Wordless Wednesday - It's Big

That's my standard coffee cup in which I have my morning coffee.

We will be able to pull these from the garden for the 

next three months. 

It's actually the my favorite thing that we grow. 

(Well, besides the raspberries.)

I love that these overwinter in the ground here!

**************************

Did you enter our

Stocking Stuffer Giveaway?

Click HERE to do so!

It ends Sunday...

(If you've already entered, you can tweet it again - just go back and leave a comment for another entry)

***Ally

Tweet

10 Things I Want To Accomplish Before Christmas - Monday Listicles

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along or create your own!

I'm a rebel again - went my own way on the topic. But there are some awesome pictures out there linked up with Monday Listicles today - go check them out!


1. I want to let go of control of my decorations. The Boy and The Girlfriend took it upon themselves to decorate both her house and ours this weekend. (Yes, my teenager is a little nerdy. Shush.) At first I was thrilled - way less work for me! But then things kept going on the wrong places and different ways.... if you have even a little control freak in you, you'll know what I was feeling.  **Gotta let go and let them do it. There is no wrong way.** is my new mantra.

2. I want to attend a dinner, a guild meeting and three Christmas parties (all organization or work related) and not let anyone see me in the same outfit twice. I don't have that many clothes for this stuff, ya'll.

3. I want to walk out of the office holiday dinner party thinking the agent that shares my husband's office is a lot less of an a** than I think he is currently.

4. I want to go buy our tree in anything other than pouring rain. Just once. Because my luck is notoriously bad in this department. But you know, I have a great northwest rain jacket, just in case.

5. I want to step away from the temptation of all things chocolate, iced, frosted or creamy and containing hundreds of extra calories and zit producing sugar. (Chocolate, cookies, fudge and soy peppermint mochas, especially.)

6. I want to bake fun treats and give them all away. See #5.

7. I want my shopping done by the 5th so I can just enjoy the rest of the month. Window shopping and decoration and light viewing is so much fun when you aren't on the look out for that "perfect" gift or desperate enough for ANY gift.

8. I want to get through the holidays without any melt-downs from the SIL. We're coasting in neutral territory right now, and it would be oh-so-pleasant if that could continue!

9. I want my son and husband to not lose interest before it's time to put 1000 lights and 697 ornaments on the tree. (I might be exaggerating the number of ornaments by 3 or 4 hundred.)

10. I want to do what I aim for every year with varying success - to enjoy the season, the sights, the cheer, family and friends, and my little family of 3.

***Ally
Tweet

She Is So Sweet

Have you ever read someone else's description of your blog and wondered who they were talking about? As in, Is she really talking about me?

That's how I felt when Rachel at Totally Ovar It gave this blog an award, along with 4 other wonderful bloggers.

Liebster is a German word meaning beloved or favorite. Sweet, right? Thank you, Rachel. You ROCK! If you don't read Rachel, go now. Well, okay, go when you finish here. She can rock a haiku, writes from the heart, is honest and genuine, and a sweetheart, too.

So I'm supposed to pick 5 blogs, pass on the award, and you're supposed to do the same. The thing is? My son just pulled out all my Christmas decorations; I'm wondering why I posted all those family pics on facebook because now I don't have one to use for our Christmas cards that everyone hasn't seen; I have a dinner, a meeting and three Christmas parties in the next two weeks and I'm trying to figure out what to wear so no one sees me in the same thing twice and I don't have that many clothes; and I'm still trying to figure out what to blog about. You get the idea. I know that I am not alone as we stare December in the face.

So I'll say this: If you are reading this blog, I guarantee you I'm reading your blog. And I love the blogs I read. So if you are so inclined to pass on some blog love, please help yourself to the above button and pass away! There are a lot of deserving folks out there. Make someone's day, as this award made mine.

Thank you again, Rachel!

***Ally
Tweet

Stocking Stuffer GIVEAWAY

First, this is not a sponsored giveaway. I have nothing to gain, but to move some extra "stuff" out of my house and make some room in my armoire. And I'm not giving away a washer and dryer or an iPad or anything else of that caliber. Just a little cheer for the holidays.

I've always thought it would be awesome to do an 'unwanted gift exchange party'. Everyone could bring one or two of those gifts that they received with great intentions, but couldn't use for whatever reason, and then do a big swap with others in the same situation. But how do you pull that off with potentially offending the giver?

Instead, I decided to do a little giveaway! Times are tight. I've been reading so many blogs talking about this, and I've lived some of my own penny pinching the last couple of years.  So maybe someone is wishing they had a little extra to stuff a stocking, give a coworker or a friend a gift, or a little something for themselves. Well this is for you. It's kind of a little way to Pay It Forward.

#1 - Pamper Pack

1 - beaded pink and tan necklace

1 - silver frame holiday ornament

1 - Burt's Bees Deep Pore Scrub

1 - sweet little candle holder with a wire & bead lady bug on top 

(sorry the picture doesn't show it well! It's quite cute!)

#2 - Coffee and Warmth

1 - Terra ceramic reusable travel cup

1 - $5 Starbucks gift card

1 - magnetic list pad

1 - black ear warmers from Land's End

I'd love to tell you to follow me here on GFC, or email subscribe, or follow me on Twitter, but I won't. Of course, I'd be mighty appreciative if you did. But I want to keep this easy. Two ways to enter:

First: Leave a comment telling me if you want to enter for #1 or #2. 

Second: Tweet this giveaway. Leave a comment with the tweet URL, and don't forget to say if you are entering for #1 or #2. You can do this up to TWICE a day!

Use this tweet or write your own:
#Win a Stocking Stuffer #Giveaway at Two Normal Moms. Ends 12/4 http://twonormalmoms.blogspot.com/2011/11/stocking-stuffer-giveaway.html

(yes, enter both ways, enter multiple times for multiple tweets!)

***Make sure your comment links to your contact info, or include your email!***

Giveaway ends 12/4 so I can get them to you in plenty of time for the holidays!

That's it. Easy-peasy.

***Ally

Tweet

Time For Some Cheer

I was leaning down pulling something from a freezer case in the grocery store, while holding the freezer door open, when an arm invaded my personal space, reaching past my hand, banging my arm and grabbing some unknown food item that apparently was so vitally important to have that very second that ALL common decency and politeness simply flew out the window. (Let it be known, I had been there for 3.5 seconds. I was not loitering, taking up valuable space, or keeping people from reaching their desired food items. Please picture this event - I've opened the door, I'm reaching in, and someone reaches over the top of me through a door I'm holding.)

It was the icing on the cake in a fairly unpleasant day of crappy drivers, rude shoppers, patients who forgot their appointments with me, and pouring, drenching, freaking rain that in itself made me want to hide under a blanket.

But it got me thinking. The holidays should bring out the best in us. Caring, compassionate, courteous, happy. Isn't that what we should be? Instead, I find people out in public being more rude, cranky and crabby. It makes me sad.

It also makes me realize that I can be irritated by it, or go out of my way to make others' experiences more pleasant. Simple things - holding the door, offering a smile or a cheerful greeting, maybe a compliment. Just maybe those little things could be enough to turn someone else's mood around - making our experiences in the world that day a little better for all of us.

Just a thought.

***Ally
Tweet

PS - that first sentence might quite possibly be the longest one you read today. Just sayin'.

Party Success & Monday Listicles

Hubs 50th Birthday party was a great success. The Pub theme went down well and it was a great time. We don't usually do birthdays up, but I couldn't let 50 pass by for him. So glad we did this!

I wish I had taken more pictures of the set up, as this doesn't really show it very well. I rented four high cafe tables, pushed back the living room furniture and moved the dining room table against one wall to make room, then we scattered the tables throughout those two areas. I covered them in black table cloths, placed a large empty craft beer bottle, a bowl of pretzels, a scattering of peanuts in the shell and a small candle on each table.

Chalkboard Menu

On Tap was Hub's Homebrew Beer - three varieties.

I ordered cheap plain coasters off ebay, then ordered

a custom stamp and stamped them. I also did some with just a 

small beer stamp and had them in a basket with some sharpies

for guests to write birthday wishes on.

Though I didn't expect to like these cupcakes, they were 

amazing! And because we had a couple of gluten free guests,

I did some frosting shots just for them! (I'm supposed to 

be wheat free [not celiac], but cheated. It was worth it.)

More table decorations. I created a pub sign, and printed

some vintage beer ads. We also scattered beer bottle

caps around between all the food trays.

The other cupcakes - also delicious!

The cupcake display.

Our little family. The Birthday Boy doesn't look 50, 

does he? Lucky guy :)

Not all these ideas were my originals. Where did I get these great ideas and recipes? 

So Wonderful, So Marvelous - here and here.

Miss Make - here.

Hostess with the Mostess - here.

And because I don't want to miss a Monday Listicles, here's a list of 10 things that can make life interesting while setting up for, and having, a party:

1. After Hubs painstakingly cleaned the kitchen floor, a gladware container of greasy chicken broth got knocked out of the fridge, broke when it hit the floor and sent broth everywhere. Did I mention greasy broth?

2. While using the beaters on the sticky egg whites for the frosting, the plug fell out of the wall stupid outlet. In my mental distraction, I lifted the beaters as I reached over to plug it back in, sending white sticky frosting spraying everywhere. Including all over me.

3. The beer drinkers all decided to drink the homebrew, leaving us with two cases of bottled beer left over.

4. Based on past experiences, I bought more white than red wine. I still have five bottles of white that I bought, two bottles of white that people brought, and not a drop of red left. Not.A.Drop.

5. At least eight people that said they were coming, didn't show, including one couple who were on their way when their 19 year old son's girlfriend broke up with him and he "needed" them to be home with him.

6. Hubs made a last day decision to upload his entire, extensive music library to Google Music, which took from morning until well into the afternoon on the party day. He then discovered that a "playlist" will only hold 1,000 songs, and decided to go through his 5,000+ songs choosing music. He was still doing that at 6:20. The party started at 7. I was not yet dressed. Ahem.
7. As with many parties, it is sometimes odd to have your 'worlds' collide. What I mean by that is there were four very distinct groups of people he knows. It is funny to watch them interact.
8. The dog escaped her entrapment upstairs and went flying throughout the rooms of the party at about 60 miles per hour, never even stopping to greet anyone before being recaptured by The Boy and put back in isolation. Do not get the wrong idea, we just had a baby gate across the top of the stairs. No animal cruelty here. She just gets very, very excited to see people.
9. We have what seems like 55 cupcakes leftover. Which can't be true, because there were only 48 to begin with.
10. No matter how you spread the inviting tables around the house, people will congregate in the kitchen where the sound magnifies off the hard floors and surfaces and the decibel level will climb astronomically.

All in all, I'm thrilled with how things turned out. And so happy that some people came that I wasn't sure if they would - it was so great to see them!

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along (or create your own like I did today!)

Happy Monday!
***Ally
Tweet

Five Question Friday

I'm linking up with My Little Life for Five Question Friday.

1. Do you have a go to song that always puts you in a good mood?

You know, that varies with my mood! There's a handful of DMB songs that make me happy. Are You Gonna Be My Girl by Jet is another great one. Just try sitting still through that song. Songs that make you want to move - those make me happy. Marvin Gaye - Let's Get It On. Lenny Kravitz - American Woman. Aerosmith - Walk This Way. AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long (a great memory from my wedding reception). B-52's - just about anything. I'm sure I could think of many more. Again - it varies with my mood!

2. Are you a real Christmas tree kinda person or do you go with a real fake one?

This is a family debate right now. Well, not really a debate, more of a question we can't answer. A couple of years ago, we made the decision to go fake. Hubs went out the day after Christmas (and if you knew HOW much my husband hates to shop, you would know what a huge deal that is) and bought a great fake tree with lights, for a great discounted price. Unfortunately, they were colored lights. I'm a white lights on the tree kinda gal. So after two years of 'trying it', we sold it on Craigslist and went back to real (with my white lights). And now we are trying to decide - stay with real, or go after another fake one with white lights. 

As for the real - after years of spending WAY too much on a tree, we wen to our local hardware store, bought a $20 tree and it was beautiful. Learned a little lesson there.

3. What are you thankful for?

I'm thankful that Hubs has finally found full time work, even thought it is horrendous hours and commitment. I'm thankful we lasted through that very long unemployment period without going into debt. Things might be tight, but we are making it. I have hope that we'll eventually get back to 'normal'. I'm thankful for my awesome husband, the greatest kid ever, good health, family and the many, many blessings in my life.

4. Which fashion fad from the past do you wish you could wear today?

 I can honestly say that there isn't much I'd like to see come back. I grew up in the late 70's and early 80's. None of that needs to come back!

5. Do you wait until the "low fuel" light comes on before you fill up the gas tank?

Honestly? I panic when the low fuel light comes on. I think it's part of my ocd need to 'be prepared' that makes me want to fill up before it gets that low.

More about me than you ever wanted to know. I'm busy cleaning, preparing, cooking and baking today. Hubs' 50th Birthday Pub Party is tomorrow! I should have lots of pics next week.

***Ally

Tweet

No Changes

I like new things. I like learning new things. I like learning new ways to do things. I like change for the better.

I don't really like change just for the sake of change.

Like when gmail decides to update it's "look" with no real apparent reason for the change.

Facebook seems to do it all the time.

Or the new way to "scroll" on the new operating system for macs (Lion). They changed it to be like the iPad. So if you want to scroll down, you "push" the screen up. Opposite of what I've been doing for years. Except I don't use an iPad, I use a laptop with a trackpad. So it seems dumb. (I realize it's still new and I have to get used to it. Which I will. For now, it's still dumb.)

Of course, this no change for the sake of change rule doesn't apply when I'm rearranging furniture, buying new curtains or bedding or towels or paint or... you get the idea. The rule doesn't apply when I'm initiating it.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest.... switching gears...

A frosty morning with the last glimpses of the full moon.

The sky really was that color. Gorgeous.

***Ally

Tweet

Monday Listicles - The Perfect Vacation

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along or create your own!


It's been raining. The wind is blowing. The leaves are at the tail end of their colorful show. This is when my mind starts craving a tropical vacation. So this week's topic for Monday Listicles couldn't be more timely - 10 Things That Make A Perfect Vacation

1. Hubs, The Boy and me. (Or all girls, but that's another vacation!)

 Yes, on vacation you can go to breakfast unshowered, without makeup.

2. Knowing the dog is in good hands.

3. Sunshine. Lots of it. And the heat that comes with it.

4. A beach is good. Or maybe two.

5. An ocean view required.

6. Good local food.

Our favorite hole-in-the-wall.

Seriously - the fish was caught that morning. A few minutes on the grill... perfection!

7. A fruity drink. Or two.

8. Some good local entertainment.

9.  Beautiful sunsets.

10. And no less than 10 days to soak it all in.


It's going to be a long winter... good thing the holidays are coming up to keep me distracted!

***Ally
Tweet

I Did It For Hubs

First - Thank you to the Veteran's out there. You, your spouse, your dad, brother, friend. To them all. A big, heart felt Thank You.


When Lela was up last summer, she had a new little point and shoot camera. I fell in love with it.

Hubs needed a camera for documenting things for the new job. I sacrificed our camera for him. And bought myself a new one - just like Lela's.

I did it for him. Really.

I still have my big camera, but I like the portability of one that fits in my purse. So now I'll entertain you with some pics from the new camera. Okay, I'm still on the learning curve, don't be critical :)

 My snap dragons are confused. They are re-blooming.

 Call me happy. Really happy. I got my hands on one each of
Dave Matthew's new wine from his winery
with Steve Reeder in California.

 I took The Boy and The Girlfriend to visit a college on the other 

side of the mountains. Going through the pass, we saw the first

snow dusting of the season. Pretty against the still changing trees. 

 Once through the mountain pass, it was sunshine and blue skies.

 The next day I took him for a tour and open house at the Art Institute. 

This is the view.

 And this.

And this is the Art Institute. Right across the street from the 

Seattle waterfront. If he doesn't go, I might just enroll myself. 

Just for the views, of course. 

***Ally

Tweet

Randoms

I believe that Gladware should be sold separately. How on earth do I end up with a stack of the small containers, and only a couple of lids that size, and a stack of the big lids, with only a couple of matching containers?

***********

The man walking from behind the funeral home carrying a shovel was a bit disturbing. Seeing as how the funeral home is not near the cemetery.

***********

I suffered through plantar fasciitis (that's heel pain, ya'll) and runner's knee (simply intense knee pain from inflammation), rehabbed and finally got running again. I was up to 5 miles on weekends, looking forward to pushing toward six, shorter runs during the week. (Yes, I realize if you are not a runner, you are rolling your eyes right now and thinking I'm all kinds of crazy.) Then I got "The Crud". Could have been the nastiest cold on earth, or Influenza, likely bronchitis, and even possibly a light case of pneumonia. Really doesn't matter because it was clearly viral and the only thing I could do was complain a lot take care of myself and let it run it's course.  However, after two weeks, the severe coughing fits led to this sharp, annoying pain in the middle of my spine. Mostly when I coughed, sometimes when I moved wrong. But it kept getting worse. And now it's gotten bad enough I can't run! The pounding is just too much pain. I'm seeing my chiropractor, who wants me to get on some anti-inflammatories and if not "10-20% better" in two days, go see a doc for stronger anti-inflammatories. (For the record, my appointment with him Wednesday went much better than Monday) Because he thinks I've irritated a slightly bulging disc. Excuse me? I'm in the best shape of my life. All those core exercises that are supposed to support my spine? Seriously. How can this be? And how can it be that I'm not running AGAIN???  Sigh. Okay, done complaining.

**********

Okay, now you all need to go check out Jaclyn's newest necklaces over at Snap, Crackle, Pop - because YOU ARE FULL OF AWESOME! (Just go, you'll see what I mean) Or on her Etsy shop at Jac And Elsie. She is just the cutest thing ever. And her stuff is super cool - lots of upcyclying into creative, pretty stuff. She also has a shop called The Bride Wore Pearls - I'm not a bride, but I'd wear most of this stuff anyway. Besides, I'm pretty sure she and I were separated a birth a couple of decades apart. Go now. I'll stop yapping.

***Ally

Tweet

Call Me Flattered

The Boy, who is very much interested in all things audio and video production, has been looking for equipment on Craig's List.

He found a microphone, which cost more than the boots I want, and emailed the guy. Long story, short, he was going to buy it. They guy lives all the way north of the city, while we are south. However, he works downtown and I work not far, so I, the really awesome mom that I am, agreed to meet the guy Monday afternoon outside his building. To exchange cash for product. You know, kind of like a drug deal. Okay, not really, but that's totally what it felt like handing a stranger that much cash on a street corner downtown Seattle.

Anywho. The first words out of the guy's mouth were these:

"You do not look old enough to have a son old enough to have a microphone like this."

I don't even know what that means, but he had me at "You do not look old enough..." Call me flattered.

Now, THAT'S the way to start the week.

***Ally
Tweet

PS - The deal went fine, and I was totally not abducted by a strange man selling stolen goods on the street corner. Really. 

Monday Listicles - Babes In The Bleachers

Link up with Stasha at The good life for Monday Listicles. It's a different topic every week - follow along or create your own!

This week, its Babes in The Bleachers. Dedicated to the High School Years.

I was a teenager in the 80's. As in, I graduated in 1985. Right smack in the middle. Early 80's in high school, late 80's in college. I had it all. All of the 80's, that is. hehe

So here's my list. The things that stand out in my mind when I think of the high school years.


1. Big hair. Really big hair. And for me it was mostly natural, with no products that are available today to tame it.

2. Braces. For five years. That’s longer than high school!

3. Best pair of jeans I ever owned - Levi’s shrink-to-fits, perfectly fitted, color stripped, re-dyed gray, legs pegged, with little slits at the outside ankle. All done by moi.

4. 80’s music. You name it, we listened to it. Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Lionel Ritchie, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Idol, the Eurythmics, Air Supply, Foreigner, John Cougar, Joan Jett, Go-Go's, Men At Work, Pink Floyd, Kool & The Gang, Queen. Oh man, I could go on and on. I will, however, spare you.

5. Draaama. Is there anything more dramatic that a high school girl?

6. Puffed sleeves, jumpsuits and overalls. (And yes, I’ve seen the overalls hanging at Target this year. Not going to happen. Not with this girl.)

7. Shoulder pads. What were we thinking?

8.  Walkmans, cassette tapes, and boom boxes.

9. Under age dance clubs - oh, we were so cool!

10. Acid wash jeans. Yes, there was something worse than shoulder pads.


***Ally
Tweet

Time To Get Busy

Lela and I talk, text or email a lot.

The last few conversations and emails have ended with Lela saying, "How's the party planning coming for Hubs?" or "Keep me up to date on the party planning."

I have been skimming past those. There's time. It's going to be an easy party for Hubs 50th birthday.

Yesterday, after reading another email where Lela asked, I casually wondered, hmmm, she seems to be asking that a lot. Should I be worried? Should I be panicking? Should I be DOING SOMETHING FOR THIS PARTY?

I wandered over to the calendar. OH Holy Mother of Martha Stewart's skills. I have TWO WEEKS. Okay, well, I have two weeks and two days. BUT STILL.

So I got busy. The party is going to be a "Pub" theme, in honor of Hubs passion for craft beer. I've mentioned before, he's a homebrewer and on the board of the second cooperative brewery in the country. So a Pub theme seemed fitting.

I ordered the high, round tables that will transform my living/dining room into a pub with stand up tables from the party rental place. I also threw in some beer and wine glasses on the rental. They were cheap and I figure it's just easier to use theirs, as I'm not sure we have enough of either. (I could use plastic, but that doesn't go with my theme.)

I ordered plain bar coasters (ebay!). I'm close to ordering a custom stamp that will transform those coasters into custom coasters ($30). WAY cheaper than ordering custom coasters, which required a $50 set up fee on top of the price of the coasters. I will also be leaving some blank coasters in a basket with some sharpies for people to write birthday wishes to the old man on. Fun, right?

I also printed up some vintage beer ads and put them in clear acrylic 4X6 frames to place among the dishes on the food table.

On the menu: Blue Moon cupcakes, Guinness cupcakes, wine, sliders, wings, meatballs, poppers, peanuts, popcorn, pretzels. And maybe I'll figure out something actually edible. LOL. Actually, Costco is going to be my friend, so much of that will depend on what they have next week!

I figured that was a good start for the night. Of course, now my mind is spinning with things to do, buy and plan. I guess it WAS time to get busy!

And a shout out to the blogs that have helped inspire this party:
Hostess with the mostess - HWTM Daily Blog
and a beer tasting party at So Wonderful So Marvelous (I'm getting the Guinness cupcake recipe from her!)
And the Blue Moon cupcakes from Miss Make

The blog world is your friend when party planning! Stay tuned, there will be pictures and details to come.

***Ally
Tweet

Wordless Wednesday - Variations

While I don't much love winter in the Northwest, I do love fall. I love the colors. I love those same colors contrasted against the blues skies we've had the last few days. I love the fog lying in the valley in the mornings. (I live on a hill) I love the cold, crisp mornings with a crunch in your step and a little frost on the windows. Again, not so much with winter, but for now I'm enjoying Fall!

A little variation on the bright oranges and reds. Instead a splash of golden yellow, right outside my front door:

I once again failed at "Wordless". Hehe. Maybe I'll start calling it Wordy Wednesday!


***Ally
Tweet