Thanks for all the wonderful emails and well wishes ...

You all are just so sweet with all of your wonderful comments you have sent me. The funeral is on Saturday at 11 am. I was hoping it would be Monday as Amy would've gone home on Saturday and I could've had a few more days to get things ready before I leave but for some reason, they chose to do it on Saturday. It will be a small graveside funeral. Amy is cutting her visit short so she will fly out tomorrow morning and I will be driving down to FL after I drop her off at the airport. The airfare was $700 (they no longer have bereavement airfares offered) if I flew plus I would've had to rent a car and I just think this is easier if I just drive my own car. I will probably come back Monday or Tuesday. It depends who I get to see while I am down there.

This morning we woke up to see these beautiful deer grazing on this side of our fence. They just kept staring at us while we took their photos.

My grandma passed away this morning down in FL

She would've turned 87 in a week. She had been recently put into a nursing home right before Christmas. Had a heart attack this morning and died. This is my grandma Feyh which is my mom's mother. I will be either flying down or driving down for the funeral once I hear when it is. The funeral will be in Sebring. I am hoping for Monday so I have plenty of time to make my arrangements. Also, we realized that my grandpa Feyh (her husband) passed away this same exact day 27 years ago. That is just hard to believe.

With the Superbowl being this Sunday,

here is what i will be making for appetizers among other things:

Swedish Meatballs

1 lb ground beef 1egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs 1 tsp salt
1/3 cup minced onion 1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup milk 1/2 tsp worcheshire sauce

Mix these ingredients together and make 1" meatballs. Microwave for 2 min on 1 side, flip over and cook another 2 minutes.

12 oz chili sauce
10 oz grape jelly

Mix the above 2 ingedients in bowl and zap in microwave for about 2 minutes to get it not so thick. Pour into crockpot, add meatballs. Simmer 2 hours. Makes 36 meatballs

Layered Nacho Dip

1 lb beefPkg taco seasoning
8 oz sour cream
4 oz chopped olives, drained
2 large tomatoes, diced and drained (or 14 oz can tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups monterey cheese
lettuce, shredded
onions, optional

Brown beef, drain. Mix in 1/2 taco seasoning mix and put in botto of round pie plate. Mix other 1/2 taco seasoning with sour cream. Layer on top of beef. Next layer with olives, then next layer, tomatoes, next layer onions (optional), next layer with cheese, last layer lettuce on top. Serve with plain tostidoes separately (to dip). Mmmmm Good!!

Amy's here visiting from a very cold Wisconsin

I think it was getting down to the minus digits there last night and here it was 64 degrees. Felt great!!! I started off the morning by making homemade cranberry orange bread yesterday. Ok, it wasn't EXACTLY homemade but it was from a mix from Trader Joe's and it was really easy! It was hot and fresh when all woke up. We ate our yummy bread and off we go to Lazy 5 Ranch (drive through zoo). We get to the zoo 30 minutes later ONLY TO FIND OUT THEY ARE CLOSED. This place is closed? How can this be? This place is open 365 days a year, rain or shine... there is a sign hanging up saying they are closed for one month for maintenance. Oh man, were we disappointed!! So instead we did the next best thing ... went shopping!!!!! We went to Kohls, Ross, Rack Room Shoes, Target, Stein Mart, local scrapbook store (where I picked up a few sheets of the new Basic Grey Two Scoops paper - love it!), stamp store (but didn't buy a thing there!) After all that, we were starved so we all went out for seafood. Emily's "friend" Tyler went with us. Yes Tyler and Emily are still just friends, so they say :). Today I think we will go to Southpark Mall for some more shopping and stop by Costco. Amy loves Costco and they don't have one in WI.

Another Elzybell card

Hmmmm, she's daydreaming about something ... what do you think it is?? I did make this into a Valentines' card since she had the hearts above her head. Isn't she adorable??

If you don't hear from me on my blog in the next week, this is why ...

My best friend Amy is coming from Wisconsin tomorrow. COLD Wisconsin ... she cannot wait for some warmer weather! I am sure this NC weather will be like a heat wave to Amy! LOL So she comes tomorrow and I am cleaning house today. I am making a key lime pie this afternoon and I will make my homemade spaghetti tomorrow. Then we plan to eat out all week after that. HA HA

So that is where I will be in case you are wondering ...

My new Elzybell stamps came today ...

Aren't they cute???

On card #1, I CASED how this girl did her ribbon at the top of her card. I just love that look. I used my ribbon slot punch and it was easy. On card #2, I totally CASED this card too. (Are you wondering "why is Sherri casing all these cards?") LOL I didn't mean to make it exactly like it but I did and so I must give her credit. You can see her card here. At the time I was making these cards, I was watching The Biggest Loser so I got carried away and just copied it exactly. I hope she doesn't mind. Card #3 is totally MY CREATION. I came up with this all my own. I paper pieced the car and it was a little hard at first (took me 2 tries to get it just right) but I think it came out cute. I might use this card for the many sweet 16 birthdays we have coming up soon!!

If you want to order these cute Elzybell stamps, click here. I got them in 6 days all the way from Washington state. More cards to follow :)