These are a few of my favorite things

I can read, I swear. I just don't.  But I have been recently.  I got a high school book list off the internet and I think I'm gonna work my way through it.  Heaven know I didn't do it in high school.  The only books I remember reading were Brave New World and Slapstick.  Remember enjoying them both...  Anyway.  So far I've read The Five People You Meet In Heaven, Slaughterhouse Five, The Bell Jar and a couple of Spanish kids books.  This is progress people!
And, because I like fall and I had fun making them, I leave you with some "leaf" chip pictures.  Besides, this post needed some imagery. 

 

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U2 Concert

So here's us at the U2 concert.  You'll remember from this post how we were able to afford these tickets. To me, the stage looks like an angry spider.  Maybe it's angry cause it only has 4 legs and those really huge fangs.  I dunno.  It was weird. 

I can't say that I was all that impressed with the show.  I thought the encores could have been way more powerful and that they ended the show kind of floundering.  Here's a picture of the stage, or rather, the screen above the stage.  At least the screen did cool things.

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Because Fall Is My Favorite

Did I mention that I love fall foods or fall for that matter? Well, I do. Maybe banana bread isn't exactly a fall food but I had like a million bananas in the freezer that I needed to use up. So, I decorated them with fun fall motifs.
And some of you aren't believing me when I say that baking with beans is good so I did a little taste test. I made identical batches of banana bread but one has 1/2 cup of butter and one has 1/2 cup of pinto beans. Visually, there is no difference. (You may say that one has more walnuts but it may just be the slice - technically the are equal.) Texture-wise, the one with beans is a bit denser. But the flavors were the same. Some people even said the one with beans had more banana flavor or more spice. Mind you, those taste testing for me didn't know which was which. Final results. Baking with beans is still good. Seriously people, just try it!
And for more fall fun. Some friends and I got together for some holiday craft fun. I made this festive centerpiece that I can use for Halloween and Thanksgiving. And, it was my first decoupage experience! Fun stuff. You really can't mess it up!
And the reason for all of this fun is...
Seriously. Got any good fall recipes, crafts or traditions?

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Got alot done today. Too bad it wasn't anything that needed to get done.

Well, that's not entirely true. I helped throw a baby shower for a lady I visit teach this morning. Then I went to Goodwill for their 50% off Saturday Sale. It was my first real junk-treasuring experience and I immediately fell in love with boxes. Well, that's not true either. I've always had a thing for boxes I just never have any thing to put in them. So maybe, sometime in the future, when I'm better at these "rescue missions" I'll attempt to redo those boxes and give them as gifts. For now, I started with a mini-easel, a small basket and a white board. I spray painted them all black. I hung the white board but I need to get a small piece of sheet metal to double as a place to put my magnetic dry erase markers and a place to hide some marks that didn't completely come off. I planted our herb garden too. It's just a window box with rosemary, dill, basil and parsley. I did the dishes too and I'm about to fold some laundry before going off to Women's Conference. I guess that counts as something that needs to get done. Really I should have been cleaning the bathroom or my desk or my dining room table... Necessary projects are being pushed aside for the moment - I've been on a roll lately! Oh, yeah. I made my own Modge Podge decoupage paste. I've never decoupaged before so we shall see. Also, I've been looking over some Photoshop techniques that seem really cool. I'm sure you'll see those here at some point. Okay. Must clean up for conference...

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3-month Food Storage

Here's what our food storage looked like when I posted about it in May of 2008.
Here's what it looks like now, almost a year and a half later. Never fear. It's not all contained here. We have water under our bed and behind the closet door. We have #10 cans under the bed and along the wall (all in our bedroom). And we still have bags laying around that still have cans in them. Oh, and we have cans under a table in our bedroom too. AND THIS ISN'T EVEN FINISHED. No! Not even with the food part. And then there's still paper products and personal hygiene... Ugh!
Anyway. Here's the curtain I made to hide as much stuff as possible. I don't have a sewing machine so I used that Heat N Bond stuff.
And with the extra fabric and cork circles, I made some coasters. We needed some. Or maybe my dad could make some... (hint, hint) They could even be lined with cork. I got mine at Michaels.

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Thank You Baby Shower Favors

It may be a little early to post this since the shower isn't until Saturday but I don't think any of those people read my blog and I was just so proud of myself. Not so much of the candy pacifiers but more the actual thank you tag. So simple, but I love it with the little swirls and the elegant script...

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Valentina - 1 year collage

Well she's like a year and a half by now but whatever. Here is the collage I did of pictures of Valentina when we went to Argentina (in May) for her 1-year old birthday. She is so stinkin' cute!!!

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Eating Disorder

Does anyone else suffer from a severe eating disorder commonly know as I've-eaten-too-many-itus? I suffered a severe attack last night and am currently feeling the guilt. It was something I shouldn't have been eating anyway. We don't keep it in the house but I was at the grocery store and I've been getting frustrated lately. So, in my cart it went. As if I were giving up. Is is proven that marriage makes you gain weight? I mean, for the most part I eat healthy and I got to the fitness center 3 times a week. I shouldn't be gaining weight. I was an entire pant size smaller before I got married. What gives?! And now it seems to be distributing itself in ways it never has before and I don't like. If this is another Stout curse then I denounce my heritage and I claim that of say Madonna or Katie Holmes. Is this normal? I'm getting sick of this. Guess I'm starting a food journal again...

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