Laura Vegas

i don’t even know where to start. i feel so behind on my blogging! so i’ll go the total random route.

• i think i’m done christmas shopping! went out a few times this weekend … and i think i got it all. not that we really do all that much. at family get-togethers it’s more the kids (which we’re the only one with kids, how convienent!) … and a few extra gifts thrown in here and there. got all the daycare kids … and a few other family friends. i even have stocking stuffers … something i always forget about!
• i have everything wrapped as of tonight. the girls wrapped all the kids gifts. and since the girls are playing at amanda’s right now … i took care of theirs while they were out of the house.
• house is all decorated … the best i could. like i mentioned before … most of the decorations i have are from my "country knick-knack" days. i know they still hold memories … but they just don’t feel right in the house anymore. so i used a few super cheap glass vases (that i will later fill with buttons and ribbon upstairs) … and filled them with the ball ornaments. and i dug out all the garland and lights i used to use on the porch … and put them up all over the house. love turning them all on at night … and having that christmas glow.
• so you know i’m totally addicted to rachael ray, right? she is like my cooking idol. lol! i record her talk show every single day … love to get new ideas for dinners. i get her magazine. i watch her "30-minutes meals" all the time on food network. thing is i save all these shows on my DVR … until i can try them out. and then once i try them out … i save the show until i get a chance to write down the recipe. just tonight … i was checking out her website … not sure why i havn’t been on there yet. i was so excited to find the recipe archives … you can find tons of the recipes from her talk show here. i printed out a ton of them … and then deleted those off my DVR. so nice!
• just to show you a few i’ve done recentlyand can give you my word that they will be good (and easy … seriously people, 30 minutes!) … check out this one, this one, and this one, definately this one, and how about this one. i’ve got many more i can vouch for … but i’d have to find them all for you.
• speaking of "pastrami" (one of the recipes above in case you didn’t click on them) … that made me hungry. and i do have some leftover pastrami. so i went downstairs and made a grilled sandwich. mayo in the middle with pastrami, provolone cheese, and some pepper … and butter on the outside to grill it. i can’t believe how good this tastes! of course the girls saw me and wanted some. it’s 9:00pm … so i convinced them to have popcorn instead! lol!
• joe is finally back to work. i know he had 4 teeth taken out (thought it was 5, but ended up being only 4). but it was killing me. he was down for the count for almost 5 days! in so much pain, super swollen, couldn’t eat, slept all the time. i feel for him … really, i do. but that left me to do everything. and right before christmas … when there is extra shopping, cleaning, decorating, etc. but he just left for work a while ago … so hopefully he’ll be ok there tonight.
• i spray painted my "paint shelf" today. i’ve been wanting to do that ever since i moved my studio upstairs since it didn’t quite match in all it’s whiteness … so almost a year and a half. finally got motivated to do it … and it took me all of an hour or so. lol! i’m doing a little write-up about it and something else … so i’ll let you know what that’s about when the time comes!
• you know i had about 7 episodes of "brothers & sisters" just a while ago? i’ve watched 4 of them … and i have 3 left. such a great quality show … i love it! and the episode where sarah had to let go of her kids … omg, i was crying so hard! the tears where streaming down my face. then i get myself all composed … and the next episode with kitty and the baby … in tears again! i can only imagine what the next 3 episodes will do to me!
• alyssa and sarah are keeping busy while they’re off school. still get bored at times … hard when we’re stuck at the house with all sorts of kids and can’t just up and do things. we are heading to the dentist tomorrow … with only 2 kids in tow. amanda is spending the night tonight … they’ve been having lots of sleepovers and extra time with her. alyssa has a band concert at school on thursday … she started learning the clarinet. loud! lol! we’re also making gingerbread houses this week … we have 2 of them here … and some sugar cookies.
• i’m cooking for about 20 people on saturday. you’d think i would have a plan by now … and yet i don’t! but i have some recipes in mind. and i can quarantee you they will all be rachael ray stuff. lol! i’m actually thinking of cooking just turkey breasts … not the entire turkeys. looking into that though … joe’s talking to the meat guy at work. want to bet i can do the entire dinner in an hour? lol!
• i need to scrap … i want to scrap … and yet i can’t. i have projects i need to do … things i want to do. just not getting any creative juices going. i did manage to clean out about 10 inches of pattern paper and old cardstock. seriously. it’s all in a box downstairs … giving it to a friend of mine who is finally wanting to learn to scrap!

ok … that’s it. for now. i don’t want to use all my random thoughts up in one day! like that would ever happen? lol!