Trans Siberian Orchestra

On Thursday night I saw TSO for the first time. What an incredible experience!




The light show was amazing.



The music incredible.


Did I mention pyrotechnics?


Wow..... seriously unbelievable.


Yes.... I will be going again next year!

What a Beautiful Bride!

I always love doing custom work, especially when it involves a wedding. I had such a fun time designing this lovely necklace for Hope. Below is my finished design. She was so thrilled with it.

I came across her wedding blog post here. Look how darling she is!

How fun would it be to get married in Disneyland? I love Disneyland. I think I will go put my Pump Up the Grump sweatshirt on ~ featuring one of my favorite dwarves.

Muah!

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My Coned Dog

I don’t know, maybe it is my warped sense of humor, but I find this funny. A weiner dog with a cone.

Here she is in happier times. Look at how incredibly fine she is. Please note the seasonal necklace. Thank you.

Then there is this…

The Cone of Shame.

Maggie and I speak the same language. I get her. She gets me. These are the top five things I hear her saying…
1. Pah-leeeese… no self respecting dog should ever be photographed like this.
2. Seriously, do I need to open my mouth and let out some foul odor to get you to stop?
3. Okay, okay, I know I have a little root grow out. What? I have been busy.
4. Maybe if I don’t make eye contact she will stop.
5. How much more do you really think that you can humiliate me?

And this…


The shame of it all.

Who knows Maggie, maybe there is a lesson to be learned here... just sayin...

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Chicken Enchiladas Suiza

Okay, so I have to say right up front this is a modified version of a Pioneer Woman chicken enchilada recipe. But seriously - - this is some incredible oooeeey gooey madness going on. You will love it!

Ingredients
2-½ cups cooked, shredded chicken
(1) 14 oz. can chicken broth
3 Tbsp Oil
12 whole corn tortillas
1 whole large onion, diced
(3) 4 oz cans whole green chilies, diced
1 whole jalapeno, seeded & finely diced (optional)
1 teaspoon paprika
½ cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup sour cream
2-½ cups Monterey Jack cheese, Grated
Salt & Pepper, to taste
Picante Sauce (optional)
Cilantro, Chopped

Preparation Instructions
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Fry tortillas for no longer than 20 seconds, just to soften (do not allow to become crisp.) Place tortillas on a stack of paper towels to drain.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in separate skillet over medium heat. Add onions and jalapenos and saute for 1 minute, just to start the cooking process. Add chicken, half of the green chilies, and ½ teaspoon paprika. Stir together. Add ½ cup chicken broth and stir. Add cream and stir, allowing mixture to bubble and get hot. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a separate large skillet, melt butter and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together and cook over medium heat for one minute. Pour in the rest of the can of chicken broth. Whisk together and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the other half of the chilies. Reduce heat, then stir in sour cream. Add 1 ½ cups grated cheese and stir to melt. Add ½ teaspoon paprika. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To assemble, spoon chicken mixture on top of tortillas, one by one. Top with plenty of cheese and roll up. Place seam side down in a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Pour cheese mixture all over the top of the tortillas. Top with extra cheese if you’d like, then bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro.

Serve with picante sauce, if desired.

The Pioneer Woman even finishes off her recipe by saying "Faint as necessary". Honest to goodness, I think that should be a step in the process!

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The Road Home

They say that death is a natural part of life; and I guess in real terms, it is. However, having never been faced with being in the midst of death, it had always been incredibly frightening to me. I wasn’t present when both my grandfathers and my maternal grandma passed away. But I did experience the profound sadness that accompanies the loss of your loved one.

As my sweet Grandma’s time was approaching, I started to feel sorrow creeping in. It was difficult for me to understand my Dad’s calm countenance. His strong faith and belief that Grandma was headed to a better place created in him such a sense of peace.

I arrived in time to spend some hours with Grandma before she passed. In those hours, Daddy read to her different passages of the Bible and sang to her. We reminisced of wonderful times together as a family. I put lotion on her hands, Chapstick on her lips, and kept her mouth moistened. I whispered in her ear words of encouragement, and told her it was okay to go. It was her time, in God’s perfect timing.

Those last few moments were priceless. I watched as she lifted her eyes, spoke without words, and raised her hand to the angel who took her on the journey home to be with Jesus.

We will miss you my beautiful Grandma. But in the midst of our grief, we are happy in knowing that you are dancing with Grandpa and laughing with Uncle Jim and Uncle Clayton. And most of all, we are comforted in the knowledge that you are at peace with your Heavenly Father.

Muah.....

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Internationally Speaking

Wow, what an interesting week it has been on Etsy. This tends to be a slower time of the year for me in my shops on Etsy. Perhaps Americans aren’t buying right now, but a big shout out to the rest of the world!

This last week I shipped to:
New Zealand
Netherlands
Ireland
Turkey
Great Britain
Australia
Canada (3 times)
Spain
Peru
Israel
South Africa
Belgium

What an interesting week. It just may be that Americans aren't buying as much as those around the world. I say ~ Bring it on!

Smootchie Lips, Mischievious Grins, Sweet Smiles

I don’t know about you, but I find that when I look into the eyes of these beautiful girls I know, beyond all things certain, that God is brilliantly amazing at creating perfection.

Here we have smootchie lips.





And here we have mischievious grin.



And here we have sweet smile.


Perfection in two little girlies….


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