Some More Cards......Part 2

Hi there everyone. Hope you are all having a great week. Thought I would continue on with the cards I made for my secret stamper. These are the images I sent to Linda. Below, the brown leaves. I just added them to a gold embossed leaves background, then added the green leaf and red ribbon leaves at the top and bottom. In my next post, I will show you what her card looked like using the leaves.

This is one of my favorite dies....it is like a stained glass effect. Then placed on a white card and each of the triangle/squares are colored in with copic markers. I added the "hello there" for special effects.

My favorite.....a flamingo, which is what I sent to Linda. A four layered flamingo then cut out. I added the die cut gold ferns and stamped ferns with a few gems. It most definitely is a jungle out there, isn't it???

Two giraffes, criss-crossing, colored in with copic markers and placed on a banner. The letters "friend" added to the bottom of the banner.

The black waves from Stampin'up. I actually bought the musical notes from Linda's store...how unique it all fell into place.

Here is my lovely vintage lady. She is colored in with copic markers. The back ground is glued and then rubbed shinny foil on the card stock and pulled it off to give this affect. Pretty cool....I really need to play around with it some more. There are many different techniques using the foil. I am just looking for the easiest without having to buy a laminater...is that the word for it???

So I have had this post sitting as a draft for about a week. Sorry I have taken so long to finish it. Been kind of busy this past week. Had my Doctor's appointment......my A1C was at 6.2....that is really pretty good! And, I have lost 35 lbs....Doctor was very happy with my results to say the least. I do feel better....now my next appointment is next May....hopefully I can keep my A1C the same and maybe have lost another 10 lbs. Yeah...it's been a very slow process, but then I did not gain the weight fast.....it crept on very slowly...so now it must crept off very slowly.

This Wednesday is my 72nd birthday...WHAT!!! I can't believe I made it to 72, hey, turn it around and it is 27 that was my favorite year...maybe 72 will be the same.

Are you ready for Thanksgiving. I think I might be. Again, it will be just JP and I. Not planning anything special. If I manage to get a turkey breast, I will put it in my crock pot. My stove is still out of commission. So I have to improvise quite a bit. I found a recipe for microwave pumpkin pie. If it turns out, I will give you the recipe.

Well, I think I will close here, you all have a great Thanksgiving and Black Friday. No, I do not go out shopping on Black Friday. Have no urge to do it either. Keep looking up....better days are just around the corner. Cheers ~ Louise

Thanksgiving Plan "A" and Plan "B"

Hi there everyone. Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. It went way too fast didn't it? My plans for Thanksgiving dinner did not pan out the way I had planned......I had to switch to plan B very quickly, not that I really had a plan....but it sure was a good thing I was not having company and had something in the freezer, I would have been frantic.

I ordered these three meals from Blue Apron to be delivered by Wednesday, the 23rd, no later then 8pm. Well, I waited for FedEx to deliver my meals, and I waited and waited. No meals showed up at my door.

I decided to email Blue Apron and let them know my order did not show up at my door. They responded right away, letting me know their shipping partners truck had mechanical issues. Blue Apron will refund my money on this order and they will also give me 3 free meals. They apologized for my inconvenience and plans I had made. There might be a chance the box will turn up on the 25th...if so please do not use the contents. We'll see, I think the vegies will be fine, the meat might be questionable, but if the freezer blocks are still frozen, do you think it would still be good???? 

So here is what I missed, "Roasted Turkey & Cranberry Sauce with Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Potatoes".....mmmm sure sounded delicious. When I was shopping Sam's club Tuesday, they actually were selling Brussels Sprouts on the large stem it's grown on....I thought, that's neat and almost bought it, but then I thought, no, I better not....getting a whole box of vegies from Blue Apron. Now I wish I had listened to that inner voice.

The second meal, "Italian Wedding soup with Pork Meatballs" I love Italian Wedding soup.

The third meal was "Fresh Cavatelli Pasta with Sauteed Cabbage and Chestnut Breadcrumbs" I was going to make this along with the Roasted Turkey today.....oh well....on to Plan B.

My next three meals, which will be delivered December 29th (and will be free) "Steak & Green Peppercorn Sauce with Kale & roasted potatoes" "Sesame Chicken with Bok Choy & Jasmine Rice" "Cod en Papillote (parchment paper) with Spinach & Freekeh" Looking forward to this one....always wondered how to cook with parchment paper.

Here you see 'Plan B" Pork Tenderloin, homemade sauerkraut, oven fried potatoes, roasted yellow cauliflower and carrots. Oh and cranberry sauce. We just had dessert, Cheese cake with cranberries and whip cream and pumpkin cake.....no calories there right???

Plan B was absolutely delicious. It always helps to have special meals like this on JP's Grandmothers Bavarian China. JP figures the China is about 75+ years old. All still in one piece except for the tea cups, there is only 2 left. They are very fragile.

Well, time to close, I need to get another card up in my Etsy Store....sort of slacking there again. You all have a wonderful night and great day tomorrow on Black Friday. No, I do not plan on going shopping. JP has a Doctor's appointment, follow-up on his prostrate and what we will do about it....to operate or not to operate...his decision.

Keep looking up....better days are coming for sure!!!
Cheers ~ Louise

Happy Thanksgiving 2 You All

Hi there everyone. Just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving. With many blessings coming your way.

I decided not to make a turkey this year....didn't feel like it for 1 reason....and for another reason, they just seemed too expensive. I am making chicken breasts, dressing, broccoli, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberries and pumpkin pie with whip cream. Sounds just like a turkey dinner doesn't it?

So I wonder what the Pilgrims and Indians really ate back at that first Thanksgiving....do you think they had turkey??? Maybe they ate venison...who knows. Beans and rice, corn bread and apples? Oh and there must have been pumpkins too. I should really check out the history of what they ate....that would be an interesting search.

We have nothing planned. So I shall watch the parade for awhile, then at 1:00pm is the dog show...we always like to watch that. Maybe we will eat around 2pm or so. No plans to go shopping....no, I have never been a "Black Friday" Shopper, it does not excite me that much.

Can't believe how fast this month went....zip, zip, zip and time gets away from us. I wonder if time will ever slow down????

Well, you all enjoy your day with family and friends. Keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise

More Recycled Christmas Cards

Hi everyone....hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent a quiet day and ate about 4pm, yum, turkey, dressing, potatoes, bean cassarole, ginger bread and Apple pie. Just what the Doctor ordered. Now onto "Black Friday"!!! I intend on staying home. Don't care to shop on this day. I probably will pay some bills, mail them at the post office and get some stamps. That will be all for my travels on Black Friday.

Been working on making Christmas cards for Hospice. I have one more week before we meet for breakfast at Denny's and bring our cards for this month. I am pretty sure I made enough for Hospice and for my own personal use. If not, there definately is time to make more.

Following are some more recycled Christmas cards. They are not only fun to make but can be constructed pretty fast. I am calling this line of cards my "New Life" cards, because they have been given new life and a second chance to make someone happy and loved even as they come to the end of life. I think I will continue on in doing this, as it is very rewarding.

There you have it. More recycled cards, I did add a set of these cards to my Etsy store. A set of 6 cards for $6.00 + postage. I've had a lot of people "favoring" my cards lately, course, I have been favoring a lot of Etsy sellers too. I am going to be adding more Christmas cards in the next few days. Then on to Valentine cards and St. Patrick cards...my how the season's pass by fast when you make cards.

So you all have a great Black Friday and enjoy Saturday as December is right around the corner......where in the world did 2013 go??? What will 2014 hold??? Only God knows the answer to that question. Keep looking up for your redemption draws nigh. Cheers ~ Louise

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving to you all that might be reading my blog today. Our thanksgiving was small (JP and I) and quiet, but a very good day. A new vegetable was added to the turkey menu, and that was swiss chard. I hadn't used swiss chard since the 80's when I planted it in my garden. Saw a recent cooking show with Curtis Stone using swiss chard and thought, now that looks fun, even down to the cutting of the chard, quick and easy and healthy no doubt!!!

We had turkey, with the potatoes and carrots thrown in with the turkey the last hour of cooking, dressing, pumpkin souffle', swiss chard, gravy, real cranberry sauce, relish dish, and pumpkin pie! All for just two people...........did not know anyone that needed a meal, guess we are out of the loop of important people to invite or something. That's okay though, we enjoy each other's company......good thing after 39 years. I have already turned some of the left overs into turkey soup, so meals today will be easy and then tonight....turkey dinner again.

Today being Black Friday, I shall be one of those that "stays home". Never was interested in venturing out and fighting the crowds of people........no, don't think so, not today. Plus a big factor would be "no money"!!! My next investment for December will be a "Dutch Oven" which I have been wanting since I first saw the movie "Julia and Julie". A bigger pot has been on my mind for making soup for quite a long time and a "Dutch Oven would fit the bill. Of course I am saving for one.....so it will be awhile before I get the one I want, which sits at Walmart, a red one for $70. That will be my Christmas present.

Well, time to close this blog for the day..........and get something done around this house, have a good day and Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
~Louise~