My little friend...

I'd like to introduce you to my newest little friend. 

Well...he's not completely new, as we've been buddies for many, many years.  Tucked away safely, I do forget about him from time to time, & then I stumble upon this...

Kyle & I celebrated this years Valentine's Day at a local Italian Restaurant, & I was surprised by a sweet heartfelt gift from Kyle.   

I was my little friend! 
He's now more fit as an adult gift, but I still love my original Thumper  :-)    I'm such a softie, I actually cried!  Somethings, no matter how old you get, still hold a lot of sentiment in them.  My dearest Thumper is made from Swarovski Crystal, & his little nose it pink, how cute!

Now, I just need to get working on a curio case to display my treasures...

Sleepy girl

I truly thought that my lack of posts was due to the hectic time around the holidays, but that seems to not be the case.  I've been in a funk the last couple of weeks, constantly ready for a nap, & it seems like I'm always behind on housework.  

 BUT, I had a burst of energy this weekend, & I spent most of Saturday re-arranging two rooms, going through belongings & hauling 3 boxes to the Goodwill.  With all the different crafting that I enjoy, it was evident that it was time to trim my crafting supplies from 6 large rubbermade totes down to 4.  Im sure that I won't miss any of it.  Hopefully Sunday will be just as productive. 

I picked up some lovely dishes at the thrift store a week or so ago.  We have a small amount of dishes, service for 4, and it always seems that we are in need of small plates.  I found 3 plates, they are Mikasa's Blue River, made from 1975-1981 & sell for $11.99 at replacement cost.  I picked them up for .49c each, not a bad investment, & I like the splash of color!

On the downside, my carpet cleaner kicked the bucket this week, so we will be budgeting for several months to purchase a new one.  Our first cleaner lasted 6 years so well worth the $300 investment, & I couldn't imagine not having one on hand between the dog messes, our messes, & the inevitable daily grime that is brought into the house. 

The Pugs say HI!!  They aren't very happy about getting kicked from the second bedroom & being relocated to the office nook, which was previously my crafting area.  And now they know the second we awake in the morning & if we don't let them out pronto they wine until we do! 

Sooo excited!

When I got home from work today, a small package was waiting for me.  I ordered it about a week ago, & was nervous as to if it would arrive in time. 

Wanna see whats inside?

A beautiful Ivory Magnolia.  It is the finishing touch on something that I've been planning for a while now.  Pics to follow sometime early next week!

Favorite Things

It seems my favorite things change with the seasons, here's whats currently at the top of my favorite things list. 

Our chocolate colored bedside lamps, a must have during the long dark cold winter months.   And my fingerless gloves.  I am odd when it comes to hand coverage, I prefer either fingerless or mitts (yeah, yeah, most people haven't worn mitts since they were 4 but honestly they are really comfortable!). 

Yummy, Yummy!  Smells like chocolate in the shower!   And last year I purchased a wax melt, shown here in my living room, I prefer to use candles during the summer and wax melts in the winter, don't ask me where the logic is in that. 

Some of my favorite tunes at the moment.

I love these guys!!




For the Superwoman in all of us.

Counting down

Did you know that it's;

     6 Weeks  til the New Year

     5 Weeks  til Christmas

     4 Weeks  til Postal shipping deadline

     1 Week   til Thanksgiving

     1 Day     til the Weekend


Are you ready?  :-)

Priorities

Dear Blogger,
     Please forgive me for my absence from you Monday evening. I had good intentions of visiting you today and making changes to the layout & my posted playlist (time for something new, ya know?!?)
BUT
    I was busy, so I have a valid excuse.  After a long day at work, I meet my sweet husband at Barnes & Noble for some hot drinks around a warm fire, & looked up some tasty recipe books (and yes, I did copy some of the recipes to bring home!).
THEN
    We headed home, with our fast food dinner (our first eating-out meal in the last 4-5 weeks).  And spent the remainder of the evening snuggled on the couch watching movies until we were silly tired. 
NOW
     It is bed time, my sweet man is in our warm comfy bed & he is waiting for me to join him.
MAYBE
     Tomorrow I'll find time to fit you in, I promise I'll try :-)

Ups & Downs

Upside: Today at work, between the member calls and entering info into the computer, it dawned on me.  I REALLY like my new job!   I forgot how nice it was to take a scheduled lunch, and actually sit down on the job, instead of being on my feet all day in a constant state of rush. 

Downside: The floor that I work on is particularly active, there are a lot of people that work there and the unfortunate part is that when one person is sick it spreads throughout the entire floor!   In the last week we have had several co-workers out with swine flu, god help me that I don't get sick.  I seem to get pneumonia yearly and swine flu is worse when you have both at the same time.  Its been a daily barrage of lysol clouds in the department, "cause you know it kills 99% of whatever it comes in contact with, right?!?" 
*Sigh*  

...around

Just some going-ons in our neck of the woods.

It took a while, but the dogs are starting to adjust to our new schedule.  For the longest time, they were programmed to know that if I let them out of there kennels in the morning, then that meant that I wasn't working for the day.  Now, since Kyle works at 9am and I don't go in til 10am, I take care of the dogs in the morning.  They are so excited when I let them out in the morning because they figure that I am home for the day, and then they watch me get ready for work, and as soon as I slide on my shoes in unison they stand up and head into there kennels.  I feel so bad!  Here I am giving Lucy a pep talk and reassuring her that we will be back, man oh man how we love our little dogs. 

And, as I was getting ready for work Monday morning, this was the scene that greeted me outside my bedroom window.  "It's Bbbaaaccckkk!" Agh, I guess its the right time of year for our first termination dust, aka snow, but hopefully we will make it to the weekend before any of it hits at street level. 

Are you ready for winter?

Thoughtful change

After some thoughtful discussion, I have decided to change in my kitchen work station for a computer and desk. I am not completely leaving the culinary world, sheesh!...I still cook plenty at home and for friends, but jointly we agreed that it would be best for our household if I were to go to a more reliable job field.

Its not that I am burned out, but the food service industry is highly unreliable. I have been with the current restaurant for 3 years. Even with being hired full time, during the off winter season its hard to even make 6 hour work days let alone 10 hour supervisor shifts. And to be honest, getting up at 4am really sucks! There are other downsides of the food service industry that weren't imaginable until I worked in it. A fair amount of the kitchen staff is made of up people looking for a second chance, yep they marked that little box about criminal record on their application, and honestly a majority of the employees have addictions that spill into work and I really don't tolerate excessive absences or the employees with the long lists of made of excuses of why they can't make it on time or need to leave early every day. I earned a reputation at the restaurant, sadly not appropriate the nickname that was given for me, because I didn't tolerate the b/s. So, at a particularly low point of my working at the restaurant, I had a heart to heart talk with Kyle.

He always finds ways to amaze me, he will sit quietly and allow me to get out all of my frustrations and fears, and in return comforts me and supports me in any decision that I choose. Did I waste the last 6 years on a career that I am no longer pursuing? I haven't yet answered that myself and maybe it will never be resolved.

What I do know is that I am a bit giddy about my new job. I will get to sleep in til 7am, share rides with Kyle, take a real lunch break, I actually get to sit at my job, and the benefits are better than I have had in any restaurant.

And the best perk is that I work for the same organization that Kyle works fora:-)
Wish me luck!

Staying in

Recipe for a great night in:
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aaaaPlay time with the crazy Pugs
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aaaaCanning homemade Marinara
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aaaaDinner & Movie
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aaaaSpending time with the ones you love
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Here's to hoping that you enjoy your evenings staying in, I know that I do.

Stamp out Hunger

Saturday, May 9th, is the annual postal service food drive. For more information, click HERE.

This was a great excuse to organize my pantry and to donate for a good cause. Check out my donation pile, I didn't think that it was that much food until I had to bag it all up.

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It feels good to know that my frugal shopping will benefit those less fortunate. Even with all of this food pulled from my pantry, you would have never guessed it, as my pantry remains stocked full.

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So, Don't forget to put out your non-perishable food donation, May 9th, you'll feel great about it...I PROMISE!!

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For Kyle...

With Kyle's birthday on Sunday I was trying to figure out what to get him. He didn't ask for or really need anything so I had to become creative.
A musician whom we discovered several years back just so happened to be playing on Sunday, lucky for me! I left Kyle in the dark and didn't reveal who we were seeing until we sat down to watch the show.









The show was great and Jake was gracious in staying around to meet anyone that wanted to chat with him. You can check out Jake Shimabukuro in the above videos, or at his website HERE, enjoy!
s

17 perish in Montana plane crash

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

This incident is the country's third major plane crash this year, you can read the full article HERE.
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*This happened in my hometown*
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Earth Day April 22nd

Just a little bit of inspiration. I definitely want to do my part to preserve what we have here on earth.a
So, what are you doing to be more green and earth friendly?
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Grateful

We have suffered our last night without heat, yippee! This morning it is -12 and I am having a new furnace installed as I speak/type this. The dogs had us up during the night as they were cold, against my better judgement I obliged by turning on a small heater and letting it run near there kennels, I know that it wasn't safe but it was really cold!
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Our saving grace through all of this was that the State of Alaska has a weatherization/home energy rebate program. The state set aside a good chunk of money for homeowners to make qualified upgrades to there home to increase the efficiency. The current wait list is over six thousand homes in the city of Anchorage. Anchorage has 6-7 energy raters with each of them able to rate up to 300 homes in a year (the rating takes 4 hrs per home). When we lost heat last week I called the AK housing corporation to get on the wait list, not realizing how long it was, and I ended up speaking to a nice man (obviously high up in the program as he authorized me on the phone), who bumped me to the top of the list since I was without heat. An energy rater visited our home on Saturday and was able to have our paperwork to us on the spot via his portable office, this I sent in on Monday and could finally get a furnace installed.
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The way the program works is through a point system. The standard home rates at a 4 stars with newer construction homes coming in around 5 stars. I am sad to say that our current home rating was a 1 Star plus, how depressing! The program pays you a higher amount for the repairs based on how many stars you increase your rating, so our furnace won't be covered 100% but any assistance is better than having to cover it completely out of pocket. Besides the need for a new furnace we found out that there is NO insulation in the crawl space and we have massive drafting issues around the outer walls of the home, and our current windows offer no insulation value as they are original to the home and it was built in 1983. The good news is that making even half of the improvements will at least double our efficiency.
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aaaYikes, 1 Star Plus

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aaaBlower door test

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aaaOut with the old

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aaaIn with the new

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I snuck a quick shot of the new furnace being installed, the installation tech still has a lot of work to do as he has to cut an access into our attic to attach new duct work for city code compliance.

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Chilly

I know that 45 Degrees doesn't sound that cold, considering that I live in Alaska, however once you realize that that is the current temperature inside my home then you know just why I've titled this post as chilly. Honestly chilly might be a nice way to put it, more like finger numbing, 3 layer wearing, soaking in the tub for over an hour freezing cold.

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I discovered the lack of heat yesterday, upon returning from work, I realized the balmy temperature inside my house. After fiddling with the thermostat, I checked the furnace to find that it wouldn't fire the burners. So, a really long story short is that my furnace is dead and gone and I am in need of a new one. Being the end of the week, and one of the coldest months of the year, I am finding it difficult for someone to replace it within a reasonable amount of time. So we will most likely be without a furnace for a minimum 6 days before it will be replaced unless I want to forfeit my first born in order to have it installed sooner. So for now, Kyle and I will survive with a couple of borrowed space heaters, getting up at 2am to warm blankets in the dryer, having lots of tasty warm drinks, and taking extra long showers.

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Aaaahhhhh... the joys of being a homeowner

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Temperature yesterday as I got home from work, definitely cold as our furnace should have kicked on at 64 Degrees.

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What are we really buying?

Some things to think about during the gift giving time of year.
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DIAMONDSaaaWe've all been there at one time or another; buying beautiful diamond jewelry for our loved one or for ourselves. But what most people don't know is just where that diamond comes from.
Blood diamond facts aaa

• More than half the world's diamonds come from Africa.
• Conflict diamonds account for 4-15% of the world total.
• Conflict areas include Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, & Angola.
• 60-65% of the world's diamonds are purchased in the U.S.

When buying diamonds, ask the jeweler for a certificate of origin to determine where the diamond was mined. Several years back I visited a national jewelry chain, whom I will not name, and I requested to see a certificate of origin on a ring I was interested in. They quietly asked me to leave the store, this was after I was adamant on seeing the certification before making a purchase, and I have not been back. The reason for the uproar was most likely due to the fact that they did not have country of origin certifications for some or all of there diamonds. To read more about blood diamonds click here, here, & here. Conflict diamond videos here, & here.

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FURaaaI've never had a desire to own a fur coat. I thought that they were beautiful and soft, but had no idea how the fur was harvested. Not all fur harvested is done through cruel methods, but why take the chance. China has the worst harvest methods involving cats and dogs, many whom have collars and are obviously a loved pet, are shamelessly sold for there fur. It is not uncommon for animals to be alive during the harvesting process. Fur is often dyed and sold as faux fur when in fact it is real fur. After reading several articles involving fur, and checking my closets thoroughly, I'm happy to report that my household is fur free!

To read more about fur and what you can do click here, & here. Videos on fur trade here, & here.
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CHOCOLATEaaaI must apologize in advance for ruining any one's day. I myself am a chocoholic and after reading recent news, I will be looking at the labels closer before I make my chocolate purchases. The bulk of chocolate is grown & initially processed in Africa in poor conditions with some or all forced labor of children that have been sold to work.

For more info regarding safe chocolate brands read here. Videos regarding slave chocolate is here, & here.
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Last minute personalized gift ideas

See that there? No not there, right here...
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Christmas is fast approaching, are you ready? I prefer to give homemade gifts for the holidays but due to lack of time or will power, I sometimes fail miserably and have to resort to actually having to buy something! Here are some online stores that you can purchase amazing personalized gifts, please be aware of delivery dates as we only have 13 shipping days til Christmas.
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Personalized Prints is an amazing store featuring beautiful artwork that is personalized with names or dates. I purchased a print for Kyle & I last year. I contacted the artist, Scott Kennedy, he was prompt in returning my email and you won't be disappointed in the work that he does. Here is the print that I purchased, but you can find a lot of styles on the website to choose from. I absolutely love the Chickadee print as it has a winter theme.

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aaaaaaaaaPersonal-Prints.com

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Over at Kodak Gallery you can choose from a variety of personalized gifts including mugs, ornaments, photo book, calendar, & cards. I picked up several photo books and some calendars a while back. I was impressed at the quality of the photo book's and how crisp the photos printed out. I am planning on doing a photo book of our furry dogs, I just haven't decided if I should do it now or later. Just a heads up that they will not proof-read your book so make sure names, dates, etc. are exact.

Have you ever seen a Welsh Love Spoon? These hand carved beauties are from Wales and are available in a wide variety of styles. You can personalize them with names and/or dates. I purchased one for our 5th Anniversary and was exactly what I had wanted. Check them out for yourself if you are looking for a truly unique gift.

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Fun Food Facts

In the process of earning my Culinary Degree, I learned a vast amount of foodie knowledge, some if it you may know and some of it you may not. Just some fun and interesting facts.

Smoked & dried jalapenos = Chipotle powder

Coriander seeds and Cilantro come from the same plant.

The great debate: Brown VS White
Do you know what the difference is between brown and white eggs?
Brown chickens lay brown eggs, and white chickens lay white eggs. Viola, mystery solved! A lot of people think that brown eggs are better for you and more organic, free range, yada yada yada... Eggs are not like bread where the whiter the item is the more processed it is.

1 Whole egg weighs 1.66oz
1 oz for the white
.66oz for the yolk
10 eggs (minus shell) = 1 Lb.

Little Miss Muffet who loved her curds & whey, by today's terms, would be eating her cottage cheese.

A truly french croissant has exactly three folds in the dough.

Is it a herb, or is it a spice?
Herb = Leafy parts of a plant
Spice = Bark, seeds, roots of a plant

Why is a hamburger called a hamburger when there is no ham in it? Origins date this tasty food back to Germany. In Hamburg, Germany beef was shredded and served raw. A curious chef decided to cook this shredded beef and thus the hamburger was born. The name is in honor of the city it originated from, or so the story goes.

Mealy VS Waxy Potatoes
Mealy = Russet's, or any variety of baking potatoes. You will know a mealy potato by the flesh crumbling after cooking.
Waxy = Red potatoes or any variety of firm potato. These potatoes will hold their shape after cooking and work best in potato salads, soups and more.
*A good in between potato is Yukon Gold as they will work well as a baked potato and perfectly fine in potato salads.*

If you live in Britain;
Chips = Fries
Crisps = Potato Chips

SPAM = Spiced Ham

Pork Butt is not from the butt of a pig, but is actually from the shoulder. LOL...don't you just love those confusing terms!

Alaskan winters

I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is just two weeks away, yikes!

View of downtown Anchorage

Swans at Potter's Marsh

Bohemian Waxwing

Frozen window

Now is the time of year when I really realize why I enjoy living in Alaska. I am an avid photographer and wherever I go, I have at least one camera with me. With us moving in spring 2009, to Wisconsin, this will be our last winter to enjoy Alaska. Alaska has to be the only place where you can be late to work due to a moose in your yard or one walking down the street, and it actually happens here! I take photos daily, but I have yet to capture a decent photo of the ever elusive Aurora Borealis. Not to mention the challenge this poses as the Aurora isn't fully visible til aftern 11pm and it peaks around 1-2am, and I have to be up for work at 4am so it doesn't really work with my sleep schedule!

We are discussing the possibility of our christmas gift, to each other, to be a trip to Chena Hot Springs where the Aurora Borealis is seen almost nightly during the winter months. The Alaskan Railroad runs to Fairbanks, this takes a day, then spending one night in Fairbanks with the following day taking a snow coach to Chena Hot Springs. Chena is known for its Ice Museum and Hot Springs. For a fee, a professional photographer will take you out to photograph the Aurora, as you stay out all night sipping hot cocoa and watching the northern skies, sounds fun to me!

**Click HERE to see pictures from Chena Hot Springs including the Ice Museum, and the Aurora Borealis.**