Pinterest is my Mistress.

I have a love/hate relationship with Pinterest.

I figured today was a good day to make good on something I have spent hours searching, organizing and pinning.

To actually try one of my pins.

It was a dreary day outside, and I really saw no need to leave the comfort of my new robe.

I got this robe at Kohl's.

With Kohl's cash.

So the universe practically gave me this robe.

It is soft as premature butterfly wings.

When I wear this robe, it feels like a hug from an angel.

It is also a sex deterrent, I have learned.

Another bonus in my book.

It has pockets.

I find that robes need pockets, since bras are prohibited, and that is usually where I carry my cellphone.

So anyway...back to Pinterest.

I found this Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Bar recipe.

I almost had all of the ingredients for it at home.

I improvised on the recipe with what I had on hand, and guess what Internets?!

My version kicked butt.

I haven't made the original to compare, you can find it HERE.

But I will share mine with you.

The recipe calls for a package of sugar cookie mix. For some reason, I have had this box of Jiffy Sugar Cookie Mix in my pantry forever. It is a small box.

I used that, and added some graham cracker crumbs. The crumbs were so stinking good. I loved the texture it added.

The recipe has you use three egg yolks.

I thought the lonely little discarded whites should get used too.

I probably could have saved the whites for some nutritious/low cal egg burrito that I could eat and pretend that I like, but I opted instead to make a meringue top for the cheesecake.

Totally delicious.

Here is the recipe.

Remember, you can click on it to see it better, or you can right click it, save it, and print it out as a 4x6 photo.

Either way, you are probably going to want to change into your own robe before you make this.

Belts are not going to be your friend.

A winner!

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful comments!
My winner is comment number 44:

Sharyn said...
Who is Kandis Smith? ;)

Anyway - I rarely enter these, but man, love that Times and Seasons.

4:07 PM

So Sharyn, I need a snail mail addy, and Times and Seasons is yours!

Congrats!

shauntewadley@gmail.com

Echo Park and May Arts

Welcome to the Echo Park/ May Arts Blog Hop. You are probably here via Kandis Smith.
You are right on track. 

Listen up.
I know a whole bunch of you cringe when you see a scrapbook-y post on my blog.
But another whole bunch of you also cringed when you saw my hideous face pictures from the dentist.
So I guess I can't please everyone when I am documenting my life.
But I can give crap away, to maybe ease your visual burden.
Maybe this kit:

Or perhaps this one:

Or any of the kits you see on the Echo Park Paper website, which is HERE.

Just leave me a comment on this blog post, and tell me which collection you would like to get your hands on. I will draw a random winner next Monday, the 21st, who will get a free kit collection of their choice.

My personal favorite is an oldie, but goodie, (Country Drive) and the collection that I chose to make a layout using my new stash of ribbon from May Arts.

I said that all casual like- May Arts.
If you are crafty at all.
Or part squirrel, like me.
Or like pretty things.
Or just like to breathe oxygen...you need May Arts in your life.

This ribbon is not the stuff you find on spools at Walmart. (Sorry Offray.)
It is beautiful, thick, has great texture, and comes in deep, rich colors.
I cried a little inside when I cut it for my layout, I have enjoyed just rolling around in it.
Here is a layout I made:

First I want to point out, that the photo I used is from 2006. That little girl is 8 now, not 3, and I really miss her. She talks back now, and doesn't like to brush. Sigh.
I also want to point out the detail of the ribbon.

Can you see the pleated edge on the border?
It came like that.
For real.
I tucked half of the ribbon underneath the paper, and it made it look like I know how to sew.
Look at the puffy, fuzzy ribbon:

More puffy-fuzzy, and some velvet.
I told you there was texture!

It's the best part of my job, when I get to mix two really great companies.
Sort of like graham crackers (good) dipped in frosting (better).

And yeah, my diet isn't going well.

If you want to see what the other Echo Park designers have done with their May Arts goodness, the next stop on the Blog Hop is:
Wendy Sue Anderson

If you are lost, you can check:
Echo Park Blog
May Arts Blog
There are other giveaways to win!

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

I am so screwed.

I thought I had until Easter to get my willpower under control.
Stupid Cadbury.

I might as well get out some duct tape, and strap the four bags I bought yesterday to my butt and thighs.
We all know that is where they are going to end up anyway.

Three wise suggestions.

Sometimes I like to leave smashed bug carcasses on my bathroom mirror as a warning to other bugs.

And let this next picture be a warning to all humans:
Don't go to the dentist, and then afterward, go anywhere public.
I was planning on going to Costco, since our dentist is right there...

Yaaaaarrrr! Matey!

Seriously?
I had to have four shots.
I was numb from my chin to my eye.
MY EYE WAS NUMB.
When the kids saw me, they alternately stepped away in fear, and then laughed.
Then I saw myself, and I laughed so hard I cried (out of my good eye.)
Needless to say, I skipped Costco, and sped to the safety and concealment of my home.

I had Jayden take "Hurry and take some pictures!"

Why couldn't this have been Halloween?!

Don't worry, he didn't need to hurry.
I went in to the dentist at 2, and I was still numb in places when I went to bed at 10.
It was a long night.
And my third suggestion for the day is: get your camera back from your 15 year old when you ask him to take pictures, especially if you have a full bladder.

A Strangely Awesome Week.

This is Shayne.

He is 12.
He is my nicest kid. He is a middle child, and always wants everyone around him to be happy.
He also can't find squat.

"Shayne, could you bring me the book I left in the family room?"
It could be the only thing in the whole room. Literally. The whole room could be empty, and that kid would still come back to you empty-handed.

"Shayne, can you put this in the fridge?"
And you will find it the next day, in the pantry.

I have thought about having him tested.
Except for the fact that he is pulling straight A's in school. So I don't think he is broken. Maybe just selectively broken...at home.
Very frustrating.
We would usually follow up his botched errand with a "what is wrong with (you) (your eyes)?"

We tease him about it now, since it is so seldom that he actually follows directions correctly, and has the good fortune to triumph!
He attempts...and then fails, and comes back to us, empty-handed, and slump-shouldered.
All we can do it laugh now.
So imagine my surprise, when the other day, he had a random success!
I believe in positive parenting, so I made him document his milestone on the family calendar.

We had another string of break-throughs this week, that I wanted to document on the calendar as well.
This is my husband.

(He even looks better-looking to me, after this week)

I came upstairs the other day, and Sam was quietly putting all our clean laundry away.

It didn't stop there.

Our dishwasher has been crapping out.
I know it is shocking, but we aren't the best pre-rinsers in this house.
I barely dare mention it to Sam, when the dishwasher is crapping out, because he is a fanatical pre-rinser.
And he judges us.
When he takes the dishwasher apart, he cleans out the filter, and the spinny thingie, and he SAVES ALL THE COLLECTION OF GUNK TO RUB IN OUR FACES.
Yep. Post-clean, there will always be a guilt tupperware on the counter.
Full of interesting things like:
Bread twist-ties
Pistachio shells
Broken glass
Barbie shoes
Earrings (YAY!)
Crusty Mystery Meat
Etc.
So anyway, the same week that he put the clean basket away, he also cleaned out the dishwasher.
Willingly.
And there was no tupperware.

Internets, it doesn't end here!

Sam works graveyard shifts, so I often leave him in bed when I get up for the day- then when he gets up in the afternoon, I make the bed.
(Or sometimes don't.)
But I am the official bed-maker, when it gets made.

No one saw this coming...but he also made the bed.
Voluntarily.
And put on all the decorative pillows...where they are supposed to go.

I found this strange...this string of events.
I was a little leery.

I did some sleuthing in our insurance records.
I wondered if maybe I had a terminal illness that I had forgotten about.
Or maybe...Sam was secretly transgendering into the woman I always wanted him to be?

Then, internets, the next one will blow your friggin' mind, as it did mine.
Without me asking or even suggesting, or hinting- he scrubbed the shower clean.

I am thoroughly embarrassed to have to admit to this back-story, but it must be told, for you to understand the magnitude of this final miracle in this string of events.
Our shower was gross.
It had that orange slime in the corners.
I knew I needed to get to it soon....it was just that I shower after I go to the gym.
Sometimes my arms are so tired I can't scrub.
And other times, my legs are so sore I cry when I drop the soap.
There just hasn't been a good time.
So I have resorted to showering without my contacts in, so I am blissfully unaware of how much worse it gets with each passing day.

Sam cleaned it. Spontaneously.

What is going on?!

I thanked him profusely for each thing.
I offered to...uh, "make him cookies", as a thank you, in the middle of the afternoon!
He said he was okay.
I had to brag to someone.

Sorry, but my husband wins this week!

 Too bad for the rest of you.

Heads Up.

I can't enter this thing, cause I am on their design team, but Lifestyle Crafts is doing insane giveaways this month. This week you can win a Canon 60D and the cutest camera bag ever:

Yep, that turquoise purse is a CAMERA BAG!

If you even *think* you are crafty, you need to get off the computer right now, and enter this thing.
Here are all the details:
I MADE THIS CONTEST

If you are local, you can sure as heck come borrow some of my dies.
I would love to see someone I know win this.

Yesterday was Halloween.

My girls were the only kids in the family that were interested in dressing up this year.
I take that back.
Brendan also went out with friends to terrorize the neighborhood.
He made a half-assed effort to disguise himself.
He pulled out his felt mustache, and some leftover 3-D movie glasses. And a hat.
I didn't get a picture. Didn't really want one.
It was shameful.
My girls dug through our costume closet, and put together this:

What are they?
No one knows.
They just wanted ratted up hair.

I think it is in their DNA, the desire for "bangs to heaven."
They get that from me.
I rocked the 80's.

Rocked.

(With a little "all hail the AquaNet.")
The girls pulled in a lot of candy.
I gave out a lot of candy.
The theme for the evening was candy.

Internets, I have fallen off the wagon. Hard.

I have been very bad with the eating of the candy.
I have talked myself into thinking that candy can be "breakfast."
After all, Snickers contains peanuts, and peanuts are protein.
I ate so many candy corns Sunday night that I was literally sick.
But I kept eating...because the bag wasn't empty....and by golly! I am not a QUITTER!!

Internets, I have a problem.
The candy...it calls to me.
Even common household items are tempting me.

(Please tell me you also see a Hershey Bar and not just a calculator.)

I did the right thing, and went to the gym today.
I wasn't feeling it.
I had a banana, instead of Twix to "fuel" me.
Sugar lows are pretty sucky.
And then the (size 0) teacher started in on how "bad" she was...and I thought "oooh, I might be in good company!"
And she proceeds to confess that she had THREE whole fun-sized candy bars!
Well, shame on her.
I think she may have caught my eye about then, and I do tend to wear my emotions on my face.
She got a real good dose of "are you freaking kidding me," stink-eye with a side order of nose scrunch.
I refuse to be happy for the willpower of others.


She tried to back-pedal, and say she may have even had more...she is not really sure, cause she was so out of control!!


uh-huh. I bet.


So anyway, today, I am having a hard time, what with the candy wrappers all over the floor, and the leftover candy, and the trick-or-treat bags staring me in the face.


I am so happy that Thanksgiving is coming.
I might as well give up, and outfit myself in every color they make:

Belts are not going to be my friend until well after January.