Happy Halloween ghosts and goblins!
I’m not normally the Halloweenie type that really gets into the decorations and such, but this year I found some really cute stuff at my favorite place, the Dollar Tree. Cute plates and serving bowls. Skeletons and Frankensteins, so fun! One wouldn’t think those things fall into the cute category, but these do! They have candy corn that ring the rim of the plate and are black and white. I mean, come on, you can’t go wrong for a buck! I plan on picking up some more plates for next year, one can never have too many ghoulish plates and cups!
So I was looking through a magazine last week and I was inspired to make the kids a Halloween dinner and then carve our pumpkin afterward. Like I said, I don’t normally go all out for them except I gather and purchase their costumes every year. This year I decided it would be fun for us all to have a haunted Halloween feast!
Here is what I picked up at the dollar store:
- a purple table cloth
- 6 spooky plates
- 2 spooky serving bowls
- clear plastic short stemmed glasses
- black plastic utensils
I asked the boys what they would like to eat for dinner; either Boo Burgers and Frankentots or Spooky Spaghetti and Monster Meatballs. Spooky monster won them over. Spaghetti is one of their favorite meals.
I would love to show you how the bloody finger breadsticks turned out, or the oozy alfredo sauce looked, or even the spooky spaghetti and pumpkin juice turned out, but my blog is telling me that those files are too big. Not sure how to make them smaller, but trust me, they were awesome!
Ok, well……I figured it out.
How fun is that??? I drew faces on the cups and made “Pumpkin Juice” out of orange juice, orange pineapple, and sprite. I added a few drops of red and yellow food color to darken it up and the kids loved it! I tinted the alfredo with black food color paste and even though it tasted as good as it always does, the color threw everyone off and dare I say even gave Jon a bit of a stomach ache! LOL!! I love it! The meatballs were a hit as well. Dan loved calling them monster meatball brains and at the end of the night, all but three were gone! The breadsticks with almond sliver nails and bloody marks…tasty!! Brenna joked around and said, “Yummm, I always knew chewing on my nails tasted good!”
All in all, it was a fun night and I enjoyed making a spooky, not so scary dinner for my family. I think next year will be even more frightening…we might actually carve a pumpkin!! Muuuuaahahahahaha!!
Tags: Best Mom ever!!, Halloween, I rock!, Spooky
Posted by Angie on Oct 16, 2008 in
Creative Genius,
Fun Stuff My Sister (visit her here) did this really cool mosaic. I thought I would create my own Here Am I meme just like she did. She makes it look so easy! Let me tell you how long I have been working on this stinkin’ meme! Oh, no long at all…only 7 hours!! It’s really hard to find all the things on the list that start with the first letter in your name. To make it visually even, I added my own name graphic. I’m sort of anal that way. Ha! Another A word. You get that one for free!
So, here it is. This is what you are supposed to do. Take the list below and come up with examples of things that start with the first letter in your name. You can do like we did and make a mosaic here or just write out the list, either way; it’s fun!! Come on….you can do it!!
1) Angie-Here Am I!
2) Famous Singer/Band -Aerosmith
3) Four-Letter Word -Army
4) Street Name -West Angela St.
5) Gift/Present -Anklet
6) Color -amathyst
7) Pro Sports Team -Anaheim Angels
8 ) Movie Title -Aquamarine
9) Boy’s Name -Alton
10) Girls Name -Audrey
11) Vehicle -Aston Martin
12) Flower -Amaryllis
13) Drink -Alabama Slammer
14) Magazine -Allure
15) U.S. City -Adak
16) Item found in a souvenir shop -Alligator Totebag
17) Celebrity -Angelina Jolie
18) Reason You’re Late for Work -All Nighter (I pulled an all nighter and I over slept!)
19) Fruit -Apple
20) Cartoon Character -Alvin
21) Anything else about you that starts with your letter -Absolutely Fabulous!
22) Body of Water -Atlantic Ocean
23) Occupation -Archaeologist
24) Something you Shout -Amen!
25) Something you recycle -Aluminum Foil
Tags: how to avoid chores, wasting the day away
Posted by Angie on Oct 14, 2008 in
Blogging,
Fun Stuff,
Home I feel better today than I did yesterday, so that’s something to be happy about. My wise husband made me take some Advil and after a yummy dinner of egg sandwiches and biscuits and gravy, I felt a whole lot better. I guess I should listen to my husband more often. Shhh..don’t tell him that though!
Tonight is Ladies Night Out. We aren’t meeting for dinner at a restaurant like we normally do. Instead we are going to meet at a local church for a “Cents-sible Celebrations” and dinner. This speaker will show us ways to get ready for the holidays without spending too much money or time. The tag line was “Get us thinking INSIDE the box for the Holidays”. I’m looking forward to seeing what ideas she throws out because I tend to do the opposite during the holidays by thinking outside the box as far as menu’s and decorations, all at the expense of my sanity and bank account. I have a lot of neat stuff tucked away, I hope they come up with creative ways to use what we might already have in our homes for the upcoming holidays.
Speaking of holidays. I vow to put up my Fall decorations this year and not let another year go by with those pretty decorations sitting in my closet collecting dust. It’s my promise to myself to pull out the things that make me smile and bring out those warm touches that usher in Fall and make me feel cozy inside.
Tomorrow is supposed to be cooler…70 degrees! Can you believe it?? Here in Texas, we get so excited when the temperature falls below 75! That means Fall is here and soon after Winter!! And no more mosquitoes and sweaters and hot chocolate (like this one! OMG I’m in love!!) and fuzzy warm socks!! Can you tell I love Fall?? In fact, I think I’ll go put my Fall door bucket up right now!!
I might even post a picture or two after I’m done! Stay tuned…
**edited**
Here are some pictures of what I did on the front porch. I didn’t take a full shot because I have to find a place for all the crap the kids leave at the step, so I didn’t want to show you that part. Isn’t it pretty??
Happy Fall Y’all!!
Tags: Brighter Days Ahead, Happy Fall Y'all!
Posted by Angie on Oct 8, 2008 in
Fun Stuff 63 words
Speedtest
Tags: abilities, bored
Posted by Angie on Apr 23, 2008 in
Fun Stuff We didn’t get to watch it on Tuesday, but because I stayed home from work today, I got to see it finally. Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber night with only 6 left.
This is American Idol! I know you were expecting Ryan Seacreast just now, but sadly all you get is me.
Here are my predictions for Wednesday.
Top 2- Carly Smithson and Sayesha Mercado
I enjoyed Sayesha and she was definitely in her element with the musical style of singing. Like Diana DeGarmo, if she doesn’t make it in the pop scene, she has a place on Broadway.
Carly always just makes me wanna rock. I just like her style and her range. This was perfect for her and I like that she didn’t try to go with a song that she thought would be more demure and like what Sir Andrew would want her to sing. She tried that and he stopped her!
Middle 2- David Archuleta, and David Cook
As always, these boys deliver great vocals and arrangement but like Simon, I wasn’t jumping out of my seat or feeling all welled up with excitement inside, unlike when Carley sang, I clapped. Alone. They’ll move on.
Bottom 2- Jason Castro and Brooke White
I watched the piece with Jason and Sir Andrew and when he started to sing on stage, I got up and went to make lunch. It was that forgettable. Same with Brooke, I was making something to eat and heard Brooke. Then I didn’t hear Brooke and I assumed it was part of the song. When I came back in, I heard them all talking about her forgetting the words. I will have to go back and see that again. While I was in the kitchen, I didn’t hear anything to get excited about.
As the show moves on, I’m not going to be too sad to see Jason and Brooke go. I think they are out of the other’s league with the exception of Sayesha. I think she is good, but I don’t know that she’ll be the next Carrie Underwood. I think any one of the top 4 could take the prize at the end tho. Who knows.
Tags: American Idol, Friends
Posted by Angie on Mar 18, 2008 in
Fun Stuff Then American Idol night is the one I pick! Same version as last week…Let’s doooo iiiiiittt!! Oh wait. Wrong show.
5701 Amanda Overmyer: Sang: Back in the USSR. The band was louder than she was and so were the backup singers. She did ok. I don’t really have a whole lot of love for her. She knows how to do only one thing. Stand there with an open stance, bend forward and gravel out the chorus. Not good.
5702 Katy Lee Cook: Sang: You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away. Booriing! Simon was right. She has as much personality as a wet noodle and her legs are wet noodles.
5703 David Archuleta: Sang: The Long and Winding Road. He remembered the words!! Good job! Awesomeness! I’m all warm and fuzzy inside…should I feel ashamed? He’s only 17!! OMG!! Hotness! LOL Simon said he was amazing. I agree.
5704 Michael Johns: Sang: A Day in the Life. Off the Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band album. A favorite of both Jon and myself. I thought it was good. The judges didn’t like it one bit. Ouch.
5705 Brooke White: Sang: Here comes the Sun. Her voice is so smoky and rich. She dances kind of awkward though! LOL It almost sounds slightly country. I like it. It was simple and that seems to be her thing. (Randy said she was awkward and she agreed that she moves awkward! LOL) She is a little too self-depricating for my taste. You picked it Brooke, have confidence in what you did and take their criticizing for what it is. Their opinion. The people still like you an awful lot!
5706 David Cook: Sang: Day Tripper. I don’t think I know this one. White Snake did a version? Um yeah, that is why I don’t know it. (Ha! Now that I hear it, I do know that song. I guess I didn’t listen close enough when I heard it before. )
(** As a side note** He plays guitar left handed and well, I tried playing with Brenna’s guitar yesterday. Try tuning it with a string missing, by the way. Anyway, I have no idea how he plays as a lefty because the strings would be upside down. Or do they string it for left handed peeps? ) It was good. I’m not sure about the synthed vocals, but it was good.
5707 Carly Smithson: Sang: Blackbird. I really like her voice. I would buy her album. I liked that version. It was controlled and well done. Yay her!! (I totally said controlled before Randy did! I swear!!) I seriously think Simon is just trying to be the one who disagrees. Why can’t he just say she was good? Harumph!
5708 Jason Castro: Sang: Michelle. My belle? I have to say I don’t like him. So I guess it doesn’t matter if he does well tonight. Ok, so it’s not that I don’t LIKE him for his voice, I DON’T like his hair. It’s akin to not being able to look at Sanjaya’s hair every week. You know what I am talking about! 
Anyway, he was OK.
5709 Syesha Mercado: Sang: Yesterday. It was tender and soft. She had one off key note, but overall, it was good. Definitely her best performance so far.
5710 Chikezie Eze: Sang: I’ve just seen a face. Sounds like a love song you would hear on the radio. He sounds great. I like him. He is a little further down on my list of favorites, but he’s growing on me. Nice harmonica action there! That was a surprise!
5711 Ramiele Malubuy: Sang: I should have known better. …….than to fall in love with you…now love is just a faded memory…?? huh?? LOL I obviously don’t know this song…. She has a strong voice, but I don’t think she has as much stage presence. She seems scared to really pick dynamic songs and sing them with what vocal range she has! I’m bored. Moving on!
Oh.. she was the last one. Pretty good tonight. Looking forward to seeing how gets voted off tomorrow.
My bottom 3 are: Ramiele Malubuy, Jason Castro, and Katy Lee Cook. They were the weakest out of the whole bunch. Who knows how it will go in the end. I voted for David A., Carly S., Chikezie E., David C., and Brooke W. Multiple times for most of them.
On a family note. We have a sick girl. Strep throat. Poor little Bree-Bree. She hasn’t felt good since Sunday. I missed a play date with MJ’s friend because she wasn’t feeling well and had fever. I seriously hope I don’t get it. I don’t want to expose my dad to that with all that he is going through. I am flying up to MO to see him and my Sis on Thursday night. Pray for Jon and the kids. LoL! See you on the flip side!
Tags: American Idol, Friends
Posted by Angie on Mar 11, 2008 in
Fun Stuff So the start of the show promises big changes. Ryan shows off the new stage and lights. Everyone all together now, OoooOooooohhh! The band is in their very own penthouse and the audience is in “bleachers”. Yippee! Annnd the judges, Randy, Paula, and hairy chest Simon. Yum for Ryan! LOL
AMERICAN IDOL TOP 12!!! WOOT!! Here they come…..Lots of clapping. The top 12 perform one song each and the theme tonight is Lennon/McCartney song book. David Archuleta did Lennon already. I wonder if he’ll do that one again?
I’ll go through each of their performances in one line, and then at the end, I’ll recap who I think did the best.
Syesha Mercado: Her register seems too low in this song. I didn’t like it in the beginning. It’s just aiight. The end was ok. Meh.
Chikezie Eze: Zowie…she’s a rockin woman singing in falsetto. Hmmmm..full of energy and it was pretty good! I liked it!
Ramiele Malubay: Sweet and tender, not sure it show cases her voice, but it was safe.
Jason Castro: I can’t stand his hair. Didn’t wow me. All this heart feeling is stupid. Get a hair cut.
Carly Smithson: Wow…she is good. I really like her! Come together baby….
David Cook: Rockin’. Like Daughtry, been there done that. I like him ok.
Brooke White: She plays piano well, enjoyed her version of let it be. I wasn’t knocked off my socks tho. Apparently Simon was…go figure.
David Hernandez: Not his best. A little Broadway performance-esqe for me or somewhat country fair-ish. Or as Simon said, “a little rabbit in the headlights” LOL I didn’t care for it. “Not feelin’ it”.
Amanda Overmyer: Better than some of her performances, but she still forces it into her upper register and then it sounds too Janice for me. I’m not a huge fan of her.
Michael Johns: He did ok. (I was talking to Jon while he was singing, so I wasn’t paying attention! LOL
Kristy Cook: Country is her thing, not sure if I like this version of 8 days a week. Seems too fast..sort of like weird al’s polkarama version of it in country form. LOL if you even know what I mean….
David Archuleta: They saved the best for last ( I hope- I’m writting this before he sings) I think I would like anything he does! :o) oh my gosh! He forgot the words! Poor baby is nervous!! I’m scared for him. The judges are going to eat him alive..it’s never good to forget any words. I will make sure to vote extra so he can stay on redeem himself.
I especially liked Carly tonight and second runner up, Chikezie. He was fun and had a good time. Ok, so my lowest picks tonight are: Syesha Mercado and Kristy Cook. I think even tho David A. forgot his words, he will stay until next week. Carly is as good as in the top three. I really like her. I can usually pick them for the top 3, but the last two years I didn’t predict the winners. They should have won, Kat McPhee and Blake Lewis, but alas, they didn’t.
Well, it was a good night. I won’t be having AI at my house this week. We’ll watch it together at home and enjoy seeing who gets the boot. Syesha or Kristy Lee? Only the votes will tell. Who did you vote for?
Tags: American Idol, Friends
Posted by Angie on Feb 21, 2008 in
Fun Stuff The first 4 casualties of Season 7 are (drum roll please): Plus Size Model Joanne, Angelina’s Twin that can’t sing, Colton “The blond eyelashes” dude, and Garrett “throwback from the 70’s bad hair” guy. See, I can’t even remember them they were so unmemorable! I even tried to look up pictures, but I was too tired to wade through the American Idol website slide show with all 123 pictures. Ok, I found a pic of them, so I stole it! Shhh… (hat tip: idolbloglive.com )
It’s been a while since I posted. Since most of my readers are family anyway, they know what has been going on with our family. My Dad was diagnosed with Cancer recently and of course it’s been devastating for us all and we are learning to cope with it all. My Dad is a strong man and I know he’ll get through this the same way he got through many other issues in his life, with humor and strength and US!
So anyway, lots of stress, work, family, feeling funky my own self, and then my Mom ended up in the hospital! When it rains it pours! She was having trouble breathing, so she is there until she is better.
Upward Basketball is almost over and so we will get our weekends back starting next Sat. Yard work and spring cleaning are in the works. I might even finish painting my bathroom from 3 years ago! My friend Laura is working on a house they are renovating and last week I went to help out for a while. I noticed what a transformation a simple coat of white gloss paint can do, so I am inspired to grab a paintbrush and paint the trim all over our house because it is so yellow from age and wear. It will give our house a clean fresh look for not a lot of money.
So….I guess that is all I got for an update. I hope the bone crushing fatigue and the foggy fog will lift from my body and let me get back to doing what I want and need to do, life. I’m smiling on the inside, way deep down, just waiting for it to come to the surface. :o)
Tags: American Idol, Friends
Posted by Angie on Jan 27, 2008 in
Fun Stuff After America voted to give Sanjya the boot, he applied to be on Extreme Makeover. He felt like his career wasn’t going anywhere unless he radically changed his “look”. As unique and original as his previous look was with the fauxhawks and numerous other crazy hairdos, he took the criticism to heart and decided that the only way to please the judges was to become one!
Transformation after the jump….
Read more…
Tags: American Idol, Friends