The Stone Rabbit

Pink Saturday Lost and Found!!!

 

Thursday morning our temps were near 60 degrees in the Kansas City area, making it the perfect day to grab my PINK phone, put the ear buds in....turn on the podcast for the Couch to 5K Running Plan...then head out for my run!!

I haven't been able to run much since last November (injury with a ham string :), but over the last few weeks, thanks to my healing and unusually great winter weather, I have been able to start over with the running program.  I am now ready for Week7 Day 3 on my next run. . . .meaning I will run 25 minutes without walking.  This will be my 4th day to do this amount of running. . . and I'm slowly seeing an improvement in my endurance (I'm not begging the Running Gods to "let it be over soon....pleeeeeeeease" as much), plus my pace is better.  

The program says I should be running 2 1/2 miles in 25 minutes.  Well....I'm not.  Thanks to my Garmin watch (birthday/Christmas gift) I can track my distance, time and pace.  I have seen a little improvement.  Yesterday, I increased my distance from 2.07 miles in 25 minutes to 2.21 miles in the same amount of time.  

Right now, I'm keeping my course pretty much the same each time. . . and it's flat.  When I get up to being able to run  the 5K distance of 3.1 miles, then I'll slowly start adding hills to the run.

That's the approach I took before on the program and it really does help to condition the old body for running, plus is helps to build up speed!! 

 

Anyway, on Tuesday's run I lost one of my coveted running gloves somewhere on my course.  I realized it while I was "cooling down" at the end of my run.  I retraced the last part of the course, but didn't locate it.  However, on Thursday, while running.....I found my sweet glove.....lying in the gutter...just waiting for me to snatch it up!!!

 

The only thing that would make me happier about these gloves would be if they were in PINK!!  Sadly, the only color left, by the time I found them on clearance....marked down from 19.99 to 5.95!!!....was black.

Anyway,what's so great about them, is that the little part that covers the fingers flips back and tucks (sorta) beneath a strap on the top of the hand.

 

This lets you actually work the screen of the phone or iPod (when I use that outside in the cold).  Otherwise, I'm having to remove the entire glove each time I want to do something on the screen. . . like check Facebook, send an e-mail, take a picture (I really do that a lot when I run....it's a challenge to get a picture that's not blurry while jogging up and down!!!) or even take a phone call.  I have answered the phone while running....that kinda shakes up the caller...they thing something is wrong with me because of my gasping sounds!!  :)

I also like to wave with my little fingers exposed. . .looks so much nicer than wiggling a mitten back and forth!!

I was waving at this fellow runner as he was passing in front of our house.  He didn't see me cuz he was concentrating on good running form.  See how he's slightly bent at the waist. . . looking straight ahead. . .shoulders down, arms relaxed with elbows staying at his sides.  And most importantly, his feet land directly beneath his hips...striking the pavement mid foot, not with his leg extended ahead so far that his heel touches the pavement first!!!  That good running form also includes how nice he looks in those running pants!!  :)

Now that you've seen what good running form looks like, I will contrast that with MY running form. 

This picture was taken on Labor Day weekend last fall. . . right before I hurt my ham string.  I was approaching the finish line.  Actually, except for me looking DOWN at the ground just ahead of me, I was doing well for me at that point.  I was still lifting my feet (while not high!!), they were kicking back.  That means I wasn't totally drained of energy.  My elbows were BASICALLY at my side, but I keep wanting to cross my hands in front of my body...that's wrong.  Hey, my shoulders were down...that's good.  

The bulge in my right pocket is my little PINK water bottle.  I don't know why I carry it during a race, cuz they always have water stations.  I'm sure that extra weight must slow me down, plus it isn't flattering in photos.  :(

My time in that 5K was 31 min. and 23 sec...my Personal Best time thus far!  It was a perfect weather day....and the course was FLAT!!  That all helps for making good running times.

 

Here I am, leading the pack (JOKING!!!!!) a month and a half later at the 5K portion of the Kansas City Marathon! This was the end of the race. . . and I was DRAINED!!! 

 I'd first hurt my ham string some time after the Labor Day Run. . .then really hurt it just before the first of October.  SO.....I wasn't running consistently in preparation for this event.  In fact, I recall, that I had taken the entire week off of running before it.

However, I ended up running the fastest I'd ever run before. . . I finished the race in 31 minutes....and it had inclines and a big hill the first half of the course.

Running form review:  I was the only person in this group that was looking UP!!!  Actually, I was focused on the sign down the road that said FINISH!!!   My shoulders were down. . .good! Elbows were flairing out and fists....were not relaxed.  I look like I was doing the running version of The Chicken Dance!! Heck, on review of that photo. . .we all look like were doing the Chicken Dance!  :)

 While I want to look like the guy who ran in front of our house, I know that will never be.  First, he's lots younger and second, I don't own any of those tight pants. However, in my head, when I've finally hit the point in my run when my breathing and legs and arms are all kinda in "sync" and my form is good. . . then I feel like I look like a running shoe advertisement!  Maybe not for the latest cute running shoes, but more for the ones with lots of cushion in the arches and heels!! :)  You know. . .the ones we "elder runners"  like to wear!  :)

I was sure happy when I returned home from my run on Thursday. . . my glove had been found, my speed had improved. . .but most of all THE STONE RABBIT had an ice cold glass of chocolate milk waiting for me!!  That's a treat my 77 year old running friend told me about.  If she says to do it. . .I do!!  She's been running for over 30 years!! You can read a bit about her HERE.

 

I hope you have a great PINK SATURDAY!!

 

One thing that will make it better would be for you to visit Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  She always makes sure that there is a long list of bloggers just waiting to share their PINKS with you each and every week!!

 

THANK YOU, BEVERLY!!!

 

 

 DANA

 

 

VALENTINE MEMORIES. . . "SPRINKLED" WITH PINK!!

 

Last Friday morning I was headed over to our son and DIL's home to pick up the two older grand kiddos for a little over nighter at our house!  Along the way the local Krispy Kreme made my car pull right into their parking lot and DEMANDED that I pick up some of their delightful heart shaped donuts to take on my trip!!

 

Of course, I had to do what they told me!!  So I bought a dozen of these "melt in your mouth" delicacies and continued on my way!

Everyone was thrilled with the do-nutty surprise....well, the little 6 week old Grand Boy #2 wasn't impressed, but the rest of 'em were!!!

 

After a sweet visit with my DIL and the baby, I loaded up The Grand Girl and Grand Boy #1 ..... and some of the donuts....then headed out to meet my hubby so he could have lunch with his little ones, too!

Then, we returned to our house and started making Valentine Cookies!!

I wasn't sure how Grand Boy #1 would do with this project......I was certain The Grand Girl would be very good at it....HOWEVER, that little guy did a fantastic job of rolling out the dough and cutting his cookies,too!

Flour on the nose of the Grand Girl.

OK...this was just too cute of a shot for this Nana to pass up!!! :)   

Here you see a batch of those, "made with love" cookies, baking away!!

Next it was time to frost!!!

Again, I knew The Grand Girl would do a fine job with that, as we've frosted lots of cupcakes in the past, but this was my first time of actually "cooking" with Grand Boy #1, and again, I didn't know how he would do with "frosting".

Well, he did just fine!!  :)  

He only frosted three cookies, but he enjoyed frosting them over and over!!  He assured me he was not eating the frosting off the cookies, then reapplying more, but this smart old Nana wasn't fooled !  :)

 

 

By the time we were ready to start putting PINK and red "Sprinkles" on the tops of the cookies, Grand Boy #1 had decided he was finished with the cookie project and was off to play with some of his toys.

The Grand Girl is the Sprinkles Princess around here.  I recall  last Easter when we made cuppy cakes and she was in charge of putting pastel sprinkles on them.  I found sprinkles in rooms that were far, far away from the kitchen.  Those little babies can ROLL!!  :)

 

Here are a few of the completed cookies we made!! 

 

The next morning, I made some heart shaped pancakes for part of their breakfast.  I remember doing that when their daddy was a little boy.  We also had scrambled eggs and fruit and . . . .

 

Krispy Kreme donuts!!!  Honestly, that was the hit of the meal!!  I can't remember the last time I'd had one of those. . .  boy oh boy, were they yummy!

THE STONE RABBIT has been in charge of locating the "runaway sprinkles" this week.  He's very good at that job. . .so I rewarded him by baking more heart shaped sugar cookies, with just a little of that yummy frosting and a few of those PINK and red sprinkles!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day and a really fine week!

 

Please visit Beverly's blog, HOW SWEET THE SOUND.  She will have LOTS of other bloggers ready and waiting to share their PINKS with you this weekend!!

 

Happy Pink Saturday!!

 

DANA

 

Note:  here is the link to the recipe I used for these sugar cookies.  They are just what their title says:  THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES .   This is an awesome recipe!   For the frosting, I  used the butter-cream recipe on the back of the C & H Powdered Sugar bag...and added Ghirardelli Natural Unsweetened Cocoa until I reached the taste I liked!  :)

A TREAT FOR VALENTINE'S DAY!

 

We had our first REALLY measurable snowfall of the winter yesterday morning!   I was secretly hoping we'd make it through the season with zero snowfall this year. . . we had enough snow in the past two years that I think we deserve the break!  I do realize we need the precipitation, though, so this little amount was a welcome present to our yards and plants. 

While yesterday was snowy and cloudy and cold, today. . . 

 

 

it's sunny and warmer!

In fact, it's so sunny in our kitchen this morning that THE STONE RABBIT had to borrow my Valentine sunglasses in order to help me show you guys how I made these cute little Valentine treats!

 

   

My inspiration for this project came from "CHIA and JO, Tackling Life One Project at a Time".

To create these sweet little treats, you need:

1.  Popcorn (I used prepopped corn called "Festival Time Kettle Korn"....it's made in Missouri...and is only $2.99 for a big bag and it tastes just like frest kettle corn.) .

2.  M&Ms...I used the special Valentine edition featuring only pink and red candy!!

3.  Cellophane treat bags.

4.  Printed Templates from CHIA and JO. 

5.  A stapler.

 

I printed these on white card stock, then cut them apart.

 

 

Next, I filled in the "to" and "from" lines, then. . . 

 

 folded the tags in half so they would be ready when I needed them!

 

Now it's time to fill the bags!

You can see that little Twiggy was interested in this project, too!  She's such a good helper.

I alternated a few M & M s with a cup of corn until the bags were full.  

Be sure to leave room at the top so you can. . . 

 

easily fold it down about 1/2 ".

 

Then, place the tag over the bag, centering it and getting the fold of the bag under and snug to the fold of the tag....then staple once on each side!

 

That's all there is to creating cheap, but sweet little treats for your special Valentines!

 

I told Twiggy that kitties don't eat pop corn, but that I'd be certain to have a special Valentine for her, too!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

 

DANA

"CHEERS" to you on this VALENTINE'S DAY PINK SATURDAY!

 

Actually, I had hoped to have a bottle of BOULEVARD BREWERY'S special edition product. . . Chocolate Ale. . .to share with you on this special Valentine's Day Pink Saturday!  

This was the second year that they produced this much sought after Valentine delight  (in very limited quantities).  I wasn't able to locate a bottle last year and this year. . .  

 

 

NO LUCK AGAIN!!!

Here's one of the signs I saw when scanning the shelves in our grocery store.  I had also looked in a couple of other locations. . . also no luck.  I hear they "sell out" within minutes of putting the Chocolate Ale on the shelves!!

What a Valentine's Day Bummer.  :(

 

 

THE STONE RABBIT knew I had really, REALLY wanted to snag a bottle of that special Valentine brew . . .  he even put "feelers" out with his little yard ornament buddies, hoping one of them would locate one.

However, as the days went by and no Chocolate Ale was found, THE STONE RABBIT did the next best thing. . .

he surprised me with a bottle of Chocolate Raspberry Wine!!!

Holy Cow. . . that is one sweet bunny!!

 

 

Actually, as much as I thought I wanted that Chocolate Ale. . . I have to admit I probably wouldn't like it half as much as I do this brand of chocolate wine!!!

I am a lucky girl to have THE STONE RABBIT as my Valentine!!

 

 

Oh, and don't you just love my banner?  I shared how I made it (HERE). . . using the wonderful graphics designed by my blogging buddy Nancy of MY CRAFTY LITTLE PAGE!  She's a great Valentine, too!

 

 

And speaking of great Valentine's. . .that includes Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND!  She works hard every week to be sure our Pink Saturday fun keeps going strong!!

She will have a super long list of bloggers ready for you to visit this weekend...just head on over to her blog! 

Happy PINK SATURDAY and Happy Valentine's Day, too.  I promise I'll save some of that Chocolate Wine for you!  :)

DANA

 

PS  

I can't thank you all enough for the prayers and kind words for our daughter over the last few weeks.  She is doing well, now, and we pray this continues to be the case.

OF COURSE MY JOURNAL HAS TOUCHES OF PINK!!!

 

It's been so much fun to be a part of a Circle Journal with nine other women....scattered all around the United States!!  This is my first time in participating in such an event. . . and I hope it won't be my last!

A circle journal involves a group of folks who each choose a theme for their journal. . . then create the front and back of their "book", along with various other pages determined by the organizer.  "You" interpret you your idea of the "theme" of your journal by creating a two page spread that tells the other participants what the theme means to you.   THEN....you mail it off to the next person on the list....and anxiously await the arrival of a new journal from the person before you on the list.  I'm making this as clear as mud, I'm sure, but the idea is the journals make their way around to the various participants...each adding their two pages , then sending them to the next person. . . and THEN you get yours back in a few months and it is FILLED with so many completed pages, thanks to the other folks in the circle!!

 

OK.....so the idea is to first, come up with a theme.

I had a lot of trouble with this. . . I had so much trouble, in fact, that I changed it THREE times.  Finally, I settled on  a theme that involved  "WORDS that Describe You" .  They were to choose five words that they feel describes them!!

 Brilliant idea....right?  

Well, I thought it was at first.  Then I hit another road block. . . .a couldn't think of a TITLE that worked with my theme.

 

FINALLY, in a total panic last week, I got in touch with Nancy of MY CRAFTY LITTLE PAGE and asked for her help with the title.  We chatted for quite a while and I asked her to let me know if she came up with any suggestions, then I headed to Hobby Lobby to get paper for my journal. 

Not being a "scrapper". . . I was overwhelmed with the enormous selection of paper!  After a bit, I was sweatin'. . . anxiety was setting in.  How was I to POSSIBLY settle upon paper when I wasn't sure about the title...and there was SO much PAPER to choose from.

While  I was quickly adding "sheets of this and sheets of that" to my cart, I got a text from Nancy that read "how about KNOWING ME...KNOWING YOU?"  

OMG....I was overjoyed with that title!!  Not only did it hit the nail on the head of my intent of the theme, (getting to know each other) but it was an ABBA song and Nancy KNOWS how much I love their music in "Mamma Mia"!!!  The lyrics don't work with the theme idea, but the title sure does and that's what counted in my book.

SO....I grabbed lots of sheets of brightly colored and perky patterned paper. . .and as an afterthought, I picked up a huge tablet of paper that had a more vintage look!

 

 

 

 

My first attempts at creating the "look" of my journal didn't exactly light my fire.

I used my CRICUT to cut out mini-people ( ten to be exact...to represent each of us in our "circle"), but the more I messed with it the more it looked like a kindergarten project, so I ditched that idea and started trying to find inspiration in another direction.

 

I had really leaned toward a more "retro" look, but didn't have luck finding what I had in mind.  However, when I found photos of late Victorian ladies, I knew I had the idea I was wanting to convey. . .groups of women....friends!!!

SO....after spending HOURS and HOURS of trial and error and printing and cutting and taping and gluing and Mod Podging and "cursing"....yes, I did, I'm ashamed to admit that. . . I finally finished my project. 

 

Here's THE STONE RABBIT holding the journal just before I packed it up and put it in the box to be mailed Kay Ellen of KAY ELLEN DESIGN !!

The colors of the papers I used were brownish, taupish, PINKISH. . . ones that went so well with the antiqued Victorian look that evolved as I progressed through the pages.

 

I adhered vintage buttons to a vintage belt buckle with the wonder glue "E 6000".  The button/buckle dealy was placed atop vintage hat ribbon that I've had for a long time.  For good measure, I Mod Podged the front and back covers. . .and nearly PASSED OUT when I saw my papers bubbling up with the application of that stuff.  After it dried, however, the bubbles went away....well, they didn't on my "title page", but by that time, I didn't care...I just wanted to finish the journal and get it in the mail!!  So, yes, I lowered my "finished product bar".....first on the title page and on  a few other spots, too, but I was OK with that. . .this was a "handmade product" and little "blips" just proved it!!  :)

 

 

Here are photos of the inside of the front cover and the title page (with the bubbles). 

 

On your left is my introductory page. . . how I came to choose the theme and the title. . .and on the right is my page of directions. . .how the other participants are to complete their pages!

 

Next, I have my two "sign in" pages...I'm just sharing one today.  All proper "ladies" used to leave their "calling cards" when they paid a visit. . . so I asked the Circle Journal Ladies to create their own calling cards (I had blank ones stuffed in the envelopes for them to use). . .and to leave me a note on the backs of them!  Ooooooh....I'm looking forward to their little messages!!  :)

I learned that using "Tacky Glue" on the vintage PINK ribbon, seen below, leaves marks. . yep...lowering that bar some more!

The next two pages were My Pages. . .of how I interpreted my theme of "what are 5 words that describe you".  I put a little explanation of how I came up with my words and two of them on this page....and the three other ones on the opposite page (you don't see that page as I wanted to leave a bit of a surprise for the Journal Gals).

You can see that I did not carry that Victorian Look out on these pages.  I struggled trying to figure out how to do that (I was down to the final wire at this point of the journal)....so when I spied my stash of tags, I decided to make them work for me....and I did.  The tags "flip up" with little messages beneath them.  :)

 

I purposedly didn't include photos of  the back cover designs. . . so there's a little bit of "mystery" for my fellow Journal Ladies!  :) 

My kindhearted hubby took my journal to the post office on Thursday.  

I really can't believe I did it. . . .but I'm so glad I did!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Circle Journal has been great fun for me, a newbie to scrapping. . .but most importantly, it's allowing me the honor of interacting with nine other bloggers....getting to know them a little better. . .  while also providing me a bit of "therapy" , at a time when I needed the distraction. 

Be sure to visit, Beverly of HOW SWEET THE SOUND, where you will find a long list of other bloggers who have lots of PINK ready to share with us!!

Happy PINK Saturday!

 

DANA