meg's place

happy looks good on you

2011-02-08T19:45:00.003-07:00

It has been awhile, I'm aware. I've been busy working on a new project with my very good friend Alison. She and I have started a blog together. It's happy looks good on you and it's full of inspirational ideas for decorating, holidays, recipes, pretty much anything and everything that makes us happy. Head on over there and check it out!

garland mecca

2010-12-15T07:49:00.001-07:00

As promised, garland mecca! I enjoy garlands, but something has happened this year. I have been completely taken over by them. I cannot get enough. I'm not sure what's causing this, but I must say, I have thoroughly enjoyed myself. I think the only reason I've slowed down in making them is because I've run out of places to hang them. I'm guessing that I'll be able to eek out a couple more before christmas. Fingers crossed. Well, let the garland mecca begin!

Festive strips of paper sewn together. Easy peezy.

This one looks more complicated than it it. It's just different sizes of triangles strung onto yarn. I strung them snuggly to make the paper bend causing this fun effect.

A small snowflake garland. You can never have too many of these.

This is a fun one! I cut up strips of fabric and sewed them together. Simple as that. I then draped them across our bookcase.

I like to call this one the snow flurry garland. It's made using tissue paper.

This little beauty made an appearance in the last post, but I love it so much I had to post it again.

I used my Criket and paper punches for this one. Any shapes would work great for this garland.

This was one of those projects that accidently turned into something else. When I started, I had this idea in my head that apparently wasn't very good because it was quickly scrapped and this door hanger was born.

More snowflake garland. This also showcases a garland made from sticker labels colored different shades of blue. It's a good thing I hung up some snowflakes because, as you can see, there's no snow outside.

Another snow flurry garland. The red garland is made from sewing folds on crepe paper. Yep, you can sew crepe paper.

Another sewn crepe paper garland, but no folds this time. I layered three strands of crepe paper together, sewed them, then made cuts along the sides.

More snowflakes. Like I said, no such thing as too many.

This garland isn't really a christmas one, but I decided I'd show it anyway. I thought it perfect for the kitchen since it's made from mini cupcake liners.

This one probably took me the longest to make. It was easy, just time consuming. I cut strips of fabric and tied them onto jute. It was worth the time it took to make it, I love how it turned out.

I had an idea of putting a garland in our basement, but I wanted to string it across the entire ceiling so I would need a lot of garland. I knew it would have to be easy, quick to make, and cheap. Then it came to me. What's cheaper than newspaper? And it was also quick and easy. I cut strips of newspaper then strung them on some black string in a ribbon candy fashion. Who knew newspaper could look so good. I love it.

And finally, more sticker labels in shades of blue. It reminds me of falling snow.

Well that concludes this episode of garland mecca! I can't promise there won't be more garland-ing though......

tis the season!

2010-12-04T10:07:00.010-07:00

Happy Holidays! Isn't Christmas the absolute best time of year?! I love everything about it! Especially decorating. (As evident in the following pics.)

Our mantle. I love it! (And yes, you see stockings for Duke, Jada and Maggie. Don't judge.)

My christmas banner I made last year.

All my candle holders came from the D.I. They were an ugly gold, I just spray painted them silver. Spray paint, by the way, is heaven sent.

I took some ornaments I already had and put under a cloche jar I got at Tai Pan (also heaven sent).

Our little Charlie Brown tree with only paper ornaments.

I'm crazy about our chandelier this year! I made the garland from vellum circles and I bought the vintage inspired ornaments from the dollar store for .25 cents a piece! Then I just strung them on some ribbon with a few jingle bells.

I think it's full of christmas whimsy!

If you haven't noticed by now, I love using jars for decorating. And the best place to get great jars and vases and such? The D.I.

This year I've been on a big kick with evergreen branches. Luckily for me, we have a plethora of pine trees at our house. I've been filling vases with pine branches and putting them all over the house.

More pine sprigs and more dollar store finds.

Curt calls this "the christmas candy table of cheer".

Just yesterday I was at the D.I. and found the glass candle holders and thought, "Add a few tea lights and some evergreen sprigs and this is a great little centerpiece."

Even my christmas cactus is all dressed up for the season. Isn't it a beaut?!

My china hutch looks so festively fun! And for the record, I love using turquoise as a christmas color!

Our tree!

This is my lovely new ornament from Curt. The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Looove it!

And this is Curt's. Star Wars Rebel Snow Speeder complete with movie sound bites like

"Watch that crossfire boys! Stay tight and low! This is it! Aahhh! I've been hit!"

and

"That armor's too strong for blasters, Rogue group use your harpoons and tow cables! Go for the legs, it might be our only chance of stopping them."

Dollar store ornaments in another great D.I. find.

I even spruced up the bathroom with a little holiday cheer.

Happy holiday decorating!

Stay tuned for part II of tis the season with "garland mecca"!

thanks & giving & PIE!

2010-11-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Ah, Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving. It's such a low key holiday for me. I love watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (mostly because it's so nostalgic for me; we used to watch it while my mom was cooking in the kitchen), I love watching football, and I love love love eating good food with family. Curt & I hosted Thanksgiving this year and we had the first annual Armstrong Pie Contest. The competition was fierce. And the pies, delicious. But, unfortunately, there can only be one victor. Judging consisted of three categories: (1) Overall Appearance, (2) Crust, and (3) Taste. Each of us had to rate all seven pies in each category on a scale of 1-5. We then added up the totals and the pie with the highest number was the champion. Let the games begin!

Here are the contestants! (Prior to the pie carnage.)

Here we have an amazing chocolate cream pie provided by Jess.

Next is Carol's delicious apple pie.

And this masterpiece is brought to you by Craig. His famous pumpkin pie. (Notice the image of a turkey? Yeah, he got some extra Overall Appearance points for that.)

This is a sugar cream pie and it's handler is Megan.

This amazing masterpiece is Nate's Oreo mint pie.

This fluffy dream boat is brought to you by Curtis. His yummy lime cream pie.

And this delectable beauty is Staci's banana cream pie.

The winner not only gets bragging rights, but also has the prestigious opportunity of displaying this magnificent trophy until next year when the title is up for grabs again.

And the winner is........

Megan! With the sugar cream pie!

It was a close race and every pie was amazingly delicious! Thanks to all of you who participated and made the first annual pie contest a success. What a great Thanksgiving! I love you all!

For any of you interested, here's the sugar cream pie recipe. After all, it is award-winning. It's so easy and sooo yummy!

Sugar Cream Pie

1 9 inch pie crust, baked

4 Tblsp. cornstarch

3/4 cup sugar

4 Tblsp. butter, melted

2 1/4 cup Half & Half

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Tblsp. butter, melted

cinnamon

Mix cornstarch and sugar in pan. Add 4 Tblsp. butter and Half & Half. Cook on medium high heat, stirring constantly, until thick and creamy. About 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Preheat oven broiler to high. Pour mixture into baked pie crust. Drizzle 2 Tblsp. butter over top and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put under broiler until butter bubbles- watch carefully, it doesn't take long. Refrigerate. Enjoy!

i {heart} acorns!

2010-11-04T16:29:00.008-06:00

Happy November to all! I took my halloween down this week and did a little Thanksgiving decorating. I really didn't have Thanksgiving decor so I decided to gather some natural elements to fill the empty spaces until Christmas decorating begins. (which, to be perfectly honest, will probably be in a couple weeks.) First of all, I want to thank my good friend Robyn for being my acorn supplier. I am totally in love these cute little nuts!

I gathered pine cones from the yard & put on the mantle...

Filled a jar with some indian corn...

Found a russian website with a tutorial on how to make roses out of maple leaves. Luckily, for me, the pictures were a good enough guide so I didn't need to bring in an interpreter. Aren't these great?!

Whipped up a little centerpiece...

I just hung some acorns on an aspen branch and stuck it in a vase with acorns...

More pine cones....

Little wood chips in a jar...

And that pretty much does it. I love how simple it all is. Seems perfect for Thanksgiving.

I {heart} acorns!

While I was snapping some pics, I found this little fuzz face in the chair and couldn't resist. Boy, she's cute.

happy halloween!

2010-10-31T08:47:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween Everyone!

{specimen art}

2010-10-14T08:47:00.006-06:00

I love searching the web for blogs with inspiring ideas and I have made an observation. Apparently, these { } are really big in the blogging community right now. It seems that anybody whose somebody uses { } a lot in their blog posts. Well I want to be somebody too, so starting today {I} will be incorporating {these} into my posts. All the coolest kids are doing it.

Alright, on with the latest and greatest of the {halloween} crafting! Alison and I got together (via Skype) the other night and we each worked on a little project. I came across this idea at tatertots and jello and thought I'd give it a try since I already had a bat and spider punch. Even though I loved the look of it, I wasn't sure how mine would turn out; my bat punch was significantly smaller than the bats at t&j. I also already had the frames I used. As soon as I started punching out bats and spiders I was in love. This was one of the easiest and funnest projects ever! Highly recommended.

I mounted the {bats and spiders} on cardstock using dimensional stickers. I also removed the glass from my frames, but you could keep it if you preferred.

Aren't they fantastic?! I think so. Until next time.

dollar store + paint=

2010-10-13T08:01:00.000-06:00

The other day I was at the dollar store and saw these hideous decorative balls. Although they were a little offensive to the eyes, I saw halloween potential in them. I bought them, brought them home and began giving them a new life.

Just a little paint went a long way.

I put them in an IKEA bamboo plate I already had and set them on a black placemat. What a fun little centerpiece for my table!

halloween countdown

2010-10-07T21:30:00.002-06:00

More halloween fun! Last weekend Staci and I spent our time making Halloween countdown calendars. And they turned out to be incredible, and a lot of work, but really incredible! Of course, now, I've been thinking about other countdowns too. There are a lot of possibilities; christmas, birthdays, vacations, you name it. Well ,here are some pictures from mine. Enjoy.

welcome october!

2010-09-25T12:04:00.010-06:00

As many of you know, I absolutely love Halloween! Over the past couple weeks I have been busy getting my halloween out and creating some new additions as well. Let's begin the tour, shall we?

I found this wreath idea at thelongthread.com and fell in love with it. It was so simple to make and looks absolutely fabulous! (It'd be great in christmas colors too. Hmmm....)

With Curt's help, I made this as a little tribute to one of my favorite poems.

I love the vintage feel of this Boo garland. You can download this template and other incredible images at The Graphics Fairy.

This is my mantle and I'm a little in love with it. The pictures all came from The Graphics Fairy and these incredible labels came from Love Manor. I already had all the jars (since I kinda have a bit of a jar fetish) and the rest is just things I made or already had. Oh, I did buy some eyeballs from Target.

This is the dining room with my halloween garland I made a few years ago.

My pumpkin jars nestled in with my plants.

I love that vintage halloween is really big right now.

I am crazy about these! I saw these on eighteen25 and last weekend Staci and I decided to make some. They are so simple and fun fun fun!

Ah, my halloween tree. I love my halloween tree. I did it a few years ago and every year that I put it up I love it a little more. I printed vintage halloween pictures from the internet (just do a google image search), hung them on some old branches, and put a couple ravens in the mix. Viola! An utterly fantastic halloween tree!

I love this pumpkin character. He's full of halloween whimsy!

My little tribute to Edgar Allan Poe. Love him.

I still need to get some of my treat jars filled.

More fantastic images from The Graphics Fairy. I really love this. Very macabre.

Of course, it wouldn't be complete without my halloween quilt that I made last year. I sewed all the strips together, which for me, was quite a feat. The beautiful quilting was done by Curt's mom, Carol, who is a quilting guru.

Even our kitchen couldn't escape the halloween carnage.

Well, that concludes the halloween tour of the Armstrong's. Happy Haunting!

today things

2010-09-09T15:20:00.002-06:00

It is a great day. Fall is in the air and that just makes me happy. Here are few other things I'm excited about today:

-the chilly weather that allows me to pull out the hoodies and scarves.

-the delicious warm mulled cider I'm enjoying right now.

-the tree that's starting to change colors in the back yard.

-listening to my fall-esque music playlists.

-getting ready to road trip up to Moscow tomorrow to see our BFFs. Yay.

-tonight kicks off the start of the NFL season and boy am I excited. it's officially fall once football starts.

I hope you can all find things in your day to be excited about.

leaf gathering

2010-08-28T18:26:00.008-06:00

With August winding down I'm ready for fall and everything that goes with it. I've been thinking about some DIY ideas involving leaves. Nothing says fall like leaves. So this morning Curt and I went on a leaf collecting adventure. Well, not so much an adventure as a walk around the yard. I gathered leaves from our trees then started creating. A few months ago my aunt gave me some mirrors and said, "I bet you could do something with these." Does she know me or what? So I took one of the said mirrors, a smattering of jars and vases (all of which were D.I. finds) and viola!

Isn't that the perfect centerpiece? I added a little water to each vase to make it last longer. I just think it looks so crisp and fresh.

I absolutely love the reflection from the mirror, it really adds another dimension.

It was so easy and fun. I'm already thinking about how great it will look in the winter using evergreen branches. So if you're in need of an easy, fresh look, give it a try.

In other news, I painted my front door. I've been thinking about doing it for months, but haven't been able to decide on a color. I finally decided on a color that I absolutely love, turquoise. Verdict? I love it. It's bright and utterly fantastic!

I need to get a new doorknob, but other than that, it looks great!

To keep the leaf creativity going, I cut some branches from one of our trees and made this wreath. I love how the deep red looks against the turquoise.

Well, that wraps up my saturday adventures. Until next time.

the bon voyage summer patio dance party

2010-08-03T09:24:00.003-06:00

As many of you know, we like to have parties. So when Paul and Alison made plans to move to attend law school we knew their bon voyage party had to be amazing! As Alison and I enjoy dancing like maniacs, even though we look ridiculous, I knew the parties' funtivities had to include some good dance tunes. Curt and I decorated the patio and backyard with tissue paper pom poms, lights, paper lanterns, tiki torches, and a paper flag banner. Needless to say, it was good times. Someone, who shall remain nameless, even sat on their plate of food! Check out these cute pics from the party.

A summer patio party calls for bright colored decorations, brightly colored candy in jars, lemonade and lots of delicious summer food.

Fun paper lanterns and a brightly colored flag banner along the fence.

The flag banner looked adorable against the white fence.

Me and Alison enjoying the funtivities.

Paul and Curt on the "dance floor".

Enjoying our delicious lemonade.

Myself, Emilie and Alison.

The patio full of party go-ers.

More shots of the lights and paper lanterns.

Alison and Staci.

Thanks to everyone who attended, danced, ate food, and just had a good time. It was one of the funnest parties to date!

redfish lake

2010-07-29T08:58:00.001-06:00

Earlier this month we made our annual trek to Redfish Lake and, as always, it was fantastic! Here are the pictures to photo document our wonderful trip with Paul and Alison.

Samson and Rizzo all packed and en route.

Curt and Paul at our campsite.

Me and Alison.

Curt and Paul getting their cruisers, Woody and Major, ready to go.

Our cruiser bikes; Bluesy, Honey, Woody and Major. Don't they look great!

Paul and Alison on the river trail.

Mine and Alison's glitter toes! (They match our bikes.)

Me and Alison.

Redfish Lake with Mt. Mogul and Mt. Heyburn.

This little beauty is brought to you by the dazzling photography styles of Alison and Paul.

The Fab Four at the lake.

It was amazing! Thanks for all the fun memories!

i heart paul

2010-07-17T23:42:00.002-06:00

Paul was incredible! There are no words to describe it except amazing! He was having a great time, we were having a great time, the whole stadium was having a great time. Clearly he does this because he still enjoys the music, the performing, and the fans. Now, I have been lucky enough to see a living legend perform. And he looked great too. Really great.

christmas in july

2010-07-13T11:49:00.004-06:00

I am getting my christmas present a bit early this year. Today to be exact. Tonight Curt and I are going to see Sir Paul McCartney at Rio Tinto Stadium! That's right! Paul McCartney! I'm so unbelievably excited it's ridiculous! I think Paul McCartney is the most amazingly talented artist in history and I get to watch him in action! Hopefully I'll be able to get some pics from the concert so stayed tuned for more Paul.

manzanita

2010-06-17T10:04:00.007-06:00

I realize it has been awhile, but not only am I back, I'm back with pictures from our fabulous trip to the Oregon Coast. Last week Curt and I headed to the pacific northwest for a relaxing getaway with family. Manzanita to be specific, which is about 45 minutes south of Astoria. And what a great time we had, I am officially in love with the Oregon Coast. All the rain and cool weather is just fine by me.

Curt and I enjoying the sand in front of our beach house.

One day we drove to Cape Meares to see the lighthouse and this crazy old tree called "Octopus Tree". It's hundreds of years old and "experts" aren't quite sure how it formed the way it did.

Here's a shot from Cape Meares. Anyone else thinking Goonies?

This is the lighthouse at Cape Meares. Notice the broken glass panels? A couple months ago, some young hoodlums fired twelve rounds into the lighthouse, which has not only infuriated locals and lighthouse workers, but caused over $500,000 worth of damages. Punks.

Me at Cape Meares.

Another shot from Cape Meares looking the other direction.

Curt flying his kite on the beach.

Paul, this picture really is for you. The second his kite was in the air he said, "Look at me now Paul!"

Sunset on Manzanita Bay.

This is Hug Point, which was such good times. At low tide, we walked around a point and had access to amazing beach, caves, and this beautiful little waterfall.

We discovered a pool of sea anemones, danced on the beach with the fam, and collected sand dollars. Needless to say, we had a great time and, luckily, this was the nicest day we had, warm and sunny.

The city of Manzanita.

What a fun trip! I can definitely see this becoming a tradition. Thanks to Curt and you great Seattle-ites for making this vacation so memorable!

the muppets & queen

2010-02-11T17:46:00.003-07:00

Alright all you Muppet fans out there, get ready to laugh!

disneyland or bust!

2010-01-30T20:46:00.002-07:00

Vacation Countdown

happy new year!

2010-01-11T21:13:00.008-07:00

Welcome 2010! Even though we are indeed excited about the upcoming year, the old one went out with a bang. Well, ok, maybe it wasn't a bang, but it was a great party. The main event of the evening was a Battle of the Bands, Beatles style. Having received Beatles Rockband for Christmas we thought this was the perfect opportunity to showcase the musical stylings of those mop-topped brits that we all love so much.

The first band up was Pete's Best; featuring Ben, Cameron and Joe.

Next, we heard from Coolness who, unfortunately, was unable to provide a publicity photo for the event. Band members: Robyn, Trapper, Megan and Alison.

Then, the dazzling talents of Soul Sistaz; Susan, Cami and Keira.

Lastly, a crowd favorite, Rocky Loves Nancy. Members of the band include Curtis, Paul, Megan and Alison.

The competition was fierce.

But in the end, we had a victor. And the winner is......

Yes, yes, we brought the trophy home from the first annual Beatles Rockband Battle of the Bands! A special thanks to all contestants.

The evening also consisted of delicious food, great company and a fair amount of the consumption of mocktails.

Thanks to everyone and Happy New Year!

christmas at the armstrong's

2009-12-22T07:39:00.000-07:00

Christmas is the best time of year! I love everything about it; the decorating, the music, snow, candy making, crackling fires, hot cocoa, Christmas movies, twinkling lights, you name it. And here at the Armstrong house, we are ready for the big man to drop in.

Our Christmas banner over the fire place is filled with welcoming holiday cheer.

Our stockings have been hung with extra special care.

Here's our little tree in the green room (as we affectionately call it). All of the ornaments are made of paper.

Our sparkling little snowflakes ensure that we have a white Christmas.

Our festive dining room is ready for some amazing food.

When I was little, my mom started a tradition of giving us an ornament every year. It is my favorite Christmas tradition that I've ever had. Decorating the tree each year means more because all the ornaments have a special memory. When Curtis and I got married we continued the tradition. This is Curt's Indiana Jones ornament I gave him this year, complete with theme music.

This is the ornament Curt gave me this year; Jack Skellington, complete with light up Christmas Town sign. I love it!

As excited as I am for Christmas, I almost wish we still had another month of celebrating. What are some of your favorite things about the season? What are some of your traditions? Happy Christmas everyone!

crazy foggy weather

2009-12-21T18:30:00.002-07:00

So all this fog is doing crazy things to the trees and shrubs in our yard. I went out earlier and took some photos.

happy festivus!

2009-12-21T16:19:00.004-07:00

A Festivus for the rest of us! We recently had a little Festivus celebration of our own and it was a success. We slightly altered a couple of the key components so as to ensure that no one shed any Festivus tears. To have a happy Festivus follow these simple guidelines:

1. First, you need a pole. Aluminum is the preferred choice by Frank Costanza, but whatever you have will be just fine. We had a miniature version by using this nail.

2. Next, is the Airing of Grievances. This is typically where you let everyone know all the ways they've disappointed you over the past year. We chose a better and more gentler route and played Catchphrase instead. But believe me, there was plenty of 'Airing of Grievances' between Curt and Paul.

3. As Festivus rolls on, you come to the Feats of Strength. Ours were put to the test by a grueling game of Seinfeld Scene It. Alison and I came out on top (as if there were ever any doubts).

4. If you can squeeze in a Festivus Miracle it would be ideal, but not necessary.

5. We also watched the Seinfeld episode, The Strike, where we first hear of Festivus.

Well, there you have it. Happy Festivus everyone!

winter dreams

2009-11-30T20:12:00.004-07:00

I have been wanting snow. Lots of it. I love the snow and this is the time when we need it. Snow and December just go together. I was thinking about all the great snow storms we had last winter and thought I'd post a few pics from one of them.

Keep dreaming... and maybe one of these days the weatherman will actually get it right.

all the information you'll ever need

2009-11-09T10:47:00.005-07:00

With all the talk of swine flu and zombie invasions I thought this appropriate. Courtesy of Stumble Upon.

(click to enlarge)

halloween monster mash

2009-11-05T16:01:00.002-07:00

Thanks to everyone who made this year's Halloween party such a good time. A very special thanks to all you dancing fiends, you know who you are. Until next year...

alison's trees & leaves

2009-10-21T14:09:00.003-06:00

My dear friend Alison has quite a talent for dabbling in tree and leaf photography. I stand by my firm belief that she has a successful career on her hands. I was lucky enough to obtain some her most recent work. These are from her fall collection.

pumpkin funtivities

2009-10-19T17:56:00.000-06:00

Another spectacular weekend at The Cottage filled with laughs and laughs and laughs while playing Catch Phrase and some very festive pumpkin carving.

Alison, Paul and I; no pumpkin can escape the carnage!

This is mine and Alison's Goofy pumpkin.

Curt and Paul's Jolly Roger.

What a couple a great lookin' melons!

The fabulous four and our pumpkins.

Curt and Paul on the front stoop of The Cottage.

super sleuth weekend

2009-10-18T21:44:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, Curtis & I were invited to a "Super Sleuth Weekend" at Paul and Alison's. It was so fantastic! For any of you wishing to host a similar event, here are some key activities that should be addressed:

A very delicious fall dinner. (ours consisted of white bean chicken chili in pumpkin bread bowls. yummy.)

What better to put your sleuthing skills to the test than a riveting game of Clue. Afterwards, we watched Clue the movie. What a classic.

Saturday's activity was a sleuthing scavenger hunt around Logan. It was ladies vs. guys and we each had a list of autumn-esque items we had to capture with the camera. Each team received additional points if we were able to get strangers posing in our picture. The guys gave a valiant effort, however Alison and I were able to eek out a win with our picture of a 24-member biker gang that was taking a rest in the Hastings parking lot. Our victory earned us some pretty amazing Toy Story stickers and tattoos. The crown jewel on the weekend was a saturday afternoon showing of The Great Mouse Detective. Needless to say, we had a lot of laughs. Thanks to Paulison for an amazing weekend!

the vultures of halloween

2009-10-05T23:32:00.002-06:00

Behind our house we have an old craggly tree that is pretty creepy looking. Every fall the tree fills with vultures and it certainly ups the creep factor. Curt took a bunch of pictures of the tree with it's visitors and used his mad photoshop skills to make it look even more eerie. The perfect Halloween picture.

curt's cup of tea

2009-09-24T22:59:00.005-06:00

Every year Walt Disney World has Star Wars Weekends, fans get to meet an impressive lineup of special guests attending four weekends of Star Wars fun at the Disney Hollywood Studios in Florida. Fans also converge to celebrate the heroes, villains, creatures and droids of the saga. In addition to Star Wars costumed characters, fun activities, and the Star Tours theme park ride, celebrity guests are in attendance for meet-and-greet sessions, star conversations, and a classic Hollywood-style motorcade. This is Curt's holy grail. In fact, I'm pretty sure this event will expedite the timing our of Disney World trip. It's always been on our list, but Star Wars Weekends has definitely bumped it up a few notches. A favorite is the yearly dance off of intergalactic heroes, villains and creatures. Here's a couple clips for you enjoyment.

loving it

2009-09-14T22:45:00.004-06:00

Fall is my favorite time of year; the heat of summer is melting away, the leaves are changing, the air has a crisp refreshing feeling, the holiday months are knocking on your door, good television returns, apple infused desserts appear in large numbers, and you get to pull out chilly weather clothes like long sleeve tees and hoodies. Happiness is.

it's about time!

2009-09-09T13:09:00.006-06:00

As some of you may know, Curt & I are big fans of Guitar Hero and such. A while back we had a conversation about which band we would like to be made into a Guitar Hero game (or Rock Band). Curt said U2 and my answer was The Beatles. The day has finally come! The Beatles Rock Band is in stores today! Can't wait to play it!

autumn, fall, harvest time...whatever you like

2009-09-04T11:54:00.003-06:00

I am totally in love with all things typography. It's so striking and enticing. I recently stumbled upon this fantastic word cloud website called wordle and have been having fun ever since.

the highlight

2009-08-31T12:30:00.006-06:00

Of course Redfish Lake was super good times, but this was definitely the highlight of the trip. Enjoy this little beauty!

redfish here we come!

2009-08-25T22:12:00.002-06:00

That time is finally upon us. The most coveted of all the camping destinations in all the land. Redfish Lake. Glacier View campground will have the pleasure of our company, along with Paul & Alison, for five glorious days. See you next week!

more birthday funtivities

2009-08-24T14:14:00.005-06:00

More of Curt's birthday fun @ Alison's blog.

happy 30th curt!

2009-08-14T11:57:00.004-06:00

Happy Birthday to my Curtis! The 30th! Quite a milestone. As you can see below, Curt is showing off his very cool and creative gift from our favorite Seattle-ites. Thanks guys, you're great! I wish you could've been here to see Curt's face when he pulled the bottles out of the box and realized his picture was on it. There are plenty more birthday festivities coming this weekend so I'll keep you all posted to see how everyone's favorite guy is celebrating the big three zero.

Curt also posted a little tidbit of birthday wisdom on his blog. Check it out here: http://curtisarmstrong.blogspot.com/

curt the pho-tog

2009-08-11T22:23:00.004-06:00

Last week, during one of the lightning storms, Curt took some amazing pictures. I think this one officially puts him into the next category of pho-togs.

creativity abounds

2009-08-03T08:27:00.000-06:00

How to take a very ordinary and somewhat boring tray and turn it into something fabulous. First, you need your very plain tray. (Psst. The D.I. is a great place to find cheap little trays.)

Second, you simply need a little paint, a few sheets of very cute paper, and a fresh supply of mod podge.

I was lucky enough to have two of these trays so I went right on to the next. Repeat steps one through two.

Well, that pretty much does it. Nothing to it. Beat the august heat, stay in, and be creative. Oh, and it helps if you watch an old movie while being crafty.

jones soda winner

2009-07-08T18:21:00.003-06:00

Jones Soda. The brightly colored beverages in those bottles with quirky obscure pictures. Anyone can submit a photo to be printed on the label, but to make the cut, big wigs at Jones Soda Co. must like the photo enough to use it. When Curt & I were remodeling our kitchen, I took this picture and I think it would make a great photo for Jones Soda. Isn't this the type of picture you want to see on your soda bottle?

Well it's done. I just submitted this photo on the Jones Soda website and if it's chosen, soda bottles at a grocery store near you will sport this look.

the color continues

2009-07-06T16:36:00.002-06:00

Well I can't have a fun colorful china hutch and still have an ugly blah dining set, now can I? There are six chairs, so I did two of each color. No, don't try to adjust your computer monitors, the colors are turquoise, yellow-green and purple.

The table is a distressed natural white.

I know for some people, namely grandmas, it would seem I took a perfectly good table and chairs and ruined them. I am not afraid of color, I welcome it with open arms. The dining room looks bigger and brighter now. There's just one problem: what's my next project going to be?

things i know for sure

2009-07-05T18:27:00.005-06:00

Just a few things that I am certain of:

-I really need to improve on my bocce ball skills (man, am I horrible)

-fireworks, no matter how weak the bang or how terrible the music selection, are still good times

-older "cottage stye" homes are absolutely endearing and simply inviting

-grilled pineapple is heaven sent

-Wait Until Dark is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen

-there's nothing better than great family & friends

-staying up late is much more fun than getting up early

-life would be a dial tone without music

-being creative & crafty feels so rewarding

-nothing can make you feel better quicker than a little dog in your lap

color obsession

2009-06-27T22:54:00.007-06:00

Turquoise. Aquamarine. Caribbean blue. Cyan. Whatever you call it, I can't get enough. I am sick with lust for all things turquoise. If you asked me a month ago how I felt about the color turquoise, I would've said I liked it just fine. But all that has changed. I blame my china hutch and my decision to paint it turquoise about a month ago. It was an ugly dark brown and I thought, "hey a fun aqua/ turquoise color would look great." And it does. I love it! Here's a picture of it, I wish I would've taken a before picture too. Oh well. All you need to know is that is was ugly ugly ugly.

Now, everything turquoise or aqua colored I see, I want. Especially if it's furniture or home decor. Just a few other fantastic turquoise internet finds.

I want this coatrack to put in my foyer.

Anyone who knows me, knows I have an affinity for dishes. I would love to add this one to my collection.

I also have a slight obsession with pots. Oh how I love them.

You can't have too many cute pillows.

Do you have any color obsessions?

amazing apple

2009-05-23T10:43:00.004-06:00

Another testament of how incredible Apple products are. This morning I realize the pants I want to wear are in the dryer so I head into the laundry room, open the dryer door, and sitting right there on the lint trap, waiting for me, is our Apple TV remote. It's super small, sleek, sexy design made it hard to notice it was in my pants pocket when I threw it in the laundry. "Oh man!", I yell out loud. Curt runs to the rescue and hears the sad story of the remote. He very casually says, "Well, at least test it before you throw it away." I think, "What silly optimism" but agree to give it a try. I head into our bedroom and push the buttons fully expecting nothing to happen, but to my amazement it works. Wow. It went through the washer AND dryer, yet nothing can keep it down. To all you Apple fans out there this is just another story to enforce your belief system that everything Apple is superior. To all you PC fans; switch to Apple.

catchy

2009-05-21T08:10:00.000-06:00

Frito Lay has been putting out some great commercials lately. This one is my favorite; great animation, catchy tune. The music in this commercial is from a band called Rabbit and all their stuff is great, check 'em out.

yummy lilac

2009-05-19T12:49:00.003-06:00

These beautiful and wonderfully smelling lilacs are from one of the bushes in our backyard. The whole patio smells like yummy lilac, it even drifts into our bedroom. I love spring!

graduation extravaganza weekend

2009-05-12T15:43:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Paul & Alison for graduating from higher education! In honor of the event Curt & I planned quite the festivities. Paul & Alison were asked to fill out an online order from for their dinner on friday at Bert's Cafe and Lounge. Check it out. http://curtisarmstrong.net/bert/menu.html

Bert, of course, is short for Curtis-Bo-Bertis. Once Paul & Alison arrived we headed to Bert's Cafe (aka the back yard). We did a bit of lounging around...

Had a pretty intense game of croquet while our Bert Burgers were cooking...

Enjoyed Bert's delicious food...

Bert & Paul did a little photo shoot...

Then we watched a movie at Bert's Drive-In...

It was a fantastic night! A bit on the chilly side, but that certainly didn't dampen our spirits. On saturday, the Chic Cruiser Club had it's 1st official meeting of the season. Here, you see our pit crew readying Honey and Bluesy.

Honey and Bluesy are ready to go...

Alison and Meg are ready too...

And off we go...

It was a fabulous graduation party! Thanks Paul & Alison for coming to the funtivities and a big big thanks to Bert's Cafe and Louge, Bert's Drive-In, and Bert's Bed & Breakfast.

disney day

2009-05-10T15:50:00.000-06:00

In honor of Barbara going to Disneyland, Alison and I decided to live vicariously through her and have Disney Day at work. The funtivities consisted of magical Mickey decorations, yummy food, and Disney Trivia. Here's Barbara, sporting some ears, and Nan.

Other Disney Day attendees, Curtis and Staci, with Alison.

I was the host of the Disney Trivia game.

Nan and Alison sporting the Mickey ears! Lookin' good ladies!

Thanks for the successful Disney Day at work and also thanks to Barbara for going to Disneyland so we could have a reason to throw another party.

peep show

2009-04-09T21:44:00.007-06:00

The wait is over, it's Peep season again! The stores are stocked with our favorite little cellophane packages of marshmallow-y goodness.

Peep Fun Facts:

- In 1953, it took 27 hours to create one marshmallow Peep. Today, it takes six minutes.

- More than 5 million Peeps are produced each day.

- Peeps have been the most popular non-chocolate Easter candy in the United States for more than a decade. Take that, jelly beans.

- The first Peeps were squeezed out one at a time out of a pastry tube and the eyes were painted on by hand. Now, machines create 3,500 Peeps' eyes per minute.

- Each Peep has 32 calories and 0 fat grams.

- Yellow Peeps are the most popular, followed by pink, lavender, blue, then white.

This year The Washington Post held it's 2nd annual Peeps Diorama Contest and drew in more than 800 sugar-filled entries. Here are some of the entries and may I say, bra-vo.

christian vs. kermit

2009-03-22T16:37:00.007-06:00

What do Christian Bale and Kermit the Frog have in common? Surprisingly, a lot more than you’d realize. The resemblance is uncanny on so many levels.

the muppets go to the movies

2009-03-20T08:16:00.001-06:00

The Muppets were known for their hilarious parodies. In 1981, the Muppets had a television special titled The Muppets Go To The Movies, where they re-enacted classic scenes from some of the most famous movies of all time. These two scenes are among my favorites. Enjoy!

lights! camera! frog! action!

2009-03-19T08:26:00.002-06:00

The Muppet movies are some of the greatest movies ever made, full of imagination, wit and lovable characters. Enjoy some of these great scenes from the first films starring our favorite Muppets.

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Kermit the Frog is persuaded to pursue a career in Hollywood. Along the way, Kermit picks up Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, and a motley crew of other Muppets with similar aspirations. Meanwhile, Kermit must elude the grasp of a frog-leg restaurant magnate.

The Great Muppet Caper (1981)
Kermit and Fozzie are newspaper reporters sent to London to interview Lady Holiday, a wealthy fashion designer whose priceless diamond necklace is stolen. Kermit meets and falls in love with her secretary, Miss Piggy. The jewel thieves strike again, and this time frame Miss Piggy. It's up to Kermit and Muppets to bring the real culprits to justice.

The Happiness Hotel. Much better than A Place To Park Your Carcass. I love the payment methods offered to Kermit, Fozzie and Gonzo.

This scene will forever beg the question, "How'd they do that?"

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)
The Muppets graduate from college and decide to take their senior revue on the road. They hit the streets of Manhattan trying to sell their show to producers, finally finding one young and idealistic enough to take their show. After several mishaps and much confusion, things begin to come together for them.

One of the funniest scenes in the movie.

kermit cakes

2009-03-18T22:44:00.002-06:00

In honor of this momentous Muppet Week, I made Kermit cupcakes! They turned out great and were a hit at work. They were almost too cute to eat... I said almost.

mahna mahna

2009-03-18T09:14:00.000-06:00

The Muppet Show has some of the most memorable moments in Muppet history. Each week a celebrity would embark on a journey into the zany world of the Muppets. The show stars Kermit the Frog as a showrunner who tries to keep control of the antics of the other Muppet characters (and his temper), as well as keep the human guest stars happy and secure. The show depicts a vaudeville-style song-and-dance variety show, as well as the behind-the-scenes aspects of such a show. The show was known for outrageous slapstick, sometimes absurdist comedy, and particularly for using Muppet characters to create humorous parodies. After the show became popular, many celebrities were eager to perform with the Muppets on television and in film. By the end of its run, over one hundred guest stars had appeared on The Muppet Show.

This little ditty was in the very first episode of The Muppet Show in 1976 and has become one of the most popular scenes from the show.

What would the show be without two old hecklers, Statler and Waldorf.

go green

2009-03-17T08:59:00.000-06:00

Kermit has taught us so many tasty tidbits of wisdom.

Always be yourself. Never take yourself too seriously. And beware of advice from experts, pigs, and members of Parliament.

-Kermit

When I was a tadpole there was really only one thing that I collected. I had a file of newspaper and magazine articles on Frogs in Show Business. It was a small collection, but I think it influenced me a lot.

-Kermit

The words say, "It's not easy being green," but the song is about knowing who you are. And in it you hear Jim's message most clearly. He believed that people are good and that they want to do their best and that no matter how or why we might be different from anybody else, we should learn to love who we are and be proud of it.

-Ray Charles

A List Of Good Things About Being A Frog:

- Being Green

- Sitting in the sun on a lily pad

- Having thousands of brothers & sisters

- Going to the hop

- Playing leapfrog

-Having bears and pigs and dogs and chickens as your friends

- Getting kissed by princesses hoping to turn you into a handsome prince

-Kermit

muppet week

2009-03-16T07:58:00.002-06:00

I am officially designating this week as the Unofficial Muppet Week. It all started when Jim Henson, without a doubt the most famous puppeteer in history, created everyone's favorite little frog, Kermit. Through television and later through feature films, Henson developed the art of puppetry to new heights of technical expertise and storytelling capabilities, particularly in the ability to create sympathetic, emotional characters with whom audiences, both young and old alike, can relate. Jim and Kermit worked together from 1955 until Jim Henson's death in 1990. With the premiere in 1969 of Sesame Street, the Muppets reached superstardom. Henson

and his creative team created a number of memorable characters for Sesame Street, including Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird, each with distinctive personalities. Henson’s success on Sesame Street paved the way for his next television production, The Muppet Show, a weekly syndicated variety show hosted by Kermit the Frog with an expanded cast of both new and familiar muppets and guest starring live actors and celebrities. The show was an immediate success upon its premiere in 1976 and was still popular when Henson decided to cease production in 1981 in order to concentrate on greater challenges. His company, by now, had expanded to include a wide variety of children’s programming and educational materials, including books, music, and television shows, such as Fraggle Rock and Muppet Babies.

His primary creative interest, however, was in motion pictures. In 1979, he had scored a hit with young and old alike with the first big-screen Muppet movie, titled simply The Muppet Movie. The musical-comedy launched a series of Muppet movies, including The Great Muppet Caper (1981) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), which has continued into the present. Jim Henson died of pneumonia in New York on May 16, 1990. Over the course of a career spanning more than 30 years, Henson received eighteen Emmy awards, seven Grammy awards, four Peabody awards, and numerous other honors. Thanks to others who share Jim Henson's vision, we are still able to experience the joy and imagination of The Muppets. Thanks for encouraging us to fall in love with a frog.

cupcake haven

2009-02-28T18:24:00.002-07:00

Cupcakes. I love them. There is nothing better than these tiny little taste explosions. Everybody loves cupcakes. Someday, when I have a bakery, specialty cupcakes will be what I'm famous for. Until then, I'll just look at all these fun little cupcakes... and maybe try a few of my own.

some like it hot

2009-02-18T22:15:00.004-07:00

Tonight Staci, Curt and I got some chinese take-out and watched Some Like It Hot. Wow! What a great movie! Some Like It Hot was voted the funniest movie of the 20th century. And it deserves it too. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are absolutely hysterical! Of course, you can't forget Marilyn Monroe, although, what is with the dresses she wears? Anyway. Here is one of the funniest clips from this incredibly humorous movie.

valentine's day. what does it all mean?

2009-02-14T12:03:00.003-07:00

Some call it Valentine's Day. Some call it Single Awareness Day. What is it about today that either makes people feel really happy and loved or really sad and alone? It's just a day, like any other. And if we are lucky enough to have a significant other shouldn't we be loving them all the time? Not just because Hallmark cards and conversation hearts tell us we should? Relationships take lots of work and there are always going to be some tough times. Just look at all these famous couples. All of them have had their share of struggles and rough patches. Mickey had a bout with jealousy when Minnie went out with Mortimer, Mario is constantly rescuing Peach from the perilous plotting of Bowser, the police were constantly trying to drive a wedge between Bonnie & Clyde, Donald is always trying to win Daisy over despite his speech impediment and bad manners, Sandra Dee and Danny are constantly battling the pressures of social circles, Ricky is always bailing Lucille out of the mischief she gets herself into, Mrs. Pacman's constant worry about Pacman being devoured by ghosts, Han Solo had to work the fact that Leia kissed her brother, WALL-E trying to convince Eve to hold hands, the meddling and conspiracies of the Syndicate in Mulder and Scully's lives, the never ending pursuits of Agent Smith for Neo and Trinity, Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl struggling with the everyday trials of raising a family and being superheroes, and Pepe Le Pew is in love with someone who finds him repulsive. The one thing all of these couples have in common? They never give up and they keep working towards love. So whether we're in a relationship or single, I think we can all strive a little harder to be more loving. Happy Valentine's Day!

mickey & minnie romance

2009-02-13T11:49:00.004-07:00

In the 80's Disney had holiday specials that they called DTV (Disney television). The best ones were the Valentine's Day specials. Our family was big into recording stuff from tv and the two Valentine's specials became a staple among holiday viewing. Basically, they put Disney cartoons to popular music. This segment portrays one of the longest running romances in the business.

Here's everyone's favorite Disney Dog, Pluto, and his romantic struggles. I sure like the cute little Daschund, Dinah, more than the rag-a-muffin looking mutt he's into. And I'd pick Pluto over Butch any day.

25 tidbits

2009-02-12T21:32:00.007-07:00

I never do things like this, in fact I'm usually against them, but something changed my mind about this when I was "tagged" on Facebook. I think it's because I could say whatever I wanted and didn't have to just answer stupid little questions. Enjoy and if you haven't already done it, consider yourself "tagged".

25 Random Things About Me

1. I think our lives should have background music that randomly starts playing at all the right moments.

2. If I had my way, I'd never wear the same pair of socks twice.

3. My favorite bands: Pink Floyd and The Beatles.

4. I absolutely love playing video games. Even the super macho need-to-blow-stuff-up kinda games, like Halo and G.R.A.W.

5. If I could live anywhere in the world, it would be New Orleans Street in Disneyland. Or Seattle.

6. I hate hate hate snow tubing. Everyone else seems to really enjoy it, but personally, I'd rather eat my shoe.

7. Cary Grant is my favorite actor. I'm even a card carrying member of The Cary Grant Swooning Society.

8. I've had 5 broken arms in my life.

9. I really enjoy cleaning; put on some great music and just clean clean clean.

10. When I was little, I use to tell my mom that I wished I'd been born in the 60's so I could've been a hippie.

11. I have 2 tattoos. And I like them.

12. I love to have parties. Sometimes I make up reasons to have parties, such as "Celebrate Your Inner Child Party" or "Neil Diamond Tribute Party" or "Harry Potter Halloween Party" or "Indoor Camping Party" or "Blue Bayou Party" or "New Year's Eve Mocktail Party". I think you get the idea.

13. I grew up watching The Muppets and still love them. It doesn't get much better than The Great Muppet Caper. Love that Charles Grodin singing his love to Miss Piggy!

14. When I was little, I went through a big Wizard Of Oz phase and watched it every single day. I was even a flying monkey on a float for the big 24th of July celebration parade here in Bear River.

15. After Disneyland, camping is my favorite kind of vacation. We have a little tent trailer and love to go whenever we can. We've even been known to "camp" in the backyard.

16. I believe in naming my vehicles; if you give them love, they'll give you love. FJ Cruiser= Samson. VW Beetle= Dalila. Previously mentioned tent trailer= Rizzo.

17. My favorite kind of fruit is a pomegranate. Yes, they can be a bit time consuming, but oh so worth it.

18. When I was a kid, I won a belt buckle for being the best mutton-buster. And by "the best" I mean being able to hold onto that sheep for the longest amount of time.

19. Softball is my favorite sport to play.

20. I absolutely love dogs! We have three: two Boxers, Duke and Jada, and a mini schnauzer, Maggie. Follow their adventures at http://dog--blog.blogspot.com/

21. I have a green thumb and love it! Gardening is one of my favorite past times.

22. Cold cereal is the staple food of life. It's all you really need.

23. I have a VERY extensive collection of Micro Machines, they were one of my favorite toys when I was a kid.

24. Orange is my absolute favorite color! It's just so fantastic!

25. I have a "People I'd Like To Fight List" and the top 3; Yoko Ono, William Shatner and Martha Stewart. And you better believe I'd win!

paul's still got it... and the diamond for that matter

2009-02-09T12:15:00.009-07:00

The music event of the year took place last night and I think it was one of the best Grammy's to date. Among the twenty some-odd number of live acts, two music legends gave stellar performances and proved that they "still got it". Sir Paul McCartney gave an amazing performance of "I Saw Her Standing There" and Neil Diamond performed his classic "Sweet Caroline". I became acquainted with both of these rock gods at an early age, in fact, Paul was my first love... and you never forget your first. He still has the style and charisma that made him a favorite of the Fab Four. John and George would be proud. The Diamond. What more do I have to say. Neil has been performing "Sweet Caroline" for fifty years and it's still a favorite among young and old alike.

hello mr. grant

2009-02-04T22:43:00.001-07:00

He could be smooth, classy, and debonair, dressed to the nines with a look and a line to both mesmerize and hold at bay any female around; yet, his cool exterior could also spontaneously evaporate, leaving behind a tumbling, bumbling bespeckled paleontologist or a brash, energetic newspaper editor with a lightning-fast wit and an unshakable deadpan. In the history of movies, only Cary Grant has managed to combine charm, chaos, charisma and gothic good looks into such an unique and universally appealing screen personality. From screwball comedies to romantic dramas to suspense thrillers, he created characters who were simultaneously singular and familiar. One of Grant's best film was An Affair To Remember; the magnificent chemistry between him and co-star Deborah Kerr has made this film one of the greatest love stories ever told on the silver screen.

As V-Day approaches us, instead of hoping for flowers and chocolates indulge yourself into something that is sure to deliver. Some of Grant's other incredible films to put on your list of must see: Charade, That Touch Of Mink, Operation Petticoat, North By Northwest, Notorious, Arsenic And Old Lace, Holiday, The Philadelphia Story, His Girl Friday, Bringing Up Baby. Now, here's a little eye candy for you to enjoy, one of the best scenes from An Affair To Remember.

superbowl XLIII

2009-01-31T12:46:00.003-07:00

AFC Champions.

NFC Champions.

Halftime Show.

The obvious favorite, the underdogs with an "old" quaterback, and The Boss. Superbowl XLIII is sure be entertaining... and don't forget all the delicious "football food".

great news for guitar hero fans

2009-01-22T11:28:00.003-07:00

As if Guitar Hero wasn't amazing enough. Ride the Lightning and join Metallica, the greatest metal band of all time in an all new Guitar Hero experience -- Guitar Hero Metallica. The game is scheduled to be released on March 29th and is sure to be incredible!

mocktail party

2009-01-15T19:27:00.003-07:00

We had a Mocktail Party on New Year's Eve and let me tell you, it was one wild night! We had a fantastic night of eating, "drinking", Wii bowling, singing, and dancing. Yep, singing AND dancing.

*DISCLAIMER*: The following is not for the weak, it's actually quite shocking. Consider yourself warned.

holiday fun

2009-01-15T17:24:00.005-07:00

In December, the fab four made an attempt to see the lights at Temple Square, but our plan was foiled by horrendous weather. So we did the best we could.

Paul was reporting live with breaking news.

new year blahs

2009-01-08T22:42:00.008-07:00

So not only do we have the new year, but the new blahs that come with it. Why is january so incredibly lame? I need to start planning a fantastic vacation in january every year. I need some fun ideas or projects. Any ideas? Let me know.

gift wrapping 101

2008-12-20T13:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Holidays Everyone!

christmas memories

2008-12-19T12:37:00.003-07:00

Christmas is the time of year for so many things; among those is childhood memories. Every family has traditions that are special, but most of the traditions tend to be inside jokes, so if you're not in the family, you don't really get it. Well this post is just that sort of thing. A Garfield Christmas was on our yearly repertoire of holiday movies and we would laugh and laugh and laugh at this part, something about their lips is just fantastic. So, Zac, this one's for you. Happy Holiday Memories!

happy birthday mom!

2008-12-04T22:31:00.009-07:00

Today is my mom's birthday and what better way to celebrate a birthday than by having a party. So I invited her closest friends to gather and celebrate her life. When I sent out the invites I asked everyone to list five things they loved about her so the night went as follows: laugh, cry, laugh, cry, laugh, cry, laugh, hug. Of course I think my mom was wonderful and amazing in every way, but it's so nice to know that other people felt the same way about her. As we sat around eating one her favorite little dishes and listening to some of the funniest stories about her, I felt so lucky to have been blessed with such an incredible mother. Family, loved ones, good friends, old friends, meaningful experiences-these are all that really matter in life. Is there anything better than having someone that positively affects your life and makes you a better person? I think not. So with that, I'd like to say thanks to Marilee, Joy, Marilyn, Karen, other Joy (even if it was just in spirit) and Carrie for making mom's birthday party one to remember.

turkey day

2008-11-30T20:37:00.002-07:00

What an amazing Thanksgiving weekend it has been; relaxing, fun, and wonderful! Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing, Curt's fam came here so we were able to just hang around home. My Top 5 for Thanksgiving Day:

1. Of course, being with loved ones. That's always the best part of any holiday.

2. Eating my weight in food.

3. Preparing the delicious feast in our great new kitchen.

4. Watching everyone play the Wii. Yep, even Brad and Grandma Eva. So there we are, playing Wii Sports, when Curt's 90 year old grandma comes downstairs. She sees us playing Wii Bowling and says, "Oh, I've played this." Of course we're all thinking she's talking about real bowling. Oh no, she's played the Wii before! And the best part... (don't hate me Stace) she wasted Staci. She was amazing! I just laughed and laughed laughed. Ok back to the list.

5. We put up our little christmas tree that night, it was great.

The rest of the weekend was filled with yummy food, making goodies, watching christmas movies, decorating, and playing Lego Star Wars with Stace. Thanks again for coming over Stace, it was good times. I hope you all had a fabulous Turkey Day!

thanks & giving

2008-11-25T17:23:00.003-07:00

Thanksgiving is upon us. I love Thanksgiving, it's such a stress free holiday. It's just so wonderful to get together with people you love, eat lots of yummy food, nap, eat more yummy food, relax and get geared up for Christmas. In fact, the only thing I don't like about Thanksgiving is the fact that the Cowboys play every stinking year. Bleh. Being this time of thanks and giving, I have been thinking of all the wonderful things I have in my life and my list goes a little something like this:

-wonderful friends and family who love me (especially Curtis)

-adorable dogs who think that I'm the most amazing person

-living in a great community and country

-being able to buy a Mt. Dew whenever I want

-always having enough food to eat (usually more than enough)

-having a nice, warm, safe house

-being able to go to Disneyland often

-the package of christmas tree peeps waiting in the cupboard. mmmm.

-fuzzy slippers

-fantastic christmas movies like Elf, Christmas Vacation & Mixed Nuts

-having a vehicle to take me where I want to go

-working with people I enjoy

-being able to throw parties whenever I want

-guitar hero (and other awesome video games)

-music. music. music.

-hoodies

My list could go on and on, I'm so blessed and have so much to be thankful for. I think everybody should make a "thankful list", it's good for you. So with that said, make yourself some hot cocoa or apple cider, make your "thankful list" and then watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving.

kitchen remodel

2008-11-20T00:03:00.004-07:00

We did it! And now we're back to the land of the living! Of course, I'm talking about our kitchen remodel. For the past two weeks or so it totally consumed Curt and I. We did find little bits of time here and there for sleeping and eating, but not much. We have been wanting to remodel our kitchen since before we got married (almost six years) and now it's finally done. Things I know for sure: (1) If you can make it through home remodeling with your spouse and still like each other when it's over that's a pretty good relationship indicator that things are going well, (2) In the event of a home remodel project, your house will completely look like rubbish, especially the parts that aren't even being worked on, and (3) Home remodeling is like having a baby. While you're going through it you're stressed, anxious, on edge, exhausted all the time, sometimes you may even feel sick, and you always think "what have i gotten myself into?" which is often followed by an explicit (even if it's only to yourself). But when it's all over and done with, it was absolutely worth it and the next time a remodel is hanging in the air, you grab it without a single hesitation.

Curt and I video documented our remodel as we progressed through the stages. So without further a do, I give you the kitchen remodel of 2008 (aka The Final Frontier).

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

Episode 5

Episode 6

halloween carnival

2008-11-04T08:01:00.001-07:00

The Halloween Carnival was good times! We had a great turn out and everybody enjoyed themselves. Thanks to all of you who made it so much fun! Here are some pics from the photo booth. Enjoy.

Luckily, Action 3 News was at this momentous event and caught a lot of great footage. For more exclusive coverage of the carnival click here. Action 3 News.

spiders and cats and bats...oh my!

2008-10-27T14:24:00.004-06:00

As I've previously stated, I'm a big fan of Tim Burton. This is one of his early films, before he had worked on any big movies, and I totally love it! Yet another movie infused with the halloween spirit.

eye candy

2008-10-21T18:46:00.003-06:00

Clue has definitely been the movie of choice this halloween season so I've decided to delight you all with a tasty little tidbit of eye candy. Enjoy! And if you haven't seen this movie, put it on the top of your list.

pumpkinpalooza

2008-10-20T01:37:00.004-06:00

Friday was the first annual pumpkinpalooza party and I'm happy to report that it was a huge success. We ate a fantastic dinner, had yummy halloweenie treats, watched Clue and carved pumpkins (of course, what would a pumpkinpalooza party be without pumpkins). This is me, Staci and Alison with our super cute pumpkins!

Instead of carving pumpkins, Paul and Curt just played on their macs, but had a great time all the same.

I'm sure there are many more pumpkinpalooza celebrations to come in the future. Maybe even other palooza type parties, I mean who wouldn't want to go to a -palooza party, it just sounds fun. You should all try one.

the midnight hour is close at hand...

2008-10-01T00:22:00.004-06:00

Happy October 1st! I love love love October, Halloween, fun creepiness, decorations, candy, everything and anything to do with this time of year. In honor of this festive month and to get you all in the "Hallows Eve Spirit" I've decided to start with a cult classic. Go ahead, sing along. Feel free to get up and pull out your best dance moves.

halloween movie line-up

2008-09-23T20:52:00.018-06:00

The Halloweenie movie season is upon us! So for the ease of my avid readers I've composed a list of must-see movies for this fantastic time of year!

A group of oddball characters assmeble at an old Victorian mansion to play a game of "whodunit." If you like the board game Clue, or murder mysteries, or comedy (or in my case, all three) then you will absolutely love the movie Clue. The characters are fantastically diverse and each play an important role. Madeline Kahn has me rolling on the floor ever single time she opens her mouth.

Alfred Hitchcock may have been the best director who ever lived. It's a bold statement, to be sure. Universally lauded by critics, PSYCHO has been so popular with the public that it is scarsely necessary to mention that it tells the tale of a boy and his mother. Anthony Perkins is unforgettable as Norman Bates. He's a reclusive mamma's boy. He runs the Bates Motel -- ominously overlooked by a delapidated, old house. Mother's house. Vivian Leigh plays a would-be embezzler, who makes an unfortunate lay-over at the Bates Motel. Worse yet, she takes a shower.

Ooooh man! I know this movie is so 80's and has a lot of corny parts, but it just isn't Halloween without watching this hilarious flick. I think we've all had neighbors that we've suspected of being similar to the Klopex family. I just love it!

The Sanderson sisters, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kathy Najimy, are absolutely hilarious! The three outlandishly wild witches return from 17th century Salem to cast a spell on the town and reclaim their youth. You're in for tricks and treats in Disney's hysterically funny "Hocus Pocus."

Inspector Winship (Knotts) and Dr. Tart (Conway) are a pair of Scotland Yard investigators who are called on to look into the mysterious murders of Lord and Lady Morley. At the possibly haunted Morley mansion the bumbling duo have to deal with a bizarre household staff, a wealthy heiress, and more in this hilarious spoof of Sherlock Holmes and other mystery stories. One of the best pairings for Knotts and Conway, with plenty of inspired slapstick and wackiness. Absolutely fantastic!

This is one of my all-time favorites! Tim Burton is brilliant. Despite having recently presided over a very successful Halloween, Jack Skellington, aka the Pumpkin King, is bored with his job and feels that life in Halloweentown lacks meaning. Then he stumbles upon Christmastown and promptly decides to make the Yuletide his own.

At first glance this late nineteenth century village seems picture perfect. However, this close-knit community lives with the frightening knowledge that a race of creatures resides in the woods around them. The villagers share the fear of the evil and foreboding force that lurks outside. So frightening that one dare not venture beyond "The Village" and into the woods.

8-year-old Cole Sear is haunted by a dark secret: he is visited by ghosts. A reluctant channel, Cole is frightened by visitations from those with unresolved problems who appear from the shadows. Confused by his paranormal powers, Cole is too young to understand his purpose and too afraid to tell anyone aout his anguish, except child psychologist Dr. Malcolm Crowe. As Dr. Crowe tries to uncover the ominous truth about Cole's supernatural abilities, the consequences for client and therapist are a jolt that awakens them both to something harrowing--and unexplainable. Next stop, creepville.

Gabriel Van Helsing is a man cursed with a past he cannot recall and driven by a mission he cannot deny. Charged by a secret organization to seek out and defeat evil the world over, his efforts to rid the world of its nightmareish creatures have been rewarded with the title that now follows him: murderer. Van Helsing roams the globe an outcast, a fugitive, a loner, himself hunted by those who don't understand the true nature of his calling. If your into myth and monsters then this is the movie for you.

Set in a 19th century European village, young Victor is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love. Another Tim Burton masterpiece.

Fired from their university research jobs, Drs. Venkman, Stantz, and Spengler promptly set up shop as parapsychologists specializing in psychic phenomena and soon they're ridding Manhattan of bizarre apparitions. But the talents of these spirit exterminators--Ghostbusters--are severely tested when beautiful Dana Barrett and her nerdy neighbor become possessed by demons living in their building. Possibly one of the funniest movies ever! "Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together- mass hysteria." -Peter Venkman.

A perfect mix of suspense and thrill. Nicole Kidman delivers a spectacular performance in this chilling tale. And to all of you who claim that you "guessed" the ending, I call shananigans.

Steve Guttenberg. Need I Say more. And yes, this movie is based after Disney's ride in California Adventure.

Without a doubt, this is probably the least favorite of the Harry Potter movies according to most fans. And though I think it could've been better, I still enjoyed it. I'm not too hard to please when it comes to movies. I picked this Harry Potter flick because it is definitely the most Halloweenie.

All of the Peanuts gang dress up for the enchanting night of Halloween. All, that is, except for Linus, who firmly believes that this year the Great Pumpkin will finally visit his humble pumpkin patch. A childhood fave!

The Brewster sisters are spinster pillars of Brooklyn society, except for their secret penchant for poisoning old male callers with their homemade elderberry wine, to end the men's loneliness. I love Cary Grant (I'm even a card carrying member of the Cary Grant Swooning Society aka CGSS), he is brilliant on so many levels. This movie is a fantastic display of black humor (without being too black). This is a must see if you like a good laugh. Cary really proved himself a top notch comedian.

The "Addams family" are, shall I say a "unique" family. They live in a rundown, old house which might remind you of the house in Psycho, maybe a little more comical. The head of the household is Gomez, his wife, whom he loves passionately, is Morticia. Their children, who love to torture each other (literally), are Wednesday and Pugsley. Living with them are "Granny" (Judith Malina), the family butler Lurch and the disembodied hand known as Thing. Just an all-around great (cheesy, but great) Halloween flick.

A dead couple attempts to scare a modern family out of there house with the help of a "bio-exorcist." Michael Keaton is so brilliantly disgusting as Beetlejuice. If you watch this and find yourself thinking, "This is a bit corny." Just remember it's from the 80's and then everything should be fine.

A great remake of Hitchcock's Rear Window. Shia LaBeouf does a tremendous job as Kale, a withdrawn and troubled teen who is sentenced to house arrest. As the walls of his house begin to close in on Kale, he becomes a voyeur as his interests turn outside the windows of his suburban home towards those of his neighbors, one of which Kale begins to suspect is a serial killer. Great suspense thriller.

Do you have a favorite Halloween flick?

attention everyone!

2008-09-11T17:21:00.006-06:00

An amazing thing just happened! So there I was, on Google, looking up something to help Curt with a little project he's working on. I was doing an image search and typed in "The Matterhorn retro attraction poster" and when it pulled up image results, lo and behold, there I was! I'm blown away! Here's a screenshot and there I am (in my Mickey ears), second row, fifth over. I put retro attraction posters on my Disneyland blog... so that's how I became Google famous.

I'm even closer to the top of the search (out of 22,400 results) if you type in "Big Thunder retro attraction poster". Wow!

redfish lake

2008-09-09T21:32:00.006-06:00

This past week Curtis and I ventured into the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho for our annual trip to Redfish Lake. I've been going there for over 20 years, since I was a little kid, and Curt and I have continued on with the tradition. I'm glad we both love camping so much! We arrived last monday and it was rainy and chilly. The camp host came by and said that it had snowed that morning! That night was the coldest, in the 20s, but everyday just got warmer and warmer. Perfect fall camping! Brian, Quinette and the kids came up for the week too. Nate even made an appearance. Maybe we'll be able to get the whole family there eventually. Anyway, we had a fantastic time and didn't really want to leave, but I was tired of putting my shoes (and jacket, and wool socks, and beanie) on to go to the bathroom. Each trip seems to have a "theme". Two years ago it was Napoleon Dynamite, last year it was Nacho Libre, and this year it was "Trouble In Paradise". For a more extensive explanation of what that is click here, http://hotnugs.blogspot.com and Brian will explain it. Here are some amazing pictures that we took. Enjoy!