Gretel's Modern Day Fairy Tale

Wordless Wednesday - Denver Parade of Lights

2011-12-07T19:03:00.001-08:00

Check out more Wordless Wednesdays at 5 Minutes for Mom

Happy National Metal Day!

2011-11-11T07:43:00.001-08:00

Not only is today Veteran's Day, it is also

National Metal Day!

Growing up in a heavy metal family, I found it only appropriate to honor and thank the METAL GODS!

There are many more wonderful metal bands, just not enough room!

All pictures were found on google images.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY!!!!

2011-11-11T07:30:00.001-08:00

To all the Men and Women that have served our country in the past, present and future....

THANK YOU!!!

This is Bubba reading to Great Grandpa Fred a couple years ago on

Veteran's Day in Fort Logan Cemetery Colorado.

My Grandfather's grave stone. He was my hero!

"Heroes don't wear capes, they wear dog tags!"

All pictures are mine, taken by me! Any use without my permission is prohibited!!!

Wordless Wednesday - Pumpkin Patch Fun

2011-10-26T07:59:00.000-07:00

Nick's in Aurora

For more Wordless Wednesdays go to 5 Minutes for Mom

The Reason for My Absence

2011-10-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

I have been away from my blog for almost a year. The reason for that is this bundle of happiness:

Miss Dani with Grandma at Aunt Melissa's Wedding

My baby girl, Danika, is 4 months old right now. She is a VERY happy baby.

Now that we have been able to get back into the swing of things and have a grasp on life again, I have decided to start my blog again.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 23: A Youtube Video

2010-11-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

Day 23 of ALL ABOUT ME IN 30 DAYS! Wow! It has gone by quickly!

A youtube.com video

I thought this was cute!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 22: A Website

2010-11-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

The most current website that I have been visiting lately is babycenter.com

Yes, not only do I have a 2 year old, but I am expecting as well! Today is my first doctors appointment and I have wanted to keep things quiet until I went. Well, I am a little early with this blog, but I think I will be okay.

babycenter.com is great for information and support when it comes to being a parent. Yes Dads, you can join too. I get weekly emails about how the baby is growing and about what I should expect to happen to my body. I also get weekly emails about my toddler and advice emails about potty training and moving to a toddler bed and so on. It is a wonderful website!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 21: A Recipe

2010-11-09T06:12:00.000-08:00

A recipe... Hmmmm..... I have really been craving CHEESE, So I will do my Supped Up Mac N Cheese recipe. I got the idea from my mother and then added more.

A box of shell noodles
A jar of queso ( small, medium, or large depending on how cheesy you want it)
(Mild, Medium or Hot depending on how spicy you want it)
Bacon Bits
Can of Mushrooms
Rotisserie Chicken
Bag of Shredded Cheese (Cheddar, Fiesta Mix, whatever you want)

Boil Noodles and drain.
Shred the chicken off of the bones of the rotisserie chicken
Add noodles back to pot and add queso, bacon bits, mushrooms, chicken and shredded cheese( cheese to taste).
Once it is all mixed, put in a 9x13 casserole dish and put in the oven at 400 until it is lightly browned or more melted. Usually 10-20 minutes.
Then serve. It is a lot of cheese, so if you want it less cheesy, just put less cheese.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 20: A Hobby of Mine

2010-11-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

It is hard for me to separate talent and hobby. So I kind of feel that the line between can be blurred. So this will be an add on of the last post.
One of my talents is singing. I love to sing. I was in choir for many years and loved to do Karaoke.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 19: A Talent Of Mine

2010-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

One of my MANY talents is gardening. I just recently found that I have a green thumb and I love playing in the dirt.

This is one of the flower pots I did for my grandmother.

These are a couple of my flower pots this past spring.

Another one of my talents is crafts. I love making home made birthday cards and masks and wreaths and cross stitch and.......

I made this mask for Halloween/Samhain this year.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day 18: My Wedding/Future Wedding/Past Wedding

2010-11-05T07:26:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have not actually had a Wedding Ceremony. We are legally married. I got pregnant before we were engaged. After Bubba was born, we decided for legal purposes we should at least be legally married. We still plan on having a ceremony. It will probably be in a couple years.

Colors will be Green and Royal Purple. I want a lot of green leaves and such and then have Dark Royal Purple flowers. We want it outside. Will probably be around the time we were legally married.

Bubba will be the Ring Bearer.

That is all I have so far.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day SEVENTEEN: An Art Piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)

2010-11-04T07:55:00.000-07:00

I have always loved H.R. Giger's artwork! He has amazing detail!
Giger has done some wonderful work other then his sketches. He won an Academy Award for Best Achievement for Visual Effects for his design work on the film ALIEN. He has done other work on many other movies.

This is just one of the many artworks created by H R Giger that I enjoy.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day SIXTEEN: A Song That Makes Me Cry (Or Nearly)

2010-11-03T08:06:00.000-07:00

There are a couple songs that make me cry, and for different reasons.

First one is I'll Be Home For Christmas by Bing Crosby or Anyone else that sings it!
This has always been a tough one in my family. My Grandpa Fred was in the military and was in the Korean War and Vietnam War. So that song hits home for my Grandma, Uncle, Aunt and Mom. And then when he passed in 2005, it kinda took on a different meaning to us. Great song. We just don't listen to it!

Second is Its So Hard To Say Good Bye To Yesterday by Boys II Men.
Third is If I Close My Eyes Forever by Ozzy Osbourn and Lita Ford.
I kind of lump these two together because both were played at my step-brothers memorial service in 1993. My step-brother was murdered in the Chuck E. Cheese murders in Aurora, CO. It was a very hard time for my family.
Again, great songs, but I can barely listen to them.

One song that makes me almost cry out of happiness is Fireflies by Owl City. It is such a great song! Happy song!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day FIFTEEN: My Dream House

2010-11-02T07:59:00.001-07:00

My dream house would be set in the middle of at least one acre of land. I would LOVE to have at least 50 acres, but oh well. It would be big enough for my growing family and to have lots of company over for the holidays and birthdays and Iron Chefs.
Each kid would have their own room. There would be a guest room. Dan would have his "Music Room". I would have my "Sewing/Craft Room". We would have a library! A play room for the kids. A formal dining room. And an over sized 3 car garage.
A HUGE yard! A garden! An orchard! A workshop for Dan to make things. A shed for my gardening! A HUGE covered porch! And a HUGE covered patio in the back. A fire pit to sit around year around!
Here is the closest floor plans I have been able to find to what I want.

All About Me In 30 Days - Day Fourteen: A Non-Fictional Book

2010-11-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, I started reading this book that I had bought YEARS ago. It was about gardening. And until a couple years ago, I did not have any way of having a garden. But I held onto the book anyways.

Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up by Ellen Dugan is a wonderful book. I have blogged about the book before! I love Ellen Dugan's work. I actually have almost all of her books now. I bought them for my birthday and have just started to read them.

This is a pagan book. But I do believe that a non pagan would enjoy this book as well. It is a wonderful book about how to create Magick from your Garden, great gardening advise, and gardening lore. And it also has great craft ideas too. Ellen Dugan writes like she is sitting in the room with you talking. Like she is one of your friends.

I give her TWO thumbs up only because I do not have more thumbs!

All About Me In 30 Days - Day THIRTEEN: A Fictional Book

2010-10-31T11:04:00.001-07:00

One of my oldest friends got me started on a series of books that I can not put down.

The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Novels by Laurell K. Hamilton.

These books are exciting, have vampires, werewolves, wererats, zombies, voo doo, Wicca, Christianity, You name it, these books have it!

Anita Blake is a Necromancer and the Vampire Executioner for St Louis.

These books tell the story of her life as she deals with the living, dead and undead. Her friends, family and enemies! There is love, violence, sex, sadness.....

It took me until I finished the 4th book to realize that this series is kinda like those trashy romance novels, but with vampires and stuff.

All About Me In 30 Days - Day TWELVE: Something I am OCD About

2010-10-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am OCD about A LOT of things!

But the biggest is dirty dishes left in the sink or randomly around the house! I HATE IT!

It smalls and gets gross and... Its just yucky!

All About Me In 30 Days - Day ELEVEN: A Recent Photo Of Me

2010-10-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken in September when my In-Laws were in town from Florida. That would be me and my hubby!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day TEN: A Picture of Me Taken Over 10 Years Ago

2010-10-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken of me on my 18th Birthday in 1999. I was so skinny! But that was before kids!

Loving Pets Bella Bowl Review

2010-10-27T10:05:00.000-07:00

I have a beautiful black cat named Sheba. She is VERY independent. She likes to eat when SHE wants to, eat as much as SHE wants to, drink when SHE wants to. We have one of those bowls that you can put LOTS of food in and we make sure it stays full. And we have a bowl that we put fresh water in every morning.

I have the biggest problem keeping the water bowl clean! After a while, bacteria builds up and it is so gross!

Loving Pets has these wonderful bowls, Bella Bowls, for your dog or cat that are Veterinarian- recommended stainless steel interior that resists bacteria. The bowls have a removable rubber base that helps prevent spills and noise. Its dishwasher safe, which is a huge thing for me! The Bella Bowl is really light weight as well!

They also come in some really cool colors! I picked the Merlot colored one. But there are colors ranging from Paparazzi Pink to Copper Metallic to Espresso. They also come in several sizes. I have the small one. It works purrrr-fect for my little kitty kat.

They also have other bowls and accesseries. They also have great treats for your K9 family members!

Right now, Loving Pets only has products focused towards dogs, but a new cat line will be available in 2011.

Thank you to Loving Pets for the great Bella Bowl and great new products for my Loving Cat!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day NINE: A Photo I Took

2010-10-27T09:44:00.000-07:00

I love taking photos! I have an absolutely adorable child, so it makes it even more fun!

I took this picture last weekend while staying in a cabin with my family in San Isabel National Forest. We walked all around the lake and found all kinds of fun things and watched the fish!

This one is of the pansies we were growing this past spring/summer. My son picked them out for his flower pot. The greens and purples are beautiful

.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day EIGHT: A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU SAD OR ANGRY

2010-10-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

I had to think about this just a little bit. There is so much as a society and race that makes me sad and angry.

Littering! The picture itself does not make me sad or angry, its the message. It was not until I became a parent that I really opened my eyes and took a look at what I was leaving behind for my children to grow up in. And later on, my grandchildren.

I started to look for pictures about intolerance towards religious freedom. I found some that were horrible! Just as I was about to download it to put up onto today's blog, I realized that I did not want to give anymore power to the people that created these images. Why support the negativity? I found a better picture. A positive one!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day SEVEN: A Picture That Makes You Happy

2010-10-25T06:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Day SEVEN of ALL ABOUT ME IN 30 DAYS!

A PICTURE THAT MAKES ME HAPPY? I picked two.
One that is personal, that I took. And one that I found online and made me smile.

I took this photo on Veteran's Day 2009. This is my Grandpa's grave site in Fort Logan Cemetery.

The kid and I sat and read GREEN EGGS AND HAM to my Grandpa. It was my favorite book as a child and he read it to me all the time. I used the editing tools in photobucket.com.

I love nature. And I found this picture on google images. It is so beautiful. It reminds me what the Earth truly looks like if we slow down.

What is A PICTURE THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY?

All About Me in 30 Days - Day SIX: 20 of My FAVORITE THINGS

2010-10-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

If the topic gets you singing and thinking of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, then you are not alone! I did the exact same thing.
Lets get to it!

1.) My son and husband are my most favorite things! Beyond this point, everything else is mostly ranked the same, but not this! My Bubba and My Rock Star!

2.) I love nature! I love to hike...

3.) I love to camp...

4.) I love to play in the garden and grow things.

5.) Fall... the changing of the leaves, the cooler nights.

6.) Books, books and more books

7.) Movies, in the theater or curled up on the couch.

8.) Listening to music.

9.) Watching my son learn and grow. It still shocks me that I am a mother!

10.) Watching my husband play bass. He is a sponsored bass player. Currently not in a band, but he is damn good. He seems at peace with the world when he plays.

I know he does not look at peace with the world in this picture, but its one of my favorites.

11.) Creating new things. If it is food or a craft.

12.) I love to go dancing. Ladies Nights are the best!

13.) Helping others. I help my grandmother around the house all the time. I am her gardener.

14.) Sleeping! OH SLEEPING!!! I miss it so! Having a kid takes sleep away.

15.) Sitting on my patio on a beautiful summer night, with a glass of wine and my hubby or some great friends. Listening to the crickets!

16.) Playing Santa. For the past 15 years, I have helped my grandmother put out the Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.

17.) Sitting on 16th Street Mall or walking around Manitou Springs with my best friend and a starbucks every December for our Mommy's Day Out.

18.) Shooting pool. I once worked at a Pool Hall and I LOVED it!

19.) Camp fires! I wish I could have a fire pit on my patio.

20.) When one of my nieces or nephews call me Aunt Gretchen. It makes me feel loved and important.

All About Me in 30 Days - Day FIVE: FAVORITE QUOTE

2010-10-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

You have different types of quotes. You have silly ones, funny ones, serious ones, ones that you need a translator for, and all in between. Quotes from movies, music, president, friend, grandparent or even yourself.

My FAVORITE QUOTE is both a silly one and an important one. The way it is worded is the silly part and the message is the important part.

Have you ever seen the movie OUT COLD?

It is a great and funny movie! It is one of those that you know all the words too. If it is your first time watching or your 139 th time, you still laugh until your sides hurt and fall on the floor crying!

"No regrets. Thats my motto. That, and everybody whang chung tonight."

I totally agree! NO REGRETS! And the whole Wang Chung Tonight is just funny as hell!

All About Me in 30 Days - Day FOUR: FAVORITE BOOK

2010-10-21T07:26:00.000-07:00

Books..... Books.... Books.....

I am addicted to books. Not necessarily reading them, but buying them. Eventually I will read all of them, but I do not see that day being in the near future.

I day dream about having one of those libraries in my house that you see in old movies, like My Fair Lady, with a second and third floor, ladders, desks and chairs! Oh my! That would be my dream.

I walk into a library and I get excited. I am so not aloud to go into The Tattered Cover or Barnes and Nobel all by myself. I get into BIG trouble!

So far, WICKED: TheLife and Times of TheWicked Witch of the West: a novel written by
Gregory Maguire is my favorite book! Which is not surprising, after all, my favorite movie is Wizard of Oz.

Gregory Maguire writes wonderful spins of old stories, like CINDERELLA and SNOW WHITE. And that is exactly what he does with WICKED.

The story is told from the Wicked Witch of The West's side. How she grew up, how she met Glinda, and all about the Munchkins and Dorothy.

The book has become such a hit that they turned it into a Broadway Musical as well.

Here are some wonderful quotes from the book:

“She didn’t know what she thought. Was Elphaba devil’s spawn? Was she half-elf? Was she punishment for her father’s failure as a preacher or for her mother’s sloppy morals and bad memory? Or was she merely a physical ailment, a blight like a misshapen apple or a five legged calf? Nanny knew her worldview was foggy and chaotic, pestered by demons, faith, and folk science.” (31)

“The first wave of discussion about Elphaba concerned her wardrobe and her evident poverty, as if her classmates were above noticing her sickly and sickening color” (74)

“”The creatures of makeshift lives, the hobbled together, the disenfranchised and the abused: the Lion, the Scarecrow, the maimed Tin Woodman. Up from the shadows for an instant, up into the light; then back. The Goddess of Gifts the last, reaching in among flames and water, cradling her, crooning something, but the words remain unclear.” (403)

All About Me in 30 Days - Day THREE: Favorite TV Show

2010-10-20T08:54:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of ALL ABOUT ME IN 30 DAYS!
( I will be away from my computer for 3 days, so I am doing an extra day today and two extra tomorrow.)

What is your FAVORITE TV SHOW?

I love TV! If I do not watch myself, I will get nothing done around the house and just watch TV. I love Drama, Comedy, Romance, Horror... I enjoy almost anything but most Reality TV. That just annoys me to no end.

Sons Of Anarchy is an amazing show! Premiers Tuesday Nights on FX.

This show is not for everyone. And that is okay.

It is dramatic, very real, and very intense. Not for young children. There is violence, some nudity and adult language.

The show is about a motorcycle club based out of Charming, California (Fictional Town). The main character is Jax. And the story is mainly based on how he is conflicted with life and the club.

There are so many wonderful actors playing amazing rolls! Some well known names such as
Ron Perlman and Katey Sagal.

Some not so well know names such as Charlie Hunnam, who plays Jax.

And then there are those actors who have been in EVERYTHING, but you never quite remember their names, Kim Coates and Tommy Flanagan, just to name a couple.
Henry Rollins had a role in Season 2.

I highly recommend this show to anyone who likes motorcycles, real and intense shows and has an open mind!

What is your FAVORITE TV SHOW?

All About Me in 30 Days - Day TWO: Favorite Movie

2010-10-20T08:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to the second day of ALL ABOUT ME IN 30 DAYS! Have you joined in yet?
Today is FAVORITE MOVIE!

Again.... I have to pick just one????? I love movies almost as much as I love music.
I learned my lesson with the FAVORITE SONG and decided to go with a safe bet with my FAVORITE MOVIE. It has been one of my favorites ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper!

Just think.... There's no place like home..... There's no place like home!

Yes, The Wizard of Oz!

I love the singing.

I love the munchkins.

I love the Wicked Witch!

Ruby Slippers !!!

A horse of different color.

Flying monkeys anyone?

And Yes, I have tried adding Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon album with the movie. Also called The Dark Side of the Rainbow. It is really cool! It actually works!

What is your FAVORITE MOVIE?

All About Me In 30 Days - Day ONE: Favorite Song

2010-10-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ugh! For anyone that knows me, this is a VERY difficult question to answer! I listen to EVERYTHING! I have favorite songs in different genera, for different eras! I LOVE Metal and Rock. I love country, 80s, disco, classical, and everything in between!

I decided on a song that has become one of my favorite songs as of the past couple years. Nikki Sixx from the band, Motley Crue, did a great album with two other great musicians. The album is the soundtrack to his book The Heroin Diaries.
This song is such a wonderful song about life, ups and downs, learning and everything in between!! Enjoy! Sixx A.M. Life is Beautiful

All About Me in 30 Days

2010-10-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

So best friend, Suzanne, over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom started doing this great meme that she found through one of her blogs that she follows, Simply Stacie who found it through Nolie’s Place. It is called ALL ABOUT ME IN 30 DAYS!
This is a fun way to not only get to know each other, but to get to know yourself! Come on and lets do it together!

Here’s the post line-up:

· Day 1 – your favorite song

· Day 2 – your favorite movie

· Day 3 – your favorite television program

· Day 4 – your favorite book

· Day 5 – your favorite quote

· Day 6 – 20 of my favorite things

· Day 7 – a photo that makes you happy

· Day 8 – a photo that makes you angry/sad

· Day 9 – a photo you took

· Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you

· Day 11 – a photo of you recently

· Day 12 – something you are OCD about

· Day 13 – a fictional book

· Day 14 – a non-fictional book

· Day 15 – your dream house

· Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)

· Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)

· Day 18 – your wedding/future wedding/past wedding

· Day 19 – a talent of yours

· Day 20 – a hobby of yours

· Day 21 – a recipe

· Day 22 – a website

· Day 23 – a youtube video

· Day 24 – where I live

· Day 25 – your day, in great detail

· Day 26 – your week, in great detail

· Day 27 – my worst habit

· Day 28 – what’s in my handbag/purse

· Day 29 – hopes,dreams, plans for the next 365 days

· Day 30 – a dream for the future beyond the next year

A New Beginning

2010-10-15T12:50:00.000-07:00

I am sorry blog and my 3 followers that I have been gone for so long. I have been working on my new beginning.

A new place to live, an apartment, with a fairly nice sized patio. My flowers enjoyed if very much until the weather started to turn.

Coming Soon.....

Pictures of my new patio and new home for my little garden.

A Change in Life

2010-04-22T14:45:00.000-07:00

I have been neglecting my blog for several weeks. I am sorry blog. And to my 3 followers. Life has taken a turn, for the best hopefully!

Due to personal reasons, I will not be remodeling my back yard. I will be working on a whole different one. We are moving. We do not know when, but in the next several months. If we get this one house we have looked at, I will be VERY busy when it comes to gardening and overall out door maintenance. But there is another house that has a wonderful yard and I would just have to keep it up. Once I know something, I will let ya know. But.....I have a wonderful front yard and back yard project that I am currently working on with my Mom.

My grandmother has a big yard and several years ago she spent $15,000 to have it re done. Being that my grandmother is over 80 years in age, she has not been able to keep up with it. Us kids and grandkids try to do our best to help. Now that my mom is only working one job, we have permission from Grandma to work on her yard.

Every Mother's Day, we buy my grandmother flowers for her garden and we plant them and do the spring time clean up of the yard and put out her garden gnomes and such. This year we will be doing that, but we have other things in mind as well. Planters, rocks, grass... And she also wants us to help keep up on things. So, until I have a new yard to work on, and even after, I will have my grandmother's gardens to work on.

One of my Grandmother's favorite garden statues. They sit near her Bleeding Hearts.

Part Two of Before Pictures

2010-03-26T11:28:00.001-07:00

In Part One of Before Pictures, I showed my front yard. Not much that I needed to do with it. If I was actually in charge of my whole front yard, I actually would have done SO MUCH!

This is Part Two of Before Pictures. These are pictures of my back yard. There is A LOT that needs to be done with the back.

This is a picture of the main part of the back yard taken from the gate on the west side.

And now lets flip it! This is a picture of the other side of the yard!

The bike is already gone and the grill will be leaving us soon.... hopefully! Gotta get the money to buy a new one before the hubby will let me get rid of the old one. Anyone need a grill that needs some work???

The toys will eventually be put towards the back. That will be Grady's play area.

I plan on putting flag stone in the rest of the yard. Starting at the patio and moving back. Then I will put container gardens all over the place. We will also add a table and chairs and a fire pit! To be completely honest, the only reason we are really cleaning up the back is so we can have a fire pit. Shhhh.... Don't tell!

Dan's grass that grew too late!

My lil' Sheba Kitty! She loves the outside. We hope to be able to plant some catnip for her to have fun with!

It is spring in Colorado, which means there is snow. Lots of heavy, wet snow! Once the snow melts and things dry out just a little bit, I will be back there shoveling rocks and pullin weeds.

HAPPY OSTARA!

2010-03-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

HAPPY OSTARA! Or also known as the first day of Spring!

Oh how I have been waiting for Spring! Warmer weather! Rain! Everything starts to get green before the summer heat comes and makes it all brown.

This is the first year that my son has been old enough to do sabbat/holiday fun. In our house, we celebrate the pagan sabbats and the traditional holidays. But Easter is not about Jesus in our house. It is about the Easter Bunny bringing chocolate! Just like at Christmas time, it is when Santa brings the good little girls and boys gifts. Not about Jesus! The Sabbats are our spiritual time to celebrate and the holidays are our materialistic time to celebrate. I was raised Catholic and my husband was raised Protestant... I think. So we still celebrate those holidays our own way.

This year, we dyed Ostara/ Easter Eggs! We let Grady just dive in!

It was so much fun! He still has dye on his hands!

And I hung plastic eggs from my roof. I got this great idea from reading a wonderful book I have called Sabbats: A Witch's Approach to Living the Old Ways written by Edain McCoy.

I bought a bag of 12 colored plastic Easter eggs at Wal Mart.

They already had holes in the top, so I did not have to make my own. The book suggests that you use a drill bit no bigger then on-sixteenth inch. And to keep the drill at a low speed so you do not melt the plastic.

Take embroidery floss or string and lace it through. I had mine different lengths. You can have yours at any length you would like.

Then hang them from a tree or bush in your yard. I hung mine from the roof because I do not have a tree and the eggs did not look all that great on the bush.

I am going to keep the Eggs up until after Easter. They are so easy to make and they look really great outside as a decoration!

What are different things that you do with your family for the Sabbat or Holiday?

First Phase of Front Yard Complete!

2010-03-20T11:14:00.001-07:00

When I started on the front yard of the house, one side looked like this:

Now it looks like this!

The other side looked half done:

And now it looks done!

I worked VERY hard and long for 2 days, racking and shoveling and pulling weeds and carrying buckets of rock! I feel good!
The nice weather did not last long. It snowed the day after I took the "After" pictures. So until the snow melts, I will be doing my research on gardening. Almost done taking notes on Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up by Ellen Dugan!

Part One of Before Pictures

2010-03-05T08:29:00.001-08:00

This past week as been BEAUTIFUL in Colorado! It is spring weather. But unfortunately, March is our snowiest month and I do not plan on the nice weather lasting much longer. So, while the snow is melted and the temperature is up and sun shinning, I decided to take my "Before" pictures of my yard.

Now, I am starting with my front yard. My front yard is the easiest out of the two. Mainly because I live in a patio home and the HOA is suppose to have a landscaping company come out and take care of the "common grounds". Us, the home owners, are in charge of our own backyards. The landscaping company makes sure the grass looks good and the trees and most bushes are trimmed. That is it. Some of us home owners have taken it upon ourselves to fix up our rock beds and such.

Last fall I started moving the rocks from my back yard into my front yard rock beds. Before I started doing this, our rock beds were dirt beds with 5 rocks holding hands. Now, one side looks like a half done rock bed, thanks to me:)

As long as the weather stays nice, I do plan on filling my rock beds next week. I will need to pick up the trash and pull the weeds first. And eventually, I would like to put a couple planters out there. Maybe a wind chime.

This use to be a really nice "stepping stone" with moons and stars on it. As you can see, someone stepped on it. I got it at the Dollar Store.

All pictures were taken by me.

Garden Research

2010-03-01T06:06:00.000-08:00

I truly do not know the first thing about gardening! Well... I know that the plant goes in soil and that you have to give it sun or no sun and you have to water it. That is about it! So I decided to do some research. Not only so I know what I am doing, but also to find what I want in my garden!

The only book I have read so far is Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up by Ellen Dugan:

I love it! I am currently RE-reading it! Ellen writes about the different magickal properties of herbs and plants, How to incorporate color magick into your garden, different crafts you can make, and she also shares her dos and don'ts that she has come across while gardening. There is so much more in this wonderful book. I learned so much. I had no idea that there are climate zones? And a shade index? WOW!

The next book I am going to read is Gardening for Dummies 7 in 1 book:

I ordered this book off of Amazon.com last week and it should be showing up today! I am so excited! It has 7 of the Gardening for Dummies books in ONE!! So I will get to read all the basics, gardening design, roses, perennials, annuals, bulbs, and vegetables and herbs all in one! So excited!

Do you have a garden? What, if any, research did you do? Do you have any recommendations for me either mundane or pagan? I would love it if you could share! IF you could not tell... I am excited!

A Change in Topic

2010-02-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

I started my lovely blog a little over a year ago. I started because my best friend, Lilith over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom, told me to! (She even set my blog up for me...shhhh... don't tell!)

I started doing the Bloggy Giveaways and then that stopped.

I did a couple reviews. I love doing reviews. I just did not do many.

I really thought about what I wanted my blog to be about. I have come up with idea after idea for over a year now and I finally decided!

I bought the book Garden Witchery: Magick from the Ground Up by Ellen Dugan. I bought this book 5 or 6 years ago. At the time I lived in a apartment in Downtown Denver, Colorado with no yard or balcony. Why would I pick up a book on gardening? Because something told me to. Something deep down inside told me that I would need it one day.

I did not start reading this book until 4 months ago. I was hooked! I am a slow reader so it took me some time to read it and I also took notes as I went along.

My husband, Dan, and I have been trying to re do our little yard for YEARS! We can never finish it! Something always comes up! One thing that definitely comes up is WEEDS! That is the ONLY thing that grows in the back yard. Dan tried to grow grass back there for years when he first moved into the house. It never worked. He tried almost everything. No grass. Only weeds. This past summer, we decided to either put down stamped concrete or flag stone in the entire back yard (it is only 16'x30' ish) and have container gardens. About a week after we decide this, grass started to grow in our backyard. Someone must have been seeding their yard and some flew into ours! It is in patches and it did not last, but I thought it was funny! It was like Mother Nature saying "I'll show you grass!" Dan was PISSED!

I have always loved gardening. My grandfather and I use to do it all the time when I was young. His back yard was always lush and green and beautiful! To be honest, that was really the last time I really gardened except for on Mothers Day when we plant my grandmothers flowers for her to kill... SERIOUSLY! She says she waters them, but they do not look that way! Back to the subject....

I consider myself a VERY new gardener. I have a yard that needs much work on it. Gretel's Modern Day Fairy Tale will now be a gardening journal of sorts. From now on, I will be sharing what I learn as I learn it, what things I did wrong in my garden, Before/During/After pictures of my backyard and any gardening I try to do.

And if anyone has any words of wisdom on gardening do's and don'ts or even on blogging (still very new at) PLEASE SHARE!!! I need all the help I can get!

I have to thank Lilith for getting me into the blogging:) My Grandfather, Fred, for introducing me to Mother Nature, and Ellen Dugan for writing such a wonderful book! I truly felt like I was sitting down talking with a friend as I read it!

So here we go! I hope you enjoy the ride!

YoBaby Yogurt Winner

2009-07-31T15:21:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, Lilith over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom had a HUGE Birthday Bash Giveaway. I was one of the lucky winners of one of the many giveaways. I won a YoBaby bowl with lid, an organic YoBaby bib, and a bundle of five YoBaby coupons. I love it!
I have a One Year old, Grady that eats YoBaby Yogurt all the time! He loves the peach and vanilla yogurts! Thank you Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom and YoBaby!

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce

2009-07-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

Like to cook? Like to BBQ?

Check out Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce!

Country Bob started making his All Purpose Sauce in 1968. He would give it away to family and friends. In 1977 Country Bob decided to start selling his yummy sauce.

I have to say this sauce is AWESOME! My Husband, being the cook in the family, cooked up some chicken breast in a pan with Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. That was all the chicken needed! Nothing added to it! The sauce has a kick to it. A tang! Think BBQ or country home cookin' and you have Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce! Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce is better then ketchup when eating french fries!

The All Purpose Sauce is not the only sauce Country Bob sells! They also have BBQ Sauce, Seasoning Salt and Spicy All Purpose Sauce. They also have great recipes that you may try out as well. Everything from Shrimp Cocktail Sauce to Grilled Pork Tenderloin to Honolulu Bob Burgers.

Hungry yet? Check out their website!

Last Day for Birthday Bash Giveaway!

2009-07-17T13:45:00.000-07:00

Hurry! Hurry!
It is the last day for the Birthday Bash Giveaway over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom!
Today is a double giveaway full of things to clean!
ALL Might Laundry Detergent and “Kiss My Face” natural body cleansing products!
I know I got a messy family, how about you?
Below is my messy one year old!
Pick me! Pick me!

Grady with his Birthday Cake in Florida

Grady eating a cupcake on his actual birthday

Grady eating a cupcake at his BIG PARTY!

More Birthday Bash Giveaways!

2009-07-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

What is better then FREE stuff? Not much:)
My "Soul Sister" over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom is still doing the Birthday Bash giveaway! There are 2 more giveaways up today! Here are what they are!

Tiny Star Couture is offering a set of clips (or two separate clips)
Skin Free was kind enough to offer a $30 gift certificate

Giveaway ends on Friday, July 19, 2009 at midnight (US only)

Grady's 1st Birthday

2009-07-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

Today is Grady's First Birthday!
Has it really been a year?!
Grady is the missing piece to my life that I did not know I was missing!
Thank you, Dan!

Last week, we traveled down to Ocala, Florida to see my in-laws. While we were down there, we celebrated Grady's first birthday, Tyler's 16th birthday, and TJ's High School Graduation (TJ and Tyler are my nephews!).

Today, Grady has decided to go in his "Birthday Suit" until we go to Great Grandma Ginny's for a BBQ in Grady's honor!

Sunday is the BIG party! Friends and Family all together to eat cupcakes, play with squirt guns, blow bubbles and have as much fun as we can on the playground!

(TJ, Grady, and Tyler all waiting to dig into their cake!)

(Grady diggin into his cake!)

2nd Day of the Birthday Bash

2009-07-09T11:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!

Today is Day 2 of the Birthday Bash over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom! Today she is giving a way a Nalgene bottle! Totally check it out!

Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom's Birthday Bash!

2009-07-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

So one of my favorite people is having a birthday today. And to celebrate, she has put together a huge blog giveaway! Check it out! It starts today and goes until the 17th!

Roar vs. Meow

2009-04-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

My 9 month old son, Grady, has learned to ROAR like a lion. For whatever reason, he loves the L block. This morning he started Roaring at our cat, Sheba. It kinda scared her a little bit. I guess the next block we are going to learn is C for Cat...Meow....

Daddy and Baby

2009-04-08T05:55:00.000-07:00

My son, Grady, always has his "Cranky Time" right around dinner. The only thing that will calm him down is picking him up. My husband, Dan, is the cook in the family. He found a way to make Grady happy when making dinner. Teach him how to cook!

They are the cutest!

Valentine's Day Top 10

2009-02-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

Lilith over at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom posted this blog and I thought it looked so cute! Below is where she found the blog idea and why she likes their blog:

" One of my favorite blogs to hit daily is Marriage Actually, it is a blog shared by Marye and Marc Audet and they are honest. Honest, kind and very good writers. They seem to have issues we all have, and learn how to deal with them.. together."

After reading Lilith's Top 10 on her boyfriend, Dave, I decided I wanted to do one on my wonderful husband, Dan. It is Valentine's Day!

1.) He has the most amazing blue eyes!
2.) After 3 years I still get butterflies in my stomach when I am about to see him!
3.) He is a smart cookie.
4.) His hugs are the best thing in the world! Nothing can hurt me when I am in his arms.
5.) He has an awesome memory! I hate it when we argue and he remembers things I don't, but besides that I truly love it!
6.) He makes Grady giggle in a way that no one can!
7.) He is my sugar daddy! ( Had to put a silly one!)
8.) He is just as much of a shopaholic as I am.
9.) He gets me. I do not know why or how, he just does.
10.) He can usually be my yin to my yang... and me to his.

Happy Valentine's Day! I am going to go and spend the day with my boys!

Still Learning

2009-01-28T14:14:00.000-08:00

So I am still learning how this blog thing works. To be honest, I did not do my blog, Lilith did. She did a wonderful job!!! But how do I add buttons? Where? What are tweets? I need help!

I am currently doing the Bloggy Giveaways and to get extra entries you can add another persons blog button to yours or a link. I was going to do that, but where do I put it? Does it matter?

So here is where I will put the button until I know where a better place is!

Now I can get my extra entry!

Bloggy Giveaways!

2009-01-26T07:52:00.000-08:00

It is that time! Time for the Bloggy Giveaways!

I promised Suzi that I would be on the ball this time around. Last Bloggy Giveaway, I found out a couple of days after it started and it was when I first started blogging. I haven't gotten much farther, but at least I have blogs up!

Do check this out! It is a lot of fun!
Happy Blogging!

Weight Lose

2009-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

I am trying to lose weight, as every woman does after having a baby. I have read that it is perfectly ok for me to look 6 months pregnant still. Well, maybe, but I feel so uncomfortable.
I hate going out in public unless I have my son with me. I do not want people to think I am just plain fat or still pregnant.
I am now trying to diet, which never works, and work out as much as I can, with what I have.

Lilith over at at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom is also working out and dieting. Being in a similar boat I am. She also has little ones! (By the way they are way too cute!)
Here is a question that she has thrown out there in relation to all of this:

How did your week go? What favorite exercise did you learn?

My week was way crazy. I have been watching Lilith's 2 youngest daughters, ages 1 and 2, plus my 6 month old son. They keep me on my toes! Plus having a husband and other obligations, I have been running around very sleep deprived.
My favorite exercise that I have made up is I like to put my son on my belly while I am laying in a crunch position and I lift my pelvis up off the ground over and over again. He giggles because it bounces him and I get a work out. I also put him on my legs (stomach on shins) and in a crunch position, with my head off the ground, I lift my legs to a 90 degree angle. Now my son is 25lbs. and it does make for a very hard workout. I have to watch myself. But this keeps him entertained and I get exercise. Plus, I run up and down the stairs all day long!

Grady's First Tooth

2009-01-20T07:40:00.001-08:00

So yesterday, Grady cut his first tooth! And he has a second one that will be making an appearance in about a week or so. I can not believe that my son has a tooth! Its hard for me to imagine that he is at that stage already! He is so much pain. He has been up all night for the past 2 nights. Daddy and I are really tired! And on top of it, he has his first cold. It's not a bad one, just enough to make him snotty and cough.
I bought those dissolving teething pills that several people have recommended and he likes them. I was afraid that he would chock on them, but the dissolve pretty quickly. And we also do the whiskey on the gums, even though everyone says not to. People have been doing it for generations. Seriously? Its not like I am giving him a full shot of Jack. I put a very little on my finger and put it on his gums.
Once the tooth is more visible, I will put up a picture.

Grady's 6th Month Check Up

2009-01-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

So my child is HUGE!!! Today is his 6th month birthday! And he had his 6th month check up. He is 24lbs 7 oz, 28.25 in long! Big boy! And everyone in the doctors office, including the patients, were going nuts over him! "Oh he is so cute!" "What a Stud!" "He is so Happy!" He is going to have a Grady Cult by the time he is a year old!

Also, Happy Birthday LaLa! One year old today! Shes soooo cute!

Bucket List

2008-12-22T07:15:00.000-08:00

The Bucket List
Hit copy and place an (x) by all the things you've done and remove the (x) from the ones you have not. This is for your entire life!

( ) Been to Europe
( ) Been on a cruise
( ) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
( ) Been to Canada
(x ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
( ) Been on the opposite side of the country
( ) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Been to Vegas
( ) Climbed a lighthouse
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Rolled in the snow
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Seen the Cherry Blossoms in Washington , D.C.
(x) Played cops and robbers
( ) Been present in a confrontation where guns were pulled
( ) Been in a knock down drag out fight
( ) Flown a plane
( ) Owned a boat
( ) Watched grandchildren grow
(x) Recently colored with crayons
( ) Been to the Kentucky Derby
( ) Been to Key West
(x) Been to a rodeo
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
(x) Accused the family dog of flatulating
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Had sex outdoors
(x) Had a near death experience
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
( ) Seen the green flash at sunset
(X) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Owned a convertible (Does a soft top Jeep Wrangler count? The roof came off!!)
(x) Been in an outside hot tub when it was snowing

1. Any nickname? Gretch, Gretchie, G, G Bear, Gretel, Mommy
2. Mother's name ? Dianne
3. Body Piercing ? 2 in each ear, I took out my belly button when I was pregnant
4. How much do you love your job? I love it!
5. Birthplace ? Denver, CO
6. Been to Hawaii ? No
7. Ever been to Africa ? No
8. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Yes
9. Ever been on TV? Yes, A lot after my step brother died in the Chuck E. Cheese Murders
10. Ever steal any traffic sign ? No
11. Ever been in a car accident? Yes
12. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle ? 4-door
13. Favorite number? 13
14. Favorite movie ? Wizard of Oz
15. Favorite holiday ? Christmas
16. Favorite dessert? Right now is Christmas Cookies
18. Favorite food ? Gnocchis
19. Favorite day of the week ? Friday
20. Favorite brand of body wash ? Dove
21. Favorite smell ? Apple Cinnamon
22. How do you relax? Cuddle with Dan
23. How do you see yourself in 10 years ?Happy, Out of Debt, with more kids, in a bigger house

Bloggy Award

2008-12-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

This bloggy award was given to me by Suzanne at Crunchy Green Lovin' Mom

The rules for this one is to admit my 5 addictions and then pass it onto another 5 blogs…

1. Little Debbie Oatmeal Pies!
2. Shopping! I am a born shopaholic!
3. To making my son giggle! He is so Damn cute
4. Buying books. I dont read a lot, but I love books!
5.My husband! I love him more then I ever thought I could!

I'm passing this onto:

Suzanne- She already did it, but I only have 2 people that read my blog right now.
Stephanie- Because she is the second person that reads my blog!

About Me...

2008-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hello!
I am Gretchen! This is obviously my first blog. My best friend, Suzanne, has been trying to get me into blogging for at least a year. She went so far to put this page together for me. The least I can do is put something on here! My New Years resolution is going to actually be to start blogging.
So....a little about me. I live in Aurora, Colorado. I am a 27 year old stay at home mom. In a previous life I was a bartender and I miss it sometimes. Just the making of drinks and the business, not the drunk people! My husband, Dan, is a wonderful man. He is an awesome father. Our son, Grady, is currently 5 months old. He is, what Dan calls, a Baby Huey. He already weighs 25 lbs! He is such a happy baby. Hes silly and stubborn. I have a cat named Sheba. She is approximately 10 years old. Shes a beautiful black cat with a little white on her chest and has yellow eyes. She is the Queen of the House! I am very close to my family. And I was blessed with awesome in-laws. The only downfall is that they live in Florida.
I follow the pagan path and to be more exact, the Celtic Path. A good portion of my linage is from Europe and the British Isles, it only felt natural to me. I am very open minded. I don't care if you follow a different path then I do. Its your path. Do not judge me and I wont judge you!
I love music. I am a metal head from birth! Love my metal! But I listen to everything! Well....almost everything! I love nature. Going camping is one of my favorite things to do. I love to hike. I love the rain and fall time. Do not really care for snow. Go figure...I live in Colorado and don't like snow! I was born here and probably will not move anywhere else.
Well....I think that is a good start. I may not post another blog until after the first of the new year. But who knows! Another one may pop up before then!