Another Addiction

I just finished reading a Danielle Steel book that has been sitting on my bookshelves for a few months. This is just another addiction that I have - reading. I have approximately 100 books in my bookcase that I haven't read yet but it just seems like I must buy another book when I see one that I don't have!

The book I just read was H.R.H. (Her Royal Highness). I had some trouble really getting into it in the beginning but that could have just been me. I thought it was a little slow and I never find Danielle Steel's books slow to start. I'm usually hooked on the book by the second page. Halfway through I think it picked up a little bit and I was curious to see what was going to happen. The end was good - a typical Danielle Steel book.

Picked another book off my shelf last night before I turned out my light. I read the first chapter and it was VERY GOOD! I'm anxious to get back to it tonight. I tend to read the same authors but this book is one that I have never read anything that she wrote. It is "Just Between Friends" by Sandra Steffen. I believe the copyright inside is 2005 so it isn't a current book. I'll let you know what I think!

David's Birthday

Found some pictures from David's birthday party and wanted to share them with you. Judy and Patrick had family and some neighbors for a backyard picnic. Everyone had a great time!

Sock Monkey

I thought this was a fun project. We used Sock Monkey and learned a new technique. Paper piecing with the Chocolate Chip designer series paper - this is a great stamp set to use for the paper piecing technique. We pieced the hands, feet, tail tip and his butt with the dsp. You could also change it and leave those areas chocolate chip and paper piece the body. In addition to the new Patterns Designer Series Paper, the other new SU items used to make this card were the Bella Rosa Designer Series Paper, a new In Color Riding Hood Red cardstock and stamp pad, the wide oval punch, the scallop edge punch and the red button from the Designer Buttons. Isn't he cute? There are tons of possibilities with the Sock Monkey stamp set and the additional Sock Monkey Accessories stamp set.

By the way, Lauri from Hauto Club, has decided that the Sock Monkey is going to be the Hauto Club's mascot!

September Club Projects

One of our projects for September club was a Halloween card. Cardstock: Basic Black and a Whisper White strip sponged in Green Galore, 1 3/8" circle punch was used to punch out three circles - one in Tangerine Tango, Green Galore and Lovely Lilac. Stamped images from Batty for You onto Whisper White and punched them out with the 1 1/4" circle punch and sponged with Tangerine Tango, Green Galore and Lovely Lilac. Mounted the sponged circles onto a circle of an alternate color. Used black gingham ribbon and tied some small pieces of lilac, pumpkin pie and green 1/4" grosgrain ribbon. Don't forget, if the ribbon is not available in a color you have on hand you can dye the ribbon by using the stamp ink pad or using reinkers. We finished the inside of the card with a piece of Whisper White and stamped the cat in the corner and a Halloween message.

So Proud of Myself

I ran to Hazleton earlier this afternoon to pick up my "wrap tray" at Weis. Before going to Weis though I went to WalMart for some things I needed. I did wander back to see what kind of beads and jewelry making supplies the Hazleton WalMart carried and I did pick a few things up but I was so proud of myself ---- I did leave some beads there! I need a big pat on the back!

Yummy!

Yummy! Aren't these just toooooo cute! I made cupcakes for Pocono Club tonight and decorated them with Batty for You mounted on a black scalloped punch. Yellow cupcakes with chocolate icing and orange sprinkles -- no diet tonight girls! Last week when Weatherly Club met here I did the same thing but had chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing dyed orange with food coloring but made the same decorations. They were a big hit!

Getting Ready - Pocono Club

Working on getting ready for tonight - Pocono Club. I get so excited when it's club night! We are doing three projects - Halloween card and frappucino bottle, Sock Monkey learning the paper piecing technique and making an altered folder to help keep our club handouts a little more organized and in one spot.

She Has Created a Monster!

Monday morning, bright and early, I have Pocono Club at my house this evening and I should be concentrating on that. I must get the food ready and I'm still finishing up some laundry that is lingering from the weekend, should be getting all the paperwork together - club agreement, wish list, flyers regarding all the specials, icing cupcakes, etc. etc. etc. the list goes on when you are entertaining but........do you know what I want to do when I run to Hazleton to pick up the "wrap tray" from Weis????? I want to stop in at the Hazleton WalMart and check out their bead supply! Yes, you heard me, BEAD SUPPLY!

My good friend from Hauto Club, Deb, and her mom, Jean, and Deb's sister, Lauri, created a monster! Helped me make the "serenity" bracelet for Danielle and now I'm one of them ----- a "beader and jewelry maker wanna-be" --- I'm a novice so I'm just playing around right now with some ideas. I did go shopping on Saturday and bought some of the basic tools, pliers set, crimper, crimping beads, spacers, some cheap beads and wire and a magazine so I could practice.

I have caught myself on the computer and searching the internet for beading supplies, checking my credit cards as to how much is available, making a list, thinking about beads, beads, beads!!!

Here we go again ----- I did the same thing when my sister-in-law, Jeanne, took me on my first counted cross-stitching shopping trip, the same thing when my daughter, Danielle and sister-in-law, Jeanne, took me to my first Stampin' Up! workshop at Geri's. It's a condition and I have it BAD!!!! I think the abbreviation for it is OCD --- love those abbreviations --- CAD, DSP, CS, EP, CE ----- that explains a lot doesn't it?? OCD is just another abbreviation that fits right into our vocabulary.

It's scary because do you know how many colors, styles, sizes, shapes of beads there are? LOTS! I know I can't have them all but I can have some.......Thanks Deb!

As Promised

I promised to post pictures of some projects I have done. Since the weather was so yucky on Sunday and I had my "computering for dummies" lesson from my brother-in-law on Friday night I'm in my glory!

Deb Kashi had a workshop last Monday and since there were going to be some mothers there with young children I thought they would enjoy making a fun and easy bookmarker. We used Bugs and Kisses and all primary colors in cardstock and inks. Layered cardstock after using corner rounder to finish the corners and attached a Jumbo Eyelet using our Crop-a-Dile (what a fantastic tool the CAD is!).

Popcorn Holder

Just another project from last season. We made popcorn holders with the Batty for You stamp set. Crimped the band which was made out of Designer Series Paper and tied a black ribbon.

TV Tonight

Tonight's a big night on TV for everyone that watches Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters. I can't wait! Only about another hour to go until those beauties from Wisteria Lane entertain us for a new season.

During the last week it was great to watch Grey's Anatomy and Survivor. I was anxious for the new fall season to begin. We don't watch a lot of tv but we do have our favorite shows during the week and of course our weekends are filled with college football (GO PENN STATE!) on Saturday and pro football (NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS) on Sunday switching back and forth to Nascar occasionally.

What a Wonderful Weekend!

WOW! What a wonderful weekend! First weekend of Fall - watched football, stamped, stitched, cooked - it doesn't get any better than that in my eyes. Looking forward to my last vacation day tomorrow. I love long weekends! Pocono Club will be held at my house tomorrow night and it will be the same as the Weatherly Club -- "mystery hostess" -- so I can't wait to see who the hostess will be tomorrow night. The menu is going to be hamburg barbecue, potato chips, pickles, Italian cold meat wraps, salsa and scoopers, apples and caramel dip, and cupcakes for dessert. I tell my hostesses NOT to go crazy with food because we really don't have much time to eat, after all, we are there to stamp. The only reason I'm preparing so much is because it also will serve as Ray's supper. Gotta feed our men!!! I know I have to feed mine or he can get mighty cranky after a long day at work.

I took some pictures and will download them later. It was a great day to do stuff like that. I got a lot of odds and ends tied up since the weather was kind of yucky all day. Rainy and damp all day so that was my excuse to hang out down in the basement with my stamping stuff.

Halloween Card

This Halloween card is one we did last year ---- I'm going to drive you crazy because I'm playing with my computer and trying some of the things Phil showed me how to do tonight.

My week

Well, I certainly had a very exciting week! Let me tell you a little bit about it -- one day at a time!!!!

Monday - I had a SU workshop at Deb Kashi's. We had a wonderful time! So much fun and some new faces to learn about stampin' and scrappin'. It was great to see the stampers that returned from previous workshops and events. Betty, Laurie, Carol, Toni, Vicki, Sandi were rookies. The new faces were Connie and Wendy. Connie is a "red hatter" and Wendy is a busy mom. So much fun girls - thanks for the great night!
Wednesday - Weatherly Club had their first get-together at my house. We did "mystery hostess" and guess who the "mystery hostess" was? Danielle - my daughter. It was fair - we put tickets in a basket and Ray came down and pulled the winning ticket. Weatherly club welcomed two new members - Sue and Jessy. I think we broke them in the first night - lots of laughing and we had loads of fun.
Thursday - My good friends, the Hauto Club girls, offered to teach me how to make a "serenity" bracelet. I always wanted to learn how to make bracelets (another addiction I guess I'll have to venture into). Deb talked about this bracelet and I asked her if I could buy one from her and she suggested I make one myself since it was going to be a gift for my daughter. She said she thought it would make it more special if I made it myself for her so.........I ventured on down over the other side of the hill and I had my "bracelet lesson". IT WAS GREAT!!!!! On my way home I went through my first sobriety checkpoint. Got to Hometown intersection at 309 and turned at the red light to head north on 309 and all I see were headlights facing me and tailights in front of me ----- cars, cars, trucks, and more cars. Almost looked like a parking lot ---- I truly thought there must have been a terrible accident and thankfully there wasn't. Got up a little bit closer and considered turning down the road and scooting through the little development to get back on 209 and head toward Nesquehoning and come up over the Broad Mountain BUT the St. Clair police cruiser had the road blocked - there was no trying to get out of the mess. Finally I saw the sign "Sobriety Check Point" and thought oh well, I guess I need to get through this. Of course, I didn't have my seat belt on so I scurried around to try to find that and get it all situated and pulled up to the nice policeman and he asked me where I was going, where I was coming from, what did I do tonight ------ I know he was checking my speech, smelling to see if there were any odors, etc. and the two cops on the other side of the car were shining their flashlights in the car to check for any evidence ---- of course, there was none!!!! When the nice policeman asked me what I did tonight I told him - I even asked him if he wanted to see the Serenity bracelet I made for my daughter and he said, "sure" so I took it out of my pocket and showed him. He shook my hand, said he was glad to talk to me and to have a good night. My first checkpoint - wow - 7:45 p.m. I couldn't believe it!
Friday - My brother-in-law, who is a computer genius in my eyes, was here and added more RAM to our computer. Then while I had him here, I decided to take advantage of him. Yes, I said take advantage of him! I had him show me some things to do on the computer that I just haven't been able to master on my own. I'm not a person who can read instructions or directions and figure out what to do --- I'm much better at show me and I can do it. We had a crash course in "computering for dummies" ----- I'm so excited and that's probably why I'm on here right now because I'm practicing.