Even more...

Can we really have more Halloween...YES!

I have been working on some fun Halloween charms for a a swap with some of my Creative Escape friends, thanks to Candi for hosting this swap, I can't wait to see what everyone has made!













I also added some fun Halloween recipes to the cute little cookbook we made there.















Tonight for dinner....Bat Wings and Swamp Dip

Bat Wings
20 Bat Wings (chicken wings will work if your store doesn't carry bat wings)
1/2 C Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 tsp. 5 Spice Powder
2 Cloves Garlic minced

Combine marinade ingredients in a plastic bag or shallow dish, add wings and toss to coat, chill for several hours.
Bake on a foil lined sheet at 450* for 10 minutes.
Brush with remaining marinade and bake another 15-20 minutes until crispy.

Serve with Swamp Dip and veggies

Swamp Dip
8 ounces Sour Cream
3 Tbs. Coarse Ground Mustard
Combine and garnish with chives.








OK honestly found this recipe online and thought it was great for this cute cookbook....but they were actually really yummy and easy!!!




I have also finished several more of my CE projects
7 Gypsies super fun interactive photo display board.














Marah Johnson's Book Box..no pics yet but the box and books are done.













Heidi's FaB photo display album














Lynette Carols Unforgettable wall hanging with pics of my BFF's fam...sent it off to her for her b-day. Can't wait to see you next week!!!!!!!!!!!








OK if you are still here I'll let you in on the scariest thing at our house ....and it has nothing to do with Halloween!!!!!!
Enter at your own risk!!!!!!













This is actually a pretty good day in here......
Happy week everyone!

Photoshop

OK I still have no real clue what I am doing but I am having so much fun playing around in Photoshop. Big thanks to my GF Ann for getting me hooked! I could sit here an play all day, and not get too much else done but the possibilities are amazing.

Here is a Polaroid transfer technique I did with some yummy goodies from a great site called Coffee Shop

I also finished up another CE project this weekend. Carol Wingert created this amazing pyramid display box that just has so many options! I created it as a Halloween box! I love how it turned out!

Yes we are getting a little excited for Halloween....it can't get here soon enough!!!

Peanuts vs.Spoon Hanging

OK I promised a long time ago to post these pics! Later on during Em's birthday party my hilarious and too cute for words nephew Joseph comes strolling in to the family room where everyone was watching Em open her presents.

Cool as a cucumber....then we all start laughing....













Then everyone had to get in on the action.....















Then things just got out of control!






























Ryan are those Arizona Cardinal Under-Roos?

My Aunt Tricia is a world class spoon hanger, but I think we are in on what is probably the Congolese equivalent of hanging spoons!

I don't have a picture of my Aunt Tricia in action, so here is a cute little girl I found online trying out spoon hanging, just in case you are not familiar with this 'art'.










Honestly my Aunt can hang probably 9 spoons at once on different parts of her face and can actually hold a spoon horizontally with nothing but her chin!

Can someone get me David Letterman's email address, I think we need to get these kids on Stupid Human Tricks STAT!

It's never dull around here! Thank goodness!

Creative Escape and Great Friends

OK things got a bit hectic here right after (well actually even before) Creative Escape, but thanks to my fantastic parents I was still able to go enjoy this wonderful over the top event! This was my third time to be able to go to CE and it was the best year ever. I have made so many great friends from this event, and this year it was more about seeing and reconnecting with these great friends than the event itself. But the projects this year were all to die for and I am officially in love with Heather Bailey! I have been having so much fun playing with all the digital goodness at House of 3, still a total photoshop novice, but it's fun, and Iam just started a 5 week photoshop class at Scrap Happy Sisters so hoping to learn a little more!

It was a wonderful year and I had so much fun with my roomie Ann we even snuck in a few extra hours on Sunday morning to go to the Spa at Wild Horse Pass this resort is so fantastic and it was a great get away for a few days. I come home feeling creatively energized, I have finished two projects already and made super great mini album for a gift.

Reality hit back quick when I got home, but we are getting back on track now, Em is officially a swine flu survivor and we managed not to infect anyone else.

I promise to post the rest of the bday pics with some funny surprises this week, so check back.

Saying goodbye...

Yesterday we had a wonderful service for Grandma Brown at Friendship Village where she had lived for almost 20 years. We were lucky to have my Grandma Eileen another FV resident there as well helping out and greeting people at the guest book. It was lead by their wonderful chaplain Sue Getz and included a touching P.E.O. memorial given by 4 of her P.E.O sisters.

The service started out with the playing of Precious Memories one of Grandma's favorite songs. "As I travel on life's pathway, I know not what the years may hold; As I ponder, hope grows fonder; Precious memories flood my soul." It's a beautiful song, that my mom, aunt Barbara and aunt Marian sang for my Grandma at her 80th birthday party.

My brother and I were so pleased to be able to speak on behalf of our cousins and families at the service to share some of our memories. We were so fortunate to have lived so close to them when we were growing up and spent many wonderful days there with our cousins. So many good stories, Old Tucson, back to school shopping, feeding the ducks, and many many games of cards, checkers or Skittles.

All seven of Grandma's grandchildren and their spouses were able to be there for the service and five of her seven great grandchildren.
















You can click on the pictures to see them bigger...Back Row: Ryan Mac Donald (worlds best brother and uncle), Erin Odegaard Polivchak, Jesse Odegaard, Weldon Bud Brown, Weston Brown. Middle Row: Christa Mac Donald Flook, Tricia Mac Donald, Barbara Odegaard, Marian Mosher, Andrea Brown. Front Row: Joseph Mac Donald, Bryce Patterson Mac Donald, Emily Flook, Grace Mac Donald, Solange Mac Donald.

The whole group...





After the service and many many tries at family photos we went to Serrano's Mexican Restaurant where we had more time to visit and remember Grandma. Ric Serrano who has been a wonderful friend to our family and my former employer for many many years came to the service and had arranged a wonderful venue for our lunch at their Dobson and Guadalupe restaurant. When we arrived we were greeted by two waiters holding trays with cans of Sprite, Grandma always had a can of sprite with every meal and always had a can with her when she went anywhere (wrapped in paper towels, then a paper bag secured with a few rubber bands, sometimes there were plastic bags and tin foil involved too). It was a great surprise and made us all tear up and laugh at the same time.
Nice work dad you are the best!!!









We had a sprite toast to grandma then shared a wonderful lunch it was great we were all able to be together to remember her on this special day!

We will always miss you but never forget all you have taught us!

Grandma Brown

I have been blessed the most wonderful of grandparents, all of whom have played a big part in my life. My brother and I were lucky to spend a lot of time growing up with our maternal grandparents Walter and Elaine Brown. They both taught us so many things about being generous, caring, imaginative and always learning something in the process.

My Grandmother Elaine passed away peacefully on Monday evening at the age of 92. My mother, my two aunts, my dad, brother and I with her thoughout her last day. We had all been able to spend a good deal of time with her over the last week. It's so comforting to know she is with my grandfather to whom she was married for 60 years.

I am so thankful for the wonderful relationship I had with her, for all the things she taught me, and for Emily being able to know her so well. Raising three daughters she knew a lot of about bringing up girls I can only hope to do as well as she did. We will miss you and never forget the amazing woman you were.

Teenager!

We had a blast at Emily's party on Saturday and got to celebrate again by going out to dinner on Tuesday with Grandma and Grandpa for the real deal birthday...and now there is a teenager in the house!!!

Here are some shots from the party....it was an all out carnival with corn dogs, popcorn, peanuts, cotton candy, snow cones and even a clown birthday cake! Emily's best friend Grey and her sister Elle joined us as well as my BFF Bill and great friend Rebecca. Later in the day we were lucky to have my brother's fam here to help us celebrate.

These two have known each other since they were two, and have shared every birthday since together...lucky girls!

Squirt gun gangstas....

Getting ready for a whip cream pie fight!

Elle was a fantastic balloon hat maker!

You be the judge...but I think Bill clearly wins the WAY over 30 jumping splits contest! By a mile!!

Bill

Ryan

Me

My niece Gracie has the most expressive eyes eVah!!!

My aDORable niece Solagne rockin' a balloon hat!

Joseph and Solange were not sure what to make of the cotton candy at first but very quickly figured out it was one of the best treats around!!!

Grey stayed for a sleepover...here are the girls with their beds made up in the family room....Em's favorite gift was a new ASU sweatshirt blanket from Grey!

Thanks everyone for helping Em celebrate her big 13th bday!

Check back later this weekend for some more pics from the party...Joseph started a new trend with peanuts that we believe may be the Congolese version of spoon hanging! And Aunt Tricia may have some stiff competition!!

Trust me the pics are GREAT!