Friday, June 26, 2009

This and That!!!

Hey~

I can't believe it is almost July 4th!! We decided to go to the San Juan Islands for the 4th and surprise our friends.. I hope she hasn't started reading my blog.. I think not!! The San Juan Islands is where I grew up and It's fun to see old friends.. ya know the kind you have known since 4th grade!!! heres a couple pics














This is the Ferry coming in to Friday Harbor, my hometown!!










































Washington's little slice of Heaven!! aahhhh.......


In other news.. C and I are officially Bo dan belts!!! yippeeee.. here are some pics from testing night!! sorry the quality isn't that great, there from my bl.berry, with all it can do you'd think the pics would be better quality....
This is corey doing 1 of his board breaks with a punch.. we had to do 2 board breaks, 1 punch and 1 spinning back kick...















Me breaking with a spinning back kick....














C and I sparring.... Mom puttin the beat down on!!! LOL














C and I doing our poomse, NAILED IT!!!!















Yesterday I finally got into my studio and used my saw for the first time and cut some copper for some etching.... I only broke 3 saw blades.... I will post some pics when I get my pieces finished.. I'm going to try to get them done before we leave on thurs..I think these first ones I make will be for my BFF's daughter.....
Chow for now!!














































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Tuesday, June 23, 2009

New Tools!! YIPPEEEEEEE~~~~~~

I bought these today.......
































I bought the vise at Harbor Frieght, It swivels and moves!! and I bought the tumbler from Santa Fe.. It was the cheapest place.. $60. I looked at the tumblers they had a Harbor Frieght and just went with my gut, which told me to get the better one... I didn't like the looks of the display tumbler they had out.. but I think the vise will do fine..


We test tomarrow for our Bo-Dan belts.. It will be nice to get a new belt but now we really have to start training... our next belt is black and we will test in April.. seems like a long way off but not when you have so much to refresh and memorize!! Wish us luck.. here are a few photos of us practicing our Poomse (poom-say, which is kind of like a fight on all four sides of you) tonight in class.













































I Got my custom stamp last week, but I really haven't had the time to play with it yet.. I finished switching the rooms around and got my table moved in to my "new" studio space yesterday.. here it is .. I have some space and not much to go in it yet, but I'm Sure before long it will be full!




















































Lots of shelving, thinking I will paint it a nice light green?? Not sure yet. I will put up a corkboard in front of my table to put design ideas and inspiration...
Oh and I also got this last wk also, like I said haven't had anytime for jewelry lately, but I will soon...














This came with a flex shaft attachment.. I will upgrade to the "real deal" when I have more exp. under my belt..
Later!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Freshman

Today I officially have a high schooler.. WOW that just blows my mind.. It seems like yesterday that my son was playing with his dump trucks and still wanting to be rocked... passing the days away watching Pooh Bear.. *sighing* I really do miss those days.. and my daughter is also growing to fast.. she is only 10 and acts like she is 16 (when she can get away with it that is) it seems that now days kids aren't kids anymore... she does still do kid things, like roller skating and riding her bike but she is worried about her hair or how she looks.. jeez when I was 10 I was riding horses and bmx bikes not doing my hair and worrying about what I should wear to school.. I don't think I have ever worried about that stuff.. it's just not me.

Corey's 8th grade graduation was bitter sweet.. he realized that he really didn't want the school yr to end.. he will miss some of his friends that will be going to a different high school than he is next yr.. I never had to worry about such things.. where I grew up there is one elementary school, one jr high and one high school but we are talking about an island.
He was a bit emotional, which I think is normal, it's a hard age being 14.. he has a lot of changes coming his way.. I'm just glad that he and I have a wonderful, open relationship and he can express himself and not feel that it's wrong to be in touch with his emotions.. we are a very open family and talk about pretty much everything.. We have one rule in our house and that is .... NO SECRETS!!!! beyond the normal healthy things kids keep to themselves, but mostly between mom and dad.. we went through a very tough time about 9 yrs ago and worked through it and healed, and moved on and vowed then that we would never keep secrets between us or our children.. sometimes the hardest things will make you the strongest.. wow that was a bit off topic.. so back to grad.... here is a pic..



















We finally got his room moved to the downstairs bedroom.. and cleaned. Oh what a mess it was.. I'm surprised I didn't find a slimy science experiment in there.. I'm cleaning the carpets tomarrow and getting Jessica moved in, and then I will FINALLY have my jewelry studio.. her old room is perfect.. a ceiling fan, window and built in shelving.. It could be a bit bigger but I can wait 4 more yrs tell corey goes to college and she can be downstairs. Then I can take over the bigger bedroom and have the little one for my library.. see I have it all worked out! LOL

anyway I'm so excited to have my own area soon. This is my work area as of now.....















My kitchen table.. I don't think this table has ever seen a meal.. now that it will be cleared up soon we will try to have sunday night dinner as a "family" .. we don't really eat together much and if we do it is at the coffee table in front of the t.v. I remember eating together when I was a kid and it's nice.. that's the time when you shut off the t.v. and talk about your day and connect with each other..

I got my stuff for doing some metal etching.. I'm super excited and scared at the same time... I have ventured into a whole new realm of things that I no nothing about but I will figure things out..
that's about it
till next time~

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Sunday Brunch

Hey There~

I love Sheri's Benedict~














This is how we had our eggs benedict when I was growing up....
and I still make it the same way now for my family~

I use bacon instead of candian bacon, and the sauce is a cheese sauce instead of a benedict sauce... so, so yummy!!

I follow the basic recipe in my trusty old Betty Crocker cookbook for a white sauce and then I add cheddar, and pepperjack.. which adds a little kick, pepper, mustard powder, some chx bullion powder and basil.. GOOD FOOD!!!

I should be getting my custom stamp in the mail anyday!! This is what it will look like. what do you think?? It's 2" x 2".. this being my first stamp, I'm hoping it won't be to small.
I ordered my lovely stamp from a seller on etsy.. Terbearco.etsy.com, she was really nice and helpful with all my questions.. I'm sure I will find a need for another stamp and will certainly do business with her again.
I spent some time this weekend contemplating how I want to do my jewelry cards.. I think I have it figured out.. so as soon as I get the stamp in my grubby hands I will post some pics of what I came up with.
This has been bugging me all day long so I need to just vent about it..... My daughter had a friend sleep over last night, and I have meet her mom a couple times at school functions and Jess went to this girls b-day slumber party, to make a long story short.. when I tucked the girls in my daughter's Ipod nano was in the docking station.. when they woke up in the morning, Jess came up to my room and woke me up, asking if I had taken her Ipod, it wasn't in the docking station.. we have searched hi and low,, asked the girl to look for it in her belongings just in case it had gotten mixed in with her things some how.. Nope not there.. It couldn't have grown legs and wondered off. I know it was there when I turned off the light because I remember thinking that I should let them listen to music, then thinking better of it.. goodnight girls.. morning it's gone.. I feel really horrible thinking little fingers took it but when my husband and I both have torn our daughters room apart looking and it's NO WHERE to be found.. what should I think... and when I call the girl and ask her to look in her things again just in case, and she says she doesn't have it, I guess I just have to take her word.... I'm so irritated that Ipod was $150. and jessica's main christmas gift this yr.. I don't have that kind of money laying around to replace it... I really want to think that this girl didn't take it but I have searched all day long for this damn thing and It's totally MIA! What would you think??
well I hope everyone has a good week!
I'm out!!

Monday, June 8, 2009

Random act of Kindness

Hey everybody!!

I hope everyone's weekend was good~
Tammy from Tammys treasure chest has bestowed upon me a Random act of Kindness!! I was so excited when the mail came today and I had a lovely pkg waiting for me..... This is what was in the pkg!!













Isn't it beautiful.. I really love it!! Thanks so much Tammy!
This weekend I gave my daughter bangs.. she has been bugging me to give her bangs for about a yr and I keep saying no.. she has this wicked coulik,(sp) and her hair naturally parts in the middle because of it.. well now that she is 10 going on 30 hehehe she has started to part in more to the side... so I gave her the bangs...


















My little girl is growing up!!!

That's all folks!!

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Oatmeal Banana Choc.Chip !



IF you like to cook than you need to check out this GREAT blog I stumbled upon..... TwinTables.blogspot.com they have the greatest yummiest recipes!!



I found this recipe and couldn't pass it by...Banana oatmeal cookies!! I'm the Queen of tweaking recipes to my needs so of course I tweaked this one.. I added mini choc. chips, and put in shortening instead of butter, I don't like the way cookies turn out when I use butter, they look like pancakes not cookies. If you wanted to be really healthy you could omit the choc chips and shortening and just add extra bananas.

They taste like the crunchy top and sides of banana bread, with a little choc. kick!

Here they are.....













































As you can see I couldn't wait to give them a try!!!


Check out twin tables blog.. there food looks and tastes great!!

now, I have cookies to eat!!!!

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

The work begins

Heeeeeyyyyy!
Yesterday started off the new schedule for the dojang... backtracking.... about 6 mos ago our dojang expanded once again and opened a third school here in spokane.. we transfered to this school for numerous reasons I won't bore you with.. so at first there aren't many students so the belt levels don't really need to be split.. well now the time has come.. so there is low belt class and high belt class. It was great to go to class last night and not have a packed room and to get help and do more advanced techniques.. like using both our nunchucks again.., focus pads and just have more discipline that comes with high belts.. when you first start out your learning all this stuff and the hammer really isn't put down so much..

We usually get to class about 1/2 hr before it starts, so last night Mr. Justin, our instructor asked corey to get changed and help out with class... that frees him up to talk with parents of new students and such..... because Corey and I are always in class together I don't have many "in class pics" so I took this as a photo opp...here are a couple pics of Corey helpin out the white
belts.





If you follow my blog you know that I often post about our TKD experiences and I cannot say enough good things about what it has done for my son and I... It really is a way of life that we have chosen to live... When Corey gets his Black belt which will be in April, he doesn't have to continue.. when we started this journey 6 yrs ago he had no choice.. it was something that I thought would benefit him and we enrolled.. so I have told him once he gets his Bl. Belt he doesn't have to continue, I will, but I won't go back on my word to him.. I'm hoping by then he will want to continue doing it.. he really enjoys it when we are there. He is just not athletic and would rather be home on the computer or texting.. okay he's lazy :)
I'm keeping my fingers crossed!!

Then I realized last night that my daughter is usually with us reading or watching class, so I'm thinking maybe she can take a few pics of us now and again in class.. It is also a good way to see if we are doing correct stances and what we look like.. a good critquing method..

I did post a couple of new earrings.....and bought a few blocks of advertising on http://www.foundhandmade.com/ if you haven't heard of this site, check it out.. very reasonable fees and they are usually running specials to earn free blocks of advertising.. you scroll across an image and the image pops up and has a little bio on the right side of the screen, if you click the image it sends them to your etsy shop or where ever you have linked to the image.. so easy and I'm hoping I will get some sales from it!!

these are the newest additions to my shop....

What do you think?? Are the pictures okay?
till next time
chow