Ok Tawk like this

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

and i'm darn proud of it. You gotta take this quiz - it has me pegged perfectly!

ok that one was fun so i took another quiz

Your Christmas lights are glowing 100%.

Awesome! Your Christmas tree lights up the whole room! You are a true lover of all things Christmas, and a joy for those around you!

Christmas Trivia
Make Your Own Quiz

i doooooooo love Christmas!

happy birthday mista P

yes i've been gone a few days... well more than that but life gets crazy. i'm doing a newish job at work and its taking some getting used to is all i'll say.

i'm tired.

i'm also having computer problems. my darned Norton AntiVirus is a piece of garbage. And since i've been having these problems i've found i'm not the only one who thinks Norton AntiVirus is garbage - its all over the internet. If you have anti-virus software i don't think you should get a trojan - i'm just sayin.

but enough on that nonsense. its too aggravating for words.

My superman - computer-wise - is arriving home from college tomorrow and he will put forth heroic efforts i'm sure to rectify my problems.

(translation: hey if you fix my computer problems - now THAT would be a great Christmas present - to which superson replied - cool!)

Today is my dear nephew's 7th birthday. I priority mailed his gifts the other day and i hope he likes them. (two shirts - he actually likes new clothes - and one of my all time favorite books Charlotte's Web. I have to admit i had a hard time mailing that book off. I wanted to re-read it right then and there. Such a wonder of a book. If you haven't read it - i guess that's possible- do yourself a big fat favor and get to the store or a library this weekend. You won't be disappointed.) It's so difficult to shop for him and his brother - who will celebrate his birthday one month from today. Difficult because it is so close to Christmas. I have to set my mind on gifts for both occasions for both children. I would never combine the gifts - i grew up with a few Christmas babies - they always said they got gyped. And there will be no gypping these two special boys!

I did manage to make my nephew a silly little birthday card - i think he will love this!

made with my quickutz happy frog die and Purple Onion Designs alphas and some string.

I've been also fooling around with some stamp carving. i've had cute little birdies on the brain for a while - i haven't been able to find any stamps i liked so i decided to make my own

these are just some quick stampings i did of them to see how they looked when inked and i may just use one on something soon.

i don't know if you've ever carved your own stamps but i have to say that carving is probably one of the most relaxing things to do ever. I highly recommend it. When i was done carving them out i was thinking how i missed that feeling - just being totally in that zone - so focused and concentrating completely on what i was making. it's a wonderful feeling.

(as opposed to the peri-menopausal crazy feelings i've been having lately... but i digress)

i also made this cute little glittered up star the other day - i must upload a picture of it. It is just a silly paper mache star i painted with glue and threw glitter all over but you know - its beautiful.

Finally before i forget, i see that i've been tagged by Barbara http://smith411.typepad.com/my_weblog/ to list 6 weird things about myself. Well miss B - i'm a thinkin on it. I shall probably post them a little later!

tag class

I'm teaching a class tonite called Holiday Tags. The classes i teach at the store have prescribed items i must teach. But in addiition i always try to include my little spin on things. How i'd change things using the same supplies - that kinda thing.
this is one of mine.

what is that noise?

http://www.wavelit.com/popup/playerAfricam.asp#
Link courtesy of Annie
ok click on that link and turn up your speakers. this is so cool.
I have my speakers turned up and
my dh comes up the stairs and sez "what is that noise?"
i said "it's Africa"
he said " oh, i thought a bird was stuck in the dryer vent again"
he's a funny one
then my dd came up the stairs and said "what is that noise?"
i said "it's Africa"
she said "oh, i thought a bird was stuck in the dryer vent agan"
Yes, they are a pair.

Tryptophanning

thats about how i feel just about now... tired.
It's been a long Thanksgiving but a truly lovely one.
It started out .. not so good.
Unexpected guests last night.
Ordinarily i don't mind guests.
In fact i enjoy guests.
Planned- for- in- advance- guests.
Unexpected guests - well about a month ago i had an unexpected guest. My dear niece was stranded at Dulles (we are a hop, skip and a jump away) and although i was wakened out of a dead sleep, had to put my clothes on and venture out into the dark and stormy night (even Snoopy woulda hid in his doghouse) , and get up 3 1/2 hours later to take my daughter to school - I was happy to do so for this sweet niece who was stranded.
These guests however - also family - invited themselves to stay overnite on Thanksgiving eve. I could go on, but i won't. It would spoil what became a lovely day.
We had a lovely brunch, followed by a quiet leisurely afternoon as I basted the bird. We talked, we ate, we laughed a lot. It was so nice. Only thing that could have made it nicer would have been if my sisters and their families could have been here. (But i wish for that every day!)
i was thinking during the day about Thanksgiving. What was I grateful for? There are too many things to count really. We're fortunate. Not everyday is a holiday that is for certain. But for every not-so-great thing, i would say there are two great things to outweigh it. For every uninvited unexpected event there are too many happy times to count.
Today was one of those.

Crackled Scallops

nope. it's not a fish recipe. its this frame i just finished making. i put the thank you in it just so you could see:

i was on a hunt for a frame to put the thank you in (oh thank goodness grammar doesn't count, huh?) I looked in several local antique stores but nothing the right size. I then hit M's and came upon a frame i think will work (black and gold) and then saw some clearanced frames. Then i got a little brainstorm - adding this scallop trim to one of them. Yes, it involved a miter box and saw - but it took no time to do. Painted it up with some gold and antique white acrylic paint with a crackle medium and voila: cute little frame. I am quite pleased with it. Now i'm thinkin i'd like to try another - this time with black and gold. Oh and here's another frame i painted up:

this one had the prettiest shell pattern on the inside of the frame edge. I really like how that came out too.

So,what are you making?

pretty new stamps

i probably shouldn't post this yet here but heck - i doubt the recipient is checking this blog. i just wanted to show off the new Purple Onion Alpha stamps i got - are they just beauteous?

so here's the darn tree

it's a pear tree. no partridges yet... but soon

i may lose my grip

i wanted to upload a photo of our beautiful tree in the front yard. To make a long story short i am having some kind of problem with my camera software and have spent tooo much time online in chat sessions with the mfg of the camera and its still not working. Mind you i have uploaded photos to my compuer from this same camera several times already with no problem. all of a sudden i'm having issues. i may have to uninstall and reinstall yet again and i may need to throw something in the meantime cos i'm gonna lose it big time.
i think its time to stop and try again tomorrow.

the cure for what ails you

busy doing a variety of things - cleaning this past weekend (not my original intent but i plan to make up for that tomorrow when i have a day off) doing hospital (my mom) last weekend. in between a variety of things. making some stuff which i think i shall show perhaps later today - or tomorrow pretty much for sure. did spend some time during the week cutting out new stamps from Purple Onion Designs - which i have begun to use (hint, hint).

tonite i shall be baking some cookies - mostly for the college son. i'd already decided to make some for him - just needed a few supplies purchased on yesterdays weekly visit to the grocery store. but yesterday i received an email from him - sounding a bit down.
the mom in me knows his favorite cookie (oatmeal chocolate chip) won't fix everything - at the same time it can't hoyt
(channeling my grandfathers accent... he said turkey - toykey.... hopefully you get the idea).
And it reminds him despite everything - we are thinking of him and love him more than we did yesterday (if that is possible :-)
And tomorrow i shall be making some more things - nonfood related - playing with new stamps, some ink, paint, glitter - although a cookie has often cured my problems (and added a few to my hips) making stuff is often my personal cure-all.
now i'm off to work- cyalata

happy thank you

happy card - lousy scan. its the 3d-ness - oh well. i needed a thank you for the friend who gave me the yummy bread the other day. i have been in a mood for glitter - but can't find mine (note to self: get to the store for glitter!) but i did have some of this sugar dust. then i found a button in my jar o'buttons that had sort of a dip in it - creating a perfect little well for the sugar dust beads - using a little diamond glaze to make'em stay put. quickutz the leaves. use some cute felt flowers from i think its american crafts. some chatterbox paper and some ribbon i had. top it off with garamouche alphas from Purple Onion. Its definitely cuter in real life cos the sugar dust just is very fun.
well i gotta run... talk soon

The Answer and Deluxe accommodations

What is that?
It's a loaf of bread
But you guessed that didn't you.
We have yet to eat it. I'm trying to think of what I can cook for dinner that would compliment such a loaf (a nice vegetable soup comes to mind.)

Anywho
I was surfin and came across these Deluxe Accomodations
Don't you just want to bake a bunch just so you can take them somewhere?
This looks like such a great product. Where was it when I was the cupcake-totin-queen (when my kids were in elementary school - the land of all things cupcake)?
I thought i was livin large when i found a tupperware cupcake carrier I still love it but this courier - well thats just amazing.

Post Halloween

ok so here's a picture of the
fastest-carved-jack o'lantern-ever

I'd hollowed him out before I went to pick up DD at the bus. We got home just as it was getting dark. Usually here in Leesburg, trick-0r-treat doesn't start until at least 7pm. Why you say? Well- the Leesburg Halloween parade is the longest running largest parade east of the Mississippi - that's why! And they're mighty proud of that fact. Anyway i'd say anyone who is new to town does the parade - hence the trick or treating starts later. Or i should say started later in our neighborhood until last night.
I carved that pumpkin as fast as i could (maybe 10 minutes) and brought it out to the front step. Ran back in for a tea light to put inside and was just lighting the candle as my first group of kids arrived. They waited while i lit the candle and ran inside to grab the candy. Phew!

Now we'll have a little post Halloween guessing game.
What is this? Can you guess? It was given to me by a customer - well she's also become a friend. She came to the store yesterday with this little surprise for me.
I'll come back later to tell you what it is :-)

Happy Halloween!

here's my card. the stamp is Memory Box and the sentiment is from Purple Onion Designs

anticipation

i love that carly simon song.... anyway
Last nite we were "ghosted". the doorbell rang, the dh answered to find a cute little tin bucket decorated for halloween, filled with candy and stickers and a little poem and a picture of a ghost. We were instructed, via the poem, to copy the poem and the ghost two times then post the ghost on our door - so no one else would ghost us. Then we leave a little something for another 2 neighbors - of course after dark - making sure not to be seen - ringing the bell and running. Very cute. the one who was most excited by the whole prospect - the biggest kid in the house - DH. He couldn't wait. My part - i got the goodies. No problem there - totally my department. After we ate our dinner, DH and DD (a teenager whom I normally wouldn't expect to get into this - but alas, she is her fathers daughter..) set out into the night to deliver their goodies. They were so excited when they returned - got both houses - good neighbor friends of ours with kids. Because of the way their windows are situated - and lights being on in the house - they even saw the little boy bringing the basket into the family room - all big smiles and excitement. Ain't Halloween the best?
we're anticipating tomorrow nite. Big time. i was thinking earlier how i buy the candy. It would be smart to pick stuff i don't like - but i couldnt' bring myself to give out lousy candy.
And there is that anticipation factor.
I anticipate some leftovers...
Anticipation... is making me wait (for my twix, milky ways, butterfingers, pb cups, snickers........)

card for a good old friend

i've been playing around with all kinds of stuff the last few days. Making my ATC's for a swap, the aforementioned Halloween cards, playing with kitchen cleaning products on cardstock (more on that soon) and attempting to get something going with my christmas cards. today i finally decided nothing was happening with christmas cards - so forget it for now and move on. so i did. i made this card for a friend of mine from college. She recently lost her husband. Pretty devastating to say the least - not something we'd expect at our age. Anyway I've been trying to send her a card just about every week to 10 days just so she knows i'm thinking about her. When this kind of thing happens the initial response is to crowd around the person for the first few weeks and then the crowd thins. The person is at the point where they need people more - when the reality of it all starts sinking in. Since i can't be around for her in person - she doesn't live next door- i figured keeping her mailbox busy is something i can do. And i know she appreciates it which makes me feel pretty good.
Anyway gotta run...

good e-vening

the last few days i've been busy making Halloween cards. some for family, some for friends. I just kept making them til i'd had enough (well enough stamping and embossing til the point i said to myself - tracy you won't wanna finish these - mat, attach to card backs, stamp the inside - if you don't stop now- hence some friends will probably get cards for thanksgiving or fall or even christmas at this rate - its more about the saying - hi - i'm thinking of you - than making sure i get one to every single person for halloween. i make myself crazy. but i digress)
Amidst this stamping and embossing i'd been emailing back and forth with my oldest child who is away at college. this child - well he is a character. an original if there ever was one. And of late he has a greeting - which he uses when answering the phone, sending emails, or talking to you in person. Whether it be in the morning, the afternoon, the middle of the night or in the evening - he greets you with a "good evening". Like i said he is a bit of character. You cannot help but laugh.
So i was stamping... and i decided he needed his own special Halloween card.

now its not much of a "card" - i was going more for a-muse-ment. I know when he opens it he will laugh. And that, of course, is the point. I used Purple Onion Designs "lizziebelle" alpha stamps (oh... what a surprise.... ) colored them in with a zig marker and put a shadow on them using another zig pen. i'll have to post the other halloween cards on tuesday - Halloween - when i'm sure the recipients have gotten them.

Every Grampa was once a little boy

One last thing for today - i wasn't gonna post it but heck.. why not
its a layout using that Signature Suite line from My Minds Eye. Pictures are of my Dad as a little boy. The most wonderful thing, i think, about having these pictures of my father is that you can see the face of my son in one, my nephew in another and my brother in another still. It is really quite amazing. Daddy (and my brother) would be so happy to know it - the living reminders of them.

Books to read, Books to make

Okay so i've been absent lately. I'll bring a note from my Mom soon.
What have i been doing? Working, Mom-ing, Wife-ing
Today i am home as I'm teaching a class this evening. Its a Christmas Planner. Yegods. Christmas you say? Well if you're a planning type person, this would be just the ticket. (And if you're not - well its can be viewed as another reminder of your lack or organization or an excuse to make something cute :-))
I don't have the actual class sample here to scan for you - I do, however, have 2 versions i made to show my students. The class will be making the planners using composition books - covered in Basic Grey Fusion papers:
specifically Mesmerize http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=314
and Chartreuse http://www.basicgrey.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=36&products_id=324
then add some ribbon, some faux Dymo label letters and you get the picture in general.
I made two - one for each of my sisters (who love Christmas as much as i do).

this one is for my older sister. I used Wild Asparagus papers cardstock stamped with Purple Onion designs Paisley stamps (its hard to see - I versamarked them). The alphas, tabs, and holly and berries are made using Quickutz (the font is Zoe).



This one is for my younger sister. I used papers by Doodlebug. The tabs, tree and alphas are all by Quickuts (font is CK Handprint).

Oh and i modpodged over the entire cover. Each tabbed page uses the same line of papers and cardstock and features a pocket.






Now books to read.
a few i've read recently i've been meaning to share:
Miss American Pie by Margaret Sartor
Very interesting book - its the diaries of the author from the time she was about 12. I suppose i found it interesting because she is approximately the same age as me - although she lived a very different life. But its like a time capsule - brings me back to the same era.

After This by Alice McDermott
A novel about an Irish-Catholic Amercian family living on Long Island - the husband/wife and their 4 children. It spans the 40's thru the early 70's - and the effects really of 2 wars on their lives (WWII and Vietnam). It is like nothing i've ever read. I'm a big "scanner" when i read. I know i don't read every word - but with this book - you must read every word. And it is incredible writing. The story skips back and forth - time wise. One minute you are reading the present - and the next moment the author drops a little bomb about what happens in the future. It is really something to read.

Well enough now. I've got a few things to do before i go to work in a little while.

Happy Birthday Dear

(the aforementioned card - stamps by Purple Onion Designs)
I hope its a wonderful day Annie! Don't forget to wear your crown :-)