My Bloggy & Me

Vicki Loves her Vuitton's :-)

2012-02-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

(From Season 7 Ep 2 episode of

The Real Housewives of Orange County)

Artsy MM

(from the pursepage.com)

Vernis Tote

(From therealhousewivesblog.blogspot.com)

Vernis Pochette

(From her Facebook)

Vernis Brea

(From her Facebook)

Neverfull

(From her Facebook)

Azur Pochette

(From Season 4 Episode 2)

Briefcase/Laptop

(From the Orange County Register article)

What's adorable is that in the same scene...

every housewife has an LV! :-)

(From Season 3 Ep 2)

Azur Saleya

Vicki has great taste!
I bet she has 25+ LV bags. :-)

Obsessed! Part 4

2012-02-09T13:42:00.000-08:00

... oh boy ... you would think I would be done, well it's because I havn't blogged in a long time... so this has all been since October, so 5 months of shopping. So don't think this was all done in a day, it was over many months and there was Christmas gift money involved, dividend checks... all extra unexpected money. And a very, very, very sweet husband whom I have been married to for 25 years, together with for 29 years. He is my best friend and I love him with all my heart. I would never, ever, ever buy anything behind his back. I was reading a post on purseform about what your husband thinks of you spending money on LV and I never added my input but my husband actually doesn't care. And he stopped me from selling my Juicy Couture handbags. I was going to list them all on ebay (except for the cheetah bag) in November and he said, NO! He said, "Don't do it! You will have sellers remorse." I am not sure if I agree with him but for now I am not selling anything. I don't really like ebay anymore anyway.

Okay so back to the obsession!!!!
On New Years Day, we always go out for Chinese food. It's become a family tradition. Our adult daughter Amber who had been wanting some new rainboots, was telling us she found some for $30. Which she bought. I was like, great! Until a few days later when she texted me a picture of her in the rainboots and asked, What did I think? Oh Man! They fit her saggy! She didn't like them. I didn't like them. They were hideous! So I said, can I just buy you a pair of rainboots? I already had a pair picked out! :-) She agreed and my SA at LV treated her really well...

These are so cute!
If they were for stomping around in the mud then it wouldn't have been these. I should have been clearer it was nice boots that she could wear for work. Thats why the other ones didn't work. Oh man I wish I saved the pic. You know those fishing waiters that people wear for fly fishing? That's what they looked like. Same color and everything.
She loves these boots! She wears them all the time. Up close the LV's are raised in the rubber. This will probably be the only LV she will ever own because she is Vegan and most everything LV has there is leather on it.

Remember how I was unimpressed with the Speedy up close on my 1st visit to LV? It was stiff and just nothing to it?
The thing is with the LV canvas... the more you use it, the softer it gets. It gets soft and squishy and wonderful. A well used handbag is actually better than a brand new one. I love the look of a well aged carmel patina on the handles and trim rather than the almost white look when it comes brand new. The leather isn't treated at all.
So I have since changed my mind and now I love all the Speedys in all sizes and want them in all colors! :-)

Valentine's is coming!!!! And that "feeding the fire" website Purse Forum had an entry of a Valentine's charm someone had just purchased and I fell in love with it. Valentine's Day is my most favorite holiday, I love everything about it and I love the red & pink heart decorations. So I had called my SA and asked about the new charm which she didn't even know about, so I emailed her a picture and she said she would find me one. Which she did. :-D At the time I was the only one in the Pacific Northwest to have one, but now you can get them everywhere. However they are Limited Edition so once they are gone, they are gone. So if you want one, go get one ASAP! All the bag charms are really key rings called CLES. But I would rather hang them on a bag than use for my keys.

Even though I love my Rayure Neverfull GM so much, its soooooo HUGE! I mean HUGE!!!! It doesn't look like it in the pictures but I will have to show you the bag against my body in a modeling shot. I could hide behind the bag! I am so not kidding! So I kept thinking I needed another bag for Mexico, really though I think it was just an excuse to go to LV. :-D

So while I was picking up my new Valentine Charm, I picked up another bag (yes another new bag.)

What is it?

An Azur Speedy 30!!!!

The new charm just pops against the off white background.
I won't use this bag in the rain because of the untreated leather and unlike my Artsy which I use in the rain, I am really picky about this bag. So we have had about 5 sunny days since I got this bag and used it every sunny day! I love it!!! It is so comfy and cute!

So I am just about done... except for 2 more charms which I got recently...
One for my Artsy MM, One for my Rayure Neverfull GM

Oh I almost forgot... sometime over the last 2 months, I bought this from fashionphile.... I actually do have my keys hanging on this:

My obsession is far from over... but I told my SA she wont see me again until June when I come into to order a monogrammed mono Speedy 35 bag for my birthday in July. I need to pick out colors, design... stay tuned! :-)

Obsessed! Part 3

2012-02-09T13:03:00.000-08:00

Everything was just fine and dandy... I was rockin' the Artsy and in Heaven completely satisfied. :-)

And then . . . they had to do it. A glimpse of the cruise 2012 collection came out and one bag stuck out like CRAZY! Oh No!!!! Another obsession starting taking over my brain!!!! I started the whole reasoning back and forth... oh this could be my Christmas present... this could be my bag for Mexico... this could be the bag I use all this next summer! It screams NAUTICAL! I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!!!

So after talking it over w/ the hubster... I called my SA at LV and said, whats the deal-i-o on this bag???
She said its limited edition, I don't even know if we are going to get one and if we do it will be just one and your the only one who has asked about it. :-O Limited Edition???? Remember what happens to me when I can't have something? I obsess about it even more!!!!!!!!!!

Let me tell you a story so you can see what kind of a brat I am... in my 20's I had a hankering for a tattoo. Hubby didn't just say no, he said and I quote, "I FORBID IT!!!!!" You forbid it? YOU FORBID IT?!?!?!??!?! So not just one tattoo did I get but I got two. And I hate them. :-( HATE THEM! To this day I always say to him.... if you would have said okay I would have never had the guts to get one and now I've got these stupid tattoos. It's my own fault but you get the drift. Why am I like this? A spoiled brat only child probably. You know those only child theories.

Oh man... do I hate my tattoos.... ugh! And now my daughter is covered in tattoos... breathe, breathe, deep breath, another story for another time..... :-/

Anyway.... my SA at LV said she would call me when she got more info on this bag. And she did call and I was sooooo excited!!! They got 2 bags in! One for me and one for a Seahawks wife. This special bag came in 3 sizes. A MM, A GM and a new XL. The Seahawks wife wanted a XL which she picked up already and they got me the MM. What? What? What? An MM? I wanted the GM! Oh No!!!! So my SA said there were not many GM's made and they aren't getting anymore in and this is it. :-O Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Then she said, I will call you back.

::::insert ticking clock sound:::: I literally stared at my iPhone for a long time before I gave up!!!!

Then she called. She found me a GM!!!! It was in California, I had to pre-pay for it and it would be sent up. Did I want it sent to me or to the Seattle LV store? I said, to you! I want it gone over to make sure its perfect.

So several days later, it was in!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!!

Introducing the

Rayure Neverfull GM

from the 2012 Cruise Collection

Now.... literally only hundreds of this bag were made and sent world wide. They made the MM, the GM and the XL. The GM are the most rare and there are also some wallets. I missed out on getting a wallet. When I wanted one, there was like one left and it was at an international store.

I just saw on Google Plus the other day that counterfeiters are now making this bag! PISSES ME OFF!!!! So if you start seeing these bags everywhere they are Fake! Fake! Fake!

The resale value of this bag has already increased $600 for the GM. My SA thinks I should sell it but I said, No Way!!!! She says that because I have told her I should have listened to her and got the MM. The GM is soooooooooooo HUGE I can't even believe it.

I havn't even used it out of the house yet! It is going to Mexico with me.

And. . . . at the same time we picked up the Rayure Neverfull GM, I got an early Valentine's present!!!! My husband is soooooooooo nice! :-D He got me the Damier Ebene Medium Agenda and got it hot stamped w/ my initials. :-)

I had had so many problems w/ electronics in the past few months that I had been talking about wanting an old fashioned appt book like I use to have so I didn't lose everything all the time. I love my Agenda. I write in it everyday! My appts and my caloric intake (I have lost 25 pounds since the day after Thanksgiving by counting calories and writing everything down, its the easiest diet ever! More about that in another post!)

Obsessed! Part 2

2012-02-09T12:14:00.000-08:00

So... after weeks of watching videos on youtube, reading everything you can think of on the purseforum and daily looking at pre-loved bags for sale on fashionphile and practically living on the Louis Vuitton website... I started thinking maybe I don't want the Cabas Mezzo anymore. I'm thinking I want a classic Speedy bag! If it was good enough for Audrey Hepburn it was good enough for me! :-)

Ms. Hepburn's bag is the Mono Speedy 25

Well... then the call came in! Your next on the list and we have a Cabas Mezzo available for you but you have 24 hours otherwise it's going to the next on the list. At which I said... um... go ahead and give it to the next person I think I want a Speedy now. :-O After 3 phone calls and waiting and waiting I think my LV girl thought I had gone crazy! But she was really sweet about it and I had arranged an appt to come in and get a Speedy in a few days.

Where we live in the Northwest. I am fortunate to have 2 Louis Vuittons. One in downtown Seattle right across from the 5th Avenue Theater and one in Bellevue at the Bravern Mall. I say fortunate because I have read where some don't have a LV within hundreds of miles.

At the time I went into the store... I was carrying my Juicy Couture Cheetah bag, which I dearly love. It is so soft and so cute and matches all my clothes! I am unsure why I wasn't carrying my pre-loved Luco.

Is this not that cutest bag ever?

I love, love, love this Juicy!

So on the way to the Bravern Louis Vuitton I was looking at my cheetah bag and getting all remorseful about it. Like I was having second thoughts on why I was going to LV in the first place because why did I need another new bag??? So when we got to Louis Vuitton... (OMG it is such a beautiful store!!! I was literally nervous from the parking garage walking to it.) I finally met the girl I had been speaking with on the phone about LV and she was so nice and friendly to my husband and I offering us beverages and giving us a tour around the store. She had a few speedy hand bags all laid out for us to look at. I had previously told her on the phone that living in a rainy area I should get a Damier Ebene because then the rain wouldn't hurt the leather trim.

So I am looking at the Speedy and I had no love for it! NONE!!!! It was stiff not soft. And nothing to it. The inside was just red w/ one small pocket and the handles felt stiff and IT WASN'T MADE IN FRANCE but made in the USA... and I was like um.... No! or as the french would say, NON!

I actually kept thinking to myself... why am I here? What is wrong with me? When you have a personality that gets obsessed and the air gets popped out of your balloon I can't quite explain it but you get very, very, very depressed. (I am telling you I am bi-polar.) It's like being a drug addict in a way. I have always been this way. When you are into something you are into it and when your not anymore... you just walk away and let it go. I am either attached or not attached. It's hard to explain.

Anyway... I said... well what else can you show me in a Damier Ebene within my budget? Well.... the next thing I know.... I was a kid in a candy store... she had beautiful bags laid out in front of me that were soft and squishy and wonderful with bells and whistles and just everything. Then she made a suggestion... and showed me a bag in a monogram print. The Artsy! As soon as she brought it out it HIT me OMG I was just looking at this bag on my TV. Several celebrities had been toting this bag around and it was gorgeous!!!! My eyes got big as saucers! I didn't think this bag could ever be mine! It was spendy! Ted saw my face light up like Christmas and saw my smile. I was touching it, squeezing it, wearing it just oogling all over it. I was OVER THE MOON! :-D

So my very first brand new Louis Vuitton (not pre-loved) was the Artsy MM. The best bag in the whole wide world!!!!! :-D It blows every other handbag I have ever owned to bits! It's soft and squishy and has tons of pockets and matches everything and I just love, love, love, love, love it. I love it more every day! I also use it in the rain believe it or not and the leather handle is aging wonderfully and now she is wearing some bling (in another post pic.)

I actually took everything out of my cheetah bag and put it all in the Artsy right then and there before we even paid for the bag!!!!

Her first outing was to the Cheesecake factory right after we left. :-D

Obsessed! Part 1

2012-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

So.... I havn't been blogging lately and talking about my new obsession which is kind of an old obsession in my mind but hadn't manifested itself until this past fall season.

Louis Vuitton

Way back in 2003 on the reality show from MTV Newlyweds w/ Jessica Simpson she carried her Louis Vuitton and I will never forget her taking it camping and not wanting to put it down and referring to it as her pet. I just cracked up!!!!! It was so funny!!! But what I didn't realize is the more it was shown and the more it was talked about it became a holy grail of bags sort to speak because I wanted one! I thought about that bag almost everyday!

I guess because when I was a teenager handbags and makeup were sort of my thing. I remember my husband then boyfriend buying me purses as gifts. I wasn't a shoe or clothes person (for heavens sakes I had worked at a thrift store for awhile and found this old real navy shirt and wore it almost everyday w/ a pair of jeans, it was made of something like wool and was thick itched like crazy but I loved it! I kind of wish I still had it.)

Anyway... I always loved handbags but couldn't afford nice ones. So I just bought and collected cute ones that I could afford. The softer the better. My favorite were leather ones that felt like butter to the touch or squishy nylon. I was never really a fan of a cotton bag. In my 20's my bible study teach and friend carried a well used Dooney & Bourke classic all-weather satchel. I lusted over that bag! I was obsessed with it way back then. I remember she told me it cost like two hundred and something (this was the early 90's and she had had it awhile) and I was thinking OMG! I was on a very tight budget and thought it was crazy but I wanted that bag sooooo much.

So jump ahead into my almost 30's and we have moved back to Washington from Texas, hubby is doing a bit better financially and Longaberger baskets and Mary Engelbreit entered the scene. So my obsession w/ handbags went on the back burner and I used a few really cute Engelbreit bags as my handbags and went crazy spending extra money on baskets!!!!

Then.... I bought a Dooney & Bourke right after I turned 30! I loved it sooooooo much! Then I bought a few more. Then we bought a house and somehow I got stumbled on to Juicy Couture. I can't remember how or why or anything but then couture handbags over took me!!!! It was Juicy everything!!! From handbags every 2-3 months, jewelery, shoes, etc... If Juicy made it, I had to have it! We could say big time obsessed!!!!!

During the early Juicy years I kept thinking about Louis Vuitton but the idea of spending at or over $1,000 freaked me out! At the most my Juicys cost $300-400. So even though it was a dream bag staying w/ Juicy Couture just seemed more reasonable and fun.

(And I would like to interrupt and tell you that with every new obsession I would sell my old obsession and nice handbags pretty much hold their value unless you trash them. - I also went crazy with Suzanne Somers and her handbags on HSN... oh it was jewelery too but that's another topic.)

Jump ahead to my mid 40's and doing way better financially . . .

So what happened this past fall? I don't know... I seriously DO NOT KNOW!
But all it took was one phone call to a Louis Vuitton store and receiving the sweetest girl on the other end of the line who was more than willing to talk to me about LV. I had inquired about the rerelease of a bag that Angelina Jolie was making very popular that they had since stopped making. The Cabas Mezzo. So I got put on a waiting list for the bag, there were many already on the list.

Well what happens when you want something but can't have it? You get even more obsessed with it!!!! Can we say... bi-polar???????????? :-O

Anywho... I found an addicting website called the PurseForum which is full of handbag fanatics like me! It's like fueling the fire! Then found another website Fashionphile that sells pre-loved designer handbags that are guaranteed authentic! So while I waited on my Cabas Mezzo I bought a pre-loved Luco (fall 2011.)

This was her very first outing... movies and out to lunch.

She is a fantastic bag!!!

Giving Connie Away . . .

2012-02-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

After much thought about it....

We have decided to give Connie away....

We have invested around $2,000 into her... and I never even showed you her reupholstered dining seats. They turned out fabulous in a red & white old chevy pattern.

Hubby is sooooo tired of dealing w/ her. And he frankly has no desire to finish her. So there is a man that lives near us who loves, loves, loves vintage trailers and all things vintage. He gobbled up her old rusty stove/oven we had taken out of her before the rotten wood was taken out of the kitchen area... so we are giving Connie to him. He will finish her to her glory so she can once again be what she was meant to be. A family camper for those to love her. ♥♥♥

Sandra Lee's White Chocolate Eggnog

2011-12-18T14:18:00.000-08:00

Sandra Lee's

White Chocolate Eggnog

Into a blender add:

1 quart eggnog

1/2 cup white rum

1/2 cup Godiva white chocolate liqueur

Blend for just a second

Then top w/ a spoonful of

whipped cream

& a sprinkling of nutmeg

or pumpkin pie spice

It is sooooo good!!!!
However... drink sparingly!

1 cup of eggnog without alcohol

is about 340 calories!!!

We made these at my friend Patti's little

Christmas get together on Dec 17th.

It was so much fun!

Sunday Night Dinner

2011-11-27T17:01:00.000-08:00

It has taken me 3 days to decorate for Christmas!!!! :-O

And I am still not done! :-O

So I wanted to make something easy tonight, we weren't in the mood for take-out.

So I created this.... I don't even know what to call it.

It's sooooooo good. Hubby asked for

leftovers to go in his lunch tomorrow.

Field Roast (a Seattle company) makes awesome vegan "meats"

Our favorite is the Apple Sage Sausage

I sauteed 1 pkg of sausage w/ 2 small chopped zucchinis in a tiny amount of olive oil. Added 1 pkg of fresh basil that I tore up in small pieces, 1 can chopped black olives, garlic powder, salt & pepper, then when the zucchini was soft enough, added in cooked pasta & some vegetable broth. And that's it. I will totally be making this again. :-)

biscuit waffles

2011-11-27T10:30:00.000-08:00

The other day, I saw on pinterest about taking
canned biscuits and making waffles out of them.

Hubby LOVES waffles. I mean loves them.

I on the other hand prefer a nice pancake.

Anywho... I wanted to try this. So I did:

All it is, is canned biscuits

your waffle maker

and PAM

Easy? VERY!

Fast? VERY!

Good? Eh, alright.

Taste like waffles? Nooooo

Hubby ate several,

I tasted one.

And it does NOT taste like waffles.

But I think kids would love it.

Grain Loaf

2011-11-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

Usually Amber likes to have Tofurkey at Thanksgiving. It's a faux meat shaped like a little round turkey ball. I think it taste horrible. I have tried it on 3 separate occasions and just hated it. It has a weird aftertaste. However the Tofurkey company makes awesome lunch "meats" that hubby and I just love! I don't understand why I don't like the Tofurkey pretend turkey. Hubby doesn't like it either so this year at Thanksgiving I told my daughter... NO TOFURKEY! She said, "Well what then?" I was like, "Nothing. Why do we need something like that? The side dishes are the best anyway." But she said, she wanted to bring a grain loaf. I was thinking.... riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. :-/

But OMG! It was amazing!!!!!

Hubby and I loved it so much!

We even took some home and ate it like meat loaf sandwiches the next day.

I looked up the recipe (<---click there) daughter used and WOW thats a lot of ingredients but it was really, really, really good. So if your feeling adventurous.... try it. :-)

I am totally going to make it myself. :-)

In case something happens to the recipe on that blog,
I am going to copy it here. I don't want to lose it.

Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato
1 medium onion
2 ribs celery
1 medium carrot
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (or other white beans), drained and rinsed
14 ounces extra-firm tofu (one 14 to 16-ounce package)
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon spicy brown or whole-grain prepared mustard
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tablespoon rubbed sage
1 tablespoon thyme leaf
1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
3/4 cup quinoa flakes or quick oatmeal

Instructions

Wash a medium sweet potato (about 7 ounces), pierce it several times with a fork, wrap it in a paper towel, and microwave until done, 4-5 minutes. (Alternately, bake or steam the sweet potato.) Allow to cool enough to handle and then peel and set aside.
Mince the onion, celery, and carrot. You can do this quickly by cutting each vegetable in quarters and then pulsing in a food processor until finely chopped.
Heat a large, non-stick skillet. Add the minced vegetables, including garlic, and cook, stirring regularly, until they become tender, about 6-10 minutes. Add water by the teaspoon if necessary to keep the vegetables from sticking or becoming dry. Once they’re softened, add the drained beans and mash them lightly with a slotted spoon or spatula.
Place the peeled sweet potato into the food processor along with the tofu, soy sauce, and all seasonings, including nutritional yeast. Process until fairly smooth. Add the walnuts and pulse a few more times. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large mixing bowl and add the quinoa flakes and the cooked vegetables. Stir well.
Preheat oven to 375F. If you have a silicone baking mat (recommended) place it on a baking sheet. Otherwise line the baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. Spoon the tofu mixture onto the prepared baking surface, using dampened hands to shape it into an oblong or oval loaf about 2 1/2 inches high. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is evenly browned. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and cook for 20 more minutes. Check to make sure that the center is firm; if not, give it a little extra time. (You can also remove the foil and cook for 5 more minutes for a crunchier crust.) Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serving Suggestion: Serve alone or with Mushroom Gravy on the side.

Preparation time: 20 minute(s) | Cooking time: 1 hour(s) 5 minute(s)

Number of servings: 8 | Yield: about 16 slices

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 315 calories, 75 calories from fat, 8.8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 682.7mg sodium, 949.5mg potassium, 42.7g carbohydrates, 9.7g fiber, 3.8g sugar, 19g protein, 8.9 points.

Without walnuts: 266 calories, 32 calories from fat, 4g total fat, 7.5 points.

cutie pie

2011-11-23T00:12:00.000-08:00

He is soooooooooooooo cute! :-)

Enjoy!

Send a Christmas card to . . .

2011-11-20T22:30:00.000-08:00

I read this on Facebook,

so I wanted to pass it on. :-)

When filling out your Christmas cards this year,

please consider taking one card and send it to this address:

A Recovering American Soldier

c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center

6900 Georgia Avenue

NW Washington, DC 20307-5001.

If we pass this on and everyone sends one card,

think of how many cards these wonderful,

special people, who have sacrificed so much would get.

Happy Sunday

2011-11-20T16:04:00.000-08:00

♫ If your happy and you know it clap your hands

If your happy and you know it clap your hands

If your happy and you know it then your face will surely show it

If your happy and you know it clap your hands ♫

Seriously

:-)

Life is too short!

Smile & Enjoy it! :-)

❤❤❤

2011-11-18T11:55:00.000-08:00

Potato Soup

2011-11-14T16:58:00.000-08:00

I guess I am on a soup kick! :-)

Easy Peasy warm winter comforting soup

and vegan!

Started w/ a spoonful of Earth Balance

(my fav vegan margarine, I get soy free)

& a spoonful of flour.

Making a thick base, adding in

Nutritional yeast and seasonings.

Salt, pepper, garlic, onion, cayenne & parsley.

Adding vegetable broth, unsweetened non-dairy milk

(my fav is so-delicious coconut milk)

and cubed cooked potatoes.

Heat until bubbly,

Top w/ Daiya "cheese" (my fav vegan cheese)

& Bacon Bits (which have no meat in it, its soy based.)

& I gotta have my saltines crushed in the bowl.

Were you thankful & happy today?

I was! :-)

My 5:

Fire in the fireplace
A hot cup of coffee
Desperate Housewives on the DVR
Watching Daisy's silly antics (my cat)
Window 7 themes (I went download crazy on hubby's laptop)

Remember....

it's the little things :-)

Being Happy

2011-11-13T22:13:00.000-08:00

I had commented on my facebook wall about folks that aren't happy.
They live w/ stress & misery, and sadly eventually it takes a toll on them physically and mentally.
Some completely give up and turn to things they think make them happy but then when you see them, they never smile and they look on the verge of a complete breakdown.
Life is just too short to not be happy! And as my friend Andrea said, Happiness is a choice!
You can choose to be happy, no matter your circumstance or just wallow in self pity and misery.

Choosing to be happy can just be enjoying the little things. If there is nothing in your life that can bring a smile to your face from time to time then you need to change your surroundings and get happy!

I remember when Sarah Ban Breathnach was on Oprah years and years and years ago with her gratitude book and talking about that every day you should write down 5 things you are thankful for. Now think about that... if your thankful, you are happy. You can't be thankful and be miserable.

My 5 thankful things for today:

Peppermint Saltwater Taffy
Peppermint Starbucks Mocha
Hubby lining my closet w/ cedar planks
Wearing my pink sweater, instead of typical black
The Walking dead tv show

I literally could go on and on and on... of course I woke up tired today and my throat hurt and I had originally planned on just staying home. But I thought, "No! Life is to short!" "I am not going to dwell on the negative." So I took a shower, got dressed, put on my pearls and left the house. It turned out to be a fabulous, wonderful day and I forgot all about my sore throat and I smiled a lot today. :-)

Choose to be happy!

Mmm Pumpkin

2011-11-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite reasons I love the fall season so much is pumpkin. I love how they look, all grouped together or just one single one.

Instead of going all out for Halloween decorating, I always told hubby the scariest house is the darkest with a single glowing jack-o-lantern on the porch, as in the movie Halloween. Of course hubby disagrees with me! :-)

And pumpkin food?!?!?!?! YUM!!!! One of my most favorite breads is cranberry pumpkin bread.

There are also a lot of health benefits w/ pumpkin. Which brings me to my blog entry... my foster dog, Lola was having a bad morning. Diarrhea! :-O Eek! Poor thing. She didn't know what was wrong she just knew she had to keep going outside and she was miserable. So I remembered that pumpkin, if you are constipated it gets you going and if your (ahem) loose it will stop it. It's dual use. And vets actually recommend it for dogs. So I opened a can for Lola and gave her a few spoonfuls. Search -> Pumpkin for Dogs

So I had an open can of pumpkin and by this afternoon I was thinking, should I make pumpkin biscuits? Pancakes? Hmm what? And I wanted to be more healthy because I still havn't gotten out of the Halloween candy and now consuming daily peppermint mochas. Sooooooo I always wanted to make pumpkin soup but was to lazy to look up a recipe (my mac is in the repair shop, sniff sniff, I am on hubbys windows DELL - ugh!)

So I just made one up! I thought how hard could it be?

And it wasn't!!! :-)

It was super easy and satisfying and sooooooo good! :-)

I took 1 spoonful of olive oil and 1 spoonful of flour

and made kind of a roux in a saucepan,

added salt, pepper, parsley, garlic, onion & cayenne.

Added vegetable broth

& non-dairy milk
sprinkling of nutritional yeast

and then added the canned pumpkin

and whisked it until it was hot and bubbly.

YUM!!!!!

If I can make it up,

I bet you could do it better! :-)

~ Happy Fall ~

:-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

2011-10-05T23:58:00.001-07:00

Tropical Dream

2011-08-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

My lovely mother

Tropical Dream

So good!

Coconut Rum

Blue Curacao

Pineapple Juice

The recipe I found called for 1 part each.

No way! To strong!

My version is 1 part each of the booze

to 2 parts each of the pineapple juice

Blend w/ ice in Blender.

Mmm

Enjoy!

Pinch Me, I must be Dreaming

2011-08-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

Trailers name is PIP

Owner's name is Hazel

(no blog link, from Facebook's

"The Loyal Order of the Glamper")

Her trailer is AWESOME!!!!!

Painted clouds on the ceiling,

one of the best creative trailers

I have ever seen.

Everything is so Cath Kidston.

Couldn't you just cuddle up

in here and never want to leave?

It's wonderful! :-)

OMGosh Yum! Wanna make this. :-D

2011-08-09T16:18:00.000-07:00

Recipe from vegweb.com

Click on the picture, to view bigger or just go to website :-)

Dinner

2011-08-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

Made w/ Rice Lasagne Noodles,

Daiya mozzarella "cheese"

Homemade Tofu Ricotta

zucchini, black olives, mushrooms

spaghetti sauce

Parmesan "cheese"

& even though the lasagne was gluten free

oh yeah we pigged out on french bread.

I love making lasagne because you can eat on it for 3-4 days. It makes so much. :-)

Want. :-D

2011-08-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

I hope it's okay that I am sharing this photo.

If not, just comment, and I will remove it.

See the thermos lamp on the table?

I want one!!!!!!!!

How cute is that for a camper?

Everything about this picture is so charming. :-)

Wanna make this . . .

2011-08-07T00:59:00.000-07:00

From the Cath Kidston website

(click on the image to make it bigger)

Saddened.

2011-08-04T19:59:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time . . .

. . . in the 80's my dad married a woman named Joan. She was his 2nd wife. Joan had 3 kids. A daughter and 2 sons. One son named Matt who was my exact same age. We had so much fun together. He would sneak my dads truck out at night and we would all laugh and laugh pushing that truck out of the driveway being as quiet as possible. When your suppose to be quiet is when you laugh the most.

Then a little less than a year being married, dad left Joan and we moved out. I never saw them again. My new brothers and sisters.

Months ago I reunited with the daughter on Facebook and asked how the family was doing.

And then yesterday I read this . . .

Family, friends remember father and son who died in plane crash

ELK, Wash. -- A memorial service for Matthew Keith Annis, 45, and Matthew Riley Annis, 8, is scheduled for Saturday, July 16 at 3:00 p.m. It will be held at Deer Park Elementary School.

Family members are inviting the public to attend.

The father and son left the Elk Heights Airport July 8. They were headed for Arlington, Washington, but they never arrived.

Family members reported them missing after they did not check in.

FAA spokesman Mike Fergus said the wreckage of the Piper PA 22 was spotted the next day on the Cascade foothills in Snohomish County.

SAR volunteers from Everett Mountain Rescue were dropped onto a ridge above the crash site Sunday and then rappelled to the scene, which was located in steep terrain.

They were able to recover the bodies and a sheriff’s office helicopter was used to bring them out of the site.

The FAA said an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash.

And read this . . .

Obituaries for July 18, 2011

Mathew Keith Annis
Mathew Keith Annis, 45, of Elk, Wash., died July 8, 2011, in a private aircraft accident.
His memorial service was Saturday at the Vine Community Church in Deer Park Elementary at Elk, Wash.

He died doing what he loved on his way to the Arlington, Wash., Air Show, his family said.
Mathew Keith was born on May 15, 1966, at Sacramento, Calif., to Joan James and Terry Annis. He graduated from Mount Tahoma High School in 1984. He went on to graduate from the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa Okla., in 1986.
After graduating, he went on to work for Continental Airlines as an A&P mechanic at the Los Angeles International Airport and then transferred to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport. He then went to work for Horizon Air, in 1991, at Portland International Airport where he met the love of his life, his wife, Nanine. They transferred to Spokane, Wash., in 1994.
During his time in Spokane, he was promoted to lead mechanic. In 2010, he was promoted to aircraft maintenance supervisor (OSR) at COE. Starting in 1994, Mathew Keith and Nanine spent many hours together building their home. In 2003, their son, Matthew Riley, was born. A few years later, they were had a daughter, Emma LeRae.
Along with his great love of family, Mathew Keith loved to fish, boat, hike, snowmobile, ski, and pilot his plane.
“You might say he loved the outdoors or anything with wings,” his family said.
Mathew Keith loved to mentor and help anybody who needed it. He would give you the shirt off of his back, his family said. He was very dedicated to his family, job, and company, Horizon Air.
Mathew Keith Annis will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate to have known him, his family said.
Survivors include his wife of 15 years, Nanine; daughter, Emma Lerae; parents, Terry and Kathy Annis and John and Joan James; sister, LeRae Christine Lee; brother, Terrance Michael Annis; grandparents, Frank and Lydda Schneider and Alma Greeley; and numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

Mathew Riley Annis
Mathew Riley Annis, 8, of Elk, Wash., died with his father in a private aircraft accident on July 8, 2011.
His memorial service was Saturday at the Vine Community Church in Deer Park Elementary at Elk, Wash.
Mathew Riley loved being with his father and sharing their common passions.
Mathew Riley was born on March 9, 2003, at Spokane Wash., to Mathew Keith and Nanine Annis. He was a student at Riverside Elementary School.
He loved to play baseball. He belonged to the Riverside Rough Riders wrestling club. He loved to fish with family and he loved to ride his motorcycle after school. He also loved to snowmobile with his family.
He was his father’s lieutenant when it came to their love of the outdoors and his father’s right seat in anything with wings, family members said. Mathew Riley Annis will be greatly missed by all who loved and were fortunate to have know him, they said.
Mathew Riley garnered awards for helping other students in school. When not with his family, he was with and dearly loved his cousin, Terrance Annis, also known as “TC,” and his grandparents, John and Joan James.
Survived include his mother, Nanine Annis; his sister, Emma Lerae; grandparents, Terry and Kathy Annis, John and Joan James, and Keldon and Bonnie Gross; his Aunt LaRae Christine Lee and Uncle Terrance Michael Annis; great- grandparents, Frank and Lydda Schneider and Alma Greeley; and numerous other aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Nanine Annis through Tami’s Pine Valley Funeral Home, P.O. Box 543, Halfway, OR or at any US Bank in a special account for Nanine.

He died. :-( He died in a plane crash with his 8 year old son. He left behind a wife and daughter.

I am very saddened.

Life is short.

Rest in Peace.

Hello my pretty . . .

2011-08-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

50% off!!!!!!!

WooHoo!!!!!
At Nordstrom Rack.

Juicy @ half off is

very, very juicy indeed! :-D

The name of this ring is,

Entangled Engagement

*sigh*

WOW

2011-08-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

In the make-up world or anything to do w/ your face... it takes a lot to WOW me anymore. Probably because if I veer away from Clinique I end up disappointed.

Well... I am WOWed, FLOORed and in AWE over this product!!!!

My mom and I were out shopping yesterday

and we stopped into Macys,

The store was DEAD!

I mean zombies have more action than what

was happening on a Tuesday afternoon in Macys.

Out of pure desperation (I am sure) a

Benefit sales girl wanted to talk to us about make-up.

Neither mom and I were thrilled.

But I thought, what the HEY and sat down.

So we talked Mascara and then

got onto moms chemo treatments she had had

and her lack of eyelash growth...

which I don't know how it all happened

but the next thing ya know

Mom was in the make-up chair and

the gal was applying this pink stuff to under

an eye and talking about looking refreshed.

My mouth DROPPED OPEN!!!!!!

I mean WHOA!

The transformation from dark to light under moms left eye was unbelievable. That got my attention! And I knew what ever that was I wanted it! It made moms eye pop and shine and her whole face glowed just from a few dots of this pink stuff.

Mom bought it.

I bought it.

Today is a no make-up day.

I used my Suzanne Somers facemaster

applied moisturizer and got out my

new face brightener.

I followed the directions.

dot dot dot

under each eye

and pat in.

WOW!

Yippee!!!

dot dot dot

WOOHOO

dot dot dot

Yabba Dabba Do

I got a little carried away with the dotting.

I think I ended up w/ 9 dots under each eye.

HAHA

This stuff is INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!

With or without make-up you apply it to your fresh face under each eye and then go about whatever you do next. I don't know what kind of magic this is, and frankly I don't want to know. PLEASE GOD don't let some weird animal part be in or Amber will kill me!!!!

It is:

Ooh La Lift

by Benefit

(If you click the above picture it will take you

to the website or just go to the Mall and try it.)

sigh.

2011-08-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

Intended on getting one of the new charms, but fell in love with this instead. It's beyond words. I adore it. It sits perfect on my ring finger. I will treasure it forever and will want to be buried with it. :-)

Junk Food

2011-08-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

:::drool:::

This is all hubby's fault! :-O

But I enjoyed every delicious bite! :-D

Made with:

and:

New Juicy Charms @ Nordies

2011-08-01T22:04:00.000-07:00

These are sooooooo
tooooooo cute,
I just cant stand it!

Print your Instagram

2011-08-01T21:56:00.000-07:00

Do you use & love Instagram on your iPhone?
I am addicted to it! It's so much fun!

Well...... Look at this:
http://printstagr.am/

You can print your pics as a poster, a mini flip book, stickers, etc... Its fabulous! :-)

CRACK!

2011-08-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Do you like....
salt?
chocolate?
almonds?
Then gooooooooooooooooget these!!!!!!!!!
I have craved/talked about them beforebut we went to Trader Joes this pastweekend and I bought them again.One for me, one for Amber.
I had forgotten just how scrumptious they are.I will never make that mistake again.
Mmmmmmmmmmm

My punkin' plant

2011-08-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

I want my own pumpkins to carve.

Last year we put a pumpkin plant in the front yard and the slugs destroyed it!

This year its in the back, in the sun (our seattle sometimes sun) and so far so good. Since Ted eats eggs I have been saving egg shells to crush up and sprinkle around the plant. I did that with my geranium plants out front that the slugs were destroying and now they look gorgeous.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest you just deal with slugs and with my dogs out back I do not want to use slug bait or anything else like that. Crushed up egg shells really work. They cut the slugs so they wont go across where the shells are.

Dinner

2011-07-31T19:41:00.000-07:00

Why do I keep posting dinners?

Because...

sometimes when people hear that I don't

eat meat, dairy or eggs

they always look shocked and then ask,

"What do you eat?"

And I eat everything!!!!!

What don't I eat? :-)

I'm probably the fattest vegan I know. HA!

The above salad was made with:

My mom turned me on to these.
I always thought they had eggs in them.

Amber said they use to have egg whites.

Now they are completely vegan & soooooo good!

1 patty has 11 grams of protein.

Yummy!

Sassy Sadie Lee

2011-07-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

I love her stuff! :-)

It's completely adorable... and I can't wait to receive this...

Click the above title of the blog entry

to go to her etsy store :-)

Dinner

2011-07-26T17:36:00.000-07:00

My mom gave us a box of these
Trader Joe's
Vegetable Masala Burgers
on Saturday and has asked me twice now
if I have tried them so I made them tonight
(all you do is heat them in a pan.)
She said how good they were and wanted
us to try them (and agree with her - ha!)

Well we did!!! YUM!!!!
Mom said to have them w/ BBQ sauce
and that they tasted like latkes.
Yummy!!!

We will totally buy these and stock the freezer
next time we go to Trader Joe's.

It just sucks that they are only 2grams of protein.

So it was a pretty carby meal

I made Colcannon from the leftover sauteed cabbage

and the cucumbers were getting soft so
I made the ol' stand-by salad of vinegar & oil cucumbers.

I tend to cook whatever needs to be used up! LOL!!!!

Gosh Darnit... I just looked and my Colcannon recipe is not on this blog anymore. Grr!!! I am delete happy I swear! Anyway... Just google Colcannon. Its cabbage and mashed potatoes mixed together. It's awesome and one of our most favorite things.

Google+

2011-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Are you on Google+ yet?

I couldn't wait to get over there... I anxiously hoped for an invitation. Then when I finally got on well... frankly... its pretty darn boring. :-/

Maybe in the near future it will be something. But until then it's crickets. :-/

XOXO

Dinner

2011-07-24T17:30:00.000-07:00

Beans, fried potatoes & sauteed cabbage

(I am addicted to sauteed cabbage)

Followed by:

Can you handle all the excitement?

LOL!!!!

I want chickens

2011-07-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

My husband eats eggs. So we buy cage free organic eggs. Which you would think are much better than regular eggs until I saw a photo of cage free chickens. It wasn't what you might think. They are still in a big warehouse type building crammed together all on the floor with no space. They looked miserable. :-( The demand of production is just to high to have a big scale farm to let the chickens do what they want to do and thats forage. Pecking the ground, scratching their cute little feet and so on. I don't want to purchase eggs from a poor ol' chicken sitting in prison w/ no sun on their backs. Its INHUMANE!!!! And I'm talking the cage free chickens, don't even get me started on regular egg layers. Thats really a tragedy and only in the good ol' USA is it legal. Every where else in the world they seem to care about quality and not quantity... anywho... back to my point, I can sure ramble.

A friend of mine had chickens when she lived in Texas. She just didn't have chickens, she loved her chickens. They were a part of the family with names and everything. When they had to relocate to Colorado she had to part w/ her chickens. She had some goats too but thats another story. Anyway... several weeks ago she posted on facebook that she wanted chickens again. I was like, ARE YOU CRAZY? Everytime I talk to her shes covered in snow! She is way up there in Colorado. It's cold! I said, your chickens will freeze to death. But she said she was going to build a place that in the winter they will be warm and toasty and in the summer outside and protected from fox, etc... I know she cares for her animals but the question was why did she want some so badly? She said plainly... FOR THE EGGS. She was telling me how she could barely swallow a grocery store egg because it had no flavor. I had never thought about that before. I definitely know the difference between a homegrown tomato and a store bought. They taste completely different. And I guess its the same with eggs, even though I didn't know that.
She sent me a picture:

Can you guess the grocery store egg from the at home chicken egg?
The orang-ier yolk is from at home.
She said the taste was amazingly different. So currently she is buying eggs from a guy near where she lives and refuses to buy store bought eggs from the factory chickens.

Have you ever heard that saying, "Happy cows = Happy milk".
When a cow is not stressed out and living a happy life they produce a sweeter, no stress hormone milk.
I guess its the same with Chickens and their eggs.
A happy chicken foraging in the sun playing with all the other chickens and eating good food makes a tasty egg.
And what I love is that when you google stories of chickens... they are very friendly and love to follow their owners around and get petted. How cool is that???

Soooooooo I want chickens. I want Ted to eat eggs from happy chickens.
Logically we live in the suburbs so I don't even know if its possible... so in the mean time I am going to search for someone near to buy homegrown eggs from.
P.S. Of course I would want to get rescue chickens, there are a lot out there who needs homes.

My birthday

2011-07-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

Every year on my birthday I get weird and moody. Sometimes I tell people NO do not celebrate my birthday, I want nothing to do with it... except this year was different. Maybe its the turning 45. I don't know but I was appreciating every little thing and now sad that its over.

I love turning 45 :-)

For the robust woman . . .

2011-07-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

Are you a pear or an apple?

I think you know what I mean.Pears carry their weight in their hips, butt and upper thighs.Apples carry their weight in their stomachs, breasts and upper arms.
I sadly am an apple - ugh!I have called my stomach the winnie the pooh look since I was a child.I would love, love, love to be a pear.
I am but 45, but I have noticed something...Pears look amazing in small tops & skirts.Apples look amazing in bigger shirts & skinny jeans.Yes, I said skinny jeans.
A pear will look instantly 20lbs smaller by wearinga smaller top and a flowing skirt.It's amazing and gorgeous!
Same with an apple wearing a bigger longer shirt and smaller pants.
It irks me to see an apple wearing a short small top and big flowy pants.It makes them look HUGE!
Just my 2cents.......okay done. :-)

Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins

2011-07-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hubby brought home organic blueberries after work on Friday because he said they were on sale. (I love him.) So I said, "Oh Yum I will make blueberry muffins this weekend." I would have preferred blueberry pancakes but get this..... HUBBY HATES PANCAKES! How can you hate a pancake??? Anyway.... my all time favorite blueberry recipe calls for bananas. And I was out! :-O Sooooo after strumming through a few cookbooks index GRR!!!! I hate that!!!! I am so OVER normal books! I went to my iPad and clicked on the Betty Crocker APP and typed blueberry muffins. I got 4 in return. One used bisquik & oatmeal (no!) One uses a betty crocker mix (no!) One was whole wheat (maybe) & another was streusel topped (never made that kind before so YES!) so off I went to veganize it..... as I have said before veganizing a recipe is sooooo darn easy!

~ Streusel Topped Blueberry Muffins ~
Preheat oven to 400 degreesPAM a 12 count muffin pan
In a small bowl combine together:1/4 cup flour1/4 cup brown sugar1/4 tsp. cinnamon& 2 Tbs. earth balance (my fav is the soy free version)until crumbly. Set aside. That is your streusel topping.
In a large bowl whisk together:3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I use my favorite So-Delicious unsweetened coconut milk)1/4 cup oilegg replacer that equals 1 egguntil all combined.
Then add to bowl:2 cups flour1/2 cup sugar2 tsp. baking powder1/2 tsp. sea saltmix until just combined,it will be thick like your making bread.
Gently fold in 1 cup fresh blueberries.I added a little extra "milk" because the batter just seemed to thick.
Then spoon into muffin panand sprinkle streusel topping on topBake for 25 minutesLet sit in pan for 5 minThen enjoy! Mmm

Making a fluffy banana cake for the weekend.

2011-07-08T14:20:00.000-07:00

Most vegan banana cakes I google look like a dark banana bread to me... and thats not what I wanted. So I googled Fluffy Banana Cake and found this recipe and I removed the animal products. With this recipe.... I just omitted the eggs because 3 bananas which is in the recipe is more than enough for a binder. I also used So-Delicious unsweetened Coconut milk + lemon juice to make the buttermilk. I prefer the so-delicious brand. Silk tastes like coconut and I don't want that taste. And coconut milk in the dairy section in cartons is wayyyyyy different that that thick coconut "cream" thats found in the thai section of your supermarket. So many people think thats what I am talking about.

I am pleased with the results. :-) And will make a simple cinnamon powdered sugar icing for the top. Have a wonderful weekend . . .

★ Happy 4th ★

2011-07-03T17:39:00.000-07:00

This isn't Apple... but the picture is sooooooooo cute I had to share. This is basically how all my dogs feel about the 4th of July. They are less than thrilled. They hate the fireworks noises. If you live in a neighborhood like mine, we have been hearing firecrackers and bombs for the last several days.

Here is a GREAT article on protecting your pet on the 4th ~> Click HERE.
Let freedom never perish in your hands. ~ Joseph Addison
XOXO

Thanks Jenny! :-)

2011-07-02T21:59:00.000-07:00

Isn't she adorable???? I can't wait to get her! :-)

You can read about her ---->

HERE

XOXO

Prevention!!!

2011-06-28T11:28:00.000-07:00

There's no way of discussing this topic without someone getting pissed off. So if your mad at me... its okay. But this is not my opinion these are facts and I welcome you to google and research for yourself.

Finding A Cure.
We hear this all the time.
Find a cure! We need to find a cure! The cure! The cure! The cure!

Our history facts show us that cures have been found.
Think of the different Influenzas that wiped out thousands of people and now we have antibiotics, shots and most importantly AWARENESS!

Most everyone knows how much I love Suzanne Somers. Not because of that cheesy tv show Three's Company, not because of her thigh-master, not because of her singing... none of that. It's because she had breast cancer.

Because of her breast cancer she took a different path in her life. One that is now consumed by knowledge from all sorts of doctors. She compiles all the information together and she writes books, she gives references, she gives lectures, she has/is been in the hot seat time and time again. She lives what she talks about.

She said something once that I have never forgotten. She said, "It's not about finding the cure. It's about prevention." "Why not prevent getting it in the first place?" That was the BEST information I had ever heard. This was years ago and she said it on HSN of all places.

When she had her breast cancer, she did just one chemo session then walked away. People, reporters, doctors all said the same thing, She just signed her death certificate.

Well look at her now!!!!!!!!!!! She is far from dead and is still diligently working hard on working w/ companies to come out with chemical free products.

Because from the time we are born we are bathed, covered, fed, inhale and are submerged in chemicals! It's all around us all the time, choking us out! We are so far from "natural" as our ancestors its not even funny.

You can google for yourself all about chemicals and how its in everything including the make-up your wearing on your skin and there are websites out there that will tell you how bad one brand is from another in regards to cancer causing chemicals. And you can choose how much you allow into your lives.

You can't throw your hands in the air and say, well if its everywhere and in everything we have no hope and just forget about it. That is NOT true!

You can choose not to eat pesticide covered fruits and veggies. You can choose to use chemical free body products and cleansers. You can choose to stop drinking that damn diet coke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I blame Aspartame for almost everything. There has been to many covering up of scientific research about Aspartame by the FDA and our Government. It's all about $$$. Google it!!!

I personally am a high candidate for breast cancer by hereditary. My odds are great that I will get it. What am I doing about it currently? Trying to avoid chemicals!!! Not totally. I still love my Clinique cosmetics and washing detergents. But I will NEVER drink or eat anything w/ aspartame in it. If I even see the words SUGAR FREE I run! I buy organic whenever possible and I eat a vegan plant based diet. The crap that the Meat & Dairy industries is putting in the food is sooooo bad for us its not even funny! And sure I could go and buy natural, local dairy and meat but I just don't want too. I would rather just eat a plant based diet.

I want a CURE! I hope someday there is a CURE but until then PREVENTION is the BEST WAY!!!!!! PREVENTNG CHEMICALS from entering your body and there are many foods you can eat to help your cells. Blueberries, Cinnamon, etc... Just google. It's all there. A wealth of information to help.

(Stepping off my soap box now.)

The VOICE

2011-06-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ooooooooo I love The Voice!!!! :-D

It's down to the final 4. One from each team.

My favorite is Beverly McClellan. I have voted for her after every show that I could.

Her voice is so strong and the first song she ever sang on the show was Janis Joplin's Piece Of My Heart. She sang the $h!t out of that song! I immediately bought it the next day off of iTunes. I was an instant fan right then and there! If you google her name on youtube you can see video's of her singing in some local bars/taverns/clubs.

My second favorite is from Washington!!!!! Vicci Martinez. Even if her home town isn't just 20 min south of me, she would still be a favorite. Her voice is a-maz-ing!!!

Who is your favorite?

But I am thinking.... Javier Colon is going to win &&& you know... they are all winners. They are all going to have amazing careers after the show.

☼☼☼ Happy 1st day of Summer ☼☼☼

2011-06-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Wear sunscreen (skin cancer) and note that a lot of sun isn't friendly for your dog.

Heat Stroke in Dogs

Your dogs don't need to go everywhere with you.

Don't leave your dogs in the Car!!!!

&&& you better believe if I a dog in a car in the heat of summer and I know it's going to die I will break the car window! It is VERY legal! If you do it just make sure you call 911 and tell them what your doing so the police can arrive and sight the owner for animal neglect/abuse!

(Stepping off my soapbox now)

That 99 cents bargain! :-D

2011-06-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

♫♫♫Ain't about the cha-ching-cha-ching, Ain't about the bla-bling-bla-bling♫♫♫Wanna make the world dance, forget about the price tag♫♫♫

LOL!!!!!!
Tell my mom that!!! :-D
(I know this song is about money $$$ but when I hear it I think of my mom looking for that 99cents bargain.)

If theres a clearance rack she is drawn to it like a moth to a flame. hehe

Gotta LOVE her!!!!

Love Youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Mom

~ Father's Day ~

2011-06-19T21:01:00.000-07:00

(Dad & Daughter)

"Hey Ted,

What would you like to do for Father's Day?"

His one & only response...

Go to TEAPOT!!!! :-)

Teapot is a vegan asian restaurant in Bellevue, WA that we truly love. It is sooooo good! So Amber in between 2 of her jobs met us there and my mother came along too. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and royally pigged out!

Spring Rolls

Fried Wontons

Wonton Soup

Tempura

Almond breaded tofu

Mandarin crispy tofu

Mango tofu

Basil nuggets

Vegetable vermicelli

Vegetable deluxe
Brown rice

& we all shared a piece of tofu cheesecake in a mango sauce w/ berries

What a feast!

Hello & Goodbye Gloria!

2011-06-19T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our plans were to go buy this little piece of cuteness this afternoon:

Her name is Gloria. I love all her aqua colored goodness.
Isn't she charming???

Our reasoning was the price!!! $2995!!!
It's going to cost wayyyyy more than that to finish the "Connie." Even though I love, love, love the Connie. Cosmetically inside and out she is my vintage dream.

We were trading my beloved vw bug :::chin wiggle::: in for a truck this weekend so we could begin camping right away!!!

But then Friday night while googling I found out "Gloria" doesn't have a bathroom from her craigslist ad!!! Oh No!!! Well as cute as she is that is a deal breaker. :-/ Stupid me didn't even think Gloria didn't have a bathroom so I didn't even ask from the blog.
So back to the "Connie."I just want her finished. :-( sniff sniff

Empty Nester

2011-06-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Life's a trip ain't it????

My adult daughter moved out a few months ago. It's kind of been okay. I hear about all these mother's just besides themselves with their empty houses... and I don't really get it. I guess because I have dogs. More than several. Sooooo for all you sad empty nester moms become a foster parent for a dog rescue! :-) I guarantee your heart will be full up in no time and you wont have time to be lonely.

I did however have to start wearing readers. It's like it happened over night. One day I could read really small writing the next I had to stretch out my arms. And no amount of dogs is going to make that okay! Hmph!

:-/

2011-06-15T17:29:00.001-07:00

I don't really like wordpress... I think I'm going to come back over here.

"Grief is Sneaky"

2011-05-12T10:49:00.000-07:00

I love this....

http://jeanmcbride.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/grief-is-sneaky/

I can only tell you from my experience... no truer words were ever written.

~ Happy Easter ~

2011-04-22T23:13:00.000-07:00

"Boston Bunny"

Keeping dogs safe during Easter

~ Sending you a basketful of good wishes at Easter. ~

"Pug Bunny"

Introducing Pepe

2011-04-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

When I look down in my arms and see this sleeping fur-baby my breath will catch in my throat and my heart will pull because he looks just like Nina'.

2 weeks ago, Saturday April 9th I opened up Craigslist and clicked on pets and the 1st ad was Pepe. I couldn't believe it!!! He looked just like Nina' and Nina' use to have a doggy friend called Pepe that we called Baby Pepe and whenever we said, "Where's baby Pepe she would get all excited." Until the very end if I wanted her to perk her ears up and look cute all I had to say was, PEPE. And here was a dog that looked exactly like her named Pepe. I started crying and told hubby we have to go meet this dog ASAP! So I texted the owner and we met Pepe that afternoon and he came home with us. I had asked previously if he was the type of chihuahua that would protect his owners and she said, oh yeah he will nip and bark. So on the way to meeting Pepe I had told hubby that to be prepared for this dog to not like us and try to bite us. Well Pepe did neither, he came right up to us and the owners couldn't believe it.

My mother said to me on the phone when I called her on the way from getting Pepe, "That is NOT Nina'." I said, "I know its not Nina', but it looks just like her." I'm not an idiot. I know I wasn't getting Nina' back but I just wanted another little dog that looked like her running around. Losing Nina' is the hardest thing I have gone through. And I have lost 2 grandfathers, 1 grandmother, my step-dad & my step-brother. I can't explain the connection I had w/ Nina'. I still miss her like crazy. I cry over her. I look at her pictures constantly and I don't think I will ever get over her. There will never be another dog like Nina' ever!

Another odd thing about getting Pepe... is several days before seeing his craigslist ad, I had a crazy dream. In my dream my husband was giving our furniture away to a woman named Chelsea. (I hardly ever remember my dreams) but I was so upset by this dream that it woke me up and I called hubby and cussed him out! Asking who is Chelsea??? He was like, "You and your crazy dreams!!!" ~~~ Well, guess what Pepe's owner's name was? Chelsea!!!!!!!

It was looking like getting Pepe was really meant to be! He looks like Nina', has the same name as the name we said to Nina' almost every day of her life to get her excited even up to her dying day and the name of the owner I had a dream about and remembered it? Just too weird!

Pepe is NOT Nina' - Nor am I trying to turn him into Nina'. But he is a boy version of Nina' full of spit & vinegar. It makes me think of that nursery rhyme:

What are little boys made of?
Snips and snails, and puppy dogs tails
That's what little boys are made of !"
What are little girls made of?
"Sugar and spice and all things nice
That's what little girls are made of!"

Nina' would have just adored & loved Pepe and I think of that every time I gaze at him. He makes me smile and his rambunctious behavior just cracks us up! He has blended into the pack perfectly. He has a very happy-go-lucky attitude. I know his previous owners miss him terribly. They had moved and the neighbors had complained about the barking. I thank them so much for the gift of this little dog who has brightened up this sad house.

Brr! Pepe had to get use to our house. I keep the heat at 67 degrees.

His favorite way to sleep! On his back.

They adore each other! :-)

Daddy & BooBoo

2011-04-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

This is my dad and his chihuahua Boo Boo.

Boo Boo is an apple head chihuahua and just the sweetest thing ever! :-)

Dad's wife is in Oregon, so I fed him full of beans & cornbread.

A really good cornbread recipe

2011-04-21T15:23:00.000-07:00

Clicking on the picture will take you to the recipe.

I like to try different cornbread recipes whenever I make a big ol' pot of beans. And this recipe is sooooo good! I substituted canned corn for frozen corn (thawed) and added jalapeno rings on top for decoration and a little heat.

~ Rest In Peace Pugsley ~

2011-04-19T15:43:00.000-07:00

Are you a good neighbor?

2011-03-23T16:16:00.000-07:00

(trying not to sound like Mister Rogers) haha!

If you get your neighbors mail in your mailbox, do you throw it away or take it to them?

I am always conscientiously trying to be a good neighbor. I am not very social (I detest small talk) but when it comes to being a good neighbor I try to be conscience of how I live in my home will affect them. If we get others mails or packages we take it directly over. If Ted is blaring music in the garage while he is doing yardwork, I will say, "Ted turn it down... they have a new baby nextdoor who might be trying to sleep." If the dogs are barking in the backyard over a squirrel or at a neighbors dog, I will quickly go out and get them in or turn the hose on them (yes I will do that. A quick squirt never hurt anybody.)

I don't attend block parties. I will however wave or say hello while walking down the sidewalk with a dog or two or three or four. :-)

So it really bothers me when other neighbors do not return the favor. How could you not want to be a good neighbor? Maybe it has a lot to do with how I want other people to think of me. I don't know. All I do know is I want to be a good neighbor whether they are friendly or not and in this day and age... neighbors are getting less and less friendly.

A rescue dog's prayer...

2011-03-05T20:25:00.000-08:00

luvinlabs.com

ache

2011-03-03T17:49:00.000-08:00

Remembering you is easy

I do it everyday

But theres an ache within my heart

That will never go away

"When he is gone, his place is forever sacred."

2011-03-03T00:11:00.000-08:00

Once a dog has entwined himself round your heart

he is not only yours for life, but you are his.

When he is gone, his place is forever sacred.

Other dogs are just as precious

but they all have their allotted spot in your

affections kept for them or their memory.

A heaven without one's dogs

would not be the heaven we hoped for.

A dog is always man's best friend.

Written By: anonymous

love this . . .

2011-03-01T23:03:00.000-08:00

A POEM FOR THE GRIEVING...

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn's rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there, I did not die...

-Anonymous

Susan Rothschild

2011-03-01T14:37:00.000-08:00

Years ago, we went to Salmon Days in Issaquah. Salmon Days is a yearly event on the first weekend of October. There is food, gifts, music, salmon swimming up stream to spawn and a salmon hatchery to go watch. Anywho.... one year an artist asked if she could take a picture of Nina'. I said, Yes! :-)

The following year or two, another visit to Salmon days there was Nina' staring back at me from her booth! Nina' was now on magnets, greeting cards & tiles. I was thrilled!!!

I asked her the other day if she still had Nina's picture and that I would love something else for Nina' to be on. And this is what she made me:

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!

Susan's etsy link:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/susanrothschild?ref=seller_info

What I learned from Nina'

2011-02-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

What I learned from Nina':

1. if the sun is out, go lay in it
2. car rides are the best!
3. going on walks is fuuuuun
4. loud arguments are scary
5. sleeping is better on a pillow
6. kissing daddy is the best! especially when he tries to kiss mommy
7. love sweaters, pretty dresses, especially pink ones
8. mmm tasty snacks
9. visiting grandma marysue & papa larry makes you soooo happy
& 10. when all else fails, lick your feet

heartbroken

2011-02-25T13:37:00.000-08:00

I had taken this picture to show my mom how well she is is/was still eating. Just look at that belly.

Last night we took Nina' to the Emergency Animal Hospital because she was having difficulty breathing. She couldn't sleep. She was in serious discomfort. So when we arrived there, they immediately took her from me in the waiting room to put her in an oxygen chamber. A good hour had gone by before we actually saw the doctor and he said, the situation was very grim. He examined her and he could hear a lot of fluid in her lungs but that the oxygen was helping. He wanted to do xrays and start her on an IV of Lasix to remove some of the fluid and his best guess was a secondary infection of Pnuemonia on top of the Congestive Heart disease but wouldn't know until he took xrays. I said, yes. Do what you can and then realizing how long an IV takes, I said, wait... your keeping her over night? And he said, yes she needs to stay on the oxygen. And of course I bursted out crying because I know how she gets when I am not with her. Especially since shes been sick. She gets frantic and whimpers. I wanted to say goodbye but I knew it would only upset her if she saw me and then couldn't go with me. So we left with the instructions that they would call if she took a turn for the worse otherwise come pick her up between 7-7:30am and most likely she will be given a prescription for antibiotics but he also said, she might not make it.

Well I left very upset but seriously thought she would come home the next morning with a prescription. So I went to sleep thinking about Ted picking her up and bringing her home and laying her in bed with me while I covered her with kisses. And then the phone rang at 6:15am with the words, I'm sorry Nina' went into Cardiac Arrest and we couldn't revive her.

I was/am so upset because I never said goodbye. And her last night was spent in a strange place with people she did not know.

Instead of taking her to bed and covering her with kisses, at 7:30am I was taking the blanket off of her that she was wrapped in and closing her eyes and putting her favorite pink party dress on and pearls and getting her favorite toy that came all the way from Texas with her all those years ago when my dad moved up here.

Her little body was still warm. I asked Ted to make her a casket, I didn't want to put her in a box. So he did, but before I wrapped her up and put her inside, I cut some fur off of her tail to save. She is now buried.

I am heartbroken.

Seizure Free

2011-02-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

I am happy to report, Nina' has been seizure free the past 3 days! Yippee!!! I guess she just has good days and bad days. The above picture was taken last night! :-) She looks good. Maybe the ol' girl will be around for awhile. :-)

XOXO

It's hard to know what to do

2011-02-17T14:15:00.000-08:00

Nina' has taken a turn for the worst. :-(

Yesterday she had 3 seizures even while on her heart meds being doubled. So I have her back on the phenylbarbitol (sp?) but since it makes her sick instead of a half a pill we are giving her a third and she is able to still eat and not vomit. The thing is... she still has a very healthy appetite. And I know with my past seniors, when they stop eating and drinking thats when you know its the end.

But then I think about Nina's quality of life. I can't let her walk anywhere. Thats what brought on seizure #1 yesterday, I sat her outside to potty and she decided to go on a walk-a-bout through the backyard. When she came back and I picked her up thats when it happened. Seizure #2 was brought on by her barking when the other dogs were barking. Seizure #3 was for no reason. :-/

It's just sad. I told hubby last night, it would be a blessing if she just died in her sleep. It's hard to know what to do.

Hearts, flowers, love, YOU day! :-)

2011-02-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

::::squeal::::

My favorite holiday!

I love this holiday because it represents the "love" in people without all the commercialism as such w/ Christmas. And I hope it reminds all of us the importance of being heart healthy! If you still smoke cigarettes *sigh* please give yourself the best valentine of all of quitting smoking. Your heart will thank you by living a longer time.

I am most thankful this Valentine's day that my little Berry Bean aka Nina' is still with me. Nina' has been suffering with congestive heart failure for some time now. She recently turned 13 in December. I knew that she had been sleeping a lot more than normal, and last week she began gagging/coughing (associated w/ the disease.) It's because water retains around the heart. She was born with a heart murmur so this combination is hard on the little gal. On Wednesday night she was just in the kitchen eating and she came up to the couch where she began that gag/coughing and then she started gasping, struggling to walk, and fell sideways. I picked her up and thats when I noticed she was limp. This was more than a seizure, her tongue was hanging out the side of her mouth and she felt light as a feather, like a rag doll. She was dead! I ran upstairs to where my husband was sleeping, yelling at him that Nina' was dead. He jumped out of bed and after examining her, stuck her fingers down her throat looking for lodged food, opening her throat than began administering CPR. Going back and forth between breathing air into her nose and mouth and pushing on her chest... minutes were ticking by... I kept saying, shes gone! shes gone! shes dead! Then I noticed her body was defecating, so I told Ted to stop and carried her lifeless body to the bathroom so I could clean up the poop. And then I started feeling movement!!! I sat her on the bathroom counter, holding her, wondering would she have brain damage from being gone for so long? It took a long time for her to come around. When she finally did, I took her back to our bad and she immediately ran over to my husband and started licking his face!!! Im so not kidding!!! Then she ran back over to me, she is a total mommys girl.

That night I barely slept, she gagged/coughed all night. On Thursday, it was seizure after seizure along w/ fainting that lasted about 30 seconds. She couldn't even walk a few feet before going into a seizure. I said to hubby, I am not going to allow her to suffer and next for her kidneys to start shutting down. We have to put her to sleep. Its the most humane thing to do. So the appt was made for Friday at 11:15am. I cried all Thursday day and night, watching her suffer with the seizures was the worst!!!!

Friday morning was more of a tear fest!!! All the way to the vets both hubby and I were a wreck! This was our boo!!!! Our life drastically changed since she entered our lives. Before we were cat people. Since Nina' we got involved in dog rescue and our house and hearts are full w/ rescue dogs all because of Nina'.

I sat in the car crying in the parking lot of the vets office until 11:15 on the dot! Then we went in. We couldn't even look at the receptionist, we just stared out the window crying. Then the vet called us in and I told him about the repeated seizures (he already knew about her dying on Wed night.) He examed her and then said, DOUBLE HER HEART MEDICINE. I was like, what?????? We are here so she doesn't suffer and now your saying to double her heart medicine? He said, Yes! She has to much vitality! This is not the time to put her to sleep! I said, what about her kidneys shutting down over the weekend? And he said, No! ---- We were in shock!

And guess what????

Even though Nina' is still really tired. No gag/coughing. No seizures! :-)

So for now, she is still with us and its the best Valentine's gift ever!!!!!!

XOXO

Dog CPR Videos on youtube.com

A little FYI :-)

2011-02-07T23:27:00.000-08:00

In 1869, the Boston Terrier became the first purebred dog developed in America. It is a cross between an English bulldog and an English Terrier. It became the State Dog of Massachusetts by a legislative act in 1979.

Massachusetts Fun Facts

Wear Red!!!

2011-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:00

Wear RED today!

http://www.goredforwomen.org/wearredday/

Heart disease #1 killer in women.

#1 Stop Smoking #2 Go Walk #3 Increase veggies

Update

2011-02-03T06:24:00.000-08:00

I have had this blog turned off since the beginning of December. I just wasn't in a blogging mood. :-(

Now it's turned back on and I decided to move over to: http://jackiete.wordpress.com/

I had an old short blog from live.com and when I signed in last night, I saw they closed it up and moved everyone over to wordpress. So I did too and I thought hmm... Maybe I will start blogging a little bit over there. You will see some very old, very silly entries from 2009. Just ignore them or read them and you will be saying to yourself, I knew it! I knew this girl was a nut job! HAHA

Tinsel bad for dogs & cats

2010-12-07T21:25:00.000-08:00

Sorry to be a joy kill but our animals are precious and should be protected.

http://www.allpetsnews.com/articlepc.php?id=159

Seven Things that can Kill (or Severely Sicken) Your Dog or Cat this Holiday Season

With the holiday season rapidly approaching, one of the last things a person or a family needs is to make an emergency visit to their veterinarian because of a sick pet, especially in these difficult financial times, says Upstate New York veterinarian Dr. Richard Orzeck. Even though it is impossible to list all of the thousands of things that can cause harm to our cats and dogs in this short article, by highlighting a few of the more common problems veterinarians see or hear about during this winter holiday season, it is hoped that this report can help save your pets any unnecessary misery--or perhaps even save their lives. The complete seven page report which includes important toxic dosages, action plans, and poison control center phone numbers is available free at: www.worldsvet.com

1. CHOCOLATE
   Of all of the emergency calls vets get from pet owners during all hours of the day and night, one of the most common involves dogs (mostly) and their intentional or accidental eating of chocolate. From brownies to chocolate fudge cake mixes, from Hershey's Kisses to imported Belgian chocolate-covered cherries, everyone wants to know: Can chocolate kill my dog? The answer is: Depending on how much they ate, the answer is yes, it can!

2. THE HOLIDAY MEALS
   Every year, beginning around one week before Thanksgiving and lasting until about a week after New Year's, there is a huge increase in really, really sick dogs (mostly) and cats (infrequently) seen by veterinarians These poor critters are really hurting! Most all are vomiting--retching would be a better term--some have diarrhea, and most have so much pain in their abdomens that they have to stand in a stiff, straight-legged, sawhorse stance. Almost all of them have an acknowledged recent history of what we veterinarians call dietary indiscretion. That is, these dogs and cats consumed either purposely, accidentally, or by their own covert efforts, more of something that they normally eat or consumed something that they should not have eaten at all!

3. THE CHRISTMAS TREE AND ASSOCIATED HOLIDAY DECORATIONS
   There are hundreds of hazards that can potentially exist in a pet's encounter with a Christmas tree, and it is impossible to list them all. Hands down, one of the biggest problems seen involving the Christmas tree are cats (mostly) and dogs consuming the tinsel. Besides the potential danger of absorbing the heavy metals on these tin or lead-coated tinsels, the biggest danger is them getting stuck in the pet's intestinal tract, causing what we veterinarians call an intestinal blockage.

4. GRAPES AND RAISINS
   The fact that grapes and, especially, raisins can be toxic to dogs and cats is quite surprising to many people. But now that you know better, and from now on: NEVER feed any grapes or raisins to your pets again. As few as seven raisins can kill a dog.

5) ALCOHOL POISONING
   Pet owners and their guests usually forget to take into consideration that dogs are significantly lighter in body weight than humans. The twelve-ounce glass of spiked eggnog that causes 140-pound Aunt Debbie to dance naked on the dining room table can potentially kill 40-pound Clyde the basset hound. A second problem with intoxication (again using the example of Aunt Debbie) is that of inhibiting the dog's inhibitions. When you remove this inhibition by alcohol or other drugs, your "nice" doggie could potentially turn into a biting and snarling (as we vets say) land shark. When this happens, your family and guests could get seriously hurt.

6. HOLIDAY PLANTS
   Along with everything else pets have to contend with during our holiday season, it is important as well to keep in mind the festive holiday house plants. A few of the more common problematic plants are listed below, but it must be kept in mind that a complete list would fill volumes.
   *Poinsettia, American mistletoe, Holly, most forced bulb plants (daffodils, narcissi, tulips, autumn crocuses), Lilies, Amaryllis, and probably hundreds more!!!
American Association of Poison Control Centers: 1-800-222-1222
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: 1-888-426-4435

7. ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK ABOUT
   The list of items that can harm or kill a beloved pet is infinite. But with an owner's common sense and constant vigilance, the holiday season can be one of joy and excitement for all. Although far from complete, here are a few more things to pay attention to: Christmas candles and scented oils, onions, bread dough, seasonal medications, antifreeze, deicing products, batteries, tylenol, macadamia nuts, and many, many more.

Vegan of the Week: Amber TeGantvoort

2010-12-05T18:12:00.001-08:00

Vegan of the Week: Amber TeGantvoort
Originally uploaded by veganscore

My girl :-) Click the picture to read the article.

Being Thankful . . .

2010-11-27T13:15:00.000-08:00

Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?

I had a wonderful time.

"Friends & Family

is what its all about! :-)"

When it was time to go around

the table to say what we are

thankful for, I knew immediately

what I would say.

My mom being cancer free

and putting this past year

behind her!

I am very thankful for everything.

I say thank you to God

every night before I go to sleep.

I can't even fall asleep without praying.

The roof over my head,

a wonderful husband laying besides me,

my daughter safe, healthy and sound,

my wonderful fur-babies that

give me such love & joy,

food in our bellies,

that our family and friends

are safe and healthy.

Being thankful is a definite

mood changer.

Having a bad hair day?

Be thankful you have hair.

Things like that.

I am writing all this because

I recently saw:

EAT, PRAY, LOVE

w/ Julia Roberts.

I HATED IT!

Why?

Because we are to admire

and love how this woman

made life changes and made differences?

Not me sister!

Right from the get go

she was a bored woman

who left her husband

for no other reason than the

fact she was bored.

I was immediately put off!

She could have had life

experiences and taken him with her

along for the ride.

There was a statistic on the news

the other day, that most people aren't

into getting married anymore.

They think whats the point?

Argh!

So let me get this straight,

the majority of heterosexuals

don't want to get married anymore

but yet they wont vote yes to

let homosexuals get married?

WOW!

Marriage can be hard.

It's not all wine & roses 24-7.

And the grass isn't always greener.

Ask someone who has been

married 3 or 4 times.

If your bored, get a hobby.

Don't destroy a family.

*** I am not saying stay married

to emotional or physical abusers

that's completely different.

In that situation,

run don't walk!!! ***

Just be thankful for what you have.

Treasure your memories.

Have open communication.

Tell your partner how your feeling

before you make up your

decision to walk out the door.

Now grab your hunny

and turn on some christmas music

and start decorating!!!
Tis' the Season :-)

ahem

2010-11-26T14:18:00.000-08:00

This & That :-)

2010-11-18T00:11:00.000-08:00

1st, Amber was in Las Vegas today handing out tofurkey meals and who should come along, but Elvis! Amber quoted, "Pelvised by Elvis"... my question was, "Where is Elvis right hand?"

2nd, this is a complete brag!!!

Look at what I bought today!!!

Jenny Heid, that girl is always spending my money! haha!

Posted this gorgeous wreath via etsy on her facebook the other day, and I just couldn't stop looking at it. I was drawn in BIG TIME!!!
And I am going to leave it up all year round! Because after all, Everyday is a Holiday! :-)

For more from the seller click HERE

Merry Christmas to Me!!! :-)

3rdly hehe

Look at this wonderful craft how to from allsorts.com

Click HERE for the tutorial for this wonderful felt tree! :-)

Thankyou & Thankful

2010-11-16T22:51:00.000-08:00

I want to say, Thank you to my new blog followers from blogfrog. Welcome new friends . . . my blog entries are pretty random from rambling about my dogs, dog care, rescue dogs, my daughter Amber with PETA, recipes, my journey as being a vegan, my family/friends, things I love, decorating and maybe a craft project or two.

I know not everyone is thrilled w/ my vegan talk. But its a journey I am really enjoying. It will be a year in January! I had done it before many years ago but didn't stick with it because I wasn't eating properly and taking supplements. My daughter is a 3 year vegan, my mother a 3 year vegetarian, my husband an almost 1 year vegetarian. So its nice to all be on this journey together and widening our food spectrum.

I love animals very much but my vegan journey is all about good health. I am fanatical about trying to put no chemicals in my body. No diet pop, no diet (sugar free) anything!!! And eating organically.

I also want to say that my mother has been given a clean bill of health! She is cancer free!!! It has been a really hard ordeal for her this past year both physically and mentally. We have something truly to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Good Health to you and yours, :-)

Amber in downtown Phoenix today

2010-11-16T22:39:00.000-08:00

They handed out Tofurkey Thanksgiving meals.

Martha Stewarts Living "virtual" Magazine

2010-11-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

If you have an iPad,

you must, must, must

download via the app store

the 1st ever Martha Stewart Living VIRTUAL magazine!
It is AWESOME!!!

Lots of how to videos,

visually the magazine is breathtaking.

I especially love the before and after pictures.

Do it! :-)

Amber was in San Diego today

2010-11-15T21:34:00.000-08:00

San Diego Convention Center ~ Neuroscience Convention

Amber is in the bottom cage on the right.

Raising boobs...

2010-11-14T20:00:00.000-08:00

Today we took our Boston terrier, Apple to a dog meet up today. It's like a playdate for dogs in an enclosed setting at a park. All the dogs were having so much fun running around and being typical dogs and enjoying themselves with dopey smiles on their faces. Well except for one dog. Sigh. My Apple. Her whole body shook with fear, she looked simply pathetic as she wrapped her paws around my right leg trying to get me to pick her up. She wanted no part of it. I had people giving me advice like taking her to a dog socializer. I tried to explain we have a lot of dogs at home. Trust me, she socializes and plays like crazy. One guy told me maybe I should leave so she couldn't see me so she would play. It brought back flashbacks of when Amber was 5 and it was the first day of kindergarten. She was had her little arms wrapped around my right leg begging me not to leave her. When I finally detached her and left, she screamed, cried and kicked the teacher. Yes, she really did. From then on Ted had to take her to kindergarten until she actually liked it. So as I contemplated leaving Apple in the enclosed pen, My husband chimed in with, Apple will just run to the fence and try and get out. I knew he was right. We forced Apple to endure an hour until she started growling and then it was, okay then this was fun and it's time to go.

I wiped off her muddy feet and put on her pink fleece sweater and wrapped her in a blanket cuddling her with soothing mommy talk, "It's okay you can be my baby waby. And those mean ol' dogs just didn't understand you."

It didn't really HIT me until tonight when as I was taking off my makeup in the bathroom, I heard scratching at the door. It was Pepper Ann, our chubsy wubsy chihuahua. I said, what's the matter Pepper Ann? As I left the bathroom I realized the problem. She wanted me to fluff her dog bed, straighten the sheet and straighten the blankets. As I was doing this and tucking her in, I knew the realization of.... Its plain and simple I am raising boobs. I have turned every single one of my dogs into giant boobs!

I have mothered them to the point of ruining their social skills. Sigh.
Will I change? Probably not.
I am not going to give up on the play dates though. We will go again next week, and the week after that and so on. But this time we will bring another dog with. Maybe if Apple has a best friend with her she will loosen up and play. Either that or I will have two dogs clinging to both legs as the other dog owners shake their heads and give me pitiful glances.

I must have done something right with Amber. She is beyond social. :-O

Isn't this the cutest?

2010-11-10T14:14:00.001-08:00

036
Originally uploaded by Thriftshopannie

I love this soooooooo much!

XOXO

Sunflower Seeds

2010-11-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

I am not sure if I have talked about sunflower seeds before, if I have, please disregard this post. But let me tell you, I love, love, love sunflower seeds. I buy unshelled roasted unsalted sunflower seeds in the bulk section of my grocery store. I keep them in a cute wolfgang puck see through container w/ locking lid in the color aqua right on my kitchen counter, to be specific, to the right of my stove, and under the paper towels. LOL!!!

I sprinkle the seeds on my salads, on a baked potato, on spaghetti, on any noodles, in my mock tuna sandwich spread, in soup (yes, really) and on open faced sandwiches. (However I do not like to eat the shelled ones that people snack on.)

So today I thought, hmm how many calories are all these seeds that I am consuming and am I really gaining any nutritional value from them? (Not that it would change my obsession with them.)

Wikipedia said: In addition to linoleic acid (an essential fatty acid), sunflower seeds are also an excellent source of dietary fiber, some amino acids (especially tryptophan), Vitamin E, B Vitamins (especially vitamin B1 or thiamine, vitamin B5 or pantothenic acid and folate), and minerals such as copper, manganese, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and zinc. Additionally, they are rich in cholesterol-lowering phytosterols.

Yum! How fabulous!
But what about calories and fat?
A cup is 889 calories! & 76 grams of fat!!! WHOA!!!!!
Its a good thing I eat about half of a 1/8 cup of a cup through out the day sprinkled on things.

All I know, is I love them. They enhance my food and make me smile. It's the little things in life, right? :-)

Amber demos, October 30th

2010-11-07T22:08:00.000-08:00

McCruelty

This is in regards

to how inhumanely

McDonalds treats the chickens.

ZomBCon in Seattle

Amber was suppose to Zombie-up but she was too tired

after a long day in the rain.

Cashews Can Help Diabetes

2010-11-06T02:38:00.000-07:00

via my Meatout Mondays email newsletter:

Eating cashews may improve the body's response to insulin, researchers in Canada and Cameroon reveal. The study, published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, analyzed the health benefits of cashew tree products – including leaves, bark and nuts. Cashew tree products have long been alleged to be effective anti-inflammatory agents, as well as having the ability to counter high-blood sugar and prevent insulant resistance in diabetics.

Researchers found that cashew nut extract significantly stimulated blood-sugar absorption by muscle cells. "Extracts of other plant parts had no such effect, indicating that cashew seed extract likely contains active compounds, which can have potential anti-diabetic properties," explained senior author Pierre Haddad.

To read the full article, visit http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2010/07/15/Cashews-may-help-those-with-diabetes/UPI-40541279249577/

Amber again in Seattle, this time as a cow (leather)

2010-11-06T02:30:00.000-07:00

SeattleInsider: Naked Beauties Prowl Into Seattle For PETA Protest - Photos - KIRO Seattle

Love Marilyn

2010-11-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

I stayed up late the other night and watched How to marry a millionaire w/ Marilyn. I think she was at her thinnest during this movie. It's sooooo cute! I love it. :-)

Calendar Girl

2010-11-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, I would hang out at my neighbors house and she had a Neil Sedaka record and I just loved it. Good times, good memories. :-)

Amber in downtown Seattle yesterday

2010-11-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have to say as a MOTHER its VERY hard to see an almost naked picture of your child. When I see her, I don't see a grown young woman in her mid 20's. I see my 5 year old child going off to school.

She has been on a PETA tour all week, and stopped by briefly last night to pick up her passport for Canada. She still had her snake make-up on and the dogs FREAKED out!

Missing Yorkie - Covington, WA

2010-11-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

The little girl Yorkie

has still not been returned to her owner.

Halloween Night . . .

2010-11-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

Did you have a fun Halloween?

Halloween at our house is all about my husband, Ted.

I wanted to skip it this year.

We had bought enough candy for 220 kids and it was all gone!!!

130 pieces were full size candy bars. We always buy the treats from SAMS. It's so much cheaper buying full size in bulk.

We had a few people over. Usually it's much larger inside. I think it was better since Ted's back has been killing him and I was dealing (still am) with a cold/flu thing and was doped up big time!

It's over now! Everything is packed up and I have my Thanksgiving decorations all out. I love Thanksgiving. I love a good meal if you didn't know... HAHA! This year we will be turkey-less at my mom's! :-) Amber and I are so excited to have a cruel free/meat free dinner.

On with a few pics . . .

This is Ted's girl, I HATE HER!!! :::Shiver:::

Normally she hangs on the cemetery fence, but this year he put her inside "Connie," our 1969 vintage travel trailer that is being restored.

Daytime:

Nightime (notice he gave her a lil' friend? a black cat):

(Do you know how many nights she scared the cr@p out of Chris or Amber coming home late at night all month long?)

Ted's carved pumpkin is in the back,

mine is Oogey Boogey up front:

Ted's favorite treat to make is the witch fingers. He really gets in to it. The thing is, they really don't taste very good. LOL! It's a basic shortbread recipe, and I just don't think they are very sweet. Remember as a kid when your mom would take leftover pie crust and make strips for you w/ cinnamon and sugar and bake them in the oven? That's what they taste like but w/out the cinnamon and sugar. Plain jane dough. We veganized them this year! :-)

We use to be able to buy strawberry ice cream topping for the blood, but for several years now, we can't find it. So I just make the blood now. It's so easy. Cherry Jelly, Hersheys Cocoa, Corn Syrup and a lil' red food coloring. (Some red food colorings are not vegan! They are made from bugs! Yes you heard me. Most red food coloring comes from the bug

Cochineal.)

Everything on the table was vegan,

except for the cheese pizza.

I got that for Ted & Ray.

I also had a vegan pizza,

but had it in the kitchen.

Everything else was pretty easy to veganize.

Spinach dip, taco dip, pumpkin bars, etc...

Precious Nina' w/ the crocheted

Halloween blanket I made.

Apple did not want to wear her

Halloween tee shirt! Poor baby!

She finally got used to is and spread out in front of the fire on another crocheted Halloween blanket I made.

Bloody Marys anyone?

I mostly put all my Halloween (small items) in a glass cabinet. I liked it much better and took a picture so I would remember for next year.

My kitchen helpers:

Mom, can we go trick-or-treating too?

Part of front yard before it got really dark:

Chris and Amber:

My mom and our friend Patti, cracks me up!

My mom said she is a glam vampire and Patti is a gym rat:

Happy November!!! :-)

Hmm . . .

2010-11-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

While editing a halloween picture, I noticed an orb.

Some say its a ghost, some say its pollen or dust.

Who knows... but its interesting.

Meanwhile I've come to the conclusion,
Ted does a crappy job w/ webbing.
I'm on webbing duty from now on! LOL!

Sweet Dreams Mobile

2010-10-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

I just finished this craft

project called,

The Sweet Dreams Mobile

by Jenny & Aaron

It was a lot of fun! :-)

I just adore craft kits.

Our 24 hr houseguest

2010-10-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

Isn't he just a living doll???

Some neighbor boys were holding this dog and standing by the stop sign at a cross street for a long time, and finally hubby said, "What are you boys up to?" ~ We know these boys, normally they are in the front yard playing 20 questions.

Anywho... they explained that they found the dog and were standing at the stop sign waiting for its owner to drive by looking for it. So hubby suggested they take it up to the vets and see if it has a microchip. Well, there dad said, "No, Im busy!" So good ol' hubby took the dog and went to the vets.

The little dog didn't have a microchip (If your reading this and your pet does not have a microchip either, it really is a good thing. You never know when something might happen to your dog or cat.) So Ted left his info with the vet and came on home, made a sign and hung it by the road and he put the dog in the x-pen we have downstairs for when Lola, our foster dog is having one of her aggressive mood swings. Anyway... I was oblivious to everything that went on, so as I be-bopped down to do laundry, I saw this precious bundle of joy and squealed and immediately took him into my arms where he was most of the night and today.

I heard the whole story and posted an ad on craigslist.

I also made hubby repeat exactly what the boys had said and I kept asking questions to see if their was more to the story (I watch a lot of criminal minds and csi - haha!) So, come to find out... there were 3 dogs. 2 small dogs & 1 boxer. The boxer ran off and a white van drove by and grabbed one of the dogs and the little boys got the other dog. Which was now at our house.

He was recently groomed, the vet said he was 4-5 years old and his teeth were sparkling white! Someone would be missing this dog.

Well, this afternoon the emails started

coming via craigslist and the vets office.

His name is Chewy, short for chewbacca

and he loves to chase squirrels.

The boxer found his way home last night, but the other dog, the female yorkie is still missing!!!! The owner is just besides herself and feels horrible. At least Chewy will be cuddling with his people tonight and hopefully whoever owns the white van will do the right thing.

These pictures were to show how small the dog is,

that is a normal size bottle of vicks.

Next to my iPhone.

HAHA

2010-10-13T19:38:00.000-07:00

What I saw:

What he saw:

Little beggars! :-)

& no that's not my skinny ass body

behind the dogs (I wish!)

that was Chris'.

Craft Room

2010-10-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

My little buddy, Chris

moved out of our home

"on good terms you little gossipers :-)"

and I turned his room into a craft room.

On the left side of the room

not shown in the picture

are book shelves.

I can't tell you how nice it is

to have a nice big craft table.
I love this room so much,
I don't ever want to leave it. :-)

I was making Halloween cards for an

exchange I am in.

Every card was different,

but this one was/is my favorite.

Simple, fun & it makes me smile.

Nothing like shakin' the old bones

on Halloween.

Speaking of old bones,

my lil' Chihuahua Nina'

is looking so old.

Her congestive heart disease

is really aging her fast.

I thought I lost her this past Sunday

from a really severe seizure.

I'm not ready for her to go anywhere.

She is getting extra medicine, extra love

and extra prayers.

Cashew Cream

2010-10-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

Soak Cashews in hot water for an hour

soak cashews in water over night

throw all in food processor

and pulse away

adding more water for consistency that you want.

I had made this for a scallop potato recipe

that I am not putting the recipe up for.

It called for like 12 garlic cloves

and I did not like it. Way too garlicy!

But the family sure gobbled it up.

Cashew cream is pretty cool!

When Amber worked at a raw

restaurant called Thrive in Seattle

They used cashew cream in a lot recipes.

On the ELLEN show recently

she showed that you can use cashew

cream for macaroni and cheese

and as a dip w/ flour for frying for

making mock chicken fried steak.

Yes, Ellen is a vegan.

Halloween Kits

2010-10-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

I bought this kit from Brandywine Designs on etsy:

It was so much fun to make!!! :-)

I don't see this particular kit that I made on etsy anymore but look at this one: Vintage BOO girl It is darling!!! I have bought a kit from her before and it was a lot of fun to make.

I love Halloween kits! :-)
I am looking for a new one to buy.