Scrapbooker for Hire!

Look at me.  A real professional now.

Notice the link at the top of the page (just above Emerson's quote)?  Yep.  I'm finally pursuing my passion. I've taken thousands of photos.  I've made many, many scrapbooks for my family, friends, and gifts.  Ten years of scrapbooking.  Ten years of being a Creative Memories consultant.  I have taught many others how to preserve their family memories.  I think I've earned the name "teacher" by my friends.  But, now I am doing it for "real."

I thought I'd share my first scrapbook that I was hired to do from start to finish.  This precious little girl is almost two and her mommy wanted her baby photos preserved (smart mommy).  I've been working on this since August and delivered it right before Thanksgiving (yep, took me quite awhile), but I enjoyed every darn minute of it.

Of course, I consider it a masterpiece and I'm pretty darn proud of myself.  Enjoy.
 

Oh, how I love pumpkin!

It's about time for a recipe, huh?  Been awhile.  Even though the calendar says December, we're technically still in the fall season.  I stocked up on canned pumpkin right before Thanksgiving (yea, Costco!).  I really should be thinking about sugar cookies, fudge, snickerdoodles, and peppermint cookies. There's still plenty of time, right?

See, I really do love to cook and love to bake.  (I love to eat, too; but I'll save that post for another time, eh?)  This, coupled with my love for pumpkin, equals:

Pumpkin Muffins Cupcakes!

Super easy.

Ingredients:
1 box yellow cake mix (any brand will do)
1 can pumpkin puree
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg

Mix all together and fill your cupcake pan.  That's it!  I used paper cupcake liners (so easy).  You could also just grease & flour your pan.

Yum-O Topping:
1 stick softened butter
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar

Cut the butter into the flour & sugar (or use a pastry blender).  You want this to be a very crumbly consistency.

Generously top each of the batter-filled cups with a mound of topping and pat lightly.

Bake as directed for cupcakes (look for directions on the back of your yellow cakemix box).  I'm at high altitude and baked mine about 25 mins.  Yield:  18 muffins cupcakes

Cool.
&
then...

oh,
my,
heck!

Enjoy the yummy pumpkin goodness.  Warning:  they are a bit messy!  They are sublime with your favorite coffee drink or even better with a cold glass of milk.  Afternoon snack.  Or, breakfast!  Most times...Bill eats two (at a time).

Don't forget to share.

iphone testimonial (pardon the text-ease): 

"U better save me a couple more of those muffins.  Those darn things r incredible!"

-Eric, my 25-year-old son

Giving thanks

Sometimes in all the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, I get caught up in all the commotion, the stress, the problems, the money issues, the job situation, etc. etc.   (Geez, that opening statement sounds like a glass-half-empty-kind-of girl, huh?)

So, today, even though it's busy, I want to stop to think about everything good in my life, everything I am thankful for and my many blessings.  I literally am overcome with emotion. Too often, I allow in-the-moment frustrations of everyday life to take over my focus and blur the big picture. I have so much for which to be thankful.

Let me give thanks that my kids are grown and healthy.  I can only hope that they will someday think I was a great mom, even though I mostly feel that I could have done better.

Let me give thanks that my significant other for 20 years, and best friend of 24, continues to find me witty, charming, and beautiful (hot?).  I never question his love for me.

Let me give thanks for a family, and extended family, who supports, loves and believes in me.

Let me give thanks for my girlfriends.  The girls who take the time to read my blog and support me, my photographic endeavors, and my scrapbook shenanigans.

Let me give thanks for beating cancer.

Let me give thanks for a big, full life.

If you're so inclined, leave a comment about what you're thankful for or something you love about the season.

Have a peaceful, loving, good-eating kind of day.

Happy Halloween

This year...we've got a 1-year old that needs a costume!

During our most recent trip to PetsMart, we had loads of options and chose to try on a few.  We were torn as to which one to be...

Should I be a pumpkin?

Should I be a unicorn?

Should I be a witch?

After much deliberation...our little pumpkin will be a pumpkin!  The trick-or-treaters are gonna love her and vice versa!

Click Here For Images &
Happy Halloween Pictures - Pictures

Pink Sunday

This past Sunday, October 2, the 19th annual Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure was held in Denver.  It is one of the nation's largest 5K walks, and one of the largest Susan G. Komen events in the world.  Yea Denver!

It is a big day in our house.  A big day for me.  We celebrate this day!

I am just one woman. 
One in a sea of 50,000. 

One of 3,000 survivors.

Beautiful Niagara

Our trip to Niagara Falls for our 20th anniversary celebration was just fabulous!  I really didn't know what to expect from the falls, as I didn't do a whole lot of research before the trip and I've never even seen more than a photo or two.  No one has ever told me about a trip to Niagara Falls.  However, I had heard some of the rhetoric about the American side vs. the Canadian side.

You be the judge...

American Bridal Veil Falls

Canadian Horseshoe Falls

Well, let me just say that it is absolutely a remarkable place to visit.  How this amazing flow of water was formed is beyond my comprehension.  The amount of water that goes over those falls every minute of every day is mind boggling (why doesn't it stop?).  The energy the falls produce is astounding.  Stand above, beside, or at the foot of the falls (in a little boat) and the roar of the falls is deafening.

Bill and I really do love to travel.  Doesn't matter where.  We could very easily be considered your "typical tourist" or "crazy Americans".  We like to experience all the destination has to offer, partake of all the local flavor, hot spots, things to do, things to see, and take WAY TOO MANY pictures.  We would/could not travel to such a destination and not see it from every angle, both countries, top & bottom, and wear the mist in our hair, our clothes, and on our camera lenses.

The weather was iffy to say the least.  Very cool September week.  We had grey overcast skies most of the time (until the last two days) and a bit of rain.

The whole Niagara area is clean, clean!  Beautifully landscaped parks, walkways & flowers!

The Secret Garden

The falls are even more spectacular at night (although very hard to photograph) and one of the most romantic strolls for a couple.  A couple celebrating 20 years together.

Fireworks every Friday and Sunday nights!

The countryside is beautiful.  Green, heavily forrested, and lush.  Very clean.  The Niagara penninsula is also a wine making, grape growing paradise.  Wineries for miles and miles.  We spent a day wine tasting and just fell in love with Canada's Icewine.  Yumm!  So sweet.  So expensive!  In fact, one of the best meals we had the entire trip was at a small winery.  Fresh baked bread from the outside brick oven, a french menu, a beautiful view over the grapes, and I was in heaven!  Our cute little waiter with his thick French accent...just perfect.  

Ravine Winery (a historic 1812 civil war site)

Because we flew to Toronto, we also spent some time enjoying this beautiful city.  It's really very metropolitan, reminded me a lot of New York City, but has the enormous Lake Ontario recreational offerings. The City is booming & bustling with at least a dozen high rize-high-end luxury condo projects under construction and boasts a low 7% unemployment rate (hmm...maybe we'll move to Canada). 

We were able to reconnect and lower the stress load we've been carrying for some time.  I'm grateful for a big life event to celebrate to get us out of the routine, even if it just for a short week.  We feel refreshed and happy. 

Ready for the next 20...

Twenty Years Together

Happy Labor Day!  A day with many different meanings to different people.  A day off work.  A day to officially mark the end of summer.  A day to BBQ.  No more wearing white!  The beginning of fall.  etc.

To me, it is monumental.  It marks the 20th year with the love of my life.  My soul mate.  My best friend.  My man.

Yep.  20 years.

We are away for a little trip to celebrate our anniversary life together in Niagara Falls today.  A romantic destination we could reach in a few hours, use our miles to get there, and not have to go in debt to enjoy.  Really, I have secretly wanted to see the Falls for a long time...this just seemed like the time.

As we are enjoying some well-needed time away, I've taken some time (pre-trip) to reflect on this big accomplishment.  Twenty years is a long time.  Our lives our full. 

It's been quite a ride:

• Successfully blended two families (can you say stepchildren?)
• 120 birthday celebrations
• Thousands of miles traveled.  Vacations both big and small.  
• 16 Employers (most of them mine and a couple of them more than once)
• Raised 4 kids into adulthood (whew!)
• Worked together (in the same office) for 4 years
• Loved 4 dogs. 
• A bird, some fish, and a couple of hamsters were also part of the family.
• Lost two parents
• Battled 1 major illness
• Sold a house...built a house 
• Experienced 7,300 days of Bill's unique and entertaining sense of humor
• Enjoyed 10,512,000 minutes of happiness

In retrospect, twenty years is nothing.  It has flown by in a wink of an eye.  I feel very fortunate to have found a man that loves me unconditionally.  A relationship I would not trade for another.  A gem of  a man unlike any I've met or known.  A love that lasts.

Looking forward to the next 20 and what is to come.  New experiences.  Hand in hand.