On the 3rd of July, our good friends and neighbors lost their home to a fire. Luckily, nobody was home at the time of the fire. In twenty minutes it was gone.
This is the back of the house. Our thoughts and prayers and best wishes are with them as they go through the next few months of rebuilding their lives.I have posted several times about my monthly card group meetings...but this one was a little bit unusual. We did all the same things we normally do-eat, talk, laugh, exchange cards-the only difference was, this time we did it on camera! It will air in July (the 13 or 15 I think). Our group member and in-house paper crafting guru and celebrity (Sue Neal-third from the right on the top row) has a monthly segment she does on Studio Five about paper crafting, and "they" decided it would be a fun idea to talk about (and show) some of what our group does. It will be interesting to see what they end up actually putting on tv. This group has been meeting every month for 12 years! Isn't that crazy?? I think there are only 6 or 7 of the original members of the group (from 12 years ago), but it is incredible that it has been going that long, don't you think? No end in sight, either! It is a great creative outlet and social event all rolled into one.
BACON-WRAPPED CHICKEN
Ready in 1 hour or less
Ingredients:
12 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 cartons (8 oz each) whipped cream cheese with onion and chives
2 tablespoons butter
salt to taste
12 bacon strips
Flatten chicken to ½ inch thickness. Spread 3 tablespoons cream cheese over each. Dot with butter and sprinkle with salt; roll up. Wrap each with a bacon strip. Place, seam side down, in a greased pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 for 35-40 minutes or until juices run clear. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until bacon is crisp.Freeze these uncooked.
Here are the cute cards from our card group on Thursday night. Looks like the main theme for the night was valentines day!
By the way, if you have never had this fruit dip, you should really try it...delicious!
Fruit Dip
1-6 oz carton fruit flavored yogurt (I used 2-4 oz. strawberry)
1/2-1 container of coolwhip topping (8 oz.)
4 oz. softened cream cheese (optional)
Fold together and serve with cut up fruit: berries, oranges, pears, apples, etc.
Susette Fisher tagged me...and I guess I am supposed to name 6 quirky things about myself! I don't think I'm quirky at all...LOL!
1. I have never slept very well...sort of an insomniac. I had trouble falling asleep and sometimes would wake up in the middle of the night.....until this job at Costco (where I start work at either 4 a.m. or 5 a.m.). Now, I have NO TROUBLE falling asleep, and nothing wakes me during the night, but if I wake up at all.....I very rarely am able to fall back asleep. I might as well get up and get something done!
2. I have never found a food that I didn't like....except maybe some bad sushi at a chinese buffet!
3. I LOVE to exercise. I mean it, I really LOVE it. And not just afterwards, you know, when you are proud of yourself for doing it. I mean before, during and after.....I LOVE IT! If I had no other responsibilities, I think I would exercise several hours every day!
4. I sing all the time. I bet you didn't realize there is a song for EVERY subject. Sometimes things that people say will remind me of a line in a song and I can't help myself, I belt it right out! Maybe not at that exact moment, I don't usually like to sing for an audience (unless it's my family....they are so used to me singing I'm not embarrassed any more). Too bad I don't have a better singing voice!
5. I am kind of a perfectionist....but only selectively! I like things neat and tidy (I organize my spices alphabetically in my kitchen cupboard, sort my stamp sets by size of box, socks by color, you get the picture) but I can go a week without mopping my kitchen and not have it bother me...? Hmmm.
6. I can't stay awake in a vehicle while it's moving....especially on trips longer than about 15 minutes! Even if I'm driving! Aaaah!
So there you have it, I'm really not quirky at all! I tag you! Gina, Ginay, Dana, Deena, Stacy, Kelli, Susan and Janelle.
Card group time again. This time we went to the new Olive Garden in town...yum! I had the Ravioli de Portabella which was FANTASTIC. Can you tell, I'm all about the food? Oh, yeah. The cards were FANTASTIC too! Such talent and creativity. It's so fun to see how someone else puts something together. My card uses the new scallop square punch from Stampin' Up and the stamp set that is made to go with it, can't remember what it's called. I picked a ribbon and based my card off of those colors....voila!
Last evening we were at Albertson's doing a little grocery shopping, when my cell phone rang. It was my friend, Gina, calling with a message from a neighbor who had just driven by my house and seen "tremendous amounts of smoke pouring out of my house".
This is what I'm picturing. (This picture is not of my house, by the way!! Just in case you were worried!)
My dh, Todd, overheard me and immediately picked up his cell phone to dial 911. We left our grocery cart where it stood and RAN for the car, both of us on cell phones, dragging kids as we went. I called a neighbor across the street. Her teenage son answered. I asked him to look out his window to confirm "smoke" pouring from my home. Not that he could see. Hmmm....would you please go to our back yard and see if you see anything. He obliged me, but again, nothing that he could see. I (only slightly panicking) gave him my garage code and asked him to enter my home to see if he could see or SMELL anything unusual. Again, same answer. We are still racing towards home.
We pull up (emergency vehicles preceeding us! They are FAST!). No smoke. We enter the home. Can't smell anything. Hubby goes to the basement and I head upstairs. Nothing. We go to the backyard. No evidence of anything out of the ordinary. The fire chief is following us around curiously. None of us can find "tremendous amounts of smoke pouring out" of the house or any evidence that it was at any point. By this time, curious neighbors and passers-by are stopping to see what is going on.
We get word from a neighbor that a block south of us they were having a barbecue and the grill caught on fire. I guess that might be described as "tremendous amounts of smoke pouring out". Just not out of my yard, and certainly not my house. But, I guess, better safe than sorry. Never did get my groceries though!
Yesterday, was the beginning of UEA vacation for all the kids in Utah. It was also the first day of an annual event that we have at Thanksgiving Point called the Scarecrow Festival. It is a fundraiser for a non-profit organization called the West Ridge Academy. We had a great time in the Junior Haunted House (my 5 year old waited outside for us as it was "too scary"), and playing on a wide array of inflatable slides. Then we decorated and launched paper rockets. They really FLEW and Katie (7 year old) was convinced that her's flew the highest of everybody's. We rode in a "train", played all kinds of kiddie games, won prizes and candy, and even got to see some Irish Dancing from a local performing dance group. There was a Country Craft Store and pumpkin stand (where we picked out a couple of pumpkins to take home). It runs through Monday, Oct. 20 and if you are interested in more information visit West Ridge Academy.
Ok, crazy I know! But I am in two card groups that meet monthly. They even happen to fall on the same week. But it is so much fun, I can't help myself. I mean, really, look at all the cute cards I am collecting!! This is from the evening "make and take" card group.
This is a Halloween card I made for the group. I used the technique of masking for the jack-o-lanterns. This is where you stamp an image. Then you stamp the same image on a sticky note, cut it out, and use it to "mask" the first image when you stamp the second (different) image to make it look like it is behind your main image. Worked for the faces as well. The inside of the card says "you make me smile"! Stamp set is from Stampin' Up.
Did you know that on Saturday, October 4, 2008 it is World Card Making Day! It is a time to celebrate handmade greeting cards, creativity and the bonds that paper crafting brings to those of us who do it! We are a unique group, you know! We have our own language (CASE, TFS, crop, acid free, mount, embellishments, etc.), we love to teach others what we know (especially what we have learned recently that is so COOL!), we are perfectionistic to a degree (keep on tweeking that scrapbook page or card until it is just right/has the right amount of embellishments or BLING)! So take the day off, get together with a few of your favorite crafty people and make cards to your hearts content!
This card made using Autumn Leaves "Winter Wonders" by Amy Grendell.
It is my favorite time of the month again!! Card group time-12 of us meet at a local restaurant for lunch and a card swap. The cards are actually just an excuse to get together-it is a nice BONUS! We have such a great time. Today we ate at a new place called Marley's Gourmet Sliders in Lindon, Utah at the new Harley Davidson shop/restaurant. The food was so good. You choose your meat: beef burger, chicken, turkey or coney dog. Then you choose your toppings like cheese, grilled onions, avacado, bacon, cranberries, mushrooms, etc. I had 2 sliders (they are small burgers/sandwiches). One was beef with cheese, onions and spicy buffalo sauce. The other was turkey with avacado, cranberry sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and red onion. It came with a drink and fries for about $10. Everything was yummy! It is definitely a repeat! Will definitely have to take my DH as he is a burger fanatic.
Will post pics of cards later!
This last month was actually my turn to host the make and take card group. We did two projects; the water bottle tags and the magnetic bookmarks (both blogged about below!). There were 5 of the 12 who were not there, but everyone sent cards so it was a good month for us! One of the girls in the group (Ginay)had a great idea for a "Pass it Along" Card. You put different tags into a pocket, placing the appropriate one in the front, for instance: happy birthday, happy anniversary, thank you, etc. Then you write a personal note on a separate piece of paper and stick it inside the card. The main card has a little message about passing the card along by changing the tag and the personal note inside. And there you have a re-usable greeting card! Here is the one she made for us.
What a cute group of ladies, don't you think!! They are most definitely some of my FAVORITE people (and what a collection of talent)!
