My month with lots of photos

We actually started our holiday shortly before December...

Karl did a drawing on the chalkboard-

oh and that note about weight loss now says 41!

The girls decked out the tree- in red/white and pink

Nick and Gary prepped new outdoor lights and hung them-We tried decking out Daisy-she wasn't impressed-
The dining room got a festive touch-
Even Daisy's little spot got some Christmas cheer-
The hallway with Snowbabies-
The mantle-

An old little chalkboard has been added with the words "it's a boy".
Which could be used both to proclaim the Savior
and little peanut that is making Amy look a bit like Santa-

The finished tree-all shiny and bright-

and then...

I had a few friends over for December scrapbook making-

we saw a steam locomotive decked out for the season-

wrapped some presents-
did a bit of holiday shopping and posing-
watched the Christmas cactus put on a show-
made a few gifts-
baked a few treats-
Got a part-time job~at Patti's Hallmark in Hazel Dell-
and shoes to wear while working-
made some cards (and mailed them)-
met with my friend Jaron for coffee and chat-
did a little thrift shopping-
met a few friends for breakfast-
created a tinsel tree for cards from a tripod-
and kept up with all the fun in my December Daily album-

I hope this finds you enjoying the moments before the big day...remember to take a few to remember the reason for the season and be thankful for all you do have and not so much on what you don't.

as seen on Pinterest

I saw some glittery ornaments on Pinterest. Did you know my husband hates glitter?! I figured this project contains it so they would be okay to hang on the tree.

Make a mess free, sparkly glitter ornaments for Christmas? Then buy clear ornaments ($6 at Target) and gently remove the hanging part. Add some Mop & Glo and swirl it all around and empty into a plastic cup. Don't shake them which creates bubbles. Leave ornament upside down until all the dripping has stopped.

Add any color of glitter inside-I went with white and iridescent. I used a few different types and prefer Martha Stewart fine glitter. Tap out excess glitter, and place top back on. The glitter looks clean and sparkly in the inside. You could added a some tulle or ribbon bows to give it a little something extra.

This image shows the box full of glittery goodness-
The next image shows a closer view-the Martha glitter in white is on the right. Ooo, I rhymed-

Be sure to buy the big bottle of glitter. I used the small one that comes in the set and it only lasted for about 3 ornaments.

a bit of beauty

and awe....http://vimeo.com/31158841

i would like to challenge you as we head into the next few weeks-
to take a moment or two
a stand in awe of something
or someone
or a memory
and know you
are blessed...

love to you all and may your Thanksgiving be special between
you and yours.

karin

Giveway of whimsical proportions

So Miss Michelle of Allen designs is having a giveway. She is also having an open studio event that is always a lot of fun. She used to be based in Battle Ground but recently moved closer. In fact she is amazingly close to my house. Just down the road from UPS. Go check out her blog to
enter for your choice of gifts...

Thrifting fun

It's the time of year again when I go in search of vintage fun for my Christmas stash. Gary doesn't think I need any more stuff but...

I went with a girlfriend on Friday and hit three stores down towards Oregon City. We were pretty excited about our finds at the end of the day. This first photo shows a couple of days worth of great finds.
This next photo shows the detail on a great "tea towel" I found that I think I will make a pillow from. Amy and I found a similar one at a frou frou store in Bridgeport on Sunday. Way more than the $1.50 I spent!
I hear all the time from people that they never find great things at the thrift stores. You have to go often and early in the day before things are picked through. I look to see what tags are 1/2 off when I enter and actively search for those items. I have a price in my head that I am willing to spend and if it is more, I put the item down and check back in a week or two...it may then be on sale. I find the best prices at Paws and Claws, Salvation Army, Friends of the Carpenter and Value Village. However, Goodwill has the most items because those deposit spots are everywhere.

I'm always game if someone needs a thrifting buddy...just let me know.

Homemade Smash book

This is my first attempt at a mixed media journal-sort of like the Smash book. Have you heard of them?! I get all excited just thinking of them-they are journal/scrapbooks with cute decorated pages. The user then "smashes" stuff from their life into the books. The one I have I use for special things I do such as movie stubs and for things I find online that are especially encouraging to me.

This one is much smaller but I figured things out as I went and that meant smaller is better.

I set up a Flicker group so you could see all the pages. I used old dictionary, novel and kid's storybook pages as well as grid paper and ledger pages too. Just a collection of some of the massive supply of paper I have. I will probably be adding packets of papers to my Etsy account so others can put their own books together too. It doesn't need to have the binder strip, simple office supply rings or ribbon would even work. Just punch holes and use what ever is around. I've got lots of ideas but not necessarily the stamina to get them all done. Stay tuned....

An offer for you-Project Life

Have you seen all the information about Project Life? It's a super easy way to scrapbook-just slip in the photos and little journaling cards. Becky Higgins designed it a few years ago. I bought a kit thinking it would be great. But...I decided I really like the traditional process more. So I have this kit to sell. It retailed for more, but I could take $40 for it. I just added up the products for the new line which has the components sold separately. The total would be about $80! There is room for over 100 pictures if I remember correctly. Here is the kit lay out, not sure I know where the date stamp is...
Ali Edwards has been doing hers and posting her pages. Here are a few:
She puts bits and pieces from her everyday life in too. She is using hers as a 365 one year project but they could be used for so much more.

Now if even that seems overwhelming-I could put it together for you with your photos but it would have to include $$ for my time.

Let me know if you would be interested.

Soup-it's what is for dinner

I was looking around on the internet and came across Lyn's web page. I was looking for something different to cook for dinner that was within my eating program guidelines. I came across this soup that looked a lot like split pea. When I read the list of ingredients I was dubious at first but thought it was worth a try.

It ended up with the mouth feel of split pea and texture too. Definitely will be making this again.
I used cubed ham because that was what I could find but a ham bone would have been better.
Low Carb Split Pea Soup
Start with 4 cups of your best low sodium chicken stock, homemade or otherwise. If you have a ham bone to simmer in this for an hour, that is fantastic (strain and then skim the fat when you're done). If you are using store bought, you probably want to season it nicely with a few shakes of garlic, onion powder, parsley, thyme, and marjoram. You can add ham bouillon too if you like, but watch the salt!

Bring the stock to a boil and add 1 1/2 C. cauliflower (I used raw but frozen is fine) and 1 1/2 cups of frozen green beans. (If using fresh, hold off until you add the ham for these) Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Then, remove from heat and carefully puree with a stick blender until smooth. If you don't have a stick blender, cool soup to room temp. and use a regular blender and then return to pan.

Add 10 ounces of lean ham. Try to find the leanest, lowest sodium ham possible; cubes of ham steak or ham shredded from the simmered bone works well. Watch the carbs in your ham! It should be close to 0; do not use honey ham or brown sugar ham. You can also use a smoked turkey leg as the original recipe calls for. Ham is "generally not recommended" on Medifast because of the sodium content, but Nutrition Support has stated that 5 ounces of lean ham can be used as a Lean on occasion. Also, add 1/2 cup of diced celery. Return to a simmer, partially cover and let cook another 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add black pepper to taste.

Let this cool for ten minutes, uncovered. It will thicken slightly. Divide into two equal portions and enjoy!
Each portion is one complete Medifast Lean & Green plus whatever condiments you used.
For calorie counters, here are the stats for one serving (half the recipe):
250 calories
6 g fat
13 g carbs
5 g fiber
32 g protein
Each serving is actually close to two cups of soup! This is a very filling and yummy meal and tastes a heck of a lot like split pea soup. Remember, this is a very simple recipe so use good stock and a good ham for best results. Enjoy!

About Friday

This is what we did Friday night-it was so much fun. We went to the early part too where it was just Steven sitting at a microphone with his guitar. He sang requests, took questions and told stories about some of the songs he had written.
We didn't realize that Josh Wilson and Andrew Peterson were touring with him. That most assuredly was a pleasant surprise! There were more stories through out the night which makes hearing the songs so fun because you know the whys behind them.

Gary even bought the new CD's of each of them that they had available for only $10 ea. So now I get to relive the date over and over again!

Of all the songs sung last night, even including Cinderella, the song that brought me to tears and got me nudges from my sweetie was a song that Steven wrote for his then 11 year old daughter. I have been on a journey of self discovery this year and this song touched the 11 year old in me that never got past feeling "good enough".

The computer is not letting me load the video but I have posted it on my facebook page if you would like to see/hear it. It's not a SCC video but one someone made with the lyrics that so touched me.

Something to see

So--do you know Curly Girl products? Bet you've seen them and chuckled at the cuteness!


She is having a giveaway over on her blog, be sure to pop over and see what is going on. There are previews of her christmas stuff too. Oh I just LLLOOOOVVVEEE christmas!!

Christmas!!

Are you thinking-"jeez Karin, it isn't even Halloween yet!"

Well for those who like to do crafts and scrapbooking it isn't too early to think about Christmas. Some things you have to start early. I have begun to think about putting together another Christmas Daily album-
I first read about them on Ali Edwards blog. The premise is to put together a bunch of pages ahead of time and then just add photos and notes as the days progress in December. Stubs from outings, pictures with Santa, tree hunts, etc. I did one last year and used an old book I found as the covers and for some of the pages. Ali sponsors a Flicker group-here is a link to my book.

If you would like to hold a workshop for your girlfriends, with supply packages, I would be glad to come and present. Check in with me for rates...

New workbook

My Brave Girl group has decided to work through this book next. We did the first chapters over the last few weeks.
"This book will guide you through the expressions of photography, poetry/journaling and mixed-media as they pertain to exploring how we not only currently see ourselves, but how we can learn to see new things hiding below the surface. Each of these sub-topics features a different contributing artist (or the author) and includes tips, prompts, meditations and other exercises, along with plenty of full color inspiration. "

It has been interesting to work in a different format and to take purposeful photos. The exercise that surprised me the most was the middle one of the lesson. We were told to pick a random book/magazine and write down words that jumped out at us. Juicy words. I didn't know what that meant, and I thought about it for a few days. Then I picked up a book and started writing down words. They seemed to be following a theme-weird....

Then you were to take those words and write a poem with them. That seemed daunting. I hadn't written poems since high school, and we all know that was a while ago!! But I started and it just seemed to flow out of the pen onto the paper. It was amazing. I loved the poem and it spoke to just where I am now.

The next step was to make a type of art piece using the poem and photos. Again, I thought about it for about a week, trying to envision what it would look like. I printed the poem out a couple of ways and then I just went for it. It was interesting how bits and pieces found their way onto my collage. And here it is-
I had to put it in the scanner since all my photos end up blurry due to a shaky hand problem. This is how the poem reads:

I stand still and listen,

waiting for the opportunity

to develop.

I hear the

whispering wind tell me,

remember the desperate,

tremulous moments

that a simple prayer interrupted

and whispered to me.

The journey to freedom,

awakens the mesmerizing promise

of patience and confidence.

As gentle as the

wings of a dove,

I am arriving at the place

I belong.

My heart has opened,

like a present,

to the promise of hope.

Karin Canazzi 2011

I'll post more after each lesson-

20 pounds

That my friends is a photo of a 20 pound note...

Not exactly what I meant about the 20 pounds I am writing about -
but
a lot nicer to look at then what I mean.

8 weeks and 20 pounds are gone from my body. It has been an enlightening few weeks as I got back in the roll of eating prepacked meals. I want to eat a lot of stuff that is NOT in those little
packages. This time though, I am trying to figure out what it is that I am desperate to eat away.
That is the crux of the problem. I was using food for other things than energy!

I do a lot of sitting and staring into space. I'm thinking through a lot of un-lovely stuff unfortunately. This is some of what I have found out; I do a lot of comparing. Even comparing myself to me at another time. Comparing is a waste of time because at the core of it I guess I'm saying I'm not happy with the me that God made. Did I really say that out loud?! I am talking here only of the multiple cells and how they were put together and how they respond to influence of external forces-namely food. Of course I do realize that I was putting way too much influence on those aforementioned cells. So I am working on loving myself just as I am. I had a wise woman tell me that she had heard multiple conversations when people were talking about me. Not judging me or my size, she said it had never come up. Instead they talked of my compassion and love and willingness and skills. Well that is probably what I should be focusing on too. I am also rebellious-I want to do things that I know aren't healthy and not do things I know are. Even though I KNOW chocolate isn't healthy on the whole, I can't imagine not having any around. Even though I KNOW diet soda isn't good for the body at all, I haven't stopped drinking it. Even though I KNOW taking walks every day is good for me, I rebel against it.

So although I do enjoy the clothes getting loose and not clinging quite so much, I will be looking for ways I can loose some other things like condescending words, previous opinions, and certain thoughts. I WILL be cutting down on the diet soda and promised my health coach a 5 minute walk a day. Just remember that these are all steps while although small are bigger than me at the moment.

Boy that was a lot of honesty laid out there and I don't know if anyone cares but I am throwing it out in cyberspace anyway and I'm pretty sure it will make a difference to me.

New favorite thing

Pinterest

Have you heard of it yet? Chances are you have, and either you're already obsessed (like I am), or you're wondering what it's all about.

Do you love to bop around different blogs and online stores gathering inspiration and just enjoying the fun things people are doing and making? Do you bookmark things you don't want to forget, projects you want to try, etc. -- but then you forget all about those things once they're tucked away in your bookmark folder?

Well, Pinterest is wonderful for visual people. It's like a virtual inspiration board, so you can keep track of all the great things you see online -- crafts, recipes, home decor, anything you like. Set up categories with your own titles, it's always easy to see at a glance whatever you're trying to find. You can also post photos of things you've done or find online. This is what my boards looks like right this now:It's also a fun social sharing thing, because you can follow other people whose taste you like, and others can follow you. If you want to see what I've been pinning, you can take a look here.
Oh, and one nice thing is that you don't have to follow every category a person creates. I have a few people that I just follow their craft posts. Their pins show up on my main page and if I want to add the items I just "repin" them onto one of my boards. It's great that it's not an all-or-nothing follower thing.

Let me know if you want an invite from the pinterest page) and I'll send you one! Be forwarned, you will start lots of conversations with "on pinterest I saw/got..."
This isn't a sponsored post -- I'm just loving all the inspiration that I can't help sharing the fun!

Advertising

Advertising sure has changed and so have attitudes about the sexes and there roles. Thank heavens!

These ads were sent to me via email but I think they deserve their own moment in the spotlight...

Good to know something was helping those with a bit "extra"-

didn't those advertising writers have a compassionate bone in their bodies?

and if all else fails--

If that tooth really bothered you-

nothing is as attractive as this-

for a fun time call-

perfect gift-

really pushing the truth-

really that is all it takes-

I just took naps-

yeah-that is what we are for-

I think Dyson would be more fun-

I can think of other ads I would like to circle-jewelry--

and finally-
relief for those overworked women-

So glad times have changed-aren't you?