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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Shabby Chic Designs: Interesting discovery

I just noticed that if you pull up the shabby chic blog on firefox, it cuts off the url addresses for the blog backgrounds. However, if you pull it up in internet explorer, it works. For some reason firefox is not word-wrapping the addresses. Weird huh? So use internet explorer. If you ever have problems reading an address, please let me know. I'm sure I can get the correct one to you somehow. ;)

Don't forget to watch Will's B-day videos below. They are funny. ;) I started the post, and Nate finished it. So when I refer to myself in the post, I really didn't. Nate did.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Williams Birthday June 26, 2008

Party Games!



We don't really have a name for this one yet. Maybe, "Pour Water on Our Heads" would work.
Those are delicious cinnamon rolls made by Meridy. William liked the candle. He kept pretending to blow it out afterwards.

My House is Clean!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well actually no. It is not clean at present. But it is still organized. Meaning that everything (nearly everything) has a home. I've actually been meaning to post this post forever. Since around the 14th of June when my house was organized and clean. So I will now proceed to paste and copy the original message that I started, and then finish it now:

In order for you to clap with the vigor and enthusiasm required at the news that my house is clean, you must see what my house looked like before. However, I think it best not to impede upon your good opinion of me. Still, to give you some idea of what it looked like, think of the houses you gaze in horror upon when you watch the show Clean Sweep or Mission Organization. Every room was its one little mountain of junk. You think I am joking? Good. Let's keep it that way. But please continue to clap with vigor.

How did it get like this??? I wondered that often as I cleaned. I realized that it goes back to childhood. If only I had listened to my most excellent mother, and cleaned my room, none of this would have happened. I am reminded of a time in my youth, actually it may have lasted until early college, when I would fill half of my queen sized bed with junk. Really. Like I would sleep on one half of the bed and books, pencils, papers, random pieces of jewelry, hair clips....really I could go on, but I'll stop. Anyway, all of these items would sleep on the other side. This means I that I have a creative personality, right?? (Please smile and nod. Thank you.) I could live quite happily like this for some time, until something in the back of my brain would snap and I would go on a cleaning tirade in my room. My joy at it's cleanliness was full, and yet, the cleanliness would only last for a bout a week. This was the beginning of the vicious cycle that used to occur at my own house, after I married Nathan (notice that I used the word "used", as in past tense. We'll get back to that.). It is different in one's house. When it was just my room, it was okay because I was only in my room at night time. When I continued this habit in my entire home, it became a nightmare.

Now adays we have truly repented. This was mostly spurred on by the fact that some men had to come and do repairs to almost our entire condo. There was no way in Kansas that they were going to be able to do that while we were a candidate for Clean Sweep. So the cleaning was absolutely mandatory. You know that whole, "compelled to be humble thing"? Well I had to be compelled to clean my house. Yes, sad it came to that I know. But I think this event will have lasting implications. We clean up after ourselves now (mostly, you'll notice up at the top that I said that my house wasn't currently clean). We set an alarm on our phone to ring at 9:oopm every night. This summons the great event of "clean up time". We even try to get Ellie involved by using a sticker chart, which worked great for potty training, but not cleaning so much. The point is that even though we are dependent upon a little noise, we get some productive cleaning done everyday. Nate is so sweet to help me in my deficiencies. We might even buy into "Clean up Saturday." We'll do some cleaning, but then have some fun.

So, yes, do raise up a cheer! We have conquered the monstrous mess!

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Shabby Chic Designs: 4th of July

4th of July backgrounds are here!! Sorry it took so long. I might possibly make some more. I put them under the "Summer" category and plan to do some more brightly colored summery designs soon. (Check in a little after the 4th.)

Also the full screen backgrounds proved to be more finicky than I thought. I need to upgrade my photobucket account I think. I want to try it for free, but I don't want to do it just yet, as it involves getting a free trial period with an online music service, and Nate isn't ready to take full advantage of that yet. I let you know more about that when I know more ;)

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Peach Sherbet

So Nate asked me to get twin pops at our local Walmart. Unfortunately for him, the public got wise and bought out the product. So we were stuck with a dilemma. Buy the expensive kind of popsicles that only come with eight in a box, go completely without frozen goods, or buy Good Value peach sherbet for $2.50. Well I'm sure you know that I bought the sherbet. I am not disappointed. First of all it comes in an attractive package, or at least more attractive than the cardboard gallon ice cream containers. Second, for cheap sherbet it tastes really good; refreshing and sweet. Thirdly, it is fat free and, therefore, more "guiltless". Now you all know that I am not usually an advocate for fat free, but what it lacks in fat, it makes up for in delicious sugar and therefore proves that I have not gone off the deep end. Fourth, and I saved the best for last, it is like having a tasty popsicle without the stick! Really, how many of you like the part in your popsicle devouring when you hit the popsicle stick. Frankly, I think popsicle sticks are disgusting. One moment you are eating a nice, refreshing popsicle and the next you are eating a soggy piece of wood. All the licks therafter are tainted with the tell-tale taste of popsicle stick. At this point in my popsicling I pass on the stick to Nathan to do the dirty work. Thank you, but I would like to eat my popsicles with a spoon.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Cabbage Rights!

What do you see here?



Perhaps you see another classic chicken and rice dinner crowned with delicious broccoli. Did you notice how it is all coated in a luscious bath of coconut milk, plum sauce and green curry? It was good. Ok, you probably didn't notice the cabbage. It's there. Don't worry. People often overlook the cabbage. Cabbage is sometimes misunderstood or falsely maligned, but most often cabbage is simply neglected.
Take this meal for example. Meridy was planning it out, and I said, "Cabbage." "You want me to put cabbage in it?" "Yah." "Ok." Ten minutes later Meridy says, "I'm just putting broccoli in it, peas, soybeans?" "Cabbage." "Oh, right." Then, as the meal is almost done cooking, Meridy says to me, all I ended up putting in there is broccoli, is that good?" "Cabbage." "Oh, right. I forgot about that. Sorry Nate, I'll hurry and put some in right now." The cabbage was a wonderful addition to the meal, adding rich texture and savory flavor. If I hadn't stood up for inclusion, integration and cabbage rights, we would have been deprived of all that.
I imagine that part of the problem is the unfortunate fact that cabbage has an unsavory doppelganger. Yes, cabbage looks too much like lettuce. Only in recent years have I stopped stereotypically attributing lettuce's "qualities" to cabbage. Getting past my bias and prejudice has led me to new culinary heights. Yesterday, I took some vinegary potatoes, added cabbage, salt, pepper, butter and mozzarella and fried it all up. That was good. I encourage everyone to try cabbage in soups. There, in its natural habitat, it's powers are truly awesome.
You know what else makes cabbage great? It lasts forever. Buy a head of it, and it will still be fresh and delicious after numerous months in the refrigerator. You might want to peel off the outer layer, but the inner layers will be pristine, unlike in an onion, where the middle gets rotten before the outside as the green onion rises in new life by digesting the center of the onion bulb--but that is another post, for another day; I think I'll call it, "The Parable of the Onion and the Mystery of Life through Death."
Mostly, I just wanted to say that I like cabbage. Plus, we haven't been posting much this month, so I figured I should write SOMETHING. Leave me your opinions in the comment section, do you think cabbage deserves more credit, or could you do without it?






Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Shabby Chic Designs: Full Screen Backgrounds and New Paper

Hi all! Every once in a while I'll give you an update on what is going on at Shabby Chic Blogs. Full Screen blog backgrounds are coming soon! (not yet so don't go look ;) I have to do some final tests, but I'm pretty sure that it will work. If you like your current background from Shabby Chic Blogs, and want it to cover full screen let me know (I'm planning on getting to that eventually though ;) ).

Also, I just got some REALLY cute paper and embelishments from another source, CK media, for free! Meaning more cute designs for you!

And I will let you know when those 4 of July designs are up also!! (I've been desperately cleaning my house. Literally. There will be a post about that later ;) But I should be back with the blog designing soon!)

Monday, June 16, 2008

My Daddy is my Favorite Pal

I've been meaning to post a Father's day tribute to Nate since yesterday. Sorry it is late Nate!

I'm so glad that Nate is the father he is. He is loving, kind, patient, fun, helpful, and makes us all feel special. We all know that we can depend on him. The kids and I couldn't have asked for better!



Click to play Nate's Father's Day
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Sunday, June 8, 2008

Meridy's Blog Design Announcement

EDIT: it wasn't working at first because I had somehow copied the the html code wrong. But it works now! Please let me know if you run into problems! It's easy I promise!

A lot of you know that I love designing blogs. I just started a my own design blog and have posted backgrounds using paper and elements that you can all download for free at http://www.shabbyprincess.com/. The problem is that Shabby Princess likes you to use their free downloads for personal use only, however, I can share some things friends and family members. Also, they want absolutely no commercialism in contact with their products. So....I want to share my free blog designs with you but I have to keep the blog private, as I don't particularly enjoy getting into trouble. And if you want to use the backgrounds, you can not have any sort of advertisements, or anything like them on your blog. Personally, I think some of these limitations are silly. Free is free is free in my book.

Anyway the point is all of you are invited to see my blog. I don't know all of your emails, so if you want an invite please let me know!!! I am just going to go ahead and invite some of you. And please don't feel like you have to use my blog backgrounds if you are an invited member. It's all just for fun. I just love to do it. It makes me happy and it fulfills this creative need I have, and if some of you want to take advantage of that, all the better!

A lot of you use designs from http://www.cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com/. My blog works just like that site. It is so easy! (This is a lot easier than when we tried to design your blog over the phone Emily.) I just have spring designs up at the moment, but I'm going to put designs up there for all of the holidays. That's going to be fun! The ones up right now are girly, so I am also going to try to put up some more gender neutral designs in the future as well. I can design titles to put in your headers, but you'll have to let me know if you want that done. My blog is http://www.shabbychicblogs.blogspot.com/ I put a link in the sidebar as well. So please, if you want an invite let me know. Leave me a comment or something!

Here is a preview of some of them:



Friday, June 6, 2008

Kicks and Giggles

First, here is the great picture we got.















Now, here are the difficulties we had getting that picture.





We have been meaning to post this for a few months.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

To Zion





I'm still trying to play catch up....We went on a day trip to Zion when when we went to Utah last. It was fun! William was really into hiking up the hill, Ellie not so much. She wanted to ride on the bus. William did not like the bus. He wanted to be free. So we had some issues. When we were close to half way up on our hike, I said something about having a snack. I don't know what I was thinking. We didn't bring a snack. So we had to walk all the way back down and ride the bus to get back to our car to get some food. But at least we got some good pictures, and got to see the elk by the resturant we ate at, called Blondie's. (You should try it sometime!) We actually called the elk reindeer at first. I don't think that our fine Utah ansestors would be proud of that. ;) I had to take William outside after I hurried and ate my meal, because once again he was raring to go! So I took him outside to see the elk again. He tried to get the elk to come over and see him by shouting at them. The elk just looked at him. They were amused but not convinced. You kind of had to be there....