The Butcher, The Baker, & The Craft Maker

It's Me, promise

2012-01-15T22:12:00.000-06:00

Hi, remember me? Yeah, Amy the lady who writes this blog? I don't blame you if you didn't recognize me, I have been on a little sabbatical.

Since we last met in blog land I have completed my degree! I now have a Masters Degree in Adult Education! I am so glad to have school over and done with, at least for now. Now time to go get a bug girl job again. Not really sure how I feel about that, but it will be nice to have my own money again.

Now that I have my degree I want to teach math at a community or technical college. I wanted to teach so that I can help others learn about something I love, as well as have enough flexibility to still be a Mom. I mean, that three letter word is the most important job I've got!

Aren't my employers the cutest things ever, I must admit they are quite demanding. But the biggest perk of this job is definitely the pay, hugs and kisses, oh and the overtime pay is the giggles and smiles! I know it is going to be hard to find another job remotely comparable to this one!

I have been creating lately, but I haven't been diligent in documenting my projects. I'll have to take some pics to show you what I have been up to besides papers, research, reading articles, and typing notes!

I hope life has been peachy for you, and you will forgive me of my absence. I look forward to rekindling our friendship with regular visits again!

Happy Sunday!

Amy

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My dead microwave

2011-10-05T22:13:00.000-05:00

The other day I just wanted to microwave butter. So, I put the butter in a Pyrex measuring cup and set the time for 15 seconds.

About 3-5 seconds in the microwave session it started making a unit noise and then a funny odor started to tick my nose.

Well, long story short my microwave died. It was a very tragic time for me. I didn't realize how dependent I was on this modern convenience.

I bought individual microwave meals for the kids for lunch one day. They were begging for them. Well of course I couldn't cook it in the microwave. I tied cooking it on stove, but that just didn't work. The kids hated it and wouldn't even eat it.

We were very fortunate to find a friend who had a spare microwave we could have. Here is the old microwave, we bought it right after we got married.

Here is the scorched plate from the flames that were coming out of my microwave.

Here is my counter where the microwave set for the past 6 years.

Who new it could get sooooo dirty there! I promise I keep my counters clean, I know that is hard to tell from this picture. I never thought to clean under my microwave before! I probably won't again until the new one has to be moved. They are just big and bulky to move all the time! So I am sure my counters will look like this again in 6 more years! Just a vicious cycle.

Happy cleaning!!

Amy

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Easy Baby Shower Decor

2011-10-03T20:05:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago I had a baby shower at my house. I drew my color scheme from the baby bedding my friend was using.

I had seen this cute yarn balls made from wrapping yarn around balloons, and thought they would be so cute for the shower.

They were definitely a splash of color. I was WI rises at how long, and hard they were to make. I think my balloons were too big. It was hard to wrap the wet yarn around the slick balloon. It also took along time to dry. Some of my warn was still wet the next morning.

I used the left over yarn balls as decorations in my glass dish. This was on the present table, it made a nice back drop for all the lovely goodies for the new baby!

Then I made a door banner out of the color scheme.

I bought plates and napkins in the color scheme to eat all the yummy food off of!

Here we are playing a few shower games.
Here are some of the many presents.

The sock monkey was such a cute gift topper!

Very easy, and cheap too!

I would love to hear some of your party planning tips!

Happy Partying!

Amy

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More Wristlets!

2011-09-30T17:14:00.000-05:00

I showed you a while back the wristlet I made for one of my friends birthday using the tutorial by From an Igloo.

Well I made four more! Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of three of them :(

The one I am gonna show you today is one I made for another friend. We were out and about and we needed some random items, which I had on hand. My friend was awed that I had such random stuff with me.

I decided to make a wristlet for her so she can have a little random bag too! I need to fill it with band aids, hand sanitizer, a little fold up brush, Kleenex, eye drops, spray ointment, and anything else a mom might need. I know that could include everything but the kitchen sink.

Her diaper bag is red and white, so I used some left over scraps and came up with this...

These are just so easy to make. I really need one for myself. Maybe eventually that will be something else I can check of my to make list!

Happy sewing!
Amy

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Modpodge Pendant

2011-09-30T08:28:00.000-05:00

I know this is nothing new, but I made a glass and paper pendant the other day for a friends birthday.

I really liked the way it turned out. The glass marble adds new dimension to the patterned paper. I like the iridescent look that the pendant provides too. This was neat, and I want to make some more soon!

Happy crafting!

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Workin' at the Car Wash

2011-09-29T23:48:00.000-05:00

Well, I wasn't really working at THE carwash as much as I was working on washing MY car.

Last Thursday was beautiful day. The kiddos wanted to watch cartoons after I got done at the gym. I just couldn't let them waste time sittin' on their little booties when it was perfect outside. It wasn't hot and it wasn't cold, it was just right, like baby bear's soup.

My car, which is white, was lookin' pretty rough. It doesn't take much for my car too look rough, I mean it's WHITE! If I can help it, I will never own a white car again. My Dad thinks white is great because it is the easiest color to match if you ever need a section painted. That may be true, but it is also the hardest to keep clean! And it gets dirtier way more often that it does repainted. Which in 8 1/2 years it has never been painted! Oh, and what color is my dad's vehicle? White right? Nope, candy apple red!

Okay, sorry off my little rant.

So, I got out all the cat wash stuff from the garage and went to work. I sprayed bug remover on the front bumper to try and dislodge the colony of dead insects that now called it home. I scrubbed dirt, road grime, and who knows what else off the bottom half of the doors.

When I was done I was left with one shinny white car. It is funny I always forget how white my car is until I give it a bath. Kinda like Mr. E. He loves playing in the dirty and will often have random dirt spots on him somewhere.

look at those fluffy clouds in the sky.

I even shinned the tires!

This baby had the works, washed, waxed, shinned, and rainexed. Here is all the stuff I used to transform my gray drab car back into the bright white it truly is.

Of course it rained the next day and all was for naught. But for a couple hours it looked perfect!

Hope you have been able to get out and enjoy some of the last nice days before fall really kicks in!

Amy

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Kiddy Krafts with Mr. E

2011-09-29T23:25:00.002-05:00

Last Friday Mr. E brought me a pad of paper and a pencil. He then proceeded to dictate to me a list of things he wanted to do the rest of the day. ( another list maker in the family:). One of the things on his list was to make a pair of binoculars. This seemed like a random request until he started telling me all the supplies he would need and how he would construct the binoculars. I asked if he had made binoculars at school that day, but nope they hadn't.

I don't know where he came up with the idea, but I thought it was cute none the less!

I told Mr. E that I was gonna take picture of him making his binoculars and make it into a tutorial for my blog. He didn't seem to car, but I was just so stinking excited that he had thought out how to make something.

So here we go, you are gonna need so e toilet paper rolls, Popsicle sticks, yarn, tape, staples, and stickers

First, hold the toilet paper rolls up to your eyes to see where you need to position your binoculars.

I took a string and measured the distance from the middle of each roll and then placed it on the Popsicle stick so I would know where to attach the toilet paper rolls.

Now staple your toilet paper rolls to your Popsicle sticks. There needs to be two on the top and two on the bottom, Mr. E was quite adamant about this step.

Now measure your string. Mr. E wanted his binoculars to hang down to his waste.

Now, tape the string to the Popsicle sticks. This took a couple pieces to really secure the string.

Use stickers, paint, crayons, markers, or anything else to decorate your binoculars.

Put those puppies around your neck.

(Miss C's turned out a little wonky, her eyes don't point in opposite directions)

Now go exploring!

Amy

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What's for Dinner- Italian Spiral Meatloaf

2011-09-29T22:21:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe out of a Taste of Home magazine. I love trying new recipes, especially ones from Taste of Home. I haven't met a bad one yet!

I made this meatloaf several months ago when we had company. It was a huge hit. Four adults and three kids (that includes my two who don't always eat big portions) almost completely devoured this dish. Did I mention it is supposed to feed 15?

When these friends had a baby recently I offered to bring them supper. When I asked the new Dad what he might want, he suggested this casserole. I ended up splitting the recipe and making two meat loafs. One for them, and one for us to keep. I couldn't give it all away, I mean it is just too yummy for that!

Here is your list of ingredient ( for the 15 servings)
2 eggs
1 cup pizza sauce, divided
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 tsp. Dried oregano
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 lbs ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage
1/2 lb sliced deli ham
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 (6 oz.) jar sliced mushrooms

In a bowl combine the eggs, 3/4 cup pizza sauce, bread crumbs,onion, pepper, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Crumble the meat and sausage into the bowl and mix all the ingredients well.

On a piece of parchment paper pat the meat mixture into a 12x10 rectangle.

Layer the ham, 1 1/2 cups cheese, and mushrooms over the meat mixture to within one inch of the edge. Roll the meat mixture up jelly roll style, starting at one of the shorter ends. Peel the parchment paper away as you roll. Seal the seam and the edges of the meatloaf. Place seam side down in a greased casserole dish.

Brush with the remaining pizza sauce.

Bake at 375 uncovered for an hour. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature is 160. Using spatulas transfer to a serving plate.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Amy

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What I Wore Wednesday

2011-09-28T07:08:00.002-05:00

Wow, has it really been a week already? Man time is zooming by. It is already fall, and before we know it Halloween will be here, then Thanksgiving, and before you know it Christmas.

Well, I have to confess that I haven't been putting much thought into my outfits lately. I just haven't been that motivated. This week I have really tried to go to the gym every morning, and when I get home I just want to put on more comfy clothes.

Wednesday, took Mr. E to school. Wednesday is show and tell. He had to take something that started with the letter B. What did he want to take? A baby doll. I don't mind that he plays with his sister's babies, but I wasn't ready to send him to school with one. We finally decided on a bank. That night I fixed supper for some friends with a new baby, and then went to my ladies bible study.

Thursday,
It was a gorgeous day and we spent most of the day outside! I am afraid it might have been our last warm day. I think it is time to retire the shorts for the year, unless we take a trip to a warm destination! One can hope!

Friday, I had a meeting with a teacher that is going to let me teach her class. I am super excited for the opportunity to get in front of some students and start teaching! The meeting went well. When I came home Mr. E had the entire afternoon planned out. That is another post within itself.

Saturday, the kids went with my in-laws for a squirrel scavenger hunt in our downtown shops. Some local artists made ceramic squirrels and they were hidden in the shops. You got a neat little card with the photos of all the sqiirrels so you could check off the ones you found. They ended up fi ding 9 of the 12 or 13 squirrels. The hubby and I went to our I terminational festival with so e frie ds while the kids were busy. We got to try some new food, curried goat from the African booth and then deep fried Oreos and snickers from the everything fried booth!

Sunday, we went to church and the came no e and I started working on next years VBS literature. My church writes our ouwn literature and sells it to other I treated churches. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.

Monday, I typed up and scanned in all the VBS literature. This took me much longer than I had anticipated. Thankfully my MIL had the kids so I was able to work uninterrupted.

Tuesday, I went to the gym and when we got home the kids wanted to play outside. I had some stuff to do outside too so it seemed like the perfect opportunity. We hadnt been outside long when my grandfather showed up with some workers to fix our yard. They used special equipment to roll up our grass like carpet and then made a small slope off the back porch to help the water drain away fro the house. We are hoping this will keep the basement flooding for a third time! Mr. E loved it, he followed the workers around the entire time. He thought he was one of them, and that he was about half grown. They were really good and made Mr. E some little jobs so he could help too.

Well that is it for this week. Will see if I can do some better wardrobe planning next week!

Amy
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Frugal Finds-Kid Addition

2011-09-23T15:18:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year. Kids are going back to school and the weather is starting to change. What does that mean? New clothes for the kiddos.

I like to think of myself as a frugal shopper. I love a good deal! I mean who doesn't right?

Being a stay at home mom who is going back to school really cuts the family budget. I don't mind because I still get to have lots of fun shopping. I just don't shop in the same places I used to.

I know there are blogs dedicated to thrift store apparel, and I agree with those bloggers! You don't have to buy retail to buy brand name! Not to mention buying at thrift stores and yard sales is a true boost to our economy. That money goes straight in to American bank accounts! (sorry for the political side bar)

Anyway, back to shopping. Around the beginning of fall is when I start thinking about what ,y kids are going to need for the cooler weather. I go through their closets and see what they have. For instance I still have several outfits from last winter for Miss C. She is such a little skinny mini that some of last years clothes still fit in the waist. These will probably only last for a little while and then she will be moving up a size by Christmas. Mr. E has the same situation, except last years pants are too short and most have wholes.

After accessing the situation I start shopping. I love going to my local Goodwill stores. Kids clothes are $1.50 an item, and this includes coats! My town also has a local consignment sale. That just happened to be this weekend. I went Thursday night to shop with my Mom and we were able to finish stocking up on my children's clothing needs.

Here is the spread of clothes for Miss C.

I have a few more things that are already hanging in her closet too. This ate some things I previously scored on Goodwill visits.

There is a total of 16 tops, 4 pairs of pajamas, 8 sweaters/jackets, 14 pairs of pants, 6 dresses, 3 skirt and top outfits, 8 pairs of new panties and 9 pairs of socks.

Here are some of my favorites.

This white dress is a beautiful smocked dress I found at the consignment sale for $9. The red dress is from heartstrings that I found at goodwill for $1.50.

I love this mini Boden outfit! It was only $5.

This adorable brown jumper is handmade! I love the fall colors.

I also picked up a couple of pairs of shoes. The princess snow boots are Miss C's favorite item!

Now for Mr. E. I have been collecting for a while for him. I have a coup,e of friends with boys a little older and a size or two bigger than Mr. E. These friends have been gracious enough to let me go through there kids old clothes and buy some of their stuff!

Mr. E can still wear his winter jacket from last year, so that was one big item I did t Haney to worry about. I did find a cool pair of ski pants for winter play though! I stocked up in 8 pairs of jeans. The kid would wear them year round if I didn't hide them in the summer.

We also were able to find several church outfits with button up shirts. I have a couple of clip on ties for him to wear, and I plan on making a couple more out of some ties I found at Goodwill and some my Dad didn't wear anymore.

Lastly we got tons of tops! I got two brand new plain t-shirts at the Dollar Store. They were on,y a dollar, and both were brand name t-shirts. I plan on them to be layering items with summer t-shirts. I may go a head and do some freezer paper stenciling too. Not sure yet.

As you can tell my kids aren't going to be lacking in the clothes department this fall!
And when you total them all up it is about $200-$250 for each child. I really don't think that is bad for the massive quantity I was able to score!

If you have never tried Thrifting, then you need to give it a chance and see what deals are out there just waiting to be made!

Happy Thrifting!

Amy

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What's For Dinner Wednesday-Pineapple Casserole

2011-09-21T23:20:00.000-05:00

This is a Paula Deen recipe. I mean if she made it it has to be good, right?

Last month we had dinner with some friends and she made this recipe, pineapple casserole. I have had this before at family reunions, but I never liked it. This recipe was different, it was GOOD!

My hubby requested that I take it to our church picnic on Sunday. I got tons of compliments too!

Here is how you can make this yummy goodness, and get compliments on your yummy dish.

2 -20 oz cans chunked pineapple, drained, 6 tbsp. reserved
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 cups shredded sharp worker
1 cup cracker crumbs
1 stick melted butter

In a large bowl mix flour and sugar. Ands the pineapple and cheese. Mix well. Place in a greased casserole dish. In another bowl mix the melted butter, the cracker crumbs,and the pineapple juice. Place the cracker mixture on top of the pineapple mixture. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Once you take it out you get this sweet yummy goodness.

It is Almost like a pineapple cobbler. Warm, sweet, and delicious!

Happy Baking!

Amy

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What I Wore Wednesday

2011-09-21T23:19:00.000-05:00

Yep, it's here again, Wednesday. I get to share with you my attempt at fashion!

Wednesday, we went to church for supper and Bible study. the first part of my day was spent dealing with a flat tire and the three hour ordeal to get it fixed. In the mean time Miss C and I ended up walking several places along one of the main rides while we waited. Thankfully the weather was nice! Gotta give God thanks for taking care of the small things, as well as the big!

Okay, sorry for the next couple of pics. They look okay on my computer, but they are going the wrong way on my post. I don't understand why. Photo bucket and I are having issues. Hopefully all will be resolved soon.

Thursday, hung out with the kiddos and then had supper with my family at Culver's. Love their team skoopie meal, it includes a serving of custard!

Friday, I spent the day in my sweats,
I didn't take a picture. I ended up running errands and never out on "real" clothes.

Saturday, had a baby shower for one of my friends at my house. I had fun, and my friend got some good stuff!

Sunday, we went to church. That afternoon we had the Sunday School picnic. We had a blast. Mr. E spent almost three hours running around. By the end of the night we had an adult/kid game of tag. It was fun to be a kid again, just wish I still had some of the energy!

Monday, the hubby and I went to Louisville looking for houses. We were able to cross some off of our list, we ended the day with supper at the Cheesecake Factory and a slice of cheesecake for the road. By the time I finished my cheesecake I thought I was gonna explode! It was worth it though!

Tuesday, had a duel birthday celebration for my Grandfather and my Dad. The kids enjoyed the gift for my Dad, fishing poles for them! My family is so hard to buy for, if they want it then they go out and get it. My dad stocked his pond this year and the kids have been going with him to feed the fish and every once in a while they go fishing. So, we got them fishing poles to keep at my parent's house. My Dad was actually excited. I think he really enjoyed the poles, I know my kids loved them. They spent most of the night practicing casting, and I spent the time praying they didn't break anything in the house.

Well that is it for this week. Hope you had a great one! Go checkout everyone else at The Pleated Poppy.

Amy
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Things to Try Thursday-Wristlets!

2011-09-16T00:26:00.000-05:00

I have seen this cute wristlet tutorial over at From an Igloo and had wanted to try it out. Well, I got my chance. I made a wristlet for one of my friends. I chose some fun fabric from my stash and went to town.

Here is my final product.

I didn't read the directions properly and sewed one back to one lining, when I should have sewed back to back and lining to lining. Oh well, I kinda like the way my guff turned out.

It is the perfect size to hold odds and ends from your purse, or to throw your keys and wallet in for a night out on the town. Oh, there is probably room for a point and shoot camera too!

This was a fun project, and not very time consuming! It really takes longer to pick put the fabric and then cut the pieces than it does to sew them all together!

If you are needing a little pocket book pick me up, then try this tutorial!

Happy sewing!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-09-14T17:13:00.000-05:00

Wow here it is again, another week of what I wore. The week didn't start off very warm, and I just wanted to wear comfy clothes so not so much getting dressed and planning of outfits this week.

Wednesday, I spent the day getting my kids old clothes together to sell at a consignment sale. Then when I went to enter my inventory to print my sales tags, I realized I had to have all that done the day before. So, all that pinning and finger pain for nothing. Oh well, at least all the clothes are on hangers and it is that much easier to take them to a real consignment sale.

Thursday, I volunteered to work getting stuff ready for the consignment sale I wanted to enter my clothes in. Then I got to shop early for fall/winter clothes for my kids. I racked up. I will be sharing all the goodies I found later this week.

Friday, the hubby left to go camping and the kiddos and I hung out at the house after Mr. E went to school. We had some yummy supper with my parents!!

Saturday, we went to one of my parents auctions (my family has a real estate business). The sale was for some family friends who were moving from the country to a retirement community in town. We ended the day playing with the cousins and celebrating my nieces 8th birthday. We had tons of fun! And we got to eat ice cream cake.

Sunday, we remembered 9/11 by dressing patriotically. Mr. E didn't really want to wear his red, white, and blue shirt so I had to give him the 4 year old version of what 9/11 was and why we wanted to remember all the people who lost their lives on that tragic day.

Monday, took Mr. E to school and then went back for his Grandparent's Day program. We all had lunch with my Mom and the Hubby's Mom. Then I spent the rest of the afternoon doing homework.

Tuesday, went to the gym and then came home and got ready for lunch with one of my best friends and her precious baby girl. The kiddos had a fun time playing with precious baby girl while my friend and I got to chat. Love those situations!!

I guess that is it for this week. Go check out what everyone else has been wearing over at The Pleated Poppy!

What's For Dinner Wednesday-Ham and Cheese Quiche

2011-09-14T09:48:00.001-05:00

I made this quiche a while back for a church potluck and got several comments on its tastiness. I thought I would share the recipe with y'all as well.

I really love a good quiche. When the hubby and I were visiting France a couple of years ago I fell in love with Quiche Loraine. I haven't tried making one myself for the fear that it won't be as good as the French version I had on many different occasions!

Instead, I keep trying other quiche recipes to fulfill my love of baked eggs and cream! The great thing about quiches is that you can just dump bunches of different things in and it will yield a yummy, creamy concoction. Well, maybe not just any combination, but almost!

Here is the list of ingredients for this Ham and Cheese Quiche
Pie Crust:
either ready made or this flavorful homemade version
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp. paprika
2 tbsp. cold water

For the filling you will need:
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
3 eggs
1 cup half and half
4 slices swiss cheese
1/2 cup chopped spinach
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup diced ham
1 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the crust ingredients in a bowl, all except the water.

Mix together, add water as needed. The crust holds together very well and is so soft that I just pat it out to size with my hands, no rolling pin needed. I am telling you crust recipes with butter are the best all the way around. Easy to make, easy to work with, and easy to eat! Can't get much better than that!! Pat your dough out to the size of your pie pan.

Transfer the crust to your pie pan. Pat the edges us to to top of the pan.

Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then let cool.

In a medium bowl beat together flour, salt, pepper, eggs, and half and half.

Cover the bottom of the pie crust with swiss cheese.

Sometimes it is beneficial to have a little pajama clad helper to do a little extra beating of the egg mixture, just to make sure it is well blended!

Sprinkle spinach evenly over the cheese and place mushrooms on top of spinach.

Pour egg mixture over mushrooms. Cover with ham and sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown.

Take that baby out of the over! Let it cool slightly, then cut and serve.

This really is a very easy meal to make, with out a lot of prep work. If you use a pre-made crust you cut about 5-10 minutes off the prep time. So, this is a great option for busy Mom's who want something easy to fix when they come home from work. This dish is so creamy and the extra seasonings in the crust really adds to the overall flavor of the quiche. I think this dish is going to appear again at our house very soon!

Happy Baking!

Grandparent's Day

2011-09-13T09:47:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was Mr. E's Grandparent's Day Celebration at school. He was fortunate to have three of his four grandparents in attendance.

The kids were so cute as they marched in and up on the stage. Mr. E is the tallest, and oldest in his class, and it is cute to see his head sticking out from all the rest! The kids did a great job singing several songs. I had only heard Mr. E sing one. He clams up about what they do at school. I had no idea he knew the Pledge of Alegiance until he blurted it out randomly this summer. When I asked him how he learned it, he responded, " We say it everyday at school." I was shocked and excited.

Here is Mr. E with my parents, a.k.a. MiMi and Papa. We took a picture with Miss C added to the mix, but she wasn't cooperating. She just clung to my Mom's leg and wouldn't look at the camera, so we settled on this one instead.

This is Mr. E with the Hubby's Mom, a.k.a. Grammy. She watches my kids on Mondays so she was able to come too! Grampy had to work, but Mr. E was fine with it, he was glad to have Grammy!

Grammy also brought baby K with her. That is my youngest niece. She will be 2 in November, so can't call her baby K for much longer. Baby K got so excited to see Mr. E, she calls him Buba just like Miss C! Afterwards we all went out for lunch. Mr. E and Miss C had fun playing with their cousin and the other kids from school who happened to venture to the same fast food establishment.

I am so thankful for my Grandparents ( I still have 2 of my grandparents) and the influence they had, and still have on my life. I am also thankful for my parents and my husbands parents and the active part they have in my children's lives. My kiddos love them so much! They are awesome caretakers and spoilers of my children and I couldn't ask for anyone else to do the job better!

Happy (late) Grandparents Day!

Makin' It Monday-Embellished Backpack

2011-09-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

Mr. E needed a backpack for preschool again this year. There is nothing wrong with the backpack from last year. I just didn't like getting his school work back all crinkled from where he would cram it in his bag. The bag was a little smaller than a normal sheet of paper, so he had to cram it to get it to fit.

Can you blame me for wanting to preserve pristine works of art? I mean 30 years from now (probably because it will take me that long) when we reminisce about the time Mr. E was in preschool I would rather see his work, than the creases and folds all over the paper.

Thus enters the new backpack.

I found this awesome Nautica backpack at my local Goodwill for $3.00!!! It is totally cool just the way it is, but I felt the need to add a little more to the bag. First of all Mr. E's name has to be on the bag somewhere, so why not add the name and a little boy bling at the same time.

Since Mr. E is crazy about tractors, especially John Deere tractors I decided to applique the John Deere Logo on the front and use some John Deere fabric for his name too. How appropriate for my tractor lovin' baby!

I ironed my fabric to some Wonder Under and then traced the letters for Mr. E's name. Then I cut out and ironed the letters to the backpack. To add some extra detail, and support I used yellow embroidery floss around the letters and the logo.

Mr. E is pleased with the outcome and the extra details make it easier for him to find his backpack in the line of backpacks at school!

Hope you find some good deals on your next thrifting visit! Maybe even some you can spruce up a bit too!

Happy Crafting!

Things to Try Thursday on a Friday- Bermuda Shorts

2011-09-09T22:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, another clothes refashion, hope you don't mind too bad.

I have a pair of denim Bermuda shorts that I bought last year at Target, but when I put them on they loom like "Mom" shorts. I know I am a mom, thus all my shorts are mom shorts, but these just don't look like what I would like them to.

On one of my Good will shopping visits I went specifically to look for wide, straight leg jeans. In other words a pair of jeans that were as wide at the thigh as they were at the hem.

I lucked up and found a pair that fit me! This was made easier because length didn't matter. I have ling legs, so buying jeans can be a bit complicated.

Originally I was gonna wack the jeans of and hem them myself, but I found this great tutorial for altering the hem of jeans over at Make It and Love It.

So, that's what I did for my shorts. They still have the professional Jean hem, which let's face it is a hard thing to duplicate.

Here is my final product. I have enjoyed wearing these shorts in the hot smoldery weather that we called summer. If the temps don't rise, I may have worn my new shirts for the last time this year :(.

If you have jeans to alter, this is definitely a tutorial to check out!

Happy sewing!

Amy

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What's for Dinner Wednesday- Cake Mix Waffles

2011-09-07T23:57:00.000-05:00

You may already know this handy trick, but it was new to me.

I spent Saturday morning checking interest and happened to come across a picture of a chocolate waffle covered in ice cream and strawberries. As I looked at the description it said it was made with chocolate cake mix!

I went about my rat killing, nit thinking to much about the waffles. Then later that day I remembered that I had told my MIL I would bring dessert to her house on Saturday. We ended p being gone all day and I didn't have time to whip up something. I remembered the waffles and thought that would be a good dessert!

I sent my hubby to the store for chocolate cake mix, ice cream, and fruit preserves.

To make these yummy little treats just make the cake batter according to the directions on the box. Pour a couple spoon fills into a heated waffle maker. Let cook for a couple of minutes, then remove. To with ice cream and your favorite topping. Mine was raspberry preserves.

I had left over batter so I decided to bake the rest of the waffles and freeze them for future use. When you bake the waffles in the waffle maker they are very light and fluffy. If you pop a frozen waffle in the toaster to reheat they will be a little crispier. Excuse me just a sec, promise I'll be right back...

Sorry about that, I had to stop and go make one. I am telling you they are just the right amount of chocolate! Then adding on the toppings just makes it blissful!!

Happy waffling!

Amy

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What I Wore Wednesday

2011-09-07T15:36:00.000-05:00

Well this past week was a bit crazy. School started for me, we have had a 50 degree temperature change, and I spent most of the week in pain.

Wednesday I took Mr. E to school and then planned on meeting with my teacher. Half of that didn't happen. I woke up with a slight crick in my neck that within 15 minutes lead to me barely being able to move my head. Let's just say getting ready was difficult. I am not sure why I even bothered with hair and make up. Fortunately I was able to get an appointment with my chiropractor first thing after dropping Mr. E off at school. Because I was in so much pain he couldn't do a normal adjustment. I ended up spending the day at my Mom's house with the kiddos. It helped to be immobile in a chair!

Thursday, let's see I felt a little better neck wise, and ended up meeting with my teacher! After spending half the day on school related work I spent the rest of the day relaxing.

Friday, the hubby Miss C, and I dropped Mr. E off at school and then we ran errands. That was after I had another chiropractor appointment. Little by little I was able to move my head. Driving really wasn't the smartest thing to do when you can't turn your head, but fortunately God was watching out for us and we all survived.

Saturday we spent the morning playing with cousins. Just for a point of reference it was 106 that day. Because of the heat all five kiddos played inside. After lunch we went to my MIL's to visit with some out of town family, my husbands Uncle and his wife. I made dessert, I will be sharing the wonderfulness with you later today. After a long day we all came home and crashed. Sorry no pic, but I went for the comfy route of a t-shirt and yoga capris.

Sunday, we went to Sunday School and church.

That evening was one of my friend's 30th birthday party. The whole family went and partook on e festivities. The adults at the party had as much fun as the 7 kiddos, age 1.5 to almost 6! Miss C found a partner in crime for eating chocolate covered strawberries. She ate the chocolate that her friend pealed off. He on,y wanted the strawberry. Miss C is so my child, she only wanted the chocolate.

Monday, we had a lazy morning piddling around the house. That night we had a couple friends over for a cookout. It was nice for the hubby to be off and enjoy all of our weekend activities. I am really liking the schedule he has now that he is teaching. As a police officer he had to work most holidays so he didn't get to participate or had to leave early.

Tuesday, we hung out as a family. I went through some of the kids old clothes to get rid of. That is a huge undertaking, I don't like doing it, but I do like getting money for things my kids can't wear any more. okay, now for that second reference point, it was 56 degrees today, we aren't handling the temperature change well around here! I would like some transition weather first please!

That wraps up my week. I hope everyone had a wonderful week and enjoyable weekend.

Here is to a new week of getting dressed!

Amy

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Summer travels

2011-09-06T12:05:00.000-05:00

I think I mentioned That the hubby and I took a couple little trips this summer.

Our last trip was to Wisconsin to visit some friends. These friends you used to live in our town, and the hubby and J used to work together. Two years ago our friends moved back to Wisconsin to be closer to family, they are originally from northern WI.

Now we take road trips to visit. This is the third summer I have gotten to go hang out with our friends. They live near Milwaukee, and we go to the Milwaukee Irish Festival every August. This year the hubby got to come too, so we made a nice long weekend of it.

We went to the Milwaukee zoo and had a lot of fun!

I had a blast taking pictures of the animals! I took this picture of a hippo. I felt kinda sorry for her. She kept swimming in the same circle the entire time I watched her. I bet she gets really board!!

I took this picture of a gorilla and sent to Mr. E. I told him I saw his Papa(my Dad) sleeping at the zoo. He got a kick out of that and still laughs about it!

The guys decided to sit down and take a break for a minute. Don't you just love those chairs?

When we got the guys up and moving again we ran into some pretty strange camels.

All of the camels had droopy humps! We thought it might be due to the lack of water stored in the humps. There is a place with water for them to drink whenever they want, thus eliminating the need to store water. Either that or they're like whales whose fins arch over because they are in captivity. Anybody know the real answer? If so, I'd love to know!

We moved on yet again. This time to the giraffes. I love this picture!

We also stopped by the bird house. Warning...it REALLY stinks in there!!! Seriously take some coffee beans or some highly potent, yet pleasing, to counter act the putrid, make ya wanna barf smell of the bird house.

Once you get over the smell, or at least learn to hold your breath for long periods of time you can see some pretty birds. Here is a vary rare species of the make hubby bird. Check out the wing span on that guy.

After the zoo all four of us went to play laser tag. Us girls were dreading it. It turned out to be a LOT of fun! I wish we had a place to play closer to home. Definitely got our workout in!

We ended our day with a stop at Lake Michigan. It was a very pretty little beach we stopped at, but once again it didn't smell very good. I accused my friends of taking us to all the stinky places! I had a good time cooling off in the water. The water was alot cooler and clearer than I expected.

Here I am picking up rocks. The hubby made fun of me,bur they were pretty!! I told him about some of the crafty things I wanted to do with my rocks!

Right now they are in a glass. I need to find a vase to put them in so I can gaze upon their uniqueness anytime I want.

We had a very fun time in WI! As always it was fun just hanging out with good friends! We miss them a lot, but now we get fun trips by going to visit!

Happy Day!
Amy

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Makin It Monday- Back to School Style

2011-09-06T00:10:00.001-05:00

Here in my neck of the woods the kiddos have been back to school about a month. I know that other parts of the country starts later in the year. If that is your case, then this is a post for you!

Mr. E's preschool teacher is wonderful! He has the same teacher he had last year. I thought we would try to make her first day of school special too!

We made her a special "Teacher Treat" box. I mean after dealing with a dozen 3-4 year olds all day who wouldn't need a little pick me up.

I found a pencil box at Kroger the other day for $1. I filled it up with some yummy treats, then embellished the top.

I also sent a bottle of hand sanitizer for her room.

This resulted in a nice little teacher gift! I hope she enjoyed her gift and the first day of school. I know Mr. E did!

Happy crafting!

Amy

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Linking to:

Things to try Thursday - altering jeans

2011-09-01T10:58:00.000-05:00

I know skinny jeans have been in style for a while now. I was really hoping they would be quick fad, but I am afraid they are gonna hang on for another season or two.

I haven't bought any skinny jeans because they are just not that flattering on me. They are skinny in all the places, including the places I am not skinny So we haven't gotten along in our previous dressing room visits, we both leave feeling bad!

My feelings on skinny jeans changed this summer when I tried Holy Craft's skinny jeans tutorial.

I started with a regular pair of jeans that fit well. These happen to be a yard sale find from a couple years ago.

Then I followed the tutorial and ended up with a new pair of skinny jeans. These jeans literally fit me!

Here I am feeling like a cool kid!

If you don't like the fit of commercialized skinny jeans, or just wanna save some dough this is an awesome tutorial. It only took about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Happy sewing!

Amy

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What I wore- shopping in my closet

2011-08-31T10:40:00.001-05:00

That's right I hit jackpot.....

Where do you ask? Well, let me tell you, MY closet!! I was really thinking that I needed to clean out my closet and start over. Do you ever get that feeling? I have heard that you wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time.

For me I think I wear 10% of my clothes 90% of the time. Since I have been joining back to WIWW I have really been trying to not duplicate outfits every week. I am sure you have noticed my love of solid t-shirts, considering u have been wearing them like crazy!! They are just so dang comfy!

As I have been feeding my new pinterest addiction I have found some much needed style help. So, with iPad in hand I headed to my closet to see what lay in the dark depths that kinda looked like some of the cool clothes on pinterest.

So here are some of the new outfits I found!!!

Wednesday, took Mr. E to school and then had a little mint play date. It was all fun until the little friend got stuck to industrial velcro. Poor thing got her pony tails stuck in a bouncy house. It took us five minutes to get her unstuck. At one point she said, "I'm gonna be stuck here for ever!". Truly a brave little four year old!

Thursday, went Goodwill shopping for fall kiddy clothes. Found some good Stuff for Mr. E, but not much for Miss C.

Friday, Mr. E had school again! Then the hubby came home after a long week away for work! We were all glad to see him. The kids hadn't seen him in almost two weeks due to our Wisconsin trip.

Saturday, this was a busy day filled with a 1st birthday celebration and then a pool party with friends from church. The kiddos weren't able to squeeze in a nap, but they managed to be fairly civil to us that evening!

I made the flower pin to add more red to my red and turquoise outfit.

Sunday, we went to church! After naps the hubby told the kids we would go to the park and play. We haven't been in a while and the kids had tons of fun. Mr. E loved the swings, could swing for hours!! Miss C loved the slides. She asked to do the monkey bars one time, but that was with me holding her. I remember doing the monkey bars in elementary school and getting blisters. I have the calluses to prove it!

Monday, Mr. E had school and then both kiddos went to my MILs for the day. I meet a friend and we did a little bible study. Hopefully this will become a weekly routine! Picked up the kids and had dinner at Culver's. I had the mocha chip custard for dessert! So not on my diet, but very tasty indeed!

Tuesday, I had plans to run errands today, but that just didn't pan out. I started working on my last classes and then we played outside.

That was my week! Sorry for the detail if you are just coming to look at the clothes, it is okay if you skip over the rest! Hope you had an amazing week and I look forward to finding more "new outfits" in my closet because it is way cheaper than going to the store!!

Amy

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Linkin to http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2011/08/what-i-wore-wednesday-34/

What's for snacking Wednesday

2011-08-31T10:33:00.000-05:00

I guess you could make a meal out of this, I am sure I could. It probably wouldn't be considered the best meal, but it is definitely a tasty treat! Oh, and it is a great way to add some veggies to your diet!

So, now that your curiosity is peaked i guess I should tell you what this wonderful snack it's.....Zucchini Bread.

My grandmother brought me some zucchini this summer. One of my favorite things to use it for is zucchini bread. I have seen and tried several different zucchini bread recipes and this one is my favorite. It sweet, moist, and delectable.

Here is what you will need:

3 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups zucchini grated
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
Chopped nuts (optional)

Heat your oven to 325 degrees. Then beat the eggs until frothy. Stir in the sugar, oil, zucchini, and vanilla.

Combine dry ingredients.

Stir into zucchini mixture until well mixed. Add nuts if desired. I didn't add them this time, but they do add a nice crunch to the bread.

Pour into 2 well greased bread pans.

My favorite thing to use is the spray with the flour added in.

Bake for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes in pan, remove to wire rack. Cool thoroughly before slicing.

If you aren't going to eat both loaves immediately then wrap them in plastic wrap to keep them moist.

Enjoy!

Happy Baking!!

Amy

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I'm back

2011-08-30T18:07:00.000-05:00

Sorry for e blobby break, but last week was my last week of summer.

Even though Mr. E has been back at school for two weeks I am just getting back to school. This is my last semester of my Masters program!!! I am ready to be done with school! Having a legitimate summer break has not helped matters.

As you can tell we have gone on a couple of summer trips and had some fairly productive crafty time. Now I'm not ready to give it up!!

I am feeling a little overwhelmed with school because I have an assignment due next Monday. This assignment will carry across all three of my classes. I have a week to pick a problem that I will research, conduct a research project, and then write about. I feel like I am jumping into deep water with a small float.

I have done some basic checking on the Internet to find info on e different ideas I have had had. I just can't seem to formulate the right problem. I am going to be able to meet with a former teacher this week and get some guidance.

*** the problem has to pertain to my field of expertise- math.

So, the good part is that I only have to pick one topic and it will work for all of my classes. It will be a lot of work, but it all goes together and will be over in 3 1/2 months!

In the mean time I hope to keep bring creative, it truly is a stress reliever for me. At least most of the time. We all have those craft fails and stubborn stitches that give us a run for our money!

For now I am not gonna stress and enjoy my afternoon! Watching the kiddos on this...

Hope you are having a great day!

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Where in the world is...

2011-08-19T11:38:00.000-05:00

NOT Carmen San Diego, but Amy!

Sorry 90's tv throw back!

Okay, so last week my hubby took me to the Drum Corp International Championships. It was my birthday present!

For my fellow band geeks, we had awesome seats! We set in the 7th row on the 45 yard line. It was so fun watching all of the Drum Major salutes up close and personal. It was also interesting to see the color guard uniforms. They were all so different and unique. Some more different than others b

Not the best picture, but here we are!

The next night we didn't have such close seats. But when it comes to band competitions being far away can be a good thing. We got to see all the formations and general marching effect this night.

It was cool to see all the bands march in for the awards ceremony. Here are all 12 of the finalists.

This brings back so many memories from my high school band days! One of the bands even performed some of the same music we did! The English Folk Song Suite. I promised my husband I wouldn't embarrass him by directing!

It was a nice little get away for us, and a wonderful birthday present!

Thanks honey!!

Amy

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Things to Try Thursday-Fly Bags

2011-08-18T09:49:00.000-05:00

I know, catchy title right?

Well flies are a problem at my house. Fortunately not inside the house, but outside.

Let me explain. We have cows. Explanation done!

For those of you who aren't familiar with the bovine species, well any mammal beside human (most humans), they live outside and attract flies. Even though my husband diligently sprays the cattle for flies there is still a large majority that hang out near the cows. I think you can figure out why!

Anyway, the flies decided my back porch is a cool, awesome, marvelous hangout! And for some reason believed that it was their own personal outhouse, minus the door with the moon cutout.

I am sick and tired of having little black specs all over EVERYTHING that is outside!! These specs have been left courtesy of the flies.

I searched online for ways to get rid of flies. There are some very useful tips for keeping flies away from outdoor gathers, but I needed a more permanent solution.

We have tried a similar solution in the past, fly bags.

I found significant hard core research, okay a you tube video of a guy and a kid. They explained the the water in ziploc bags makes the flies look bigger, and they think it is a scary bug and fly away. Makes since, but not sure how they really know. Anyway, if you wanna get rid of flies from an outside area here is how ya do it.

Take a wire hanger and separate the top.

Using wire cutters, cut the hanger in three pieces.

Fill a ziploc bag with water. Add a penny. The copper has something to do with this equation, I'm just not sure what! Guy didn't explain this to the kid in the you tube video!

Now take one end of the hanger and punch through the top of the ziploc bag. make sure both ends of the hanger are curved. This keeps the bag on the hanger, and the hanger on what ever you choose to hang it from.

Now hang these suckers up!

I have a large back porch, it is the full length of our ranch style home, so I used twelve fly bags. I really have noticed a difference in the flies. Now if it will only cool down a bit so we can enjoy our fly free space!

Happy Fly Chasing!

Amy

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What I Wore Wednesday

2011-08-17T11:28:00.001-05:00

So this week I didn't do so good with the pictures. I was out of town and just didn't document each outfit.

I know you are completely devastated :)

Here is what I did manage to pull together and record on film ( not really film, but you know what I mean).

Thursday I had my kids the majority of the day. That afternoon I dropped them of with my MIL. I headed out of town for the weekend with my hubby.

Friday, we left one hotel in one city just to go to another hotel in another city. This was the packing and getting ready to leave the first city.

The next two days we were enjoying ourselves at the Drum Corp International Championships. We had a blast!

We drove home on Sunday and picked up the kiddos from my Mom. I was shocked at the minimal crying at bashing of teeth from my two angels as I told them it was now time for them to come home. I truly believe my kids would leave me in a heart beat to go live with my Mother!

Monday was spent running errands and taking Mr. E to his pre-school open house.

Tuesday I didn't get a picture because I spent the entire day in gym clothes. Rightfully so since I went to the gym twice! I also packed for another trip this weekend!

Something I realized last week was that my armpit is in every photo. Sorry for making you all gaze upon the underside of my arm all the time, come this fall it will definitely be covered up and your eyes will get a break!

Happy Wardrobe Raiding!

Amy

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What's For Dinner Wednesday-Apple Pie

2011-08-17T08:20:00.000-05:00

I love pie, well I love anything sweet. Apples are definitely a good sweet treat We have an apple tree in our back yard and I love cooking with them. The apples aren't ready yet, but making an apple pie increases my anticipation for all the yummy apple dishes I can make this fall!

Let's make a delicious, scrumptious, mouthwatering apple pie!

Here's what we need:

Filling
6 cups thinly sliced apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon all spice

Crust
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water

We need to start by peeling the apples, this is the most time consuming part for me! I used 8 medium red apples.

Add the sugar, slour, spices, and lemon juice. Mix well. I added a little more flour to my mix. The extra tablespoon of flour makes the filling stick together and not as runny.

Now to make the dough for the crust (double crust, one for the bottom and one for the top)

Start by putting the flour and cold pieces of butter in a bowl. Mix them with a pastry mixer, or by hand (that is the messy way). Blend together to get the butter worked into the flour. Add the water, one to two tablespoons at a time. Mix until all the flour forms a ball. Separate the dough into two balls. Roll one ball into a circle the size of your pan on a floured area. The butter crust is easy to roll out, I actually just pat it out to my desired circumference with my hands.

Transfer the crust to the pie pan.

Pour the apple mixture into the pan. I had to press the apples down to get them all in the crust.

Roll out your second crust and place on top if the pie. Pinch the seams together to seal the crusts. Cut a few slits in the top to allow the steam to escape while baking.

Cover the edges with foil and bake 375 for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 20 more minutes.

Take the pie out and enjoy! Especially with a scoop of vanilla ice cream! Yum! Yum!

Happy Baking!

Amy

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The hollow hideout

2011-08-16T23:40:00.000-05:00

My kids started making a "hideout" the other day. There is just something about kids, blankets, and small openings.

I found my kids playing under a table in my dining room.

Don't they look comfy?

Thus table was my Great-Great Grandmothers. So it is pretty old!! I Wonder if she ever thought about her future generations and how their lives might revolve around her table.

I am sure she didn't envision these adorable faces playing under the table. I love that I have heirloom pieces, and I hope to pass them down to many more future generations!

Here's to a little bit of history!

Happy Day!!

Amy

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Makin' It Monday-Pincushion Ottoman

2011-08-15T08:30:00.001-05:00

Remember that old brass flower pot I found at a thrift store?

It wasn't that attractive, and I had plans to make it more appealing!

I had seen a tutorial for an upholstered bucket ottoman at Killer B design. I thought this was an awesome idea and knew immediately it would be a great outside stool/storage piece for my sister-in-law.

So, I spray painted, glued, cut, covered, and sewed to end up with this...

My SIL has some black lockers on her screened porch, so I thought that would be the perfect color for the pot.

I new she loved red, and I had some great red fabric that fit the bill perfectly. Come to find out she just got some cushions that are red with some black and white polkadots.

This turned out to be a great birthday present for her, and hopefully a functional one too!

Happy Crafting!

Amy

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Thrift Find Friday- Belvah Purse

2011-08-12T10:03:00.001-05:00

The other day whole perusing my local Goodwill the other day I found a new purse.

I really like quilted purses, and this one just called out to me.

I love the color and the pattern. I like the purple and orange colors mixed together in the paisley pattern.

When I got home I decided to look up the brand name and see what I could find out about the purse.

Belvah makes quite a few quilted purses and diaper bags. Most of the bags are one color and a tote bag style. I like the hobo style of this bag. It actually holds a lot of stuff! From what I could tell this bag retails for around $30, and I got it at the bargain price of $3.

Happy Thrifting!

Amy

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Things to Try Thursday-Flirting the Issue Shirt

2011-08-11T08:29:00.002-05:00

I made myself a skirt for Easter. I like for us to wear matching outfits for Easter, well at least matching colors.

I made my skirt using a tutorial from Anna Marie Horner

The other day I decided to use some of the left over material from my skirt to make a skirt for Miss C.

I only used two rows of elastic for Miss C's skirt. I was afraid any more would make the waistband too long.

After I finished the skirt I decided to make her a matching hair bow.

Here we are I. Our matching Mother / Daughter outfits. I am sure she won't let me do this forever, but I am gonna enjoy it while it lasts.

This is a very easy tutorial to follow! I love the way the skirt hangs, it is nice and flowey.

Happy Sewing!

Amy

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What's for dinner Wednesday-Broccoli, Chicken, and Rice Casserole

2011-08-10T15:46:00.000-05:00

This is a yummy recipe!

It is good to take to large gatherings or to fix for picky eaters!

My kiddos love this dish, I never hear a peep of complaint at meal time. I usually do hear some fussing, so this gives me a nice break!

You are gonna need:
1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup or more cheese whiz
1/2 cup milk
1 medium onion
1/2 stick butter
1 package broccoli cooked and drained

Sauté onion in 1/2 stick butter.

Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.

Add the onions, stir together, and then pour into a casserole dish.

Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is a wonderfully cheese dish. I know you are gonna love eating this dish!

This is really a simple fix! If you try it out I would love to hear what you think!

Happy Cooking!!

Amy

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What I Wore Wednesday

2011-08-10T15:22:00.000-05:00

Okay, here we go! Another week of What I Wore Wednesday from the Pleated Poppy. I love the idea of fashion accountability that this link party inspires! it is also a great place to find fashion inspiration from the other party members.

I did pretty good this week of taking photos. That in itself is an accomplishment. Legs face it, getting myself ready is one accomplishment, and finding the time to photograph what I've worn before someone gets something on me is another accomplishment!

Let's start with Thursday. We spent the morning with my Mom and Grandmother. That night I had a meeting at church. The kiddos and I stopped at McDonalds for supper. I was once again reminded why it isn't my favorite place! We didn't get what we ordered, the line was long, and the food really wasn't that great.

Friday, the hubby came home from what seemed to be a LONG week apart! The new job has kept him busy. We wen to a friends house for dinner. All four of us had a wonderful time with adult conversation for the hubby and I, and friends and toys for the kids!

My Grandmother gave me this little pin. It came with a top she bought, but she didn't use it. I would like to try and make one sometime, maybe five years from now. My to do list has gotten pretty long.

Saturday, we hung out at the house and the hubby helped me with a crafty endeavor. That night we went to my In-laws for my SIL's birthday dinner. It had been a while since my kids had seen there cousins! Between vacations and sick kids in both families it had been almost a month since they got to play together.

Sunday, was an eventful day for us. We went to out church for Sunday School, and then drove 45 minutes to my parents church for lunch and a singing. Here is Miss C with me, she was a little preoccupied at the time.

Monday, I started my day by going to the gym! Then I was totally pooped the rest of the day. We ended up running to the grocery store and I was able to squeeze in some crafty time!

Tuesday, we had a play date with one of my friends and her daughter. School started today and her oldest started Kindergarden. It was weird for her to be her with only one child. All three kids had a good time playing, and it was nice for me to chat for a while! After lunch the kiddos and I ran some errands. One of the ladies I used to work with is moving back to Spain in a couple of weeks. I am not gonna be able to attend her going away party, so we went to tell her goodbye! I told her we would have to come visit in Spain!

Today, we hung out at the house and played. The kiddos have been playing together all day, with minimal crying! It has been awesome! Tonight we have Bible Study at church and I get to teach the little kids!

Another week down, let's hope I van continue next week!

Amy

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Photography help from Kristen Duke

2011-08-09T15:53:00.000-05:00

I have seen Kristen Duke's e-book Say No! to Auto on several different blogs.

About two months ago I decided to get the book and try it out! I got my Nikon D90 for Christmas, and could immediately see a difference in my photos. There is only so much a camera by itself could do.

I, like many other wanna be photographers, took most of my pictures on the auto setting. Like I said, even on auto my pictures were better. I did want to settle for better, I wanted to take great pictures.

I have found after reading Kristen'se-book that I understand more about the details that go into taking a good picture. Kristen does a GREAT job laying out what setting to use in virtually ever situation. The e-book also includes pictures as examples!

Kristen has just revised her e-book and made it even BETTER! You really need to check out this book! It would make a great gift for that novice photographer in your family!

When you order the e-book Kristen will send you an e-mail with a code so you can print the book, or take it and have it printed. I had mine printed and book bound at Office Depot. Now it has a nice home in my camera case so it is always with me!

If you have been thinking about getting this e-book, or wanting to know more about using manual settings you really need to buy this book! It is a GREAT resource!

Happy Shooting!

Amy

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Makin' It Monday-Portfolio Redo

2011-08-08T08:50:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago the hubby went to a training meeting. He got some good training, and brought home a portfolio from the training company.

Well, he threw it in the trash can!!

Can you believe that? A perfectly good portfolio just tossed aside, and left to the whims of the garbage man.

Well, luckily for this little portfolio, I happened to walk by and see it in its sad dismal state.

Look at this beauty, well not really a beauty yet.

I took some fabric scraps (it isn't like I have a shortage of them) and made some little fabric rosettes. I made just enough to cover up the wording on the front of the portfolio.

Here is how it turned out. I am pleased with the final look.

I used my new portfolio the other night at a VBS meeting!

Happy Treasure Hunting!

Amy

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Tip Junkie

Someday Crafts

Thrifty Finds Friday- Brass Flower Pot

2011-08-05T22:06:00.000-05:00

I found this cool brass flower pot at Goodwill a couple of weeks ago.

It was a whopping $2.00!

I have big plans in store for this little beauty. Stay tuned to find out how it gets a new look, and use!

Happy Thrifting!!

Amy

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Things to try Thursday-Braided Bangs

2011-08-04T08:39:00.000-05:00

I know that many of you have caught onto the hair doing fads, but I am a little behind times.

Miss C has only had one haircut. I gave it to her last summer, and I ended up cutting it shorter than I intended. Her hair has brown a lot since then, but the front part hasn't keep up with the back.

Miss C likes to have her hair pulled back in a pony tail. She looks so cute with her hair pulled back, but I usually have to have a clippy or bow to hold back the short hair in front.

Cheri, at I am Momma Hear Me Roar, has had a hair week for the past two years. It is so neat to see how to complete a certain look.

Last year Cheri showed us how to do a side braid. I tried this look out on Miss C the other day.

Here is the result.

I loved the way it turned out. Her hair is so fine that it is hard to French braid it yet. I can't wait until it gets a little longer and I can try some more hair tutorials out on Miss C.

Happy hair doing!

Amy

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What I Wore Wednesday

2011-08-03T16:19:00.004-05:00

Okay, it has been quite some time since I have participated in WIWW. I must admit that I haven't been playing along since I have been bad about wearing things other than gym clothes.

This past week I was better and here is what I wore.

Thursday, I went to the movies with my Mom. We watched The Deathly Hallows Part 2. It was great! I am sad to see it all come to an end!

Friday, we were gonna have friends over for supper, but Miss C wasn't feeling well so we canceled.

Saturday, we had a fellowship meal at out church. Since it was in the basement, I decided to wear something a little warmer.

Sunday, we went to Sunday School and then on to my family reunion. Here I am with Miss C at the reunion.

Monday, went to the grocery store and ran some errands.

Tuesday, the kiddos went with me to run some more errands.

Wednesday, I didn't get a picture. Miss C and I made a trip to the Dr., so there was no dressing up today!

It was nice to put more effort into my wardrobe this week. I hope I can keep myself accountable!

Here's to seeing you next week!

Amy

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What's for dinner Wednesday-Mexican Lasagna

2011-08-03T15:46:00.002-05:00

I found this recipe in a 2009 Woman's Day magazine my Mom gave me a while back.

The picture looked so good! I am a sucker for pictures when it comes to food.

See what I mean? All those yummy layers of Mexican goodness!

Here is what you need to make this at your house:

2 tsp Olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 lb diced zucchini
2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 can diced tomatoes and chilies
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can corn niblets
1 can mild enchilada sauce
1/2 chopped cilantro
5 (8in.) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream, to garnish

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 3 quart, or two 1 1/2 quart casserole dishes, with nonstick spray.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cumin, and sauté 5 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes, beans, corn, and enchilada sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

Put 1 tortilla in a baking dish. Top with 1 1/2 cups zucchini mixture; sprinkle with 1/4 cup cheese. Repeat 4 times. If you use two casserole dishes you won't have enough to repeat 4 times. So repeat as much as you can.

Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes until bubbly around edges and cheese is melted. Cool 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream, if desired.

Hope you enjoy!

Happy Cooking!!

Amy

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Family Reunion

2011-08-02T11:05:00.000-05:00

Sunday I went to my family reunion.

It is always been the last Sunday in July. This was one of my favorite weekends of the summer when I was goring up. My Mother's family would come into town from various states and we would make a weekend of it.

Saturday nights would consist of my Mom's aunts, uncles, and cousins coming to our house for supper. Sometimes a couple would stay with us instead of getting a hotel room.

Then Sunday was the actual reunion with My Grandfather's cousins and relatives. As a child I remember there being lots of people in attendance. We would have these reunions at my Great Uncle's house and there would be tons of food. Around dusk we would bring out the ice cream makers and make some nice cold homemade ice cream.

Times have changed and many of the reunion participants have passed away, or grown up and moved far away. It is sad to see the dwindling of our gathering, but I am thankful for the time and enjoyment I have had with my family. We have constructed a Family tree complete with tidbits about the family members. I value this information and hope one day to teach my children about their fore fathers and the things they accomplished in their lives.

I look forward to many more years of meeting with my family and the many things I can continue to learn from them.

Here is my Mom and Four of her cousins! She is the one in the middle.

Here is to families!

Happy Sunday.

Amy

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Makin' It Monday-Pillowcase Dress and bloomers

2011-08-01T07:12:00.007-05:00

I have made a couple of Pillowcase dresses for Miss C in the past.

I LOVE the simplicity, and sweetness of these dresses.

I decided to make another dress for a friends daughter's birthday. She likes purple so I used some purple and green flower fabric. I added a green border on the bottom to make it a little longer and to add a little more color.

I really like how the dress turned out. But what little girl outfit would be complete without Some matching bloomers.

I used an existing pair of bloomers as a guide. I started by tracing my bloomers on my fabric.

I cut out my bloomers. Two pieces, one for the front and one for the back.

Then I sewed up the bottom and sides.

You can see that I drew a line on the leg holes. This is where I will fold over the material to make a casing for the elastic.

Then do the same thing for the waist band.

Open of of the side seams and feed elastic through the casing of each of the leg holes and waist band. Take waist and leg measurements to know the length of elastic you will need. So, if the child's waist is 13 in around you will need 13 in of elastic.

Now that the elastic is through each hole sew the ends together. Then smooth out the elastic and stitch up the side seams of the casings.

The bloomers are done!

When you put the two pieces together you get a sweet little outfit, and a great present!

Happy sewing!

Amy

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Tip Junkie

Someday Crafts

Frugalicious Friday

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2011/08/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-scentsy.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FOivM+%28Tatertots+and+Jello%29

My Craft Room

2011-07-30T08:30:00.001-05:00

Maybe I should say my craft closet.

In our basement we have some awesome storage. One of these storage spaces is located under our stairs.

About a year agony hubby transformed this space from regular storage into my craft room. He was soooo sweet he did it as a surprise for me one weekend I was out of town!!

When you enter my room my sewing machine is on the left. It sits on a desktop along with my Cricut.

I also have a cute little chair pin cushion I picked up at a yard sale, and a large mug that I use as a scrap trash can.

The plaques on the wall are from my band and 4-H days. There is also my college alma matter's red towel hanging from the top bar. I also have my ribbon stored on hangers up there too.

The caddy under the desk hold different crafting odds and ends.

As you look to the right you find my fabric storage cabinet.

On top you will see my glass bottle collection. It has proven to be hazardous to my health. The other day a bottle fell on my head while I was digging out some fabric. I had a nice bump on the top of my head for a couple of days.

In the back if the closet is my wreath collection. It is nice to have a space to hang them.

There is also another set of drawers. These hold knitting supplies, some of my scrapbook embellishments, and my kids art supplies.

As you turn the corner under the stairs is my gift section. The top shelf houses my purchased gifts. There is also my gift wrapping/ bagging storage area.

The bottom holds some extra craft supplies and some

It is so nice to have all of my craft stuff in one spot. And close to my finger tips when I need them.

The down fall of this room is that it has the tendency to be a storage cram spot when people come over to visit. I spent several hours the other day reorganizing and cleaning it up. I don't want this space to get into the cluttered state that it has in the past.

Here's to useful, clean craft spaces!!

Do you have a craft room, closet, cabinet? If so I would love to hear how you have yours set up!

Amy

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Fabulous Finds-Farmers Market

2011-07-29T08:13:00.000-05:00

I love the summer. Yes, I love to the warm weather, the smell of fresh cut grass, and all of the fresh fruits and vegetables.

One of my favorite things to do is visit our local farmers market. They have really expanded all of the homegrown/homemade items.

My family and I went to Farmers Market and really racked up on the goods.

We got a couple dozen ears of fresh corn, some locally made cheese, and homemade bread.

We have been enjoying our food all week.

Another reason I like going to Farmers Market is because it helps support people in my community. The Farmers Market we go to is all Kentucky products! And I know several of the people set up selling their goods. So I known I am getting quality items!

If you have a Farmers Market you attend I would love to hear what you enjoy looking for the most.

Happy Shopping!

Amy

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Things to try Thursday- Hair Bows

2011-07-28T09:57:00.001-05:00

I enjoy making hair bows for Miss C. I just wish she enjoyed wearing them as much as I do making them!

I have made her basic bows in the past. Nothing fancy, just small boutique bows.

The other day I decided I would try something a little more daring.

If you have a daughter I am sure you have seen the pretty loopy bows at all the children's stores. They are VERY cute, and are usually VERY pricey.

I decided to make some of these bows. It isn't like I have a shortage of ribbon and hair clips.

Here are a couple of the bows I made.

I can't tell you how ,any ties it took to get this one simple shot.

She keep shaking her head or looking at me!

I guess I can't blame her too much, normally I want her to look at me!

These bows were made using this tutorial. this is a great site for hair bow tutorials.

Happy Crafting!!

Amy

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What's for Dinner Wednesday- Chicken Pot Pie

2011-07-27T16:30:00.001-05:00

I love this recipe!!

First, it is a quick fix.

Second, it is an easy fix.

Third, and most importantly, it is DELICIOUS!!

Here is what you are gonna need.

2 chicken breasts cooked, and cubes
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can cream of potato soup
1 box of ready made pie crust, at room temperature
Salt and pepper yo taste

You can already tell this is easy. Only 4 main ingredients!!

Start by cooking and cutting up the chicken. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients, except the pie crust.

Mix well.

Place one pie crust in a pie pan.

Add the chicken mixture.

Top with remaining pie crust and press seams together. I cut a few slits in the top of the crust for venting.

Bake it in a 350 degree over for 25-30 minutes. Until the crust is golden brown.

Remove from the oven, cut, and enjoy!!

Happy Baking!!

Amy

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What I got

2011-07-26T20:40:00.000-05:00

So yesterday I told you about what I made for the homemade gift exchange over at Craftaholics Anonymous.

Today I am gonna show you what I got in the mail.

Susan sent me these cool tea towels that she made!

I don't know which one I like best, they are all so cute!! I think these could be the inspiration for a kitchen makeover.

Michelle didn't send anything for me. She sent stuff for my kids! It was so fun to watch them open their gifts and immediately play with them!!!

These are little traffic signs that she made! Mr. E loves using the with his matchbox cars.

The train sign is his favorite.

She also had a cute ribbon and heart threading set that Miss C likes! (sorry for the messy hair, she just woke up from her nap)

She also included these cute Thank You cards and shape Monster books.

The cards will be handy for birthday notes from Mr. E. Both kids love drawing in their shape books. Miss C's favorite thing to draw is the American Flag.

Thanks ladies for these awesome gifts!!!

Happy Crafting!!

Amy

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Makin it Monday- Gift Exchange

2011-07-25T08:33:00.001-05:00

Last month I participated in a homemade gift exchange over at Craftaholics Anonymous

I participated in Linda's United States and International exchanges. So I got to make TWO gifts!!

My US partner was Susan. I made her a little zipper clutch. I used Noodleheads gathered clutch tutorial.

I used some fabric that my Grandmother had given me for the main piece. I didn't have much,but just enough for this project! I love how it turned out with the red strip across the front.

Susan has a little girl and I wanted to include her in our exchange. Since our gifts had to be mailed by the end of June I decided to make her a Patriotic bow. I hope she can wear it again for Memorial Day. I wad also a little naughty and included some candy. Hope Susan didn't mind! I also added a little beaded necklace for her to make!

My International partner was Michelle from Croatia.

I made her a little zipper clutch too. This time out of a pretty floral print. This bag reminds me of spring!

I also sent her an ABC & 123 book. I included my alphabet and number cards in the book.

I hope these ladies and their daughters enjoyed their gifts!!

Happy Crafting!

Amy

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Linking to:

Someday Crafts

I'm not the ONLY crafty one!

2011-07-24T20:28:00.000-05:00

The Hubby got a new job, which he started at the beginning of the month. Since he will no longer be donning his badge and gun he decided to display some of his Police memorabilia.

He used some of this tan/gray fabric,that his aunt gave him several years ago, for the back drop.

Then he added the pins and patches.

Once they were in place he pressed down the pins and we glued on the patches.

It was so nice for him to ask to borrow my hot glue gun!!!

I could tell this didn't spark any new midnight crafting urges for him, but it was nice to see him come up with a good solution to display some of the things that mean so much to him.

Sometimes I feel we want to hold onto things for sentimental reasons, but with out a way to display these memories, our stuff just becomes junk! I hope that I can continue to find ways to display my personal treasures!

Happy Crafting

Amy

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What's For Dinner Wednesday-Cooking Light App

2011-07-13T16:52:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I have been on vacation and I haven't really cooked since I got home. I am sure my family would appreciate a nice home cooked meal!!

I must say it was nice to eat at some tasty restaurants while we were away from home.

So, today What's for dinner isn't a meal, but a meal planning app.

Have any of you all tried the Cooking Light app? I got an e-mail about it a couple of weeks ago and briefly looked at the app in the App store.

From what I understand you can search through lots of recipes and plan your own meals, or use one of their meal plans. It also has pictures of every recipe. This is something I LOVE in a cookbook. If it looks good, then I am more likely to try the recipe.

After looking at the reviews this app gets 2 1/2 stars out of 5. It sounds like some of the cool features of this app don't work the way they are advertised.

The app cost $3.99, which is way less than a subscription to the Cooking Light Magazine, but is it a good deal?

If any of you have the app, or know anything about it I would love to know!!!

Hoping to hear from you soon!

Amy

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Teacher Gift- a little late

2011-07-12T12:12:00.002-05:00

I know it is late to be showing you a teacher gift, but I am just now getting around to posting these pictures.

This was Mr. E's first year of preschool and he absolutely LOVED it! His teacher made a big contribution to the enjoyable year.

Miss Denise was a wonderful teacher, and I wanted to show her our gratitude with a little gift.

I found this cute straw purse at Target and thought it would be perfect for summer, but it needed a little sprucing up.

I made this fabric flower pin to add to the purse, or she can take it off and put it on a top or dress!

I also made her a bookmark with some ribbon and some self adhesive foam.

Finally I made her a little pad of paper and a decorative pen. I used a tutorial I saw in blog land. Sorry I don't remember where I saw the tutorial.

All in all I think it turned out to be a pretty little gift! I hope Miss Denise gets some good use out it!!

Happy Crafting!!

Makin' It Monday-Swimsuit Refashion Part 3

2011-07-11T12:24:00.002-05:00

I hope you don't think I am beating a dead horse with my swimsuit refashions.

Anyway, I took the skirt off that old ugly swimsuit and made a new cover-up.

I started by measuring my waist and pinning the skirt together to so that it was the correct length around. Since I had cut the skirt up to use in other projects I needed to add an extra seam down the front.

Just like with the bottoms I made I needed to sew a casing (1/4 in) to put in the elastic waist.

I used the same procedure as the bottoms by turning the top over and pinning in place. I cut the elastic to the same length as the waistband of the bottoms.

After sewing the casing I ripped out the side seam and started feeding the elastic through.

Once the elastic was all the way around, and the skirt waist smoothed I sewed the ends of the elastic together securely.

Smooth the elastic into the waist and then sew up the side seam and you have yourself a new swimsuit cover-up.

And to think I have one of these that I paid full price for at a Department store. This one works just as well and was only fractions of the price!

Who new you could do so much with one thrifted swimsuit!!

Happy Sewing!!

Fundered Storms

2011-07-09T12:53:00.002-05:00

We have had an unusually thunder storm filled summer in my neck of woods.

Miss C isn't so fond of storms, but with the frequency of them lately she is getting used to them.

The other day she was walking around the house telling her baby, "Fundered doesn't hurt babies."

It was so cute, I am glad to see that she is listening to me, at least some of the time!!

Hope you are enjoying your weekend!!

Things to Try Thursday-Coffee Filter Butterflies

2011-07-07T11:56:00.005-05:00

The other day we had a couple of friends over for a couple of hours. It was a nice day outside so the kids got in some good bike riding and general outdoor fun!

That only lasted so long, we needed a little crafty intervention.

The Mother Huddle had posted some coffee filter butterflies back in May. I had everything on hand, water paints, coffee filters, and twist ties.

This was a great way for the kiddos to express their own creativity and have some fun all at the same time.

Here are the kids working on their masterpieces.

Here are my kiddos finished butterflies.

If you are looking for a

fun, easy kids craft this is a great one!! My kids loved making these little beauties!

Happy Crafting!

What's for Dinner Wednesday-Coconut Chicken Salad

2011-07-06T11:38:00.002-05:00

This just might be the best salad I have ever eaten. I had originally planned on cooking the chicken strips with some vegetables, but the head of lettuce in my fridge was just begging to be used.

I started this meal by preparing the chicken strips. Here is what you need.

12 chicken strips
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup bread crumbs
1-2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine the coconut, bread crumbs, and spices. Mix well.

Place the flour in a shallow bowl and the egg in another small bowl. Beat the egg slightly.

Dip the chicken in the flour, then the egg, and finally in the coconut mixture. Coat thoroughly. I like to spread the remaining coconut mixture over all of the strips when they are on the baking sheet. I like the extra crunchies!!

Place the strips on a foil lined baking sheet that has been lightly greased. I am all about easy clean-up and lining a baking sheet with foil is one of the easiest ways I know to accomplish this.

Drizzle with olive oil and then bake for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking start on the salad.

Chop one head of lettuce and place in a bowl. Add your favorite veggies! I used 1/4 cup of sliced carrots, 1/4 cup of halved grapes, and 2 Roma tomatoes diced.

When the chicken is done place the salad on a plate and top with two or three chicken strips. Add your favorite dressing if you wish. I ate mine without any. The sweet coconut and grapes added just the right amount of sweetness to each bite. I am salivating now thinking of this yummy dish.

Happy Baking!!

Twinkle Toes

2011-07-05T11:31:00.002-05:00

I took some pictures of my kiddos feet the other day.

My kids are growing so fast and I wanted a little keep sake to remember their little piggies.

Here are Miss C's cute painted toes on top of mine!

Here are Mr. E's. The kid has some of the widest feet I have seen. I can't believe his feet at age 4 aren't that much smaller than mine. And I wear a size 9!! I think I am gonna have a big boy on my hands.

I hope you are able to find the time (and film) to savor those special memories!!

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T11:25:00.006-05:00

I hope you are enjoying the Freedom that so many individuals have laid down their lives for us to enjoy!

Thank you to all of the Armed Service families who sacrifice so much on a daily basis for our country. A special thank you to my Grandfather who served our country during World War II.

Happy Independence Day!!

All Good Things Must Come to an End

2011-07-02T12:38:00.003-05:00

All good things must come to an end, t-ball season that is.

Mr. E's first year of t-ball came to an end last week. He had a good time playing in the dirt, and sliding into home plate!!

This is Mr. E's last bat, run, and stop at 1st base.

I think this was the first game he didn't throw a fit about going to. So this may be his first and last t-ball season. We will see what the future seasons hold. I wanted him to at least try it, you never know if you like something until you give it a try.

I will say that he enjoyed the after game snacks.

The last snacks were cupcakes...Miss C enjoyed them too!

Happy Summer!!

Frugal Finds-Summer Wears

2011-07-01T11:17:00.002-05:00

Okay, I have a confession.... I love to shop at Goodwill!!

Last year I found this little number at one of my local Goodwill stores. It was a wopping $3.00 for the entire outfit.

Where is this cute little number from? GAP!!

I love the color on Miss C, as well as the ruffles all over the skirt!

Miss C wore this to the commencement of our Vacation Bible School. I didn't have a bow to match this cute outfit, so Miss C and I headed to my craft room to solve the problem.

I already had the ribbon that matched the skirt, so I just whipped up a little bow to hold back Miss C's hair.

Don't you love my bribe for the pictures? My kids LOVE suckers!!

Happy Frugal Shopping!!

Things to Try Thursday-Clay Pens

2011-06-30T11:01:00.002-05:00

I saw this awesome tutorial for clay pens over at Little Birdie Secrets.

I thought this would be a great project for the kiddos to make for the hubby, and the grand, and great-grand fathers for Father's Day. Seriously, men in our family always have a pen on them!!

It took a couple of tries to get our pens to turn out.

Helpful tips:
1. You need to cover the entire pen with the clay. If not, they plastic pen melts and bends, or melts and shrinks.

2. Don't bake the pens for more then a couple of minutes at a time. I followed the directions on the clay package. The oven got to hot, thus the reason for tip number one. I heated my oven to 300 and then turned if off and let it cool for a couple minutes and then placed the pens in for about 5 minutes. If they aren't done, then place back in the oven for a minute or two longer at a time. Seriously they shrink and the clay will crack if they are left in the heat for too long!!

3. Have an exacto knife, or a sharp knife on hand. The plastic melted at the tip and I wasn't able to get the ink back in to the pens. I had to use the exacto knife to scrape the opening out in order to get the ink to fit back inside the pen.

All in all this was a fun project, not so much for my kiddos, it was a little more involved than I thought. Probably better suited for a little older kids. My 4 and 2 year old contributed by helping me select the color combos.

Happy Sculpting!!

Blobby Flip Flop Exchange!!!

2011-06-29T21:50:00.000-05:00

I got my new flip flops in the mail last week!! I was sooooo excited!! I mean a new pair of shoes is an awesome thing, right?!?!

My exchange partner Jaclynn sent me these cute flip flops!!

They are so soft and squishy. I wore them all day yesterday and they were so comfortable. They have now molded to my feet!!

Jaclynn also sent me a packet of "California orange" poppy seeds.

I can't wait to plant them. I totally have a black thumb, but I just might be able to grow these. They don't require water after they are full grown, they like the full sun, and they prefer the poorer dirt!!

Sounds like a match made in gardening heaven!! This perfectly describes my front porch flower garden area. The past couple of years it has just been an extension of our yard since I can't seem to grow anything there.

And just so you know it s me and not the ground, the couple that used to live in our house had TONS of flowers everywhere!!!

I will keep you updated on my flower growing process. This just might boost my gardening self esteem.

I had so much fun with this exchange. Head on over to The Texas Darlings and check out all the other cool flip flops!!

Happy Flip Flopping!!

What's For Dinner Wednesday-Broccoli Stromboli Sandwiches

2011-06-29T10:39:00.002-05:00

This is a recipe that I cut out of a magazine at least two years ago, but just hadn't tried until now.

Here is the stuff on your grocery list for this meal.
1 lb pizza dough (I used thin crust, but I wouldn't recommend, mine turned out to be a little too thin).
all-purpose flour, for work surface
1 lb frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 minced garlic cloves
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup marinara sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
2 ounces sliced salami ( I used pastrami)
1 tbsp olive oil

Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Then line your baking sheet with aluminum foil for a simple clean up.

Divide your pizza dough into 4 sections. Roll or press each section in to a 6x8 in oval.

Place the broccoli in a strainer, and press to remove the excess water. Transfer to a double layer of paper towels to pat dry.

Divide the broccoli among the four sections of pizza dough. You want to leave a 1/2 in border all the way around the dough. Sprinkle with the garlic, salt, and pepper. Top with mozzarella, salami, and 1/2 cup marinara.

Now roll the Stromboli, starting with the shortest end. Seal the ends and place seam side down on the baking sheet.

Drizzle with the oil and then pop those bad boys in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve each Stromboli with 1/2 cup of marinara for dipping.

Enjoy!!

Happy Baking!!

My Little Artist

2011-06-28T10:28:00.002-05:00

Mr. E has become quite the artist lately. The other day he created a whole scene to draw.

He LOVES to cut out pictures. So he took a bunch of the pictures he cut out of a seek and find book and lined them up against the wall.

Here is the scene.

Here is the artist.

Here is the finished work of art.

I will be setting up a gallery viewing in the new future. I will send all of you VIP passes!!

Any tips on fun artsy projects for a 4 year old? We were thinking about finding a summer art camp for him to participate in.

Happy Drawing!

Makin' It Monday-Swimsuit Refashion Round 2

2011-06-27T09:54:00.003-05:00

Okay I know that I showed you a simple modesty update to a swimsuit two weeks ago. This week I am gonna take the original ugly swim suit and show you how to make a cute set of bottoms!!

I don't know about you all, but I think it is hard to find a swimsuit that really fits my dairy air!!

I am not really ready for the granny pantie version of swimsuit bottoms that come up over my belly button, but I am tempted by the butty coverage they offer.

My solution to this problem is to make my own swimsuit bottoms!!!

So I took the old Grandma swimsuit from my friends modesty refashion. I ended up deconstruction the swim suit into the skirt, the bottom, and the top. I took the bottoms and matched the up with a pair of good fitting underwear.

I turned the cut ends over and pinned to the correct length. I tried them on to make sure they hit right above my hips. Once I was satisfied with the fit of the bottoms I sewed a casing for my elastic. I used 1/4 in elastic since that is what I had on hand. I measured my waist and added a couple of inches to determine the length of elastic I needed.

Now it is time to feed the elastic through the casing you made. Take a safety pin and run it through one end.

Rip open one of the side seams and start to feed the safety pin into the casing.

Keep pushing the safety pin through the casing until it is all the way around the waistband. Now take the two ends of the elastic and pin them together.
(sorry the pic is blurry)

Stretch the waistband out so that it is smooth over the elastic. Cut off the excess elastic and hand stitch the ends together. Make sure you secure it pretty well!! We don't want any wardrobe malfunctions in the pool!!

Once again stretch the waistband so that the elastic ends are in the casing. Now hand stitch the side seam closed!!

I added a second sewed line around the waistband right below the original one for the casing. The gives a more finished look and some extra stability!

Finally I cut off the excess fabric!!

Now to find a tip to go with my new bottoms. Don't get me started on how hard it is to find a swimsuit top to cover and support!!! I swear swimsuit makers don't think about what pregnancy does to your body!!!

Happy Swimming!!

Bloggy Flip Flop Exchange-Take 3

2011-06-27T09:16:00.001-05:00

Last year I participated in the Bloggy Flip Flop Exchange over at The Texas Darlings. This is such a fun gift exchange!!!!

Last year I got a cool pair of flip flops!! Can't wait to see what my awesome BFFE, Jaclynn sent me.

I decided to send Jaclynn a pair of Knot flip flops, an Amy version of the Knot Flip Flops!

I found these cool purple flip flops at Target. I used some purple and green polka dot fabric for the straps.

Instead of doing double knots, I just did a single knot. I liked the more traditional flip flop look the single knot provided.

I also included some traditional Kentucky recipes for Jaclynn. Kentucky Hot Browns, Kentucky Derby Pie, and a Mint Juleps. What a better Kentucky dinner!!!

I hope Jaclynn likes her flops as much as I do!! I also added a little pair of flip flops for her little man. We women aren't the only ones who need snazzy shoes to wear!!

Happy Summer!!

Fabulous Find Friday-Water Slide

2011-06-24T15:16:00.003-05:00

This past fall I spotted a COOL deal at my local Aldi's.

This puppy was over 50% off the original summer price. I snatched it up...well I grunted and groaned while struggling to lift it into my shopping cart. Then I grunted and groaned some more while lifting it and shoving it in the back of my car. I am sure everyone around me was amused at the sight!

Anyway we busted the water slide out the other day. The kids had so much fun going down the slide and then spraying each other with the water canon.

At nap time the hubby and I played on it!! And we had a lot of fun too. There is a big slide that you crawl up top to go down. Then there is a smaller slide that goes through the middle. It is fun to run and slide through on your stomach!!

This was definitely a great purchase!!

Happy Summer!!

Things to Try Thursday-Knot Flip Flops

2011-06-23T15:56:00.005-05:00

I saw an awsome tutorial for flip flops the other day on The Mother Huddle. It came at the perfect time for me. I have a year old pair of Target Flip Flops. They were inexpensive, so I didn't have high hopes that they would last much longer than one season.

This was their current state, before finding the knot flip flop tutorial.

They weren't exactly working anymore.

I chose some fabric from my stash, and now a new pair of shoes!!

Happy Flip Flopping!!

What's For Dinner Wednesday-Creamy Chicken Quiche

2011-06-22T17:04:00.000-05:00

This is a recipe that I have made for my family once or twice before. When I was going through my recipes trying to decide what to cook for the week, this one caught my eye.

I love the creaminess (hence the name) of this quiche, and how all the flavors blend together just right to make it melt in your mouth!!

This recipe calls for you to make a crust. I know some people find this intimidating, but this crust couldn't be easier. I don't have a food processor, but that is really the easiest way to make a crust. Dump all the ingredients in, and turn it on. Once the ingredients form a ball you are done!!

Here is everything you need to make this yummy dish.

For the Crust:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp. paprika
2 tbsp. cold water

Filling:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced (I used a can)
2 cups chicken, cooked and diced
1 green onion bunch, chopped
3 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups light cream
1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

Blend crust ingredients together, roll out to make a 10 in. pie crust. Bake 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Cool.

Saute the mushrooms in the butter.
Add the chicken and green onions. Saute 5 minutes.

Drain off the excess butter, then add to the pie shell.

Blend egg, salt, and cream together. Pour into pie shell.

Sprinkle cheese over top.

Bake for 45 to 55 minutes at 350 degrees, or until set.

Serves 6.

Enjoy!!

Happy Baking!!

T-ball Time

2011-06-21T12:05:00.001-05:00

Last month Mr. E started t-ball. We had so much rain that the boys only had two practices before their first game. Needless to say they were a little confused on what to do.

Here is Mr. E before the first game. Can I just say whoever thought white pants for an outdoor sport was a good idea is CRAZY!!!!!

A little pre-game practice and warm-up. The team colors are purple and white. I guess since they put boys in purple they would give them a snake for a mascot. I HATE SNAKES!!! Why couldn't we be some sort of dog or wolf? How about a Dinosaur? They are ferocious...well at least in the movies.

The cheering section. Miss C with one of the 3 cousins! She is also a t-ball player!!

Mr. E got to go shake hands with the other team as they determined who got to bat first.

This is my favorite picture. While the adults are talking shop Mr. E and the other little boy get down to business. I can just hear the conversation.

"So how old are you? "

"Four...me too, but I am almost five! "

Now is when the real entertainment started. Mr. E was the first to bat.

After hitting the ball he took off running....straight to the pitcher's mound. It was quite humerus. One of the parents was kind enough to set him back on the right course.

Here he is after his first run. Can you tell he is proud of himself?

I am sure this is the beginning of many more summer sporting events. I hope he always has such a happy face!

Happy Game Going!

Makin' It Monday-Roll-Up Tote Bag

2011-06-20T11:33:00.002-05:00

I had seen this tutorial via Tip Junkie a while back. It is an awesome tote tutorial by The Silly Pearl.

My sister-in-law is very echo conscious and I thought this would be a wonderful bag for her. I thought it would be a great grocery tote.

Because it rolls up in itself it is easy to store, and then pop out when you need it.

My SIL is also taking a trip to Colorado this supper, and then on to Spain. (she is a busy traveler in the summer) I thought it might be a nice bag to take on trips. It would make a great beach tote!

Here is my final product!

This really was a very easy bag to put together! I think I will be making a couple more.

The flower fabric that the bag is made of is repurposed! My grandmother gave me this large floral dress to repurpose. I didn't think I would wear this fabric, thus it became a bag!

Happy Sewing!!

Fabulous Finds Friday- Four Wheeler

2011-06-17T11:21:00.004-05:00

It is the summer. I think we all know that means that it is YARD SALE season. My Mom, the kiddos, and I hit a bunch of yard sales a couple of weeks ago.

We found some good stuff. The best of which was this...

I know it isn't that obvious from the picture that Mr. E isn't totally in LOVE with his new four wheeler.

He got a little four wheeler for his 2nd birthday. He loved it, but soon grew too big to ride it. I had had it in the pile of stuff to sell. Once I found the new four wheeler I knew we would be keeping the original one.

Now both kids have a four wheeler to ride around. We have been charging the batteries everyday! They absolutely love riding all over the place!

Oh, and did I mention the best part...the new four wheeler was only $30!!!

Happy Yard Saleing!!

Things to Try Thursday-Buttercup Purse

2011-06-16T11:09:00.003-05:00

I am sure most of you have heard of Rae of Made By Rae. She is currently showcasing some pretty cool boy summer stuff on her blog.

I have had her Buttercup Purse Tutorial on my to-do list for over a year!!!

This summer I WILL make one of these adorable purses. I have the fabric and lining picked out. I just need to resign myself to the basement and not come out until I have one of these bags of my own!!

I have enough fabric in my stash to make several of these. Maybe I will make one for a gift. That would be great...cut down on my stash, and make someone else happy too!! I think I like that idea!

Happy sewing!

What's For Dinner Wednesday-Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

2011-06-15T14:10:00.001-05:00

I know it has been a while since I have been around, let a lot shared any recipes. Once the busy/demanding schedule of school was over my time was spent working in our basement.

We had another flood the beginning of the month...so once again we had a mini swimming pool in the basement. After all the water subsided we have been slowly working our way through all of our stuff preparing for a yard sale. If anyone is in my neck of the woods this weekend...STOP BY...and BUY!!!

Anyway, back to what you are really interested in...well at least me, FOOD!

Here is what you need:
1 1/2 to 2 cups penne pasta
10 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and drained.
1 lb. chopped chicken
1 Tbsp. basil leaves
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz. cream cheese
1 cup mozzarella
2 Tbsp. Parmesan

Cook the pasta,

Add the spinach the last few minutes.

Cook and stir chicken and basil leaves in a large skillet on medium for three minutes. I cooked my chicken in the microwave for a few minutes first.

Stir in sauce and tomatoes, bring to a boil. Simmer on low for three minutes.

Stir in cream cheese.

Drain the pasta and return to the pan. Add the chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Spoon into a 2 qt. casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Top with remaining cheeses and bake another 3 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Makes 6 generous portions.

I really like the flavor the spinach adds to a relatively basic pasta dish. Hope you enjoy!!

I would love to hear about your favorite dishes...and if you have tried any of the recipes I have shared!!

Happy Cooking!

My View

2011-06-14T08:54:00.009-05:00

The kiddos have been having so much fun lately riding their bikes in the driveway.

Mr. E like you to "watch him". He is always coming up with a new trick to show me. Usually this consists of him doing some type of spin out on his current vehicle of choice. He learned the hard way that he can't do that on his bike. He and the asphalt didn't get along to swell.

Since basically every person I know is pregnant I figured I would take this "watching" opportunity to sit back with my feet up and work on some knitting.

I am planing on this being a baby blanket. It will be the first one I have made, so I hope it turns out well!!

Happy Knitting!!

Makin' It Monday-Swimsuit Refashion

2011-06-13T10:29:00.002-05:00

It is that time of year...swimsuit season!!

One of my friends found a really cool bathing suit on sale at Old Navy, the only problem was that it was too low cut for her taste. She is a lactating Momma, so she is still quite voluptuous, and wanted to stay modest.

She asked me if I could help her come up with a solution to cover her cleavage.

I searched on line and sent her some inspirational pics.

After searching our local Goodwill she found a hideous bathing suit. It was an old lady bathing suit with a skirt attached. We were able to cut the skirt off and use a small portion to fill in the cleavage area.

Here is the final product.

It think it looks pretty good. The addition is a pretty good match for the original material, so it doesn't look like it was just patched together.

I hand stitched the addition to the lining of the swim suit. This gave the suit a more finished look. The stitches are on the inside of the suit, and not showing on the outside.

Fabulous Finds Friday- Vintage Apron

2011-06-10T10:45:00.001-05:00

We recently had a yard sale at my house. In the process of getting ready for said yard sale I went through tons of stuff in my house.

I happened to find this charming old apron in some of my stuff my Mom sent me from her house.

This is a hand stitched apron. I think that my great aunt made this many moons ago. I love that the stitched items are stuff found in the kitchen. I especially like the mixing bowl. I guess because I use mine so much, it reminds me of my cooking!

I think I am gonna add a "top" to the apron so that it covers more of my clothes while I cook.

Here's to finding treasures in your own home!!!

A Trip To Paris Anyone!!

2011-06-09T11:58:00.000-05:00

Okay, who wouldn't LOVE to take a trip abroad!!

Oh Happy Day is giving away a trip for two to PARIS!! The hubby and I spent a couple of days there three years ago. We had a good time, but it just wasn't long enough to see all the sites.

I would love to go again! Besides the giveaway ends one week before my birthday...if I win this would be and AWESOME birthday gift!!!

Here's to hoping I win!! If one of you wins, can I go with you!!!

On a Sunday afternoon

2011-06-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

We had a fun and interesting afternoon on Sunday.

After church we raced home to avoid a thunderstorm. We got home just as the storm hit. We rushed inside and quickly changed clothes. I was just getting ready to fix lunch when the power went out.

We ended up having a lunchable, pop tarts, and cheese rice cakes.

( sorry these are with my eye phone in the dark with the assistance of a mini flashlight)

I wasn't planning on having anything fancy, but a little fancier than that.

Once the storm was over and we ascended from the basement we assessed the damage.

We lost a big limb from one of our big trees.

Unfortunately this big limb is laying on some limbs in another big tree.

We spent Tuesday cutting down and haling limbs.

I tried to pull this broken limb down. I am taking it as a compliment that I couldn't pull it down with my body weight.

The Hubby ended up cutting it down with a saw, the kiddos got really excited when the limb fell down!

I am so thankful this the worst that happened. I feel so bad for all of the recent storm victims, and continue to pray for them and the recovery they are going through.

Enjoy your blessings!!

Momma's Little Helper

2011-06-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

The other day I was cleaning the house. I couldn't take the mess anymore!!

I needed to vacuum, so I asked Mr. E if he wanted to do the job. Lucky for me he said YES!!! So here he is vacuuming the living room. He didn't finish the room before moving on to something else, but at least he did part of it!

How do you like those boots? It is hard to get him out of them.

I hope he continues to enjoy vacuuming, because it has the potential to become one of his chores. Now if I could only convince Miss C to enjoy cleaning the bathroom.

Rainy Days

2011-06-01T13:57:00.000-05:00

We have gotten a lot of rain this spring! Mr. E is playing t-ball this year, but due to the rain the first several practices were cancelled. The first game was really interesting...they kiddos didn't know what they were doing. Mr. E was the first batter. When he hit the ball he took off running to the pitcher's mound. He has gotten better!

So during the monsunes we experienced what did we do???

We just hung out and watched movies.

Cars is Mr. E's favorite movie!! I haven't told him yet that they are coming out with a new one!! I would be asked a million questions a day wanting to know when he could go see it. I am just not ready for that yet.

Is anyone else anxiously awaiting the arrival of Cars 2?

Happy Day!!

Lunch Time

2011-04-16T10:15:00.001-05:00

The past couple of day the kiddos and I have been eating lunch outside. Yes it has gotten a little bit warmer. But that isn't the reason Mr. E wants to dine with nature. Actually he is scared of ants. I have to remind him that they won't hurt him.

Grilled Cheese sandwiches and grapes...Mr. E informed me they were better when he ate them outside.

So I was able to capture some great "cheese" expressions...well Miss C's is a "Pizza".

Here is the fascinating scene.

They are patching some rough spots on our road and Mr. E has loved watching all the action!

Hope you are enjoying your Spring!!

Let's Get Cookin'

2011-04-15T09:51:00.002-05:00

I saw an awsome tutorial a while back for his and her aprons over at Make It and Love It. Ashley is such a talented seamstress, and she has the coolest projects.

I decided to make a set of these cool aprons as a wedding present. Wouldn't they be so cute in a basket filled with Kitchen items, utensils, oven mits, towels, etc. Oh, the possibilities!!

Here is how mine turned out!

I decided to make my own bias tape for the "his" apron. It adds just a little bit more color and extra coordinating fabric to tie it all together.

If you need a quick, and relatively cheap gift, then this is it. I made both of these aprons for less than $10 an apron.

Dogwood Winter

2011-04-14T22:05:00.004-05:00

We are on the downside of Dogwood winter in my neck of the woods. This is the cold snap that hits when the dogwoods bloom. There are several winters, and now we only have two left to go. So are you confused, thought there was only ONE winter? Well here in the South, and maybe other places, we have cold snaps that can last for a couple of days. These are followed by warmer days...and this past weekend I do mean warm....almost 90 degrees!!!

So in honor of the ever changing Spring weather I made a Dogwood Dress.

I like the versatility of pillowcase dresses. This will be perfect with a t-shirt underneath when it is chilly outside, but totally cute just by itself when it is warmer. I think it will be really cute paired with a yellow pair of leggings. I can't wait to try it on Miss C.!!

This is made from fabric scraps passed down from my grandmother. I think it makes this dress extra special for Miss C.

Have you all made pillowcase dresses? If so I would love to see pictures. These make such cute outfits!

Happy sewing!!

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Spring Attire

2011-04-13T08:19:00.001-05:00

I have gotten some high end catalogs in the mail in the past couple of weeks. I have thoroughly enjoyed par oozing the pictures and drooling over the latest trends.

The main problem is that I can't bring myself to purchase anything I like. They are just too expensive for my blood. Hopefully I will find some similar items at yard sales and Goodwill. I know I have seen some great tutorials for similar items out in blog land. If I make any thing remotely similar I will definitely share!

Here are some of my pretty finds.

Images from Garnet Hill

images from Boden USA

What I've Been Making

2011-04-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

I have been crafting, just not as much as I would like. Unfortunately what I have been making. i.e. homework and papers, isn't anything that you all would be interested in. My semester is almost over and it seems like everything is due all at once. This happens every semester, and every semester I feel overwhelmed for a couple of weeks. Then finals come and go and it is all over, for a little while at least.
.
I am almost done with my masters degree, I have three classes left. None of the classes are offered this summer. So guess what!!! I am planning on crafting, reading (non-textbooks), cooking (well I am doing that now, just not always sharing), and doing some fun projects with my kiddos! Hopefully that will also mean I will be hanging out here a little bit more.

Over the next couple of days I will share some of the things I have made with ya, until then...here is a picture of me and the hubby at a Milwaukee Admirals Hockey game earlier in the year. Man it was cold in there...and even colder outside. I am so glad Spring is here and warm weather is just a short time away from being here for good!!

Happy Crafting!!

Cook Books

2011-04-02T16:40:00.001-05:00

I love cooking! Well on most days. If I am really busy, then cooking isn't so fun, but usually I enjoy making something good for my family to eat.

Last year my In-Laws got me a subscription to Taste of Home Magazine. I have been making several meals from the recipes in those magazines.

The other night while visiting my in laws, they bestowed on me these treasures.

My Mother-in-law has several years worth of these cookbooks, and somehow my Father-in-law had been sent some duplicates of these cookbooks.

Just look at the beautiful pictures inside the books.

I spent the other night just flipping through the pages and planning future meals.

Does anyone else have some favorite cookbooks? I would love to hear about them!

Happy Cooking!!

Cowboy Casserole

2011-03-30T10:21:00.001-05:00

Mr. E is all about Cowboys!!! I have his room decorated in a 'lil cowpoke theme, he has boots, cowboy hat, holsters,cowboy pistols, and all!!

Sometimes my sweet Mr. E can be a picky eater. I know, hard to believe any child would automatically love anything placed before them. Well Mr. E used to eat anything set before him, including collard greens!! Somewhere along the way he changed. I am not sure when it happened, it was somewhat gradual. Now he seems to be in full blown picky eater mode.

When I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine I knew he would eat it.

Cowboy Casserole, it is just a different name for a Tater Tot Casserole, but Mr. E ate it happily!

Here is what you need:

1 lb ground beef

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup cheddar cheese, divided

2/3 cup milk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp pepper

4 cups frozen tater tots

In a large skillet cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink.

Stir in corn, soup, 1/2 cup cheese, milk, sour cream, onion powder, and pepper.

Place 1/2 the tater tots on the bottom of a sprayed 9x 13 pan.

Layer the beef mixture and remaining tater tots.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered at 375 for 20-25 minutes, until it is nice and bubbly.

Now it is time to enjoy!

Happy Baking!

Easter Wreath

2011-03-28T13:20:00.017-05:00

I realize that we are almost to the end of March and I really need to take down my St. Patrick's Day decorations.

I hated to take them down and have nothing new and Eastery to put up in their place. So I decided to remedy my Easter Wreath situation. I made a new one!!

I started with the cardboard back off one of my son's Color Wonder coloring books. He had torn it off and I was about to throw it away when I realized I could use it!!

Take a piece of cardboard, a pen, and something square to trace. I used one of our Church Bulletins.

Trace the square on your cardboard.

Then cut it out.

Now it is time to wrap the square with yarn. I had some multicolored yarn that I bought almost three years ago stashed away in the basement. It is the perfect mix of spring colors!

Keep wrapping until you get to the corners. At this point wrap to the corner and then skip to the other side and wrap a couple of times.

Now fill in the corner. Once the corner is filled keep on going around your square until you are done.

Tie off the string and add another piece of string to hang the wreath with.

Next I cut pieces of yarn and threaded them through the top of three small plastic eggs. My eggs didn't have holes in the top, but I used a box cutter to make a small hole in the top of each egg. I used an embroidery needle to thread the yarn through the hole.

Tie a not in the end of your your to secure the egg in place. Then put the bottom piece back on the egg.

Position your eggs at varying lengths and tie them to the frame. I hid the excess yarn on the back of the wreath. Then hang it up and you are all set for Easter!

Happy Crafting!!

Nap Time, or Lack There Of

2011-03-26T11:10:00.001-05:00

Lately Miss C has been playing through nap time about once every week and a half.

The other day I went in to get her out of bed and this is what I found.

She had taken her shirt off and was jumping up and down in her bed...as happy as could be!!

I really am not ready for her to give up a nap. Especially since Mr. E still takes a hour and a half to two hour naps everyday. I will admit she does much better without a nap than her older brother.

Alphabet/Number Cards

2011-03-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

Last year I saw a cool idea on making your own Alphabet flashcards at Cutie Fruity. In anticipation of making these cool cards I made a photo album to store my cards.

Well, unfortunately it has taken me a while to actually make the flashcards. I haven't been too motivated because Mr. E doesn't seem too interested in learning his letters. He has been learning his numbers in preschool, but they haven't gotten to letters yet. I think having his own "alphabet book" might motivate him to start learning other letters...he has the letter E down.

To make my cards I used picnik.com. I started by finding clip art pictures and putting them on a white background in Microsoft Paint. I adjusted the picture so that it took up about half of the screen. I saved the paint file and then uploaded it to picnik.com. Once in picnik.com I adjusted the size of the file to the size of a photo (2640x1980). After resizing I added a black boarder and my letters. I used both upper and lower case letters.

I did the same thing and made number flashcards as well. I did numbers 1-10. I copied the appropriate amount of clip art pics on each card to the corresponding number.

All in all this was a fun porject It was a little time consuming due to finding the clip art pics and the uploading to picnik.com. But I think it will be well worth the effort!

Here are what a couple of my cards look like. If anyone is interested in my cards send me an e-mail and I will send you the files.

Happy Crafting!

Refashioned Drawstring Bags

2011-03-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

Gifts for guys (teen and up) are so hard for me, I just have no idea what to get them.

Well my husband had some drawstring bags he had gotten from different places that he never used. They had already been marked with logos. I decided to cover them up and add some "cool stuff" to the fronts.

These were gifts for my husbands younger cousins. I added Buzz Lightyear fleece to the first bag. The second bag was for a Sr. in High School, so I wanted something a little more grown-up. He plays Lacrosse so I figured his last name across the bag would make a little cooler. After using heat 'n bond to adhere the appliques to the bags I stitched around the edges to make sure the fabric stayed put.

I think this would be a fun project for a little girl's ballet bag or a sports bag with the jersey number appliqued on the front. Endless possibilities...oh what fun!

Happy Crafting!!

Wintry Gifts

2011-03-10T20:46:00.001-06:00

I made a few wintry gifts for my nieces a while back. We had an unusually cold and snowy Winter in these parts...so I hope these little gifts helped keep their sweet heads and fingers toasty warm.

I just added some fabric scrap flowers and buttons to give these simple hats some dazzle.

It is fun making simple things custom and unique!

Happy Crafting!

Shamrock Wreath

2011-03-09T20:16:00.002-06:00

Like I said, I got the crafty bug the other day. After I made my St. Patty's pillows I decided to make something for the front door. Just because no one uses the front door doesn't mean it can't look cute!!

I took a wire hanger and bent it in the shape of a shamrock (three leaf clover). I had some St. Patty's ribbon and some other various ribbons that I used to tie on the shamrock. I finally used a long piece of ribbon to make it long enough to hang on the door.

Now it looks nice and pretty...even if it doesn't get much use.

Happy Crafting!

St. Patrick's Day Pillows

2011-03-08T19:49:00.000-06:00

The other day I was overwhelmed with the desire to craft...so I did. I decided to take some old clothes and turn them into some St. Patrick's Day decorations.

The Hubby and I went to an Ugly Christmas Party before Christmas. We went to Goodwill and found our Ugly attire. Like I said "ugly" attire, so we had no plans on wearing these things again.

The Hubby wore a green sweater vest and I wore a pair of green 1980's shorts.

They were transformed into these.

I used my Cricut to cut the LUCKY out of some black fabric scraps. I used heat 'n bond to attach them to the pillow, and then white crochet thread for extra decoration and security. Finally I added some fabric scrap flowers. And I was done!!

Here is to Crafty Time...hope you are enjoying yours!!

Frustration

2011-02-23T22:24:00.000-06:00

I think I have calmed down enough that I can talk about my frustration. Venting is a good thing right??? I think I have mentioned in the past that I don't always love my sewing machine. Well, those feelings were growing very thin yesterday.

I found this cute tutorial over at Brown Paper Packages for a Do-Rag sports band.
Sidebar:I evidently have a weird head b/c those stretchy headbands that keep your hair out of your face while you exercise just don't stay on me. I will be 10 minutes in an exercise class and whish...it comes flying off the back of my head.

Okay, sorry about that. When I saw that I could make an adult version of this cool headband I went straight to the basement and set to work. Well I tried at least. My machine keeps getting the top thread caught up in the bobbin wheel. I am sure it has a name, but I don't know it. Anyway I am about half way through making this headband when I give up b/c I have threaded and re-threaded my machine so many times that my mind and fingers are going numb.

I am hoping that either me or my machine will be more willing to cooperate tomorrow. If I get it finished I will show it to ya.

Since I have heard you shouldn't have a post without pictures...Here is one that makes me happy!!!

Mr. E right before he turned two...he is "reading" and he put his own shoes on. My what happened to that sweet little thing?

Hope you are having better crafting luck than me!!

Last Minute Valentine Attire

2011-02-14T11:58:00.000-06:00

I decided Friday night to make a cute little Valentine outfit for Miss C. I decided to make a pillowcase top out of some FREE Valentine fabric that was passed on to me.

Here is Miss C after church yesterday modeling for me.

I couldn't let her be the only one with Valentine goodness. So, I made myself a little poesy flower to add to my black dress. If you haven't noticed I like for us to coordinate.

I hope you all are having a WONDERFUL Valentine's Day!!

Happy Crafting!

Amy

What's For Dinner Friday-Hot N Cheesy Chicken Casserole

2011-02-09T12:00:00.003-06:00

This is the first time I have made this recipe, but it was easy and yummy. A good combination in my book.

Here is what ya need:

2-3 cups cubed chicken
2 cups cooked rice
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
14 oz. frozen broccoli
can of cream of chicken soup
can nacho cheese soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers

Place the cubed chicken in the bottom of a large casserole dish.

In a bowl combine the frozen broccoli, peas and cooked rice.

Pour over the chicken.

Combine the soups, 1/2 cheeses, and milk in a bowl.

Pour them on top of the rice mixture.

Sprinkle with the cracker crumbs and top with the remaining cheeses.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Let it cool a bit, and enjoy!!

Happy Baking!!

Valentine's Semi-Homemade

2011-02-08T20:43:00.001-06:00

Mr. E is supposed to have a Valentine's Party at school on Thursday, well if they have school!

I decided that I didn't want to buy the box of Valentine's for him to hand out. I found a bunch of Valentine stuff at Target's Dollar Section the other day and new that I hit JACKPOT!!

Mr. E has really gotten into coloring and cutting and a little bit of crafting. I decided that with the basic cards and stickers Mr. E could make his own Valentine's.

We started with the basics blank cards. I put the messages on the inside and left space for Mr. E to write his name.

We used the felt hearts to decorate the outside of the cards. Mr. E and Miss C had a good time pealing off the paper backs and putting the stickers on. I had to turn Miss C's hearts around, she put everyone on upside down.

We had extra hearts left over so I decided to make little heart stamps on the outside of the envelopes.

It took some time, but Mr. E wrote his name in every one of the cards. This was good practice and he definitely started improving. I have decided that you shouldn't name your child anything with more that 4 or 5 letters!! It would take WAY too long to teach them how to write their name. Mr. E only has 5 letters in his name, and one letter is repeated. I told the hubby he got to teach Miss C how to write her name, she has 8 letter, and none of them repeat!!!

Here is the final cards signed and ready to go.

Happy Crafting!!

Linked to:
Tatertots and Jello