Its August!!

Howdy Bloggers!

So I realize it has been a while since we last talked.  I am sorry for that...not my intention at all.  Forgiven?  Good!  Now lets move on to the blog. :)

Life has been pretty crazy at the Myers house the past several months.  June brough Father's Day cookouts and visits with out of town friends.

We also took a road trip to Austin to vist Dave's brother and his lovely wife.  It was a great trip.  We got to see some great places in Austin.  We went up this trail that was kind of rocky and at the top of this tall hill, overlooking a river.  It was really neat to see all the homes along the river and all the boats.  When we reached the end of the trail there are these steps that go through a shaded area.  We decided to take those steps as it was shaded and it was probably 110 that day (thanks Texas!).  Unfortunately the stone steps had become slick over the years of wear...or maybe there were always slick, I dont' really know.  Anyway, the stairs were slick and I slipped on one and landed flat on my backside..ouch.  It is now forever known as the time I went to Austin and fell down a mountain.  Hee hee....but I was fine...toes were a little bruised on the foot that I fell on top of, but that was really the worst of it.  After our adventure we went to a street fair and saw crafts and questionable bug candy. We also saw food trucks, though we did not stop.  It was kind of a neat place, but it was so hot we just needed to cool down.  So we piled in the car and Stephen drove us around showing us the highlights of Austin.  We saw the Capital building - so pretty.  We also saw some funky restraunts and some really lovely parks.  We had dinner at The Saltlick...pretty tasty BBQ, but I was not a fan of their sauce.  It was a mustard based sauce, and while it was great on the sausage, it wasn't my favorite on the brisket. 

On our way home from Austin we stopped by The Collins Street Bakery for lunch and some treats.  Their deli sandwiches were delish! On our way out we went through the line and picked out some cookies to take home - so good.  My favorites were the Lemon Sugar cookies and the Cherry icebox cookies.  We also got some Pecan Balls and Chocolate cookies with white chocolate chips, they were tasty as well.  about an hour after we left Collins Street Bakery we came across West, Texas and stopped at the Czech Stop.  You can't drive through West without stopping there...so we did.  We got a dozen sausage/cheese kollaches and a dozen sweet collaches - Pumpkin and Strawberry - yum!

After our adventures on the road, we got back in to the swing of reality.  After being quite sore from our adventures on "the mountain" in Austin hubby and I came to the realization we are not leading the healthiest of lifestyles.  So, we are in the process of changing that.  We have cut WAY WAY back on the amount of soda we drink on a weekly basis - I think Dave has given it up, but I will still have one when we go out to eat.  We've also started cooking more at home.  Its way easier for me to make good choices at home that out, so we've really only had dinner out 3 -4 times in the last 3 weeks - good for us!  So far I have lost 9 pounds since coming back from Austin 5 weeks ago...I'm quite excited about that kind of loss.  Now I just have to keep it up, and I've found some lovely ladies on YouTube going through the same thing - it's great to support each other and go on this journey together....even though we don't really know each other, just through YouTube comments...  :)

In crafty news, Momma is cleaning out her studio and getting it super organized so I've been helping her purge.  In the process I inherited her AWESOME stamp collection.  You know what that means, right?  Time to reorganize my scrap space!  The stamps are all organized by catagories, so I all I need to do now is figure out where they will live in my room.  I know know...I promised a room tour 2 months ago...sorry.  But I promise once I get the stamp situation all figured out and implimented you will get a tour.  Promise.


That's all for now in the land of Myers...until next time, enjoy life!

xoxoxo
Jessi

Let's get Cooking!

Hey Guys!
So for Dave's birthday we bought him a new grill and a mini fridge for the man cave.  (the grill was not for the man cave....just the fridge.)  ;)  That means grilling!  He spent the last several weeks cooking things, this week was no exception.

So Thursday we tried steaks on the grill for the first time - so good!  We marinated them over night so when we grilled them they were super tender and super juicy!  We were nervous because the steaks were pretty thin cut so it's hard to cook a steak to medium, but they were AWESOME!  Congrats Honey!

We also tried a recipe from my Pinterest board - LOVE PINTEREST!  So here is what I tried:

Click the Picture to visit Six Sisters and get this recipe!

It was the first time I'd ever tried it and I must say it was so tasty!  I was a little disappointed that the sauce didn't thicken they way it looks in the picture, but you know what, it was still the most delicious chicken I had ever had!  I think next time the trick will be to move the sauce from my crock pot to a saucepan on the stove, and try to thicken it up.  Want to see what mine looked like?

I added Carrots and Broccoli and served over rice - so yummy!  We will definitely be trying this one again!

Yesterday my Father-in-law's birthday is Tuesday so we all got together yesterday to celebrate.  Dave cooked on the grill - burgers brats - yum!  He also grilled some bell peppers and corn on the cob.  I think he's getting quite handy on the grill - so yummy!

Have you had any cooking adventures lately?  Would love to hear about them!
Until next time, enjoy life!

xoxooxo
Jessi

Catching up...

Happy Spring Bloggers!

After taking a break from the blogging/crafting scene I have decided to do a total re-evaluation of what I want to do with my time, with my blogs, and even with my You Tube channels.  Hubby and I are taking a long weekend this weekend, starting today and I am going to spend most of this time creating video/tutorial content, organizing my schedule, and basically getting back in touch with what I really want to do with my spare time.

So now for the layout of what's to come -

This blog will focus more on my goals outside papercrafting and scrapbooking.  I will still share my creations and links to tutorials here, but I'm also going to use this to share my other loves in life - family events, cooking,books, movies, music, other fun crafts, and other fun adventures going on in my life.  Hope you'll all stick around for the fun times to come.

My other Blog - Create with Jessi - will continue to be a crafty blog with a focus on tutorials and videos.  I'm working on some fun ideas, and hope to have a schedule of sorts sorted out by the end of the year - thought I'd try a few different things over the next 6 months to find the right fit.  I would really like to work on more scrapbook pages, mini albums, and other crafts.  most of my projects to date have been cards, but it all started with the scrapbooking so I'd like to go back to my roots.

As for YouTube - MyersMemoriesCrafts will still be crafting videos - some of it will be tutorials, a walk through a mini album and the occasional haul...tho I'm not to fussed on haul videos so not too many of these. I have a second channel that I started mostly for my own personal non-craft subscriptions.  I don't have anything on it yet - still debating if I'm going to actually do anything video wise - if I do it will mostly be blogs, possible book reviews, that sort of thing.  Only time will tell how ambitious this girl wants to get.  ;)

So now that you know what I'll be doing, I suppose you are curious about what I've been up to.  Well I have been rearranging the studio - a girlfriend of mine downsized her space and gave me some wonderful paper towers - now all my patterned paper is out where I can see it, and remember what I have so I don't buy duplicates.

Before:

After

I think part of my work this weekend will be a video tour of the whole space. Would love to know what you think of my little slice of heaven.

I've also been working on some Christmas Tree Ornaments.  We bought a new Christmas Tree of the front living room in our house and discovered we do not have enough ornaments to cover both of our lovely trees, so I am spending the next year creating ornaments so that come Christmas time I will have have two lovely trees full of ornaments.  Perhaps you'd like to see what I'm making?  Stay tuned for some tutorials and photo shares.  :)

Well, I suppose for now I should be off.  Lots to do, lots to get ready.  I just wanted to say thanks for sticking around, and I hope to bring some new content soon for you to enjoy.
Happy Crafting!
Hugs,
Jessi

Chocobos Rule the World!

seriously, they do.  ;)

Square Enix is hosting a contest to honor the mighty chocobo steads - to enter, simply create a project honoring your trusty feathered friend.  Here is mine:

My trusty steed is Hedwig (after Harry's snowy feathered friend, I know).THis was my first major sewing project on my own with no instructions - think it turned out pretty well.

Would love to know what you think.

Have a great day!
Happy Crafting!
Jessi

Sweet Sunday in February

Hi Bloggers!

Well, February is well underway and Valentines Day is coming soon.  Are you ready?  Reservations made?  Presents or cards made for your sweet?  I'm a little behind, but my plans for my sweet are falling into place nicely.  :)

I've had a fabulous weekend!  I spent most of the afternoon at Mom's making Valentines with my niece and my lovely sister in law.  We found these awesome butterfly printables on Pinterest so I printed them down on colored cardstock, we cut them out and then the three of use decorated with bling and flowers....and love. ;) They looked great, but once Shannon added the suckers they really came to life:

After I left Mom's house I came home to start working on a project for my boss and a new tutorial for Create with Jessi.  It feels really good to be back  in my studio crafting, and blogging and filming again.  I think not working on these projects was really taking a toll on me.   Not like it was killing me, but I kinda felt lost - like I go to work, I come home, cook dinner, go to bed, and start all over the next day.  There wasn't really anything else going on...I let the blogging get away from me.  Well, I am back and plan to stick with it, so stay tuned for more projects, videos, etc.  

Wow.....I kinda swerved and got a little soap-boxy there....sorry.  Back to Saturday - so I started working on a few projects in my studio when Dave came in and sat down opposite me to work on a painting project. I was tickled to see him in my studio, totally engrossed in his own creative project.  It made me quite happy. We had Netflix going and were both in our own creative zone.  It was great.  My project isn't quite ready, but Dave's was finished and it turned out great:

I think it turned out pretty cool!  Can't wait to see what he does next. :)

Today I spent the day in my studio working on a new tutorial.  I made this simple, sweet heart wreathe inspired by a project I found on Pinterest.  I just love Pinterest, don't you?  Wanna see the project?

Want to know how to make it?  Check it out on Create with Jessi!

Is there something on Pinterest that you would like to see me try?  Let me know, either here, on my YouTube Channel, or on Create with Jessi.  I would love to know what inspires you, or what you would like to learn to do.

Until next time, have a great week, and Happy Crafting!

Jessi Myers

xoxoxo

Wrapping Up 2012

Hi Bloggers!

I am so sorry it has been so long since my last update.  Lots has been going on since we last left you.

My house is nearly fully moved into, and our new floors are FINALLY in!!  They are beautiful, and I could not be happier.  My Craft Room is finally unpacked and nearly completely organized - perhaps a video tour should be done?  And we've had our first house guests!  The house still needs lots of work, but we will be here a while so I'm not too worried about trying to get it all done right now.

So lets get into the really meat and potatoes of what's been happening at Casa De Myers!
August, as you can imagine was lots of trips to Lowes to pick out floors and picking up tools/home repair/general home need items.  We learned alot about the area around us and found some great shopping.  :)  We spent a little bit of time meeting the neighbors - all very nice - and lots of time unpacking.  can you believe we nearly filled up our 5 bedroom house with all the stuff form our 2 bedroom apartment?  (And we haven't even been to Storage yet!) 

September - by September we finally had our floors down in the kitchen and enough of the work was done that we could actually spend sometime in the kitchen.  I've learned how to cook all sorts of stuff - pasta with a marinara cream sauce, corn dog muffins, taco cups, oven baked fried cheese, Crescent Chicken Casserole, Marinara sauce, loaded baked potato dip, etc.  I think Dave and I have converted from eating out every night to eating at home every night!  I love it.  :)  I've also offered to help teach my sister-in-law how to cook.  We've had a really good time, and it has been fun getting to know my new sister. <3>I also got all the floors/paint and work done in my room and started moving furniture in.  The unpacking took FOREVER!  But its all done now.  I learned how to use power tools and installed all the wall fixtures myself. Dave learned how to change outlets, and finished up swapping out all the plugs just in time for Christmas.  I also spent a weekend in Austin with mom at Quick Quotes Private reserve. Made some really fun projects, bought some really lovely stuff at Archivers...it was a nice trip, but it made me appreciate my studio so much more!

October was pretty busy for both of us.  My job basically has their busiest time during Q4 so I was working long days, weekends...it's lucky I can log in from home, otherwise I might not have seen Dave at all for the month of October.  I also spent the month of October planning Thanksgiving...my whole family (in-laws and actual family) was invited to my house...I had my work cut out for me.

November - November was primarily taken up with researching recipes, planning shopping trips, planning furniture placement to seat all 17 of us....it was very busy.  I learned to embrace Pinterest and found some really great recipes because of it. 

• California Pizza kitchen's Mac and Cheese
• Paula Dean's Green Bean Casserole
• Super easy yeast rolls

Mom and Dad also came over and helped.  Dave bought a smoker so he and Daddy smoked a turkey while Mom and I worked in the kitchen on a roasted turkey and 7 different side dishes.  (Needless to say we ate Thanksgiving dinner every day for the next 4 nights with all the left overs).  We spent the last week of November decorating for Christmas.  It was so much fun, but with that much house it was also a lot of work.  My sweet mother in law came over the day after Christmas and helped me put up the tree.  Dave and I had not found our new "big" tree so I figured we would put up our 7.5' tree and shop for our big tree next year....instead we found it that night at Garden Ridge and decided to move the already decorated tree into the kitchen....not a good idea.  Luckily it made it, and no ornaments were lost. 

December brought a whole month of crafting...really...honest! 
I made two beautiful trees out of Styrofoam cones and glass ornaments and trims.  Will be making some for my sister in law later this year and hope to have a Tutorial up on Create With Jessi.

I also made 2 beautiful Christmas wreathes - one for my front door, and one for my sister Jennifer.  I also learned that my mother in law has a quite a talent for wreath decorating.  I wish I had taken a picture of her grapevine wreath...I'll have to remember for next year - it was absolutely stunning!  Be on the look out for tutorials later this year as well.

My cousin Brooke also came over and brought her scrappy mojo with her.  She made a really great scrapbook for her BF for Christmas...and gave my sister Jennifer the scrappy bug in the process.  The Saturday before Christmas the 3 of us were crafting away in my studio..that is until my mother in law got there..then it was the 4 of us.  Brooke and Jenn on their albums, Edith on her wreath, and me, sewing felt ornaments in between cricut cuts for the scrappers.  It really was quite lovely to have all that crafting going on in my studio.

Christmas was quiet - it snowed so it ended up just being Dave, me, and our Christmas lasagna.  It was a nice way to spend our first Christmas in our new home.  I was quite happy.

Well, I think that is about all for now.  I'm really hoping to get back on a more regular blogging schedule, so look forward to my official  2013 post over the weekend. 

Happy Crafting!

House Update

Hey Guys!

So, I am happy to announce we are out of our option period on the house, and, provided all goes well, we are scheduled to close on or first home on July 23!  That's like 2 weeks....wow it's happening so fast!

Of course that means no crafting for the next 2 months while we pack, move, and unpack, but it will be well worth it.  I am going to start packing up my office this week - it's gonna take some time for sure....we'll see how it goes.  We are also planning some updates to the house.  There is an overlap of time between when we close and when our lease is up so we thought, we are going to have to have a contractor in to replace some things in the Master Bath...might as well do some other work while he's there. :)   Looks like David will be taking the largest extra room in the house for a media room.  I was pretty mad at first, but he told me if I wanted too, and it wasn't too expensive, we could knock out a wall between 2 of the bedrooms to make me one large craft space. Can I just tell you this is a dream come true!  On top of that my mother told me that all her Cricut Cartridges can come live there! (she has a Gypsy).  I am so excited, I can hardly wait.  Once we decide what route to go on the room, I will be sure to keep you posted w/ pics and updates, etc.

IN the mean time, I am working on some sketches for card and layout designs to teach on Create with Jessi so definitely stay tuned for that.  I should start that again mid to end of September once I'm back from Private Reserve w/ Quick Quotes.
Until then, you guys be safe, take care, and keep crafting!!
Hugs!
Jessi