Winter Formal Dinner/This is How We Do It!

Let me start by saying that Jeanne has this cool "gizmo" that is a USB with a memory card slot built in. I need to get one. As a result, I was able to download photos. 

A few weeks ago, Morgan asked if we would host her Winter Formal Dinner. Even though I knew I was going to be out-of-town, I agreed. I had everything ready for Butch, Steph, Nicky and Mindy to pull it off without me. 

Morgan requested place cards. I added the fancy napkin folds. Stephanie had Russell Stovers chocolates for table favors. We Eads' know how to throw a party.

I swear by a timeline and it worked for them.

Mindy said they got a good laugh out of this. She said that surely one out of the four of them would know to take the saran wrap off before baking. I said I was leaving nothing to chance!

Butch said the kids had a good time. The parents came to take pictures and thanked him for doing the dinner. He said the kids stayed past 8 p.m. We thought they'd be ready to leave by 7:30.

Morgan and Carson. What a cute couple! Morgan has some killer shoes to go with her dress. The skinny belt is a leopard print.

Apparently, they are not all that comfortable. My girls learn at a young age that sometimes you have to sacrifice comfort for beauty!

Their whole gang!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Whatever keeps the grandkids around---I'm all for! 

I loved my grandparents, but they weren't exactly the type that we wanted to hang around as teenagers.

Things I Forgot and Another Recipe

I'm in St. Louis. On the trip, I always think about everything I brought to see if I forgot anything. I usually do---even with all of my lists---there's something I forget to put on the list. As I went over everything, I was congratulating myself on not forgetting anything this trip. When I'm going to be gone for 10 days, I have a lot of extra stuff to bring.

Turns out I did forget a few things. This time, it was my camera cord. I had it laying on my desk, so I'm not sure how I could forget it. Plus, I don't think I did. I just might not remember where I put it. But it's not with my other cords, so I must have forgotten it. Not a huge deal except I can't post any pictures here.

On Friday night, as I was making the grape salad (recipe below), I was going over everything in my mind that I needed to bring to Jennifer's for the shower. It hit me! Oh My Gosh!!! I forgot the petit fours!! They were so cute---with blue baby booties---still sitting in my freezer at home. I couldn't believe it. I called Jennifer right away---it was already 8:30. She and Janice were heading to Sam's, so they picked up a pre-made decorated cake. It was ugly, but better than nothing---I guess. To make matters worse, Janet and Janice "tacked" it up further with some crappy plastic baby decorations---rattles, booties, baby bottles. All I could do was make an announcement at the shower about how I was responsible for the lousy cake.

After, Jeanne had a good suggestion. I called Pam and am having her bring the petit fours to the scrapbook retreat we're going on this weekend. At least Jeanne and Janet will get a chance to see how cute they are and especially how delicious too.

The rest of the shower was nice and the food was good. I introduced all of the family and other St. Louis people to grape salad. They loved it.

Grape Salad
2 lbs. red grapes
2 lbs. green grapes
Wash grapes and remove from stems.

1-8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together until smooth. Mix with grapes. Put in serving bowl. Top with:

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Delish!

Then, Saturday night I realized I forgot my poker money. Dang, I lost 2 bucks. I'm been on a losing streak ever since "cashing in" my winnings and buying that Brahmin bag in New York. Jeanne says it's not that. She says I'm losing because I bragged too much. Maybe that's it!

One thing that was NOT forgotten was my birthday! My sisters (and that includes my sisters-in-law---they are sisters) had a surprise 60th birthday party for me. I was totally surprised and didn't even "get it" for quite awhile. My cousin, Judy came in and said she stopped by because she knew I was here. That didn't surprise me because her daughter lives nearby. Then she said she was going to another party at Chrissy's. She was giving her husband a 70th party. I told Judy that I would come and crash it. That's when my sisters said, "oh, you're going to leave your own party to go to another?" I looked all puzzled and said, "what?" About that time, Jeanne pulls out a cake and I finally start to realize what's happening. I'm so blind, I didn't even notice the counter FULL of presents. I do like presents. Darn, if I only had my camera cord. Anyway, sisters are the BEST! I love them.

Cool!

This is pretty neat and has a really cool message at the end.

The Stethoscope

A Layout and Recipe Share

Hey All,
Here's my layout for The Scrap Room Challenge Club. I assigned the topic and color combination this month. To see what everyone else did, just click on the link to the AYM Blog on the right.

When I decided that I was going to have everyone scrapbook about their car, I had no idea what I was going to do. Then I decided to tell the story of how disappointed I am in my new car. One thing led to another and I realized I had these old pictures of family gatherings in the country. Turns out to be a perfect  way to use those pictures and cross my journaling to include that time period. 

Here's the journaling on the left side:

Okay, I’ll admit it---I made a mistake. I hate my new car. I was blinded by all the “added features.” I should have known better.

I LOVED my Jeeps---had 3 of those and loved every one. But this time---I thought I was ready for something else. Plus, I thought it was a good idea to support my brother, Matt, who works for General Motors. Add to that, the really good discount he gets us for buying GM products. I got a “top-of-the-line, fully loaded” 2011 Buick Enclave. Sure, I love the features that swayed me---auto car start, hands-free phone, 2 extra seats, and the auto liftgate (one thing I hated about the Jeep was that the hatch would fall down on your head---ouch!). But, when the “honeymoon” was over, I was left with a car I don’t love. It was all superficial. And, idiot that I am, I got the exact same color as Butch’s car. I swear, it looked different on the lot. When I asked him why he didn’t say anything, he answered, “I didn’t want to sway you in any way. I thought you just liked my color.” Sheesh!

The bottom line is this car is just too big. I can’t see to back-up. I thought I would love that back up camera, but I don’t. You can’t really tell from that, how much room you have. There’s a blind spot on the right that is impossible to see around. And then, there’s the parking. Oh my gosh---it’s really hard to park. It’s just plain too big. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten blocked in because someone else parked too close. I just hate it. At least I only have 4 more years to go. We replace our cars every 5 years. I just feel like I’m an accident waiting to happen. As fleeting as time is, 4 years will fly by. I won’t make the same mistake twice!

Here's the journaling on the right side of the page:

I sound like a spoiled brat---complaining about my fancy, schmancy car.

Looking back at the automobiles of my long deceased family members, I should be grateful for the luxuries I take for granted. When I listed the features I was “blinded” by, I completely overlooked, automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, power windows, auto locks and most of all, AIR CONDITIONING! Besides the fact---that those old cars sort of smelled with their cardboard floor boards. I’m sure those relatives could never have imagined what autos would be like in 2011. And even if they did, they’d probably trade me in a heartbeat.

Now for the recipe share. Last night, I made pasta with my homemade pesto sauce. I wanted some sort of bread to go with it. I had some crescent rolls, so decided to be creative with them. You can't go wrong with crescent tolls. All I did, was sprinkle them generously with parmesan cheese, roll them up, top with more parmesan and bake according to the directions. They were delish!! Try them! 

Parmesan Roll-Ups

1 pkg. cresecent rolls

parmesan cheese

Sprinkle crescent rolls generously with parmesan cheese. Roll up and top with more cheese. Bake according to package directions.

And now for your enjoyment. What could be better? My favorite Broadway star, Idina Menzel.
Don't Cry for Me Argentina!

I'm Really Losing It...

Last week we had our AYM meeting. Karolyn couldn't make it. She had Bruce drop off her layout. Sometime during the week, I noticed that Karolyn's kit was missing. I sent an email to Pam and Susan to see if they had picked it up for her since they live in the same neighborhood. Pam responded that she didn't have it. I never heard from Susan, so I assumed she had it.

Today, Pam tells me that Susan told her she didn't have it. Now I'm actually a little irritated because I'm really short of time this week and wished she had let me know sooner. I told Pam and Nancy that I now remember that I took her kit and put it in my stitching basket when I passed out the other kits. My stitching basket has a few ziplock bags with projects in them. At least now I was certain where the kit was.

I got home and went straight to the basket, only to find that it wasn't there. Then I started looking everywhere it could possibly be---mud room where I put stuff that I have to give to other people, the kits going to St. Louis, the dining room table with more stuff for St. Louis, the hall closet and then my scrapbook room. I could not find it anywhere. That reminded me that the average person spends 10 minutes a day looking for stuff. I used to use these statistics in my organization lectures years ago. 10 minutes a day averages to 61 hours a year---a whole lot of wasted time! I spent more than 10 minutes today.

Later today at stitching, I had to tell Karolyn that I couldn't find her kit. I told her not to worry that since I am doing 2 books for myself, I would just divide my kit in half and bring it to her at the scrapbook retreat that we're going to next week. 

When I got home this evening, I said to Butch---not really expecting him to know anything---"You didn't by any chance see Karolyn's AYM kit laying around did you?" 

He replied, "You mean the kit you told me to give to Bruce a week and a half ago?"

OMGosh! I didn't even remember that. What I thought I remembered was that I was going to tell Butch to give it to Bruce, but never got around to it. 

Mystery solved. I called Karolyn. She said that Bruce must have put it in her scrapbook room, but she hadn't been up there to notice. She apologized to me!!! As if it was her fault. I'm the one losing it!

There are so many things "wrong" about this picture. Not only did I "forget" having told Butch to give the kit to Bruce but I wasted time "hunting" for it. Worst of all, I actually convinced myself that I had put the kit in my stitching basket. I actually saw myself doing it in my mind's eye. Now that's scary. What other things have I convinced myself of? Makes me wonder....am I really losing it?

Words With Friends

About a week and a half ago, I started playing Words With Friends via my computer. I'd heard about the word game for quite awhile, but just thought it was for people to play on their phones. Even hearing about it, I wasn't sure that I would like the game. It's a word game similar to Scrabble----but waaaayyyy different. Apparently, in Words With Friends, you are allowed to use the dictionary or computer to figure our your best play. Being a Scrabble "purist", I couldn't imagine a game where people (in my opinion) "cheated". What is the fun in beating someone when you used the computer? I want to play head to head with someone (or maybe I should say "brain to brain").

Anyway, I started playing with a few family members and friends. My nephew beat me badly in my first game. Now, I do not consider myself a sore loser, but Scrabble is one game I know and am good at. I have to admit, with each play my nephew made, I got madder and madder. With his very first word, I thought, "hmmm I've never seen or heard of that word before. But, okay, he got it." From there, it went down hill. It was word after word of crazy stuff that would never fly in Scrabble. Apparently you can also use proper names. Anyway, I eventually "resigned" the game with him. I was a sore loser, no doubt. I wanted to say to him----"I wanted to play with YOU, not the computer!" Move over Jeanne, turns out you are not the only sore loser in the family after all!!!

After that first game, I started playing with friends. A few of them used the computer too. That's when I decided that I needed to change my attitude about Words With Friends  and just accept the fact that it isn't really Scrabble anyway. It's just a game. Once I did that, I was able to just relax and enjoy the game for what it is. I've beaten a lot of people, but suddenly it's not about winning, but just hooking up with family and friends for those few minutes. It's especially fun when we're both on at the same time. It's like a real game then---back and forth right away.

And, one other thing. You know how on Facebook, you aren't really friends with the 3,285 people you are supposed to be "friends" with (in my case, I'm only friends with 183 people---because a lot of my friends are "old" and don't do Facebook)? Well, when it came to inviting someone to play Words With Friends, I accidentally "clicked" on someone I barely know. I've been playing with her for a week now. She must be wondering why in the world I picked her. I didn't really, just an unfortunate click. Still, I"m having fun with it. I have about 10 games going.

Just what I needed, another internet related thing to become addicted to. Between email, Facebook, Words With Friends, PInterest, keeping up with over 200 blogs, and my own blogs, I have no spare time. The thing that seems to be taking a backseat is my stitching.

I think I need to get up an hour earlier.

Just About Finished

Right off the bat, I can't get these pictures to line up the way I want, so I'll have to start here. Here is the view from Mindy's new condo. This one is from the right side of her living room. She has a corner unit on the 10th floor, so has windows on two walls. That made it a little difficult for furniture placement.

 This is the same view. She overlooks a place called the "Tin Roof" which is a bar/music venue. In the summer, they have concerts on the roof which she'll be able to enjoy from the comfort of her own balcony. This road is the entrance to Music Row and is a "hoppin' " place. The buildings you see are shops, bars and food places. Convenient for Mindy. Her place is in a perfect location for all the "night life" stuff that she and her friends do.

 This view is from the other side. Downtown is to the left (out of view).

Here's the nude sculpture of flying people at the entrance to Music Row. You can barely tell that they are adorned with red Solo cups in honor of the current Toby Keith song. I took some better pictures of it that I'll post later.

The view from Mindy's balcony.

This is another "hoppin' " place called "The Gulch" and is just across the highway. This view is from her balcony too.

 More views from the 10th floor.

 

This view is looking straight down at the pool. I think it's on the 6th floor. This picture doesn't do it justice. There's a whole cabana, lounge, barbecue area for entertaining. What's nice about this is that Mindy can see if any "hot"guys are at the pool and then dash down there.

Now here's the beginning of the post:

As with any move, there are snafus---late deliveries, no deliveries, pick-ups, appointments, missing items, damaged items---to name a few. Mindy's move was no different. Butch and I manned it all with our busy schedules and somehow made it all work for the past two weeks. If he wasn't retired, I don't know what we would have done. Most days we had the timing down to the minute with very little wiggle room.

Friday was the "big" day. The movers met me at Stephanie's to pick up the chair/lounger. They were late which threw my schedule off. I was to be at the condo by 9 to receive the delivery of mom's room divider that I had painted black. I took off while the movers met up with Butch at the apartment.

I also needed to go to Target, but planned to do that after the furniture delivery and between the time the movers arrived. The furniture delivery did not come when it was supposed to. Finally, I got a call from Christy (my friend and old nail girl turned decorator) who had arranged for the painting---that there was a problem. The "guy" had no one to help him move the room divider. By this time, the movers were just about finished. I told Christy to send him right away and I could get our movers to do it. Her "guy" arrived just in time---the movers were literally writing out the bill. I never did make it to Target.

Christy arrived---she was doing the window treatments---another story, but let's just say that even though I started that process the first of December, they are still not done. Christy was to put the new hardware on the room divider, but the screws were too short, so that couldn't get done. And she forgot the little plastic things that hold the one adjustable shelf up. Not the end of the world, but frustrating for someone like me who is such an organized planner and wanted everything done by move in time.

I wanted everything finished by the time Mindy came home from work. We had already planned to have "happy hour" at her place. I had brought everything for that.

Anyway, Butch and I started in on the unpacking. Mindy has so many clothes, that I really expected to spend just about the whole day in her bedroom. Luckily, the new "closet" was installed the day before---sort of like California closets. I did spend a good deal of time in there.

About 2:30, I was starving so Butch went out for food. That was our one and only break. Carson dropped Morgan off after school. She is a hard worker and helped me finish the clothes. Butch hung everything on the walls and was just finishing up with the piece over the bed when Mindy called that she needed for someone to let her in. What??? She got off early and didn't call. I wasn't ready for her. My favorite thing when I help anybody move/decorate is letting them have the "wow" factor. Now she was early and we still had boxes everywhere, the bed wasn't made up (I did have the sheets washed and ready) and the empty boxes hadn't been hauled away yet. We weren't expecting her, Steph and Nicky until 5:30---it was only 4. We let her in and put her to work---which with Mindy is like no work.

At 5, it was time to "wrap it up" so Steph, Nicky and Merrill (who was picking Morgan up for babysitting) could have the "wow" factor. They did. And here it is (I forgot to take "before" pictures---I always do):

The living room: grey concrete floors, 10ft. ceilings, windows on both sides, rug, cubes and pillows saved from my recent redecorating. The only thing "new" is the tv stand.
                             
Here's the chair/lounger. It's really too big for the room, but Mindy is going to live with it for awhile and decide whether she would rather have a chair. Of course, we've already donated her living room chairs (our old ones). Luckily, the chair/lounger is growing on us.

Here's the room divider---painted black. It turned out awesome. You have to imagine the chrome handles on the doors. Mindy loves it too. I'm so glad that she has something of her grandmothers. She also has her everyday silverware. She bought the standing clock at the flea market. We found the big "m" there too which we also painted black. The rug came from our family room. 

Mindy's favorite color is red. I saved everything from our bedroom and bath. This rug came from our bath room and it has flee de lis. She has a lot of New Orleans style decor. Her bathroom is really big. Steph had a fit when she thought I had gotten Mindy personalized towels already. But really, I just gave her a couple of ours---after all it is the same name!

She has tons of cabinet space, but only 4 little drawers---8"---not even big enough to hold the smallest utensil divider. All of her appliances are new. She couldn't use her washer and dryer as the condo complex requires a particular model. I should have taken a close-up photo of the concrete floors. Just imagine a basement floor with a shiny, clear sealer put on top.

Mindy had one wall painted red. The only thing new is the tone on tone black rug. Her nightstand is a jewelry armoir that we found at Target when she moved in to her new apartment.

On the left of the dresser is the door to her balcony. On the wall here is an old, chipped up frame that I hung her needlework in. She has a couple other little things that will go in it too, but I hadn't come across them yet. There are still 2 laundry baskets full of little stuff and a tub of bathroom stuff that needs unpacking.

The closet. The space with the hangers is for skirts---I need to get some skirt hangers. I've organized everything by color---like my own closet. She says she's going to keep it this way. We'll see---doubtful.
. 
The closet looks at least 4 times bigger now---and looks pretty big in these pictures, but it's not that big.

When we got home Friday night---7:30---I told Butch that my legs and feet were absolutely throbbing. His back was hurting from hauling stuff from Mindy's third floor apartment with no elevator---long outside steps. That's what happens when you stand on concrete all day long with only a 15 minute lunch break. I'm a work-a-holic for sure. I do work hard and fast. Even Butch couldn't believe we got it ALL done in one day!

As for unpacking and organizing, everything is done with the exception of those two baskets and tub in the bathroom. I had told Mindy that after Friday I couldn't do anything else. I have too much going on this week---something every day and just about every evening---classes, AYM, shopping and cooking for Morgan's Winter Formal dinner and getting ready for St. Louis.

As it turns out, I have to squeeze in the cable guy on Monday from 2-5. He came on Saturday while Mindy was there, but needed to get in a room that the building manager was a real jerk about and refused to open. Told Mindy he needed to come M-F, so here we are---squeezing something else in to the schedule. I don't know how all you working people did it. Luckily, Butch had me to handle everything on the home front.

Anyway, I can't say, I'm unhappy about this turn of events. This will give me the opportunity to finish up those last baskets. I'll be happy to head to St. Louis for a much needed vacation! I plan to kick back and just have fun---and maybe win a little money from the fam!!!

Later...