FIVE DAYS
how it is; moms never get to just lay around and be sick; especially if hubby is traveling. My head feels like it's about to explode and why aren't I in bed??? Am on my way there but thought I'd make a pit stop to vent AND to post a few pics of the pumpkin farm visit. Since everybody has been sick for about 3 weeks now, we didn't go early enough this year, it was the last day for pumpkins and the pumpkins looked awful. AND it didn't help that Thing 1 and Thing 2 decided to show their asses out in public and in front of company...don't ask me why they both decided it wasn't their day to make me look good and and despite the fact that Brandon can't talk doesn't mean he doesn't go into HOLY TERROR mode. He was acting like a crazy kid on 100 sugar pills.....
I wanted to really inflict some punishment on both of them but didn't since I didn't feel so great. Trust me, if I had felt better; 2 kids woulda been in bed early with soup for dinner. So nonetheless, I have really crappy pictures (insert now).



I'm disappointed cause I just finished this really cute leaf mini book from EK Success that I thought was gonna be filled up with some amazing fall pictures.
Anyway, I'm off to bed................
I wanted to really inflict some punishment on both of them but didn't since I didn't feel so great. Trust me, if I had felt better; 2 kids woulda been in bed early with soup for dinner. So nonetheless, I have really crappy pictures (insert now).
I'm disappointed cause I just finished this really cute leaf mini book from EK Success that I thought was gonna be filled up with some amazing fall pictures.
Anyway, I'm off to bed................
of the year where germs are gonna kill us- can we say the germs have passed from Thing1 to Thing 2 back to Thing 1 then on the mom and finally dad... I think our house needs a Lysol bomb thrown in it...we have been recycling germs for 2 weeks now and I'm "just" feeling better-yeah better kinda sorta and awake at 3 am....guess that's what happens when you tip the Nyquil bottle
without measuring, sleep all day, toss & turn sweating to death in the bed for an hour at 1 am. I finally just got up and said let me catch up on my email and my blog that I haven't seen in days....
Rain or no rain today; there will be a massive cleanup of all areas! The whole house smells sick when it should be smelling like cinammon and apples and pumpkin and cookies..... once I go back to bed and get up later that is...Like Niecy says, "I'm GOING IN!"
without measuring, sleep all day, toss & turn sweating to death in the bed for an hour at 1 am. I finally just got up and said let me catch up on my email and my blog that I haven't seen in days....Rain or no rain today; there will be a massive cleanup of all areas! The whole house smells sick when it should be smelling like cinammon and apples and pumpkin and cookies..... once I go back to bed and get up later that is...Like Niecy says, "I'm GOING IN!"
the temperatures have decided they now WANT to act like it's mid October.....
the leaves are these awesome shades of reds, oranges and this weird yellow-green....
pumpkin spice candles smell so good in my house; ya'll know I can't bake!
the visit to the pumpkin patch is around the corner......
the leaves are these awesome shades of reds, oranges and this weird yellow-green....
pumpkin spice candles smell so good in my house; ya'll know I can't bake!
the visit to the pumpkin patch is around the corner......

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and you are a scrapbooker/ card maker, look who's gonna be at the Grand Opening of your Michael's on Saturday!

Need i say more?????????? except why can't he come to Maryland???????????????

Need i say more?????????? except why can't he come to Maryland???????????????
of Pirates of the Caribbean movies so I was excited to read this:
Tim Burton could direct Johnny Depp in Pirates 4
by John Frost
Which director has produced some of the best acting out of Johnny Depp? Why Tim Burton, of course. So that makes me very excited about the rumor that Burton has been tapped to direct the fourth movie in the Pirates Of The Caribbean series. Burton is currently working with Depp in the Alice In Wonderland movie.
also to add to it by the Scoop, Most excitingly, there are talks of Captain Jack having a brother in the next movie, possibly to be played by Sacha Baron Cohen (perfect!) or Russell Brand (even more perfect!) Of course, that's probably just fantasy casting, but why would either of those comedians turn the role down? As we've mentioned before, the new movie might kick off a trilogy, which would revolve around Captain Jack's search for the Fountain of Youth.
Geoffrey Rush and director Gore Verbinski are apparently both planning to return, but... and this is a big maybe... Tim Burton might direct instead. Tim Burton! If there is a single director who could make people excited for a fourth Pirates movie, it has to be Burton. He's done so many amazing movies with Depp already, and might have the ability to make the new franchise as fresh and exciting as it was when the first movie came out. After all, Tim Burton is already making a movie for Disney, and if Alice in Wonderland is going well, you can see how they'd want to hang on to him
Again, this information is all up in the air, and could change at any moment. But still, this is the best news we've heard about the next Pirates movie, and pretty much the magic bullet it'll take to make most of us care. Russell Brand, get on the phone with your agent, and make this happen!
I'm all for it, who cares who's directing and who plays Johnny Depp's brother?
Tim Burton could direct Johnny Depp in Pirates 4
by John Frost
Which director has produced some of the best acting out of Johnny Depp? Why Tim Burton, of course. So that makes me very excited about the rumor that Burton has been tapped to direct the fourth movie in the Pirates Of The Caribbean series. Burton is currently working with Depp in the Alice In Wonderland movie.
also to add to it by the Scoop, Most excitingly, there are talks of Captain Jack having a brother in the next movie, possibly to be played by Sacha Baron Cohen (perfect!) or Russell Brand (even more perfect!) Of course, that's probably just fantasy casting, but why would either of those comedians turn the role down? As we've mentioned before, the new movie might kick off a trilogy, which would revolve around Captain Jack's search for the Fountain of Youth.
Geoffrey Rush and director Gore Verbinski are apparently both planning to return, but... and this is a big maybe... Tim Burton might direct instead. Tim Burton! If there is a single director who could make people excited for a fourth Pirates movie, it has to be Burton. He's done so many amazing movies with Depp already, and might have the ability to make the new franchise as fresh and exciting as it was when the first movie came out. After all, Tim Burton is already making a movie for Disney, and if Alice in Wonderland is going well, you can see how they'd want to hang on to him
Again, this information is all up in the air, and could change at any moment. But still, this is the best news we've heard about the next Pirates movie, and pretty much the magic bullet it'll take to make most of us care. Russell Brand, get on the phone with your agent, and make this happen!
I'm all for it, who cares who's directing and who plays Johnny Depp's brother?
love the Retro Meto collection- G.N.O. Girls Nite Out! Cost a small fortune-Hannah Montana movie was $ 15 (this was last year )and we had buffalo wings and milkshakes at Johhny Rockets (yummy) but we had fun! Didn't quite get the hang of the photo booth until the last picture! :) Been sitting on these pictures for awhile and am jsut getting around to scrapping them.


Today is Picture Day ~can you believe $ 20 for 7 pictures? So,this will be the first school picture without all the long hair-kinda different :) I took my own shots just in case since I'm a control-freak and have never heard of this company that takes the photos.
this was the fun make-n-take provided by none other than Ms. Wendy Jo, Fiskateers #99 who came and gave us a wonderful and fun presentation at our LSS Great Scraps out in Millersville, MD today. Of course I added more "stuff" to it :)

Here's the cute RAK that I won (sorry it's sideways but it wouldn't load no matter how I tried).....

and last but not least, Lil Davis Designs sent these too-can't wait to get more Halloween layouts done this week!

You can become a "Fiskateer" here at http://www.fiskateers.com and you can check out Great Scraps at http://www.greatscraps.biz/
Here's the cute RAK that I won (sorry it's sideways but it wouldn't load no matter how I tried).....
and last but not least, Lil Davis Designs sent these too-can't wait to get more Halloween layouts done this week!
You can become a "Fiskateer" here at http://www.fiskateers.com and you can check out Great Scraps at http://www.greatscraps.biz/
Spent another day doing scrap related fun....went to Great Scraps in Millersville since Ms. Barbara and crew were hosting "SOMEBODY" we wanted to meet! Here's a BIG HINT {wink}

So, without further ado, we got to do a fun make-n-take and got to meet Wendy Jo, Fiskateer # 99! Thanks lady for teaching us how to use those Fiskateers punches and the circle tool correctly! I can't wait to play with mine!
And can I just say I was the first one to win her RAK! It was this adorable Halloween accordian book (see next post & picture) courtesy of Cloud 9; right on time since I'm scrapping Halloween layouts and pictures....Can't wait to see how much fun we're gonna have at the Hershey PA crop, maybe we met some new folks today that may join us up there :) It was a nice way to close the weekend with scrapping fun & candy!




So, without further ado, we got to do a fun make-n-take and got to meet Wendy Jo, Fiskateer # 99! Thanks lady for teaching us how to use those Fiskateers punches and the circle tool correctly! I can't wait to play with mine!
And can I just say I was the first one to win her RAK! It was this adorable Halloween accordian book (see next post & picture) courtesy of Cloud 9; right on time since I'm scrapping Halloween layouts and pictures....Can't wait to see how much fun we're gonna have at the Hershey PA crop, maybe we met some new folks today that may join us up there :) It was a nice way to close the weekend with scrapping fun & candy!
since I keep getting inspired to by Kimmie and Corey over at http://useyourstash.blogspot.com/
This is what they do: The 5th and 12th of every month they issue a challenge.
You will have until the 20th to upload it and they give away RAK's at the end of the month.
In between they offer up some techniques, maybe some polls, or just chatter, after all that's what we scrappers do- their idea is to use your stash, so you can shop later! Cool huh? It's a good way to mix new stuff with old stuff instead of just using the new stuff all together.
Have fun!
This is what they do: The 5th and 12th of every month they issue a challenge.
You will have until the 20th to upload it and they give away RAK's at the end of the month.
In between they offer up some techniques, maybe some polls, or just chatter, after all that's what we scrappers do- their idea is to use your stash, so you can shop later! Cool huh? It's a good way to mix new stuff with old stuff instead of just using the new stuff all together.
Have fun!
Thanks to Charygirl, I've been HIT!

So here are the rules! {as copied from Chica}
1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received the award.
http://creativegirlz.blogspot.com/
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours. ** I don't know how to do it the link way so I gotta give the whole URL until I figure it out.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
So here goes: my LUCKY {7}
* Morag Cutts
http://scrapbook-junkie.blogspot.com/
* Francine
http://francineclouden.typepad.com/callaloo_soup/
* Divian
http://scrapitfabulous.blogspot.com/
* Lisa S
http://www.ethnicscrapbooking.typepad.com/
* Rhi
http://rhiancaroline.blogspot.com/
* Renee
http://reneehagler.typepad.com/my_life_my_blog/
* Jana
http://www.just-jana.blogspot.com/
is that 7 ????? :)

So here are the rules! {as copied from Chica}
1. If you've been tagged, you can put the logo on your blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received the award.
http://creativegirlz.blogspot.com/
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links to those blogs on yours. ** I don't know how to do it the link way so I gotta give the whole URL until I figure it out.
5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.
So here goes: my LUCKY {7}
* Morag Cutts
http://scrapbook-junkie.blogspot.com/
* Francine
http://francineclouden.typepad.com/callaloo_soup/
* Divian
http://scrapitfabulous.blogspot.com/
* Lisa S
http://www.ethnicscrapbooking.typepad.com/
* Rhi
http://rhiancaroline.blogspot.com/
* Renee
http://reneehagler.typepad.com/my_life_my_blog/
* Jana
http://www.just-jana.blogspot.com/
is that 7 ????? :)



It's fall and thoughts turn to pumpkin pie and to Halloween jack-o-lanterns. But, can you use a pumpkin for BOTH a jack-o-lantern AND for eating?
"Young children can enjoy creating jack-o-lanterns by drawing the eyes and mouth on the pumpkins with markers," states Ann Hertzler, extension specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension. "They can be creative and have a good time and the pumpkin is still safe for eating."
Pumpkin pie tastes great this time of year and is also an excellent source of nutrients. "The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene," according to the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension. "Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protect against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well as some degenerative aspects of aging."
Here are some tips from the University of Illinois on preparing a pumpkin for making pumpkin pie (http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/pumpkins/selection.html). Work on a clean surface. Before cutting, wash the outer surface of the pumpkin thoroughly with cool tap water to remove any surface dirt that could be transferred to the inside of the pumpkin during cutting.
Preparing the Pumpkin
Start by removing the stem with a sharp knife. Cut in half with a sharp knife. In any case, remove the stem and scoop out the seeds and scrape away all of the stringy mass. A messy job, but it will pay off.
Cooking the Pumpkin
Boiling/Steaming Method: Cut the pumpkin into rather large chunks. Rinse in cold water. Place pieces in a large pot with about a cup of water. The water does not need to cover the pumpkin pieces. Cover the pot and boil 20 to 30 minutes or until tender, or steam 10 to 12 minutes. Check for doneness by poking with a fork. Drain the cooked pumpkin in a colander. Reserve the liquid to use as a base for soup. Follow the steps outlined below in Preparing the Puree.
Oven Method: Cut pumpkin in half, scraping away stringy mass and seeds. Rinse under cold water. Place pumpkin, cut side down on a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour or until fork tender. Then follow the procedure outlined below in Preparing the Puree.
Microwave Method: Cut pumpkin in half, place cut side down on a microwave safe plate or tray. Microwave on high for 15 minutes, check for doneness. If necessary continue cooking at 1-2 minute intervals until fork tender. Continue as outlined below in Preparing the Puree.
Preparing the Puree
When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, remove the peel using a small sharp knife and your fingers. Put the peeled pumpkin in a food processor and puree or use a food mill, ricer, strainer or potato masher to form a puree.
Pumpkin puree freezes well. To freeze, measure cooled puree into one cup portions, place in ridged freezer containers, leaving 1/2-inch headspace or pack into zip closure bags. Label, date, and freeze at 0 degrees F for up to one year. (NOTE: Transfer hot foods to shallow containers to speed cooling. You can place loosely covered foods in the refrigerator while still warm; cover when food is completely cooled.) Use this puree in recipes or substitute in the same amount in any recipe calling for solid pack canned pumpkin.
NOTE: Don't let your cooked pumpkin set at room temperature longer than two hours in the process of making puree.
This article was submitted by Alice Henneman, Extension Educator and appears in the October 2001 NEBLINE NEWSLETTER--A monthly publication of University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension in Lancaster County.
photos: Blue family 2007 :)

