Fall Mushroom Soup

I've been cooking out of a new cookbook I check out from the library "Japanese Light"  by Kimiko Barber.  It's an interesting book but unless you live in an area that has fresh Japanese produce, tofu and ingredients it would be hard to make most of the recipes.  Annie and I got soaked when we went out for our morning walk (it's been raining all day) so I decided to make fall mushroom soup.  I've never made dashi (seaweed and fish broth) from scratch.  Dashi is one of the main ingredients in Japanese cooking.  It's very easy to make and has a very light taste. There are three mushrooms in the soup, shitake, shimeji and oyster.  It made a very tasty soup!

Sandy's Card - Valentine

When we started our card swapping group, Sandy was a newbie.  The rest of us have been stamping for years.  Sandy always does her cards in nice cheery colors and is slowing developing her style. It's always fun to try and guess who made what card based on the style. Sandy used the Cricut to make the word valentine.

So last night I helped my hubby build 25 bee hive (boxes) while watching some really bad movies.  Hubby HAD to use his new air nailed so that also meant that the use of an air compressor I was amazed that Annie slept through all the noise and pounding of nails.  She goes nuts when I vacuum or use weed whacker but didn't even look up at all the rattling noise.  I was in charge of gluing all the sides together then pass them on to hubby to nail together. Still have 25 more to do.  I want to paint them pink but I got over ruled and they will be a boring dark green.

Charlene's Card - Hero Arts

Charlene, one of my card swap buddies, made this card for this month's swap.  The stamp is a new Hero Arts image and the punch (that the ribbon is going through) is a Martha Stewart punch.  I'm guessing she also used Copic markers.  Very fun card!

Ladybug Card

One of the cards I made while I was at the beach house.  I can't remember all the punches and dies used to make the card but it was a fast card to make.  I did make the ladybug.
Today was a very long day sitting in the truck - over 8 hours.  Drove up to Chico with my hubby to pick up 500 bee hives and misc parts.  It was the biggest block of time I could get to talk to him about our household accounts and what my game plan is for this year.  Where do you trap your spouse when you have to talk about things that are unpleasant?

Quick Card - Card Creations

Got this idea from the "Card Creations" magazine.  Tonight is my card club swap and I waited until the last minute to make my cards.  I ran around in search of enough buttons to make 8 cards.  I had planned to make the font bigger but I couldn't find enough of the large buttons so I had to settle for mini button from my stash and use a tiny fonts.  No stamping with this card.

Beach House Card

I'm back from a fun weekend at the beach house. The weather was perfect! It's was a marathon of card making and eating way too much. The house looked like a bomb went off with paper, punches and paper crafting tools all over the place.  This was a quick card I made very late on Saturday night.  The teapot die is from Paper Tray (at least I think it was) and I don't remember the where the stamp came from.  There were so many stamp sets on every flat surface I lost track. 

Beach House

Off to spend the weekend at the beach house to recharge and share card making idea with other creative ladies.  It's a tough job but someone has to do it. :)
Annie's babysitters have been lined up and ready to go.  Would really like to take her with me but they don't allow dogs on the beach in front of the house.  Some nesting sand bird habitat is now under state protection.

Cute Little Cat Card

It's been a busy week of random errands and bookkeeping, but I still feel like I'm getting nothing done. I've only been able to work out in the studio in the evenings before I take Annie for her pre bedtime walk.  She is doing great and  it looks like her back knee is fine.  I'm still keeping her from leaping in the air the catch her tennis balls when I can.
This is a Penny Black stamp that I find too cute.  So looks like Squeak when she's waiting at the back door.  I'm using up my stash of scrapbooking paper and ribbon on all the cards I make for my card racks. I have know idea how long I've had this paper but I think it's from Memory Box.

Annie and her big stick

For the past week, Annie has been on limited exercise since she strained her back knee.  She's an active dog so all I could do was walk her three times a day to keep her from tearing the house apart.  She really misses chasing her sticks and tennis balls. On our walks, she will try and pick up any stick she can reach while on her leash.  This morning when I let her off to do her business, she grab the biggest stick (which was a branch) she could find and started to run with it.  She so wanted me to throw it and almost took out my knees.  Annie ran the whole length of the trail dragging that thing behind her. It was funny when people who are normally afraid of big dogs just laughed when she ran by dragging that branch behind her.

Marketing Books

My 2011 word is  "Free" which when it's combined with another word usually means something else in a positive way.  I've been doing a lot of research on marketing (getting ready to launch some new ideas) at the library.  Out of the hundreds of books I've looked at, two stand out.

 The first is "the money book for FREElancers and part-timers, and the self-employed"  If you are a freelancer, then most of the information in the book is just common sense but they do have some good tips. The authors are freelancer themselves so their book isn't filled with a lot useless theory junk.

The other book which sort of fell off the shelf was "the zen of social media marketing".  I wasn't expecting it to be any good but I checked it out.  What makes this book interesting is that the author Shama Hyder Kabani makes this book free on her website.  Because technology changes so fast the only way for her to keep things current is to have an online book too. It's also a way for her to drive traffic to her website - marketing 101.  What I liked about this book is her very simple way of explaining things and what products or services she has actually used in her business.  She explains the why and then let's you decided.  I'm still a newbie with facebook, linkedIn, twitter and you tube so it was nice to read her break down on how each can help you market your freelance work.  Both books are simple enough to read and understand.

While in Austin

My daughter, her roommate and cousin flew out to Austin Texas this weekend.  A cheap direct flight and hotel was how they decided where they would go. One of my good buddies, Lydia (Understanding Blue) lives in the area so I asked where the girls should do while there.  First stop was Lambert's restaurant for some good BBQ.

Then the girls had dessert.

This morning they will be going for a run around the lake.  I'm sure they will be going down Lydia's list since Lambert's was a big hit.

Restless Annie

Annie is a dog that is use to running full out 2-3 hours a day.  Having to keep her quiet so her back knee can recover has not been easy.  I can take her for leash walks but she really misses chasing her tennis balls. To help keep her from destroy my house, I give her cardboard boxes to tear apart.  She has a large supply of bones but she prefers a good old cardboard box.

white vs brown rice and Miss Squeak

Squeaker was attacked by another cat (at least that is what the vet thinks) and she is now on the mend. She had a high fever so they pumped her with fluids and she looked like a balloon.  I'm not kidding, it was scary seeing her that way.  They also shaved her back end (to make sure there were no wounds there) and I have to say, that is funny looking.  I was tempted to take a photo but didn't think anyone else would be interested. Sure must be cold when she goes outside.

This afternoon I was wondering if other people do this or is it a totally California thing. I was snacking on a California roll I picked up at my produce store (it's a Japanese produce store), cooking veggies and chicken for my dog, unpacking 15 pounds of brown/white rice (it's a new type of brown rice that tastes like white rice) and debating if I should make curry or a thin crust pizza for dinner with all the fresh produce I picked up and have my green tea with extra toasted rice you can buy to add to your tea.  Every had popped rice?  It's tastes like popcorn only super tiny.  I'm sure some day it will become a very trendy food item.

Here's a photo of the new rice.  If you grew up eating white Japanese rice, brown rice just doesn't cut it.  We all know brown rice is better for you so now this new rice solves that dilemma.

Talented Card Making Friends

It's always fun to receive creative cards in the mail.  I have some very talented card making buddies!  This card was made by Toni Armstrong, one of my CJ buddies.  We met via "2 peas in a bucket" several years ago to do a Circle Journal.  We have remained friends ever since.
Annie hurt her back leg yesterday during her afternoon workout.  We are going into the vet this morning to see what the problem is. Not only can she not chase her tennis balls but I can't feed her until we get back. One very unhappy puppy.

Which way?

 This will be one of the cards the ladies down at the Senior Center will make on Tuesday.  While I was taking it's photo, I thought maybe I should have to go the other way. The first photo is the way I made to be (branch going side ways) but it doesn't look too bad going the other way.  Which way would you vote?

Sundae Card

I've been working on "free-ing" up some space in my studio.  Well really I turned my former inside studio/office space into a processing center of all the things I drag home from the auctions.  I plan to clean up and tag everything I have and get it into my booths or cart it off to Hope truck. The boxes I have stacked in my large studio are things I'm not to sure would sell but still not bad enough to get rid of. I have to just bite the bullet and tag or toss.
I made this card tonight while I was working on the cards I will be making for the ladies down at the Senior Center. I found my missing bottle of faux snow from Christmas and thought it would make some fun whip cream.

White Ash - Funeral

This is a passage called "White Ashes" that is read at many Buddhist funerals. Last night I went to a memorial service for a former cousin-in-law.  He was a very nice man and a great father.
"When I deeply contemplate the transient nature of human life, I realize that, from beginning to end, life is impermanent like an illusion. We have not yet heard of anyone who lived ten thousand years. How fleeting is a lifetime!

Who in this world today can maintain a human form for even a hundred years? There is no knowing whether I will die first or others, whether death will occur today or tomorrow. We depart one after another more quickly than the dewdrops on the roots or the tips of the blades of grasses. So it is said. Hence, we may have radiant faces in the morning, but by evening we may turn into white ashes. Once the winds of impermanence have blown, our eyes are instantly closed and our breath stops forever. Then, our radiant face changes its color, and the attractive countenance like peach and plum blossoms is lost. Family and relatives will gather and grieve, but all to no avail?
Since there is nothing else that can be done, they carry the deceased out to the fields, and then what is left after the body has been cremated and has turned into the midnight smoke is just white ashes. Words fail to describe the sadness of it all.
Thus the ephemeral nature of human existence is such that death comes to young and old alike without discrimination. So we should all quickly take to heart the matter of the greatest importance of the afterlife, entrust ourselves deeply to Amida Buddha, and recite the nembutsu."
Humbly and respectfully.

2011 Word - FREE

Every year I pick a word to help remind me of  my goals for 2011.  Last year my word was "focus" and it worked out well.  This year my word is "free".  This word has a different meaning depending on where your mind is at. 

I read a very interesting article about how the Internet changed the way most people view the word free.  It's also a word when you combine it with other words it takes on a whole new meaning in a positive way.  Think about. :)

Snowmen Super Fast Cake Pops

If you follow Bakerella's blog, you know she comes up with some very creative ideas. I've been trying to make her famous cake pops with not a lot of success. These snowman are made with powdered donut holes, no baking involved. Bakerella saw this idea and made her way, which is much cuter than the original.

Annie's Peanut Butter Treat

When I'm going to be gone for awhile, I make Annie a peanut butter treat.  I put peanut butter in one of her beef bones. I swear she hopes I will be leaving so she can have her treat.  She's a smart dog and has figured out she can get her treat faster if I don't have to look for her bones in the backyard.  She now leaves her bones by the back door. 

Mystery Vacation

I found this interesting site about going on a "Mystery Vacation".  Women sign up with their buddies and then climb in a bus for weekend of adventure.  They have no idea what they will be doing or where they will be going.  I thought this was interesting but I'm not sure it's something I could do but it did give me an idea.  Next month is my 30th wedding anniversary so I asked hubby if he could handle going on vacation without knowing anything about it. Really I've planned most our joint vacations so other than not knowing destination it's not that strange. What makes it hard is that I like to travel (run around and see everything 24/7) and my hubby likes to go on vacation (sit and veg in one place) so finding something we both would like to do makes it a challenge.