Thoughts of a Grasshopper

My father-in-law is here visiting and asked me to make a card that says "you annoy me" so I crossed off the word don't and voila! I like this card and find it to be kind of fun. I used red microbeads for the gauge thinking that might be a fun way to add color to it. The DP I used on this card will be available from SU on Jan. 5th. I love it. Usually I don't like the DP or just one side of it but this pack is awesome. I need to order more. Stamps: Like-o-meter CS: Pink Pirouette, Chocolate Chip, VV, Riding Hood Red, Sending Love DP Ink: Chocolate Chip Misc.: Ribbons, microbeads, CE

I think this is kind of funny option on the like-o-meter. I went with a simple pocket card, which I don't typically do. Pretty simple card. Stamps: Like-o-meter, I {Heart} Hearts CS: WW, Pretty in Pink, Close to Cocoa Ink: Close to Cocoa Misc.: Felt Flowers, glue dots, brads, hardware, piercing tool

I really like the idea of this stamp. My FIL is here visiting and has asked me to make several cards that say 'you annoy me'. We'll have to cross out the 'don't'. I offered to make him an "I'm over you' card for a friend of his I don't care for. He ignored that suggestion. Stamps: Like-o-meter, Tiny Tags, I {Heart} Hearts CS: USW, Real Red, Basic Black Ink: Tuxedo Black, Real Red Misc.: Heart Border Punch, Pearl Stickers, Dimensionals, Brad, Ribbon

This was an interesting book for me. It held my attention within the first couple of pages of reading and I read through it rather quickly. I enjoyed the story but I can't say I would recommend reading it. What do you make of that? Ren is a boy that is adopted from an orphanage and is missing a hand. Of course, he would like to know how his hand came to be missing and by the end of the book that mystery is solved. The man that adopted him earns a living a dubious ways. The characters in the book are typical of others, you know them well. The book is good to pass time with but falls short in other ways. Perhaps my expectations were too high from the reviews that I read but I believe they set you up for disappointment. I can't say you will walk away with anything from the book other than an enjoyable read

We had our story telling party last night and had a lot of fun. We had so much food because of the possibility of up to 70 people showing up. We ended up having just under 50. The smoked Chicken Salad and the lemon-spice swirl cookies were new recipes that I tried and they were a hit. Smoked Chicken Salad 1 (3.5-4 lb.) rotisserie chicken 2 (15 oz.) cans black eyed peas, rinsed and drained 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered 3/4C chopped chives 1/2C mayonnaise 1/2C sour cream 1/2t salt 1/2t pepper 1/2t liquid smoke 1 (7 oz.) pkg. miniature pita bread, cut in half 2C spring salad mix Pull meat off of rotisserie chicken and put in work bowl of food processor. Pulse until meat is coarsely chopped, about 10 sec. In a large bowl, combine chicken, peas, tomatoes, and chives. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, pepper and liquid smoke, stirring until well-combined. Line each pita half with a few leaves of salad mix and stuff with chicken salad. Yield: 40 pita halves.

I finally made time to visit a very dear friend of mine here. We had planned to get together for some time but I was busy unpacking, organizing, working on a cross-stitch, etc. We had a wonderful visit. Ten years ago when we lived here, she began crocheting snowflakes for her tree and to give to others in their Christmas card. When I visited, I noted her tree was full of snowflakes and these ornaments. I commented on them and one came off immediately and she showed me how it was done and gave me some scrap ribbon to make one myself. Last night I sat and made my ornament from her scraps and it turned out pretty well for my first try. I don't know if I want to make more or not but they are pretty. Her ornament is so elegant looking. Mine uses some fabric since there wasn't enough ribbon but I think it turned out pretty well.

There is something about red and this color of blue that no matter what, I'm drawn to it. Usually when I see it, it has something to do with a retro look and usually in the kitchen. When I saw this card I fell in love with it. I didn't plan on making more than a couple because it seemed like it would be rather tedious to cut the snowflakes. Once I got the set out and realized the name of the set, I knew I would be doing any cutting, just punching. I'm not sure what took me so long to make the connection but imagine if I didn't. Since it was so easy, I ended up making a dozen. Stamps: Christmas Punch, Best Yet

I just started working on Christmas cards this week. The first real stamping I've done since the move. Crazy that it has taken this long but I've been spending most of my time cross-stitching a gift for my mother. I'm so close to being done with it and I think I've put in over 200 hours on it. It is amazing how long it takes to do. I'm trying to finish it this week so I can get it framed to give to her on Thanksgiving. I CASE on this card. Someone shared it from a swap they were in and I really liked it. Albeit it isn't the traditional Christmas colors but it has a sort of elegant look about it. The ornament is done with the Vintage Ornament Stencil that SU has available now. Stamps: Medallion, Holiday Best Ink: Chocolate Chip, More Mustard CS: More Mustard, Chocolate Chip, Very Vanilla Misc.: Vintage Brads, dimensionals, vintage ornaments stencil, ribbon

I've had this recipe for a long time but I never made it because I knew the kids wouldn't be thrilled with the zucchini and summer squash. I've been making a couple of dishes each week that are new to us, trying to get some new dishes in the mix that everyone likes. I loved this dish, probably more than everyone else. Of the 4 kids, the 11 yr. old didn't like the flavor and picked at it. The other three kids (13, 9 & 9) had seconds. While it got top ratings with 5 out of 6, I'm still sharing it because it is delicious. The noodles are covered in a creamy cheese sauce with julienned squash and chicken. Pasta with Chicken and Squash 1 pkg. (16 oz.) spiral pasta 2C whipping cream 1T butter or margarine 2C (8 oz.) shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese 1 small onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 5T olive or vegetable oil, divided 2 med. zucchini, julienned 2 med yellow summer squash, julienned 1-1/4t salt, divided 1/8t pepper 1 lb. boneless skinles...

I loved this book for a couple of reasons: 1) You could read a few pages at a time if that was all the time you had and pick it up again later and 2) the characters/plot were well-formed. The book is comprised of letters between a writer and her editor, friend, strangers (who later become friends). I enjoyed the witty comments of Juliet and in some ways, several of the characters made me think of Can't Wait to get to Heaven . The story takes place in London in the beginning and then Juliet, the writer, ends up going to Guernsey after receiving letters from the people there relating stories of how the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society formed, experiences they had under the German occupation during WWII, etc. These stories intrigue her enough and she begins to form relationships with them that she decides to go there and focus her next book on it. I found it to be a delightful read. I commented to one of my girls that I had never read a book that was comprised of let...

The unpacking is mostly done with some things still needing to find a home. My stamp area is a mess. I still have a few boxes to unpack there. I've started decorating some and making it feel more like home. I bought some Decor Elements, which aren't recommended for textured walls, but they seem to be OK. Perhaps it depends on how textured they are. I love the tree (Thoughts & Prayers) and have my kids pictures underneath. "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams" seems quite appropriate when you think of your kids. I thought I'd be done by now but I'm still plugging away. Hopefully by the end of the month everything will be done and I can get back to things that I find to be fun.

I love this salad because everyone in our family will eat it and likes it. I must admit that I scale back on the avocado if it is just us because it is not a favorite in the salad but in small doses, they will eat it. I've found as we've lived around the country that cobb salads are different every where. There are some basic parts that are standard (i.e., chicken, tomato, bacon & avocado) and the rest is up to the chef. Salad 10 oz. Romaine lettuce 1 can kidney beans, rinsed 1C shredded cheese (I use Monterey/Colby mix) 1C chopped tomatoes 1/2 lb. chicken, cooked and cubed 1 avocado, peeled and cubed 1/2C chopped red onion 1/3C bacon, crumbled or chopped Dressing 1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies, undrained 2/3C sour cream 1/4C cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped 2T lime juice 1/2t pepper 1/3t hot sauce 1/4t salt For salad, place lettuce in serving bowl. Make columns with remaining ingredients. For dressing, place ingredients in food processor; blend. Chill until serving...

I'm still unpacking after a week of having our things delivered. I've decided I must have a couple of kitchen boxes in the garage because I still don't have my knives (and other items) and I've unpacked all of my kitchen boxes. I don't want to work on the boxes in the garage until I'm done in the house with everything in its place. I've been all about easy meals for a while and this is no exception. I used to make the meatballs for this recipe and then life got busy and I bought frozen meatballs. I haven't made them again just because of the convenience. Sweet & Sour Meatballs 1 can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks 1/3C water 3T vinegar 1T soy sauce 1/2C brown sugar 3T cornstarch 1 batch (30) meatballs 1 lg. green pepper, cut into 1" pieces Hot rice Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Add water to juice to measure 1C; pour into a large skillet. Add water, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch; stir until smooth. Cook over medium heat unti...

At the end of June I shared the card I made for the Christmas card swap. I managed to snap pictures of the cards before they were packed up a couple of weeks ago. Now that we have moved across the country and are house hunting, I have some time to get them posted here. I have to say, we saw a beautiful home yesterday and it has a built in stamping area but no pool. We are looking at a house with a pool today and another home, then our decision will be made. Here are the cards from the swap. by Susan Hackney by Jamie Schnirch, ?? by Terri Tank, Norma Chiaramonte by Brokenburr by Kay Fulton, Catie Palmer by Alice Leal, Deb Waterhouse

This was a Cosmo Cricket blog entry that I thought was hilarious. Blog Post If you are going to the Craft and Hobby Association trade show in Florida. Or, if you are just having fun by the side of a pool or on a beach this summer, you will most likely enjoy this post! Eric, Lindsay and myself will be staying in a condo in Florida for the show. There is a pool. Those four words are scarier to me than almost any others! Yes ladies..... we are talking SWIMSUITS! So, after listening to much complaining about my thighs and current swimsuit options, Lindsay sent me the following email. WARNING: Go to the bathroom first, especially if you've had four kids like me. I laughed so hard I nearly had an accident and had to run frantically, making it in the nick of time, whilst in the middle of reading this! When I was a child in the 1950s the bathing suit for the mature figure was boned, trussed and reinforced, not so much sewn as engineered. They were built to hold back and uplift and they did...

I made this card for the participants of the glitter & bling swap. The color of the picture is a little off but when I lighten it, the coloring on the cupcakes is too washed out. The razzleberry and suede are not quite that dark. Stamps: Crazy for Cupcakes CS: Confetti White, Melon Mambo, Rich Razzleberry, Soft Suede Ink: Soft Suede, Rich Razzleberry Misc.: Melon Mambo ribbon, rhinestone brads, crystal effects, dazzling diamonds

These are the cards I received from the glitter & bling swap. It is funny how similar two of the cards are but they are both beautiful. In person you can see the shiny glazed sparkle on the Crushed Curry cards. I'm loving the new In Colors. Diane Clark-Sutton, Jane Hignite Loni Holt, Sue-Lynn Bock Virginia Haverick, Wendy Leftrick