Craft Attempt Numero Dos

So I'm still on a quest to become the ultimate crafty diva.  Move over, Martha Stewart! Or at least go back to jail :)

(I'm totally kidding.  You know all of us craft-ers love us some Martha Stewart!)

So, here is my 2nd attempt at being crafty:

Now, I know you're a bit confused, so let me tell you what this was *supposed* to be...it was *supposed* to be a beautiful work of wall art to hang above my bed.  The back is a bulletin board covered in beige fabric; the middle is a piece of cardboard covered in dark blue fabric; and then the top is of course scrap fabric of different designs/colors.  I thought it was an awesome concept at first, but I'm not sure where to go from here.  It looks so unfinished....hmmm...I may have to go in another direction...

I also really love to scrapbook.  I know it's kind of lame but I enjoy it!  Here are a few examples of my scrapbooking:

Part 1 of my HBU graduation

Part 2 of my HBU graduation

This one I did while in the midst of a breakup.  It was supposed to illustrate my new independence (thus the Dorothy Parker quote that reads, "Four be the things I'd have been better without: Love, curiosity, freckles, and doubt.")  Kind of hokey, but I still think it looks cool :)

Anyway, that's what I've been up to lately--crafting away!

Free Neti Pot

So as we all know, I'm very much into free stuff.  I often frequent coupon and freebie sites and let me tell you, there are a lot of crappy freebies out there.  However, every once in awhile I come across full-sized freebies that really excite me :)

Right now you can get a free Neti Pot with 2 cleansing packets if you "Like" NeilMed on Facebook and fill out a brief survey.  Go here for more info: http://itsallfreeonline.com/free-neilmed-neti-pot/

I've really been wanting to try Neti Pots for awhile now but never wanted to spend the money so this freebie is pretty cool...I mean, to ME anyway...

Homemade Chicken Parmesan

I made homemade chicken parmesan this week and it was amazingly simple, utterly delicious, and CHEAP since we had all of the ingredients already on hand! (Must give credit to my fellow WC employee Nicole J. for sharing it with me!)

*4 chicken breasts
*Can or jar of spaghetti sauce
*Breadcrumbs
*1 or 2 Eggs
*Mozzarella or parmesan cheese
*Olive or Vegetable Oil

Pound or flatten the breasts until thin.  Dip in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs (I made my own breadcrumbs by toasting a couple of pieces of bread in the oven and then grinding them up with garlic power and Italian seasoning), then transfer to a hot frying pan that is coated in oil.  Brown both sides of chicken.  Pour the entire jar of spaghetti sauce over the chicken and bring to a simmer.  Cover pan (I used aluminum foil b/c my pan is missing its lid :) ... I simmered it for about 15 minutes.  Check the chicken to see if it's cooked through.  Add grated or sliced mozzarella or parmesan cheese and cover for another 2-3 minutes (just long enough for the cheese to melt.)  And then you're done!

I also boiled some spaghetti to use some of the extra sauce.  So we had chicken parmesan and spaghetti for dinner--lots of carbs but it was amazing!

Craft Attempt Numero Uno...

Lately, I have been having the desire to start being crafty again. As most of you know, I tend to crochet during the winter (I mean, what else am I going to do?) and I have scrapbooked in the past. However, because of the large amount of white wall space we have at our new place, I have recently started wanting to make some artwork for my house.

I'm not sure if I like my first attempt. I found some cheap clearance frames at Hobby Lobby ($1.40 a piece) and bought some white and green paint as well as some ribbon. Then I got out my scrapbooking stuff and made some "artwork" for the frame:

Above: Before & After

Above: The finished product

The green/blue theme goes with my bathroom ensemble...still not sure if I really like the outcome, however. Sort of looks too "homemade."

But...I think I'm going to keep going with this "crafty" thing...it's fun, even if it doesn't always turn out the way I want it to!

Annoying Grammar Mistakes: The Grammar Geek Has Fallen...

Ok, so maybe I haven't fallen, per se, but I learned something yesterday that I didn't know and am ashamed to admit that I have been making this mistake for...well, ever.

Do you know the difference between "alright" and "all right"?

Well, according to Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Grammar Tips, "alright" is not a word. Never has been. Ugh. I cringe at the thought of all of the mistakes I've undoubtedly made over the years.

However, although "alright" is not technically a word and should probably not be used in formal papers/essays, etc., it is apparently becoming more accepted because I'm apparently not the only one making that mistake. So, "alright" all you want in informal writing, just be sure to correct it in more formal works.

"To Neuter or Not to Neuter"; or, "Rasta's Empty Coin Purse"

Over the long holiday weekend, Aaron and I finally did right by our pup and had Rasta neutered.

I really feel that we did the right thing. Male dogs that are neutered get rid of any chance of having testicular cancer, as well as other male-related diseases I can't remember the names of right now. Neutering also gets rid of their desire to wander in search of a mate--meaning, he is much less likely to run away. It also reduces his testosterone levels, making him less hyper and excitable (hopefully making life a bit easier not only for US, but for him. Who wants to be hyper ALL of the time?)

Even so, after his 2-hour recovery period, as the nurse walked Rasta out to the waiting room, I burst into tears; he instantaneously peed on the floor (I'm assuming his version of bursting into tears). He looked so out of it; drunk, almost. He couldn't walk in a straight line and he could barely hold his head up. After Aaron laid his feeble 62-lb. body in the back seat, he whimpered, obviously in pain. The whole way home I questioned my decision to put Rasta through this.

However, the next day, my beloved pooch was already back to normal. Although we were under strict instructions to keep Rasta from running or jumping, he was (of course) defying us and running up and down the stairs (to Aaron's and my absolute horror!). He was already attempting to disembowel the stuffed cow and monkey we had bought him as "sorry we got your balls chopped off" presents and completely annihilated a flavored raw-hide. So, as much as I had regretted my decision the day before, I felt that the surgery really hadn't been all THAT bad--in fact, I'm now counting down the days until his testosterone levels drop to a more reasonable amount.

Anyway, what I'm saying is that having my dog undergo surgery was quite a horrific ordeal, and it got me to thinking about how I would handle it if my own human-child got sick, or had to be hospitalized, or had to have surgery. It scares me to think about, and reminds me that I am nowhere near ready to have a child--at least, not until I am mature enough to be able to handle disasters without having a mental breakdown. I know that my children will need me to be mentally strong enough to be their strength when they are weak; and right now, I am much too selfish and immature to be able to be that person.