BE glorious

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

Monday Musings

2012-02-13T13:32:00.000-05:00

Sharing on Saturday

2012-02-12T08:14:00.001-05:00

Yes, it's Sunday but I was out of town at a Christian Women's conference Pursue the Passion and didn't get it done in time to autopost. Here are some things I found this week to share with you. Hope you enjoy them!

splashesofjoy.tumblr.com

katrina

piccsy.com

befickle.blogspot.com

inspirebelieve.tumblr.com

kim-thislittlelifeofmine.blogspot.com

Ten Things on the Tenth

2012-02-10T00:00:00.101-05:00

How many of the Ten lists this month do you think will focus on LOVE in some shape or form? I thought about sharing 10 bits of my "52 Reasons I Love You" project with you but I don't give it to the Chosen One for 4 more days. Now, I don't think there's a high probability that he would see them here first but it's not worth the chance, is it? I was sitting in my studio pondering what to focus on, swaying side to side in my chair, aimlessly (?) looking around the (very cluttered) studio and started noticing the things I love about it, the things that make me smile and make this a happy place for me. Now that's a good topic isn't it? I haven't shown peeks of my studio in maybe years plus the added benefit of ~~it forcing me to straighten up.~~ me accepting that it is what it is. Sorry to those of you that stopped by earlier and saw no pics, I had it in auto post instead of draft and had not moved the pics over.

So without further ado....

Ten Things I Love About My Studio

1. my Hannbelles, made by a local artist

2. my very cute polka dot bowl

3. my ribbon shelf, I have had two of these since summer and the Chosen One just put them up over Christmas. They will be packed full once I make the holes a bit larger to fit on the dowels. I love that they give me another place to put photos, etc.

4. My storage closet and the curtain put up instaed of the bifold doors that were orginally there.

5. My Tobacco Stick angels, I love them because they are incredibly cute but even more because they make me think of my grandparents. My sister and I rode tobacco sticks as our pretend horses as children. When the Beast was very young we lived on the farm with my grandmama so he too was a tobacco stick horse rider.

6. My shelves with cute baskets. Over on the right is a peek at the tri fold screen made me for displays at fairs but now it keeps Pearl's littler box Private.

7. My messy standing work station with my handpainted stool. We got old cabinets and a countertop from the Habitat for Humanity Reuse Center and it is perfect.

8. This always makes me smile and reminds me of how lucky I am and to say a prayer of gratitude.

9. More storage with bins in glorious colors.

Has anyone noticed the poison dart frog wallpaper border in some of the pics? I put that up when the Pirate was four and it will probably stay up until we get ready to sell. The thought of moving everything out to take it down and paint this room is overingwhelming. Besdies what you have seen I also have a 2 door cabinet and a large L shaped desk plus iris carts. It bothered me for awhile but it really does make me smile and think about my sweet boys when they were little and loved such things.

and finally NUMBER 10

the thing I love most in my studio

Pearl

To see how many bloggers focused on things related to the word LOVE and how many were less traditional check for their Ten Things over at Shimelle. But before you go tell me, if you had to do a list of ten and it had to be related to love what aspect would you focus on?

Have a glorious February 10th!

Pinterest Inspired

2012-02-07T12:02:00.000-05:00

Pinspiration

a weekly challenge to actually create something inspired by Pinterest

http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net

The recipe pictured above is a panko crusted spinach ricotta tomato basil stuffed chicken breast, now that's a mouthful. I thought it sounded tasty but really didn't want to go to the grocery store so did some change ups. My breasts were stuffed with ricotta, spinach, parmesan, minced garlic, Italian herbs and sun dried tomatoes. After sealing mine I dipped them in milk then a combination of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. I could have easily stuffed 4 breasts but did not stuff as fully as she did. I struggled with how to stuff fully but have sealed enough for the first cooking step which is to pan fry until golden brown.

My take was a winner with Stephen saying he'd be happy with a repeat but would like more "stuffing". I would probably add another clove of garlic (I had doubled hers), more sun dried tomatoes and a bit more salt. We split one breast and I served them on a bed of cooked spinach with garlic mashed potatoes.

For dessert we had the 1-2-3 chocolate mug cake

I can't find the one I liked on Pinterest, if I had only seen the ones I'm seeing now I probably would never have tried it. Thoroughly mix one box of angel food cake mix with any flavor cake mix you want. Now with the one I used you end up with a ton of mix but it's not like it's going to go bad and I've already sent the Beast off with some of it. I used Devil's Food so I guess this is the Angel's Devil Cake. I also think I am going to refer to all of my mug cakes as 3-2-1 Cakes. You use 3 tablespoons of the mix, 2 tablespoons of water (stir well with a fork) and cook for 1 minute in the microwave. I then poured warm caramel on top (that's why mine looks moister) and finished it off with whipped cream. Yummy and easy!

Have you started trying any of the things you’ve pinned or are you still just pinning away thinking... one day? IfPinterest inspires you to create this week feel free to link up. I'd love to see what you are doing.

If you are new to Pinterest here's a good tutorial

http://thedailydigi.com/pinterest-101-a-tutorial/

If you need an invitation to join Pinterest just let me know in your comments or email me!

Have a glorious day and be inspired to create something today!

Monday Musings

2012-02-06T17:16:00.000-05:00

Sharing on Saturdays

2012-02-04T00:00:00.001-05:00

http://misscutiepiegoes80s.blogspot.com/2010/02/freebie-valentines-day-tickets.html

ellapublishing.com

http://michael137.deviantart.com/favourites/#/d3iacoa/

http://www.skiptomylou.org

FEBRUARY LOVE PROJECT

1. collect rocks

2. paint hearts on them

3. place them back outside where people can find them

O.P.I.

An Affair in Red Square

http://designsbycp.blogspot.com/2012/01/valentines-day-subway-art.html/

http://www.bettycrocker.com

GF Valentine Party Mix

and since tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday in the US here are a few potential party foods

thepioneerwoman.com

Seriously, you knew at least one would include bacon, right?

sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com

http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2011/01/31/buffalo-chicken-rolls/

So who are you pulling for the Giants or the Patriots? Personally, I'm not into professional sports, give me the college games but the Pirate Girl is a lifelong Giants fan so I am pledging my fandom to them for the Super Bowl (and they have a Pirate on the team!)

National Wear Red Day

2012-02-03T12:07:00.000-05:00

www2c.cdc.gov

SHARE THE FACTS QUIZ

Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, taking the life of 1 in 3 women each year. This means women are dying at the rate of one per minute. It simply does not have to be that way. But only 1 in 5 women believe heart disease is her greatest health threat. The questions and answers below are from science funded by the American Heart Association. Share them with employees, friends and family. Make It Your Mission to fight heart disease and save lives by sharing the facts.

1. Over ____________ million American adults have one or more cardiovascular diseases.

2. Every ____________ seconds, someone dies from heart and blood vessel diseases, America’s No. 1 killer.

3. A _________________ _________________ occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, usually by a blood clot.

4. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the heart, it causes a _________________ _________________.

5. If a clot blocks an artery that feeds the brain, it causes a _______________________.

6 ______ percent of cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right choices for their hearts involving diet, exercise and

abstinence from smoking.

7. Most of the food we eat is turned into ___________________, or sugar, for our bodies to use for energy.

8. _________________, or juvenile diabetes, usually starts early in life. It results from the body’s failure to produce insulin.

9. About _______ percent of American adults have cholesterol levels that are too high.

10. About 90 to 95 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes have ______________ diabetes.

11. _______________ _______________ is the force of blood pushing against blood vessel walls.

12. High blood pressure (or ____________________________) makes the heart work harder than normal.

13. As a woman, you have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure if you are __________ pounds or more over a healthy weight.

14. Cholesterol builds up with other substances in the inner walls of arteries and becomes ____________________.

15. Plaques that rupture can cause _______________ _______________ that can totally block blood flow in the artery.

Answers
1. 81
2. 38
3. Heart attack
4. Heart attack
5. Stroke
6. 80
7. Glucose
8. Type 1
9. 47
10. Type 2
11. Blood pressure
12. Hypertension
13. 20
14. Plaque
15. Blood clots

I have some great info from the AHA and CDC but can't post it on blog. If you are interested in reading it email me neusebrats{at}aol{dot}com and I'll be happy to send you the three attachments.

Washable, No Sew Cat Bed

2012-02-02T11:05:00.002-05:00

The other day in my Pinspiration post I shared a link to a no sew cat bed. I loved the bed and the design with different fabric on each side.

http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-Pet-Bed/

I really like to be able to wash Pearl's bedding and that didn't look doable with the design she used. The one that inspired me was totally enclosed and filled with batting. I thought it would be much easier to buy an inexpensive (cheap $2.99 Joe Boxer) bed pillow from Kmart. I knew if I wanted to be able to remove it I was not going to be able to use different fabric for the sides (bummer, it was so cute!) but washable was right up there with affordability.

I decided to basically wrap the pillow overlapping the top of the fabric about 4". I also pulled the end fabric to the seam and added another 4" on each end then cut the fabric.

(The fabric is changing at this point because I made 2 and took photos at different times in the process)

Next, I made 4" cuts along the edges of what would be the ends. After wrapping the pillow I lined up strips close to the middle for tying. Part of the tying includes three strips because of the overlap so I tied off three strips that aligned then just worked my way out on each side tying knots.

The pillow can be easily taken out of the covering to be washed. I used polar fleece, if you do, remember to wash in cold water and air dry or it may shrink. You do not have to (or want to) untie any of the knots.

When I posted the finished project the other day Pearl had not tried out her new beds. She now has and she is a very happy girl!

I am not a very good tutorialist (is that a word? spell check says no) but hope you get the idea of what I did. I'll be happy to clarify anything that is needed. If you make one please let me know, I'd love to see what fabric you chose.

Wordless Wednesday with Words

2012-02-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

The natives are getting restless, almost time for another trip!!!!

Pinterest Inspired Tuesdays = Pinspiration

2012-01-31T00:00:00.026-05:00

Pinspiration

a weekly challenge to actually create something inspired by Pinterest

http://www.instructables.com/id/No-Sew-Pet-Bed/

How cute is that? And she even has what appears to be Pearl modeling lol Of course when you are on her site you realize this is not a pure white but she is a cutie. Pearl loves her little bed she got for Christmas so much that she is pretty much staying off the furniture (well, except for when she wants to be right up under me) so I thought I'd get her one for the studio and one for our bedroom but then Pinterest stepped up. Whohooo I had polar fleece left over from some scarves I had made a few years ago so this not only becomes a Pinspiration fulfilled but helps with the Year of Decluttering and Purging!

So are you ready for the finished product withOUT the ever beautiful Pearl?! I haven't gotten her to use it yet!!! But I did just finish it last night!

I made some design changes that I’ll be sharing Thursday so if you have a few feline friends check back to see what I did differently.

Next up, what to do with these vintage illustrations.

vintage housewife

I used these images to create some cards. I'm struggling with a caption/sentiment on some of these so will be asking for input soon.

Have you started trying any of the things you’ve pinned or are you still just pinning away thinking... one day? The Linky meme isn't working for me (possibly another blogger issue for me this week@@ It also randomly won't let me leave comments on blogs and is not letting me preview). If Pinterest inspires you to create this week feel free to email me the link to your Pinspiration blogpost and I will add it to this post.

If you are new to Pinterest here's a good tutorial

http://thedailydigi.com/pinterest-101-a-tutorial/

If you need an invitation to join Pinterest just let me know in your comments or email me!

Have a glorious day and be inspired to create something today!

Monday Musings

2012-01-30T00:00:00.003-05:00

Sharing on Saturdays

2012-01-28T01:49:00.000-05:00

Check out Imogene Lamport's photography posing tip over at

inside out style blog.

The one above is pretty amazing, huh?

Did you grow up knowing how to fold a fitted sheet. SweetGirl looked at me pretty strange when she found out I didn't fold this way. Proud to say (after much trial and error) I know can do it and am placing each set of linens inside the pillowcase.

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lilkeylm1X1qf1a1no1_500.jpg

Seriously?! How is this even humanly possible?!

jessicachivers.com

So blessed to be married to a man that understands how sexy a man doing housework is :) Hmmm maybe he'll put on that sexy look today! Hope you are having a glorious weekend!

Five projects to work on in the next week

2012-01-26T23:40:00.000-05:00

This one is finished and given but I have got to get the remaining clipboards

on "the list" finished!

The deck of cards for my special valentine's project arrived so need to get started on it.

Found this deck of cards at Joanne's for $2.50 for 2 decks ....perfect for a little project

for 2 special people.

SUNDAY, 8 JANUARY 2012

Choosing a Sketch

SUNDAY, 15 JANUARY 2012

Prompt 1: Scrapping from a Sketch

I'll just stop there and say there are four more prompts and I haven't even settled on my one sketch. At first I was struggling because so many sketches use just one photo and I really like to have 2,3,4 pics in a layout and I don't like to deal with printing different sizes. By the time I had found some potential sketches I had seen some of the prompts and started looking at the sketches with a critical eye in relation to the assignments....I would have been better off having chosen a sketch when I was supposed to so the hope is this week, i pick it and catch up!

What do you need to get done in the next week from your creative "to do" list? Hope you have a glorious time doing it!

Wordless Wednesday (with a few words)

2012-01-25T09:38:00.000-05:00

Blogger is frustrating me this week!!! Only one out of ten times is it allowing me to comment on the blogs I read. I've signed in and out, made sure "stay signed in" isn't checked plus the randomness totally confuses me. So bloggers, I am reading and being entertained and inspired and enlightened but I have no way of commenting for the most part.

Pinterest Inspired Tuesdays = Pinspiration

2012-01-24T12:12:00.001-05:00

Pinspiration

a weekly challenge to actually create something inspired by Pinterest

My book club recently met at the home of a member that has a gluten intolerance. The host generally supplies dinner and someone else jumps in with salad and/or dessert. Having SweetGirl in my life I am very conscious of how those with Celiacs or gluten intolerance have to bypass a lot of foods when eating in others' homes. I quickly offered to bring dessert. I already had these pinned.

Turtle Cheesecake Bars

www.louanneskitchen.com

These were amazing! I did take the lazy way out and instead of making the chocolate topping just sprinkled chocolate chips. I actually liked it that way a lot because it gave it some firmness (that's not the word I want but all I can think of) I also tried to be a bit healthier (every bit helps, right?!) using fat free cream cheese and plain greek yogurt.

Just in case someone didn't like the richness of the turtle cheesecake or had a nut allerygy I also mad this GF Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake. Really, the only gluten free adjustment is using GF cake mix instead of the regular.

www.sundaybaker.net

Be sure you replace the cake mix in her recipe with a GF white cake mix if needed!

Both of these recipes called for a 9x13 pan but I think I'll use an 8x8 in the future so they will be a bit thicker. You do cut small slices of these, especially the turtle cheesecake, it's super rich!

The Chosen One was most happy to get double dessert on photo shoot night lol

Have you started trying any of the things you’ve pinned or are you still just pinning away thinking... one day? If Pinterest inspires you to create this week feel free to come back and link up below. If not this week, I hope you are inspired to join me on a future Tuesday.

if you are new to Pinterest here's a good tutorial
http://thedailydigi.com/pinterest-101-a-tutorial/

If you need an invitation to join Pinterest just let me know in your comments or email me!

Have a glorious day and be inspired to create something today!

Sharing on Saturday

2012-01-21T00:03:00.000-05:00

http://simplemom.net/let-your-kids-get-dirty/

An article about letting kids get dirty, I'm all for it and let little boys wear cowboy boots with shorts and superhero capes when you are going to the grocery store ;)

The year long read my book club is doing. January was the perfect topic for the year of purging and organizing at the Edwards' home..it's all about decluttering. We read The Immortal Life of Henriette Lacks for January as well. I have it on Kindle so can do one loan if another Kindle owner wants to read it let me know. For February the HP focuses on marriage and we are reading The Red Tent.

urbanbarn.com

timmonsfamilylemonade.blogspot.com

how to draw eyes

fineart.sk

boston.com

http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2011/01/cranberry-white-chocolate-bars-recipe.html

I've only had one at Starbuck's but it was divine and JB I'm not sure that you could actually make these healthy.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/68456174/printable-bag-design-goodies

graceisoverrated.com

journaling prompts

Really looking forward to spring break, hope to make some final arrangements by tomorrow!!!

Pinterest Inspired Tuesdays = Pinspiration

2012-01-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

Pinspiration

a weekly challenge to actually create something inspired by Pinterest

This week I decided to try printing on PostIt notes

sugar doodle

RESULTS

A few months ago my very creative friend, Patience and I spotted a post it note holder on Pinterest. We both exclaimed "How easy is that? Why didn't one of us come up with that?"

violet paper wings

RESULTS

Easy indeed, I made several to give away and this one for myself.

and those chocolate peppermint marshmallows for hot chocolate were calling my name.

adventures in savings

RESULTS

Stephen doesn't care for mint and chocolate so I left the candy off his.

So Pinspiration fared better this week, I declare this a 3 for 3 week, I was happy with the results of everything I tried. Have you started trying any of the things you’ve pinned or all you still just pinning away thinking one day? If Pinterest inspires you to create this week feel free to come back and link up below. If not this week, I hope you are inspired to join me on a future Tuesday.

if you are new to Pinterest here's a good tutorial
http://thedailydigi.com/pinterest-101-a-tutorial/

If you need an invitation to join Pinterest just let me know in your comments or email me!

Have a glorious day and be inspired to create something today!

Monday Musings

2012-01-15T23:56:00.000-05:00

nickshell1983

Faith is taking the first step even when you

don't see the whole staircase.

Martin Luther King Jr

Sharing on Saturdays

2012-01-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

I ordered a set of these vintage playing cards to do this project and no, I'm not thinking the Chosen One checks the blog often enough to see this post lol

The tutorial is here and the vintage cards can be purchased here.

ohhh, these might even be showing up on Pinspiration this Tuesday, we're in for a cold weekend. This is on Adventures in Savings but when I am on the blog it's not showing, I'll try again later yo see if I can get it to work.

I have beef for fajitas

frozen and they are on tonight's menu!

I'd probably change the flower just because it's not my style but very cute card shown over at Stampin With Ink On My Fingers

I already have this digi stamps, in fact I have a lot of the ones she uses :)

I know some of you enjoy the free printables links, so how about these?

I think these are more wintry than Christmas so still very usable

Fresh picked Whimsey

Did anyone else watch the Sharon, Lois and Bram: The Elephant Show back in the late '80s, early '90s. Anyone? Ginger? It was a Canadian show that I watched with the Beast when we lived on the farm. We even took him to see it live when the show passed through Raleigh (ohhh, that would be a good one for Storytelling Sunday @@)

Skidamarink de dinky dinky dink, skidamarink de doo,

IIIIIII lllloooovvvveeeee yyyooouuuu ou ou poo be be boop bedoo!

Vintage Dutch Girl

and to go with that hot chocolate you decided you need so you could use the yummy peppermint chocolate marshmallow stirrers I shared

cookie crazie

and finally something to feast your eyes upon

RHamby Images

Hope you have a glorious Saturday! I plan to be with friends, spend quality time with the Chosen One, create a bit and work on that organizing component!

Ten Things on the ...oops Eleventh

2012-01-11T15:13:00.001-05:00

Rut Roh! I didn't even think about it being Ten Things day yesterday until 10:30 pm when I was reading Melissa's blog. I mean, I knew it was the 10th but Ten Things never crossed my mind so I am throwing mine out there today (Shimelle allows that in her Ten Things monthly event) I am going to just do a very general and random Ten Things since I was caught unprepared.

1. The quilt the Chosen One's mom made me for Christmas is perfect for an afternoon nap outside. (I'll share both sides of this glorious quilt soon)

2. I started selling those college textbooks. I still have a good number to sell but have already netted over $165 whhooohhooo

3. yummm I made cheese biscuits for breakfast before the Pirate returned to school.

4. I made gluten free peppermint chocolate whoopie pies for SweetGirl, she said they were amazing :)

5. Pearl loves her new bed Santa brought her.

6. I went on a cooking frenzy for freezable meals for the Pirate to take back to school, of course I made some to make my life easier this month as well. Asian Pork Chops, Honey Teryaki Pork Chops, Curry Lamb Meatballs, Beef marinated for Fajitas, browned Italian Sausage (to add to pizza, eggs, rice), Meatloaf, hamburger patties, Lasagna Rolls, Baked Rigatoni with Italian Sausage and Macaroni, Cheese and Bacon. Yes, I was tired at the end of the cooking marathon but it makes my heart full every time that I talk to him and he tells me what he is "cooking"

7. Okay, I told you I was unprepared so this photo could use a little work but the yard has been full of birds. They have been feasting on the berries on the ligustrum and the seeds the Chosen One provides. In fact the day I was napping (#1) they finally drove me inside because there were so many it was too loud.

8. The Chosen One and I requested Honeybees and Hives from Heifer International from our younger siblings for our gifts this year. From their catalog it shares "From Uganda to El Salvador, bees from Heifer International help struggling families earn income through the sale of honey, beeswax and pollen .Beehives require almost no space and, once established, are inexpensive to maintain. As bees search for nectar, they pollinate plants. Placed strategically, beehives can as much as double some fruit and vegetable yields. In this way, a beehive can be a boost to a whole village. Although most Heifer partners keep bees as a supplement to family income, beekeeping can be a family's livelihood. Your gift can help Heifer provide a family with a package of bees, the box and hive, plus training in beekeeping - and this unique gift will be passed on to another family in need.

9. I returned to the pool this week after a 2 week break.

10. Took Christmas down here and at my parents.

So, there's the random Ten Things, I think I'm going to go ahead and give the remaining Tens of 2012 some thought so I am not caught unaware again! But hey, I already have my rough draft for Storytelling Sunday and that's not until Feb 5th! To see what others (probably way more prepared) bloggers shared for their Ten Things visit Shimelle.

Pinterest Inspired Tuesday

2012-01-10T16:06:00.000-05:00

Pinspiration

a weekly challenge to actually create something inspired by Pinterest

This week was a mix of failure and success using two of my Pinterest board pins for inspiration. I am trying to eat healthier and I love strawberries so thought the yogurt covered strawberries would be delicious, not so much. I did use a generic greek yogurt and it was not as thick and creamy as my favorite (Oikos), also I used strawberry yogurt and they used plain. I think too, I just don’t really care to eat fruit that’s frozen so don’t use me as a determinant on whether you try this one or not.

glamour.com

mine

My other Pinspiration for the week was this adorable snowman looking up. The blogger did this with her Kindergarten and 1st graders using construction paper and glitter. I just don't get having glitter in a classroom but that's just one of my classroom quirks, children definitely love it. I originally thought I'd do a quick card but when I went to pull a card base I saw a piece of thin wood and though hmmm maybe a winter art piece.

Pinterest board pin

our art lately

the Pinspiration result

If Pinterest inspires you to create this week feel free to come back and link up below. If not this week, I hope you are inspired to join me on a future Tuesday.

Monday Musings

2012-01-09T16:02:00.002-05:00

Sunday Song of Praise ~ You Are My All in All Nicole Nordeman

2012-01-08T00:23:00.000-05:00

Sharing on Saturdays

2012-01-07T00:00:00.001-05:00

family fun

It's Saturday so time to share some things I've happened upon this week!

source unknown

curbly.com

and I'll leave you with a final thought

http://dbish.tumblr.com/post/4535072059/starvation

Thanks to everyone for the sweet thoughts about my back. I recovered within hours then my left knee decided it would be incredibly painful but I did accomplish a great deal..but you'll have to wait until the first of the week for me to impress you with that. Today I am headed to my parents to "undecorate" the house while the Chosen One and the Pirate do some repair work with Daddy over at the townhouses he owns. Mama is rewarding us with chicken and pastry...makes my stomach very happy. After that the Pirate will head east to school. The new semester starts Monday, it has been glorious having him home, time to readjust to the empty nest again.

Have you found anything cool or inspiring on the web this week, point me to it?!

Books for Sale

2012-01-06T09:09:00.000-05:00

Our house looks like a bomb went off in it. We are taking down Christmas today but none of it is going back in the attic. This is the Edwards' Year of Organizing and Purging. Only a small fraction of Christmas was actually used this year but yesterday the Pirate brought everything related to Christmas or any holiday down from the attic, down the stairs and across the house to the formal living room. He then started unloading other boxes from the attic into the master bedroom. The night before, we had moved our bed and part of our furniture down to the Beast's old room. The stairs from the attic point towards our room so it's only logical that the master become the "holding room" for everything. Everything from the attic is going to be looked at so that we may reorganize and properly label, donate, discard or yard sale it. We have a large attic, we have tons of stuff. I was a toy addict (I sold Discovery Toys and had a home daycare) so we kept the really good stuff for our future grandchildren. Add in all the things the boys wanted to keep, clothes, some furniture and who knows what else and it is a ridiculous amount. We will probably sell the house in the next 5-10 years and I don't want to have to deal with all this stuff plus it's a bit maddening when you can't find a box for 2 years and it has your favorite pair of pants in it.

So really, Beverly, we understand all that but why is the post title and photo about selling books? Were they in the attic? Why, no they weren't, they were in the Beast's room. They are the college text books that the two boys have accumulated that the universities would not buy back or would only offer a few dollars for. I am going to sell them online to Chegg and/or Bookrenter. That was not going to be today's project, today I was going to continue sorting for Project: Attic. The Pirate leaves tomorrow so I have to make use of him unloading the attic to the fullest extent. I woke up with my day planned ...I was well rested (that feeling generally only lasts a few hours)...I got dressed and went to the studio to make a few cards then I'd be off to the grocery store (the Pirate and I are making some freezable dishes for him to take back) then I would go to work on the "stuff" coming down from the attic. I was leaning over to get something I wanted to use on the cards when I was ripped into total pain in my back...the upper back (right under the bra strap) completely from one side to the other but concentrated more towards the sides,,,,,it was like a long excruciating spasm and now has winded down to just hurting a good bit, ebbing and flowing. So...so much for those plans, I am going to be seated for a bit and might as well sell books. Note, the plan was in place, the motivation was there, it is not about my procrastination...I really am trying : /

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T17:41:00.000-05:00

Pinspiration~ a weekly challenge

2012-01-03T01:15:00.001-05:00

Pinspiration

a weekly challenge to actually create something inspired by Pinterest

I have 28 boards on Pinterest and have pinned a total of 734 things. I am inspired by food, photography, style, DIY projects, things that just simply make me smile, art journaling and so much more. I have always been one to cut out pages from newspapers and magazines and I love how easily accessible Pinterest makes the things that inspire me. I have used some of my pins as inspiration in actually creating things but suspect there is a danger in the pins just becoming board collections. So I am committing in 2012 to make a concerted effort to use all that Pinspiration and share the results with you on Tuesdays. I am hoping to share two a week but some weeks it will be one, like this week and who knows I may get on a roll one week and have three or more! If you have a blog you are invited to take up the Pinspiration and link up to this weekly post. I do ask that you keep your sharing in good taste for a general audience. Let us know if you are happy with your finished product and any pointers. Even if you don’t have a blog I’d love for you to share in the comments anything you’ve found on Pinterest that week that has inspired you. So enough of me jabbering, this week I chose a canvas as my Pinspiration.

http://be-the-change.tumblr.com/post/9101915656

inspired me to create this

I’m pretty pleased with it, especially for something I did in one night. If Pinterest inspires you to create this week feel free to come back and link up below. If not this week, I hope you are inspired to join me on a future Tuesday.

Monday Musings

2012-01-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

If you are planning to celebrate the New Year in the Southeast, it is most likely that you will be offered black-eyed peas in some form, either just after midnight or on New Year's Day. From grand gala gourmet dinners to small casual gatherings with friends and family, these flavorful legumes are traditionally, according to Southern folklore, the food to be eaten on New Year's Day for luck and prosperity throughout the year ahead.

The practice of eating black-eyed peas for luck is generally believed to date back to the Civil War. At first planted as food for livestock, and later a food staple for slaves in the South, the fields of black-eyed peas were ignored as Sherman's troops destroyed or stole other crops, thereby giving the humble, but nourishing, black-eyed pea an important role as a major food source for surviving Confederates.

Today, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year has evolved into a number of variations and embellishments of the luck and prosperity theme including:

Served with greens (collards, mustard or turnip greens, which varies regionally), the peas represent coins and the greens represent paper money. In some areas cabbage is used in place of the greens.

Cornbread, often served with black-eyed peas and greens, represents gold.

The catch to all of these superstitious traditions is that the black-eyed peas are the essential element and eating only the greens without the peas, for example, will not do the trick.

I have never heard about the cornbread but I can guarantee there was fried cornbread on our table yesterday simply because I love it and the rest of this Southern meal isn't complete without it. Fried pork chops, collards, black eyed peas, boiled egg slices, fried cornbread, potato salad, boiled potatoes, smoked neckbone and sweet tea was the meal shared at our home to welcome 2012. Even SweetGirl who has a terrible head cold managed to eat a respectable amount. Do you have any traditional new year's foods?

Storytelling Sunday January 2012

2012-01-01T00:37:00.001-05:00

Welcoming in 2012!

Really, long ago the Chosen One and I celebrated New Year's Eve around other people.

Lots of noise, horn blowing and a bit of drinking. Back in my youth I could never imagine a New Year's Eve that didn't include dancing and drinking. Once we had the Beast and the Pirate we celebrated with them, going downtown to take part in the First Night party, the People's Parade and the dropping of the Acorn at 7pm..so that families could enjoy it early and be back home at a reasonable hour. The Acorn is raised back up to be dropped at midnight for the official welcome to the new year. Once the boys were in the youth group at church the Chosen One and I spent a few year's welcoming in the new year with 80 teenagers and then staying up the rest of the night at their lock in. A few years of that and we "retired". I was not forgotten though, a friend had the youth call me at midnight to tell me "Happy New Year!!"...they were more than a bit surprised that I was asleep....could BevEd really be that boring?! Most definitely! Most years I am asleep on the couch and sometimes in the bed by 11:30. The Chosen One finds this very strange since I am a night owl. Most nights I see midnight but NYE is like a sleeping pill to me. This year the Pirate is away overnight celebrating with the Beast and SweetGirl (his Pirate Girl is still in Florida :< ) After hearing our plans for the evening he referred to us as "wild and crazy kids"...possibly sarcastic @@. The Chosen One and I had steamed oysters and shrimp for dinner. We had a fire in the pit and talked about the coming year then welcomed in 2012 watching the ball drop in NYC with Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest ...I had to make sure the Chosen One was awake! He kept drifting off on the couch. Maybe it's the Coke I drank at 9pm, maybe it's the nap I had this afternoon on the couch snuggled up with the Chosen One and the boys' Santas but I welcomed in 2012 and it's 12:22 and I am still awake.

Happy New Year to each of you, may 2012 be filled with glorious days for all of us!

This story is shared as part of Storytelling Sunday hosted by Sian. Click on her name to be taken to her story and links to others. If you have a blog consider joining us on the first Sunday of each month. After you read what Uncle Dave has to say over at Sian's place you'll know you have a story to share.

Sharing on Saturdays ~ Plans for 2012

2011-12-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

printpattern.blogspot.com

The very last day of 2011 has arrived and I have actually been giving some thought to things I'd like to be a part in 2012. I've also given thought to a few things I no longer want to a part of but I won't be sharing those today. I'm not calling these resolutions but they are things that I think I'll enjoy and will be beneficial.

the Happiness Project

In addition to our monthly book, my book club has decided to read the Happiness Project a chapter a month. This will be different for me since I am a read straight through type of person.

Storytelling Sunday 2: The words, the pictures.

Sian over at from high in the sky had a blogging event the first Sunday of each month in 2011 in which you were invited to tell any story you'd like to share...it could be about your trip to the Farmer's Market the day before or it could be about your 8th birthday party. I always wanted to participate but wasn't organized enough. In 2012 Sian is opening the storytelling up to stories told through photos, words or both. I hope to participate each month.

journal of curious things

I'm registered for Kirsty's class that starts very soon. It was around $10 I think and every penny goes to charity to support her fundraising for GirlGuiding UK. "Over 6 weeks, with two prompts a week, we'll all be putting our own sketch through its paces, developing that one design into twelve unique layouts."

http://www.scarletlime.com/SheArtWorkshop.html

http://www.scarletlime.com/workshops.html

I have been registered for both of these classes from Christy Tomlinson for awhile. I started the first one but need to schedule daily class time and be committed (esp since I believe my time with class 1 is winding down)

http://www.shimelle.com/

I've been taking part in Shimelle's blogging event since June This is a nice no obligation linked up event so if you forget or just can't think of ten things you don't have to stress over not contributing. "You’re welcome to join us if you like! Blog your ten things on the tenth and add your link – easy! Then click through to visit other participating blogs to meet some new friends and revisit old favourites. We’ll be doing this every month, always on the tenth!"

This is just an image to represent that I want to do some type of 12 in 2012 project. I am thinking 12 photos each month but not sure. Does anyone have anything organized or know of something they can link me to so I can have some guided structure and motivation?

I am going to have my own linked up blogging event each week. I think linked up is so much better than blog hops (when I remember not to include requiring a back link lol) It will be a Pinterest Inspired Weekly Challenge. I found I was pinning some amazing inspiration but not utilizing it to the the best. My plan is every Tuesday to share two things I have created in the previous week that have been inspired by Pinterest. It can be anything inspiring on my boards of which I have more than a few. Expect to see food, art, photography, scrapbooking, reading, organizing, really all sorts of projects coming out of this. If you'd like to be a part of it just link up with your projects on Tuesdays, it can be one, two, however many you want to share that week. Participate one week, 28 weeks, 52 weeks,any time you feel inspired. You do have to be a member of Pinterest so if you are not let me know and I'll send you an invitation. I do ask that you use the badge I create (or someone creates for me!!!) on those posts and that you have a board dedicated to our sharing. I'd love for you to share this on your blogs as the more the merrier!

I think I am forgetting some things but that's definitely enough for Saturday Sharing. I'll be sure to share other things as I do them. What do you have planned creatively for 2012?

Christmas brought Smiles

2011-12-26T23:44:00.000-05:00

I cannot begin to tell you how happy the Pirate is with this huge surprise gift from us. He has talked about filling the yard with inflatables for years (not gonna happen). He tried to convince me on the 23rd that I reallllly needed to get the Chosen One on for his birthday (on the 24th) so he could practice his awesome grandpa act so he'll be ready for future grandbabies @@ He would have never ever believed that I would consent to one of this being under the tree...or in the yard. His happiness definitely made it worth it but when he mentioned that it was the start of a collection I had to quickly pull the reins on this horse.

This was the gift I was most excited about us giving the Beast and SweetGirl. It's by Dean Russo, a NYC artist I found on etsy. It looks very much like their dog, Darby. So happy they love it!

I love the silliness of my Baby Sister and the Niece but most of all I love that my sister, the Special One is smiling in the background and clapping along with them. She didn't have many smiles Sunday so I really treasure that I caught this one. Pat is almost 58 and has Down Syndrome, she is developing Alzheimer's and some days are just harder than others for her and those of us that love her.

Nicholas couldn't resist

Bunn Boy (my bil) decided to take a little nap even if we were just on the first person opening presents. We started with the oldest this year which is my 81 yo Daddy. Have to admit Daddy was taking his sweet time, it didn't help that he got a Kindle and had no clue what it was. I later gave him a lesson and think once he's used to it he'll enjoy it, he reads a great deal (and retains every word!).

The Niece and Niece in law posing. This is a pose my niece used a great deal when she was little, probably from posing for dance recital pictures. She seemingly has become quite fond of it again. Aren't they lovely?

Usually it's the Beast that is playing around and making us have to take pictures over, this year the Pirate took over.

I have no idea lol

The final pose of our shoot, I behaved (for the most part) up until this point.

The Beast is covering his belt buckle, think it was a skull head, not my choice for the Christmas photo.

I hope your Christmas was filled with lots of smiles and a bit of silliness. All of my immediate family was together for the day and I never take that for granted, it was a glorious blessing on the most blessed day.

We're not ready to stop, tomorrow The Chosen One's mom comes to stay with us for a few days and we're headed to the Genghis Khan exhibit! What are you up to this week?

Sunday Song of Praise ~ Jesus Born On This Day - Avalon

2011-12-25T00:00:00.007-05:00

Sharing on Saturday ~ Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today, Christmas Eve is the Chosen One's 49th birthday. At our home we focus on his birthday, it is not Christmas Eve until we walk into the sanctuary later this evening. All the glorious words I have posted today are true to this glorious man.

Happy Birthday, Stephen!

It's beginning to look a lot Like Christmas

2011-12-23T08:24:00.000-05:00

The Chosen One's mom, Gram arrived yesterday. This photo is from 1992, gotta say my boys were gorgeous. Gram's arrival means Christmas is VERY close.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T08:10:00.000-05:00

Christmas Day 2010

Pinterest Inspired ...... Cooking

2011-12-20T08:07:00.001-05:00

Are you on Pinterest? Do you pin all types of awesome inspiration but know the likelihood of you actually using the inspiration is low. There is tons of food inspiration on Pinterest and I have no problem pinning away. The photo above is one I pinned. I've decided that instead of just having them on my boards I am going to actually try to use the inspirations and create something twice a week. This week it is the Green Beans wrapped in Bacon...and you know how the males in this house feel about bacon!

bacon wrapped green beans:

1 lb. fresh green beans

5 strips of bacon

3 tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic - pressed/finely chopped

1/8 tsp soy sauce

directions:

boil green beans in large pot till tender. meanwhile, fry the bacon in a skillet over med-low heat. you want the bacon to cook ‘soft’. do not ‘crisp’ the bacon. place aside on paper towels to cool and reduce grease. then cut the strips into halves.

after beans have been drained, i like to put a little butter in the post to melt on the beans (this is optional and not included in the ingredients above). in a 13x9 pan lay one of the ‘half’ pieces of bacon and place several beans (about 6-7) then wrap the bacon around the bundle of beans and secure with a toothpick. continue doing this till the beans are gone.

melt the 3 tsp of butter in small sauce pan. add brown sugar, garlic salt and soy sauce and mix continuously over med-high heat. once completely blended, brush over the bundles with a ‘cooking’ brush until mixture is gone.

bake at 400 degrees in the oven for 10-15 minutes.

I have to start off here with how exciting and rewarding it is to have someone coming to the table every night that sees the plate and says "yes!", "sweet", "score" or makes some approving noise. Ahhh one of the advantages of having a college boy that has his own apartment home for the holidays (believe me the amount of food, types of food and grocery bill are all different than they were during the semester). The Chosen One was in awe the other day because we had bagels in the house then he remembered the Pirate was home lol

The Pirate thought a high five was in order just because of the presence of bacon.

The moment of truth.

Pinterest inspired recipe....this one's a winner!

Do you find yourself just "collecting" on your Pinterest boards or are you being inspired to try things? I am thinking of having a weekly post sharing what from my boards I've tried that week. It would probably be a Tuesday or Thursday post and could easily be a linked up event, anyone else interested in motivation to try some of those glorious ideas out?

jump over here for some more recipes

Sunday Song of Praise ~ Do You Hear What I Hear? Bing Crosby

2011-12-17T22:13:00.001-05:00

If you missed the cookie exchange jump down two posts, there are some yummy ones to add to your baking list and there is still time to add your link :)

Sharing on Saturdays

2011-12-17T11:46:00.000-05:00

unskinny boppy

Today's going to be just a mix of Christmas photos! Unskinny Boppy has a great post about taking photos with Christmas lights. Go read it before you take yours this year!

carolinetran

mindy capps photography

source unknown unfortunately

http://www.fotocommunity.de/pc/pc/cat/873/display/25594424

And finally, my babies...left to right

the Pirate Girl, SweetGirl, the Beast and the Pirate

Today we decorate! Hope your Saturday is glorious!

2011 Virtual Glorious Christmas Cookie Exchange

2011-12-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 2011 Virtual Glorious Christmas Cookie Exchange

After checking out my easy and sinfully good recipe be sure to click on the other links for more recipes. If you'd like to share your recipe just use the Linky tool below. Be sure to link directly to your cookie exchange post not just your blog. At the end of your post please include the link back the the BEglorious cookie post and invite your readers to check out all the yumminess.

Nutty Toffee Bars

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 sleeve Saltine (or as many as it takes to cover the bottom of your dish)
1 (12-ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line a 10x15-inch sheet pan with aluminum foil and butter the foil generously
In a small saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat. Stir constantly until butter is melted and mixture becomes uniform and is ready to boil (this may take a few minutes). Bring mixture to a steady boil. Once mixture is boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes and then walk away. Do not stir the mixture for the next three minutes - this step is important! You can use this time to lay your crackers in a single layer in the prepared baking pan and prepare your toppings.

Remove the caramel from the heat and pour over the top of the crackers. Use a knife or the back of a spoon to spread the mixture evenly over the crackers. Bake for 5 minutes until the edges begin to bubble and mixture has thickened.

Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the toffeed saltines while they are still hot and wait a couple of minutes for them to melt. Spread the chocolate evenly over the toffee. Next, spread coarsely chopped pecans over the chocolate while still melted, and gently press them into the chocolate.

Place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours. When the chocolate layer is no longer shiny and the mixture has hardened, remove from the foil and break into pieces. Keep toffee in a tightly sealed container in a cool place. It won't last long if left out.

TRYING LINKY AGAIN! Sorry there are issues with it :( If people aren't showing up please click on their name in the comments and it will take you to their blogs!

TOMORROW....COOKIES!!!!

2011-12-15T08:44:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow, Friday, 12/16

Come by and link up to your cookie recipe blogpost (please link back to the BEglorious post not just the blog) anytime after 12:00am EST (USA) or if you are not a blogger but a reader be sure to come check out all the cookie recipes that will have links provided right here. If you are linking please put your name - name of cookie. Now maybe I should pull out my 100 Cookie Recipes book and decide what exactly I am bringing to the exchange!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T08:49:00.000-05:00

Yum! Thanks, Mel!

Unexpected Cookies Today!

2011-12-12T13:32:00.001-05:00

Oatmeal Raisin Cinnamon Pecan Cookies

Cate over at Behind the Purple Door is having a Virtual Cookie Exchange today. I didn't realize it until I was catching up on blogs . Never one to turn down cookie ideas (the Chosen One has a bit of a cookie control problem...like me and potato chips) I thought I'd see if I had an old post I could pull up. This one seems perfect (it's from November of 2009 and appears to be the first time Deb commented!) Hope you enjoy, how could you not, I like this and don't like raisins at all!

Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
2 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions
1.Combine eggs, vanilla and raisins in a small bowl; cover and let stand for 1 hour.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3.In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda; stir into the creamed mixture. Then stir in the raisin mixture, rolled oats, and nuts.
4.Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Jump over to Cate's to see more links to cookie recipes and hers for a yummy chocolate peppermint one.

Don't forget to come here Friday for more cookies!

The Glorious Virtual Christmas Cookie Exchange is this Friday and will be a linked up event so just pop over and link up to your post. You should link directly to the post not just your blog and include the recipe and at least one pic in the blogpost. Feel free to let your followers and blogging friends know they are welcome to join in, the more cookies the better and they'll all be calorie free!

Drumroll.........and the winner is

2011-12-12T00:09:00.000-05:00

I am thrilled to be sending the Christmas goodies

to Arizona where I hope

Deb

(and Doug) enjoy them!

Thanks to Gloria and Kat for being my newest followers!

And many thanks to those of you that come back time and time again!!

Ten Things on Sharing on Saturday because it's the Tenth!

2011-12-10T00:00:00.004-05:00

So the Tenth has fallen on a Saturday this month and on Saturdays I like to share with you the different things I have found throughout the week that I really love and/or think are very cool. So My Ten Things today will be Sharing TEN on Saturday. AND I promised last Saturday that this week I would be sharing Christmas small gift/stocking stuffer/gift wrap ideas so yep, that's what's gonna happen. So grab your cup of coffee/tea/cider and get ready to oooohhhh and ahhhh and click on links to the ones you love. Leave a comment (and be sure I have a way to contact you) telling me which ONE is your most favorite and I will draw a winner to receive a package of Christmas goodies (which I will mail at promptly on Monday!)

OHHHH and I have decided (yea, kinda last minute) that I need to do another virtual cookie exchange! If you are interested.... find your recipe, make the cookies (pics are a must!!) type the directions up for your blogpost and link up here on Friday, December 16th. So without anymore yakking from me, here are my

TEN on the TENth for Sharing on Saturday

ONE

maybematilda

She made these sugar scrubs for moms to be at a triple baby shower
but they'd be a perfect small Christmas gift.

TWO

Laurie has a tutorial on these cute Snowman candy bar wrappers
as well as few other Snowman wrapping ideas.

lauriefurnell

THREE

Why be so boring as to stick cash in a card?

livette

FOUR

I Spy Christmas ornaments

playathomemom3

FIVE

ballardstylestudio

SIX

Good Housekeeping

SEVEN

christmas.tipjunkie

EIGHT

skiptomylou

NINE

peppermint plum

and last something my guys would love to find in their stockings lol

TEN

google.com

TEN on the TENTH
is brought to you by Shimelle at Pretty Paper True Stories. Each month anyone that blogs can join in the linked up event and share their TEN THINGS. Click on the blog link to see what others have shared, it's always interesting to see the wide variety. Although I bet this month there is a lot of focus on Christmas. Have a glorious Saturday and be sure to think about joining my Cookie Exchange!

Christmas Giveaways

2011-12-09T09:44:00.000-05:00

Ummm yea, that's not me, the photo is from google share but it does represent me expectantly waiting to draw your name for one of my two giveaways. Christmas goodies will be mailed out Monday to one commenter from my Saturday blogpost Ten on the Tenth Sharing on Saturday and one participant commenter in my current BEglorious Facebook page poll/question. You can increase your chances by sharing * on your blog *on your FB page *already being a follower *becoming a follower *becoming a fan of the BEglorious FB page (you'll need to mention this in your comments). If you are not positive I have a way of contacting you please, please, please either be sure to check back on Monday or you can email me or leave in your comments your email address. To avoid getting spam be sure you write yours like this...neusebrats{at}aol{dot}com

Remember for your first chance you have to leave a comment!

Christmas Goodie packages valued at a minimum of $20 (USD)

and will be a mix of handmade and store bought.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sunrise, Sunset

2011-12-06T09:12:00.000-05:00

Since ya'll have enjoyed the sunrise and midday photos we got over the Thanksgiving weekend at the river I thought I'd give you the full look.

Sunrise

photo credit The Chosen One

Midday

photo credit BEglorious

Sunset

photo credit BEglorious

model Baby Sister

No photo editing on any of them, the whole weekend had glorious sunrises and sunsets, it's a beautiful time of the year. The Chosen One and I tend to take a lot of sunrise pictures. We'd probably take more sunset but living where we do it's not as easy. We also take a lot of birds in the backyard and flowers (him more than me). Is there something in nature you find yourself repeatedly taking pictures of, what is it?

Monday Musings

2011-12-05T00:00:00.003-05:00

Life is a great sunrise. I do not see why death should not be an even greater one. Vladimir Nabokov

Sunday Song of Praise ~ Peace on Earth - Paul Venable

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

Sharing on Saturday

2011-12-03T00:00:00.001-05:00

Sharing on Saturday in December will be all about Christmas!

Today I'm sharing food ideas I've found on Pinterest that will work for holiday gatherings.

CREAM CHEESE & PEPPER JELLY CHRISTMAS TREE

flickr.com

CHEESE & TOMATO CHRISTMAS TREE

cabotcheese.coop

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN BITES

jamhands.net

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED BREADSTICKS

tipnut.com

PECAN PUFF TRUFFLES

nytimes.com

BAKED CHEESE & VEGETABLE TWIST

kraftrecipes.com

GARLIC CHICKEN PUFFS

tidymom.net

SPARKLING CRANBERRY BRIE BITES

yummymummykitchen.com

Okay, that has you started, what are you putting on your entertaining menu for this year?

I have so many I want to serve!

I hope you are having a glorious Saturday.

Join me next week when I share ideas I have found for

small gift/stocking stuffer and wrapping ideas.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T14:11:00.000-05:00

taken at the river this past weekend

Sharing on Saturday

2011-11-25T18:17:00.000-05:00

Hopefully this week I'll get back on the blogging track. I'm off to the grand reopening of the river house, here are a few things to check out :)

iheartfaces.com

fitnessmagazine.com

unknown source

plainchicken.com

printshop.urbanoutfitters.com

Quite a mix today, hope your Saturday is glorious!

Thanksgiving Song of Praise

2011-11-23T23:31:00.000-05:00

Brianna Haynes

Thanksgiving Song

"Thank You"

I'm thankful that today I get to spend the day surrounded by people I love. I hope that whether you are an American or not you have that blessing in your life and that you take a moment today to truly cherish how fortunate that makes us. I'm thankful for blog readers that find BEglorious a place they like to stop by and the friendships I have formed because of this blog.

Have a glorious day!

The Underwear - Christmas connection

2011-11-18T14:10:00.001-05:00

The question I posted to the fans of my BEglorious facebook page was this....

Wonder what these have to do with Christmas cards? Any guesses? Most accurate answer by Thursday night (11-17) gets a goodie!

I expected some funny answers and boy did I get them. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Chris A white Christmas

Nick They keep your valuables close

BEglorious ohmygosh, I knew I'd get some that made me laugh Nick but reallllyyyy?!

Nick chris stole the only realistic thing i could think of

Angela Christmas doesn't last long, so it's 'brief'?

Joyce Santa's short list

Mary Jane Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was an international passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands, to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Romulus, Michigan, United States. The flight was the target of a failed alleged al-Qaeda bombing attempt on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009, in which a passenger tried to set off plastic explosives sewn to his underwear.

Kellie Hmmm, I'm going to say they were inspiration for a folding technique you are using on your card designs...glad I checked out the aforementioned ideas though! Good for a morning chuckle!

BEglorious Allison posted "I say that Rudolph was cold and needed a hat. Santa took off his underpants and turned them upside down, slipped them over Rudolph's head, thus allowing for antlers to fit through each leg opening."

Angela LitIs it a 'scoring' guide to score cards with to get good angles?

Kelsey It was Dasher and Dancer's first Christmas Eve night bringing toys to children. They both got so excited about everything they were seeing they started shouting out places they could spot. Dasher shouted out "I see London!" Dancer shouted out "I see France!" And as Santa leaned forward to rejoice in their excitement, an elf sitting in the back of the sleigh shouts out "I see Santa's underpants!"

Mary It just reminds me that Christmas, while lovely and heart warming, is all too "brief."

Joyce Keep your Christmas work area clean ....aka...whitie tighties!

BEglorious Kelsey, you are amazing, wrong but amazing lol!!!!

Dale Is the answer clean or dirty? Knowing you, it is clean...

Dale Does it have something to do with the "mystery" of Christmas

Dale Swaddling clothes - swaddling "something"...

Dale Honestly Beverly... Is underwear the most popular gift under the tree?

Dale Cards and underwear come in packages!!!!

Dale Underwear come nicely packaged and with a clean slate. Your cards do too!

Dale Am I on a roll or what?

Terry Seams look like a chai.

Diane Keeping everything "under wraps"

Aren't they awesome?!?! Dale did msg me afterwards and said she was under the influence of medication lol She was on a great roll in my opinion. No one came close to the right answer but I loved their answers so much they are all getting a goodie :)

So are you thinking you know the answer?

If you are on Facebook you can "like" the BEglorious fan page by clicking on the button on the blog sidebar. Hope you all have a glorious weekend!

TOO MANY WORDS FOR A WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

2011-11-16T19:06:00.000-05:00

newsobserver.com

This was my son's university campus for three hours today. Two separate 911 callers reported a man walking towards campus with a bookbag and with what appeared to be a (assault?) rifle. Police immediately responded, the University immediately sent the text and email alerts to students and blared the emergency sirens that signal danger. The entire campus went on lockdown. I was fortunate that the Pirate was in a building with good cell service so we texted off and on for three hours. The Pirate Girl was in the library with bad cell service but wi fi capability so her mom and I were able to carry on conversations with her. I was able to learn the whereabouts of quite a few of my Pirate babies. I prayed as did many others. I know it would have so much worse if I hadn't been able to communicate with my baby but I had alot of nervous energy and anxiety. I'm not one to jiggle my foot when sitting but both legs were constantly going. I was tied to texts, FB messages, the TV, phone calls and gratefully later on, thanks to a fellow Pirate alum, I had a livestream feed from the Greenville TV station. Of course rumors swirled about where the gunman was and what the police were doing. Some students came on campus unaware and had guns pointed at them as they got on their knees and put their hands behind their head...standard procedure, they were then escorted to safety. The lockdown ended and no one was injured and many breathed signs of relief and thanked God.

In the press conference the police spokesman shared that the man they were searching for was found by a deputy sheriff. The suspicious weapon was a golf umbrella, of course he was interviewed but not charged. Bless the poor guy's heart, I'm sure he'll be recognized by people that know him. he was wearing a unique hat for a college student, not your usual ball cap. The spokesman said a positive came from the situation. The type of event they train for became reality for a few hours. The Greenville police, the NC Highway Patrol, ECU campus police and the University worked together flawlessly. Why did it take three hours?....the spokesman said that the huge negative today was social media (not the press), Facebook and Twitter. There were posts shared about hostages in three different buildings. The building I studied in had so many rumors swirling that they decided to go in and do a floor by floor sweep to put that rumor down. There was a rumor that the gunman had commandeered a bus.....every university and city bus was boarded and secured. There was rumor that there were 2 gunmen, people with multiple crossbows and more. The authorities had to spend time checking out all these before they could be confident that the campus was safe. He said unfortunately they spent alot of time chasing these "ghosts". Social media it can be a good thing (I was definitely thankful for it today) but even more so in the present technological world we need to be careful that we know we speak the truth.

I applaud the law enforcement and university. There will be some that rant about the silliness and waste of today but I will take the Pirate and all the other pirates being locked up inside bored and hungry for three hours over there be no action taken and us living the tragedy that has occurred on campuses like Virginia Tech.

ecu-lockdown

Monday Musings

2011-11-14T12:00:00.004-05:00

Suzy Toronto

It is a known fact that goddesses attract other goddesses. But the really cool thing is that quite often they flock together long before they reach their true, lofty status of "Goddess". By the time they become goddesses, they've been gathering together for so long, giving, sharing, loving and caring, that they know intimate details about each other's lives, making their bond unbreakable. Whether shopping, going out to lunch, lounging over a pedicure or sitting on the beach, the gathering of goddesses can't be missed. Just listen for the buzz of friendship, the tears of shared sorrows and the fits of irrepressible laughter. You'll know in a second, you're in the presence of greatness.
~Suzy Toronto 2003

Sharing on Saturday

2011-11-12T08:19:00.000-05:00

Gathering of the Goddesses 2010 Daufauskie Island SC

This weekend the goddesses are gathered. I look forward to sharing with ya'll when I return. For this Saturday's sharing I thought I'd share things about where we are and throw in a little Pinterest love at the end.

The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.
It is all dressed up for Christmas starting this weekend. We're going here Monday.

the Blue Ridge Mountains
We are staying at a friend of the Chosen One's house. We are at 5500' elevation. We're about 30 minutes north of the Asheville past a ski resort then up, up, up long, winding roads. The Appalachian Trail is 150" from the door and it's a short hike up to the top of Big Bald Moutain.

the Grove Arcade
We're heading down to Asheville today to explore here.

This is the view from my room this morning!

finally from Pinterest surfing this week....

http://debbidoesdinnerhealthy.blogspot.com/2010/08/taco-corn-bread-casserole.html

only credited to google :(

I hope you are surrounded by amazing women in your life. I am so blessed!

Off to play with these two goddesses..

The ELEVEN-ELEVEN-ELEVEN Blogging Event

2011-11-11T00:00:00.031-05:00

ELEVEN PHOTOS I LOVE FROM 2011

ELEVEN

THINGS ON MY TO DO LIST FOR THE REMAINDER OF 2011

1. Unload, purge and reorganize the attic.
2. Host Thanksgiving dinner.
3. Make gifts and attend Marianne's artsy homemade gift exchange.
4. Prepare and mail exam survival packages to college Homegrowns
5. Gathering of the Goddesses 2011 (starts today!!!)
6. Bulk up inventory in Etsy shop.
7. Gift calendars.
8. Switch summer/winter clothes out.
9. Decorate for Christmas.
10. Make personal Christmas cards, buy and make gifts.
11. Finish and deliver remaining Pay It Forward gifts.

ELEVEN

THINGS I HAVE SEEN/DONE/EXPERIENCED IN 2011

1. Traveled to 8 states
2. Celebrated 25th wedding anniversary
3. Sisterhood Gathering Chicagoland 2011
4. Hurricane Irene
5. Went to the Norman Rockwell exhibit at the NC Museum of Art (going to see the Rembrandt
exhibit this month)
6. Participated in blog hops, giveaways, Pass the Book, Pay It Forward, BBFS, SheArt and more
7. Celebrated 3rd blogiversary
8. Redesigned and focused on Etsy shop
9. Stood in the cold waters of Lake Michigan
10. Tried (but did not like) mutton barbecue
11.Proudly watched the Chosen One, the Beast and the Pirate compete in the Warrior Dash, 5ks and triathlon sprints.

This is an 11-11-11 Blogging Event

Click on any of the links below and you will see another

ELEVEN - ELEVEN - ELEVEN

post. If you'd like to join us just click on the button below and add the link to your

ELEVEN - ELEVEN - ELEVEN

entry. You have until 11:11pm Eastern Standard Time (USA) on 11-11-11 to link up!

Passing the Book to Cate

2011-11-10T22:02:00.000-05:00

Cate's name was pulled by the Chosen One to receive One Day!

Cate, I know I have your address somewhere but to play it safer (and quicker) please email it to me at neusebrats{at}aol{dot}com