February 24, 2010

Hi Ho Hi Ho..it's off to work we go!

 
So sorry...no time to visit right now...
We are in the middle of some major cleaning and home repairs at my parents house ... 
it is looking be-u-ti-ful!

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!


Hugs to all,
Carrie

February 20, 2010

California here we come...

Yes... right back where we started from...

My husband and I are heading to Southern California tomorrow morning...Burbank Airport to be exact...to visit our family.  We are specifically going to stay at my parent's house and help them with some home repairs and general maintenance! We will be able to visit with my siblings and their spouses and nieces and nephews too as they join us to help with the chores!

 My Parents: Jean and Hal

I am not sure how often I will be able to get to the computer?
Hopefully I will be able to drop a line or two.
Please pray for our safety while traveling.  
We will be back soon!



February 18, 2010

The Final Valentine Surprise...

Valentine's Day was on a Sunday night this year...so we had our usual ...
Family Sunday Dinner.
I made "Un-Stuffed Stuffed Cabbage" and decorated the table special for the "Love Day"!
We played some fun games and I presented a gift to each of our children and guests.
 On top of the presents for my four daughters, were these cute roses...
Can you tell what they are made out of?

 

  

Yes...they are made from bikini lace panties! 
And for my husband...

 
This special "Love Journal"...




It was a Valentine's Day overflowing with love, laughter, thoughtfulness, friends and family!
Just as it should be!





February 17, 2010

Valentine Surprise #3...

 After getting ready for church on Valentine's Day morning...I walked into the kitchen and found this box sitting on the counter.  Inside was a beautiful silver heart necklace from Brighton.  But that wasn't all...when I read the card  it said that I had to go on a "Treasure Hunt" for my other goodies...
All these little gift bags were hidden around the room, each holding a treasure!

A beautiful charm bracelet...


  
 A little ring charm...

 
A sweet heart charm...

These beautiful earrings...

 
And this gorgeous "Heart Necklace"! 

  
Each package was so fun to find and so sweetly wrapped...


After our special dinner the night before...this was just "over the top"!
Thank  you, Honey!    I love you!
P.S. Oh I forgot...there is even more tomorrow!





February 16, 2010

Valentine Surprise #2...

On Saturday morning my husband gave me movie tickets for myself and  my best friend, Marsha.  We were going to a 4:50 showing and then being taken out for a surprise dinner, etc.

When the movie was over we drove back to the house to meet up with our husbands...but we were not going OUT to dinner at all...instead they greeted us with long stemmed red roses and proceeded to escort us to our "table" for dinner.  They had prepared a special Valentine's Day Dinner...complete with chocolates, candles, wine, music and all the trimmings.  They even had a printed menu at our place settings.
It was beautiful!

 The menu consisted of :
Appetizer : Petit Quiches
Salad : Mandarin Orange & Almond
Entree : Tender Filet Mignon
Succulent Crab Legs
Asparagus Risotto
Dessert: Red Velvet Cupcake w/ French Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

 We each received a Filigree Chocolate Heart from "Moonstruck Chocolates"...look inside...
 
  
Chocolate "Love Bugs"

Thank you...Honey...
 
Our friends Marsha & Kirk!
...more tomorrow!






February 14, 2010

Valentine Surprise #1...

Happy Valentine's Day to all!
Hope you have a wonderful day filled with love and surprises!

Here is my Surprise #1!

This box was delivered at my door?  Who could it be from?

A dozen roses...from my husband? No it can't be because the box was addressed to both of us?
Hmmm???
 The kids...all five of our kids got together and sent these roses to us along with a box of chocolates.
 Pretty special uh?  We are indeed very lucky and blessed parents to have such a wonderful family!
More surprises tomorrow!
It has been a Valentine's Weekend!




February 12, 2010

Look what we found!

My husband found this tiny daffodil poking through the earth in our garden today and brought it in for me!

 Oh what joy!
For all of you that are sitting in 2 feet or more of snow right now...Spring IS coming!

Isn't it funny...just when you think you can't take much more...there is hope...right in your own backyard!

February 9, 2010

Creating a Gift is Joyful!

I had the privilege of attending a baby shower for a girlfriend of one of my daughters.
The baby is a boy and she is naming him "Jack", a name I am very fond of.
(My father's name was Jack)

I always try to give a little something that I hand make...
... my way of adding a personal touch to gift giving.

As all of you crafters know...there is just something special about receiving a present that exudes the love, time and thought that went into it.

So I made this for dear little Jack!





February 5, 2010

Do you remember these?

I uncovered some of these old books of stamps recently...
...and boy did they bring back memories...fun memories!
Remember pasting the stamps in books for your mom?  
We had a system...once our tongues were dried up from licking, we would take a wet sponge, put it on a little plate and form a "wet & paste" assembly line.

It was so much fun...working together for a common goal.
When the books were filled and counted we would look through the catalog page by page wondering what prizes our mom would choose?

 
The catalog seemed to offer just about everything!
  
S & H Green Stamps were a form of trading stamps popular in the United States from the 1930s until the late 1980s. They were distributed as part of a rewards program at grocery stores, gas stations, and other retail stores. The first S&H Green Stamps were issued in 1896!
 
During the 1960s, the rewards catalog printed by the company was the largest publication in the United States and the company issued three times as many stamps as the U.S. Postal Service.
The amount of stamps you would get was based on the amount of dollars you spent.  

You took your stamps to the Green Stamps store...where the prizes were on display.  When your choice had been made...the item would come out from the back stockroom on a conveyor belt for pick up, like the luggage claim at the airport!

What most people do not know is that S&H is still around! Even better, S &H Green Stamps are still valid! Today you can exchange them for their new digital currency known as "S & H greenpoints" or cash.
Fun times...

Oh...and do you remember these too?

Perhaps you have a memory to share about these stamps?



February 3, 2010

Cheese... Optional


Here is a quick recipe for a "middle-of-the-week" dinner...
I call it:

"Triple P Pasta"
(I will tell you what the 3 p's stand for at the end of this post)

This dish can be made in a jiffy...I found some wonderful pre-cooked ham (sodium nitrate free) that I cut into thin strips and sauteed in a pan with 4 cloves of garlic and a little olive oil.  After cooking for 10 mins or so, I added some frozen peas,  kalamata olives, diced tomatoes and some of this fabulous spread from "Trader Joes".

 
 You can use this spread on toast or crackers...even as a veggie dip, but I frequently use it for a quick pasta sauce or as a thickening agent.

 
As you can see from the label...it contains all "real" ingredients...(acetic acid is a colorless, organic acid, which gives vinegar its sour taste and pungent smell.)
 I usually stir in a little water to thin it out and then sprinkle in whatever spices I have on hand.
Boil the pasta....and your meal is ready!

Oh yes...I didn't forget...the three "P's?..."Pasta, Peas & Pig?"...ok ham!
I bet you thought it was Parmesan...

La Buona Cucina!


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