707 Film Fest- 2016!

It's that time of year again where the talented folks of Hope Community Church gather together for the 707 Film Fest...

...an evening where we view over 35 amazing films written, filmed and starred in by many of our own. We dress up all fancy like, eat popcorn, fellowship and then we give out awards. It's a hoot!

The rules: 

1. All films must be 5 minutes or less

2. You must remain true to the genre that you were assigned via random draw.

3. All must use the same prop- a mask

4. All must use the same line of dialogue:

'Get it before the greedy people do'

5. All must remain family friendly

6. All participants MUST have LOTS of fun while creating, filming and viewing!

Team Starsheep drew 'Monster/Creature' this year! What to do???

 Luckily, someone on the team had purchased some crazy masks a few weeks prior to possibly use in future films. You never know when you will need a good mask, right? With the required prop being a mask, it was a no brainier that at least one would have its shining moment on this very film.

 And boy, did it shine....we present 'All That Glitters is Not Gold':

We took home a few awards for this little gem- 'Best Lead Female Performance' and 'Most Awkward Moment'...yes!

My small group (Team Satrout) also did an AMAZING job with their film and the audience loved it! I am so proud of all their hard work, creative ideas and superior acting skills to put together a quality film...which took home some well earned awards as well- Best Lead Male Performance and Best Poster: 

What a crew! I present to you...Unsolved Mysteries of Hope Community Church

It was truly a great night of Film Fest-ing! Here are a few more of my favorites from the evening...enjoy:

Your Honey is a Wonderland

The Mask Awakens

Heistergarten

Spacecamp

Almost Famous

Growing Suspicions

Sequins & Sofas: Mantel Schmantel

After the winter holidays, I was thinking of changing up my mantel with some new decorations. Here's how it looked then (picture not so great...it's all I could find):

Then life happened and I forgot/had no time...so I left it.

A month or so ago, I was minding my own business relaxing on the couch with a snack and a blankie. Suddenly, my adventurous (you could also read this as naughty) kitty jumped right up there and knocked a bunch of stuff over. Garland strewn about, little paintings on easels crashing to the ground, kitties flying into neighboring rooms out of shock and fright. Luckily, the large glass vase filled with rocks & reeds and stuff remained and did not crash down into a million dagger-like shards upon the floor.

This did, however, get me thinking that it will only be a matter of time before that vase will fall victim to his little mischievous paws. The time for change was now.

I tried to choose some items that A) I was not sentimentally attached to, B) achieved some degree of mantel cuteness and C) wouldn't shatter or injure Mr. Mose should he get a little too curious:

I'm pretty satisfied for now with what's happening on this here mantel...we will see how it weathers the storm of feline investigation in the next few weeks.

Also, do any of you have a mantel? How do you like to jazz it up? Looking for more creative ideas for future mantel re-decs....sharing is caring:)

Also again, spelling the word 'mantel' is hard...I had to look it up on the internets to make sure it was right...true story.

Confessions of a Crazy Cat Lady

I'm not sure if you have heard, but I LOVE my cat. Like, so much. For those of you who are pet owners, I know you understand. For those of you who are not, it's ok....we can still be friends. Meow.

Mosby and I have been a family for almost a year and a half and in that time, I have learned some things. I have learned that I am way better at taking care of animals than plants....that having a fur buddy makes daily life quite enjoyable...and that Mosie is undoubtedly the King of this St. Paul castle.

Upon further reflection, I have also observed in myself some behaviors that might lead one to believe that I am indeed a proud member of the 'Crazy Cat Lady' club. And I am 100% ok with it. 

So much so that I have decided to share some of the best with you...a top 10 of my most favorite 'I'm for sure in the Club' moments. In part, I share to reassure the pet loving readers out there that you are not alone and don't have to keep your 'crazy' all bottled up inside...share it with the world, let your freak flag fly!

Also I share just to offer you some happy Wednesday giggles of fun. Ready? Me too:

1. I ask him how his day was and how he spent his time when I get home from work. Actually, we have lots of chats about lots of things. Ok, fine...I talk to my cat. 

2. I love seeing his cute little nose prints on the window where he watches for birdies and squirrels. Sometimes if I see a happy squirrel friend out there, I let him know to come check it out....yikes lady, really? Yes.

3. I leave the IPod on for him when I go to work to enrich his listening environment while I am away. That's not sooo crazy, I suppose. But, I do make sure to change up the artist every few days so he doesn't get sick of the same songs. And, there it is.

4. I have lots of names for him which include, but are not limited to: Bubba, Mose, Boo Boo, Mosie Love Bug, Mosie Boo, Love, Honey, Baby Boo, Boodle

5. Sometimes I really want to move my legs or turn over when I'm sleeping...but I can't... because Mosie is just too cute and comfy and stretched out right in the middle of the bed. So I don't. 

6. I fill his water bowl with the Britta filtered water, because it's cleaner and healthier. Right? No regular, run of the mill tap water for my love.

7. I hide a few little treats around the house before I leave for work so he has some tasty surprises for later. I'm sure he finds and devours them right away, but in my head he slowly uncovers them throughout the day in a magical treasure hunt of fun.

8. On cold winter nights, I cover him up with a blankie at bedtime. I know that fur is nature's blanket and he is totally fine, but what if he gets chilly and feels sad about that? 

9. He has more toys than he could possibly want or use in a lifetime. Like a whole big basket full of crinkle balls, little mice, things with bells, things on strings, things that spin, catnip filled things, things to chew, things to scratch, a giant rat and one stuffed avocado (just because).

10. I often turn the tv on if I leave for the evening....ya know, so Mosie has something to watch and be entertained while I'm gone. But I make sure it's a happy show. I don't want him exposed to all that violence and inappropriate content. 

Bonus: I vacuumed him last week with the brush attachment because he rolled around in some dirty stuff and how else was I supposed to get it off his fur? Worked like a charm and I would do it again.

So there you go. I hope you enjoyed spending a little time exploring the inner workings of a Crazy Cat Lady's mind. It's a happy place...and I'm loving it:)

**(original 'Cat Lady' art work by Kaitlin Reiss. Follow more of her cute art and life on Instagram and on her newly developed Website...She is lovely, just lovely.)

A Home Away from Home...My Cali Family ❤️

I'm a day late to post this week but I've been on a little (much needed) vacation for the past few days. 

Every winter I hop on a plane to spend some quality time with my Johnsons....a family that I had been nanny to for a solid 10 years before they moved out to sunny Califorina a few years back. Lucky for me, an annual trip to the desert in the middle of our often never-ending Minnesota winter is quite a gift!

It started off great...with a smooth flight and obligatory photo of my wait at the airport: 

A short 3-ish hour flight later and I am greeted with a happy palm tree, blue skies and majestic mountains:

We had a jam packed week of fun and fellowship. I so look forward to my time with this family each year...the girls grow and change in such beautiful ways year by year and I love seeing their spunky, strong personalities develop. Just look at my girls:

J and G (the mama and daddy) are both doing so great...working together as an amazing team to lead this family to greatness. Pretty cute crew, huh:

One endeavor has been the opening of J's new salon! On my visit last year, she was just finishing the floors and having all her cabinets and stations installed. One year later, and the place is AMAZING!

She has 10 staff, a bazillion clients and a beautiful space that is welcoming, super stylish and chic! It's a winner! I am so happy for her success:

I'm also happy for her mad skills. I always make sure my hair is in desperate need of her loving care right before I arrive and she works her magic:

Nothing better than a fresh 'blonde-ing' ...that's a word.

J and I had some great days together when the girls were at school...lunches on sunny patios at tasty restaurants. Melvyn's in Palm Springs is a must! My taste buds start craving their ginormous Cobb Salad about a month before my trip and rejoice in delight on that day when it reaches my belly. I should have taken a picture but there was no time to waste!

We had the waiter take a complimentary Polaroid of us at least:

Must-eat #2 are Enchiladas & Guacamole at Armandos on El Paseo. Papa joined us for lunch:

Some other highlights...Jenny participated in career week at little D's preschool and shared all about the art of hairstyling. She showed all her tools and talked about how to be a good client when it's time for a haircut. Little D was her mini model and got a trim in front of her class. It was so cute and the kids loved it:

Responsible students:

Sunny the puppy and her new favorite toy:

My yearly purchase of a fresh pair of Toms:

Lady G pumping gas...she is a licensed driver...what????

Very important wooden bench shopping for the new dining room table. We found exactly the perfect one (and some possible chairs too) for a bargain...I love bargains, especially when they look this fancy:

Some coloring with little D:

And Lady G and her B-ball team made it to the 3rd round of CIF's (the state tourney) and she had an AMAZING GAME! 27 points and 12 rebounds....what a stud. She left it all out there on the court and I am so proud. They came up 2 points short in the end but I see great things on the horizon for next year's season. She even was interviewed for the newspaper after the game...super cool:

Oh yeah, and we made signs and cheered like crazy fans:

I just arrived back home a few minutes ago, and although it feels so good to settle in, I miss the whole crew already! Until next year:) 

Crafty Corner: Table Shirt

I actually found time for and completed a sewing project last night. It's been awhile since I have done such things, so I thought I would share.

Many of my household sewing projects stem from a problem that needs solving, and this was no exception. 

Awhile back, my furball friend decided that it was cool to chomp on my wooden night stand:

So, I tried a few things that pet experts suggest (they didn't work). My temporary solution:

Super classy, right? After a few months of waking up to this travesty of a decorating nightmare, I could take it no longer!

I got some fabric that suited the style of the room a little more, measured and cut 5 squares:

I pressed seams all around the center square and one edge of the 4 remaining squares. Then sewed a side panel to each of the center seams along the matching pressed seam lines. It looked like a first aid cross (if that's helpful for a visual). I placed the piece onto the tabletop with the flaps hanging down each side to make sure it was fitting snug. I then pinned 2 side pieces together at the corner working down to the bottom, sewed and repeated the process all the way around. And finished with turning up the bottom edge all the way around to hem into place. 

So much better! My bedside table is protected from kitty abuse and I am pretty sure feels quite fancy in its new table shirt:)

Sequins & Sofas: 5 Things

A few of my recent loves:

1. Sunflower/Pumpkin Seed Combo- Not necessarily this brand...just the mix is really yummy. My favorite use- on a salad with spinach, cucumber, cheese and a simple homemade balsamic dressing (recipe to be shared at a later date). It adds a nice little crunch.

2. Wool Dryer Balls- I got these on Etsy in the recent past and then forgot I bought them...I plan to give them a try on my next laundering. I read somewhere a few years ago that dryer sheets are really yucky for you so stopped using them. But now I'm thinking I would like to have a natural option to help cut down the static a little. We'll see how they fair.

Bonus #1- I can add a few essential oil drops for a refreshing scent!

Bonus #2- Mosie thinks they are fun to chase.

3. Yeowww!- Speaking of my little furball...he can't get enough of this little catnip laced fish. He has other catnip toys that he cares very little about, but this one gets him super jazzed!!

4. Penzeys Paprika- Paprkia has become my new favorite spice. I put it on my scrambled eggs in the morning and it is quite yummy. You should try it. And it adds vital nutrients and antioxidants to your diet with just a little dash...so that doesn't suck.

5. Pureology Hydrate Hair Products- I used these many years ago and loved them. But at some point, for reasons I cannot recall, I switched to a different brand that I thought could get the job done (probably because it was cheaper). Over time, my hair started to feel and look rather frumpy and sad.....so I went back to the good stuff. Why did I ever leave? Good, quality hair products really do make such a difference. It is an investment, but I don't splurge on much in life, soooooo... Pureology 4-eva!

It snowed.

It's just too blizzard-y and winter-y to write stuff today. So here are a few pictures of my gal pal 'A' and I at the Gopher basketball game a few weeks ago. 

It was fun to stomp around campus once again, take in the excitement of the Barn and sing the beloved rouser....we got to practice spelling MINNESOTA lots of times with fist pumps and everything. Also, look at Goldy and his high kick....it makes me giggle: