I have been trying to get organized with my cropping stuff.  When the store closed for the summer I had to take all my stuff home and find a spot for it.  And it wasn’t that easy.  There is stuff in our bedroom, the living room and our hallway.  So I have been trying to condense and control it to just one location.  When the store reopened in our new location I did move some of it back, but there is still a ton left.  One of the biggest things is the 5 years of magazines that I have been collecting.  So I decided to create an idea book.  (one of my customers does this and I always thought it was a great idea)  So I had an old notebook that I wasn’t using  and I began going thru the magazines and removing any idea or technique that I liked or thought I would like to try and then pasted them on the pages of my note-book, before I know it the magazine collection was gone and in the recycle bin and what was left was a great little idea book.  Well one of the ideas was this snowman picture in a black frame.  I believe that they had patterns for the snowman, but you know me and my Quickutz I just couldn’t pass up an oppurtunity to use them.  And this is what I came up with. 

It’s a 12×12 and then I put it in a black frame that I drilled 2 holes in and ran ribbon thru to hang it.  I love it and can’t wait to hang it up and use it. 

Meat and Potato Casserole

1 lb lean ground beef, 

1 (2.8oz) can french fried onions

1 (10 3/4 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 cup milk

1/4 tsp pepper

4 cups frozen country style shredded hash brown potatoes

2 cups frozen cut green beans

Brown meat in large skillet, Drain.  Add half of the onions, soup, milk and pepper; mix well

Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.  Layer potatoes and green beans in slow cooker.  Top with beef mixture; spread evenly

Cover cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours  Top with remaining half of onions before serving.

Now I made some changes to this,.  I used ground turkey and instead of green beans I used fresh mushrooms that I cut in half and added to the beef mixture.  And about 5 minutes before serving I added mozzarella cheese to the top.

Yummy good.

today I received a call and we talked it out.  The funny thing is she thought I was mad at her.  So we decided that we would both try a little harder. 

I do understand that she is trying to be on her own and has a wonderful boy that she is trying to spend all her time with.  But I guess when it is all boiled down I miss her and want to be important to her.  (not saying that I’m not) maybe I’m just having a pity party for myself and someone needs to slap me straight.

isn’t to air my dirty laundry and if this comes out that way I do apologize to all that it harmed.  And I will remove it if you feel that strongly. 

So for the last several days I feel like my daughter is ignoring me.  Whenever I call or text she never seems to respond.  Perhaps college life has suddenly become very busy for her, or I have done something to make her mad.  Whatever the case I miss her.  I miss hearing her crazy funny stories and just miss talking to her.  I know that one of her complaints is that when she calls I can never talk.  Well my job has changed since we moved into a new store and I just don’t have that luxury to just talk on the phone.  I do try and make time for her or try and pick a time that I can call her back,  but when I call she doesn’t answer.  Not sure what to do at this point but to keep trying. 

So if you read this (and you know who you are) I am not going to give up on you and I will keep calling and texting so just answer sometime.  I LOVE YOU

from the blog, and I have no excuse other than just not a priority.  And it sure should be.  Life at the church household has been crazy the last couple of weeks to say the least.  The girls are both back at school and I miss them so much.  Rick is working as much as ever, and I have finally gone back to work.  And I must say it is fantastic. 

The store as relocated to South Elgin, the commute is farther but the location is great for business.  We have started cropping again and I really missed it.  I tried several times to crop at home but I enjoy the group environment,  so look for some layouts to be added in the near future. 

I have to get back to work so I will try and post the layout I did this weekend soon.  Have a great week.

I was reading my daughters blog, and she made a comment about there not being “any” food in our house.  So I left a comment that there is food here perhaps it’s not the food that she would like or is interested in eating, and the last time I checked she knew where the grocery store was.    When she come out of her room she commented to me about the blog and that she removed my rude post.  Now I don’t understand how my comment was rude but her posting on the internet for anyone and everyone to read isn’t rude.  Not saying that because she was rude I could be also, but not sure what I said was all that rude. 

So the question is…  Why is it okay to post that there is no good food, but not okay to suggest she go to the grocery store and get what she would like?

I went to the grocery store and picked up what was on the list and a few things that weren’t and as I was unpacking what I purchased, it come to me that what I bought she isn’t going to eat anyway, so why make a comment like that. 

Sometimes people should think before they speak.

was my birthday and what a birthday it was.  I went to lunch with my parents, the girls and Mike at Chili’s and it was yummy.  Then we went back to my parents house and I opened gifts.  Got some nice things.  Then Hannah had to go to work and Catie and Mike made me dinner shrimp alfredo and bread it was yummier then lunch.  Then we went to the Tuesday Night Concert series at Wing Park and meet up with some friends and to my suprise Rick joined us.  Catie brought a cake and they even had candles.  They sang to me and everyone enjoyed the cake. 

No picutes cause catie has them on her camera and she is still dog sitting, so hopefully she will share them with me when she gets home.

that when you’re a parent and decide to do something and don’t include your teenage or older children they get all pissy with you.  But when they decide to do something they don’t even think of inviting you?

how does a girl get to be so luck.

yesterday 6 friends and I went on a scrapbooking field trip.  We went to one of my favorite stores in Antioch,   Hannah’s Home Accents they have a wonderful scrapbooking section.  And then we went to Scrap Fancy in Arlington Heights,  I only purchased papers for layouts that I have pictures for.  I am trying very hard to only purchase when I have a need.  And I have been cropping at home and needed some new paper.  We went out to lunch and got home about 4:00.

Then today I had to go and pick up a package from UPS and it had several dies from Quickutz to create a make n take for there new Epic Six machine.  And this afternoon the UPS man delivered my Epic Six machine and I can’t wait until I can start playing with it.  On first sight not sure that I love it, but will give it a try.  Unlike the Revolution tool the plate is not magnetic and the dies slip around.