Books, Books, Books!!!

I love reading! I come by it naturally...my Grandmother loves to ready romance novels by the 5 cent bag full who instilled the love of books to my mother who always has a book or book on tape...sometimes both! I remember when I was younger, mom and dad always reading mysteries....Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Grisham. So, that is what I tended to read as a young adult. R.L. Stine was my favorite author as a teen. Mom would censor (per my request) which King or Koontz would be good and not too scary. The older I have gotten, the more variety I read...although fiction still my favorite. I have a hard time getting through non-fiction. I never thought I would love girly, mindless romances, but I do!!

Besides my crafty hobbies, the bookstore gets a lot of our money!!! We are in there at least once a week! I could never have a nook, kindle thing because I love holding my books, turning the pages, reading about the author, and thumbing through the front and back before I dive into my new read!

I usually have a stack on my nightstand or office waiting for me. I always have a wish list at the bookstore! I have multiple authors that I read everything they write, other authors have series that I am hooked on.

Currently, I am reading Gil McNeil's "Knit One Pearl One". It is the third in a yarn shop series that takes place in a small seaside town in England.

I LOVE Nicholas Sparks!!! I have read everything he has written and all the movies to come from those books!

My inspiration for the yarn store came from Kate Jacobs' novels, "Friday Night Knitting Club"! I have also read her "Knit Two", "Knit the Season", (both followups to FNKC) and "Comfort Food".

When True Blood debuted on HBO about two years ago, Casey and I were so excited...a new show! After the first episode, we were hooked! And realized that it was based on Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse book series! I jumped all over that and I have read all 11 of them! (The 12th comes out this summer.) We collect the True Blood box sets too!
Interesting side note for you Emporia gals....I put a link to the #1 True Blood Fan site above and guess who created and manages it....Melissa Lowery! Plus she operates websites for Chuck and several other popular TV shows.

My favorite bookstore owner and friend recommended a lighter, fun vampire series by Mary Janice Davidson's...The Undead, Vampire Betsy books. She has 10 so far and the 11th comes out this summer!

"PS I Love You" is one off my favorite books and movies!!

Chocolate Shop Series is fun too!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS OR BOOKS!?!? Please share, anyone want to start a book club??

Happy reading!!!

Crafting and Baking with Lily

Mom, Lily and I had a craft day to make goodies from Mom's co-workers. Mom used my Big Shot (from Stampin' Up) and we cut out treat bags, decorated, and filled them with treats!


Lily ready to work! She helped me run paper thru the Big Shot cutting out all the bags.

The first 12 bags done for her Bunco group!

One bag filled with cocoa, chocolate spoon, marshmallows, and chocolate stick!

I worked on cocoa packet treats while mom glued bags. Lily helped me stamp!

Later in December, Rose, Lily and Mom scheduled time to bake cookies for Lily's class party. I came to help!

Rolling out gingerbread cookies in sugar.

More sugar!


Licking her fingers when all done baking!

Lily's tray of cookies for her class! She was so excited!

SUDOKU!!!

I love Sudoku puzzles! In a very bad accent, Casey calls me the "Sudoku Master"!



Mom started me on this very addictive game several years back. Then last year, I found my favorite Sudoku game books...JUMBO SUDOKU SPRING (FALL, SUMMER...you get the idea)! They have over 265 games and 5 different Sudoku varieties!

I usually work several a day. If I am home and watching TV, the book of puzzles is usually in my hand. I am about ready for a trip to my favorite book store for my next season's book! For those that don't want to use paper and pencil, there are electronic handheld games, Facebook apps and online puzzles to try!

Try a SUDOKU today, you will be addicted too!

Things that make me smile....

Yesterday, I was driving across town and passed a car with a boxer hanging out the window. I love to see dogs with their heads out a car window...tongues out, and ears flapping in the wind! It always made make me smile!

It reminded me of the website 1000 Awesome Things..... http://1000awesomethings.com/
I found them on Facebook, they have a book or two also.

This one my girls will appreciate! 90's sitcom theme songs! :)
http://1000awesomethings.com/2011/09/26/149-cheesy-theme-songs-from-90s-sitcoms/

Not only do they post the "awesome thing", but they post an explanation and usually video or pictures! :) I could spend all day on this site....so if you are feeling blue or in a slump...check it out! It is guaranteed to make you smile!

AND sometimes laugh out loud...like this one...even snort! :)
http://1000awesomethings.com/2011/07/21/196-accidental-snorts/

I hope you find something that makes you happy today and everyday!

A Dog's Life

It must me nice to be a dog in our house....they are very spoiled! We have Lucy, our almost 11 year old Walker Hound-Lab mix. Then, we have Harry! Harry, our 6 year old Boxer, is quite something. The pick of the litter, beautiful coloring, but boy is he dumb!

We call him.....
Harry
Harry Monster
Dufus Harry
Dufus Head
Harry Crazy
Baby Harry
Monster Head
Hungry Hippo
Fatbutt

Wigglebutt
....the list goes on!

He is our pillow eating, whining, always hungry, wake you up at 5am, tug of war playing, jacked-up teeth, love sponge!

A day in the life of Harry....

I normally wake up to the sound of Harry whining, and his nose nuzzling my arm about 5:00-5:30am each morning (even weekends). I reluctantly get out of bed, shuffle in to feed him (yes, I said FEED...he doesn't wake us up early to pee! NOPE, it's to eat!), and usually Lucy wakes up when she hears food being scooped. I then let both dogs outside. Ahhh, now I can go back to bed you think? Nope! Because, just as your head hits the pillow, Harry will bang on the back door to be let back inside (while Lucy stays out and plays or lays in the grass). This process usually takes a half hour, then we snuggle back to bed for a little while longer before my real alarm goes off and Casey gets up.

On the weekends, this is usually our wakeup call...Harry right in our faces!

Every morning, I remove the pillows from the bed or he will chew them/de-stuff them; close the bathroom door, to keep both dogs out of the trash; and shut the office door, so he will not chew on anything in there. (He got into papers and yarn a lot when he was younger...would he now?...don't know but not taking any changes!)

We come home for lunch and it is like we have been gone for days! He bounces and wiggles and spins because he is so happy to see us! Harry gets especially bouncy when Casey comes home versus me....I don't know why?! While eating lunch, Harry rests his head on the coffee table and breaths heavy or slobbers on you and your plate trying to get some food! He might lay down on his bed in the living room, trying to fake you out, but he just really wants some of your food! Unfortunately, it is a dinner time ritual too.

The dogs sleep most the day away, usually on our bed. (oops, forgot the pillows that day!)

After work, in the evenings, we play outside. He loves his football or "chewy"! We try fetch, but he really isn't very good at dropping the toy and we end up playing tug of war with it instead!

We come inside and we fix their bowls with Harry leaving a puddle of drool on the floor while waiting impatiently. He eats like a horse, wolfing down his food in 2 seconds flat. We think, if we left a feeder for them, he would eat and eat and eat til he was sick....dumb dog is always hungry!!!

Some nights we take walks as a family. Now, "WALK" is a four letter word in our house, not to be mentioned and only spelled. If the dogs hear the WALK....they instantly go nuts...their ears perk up, they get all bouncy and happy! Once we are changed for our walk, poop bags loaded in our pockets, we ask them "do you want to go on a WALK", and out the leashes come!!! Harry is so happy and loves walks!!!! But, he usually tires out early. He will stop, lay down and expect you to wait for him. We pull on the leash and he will reluctantly get up, run a little ahead, then slow down again. Once home, he collapses onto the floor, tongue rolled out, panting!

Harry loves having his butt scratched by Casey (I refuse)! He will sit down right in front of or on Casey and look backwards/upside-down waiting for Casey to scratch that perfect spot above his stubby little tail. Harry loves it and finds nothing better than being loved and scratched all the time!

Harry loves to play with Lucy, but Lucy doesn't like to play with Harry all the time. It is like the pesky little brother who wants to hang out with his big sis all the time! Lucy tolerates him, but would much prefer to be an only dog. Harry does have size on Lucy though and often uses what we call, "the power of the fat foo" to push her out of the way, getting all the attention and love!

Evenings when it is cold, the dogs love to snuggle in bed. I usually go to bed first and read. If Casey stays in the living room or office, Harry stays there too. BUT, as soon as Casey is up getting ready for bed, Harry wanders in, jumps up into bed, and plops down right next to me, taking up most of Casey's half of the bed. It is a battle every night for covers and I LOVE COVERS, but so does my Harry! And he has to be right in between us, like a little puppy sandwich. He is not happy unless he has squeezed his fat puppy self right in the middle and is touching both Casey and I simultaneously! There he will snuggle all night long (usually kicking Casey several time), until early in the morning when we start all over again!

My body is fighting me!

I went to yoga last night after work. It did me good to relax, stretch and rest. (Although, my fat and boobs always get in the way....yoga stretches and poses are just not as easy with extra curves.)

When I got home, Casey and I decided to walk the dogs...the weather has been great! Halfway into our walk, as we were crossing the street, I fell. One minute I was up, the next, I was down. I rolled my right ankle, AGAIN for the hundreth time, and fell hard on my left knee! Luckily, Casey was with me, when I fell, I dropped Lucy's leash and he caught her before she ran off. There I sat, crying and moaning, it hurt, but it was more because I was so effing pissed off at myself!!! We walked about a block and I sent him home for the car.

This always happens!!! Just as I get on a roll, re-energized, refocused on exercising, biking, walking...I hurt myself. My knee has been acting up since I hurt it a couple months ago, but I have been doing "knee friendly" exercises recently. Every six months or so, I twist my ankle. Yesterday morning I was all inspired to work out in the mornings or add more days to my workout schedule during the week (like from 1 or 2 times a week to 3-4 times). NOW, I am down again for a few weeks at least.

I think my body is clearly telling me it loves being this size and doesn't need to loose weight....right??!!

My So Called Life

Blast from the past....the year was 1994. Angela Chase was in love with Jordan Catilano and MTV's My So Called Life was my favorite show. 19 episodes in the entire series, I never understood why the network cancelled MSCL...it will forever be a classic 90's show that instantly transports me back to high school and my early college days. Teenage angst, friendship, first love, fitting in, zits, identity crisis, peer pressure, family drama...the good, bad and ugly of it all! As much as I love my 80's brat pack classics....MSCL is all 90's and I love that Netflix has the entire series for me to rewatch and relive whenever I want.

I watched 2 episodes tonight...11& 12....12 is one of my favs and my love of Buffalo Tom started with this episode. Angela keeps skipping class to make out with Jordan in the basement of school. He likes her but doesn't want to admit it to his friends or himself. Then there is the moment at the end, where the light comes on, he realizes he likes her, really likes her, and crosses the hallway, asks if they can "go somewhere", they leave together and he takes her hand! Ahhhhh.....and in the background...Buffalo Tom's "Late at Night" is playing...see watch it for yourself here.

Obviously, Claire Danes becomes a big star and Jared Leto...kinda, but what ever happened to the rest of My So Called Life's cast....Ricky, Raeann, Sharon, Brian??
They don't make shows like they use to. Feeling nostalgic....put in some Buffalo Tom and My So Called Life...it will just make you smile!