one crazy chicken

Valentine's Day Mix Tape

2012-02-11T10:42:00.000-05:00

Each year I make a mix tape for my hubby for Valentine's Day. Ok, ok … so it's not really a mix tape. It's a CD that I make from iTunes. But if I could make a mix tape, I would. I ♥ old school stuff like that. Maybe I need to buy a boom box, a ghetto blaster, or just a tape recorder … remember those?

I remember making mix tapes for him back in the day when we were just dating. One tape I distinctly remember I made when we were struggling in our relationship and it had "Best of My Love" by The Eagles on it. To this day whenever I hear that song I get all warm and fuzzy thinking about our relationship and all we've been through. Saying that just makes me giggle for some reason. Oh well, it's true ♥

So here I am in the middle of making this year's mix "tape" … and I made a cool cover for it and I wanted to share:

I ♥ that cover with the mix tape. It makes me :) … since I can't make a real mix tape, this cover that I can make will do.

Each year the songs on the mix tapes range from country to jazz to cheesy 70's love songs … whatever means something to me that year. This year the CD contains some Blake Shelton, Aretha Franklin and Queen, to name a few. Last year it contained Alicia Keyes, Paul McCartney and Seal, among others. And the year before that the tape had songs from The Cure, The Beatles and Etta James. This is something my hubby looks forward to each year. And each year I look forward to creating it.

Happy Valentine's Day

♥

so much to do

2012-02-09T09:45:00.003-05:00

I decided to make a list last night of all the things that need to take place in order for the kitchen to be complete. Oy. It's a long list and doesn't even include all the the things I want to do to the pantry!

I guess we should get started! We're waiting on the countertops to be made and installed, so no control there. And the floors should go in at the end of next week, so there's A LOT to do next week as far as getting the kitchen ready for that. But in the meantime this list looms over me. I guess I should get to work doing something …

Reading Room Revamp

2012-02-02T12:06:00.003-05:00

I still don't know what to call this room. The Former Dining Room? The Library? The Reading Room? How about the Book Room? I kind of lean towards the latter because it sounds less-pretentious to me than the others. Well, other than The Former Dining Room. That just sounds stupid.

Since we will soon be installing new floors in the kitchen, we thought we should just continue the floors that are in the Living Room and the Foyer into the Book Room. There I said Book Room. So it is. But I digress … We contacted the place that installed our floors to buy more flooring and they had to search their warehouses. But they found some for us. This is what the floors look like in the Living Room and Foyer:

I did a little research, watched a few videos and thought that it might be a job that my Dad and I could tackle together. It's a small room, a square, with just 1 door jamb to concern us. How hard could it be?

Sunday evening Hubby and I ripped out the carpet. What glorious fun it is to rip out carpet. Although it's quite nasty.

Brandon digging carpet tack strips out of the slab. Niiiiiice holes that they leave in the foundation!

And me … sanding the edge of the stairs …

My Dad came over Monday morning and we commenced to attempt to kill our bodies that day. Let me just say that, yes, it was fairly simple. But no, it was NOT easy. I have no pictures of the actual installation process because we were rolling through and didn't want to stop even to eat or get a drink of water … we just wanted it done!

Here are the floors after we finished. They looked great, even with the spacers and no quarter round moulding yet.

The next day my Dad called me and asked me if I was as sore as he was. My answer? YES!!! I could hardly roll out of bed the next day. This "little" project surely had me feeling all of my 40 years. I guess it was all the time spent on our hands and knees (yes, we had knee pads, thank God!) and then getting up to make cuts, then back on our knees … over and over and over. All.Day.Long.

But it's done now. We did it, and did it well, I might add, and it looks fabulous!

Oh, I went to the bathroom later that evening and found this:

Ha … my silly Dad. He left me a quarter ♥

So here is the completed room, ready for everything to move back in …

And with everything moved back in …

This is what the room looked like before the floors (well, and before the books and curtains and light and stuffs):

What a difference the floors make!

My shelves ♥ …

My books ♥ … I collect antique books … but not just any antique book!

My antique cameras ♥ (that all still work!)

One of my favorite additions to the room … Brandon's grandfather's tube radio ♥ … we sent it off to have it refurbished and it works good.as.new.

Now begins the kitchen adventure. I don't know if I should be excited or sacred. I hear it's a little of both. Stay tuned.

Hot Water

2012-01-28T11:34:00.004-05:00

I made a sign this morning for the new Powder room. I still am in ♥ with this room:

I have been wanting to make a Hot Water sign for the room since I saw this inspiration photo:

photo source

So I finally made one this morning and this is how it turned out:

I ♥ it! It just adds more more touch to the room that I adore. My 6-year-old thinks I'm serious that she's going to have to pay me for hot water, soap and towels ♥

Powder Room Done: check!

2012-01-22T20:25:00.001-05:00

Oh my. It looks fabulous. To us, anyway. We worked hard all of yesterday and today, and we are finally finished. And what a great feeling it is! I feel like we have really accomplished something. The final stages …

Here is hubby trying to figure out what that hole is for. Just kidding … I really don't know what he is thinking right there:

Here is the new toilet dry-fitted in the room :)

And we have a working toilet with no leaks!!

Here Brandon is cutting the bolts to the right length … love the Dremel tool!

Dry fitting the sink … it's starting to look like I envisioned!

Oh, behold the beauty of polished chrome! By the way, the faucet and sink came together from the Atlanta Re-Store :)

Another shot … I adore this faucet!

And again … did I tell you I love this faucet??

Brandon doing plumbing work with his one good arm … he amazes me … ♥

Working on the sink plumbing while the paparazzi attacks …

Oh, and I bought a new door knob to replace the old brass one. This was the first time I've ever put one in and I am thinking, "Why have I not done this before now?"

WATER!!!

And … here is the bathroom …

And the medicine cabinet …

And the sink …

And the toilet …

And that lovely sink again (sorry, can't help myself!) …

The view into the bathroom from my couch ♥

I can't believe it, so another shot …

The towel ring and towel (World market ♥)

And chrome toilet paper holder …

Ahhhhhhhh … I just ADORE it! ♥

Here is the before:

And the after:

Amazing transformation, no? Yes!! ♥ … Now it's on to renovate the kitchen :)

White and Bright

2012-01-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Because the powder room (as I now call it since it will, indeed, be one) is a small room with no windows, I decided that I wanted the walls to be white and bright. All color in the room will come from art and accessories. I'm not afraid of color, I just didn't want any on the walls.

So it was time to putty holes and caulk cracks and paint. First, let me say that this stuff is fabulous for filling in nail holes:

Caulking …

And now it's time to paint. First coat of 3 of primer … Kilz 2 Latex Primer in case you want to know …

Primer is done … time for paint:

Paint is done …

Time for installing the toilet and the sink!

Baseboards and quarter round and a light … oh my!

2012-01-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

This bathroom renovation got stalled for a bit when hubby had shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff. Ouch! I didn't do too much work that week because I didn't want to disturb his resting. But once he felt better I decided it was time to cut and install the baseboards and shoe moulding … all by myself. I love to work with my Dad, but I wanted to do it myself. So I did.

The baseboards worked out great - I learned from my Dad how to measure and transfer the markings to the front of the boards so that I could cut them with my compound miter saw ♥ and the backs would be the right length. I used one of my newest tools - the rafter angle square. We did it this way because the of the shape and size of the moulding pieces. By the way, when I received my compound miter saw as a gift on my birthday a couple of years ago, my nephews didn't believe that gift was for me. :)

So since the baseboards worked out well I wanted to finish up and do the shoe moulding. Confession time - I though that I had to cut them the same way that I had cut the baseboards and trim. So I proceeded to measure and transfer my markings. Little did I know that you don't have to cut shoe moulding that way. It just sits upright in the saw and I could just cut it at a basic 45° angle. There's no need to measure on the back and then transfer the markings onto the front so you'll know where the blade needs to cut through the front so that the 45° angle cut makes the back the right length. Did I say that right? I think that made no sense. Anyway … I proceeded to ruin ➂ 8' lengths of shoe moulding before I called my Dad and he set me straight. The next day we went to Lowe's (because my favorite store - Home Depot - doesn't sell 8' lengths of primed quarter round!) to buy more.

Then Brandon was talking to a fried of his who used to be a contractor and he told Brandon that I need a coping saw and I could use it like this to do trim. Yes, I believe that I do need one :) … lesson #124 learned on this project!

Oh, here's a lovely picture of my new favorite power tool:

That's my air compressor and a brad nailer (for use on the quarter round).

Baseboards done: ✓

Oh, I almost forgot … when we went to buy the quarter round we also picked up a light for the room:

It's difficult to see in that picture, but it looks like this:

photo source

Remember this is the original light:

And this is the new one:

Not only do I love the look of the new fixture, but it gives off tons of light with only 1 lightbulb! The space now feels bright and less like a dungeon.

Next stop: caulking and painting!

Hexagon Madness

2012-01-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

If there is one thing hubby and I knew that we wanted in the new bathroom it was an antique-style floor. It's such a small room that we knew we could play around easily with whatever tile we wanted. We both adore old tiled floors and hate to see them ripped out of homes being renovated. A few of the houses we looked at prior to our decision to stay where we are had tile floors from the 60s and 70s. I'm a sucker for funky tile. I toyed around with different ideas, from Moroccan tile to penny tile to hexagon tile with cool patterns. In the end we decided that we wanted to stick with something nice and timeless, but interesting and beautiful. We chose hexagon porcelain tiles.

And who knew what a process it would be to find them?? We decided to venture out to buy them on New Year's Eve day. EVERY tile store was closed. You can't get these just anywhere - you have to go to a good tile store. So we ended up having to wait until the following Monday.

Aren't they lovely?

I began to dry-fit them that night. What an adventure that was! It took me several hours between fitting them in the room and figuring out what pattern I wanted. I chose something classic and not too busy for my eyes in the end.

Here is the floor dry-fitted. Each 12"x12" sheet of hex tiles is labeled so that I will know which sheet goes where. Not only are they labeled with a number, but those numbers all face in a certain direction so that I will know which direction the tiles are to be laid … you see, the sheets can only go in one way and I want to be sure that I start out and stay in the proper direction …

Mess. But it's time for bed!

One more look at the dry-fitted floor before I dive in and lay the tile. Boy, was I scared!

Alright … here are the sheets laid out on my table in order and by row. On the far end of the table is the last row in the room.

And here we go … no time like the present, just dive in and do it! I watched a few videos on You Tube and especially like the ones on Ask the Builder - he knows his stuff and his videos about mixing thinset were very helpful.

Oh, I almost forgot. We rented a nice tile saw from Home Depot and it was fabulous! I really, really loved that thing! You can't cut yourself, so you can hold these tiny tiles right up to the blade and get them cut exactly the way you want them. I loved using it. I need one.

And it's done!! Oh my goodness this was SOOOOO difficult to do! When I was finished I felt like I could do anything! I mean, seriously, I've never laid a tile floor in my life, so let me choose the most difficult tile I can and try it. Well, I must say it worked out well!

♥

The next morning I had to get in there and clean up a few areas where thinset had come up between the tiles so we could grout. That was fun! No, it wasn't. Since these are 1" hex tiles, the only way to do that is to get on your hands and knees with a utility knife and carve the thinset out. I was glad there were just a few places where it had come through.

TIP: when laying small tiles use a trowel with a ¼-inch notch. Otherwise, you will have way too much thinset. Thankfully, I knew this ahead of time thanks to a friend who was once in the tile business - I must say that never once in all my reading and research did I come across this information!

Once I got a little too ambitious and popped out a tile. I cried. But Brandon quickly and calmly told me to just mix up a little thinset and lay it back into place. So I got myself together and I did just that. And I found 2 other tiles that were not even set, so I laid them back in place as well. Then when I was vacuuming up the debris from the dried thinset that I had carved out and when I looked down that shop vac had sucked up 2 more tiles that were not set. I wish I could somehow describe the look on my face. It was something like this:

photo source

But I didn't cry this time. I just set new ones in place and went about my work. And then I was done and ready to grout. Well, after waiting for 12 hours for the newly-laid tiles to set …

Left-over tiles …

I do just ♥ them!

My homemade wood black that I used to make sure all the tiles were consistently set and level. It's a just a 12" 2x4 covered with an old rag. It worked nicely.

Cleaning up the mess …

And now it's time to grout. We started this process after the girls went to bed on a Saturday night. Brandon wanted to get this part done before his shoulder surgery the following Monday morning.

Ooooo what mess!

The first cleaning after grouting. It took several cleanings …

It's starting to look nice …

And the finished floor:

Oh my goodness … ♥♥♥ !

Beadboard in the Bathroom

2012-01-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Hubby and I decided we wanted beadboard on the walls in the bathroom. Before I started the this project, we also wanted them in the kitchen. We have since nixed that idea. Yes, they are lovely, but such a pain to install and paint. But enough about that, back to the bathroom …

My sweet Dad came over and helped me with the beadboard and moulding. I honestly don't know what I would do without him! He knows so much and I know so little. There were so many things that he thought of that I did not.

First thing, though, was that we had to cut the panels down 4 inches because I forgot to factor in the moulding when I was thinking about how high I wanted the beadboard to go. oops! Thanks, Lowes, for the free cuts, but I needed them at 38" and not 42". Oh well … I learned many things along the way :)

Like … the need for a paneling blade on your circular saw. Here is my Dad switching out his old paneling blade for a new one. Funny … I asked him if he wanted me to buy one for my Skil saw and he said no, that he would get one for his. Any excuse to buy new tools …

Mmmm … I do love the smell of sawdust …

My makeshift workbench …

And my Dad's ancient Black and Decker circular saw. But it was made back in the day when Black and Decker actually made decent tools, so it still works well.

Beadboard waiting to be cut …

Oh, and I ♥ this … marking the wood with my Hello Kitty pencil … this just makes me :)

It's time to put the beadboard on the walls … with some help from construction adhesive!

A sneak peek at our awesome sink from the Habitat for Humanity Re-Store in Atlanta …

Alrighty … holes are drilled for the plumbing … it's time to get this done!

Stuff …

My Dad tapping in some finishing nails that didn't quite sink all the way in with my, ahem, pink hammer :)

And here is me with my favorite new power tool (apologies to my trusty drill) … my finishing nailer! ♥

And testing the outside cut off spigot to make sure we can access it …

My cool Dad getting the beadboard ready …

He's taking his Dremel tool and sanding away all the rough edges on the overlaps and underlaps …

I thought I might try it … I need one of these!

Awesome … the beadboard is up!!

The holes we drilled are perfect (of course … if you know me and my Dad, you would never doubt that!)

And on to the moulding … oh, how I ♥ this moulding! It was expensive, but very worth it!

And now the room is ready for a new floor!

Bathroom Demo!

2012-01-21T05:57:00.002-05:00

Hubby and I have been discussing remodeling our bottom floor for some time now. We thought there was a possibility of buying a house sometime in the near future, but we have since realized that the wisest thing is for us to stay put and love the house we're in. So a few weeks ago I got a wild hair and decided it was time to start the renovations. And I proceeded to demo (demolish, not demonstrate!) our half bath …

I wanted to document the entire process, so here are pictures of the before:

And now I have begun the process:

First, the baseboards had to some off the wall:

Yes, that is a pink hammer. A loooooooong time ago, when I didn't know any better, I asked for a pink tool set. Yes, they are crappy tools, but this hammer serves its purpose :)

Baseboards gone: ✓

Now to remove the toilet:

Toilet gone: ✓ It was surprisingly simple and easy!

Now to remove the cabinet and sink. Boy what a project that was! It was wedged in there well! Remember, I've never done anything like this in my life! I finally got it out and I must say, it was quite cathartic … I thoroughly enjoyed the process :)

Sorry for the crappy picture, but I wanted to show you the room sans toilet and cabinet/sink.

Cabinet and sink removed: ✓

Oh, and there's my trusty drill. I ♥ it so :)

Now … it was time to remove the mirror. It wasn't a big mirror, but it was glued to the wall. And we were working in a small space. And we did something really, really stupid to remove it from the wall. We taped it up and proceeded to break it. Yes, yes … stupid. But kind of fun. Don't worry, we'll remove all the other mirrors in our house the right way :)

Mirror gone: ✓
Floor gone: ✓ oooo that was fun to rip up and remove!

The bathroom is demo'd and ready for a renovation …

Neighbor Gifts and Homemade Bows

2011-12-24T07:16:00.000-05:00

I am officially done with gifts … other than frosting my yummy chocolate cake for my family for Christmas day! But I wanted to share my neighbor gifts with you …

I saw this idea on Pinterest. I ♥ Pinterest! I knew I wanted to do this, so I found some HoHos and Ding Dongs and went to work. I made my own bows from magazine pages (again, I found the idea here on Pinterest … did I mention that I ♥ Pinterest??).

My homemade bows - aren't they great?

These make me smile … I love how they turned out :) … and the bows … well, I just ADORE them … I think there will be more of those to come!

HO HO HO from this Ding Dong!! I hope that your Christmas is filled with the JOY that only Jesus can bring!

Chocolate Crazy Cake

2011-12-11T15:55:00.001-05:00

Do you know about the 5 love languages? I don't know much … never read the book, but I think that food should be one of them! I ♥ to cook and bake for the people that I love.

Tomorrow is the Christmas brunch for the sweet ladies that I work with at church. And I signed up for the chocolate dessert. Oh yes!! I knew immediately that I wanted to bring a dessert. I rummaged around on Pinterest until I came across what looked to be a terrific cake recipe.

I made it …

I know it's been a good day in the kitchen when my KitchenAid is covered with sugar!

Mmmm … does that look heavenly? Or maybe sinful. Either way I know it's going to be gooooooood!! Devils food cake separated with creme cheese frosting covered with chocolate buttercreme frosting with chocolate chips and creme cheese frosting rosettes! I absolutely cannot WAIT to eat it!! I'll let you know how it tastes tomorrow.

Since this is how I show my love … Merry Christmas to my GraceKidz family! ♥

I think …

2011-12-01T17:36:00.001-05:00

I think that I will redesign my blog …

I am an artist …

2011-09-21T23:19:00.000-04:00

Grace LOVES to paint and draw and color and do anything artsy. She wanted to paint last weekend and so I indulged. And I took these photos of her (and her paintbrushes) …

I Found It!!

2011-07-23T11:53:00.001-04:00

Doh! ~~Some~~ 1 of you may remember that back in March we visited Callaway Gardens and I {thought} that my memory card ~~ate~~ lost all my pictures … OR that my eldest daughter had somehow deleted them when I found her messing with my camera while we were packing up to come home. Well … lo and behold while packing for our last camping adventure I cleaned out a backpack and there I found a memory card! I apologize to any family members {Lydia} I accused of accidentally deleting them while messing with my camera (don't mess with my camera!).

This is the Ida Cason Callaway Memorial Chapel at Callaway Gardens. When I was taking pictures of this chapel I had been dreaming of making this dreamy … ♥ … and now I can … and I did :)

That is all …

Our Camping Adventures {Take 1}

2011-07-19T22:41:00.000-04:00

Brandon's cousin suggested that we begin journaling our camping adventures since we finally bought our own recreational vehicle. I thought it was a great idea, but alas I have yet to buy one. I was incredibly busy last week stocking the camper and I simply ran out of time before it was time to leave. So I thought that I might begin by blogging about our camping adventures here :) …

I felt like NASA's command central last Friday as we were planning to head out after the girls finished their swimming for the week. We had a very small window of opportunity in which to leave and not present ourselves with too many headaches associated with arriving at a campground in the middle of the night. We were traveling almost 4 hours since other places that were closer were booked over the weekend, so in order to arrive before nightfall we needed to leave our home by 5 p.m. All was looking well for go at the correct time and we were texting each other back and forth with "T-minus 2 hours and counting" silliness. To say we were excited would be an understatement. We were simply giddy at finally taking our own camper this time. We held out for this particular camper, got the one we wanted and paid for it in full. I had everything packed up and ready to go and all Brandon needed to do was get home, throw some things that I had already set out for him into the camper, and wait for us to get home. BUT … he called me at 4:30 to tell me that the air went out in his truck!!! Egads!!! Not in this blazing heat!!! Shoot! There goes the window of opportunity! The air must be fixed before we can leave. As it turned out it was a VERY simple … well … I don't really know, I just know it was simple and Brandon was again on his way home. HOWEVER … our window of opportunity had since closed and now we were faced with leaving bright and early in the morning or arriving when the campground was pitch black dark. In our eagerness we chose to go ahead and leave Friday evening.

We finally arrived at the campground about 10 p.m. and it was DARK! We were faced with finding a site that would accommodate us without being able to see. I think we drove around the campground 4 times before settling on a site that we had scoped out with a flashlight! When we woke up the next morning it turned out to be a pretty good site with a great view of the forest that leads to the western rim of the canyon.

BUT guess what Brandon discovered when we arrived? One of the 2 bolts on the sway control/weight distribution hitch had broken!! Who knows how long we had been pulling the camper with only 1 bolt! Whew! Thank you, Lord, for keeping us safe! So the next morning we trekked into Hixson, TN (just north of Chattanooga) to Northgate RV - they were the only ones around to carry our brand of hitch. The people there were very kind and installed the bolts and adjusted the hitch for us at no charge.

Since we were out, we stopped by Walmart to buy some supplies (one of them being a TV that would fit in the living room space - you know how important TVs are to camping!!) and then travelled back down to Chattanooga for lunch. We decided to go to Mellow Mushroom and let me just say it was the worst Mellow Mushroom I have ever had. The pretzels were burnt, as was the pizza. And the service was terrible. And at 3:00 in the afternoon we still had to wait 20 minutes to eat! We salvaged the afternoon with a little Ben and Jerry's however :)

On Sunday we visited the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Battlefield Park. This is the site of the oldest and largest Civil War Park. It is huge. And it is sobering to stand in the many places where 36,000 people died in 1863. The girls each got a Junior Ranger Book to complete. And they worked very hard and both earned their badges for this Park. I discovered that I know very little about the Civil War. The Visitor's Center here is full of information. Easily we could have spent another entire day here and still not have been able to take it all in. It was fascinating. We wanted to visit Point Park also, but we stayed here until it closed at 5 p.m. and it was time to head back to our campsite.

Brandon & Grace trying on Soldiers' uniforms

Grace pretending to drink from a soldier's cup

Grace trying on Soldiers' shoes

Grace and Lydia's Junior Rangers Books

An officer's tent

The Fuller Gun Collection

Grace diligently working on her Junior Ranger Badge

I have no idea who this is!

… Battle lines …

Grace is so proud to have earned her Junior Ranger Badge here!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On Monday morning we wanted to go and buy a poo hauler (as we call them) to empty our gray water tanks (which seemed to be full, but we have since discovered they are clogged and the sensors need cleaning). So again we made the trip up to Northgate RV. On the way there I remembered that I forgot to put the chicken in the crockpot that I had planned for dinner! "No problem," says Brandon … we'll just butterfly it and grill it. More on that later …

The girls were asking to go to Ruby Falls since it was nearby. But it's such an expensive tourist trap! So we opted to visit the Creative Discovery Museum in downtown Chattanooga instead. And we were glad we did - it was a hit! We stayed until closing time and for only $9 it was a real bargain. What a fabulous place for children. If I lived in Chattanooga you can be sure I would have a family pass to that place.

But before we made it over there we ate lunch at Taziki's … yum!! Mediterranean food … mmmm … just thinking about it makes me want to eat there again RIGHT NOW! And then on our walk over we stopped at Chattanooga Cupcakes and made ourselves sick with too much sugar ;) And I am a cupcake snob and these were good cupcakes. If you visit there be sure to eat them right away and ask for room temperature cakes for the best cupcake experience :)

OK … so we enjoyed the museum very much. And at the end of a long day we made our way back and knew that we needed to empty the gray water tanks, like I said. So we did, er, um … Brandon did. And he proceeded to hitch it up and take it to the dump station to empty it. But on his way to the dump station it came off the hitch! It's quite the winding road to get from the campground to the dump station and the poo hauler just didn't stay put. Twice it came off and thankfully no one was comping the other way. The second time it ran off into the guard rail and bent the axle of our brand new poo hauler. Bring another hitch for the poo hauler next time … lesson learned - check! This makes me laugh just thinking about it. The visual of this run away poo hauler makes me giggle. Of course, I am not the one who had to deal with it. Thanks, Brandon! ♥

OK … back to the forgotten-chicken-we'll-just-grill-it … not only did I forget to put the chicken in the crockpot, but I also forgot that I had other food as well. We could have had spaghetti (I had made a fabulous sauce for it before we left) or at the very least hot dogs or ham sandwiches. But I completely forgot that I had that other food and so we thought our only option for eating that night was grilling this chicken. Somehow. On this state park charcoal grill. With very little charcoal. That wouldn't light. Even though it's called "Match Light" charcoal. Good thing we didn't have "just one match". At this point it was 9 o'clock … after the poo hauler incidents and not being able to light the charcoal. But Brandon was determined. So we … er, um … HE persevered. I was just tired. And feeling COMPLETELY stupid for a) forgetting about the crockpot and b) for forgetting we had other food. But the chicken just wasn't cooking on the grill, so we grabbed the frying pan and he fried it up on the Coleman Stove. Finally it was ready, along with the corn (that I cooked - it was so difficult you know!) … at 10:30 p.m.

Needless to say we all slept late this morning … none of us woke until 9:30. Ahhhhhhhh. And that is what I love about camping. Adventures … you NEVER know what the day might bring … and sleeping late ♥ … we'll go again in 4 weeks … who knows what that trip will bring? :)

Why do I ♥ this food tent so?

Our fire ring

My campsite flag ♥

Our view :)

On our campsite :)

Our camper :)

Our Moxie … with her bark collar on because she's so vicious ;)

Our shoes

Brandon putting up the awning lights

OK … I just ♥ my awning lights :)

… and him ♥ :)

citronella candles! A must in the summer … and yes, they work :)

Out the camper door :)

And our camper … ♥

Kitchen {inspiration}

2011-06-29T12:11:00.000-04:00

Been thinking about my kitchen re-do lately. So I thought I would make a design board …

Plastic {free} Pantry

2011-06-16T11:28:00.000-04:00

In a very small effort to transform my kitchen, I decided to ditch the plastic in my pantry. I've done this before, but not to this extent. I was in Ace Hardware the other day and noticed that Ball makes ½ gallon jars. I really had no idea. I had just purchased a dozen wide-mouth quart jars for this project, but couldn't resist the ½ gallon ones. So here's what I did:

All traces of plastic are gone. I even put cereal in jars. I used the ½ gallon jars. I ♥ these things!

This is the sweet side of the pantry … honey, turbinado, cocoa, sugars … ♥

And beans. I am so lazy - I have several cans off to the side that you can't see (of which the cans are surely coated with BPA). I must phase those out and take the time to soak beans when I need or want them. :)

OK … that's it … just sharing the fun ;)

Current Reading {inspiration}

2011-05-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

My turn finally came up at the library for my current {non-fiction} reading:

I picked it up yesterday after waiting a couple of weeks for it. I must say that I really ♥ this book so far. VeRy practical & inspiring for this vintage-loving, simple-life-desiring, home-making girl … so, happy weekend reading, y'all!

Precious Quilt for a Precious Girl

2011-05-25T10:09:00.001-04:00

I made my first quilt in a very long time. And it was fun. I must admit I have become addicted. Grace is now asking for one and I must oblige.

Anyway, I decided a couple of weeks ago that I wanted to make a quilt and I had my girls with me at Hobby Lobby. I asked Lydia what she liked and she picked out a fabric that became my inspiration. She had no idea that I decided to make the quilt for her. So I have been making the quilt in "secret" (she knew I was making one, but had no idea it was for her). I finished it last night. I am so pleased with how it turned out. And I wanted to share it with you …

I decided to make a simple quilt since it had been a while. Here are all the squares ready to be laid out and sewn together with ♥ …

The strips laid out …

The quilt top finished and laid out on my bed …

And 2 more close ups of the quilt top, just for fun …

Here is the quilt sandwich, just before basting …

And the quilting is done and ready for binding …

Look at all that binding … this fabric was the inspiration for the quilt …

Sewing on the binding …

And after machine sewing the binding to the front, I finished the binding by hand (may favorite part).

And here is the finished quilt …

It's hanging on my fence, so you can't see the top, but it's exactly the same as the bottom. Except that the bottom has this cute applique …

And I embroidered this on the back …

And here it is, all folded pretty and tied up with extra binding …

The note that I wrote to go with it tells her that this quilt was made with so much love and anytime she is feeling alone or unloved she can wrap herself up in it and remind herself that she is loved beyond measure. She may not fully understand today the love with which it was made, but one day she will! I cannot wait to give it to her!! ♥ I am getting teary just thinking of giving it to her and what it means to me and what it will one day mean to her ♥ …

Inspiration {loves} Pinterest

2011-05-21T11:04:00.000-04:00

So I've been seeing Pinterest here and there around the interwebs lately. I finally received my own invite and I am in deep like!! I ♥ Pinterest. While browsing around the other evening I was inspired to finally start working on my kitchen. I had put it on the back burner after completing the living room and reading room (they just need knick-knacks and little touches that only come through a lot of antiquing an thrifting).

My first order of business? Make candle holders, of course! This was so simple and, if you are weird like me and have a stash of paper scraps and jars, it cost virtually nothing.

Some jars, some scraps of cute paper, some double sided tape (or scrapbooking adhesives), some wire, some tea lights and voila!

I promise I DID clean my windows JUST this morning … grrrrrrrr! Does anyone else find it impossible to get them 100% clean? I have literally tried everything. Between those windows and my unfinished window sills it looks quite messy here! Oh well … they're still cute :)

I saw this idea in this great book I picked up at the library:

And my crafting required listening to my newest thrift store find:

More Music for Relaxation … yessssss ♥ ! Now I think I'll go make a sign for the reading room :) … you can see that idea here on my Pinterest ♥

A-HA!!! Strawberry {thief}

2011-05-09T14:00:00.002-04:00

I have strawberries that just grow wild and crazy. Yes, I must admit that I really don't cultivate them much and they just grow. I suppose I could have a quite a bounty of them if I'd only pay more attention. So I decided to rearrange the little patch this weekend. Last night I discovered that many of the berries that once smiled at me from these plants were no longer. Hmmm … what happened to them?

A-HA!!

Who knew Moxie liked strawberries so much? I certainly had no idea! What I laugh we got watching her eat them :)

I was able to save a few …

{Happy} Mother's Day to me ...

2011-05-09T08:49:00.000-04:00

Saturday my dear hubby took me shopping for Mother's Day. We went to a local nursery where he normally shops for his customers, but we went to buy flowers and plants for *my* garden this time :) …

Mmmmm … Jasmine!!! I am eager to watch this grow & smell it's wonderful fragrance and train it around my garden fence ♥

Gardenia bush … can you smell it? Oh, the glorious smell of Gardenias! ♥

I've always wanted a Hydrangea :)

Day Lilies … ♥ the color!

I have no idea the names of half of these, but I have an idea that in no time my garden will be brimming with color and life!

Just like these girls …

Grace smelling the gardenias :)

And later he took the girls shopping for these …

I've always wanted hanging baskets and it has taken me 6 years of living in this house to get them. I ♥ them - these are what the girls picked out that they wanted to buy for me. Hanging baskets definitely make it look and feel so much more homey ♥

I hope you had a great Mother's Day … I know I did!

Spring Gardening {bliss}

2011-05-06T11:49:00.000-04:00

The veggie garden has been planted. Raised beds were in order this year due to my utter hatred of fire ants. I'm sure they will infest the bed, but at least I won't have to walk amongst them. I decided to pretend like I have never done this before and go small. The bed is 4' x 4' and containers are also scattered along the side. Tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, basil and marigolds. And corn and beans. I'm starting those from seeds. I have never grown corn before … we'll see how that goes!

There's corn planted in them there pots …

I surrounded my raised bed with chicken wire to keep the dog out so that she might enjoy another year of life frolicking in the yard. It's not the prettiest thing ever, but it'll do.

And blueberry bushes are growing CRAZY! I think these are my favorite things in my garden! I ♥ that!! Can't wait until they are ready for harvesting this summer … mmmmmm!! I'd love to plant an apple tree and some raspberries too :)

Here is Moxie protecting my blueberry bushes from the birds :) ♥

Oh, and the strawberries …

And my flowers … cannas are coming back in full force, lamb's ear is thriving, tiger lilies are growing nicely, knockout roses are also happy.

And my clematis. How I adore them. They are pleasantly climbing the lovely arbor that my dad built for me ♥ . Last year I thought one of them (the purple one) was dead. But now … they are lovely!

I'm hoping to fill in the remaining bare areas of the garden in the next few days (translation = shopping for plants!).

One other thing … I have decided that every time I go thrifting (which is often) I am going to pick up at least one thing that can be used in the garden to plant in. The last time it was this bucket:

Grace decided to plant Mexican Heather in it. I plan to fill this garden with whatever strikes my fancy. I think those are lovely gardens ♥ .

And our shed, affectionately called "The Barn" …

And my new wasp trap. It probably won't work, but it looks nice :)

so blah blah blah … my garden is growing … & I wanted to share the pictures with you :)

growing up {lovely}

2011-04-29T17:09:00.000-04:00

My sweet niece playing and singing a song that she wrote for us on Easter afternoon …

Isn't she lovely? I know … she's getting too old! How do we stop this growing process??

Scripture cards

2011-04-27T11:55:00.000-04:00

I have recently come to realize that I do not have nearly enough of God's Word hidden in my heart. So one of my goals this week was to sit down and write a few verses that are meaningful to me right now in my life. I wrote them on index cards so that I can post them around my home. This one is especially speaking to me right now …

Let me say that again …

Better to be patient that powerful; better to have self-control than to conquer a city. Proverbs 16:32

Yep. 'Tis better to be patient than powerful. Yet I live as though opposite were true. {sigh}

That one is taped up over my computer. I think I should make several of just that one verse and post them everywhere! Including in the car. Especially in the car!

I have written a few others and need to tape them up … on my mirror, on my fridge, etc. Something so simple, yet so helpful for me. Why didn't do this before now??

Easter Egg {fun}

2011-04-25T15:38:00.000-04:00

I ♥ dyeing Easter eggs. I always have. One of the myriad of things that I love that God created is color. Lots and lots of color! As far back as I can remember I thought it was so much fun to decorate eggs with exciting colors and I looked eagerly toward it. And no, I have never in my life ever thought that the Easter bunny or Easter eggs or such were real or of any importance. It was strictly fun in our home and I always knew that Easter was all about Jesus' death on the cross for our sins and His resurrection that glorious day. I just wanted to throw that out there and settle it. In our family Easter eggs and baskets and hunts are just for fun. They are traditions that we enjoy, much like Christmas trees and lights. That being said … we did enjoy dyeing eggs last Saturday …

Grace eagerly waiting to begin …

Silly girl …

My lone egg …

Cutie Easter bunnies ♥ …

I hope you had a great Easter.

Why do you look for the living among the dead?

He is not here … He has risen!

What is God saying?

2011-04-14T11:30:00.001-04:00

We left for our last camping trip on a Sunday afternoon. That morning was busy at church, but I was able to sneak away for a few moments and listen to the message. One thing was said that truly impacted me. Buddy (our pastor) talked about, among other things, how God speaks through creation.

They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. (Romans 1:19-20)

and

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. They speak without a sound or word; their voice is never heard. Yet their message has gone throughout the earth, and their words to all the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)

and

In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” (Acts 14:16-17)

And Buddy suggested that when we take notice of creation, for instance when we see a purple flower to ask God, "What are you saying?" That stuck with me while we were camping.

The next morning I awoke to birds singing in the trees. So I asked God, "What are you saying?" Immediately the song Amazed by Lincoln Brewster came to mind …

You dance over me

while I am unaware

You sing all around

But I never hear a sound …

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. (Zephaniah 3:17)

A wonderful way to wake up, don't you think? Still later that day we went hiking in the woods to see the Helton Creek Falls. They are somewhat secluded and if you don't know they are there you'll never go back into the woods as far as needed to see them. But we did. And as I was hiking and hearing the waters rush and crash from the falls I asked God, "What are you saying?" And He replied, "I am powerful." Yes. He definitely is.

At another point that day the girls were playing in the creek that ran behind our campsite. It is a lovely creek and the sound of the gentle babbling waters was glorious. Again, I asked God, "What are you saying?" and He replied, "I am powerful, yet I am gentle."

And again, I saw flowers just beginning to bloom and I asked, again, "What are you saying?" and He replied, "Look at what I can do!"

God is amazing. And I enjoyed an incredible week with Him simply reveling in His creation and listening to Him speak through it all. I highly recommend it … just will be amazed too!

Vintage RVs

2011-04-13T16:38:00.000-04:00

Who knows that I like all things vintage? Seriously, if I could live in the Brady Bunch house I would. Call me strange. I know it. But I simply adore anything mid-century.

My hubby and I find ourselves looking intently at RVs these days. All of us enjoy camping and after having borrowed a friend's camper a couple of times we'd like to purchase our own. I have lately grown weary of looking at them. And then I stumbled upon this:

It's a brand new 2011 Coachmen Shasta Airflyte camper. Who sees me camping in this?? Isn't it just the cutest thing? Check out the interior:

and

It's a current remake of this fabulous throwback:

Doesn't it just make you want to go camping with the family? I ♥ it … awning lights and all!

So here's the floorplan:

I guess it's not really practical for camping with 2 crazy children and one equally-crazy dog?? {sigh} … but it's oh, so cute. I do think, however, that Brandon's truck would be bigger than it is. Of course, I think to pull one of these around you need a retro TV (that's tow-vehicle in RV talk). Maybe Brandon's 1968 GTO would pull it … hmmm …

Camping is for …

2011-04-07T18:10:00.000-04:00

Walking …

and exploring creeks …

and playing …

and relaxing …

and happy dogs …

and finding interesting things …

and more paying in creeks …

and avoiding bears …

and s'mores …

and sunrises through the trees …

and clothes hung up on a clothesline …

and fun strings of lights …

and packing up everything to find a better site when people leave … and finding really great campsites by creeks …

and enjoying creation …

and collecting rocks …

and climbing in trees …

and visiting the Walasi-Yi center and seeing the "old soles" …

and hiking …

and waterfalls …

and more s'mores …

and biking …

and more hiking …

and more waterfalls …

and collecting sticks …

and more s'mores …

and coming home …

and not being able to wait until the next time … I ♥ camping … fun times!

Geocaching …

2011-04-02T09:00:00.000-04:00

We're headed out to go camping for a few days and since hubby has tons of work to finish up today it's up to me to get everything ready. And here I sit ;) … But I am getting us ready, promise! One thing on my list for today is Geocaching. I need to look some up online and review them and print them out.

Geocahing? What is THAT?! Oh, it's good family fun! From the official Geocaching website:

Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

First, you decide where you want to search and then go online to the Geocaching website and check for geocaches nearby (you can search by address or zip or on a map). You can choose difficult terrain or child-friendly searches or any number of things. Basically it's a sophisticated treasure hunt. You get the coordinates of the box & put those into your GPS (or phone or app or whatever) and read any additional info and then set out on your hunt. Here's a screenshot of the printable page for a particular cache:

If you look under additional hints above, you'll see an encrypted hint. This is great for the kiddos … they love to decode this using the key and find a secret message to help our search.

Next we set out to follow the GPS and any additional info we have about the cache. Along with us we bring a notebook, a pen and a trinket (no kids meal toys please) to leave. Once we find the cache we open the box, read some of the entries in its notebook, sign it's notebook and write in our notebook details about the cache, take a trinket and leave our trinket.

We ♥ geocaching. It's great fun for the family and FREE and who doesn't love a treasure hunt? And there are currently 1,332,525 caches hidden all over the world.

I really think I should just buy the Geocaching app on my phone :) (of course, that would make it not free, but it would make it easier and the geek in me would be satisfied).

Try it on this lovely weekend … you just might get hooked!

2011-04-01T09:51:00.000-04:00

"You always tell me that I have to dress in thing that match. It's not fair and it makes me mad." ~ my sweet 5-year-old

And there you go … she likes the shirt, she likes the shorts. Why not wear them together? Well?

Happy Friday! I'm off to prepare for our spring break camping trip …

boohoo!

2011-03-28T21:35:00.000-04:00

(photo by my using Instagram on my iPhone)

I sprained my ankle this morning. Yep. Sure did. While I was walking down the stairs leaving to go grocery shopping Grace said something to me and I attempted to turn around. When I did I twisted on my ankle/foot and sort of fell onto it's outer side, rolling it under itself. OUCH! I didn't know it could move that way and not break! Needless to say the grocery shopping trip never happened and RICE quickly ensued ... you know, rest, ice, compression, elevation. Oh, and a nap. That was nice :)

Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be bad. Just a tiny bit of swelling and some pain that I can endure. I've stayed off of it for most of today (minus taking Grace to swimming lessons and picking up Lydia from school ... oh, and going potty). Brandon has been an angel (he always is when I am sick or somehow incapacitated). Things could be a lot worse and I am aware of that!

But I must confess that I am mad!! I just want to rewind the day and start over and make this not happen! I'm sure I will not be able to run for a week or so. Grrr! I finished Couch to 5K 2 weeks ago and am now at the point where I can run 30 minutes 5 days a week. And it seems I am at a plateau in my weight loss too. This set back isn't going to help me out any! Grrrrr!

But it could be worse. I keep telling myself that. In a year I will have forgotten this ever happened. But for now it's poor me .. boo hoo hoo!

I'm a {sucker}

2011-03-25T15:00:00.035-04:00

I'm a sucker for cuteness. Whimsy. Adorable-ness. So … I am a sucker for cute cups. This is a recent obsession. Last year, before Target stopped selling Liberty of London (why did they stop that line?!!!) I bought these:

I use them for quick drinks or for the girls' drinks.

I also bought these:

I bought 4 of the above. I drink out of them all the time. It's the little things that make me happy, and one of these full of ice cold water and a cute straw make me smile ♥ … you can find me with one of these full of ice water on any given day. And yes, I did buy 4 so they would last me a long time. I think I might tear up a little on the day they start to fade and crack!

And yesterday I found these:

So springy … they make me smile … and they're insulated. And yes, they also came from Target. Good job, Target! Keep up the cuteness!

{cozy}

2011-03-25T09:18:00.001-04:00

The reading room is coming along nicely. It's been a while since I have spent some time or $ decorating or finishing it. Of course, I am always purchasing books for the bookshelves ♥

I have 2 things to share with you:

#1 - My mom-in-law bought me these FaBuLoUs Katie Daisy prints for Christmas. I ♥ them. I adore them. I want some more of them! They make me smile. And it took me an entire 3 months to get them up on the walls. What is wrong with me? Laziness {sigh} … anyway …

I have had this one on the mantle for some time now ♥ :

but only yesterday I hung the other 3:

I really like the way this one looks in that yellow and white frame! That's a quite old frame from a thrift store and I was originally going to paint it. But doesn't it look just perfect with that print, in that room? I thought so too!

I adore her paintings. Yes, these are paintings (well, prints made from her paintings). She is quite talented! If you frequent Target these days you might have noticed the "spring is here" napkins and such near the party goods. Those are her designs. Cute!

#2 - I have been searching for a lamp for this space. It didn't matter if I needed to paint it or not, just searching for the right lamp. I spotted this little $3 treasure at a thrift store on Wednesday. And bonus - I didn't even have to paint it - the color is perfect!

So now the room is cozy. A perfect place for curling up in an old comfy chair and reading ♥

oops!

2011-03-24T09:00:00.000-04:00

uh oh ! Dropped while running this morning!

What to do … what to do … hmmm … Brandon really wants me to switch to t-mobile as it is less than ½ of what we're paying with at&t. Perhaps it's time … {sigh}

p.s. in case you're curious, that "sticker" at the bottom of my phone is part of my Polaroid skin from Infectious

{books}

2011-03-23T10:15:00.000-04:00

Education is not filling a pail but the lighting of a fire. ~William Butler Yeats

Lovely. All our homeschooling books have arrived save one … ♥

{pencils}

2011-03-22T12:46:00.002-04:00

I ♥ fun pencils.

That is all.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?

2011-03-18T09:49:00.000-04:00

{warning - this post is picture heavy!}

♫♩A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you're fast asleep …♪♬

Grace went to a birthday party for a sweet friend last weekend. It was precious. Surely the cutest birthday party I think I have ever been to. It was at an adorable children's boutique located in an old house in a sweet little town nearby. Downstairs was the boutique and upstairs was the party area. It was hosted by Sleeping Beauty, also known as Princess Aurora …

Kiss Me {I'm Irish}

2011-03-11T10:00:00.001-05:00

Y'all know I like to make wreaths, right? So I made one for March, for St. Patrick's Day. And bonus since green is my favorite color (most of the time).

Cute, right?

I decided to put the words "Kiss Me" on this one instead of lucky. After all, it's not luck that I believe in :)

And these flowers … LoVe them! No sew, and super easy to make. You can find a great tutorial here.

I love it. Too bad I'll have to take it down in a few weeks!

Brown is Beautiful

2011-03-10T22:00:00.028-05:00

I tried to come up with a clever title for this post, but I really couldn't think of one. So can you guess why brown is beautiful? Well, I mean the reason why that is the title of this post? yeah, I thought not. It's because I just ordered ALL our homeschooling materials for the coming year. And when that brown truck comes to my house it will be a beautiful day. Or couple of days. I am looking forward to several deliveries. One from My Father's World, one from Rainbow Resource, one from Timberdoodle and one from Home Science Tools.

And so it's officially official … the money is spent and the plans are made. I can't wait to send my declaration of intent letter to the school system :)

Lent and Me

2011-03-10T09:59:00.000-05:00

Here I sit after a good run this morning pondering what God is calling me to these days. I've enjoyed several nice mornings with Him lately, not the least of which was today. I've had Lent on my mind since Ash Wednesday was yesterday.

Growing up we never practiced Lent and I have long thought it to be some archaic practice for legalists or Roman Catholics, and not for me. But my heart is changing and each year of the last several I have sought to discover just what Lent means for me. In its simplest form Lent is simply a time of fasting from Ash Wednesday to Maundy Thursday. But really, it's much more than that. As Ann Voskamp sums it up so well,

"It’s the preparing the heart for Easter. Like going with Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, that we might come face to ugly face with our enemy. Our sacrificing that we might become more like Christ in His sacrifice"

And that's what it means for me. Sacrificing that I might become more like Christ in His sacrifice. Each year at this time I think about what I might sacrifice. And each year I think about sugar or yelling or something like that. And I make it for maybe a week. Then I cave. And then I forget.

But this year. This year seems … different. Yesterday I read Why Do Lent? Why A Failing Lent Actually Succeeds (& a Booklist). God spoke to me through her words. Sacrifice that you might be more like Christ in His sacrifice. I encourage you to visit Ann's blog and read her God-given wise words for yourself and see if they inspire you as they do me.

Coming face to ugly face with our enemy. Isn't that what Jesus did when He was in the wilderness for those 40 days? And so it is with me. I MUST come face to ugly face with my enemy. Over the recent weeks God has been steadily showing me how my enemy distracts me. From Jesus, from my family, from this precious life that He has granted me. Distractions. Some distractions seem good, many even seem so tiny they can't possibly be distractions. And yet they are distractions … from Him.

And so, for many reasons that I feel unable to articulate, not the least of which is that I allow it to suck time and life from me, I am giving up facebook for Lent. That may sound just silly to some. And I understand that. But for me it is huge. No, I don't find myself lost in Farmville or anything like that. It's simply that, well, it's a distraction. A big one. And I would be lying if I said that I thought it would be easy. I know I'll miss it. Late night chats with my sis-in-law, silly comments from friends that make me laugh. And … here's the brutal honesty … I'll miss the validation of myself and my activities from friends and family.

But if I am going to come face to ugly face with the enemy of my soul, then I must deal with the distractions from the Lord that present themselves to me. So here I go. Pray for me?

p.s. if you are a facebook friend and you want to get in touch with me, please comment here or email me: onecrazychicken at comcast dot net … thanks!! Love you friends!

Homeschooling Plans for Our Next {First} Year

2011-02-25T12:12:00.001-05:00

First, can I tell you that I want to redesign my blog … again? What is wrong with me? hahaha

OK … so I have been searching through some really great homeschooling sites and blogs and gathering inspiration for next year. In many ways it feels like our first time doing this. And I guess in some ways it is. It will be my first time homeschooling 2 little girlies (well one little, one not-so-little) instead of just one.

In order to organize my thoughts I went searching for a yearly overview planner. I found one and printed it out, but it was plain and I'm not. So I (of course) made my own. It looks like this:
It goes in my handy dandy notebook. If you like it, you can access a blank version here and print it out for yourself if you'd like. It's colorful, of course :) … if you don't want to print it in color, you can simply print it in grayscale, or you can access the blank black and white version here.

As you can see, they are doing nearly the same things, even though they are 6 years apart in school. More about that coming soon …

{old} Memories

2011-02-12T14:00:00.003-05:00

{While I was scanning and editing these, and while I am writing this I am listening to Daily Audio Bible … ♥ !!}

I have a new scanner and I ♥ it! Last time we were up at Brandon's Grandmother's house we spent some time looking through old photographs. Brandon's mom gave me the following and I was waiting until I had a good photo scanner to do something with them. So far I have only scanned them. But oh how I am smitten with them!

This is Brandon's mom when she was but a wee girl. Isn't she cute?

And here she is again a few years later …

And here is Brandon's Gran. I ♥ this picture …

And years later here are Brandon's Gran and Brandon's mom. I ♥ this photo … the dresses, the car … I think the tag says 1955. Those are campers in the background and I *think* they are in Myrtle Beach (I should ask!) …

And this is Brandon's mom's baby picture. It was 1943. It's such a classic photo. The back of the photo shows that it was originally a postcard. ♥ it!!

The following are of Brandon's Grandfather, his Papa, as he called him. Brandon adored him and was devastated when he died back in 1982. I so wish I had been able to meet this man who influenced Brandon's life immensely.

This second picture of him is his US Army picture. He fought in World War II in Europe and told several interesting tales, from what I understand. Because of this Brandon is enthralled with WWII and has brought me into his fascination as well.

I treasure old artifacts, be them photos or furniture or books or decor. They take me back in time, to a simpler time. Yes, perhaps not an easier time, but a simpler time. When I was in school I hated history. I found it so incredibly boring. Textbooks … yuck! But photos … artifacts … actual letters and diaries? These draw me in and somehow I feel some kind of connection to the past.

Eat This Book

2011-02-12T10:06:00.002-05:00

And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the people of Israel.” Ezekiel 3:1

Recently God has shown me how little of His Word I have truly hidden in my heart that I might not sin against Him. I've been thinking about it lately, about Scripture memorization. I read the Holy Experience blog and I adore Ann Voskamp. She talks about the subject a lot. And she shares many great tips and wise words. And honestly? It's because of selfishness that I don't practice this important discipline. When I have free time I want to spend it on me. And that's just the truth.

But always spending my free time on me, though it may be permissible, it is not beneficial (1 Cor. 10:23). God's teaching me a lot about that little verse these days, but that's for another post altogether. Back to Scripture memorization. Am I the only who finds it difficult?

I did come across this great recourse on Ann's blog:

http://www.downes.ca/memorization.htm

You simply copy Scripture and then paste it in the top box. Hit the convert button and you get the first letter of each word back. Like this:

That's my life Psalm … Psalm 139. I'm trying to hide it in my heart. I gotta tell ya so many obstacles come in my path. I have yet to fully memorize it, but it is my current goal. But this print out of just the first letter of each word is helping me.

I'll not reinvent the wheel when Ann has great resources here regarding Scripture memorization. Do go and check them out for yourself if you are interested. Now I think I will go and work on my Psalm … ♥

EDITING to add: Just found THIS wonderful resource - Daily Audio Bible … just click on "Listen Now" and, well, listen now ;)

Home School Home

2011-02-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

So … we've come full circle here in our home. We'll be homeschooling again beginning next school year. This is my research notebook:

We'll be using My Father's World Rome to the Reformatio n (as you can see above).

I was driving myself CrAzY with all the curriculum out there. There is SOOO much of it. I am thankful for having homeschooled in the past, so I am aware of philosophies and such already. So it was a just a matter of finding the right (read "PERFECT") curriculum for my girls.

Do you see all those notes above? Pages and pages were full of thoughts and ideas. And prices. Yes, it's not cheap. Oh, it can be if you want or need it to be, but right now I want neither. I was leaning toward Sonlight, but then I would lean toward My Father's World, or piecing it all together myself. Finally I was at the end of my researching rope. I had been praying about it all along, but Saturday morning I begged God to show me what to use. He gently let me know that I was asking Him the wrong question, that I need to be asking Him what HE wants me to teach my girls. So I did. And God, in His infinite wisdom, led me to use My Father's World for both my girls next year (and hopefully the next and the next). He knows just what I need and just what my girls need. And I can see now why it will be the perfect fit for us and for what we ALL need to learn.

I'm looking so forward to it. Lydia is looking forward to it (that's another praise that goes straight to the Father). Grace doesn't have any idea about it.

I plan on writing more later about what we're using and why, but I gotta run to work! Later ...

a Short {and not so exciting} Tale of 2 Tables ...

2011-02-01T09:36:00.000-05:00

I have long loved antiques … retro furnishings … anything old that has a story. And earlier in the summer I saw these tables at an antique store in Monroe. I didn't get them then (they were $40 for the pair), but I continued to see them in my mind, painted and flanking either end of my sofa. They had great potential. Then we went hunting at that same place for these chairs and I saw the tables again. This time they were marked to $25 for the pair and I brought them home. They sat in my garage for weeks and weeks. And the paint sat beside them.

Hubby has been threatening me that he's bring home his '68 GTO from the shop and that it will live in the garage and there will be no place for my beloved tables. They don't belong in the garage anyway! Ok , ok … I get the hint! So this past weekend I finished them and now they are in their final home … beside my sofa, and I ♥ them!

I apologize in advance for the terrible pix! It was rainy when I took the before photos in my garage (great lighting!) and it was dark when I took the afters in my house. Oh, and I wanted to get them done, so I didn't bother to switch out my lens from the 50mm. Yeah … I was in a hurry. Sorry. But I think you'll get the picture … :)

Before:

Sanding …

During:

Lovely gray primer … but I do adore Painter's Touch by Rustoleum!

After:

They've been painted "Popcorn" and distressed by hand. The paint job isn't excellent, but that's for a reason. I wanted them to look like they have been through a lot and loved :)

I like the details on these tables. They go in the living room perfectly. Now I need an old phone for that empty one on the left, don't you think? Ahhh … more antique hunting in my future! Twist my arm ;)

a Short {and not so exciting} Tale of 2 Tables ...

2011-02-01T09:34:00.000-05:00

I have long loved antiques … retro furnishings … anything old that has a story. And earlier in the summer I saw these tables at an antique store in Monroe. I didn't get them then (they were $40 for the pair), but I continued to see them in my mind, painted and flanking either end of my sofa. They had great potential. Then we went hunting at that same place for these chairs and I saw the tables again. This time they were marked to $25 for the pair and I brought them home. They sat in my garage for weeks and weeks. And the paint sat beside them. But now they are in their final home … beside my sofa, and I ♥ them!

I apologize in advance for the terrible pix! It was rainy when I took the before photos in my garage (great lighting!) and it was dark when I took the afters in my house. Oh, and I wanted to get them done, so I didn't bother to switch out my lens from the 50mm. Yeah … I was in a hurry. Sorry. But I think you'll get the picture … :)

Before:

Sanding …

During:

Lovely gray primer … but I do adore Painter's Touch by Rustoleum!

After:

They've been painted "Popcorn" and distressed by hand. The paint job isn't excellent, but that's for a reason. I wanted them to look like they have been through a lot and loved :)

Millet Muffins

2011-01-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

What? Millet? Huh?

I use the basic muffin recipe from Bread Beckers (really, you can't beat this book for good and healthy recipes for $6!). Then I add ¼ cup of whole millet to the muffin batter and bake as usual. They add just the right amount of texture and crunch. I make these about once a week in my house and by the end of the week all 12 are gone! It's a great quick breakfast with a tall glass of {organic} milk or have the same for a nice afternoon snack.

So what's in these? freshly milled hard red wheat flour, raw honey, buttermilk, egg, salt, olive oil, baking soda and baking powder. That's it.

Fresh from the oven …

Going … going …

Gone!

More {LOVE}

2011-01-27T09:22:00.000-05:00

OK, so I like Valentine's Day. Shoot me. I don't really think it's the greeting card company-induced love fest so much as it's the hearts. I just like hearts. ♥ ♥ ♥ … I ♥ that I figured out how to make them show up on this here blog. AnYwAy … my latest craft project completed yesterday:

I ♥ that fake mantle o' mine! I really, REALLY want to finish this room, but Christmas put a halt on that project. I think it's about time to pick it back up, don't you?

So … I made a {LOVE} sign and a Be Mine Valentine bunting/garland/whatever you want to call it. I ♥ garlands!

I got the idea for the sign here and the bunting here over at Crap I've Made. But my bunting is completely made out of paper with my Cricut and Sure Cuts a Lot software.

Happy ♥ Day! {LOVE} is all you need …

{Meatless} Monday

2011-01-24T21:42:00.000-05:00

On my menus I have recently dubbed Mondays as Meatless. Plant based meals are 1) so healthy and 2) cheaper. So yesterday as I was planning out my weekly menu I came across 2 recipes that I wanted to try: Spinach salad with strawberries and fresh mozzarella and avocado, and Italian stir fry over polenta. Mmmm … doesn't that all just SOUND good? I was looking forward to cooking this particular meal!

The recipes are in my recently-checked-out-soon-to-be-purchased The Sugar Solution Cookbook. Can I just put in a quick plug for The Sugar Solution? I have learned so so much good information about blood sugar and insulin levels and their vast importance in how our bodies function. Anyway, back to the food ;) …

First, the salad. I wasn't sure how the avocado would mesh with the sweetness of the strawberries and the sweet & tangy dressing, but it all went together fabulously (ask Hubby … he's not an avocado fan … he's missing out!).

Then I began the stir fry with red onions and red peppers. I posted a picture on facebook because I just WISH there was smell-o-vision! The aroma was heavenly!!

Then added zucchini, chickpeas, TONS of garlic (you can never have enough), red pepper flakes, tomatoes and basil.

While that was finishing up so was the polenta. I ♥ polenta. Bob's Red Mill makes some wonderful polenta (corn grits) that cooks up quickly.

Put it all together and … voila!

Such an incredibly yummy meal! {Meatless} Monday … mmm mmm mmm! This may have to carry over into other days! God didn't have to provide us with tasty food, but He did. I'm thanking Him this evening for the bounty that He has freely given to us and the taste buds with which to enjoy!

Clickin' Chicks - Week 4 - In the Kitchen

2011-01-24T10:07:00.000-05:00

I ♥ strawberries. And I ♥ typewriter fonts. And I ♥ the 2 together on a plate :)

In Honor of {LIFE}

2011-01-21T11:05:00.001-05:00

Life is a vapor. I received some bad news yesterday morning that a sweet friend and co-worker died. I'll not go into details, just know that it was VERY sudden, VERY unexpected, she was my age and leaves behind a precious family … a husband, Shane, two sons, Daniel & Mitchell, and a daughter, Amy (who is my own daughter's age). Please pray earnestly for them! She will be missed by so, so many people!

I have been asking the Lord, "What do you want me to learn, to see, to know in all of this?" I scroll through the vast outpouring of tributes and love and memories on her facebook page and there I saw it … legacy. LEGACY. She left an incredible legacy amongst her family and friends. I am reminded of the song by Nicole Nordeman …

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me

And I enjoy an accolade like the rest

You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery

Of all the who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best

At such'n'such ... it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights

We all need an 'Atta boy' or 'Atta girl'

But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides

The temporary trappings of this world

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things?

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace who

blessed your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile

To make a lengthly list of all that I enjoy

It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile

Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon enough destroy

I want to leave a legacy

How will they remember me?

Did I choose to love? Did I point to You enough

To make a mark on things?

I want to leave an offering

A child of mercy and grace who

blessed your name unapologetically

And leave that kind of legacy

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred

Just want to hear instead, "Well Done" good and faithful one…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So there I sat … thinking about LIFE … and LEGACY. What will people say about me when I die? How will they remember me? Will there be such tributes written about me?

Earlier in the week I viewed this trailer for a newly published book that I am eager to read:

Please watch that video. Watch it again. Oh, it pierces my heart each and every time I watch and listen to those lovely words. Life is not an emergency, yet I live as though it is. My eyes are not wide open. I've got to figure out a way to live with my eyes wide open.

I ordered that book on Monday and it arrived … yesterday … 4 days earlier than it was supposed to … on a day when I was asking the Lord, "What do you want to show me in all of this?"

Life. A gift. Holy, amazing, ordinary. {LIFE}

Wreath {LOVE}

2011-01-19T13:19:00.000-05:00

So do you know that I like making wreaths? This is a new-found like of mine. First I made this Welcome wreath, then I made this {Holly Jolly} wreath. And now I have made this Valentine's Day wreath.

It all started with my beloved scissors …

And that cute fabric. Although, I ended up using Valentine's fabric instead, so I can use this for something else equally {cute}! Aren't they lovely. ♥ ♥ my Gingher scissors!

And then I added these things …

White fleece (not shown), cheap thread, hot glue, embroidery thread, red buttons and those nifty, neat-o yo-yo makers! I ♥ those things! It makes creating a yo-yo a breeze … no fidgeting (I hate fidgeting).

So here is the new wreath in all her glory …

Goodness, I really need to paint the front door!

L ♥ V E !

p.s. I made this with the idea that I found here :)

Clickin' Chicks

2011-01-18T21:07:00.000-05:00

My dear friend, Nakia, started a Project 52 page on Facebook. We call ourselves the Clickin' Chicks :) … instead of trying to keep up with a Project 365 (I just can't ever do it all.year.long.) we have a theme each week and you submit your picture and it goes in the album. People make comments and such. It's fun, a nice way to get to know more photographers and see others' pix.

So here are my photos, starting with week 1 - Your Pick

Week 2 - Happy (something that makes you happy)

Week 3 - Vintage

Come on over to Clickin' Chicks and join us! If you do, let Nakia know that I sent you!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

2011-01-14T11:57:00.001-05:00

In my quest to eat well, I have been reading, among other things, Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism.

It's an excellent book and I have gleaned so much. It's also nice to read about her own struggles and temptations. I love her even more than I did before I picked it up. I am pairing it with her Master Your Metabolism Cookbook. Can I tell you that every single recipe that I have tried in the cookbook has been great? It has. So this morning I thought I would try her Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins.

Here are the ingredients:

Let's see … rolled oats, olive oil, cinnamon, salt, white whole wheat flour, baking powder, honey, coconut milk, baking soda and carob chips. WHAT? No sugar? No butter? No SUGAR??

Yes … NO sugar :)

Now these next few things are important ...

Aluminum-free baking powder. You can buy this at almost any chain super market these days and it's really worth the extra money. I don't want to be putting any extra aluminum in my body if I can help it! All Rumford products are also manufactured in a peanut-free environment.

RAW honey. Preferably locally grown. Here's the deal … honey IS sugar, but it's natural and unrefined and contains tons of enzymes and nutrients and won't cause a rapid rise and fall in your blood sugar (I've learned this is sooooo important!). But it should be raw. One way to tell? If you can see through the honey then it has been pasteurized and it isn't raw. You know those cute little bear bottles? yeah, not raw honey. In the bottle it should be dark and opaque (see the above pic of the ginormous full bottle).

Carob chips, not chocolate chips, were used by me. Jillian recommends 70% cocoa chips, but I couldn't find these, not even at Whole Foods. I'm sure I could find some online, but I wasn't online when I went shopping the other day. So I opted for carob chips, unsweetened. I'm trying to eliminate added sugar from my diet.

Although the carton says "cage free, organic eggs", these are actually farm-fresh, free-range, organic eggs from a local farm where hubby hunts. He pays $2 a dozen!! You can DEFINITELY tell the difference between store-bought and truly farm-fresh. I would pay $4 a dozen, but I don't have to :)

By the way there is a difference in cage-free and free-range. Free-range is best.

I've never, ever used coconut milk to cook or bake anything! We'll see how it goes ...

Normally I only bake with my freshly milled whole wheat flour, but since I've never had these before and the recipe called for white whole wheat flour, I used my King Arthur flour (I have several types in my fridge for just such an occasion). I don't use "mainstream" flours for several reasons, not the least of which is not wanting to contribute to the incorporation of our food supply. But that's another blog post …

And here's my salt. It's called Real Salt. It doesn't look like table salt … it's more pink than white. But oh, the flavor is yum! It is unrefined, unbleached and contains many trace minerals and no anti-caking additives.

Those are the ingredients. And those are my antique Pyrex bowls waiting patiently to help me :)

Here we go … we mixed the dry ingredients:

Then the wet ingredients:

I just thought that looked cool :)

Here is Grace helping me … not such a clear picture because I cannot get her to be still for even a second!

Mix mix mix … looks good! Goodness, I just ♥ my Pyrex bowls. {sigh} I am waxing nostalgic … back to the present …

Now for some time in the oven …

They cooked a little quicker than the recipe called for (I'm finding that to be the case … my oven is on the warm side .. I really need a new oven thermometer since I broke mine!)

Here they are fresh out of the oven. YUM!! Once again, the recipes in this book are great!

I really enjoyed mine with a glass of fat free (organic, of course) milk :)

Grace wanted a little powdered sugar sprinkled on top, and I obliged. Funny thing is my picky oldest girl loved them right out of the oven, with no sugar sprinkled on top! Of course, when I offered some to Grace, then Lydia wanted some too :)

So these were, apparently, a big hit! I guess it's always good when your face is covered like that!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins get 4 stars from me. They're easy to make, truly healthy, and also good to have on hand for snacks. Score one more for Jillian Michaels' Master Your Metabolism Cookbook!

Fabulous Friday Finds - {Polaroid} Edition

2011-01-14T10:37:00.000-05:00

I ♥ my Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera. It's adorable, no?

I have come across some fabulous finds related to this fabulous camera lately on the interwebs. I thought I might share some of my faves with you this week …

I.must.have.this…

I saw the super-cool Polaroid skin for the iPhone4, but since I don't have a 4, I searched to see if I could find one for the 3G. And I found one. Not quite as cute, I must admit, but still … very me :) … seriously, I have to order it!

And who hasn't seen Instagram? I ♥ it.

I follow friends and others I have come across. Very interesting photos and lots of fun. You can follow me there - my name is heathermphotog :) … here are some Instagram photos of mine:

Film for your Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera:

I have some of this. I like it OK. But if you need film for your SX-70 and don't want to pay a fortune on ebay, then this is the way to go.

Fun caption kit for your Polaroid pix:

And last, but not least there is Poladroid.

It's pretty cool fun on your 'puter. Simple … download the software, drag and drop pix into the app, then watch it develop. It even makes the lovely Polaroid sound, which makes me smile. Here are two of mine:

I ♥ Polaroid. I hope you do too!

For my fellow craigslist fans ...

2011-01-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

Have you seen CraigsEasy??? I'll never search craigslist the conventional way again!

Simply grab the button, drag it to your toolbar and do a regular search on craigslist. Then click on the CraigsEasy button in your toolbar and voila! You can then search craigslist in pictures … try it … you'll like it!

Here's what it looks like:

And yes, I was searching for a chandelier just like that one in the middle ♥