Long Ramblings

Tickled Pink

2011-10-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Today I wanted to enter my Ride 'Em Cowgirl photo over at IHeartFaces.com but it needed a face. Talk about picky. LOL.

I decided to work on another shot of my cowgirl Evie and came up with this one. The category is Tickled Pink. I must say I was tickled Pink when I saw the hot pink sunflare in my photo. I have never really tried to get backlighting and sunflare before and it worked. I am in LOVE!!! What do you think? Btw, the hot pink color was all there before processing. I wouldn't even know how to begin adding it with photoshop.

This photo was entered into the I Heart Faces photo challenge – www.iheartfaces.com

Now mozy on over to http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/10/photo-challenge-pink/ and take a look at more Tickled Pink photos.

Yahoo Ride 'Em Cowgirl!

2011-10-18T08:30:00.001-07:00

I love this shot of my little cowgirl, Evangeline. What do you think of it? She actually picked the spot she wanted to be photographed. Isn't that cute?

Dominoe Hands

2011-10-10T06:38:00.001-07:00

My father-in-law, Charlie, loves to play dominoes. He is pretty good at it too but don't tell him I said so. I loved this photo of him from the time I snapped it. I love the focus on his hands which I believe tells the story of his life. He has always been a hard worker from young farm boy age all the way to his retirement as a truck driver. Retirement wasn't his thing so he decided to work as a custodian for the local school. He loves it. Flirting with the school teachers and picking on the kids makes working hard scrubbing floors and other dirty work worth it. His hands and the rest of him are much to be respected. I can only hope my boys grow up to be as great a man and dominoe player as their dad and granddad are.

For more great "Hand" shots, hop on over to I Heart Faces...

If the above button doesn't work, use link below...

http://www.iheartfaces.com/2011/10/photo-challenge-hands/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Iheartfaces+%28I+Heart+Faces+-+Photo+Challenges+%26+Photography+Tips%29

Whimsy

2011-06-28T05:05:00.000-07:00

Whimsical: Odd or fantastic in appearance; quaintly devised; fantastic.(adj) determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

Orginally I thought I would upload a photo of one of my children playing but figured that has been done and by photographers much better than I. Instead, I am using a photo that may not seem whimsical at first glance. According to the definition above, determined by impulse or whim rather than reason, my impulse pregnancy shot taken moments before the sunset on the beach should fit. Even though I have a professional photographer as a dear friend, I have never been talked into "belly shots" in any of my 6 pregnancies. I love seeing other peoples prego bellies but not my own. However, I love this shot during my last pregnancy, and yes, final baby. We were at a judo tournament near the beach and decided to take a few moments with the kids before heading home. At the last possible moment, dh suggested trying to get shots of the sunset with us in the foreground. After taking many of the kids, I decided on impulse to take a "belly" shot as well. (Of course, dh was doing the encouraging and actual shooting.) Suprisingly, I really like the photo even though my badonkadonk is nearly as large as my belly. Who knew? (Insert "Shut up Jim (brother)!" The other part of the definitione seems to fit too. (At least in my crazy, sleep deprived world with few adult interactions and where definitions are not as important as the thrill of making your own.)
Anyhoo, back to why the first part fits...Odd or fantastic in appearance-well yeah it is a photo of me after all. What else could it be?

To see more whimsical photos hop on over to www.iheartfaces.com Who knows, maybe you will even enter next weeks photo challenge?

Louisiana Cold aka Winter Wonderland

2011-01-18T10:10:00.000-08:00

It has been a while since I posted on my blog but this week I wanted to join another IHeartFaces challenge. This week's theme is Winter Wonderland and even though my friends may not like it, I am posting on of my favorite "cold" photos. Here in Louisiana, we don't get much snow but it does get pretty chilly from time to time. My friends Tonya and Kim were manning the concession stand inside during a game last soccer season and it was freezing as you can tell by the photo. Keeping the humor of the photo, I used a comic book style action during processing. Winter Wonderland I am not sure but definitely Louisiana Cold! For better photos, lol, please hop on over to iheartfaces using the button below.

Vroom Vroom

2010-09-14T05:22:00.001-07:00

Today's post is another entry for IHeartFaces.com The topic is Vroom, Vroom. My photo is one of my daughter, CC, hanging on an abandoned train car. I love the warm colors of the photo and the sunlight. I also think she looks quite beautiful too. What do you think?

For more inspiration, hop on over to IHeartFaces using the button below.

Photojournalism

2010-08-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

The theme over at I Heart Faces this week is photojournalism.

Photojournalism:using images to tell a story

I hope you get the story I am trying to portray; Mardi Gras in all its finest!

Now that you have seen what I have to offer, use the button below to hop on over to I Heart Faces to see more.

Flying High

2010-07-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Since I could only enter one photo in the I Heart Faces contest, I thought I would take time today to show you the photos of Zeke and Annie being tossed in the air. I love these pictures. Annie was so calm and loved every minute. Zeke was scared but not quite as terrified as Evie. I gues that is really high to kids. I only wish I would have taken similar photos of Nate and CC!

Annie age 3

Zeke age 1

Over My Head

2010-07-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

Over My Head @ I Heart Faces

When I found out this week's theme, I knew the photo I would enter. Well, I actually knew of three so it was difficult to choose. I have a photo of my husband tossing Annie, Evie and Zeke in the air. Ultimately it was Evie's photo that won. She was the one that was terrified! Can you tell ? LOL. She has become more comfortable with the tosses now but this will forever be one of my favorite photos.

For more Over My Head inspiration, hop on over to I Heart Faces to browse or even join in the fun.

Read Along with Me

2010-06-11T10:30:00.001-07:00

I recently finished reading Wendy May Andrew's "Tempting the Earl" and really enjoyed it. I was looking for something that wasn't a hard or intense read but not really full of fluff either. I found it in the Historical Romance section of our public library and am glad I gave it a try. The only issue I have is that this is Wendy Andrew's first printed book and I was hoping to find more of her works. So what is the story about? Straight off the inside jacket....

Emily must masquerade as and Earl's servand for reasons she is not willing to divulge. To her astonishment she finds she enjoys the role, but unfortunately finds herself attracted to the haughty young Earl.
He too struggles with an attraction to his beautiful new maid, but has his mind set on pursuing a courtship with the much more appropriate Lady Maude.
Who is Emily? Why is she hiding in the Earl's household? Can a case of mistaken identity lead to true love?

Overall Score: A-

While at the library, I checked out a few kids books that I would like to mention.

Jean Laffite and the Big Ol' Whale by Frank G. Fox

No one knows where Jean Lafitte came from, but from the day he was found on the banks of the Mississippi River near New Orleans, people have sensed he's no ordinary child. He guzzles steaming hot coffee as a baby. He swims all the way from Louisiana to Minnesota and back again at the age of seven. And there's nothing he doesn't know about the great Mississippi. Then, when Jean's a strapping lad of 16, the river goes bone dry, and its up to him to figure out what happened and save the day. The problem is literally enormous, but the solution takes just an ounce of ingenuity (along with a pinch of cayenne pepper). Based on a real character from Louisiana history, this tall tale of friendship shows that a little understanding can go a long way.

My kids and I really enjoyed this tall tale. It is a big ol' tale but you can definitely learn from it. Of course, I love that it was set in our state of Louisiana but there is so much more to love. The artwork is beautiful. Definitely a keeper for my kid's library. Overall Score: B+

Peeny Butter Fudge by Toni and Slade Morrison. This book had lots of potential but fell a little flat for me. I liked the connection between generations with the family recipes. I even liked the "fun" time of Nana and her grandbabies. However, I just didn't love anything about it. My three year old liked it but didn't ask for it to be read again. Overall rating from my family : C+

Silly Street by Jeff Foxworthy is definitely a keeper. Both myself and my kids, ages 3,8,10, and 14 loved this book. It reminds me of Dr.Seuss books which will always be our favorite kids books. I love the rhymes and the artwork is fantastic. My three year old had fun finding the things from the story in the pages. Since I am going to purchase this book asap, I would give it an overall score of A+

Last but not least is my current read of Shakespeare's Midsummers Night Dream. I am going to reserve comments until I am finished with it. So what are you reading now?

I Heart Faces "Play"

2010-06-08T09:05:00.001-07:00

When I saw the title of I Heart Faces competition this week was play, I knew just the photo to enter. Several years ago, we had foster boys, Nathan and Jarred. One of my favorite photos of 'Lil Nate is of him playing on a dirt pile. He was so adorable!!! Wherever you are Nate and Jarred, we love you and wish you the best. You will forever be "our boys" in our heart.

Now that you have taken a look at my "Play" photo, why not hop on over to I Heart Faces for more inspiration. You can use the button below.

Husband 1.0 Hilarious!

2010-05-28T13:33:00.001-07:00

I saw this on another blog, www.gracioussouthernliving.blogspot.com , and thought it so funny that I just had to post it here! Hope you enjoy.

Dear Tech Support,

Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a distinct slow down in overall system performance, particularly in the flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend 5.0

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable programs such as NBA 5.0, NFL 3.0 and Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs and Housecleaning simply crashes the system.

Please note that I have tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no avail.

What can I do?

Signed,

Desperate

Dear Desperate:

First, keep in mind that Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package while Husband 1.0 is an operating system.

Please enter command: ithoughtyoulovedme.html and try to download Tears 6.2 and do not forget to install the Guilt 3 Update.

If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

However, remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1.

Please note that Beer 6.1 is a very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT under any circumstances install Mother-In-Law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the background that will eventually seize control of all your system resources!)

In addition, please do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program.

These are unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0.

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Cooking 3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck!

Revisiting old Photos

2010-04-22T09:34:00.000-07:00

Haven't blogged in a while. All my free time has been taken up with researching genealogy for my child's project, creating not one but three new flower beds, building a fountain, and photo shopping photos. Speaking of photos, I decided to "revisit" two of my favorite taken recently and add some texture to them. What do you think? The last two are the same photo but with different textures. Do you prefer one over the other? I would love to hear your opinions whether positive and negative. How else can I learn?

Barn on the side of River Road in Baton Rouge, LA.

Inspiration

2010-03-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

I love the yellow cabinets! I considered painting mine yellow once. (and black, brown, white, red, almost any color) I never could decide so mine are ugly orangey wood. Until I decide, I will continue to get inspired by so many others.

Talk about inspiring, I absolutely love the ceiling in this photo! Originally I wanted beadboard but now I am thinking I must have this instead. Isn't it awesome!

Beams! I love the doorframe! Do you ever wish you could just start over and design your entire house from scratch so you could get what you wanted?

Last but not least. Isn't this amazing? I love the rustic feel this "barn style" door gives. Add the chalkboard and it is perfect. Hmmm...wonder where I can incorporate this one?

Need a laugh

2010-03-19T08:03:00.000-07:00

I found this video on another homeschool blog and thought it was so funny! I know I have seen that "neighbor" look before. Won't call names though. LOL. Hope you get a laugh out of it too.

I had to edit my post to include this one. Either it is really funny or I am sleep deprived. (Could be since I stayed up with Z last night. He has a new tooth coming in and is running fever. Uggh!)

30 minute healthy meal

2010-03-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Last night was sure to be hectic with Lola's obedience class, Nate's piano and baseball practice. I needed to have a quick and easy meal that everyone loves. Browsing my favorite blogs, I came across a recipe that looked like it just might fit the criteria. Sara's Art House, http://sara-mincy.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-dave-has-been-raving-about-this.html , posted a crunchy chicken salad that I had to believe was delicious since she wasn't able to take a photo before her family devoured it. I decided I must try it tonight! Wanting something to go along with the salad just in case my family didn't love it. Off to search http://www.allrecipes.com/ and found Lemon Orzo Primavera.

Both dishes were so great and healthy too. I can add two more dishes to my list of pleases everyone in the family. Scott even ate seconds! I gotta say, I wasn't so sure when I was cooking the orzo. It seemed awful bland. Once the lemon was added, it really surprised me. It is more of a light flavor rather than bold yet is so good. It is the perfect spring side dish. As for the salad, I have never liked chow mein noodles and knew I would hate them in the salad but honestly, it was one of my favorite parts. I loved the crunch especially since I forgot to buy cashews!

Crunchy Chicken Salad

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup ketchup

3 Tbsp vinegar

1-2 heads romaine lettuce

2 cups cooked chicken chopped

1 cup cashews

1 can (3oz) chow mein noodles

Mix together first five ingredients. Combine with other ingredients in a large bowl. Serve immediately.

Lemon Orzo Primavera

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cup uncooked orzo pasta

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 large zucchini, shredded

2 medium carrots, shredded

2 (14oz) cans vegetable broth

1 lemon, juice and zest

2 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in orzo, and cook approx. 2 min, until golden. Stir in garlic, zucchini, and carrots and cook 2 minutes. Pour in the broth and mix in the juice from one lemon along with lemon zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender. Season with thyme and top with Parmesan to serve.

Giving credit where credit is due, the Lemon Orzo Primavera photo is from an allrecipe user named SunnyBryd. The Crunchy Chicken Salad photo is from http://www.tasteofhome.com/ I was too busy eating and watching American Idol to play photographer.

Happy Birthday Dad

2010-03-10T08:07:00.000-08:00

Today is my dad's 56th birthday which is bittersweet since he passed away a little over two years ago. Our relationship was a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs. I was a daddy's girl as a young child, thought he was a complete idiot as a teen, couldn't understand him as a young adult, and grew to accept him as I grew older. With all of this, I always loved him and he loved me. I wish the rollercoaster would have lasted longer but such is life. You never know what is coming up next or how long it is going to last so you better enjoy it while you can. In the end, it is the memories that you will cherish most so take time to pay attention. I love you dad and miss you lots. Happy Birthday!

Some things about my dad...

He loved Blue Plate Mayo. He would eat on black eye peas, bologna, turkey, spaghetti, and even just have a "Man-aise Sandwich".

His nickname was Possum. I am not sure why this was. I asked him once and don't remember him really explaining it. He just laughed and said it was just his nickname.

Some quotes that I found interesting....

"My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn." -- Louis Adamic

"It doesn't matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was. "
-- Anne Sexton

"Parents are often so busy with the physical rearing of children that they miss the glory of parenthood, just as the grandeur of the trees is lost when raking leaves."
--Marcelene Cox

Playing with Textures

2010-03-05T08:47:00.000-08:00

Today I have decided to practice adding textures to my photos using Photoshop. I snapped this photo of Evie playing in the yard one afternoon this week.

The original's background is pretty blown out since I thought it more important to get a good exposure on her rather than the sky. If I hadn't Evie would have been dark and the sky nice and blue. Can you tell I am learning lots about exposure control? At least I am trying!

In the photoshopped photo, I added two textures, the blue and the green. I masked off areas I didn't want to have the textures and just generally fooled around until I got something I was happy with. Is it perfect? Not at all but not bad for a first try. What do you think? You might prefer the original? That is okay. I like it too!

Zeke's photo was actually taken by my husband, Scott. I love this photo and thought it would be a great one to add texture to as well. I chose a golden texture to give it that sunwashed look. What do you think?

Hoping to learn even more, I ran across another great blog, http://betterinbulk.net/ , and thought you might like to take a look as well. Today she is hosting a linky titled "Give Me Your Best Shot". Each participant uploads a favorite that they shot this week so that all viewers can learn from each other or just enjoy. Do you have a favorite you would like to share? Use this button to hop on over....

Hosted by Cecily and ???

SCORE!!!!

2010-03-04T07:37:00.000-08:00

Score from a Thursday's yardsale! First thing I noticed was something I have been wanting since way back in 2001. I spotted it and it's "Make Offer" tag right away. I am horrible at haggling or even making offers so I just asked his price. He said it was in great condition, very rare to find, and works wonderfully so what about $20. My mind immediately screamed, "Sold!!!", but I waited. (Just like you...Bwa Ha Ha)

I looked around some more and actually found another find, a lamp for $3.

I can't remember the style of this lamp so if someone could refresh my memory, please do. I bought it for ds's room I am redecorating but my younger daughter said it is too girly and she should have it. LOL. Do you think it is too feminine? Would a shade boost its masculinity or at least make it gender neutral? If so, what kind of shade? Nathan, age 10, wanted to get rid of his bright orange walls with bigger than life size superheros painstakenly painted by mom. Boo hoo! Now he has his headboard wall in deep maroon, two side walls in dark gray, and the tv/game wall is chalkboard. I haven't finished yet but I like the way it is looking. It is a very masculine room especially with his dresser being a metal tool storage unit meant for utility rooms. I almost think it could use a touch of feminity. LOL. Anyway, I would love to hear your thoughts but I digress....

So what was my big Score? It is a vintage hanging scale.

As I stated, I have wanted one since back in 2001 and over the years have looked locally, ebay, goodwill, etsy, etc and just didn't find one in my price range. If they work and are in great condition, they can get pretty costly. Once I found one for $80 but I just couldn't justify it at the time. So after walking around, I came back to the scale, with lamp in hand, and asked if he would take $15. He said sure. I probably could have went lower but as I said, I am horrible at pricing. I don't have yardsales myself for this reason. So I got the lamp and the scale for $18!!!!!!

What am I going to do with it? I am hanging it in my kitchen as a produce scale to store well...produce! I didn't notice until taking pictures but the side is actually a dark blue and the back is a teal. (which oddly enough doesn't come through in the photos.) My kitchen pew is teal. Meant to be!

What do you think? Didn't I do good!

Frozen Thoughts

2010-03-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

"A little kingdom I possess, where thoughts and feelings dwell; And very hard the task I find of governing it well."
- Louisa May Alcott

"No soul is desolate as long as there is a human being for whom it can feel trust and reverence."
-George Eliot

I Heart Faces...Hilarious Outtakes

2010-03-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

Even though I didn't win last week's "I Heart Faces" competition, I am not going to give up. I love this week's topic even more, "Hilarious Outtakes." Having five kids of my own, I have so much to choose from. (Of course, I would have even more, shots not kids, if I knew how to photograph well.) Add my wacky friends and family and boy do I have choices. Of course, my friends may not be my friends anymore if I post some of their wacky shots. Who cares, if I win, right? LOL. Are you scared yet?

CC's first time riding the waves

No idea how I managed this picture. I took it on auto and somehow when Evie spit out the cola, it looked more like a gummy worm.

Boots $20...Boxers $7.99....Redneck Peyton playing in the mud...Priceless!!!

Annie and Popeye Evie...

Bath's Free....Soap 5cents

To see more Hilarious Outtakes, pop on over to http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/ Who knows you may even have your own photos to enter. Of course, you better not beat me. LOL.

Tennyson

2010-02-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

For Valentine's Day this year I bought each of my children a book along with candy. Honestly, I worried that the kids would groan and moan but I was pleasantly suprised. Not a groan or moan among all five. For my teenage daughter I purchased "Tennyson" by Lesley M.M. Blume.

At first glance, the cover grabbed me, but it was the inside that held tight. I have always had an affinity for plantations and Old Southern charm. However, this book wasn't anything like I expected. I agree it is haunting which is usually not something I would love but I do. I loved the entire story, especially the house being its own character. I have always felt that old homes have a "soul" to speak. If only they could talk. Well, Lesley Blume gives this one a voice. I love it! Speaking of characters, they were so unpredictable. Or maybe I should say my feelings for them were unpredictable like riding a roller coaster. Some times it was just what I thought, turn the corner and I am loving it, dipping down into dislike, and finally so glad to experience it. Originally I hated the abrupt ending of the book but somehow I love it for that too. Leslie Blume took an unusual ending and twisted it until it became the most predictable and perfect ending to a very interesting tale. Beginning to end....a fabulous read! Highly recommend!!!

Taken from the authors (Leslie M.M. Bloome site)....

"Brilliant, unusual writing." Chicago Tribune

"This book is so haunting, so carefully detailed, and so wonderfully written, we dare you not to recommend it to everyone you know." Powell's Books

Its 1932, the Depression.

Things are evening out among people everywhere...

Fresh eggs are a luxury. Diamonds are a dream from another world.

On the banks of the Mississippi River, Tennyson Fontaine and her sister, Hattie, play endless games of hide-and-seek and make up fantastical stories about the latest adventures of their wild dog, Jos. But when their mother doesn’t come home and their father sets off to find her, the sisters are whisked away to Aigredoux, the once-grand plantation of their ancestors, now in ruin.

Caught in a strange web of time, dreams, and history, Tennyson comes up with a plan to shine light on Aigredoux’s past and bring her mother home. But like so many plans, Tennyson’s has unexpected consequences. . . .

Lesley M. M. Blume weaves a heartbreakingly evocative story, steeped in Southern lore, about a child’s struggle to come to terms with her family’s dark past.

I Heart Faces

2010-02-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

I am trying to enter a photo competition on I Heart Faces. It really is a great site to browse if you love looking at awesome photos and also if you like to compete. Both professionals, which I am not, and beginners, definitely fall into this catagory, can enter the competitions. Check it out at http://www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com/

This weeks topic is "Hands On Fun". I decided to post one that I took recently at the New Orleans Zulu Mardi Gras Parade. The hands in the foreground are my daughter's, son's and friend's. I don't really expect this to win but what does it hurt to try?

So......How well can you scream.....

"THROW ME SOMETHIN, MISTER!!!

Meet Lola

2010-01-12T08:36:00.001-08:00

We decided to adopt a new puppy, Lola, a beagle/amstaff mix. She was born October 30,2009 and is really small, only 4lbs.

The vet says she appears more beagle than anything and will only weigh approx 25lbs tops. She is now crate trained and her housebreaking is coming along nicely.At first our great Pyrenees, Abbey, was not too sure about her and honestly sometimes still isn't but I can see her warming up to Lola. I actually saw Abbey play with her a little which is a big plus considering Abbey doesn't play. Abs is a great family dog but so far has preferred to be near the family rather than participate. Maybe Lola will bring out the inner pup in Abbey. If not, we are happy to have both. Yesterday I was decided to take pictures of Lola while the kids were walking Abbey. (I need to take some of Abs.) I can't decide which is my favorite. Definitely a fun way to break in my new camera.

Oh, did I mention that Scott bought me a new camera with interchangeable lenses for Christmas. It is a Pentax K-x which is fabulous. He also signed me up for digital photography lessons so I will be able to work it. Right now I am primarily using auto focus and it is still making me feel like a photog. Just look at the pics for proof. Ain't I lucky, great camera, great new dog, great kids, great old dog, oh...I guess I should add pretty great hubby too! Thanks Scott!

Finally!

2009-12-11T05:39:00.000-08:00

I am FINALLY back online! I have had major computer problems lately and in the true spirit of longramblings, I am going to fill you in. LOL! First my computer got a virus that truly messed up everything. From time to time I could use it but it was difficult! Ultimately, the 'puter locked up. Dh was able to get it running again, for a day. After the second crash, he decided to buy a new computer. Not really something I wanted to spend our Christmas money on but I can't be without one. Dh brought home a new, super fast computer and it was so nice until it crashed! Yep, crashed I said. He worked on it all night and finally thought it was working only to have it to crash yet again. Angry now, he took it back to the store and told them to fix whatever was wrong with it. I picked it up and he installed it that night. Crash! Dh took it back to the store and got a new computer, brought it home, and installed it. Installation didn't go quite right but it worked. Yeah! He "played" online for a while and it was working great. Then he left to go to work and I typed in one address and it CRASHED! Can you believe it?! I called him and he turned around and figured out it must be the wireless adapter thingy. LOL. He took it back to the store and got his money back. That night he climbed in the attic and ran the cable to our office installing it directly into the computer. Works like a charm! Seems it was that all along. I can't believe it! I am happy that it is now over with and I am online once again but I can't believe it was such a hassle.

Best Recipes Ever..

2009-11-19T07:48:00.000-08:00

I know I am always saying I found the best recipes but this time it is true. These recipes are so simple, quick, inexpensive, healthy, and just great tasting. Even though it is simple, it has restaurant quality.

Honestly, all 7 of my family loved them. Yes, even my 8mo old son. Annie, 8yrs, asked for seconds of the polenta and Nate, age 10 asked to have it again tonight. This coming from kids who hate to try new recipes and hate leftovers even more! My teen didn't say much, whats new, but she said it was good and made a "happy plate." Biggest shocker of all, dh loved it! He even asked if I could make both for his office for Thanksgiving. For those that don't know us, dh is a big meat eater, dislikes squash and don't even get me started on spinach. (One of our biggest food fights was when I made lasagna rolls with spinach at the beginning of our marriages. LOL) Dh also hates aromatic spices, like rosemary and thyme, which is in the recipe. I on the other hand love spinach and winter squash was up in the air. I have been looking for the "right" recipe for years now and just knew I should like it if only....I finally found it!!!!

Okay, enough rambling...On to the recipes....

Herb Roasted Butternut Squash and Sausage

1 large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 lb chicken sausage (I used mozzarella and artichoke chicken sausages)
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, sliced thinly or diced
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp sage
1 1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.Combine squash, onions,sausages, garlic, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and sage in baking pan.
3. Toss to coat with oil.
4.Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Roast until tender, approx. 30 min.
6. Drizzle with vinegar and serve. ( I forgot this step but read it really adds to the dish.)

Baked Cheese and Spinach Polenta

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 pkg frozen spinach thawed

14.5 oz chicken broth ( I used veg. broth since I had it on hand)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup yellow cornmeal (not mix)
1 T butter
3 T grated Parmesan
1 cup mozzarella
1/3 - 1/2 cup sour cream

1.Heat oil in skillet. Add garlic and spinach and cook til heated through and garlic is browned.

2.Preheat oven to 400degrees. Spray baking dish with pam.

3. Combine broth, water and salt in boiler and bring to boil.

4. Reduce to med.-low heat and SLOWLY drizzle in cornmeal.

5. WHISK continuously!!

6. Cook, whisking, until consistency of mashed potatoes, approx. 5 min.

7. Whisk in 2 Tbsp Parmesan, butter, and mozzarella cheese.

8. Spread half of polenta in baking dish.

9. Spoon on spinach and spread out.

10. Drop on small spoonfuls of sour cream and spread out.

11. Spoon on remaining polenta and spread.

12. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese. (May be refrigerated at this point for 24 hrs)

13. Bake for 20-30 min. or until golden brown. Don't overcook. It is supposed to be soft inside.

Btw, the original polenta recipe called for swiss chard but I couldn't find any.

Love Sissy

2009-11-12T04:43:00.000-08:00

My mom and dad, Anne and Jim with me.

Last night I made chicken and dumplins with cornbread for a dear friend of mine that lost her dad this past week. I know my cooking won't make things all better but if it gives her family time to rest, I am happy. I know just how tiring it can be to go through the death of your dad. My dad died two years ago November 2nd at the young age of 53. Of course my friend was asked the same questions that I was asked. Was it expected? Were you close? Even I asked those to her knowing the answers are never as simple as you want or need them to be.

My dad had polio as a child and was hospitalized much of his young life. Polio ultimately left him with a crippled leg and a noticeable limp for the rest of his life. I wish I would have asked him more questions about it. You see, it was just a part of him so I never really asked but rather accepted it was polio, end of story. It is funny because now I as I study the vaccines for my children, I read how polio is a thing of the past that "our generation" doesn't remember how devestating it was. It is true even for me. I never really took the time to find out about this side of him even though now as an adult I can see it shaped his life. I guess I always thought I could ask later if it ever came to mind at all.

Farmer Jim September '66

Even though my dad had polio and a sizeable difference in his leg length, he managed to play high school ball. I knew this growing up but really brushed it off as "so what." KIDS! Even as a young adult, I figured he was the football player that didn't get to play much or the one they "let" on the team out of symphathy. I mean how can a boy really play football that limps so badly. After dad passed, so many have come to me and told me they played football with him and he was really good. Several have said there was a wildness about him and that he could hit harder than any other player. Who knew?

School age Jim....wish I knew when this was.

I knew my dad was strong in a wild way. He wasn't a big man, only 5'7" at best but did have wide shoulders and "canons" for arms. Back before I was born, he would arm wrestle down at the Mug N Cone for cash. LOL. I have yet to meet anyone that has ever beat him, even my dh. My Scott was a cocky fellow when we were dating and one day my dad asked him to arm wrestle. It had been years since my dad had really done it and Scott didn't know the history really. Scott was strong too and even won arm wrestling competitions even after we were married. Of course,that didn't help him this day. My dad didn't beat him like a normal competitor either. He toyed with him. Playing like he was loosing, then bouncing up, down, up, all for his girlfriend, to see. Scott still gets a little red faced about this to this day. Don't you honey? Later Scott and a friend, Barry, tried to get his dad, Pastor Tommy, to arm wrestle my dad. My dad would happily do it but not so for 6'5" (min.) 300+lbs Pastor Tommy. The boys told him that he was challenged and you have to take on a challenge. His reply,"That is the difference in men and boys. Boys think they have to take a challenge/dare but men know better." Guess Scott wasn't a man yet. LOL...okay, I will lay off honey. LOVE YOU!

I have a few more stories about my dad and a few more memories but sadly not near enough. I am told I was a daddy's girl for a long time as a child.

Dad and Sissy (me) I wish this wasn't so messed up.

I know that to be true from little snippets of memories but sadly, it didn't last long. My dad was raised with 5 brothers and didn't really know how to deal with a girl, especially once I was a teen.This created a big riff between us. Looking back, I can symphatize with him but I know he didn't handle things correctly as a parent. I wonder if my kids will look back and think the same thing? I know each of us makes mistakes but some of the things that tore us apart were more extreme. Funny though, I don't really hate my dad for that. Somehow over the years (even before his death), I figured out that I could spend my time hating him and fighting the situation or just accept the things I couldn't change. Once I accepted him for who he was and what he was capable of giving, it was much easier for us to get back a relationship. Since I let go of the idea of this perfect father/daughter relationship, I was able to look at ours the way it was and go from there. That isn't to say that my dad didn't love me or me him, even though I am sure it appeared so at times. Just the opposite. I loved him enough to finally accept HIM.

You know people always say action speak louder than words. I hope so. I just wish I would have been more vocal. That is the one thing I regret. You see, , I can look back and see his and my "actions" as love. Him being gone, he can't. I wonder if he ever looked back or just knew. I know how most people looking in from the outside saw it. I just pray that isn't the way he saw it. I tell myself it isn't. I just wish I knew. I love that I finally was able to accept the true him yet I wish I wouldn't have relied on actions alone and would have said "Dad, I love you and accept you.
One of my birthdays with Paw and Daddy

I just realized, I have one more regret, that I couldn't say "Dad, I forgive you." before he died. I am not even sure that I can say that now. I don't know if I do or not. I am not mad at him for the things he did, don't want him to pay for them, and I can see why he did what he did. However when it comes time for forgiveness, can I? What does that mean? So many of the things that went on between us shaped me into the woman I am now, good and bad. I think I forgive even if I can't forget.

Okay, enough mush. I don't like to be all touchy feely so I am at my quota for the week. I will leave this post acknowledging that my dad and I had a unique relationship with lots of love. It wasn't all bad and it wasn't all good. What in life is? Some things he should have done better and some I should have. However, in the end, he is gone and I am the one that has to live with our actions. Overall, I am proud of our relationship and know we did the best we could at the time. I am still "Daddy's Girl" at heart and will always be. I hope he is looking down from heaven and knows that I miss him and love him. I also hope he knows that even though I am a "tough cookie" that doesn't "show" emotion much, he is in my thoughts daily especially at this time of the year.

The last picture I have of my dad, August 2006. L to R, Annie, Jim, CC (standing), Nate, Paw Price, and Evie. (Zeke wasn't born yet.)

LOVE,

SISSY

Dad and me beside his pride and joy. August '78

Back with a Rant!

2009-10-20T04:45:00.000-07:00

I would like to rant about something that happened at ds's school yesterday. Ds was visibly upset when I picked him up and as he was telling me what was wrong, he was trying not to cry. Being a fourth grade boy, he doesn't want to appear weak. Anyway, it appears that his teachers decided to do a social experiment to enhance their history lessons. I can't figure out if they are studying the civil war or the civil rights era or both. The experiment began with the children blindly choosing straws. The yellow straws became black for the day and the green became white. My son chose the yellow straw which meant he had to be treated like a black person for the day. The blacks had to walk at the end of the line, sit at separate tables from the whites, use a bathroom in a different hall than the whites, use the outside waterfountain rather than the inside fountains, sit on the floor against the wall rather than their desks, and at the end of the day watch while the whites were given treats/candy while they did without. Now this was done not for History class only but for the entire day. Today they are going to "flip" the blacks and whites so all the kids can experience the humilation and embarrassment. My son doesn't want to now be "white" any more than he wanted to be "black". He says as it turned out, his friends are the opposite color than him so he still can't interract with them today. Just as a side note, my son is the type of person that when told he can't interract or talk to another, he will not. The teachers have commented on how well behaved and obedient he is. He has never even had a warning mark in the two years of his schooling. He homeschooled through 2nd grade.

So now I ask why was it necessary for my son to experience racism firsthand when he would not have otherwise especially considering he hasn't been racist toward another. I thought it was a good thing that at his age and his generation, racism is not at the forefront. Nathan didn't think anything of becoming friends with the black children from football any more than the whites. I thought that was good. Yes, I want him to learn history but it doesn't mean he has to experience it for himself. Really if we did that, where would it stop? My ancestry is Native American and Jewish along with English. I don't believe Nate should have to experience what our N.A. and Jewish relatives went through no more than the non Jewish/N.A. should have to experience it. We should teach it as a way of teaching history and learning from past mistakes. Then we MUST move on!

Then there is that little thing of violating my child 's rights under the reasoning that you are teaching him a lesson. What gives you the authority? My child has the right to a desk during school hours especially if there is an empty one nearby. It is a violation of his right to take it away.

Oh, and did I forget to mention that his school is primarily white, including the teachers. Matter of fact, I don't know of any black workers other than the janitor. Nate's 4th grade only has a handful of blacks with none in his class or his switch class. I can't help but wonder if the teachers would have done this experiment had it been more like my school back in the day which was predominately black. I can't imagine a teacher making a black child sit all day on the floor, etc and getting away with it. Even if it was a learning experience about their history. I feel that the black child's parent would have been as angry as myself if not moreso which would be warranted. Also, I wonder what the media would do with it they found out especially if there had been a black child in question. I think the teacher would not have done this experiment had that been the case.I think it is just as wrong to do it to an innocent white child as it would be to an innocent black child just like it was wrong to do it to the innocents back then. Really what is my child supposed to learn from this? Racism is bad? It hurts? Or maybe now he will become a racist because he was forced to be humilated for a day because he is white and needs to symphatize with the blacks? You see this could very well backfire because now you have put race in the forefront of these children's minds and I am sure their parents where before there wasn't an issue.

The winner is

2009-08-27T04:01:00.000-07:00

Finally back online and can announce the winners. Yep, winners. I was able to pick up a second copy of the book to give away so there are two winners instead of just one. Wish everyone could have won though. I used random.org to choose two numbers to decide the winner.

The Winners ARE

Happy Nester

Rose the Center of Myself

I will contact you through email to get your shipping information.

Thanks for participating

Amazing Reads and Blog Giveaway!!!

2009-08-20T06:16:00.000-07:00

I have been in a reading mood lately and have read so many books. Today, I would love to discuss two of them.

The first is a children's book, Maurice Sendak's "Little Bear" books. There are several of them and we picked up "Little Bear's Visit" yesterday. My daughter loves it. It is a great "I Can Read" book. I remember as a child, I used to read this story to my kid brother weekly. It was his favorite!

Next is a book that I haven't even finished yet. It isn't because it is a hard read but an insightful one. I am reading slowly to have each nugget of information seep into my brain. Usually, I am not a self-help, Christian or not, reader but this either came at the right time or is just terrific. Actually, it probably was a little of both. The book is Max Lucado's "Traveling Light: Releasing the Burdens You Were Never Intended to Bear." Everyone of us have read or at least heard the Lord's Prayer but Max Lucado really breaks it down into a new perspective. His stories are not only thought provoking but many are also humerous. I don't think there is a Christian out there that wouldn't benefit from reading this book even if you feel you don't have any burdens. Is there anybody in today's world that feels this way? If so, even you should pick up a copy of "Traveling Light". If it doesn't help you then maybe you have a friend that you could pass it along to. Matter of fact, I am going to purchase another copy just to "Pass It Along" as a blog giveaway! Yep, I LOVE this book so much that I must pass it along to someone and I think that a blog giveaway is just the thing. If you would love to have your very own copy, leave me a comment letting me know. I will pick a winner on Monday!!! You are welcome to link to my giveaway using the Giveaway button. Good luck everyone!!!

Artwork

2009-08-17T10:26:00.000-07:00

Artwork to me can be anything from paintings to decorative items displayed artistically. Every home needs artwork! Hopefully it is artwork that speaks to its owner. It may be the color, details, story, artist's talent or any number of things. Many times it gives viewers insight about the owner. Do you ever wonder what your artwork whispers or screams about you?

Are you one of those that feel everything must match not only the wall color but also everything else in the room including other pieces of art? I am NOT! Maybe it is the Gemini in me but I can't choose just one style, color, etc. I have to have it all. Does it all work? I think so. I know it speaks to the type of person I am. What is it saying? I hope it tells you that I love things that are colorful and fun. I desire comfort and am a religious person. I hope it portrays my love of all things homey not to be confused with homeliness or homelessness. Of course, if I keep buying the later may happen. Just joking. I also hope it screams that I love my family! Then again maybe you are hearing, "Run! as fast as you can away from this crazy woman that can't decorate!" LOL.

The slideshow below is all of my kitchen artwork. For starters is a print, Enstrom's "Grace" which I love. Maybe it my southern baptist raisings, but I find it so inspiring. I have an oriental painting of a rooster that I found for a steal at a local antique place, dh swears they couldn't pay anyone to take it. I have always been amazed by oriental paintings and this is just the perfect combination of it and a country symbol, a rooster. Dh gave me two bistro prints by Will Rafuse years ago. I finally have the perfect spot for them. I love their color! The other print nearby is a fat chef on a moped. Maybe I identify with him. Nope, I don't have a moped. Then I have a collection of various plates, platters, bowls, etc. I love each one for different reasons. Next is my china cabinet which I inherited from my grandma. It is simple and quaint but just perfect in every way! Inside on the top shelf is the china that belonged first to my great grandma then grandma before becoming mine. The middle shelf is the "simple" china my grandma used regularly. Bottom shelf is my china. My mom saved stamps at the local grocery to surprise me with this china because I loved it so as a child. I was mad because she was buying the other pattern for herself. Christmas morning I awoke to my very own set and was so thankful! I was about 7yrs old at the time. LOL. Later our house burned and mom ran back inside, DON'T EVER DO THIS, and threw out some of our most beloved items. The china was in its box and even though she tossed it out the window 4 ft from the ground, it all was intact. Shortly after mom emerged from the house, the flames overtook and we lost everything else. Thankfully not mom! This china was sooted but cleanable and a reminder daily of how lucky I was! On top of the china cabinet is a wedding gift of my mom and dad's that she thought I would appreciate. It is the blue and white pitcher on the right. I also have a couple of blue wine glasses that belonged to my grandma. Oh, and inside I have an amber platter with the Lord's supper on it. It reminds me of a large tapestry hung above our sofa in the home that burned. I used to stare at Jesus and his disciples as a child. So many things, so much to tell!

Singing in the Shower

2009-08-09T06:40:00.001-07:00

I bought one of the best inventions ever and it has left me singing in the shower. Seems Ernie, above, already has one. It is the curved shower rod. Who knew they were so amazing? It really does give you lots more room in the shower. Great if you want to shower with someone. After seeing Ernie, it might be ruined. Does this help?

Hey, Buff has something Ernie doesn't have. No I am not talking muscles! He has a dual shower bar. I like the idea of having a place to hang my towel but it might be too much. I don't know sometimes having too much isn't a plus. Anyone have one of these? Come on I want details!

All kidding aside, I really do love my curved shower rod even if I thought it a silly expenditure at first. I love that even when showering alone, my elbows don't bump the shower curtain. It also just feels so much nicer and more roomy without taking any floor space. For us gals, that don't have the huge designer shower, this is terrific. Even better, Tuesday Morning has them for $19.99. The regular price on the box says $49. Great deal, huh? One of the best $20 I ever spent.

Btw, mine is simple, like below.

Kitchen Makeover

2009-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

I wasn't intending on showing you my kitchen just yet but I thought it appropriate since I am trying to win what appears to be the must have paint for my kitchen cabinets.

A Soft Place To Land, http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/2009/08/furniture-rehab.html ,is hosting a blog giveaway after using Caromal Colors for a dresser makeover. Her dresser is beyond TDF. If I wasn't inspired enough already, I sure was once I continued reading her post. I mean just look at the fabulous colors! Reds and Browns and Golds Oh My! Blacks and Creams and Blues Oh My! Really if I win, the delima will be deciding which color. I think I could deal with that delima though. So heres hoping I am the winner!

Now which one would you choose for my kitchen cabinets?

My favorites are the Cream, 2nd from left on top row, Gold, 4th from left on top row, and strangely enough the Blue, 2nd from left on the bottom row. I even like the Red, 3rd from left on bottom row and the Black, 5th from left on bottom row.

Oh My more choices.....

Now for my kitchen pics. I have already removed the ugly painted over wallpaper, removed the popcorn ceiling, painted the walls a lovely shade of brown and the ceilings a warm golden cream. The cabinets do look better with the new wall color but I think painting them would be fabulous!

The countertops create their own delima. Do I leave perfectly fuctional, albeit dated and well...blue...countertops or try to give them a makeover. I hope one day in the future to be able to afford granite. Do I leave well enough alone until I can get granite or makeover? I hear Rustoleum has a countertop paint now. I was thinking silver would mimic stainless steel? Or maybe darke brown or black? However, it could cause even more delimas if it doesn't hold up well. Opinions? Leaving the blue limits the cabinet color choice though. Uggh...hate not having the funds to do what I want immediately!!!

While I am at it.....take a look at a couple of my favorite kitchen items...

My canisters, some vintage, some new. I love the vinyl words.

Stainless Steel Fridge and Collection of Pitchers above

I am using two stainless steel milk cans for barstools. They are the perfect size for not only the bar but also the kids. My teen sits on the shorter of the two.

My church pew. It fits many kids which is a plus in this family! I like the color but am not "married" to it if you have a suggestion.

A rooster painting found at an antique store for only $5. Most hate it but I love it and the colors are perfect with the kitchen.

Last but not least, my cappucino station. Dh bought it for me for Christmas a few years back. Gotta love it!

Another Delima...what kind of light should I choose? I have a vintage light near the table that I would love to keep but I don't have to. I do however need to choose a new light for the kitchen area. Currently I am using the carport/addition light that we removed until I find something. I have these lights in the hallway near the dining area and wonder if I should get another of those? Dh doesn't like that the one above the table has a white globe while the ones in the hallway are golden especially if I bring the hallway lights into the kitchen. Opinion? Also, would you swag the light that is above the kitchen table over so that it is centered with the table or leave it as is?

Hallway lighting...

The Winner Is and Public Service Announcement

2009-08-02T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am sorry that I didn't get to post the winner of the giveaway on Friday. We had a minor emergency at our home. What is a minor emergency you ask? You may be sorry but I will tell you. Who knows it, it could come in handy one day.

Friday morning I awoke and was headed to the computer when I noticed our Great Pyrenees, Abbie, was being shady and guilty acting. I went to the new addition and sure enough, she had "used" it. My son cleaned it up and I, without thinking, got the bleach. I poured a large amount on the spot on the concrete and it started foaming and smoking. Using a mop, I mopped it up and opened the window because the fumes were strong. Then I went to my computer in another part of the house. After a few minutes, a thought popped into my head. Bleach plus ammonia can be dangerous and urine has ammonia, right? I looked it up online and realized it can be deadly. I decided to go get the kids and rush them outside to fresh air. Once I stepped outside, everything was so bright. I was really sick feeling too. I ran back inside to get the phone and call Scott who was ironically in a safety meeting. Feeling even worse, I called 911. They patched me over to poison control who told me to create a steam room with the shower. I was to sit in it for 20min. I did as I was told and felt better. The room had to air out for a few hours so I did what any rational woman would do, I went shopping. LOL. Actually only for a while and then returned home and watched the kids swim in the pool. Yesterday when we came back into the room, we noticed several of the walls had "bleached spots" on the lower portion. It wasn't splashes from my mopping or pouring since the walls were too far away. I guess once we left, the bleach fizzled/foamed and exploded on the walls. Who knew? Lots of people I guess. Seems mixing bleach and ammonia can create a bomb and according to several websites, the Nazis used this mixture to murder Jews. So you see, it is VERY DEADLY! Never mix bleach with ammonia. Many cleaning products contain ammonia so be very careful. From now on, we will only use bleach in the wash. I am so thankful that this emergency was minor with only the nausaus feeling lasting for the day. A good night's rest took care of it.

So now, I am able to finally announce the GIVEAWAY WINNER. Thanks to all 147 entries, I had my work cut out putting them all in random.org. and it choose Mabry's Gamma. I will contact you with all the details via email. Congrats on being my first winner! I would love to know what you chose.

Here is a picture of the culprit that started it all...Abby....

TMTT...Spicy Chipotle Lasagna

2009-07-28T08:26:00.000-07:00

I was skeptical of this recipe when I ran across it on allrecipes, posted by Lori, but wanted to give it a shot. I am so happy I did! It was by far the best lasagna I have made. Scott and the kids loved it too even with the spinach which is a HUGE thing. One of Scott's and my worst fights was over him not liking the spinach lasagna rolls I made back when we first married. It was so childish and is now very funny to us. Of course, it was all HIS fault!So don't be like the old Scott and turn your nose up at this dish because of the spinach; give it a fair shake and you just might like it. He did. Also, check out many other fabulous recipes over at http://www.blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com/

Spicy Chipotle Lasagna

1lb ground beef

1 lb italian sausage (I didn't have any so I left this one out)

1 onion, chopped

1 pint sliced mushrooms

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped (I misread and used the entire can. Don't do this unless you love really spicy food! One is more than enough.)

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 (15 oz) can stewed tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

1/4 cup fresh chopped oregano

2 (8oz) cream cheese, at room temp

1 lb frozen spinach, thawed and chopped

9 lasagna noodles (I used the entire box)

2 (8oz) balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise (Scott and the kids loved these too.)

1 cup grated Asiago cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

1.Cook and stir the ground beef and sausage until browned. Drain. Stir in onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Cook, stirring until softened and translucent (about 5min). Stir in the chipotle chile, tomato paste, and stewed tomatoes. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 15 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the basil and oregano. Simmer 5 more min. and remove from heat.

2. While sauce is simmering, stir the cream cheese with the spinach until well blended. Leave the spinach soggy, the water will thin out the cheese mixture to a sour cream like consistency.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. Line the bottom of a 9X13 baking dish with a sheet aluminum foil and lightly grease. (I just used PAM on the bottom of mine.) Place approx. 3 noodles on the bottom of pan. Spread 1/3 of the spinach mixture on top of noodles. Spread 1/3 of the chipotle meat sauce over this, then layer with 1/3 of the mozzarella and 1/3 of the zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the Asiago cheese and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers two more times ending with the cheese on top.

5. Cover dish with aluminum foil, bake in preheated oven for 40 min. Uncover, and continue baking until the top is bubbly and golden brown. 15-20 min.

Hope you enjoy and don't forget to sign up for the giveaway coming July 31. Use the gift button on the top right of my blog to get the information.

Sightseeing

2009-07-25T11:11:00.000-07:00

Speaking of favorite things to do, I love to take a Sunday afternoon drive to places I have never been with camera in hand just to see what I can find. The collage below are a few of my favorites taken along River Road between Baton Rouge, LA and New Orleans, LA. Since I am not a photographer by any stretch of the imagination, I photoshopped the pics until I got something I liked. Hope you like them too. (As always, click on the image to make it bigger.)

The red brick building is J.Supple's Sons Planting Company LTD est. 1897. I love old brick buildings!
Mulberry Grove est.1836 is the color pencil image on the top right.
The old church was without a name to be found. Its steeple is posterized in the bottom right corner.
On the bottom left is Nottoway Plantation. I hope one day to be able to stop and actually tour the plantation. Until then, the best I could do was this shot from across the highway.
Last but not least is a cane field with a gorgeous sunset. Fitting end for a terrific day!

Gotta add this photo taken at the unknown church in the shot above. My three babies posed so well that day for so many shots but this more candid one turned out to be my favorite. I loved that Nathan put his hand on Annie's head! The little aggravator...he gets that from his Dad! LOL. Left to right, CC age 7 (now age 13), Annie age 2(now age 7), and Nate age 4(now age 9)

A Favorite Hobby

2009-07-22T08:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite hobbies is reading. I have always loved going to the library and checking out the max number of books even as a child. I love magazines as well and will read them from cover to cover. Do you love to read? What genre do you prefer? Any recommendations on a great read or magazines? I will read just about anything other than horror. I get into books so intensely. When I read, I imagine every minute detail described. The characters and places become "real". I have cried, agonized, been thrilled, scared, and so many other emotions for so many characters. It is amazing what you can feel and learn from reading.

Today I would like to showcase a couple of my favorite recent reads.

The first caught my eye at the local library. Jamie Ford's "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" is an easy, relaxing read with a sentimental, romantic storyline and interesting facts about a time long ago. Without reading this book, I would have never considered what it must have been like for Japenese/Chinese Americans during WWII. I am grateful to the author for enlightening me. Other reviewers say it much better....

A tender and satisfying novel set in a time and a place lost forever, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet gives us a glimpse of the damage that is caused by war--not the sweeping damage of the battlefield, but the cold, cruel damage to the hearts and humanity of individual people. Especially relevant in today's world, this is a beautifully written book that will make you think. And, more importantly, it will make you feel." --Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“Jamie Ford's first novel explores the age-old conflicts between father and son, the beauty and sadness of what happened to Japanese Americans in the Seattle area during World War II, and the depths and longing of deep-heart love. An impressive, bitter, and sweet debut.”–Lisa See, bestselling author of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

Second recommendation is "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Okay, she gets one star just by being from Mississippi, my home state. LOL. Actually, she doesn't need that star for this to be a five star book. I found this book to be very interesting and thought provoking. I loved seeing life through the eyes of black maids during the 60's. I was fearful that it would be too one-sided and only show the "whites" as the bad guys but Mrs Stockett did a great job of being fair while descibing a time when fairness wasn't always the norm. She made me identify with every character while keeping the storyline interesting. I think this would make a great book club read!

Found on Amazon.com....

Kathryn Stockett's The Help is a wonderful debut novel. The Help follows three women in Jackson, Mississippi from 1962-64--Aibileen a 50-something black woman who has worked a a maid her whole life, Minny another black maid in her 30s, and Skeeter a 22 year old white woman who has just finished college at Ole Miss and dreams of being a writer. Desperate to jump start her writing career, Skeeter comes up with an idea to capture the experiences of 12 black maids working in the homes of white women. Skeeter convinces Aibileen, the maid of her best friend Elizabeth, to work on her project. Aibileen then convinces Minny, and other maids to join in the project, despite the potentially brutal consequences if they are discovered. As the women work to complete their book on a tight timeline from a New York publisher, the racial tension heats up in Jackson. Will they be found out, or will they publish their work and show the world the unique relationship between white and black women--where they are all just people--in Jackson.

Lastly, I would like to highlight a new magazine subscription of mine. It is the newly launched Food Network Magazine. I have only received two months but am loving it. So many times cooking magazines have too many "fancy smancy" recipes for the home cook but I found this to be a great balance. If you love to cook, I am quite sure you will love this magazine. If you don't cook, check it out and maybe you will start.

Reminder...Don't forget you can still join in the giveaway. Just click on the gift button on the upper right of my blog, above my followers, for all the information. Good luck!

Metamorphasis Monday

2009-07-20T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today I am joining in Pat's Metamorphasis Monday. If you would like to join or just see other transformations, hop on over to her blog, http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Currently, I am giving our kitchen a "budget facelift" and it isn't near finished so I thought I would show you our previous home's kitchen. It too was a budget facelift and I loved it. I always thought it had good "bones" especially with the fabulous brick paver floors. I also loved the flow from the kitchen into the living room and backyard. However it was so dark and dreary even with the large amount of sunlight entering the room.

Before:

Showing off the floors and dh's granny's buffett...

First thing I did was paint the walls a darker yellow, leaving the cute border 'cause I actually liked it. Second, I purchased an old, ugly chandelier, spray painted it white, rub-n-buffed the arms stainless, covered the shades in red gingham and white trim, and "eureka" a transformed chandelier!

While buying vintage things, I ran across this old rotary phone just like the one my grandma had. I learned to dial a phone on one of these back when you didn't need but 4 numbers. I still have this phone in my kitchen today. It warms my heart to feel the dial, hear the ticking of it going by, and the ring is fabulous! Reminds me of grandma.

Oh, and if you could't tell from the above shot, I decided the cabinets needed painting. I painted them white and added stainless hardware. It really lightened up the place.

The final touch was curtains made from fabric purchased from ebay. It was dated 1974. I loved the scroll design and cheery red and white color. I wanted an awning style curtain above the table and "faux" roman blind above the sink and on the back door. What do you think? I loved how they turned out.

Last but not least, my collection of vintage jars for the food staples most used. I loved the pop of green the frog juicer gave too.

Hopefully I will be as proud of our current kitchen's budget remodel as much as this one. Hey, I might even find room for a kitchen wall decal from LeenTheGraphicsQueen's etsy store. Of course, I would have to purchase it rather than have a chance to win like the rest of you. All you have to do is take a look at the rules by clicking on the gift button on the upper right of my blog so that you can enter. Good luck...drawing is July 31.

My Special Place

2009-07-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

For I wanted to share one of my favorite spots in our yard, my patio. Originally it was just sparse grass under a live oak tree with a cheap metal swing with awning placed so I can watch the kids play in either the front yard or side yard. Wish I would have taken pics so I could have true befores.

Then we had a stray black lab come up that we nicknamed Waggs. Waggs was a pretty good dog but he was strange. He would come and go as pleased and was always nice with the kids but would run away from adults. Where is this going you ask? Well, one day Waggs decided to dig up every brick in the old brick lined flower beds. He then carried them all over the yard. I had intended on removing the bricks so technically he saved me work. Way to go Waggs! Dh reluctantly picked up the bricks and piled them in the wheelbarrow. Each time Scott would put a brick in the wheelbarrow, Waggs would remove one. LOL. It was quite a site and lots of fun for me and Waggs. LOL. Later we realized Waggs had other issues with bricks. He would go to the bricks he placed and jump at them while barking. We realized Waggs had a screw loose.

After all of this, Waggs disappeared. (No Scott didn't do anything to him even though he thought about it after hitting several "missed" bricks with the lawnmower.) I realized I had enough bricks for a patio. I placed them in a basketweave pattern right on top of the ground intending on going back and building the patio the correct way, ie removing dirt, adding sand, etc. Before I knew it, the bricks had settled, moss began to grow, and I was loving the look. I needed it bigger though and didn't have enough bricks. Off to Home Depot to buy pavers. I purchased 12X12 grey and brown pavers to "border" the patio and its walkway. Mother's Day came and the kids and Scott gave me a fantastic swing. I ordered a 600lb limit hammock from http://www.hammocks.com/ Soon after, Scott got busy building the structure with help from Nate and Evie. (Is it called a pergola or arbor?) I then added sand to the cracks in the bricks and pavers, planted a strawberry pot, and added three glass tiki torches. For my birthday, a friend gave me three beautiful ceramic butterflies to hand on my patio. Perfect touches!

Along the back of the patio is a line of 33 large raspberry pink crepe myrtles. On one side of the patio is a large magnolia tree, which I didn't photograph, and on the other is our live oak tree. I love this tree. I have underplanted it with callas, hydrangeas-2 varities, ferns, ginger, caladiums, irises, hostas, an a sticky/pointy leafed plant that grows purple berries resembling grapes. This summer has been so hot here in Louisiana that my plantings are struggling especially the hydrangeas but it is still a favorite spot of mine. I can just picture it all big and lush once the perinneals have time to grow larger.

Now that you have seen my Outdoor Wednesday post, why not hop on over to http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ to see more!

Reminder!!! Don't forget to join my giveaway. Details can be found by clicking on the gift button on the upper right portion of my blog, above followers. It looks like this...

Pics of Addition and Giveaway Reminder

2009-07-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Finally I have a couple of pics of the addition. For those that don't know, we decided to close in our carport and storage room giving us 560 sq.ft. This allowed us to add two bedrooms, a full bath that is easily accessible to the pool and a large hall. We hired the building but the finishing work is all ours. We have all been extremely busy working like crazy and I am happy to say getting it done! So far we have completely painted all the walls, ceilings, and closets in both girl's rooms and the hall. The only room left is the bathroom. Next stage is the girl's cork floors followed by tiling the tub surround and installing brick flooring in bath and hallway. Whew, anyone tired yet? I know I am! Okay enough rambling...here is some teaser pics 'cause you know it isn't finished yet.

Annie's room is a gorgeous shade of blue, Farrell and Calhoun's Calypso. I sometimes say it is Peacock Blue and sometimes a true underwater sea blue. Either way, it is beautiful! The ceiling is Pottery Barn's Shaker Beige which has a warm, golden glow. Typically I am not a neutral person but I love this color! Her closet is one of her accent colors. I can't remember the name of it and can't locate the swatch right now. I will post it asap.

LeenTheGraphicsQueen, the seller donating giveaway prize below, gave me a free decal birdie. It goes terrificly with Annie's room. I placed it on the light switch and Scott made the comment that it gives a entirely new meaning to "flipping" the bird. LOL.

CC chose a color that I never would have imagined for her...Pink! It is the same color as Annie's closet, which I need to locate the swatch. For now I will call it Bubble Gum Pink. Her closet is her accent color, a rich, chocolate brown called Wooden Nutmeg (F&C). She really wanted the room chocolate but I worried it would be too dark for a small room. It turned out the best anyway I believe. The vintage chandilier was purchased on ebay for a song and once spray painted, yep chocolate, it was the perfect light! We also bought a ceiling medallion and sprayed it chocolate as well. Next came the beautiful tree wall decal purchased at LeenTheGraphicsQueen etsy store. It too is chocolate brown. Both CC and I love the way the tree looks now and know it will be even better once her headboard is placed directly below it.

The tree is bigger than it appears in this photo.

So what do you think? Off to a great start, right? There is still so much to do but it is getting there. Can't wait until it is finished so I can post beginning to end photos. Oh, and there are many other "suprises" in store besides the tree and birdie. Speaking of decals, if you like the ones I used and would like one of your own, why not enter the drawing for your very own?

donated anything, yes any price, from her etsy store. Entering is simple, leave a comment on any day's (once a day) post (1 entry), become a follower and comment letting me know you did (2 entries), OR best of all, post on your own blog about the giveaway linking to my site and Leen's shop (3 entries). If you posted on your blog, be sure to leave a comment letting me know so you can get your entries. The drawing will be held July 31.

Take a look at this link to get all the Giveaway Details in full....

http://longramblings.blogspot.com/2009/07/giveaway-details.html

Good Luck!!!

Giveaway Details

2009-07-13T06:54:00.001-07:00

As I told you, I have a fabulous giveaway thanks to

She has graciously donated one of her vinyl wall decals as the prize. I know they are the craze right now and all of you would be happy to win one. Just pop over to her shop and let me know what you would choose. She generously donated without a spending limit. How great is that?!
I will choose the winner Friday, July 31. This gives you plenty of time to rack up multiple entries. Speaking of racking up entries, here are the ways to enter...

1.Hop over to LeentheGraphicsQueen's shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5675318 , choose the vinyl decal you would like to win, and then leave a comment on my blog with the information. (You can enter once a day until deadline.)(This gives you 1 entry.)

2. Post about the giveaway linking to both my blog , http://www.longramblings.blogspot.com/ ,

and to

on your own blog. Come back and leave a comment letting me know what you did. (Your entire post doesn't have to be about the giveaway but you must have the links. You can do this once per day until deadline.)
(This gives you 3 entries.)

3. Become a follower of my blog. Be sure to leave a comment letting me know you now follow me. (If you are already a follower, just leave a comment letting me know. Of course, this can only be done once.) (This gives you 2 entries.)

You can do this every day until the drawing date, July 31. The more times you comment or post on your blog, the more entries you receive. I will use random.org to choose the winner.

Good Luck!!!

GiveAway!!! Teaser too!

2009-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that I am finally getting to my giveaway. I have a few final details to iron out but I know you all will like it. Please check back often. I will post it by Monday at the latest if not sooner. Be sure to tell your friends.

Until then...hows this for a teaser to our homes new addition? I am not going to say how these images come into play other than to say some are literal and some inspiration. What do you think?

Ideas File

2009-07-01T06:46:00.000-07:00

Today's post comes from my "Ideas" file and have been found all over blogland. I wish I would have saved them with the creators name but sadly I didnt. If you recognize any of these, please let me know so I can give credit where credit is due.

Easy to recreate using vinyl words and so charming...

Talk about simple but beautiful! The first is made out of inexpensive painter's dropcloth from a hardware store.

Love being able to change out the pictures without more holes!

So creative...This blogger used letter stickers to create the pattern and then painted it all white.

This is the most ingenious use of burlap that I ever did see. She covered all of her walls with it and nailhead trim. A great coverup to damaged or ugly walls.

What a great way to use an old frame! I am going to use this idea!

Love using "found" objects for something other than their original use.

Last but not least, she used toile on her vanity and nailhead trim around that. Beautiful!

Happy Birthday Evie!!!

2009-06-30T08:19:00.000-07:00

Today my darling Evangeline Hope "Evie" turns 3.

My baby is not a baby any more!

She is a character though. She is the sweetest little devil you ever did meet. Not to mention smart and beautiful too. I love her so much...Happy Birthday Evie!

Here are some of my favorite photos of Evie over the years.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Kitchen Inspiration.

2009-06-30T06:03:00.000-07:00

After checking out my great recipe, hop on over to http://www.blessedwithgrace.blogspot.com/ for more Tempt my Tummy Tuesday recipes.

A few weeks ago, the power to our freezer was accidently cut and I had to scramble to cook all the food that I could. I found two terrific recipes online that were good for Once A Month Cooking (OAMC) which basically means they can be frozen and popped out of the freezer for a quick meal later.

Tamale Meatballs

1-8oz box of jiffy corn muffin mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

2-10 oz cans enchilada sauce (or try the homemade Texas Red Enchilada Sauce recipe below)

1/2 tsp seasoning salt

2 Tbsp onions, finely diced

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1.5 lbs ground beef

2 cloves of garlic minced

1. Mix 1st 3 ingredients. Pour into 8X8 pan and bake at 400 for 20 min. Cool and crumble.

2. In a bowl, mix crumbs, 1/2 cup enchilada sauce and remaining ingredients.

3. Roll into balls and either bake at 350 degrees for 20 min or freeze for later use. If choosing to freeze, place balls on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer until hard. Remove and store in airtight container or ziploc bag until needed. Once removed and thawed, bake as above.

4. Serve topped with remaining enchilada sauce.

This recipe was found at Recipezaar and can be found by entering 285098 in search engine thanks to uploader, crazyladycelia.

Texas Red Enchilada Sauce

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

5 teaspoons red chile powder (adjust for amount of heat)

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons garlic powder

6 ounces tomato paster

2 1/4 cups water

salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt butter in a sauce pan.

2. Make a roux by browning the flour until lightly browned.

3. Add spices and tomato paste, stir until well blended into roux.

4. Add water gradually, stirring constantly.

5. Heat until boiling.

6. Continue simmering and stirring until desired thickness is achieved.

7. Taste ever so often and adjust spice as needed.

8. This sauce also freezes well in a ziploc bag.

This recipe can be found at Recipezaar.com by entering 42094 in the search engine thanks to uploader Mark H.

In the spirit of the recipe, you should check out one of my kids favorite books, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was also one of dh's favorite childhood books.

The movie will be in theaters Sept. 2009. Check out this adorable trailer...

Lastly for all you Decor Fanactics, a few Inspirational Kitchens from my collection, which I recently organized! Which is better a clean desktop/organized photos or pics of fabulous kitchens? Not sure,I will enjoy both!

Tourist Thursdays...

2009-06-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Currently I am struggling to get my blog readership up. I have toyed with the idea of creating my own Meme. I want to create Tourist Thursdays and have everyone participate but I worry noone will. The idea came to me after searching for something to post on Thursday. Not finding anything I wanted to participate in, I thought why not create my own. I love to travel but sadly finances always get in the way. Many times my traveling is either local, kid oriented, or via imagination so I would love to see others ideas of great spots. It could be either places they have traveled or just hope to one day. If it is local, they could "sell" me on why I should visit. The postings could easily showcase not only the places but also the people and anything else it has to offer whether it be artwork, museums, theme parks, antiques, yardsales...etc. If you purchased something while there, you could even show us where or how you used it. You could also post on "dream spots" if you don't travel much. Many times photos from other areas are great inspiration for decorating, artwork, or just dreaming. What do you think? If you are interested, please leave a comment and I will get this up and running by next week.

I created my first ever button to go along with the Tourist Thursday theme. I am so proud of myself! Most computer stuff baffles me so this is a biggie in my world! Trying it out...

I am also attempting my first ever giveaway soon. I don't have all the kinks worked out quite yet but I assure you, you will love it. Please check back often for all the details.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

The question for the day is...

What do you want to eat?

My answer...

A Big 'Ole Platter of Fried Green Tomatoes

Better yet...I found this photo on flickr...

KPaul's Resteraunt's Fried Green Tomatoes with Chipotle Shrimp

Both remind me of a favorite movie....of course....

Fried Green Tomatoes....A must see in my opinion!

Making my mind ramble on over to one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. I pull it out all the time for my downhome favorites.

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

2009-06-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Today I am posting one of my favorite side dishes for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday. Matter of fact, Scott and all the kids love it too which is so strange considering Scott and Nate hate tomatoes, Annie hates okra, and Evie hates "stuff in it". So when I can find something that everyone loves and is healthy to boot, I am doing the happy dance.

Now on to TMTT (check out more delicious by clicking on matching link on my blog's right sidebar)

Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes Saute

1 onion, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

1-16oz. pkg frozen okra

1 cup frozen corn

1 can diced tomatoes

1 tsp. sugar

3/4tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1.Saute the chopped onion in olive oil in skillet over medium high heat until tender. Approx. 5 min.

2. Add okra; cook, stirring occasionally, approx. 5 min.

Sorry forgot to photograph the okra. Use imagination...I know you have one.

3. Stir in the corn, cook, stirring occassionally, approx. 5 min.

4. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt and pepper. Cook approx. 5 min. or until thoroughly heated. Serve hot.

*** I actually don't use measurements anymore instead opting to toss stuff in until it feels correct. I love lots of pepper and little salt so use your own preferences. You really can't mess this up. ****

I served this as a side dish to a new favorite of mine, Bacon Lettuce and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta Salad aka BLT Pasta Salad. The recipe was posted by KD on her blog http://www.southernwhimsy.blogspot.com/ Take a look at her blog, I love following it. The direct link to the recipe is

http://southernwhimsy.blogspot.com/2009/06/welcome-to-3rd-summer-salad-saturday.html

Try it, I promise you will love it for not only its taste but also its simplicity. A meal in less than 30 min that everyone will enjoy deserves another happy dance!

Metamorphasis Monday

2009-06-22T06:43:00.000-07:00

Todays Metamorphasis Monday will be our living room's built-ins. If the living room wasn't such a mess, it could be my MM since it is quite different than its beginnings.

Clean=Entire Living Room MM....OR..... Not to Clean=Built-ins MM....

Sorry gals...NOT cleaning won out this week, especially with the mess from the addition going on.

Enough rambling....Pictures!!!!

This the before of the living room builtins...Don't you love the dark wood paneling, dark builtins, dark blue carpet, popcorn ceiling and no overhead lighting? (The light you see is a solar can light which I love btw)

First Step: Wipe the entire built-in down with liquid sandpaper....marvelous invention!

Second: Prime everything with Kilz white primer.

Third: Two coats of interior Semi-gloss Shewin Williams 7012 Creamy. It is really isn't yellowish at all but a nice creamy off-white. Creamy is the perfect name for it for it looks just like coffee creamer.

Fourth: I decided I wanted a little pop to the backs especially since I didn't have lots of "stuff" for the builtins. Off to HD to buy Glidden's Kodiak in interior semi-gloss. I would say this is a vibrant olive green which is exactly what I was looking for.

One Qt.=Under $10

Time=Couple of hours

Impact=Priceless!

Last: Reinstall the glass shelves...Add a few decor items....Opt to store the upper doors in the attic instead of reinstalling....Add new handles on the lower doors purchased from Ebay, of course,

And........

DRUMROLLLLLLL......

Isn't she a Beut, Clark?....

Okay I should have removed kid's ds and the remotes...

What do you think?

If this wasn't enough inspiration for you, check out one of my favorite blogs

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/

Or click on the Metamorphasis Monday butterfly on my sidebar to take you to more of this week's astounding makeovers.

What Ever Do I Choose?

2009-06-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

Since hardly anyone actually reads my blog, I am sure that I won't get many replies but tossing it out there just in case! I have a lighting delima that needs fixing yesterday. LOL. My electrician is coming today.

My new addition has a J-shaped hallway. Due to the hall's length, I need lots of lighting. BUT what to choose? I want something that is not too common and plain 'cause I am not a plain kinda gal. I want it to blend with the rest of the home yet not be too grown-up/stuffy for our kids. This addition has two girl's bedrooms and their bath. Please take a look at my choices and let me know which you like. Hopefully there will be one, if not, any suggestions?

First, the layout...You see, I would need 4 lights total for the entire hallway.

Secondly, our foyer and existing hallway light is similar to this one. (these lights are NOT visible from each other though)

Option #1....

Likes:It is unusual, elegant without being stuffy. Bronze is perfect color. Love that it isn't typical flushmount light.

Dislike: Golden globe...all our other globes in the house are white. Will this affect the amount of light put out? Will one 100 watt max bulb be enough lighting? Again there will be 4 total.

Too much with 4?

Option #2....

Likes: Not the typical flushmount light. White globe similar to our existing lights.

Dislikes: Too much with 4? Is it still too typical/expected? Largest and most expensive.

Option #3...

Likes:Again, unusual and beautiful.

Dislikes: Not sure about the frosted globe again. Too many with 4?

Option #4...

Likes: The kids love this one. I like that it isn't typical/expected. I like that the light can be turned where you want it but dh says it could be a problem. He says he doesn't like directional lighting...can be blinding.

Dislikes: Mottled finish worries me since I can't see it in person. Sometimes it can look tacky. IMO. Is it too different stylewise? Good for a hallway? Again there will be 4. Dh doesn't care for it but he leaves it up to me.

Option #5.....

Likes: Same as #4...Kids favorite by far!

Dislikes: Same as #4

Additional information: I was thinking I could use either 4 of these or a combo of #4 and #5. For the combo option, two of the bars at the entrance close to the nook, #4 in the short area near the bedrooms, and either #4 or #5 right inside the patio doors.

Construction Zone

2009-06-17T11:19:00.000-07:00

I am living in a construction zone and I love it! I love the possibilities. I just hope everything works according to the image in my head and on paper. For those of you that have no clue what I am talking about, we are closing in our carport and storage room which is off of our kitchen and washroom. We are adding 560 sq feet, two bedrooms and a full bath with an L-shaped hallway. I prefer to not have much of a hallway but it was necessary to have access from the pool to the new bath and also from the kitchen to the pool. Oh, and speaking of access to the pool...we are installing french patio doors!!! Beautiful!!! I am so nervous. You see, I designed the entire layout with Better Homes and Garden's Design Software so if it is not a good design, it is all on me. No pressure, right? Using the program, I was able to put in furniture to scale of my children's actual furniture to ensure everything worked. Not believing the program, I used chalk to mark out the actual walls but still hard to imagine. The carpenters are now framing up the walls and knocking out the wall from the kitchen to the new addition! I am taking pics of the progress but I don't have them uploaded yet. Will take some this afternoon once walls are up/down and post later.

Until then....I am going to add inspiration ideas of some children's bedrooms that I love.

Not sure about the bedspread but love the Mad Hatter Hat chandelier!

Cool Stripes...love the colors...

Okay so it isn't a Bedroom but it is CC's color inspiration for her room. She wants this pink for the walls and brown accents. I love it!

Oh I wanna Win!!!

2009-06-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

I came across a great Blog Giveaway and wanted to post it here.

http://

They are giving away 9, yes 9, gifts created by amazingly talented women. It is to celebrate Tip Junkie turning 2. I hope I win but even if I don't, I have found another great blog and many shops to spend $ at. Okay, so dh may not agree that it is such a great thing but what do men know? A woman has to shop!

I hope it works.

TMTT

2009-06-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend I found out our freezer was off. We are doing an addition and somehow the freezer is on a circuit all by itself and it was disconnected. We were hours before a softball party so I called all my friends and gave away as much food as possible and started cooking what was left. Looking for recipes that could be frozen, I cam across some great ones. This week for Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, I will post my children's favorite. My 2 yr old was sneaking into kitchen and stealing muffins like they were cookies. LOL.

Sausage Breakfast Muffins

Serves 48 but can be frozen and reheated in microwave or you can halve the recipe.

2lbs breakfast sausage

4 cups Bisquick

2 cups cornmeal

6 eggs

3.5 cups milk

3 cups shredded cheddar

1 can green chiles

Add spices according to taste...I used salt, black pepper, sage, and garlic.

1.Spray muffin tins with pam.

2.Fry, crumble and drain sausage.

3.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

4.Mix together bisquick, cornmeal, eggs, and milk.

5.Add drained sausage, cheese, spices, and chiles. Stir well.

6.Ladle filling into muffin tins, filling nearly to the top.

7.Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

8.Allow to cool completely.

9.Store in freezer in a large airtight container or ziploc bags.

Now that you have finished my recipe, take a look at blessedwithgrace's TMTT site to get many more ideas...

Animal Kingdom

2009-06-13T07:57:00.000-07:00

It was my favorite park even though it closes early, 5:00.

Evie's all tucked in the double stroller, a lifesaver, and ready to roll...

The day started out really nice and clear. Terrific since it has rained on us at some point every day so far.

First things first...meet the characters.

Minney Mouse...

Chip and Dale...

Bears from Brother Bear... they were the greatest characters. They really played with the kids....standing Annie's hair up in a mohawk, unclipping CC's and mussing it...funny! Just look at CC and Nathan's reactions...

Nathan and Mom...uggh...humidity!!!

One of the few pics of Scott and I

The Most Awesome Show Ever in all of Disney... The Lion King!!!

Deer Caught In Headlights..

Like Father Like Son...

What Is up with people in my family....strange!!!

Akuna Matata...Akuna Matata...Means No Worries For the Rest of Your Days....

Tree of Life...Talk about crowded...Oh wait, that is just our family...

Kilimanjaro Safari Tours is nice too. You ride around on an open bus and see the animals roaming free.

We ate at an African resteraunt which I can't remember the name but the food was great. There was so much to chose from. We all found something we loved and tried so many new foods. Can't wait to try to find some recipes online to replicate some of them. The decor was really cool too.

The Scariest Ride at Disney : Dinosaur.... We all loved it!

Nathan outside of the ride creating his own special effects.

Pics from Dinoworld...

More of our great pictures...

The coolest ride at AK...Everest! We got a fast pass but when we returned, the ride was broken so we were told that when it was repaired, our FP would be honored. We came back later and CC, Nate, Annie, and I rode it. We came off the ride raving about it. Scott took the kids back up and they were next on the ride. Then it started raining..and raining...and raining...The shut down the ride and had everyone huddle in the shops. It was pouring, thundering and lightening. We tried waiting it out but it didn't seem to want to stop. We decided to risk it by walking back to the car. We were one of the only "fools" walking out in the weather. Water was 2 feet deep in areas. Our stroller was even getting wet on the seats from the standing water. We raced through it all and decided to stop and eat at the Rain Forest Cafe. It continued to rain right up until 5:00 when the park closed. at 5 on the dot it stopped but it was too late for Scott to ride Everest. This was our only day at Animal Kingdom too. I feel bad that he didn't get to ride the coolest ride. Oh well, we will just have to go again.

CC and her Yeti from the Everest ride...

Finishing up an interesting, wet, sloshy, yet fun day with Flick at A Bugs Life 3D...

Rain Forest Cafe...Really cool resteraunt and a great place to get out of the rain! I found this cheetah print cowboy hat in a shop nearby and fell for it. I love hats! Plus, it helped keep the rain off my head/hair.

Magic Kingdom Monday

2009-06-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

MAGIC KINGDOM

Mickey's Street Party Bash is awesome.

Some of my favorite shots in front of Cinderella's Castle.

CC took the one of Zeke. Isn't it great....almost looks photoshopped in.

Mickey and Friends put on a show at the castle...

One of our favorite rides was the Winnie the Pooh ride. So much so, it was the only little kid ride that we rode more than once.

More Fun Rides This Way

Haunted Mansion

Buzz Lightyear Ride...CC takes it seriously. LOL

Cute and Relaxing Safari Cruise...

Monster's Inc Laugh In....loved this. By far one of our favorites. Zeke became a movie star. Mike said, "Wanna see something cute...a baby?" Then Zeke popped up on the large screens and everyone went "Awe". Wish I couldve gotten a picture.

Meeting Frontier Donald Duck

For lunch we ate at Crystal Palace and somehow I didn't get any pictures. Oh...I know....I had rode my all time favorite ride, Splash Mountain, in a new, never worn light yellow shirt. Well, I got soaked and the light yellow shirt then became see through. Scott met me at the gate with a poncho and I promptly bought a new black shirt while they went to the resteraunt. In all the commotion, I left my camera outside in the stroller. Don't worry, it was still there when we returned. I guess that is one way to get a souvenier. LOL.

I want to add if you ever get to go to Magic Kingdom, don't skip the firework show at Cinderella's Castle. It was so terrific. Not only do they have the most awesome fireworks but the castle changes colors and Tinkerbell flies overhead. We were worried that she wouldn't make it due to the wind and rain that day but it cleared off just in time. Annie couldn't believe it!

Going to Disney World

2009-06-11T07:53:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!We decided to take the entire family, yes that includes Zeke, to Disney World. It was a quick planned trip which only few knew we were going but it was lots of fun! I found our hotel online at tripadvisor.com. We stayed at Floridays Resort. It was super nice! Our 2 br suite had a king bed and two queens plus the sofa bed. It had two bathrooms with a walk-in shower and super huge jacuzzi tub in one. This is now my dream bathroom! As a family of 7, we needed the two baths even on vacation. The kitchen was large with a center island and a full size table in the dining area. The living room was nice too. We even had a balcony. We never saw the pools but they were nice in the brochure. LOL. Anyone that needs a great place to stay for a reasonable price should definitely check out Floridays. It is only 4 miles from Disney and near Sea World too. We paid $138 per night which we got straight from the hotel. Great deal!

We decided to pack our "Burban" Griswald style and drive the 10+ hours to Disney. Call us crazy but it wasn't so bad. With two portable dvd players, mp3 players, laptop, snacks/drinks, and plenty of bottles for Zeke, we were good to go! We stopped at the Florida welcome center to walk around a while and have a picnic lunch. It was nice! Scott took an awesome photo of the kids and an airplane while there. It is one of my favs of the trip!

Left to Right.. CC, Zeke, Annie, Evie, and Nate

We got to the resort late on Sat night. Sunday was our first day at Disney. We went to Disneys Studios.

First thing we did was go to a show at Disney's Playhouse. Evie loved it! She was so cute interracting with all the characters. It was difficult to get a good pic inside.

Meeting Handy Manny...

Even though it was pretty hot that day, we had lots of fun! Our favorites from the day were Ariel's Underwater Adventure Show, Aerosmith's Rockin' Roller Coaster, and Tower of Terror! Annie and Nate rode Aerosmith with me and were pretty freaked at first but later loved it. ToT was "beast" according to CC. We did the parent swap and fast pass as much as possible. Our biggest bummer of the day was the Toy Story ride was broken when we tried to use our fast pass and then it started raining. We went to see Beauty and the Beast which we enjoyed. We were hoping to catch Fantasmic laser light show that night but it rained it out. Oh well...back to Aerosmiths' RRC. Woohoo!

Lunch was at Disney's Hollywood Vine Play and Dine. It wasn't cheap but so worth it! Little Einstein characters came to your table and signed autographs, posed for pics, and interracted with the kids. Plus, the food was delicious! The salads were to die for! The salmon was heaven!!! I couldn't get enough. LOL.

More Shots from the Day...

After an exhausting day, we headed back to the hotel.

Fun or Frantic Friday

2009-02-20T07:04:00.001-08:00

I am not sure which this will be quite yet. Probably both!

First of all, why is it that some moms seem to always have it together? They can juggle everything and still look stunning! Me, never....I can either look okay and everything else falls to the wayside or get some things done and look like death warmed over. LOL.

Of course, I don't usually do myself any favors. Take this weekend for instance. CC, my dd, is turning 13 two days after baby #5 is due. We want to do something special for her birthday and decided to take a trip to the beach....4 hrs away. Not so bad, right? Well...this trip will include not only my family of 6 but also 7 of CC's dearest friends, an older sister to a friend, and one of my friends. My friend must be crazy to sign on for this too! I mean who in their right mind would want to travel with a group of 15 for four hours with only 3 being over the age of 15? Add to this that one of the "over aged" ones is 37 weeks pregnant and you must be CRAZY!. LOL!

As if packing for our family isn't enough to do today, I have to take the dog to the vet for a checkup and then board her, clean house, grocery shop for a few more things for trip, etc. Add to that....soccer pictures tonight for one kid, two soccer practices, a birthday party for another kid's friend...Then tomorrow two soccer games before we can even attempt to leave. Oh and did I mention washing and cleaning out our suburban?

Toss in the fact that when we do get back, we still have very little accomplished for this baby. The cradle is still in the attic. The bags aren't packed. Heck, I haven't even bought a carseat or a baby book. I have jotted notes about this pregnancy in a small notebook. LOL. I did buy a going home outfit for baby but don't even have a gown for me. Uggh! So much to do, so little time! Doctor says since baby is suspected to be quite large, size of all my other babies, and the fact that I have always been induced, I will be induced March 6 if baby doesn't arrive beforehand. That is only two weeks away! Gulp!!!

So you see this may not only be a fun and frantic Friday but also fun and frantic next few weeks. As long as I don't have the baby on the beach or side of the road, it'll be good!

TMTT...Shrimp Scampi Bake with Fettucine

2009-02-17T05:30:00.001-08:00

TMTT...more recipes can be found using the button on the bottom right side of my blog.

Last week I was craving Shrimp Scampi after seeing a commercial and had to find a recipe for it. Went to one of my favorite sites, http://www.allrecipes.com/ , and found the perfect one! It is quick and simple yet so delicious. I know it will easily become one of my "staple" meals with a side salad or steamed vegetables and slice of french bread.

Schrimp Scampi Bake with Fettucine

(courtesy Kimber and modified by Me)

3/4 cup butter

2Tbsp dijon mustard

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp garlic, minced but I added more...love garlic

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes (I added a cajun spice called Tony's but I love it spicy)

2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined

fettucine noodles

parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish

1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2.Boil fettucine noodles until done.
3.In small pan over med. heat, combine butter, dijon, lemon juice, pepper, and garlic. When butter is melted and everything is combined, remove from heat.

4.Arrange shrimp in shallow baking dish. Pour butter mixture over shrimps.

5. Bake until shrimp are done, approx. 7-10 min.

6. Serve over fettucine noodles with a small amount of sauce from bottom of pan.

7. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

***Fresh shrimp can be used but you can also use frozen shrimp. Just thaw the shrimp before cooking. We actually used tail-on, precleaned, already cooked shrimp and heated them through with the sauce. We couldn't find the others at our local grocery. It was still "All Good!"

Metamorphasis Mondays

2009-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Well, today has been off to a rocky start, doctor's appt...picking kid up from school...etc , but I am posting anyway.

My metamorphasis Monday is our masterbathroom's vanity. I guess you could say it is a partial Metamorphasis being that all of it is a work in progress. I have decided to start yet another project before the baby gets here, 3 weeks away. Granted I have my reasons/rationalizations but dh doesn't care. LOL! So I am diving in headfirst with our bathroom remodel. I realize that at one point in time our masterbath was top of the line and had alot of thought put into its decor but it has seen better days. Time to get rid of the yellow and silver floral wallpaper that matches the swag lighting and oh so lovely molded sink! Don't you agree?

Originally I wanted to tear out the double vanity completely and purchase new but decided to give it a "paint lift" instead.Using leftover rustic, barn red paint that matches the accents and curtains in my masterbedroom, I was able to make a major difference cheaply. Woohoo! The color I chose is Farrell and Calhoun's Roasted Pepper which is very rich, rustic almost barn red. Since I have problems photographing well, I am posting an online pic to show you the color.This cabinet is painted the same color and it is dead on for my cabinet color. Isn't it great!

After I got it all painted, two coats, and 3 coats of poly, I remembered some drawer pulls/knobs that I had leftover from another project. They are oil rubbed bronze with a rope texture. Adding them to the cabinet really pulled it together!!!

Bet 'cha asking where is the cabinet pics, right? Well here they are...Please overlook the bad photography. I promise it does look awesome irl.

Also ignore the very pregnant photographer...no matter how I stood, I was still in the shot!

This pic is taken from the masterbedroom and shows its color which I love but can't remember the name. LOL

So this is pretty much the entire Metamorphasis to date. However, it is only a start. As I said, this morning was hectic but I was able to go by and look at granite which will replace that lovely sink. Can't wait! I found two choices which I will post below. Both are great and have specks/dots of red/rust but S.C. is warmer and darker than the N.V.G. The saleslady preferred the S.C. but I kind of like the contrast of the lighter NVG. Both cost the same, are beautiful, and work wonderfully so I am not sure which I will choose. Got a favorite?

New Venetian Gold (lightest of the two)

Santa Cecilia (darker and warmer but also has more reds throughout even though this pic doesn't show as well)

After choosing granite, I have to purchase sinks, faucets, lighting, etc. I also have to strip the wallpaper asap! I am leaving the large mirror but am framing it out with moldings like Rhoda www.southernhospitality.blogspot.com Next step...install bamboo floating plank floor in our masterbedroom stopping it in the bathroom doorway and choosing a cordinating floor tile for the bath/vanity area. We have the cork floors in our other bedrooms and love them not only for the warmth, sound, softness but also because they are beautiful, unique, easy to clean, and show virtually no dirt! However they can't be installed around water. Still, I think I can find a tile that will work with it. Oh and if that isn't enough, I have to "gut" our actual bathroom to prepare the walls to be tiled. We tear it down to the studs leaving only the toilet and tub before replacing the drywall with concrete backerboard and tiling over the top of it. Gotta have the moisture barrier! So either I will carry the floor tile up onto the walls or have another tile choice. I guess this will all bring me to another metamorphasis Monday in the future.

Hope you all like what I have done and if you have any suggestions/opinions, feel free to voice them. If you just wanna come by for a little work...the more the merrier. LOL

Dh's Valentine Gift

2009-02-11T09:18:00.000-08:00

I am hoping that dh doesn't read my blog so he won't know what he is getting. I am pretty sure he doesn't and I will tell him not to when I talk to him later. Until then....you all get a look.

I wish I could remember which blog listed the site that I ordered the artwork from but I can't. If you are reading this, let me know it was you. Also, a big THANKS!!! Yes, his gift is art of sorts. LOL. I have a great picture of the kids taken on the beach this past summer and uploaded it to www. phokki.com for them to create an illustration. They can do so many cool things with it. Two days after the order, I received an email apologizing for not having it finished and they gave me a code for 35% off my next purchase. The next day, I received the illustration image in my email. It looks really great! I downloaded it to my computer and can do whatever I want with it. I have decided to have him a mouse pad made for his office. I have never used Zazzle.com but decided to give it a try after finding them connected with phokki.com. The other thing is zazzle has an option to customize the prints with text whereas walgreens, snapfish, etc did not. I am sure you can do this on a photoshop program but this was easiest. The pricing wasn't bad either. Hope it looks as good in person as I think it will.

So here is the Before picture....

Now for the After...Illustration Style...

It all started with a painting

2009-02-09T07:30:00.000-08:00

Followed by Maw's Chairs

I posted a while back about the bench, sweater, painting idea and how it would work out somehow. Well, I was partially correct. LOL. When I went to Hobby Lobby to buy foam, they had the most perfect plaid fabric on clearance. I just knew it was meant to be for the bench/chairs. I bought two squares of foam to get the correct size and enough batting to cover them twice to allow it to be smooth. The fabric, foam, and batting costs me less than $12 with my coupons.

I needed a board to staple the fabric to and knew dh would never get around to cutting one to size. As luck would have it, I remembered a board I removed years ago from the back of a cabinet in our bedroom. The cabinet belonged to dh's granny as well and now houses our tv which wouldn't fit until the board was removed. I "hid" the board on top of the cabinet for years and just remembered it. Guess what....perfect fit for granny's chairs! Using spray glue, I added the foam to the board, followed by the batting. Then I stapled on the fabric. It only took me a little bit of time and effort and I am loving the result! Attach the chairs and board/cushion and you have a rustic, old bench that I love! It is in the perfect spot to catch bookbags, etc and allow kids to take off their shoes. Plus it just looks great in this weird little spot. I wish you could see it in person...much better than my pics show imo. So it all started with a painting of Maw Clardy!

The painting of a lady resembling Maw Clardy...

Maw's old kitchen chairs now turned into a bench just for us....

Shot of livingroom which is a work in progress. We are working on getting the tv wires inside wall and moving the electronics on top of another of Maw's cabinets.

Another view of living room.

Whatever happened to the sweaters? I cut them up in squares and am in the process of buying more to make a warm winter throw! Currently they reside in my craft drawers in the foyer.

TMTT...Chicken and Dumplings

2009-02-03T05:51:00.000-08:00

TMTT...( look to the right of my blog and you will see the link to take you to more TMTT recipes)

Boy oh boy do I love some good, good warm chicken and dumplings! Nothing is better on a cold afternoon than a bowl with a slice of homemade cornbread cooked like grandma used to make. I know what I am having for supper.

Chicken and Dumplings

1 whole chicken

Water to cover chicken

1 Tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 cup milk

2 Tbsp margarine

2/3 cup shortening

4 cups cups self rising flour

1 cup water

1.Put whole chicken into large pot and cover with water. Add salt and pepper. Boil until cooked through. Remove to cool and pull meat off bone.

2.Add milk and margarine to broth. Bring to simmer.

3. Cut shortening into flour using pastry blender or forks until it is fully blended. Add 1 cup of water and stir with a fork until dough leaves side of bowl. If it is too sticky add more flour a little at a time.

4. Pinch off pieces and roll into small to medium balls. The smaller dumplings will thicken the soup and the larger ones will shrink down but not disappear. I love large dumplings while dh loves smaller ones.

5. Slowly drop dumplings, one at a time, into boiling broth mixture.

6. Cover and reduce heat. Boil gently for approx. 15 min. are until dumplings are cooked through. This will vary on thickness of dumplings. Keep stirred to prevent sticking.

7. Stir in chicken and heat through.

Grandma's Cornbread

1 egg

2 cups cornmeal mix (not Jiffy)

1/4 cup oil

1-1/4 cups milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pam spray your skillet, preferably a black cast iron one.

In a bowl, combine egg, cornmeal mix, and oil. Add milk to mix and stir well.

Pour in skillet. Bake for 30-40 min. or until golden brown.

What's Up Wednesday

2009-01-28T07:39:00.000-08:00

Today my post is going to be What's Up Wednesday. I have an idea. It will probably fail miserably since I am better at coming up with ideas than following them through especially when it involves sewing but who cares!

It all started with a great watercolor painting I bought at the Prairie Arts Festival in West Point, MS last August. It is of an elderly g-ma out feeding the chickens in front of a barn and oak trees. No sooner than I saw it, I had to have it. You see, this painting is so much like dh's granny, Plummie, that I don't think the artist could have painted it closer had she seen her and her "yard". When Maw got too old to live by herself, she went to an elderly apt. then on to the nursing home. After she moved out, Scott and I were able to buy her house from Aunt Nita. It was a simple shotgun farmhouse that needed so much work. We lived there for years before we transfered out of state for dh's job. Not wanting to sell the house, we tried renting it out but it just was too difficult over the years. Later, my mom and stepdad bought the adjoining property and trailer from dh's aunt and purchased Maw's house and land for a camphouse. Now when we go home to visit, it is even more special.

Oops....rambling too much... back on topic.....

Other than the painting's lady looking like Maw, there was an old barn/shed to one side of the house behind three large oaks. I love those oaks and the barn is still there. It is worn and weathered but that is part of the appeal.

We bought the painting and I had it matted and framed but didn't really have a spot to hang it. It has been lounging around here and there waiting for the perfect spot. Well, I think I found it! Right when you enter the living room is an ackward space thanks to the doorway and wall mounted tv. There just wasn't space for big furniture and the tv can't go anywhere else. It always looked so empty off to the side. One day, looking at the red buffett we have under the tv, I had an IDEA....

Since I love the buffett so much because it too was Maw's, why not hang the painting nearby? I did just that but it was not near big enough to "fill" the space. Bummer! A few days later, I had another IDEA......

I have 4 old, small, country chairs that belonged to Maw in the storage room collecting dust. I have always loved them but the scale is too small for our table and they aren't comfie enough to just lounge in. I brought two in and placed them underneath the painting beside the buffett. Almost perfect! I love the color, dark rust red, and the size/scale is beyond perfect. However, something is still lacking. I don't want people grabbing one of these chairs and sliding it across my hardwood thinking I am wanting them to sit in something uncomfortable.

IDEA.....

I want to turn the chairs into a bench. Not exactly sure how yet but my guess is I am going to get dh to figure this one out. LOL. I wanted to buy a bench cushion ready-made since I can't really sew but am not finding the "one" online nor in a store. So I might as well make one, right? I couldn't find the right fabric either. Gosh this is harder than I thought!!!

IDEA....

I have a wool sweater that someone gave me years ago that I would never wear but couldn't get rid of because the colors are so appealing! It has been tossed from one side of my closet to the other for years. If you don't know this about me, I am not a packrat! I can't stand to have "extra" stuff laying around even behind closed closet doors or even the attic. Strange I know. Matter of fact, I only buy so many hangers for all our closets and if you run out of hangers and need to hang something new, get rid of something old. My kids and dh hate it but I can't help it! So you see, the fact that I have kept something so unnecessary, unusable, and not wearable is so strange! It must have a purpose.....as a cushion cover! The colors are perfect for my living room and it looks great with the painting and chairs. The only thing is it isn't big enough to cover the entire seats. Uggh!!!

IDEA...

Since the sweater was washed/dried/shrunk before handing it down to me, I found out on the web that this is called felting. If I could find more sweaters to do this too, I might just have enough to make a cushion. Hmmm....off to Goodwill. Score for a few bucks I came home with 2 men's 100% wool sweaters, and a woman's 100& rabbit fur sweater. After "felting" them they are more the size of child's/teen's clothing but that was expected. Now I have to decide on a pattern. I wanted to keep the original sweater, which is striped, intact as much as possible but that may not work especially when adding the others. I figure I have a couple of options, cut all the sweaters up in squares to make a patchwork cushion, cut them up in odd shapes creating a crazy quilt style design, use the "new" sweaters for the back and sides of cushion and the old for the top creating two in one, or search for new sweaters/fabric to create a backing for the cushion. Got any suggestions? I have never done this before and am only a beginner at sewing so any advice is appreciated.

So in the end, this project WILL work out somehow, someway. I won't give up! It is meant to be!

Btw, everything looks better in person. My camera was being all funky this morning. Couldn't get it to take right. Of course!

TMTT

2009-01-27T09:31:00.000-08:00

Tempt My Tummy Tuesday time...(take a look at the button on the bottom right for more TMTT recipes.)

Roasted Corn and Shrimp Soup

Makes:
12 cups
Prep Time:
Cook Time:
Ready In:
0
Servings:

Ingredients
4 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 Tbsp sugar
4 total TBSP olive oil
1 lg onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tsp hot sauce (Crystals or Tabasco)
1/2 TBSP worchestershire sauce
1 tsp tumeric
Salt and Pepper, to taste
4 cups heavy cream
3 cups chicken broth
3 TBSP roux (recipe below)
1 lb of peeled, deveined shrimp

Directions
Preheat oven to 400. Toss corn with sugar and 2 Tbsp olive oil in bowl until coated well. Spread on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes stirring often to prevent burning.
In a large boiler, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and saute onions and garlic until soft and clear. Add corn, hot sauce, worchestershire sauce, tumeric, salt and pepper. Stir to coat. Add cream and broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 min. Whisk in roux and cook for 10 min. Add shrimp and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer for additional 2-5 min. Just until shrimp is cooked through. Dip out 1/2 of the soup and puree in blender. Return puree to soup.
A roux is easy to make. Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet. Once melted, add 2 TBSP flour. Cook over medium low heat until lightly browned.

Funny Monday

2009-01-26T07:21:00.000-08:00

(Please click on the image to make it larger!)

I am determined to have a good day today so I am starting it off with something I am calling Funny Mondays! I saw these comics this morning and had to post them for all you parents out there. Then I am going to end the post with a hilarious Evie-ism!Hope you enjoy and have a great Monday!

So this is the real story!!!

I thought I was the only one that had this conversation!

Now for the EVIE-ISM:

A few days ago, I was taking a bath with Evie playing by the tub as usual. (For your sake try NOT to picture that image! LOL!) She was pushing hard on my belly and I told her to stop that she was hurting the baby. She got this weird look on her face but didn't say anything. We have told her about the baby but she never seems to acknowledge it up to this point. Well, times a changing. LOL. I noticed she was looking all around my huge belly with a perplexed look. Then she said, "There's no window for me to see baby." Pause....look some more...."There's no door for him get out." I thought this was the most hilarious yet insightful thing any 2yr old has ever said. Of course, I didn't clue her in on the details but told her not to worry, her little baby would be seen soon. No admit it, you didn't expect that from a 2 yr old. Brilliant I say...beautiful too.....take a look at these pics all taken by my photographer friend, Tiffany. Her blog is listed in my blog list. If you live nearby and need a great photographer, give her a shout.

Oh and did I mention stubborn. Evie and Tiffany has this thing...Tiffany tries her best to take a pic of her and Evie does her best to not make it easy on her. This is Scott's hand making her look. Priceless. Btw, these were just quick snapshots Tiff took while waiting on our soccer team to show up for pics. Aren't they great!

YAHOO

2009-01-12T15:18:00.000-08:00

I am back online!!! My computer crashed back before Christmas and I haven't been able to have my online fix as usual. Talk about withdrawals. I have used my daughters 'puter at times but it was a hassle to blog with it. I don't have everything back up and running but we are getting there!!!! Who knows, I might just have a new blog post tomorrow!

TMTT...YUMMY

2008-12-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

Well, my computer crashed and is in the process of being fixed. Until then, I am using my dd's laptop. I knew this would be a great Xmas present. LOL. Speaking of Christmas, I just have to post a terrific, simple candy recipe that I made last week. I made 4 batches and only got to eat 5-6 myself. They do quite a disappearing act!

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg oreos
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese
almond or chocolate bark

Grind the oreos until they are powdered. If you don't have a grinder, place in a ziploc bag and pound with a rolling pin. Mix in the cream cheese. I prefer to use my hands. Make sure it is mixed well. Roll the oreo mixture into small balls, placing on pan, and freeze until hard. Melt the almond/chocolate bark according to directions on package. I used the microwave method. Dip the frozen oreo balls into the chocolate mixture rolling to coat evenly. I just put a few handfuls into the chocolate, roll around, then use a toothpick to pick them up. Place them on a pan and place in the freezer. They will pop right off when cold. Remove from pan and allow to thaw before serving.

You can use any type of oreos. I used regular chocolate oreos and dipped them into almond bark. My favorite was vanilla oreos dipped in chocolate bark though. I want to try mint oreos. You could easily add flavorings to the chocolate if you like to experiment.
Even though these look scrumptious plain, you can drizzle with a different color melted chocolate to make it even more outstanding. Or try rolling the chocolate in cocoa powder, powdered sugar, or even coconut. Sprinkles would be beautiful too. Man there are so many options out there. Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

8 things about me!

2008-11-14T05:38:00.001-08:00

Seems I have been tagged for the first time ever. I believe I am supposed to write 8 things about myself and then tag 8 others. Okay, here goes... (Don't forget...you can click the images to make larger)

1. I got married at the young age of 17, 17yrs ago, to my best friend Scott.

2. I always wanted to be a mom and my dream came true many times over. I have 4 kids ages 2, 7, 9, and 12 and another on the way, due in March. We also fostered two boys for a year a while back.

My kids a year ago Thanksgiving...L to R...Annie, CC, Nate, and little Evie

3.I am part Amazon or at least that is what people say. LOL. I was a 5'10" in 8th grade making me taller than most teachers and even my parents. I am probably 6' now but both of my "little" brothers are taller than me by a long shot though.

4. Decorating is my passion and procrastination is my problem. So many times I just head first into a new project and then fizzle before the end.

5. I love, love, love the oil burner and scents that a friend bought me last year for Christmas! She got it from The Body Shop. I am big candle fan as well but this is even better. It really spreads the scent around my entire home. My favorite scents so far are Satsuma, Cranberry, and Lemon Basil. When I want to fool dh that I have mopped the floors and scrubbed everything, I burn the Lemon Basil. It has such a fresh, clean, crisp smell!

My friend, Carrie...the best pic I have. LOL. She is so going to kill me!

6. I love to try new recipes and even cook but I hate to shop for groceries. This can be a problem! Some of my favorite cook books are Whistle Stop Cafe, Southern Living Homestyle, and my favorite...my great grandma's family recipe/cookbook handed down for generations!

7. Some women hate being a soccer mom but I actually love it. Up until last year, I didn't miss one practice or game of any of my kids. Now schedules are tighter and this pregnancy hasn't been as easy so I have missed a few. Thanks to friends and dh, I haven't felt guilty though. Still, I love going to my kids games! Too soon it will be over! Well...since we keep popping out kids, maybe it will last a while. LOL

8. Last but not least...I love living in "Carol Land". It truly is a nice place! My friends all say I have a great selfesteem which is easy in Carol Land. You see, I strut around like I am a size 2 because in my mind, that is what I am. I am beautiful! I have it all! I am tall, shapely (my mind's image...Jessica Rabbit), and even look better unclothed than clothed. LOL. I know it is called being delusional but I prefer to just call it Carol Land. I mean in reality....are you going to approach a 6' tall 200+lb woman and tell her otherwise? I think not! Hey...it is so great that maybe you all should try to create your own land! Guarantee it is fun!

Now for the 8 I choose to tag....

1.Carrie http://rookardbunch.blogspot.com/

2. http://paintergalscottage.blogspot.com/

3. Len http://worldwidetrucker.blogspot.com/

4. C.C. http://kickinitsoccerstyle.blogspot.com/

5. http://www.wearethatfamily.com/

6. http://asoftplacetoland-kimba.blogspot.com/

7. http://sara-mincy.blogspot.com/

8. http://cozypumpkincottage.blogspot.com/

Here are the rules of the game :

1. Each player starts with eight random fact/habits about themselves.People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.

2. At the end of your blog post, you need to tag eight people and list their names.Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’ve been tagged and to read your blog.Remember to come back and leave me a comment after you've done your "duty!"

Happy tagging!

Baby #5

2008-11-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

Since I don't have lots to post today, I thought I would toss out our current baby name choices for #5. We are finding this one very difficult. Matter of fact, we have only agreed on one boy's name in all the years we have been married. Since we won't find out if it is a girl or boy, we better be as prepared as possible. So you wanna help? Tell me what you like/dislike about our choices. Tell me your fav. and least fav. Be honest! We always catch flack for our kids names before they are here but later on usually people either warm up to them or actually like them. Either way, we choose what we love. We also try to incorporate family names. Each of our kids have at least one family name sometimes more. This time, we are trying to honor sides of the family that haven't been honored before.

My other children are Celena (pron. seh-LAIN-ah) Carol "CC", Nathan Christopher "Nate", Annabelle Scarlett "Annie", and Evangeline Hope "Evie"

Family names that we may use...

Ellie (Dh's mom is Nellie)(my g-ma)

Elizabeth (dh's g-gma)

Eliza (version of Elizabeth) (can be shortened to Ellie)

Claire (dh's gma that is special to both of us was Plummie Clardy...can't work with Plummie but Claire is close enough to Clardy imo)

Sadie (short for Sarah-my gma)

Miriam (another form of Mary which is well used in both families)

Thomas (my gdad)

James (my gdad)

Charles/Charlie (dh's dad)

Andrew (dh's gdad)

NOW FOR THE ACTUAL CHOICES....

GIRLS:

Sadie Josephine "Sadie"

Sadie Claire "Sadie"

Eliza Claire "Eliza or Ellie"

Eliza Josephine "Eliza or Ellie"

Josephine Claire "Josie"

Giselle Claire "Ellie"

Gabriella Claire "Ellie or Gabby"

Miriam Josephine "Remi"

Nolie (close enough to Nellie?) ?

BOYS:

Zeke Thomas

Zeke Andrew

Charles Logan "Charlie"

Charles Nolan

Logan Charles

Nolan James

Wyatt ?

Max ?

Lucas/Luke ?

Courtland ?

PLEASE HELP!!!! ANY SUGGESTIONS APPRECIATED!!!

Salute to all Veterans and TMTT

2008-11-11T05:50:00.000-08:00

First of all let me say thank you to all the veterans and family of veterans out there. Sometimes I disagree with our country's politics/politicians but I am always free to do so. This is a gift given to me by so many veterans both alive, passed away, and even still fighting for this country. I can never say enough thanks!

Please ignore the date on the poster.

Now for TMTT. (To see more great recipes, click the button on the right side of my blog that looks like the picture below.)

Years ago I went to Natchitoches Lousiana for a Christmas festival and bought my first ever meat pie from a local vendor. They were so good that I had to have the recipe. I searched and searched until I found one I liked. I tweaked the recipe over the years to get the flavor/spice I wanted until it is one of my favorite standbys! Of course, you can't beat deep fried but you could bake these, turning once during cooking. They can also be frozen for a ready to go future meal. I have also substituted crawfish tails for the pork and beef and boy is it good!!! I promise, you will love these so much that it will be worth the extra work and time! Btw, I usually triple this recipe and invite friends over to eat, and help with filling the dough while we gab. We always have more than enough and even some for later.

Natchitoches Meat Pies (pron. NACK-uh-tush)

Servings :about 12 pies

Ingredients

For the filling:

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

For the pastry:

3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons shortening
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water)
Veg. oil , for deep-frying

Directions

In a large skillet heat oil and cook beef and pork, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Dissolve the flour in the water and add to the meat mixture. Stir until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the green onions. Mix well and let cool.
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the milk. Gradually add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, working it to make a thick dough. Pinch off a medium size ball of dough. Roll out ball of dough on lightly floured surface until you get approx. 5" circle. Place about 1/4 cup of meat filling in the center of each round and brush edges lightly with egg wash. Fold edges together and crimp closed with a fork.

Heat oil in a deep pot or electric deep-fryer to 360 degrees F. Fry the pies, in batches, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately. My kids love ketchup with it. Yuck!!! Most adults like Cajun Tartar Sauce (recipe below)

Cajun Tartar Sauce

1 large egg
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon creole mustard
1 teaspoon salt

Place the egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions in a food processor and puree for 15 seconds. With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Add the cayenne, mustard, and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.

Kitchen Eye Candy

2008-11-09T14:49:00.000-08:00

I don't have lots of time to post today so I thought I would keep things simple. I have always loved decorating and dream of having a fab kitchen one day down the road. Until then, I save pics as inspiration. I have so many I can't post them all but I thought you might like a glimpse into my Kitchen Inspiration files. Click on any picture to make them larger.

Love the color of these cabinets! So my style!

Again...unusual cabinet color and gotta love the floor!

A red kitchen....wowza!

Simple yet so beautiful!

Wish I had a ceiling like this!

Two ovens...gotta love that especially when you have a large family. (Of course Scott would be more appreciative if I cooked more.)

TILE!!!

I want this brick archway!

Can't live in Louisiana and not love Fleur De Lis

Love everything about it!

Just a week late!

2008-11-07T08:30:00.000-08:00

*** Funny story at the end...be sure to read****

***CLICK on the pics to enlarge***

A little late but posting just the same! I love how my kid's halloween costumes came out, especially Evie's. Maybe I am biased because I made it. The tutu was strips of tulle cut to length and then knotted on a ribbon cut to fit Evie's waist. It was very easy. The bandana was fabric that I purchased and the shirt was plain black until I added my little touches, an iron on skull and lettering. The words are "Aargh Kiss Me Booty" I think it turned out great and Evie is by far the most beautiful pirate I saw that night!

Annie was Frankensteins bride. She found this costume online and had to have it. The floppy hat was difficult with but overall, Annie worked it!

Nate wanted to be a zombie football player. I was game given the cost of the costume...free. LOL. He already had an old football jersey that was way too big and we had lots of fun cutting it up. The rest of the uniform is his regular gear. However, he is definitely all boy....He hated the makeup...Itchy, tickles, Crackling, Etc. It took forever!

I wish I had one of CC. She was a princess but more the ballroom style than the disney. She went to her friends birthday party and my batteries were down before she left. I couldn't grab a shot. I think she took some at the party with her camera but I can't find it anywhere. Go figure! Will have to add her pics later.

Now time for the funniest thing that happened that night. Many of you know I am pregnant with my 5th and needless to say my belly doesn't like my jeans. Matter of fact, they hate each other. I did find some old jeans that were big on me before my preg. and decided to give them a shot since it was a cold snap. I pushed and pulled until whew....zipped! Dh came in laughing and said, "That poor baby can't breath!" "What you trying to do pop that belly?". ....I told him to stuff it....they would loosen up with wear, right. Hee Hee. I know you think you know where this is going but don't be so sure! I went outside to take pics of the kids and bent down on my knees. A few seconds later....I felt a warm, wet feeling running down my leg. At first I thought...dh was right....I popped it. LOL! Then I thought I know I didn't pee on myself. Well, I didn't but when I finally looked down there was my cat, Pearl, still peeing all over me. Who knew female cats could stand up and squirt pee like that! Okay, too graphic. Funny though, right? Needless to say I went inside and being already late for trick or treating, was going to change....into what....nothing. I couldn't fit in the other jeans! Darn CAT! I washed the upper thigh of these out in the sink, sprayed on fabreeze, squeezed back into them, and smelled cat urine the rest of the night! Dh swears he couldn't smell it. However, everywhere I went people asked, "Hey, did your water break or did you pee on yourself!" Just my luck! So I guess black cats aren't the only bad luck ones out there....sometimes they come disquised in all white!

Sometimes I feel...I don't know

2008-11-05T07:12:00.000-08:00

I have several things I hoped to post recently but haven't had the chance. I considered posting more of a lighthearted topic today but I guess I am not really in a lighthearted mood. Instead, I will post what is on my mind. The above picture is one of the only good pics of my dad. He passed away a yr ago. Due to some issues throughout our relationship, things were not the father/daughter relationship that I would have wished for. Many issues were mine and many his. Still in the end, he was my dad and well....you know. I wish I could open up more about my dad but so many things are either too raw or when I have it is turned around or not respected. I guess you could say I have learned in that when it conscerns my family, you must guard yourself against not only the family members involved but outsiders/other family, and even my own feelings. This I know can be a fault but I feel it is necessary in this situation. Basically this is the one situation that I have been truly alone with my entire life and it still is in many ways. I know many of you have no idea what I am talking about and I appreciate your even reading this. If you haven't stopped yet, feel free. LOL. I mostly just need to voice this. I somehow feel safe here. Somehow typing it and not posting almost seems like I didn't type so after several attempts...it is what it is. Somethings have happened that have made it even worse than I could have imagined at this anniversary and right now I am fumbling. I guess the best way to explain is imagine that all your life you couldn't wait until things settled or you didn't have to argue about this or that conscerning this person and then it happens. Little did I know death isn't the end, only for the person that dies. There will always be second guessing, whys/why nots, what ifs, accusations, you should have handled it this way. Then the entire thing of nobody even noticing that it has been a year and I am as much alone in this situation as I was in the funeral home the night I viewed his body. Anyway....Don't worry, I will brush it off and be the same Carol I have always been. Matter of fact, I guess it is time now to do so. Thanks!

I will be back soon to post a typical rambling lighthearted post.

TMTT

2008-10-28T06:22:00.000-07:00

Time for TMTT again.

This recipe comes from allrecipes.com. It was listed under the title of Clark's Quiche. Of course I made a few changes to suite us but overall it is very close. I loved that most of the things, I keep on hand, it made alot (2 pies), can be reheated nicely the next day and my family all liked it. Give it a try, maybe yours will too. Btw, some said that they even froze the second pie for a future dinner and it turned out just as well. I haven't tried it but will someday.

Clark's Quiche

INGREDIENTS:
1 pkg thick sliced bacon (ham could be substituted)
1 (10 ounce) package frozen
broccoli, thawed (you could substitute frozen spinach, thawed for this)
1 (8 ounce) container sour
cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms,
finely diced

1 chopped bell pepper
8 ounces Monterey Jack
cheese, shredded
8 ounces Cheddar cheese,
shredded
4 ounces Parmesan cheese,
grated
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 tablespoon dried parsley
garlic, salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Cook bacon until crisp (I prefer to microwave). Crumble and set to side. Prebake pie crusts according to directions.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onions and peppers until soft and translucent. Stir in mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes, or until soft. Stir in cooked bacon. Remove from heat.

3.
In a large bowl, combine broccoli, sour cream, salt and pepper. Divide, and spread into pie crusts. Layer with bacon mixture. Mix together Monterey Jack, Cheddar and Parmesan, and sprinkle over pies. Whisk together eggs, half-and-half and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over pies.

4.
Place pies on baking sheet, and bake on middle shelf in preheated oven for 45 minutes. The top will be puffed and golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes.

***Hint...to keep pies from spilling over, place the pie pans on a baking sheet before placing in oven. Much easier to clean!****

Not my typical book but loved it just the same!

2008-10-27T13:59:00.000-07:00

I love to read! I can read very fast too.Typically my style is Christian romance, historical fiction, and humor. Friday night while waiting for CC's soccer practice to end, the local talk radio was having a book discussion. You could call in with your favs and a description. I have been wanting something new to read and when several called in saying they loved the book "Twilight" by Stephanie Myers, I took notice. However, it was a suspense book, not my type of read. I found it at the store and found out it was about vampires. I hate scary movies and books so I set it back down. CC noticed it a few minutes later and said some of her friends had read it and loved it. There seems to be a waiting list for it at the school library and the local ones too. She asked if I could buy it for her and if she didn't like it, she could donate it to school and get bonus points. Always helpful considering she hates reading!!! I relented but Scott suggested I read it first just to be sure. I knew I could read it fast so I relented. I couldn't put it down. I started reading it Sat. night and I finished it today. It isn't a short book either! It is a simple read for me but still held my interest. It really wasn't scary or spooky like I expected either although there were vampire parts. Hmmm...wish I could explain this better. Lets just say I finished it today and immediately called to get on the waiting list at the library for the next in the series. They said it would be about a month so I decided to order it with 2 day shipping instead! I really l iked it.

Now, before you rush out and buy it on my suggestion, know that it is a great book but still a suspense/vampire book. As for readers age, it suggests 9th grade. CC is a little younger than this and I am torn about my decision to let her read it. The vampires aren't the issue though. However, it is more the relationship between the main character and the vampire. Don't get me wrong, it isn't too mature but right at that line and I don't want to cross it. You parents know what I mean. She is probably reading this wondering, "Huh". I would love to keep her wondering for many more years. LOL. I just don't want her to grow up too fast. Again, the book isn't too grown up, less so than many kid shows, but I just wanted to make sure to "warn" you.

Anyway, if you would love a great suspenseful read that will get you wanting more, check it out....

This portion of the book was taken off of Barnes and Nobles Website...

"Twilight" by Stephanie Myers

About three things I was absolutely positive:First, Edward was a vampire.Second, there was a part of him–and I didn’t know how dominant that part might be–that thirsted for my blood.And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.“I’D NEVER GIVEN MUCH THOUGHT TO HOW I WOULD DIE– I’d had reason enough in the last few months –but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. . . . Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of something else, someone I loved. Noble, even. That ought to count for something.”When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret. What Bella doesn’t realize is the closer she gets to him, the more she is putting herself and those around her at risk. And, it might be too late to turn back. . . .Deeply seductive and extraordinarily suspenseful, Twilight will have readers riveted right until the very last page is turned.