Dude, Where's My Muse?

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2007!

Courtesy of a tag by Olga

My favorite things of 2006:

1. Favorite book(s): Closer by Jo Leigh/Her Sexiest Mistake by Jill Shalvis/Dear Prince Charming by Donna Kauffman/Angel With Attitude by Michelle Rowen/Heart of The Dragon by Gena Showalter/Divine By Mistake by PC Cast

2. Favorite movie - love story: just saw a great old Cary Grant/Ingrid Bergman movie the other night but the title escapes me... Princess Bride is great too.
Favorite movie-action: The Marine
Favorite movie-sci-fi: I, Robot
The movie I want to see: Stranger Than Fiction; The Holiday

3. Favorite news: Hmmm... J being dealt out of Dallas??

4. Favorite show: MEN IN TREES - and a random piece of trivia. Jack was in the new year's episode of HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER, he played Derek, Robyn's boyfriend. Noticed that on the dvd the other night

5. Favorite song: Hold My Beer While I Kiss Your Girlfriend - Aaron Pritchett; Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off - Joe Nichols; Janet Jackson's new CD, What's Left Of Me - Nick Lachey

What are your faves of 2006?

I feel like Romper Room when she looked into the mirror at the end of the show lol
I tag... Nell, Jessica and who else is out there? :o)

Labels: Best Of

Since I'm burned out at the moment and my two working brain cells seem to have taken off for Tahiti, I took one look at the stack of TBR books by the bed and ideas struck (we'll discuss the story one at a WAY later date! *g*) What are the best books you've read in 2006? New to you author? Old author?

My top five off the top of my head -

PC Cast's - DIVINE BY MISTAKE
Gena Showalter's - HEART OF THE DRAGON
Donna Kauffman's - DEAR PRINCE CHARMING
Jill Shalvis' - HER SEXIEST MISTAKE
Michelle Rowen's - ANGEL WITH ATTITUDE

New to me authors this year - PC Cast, Donna Kauffman, Michelle Rowen, Jo Leigh... and a pile of others in the TBR pile (which is actually 4 shelves worth...yikes!!)

Got a nice package of books in the mail today that I won from paperback writer's blog. Looking forward to digging into them in the new year. Have way too much work to do right now to even crack open a book. I have a feeling New Year's Eve will be spent in front of the computer with my janet jackson cd blaring, a can of coke in one hand and pizza in the other while I do last minute edits. Argh, December has been insane and I doubt its going to get better lol Just hope January is calmer!!

Labels: Best Of

Wishing you all a merry merry christmas!!!

Labels: Holidays

Since for some reason, I keep getting hits from people looking recipes for nanaimo bars and because I love the mint ones this time of year, I'll post a recipe :o)


Standard Nanaimo Bars
Base:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
---
Filling:
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp custard powder, Bird's brand (ask your grocer)
(or substitute vanilla jello pudding powder)
1/4 cup milk
3 cups icing sugar
---
Topping:
8 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 Tbsp butter
---
Base: melt butter in heavy saucepan. Stir in sugar and cocoa until smooth.
Whisk egg with vanilla and stir into butter mixture. Remove from heat.
Stir in crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press evenly over bottom of greased
9" square pan. Chill until set, at least 20 min.
---
Filling: Beat butter with wooden spoon until light. Beat in custard powder and milk.
Gradually beat in sugar. Spread over chilled base and let set in fridge.
---
Topping: Melt together chocolate and butter; stir until smooth.
Spread in even layer over chilled filling. Store in fridge until choc. topping
begins to harden. Score topping into bars. Cut before totally solid, use a hot knife,
wipe clean between cuts. Store in fridge or freeze for up to 2 months.
NOTE: These look wonderful on a try of goodies and people love them.
---------------
VARIATION: Peanut Butter Filling
2 T Custard powder
1/4 c Milk
2 Tbsp Butter; softened
1/2 c Peanut butter, smooth
2 c Sugar icing sugar or confectioners -sifted
----
VARIATION: Grand Marnier Filling
2 c Icing Sugar
1/4 c Butter; softened
1/4 c Grand Marnier or orange -liqueur
1 tb Orange rind; coarsely grated
----
VARIATION: Cherry Filling
1/4 c Butter; softened
1 Tbsp. Cherry juice
2 c Icing sugar
1/3 c Maraschino cherries; chopped
drop or 2 of red food coloring
---
VARIATION: Mint Filling
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp custard powder, Bird's brand
(or substitute jello pudding powder)
1/4 cup milk
3 cups icing sugar
1 tsp. peppermint flavoring
1 or 2 drops green food coloring as desired.
---
VARIATION: Cappuccino Filling
2 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 tsp instant coffee or espresso powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups icing sugar (aka powdered or confectioners)
---
VARIATION: Bailey's Irish Cream
1/3 cup butter
3 Tbsp custard powder, Bird's brand
(or substitute vanilla jello pudding powder)
1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
2 - 3 cups icing sugar

Am I the only one who really doesn't feel like its the holidays? The tree's up, but no lights or decorations on it yet. Though the rest of the house is mostly decked out. The christmas cds are playing most of the time (or the tv channel with all the xmas music) cards are starting to arrive... and yet, I'm not in the holiday mood though I am eating the cookies and the fourth batch of fudge :o)

Maybe its the fact the only thing wrapped is the stuff that still needs to make its way to the post office. Or the fact there's shopping that just won't get done.

So, what's the one big sign for you its the holidays?

Labels: Holidays

Courtesy of Jess :o)

Four Things

Four jobs I've had:

1. Painter
2. Make shift physio therapist for dad
3. Dog sitter
4 stressed out writer *g*

Four places I've lived:

1. Regina
2. St. Albert
3. N/a
4. N/a

Four favourite foods:

1. Pizza
2. Garlic toast
3. Lasanga
4. fudge

Four movies I could watch over and over:

1. A Knight’s Tale
2. Blue Hawaii
3. Viva Las Vegas
4. Practical Magic :o)

Four TV shows I enjoy:

1. RAW
2. How I Met Your Mother
3. Corner Gas
4. Amazing race

Four places I've travelled:

1. Saskatchewan
2. Calgary
3. -
4. -

Four places I'd like to visit:

1. New York

2. Italy

3 Las Vegas
4. Memphis

Four websites I go to daily:

1. Gmail
2. Jill’s blog
3. Assorted writing blogs
4. Wwe.com

Four people I tag to do this list:

1. Olga
2. Eve

3. Hmmm *looks to sidebar* anyone who hasn’t yet :o)

Labels: Tags

Well at least weatherwise lol I'm beginning to think the tree could go up christmas morning.

This wasn't the blog I was originally going to put up today. Hasn't exactly been the best day. Lost two files for Sabrina (I think they are G-O-N-E. GONE. Which is so frustrating because its the chapter I was editing the last three days and had one of my favorite paras in it. Neither hard drive seems to have a trace of it and I remember typing it out... d'oh. And of course, it was the ONE time I didn't email it to myself. Hello, I'm Lis and I am stupid! *g) Plus I had to rearrange the area by the door this afternoon so I could shut it and have some peace in the office aka basement since I was beginning to understand why Elvis shot out a tv :o) Esp. if I heard 'so this is christmas' one more time. I mean really. There are other holiday songs out there. Play something else!!

Nero seems to be working *knock on wood* I finally burned a dvd today! Yay, means more hard drive space, which I desperately need at the moment.

Can you believe its about 10 days till Xmas? Yikes yikes yikes. My shopping is barely done. The only things wrapped are the ones for my friends and I have things that still need to go to the post office (sorry!!), including cards! And I want the final draft/edit of Sab done by New Year's. Is that a crazy crazy idea?? I don't know. I thought it was doable and then the last few days struck and its... well teetering on unthinkable right now.

Hope your December is going WAY better than mine right about now :o)

Jingle all the way. I've suddenly got the alternate version in my head, so thanks to my cousin Chris for teaching me the batman version when I was 4 lol

Keeping with the holiday theme that is December, here's something I pilfered off Bailey and Julie's blogs :o)


1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? hot chocolate totally, not fussy over the nog

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Santa artfully arranges the unwrapped presents beneath the tree

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? colored

4. Do you hang mistletoe? nope

5. When do you put your decorations up? depends, sometimes early, sometimes Christmas Eve

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Hmmm, I’m liking the cookies this year (bye bye diet) but usually its just the turkey with potatoes

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child: hmmm, watching Santa fall over the fence at my grandma's!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? what truth about Santa? Is it something Mrs. Claus should know. Half that stuff in tabloids isn’t true you know…

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? one, usually from my oma

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? with music :o) the last few years have had themes to them

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? love watching it fall and that’s about it

12. Can you ice skate? I can put skates on…what I do after that…not so much skating as praying I don’t fall as I push with my left and drag my right…

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My Tommy Salo hockey jersey :o)

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? the music? Its just a nice time of year

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? mint nanimo bars or DQ ice cream logs

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? pot of gold breakfast on Christmas morning while opening presents :o)

17. What tops your tree? an angel, though I love my parents tree topper from the 70s. When it gets hot enough the cylinder spins and on it are all these colored stars so you get this cool light show on the ceiling.

18. Which do you prefer giving or receiving? equal mix of both :o)

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Merry Merry Christmas sung by Elvis. Any other version is plain wrong (I just heard a soul version. That song is NOT a soul song) and I like Feliz Navidad by Boney M too. Yes I’m weird! :O) I also like White Christmas

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? yum. Especially my new treat, candy cane Hershey kisses. I am in love

Labels: Holidays

4 cups flour
¾ cup brown sugar/icing sugar half of each makes ¾ cup
1 lb butter

Soften butter. Add flour and sugars. Mix together until dough is formed. Roll dough into a log shape and refrigerate. Slice in ¼ inch thickness and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 300F until light brown. Decorate before putting into oven. Sprinkles, nuts, cherries, ect.
Dough can be frozen for 3 months sealed in freezer.

Labels: Holidays

Well not my growing stack of Xmas parcels, but my 3 chapters to Deidre for the crit *happy dance* There's a weird little story to go along with this. I spent a LONG time debating what to send. All signs kept pointing to SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT but I didn't like the version on my comp and I wasn't feeling anywhere near the mood to revamp it. Then I remembered I'd drastically altered it in May for the American Title contest. So I check the hard drive, the version there was dated April. No, I mailed mine like right at the end of May. Finally went into my sent mail box in gmail and found the first two chapters. And they looked halfway decent. So I checked my STTA storage file in yahoo and there was the entire partial. So after spending last night wrestling with formatting in word (I miss works *sniffle*) I emailed it over just a few minutes ago. Phew!!! Now I can take a few days to concentrate on Christmas and then get back to polishing Sab in case *knock on wood* someone wants to see the full

Well its been half an hour since I hit send on the partial of VW, which means Sabrina and Lila have whooshed their way through cyberspace and are hopefully sitting in an inbox in GA. And yes, corny as it is, I did have Elvis blaring Viva Las Vegas at that magical moment *g*

I'm still narrowing down my choices for the crit and hoping to email that partial in sometime in the next few days. Knocked out a few right off the bat, and I'm thinking over about 3 choices right now. STTA jumps on and off the list, because I know its not as good as some of the others, but the partial did get an overhaul for the AT3 contest in the spring. I'll print off some of the Nocturne wanna-be and Harley tonight and see what hits me.