Class project: Paw Planner

Here are a few photos of an upcoming class project at Memory Bound: Paw Planner. This is a mini-album (8x8) for keeping pet information (favorite things, medical information, etc.) and photos. The idea behind this project is to provide a place to store the information you collect about your pet -- vaccination records, vet visits, food preferences, etc. If you need to leave your pet with a sitter, this little book could go along as a handy reference.

Before class, I'm collecting the names of each person's cat or dog so that I can provide a personalized name label for the front of the album. :-)

I'm also asking everyone to bring along rabies tags, and we'll hang them on the mini-album just for fun. (What else do you do with those tags, anyway?!)

Each section of the album includes an information page and a pocket page, as well as plenty of space for photos.

Some of the pages open up to provide more room for photos. I included a few of my favorite pet quotes, too.

I created journaling blocks/charts for each person to fill in so that the album will be completely customized for each cat or dog.

I've been looking forward to doing a class like this for a long time! I'm excited that it's coming up very soon. Classes with pet people are always the best! :-)

Flowers at the fair

At the risk of boring everyone to tears with my fair photos, here is one more installment in my personal state fair photo challenge: flowers. This was a very easy challenge to complete. There are some lovely garden areas at our fair, as well as several horticultural competitions. Some of the dahlias were as big as dinner plates!

Our fair hasn't always been this beautiful. There were many years during which the grounds and buildings fell into disrepair. Thankfully, that has all changed. A foundation now oversees restoration and beautification of the fairgrounds, assuring that this wonderful place will be alive and well for generations to come.

Feline Friday: Team Tabby Rules!

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the the first public showing of one of the newest (but lesser known) Summer Olympics events: Synchronized Sitting!

Team Tabby starts out strong! Great form, although the tabby on the right looks like she has been having a few too many treats. And note her head position: The ears are tipped back, indicating that her nose is in a slightly elevated (sniffing) position. That will result in a small deduction. The tail position, however, will be a much bigger issue for this team to overcome. Let's see if they can do it...

Uh-oh! Things are starting to fall apart quickly for Team Tabby! The tabby on the right has overextended her neck! And the tabby on the left really needs to work on the curve of her tail! That kink is just unacceptable, especially at this level of competition!

Wow! Team Tabby has finally pulled it together! Team Tabby wins the gold!
Treats for everyone!

The Mystery of the Missing Meat

There are some stories that a person should probably keep to herself. This is likely one of them.

Last week I baked a pork roast for dinner. I took it out of the baking dish and sliced it, putting a few pieces on a serving platter. Spouse suggested I put the remaining roast back in the oven so that it would stay warm while we finished dinner. Good idea, I thought, so I turned off the oven and promptly did just that. The residual heat would keep the roast warm.

After dinner, Spouse cleared the dishes while I ran out to the store. When I came back, the kitchen was (relatively) tidy so I moved on to the evening's activities.

A couple of days later when I was cleaning out the fridge, I thought for a very brief moment about the leftover roast. I hadn't seen it in the fridge. Hmmm....Spouse must have eaten it, I thought to myself, congratulating myself on executing yet another fine meal with edible leftovers. :-)

Dad stopped by yesterday and somehow the subject of pork roast came up. For a fleeting moment, I wondered who had eaten the leftovers, but the conversation moved on and I thought no more about it.

Until last night.

Before dinner, I was preparing a loaf of garlic bread and set the oven to preheat. When it reached the proper temperature, I opened the oven door and guess what I found...

the missing meat!!!! YIKES!

Suffice it to say, Mr. Pork Roast was NOT in good condition after having spent several days in a dark, cool oven.

After Spouse and Daughter recovered from this incident, we all remembered something that we had apparently blocked from our collective memory:

In fact, I have done this very thing before.

With a Thanksgiving turkey.

I found it while getting ready to bake Christmas cookies. :-)

Back to School

Hard as it is to believe, Daughter has just started her junior year of high school. Time has always gone fast, but now it is really flying. We're gearing up for a busy fall of marching band, show choir, and a host of other activities -- including classes!

Caught this picture of her after school on the first day. She happened to move just as I took it so it's not super clear, but we still love how it captures her personality.

Wordless Wednesday

Tabby Tuesday

Oh, to be completely captivated by a spinning microwave tray of defrosting meat.

In praise of Pill Pockets!

Today I'm singing the praises of Greenies Pill Pockets!

For weeks now we have been struggling to give Tinsel her Prozac. If you've ever given cats pills, then you know how they very quickly figure out when you're approaching with the pill (or even just THINKING about it) and promptly dive under the bed, just out of reach.

Poor Tinsel hasn't had her Prozac as regularly as she should...until we got a free sample of Pill Pockets. (Visit the Greenies website for samples of treats and Pill Pockets.) Pill Pockets for cats and dogs are available at pet stores in a variety of flavors.

So what are Pill Pockets, anyway? They're small, pliable treats with a hole in the middle. You just stick the pill inside the hole, then mold the pill pocket with your fingers so that the pill is completely concealed inside. It's rather ingenious, actually.

I know I sound like I'm giving a paid endorsement (I'm not!), but I seriously cannot believe how well Pill Pockets work. Tinsel loves the taste and doesn't even realize that there is medicine inside. (Shh....don't tell her!)

So consider this a tip from Tinsel and me: If you have to give your kitty medication, give Pill Pockets a try! :-)

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As a reminder, don't forget to vote for my friend, Connie, who has made it to the second round of competition at Scrapbooks, Etc. If you've already voted, please vote again...You can vote every day! If you missed the original post, click here. Thank you so much!

Project: Ticket stub mini-album

As you've seen over the past several posts, our family spends a lot of time at the state fair. For the past couple of years, I have collected all of our ticket stubs and made mini-albums. I always have enough ticket stubs to make a couple of albums...one for my parents and one to keep.

This year, I decided to make the mini-album for my dad into a thank you "card" for all the time we enjoyed together at the fair.

Conveniently, the ticket stubs are almost the same dimensions as a wallet-sized photo. I printed a few favorite photos in that size and adhered them to the backs of ticket stubs. I rounded the corners (because I cannot help myself!) to give a more finished look. Next, I printed a thank you sentiment on cardstock, then I used my trusty Crop-a-Dile to punch a hole through the corners of the tickets. I finished the little book with a metal ring and bits of ribbon.

I'll mail this to my dad in a padded envelope. Hopefully it will be a nice surprise for him and a reminder of the good family time we shared.

Thank you, Sarah!

I received this wonderful surprise from my blogging friend, Sarah. Thanks so much! Love the art, too!

The purpose of this award is "to send love and acknowledgment to women who brighten your day, teach you new things and live their lives fully with generosity and joy". You can send it to one person or 100 - the choice is up to you.

I'm passing this award on to Toni, whose blog is always uplifting, inspirational, and educational!

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As a reminder, do not forget to vote for my friend, Connie, who has made it to the second round of competition at Scrapbooks, Etc. You can vote every day! If you missed the original post, click here. Thank you so much!

YUM! Spaghetti Casserole

I've been meaning to post this recipe for awhile. It's so good, and it's one of those dishes that evokes fond memories for me.

Spaghetti Casserole is the "signature dish" of a local private elementary school. This particular school sometimes runs food stands at events, and the parents bake pan after pan of the stuff and sell it by the slice. A few years back, the store where I teach hosted some major scrapbooking events, and the school was often there with their famous Spaghetti Casserole. A couple of times, I happened to be passing by as the food stand was closing for the day, and I was able to purchase an entire pan to take home.

Eventually I got the recipe, and now I can make it anytime I want! It may seem long, but it doesn't take much time to prepare. And it is so good! It's similar to lasagna but with a little more pizazz. It's a great recipe to serve to kids. And the leftovers keep very well...it's even better then next day!

Spaghetti Casserole

Layer 1

8 oz spaghetti noodles (break in half before cooking)

1 egg

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 T parsley leaves

Layer 2

2 T butter

1/2 cup frozen chopped onion

½ cup sour cream

Layer 3

½ lb ground beef

½ lb sausage

1 large jar spaghetti sauce

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese on top – more if you like

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Cook noodles as directed. Mix in bowl with egg, Parmesan cheese, and parley leaves. Set aside as Layer 1.

Sauté onions in butter. Take off heat and mix in sour cream. Set aside as Layer 2.

Brown ground beef and sausage; chop meat finely while cooking. Drain, then mix in sauce and cheese. Set aside as Layer 3.

In a 9x13 pan, start with ½ of Layer 1 – spread evenly over bottom of pan. Spread ½ of Layer 2 over Layer 1 (this acts like glue). Cover with ½ of Layer 3. Repeat with remaining ingredients in order: Layer 1, Layer 2, Layer 3. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

If freezing, cover with foil and freeze. Thaw in fridge for 12 hours. Follow baking instructions above.

We need YOUR votes!

My friend, Connie, a very talented scrapbooker, has entered a contest at Scrapbooks, Etc. Connie's adorable layout made the first cut and now she is in the midst of the second round of judging, competing with 9 other layouts in the Summer Challenge competition. I tell you the truth...The excitement is almost as intense as Rock of Love, Season 2! lol :-)

Please jump on over to Scrapbooks, Etc. and click on the blue bar, "Vote: Week 10 Finalists". Select Connie's thumbnail layout ("Love That Guy"...look for the red heart) first, then register with the site to vote for it (it just takes a minute). You can vote every day until this round of judging is over!

I'm sure you will agree that the photo of her son is priceless! I love how she used the space on her page to create an exciting and eye catching design.

Good luck, Connie, and congratulations on making it to this round of competition!

Thanks, everybody!