A fun new project

One of my favorite local scrapbook stores, Mystic Paper (yes, still a favorite!) presented a challenge to whoever was crazy enough to take it: Altered Aprons. Somehow (no idea how) they came to posses probably a dozen of these lovely little numbers, and challenged their loyal customers to alter, re-design, and overall improve the aprons. I picked mine up right away. I have a few ideas brewing, but nothing set in stone. I do, as always, want to make it personal. I recommended, via their blog, that they submit all the altered aprons to a magazine about re-designing clothes, Altered Couture, so it should be interesting! Any ideas?

25 (yes) 25 random things about me.

For a few weeks last year, girls were writing '7 random things about me' on their blogs. Nobody tagged me (ahem) until someone on Facebook came up with the brilliant idea of doing 25 random things about me...So, here goes.

1. I am a Christian, saved by grace through no merit of my own. Believe me.

2. I have lived in the Valley of Arizona my whole life, primarily in the same 2 mile radius, except for 2 years when I lived in East Mesa.

3. My earliest memory is just a moment of my 3rd Birthday party at McCormick Railroad park. I also have a very early memory of being in the bathroom at Faith EV Free church with Jody Koglmeier (Bates) and she had some Bonnie Bell type lip gloss and she got a smudge of it on my dress. The dress was a light green gauzy fabric with pleats and a white collar.

4. My Teachers in elementary school were: (At Pomeroy Elementary) Miss Horner and Miss Adams, and (at Booker T. Washington Elementary,) Mrs. Blumell, Miss Nelson, Ms. Petticrew, Mrs. Larkins, Miss Simon and my Mom! My mom was my teacher all through Jr. High. Let’s see if I can remember all of my High school teachers…Mrs. Yarbrough, Miss VanDyken, Mr. Nelson, Mrs. Mehan, Senor Servin, Mrs. Templeton, Mr. Adams, Mr. Uitermarkt, Mrs. Schoene, Mr. Yuskis, Mr. Hazeu, Mr. Barnes, Mrs. Wilke, Mr. Benson, Mrs. Lynch, Mr. Haagsma, and (aargh!) I can’t remember my 10th grade science teacher…she only stayed one year.

5. All through Junior high (and through part of high school) I kept journals. They are pretty hilarious to read, very emotional of course. I think it was a great outlet for me, as I wasn’t in school ‘chatting’ with people every day. I no longer journal, but I don’t feel badly about that, I’m glad I have other outlets to talk to about my feelings.

More after the jump... (more)

Grocery fun!

Well, like most everyone in America, we have been feeling the financial pinch in our budget over the past few months. One solution we thought of was to vote for a removed public figure to make it all better, but in the end we chose a wacky plan: Personal responsibility.

Each week I take out a pre-set amount and that is my budget for the week. A portion of it goes towards kids clothing budget, a portion toward 'family incidentals', and the rest is food, toiletries, diapers, cleaning supplies, etc. Well, between the rising cost of food and our chaotic home repairs this fall, I had fallen very behind on my budget and 'backup' food. Something had to be done!

I have always planned out a week's worth of meals and sides, and shopped from that list. I have been a regular Safeway customer for years, occasionally going to Sprouts if I noticed I had a lot of produce on the list. At least once a month I'd go to Costco to get diapers, Toilet paper, milk and bread, etc. It wasn't quite as chaotic as it sounds, but I was quickly realizing Safeway was getting too expensive. Costco almost always has the best deal, if you don't let the food go to waste, and Sprouts has hands down the freshest and cheapest produce around. So, I hatched a plan...

I began planning out 2 weeks worth of meals. This was tricky! It's hard to think of that much food in one sitting with out getting redundant or too exotic. I tried to create 2 separate weeks of 'mirrored' food-if I bought food from Costco for, say, fajitas the first week (each item about a dollar more than Safeway for 3x the amount of food), I would make sure to have Enchiladas on the menu for the second week to 're-use' the tortillas, sour cream, salsa and cheese. I made a big batch of marinara for Spaghetti the first week, then I'd freeze the extra sauce, and make Eggplant parmesan the second week. I bought cheddar cheese and mozzarella at Costco (soooo much cheaper!) use them for what I needed the 1st 2 weeks, then shred the rest and freeze it for later. Buying a big package of pork chops from Costco doesn't seem so intimidating when you know you are using it in 2 applications over the next 2 weeks! I would buy all the Costco items (including snacks) for the next 2 weeks, then I go to Sprouts 2 times for produce and smaller items.

So far, it is working. I feel the extra focus and care needed to plan out the meals has helped us eat BETTER. Matt and I have so much to be thankful for, and I acknowledge 'tight' is a relative term, but I want to honor my husband and be accountable to the responsibility and budget set before me. And, I like to eat! Every family and every personality is different, but I think each of us should push ourselves and rise to the challenges set before us! Below is a scan of my 1st 2 week menu plan. I have done this 4 times, so from this point on, i have the next 8 weeks of meals planned, if I want to repeat!

Back to blogging!

Well, there seems to be a trend among bloggers that the number of postings goes WAY down during the holiday season, and I am no exception. I have thought about what to post and have sat down to try a number of times, but I am at a loss of what to post! I did so much crafting over Christmas, but once I shared all of those holiday goodies, I am out of topics! I have done nothing creative in nearly a month!

Matt and I have been busy with many things, however. We hosted a Discovery Dinner on the 6th, and have completely cleaned out and remodeled (moved furniture) the office, and are in the process of doing the same to the garage as well. When I say 'we', I mean 'Matt' while 'I' run interference with the kids, but that's totally cool. Matt has really outdone himself. I was in charge of condensing/disposing of our paint supply in the garage. I think Matt summed it up when he looked at all the cans and said "somebody likes to paint!" Yes, I do, and since I plan on repainting the boys room, our bedroom, and the purple playroom this year, I need to make some room in the paint cabinet! Just...kidding?

The biggest highlight related to art in the last few weeks is an e-mail I got from my Aunt Debbie, my Mom's sister. She had been meaning to write to me about my failed abrupted attempt to join Mystic Paper's design Team for months...Her comments were surprising and much appreciated...Here is an excerpt:

I know all about how much of your heart and soul you put into your creations because I feel the same way with the things I create. And I know the pain of the rejection and how when they reject your creation it feels as if they are rejecting you. Being artistic is a wonderful gift and can bring such pleasure, and at the same time it is also sometimes a curse, because it can also bring pain. (ok maybe I am being a little over dramatic there, maybe not PAIN but it can HURT. I wanted to tell you that you should be really proud of yourself, that you went for it and gave it all you've got! That you didn't let the fear of rejection stop you from trying and for that-- - KUDOS to you!!! (Many times I let the fear of rejection stop me from going for things that I really wanted) So good for you for putting your fears aside and going for what you wanted so badly! Very few people get recognized or "win" their first time trying for anything, no chefs, no singers, no actresses or actors. Book writers-authors, usually have to send their manuscript to every publisher they can find an address for and still may not get a nibble or an offer. Jennifer Hudson got rejected on American Idol and went on to win an Academy Award! Well you get the jist of what I am saying, you just have to brush yourself off and keep trying.

Wasn't that sweet?! Thank you, Aunt Debbie. She goes on to share another opportunity to join a Phoenix-based national design team, which, unfortunately, I realize is not right for me. It involves a lot of stamping (I own literally one stamp), and a lot of travel. But the encouragement is much appreciated, and there are a couple of similar opportunities I want to try for this year. Knowing there are people out there cheering for me is a wonderful encouragement!