My favorite food seasoning is fresh garlic.
The sound of my children laughing is music to my ears.
Lucky is not something I depend on.
My spiritual life is something I take very seriously.
Many people are going to eat too much candy this weekend! =D
Prizes for the Harvest Party was the last thing I bought at the store.
And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Juan & Denisse's wedding rehearsal, tomorrow my plans include the wedding we've all been prepping for and Sunday, I want to be thankful for all He's given us!

Nature Scavenger Hunt...

Do you know what this picture is?

The weather seems to be cooling down slightly. I think I will take the girls to Lake Perris or somewhere like that to do this Nature Scavenger Hunt. Here's a list that I am going to give each of them. Of course, I will be posting pictures - =] Just thought I would post these now for anyone else homeschooling or just interested in doing something outdoors with your family. Naomi and Marco will like getting in on the action too, I'm sure.
1. Find something wet.
2. Look for something that is moving fast.
3. Find something green.
4. Find something that has branches but no leaves.
5. Find something hard.
6. Find something brown.
7. Look for something orange.
8. Find something that floats.
9. Find something pointy.
10. Look for something with cracks.
11. Listen for something noisy.
12. Find something with a strong smell.
13. Find something a deer could eat.
14. Look for something a bird can eat.
15. Find something with thorns.
16. Find something slippery.
17. Look for something soft.
18. Find a something new.
19. Find a plant with leaves.
20. Find something put here by people.
21. Find something cold.
22. Find something tall.
23. Find something short.
24. Find something hot

This was fun...

...since the only typing I do anymore is for the blog or random on-line stuff! I know I can do better! Try it out!

60 words

Typingtest

Wordless Wednesday: Orange you glad to see me?

Simple Woman's Daybook ~ October 27th

To learn more about the Daybook, go to Peggy's blog.

For Today...

Outside my Window...the air is cool and while it feels like a fall morning, I know we are going to experience a hot "summer" afternoon. Forecast says 98 degrees.
I am thinking...that I wish I had a few extra hours in the day.
From the learning rooms...new Mr. Sketch markers (the smelly ones =], fall projects and new spelling lists
I am thankful for...for my children - especially Hannah who turned 13 this past Saturday! I am also thankful for my best friend Marco. He is always so busy with both jobs, but he always manages to put our family first. I was pleasantly surprised when I mentioned the Pumpkin Patch and he was just as eager to take the kids as I was. =]

From the kitchen...two huge pots of pozole for Hannah's birthday get together. One chicken and one traditional pork.
I am wearing...denim clam diggers and a flowered shirt with Halloween slipper socks.
I am reading...The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society...a RAK given to me by Beth!
I am hoping...that I don't get overwhelmed with all there is to do today and that I can enjoy my family and friends most of all.
I am creating...some ideas in my head. I've been reading Stacy Julian's Big Picture and I would like to try the concepts that she talks about there.
I am hearing...my children talking about many different things and Naomi playing a Dora game on the t.v.
Around the house...laundry is caught up, scrapbook table has been put away (for now =]) and I am getting ready for lots of company!
One of my favorite things...is checking my blog to find that someone has left a comment for me!
A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...wishing I didn't have much on the list...but I am preparing for our Trunk or Treat Harvest Party this Wednesday, I still have to choose a song to sing for Juan and Denisse's wedding, meet with my homeschool ES and then maybe take a quick breather before I start thinking about another birthday (Taryn's) and Thanksgiving plans.
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

My two youngest at the Pumpkin Patch this past Saturday.

Clear Paint Buckets, Embellishment Jars, Altered Formula Cans, CD Wall Hangings...

Here are more items from my shop! I love to take items that normally would get thrown out and re-purpose or alter them. All items can be custom ordered. Contact me with any questions.

These little embellishment jars are great for storing brads, small primas, candies, charms, beads, etc. Would be great as a stocking stuffer, goody bag item, party favor or gift. Can be personalized - can be made in a masculine design, too!

These are altered formula cans. You can use these for all sorts of storage or gift giving. Again, you choose color and basic design.

This wall hanging is made from CD's. The verse on the bottom is in Spanish and it is Psalm 139:14....You could have any verse, poem, song, etc. that you'd like.

The top CD has space for a picture or other item to be added for display.

These clear buckets were altered to hold a votive glass with a tea light candle in it. Can also be used as a gift holder, or to pack food gifts in or any other item for storage. I think the really large prima flowers or assorted ribbon would look lovely in these.

Random Thoughts...

So, there has been some trouble with Blogger, I guess. Sometimes you can't comment and sometimes, I can't post. Hopefully, this will go through without a problem.

Anyway, I was thinking about tomorrow. The 25th of October. I am going to be the mother of a teenager. When did that happen?

It seems like yesterday that I was teaching her how to write and we would do daily "activa-lees" (activities) such as painting, scrapbooking, planting seeds, etc. Now I look at her and she is sitting in the "schoolroom" at her desk, taking an Algebra test. Unbelievable.

I was going to share a letter here, that I wrote to her, but I changed my mind. I think I will keep it for her. I have a special project planned for her and I will be sharing that with you later.

I will just tell you this, my blogging friends - I am very blessed to have such an awesome daughter. She is sweet, kind, and tender-hearted. She's a hard worker and she is passionate about the things she does. She is a wonderful big sister and sometimes could pass for their mama. She is not afraid to stand up for right. She is my helper. She is a scrapbooker and photographer. She's a cook and a musician. She is a friend and knows the meaning of loyalty. This girl is just all around awesome...and I am not just saying this 'cause I'm her mom. =]

Wordless Wednesday: Missing you...*sigh*

Finished favors...

Well, not finished with all 200 yet, but I thought I'd show you the finished product. I could've made it fancier, but I've been crazy busy. Everyone will just rip into them for the candy anyway, right? If you are interesting in ordering favors for a party, wedding, goody bag, shower or any occasion, please contact me. I will custom make them to your specifics!

All righty...back to the work table for me!

Have you "Bean Boozled"?

One of the items I got in my goody bag at the scrapbook retreat this weekend was this box of jelly beans by Jelly Belly. They are called "Bean Boozled". They have some interesting flavors. Just look at the picture below:

Yup. Your eyes do not deceive you. Let's say you pull out a black jelly bean. It could be Licorice or it could be Skunk Spray. Speckled orange could be peach or vomit. Oh, yes. So nasty. Of course, you know the kids are going to love it. So when we passed a Jelly Belly store - I had to buy a few extra boxes. I even bought one for my hubby to use at Youth Night at church. LOL Here are a few cute reactions:

Hmmm...they both chose black. Licorice or Skunk Spray?

Can you guess who got what?

Now Naomi's turn...Cream colored. Cafe latte or Ear Wax?

"Ewww...dat's nasty!" Yup. Ear Wax.

She bravely tries again. Yellow with brown speckles...Top Banana or Pencil Shavings?

Must be Pencil Shavings. She said it was "odd", but not horribly bad.

Well, there you have it! Thanks to Theresa who introduced me to these. Great stocking stuffer, don't you all think? =]

Simple Woman's Daybook ~ October 20th

Simple Woman's Daybook can be found HERE

For Today...

Outside my Window...the sun is just starting to rise and it looks like it will be a cool, fallish day.

I am thinking...about my dad whose birthday is tomorrow, about the friends I made this weekend at the Scrapbooking retreat and about Danny's family who will be laying him to rest today.

From the learning rooms...We will be catching up with each other and releasing some balloons in Danny's honor.

I am thankful for...my family, our health and for friends.

From the kitchen...tortellini pasta made by the girls.

I am wearing...a red and white shirt, dark denim jeans and my black Doc Martin Mary Janes.

I am reading...The Big Picture by Stacy Julian

I am hoping...to get the rest of the wedding favors done this week.

I am creating...wedding favors and some page layouts after being inspired by my new friends at the retreat.

I am hearing...the children talking amongst themselves.

Around the house...I've got lots of cleaning up to do after leaving my family alone for the weekend to fend for themselves. It will have to wait though...I've got some more important things on the list. =]

One of my favorite things...are scrapbook retreats.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...clean the house, finish the wedding favors, make plans for Hannah's 13th birthday, meet with my Homeschool ES, make plans for Trunk or Treat.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... my children are getting ready to release the balloons in memory of Danny.

At a loss for words...

Sometimes, I am at a loss for words. Very rare, I know. Seriously though, my heart just feels so heavy for a family far away that is grieving the passing of their 5 year old son. One day, he was healthy and fine. The next day, he is gone. What do you say in moments like these? All I know is that *I* do not have the words. I do know who does though. My Savior knows and He cares.
This song by Mercy Me has always comforted my heart. I have no words. Just listen. Read the words. Pray for Donnann and her family. To know more about Danny, go to Desiree's blog by clicking HERE.

Word of God Speak by Mercy Me

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

[CHORUS]
Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice.

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay



Make sure my playlist music is stopped before you play the video so that you can hear this. Playlist is in the righthand bar.

Wedding favors...in the making...

Take a good whiff.... Can you smell the minty cool freshness? =]

So, here is a peek at the wedding favors that I am making. I plan on putting 2 peppermint patties in a plastic bag (sleeve) and then I am going to stamp and print another card or label for the outer package. Here's the start of it. You could do these to add to a goody bag or for showers, birthdays, etc.

Start with mini peppermint patties:

Other tools or items needed: Cardstock of your choice, Stamps, Ink pad, Cat's Eye Chalk, Circle punch (mine is Creative Memories), Scallop Punch (mine is Stampin' Up), Paper Trimmer (mine is Cricut), and adhesive or double stick tape (I used Pioneer Photo Splits)

I cut 1.5" strips of white to punch out the small circles. I stamped an image on the circle and then used the Cat's Eye Chalk to ink the edge of the circle.

I then cut 2" strips of the blue and punched out the scallop shapes. I used 2 scallops per patty. One for the top and one for the bottom.

I used photo splits to adhere the circles, scallops and patties to each other, but you can use double stick tape or even a dot of glue.

To be continued when I get around to the next step. I've only done 102 of these and I need about 300. *Yikes*

P.S. They taste great, no matter what step you're on! ;]

My Daybook~~October 13

If you want to know more about Simple Woman's Daybook, please visit Peggy's blog by clicking here.

For Today...

Outside my Window...is a crisp cool breeze, the sound of tree branches blowing in the wind and a feeling that fall is finally here!

I am thinking...that I have a lot of organizing to do before my scrapbook retreat.

From the learning rooms...new books to read, extra math to be worked on and paper work to finish up for the month.

I am thankful for...the first morning cuddles from my little guy. He's still got the sleep in his eyes and it's the only time of the day that he is not on the go, getting himself into some trouble and basically just being my boy!

From the kitchen...grilled pork chops, potatoes, and green beans...yum!

I am wearing...a lovely pink track suit that I received from one of my dearest friends. *Hi Miriam!*

I am reading...The Gift of Honor by Gary Smalley & John Trent I read this many years ago, but am re-reading it and hoping that I will glean something different now that I have been married 15 wonderful years. =]

I am hoping...to get everything organized for my big weekend.

I am creating...more wedding favors. I will be sure to post photos once they are done. The other project I was working on is complete. You can see a picture in my 12 on 12 post before this one.

I am hearing...my little man is fussing because he just got scolded from his sister for trying to get into her things.

Around the house...lots of laundry to be folded - I usually fold as I go and will never let it pile up like this again. We had a crazy, busy weekend and well...you know!

One of my favorite things...is spending time with my husband and children. We've been on the go so much lately, that I miss just being with them. Doing nothing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...make plans for Hannah's birthday, send off my dad's gift, gather items for our Harvest Party or Trunk or Treat, organize my photos and projects for this weekend, continue working on wedding favors, ... I'm exhausted thinking of it all!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

I am reading up on everything and I am trying to understand all of the issues and really understand all the different propositions. Don't vote in ignorance or under pressure! Be informed!

October's 12 on 12...

Phew! What a day! My hubby is a pastor and that means that Sundays are always extra busy for us. It was not until late evening, when I saw my oldest daughter taking pictures for her 12 on 12, that I realized I almost missed 12 on 12 again! Arrgh! That's pirate talk for "I can't believe it!" Luckily, I had been taking pictures of a few things today anyway. I just like to focus more on catching the unique stuff usually. So, here it goes. My 12 on 12...

When Starbucks is not an option...this will do...plus my trusty Senseo of course! =]

This is Yanira, her husband Roger and their new baby Aidan. I taught Yanira and her siblings way back when. My husband performed their marriage cerimony a couple of years ago and they wanted to come back to have him perform their baby's dedication. It was great to see all of them and the family that came to see the dedication, but the baby was the star attraction of course!

This is a new book I ordered for Taryn. It is a story about Anne Frank, by Josephine Poole. The story is great for younger children.

These are what I've been very busy with lately...I can't say much more about them, but I will in another post. ;]

This is what my scrap table looked like this afternoon. Like I said, I have had a huge on-going project!

This is what it looked like after I cleaned it up. I now have to tackle that tub of mint patties. No, not to eat them, silly! I am now going to start another project. I get to make about 150 or more wedding favors for a very special couple in my church. They will be getting married on November 1st. I will show you what they are once I get a few done.

Catching up on my blog reading. This happens to be one that I read whenever it is updated. *Hi, Shirley* I love the FOLLOW option on a lot of blogs now, because I can just choose to 'follow' it and I can see whenever they are updated.

Busted! Marco's new thing is trying to see how fast he can crawl up onto a chair or table and get into mischief before anyone catches him. He really keeps us on our toes. This chair is actually right next to all of my scrapbook stuff. He knows already (14 months old) that we do not touch mommy's pretty things. He will wander over and think about it, but I just say his name and he scrambles away. He loves the ribbon the most. If he can get ahold of one end from a spool....oh, man!

I got a new issue of Creating Keepsakes in the mail. They are still coming from a subscription my friend Tiffany bought for me last December. I have enjoyed reading them every month. I also happened to pick up the recent copy of Scrapbook etc. I am trying to save that for my trip, but I don't think I can wait that long. =]

My Hannah really makes me laugh. This is her striking a pose and then laughing at me, because she knew I was desperate to get enough good pictures for my 12 on 12.

I know this doesn't look very appetizing, but it wasn't bad either. My hubby threw a burrito together for me after church. Beans, cheese and chicken chorizo. Not bad, at all!

Like I said, Sundays are always very full for us. Here is my little Naomi sacked out on my scrap room futon. She is still in her Dora dress that she wore to church today. I didn't catch a picture of my Taryn, but I have to mention that I was able to take a much needed nap between church services this afternoon, because she watched the little ones for me. I love my little brown bear!

Well, there it is. My 12th day in October. Hope you enjoyed your little peek into our world. God bless you!

Can your 12 year old do this? =]

Hannah's cooking dinner tonight! She makes perfect chicken tenders. Yum!

"My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me."

Last night, I had the chance to reunite with some old college friends...not that they were old...er, um...
It had been over 10 years since I last saw them, but as soon as we saw each other, we picked up right where we left off. I love that! We had a blast spending a few hours together, just catching up. It was great to see all of our children playing together. I am so blessed to have friends like this. My heart couldn't have been happier last night!...oh, did I mention that Bev made homemade hot fudge sauce for the ice cream?...yeah. =]

Bev, Ginna, Ginna's husband Jerry and Marco & I

Here are the children: Marco, Hannah, Kate, Jerry, Naomi, Abby, Ainsley, and Taryn...can you tell which ones are mine? =]

Ginna, Sherry and Bev (Berb)...friends for life!

Just a bit of Fun!...ABC's

Saw this on Patricia's blog. It looked like fun and I needed a break from my projects...so here goes!

♥A is for age: 38 in November! Wow!
♥B is for beverage of choice: (Hot) Pumpkin Spice Latte (Cold) Tropical Iced Tea
♥C is for career right now: Teacher, Domestic Engineer Extra-ordinaire...
♥D is for your dog's name: Oso
♥E is for essential item you use everyday: Laptop
♥F is for favorite TV show: The Office
♥G is for favorite game to watch: ummmm...these days...anything live. (not on t.v.)
♥H is for Home town: Riverside
♥I is for instruments you play: Piano
♥J is for favorite juice: Pomegranite
♥K is for a favorite keepsake: My scrapbooks
♥L is for last place you ate at: out... Korean BBQ
♥M is for marriage: Yes, Very happily married to Marco
♥N is for your name: Sherry
♥O is for overnight hospital stay: Childbirth
♥P is for people you were with today: My family
♥Q is for what's your best quality: follow through
♥R is for what are you currently reading: New Creating Keepsakes magazine that just arrived
♥S is for relationship status: Married
♥T is for time you woke up today: 7:00 a.m.
♥U is for the type of underwear you have on: I beg your pardon? =]
♥V is for vegetable you love: Asparagus
♥W is for worst habits: Take on too much!
♥X is for x-rays you've had recently: None for a loooong time
♥Y is for something candy : Truffles....um...I love candy...
♥Z is for favorite zoo animal: Giraffe

SS Blog Challenge: Happy Home

"Lack of a feeling of happiness in the home can result in debilitating lethargy and depression, so put the things you love into your house, and keep it as though it were the home you've always wanted." -Stanley Sherman

TO DO: Get out your camera and walk around your house. Take pictures of items that make YOU happy. What make your house YOU.

This first picture is my very favorite cup and Senseo machine. I would be lost without them. =] When I am home, I like to drink my coffee from this mug and this mug only. I guess it's the size and shape that I love most, but you already know how I feel about pumpkins and the color! LOL I do have a regular coffee maker, but who doesn't love a Senseo? I especially love the foam it leaves on top of the coffee. Yum and cozy.

There was a lady at the church I used to attend, who would take old pieces of furniture and then paint a beautiful painting on it. She donated several pieces to our school Christmas auction. I won one of them and battled over this little one (I liked that it was a magazine rack as well) and got outbid. Almost a year later, the lady that won it was getting ready to move out of state and gave it to my brother-in-law to give to me. She remembered how much I loved it.

This is my bedroom and I love that it is a refuge in our home.

You've seen this picture before, but it especially makes me happy for several reasons. The first is the grouping of pictures that a friend (Tiffany Begley) sent me. Secondly, the table is where we normally keep all of our Bibles - they are on the piano now, but we keep them there so that it is the first thing we see when we (or anyone) walk in the door, it is there as a reminder for each of us to have our daily quiet time, and we are not running all over the house searching for our Bibles when it's time to go to church. Lastly, I love the Pumpkin Teapot - it is actually a tart burner and I got it from a dear friend. We haven't spoken in over two years and I miss her. I think of her everytime I use this.

This is just a corner of my Scrap space. There are many things here that make me happy. I enjoy making things here that make others happy.
I love my home - every bit of it - even the garage that is in need of some serious purging. More than any particular THING, the thing that makes me happiest in my home is being with my family. We are very close and we are always busy. I love it when we can just be home, doing nothing special...just being together.