omGOSH! I just noticed...

because it's {technically} Saturday - look at my ticker - exactly 3 weeks from today we'll be on an airplane heading to SEATTLE for the holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! yippeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!


yes, the kids are excited, too. :)

how I spent PART of my Thanksgiving

I went a while without doing anything crafty - after finishing my Christmas cards I just had no motivation. Well yesterday morning I decided to kill some time. I didn't have anything big to do for at least an hour so I used the time to create!

for this layout I pulled out my Basic Grey Archaic paper pack - the only thing I added was twine....even the buttons are BG - though they're not from the Archaic set :) I even used my spellbinder label nesties to make my own journaling spot!


then - using the scraps, I made this card - used the ribbon that tied my son's new bedspread together (love when you buy an item and it's packaging is fun to reuse!) and the stamp from TSOL October set.....


after dinner, and baths, and pie, I pulled out Hailee's perfection game - the kids and I played a bit, then the kids tried it without me - all in all we had a very nice day.

so - did you get any free time yesterday? how did you spend it?

Happy Thanksgiving!

I am thankful for so many things this year - and the year isn't over yet! Hopefully you are too!

Have a wonderful holiday - from my family to yours!

mmm...

tonight I made this. it was SO good - of course Darren thought it needed more sauce because he thinks EVERYTHING needs more sauce! but we loved the flavor and the kids thought I was spoiling them with broccoli...how great is that? and it was EASY to make - definitely will be making it again.

I also made cinnamon rolls this morning - no, not from the PW site, but from the can..the can you pop open and the rolls are already there. yep, I cheated, but my kids are 7 and 3 and could care less as long as you add the glaze before serving! lol but again - they thought they were spoiled and for $3 and 16 minutes it was worth the money and time I put into it! lol

today we need our spring cleaning in the fall. I had some "honey-do's" for Darren and once we started we just didn't stop. He cleaned the windows (he thinks I'm bad at it and who am I to correct him?), changed the felt pads on the bottoms of our dining room chairs, cleaned out the washing machine filter, photographed my tri-fold card for RSC (oh, still need to email that to Jen), helped Braden clean his room, and I'm sure there was more. I mopped & waxed the dining room floor, vacuumed the house, chatted on facebook, read some blogs, cleaned the kitchen, and took care of all the meals - I think I got off easy :) ssshhh!

I think that's it - I hope to have some photos to share soon....

The Day I Met My {cooking} Idol

on 10/27 my family went to the Tulsa Historical Society to meet Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman. Her cookbook was released and she was doing a "signing" from 7-9pm.

We got there at 6:30pm, thought we did good by getting there early, and it was standing room only! So many people!!!!

{this was our view - we're standing behind the chairs - and this is only about 1/3 of the people!}

Around 7:00pm she came out and did a little "Q&A" with the audience - she is SO nice, and friendly, and REAL! I loved this part - and her brother, Mike, came up with her and told her how much he loved her, gave her a hug, then just hung out at the podium for the rest of the time - it was so cool!

{my camera didn't like how far away she was!}

{Mike is the bald one :) the other man is her husband, Marlboro Man}

When that was over they started a line for the signing part - but they did it by rows - in order of when people were seated! so we knew we'd have to wait - but while waiting there were cupcakes and sodas to eat and drink. My kids were all over that! lol it's now about 7:30pm and we haven't had dinner - we planned on going to Chili's afterwards - the kids' favorite.

Once we were finished with all the goodies (no, I refrained from a yummy, chocolate, fat loaded cupcake because that would've ruined my diet) we found some empty chairs to sit in. The kids played for a while and climbed empty chairs - and actually were pretty good - I tried to find a place to sneak into so that maybe we'd get in line a little sooner :) didn't work.

{the kids waiting - trying to keep busy}

The only good thing about our wait was getting to meet Marlboro Man and have him autograph the book - he was very nice about the whole thing - and believe me, I wasn't the only one wanting his autograph! LOL


SO - after a long time of imaginative play by my kids, shifting in chairs by me and Darren - we were finally in front of my idol! I was so excited to meet her and tell her how much I love her blog and her recipes!

she signed our books.

{that is Darren's name she's writing - obviously Darren was taking the pictures!}

she posed for a picture with me and my kids.

{the beautiful, Ree with Braden (she asked if he'd sit in her lap and he was more than willing! flirt.), Hailee (wearing the shirt they gave out), and me}

she smiled the whole time. pretty amazing I think. because it's now 11:00pm!!!

so my kids had McDonald's on the way home and slept like babies. I have the greatest family in the world to do this for me :)

It was a long night for sure but I'm so glad I had the opportunity - I've never been to a book signing and I don't know if this is always how it is, but next time when we get there early, we'll plan on camping out! LOL

do you know the story of Little Red Riding Hood?

if you do - then you'll appreciate and understand my kids on Halloween!!

My family is going to be in Seattle for Christmas. We'll be visiting our entire extended family - 2 weeks and 4 houses. I think every house we go to should serve these because they love us so much.

Stuffed mushrooms with Brie

don't you agree???




sorry it's been so long since I've blogged - I do have camping pictures to share as well as Halloween - give me a few days. I'm sick. AGAIN. and have no energy to do something that requires brain power.