Camera Critter Saturday - Sleepy Kitties & Wildlife

It is that time of week to enjoy some cute critter photos. Enjoy!

This was taken shortly after we moved in to the new house. Inky had wedged himself in between the stacks of my jeans and Halloween costumes on my dresser. It doesn't look very comfortable to me but then I am not flexible like he is.




Our house mates have a kitty named Winky. Here he is all curled up with my sleepy bear, Dave. I love my hubby :D



Now for some exciting news! Since we moved I have had no wildlife. I have been sorely missing my little critter friends. This morning I looked out the window and had a full feeder. There was a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker, 4-6 Slate-colored Juncos and a few Sparrows (which I didn't get the chance to identify in depth but appear to be House Sparrows).







Also last night we had a Opossum on the deck. He took off fairly quick and I didn't have time to take a photo, but here are his/her footprints.



For more Saturday Critters go to Camera Critters:


http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/


~Jessica~

Friday Posts

Normally, on Fridays, I participate in Blooming Friday over at Roses and Stuff. However, here in Michigan there is nothing blooming unless you have houseplants. I am not much of a green thumb when it comes to houseplants so this isn't really going to help. I will still be participating in Blooming Friday but not until March when we start to thaw. For December through March I have a couple of options. Here are the Friday options I have come up with.

1. Photo Friday - The mission is the creative interpretation of the week's theme. In this challenge I would be posting one week back. The theme was Winter last Friday so my entry today reflects winter. This week's theme is Best of 2009 so my entry will be posted next Friday. Hopefully that makes sense. For more Photo Friday entries visit: http://www.photofriday.com/. Here is my entry:

Sparrow Tracks in Snow


2. Food Trip Friday - This one requires you to photograph food. Sounds yummy! For more food photos visit Food Trip Friday: http://foodtripfriday.fickleminded.net/. Here is my entry:

Yesterday's lunch


Spring Rolls


Potstickers


Fortune Roll. These were like a gingerbread / shortbread cookie in taste.


3. Sky Watch Friday - This one requires photographs of clouds, horizons, sunsets and rises etc. This may or may not be a viable option. Michigan has a tendency to be continuously gray in winter thanks to the perma-clouds that roll in. For more sky photos visit Sky Watch Friday: http://skyley.blogspot.com/. Here is my entry:

Birds on a Wire


So my dear readers, what do you think? Would you prefer seeing one of these more than another? Should I alternate between them?

~Jessica~

Baby Shower Cakes & Give Away

I am helping arrange a baby shower for my good friend "C". This is her fourth child but her first girl. Right now we are trying to get ideas for her cake. We have narrowed down a few potential designs but are having a hard time deciding.

Here is the deal, if you voice your opinion on which cake you like the best, I have a prize waiting for you. When you comment, if you don't have a Blogger account, use the Name/URL option so I know who the winner is. First, off you get to help with C's shower and since I am a crafter, I will make and send the winner a set of eight greeting cards: 2 Just Because/Friendship, 2 Thank You & 4 Birthday. I will need to make them so give me at least a week to get them made. I will mail these internationally, but it will be sent regular mail and I cannot be held responsible for what the postal services does en route. They will also be in English :) Here are a few samples of cards I have made in the past: http://picasaweb.google.com/JessicaAFM/GreetingCards#

And without further ado, here are the cake style choices. Of course they will be altered to fit C's preferences regarding colors and such, but these are examples of design elements we liked.

1. Rectangle cake with onesie.

http://peachofcake.blogspot.com/2009/03/pink-and-brown-onsie-baby-shower-cake.html

2.Onesie shaped cake.

http://mycakes.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/the-onesie-cake-fondant-cake-number-three/

3. Rectangle quilted cake.

http://kathysicingonthecakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/cake-pictures-october-20-october-25.html

4. Square (or round) clock cake.

I have looked all over and I can not find the link to where we found this one. If you recognize it, let me know so I can give proper credit.

5. Round critter cake using butterflies instead of ladybug and dragonfly.

http://kathysicingonthecakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/cake-pictures-october-20-october-25.html

6. Rectangle cake with footprint border in pink and purple.

http://kathysicingonthecakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/cakes-15sep-to-27sep.html

7. Rectangle girly cake.

Update: Thank you to my sister for IDing this cake for me! http://kathysicingonthecakeblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/cake-photos-from-weekend-of-september.html

8. Rectangle cake with flower border. Again substituting butterflies for the large flowers and babies.

http://www.babyshowernet.com/baby-shower-cake-pictures/baby-shower-cake-pictures.html

For an extra entry, re-post this giveaway on your blog or Twitter. Place a second comment letting me know where you posted it. If you use Twitter, make sure you Tweet @JessicaAFM

Contest will run from now until Sunday at midnight EST. Winner will be decided using Random.org. Good luck!

~Jessica~

Wordless Wednesday - Holiday Musical

* Note: All faces have been blurred except my children to protect their identities.





For more wordless photos go to Wordless Wednesday: http://www.wordlesswednesday.com/

~Jessica~

Honest Scrap

This one came from Rosey Pollen over at Dung Hoe and Angela over at The Pagan Mom Blog.

Rules:
*You tell ten truthful things about yourself.
*You pass the award on.
*You include the link for the blogger who gave it to you
*And include links to your nominees.

My 10 Things About Me

1. You may have already figured it out but my favorite season is Autumn and my favorite holiday is Halloween. There is something in the air that just makes my heart and spirit soar. I love the smells, the cool mornings and the warm afternoons.



2. Sticking with the holidays, Christmas is my least favorite holiday. So many people expect you to follow certain procedures. You "need" to go to grandmas house, you "need" to buy certain presents, you need to do everything but just sit and enjoy time with the family you actually see everyday and feel closest to. I know I sound bah hum bug but it is more like "O Stressful Night" than "O Holy Night". The one year I limited our travels to two out of the six get-togethers we were expected to attend I got chewed out. The final straw was someone asking me how I expected to get gifts if we didn't show up and I told them I didn't expect any, otherwise it isn't a gift. If someone has some tips on coping with overbearing holiday issues, feel free to send them to me.



3. I am definitely more a cat person than a dog person. I can not even begin to estimate the amount of cats I have had over the years. When I was a little girl, we had about a dozen barn cats at a time but they were all my kitties in my mind. Since I have been an adult and on my own, we have had 5 (Ghost, Boots, Phantom, Inky and Mouser). We have only had 1 dog - McGruff the beagle bassett I had to give up due to lack of space for an energetic guy. He went home with a sweet little boy who was terminally ill and who's parent's couldn't afford a purebred beagle dog.



4. I touched on some of the animal charities I support before. Here are some of the other causes I support.

Autism Awareness: Autism Speaks http://www.autismspeaks.org/


Breast Cancer Awareness and Research: National Breast Cancer Foundation http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/



Cancer Awareness: Relay for Life http://www.relayforlife.org/relay/



5. I love my camera. Well maybe I don't love the camera so much as I love photography. I feel like I am naked when a camera isn't nearby. I will photograph the most nonsensical things if they appeal to me at the moment. My camera is retiring sometime this spring and I will be getting a new one. I am going from this: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A340/A34A.HTM to this http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/D5000/D5000A.HTM.

6. I am an avid gardener and bird watcher. I sometimes am a know it all when it comes to those hobbies but only because I love them so much. I can't help absorbing everything there is to know. I am no expert though. I learn something new everyday.




7. I am a nature loving, dirt worshipping, tree hugging hippie. At least that is what some people call me. I follow a nature based faith and have never been more spiritually fulfilled. Like some others in nature based religions I believe in Fae, dragons and other "fantasy" creatures, just not in the sense that we normally hear about in books and movies.



8. I totally dig my veggies. There are very few vegetables I dislike. As a matter of fact some of my very favorite foods are vegetables. Artichoke, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Beets, Squash, Rutabaga, Sweet as well as regular Potatoes and much more I find divine.



9. I was born not to far from Manila, Philippines on Clark AFB. Most people never even realize I was born out of country. I really wish I could visit my birth place but now it is an industrial park and international airport.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosdado_Macapagal_International_Airport

10. As much as I dislike snow, I would love to retire up in the Upper Peninsula near Whitefish Point. I just plan to stay home all winter long. In all seriousness, I think once we retire and don't have to run all over for family craziness, that is where I want to settle down. It is so beautiful and serene up there.




I am tagging the five blogs below. Please do NOT feel obligated to do this if you don't want to. I know life is busy or you may not do these MeMe's in general. I just want to recognize my wondiferous blogging friends.

1. Cake Wrecks: http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/ Jen has one of the best blogs to make you laugh while you want to cry at the same time. Poor, poor cakes.

2. The Junk Drawer: http://www.junkdrawerblog.com/ Kathy's humor blog is the best. Not only is it full of haha moments but it is interactive too. She runs little contests like "What's that?" on a fairly regular basis.

3. The Nocturnal Knit Witch: http://nocturnalknitwitch.blogspot.com/ Even though I cannot knit or crochet for the life of me, this blog keeps inspiring me to try, try again. Plus I love that I am not the only crafter out there who loves her tattoos.

4. Michigoose's Gander at Quilts & Life: http://michigoose-life-quilts.blogspot.com/ Another crafty blog. This one focuses on, you guessed it, quilting. This is a craft that there again I don't do but am inspired to.

5. A Little Sweetness: http://tashahorsley.typepad.com/alittlesweetness/ This blog has the cutest, and I do mean cutest, embroidery patterns, fabrics and goodies EVER! I can't even begin to tell you how much I want to use her fabric. I am waiting for the right time to sneak it in when hubby isn't looking. Whoops, he probably is now. Love you Babe.

Note: I did a MeMe similar to this before. If you would like to see my "secrets" from then, click HERE.

Company logos are owned by the companies they represent.

Clip art is by

http://www.bordersetsbyinge.nl

~Jessica~

MeMe's Galore

I was graced with several awards over the last couple months but just hadn't gotten around to play them. I am going to do them over the next week. Here is the most recent one.



Christmas (Yule, Hanukkah, etc.) Fun - Getting to Know You

This one came from Rue over at Rue and Hyssop. It was originally started by Heather at the Top Ten Christmas Blog.

Rules:
*Just simply copy and paste the questions into your blog, and answer them.
*Then tag 5 or more of your favorite blogs, and leave them a comment telling them they’ve been tagged.
*When you post your blog, please spread some Christmas cheer, and leave a link back to the Top 10 Christmas blog and the blog that you were tagged by.

We celebrate both Yule and Christmas as a secular holiday in our house so I occasionally use the term "holiday". Please no lectures on using it. Here are the questions:

1. Have you started your Christmas shopping?

Nope not at all

2. Tell me about one of your special traditions.

We don't have a lot outside of the normal ones like hanging stockings and running around to 5-6 different family functions.

3. Are you a Black Friday Shopper?

Only if there is a really really good deal.

4. When do you put up your Tree?

After boy number 2's birthday. That way his birthday isn't overshadowed by the holidays and there are no fragile items out for his party.

5. Do you Travel at Christmas or Stay home?

Depends on the year. The last one was in Florida. This year we will be home.

6. What is your funniest Christmas memory?

Probably the year my husband made his virgin sacrifice comment to my brother Dan and got him in trouble. Please don't ask LOL

7. What is your favorite Christmas Movie of All time?

It is a toss up between A Christmas Story, The Year Without A Santa Claus or Santa Claus Is Comin to Town. I like the old Claymation movies.

8. Do you do your own Christmas Baking, what’s your favorite treat?

Yes I love baking. I make rum balls, gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodles and plain sugar cookies through out the holidays.

9. Fake or Real Tree?

Real tree. They are actually "greener"than artificial ones and you can use them after the holidays. You can recycle them into mulch, use them to put out seed and fruit for birds, provide shelter for wild animals or use as firewood. Lots of uses.

10. What day (as a mom) does the actual panic set in to get it all done?

A few days before

11. Are you still wrapping presents on Christmas Eve?

Usually - yes.

12. What is your favorite family fun time at Christmas?

We watch the old movies on ABC's 25 Days of Christmas

13. What Christmas craft do you like the best?

Making holiday cards

14. Christmas music. Yes or No, and if yes What is your favorite song?

Yes - "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

15. When do you plan to finish all your shopping?

Not planning on it this year other than a few things for the kids. Not a good year.

I am tagging the five blogs below. Please do NOT feel obligated to do this if you don't want to. I know life is busy or you may not do these MeMe's in general. I just want to recognize my wondiferous blogging friends.

1. Never A Dull Moment: http://qtswede.blogspot.com/ Kimi also happens to be a real life friend that I have known since we were in school together a long time ago.

2. The Bird Bath: http://wwwbirdbath.blogspot.com/ I always find myself inspired when I visit.

3. Honey & Jam: http://www.honeyandjam.com/ Hannah is a brilliant cook and photographer. She is wise well beyond her 19 years.

4. Posie Gets Cozy: http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/ An inspiring blog that has taught me how to make several food dishes, quilts and other crafty goodness.

5. Wren Handmade: http://wrenhandmade.typepad.com/wren_handmade/ Another fun crafty blog

~Jessica~

Snow, Snow, Snow!

I was going to show you all our first snow from December 3rd but now it seems silly being we are under a Winter Storm Alert and Blizzard Warning. Would any of you like this snow? We have been getting snow non stop since Wednesday afternoon. To make it even more fun, we have been getting some bad wind gusts. Wednesday we had gusts of 50-60 miles per hour. Thursday it died down to 25-35 miles per hour. The kids don't mind though. They had a snow day, which meant no school on Thursday.

Our little, itty, bitty amount of snow last week.


The beginning of the blizzard this week. My bench and rug are disappearing.


There goes the pumpkin left over from Halloween.


Snow falling and headlights in the not so distance. Visibility was less than a quarter of a mile.


Are you sure you don't want some of this snow. I will give it to you for free.

~Jessica~