Eat, Laugh, Scrap!

RWS just came off a 3 day week-end event, we are exhausted!  It was a blast! 

EAT-----  For those of you that have never come to an RWS event stretchy pants are a must...unless of course you don't mind walking around with your top button popped open!  On Friday we had a potluck, put it this way there where 21 ladies all bringing their favorite comfort food, LOTS O' FOOD, Julia Roberts would be proud!  Then the comfort theme continued with Zuppa Tuscana on Saturday for lunch. Here's the recipe ladies!
       
INGREDIENTS 
        ·         1 Lb. (I like mild) Italian Sausage

·         2 large Russet potatoes, sliced in half, and then in 1/4" slices (I usually add move because I love potatoes).

·         1 large chopped onion
·         1/2 cup bacon bits

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         2 cups kale, chopped (optional)
·         2 cans chicken broth

·         1 quart water

·         1 cup heavy whipping cream


DIRECTIONS


·         Brown sausage and crumble. Drain and set aside.

·         Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done.

·         Add sausage and bacon

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         Simmer for another 10 minutes

·         Turn to low heat

·         Add Kale and cream

·         Heat thoroughly and serve

·         Serve with a crusty bread and you have a meal fit for a “Scrap Queen”.

For dinner we had the Granddaddy of comfort dinners---Fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, coleslaw and cornbread with honey and melted butter. (not a diet dinner)  For those of you that asked the coleslaw dressing is Hidden Valley in a bottle.

Then for lunch on Sunday we had Spaghetti Carbonara. (recipe as follows)

INGREDIENTS

I 

• 1 pound spaghetti
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 6 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/8-inch dice (if you don’t have pancetta regular bacon will work).
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (more if you like it garlicky)
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3 ounces), plus more for serving
• ¾ cup petite peas (thawed)
• Freshly ground pepper

DIRECTIONS 

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti until just al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water. 
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, Parmesan and cream. In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until crisp, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 1 minute. 
• Add the spaghetti to the skillet (traditional: right into bacon grease!). Cook over low heat, tossing, until coated. Slowly add the reserved pasta cooking water and beaten egg yolks. Toss until coated with a creamy sauce, about 1 minute. Add peas and season with pepper. Transfer to bowls and serve, passing extra Parmesan.

Plus, not to mention we had fabulous deserts. I dream about the chocolate cookies and chocolate silk pie!  Laura is having withdrawals and has found an extra 4lbs. (Thanks Terrie & Kayla)

Laugh---we enjoyed our time together.  It was so nice to spend time with all the ladies and share stories.  Although some were "scary stories"  particularly the ones about stray whiskers!!!

Scrap--I think this week-end was by far one of the most productive events to date.  The ladies just cranked out page after page, book after book.  It's amazing how some industrious lady comes up with a technique or idea that just wows us every time.

You don't have to go around the world like Julia in Eat, Pray, Love just come to Running With Scissors!
That's truly the beauty of scrapbooking!  Enjoy the recipe's.
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Sisterhood of the Traveling Scissors!

Before I got into Scrapbooking I had this image of a bunch of "Holly Hobbies" gathered around a table gossipping about the "Holly" that just left! I didn't really understand modern scrapbooking, I thought of it in it's historic content.  In fact did you know Thomas Jefferson, was THE original "Scrapper"!  Or at least one of the first, can you imagine sitting around the table eating chocolate and telling Ol' Tom about your kids, the mean lady at work and your hot flashes!?!!!  What I have discovered is that there is so much more to scrapbooking than putting interesting newspaper clippings and post cards in a scrapbook.  I have discovered that it is simply therapy!  It's the opportunity to make friends, to get to know other women and realize you are not alone.  We laugh together and we cry together, if someone is hurting we try to cheer them up.  As women we need these opportunities, the chance to express ourselves, it seems it's almost as essential as the hobby itself. 

Last Saturday, I was simply sad,  I have had a crap fest of a year,  I almost didn't go to the crop  I thought maybe I should stay home,  I went.  Well, let me tell you it felt so nice to be among friends that by the time I got home I really didn't know why I was sad in the first place. 

I love the way the ladies at RWS have come together to have a potluck instead of eating out.  How, when someone looks at her page and says "I don't know, somethings missing? What do you think?"  At least a couple of ladies will stand up take a look and start offering up possibilities.  They'll even dig into some of their own stash.  Now,  I ask you - you of the Sisterhood to pray send good thoughts for one of our sisters today!  Anne Dively is under the knife today, she is fighting her fight against breast cancer. 

Thanks Good Ol' Tom for my Sisterhood of the Traveling Scissors!!!
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The Little Stuff

Have you noticed that sometimes it's the little stuff that makes something spectacular or maybe not spectacular but pretty darn good.  Like the cherry on top of a sunday...  The other day I was working on a layout, I started fishing through this bin I keep of different tags, buttons and other odds and ends that I saved over time.  I found a perfect tag off a pair of jeans, then I stole a couple of leaves off a display.  There was a time that I would not have thought twice about throwing out the tag, it's garbage right?  Don't worry friends your not going to see me on next weeks episode of Horders or anything like that!  However, because I'm a "scrapbooker", (oh, get it SCRAP booker) now look it's my cherry on top!  I challenge you all to take a look around you and find your "cherry on top".  I am noticing a trend with companies that are trying to incorporate this idea in their own packaging.  Like Prima and Jenni Bowlin, I find that at times their packages are pieces I can use in layouts.  Look around you and have fun!  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Independence-OR/Running-With-Scissors/290364680120?ref=ts

Oh my Blogging!!!

http://www.runningwscissors.com/Well I've got the Julia and Julia bug maybe!!?? I always wondered about blogging.  I've wondered why, why do people do it?  Well, even though RWS has a Facebook page, I just thought this was a better way to connect with my friends and customers.  I can't wait to see what happens!

So, today was very busy we got Crate Paper, Sassafrass and Kaiser Craft.  I'm very excited about what I'm going to do with the stuff I picked out for myself.  I am however, a little sad that I don't have girls because the Crate Paper Restoration line has some great floral's...

I have discovered scrapbooking my old pics.  This leads to the discussion of scrapbooking order, some people do it by date, events, people or some other system (the way the stars are lined up).  I have to admit I went nuts at first thinking it had to be done by date and I of course had to start Nic's books first, you know go back in time.  This kind of thinking is crazymaking, and those that know me know I really can't afford this kind of stress!  Besides, I don't know about you guys but I take much better pics now than I used to.   I was always snapping away oblivious to all the stuff in the background, forget composition and the rule of thirds.  Not really pretty pics to scrapbook, so now Gabriel has the most scrappable pictures...oh the injustice for the other two!!! So, what's my system, I scrap what I like, what I see, good thing I have a great memory but when I see a paper and I remember a great picture that goes I go with the flow.  So, forget timeline's, or any other such thing I say go with the flow, and enjoy the moment, do what feels right and the results will shine through!  I'm hoping to post some pictures of my layouts, soon!!