It's been awhile I know..

But life gets in the way sometimes.
There aren't enough hours in the day...
Actually I've just been busy and I really haven't felt like blogging. That's more the truth.
Plus I was sick for several days with a nasty stomach virus. Which I don't recommend to anyone. And Danny had a cold. So between the 2 of us we were sick for a little over a week.

We had a make up Valentine's Day this past Friday night and Danny made his awesome Chicken Cordon Bleu! My favorite! It was served with green beans and mashed potatoes and we had brownies for dessert! It was a wonderfully cozy evening!!!

This Saturday night we went out to eat with my friend Rachel and her family at a really good Asian fusion restaurant and then went over to their house to play Wii. It was our first time to play with one of these and it was actually quite fun. I found out that I am quite good at the giant slalom, but that was about it. My balance sucks!!! LOL!!!

I was also part of the crop at ACOT this past weekend. As guest CT this month they asked me to help hostess and I also taught a class. It was really fast moving, but a lot of fun. I just wish I had had more time to scrap myself!!! They published my class as an article on their website and here is link to it: Fringe Flower Fun!
Here's what I created:




Yesterday we had a wonderful day! For lunch we created a sandwich we have now decided to call the "Woodreau". We were inspired to create our this by our favorite deli in St. Louis (Le Grand's). They have all these awesome sandwiches with crazy combinations. We used to go there on Sunday's after church and get our favorite the St. Louis Blues Special.
Our sandwich includes turkey, salami, swiss cheese, colby jack cheese, red onions, and a special secret sauce (a combo of mayo, horseradish mustard and hot mustard) and then we warmed it up in the toaster oven! Delish! In the afternoon we went looking at open houses with my parents. A favorite past time of ours that we haven't done in quite awhile. Then mom had us over for a dinner of homemade gumbo and cornbread finished off with brownies and ice cream! It was so fun spending the day with my parents and reminded me that we need to do this sort of thing more often.

I received my Magistical Memories new releases this week and WOW! are they awesome! I am in the process of working through some project ideas in my head so it might be next month or so before I have anything to share. But you can see them all here.
And here is one of my latest LO's using their Folk Star chippies!



I also received a fun little package in the mail from My Little Shoebox this week after winning a giveaway on their blog! I am soooo in love with the turtles! (I wonder why?!?) Now I am on the search for the "perfect" photos to scrap with it! Oh, I also went out for the early DT call! Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

Mix it Up is still in full swing with another great challenge posted last Wednesday and another one will be up this Wednesday. Stop by to check them out and if you play along you could win a great prize from Scrapshotz.

Last but not least, I have a toot! I will be having a layout pubbed in the upcoming Memory Makers special Wedding issue!!! My first pub with them and I am so excited!

Hopefully I'll be a better blogger this week!

SMILES

Casserole Goodness

EAT
I want to share a one of my favorite recipes with you today! I love it because you can make it the day before, it's easy to make and all you have to do is make the topping and then put it in the oven! It is a wonderfully creamy, comfort food kind of dish!

Cashew Chicken Casserole6 servings

  • 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 3 cups cubed cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup cubed process American cheese
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
  • 1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained
  • 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
  • 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
  • 1 1/3 cups milk
  • 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
  • 2/3 cup crushed saltines (about 20 crackers)
  • 3/4 cup cashew halves
In a greased 13 inch x 9 inch x 2 inch baking dish, layer the first 7 ingredients in the order listed. In a bowl, combine the soups, milk and broth. Pour this mixture over the layered ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Toss the butter adn cracker crumbs; sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cashew halves. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the macaroni is tender.

TRAIN
The weather was finally decent enough this weekend for me to go out to see Woody (our horse) and see some of the "tricks" that Danny has taught him using the Clinton Anderson method of horse training. It is just amazing to me how much respect Woody has for Danny and how quickly he has learned this. I definitely feel a scrappy LO coming on with all the photos I took this past Sunday!


CREATE
Magistical Memories
is having challenge this month to create a Valentine's card and/or tag called the Un-Heart Challenge!
The challenge part is to keep the hearts "not so obvious". It's OK to use hearts but do your best to keep them undercover, such as on the pp or something. As usual, this project must include a piece of chipboard or acrylic. Upload into the challenge Magistical Memories gallery between February 1 and February 28 for a chance to win some really awesome chippies.
Since we are trying to make the hearts "not obvious", may I suggest using other forms of endearment on your project. Possibly love birds, XOXO, SWAK, cupid etc. .... you get the picture. I'll be looking forward to checking out your creative ways of making hearts "not obvious"!!

Here's my take on this month's challenge...

I saw this saying on some of the totally fun V-day stuff that Target has out this year and thought it would make a great saying for my card! This is also the Valentine's Day card that my DH will be getting from me this year! He has already seen it, but has no idea it is for him!!!



I used the Magistical Memories chippie called Owl Hang Around...one of my faves and dressed him up a bit!!!


Speaking of Valentine's Day...anyone doing anything special to celebrate?

Other news...
  • Amy Teets is having a Buy My Store sale at ACOT!

  • Don't forget to stop by and check out Mixer #6 at Mix It Up! I hope you all are playing along because this month's prize is awesome!!! And believe me, we have some awesome prize pack's coming up in the near future as well!!!
Here's my take on this week's challenge...



And I just wanted to say "Thanks" for all your kind comments and support to my post below! Hugs and prayers are always a good thing and they mean a ton coming from you my friends!!!

I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!

Smiles,
Juliana

So many things to share...

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly...
and leave the rest to God.

I found this in a Kohl's flyer on Monday. A tough day mentally. Long story, but this little saying really spoke to me about the stress I am having in my personal life right now. Simple words but they really got right at the root of things and made me stop and think about how I wasn't thinking and doing right now. I'm babbling, but maybe you know what I mean! Either way, thanks for "listening"!

Other things to share...
  • Mix it Up is having another great sponsor for this month...Scrapshotz. Don't forget to stop by and check out the new inspo each Wednesday!
  • Loving this new company I just found out about called Jillibean!
  • This digital dream diva is having a great sale right now!
  • ACOT is having an online crop Feb 20-22!!!
  • Scenic Route is going to be entering the blog world very soon!!!
Speaking of Scenic Route, they selected my project below as one of the winners for the January Free For All Challenge! I was seriously jumping up & down when I found out! I love me some Scenic Route! This is also a project I created using the Magistical Memories Party Hat-boy. I put the 3 chippies together side to side to create a "hat". I then decorated it with the pipe cleaners and Scenic Route goodies!
CELEBRATE





Here is a LO I created for Mixer #4 at Mix it Up! I (ooops!) forgot to share it sooner, but I guess it's better late than never! The challenge was to use stamps to create hand made embellishments. I stamped on the butterflies and then heat embossed the image.

PRECIOUS

I am going to forgo the supply list unless anyone tells me that they just really want me to keep doing it. It is more work and I am trying to keep some things simple if possible!

Oh and I was tagged by Leigh.
Here's how you play...
Go to your Picture Folder on your computer or wherever you store your pictures.
1. Pick the 6th Folder, then select the the 6th picture in that folder.
2. Post that picture on your blog and the story that goes along with the picture.
3. Tag 6 other people that you know or don’t know to do the same thing and leave a comment on their blog or an e-mail letting them know you chose them.

My 6th folder, 6th picture is.....
A photo of my niece, Emma, with Grandpa watching Uncle Danny ride Boots (one of Grandpa's horses) in April 2007! She was so enamored by Boots and Grandpa was having a great time showing and telling her all about them and at the same time holding her safe in his arms!


I am going to tag...
Carrie, Rachel, Laina, Melanie, Amy and Sasha! Hope you ladies play along!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

Smiles!!!

A Cherry On Top!!!

I am so excited to finally be able to share some of my good news with you all!!!
I was asked to be the Guest Creative Team member at A Cherry On Top for the month of February!!! As a guest I was given the awesome opportunity of working with Daisy Bucket Designs paper line Loves Me...Loves Me Not! I have never used their products before and I have to tell you that I have definitely fallen in love with them!
Here are the projects I created!

Love is in the Air




This first one is a LO of me & my DH!!! I just love this self portrait! The black background is not part of the LO. I used a KI Memories Sheer as the template to cut the patterned paper! The clouds are my own design. I cut them from chipboard and then covered them with the paper!





Love Like This




This one is of my parents. The journaling is written under the waves and is not easy to see. It reads:
Mom & Clyde have such an amazing marriage. Their love for each other is so obvious in everything they do. I'm so thankful to have their love as a role model for my marriage with Danny. Everyone really should have a love like this.





My Joy



This final LO is of me & my 2 nieces! They are so definitely my pride & joy! The flower is my own design made with little strips of paper!





You've Got Mail



This is a little collection of Valentine's Day cards and an altered mini metal mailbox I found at Target a few months ago. I covered it with the Daisy Bucket papers using Yes! Paste. If you have never used this stuff you should give it a try. It works fantastic to adhere paper to metal. But I will warn you now... it's just really messy!

Love Heart



Love Flower



(the inside)



XOXO



The Sweetest Joy



(Other Supplies used to create these projects include: Cardstock: Bazzill; Punches: lace trim by Martha Stewart, butterfly by EK Success; Bling: Hot pink and Orange by Kaiser Craft and Light Pink by Prima; Punches: MarvyUchida and Stampin' Up!)

Thanks again to ACOT for this fabulous opportunity! And thank you all for stopping by!!!

Smiles!!!
Subscribe