C is for Colossal Cookies

I made these cookies for a Memorial Day cookout. They are a bit of work, but nothing the average baker can't handle! The batch makes a LOT of cookies, so be prepared. Bring them to a picnic, give some to your elderly neighbor, dish them out to relatives, and then enjoy the rest!

Recipe:

2 Cups butter
2 Cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups flour
5 cups oatmeal blended to a powder (measure the oatmeal, then blend or food process)
1 8 oz. Hershey bar, grated
24 oz Chocolate chips (2 normal size bags)
3 cups chopped walnuts
A husband, son, or father to stir the dough

Oven temp: 400 degrees

First find a BIG bowl. Have one? Good. Put it away and get a bigger one. A bucket even.
Cream the butter and sugars together. Add eggs. Stir in salt, baking soda, vanilla, and flour. Add oats. Call in appointed male stirrer. (Literally, we have broken wooden spoons with this recipe!) Add chocolate bar, chocolate chips and nuts. At this point, you can give up on stirring with a utensil. Wash your hands and use them to stir. Form into golf balls.
Bake 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 or 9 minutes.

ENJOY!

A Blessing and an Offer

Someone at my church told me that she had some ribbon and lace to give away if I came to her house that day. When we pulled up, we were floored! Not only did she have mountains of ribbon and lace, she had zippers, elastic, rick rack, bias tape, nylon webbing, pincushions, and much more! She let me take a ton of stuff for free, but she is also selling some. So crafty blog world, if you are interested in anything, email me at Boinzee@gmail.com.

She still has to let me know the prices, but if anyone wants to make an offer, I can pass it on as well. The ideal person to buy this is someone who can kind of take a 'pot luck' variety of a certain thing because she does not have the time to measure and categorize everything.

The whole lot that I got has a slight cedar/old odor to it, but nothing that can't be aired out!

It is a ridiculous amount of sewing notions. I'm still dumbfounded!

Here's some of what she gave me:

Zippers - like 50 of them! These are a variety of the colors.

Bias tape, elastic, eyelet, lace

Rickrack and riboon

More ribbon (lots of widths!)

Name Change

Last night, I was able to be part of baseball history (Wait readers, don't go!). I was able to see a No No (no hitter) pitched by Jon Lester. For non-baseball fans, that means that the other team never got on base because of a hit. It's a rare thing to accomplish and rare to get to be there to see, scream at and jump up and down for.

I was thinking about the pitcher, Jon Lester, who battled cancer a little while ago. Every time Jon Lester is mentioned, his battle with cancer is always mentioned. It's like when someone wins an Oscar and forever their name is changed to "Academy Award winner (fill in the blank)." Lester's new name is "Cancer survivor Jon Lester."

Never having been through an illness or traumatic experience (thankfully) such as that, I have been asking myself how I would react to that personally. Does he ever wish he could escape the cancer prefix, or does he himself always want to remember what he overcame? I think I would want to escape it. If I had overcome cancer, I'd want people to forget and treat me normally again, without the constant reminder. I guess because of that, I try to treat people who have been through something traumatic normally. It's not like I never bring it up, but I only bring it up if it is relevant to the conversation or situation.

It's a tricky balance. Then I began to think of Abram and Sarai and Jacob who all underwent name changes. In today's media it might be "Father of many nations Abram" or "Struggled with God Jacob" or "Finally havin' a baby Sarai." God specifically changed their names to make note and remind them of a specific event or promise. Of course, in these situations, the changes were positive.

Does one event/illness/situation define you forever? Should it? Would you want it to? Sticky things to think about!

P.S. When I went searching for a picture to add, the first thing I clicked said, "Cancer Survivor Jon Lester Throws a No-Hitter" !!

Coming up next.... switching gears to more sewing projects!

Helpful websites.... and a not-so-helpful one

Confession: I really like the Internet. Maybe more than that. Maybe I'm slightly addicted. Maybe even if I'm in a place where I have no Internet connection and I know I have no Internet connection, I still repeatedly open Firefox. And when Firefox doesn't work, I double click on Internet Explorer. And when Internet Explorer doesn't work, I try Safari. Full well knowing I have NO Internet connection. Maybe I sometimes want to open Microsoft Word or Photoshop and instead I find myself staring at my igoogle page because I clicked on the Internet instead.

It's not like I don't get things done. I do. It's just that in between, there's a lot of surfing, updating, googling, etc.

So I decided I'll put the powers of the web to good use. Here are some websites that are helpful and might help you improve your life!

Bible Gateway - My preferred online Bible research site. It's simple, includes many translations and commentary, and you can listen to many passages narrated by Max McLean - my favorite audio Bible narrator. I'm open to learning what others use though!

Woot.com - A website where they only sell one product per day at reduced prices. It's mostly gadgety stuff, but if you like gadgets or you need presents for gadget lovers, it's a great website. It gets kind of fun looking at the woot of the day each day as well. Act fast - they only sell the product for one day or until they sell it out!

Internet Movie Database - I think many people know about this one, but it's invaluable for remembering things that drive you crazy. I'll see someone in a movie and say, "WHERE have I seen that person before?" (This happens a LOT in British productions because they reuse their actors frequently). You can search by actor/actress or movie/television show. I'm always the person that my mom or grandparents call when they can't remember someone's name or the name of a movie. The IMDB is invaluable.

Amazon.com - Who doesn't know this website? But I use it frequently for reviews. Even if I don't plan on ordering from amazon, it's a great place to read customer reviews which are much more valuable to me than professional reviews.

Acne.org - I'm really appreciative of this website. I had very problematic skin for a while. I tried Proactiv and other things, but it never worked consistently for me. The creator of acne.org did a lot of research and found the best combination for troubled skin. I follow his "regimen" and my skin has been much better for years. Merci beaucoup!

Audible - Audible is a great audio book website. I was a member for years, downloading two audio books a month. I will listen to audio books when I'm sewing, cleaning, doing dishes, driving long distances, etc. They have a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction books on a variety of subjects. Even the ones I've read and reread in book form I buy from Audible! You don't have to join to purchase, but the value is much better!

And....... the not so helpful one, but pretty amusing:
Guess the Sitcom Character/Dictator game - Being a child of the 80s, I unfortunately watched a lot of sitcoms (Before sitcoms got bad or I got discernment or a combination of both). Pick a sitcom character, answer the question, and be amazed! Pick a dictator if you want, but why would you want to? Try some popular ones and some obscure ones!

Feel free to add other helpful websites if you have some!

Edited: I'll add the websites others suggest!
Mrs. Mordecai suggested Librivox for free audio books!
Anna suggested rhymezone for rhyming words, definitions, homonyms, synonyms antonyms and more!

Femininity

I have to say first of all, that femininity is a very difficult word to repeatedly spell. The n s and i s get all jumbled and I usually end up omitting or adding an n or i! Thank you red dotted underline!

I heard this song from the movie Summer Magic (I have never seen the movie, but heard the song on a Disney compilation album)

Femininity





I think the song is cute, but I added it here mostly in jest. I've said previously that there's more to being a lady than the outward appearances I've been showcasing all week.

I tried to think of the quality of a lady that I prize the most and I think that the most meaningful to me was quiet strength.
I appreciate those women who command honor, respect and attention because of their intelligence, graciousness, and interpersonal skills, rather than overbearing attitudes, flashy dressing, or excessive talking. People will eventually tire of those who require attention and cleave to those who merit attention.

"A beautiful woman is a practical poet, taming her savage mate, planting tenderness, hope and eloquence in all whom she approaches."
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Other ways to describe a lady:

• Gracious (thankful and accommodating in all situations)
• Kind
  
• Contemplative (thinking before you speak ill of someone or say something unkind)
  
• Courteous (thinking of others' comfort before your own)
  
• Friendly
• Interested (truly interested in what others know and say)
  
• Polite
  
• Confident (knowing that you are a creation of almighty God!)
  
• Intelligent and well-versed in many areas

1 Timothy 3:11 (talking of the wives of church leaders) says:

In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

A great goal!

More thoughts in the future, but at the moment, this lady-in-training needs her beauty sleep (and I mean inner beauty sleep - I get very grumpy when I'm tired!)

Last one!
Dress: Navy blue dotted swiss from J. Crew (husband picked it out!)
Shoes: Ann Taylor Loft - with my Vera laptop bag in the background!

Dressing Like a Girl - Saturday

I don't have pictures from Friday, so we can skip to Saturday's event. Our church hosts a mother/daughter luncheon every year. This year's theme was 'purse'onality. It was quite cute and I will elaborate further later.

Here is a picture of the ladies in my family:
My mother-in-law Joan on the left, my mom Beth in the middle, me
My mom's mom Jeanne on the front left and my dad's mom Pauline on the front right

I didn't get pictures of my outfit, but I really like my dress! It's from *GASP* Macy's! It's totally my style except for the fact that it is clearly too low cut, so shirt underneath is required!


A closeup of the front detail:

Dressing Like a Girl - Thursday

I'm back from my trip up north. We had a nice time with Josh's family. More posts will follow, but I wanted to catch up with the dressing like a girl posts.Shirt - Christmas present from Banana Republic Outlet
Skirt - J Crew yeeaaarrrss ago!
Shoes - My other favorite shoes from Macy's - red, black, brown, and gold mary janes

Dressing Like a Girl - Wednesday

Sigh...... my week is running away with me. I need to find a way to make blogging my full time job. I have the thoughts, just not the time!

Anyway, to continue the easy part of my week in feminine dress, here are my Wednesday pictures:

Yup, those are my favorite leopard print shoes.
Skirt: Christmas present that I think was from JC Penney
Blouse: Black and white striped with a ruffle down the front
Sweater: Target

When I was younger, I read The Babysitter's Club books. My favorite part of the books was when the author described what the different characters were wearing (usually Claudia and Stacey because they were the most adventurous with their clothing).
This is my own version of that. I'll write myself into the books. ;)

Before the end of the week, I'll write my promised "inward qualities of a lady" post. Right now, I'm about to pack for a 2-day trip to pick up my in-laws. Au revoir blog friends!

Dressing Like a Girl - Tuesday

Okay, I ran out of time for my intended post, so here is the outfit, content to come.


Sweater: Bought in Windsor, England at Laura Ashley while I was on my honeymoon. It was basically my main souvenir, because everything was so expensive.

Skirt: I made it a while back. Blogged the details here.

Magazine: Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion Great Magazine!

Dressing Like a Girl - Monday

Here's my Monday outfit. I love the skirt, which is from Filene's (Macy's now) Ideology line. There are thin blue stripes in it which make it fun to wear with blue.

My photographer (husband) keeps getting odd pictures of me and those are the ones I like. Because I'm odd.

Anyway, when I think "lady," I think of the beautiful, elegant, hollywood glamour movie stars of yesteryear (yes, I said yesteryear). Look at this amazing picture of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly:
It is the epitome of lady( in image anyway) - the graceful posture, the ethereal skirts, the elegant, tasteful makeup. They command such a presence. And without abundant piercings, spiked hair, or clothing noir.

Observing people, I have decided that the way to be more ladylike is to move like a lady. Very few people walk gracefully. I would like to improve my posture and gait. Any tips? I'm pretty good with the books on my head, but it kind of leaves when they do. Maybe I'll make it a personal goal for the rest of the week. Anyone care to join?

Coming tomorrow: Inward qualities of a lady

Dressing like a Girl

Some people at a forum I frequent are taking a week to showcase feminine dress. I'm going to play this time! Although I enjoy times of sweats and lounging clothes, I enjoy dressing up as well! I'd classify my clothing style as, well, probably quaint and quirky! That one is slightly overused here, so let me think up a better one ...... Vintage quirky?

I like to play with patterns, texture, and color when i get dressed. Translation: During the week, that means I go into my closet when I'm grumpy and half asleep and pull out things that hopefully don't need ironing and pretend that they might go together!
Anyway, Clinton and Stacey say things don't have to match, but they do have to go!

Clinton and Stacey and sleep-dressing aside, I really do take a mix and match approach to dressing. My favorite mix-it-up item is my leopard print shoes. I probably mix them in a little too much though. My husband claims that picking out clothing for me is difficult because I live on the edge of fashion. What does he mean? I don't have a problem picking out clothing!

Today's outfit is pretty straight forward.

Photograph warning: I am not photogenic, so this weirdo face and hands one was the only one I could tolerate!
Dress: Banana Republic outlet
Shirt: Gap
Shoes: Clarks

Since being feminine isn't JUST about dressing femininely, I'll throw some other thoughts in throughout the week as well!

Perspective

To counteract my totally superficial, fluffy post from yesterday, please visit THIS post from my friend Jaclyn. Her baby was born prematurely at 24 weeks.

Her post is about being thankful for everything, even things that seem horrible to you in the moment. Her perspective is inspiring and convicting.

Reality

Okay, this is a total fluff post. I need to take some pictures of things I'm working on, but I felt like blogging.

Admission: I love "reality" television.

I really don't watch a lot of television, but if I need something to entertain my mind while I do other things, I seem to only put on reality shows. This has a lot to do with the fact that I find current sitcoms and dramas to be extremely vulgar. I am also a **VERY** competitive person, and I enjoy competitive shows. Here are a few of my favorites, my thoughts, and the degree of devotion:


American Idol: Very devoted.... I got my family caught on this show a few years ago. Brooke was probably my favorite this year, so I'm sad she's gone.


Project Runway: Very devoted...... Love the clothing design, construction challenge aspect of the show. I'm as eager as the designers to see what the next challenge is! Make it work!


Little People, Big World..... Slightly devoted - Will watch if it's on...... Who doesn't love a show about inspiring little people? I like Amy the best.... I find Matt a little ...cunning.

The Gosselin's Website
Jon and Kate + Eight.... Slightly devoted - Will watch if it's on .... I do find this show fascinating though. These people have twins and sextuplets. Kate gets on my nerves because she's so high strung, high maintenance, and she bosses Jon around like he's three years old.


What Not to Wear ..... Slightly devoted - Will watch if it's on....... Stacey and Clinton know how to dress people, thats for sure! I like that they make women dress femininely.
Remember, it doesn't have to match, but it does have to go!

Any other reality television junkies out there?