you've got questions. i've got answers.

amy asked:
1. What is your favorite color?
without a doubt, celery green. i love how fresh and alive it is! bet you thought i was going to said red, huh?

2. Can you share your most favorite layout of the past year?
wow. that's a hard one. i've made so many over the last year---mainly for assignments. actually, last year, i scrapped two layouts for myself. meaning they weren't part of an assignment or book or design team display. my favorites are still out for publication AND a part of my hall of fame entry. which i can't share. i seriously can't wait to share those pages! so, i'll share this one and call it my favorite......for now, LOL.


3. Can you post that yummy chili recipe?
absolutely----ya'll know i love to cook and even more, i LOVE to encourage others to do the same. cooking is not as intimidating as some women make it seem. then again, they probably think the same when i lament about crocheting or some other easy-to-them thing.

ready?
Chili (the way papa at the beach taught us)
1 lb. ground beef, cooked and drained
1 lb. ground sausage, cooked and drained
2, 14.5 oz cans of stewed tomatoes (or diced tomatos)
2, 14.5 oz cans of spicy chili beans
1 green pepper, seeded and cut into strips.
1 pkg chili seasoning mix (mild or spicy, your choice)
water

Put green pepper and 2 cans of tomatoes in a blender. Puree. Pour puree into a large soup pot. Add 2 cans of spicy chili beans to pot. Fill each chili bean can with water; pour into soup pot. Add chili seasoning mix, ground beef and ground sausage. Stir to distribute chili seasoning mix evenly, while cooking over medium-high heat. Continue to stir occasionally until chili comes to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes, stirring on occasion.

that's it. easy, peasy.

4. Are you watching AI (American Idol) this year and if so, who are your favorites? well. i'm watching.....kinda. not sure how many of you know, but i really don't watch tv. i seriously could go my entire life without watching tv again and i wouldn't even be a little bit sad. that said, though, i do enjoy watching American Idol. it's something the whole family watches. in fact, ashlyn was SO incredibly sad when Danny got voted off the show. she wanted to cheer him up with a fan letter. it was hysterical. i'll have to find it an scan it in.

anywho.
this year, i'm really liking David Cook. i like Brooke too. i wasn't so much a fan of Brooke's in the beginning, but she's growing on me. what i like about both of them is they have mega talent and they both have a quiet, humble countenance about them.....with a little charm and uniqueness. that kind of humbleness is attractive to me. i totally adore David's little half grin thing too.

5. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go and why?
hmmmmm. probably someplace full of culture with open markets, lots of color and architecture. most likely abroad. wow. there are so many places, it's hard to choose just one. gotta think about this one some more.

sherry asked:
1. How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
12 easily. probably more. it's a messy thrilling life we lead, LOL.

2. Which do you like better, red or pink?
red

3. Which is your favorite flower? Why?
wildflowers and peony flowers (minus the ants). because they remind of of romping around at grandma's house and playing on the farm and picking the wildflowers as we walked down the dirt road to the creek to skip rocks after feeding the hogs. and because my kids pick me wildflowers all the time and i love the look of delight on their faces as they hand me a fistful of nature.



4. What is your favorite scrappy supply?
right now it's anything with a scalloped edge!

5. What inspires you most---print ads or television commercials?
television commercials? what are those, LOL!? i don't watch tv commercials----not even during American Idol. LOVE the DVR. so, print ads, it is. i actually LOVE to sit and go through magazines and snip and clip ideas for future reference. whether they be ideas for kids crafts, a unique color combo, a decorating idea, or whatever. then i paste the clippings into a composition notebook to refer to when i need a little inspiration. i'm a very tactile person, and i don't have a photographic memory, so i don't think i'd get much inspiration from tv commercials even if i did watch them.