Seal it up!

My mother is having her kitchen remodeled. Actually, it's almost finished! ...but we'll talk about that in another edition. What I want to chat about today, and show you TONS of pictures of, is of the Time Capsule. The time capsule was made to be a history of the house and those of us who had lived in it.
My sisters and I each wrote out a letter about our memories of the house. We all said very different things, which makes sense, since we all lived completely different lives in that house. I lived there for just a year while I was going to college. My mom also included her own letter and pictures of the grandchildren, a drawing from Zora, it looks like and a few newspapers and magazines. We also downloaded onto a CD a few hundred pictures of our family and the additions and subtractions that had happened to the house since my family purchased it in 1985.
All this was bundled in this container and was going to be placed in the very top of a cabinet in the newly remodeled kitchen. The cabinet was a part of the old kitchen and in the redesign the top portion of the cabinet was going to be covered up and not used. My mother had a lightbulb moment and asked if we could use it as a time capsule.
I wasn't there the other day when the next pictures took place, but my mother and the workmen sealed up the cabinet with the time capsule the other day. I asked her to be sure and take lots of pictures because it just seemed like an important event. I thought it was so cool that everyone signed the board that sealed up the cabinet. See, it was special.

So the next pictures show the official sealing of the cabinet.










My sister, Alison, painted this mural. I thought since you kept seeing portions of it in the time capsule pictures that you might like to see the whole thing. I love it. and in the new kitchen, it just shines more than it ever did.

I hope you made it all the way down here to the bottom of this post. Have a fabulous day!
Kristin

The Great Valentine Swap

Life of a Southern Belle had a Valentine Swap where a bunch of us were randomly paired up - here. (There are a lot of fun blogs on that list, if you are looking for some new blogs to explore) Unlike my Secret Santa swap, my swap partner and I knew that we had each other. So we emailed and chatted, read each others blogs and made a real effort to get to know each other. We filled out a little questionnaire about our general likes and dislikes but that just fueled further discussion from my partner and I.

If you looked at our answers to the questionnaire you would immediately see that we have nothing in common! But if you read into it just a little, you would see that we were very much alike. She has two beautiful boys and a very smart husband, who took the opportunity to marry such a great woman. She is about 14 years younger than I am, which makes her just about the same age as my youngest sister. She likes about every craft imaginable and is in love with all things pink and cupcakes. She likes to decorate, too. I told her that I was a diabetic and would prefer to not have any sweets and she wrote that she isn't a fan of sweets either - so our swap was High on Sweet Gifts, but low on sweet treats! I was so happy that I didn't have to fill up a package with chocolate and that I could just go out and find fab items to make someone really happy.

Well, Ruth Ann from My Remodeled Nest was my partner. She and I both sent our packages on Friday and we both received them on Saturday! Sometimes the postal service amazes me at their speed. Ruth Ann blogged about what I sent her, yesterday here. So be sure and see what I sent her -- she thinks I did a pretty good job. But I didn't do even half as well as she did.

Look at what I received... Oh My Goodness, she was awesome.

Here is the box as it was when I opened up. I was so excited and so was Mocha! Ruth Ann really likes Pink. It shows! lol

Oooh more pink! The intrigue just continues. What can all of this be?

Two fabulous pink dishtowels, holiday themed and in the wash right now to make them ready for my favorite household task. The heart and the owl are dish scrubbies. How fun! I have never had a themed scrubbie before. I'm actually excited to use them. (I know, I'm a goofball)

Ruth Ann told me in her Getting to Know you questionnaire that she likes to make mosaics. Then last week she mentioned that she decided to make me something and include it in the package. I had no idea it was going to be this cool!! Look! It's a mosaic cupcake! I'm totally loving it. I have been singing the Beatles ever since. "All you need is love, love...love is all you need..." On the bottom she even signed it. Thanks so much Ruth Ann, thank you.

Here is the full contents of the Valentines Swap. I mentioned that I have been wanting to read "The Shack" but hadn't gotten it purchased yet - I love it when people use clues [:)] - I had forgotten I had said that until I saw the book and then I gave a wonderful giggle. She found this great pink mug with an owl on the top of the handle - isn't that adorable?!! ...and my hand fits quite comfortably in the handle and around the mug. Perfect.

I am really enjoying these swaps and so far I've gotten THE BEST partners. Ruth Ann, you are wonderful. I had such a good time getting to know you and I think we will continue to be blogging friends.

Thank You Thank You for such a great swap experience.
Kristin

Heart Strings

Easy Valentines Day decorations.

This idea came out of necessity, sort of. I thought I had purchased a bag full of foam heart stickers. Instead, I purchased foam hearts. I needed to put them to good use, so I decided to make hanging decorations.

You will need:

Foam Shapes

Dental Floss or other string

Hot glue gun

Tacks or tape (depending on where you are going to hang your heart strings.)

If you use heart stickers, you can skip the hot glue gun

Pull out a length of dental floss - mine were between 4 & 6 feet. Then place one heart on one side of the floss. Place a dot of hot glue on the heart, on top of the floss. Then place the same size & color heart on top. Sort of a heart sandwich.

Randomly space the hearts in different shapes and sizes on the floss.

I used push pins to hang my heart strings from the top of the doorway.

You could hang these in front of a mirror to instantly double the hearts! I these would be fun on my bathroom mirror.

I got this idea after seeing Jeffery Rudell's tutorial on how to make a snowstorm.

Thinking & Singing

I've been thinking and thinking about what to write today. I've had several ideas and even did a little research on a few things. I asked my mom yesterday if I could use some pictures that she had posted and she said yes...but for some reason I just didn't want to do that post today. That post is about her house in East Lansing and today I'm really feeling Lansing (where I grew up.)

You see... this is what happened.

On Thursday VH1 was running 5 hours of the Greatest 100 Rock Songs. Remember when I mentioned how much I loved my DVR? Well, I recorded all the hours.

I've turned them on and watched several times the past three days. I've danced and sang.

I've sang until they cut off the song - because the shows would be 20 hours if they played the whole song...

So that's when I started going to YouTube to find the songs that I liked best.

And then I start listening to other songs that a particular band did, on YouTube.

It's addictive.

So I'd stop and go do something else.

Then I'd turn back on the show.

I tell you, it's addictive!

When I got to Journey, I was a total goner. I love Journey. I have purchased their Greatest Hits album more times than I can tell you. I've had several albums and several cassette tapes and I know I've owned more than a few CDs.

I used to have a big poster of Steve Perry on my closet door in my dorm room in college. I think his voice is truly amazing. (swoon) I like this video, below, because his voice is just so crisp and clear and you (I) get to see his hair move around LOL

I am such a teenager all of a sudden.



Oooh, I just found this one -- talk about hair! His hair is to the top of his jeans!



I went to YouTube to check out a few more Journey songs when I came across the new front man for Journey. (New as in 2007! I'm a little behind in my music.) Journey went their "Separate Ways" in 1986 when Steve Perry left the band. Journey came back to the music scene about 10 years later with another lead singer. However, what I have just learned is that they found their current lead singer, Arnel Pineda, a Filipino vocalist that they discovered after seeing him perform on YouTube. Seriously! This guy, Arnel, posted videos of him singing Journey songs and when the band lost their previous lead singer someone decided to start looking through YouTube. Can you imagine??

Can you imagine getting the phone call - Hello...I'm wondering if you'd like to be our lead singer...for Journey.

Arnel is amazing. He sounds so much like Steve Perry. Not exactly, but real close. The live versions aren't as clean as the studio sounds I've noticed. Here's a link to something fun, if you know Journey.

The person who mixed this video uses the Original video with Steve Perry, but has replaced the song with one that Arnel is singing. It is truly amazing. See it here.

My first boyfriend in college was a guy that had real long dark hair and a rather large nose...I wonder... :)

Well, my husband is coming home in a few hours and I still haven't finished the list of things I wanted to do. So I'm going to scoot. Enjoy listening to some Journey songs, if you have a few minutes. I don't think I will ever get over 70's and 80's music. It is just in me. forever.

Kristin

The Cat Car

A few weeks ago I wrote up a little story about Ward Burton and how much I liked him, and the CAT car and the number 22 and all of that -- well today I was flipping through the channels looking for something to listen to while I did a little computer work. The Speed channel caught my eye because it's almost time for the Daytona 500 and I just love all of the races that lead up to it - they're short, fast and fun. The Bud Shootout is tomorrow and the twin races (I can't remember what their new name is) is on Thursday. I may just make my way down there for the race on Thursday. Tom and I went to that race once and it was a lot of fun and not too crowded. But anyway, I digress.

So I'm watching Speed. They go over to talk to Jeff Burton (Ward's brother) and I notice there's this little CAT sticker on the trailer behind him and I think "oh, that's great that CAT is a minor sponsor for Jeff" and I smile. Then a few minutes later they go to a shot of two guys taking the tarp off the "new look" for Jeff Burton's car and it's a CAT car. The whole thing is yellow and black.

I about fell over!

I did jump up and clap.

I really did.

I know that most of you reading this blog don't have the teeniest bit of interest in NASCAR, nor do you even care - but you do know what it's like to get really excited over something and that's what I'd like to share with you -- I was SO EXCITED to see that car with that person.

It was a total cheap thrill - and I love cheap thrills. They make me smile all day.

So I hope you have a cheap thrill this weekend because they sure do feel good. :)

...and I'll be rooting Jeff Burton real hard this year.
I might even watch a race or two after the Daytona 500.

Kristin

Stamp Prices

I heard a rumor today -- right from the mouth of a postal employee -- who asked me if I really wanted to purchase 2 rolls of 42¢ stamps. I said yes and then she got really really quiet and said...will you use them up before May?

May, huh?

So, I bought one roll of 42¢ stamps and a couple of books of the Forever Liberty Bell stamps.

She said it certainly isn't a fact, it's just what she's heard.

So I'll believe her.

A few weeks ago I was looking through my files in my filing cabinet and I found this folder marked STAMPS. I cringed, I knew I had a sheet of stamps that I wanted framed or something (it was important at the time) but what I didn't realize is that I had about $50 in stamps in that folder. 33¢, 34¢ and 37¢ as well as several sheets of 1, 2 and 3¢ stamps. I had LOVE stamps from when I mailed out our wedding invitations in 2001, I had a whole sheet of postcard stamps at 20¢ each. So I've been slowly trying to get these used up. I've mailed a couple of packages that needed over $2 in stamps so I'd bring along my big envelope of stamps and use up as many stamps as possible.

If we really are going to have a stamp price increase in May, I want to have all of my extras used up by then. I should have a small supply of Forever Stamps, too - but not too many. I really enjoy stamps. I like to buy new ones each time. I like the arty ones best - but I also really like the Happy Birthday stamps that they had a few years back. I bought several sheets of those at one time.

The stamps at the top of the post, the State Postcard Stamps -- those are the ones that I had the most of in my stash. I loved those. I guess I still do! and I'll be using them up in the next few months.

As you can see, I'm pretty much drowning in stamps. The only reason I bought the roll of stamps was because my husband cannot for the life of him figure out which stamp is the correct stamp to put on his mail. He can't see without his glasses and he never puts on his glasses to put stamps on the letters. He used to holler at me to come put the stamps on -- I've since bought him a roll and that's worked much better. He can now manage it all on his own. I like to stress independence when at all possible.

You folks have a great day!
Kristin

Members Only

I just saw this on List of the Day it is NOT a PG site. Although they do have a lot of posts that are just fine - overall though - it's not for kids.

Some of their stuff is so funny and this one, this one just took me back. It's a commercial from the 80's. Anthony Geary is in it -- He was Luke on General Hospital, as in Luke and Laura. I used to watch GH when I went to my neighbors house after school, so I know about the Luke and Laura phase, but never really got into it. ANYWAY - watch this video...

WFMW - Image Chef

This week Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer is hosting the tips carnival, Works for Me Wednesday. Hundreds of people will be participating - so please read my tip and then go over and find some more!

My tip is short and sweet this week - ImageChef works for me because you can pick fun little signs and images and then place your own words on them.

These are great when you need a little something to spice up your blog posts.

Have a great day!

Kristin

DVRs

When I lived in Daytona Beach I had cable TV. I had a TV in another room that had both a VCR and a DVD player in it and if I needed to watch something I would record it and watch it later. I had two or three tapes that I had labeled as "Daily Tape." This meant that it was OK to tape over and over those programs, nothing was a keeper on those tapes - they were just for the day.

I have never subscribed to NetFlix. I think I still have a video card with $2 on it. We just never rented movies either. We did however, have every channel known to mankind. (Except those adult channels) I taped and watched and taped and watched or I just taped and recorded over it!

My sister also lived in Daytona for a little while and when she got her own place, she signed up to get a DVR for the first three months for free...which of course she loved and so she paid for it the rest of her stay.

When Tom and I decided to move to Jacksonville my sister said to me - Just do it. Just get the DVR right away. She also told me, "it will change the way you watch TV."

Oh, I had no idea.

The DVR and I have this love affair.

It can pause. When the phone rings, just pause the TV. If you pause long enough, you can then forward through those annoying commercials for the rest of the show.

However, what I do most of the time now is I record everything and watch it later, so I can forward through all of the commercials all the time. I can hardly stand to have commercials babbling at me, singing to me, lecturing me or trying to get me to talk to my doctor about a new drug.

I record anything that sounds even remotely interesting on the DVR and then later I go through and delete them. It's just so easy and painless.

If I were still on the video tape routine of taping my shows, I'd be really upset this summer. This new digital broadcasting that was supposed to go into effect the middle of February would mean that you could no longer use video tapes to record programming. You can only use digital recording to record digital images. Which I don't totally understand, but I'm so happy that I got in the DVR bandwagon (thanks Hillary!)

I have found a problem with the DVR.

I now want to rewind everything. Telephone conversations, the radio, personal conversations - I want to pause and rewind.

I'm thinking that the radio DVR is coming soon. I'm not the only one who wants to rewind the radio, I just know it.

If you rely on video tapes to record your shows - you may want to look into the DVR.
If you have a DVR, don't you just love it?
If you don't have a DVR and don't use video tape - I'm so happy for you. This must mean that you don't watch much TV. Bless you.

Have a fabulous week!
Kristin

Valentines Day Ideas

I thought I'd post a few links to some valentines ideas I've seen as I've been cruising around blogland.

I've always really enjoyed Valentines Day, but I consider it a family day - not necessarily a couple kind of thing. My parents would give us girls a small gift and we'd all try to find the funniest cards to give each other. We'd usually go out to dinner, too. It was so much fun.

So here are some fun kids valentine ideas and things to do with your kids. I've never tried any of these things, as I don't have any children in the house and my nieces, sadly, live a bit too far away for me to do these projects with them. Let me know ifyou try out any of these ideas.

Lots of Valentine Ideas for you and your kids at Nikki and Danny's blog - she calls it All Out Valentines Day.

"Quite a few years ago, with funds being very low, I
came up with a perfect gift to give my hubby. I
decorated a glass jar with red & white painted hearts.
I decorated the lid with a red and white lace-trimmed
fabric. Inside, I placed 52 little white & red notes with ‘Things I love about you’ or ‘Things I love doing for you.’ Every week he could pick out one to start his week right! To this day, it is his favorite gift and he still pulls a note out every now and then." ~ Linda (posted on Creative Frugality)

Valentines Day printables - Family Fun

Butterflies and suckers make for one sweet valentine - Scribbit
and
"Cheesy Valentines" also from - Scribbit

Valentines Day Clothespins -- Martha
and
heart button covers - Martha
and
crayon hearts - Martha

Hope you had a Fabulous Groundhog Day!
Kristin

Springfield is for sale

This is the house on Springfield - it's done now and it's for sale. We refinished the hardwood floors, put in all new kitchen cabinets, replaced the tile in the kitchen and diningroom, replaced some of the doors and really made this house better. Several places we were able to keep the original moldings, I have a close up of it below. The closet doors came with the original glass door knobs. We kept those as well.
This is a two bedroom, one bathroom house with a kitchen, diningroom and livingroom, screened in front porch and a detached storage area, that could be turned back into a car garage.

The house has been painted inside and out. The last picture is the before shot. Whew, that blue had to go! It is so much nicer and a lot less jarring.

I need to get the adhesive felt on the bottoms of the furniture and get rid of the red cloths, don't you think! Well, enjoy the photos of our second flip.