"what I saw at sea" art journal page

Good Morning dear readers.  we finished are inspection for our apartment complex and of course we passed. I'm now able to get to do my art pages.  I believe their was a prompt from journal 52 about under the sea not sure but did this page anyway.  I found a lot of sea related stamps in that giant bag from the thrift store and started to play with it. I started this page with a light blue acrylic paint.  I then went over that with a dark blue oil pastel crayon.  Then rubber stamped with stampin up leaf that kinda looked like it could pass for sea weed.  Then used a fish stamp also stampin up stamp.  Also used the Micheal's sea shell stamp.  I went over it also with the Stampa Barbara bubbles stamp using studio g blue, black and red ink pads.  I used for the love of whales stencils found at thrift store and colored in with oil pastels.  Then glued collage elements from various magazines enjoy the sea view.  Thanks for looking at my art would love for you to join me on my fb page at http://www.facebook.com/lorraine2448 have a great day.

wordless wednesday-cross eyed kitty

Here he is sorry for not posting last week couldn't catch him. All photos were a total blur.

Getting Ready For Fall With A Goulash

Good Morning dear readers, as you can tell I love the fall and winter months more then summer. It's a time where we get to enjoy soups and stews in front of a warm fireplace, relaxing with family and enjoying videos which is my families favourite pastime.  Fall is also the time of festivals.  One of Conors favourite is Oktoberfest and he's been hitting me up for more German recipes.  This year I'm ready for him.  I found this lovely easy and quick goulash recipe at the Mr. Food site.  I have adapted it to fit my needs.  Here's what you'll need to make this lovely recipe.

2 lbs lean ground meat -- I used 2 1/2 lbs

1 medium onions -- I used a sweet onion

3 1/2 cups of prepared beef broth -- I used 4 cups

1 8 oz. package elbow macaroni -- I used whole wheat macaroni

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper -- I used just enough to taste

1 cup sour cream

Brown meat with onions in large pot--love my dutch oven.  Add all other ingredients except sour cream.  Bring this to a boil and when boiling turn power down and let simmer for 6-8 minutes or until noodles are tender.  Remove from heat and add sour cream and then serve in bowls.  Voila lunch and dinner are served

                                         http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362610207471450307/

Sorry everyone the other pics did not turn out just the one I took outside.  The things we do to get a decent photo.

linking up here:
http://jannolson.blogspot.com/2014/08/share-your-cup-thursday-116.html

Refreshing Blue Berry Milk Shake

Good Evening dear readers, well as you know I still have a lot of frozen blue berries in my freezer.  It was easy to find recipes just hard trying to figure out which one we would do next.  Because we are still having warm weather I thought a milk shake was in order and all you need is a pretty milk shake glass and  a blender.  So here's the ingredients you'll need and this recipe was adapted from one found in all me magazine.

a blender

milk shake glass

2 cups french vanilla ice cream

1 cup frozen blue berries

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup milk

Place all your ingredients in your blender and set on blend.  Then all you have to do is pour and serve.  Enjoy this refreshing drink.

First Canvass Collage-Coupon Queen

Good Afternoon dear readers, well here's a fun piece I just finished.  I got a lot of ideas from ronni johnsons collage book.  I used some new techniques for me in this piece.  This piece came about because I am a coupon queen those of you are regular readers already know about my shopping skills.  I decided to use my expired coupons has the background for this piece and then I water coloured part of the canvass.  One part I used the new stencil from amazon and did the trick with the gesso and made raised flowers on the canvass.  This piece kinda reminds me of andy warhol's campbells soup cans.  I used a picture from a magazine for my queen and cardstock paper for her crown.  Frankie my Siamese loves to roll in my coupons so I rubber stamped a cat on the piece.  The vet gave me a  bag when frankie went in for meds and it had paw prints on it. So I cut and glued them on the canvass.  I used paint markers to fill in the letter stencil for Coupon.  I painted some of the gesso flowers with acrylics and the fun part is I colored in around the white gesso flowers with black oil pastels.  Here's the canvass enjoy

                                         
                                         http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362610207471394874/

linking up here:
http://jannolson.blogspot.com/2014/08/share-your-cup-thursday-116.html

Frankies Corner-Human's and their Schedules

Good Evening dear fur friends,  I'm finally back to my Friday schedule.  Mom's been crazy busy and still is trying to keep to the schedule.  The weather is still making my allergies act up so been confined to the house. I long for the days I could go for my daily walks but alas mom says no way.  Now I know what my boy feels like when he has his allergies.  Can humans give cats allergies?  I will have to check this out my fellow fur friends and prevent this scourge from happening to others.  Have a meowy evening fur friends and humans who love us.  Here's some shots mom took with that new red box thingy can't seem to get this one to work well and I apologize for mom not getting my good side.  For those who love my moms art stuff that will be out later she's playing with it now HUMANS!!!

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Save Mart Shopping Trip-Free Milk and Free Eggs

Good Evening dear readers,  I took advantage of a good deal at Save Mart today.  They had a good deal when you buy 4 items i.e Kellogg's Cereal, Pop tarts, Keebler Cookies you get a free gallon of milk.  Another special they had was purchase 2 spam get free eggs so basically free breakfast.  The melons where .99 today as well.  Also waited for the meat guy and got reduced packages of meat today got to feed those teenagers.  So check your local Save Marts for good deals the sale goes on thru Tuesday of next week.  Here's what I got today.

24 pack Pepsi

2-spam packages

4-Kellogg's pop tarts

1-mayonnaise

1-gallon free milk

1-dozen free eggs

1-Michelina's zappems good deal at $3 for 40 count

1-cantaloupe

1-16 count bar-s corn dogs at $4.99

10- packages of various reduced for quick sale meat

before sales/coupons/discounts  $118.05                   after sales/coupons/discounts $72.15  Saved $45.90

which is 39%

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Tips For Buying Reduced Price Meat

Good Morning dear readers,  I wanted to talk about shopping for meat today.  You know the news is full of stories of how the price of beef and pork is going up.  So how do you deal with the rising cost of meat.  Well you need to shop reduced price meat and here's my tips on how to do just that idea.

1.  Find the stores or stores that have the best deal on reduced meat--for me that's Savemart.  Yes, all stores have reduced meat but still don't have good prices.  I refuse to buy a package of meat over $5.

2.  Know when to go for the best deals.  Early in the morning is usually the best except the start of a new sale week.  They are putting out the specials first thing so wait or go the next day.

3.  Sometimes the meat is to far gone and looks off color.  I don't buy those items and let the meat department know it looks bad.

4.  I know this is basic and everyone knows this but freeze immediately when you get home.  Never defrost on the counter(I still know people who do this) always in refrigerator or microwave.

5.  It's always a good idea to have a variety of recipes in your files for the variety of meats you can get on clearance.

My recent trip to Savemart I got 5 packages of Beef and Pork on reduced sale.  This is my savings.

Total before reduction   $29.75                 After reduction  $16.87

                                        http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362610207471359151/

linking up here:
http://jannolson.blogspot.com/2014/08/share-your-cup-thursday-116.html

 Would love for everyone to follow me on Facebook.  Here's the link http://www.facebook.com/lorraine2448 and thanks again.

CVS Shopping Trip- 2 transactions one saving 98%

Good Afternoon dear readers,  I was finally able to get back to CVS.  I did a total of two transactions sorry so late in the sale only get my grocery money on the 9th of the month.  So here's the break down. I took   advantage of the deals on snacks and shampoo.  

1-Kellogg's Fruit Loop @$3.00

2-smaller Kellogg's cereals @$1.99

3-Keebler cookies @$1.99

4-cans Chef Boyardee @.99

1-Splenda 100 count @$2.99

1-Yuban Coffee @$5.99

4-Cases 12 pk Coke

 

Total before coupons/sales/coupons    $89.71        After coupons/sales/ecbs  O.O.P.  $38.74  Savings 57%

Received $7 in ecbs

2nd Transaction

2-Bottles of Purex 2@6.00

2-vo5 Shampoo 2@1.50

2-Friskies rise and shine cans @.69 each

1-Palmolive dish liquid @.99

Total before coupons/sales/ecbs  $18.76          After coupons/sales/ecbs   O.O.P.   $1.12  Savings 98%

New Art Journal Page-Don't Worry Be Happy

Good Morning dear readers, Finally was able to do a new art journal page.  I had a lot of fun especially with all the new art supplies I got this week.  If you haven't checked your thrift stores for supplies, you really need too.  I got a lot of rubber stamps this week. Amazon is amazing got my stencils and the flower one it was surprising it was huge. I also got the gears/clock work stencil and love it. You'll see it in the page.  Here's what I did this week.  Well July was a rough month dealing with the depression and stress.  I painted my page that lime green for growing things and as a symbol of my mind I stenciled the clockwork piece using sponge brush and ink pad.  Then I rubber stamped flowers because the scents are soothing. I filled one in with paint pens.  I put the bubbles in red ink for thought bubbles because you gotta have thought bubbles.  Because cats are know to reduce stress with their purring I rubber stamped them at the bottom of the page and rubber stamped I love cats.  I colored the cats with oil pastels and paint pens.  Here's the pics of the page and its supplies enjoy.

Major Score at the Thrift Store

 Well dear readers, I told the boys I was going to Dollar Tree and decided to sneak off to the thrift store the other day.  I had no intention of buying anything but when I found it no way was I walking out of the store without it.  I found 2 bags of rubber stamps and it was a tough decision but only bought one.  All total when I got home their were 39 stamps in the bag total cost was $6.55 but when you break it down its like getting each stamp for $.17 each.  I was ecstatic great deal and now I have a lot to play with plus my craft book and stencils came in as well.

Wordless Wednesday-Blind Love

Yes dear readers Frankie has a girlfriend and she visits him at the window.   See the long looks has he waits for her to show up.

Frugal and Easy Blue Berry Muffins Redo

Decided to redo this because when I first made it their were no pictures and these are so fun and easy to do. This is one even the teens can do and give you a break.  Summer is such a fun time to cook with berries and they are in such abundunce why not take advantage of them

                                   2 Cups Bisquick/Baking Mix

                                   1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
                                   1 egg
                                   1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
                                   1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
                                   2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

In a large bowl combine the biscuit mix and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk the egg and sour cream; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. Combine lemon peel and remaining sugar; sprinkle over batter. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm Yield: one dozen.

Note you can use any kind of berry it turns out great i.e. strawberries, blackberries and mixed berries.  Frozen turns out better then fresh they keep better in the baking.

                                                                http://www.pinterest.com/pin/362610207471245277/

What is a Snow Shoe--Snow Shoe Siamese that is?

Has you all know my Frankie is a snow shoe Siamese, but what is a snowshoe exactly and how did they come about.  Well I though it would be fun to talk about his breed today.  Well according to the International Cat Association the breed showed up in the mid 1960's to the 70's.  They are a cross between a short hair and a Siamese but definitely showing some of the personality traits of a Siamese and some of their own.  Some of the distinctive marking include the white feet, the inverted v on the forehead and of course the blue eyes.  One of my neighbors says Frankie's markings remind him of a Siberian husky.  Snowshoes are very active and they don't like to be left alone.  Frankie has definitely exhibited these traits many times.  He lets me know especially when I say momma go to VA he gets mad that means mom is gone all day.  Snowshoes are very protective of their family.  He has definitely exhibited this behavior.  We had prowler problems and he alerted the family that the bad man was outside tearing up the motion detector.  Which caused the police department to say pay attention to the cat--he knows when bad stuff is around.  Snowshoes are a smallish breed around 7-10 lbs.  Depending on the cat some are loners and some are not.  Think this might be the breed for you check them out.  Oh almost forgot if your in the Sacramento area in California its Kitty Paloozas Adoption Weekend at the Animal Shelter on Bradshaw wont you give a kitty a home this weekend.

Birds Of A Feather

Birds of a feather flock together and maybe that's why all the books in this series have bird names and you will find that bird in each book.  This makes for an interesting series of books by Donna Andrews.  Each of her books are unique with quirky characters, crazy families and small town foibles.  The heroine in her series is Meg Langslow a welder who solves mysteries.  Her husband is a college professor so you have shenanigans involving a small college.  I had the pleasure of reading "Stork Raving Mad"and has the title indicates Meg is pregnant with twins.  Oh by the way in an earlier book they bought a huge 3 story house and this allows for a lot of interesting house guests.  In fact the story starts with a new guest who is a visiting playwright.  Another interesting quirky character and a lot of students staying at the house.  Then you have battles between college departments which leads to a murder.  I wont spoil the book its really enjoyable.  So get comfy grab a cup of coffee and curl up for a nice quiet read.  You will be reminded of a slapstick comedy at times.