Blogger ABC's

Found this at Mel's blog... And since I haven't been blogging much I thought I'd just do something quick to get back into it. I haven't even been turning my computer on much lately! I am not sure why. I can check my email from my phone so I haven't had a real desire to turn it on. And yesterday was so beautiful that I spent the whole day outside with the little one. Today it is raining and cold so back to blogging...

A. Age: 35

B. Bed size: King

C. Chore you hate: Ironing. I avoid it as long as possible.

D. Dogs: Had. Died. Miss my Cosmo. Want another- but not yet.

E. Essential start to your day: Stretch and work out most days.

F. Favorite color: All shades of blue and turquoise

G. Gold or silver: Silver. Gold does not look good on my skin tone

H. Height: 5'4 1/2"

I. Instruments: I can't read music but I faked my way through a couple of years of violin and french horn in grade school.

J. Job title: Create at home mom

K. Kids: 1 4 year old son, AJ

L. Live: Wausau, Wisconsin

M. Mom’s name: Janet

N. Nicknames: Nic, Nickel, and a couple others that I can't tell you... ;)

O. Overnight hospital stays: Other than going into the ER at 10 pm and not coming out until 3 am for food poisoning in San Diego, no.

P. Pet peeve: Several. Too many to name... A couple- smoking in general, calling me Nikki, misspelled words, poor grammar...

Q. Quote from a movie: Really from a book but it is in the movie! "You have bewitched me body and soul and I love, love, love you" and "Yes. A thousand times yes" from Pride and Prejudice. "I've got a good idea. Let's pretend that we are real human beings." and "A pool and a pond. A pond would be good for you. Natural spring water." Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) in Caddyshack

R. Right or left handed: Right.

S. Siblings: Two older brothers

T. Time you wake up: Depends on the day... 5:15 Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 6:25 Mondays and Thursdays and up in the air on the weekends.

U. Underwear: Indeed.

V. Vegetables you dislike: Brussel Sprouts. There are probably many others.

W. What makes you run late: AJ dilly dallying. Me putzing around. Thinking I have way more time than I do.

X. X-Rays you’ve had: My teeth and skull. Probably my foot when I stuck it in the spokes of a bike when I was little.

Y. Yummy food you make: I am a baker. Everything is yummy! I do have a few standouts though. I generally get rave reviews! I also make a couple different lasagnas that are delish.

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: The elephants. But I liked the kangaroos at the last zoo I was at. I just say no to the goats. ;)

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday... Double Dose

Play along here.

{one} what was your first job?I was 14 and a hostess at a Friday Night Fish Fry at the public golf club.

{two} have you ever seen a stand up comedian?Been to a few shows here and there. Usually drinking some fruity blended drink because they put a minimum on it. A friend had a Sweet 16 party at Second City in Chicago once upon a time ago as well.

{three} when was the last time you played mini golf?Saturday! Seriously. The little one and I were vacationing in Gulf Shores, Alabama and since it was so nice out, we went. He wanted to go again but I put the kibosh on that. There is only so much I can take. I beat my parents too.

{four} what was the last picture you took?AJ at the zoo on Sunday I think. We even got to hold a baby kangaroo.

{five} burnt food: yes or no?Ewwww.
{six} if you have a pocket full of change, what do you do with it?It usually goes in AJ's helicopter bank unless it is a quarter than it goes in a gumball machine or parking meter.

{seven} can you touch your tongue to your nose?No. My tongue isn't that flexible! ;)

{eight} do you scrapbook?Yes and no. That is a hard one for me to answer. My studio looks like a scrapbooking store but...

{nine} do you buy lottery tickets?Waste of money.

{ten} do you prefer to be in front of the camera or behind it?
A mix of both. BUT I am more often behind it than in front of it.

{eleven} if you won a trip to Disneyland/world, who would you take with you?Steve and AJ. We may head there sometime in the near future. It is being discussed. Steve and I have been there several times together and love it!

{twelve} when was the last time you listened to a CD?I listen to mix CDs in my car. So... this afternoon. And I got a CD from my Jaynie this afternoon so I am about to put it on my computer.

{thirteen} what spice/seasoning is your favorite?That's hard to narrow down! I am a fan of garlic and I use it the most probably.

{fourteen} if you were in a band, what kind of music would you play?Classic Rock, hands down.

{fifteen} if you could have personally witnessed one historical event, which one would it be?I have NO idea. The signing of the Declaration of Independence would be a major patriotic rush. A WWII vet standing at the memorial in DC and hearing his story (still barely obtainable, I suppose).

{sixteen} if you could go back to school, what would you study?Art and graphic design. I never thought that you could really be graded in art but the skill base is essential.

{seventeen} if you could go to one sporting event, all expenses paid, which one would you see?I saw the Badgers in the Rose Bowl this year which would be it and I would rather go there than the Super Bowl but I think I will pick the Cubs in a really good seven game World Series.

{eighteen} do you drive an automatic or a manual?Automatic. I am not that good with a manual.

{nineteen} are you comfortable speaking in front of people?I can do it but I am not crazy about it.

{twenty} have you ever experienced an earthquake?Nope. Hope I never have to!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday...

Play along here!

{one} do you always wear your seatbelt in the car?Absolutely. Even from parking lots that are connected. People drive like idiots.

{two} do you crack your knuckles?Yes.

{three} what is your favorite flavor of gum?Orbit Bubble Gum Mint flavor

{four} what is your favorite piece of jewelry that you own?Fancy- My engagement ring- it has a cool triangle shaped diamond; Sentimental- the bracelet AJ made for me last Mother's Day- all random beads; Funky- my Peruvian Opal organic pendant. Big, chunky and funky.

{five} who is your best friend?

I have several. All for different reasons and times in my life.

{six} what is your favorite smell?Bounce fabric softener sheets, campfire, lavender and hyacinth

{seven} what is your favorite lunch meat?Rotisserie chicken breast.
{eight} do you still have your tonsils?Yep. They have never been an issue for me.

{nine} do you untie your shoes before you take them off?No. And the backs of my shoes show it!

{ten} what color is your car?Blue

The it's Friday, I'm in love series

Well, it's Friday so it's time to tell you what I am in love (and not so much in love with at the end...) with this week...

1. Bloggers uniting for a blogger friend and her family...

Remember Summer? She is this awesome, awesome gal over at b is for.... brown, breathe & believe. Her daddy is down in Louisiana while she is in NYC. He has stage 3 lung cancer and was in remission but did some cautionary brain radiation which has effected him worse than all the chemo and chest radiation combined. What's worse is that the oil spill left him without a job and he lives quite a ways from the hospital where he has his treatments. So Summer started 'A Dollar and a Card for Daddy' to help cheer him up and ease the stress of paying for gas to go to treatments. She is a good soul and I pray for a speedy recovery for her daddy and her heart. I sent my card of to Butch yesterday with a fiver because it's the least I could do. Head over to her site to get his address to send him a card and a dollar! Make his (and her) day!

2. Jeans & sweatshirt weather!! I love the 60s- degrees that is!

3. Best of... in our local free paper, City Pages...

This annual survey cracks me up and makes me wonder. My favorite local restaurant, Basil, took the #1 spot for both 'Best New Restaurant' and 'Most Creative Cuisine'. Yum, yum, I love me some Basil! It doesn't hurt that we are friends with the owners and their daughter is one of our #1 babysitters. There is continuously one restaurant (uhmmm... 2510... uhmmm) on there that places in different categories that I just don't understand Wausau's fascination with. I think they are offering their customers a percentage off if they vote for them. Anyway, they have some funny categories on there like 'Grossest Bathrooms' where Wal-Mart tied for 2nd with porta potties. Hey, I won't go to the bathroom at Wal-Mart...

4. Filling my etsy shop with more to come. Go visit, NOW!! :)

5. An organized office!!

I cleaned and organized all my paper and whatnots this past weekend! Yay!! It was out of control in here.

6. Polito's Pizzeria's Garlic Knots...

Hell yeah. And after Wednesday night's gorge fest I will not eat another one for 3 months. Not because I don't want to but because of P90x. Which starts on Sunday. Which scares the bijimminies out of me. But I keep thinking of my super svelte bod in 3 months time and I will persevere!

7. It's Artrageous in Wausau this weekend.

This is my favorite weekend in this town! Tonight we will be hosting a table at the Woodson Art Museum's dinner after the preview of the 35th Annual Birds In Art Exhibit. We have two very talented artists at our table that I will tell you all about next week! Saturday I am going to the Festival of Arts with my mom after the Farmer's Market (gotta stock up the veggies for next week!). Sunday we are going to the Rib Mountain Fire Station Open House which AJ is pumped for. Nice little weekend, huh? Not sure if we'll get to Bed Bath & Beyond or Home Depot though. Don't know if we'll have any time. Hahaha...

Oh and one thing I don't love so much... Blogger's annoying spacing thing has got me frustrated!

Beautiful Blogger Award

Thank you to Mel at Chicago Girl Gone Mild for a lovely award once again! I feel like she's the only one who reads my blog sometimes... How can I change that? You know how much I like Mel's blog since I mention her all the time!

The rules are as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and insert a link to their blog.
2. Pass on the award to 15 other bloggers that you think are great.
3. Contact the other bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.
4. List 7 random things about yourself.


7 Bloggers (because I can't come up with 15...)-

• tea, afghans & photographs
• Majer Minutes
• Whimsy Love
• Paske Family
• Jones Family
• Magic Onions
• Operation NICE

7 random things about me (I am picking new ones that you haven't heard before)-

1. I am obsessed with recycling. I will bring a bottle home before I'd throw it in a garbage can. Las Vegas was disheartening because of the lack of recycling and the need for it there.
2. My favorite charity is Special Olympics.
3. I like to do quizzes and questionaires about myself. Stuff like this! :)
4. My absolute favorite book is Pride & Prejudice, I would have loved to have lived in the English countryside in the early 1800s.
5. I wear socks to bed- my feet are like ice cubes. I miss Cosmo (our old dog) most at night because he used to sleep in my legs and keep my feet warm.
6. I love coconut. Almond Joys are my favorite candy bar. Nestle used to make toasted coconut Treasures (similar to Hershey's Nuggets) that were divine. The cookie recipe on the back of the bag- awesome!
7. If I could have one super power, it would be to snap my fingers and be instantly transported anywhere. How cool would it be to have dinner in San Francisco and dessert in Paris and be back home to sleep in your own bed?!?!?

Happy 101

Mel at Chicago Girl Gone Mild listed my little blog as one that brightens her day. Maybe it would brighten Mel's day even more if I updated it once in awhile! Thanks girl!! :)


The Rules:
1. List 10 things that make you happy.
2. List 10 blogs that brighten your day.

10 Things That Make Me Happy

1. My boys (MOST of the time...) ;)
2. Compliments on my work/creativity
3. Fresh, clean sheets (my husband and I talk about this all day on clean sheet day until bedtime... I don't know why making the bed doesn't work the same way but it just doesn't!)
4. When my little boy says, 'Love you, momma.'
5. Doing something nice for other people when they aren't expecting it
6. Baking a fabulous dessert (I'm not a huge dessert person but I love to make them for others. I do like chocolate though!)
7. Art fairs
8. Stumbling onto something that you absolutely need, want, love or is just perfect for a project, etc. (this happened to me recently with a website/CD that is so cool for a project I am doing!)
9. Really, really good food and wine
10. A book that I can't put down or a song that is played on a continuous loop

10 Blogs That Brighten My Day (in no particular order... BUT #1 is #1!!) :)

1. Lipowski Family (I know, I know- I write it! I love it b/c it has pictures of my family on it though!!)
2. Chicago Girl Gone Mild (I know she gave me this post but her blog is one of my faves!)
3. Crafty Crow
4. Whimsy Love
5. Paisley Wallpaper
6. Operation Nice
7. The Magic Onions
8. Majer Minutes
9. Hostess with the Mostess
10. Blue Yonder Ranch

Happy 1 year anniversary to me!

So 1 year ago today I decided that 2 blogs weren't enough and started this one. So I say Happy Anniversary to me. Guess what? I am doing the exact same thing on New Year's Eve that I was doing last year- blogging, editing pictures and trying to catch my breath. I don't particularly care for New Year's Eve. People feel forced to have fun and stay up late. The service is usually slow and sub-par. It is generally icy or snowy out in these parts. It just feels fake to me. Maybe it is because I have never really had an awesome New Year's, maybe it is in my genes as my mom doesn't like it either, I don't know. It is a day of reflection more than anything for me. I'd much rather stay home and spend a normal night with my family and be hangover free tomorrow.

Anyway, I did have a list of goals for 2009- some of which were achieved and some that weren't... Here was my list for 2009:

1. 15 new card designs for My Pepita's Magic *
2. Read 15 novels *
3. Try a new recipe once a week *
4. Go to church at least two Sundays per month
5. Make at least one silver piece
6. Clean out the storage room *
7. Throw an awesome fairy party *
8. Build a fairy house in the woods behind our house
9. Paint the new office, basement, downstairs bathroom and AJ's room *
10. Hang our artwork *
11. Try one felted project
12. Keep up with 3 blogs *
13. Do one scrapbook
14. Do something a little rock star

Well, the asterisks indicate which ones I did... But number 9 gets a half of an asterisk- I didn't paint the downstairs bathroom because I actually decided to keep it the color it is for awhile anyway and I have yet to paint AJ's room. I did try a new recipe once a week for the most part- sometimes it was 2 in one week if I didn't get to it the previous week. I even made a new delish casserole tonight! I cleaned out the storage room BUT it is a great big mess once again! This summer was crazy busy so I didn't get a chance to build the fairy house. And the rock star thing that I want to do I may still do... just in 2010. I need my girl, Kendra's help with it and I think she might do this with me too. My husband will probably kill me but- oh well! :)

My 2010 list is not ready yet but I will probably have some of the goals from 2009 that I didn't get a chance to do on it. Look for my list in January!

Some of my favorite combinations

These things are just very appealing to me and maybe they are to you too. We'll see...

* The color chocolate brown & any pastel (really with any color...)
* Blue jeans & a white T-shirt (I wear this way too often...)
* Lay's Kettle Cooked Original Potato Chips & Claussen Kosher Dill Pickles- I love it when the pickle juice gets into the chip. So yummy. My little one has also taken a shine to this combo. He 'dips' his chips into the pickle!
* Pretzels and M&M's
* Chocolate & peanut butter
* A medium-rare filet mignon & a really good glass of Cabernet
* Aged sharp cheddar cheese & my mouth (my favorite is Hook's 12 year but it is too expensive to buy for everyday)
* A Vienna hot dog (or corned beef) & Plochman's yellow mustard
* George & Brad & Matt (I love the Ocean movies)
* Blue cheese & a medium rare hand-patted hamburger
* Peanut butter & honey & strawberries
* Turquoise & red & lime
* Mixing LoWeR & uPpeR caSe LetteRs in eveRyday handwRiting
* The scents of grapefruit & lemongrass together (Dove makes a nice bodywash with these two)

I am sure there are more that I love but just haven't thought of yet.