I'm her biggest fan

My favorite blog designer, Carrie, my wonderful daughter who tweaks my blog, at my will, is donating a blog make over.  The host of this give away is Pink & Polka Dot, go see what she has to say, and enter to win.  You won't be sorry.

I got help

Today,  I was really busy.  I had to plan my posts for next week for Murrieta365,  sort and gather everything to take to the tax guy next week, ( I wanted to do it early in case I couldn't find everything),  I got my Fun Monday post ready for, well Monday, ate lunch, did a book review, and ran some errands.

When I returned from running errands, (isn't there always something to do?), I visited this blog to see what was going on, and it was blank!  I had a header and right column, but no content.  I had not idea what to do.  First, I tried both Chrome and IE, same result; then I called Carrie, she didn't answer so I left a garbled message.  Since she's my daughter, she understood.   

Carrie got back to me while I was reading, I heard the little IM ping, and ran to the office.  She fixed it, straight away!  Yeah, for bi-lingual daughters; she can speak American-English and Geek!

After she straightened everything out, she changed her photo.  Don't you love it, →→→?

HaloScan

When Carrie was here for Thanksgiving, I had her help me install HaloScan on this blog.  She had to help me because, to borrow a saying from Mrs. G., "everything I know about computers, I learned from the Amish".  

Well, I gave it a good 3 month try and while it had some good points, there were things I wasn't happy with.  So, today Carrie removed it for me.  I lost all the comments that were associated with HaloScan, but that's not the end of the world.

Here's what she had to say, once she was finished:  

Carrie says:

I removed HaloScan, what a pain - they don't have any instructions on their website - like a cult!  You're free now, but your comments are 0 again. Sorry.

Yes, I'm free!

Carrie Loves It

Have you seen Carrie's new blog.  Check it out.

Last week

I posted about our Thanksgiving here. We had a great time. It was make even better because Carrie paid us a surprise visit from North Carolina. We went out to eat a few of times. Once Bob and Carrie went to lunch and a movie. Her visit was unexpected and very welcome; we'd missed our annual trip to her house this year because of Bob's surgery.

My Mom wasn't planning on coming to our house for Thanksgiving, but when she heard Carrie was here, she changed her plans. So we had a wonderful dinner and a great visit.

This is not the greatest picture in the world, but it was taken on Thanksgiving by Oden, our budding photog. Sharon, Bob and Carrie, full and contented after the big meal.

This is me and my Mom and Oden and my Mom. Oden calls her Triple G, for Great Grandma Grace.

Yesterday, Bob said to me, "Boy it sure is quiet here, now that Carrie's gone home."

I absolutely was NOT going to post this photo of my two geeks, but Carrie did, so I will. Read her explaination, if you are curious.

Woo Hoo

6AM

Telephone rings, Hello.

Hi, Mom, have you read your email?

No, haven't made it into the office, yet.

I'm coming to visit. Should I rent a car or can you pick me up?

I'll pick you up. Are you staying with us?

Yes, if it's OK.

So, I'm off to LAX this afternoon, to pick up Carrie. What a great surprise. She'll stay for the week and leave on Friday morning. LAX is about 90 miles away, so I'll leave good and early and try to avoid some of the traffic.

Do you Etsy?

Two Etsy post in one day!  Carrie just added address lables to her Etsy shop.  Your name doesn't need to be Smith, either.  She'll make sure the name and address are yours or the name and address of your giftee.  This would be a very nice little extra for the holidays, or as a hostess gift, they might be better than flowers or wine.

Give-a-way

Carrie's having a give away, and I thought I'd give her a plug.  She's giving away a new custom header for a blog or website, designed by her, (she does mine, of course) and inspired by you.   The give away ends on Nov. 2, so hurry over and enter.

Halloween Safety Tips, for your pets

Go here to read a great article.

Get you vote on

Mrs. Fussypants is having a contest.  It's for graphic designers to submit a new header for her blog and have a chance to win an original necklace.  It's a fun contest; I'm not a graphic designer, but I did vote for my fave, in the comment section.  Of course, my vote went to Carrie; surprised aren't you!  

So check out the entrants, submit your own design or vote for your favorite.  Maybe it's Carrie.

Look

Look up, again.  When Carrie initally resigned my logo and added the tabs at the top things were a little caddywampus.  Viewed in Chrome, the new-do was great; viewed in Internet Explorer, it looked very different.  Two rows of tabs and random letters missing, it was a learning curve for Carrie, and she conquered it!  So, look up again, and tell me what you think.

Look

LOOK UP

I asked Carrie to re-do my blog, just a little clean-up.  She added the tabs at the top, for easier navigation to my other blogs, and updated my header.  If you're interested her design blog is here.

I'm sure glad she's so smart!

Do you Etsy?

Whenever I want something unique I shop at Etsy. Carrie does, too, and I'm often the lucky recipient. Here are the bracelets she gave me for my birthday:

Aren't they wonderful. I get mega compliments each and every time I wear them. She got them at the Etsy shop, annie & olive. So, my point is, if you don't want to search for that perfect gift for some one, even yourself, give Etsy a try.

Carrie's having a Give-a-way

My daughter Carrie, the wonderful talented woman that she is, (I'm really not prejudiced, really), is having a Give-a-way. She'll make you a new Blog Header, if you're the winner.

This is what she has to say:

....Anyways, in addition to work and Valentine's day shopping I have also been having a lot of fun with my Blog Title / Header business, Sweet Faerie Designs. If you are interested in a new Blog Header, leave me a comment here & you just might win a free header.

• I'll pick two winners (randomly) to win a custom blog header design.


• You have until next next Monday, the 18th, at 12 noon to enter.


• Just leave a comment on this post.


• If you mention the contest in a post on your blog I'll enter your name twice ~ just let me know that you're hip like that.

So leave a comment on this post, for a chance to win.

Thank You, Carrie

I have to tell you how much I appreciate your help. Creating the new buttons for me was so great. There is no way I could have accomplished this.

Check out Carrie and the Koehmstedts

Today is a good day to check Carrie's blog. She's opened an Etsy store offering new handmade banners for your blogs and Etsy stores. Carrie is very creative; she is constantly changing the appearance of her blog and the one the Prytz women share. For her it's like re-arranging and fine-tuning the furniture in a home; which she does, constantly.

This started early in her life. When she was a young teenager, I'd come home from work and the living room would be re-arranged. This was particularly rough on our dog, Buttons. As he aged he lost his sight, and the perpetual re-arranging was tough on the old guy. I finally had to ask Carrie to consider Buttons in her early Feng Shui efforts.

Cupcakes

This one's for Carrie. She's a contributor to All Things Cupcake. The recipe is from this month's Taste of Home Simple & Delicious. You can even sign up for their Cupcake of the Week newsletter.

Mice Cupcakes

TIME: Prep: 45 min. Bake: 20 min. + cooling

Ingredients:
1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix
2 cans (16 ounces each) vanilla frosting
48 vanilla wafers
Red-hot candies, red gumdrops and red shoestring licorice

Directions:

Prepare cake batter and bake according to package directions for cupcakes, using foil- or paper-lined muffin tins. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Frost cupcakes generously with vanilla frosting. For ears, position two vanilla wafers on each cupcake. Add red-hots for eyes and gumdrops for noses. Insert short pieces of licorice for whiskers and longer pieces for tails.

SERVINGS: 24