Sunday, January 31, 2010

It's My Birthday

I am celebrating my birthday today! I plan on taking it easy and not cooking today! Last night, Ryan took me out for wings for my birthday dinner and we went to the antique mall. Tonight, my in-laws are taking me out for dinner. My mom and grandmother always pay to have my license tags renewed for my birthday.

The picture above is from when I got my birthday spanking in kindergarten. Gotta love the knee socks that match my dress! As I'm typing this, just thought how there would be no way schools could do this now! We've come a long way in some areas, but have boxed ourselves in, in a lot of areas!

Also, just wanted to thank everyone for the birthday cards!

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Friday, January 29, 2010

That Explains It!

My camera is still MIA, so I really can't post anything crafty, so I thought I would share some useless trivia with you. (Not sure how accurate they are)

1. Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?

Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called ' pygg. ' When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as ' pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a bank that resembled a pig and it caught on.


2. Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches, while pennies and nickels do not?


The U.S. Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave.

3. Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?


When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left and that's where women ' s buttons have remained since.

4. Why do X ' s at the end of a letter signify kisses?


In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.


5. Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called ' passing the buck ' ?


In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.

6. Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?

It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would then just touch or clink the host's glass with his own.

7. Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?

Invented in 1825, limelight was used in lighthouses and stage lighting by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, performers on stage' in the limelight' were seen by the audience to be the center of attention.

8. Why do ships and aircraft in trouble use ' mayday ' as their call for help?

This comes from the French word m ' aidez -meaning ' help me ' -- and is pronounced ' mayday ' .

9. Why is someone who is feeling great said to be 'on cloud nine'?
Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine
being the highest cloud. If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.

10. Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?


In France , where tennis first became popular, a big, round zero on scoreboard looked like an egg and was called ' lóeuf, ' which is French for ' egg. ' When tennis was introduced in the U.S., Americans pronounced it ' love. '

11. In golf, from where did the term ' Caddie ' come?

When Mary, later known as Queen of Scots, went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scot game 'golf.' So he had the first golf course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her. Mary liked this a lot and when she returned to Scotland, she took the practice with her.. In French, the word cadet is pronounced ca-day and the Scots changed it into caddie.


12. Why do I get more car sick in the backseat?

It’s probably because you don’t have such a good view of the horizon. Motion sickness occurs when the balance mechanism in your ear registers movement while your eyes are telling you that you are stationary.

13.Do hot drinks cool you down?

Yes. They make your body think you are hotter than you really are so you sweat more and that leads to heat loss.
-As a personal note, I would always see my grandpa drinking a hot cup of coffee on a 100* day while mowing the grass. I thought he was crazy, well, he still was, but not because of the coffee :)

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Another Interesting Week!

It has been another long and busy week! The whole family has been down with a violent stomach flu. It started last week with my sister and BIL and then filtered to my grandmother to us. My MIL even got it from the kids on Saturday. It is the worst stomach flu I've had in almost 5 years! I am going to weigh myself today to see how much I lost. It's a horrible way to lose weight, but I'll take it!

We are also in the planning stages of rearranging our house. Eight years is long enough to go without a shower! We have been planing on installing one, it's not just as easy as replacing the bath tub. If you've read any of my other posts about the house, you'll know that our current bathroom is built under the stairs that lead up to our bedrooms. It is impossible for Ryan to stand up straight in there, so putting a shower in the current bathroom is not an option. I think we have come up with a solution of knocking down walls and removing our front porch. I'll post full plans when we nail something down.

Over this past week, my camera has gone missing. Arya is known for taking things and hiding them. We thoroughly searched her room last night, and came up empty. She has hid it good!! my birthday is Sunday, so hint, hint, maybe I'll get a new one.

On the subject of missing, Nutmeg went missing again. Last Wednesday, she left the house at 8 A.M. to go on her morning roaming adventure. She never returned. By Friday, I was getting worried. We put up posters and checked the local animal shelter. It was like she disappeared in thin air. The beauty salon across the street, told me Saturday, they saw some man pick Nutmeg up on Wednesday and carry her off. Nutmeg is just too friendly and will let anyone pick her up. She was wearing tags and is micro chipped, my only hope was he was an honest person. Nutmeg is allowed to roam because she comes back and comes in at night. A ton of people walking by thinks she is lost and want to take her. Anyway, we did end up fining her up at the shelter Saturday afternoon and it cost $30 to "bail" her out. I was okay with the cost because of all the animal shelter does, but upset because someone even picked her up in the first place. I know "he" thought he was trying to do the right thing by taking a "lost" cat to the shelter, but cats do roam and she was wearing tags!

Now to end the week, my dad called me Monday to tell me that my stepmom's daughter was found dead on Saturday. She was my stepmom's only child and my stepmom is, of course, fairly upset. I have only met the daughter twice, but I am hurting for my stepmom. My dad and stepmom have been together over 13 years, so my dad is hurting also because he has been in her life since the daughter was 13. So, a funeral will wrap up my week on Friday.

I am so hoping for a much better week next week!!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Cute Story

Ryan is fast becoming a huge fan of country music, so when he drives, we listen to country. There is this song called "Chicken Fried" by The Zac Brown Band. If you listen to country, I'm sure you know it because they play it on the channel Ryan listens to about 5 times a day. Anyway, it goes, "I like chicken fried. Cold beer on a Friday night. A pair of pants that fit just right. And, the radio up."

Jaiden has taken a big liking to this song and goes around singing it, but we changed the "beer" lyric to juice. Yesterday, she asked me to play the song for her on my computer. I went to you tube and started the video. She goes, "Why is Uncle Ryne singing on the computer?" She thought for sure the lead singer, Zac Brown, was her Uncle Ryne, my BIL! I of course called my sister and she told me that they have heard this from other people before. I told Jaiden to make sure she has Uncle Ryne sing the song for her next time she see him! It's just so cute what kids think and see!!

Here's the video:


Here's Uncle Ryne:

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Valentine Kids Crafts

Lollipop Rose


Hershey Kiss Mouse

Monday, January 18, 2010

Ohhh, Fleece Sheets


I have found my favorite set of sheets to use in the winter!! They are fleece sheets. Flannel sheets don't even begin to hold a candle to these sheets! I first got a set at Kohl's department store after Thanksgiving on sale for $20.00 We loved them so much, we wanted a second set. I went back to the store and found out they are regular priced at $90!! I waited and waited and found them on sale again for $25. I highly recommend these sheets! If you can find them on sale, be sure to get a set!!

Also, just wanted to say that I will be back to posting regular craft ideas soon. I usually take time off from doing any crafts since I work all year getting ready for craft shows.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

What I've Been Up To

Now that I've had more time, I have reopened my etsy shop. I have been working on several different items to try to get some more money coming into this house to pay bills.

Ryan has even gotten on board and has found beading bookmarks to be very addictive! Just don't tell the "man club" on him for making beaded bookmarks!




Here's the link to my shop if anyone would like to check it. I am very open to comments, opinions, and suggestions about the store items!!
Etsy Shop Link

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Young at Heart Chorus










These were not able to be embedded. They are great, so be sure to check them out.
Staying Alive

Road to Nowhere

I'll Fix You

Sunday, January 10, 2010

The Outlander Series


I know it has been forever since I have posted a "Book of the Week", but I think it's time! I just haven't read anything good on awhile! During the time I was sick last month, I started reading a series of books called "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon. I instantly fell in love! I just finished reading book #3 and am getting ready to start on book #4. I believe there are 7 books so far in the series.

The first book, "Outlander" is about a English WWII nurse, Claire. Claire and her husband, Frank, are taking a holiday in Scotland, after being separated from the war. While there, Claire hears of the mysteries of the standing stones on the hill of Craigh na Dun and the power they hold. Claire's curiosity gets the better of her and she decides to go to the stones. She makes a leap into the crack of one of the stones and is instantly transported back in time to 1743 Scotland. Being from the 20th century and English, she runs into some trouble at the start of her journey.

Read to find out how Claire adjusts to her new life and the new time period she is living in. Will she return to the 20th century, to a life she knows and a loving husband? Or will she be held captive by a bunch a rouge Scottish Highlanders?

You should be able to find the book from your local library, or on Amazon.

#1 Outlander
#2 Dragon Fly in Amber
#3 Voyager
#4 Drums of Autumn
#5 Fiery Cross
#6 Breath of Snow and Ashes
#7 An Echo in the Bone
(picture taken from Amazon.com)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Beauty Shop, to the Next Level

Last night, while Ryan and I are watching some TV, the girls decided to take their beauty shop role playing to a whole new level! Arya came downstairs to show me her new hair style, then we called Jaiden down. I could not believe my eyes! My girls took their long pretty hair and chopped it to look like little boys!

Arya apparently stole my scissors from my sewing desk and then handed them over to Jaiden. So, Jaiden is responsible for the majority of the cutting. I was so mad!I know all little kids go through this, but I'm still upset! I think they got off fairly easy on punishment and should be thankful considering how mad I was! Neither one of them is allowed TV during bed time for a week, they will, without question or argument, allow me to put ribbons and barrettes in their hair (they hate them), and no family movie night this week.

Here is Arya just one week ago on New Year's Eve.


This is Arya now:






This was Jaiden New Years:


This is Jaiden now!