L.O.T.s of Love

Summer Fun

2010-07-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

I remember at the end of last summer wondering what we had done while school was out. Now with graduate school continuing through the summer, we needed a plan. I found several Summer Fun lists around blogland and decided it was a great idea to really SEE what we have done this summer. So the kids help make the list and we have been checking them off all summer.
Each child was assigned a color for the activites they chose. Luckily, my kids are pretty practical and chose easy (and cheap) things to do. This only proves that kids can be happy with the simpliest things...like eat ice cream.

The chalkboard I made here from a antique store find. The markers are chalk markers from Hobby Lobby.

The Hat You Choose

2010-07-26T16:56:00.003-05:00

Most of my laundry remodel is done but not enough for a "big reveal"! However, the other day I was doing laundry and noticed what was hanging on each of the kids' hooks. Their hats reveal how very different they are...

Timothy with his "trucker hat".

Olivia with her sporty visor.

Lola with her fashionable hat and personalized purse.

Did these kids really come from the same parents?!

Take It Up

2010-07-12T15:01:00.003-05:00

I have a two story foyer and this is my inspiration for how to fill some of the height...

Photo from Eddie Ross

The paint is drying so I'll be back to show you how it turned out.

Stealing again!

2010-03-26T12:45:00.008-05:00

Long time, no post. There is lots going on around here but it has very little to do with the decor of the home. However, here is one great project that has happened....because my only job was supervision!

My master bedroom got painted (not the topic here) and I really wanted SOMETHING on the window...besides the dirty blinds I inherited in the purchase. So I copied. Off my lovely neighbor, Jenny. Again. Thanks goodness we have different floor plans! I'd hate to copy everything! Anywho...she has a great window treatment in her family room bay window that translated perfectly my bedroom.

As usual, no "before" pictures. The hubby's friend, a REAL carpenter, took on quick look at Jenny's treatment and recreated it for me. I did nothing...not even pick out the wood. The cornice consisted on 2x6's, crown molding and rope molding. Then a little wood filler for the nail holes and corners, sanding, priming and painting.

Love it!!

I simple used tension rods to hang curtains I had stored in the closet since we moved.

The paint color? Hard to tell without natural light but it is Hinting Blue from Sherwin Williams.

Now...what would you put in the bay? Chair? Lounge? What? Help!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T11:40:00.002-06:00

The procrastinator in me won this time and I did not send out Christmas cards this year. Surprisingly, I really feel OK about it! If I had sent one out...this would have been the photo.

Merry Christmas!

Where Have I Been?

2009-12-03T11:33:00.010-06:00

I was so touched the other day when the super talented Jen from Sanctuary Arts at Home left me a comment on my last post that is MONTHS old asking me where I've been. So sweet! Didn't realize anyone noticed I was gone!

Well...I've been in grad school. The first semester is over and I hope to squeeze some posts in before the next semester begins.

So here is where I have been too...

Soccer...lots of soccer! I have mentioned that I HATE soccer?

But when the kids are so darn cute in their uniforms, how could I resist?

Then hubby and I celebrated our 13th anniversary at the Cardinal's game. Yes. We are in the last row and it was FREEZING cold! Nothing but the best for his lady!

Halloween was great! Great weather, freinds and family and Super Heros everywhere!

You may recall that in May I ran my first 5K. Well I'm still running and in November my girls ran their first 5K. They ran the Girls on the Run 5K. If you are not familiar with the program, it is an awesome self-esteem building program for girls that using running. My girls are too young for the program but that didn't stop them! One of my proudest moments!

Then Thanksgiving rolled aroung and the hubby deep fried the turkey. As Rachel Ray would say, "YUMMO"!!

The sisters helped cook the feast and it was delicious! Lots of mom's recipes for the eating.

I think that's a good summary of where I have been. More posts to come!

Well Dressed

2009-09-16T08:04:00.010-05:00

OK! I really have no time the write this post but I'm so excited about this that it must be done....advanced nursing theory can wait a little longer.

The kitchen is in the home stretch and has been for 6 months! The finishing touches take longer than anything. I needed curtains and knew I wanted toile. I LOVE TOILE! Easy right? NOT! I could only find toile with a base color of white and that meant too much white in my kitchen with new white cabinets. Then one day while surfing blogland, I found a post about the most lovely bedding (yes, bedding) with a blue back ground and toile scene. So off to Target and got the last one on clearance for $60. SCORE!

Problem....I don't sew.....at all! So I planned to a Nester mistreatment. Then stepped in my most lovely and talented neighbor that offered to help me do it properly. Jenny is the best! She first sent me to task ripping the whole thing apart. Here's the mess I was left with.

Don't you just love the fabric?!

So one afternoon we went to work. When I say we, I mean Jenny and I was her best cheerleader!

Then the sewing began. She swears it's easy but I'm not so sure...

What was suppose to take an afternoon took D.A.Y.S! Jenny did a great job and I really appreciate the time she put into it.

Here are the results and I love it!!!!!!

Check out the detail. Jenny took the time to use the cording I had cut off and made it look so professional.

Remember...this started out as bedding so there was only so much material to work with and no way of getting additional. So the middle treatment is yellow while the 2 sides are blue. I think it looks so great. Amazing what can be done when you are forced to use what you have.

Here are the panels by the bay window. I can't get them both in one picture so you don't get the full effect but it's fabulous!

She made bans for all the treatments and payed attention to the image that would be visible.

Check this out! She perfectly matched up the patterns where the yellow and blue materials meet. So awesome!
Thanks to Jenny for a job better than I could have imagined! She really took a lot of time and did a great job. No! You can't have her as your neighbor...I have trouble sharing!

SHE WON!

2009-08-07T09:47:00.005-05:00

SO...no blogging this week like planned but WHO CARES!!! Melanie won the MR340 women's solo division with a time of 55 hours and 58 minutes!!! Yippee!!

I had no internet access except my iPhone. Why did I think I could get internet while sitting on the banks of the Missouri River? Completely delusional!

I would love to write more but I'm going to save it all for a time when I am less tired and can really try to share what the experience was like.

MR340-We Have Arrived!

2009-08-03T17:12:00.006-05:00

The road trip to Kansas City was great despite the fact that I only had 2 hours of sleep at work the night before. I tried to nap but Mel seemed to veer off the road every time I closed my eyes. Coincidence? I think not! Rotten little sister!

We arrived and checked into the hotel and went directly to the boat ramp. What else would we do? There were already about 50 boats stationed around the ramp waiting for the next day.

Here is the view of KC from the boat ramp.

There she is...the Clark W. Griswold. Yep! That is the name of Mel's boat. Named for the lovable character from the movie National Lampoon Vacation. You gotta love it! Paying homage to the man that was always optimistic and confident despite the numerous blunders that occurred on his adventures. Let's hope Mel's adventures are filled with far less disasters! Oh! The paddle...it's named cousin Eddie!

The boat came off the truck and we began to ready it for the tomorrow. There really wasn't a lot to do yet but it felt good to be there and working toward her goal. Our cousin, Joe, came down to help and provide moral support! Thanks, Joe! We love you!

Here are the things that surprised the non-kayaking river support person...the people! Young, old, athletes and overweight, moms (that really looked like soccer moms) and hippies. What an eclectic group of people! And everyone was so kind and friendly, sharing tips and advice, battle stories and well-wishes.

So there they sit like soldiers waiting for battle. Remember, this is a race against the other competitors and a challenge for the mind and body.

Now we wait. Mel has checked in, attended the mandatory safety meeting and we will brief one last time before bed (and again in the morning)!

Remember her in your prayers for the next few days and I will try to update often.

WARNING!

2009-08-02T14:52:00.005-05:00

Just a little warning that things will be different this week. My baby sister, Melanie, is competing in the MR340 river race. It is the longest non-stop river race in the WORLD! I am her official road crew...meaning I keep her well supplied in food, water and moral support. The race is from Kansas City, MO to St. Charles, MO on the Missouri River. ALL 340 miles of it! There is an 88 hour time limit. Yep...88 hours of river fun! The race begins Tuesday at 8AM and Mel hopes to be done on Thursday afternoon. Somewhere in the mid-60 hour mark. If you want to read more about it, visit http://www.rivermiles.com/. You can track her progress under the "forum" tab. Then go to "board topics" to find the leaders...Melanie Hof will be listed there!

This is a true test of physical and mental strength. That is A LOT of time of the river alone to be filled with self-doubt! So I ask you all to remember Mel in your prayers over the next few days and come back here to visit ofternand see how she is doing! Did I mention she has only owned a kayak for about 6 weeks?! She really might be a little crazy!

So the next few days, I will be basically using my blog as a journal for the adventure we are on. No decorating, no projects, no gushing about my kids...just me rambling on about the race. There may be LOTS of rambling because I will have LOTS of time by myself. I apologize in advance. I will do my best to chronicle the race for Mel and I, including photos. We will see how that goes out there in the middle of no where! Please computer, don't fail me now!

See you on the river!

Goodbye, Neighbors

2009-07-29T00:01:00.000-05:00

Saying goodbye to good neighbors is tough. Saying goodbye to my neighbors is...well...weird. You see, my house backs to a cemetery and the cemetery is moving. Yes...all 1500 graves...moving. When we bought this house, it didn't bother use that a cemetery was in our backyard. Quiet neighbors! We thought we were safe from building and development. WRONG!

Here is the overhead view of the property. You can see the lovely circular design of the cemetery. My house backs right up to all that geometric splendor. It almost looks like a crop circle.

We first heard about moving the cemetery this winter and it has moved quickly. It is mainly nuns from the Sisters of St. Joseph Order buried there. So I guess with no kids or grand kids to complain about the move, off they went!

There was a closing ceremony that the kids watched from the fence. The attendees carried banners, rang bells, sang songs and said some prayers. Everyone there seemed fine with the idea of the big move. So who were we to complain? What would be the use of complaining? It's not our property.

Then the black tarp went up and the backhoes started working. I have spared you the pictures of that! Needless to say, it has been a weird summer in our house. The blinds remain closed and the curtains drawn, just in case. I would hate for the kids to see something that would scar them for life. The work starts early in the morning so there has been little sleeping in for the kids this summer. BUMMER for mom!

So, we say goodbye to our neighbors. The quiet neighbors. The good neighbors. The neighbors that have never caused a problem. We will miss the beautiful headstones and statues, the nuns (living ones) that take walks out back and always smile and wave. We will miss the "park" we had in the yard because we know someday it will be replaced with something not nearly as lovely. RIP

Back to School

2009-07-28T00:01:00.002-05:00

No, the kids aren't going back to school yet. It's me! At least I hope so. I have my graduate school interview tomorrow and could use some well-wishes and prayers.

The decision to go back to school now was a hard one. But like all things, once I make up my mind...consider it done! I am interviewing at Barnes College for the acute care nurse practitioner program. I will be 2 years of craziness with a full time job and 3 kids but worth the sacrifice to return to the ICU. That is the area of nursing I love and miss. I know it's crazy to say I miss the ICU but what I do now is pretty crazy too!

I'm sure it will mean less time for blogging. Nothing to write about if there is no time for projects and thrift store shopping! But I hope to have the occasional stroke of mediocrity to talk about!

Let's not get ahead of ourselves...gotta get in first. (They will never let me in with grammar like that!) So say a little prayer for me Wednesday at 11:00 as I sit before the panel and try to convince them to take me!

Take It Off

2009-07-27T08:34:00.009-05:00

I am learning s.l.o.w.l.y. that just because I have something, doesn't mean I have to use it. When we were putting our old house on the market, we removed a lot of "extras" around our house. This included photos, knick knacks and even furniture. I took the top off of my china cabinet to make the dining room look larger. I LOVED how it looked! Then we moved....and I put the silly thing back on! Why?! I'm puzzled. Strange that I would put it back on but I guess I just thought I was somehow REQUIRED to use it because I bought it. I never said my thought process was normal!

Sorry for my usual BAD photography...here is the china cabinet on the buffet. I know...hard to see anything but the glare!

Here it is now...

Ahh! It's so much better! The mirror and thingies on the sides are from Hobby Lobby...on sale of course. The lamps are the hunter green Goodwill lamps that I painted. The shades are also a Goodwill find for $4! These shades replaced the orginial ones I had bought and left the plastic on just in case.

A little collection of Goodwill finds that just needed a white coat of paint and all is well.

Rogaine?

2009-07-06T00:01:00.000-05:00

First of all, I'm back! My computer seems to be fixed and I have downloaded all of my pictures back to it! Yippee! Thanks to Ian for retrieving my photos and burning them on a disk and thanks to Mike who stay up all night (literally) to download all my software and whatever other computer stuff it needed.

So here's a little project that I did that took 5 minutes! Lots of folks are incorporating moss topiaries or moss balls into their decor. I am still trying to accessorize the foyer table that I painted. I had put the items together quickly (with the help of my neighbor) and now I am trying to fine tune it!

For the project, you just need a styrofoam ball (green is best) and a bag of moss. I chose to hot glue it on but you could also use spray on adhesive.

It is a messy project, so be sure to put newspaper or something down on your work area.

Here is the final result....

I put it on a container I bought at the Salvation Army Thrift Store for a few dollars. It is a beautiful piece with birds and vines! PERFECT! Just don't get too close....there are a few bald spots! Maybe a little lopsided too! Typically me!

Now all the table needs a different lamp and artwork. Back to the thrift stores!

Happy 4th!

2009-07-04T00:01:00.000-05:00

Have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!

3

2009-07-02T20:57:00.003-05:00

IF you have a son, you understand the tears I have today. If you only have daughters, you will think I'm a complete idiot. The little wild man turned 3 today! How can this be?! Wasn't he just born? Somebody make it stop...please! I can't handle this growing up thing!

My mom warned me about the bond between a mom and her son. You see, 4 daughters and 1 son for her. AND Bro (that's my brother) was (is) rotten! When mom visited me and the little wild man in the hospital the day he was born, she told me I would now understand there was something different she felt for my brother. Not more love, just a different love. WOW! Was she right! People (you know who you are) tease me about how I am around my son. I just gush when I talk about him. It's actually a little pathetic! Don't get me wrong, he gets in LOTS of trouble, but he also melts my heart! Have you seen his blue eyes? He melts EVERYONE'S heart!

So we have gone from the above picture to this...

in just 3 short years. I can't begin to imagine what the future holds for this momma and her baby.

Happy Birthday, Little Man! Thanks for letting me rock you to sleep tonight! I love you!

Do You Tumbl?

2009-06-26T15:28:00.005-05:00

A few months ago I read a post (can't remember who wrote it) about Tumblr....and now I'm hooked. Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything. Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos, from your browser, phone, desktop, email, or wherever you happen to be. You can customize everything, from colors, to your theme's HTML. Even use your own domain name. It's AWESOME!

You can also follow people on Tumblr much like you follow on Blogger. I currently follow 2, The Nester and The Inspired Room. I sometimes see what their next post will be before they write.

I use it as a way to organize different projects I might like to try. This keeps me from having to remember who wrote and when. I have a direct link to the ideas that interest me and put a picture with the post so I remember what the project was. You can use it instead of an inspiration binder or notebook.

Here is the link to my Tumblr page if you want to check it out...http://wrightx5.tumblr.com/.

You can see that I had an obsession over farm house sinks in the middle of the kitchen remodel....then I didn't even get one! Now I am going crazy over trying to find a new color for my bedroom. Don't tell my hubby! He doesn't know yet that I want to change it!

Check it out! I'm sure you will love Tumblr as a wsy to be well-organized....or to not spend hours searching through blogs you follow looking for the idea of how to repurpose that iron trivot from 1979!

Sigh

2009-06-18T22:40:00.003-05:00

Well.....the pictures have been recovered (Praise God!) but the computer still is not functioning. Lesson learned: back-up all that is important and the things that are not! You can never be too careful with your memories!

Panic!

2009-06-16T12:09:00.002-05:00

Forgive this post....my computer with ALL my photos has crashed and I am THE WORST about backing it up! Say a prayer that my photos can be recovered! Then I can get back to blogging!

Just Bragging

2009-06-12T07:15:00.006-05:00

Crazy week=little blogging!

Crazy because I have been busy with kids since school is out. I thought I'd share some photos and show what we have been up to. It is predominately the girls because they finished kindergarten (sigh) and had a fabulous dance recital!

L reading at church at the Kindergarten mass.

O's turn to read. They both did a great job!

Then it was recital time! Don't you just love the buns! They are the "official" Disney princess buns. They Fairy Godmother in training at the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique taught me how to do it this year.

We were so proud! The girls were placed front and center...that means they are the best right?! Anyway....they did a great a fantastic job!

Remember when I talked about the crazy excess for the girls' birthday? Yep...in January. We finally donated all the extra new toys to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital. It is hard to express the pride we all felt in doing something for these sick kids.

Now these are genuine smiles!

Then it was time to party at the school picnic!

Summer is here!

Sit! Please.

2009-06-09T13:48:00.007-05:00

Yes! The kitchen is still a work in progress........ Now it is the "minor" details that are keeping me from declaring it FINISHED!

The latest addition are these bar stools. We extended the island counter on 2 sides to accomidate stools for a 3 kids. I wanted the stools to fit under the counter and not take up any extra floor space when not in use. I found these beauties at Bed Bath and Beyond for just over $20 each with all coupons.

Then I started seeing typography on chairs and stools all over blogland. Check out this post by Wendy at the Shabby Nest for great examples and inspiration. Most folks research different styles and fonts...not me! I bought what was on clearance at Hobby Lobby! Lucky for me the letters were gold to match my new counter! Lucky find!

Now each child has their own stool with their initial. L.O.T. No more fighting over who sits where. Oh! Who am I kidding....there will still be fighting!

Now if I could just get the island cleaned off to the point that there is room for the kids!

My Favorite Paint Color Party

2009-06-04T07:30:00.011-05:00

Melissa at 320 *Sycamore is having a My Favorite Paint Color party. So here I go again....rambling on about Restoration Hardware's BUTTER paint. You can read my old ramblings here and here.

I love this color! I was given a lovely blue KitchenAid mixer by my husband for Christmas. I built the entire color scheme for the kitchen around it. I thought this lovely color would be perfect compliment to the blues I wanted to add. With white cabinets, this is a great addition of color.

It's actually really hard to get a good shot of the paint color in my kitchen because it is so chopped up by the cabinets. This photo was before the new counter tops and back splash but it really gives a true sense of the color. It really stands out against the white without screaming at you.

Here is the biggest block of the color in the whole kitchen. YUMMY!

Here it is today with some of the more recent additions. It is so creamy and lovely, you might want to lick the walls.........odds are there is some food splattered somewhere on them!

Now I'm going to check out the other posts from the party...I am looking for the perfect light blue for the bedroom.

Spell It Out

2009-06-01T13:46:00.004-05:00

For Mel's birthday, I found a great gift that can be given for lots of occasions. The company is called Alphatography. It is run by 2 moms here in St. Louis. It is a photography company that specializes in letters found in nature and architecture. You can select the letters you want to spell out a name or monograms. All letters have multiple choices so you can design something unique, even for people with the same name. The letters come matted for you. All you need to do is buy the frame.

These would be great for bridal showers, weddings, anniversary and housewarming gifts. I gave it as a birthday gift because she had just bought her first home.

Here is what I did for Mel. She really liked it (me too..hint, hint). It will look great in her house. She did some photography at our family farm and printed it all in black and white. It will fit right in with her collection.

If you are lucky enough to live in St. Louis, they will let you pick them up and save on shipping!

Lampapalooza

2009-05-28T18:12:00.005-05:00

The Nester is hosting a Lampapalooza Party today and I had a post in mind for my Goodwill lamps. Since I love a party, I knew I had to join!

A few weeks ago, I was looking for a set of buffet lamps for the dining room. I found a set of lovely forest green lamps at Goodwill for $6. Well, lovely if you are into the late 80's-early 90's forest green and burgundy motif!

So I brought my treasures home and started to spray paint them gloss white. Mistake made here! I forgot to sand off the glossy finish before I started. I did run a tad but it was easily fixed.

I went to Target for some shades. I wanted perfectly round ones to coordinate with the chandelier. This is what I found. Right shape, wrong color....hence the plastic that remains on while I decide what to do with them. They will probably go back but I will hold onto them until I find a better solution.

Love it!

Fairies

2009-05-28T16:23:00.007-05:00

Back in March, I read this post from Little Window Shoppe about preparing for the tooth fairy. (By the way, that blog is now closed but she has great things in her archives!) No one had a loose tooth in the house at that time but I thought maybe I should prepare. Gasp! Yes, I would prepare! It would be just like me to be at Target at 9:59PM trying to buy something special for that first tooth on the night the tooth fairy should come. So I shopped weeks ahead of time! I know....it's scandalous!

O lost her first tooth 2 weeks ago after much pain (hers and mine) and drama. If I was a good mom, I would have a photo of her with a hole in her smile. We all know that is beyond me! However, she never did have a hole in her smile because her adult tooth came in COMPLETELY before she lost her baby tooth. AHHH...the guilt is gone!

L lost her first tooth today. There was less pain and drama with this one. She does have a nice hole in her smile!

So here is what I did to prepare. First I bought their tooth fairy pillows. I think they are so cute! I bought them on Etsy from Lil Pink Chicken. I think I paid $10.99 each plus shipping. They did custom colors and monograms. You can add or delete embroidery as you wish. I did as I usually do, told them to do what they thought was best. And they turned out great! I only wish I had bought the little wild man one while I was at it.

O put her tooth in the little pocket so there was no digging under the pillow in the dark trying to find it and exchange it for $1! Making life easy for the momma!

Then I got some books for summer time reading. The girls have really improved with their reading and I don't want them to lose momentum over the summer.

So the tooth fairy comes again tonight! Such excitement in the house! Maybe this "being prepared" thing will become a regular part of our lives.....probably not!

Better

2009-05-27T16:29:00.005-05:00

A million years ago (or maybe just a few months), I purchased the stand for my mom's cookbook. I L.O.V.E.D. it in the catalog but neglected to notice is was the same color as the book. Not too smart! So I debated about painting it....

Since I was spray paint crazy last week, I finally changed it!

SOOOOOO much better!

Back Up...I Have Spray Paint!

2009-05-25T10:19:00.006-05:00

Jen over at Sanctuary Arts at Home is an ubber-talented artist that does great work on furniture! I love her blog and find tons of inspiration from her. Today she is hosting her monthly Make Over Open House and I FINALLY have something to contribute!

I have been looking for a chest or table for my foyer for months. I also needed it to be cheap because of the money spent on the kitchen. Speaking of kitchen, I'm adding the final touches and will show it off soon! I found this great red chest on Craigslist for $60. I actually liked the red but it didn't really go with what I have going on. It is solid wood with 2 drawers and built in drawer dividers. Really nice!

I asked the hubby to "lightly scuff" the surface one day while I was at work. He went a little crazy! Love you, honey! Please don't make things harder than they are!

Here is the drawer I scuffed. That is really all it needed.

Then I started painting. Spray painting! First, I put on several layers of grey primer. Then the glossy black.

DONE!

New hardware...

PERFECT!

Lessons learned:

1. Don't sand it too much. It just makes for extra work. It SOAKED up the primer like crazy!

2. Lightly sand the surface after the primer too. The primer make the wood grain stand up.

3. Be careful of drips and runs. However, I didn't find a great way to fix them!

4. Love the piece for what it is. This is an old, inexpensive piece of furniture with a pretty new finish. That's it! Not a new $1000 heirloom chest!

***UPDATE***

I have also added this post to Thrifty Decor Chick's Goodwill Party! She does AMAZING things on the cheap! She sees potential in sooo much and must spend all of her time at Goodwill to catch such great finds.....like the $25 train table! Go visit her and check it out!

To the Board...

2009-05-19T05:12:00.004-05:00

I have wanted to improve the organization of my desk and my family. Between work, softball, dance and scout schedules, things get complicated. Not to mention all those "little" things I mean to accomplish in a day.

I saw this post MONTHS ago about making a magnetic chalkboard and knew it was a great idea. I found an old mirror at the antique mall near by. I love the size and shape. It would be perfect over my desk and would help keep me on task for the day.

It was old and beautiful. I removed the mirror first. Then I stepped on an old nail....which led to this post. Please remember to wear shoes when you are working!

I put on several coats of gloss white paint. And then it stopped. Finding the sheet metal for it was harder than I thought...my hardware store didn't carry it. Dad to the rescue! But he has no sense of urgency to get it...so I waited like a good, patient daughter.

Hubby affixed the new sheet metal to the old wood backing with gorilla glue. Then 3 coats of chalkboard paint.

Done! I love it! It fits the stop perfectly!

Here is the organization part. Most things crossed off the list. Better get to all those returns I need to make!

Is 30 the New 21?

2009-05-18T08:10:00.011-05:00

What a great weekend! I pulled off my first surprise party! Melanie turned 30 last month and I gushed about her here. I wanted to give her a surprise party but I was at Disney and LOTS of her friends are involved in college athletics....which means her birthday is at a really inconvenient time! How dare she?!

So I got her to the house on the premise of a purse party....she really doesn't use purses but it was all I could come up with.

The challenge of Melanie's is trying to find her friends from ALL over the country. She went to college in Iowa and graduate school in Louisville. Thank the Lord for Facebook and google. That is how I found a few "core" people that helped me located the rest. When she came around the corner and saw her Louisville girls, she knew something was up!

SURPRISE!

Melanie got some really fun gifts. Dad even did his own shopping and gave her some nice "Tupperware" aka old butter tubs! Dads are the best!

The sisters! Thanks to Sandy and Kathy for helping me put this thing on!

Is 30 the new 21? It sure looked like it in my backyard! You're only as old as you feel and everyone felt YOUNG that day!

Happy Birthday, Tiger!

Mirror, Mirror....

2009-05-16T06:01:00.004-05:00

I have had projects floating around in my head for months. I finally got motivated because I am having a small party at my house and wanted to get a few things done. I have lots to share but only one at a time....otherwise I'll having nothing to blog about for week!

I "borrowed" this idea from another blog but it has been so long that I can't remember where or when therefore I can't give that person credit for the idea. {Remember, I have no creative thoughts of my own!} Oh, well!

My bathrooms are full of builder stock square mirrors...boring. I would have loved to rip the one out in the powder room downstairs, but the hubby had already painted that room and I knew not to ask. So here is how I made boring....better.

I bought an old frame at the antique mall. I think I paid $10. I can't remember, I've inhaled WAY too much spray paint fumes! Then I got my cans of gloss white spray paint and some ribbon.

Before...

After...

If you are going to hang it over a mirror, be sure to paint the back as well. Lesson #1 learned!

I hung the painted frame on a ribbon from my light fixture.

See....I'm right in the middle!

Boring mirror not so boring anymore! Just so you know how unmotivated I have been, it took me 2 months from the time I bought and painted the frame to hanging it! Pathetic!

Run, Forrest, Run!

2009-05-11T13:43:00.000-05:00

I have already blogged about not being a chef and not having any creative ideas of my own. Another thing I am not....a runner. I have always felt awkward running as an adult and have never been able to control my breathing. Well, I'm still not a runner but I ran my first 5K this weekend! CRAZY! I won't say that I loved because I didn't. I did, however, feel a real sense of accomplishment. I was just plain proud of myself! What a great feeling!

Why would I do such a thing? For the love of my mom and her love of a parish. Epiphany parish is right at the core of who I am. It is where I spent the first 18 years of my life and where I built friendships that have lasted 30+ years. When I heard about the Run for the Stars, I thought it would be a great way to honor mom and could become an annual family tradition. So all the sisters showed up and we had a glorious time! Kathy and Sandy both walked but Kathy is committed to run next year. Melanie and I did the run. She was there to support and encourage me. She developed plans and strategies for us to finish in 40 minutes. Now understand, Melanie is actually a runner and could have finished in half that time. She was there to help me achieve my goals.

They say the best laid plans are often not achieved. I didn't exactly follow the plan. I did better! At the first preplanned walking section, I felt great and thought I should just keep going. However, our friend, Sara, was with us too and I didn't want to mess up the plan we had made. Then...I thought I should do what I needed for myself. Off I went. Melanie stayed behind to motivate Sara. Mel is such a good person!

Now I was by myself even though I was surrounded by other runners. I concentrated on steady, even breathing. I also prayed. I asked for strength. Then I talked to mom. I told her I was doing this in her memory and I would not fail her. Her voice came to me as if she was right beside me. OK, you can think I crazy but I tell you it's true. I continued to hear words of encouragement from her when I asked for them. I found myself smiling often. I felt so close to her. It was almost overwhelming.

I finished the race in 36:25, well below my goal of 40 minutes!

Melanie and Sara finished a few minutes later.

What a great evening! Will I become an avid runner? NO! However, I will continue to do small events like this that I enjoy. Next race...June 6!

Lindie's First Craft Project

2009-05-08T00:01:00.000-05:00

This week I had the HONOR of watching my youngest niece, Lindie. This is her mommy's first Mothers Day. Since she is a single mom, I wanted to give her something from her sweet Lindie. Not having the most creative mind myself, I searched to internet for something to create. I knew I wanted to incorporate her handprint and a photo as a keepsake.

I found a poem that I thought was sweet and copied it as a word document. After playing with the font and size, I printed it on some nice cardstock. Then the hard work began, getting a NICE handprint in one try from a 7 month old! She wasn't happy but I got a good result. I took her most recent photos and used a large hole punch then added them to page. I think it turned out great!

Here is what Lindie and I did today...

Since it is impossible to read, here is the poem I found:

My Handprint

Sometimes you get discouraged

Because I am so small

And always leave my fingerprints

On furniture and walls

But everyday I'm growing big

And soon I will be very tall

Then all my little handprints

Will be hard to recall

So here's a special handprint

Just so you can say

This is how my fingers looked

When I placed them here today!

Happy Mother's Day, Sandy! You are a great mommy!

Help

2009-05-07T15:40:00.002-05:00

I could use a litte help...

What color...white, black or other?!

You Can Lead a Horse to Water...

2009-05-06T15:32:00.004-05:00

The kitchen remodel continues. The granite counter tops are in but I haven't shown them to you because they look strange without the back splash...that I still haven't decided about!

What I can show you is my new sink! When the granite sales person had it delivered to my house, my initial reaction was........HORSE TROUGH! He had to be insane if he thought he was putting something that big in my kitchen! He assured me that it would be great and they use it all the time. I have learned to trust the people that do this all the time. Trust. Trust. Trust.

Here it is...
{With a sneak peak at the granite!}

HUGE and I love it!

The pictures don't do it justice for it's size. Does this help? I wish I had this when the kids were babies. It would have saved a lot of back strain!

Maybe I should have had a sink full of dishes to prove how big it is!

Back splash in a few days!

The Story of the Dress

2009-04-29T13:57:00.006-05:00

Several years ago, my mom, the world traveler, decided she wanted to take all of her kids on a special trip with her. She took Kathy to Greece, Sandy to Singapore, Dan and his family to Hilton Head and me to Europe. Sadly, Melanie never got her trip with mom. I will cherish the memories of my trip forever.

Mom and I spent 10 days visiting Germany, Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic in the fall of 2000. We had a great time seeing the sights and SHOPPING! We were expert shoppers and had a to buy an extra suitcase to get all of our items home.

While in Vienna, we went into a Catholic store...of course, she was Linda Hof. She could find a way to make shopping a religious experience. I found the MOST BEAUTIFUL baptismal gown EVER! She was unaware that hubby and I were trying to get pregnant. I was looking for an excuse to buy the dress and hold onto it for the future. Instead, she bought it (not sure how that happened) and most of the grandkids have been baptized in it since.

The embroidery is unbelievable! (However, my photography stinks!) It was unlike anything I had ever seen. The red is really striking and the detail is fantastic.

Each child's name has been added.

There is PLENTY of room for many more generations to be added. I hope my children, nieces and nephews cherish it the way I do.

Here is the most recent addition...Lindie Jane, baptized this weekend.

Mom's gift to all of us.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Magical Words

2009-04-24T12:43:00.011-05:00

I took almost 400 pictures on vacation. So creating this was almost IMPOSSIBLE for me! So here is the Readers' Digest version of our WONDERFUL trip to Walt Disney World...

We met characters...

We met princesses...

We became princesses...

We rode LOTS of rides...

We got autographs...

We tried new, daring things...

We ate...

We danced...

We LOVED...

It was MAGICAL!

Little Sister

2009-04-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

It's my baby sister, Melanie's, birthday today. Not just any birthday, it's her 30th! That's right, the baby is 30! Funny that I remember the day she was born and also remember not being able to remember her name!

Melanie has become such an incredible and accomplished woman that I rarely think of her as my little sister anymore. Instead I think of her as my peer. We are very similar in many ways but compliment each other in our differences. She has motivated me to start exercising....a fantastic feat in itself! She and our sister, Sandy, have inspired me to return to school. When did I turn into the slacker of the family?! Melaine recently purchased her first home. A great accomplishment for any single woman!

Melanie is also a very private person, keeping emotions in check. However, she shined when mom was sick. She was with me on mom's last night. Helping me care for her in the final hours. I still remember looking over from my sleeping spot on the couch and seeing mom sleeping across from me and Mel keeping watch in the chair. Mel was strong and gentle through it all.

Happy Birthday, baby sister! I hope we have the oppurtunity to celebrate 60+ more together!

Party in Heaven!

2009-04-13T00:01:00.010-05:00

Today is mom's birthday and I bet there is a party in heaven. My mom was the ULTIMATE party planner and hostess. She threw wedding and baby showers, family holidays, birthday parties and even had a wedding and reception in her family room! Although she wouldn't be throwing a party for herself, I'm sure those with her above are celebrating a life that few could ever imagine. It was a life filled with family, friends, church, travel and LOVE!

She was so much to so many. For my dad, she was a loving wife, best friend, confidant, chef, household manager, bookkeeper, travel agent, private shopper and love of his life. She kept our busy house running like a fine tuned machine and made it look effortless.

For her 5 kids, she was a loving mother, teacher, girl scout leader, basketball coach, personal driver, nurse, chef, supporter of all activities, disciplinarian and best example of how to live a life full of love.

For her grandchildren, there are no words to all that she was to them! Such pure love I have never seen before! And for the granddaughter she never got to meet, her love and traditions live on in all of us. We will be sure that Lindie knows all about her guardian angel. There is also Lydia, the sweet girl born too soon. Now she has grandma all to herself! I can see them nesteled together in a rocking chair.

To my girls, she was so much a part of their daily lives. She cared for them when I worked, making my dream of being a flight nurse possible. I always knew they were with the best! She walked the line perfectly between grandma and caretaker on those days. She did it all with love.

So Lord, she is yours now. Give her the celebration she deserves for a life well lived! Happy Birthday, mom.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

Rejoice!

Hope everyone has a Blessed Easter!

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It's Off to Disney We Go

2009-04-11T00:01:00.004-05:00

We are off to Disney on Easter Sunday and the kids STILL have no idea! I have not decided how to tell them yet. I think there will be something special in their Easter basket and I plan to record their reactions! What fun!

I'm sure we'll be riding the girls' favorite ride: Barnstormers! I think the little wild man will be tall enough to ride this time. What fun!

The girls will be getting hair and make-up done again. What fun!

The little wild man will see his favorite character again...and turn and run. What fun!

I'm sure the princesses will pass out on the way back to the hotel! What fun!

We're off the have fun!

Welcome

2009-04-07T00:01:00.002-05:00

Here is a great and inexpensive way to greet your guests...

I bought it from an etsy shop called ScribbleIt. I first spotted them out in blogland months ago and loved them. Wish I could give credit to the person that first turned me on to them, but it was awhile ago and long lost in an archive. Then I saw how reasonable priced they were and loved them more!

ScribbleIt has tons of really creative ideas for walls, cabinets and even refrigerators! They also offer free shipping now and again, if you can be patient! Did I mention that they are easy to apply? Even someone as challenged as I am can do it. Remember to use a level and peel s. l. o. w. l. y. to be sure each letter comes off easily.

When you come and visit, know that you are welcome in my home!

By the way, the color is Sherwin William's Sun dried Tomato.

Easter Decor

2009-04-05T00:01:00.000-05:00

A quick tour of Easter decor around the house revealed many family memories for me.

This basket and egg were given to O on her baptism, Easter 2003 from Aunt Carol. L got a matching one in purple.

This basket was made for me by Grandma Hof. I love that it has her signature on the bottom. She always gave me things to cherish and remember her by. The little bunny in front was made by her too. Can you tell the ear has been glued back together?

The little chick inside the basket has my name on the hat. Unfortunately, she has lost an eye!~ Sorry, Grandma, I promise to take better care of them!

I picked up these beauties at Tuesday Morning. I love that the butterflies look like they are flying in the jar! Perfect for all of spring!

Bunnies on a blue plate for my blue dining room. The plate is from Goodwill for next to nothing! I love it and need about 10 more in various sizes and shapes!

Finally, the little wild man altered one...nice toothbrush in the candle holder! Thanks for the help!

I'm a Big Girl Now

2009-03-31T05:15:00.005-05:00

Here is the fabric I was afraid to open....

I love the fabric, even though the photo is horrible. It is the perfect color blue and the checks are plenty big enough. Now, I just have to find the time to do it....and a lot of Scotch Guard to keep the kids from ruining them!

Thanks to everyone that encouraged me to open it {instead of calling me a wimp}!

Spring Banner

2009-03-30T07:15:00.000-05:00

I LOVE a bargain and found one last week at Target! I rarely go to Target anymore because I am at Walgreens every week. When I do go to Target, I always go to the end caps to look at the random clearance stuff. I have found some really great stuff shoved on those shelves!

Yep...$3.24 for this adorable banner!

Can't really read it from far away..."Happy Spring"

Here it is up close. It came with paper flowers and buttons. LOVE the buttons!

The girls helped glue on the decorations and DONE!

SO cute and SO easy and SO cheap!

I'm a Big Chicken

2009-03-26T05:18:00.006-05:00

Yep that's me! Right there in the picture! At least they got my good side in the photo!

Or maybe I'm a scaredy cat....

This is a package I received in the mail 2 weeks ago. Normally, I rip any package open right there on the foyer floor. Not this one. It still sits in the dining room {blending into the carpet, I might add} waiting to reveal itself.

This is who sent it to me. It's fabric. Fabric for my kitchen chairs. I searched high and low for just the right buffalo check to redo my kitchen chairs. I found it at LSFabrics.com. Yet, it is unopened.

This is what the sample looks like off the internet. You can check (ha! ha!) it out here.

So what am I afraid of?! I have never bought fabric over the internet before. I didn't see it or touch it before I decided to reupholster my chairs with it. What if it is all wrong? What if I don't like the color, the texture, the feel... What if it won't wear well with my kiddos? The ANXIETY!

So there is sits...until I have the courage to open it or get a good shrink!

Hitting the Road!

2009-03-23T09:08:00.005-05:00

This weekend was a road trip for the whole family. We went to Chicago for the hubby's nephew, Josh's, graduation from Naval boot camp. The kids had never been to Chicago and the hubby and I had not been since college...a long time!

The kids have rarely taken a road trip more than an hour, so the 6 hours was truly an eye-opening experience for them. I should have counted how many "are we there yet" I heard. We measure the time by episodes of Hannah Montana...30 minutes each. 12 Hannah Montanas is a LONG trip! The kids got a little crazy!

We had a great time after we arrived. It was so nice to see Josh. He looked so handsome and grown up in his uniform. I remember when he was born. I had just started dating his uncle, I was a junior in high school. I'm getting old! Wish him well, he is off to Navy seal training soon.

We spent time Saturday morning with an old college friend and her family that now live in the Chicago area. So glad to see you, Stacie! I never realize how much I missed her! (Silly me forgot to take a picture. I was distracted by the 6 kids running around on Michigan Ave.)

Then a day at Navy Pier. The kids were real troopers! We walked a lot and no one complained!

Sunday was brunch at the American Girl Doll Store! We had an awesome time eating, shopping and getting the dolls' hair done.

Here's a view of the cafe. L wants a light like this in her room and O wants it with yellow flowers. The decor was right up L's alley. She loves all things pink and flowery! I think she wanted to move in!

The little wild man had enough! He may have even yelled, "No more shopping!"

Excuse if I have rambled through this post...I have the flu and feel a little goofy!

Happy Spring!

2009-03-20T06:20:00.005-05:00

Happy Spring! We are heading out the door to Chicago this weekend...5+ hours in a car with 3 kids...a little slice of heaven!

Here is a photo of tulips on the Magnificent Mile. Very spring-y! This is the kids' first trip to Chicago and they are very excited. A visit to the American Girl Doll store is on the schedule! Every 6 year olds' dream, every father's nightmare!

Spring is my favorite time of the year! The house we bought HAD been the best landscaped in the neighborhood, then it sat empty and neglected for 18 months. Since we didn't buy it until June last year and there was plenty of work to do inside, we just did some damage control outside. This spring I hope to restore it to it's previous grandeur! I also want a small vegetable and herb garden. Can't wait to cook with things straight from my own garden!

I'll see you next week...hopefully I can complete a project!

Oooppss~

2009-03-18T13:00:00.003-05:00

We interrupt this post for a tetanus shot! Yep...I was working on a project and stepped on an old nail. Not this one...but it was old and my tetanus was due. Instead of finishing the project, I had to go to the urgent care for my shot...and my arm hurts!

So the project will come at a later date. Note to self: don't leave board on the ground with nails up and go out to the garage barefoot for "one more" coats of high gloss white paint!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T07:45:00.005-05:00

In St. Louis, we latch onto any reason to party, Irish or not! I chose this image because I am no more Irish than the man in the moon. No red hair or freckles here. My husband claims some Irish in him but really I don't see it! So this image shows a good old Irishman and Uncle Sam sharing a beverage...adult beverage I'm sure.

Have a safe and happy St. Patrick's Day! I'm working today and don't want to see any of you on my helicopter!

Once St. Paddy's Day is over, I can start putting out my Easter decor!

Free to Fly

2009-03-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

For those that don't know me well, I am a TERRIBLE procrastinator! I will postpone anything I can...I mean anything! I cram for tests, crash diet, speed clean. You name it, I can delay it. Then I get these sudden bursts of energy and try to get everything done.

Well...I finally got motivated in O's room. The butterfly I made for her birthday (in January) finally was hung. The colors really do match nicely. Then I was going put the butterflies I won from WallCandy Arts on the wall with it. WRONG! It made my head hurt because the wall was so busy. So, plan B. I still have not decided how to finish this wall...it will come to me. I'm open for suggestions.

The butterflies migrated (HA!HA!) to the other wall...

Please hold your comments about the window brackets with no window treatments. I'm still working on that too!

I L.O.V.E. how they turned out! And O loves them too. My prize was 170 of these beauties and I used almost every single one.

There is one major flaw with what WallCandy has done...there are lots on bright butterflies but only a few pastels. Not an even mix at all. The large only came in right blue and bright pink. So that is when I thought I should layer them to break it up.

Thanks to everyone that voted so I could win this fantastic prize. O thanks you too! I really have great friends! If you are interested in ordering from WallCandy, use the code BLOGSUPPORT20 for 20% off your purchase!

Gotta fly!

I've Been MIA~did you notice?

2009-03-11T12:47:00.003-05:00

Last week was weird. Some good and some very bad. There were lots of blogs that I read that are normally about decorating and craft that suddenly became quite serious and somber. People were discussing spending too much time on the computer and not enough with their families. It was depressing because I, too, am guilty of this. So I too a break from my blog and feel great about it!

It was also my birthday on Saturday and I had a great day! The weather was beautiful and the hubby cooked the BEST dinner. I finally got my Wii Fit {YEAH} and my sweet son gave me these flowers. AAAWWW! He's so sweet! The girls drew me the most lovely cards any mommy could ask for. I'm a lucky lady!

So I've decided I will continue to blog but not force it. Not on any schedule or certain number of posts a week. Just write and share when it feels right.

I do have several projects to share soon so I hope you come back to visit again!

A Family Table

2009-03-04T13:40:00.000-06:00

Did you grow up in house that dinner was always on the table at 5 (or 6) and there were no excuses not to be there? That's how it was for me. Mom always had dinner ready at 5 and she better not have to yell for you from the porch...you should know what time dinner is!

Growing up with 5 kids in the family, dinner was usually a loud and messy undertaking. But it was a lot of fun too! Dad did nightly quizzes, usually history or geography. I always felt sorry for my friends or boyfriends that were not prepared for the question and answer session over a plate of lasagna. We always chatted {and bickered} about whatever or whoever was on our mind that day. And you ALWAYS cleaned your plate!

I believe those nightly dinners kept us all close and out of trouble...well only a little less trouble in my case! I have continued this practice with my kids. Dinner at 5. Sharp! We try not to even schedule any evening activities that might interfere with our time together. It's still easy while the kids are little but my mom held it together as we got older. I will try too.

Now...every family needs a good table to gather around and I have got one! I bought it from my old neighbor. He was having a garage sale the day we were moving out! What luck! It belonged to my neighbor's grandparents and he became teary eyed when he talked about the Thanksgiving dinners held around this table. I assured him it would be used often and well loved.

It came with 6 chairs upholstered in the most lovely shade of gold! (I finally found the exact fabric I wanted today online to reupholster!) There are 4 {yes, 4} leaves! Great for seating extras.

I also has drop down leaves when you need the space. This photo still has 3 leaves in, but the table actually gets really small. I wonder why they don't make such versatile pieces anymore?

Here is a better look at the chair. I love the color and age of the wood, the shape, the everything. Ok...the gold has to go! Give me time! But they are comfortable and sturdy.

Oops! Is it broken? These old chairs occasionally need some TLC.

Hubby to the rescue! All fixed!

Dinner tonight? There's room!

A Fresh Coat

2009-03-02T08:15:00.008-06:00

***UPDATE***
Lifeingrace is having a "Painted Wood is Pretty" party where she featured her B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. painted kitchen cabinets. So here is a post a used for a linky party last month. I too had my cabinets repainted, counter tops come this week and back splash after that. The kitchen is basically as it was last month...waiting to be finished!

Melissa at The Inspired Room is hosting a "Spring" Linky Party. Well, it's 21 degrees here today so I don't see any signs of spring yet. There are no birds chirping in the trees or windows open, no green grass or signs that my bulbs will appear with beautiful flowers. I sent the kids to school today in heavy coats, hats and gloves...AGAIN! I'm over it!

Easter decorations are always a clear sign that spring is on the way. I haven't started decorating for Easter yet because we have to have St. Patrick's Day first. DUH! After all, it is a MAJOR holiday in this crazy town...even for the not-so Irish!

This is what makes me feel like spring is coming...the smell of drying paint. Lots of folks wait until spring to start "major" projects at home. Well my major project has been going for a few months!

Here is a picture of the kitchen before...

I know you are all drooling over the cabinets with the strange blue-gray hue it gets in certain lights. Or maybe you want the wallpaper...you can have it! It looks very dark and depressing in the picture.

Here is the after....

Crisp white cabinets with new crown molding, base trim and bead board against my butter walls. There are sample for bamboo blinds on the counter. Counter? Yes, that will come later. Did you really think I'd leave those?

New handles...that don't match?! I love it!

Did I mention the blue island?

Now, on to planning the window treatments, counters, sink and back splash!

Yeah SPRING!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2009-03-01T00:01:00.000-06:00

I have been thinking and fretting about window treatments in my kitchen. I have been looking over The Nester's window mistreatments for inspiration.

Then I saw what L did to her Barbie Dream House. This is a pair of gold pants hanging from a ceiling beam that she is using as curtains. What a great idea! Only the mind of a 6 year old could be that free and creative. The think The Nester would be proud!

L said she is a little worried that the pants might get blown away by the wind...inside the playroom!

Of course, the little wild man has some decorating ideas of his own. Everything looks better with a car!

Sneak Peak

2009-02-27T08:05:00.005-06:00

The kitchen redo had reached a major milestone...the cabinets are done! They just aren't dry! I was told the blue is VERY slow drying so I can't close them for at least 4 days! WHAT?! Oh yes...4 days. So far the kids have left them alone. Keep your fingers crossed!

Here is a sneak peak of the cabinet paint. What do you think of the blue? What about the knobs that don't match?! I wanted the island to have a look all its own!

More to come...

Not Very Royal

2009-02-23T20:31:00.004-06:00

Happy Fat Tuesday! Yesterday I had the genius idea to create my first King Cake in preparation for Fat Tuesday. I was inspired to do so by Cindy at Skip to my Lou to make my own...from scratch! CRAZY! FUN!

Don't know what a King Cake is? King Cakes actually began as a tradition around the Feast of Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, celebrating the arrival of the 3 Kings to Jesus and offering of gifts. The traditional Mardi Gras King Cake is more a sweet bread than cake. It has a small plastic baby hidden inside and is decorated with the traditional colors of Mardi Gras, gold, green and purple. The person that finds the baby in the cake is suppose to have good luck and is responsible for providing the next cake. Enough of this history lesson given by a nurse in Missouri!

Off I went to complete my happy task! It looked like a bomb went off in my kitchen...in a good way. I felt like I was my grandma, measuring and grating, stirring and kneading dough. I was so proud of myself and left my dough to rise while I picked the kids up from school. Then I got home and started making a turkey dinner. Yes, turkey and homemade dressing while making a cake from scratch. {I really should talk to someone about my issue of over committing myself!}Before long, the dough was allowed to rise TOOO long and I had this crazy amount of dough to work with. But I worked on and completed the cake. It was not the prettiest but it worked! I could hardly twist the crazy thing even after I tried to make the pieces thinner. Oh well...not trying to win a beauty contest here! If you want to see a good looking cake, check out the link to Cindy above!

Here it is completed! I couldn't find purple sugar so I made my own. Does it look grey to you too?

Despite all of this silliness, it was pretty good. And no one found the baby last night...I'm sure one of the kids will find it tonight!

Start Your Spring Cleaning

2009-02-23T08:09:00.004-06:00

My house was empty for 18 months before we moved in and I don't think the previous owners would win a housekeeper of the year award. It was a mess! The ceramic tile floors were by far the dirtiest and hardest to clean areas in the house. So bad in fact, that I thought the grout was beige until I saw the true color in the closet...cream grout! How terrible with 3 small kids! But...there is not one crack or chip in any of the floors so I will live with what I have.

Back to the cleaning. I have used every cleaning agent and hard bristle brush I could find to try to clean the floors. I have spent hours on my hands and knees scrubbing! Still, after living here for 9 months, I didn't think the floors were really clean. I even considered having a professional steam clean done to rid my floors of the grime.

Then, last week, I had the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser out the clean marks off the walls and white cabinets in the master bath. I started using it on the ceramic tile and viola...CLEAN! It was so easy...no scrubbing involved! I was on the phone with my freind, Jenni, when I made this great discovery...she thinks I'm crazy and I don't know if her ears will ever recover. Why didn't I think of this sooner?! I use my eraser on EVERYTHING! It's great on wall, cabinets, appliances and counters.
I don't have any "before" pictures because I didn't know that I was going to make a great discovery! Here is the bathroom floor...CLEAN! Can you tell I'm excited?

Doesn't it look great?

The next day I saw a commercial for Magic Erasers and the first image was a woman cleaning the floors with it! Maybe I should pay more attention to marketing and quit changing the channel anytime there is a commercial.

Now I have to restore the grout to it's orginal color...

Like Weeds~

2009-02-20T07:43:00.004-06:00

I want spring for several reasons...warm weather to play outside, longer days, beautiful flowers and clothes that will fit my kids again! I had to laugh this morning when I took a look at the kids in their pj's.

Little O is home sick today and spending all of her time in her pj's. Wow! She has gotten tall!

The little wild man keeps pulling on his shirt too! He has his arms up in this photo to show you just how bad things are. Poor baby!

If spring takes much longer to get here...our pants will be shorts!

Fully Exposed

2009-02-18T08:00:00.002-06:00

All the fabulous furniture painters out there will probably think I'm crazy. I am paying {wince} to have my kitchen cabinets painted. It just seemed like too big of a project for my FIRST furniture painting. I know...what a wimp!

On Valentine's Day, Hubby and his friend installed crown molding, trim and bead board to the cabinets. Last week, Melissa at The Inspired Room talked about architectural details. She did an awesome kitchen renovation! If you own a cookie cutter house that lacks personality, you really can set your home apart with a little bit of trim and decorative moldings. It truly is a great way to add pizazz on a budget. All the wood we bought was less than $150 and it makes a big statement.

Look at those ugly knobs! Susie Harris wrote a great post about knobs last week...I feel inspired! Who knew there was so much to do with knobs. I'm going knob shopping soon!

The hubby even cleans up after himself. I HEART him!

Then the great cabinet painter came and took away my doors and drawer fronts. It looks so naked!

You have to love the handy masking tape drawer pulls! So functional! Thanks to my mother-in-law for straightening up my tupperware drawer...it makes this exposure a little less embarrassing!

Did I mention I have playgroup today? Oh well! They are all mommies that understand messes!

We Win!

2009-02-17T18:14:00.006-06:00

Since I am in the middle of the kitchen redo, the rest of the house is on hold. There are NO window treatments in the entire house and very little on the walls. It is really quite sad. I feel really bad for the kids. It would be great to get their rooms done but I can only do (and spend) so much. {Sigh}

Last week I entered L's room in a contest with wallcandy arts to will free stuff. L's room is decorated with the DottiLicious wall art. She LOVES it and so do I! The stickers are reusable and TRULY leave no marks on the wall when you remove them. You can apply them to walls or furniture...almost anything.

And...{drum roll please} WE WON! Actually, we KILLED the competition! Did L have the most creative room? NO! Did she have the fanciest room? NO! She doesn't even have drapes! But I am resourceful and emailed most of my friends about it with the link and posted the link on mine and hubby's Facebook page. We won by 100+ votes!! Thanks to all that voted! Yeah! FREE STUFF!!!

Today I found out that I can choose any wallcandy that I want (I wasn't even sure what the prize was). I chose the Flutterflies to use in O's room! I had been stalking these on Amazon and ebay but didn't want to pay the $50! She is sooooo excited and so is her sister. L feels like she did something special to help O. I plan to have the flutterflies trail off from the large butterfly I made O for her birthday!

Courtesy of wallcandy

Like they say, "It's not what you know but who you know!" I'm glad I know lots of great people!!

UPDATE!

I received a comment from Allison at WallCandy and she is offering a discount to all readers of my blog! You can received 20% off your purchase by using the code blogsupport20. Thanks to Allison and go buy yourself some wallcandy!

He Really Gets Me!

2009-02-16T00:01:00.002-06:00

With the kitchen redo going on, the small half-bath off the kitchen got pulled into the mix. The wallpaper was removed and the hubby painted it on a snow day from work. The new pretty paint only highlighted the ugly brass with etched glass light fixture. EEWW!! Off to Lowe's we went and bought this pretty little oiled bronze light. {Wow! The walls don't even look green in this photo!} I love it and it matches the dining room fixture...it's all coming together now!

Then to my surprise, I came home from work one morning and found this lovely surprise!

It's an oiled bronze faucet!! YIPPEE!! The hubby really knows how to keep his woman happy! He said he knew I wouldn't be happy with mismatched fixtures.

It's great when he knows you so well...you don't even have to ask!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T00:01:00.001-06:00

Random Valentine

2009-02-12T20:58:00.009-06:00

I earlier wrote about my lack of Valentine decor. Here is a quick look at the things I now have...

The beautiful ribbon wreath...actually hung on the front door. Please ignore the holes in the door. The previous owners had a door knocker that they took on their way out...I can't find one to fit the holes!!

I also made a small heart shaped ribbon wreath for the back door. There was suppose to be 2 of them but procrastination got the better of me! And of course, the $1 window clings. How chic!

In my post about buttons, I hinted about a Valentine project with all the pink buttons left over. Here it is... I'm not sure it even looks like a heart anymore! I covered a styrofoam heart with ribbons then hot glued buttons. I like the other heart more with just the ribbons. Maybe I should stick to copying ideas of others instead of making up my own!! {Notice the cookbook stand has remained unchanged! Still thinking about it.}

I made the banner in its original size from Skip to My Lou and put it on each kid's bedroom door. They loved it!

Then the girls did some decorating of their own. They made these at Daisies and shared one with a friend. This one was made for O by her friend Sophia.

I have bragged in the past about controlling refrigerator clutter by using clipboards. Apparently the girls had other ideas. Many of these little treasures were made in preschool. However, some were made by me. I've come a long way from sad foam hearts decorated with markers and weird things glued on!!

There was a plan for one more project using my CD of Vintage Valentines...again...procrastination. So here is the picture from William Sonoma and a link to the Shabby Nest because she did not procrastinate!

Finally {I'm exhausted}, these are the gifts for my girls. I purchased them from the buzybunny etsy shop. They are so cute...so cute in fact that I gave them to the girls last night so they could wear them to school today! And they are a bargain at $7 each! They are handmade by the lovely Julia who actually lives close to me! Funny what you can discover on etsy!

For the wild man...a car. Boring to me but he will love the store bought, mass produced gift.

For the hubby...don't know yet! We are not really exchanging due to the kitchen redo but he always buys me something just to make me look bad!

So much for "a quick look" at my Valentine decor! I need a nap!

Find Inspiration~Protect Your Wallet

2009-02-12T07:00:00.007-06:00

I recently stumble across a great site for furniture and home decor. Horchow. Before you visit, I must warn you...the prices are outrageous (by my low, budget-minded standards). Therefore, you should proceed with caution and use this for inspiration purposes only.

I actually found it on my hotmail homepage when they were displaying mirrored furniture. I think that look it so chic for an entryway or bedside tables. I would love to own one in my foyer but fear the fingerprints produces by 6 small hands and 2 big ones!

Horchow also has a great line of whimsical kids furniture.

Susie posted about the use of knobs today. I think she would love these! You should visit her post...who knew so much could be done with knobs??!!

They also have "It Lists" that they put out so you know that latest and the greatest! It is put together by their design team...they should know!

No budgets were harmed in the writing of this post!

The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat

2009-02-11T13:42:00.003-06:00

This will be short and sad! The "free" piano will cost $1500+ to get it to make beautiful music. The pins are slipping and the strings are rusty. Now what? I love the look of it and think it is a great piece of furniture...but do I keep it for that?~! The hubby will not be happy if it has to be moved....again.

I feel very sad on a rainy day!

A Girl's Gotta Dream

2009-02-10T00:01:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I wrote about how cheap I have become...well, a girl's still gotta dream. AND shoes are what I dream about! Not just any shoes...Manolos! AHHHH! It all started with Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City. I adore that character and her shoe collection! I think part of the reasons I am obsesses with shoes is...nurses wear ugly shoes. Flight nurses wear ugly boots! Ugly steel toed boots!

Before the wild man was born, I wore heels almost everyday. Since then, I have reverted back to the "mommy uniform" of sweats and tennis shoes...how sad! I actually have a descent shoe collection of my own...30+ pairs. It use to be much larger but I gave a bunch away before we moved. My favorite shoes that I own are red patent leather peep toes with navy blue ribbons. They are also the most I have ever spent on shoes...$100. (Not exactly true...I spent $200 on my work boots) They are well worth it and so pretty! A good pair of shoes feels different on your feet. You can only understand it by trying it for yourself. And the great thing about shoes...they still fit when you have on your "winter weight" as I do now!

These are my 2 favorite pairs of Manolo Blahniks that I will never own...

Carrie's wedding shoes from the movie. These beauties retailed for $945. Ouch! That's a lot of coupons to clip!

Carrie's "lost"shoes from a baby shower! Currently listed for $999 on ebay.

A girl's gotta dream. {Sigh}

A New Way to Shop

2009-02-09T05:15:00.002-06:00

Have you heard we are in a recession? I am fortunate enough to still be working (nursing is recession proof) and hubby is super lucky to still be working because construction is not recession proof! But things are more expensive and I am paying private school tuition for 2! So I am trying to become more frugal.

My biggest inspiration and source of help has been Kim at STLMommy. She is a stay at home mom that has learned some great tricks for getting the best deals and shares it DAILY with the rest of us. Kim teaches you how to use coupons to their maximum value and provides links to free stuff. I receive free items almost daily in the mail now! Yeah! She also has great giveaways...like the concert tickets I won!

Kim also provides list of the great deals at grocery stores (St. Louis only) and Walgreens AND matches coupons to their sale items! She provides a tutorial on how to shop at Walgreens. It is honestly not that easy until you understand all the different sources of coupons Walgreens has. The savings are unbelievable!!

Did I mention her service is FREE! I encourage you to take a peek and see all that she does to help moms like us!

Now...here is how I shop. I only buy items on sale unless they are necessities...milk, fruit, veges or that I item I need to complete a recipe. I stock up using as many coupons as I have...often 3 or more of a single items thanks to internet printable coupons! I plan menus around sales and items I have "in stock".

Here is a look at what my coupon organizers look like...

I really do need 2! I clip EVERY coupon, regardless if it is a product I currently use. OK...I don't clip the bladder protection ones. The trick is that some of these items could be free and I will try anything that is free!

A look in my pantry...7 unopened boxes of cereal. There are also 5 opened boxes stored on the other side. I paid less than $1.50 for each!

Pasta and potatoes...9 boxes of instant potatoes to be exact! I only paid $0.25 for most of those! Did I ever mention I hate real mashed potatoes but love instant! CRAZY!

This is inside my bath closest and yes...that is 9 unopened deodorants! Last week I bought most for less than $1. I think that's enough of them for a while!

This is the upstairs hall closet. It stores all the cleaning, bath supplies and nonfood items. Still room on the top shelf!

Here is everything from hand soap to dish soap to medications and the list goes on............

Yesterday I went to Walgreens and spent $46.52...I saved $52.48! That doesn't include the $7 in register rewards and the $4 EasySaver rebate...increasing the amount saved th $63.48! That DOES includes $17.00 for diapers. {OUCH} There is never a good sale on diapers. I guess my cheap self needs to potty train the little wild man!

No Store Bought Valentines!

2009-02-05T13:36:00.006-06:00

Every year (well, just the 2 years my kids have been in school) we go to Target to browse the Valentine isle for the typical, mass produced Valentine cards. Now that I am a "crafty mom" (L's words, NOT mine), I knew that I could do something better.

I just told you about the great banner I made from Skip To My Lou. Well...you should see her Valentine card ideas! This is what O will be taking to school...

A flower for each of her friends. Just print out the templates on card stock and cut! O signed her name to each leaf and helped assemble. So cute!

Of course, we had to do something different for L. I have been following The Graphics Fairy for some time now and really love her daily post of clip art. I showed L some of them and she loved them too. Off to ebay I went and found a CD of vintage Valentines. Over 1000 vintage Valentines! We picked out her favorite ones and printed them of card stock.

The CD is great with cards from different eras and different shapes. There were lots of little kids, birds and cherubs for the choosing. However, we steered aways from the cherubs due to their lack of clothing...not appropriate for a kindergartner to give to her friends! I know I will find many uses for it!

She signed her name and drew a picture on the back of each one! We'll also be taping on a sucker for each kid as a treat.

Try not to get "suckered" into the generic, try to create (or copy) something of your own!

No Greater Love

2009-02-04T07:55:00.000-06:00

There is lots of talk in blogland about Valentine's Day. I thought I would share with you one of the great loves of my life...my Dyson Vacuum! Crazy? No! Not when you have moved into a house that has NEW, very light beige carpet that shows E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G! I can't justify ripping it out...yet. So I have to do my best to keep it clean. For that fight, the Dyson is my weapon of choice. Armed with powerful suction and handy attachments, I conquer the bits of dirt and grime left by those that I love! {That speech should have been accompanied by some Star Wars-like music or something! So dramatic!}

This is the one I own and, yes, it's pink! I bought on some breast cancer special at Target and I love that it's pink! It makes vacuuming more glamorous. Not really...but I do love to vacuum! I wish I could do it everyday. Nice vacuum lines make my heart go pitter-patter! I might need to see a doctor for that!

M.I.A. Valentine Decor

2009-02-03T09:27:00.001-06:00

I sent the hubby to the basement to retrieve the Valentine decor and...there was Nothing!
OK...not quite nothing. But only a table cloth and some homemade stuff from the girls in years past. So now all I have is my pretty door wreath that I made! How could this be? Don't I have an assortment of cute pink and red hearts or a wreath for the door? Where are all the candles for the holiday dedicated to romance? Still nothing! ZIP! ZERO! ZILCH! NOPE! NADA!

Off to the computer I went and found a fabulous site...Skip to My Lou! Where has this site been hiding in my pursuit of craftiness?! I found this great Valentine banner that was so easy! She has great, simple ideas with FREE templates for her designs! You'll be seeing more "borrowed" ideas to come!

It was set up to make smaller banners but I enlarged each letter to be the size of a full sheet of paper. The smaller version would be great on the kiddos' bedroom doors!

I add glitter to them and strung them on some ribbon....DONE!

Perfect by the photos of the kids. I hope they'll be my Valentines!

A Proper Perch

2009-02-02T06:58:00.000-06:00

So I fell in LOVE with this cookbook stand from Wisteria! Isn't it pretty?! I had to have it! I thought the cookbook I was given for Christmas need to be properly displayed in the kitchen and this was just the right way. What a great way to honor mom!

WRONG!

I am amazed at the fact that I think nothing through! I bought a black stand for my black cookbook! DUH! Well...maybe it's not a black stand but it's really dark. It actually looks much lighter in the picture. The cookbook just completely blends into its background.

Here it is with some other books...

Looks lovely open to a beautiful dessert...

Now what?! I'm considering painting it a glossy white. Or I could send it back. I need help!!

What would you do?

My First Award!

2009-01-29T11:30:00.000-06:00

I've only been blogging for a short time but I SOOOO wanted an award! Thanks to MaryCatherine at Peaches and Posh for bestowing on me my first "major award"! {that is for all lovers of the movie A Christmas Story} Yeah!

It's the LUV Award! That's seems only appropriate with all the Valentine decor I'm seeing around blogland.

Here are the rules and such...official business I guess to keep the LUV going!

1. Put the logo on your blog or post. (You can highlight the photo and text of this post and copy/paste wherever you need to...start your highlight from the bottom up to get the photo)
2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show GREAT ATTITUDE and/or GRATITUDE
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received the award.

To continue the LUV-fest I have to nominate 10 blogs! This proved to be MUCH harder than I thought. Why you ask...or not?! I read my favs everyday but rarely go beyond that list. I think I need to stop being such a snob and check others out. Some of these folks I have been following for months and others I just met this week.

1. Wendy at The Shabby Nest
2. Susie at Bienvenue...
3. Kimba at A Soft Place to Land
4. Jen at I Should Be Cleaning... (she's my friend that go me hooked on blogging)
5. Jena at Not So Shabby
6. Jen R. at Sanctuary Arts at Home
7. Songbirdtiff
8. Pretty Organized Palace
9. Kim at STLMommy
10. The Nester at Nesting Place

Things To Do On a Snowy Day

2009-01-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

Have a snow day like much of the country? Here's how we filled ours!

1. Hot chocolate with marshmallows with breakfast!

2. Make sock puppets!

This was a "keep" gift from the birthday party. It was fun but the glue didn't work at all! Translation...I had to sew everything on! Translation...it looks like my kids sewed it on!!

3. Have hubby paint the half bath. It's off the newly painted kitchen so it gets a mini re-do too!

4. Play in the snow. DUH! Like you didn't know that was coming!

5. NAP! Wait...only the little man did that. I went to the store while the girls played Barbies.

6. Make a new chicken recipe. Super easy too!

Mexican Chicken Breast

1 package Taco Bell seasoning

4 chicken breasts

1 cup salsa

1/4 cup non-fat sour cream.

Put chicken and taco seasoning in plastic bag and shake to coat. Place in casserole dish and

bake 30 minutes at 375 degree oven. Top with salsa about 5 minutes before done. Serve

with sour cream.

That's it and the kids LOVED it!

7. Watch the movie Mamma Mia.

How do you fill your snow days?

Tie It Up

2009-01-27T00:01:00.019-06:00

In my bloggy travels this week, I found this great wreath for Valentine's Day!

You can find this and other treasures by Lissa at Lissalaneous on Etsy or visit her gallery. She also has clipboards like the ones I created here and a ribbon topiary that is in my future. She has really creative things...go visit her!

I decided to try to make it myself. Off to Hobby Lobby I went...just as the sleet started on Monday night. What a girl won't do for a cute craft project!

This is how my turned out...

Not too shabby for a first attempt! I was too tired to take pictures while I was creating my masterpiece but I will share with you the supplies I used.

12 inch foam wreath

3 yards (should have bought 4) white, wide grosgrain ribbon to cover the wreath

hot glue to secure to ribbon

ribbons of multiple colors and widths (I cut them 10 inches for the thinner ribbons and 11+ inches for wide widths)

I wrapped the wreath with the grosgrain ribbon and secured it with hot glue. I just wanted to cover the foam. This step may not be necessary because the other ribbons covered it well. I cut the small ribbons and started tying...that's it! Easy peasy!!!!

How would I do it differently? I wish I had used a solid pink ribbon. Aside from that, I L.O.V.E. it!

I also bought small heart shaped wreaths to do for each of the kids' bedroom doors. I think I'll let the kids pick out the ribbons and the girls can help with the cutting. What a great snow day project!!

Spring...Please

2009-01-26T22:00:00.001-06:00

The hubby bought me this hibiscus for mother's day last year. I don't do well with non-human living things. {Good thing I'm good with human living things...being a nurse and all!} Most (OK-all) of my plants die. This plant did not do great but it's still alive. Yeah! It has been very depressed since it was brought inside for the winter. There hasn't been a flower on it for months. It really has looked sickly despite being in a sunny window.

Then this morning, L shrieked when she saw this beautiful flower.

The plant wants so desperately to be outside that the flower has turned toward the window. :)

Then this come this evening...with more to come. I think the prediction is for 4-8 inches of it!

The hibiscus and I are BOTH ready for spring...PLEASE!

Cute Valentine project tomorrow!

A Mother's Mistake and Her Pride

2009-01-26T00:01:00.001-06:00

Last year the girls wanted a bowling birthday party. It was the time that my mom was sick so the party never was planned. (Don't feel bad for them...they went to Disney instead!) So this year it had to be bowling!

When it came time to do the invites, I wanted all the girls in the class...14. Then we also have neighbors that are in the other kindergarten class...they were invited too. Throw in a few cousins and other close friends that couldn't be left out and you have 24 kids! Yes, you read right...24 little girls!

I pride myself on being a mom that doesn't overindulge her kids. So obviously, I lost my mind this time. I failed miserably at a twin mom dilemma! The problem came when L wanted a certain girl and O wanted another. I didn't have enough common sense to correct this problem. Next time (which won't be for a L.O.N.G. time), they will each get to pick a certain number and that's IT!

And so we bowled! And had a GREAT time!

Here is the aftermath of 22 guests buying for twins...

Don't they look happy?

We couldn't even open gifts at the party because it would take too long.

We just had Christmas overload 1 month ago. We just could not keep all these gifts. Before the girls started opening them at home, we had a talk about the generosity of others and ways to be generous in return. It was decided that there would be a "keep" and a "give" pile. The "give" pile is going to one of the area children's hospitals.

The girls were extremely generous with the items they were willing to give. There were no tears or pouting. There were no arguments over what to keep. The picture above was taken after the decision to share was made.

Here is just part of the give pile...

I couldn't be more proud! There are teachable moments all around us, we just have to open our hearts and minds to see them.

Don't Forget the Hubby

2009-01-25T07:17:00.009-06:00

The hubby also had his birthday on Saturday. What a crazy week! For everyone that commented that they like the banner for the girls...they make it in blue too!

I might even like it better than the pink version. The colors as very rich.

The girls made their daddy a homemade banner too...

with the accents only 6-year olds could think of!

I think I like this one best!

Happy Birthday!

Give It Up

2009-01-24T14:51:00.018-06:00

This post is probably more therapy for me than it is interesting for you. I made no New Years resolution for the simple fact that I don't stick to them. Why set yourself up for failure? I also think you can resolve to do things at any time. Like today!

Lately, I have become a crazy woman when it comes to coupon clipping and bargain shopping. However, I think one of the biggest burdens on the budget (that I don't actually have) is eating out. I plan a menu every week. And every week we sneak in some unplanned, unhealthy dining experience. Of course, the kids love it. When asked, it is always McDonald's. I, too, love the golden arches. When people say they really don't like it, I wonder if their DNA is shorted out! Yummy french fries and greasy burgers...and the best diet Coke!

So I say, "Enough already!"

There it is...for everyone in blogland to see. I think this public proclamation might make me more accountable to stick to it. We have already spoken to the girls about it and they agreed. They aren't happy, but they agreed. So soup and grilled cheeses, toasted raviolis and left overs will substitute for the fast food. We will find a way to use what is in the pantry and freezer and make it work! Plus, if I'm going to create a beautiful kitchen, I should use it!

We have committed as a family to give it up for 1 month...no fast food, no subs, no vending machines, no take-out and no restaurants. The only exception...fish fry Friday! We have to be good Catholics and support the church! :) Plus, it only happens once a month. During this next month, Lent will start. I plan on continuing this for Lent as well. Wait til the kids hear that!

Thanks for listening to my rant! And wish me luck!

Hooked on Buttons

2009-01-23T07:51:00.013-06:00

Julia at Hooked on Houses is hosting a "hooked on" party. When I looked back over my recent blogs, the answer is obvious! I'm hooked on buttons!

Colorful buttons...

I'm sure there is a Valentine project in there for all those pinks and reds!

White and cream buttons...

First was the button wreath...and another chance to show off my mixer!

Then the homemade birthday. My girls LOVED these gifts. And I loved that I made them instead of buying them!

Who knew that buttons were for more than holding back the pizza, cake and ice cream I ate last night??!! :)

Birthday Decor & A Tradition

2009-01-23T00:01:00.001-06:00

I had originally planned to make a "Happy Birthday" banner out of scrapbook paper for the girls. But when I was stalking the PBK butterfly creation, I found this cute little banner.

I think it's nicer than I would have created! Fun colors and embroidery. Not the mention the time saved!

The crowns the girls made at school. The birthday celebration is very limited at their school and I think that stinks! No treats...nothing! I always looked forward to handing my treats out to my friends on my birthday. I remember feeling so special. What a bummer!

Large cake and cupcake candle from PartyLite. I even have the "birthday cake" scented votives...I just always for get to light them!

After the kids are in bed on the night of their birthday, I always sit down and write a letter to them. It usually talks about what they have accomplished this year, my hopes for the future and just gushing about how much I love them. I have all the letters saved in a box for them to open later...maybe their 18th birthday. That remains to be seen. I'm sure about the timing yet.

OH-the girls loved their butterflies!

Homemade Birthday

2009-01-22T00:01:00.005-06:00

After the Christmas overload, I knew there would be no toys purchased by me for their birthday. So now what?

L told me she needed clothes to get ready for spring...she is sooo my daughter!

O just wanted some music. She always makes it easy.

EVERY room in the new house remains a work in progress. This includes the kids' rooms. Then the PBK catalog came and I found some inspiration! I saw the butterfly pictured above and knew it would look great in both of the girls' rooms. Then came the sticker shock! $179.00! Remember...twins! That's $358.00! CRAZY!

So I went about the task of trying to see if I could make it myself. I went to the Pottery Barn store to stalk it. I mean see it in person and then gathered my supplies.

This is how it turned out...

My camera is terrible...

I bought 2 24x30 canvases, scrapbook paper, big hole punches, lots of buttons and some mod podge. That was all I needed.

My sister printed out the picture from the website, traced it and projected it onto the canvases. I used her lines as a guide and viola...a homemade birthday gift! This is quite an achievement for me! Remember, I have zero artistic talent and succeed only in copying the great ideas of others. I had never even been to Hobby Lobby until 2 months ago!

The PBK has EVERY button sewn on and EVERY paper circle had a stitch to make it look like buttons. Maybe later! That is WAY too much sewing. I think I will just use a fine tip marker and make pseudo-stitches on the paper.

My mess...not too bad!

Thanks to Wendy at The ShabbyNest for some crafting advice!

Happy Birthday, girls!

Mommy loves you soooo much!

Persistence Pays!

2009-01-21T00:01:00.001-06:00

Last month, I talked about my magazine crush on Wisteria. My husband wanted to get me the birch village as a Christmas gift. Due to the fabulous sale (and his procrastinating) there was only one piece of the village left...the sawmill. I got it on Christmas and LOVED it but wondered what I would do with just one piece. So much for my idea of an elaborate village display! 1 doesn't make much of a display! How sad for the sawmill. :(

Now...I've been stalking (yes, stalking) Wisteria's website for weeks waiting them to reduce the price of the cookbook holder I want (they didn't). I opened the site on Friday and found (drum roll) more of the birch village! The people at work must have thought I lost my mind...then again, they know me and know I lost my mind long ago! I even did the happy dance all the way to my locker to get my debit card! How could this be? All of the lovely pieces of the lovely birch village I need to make my lovely display! How LOVELY!

I bought 3 or 4 additional pieces. I don't even remember what I bought! I just clicked on everything I saw! My receipt says this is what I bought...

The schoolhouse...$9.75

The cottage...$9.75

The barn...$9.75

I also got the church pictured at the top ($12.25)! Yeah for bargains!

I think it will all look great on top of my free piano next Christmas!

The Piano

2009-01-20T00:01:00.000-06:00

You wouldn't know it to hear me play now but I took piano lessons for about 8 years growing up (thanks mom!). I gave it up when I was 16 to pursue other interests...boys! However, I have missed playing at times.

Now I have 2 little girls that love to sing and dance. I knew that they would love the piano too! Sandy, sister #2, is a music teacher. She told me years ago that she would start lessons with the girls when they were 6...well guess who is turning 6 on Thursday?! Did she think I'd forget?

In the middle of a kitchen re-do, there is not $$ for a piano...or is there? I started looking on Craigslist just out of curiousity. The first day I looked, I found this beauty! I could see it was special despite the clutter the previous owner had on it.

The price? Are you sitting down? FREE! Oh, yeah!

The hubby and some strong friends went and picked it up. I think I was more excited than the girls! L went straight to it. There was no banging, just a curious girl making beautiful music. Well, not beautiful exactly...at least it wasn't banging! :)

It needs some work and has to be tuned but well worth the price!

Beautiful inside too!

It's hard to see here, but someone etched 1923 on it. It makes you wonder about its past and excited for its furture.

Lessons start next week...for me too! I can't wait!

Butter Continued

2009-01-19T22:28:00.003-06:00

Still can't get a descent shot that really shows how awesome the color is! So frustrating...

Butter

2009-01-19T06:49:00.000-06:00

Courtesy Restoration Hardware

Kimba at A Soft Place to Land did a post recently about the challenges of finding the perfect paint color. I don't know anyone that thinks this task is easy. I have had several disasters, many near misses and lots of success! Although the more times I have chosen paint, the better I get at it.

So I need a kitchen color...and decided to try Kimba's suggestion and use Restoration Hardware paint. It's even on sale this month!!! That keeps the hubby happy! :) And the budget intact...oh wait...there is no budget! I'm really bad about that.

I started looking and decided on....butter! I mean-it is a kitchen after all! What could be better than butter on the walls? Paula Dean should try it in her kitchen.

So...the painting was done on Saturday. It took hubby all day...1 coat of primer and 2 coats of paint. Now, I can't get a decent picture of the color to share with you. Stupid camera! I think I need a good sunny day for some natural light. You'll have to trust me that it is gorgeous! It covered really well and looks like butta! It truly is the perfect yellow without all the searching. Thanks, Kimba, for the advice!

The following are some more kitchen inspiration...all have yellow walls and white cabinets.

Love the glass fronts on the cabinets and white (not stainless) appliances. I have to love the white appliances because I am not getting new ones. See...kitchen redo on the cheap!

This kitchen has the touches of blues I want. Oh...and the rooster!

Had to include this one...check out the yellow KitchenAide mixer! My source of inspiration!

I think this final one is the closest to my dream...creamy yellow walls, white cabinets with a black island. LOVE IT!

Oh, Hermie!

2009-01-16T00:01:00.000-06:00

Apparently, everyone in blogland (except me) shops thrifty stores. I read posts about all these great bargains and creative masterpieces made for less than $2. So...I decide I need to give it a try. I went to the thrift store looking for white plates or platters for the kitchen re-do. BUT I also knew to keep my eyes and mind open to other things. Then I found this...

I think someone grabbed from Herman Munster's green hands! Isn't it pretty? Well, maybe pretty isn't the right word but I knew it needed to come home with me. I paid my $1.29 and took it home to show my first thrift store find to hubby. His response...nothing! Why didn't he see what I saw...potential!

It is basically pretty clean and the locks work. Just a little cleaning on the outside is all it needs.

The inside is spotless! Although, it did have that familiar smell of metal and peanut butter combined. Yum...peanut butter. The smell reminded me of my Dukes of Hazzard lunch box from grade school.

So now it needs a use. This is the obvious. The little man loves it and has already claimed it as his own. He grabbed it off the counter and didn't put is down.

Help me think outside of the box...funny! Leave me a comment and give the lunch box a different purpose.

Did I mention that the little man was Frankenstein for Halloween?

Are All My Clocks Slow?

2009-01-14T16:33:00.020-06:00

This post was suppose to be about how I am ALWAYS running late. I went around the house to take pictures of my clocks for the post and realized...I only have ugly digital clocks! How could that be? My children will never learn to tell time on a real clock!?

Two ugly digitals in the kitchen...

They even sit on top on each other! Double ugly!

WAIT! My watch isn't digital! I guess that doesn't really count. :(

How did this happen? Every room I see in a designer catalog has a clock! How did I miss this major flaw in my home??!!

Clocks are beautiful and I admire them all the time in the stores and catalogs. I guess I just don't buy them! Always waiting for a sale I suppose. I usually need to spend the $50+ on something more practical...like groceries or dance costumes!

I do own 2 beautiful clocks, an grandfather clock that was my mom's and a cuckoo clock I bought in Germany. The grandfather clock has not found a proper spot in the new house so it sits lonely in the basement. The cuckoo clock doesn't cuckoo at the right time. Maybe I should put it up anyway. I have a good spot for it!

This clock is from the Wisteria catalog and I H*E*A*R*T it! It is on sale and would great in my kitchen re-do...but I wait. For what? I'm not sure, maybe a bigger sale? Time keeps marching on.

This is the Prague Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. It is so beautiful beyond words and I have seen it in person. Crowds gather to see the Walk of the Apostles every hour. Truly a sight to see!

I don't need anything this fancy...just not digital!

OMG...I just realized my post is late. Maybe I should have stuck to the original subject! :)

All Boy...Most Days

2009-01-14T00:01:00.000-06:00

Cute shoes...right?

Even cuter on my little boy! Don't tell daddy!

Have a great Wednesday! More kitchen stuff to come because the paint will go on this weekend!

Now What?

2009-01-13T00:01:00.000-06:00

One last look at the old wallpaper...it's GONE! When Pat, the wallpaper lady, showed up this morning it was like Christmas all over again. NO really... it was!! She started to unwrap the package that I hope will become a beautiful kitchen.

She went right to work and I mean work! This is a woman that knows what she is doing and doesn't stop until it is done. She could teach a college course on work ethic. She was worth every penny of my overtime money! She left the walls in perfect condition for painting. She also left the area spotless! If you live in the St. Louis area and need her service, let me know by leaving a comment.

So now I have a sea of white...did I mention I HATE white walls??!! There wasn't a single white wall in my house until today! So this too must be quickly remedied! But with what? I have no idea! I think a subtle yellow/gold, but that would look terrible with the current cabinets. So the cabinets will be painted too. White.

More white...better than wallpaper! (But only a little better!)

Do you share my vision of golds, yellows, blues...white cabinets...black hardware...granite counter tops...roosters? I can see it!

The paper in the hall bath was also removed. Surprise, hubby!

DONE!

2009-01-12T00:01:00.000-06:00

The wreath is done!! I love it! It was really easy to do once I figured out how little it was suppose to be. The only sticking point was getting enough buttons. I had bought them at Hobby Lobby but they didn't have anymore to complete it. I then bought buttons at every other craft and fabric store in the area but didn't think they were quite right. Finally, I decided to just go with what I had and here are the results...

I think it is perfectly imperfect! I'm not sure it is even round!

I couldn't decide between the blue and white gingham or a plain cream ribbon. What do you think?

It doesn't have a home yet. I think it might be a kitchen window but it will need a twin. Oh no...that means more buttons! I don't know if the marriage can take another button quest! :) I guess I should start collecting them like Wendy! Then there would be more button crisis!

I love the way the light comes through the more translucent buttons.

This may be my favorite spot! Remember...the whole color scene of the kitchen is going to be centered around the lovely mixer!

Thanks again to Wendy for the inspiration!

Did you notice I included a photo with that ugly wallpaper again? That was on purpose! More on that to come....

Wreath in Progress

2009-01-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

Wendy at the Shabby Nest did an AWESOME button wreath tutorial. When I saw it, I knew I had to make it...TODAY! So it was off to Hobby Lobby in the pursuit of buttons. Unlike Wendy that collects vintage buttons, the only extras I have around the house have fallen off a shirt and I have decided not to put them back on.
Wendy put in her post that it took 80 buttons and I thought she must be crazy! :) I bought the only bulk buttons I could find and hoped it would be enough. Well...it's not enough and it does take 80 buttons! This is about 40. I have to work on Friday so the project will have to wait until the weekend. How sad :(

Have a good weekend!

How Do I Look?

2009-01-08T20:08:00.003-06:00

Decorating the new house has been S L O W! So many projects in my head and so little time...and $$!! For Christmas, I wanted to find a ribbon bulletin boardsfor the girls to hold all the pictures they were propping up around their room. To my surprise, I couldn't find one. Well, at least not a cute one. Where had they gone? I know they were EVERYWHERE before Christmas!!?? Then I went to Kohl's and stumbled upon these beauties! Ribbon boards surrounding a mirror! Yeah! Two functions in one. The girls didn't have mirrors in their room either. What luck! Every girl needs a full length mirror to get the complete visual of their "creative" ensemble.

Did you catch the reflection of the Hannah Montana poster in the mirror?

Pink room for L.

Yellow room for O.

Perched at the top of O's is the tassel I bought her from NoGreaterGift on Etsy. I bought her a crystal bird with feather accents. O reminds me in a lot of ways as a fragile bird. She was my sicker preemie and the one everyone worried about. Boy, did she fool us!

L got this pretty pink angel. Everything in L's world is pink. She also my scardey cat...so I told her this angel was here to watch over her while she sleeps.

Finally, O picked this photo of her Grandma Hof with her in the days after she was born. She put it in a spot right next to her bed so that see can see grandma whenever she wants. Of course, we know she looking over her too!

Organized...at least a little

2009-01-07T00:01:00.005-06:00

In a effort to be more organized, I have copied (or stolen) an idea from Wendy at the Shabby Nest. She did a great post on back to school organization using clipboards. Even Martha agrees! I took the idea and...lets be honest, I copied it EXACTLY! If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I did clipboard for all 3 kids and then 2 family boards. It really has helped to bring the papers off of the desk and keeps them organized . I no longer have to search for the girls memory words or dance schedule. The wild man doesn't have as much going on yet, but his train potty chart is just waiting to be put into use...if I could only get him to sit on the potty!

Each kid got to pick out their paper and they have their initial on their board. I told you I copied it exactly!

I used "W"s for the family boards.

Wendy has Inspire-Me Tuesdays...go forth and copy!!!

AND could someone please take down that ugly wallpaper. I need to stop including pictures of my kitchen until I do!

Back to a Routine...Thank the Lord!

2009-01-06T00:01:00.000-06:00

Monday was back to school for the girls and back to a routine for the wild man and I. I am always off work on Mondays, so they usually consist of regrouping from the weekend, a trip to the grocery store and laundry. FUN!

After Christmas, the house just went WILD! It seemed that I only cleaned around things instead of doing a good job. Hubby put away the Christmas decorations on Saturday while I worked some overtime...granite counter top $$. Remember...French country kitchen?! Then Sunday was devoted to a whole lot of nothing...except dusting and vacuuming the entire house. Not by me though, the hubby did all that.

So today was the day to get it all back together. But first I went to the store. When I was done, it looked like this...

Dirty dishes, recycling and bananas I just bought...

My desk...can you tell what fuels my day? Diet Pepsi! Who can blog in that mess?

Then it was on to the pantry...I'm not sure why I chose today to pull everything out and start over. I think sometimes I really have a sickness.

Before...

After...

Before...

After...

Did you notice how my can good shelf is bowing? It was stock up time! Thanks to STLMommy, I have a new way of shopping. More on that another day.

Much better!

I found my mixer!

SO much better! Now if someone would just come and take down that ugly wallpaper! PLEASE!

Order restored...now I can sleep!

My Epiphany

2009-01-05T06:08:00.013-06:00

Yesterday we celebrated the feast of the Epiphany at church. Epiphany celebrates Jesus being revealed to the Magi. The Kings then presented Jesus with their gifts and they were humbled in His presence.

This may mean little to most but it carries a special place for me. Epiphany of Our Lord was the church and grade school I attended. I reached many of life's milestones inside those walls. I shared most of those experiences with people that still surround me today. I made friendships that have lasted 30 years! WHAT A GIFT!

Epiphany school is where I met Dana, Joy, Tracy, Jen, Chrissy, Stephanie and Kim. It is the place where many of us were baptized as infants, made our First Communion together, Confirmed our commitment to God and Church and graduated from grade school. It is also where many of us were married. It holds more memories for me and my friends and family than I can count! People I meet are always amazed that we met in kindergarten and have remained friends for so long. WHAT A GIFT!

These friendships have been tested in the past...liking the same boy (you all know who that is!), going to different high schools and colleges, and busy lives with husbands and kids. More than once, I have wandered from this group. It seems I forget its value in times of crisis or stress. I went through infertility and a difficult twin pregnancy without leaning upon them. However, I felt their strength through my mom's illness and death. Yet again recently, as I faced my first holidays without mom, I wandered. This is something I can't explain. There is no great "epiphany" of why. What I do know is that I love them and need them as part of my daily life. We truly have a special gift in our long lasting friendships.

Jen wrote about all of us last year on her blog. She has a true ability for seeing others' talents and putting it into words. I reread that today. Thank you for that gift.

So to my Epiphany girls, I love you all and will see you SOON!

WHAT A GIFT!

A Chef I Am Not

2009-01-02T20:00:00.006-06:00

If you have read my blog lately, you have heard me ramble on about food...A LOT! After all, it was the holidays. You also saw the book I was given with my mom's recipes for Christmas. My mom was an AWESOME cook but she had no patients for her 5 kids in the kitchen. This means I knew very little about cooking when I got married 12 years ago. I have learned through trial and error, google (really!) and phone calls to my mom.

I am completely unable to just take ingredients for the fridge and "throw" something together. I copy lots of recipes from the internet to try. I even have a cute recipe basket from Longaberger to keep all of my treasures.

I love the eat, therefore it is necessary that I cook. I also have a lot of pride when I make a great meal for my family. But before Food Network, I only made simple meals with simple ingredients. It has all changed now! I have discovered things like gorgonzola cheese, asparagus (don't laugh) and prosciutto ham. AND I get to use my new mixer more often! FUN! I am also considering an herb garden in the spring...crazy.

I owe most of my new found knowledge to Giada De Laurentiis. She is so interesting to watch and has such a wide range of food she presents. Although, I don't know how much of it she eats! She is mighty skinny!

Some of my family's favorite meals are hers. L & O LOVE spaghetti asparagus with smoked mozzarella and prosciutto ham. Hubby likes chicken saltimbocca and I have to have orzo pasta with sausage, grilled peppers and tomatoes a few times a month. YUMMY!!!

So, a chef I am not. But I am a rock star when it comes to following recipes!

Here is my latest Giada discovery:

Grilled and Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms with Gorgonzola

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
12 ounces turkey sausage, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly chopped thyme leaves
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano leaves
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 cup (4-ounces) Gorgonzola
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
6 large portobello mushrooms, stems removed
Directions
Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill.
In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the mascarpone cheese. Add the thyme, oregano, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of Gorgonzola, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir until all ingredients are combined.
Brush the mushrooms on both sides with the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the mushrooms, stem side down, for 3 minutes. Turn the mushrooms over and grill for 2 minutes until tender. Fill each mushroom with the sausage mixture and top with the remaining Gorgonzola. Return the mushrooms to the grill and cook until the stuffing is warmed through and the Gorgonzola starts to melt, about 5 to 7 minutes.
Cook's Note: The assembled mushrooms can also be placed on a baking sheet and cooked under a preheated broiler until warmed through.

ENJOY!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T18:31:00.009-06:00

I have spent most of today doing NOTHING at work and thinking I didn't have a post on my blog. I'm not sure why I have been procrastinating but I hope it is not a sign of the year to come. I have read other blogs today and some were simple and others were profound. Still I couldn't write.

I think this is hard to write because 2008 was a year of contradictions. We had some of the lowest lows but also great times! I lost my mom in January and still feel like she gone on one of her long trips. I miss her daily! Then I had a great trip with the kids to Disney. Nothing like a little face-time with a big mouse and couple of 5 year olds to wash away some sorrow!

Then we decided to move...and the saga continues! I love my new house and neighborhood but we carried the burden (although self-imposed) of 2 mortgages. Finally relief when we got a renter for the old house!

The girls started kindergarten in the fall. How exciting...for them and me! I looked around their class and wondered if they would hold onto these friendships for 30 years like I have with my Epiphany group.

I also had the tragic loss of 2 good friends in a murder-suicide. That is when I said to God, "Enough already!" I miss you, Mike and Mary Jude.

There were still more challenges to endure before the year ended but I have a strong family and we can weather through. Thanks for all the prayers!

SO...onto a new year with a clean slate! I don't have any resolutions, just prayers for a year with less tragedy and more love. More time with family and friends and less conflict. In EMS we often go by the K.I.S.S. rule: keep it simple stupid! Maybe that's all I need.

WELCOME 2009!

Christmas Gift Overload

2008-12-31T00:01:00.000-06:00

I read the article by Gabrielle Blair of Design Mom too late to make any changes this year, but next year there will be a new attitude for Christmas gifts. She talks about the 3 gifts: something to read, something to wear and something they need! What a great idea and, as a good Catholic mom, I can remind the kids of the 3 gift Jesus received at his birth. All the nuns at Epiphany would be so proud of me!!

My sister asked me during the 5th Christmas gathering if the kids got everything on their list. It only took me a moment to realize the answer was YES! OMG! Isn't there suppose to be a recession?! Does this make me a bad mom OR a great mom? I think neither, but I was still embarrassed by the fact that they were so overindulged. Now...not all the things on their list were brought by Santa or given by me and hubby. The grandparents and aunts/uncles chose from the list also. But still...everything on their lists!

So next year will be different. No more adding up money spent and number of gifts under the tree. Instead, a more practical approach to gift giving...3 for everyone!

I do have to share a proud mommy moment. L wanted a 2 wheeled scooter more than anything. It was not under the tree on Christmas Eve morning. She recognized that it was not there and simply said she would just ask for it again next year. I was SO proud! Maybe I am doing something right. (She got the scooter 2 days later from Grandpa Hof!)

*Santa made his deliveries a day early because my crazy job required me to work 24 hours on Christmas this year. The kids didn't seem to mind!

Kitchen Dreams

2008-12-30T00:01:00.004-06:00

I LOVE my new house but there are still many unfinished (& yet to be started) projects. The biggest is the kitchen. It is spacious with numerous cabinets and a large pantry. The problem is that it is not my style. The light cabinets and counter tops, the ugly wallpaper...all not me.

Well, I have found my inspiration!!!

Isn't she pretty?! I have loved her for years now, but would never spend the money for her. Since moving into the new house, I have been cooking and baking a lot more. I think it is because we have such an open floor plan so I don't feel disconnected from the kids when I'm in the kitchen. OR maybe it is because the girls are in school ALL DAY!

Yes...it is the KitchenAid Artisan 5qt. mixer! SIGH! Hubby gave it to me as an early Christmas present and I LOVE IT! I love him, too!

Now on with the inspiration...the color. It is that beautiful deep blue that I adore. From this, I have developed a plan for my entire kitchen! Crazy? I don't think so.

This dining room is from Country Living. I think the fabrics are fantastic! I must find them! I love toile, even though I don't have any in my home. Well here is my chance to go crazy!

This kitchen layout looks a lot like mine. I love the creamy cabinets and the accent pieces. This, too, must be mine! I must start looking for white plates and roosters!

So...French Country it is!

Funny things is...I was planning this post since I got the mixer and just got around to writing it. Yesterday The Nester and Susie Harris both wrote about their kitchens and BOTH had beautiful roosters and white plates for me to gaze at. The Nester also had slipcovers on her chairs that I am extremely jealous of.

Enough already!

That is the inspiration but the actual creation may be months or more off. I'll keep you posted!

A Gift with Heart

2008-12-29T00:01:00.000-06:00

This was not an easy Christmas for my family. After losing mom in January, I dreaded the holidays. She made Christmas SOOO unbelievable with her parties, cooking and gifting. She never left anyone out!
I decided in November that this would not be a Christmas of tears because that would be contrary to everything that my mom was about. So my focus turned to my kids and family. It actually made the holidays easy to get through. I have lots of distractions with 5 year old twins and a 2 year old that finally understood the concept of Santa. Who could be sad surrounded by so much love?
Then I received a special gift from my LONG time friend, Jenni Hunstad. She gave me a book of mom's recipes. Most pages had pictures of mom and recipes in her handwriting. How special and what a surprise! The tears did come but they didn't last long. There were memories of meals we had with these recipes and that brought smiles. I can't thank Jenni enough. It must have taken a lot of time for her to gather the photos and recipes behind my back, organize them and then have the book published. Thanks!

This is her lasagna recipe. It was always what I chose for my birthday dinner!
Check out the hair!

This photo is of mom in Hawaii. She really LOVED the sun! Funny thing is...this recipe is mine. I guess she wrote it down when I gave it to her. It is for cucumber salad that was almost like Grandma Torlina's.

Thanks, Jenni, for always being one of my strongest supporters and shoulder to cry on! I love you!