what's up-chuck?

You know B.B., the wonder-ful dog.

She's sweet. She's obedient. She's .......

SICK!

So sick, she hurled, vomited and up-chucked this morning.

At 5:30 AM. On the floor on Jason's side of the bed (good going, girl. Thank you!).

And on her little bed.

And in the hallway.

She ran into the sewing room, thinking she was in trouble. How sweet.

So after I cleaned the mess up and beat her (just kidding!), I called to her, figuring she needed to go outside and finish any unfinished business still lurking within her.

So off she went and I got ready for work. I let her in, minus her treat because I'm not an idiot. OK, maybe I am, but I know better than to give a sick dog food.

Later on, Jonathan called me on my cell and informed me that BB was sick again. My boss, being a supreme animal-lover and all-around good-guy, told me to run home (we live 2.3 seconds from where I work) and see to her. And help Jonathan clean the carpet. She's my friend-boss. Boss-friend. She's a peach!

To make a long story even longer, I took our sick pooch to the vet. Enough is enough. Until, that is, I was presented with the estimate on her treatment.

$584.83...what?????!!!!!

Let me break it down for you:

Exam/Consultation           $49.00
Biohazard Waste Mgmt   $4.99 (this must be wiping off the thermometer)
Blood collection                $21.20
CBC chemist                    $143.90
Electrolytes Panel            $86.55 (a bowl of H2O?)
Abdominal 3 Views         $214.19
AIS Radiology report       $65.00

So I left her there...like I said, I'm an idiot. A phone call to my husband, a call to vet to inform them to not treat the dog, I was back in the exam room to pick up my doggie. At which point the doctor came in and said:

"You know, we can just give her a shot and see if it'll settle her stomach."

"How much?" I asked.

"One-hundred dollars," she replied.

Ahem...hello? Why didn't we do that in the first place?!

B.B. is feeling better tonight, even though she can't eat until tomorrow. But in the morning, I'm making her a meal of chicken and white rice. Doctor's orders. Which is fine with me...

...I saved $484.83. I can afford it.

day for fish'n!

There's a new kid in town and you had better watch out!

 I'm referring to "Bus'in Your Chops..."

I've heard this meals-on-wheels has quite a fan-base.

I was "encouraged" to order this...

 The ever-delicious Fish'n Chips.

I've been hearing about how exquisite this item is.

From these two...


Mutt and Jeff

Abbott and Costello

Sonny and Cher

Irene and Ivy, the identical duo from England. Aka my mother-in-law and her partner in crime, identical Irene.

Irene & Ivy...or is it Ivy & Irene?

I do believe they're the unofficial Fan Club Presidents of Bus'in Your Chops.

If you'd like to meet the funny ladies, head on down to the bus on Tuesdays AND Thursdays.

Have a bite to eat (they'll insist you order the Fish'n Chips which, by the way, are excellent). Oh, and put some vinegar on 'em...the fish, not the ladies.

Because that's how fish'n chips are eaten in merry ol' England.

At least, that's what I'm told.

If you're interested in following the bus, click here.

And tell the brothers the "sisters" sent you.

Then wave to the fan club presidents...they'll be watching you.

For unto us a child is born...

Wishing you a very Merry & Blessed Christmas!

paper trail.

I've chosen to use this photo, found on flickr, to illustrate a little story. I've never seen this young lady, but if I had, I certainly would have told her that she had toilet paper sticking out of the back of her pants...

Just like SOME LADY TOLD ME, AT THE CASH REGISTER IN PENNEY'S!

How embarrassing...

To think I walked through Wal-Mart and then the Avenues Mall with toilet paper flapping behind me!

I would like to thank that lovely lady who informed me of my predicament.

She whispered to me, "I would want someone to tell me if I looked like a complete
jack_ _ s."

She didn't use the equine description, but I'm sure she was thinking it.

Christmas shopping can be so stressful!

cheeky cupcake!

OK, so here is one fun lady!

Meet Brooke, of cheeky Kitchen.

Brooke has a vast array of delicious recipes...

Even healthy stuff.

Healthy stuff can sometimes be intimidating to make, but Brooke makes it fun.

This stuff, not so healthy-looking...

But soooo delicious-looking!

She's even giving away this Breville mixer.

D'ya want one?

Then go here and enter for a chance to win the shiny new appliance.

And check out her recipes.

And laugh.

Brooke is very cheeky!

it's all Good!

Today we're visiting with Goodlife eats...

Who can argue with Katie's motto, "finding the good in the kitchen & in life...?"

Not me!

 These elegant cookies are Chocolate Gingerbread Men! Chocolate...!

Genius!

And these beautiful goodies are Cranberry Crumb Bars. Don't they look delicious?

There's also a gracious Recipe Index page.

Good golly, she has all kinds of great-looking recipes...

...quick breads, poultry, Mexican, scones, Asian, freezer-friendly...

The list goes on.

Visit Goodlife eats for some amazing recipes.

They're not just for Christmas...

All this Christmas-recipe research could be dangerous.

skirting baking, for today.

We're going to take a break from baking today and focus on tree skirts.

I've gone years without a proper skirt for our tree...I'd simply drape some pretty fabric around the base of the tree and surprisingly, it looked fine. No one ever knew the difference...

But I knew. I knew that the tree wasn't sufficiently dressed.

Randi inspired me over at i have to say...

She made a darling tree skirt and posted a tutorial on how to make them.

So quick and easy. It whips up in no time flat.

I made a few minor changes...I omitted the bias tape, 'cause bias tape and I don't care a whole lot for each other. We tolerate one another, but there's no love lost between us...

If you have a notion to make a tree skirt, use Randi's tutorial...

It'll make your skirt fly up.

While you're there, check out the super-cute gingerbread houses she and her cute family made.

The woman is a wonder. Wonder Woman.

tasty good gifts.

Who can argue with a name like "The Gift of Goodnes?"

Or with the fact that all the recipes use real butter.

 Just look at those Peppermint Whoopie Pies.

Gingerbread Crinkles...

The incomparable North Pole Cookie Dough...yum!

Included with the recipes are "Packaging" suggestions; great for gift-giving!

While you're there, check out Butter Is Best for more delicious recipes!

Now go, conquer the butter!

cookie destination.

Today's cookie destination...

.

Sweetopia. The name itself makes me want to book a vacation there!

That little girl is one cute cookie.

But these cookies...truly the ultimate in a beautifully decorated cookie.

Crikey, I can't hardly stand this...the ultimate in a vintage design.

Are you supposed to eat it or frame it?

Sweetopia has great recipes for not only cookies, but lots of other goodies as well.

And if PINK is your color, you'll adore her web site.

She has lots of sweet recipes and not only cookies. What a variety of recipes!

Go, paint your cookies and be a Christmas cookie diva!

Once again, there's a link to her site over there on my sidebar...look for the pink gingerbread house.

baking for Christmas!

Are you ready for some baking?!

I'm here to help you...

I'll be posting some great baking sites for the next few days, to help you with your Christmas baking. Some real, honest-to-goodness practical sites...not those flippin' fancy places that want you to use ingredients that come from the great land of "yeah, right!"

Take Bake at 350, for instance...she's a guru and has easy recipes and techniques to get you in the mood for holiday baking. I found her over at Pioneer Woman...amazing!

Cottages...too cute!

Ornaments. Not that I'll be able to duplicate the beauty of these cookies, but perhaps with a little practice, by next year I might come close!

I've placed 350's link over there to the right at the top of my sidebar. In case you need to come back and find her link, it's handy-dandy, right there for you to click.

I'm always thinking of you!

Go now, bake and conquer! Impress your Christmas guests with some cute cookies.

Christmas-time in the tropics!

So in my last post, I told you all about the Christmas lights (or lack thereof) and how I was going to finish the tree.

That effort was thwarted by evil Wal-Mart shelf stockers. They mixed the boxes of multi-colored and pink-colored lights together. I came home with 3 boxes of pink and one of the multi...and half of the lights on the multi strand didn't work. And now our tree is kind of nakey. This situation will be fixed tomorrow, complete with the crowning jewel at the top of our tree.

In the meantime, I'm loving the beautiful weather we're experiencing here in Florida. It's cold, dark and gloomy.

                                                                                             Buffalo, NY


Much like winter days in Buffalo, minus the snow and slush.

The cold rejuvenates and energizes me.

While Florida residents are "freezing," bundled up in their snow-jackets, I roam free of the constraints of evil outer-wear, relishing the dark, overcast sky and the refreshing chill in the air.

Sadly, this weather won't last long. Before I know it, the sun will be shining and we'll all be sweating our everlovin' arses off!

But for now, I'm praying that we'll have a grey and cold Christmas.

It's a New York frame of mind.

decorating and then some.

Christmas decorating can oftentimes be stressful. Stringing the lights, taking the decorations out of storage and trying to figure out where to put your Christmas treasures.

I started stringing the lights on the tree last evening and ran out of lights. So tree-trimming came to an abrupt halt and today, I ran to the store to buy more tree lights. And there are plenty of lights now, so I'll be able to finish my masterpiece tonight.

A favorite vignette...this plate stand in our dining room has been an old standby of for a number of years. I believe the little cardinal was a last minute addition a few years back and boy, I wish I had bought a handful of the little guy. He's just so cute and he looks like a cold cardinal all puffed out, trying to keep warm. The peppermint-striped bowl is a gift from Mom and I think it looks delightful sitting on the middle plate. Those other decorations on the first and third plates are candle rings and have never used them for their intended purpose, but I adore the added dimension they bring to the red-rimmed plates.

Having bought more lights, I guess it's time to get back to work.

Off I go to finish decorating the tree...

...and placing Santa in his place of honor.

Poor Santa!

*More on that, later.

juicy, forbidden clogs.

SCORE!

These clogs just might be a gift for someone for Christmas.

A once-in-a-lifetime find.

If you're interested in buying your own delicious pair of clogs, click here.

The End.

purse-onally obsessed.

It seems that I became obsessed with a cute little purse at Paula's Fine Fabrics. And I may have gone to visit it several times, going so far as to sign up for a machine demonstration, just to get the pattern for this purse. My dreams of this purse, however, was shattered (after canceling a much-needed hair appointment on the same day as class) when the owner of the shop called and said she was sick and would have to cancel the class. Arrrrgh!

In quiet desperation, I had only one option remaining...I purchased the pattern and went ahead and made it on my own. I am quite capable of following easy instructions most of the time, but I sometimes lack self-confidence. So silly of me, when I make purses all the time. But here we are, said purse in all its Christmas glory.

The beauty of this little purse is that you can change out the bag itself, using the same frame. I'll be making some more "skins" for my purse in the next week, to show you the versatility of this little number. Perhaps I should make it a little smaller? With an option for a chain, so that it can be worn over the shoulder...whatdaya think? 

I'll be debuting my purse this Sunday, at church. My only hope is that my purse not divert attention from the real purpose we're all there.

JUST KIDDING!

My Christmas purse is cute, though.

In case you're wondering, I haven't finished decorating...that hutch looks a little nakey. Not to worry, I'll have it loaded  with Christmas decorations by the end of this weekend!

And baby, it's cold outside!

Yee-haw!