HopPy EaStEr 2012 My PEEPS!

Meanwhile…back 'n da Hood...

Hi Bloggers;
This was either sunrise or sunset over our "back yard"…just looked so cool I had to run for the camera.
Working on a new little "goodie" in the Studio, but since vacaysh is over, it'll be a few more times before I finish. I still zone out after a few hours after I get home from work.
Be patient. It's the way it rolls for me these days.

Did You Know...?

Did you know that you are NOT allowed to take pictures anywhere inside a Casino?
I totally get it that around the slots or gambling tables, a big fat no-no...
But PEOPLE! This was a total Kodak moment! An absolutely GOR-GEE-OUS carving of a Red Hawk at their Casino in Placerville, CA at the landing of the lower level (aka NON smoking).

In fact it was so GOR-GEE-OUS that after I took this shot (and 4 others) I thought it would be cool if I got a shot off coming down the escalator to capture the window AND the carving.


At this point I felt a tap-tap-tap on my shoulder and turned to an armed woman saying, "madame ju cannot take de peecshures in de caseeeno"!
OH! Yikes....! Exited back UP the escalator to my smoking area to lower my heart rate.
(and hide my camera)

Did you also know that you no longer gamble with coins?
When the heck did THAT happen?
Imagine my appearance likened to a space alien when I got all comfy with a drink and an ashtray at a slot machine, pulled out my baggie of coins and...."wait! where the hell do I stick the coins"???
*Snort* all three hundred people around me had a good laugh at my expense...and I am pretty sure I overheard some old fart say, "yeesh...is she from outer space or what?"

Two Grads Down, 1 to Gooooooo!

Haley and her BFF Allie, and BBF James all graduated the same year.
James has (officially but not in ink) graduated from the EMS program, and Allie just graduated from UC Davis.
And Haley?.....well, she still has some s*it to shovel yet but movin' right along!!!



This was the "autograph" book for all attendees.
Cute, no?

Swine Flu or Hot Piggy Mama?!

Don't believe everything you hear in the media about Swine Flu peoples.
It's.the.flu.With.a.name.
We had a Piggy Party for my co-worker to welcome her back after a SMALL bout with the (confirmed) Flu.
The Menu?
Pork n Beans
Pigs in a Poke
Pigs in a Blanket
PINK lemonade
Pork Ribs
and those of us that could, wore Pig Tails.

Other than the HazMat Team choking us HEALTHY people with antiseptic sprays, it was a FUN week!

Annual Mother/Daughter Brunch

For the past say, oh I dunno....6,7,8...maybe more years, the girls from Encina High(along with some outside friends and family) and our mothers, then grandaughters (when they got old enough) met once a year for Brunch.
Since our numbers go up and down, it's always hard-pressed to find a restraunt with free-flowing champagne (or Mamosas) and the room to accommodate us.


THIS year one of the mothers volunteered her home on The Bluffs of the American River and we did a pot luck. (yes, yes...we all KNOW I do NOT cook...but we know PW does! and I can follow her fabulous step by step directions). Since we had at least 10 pounds of carrots from the garden of which I have no part of, I ventured with her Whiskey Glazed Carrots. YUM!

So here we are...lookin' better and better every year!

Our Mothers
(yes, the picture of Mom in the newspaper came up a few times!)

And our generation
(can you guess which ones belong to each other?) Here's a hint...
the YOUNGEST of us are down in front!!! *evil grin*

the next generation down...our daughters:
Missing this year is my daughter who went to work instead of coming down with a headache or swine flu or somethun...
(someone needs instructions on leg placement but we'll give her a break as she's only a freshman/sophmore in High School now and she's just too darned cute!)

And ta-da!
Our first GREAT-Grandaughter in attendance:
It was a beautiful day and this was the view outside:

Today was Sunny at the Beach! Edited

This is my friend Jenni....she got married today...on the BEACH!
Here's an overhead shot of the top of the cake...
shells, and sea grass? TOTALLY edible! Sand is really brown sugar!

Here are more pictures of the delish cake!

Happy Birthday Babeeeee!

How many candles now?
Could it be that 22 years has past?
Seems like yesterday she was just playing with beaded babubles and stuffed dogs...
now it's the real deal.
Unbelievable!
Happy Birthday baby girl.

Tricks or Treats?

Depends on how you look at it...
I was tricked into buy the first version of Stickles at the SB Expo.
Here's some treats...
new from t!m and Ranger Products




AND t!m will be here again in the Sacramento area...
Check out the classes he'll be doing next weekend by clicking here

Recycling to the Greenest Level!

I saw this idear at a SB Expo and literally went green with envy that I didn't think of it!
Not only could I just kick myself about not thinking of it first, I can NOT find plain plastic tumblers with no markings or logos nor could I find cocktail umbrellas in all the colors that the vendor had...like black & white, Cocoa, etc.
It does look best without the logos. Or I guess I could just camoflauge it with stamped images or stickease...but was in a hurry to play.


And since it's PINK awareness month...
and I am having sort of a blue kinda day.......
Of course a 4-pack will look darling in a cardboard drink holder too!
Weeeeeeeee!
Never knew recycling could be so much fun! (thanks for the thought bubble, Bren!)

Watching the Clouds go by....

is this not the coolest cloud?
I swear I thought it was a whale passing by!
(and 15 minutes later...it was gone..wow!)

3 Laughs Are We!

We all have em...friends near and far...

The "near" one (that's Shari on the right) lives just a few blocks from my office.
We just haven't been able to find a time slot to get together since she moved up here.

The "far" one (that would be Betsy on the left)from WA/UTAH/OHIO, came out for a reprieve of all the duties in her life right now...just to vegg and scrapbook.

Our connection? Close to My Heart, of course! We have always looked forward to annual Conventions so we can re-connect face to face. We've had many laughs and fun times over the years...This year, I'm on my own...Shari and Betsy aren't going to Convention in Florida.(along with some "other" near and far friends)
It just won't be the same
It won't be right, it won't be wrong...it'll be different.

You would never know it's been 3 years since I've seen Shari, and almost 2 years for Betsy...if Shari's sweetie Steve hadn't been there (he took some great shots of us) well, I daresay the rafters may have come down on us!

SUPER Mother/Daughter Day!

It's a GREAT day when your 21 year old actually LIKES your playlist...(well...maybe not ALL of them, but we can compromise on the fast/fwd button)

Haley's iPOD shuffle was dead from her trip, so we shared earphones
(normally that would be an ewwww thing, but what the hell...we're related)





It's a SUPER day when a group of moms and daughters of a common bond can get together for an annual Mother/Daughter Brunch.
We've had to skip some years, but hey anything more than 5 years can be considered a tradition.
My generation of girls all went to school together except one.
So we started it with just us and our Moms...then our kids (omygod!) started getting old enough to attend.

So here we are this year at the Cliffhouse in Folsom, Ca.
(My oldest niece Nikki far left planned this year's)

Beautiful day and a group of beautiful women don't ya think?

So here are the group shots of each family;
Here are the Moms (1st generation)
From left Joan Churches, Mom, Rose Petkovich
For some reason we didn't get a shot of my generation or the 3rd generation together...
(I think we had too many in the ladies room!)

Debbie Young and her daughters Lindsay and Lauren (missing today is her mom and other daughter Jennifer)
All of Patti's Moms!
Patti had all 3 of our moms to call her own. In fact, she actually stayed with us for a while.
She claims it was great to have sisters....the walls & doors in our house would disagree.


The Churches
Lisa, Joan and Lucia
I think they look fabulous!
Petkovich Girls!
Elizabeth, Deb, Rose and Micheyl
(we missed having Rose's sister Claire and her daughter Judy!)



My (Jurich) Family
Nikki, Me, Mom and Haley
missing today is my sister Pam and her daughter Natalie

It's amazing how a group of us can meet up, drink up and catch up like it was just yesterday we met last...
I LOVE our Annual Mother Daughter Brunches!

I'm done...she's twenty ONE!

Time flies...
it truly does...
can't say anything more.
Here's Haley's traditional birthday photo on our deck.


and here is her first official "tini"!

Awareness..it's all about the Pink

And for the Month of October, my frame of mind is....
AWARENESS

It's not just my birthday weekend, it's also my 7th year as a Survivor of Breast Cancer
So wear the word wherever you can...as long as you wear it!



Haley, her boyfriend and the bald, fat guy took me out to dinner tonite for my b-day which actually is tomorrow.
I did have a Kettel One, and glass of wine, so this is short and sweet.

www.amazonheart.org
www.komensacramento.org

A day to just be.....

Whatever floats your boat, 6Flags (aka MarineWorldUSA) has it all...
Our company sponsored our annual picnic there this year (yup! parking, entrance, food and drinks!!!) and I took Haley and her BF Chris.
They took off to do their thing, while one of my co-workers and I just did adult things like the animal shows and getting lost.

Fab time!
Here's a traditional photo op in front of the fountain!

Like a Kid in a Candy Store!

What's better than a candy store for a female scrapbooker?
ARCHIVER'S, of course!
While in the Denver/Colorado Springs area recently, I was lucky enough to do a few very special things...
It started with a not-so-lovely morning AND afternoon at the Sacramento Int'l Airport
Visit with my friend Susan (who spent weeks cleaning her house and driving her family crazy)
Attend a SB Retreat at the Create Keepsake Inn
Spoke briefly with the CEO of Hobby Lobby
and..........drum roll please.......
Shopped for the very first time in an Archiver's store!!!

For you NON-scrapbookers who are visiting/reading this, Archiver's is the ubber bestest, largest Scrapbook Chain store (think Border's size!) that (so far!) does not have a California location! Why? Can't imagine! And of course I had to mention that when, on the rare occasion, I wasn't speechless while in the store!
It was...*sigh* unbelievable......