Canvas Wall Art!

I love how this beautiful wall art came out!! Hopefully, this will spur me on to create more. I have been wanting to play with canvas for ages. This was a kit from a class at Beach Scrapbooks - mostly. I did come home and finish it because I wanted to change the title and add some lace in place of the ribbon in the kit. Here is the sample I saw in the store:

The canvas, paper, ribbon and embellishment came in the kit. I will wait until after Mother's Day to post my version of it. :)

 (5/15) ETA - Heidi LOVED it!

Straight No Chaser

When I heard Thursday night on the news that the Berkley Bridge was closed for the weekend I knew there were gonna be problems. To give Mom credit, she did offer to meet us at the Harrison Opera House so we didn't have to pick her up. Even though I considered it, we have so much fun together I just decided to pick her up anyway - even though we'd have to go through the Midtown tunnel to get her.

Five minutes before leaving, while I was brushing my teeth, this little fairy on my shoulder said to me, "Hey, since you have to pick up Mom and take her home, why don't you take Peanut with you and let him stay with Dad!" Uh huh - great idea, right? I thought so. Dad thought so too. (I've now come to the conclusion it was Peanut's little angel that put that idea in my head, cuz it surely wasn't mine looking after me!) Missy and I left at 6:00pm, giving us, what I thought was, plenty of time to pick up Mom and be at the venue before the show at 8:00. Sigh ... so not the case.

We were doing really well ... til we hit bumper to bumper Midtown tunnel traffic. After about 15 minutes of barely moving, I called Mom to tell her we would be late. Bless her heart, she again offered to meet us there so we wouldn't have to deal with the tunnel issue. Well, hellooooo! That was no longer an option because we had Peanut in the car! We had to take him to Dad! I was pretty frustrated - and yeah, that's putting it mildly. Rarely am I late for a concert. Tonight would be the exception.

After another 5 minutes or so of moving one to three car lengths at a time (and I'm sure that was only due to cars pulling out of the lane to turn around or go a different route), I pulled up to the next stop light and did a u-turn. The only other way I knew to get to Mom's would take me way around my elbow to get to my thumb - but it was either that or sit there. I don't do "sit there" well. It would take us another 30 minutes to get to Mom's back-tracking our steps ... and let me tell you, I was on a mission. I'm paranoid about other drivers coming in my lane anyway. You just never know what idiots are gonna do, and there is that blind spot factor to consider as well. Oh, and I guess I should say too that I talk to other drivers - talk, not yell - although sometimes I do cuss at them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know they can't hear me but it makes me feel better, okay? As I was passing (did a lot of that too) one vehicle, I put my hand on the horn and told the driver not to even think about coming in my lane. Missy got so tickled. Long story short, she laughed every time I blew the horn. So I started blowing it just to hear her laugh. She even took a photo of my hand on the horn to include in her journaling. LOL

Eventually we did make it to Mom's. Having no idea what we'd find when going back through the tunnel, we left quickly. Amazingly, east-bound it wasn't bad at all. In fact, traffic seemed to be flowing smoothly in both directions. I thought the back-up west-bound would be gone. It wasn't. It was just as bad as when we were stuck. Strange. It's now around 8:00pm and I know we're gonna be late. But finally we made it to the Harrison Opera House and, of course, there's no parking. We had to park on the street about 1/2 mile (at least it seemed like it) away. By about 8:15 - 8:20 we were finally in our seats. We missed several songs, but the rest of the show was wonderful! Those guys truly are artists and performers and they did a fabulous job of entertaining us. I'd see them again in a heartbeat. If you don't know who Straight No Chaser is, check out their website and tons of youtube videos.

Missy and I left Mom's around 11:30pm to go home. As usual, we were pretty wired after a concert so it was around 2am before we headed to bed. Morning came pretty early ...

Playtime!

Missy, Mom and I have been trying to schedule "playtime" (scrapbooking, stamping or whatever) once a month for years now. Life gets in our way more often than not so when we do finally make it happen, it's always very special. Part of our ritual is shopping together. Depending on what we plan to do we usually always hit Michael's and sometimes Beach Scrapbooks and/or Walmart. Of course eating (dinner, snacking and breakfast) is another critical factor in our time together. Being creative is exhausting and hunger inducing! Missy made it over around 11:30 Saturday morning, quite a bit earlier than usual. Since we were going to see Straight No Chaser that night we hoped the "extra" time would help us get a little scrapping done. (Yeah right!)

We hadn't been to Beach Scrapbooks in ages - probably because I haven't scrapped since um ... December I think. Because we hadn't been there in so long we had to look at everything! As we browsed each aisle and shelf, we discovered all kinds of fun things - some simply had to come home with us and some had to be put back and wait for another time. Unfortunately, our funds are not unlimited when it comes to our hobbies (aka obsessions). Some of the things in my bag were some new beautiful papers, a couple more of the "stitching" templates, piercing mat, a couple of mini chipboard books and some Flower Soft. Here's my Beach Scrapbooks loot:

Oh yeah, before we could get out of there we saw a class sample of a canvas wall art hanging. It was gorgeous!! I/we have been wanting to play with some canvas for a couple of years now. (That's why I love classes. It makes me take the time to do the project.) The class was the next day! Sunday afternoon at 12:30pm! I could do that!! I was thrilled to find out the class wasn't full and immediately signed up. (Homework: I had to go home and find five related photos that would work well black and white or sepia.)

By then we were starving and Panera sounded perfect! After we got home and satisfied those nasty little hunger pangs, we decided a visit to Michael's was necessary. After all, we had 20% off entire purchase coupons!! Before we could even get into the store the "Clearance" bins outside stopped us in our tracks! 4 for $1! Now usually I just walk by these things and don't go bin diving - cuz ya know ya have to wade through muck to find prizes. Before I could blink twice Missy was pulling things out saying things like, "Look at this!!" OK, I'm hooked. I'll go with you. Fast forwarding, this is what my 4 for $1 loot looked like (couple of recipe boxes, some stickers and more chipboard books):

As we strolled through the scrapbook and stamp aisles more goodies just jumped into my cart! I swear they did!! There is no way I put all that stuff in my cart!! To my credit, I only bought a couple of things that were regular price - some plain white paint and tacky glue. The rest was either on sale or clearance:

Check out those socks!! They are waiting to be made into a monkey to match my "studio!" I have the perfect Morgan photos to use that centipede stamp. The little stamp set is a "traveling" theme. (If I ever scrap vacations again, I will use them.) The bigger stamp set is "Talking Circles," perfect for some Morgan layouts too. The ribbon spools were $1/ea and I couldn't resist. And those clips and grommets were on sale - they're just ... well, good to have in my stash. :)

By the time we got back home it was after 4pm and we had to leave at 6pm for the Straight No Chaser  concert. Needless to say I didn't get much done. My first priority was finding and editing photos that would work for my canvas class on Sunday. The ones that popped in my head immediately were of Morgan and Heidi and those are the ones I ended up going with. I found a Photoshop action called "Grandmas Attic" and it was perfect! After I got them uploaded for printing it was time to eat a bite and get ready to head out to pick up Mom ...

QB's Marguerita Pizza

I've played with this recipe a few times now. I think I've finally got it just where I want it. It's perfect!


1 Boboli (thin crust)
1-2 fresh tomatoes, sliced
Fresh mozzarella (I tear or cut into chunks)
Fresh basil
Italian seasoning
Balsamic Glaze
Olive Oil

Spread a olive oil over crust - generously with sprinkle Italian seasoning. Layer sliced tomatoes and mozzarella as desired. Chop fresh basil (I like a lot) and sprinkle over tomatoes and mozzarella. Drizzle with Balsamic Glaze. Bake about 10 min at 450 degrees. Yummm!

Visit with Cari

Mom and I went to see Cari last weekend. It was a beautiful drive up. Everything is budding and blooming. All the different shades of green were amazing! Of course Mom and I talked non-stop the entire way. We have to play catch-up whenever we finally do get together. It was lunch time by the time we arrived so O'Charlies was our first stop. By the time we got out of there and back to Cari's dorm it was about time to head to the percussion concert. It's fascinating watching such incredibly talented young people make music together with such simple instruments. We loved it!After the show I had to make time to stop and shoot some of these gorgeous cherry tree blossoms!! These are some of the pretties trees ever!

After dinner we decided to go see "Date Night." Mom never gets to go to a movie unless it's a kid movie. My vote is usually always something that will make me laugh. This one didn't disappoint us. Of course Mom and I fed off of each other. Her high pitched giggle makes me laugh and she says my laugh is contagious, so ... one or the other was laughing most of the time. I'll have to drag Bob to it before it's out of the theaters.

It's really hard to wrap my head around the fact that Cari will be home for the summer in about 2-1/2 weeks! I can't believe this year is gone. She'll start her third year in August! How did that happen?

Sunburst Shawl!

I LOVE how this thing came out!! I really enjoyed working with the yarn as well (info in this post). The pattern is a personal pattern from one of the ladies at KnitWits, a local yarn shop. Finished it Friday night, washed and blocked it Saturday - wore it on the deck yesterday. It got chilly late afternoon. :)

From Knitting

From Knitting

OK, off to run some errands, do a little cleaning and more knitting later. :)

Peanut's new mode of transportation

Peanut used to be able to walk with me for miles - not so much anymore. In the past couple of years he's really slowed down. As he approaches fourteen years old this summer, he still enjoys his walks but tires pretty quickly, usually about a 1/2 mile. He may be a small dog, but after carrying 10 lbs for a while he still gets heavy. While a 1/2 mile walk may be sufficient for Peanut it sure doesn't do much for me or Bob ... so, Bob brought this home for Peanut last week:

We weren't sure how he would react to this new idea. We set off this morning to try it out. We planned to walk a couple of miles. As always, he got excited when he saw his leash. Neither one of us realized how hot it was this morning. Walking down Nimmo doesn't provide much shade either - next time we'll walk through the neighborhood instead. Peanut started slowing down before 1/2 mile so Bob picked him up and put him in the stroller ... and Peanut sat right down.

... and he stayed there. I figured after he adjusted to the idea he would make the call to get in and out as often as he wanted to. I didn't think it would happen so quickly. When he was ready to walk again, he just stood up and was ready to jump out. He did that on and off throughout the 2 miles. Pretty cool huh? He caught on pretty fast, I'd say.

I guess we're set now. No more excuses for not walking further. :)

BTW, HAPPY EASTER!!

Easter came a little early

Went to see my wonderful little bundle of joy yesterday and took her first Easter basket to her. Of course Mom and Dad will end up eating most of the goodies in there, but she will enjoy the movie (Alvin & the Chipmunks) and bunny. I couldn't fit the blocks in her basket so gave them to her separately. She loved them! Not too interested in putting the shapes in the holes yet - all she wanted to do was play and chew on them ... oh, and the little bugger has FOUR teeth now!! Two on the bottom and two on the top!! All those teeth made it a bit easier to have her first taste of the Easter Peeps. She is growing by leaps and bounds, learning new things daily and so precious. Heidi made her work for her basket and showing me how she can "crawl." With hardwood floors it's easier for her to slide around on her belly, pulling herself with her hands. She has certainly learned how to maneuver around pretty well that way. Another one of her new tricks to show Gammie was pulling up. I guess walking around the furniture is next. Once she got past playing with the eggs, she discovered the tag on the bunny and the basket. The youngun simply LOVES tags! LOL She will find a tag on anything and play with it. Too funny.

I sat on the opposite side of the table while Heidi was feeding her lunch. We started playing "peek-a-boo" around the beta fish bowl. Look at that face! How can it not make you smile? However, that smile was short lived. I took some lasagna for lunch and when Dennis sat Heidi's plate in front of her, the look on Morgan's face was priceless. Heidi told me she knew what lasagna was and she loves it. Needless to say, that was the last bite she took of her baby food. Heidi had to share it and Morgan tuned up and cried like her little heart was broken when it was all gone. Daddy had to heat up some more for her. Poor baby, she's so neglected! LOL



Until next time ... QB signing off for now.

Oh Je-fa-fa, Oh Je-fa-fa ...

... without me you would su-ka-ka!! We knew it would be a night filled with laughter but WOW! Walking out of there with our faces and stomachs aching along with sore throats and waning voices from screaming and laughing, well ... in one word it was AWESOME!! I had just remarked to Bob on Thursday evening at dinner that I hoped "Guitar Guy" (Brian Haner) would be there, but I really didn't think he would. I thought it was a special appearance for the Christmas special where Achmed sang his Christmas carols. So it was a wonderful surprise when "Guitar Guy" came out on stage to open for Jeff!! Brian, surprisingly, is a comedic act all on his own. He was very good! As he shared some family stories and things they experienced on the road, he had us roaring with laughter. He ended his set by playing the "Star Spangled Banner" with a video of a waving flag on the big screen. It, as always, was very moving. After a 15 minute intermission we were finally rewarded with Jeff!!

Jeff opened with Walter, our favorite funny, cranky, politically incorrect old man. He didn't disappoint. Walter makes fun of everyone. There were lots of new material intertwined with some of the old, classic we all know and love. The audience loved the personalized material about "Norfolk." When an outsider understands the local pronunciation we love it. Walter had lots of material about "Nawfuck." Needless to say, had us rolling in our chairs. Sadly, while they let us take photos of Brian, we were told no photography of any kind during Jeff. Since I was sitting on the end of a row, with a "guard" facing the back a few rows up I couldn't get anything. Had I been in the middle of the row, I'd have gone for it. In this particular situation having a really good seat didn't work in my favor when it came to taking photos. As Walter ended his set with his now famous, "Welcome to Walmart! Git yer shit and git out!" we were already exhausted. And then came ...

... Achmed!!! We've seen him on video so many times. It's so much better to see him in person! How Jeff can make a puppet have so much personality and expression is truly a talent. When "Guitar Guy" joined him on the stage for one of Achmed's new songs, we loved it! When Jeff and Brian get on stage together there's always lots of spontaneous jokes. Jeff even said, "I hear the punchline 2 seconds before the audience does." Those two just crack each other up, muck like Harvey Korman and Tim Conway used to do on the Carol Bernette Show. Us "infidels" eat it up. As the audience roars with laughter, Achmed says, "Silence! I keel you!"

Last but, of course, not least came one of the big favorites - PEANUT!!! Love, love, love Peanut!! He is every bit as politically incorrect as Walter and Achmed and we love every minute of it. Again, there was old material mixed in with some new. Even the stuff we've heard over and over was still funny. There weren't many races Peanut didn't make fun of. He is so bad. And we love him. He discussed ta-tas, tampons & Always with wings, a taste of China (supposedly an offended Chinese fan wrote in and complained), decorating the barbed wire on the Mexican border and more - much more. We were exhausted by the time Peanut went back in his case. And Jeff left the stage ...

... only to come back for an encore with Bubba J. Bubba J is in a league of his own. When the audience was louder with Bubba J's punchlines, Jeff would pause and look at the audience in amazement and a bit of frustration. It got worse with each joke. We got louder and louder. I'm not sure how much of that was part of his act and how much of it was genuine, but either way we ate it up.

After the puppets were put away Jeff and Brian came back on stage with air guns to shoot t-shirts out into the crowd. Jeff was determined to get some all the way in the back balcony and after several attempts (and upgrades to more powerful guns) he made it. Cari and I had an awesome night and would definitely go see him again. In fact, he may be recording his next DVD here in Va. Beach and, if at all possible, we will be there. What a blast!!

QB signing off, for now ...

Whew - it's been a while ...

... hasn't it? Lots of "life" goin' on these days. Cari was home for spring break and Bob threw us some curve balls with a health issue. Suffice to say, Cari didn't have much of a break on her spring break. We're trying to get back to "normal," whatever that means. Sometimes you have to settle for a new normal.

I finally surrendered to my sleep issues and got a prescription for Ambien back in January. Started off with 5mg and increased it to 10mg in February. After a couple of months of getting some decent sleep I'm beginning to feel better than I have in a long time. I actually have some energy these days and it feels good! I think the increased energy level has spurred me on to do some much needed spring cleaning. I worked in my kitchen this past week, cleaning out cabinets, closet, pantry, etc. I'm hoping to get to the drawers next week. It feels so good to be able to open a door and actually see what's in there - and to know what I've got and what I need. My closet will be next - good grief, I won't even go there. I'm not sure it's ever been this bad before. I could take pix of before and after ... but I won't. On to other things ...

Don't feel like I've accomplished much in the way of knitting this past month. I did manage to finish a pair of socks for Cari and have started some others, but haven't completed anything else.

From Knitting

Not sure what's going on lately with my color choices - I used to be quite a bit more conservative. Check out my next pair of socks I'm working on:

From Knitting

I also started my chenille scarf in these gorgeous, bold colors:

From Knitting

I'm using a favorite standby pattern - Misti Alpaca Ribs and Ruffles (without the ruffles).

I can't wait to finish this cape! I simply fell in love with the colors and feel of this Kudo yarn:

From Knitting

From Knitting

Off to, hopefully, visit Mom's this afternoon - and maybe get some new pix of Zach. Then Cari and I are off to the Ted Constant Center tonight to see Jeff Dunham!!! We are SO EXCITED!!!!

til next time ...
QB