Christmas, Turkeys, Birthdays, & Twilight... all wrapped into one!

This is going to be quite the modge podge post... stick it all together and add some glitter and it is done! I have got a few items of business to shout out!

First: Thanks for all the response to the stars... I am busily making and sending all that have ordered thus far... I just wanted to show you one example of a green/red whimsical Christmas star! I will do custom colors, themes, etc. $50.00 plus shipping and this baby is yours! If you are interested email me at: thisandthat-amy AT hotmail.com

This close up is to show you all the cute paper and ribbon and GLITTER!
Next: The Queen of Hearing your confessions is having a spectacular give-away! She is trying to buy your love with a "fowl" seasonal, a gift card, & a CHERELLA bag! Click here to enter.
Good News: There is this little movie coming out soon called TWILIGHT! The Babes at Private Design ( AKA Chalyce, Hannie, & Olivia) are hosting a big huge Twilight Tailgate Party on opening night. Grab the girlfriends and see the vampire splendor together. It is being held at Jordan Commons on November 20th at 11:00 p.m. Tickets are $15.00- and that includes the total party, entry into many drawings, and prizes... Click here for info!
And last...but certainly not least... Vanessa is giving prizes away for HER birthday! WOO-HOO! Click here to enter her birthday presents for you give-away!

The Witches' Brew... Part two!

Where to start? The food? The AMAZING costumes? The FUN?

Last Thursday we had the greatest witches brew of our lives ( That was easy... it was the first). I was in shock and awe at the costumes... I have never seen so many feather boas in my life...green, orange, black, red, purple, zebra. The most colorful witches ever!

There were even darling little server witches ( Tonia's daughters and friends...Meg stayed home because I didn't want to have to hurry to get her home on a school-night- I wanted to PARTY!
We gave a prize ( a Halloween apron I made) to the best witch's concoction... and it went to Jesse Enright for her peanut butter bloody severed fingers ( complete with bone left in the middle)
It was so decorated and done Over the Tipsy Top... Here is one photo of the glittered glasses that everyone drank out of... real glass... real glitter- Only Tonia! We played games and gave prizes and laughed and ate and just enjoyed being all dressed up and with other girlfriend witches!
There were even some witches that were scantily clad... Chalyce and Hannie were the hot witches! OHHHH...to be young and hot!
I put this picture with myself ( in my new favorite zebra witch hat) and the witches of the evening...if you get my drift. They were hilarious! Thanks for being such good sports!

Here are a few more shots of some of the great costumes.


I was so impressed with all the costumes and all the great food. We assigned the food to people and were AMAZED at the treats that showed up! This is something I want to do every year... hopefully Tonia will join in again. She is the most spooktacular witch of all. She takes glam to Halloween like nobody's business! Thanks Tonia for your house and all your work and your friends and just being such a great friend.

Fabulous Fall Friday...Only WITCHES dressed like witches are allowed to enter!

Fabulous Fall Friday...Witches Brew! Last night Tonia and I held our first annual witches brew! I got to the party and realized my camera was missing the memory card so... I don't have a lot of photos, but I will get copies this weekend. This post was to show the invitation and a photo of Tonia, Marla, Crystal ( The only witch that flew in on her broom all the way from Idaho) and I. We were sassy, funky, and fabulous witches. We had so much fun.

This was the invitation... we invited about 50 of our favorite witches and most all of them came.

Crystal, Me, Tonia, & Marla..Which Witch is Which?

I will have all the tricks and treats of the party.. along with photos on Monday! You won't believe the costumes and treats that everyone brewed up. AMAZING!
Have a GREAT weekend!

Really... Here are the Winners!

The Pressure of the cuteness! I wanted to post the winners in some really cute and creative way... but I am really a right brained person... because the pressure of the task just ruined it and now I am stuck announcing the winners in a really LAME way...just writing their names!

Oh... p.s. I tried that random,org and it worked,,,I just couldn't figure out how to publish the official findings. I did use it...just can't prove it.

The winners are:

From my top ten:

TANJA from On That Note

Thanks for always being such a great supporter of my little blog. I love yours and have enjoyed getting to know you! I consider you a total friend and we've never even met!

From my random.org winners

Amanda from Kade and Kendal's Mom

&

Merrianne from Merrianne

You two are new to me because of this giveaway...yeah! So thanks for coming over... I hope you'll come back for free!
Please e-mail me your information so I can get your surprise package to you ASAP!

P.S. to everyone else who entered...thanks a ton! I wish I could send you all a prize! Some of you are faithful commenters... Thanks! Some of you are new... I hope you'll come back!

Have a great day!

And the winners are...

Wow! I can't believe how many of you entered my fabulous fall give-away. It is so exciting to find new bloggin' friends. I am not taking any more comments...the winners will be announced tomorrow- I hope you are all going to like the King Size candy bars I am sending out. Just kidding... it did crack me up to see all speculation about what my prizes would be. I guess I need to be more mysterious. As Willy Wonka said..."The anticipation is killing me... I hope it lasts." Until tomorrow........

Fabulous Fall Food...SOUP!

The Weather is finally going to turn fallish tomorrow! YEAH! Here are some ideas for the best food for fall...SOUP!

Nothing is better than a warm bowl of soup & some yummy bread on a cold autumn afternoon. We have football games tomorrow so I am going to start it beforehand so we can come home to some Creamy Chicken noodle goodness...

3-4 chicken breast
3-4 quarts water

1 can evaporated milk
3 Tbsp. chicken bouillon

1 cube butter
4 potatoes

1 cup flour
3 celery stalks sliced

1 cup milk
1/2 pkg. Bowtie pasta
15 baby carrots cut in fourths.
Mrs. Dash, garlic powder, and pepper to taste.

Boil the chicken in water, bouillon, and a few shakes of garlic powder, pepper, and Mrs. Dash in a large soup pan. Remove Chicken after it is boiled...but, keep the broth. Add more water if the water is low. Add carrots, celery and potatoes and pasta. When pasta is almost done add chicken. In another bowl mix melted butter, flour and warmed canned milk and milk. Mix until all lumps are gone. Add to soup mix and boil to thicken. This soup tends to really thicken up as it cools. !

One of the greatest things about fall is PUMPKINS!

They are so versatile! Two years ago I had a party and served the chili and soups in cleaned out pumpkin pie ( the little ones) pumpkins. It is an idea that I got from Tonia... and it was a fun way to celebrate the season! I did have carpel tunnel from cleaning 25 pumpkins out, but it was well worth it.

Another idea... Beef stew in a baked pumpkin!

Make the stew ( or any hearty soup) and then put in a cleaned out pumpkin.

Make the stew or any other soup you would like and then put it in a pumpkin that has been cleaned and rubbed down with cooking oil. This makes the outside shiny and gives some protection. Cook it for about an hour or until the sides get a little soft. Don't overcook or it won't support the soup. This is so yummy because the pumpkin cooks and you get a little pumpkin taste with the soup...plus you look like Betty Freakin' Crocker!

There are a lot of recipes on the internet for pumpkin soups, etc... I have never tried any of them, but they do look yum!

Play with the pumpkins...use them for dip bowls, soup bowls, anything- Have fun. This is the best time of year to have more serving dishes...You don't have to store them, because you just throw them away when you're done!

Good Luck!

Thankful Thursday!

Here are a few things I am really thankful for...

1- All my bloogin' buddies! Holy Cow! I am so glad that I am still able to buy your love! It made me feel so good to read all your enthusiastic comments for my give-away. I guess I had better put together something "real nice" for the proize! Just kidding I already know what it is! But thanks a ton for shouting me out...commenting on my blog... being more than just fun, time wasting hobby!. You are so much more!

2. The school computer system that can allow me to check on Mitch's grades at any time. I have to somewhat badger... I mean support him in his school endeavors. I am glad the teachers get their scores in and I can see just how well he is doing.

3. Good friends- Today I had the great opportunity to hang out with some AMAZING old friends. I can neither confirm nor deny the location of this reunion, but it was great to hang out with the forever entertaining Mindi ( that I see all the time... so really this is old hat-KIDDING!) AND our world famous designer friend of CHERELLA, Cheryl Forrester. We talked and laughed and had such a good time. We were three CRAZY girls at one time and now we have 10 kids between us. YIKES! It was such a spontaneous meeting and one that I absolutely enjoyed to the fullest! It was a beautiful fall day, great treats, and fabulous friends! Cheryl even brought prizes... more on that later! Loved this day!

4. Next week my man is going to be working from home because his new office isn't quite ready! I love it when he works from home. I can usually talk him into taking me to lunch..the down side is that I can't watch cartoons and lay on the couch drinking Diet Pepsi like Meg thinks I do... He has traveled quite a bit lately so it will be nice to just have him home.

5. My sisters... I have really been missing my sisters lately. My youngest sister, Brandy, is 30 weeks pregnant and has had to be put on House Arrest ( not the real criminal kind...) because she is going into labor too early. She has a little 2 year old tornado named Jace and has had to rely on my mom, sister, and sister-in-law. I wish I could be closer to help! It makes me happy to know that she has them to help her. Viv, Jody, & Mindy are so helpful and kind to take care of her. Brandy is very independent so it is hard to accept the help. I have great women in my life... I miss them!

6. Fall is here! Did I mention that I love it?

It is that time again... Fabulous Fall Give-away

It is here...OCTOBER! I hope it finally brings fall-like weather. I have got the pumpkins going on and to further get into the spirit I am having a Fabulous Fall Give-away! Last time I did a give-away I got a few new blurkers to comment and they turned out to be some of my total blesbians... ( Tanja, Tammy, Devri) There is a twist... the prize is a surprise!

Let me just say... it is something you have seen on my blog, something having to do with fall and/or Halloween & something I LOVE! You know the drill...comment for one entry...shout me out for two... I am having this go until Monday..October 6th. It is only 5 days...so get with it and comment!

p.s.s. There is another twist... Last time I gave one to just my top 10 commenters & I am going to do it again! ... but no cheating ( you know putting one word at a time to bump up the numbers)

p.s.s. If I get more than 100 comments ...I am going to give more than one prize!

SO... There are many ways to win and I think you will like the SURPRISE!

TAG...I'M IT!

I was tagged by Tanja and I liked reading 7 things about her so... Here goes:

1. I am the oldest child... I have two sisters and one brother. I seem to be alittle bossy at times. I am the only member of my family that has moved away from St. George.

2. In my former professional life, I was a high school teacher. I taught English and History... when I started teaching I was 23... 5 years older than my teacher's aide. I taught in St. George for 5 years and then in Boise for 5 years. I quit when we moved back to Utah. ( now that I have exposed that I was an English teacher... don't go checkin' my grammar- I gave that up years ago!)

3. Fall and Winter are my favorite times of the year. I actually love the snow. I don't think I could ever move back to St. George because of the weather...TOO HOT! I love having all 4 seasons- especially fall!

4. I love to laugh until my stomach hurts. I think that laughter is the best medicine for whatever ails you! It is my favorite to just sit with girlfriends and laugh all night! I don't do girls night out very often, but I do love it when it happens. I love funny!

5. My dream is to go to 2 movies back-to-back. I would pay for both, but I would be in heaven if I could watch 1 movie and then get a Coke refill and go right into the other movie. My man doesn't love to go to the movies... so we don't go very often, but I am going to do this before the end of the year!

6. Speaking of things I am going to do... I have a 2008 bucket list- Some of the items on this list are: see 2 movies back-to-back, attend a Halloween witches' brew ( in costume), Take Meg to the Nutcracker, Make homemade bread, start exercising again, wash all the windows in my house, attend a cousin/sister retreat, host a holiday party, etc...etc...etc... Just a few- I will keep you posted!

7. If I had a job ( other than being a housemom)... it would be #1- An event planner... getting to plan a fabulous party and spend other people's money...it's a win/win situation #2- Be an Aesthetician- get paid to give facials ( in other words...get paid to pick zits).

I tag...
Collette- Five of Mine
Mindi- Word to your mother
Tammy- Time Flies
Tonia & Marla ( 7 thing for each of you)- Over the Tipsy Top Design
Andrea- Life in the slow lane
Shan- It's my life
Vanessa- You don't know Schmidt

sorry...I hope you all want to play along... I can't wait to read more about you!

Fabulous Fall... just a bit late!

It is Sunday... but I am posting Fabulous Fall Friday- just a lit late!

An apple a day, keeps the doctor away- and there is nothing that says autumn like everything apple! Here are a few of my favorite apple treats!

Wassail is such a warm yummy Fall/ Holiday tradition! Here is how I make it...

1 gallon apples juice

1 cup orange juice

3/4 cup lemon juiced

2 cups sugar

15 cinnamon sticks

20 whole cloves

15 whole allspice berries

( if you want it to appear a little redish... throw in 10-20 cinnamon red hots)

Bring to a boil and then simmer. Strain all the spices out and serve with a cinnamon stick. Any extra can be saved in a pitcher ( or the apples juice container) in the fridge to warm up in the microwave upon demand.

Apple Caramel Dipping Sauces-
#1- 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup caramel sauce
1 tsp. vanilla
mix together and chill... you could mold this into a ball and then roll in broken Heath pieces.

#2 1 jar of Carmel sauce ( I like to use Mrs. Richardson's)
1/2 cup of Sour Cream
Heath Bar pieces

** Serve both recipes with apples slices!

* Here is my FAVORITE tip for preventing apples from turning brown. Everyone knows that lemon juice prevents the browning, but then your apples taste like lemon/apples. I fill a huge pot with very cold water and about 2-3 cups of sugar. Let the sugar dissolve and then as you slice the apples drop them in the sugar water. You can leave them in there for a while and when you are ready to serve, your apples will look freshly cut for hours.

I am trying to find my motivation!

I am trying to find my motivation...

Do I sound like a famous actor trying to "get into" my next role...well I'm not! I am a housemom that is trying to conquer my next task... and not getting very far! I know I am an adrenaline junkie ( someone who needs urgency to get things done), but lately I have had a hard time getting into doing anything...sure, I have been making aprons and stars and glittering things, but I think all of that is just to try to glitter over other things! What are these "other things"? I don't even know! I just know that something is out of whack and it is probably just me! I need to step back, take a deep breath and work it out! Here is how pathetic I have been... I have been upset about putting some of my Boot Camp weight back on! Last night I watched my DVR'ed "The Biggest Loser" WHILE eating a cinnamon roll! And the worst thing is... I was mad I only had one! That isn't good. Maybe I am tired from my party at Tonia's, maybe I am not medicated nearly enough, maybe I am lazy and just need to suck it up and clean my house, maybe I am just bored! Who knows! I know the post I should be posting is "Thankful Thursday" because there are ALOT of people who have it ALOT worse than I...but we'll postpone that for another day... I know this was probably sad and yucky to read... so sorry. We'll see what tomorrow brings... I might be back on cloud 9... I'm a little crazy... I know!

She has done it again!

SHE has done it again! I just got home from Tonia's Sex and the City party. It came out today on DVD and we celebrated in true "Over the Tipsy Top" Fashion!

We had GREAT treats! Fabulous cupcakes, s'mores margaritas ( pudding, graham crackers and whip cream done up right in a margarita glass), yummy punch..popcorn, M&Ms, etc. etc.etc.

P.S. The napkin had a woman relaxing on the grass with the saying, " I was never meant to work" written on it. LOVE IT!I wanted the girls to feel like they were part of the movie so I brought our version of a pink cosmopolitan martini- A martini glass filled with pink M&Ms, pink whoppers, and even a swirly stick with a little extra bling!
Tonia never disappoints! She had a Sex and the City glitter cup ready for everyone.

The best part... it was a PJ party- so we all showed up in our PJ's to watch fashion, friendship, and a great love story. We all felt so glamorous! It was a great night with fun friends!

Thanks Tonia for hosting another successful girlfriend pinkalicious bash!

A is for Apron...

A is usually for apron... but today A is for Addiction! It has been an apron making day and a half! I had a birthday luncheon for a friend so I made her a Halloween apron and I had such a fun time doing it ,I made another. Below is the photo of the one I kept... sorry I forgot to take a photo of the one I gave away.

I love skulls so... what makes more sense than bedazzling me some for Halloween... well ironing on a rhinestone patch.

( If only glitter stuck well to fabric... notice I said well- I have tried it)

Have no fear... the fabric has a glitter sheen to it so I am going to be OKAY!

This is the little poem that I put on a card with the Halloween apron:

Here’s a little Halloween gift
To help with trick or treat!
You’ll go to the door
And look so spooky sweet!

It will make you look so festive-
In this time of scary things!
A little black, orange & purple-
Don’t forget about the bling!

Nothing’s better than a sassy witch
Who serves up eye of newt!
This will make cooking easy-
And you will look so very cute!

The fun didn't stop there... I went to a fabulous fabric store with my darling neighbor and saw this fabric and a new pattern. LOVED it. We both did- so we both bought it and made it yesterday. We have a church pie-making activity... so we are going to wear them and be TWINS! ( This is the stuff that is making "Seriously So Blessed" a fortune) I even bought a bedazzler ( for real) and I am going to add little rhinestones all over the flowers. Here is the finished project MINUS the bedazzling! It has been a fun few days- I am planning on making a few more, but I first need my man to go out of town so I don't have to worry about the backpedaling.

Sorry about the scary photos... I am photographically challenged! I am going to get it together someday... (promises...promises!)

My own people?

Just before Meg started school we were having a conversation about her going to school all day long... it went something like this:

Me- Meggie are you so excited to be in 1st grade and go to school all day?

Meg: Yeah, Mom I even get to eat lunch there.

Me: I know! I am kindof sad that you are going to be gone all day... I liked it when we ate lunch together... sometimes we ate at home and sometimes we went to lunch. Wasn't that fun? What am I going to do without you?

Meg: Mom... ( looking totally disgusted) You are going to have to get your own people.

I must be pathetic if my daughter is telling me to get my own people and leave her alone. That just cracked me up... but the best part was the sequel to the conversation- It went something like this:

Meg: Mom, I am so tired! I just hate to get up in the morning!

Me: I know it is so hard. I am proud of you for getting up so early and getting ready so well.

Meg: Mom, remember when I was a kid and we hung out all morning long before kindergarten?

Me: Yeah that was fun, wasn't it. But, remember you told me I needed to get my own people?

Meg: Yeah, I sure wish I was one of your morning people... just hangin' out, watching cartoons, and drinkin' Diet Pepsi. Mom, you've got the life!

Kids say the craziest things... Now if you'll excuse me- I have got to take my diet Pepsi and go... Sponge Bob Square Pants is on and I can't miss it!

The Queen of Halloween!

The Queen of Halloween is having a "Spooktacular" giveaway!

Tammy is giving away some fabulous Halloween decor and tricky treats! Here is how you play... Go on over to Tammy's blog and leave a comment for one entry...then post a pic of your favorite Halloween decor and tell her to check it out... for your second entry. I hope nobody plays along because I want to win... The sign has glitter- HELLO! It was made for me! I am excited to check out all the Halloween decor- it will give me a few new ideas!

Fabulous Fall...

There is nothing better than sitting out in the cooling afternoon reading a book and early Fall is the perfect time to get some reading in before the craziness of the holidays. I have listed a few of my favorite reads... things I have recently read ( #3- I've read twice)
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a great read. It is a book that hooked me early and I couldn't put down. A great read. I listened to it on CD and it was AMAZING! The person that read it was great and the plot is really great! LOVE THIS BOOK!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak- LOVED THIS BOOK. It is about a little girl in Nazi Germany that uses books to make sense of the world around her. She steals books as mementos of her life. The strange thing about this book is that "Death" is the narrator- it took me a minute or two to figure this out...but it is a heartbreakingly great book!

This is my favorite book! It isn't a deep read...not something that is going to help you solve the world's mysteries or problems- but a great way to spend a fall afternoon! Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella is the first book in a whole series about the hysterical life of Becky Bloomwood. This is a little bit of British humor that will just crack you up. I am sad that I have already read the entire series...for I would love to be just meeting Becky for the first time. This is laugh out loud goodness!

I hope you really do sit down, enjoy the cooling weather, and open a good book!

Have a great weekend!

I am seeing stars...

I am seeing stars!

I have had so many e-mails requesting information on these Halloween stars that I am going to hang my shingle on my blog. I am now taking orders! The cost will be $50.00 plus shipping for a 16" star. These are so fun to decorate with... hang them alone, in groups, on your door...wherever! I know that living in Utah we all have a "I can make that for cheaper" attitude... I have found that to make them fabulous it requires a great bow with many different ribbons... great if you're making many not so cost effective for one or two. I will allow you to choose between classical ( shown above) and more juvenile ( more purples, greens, cartoony). If you are interested... just e-mail me at thisandthat-amy@hotmail.com. Leave contact information and I will get right back to you.

I hope you get stars in your eyes!

The visions of sugar plums? No...glitter!

One of my very favorite things to do is to have a little afternoon nap if I am totally wiped out. Today was such a day... I knew the kids were going to be home from school in 1 hour and the quietness of the house was too much temptation. I laid down and started to doze... I started thinking about all the things I could glitter... and how much I love spray glitter. Just before I fell from the cliff that makes me jump I found myself chuckling about the time Collette busted me with the glitter can INSIDE my house spraying my Christmas decorations that were already up. The wreath on my door? Sprayed with glitter WHILE on my door. I even love the glitter eyeliner at MAC that comes out every Thanksgiving. I buy enough to last throughout the year. So... in my moment of complete relaxation and utter peace... I found my little evil glitter mind working on my next glitter-fest. I think this is a problem. You know you are ADHD when you can't stop thinking about glitter even while falling asleep. I don't count sheep... I glitter them!

Happy Day Shan!

Happy Birthday Shannon! This is a photo from Halloween 1987... we all dressed up like Hookers and Sarah was Guido the Killer pimp. We all gave her $20 in one dollar bills and she bank-rolled for us all night long. Shannon is the total babe in the front with the silver sports bra ( next to Guido). Lets see... she is a year older than me and I am forever 29... so that makes her...30 today! Yeah! If you look closely you might be able to find the Queen of Blogging...Mindi...on the back row. I am the scary looking one on the far left. Yikes! Happy Birthday Shannon... we've had so many memories in the past! I am glad we have reconnected! Let's have a belated birthday lunch!

On top of the world!

This last weekend we traveled to St. George for a little visit with the fam! Caylor and the boys knew that I was going to be "sistering" ( the activity that happens when I go to St. George and hook up with my sisters and mom and cousins and friends and any other woman that likes to drink Diet Coke, laugh and have a good time) so they decided they were going to do something fun and unique...they went to Zion's National Park to hike Angel's Landing. This is something I am kindof embarrassed to say that I have NEVER done... ( not THAT embarrassed because you didn't see me loading in the car to go with them). Caylor, Mitch, Jacks and my two nephews ( Raycen & Riley) all ventured to the mecca for all people German to hike the mountain. Mitch teased Jacks all the way to St. George that he would be afraid to climb the chain and go to the top...well when they got there- Jacks , Raycen and Caylor climbed the chain while Mitch & Riley kicked back in the safe zone and watched. I was really proud of all the boys for doing it. They had a great time and did something really great! I was also proud of Caylor for taking the boys and getting out of the glitter zone ( we did glitter crafts at Viv's house while the little girls swam). It was a fun weekend all around. I missed out on seeing my friends, but had a great time hanging with the sisters and mom ( that includes my sister-in-law...whom we consider one of the sisters). It was beautiful weather, fun company, and just an all around excellent weekend.