Urgent Care on a Saturday is no place for a Germaphobe!!

You've heard that we've been sick in this house.

I've officially joined the group of bloggers who blog about all the illnesses that have been traveling around their house.

I was determined to not let this happen to us.

We washed our hands religiously. Avoided anyone who had a sniffle and I made sure to keep my girls on a regular sleep schedule this winter.

It worked so well, so well in fact that I was beginning to think that there was just no way we were going to get sick this winter at all.

Until we did!

It began on Wednesday. Alexa woke up vomiting.

Just as quick as it hit her, it went away. She went to school that afternoon and came home happy. Thursday morning, it happened again. And this time we kept her home from school.

Friday she woke up fine, went to school and all was well.

Then Saturday woke up vomiting again. WHAT?

She was so sick and lathargic, we couldn't get her to stay awake.

Finally, at around 11:30, I couldn't take it anymore. I drove her through a snowstorm to Urgent Care (hell on earth). Of course, the waiting room was full of sickness. People were wearing masks and coughing until they gagged. I knew I needed to be there for Alexa, but it was awful. I sat on the edge of the chair with Alexa on my lap in the far corner of the waiting room as far away from everyone else as possible. The thought of touching an armchair that someone had just coughed all over made me sick.

The waiting took forever. Time seems to stand still when you're in a place that you don't want to be, watching your child suffer.

Finally, they called her name. Finally!

She was tested for strep throat first. I wanted to strangle the nurse. Nobody likes getting a long q-tip shoved down the back of their throat, especially a sick little girl who hates the doctor anyway. This nurse took her sweet old time getting that q-tip to the back of her throat. I yelled at her to go QUICK or I would demand another nurse. Poor Alexa. Something that could have gone so fast, took far too long gave Alexa a bad impression.

The test came back negative. Good, because she didn't have strep - Bad, because she needed to be tested for the flu and needed to have a q-tip shoved up her nose. Ugh! :(

Luckily, the nurse got the point this time that she needed to move quickly. It was uncomfortable for Alexa, but went a lot better than the strep test.

The flu test came back negative as well. So, they ruled it a viral 'flu bug'. They have her a couple popsicles and sent us home.

I soaked us both in a hot hot bath/shower when we got home and we relaxed the rest of the day.

Alexa felt much better throughout the day Saturday and woke up as happy as can be Sunday morning. We kept her on a strict bland diet and she was able to keep everything down all day.

She slept good - woke up great and had another fantastic day.

2 days in a row without waking up sick - hopefully we are good to go.

There is nothing worse than seeing your child sick. I would have gone through it all myself if I could. It's one of the hardest things as a parent, but we always seem to get through it.

God never gives us more than we can handle. Even tho it was just a flu bug, I hope God knows I can't handle much more.

Hmm.....now I really *CAN* put Reagan in that bubble to protect her.....

"INDONESIAN TABLES, A CULINARY SHOW"

“INDONESIAN TABLES”, A CULINARY SHOW”

WITH INDONESIAN CELEBRITY CHEF, WILLIAM WONGSO

AT THE PORTMAN RITZ-CARLTON, SHANGHAI.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – February 2011 – This spring, The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai is inviting all foodies to join the first ever organized Indonesian culinary show with the visit of Indonesian Celebrity Chef, William Wongso and The Ritz-Carlton’s very own Indonesian Chef, Sudaryanto from The Ritz-Carlton Jakarta, Pacific Place.

William Wongso is Indonesia's most famous culinary expert, renowned restaurateur, and hosts his own very popular television series in Indonesia. In 2009, he personally catered for Hillary Clinton and her delegation during her official visit to Indonesia and he also participated in a range of major International culinary events as well as regularly conducting Indonesian food festivals around the world.

Mr. Wongso was awarded chevalier dans l’ordre du merite agricole, an honor bestowed by the Ministry of Agriculture of France, in appreciation of his significant role and merit in French culinary and gastronomy. He is also recognized by the Indonesian government for his continuous efforts in promoting Indonesian culinary both nationally and internationally.

Together with William Wongso, Chef Sudaryanto from The Ritz-Carlton, Jakarta Pacific Place, will prepare a wide selection of Indonesian cuisine using the freshest produce and spices directly flown in from the mother land. Chef Sudaryanto has worked in leading establishments throughout Indonesia and has gained his reputation from his passion and skills for Indonesian dishes.

“We are very excited to bring the diverse flavors of Indonesia to the food community of Shanghai.  Indonesian cuisine is one of the most diverse and flavorful in the world and this is a great opportunity for Celebrity Chef William Wongso and Chef Sudaryanto to take our guests on a real culinary journey. Expect some staples and definitely some surprises” expressed The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai’s Executive Assistant Manager of Food and Beverage, Kris Kaminsky.

Supported by Garuda Indonesia, Tables will host “Indonesian Tables – A Culinary Show” from April from 4 – 10 for lunch and dinner. “Indonesian Tables – A Culinary Show” will also offer diners the opportunity to win fabulous prizes including trip to Jakarta, Indonesia. For reservations, please call (021) 6279 7977.

The 610-room Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai is a landmark located in a retail, dining and entertainment complex on the famous Nanjing Road.  Situated right in the heart of the commercial, shopping and entertainment district of the city, services and facilities include six restaurants and lounges serving Chinese, Italian, Japanese and Western favorites.  An extensive health club with swimming pool, gym, squash and racquetball courts is featured alongside a fully-equipped business center.

Go for the Icing

Happy Monday......is it?  I hope your weekend was a good one. On Saturday we went to Fresno to buy one of these and we came home to a bunch of that cold, white stuff that the weatherman said we were going to get.  Yuck!  It snowed off and on for a few hours, but we really only ended up with a light dusting.  Thank goodness! 

Yesterday, I found a little time to get into the studio and play.  I recently joined the Outlawz Challenge group and on Sunday's they post a new CAS challenge.  CAS is so hard for me to do, I always have good intentions of keeping my cards fresh and clean but tend to over layer or embellish.  I am pretty happy with how this card turned out though.  I combined the CAS sketch from the Outlawz with the TCPTuesday challenge for this week which is to use these colors:

which I paired with this sketch:

I stamped this sweet bunny from The Cat's PJ's Forget About the Cake set onto a scrap of white cardstock with brown ink and then colored with Copics (colors listed below) and paper pieced with some of the adorable new Stella and Rose line from My Minds Eye.  Want this stamp/paper?  You can get them here. 

Recipe:

Stamps:  Forget About the Cake-Cat's Pajamas

Paper:  Neenah Solor White, Stella and Rose-MME

Ink:  Memento Rich Cocoa

Extras:  Copics (BG72, R20, R30, R32,W1,W7 and Blender), White Glossy Accents, Diamond Dust Glass Glitter, Yellow Spica pen, Clear Glossy Accents

Five Questions with Rachael Herron, author of "How To Knit A Heart Back Home" and "How To Knit A Love Song"

To kick off the Crafting Week, I'm so proud to introduce Rachael Herron, author of "How To Knit A Love Song," and her new book, "How To Knit A Heart Back Home."  Rachael was gracious enough to answer five (actually six!) questions about her writing and upcoming projects!

Sharon:  At what age did you know that you wanted to be a writer? 

 

Rachael: I knew I wanted to be a writer by about five, from the moment that I realized letters made words, words made sentences, and sentences made the books I loved to read. I come from a family of readers, and to us, authors, the people that made the magic of fiction, were magical, and I always wanted entrance to that kingdom.

 

Sharon: I think it’s fascinating that you have combined your love of writing and your love of knitting together in your novels?  How did you come up with that idea?

 

 

Sweater designed and inspired by "How To Knit A Love Song"

 

Rachael: I've been a knitter since about the time I could read, also. I realized I wanted to combine my loving of knitting and writing on October 31st, 2006. That was the day before I tried NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, an online novel-writing challenge that takes place every November), and I desperately needed a plot. I decided that if I was going to write fast, I was going to have to write what I loved. What did I love? Knitting and romance. Why not write about a knitter and a sheep rancher? The book almost wrote itself because I was having such a good time. (Of course, then there was editing, which didn't go quite as quickly.)

 

Sharon: At what point in your career did it finally sink in – “hey, I’m famous,” and did it make a difference in your writing?

 

 

Rachael: Famous? I'm not famous! I'm a just a knitter who loves to write! No, really, having fans like my work is absolutely the best part of my job. My goal was always to write for the woman who's sitting by herself, in a hospital waiting room. If I can make that woman forget her worries, just for a few minutes, then I've achieved my goal, and getting to actually hear from women like that, in email and in letters, is a greater honor than anything else I can imagine.

 

Sharon:  Who are some of your favorite fellow authors? Who inspires you?  Do you have a favorite knitting designer?

 

Rachael: My favorite fellow authors are Sophie Littlefield and Juliet Blackwell (both write fantastic mystery), Barbara O'Neal (stunning women's fiction), and Sarah MacLean (gorgeous, funny historical romance), but those are only to mention a few. I read constantly, and my Kindle is never far away from me. I'm always looking for my newest favorite author. I have two favorite knitwear designers: KiraK Designs (fashionable, wearable current designs) and Joan McGowan-Michael (oh-so-sexy, detailed, old-fashioned detailing). 

 

 

Sharon: What projects do you have coming up in the future? Both knitting and writing!

 

Rachael: Right now I've just turned in my third book in the Cypress Hollow Yarns series, and I'm relishing the feeling of a little time off while dreaming up the next goings-on in my fictional coastal town. Hijinks restoring an abandoned lighthouse will ensue, I think. And as to knitting: I'm currently trying to master more complicated lace (although at the very moment, I have third version of the cardigan from How to Knit a Heart Back Home on my needles -- made of a silk/cotton blend, it's the perfect shape and size for spring!). 

 

Sharon: What advice would you have for anyone wanting to take their writing to the next level?

 

Rachael: Anyone wanting to take their writing to the next level only needs to do two things: Write. Write everyday, even if it's just for a few minutes. Everyone, no matter how busy, can fit writing into their lives if it's important enough, and the more writing one does, the better one gets. Thankfully.  And reading keeps you in touch with not only current topics and trends, but keeps you in tune with how our language is ever-changing. That, and it's just plain fun.

 

 

My Thanks to Rachael Herron for taking time to share a little of her life with us, and to Christine Maddelena at Harper Collins for arranging this interview.

 

About The Author:

 

 

Rachael Herron received her MFA in writing from Mills College, and has been knitting since she was five years old. It's more than a hobby; it's a way of life. Rachael lives with her better half in Oakland, California, where they have four cats, three dogs, three spinning wheels, and more instruments than they can count. She is a proud member of the San Francisco Area Romance Writers of America and she is struggling to learn the ukulele.

Check out her incredible website at http://www.yarnagogo.com/ for more information on her writing and knitting!

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY for your chance to win a fabulous handpainted craft bag full of goodies!  Check out the button on the sidebar to enter!

Happy Monday!

Space of Time

Hi Everyone~

I hope that you all had a nice weekend. I received some very exciting news. I have just discovered that 2 of my altered art works have been accepted into a juried art show.

For those of you who may not know what "juried" means, the process is as follows. Numerous pieces by various artists are submitted into an art show and while some shows are "open" to everyone, others are juried and a special panel made up of artists, gallery owners, etc. determine which work will be in the show.

Beach Beauties

So, now you can imagine my surprise when I found out that my 2 pieces were juried in and will be on display.

These were wooden cigar boxes that went through a metamorphosis--many hours went into these individual projects--but I love making them!

I hope that you are having the start of a super week!

If you would like to visit my Monday feature with all new artists on my Whimsical Musings Magazine, I'm sure you would enjoy seeing all the fabulous women I have featured. To reach there, go here.

Linking this to Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch!

Linking this to Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy!

Linking this to Blue Monday.

XO

Cindy

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

Big happenings around the ol' blog this week, but I wanted to be sure and take part in my friend Sheila's fabulous meme, "It's Monday, What Are You Reading?" (especially since I've missed the past couple of weeks!)

You can check out what other bloggers are reading at Sheila's website (http://www.bookjourney.wordpress.com/)


Here's What I'm Reading Now:

How To Knit A Love Song and How To Knit A Heart Back Home by Racheal Herron

What I plan to read this week:

Craft Corps: Celebrating The Creative Community One Story At A Time by Vickie Howell

Skipping A Beat by Sarah Pekkanen
One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp
Georgia Bottoms by Mark Childress

The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern
Madame Tussaud by Michelle Moran

Little Princes by Conor Grennan

If you get a chance, drop back by this week for my special week of Crafting books and author interviews! And be sure to enter the fantastic giveaway I am offering this week!

As always, Happy Reading Ya'll!

Announcing the First Annual Crafting Week!

I'm so excited to announce my First Annual (hopefully!) CRAFTING WEEK!  I have a lineup of great books, fascinating author interviews and an incredible giveaway to celebrate this week that combines two of my favorite activities - Reading and Crafting!

Here's is the schedule for the week:

Monday - Five Questions with Rachael Herron, author of "How To Knit A Love Song," and "How To Knit A Heart Back Home."

Tuesday:  Book Review of "Crafty Chica's Art de la Soul: Glittery Ideas to Liven Up Your Life" by Kathy Cano-Murillo

Wednesday:  Five Questions With Drew Emborsky - The Crochet Dude! 

Thursday:  Book Review of "Craft Corps: Celebrating The Creative Community One Story At A Time" by Vickie Howell

Friday: Review of my dear friend Karen Whooley's new book, "I Can't Believe I'm Crocheting Socks!"

And to celebrate this fun and exciting week, I have a fabulous giveaway!

A hand-painted crafting bag of goodies that will include -

A copy of Vickie Howell's "Craft Corps: Celebrating The Creative Community One Story At A Time"

A Crafty Killing: A Victoria Square Mystery by Lorraine Bartlett

Miss Scartlet's School of Patternless Sewing by Kathy Cano-Murillo

The Union Quilter: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel by Jennifer Chiaverini (ARC)

A skein of sock yarn and a crochet hook

and a few more goodies that will be added as the week goes along!  (I'll have a photo up soon!)

To Enter:

Simply fill out this form and you'll be entered to win! (Scroll down for all questions!!)

And yes, you can start entering on Feb. 27th!

I'll draw for a winner at 12:00 midnight March 4th! (I'll have a button on the sidebar to take you right to the entry form!)

And as always, Happy Reading (and this week, Crafting!) Ya'll!

Wishing You a Beautiful Sunday!

Hi Everyone~

When I saw this picture of my friend Debra's home, it brought such peace and joy to me. I have written a feature on her and many other talented women on my magazine blog for this week. (Yes, I posted early because the magazine articles come out on Mondays.)

If you would like to read my piece called "Nostalgia," I am sure that you will enjoy having a cup of tea and sitting down to enjoy such beautiful pieces created by such lovely women.

Just go to: http://whimsicalmusingsmagazine.blogspot.com

Have a beautiful Sunday!

XO

Cindy

Praying for a Speedy Recovery

I used the sketch from Christian Paper Crafts Sketch Tuesday #95 for this card.  I love this Get Well Cocoa image from Sweet 'n Sassy Stamps.  I also used one of the sentiments from the Get Well Wishes set on my card.

I thought this blue paper was bright & cheery.  It's also a bit busy so I tried to "anchor" the patterns with the solid blue cardstock.  I used my white pen for some faux stitching & doodling.

Supplies:
Cardstock - Georgia Pacific, Colorbok
Patterned Paper - Colorbok
Stamps - SNSS (Get Well Cocoa, Get Well Wishes)
Embellishments - Uniball Signo White Pen, Prismacolor Pencils, Brads  - Doodlebug & Colorbok, Nestabilities

Thanks for stopping by!

Fun Hats

I have been asked a lot recently about Alexa and Lillian's hats.

They have been getting compliment after compliment and everyone wants to know where we got them. So, let me remind everyone!

Lillian's monkey hat came from Hat Heads by Hollund.

The talented Kim created these lovely little hats and has a huge variety to choose from on her Facebook site.

Alexa's adorable little pink hat with lime green flower came from Cozy Cap Creations.

Kristin is the incredible creator and each and every one of her cozy caps is made with lots and lots of love. Visit her on Facebook, too.

There is plenty of chilly months left and need for a hat.

Hat Heads by Hollund and Cozy Cap Creations are such sweet shops that you will for sure find something that would fit with your little guy or girls - or even yourself! :)

Blood of the Rose by Kate Pearce

Normally, I would look at a vampire-themed book, and say "nope, not my cup of tea!"  But author Kate Pearce has turned me into a Tudor-vampire-fan!

Kate's first book, "Kiss of the Rose," introduced her readers to Lady Rosalind Llewellyn, an accomplished druidan vampire hunter and her unlikely love interest Sir Christopher Ellis, an equally talented Druid slayer. Rosalind and Christopher team up in order to protect King Henry VIII from a rouge band of vampires who are determined to rule England.

In the second book in the "Tudor Vampire Chronicles" series, "Blood of the Rose," the now betrothed Rosalind and Christopher are reunited after more than a year apart when a new threat against King Henry arises once again. This time the threat involves the object of King Henry's affection, the lovely and seemingly innocent Anne Boleyn, but Anne might not be as innocent (or as young) as she seems, especially when she shows a definite taste for blood.

As Rosalind and Christopher struggle with learning to trust each other, they must question the loyalty of everyone surrounding the King and his intended new queen.  Life is certainly never dull when there's a vampire or two around!

Kate Pearce's "Tudor Vampire Chronicles" series is so creatively written that you almost forget you are reading a vampire-themed novel. I love how she is incorporating each of King Henry VIII's wives as the centerpoint of each novel. Combining fast-paced action with historical facts and a generous helping of romanctic escapades, Kate continues to thrill and chill her readers with this original and clever series.

The next book, "Mark of the Rose," is coming in August!  I can't wait!!

About the Author:

Kate Pearce was born into a large family of girls in England, and spent much of her childhood living very happily in a dream world. Despite being told that she really needed to ‘get with the program’, she graduated from the University College of Wales with an honors degree in history.

After graduation, real life did intervene and she ended up working in finance which was not the greatest career choice for a would-be writer!

A move to the USA finally allowed her to fulfill her dreams and sit down and write that novel. Along with being a voracious reader, Kate loves trail riding with her family, ‘western style’ in the regional parks of Northern California

Kate writes in several different romance sub-genres under different names. She is a member of RWA and is published by Kensington Aphrodisia, Ellora’s Cave and Virgin Black Lace/Cheek.

My thanks to Nancy Breland Public Relations for the review copy of this book. I was not compensated for my opinions.

CHALLENGE FULFILLMENT: 100+ Books; Where Are You Reading?; Mystery/Suspense; ARC Reading; Romance Reading.

Yummy Saturday

A perfect Saturday morning, if you ask me, usually consists of waking up late and staying in my PJs, refilling my coffee cup many times, spending time on my computer or with a new magazine, snuggles from kittens, and super sweet breakfasts with extra frosting!


Cinnamon Rolls 2/26/11

What's your perfect weekend morning? Is there such a thing as too much frosting?

Happy Saturday, Enjoy your day!

Magnolia Down Under Challenge #85

Good morning Magnolia Fans!

We hope you all had an enjoyable crafty week :) Thank you for coming to visit us again for this challenge.
Our challenge this week will be pretty easy for most of you.. can you guess?? Our challenge this week is....

• FLOWER POWER

So without further ado... lets have a look at what our gorgeous DT have put together for you:

DEBBIE DOLPHIN

KAREN

Here is a side shot of the Book Box....

ANNE KRISTINE

DEBBIE P

JANIEL

(pop over to my blog and see the inside)

JANE

Denise

HOW TO JOIN IN...

• You must have at least one Magnolia stamp or Doo Hickey die on your work, it can be a sentiment, background etc does NOT have to be Edwin or Tilda for your card to be entered..
• You must add your link in Mr.Linky
• You MUST add a link to your **direct blog post***.... All entries not doing this will be removed.
• You should have a link back to the challenge blog in your post.
• Entries close 8:00am Saturday AES time (see the clock on the side bar)
• DO NOT link your entry to an old card, even a day before will be removed. Making it fair to all the people that have made a card for the challenge...