I Won!

Exciting news...I won a copy of Altered Books 102, Beyond the Basics from Sally Turlington. I commented on her blog about new techniques I would like to try and got picked out of those comments to win! Yipee! Thanks, Sally. Please go over to http://www.artpubstudios.typepad.com/ or http://www.sallyt.typepad.com/ and check out her beautiful work. You will be very inspired after viewing it.

Took down my tree and all the Christmas decorations today. It's later than I usually take it down, but spent much of my time last week painting. So now everything is back in "order". Now for my craft room, quite a mess. Kind of an organized mess, but a mess non-the-less. Have work to do and need some space to do it in! LOL

Thanks for stopping in to look, and please take a look at Sally's sites. You'll be glad you did.

Happy New Year everyone! DH and I went to see "The Great Debaters" last night on New Year's Eve. What a wonderful movie, inspirational. Densel Washington and Forrest Whitaker did an excellent job and I see awards in their future for their performances.
After arriving back home we sat down to watch the new year ring in at Times Square and went promptly to bed at about 12:05. Hey, we made it up past midnight, which we failed to do last year!
My "goal".....notice I didn't say new years resolution.....is to remember to call and send everyone close to me a birthday card......on time!! That's where the problem arises. I am making a birthday reminder folder and making all my cards this year, hopefully. I'm such a bad procrastinator when it comes to getting cards off on time. So far one's already on it's way to a daughter-in-law whose birthday happens to be January 4th. Happy birthday Dawn!!
I wish everyone great health and many blessings over the new year! Beth

Hello there. Thought you would enjoy an updated pic of me. This is what I look like! Seems as time has flown by, now it's the day before New Year's Eve. Now it'll take me a couple of months to remember to write '08 on everything! :-) Today was a quiet day, we went and spent time eating dinner with our daughter, Angie and granddaughters Ashley and Allyson and went to Barnes & Noble to spend gift certificates. And of course, the trip would not be complete without some wonderful Starbuck's coffee. I did purchase a couple books.....Pretty Little Things by Sally Jean Alexander and the winter 2008 issue of Stamper's Sampler take ten. Pretty Little Things has some beautiful, fun projects in it I would like to try. It involves glass, soldering and vintage images. Some really nice bracelets and such.....just what I need, another project!! But I know certain people they would make very nice gifts for.
Moving closer to our time in Destin. Just about a month and a half. The temp today in Destin was 69. I think I could handle that. The way things have been here lately I could just use some sun!
We'll be spending time in Destin twice this year. Again, the first of May with family....my parents and sister and her boyfriend are going. May is a wonderful time to spend there. Not to extremely hot, just a wonderful comfortable temp. Great for swimming in the ocean, my fav!
I thought about taking down the tree today....but decided against it. Just not ready. Seems you just get it up and it's time to take it down. It's kinda sad after Christmas is over. You spend all that time building up to it and it's over in no time. I still have gifts set out to look over occasionally and working on learning how to work my new camera, a gift from my DH. It's a Canon digital with a 12 zoom. Had a digital that I love, but wanted more zoom than I had before. I'm excited about using it. Just have to take that first step. Electronics are always so intimidating to me. But I need to learn about it so I feel comfortable using it.
Hope you all have a happy and safe New Year's, Beth

Well, seems I "fell off the wagon" with posting this week. But I have gotten alot done shopping-wise! Going to do some wrapping tonight....one of my favorite things to do. Can't put bows on until the last minutes though....kitties! That says it all! LOL Enjoy this recipe below and make some wonderful little gifts for co-workers, friends or family!



Make the season merry and bright with homemade cookies from your kitchen! Layer these ingredients in pretty bow-tied jars to give as gifts; they looks as good as they taste! Include the prep instructions with your gift tag.
Oatmeal Pecan Cookie Mix
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. old-fashioned oats
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 c. crisp rice cereal
Additional ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder. In a 1 qt. glass jar, layer the flour mixture, brown sugar, oats, pecans and rice cereal, packing well between each layer. Cover and store in a cool dry place for up to six months. Yield: 1 batch (about 4 cups total)

To prepare, in a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually add cookie mix. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: about three dozen.

Give us Lord, a bit o'sun,

a bit o'work

and a bit o' fun;

Give us all, in the struggle and sputter

Our daily bread and a bit o' butter.

-from an old inn in Lancaster, England

Today I'm off to do some very needed Christmas shopping. I wanted to post the wonderful Potato Casserole for everyone to have.

Hashbrown Casserole
1-2lb. pkg. thawed (from frozen) hashbrowns (I use the "chunks")
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1/2 c. melted margarine
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 c. cream of mushroom soup
1 pint sour cream
2 c. grated cheddar cheese

Topping: 2 c. crushed corn flakes
1/4 c. melted margarine

Combine all ingredients except topping and pour into a buttered 9 X 13 casserole dish. Combine corn flakes and margarine and sprinkle on top of casserole. Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Very delicious!!



"It's Christmas in the mansion,
Yule-log fires and silken frocks;
It's Christmas in the cottage,
Mother's filling little socks;
It's Christmas on the highway,
in the thronging, busy mart,
But the dearest truest Christmas,
is the Christmas in the heart."