thoughts?

Ten on Ten - February 2012

2012-02-11T21:14:00.000-06:00

button bouquet made from my Grandmommy's collection of buttons

making boxes

40 boxes filled with 2007 accounting documents ready to go to off-site storage

ornamental kale {seen on the way to lunch}

organized chaos

King Cake - yum!

which squeezy to use today for my platelet donation? {the lion wins!}

yummy dinner with Sarah

great movie

pretties on the way out of the mall

See other Ten on Ten participants here

New sewing machine

2012-01-29T18:49:00.001-06:00

So, I asked you guys a few weeks ago if you had any recommendations for me for a new sewing machine. I also put the question out on Facebook and got several responses there as well.

I ventured into a local machine/fabric shop 3 weeks ago and spent about an hour with Nancy who gave me lots of good information. They primarily sell Pfaff and Babyloc machines, though have recently become a Viking dealer as well. Her recommendation was a Pfaff. German made. Solid metal construction. A machine that will last. Even though I went in asking about a basic mechanical machine, she showed me their base electronic line as well. I walked out that day lured by the technology of the electronic machines, but just not sure I wanted to spend that much money. That same afternoon, I headed to the Bernina store as those had also been highly recommended. I didn't get the same good feeling being in the Bernina store, everything they carry is MUCH higher in price and they didn't even stock the machine I was most interested in. Suffice it to say, I wasn't impressed.

So, after visiting JoAnn last weekend and perusing the electronic Viking machines, I headed back to The Fabric Affair, my local shop. Talked some more, asked more questions. Still undecided. Came home and spent some time on the phone with my folks and finally decided to stick to my original plan to get a basic, no major frills machine. Even though I *think* I want to get into more projects, whether I do or not remains to be seen. And this machine still does WAY more than my old one. My old machine was a pioneer of the electronic machines, but has started to die and only will only sew straight stitches now.

Yesterday, after spending the morning playing in the park and visiting turtles/ducks at Northpark with Kelly, Adrian & David, I headed back the The Fabric Affair and pulled the trigger on my new machine.....the Pfaff hobby 1142. At the store, Nancy unboxed my machine and taught me how to thread it and wind a bobbin. Practiced a couple of stitches, then I was off and ready to go!

And today, I decided to break it in! Sewed a couple of burp cloths for a girl at church. While I was out yesterday, I also picked up a few fat quarters of fabric to just play on.

So, here's to new projects!

Ten on Ten - January 2012

2012-01-10T20:36:00.000-06:00

Well.....not actually 10 photos today. I forgot my camera, it was a typically routine workday {aka boring} and I'm battling sickness. So, 7 out of 10 is better than nothing, right?

new water cup for work

papers galore!

new-to-me Kindle - with case that mom helped me make over the holiday

self-explanatory

time to go home

hot cider and my favorite afghan

researching backsplash ideas

Now, I'm off to an early bedtime. I'm hoping to kick this cough soon - I'm tired of feeling my toenails come up.

See other Ten on Ten participants here

Laundry room mini-makeover

2012-01-05T20:54:00.000-06:00

I've been struggling with a messy laundry room for a while. While I am very thankful to have a laundry room, it is a strange shaped and very awkward room. The main issue was, as my mom pointed out when she was here before Christmas, my shelves were way too small.

Here is the before....yikes!

The during......that box was way harder to open that it should have been!

stuff spread up and down the hallway.....

.....and the after! Much larger shelves fill the space better and make more room to spread things out and store like with like. And even room if some things from elsewhere in the house need to find a new home in here.

Sewing Machine Recommendations?

2011-12-29T19:58:00.000-06:00

This question is for all my sewing friends.....posted the question on Facebook as well, but I'm guessing I have a different audience here in blogworld.

I'm in the market to replace my dyingSinger (that was my grandmother's). I need a basic, reasonably priced machine - preferably not computerized. I'd like it to be sturdy with metal parts and gears inside (ifpossible) rather than made full of plastic. I don't need lots of fancy stitchesand want one that is easy to operate/maintain that has a good track record andwill last a long time. Mom & I saw a demo of a Husqvarna Viking machine at JoAnn thatseemed like a good option, but I'm trying to cover all my bases.

Suggestions?

Christmas Decor Tour

2011-12-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

I take photos of my Christmas decor every year.....mostly to make it easier to decorate the next year! Of course, some things move around and others are retired to make room for new pretties, but for the most part, once I figure out a good scheme, I stick with it.

I've recently fallen down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest and there are TONS of fun decor ideas. I took one inspiration shot and incorporated it into my decor this year. And since I know I get ideas from other folks (and some blogs I read are having decor linky parties), here are some shots of my 2011 decorations.

front porch....the tree lights up at night

Santa welcomes you to step on his face as you walk in the front door

guest bath - the window decor is the Pinterest inspired piece this year

guest bedroom - the pipe cleaner tree reminds me of the Charlie Brown tree

master bedroom - finally found the right decor for over the windows!

the reason for the season

office decor - love my new folded star pillow made by my mom and gifted to me last year for Christmas

top of my desk - love the new silver tree!

living room - entertainment center

still using the skinny tree I purchased in my apartment - and it still fits so well in my home! very eclectic mix of vintage and modern ornaments

bookshelves - many vintage books that bring back such fond memories

trellis above the couch....love cheap felt ornaments!

Merry Christmas - from my German roots

my nieces/family - pics from last Christmas on the fridge, but they make me smile

snowman cookie jar sitting on my recipe box

And there, in a nutshell, is my home decorated for Christmas. Hope you enjoyed the tour!

Post-party crash

2011-12-15T20:24:00.002-06:00

I fully intended to get a party recap up yesterday, but it was all I could do to put away dishes and get the photos off my camera before I crashed after work. But, knowing you are all waiting on pins and needles (ha!), here is the annual party debrief.

the table....decorated and ready for food!

hot drink station - too bad it was in the 60s on party day!

the heavy laden table

three sweet friends - Holly, Bonnie and Jamie

more party guests

Martha and Deen

singing friends! Linda, Randy and John

cousin Karen made it for the first time!
so fun to show off my house and catch up with her!

the aftermath - almost doesn't look like we made a dent!

and the dishes....clean and waiting to be put away

Slightly smaller than usual turnout - only 33 this year. But it was still a very fun party. And I've got lots of leftovers to enjoy, as usual!

Ten on Ten - December 2011

2011-12-10T17:03:00.001-06:00

I've made it through a whole year of 10 on 10!! Such a fun way to document my life......today happened to be a Saturday which is inherently more interesting than a typical work day. PLUS, today was a busy, busy day getting ready for my annual Christmas party.

8ish - handblown glass snowman bought at an outdoor market in Canmore,AB on our summer vacation! his orange hat blends quite well with my bedroom decor

9ish - putting away dishes before getting started for the day

10ish - sausage balls ready to bake -- 3 batches made!

11ish - Santa supervised my baking today

12ish - my leftovers from Jamie's birthday dinner last night for lunch. Yum!

1ish - red oak tree outside my kitchen window

2ish - chopping chocolate for toffee

3ish - love, love, love my KitchenAid mixer. it gets heavy use this time of year

4ish - one of my favorite Christmas films "White Christmas" playing in the background as I cook

5/6ish - heading out to a holiday party!

It was a very full day -- thanks for coming along for a visit!

See other 10 on 10 participants here.

11th Annual....

2011-12-01T21:17:00.001-06:00

If you are in my area, you are invited!

Ten on Ten - November 2011

2011-11-10T21:21:00.001-06:00

returning library books

morning breakfast treat

office building food drive

yummy homemade granola bar for a mid-morning snack

view from my window - as usually seen through the blinds - and then with the blinds drawn up

every Thursday a shoe shine man sets up shop near the garage elevator

moonrise on the way home from work - HATE that it is almost full dark at 6 pm

centerpiece door prize from a dinner earlier this week

reading three books at once - fiction, small group, and ladies bible study

yummy chunky monkey!

See other 10 on 10 participants here

Work trip

2011-10-29T16:45:00.000-05:00

This past week I took my semi-annual trip to the field for work. One of the cons of this trip is the EARLY schedule.....flight leaves at 6 am. One of the pros is that we fly on the company plane, so we can arrive at the terminal at 5:55! And since we fly into an airport much closer to our offices, it becomes an extremely productive 2 day trip.

view from the sky as we take off

beginning of the sunrise from above the clouds

on the ground in Goodland, Kansas

my job for the trip.....counting, counting and more counting!

a front blew in during the night and we were greeted with 4-5 inches of heavy, wet snow the next morning - glad I got all my counting done on day one!

view of the inside of the plane before we left to come home

icy, wet crystals on the windows

clouds on the way home

and back to the city......

2011-10-17T19:26:00.001-05:00

So, I've fallen down the rabbit hole that is Pinterest. Basically it is just a little corner of the interwebs where I can make pinboards of things that I want to remember from my web wanderings. I can follow my friends boards and borrow their ideas or browse the many many other boards out there from folks I don't know.

There are decor ideas, food ideas, travel ideas, fun architecture ideas, ideas for the future (wedding/kids). It can be a HUGE time-sucker, but I think it is a great way to organize all the fun things that are out there.

So, tonight, I finally executed the first idea that I found on Pinterest. This Pizza Snowballs recipe looked yummy on someone else's pinboard and I snagged it for my own.

I had all the ingredients in my fridge, so I decided it would make a quick, easy dinner. First, I cut up the biscuits and turkey pepperoni slices.

I just layered them with cheese in the muffin tin, rather than mushing it up into a ball. Probably would have worked a little better to actually mush it all together.

But, it still looked yummy after about 18 minutes at 350 degrees,

I also warmed up a bit of pizza sauce (that is also a fridge staple for me) to dip in. I don't think it would have been as good without the dip.

Definitely a keeper .... and one that could be played with/adapted for whatever "toppings" are on hand.

(note: I used 3/4 of a regular size canned biscuit, 3 slices of turkey pepperoni and a few small sprinkles of cheese per muffin cup -- probably could have used more stuffing to balance with the biscuit)

Ten on Ten - October 2011

2011-10-10T19:25:00.001-05:00

reminiscent of my first 10 on 10 post....but with a new bed!

my semi-monthly platelet donation - and donor council meeting

platelet donation in process

on the way back to the office, there was a strange metal "wall" where I could see through to the bus transfer center

recently replaced upper left photo in this collage frame .... guess I need to update the rest as well!

ALCS Game 2 - "watching" online while I work

great fall display in my office building lobby - this pumpkin is covered with what looks to be scrap wood

Bonus time!

after a LONG, HOT, DRY summer, we got some much needed rain this weekend - only 1 inch at my house, but 4-5+ in other areas nearby

library books waiting to be read

new laptop (my old one was stolen about a month ago)

Head here to see other blogs participating this month!

Weekend with Emily

2011-10-02T19:04:00.004-05:00

Friday, I met Heather, Mom, Emily & Anna about halfway between to pick up Emily for her first solo weekend at my house. Friday night when we got home, we made pizza, watched Monsters, Inc and enjoyed a treat of "poptorn" and m&m's.

Saturday morning, we got up and got ready to go out on the town.

First stop, the playground at Cottonwood Park.

After playing for a while, we wandered through the Arts Festival and Emily enjoyed some time drawing on a chalkboard in the kids area.

After the arts festival, we headed to Northpark. While waiting for the crowds to die down a bit at Build-a-Bear, we headed to the Dallas Public Library branch. Emily LOVES to type and so she really enjoyed some time on the "patuter."

She also enjoyed playing a game of Dora.

Finally we made it to Build-a-Bear. Please meet "Owl."

I think Emily loves him. :-)

After lunch at Chick-fil-A, we headed off to find another playground. The day was warming up, so some of the equipment was kinda warm, but Emily still really enjoyed playing.

We wandered through the flea market at Junkadoodle and then headed home. Emily loves playing with my yo-yos - though not in the usual way. She just winds and unwinds the string - over and over and over and over again.

And finally, crashed out at the end of a long fun-filled day. (the night wasn't quite so peaceful for me - I was up sick all night long. boo.)

Today, Emily had no interest in going to her own class or to Kidz Journey at church, but she was very well behaved regardless. We had lunch at Wild About Harry's and I think she thoroughly enjoyed her chocolate custard with sprinkles. She was even so kind to share with me (though I certainly didn't enjoy it the way I normally would)!

After lunch we headed back to the halfway point for the exchange. I was very, very sad to see her go. Will definitely have to start planning her next weekend visit!!

Emily - I love you very much and I'm so glad you came to visit! Come again soon!!

Five years ago today.....

2011-09-23T20:48:00.000-05:00

.....I moved into my very own house. In some ways I can hardly believe it has been 5 years......and in others, it seems like I've lived here forever. It hasn't always been easy to manage, but I'm glad I made the decision to do it!

(this pic is from when I bought the house.....guess I need to take updated photos, huh?)

Ten on Ten - September 2011

2011-09-12T08:18:00.001-05:00

These are all iPhone pics this month.....

starting the day with Words with Friends!

breakfast

ignoring the jungle that is my backyard

yummy treat while out shopping

I don't recommend visiting a brand new Sam's on its very first weekend.

ducks and turtles at Northpark

as seen in one of my favorite stores....Anthropologie

new makeup from Clinique during bonus time yields a fun new bag!

love me some Chopped!

ended the day with a movie

Go here to see other blogs participating this month!

The Girls

2011-09-06T18:47:00.000-05:00

After almost two long years, The Girls were finally all together again this past weekend. We were also joined by 9 month old Kellen since he couldn't be away from his mama.

Katie bought a house this summer, so we all descended on her abode this time. Sara and Kellen flew in on Friday afternoon, I picked them up at the airport and we headed to Tarrant County. Sarah arrived shortly after we did. Mollie made it about 9 pm and then Dara arrived near midnight.

Saturday morning we got up early and headed to Southlake Town Square for a photo shoot with Paige. We wandered around, sang, danced, and played while Paige snapped away. It was a fun couple of hours and I'm anxious to see how the photos turned out!

After the photo shoot, we headed over to the Gaylord Texan hotel for lunch. Yummy Mexican food and lots of fun scenery to enjoy....Mollie captured so much of it so very well!

After lunch, we headed home for naps, playing with Kellen, talking, singing, relaxing......

Katie fed us well.....even amid a small kitchen situation involving burned ramen noodles, then a ramen package explosion!

Sunday we had a big breakfast then headed to church. After church we had our marathon session of sharing, singing, praying, etc. Monday morning was sad as we all started to head back home. These girls really do breathe life into me. I love them all so so much!

99 years

2011-08-21T19:36:00.000-05:00

This weekend my family gathered to celebrate my Granddaddy's 99th birthday. Decided that we needed to attempt family photos.....thankfully, my parents have a great oak tree in the front yard which provided ample shade for our photos.

This collage is just a bit of setting up and getting settled.....

Three sets of 10 shots each yielded one pretty decent shot, with good expressions and smiles on everyone's faces and all the kids looking at the camera!

Then we got Granddaddy with his 6 great-grandchildren: Emily, Lindsey, Reagan, Anna, Andrew and Amy.

One of the hardest shots to get was actually of the grownups! Probably because we didn't take too many shots and just assumed that one would be good.

All the grandkids with spouses. Back: Blake (Lianne), Heather (Phillip). Front: (Robert) Lauren, Granddaddy & me.

Finally a family shot of just us with Granddaddy. Not quite all of us looking quite perfectly at the camera, but it is pretty good.

After the posed shots in the yard, we headed into the house to 1) cool off 2) eat lunch and 3) have dessert and open presents!

Granddaddy's favorite Lemon Chess Pie!

Granddaddy, we love you and are so happy to still have you with us!

Vacation!

2011-08-13T19:54:00.000-05:00

Three weeks and 900+ photos later (culled down to 560), it is time to talk about our vacation.....we left the heat of Texas for the coolness of the Canadian Rockies.

We had a lovely 3 bedroom condo with this view:

and a great playground onsite that Emily loved! We got in super late on Saturday night, so Sunday was a kinda lazy, settling day. We found a fun cafe for brunch, ventured over to the visitor's center, unpacked, rested and made a plan for the week.

Emily loved finding the letters of her name on this mini climbing wall

Monday morning we walked into town and saw this momma and her ducklings along the way.

We spent the day exploring the town of Canmore. It is about 20-25 minutes east of Banff. Thankfully, miss Anna didn't mind riding in her stroller and Emily's 3 year old legs never got tired.

There was a cute little park in town where we stopped to eat our lunch. Emily really enjoyed watching the bunnies that lived under the bridge and playing with her shadow as she walked along. Heather & Phillip wanted a family photo and I've lost track of how many outtakes there were just to get this one good family shot......

Tuesday we headed up to Banff to explore. Emily enjoyed posing with her first moose.

We saw very few animals - the best shot I could get was out the car window of this deer.

After lunch we headed to Bow Falls.

Before our dinner reservations, we had time to stop off at a playground. There were a few wet spots from the rain earlier, but the girls really enjoyed it!

For dinner, we rode up into the forest on this wagon. Amber, our driver, was from Australia and it was so fun to hear her talk to the horses, Boone and Crockett.

Yummy steak dinner......

As we were leaving Banff to head back to Canmore, we saw this sign and discovered that a "Texas gate" is really just a cattle guard!

Wednesday we drove back into Banff National Park and headed for Johnston Canyon, after a yummy brunch in Banff and exploration of the farmer's market. We stayed at the Johnston Canyon Resort in 1994 when our family last vacationed in western Canada.

Heather and I have a photo in front of this bear from 17 years ago.

The hike up to the lower falls of Johnston Canyon is only about 1/2 mile, but it isn't the easiest in the world. However, it is definitely worth the effort.

As the bottom, Emily discovered this baby bear and decided she needed to climb on and pose!

After we finished our hike, we headed up in search of some glaciers. It was cold and windy, but Bow Lake was gorgeous and we could see Bow Glacier off in the distance.

The girls modeling their Stars outfits.

Thursday, we planned another low-key day. We found breakfast at the farmer's market in Canmore. Several of the same vendors were there from Banff the day before. After breakfast and a bit of shopping, we found another playground in town for Emily to explore. She loved it!

Anna even got in on the action again!

After naps and while Phillip was cooking dinner for us, the girls headed back down to the playground at our condo. I think it was Anna's first time in the grass. She wasn't sure what do with it, but she didn't scream either.

And she enjoyed being "caught" on the slide by big sister!

Emily mastered this tall climbing wall very quickly. After a few instructions to use her feet not her knees, she was off and climbing!

These are the Three Sisters

Friday, we drove up through Banff National Park to Jasper National Park because Phillip really wanted to see a glacier up close and personal. The closest option was the Athabasca glacier - one of the toes of the Columbia Icefield.

We ate lunch at the visitor center (which didn't even exist the last time we were there) where the girls met another moose and a bear, and then headed over for the walk up.

Starting our trek up to the glacier.

It was a harder climb than we remembered. Phillip carried Emily up the whole way and the rest of us struggled.

Then near the top we started being pelted with icy sleet coming off the glacier. It was actually pretty miserable. But, we conquered the climb and have photographic evidence.

Sadly, it all had to come to an end. We left temperatures in the 60s/70s and returned to the 100s.

Project

2011-08-10T22:11:00.000-05:00

No Ten on Ten today......didn't remember until well into the day that it was even the 10th and by then I just didn't want to take more pictures of my desk. September 10 is on a Saturday, so maybe I'll be motivated that day.

But, I did want to show off a project that I finished up tonight.....cupcakes in a jar!

The inspiration for this project came from my sweet friend Kelly ..... she made these fun treats as hostess gifts for her church wedding shower several years ago.

Why was I making them you ask? Well, a few months ago I was invited to join the donor council at the blood donor center where I routinely donate platelets. It is our job to help promote our donor center and support the staff. Tomorrow night, in lieu of our monthly meeting, we are providing dinner for the blood center staff and I signed up for dessert. Thought it would be fun to do something creative and unique.

Up next.....vacation photos from beautiful (and cool!) Canada.

Ten on Ten - July 2011

2011-07-10T21:41:00.000-05:00

putting on my face for church

ready to go!

evidence of yard work completed yesterday - a trimmed up crepe myrtle tree

a new favorite place for Sunday brunch after church

I've been having ant problems - specifically in my bedroom (and occasionally in my bed) - ick! hopefully this will help.

reconciling my credit card statement - and discovering a duplicated charge! definitely worth the time to take the effort

guess I need to put away my shoes, huh?

afternoon movie ..... "New Moon"

ugh - 99 degrees at 7 pm!

dinner with friends (after much scheduling and rescheduling!) - such a fun evening and worth the hassle to get it in the books

Ten on Ten - June 2011 // Emily's Third Birthday

2011-06-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

So, I decided that photos taken on the 10th wouldn't really be entertaining for any of you readers (if any of you are still out there --- I know I've been a blog-slacker!). It was just another work day, capped off with a 3 hour drive. So, I thought I'd show you a Ten on Eleven. Emily turned 3 on June 11th, so here is a glimpse of our day.....

I started off with a walk around my growing-up neighborhood....here's a shot of the sunrise through the clouds over my parent's house.

Sadly, my new kicks rubbed a bit on my heels ..... need to make sure I have taller socks next time.

Then, it was off to the party.....there is a great PBS show called Word World that Emily loves, so that was the theme for the party. Look at this fun cake that Heather made!

Emily got quite a haul of gifts and really enjoyed opening them all.....even "reading" the cards!

One favorite gift - from her Grandma & Grandpa Ratliff - is a new tricycle!

Probably in a tie for favorite gift was a digital "tamura." Yes, it is a real camera. No, it is not new. :-) I was going to get her one of the kids' digital cameras, however I was sorely disappointed in the quality of the digital cameras that are designed and marketed for kids. My parents got a new camera recently, and since their old camera still worked okay, she has a hand-me-down. And, amazingly, she takes pretty great photos!! Maybe Heather can start a series on her blog to show off the budding photographer's works. :-)

After lunch, it was naptime.....turning 3 really wears a girl out!!

After supper, it was time for Emily try out her tricycle outside -- wearing her new helmet! She's a girl on the move!

Didn't take long to get it down!

And one more slice of cake (sweaty-headed and all!) before bath and bed.

Happy birthday, sweet girl! Aunt Jenni loves you bunches!

Ten on Ten - May 2011

2011-05-10T20:14:00.000-05:00

So, I forgot it was the 10th today until I was already at work. Since I didn't have my big camera, I decided to play with Instagram today.

first bottle of water for the day

first Coke Zero of the day

organization!

as seen on the way to grab lunch

one of my favorite magnet clips

workout bag packed and ready to go!

elliptical? check!

early voting

fountain between city hall and the library

iris and day lillies from my parents' yard - ready to be planted in mine!

See other blogs participating this month!

Medieval Times

2011-04-29T14:43:00.000-05:00

This past week, I was excited to share a fun experience with three of my girlfriends. I donate blood platelets regularly and donated enough in 2010 to be invited to one of Carter Blood Care's annual donor recognition events. This year one of the events was to Medieval Times and I was allowed to bring with me 3 guests.

We cheered on the blue knight and had a really fun night. It is a pricey evening if you have to pay for it yourself, but such a fun experience.

Holly, Caryn, Jamie

Caryn, Jamie, me

Easter weekend....

2011-04-24T21:44:00.000-05:00

MCP 16/52 - Furry Friends

2011-04-21T09:20:00.001-05:00

Week 16 Theme: Furry Friends

This is as close to furry friends as I get.......

Peeps Cupcakes

2011-04-18T21:09:00.001-05:00

So, I'll probably never be a great food photographer....especially not in my kitchen at night with the funky lighting. But, I wanted to share a fun treat I put together this evening. I ran across a fun post last week that looked pretty easy. We are having a potluck at work tomorrow for lunch, so I decided to experiment. Made the cupcakes last night and then tonight's project was the decorating. My icing probably wasn't quite thick enough because my grass is more like spaghetti, but it tastes good so who cares?!

(and thanks to my co-worker Stephanie who loaned me her fancy cake taker with cupcake trays. it all fits so perfectly!!!)

More baby burp cloths....

2011-04-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

for baby Currey, gender TBA

for baby boy Norris

Saturday Project

2011-04-16T20:28:00.000-05:00

So, in the new bedroom configuration, my old bedside table isn't really cutting it anymore in terms of scale. I've been on the hunt for something new and a few weeks ago a friend at church let me know that she had *two* that I could have for free!! So, I brought them home and after trying them each out for a few days finally settled on which one I wanted to keep (the other will go to the church youth group garage sale).

Today was repaint the bedside table project day! Enjoy the progress.....

before

after sanding, one coat of primer -- not sure it was really necessary, but oh well, it's done now

after two coats of black paint

testing out possible knobs

The knobs options a little closer....any thoughts?

Other things accomplished today: finished and wrapped two baby presents, cleaned out my stash of vases and am sending several off to the youth garage sale, collected other items for donation, straightened the house. Now to relax a bit more.....

MCP 15/52

2011-04-11T20:25:00.000-05:00

Theme: What People Think of You

Randomly opened page of my guestbook.....notes from my parents, sister and three of my "soul sisters" - my girls from college.

Ten on Ten - April 2011

2011-04-10T22:00:00.001-05:00

kitchen clock

some of my church family and the cross built by our worship minister

as seen at one of my favorite burger joints - Chips!

preschoolers "hunting" easter eggs at our church picnic

more of my church family on a beautiful day to have a picnic (and my shoulders are reminding me that I need to remember sunscreen next time!)

a favorite sweet treat this time of year in a bowl gifted to me by Kelly and a reminder of our friendship that now spans from Texas to Colorado

stack of diapers ready to be made into burp cloths and a sampling of fabric for this round of gifts

my favorite Sunday afternoon activity - video chatting with my niece and sister! looking forward to the day both girls are big enough to chat

my friend Beth's funky bicycle

what a fun way to end the weekend -- great seats to watch the Mavericks beat the Suns

See other blogs participating in this month's Ten on Ten!

MCP 13/52

2011-04-01T21:05:00.000-05:00

Theme: Just For Fun

Spent a little time with Kelly's boy this week before they move off to a new state. I'm gonna miss this precious red-headed boy (and most especially his momma).

MCP 12/52

2011-03-21T21:16:00.000-05:00

Theme: From the Jewelry Box

Just a few of my many selections - most handcrafted by my good friend Heather.

MCP 10/52

2011-03-11T09:00:00.004-06:00

Theme: Childhood Toys

My mom has kept lots of our old toys and my nieces are taking full advantage. But here, 180 miles east of my parents' house, I don't have too many of my childhood toys. However, I do have my favorite doll. As far back as I can remember, Honey was with me. I even loved off her first set of clothes, and my mom, being the fantastic seamstress that she is, sewed a new outfit directly on to Honey's little body. She is battle weary and has ears full of blue ink, but I guess it just proves how much I loved her.

Ten on Ten - March 2011

2011-03-10T20:22:00.000-06:00

I'm really ready for the 10th of the month to not fall on a workday! It is so hard to find inspiration through the mundane routine of work. So, 10 photos from today.

birthday flowers still looking pretty good

laundry -- waiting to be put away

not really my style, but I still get to look at it every day as I wait for the elevators

ready to workout....again.....

privacy screen by the entrance to our gym

my two favorite machines - I'm learning the like the elliptical

stopped on the way home for essentials

*trying* to live this

library books!

new bed / bedding (watch for a more detailed post to come!)

Check out other blogs participating this month!

Birthday

2011-03-04T21:28:00.000-06:00

So, I spent the weekend before my birthday at home with my family....it was also Anna's two month birthday. Enjoy the photos....

Emily had to help me open my packages - a new drill!

Grandpa and Emily reading on the iPad

Pearlie and Emily looking at pictures on the iPhone

Anna Pearl sleeping in the baby bed bought by her great-great grandmother, Anna Pearl Nelson, for her grandchildren (circa 1930ish)

Mommy helping Anna stand

Anna is not really excited to be standing yet

Anna is 2 months old!

Emily was very interested in my camera!

MCP 9/52

2011-03-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

So, the theme this week is "Express Yourself." I have a co-worker who is a bit of a goof. When I got to work on Tuesday, my birthday, this is what I found on my desk. Creative expression for sure!

Texas Independence Day

2011-03-02T10:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Texas Independence Day, Y'all!

MCP 8/52

2011-02-25T22:32:00.000-06:00

Theme this week.....the view from here. I had grand plans to take a photo while donating platelets today, but it was a less than successful experience, so no photo taken. This is shot with my point and shoot camera I bought upon first becoming an aunt that lives in my purse. So, not the greatest photo.....but it was a great evening with Sarah & Katie (plus a couple other friends) celebrating our birthday milestone.

MCP 7/52

2011-02-17T21:52:00.000-06:00

This week's theme was Open Your Heart......I'll admit that I struggled with the theme.....took several sets of photos and deleted them all. Then tonight, I was hit with inspiration. My parents gave me a necklace when I turned 16 ..... it is the key to my heart. The plan is to wear it until I find my Prince Charming, then give him the key. Still waiting for that Prince.....

MCP 6/52 - Words

2011-02-11T08:15:00.005-06:00

Theme of this week is words.....I didn't want to do the standard book/dictionary shot. So, here is a box full of words. Scriptures of encouragement and words of burden. Box lovingly created for me by my sweet friend Jenny years ago. It lives in the base of my bedside table (which used to be a doll clothes closet) and lies forgotten for months on end. Then the box emerges, new hurts go in, new blessings come out.

Ten on Ten - February 2011

2011-02-10T20:00:00.000-06:00

slippers purchased at a kiosk in Bryant Park, New York City - Dec 2008 - handmade from Nepal - good to keep my tootsies warm in this cold winter weather

breakfast treat

mailing ready to fold, stuff and mail

accounting vouchers lining the walls in my office - a routine sight as we close the year's books - about ready to file them all away!

music keeps me sane through the day

inside joke between me and a favorite co-worker

large hunks of petrified wood line one wall in our reception area

something to stare at during my daily elevator rides - sometimes the only news of the outside world I get in a day

this table is in the lobby of my building - the building management creates these dramatic and beautiful seasonal displays - beautiful!

heading in to workout for the first time in a while - since last month's 10 on 10, to be honest. felt good to get back to it. now just gotta keep it up!

Check out other blogs participating this month!

Cupcakes

2011-02-05T18:41:00.000-06:00

In honor of World Nutella Day, I made cupcakes! Thanks to my friend Stephanie for the recipe....they are delish! Glad I have a party to share them with tomorrow night!!

Snow 2011 & MCP 5/52

2011-02-04T13:27:00.002-06:00

from the first "snow" day of the week - Tues, Feb 1

today, Fri Feb 4

Tuesday, our offices were closed and I was home from work due to icy conditions. Wednesday, our offices opened at 10 am, but I worked from home because I just wasn't sure about the driving conditions. Yesterday, went into the office at 10 am and worked a regular day from there on. The highways were good, but side streets, parking lots, etc were still a sheet of ice. And overnight last night? I'd estimate 4+ inches of the good, fluffy snow at my house.

About 11:00 this morning I decided it was time to brave the snow:

made a snow angel .....

......gathered snow to make snow ice cream and took a bunch of photos. One of these photos (not sure yet which one) will be my submission for MCP 5/52. The theme this week was "Muse" - however, I'm going off-book because I couldn't come up with anything I wanted to shoot that I really felt fit the theme.

I think I'm going to veg on the couch the rest of the day - either watching shows on my DVR or perhaps I'll watch an Oscar nominated-flick or two OnDemand. And, of course, try to stay warm!!

MCP 4/52

2011-01-23T20:17:00.000-06:00

This week's theme....Soothing Repetition. I immediately thought of my ceiling fans. I'm one that runs my ceiling fan over my bed almost year round. (this particular fan is over my guest bed - the contrast of the brown fan blades made for a much better photo against white ceilings)

new camera strap

2011-01-22T16:52:00.000-06:00

Used Christmas money from my Granddaddy to buy a strap cover for my camera.....it is the Kathleen Kelly edition from Eclectic Whatnot. Lots and lots of really cute options. I'm so excited to have it!!

MCP 3/52

2011-01-20T19:09:00.001-06:00

This week's theme.....Shades of Gray. After racking my brain to come up with something to shoot this week, I had an epiphany on my way out of the parking garage today. I couldn't quite narrow down my favorite, so here are three....

New hairdo

2011-01-19T21:03:00.000-06:00

For those of you who are not on Facebook......here's a pic of my new 'do.

After 20+ years with the same stylist (the last 11 years driving back to Abilene), I have finally switched over to getting my hair done locally - only because Estella decided last spring to move from Abilene to San Antonio!

My friend Jamie referred me to her salon, The Color Studio and Salon. Their website has a questionnaire that you fill out if you are a new client and they match you up with the stylist who they deem to be best suited for your hair needs. I will say that I was skeptical, but Candace did seem to fit my hair-styling personality and I think she will respect my choices for easy day-to-day maintenance..... We'll see if it is a long-lived hair relationship, but the first experience was successful. She showed me a couple of easy ways to dress it up (hence the curls in the photo).....we'll see how the day to day feels.

All in all, I'd recommend the salon, if any of you out there are looking for a new stylist.

MCP 2/52

2011-01-14T19:33:00.000-06:00

This week's theme - Illustrate a Song

"Piano Man" - Billy Joel

Ten on Ten - January 2011

2011-01-10T20:10:00.002-06:00

preparing breakfast to take to work for the week - brown sugar cinnamon oatmeal

stack of blank 1099s ready to print

mid-morning snack

our mailroom at work

some of our 2010 accounting files - not all of these are mine, but I do spend lots of time creating folders and then referencing what's inside

2006 accounting files all boxed and ready to send off to storage - 56 boxes in all

ready to get back into the routine of exercise after work - thankful for a gym in my office building!

remains of our SNOW in my planter

CAUGHT! My first ever mousetrap. ICK! So thankful I bought the kind of trap where I don't have to SEE the dead mouse!

easy way to unwind a bit while I'm preparing dinner - I *love* Jeopardy!

Check out other blogs participating in Ten on Ten!

2011 Photo Project

2011-01-08T20:38:00.000-06:00

I see lots around the blog world and Facebook about photo-a-day projects. I think it sounds like a fun challenge, but I just can't quite commit to that. But, when I saw MCP Project 52, I thought....hmmmmm.....yeah, I bet I can do that.

MCP Project 52 – It’s a way to encourage creativity, make photography fun, and provide a challenge without actual pressure. Participants will sharing their art work and images weekly while inspiring each other.

So, the idea is to upload one photo a week to the Flickr group (which I'll also post here). The admins will provide a theme for the week (which may or may not be followed) and then will post some highlighted photos.

Without further ado:

MCP Project 52 - 1/52 "around the house"

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T00:01:00.010-06:00

Here's to a brand new year....full of new hopes, adventures, dreams and possibilities and leaving behind the worries, fears, failures and unfulfilled wishes of the past.

Fall Into Reading 2010 wrap-up

2010-12-31T15:17:00.001-06:00

Things were pretty crazy through December, what with my earlier than usual Christmas party, the anticipation of the arrival of my newest niece, and then of course, heading home for Christmas. So, I never did get around to blogging the end of the Fall Into Reading challenge.

My list of books to read was pretty thin in the beginning. And, truth be told, I didn't read anything on that original list, except to finish the book duo I was reading when I started! So, without further ado, here is what I read this fall:

Even Now - Karen Kingsbury

Ever After - Karen Kingsbury

God's Gift - Dee Henderson

Before I Wake - Dee Henderson

The Silent Sea - Clive Cussler

Firestorm - Iris Johansen

Just Beyond the Clouds - Karen Kingsbury

Three Fates - Nora Roberts

Eight Days to Live - Iris Johanson

Plan B - Johnathan Tropper

Kiss - Ted Dekker & Erin Healey

Black Hills - Nora Roberts

Our Red Hot Romance is Leaving Me Blue - Dixie Cash

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson

Bed of Roses - Nora Roberts

Savor the Moment - Nora Roberts

The Girl Who Played With Fire - Stieg Larsson

Born In Fire - Nora Roberts

Born In Ice - Nora Roberts

Born In Shame - Nora Roberts

Cosmic Christmas - Max Lucado

That Perfect Someone - Johanna Lindsey

Happy Ever After - Nora Roberts

And yes, that is 23 books in total. I read fast, so sue me! (and that brings me to a grand total of 72 books for the year - the most I've read in a single year since I started keeping track in 2007)

Merry Christmas!!

2010-12-25T20:33:00.000-06:00

Emily's Kitchen Sink Shampoo

2010-12-24T08:00:00.005-06:00

When we were little girls, my dad would wash our hair in the kitchen sink for a special treat. He has started doing the same with Emily sometimes when he is the one bathing her.....I managed to capture some of the fun!

I'm not sure she is completely sold and able to relax and enjoy it while in the midst, but she keeps asking for him to do it again, so I guess she does like it!

Baby Anna

2010-12-23T21:23:00.001-06:00

I made it in town on Tuesday just in time to visit at the hospital for a few minutes and capture the new addition leaving the hospital to head home.

She's a little peanut......6 pounds 3 ounces at birth

She found her thumb! It hasn't been constant yet, but I bet she will take after her big sister!

Grandpa's pretty smitten.....

Pearlie, Great-Granddaddy, Anna and Mommy

First time in the bouncy seat while we were eating dinner tonight.....not sure she really liked it. Maybe later....

Auntie - part deux!

2010-12-20T09:10:00.000-06:00

Anna Pearl - born 12/19/2010 at 8:40pm. She is 6 pounds, 3 ounces, 19 inches long. This pic looks so much like her big sister to me! Can't wait to get home and snuggle up with this cutie-pie!

Christmas Color Week - Plaid/Stripes

2010-12-17T07:27:00.002-06:00

Christmas Color Week - Silver/White

2010-12-16T19:27:00.002-06:00

Christmas Color Week - Red

2010-12-15T19:14:00.002-06:00

Christmas Color Week - Gold/Yellow

2010-12-14T19:01:00.002-06:00

Christmas Color Week - Green

2010-12-13T18:55:00.002-06:00

Saw this idea on my friend Kelly's blog and thought I'd play along

Thanksgiving photos

2010-12-11T16:29:00.000-06:00

So, I spent Thanksgiving playing with my new camera....taking lots and lots of photos and a few videos as well. So, word of warning....there are lots of pics here.

Helping Grandpa load the important diet coke drawer....

Getting tickled by aunt Jenni!

Riding Trigger! He finally has made the move from Grandpa and Pearlie's house back to Emily's house (only 6 months after she got him for her birthday).

Engrossed in Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Disney. It's about the only show she will watch on TV - which is not entirely a bad thing.

Doing the Hot Dog Dance!! Wish I had video of this one.

Picking our her Toms shoes - we all got a pair courtesy of Grandpa - and so children on the other side of the world got new shoes too!

Heather, Phillip & Emily went to be with his family on Thursday, so we celebrated on Friday.

Emily had a sleepover Friday night and woke up Saturday to help Grandpa bake bread and make waffles. Yum!

This is Emily telling me she is ready for me to stop taking pictures!!

Taking care of Lambie and Dottie....

Reading with Pearlie!

I've got a couple of fun videos as well....am going to try and post them in a separate post.

Ten on Ten - December 2010 edition

2010-12-10T23:02:00.001-06:00

My friend Kelly has linked up to a monthly blog photo essay for several months. I've forgotten the past few months until it was too late, but I was prepared today. The concept is to document a day in the life -- 10 photos over 10 hours of your day. My photos are spread over a few more hours - mostly because I'm at my desk for 9+ hours each day. And how boring is that? But I did take a few snaps through the workday, as well as before and after. So, here we go!

Up and at em....

Entrance to my office building.....the statue is called "Faces" and is by some fancy European sculptor

Mid-morning blog break....and a minute to smile as I look at my cutie pie niece, Emily

Yes, I do eat lunch at my desk most days. But I do usually pull out a book and read something completely unrelated to oil and gas accounting! Today it was a Nora Roberts trilogy-in-one book.

Pulling out the highlighters to color code a support document....channeling my inner creativity through my right-brained accountant!

View to the west as I prepare to leave the office. Sadly, this photo does not do justice to the pretty pink streaks in the sky.

Stopping to fuel my vehicle on the way home. I do wait often until the little light tells me it is time to refill the tank, though I try really hard not to push it too close to empty. This time wasn't too bad.

Organizing and reorganizing ribbon.....

I've been looking forward to Jamie's birthday dinner here....steak and a baked sweet potato. Yum!!

Holly and Beth serenading birthday girl Jamie. Fun times with sweet friends.

Click on over to the Ten on Ten blog to check out other entries!

Party debrief

2010-12-08T21:20:00.000-06:00

The week before Thanksgiving, I bought a new toy - a Canon EOS Rebel T1i. I had a Rebel film camera years ago and enjoyed taking photography courses in both high school and college. I'm excited about picking up the hobby again. And I love digital cameras for the ability to snap and snap and snap....and then delete, delete, delete!!

Here are selected photos of my decor .......

Last night was my annual Christmas party....the 10th annual to be precise. I was thinking back over the years and though I was in my apartment for 7 years, I only had 5 parties there. I've been in my house a little over 4 years, but due to the timing of my move, this was the 5th party in this house! Kinda hard to believe.

Because I'm a nerd, I've kept up with the stats from all the years -- I had 43 people in attendance last night, which tied for the second highest attendance year ever. I've averaged 33 per year over the last 10 years and have had 140 different individuals in attendance. It is a lot of work, but last night I remembered why I do it -- I can facilitate community among friends and they look forward to the various goodies that I put on the table each year.

Here is a peek at the table setting.....sans food.

Yummy sweets and treats

savory offerings, veggies and dips

and the aftermath.....

I managed to fix a huge plate of treats to take to the office and have leftovers of some of my favorites.....crab dip, sausage balls (they go so very well crumbled into a poached egg - as long as the yolk is still runny), forgotten cookies, puppy chow.

It's Party Time!!

2010-12-07T13:16:00.000-06:00

It's that time again!

2010-11-14T22:12:00.000-06:00

A little earlier this year than normal due to the impending arrival of my new niece or nephew....