MAKING ARRANGEMENTS

How's the holiday spirit coming along in your home?  I think I'm off to a good start this year, although I still have a lot of shopping to do and some gifts to make yet (I'm waiting on materials to arrive in the mail).  I work well under pressure, so I'm still calm at this point.  I have however, been making some arrangements with holiday greenery.  I'll share some with you.


Let me give you some background information:  I have this need to shop at consignment stores.  I find some really cool stuff there.  It's true, I'm cheap, but honestly, this is not about being cheap.  It's a treasure hunt.  Garage sales, Goodwill, consignment stores - it's all about what you can find cheap and do something special with it!  It's a sickness, really.  Anyway, there is a new consignment store in Spencer and I stop frequently.  I found this adorable bench there for $5.99!  There is a small water mark stain on it, but that's not a problem!

I fell in love with this cute little thing.  I decided to turn it into a holiday bench and give it as a gift.  I feel badly giving a gift with something I got so cheap at a second hand store, but I figured if I would jazz it up with some greenery, I could sell it for $25-$40, and that would make a nice gift for someone!  Here's what I did:

I just wired in some pine greens, hot glued some poinsettias and then an adorable cardinal.  I was going to add a bow, but it looked too gaudy, so I left well enough alone. 

My second arrangement I made for my sister-in-law, Deanna.  She used her Cricut machine to cut the flying reindeer out of vinyl and added it onto an already painted tin container.  She bought some artificial flowers and greenery and asked me to make the arrangement.  I have to say, I love doing this, especially when I have not paid for any of it! :-)  I thought it turned out okay.  Please remember - I'm not a professional anything, I just goof around until I think it looks okay.  Deanna was thrilled, so I guess that's all that matters.

 
Sorry about the distracting background.

My other little endeavor is to be used on my Thanksgiving table - but since we'll have several tables set up in various locations around my home to accommodate all of our guests, I will probably place this somewhere on the food buffet.  I found this idea on the Cricut message boards; I emailed it to Deanna because I thought it was cute.  I should have known she would have wanted me to make one - she has this knack for seeing something and then deciding "we" should do it :-).  She cut out all the pilgrim pieces on her Cricut and gave them to me along with the silk leaves.  I had the little bucket and the dowel rods here, so I got the hot glue gun out and got to work.  I think it is cute, however, 95% of my guests will probably never notice it - they'll be too busy talking about hunting.  

Isn't Thanksgiving supposed to be about family and being thankful and all that????  When did hunting EVER get invited in?  I could go on, but I'll leave that for another post :-).

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:18

CHEAP AND EASY WAY TO GET A WALL BORDER

I wish I could say I came up with this idea, but I copied it off of a home improvement show way back before HGTV came into existence.   It is an easy way to "customize" the look of your room - without buying wall paper and wall borders. 

I did this in my bathroom when I living in beautiful, hilly Pennsylvania (just a bit homesick at the moment).  Most of my home is done in wildlife and outdoors.  I've always loved the outdoors for decorating - ironically, I spend most of my days indoors.  I wanted one room of my house that was not decorated with some kind of deer/moose/bear.  I have been to the ocean many times and love all my vacation memories of the Atlantic - along with the many treasures I either gathered on the shore or purchased in a boardwalk shop.  So I decided to decorate my bathroom in an ocean decor.  

First, I painted the walls white, then took a Caribbean blue color, dipped a damp old t-shirt in it, then proceeded to "wash" the walls with the blue.  I used swirly motions and zig zags - all to achieve a look of whimsical blue ocean waves.  It was awesome (just don't ask Dan about it).  Then, I found some cute material at Walmart to sew a simple curtain with (you can see the curtain in the photo).  I bought some extra and cut out the fish individually.  After cutting many, many fish out, I poured some fabric starch (the blueish stuff in a small jug) into a bowl.  I dipped each fish in, thoroughly soaking it, then placed it on the wall, dabbing at the excess with a cloth.  They stick like magic!  After they are dry, they will not come off - no matter how much steam is in your bathroom - until you peel them off.   They will never leave a mark on the paint or peel the paint at all.  Actually, when I moved to Wisconsin, I peeled them all off and redipped them to use in my bathroom here.  There was no evidence that they had ever been on my walls in PA, and they look great here in WI.  I placed them randomly around the top of the walls at different heights - to make them look like schools of fish swimming around a lagoon.

I also did the same thing to Levi's bedroom.  We wanted a sports theme, but we have textured walls on every square inch of this house.  Wall paper borders DO NOT WORK, neither do "wallies".  I found material that had a nice pattern of baseballs, gloves, bats, basketballs, footballs, etc.  I cut them out and placed them on a "border" that I painted on.  They worked well, although be careful with small children - he pulled them off when he was still in his crib and tried to eat one!  I took them off the wall for awhile and have since replaced them.

This can be done with large sections of wall also.  The tv segment I saw actually showed them "wall papering" the entire room with panels of material.  This is good for renters, they said, because you can just take it down when you leave and never hurt the wall.  If you wall paper an entire wall, you need a roller and lots of the blue starch, but it works!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:

In all things of nature, there is something of the marvelous.-Aristotle

MINI BURGERS

These are just too cute not to take a picture!  I think maybe the restaurant chain, White Castle, came up with these.  I googled it and they also mentioned that Red Robin restaurant serves them.  They are called both 'slammers' and 'sliders'.   I ate them for the first time this summer when I was in Hershey, PA, at Fuddruckers.  They were so cute!

Plus, if you are watching your calories, they are perfect.  You can still eat a hamburger w/o overdosing on fat and calories.  I served these with a side of Weight Watcher fries, that even my firstborn son loves (he is against anything 'fat free' or "weight watcher" friendly).  To make these fries, peel your potatoes, slice them up (I use my Pampered chef garnish tool), then soak them in cold water for about 10 minutes or so.  Drain them and kind of towel them off.  Put about 2-3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil in a bowl, add some seasoning salt, garlic powder, paprika - whatever you like, mix it up and toss with your fries.  Bake at 375 on a baking sheet for 45-60 minutes (depends on how thick your fries are and how crisp you like them).

Add a side of broccoli and you have yourself an actual healthy meal (the bun is made with wheat flour).  Yummy.

 

A CAFFEINE KICK AND GREAT GIFT IDEAS

Today's ramblings will be two-fold.  First, I want to share a wonderful drink recipe with you.  Now, for those of you who regularly read Holly's blog (http://hotteaandmilkchocolate.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2009-01-19T07%3A54%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7), you know this is one her recipes, and in fact the other part of this post is also one of Holly's ideas.  Thanks Holly for all your wonderful ideas!  (Also, enjoy being 41 for a few more weeks- you, Dawnie and I are closing in on 42).  But I think I have a few followers who do not know Holly, so I'm posting this to benefit them! :-)


This wonderful concoction is so simple.  It is a can of Mt. Dew (I used diet), and some frozen strawberries.  Mix in a blender and enjoy!

I make this somedays when the boys are napping and I need a "kick" to get me through the afternoon.  Plus, it has fruit in it and I feel like I am somewhat doing something healthy.


The other great idea from Holly is that she put together a photobook of her "simple" recipes.  She mailed several out to her friends and family (I was fortunate to get one!).  There are about 12 recipes in here each with a picture of the finished product and Holly's "easy" recipe.   I love this book- this is just one of those photo books you can make through Walmart, Snapfish, Shutterfly, wherever, but Holly introduced me to ArtsCow - http://www.artscow.com/ 

ArtsCow is a photo website based in Hong Kong.  They make the same stuff that Walmart and these other places offer, only cheaper.  Sign up - you'll be glad you did.  It is free to register and they send you emails a couple times a week offering sales on items and many times free shipping.  When you sign up, you get something like 1200 prints free (you pay shipping)!  I've been getting my scrapbooking prints from them for about a year now and the quality is as good as Walmart.  The only drawback is that it does take a week or more to get it delivered from Hong Kong, and that the shipping charges can be high.  Yet, I always get the item on sale and it is usually ends up being cheaper than if I ordered it locally.  I've purchased personalized coasters, mouse pads, calendars, pillow cases, and many photo books from them.

Today I ordered a Grandparent photo book I made up with photos of my boys.  They were offering one at $5.99 with free shipping, and additional books at $8.99 with the free shipping.  I got 2 books for $14.98!  I also made up a book for Noah for his birthday.  The book will be all about his family.  I have made a couple of these books up for the little guys and added a story to go along with my photos.  They love it when I read these to them.   I love giving and receiving personalized gifts.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:   The more we share, the more we have.

THANK YOU, LORD!

". . .in everything give thanks. . ." I Thessalonians 5:18

This may sound like a sermon to some, but it really it is not.  Blogging is all about what's on the blogger's mind and in their heart, so here are my thoughts of late.

Being happy is so closely tied together with being thankful and "counting your blessings".  Almost every article you read -religious and secular - will tell you in order to be happy you to count your blessings daily.  Writing down what we have instead of thinking about what we don't have.  It really works!  God knew this long before there were PhD's.

I am going to try really hard from now on to be extra thankful for what I have.  Instead of just saying, "I'm thankful for my husband", I'm going to list WHY I'm thankful for my husband, i.e., he is patient beyond belief, he is kind to everyone, he is a Godly man, etc.
Thankfulness is something I struggle with daily.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not 'unthankful', but I tend to get whiny about things a lot and I need to stop NOW!  When I read the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt (Exodus), I am amazed that these people saw all the miracles they saw - water to blood, millions of frogs, parting of the Red Sea, etc.  Then, in a matter of days, they started whining about not having food and water, and not trusting that God would provide.  I have even been so bold as to say "I would never have been so unappreciative".  Yet, I do it every single day.  God has given me blessing upon blessing and I still complain about certain things in my life that really are not bad at all.  Shame on me!  


My thoughts today are just to encourage you to make a list-mental or on paper - of how God has blessed you.  Even if you are struggling right now with some terrible issue, there are things that you can thank Him for. 


Here are some of my thoughts:
1) I'm so thankful that I was able to bear children
   -healthy children

2) I'm so thankful that I was able to find a happy life again after losing a loved one.

 

3) I'm so thankful that both of my parents are still alive and healthy and that they are wonderful grandparents to my boys.

4) I'm so thankful that Ty is dating a nice Christian girl, that Tanner is so trustworthy and kind, that both boys are respectable and loving young men.   I'm thankful that Levi is a kind and loving little boy and that Noah is such a 'snuggler', and that both little ones are healthy.

5) I'm thankful that I live in America, despite it's flaws.  Where I can be free to dislike the President, worship as I chose, and have plenty compared to most countries.


I could go on, but I'll not bore you with anymore of my thankfuls.  This time of year can be hard for so many people - it can be downright depressing not being with your family or missing those who've passed away, but I encourage you to think about the good in your life, as I will try my best to do the same.


Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

THE BEST COOKIES IN THE WORLD

I don't have a lot of things that I really say "these are the best", but I have to say (please don't think I'm bragging), these cookies are the best!   I did not think up the recipe, nor can I take credit for the technique, but I have copied all those and turned it into one dog-gone good cookie!  The recipe is just from the back of the Nestle Semi-Sweet chocolate chip bag - "original chocolate chip cookie".  

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

However, I DO NOT use butter.  I use butter-flavored Crisco (Aldi's now has their version of it much cheaper!).  Plus, I always play around with the flour by possibly adding more -depending on how "sticky" the dough feels - if you can touch it and your finger comes away clean, it is ready!  If some dough sticks on it, add a bit more flour.  Plus, because I married a man who does not really like chocolate (don't judge him too harshly, he really is a great guy), I only add about 3/4 the called for amount of chocolate chips.
Now, the "best in the world" part:  use an ice cream scoop and make a big ball of dough - roll it around and put it on the baking sheet - you'll only get about 6 cookies per sheet.  I have to give credit for this idea to my BFF Shari, who is very gifted and talented in the domestic goddess field.  Bake them at 350 not 375, but before they're done, move them to the top rack for a couple of minutes.  These cookies are the best!  

At least that's what all my sons' friends told me back when they were in elementary school, and that's what my hub tells me.  For my self-esteem, I must believe it, so if you find out otherwise, please keep it to yourself!  :-)

Here are a few other tips I picked up from the Food Network or somewhere like that:
-put the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so before you bake them.
-do not over mix the dough once you've added the flour, or you'll see what "one tough cookie" is all about.

-take the cookies out about a minute before you they turn too brown-they continue to bake after they're out of the oven, especially if you use the baking stones.
-double the recipe - you'll be glad you did after everyone eats them up in the first 30 minutes.

-they always taste better the second day (this is my opinion).
(these are not that great of pictures, but you get the idea)


ENJOY!

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Doing things (like making cookies) for others can totally make YOUR day!

CHOCOLATE ON MY WALLS

Oh yummy!  I love chocolate so much, I painted it on my walls in my downstairs "rec" room.  The paint is actually called "hat box brown" by Dutchboy, but doesn't "creamy milk chocolate" sound like a better title?  Who makes up the paint names anyway, and how can I get that job?

This was the only room we had never painted since I moved in and took over the decorating, which my hub was all to happy to hand over!  The walls had never been primed and were dirty in some places.  Dan helped me prime the room - he did the ceiling, I did the walls.  Then I painted the chocolate, I mean the brown paint on.  Every time I dipped my paint pad into the tray, I thought of melted chocolate.  No wonder I'm having such cravings this week.

I was nervous at first putting this on the walls - after all, there is only one small window down there and not a lot of good light (we hope to fix that soon).  But after one wall was done, I knew we had picked a good color.  I plan to do the stairwell in the same color.
I need to hang pictures and the mirrors back up, and I'll get to that this week after I clean the carpets.  

Color is good - chocolate is better!

What do you think about decorating in a Hershey's theme?   Could be interesting!  Have to see about that.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:  Eat chocolate, it just makes you feel better!  Then brush your teeth -