Best & Worst

Best:  Our trip is coming up. So excited. Going to try and go camping while it is still nice and cool, our favorite thing. :)  I love this time of year...I love the cold. Now we've had a little rain and it always leaves everything so clean and fresh. We will be painting soon the rest of our handmade dishes. I will definitely post pics. So excited to have our very own unique handmade set of plates. Getting to confront a selfish person in the parking lot about their inconsiderate parking.  I just don't get some people and it felt good to stand up and say something. Noelle and I have started playing pool again and are having great fun doing so. :) We are planning a trip to Tombstone. A little ghost hunting adventure with some good friends. That will be a lot of fun. I think 2013 is going to be a great year. 

Worst:  Have to do taxes soon. Not that much fun, but it will be nice once it's done. 

Funniest:  Taking a bite of my Quesadilla and the oil from the cheese squirting all over my freshly washed shirt. sighs....it wasn't really very funny then...but it's sort of funny now. 

What I learned:  That car insurance companies use your credit report along with your driving history, age, marital status,and location in determining your rate.  I feel this is utter bullshit. Whether or not you pay your bills in a timely manner has nothing to do with how you drive..your driving record should be the biggest consideration when determining rates. Just another scam getting pulled on Americans. I  also learned that 47 states allow potential employers to do credit checks in deciding which prospective new employees to hire.  Now.. if you are applying to be handling someone's finances that seems reasonable to me, but I don't think a credit check should be included to get a job serving coffee at the local diner. There are a handful of states that dictate how credit reports can be used in the hiring process..California is one of those states. 

Best and Worst

Best:  The wonderful breakfast my wife cooked me today... Bacon, eggs, and the best potatoes ever.  The photo is of her plate but mine looked the same minus the sausage. 

Had a lazy day yesterday full of lots of my favorite ghosty stories and we ate our favorite pasta for dinner. Yummm. So good. 

We tried something new for the new year... Buffalo meat, and we love it.  So much healthier for you and what we are buying is organic. With all the crap being put into our food supply you can't be too careful these days.  So yay a change for the better in the new year.  Noelle brought me this very lovely and very foofy fun scarf. So sweet of her and I love it. So (ME)

I now have three quarters of the poetry for my next book of poetry. Getting closer. We have a couple of trips coming up that will give me lots of material for my writing I am sure.  I got a new computer for Christmas, so happy about that. We are going to be painting again soon (new plates) to add to our collection that Noelle is making for us.  I will post pics when we do.  Mostly I am just grateful.. grateful for all the gifts in my life. So happy. 

Worst:  Some Jerry Springer family shit! I guess there's some in every family.... that's all I'm saying about that. Taking down all the pretty decorations we put up this year. I haven't had to do that in a while and we still aren't done. lol. 

Funniest:  Our cats standing up on their hind legs like Meercats and growling like the dog when there was some sort of disturbance outside. I did not know they could make those sounds. LOL

What I learned:  That standing water in a cat bowl will accumulate salmonella so they not only need to be refilled but sanitized regularly.  

Best & Worst

Best:  Thanksgiving was low key and fabulous. I have never believed in obligatory gatherings... life is too short to spend time with people who don't make you happy.  I am grateful that I get to spend time with quality people that I love. Pure awesomeness.  Today has been about love and laughter and I couldn't be more grateful for the gifts in my life. 

Worst: My doterra oil order was only half correct. So I will have to now contact the company come Monday cause they don't work weekends and probably won't be there tomorrow. But hey...if that's the worst I count myself pretty lucky and grateful. :)

Funniest:  Saying best and worst at dinner tonight and everyone giving me such a hard time about how long I take. LOL Also Noelle scaring the crap out of me when I was getting into the shower.  Had to be there for that one I guess.

What I learned: That there is a Japanese sexual fetish that involves women having sex with Octopus! wow. Who knew?  We saw this on an episode of CSI and I, of course, had to look it up. Wow!

Harvest Potpourri Oranges

 I believe I learned to do this in grade school... anyway..it's something that has become a tradition for me during this time of the year.  You can make these for any holiday but if you start making them in October they will cover all of the holidays, so that is what I do now.  I give them to friends and neighbors in celebration of kindness.  Citrus oils are happy oils and who couldn't use a smile any time of the year?   I have decided to share my process here so you can share smiles all year long too.

Firstly, things you will need.

Oranges  (however many you want to make)
paper towels.
a long cylindrical piercing instrument pointy at the end  (hole starter)
Cloves     (best bought in bulk a container,  I recommend Smart and Final if you have one)
mesh net or lace of your choosing
ribbon      (whatever you fancy)
scissors

That's pretty much it!  Now you would think that this would be a no brainer, and it kind of is, but there are a few things you should pay attention to if you want your potpourri cloven fruit to last the season.
1- make sure that the oranges you purchase are not over ripe. (over ripe fruit will rot and ruin the fun)
Nobody wants rotten fruit!
2- Look for oranges with a thick skin (a thick cushion between the juice and the outer peel)
If the skin is too thin then the holes will leak too much, again.. rotten moldy fruit, BAD BAD EUWWW! (speaking from experience) 

We just want to achieve the wonderful fragrant mood lifting aroma, and this is how you do it!

 Note: for aesthetic reasons I choose the cloves

with the ball on the end attached. You can use

the ones missing the balls but they do not turn

out as pretty and they hurt more when you are 

pushing them in.  That said probably close to 

1/3 of your container will have missing balls. :(  

So it's up to you .

Get comfy! This is something you can do while you watch TV or listen to music.  It is a little time consuming but well worth the pay off  in the end.  In the photo below you see the hole starter piercing the orange.  It is important to lightly pierce. Do not get too excited and stick it all the way in! You want there to be an opening but not a big hole, that way, when you ease in the clove you will achieve a snug fit, which will keep the hole from leaking too much.

Small piercing ready for the insertion of the clove.

Push the clove in gently to avoid breaking off

the festive ball. 

Everyone likes a snug fit. :)

Getting the cloves in.

The finished orange ready for decoration.

Place cloven fruit in the center of your square cut

mesh or lace.  Square should be a little larger than

an old vinyl record album.

measure that your fruit is in the center by 

matching up the sides as you hold them at 

the top.

Gently gather lace or mesh 

and prepare to tie it up.

Cinch the ribbon in preparation 

for the bow.

Then make your bow and voila!!!!

Harvest Potpourri Orange.

Ready for gifting.

Some other variations. 

Dani's private collection and a word about Crocs

Lately I have noticed that Crocs seem to have a bad rap when it comes to fashion.  Sighs... well you can say what you will about the fashion statement that these little gems make or don't make...but they have saved my feet big time and  I ....live in them.  About 7 years ago I had foot surgery to have a bunion removed and I couldn't wear regular shoes for some time... I guess that's when I discovered Crocs.  With their roomy fit and light weight very supportive material I was in heaven.  My feet had never felt so good.  They are waterproof, washable, colorful... and anyone who knows me knows how important colorful is, and they grip.  Yay.  So today I did a photo shoot with my private collection of Crocs and I am going to share it with you. If you haven't taken a look at Crocs lately.. you might be surprised.  They are no longer just beach wear.  They have an entire line of Crocs dedicated to those that have to be on their feet all day, and they look pretty smart if you ask me, but you can judge for yourself.  http://www.crocs.com/home/homepage,default,pg.html
I am so excited about the new sexi sandal.. it is very gladiator looking. I can't wait to order it.

This is my signature collection..

the Crocs I wear everyday. 

 Anyone who loves Crocs knows you have to have 

Croc bling (Jibbitz)

Of course I had to have the purple heart bling. 

So now on to my work Crocs. 

I use to lease apartment homes for a living.  As you

might suspect that involves a crap load of walking

and you would be right.  These Crocs made the

walking part of my job bearable.  There are a 

whole line of Crocs for the medical field, and

the restaurant industry.  They are closed toed,

and slip resistant, and they look pretty snazzy, but 

they still have that signature Croc comfort built

right in.  

And last but not least... Wedding Crocs.

Yes you heard me right.. Wedding Crocs. smiles.

Underneath this dress... smiles I

was wearing these...my wedding Crocs.

 and I danced and karaoke'd in perfect comfort.

So there you have it..my Croc story. winks. I hope

if nothing else this makes you take a second look

at the incredibly durable and comfortable Croc.

Okay so I got the new sexi sandal and just had to
include pics here. WoooHooo.. I love them

Casitas Memories

Casitas Memories by Dani Heart

Make Your Own Book

Toy Story 3 movie review

This movie was fun for the whole family. Disney/Pixar does well with mixing adult humor and childrens fun. As a sequal it reacquaints us with characters we love and picks up right where Toy Story 2 left off with a little elapsed time. Barbie and Ken are added to the ensemble and fit right in. I liked the metaphor for life here. It bothers me a little that we can assign real emotions to inanimate objects. I guess we have to give our children enough credit to know it's all make believe. So on the Heart Chart... Toy Story 3 gets 3 out of 5 Hearts.

♥ ♥ ♥