Pretty Paper Gifts

My sister and nephew came to visit last weekend. She brought me a couple things she had made. I love her gifts of paper. She does a fantastic job!! She has a little Etsy shop if anyone is interested. The picture did not turn out very well with my lighting but here is a close up of the "S" in Spring so you can see how lovely her work is. Talent I tell you. :)




Vintage music sheets and pretty paper flowers and buttons......ahhh....



This cute little thing has more of those darling paper flowers and buttons in between. You can call it a garland I suppose. A flower garland. Doesn't that have a nice ring to it? Soon the real flowers will be out at my house...but until then, these do just fine! :)

Sew today...

Today I sewed a little something for myself. I bought this little towel from an antique store with the idea of making it into a pretty throw pillow for my bed. I love the tiny details at the ends of the piece. Can you see them? Very delicate. I wonder what it's history is. I wonder what the woman was like who made this how ever many years ago. I wonder what her life was like. I wonder if she would be pleased to see it is still be used today. I wonder.....

Flung Open Wide!

My windows were wide open the other day in Michigan. It was beautiful outside. My kitty loved having the windows open so he could look outside. The window ledge is just the right size for him to get his big bum up there. There is just something I love about white curtains blowing in the breeze. Spring was here that day...then snow came back!! DRAT!! But, I am happy to report that it is all gone again and the sun is bright and shinny today. Yeah! :)

Strange Mix of Stuff

Went to Sams Club this morning to get some allergy medicine for my daughter. Seems I picked up a few more things. Pineapple, new book "Jane Austen ruined my life", sounds interesting.....yoga/exercise pants and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Do you ever do that? Get home with your purchases and think...this is an odd mix of stuff. :) I do all the time.




I thought I could use the pants after I inhale the box of doughnuts. Good idea? :)

Pioneer Woman

Nope, I am not talking about this sweet gal. I am talking about how I am feeling about myself right now. I feel like a pioneer woman! I have been thinking about making homemade laundry soap for awhile. After doing some research I found a "recipe" that I thought I would try. From what I have read, it is more economical than Tide and it last a whole lot longer and it does not harm your clothes. Either washed in warm water or cold. So for about $12, I got all my supplies gathered up.




1 4 pound box of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda
1 4 pound box of baking soda
1 3 pound 7 oz box of 20 Mule Team Borax
3 bars of Fels Naptha Soap









I bought a clear tote with a snap down lid to put my laundry soap in when I got it all mixed up. You can imagine with the ingredients that it makes quite a bit. Almost 12 pounds of stuff in it!








You grate the three bars of Fels Naptha soap up with a grater. This took awhile but the smell was wonderful. Looks just like cheese...but it would not taste like cheese. :)









Here it is all mixed together. The smell of this is fantastic! My girls came home from school and told me it smelled "clean" in the house. I washed a load of towels to see how it did. It does not suds up much at all but the research I did said that was ok. I washed a load of blue jeans next that had some grass stains on them from the kids and it took them all out! I did not have to pretreat them at all. Yippee!! You use 2 to 3 Tablespoons per load. Yes...that's correct. No wonder it lasts so long.

So, we will see. I am excited to try this experiment. My kids thought it was pretty cool that their mom made soap. I thought so to! :)

Fun Fun Fun Weekend

My friend went back home!! :( We had a wonderful time together! As usual, our time went by to quickly. I am thankful for the time that we did have together. We ate (a lot), drank coffee, went to Barnes and Noble and browsed around and watched movies together. There was a lot of laughing and giggling by all the girls in the group. She and I had some wonderful talks at my kitchen table in the morning over coffee in our robes. :) I am looking forward to the time when we can see each other again.

Here are our two daughters together at lunch yesterday. What cuties! Don't those milkshakes look yummy! I am glad that they had time to re-connect with each other. We heard lots of talk about boys, clothes, music, school and friends between them going on upstairs while we sat downstairs. Along with laughter! Lots and lots of laughter.

After they left, we had a concert last night at church. This gentleman was there to lead us in worship. Talk about wonderful! Talk about the Holy Spirit moving!! Talk about loud!! WOW! My ears are still not the same....but it was worth it! I am sharing my first ever video on my blog. If you listen to Christian Contemporary music, you will know this song. It's just a short little clip. Make sure your volume is up...but not to loud or your ears will be ringing like mine! :)

Friend

I have my dear friend coming tomorrow for a visit.   I am looking forward to our time together so much!  I have not seen her since the last weekend in January.  That is a long time for us.  We talk on the phone at least every other day.  Gotta love free long distance.  I am going to soak up our time together.  We are going to drink coffee and visit and giggle and eat and just be together.  I can not think of anything more I would rather do.

You've Got Mail!

Does anyone out there still write old fashioned letters anymore?  Or send cards with handwritten notes tucked inside?  I do.  I love to write letters to people.  My auntie that lost her husband a year ago that lives in Texas tells me how much she looks forward to my letters in her mailbox.  My 97 year old grandma who lives in the nursing home enjoys my letters as well.  I like to send notes or cards to people I love.  I think with emails and text messaging, letter writing will become a lost art if we are not careful.  I know I have saved some letters from people in my life.  Maybe you have as well.  Why do we do that?  Because they are special to us.  :)

Life is so busy for people today.  Work, family responsibilities and well....just life, keep us all going in 1000 different directions.  We all, especially women, have our plates spinning every which way.  Here is what I am trying to say.  Maybe sometime this week, we all could sit down and write a little note to someone we love and tell them how important they are to us.  Maybe share something from our lives with them...even something as simple as what you are making for your family for dinner.  Just to let them know you are thinking of them.  I bet it will make them smile and feel wonderful inside. 

So, are you with me?  Can we take this challenge and set a couple minutes aside to write someone in our lives a little note and encourage them today?  I know how much I like seeing something good in my mailbox that is not a bill!   And something tells me....they will to.

Hot Dog!

We went to Cincinnati Ohio this weekend to visit some dear friends of ours.  He was the worship minister in our church back home.  We have known him for seven years.  While serving in Illinois, we watched him graduate from college, date, get married to a WONDERFUL woman, and have their first child.  Who, I believe, is the sweetest baby boy in the world at the present time.  :)  God called him to another church in Ohio and they trusted The Lord and went where He called them to go.  We had already moved to Michigan, but it was still hard on us knowing that when we came home to Illinois to worship, he would not be leading us on Sunday's anymore.  :(

This weekend was our big trip to drive down to see them.  We have not seen them since Christmas Eve service at church so we were soooooooooo  excited to spend time with all of them.  And, to kiss and snuggle and hug on their little fellow.  Who, by the way, has grown way to big in the two and a half months since we saw him last.

They wanted us to experience Cincinnati's top spots.  We first went to Ikea to shop for a bit.  Oh how I like that store!  If only we had a bigger vehicle....  Hee hee.

Then, it was time for lunch.  And we went here...

Not bad.  They said it was a different taste in chili.  Cocoa, Nutmeg and Cinnamon are some of their secret ingredients I was told.  Sounds like something that should be in a cookie or cake...not chili.  But, it was good.

The two fellows quite happy with their chili.  My hubby is the in red.  He looks very happy with his chili.  :)

Oh my, they really like their cheese down at Skyline.  This was the beginning of my arteries clogging! 

For snack....we stopped here.  Graeter's Ice-Cream.  Oh yum was this good. 

Here is the little hot dog himself.  Oh how I love him!!  He was very happy getting fed by everyone at the table.  He had the best seat in the house.  He got to try everyone's ice cream! 

My two big girls with their ice cream.  Everyone said it was the best ice cream they had ever had.  And this crowd has had a lot of ice cream!  :)

Later, we played WII Fit to burn off some of the mass quantities of food we had already consumed.  Have you ever watched someone playing hula hoop without an actual hoop around their waist?  Quite funny to say the least. 

Daughter #2 giving it a try.  She was full of advice for her younger sister while sitting on the couch.  But, when it was her turn to step up and try...it was a bit harder.  Isn't that the way life works with lots of things in our lives?  Just a thought....

The three fish in the pool together.   They even made sure we got a bit wet as well. 

Probably the biggest thing I was looking forward to besides seeing this sweet family, was to go to church on Sunday with them and to hear him sing again and lead us in worship.  I walked in and heard the band doing their sound check and had to fight back the tears.  To hear his beautiful voice praising The King and the familiar sound of his gifted voice to my ears.....oh.....I could just bawl right now thinking about it.

And lastly, here is our little hot dog.  We call him that because he loves to sing this song.  It is quite catchy, so be careful or you will find yourself humming it in your head all day!  :)

This morning, my daughters were getting ready for school.  I could hear both of them singing the hot dog song in the bathroom together.  It brought a smile to my face and heart.  They were remembering a good time that we all had together this weekend and some very special people that God brought into our lives.  Oh how thankful I am for that!

I'm With The Band!!

Last night was my daughters first 8th grade band concert at her new school. She plays the trombone. She is sitting waaaaay back on the right next to the tubas! The band teacher praised them because she said the kids were all very gifted with music and they were playing pieces they don't usually play until their freshman year in band. It sounded amazing. I am so proud of her for not quitting band. Sometimes peer pressure gets to kids about music. Sports seem to get much higher ratings than music and that is very very sad. I am so very proud of this band and the kids who participate in it.

Just plain gross!

For some reason, this fellow has been hanging out at our house. It appears it likes the stale Cheerio's I have been throwing outside for the birds to eat. Hummmm....gotta stop doing that!! He waddled off when we took his picture and went into a pine tree in our back yard. He climbed the trunk of the tree and just sat there!! I am really hoping that when the Cheerio's are all gone....he will pack up (and if he has any friends/family take them with him!) and leave our neighborhood. Makes me wonder what other types of creatures are in store for us up here. Ewwwwww!!!! I told you my favorite color in the whole world is pink...but not on little noses and feet like his!

A Strawberry Kind of Day

Today is bible study day.  I got asked to make the treats for our morning study.  These ladies don't know me well enough yet to know that I love to make goodies for people and bring things.  I love to cook and bake.  I have a million (well, not really a million...but close!) recipes for muffins and breakfast foods.  The problem for me is which one to pick for the ladies!  I decided on Yummy Strawberry Muffins.

I have this little recipe holder in my kitchen that sits on my counter.  Isn't she darling?  A little gray elephant with a baby blue bow in her hair. 

The batter all mixed up with the fresh strawberries cut up inside.  If you sniff hard...maybe you can smell the strawberries.  Can you?  :)

Pink cupcake liners because pink is the best color in the whole wide world...according to me.  :)

The finished product.  I sampled one just to make sure it was worthy of making a trip to bible study this morning....yup!  It is.  :)

Now, who wants to come help me with the dishes?  :)



Here is the recipe if you are interested.  Enjoy!



Yummy Strawberry Muffins

1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBSP oil
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups fresh chopped strawberries




Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.  Mix the yogurt, egg, vanilla and oil together.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until mixed but do not over mix.  Gently fold in the strawberries.

Evenly spoon into muffin tin and sprinkle the tops of muffins with sugar before putting into the oven.

Bake @ 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes until golden brown on top.  Makes about 18 muffins.

Simple

Sometimes things just catch my eye and I define them as pretty.  This afternoon the sun was setting and I walked by my kitchen table and smiled.  Nothing much is on there...white table cloth, vintage embroidered table runner, plate with yummy strawberry butter cream candle burning and an old wire basket with the stuffed heart I made for myself.  But for whatever reason....my eyes see pretty and that makes me smile.

Honey's Heart

I created something the other day.  Even though Valentines day is over, I still wanted to make these little stuffed hearts for some people in my life.  On some of the hearts I made I stitched the word friend, mama, sister and this one...honey... for me.  I am sure you know my name is not Honey like my profile says.  I mean, who would name their kid Honey?  Well, maybe Winnie the Pooh.  :)  My husband has called me honey for 20 years.  My oldest daughter used to call me honey all the time as a toddler.  She thought that was my name since that is what her daddy called me.  I can still hear her sweet little voice calling me that.  Sigh.....

Treats And A Laugh

Easter candy is making its appearance. My dad loves circus peanuts. I saw these little cuties and it made me think of him...so in honor of him....I bought them. They have to be soft my daddy says....and oh were they. Yummmmm!

And, I had to share this little sign with you....I am actually still laughing about this one.

 

Green!

All this nice sunny weather has brought something strange into my yard.  Can you see it?????  There really is grass under the snow.  Who would of thought! 

Doves

I looked out onto the deck this afternoon and saw a sweet Dove.  Did not take long for it's partner to show up as well.  Look how plump and cute it looks just sitting there.  Wish I looked that cute in all my plumpness.  :)