New Catalog & Corner Bookmark!

I am very excited about the new catalog! Wahoo! It is ready to go! Just click on the catalog picture and you can go to my site and view it all! Plus my calendar is there, and card ideas!

In July every Monday they will have a special! Check out this weeks steal of a deal! Way cool! You can order directly from my site!

Last night at my catalog party, we made a cute little make and take! IT was so EASY!

Cut a 4 x 4 square. Score it at 2 and turn and score at 2 again. Cut out one square. Fold & adhere one side to the other. YOU SHOULD still have an opening, to put on the corner of a book, or pages of a magazine or your stampin up catalog! See pictures for ideas! Email me if you need help!

I am trying to figure out how to load a document to my site, so you can click on it and print it out. I have a great wish list with index that would come in handy with the new catalog! If you know how to do it, send me an email!

Casserole Frenzy

Sunday was "Casserole Frenzy" at church. The youth are raising money to help curb the cost of Summer Camp. I did 4 casseroles, and 2 desserts! Sara and Sam are both going to Church Summer Camp this summer! I did King Ranch Chicken Casserole, Beef Stroganoff, Green Bean Casserole, Corn Casserole, Brownies, and Dump Cake. I thought I would share two of the recipes!

King Ranch Chicken Casserole
1 small onion
6 chicken breast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can of Rotel tomatos with diced chilies
1 cup of chicken broth
1 large bag of corn chips, I use dorritos(crush them in the bag)
2 packages of Monterey Jack & Colby Cheese

Boil chicken until done, debone and cut into small chunks. Be sure to save broth or use can broth. Mix cream of chicken, cream of mushroom, Rotel tomatoes and chicken broth; heat on stove. Layer 1/2 of chicken, 1/2 broth mix, 1/2 chips, 1/2 onion, 1/2 cheese, (much like a lasagana), and repeat above. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350 in a 9 x 13 greased pan.
**sometimes if I want it cheesier, I mix velvetta cheese with the rotel, and don't use the grated cheese, except to top it with!




Corn Casserole
1 can of whole kernel yellow corn, undrained
1 can of cream style yellow corn
1 8 oz carton of sour cream
2 eggs beaten
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix
1 stick of butter melted

Mix all together and pour into large, lightly oiled casserole dish. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes. ****My friend Rena adds a cup of cheese to hers, and it is so yummy!

What are a Sister, a Brother, and a Father?

From the outside world one might look at my family and think it is a strange mix, a dysfunctional family. Well, I don’t see it that way. My parents divorced when I was 13. They both remarried. From my step dad’s side of the family, I never really knew his children; they were grown and had kids of their own. My dad he remarried my senior year in high school, but I had known my step mom, step sister and step brother, since I was 11. I have secrets with my step sister Kristin, just like my sister Julie. I can’t imagine my life without them in it. My step Mom passed away, many years ago, and my dad remarried several years later. My new step mom Carla has two grown children, and it has been fun getting to know them. The thing is we still do Thanksgiving & Christmas with my step sister (Kristin) & step brother (Craig) and their families. Many of asked me or my children why? She isn’t your step mom anymore, so they really aren’t your family, you aren’t related by blood? I never understand that question. I am 45 years old, and have known them for what seems like a life time, I can’t just turn off the switch that says oh, you’re no longer the person I have shared so much of my life with, I can’t tell my kids, those are no longer your cousins, or they never really were, cause we aren’t related by blood. To me, they will always be a part of me, a part of who I am, who I have become, a part of my life.


What about a dad? I know having a son from a previous marriage; a dad isn’t always the one you are born with. My husband considers Cody just as much his, as Cody’s biological father considers Cody to be his. My husband has had a huge part in raising him and making him into the young man he is becoming.


As for me, I love my dad more than I can say. He drives me crazy with his, always right, his way or the highway attitude. Our personalities and how things work in life often clash. BUT, I value his opinion on many things. I think it is that way often with father’s and daughters. I know, if I called him at 6 in the morning with a problem, he would be at my house in an instant. I know this, because he has. When I divorced, I moved where I live now, because, I knew him & my step mom would be there for me, when I needed them. But, I have a secret, which only a handful of people know. The man I have called my dad all my life, the man my children call Granddad, is not my biological father. My birth certificate will tell you different. It will tell you he is my father. Why? Because, he adopted me not long after he married my mother. No one would ever know, he raised me, put me through college, gave me away at one wedding, and laughed when I eloped to Vegas for the other wedding, and he came to the births of my children. He is my dad, nothing can change that. I have known since I was 7 that I was adopted, but didn’t really understand. When I was 13 and my parents divorced we moved back to Childress, where my biological father lives. I saw him several times in town, but never got to know him. If you’re from Childress, that seems strange, because it is a small town. He did try to make contact with me a few times, but I felt so strange about it, and wasn’t mature enough to handle the situation, and he didn’t push it. Later in life when I married, I started wondering about that part of my life, and made contact with him, it hasn’t been much more than a letter here or there, or a Christmas card, and occasionally a phone call. After my recent Cancer scare, I decided, I couldn’t let it go on this way. I needed to know the man who had a part in bringing me into this world. I have a sister, and brothers, I have never known. Soon, I will venture back to Childress to meet my other family. I am excited, scared, nervous, and happy all at once. My children will have new aunts, uncles, and cousins, how exciting. Some have asked why? I ask why not? It doesn’t mean I love the family I have any less, or that I am trying to replace them. I just want to know about where I came
My new family will not change how I feel about my other family members, it can’t, and I think I am just adding more love into my life.

June Stamp Club Creations!

June Stamp Club has come and gone! Here are the creations! WE did a Googlie Eye Fish Card, a very simple Upsy Daisy Embossed on the DSP card! SO EASY! And last but not least our page for the month! A birthday page. OMG! Look how young my girl was in this picture. She really can't be 15!

Coming soon...Family.....

My Online Friends!

I must confess, I love my friends in my computer. Some are long lost friends I have found on Facebook. BUT, I have a wonderful group of friends I met on a site called Splitcoast Stampers. I met these ladies by chance on line, the title of one of their threads, interested me. I have now known them for years. Here is the big tell. Several years back, I actually flew all the way to meet them in OHIO! OMG! I knew none of them, my husband teased me, "You gripe at Cody about his friends in myspace! How do you know these women are not axe murders?" LOL! I didn't , I just knew Stampers, Crafters could not be that way! No way! I admit I was nervous, what if I got there, and I didn't like them as much in person as on line! LOL! I loved them, we had the best time in the world. We arrived from 7 different states! These women....well, we support each other the best we can online, some live close enough to see each other on a regular basis. We call ourselves the chicks, and they rock! Below you will see a recipe, that I am using today at my CTMH party, it is from one of the OHIO Chicks! Here name is Debbie, she drives the bookmobile for her local library! Isn't that cool!



Grape Salad –by Debbie P.
1 - 8 oz sour cream
1 - 8 oz cream cheese
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Mix these together, until well blended. Add 2 lbs seedless green grapes 2 lbs seedless red grapes Fold until the grapes are covered.
Sprinkle brown sugar over the top and refrigerate
for an hour or more.

I have decided to change some things about my blog. I loved the posting in Caring Bridge on a regular basis, so I am changing some things that will go on here. I will continue to post Stampin Up, Scrapbooking, Craft Ideas, but I will also post some more personal stuff too! I hope it works out, and I would love for my blog followers to grow in size! Big hugs! This weekend, I am hosting a CTMH Party/Show. Close to My Heart Stamps....they are clear acrylic! They are fun! Yes, I am a Stampin Up WOMAN, and they will always be my first love. My feeling is a Stamper, is always a stamper, and doesn't mind trying new things. I have about 15 sets from CTMH! Then on Sunday is my Stampin Up Stamp Club! Wahoo! Can't wait! I have 2 cute cards planned and a cute page!

My high school friend Melissa, posts recipes on her blog. I am going to copy off her paper and start posting some fun recipes here! Yippee! Feel free to share yours with me! I love to cook, bake and want to try your recipes! Mel, if you are reading this, I need that award winning recipe from 4 H for myself.

Even More Scrapbook Pages

And here are Sara Beth's pages. She is no longer in Scouts! My favorite pages I completed last weekend was the two page Father Daughter Camp Out page for Sara. It really turned out awesome! I am so behind! Must crack the whip! I hope you like my pages, and you get inspired or copy an idea for some of your pages! My favorite source of help is PAGE MAPS! There is a website, and a book! If you only do cards, on the Page Map site, she also post Card Maps! WOW! Love it!