Hello, 40... (*sigh*)

Facebook messages....

Funny card from my husband....

Free coffee drink at Caribou....

Homemade chex mix....

Pasta soup for dinner....

Text messages....

Phone calls from both sets of parents (mine and the in-laws)....

Harry Potter #7-part 2....

Organizing the Big Guy's office....

Helping the Big Guy get past a level in Angry Birds....

and this....

It's a nightlight in the shape of the leg lamp from A Christmas Story, given to me from my mom.  

Perfect way to ring in the Big 4-0, don't you think?

Why I Could Never Be on a Bowling League...

Exhibit A....

Our first game of bowling.  (I'm the third person listed).
Not bad!  I broke 100 as did Tracy.


Exhibit B...

Our third game of bowling.
Dead last.


I blame it on the fact that the lane next to us was filled with kids and the kept taking my ball to bowl.  

Gratefulness Lost...

As we celebrate Thanksgiving this week and reflect on what makes us grateful, I can't help but think that true gratitude and thankfulness has been lost.

One Target employee really dislikes the idea.  He started a petition asking Target to reconsider so that the employees could spend more time with their families on the holiday.  He got an astounding amount of signatures because the petition went viral (something like 250,000...).

I've been there.  I worked retail for 6 short months as my primary job (not just a part time, extra money gig like this guy is doing) when I lived in Michigan with the ex.  While I had a part time gig teaching at a local university, I needed to make more money.  Meijer hired me on the spot as a manager.

I had never worked retail.  But I knew that my weekends were gone.  I knew that I'd work odd hours.  I knew that holiday's weren't a guaranteed "day off".  I took the job out of necessity.

I knew that the store was closed one day a year--Christmas.  FINALLY!  A guaranteed day off!  But, that was short lived.  I was asked to report to work on Christmas day, 10:00 p.m. - 6:00 a.m. to help get ready for the "After Christmas Sale."  

Yes.  I hated it.
Yes.  I would have rather been at home.
Yes.  I would have rather spent time with my family.

But I had to work.
It was my job.
My responsibility.
I needed the income from this job.  

So, dear Target employee, unlike those who are saying, "it's your job...deal with it", I am one of the few who get it.  It would be nice, wouldn't it?  Just once to have a day off on a holiday?  But, dear Target employee, you need to count your blessings. 

YOU HAVE A JOB.

You have a job in a time when so many don't.  Where so many people would gladly work at 11:00 p.m. to bring home a paycheck.  You work in a community where there are people in line at a food shelf for free turkeys and veggies so they could make a meal for their family.  You work in a community where people are still being laid off every. single. day.

You have lost your gratefulness, young man. 

Snowy Weekend....

It snowed this weekend and this little girl got her first taste...ever.
She went NUTS.

Seeing her run, jump and "plow" the snow on her nose, is enough to get over the fact that it actually snowed.

I'm working on being able to telecommute from San Diego.
So far, my school isn't so keen on the idea.

I Know Bacon is a Garnish, but Really....

I'm away on a work trip and while in the airport, I loaded up on the required magazine-to-miles-traveled-ratio.  I picked up the latest Food Network magazine and as I flipped through, I found this...

While we love bacon I can't help but wonder when bacon became OK to put in a drink.  
Candied or not....I just can't do it.


The Big Guy on the other hand....he is all for it.
Sorry, hon.  You're on your own.

Holiday Wreath (yes. From Pinterest)

When I did the Pinterest link up a little while ago, I mentioned that I was going to make a rag wreath with some Christmas material I found.   I made the wreath.  It looks like a pom-pom for a cheer squad.  That's what happens when you pick green, white, red and black.


OOOPS!!


I really wanted something fun for a wreath and found this on pinterest.

To which I bought these supplies (the orange snow fence is NOT required for this project. ha!):

I dug out the glue gun.
Dusted off the glue sticks.
And began to create my wreath.

Total cost:


Foam wreath form:  $2.45 (I had a coupon to save 40%)
Ornaments:  $35 (ouch)
Glue gun & sticks:  free (already owned)


Tips:
*wait to do this AFTER the holiday season and get the ornaments on sale.  That was my downfall.  While I bought a "bonus pack" of that included 42 ornaments of various sizes and colors, I needed 2.  They cost me $12 each, and that was on sale. 
*I also used miniature ornaments, and needed 3 packs of 24...costing $11 total.  These mini ornaments filled in the little spaces.
*It really did go quickly....an afternoon, tops.  
*The link above gives you step by step instructions--and they were spot on.


Final result.....
I love it.
The Big Guy said, "It looks like something from the 70's."
I refrained from comments about his age.

Quick Craft Project....

I went to Crafts Direct this weekend, which is like a JoAnn Fabrics and Michaels all rolled into one.  They have lots of great stuff, too.  From fancy paper, to wood items, to holiday decorations....I have to admit that it's good thing that Crafts Direct isn't in my little town.

I'd be broke!

But, there were some sales deals and I created this for about $6 (Harry Potter books extra)....

Keep in mind, I'm not actually wishing that this will happen.   That snow can stay away for a long....long....time.

**Edited to add:  I posted this on my facebook page and a friend asked, "How did you do that?"  It was simple really:

6 wood blocks
White paint
Sand paper
Vinyl rub on (that I cut apart)

I painted the blocks white and sanded the edges to give them a worn look. I cut apart the rub-on, and pressed it to the blocks.  The blocks are not attached to one another, so I can be creative with how I display them.

40 Things Before I'm 40, only a few weeks left (CRAP!)...

If you're new to my corner of the interwebs, or need a refresher, I made a big blod claim that I would try to complete 40 items before I turned 40 in November.

Did you look at the calendar?
Holy Moses.  It's November.
And my list?  Yep.  Not done.

Here's the list again.  I've crossed out what I have completed.

Note:  I've crossed out some items because they're just not possible and are highlighted in green.  Like seeing the shuttle launch.  They're not doing that anymore, and while we attempted a trip to go--I got a new job and didn't have PTO for 6 months.  So... you get the idea.

1. Sign up and complete a 5K
2. Bike the Paul Bunyon trail
3. Go on the Rip Cord at Valleyfair with my cousin Karla
4. Read the Bible5. Go on a trip to somewhere I've never been (airport layovers don't count).6. Learn to make jelly/jam and how to can (with my mother)7. Attend an information session on adoption8. Attend the Opera9. Pay off my credit card and shred it when it's paid off10. Take a photography class
11. Eat a small steak (I haven't eaten beef since 1993)12. Learn to shoot a hand gun (my husband will LOVE this one)
13. Go zip-lining14. Go out to the Split Rock Light House on Lake Superior
15. Learn to make lefse16. Research my family tree and find out more on my dad's father (he was adopted and we have very little information on his biological family).
17. Write a children's book18. Watch every movie that earned the Best Picture Oscar since 1990 (borrowed from my friend Wendy's list)
19. Try every drink on the Caribou Coffee menu20. Re-learn sign language (I took a class in college, but have slowly forgotten it)
21. Swim with dolphins22. Send a message in a bottle23. See a shuttle launch (this is the last year, isn't it?)24. Visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art25. Read the entire Harry Potter series again26. Ride a Unicycle27. Go to one game for every MN sports team: Timberwolves, Wild, Twins, Vikings28. Go to a Minnesota Orchestra Concert
29. Write a letter to President Obama30. Learn to juggle31. Take at least one course online and finish it32. Make an alumni donation to UND33. Own something with the new UND nickname (I don't have to like it...)34. Learn to make artisan bread35. Go through a corn maze36. Make a birthday calendar and send cards to those who have a birthday
37. Read the entire For Better of For Worse Comic Strip Series (that one is for you Kevin)
38. Make 100 handmade greeting cards39. Make a gingerbread house from scratch40. Watch every episode of Friends (believe it or not, have not seen them all...)
What's left?
A bunch of stuff that I need to try and cram into the next month, that's what is left.  Add in there that I have 2 work trips, this could be quite the challenge.  So, let's be realistic shall we?  Here are the ones I plan to complete before my birthday....

11.  Eat a small steak
24.  Visit the Minneapolis Institute of Art
25.  Go to a Wild game (T-wolves are done, Twins are done, Vikings...no thanks)
32.  Make an alumni donation to UND
39.  Gingerbread house from scratch

Lord have mercy on my soul!

Recycling is what Pinterest is about, right?

Not only recycling old stuff into something new.
But also recycling posts I've already done on this blog.

Recycling.  It does the earth good.
Or my blog posts.
You get the idea....

Over at Young House Love  (and Bower Power, and House of Earnest) they're doing another Pinterest Challenge to share what you've made, inspired by Pinterest. I love this because it inspires me to do more fun, creative stuff!  (I told my mom the other day that I was working on a project that I found on Pinterest.  I said, "yeah...it's my new thing."  She replied, "I think Pinterest is your new thing..."  Yep.  It is.)

Anyway, I've done a lot of fun things from Pinterest.  The first time they did this challenge, I showcased my House Rules.  Here's some of what I've created since then (if you want to see more details, you can click the post where I showcased the project.  Links are below)....

1.  Re-purposed China Cabinet:
I saw this:

Source: Uploaded by user via Kelley on Pinterest

And thought, "what do you know.  I have one of those in the garage."  It went from this:

to this....

and when we buy our first (and only) house, it will be used as a linen storage in a guest room.  To see the original post, click here.


2.  Chalk Board from an Old Window:
I saw this:

Source: littlelucylu.com via Liz on Pinterest

And upon taking some brush and weeds out to the back-40 at the farm, found a stack of old windows.  I thought, "hey.  I could make a fun chalk board out of that!"  It went from this:

to this....

and I have more compliments on how cool that is and friends asking me to make them one--crooked hooks and all (ha!).  Sorry friends, this was the only single-pane window I found.  It's all mine and you can't have it.

To see the original post, click here.

3.  Rag Wreaths
This is my new project.  I am LOVING these.
I saw this:

Source: sassysanctuary.blogspot.com via Kelli on Pinterest

And thought, "SUPER CUTE!!"  I also thought, "I could do that and not get bored and quit 1/2 way through!"  So, I picked up the supplies and wala....

A cute little autumn wreath!  I have stuff to make a Christmas one too! 

Here are my tips:
*Be sure to use fabric that is similar in feel.  Thinner fabric works best.  Anything with glitter or metallic thread woven through it can be a little thicker and a little tougher to tie.
*I double knotted to get the wreath to be fuller. 
*Don't worry about the strips of fabric (they measure approx. 1 inch x 6 inches) being "perfect".  They're tied to a wire wreath frame, no one is going to notice.  Trust me.

Total cost?  About $15. 
I have this down to a science.  I can watch 5 episodes of Sex and the City or 5 episodes of Friends (all on DVD), and get this done.  Perfect for a Sunday afternoon on the couch. 

So, head on over to Young House Love and see what people have been inspired to make from Pinterest!  And if you want to follow me on Pinterest--go for it (my little link it over on the left). 

Though lately I am finding that I am pinning food...which explains why my pants are tighter than normal...