Feel Good Friday!

 Fall is finally here and I couldn't be any happier! Let's see if I can can make you just as happy.

I first saw this super cute stitching when I did the Fall Challenge for Craftster. One of my favorite things about Fall is definitely that it becomes sweater weather. I think SheenaRamone would agree with me.

I LOVE decorating cakes and cookies. Most of my stuff I get from Wilton Decorating. Well, now you can enjoy in my decorating bliss. The Wilton website not only shows you great examples of decorating but also tells you exactly what you need to achieve greatness and a  step by step process.

Because the days are getting cooler, Pete is getting chillier. I really think he needs this sweater. Okay, maybe nothing that flashy.  Little Pampered Pet has great sweaters, costumes and treats for your little beast. (No puppy was harmed in the making of this sweater, but maybe a little humiliated....)

Tonight is nice and chilly, OMP is cooking up some popcorn and we have settled in for some quality snuggling and awesomely bad movies. Maybe this weekend I will try to find some yummy cider. Happy fall from the Pedersen household-lets hope that it includes lots of candy corn, warm cozy fires and just a touch of a chill on your cheek.

Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!

These Roosters know how to take charge! They are not afraid to sing a little rise and shine for ya, sew you some pajamas, and cook you a little dinner when you get home from work. 

The Only Thing We Have to Fear.......

Today I was feeling REALLY needy. I desperately wanted someone at 5am to talk to. I wanted them to listen to my rants about feeling down, being angry, and that I really really wanted a coconut popsicle. Everyone in the house was asleep. I couldn't even bother the dogs without getting a snarl. Then I started to wonder why I was feeling so needy and wanting so much attention. It wasn't the fact that I really wanted to talk to someone, I was just feeling very fearful about what lies ahead of me. I really wanted someone just to take away my problems and tell me under no certain terms that the future was solid. In reality, I know that the future is never solid and is forever changing, but it made me think more about fear and how it plays out in my world.

Fear can grip us as a whole community. It can make us hate and blame others for changes that we feel are out of our control. It can cause extreme feelings that make clearly rational people do nutty things. Fear always needs a scapegoat. It can freeze everything around us.

Just as fear can make us hate, it can also give us something to fight for, a challenge. This is the way I am choosing to look at it. When I began to get scared about my financial future, I instantly go into creative mode. I start to think of ways to pay bills, ways to create a positive environment around me so I don't get stressed. I think of ways to be resourceful. Fear also allows me the "I'll be damned" feeling. You know this feeling...I'll be damned if I let this get me down, defeat me, or allow it to scare me anymore. I begin to feel empowered by the strength that I sometimes forget I have.

The best way too take on fear is to not take it on at all. Now before you shake you head and say "Pam, what are you talking about?". Think about it. If you didn't take on fear but took on a new adventure-how great would that be? You would be embarking on something completely new to you. It's all about perception. You can stand frozen with fear or you can come out doing high leg kicks ready for that adventure.

Now, I don't want to be all preachy and all "warm group hug, wind beneath my wings" on you. I'm not going to make you sit in a circle and pass around a talking stick, but what I am going to do is tell you that embracing your fears, facing your fears and then letting them go is something everyone should do. Don't worry about what people think if you want to quit your computer job and join the circus. Let go of  the fear of acting your age. Say goodbye to the fear of no control-it never looked good on your anyway. Say hello to a new adventure-you might be pleasantly surprised at what you find. It could be a new friend, a new thought or even a new you.

Ahh.....now I feel much better and I'm gonna go get that coconut popsicle.

Tie One On Tuesday!

 Happy Fall everyone! I can't believe that it is officially here at 8:09pm Pacific Standard Time-that is cause for celebration. What better way to celebrate than with a tasty autumn beer.

Now, I know a lot of people don't like fruity or flavored beers but Dogfish Head Punkin Ale is exceptional.Tastes of pumpkin and hints of brown sugar make this beer more like a pumpkin pie than something you find at a keg party on a Friday night. This beer can be a bit too sweet for some but pairing it with some salty goodness balances out the flavors and gets your savory and sweet on.

A lot of people really put down Samuel Adams, saying that it's too commercial or that the owner and his commercials are so annoying (okay, the latter might have been just me) but the Samuel Adams Octoberfest is a wonderful blend of toffee and honey roasted nuts. It's a very easy to drink lager that has just the right bite that will leave you begging for more.

Rogue Mocha Porter is dark, thick and tasty. It's like an wonderful cup of coffee with a nice alcohol taste. Although is smells very hoppy, it goes down as smooth as a Barry White song in the back of a Camero. It starts off with a sweet smokey taste and ends with a little bit of a tingly tart taste....just like the back of a Camero.

As the days get shorter, your thirst gets bigger. These are just a few little treats to wet your whistle. Check out your local breweries to see what seasonal beverages they have on tap, you may find a new favorite.

Scrappy Dog Sunday!

Oh Ms. Lola. Did you know that you have my heart?

And did you know that we have pretty much the same smile and the same keen fashion sense?

Help me Rhonda! The leg is killing me....

You can get a little bit crazy



But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Tie One On Tuesday!

It's that time of year again. Time to get out your lederhosen, wash that 22 ounce stein and brush up on your polka moves. It's Oktoberfest! So, tune up your air accordion and let's celebrate.

I don't think I need to tell you that the drink of choice during Oktoberfest is beer, but let's say beer isn't your thing but you still want to partake in the Polka line dancing. Well, this liquid courage is right up your ally. A Black Forest cocktail is so yummy! You could drink it for dessert, or breakfast, or before that big Alpine horn solo.

Black Forest Cocktail
1 oz creme de cacao1 oz cherry liqueur
1 oz cream

Shake ingredients together and pour into glass. Add a little more cream as a floater, then add a cherry.


Still need a little courage do to that chicken dance, well look no further than a German Chocolate Cake Shot
People swear this taste just like the real thing. I think the lime part might have been thought up on a dare.

German Chocolate Cake Shot
1 oounce vodka
1 ounce Frangelico
1 slice lime
1 tsp of sugar
Put 1 shot vodka and 1 shot Frangelico into a  glass. Dip slice of lime in sugar. Bite into lime and while holding the juice in your mouth, shoo tFrangelico and vodka shot. Drink it all down at one time.
Someone please let me know how this goes for you, I'm dying to know.

Finally, the drink that was named after a drunken "accidental" pinch of Helga's cheeks-and I think you know which ones I'm talking about

The Angry German
 1 part Ameretto
1 part Blackberry Liquer
2 parts fresh lime juice
Crush ice
1 dash salt
1 part Jagermeister
Mix together with crushed ice in a glass and garnish with mint leaves

 Okay my little Hansel and Gretel, tip back a few of these little concoctions, dust off your fondue pot, and get your yodeling voice primed and ready.I hear there is an opening for the first chair in the Oompah pah band. Until next time my little Hassenfeffers!

The Leading Man

I've felt under the weather the past couple of days and although a 102 degree fever is not fun, catching up on my favorite movies from one of my favorite actors is a blast.

I adore William Powell. I have mentioned him several times with love for the Thin Man movies but he starred in others that were equally great.

The Great Ziegfeld showcases Powell as a the wonderful Flor Ziegfeld, the famed producer of the over the top stage shows. The story tells the rags to riches to rags life of Ziegfeld. The music scenes are beautiful displays in filmography. The movie won three Oscars, including Best Dance and Best Leading Lady.

Love Crazy is a fun little romp with Powell. He stars with Myrna Loy as a couple celebrating their fourth anniversary. After a series of misunderstanding, the couple splits. William just can't live without Myrna and decides to get her back. He will do anything, including acting insane to win back his bride. This film has all the chemistry that Powell and Loy have together. If you love the Thin Man series, this is not one to be missed.

We see Powell reprise his role as Ziegfeld, even if it's only for a few minutes, in Ziegfeld Follies. This film showcases some of Ziegfeld's greatest finds such as Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire. It's a wonderful musical history of Ziegfeld. The scenery is a star in itself.

William Powell was a magnificent actor who started his career during the silent movie era and gained even more success when talkies were invented. His personal as well as professional life proved to be an amazing story filled with beautiful leading ladies such as Jean Harlow and Carol Lombard. I have yet to see a bad movie from him. He was sophisticated, suave and his sense of humor brilliant, what more could you ask for in a leading man?