Ree's Tutorial

Ok Midlife Slices, here ya go! Good thing I bookmarked it, yeah, that is funny, I bookmark EVERYTHING.

Here it is:

http://www.wepc.com/blog/view/6379/Blogging_College__Class_1__Eight_Steps_to_a_Succesful_Blog

I couldn't believe I found this, I was just playin around, I am surprised that she hasn't put it on her website yet, can't wait for the other installments!

All right I figured out my first contest!

Well. reading Ree Drummond's tutorial on doing a blog, I was reading what others wrote in response, it gave me the PERFECT idea for my giveaway contest!

So here it goes, but, first what is the giveaway?

I have decided to giveaway an apron (shown below) from my collection, I sold these and many other items at craft shows and I thought it would be a nice little gift.

Now for the contest:

I have decided to ask the question:

Do you like music on someone's blog?

I have been thinking of removing my music from my blog and I wanted to get your opinions on this matter.

The contest will run until Tuesday May 12th. Then I will randon pick the winner with the help of Woody, as long as he doesn't eat the strips of paper it will be written on!

I look forward to hearing from you and to see what you have to say!

Good luck!

My Picaboo Book arrived!

As I said yesterday, (I said a lot yesterday) I was waiting on my book that I made from our trip to San Diego. I have been wanting to do a book for forever, but let's face it, I am great at getting started but lousy at completing a lot of things, actually more than I am comfortable with, which has been a life long battle with myself.

But when I do complete something, it is usually fantastic, even if I say so myself.

I found out about these books a few years ago when we are on vacation in Cozumel. Met a really nice couple and they were telling me how they put their scuba diving adventures into a book. I thought scapbooking, but they said no, an actual book, with front cover and spine. No way! Well I got home and quickly looked up the sites they recommended. I have them all, Snapfish, Picaboo, Adorama Pix and a few others that I don't remember.

So, again, the start is good with them all, but sit after a while. I have been working and reworking on my trip to Europe for two years and there it sits.

But when The Pioneer Woman put in for a giveaway for Snapfish, I thought why not, I am going to San Diego and what a perfect opportunity to get off my butt and do this!

So, I came home and got onto Snapfish and started the book and ACTUALLY finised it! Now, comes the heartache, the server was way overloaded it and it would not accept it! For days I tried, until I got aggravated with it and went over to Picaboo and did a book over there and FINISHED it! I EVEN ordered it and paid for it, too!

I like Picaboo better than Snapfish because of the different backgrounds, cover of the book, and the different number and placement of photos.

So, here ya go, these are just a few pictures of my first book! What a priceless gift to give someone. If you need some help, I'll be more than happy to assist you anyway I can.

Mother's Day is Sunday, so it is too late, but what about Father's Day? Graduation? Fourth of July get together? A family reunion? A birthday? A girls get together? A bride's journey from her engagement to her wedding day? See what I mean, you have a camera, you have a book!

Let me know what you think, I love this!

Excuse the nails, oops! Construction NEVER ends at my house

I found the ROOSTER!

Well one anyway, how did I do it? Like I said earlier, I have 17 chickens, I am in my office outside (AKA office, Storage area, chicken feed room) and heard what could be (NOOOO) a crow, not a good crow but a crow non the less.

I stopped in my tracks and thought, there is no way we have a rooster, then when I moved some papers around I heard it again, third time and then a fourth time! CRAP! So I went over to the pen and sat their for a long while thinking I would pick out the rooster. NOPE! I even crowed a few times to see if I could get a noise out of him, NOTHING! So after about 45 minutes I left. A couple of hours later, Andy came home and he met me out there and I was telling him my story, however, when I crowed (showing him) my FAVORITE rooster stretched out his neck and crowd!

Well now what, I have to get rid of the rooster, so I stopped by some feed stores today, put an ad out for a free 4 month old rooster. I am going on Craigs List next. Poor CC, I really did love her, hum, him.

I have decided to get on the blog give away!

I have been thinking about doing a give away for some time now. I went into my office (outside) and realized I have a lot of things that I could give away in a contest.

So now I have to come up with an idea for the give away....thanks to oz girl for her help with this.

Stay tuned for my give away contest!

I finally got pics from last weekend in San Diego posted!

We are at the Sheraton Hotel left is Jo, Stephanie and me! Last time we were all together we were in Aruba!




What an incredible weekend!

We went to San Diego for a family get togeather and boy was it fun!

I arranged to have a FULL weekend of site seeing, golf an overnight stay on a yacht with a cruise of the San Diego Harbor.
Here is the gang, what good sports to wear these fun hats!












This picture was taken as we were leaving the harbor, top is Jo (visiting from Minnesota) me and Gayle. Below is Lance and Andy.

This cruise actually lasted three hours, the sunset was incredible!






Here is the harbor view from our hotel room

I made BREAD in five minutes---Artisan Bread in Five Minutes

Beautiful bread!

I have all but given up on making bread. I live in the mountains at 7,0000 feet elevation. I have tried and tried to make bread, using the bread machine and the traditional methods. I have bought many bread books and even high altitude books trying unsuccessfully in making bread, better yet, I did make yeast bricks!

But in reading different blogs, I have learned many magical things, one of them is to make bread, glorious artisan bread.

What is Artisan Bread? It is the bread that is hard and crusty on the outside with soft and airy on the inside. YUM!!!!

So, after reading Salt and Chocolate's blog, ( I have her saved on my blog) I was tempted and thought ok, let's give this another try, what the heck. I could have gotten the recipe off the internet, but I am a cookbook nut, and ordered the book off of Amazon. The title is called "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes".

Got the cookbook and tried it as soon as I got home, stopped by the store before to pick up yeast, after all, why would I need yeast if I couldn't make anything rise in this altitude?

All I have to say is that it WORKED!!! Andy and Alex said it was the BEST bread that they have every tried! I have to agree, it was the best! Above all, it is just not one loaf, it makes enough for four! Also, it stays in your fridge for up to two weeks, so if you just have the notion to make a loaf of fresh bread for dinner, no problem.

So, take my advise, get this book, it will change your perception of baking bread I promise! Drop me a note and let me know how it comes out!

I will be posting on how to make lemon curd once I tackle that too. I love Salt and Chocolate's blog! It has opened my eyes to being adventurous! I am still wanting to make Bakerella's cake pops, just don't live anywhere that a cake supply or a Micheal's is near by, have to make a date and go and get the stuff, Lesa made it look like fun, check out her blog as well. "It's all about me". She and I have become friends and I really have fun with her!

So off to get the day started, get out there and try something new! Carpe Diem!

I got proposed to yesterday!

Hey everybody!

Life has been crazy here the last couple of weeks, like that is anything new, huh?

Well, I have been volunteering at the elementary school for the kindergarten class a couple days a week. It came about when one of the members of church passed away suddenly and she was he T/A at this class. The kindergarten teacher asked if anyone could help her out the following week due to the sensitive nature of the T/A not being there and if the kids had a hard time with her loss that there would be other people to assist.

I volunteered for one day. I thought that was enough. When she sat with the kids to tell them what happened and asked the kids what they were thinking, well, the things that came out of their little mouths brought tears to my eyes and laughter to my heart. Some kids said "We could write her a letter" and another said "We could draw her a picture" another said "We could cry"
another said "We could bring her a toy". Truly heart warming. Then in the middle of all of this one child raised his hand and said " My turtle died and he's not coming back". That did it! Tears were flowing. Perception of life from a child, priceless.

So three weeks later I am still volunteering now out of selfishness. These kids are a hoot. I brought treats in for them and they screamed with joy! Yea, cookies!!!!! Boy would I love to have that kind of reaction when I cooked dinner! Who hooo dinner, (jumping up and down! can you see it now with Andy and Alex) Not. Anyway....

I was on the floor tying a shoe for a child when arms wrapped around my neck from behind and I hear the words "I love you" from a little boy. I said " I love you too". Then he yells I am going to marry you!! Again, three times he yells that jumping up and down. I asked when are we getting married, he says "SOON!!!" Then I asked him "Where are we going to live?" and with this disgusted voice he huffs "America?!!!" Like I had no clue we were going to live in the US?? What is wrong with me?

That is why I like going a couple times a week. again priceless!

People ask me if I am nuts to be around 16 little kids. Yes, it is a lot of work but I am truly enjoying it. My hat is off to the teacher, I can't believe she would pick this career to be in, WAY too much work!

If you have the chance to volunteer at a school with little kids, try it for a morning or so, you truly might be surprised how much fun it can be!

Woody at Easter!

MIL with Woody, Oh no he's not on the couch!
This is my favorite picture of him!
What is his puppy doing up his butt?!

Great pictures, I just had to post them, he is such a great dog! Again, what is that puppy doing up his butt?