Wednesday, September 26, 2012

When something good happens...

































This picture has NOTHING to do with my post today, but I just thought it was such a pretty picture...

I'm writing today about Happiness.

I'm happy.

In my job. (Well, in my life too, but especially in my job.)

I don't think I've felt that way in a REALLY long time.  Not since the job I had before I decided to stay home with my kids when they were little.

I sorta fell into my new job because of connections I had made in my old job.

Funny how that works isn't it?

But God knows, doesn't he.

He knows what is planned out for us for the rest of our lives.

It's so totally ASTOUNDING.

This job is is a little mix of my old job (dealing with kids) and a lot of the things I'm best at, strongest at at least.

It's a lot of organizing, it's a lot of paperwork, it's a lot of managing my time...but if you ask anyone...I thrive with those things.

It started when I was young, and I'd take EVERYTHING out of my parent's clothes closet and drag their nightstand or a TV tray into the closet, along with my old rotary phone (unhooked of course) and play secretary for hours.

Used to drive my mom crazy.  It would drive me crazy if Grace or Evan did that now to mine.

The sound of a stapler, of the keys clicking on the keyboard...I don't know...it's crazy, I know, but so much fun.

I'm so glad the people who hired me I got to know a couple years ago, or this job might not have been mine.

Thank you God for looking out for me.

ALWAYS.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Hello Monday

This one post a week deal has got to stop.

I realize I have a problem.

I'm linking up today to Lisa Leonard's Hello Monday series.

She's so cool.  She has the funkiest hair and the coolest jewelry.

So, without further ado...Hello Monday.

Hello impromptu pancakes made for an impromptu sleepover that happened this weekend.
You may be VERY strange looking, and oddly shaped, but tasty none the less.

Hello CRAZY cat Oreo  who thinks every box/basket is her perfect place to lay.
Glad I finally put away my produce getting from the garden basket away for the season.

Hello crazy picture of old fashioned ladies dancing in their bathing suits.
It currently resides in my downstairs bathroom where I have strangely adapted the theme "old fashioned people in bathing suits."  I don't know why, it just happened.

Hello lonely Andy Warhol tomato soup can from the best store ever...Target.
Once my family helps me eat the other 2 cans worth of soup, they will hold flowers from the garden on my windowsill.
Hello cozy quilt I made out of some of my favorite fabrics, and some pieces of an antique quilt my great grandmother made.
I have been cozying up here alot lately with the cooler weather.

Hello crazy juxtaposition of a display case that was hastily put up on the wall with some silly things.
You kinda look ok if you don't look too closely.

Hello fall display I threw together after I purchased the great chippy metal drawer thingy at my local fall festival a week ago.
And lastly, hello to the constant comics Evan puts in my life.  
He draws like a mad fiend, which I LOVE, and this one is about two opposing cans of soda.

Hilarious.  You've gotta meet this kid!

So, Hello Monday everyone.  Meet me over here at Lisa's and check out everyone else's Monday.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Gotta Love a Chalkboard

You've seen spray chalkboard paint right?

It's like the best thing since sliced bread.

Rust Oleum makes it.

It rocks.

I used it the other day for a small project.

I have these child sized chairs that I've had since the kids were little.
I actually have 4 little chairs, but only used 3 here.  They came with an enamel-topped table that I bought when the kids were small enough to think eating and playing on it were cute.

I also have a problem space by my front stairway.

I would really like a bench/hook/coat rack piece of furniture made for that area...but it hasn't happened yet, so I'm improvising.

I set out these three little chairs the other day and had a lightbulb (I think a literal lightbulb) appear above my head.

Why not paint these with chalkboard paint and use them for a catch all for the kids school bags, or purses/coats when people come to visit.
I got out my handy dandy spray paint can of black chalkboard paint and went to work.  After it dried, I wanted to write some numbers on them in chalk, and then modpodge over them, but when I modpodged over them, the chalk disappeared, so.....

I added some paper letters and mod podged over them.



In a group, it looks much better.



They will stay for now, until I think of something else to go in their place.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Tuesday

I was going to post about a small project I completed the other day...

except I didn't QUITE complete it, because I ran out of one of my supplies.

Which is why I didn't post about it, because I will tomorrow.

After Evan got home on the bus today and he completed his chores...we headed to town.


Still sounds weird to say "Headed to Town," like I'm Laura Ingalls Wilder or something, but that's kinda true.  With gas at almost $4/gallon, and us living not as close to town as is convenient, I try to group all my trips/errands in the same day/time.

Grace had a Junior High Extravaganza after school today.  They all met in the cafeteria after school, finished their homework, had a free supper, got in free to the Junior High girls Volleyball game, or Junior High boys football games, and just had time to have fun.

So, my trusty companion and I headed to Goodwill, Walmart, out to supper, and Menards.
I couldn't ask for a better companion.  He wasn't too crazy about the Goodwill stop, but when promised supper, quickly got over it.

I got my supplies stocked up to finish my project, got some groceries for supper with friends this weekend, and got me some great Goodwill finds.

We picked up Grace at 8pm.  She was bummed she didn't get to stay longer, but we had things to do before bed at home.  

It was a good night.  We leisurely strolled through the stores killing time before we picked up Grace.

It was nice just me and Ev.  We need to do it more often.





Friday, September 14, 2012

Back to Life...Back to Reality

Yes, I know often my post titles are song lyrics.

Sometimes they just run through my mind.

They did when I thought of the subject of the blog post tonight.

You see, we just came from our school's Homecoming celebration.


We won the game, (I'm pretty sure...no, I KNOW we did...) I talked to alot of people, so I honestly have to say, I only saw the highlights of the game, not the whole thing...

But it was Homecoming.  There was a Princess, Prince, King, and Queen crowned.

21 years ago, I was one of those crowned.  Queen.  It was the highlight of my senior year.

To this day, my husband STILL thinks that because he married a "Queen", he can be a "King."  Yeah, it doesn't work that way!  (Just look at Queen Elizabeth and her husband...he's only a Prince Consort!)

Ok, back to tonight...it was a perfect weather night for a football game.  And Homecoming is a big dealio each year.

They had a local sky diving team fly by and skydive the game ball down onto the field before the start of the game.

Then there was a tunnel on the field for the players to run through.


Grace (2nd from right) and her friends made a brief appearance at the end of the night for the fireworks AFTER the game.



Evan had a good time...playing football with his friends and then coming back to check in with us every once in awhile.

It was a good night.  


It's always fun to go.

I'm always glad we went.

Do you go to your school's Homecoming festivities?

Monday, September 10, 2012

Monday Monday

Sometimes Mondays are just ho hum.

I'm not sayin' mine was fantastic, but it wasn't all bad.

Since I have a new job and I am totally IN LOVE with it, everyday of the week is much better.

It actually flew by for me today.

I had a lot of paper work to do at the office.

I also decided I needed to brush up on my instagram skills since I'm totally new to it, but want to love it all the same.

I want to learn how to edit my pics, and do all the cool stuff with them that I see others doing.

I want to love my new android phone.

But who has the time?

So, without further ado...here are some pics.

Some new pillows I made for our couch when I wasn't making them for my etsy store.


Grace doing pretty much what she does whenever she finishes her homework...
My favorite corner of the living room..
The vintage looking juice container I found at Goodwill, but which I use for a flower vase instead...
My new magnetic "bulletin board" that I found at a flea market this summer, but which I've embellished a little bit...
And lastly, our new favorite drink...plain water filled with lemons.  I can hardly drink plain water anymore...

So that's my Monday in a nutshell.

Was yours good?




Saturday, September 8, 2012

Getting sucked in

Have you ever been sucked in by an infomercial?

I have, many a time.

Have you ever reached for your credit card and the phone and actually placed the order?

I haven't done that, but I've went to the computer and searched all over the web for the item that "supposedly" is only available for  a limited time on TV.

That is, IF you're one of the first 100 to call.

The other night everyone was in bed except me.

I was surfing the channels like Brent usually does, trying to find something interesting to watch.

I came upon this infomercial.

Luminess air airbrush makeup kit.  (LINK HERE)

It's actually pretty impressive.

You add some liquid makeup to the little airbrush wand, and just make circles all around the front of your face.

Flawless coverage.  Even covered the ugliest red spots and dark circles.

I was intrigued.  I was impressed.  I wondered if the models were real, or just alot of editing went into the comercial.

It boasted a $29.99 price tag.

I went to bed and slept on it, only to think about it again in the morning.

That is...until I looked it up today and found out, sure, the initial price is $29.99, BUT, then if you like it after 30 days, you'll make 4 payments of $49.95 each.

Ok.  Not so impressive anymore.

I mean, sure the almost perfect makeup coverage was a draw.

I was smitten with the fact of how easy it was.

But then, reality set in.

Have you ever been persuaded by an infomercial.

Have you actually bought anything?  I will NOT judge.  I won't.  

Now come on...spill the beans!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

A little planning goes a long way!

Have you heard of the concept of group freezer meals?

I hadn't till about 8 or 9 years ago.

Once I heard, it sounded like the greatest invention ever!

I shared it with my women friends in Sunday School, and it became a project we did every 1 or 1 1/2 years.

First, you get a group of your friends (I guess they don't have to be your friends...) together, and decide on a recipe that you each want to do.  Then make sure no one is making duplicates.

Then, you can either do all the preparation together, or separately, and come together as a group.

So, for example...say there are 10 of us in my group.

I would make a recipe 9 times (unless I also want one for myself.)

I would totally prepare the recipe, except for cooking it, put it in a foil pan, or other container, and package it in freezer bags.

This is what I mean....

One year, I decided to make Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole.
If you have never had it, you must...if you have never made it...it's the easiest thing to make....
{Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole}

2 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded
1 can cream chicken soup
1 c sour cream
1 roll Ritz crackers, crushed
1 stick butter
1 1/2 T poppy seeds
 1/2 t salt

Shred chicken and place in greased 8x8 pan.  Mix sour cream and cream chicken soup, and spread over chicken.  Melt one stick butter in the skillet, add crushed crackers, poppy seeds, and salt.  Stir till coated.  Put on top of casserole and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 min.



There were 10 of us in my group, so I made 9 casseroles, packaged them in 8x8 foil pans, slid them in large freezer bags, and froze them until we all met.

When we met, we each brought a cooler, and we each took one one of everything from every person except ourselves.

I had 10 meals that I didn't make, to take home and put in my freezer.  

There were things like beef and noodles, soup, casseroles, chicken enchiladas, cooked spaghetti and meatballs, sweet and sour meatballs, etc.  

All I had to do on busy nights, was pull it out of the freezer in the morning so it could thaw, and then bake it when I got home and add a side dish to it.

Easy, and great.

I think we're doing it again this year with my Sunday School class.  We haven't done it since our kids were small, and that totally doesn't make since, cause when our kids were small...when did we find the time?

Anyway, here are some tried and true recipes I've used to freeze that are easy with only a few ingredients.

{Easy Chicken Enchiladas}

2 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
1 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 c shredded cheddar
1 10 oz. can enchilada sauce
8 corn tortillas  (or more)

Combine chicken, 1 c cheese and chilies.  In bottom of 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 can enchilada sauce.  Fill enchiladas and roll up, and put in pan seam side down.  Pour rest of enchilada sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350 for 25 min.

{Stuffed Shells}
20 jumbo shells (cook accord. to pkg.)
9 oz. cream cheese, soft
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 lb. hamburger, browned
1 jar spaghetti sauce

Combine the above ingredients, except the shells.  Stuff into cooked shells, and put in 8x8 pan. Mix spaghetti sauce and browned hamburger and pour over shells.  Bake at 375 for 30 min.

Any recipe for Chili would work, or...

{Taco Soup}

1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
28 oz. stewed or crushed tomatoes
1 can corn (or 2 cups frozen sweet corn)
1 taco seasoning packet
1 packet hidden valley ranch.

Cook in crockpot on low 4-6 hours
**for freezer meal, just mix everything and have your recipient cook it.


Even things like green bean casserole would work.  Pretty much anything you can adapt to freeze would work, just don't cook it before you freeze it.

I'm sure this idea is as old as time, but it seems revolutionary!

Try it.  Get a group of women together and make a night of it.

It'll be a blast!

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Busy Bee...

One of the things I LOVE best is making things.

It's hard for me to take time out to do this, because I feel guilty that I'm not doing some kind of household chore.

BUT, sometimes I just need an outlet.

I added some new things to my ETSY store today, so I thought I'd share...

Some new pillows...




Paper covered composition books...


another distressed framed cork board...


distressed brass candlesticks...


and finally, my newest invention...paper covered magnetic clothespins.



Whew...I'm tired, but a good tired.

Next week, I'm thinking of having a giveaway for some of my new ETSY items if you check out my store.
More information on that later.

Have a great LABOR DAY WEEKEND!