What’s up?

The beginning of the year is always a busy time for me . My dad and husband both have birthday’s in January . My Grandpa takes his annual trip out to my Uncle’s for Super Bowl, which for this year means I am dog sitting. That might sound easy enough but it becomes much more complicated when you know I have three dogs of my own who are all female. So, needless to say I have been a little preoccupied. I have, however been able to get some crafting in here and there.

New Dog Bed

Above is one of the two dogs beds made. We had a big overstuffed dog bed that was given to us but inevitably the seams always pull apart and Sadie (my golden retriever) thinks that means she must pull our all the stuffing. I decided instead of throwing it all away I would just make my own dog bed and reinforce the seams. They have held up nicely so far. I also made sure to use outdoor fabric which stands up better over time.

Mouse Pad

I had these foam sheets of paper that I had used for scrapbooking a while back and decided to use them to make a new Mouse Pad. It is super easy. All you need is some fabric, the foam sheet that is the size of a piece of paper, and some spray adhesive. I applied the fabric to both sides so that if one side gets dirty I can always flip it. The thought came to me while looking at my very simple and plain Ikea mouse pad. It was just fabric and foam and could easily be duplicated. I guess if I wanted to I could have used that mouse pad and just replaced the fabric but it was pretty dirty looking. Just a tip though, you may have to glue the ends done after the initial spray.

Table cover

This was a lot of fun for me to make. A while back I had cut out squares to make a set of patchwork pillows. I never got around to making them and decided I really wanted to add some color and interest to this table. It took me about 2 hours in total to make this and it was a very easy patchwork project. It would be a great starter project for those wishing to learn patchwork. I am still very much in the learning stages of patchwork. Eventually I would love to learn the more intricate and ornate patchwork.

20 Days In

Ok, so we are 20 days into the new year and I am happy to say that I am still on course with most of my goals. There are some that I should go at more fervently but all in all I am considering my first twenty days semi-succesfull. What about you? How are your goals going? I would love to hear.

Goal #1. I am cutting back on refined sugars, which means no more white bread or pasta. We have made steps in this direction already, I just want to completely switch over to whole grains.

•         It seems like this one is going to be my Mt. Everest. I can’t seem to get away from these refined sugars. My biggest hang up is pop. I have  almost completely cut out dark pops. We only allow ginger ale, sprite, or sierra mist in the house, usually. Still those are the next to go. I have also been struggling with a pretty determined sweet tooth.  On the plus side though, we are out of white pasta and bread and will only be purchasing whole grain from this point on. In fact, tonight we are heading over to Trader Joes to stock up on noodle and sauce. It’s the cheapest place to get whole grain noodles.

Goal #2. Next I want to eat more leafy greens. We do not eat enough leafy green vegetables, plain and simple.

• We were over at my Sister In Laws house the other night for dinner and she served this fantastic spinach salad. This one will go down in our normal recipes. She served a spinach salad with cranberries and pecans in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Yummy!

Goal #3. I would also like to implement exercise five days a week. In the past I have met several health goals but I find it hard to stick to an exercise regiment. I am hoping to take up some activities, such as dancing, in hopes of keeping my interest.

• I am not quite up to 5 days a week but I have exercised. I am researching new exercise dance videos and checking them out from the library. Because they are non-fiction and can check them out for free. I have them for a week before I need to return them. If I have to return them before the next one comes in I just use some of my old excercise tapes to fill in until the new ones come in. This way I am keeping it interesting and if I find one I really like I can buy it .

Goal #4. Still on a health kick, I would like to introduce one meat free meal a week. We love our veggies but my husband also loves his meat so this may pose a bigger challenge then the rest.

• This one has actually been the easiest. We enjoy the challenge of finding new recipes and eating meatless meals is cheap. We love cheap. I will post new recipes when we try them. This week we actually had two meatless meals one of which was Ratatouille. It was great! I can’t wait to be able to make it from my garden this summer. I was, however, able to use my own tomatoes that I canned from last years garden.

Snow Dog!

Sadie Loves The Snow!

Meatless Lunch Idea

Meatless Quesadillas

Today was one of those days where you go to the fridge to find something to eat and there is nothing. The empty shelves are saying, “Don’t you think it’s time to go to the grocery store?” But there is so much snow on the ground and it is so cold I chose to stay in and try to use what I could find. Lucky for me it turned out pretty good.  I had left over tortilla shells from our burritos the other night along with salsa, sour cream, corn and lettuce so I decided to make a quesadilla. It hit the spot and I realized it met one of my new years goals. This year, I am trying to eat more meatless meals and violá, low and behold, a meatless meal. This could easily be made into a more filling meal with some black beans and/or rice. It is also a low-cost meal that meats my budget goals. Not only did I not have to go out in the cold but I was pleasantly surprised with how tasty it turned out. I think I may have to experiment with meals a little more often.

Recipe for Meatless Tortilla

• Tortilla Shell
• A little Non-Stick Cooking Spray
• Cheese (whatever you like in quesadillas)
• Salsa ( use one you like, it really makes it or breaks it)
• Corn
• Sour Cream and lettuce on the side.

Spray a frying with a light coating of cooking spray. Over medium heat, place the tortilla shell flat, fill half with cheese, salsa, and corn. Fold it in half and let all the cheese melt. Cut it like you would a pie and serve it with sour cream and lettuce. You can also add beans for a more filling and nutritious meal.

A 2009 Cinquain….

I read a suggestion on the blog An Artful Life to commemorate 2009 with a cinquain. I really like the idea of closing out the year with creative writing. Below are the instructions if you care to do so as well.

A Cinquain is constructed in the following way (this is copied from Jennifer’s Wishstudio post):
· The first line is one word (a noun/the topic)
· The second line is two descriptive words (2 adjectives that describe the first word)
· The third line is three action words (3 -ly adverbs or –ing verbs)
· The fourth line contains four words that express a feeling or make a statement (a 4 word phrase)
· The last line is one word (a synonym or adjective that refers to the first word)

To 2009;

Growth

Gained , stretched

Advancing, Steadily Progressing

Reaching for new experiences.

Improve

Back To Normal

AHHHHH!!!!! Finally a breather. This holiday season was wonderful but very busy. It has felt as though I have been running for a month straight. I so enjoy getting together with family I have not seen in a while, entertaining, gift giving, and parties, but I am happy to be back into my routine.

With the new year started I am sure that most of you have set new goals or resolutions. I know I have. Every year I try to find reasonable goals to improve myself, this year is no different. I am completely aware that most resolutions go unmet by the end of the year but it still gives me something to work towards. Last year I met several of the goals I set out to accomplish. I think what helped was being reasonable and thinking of the steps I would take to reach said goals. What are your opinions on New Year’s Resolutions?

This year my goals are fairly simple.

•  
• I am cutting back on refined sugars, which means no more white bread or pasta. We have made steps in this direction already, I just want to completely switch over to whole grains.
• Next I want to eat more leafy greens. We do not eat enough leafy green vegetables, plain and simple. The are numerous rewards for having a leafy green enriched diet. Below is a brief synopsis taken from wikipedia.

Leaf vegetables are typically low in calories, low in fat, high in protein per calorie, high in dietary fiber, high in iron and calcium, and very high in phytochemicals such as vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein and folic acid as well as Vitamin K.

• I would also like to implement exercise five days a week. In the past I have met several health goals but I find it hard to stick to an exercise regiment. I am hoping to take up some activities, such as dancing, in hopes of keeping my interest.
• Still on a health kick, I would like to introduce one meat free meal a week. We love our veggies but my husband also loves his meat so this may pose a bigger challenge then the rest.

I think that about covers my goals for this year. I am hoping since I was specific I will be able to follow them easier. Wish me Luck!

Please Vote!

#24 Snuggle Bunny!

I recently entered a photo contest. The contest is through Laughing Dog Radio. They are raising money to help animals who would otherwise be euthanized, The animals that have been banned, abused, neglected, and abandoned. Here is a couple paragraphs from their page explaining what they are all about. If you would like to read more click here.

We started this photo contest as a way for us to try to raise money to help our precious pets who are being banned, abused, neglected, and abandoned . There were over 4 million beautiful healthy animals euthanized in the United States alone last year, and cruelty towards animals seem to be at an all time high. I think the most disturbing to me is peoples indifference , their ability to close their eyes and look the other way.

So each month we will be having a contest with a different theme for you to enter a photo of your pet. The image of the grand-prize winner’s will be printed in a 2011 Laughing Dog Radio Calendar. All entrants featured in the calendar will receive a copy of the calendar. All of the proceeds from the sale of the calendar and or from the sale of any greeting cards will be donated to small rescue groups and organizations who are trying to help these animals here in the US, and around the world.

I am entered in this contest with one of my dogs. Her name is Faith! She is the gentlest, most lovable dog you could ever meet. I am so proud of her and the way she has shattered peoples misconceptions of bully breeds, pit bulls in particular. The picture is called Snuggle Bunny! She is #24. We could really use your votes! If you have already voted once, thank you so much! Your vote is very much appreciated ! If you haven’t voted yet I could really use the votes. We were in the lead up until this point. Please help Faith get back into the lead. Voting ends at the end of this month!

Christmas Traditions

       It’s that time of year where everyone is partaking in some form of tradition. Some are making gingerbread houses while others are sitting around a fire sipping hot chocolate and singing Christmas carols. I love traditions. For me, traditions are so much more than the act themselves. They come with a feeling of family and love. It feels familiar and comfortable. So, what is your treasured tradition?

     I have so many traditions that I hold dear. I love decorating our tree together while listening to Christmas music. I love eating our traditional holiday treats, such as pfeffernusse. As a child, we would  purchase a box of pfeffernusse to take to my Grandfather, who was always so willing to share. Last year Katie from Making This Home posted the recipe for pfeffernusse cookies. I will never go back to buying them in the stores. They turned out fantastic! Since being married I have also added new traditions.  We like to purchase one new ornament for the tree every year. We write the date on the back so that we can look back over the years to see what we have accumulated. Another tradition we do as a married couple is our Christmas Craft.

         My husband isn’t normally a crafter but for five years running he has never complained about joining me in a Christmas craft. We have made ornaments, glittered pine cones, cards, candies, and this year we made decorated clothes pins to hang our Christmas Cards.  They are a super cheap way to display all the warm thoughts and well wishes you receive from family and friends over the holiday season.  The supplies are simple, scissors, glue, some holiday paper (this could be gift wrap, old cards, gift bags, etc..), a pencil, and clothes pins. We did not have to purchase anything for this project. The paper is left over form our homemade Christmas cards last year and we had clothes pins already in the house.

    The instructions are also very simple. Trace out the shape of the clothes pin on your paper, cut it out, and glue it to both sides of the clothes pin. Once they are dry they are ready to be used. We use our pins on a pine cone garland but that could work just as well with other variations, such as ribbon, twine, or other garland. These make such a cute addition to your holiday decor and me and my husband enjoyed our time together  making them. One tradition down and many more to go!

Winter is here!

Winter Is here! For the past three mornings, I have awaken to snow on the ground. The first day I went out and snapped a few pictures of the first snow accumulation. The weather was pretty mild and there was pretty decent lighting. Today, however, is another story. It is cold, windy, icy, snowy, and gloomy. Even my doggies fear venturing out into what seems like a blizzard. There poor little paws have to be very, very, cold.
On top of the weather being treacherous, our car is in the shop. We originally were going to bring it in to fix our catalytic converter. Our emissions test is due and it can not pass with the check engine light on. The light is on because of the catalytic converter. So we called and made plans to get our car checked out. The very next day we began to hear a whining noise. Never Good! The next day we began to leave for the store and noticed the car wasn’t going into gear right away. We decided to drive it the 15 miles to the mechanic. Half way there, after stopping for gas it decided it wasn’t going any further. So we had it towed to the mechanics. After looking at it they called and gave us the bad news. It is in need of a new transmission and catalytic converter. All and all it will run us about $3000. Ouch!!!
So I have been stuck in the house for the past couple days with nothing to do but read, clean, or craft. I have chosen to craft. I have worked on necklaces, bags, draft stoppers, and holiday decor. Right now I have pictures of the two necklaces and holiday plaque. The necklaces were made from cameo buttons I bought a while ago for about $1 for 2. The plaque was purchased at Good will for $1. It was pretty faded and peeling so I sanded it down and decoupaged it. What do you think?

sweetly singing

Cameo single strand

Cameo Double Strand

Please Vote

I am part of a contest on flickr. I am so lucky to be in the top 25 picked. Please come check it out and vote. My picture is called Snuggle Bunny.

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