Summerstead

Guess Where I Am

2012-01-24T06:07:00.007-06:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I'm hanging out over at Kindra's today, sharing with everyone how I made these:

Come on over and say "HI!" While you're there, prepare to be inspired by all of this year's participants!

Be Mine Bonanza

2012-01-23T09:07:00.000-06:00

Oh, my! Things have been ca-ra-zy around here! So much to do, with almost no time to do it. Have you ever had one of those days where it feels like every time you turn around, you have another thing piled on your plate? That's been the last few months for me.

A big thanks to all of you who emailed to let me know my feedburner sign up wasn't working. I think it's fixed, now, and I signed up those of you who sent me emails asking me to do so. You should have received an email authorizing your subscription (or should receive one soon).

Between my plate being piled up through the roof, and trying to fix this whole feedburner thing, I have dropped the ball, and almost forgot to let you all know about a great event going on this week. It's Kindra's 2nd Annual Be Mine Bonanza!

It started yesterday with Kindra's tutorial for some great Sweetheart Ornaments. I'm thinking it's time to dig out my mirror spray paint and some spare frames, and dig through my craft supplies to see if I have any little mirrors in my stash!

Today, Christina shared how she made an adorable Throw Pillow. Considering my ongoing addiction to cute pillows, I probably should have bypassed this post. As it is, I'll be going through my fabrics today, and since I won't be able to decide on just one, there's a good chance that my mom, sis-in-law, and nieces will also be finding a version of this pillow in their homes/rooms!

Tomorrow is my turn (so be sure to check it out!), and the rest of the week looks a little like this:

Wednesday - Tiffany

Thursday - Sarah

Friday - Michelle

Saturday - Gwen

I have never really decorated for Valentine's Day because I'm not too big on the hearts-y, pastel-y stuff, but the tutorials that were posted during last year's Be Mine Bonanza have not only inspired me, but they've made me look forward to decorating for Valentine's Day! I can't wait to see what the rest of this week brings!

What's for Dinner?

2012-01-12T10:44:00.002-06:00

Every weekday, between 4:00-5:30, I hear "What's for dinner?" at least 6 times (more on weekends). Keep in mind there are only 4 of us who live here, and I almost never have to ask myself this question. So, yeah. Because everybody thinks they're starving all the time, and nobody listens, I have to answer the same question a minimum of half a dozen times in an hour. I'm hoping that since we can all read, I will not longer have to answer, "What's for Dinner?" Instead, I'll get a workout as I constantly point to our new menu board!

I used the same, super easy method that I used for my Perpetual Calendar and the boys' Chore Charts.

Supplies Needed:
10x13 Frame
2 sheets 12x12 scrapbooking paper
Printer & Printer paper
Scissors
Dry Erase Marker
Glue/Double stick tape
Regular scotch tape
Ruler & pencil (or paper cutter with ruler if you have one)

Cut the "header" paper (the green paper I used behind the M-E-N-U letters) so that it measures 3 x 10 inches.

Cut the body paper so that it measures 10 x 10½ inches.

Print and cut your letters.

Take the back off your frame, and lay your body paper in the frame so it butts up against the bottom. Then lay the header paper in so it butts up against the top of the frame. Tape the 2 pieces of paper together where they overlap. Mine overlapped about ½ an inch.

Take the papers out of the frame, and attach your letters. Pop it back in the frame, attach the back of the frame, and you're done!

Sources, Notes, & Costs:
Frame - Walmart, $5
Scrapbooking Paper - Hobby Lobby 59¢ each (I got them on sale for 1/2 off)

To download and print a PDF with the letters I used, click here. The smaller letters are 1 inch circles, so if you have a punch that size, it'll make it go a lot faster!

**I think I fixed the PDF link so you don't have to log in or create an account in order to be able to us it. Sorry for the inconvenience!**

January Photo Fun List

2012-01-01T00:01:00.003-06:00

HAPPY 2012!
Looking through my pictures from 2011, I realized that I didn't take nearly as many as usual. We tend to ignore the everyday details, and I've decided I'm done ignoring the little things. Sometimes those are the things that bring back the best memories.

Without further ado, here is the January Photo Fun List:

Stacks of Sweaters

Bowls of Soup

Cups of Hot Cocoa

Something Blue

Your Choice

I'll be posting my photos on January 31st. Please feel free to link up!

Photo Fun

2011-12-28T00:01:00.015-06:00

Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! I had a really hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year, and haven't been in much of a posting mood. This month has just been one of those "blah" months.

Before I tell you about my photo fun, I do have a small PSA for you all...If you keep guns in your house, please, Please, PLEASE don't be a dumbass and leave a loaded gun laying around where your young children can get to it. The hubby's aunt lost her 5-year-old grandbaby on December 23rd due to this kind of carelessness.

Now, onto our regularly scheduled program:
Every year, I think about doing the 365 Photo Challenge, but it never seems to work out. I get busy, or I have a creative block, or I just forget. For 2012, I'm going to try something new, and I invite you all to join me!

The first day of every month, I will post a list of 5 things to take pictures of during the month. On the last day, I will share with you my photos, and there will be an area for you to link up to yours, as well. The link will be open for one week, and at the end of that week (depending on the amount of participation), I will pick one photo from each category for a spotlight.

You don't have to be a professional or have any fancy/expensive photo editing software. You don't even have to have a DSLR. The only reasons for this exercise are:
1. Become more familiar and comfortable with my camera
2. Practice taking different kinds of shots and improving my photography skills
3. Have fun!

First list goes up January 1 - hope to see you there!

70 Years

2011-12-07T09:06:00.001-06:00

Always Remember

via

Simple Tree Skirt Tutorial

2011-11-21T14:14:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving is only days away, which means Christmas is right around the corner! Every year, I go in search of the perfect tree skirt for our tree. I want something pretty, but really busy, and I want it to be reasonably priced. I've never been able to find a tree skirt that fit all three criteria, so I decided to make my own.

*I have actually added a really cute pleated trim since this picture was taken. I'll get a new picture taken soon. It just adds an extra bit of prettiness!*

This tutorial is for a tree skirt that measures about 36” in diameter. For mine, I decided to use only a single layer of fabric, but I’ll include instructions for a skirt with a top, batting, and underside.

Materials:
1 1/8 - 2¼ yards fabric, pre-washed
If you want a different fabric for the top and bottom of the skirt, you’ll need about 1 1/8 yards of each fabric.
1 Fat Quarter, pre-washed OR 3½ yards bias tape
Coordinating Thread
Batting (optional)
Pencil
String
Ruler & Yard stick

Instructions:
1. Fold your fabric in half, right sides together. Then fold in half again.

2. From the folded corner, measure out 18” along each side, and a few spots between the two sides. Make a mark at each spot.

3. Tie your string to your pencil. Place your pencil on one of your marks, then pull the string to the corner.
Hold the string in the corner while you draw the lines from dot to dot. I found it is easier to make short dashes instead of one long line.

4. Cut along your line through all four layers.

5. We have an artificial tree, so my inner circle is only 1¼” diameter. (If you have a real tree, you will want to make yours larger. Just measure the diameter of your trunk and divide that in half to figure how far from the corner you need to measure for the inner circle.) From the corner, measure out about ¾” and make your marks.

6. Draw your lines to connect the dots.

7. Cut out the inner circle, then unfold your skirt half way.

8. Slip your scissors between the two layers, and cut along one folded edge from the outside to the inner circle.

9. If you want to add any kind of embellishments, appliqués, reverse appliqués, etc to the top of your skirt, now is the time to do it.

If you’re just doing a single layer, skip to #12.

10. This is a quick and easy way to cut the batting (you can also use old towels, mattress pads, etc) and backing fabric. Lay the backing fabric right side down. Layer the batting and top of tree skirt, and pin together.

11. Using the skirt top as your pattern, simply cut around it through the batting and backing fabric.

You can go here to find a tutorial I posted a while back on how to get several yards of bias tape from just one fat quarter.

12. Once you have your bias tape ready, all you have to do is sew it along the rough edges, and you’re done!

Rolling In The Deep

2011-11-15T06:17:00.001-06:00

Rolling In The Deep by Adele

Thank You

2011-11-11T06:56:00.001-06:00

Thank you, Veterans.

Your courage, strength, and sacrifice mean more than you will ever know.

LMFAO

2011-11-01T06:29:00.007-05:00

After seeing a certain commercial a few times, this song was downloaded and quickly put on to 2 MP3 players here. It gets played many mornings before school - it's a great energizer for a couple of boys who would rather sleep in!

Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO

This is such a fun song that really gets into your head, so I decided to look a little for some other songs by these guys. While browsing YouTube, I came across a video that makes me want to wash my eyes out. It's a fun, silly song called "Sexy and I Know It". I immediately thought of Right Said Fred and their goofiness, so I checked it out. Um, yeah. It left me a little speechless. And, of course, when something leaves me slightly disturbed, I have to show my husband. Poor guy. The video is full of guys in speedos "flinging their junk all over the place" (hubby's extremely accurate description).

Day 31 - A Thought to Ponder

2011-10-31T06:30:00.004-05:00

"You have to make peace with yourself.

The key is to find the harmony in what you have."

Naomi Watts

Day 30 - The 5 Languages

2011-10-30T06:12:00.039-05:00

I have a niece who is somewhat challenging. She is extremely smart (maybe too smart) and can be very stubborn. And, she can throw a fit like none I've ever seen before. Don't get me wrong, I love her dearly. She's sweet, fun, spunky, and awesomely hilarious. But, when she gets in one of her moods, it's sometimes best to just duck and take cover.

In an effort to try to create a more peaceful environment, my brother did one of the things he does best. Research. He came across some books to help better understand your family. They're called "The 5 Love Languages". There are several books including ones for couples, apologies, children, and parents of teenagers.

The 5 languages are: Words of Affirmation, Physical Touch, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, and Acts of Service. Everybody needs to receive a little of each, but after taking a quiz, you'll find out which two are the most important to you. Those two are the languages that you need to "hear" the most from those around you.

The books go into more depth about everything, but you can take the quizzes here for free! We haven't read the books, but the boys, hubby, and I have all taken the online quizzes, and we're so glad we did. People tend to do for others what they want done for them. Different people have different needs, though, and these quizzes will help you find what your loved ones need from you.

I can tell you that since we took these quizzes, we have been able to create a much more harmonious family dynamic.

Day 29 - Make Memories

2011-10-29T08:11:00.003-05:00

Not so long ago, the boys and I had a wonderful conversation that nearly brought me to tears. They had gotten together, and decided to sit me down for a talk. The way that day had been going, I was expecting them to tell me something that would give me more stress.

They looked so serious when we sat down at the table to talk. Then, they told me how much they appreciate the memories I help make for them. They love that I went to their scout camps with them this summer, and they love it when I take them to the local museum and the living history museum about 45 minutes away (buying a membership for one also gives you a membership for the other - probably the best $45 we spend every year). They enjoy the picnics we take and the games we play.

Making memories with and for your kids isn't difficult at all, and it doesn't have to be expensive. Kids just want to spend time with their parents. If you're at a loss for ideas, just think back to when you were a kid, and try to do the things you remember. Don't get stressed out, and don't try to make everything just perfect. Learn to laugh when things don't go as planned (like when you get the plates and food all set out for a picnic, and the sky that had been perfectly clear all day decides to open the flood gates), and let the kids help make the plans.

Day 28 - Soak It All In

2011-10-28T10:16:00.000-05:00

One of the best pieces of advice I received when I got marries was to take just a couple of minutes for yourself, and just look around and soak it all in.

Every once in a while, I still do that. I'd love to remind myself every day how lucky I am, but I get busy, so I it's not often that I have a chance and remember to take a few moments to really soak it all in. "It" is my life.

We're not rich, and we have our fair share of struggles, but my husband and I are able to provide our boys with a warm bed at night and we can keep food on the table. While Bug and Awesome don't get everything on their Birthday and Christmas lists, they do get enough to make them feel as though it was a good Birthday or Christmas, by 7- and 10-year-old standards.

We're luckier than a lot of people, and it's important that we all know and appreciate this little fact. The important thin is that we're happy. And, it makes me especially happy when I catch my husband or one of the boys just sitting back and soaking it all in.

Day 27 - Know Your Limitations

2011-10-27T07:27:00.001-05:00

I had all but 1 day of my 31 Days planned, and at least most of those posts written (or at least started). Except today.

Last Friday and Saturday were the dates for a local Haunted House. My sis-in-law is part of the town's improvement committee, and since we did such an AWESOME job for Bug's Halloween themed 7th birthday party (including a haunted house we set up in 1 day in a small conference room), she was asked, about 4 years ago, to plan one as a fundraiser.

We get to use an old 100+ year old school whose last classes were held in 2006-2007. The first year, we used the basement, but we now use the upstairs area that includes a couple of classrooms, a gym, and a stage (and a few long hallways).

I usually have a role in our haunted house (I missed one year due to migraines), and we have a blast. Each year gets better and better, even though attendance was down a little this year. Usually the farmers are finishing up the harvesting season by now. This year, they're right in the middle of it. People have also finally realized that we don't tolerate rude and disorderly drunks, which has also cut down a little on the attendance. I think this is the first year we haven't had to kick anybody out! Yay!

Jigglypuff Snugglypoops (left) has been our fearless leader the last 2 years. He's played by my rock star nephew, Holden. He's incredibly witty and hilarious, which makes it hard for us to keep a straight face when we're trying to scare people! Jigglypuff Snugglypoops (or "Killer" for short) leads our guests through their worst nightmares (and an UBER AWESOME vortex - I'll have to see if I have video of it somewhere, it's soooo cool!) so they don't get lost. This year, we also had Bongina (right) bringing up the rear. No matter how hard Killer tries to keep the groups together, there are always stragglers, so we have found that it's best to have someone follow behind. Bongina was created and played by J's fearless uncle Mike.

The HH ran Friday and Saturday night from 8 to midnight both nights. When we say 8-midnight, it means that as long as people get their names on the list before midnight, they get to come through. This means that we end up running till 1 or 2am. And, after visiting with the other haunters and munching away on soups, crackers, candy, and cookies, you don't get home till at least an hour after the last group of hauntees comes through.

If you're like me, and are usually in bed and asleep by 10pm most nights, this will kick your butt. For a week. I'm still recovering, which means the housework has been suffering a little. So, yeah. I'm definitely learning what my limitations are. But, I do think that a one week hangover is definitely a worthy price to pay for being able to scare the bejeezus out of people!

Day 26 - Go Off The Grid

2011-10-26T06:10:00.003-05:00

Several years ago, I believe it was 2005-2006, we had an ice storm. It was baaaad. While the town 15 miles away got some ice, they didn't get what we did. We lost power for several days. I would have loved to take my family into town to stay at my uncle's house, but it was impossible to get there. We barely made it to the in-laws' house 5 miles away.

Why did we leave the safety and coldness of our own home? Because they had an attached garage, and a wood stove in that garage. There were 11 of us living in a 2-bedroom house for about 3 days (my sis-in-law & her family were there, too). That 5 mile drive was one of the longest and scariest drives of my life. The road was covered in ice, so we didn't dare go any faster than about 20 miles/hour. And, as if the ice wasn't bad enough, the phone/electric poles had snapped in half, so we were also trying to avoid the poles and lines on the road.

Even though almost all of us have gas heating, our thermostats are electric. Jeremy, the boys, and I slept, huddled together, under a pile of blankets, in two twin beds pushed together, and we were still cold. I don't think it ever got above 0 degrees the entire time we were at the in-laws'.

My father-in-law & oldest nephew slept out in the garage to keep the wood stove loaded. It helped a bit, especially when they got the garage up to 105 degrees!

We spent our 2005-2006 New Year's Eve in the garage, and we all went to bed by 9:00, because we got bored! That made me realize how much we depend on electronics to entertain us. Don't get me wrong. I love the internet, Netflix, and my ipod, but we learned some valuable lessons.

Despite the cold, the boys had a blast. Well, Bug did. Awesome was only 20 months old at the time. He seemed to have a fun time, though! We all dug out our cast iron pots & pans so we could cook on the wood stove in the garage. I think we ate better during that ice storm than we had in a long time. When you cook with cast iron, you have no choice but to cook with real food! We played several board games, and spent a lot of time just chatting and hanging out.

Since then, J, the boys, and I try going off the grid one or two evenings a month. All electricity (except what is needed for heating and cooling) is shut off. When it gets dark, we light candles, and we just hang out. We do what we did during that storm. Just play games and hang out. Sometimes, I teach Bug & Awesome a simple song on the piano, too. It's just a good time, and it really helps us reconnect and grow as a family.

Going off the grid is not only beneficial to the environment, but it is a great way to recharge our family.

*I took several pictures during that ice storm, but I'm not sure if I have any on a CD. I'll look, and will upload any if I can find them.

Day 25 - The End

2011-10-25T06:04:00.003-05:00

The End by Pearl Jam

Day 24 - A Thought To Ponder

2011-10-24T07:13:00.001-05:00

"Harmony makes small things grow,
lack of it makes great things decay. "
Sallust

Day 23 - Time

2011-10-23T10:50:00.000-05:00

After two super late nights of scaring the crapola out of people, my brain is a little tired/fried. I thought I had today's post all planned out, but I can't seem to remember a single thing. Instead, I'll share with you one of my favorite quotes.

via Pinterest

And then one day you find

Ten years have got behind you

No one told you when to run

You missed the starting gun.

From Time by Pink Floyd

Day 22 - Granola or not?

2011-10-22T06:29:00.001-05:00

Not sure why, but it seems that as soon as people find out you're pregnant, they feel as though they can try to run your life. Even complete strangers will tell you what to do, how to do it, and only a horrible mother wouldn't follow their advice. Some super granola people get vicious, and I wasn't prepared for some of their comments. Lucky for me, I have an awesome mom, and she convinced me that I had no reason to feel guilty.

When the boys were babies, I was all about ease and convenience. Looking back now, I would change a few things.

Breastfeeding - I didn't do this. I bottle fed both Bug and Awesome, and nothing short of a life-and-death situation could make me change my mind. I am not comfortable with breastfeeding, and I didn't want my baby misinterpreting my unease. It appears that many pro-booby fans seem to think that those of us who bottle feed just toss a bottle in our baby's mouth and disappear. That's not the case. I held my boys while I fed them, and I could look in their eyes just as well as a booby mom.

Cloth Diapers - Absolutely not. Wet diapers would be okay. Poopy ones would probably just get thrown out.

Baby Wearing - I honestly didn't know about this until Awesome was too big. If I had known about slings and such when the boys were babies, I totally would have "worn" my baby. Maybe not to the bathroom or while driving (yes, I have seen this), but I would have worn the boys around the house, or used a sling in place of a stroller sometimes.

Elimination Communication - I know that some people swear by this, but I just find this idea a bit silly. I think it's the parents that get trained, not the baby.

Homemade Baby Food - This is one thing that I wish I would have done. It's much cheaper and healthier than buying baby food.

I started out not being a granola mom at all. If I had a baby now, I'd be semi-granola. Whether or not you were/are a granola mom, don't let anybody make you feel guilty about your choices. You make your decisions based on what you are comfortable with. If you try to do what everyone else wants you to do, you're just going to be stressed out, and that's just going to cause more tension in your baby's life. A tense baby is an unhappy baby. And, if baby's unhappy, EVERYBODY is unhappy.

Day 21 - Get Outside

2011-10-21T06:33:00.000-05:00

I'm not an outdoorsy person. I like the comforts of being inside. However, I do try to get outside a little everyday (and I make the boys spend at least 15-30 minutes, minimum, outside every day). Sometimes I take a little walk around the neighborhood. Sometimes I just sit for a bit, either at home or at the park, and read or just think and temporarily escape housework and other responsibilities. I find the fresh air so invigorating.

It's amazing what a 15 minute break from your day-to-day life can do for a person!

Day 20 - All I Can Do Is Write About It

2011-10-20T06:16:00.001-05:00

I know it's Thursday, but I'm going to file this post under Tuesday Tunes, anyway. There's a reason I'm posting 2 tunes this week, but I'll explain that in a bit.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is probably most well know for singing "Sweet Home Alabama", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Free Bird". Like many others, I love those songs. But, my favorite song is "All I Can Do Is Write About It". It reminds me how lucky I am and how I should appreciate and take care of the things I have.

On this day 34 years ago, Lynyrd Skynyrd lost their pilot Walter Wiley McCreary, co-pilot William John Gray, road manager Dean Kilpatrick, back-up singer Cassie Gaines, Cassie's brother and the band's guitarist Steve Gaines, and lead singer and songwriter Ronnie Van Zant. They were on their way to Baton Rouge when their plain ran out of fuel and crashed in a swamp by Gillsburg, Mississippi.

Day 19 - Finding Harmony in Your Marriage/Relationship

2011-10-19T06:23:00.004-05:00

I am not a marriage counselor, and I know I still have a lot left to learn. However, I do want to share with you a few things that I have learned, most of these things were learned when Jeremy and I came dangerously close to splitting up. As a last ditch effort to save our marriage, we brainstormed, and came up with a few ideas. It worked, and we are now stronger than we have ever been. There are two things that we used to consciously do every day. Now, we do them automatically and effortlessly.

1. Look each other in the eyes at least once. I don't mean just looking at your husband while talking to him, I mean really look him in the eyes. Sometimes we say I love you, sometimes we mention something we appreciate about the other person, and sometimes we don't say anything at all.

2. Touch each other at least once. It can be a hug, a cuddle, holding hands, or just a touch on the shoulder.

These two things are so simple, and are really just common sense. By doing these two simple things, we let each other know that we love each other, we're here for each other, and we appreciate each other. We talk more, love more, and laugh more, which helps us raise happy, healthy boys.

My great-grandparents after about 50 years of marriage.

We look forward to sharing a long and joyful life together, just like our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Sometimes doing the simplest things can make for the happiest marriages.

Day 18 - Rise

2011-10-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

This was easily one of the most uplifting, inspiring, and depressing movies I have ever seen.

If you haven't already seen Into The Wild, you should.

"Rise" by Eddie Vedder from the Into The Wild Soundtrack

Day 17 - A Thought To Ponder

2011-10-17T06:47:00.000-05:00

"Happiness is mental harmony; unhappiness is mental inharmony."
James Allen

Day 16 - Finding Harmony in your veggie garden

2011-10-16T07:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know much about gardening. I do know that when planting flowers, I should always plant perennials because the die within 2-4 weeks after planting, but they almost always come back the next year!

I also know about the 3 sisters. Do you?

They are corn, squash, and beans. We should thank Iroquois Indians for figuring this out and sharing it with us. Corn makes a great ladder for the beans to climb on. The beans not only strengthen the corn stalks by climbing them, but the beans also fix the nitrogen in the soil for the corn and squash, which helps with the feeding demands of the corn and squash. The squash acts as mulch by keeping most weeds away and keeping the moisture in the soil. It also helps protect the shallow roots of the beans and corn!

Day 15 - Finding Harmony in the Grocery Store (and Bank!)

2011-10-15T06:48:00.000-05:00

To say that I hate grocery shopping is a gross understatement. I truly despise having to go grocery shopping. To make it feel a little less hell-ish, I've come up with a routine.

Tip 1: Make a menu. Since I have to drive "to town" to get groceries, I try to only have to do it once a week at the most. We decide on our menu for the week. We make specific plans for all 7 suppers, and lunches on the weekends (and days the boys are home from school). J and I also decide what we want for our lunches during the week, which usually consist of sandwiches, leftovers, or freezer meals (see yesterday's post).

Tip 2: Decide on a budget and make a VERY specific list, including estimated prices. I use a steno pad. In the right hand column I list the meals we have planned for the week. Then, I go through the fridge, freezer, cupboards, and pantry to figure out what we have and don't have for each meal. Next to each item, write down an estimated amount that either the item costs or that you are willing to pay for it. Since we budget $100 per week, I try to keep my list cost below $95 because there's usually something I forget. Also, keep an alternate list of 5-6 of your family's favorite meals and the ingredients each meal requires. I write this list on the last page or back cover of my steno notebook since I take the whole notebook shopping with me. And one of the most important lessons I've learned about grocery shopping? STICK TO THE LIST!

Tip 3: Take cash to the store, and ONLY the amount you've decided you want to spend. This will help you stay under budget, and help prevent you from becoming a hoarder.

Tip 4: As you shop, keep a running total (estimated values) of what your cart items cost. ALWAYS round up. That way, you're sure to have enough cash once tax is included. If you have extra money, pick up some of the items on your alternate list. This has saved us a couple of times. Like the time our monthly bills were $200 more than usual. Since I had been able to pick up enough items on our alternate list to make a week's worth of meals, we were able to cut our weekly budget down to $60-75 that month.

Hope these tips

Day 14 - Finding Harmony with your Cooking

2011-10-14T06:52:00.003-05:00

We've all heard someone recommend spending a day making freezer meals, and freezing them for later use. I love that idea, but it just doesn't seem to work for me. I like things that are quick and easy. Simple dishes that taste good. I've always said I'd make a terrible rich person because I don't like fancy food. I don't like caviar, and just the sight of escargot makes me gag (just ask the unfortunate souls who were at my dinner table during our cruise - luckily they were all family, so the embarrassment was bearable).

The most time I spend on way-in-advance-prepping is cookin' and pickin' chicken. My sis-in-law raises "eatin' chickens" (the kind you eat, not the kind you keep around for eggs), so we buy most of our chicken from her. We can get a big 6-7 pound chicken for $5. She only charges us what it cost her to buy, raise, and slaughter the chickens. About once every month or two, I toss a couple in the oven for a couple of hours, then pick all the meat off the bones. I divide it in half, stick it in freezer bags, then grab when I want to make chicken soup or casserole. Half a chicken will give me more than enough meat for a big ol' crockpot full of chicken soup. And sometimes, I buy a 5-lb bag of beef, and I make taco chicken and beef to freeze. When we have tacos, I just heat up what we need, and toss what's left over back in the freezer.

When my older brother was in Scouts, they used to have potluck dinners for Pack and Troop meetings. I so looked forward to these because of what my mom would bring.

Cowboy beans

1 lb. ground beef (I like grass fed beef that is super lean)

4-8 slices bacon (depends on how much you like bacon!)

1/2 Cup dark brown sugar

1/2 Cup ketchup or catsup - I don't think the spelling affects the taste!

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (15-16oz) chili beans

1 can (15-16oz) Pork-n-Beans

Cut bacon up into about 1-inch pieces, and start browning. Add beef and brown that, too. Drain. In a separate pot, mix brown sugar, ketchup, vinegar, salt, and both beans. Add beef and bacon to pot, and heat till boiling. Let simmer 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Enjoy! I usually bring everything to a boil on the stove, then transfer to my crockpot (set the crockpot to low), so I don't have to leave my stove top on for so long. Freezes well!

I like to make up a double batch, then freeze single servings. My husband won't eat beans, so he won't eat it, but my super picky kids love it!

A few other quick & easy meals that I like to make & freeze include:
Meatloaf
Chili
Pancakes/waffles (Great for when you oversleep and have to get the kids to school!)
Tuna Casserole
Chicken boob chunks (I chop up about a dozen thin sliced chicken breasts at once, and divide them among 3 bags before freezing. A trick to being able to easily cut them is to do it while they are still semi-frozen. When the menu calls for chicken fried rice, I grab a bag, dump teriyaki sauce with a bit of lemon juice and sugar into the bag, and let it marinate overnight.)

Things like potato soup and any soup with noodles don't freeze that well. The potatoes and noodles end up becoming really squishy and gross.

Day 13 - Turn Lemons into Lemonade

2011-10-13T06:44:00.002-05:00

Within one week, I had two stressful, unwelcome, and upsetting experiences. When you are trying to teach your kids to think positively, it really makes you reevaluate your reactions.

Bug is currently a 2nd year Webelo (he'll be moving up from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts in December or February), and is working towards his Arrow of Light (the highest honor a Cub Scout can earn). Two of the requirements are that they have to visit a Troop meeting (Cub Scouts have Packs, Boy Scouts have Troops) and go on at least one overnight Boy Scout camping trip. This past weekend, our two 2yr Webelos went camping, so they went to the Troop meeting the Monday before the campout. My dad is the Webelo leader, so the plan was for Bug and I to pick up the other boy, drop them off at my mom & dad's, and dad would take them to the meeting. Right before I came to the corner where I turn on to my parents' street, I hear a noise, the car started shaking, and one side was noticeably lower than the other. I had a flat. It was flatter than flat. It was no more. My parents picked us up, and after the meeting, we went to put the donut on. We turned the flat tire into a teaching moment, and our two Webelos were able to finish earning their Handyman pin!

Then, Saturday evening came along. I was browsing around Etsy, and came upon a most unwelcome sight. Somebody had stolen some pictures that I had uploaded to my personal facebook page (thankfully, they just took the scenic pictures, and not any of my kids, nieces, or nephews), and had put them up for sale on Etsy. After some quick work, I received an apology from the thief (who ended up being a friend of a friend), the chop shop was taken down, and it's my understanding that the person is now banned from Etsy. This whole episode prompted me to create a facebook page and open a new shop for just my photography.

I'm slowly going through all the pictures I still have saved on my computer,

Then, I'll start going through the ones I've already burned to disks.

I'll keep adding my favorites to my facebook page, and I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Since I'm just starting out with Big Cartel, I have only signed up for their free service, which limits the number of products I can have in my store to 5 products. I will start with some of my favorites, and will switch inventory out and around to accommodate requests. If you see a photo on my facebook page, but it's not in the shop, just send me a request, and I'll have it up within 24 hours of receiving your request. Same goes for any pictures you see here on the blog.

The photos are being sold for $5 each, and you will receive a digital copy (the big, noticeable watermark will be replaced with a very small one that blends in so well, you'll really have to look for it) and photo release. I'd love to sell prints, but I don't currently have the proper packaging to safely ship a print.

Art should be named, but that is sometimes easier said than done. Therefore, I will be running a few photo naming contests here and there. As of right now, I'm thinking that the winner will receive a free digital copy of that photo.

Stay tuned!

Day 12 - Finding Harmony with Melaleuca

2011-10-12T06:48:00.000-05:00

My brother introduced me to a company a couple of months ago, and I am in love. The company is called Melaleuca. They've been around for a while, but aren't well known because they don't advertise. Their only means of advertising is word of mouth.

You've probably heard of all the benefits of Tea Tree Oil. If not, here's just a few of its hundreds of uses:
Helps heal cuts
Great for acne
Gets rid of fungus (like toe fungus and athletes foot/ringworm)
Kills Germs
Deoderizes
Disinfects
Moisturizes skin
It's great for sunburns, poison ivy/oak/sumac, and blisters
Drop it on a leech or tick, and they will remove themselves
Add a couple of drops to shampoo to get rid of lice
It works wonders for your hair

Seriously, you can use Tea Tree oil for EVERYTHING. My 2 favorite things about it is that it works better than anything else I've used, and it's all natural!

Back to Melaleuca. Melaleuca is the fancy schmancy scientific name for tea tree oil, which is an ingredient in all their products.

I love their all natural products. I haven't had a chance to try them all, yet, but I plan to! I haven't been even the least bit disappointed in any of the products I've tried. The cleaning supplies are AWESOME. The Renew lotion is even better than Eucerin or Aquaphor. And, their vitamins are packaged in a way to help your body absorb them. I didn't realize that with most vitamins, your body only absorbs about 20% because of how the pills are made. They have a beauty line called Sei Bella that includes hair care and make-up. I haven't tried anything from that line (but have heard wonderful things about it), but I have tried their $5 shampoo. I don't even remember the last time my hair looked this healthy! The antifungal cream works wonders, and my sis-in-law says the acne line is better than any of the other thousand products they've tried. The stain remover finally got out a stain that I haven't been able to get out of a shirt for months.

Depending on what you already use, Melaleuca might be a little more expensive (if you use the cheap stuff), but cheaper if you use more name brand stuff (like Tide, for example).

Anyone can order from their site, but preferred members get cheaper prices. Preferred members can also make a little money. There are many benefits to being a preferred member, but I don't want this to sound any more like a sales post. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me! And, if you sign up to be a preferred member, please let them know Heather Nabower sent ya (or contact me, and I'll get you signed up)!

I have found that Melaleuca products are just much better for the environment than even the "green" products I find in the store, and have been a big step forward in my family's journey to live our lives in a way that's healthier for us and our environment.

Day 11 - Bama Breeze

2011-10-11T06:56:00.000-05:00

Growing up, my mom was always listening to and playing music. I'm sure that's why my emotions and moods can be so affected by what I'm listening to. Jimmy Buffett is one of my long time favorites. I sent him a wedding invitation, and received an autographed photo in return. Dad and I danced to "Little Miss Magic" at my wedding.

Jimmy's music is some of the first I turn to when I just want to relax. There's a lot more to Jimmy Buffett than Margaritaville...

Bama Breeze by Jimmy Buffett

Day 10 - A Thought To Ponder

2011-10-10T06:44:00.000-05:00

"Gracefulness has been defined to be the outward expression of the inward harmony of the soul."

William Hazlitt

Day 9 - Volunteer

2011-10-09T06:30:00.000-05:00

Being a volunteer is not only beneficial to the people/group you are volunteering for, but it's beneficial to your soul. There's always somebody who needs help, and I think we all want to make a difference.

In elementary school, I was part of a program called "Magic Me". Every Wednesday, after school, we would board a bus and head over to one of the local nursing homes. The first time we went, we were assigned a resident for the year. I found the experience to be one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had.

There are so many organizations out there. There's the Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, Tutoring, animal rescue, and so many other ways to volunteer. If you want to find something in your area, check out this site or this one, and start making a difference now!

Day 8 - Find Your Peace of Mind

2011-10-08T06:34:00.001-05:00

I play the piano. I have friends who run, do yoga, ride their bike, work on cars, etc. There is one thing that all of these things have in common - they are therapeutic.

For me, playing the piano releases both mental and physical energy. While I enjoy playing a little every day, I tend to play more when I'm in a not-so-good mood. It helps to, at least temporarily, ease my mind and get any frustrations out.

If you don't have something that does this for you, I highly recommend you find something. It's much cheaper than therapy!

Day 7 - Cloth Napkins with Mitered Corners

2011-10-07T08:58:00.001-05:00

We go through napkins and paper towels like nobody's business. I try to buy recycled products, but it gets expensive having to buy these paper products so often.

I am also a fabric addict. Part of my journey to trying to find harmony in my home is to become more organized and declutter. So, obviously, my napkin dilemma has provided me with a wonderful opportunity. I am going to make napkins. Lots and lots of napkins.

They are really easy to make, even the mitered corners!

First, you need to decide how big you want them. Mine are 15"x16" because when I fold them, they fit perfectly into my basket. The napkins you can get at Pottery Barn & Anthropologie are 20" square.

Once you've decided this, you will need to cut your fabric 1" larger on all sides than you want your finished napkin. For example, you will need to cut fabric for a 20" napkin at 22" square.

Side note: I used 1/4" hems on my napkins, so that is what the pictures will show. However...1/2" hems will make the mitered corners MUCH easier, so that is the measurement I'm using for this tutorial.

On all four side, fold and press a 1/2" hem.

Fold and press again.

Now for the mitered part...

Looks like I missed a space in there! It's suppose to read
"1. Open your hems, then cut at the cut line."

Once the hems are folded back over, you can pin and sew around your napkin.

Your corners should look like this:

Now enjoy your new, custom (and earth friendly) napkins!

I can't wait to pick up some linen to make some embroidered linen napkins!

Just a couple of other notes...
I have found that 100% cotton fabrics work best. Be sure to wash and dry your fabric as though it was already your napkins BEFORE you start cutting. The fabric will shrink, so it's best to have it do that before you've cut and sewn it!
To make (4) 20" napkins, I would recommend getting about 1-1/2" yards of 45" wide fabric.

Day 6 - Getting Kids Excited About Their Chores

2011-10-06T06:28:00.000-05:00

After constantly fighting with the boys about doing their chores (and taking showers, brushing teeth, etc), I came up with a plan that has worked beautifully! Since January, we have been using Chore Charts, a Token/Reward System, and the Token Store.

It has been working REALLY well, and the boys are so excited when I open the store! A couple of months after we started this, I did have to do a little tweaking, though. They would do everything on their chore charts, except cleaning their rooms.

Now, they only get awarded tokens if their rooms are clean. And, the store is only open to those with clean rooms.

The store is open every Sunday, and on the last Sunday of the month, we have our Sunday Sale. If we have something that has been in the Store for a while, I'll reduce the price. If the boys have been behaving REALLY well that week, I'll reduce the price on their favorite things. And, sometimes, I toss in a small toy or something they've been wanting for a while, and they can buy it with their tokens.

Day 5

2011-10-05T06:39:00.001-05:00

I have to cut into what I had planned for today, because I just can't let this pass without saying anything.

When I first heard about the Amanda Knox/Meredith Kercher story, I thought Amanda was guilty. But as I learned more about how she was found guilty, I began to really question. I was thrilled yesterday, when I watched the verdict being read at the end of her appeal. I hope she can find a way to move on and live a happy, productive life.

My heart goes out to the Kercher family. I can't imagine how they must be feeling, and I pray that they can find the strength, peace, and comfort they need during this difficult time.

Day 4 - Finding Harmony with the Kids

2011-10-04T07:03:00.001-05:00

A couple of years ago, our family went through a tough time. You know the phrase, "When it rains, it pours"? That's a good description of that time. As soon as we were able to come back up for air, something else would happen, and we would feel like we were drowning again. The hubs and I tried to protect the boys as best as we could, but kids are smart (sometimes too smart), and knew when things weren't right. While I never want to go back there, I'm glad we were forced to go over those hurdles together, as a family. We are now stronger as a unit, and it made us reevaluate how we were raising the boys, and we began to brainstorm ideas to make sure our boys have the best lives we can give them.

We found that making just a few small changes can make the biggest difference. A few that we have made are:

Daily Journals - I bought composition books for each, and let them decorate them to make the books their own. We started out requiring them to write at least 3 good things about their day, but have since changed it a little. Now, they can write pretty much whatever they want. We just ask that they write at least 1-3 (minimum) things that make them happy, along with whatever else they want to write. J and I don't read the journals, unless the boys ask us to. When there is something that is really bothering them, they usually write about it, then ask us to read that part of their journal. Once we've read about the issue, they are much more willing to talk about it.

Me Time - 15 minutes, every night. If I'm with Awesome, J is with Bug (we alternate boys and nights). The boys get one of us all to themselves for 15 uninterrupted minutes. I love this time. Sometimes we talk about our day (if we don't get it all talked about at dinner), music, or plans for the weekend. Sometimes, we just cuddle.

Picnic Time - We try to go on a minimum of 2 picnics a month. When there's 2 feet of snow on the ground and it's below freezing, none of us are really excited at the thought of sitting outside to eat. That's when we have our in-house picnics. We just decide what room we want to picnic in, lay out a blanket, and sit on the floor to eat. Or, we build a fort and eat in there!

Game Time - No, I'm not talking about video games. I'm talking about good old fashioned board games. This is a weekend ritual that we all love. Lots of snacks, laughs, and good times!

Day 3 - A Thought To Ponder

2011-10-03T15:41:00.001-05:00

"Beauty is being in harmony with what you are."

Peter Nivio Zarlenga

Day 2 - A Little Tutorial for You

2011-10-02T13:56:00.001-05:00

I LOVE those mirrored stars that I would see in Pottery Barn and Ballard Designs catalogs, but $200 (give or take a little) is way more than I'm willing to spend. Hobby Lobby had some, but they still weren't cheap enough for me (even with a 40% off coupon)!

So, I thought about why I like the stars. I realized I was drawn to them not as usable mirrors, but as accent pieces, and I really liked the contrast between the mirror and the dark outlines. So was the mirrored part really all the important? Mmmm...probably not.

I used...

An old star that used to hang outside,

Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint left over from my bed redo,

Some silver spray paint I had on hand,

and painter's tape.

After cleaning off all the dust & stuff, I put 2 coats of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint on the star. Once both coats were dry, I added the tape. I measured 1/4" from each edge, and added my tape. It was a little time consuming, so I got lazy and started eyeballing the measurements. They turned out pretty good, though!

I then added 2 coats of silver spray paint, waited for those to dry, and peeled the paint off.

Here is the finished product, right at home!

While I do like the way it turned out, I think I need a little more sparkle in the silver. I think that can be fixed with a little chrome spray paint. Until I can remember to pick some up, I believe our new old start will do just fine. For now, I think it looks great, especially since it didn't cost me anything!

Now, how does this tie in to my 31 Days? It's helping me live a little more harmoniously with my house, and my pocketbook loves the cost! If you can't afford something you love, improvise. There's no reason any of us shouldn't have beautiful homes just because we can't or don't want to spend a lot of money.

I will also be linking up to some of these parties!

31 Days to Finding Harmony - Day 1

2011-10-01T06:28:00.001-05:00

har·mo·ny [hahr-muh-nee]
noun, plural -nies.
1. agreement; accord; harmonious relations.
2. a consistent, orderly, or pleasing arrangement of parts; congruity.
3. Music .
    a. any simultaneous combination of tones.
    b. the simultaneous combination of tones, especially when blended into chords pleasing to the ear; chordal structure, as distinguished from melody and rhythm.
    c. the science of the structure, relations, and practical combination of chords.
4. an arrangement of the contents of the Gospels, either of all four or of the first three, designed to show their parallelism, mutual relations, and differences.

We all want a little more harmony in our lives, don't we? For the rest of this month, my posts are all going to be about how I find (or at least look for) harmony in my home, family, and life. I'm going to attempt a new, more harmonious life by adding some organization, clearing some clutter, making pretty things, and incorporating the things that I love most into my daily life.

(photo found via Google)

One of my favorite quotes,

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain."

If you'd like, please feel free to grab my button!

See you tomorrow!

31 Days to Finding Harmony

2011-09-29T07:11:00.003-05:00

The Nester is hosting a 31 Days event in October, and I've decided to sign up! Yikes! 31 days of blogging about one subject?

For the month of October, I will post something everyday about finding harmony in your home, family, and life in general. I'll explain a little more when the event kicks off on Saturday. See you then!

Feel free to grab a button so others can swing by!

Photo Names

2011-09-28T07:31:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, I made the Christmas gifts for my parents and in-laws. I posted about them here, but forgot to put the tutorial on my tutorial page (Thanks fo the heads up, MK!). Oops! Instead of making you go back and find the original post, I'm going to do a new one right here - and put it on my tute page!

I loved the ones I made for the grandparents so much, that I had to make one for us, too! I found the letters at Hobby Lobby, and got them on sale for about $1 each. They were in the unfinished wood department, and I spray painted them white. The frames were found at Gordman's (a discount retail store like Marshall's or TJ Maxx) for about $15, and the pictures were developed at Wal-Mart. Every year, we take new pictures to replace the old (I forgot to switch out our pictures, though!), so the grandparents get updated pictures every year. For my parents and in-laws, we include all of their respective grandkids - not just my boys!

Linking up to some of these parties.

Just Breathe

2011-09-27T05:58:00.000-05:00

Some things get better with time, and Eddie Vedder is definitely one of those things.

Just Breathe by Pearl Jam

The Last Goodbye

2011-09-20T06:07:00.000-05:00

The Last Goodbye by David Cook

Crayon Art & Crepe Paper Flowers - a tutorial

2011-09-19T14:27:00.002-05:00

If you're on Pinterest, there's a really good chance you've seen these melted crayon works of art.

The boys and I made our pictures before I bought the frames. I would suggest buying the frames first, so you know just how far the crayons need to be from the edges to fit in the frames. I had to do some serious sanding on my frame, and the boys could have added another crayon to their pictures.

We were so excited to try this, that I forgot to take pictures (again!), but it's really easy.

What you'll need:

Canvas

Crayons (enough to cover 1 edge of your canvas)

Elmer's Glue

Blow Dryer and/or Space Heater

Wax Paper or newspaper

Small jar (I used one of these)

1. Put your canvas in your frame. Use painter's tape to mark the edges of the frame on your canvas.

2. Take the canvas out of the frame & using more painter's tape, meet the edges of Step 1's tape.

3. Remove the tape from Step 1. You now know where you can put your crayons.

4. Pick out your crayons. We used 21 crayons for ours. It was the perfect number for my frame, but we probably could have squeezed in a 22nd crayon for the boys.

5. On your work surface, line up your crayons the way you want them on your canvas. Then, start applying the glue to your canvas, and add your crayons.

6. Introduce your kids to some of your favorite big band songs, and dance around with them while waiting for the glue to dry. It doesn't take long, about 10-15 minutes.

7. Lay down some newspaper (we used a hand towel with some waxed paper on top), and prop the crayon side of your canvas up on your short jar. With your space heater and/or blow dryer (make sure you have it on your lowest setting so it doesn't splatter the wax), start melting your crayons.

8. Once the crayons start melting, you'll want to stand the canvas up more. We did ours on the floor, so we just propped them up against the wall.

From left to right: Mine (when I did mine, I just had my canvas propped up on the jar, which gave me fatter drips), Awesome's (he picked his colors by how he wanted to see them mix, then wanted it hung horizontally to look like a machine gun!), and Bug's.

Now for the Crepe Paper Flowers

What you need:

Crepe Paper/Streamers

Glue

Scissors

Oops! No Picture!

Stick your flower onto the glued area, then cut away the excess.

8 pkgs. 24 crayons - $2 (.40 each @ Walmart - back to school sale)
1 pkg. 8x10 canvas - $3.50 (each pkg. contains 3 canvases @ Walmart)
Elmer's Glue - FREE (I had some on hand, but it's super cheap, anyway)
Yellow Crepe paper/streamers - $1 (pkg. of 2 rolls @ Dollar Tree)
Frames - $17.50 (All found @ Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off. The boys' were unfinished wood that I painted, and were $5 each on sale. My barnwood frame was $7.50 on sale)
Total Cost for 3 pieces of art - $24 or $8 each!

If you make one of these, I'd love to see your creation! Just email me or join my Flickr group!

Linking up to some of these parties, this one, and this under $20 party!

Stay Tuned...

2011-09-19T08:44:00.001-05:00

...for a quick tutorial later today or first thing tomorrow...

Breathe In, Breathe Out

2011-09-13T06:31:00.000-05:00

Breathe In Breathe Out by Mat Kearney

I Remember

2011-09-11T07:57:00.000-05:00

I Remember.

I will never forget the lives lost, or the sacrifices made.

Five Question Friday

2011-09-09T15:44:00.000-05:00

1. What ringtone do you have on your cell phone?

Right now, I have "The Show" by Lenka.

2. What is your favorite memory from this summer?

The summer went by so fast, I feel like we didn't really have the chance to even remember anything we did! My favorite thing that I do remember doing is going to the Scout camps with the boys. Bug's camp was in June, and , it was a swamp, but the temperature was almost perfect. While we didn't flood like eastern Nebraska and western Iowa, the local rivers had more water than they've had in years, and there was some minor flooding. Awesome's camp, however, was in the middle of July when we were having 100+ heat. It was pretty miserable, but we survived, and somehow, we've turned our misery into somewhat fun memories!

3. Paper books or ebooks?

I LOVE paper books. I find it comforting to be able to turn an actual page. However, I do have a Kindle, and I love it, too. The 2 main bonuses of having a Kindle are 1) books are cheaper, and 2) I've been able to get a lot of books for free!

4. If you could have one home upgrade, what would it be and why?

That's easy. I'd just like to own a home, but not the one we live in. Right now, we are renting-to-own from my in-laws. I won't go into all the details, but this house just kinda sucks. As for an upgrade on this house, we need new siding and windows. And a porch. It drives me crazy not having a real porch. This house that we live in is a bit of a sore subject for me, so we'll just move on to the next question...

5. When was your first serious boyfriend/girlfriend?

Well, I had a serious crush on one of my brother's friends from 3rd grade till about halfway through my senior year! My first serious, real relationship began the summer after I graduated high school. He was one of my best friends. Turns out that I didn't know him nearly as well as I thought I did, and I now believe that 1) he might have multiple personalities and/or 2) he's in some serious denial about a few things. If only I knew then what I know now, right?

A big THANKS to Mama M. for hosting!

Have a great weekend!

Maybe too much fun?

2011-09-07T10:46:00.000-05:00

Holy busy weekend, batman! I'm still trying to recover, but we had fun! Friday, I did the weekly grocery shopping. I hate grocery shopping. The only time I've actually enjoyed it was a couple of weeks ago when I was so hopped up on pain killers that I don't even really remember the trip! (Don't worry, the husband drove!) After I got home, I just vegged for a while and thought about finishing the kitchen curtains before heading over to sis-in-law's house to see B-Nubs (sis-in-law from Denver).

Saturday morning, the boys and I got up early to go to the Home Depot Kids Workshop where I also bought 3 Autumn Joy bushes, picked up some new jeans & Husker apparel at Gordman's, then stopped at Hobby Lobby where I found some super cut $15/yd fabric on sale for $2/yd! We spent the afternoon and evening with my in-laws where we celebrated the August & September birthdays, met nephew H's new girlfriend, watched the kids ~~fight over~~ ride trikes & bikes,

and listened to nephews C&H jam (sometimes joined by their bandmate, Snazzy Swiss Sweater guy). Even Awesome and 5-year-old nephew Mad Jimmy got in on the drumming a little!

Sunday, we slept in till 8:00 before heading into town where the boys, after a little bribing, allowed me to take their fall pictures...

...before we headed to the Nebraska State Fair with my parents.

There was so much to do and see! One of my favorite stops is the Quilt Display. Grandmother's Garden quilts are one of my favorite patterns, and I am in awe of anybody who makes one. Once you understand how they are traditionally made (completely by hand), you'll understand why. Read this or this.

Another stop we made, was the Sheep Barn. In the front, they had an enclosed room that was the Birthing Pavilion. There were 3 litters of piglets. One litter was 8 days old, and two litters were only 1 day old - all born at the fair! There were also 3 baby sheep, and two pregnant cows. One of the cows looked like she was ready to give birth any minute, but we didn't stick around for that! When we came out, we saw these amazingly graceful ladies...

After Saturday night's jam session, the boys were mesmerized by the Street Beat Parkour Percussion performance in the Kidz Zone. These guys were AWESOME!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any video of the super awesome stuff, and I apologize for the bumpiness - Awesome was bouncing on my knee while I was trying to get this video!

After the fair, I had to run by the mother-in-law's house to pick up her Melaleuca order (if you have any questions, just ask me!), and we finally got to meet nephew C's girlfriend. The blond guy in the above video could be C's twin. Looks and acts just like him!

We all slept in on Monday, and even took naps in the afternoon. We mostly vegged out in front of the TV and computers, but I did get my Autumn Joy bushes planted!

How did you spend your extended weekend?

Devil Town

2011-09-06T06:27:00.000-05:00

I couldn't find a decent video of this song, but if you're a FNL fan, you'll enjoy the picture!

Devil Town by Tony Lucca

Today

2011-09-03T15:11:00.000-05:00

If you are born and raised in Nebraska, there's a good chance that you'll develop a condition that causes you to get chills every Saturday during the fall. It's called Husker Fever.

I'm not a die hard football fan, but I do get chills whenever I hear "Sirius" by Alan Parsons Project. It's the song that accompanies the Husker Tunnel Walk.

As a state employee, my grandpa got a discount on season tickets, and he very graciously shared his tickets with his family. Every year growing up, my dad would take each one of us kids to 1 game. I don't know what it was like for my brothers, but for me, it was almost magical. Dad would toss me onto his shoulders, and we'd head down, underneath the stands to cheer on the players as they were making their way from the locker rooms to the field. Then, we'd head up to our seats, and watch and cheer our hearts out. When Nebraska got a touchdown, I'd let go of my red balloons, and there would be a sea of red in the sky above Memorial Stadium to match the sea of red in the seats.

I think many Nebraska fans were almost devastated when our beloved Coach Tom Osborne retired. I believe that he is at least partly responsible for the wonderful reputation that (most) Nebraska fans have. Fans and players alike looked up to him, and he has made us all want to be the perfect definition of hospitality and good sportsmanship. After a couple of wrong turns, we're thrilled to have Bo Pelini as our new coach, and look forward to the challenges that the Big 10 will provide.

Not the victory but the action;

Not the goal but the game;

In the deed the glory.

GO BIG RED!!!

Someone Like You

2011-08-30T06:13:00.001-05:00

Her voice is amazing.

Someone Like You by Adele

Old & Rusty Bed Redo

2011-08-29T10:00:00.005-05:00

I've talked about this bed a little before. I found it, half way buried under a fallen down 100+ year old 1 room house that was surrounded by locust trees on my grandpa's farm. Never heard of a locust tree? They're nasty. Unlike most trees, these suckers have thorns, and not just little thorns. We're talking 2-4 inch thorns.

The original plan was to put it in my flower bed, and plant a bunch of daisies around it. Then, a couple of months ago, I got to looking at my bedroom. I decided that we needed a darker headboard & footboard - the one we were using were was a plain, antique metal one from the house my grandma grew up in. I was going to paint it, when I thought of the rusted old scrolly frame sitting in the backyard.

With my mom's helped, we used wire brushes and sandpaper to get off as much rust as we possibly could. Dad helped get the little medallions off, and cut off the screws that were sticking out from where the knobs and a couple of medallions were missing. I used some spray primer and some spray pain in Krylon's Rubbed Oiled Bronze (satin finish) on the whole frame. The medallions were spray painted with Krylon's Celery green (glossy finish), then I used some charcoal colored glaze from this kit, that I had found on sale at Wal-Mart years ago, to dull the color and make them look kind of old.

I had to unmake my bed so you could see all the goodness - my gorgeous pillows cover up pretty much everything except the top medallion. My dad is going to get busy and make me some risers so the prettiness can be seen when the bed is made.

I love our "new" bed. It's not perfect - we bent some of the iron back as best as we could, but couldn't get it perfect. The headboard and footboard don't really fit our queen size bed (they're too big for a full bed, but just a couple of inches too small for a queen), but they work. It has my blood (locust thorns) and sweat (it was over 100 degrees out when we decided to de-rust it), and it's a piece of my family history. And, it only cost me about $6 for the Rubbed Oiled Bronze spray paint, since I already had the primer and green spray paint on hand!

Oh! If you're wondering about the canopy behind the bed, it's the cathedral length veil I wore the the hubs and I got hitched!

Linking up to some of these parties, and here, and here.

Puppet Theatre

2011-08-24T12:11:00.001-05:00

When I was growing up, I had two wonderfully huge windows in my bedroom. My mom, being the awesome woman she is, saved three sets of window treatments that she and my grandma had made (she also saved the bedding grandma made). These window treatments have been sitting in storage, with the hopes that someday I might be able to use them for my daughter's room.

Since it appears that I will not be having a daughter, I decided it was time to think of a way to share my girly treatments with my boys. This is what I came up with:

A puppet theatre!

I used one set of the least girly treatments, which happened to come in 3 sections. The two side sections, I just put on a tension rod together. Then I dug out some ticking that I had bought on sale years ago when the local Wal-Mart stupidly decided to get rid of their fabric department, cut it to the size I wanted/needed, and attached it to the middle section of the window treatment. I put that on another tension rod, hung them in the hallway, and we have a puppet theatre!

The boys loved it, and have started writing scripts, and making lists of puppets they need to make. To start with, though, we just grabbed a couple of the yarn octopi we made a while back, and stuck a stick in them. I'll get a quick tutorial for those (and yarn dolls) up soon, too.

It's a great way to reuse old window treatments, fabric you don't know what to do with, and it keeps the kids busy using their imaginations!

Linking up to some of these parties!

Home

2011-08-23T06:37:00.006-05:00

I am so in love with this song.

Home by Michael Buble

and since I don't know which version I like best, here's another one...

by Blake Shelton
I can't embed the official video, so go HERE to watch it.

Coming out of a drug induced haze...and other problems

2011-08-22T10:11:00.000-05:00

I went to the dentist a couple of weeks ago. I'm justifiably terrified of dentists. In high school, I went in to get a cavity filled. I need more anesthesia than most people. It's because I'm a redhead. No joke. Read this or this. (I should print out copies of that NY Times article and carry it around with me to give to doctors and dentists.) Despite the fact that this new to us dentist was told multiple times that the area was not numb, he decided to go ahead and drill. I had tears streaming out my eyes, and he didn't stop. Instead, he told me, "Don't worry. This won't take long."

Thirteen years later, I have a toothache that is keeping me up all night. I hadn't been in to even get my teeth cleaned since Dr. Sadist, but I figured I should probably find someone to take care of the pain I was in. I found Dr. Bob. Dr. Bob was awesome. He understood my fear, and was extra kind and gentle. Before he worked on my teeth, he made sure my mouth was number than numb when he pulled out that nasty wisdom tooth. We had a plan in place to fix the rest of what needed to be fixed, and I was actually looking forward to getting my dental work done.

Then, he walked into an airplane propeller. No joke. His death was quite a shock, and I went back underground. Until a few weeks ago. I had a tooth that was starting to hurt, so I took a leap of faith and made an appointment with Dr. Bob's replacement. The tooth needed to come out (I guess it could have been saved, but it would have cost us just under $2,000), but this new dentist wasn't going to touch it. All of my teeth have perfect, straight roots, EXCEPT the one that had to come out. The root on this sucker was a beauty. It looked like a backwards L, curving underneath the tooth root in front of it. If it had been straight like all the others, it would have been thisclose to the bottom of my jaw. The only solution was to have dental surgery.

I now love the oral surgeon who took out that tooth, and the wisdom tooth that was behind it. He asked me to let him know when I started to feel the meds kicking in, then I remember nothing till the assistant walked me to the recovery room. Apparently, I only remember about half the conversation that was had in the recovery room, too! For the next 48 hours, I was on two different pain medications, alternating every 3 hours.

I learned that grocery shopping is much more fun when I'm not in my right mind (and since I couldn't drive, I was able to put it off for another day so hubby could go!), I should always eat something with the pills, and that I should stay out of the car wash while I'm all drugged up. Claustrophobia was setting in, and I almost had a panic attack.

I was also put on antibiotics by the surgeon, which means I've been on them for the past 2 weeks (Dr. Bob's replacement also put me on some). Did you know that antibiotics can cause other issues? They can. I strongly recommend that if you should ever have this kind of issue, that you NOT use Tinactin spray. (Thought process: Internet recommends Lotrimin, which is also used for athletes foot. We're out of the Lotrimin cream, but hubby has some Tinactin spray left, which is used for the same thing, so should work for me, right?) Have you seen the waxing scene from 40-Year-Old-Virgin? That was me.

Now that I've learned a few valuable lessons, and I am only taking 1 pain pill every 6-8 hours, or as needed, I am hoping to finish a project that has been sitting in my brain. If I have time, I'll work on another project, and get both tutorials up by the end of the week!

So Long, Summer

2011-08-18T12:48:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the boys began their 2nd & 5th grade years of school.

I spent the day doing absolutely NOTHING. Well, not nothing. I read, without being interrupted. I blogged without being interrupted. I chatted on the phone without being interrupted. I took a shower, without having somebody pound on the door as soon as I got the shampoo in my hair because they "have to PEEEEEE!" I was a little lost, so I even took a little nap, and nobody woke me up!

At 4:00, they bounded in the door, tossing papers at me to sign and telling me (simultaneously) about how their first day went. The 1st grade teacher retired at the end of last year and the 5th grade teacher took over 1st, so Bug has a brand new teacher. And it's a GUY! And he's really cool! Awesome has 2 new kids in his class, and one of them is actually a BOY! He was too shy to ask the new kid to play at recess yesterday, but said he's going to ask him today before the girls get to him. Those boys need to stick together - there's only 3 of them and 12 girls!

I miss not having Bug and Awesome home with me all day, but I'm also realizing how much I missed having some alone time.

Today I'm catching up on some of the cleaning I ignored yesterday, and trying to keep myself busy enough to not notice that I am starving. Why is it that I'm always hungriest when I'm not allowed to eat? My back molar has to come out (I'm so lucky to have inherited bad teeth from my dad's & grandma's sides of the family). It has a very long root, that is actually curving under the tooth in front of it. My dentist did some measuring and found that if the root was straight, it would go all the way to the bottom of my jaw. She won't take it out, so I'm going in for dental surgery. I'm scared. he surgeon assures me I won't remember a thing, though.

Faux Chenille Blanket - A Tutorial

2011-08-17T16:52:00.000-05:00

In my rush to get this blanket done for my wonderful new baby niece, I forgot to take pictures. Luckily, it's really easy to put together.

Supplies:
Main fabric - 1 yard
Flannel - 3-4 yards (if doing different colors, you'll need 1 yard of each)
1/2 yard fabric to make binding (use double fold bias tape tutorial here)
Coordinating thread
Scissors
Dinner plate
Chalk
Ruler

Here are the fabrics I used:

1. Pale Lime quatrefoil cotton - Binding
2. Brown with vines & pink flowers cotton - Main fabric
3. Dark pink flannel
4. Light pink flannel
5. White flannel
6. Green plaid flannel

When picking out your flannel, don't pick one with a pattern you want to see on the blanket. I used the plaid because the shades of green worked with my fabric, and the shade of solid green flannel didn't.

Instructions:
1. Pre-wash (and dry) ALL fabrics.
2. Take your main fabric, and cut so it measures 32" x 32".
3. With your chalk (regular chalkboard chalk works fine) and ruler or straight edge, draw a line on the right side of your fabric from the lower left corner to the upper right corner (or lower right to upper left, whatever you prefer!), and set aside.
4. Layer your flannel.

Look at the picture above to decide how you want to layer yours. Mine went like this: Green plaid with the patterned side up (this is important with printed flannel), white, light pink, dark pink.
5. With the wrong side of your main fabric facing the flannel, center it over the flannel, and add to the layers of fabric.
6. Going through ALL layers, pin your fabrics together along your diagonal chalk line.
7. This next part is super easy, but this is where it becomes VERY time consuming! First, sew along your chalk line. Then, set your needle so that it is as far left as it can go. On my sewing machine, this is done by setting the stitch width to the widest it can go. Line up the sewn chalk line with the right edge of your presser foot, and sew another line. The two lines should be about 1/2 inch apart. Continue sewing lines like that until you have covered the entire blanket with 1/2 inch spaced lines.
8. Cut off all the excess flannel around the edges, then flip the blanket so the flannel is facing you.
9. Here is where you have to be extra careful. Between two of your lines, insert your scissors between the main fabric and the bottom layer of flannel and cut the whole length. Be sure you are only cutting through the layers of flannel and NOT the main fabric!
10. Using your plate as a template, round off your corners.
11. Bind your blanket, and you're done! I'll try to get a binding tutorial up soon, but feel free to contact me with any questions!

Be True To Your School

2011-08-16T06:33:00.001-05:00

In honor of the boys starting school tomorrow...

Be True To Your School by the Beach Boys

To The Sky

2011-08-09T05:47:00.002-05:00

Another favorite...

To the Sky by Owl City

(Hello Seattle is another Owl City song that gets a lot of play time around here.)

Backyard Funeral

2011-08-05T13:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, when the husband got home, he decided it was time to put Fatty McFatterson in a new environment. About an hour later, Bug informed us that Fatty wasn't looking so good. He was still alive, but not moving much. Shortly after moving Fatty back to his old environment, he finally died.

Hubs got the shovel, and he and the boys went out behind the garage to dig the grave. Bug said a couple of words about what a good pet Fatty was, and we filled in the hole, dug through the metal stashed by our garage, and laid a hydrangea down.

Did I mention Fatty was a goldfish? Yup. We buried a goldfish who died from an apparent heart attack (according to the husband).

In all fairness, I should point out that Fatty couldn't be flushed because he would have undoubtedly clogged the toilet.

Here Comes the Sun

2011-08-02T06:16:00.003-05:00

A classic that always makes me happy

Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles

Sew Up a Home Makeover

2011-07-27T07:26:00.010-05:00

I love this book. It's full of directions for those just beginning to sew, but is also great for those who have been sewing a little longer!

I was actually surprised that there are only 50 projects because author/designer Lexie Barnes covers every room in the house, and then some! She shows how to make over your home without spending a fortune, and even includes before and after shots of many of the projects.

Sew Up a Home Makeover, if a wonderful and fun book that you'll turn to over and over again whenever you get the itch to switch things up a bit in your home. Mark your calendars - it's due in stores August 24.

For now, I'm off to find myself a table cloth that would look awesome as a robe...yup, the book tells you how to do that, too!

Copy provided by publisher for review.

King George

2011-07-26T06:24:00.001-05:00

King George by Dover

Home

2011-07-19T06:07:00.002-05:00

I saw these guys when they opened for Weezer back in 1997 or '98. I don't remember the venue, but I believe it was in Wichita, Kansas. It was small, dark, and crowded, and I had a blast. I still have the concert t-shirt, but I can't seem to find the CD, anymore. This was one of my favorites.

Home by Room Full of Walters

Trouble

2011-07-12T06:55:00.000-05:00

I think I've mentioned him here before, but I really do love him!

Trouble by Ray LaMontagne

Changed my mind

2011-07-10T10:18:00.001-05:00

Remember these?

I found them at my grandpa's farm a couple of years ago. I had to crawl under (and get attacked by) a couple of locust trees - the kind with thorns as long as my finger! - and pull this beauty out from under a 1 room house that had fallen down. It wasn't pretty, but I got her out. The original plan was to plant her as a background in a flower bed. However, I didn't want to do that till we got new siding on the house.

Well, I'm still waiting on new siding. (Don't ask - you'll get a very long, ranting post!) Friday, I decided to do something else with this bed. Mom and I worked on it a little yesterday. I hope to have it finished before I go to camp again in a week...Stay tuned!

Tree Craft

2011-07-06T06:01:00.000-05:00

This book is AWESOME! Author Chris Lubkemann shows us 35 different crafts using found wood. He has everything from salt & pepper shakers to curtain rods to coffee tables and all sorts of coat/jewelry/hat racks.

The projects in Tree Craft are not only a great way to bring the outdoors in, but are also fairly easy to make! Trust me when I say there is something for everyone in this book, and it'll have you out looking for tree stumps and fallen tree limbs.

Copy made available by publisher for review.

The Show

2011-07-05T06:49:00.003-05:00

One of our favorites around here - it's even my ringtone!

The Show by Lenka

Lessons from & for Camp

2011-07-01T23:56:00.000-05:00

So, earlier this week, I went along as a chaperon for Bug's Webelos Resident Camp. I am not much of a camper, and this was even more primitive in some ways than what I've ever done before, but also better in some ways. There was an air conditioned Trading Post where I could sneak into if the humidity started getting to me, and there was a shower house with real showers and real flushing toilets. All of our meals were eaten in the mess hall. They were cooked by someone else, and the boys took turns setting and clearing our assigned table.

When I've gone camping in the past, I've slept in tents that are closed with a zipper. During the day, you can unzip the inner zipper so the breeze can come in through the screen, but the bugs can't. They also have solid floors, so you don't have to worry about things falling through. This is what I slept in for 3 nights:

I'll be going back in a few weeks with Awesome for the Cub Resident Camp, and I've come up with a list of things that will hopefully make this stay a little more comfortable.

Cheesecloth & Safety Pins - I'm hoping to come up with a way to easily pin the cheesecloth to the tent so I can leave the flaps open during the day to let the air through, but keep the pesky mosquitoes out.

Floor covering - I have some canvas drop cloths that I'm going to paint, if I have time. I also want to add some gromets so that I can secure the drop cloth to the four posts of the tent.

Cot - I used one of the little cots that my parents have had FOR.EV.ER. It's better than sleeping on the hard wood floor, but it's still a little uncomfortable. The camp has some nicer ones that can be rented for $5. Bug slept on one of those last year and said they were almost as comfortable as a regular bed. I will be getting one of those this time around.

Did I mention that in the last couple of days, I have found 3 deer ticks on me? Yep. Those are the little bastards that carry Lyme Disease. (My mom brought Awesome out for the campfire, and he managed to get one on his little man parts.) We're watching these bites VERY closely. I doused myself with bug & tick spray, but I think the buggers must have sneaked in under my jeans. You know what that means? Instead of just spraying my clothes, I think I'm going to sneak off to the shower house, strip down to my birthday suit, and dump half a bottle on me every morning!

In the spirit of full disclosure, I do have to admit that the 3 nights/4 days went by fairly quickly. The boys picked up some new skills, we learned some new games (like Ninja and Human Battleship), and a good time was had by all!

In The Sun

2011-06-28T06:43:00.004-05:00

In The Sun by She & Him

(The "She" is actress Zooey Deschanel - and Bones' sister!)

Homeless guys make me think of Chicken Burritos.

2011-06-24T15:33:00.000-05:00

It's true. And I'll tell you why...

We don't see a lot of homeless people around here, at least not many who advertise being residentially challenged. A while back (sometime in the past 2 years), there was a man standing on a corner with a sign saying he was homeless, cold, and hungry. The truck a few cars ahead of me pulled over, the farmer got out, and gave the homeless guy the coat off his back. Feeling inspired, I decided to offer my chicken burrito, that I had just gotten from the Taco Bell drive thru, to the homeless guy.

I pull over, roll down my window and tell the guy that I have a fresh chicken burrito, if he wants it. It's not much, but it's hot (it was late fall/early winter). Dude says to me, "No, thanks." WHAT?! You're homeless, cold, and hungry, but are passing up a hot meal-ish. Apparently, this guy used to work at a chicken farm, and no longer eats chicken. My thought? Dude can't be too hungry, and probably isn't even homeless.

Today, I saw an older homeless guy. His sign said he was a senior citizen, had no home, no food. Anything would be appreciated, even a kind word. Ignoring him was not an option. The Taco Bell was just a few hundred feet away, and I was going to stop there to grab some lunch, anyway. I ordered my chicken burrito, hot sauce, and Mt. Dew, then added on an ice water. I was given my food, then asked to speak to the manager. I gave the manager a $5 bill, described the homeless guy, and told the manager that I wanted to buy the guy a meal if he wanted one. When I went back by the homeless guy, I gave him the ice water, and told him that Taco Bell had a meal for him, if he wanted one. When I saw him in my rear-view mirror, he was headed into the fast food joint with his knapsack slung over his shoulder, and his sign tucked under his arm.

There was one time that I really wish I had had some extra cash on me. There was a larger guy, sitting on a cooler or something, holding his sign. It said something about him being a Vietnam Vet, being fat and lazy, and while food was appreciated, he could really use some cash to buy a drink! I thought his honesty should be worth a couple of bucks, at least!

Float On

2011-06-21T06:39:00.002-05:00

Such a funky, happy, catchy tune!

Float On by Modest Mouse

My name is Heather, and I am a Beef Snob

2011-06-14T06:33:00.000-05:00

It's true. With the exception of 4 very long years one state south, I have spent my entire life in Nebraska. Born here, raised here, and will probably die here. I am not a fan of this so-called best in the business corn-fed beef. I actually had a lady chew me out at me at the grocery store once because I was explaining to my kids why I really don't care for this supposed Nebraska staple.

I like grass-fed beef, and I will not apologize for it. If you want good Nebraska beef, go to the Sandhills area. There, you'll find more wheat and cattle than corn. Try the beef. It's DELICIOUS. It is what I was raised on. My super awesome great-uncle gave us a full beef every year for Christmas, and it would feed our 5 person family for almost a whole year.

My husband thought I was crazy, till I brought my point home the only way I could - a cook-off. I bought 1 pound of 93% lean grain-fed beef from the store, and 1 pound of 90% lean grass-fed beef from the farmer's market. I divided each pound into thirds, and convinced him to help me tacos, spaghetti, and grilled burgers. The result? He no longer thinks I'm crazy.

Even though the grass was slightly less lean than the grain, it cooked cleaner and tasted much better.

When I think of free-range meat, I don't think about better treatment for the animals. I'm selfish enough that I think of better tasting meat!

This and That

2011-06-13T17:32:00.000-05:00

We went to Lincoln Saturday where I spent the afternoon holding, cuddling, and loving Baby E. She's so tiny! Probably not any smaller than other almost 8 pound babies that are 21" long, but she just seems super small. She has a g-button for her feedings, and she's on a monitor that screeches if she stops breathing. While we were there, a copy of Baby E's medical records arrived in the mail. My SILs and I were looking up all the medical terminology. Between what I remembered from my college days and the confusion we found on the internet, we think we have a pretty good idea of all that she has going on.

I downloaded 2 books to my Kindle for the trip there and back, but I ended up driving, so I didn't get to start either one. I did get to start on Home to Woefield yesterday. I'm not too far into it, yet, but it has already made me laugh! I'm looking forward to reading The Dry Grass of August, but that'll have to wait till I read the copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks that I checked out from the library.

I have a new project on my list this week. I had made a cape for my brother's little guy, but the snap didn't go on well. It finally came off, so I'll just have to put a new one on. I'm kind of glad it came off, though. I had forgotten to take a picture of it before I sent it home with him!

The boys are on week 2 of swim lessons. Lessons were canceled Thursday and Friday because it was chiiiiilllly, so today was there first day since last Wednesday! It was still pretty chilly today (only 63 out!). For the 25 minutes it took us to get home, I listened while Bug and Awesome discussed their possible shrinkage. Awesome rarely remembers to filter his thoughts before speaking, so I was just glad we were in the car and not in public!

Lonely

2011-06-10T10:06:00.000-05:00

Hi all! I didn't mean to disappear on you! Baby E was FINALLY able to go home last Saturday, and I have been working feverishly trying to finish her blanket. Procrastination is my middle name!

Also, I'm having some issues with Blogger. I can't see my followers, and I can very rarely post comments. Yesterday I could, but this morning is a no-go. I'll try again after I get back from ~~losing my sanity~~ grocery shopping.

See you soon!

Yellow and Gray

2011-06-02T12:12:00.001-05:00

I've noticed that the yellow & gray combination has become pretty popular in home decor and fabrics. While browsing through my favorite bead shop, I came across these beauties and thought they would look pretty with some of my dark gray irish linen.

I can't tell you how much linen I used, because I really don't know! I just threaded 20 beads onto my spool and started knotting. The first knot is about 4" from the end. From there, I just started spreading the beads apart and tied a knot after each bead. The beaded area is just over 4.5" long, and there's another 4" of linen after that. So, I probably used about 16-18" of the linen, I'm guessing.

I have enough beads to make one more of these babies, so I'm thinking I might have to put one up in my shop!

June 1

2011-06-01T17:32:00.000-05:00

May is over, and I managed to write one post every day. It feels a little weird not posting, now, so here I am.

We were lucky once again, and missed the nasty weather that came through our area a couple of nights ago. Places that are north and south of us got hit by some pretty nasty winds that caused some damage. We had some pretty crazy winds, but our only loss was one mid-size tree branch.

I started on another bracelet last night, and finished it today. I'll post it tomorrow.

We got some pretty great news, today. Baby E will finally be coming home this weekend! She had surgery last Friday to get a feeding tube put in, and they ended up having to do a little extra surgery on her little tummy, but she seems to be doing well. I can't wait to get my hands on her! But, I still have at least another week to wait. I refuse to go see a baby during their first week or so at home. I feel that time is family time. Given all that E and family have been through these last 6 weeks, I'm thinking that some time alone is just what they need.

Karma Bracelet

2011-05-31T11:44:00.006-05:00

I have a really simple style when it comes to jewelry, and when I saw some Karma bracelets on Etsy, I fell in love.

They are incredibly easy to make. You only need 4 things:

About 2 feet of waxed Irish Linen (I used olive green)
1 Silver Ring (mine is a 1/2" hammered sterling silver ring)
Scissors
Ruler

First thing you need to do is cut 2 pieces of the waxed Irish Linen to about 10.5".

Next, fold one piece of the linen in half. Thread your silver circle onto the linen, then thread the loose ends through the loop.

Pull tight...

And repeat on the other side.

Now all you need to do is tie it on!

~~I have several extra sterling silver circles left. I also have 7 different colors of linen, so I'll get some kits put together and put them in my shop later today or tomorrow.~~
**Kits are up in the shop here.

Linking up here:
Terrific Under 10 Tuesdays
Running With Glitter
Time To Shine
Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays
Show Me What Ya Got
Tute Tuesday
You're So Very Creative
Making The World Cuter
Get Your Craft On
One Project At A Time
Tuesday Glam Party
Anti-Procrastination Tuesdays
Tutorials & Tips Tuesdays
Tuesday's Treasures
Take A Look Tuesdays

Thank You

2011-05-30T11:01:00.000-05:00

Thank you

Time to recoup

2011-05-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

Last night was a blast! Everyone had so much fun, and there was NO drama (the lack of alcohol probably helped keep the drama away)!

I set up a photo booth, and that kept me (and everyone else) pretty busy. We had frames, mustaches, hats, wigs, pirate eye patches & earrings, funny sunglasses, and leis. We ended up with a lot of hilarious pictures.

We got home kind of late, so we're all pretty exhausted this morning. Well, we've only been up for about an hour, so it feels like morning. It's actually 11:00, so I guess it's still technically morning, but not by much!

Par-tay!

2011-05-28T07:28:00.001-05:00

J's uncle Bill turn 60 this month, and tonight we are having a party to celebrate.

Bill is a wonderful guy. He has 6 brothers and 7 sisters. When Grandma J passed away a few years ago, a lot of issues between siblings were created/brought to the surface. Some haven't spoken to each other since the day before Grandma J left.

Everybody is coming together for Bill's birthday. He's a special needs guy, and all that drama and BS is just wasted on him. He loves everybody and everybody loves him.

We could all learn a lot from those we put in the "Special Needs" column.

Just what I need

2011-05-27T17:25:00.000-05:00

I love you mom
Your note on back

You have been a good mom
Just what I need

Thanks, Awesome. I love you, too. You have been a good son. Just what I need.

Thursday

2011-05-26T20:24:00.000-05:00

The sun finally came out today. It made me so happy! While I love how beautiful everything looks after a nice rain shower, I can't stand to have cloudy skies and rain on a daily basis.

We went outside and enjoyed this beautiful weather. My newly planted daisies and poppies are doing well. My lilacs are blooming, and the rose bush that I thought had been killed last year has come back.

I need to do some research on my hydrangeas, though. They bloom every year, but they also re-start from the ground up every year. I'm guessing I probably just need to cover them in the winter.

Tomorrow, baby E is having surgery on her stomach, and I pray that everything goes well. She has been fighting an uphill battle, but she's winning!

RAID!!!

2011-05-25T18:57:00.000-05:00

I live in a small farming community. We are about the size of a corn field, and there are fewer than 300 residents. This little town of ours is a nice little town. We are a quiet community, for the most part. We do have the "Porch People" who get semi-regular visits from the county law enforcement for various reasons, and we all wonder why on earth they still have custody of their 4 youngest kids.

Tonight, we had a different kind of excitement. It was a scary kind of excitement, especially since it was so close to us. The house circled in blue is ours. The house in red is where the excitement happened (the porch peoples' house is caddy-cornered from the red house). The house is the building in the top right corner, and their garage is just below the house in the pic.

Our town is so small that we don't have a local pizza place, but the Little Caesar's from town (a town about 15 miles away with roughly 25,000 residents) comes out on Wednesday nights. They hang out at our gas station for a little while, and we can go get pizzas off their truck. Tonight, we wanted pizza for supper.

Just as I was getting ready to open my front door (which faces the red house), I noticed about half a dozen men and one woman from various law enforcement agencies lined up against the neighbors garage with their guns drawn. In addition to those with their guns drawn, I saw a guy in one of those bomb suit things with a giant riot shield, and the K-9 unit was there.

Luckily no shots were fired, and nothing blew up. But, our neighbor was arrested when he got home, and left with the ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) guy.

Most importantly (according to my kids), we were able to get our pizza before the pizza lady left!

Organization

2011-05-24T19:57:00.000-05:00

We live in a small house. There are two adults, two kids, two dogs, and 3 fish squeezed into roughly 1,000 square feet. Can I tell you how difficult it is to keep things clean and organized?

There are things that simply get moved from room to room because we just don't know where to put them.

This summer is going to be full of purging and organizing. What tricks do you use to keep the chaos away?

Reading Material

2011-05-23T19:45:00.001-05:00

I'm running out of books to read...any suggestions?

Generation Kill

2011-05-22T19:41:00.000-05:00

A marine friend of mine who has spent time in both Afghanistan and Iraq was telling me about Generation Kill, a 7 part mini-series that was on HBO in 2008.

I finally got around to checking it out from the library, and I have to say, it was a pretty good series! It doesn't hurt that Mr. Yum-a-licious is in it, too!

Busy Day

2011-05-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

This morning, Bug and I were finally able to plant my daisies, poppies, and some other flower my mom picked up for me. The rain teased us a few times, but we got it done. I can't wait till my flower beds turn into daisy and poppy fields!

This afternoon, I took the boys to my in-laws' house. Baby E's brothers came home with my MIL for the weekend, and they couldn't wait to see Bug and Awesome. I'm not sure if we were entertaining them, or if they were entertaining us!

All in all, it was a pretty decent day. We all needed that.

Being Judged

2011-05-20T15:07:00.073-05:00

There's a Facebook page that I "Like" for Just Ask! about Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Yesterday they posted a question asking if you'd be willing to shave your head to show support for a friend who lost her hair due to chemo. Almost everybody who responded, did so with an absolute YES.

I did not. And I explained why. Within the first 20 minutes of my response, I received almost a dozen messages from women I have never met, chewing me out for being a "superficial, heartless bitch", as one woman put it.

I have mentioned an amazing woman several times before here on my blog. Over 23 years ago, we lost my grandmother to ovarian cancer. This is a woman whom I loved and who was almost as much a part of my life as my own mother. If shaving my head would erase the last 23 years and bring her back into our lives, I would do it in a heartbeat. My hair is pretty, but it won't bring back the dead or cure cancer.

Many women who go through chemotherapy fear losing their hair, and genuinely mourn the loss of it if/when it happens. Chemo patients lose their hair as a trade-off for saving their lives. Many times, the hair grows back once the chemo treatments are over.

Alopecia is different. My grandmother was completely bald by the time she graduated high school. It came back before she met my gramps, and she had her own, full head of hair for a few years after that. She was completely bad again before she turned 30. My mom started finding bald spots when she was 23. They would come and go, sometimes getting so bad she'd have to wear a wig. About 10 years ago, she lost ALL of her body hair. While she likes not having to shave her legs or armpits, she would still prefer not to have to wear a wig.

I'm 33. My hair is still a bit thick, but it is also noticeably (to me) thinner than it was 5 years ago. About 6 years ago, I noticed that my hairline had receeded about 1/2 an inch. While I have not had any bald spots, yet, I do have my hair dresser check every time I go in. Until you are faced with the very real possibility of losing your hair, and having it never come back, you will never fully understand why I am so unwilling to part with my hair, and you have absolutely no right to judge my decision to keep it.

That being said, I do what I can as far as my hair is concerned. I grow it out until it is at least 12 inches below my chin. Then, I get it cut and it gets sent off to Locks of Love. I grow it out again, and donate, grow it out, donate, etc. But, I will probably never shave my head bald.

The End is Near

2011-05-19T11:02:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of school for my boys. In about 2 hours, my days of solitude will come to an end for the summer. I think I'm excited.

We had hoped to pull some weeds and plant my flowers this afternoon. But, it's rainy, so maybe tomorrow, after grocery shopping, and after we all get to sleep in!

Let them eat cake

2011-05-18T18:15:00.000-05:00

Last night, we had the boys' Cub Scout Graduation. Bug is excited that this will be his last year as a Cub Scout - he'll be an official Boy Scout at the end of February 2012. Awesome was excited till he learned he would no longer be a Tiger Cub, because the tiger is his favorite land animal.

There was cake left over, and it was sent home with us. This morning, the boys ate cake for breakfast.

Sometimes, it's the littlest things that can make a kid's day special.

Hashbrown Casserole

2011-05-17T07:43:00.002-05:00

Ingredients:
2 lbs frozen hashbrowns*
1/2 Cup melted butter
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 Cup milk
1/2 Cup chopped onion*
1 Tbsp salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese*
2 Cups cornflake crumbs (optional)
1/4 Cup melted butter (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9x13 greased dish, pour thawed hashbrowns. Mix butter, onion, salt, pepper, soup, milk, sour cream, and cheese together. Crush cornflake crumbs and sprinkle over the top, then dribble 1/4 cup butter. Bake for 1 hr - 1 hr 15 min.

*Notes*
I like the Ore Ida Country Style hashbrowns.
I like the onion taste, but don't like the crunch, so I replace the chopped onion with about 1 1/2 tsp minced onion.
Sometimes I use shredded cheddar, other times I use the Kraft Pizza cheese mix (I think it's Mozzarella & Cheddar).
I have also added bacon bits, about a tablespoon or two. I have found that I have to use more of the generic brand bits than the name brand bits.

Linking up here!

Monday, Monday

2011-05-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

I've had a migraine almost all day. My head hurts, laundry needs to be folded, floors need vacuumed, and dishes need to be put away. But, my head hurts, really bad, so I don't much of anything will be getting done today.

Sunday

2011-05-15T11:34:00.000-05:00

I don't have much to say. I'm tired. My nephews (baby E's big brothers) were back yesterday, so we went to MIL's house so Bug and Awesome could entertain the little guys for a while. Then, we ate supper before bribing all the boys (including J and my FIL!) with ice cream to get their hair cut.

Today feels more like late fall than mid-spring. I have a meeting this afternoon, but until then, I'm going to curl up with some hot chocolate and a book/Kindle!

And, since today is Sunday, I'll leave you with a song that I have loved since the first time I heard it.

Baby E Update

2011-05-14T10:13:00.001-05:00

So, my adorable new niece is still in the hospital. Still no word on when she'll be able to come home. We do have some good news, though!

She's been breathing on her own since Tuesday, and her chromosomes are normal! Hopefully she'll be home soon!

Updated update: Baby E has been on a feeding tube, and when you couple that with her cleft palate, she hasn't really learned to suck very well. They're going to give her another 7-10 days, and if she isn't able to bottle feed well enough, she'll probably go to the Children's Hospital to get a G button so she can at least (finally!) go home. Then, her mom and dad can work on her bottle feeding.

This has been a long few weeks for everyone. Baby E has two brothers, M is 4 and O is 2. M&O have spent more time with my MIL than their own parents lately, and they've been coming back here quite a bit lately, too. This whole ordeal has been taking a toll on them as well, so it'll be so nice for everyone to just be under one roof again. With any luck, they will be in 2 weeks or less!

Retail Therapy

2011-05-13T13:02:00.000-05:00

So, I lost the post I wrote yesterday, and about half the tutorial for my Mother's Necklace, along with the comments, during the maintenance. Grrr...so frustrating!

You know what's not frustrating? Shopping for beads, from one of my favorite sources. I used her pearls for my necklace, and there's plenty to make a bracelet and earrings! This is also the place where I bought these to make this. If you're interested in buying some beads, you should really check out Carla's facebook page first.

Blast from the Past

2011-05-12T11:46:00.013-05:00

Even though today is the 13th, I'm going to date this as the 12th. Before the Blogger maintenance yesterday, I had written and published a post talking about a video I came across on YouTube. It's a video for a song that was popular when I was in high school. I wrote about how this song makes me laugh, and about the memories is brings to mind. I also mentioned that 16 years later, I can still do the dance that goes with the song. I can do the dance in pants and I can do it while wearing a wedding dress. This song makes me laugh.

I wanted to embed it, but that has been disabled for the video, but you can still find it here - I hope. YouTube has been giving me problems today...