Fun at the Fair

Monday, September 29, 2008 2 comments
If I had to pick my very favorite ‘Texas Thing’ all year….it would be the Fair (there are many close seconds), but there is nothing I love more than THE Texas Fair. I went on Sunday. I love...
All the sights that say ‘TEXAS State Fair’ Like the Midway and Big Tex

Fletcher’s Corny Dogs (The BIRTH place of this legacy.) This year’s ‘fried food’ included fried banana split, fried bacon wrapped chicken, fried moon pies, and fried jelly rolls to name a few...

And all the crafts, cars, and cute animals….I am NOT eating pork ever again!!!

Entering the 20th Century


I’ve had the same trusty old cell phone for years….literally I think it’s been about 7 years, maybe more. I couldn’t take pictures, much less RECEIVE pictures on my phone. I said I was keeping it until it literally fell apart b/c getting a new phone, according to AT&T, meant getting a new plan (not even buying a phone at full price was an option due to all the red tape they constructed to get rid of some great deals they offered years ago). A year ago the wall charger stopped working, but the car charger worked and I rigged this whole system to keep juice in the phone until, well, until it fell apart. And then it happened-one side broke off….and then the other, and it was time. As much of a friend as the old phone has been, I have to say-I HEART my new iphone a million times more….which I was able to acquire thanks to all the saving I’ve been doing while using the last phone through two presidential campaigns. For the first time, technology is my friend!

See Christy Sew. Sew, Christy, Sew.


FINALLY, after having this fabric forever (which equals a year and a half on the official Christy Calendar), and then sitting down, cutting, sewing, ironing, and blundering through my third quilt….then taking it off to be ‘quilted’ (there is some irony in the fact that few people actual ‘quilt their quilts’)…I got it back. I asked for very specific quilting to be done, I definitely wanted lots of ‘school stuff.’ The lady who quilted wrote “Dick and Jane” along the edges, designed each square differently, and then filled the rest with apples, scissors, rulers, pencils, and the alphabet. I love it. No more school related quilts for awhile, but I think it nicely represents some of the colors I tend to like, and the direction in which my career has taken me, and it makes me smile, which is a good way to end a long project! Click on the photos below for more 'detailed' pitures of the details. :O)

Crayon Craft


Thanks go to Jo for posting great art ideas on her blog! I saw the ABC crayons, and was impressed (and I have future plans for these molds after this experiment for another ‘project‘ I have going on). I’ve had a bucket of ‘old’ crayons in my classroom for years. The students like the new boxes, and I’m not sure what I was waiting for with this crusty pail, but I found it. I bought these ‘sillycone’ molds that can go in the freezer OR the oven from a sight called Let’s Explore. The first batch was a little difficult. I found you do have to mix colors in the same family (if you choose to mix), the cheap crayons made things separate, so the traditional crayola crayons seem to work best, and I‘d probably just get a new box in the future. It’s not easy to pop those puppies out once the crayons melt, and I broke a few, and had to ‘remelt them.’ I’m not sure about their durability, but I think it’s a super cute idea. I made two batches to begin with for a few pal’s little ones around here, it’s safe to post because I doubt any of their 3 year olds are reading my blog. I love homemade gifts, and I love all the idea sharing going on over the net!

The Dark Ages

Sunday, September 28, 2008 No comments
Help! My internet is down! How did I function before this technologically abundant era? Tomorrow they come to fix it...a week after it went the way of the buffalo. I have tons to post, but more importantly tons of surfing to catch up on! My access at work is very limited...no public sights like this and the time I would have to surf at work is even more limited than that! Given that sort of working situation...I am sure you are ready to help me work on my resume. The one plus is with a little more time on my hands I have started...and finished a few craft projects :0)!

Lions, Tigers, and a Baby Girl....Oh My!

Sunday, September 21, 2008 2 comments
These are the invitation for Kristine's shower, which we are passing out tomorrow with little containers of cotton candy-I can't wait to help put this circus together in a few short weeks. I've collected some pretty cute decorations, and we have a big candy bar planned, and some cupcakes from my favorite book on the forecast. :O) Here's hoping not too many of my coworkers are scared of clowns!


Fan Appreciation


Today the girls in the family went and broke Brian out of college for the day and headed to the ballpark (conveniently located near his college). It was fan appreciation day, and Mom's friend had given us free tickets-yea for free stuff! All the players greated guest at the doors, and handed out baseball cards, and misc stuff. I had to get Brian to give me the names of the players, it was certainly a wasted opportunity on me, but....I took their pictures anyway. I'm posting a picture of Hamilton, who apparently hits a lot of homeruns? And Nolan Ryan who was seated by the player's box, who I KNOW didn't let too many players hit homeruns off of him in his career as a pitcher. I love the ballpark, and miss it already!

Oktoberfest

Saturday, September 20, 2008 No comments

I've heard about Oktoberfest for years, and today-I finally decided to go. I called up my cousin Holly, who is usually game for an evening of randomness, and she didn't disappoint. This particular festival was held out in Addison, and it's really famous (in the DFW area at least!). It was pretty much what I expected-lots of 'bier' for the mug carrying guest (totally wasted on us Baptist gals), and plenty of seats in the bier garten to enjoy the beverages, polka music, lederhose wearing guest, yodeling contest, and chicken hats. Along with all the 'bier' kegs they also had rides, a German car show, and crafts. We sampled the pretzels, and apple strudel and were not disappointed in either. Everyone was pretty tame when we were there, and I can check it off my to do list now! I'm still not sure about the September date of this Oktoberfest, but whose to question Munich's chosen date, maybe they chose the date last year sitting around and chatting in the bier garten?







Up, Up And Away

This morning I did NOT get to sleep late. With the festival less than a mile away, you can hear their speakers, or rather....the dogs can hear their speakers! Lilly and Max were barking, and then they went completely out of their minds when the balloons started passing my house (there were about seven that took a direct path over my house, or my neighbor's house. Check out Lilly's mohawk, and Max in motion. The people in the balloons were within talking distance, and literally over my backyard leaning over their baskets and watching the dog's put on a show-I'm not sure who was more interested in who. It was an incredible (and early) way to begin a Saturday morning!
Incoming balloons...

Neighbor's Fly Over...

My backyard balloon viewing...

Balloon Festival

Friday, September 19, 2008 2 comments

This year I headed to the balloon launch the first day of the festival. I've seen these hot air balloons fly over, and near my house every year they have managed to lift off (they are weather sensitive). This is the first year I watched the launch. It was awesome to watch the balloons fill up with air, and lift off one at a time. They have 60 balloons participating this year, and the first 30 launched at 6 after sky divers opened up the festivities, and then the next 30 headed in and began filling up for the balloon glow. I didn't capture nearly all of the balloons, but I got a few shots. My favorite balloons include a pirate, a tree from the rain forest, a daisy, a dinosaur, and a panda bear. You never know what you are going to see! They do large launches twice a day all weekend, and a balloon glow in the evening. They have booths, and games, and entertainment out in the fields, it's fabulous! You can also purchase rides...I think I can go to the rest of my life without feeling a desire to go UP in a balloon, but they sure are fun to watch!











Happy Birthday, Mom!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008 2 comments

Birthdays are all about traditional activities. No birthday is complete without the family present! It's always fun for me to help Mom celebrate her birthday with some of the traditional activities she passed along to me. We always start the day with breakfast (which is a little more difficult for those born during the 'school months'). My Mom said she has been eating this particular breakfast for her birthday since her Mom fixed it for her (biscuits, gravy, and v. sausage....oh and Dr. Pepper, I seriously doubt her Mom served them Dr Pepper, but who am I to argue on someone's birthday?) So, in keeping with my personality, it was a mini-themed breakfast for just us gals. I usually pick up a lot of little gifts for my Mom during our annual mother/daughter vacation over the summer, and since we went to Hollywood this year, that was my wrapping, and breakfast 'theme.' (Life in the gene pool).

This evening my Aunt had a family dinner for my Mom with all her favorites (chicken enchiladas, and the best cake in the world made from scratch-Sheath Cake). Yum. All the candles were present and accounted for-because it's 'tradition."