Thanks Sexy Mommas!

IF you are here for the freebie, its here. I promise! Keep reading!

I was so busy this morning I thought about skipping Senior Lunch, but I just couldn’t I love those folks so much I couldn’t bail out because I had pies to bake and Ambrosia Salad to make. So I went.

Well guess what?? They were just loading food into my car. I mean, Pumpkin Mousse Pie with caramel sauce and chocolate shavings, Black Walnut Cheesecake with drizzles of something like dark cherry sauce, and Pudding Cake. Oh! My! Simple name but absolutely the most delicious stuff you are every going to taste. Layers of yellow cake, cherry pie filling and more cake, then vanilla pudding, more cake finally topped with whipped cream. Sweet Heaven! Its SO good!

So I have all the desserts for Thanksgiving, made with love by my favorite Granny Squad!  Thanks Sexy Mommas!

Wait! There’s more…

Its my first sale at DSO, cool right! WHOO HOO! All my stuff is 30% off along with everyone else’s!! Yippeee!

BIG THANKGIVING SALE!

STOREWIDE 30% off

One Day Only

THANKSGIVING DAY!

Every Designer- Every Store – Commercial Use Items too!

Some Designers offering even bigger sales!

Check out Digi Scrap Obsession!

http://www.digiscrapobsession.com/shop/

Excludes items under a dollar, Grab Bags and Services

Here’s what is on sale at my store…

Whoo HOO! get them all while they are super discounted!

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BIG BLACK FRIDAY!  

 Okay, now if you are going to be hitting all the local sales Friday, stop reading now! If you LOVE Black Friday and all its madness, read Tuesday’s entry. Its nicer.

Yes, I once went to a black friday sale…by accident! LOL! I forgot all about it and went to Walmart early to grab some Mayonnaise, I mean the after Thanksgiving sandwiches wouldn’t be sandwiches without Mayo, right? Well the parking lot was full of cars all badly parked and it seems like everyone had a van, truck or yes…trailer hitched up.

I was beginning to think …uh-oh. When I saw them. Teams! Teams of shoppers, with lists, game plans even,  all in comfortable shoes. Mothers and Daughters. Sisters. Even husband and wife teams. Jack and I would absolutely KILL each other if we EVER had to shop frantic together. It would be a contest who could throw the other one under the shopping cart the fastest. We just do not shop alike, I like slow methodical and he would buy everything as fast as possible. I would have to take him out. Happily he won’t go unless I go and Jack  would have to drag me kicking and screaming to make that happen…

Yet, there I was, the knowledge that the elusive Mayonnaise was in that building and I could not go home without it, and the dawning awareness of what I has stumbled into was causing a drumming in my ears. I had to go in. The other grocery stores were closed today.

It never occurred to me to go home and make my own. I have since learned its quite easy. 

Mayo Recipe

I thought about waiting a few hours, but I got a hold of myself and stood in line. The store was not open yet ( Walmart is 24 hours but not on Black Friday! They must hold back the mob somehow, I guess)

People asked me what I was “getting”. They all had electronics on their minds. Cameras, Ipods, Computers. I said Mayonnaise. Everyone stepped back a bit to give me room. I was clearly a nutcase or I had a divine strategy that made them suspicious. The doors flew open and I jogged in with the crowd. It was either that or be trampled to death. I chose to live.

Baskets were lined up for people to grab, there was a guy with a bullhorn shouting instructions. When I refused a cart one was thrust at me…”All shoppers must have carts”, I was told.

Crap. Crowds AND Rules… both my Nerd and Hippy senses began to tingle.  

Like a horse race those behind carts were waved off the starting line and I think I was bashed from 3 different directions simultaneously. I was able to dodge into the groceries just as the hord turned left into General Merchandise. Phew! No one power shops grocery. It was absolutely still, not anyone in the isles except for a stock boy or two. AHHH!  I settled into a mosey. I got my mayo, checked over the Newman Dressings for something new. I wandered into the meat dept. and found 3 defrosted 20 lb. turkeys for 1/3 the price of yesterday. I got all three.

Glad to have the cart now, I was.

4 packages of  fresh Shiskababs, and 6 fresh Cornish Hens followed the turkey sisters into my buggy, All half price. All would find homes in my freezer. I even found a 2 lb package of sliced Baby Swiss Cheese that someone had the deli counter cut for them and then left it. The meat man found it and marked it down to $1.50 a lb. That was just as good as free! I took a turn in fresh veggies and found more bargains. Sweet Potatoes, Squash, Corn in the cob?  Yep. That was weird, but at 10c and ear I didn’t hesitate.

I was cleaning up! Imagine that!! LOL!

I did have to fight my way back through the crowd to check out, but those rule makers had folks standing by with scanners to ring up the stuff while we were in line, so all we had to do was pay when it was our turn. The credit card machines are always slow on Black Friday so the seasoned shoppers all brought cash. I saw this and  fished out a my last $20 bill and got change back. WOW! what a bargain! I thought for sure I had misjudged Black Friday!

Then the fight broke out.

A little blue haired old lady reached into another little old lady’s basket and snatched a talking Santa doll and plopped it into her cart and made a break for it. Now Little Old Lady #1 didn’t notice, but someone else did and she made a scream like invasion of the body snatchers while she pointed her finger at little old lady #2 trying to make her getaway. Well the fur was a’flying!  There was hair pulling, scratching, and plenty of tears. The Santa got the worst of it and two security guards, most of the scratches, as they tried to level these two wildcats apart.  Soon the grannies calmed down enough to just smolder looks at each other. It was my turn to pay so I didn’t get to see what else.

The parking lot was a whole new nightmare as crazed shoppers now with loot…throw caution to the wind and sprint for their cars.  I sat in my car a while waiting for a jack-knifed trailer to clear, vowing to always buy extra Mayonnaise and stay home on the day after Thanksgiving for-EVER! LOL!

I have since broken that promise. I will go to the post office and mail packages and cards Black Friday. Its pretty quiet at the PO since all the ladies are at the stores buying what they are going to be shipping. It pays to be slightly ahead of the curve at times. 

I will shop online. That’s more my speed and lots of great deals out there too. I go to blackfriday.com to find out what all my favorite stores are offering online. No hassles. WHOO HOO! Jack wants a new ( more powerful) range finder for the golf course. Dillon needs more RAM and I am sure I can find some other goodies. 

Kim is having a Black Friday online sale. Shop Friday for the best deal 50% off that day graduating to smaller percentages off as the weekend wears on.

   Here is her grab bag deal…

6 FULL products ( a $30 dollar value) $3.50 ONLY for the weekend! Will be twice this price if you wait till Monday, so go shopping!!

Here is that freebie you’ve been looking for…

http://www.4shared.com/file/159505535/2479fbc2/jc-kb-GT_freebie.html

Happy Thanksgiving Americanos!

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Edited: November 25th, 2009

Grateful

Every Tuesday I receive a cyber hug from Ann Strong via email. This week’s was especially thoughtful. Its so much what I would write, but since she already did I will share hers and just nod my head in the appropriate places with you all. 

Most of all I am thankful for all who read this crazy blog and get something from it. That warms my heart and gives me purpose. 

Hugs and Kisses of Thanks!!

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IMAGINE A WORLD POWERED BY GRATITUDE

What if, just for today,
I feel grateful for everything in my life?
I’d start with the obvious:
My health, my home, my friends, my family.
My wonderful work, my bills all paid.
I’d move on to everyday joys:
My cat chasing a wad of paper,
The crisp, cool autumn air,
This delightful cup of tea,
The way the sun streams into my office,
My comfortable chair,
And my fabulous stereo.
I’d contemplate all the gifts I feel honored to offer
the world:
My love, my enthusiasm, my centeredness,
My clear thinking and my insightfulness.
I’d revel in the gifts I receive from others today:
Their love, their generosity, their kindness,
Their encouragement and their patience.
I’d thank God for the gift in what I consider "challenges:"
A misunderstanding and disagreement with a friend,
A seemingly missed opportunity,
What looks like self-sabotage,
Yet another headache or heartache.
I’d thank God for showing the face of God
All around me and from within me.
If I thought of anything for which I didn’t know
how to feel thankful, I’d feel gratitude
for the opportunity to see from a bigger perspective.
Until I could.
And then,
I’d feel profound gratitude for this incredible privilege
to be here now, alive on this planet,
contributing what I came here to give.
And then,
I’d do it again tomorrow.
– Ann Strong

What are you grateful for today?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

About the author:
Business coach and spiritual author Ann Strong teaches
business owners clarity and confidence about themselves
and their businesses so they’re happier and more
successful.  She’s published her Sacred Space Notebook
(SSN) ezine weekly since June 2000. If you’d like, sign
up for a FRE*E subscription to SSN at:
http://www.annstrong.com/coaching-and-mentoring/

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

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Edited: November 24th, 2009

Thanksgiving Week!

Whoo HOO!

Its officially The Holidays at our house! Pepper Jack Cheese Balls are made and Eggnog is in The Refer!! Yup! Time to party! LOL!

We take the week of Thanksgiving off from school. Jack gets done with work on Wednesday anyway and so that leaves us just 2 days to grind out schoolwork if we were going to, so we just don’t. My poor boys! They always think they are going to get the days off, but I always find some big project to do.  This year the weather is co-operating so we are dividing and transplanting plants in the gardens. I know. I am a slavedriver, but they dig a fine hole in the ground, so what kind of mother would I be if I did not make the most of their skills??

I was sure I bought cream cheese and cottage cheese for Thanksgiving recipes but couldn’t find them so we went back to the store today. I really don’ t want any part of the grocery on the days leading up to Thanksgiving its a crazy zone! HOOT! But when you need cheese, well…you need cheese! There is always someone who can’t find yams or those little tiny marshmallows and has a meltdown in the candy isle! One year it was me! LOL! This year it was like a 7 foot man with a cardboard box in his head. I wonder what set him off?

I needed gingersnaps too. I bought 2 bags last Thursday and put them away to make the pumpkin pie crust and now they are gone. I asked them if they moved them and they said no, they ate them! LOL! Well, mystery solved.

Off the the store we went this morning and of course we found all kinds of things we didn’t need, like cherry cordial Hershey’s Kisses and chocolate stars. But one thing we absolutely have to have to kick off the season is Jack Eggnog from Braum’s. If you want to see a Grinch, don’t let Jack have eggnog or buy him some other brand! I don’t notice any difference in store bought ,bt now homemade with Rum… now that is good! It will kill you dead its so good! 

Luckily he has 1 gallon and a half to hold him until past Black Friday, because this little piggy doesn’t go anywhere near the market after today. I draw the line at drawing blood to get a sales price.  I do find that NO one seems to be at the post office on Black Friday and yes, the post office is open that day. So I do my Christmas Mailings on Black Friday and its in and out like a flash! WHOO HOO!

Anyway the boys just got in from unloading the groceries and found the left over, now rotting cheeses I knew I bought last week! LOL! I am not crazy ( yet) I did buy them. Good thing we found them before it really started to stink in there. I could just imagine us driving down the road with a trail of barn cats following us!! LOL!

Meow! Meow!

Oh! These crackers went into my gift baskets this year…they rock!! Find them and eat them!  We think this flavor tastes like ice cream. We haven’t decided which flavor ice cream yet, I think we need 2 more bags to know for sure. The bags are only 8 oz thereabouts, so don’t buy just one bag, that is silly, no one but you will get any and you will blow through the bag in like 8 seconds. That would be Tragic…yes with a Capitol T if you had no one to help you guess which ice cream flavor they remind you of.

Buy lots…and True North Snacks? Yeah, you guys. Send Ad money ‘cause I am telling strangers on the street to eat you crackers. On second thought, just send crackers. Don’t forget the Pistachio ones!

Happy Thanksgiving Week, My Friends! 

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Edited: November 23rd, 2009

Exhalt

I am late night blogging…since today was all running around with errands, meetings and doc and orthodontic appointments. No time for fun. Squeezing in a little before bed! Whoo HOO!

I am loving this new kit of Kim’s…Christmas First! Its a departure for me to go minimal. There is SO MUCH in this kit its almost a crime not to use it all!

See it big at any of the sites below…

http://digiscrapobsession.net/pics/showphoto.php?photo=7617

http://www.digitalscrapbookplace.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=342251&ppuser=145756

http://www.digishoptalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=841660&cat=500

Bought Sweet potatoes today, SO excited! Sweet Potato Chips! Love those this time of year. Bake Sweet Potatoes, cool, slice thin, deep fry. My hubby made his famous Beef-a-lone sandwiches for dinner tonight and the Sweet Potato Chips would have been great with those, but we only got as far as the baking, cooling, slicing and eating! LOL!

I love it when Jack makes sandwiches. He is positively a perfectionist at it and so there is a bit of tomato in every bite as with the onion, spinach, cheese and meat. I just slap sandwiches together he makes a masterpiece! …and I eat it!!

YUM!!!

Nighty-Night!

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Edited: November 19th, 2009

Color Challenge Tuesday!

http://www.4shared.com/file/154183009/ef74110a/jc-leaves.html

My Color Challenge contribution for this month. Tried to stick to just leaves but it didn’t go too well! Some flowers snuck in there and a bit of string! LOL! Grab it for free!!

Delightful Colors Ruthie picked and Kim did an awesome Posting Bonus for it!

SO pretty and soft. Hurry over to pick up some terrific kits! And play a little too! The place is packed with offerings in these colors its a  scrap buffet!

Happy Tuesday!

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Edited: November 17th, 2009

Christmas First Freebie

Howdy All!

Such a delicious morning! Its finally getting cold here and I love the brisk air to get out in.

Gratitude List

• For good health and enjoying it while I can.
• For good friends, couldn’t take a breathe it seems without your love and care. Thank you!
• For coffee in the morning with Jack. You spoil me.
• For big guffaws of laughter. The kind that make strangers stare, and whatever caused them all the more funny!
• For the new thermostat in my oven. Oh, how I missed you 350 degrees on the dot! LOL!
• For a working website, email that shows up, and not having to dink around with gmail anymore. Sweet!

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Of course Kim has a new kit! LOL! Christmas First…and of course its beautiful! You should go to Kim’s blog and see the Layouts the girls are making. I wish I had a Talent-Vac. I would suck up all the extra talent they have laying around they are not using!  * HOoot*

I can dream, can’t I?

Get a load of this kit! What a collection of playful goodies for any baby’s first Christmas! Yet this kit can go so many different ways beyond Christmas.

All images link enabled

How Yummy is this!!

Up Close Pictures…

Well, I made a little something to give away using Christmas First.

Get Quickpage

Time to get back out in that cool morning air and start putting the garden to bed for winter.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!!

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Edited: November 17th, 2009

Tired of hearing from me?

Well Tough! I am on a roll now! WHOO HOO!

I want to hit you up to visit my Lyric Challenge before the month is over, and you know it will be here quick as a wink. So head on over there now and listen to a great song by Sister Sledge, We Are Family.  Read more about the Lyric Challenge.

Posting Bonus For Playing at the Lyric Challenge before November ends!

See  those Snowy Bells?

In making those I needed some snow, so I built some Photoshop Styles to make the glass frosted. I liked the first tries, but the snow was too heavy, so I made a lighter one, and then it was not right so I made a medium flurry and then I wanted snowflakes with a bit of light blue and then some more with ice tips just because and by and by there was 9 styles. I had a set! WHOO HOO!

I finally decided on medium snow for the bells. I think medium will also be good to for animated snow globes…

 Snow Globe Photoshop Tutorial

Snow Globe PSP Tutorial

…and light snow will make great starry night skies. I used light to help me place some wind blown leaves for a fall layout. I applied the style and then added the leaves to cover up the biggest flakes and * BAM* it was done. Nice random leaves with natural placement using the snow made setting down a cluster of leaves brainless. Then I removed the snow layer and it looks like I fussed over it! It will be our little secret that I didn’t. * snicker*

Something new is I have added the PNG files for those working in PSP. Now it can snow at your house too! Here is the preview… 

Includes 9 Photoshop Styles

9 Seamless PNG images

Tips and Helps Text File

On Sale now for only $3.00

Come Get Some SNOW!!

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I also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Charlie of Charlie’s Digiscraps! She has a birthday sale going on right now and a really neat Christmas Bundle Kit called First Noel I got a chance to preview! Really fun goodies in there!

I liked the Card Templates because I am card challenged. Get me started with paper and scissors and something ugly is coming to dinner.  I might be able to pull this off off with Charlie’s Card Templates, if not there is no hope for me! 

Check out Charlie! 

Happy Monday My Sweets!

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Edited: November 16th, 2009

Testy-Test

Going lightly so I don’t BREAK anything….

Site is moved and its safe to test, I think. I haven’t received the all clear from the movers, but I don’t expect one. Not the best communicators, kinda had to chase them down and stand on their necks to get information. SO no I will not be sharing the company with you and recommending them for your next site move. Hopefully you have a wonderful hosting service and never have to move! Fingers-crossed!

* Deep-Stress Reducing Sigh *

I can blog again! Phew! …going a LIT-tle bit bonkers there at the end!!

Putting this website move in my rear-view mirror! WHOO HOO!!!

Now let’s catch up! LOL!

Kim had her big birthday bash last week and it was a doozy! I didn’t trust my blog to be here when you all showed up for a new freebie so I am posting this now. Would that have been a bummer to get all excited about a freebie and go to get it and can’t find it. Been there, it stinks!

So a day late and a dollar short … enjoy it just the same!

http://www.4shared.com/file/147373941/b8c84b6a/jc-freebie_paperspills.html

Bunny made this layout with my papers! I am so stoked! Her baby just turned 9 years old and she is posing with her daddy! Isn’t Harmony joyful! What a smile!!

Thanks Bunny! You ROCK!

http://digiscrapobsession.net/pics/showphoto.php?photo=7471

I have SO much more to share, but I also want to test the move, so I will be spam-blogging today. Expect multiple posts with a little bit in each as I test for breaks!

Hugs and Hugs some more!

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Edited: November 16th, 2009

Antsy

Okay! I just can’t stand it another minute! I MUST blog. I can’t write about anything I am not prepared to lose, but at least I get to type SOMETHING!

I had to move my site, you know those email problems I was having, right? Well, I tried it on my own and it just didn’t work out. SO I hired a service to do it and its taking longer than I thought. If they do a great job I will be sure to tell you all about it. In theory its super cool, but time-wise its chappin’ my hide!

Its not really their fault that I am Antsy, but their website said “Don’t Make Changes to your site while we work” Okay, no blogging. I just didn’t think it was going to take a week or more…I am all twitchy with no outlet. My poor husband has had to listen to more than his fair share of babble and yesterday I lit into one of the dogs for nothing, so I think I might be starting the CRANKY faze of blogging withdrawal!!

Anyway, Just letting you all know I am receiving all your wonderful comments, just afraid to write back because that would be “Making Changes” I will post answers when the switch is done.

Please visit Kim on her last day of her birthday celebration! Its was a WHOPPER and I am a bit twisted up I chose to switch my site at this time and missed so much of it. Grrr! Mad at me!

Kim really knows how to throw a party!!

OH! and Bunny used my papers to make a Layout and it made my eyes leak for joy! The first time a designer used my stuff for a Layout, that I know of anyway! And I would love to post it, but I don’t want to lose your sweet comments you would make. So I will wait. Go visit Bunny she has it posted on her blog and leave her some love instead, Okay?

Happy Weekend!

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Edited: November 13th, 2009

New Kit, Alpha & Freebie!

A quick story, yesterday I locked my keys in the car ( uh-huh!) I have a key stashed in a plastic magnetic box thingie on the bumper so its not the drama it used to be. But the thingie wouldn’t open so I bent down to give it a tap on the pavement. Well, one thing lead to another and soon I was smashing the thing with abandon. ( I have a hammer in the car too, go figure)  An old cowboy stopped his huge truck  with a jerk and hopped out. He didn’t need an explaination of why I was doing what I was doing, he just took the plastic box and stomped the living hotten-tot out of it!

"That’s why God invented Cowboy Boots!", he said hopping back into his truck and waving bye, drove off. I swear this guy looked so old…like he would break in half if the wind blew too hard, yet he was as tough as an old goat! Drove like teenager on a Friday night too!

I was standing in the Walmart Parking Lot laughing myself into a folded position, all alone. A few people far off noticed the cackling and cut their eyes at the crazy lady. I decided to follow them back into the store when I went to buy another plastic box magnet thingie. One looked back and I gave her the crazy eyes. LOL!

No I didn’t. I just wish I did now because it would make the story’s ending better. I really just gave her a that quick smile, reserved for strangers. See! It would have been better the other way, right? HOOT!

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The free goodies from last month’s Lyric Challenge is now on sale with a bunch more packed in to make a STUFFED Mini Kit. Autumn colors with Grandma’s fun! 7 papers and 17 elements to play with, its a fine addition to your Fall / Autumn kit collection. WHOO HOO!

All Quality Checked and on sale for $3.00 right now.  Click preview to grab it while its on Sale-eo!!

Here is a subtle Alpha to stand out well on all those dark colored papers. Not too much texture…just enough to keep things interesting. Full Alpha, Uppers, Lowers, Symbols and Numbers. All here each on a separate layer to make your word workings go quick!

For those who love to add little elements to their alphas, I have thrown in bonus elements: the sock monkey and the lilies. Now you can add  your own personal touch to any letter(s) you want. Quality Checked and on sale for $2.25. Click the preview below to snatch it up for less!

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FREEBAY!!

The Kim B Birthday Bash continues until November 15th!

Today’s freebie is from FRESH POSEY a kit she made a while back, it was the first kit of hers I had ever seen and I was hooked! Loved it! And I still think its pretty wonderful! This Peach, Blue and Green Combo works with so many things!! Look at that cute doodle bird! Adorable!

Click the preview to buy, its on sale as part of the Kim’s Birthday sale for only $2.25 right now…what a steal!!

I made this Freebie using Fresh Posey and a new little goodie from Kim’s current Personal Use Grab Bag. 

Enjoy the lovely!

____

Happy Weekend!!

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Edited: November 6th, 2009