Favorite Things

It's time for a favorite things list, don't you think?

1.  Goo Gone

This stuff is a miracle worker, plain & simple.  When you
use the glass cutting mats with your circle cutters I always tell you to
use a dot adhesive on the glass to prevent the paper from moving. 
It works great!  But it creates a huge mess.  Un-du won't
take it off...but Goo Gone will.  I happen to have this spray
bottle & it is the best thing since sliced bread.  You don't
use too much...and you get fantastic results...just squirt on & rub
the sticky mess off with a paper towel or rag.  If it's my glass
mat, I use a scraper.  It leaves an oily residue, so make sure to
wash your glass mat with soap & water before your next
project.  Do not use this in your scrapbook.

2.  October Afternoon

We don't have this in the store yet (it's brand spankin' new!) but
you can bet that we will get it!  October Afternoon consistently
comes out with my favorite scrapbooking products.  Love it!

3.  We R Memory Keeper Albums

Again, consistency is key!  We R Memory Keepers just keeps
making the best albums on the market!  My only wish is that
this color was available when I purchased all 40 of my albums. 
While I love my Silverstone Linen albums, I adore the new Aqua
color!  

4.  Collage Painting

Yep, I really, really love it!  Thanks to Kelly Rae for inspiring me everyday!

5.  Peanut Butter M&M's

A little slice of heaven, I'm tellin' you....

Now tell me, what are some of your favorite things?

Scrapbooking should be more like Wipeout

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Have you ever seen the show Wipeout?  It's pretty hilarious (boy
humor...my husband thinks it's a crack up!).  I was watching it
tonight & I was thinking that it would be great if scrapbookers
approached scrapbooking like the people on Wipeout.  Say
what?  Here's what I mean:

• the folks on Wipeout will try anything to accomplish their goal...no
  matter how silly they felt doing it (translation:  it's only
  paper, people...not brain surgery...give it a go...if it doesn't work,
  try another tactic...that's how you learn)


• dirty is good  (translation:  the bigger the mess, the better the page!)


• cheer on your partner  (translation:  positive feedback makes for happy scrappers)


• be a good sport (translation:  if it's not working for you, move on to another set of photos...no need for temper tantrums)


• use food for bribes (translation:  scrapbookers just simply create better with chocolate...or yummy salty snacks)


• funny is good (translation:  journaling doesn't have to be so serious)


• at the end of the day, you need to be happy with the final results (no translation needed!)

As scrapbookers, we tend to over analyze our photos...our paper
choices...our embellishments.  We make it overwhelming when it
shouldn't be.  Really, if you stop & think about it, what's the
worst that's going to happen to you?  A layout you don't
like?  I can live with that.  It's just paper.  And hey,
if you lay everything out before you start gluing, well, you won't end
up with a layout you don't like.  Disaster averted!  You may
end up with a pile of scraps that you didn't intend on having, but hey,
that's ok!  And at least you're not covered with mud.

Today...

What does your self portrait look like today?  Are you
happy?  Sad?  Overwhelmed?  What would a photo of
you today say?  Me?  I'm happy :)
 

Wondering...

 

• what makes rain smell SO good


• why I don't ride my bike everywhere


• why doesn't anyone else see that the garbage needs to go out or that the weeds need to be pulled


• if anyone knows where their shoes go...or their laundry, for that matter


• why Facebook is so addicting


• if I'll ever be caught up...with anything...and does it really matter?


• what is it that makes no bake cookies so appealing


• why summer has to end


• why I can help you design pages all day...yet when it comes to my own, I draw a blank


• why can't we have a pool


• where to rent a convertible Mini Cooper to take on an impromptu road trip

What are you wondering about today?

Mexican Food

Anyone who knows me knows that I could eat Mexican food morning, noon
& night...I love chorizo, jalapenos, and hot salsa.  I have a
few places that I love to go, that serve excellent Mexican food. 
One of those places is LaFonda. 

It's in the Sunnyside neighborhood, on 2nd Street.  It's the go to
place for family get togethers.  Every time my brother in law
comes to town, that's where he wants to go.  Even 20 years after
moving away he's drawn to LaFonda...and I have to say, none of us
complain!

The decor is...unique.  It's like you're sitting inside a
screwdriver drink (you know, the one that's orange juice & grenadine
& some sort of alcohol).  It is BRIGHT. 

 

The food is super yummy...I mostly love their veggie fajitas &
their beans...but the chicken tacos are pretty darn yummy, too!

LaFonda
is a locally owned business...which you know I'm a fan of!  And
because I'm ridiculously addicted to Facebook, I'm a fan of them there
too...they post specials all the time!  Did you know that if you
were forced to evacuate because of the flooding in Timberline that they
will buy you lunch or dinner?  You need to show ID, and then
they'll give you a free lunch or dinner special.  How awesome is
that?  (They did it for evacuees of the Schultz Fire, too!) 

What's
your favorite thing on the LaFonda menu?  Haven't been
there?  Then where's your favorite Mexican food place? 

Mohawks & Memories

My
brother has been asking me to give the boys mohawks for a little while
now.  The boys always tell me "no way!" but this weekend, they
changed their minds.  I  have to say, mohawks on little kids
are adorable!  It just makes you smile to see them!  And they
think they are just cute as can be...and they're right! 

I
cannot wait to scrapbook the photos from Sunday...it's easy to scrapbook
when it's fresh in your mind & the story is cute.  Last week, I
did the 4 pages for Page of the Week and I intentionally pulled out an
old box of photos.  It made journaling really hard.  I just
don't remember the finer details anymore. 

I by no means
scrapbook every photo.  But I think from now on, when the photos
move me, I'm going to scrapbook it right away...so I don't
forget.  

Here's a challenge today:  pull out 2 or 3
photos & scrapbook something that just happened.  And then
pull out 2 or 3 photos that you've had for a while.  Did you notice
a difference? 

Self Portrait Friday

Todays assignment is to take a photo of something that makes you
deliriously happy.  Lots of things make me deliriously happy, but
these new toys are topping the list right now!  I cannot wait to
try out my new toy camera lens...and my camera is already in that groovy
bowler bag.  And you know what made me happiest?  My order
from Photojojo came with a silly little dinosaur...

Have a fantastic weekend!
 

Happy Today

You?

what's your morning look like?

(I have a new toy on my phone called FX Camera...loving the fun things you can do with it! This photo was the Toy Photo app.)
Do
you have a routine every morning? I'm sure you
do...crazy...frantic...can barely get out the door each day. Or maybe
it's calm...peaceful...even enjoyable. Mine is a combination of both.
When I get up in the morning I grab a cup of coffee and the paper and
head out to the backyard. I just sit and savor the beauty of the day.
Then I realize that I've stayed out too long and I have to take a quick
shower and rush out the door to make it to the store on time. Really
rush. And lately I've Bern riding my bike to work...I cannot tell you
how much I love that! Even if I only have 15 minutes I've been hopping
on my bike.
I love my morning routine! What about you? What's your morning look
like?

Dutch Oven Cooking

The other day when I posted photos of our camping trip by the lava
tubes, I got a comment that maybe I ought to share our dutch oven
breakfast recipe.  I'm happy to oblige (although my husband told me
I was giving away an ancient family recipe)!

First
off, you need a nice hot fire that has a lot of coals.  Now, you
know, Flagstaff almost burned to the ground last week, so I'd like to
point out that you need to have a safe fire & take the proper
precautions to put it out when all is said and done.  I love the
town I live in & prefer you not burn it down.  Thank you. 
Thank you very much!

• cut a one pound package of bacon into 2 inch chunks & toss in the hot dutch oven


• cook until crispy, then drain out most of the grease


• toss in a package of frozen hash browns, the shredded kind and toss
  with the bacon (honestly, ours are usually not too frozen by the time we
  get to this breakfast & that is a-okay!)


• cook the hash browns a bit


• crack 12 eggs on top of the hash brown & bacon mixture, taking
  care not to break the yolks (they will fill the entire top of the hash
  brown mixture)


• put the dutch oven lid on


• now here's the tricky part:  make a bed of hot coals & set
  your dutch oven on it.  then take some more hot coals & put
  them on the lid of the dutch oven.

• cook your breakfast for, I don't know, 15-20 minutes.  You can
  check it periodically, just make sure not to dump coals in your
  breakfast.

• when the eggs are set, top with copious amounts of shredded cheese


• put the lid back on the dutch oven for a few minutes to melt the cheese

• when it's all a puddle of goo, it's done!


• scoop it out onto your plate & top with your favorite condiments...I happen to love Tapatio hot sauce
  (that link opens to Amazon.com where it's $6.95 for a 32 oz
  bottle.  Let me tell you, it's like $2 at Safeway, which I
  love!  Wouldn't pay $7 for it...)

And serving it with camp coffee is priceless!

One more little dutch oven tidbit (no photos sorry, but trust me, it's delicious!):  Dump Cake!

• take one box of yellow cake mix, one large can of peaches and one
  stick of real butter & literally dump it into your dutch
  oven...don't mix it!  Just dump it in the order I told you.


• sit it on a bet of hot coals & put the lid on with hot coals, too


• sit back & enjoy the delicious smells coming from it for about
  15 minutes, then check it...sooner if your coals are super hot


• remove the lid & enjoy the best dessert of your life! 
  Hey!  Don't try to save calories & omit the butter...it's just not the same thing.  Not at all.  And calories don't count when you're camping!

And remember...

can prevent forest fires!  From the Smokey Bear NJ website here. 

Seriously.  I'm not kidding.