Life At Korthuis Manor

Life At Korthuis Manor
Captain Randy and his First Mate!

Sunday, November 30, 2008

I just scrapped 4-12x12 pages in my scrapbook...........

I just had to share.......Remember the staycation we had a few weeks ago? Well I decided to print those pics off and scrap them right away. You see, I don't often get to work on pictures for my book. I'm busy getting the kids books done, and figure I can finish our book when the kids have all graduated, which our middle son is graduating this June, so I've spent all my scrappin' time on his book. I have him caught up to his Freshman year, so I think I'll have his book done for grad!

Anyways, here are the layouts I did. I'm definately not a fancy scrapper - pretty plain and straight forward - but they're DONE!


I'm also hoping to copy a project my friend is making this December. It's a Days of December scrapbook. It's a mini book and you just take a picture a day and scrap it.....you know.....like foods, decorations, people, etc. I can't wait to take my first pic tomorrow. I will keep you posted on how it's going!

Christmas is at our house.............

My husband's rule is "no Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving", so on Friday - the decorating began - complete with Christmas music blaring!! I didn't get too far on Friday as my pre-lit Christmas tree decided this was the year not to light. So I left it sitting there, half put together and irritating me. We were having friends for a birthday party Sat. night so I had to face the tree Saturday morning. It took me 5 stinkin' hours to take off all the lights - clip by clip. Each branch had a light running to it that was clipped on! Yikes! My friend Kathi came and she undid the top layer of the tree. By now it's 2:30, I have 8 bins of Christmas stuff open and strewn on the floor, my tree is naked, the table is covered with stuff to be put out, and the kitchen counter is covered with everyday decorations to be stored away. I still have to make dessert and an appetizer, and I haven't even showered. Did I mention they were coming at 5:30? Sometimes I quesiton my judgement! Well I got it all done, I did have to go with the "less decorated Janice look", and pulled the wet hair up into a up-doo. We had an awesome time with our friends - there was much laughter and good food!

Here is the rebellious tree after I put on new lights and whipped it into shape!

I'll post more decorations through the month, it's nothing impressive, but it's home!

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Happy Thanksgiving


Just a quick post to say Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends! I am so grateful for all the blessings God has given us, health (which I am even more grateful as I watch my friend deal with her 2nd blow of a cancer diagnosis, children (which I just had breakfast for my whole family at the table this morning with my 20 year old too - I love it!), a beautiful and warm house, a pantry full of food, enough scrappin' and stampin' supplies to keep me busy for months, (possibly years!!), friends galore that make me laugh and encourage me to walk with the Lord, a husband that is so constant and loves me (which at times I don't even like myself a lot), Randy works so hard and is a wonderful provider, but most of all I am thankful for the gift of Jesus Christ and salvation - which is a beautiful segue to why I love Christmas!!!!

Friday, November 21, 2008

Club and Cookies

Last night was stamp club and we made 3 great cards, so I thought I would post them for you to see. I'll show you the first one that I put on the blog a couple weeks ago.......

This card uses Pick A Petal and Wonderful Words stamp sets.

Here are some of the ladies hardly working - oops - I mean working hard..................

Aren't the color combos for this card fun? This card uses the True Friend Stamp set.




We made one more card but I'll save that for the next post.................now on to cookies!

The girls told me I needed to put this recipe on the blog. So here it is!!

CAKE MIX COOKIES


1 box any flavor cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil

Mix ingredients. Bake 10 min at 350 degrees!

These are a great quick and nummy recipe. You can whip them out last minute, and it's very easy - easy enough for kids to make by themselves. I do several variations as taught to me by my niece (thanks Marla!). Here are a few flavor options, but don't limit yourself to these...........
be creative.............

Lemon cake mix /top with cream cheese frosting
Choc. cake mix/creme de' menthe frosting
Funfetti Cake Mix

For last night's cookies I used a white cake mix and added white choc. chips. For Christmas I like to make the white or choc. cake mix, frost them with vanilla frosting and sprinkle with crushed candy canes!


Monday, November 17, 2008

I love leftovers........................

I sat down the other day and decided to make a bunch of cards with the stickers that I had left from the Simply Scrappin' Kit that I made the cards from for the class. These stickers were left after I made the original 16 cards that I have shown over the last week.

So far, I have made 10 mini cards (3x3) and 3 med. cards (3x6 which is the size of the 16 cards)!! Isn't that fun!! I still have stickers left too!!

All this translates into this: If you sign up for the Simply Scrappin' Card class, you will walk away with 16 cards and envelopes, a mini magazine holder plus cardstock to make 4 mini cards to go in the holder (see previous posts), and enough stickers left to make even more cards! See the class details ie: date, time, cost, etc. in previous post.

Just to tempt you all, as a demonstrator I was able to bulk buy textured cardstock in the brown, olive, and red, so if you sign up for this class, I will give you an additional free 12x12 of that to get you going on more cards. That is enough to make 4 - 3x6 cards or 8-3x3 cards, or 2 - 3x6, and 4-3x3, you can do the math :-).

Get signed up now - the deadline is Friday!!

Here's a closeup of the cards in the top picture, just so you can get a better look-see. (is that a word?)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

#4/4 Simply Scrappin' Card Samples

Here are the green cards! I sure hope I've completely convinced you that you need to come to this fun and productive class!

Here are the details one more time....... I forget to mention that if you sign up for this class and sign up a friend too (someone that isn't a regular customer of mine :-) you will both get $5 off the class fee!!!

WHAT: Simply Scrappin' Card Kit class
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 1st @ 7pm
COST: $25 for kit to make 16 cards with envelopes, mini magazine holder, 4- 3x3 cards and lots of leftover stickers and patterned paper to make lots more cards. If you want to make cards with your leftovers, you can buy cardstock from me by the sheet at the class, or you can bring your own (red, old olive, choc. chip & white are the colors in the kit).
For $35 you can get enough for 32 cards plus lots of leftovers for extras just like above.
RSVP: Please email or call me no later than Friday, Nov. 21st!


Thought I'd post a picture of our Friday night dinner table that I set for our Staycation. We had barbequed ribs, smashed potatoes, swiss green beans, and of course - Crusty Bread. Have you made the bread yet?

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

#3 out of 4/Simply Scrappin' Card class samples........

Here are the red cards. So far I have shown the brown and white, so today is red, and tomorrow will be green. Isn't this fun?!?!


Since the kids were home yesterday, we had a nice slow start morning - I love those! I decided to make something I had seen on the web. I love cute little things, and this falls right smack dab into that category!!


It's a mini magazine holder - how cute is that? It holds 3x3 cards perfectly, so everyone that signs up for the Simply Scrappin' Card Class will get to make one of these too. So, with all the sticker scraps you have left I will give you enough card stock to make 4- 3x3 cards to put in your mini magazine holder! It would make a great gift - if you can bear to give it away!

For you that are new to the blog, the Simply Scrappin' Card class are cards that are made from a Simply Scrappin' Kit - we add a few touches, ie: a little stampin' of course, ribbon, and punches. These cards are a blast to make, require little to no skill and they go together quickly!

So here are the class details!

WHAT: Simply Scrappin' Card Kit class
WHEN: Monday, Dec. 1st @ 7pm
COST: $25 for kit to make 16 cards with envelopes, mini magazine holder, 4- 3x3 cards and lots of leftover stickers and patterned paper to make lots more cards. If you want to make cards with your leftovers, you can buy cardstock from me by the sheet at the class, or you can bring your own (red, old olive, choc. chip & white are the colors in the kit).
For $35 you can get enough for 32 cards plus lots of leftovers for extras just like above.
RSVP: Please email or call me no later than Friday, Nov. 21st!

The night always includes goodies on the tables (usually choc.) and a dessert and beverage, along with lots of laughter and fun! Besides the obvious perks of a night out not having to answer the phone or the "mom" calls (you know - the ones that call from anywhere in your house!), you get to be productive and go away with a bunch of Christmas cards to keep for your own use or give to someone else to use!