Random

Random Monday:
I ran very random errands this morning (post office, library, Dr. office, gas station, etc) so I thought I would do a random post.

*right now I am eating blackberries
*just got done making a Christmas decoration that I saw on another blog (you might of seen it because it is not an original craft...I have seen it on Martha Stewart years ago and I saw it on the Katie Brown's workshop on FLN-it is the one with the ornament balls you string to make a wreath) The wire I used is too thin and with the weight it looks like an oval instead of a round wreath. You are suppose to use a coat hanger, but I had this other wire from a different project. I might have to get a wire hanger and restring them.
*got my Christmas cards sent out today.
*making southwest salad for dinner tonight
*went to Petsmart this morning to get my dog a green collar for Christmas-I went about a month ago and they did not have a green collar-thought they were just out-so went back today, no green collar. I also went to Walmart about a month ago to find a green collar and didn't find one. Never thought I would have this much difficulty finding a green collar in Peoria? I have one more pets store I can try, maybe this weekend.
(yes, I know I can order one online probably, but I hate ordering things......I would rather just go to the store and pick one up..no shipping and handling)(Last week I ordered "The Gilmore Girls" complete series on dvd from BestBuy.com and I was nervous the whole time. It cost $150 which isn't chump change. I am nervous it will show up broken or not show up at all and I don't want to deal with customer service and tracking it, blah blah blah)
*craving pasta right now (but still making the salad for dinner)
*want to decorate for Christmas, but I can't bring myself to do it in November. Yes, tomorrow is December, but I can't bring myself to do it tonight. Need to wait until tomorrow.

Other Blog Giveaway

"A Journey Through the Waiting Game" is having a giveaway. You should check it out! It is a polka dotted initial.

Festival of Lights Parade

I just got back from the "Festival of Lights" it is really my town's 'claim to fame' basically. It is what puts us on the map. My town is actually known as a Christmas town. The "Festival of Lights" is just a light up parade done at night. Here are a few of the floats:




Yes that is Santa on a treadmill, lol.




puppy





mom duck and her ducklings (my favorite)





reindeer



tricycle



motorcycle

1957 Chevy





bear
flag

There were many more floats, but these are just the ones I took a picture of. Some floats have people on them and some don't. The "Festival of Lights" parade is really the kick off to the Christmas season for me. After the parade is over the floats are parked on this golf course that is closed for the season and you can drive through and see them. The drive through is decorated even more with lights on the fence and along the drive and all over.

Winner

The winner of the giveaway is Julianne from "From the Beginning".

I was going to give two away....but I only had two comments on the giveaway post so I decided to just give one away. Technically she didn't leave a Thanksgiving or Christmas tradition, but I will let that slide-the comment was good enough. I might be the only person in blog history that literally flipped a coin for a giveaway-haha. (seriously I flipped a quarter)

I was hoping this giveaway would bring more followers out of hiding, but I only got one more. Hey, any follower is great! So Julianne send a private email to mlisam@hotmail.com with your address and I will get that in the mail asap!

Closing

I will close the giveaway this evening. I have only had 2 comments.....so this probably really doesn't matter, but....?

My Fun Thankful List

Yes, I am thankful for my husband, family, and friends....but this is my fun thankful list:

*conditioner









*peanut butter ice cream







*long, long, long hot showers


*king sized beds with down comforters



*perfume





*Uggs









*the color pink





*popcorn

*Socks

Picture of Giveaway

It is just a little Christmas Photo Album.

Note

I believe I have successfully taken my word verification off of my comment section. So if anyone has been scared off (lol) from that annoying thing. No fear it is gone. (Someone checked it out for me and it was successful)

Please see my previous post about the giveaway. I hate to over shadow that post...but I am currently taking any suggestions to get more readers and the word verification removal was one suggestion.

Giveaway

I was feeling crafty tonight....so I want to do a giveaway. I made some Christmas Photo albums. I am giving 2 away. My husband needs the computer so I will post pictures later (I have to keep this quick).

Rules:
* Be a Follower (I only have 3 right now...so I hope this brings some people out...I posted lots of comments tonight on others blogs so maybe???)
*leave a comment about your favorite Thanksgiving or Christmas Tradition.

I hope to end this by Saturday. If I only have one or two comments then-oh well-they will get the photo albums.

Thanksgiving

I am really getting excited for Thanksgiving!!!! I can't wait to cook and bake. (I am just making some sides and desserts) I am going grocery shopping tomorrow and then baking on Wednesday and cooking Thursday morning. I am also going to lunch with one of my best friends tomorrow!!!!!!!!! I can't wait.

Something I don't have

This-getting into the blog world-is hard to do. It does take a lot of patience (and that is something I don't have a lot of). I post something and check back 3-4 times a day to see if I have a comment. I have only had a few comments. I comment on others all the time. I will keep commenting on others and eventually I will have lots of followers and lots of great comments to hopefully have mini-discussions.

We are having some lovey weather today. I just took the dog for a walk and I had to strip the sweatshirt off down to the t-shirt. This really makes me ready for Thanksgiving!

Speaking of Thanksgiving...I am in charge of the vegetable side dish and dessert. I think I have the dessert covered...but what should I make for the vegetable side dish?

Funny Students

I subbed in a kindergarten class today and I have to share something funny that happened.
Let me preface this story by saying that I took them to the library for their 1/2 hr. library time. This time included the Librarian reading them a story, then she announced what kids still had overdue books out (which was only 4), then the ones who did not have over due books out looked for new books and checked them out. This story happens during the time the Librarian was going over who still had books out. The conversation went like this:

(EVERY SINGLE NAME IS MADE UP...I WILL NEVER USE A REAL NAME OF ONE OF MY STUDENTS-----I AM ALSO CALLING THE LIBRARIAN MRS. L)

Mrs L: Kyle, you still have ________book out. (I don't remember any names of books so _________means the book they have out)
Kyle: OK
Mrs. L: Please look for that tonight
Kyle: OK
Mrs. L: Marissa, you still have_______out. Please look for it tonight.
Marissa: Ok
Mrs. L: Pete, you still have ___________out, Please have your mom or dad look with you tonight.
Pete: Ok
Mrs. L: Katie, you still have___________out and it has been overdue for over a month now. Please ask mom and dad to help you look for it tonight.
Katie: Um, um....my mom has been too busy to look for ________book because she has been busy shopping and buy me new cloths.
Mrs. L: For a whole month
Katie: yes

So apparently Katie's mom has been so busy shopping and buying Katie new cloths that she couldn't possibly have time to look for a library book.

I thought this was funny.

Some Wedding Pics Part 2

The first kiss



Cake Cutting

bouquet toss

Some Wedding Pics Part 1

Getting Ready


Wedding Party
(One of my bridesmaid's hurt me really bad last spring
it is still hard to see her....it was the first and so far
last time I have been stabbed in the back)

Timing

I will have a better post later...(I am going to Starbucks and then to see "The Stepfather" with my cousin so I am in a hurry.

But something kinda funny just happened:

I was standing in my kitchen thinking about how I want to tell a friend something next time I talked to her and my phone rang and it was that exact friend I was currently thinking about. My phone literally rang right when I was thinking about telling her something.

Oh Happy Day!!!!!!!

MY FIRST AWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I believe I need to post ten random things about myself:

1. I love to scrapbook!!!! Make Cards!!!! and Photography!!!!
2. I have been married 2 1/2 years, but we have been together 7 1/2 years...I love him more today than the day I married him. He is the hardest worker I know.
3. I am trying to get pregnant!!! I was really hoping to get pregnant by Christmas and have a sonogram because I wanted to frame it and have my dad open it infront of everyone. It would be his first grandchild.
4. I am a substitute teacher.
5. I have a beautiful yellow lab named Huckleberry. His full name is "I'm Your Huckleberry" This name is a combo between a Toby Keith song, Brad Paisley's son's name, and the movie Tombstone. (I wanted to name a dog Paisley, but I thought it sounds like a girl dogs name...so Huckleberry I thought was better for a boy.
6. When I take a shower I have to first check to see that every door is locked.
7. I love anything with Peanut Butter in it. ice cream, cookies, etc
8. I watch my favorite movies over and over again.
9. I am really good friends with my little brother...he is so funny. (I also have an older brother)
10. I clean everyday!!! I love to discover new, great smelling, cleaning products.

one extra for good measure. I hate odd numbers. The TV volume always needs to be on an even number!!

I need to forward this award on.. Do I just list other blogs here? I only have one follower so I don't know if they will see the award?

In Honor of Vetern's Day

This is my little brother's Marine graduation. The above picture is me.



This is my little brother and myself.

Graduation...he is on the end.

My little brother.


Eagle, Globe, and Anchor ceremony...he is seven from the left.

Motivational run he is 5th from the left.





When he graduated the first thing he wanted was a Pepsi and a root beer float which is really weird because he doesn't really like soda much. Maybe it is because he could not have it for 3 months against his will.




In Iraq...I want to post more Iraq pictures....but I would have to dig them out and find them. If I have time I will.

Random ********

Anybody every use Kraft.com for recipes. I have made a recipe from there about twice a week for the past month. (Of course they use their own products as ingredients)

Shopping that needs to be done this week month:
*Finish all of Christmas shopping before Dec 1st (can I do it?)
*I want a good set of Christmas china...I am having a mini breakfast with a few family members and then a dinner later that night.
*2 or 3 long sleeved shirts...basically for around the house: t shirts are too cold and sweatshirts are two hot and bulky when I am moving around the house.....
*wrapping paper

Things to do: (this month)
*make a list and an ingredient list for Christmas baking (Santa Surprise cookies will be on that list...I will post the recipe later this month when I tell you all of them) Anybody already know about 'santa surprises?'
*purge some old clothes
*organize my shoe closet and the front closet better
*decorate for Christmas (probably on the last day of nov. or dec 1st....I like a break between holidays and I don't like to Christmas decorate too early)
*start on Christmas cards (probably this week) I make cards and I scrapbook so that is why I am starting this week.

Followers?

Is there anyone out there that reads my blog that I don't already know about yet? Leave a comment and let me meet you.

Here are just a few pictures of my Halloween decorations. (This isn't even 1/2) I wish I would of taken pictures of my Fall decorating because I think I did a better job of that. (Especially my Fall table!!!!) I usually decorate for Fall and then 1-1 1/2 weeks before Halloween I take my Fall stuff down and put up Halloween.




My Halloween table.....I will do a better job next year. I didn't want to invest a lot of money this year. Next year I want a theme for the table like just black cats or just jack-o-lanterns or just ghosts. I also don't know if I like the tablecloth. My mom made it years ago and I like it just because she made it. The material is not good tablecloth material. I also want all matching placements maybe?


This is one of my pumpkins. It is suppose to be a latern. (I should of got down lower when I took the picture) The holes cut out in the latern has the light shown through it when it got dark and the candles were lite.

This is a bug. The bug was just painted and I had the bug showing toward the street in the daylight and the back I punched a moon shape into and at night I had that side showing with the candle.

These are the bats I cut out and taped to my house.



Halloween was really fun. I handed out candy until 8:00 and then we had 4 friends and my brother and his girlfriend over to have some drinks for my birthday.

My husband bought me the nintendo ds I wanted and the "Price is Right" game. My mom got me Ugg boots, my dad money in which I bought an Emily Post Etiquette book with. Great birthday.