Hello

Howdy folks,
Had another nice weekend. On Friday we went to a Nuggets game. We were in the "fall to your death" section formerly known as "nose bleed". We watched until half time - or whatever they call it and then left. It was fun - people watching was super fun!!

Scott! 

They have this Nugget player body - they also have hockey but we didn't get that one!! We saw a retired player and I did take a picture but since I don't know who it was I won't embarrassmyself by posting it!!!

Afterwards we ate at Blue Bonnet Restaurant in Denver. The green chili is pretty good. 

Saturday Scott made spaghetti sauce - and ziti. I love that dish!! He makes a lot and we freeze it for other meals.  We ended up back in Denver in the afternoon. I got a Denver library card - YAY!! I now have four library cards. Scott has five - I must get catch up!! We went and had a cup of coffee at my favorite place - The Larimer Market! Sunday - scrumptious!! 

Tonight was the season premier of "Game of Thrones" - Woooo hooooo!!! Sadly, it is also the season finale of "The Walking Dead" - booooo!! I only had time to watch GoT before I had to come to work - double boo!! 

That is all folks! Hope you have a good week!! 

RIP John Luebke

 He will be missed terribly.

Wonderful!!

Hello,

I had another wonderful weekend. I know I had said we wouldn't be going anywhere but we did. Scott donated money to Colorado Public Radio last November so they sent us a card to use around town. Most of it is restaurants 2 for 1 things. We haven't used it at all! Scott thought it would be fun to try some of the places on it. We picked ... Billy's Gourmet Hotdogs

It was good -corner of Larimer and Broadway in Denver  I had a Tijuana dog. Scott got a chili dog. We shared a corn dog and a basket of garlic fries. I would go again - it's nothing fancy. They have a nice porch (it was snowing so we didn't use it)
After we ate we went to Larimer Square - LOVE this street - they have lights over it and lovely shops. My favorite (and it's where we went) is The Market

The Market

Larimer Square

bakery section of the Market

red velvet cupcake, German chocolate, California cappuccino and cafe au lait 

inside the Market

This place is wonderful - you can have tea, coffee or a variety of other beverages. They have baked goods, deli-type items. You have to walk around first and take a look. You can buy loose leaf tea and coffee beans. Scott got a California cappuccino which I had never had before - it is espresso with sweet condensed milk - oh my!! The cupcake was OK - cream cheese frosting - nothing spectacular but the German chocolate? Oh my, I believe the frosting is homemade - so rich and fabulous!! Mom and I have a date to go there in April!!
It was enchanting because it was snowing - there were pretty lights outside - great company and delicious food.
Saturday we had 6 or 7 inches of snow. Scott and I moved an armchair and footrest to the craft room. He carved our new signature stamp (for letterboxing) and I stitched. We listened to our books on tape and drank tea (later switching to hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps!!) It was a wonderful weekend and I certainly did NOT want to return to work!!
Have a good week all!! Kiss the ones you love and tell them you love them.

Finish!!

Yay! I actually have three finishes!!!

finally got the thread!!

one on left is tea dyed

I will be making pillows like the pattern and displaying them in a basket!! Making a set for a gift I think - fun gift right?

whining and wine

Good morning!
About whining.... I know - weird time for me but I was home sick Wednesday night so I am fully on a day schedule until Sunday when I have to switch back to nights - ugh. Boy, did I feel like ick last week - all week really. I had a hard time making it through every night with a sore throat, stuffy nose and a headache. Finally on Wednesday I decided I couldn't do another night. I stayed home - lots of chloroseptic spray, neosporin in my ears (don't try that at home) and saline spray in the sinus area - plus some ibuprofen and I slept for a full night. I am finally feeling better - last night I slept 10 hours whew! We wont be doing much this weekend. It is suppose to snow - I've been sick and we were gone last weekend. I will get a ton of stitching done - I expect to get that thread I was missing in the mail today!! I already got the fabric I ordered. I tea dyed it - the picture doesn't do it justice...

I am so excited about how it turned out that I can't wait to start it. I got it for "Orchard Valley Quilting Bee" by Little House Needleworks sooo excited!! First I have to finish the first two months of Little Sheep Virtues I almost have the first one done "Hope" - I am making two sets though, so darn it!! Also, did you see the mason jar pin cushion in the May 2013 issue of Cross-stitch & Needlework? Ahhhhdorable!! It would make a cute Mother's Day gift....
About wine ..... Now, I am no wine drinker. I am hardly a drinker at all. I am what you might call - *gasp* a low-taster - when it comes to wine. (someone had to say it) But, I know what I like. It is sweet wine. It makes me grumpy when the description says - "taste the berries, soft caramels and woody taste of this fine wine" and it tastes like varnish (not that I've tasted varnish) So, I kept away from wine but Scott wanted me to be able to have wine with dinner so I did get turned onto some wine that is worth drinking. My favorite right now is Villa M

it is sweet and bubbly. Yes, it has a twist off lid - but it is from Italy!! Most of the wines I like are $16 a bottle. Last night we tried

it's a tart cherry wine from Carlson Vineyards in Palisade Colorado. My uncle Joel lives in Grand Junction and he is the reason I know about Carlson!  My favorite of theirs is  Laughing Cat Sweet Baby Red  - I almost didn't taste this one because red wine is always bitter - no matter what anybody says!! Not this one - sweet and fantastic!! 
Another one I like is

This really has a caramel taste to it - so rich and sweet -Adesso Romagna Cagnina Dolce -  they don't have a website so this page is a fact sheet. Also made in Italy from 100% Refosco grapes (whatever that means). I also like the apple wine from The Winery at Holy Cross Abbey yum!! I hope to go there this year when we visit the Royal Gorge and do a little wine tasting!! I am sure there are a few more that I like - Scott should leave a comment on his favorite! I think it's white Zinfandel but I can't remember the brand.... 
That is all folks - hope you have a good week and at least one glass of good wine!!

GRRR WIP

Hello,
 I wanted this to be a finish but I didn't have one of the threads.... Weeks Dye Works "Bark" I can't believe I missed it!!

 So I ordered it from 123Stitch I also got a piece of fabric, some thread and a pack of beads.  I will have it shortly and then it will be done!! (roof, stems and tree plus branches) *sigh*
We have some patterns for sale on ebay  again STB90125 Scott keeps telling me I can't bid on my own patterns - I've already made them but they are so darn cute!!
Have a good day

WONDERFUL weekend

Hello,

I had a wonderful weekend - I hope all of you did as well!! I did all the boring stuff - cleaned my house, did my grocery shopping, laundry - you know blah blah!! 

added spring blossoms to my entertainment center

and easter eggs to my tree

Saturday we went to Colorado Springs to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo I am generally not a fan of zoos but this one isn't bad. The most exciting thing - and the reason we went - is the giraffes. You can FEED them!!! 

beautiful animals!

no kisses

OMG!!!

They don't like to be touched

this one licked Scott's head and eye!! 

They are amazing!!! We also got the Budgies..

YAY!! 

I love feeding the birds

I got to hold a corn snake

meet Clementine

I saw otters

this one kept peeking to see if we left - nope!

she has a baby on her back

There is something about the gorillas - their eyes are haunting. Their enclosure was like a display case - the thing I hate about zoos! The other parts of the zoo have nice habitat-type homes.

I think they captured a house cat....

I was attacked by a bear..

ok - so it wasn't a real bear!

We went to the The Shrine of the Sun

above the zoo 

93 steps away

you can hardly see me at the bottom!! 

we are 8136 feet above Colorado Springs

We did some hiking

and got caught in a storm - neat!! Those darn clouds had been hanging over the mountains all day but when we get 34 a mile out it decides to move - snow, rain and wind!! We made it back to the car - nice and soggy!! We went to Great Storm Brewing I had a plain ol root beer Scott had a rum raisin beer - yep rum raisin. He loved it - it was pretty dark and sweet. We tried to buy some to take home but they said it would be flat by the time we got it there - they are working on a solution. We did buy two glasses there though. 

We ended up in Denver at the Cherry Cricket  not realizing it was St Patrick's day - well the day before. We were there in time for the Irish dancers

sorry so dark - it's a bar!

To round off the day we made faces at each other and giggled like school girls - 

he started it....

so I had to give back the one crossed eye thing...

we are happy - well he is 

I am tired!!

We had a wonderful day!! I slept like the dead!!

My own wild animal 

looks so sweet 

but moves in

to grab me!

 I hope you all had a great weekend! 

A finish and a new frame!!

Yes!! I already finished another!!

Crows - A Fine Day by Bent Creek

Scott made me another frame - he is so talented!!

Mosey n Me from the 2012 Just Cross Stitch ornament  issue

I used Wisper thread on the sheep so he is fluffy.  YAY!! I should have another finish this week - Crows has a mate!

cooking

Hello!
So, last week I made something with orange roughy - I had never eaten that before and I loved it!! So I got on Skinnytaste and looked for mild white fish recipes. I found this one - broiled tilapia with Thai coconut curry. I used tilapia though because it's about $2 less a pound and this recipe called for 2.25 pounds!!

My sauce doesn't look like hers - hmm wonder why! It was really good. I served it with jasmine rice and acorn squash (can't see the squash, but you can see my ginger ale and bourbon cherry drink mmmmm). You could make it with chicken if you are not a fish eater. The sauce is really fabulous!!
I also made some flavored waters..... lemon water with fresh mint I also put some cucumber slices in mine. Well I strained it at the right time but we left some of the pieces in which made it WAY to cucumbery!! Next time - no cucumber for me. Scott thought cucumber and basil would be good but after all this cucumber - I may pass on that one!
I also saw that you can make banana ice cream with just bananas - too good to be true! Nope, it isn't - it really can be done and here is the link banana ice cream. Now, a few things.... really do freeze the banana slices separately because they are a beast to get apart. I used a little milk but you can use water or nothing. I ended up moving everything to my Ninja because I had a hard time using the blender. It is like banana ice cream - crazy!!
I had an epic fail (other than the over-cucumber water) When we go to Ohio we go to the West Side Market in Cleveland. LOVE LOVE LOVE this place!! One of the things I always get is dried strawberries. They are not all hard dried fruit, they are like fruit gummies - like this picture I found online.

I found a recipe for strawberries dried in the oven and the picture looks like the ones I love. So I tried it and....

yuck! I will just have to buy extra in Ohio this year!!
Have a good food week!!

Hello!

Hello!!
I will start today's post off with a finish!! Woo Hoo!!

Bear Tree Forest by Little House Needleworks

Now I am working on cRows a Fine Day and the companion piece Autumn Bliss by Bent Creek. My mom and I went cross stitch store hopping on Friday. We had lunch at some Mexican food place  - we had a good time. There is one shop in town that I think I am done shopping at. The owner is not very friendly - she never has been - lots of people have commented on it. Also, she never has any patterns I am looking for - they are usually pretty new ones. When she orders stuff for you - it takes weeks and weeks!! I will either use 123Stitch or go to A Stitching Shop from now on. So, we went to A Stitching Shop. I got two patterns Orchard Valley Quilting Bee and  February sheep  from Little House Needleworks. For the sheep - I am not using the buttons. I cut a bunch of fabric for them - I will be making them into pillows and displaying them in a basket. I may even make two sets. Half of them are tea dyed - looks better in person.

My family and I went to the awards ceremony that I mentioned in another post. It was much more formal than I expected. I like that the award says "For demonstrating exceptional initiative while performing an expected function in an exceptional manner" makes me feel better about it since it says I was doing my job. They gave out lots of awards to officers, a few citizens and two dispatchers. They had cake - my mom came too!. After the ceremony Mom came over for dinner and cake - because I am a horrible daughter!! She turned 30 (for the second time) January 6th and I just had her cake and presents. I know - I already admitted I am horrible!! 

Saturday Scott and I went to Ft Collins - on US passport day - and did all the paperwork to get passports - woo hoo!! We will have them in 6-8 weeks!! It was snowing like crazy off and on - we still managed to pick up two letterboxes!  It was a nice day!! 

On Sunday Scott made breakfast. He baked bacon, scrambled some eggs and made biscuits. Damn it, I love that man!! 

and he sure is cute!!

On Sunday we read the paper. Scott works on his projects. I stitch. I always have to sleep in the middle of the day for about three hours because I have to be at work at 8pm. So, it feels short. So I am skipping to - dinner. Scott also made dinner!

He made fried halibut. When we lived in Alaska we had fresh fish - the fish here doesn't even compare. We don't fry many foods so when we do we also make mushrooms, onion rings and zucchini. Fabulous food!! Scott makes a wonderful beer batter and his world famous tartar sauce (not really world famous but it should be!!) I love when Scott cooks because he also cleans up when he's done/ He takes the knobs off the stove and really gets the place clean. This time? This time......

Yep, he pulled out the stove and washed the floor. No- you can not have him he is all mine!! He told me that if this ended up on my blog he would never read my blog again - then he relented. At least he doesn't have plumbers crack! He did slam his thumb in the oven door and got a nasty gash right by the bend- so no  

stitches! Looked very painful! I won't show pictures of that - ick! 

Well, I guess that is all I know. I will post a cooking post tomorrow - guess I typed it up last week and didn't post it - sheesh!!  There are a few patterns for sale on ebay stb90125 not a ton of them though - there will be more patterns soon. 

Hope you all have a wonderful week!!