Happy Sunday

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted anything. Shame on me. Been crazy at work, and I've been pretty beat when I came home. Some things to share......

At weigh in on Thursday I lost another 3 pounds!!!!! Doing the happy dance....which I hope will cause me to lose another pound!!! LOL With the 3 pounds gone that brings my total to weight loss since June 4th to.....drum roll please..............................................................45 pounds!!!!!

I can't believe I've lost that much! Still have a long way to go, but hey.....I really feel confident that I can do it this time.

Skip, John and me went to the circus yesterday. I haven't been to Ringling Brothers show since Sarah was 4. Of course I had to take a pic of the elephants. They are my favorite animal. Don't ask me why.....I guess it would be because they feel loss when they come across the bones of a elephant, the way they care for there young. I just think they are intelligent, and caring animals. Plus I think I related to them as a child since I've always been overweight.

We drove the car to the Rapid Transit station then took the Rapid to downtown Cleveland to see the show. There was so much to look at!!! The parade that they had in the beginning was just Grand!!! Horses, Elephants, motorcycles, clowns, and more!!! Hard to see it all as they had so much going on at one time. Only thing they didn't have that I missed seeing was a tight rope walker.

They cut our hours at work. Starting next week I'll be working 8 to 4:30 instead of 8 to 5. They also cut the Saturday shift from 9 to 5 to 10 to 3. We also found out this week that they put a pay freeze into effect. We will not be getting a raise come January. They are still giving us our bonus at the end of the year, but next year they will be much smaller. Guess it's tough all over.

I'm going to go get some breakfast then run out to visit with mom. Hoping to stamp later today. I haven't been in the stamping mood all week, but that didn't stop me from stopping at Pat Catan's earlier in the week to buy more dollar stamps. Like I really need them!!!! LOL

But they had some really cute and fun ones! Love the old time Santa. The bears aren't really me, but I thought they would be fun to color. My nieces may enjoy them.

Stamping Trails

Karen 227

Trip Down Memory Lane

Meet Tubsy. She was made by Ideal in 1967. Santa gave her to me Dec 1967. I was seven years old. I wanted to share the story with you........



My Brother Tony is 3 1/2 years older than me. So back in the day when we were kids he was a lot wiser than me. (you still are Tony). He knew there was not a Santa Claus. So as Christmas grew closer he decided that mom and dad must have had bought us presents and were hiding them in the house. Of course he told me to join in the search. We found Tubsy in her box on a high shelve in a closet. I remembered being so happy to find her as I had just told Mr. Jingaling that she is what I wanted for Christmas. For those of you who don't live in OH Mr. Jingaling was Santa's helper and he worked from the 4th floor of Hallie's dept store in downtown Cleveland. Anyway......I remember being happy but I also remember crying. Oh No! Santa isn't real Tony? Tony being the good brother he was quickly told me that Santa couldn't get in our house as we lived in one that didn't have any chimney so earlier in the year he visited those houses and hid presents. Of course being only 7 and not wanting to think Santa wasn't real I believed him. (thanks Tony for letting me hold on to Santa for awhile longer).

I lost my doll years ago, and I have been searching for another one for years. Tony and I use to go to toy shows together but we never could find her. Recently I started checking Ebay and found sellers who had them, but the prices were so high. One doll still in her box went for 300.00. That was out of my price range. The one in the picture I got from Ebay for 72.00 including the shipping. She's not in bad shape. I also got the sewing pattern to make some clothing for her. Spoke to my dear friend Connie this morning and told her about the doll and she right away said send me the pattern. She's going to make dolls clothes for my doll for my birthday next year. Thanks bunches in advance Connie! So my doll that I received that Christmas 1967 I named Mabel. This one's name is after my brother..... Toni

Thanks for letting me go down memory lane today!

Karen
230

Snowball

Snowball is the term I use for any card that starts simple and just keeps rolling downhill with each additional thing I add to it. Sock Monkey stamp set by SU. Mitten is from CTMH. The mitten is one of those stamp sets that was put in for the challenge card swap I'm in. Not happy with the set at all. It's one of those older country sets. It came with a head of a mouse that was suppose to be tucked into the top of the mitten. Just wasn't feeling that at all, so I went with the monkey.

Colors: Real Red, Creamy Caramel, Old Olive. The Old Olive background was done with a Sizzix embossing folder. I really like there folders as they are large enough to hold cardstock that is over the standard A2 card size. So.....many pop dots later I finally completed this card. Still not loving it, but I'm done! Moving on to the next one.

Got weighed in on Thursday. Lost another pound. YAY. I've gone two weeks now with weigh loss of one pound each week. Think I'll try to bump up my workouts. Like to see 2 pounds gone for next week.

Stamping Trails!

Karen 230

Tired!

WHEW!!!! I'm so tired, and it's only Wednesday! I worked till 5 yesterday then filled up the gas tank and drove to pick Sarah up from Sandusky. Round trip that was 3 hours. Then we stopped at the grocery store, came home made a late dinner, did a 2 mile workout, and cleaned up from dinner. So I got my shower at 11:00 and was sound asleep by 11:15. Don't know how I'm going to get through the rest of the week! I'm exhausted!!!!

Thanks Kat for the lovely card! Beautiful colors and I like the layout.

So what is in store today for me when I get home from work? Sarah and I are

going to go to Jo Ann's and pick out fabric to make Halloween costumes for my nieces. Talk about time crunching! They wanted to be cats so we are going to make the cat one that is shown in the center of this pattern.

Gotta run it's getting late in the morning and I need to get breakfast, get dressed, and scoot off to work.

Stamping Trails

Karen 231

Another Old Set

One more older SU stamp set. This is called Times and Seasons. It has a beautiful larger stamp of a farm tractor. I wimped out and didn't use that one. Way to much coloring for me! Since I had a roll of cork that has been sitting around gathering the most refined dust I decided to use some of it. This card is just full of old stamping stuff! The ribbon is Old Olive lost since retired. I still have some of it left on the roll....oh did I mention I have another full roll of the stuff! Good thing I love Old Olive. Colors: Always Artichoke, River Rock, Vanilla. Ink Colors: Riding Hood Red, Pumpkin Pie, Close to Cocoa, So Saffron, Jet Black StazOn.

I'm going to pick up Sarah after work tomorrow. She wants to come home for the week, and I just like having her here, but it's going to be a long day for me. Takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to drive to Sandusy where she is working and another 1 hour and 45 minutes to get home. I don't get off work till 5. I'm going to walk on my break and lunch tomorrow cause I know I won't want anything to do with working out when I get home.

Stamping Trails

Karen 231

Beautiful Warm Weekend

We had a wonderful warm weekend. Saturday was 78 and Sunday was in the lower 80's. Indian Summer is so great! I got out on Saturday and cleaned out the front flower bed. Also did some walking outside.

With the weather so warm you might wonder why I was making Christmas cards. Well.....I had to start somewhere on my challenge cards. So I began with this older SU stamp set Poinsettia Greeting.

To create this look I started with Shimmery White cardstock. Stamped the poinsettia with VersaMark then embossed with ivory embossing powder. I colored the image in with aqua painter and ink. Ink Colors: Riding Hood Red, Certainly Celery, and Always Artichoke. Background was done using Holly Cuttlebug folder. Of course I didn't have the ribbon I needed (does this really surprise anyone? LOL) So I stopped at Pat Catan's on my way home from visiting mom. Picked up the wide double sided satin ribbon for .50 a yard. The poinsettia was cut out and added to the card using lots of pop dots.

I got on my scale this morning. According to it I've lost 2 pounds, but I think it's off a pound from the one they use to weigh in at WW meeting. I'm happy with any number as long as that scale is still moving down!

Have to get ready for work now. Here's to another fun filled Monday!

Stamping Trials

Karen 231

I've Been Baking!

I made Pumpkin Oatmeal Snack bread this morning. The whole house smells like Thanksgiving! The snack cake is Core plan for WW. Please don't ask me what the point value is as I have no clue

It has some ingredients that you might find strange (I did) but it works well together and is so moist!!!

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oatmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 TBS self rising cornmeal (if your not on the core plan you can use normal flour instead)

1 cup Splenda (if not on the core plan use normal sugar)

1 box sugar free fat free cheesecake flavor pudding mix (instant)

2 TBS hot water

3/4 cup pumpkin (pure pumpkin not pie mix)

1 egg

1/4 unsweetened applesauce

1/2 skim milk

Mix wet ingredients with dry, spray 8x8 pan with Pam, pour batter in pan, bake on 350 for 40 minutes.

YUM with a cup of coffee this morning. I'm off to go visit mom. I'd take her a piece but she doesn't like pumpkin.

Cards are from Lisa and Kat. Thanks girls! Love the boob card. Funny thing is I have an appointment for a mammogram this month. Don't forget to get "squished" this month.

Stamping Trails

Karen 231

Blog Award

I want to thank Debby for giving me this award. Congrats on your one year Blog Anniversary Deb!!! Can't believe it's been a one year already. Go visit Debby's website...you'll find some great ideas to use in your stamping!

So on to rules of the award. I'm suppose to pass it on to seven other blogs that I visit. That's going to me a hard one for me. This award has been out there since 2005 so I don't know who has received it. I'm going to go ahead and post 7, and for those who I pick if you have received this one already please pass it along. Thanks again Deb!!!

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.

2. Link the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs of the girls you've nominated

Pretty Pressings love the coloring, layout's and music box sounds on this blog

Inspiration Blooms great designs, like the stamps used

Stamping with Lisa She has some wonderful projects on her blog

Craftaholics Anonymous This is just a fun site! Great artwork

Technostamper Mary Jo has some awesome sketch challenges on her blog!

Splendiferous Creations Great Blog. Ideas for every level stamper

Caroline's adventures in StampingLand Just some really great card making and projects

Wee Hours of the Morning

I'm truly amazed that I worked all week, worked out all week, and he it is 2:30 am on a Saturday and I'm still up! Madness. Couldn't sleep I guess. I worked out with a video, went to the lake with son John and really walked quick around the lake three times to make it just a bit over 1 mile. Then we went shopping. Out to Big Lots, then Target. Found a few cool stamping things at Big Lots, but that will be for another post this weekend. Came home now it's just after 9 pm. Made myself a cup of tea, read my email and visited some stamping blogs. Hubby came home at 10:30 and what do we do? Get out the bikes and go for a late night bike ride. So then we get home after 11. I'm wide awake cause I've pumped my body with lots of oxygen from all the work out I've been getting so I watch The Fly, take a shower, make this adorable Halloween treat bag, and here I am typing this post up at 2:30 in the morning!!!!!!! But isn't it the cutest thing? I used a new SU set eat drink & be scary. It's in the holiday mini catalog. The pumpkins in the background is a wheel. I got the pattern for this from Scor-Pal

And who doesn't love there Score Pal? It's great!!! The projects on the site are wonderful! I just need to get the Score Mat to go with it......any Santa Elves out there reading? It's a must have.

Okay got to go to bed now. I want to have some energy tomorrow as I'm going to run up to the paper store Hollo's. I need some more 12x12 paper to play with my Score Pal and Big Shot.

Hope everyone else got some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's

Stamping Trails

Karen 231

Weigh In

Today was weigh in day, and did I ever need the encougement cards! These are both from Kathy. Thanks Kat!!!!

I lost 1.6 pounds this past week. Not as much as I had hoped for considering I've been working out a lot this past week. But on the up side I know I'm losing inches. I can tell my bottom half is getting toned up more as my pants are fitting better. YAY!!! I took today off from working out. Just made sure I ate right. Oh I had the best Smoothie when I came home from work. If you like pumpkin you will love this!!!!

Pumpkin Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup pure pumpkin (not the pie mix)

1/2 fat free plain yogurt

1 small banana

1/2 cup ice cubes ( I used 6)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 packets Splenda

Blend all together in blender, and enjoy!!!!!

Till tomorrow

Stamping trails

Karen 231

Lead by Example

I got some new cards from friends. I'll be sharing more of these with you over the next few days. We have been doing a challenge swap. Each of us puts in two stamp sets that we are having trouble with coming up with new ideas for. We take those sets and make a card for each one. Normally this process takes about a year to complete, as we have to mail the stamp sets around to each of us. It's been a fun thing to do. I have to get busy as my cards are no where near being done. Thanks for the great cards Lisa and Kat!

I wanted to share with you about how many people I have inspired to join WW. A man at work was talking to me yesterday and decided to join. So to date 8 people including my son have joined!

I think it's great! They have been seeing the results I have had and decided to lose weight also. All of this inspires me to be more dedicated to my weight loss. Sometimes though I look in the mirror and think OMG I'm still fat even after losing 40 pounds. After talking to my friend I decided to take her advise and print out some pics of me before and during the the transition. They have been posted on my fridge, bedroom mirror, and bathroom mirror. This is just to remind me of how much I have accomplished so far.

Now to keep me going on the workouts I've posted some of the encouragement cards I've been receiving as well as a top that I bought to wear when I reach my goal weight. It's the size I want to be into by next year. These are within sight range by the treadmill.

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Recipe:

Tex-Mex Shrimp Stew (this is for my friends who will shortly all be living in Texas)

4 tsp olive oil

1 diced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

1 diced green pepper

1 (14 1/2 oz) cut tomatoes with green chiles

1 10oz bag of frozen corn

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 lime wedges

Heat oil in dutch oven using medium high heat, add onion/garlic cook till golden about 3 minutes.

Add bell pepper, cook till softened

Add tomatoes, corn salt/cinnamon and bring to boil. Stir in shrimp return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until the shrimp are just opaque in the center, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with lime wedges.

serves 4

This is a Core recipe. If your on the flex plan it's 4 points per serving.

Stamping Trails

Karen 233

Changing Gears

I can't believe it's time to face another Monday! Don't know why the weekends have to go by so darn fast!

I've been making lots of Halloween stuff lately so yesterday I decided the change gears and start thinking about Christmas. Stamp set is called Winter Post. It's in the Holiday Mini catalog from SU.

Colors used: Riding Hood Red, Kiwi Kiss, white. The bottom half of the card is something I picked up a Pat Catan's. It's a white glittered sticker sheet. I just trimmed it to the size I needed took of the paper backing and stuck it to the card. Very easy to use. Not forgiving though. If you use this better make sure of the position you want it in, as once it's down you can't move it.

And for once I made a card and had ribbon to use with it! Seems like I'm forever making cards then looking for ribbon after it's done just to find I have nothing that matches.

Well I have to run and make some breakfast, pack my lunch, get dressed and have my much needed cup of coffee. Hope you have a very happy Monday!!!

Stamping Trails

Karen 233

Witch Bag

I had to take a try at making a witch bag, and I must say I'm not that thrilled with how this turned out. Oh well.....I at least tried. Cardstock is Lavender Lace, Black, and White. Punches used: Small Oval Large Oval, and 1/2 circle punch Halloween set is new from the Holiday Mini catalog. I don't know why but the witch does not look purple in the pic. Maybe it's just me or that it's 2:00 am and I should be in bed but it looks blue to me. LOL




We went to the farm today and cleaned it up. Took down the tomato cages, and pulled out all the stakes.
Got another full basket of tomatoes. Maybe I'll be making homemade chili later today. That is after I got to sleep and get up.

The only other things I did today was pay bills, grocery shop, laundry, and make the bag. Tomorrow I'll go and visit with mom.

Kat I got your challenge cards today. They are wonderful. I'll post them to the blog later. I want the other two to see them when they arrive in the mail.

Stamping Trails.......off to bed
Karen 233

I Want My Mummy.........

BAG!!!! And here it is. I had all kinds of fun making this cute little mummy from torn strips of cardstock that I sponged with Going Gray ink. For the base of the mummy I used SU die and Big Shot machine. Eyes are made with circle punches: 1/4, 1/2, and 1 1/4 inch

I'm making good use of my birthday ribbon. I used some of it to create handles for the treat bag. And just so MUMMY wouldn't be lonely decorating my desk at work.....I made him a friend.

Frankie is also made using the SU die for a base. I used Kiwi Kiss, and Elegant Eggplant cardstock. Punches used: 1 3/8, 1 1/4, and 1/2 inch circle punches, round tab punch. Color was added to his cheeks with Red Riding Hood ink and a sponge. Trick to this is inking up the sponge then sponging it on scrap paper to get most of the ink off, then use a circular motion to create the cheeks. I used more ribbon on this bag to make the handles.

Here is a side view of the Frankie bag. Just to darn cute!!!! Next to Christmas Halloween is the most fun to make things for.

Well after getting on the scales yesterday I found out I didn't lose anything, but on the up side I didn't gain anything either. I just maintained my weight from the week before. And that's okay. Not worried about it or going to let it get me down. I didn't work myself as much as I normally do. I'm set to start working at it again. Wish me luck!

Till tomorrow.......

Stamping Trails

Karen 233

Hoo! Hoo!

Don't you just love this wise old owl! Very easy to make. I used the Big Shot to cut the die then embossed the top layer with a leaf plate from Fiskers. I thought the leaf pattern looked like feathers. Wings are made from SU scallop punch cut in half. Circle punch sizes: 1 1/4, 1, and 1/2 inch. Just free hand cut the little nose.









Today is weigh in day. I'll post the info tomorrow for you. I have been enjoying my daughter being home. We have been cooking and working out. Just enjoying the time together doing mom and daughter things. I've really missed her not being home.

Now lots of you have been asking for an updated pic of me. I have to tell you I really dislike getting my pic taken, but I had Sarah take one for me to post on the blog. And just for the record it was Sarah that MADE me put my hand on my hip to pose. LOL If you want to see what I looked like 40 pounds ago check out this post


Okay got run to work so I can get on the scale! The first 17 week program ended last Thursday so today we are all starting fresh with another 17 week meeting plan.

Stamping Trails!
Karen 233