Easy Schmeasy Gifts

This year's easy-schmeasy gift is a fun one! My monthly crop last month was our Open House, and our hostess had made these little gems for us as gifts. They were travertine tiles hand-stamped with a cute picture and greeting, and tied together with adorable ribbon. She had applied small felt pieces to the corners on the underneath side--coasters! A few of us talked it over and thought these would be great emergency gifts for people--teachers, etc...I'm even making my mom, sister, SIL, etc a set.

After looking at the ONE box of travertine tiles left at Home Depot, I decided that they really weren't going to work as well for my coaster gifts as I had hoped because they had an uneven surface and I was concerned about how well they would stamp. A floor store could order smoother ones, w/o ridges and with a slightly porous surface, but not in the 4x4 size. Fortunately Steph was going to KC and was able to pick a few up for me--she ended up buying an entire case and we split it. :-) She also picked up the permanent ink. Our tiles are some kind of tumbled Italian stone, and while porous, they are smooth and free from uneven surface ledges.

I think I have all the necessary accessories, and will post pics as soon as I do some!

Spending the week with Damon & Stefan

Just a reminder to all of you that tomorrow night, 12/14, begins The Vampire Diaries marathon on The CW. There will be 2 episodes per night, and then a new episode is scheduled for January. I can't wait!

So if anyone is wondering where I am going to be every night this week, the answer is at home--with Damon & Stefan. A girl has to dream, right?

More Vampire Love

I have to post about this show--I just love it! I've been watching the Vampire Diaries on the CW. It's quite a bit more violent/gory than Twilight, of course, but you won't be disappointed in the quality & quantity of HOT vampire dudes...that's for sure! From the minute I saw the Salvatore brothers--Damon & Stefan, I knew I was going to be hooked on this show. Oh, wow is Stefan a hottie. He's like a super hottie. I've always had a thing for books/movies re: vampires, but Stefan takes it to a whole 'nother level. I'm starting to like Damon a bit more, but he's such a bad ass that it's really difficult to overlook that sometimes. His obsession with the dead-and-trapped-under-the church Katherine is getting on my nerves. I guess I just want Stefan and Elena to be happy together--well, as happy as Elena can be when she realizes that she's aging and her hunky vampire lover Stefan never ages. Bummer, right?

Stefan is such a sweetie for an old dude. (hahaha) As I understand it in the books, Katharine tricks the brothers into making them both her lovers, then watching them battle to death and she then bites them and turns them? The flashback we saw in the tv show didn't happen *exactly* that way so I'll be curious to see how they change, and IF they change, Elena. She's kind of prissy and opinionated, so I wouldn't be surprised if she thinks she's above being a vampire. I can think of worse things--sheesh.

New Moon

I haven't been blogging at ALL, but I've been super busy and making some huge life changes...all good, but hectic!

Anyway, before I even realized it, the release of New Moon was upon us and I didn't have midnight tickets. I somehow managed to shut out the WORLD for 2 days until I could spare 3 hours to hit the theater. I actually went with my oldest daughter and a friend of hers...not sure they wanted a tag-a-long TwiMom going with them, but they survived. We had to sit in row 4, so of course we'll be going back to see it from a more comfortable seating arrangement, but here is my take/view of it so far. I may have to come back and repost after the 2nd viewing!

First off, I don't see any need to point out that the movie is "oh-so-different than the book." Duh. Obviously they can't cram a 500+ page book into a 2 1/2 hour movie. I've heard all the hoopla about how the Twilight movie was a shoddy production, and how New Moon is all better, etc...but let's face it--Hardwicke did what she could with the low budget that was given to her for Twilight. New Moon was a MUCH bigger budget film. No one was prepared for how BIG this was going to be when it exploded into the pop culture scene last year. New Moon is my favorite book of the 4 in the series (anxiously awaiting Midnight Sun!) so I think new Moon might be my favorite movie, too...although we'll see what happens with Eclipse this June.

I actually sobbed out loud when reading New Moon...Meyer did an excellent job of helping her readers "feel" what Bella was feeling...when Edward callously says he doesn't want her to go with him, that she isn't good for him, we can feel Bella churning what those words mean deep inside. When she falls into this overwhelmingly deep depression, we can feel that as well...the love that she has for Edward, the pain she feels every day. I teared up in the movie when she was having nightmares...her pain was so real to me. I could totally understand her need to do whatever it took to "see" him.

I am so obviously Team Edward...even though he left and broke her heart. I don't think Jacob does anything for me whatsoever--to me, he's just a spoiled little boy who knows Bella is never going to be anything but a friend to him, and that even if she settled on him, it would be just that--settled. She tells him this much--she says about Edward "it's always been him...it will always be him...don't make me choose because I will choose him." Jacob knows this--he's always known this. And quite honestly I don't see how a life with Jacob is going to be any better for Bella--will he always be morphing into a wolf when he gets ticked off? LOL He smells like a wet dog--vampires have a sweet smell. The only benefit that I can see is that he's hot. (Temp wise...again, he does nothing for me and I find him to be a bit arrogant and selfish.)

As for the other characters...Charlie is his usual funny Dad self, Jessica remains her slightly catty buddy-buddy status, Mike is all about chasing Bella again now that he & Jessica are no longer an item, and Eric and others have very minor parts. We get to see Alice and the rest of the Cullens during the infamous birthday party scene, and we see Alice again when she comes back to Forks to see if Bella is dead or alive.

Now for the Volturi--WOW! I have to admit that Aro gave me the creeps. (shudders) He looked like a vampire should look--not the pretty-boy look of the Cullen boys. It still seems odd to be watching Dakota Fanning play bad-girl vampire Jane. That was also a tad bit creepy. Kudos to Bella...I think I would have collapsed at the thought of appearing before the Volturi, especially when they're threatening to kill my beloved. Even Aro is impressed when he realizes that Bella would rather face death from the Volturi than see her beloved Edward harmed. A human voluntarily giving up her own life for her vampire lover? Interesting indeed!

And of course I HATED the ending...when Edward asks Bella to marry him. Sigh. Sigh. He's so dreamy! hehe All in all, I really enjoyed the movie. The werewolves looked as real as they could I think, and I have to admit that I enjoyed watching Laurent suffer a violent Werewolf death. :-) I cannot WAIT for Eclipse!

Oops! I Did It Again. . .

I seriously have a travel trailer addiction. What I NEED is a travel trailer dealership, because I love camping, love travel trailers, and LOVE learning about them. But that's a dream for another day. ;-)

I traded down a year this time, but I did my research and once I got there, and walked inside, I was sold. It could have had an eyeball growing out of the fridge and I think I would have wanted it. What is it this time? It's a 2002 Keystone Outback 25RS-S.





This has the hard slide out queen bed in the rear, double entry doors, remote ducted ac/furnace, 2 bunks in front, and bike storage door (bottom bunk stores up and you can put your bikes, etc through the access door. Neato Skeato!) My fave features are the white cabinets and wood-like floors, which make it seem much cozier and welcoming. I also like the outside cook center--this one doesn't have the sink, but that's okay. The Keystone people added quite a few little "nice" extra touches--the pull out hamper in the bathroom, canvas storage with mirror for the kiddies on the top bunk, and cargo net and shelves along the entire front. We paid for it and pick it up next week--we're getting a power jack on this one, and it needed the Dometic fridge recall, etc. I've done enough cranking to meet my needs for a while. hehe

The unknown Matchbox song. . .

I was looking through some of my old favorite files, music, videos, etc...and found this clip from Matchbox's LFA in 1998. Wow. That is a seriously good VHS/DVD and if you get the opportunity to give it a listen, I highly recommend it. Even back in the beginning you could tell these guys were going to go far--the talent is raw, the songs are heartfelt, and the band just gives 100% to every performance.

This song, You & I & I was released overseas on the Mad Season cd, I believe...but not here in the States. (Insert pouty face here.)I consider it one of THE best of the early songs, so give it a listen and see if you agree:

My Matchbox Twenty Song of the Month

When I first heard this song last year, I fell in love with it immediately. It was one of many of Rob's songs that I could hear for the first time and just want to hear it again & again. Maybe it's just that I could apply it to my life and a situation I was dealing with, or maybe it's just that Rob is a brilliant song writer who seems to always know what's going on in my life and writes a song about it. "Hey...the Shasta girl has seriously HAD it with this relationship! I'll write a song about it!" (hahaha) Okay...maybe that didn't really happen, but he did write an appropriate song for the situation.

So enjoy..this is "All Your Reasons" from Matchbox Twenty's album, "Exile on Mainstream." (Love that title!)

Going to meet Rob Thomas!!

OMG!! OMG!! OMG!! OMG!!

Did you hear me screaming all the way from (insert wherever you are??)

So earlier this week I ordered tickets for a friend & I to go see Rob Thomas in October. I was pretty psyched about it, feeling oh-so-happy...looking forward to it, and then I got a phone call that would change my life forever. (I just had to say that. Sorry.)

My sweet, thoughtful, and funny-as-heck friend managed to get us 2 tickets to a small, PRIVATE ACOUSTIC CONCERT AND MEET & GREET with Rob this week. I thought it was a joke..the radio station was giving them away and they GAVE them to us after the DJ heard my story about how Rob helped me through some really, really, really rough times. He just...gave us the tickets. We find out more details on Monday, and then Tuesday we go to this mysterious MEET & GREET with Rob. Rob Thomas. I'm going to meet Rob Thomas.

Did I mention I'm going to meet Rob Thomas? I am so happy. I am truly, truly, thrilled! Happy! I just want the chance to say to him how grateful I am for the words he writes...that his music reaches out and helps so many people through so many things. He truly is a lyrical genius, and I am finally going to have the opportunity to tell him how much that has meant to me.

This is a no-autograph Meet & Greet, but we can take pictures, so I'll be sure to post them.

First "Official Trip" in the Coyote

The kids & I left last Wednesday and spent 4 nights, 5 days in the new KZ Coyote. This was the first official trip, so I feel I can legitimately give a review. Robert & I camped in it one night after we first got it, as our trial run, but this was the first real trip.




We love it. It's just really nice. From what I can tell, compared to the other 5 travel trailers I have owned, KZ has nice quality workmanship from the cabinets to the fabrics and color scheme. Our color scheme is a nice array of fall colors--perfect for me--deep browns, dark greens, etc. We had looked at a few Rockwood Roos, and the blue color scheme really held me back. I'm a girl. What can I say? I also don't notice as much "bounce" in the floor as the Cabana had...most hybrids have some bounce as part of their lightweight nature.

The mattress on the hybrid bed is super comfortable. I have pressure point pain from most mattresses, and pain from fibromyalgia, but this bed is wonderful. At some point on Saturday night, I traded places with Robert, and it took about an hour before I was in extreme pain from the dinette bed. My mom stayed Saturday night at the campground with us and she slept on the bottom bunk. She has pressure point issues, too, and she was miserable the entire night. They must have used lower quality foam on the dinette and bunks. My kids sleep great on the bunks and the sofa bed, and Robert didn't have any complaints of hurting from the dinette so I'm assuming it's just those of us with sensitive bodies. I sleep like a BABY on the hybrid bed though.

The only REAL complaint that I have with the Coyote is the closeness of the bathroom...it's much easier to leave the door open. My only other issue is the big cabinet to the left of the stove/oven wants to fly open going down the road. I solved this problem by bungee cording the door shut, but I will just replace the latch and hope it works.

The outdoor cooktop was wonderful and we used it twice--once for boiling water, and another time for cooking sausage. This kept us from adding unnecessary humidity and smells to the inside of the trailer. :-)

And this picture--if you squint, you can see our new camping table. I love it--I think I got it on Ebay because it was cheaper there, but it's so worth it. If you'll recall, our other table got stolen on Memorial Day weekend camping, so we needed a replacement. I love the storage--it zips, both sides...and both ends have pockets just right for bug spray bottles, sunscreen, etc. It's called The Big Easy Table, by Pacific Outdoors. It was $65, but again--totally worth it.



I especially like the cables on the hybrid bunk end as opposed to the poles that we had with the Keystone Cabana. Set up is super easy with the cables--I'm done in 3 minutes or less. With the Cabana it was sometimes difficult to hold up the end and get the poles lined up. I don't miss it. The velcro all the way around the bunk end makes me feel more secure, too...the Cabana used a bungee cord every so many inches, and left noticeable gaps for bugs, etc. I feel like the bed is sealed up nicely on the Coyote. The bungee cords inside to hold the mattress up during travel is easy to use and I prefer it over the velcro straps that the Cabana had as well. Our Coyote still has the "old-style" latches on the hybrid end, but we've camping in pouring rain, and it's set in pouring rain, and has not leaked or been wet. The seal around the bed is much puffier and heavier than the Cabana. (Sorry to keep comparing, but I feel it helps if you're used-hybrid shopping to compare different features.)

I also like the rear storage and side storage on the Coyote--no slide-through tray though, and that would have been nice, but the entire back area is storage (under the bunkbeds) so that makes up for it. My only wish is that it was a WEE bit taller as it's a tight squeeze to get my Weber Smokey Joe grill inside there.

My sister, BIL, and mom camped with us, and my nephew came out with his girlfriend and their new baby. It was so much fun!

The new-to-us 2003 KZ Coyote 23 hybrid

I have taken the plunge into the hybrid world--face first. For a brief period of time we owned a 17' 2001 Keystone Cabana, but after spending 4 days at the campground in the rain with 3 kids and a dog, I realized I had grossly underestimated our camping needs. After all, we did have a 32' before...17 feet? What was I thinking? I was TRYING to be earth-friendly, gas-friendly, and driveway-friendly. I achieved that, but I lost my sanity in the process. I did decide that I am fully sold on the HYBRID travel trailer though.

So..on the way home from the campground, we stopped at the dealership and looked at this adorable 2003 KZ Coyote hybrid. It was 23' long, about 27 with the front hybrid end out. Two bunks in the back, a full 3-piece bathroom again, an outside cookstove, a nice new awning, and get this--a SLIDE. We may have achieved camping bliss, folks!

So..I am up to my ears in carpet cleaning today (trying to take advantage of the cooler weather) but I wanted to share pics...Enjoy!