Thankful For__________

Source

♥I am so grateful for my sweet kitties.
♥We have wonderful snugly corgs.
♥Greatful for my sweet husband.
♥This week will be over soon.
♥Read a great book "Trusting Calvin."

I am stuck...cannot think of anything today. Hopefully I can appreciate more next week.

Animal Crackers

My co-workers call this my animal-crackers-skirt.

Details:
Sweater ~ Urban Outfitters
T-shirt ~ Mossimo
Skirt ~ The Goodwill
Shoes ~ Liz Clayborne (From Mum's garage sale)
Necklaces ~ Made by me. : )

Cici modeling my necklaces. Such a patient girl!

Rue gave it a try. He looks like he is meditating.

I love the little hover-paw!

It has been snowing here, and really cold. What is worse, is that it rained yesterday so there is ice under it all.      Boo!

Such a handsome boy!

Zoom!

Most of the gang, cozy and warm. (Ignore our messy den.)

Dose Of Scotts...

So dang cute!

Metamorphopsia* Monday

Source

Art:
♦Amazing painting/sculptures."Airplane" is my favorite
♦Scotland's Secret Sculpture Strikes Again (Love the alliteration!!) .
♦Portraits made in ink coffee and tea
♦Amazing distorted sculptures, and more here (its difficult to describe...just go look.

*metamorphopsia: a defect of vision in which objects appear to be distorted; usually due to a defect in the retina. (It seemed to be a fitting title due to the distorted sculptures.)

Awesome:
♦X-men make up artist: Gordon Smith
♦Sea creature cakes...so cool!

DIY:
♦Make a photo wallpaper
♦Paper marbling
♦Everything you need to know about soap making

Feminism:
♦School tells victim of bullying: Get a breast reduction (Makes me so ill!)
♦Two grown women bullied into having breast reductions (Choosing a reduction is one thing, but being bullied into it is sad.)
♦Is plastic surgery becoming the norm in Korea?
♦Yesss! Actresses strike back to sexist interview questions.
♦This image really spells out societies judgement

Health/wellness:
♦What happened to downtime?

Helpful Hints:
♦Tips for writing stellar thank-yous
♦Shoes to tight: Freeze them!

LOL:
♦This sounds like me...
♦I am not a fan of Valentine's Day either...

Noms:
♦5 things to do with cauliflower
♦Mini cheese balls (great party idea)
♦Coffee and Orange Chocolate truffles

Positivity:
♦A great analogy: keep growing

Thankful For A Warm Home

After all of this unbearable cold, I thought some flowers would be nice. Source

♥Had a wonderfully snugly nap with the corgis, on a very cold day.
♥Found some delicious key lime flavored cookies.
♥Raspi surprised me with a copy of book 3 of Korgi!!!!!!! (Ivy and Sprout are my heroes!)
♥Took a great picture of Cici yesterday. She is so photogenic!
♥Thought of a fun way to recycle an old day planner. (More on this to come.)
♥Our taxes are done. What a relief!
♥Hot chocolate and apple cider are the best!
♥We have a warm home and the furnace works. (It broke a few winters ago, so we really appreciate it!)
♥Our animals all have a warm home and plenty of food...and too many toys!

The Petulant Kid

A half-way decent shot.

Super cute shot of Cici!

Bud almost never puts his ears up.

Cold weather makes me grumpy and petulant.

Details:

Sweater ~ Target

T-shirt ~ KMFDM concert

Skirt ~ The Goodwill

Boots ~ Wal-Mart

Pins ~ Hot Topic

(One says “antisocial” and the other is a hypno-kitty)

Stay warm, and don't get grumpy like me!

Snow Cat

Fluffle the cat meets snow.

Remember it doesn't take long to get frostbite. Limit the time your pets are outside. Preferably stay out with them...when its too cold for you its definitely too cold for them!


Wiki frostbite info

Stay warm, keep your fluffy friends warm too. Cuddling is fun and shares the warmth.

Madrigal Monday

Source

Awesome:
♦Children's book about acceptance
♦Awesome working dogs (featuring several corgis!!!)
♦Find Momo (Think Where's Waldo, but with a cute dog.)

Diy:
♦Cardboard kids playhouse (would be great as cat playhouse too.)
[The Diy's are getting harder to find. Everything is all mushy, red, or pink. Ugh.]

Helpful Hints:
♦Jilliee's readers share a bunch of awesome tips
♦Looking at one's tattoo = acceptable, touching = rude/creepy (I have experienced this. I have a large tattoo across my shoulders, which peeks out of shirts. I had someone pull down the back of my shirt to look at my back!)

Feminism:
♦Malala has been discharged from the hospital!

Lol:
♦Scotch-tape portraits

Mental Health/Self Care:
♦A guide to dealing with haters. (AKA: Trolls)
♦Slow down, let creativity into your life
♦Seven tips to lower stress

Noms:
♦Awesome crunchy potatoes
♦Golden Snitch Truffles
♦Cream puffs with pomegranate cheesecake filling (G.F.)
♦Need comfort food? Texas Cheese Fries
♦Lentil-mushroom burgers (Veg.)
♦Old-fashioned doughnuts (G. F.) This is for you Nancy!

Have a great week!

Thankful for Snowball Fights

Source

♥Found a comic that I love! ^^^^
♥Found a home for my large collection of clip-on earrings. Yay!
♥Bud, and I have a new game to play. I make snowballs and throw them for him. He catches them and eats them. He loves to eat snow! (I need to get a video of this, he is so cute!)
♥Nostalga alert: They have the whole X-files series on Netflix. I have been watching tons of episodes.
♥Hooked on altered book projects. Lots of fun. (Wreck This Journal really got me started.)
♥We put bandannas on the pups. They look adorable!
♥Great quote:

“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” ~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lazy Day

Finally got Bud to take a picture with us. Just had to have one of the cats sit behind the camera. Lol!


Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to come up with a "cool" outfit for Wednesdays. The whole point is to get over my insecurities. Some days are better than others.

So today is casual. Simple comfy clothes, messy hair, and no make-up.

Arg...I am not a fan of my crooked smile.

Details:
Jacket ~ Macy's (Don't worry it was only $20!)
T-shirt ~ Hot Topic (Ages ago. Hey, its a Nirvana shirt)
Jeans ~ I am guessing Shopko?
Necklace ~ Pewter bullet is from Raspi's grandpa.
Socks ~ Smartwool 

Playing With Her Food...

Little miss Lily loves to play with her treat.

Have a great day!

Monday Murth

Source

Art:
♦Interactive art piece about minimum wage workers.
♦Fun decorating idea for pet owners

Disabilities:
♦One woman's account of having a traumatic brain injury

DIY:
♦Make a custom dress form
♦Envelope book, and paper bag book
♦Book apron (covers and protects your cookbooks.)
♦Oragami heart (I have always wondered how to make those!)

Fashion:
♦Fashion advice from Dita Von Teese

Noms:
♦Peanut butter cookies (G. F.)
♦Flourless chocolate cookies (G. F.)
♦Addicting granola clusters (G. F. version also)
♦Chicken Pho (My friend tells me that is is pronounced fah, or fuh)

WTF:
♦Teeth salad tongs

Thankful For Tissues With Lotion!

Our friend's photobomb photo ended up on MSN's round up for 2012!

He's the happy fella' in the back. : )

♥Dark Shadows was good.
♥Fresh squeeky cheesecurds!!!
♥My friend knew she was expecting twins...but now she found out they are a boy and a girl!!
♥Brave was awesome. (We have been camped out on the couch watching lots of movies, while we recover from being sick.)
♥I have a new favorite beverage: H2Oh lime
♥Cici is so sweet when we are sick. She has been glued to Raspi. She knows he isn't feeling well.
♥Made a pumpkin cream cheese cake roll. It turned out great. (I was worried about it falling apart.)
♥Cici rolling around like a goon. She always makes me laugh.
♥I am using much less tissues...so I must be getting better!(I ♥ puffs with lotion! Saved my nose!!!)
♥Raspi was talking to Cici and she thought he has said enough. She put her paw on his lips to shush him...and it didn't work so she stuffed her paw in his mouth! Ha ha ha!

Have a great week!

If you would like your own adorable corgi may I suggest Tilly

Bellatrix's Little Sister

Hi folks,

I am still sick..and I don't look presentable... at... all...

Imagine Bellatrix Lestrange...in paint splattered yoga pants and an old sweatshirt.

Source (She looks much better than I feel!)

Raspi and I are still recovering from "The Crud"

I hope we are both better soon. 

Stay healthy!!!!

A Tree Fit For The Pride

What a big scratching post!

How I feel Today:

Source

Just change "News Site" to laptop

Muciferous Monday*

Source

Amazing:
♦Someone figured out how to train mice to do tricks! (Roll-over is my favorite)
♦Incredible photos of wild African animals
♦Gorgeous animal portraits
♦Beautiful X-mas and winter cakes
♦Fun party idea...grilled cheese bar
♦If you need your faith in humanity restored...
♦Two incrediblely smart women invented "The Invisble Bike Helmet"
♦Rare "frost flowers"

Book Love:
♦If you haven't heard of F*** Yeah, Book Arts Tumblr...you Should Check it out!
♦My Favorite post of theirs^ is a great quote.

Feminism:
♦Film review: Addams Family Is Awesome(ly) Feminist
♦Beautiful art that celebrates Black Womens' hair
♦This makes me feel ill (Abortion law, comparing women to livestock)

Health/Wellness:
♦Strategies to stop emotional eating
♦Strategies to stop feeling overwhelmed
♦Start the new year on a positive note
♦Set intentions, not "resolutions"
♦An accurate description of anxiety and depression (Don't let the title put you off.)

Lol:
♦Beauty tips for the Apocalypse (That didn't happen)
♦I want a chainsaw file!!!
♦Mend moth-holes...with moths?

Noms:
♦Pizza bites (great h'orderves idea)  
♦Berry upside-down cake (Gluten free!)
♦Has your New Years part left you with random bits of cheese and tiny bit of  wine ? Try making fromage fort.
♦Gnocchi in brown butter sage sauce (I want to eat this now!!!!)

New Year:
♦13 Journal Prompts for 2013

WTF:
♦Woman gets stem-cell cosmetic treatment...ends up with bone shards in her eye!
♦We have an "evil human" problem not a "vicious dog" problem (This made me cry.)


: )





*Muciferous: containing or secreting mucus
Sorry, I couldn't help it. I am so sick, and my brain is snot-clogged.

Greatful For Soup On A Cold Day

I ♥ this so much! Source

 

♥Skiing with Raspi was fun.

♥We attended a fun, mellow New Year's party, and ate waaaaay too much.

♥It is wonderful that people will do so much for animals they love.

♥We bought 3 kinds of cheese from the deli and had amazing grilled cheese sandwiches.

♥Our friend D. is engaged to his lovely girlfriend S.

♥Alli and her Spousal Unit are getting fur babies!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ski Trip

We were able to borrow skis from Lynn and Ted. We skied around outside of the cow pasture.


Yes, I went cross-country skiing in a skirt. I wear skirts most of the time. The key is layers. I was wearing leggins under the skirt, but they suggested I wear wind pants too. I was toasty

Coat ~ J.C. Pennys
Skirt ~ Goodwill
Windpants ~ borrowed from Lynn
Trapper hat ~ Target (I am wearing it under the hood.)

Cats Being Cute With Paper and Snow

To counter the intense post of before...

Rookie magazine has a fantastic (and amusing) post about cats and wrapping paper.

If that isn't enought cute for you...here is a kitty rolling in paper:

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Bonus cute:

For best viewing, turn the sound off. The owner talking is very distracting.

 

Holiday Traditions

I had intended to publish this post weeks ago. Sometimes life gets in the way.

My gramma Honey had a bad fall and bruised her whole right side. She was in ICU for several days to monitor her heart and check for internal bleeding. She has now been moved a nursing home for recovery, and is doing well.

I had a surprise visit from one of my estranged parents on my birthday. (Wow, that was intense)

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Very unexpectedly one of my co-workers died on Christmas. He was one of those rare folks who is completely genuine. He was hardworking, kind, and a devoted family man. He left behind several siblings, both of his parents, 4 children and one grandchild.

We were excused from work for a few hours to attend his funeral. It was touching, full of love and so bittersweet. He was only 53 when he passed. My heart goes out to his family.

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I found out shortly after Christmas that one of my siblings are expecting their first child. (To soon to know whether it’s a boy or girl.

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All of the emotional ups and downs in that last few weeks have been difficult for me. My anxiety has been unbearable. I have a difficult time functioning when I am “on anxiety high-alert.”

I had intended to write a nice round-up of traditional foods from many cultures. I even had an awesome collaboration from SpacemanSteve. Unfortunately I was unable to finish this post.

So please enjoy what I did manage to finish.

　

Czech, Slovakian:

♦Czech Honey Cake
 ♦Kolaches (Cookies)My grandma Mona uses a sweet dough, and stewed prunes.

Croatian:

This is an incredibly quick, easy, and hearty one-dish meal that is a perfect winter meals, and my favorite Christmas Eve tradition--especially because of the red and green peppers. It's a variation on a simple peasant recipe that probably is common in many cultures, but this version is a reminder of my Croatian grandma.

  1 package spicy sausage (I like Andouille, but keilbasa works too) 1 large red bell pepper 1 large green bell pepper 1 large onion 2 garlic cloves 2 medium sized, red potatoes or 4 small 4 tsp olive oil red pepper flakes 1/2 tsp paprika salt and pepper to taste water sour cream (for serving) Preheat the oven to about 400 degrees F .Chop sausage, peppers, onions, and washed but not peeled potatoes into similar sized chunks. Peel garlic but leave the cloves whole. In a large bowl mix olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and paprika. Add sausage, garlic, and and vegetable chunks and toss to coat meat and vegetables with oil and spices; spread onto a cookie sheet. Add a little water to the pan and bake for about 45-50 mins, turning and tossing the ingredients at intervals to prevent sticking, until potatoes are tender and sausage is crisp at the edges. Serve with sour cream.

Thanks Spacemansteve!