Shoes and Ribbon, Oh MY!

Yesterday Jerrie and I went to town to do some shopping for the museum. Our annual Docent Dinner is next week. Jerrie and I have been putting this dinner together for about 13 years. We like to keep costs down, appreciation for our volunteers up and we like a fresh look every year. It's a challenge and it's tons of fun for us.

As we look at color combinations, for good sales and enough supplies for a dinner for 75 we may or may not shop a bit for ourselves.

I picked up some scrapping supplies yesterday, bits and pieces. Jerrie did too. Nice things.

AND then I found this stash, bronze and golden chipboard letters, borders with bronze foil, turquoise and bees! Then the hit of the day for me. Velvet, leopard print ribbon. Shut up! I was a tad excited.

I'm not entirely sure what I am going to use the ribbon for but if I need it, I have it. This is especially groovy as I just ordered leopard print shoes. Wooo Hooo!

I Got a New Toy

I got my first pizza stone. I love it. Not sure why, but I do. I picked up some of Trader Joe's ready to go crust and I've been busy. Sometimes I make my own pizza or calzone dough and some times I use TJ's. Joe's crust is tasty, inexpensive at $1.29 and convenient. It comes in white, wheat or herbs, nothing like variety.

Saturday evening I made a Canadian Bacon and Pineapple pizza. YUM! I used crushed pineapple and lots of cheese.

Sunday evening I made a Mexican Chicken Pizza. First I found a recipe on Tasty Kitchen and then I did whatever I wanted to do with the ingredients I had in the pantry.

Mexican Chicken Pizza

Spread out your crust on the stone or in a pizza pan.
Drain one can of Rotel tomatoes and spread over the crust
1 1/2 c. cooked and cubed chicken breast (Cash and Carry!)
1/3 c. corn
*I thawed the corn and chicken in the microwave for about a minute on 50% power.
Then sprinkle the chicken and corn on the tomatoes and peppers. Next sprinkle on the Julio's, our favorite seasoning from Texas.
Cover with low fat Mexican Cheese. The guys didn't even notice it was low fat. HaH!
And bake at 425 degrees for 15-22 minutes.
I sliced up an avocado and got out the sour cream for toppers.
Guys loved it. So, it's a keeper.

Tonight calzones... And all this coming from a kitchen minimalist, I do not like gadgets. But I am loving the stone!

Kicking and Screaming

And maybe a little pouting. Hubby was off work on Thursday and Friday. He was pretty excited to pressure wash, mow, weed, and do some gardening. Me, not so much. I haven't had a snow day this winter and so I am not ready to garden yet.

But I did and Hubby was right. It felt good. The front is cleaned up, half of the cars are washed, the patio is tidy, some of the flower beds are cleaned up. Hawley got a bone and followed us around the yard. Max came home and helped. It's good.

The only problem now is that I went out there and saw up close and personal just how much needs to be done.

Still hoping for a snow day to get cozy and not feel like I should be gardening.

Dutch Candy

Remember the little balls of evil?
YuM!

Valentine Recap

It was a good Valentine's Day with all of the elements, flowers, love, friends and family, my one true LoVe, sweets and treats, and a princess. Hubby gave me a stunning bouquet with roses and lilies. And he searched all over our little town for my favorite candy aka the little balls of evil. Love him!

Delinquents?

Max and Tyler's Dads told them they could skip school one day to go snowboarding. Today is the day! We gave him our blessing, the Element and a BiG lunch...and LoTs of advice for driving in the snow. And we specifically told him NOT to break anything! As in bones.
Obviously I don't know how to use my new scanner.

Valentine Dinner 2010

Fortunately for me I had help. Emilyn came to stay this weekend and she was a big help for the Valentine dinner. In the morning we decorated the cake, always cherry chip for Hubby. This year I called in the goddess of frosting, my niece, Hana and she came and whipped up a batch of her famous butter cream frosting. Thanks Hana!

Still in the morning we set the table, made the Twice Loved Potatoes, made our meatloaf, put together some care packages and Miss Emilyn had a photo shoot with my sister that is a Snapsister. Whew!





Our guests arrived, we enjoyed a glass of sparkling cider or champagne. Miss Adelene and Kassi, Max's girlfriend and of course, Emilyn made for a ratio of more girls than guys. A first for our dinner.

Our Valentine Menu
Berry in Love Salad
Be Still my Heart Meatloaf
Twice Loved Potatoes
Sweet & Sassy Carrots
Best Couple Ever, Bread & Butter
Dessert-
Cherry Chip Cake and Vanilla Ice Cream

After dinner we were thinking about having dessert when a car came on the yard. A quartet of Valentine singers came and serenaded us. It was so much fun. It was a surprise from Miss Ad. They brought me a rose and chocolates too. Thanks Ad! We have never had live entertainment at the valentine dinner. A blur... sorry, but you get the idea.



It was all fun but a tad exhausting for Emilyn and her doll, Emily.

More Valentine highlights coming...

LoVe Week Prep

Lots and lots of LoVe week prep going on here.
*It is our anniversary today- love you honey!
*We have a special, sweet guest for the weekend.
*Our Valentine dinner is Saturday evening. And for the first time in our history there will be more girls than guys at our Valentine dinner. I'm kind of excited about that ratio since I have always been out numbered.



I am LOVING it!

Kitten, Kitten, Whose got the Mitten?

The sistas are back home from Whistler. While there we did see the best Olympics 2010 souvenir and went for those mittens like a dog after a meaty bone, like a fighter going for the prize, like three women clawing their way to a 90% off clearance item or like an athlete after the GoLd!

If someone tells the sistas that they can't have mittens, that the mittens are sold out, we want them. Badly.

The 2010 red mittens were the cutest, softest, most affordable souvenir. We wanted the mittens. Finding the mittens was the Olympic Shopping Event.

Fortunately for everyone involved a shipment came in on our last morning in Whistler. Kathi made one more trip to the official Olympic store, a staff person was restocking yet another sold out display of mittens. She told Kathi she had been restocking for two hours. The mittens were selling like hot cakes!

In our event, Shopping, we won the gold! I mean the red.

Now Kathi can wear her mittens at the 2010 Olympics bob sleigh and luge events. Melinda and I can wear them in our living rooms while we watch on cable TV.

Whew...

3.2.1-Olympics 2010

I am spending some time up at Whistler with Kathi and Melinda. There is a pre-game buzz in the air, no doubt. Many law enforcement and media from all over the world in the village. We have met people from all over the world, many are volunteers. That may the way to go to the Olympic games, they get a place to stay, cool jackets and backpacks and likely a great experience.

Kathi and Melinda enjoyed some shopping in the village. The official store has some nice things including cowbells. Kathi bought several because she is returning for the bob sleigh (no one says sled here) and the luge races.

We soaked up some vitamin D at lunch yesterday. We had lunch at the base of Blackcomb Mountain chairlift. It was comfortable in the sunshine and fun to watch skiers and boarders come down the mountain.

Today some snowshoeing, scrap booking and sightseeing. Oh, and some cleaning in the condo...

Cherry Bing Bars

During the holiday season someone left me a treat in my church mailbox. I have no idea who it was, my only clue is that I left a comment on Emily's post about Bing Bars. Someone maybe saw it and decided to give me a treat. Whoever you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I decided to save the cherry chips for Valentine's LoVe week. Because and here is a very sad fact, cherry chips are hard to find in the Pacific Northwest. Good luck! You can buy them on Amazon but it's bulk. If you bought them bulk and made the bars over and over to use them up you would be fat. No joke. But the Bing Bars may very well be worth it.

These bars are a midwest treat. Yes, I was in college in 1982. Yes, I am old.

The original recipe from Iowa. I used butter instead of margarine because this is dairy country and I want to do my part.

The ingredients include many yummy treats so you know they are going to be good.

I used mini marshmallows and found the measurement conversion on google. Twelve large mallows equals 1 and 1/2 cups of minis. You must stir constantly while it boils for five minutes. It will burn easily and quickly. After you remove from the heat, add the cherry chips, stir and stir some more.

Since the recipe didn't specify semi sweet or milk for the chocolate chips I used half of each. Pretty much perfect combination.

You could buy the peanuts chopped but I have my old and trusty chopper from Grandma Dykstra.

While you make the chocolate peanut topping the cherry yumminess cools just enough so that it doesn't pull up as you add the chocolate layer. Nice.

Cherry Bing Bars are a Midwest treat but they taste like a Pacific Northwest treat, the Mountain Bar made by Brown and Haley in Tacoma. YUM!

I have been busy baking. Sometimes Valentines come in the form of care packages. Danny and Sam, check your mailboxes this week!

Luv- mum

My Valentine Picks

It's LoVe week at the Stone House. I wanted to share some of my picks for your special Valentine and special friends and family.

Rod Stewart's newest album, Soulbook. I am loving this album. Love songs, baby!


Straight to the heart, a gift that says you care about their well being. I am on my second year of my Health subscription and I love it. Health is my new favorite magazine. Men's Health is great for guys.


I {heart} this lotion. I bought it on vacation in a travel size and fell in love. Next I am going to try Johnson & Johnson's lavender and camomile lotion and body wash.


I love the new 'old' bar accessories at Pottery Barn, they are having a back order issue with them, so be patient. I know my bartender needs them.


My heart jewelry from Tricia is special. My guys gave me the jewels. Sentimental fool that I am, these pieces mean a lot. The heart rock with a hole looks all sweet and sassy for LoVe week with red thread, worn with a black t-shirt.

I love to bake for those I love. Cinnamon rolls baked in a heart shape, pink frosting and Valentine sprinkles can say, I love you.


A simple card or a print from one of my favorite esty shops. Amazing photo.


Keep it simple, sincere and creative. Lots more luv coming this week...

Clean Needles Please

Last night I called Sam. He had a BiG test on snake bites and child birth(he told me after seeing those films he is never having children, doesn't even want to put a wife through childbirth) and other calamities. I called to see how he scored. He scored a 96%. So, we chat, I need to go make dinner and start to say good bye.

So I say..."Sam, I am so proud of you, love you honey",about to say g'bye here.

Sam interrupts me, "on Saturday I am getting a tattoo" and hangs up FAST!

{insert BiG sigh}

Now please excuse my texting grammar. I do the best I can as fast as I can which quite often is pretty poor.

I text Sam- "New needles. since you watched birth movies this week- a reminder of the sacrifice i made giving birth to a fat ten pound sam! dont mark your self with a tattoo. :) luv- mum

Sam texts me-"I think i'm doing a real looking heart with mother written on it, kinda like the old heart tattoos with mom written on it."

I text back- "Ok good save. ;)

What can I say? If he is smart enough to know not to tattoo a girl's name cuz we all know girls come and go, but rather 'Mother', go crazy Sam.

After all a MoM's LoVe is forever.

Good Stuff

Wednesday is Thrift Store day, all of the new junk is out, all of the hard core junkies are there. Good fun.

Today I scored an Ikea lantern, I needed three and now I have them. And a random find, The Bad Girl's Sticky Notes, for a mere fifty cents. Just in time for LoVe Week. I'm thinking they are going to be a lot of fun for fifty cents.


Then on to work at the museum where Holly ran in the door and gave me a gift, then ran back out to get to her first of two jobs she works at on Wednesdays. Go Holly!

The gift was this catchy little phrase, which I may or may not overuse, occasionally... maybe sometimes. Raise your hand if you've heard me say, It Is What It Is.

Okay, okay, I get it.

Random gifts are so much fun-thanks Holly!

A Fresh Project

I am hunting and gathering materials for a Whistler mini album, to be made in Whistler, about my last Whistler trip.

The soft aqua and burgundy wine colors are so pretty together. The pale aqua, glittered photo corners from Martha Stewart are my favorite.

Sometimes the best part of a project is the newness of it and the planning.