Have you ever met her?" No, but I know we would be friends if we did meet! Just like I know Shannon, and The Nester and The Mama's - Big and Boo, would be a blast to have over for a girls day out. Someday. Maybe!

No one is more amazed than I am that today I am posting for the 100th time. Did I really have that much to say? Wow. I started out with big plans for daily or weekly "themes". So far the only thing I have done consistently is my weekly American Idol thoughts. But you know what? Nobody is going to fire me because I haven't posted a Tuesday Treat every week! And if I need to take a few days off because "Real Life" happens - that's okay too! I'm still having fun, and I am documenting little pieces of our life along the way.

SO -

How would you like to win this beautiful Gail Pittman Bountiful Cross? To celebrate my 100 post milestone, I will give one special reader this beautiful cross to call their very own. All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me how much you LOVE my blog, and how much you would LOVE to have it! Or just leave me a comment! I'll draw for the winner and announce it on Friday.

Show us where you live Friday! Living Room Tour

Welcome to our Home!

Kelly started a fun theme last Friday. Each week she is hosting a little linky party touring different rooms in our homes. This week is the Living Room and this sounded like fun to me, so I'm joining the party! I haven't put the Easter Decorations up yet, so you get to see those too! Just keeping it real. HA!!

When you come in the front door, this is looking in to our Living Room from the Entry. I am a big collector of things - art, crystal, Cobalt Blue Glass, Precious Moments. I got this Sofa Table from my parents. A few of my collections are here. I made the floral arrangement on this table.

This is the view from the hallway on the other side of the room. I love my Curio cabinet! It was a gift from Santa a few years ago. Yes, Santa still comes to our house.

View from the Kitchen.

I love antiques, but I don't have as many as I would like. I am very fortunate to have a few very meaningful pieces. This drop leaf table was my Great Grandmother's. Mom and Dad had it refinished and gave it to Larry and I when we were married. Very Special. We got the wonderful rockers at the Amish Store in Branson. That was a funny sight if you saw us hauling them home! Worth every bit of the grumbling I heard too! :)

This table belonged to Larry's sister Deborah. She passed away in 1996. She gave it to us when we were first married and it was used ALOT. It was in sad shape, and one of Larry's brothers likes to refinish furniture so we asked him to see what he could do with it. LOVE what he did with the black and natural pine. We just got it back a few weeks ago and I like how it looks in here.

This old Barrister Desk is a rescue from someones garbage. When Larry was a little boy his Dad found this by the curb and hauled it home. When we got it, it looked like it should go back to the curb. Little bit of love, and this is another one of my favorites. The Chair is a Flea Market find.

Sorry about the glare! Some of my Precious Moments and Cobalt glass. You can't see them, but the Rudolph Collection is on the bottom shelf for safe keeping through the year. I get them out at Christmas so they can be seen.

I really like the window treatments in this room. It's a HUGE window, on the north side of the house. I didn't want to block what little light we get in here, so I did sheers across the window and panels on each end.

SEE? It's dark in here most of the time! I wanted to try and show you how big the window is, but I'm not sure you can tell from this. It runs almost the entire length of the room.

Thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoyed the tour. Hop on over to Kelly's Korner to check out some other beautiful homes. You can click on the link below.


On Monday I will be posting my 100th post! To celebrate I'm doing a giveaway. I hope you'll stop by to check it out!

New Additions and A GIVE-AWAY!

Meet Goldie and Sylvester... **EDIT** TWEETY and Sylvester...

While the Handsome Prince was out and about on Saturday (Staying away from the "Girl Party") he happened across a lady giving away these sweet kitties. After my traumatic experience in December, I wasn't sure I would have another pet. But we live in the country, and I can't stand mice, so cats are necessary! We talked, A LOT, after Baby was killed that when we did get another cat, we would get two. That way they would have a playmate, and hopefully not wander too far away from the house.

Sylvester is the livelier of the two. Very curious and spunky. He'll be mischievous!
Goldie is very laid back. Loves to have that spot right behind her ear scratched! Look out Goldie! He's gonna get you! I'm going to try very hard not to get so attached to these two. I'm not sure how that will work out for me, considering I spent the afternoon on the back porch taking pictures of them! And I've already named them. We'll see!

Now for the Giveaway news! I will soon be making my 100th post! What started out as a little experiment has turned in to a really fun hobby. Today's post is number 94, so I am estimating by next Monday, May 4th I will hit #100. I'll have details in that post about what you will have to do to win a basket of goodies! (I'll BET that it will be SL@H related!) Stay tuned for more details!

Tuesday Treats: Larry's Birthday Cake

For my Handsome Prince's Birthday, I attempted my first ever layer cake. (I usually just do a 13 x 9 and frost it in the pan.) I think it turned out pretty good! I had a box of Carrot Cake mix, but I wanted to kick it up a notch. I dug out my Southern Living at HOME "Cake mix miracles" cookbook and found this recipe for Cheater's Carrot Cake.

Cheater's Carrot Cake
1 (18.25 ounce) package spice cake mix
1 (10 ounce) package shredded carrots (about 3 cups)
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained well
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans. divided
2 (16 ounce) containers ready-to-spread cream cheese frosting

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Fold in carrots, pineapple, and 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 28 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
• Combine remaining 1 cup chopped nuts and frosting;stir well. Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Chill, if desired. Yield: 1 (3-layer) cake.

Keeping it real:

I used my carrot cake mix, and it was fine. I didn't have shredded carrots, but I did have baby carrots and a salad shooter, worked great. I used walnuts, again I had them on hand. I did not use the containers of frosting, because Cream Cheese frosting is my favorite part of the cake, and I like to make my own. Could NOT be easier.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 stick of butter, softened

1 (1 pound) box confectioner's sugar

mix together until desired consistency.

I doubled the recipe for this cake, since I was frosting each layer. I didn't quite need all of it - there may have been some bowl and spatula licking taking place! :)

We had our good friends, Bob and Lisa over for a Birthday dinner on Saturday evening. We had a wonderful salad, Cavatini and garlic bread, and this birthday cake. There was some over-eating done by all! Another GREAT weekend, and Larry thought it was a good way to celebrate his birthday!

The Bachelor Finale

So tonight was the episode we have been waiting for FOR MONTHS. It had been called "The most DRAMATIC ending in the history of The Bachelor". Dramatic? Yes. Disappointing? Even more so.

I was really looking forward to this season. I thought Jason got a raw deal with Deanna. Over the course of the season my opinion of him changed. A LOT. Many weeks I found myself having to find something else to "busy myself" with while he made out with every girl on the set. I know this is a dating show, but could we have just a little bit of class?

I was really excited that he chose Melissa. I was for Stephanie at first, and for her sake I'm happy he sent her home now. He wasn't good enough for her. I don't think it helped to ease the hurt any for Melissa that they didn't have a studio audience present when he dumped her. HELLO! You are still on NATIONAL TELEVISION. But the MOST class-less act (in my opinion) this evening is Molly. I would have told the jerk "that ship has sailed" my friend. You made a BAD decision, live with it.

I guess I'll have to tune in again tomorrow night, to see what they have up their sleeve next. I told Larry I would never watch this show again. He countered right back that yes, I would. He's probably right! I'm a sucker for romance...

Two out of three ain't bad...

**Edited to add SPOILER ALERT! If you DVR'd American Idol and don't want to know the results yet - DON'T Read any further until you've watched the show!**

Tonight was the results show for the first elimination round on American Idol. Isn't it amazing how they can drag a five minute show into a full hour? And the DRAMA! I was a nervous wreck before it was over! (I am only half kidding!)

After much reviewing of last nights performances, their journey thus far, small talk with the judges AND the contestants, and nail biting on my part we FINALLY got around to the results.
I'm not going to make you suffer like the producers did to me! Here we go with the top vote getters this week:

Top Male - Danny Gokey (this makes me so happy!)
Top Female - Alexis Grace (I love this name! She's pretty cute too)
Next Top Votes - Michael Sarver (the Rough Neck)

I'm good with these decisions, mostly because Tatiana is hopefully done. PLEASE don't let her get a Wild Card! She was back to her emotional self tonight. If I were the other contestants, I would be scared! I really thought that Ricky Braddy would get through, but I guess I should have known better, since we haven't really seen anything about him until last night's performance.

So what did you think about Round One? Agree with the results? Disagree? Don't watch/don't care? Until next week!

American Idol: And the voting begins!

We LOVE American Idol! Tuesday and Wednesday nights (every night really!) we can be found in front of the TV. We didn't start watching until the season that Carrie Underwood won. (Season 4?) Once we started watching though, I got pretty serious about it - I have a legal pad that I take notes on the performances so that when we vote, we know we didn't forget anything and have narrowed it down to our favorite performance(s) of the night. I really like that we are going to get to be more involved in the decision making process this year. The judges narrowed it down to 36 contestants, and then divided them in to 3 groups of 12.

Tonight we got to see the first group perform, and then we vote for our favorites. Tomorrow night they will reveal the 3 contestants that got the most votes. The Female with the most votes, the Male and then the contestant with the next most votes overall will advance to the Top 12. They will do this with each group of 12, and there will be 3 "Wild Card" contestants that the Judges will choose to complete the Top 12.

Since this is the first season of Idol since I began my blog, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on the performances! We can compare notes if you like - I'd love to hear your thoughts! Here is my take on tonight's show. The 12 contestants tonight performed hits from the Billboard Top 100.

Jackie Tohn started us out tonight with "A little less conversation" by Elvis Presley. I would hate to have to go first! I am sure she was nervous, but I really didn't like this performance. I can't say I was too crazy about her outfit either, although Randy, Paula and Kara all carried on like she looked great. I have to say that I think Simon had this one right, I don't think Jackie will go any further. No Vote

Next up was Ricky Braddy. His parents were sporting their "Braddy Bunch" t-shirts - a little cheesy! Ricky sang "A song for you" by Leon Russell. I thought this was very good, and in the end Ricky got one of my three votes for the evening.

A cute little blonde named Alexis Grace was next. Alexis chose "Never loved a man" by Aretha Franklin. WOW! That tiny little thing can SING! She definitely got a vote.

Brent Keith went country with us, and sang "Hick Town". I read somewhere that Brent was on Nashville Star a few seasons ago. I think he should have gotten the message when he didn't win there! It wasn't horrible, but I didn't think he was Top 12 material. No Vote.

17 year old Stevie Wright chose Taylor Swift's "You belong with me". Such a cute girl, but I completely agreed with the judges - it was a train wreck. She's young, so hopefully she'll try again. No Vote.

Anoop "noopdog" Desai performed "Angel of mine". I was on the fence with this one. He was good, and almost made my cut, but was edged out in the end. Hopefully he'll be one of the wild cards. No Vote.

Casey Carlson was next. She wanted to perform a song that made her feel good, so she chose "Every little thing she does is magic" by the Police. So Sad! Her facial expressions drove me nuts and her dancing, if you could call it that, was robotic. Cute little thing, but I think she's done. No Vote here.

Michael Sarver works on an oil rig and wants a better life for his family. He chose "I don't wanna be anything other than me" I like his story, and tried really hard to like this performance, but it just didn't work for me. (Dawg!) I loved when Bo Bice sang this, Michael - not so much. No Vote.

Anne Marie Boskovich sang "Natural Woman". I got nothin'. No Vote.

Stephen Fowler. Stephen. Stephen. Stephen! Poor song choice. During Hollywood week Stephen forgot the words to his solo song, but had impressed enough to make it through. Everyone had high hopes for him tonight. And then he went and chose "Rock with you" by Michael Jackson. Stephen, you are NOT the King of Pop. No Vote.

Tatiana (Psycho) Del Toro sang "Saving all my love for you" by Whitney Houston. This girl was featured A LOT during the tryouts and Hollywood week and we are pretty much convinced that she is not playing with a full deck. So you can imagine how surprised I was when she actually did a pretty good job with this song. This is "her dream" and she won't let anything get in her way. She is definitely passionate! No Vote though.

Danny Gokey was our final contestant of the evening. Danny's wife passed away about a month before the auditions, and I immediately loved this story. He is a Church music director, and he had a very good friend that went with him to audition, and made it through to Hollywood with him. He (the friend, Jamar) was cut in the final eliminations last week. I completely disagreed with that decision, but I digress. Danny chose "Hero" by Mariah Carey and OH! MY GOSH! I had tears in my eyes. Just a beautiful performance. I was so proud for him! VOTE!!

So tonight my top 3 are Danny, Alexis and Ricky. I can't wait to tune in tomorrow and see if America agrees with me! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you think! Do you watch? Or are you one of those that just "don't get it"?

Weekend Recap: Valentine's Day

We had the BEST weekend! We got to spend the ENTIRE weekend - TOGETHER! We get so busy that it doesn't seem like that happens enough. Sure, we survived the Ice Storm together, but THAT wasn't fun. This weekend was FUN!!!

My Handsome Prince and I went out to eat Friday evening. Let me back up a bit, and give you a little background. My husband is one of "those" people who are VERY superstitious. He has been known to come to a dead stop in the middle of a road, throw the vehicle in reverse and BACK UP for what seemed like MILES and miles (okay, maybe not THAT far!) all because a black cat crossed the road we were travelling. (TRUE STORY!) So the fact that it was Friday the 13th had him a BIT freaked out. We had discussed what we wanted to do for Valentine's Day, and had agreed that going out to eat would be a nice treat. I suggested that we go out on Friday night, because with Valentine's falling on a Saturday all of the restaurants would be packed.

So we had our plan, and then Friday morning while we are watching the news and drinking our coffee the news anchor said something about it being Friday the 13th. I swear I saw the light bulb come on! Up to this point, it had not occurred to Larry that in order for Valentine's day to be Saturday, we were going to have a Friday, the 13th. Panic set in! I am not even the least bit superstitious, so I laugh at the lengths he will go to all to avoid "a situation". He was a good sport, I guess because he had survived going to work and nothing bad happened! We went to Carraba's, were seated right away (my plan worked!) and enjoyed a WONDERFUL meal. After dinner we stopped by the mall and walked for a bit - we needed to after that delicious meal!

Saturday we got to sleep in! We had no plan for the day, other than spending it together. After we had our coffee we headed in to town to do some window shopping. We completely remodeled our house back in the 90's and in some areas - you can tell! We have been slowly updating flooring and light fixtures in recent years. We want to upgrade as we update, without breaking the bank. I have a Birthday coming up (YAY!) and I have asked for new light fixtures in our Master Bedroom and bath. So we stopped at a few of the home improvement stores to check out what is available. OH MY! There are some beautiful fixtures out there! I REALLY liked some that I saw that are a copper finish. SO Pretty! We found a ceiling fan that we both like, and have started with that. Once it is installed, we will try to agree on what color needs to go in our bathroom.

We watched a bunch of movies over the weekend. It was a good weekend for romantic comedies! (Chick Flicks!) We saw "How to lose a guy in 10 days" and "Sweet Home Alabama" again. Such good movies! We also watched "My best friend's girl" (I wouldn't recommend this one at all) and "Nights in Rodanthe" which was sad, but very good. I'm more of a happy ending kind of girl!

I got caught up on a bunch of chores over the weekend too. All that time without power had my laundry out of control! I also fussed around washing a bunch of my nick knacks. I've got a bunch of "stuff" and I love how they look when they are all shiny and sparkly. A sink full of hot, soapy water can make SUCH a difference! I didn't get everything done, but I accomplished a lot. So it really was a wonderful weekend! I hope yours was too!

Icy Days

Like everyone else in NW Arkansas, we have been iced in for the past two days. We are VERY fortunate, because we still have power! The lights have flickered several times and we hold our breath every time, but our electricity is still hanging in there. We've kept the fireplace roaring, so it's been warm and toasty inside, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the time off.
I love going outside when it snows (or ices, like it has this time) and "listening" to the stillness. It is so awesome to me that you can hear the flakes falling and everything is so clean and beautiful. Here are a few pictures I took yesterday. This is looking out our Living Room window.

You can't see them real well here, but there were three or four little birds on the hay bales. I think they were trying to make a nest to stay warm! I've been nagging Larry to get them off the porch since the day after Thanksgiving. Now he feels justified "because the birds needed it".
Whatever.

These pictures (below) are looking out the kitchen window. We do have a few limbs down now, but we are feeling very fortunate that it doesn't look anything like Springdale and Fayetteville. They have some serious storm damage there.

Hope you are staying warm and toasty!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday!
We had a great weekend - I hope you did too! I did some cleaning and the never-ending laundry on Saturday. We watched the Hog game, and then went out to eat Saturday evening. I was given a gift card as a Christmas gift that was good at either Olive Garden or Red Lobster. The closest ones to us happen to share a parking lot! My choice would ALWAYS be Olive Garden, but Larry was in the mood for some shrimp, and since I wasn't cooking, I didn't care. I figured if one lot was more full than the other, that would be my choice! It was even, so the Lobster won. I had the Parmesan Tilapia - it was YUMMY!!

Sunday afternoon I went to see a movie with most of my family. My Dad and brother were wanting to see Clint Eastwood's latest movie "Gran Torino". Mom and I wanted to take my brothers children along, so we chose "Hotel for Dogs". I thought it was a cute movie. It was a nice distraction and good for several giggles, plus it had a happy ending! It was fun to listen to the kids giggling. Larry stayed home to watch football. My team is done, so my interest is too.

I spent a bunch of time throughout the weekend checking for updates on little Miss Harper Brown Stamps. It fascinates Larry that I don't "know" these people and yet I can be so concerned. It is sort of hard to describe, but I feel like I know them. I know you fellow bloggers feel the same way. Kelly seems like someone I could be friends with - the same as any of the bloggers I read on a regular basis. I was in awe Friday evening when I read the news about Harper, and it was almost a chain reaction - you could see posts going up on every ones blog requesting prayer for this sweet family. And the prayers are WORKING! Isn't God AWESOME?? Please continue to remember this family in your prayers, you can click on the button on the right for the latest on Harper's condition.

I hope you have a GREAT week!

BUNCO!

A few months ago a friend that I used to work with and hadn't seen in a very long time approached me about Bunco (Bunko?). She had organized some of our neighbors and a few other friends, and they needed one more Hostess. I've heard of the game, but had never played and it sounded like fun so I agreed. I'm so glad I did!
They meet once a month, on the second Thursday. I had prior obligations for the first two months, so last night was the first night that I could attend. How FUN! Have you played? It's very simple, really. Roll the dice and count, I can handle this! I must have had a bit of beginner's luck, because I won a prize! Most Buncos! And Most Baby Buncos. In the spirit of generosity, they had a roll off for the next highest so that someone else could have a prize too.

Here's my loot! M&M's, a heart-shaped picture holder, and a very cool mousepad, that is a calendar!

I had a great time and more importantly, I'm meeting people! I am very shy by nature, and really HATE getting out of my "comfort zone" - what if they don't like me? what if they vote me out? My BEST cheerleader Larry talked me through it - "You'll be fine, go have fun". I knew once I got there I would be fine, it's taking that first step! The bonus was there were a few ladies there I already knew. Whew! Comfort zone! We live in the country, so even though I say neighbors, they aren't right next door. We really only see most of them when we are in our car, driving somewhere. So this will be a fun way to become more acquainted with our neighbors. You can't beat that!

LAZY Weekend...

What a lazy weekend we had! Saturday was cold and wet. My Prince built a fire and we just hung around the house playing with our Christmas loot! He got a new video game, and spent hours fighting battles and blowing stuff up. Whatever!
I spent hours sorting shapes and building pretty pictures! I love puzzles!! And I put three of them together this weekend. And no, I didn't do anything else!
Happy Monday!

Conversations with Randy

It's official ya'll - I'm a GROUPIE!!! Tonight my Handsome Prince and I headed to Walmart* after work to stand in line with a BUNCH of other, ahem, old folks.

Randy Owen, the lead singer of Alabama, has released a new solo album and a new book. He was at Walmart* to sign copies of them, and since we have had many a good time listening to his music, we were THERE! Here is my Handsome Prince being a good sport about having his picture taken IN WALMART. He's been told a time or two that he kind of looks like Randy! See all those people in line behind us? We were very excited that we got there when we did. I went right to the books and got one, and then to the CD's while Larry got in line and held our place. People were lined up the full length of the aisle, all the way back to the shoe department and winding back towards the fabric department.

Here he comes! You can barely see his head above the "Unbeatable" sign. Look right below the sign that says "picture" beside the SmartStyle sign. We were only that far back in line.

It was finally our turn! I actually went ahead of Larry, so I could get his picture with Randy. I can call him by his first name now, because we became BFF's tonight. Here's how the conversation went:

Me: Hi Randy! It's great to see you again!

Randy Owen: It's great to see you to! (He remembers me!!)

Me: I really want to Thank You for providing my Husband and I with some great entertainment over the years.

RO: Really? When did you get married?

Me: On the 10th of this month it will be 25 years.

RO: Wow! Isn't that the Silver Anniversary?

Me: Yes it is

RO: What are you going to do? Anything special?

Me: We are going to Branson, where we watched you perform many times over the years.

RO: That isn't very far, is it?

Me: No, a couple of hours.

RO: How far away is Mountain Home?

Me: A couple of hours.

RO: I have a friend there. Used to be a turkey farmer.

He's done signing my CD now, and the big burly body guards are kind of looking at me like I should move on. I'm wanting to be sure he is done talking about his friend the turkey farmer from Mountain Home. When I decided he was...

Me: Thank You! You have a Merry Christmas Randy!

RO: Thank You, you do the same.

Larry got to wish him a Happy Birthday. (It's the 13th of December, for all you Non-Groupies out there)

I took this one when we were able to wade through the sea of people that decided NOT to wait in line, but just stand there in the way so that all of us that WAITED OUR TURN couldn't get a good photo.

Here's our loot!

Born Country book - $17.96

One on One CD - $9.00

Standing in line for over an hour for a conversation with Randy - PRICELESS

Let the Decorating begin!

I can't believe I am showing ya'll this, but it is TIME TO DECORATE!!! Yes, it is finally time for me to dig in to this MASSIVE amount of Christmas decorations. Have I mentioned that I LOVE CHRISTMAS? This closet is obviously overflowing, but in my defense, some of these totes are there to put the fall/everyday decorations away. The turkey has been cooked and enjoyed, the family has been here and hugged and the dishes have been washed and for the most part, put away. So IT IS TIME! I get to unpack all the treasures that I look forward to every year. There's the Santa that I can remember sitting on top of our TV for as far back as I can remember (I think I was 4, maybe 5 years old - a LONG time ago!). His boot has a little chip in the front now, acquired somewhere over the years. There are snowmen. People, there are SNOWMEN! Larry and I have many collections, and EVERY room will be decked out. A few years ago we started collecting Rudolph figurines. This summer when we were in Branson, we found these three prizes. We really are just kids in an adult size package!

I'm off to tackle that mountain, be back with pictures soon!

What I was doing instead of cleaning...

You Are a Cranberry and Popcorn Strung Tree

Christmas is all about showcasing your creative talents. From cookies to nicely wrapped presents, your unique creations impress everyone.

What Christmas Tree Are You?

I LOVE CHRISTMAS! This isn't a huge surprise to those of you that know me. I was reading some of my favorite blogs this morning and found this quiz on one of my new pretend BFF Kim's blog. She is so creative! I just love seeing what she is going to come up with next.

Now I don't know about the impressing everyone part, but I do enjoy EVERY detail about Christmas. My wrapping paper has to match the theme of the tree, and each gift has ribbons and bows and gift tags - almost a work of art! I spend HOURS wrapping gifts, but I love how they look under the tree I spend HOURS decorating, making sure the ornaments are evenly spaced. Larry doesn't even try to understand it anymore! He's realized it's an obsession, and I'm just going to move anything he tries to help with anyway!

I usually start decorating the day after Thanksgiving - when do you decorate for Christmas, or do you? I'd love to know what kind of tree you are!

Craft Fair Weekend

We live in Northwest Arkansas. The third weekend in October is known as "War Eagle Weekend". I love, Love, LOVE this time of year! Our population increases by upwards of 40,000 people for this one week in October. Crafters from all over the country come to our area to buy and sell hand crafted items. Most of them will book their room at the hotel this year for next year! Car loads of women plan their annual "Girls Only" weekend to come here for the fairs. Unfortunately our road construction hasn't quite kept up with the growth for this area, but it is MUCH better than it was when we moved here in 1983!
For a few years, I sold some of my hand made items in a booth along with things my Grandmother had crocheted and my Aunt usually had a few things she had sewn. They would make the trip down from Iowa and spend the week with us. You only have a certain amount of time that you are allowed to set up your booth. We had to haul tables to display our items and chairs so we had a place to perch all day, plus all the things that we had spent hours creating. Did I mention it almost ALWAYS rains?? We would sit out there in a tent all day and I would inevitably get sick soon after. I have much admiration for the craftsmen that make their living going from one festival to the next.

So all of that to say, now I enjoy going to the festivals and supporting these artists while doing my part for the economy! Larry and I were able to get to the John Q. Hammons convention center tonight after work. I scored! Check out all this loot:

WHAT are these you ask? I'll come back to this...

Chocolate brown velvet crinkle skirt, brown shawl made from the softest yarn I have ever felt - I can't wait to snuggle up in it!! Black rhinestone tshirt and gold Necklace/earring set. All of these from the same booth!

Thermal knit black shirt with LONG sleeves, bronze, gold, silver, red and blue rhinestones. Love this!
I got so excited when I saw this I squealed! Right there in the middle of the aisle. Larry walked on ahead of me then, but I made him come back. I rarely find things I like with "My" verse on it. So it had to come home with me. Larry even paid! Maybe he was ready to go...

And WHAT are those three weird looking things?

You snap them on to any can and it keeps the bugs from getting in and the fizz from getting out! AND, you don't have to drink from the metal can. They are even dishwasher safe! Pretty cool, huh? I bet you wish you had some!

Confessions

I might have OCD. I'm fairly certain that anyone that knows me will confirm this, but I'm okay with that. I spent this past weekend doing some MUCH needed cleaning, and organizing my closet. I needed to get my summer clothes put away and get out the fall and winter stuff. I have a nice size walk-in closet, but it never seems quite big enough. Everything needs to be in it's place. Color coordinated. Dresses together. Skirts together. Tshirts folded the same size, stacked neatly on the shelf. I am going to attempt visual evidence to support my diagnosis.

Rubbermaid totes hold the off-season clothes so they don't get dusty. Purses I'm not using fit nicely in a tote on the top shelf.

Shoes. Sorted by color and style - sandles to the back for now! You can also see the skirts hanging neatly together, sorted by color...

It makes me so happy when everything is in order!