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I'm an accountant by day and crafter at night. I love a decorating challenge, floral arrangements are probably my favorite part when decorating a wedding/party. I'm an independent Longaberger consultant and avid collector (check out my Longaberger website).


My favorite hobby is scrapbooking! Of course scrapping got me into photography, digital photography to be exact. I quickly discovered that I LOVE taking pictures! I just got the Nikon D300....words don't measure up to this camera - well worth the $$. I crochet while I watch tv and mess around on the computer whenever I get a few moments.
If you need to contact me pfphotography@gmail.com

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Late Thursday Night....

It's 11pm on Thursday evening.....the fresh flowers are taking a big drink in a couple of 5 gallon buckets in the dining room, my car is 90% packed and the silk floral arrangements to be placed on top of the columns at the church and reception are complete, well until I get up in the morning and tinker around a little more with them!

I took tomorrow off from work (my real job anyway) to help a friend decorate a wedding. The bride purchased most of the decorations that she wants to use at the reception herself, I'm just supplying the columns, head table decor and lights. We're decorating the reception hall and church tomorrow; Saturday morning I'll just have to do the wedding party flowers - the bridal bouquet, 4 bride's maids, 9 boutonnieres, 5 corsages and 1 toss bouquet. All will be made with fresh ivory roses that by the way are super duper thorny - lucky me.

Johnathon had a game this evening in Zeigler and again they won! They won big tonight 56-10. Our coach told the kids to not be so aggressive and give the other team a chance - gotta feel a little sorry for the other guys. After this wedding I should have time to edit and post the 1000 plus pictures I've taken of basketball this season. I won't post all 1000 plus pictures, but I will get some up soon. After I'm done playing with the thorny ivory roses Saturday morning, I have to get to the Sesser gym by 11:30 for Johnathon's last game of the season!! Not that this will end the sports pics. Track starts as soon as basketball is over and then summer baseball and then football and school baseball and then we're back to basketball and the cycle continues.

The wedding is then at 4:00pm and I'll have to of course clean up the church after the ceremony is over. I'm then going to attempt (time permitting) to photograph a cousin who is expecting her second child in a few weeks. She wants some "belly" shoots. Then I'll have to breakdown/cleanup the reception. Sunday I'm decorating a bridal show for my Aunt in Herrin. My only stipulation for this show was that we use the same color theme as the wedding....so all of the stuff from the wedding will stay in my car and I'll be packed and ready to go for the show on Sunday.

Monday my father is having partial knee replacement surgery on BOTH KNEES. Doesn't sound like much fun to me. He'll have to stay in the hospital for a few days before he gets to come home and then under goes weeks of therapy.

So if you don't hear from me for a couple of days you'll know why!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Weekend Recap

It was another busy weekend around here, no different than usual.

Johnathon had a game Saturday afternoon (Sesser won!) and I spent the rest of the day cleaning and shopping. Sunday was my Pampered Chef party, BIG thanks to all who came. I had a great turn out. Cleaning and partying is the excuse I'm using for not having more basketball pics up. I did get a few edited the other night. Can't wait to post them, there were some good ones in there.

On to the party....in addition to the cheeseburger salad and two dump cakes (chocolate cherry & peach) that my Aunt made, I made a savory sandwich ring, spinach dip with beer bread, and a new Pampered Chef recipe to me....mini faux potato skins. The "potato skins" are made with thawed, shredded hash browns pressed into the mini tart pan. In keeping with the taste of the potato skins that a few fellow Com-Pac employees & I LOVE and eat at least once a week at a local BBQ joint, I put BBQ pull pork on the "skin" and topped it with cheese. They were really quite tasty and super simple. While cheeseburger salad may not sound good (it didn't to me I'll admit it) it was really good. It had a similar taste to the taco salad made with Catalina dressing. You basically use all ingredients that you put on a cheeseburger to make the salad. We even toasted the burger buns to make our own croutons.

My whole reason for having the Pampered Chef party was to get the pots & pans that I've wanted since I first attended a PC party, I can't wait to get the show closed and get my new cookware in route to me!! I'm waiting for a few more orders to come in so if you need anything I'll have the show open a few more days.

Here's to a productive week. I have a board meeting to get ready for on Wednesday and I'm decorating a wedding and a bridal show this weekend.....another typical week with hardly anything to do!!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Sesser Wins!

The 6th grade boys won their basketball tournament last night defeating Carterville 17-16 in a great game. More pics tomorrow....


Sunday, February 15, 2009

Race Day

Oh yah, it's that time of the year again.....time for NASCAR. I'm a little bummed that my guy isn't in that orange car this year. It's going to be weird to see it and he won't be in it, oh well.

He's now in #14 Old Spice!
Go Tony!!!

Hopefully the weather permits and I'll get to watch the first race of the season in just a few hours.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Go Tony!

Way to go Tony!! Winner of Nationwide race today in Daytona!
A repeat tomorrow would be a great way to start the season.

Week in review

I put in quite a few hours at CPI headquarters again this week, but with a little glimpse of good news. I made some major progress on a project I've been working on since the first of the year, I'm really excited about this!!
Johnathon has started 6th grade basketball (Junior High ball just ended). Below are a few pics from the game. He started and played most of the game. Unfortunately they lost though.
#24
His jersey number is 24 which just happens to be the number of his favorite Nascar driver (whom I don't like so I'll not type his name - hehehe)
That's about it for the week....work and basketball. Next week is shaping up to pretty much be the same with the exception that I'm having a Pampered Chef party next Sunday afternoon.


Defense!





Dribbling the ball


That's Johnathon with the ball - he can jump!


A little outsized...


Sorry it's out of focus.....he shoots



Thursday, February 12, 2009

Only 3

The dentist did a new 3d x-ray of my mouth and had a large printout of it on the light box. I was looking at it with him and asked where my other top wisdom tooth was at. To my astonishment his reply was that I don't have one, I only developed THREE not four like "normal" people.

I realize most would get upset to hear affirmation that their body is less than perfect, but this was the best news I'd received in a while. This means I have one less tooth to to be cut out of my mouth and that makes me very happy. I was rather surprised though that I didn't know this before. I have my teeth clean 1-2 times a year as recommended and they take pic's of my teeth at least every other year......why am I just now finding out that I'm missing a tooth?

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Hours in the day

Someone needs to figure out a way to add hours to the day. Mine don't seem to have enough, especially on the weekends and I didn't even go to work this weekend. I haven't begun to get the things accomplished that I needed to.....I did meet with two brides this weekend and spoke with a third on the phone. But now I have three quotes to get done!

I did get everything purchased for the wedding that's the last weekend in February. I got all of my pictures uploaded on my decorating blog which I've been trying to get caught up before I made any links to it and a few pictures edited. I addressed most of the invitations for my Pampered Chef party (Sunday, Feb 22nd!!!) and balanced by checkbook. I met a friend at a local winery Saturday (we shut the place down - they close at 6pm hehehe). I also watched my niece and nephew for several hours today. Oh ya, I fixed a marvelous lunch.....hot dogs, mac-n-cheese and baked beans.....really pushed my culinary skills today! The hot dogs were perfectly boiled.

I didn't get my parents or my own taxes done, finish my photography contract, clean my room (never ending chore), order the proofs for photography business proof book, complete wedding/decorating quotes, work on L&B wedding invitation or work on the spreadsheet for CPI forecast that I brought home with me.

So I guess I'd better get back to work and off of here.

Wisdom???


Why do they call the last four teeth to enter your mouth "Wisdom" teeth? I know it's hard to believe but I don't have a large enough mouth for my wisdom teeth to come in. I'm in my mid-thirties and I'm still cutting teeth! A tooth is currently trying to enter a space that simply just isn't there.

At least one tooth tries to push it's way in once or twice a year and has for over 20 years now. Today the bottom tooth trying to make an appearance and is absolutely KILLING me. I think I'm going to have to finally breakdown and have them removed from my head!

Does this mean I'll never be wise???
PS....if you're contemplating removing your wisdom teeth as I am don't google "Wisdom Teeth", let's just leave it at not a pretty sight.

Saturday, February 7, 2009

New Paper

I've been playing around this morning.....can you tell?

I was tired of the blue/brown combo. I loved the green that I decorated the bridal show in a few weeks back and used it as inspiration for my new blog color combo.

My photography blog has been changed too - check it out!
I'm seriously considering getting my own domain and combining my blogging into one site. Within the one domain I can have a personal page to keep everyone up to date on everyday life, a photography page for well...pictures, a scrapbooking page!!, a party decorating page, etc....I'm sure you get the point. More to come on that in the near future.

I have a meeting with a potential bride to decorate her July wedding so I'd better get to what I need to get done. Have a great day!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Pampered Chef

I'm hosting a Pampered Chef party on Sunday, February 22nd and you're invited!! If you're not able to make it to my house but are needing to pick up a few items you can view their catalog on the Pampered Chef Website and give me a call/email and I'll get your order placed for you.

Of course I'd love to have you over for the party, let me know if you can make it or need directions to my house. We'll have good food, a little local wine and learn a few new recipes.....and for those Nascar fans, yes the race will be on and viewable during our party.

Below are a few of my favorite items......


The first is in use ALL of the time at our house. We make our own Italian dressing and this is never, ever empty. Balsamic vinegar & olive oil and the plunger mixes them before you pour it on your salad. I'm thinking of getting another one of these because I've need to use it in the past but it always has vinegar/oil in it. The mini server is the perfect size to serve cake. As large as our family is I need 4-5 more of these for family gatherings.


Icing is soooo much easier with these than with an icing bag for small jobs. I have pictures of the last time I used an icing bag - it isn't pretty, just take my word for it. If you make homemade pizza you need this roller.


If you want a whisk that you don't have to reshape every other use, this is the one for you (I have the mini one too for my scrambled eggs!). This is the best batter bowl around, I like having the ability to see what I'm doing - it's a measuring cup - you can put it in the Microwave or put the lid on it and place it in the fridge to use later!!


I use the skinny scrapper for everything I do in the kitchen. We have 3 of these and I'll be getting a few more at my party because they're always in the dishwasher when I go to use one. If you eat garlic you have to have this press, there's nothing like FRESH pressed garlic.


The small & large micro steamers are wonderful for cooking vegetables in the microwave without the use of butter - less fat - and it only takes a few minutes in the microwave to steam cook!! The salad spinner is great for cleaning your fresh vegetables, then just spin dry. No more patting dry with paper towels or laying out on the counter and waiting for it to dry.


I don't like things over-cooked and hate when the edge of my pie crust is darker than the rest of the pie, of course you need a server to dish out those slices of pie.


I cook most cakes in the bar pan. Whoever came up with a stackable cooling rack should get a big gold metal. I always run out of room when I back at Christmas....these stackable cooling racks rock!


The Loaf Pan Stone is the absolute best for making "beer" bread mixes - really isn't another loaf pan that compares to it and we use the pizza stone for everything that isn't liquid.

Of course I think most have invested in the Pampered Chef ice cream scoop by now, if not you should.....I'm not a consultant for Pampered Chef, I just use their products - daily!

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Nina's New Site

My friend Nina just launched her new website and it's great!!

In addition to the fabulous new look, she's giving away a ton of stuff so be sure to jump on over there and check it out. Below is a pic of her first giveaway for the week....


I can't wait to get the low down on creating you own site as opposed to the blog that I currently have.

Longaberger 1-Day Sale Heart Dish

Wednesday - February 4th
Heart Shaped Pottery Dish on sale online tomorrow (Feb 4th) for only $20.
You'll get these just in time for Valentine's Day!

Available online only on my Longaberger Website or you can always call me and I'll place the online order for you.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Longaberger Flag Basket

Longaberger Bonus Buy!!! The Flag Basket is on sale through February 16th for only $44 in honor of America's 44 presidents with an option protector for $7 more. You can purchase these on my Longaberger Website or call me and I'll place the order for you.


Sunday, February 1, 2009

Aunt Eileen

Happy Birthday Aunt Eileen!!
One of my mother's younger sisters.....