Sew Up a Home Makeover

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.

Changed my mind

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

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.

Lessons from & for Camp

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!

Homeless guys make me think of Chicken Burritos.

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!

My name is Heather, and I am a Beef Snob

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

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!