Regarding why I will never shop at Safeway again:

Their weekly fundraisers stop just shy of groveling. And frankly, it’s a little too desperate and manipulative for my taste. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with giving to the financially less fortunate, medically needy, etc, but I hate feeling pressured to do so. When Safeway repeatedly announces each and every customer’s donation over the loudspeaker it gets old, really old, really fast. I get that they’re trying to rally other customers and illicit even more donations. But it feels dirty. It’s really difficult to describe actually. I guess it feels very “keeping up with the Joneses.” And if more customers end up donating because of their desire to fit in or look good to their fellow shoppers, well I feel it misses the point. Because the gift is no longer genuine, is it? And I suppose some people are only concerned with the bottom line and the monies being donated, but their style simply rubs me the wrong way. Apparently, this will be going on through the end of summer. And that is my cue to move on. Also, on a more petty note, the constant squawk of the loudspeaker really ruins my otherwise pleasant and relaxing shopping trip.

Today we salute you, Mr. Trader Joes Pre-Made Food Buyer Guy.

< Mr. Trader Joes Pre-Made Food Buyer Guy >

Anyone can be a buyer, but it takes a special man to buy the greatest stuffed pasta known to man.

<Mushroom Ravioli>

But not just any mushroom ravioli, no, no, that wouldn’t do.

<Oooooh, it’s so delicious>

You go for the good stuff – the kind of mushroom that overshadows even the largest cremini.

<Maybe he has Napolean syndrome>

You sir, select only the finest Portolbello Mushroom raviolis for your lazy, but not too lazy to be food conscious consumers.

<You gotta make the people happy>

So thank you buyer guy, for allowing me to be lazy without feeling guilty about it.

< Mr. Trader Joes Pre-Made Food Buyer Guy>

Tags: Yummy

Our Save the Dates came out pretty nicely! Don’t judge them solely based on this guy here – this was one from our test run. We used the Epic 6 Lifestyle Letterpress kit to make them at home using this as our inspiration. We tweaked ours because we didn’t want to just print our save the dates on our printer and I especially wanted to get rid of the cursive and monetary-esque font. Then we just stamped a little heart over our date! LOVE EM!

Tags: Wedding

But I can’t show you b/c C reads my blog, too. I know, what a tease! Anyways, I just wanted to do a quick check-in so ya’ll would know I haven’t completely dropped off the face of the earth. Hopefully I’ll be a better blogger this week.

Tags: Wedding

Almost sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? How can cake ever be a problem? Pah. Well, if you’ve ever shopped for wedding cake bakeries, you know what I mean. Around here, they’re upwards of $6 a slice. A steal of a deal when most of the more highly recommended places hover around the $10 a slice range. We don’t expect to have 100 people at the wedding, but once tax and those lovely delivery fees are factored in, we might as well use that as a good base for estimation. So we’re talking big bucks for flour, eggs, and butter. And a huge part of me gets it. I bake myself, and I understand. It’s not the raw materials (even if you use organic ingredients and high end cocoa). It’s the time. I know it. But just because I get it, doesn’t mean I like it.

And we both love food! Having great food at our wedding is second only to the actual getting married part. He he. So if we get a cake (or anything in its place) it needs to be delicious. I struggle because I want that traditional feeling wedding cake. I want to go through the tasting process. But I don’t want the prices. And now I have to figure out how to get around them. Or compromise.

Tags: Wedding

I haven’t had much crafty time this week. I’ve been a bit busy trying to gather ideas and  whatnot for my upcoming wedding to the very best person in the world. I’m very excited and, as you can imagine, a bit consumed by it. It was nice to play with some new products today as well as work with Project Tuesday’s weekly challenge. This was surprisingly quick and easy to make (but I think I say that every week with their projects! Here’s a picture of the front and inside:

Have a great day!

Tags: challenge, Close to My Heart, CTMH, scrapbook, sketch

Here is a joy fold card made using the same cute cupcake-themed stamp set I used in another card today. This card has a flap that folds under the 3Dcupcake. It definitely adds that little sumthin-sumthin. I wish I had taken a better photo to show you how it open up, but I’ll just try to remember that for the future.

Tags: Close to My Heart, CTMH, scrapbook, stamp, technique

This card is simple and cute, huh? I think so, too! I was inspired by the Cuttlebug Challenge to use stitching on a card. So I thought stitching sequins as sprinkles would work really great with the Cupcake Sprinkles stamp set. I also used the new CTMH Caboodle paper. I don’t often duplicate cards, but I might have to make a few of these…What do you think?

On a side note, I’d like to share one of my favorite pieces of writing:

He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in a lifetime. It faced – or seemed to face – the whole external world for an instant, then it concentrated on you, with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey. (The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Tags: challenge, Close to My Heart, CTMH, scrapbook, Think About It

I made these cupcakes for C yesterday. Chocolate with chocolate plus more chocolate. Not my thing. Not my thing by a long shot, but he loves it, so I make them. The recipe came from none other that the Pioneer Woman herself. C thanks you. (I do, too).

Tags: Food, Yummy

Yup.