Giving Thanks

We had a wonderful day at sister Jan's yesterday. In addition to both of my sisters and their families and my mom, we had 3/4's of bil John's family as well as sister Kathy's mother and father in law. Not that there was any worry that there wouldn't be enough food! But of course I had to be my smart @ss self and tell Kathy's in laws that I really wish they'd pick up a bucket of chicken or a pizza next time before they came!

We had turkey AND ham, garlic mashed taters with eleventy billion kinds of cheese in it. I was assured that all calories had been removed! There was Mom's Famous Squash Casserole (she didn't make it one year and bil John informed her that if she didn't make it in the future, not to bother to come! It's her "pass go" card!), cranberry relish, my Famous lemon juice and soy sauce marinated asparagus, baked pineapple "stuff" (cuz I can never remember what it's REALLY called!) corn pudding, sweet potato casserole, three types of bread/rolls, tossed salad (because Kathy thought we might not have enough food otherwise!), stuffing. There's more, but I don't remember and I have no pictures to guide me because somebody (read ME) forgot to take her camera. @@ There was apple pan dowdy (like an apple crumb cake for you Yankees!) made by Kathy and I made a Peanut Butter & Chocolate pie for dessert. There was much moaning and groaning and belt-letting-out after we ate and most were looking for a quiet place to sit and digest. But with our rowdy crew, there's not much chance in that! You are quickly found and picked on by others around you. But isn't that what being with family's all about?!

So this morning, I needed a couple of quick Thank You cards. I pulled out the Felicity paper pack and stamp set once again to do these cards. I also shamelessly lifted the card idea pretty much lock, stock and barrel from CTMH Wishes Idea Book and is called Simple Statements.

CPS challenge

Needed a really quick card to take with me to the Thanksgiving feast at Jan's later today, so I turned to http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ for my inspiration!

I pulled out an old CTMH Promotion paper pack that I have eleventy-billion packs left of called Serendipity and the accompanying stamp set to make this card. This is one of my all-time favorite paper packs. Which is why I've got eleventy-billion packs of it! I ordered the crap-ola out of it!! The flower is pop-dotted for some visual interest.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Safe travels to one and all.

Look what the mailman brung!

My friend Jill out in California-land sent me a "feel better" package. She knows how much I love everything that the Temecula Olive Oil Company has to offer, so she got some Lemon Verbena Olive Butter (for the skin) and sent, and man does that stuff smell GOOD and make your skin feel sooooo soft! She also sent along the Sonoma Farm Hope Stoopid Ale that she forgot to bring when she came to visit this past summer. I've been known to spell stupid "Stoopid" when talking about really stoopid people or events and she said as soon as she saw it, she knew she had to get some for me. And I must confess, I wasn't crazy about the beer itself, but the empty bottle will have a place of honor on my shelves. She also made a beautiful Asian inspired card to make me feel better from all of the mouth troubles that are STILL going on. It's the exposed nerves that are giving me fits. I can't wait til the new bone finally gets in gear and starts growing to cover them. Thank you my friend!

CardPatterns challenge

Took advantage of the CardPatterns challenge this week to use a beautiful new CTMH Promotion paper pack. It's not available to customers til Jan 2010, but Consultants could begin ordering it now to get samples made up. There are 12 B&T papers, 6 Die Cut papers and a combo alphabet and floral stamp set included in this set.

I needed a thank you card, so I used one of the die cut papers for the outside circles. There are two sizes of birds in the stamp set, so I used the larger of the two for my image. A Bitty Brad for it's eye and Diamond Stickles cover the entire bird.

CPS challenge

Needing a birthday card for bil Bruce, I turned to this weeks http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ challenge.

I used CTMH Stardust paper pack, along with two CTMH stamp sets, Happy Birthday and Celebrate the Everyday. Stickles were used for the requisite bling! Boyz need bling too!!!

gift bags

I had to go run some errands yesterday and one stop was Target. LOVE the Dollar Spot at Target! Very rarely do I ever not find something I can't live without!! They had some really cute clear cello bags with snow and snowmen on them, 20 for $1.00. Also found some 12 x 12 Christmas scrapbook paper to use for projects; 8 sheets for $1.00. I bought some Christmas candy and made up some bags to give all of the ladies who will be at sister Jan's for Thanksgiving. I stamped the topper using CTMH Jingle Borders stamp set and just stapled it to the tops of the bags. Candy used was Hersey's Miniatures, Life Savers Holiday Mix and Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark with Dark Chocolate Squares.

And can I just add, those Peppermint Bark Dark Chocolate squares. To. Die. For. Go quickly and get you some! I bet they don't last long. And they're on sale this week at Target! I think I *may* need to go get a bag just for me.

I'm just sayin!

Out with the old...

We finally got the house painted. Well...most of the house anyway! Both of us managed to brain-fart doing the bottom edge of the FRONT of the house! Not the back or the sides. Nope, the front. The part every.body sees when they drive past. Once a redneck always a redneck! It will get done, but we were both so beat when we finished up Friday afternoon that all we could do was stand back and laugh at our brain-deadedness! So anyway!

We went from a cream colored house with blue trim to a mustard colored house with a brownish trim. I was going for a "Tuscan" feel. Don't know if I accomplished that, but we like it!

CardPatterns challenge

Needing a sketch to make my last (for a while) CTMH SOM swap cards, I used this weeks sketch at CardPatterns.

I used CTMH Grace pp, along with the Dec SOM, Notice the Details. There's also some Smooch pearlized accent ink along the top edges of the sqaures for some detail.

I'm still here!

Still having pain and swelling issues with my mouth. Maybe the Perio knew what he was talking about when he said it would take the full four months for me to heal. Hmmmmm!! Just yesterday John and I noticed I was all brusied and swollen under my left eye again.. Seems a bit better this morning.

John's on vaca this week. And this is the vacation that we do the "honey-do's" around the house that we never have time to get to when he's working. So we've cleaned the flower beds around the house and trimmed back all of the stuff around the house. (Trash men LOVED us yesterday!) We started painting the exterior of the house yesterday but the remenent rains from Tropical Storm Ida drove us inside. It's cloudy today, but no painting since John needed to go to his folks and check on them. Mother-in-law is doing better now that she's back home, but John wants to keep a very close eye on them. Hopefully the weather will cooperate with us and we can get the painting finished up tomorrow. I'll post pics once it's done!

I posted a while ago about my Double second cousin, Nona. http://sue-thislife.blogspot.com/2009/09/from-heart.html I'm sad to say that she lost her battle this past Saturday, Nov 7, 2009. She was a class act. A true Southern Belle in every sense of the word. She will be very much missed. Not only by her family, but many in the community that loved her. Rest in Peace, Nona.

CPS challenge

One of my favorite CTMH people, Susan Tomaino is once again the sponsor for this weeks sketch at http://www.cardpositioningsystems.blogspot.com/ and Tami has another great sketch for us to try.

Even though we are a bit cooler than we were last week, breaking record high temps all week, we are by no means "fallish" here in the Sunshine State of FL!! But ever the optimist, I went with a fall theme card!

I pulled out CTMH Twitterpated pp, along with two "oldie but goodie" stamp sets; Fall and Skeleton Leaves. The leaves are embossed and cut out and pop-dotted for eye appeal. I stamped the sentiment on Twill ribbon with Chocolate ink. The shapes were cut using my Nestabilities.