UGH - My Neighbor is a Pain

If I had a yard I would be so tempted to do this to my neighbor.  Not all of my neighbors, mind you - just a family in specific that lives next door to me.  The kind of family that makes me shake my head in disgust and wonder why in the world I haven't moved to another country.  The kind of neighbors that don't discipline their kids, that take advantage of others, and just are generally irritating.

I'll admit, I've been brooding a little.  OK - I've been brooding a lot.  It started a few months ago - The neighbor got preggers, again.  Also, pertinent to this story, she drives a Suburban assault vehicle, and in my complex - the covered parking slots are not very big (But she insists on parking under the covered parking with the vehicle anyway).  

I have several rants and I could go on and on about this family.  Like that one time when her kid just came into my house and walked down my stairs?  How about the many times that they just open my front door?  Of course, there are also the times when she asks me to pick up her newspapers and then doesn't even say "Thank-you" - or what about the time when she had her kids knock on my door at 10:45 at night to say that they just got home from looking at Christmas Lights and it was so fun.  *Um - some of us actually do go to sleep*.

Anyway, when this particular woman started to park her assault vehicle under the covered parking, I was fine.  I was driving my little car at the time.  But, she continued to park closer and closer to the center line... why?  Well, because the vehicle is really too large to be parking under the covered parking.  But, she continues to do it.

SO, The misses and I decided to trade up on cars, and I started to drive the van - also the weather is turning cold, and I am short - so I figured, "If she can park under there, I can park the Granny Van under there too."  And I did.  And she promptly wrote me a note about how it was hard for her to fit her vehicle in the spot with the way that I was parking.  Um, excuse me - i am in my lines - go park your assault weapon somewhere else.

She hasn't stopped, but she she continues to park very close to the lines and my vehicle.

So, I started thinking about it - and I think that she just thinks that she's better than anyone else.  She probably feels jaded at the fact that her architect husband is working a 2nd job as a Janitor and she's stuck with three (Almost 4) dumb kids. (And believe me, they are dumb - guess they get it from their parents).  Either way, I've decided that I might actually really dislike them - After all, I still have not gotten over the fact that she had the audacity to actually write me a note about parking.

So, I figured that I would vent here.  My Neighbor - I hope she moves.  She's an absolute pain.

I feel so much better now - I'd feel even more better if someone could get me a plant in a pot and I could make one of those bending over guys... Just suggesting!

So, Each year we start off with "resolutions" or promises that we don't really intend to keep.  This year I have decided to do something a little bit different.  I have decided to make goals instead of "resolutions".  I guess that it could be considered the same thing, but in reality - I always seemed to do better with goals rather than resolutions.  So, that's what this year is going to be for me... Goals.

There are the Typical goals - you know the ones.  I will Lose weight, I will eat healthier, I will get exercise, I will - I will - I will.  I have some of those - but this year I have some other's as well.  This year's set of goals I think are feasible - 

1) I am going to try more recipes from Pinterest, and then write down the ones I like on recipe cards just in case the power goes out and I don't have access to the internet to get the awesome recipe back when I want to try it out the most.

2) I am going to read at least 1 GOOD book each month.  Now, it's not to say that I don't read good books anyway.  It's just to say that sometimes I fill my head with things that are less than worthy of my time.  So, this year, I am going to read better books - maybe get mah-sef a leetle edumacation...

3) I am going to let things go - and with that I am going to a lot more upcycling.  There are things that I can't let go because I "Think that I am going to use" those things.  Then they sit around.  So, if I can't let it go then I am going to put it to immediate use.  I think that I can handle that, right?

4) I am going to learn to quilt - and I AM going to make at least 4 quilts before next Christmas.  I am.

5) I am going to not be so hard on myself about my weight. I recently read that -

Until abundant food and sedentary lives combined to form mass obesity, plumpness was often coveted, flaunted as an indicator of health and wealth.

To stone-age man, the Venus of Willendorf – a voluptuous sculpture with enormous breasts and a bulbous belly – was worthy of celebration. Today, she would probably be put on an NHS weight loss program.

Famously, Rubens, the 16th-century Flemish painter, preferred the fuller figure, depicting fleshy, large-bottomed women as the life-giving goddesses of beauty, sexuality and fertility in The Three Graces (1635).

Though portliness could be bad when it demonstrated other vices (cartoonists decided that George IV's extravagance was most easily shown in his girth), generally, the modern-age dislikes fat. The fashion industry sells its garments on skinny models: in 2009, Kate Moss was estimated to have a BMI of 16.

Yet not all societies, even now, accept this. Samoans, Puerto Ricans and Tanzanians still celebrate largeness and six out of 10 black South Africans are clinically obese. Even in Western societies, there are differences. In a survey by Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, white women were found to worry about their weight when their BMI hit 25, black women when it nudged 30.

So, with that in Mind I have decided that I really should not be so hard on myself -  I am going to work at it, in fact, I am going to be doing a new program with the help of my dad and my sweetheart.  BUT - I am not going to be so hard on myself if I do not lose the weight that I am looking to lose.  (I like how the Misses says "Why would you want to lose it" - maybe that is not the best word.  Maybe it's that I would like to get rid of it...)

Anyway, those are a few of the goals that I have - oh, I am sure that I will acquire some more goals as I go - but it has been said that if you have lots of rules and you can't live by them it is worse than if you had one rule and stuck by it.  5 is a good start.  Happy New Year Everyone!

Another Easy Necklace Tutorial

Back to that whole "We make Christmas" thing that I had going - while I was at the Scrapbook USA Expo this past September, a new vendor showed their lovely faces - Craft Fantastic.  (You can find them HERE)

Their website has easy tutorials and inexpensive kits on how to make these darling necklaces.  Kadoodle and I really liked this idea and we bought a kit for her to try out this Christmas.  

(By the way - Craft Fantastic's blog is right HERE)

Anyway, Kadoodle and I got started and in about 30 minutes we had these lovely pendants that she had made for her friends.  Some of the images were from the kit, others were made from scrapbook paper - but the process was so easy to do!  No Muss, no Fuss, no Fighting, and we are almost done.  Now to just add the bails and a lovely little chain - both of which can be found on their website, and we will have ourselves some necklaces for her girlfriends for Christmas!  Wouldn't it be so great if we could come up with some awesome ideas for the boys for Christmas?  Jewelry making seems so easy - but not very masculine.

Again, I have some lovely pictures of the finished product with the catch on the back and the necklace chain - but I have no pictures here with me.... SADNESS!  I will have to upload them as soon as I get my camera. :)

Cracked Marble Necklaces

Each year I try to encourage the kids to make things for Christmas - why?  Because lots of gifts that are store bought do not hold the same type of meaning for the giver or the receiver.  So, we have started a tradition of making things - there are still lots of things that are purchased, but at the same time there are several gifts that are thought out and made.  This year D-Man wanted to try to make "Cracked Marble Necklaces"

 First - we started with several different kinds of Marbles.  I found these in the floral section of our local Michael's craft store.  I had researched this and many places said that two-toned marbles (or cat's eye marbles) only shatter and break in half - so I went with solid colors.

 Then I preheated the oven to 420 degrees.  I had read that 350 was fine, and that 500 was fine - so I chose a temp in the middle.  I then prepared the bowl of ice water - D-man tested it to be certain that it was very chilly.

 Once the oven was preheated we put the marbles in for 20 minutes.  When the time came to remove them we were certain to have our safety gear on - after all, we are working with hot glass and freezing water.

 Pour the hot marbles into the ice water and give them a minute to really cool down.  Then fish them out of the water.

 Here are what a few of the marbles look like before we get started on the necklace portion of things.

We did this in parts - a few days later we added on the additional pieces to make these into lovely, unique necklaces.  I will have to upload the photos as soon as I pull them off of my camera... but at least here is the base of what we did!

Some Bad News -

**UPDATE** - He's bonded out of Jail - HERE 

I don't usually post the "Bad News" - after all - it's quite dragging.  But, recently an event occurred that has caused me to really think twice about the safety of my kids.  Kadoodle's "Favorite" Science teacher from last year was recently arrested. .  .

I'd like to make sure that since most of my "Followers" are from the Utah area that they are aware of what has happened just in case he ever gets out and shows up somewhere around your kids -  Here are links to the news stories:

FOX NEWS - 

ABC NEWS - 

SLTRIB NEWS - 

DESERET NEWS 

KSL NEWS 

CHARGES -

Charges State Statute Court Bail Fine* Type FORCIBLE SEXUAL ABUSE Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A FORCIBLE SEXUAL ABUSE Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A OBJECT RAPE Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A OBJECT RAPE Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A FORCIBLE SODOMY Farmington District Court $0.00 No Bail FORCIBLE SODOMY Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A FORCIBLE SODOMY Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A FORCIBLE SODOMY Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A FORCIBLE SODOMY Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A FORCIBLE SODOMY Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A ATTEMPTED RAPE Farmington District Court $0.00 N/A

*See note on unofficial inmate roster page for processing fee(s).

This page was last updated at approximately: 14:37:05 on 12/04/2012 Using data updated at approximately: 13:58:46 on 12/04/2012 This page probably won't be updated again before: 17:37:05 on 12/04/2012

We have talked to Kadoodle who let me know that he really was "A little Weird" when she looks back on it.  I can only say that I am grateful that she was not a victim - that she was never alone with this predator. It's a terrible situation and it only brings it closer to home knowing that I had Parent Teacher conferences with this person, shook his hand, and my daughter was in his classroom each day of school.  ((SHIVER))

Favorite Sugar Cookies.

Now, I don't always toot my horn on things like this but I must say that I love that I am so prepared for Christmas.  Right now It's only the first week of  December, and most of the things that I need to have completed for recipients ARE completed.  (Squee) - Then I have to ask myself, will THIS be the year that I can slow down and truly enjoy the spirit of Christmas?  I sure hope so!

BUT - in trying to remember things - I almost lost my most favorite sugar cookie recipe.  SO - today I am blogging a lovely little link for all of you - This is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe - and I have not failed in using it yet - so here is the link and I hope that you enjoy.

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2010/10/my-favorite-sugar-cookies.html