O Christmas Tree 2013...

Hey everyone!  I put up the Christmas decorations last week and wanted to share the 2013 goodies with you!

Each year we purchase an ornament that celebrates the current year in some way.

You can read about previous years here.

This year we chose...

Drumroll please.....

TEXAS!!!!

I found this at Ricochet Rounds where it was for sale as a necklace but at 3 inches high it just seemed like the perfect size for our Christmas tree.  It has bullet primers and swarovski crystals that bling it out.  I can't get a really good shot of it because the glitter of the crystals in the light just don't come through, but let me just say--it is BLING!!!!  Courtney even included a red ribbon when I told her that we would be using it as an ornament.  How nice was that????

Last year we didn't get the tree up because my mom had a stroke and we were busy but we did get the ornament.  And here is the ornament for 2012:

We purchased our Dodge Ram pickup with a Hemi engine in 2012 to pull our larger "small" camper (Rocky) which you can see here--in case you missed him...

We also have a small RV Park at the base of our tree.  This year we found the cutest old fashioned canned ham camper pulled by a vintage woody and I just had to have it!  We found it at the USI RV Park in Wichita where we were staying while visiting our son.  It joins our little Missouri Airstream.

Now for a little tour of our decor this year:

It was hard to get a good shot of the whole slide but this year I used my Silhouette to cut out Merry Christmas and use Elmer's reposition glue stick to adhere it to the wall.  It's fun and easy to peel off after Christmas and is flat!  Easy to put away!  Very important in a 5th wheel where space is at a premium!

Now for the Tree:

You may have noticed that this year we have TWO trees...

Check out the little one that is on top of the window box:

I found it in Bastrop at the Veterans celebration where there were many booths with crafts and this little guy just spoke to me.  Can you tell what it is made of?

It is a bedspring on an outside faucet handle!  Is that too cute or what?????

So, I hope you enjoyed the indoor decorations.  Later this week I will be showing you some of the lights around the park.  Decorating your camper and space are okay and indeed encouraged and there are some GREAT sites!  I decorated, but mine are pretty basic compared to some of the campers!  It is just great to go around and enjoy the lights.  I LOVE driving through the park to just enjoy the lights!  :)

So, I hope you and yours are having a lovely holiday season and I will leave you with this little saying that I saw recently:
X belongs in TeXas and Christ belongs in Christmas.

Merry Chirstmas!

Halloween With My Silhouette...

First, let me tell you that I am not being compensated in any way for this!!!!  It's one of the happy things that I just really like so I have to share!  Really!  But, if Silhouette wanted to make me a very happy person, I wouldn't say NO if they offered!  ;)

I told you a few weeks ago that I got a Silhouette Cameo vinyl cutter.  Well, I had no idea how much fun I was going to be having with this baby!

I received a card for $10 worth of templates from the Silhouette store so I went there right away to check out what kinds of templates they had and stumbled across these:

Can you tell what they are?  They are templates to cut out designs for your fingernails!  Can't you believe it????

Now, we all know how much I like to decorate my nails.  Yep, there's a template for that!  :)

I have tried several things for adding interest to my nails from stickers to drawing with a pen to trying to use the stencils (which never have worked for me!!!!!)

Knowing that Halloween was coming up, I used some of my credits to download a couple of the nail templates.

I found out that I could cut contact paper with the cutter when I cut out the design to customize my Silhouette:

So, I bought some clear contact paper at Wal-Mart and some black nail polish.  The contact paper would allow me to place it where I wanted it since I could see through it and had just the right amount of tack to stick well but not pull off the polish underneath.

All I had to do was choose a victim nail and peel off the cut out sticker.

Then, I placed the sticker on my nail...

Then glopped the black polish on over the top...

Then peeled the sticker off...

And Voila!

A newly painted spider web!  How fun is this????

(just ignore the bit of black polish I glopped onto the side of my finger--it'll come off!)

So, here are my nails all spiffed up for Halloween thanks to my Silhouette!  

There are a BUNCH of different designs available and I plan to use most of them!  Oh yeah...You BET I DO!!!!

Okay, so this is definitely a happy hump day item!

Are you ready for Halloween?

Halloween is Here! A Little Treat...

I found this idea on The Queen's Card Castle via Pinterest and just HAD to give it a try!  :)

There are a bunch of kids living in the RV Campground here and Trick or Treating is definitely on the calendar.  Yay!

The kids are allowed to Trick or Treat at campers that have the porch light lit.  Our porch light just blew out as well as the security lights so I spent a day changing the 3 bulbs--but that's another story.  ;)

The office says that there are about 25 kids in the park so I decided to give this a go and it turned out so cute!  

I started by getting a huge bag of smarties--those are the fingers--and a package of non powdered gloves from the pharmacy.  Grabbed some rolls of ribbon in Halloween type colors, some spider rings and a BUNCH of candy--the little mini stuff.  That works best when filling the palm of the glove.

Oh!  And check out these cool eyeball gum balls!  Are they too cute or WHAT???  I found those at Dollar General!

As I began to make them, I found that TWO smarties in the thumb looked more thumb like--don't you think?  See in this picture?  The one smartie in the thumb just seems a little thin.

Start with the smarties in the fingers, put a ring on it, stuff the palm with all of the mini candies and cute eyeball gum and tie it all up with a bow!  How fun is this????

Bring on the Trick or Treaters!

PS--Uh yeah, I'm dressing up again this year.  I just can't let a good fun opportunity go by!  :)

Happy Hump Day #10...My New Toy...

Today I get to introduce you to my new toy...

First, let me say that I am in no way being compensated for this post by anyone!  I didn't receive any merchandise or anything, but if Silhouette wanted to send me some cool SWAG, I would be fine with that!  ;-)

After months of saving my "blow money" (see Financial Peace University if that term is unknown) and money from doing surveys, I had the money to buy this little beauty!

This is what it looks like straight out of the box...

I was thinking of how it could cut vinyl and had a little something in mind--particularly an 88 for the back window of my truck along with possibly a 15 and a 5?  Hmmm...

After I received the package which included the Cameo, some sketch pens and the Rhinestone starter kit that I found here.

 

In anticipation of the Silhouette Cameo Arriving, I ordered some vinyl that had really good reviews found here:

I then began to watch several tutorials that I found online and I could not believe all that this puppy could do!  Wow!  Stencils, cutting fabric, vinyl, cardstock and those cool tags?  Just cut them on the Silhouette!

I also found out that I can cut out contact paper.  So, I headed out to find some in the local area and at Home Depot found some that looks like black leather.  Fun!

The first thing to be decorated was my actual Silhouette!  Here it is!

Just having a bit of fun!  :-)

Then, I printed out the phrase that Gman and I chose for the camper door.  I had found a few, but this is the one that we chose together...

Notice that there is a charge card right under Having.  I am using that as a burnisher.  It is by far the best way to use a credit card!  :-)

 So, here is the victim door to our camper before...

And after...

How fun is that????  Wait until you see what else I have been doing with it!  So fun!

Thanks for dropping by!

Out to Eat...Pizza Hut, Bastrop, TX...

Last Sunday after church we decided to have some lunch.  With a bit of time before the NASCAR race, we thought we would eat in.

As we drove around town, we came across the Pizza Hut in Bastrop, TX.

We entered the building and were told to just take a seat and they would come and take our order soon.  We chose a seat by the TV that was playing the NASCAR pre-race and sat.

See the TV up there right above the Customer Parking Only sign?

After about 15 minutes with no waitress in sight and watching people who had arrived before us still waiting, we headed for the cashier station and decided to order a pizza to go as we actually did want to eat sometime that day.  While standing there waiting to order, a few couples left--apparently they were done waiting to order as well.

So, pizza to go ordered, we sat back at the table we had chosen before to watch the NASCAR pre-race.

As we were sitting there, I noticed that there was more racing happening in the Pizza Hut than on TV.

Can you see it?

Here, let me get a closer view...

EWWWWWWW...This is actually after he died.  He was alive and going across the floor in the first and second pictures and feet down.

At any rate, with the lack of service and the, um, protein source, I think the Pizza Hut in Bastrop, TX is off of our list of places to eat!

Excuse me while I go and take a breath...

Friday Fun #10...Davy Crockett

We see this all over down here.  Not sure if Davy Crockett actually said that, but what the heck!  We went to Texas too!  ;-)

Texas:  Where there are 4 seasons:
1)  Almost Summer
2)  Summer
3)  Still Summer
4)  Deer Season

We are in Still Summer--the temps are in the high 90's now, but with humidity they still feel like 100's.  Swimming pools are definitely appreciated!

Have a great weekend and stay cool--or warm--depending on where you are living!

We Remember...

Today is usually Happy Hump Day, but today I want to take some time to remember a day that I will never forget.  Even though it has been 12 years, I remember exactly where I was when the first news reports came through that a terrible accident happened in NYC.

And I remember a short time later when I watched in horror with millions of others around the world and a second plane hit the second tower.

And then when the plane hit the pentagon.

And when the plane went down in the field in Shanksville, PA.

And when the air space was closed down and we watched as the planes on the FAA site cleared off of the radar until there were none.

I remember where each member of my family was at the time and so glad that I knew where they were.

I remember silently going into my storage room and carrying every flag that I owned and flying them outside of my house, along the curb, hung on the fence and everywhere that I had space because I had to do something besides praying for all of those people who were lost and who had lost loved ones.
And I wasn't the only one...

In the next few weeks, many structures sported the red white and blue--houses, barn roofs, fences--you name it...because we stood up and became not Republican or Democrat, not from this state or that state, but we stood up and said "We are Americans!"

I remember talking to a man who does the same work as my husband who happened to be working right up the street from the towers with a straight view to the towers and where my husband would later be working.  He told me how they were terrified.  They had no idea what to do except pray and watch.

And then the fighter planes arriving.  The terror of feeling that we were being attacked and then the immense relief when they realized that the fighters were ours.  They're ours they repeated over and over.  Thank God!  And they fell to their knees in relief even as they watched the carnage right outside of their windows.

One place that Gman and I made sure to visit when we were in NYC was the area of the towers and this memorial.

 because when we were there, the new memorial was just under construction.

And across the street at St. Paul's Cathedral which survived the onslaught and where many found a quiet place of solace at a devastating time.

I want to take this time to thank everyone who keeps us safe and runs into the danger, even while we run away from it.

Thank you to our military, first responders, medical personnel and all who work to keep us free and safe!

And my flags are flying today because we remember...

Happy Birthday! Love To My Wonderful Son...

Happy Birthday!

On this day a few decades ago, (okay, that just made me feel old...) I gave birth to a little bundle of joy that grew up to become this wonderful man.

Just for grins and giggles, let's have a look at his birthdate...

Bread:  .53/loaf

Milk:  $1.79/gal

Eggs:  $1.11/doz

Car:  $9,890

Gas:  $1.28/ga

House:  $83,900

Postage Stamp:  .20/ea

Ave Income:  $27,391/yr

Min Wage:  $3.35/hr

Dow Avg:   1,047 (can you imagine if we had put a bunch of money in the stock market on his birthday????)

The President was Ronald Reagan and the VP was George Bush

What were we watching on TV?

Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, Remington Steele, WKRP in Cincinnati, CHiPs, Laverne & Shirley, M*A*S*H, Three's Company, Happy Days, Cagney and Lacey and last but not least, Dallas (from which Gman Jr's nickname from Grandma G came--JR--she was a big fan of Dallas!)

And Trivial Pursuit came out that year...and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, Tron and Mattel Electronics Football II, Strawberry Shortcake Dolls and Magna doodle...

And songs?

Jack and Diane by John Cougar 

Maneater by Daryl Hall & John Oates

Ebony and Ivory by Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder

I Love Rock AEn' Roll by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts

Don't you want me by Human League

Eye of the Tiger by Survivor

Up Where We Belong by Joe Cocker & Jennifer Warnes

Abracadabra by Steve Miller Band

Hard to Say I'm Sorry by Chicago

Happy Birthday Son!  You make your parents proud!

We love you and will see you soon! 

National Preparedness Month...

September is National Preparedness Month.

Are you prepared if there is a disaster in your area?  

What would you do in a tornado?  Hurricane?  Earthquake?  Flood?  Power outage?  Boil Water alert?

Where would you go?
What would you take?

What would you eat?

How would you stay warm?

What about your pets?

Take a stroll on over to the FEMA page and get started on your emergency kit.

And while you are at it, winter is on the way, so what about a car kit with blankets, flashlights, food, kitty litter, shovel, jumper cables?

Where is your paperwork?  Your birth certificate?  Your insurance paperwork?  Your pet's papers?  Your children's medical papers?  A utility bill to show residence?  Do you know what else you might need?

Okay, now, get over there and get to work to be ready for the next disaster...

Friday Fun #9...Crazy....

This was by the cashier at one of our fav restaurants, Maxine's in Bastrop, TX.

Gman offered me up as a teacher!  LOL

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fun #8...

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fun #7...

Everyone who has a pug KNOWS this is true!