On the run...

Haven't had a minute to blog, and probably shouldn't be doing it now! So much to do and so little time. I've been getting things organized for Seattle and Reno... getting food ready for Jim and Nat, cleaning out the fridge, paying bills, running errands, buying birthday gifts, creating ads, designing logos, doing laundry, and putting the finishing touches on Shauna's room (I am sooo tempted to post a sneak peek pic!!!). So much more to do... tonight will be packing mania!

I just put stuff in the crock pot for chili, and made a batch of cornbread for dinner. It is our late night at the barn so it is nice to walk in the door and eat. Chili will hit the spot too... it has been so dang cold at the barn. Pretty though... lots more snow up on the hill!

Nat has started her new semester this week... she is loving her new electives! In addition to her core classes she has creative writing, drawing, concert choir and photography. She is really psyched about photography... she was already talking to her dad about setting up a dark room here at home!!

Off I go... need to fill out forms for an upcoming Arabian Dressage Show for Nat. It is up at DevonWood in April... what a gorgeous place and nice and close. Would love to have a cheering section for Nat and Memo if anyone would like to come! 

Score!

I just got a call from the scrapbook store in Sherwood... they have a gift certificate for $108 waiting for me! Woo hoo! I sold almost all the stuff I brought in for their garage sale. Now I can go stock up on adhesive, Bazzill cardstock, and horsey stuff for Nat's album. How fun will that be?

Had a good day. Worked a bit more on Shauna's room... it is really starting to come together. Shauna's friend Cathy is really great... we are totally on the same page as far as decorating the room goes. We both have daughters named Natalie and both love to bake when we are stressed! Very cool.

Nat and I hit Trader Joe's after school. I love that store. Stocked up on lots of goodies for Jim and Nat to have while I am in Reno. They have such good prices and fun stuff! Great prices on wine, too! Some of my TJ's faves include artichoke jalapeno dip, pita chips, black bean dip, organic tortilla chips, par-baked ciabatta bread, handmade tortillas, real maple syrup, dried fruits, nuts, cheeses, high quality meats and produce, frozen meatballs, chocolate ganache torte cake, the three pack of chocolate bars, the big 1 1/2 pound chocolate bars (for baking), pomegranate white tea, crab cakes, frozen mac and cheese, little frozen cubes of herbs and garlic, and did I mention wine?? lol There are so many other things I could list. 

Tonight I am working on an ad for Horse Illustrated magazine. It is a national mag and will probably be a one-time shot (too much $$). They are doing an article on grooming so it seemed like a good idea to advertise in that issue. I am also trying to figure out Adobe Illustrator well enough so I can create a logo for my father-in-law's new business. Have lots of ideas in my head but need to get them into the computer somehow!

Another good thing that is happening... more snow! Just the most beautiful, huge flakes falling. Love it.

Snow and My Rock and Roll Lifestyle...

So it finally snowed here! It looks so pretty but the roads are pretty bad. Even the garbage truck was slipping and sliding on our street. We are all safe and snuggled in here at home. Jim is working from home this morning which is so nice. Natalie didn't have school anyway today, so she is still in her jammies reading a book.

It started to snow when Kim and I were on our way home from the concert we went to last night. She called me about 6:30ish last night and asked me if I wanted to go to a Howard Jones concert, and if I could pick her up at 7:15! Who the heck is Howard Jones?? I had no clue, but it sounded like a fun and spontaneous thing to do with my friend. Natalie, the techie that she is, immediately looked up Howard Jones on itunes... and I recognized a few songs from the 80's! What do you know. So I was off... with no make up, frizzed out hair and leaving the dinner dishes for my family to clean up. I called Kim to bring along a hat for me ;) I called Shauna to tell her what a crazy girl I was being. She got a big kick out little old me being so spontaneous!

The concert was at the Aladdin Theatre in SE Portland. What a cool little place. We got there early enough to have pretty good seats... it was general admission. We were surrounded by 40 somethings that looked just like us... remembering the 80s and its music fondly. And the good news is that Howard Jones got old just like us! Woo Hoo! 

He was a great performer... really a crack up too. Kim and I sat there and laughed and laughed. It was great. At one point he had the audience singing three different songs to the same tune... it was so fun and crazy! I think I recognized about 3 or 4 of his songs, but the others were pretty darn good too.

Kim... thank you for thinking of me and inviting me. I won't forget that night for quite some time. It was a blast, and it was awesome to spend time with you. You are a great friend. Long live rock and roll!!!

Lazy Sunday Morning

I'm having the perfect morning... got up at 9:30 (yikes!), made raspberry waffles and bacon for breakfast, made mochas for me and Jim, checked my email and I'm still in my jammies. What a perfect morning. Can't ask for more than that.

The only thing that would make it more perfect is if the snow would hit.... where is it?? It would be so awesome to have a big old blizzard so we wouldn't have to go anywhere today. 

Yesterday was a huge success! We finished the tough stuff on Shauna's room... stripped the remaining wallpaper, filled nail holes, scrubbed the walls, taped it off and painted it! What a great group we had to do this... thank you all so much. Have to admit I'm sore today... not moving too fast. I think I used some muscles that I haven't used in awhile. A hot shower will hit the spot.

Okay, enough lazing around. Time to get busy. My mocha is gone.

Think snow!!

TGIF

Sooo glad that it is Friday. Will pick up Nat after Math Club (she is a self-proclaimed math nerd and joined this club on her own free will!) and spend the afternoon relaxing at home. Maybe not really relaxing but getting stuff done around the house (and relishing the fact that I am NOT in my car or at the barn).

For all you budget scrappers out there, Life's a Scrapbook in Sherwood is having a garage sale this weekend. Shauna and I did our part to stock the tables with lots of good stuff. Check it out! Most of my scrapbooking is done via mac books these days so I got rid of a lot of stuff.

Not a whole lot planned this weekend. I will be working on Shauna's room tomorrow morning. Nat and Jim will be at the barn for a make up lesson tomorrow afternoon. Nat has a Pony Club Quiz Rally study session on Sunday afternoon. She has Monday off from school as it is a grading day/end of semester. I hope we all get some much needed downtime.

I have some exciting prospects for my business from horsey folks in Idaho and California so keep your fingers and toes crossed for me!!

Free Facial

This morning I got a free facial... courtesy of the steamer we used to strip wallpaper in Shauna's bedroom!! It felt good to work hard and see results. We got most of the paper down, with the exception of a few trouble spots.

This was supposed to be a surprise for Shauna, but her husband thought it would be a good idea for her to know that her crazy friends were going to redecorate her bedroom while she was away!! Smart man. It still will be a surprise when she comes home from Reno and sees her newly decorated room. She had an entire file folder full of ideas for us to use! Always the planner, that Shauna (and I love that about you!! I hope so much that you will love what we have in store for you!!).

It was fun working along side my friend Laura, and meeting Shauna's friend Cathy. What great gals! 

Saturday morning we will hit it hard again. We will finish up with the wallpaper trouble spots, scrub the walls, tape off the baseboards and such, and start painting. I just love the color that her mom picked out!!  Very fresh and inviting.

Pioneer Woman

For my daily dose of laughter and for just a darn good read, I visit the pioneer woman's blog daily. Ree (also known as P-Dub) also has a cooking blog and the link is on the left side in my list of links. 

She is a great photographer and has the most amazing shots of the wild mustangs that live on their ranch.... and the captioning and stories that goes with them is a crack-up. I just love the way that woman thinks. Must be my midwest upbringing.

On her cooking blog, she takes photos of each step of a recipe. Just makes your mouth water looking at them! The food is really nothing fancy... but lots of good comfort food with regular old ingredients.

I just pulled her chocolate sheet cake out of the oven. Oh man does the house smell good. Don't even ask how much cocoa powder or butter is in the recipe. Just look the other way. Sometimes a girl just needs chocolate and lots of it... and I do.

I also recommend her blackberry cobbler. That was a hit this summer during berry season. 

Off to dig into that cake... bad girl that I am.

Shauna Update

Just wanted you all to know that Shauna made it to Reno safe and sound. Dave flew down with her, and comes home tonight. Dave's stepmom will be there until Sunday.

She checked into the clinic yesterday and met with the doctor for about an hour. They were blown away by the amount of medical records that Shauna has! Will take them awhile to process all of that! When I took her to the main Kaiser office to pick them up, I joked that it was a good thing that I have a station wagon to load them all up ;)

They started a special IV therapy (not chemo yet) yesterday, and she will do that every weekday while she is there. She said she smelled onion and garlic coming out of her pores! They also gave her some supplements to take.

Today she is meeting with the homeopathic doctor, and she is also having a special test that will be sent back to Germany. We are hoping the test results will give her some much needed answers as to the origin of her cancer. She will also learn more about the special diet that they want her to do... she said it sounded similar to the anti-inflammatory diet that she was doing here.

The doctor is giving them a 10% discount, so that is a huge relief as this is all out-of-pocket expense.

Overall, she was very tired and trying to process all that is happening. She sounded positive about the experience though. They have a two bedroom timeshare condo, which sounds really nice (provided by Dave's mom and step-dad). She talked to her kids last night and told them she was homesick already. Spencer and Kaelin responded that they were "momsick".

I'm hoping these three weeks will give her lots of hope, as well as the time she needs to take care of herself and get plenty of sleep. I will be down there February 5-9, and will be bringing her home. Her friend, Shanna, will be there before my visit so that is a blessing.

Please email me if you would like her address in Reno to send cards, etc.

Brrrrrrrr!

We are having a cold snap here in Oregon... don't get me wrong... it is not Minnesota cold or anything. Oh man does that bring back some memories!! Talk about cold! I'll take a high of 33 degrees over 20 below any day!

But for Oregon it is dang cold. My poor Memo girl... I hope she has all three blankets on and is hiding in the back corner of her stall and slurping up her nice warm water.

Natalie has the day off of school for Martin Luther King Day. She told her trainers that she would like to help them at the barn today. She will ride Memo, then help tack and untack horses all day. She has her eye on a new pony at the barn and hopes to exercise him for Janice too :) She will be an ice cube when she is done!!

Meanwhile, I will be at home working in my nice warm and cozy house :)

Stay warm, ya'll.

Happy Early Birthday, Shauna!

I wanted to make sure that you saw this post before you leave for Reno on your birthday. Lucky me, that I get to drive you and Dave to the airport on your birthday so I can give you a big hug before you leave.

Thank you for being my friend. I can't even begin to tell you how much your friendship means to me. You have the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. To know you is to love you. I would give anything to have your way with words... to write the kind of post you deserve. 

Thanks for all of the wonderful times we have shared together... I will never forget meeting you at the first scrapbook class that I ever taught. Me teaching the master scrapper...OMG was I intimidated!! But then I quickly realized what a special person you are and that I was lucky to meet one of my best friends. 

We have shared lots of amazing times through the years... the scrapbook retreat at the coast (and Hefeweizens at Moe's!); many metroscrapper and other crops; scrapping at Teri's cabin in Black Butte; picking berries, playing in the park, and eating ice cream with our then little pre-schooler children; watching our kiddos at farm camp (remember those adorable little kitties and fuzzy cows??); CKU in Provo (the best part was meeting Nic at the airport with those sponges spelling her name!); carpooling and so many fun days at work with desks next to each other (was that really work??); "The Artist's Way" classes and artist dates; TCC get-togethers (thank you for introducing me to such a wonderful group of women); kiddo's birthday parties (and ours!!); Art & Soul; Harry Potter midnight book parties!!; scrapbook conventions and road trips to scrapbook stores; countless cups of coffee (fraps!!) and good conversations; hanging out at Red Robin and going to movies; thousands of phone calls when we laughed and cried (sometimes we laugh to keep from crying!); zillions of emails back and forth (God was it hard being out of the country during your surgery, diagnosis and recovery!); and the list goes on and on and will continue to go on and on. I wouldn't miss a minute. Hope you enjoyed this little trip down memory lane ;)

We will create new memories in Reno too. I can't wait! I have so much hope for 2008. I just know that it will be a year of miracles for you. You deserve the best year yet, my friend, and I will be there every step of the way. Happy Birthday, Shauna. Love you.

I Goofed Up!!

So we rushed out the door to go downtown last night... lots of traffic, hard to find parking, science project due the next day... crazy.

We get down there and couldn't find Nat's sculpture anywhere! It was so crowded so I thought I should ask where it might be. It was my understanding that all of the artwork would be there last night, and the winning artwork would stay on display for a couple of weeks. The other artwork would go home after the art show.

Well... I was wrong. I'm hanging my head in shame. I should have emailed her teacher or gotten more details somehow. Just the winning entries were displayed.

The worst part is that I still haven't seen her artwork!! I was really looking forward to that. I could care less if Nat wins an award... I'm just proud as heck that she has come so far this semester in something that is such a challenge for her.

Shauna just reminded me that this is the little stuff... I just have to let it go and not be so hard on myself. Easier said than done, but I will give it a shot.

I'll still post a pic of the shoe when she brings it home :)

So Excited!

Have to brag about my girl... can't help that I am a proud momma.

Natalie's sculpture teacher at school had her enter a piece of her artwork in a regional Scholastic art contest. It will be on display tonight at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Northwest Portland.

It is a Converse high top tennis shoe made of cardboard, paper tape, paper mache, gesso and acrylic paint. I cannot wait to see it!!

This is a big accomplishment for Natalie as sculpture has been a challenge for her this semester. She works so hard, and always pushes herself with demanding projects. I've never known her to take the easy road and usually that pays off.

It will be a crazy night to get downtown after riding lessons, but I just know it will be worth it!

I will let you know how the show goes tonight and post a photo.

Happy Birthday Shanna!!!

I hope 2008 will be a wonderful year for you... you deserve it. Thank you for being my friend, and for all of your love and support. Wishes for lots of birthday celebration and hugs for you in Cali!! Love, P

Today's Crock Pot Recipe

In my crockpot today:

Olive Garden Pasta e Fagioli 

1 lb. ground beef, browned

1/2 cup diced onion

1 large carrot, sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 14 1/2 oz. cans diced tomatoes

1 15 oz. can white beans

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

1 11 1/2 oz. can V-8 juice

1 T. white vinegar

1 t. salt

1 t. oregano

1 t. basil

1/2 t. pepper

1/2 t. thyme

1/2 lb. small pasta

Combine all ingredients in crock pot except pasta. Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours. Turn to High heat and add the pasta for the last 30-45 minutes or until cooked.

I added a cup of beef broth as it seemed really thick to me today so I will let you know how that worked. I was a little short of V-8 so that is probably why it was thicker.

*** Update*** The soup was too thick!!  Next time I would add more V8 and tomato sauce, and cook the noodles separately and add them at the end.

Tonight I will serve the soup with parmesan cheese, an antipasto plate (olives, salami, etc.) and garlic bread.

Bon Appetit!!

Cropped 'til I dropped!

In a rather impulsive move, Shauna and I signed up for a crop at Life's a Scrapbook in Sherwood. We had stopped by the store to sign up for their Garage Sale to get rid of a lot of our old scrappin' stuff and saw that there was a crop. I signed up Natalie too, and our friend Kimberly decided to join us.

Natalie and I were at the store by 10:30AM. It was so nice to spend time with her. Kimberly came about noon. Jim had to work for the morning, and came by about 1:30 and took us all to lunch. Jim and Kimberly talked photography. They both have such a great eye for that. 

Nat and Jim headed to the barn after that. Kim and I went back to the crop, and Shauna came shortly after that. She had a memorial service to attend for one of her support group members. 

We all got right to work. I worked on Nat's horse album and completed 16 pages! Go me! Kim did some beautiful Christmas layouts. Shauna got started on her Disney pics. It was just like old times hanging out with my friends... lots of laughter and good conversation. Laura stopped by too so it was nice to see her smiling face.

The funny thing is that I felt like the old lady there... when I was really, really into scrapping it was when Nat was a toddler. Most of the ladies there were pregnant or had small children. It really brought back lots of memories. I just loved being there with my 13-year old daughter though... that was cool. I hope I can do it again soon with her and my buddies.

Back to Work

After the holiday rush, I took quite a long break from work. By the way, I am sooo grateful that I had a holiday rush!!  November and December sales really gave me hope that my business will take off. One of the things that really surprised me was the amount of bulk orders! Many of my orders ranged from 15 to 27 brushes!! I honestly did not plan on that! Thank goodness my supplier was able to get brushes to me fairly quickly.

I just donated a set of three brushes to the Oregon Hunter Jumper Assoc. awards banquet silent auction. Luckily, I heard that the brushes were a hit. The bid sheet was full, and they ended up going for their actual value. In addition, about half of the business cards I gave them were taken. Stuff like this gives me a lot of hope too.

Have to say that I love designing the brushes and making them, but the bookkeeping part is NOT my thing. I spent yesterday getting my receipts and invoices organized. I tried to figure out Quick Books but that did NOT happen. Guess I will be hitting the bookstore soon to get a manual. So frustrating that I cannot figure it out.

Today is inventory. Doesn't that sound exciting ;)

Just made myself a peppermint mocha and will hit it hard now. Keep your fingers crossed that 2008 will be a good year for Dukes Equestrian Designs :) I have horse that is counting on it.

Goal Setting

One of the many things I love about the barn where Natalie rides, is that every new year they have a goal setting party. Janice, the owner of Windsong Farm and one of Natalie's trainers, sets aside a slot of time to meet with each rider. The riders also fill out a goal setting sheet, and come prepared with a list of dates for future shows, etc. 

It is also fun to hang out with the other horse families, drink wine, and eat good cheese and chocolate!

Natalie has some great goals this year. Last year was definitely a learning year since it was her first on Memo. Memo definitely is a challenging horse! This year she plans on earning her C1 rating in US Pony Club, hopefully in July. She also wants to show at Beginner Novice level in eventing, and do her first rated show at Inavale. Our show year will start out with the Arabians in Motion Dressage Show at DevonWood in April. She will be doing Training Level Tests 3 and 4, which is a step up from last season.  There is another AiM show in August where she will do hunters/jumpers. I know there will be some Pony Club Rallies along the way as well. Should keep us all hopping.

Natalie and I are heading up to Auburn, Washington in early February for the Northwest Region Annual Conference for United States Pony Club.  It is at a retreat center so we will be bunking in cabins.  Some of the interesting clinics will be on polocrosse, tetrathlon prep, musical freestyle... and the one we really need..."Dealing with Problem Horses: Q&A". LOL

Memo really isn't a problem horse, she is just really high-strung. She is a very, very athletic horse used to having a 20 year old rider on her. Natalie does a GREAT job on her and has made huge strides with her. Janice and her other trainer, Elise, are amazing problem solvers and have really helped Natalie and Memo on their journey together. The potential they have together is so exciting!

Here's to a fun and exciting horsey year in 2008!!

Baby Steps

I've decided that my resolution for 2008 is "baby steps" in all aspects of my life.  I'm not going to set such lofty goals that I am unable to achieve them. I do believe that if I make small steps along the way, I might have a better chance.  Here are a few of the baby steps that I'm thinking about...

1. I have read a great deal lately about eating locally grown, seasonal food. I've decided to join a CSA (community supported agriculture). There is a local farm that will deliver a box of fresh produce to Intel each week during the growing season that Jim will pick up. In the box will be 40-80 servings of locally grown, fresh, seasonal fruits, vegetables and herbs. I'm hoping that this will spur me to new heights in the kitchen... and be so much healthier for us all. Any leftovers, I hope to freeze and can for use later on. Maybe I will even be able to drop a few pounds this way!
2. I want to do something each day (or maybe each week is more realistic) to take care of myself. Take a walk. Read a book. Floss. Do my nails. Take a cooking class. Have coffee with friends. Maybe even get a massage (thanks to Marie and Jason who got me a gift certificate for that!)! I'm not very good at taking care of myself sometimes... I strive so hard to take care of my loved ones that I forget to leave much time for me.

Okay... only 2 general things for now.  That is enough.

Off the subject a bit, but for those of you who didn't know, I did do one HUGE thing for myself in 2007: allergy shots! Should have done this YEARS ago. I've gone from taking about 6 meds (maybe more?) for allergies and asthma to ONE. Should be done with that soon too. Huge time and financial commitment but soooo worth it. It is an especially good thing for a horse show mom to be able to breathe around hay, dust and horses ;)

Wanted to let you know that I have my comments set up for "anonymous" posts now... you do not have to sign into blogger for a password and all that anymore.  My only request is that you leave your name :)