Him, Me, and our Three!

First Friday of September!

2011-09-02T08:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday Y'all! It has been a LONG time since I've joined Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragmenting. I am going to jump in with both feet and maybe get back on track. Ha! Me, on track??

***Since my last Friday Fragment, I've moved halfway across the continent. Big change! I miss Texas, I really do. I love South Carolina though! So torn...in a way, they are right when they say you can never go "home" again. Yet, here I am, in my hometown. Most of my family is still here, I know where everything is, yet it is different. Maybe I am different. More on that in another post.

***Man O Mine has returned (AGAIN) to school. The man would be happy if he could find someone to pay him to go to school. They say never stop learning, and he takes that seriously! So the other day he came in from school, and told me he'd seen something he'd never seen before. We've seen people driving and texting, driving and on the phone, driving and reading, driving and eating, driving and putting on makeup, but this one was new. He passed a lady on IH-26 that was driving and KNITTING. Yes, she was knitting what appeared to be a pink baby blanket. Sigh...what ever happened to just driving?

***The kiddos and I will kick off the school year on Tuesday. Princess is so excited, TT not quite so much. He is not looking forward to getting up earlier, and having to complete assignments before he gets to play. I am really excited about homeschooling here in SC. There are so many resources here! I found the most wonderful bookstore (it is like Wonderland for the homeschool Mommy, aisles and aisles of books in a metal warehouse building!), we've joined a support group that does monthly activities (field trips, holiday parties, plays, etc), and we even found a Lego Homeschool club! Each month we go to the nearby library with a Lego creation that fits a certain theme. We study the theme ahead of time, build something to fit it, and then present it. Then the kids get to just play with legos and each other for an hour. TT is so excited about it and the new buddies he is making.

***The move has been hardest on TT. We went from a neighborhood in which he literally had a little buddy in almost every house on the block, to what we jokingly call "Heaven's Waiting Room". Here almost every one of our near neighbors is 60+. They make for great neighbors, but not so much for playmates. TT has been missing being able to go outside and immediately having 2-3 friends running around with him. Fortunately there are the aforementioned clubs, church, and Scouts for him to get some good buddy time in.

***My sweet MaMa had a stroke about a month ago. Talk about a shocker. We honestly expected that there might be some health issues while we were here with one of the grandmothers (Man O Mine and I have 3 grandmothers left between us). MaMa was the strong one though, we didn't expect her to be the one. She is a tough one though, and here she is, a month later, and back at home. She can manage pretty well, but can not be left alone anymore. There are some balance and vision issues that make it dangerous for her to be alone. This afternoon I will be "MaMa sitting". It is nice to be able to sit with her though, something I so missed while in Texas. She does not really need anyone to do anything, just to be there. Please keep her in your thoughts/prayers as she continues to recover and as the family and paid sitter take turns making sure everything is safe for her, yet giving her as much freedom as possible.

***I love shopping. Have I ever mentioned that? Last weekend, I participated in a big consignment sale here in town. I was thrilled with it! For one thing, the majority of my things sold, so I got a nice check when I picked up the few things that did not sale. For another, I am back in the sweet Deep South, and I was able to pick up a couple of darling dresses for Princess. She is now the proud owner of two gorgeous smocked Bishop dresses (one blue with pink/green smocking and one pink, with the Carolina Moon and Palmetto smocked in it!). I also found her an adorable little halter dress in garnet checked print with USC embroidered on it. Guess what she is wearing tomorrow for the first Carolina Gamecock football game? OH YEAH!

***Following the picking up of that lovely check, I braved the mall with three kids yesterday. I was planning to just go to bath and body works for hand soap (when you have a child that does not always wash his hands, scented soap is a surefire way to know for sure!) and to a children's store that was having a sale (on top of a coupon I had). We hit those two, and were on our way to the door with bags in hand (success, 3 tops for each boy and 4 soaps) when Boom announced he HAD to go potty. We made a quick detour through Dillards to take care of that. The children's shoe section is right by the bathrooms, so we noticed a large table of shoes on sale. TT is in need of shoes, so we stopped, because I spied boxes of Sperrys on that table! They had the brown leather classic Sperrys on sale for $15! Yay! Of course it was hilarious when TT put them on, and said something about needing socks. The sales lady and I both immediately said "Oh no, you don't wear socks with Sperrys!" Once we explained that Sperrys are "boat shoes" he was very happy, he is all about beaches/boats/ships. We might have stopped by the adult shoes on the way out the door and someone may have purchased some adorable blue plaid Sperrys for $20 too, but I am not going to name any names.

Well I better stop for now. The two little kids are way too quiet right now, so there is no telling what is going on...

Is there anybody out there?

2011-08-29T10:02:00.000-05:00

Poking my head out to see what is going on in the blogger world. I haven't done this for months! A little over 4 months to be exact, my last post was 4/15. So much has happened in that time. We've moved halfway across a continent for one thing. I am really struggling with getting "settled". I still have things that need a permanent place in our new (to us) home, and we've been living here 2 months. I am finding myself to be more scattered and unorganized than I've ever been. This is really NOT a good thing. I am usually the one that keeps up with everything. I can not tell you how many times a week I am asked things like "Where is X?" or "When do we have to go to X?" or "When is X due again?". I am looking forward to starting school next week with the kids, and sincerely hoping the return to routine will help.

I am not going to make promises about blogging. I want to blog. It is soothing, and helpful. I just don't know that I can keep up!

Friday Fragments 4/15

2011-04-15T09:41:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday Y'all! Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragmenting Fun!

***I had a coffee date with my friend Kay this week. We actually scheduled a phone call for when I would be sipping my morning coffee (which I do after the kids are fed/dressed). Since she lives in the DC area and I am in Central TX, it is as close to having coffee together as we are going to get. We did discuss the possibility of a Summer get together, I am so hopeful that will happen! Since both of us are busy Moms, the majority of our conversations are via text and email these days. I miss the days we could meet up at the park, or at each other's homes, and talk for hours while the kids played.

***On a much more somber note, Man O Mine performed a funeral this week for a soldier killed in Afghanistan. The soldier was a young officer, son, husband, and father. He was well loved and respected by his men. Please keep his family in your thoughts as they grieve.

***The Boom has learned to dress himself. Unfortunately, he has not learned about the concepts of "dressing for weather" or "matching". For example, recently on a day when record highs of 90* were predicted, he came out dressed in brown corduroy pants and a green St Pat's tee shirt. Another recent combination was olive green shorts, a blue tee shirt with a map of the US on in, and red/gray striped socks. He also put cowboy boots on over those socks. I love it.

***Speaking of "matching", I recently purchased these adorable sandals for Princess at Target. The designer, Miss Trish, does a line of sandals for ladies and girls every Spring. Last Spring I grabbed a pair for myself that are white with starfish on them. This year I wanted to get Reagan a pair. There were several to choose from online, but in our store there was only this pair in her size. She absolutely loves them, and has worn them every time we've left the house since I bought them, matching or not! At this rate I may need a back up pair!

***I am thinking that we may not install a "land line" when we move this summer. For one thing, rarely does anyone we know actually call our home phone. Most of the time people that know us call our cell phones. For another thing, I am getting SICK of sales call and such. Even with us on the Do Not Call list, there seem to be plenty that either the list does not apply to, or that simply don't care. There are also collection calls. No, these calls are NOT for us. You see, due to Man O Mine's profession and position within the unit, we opted to be listed by our first initials in the phone book. I did not want soldiers to be able to look up our home phone number and call at any time during the night (and yes, the will call at 1am). There is an on call chaplain for crisis during the night. However, this opens us up to random calls for anyone that shares our initials. I finally asked a company that kept calling us, when they called the 34th time, and for the 3rd different person. She told me that they call any initial/last name combination that matched. Just this morning I had one call for "Jessica" that shared my last name (and obviously, my first initial). The call was one of those that you press 1 if you are her, 2 if not, then 1 if you have to get her, 2 if she is not home, 3 if it is a wrong number. I hit 3, and immediately a real person started talking, wanting to know where "Jessica" was. I explained that this was not her, she didn't live her. I had to confirm that this was not the physical address that they were looking for before she would remove us from the list. So Jessica, they are looking for you!

***I love watching my children learn. I love "teachable moments". One of the joys of having multiple children is watching the older ones teach the younger ones. Of course, sometimes this can be a problem, as the older ones often teach the younger ones things they do NOT need to know, like how to burp on command. This week TT and I have been working on US Geography, learning regions and states. I am a stickler for geography, it makes me crazy to see studies of how high school students can not point out "Idaho" on a map. I was pleased to come across this "teaching" session this week. TT was teaching his sister and brother the states:

Thanks for stopping by! I hope y'all have a wonderful weekend!

Yeah, about that...

2011-04-12T11:59:00.000-05:00

My last post was about a new site I had come across called Joss and Main. I was pretty excited to have been invited to join. It looked really promising. Honestly, the prices I saw on Creative Candles and MurMur designs were 50% or more off regular retail. I was very excited to see Preppy Plates was coming up yesterday, and even more so to see that Lilly Pulitzer by Lifeguard Press would be coming up next Monday.

Well color me disappointed, at least for now. Preppy Plates is on sale, but still, $60 for a set of 4 melamine plates?? Thank you , but no thank you. I can buy a full place setting of my Mikasa French Countryside casual china for that. I can buy a full 20 piece set of melamine dinnerware for that. Yes, they are adorable, but let's face it, I am cheap, and Preppy Plates are not.

Now, that being said, there are some good sales going on. Nordic Ware is currently running! I think for me, right now, the jury is still out on Joss and Main. I'll let you know. Of course, you are welcome to go check them out for yourself, use this link to get membership.

$21.95 for this Zoo Pan plus Vanilla Bean Mix

Another disappointment though, is the Lilly Pulitzer sale. Now it may turn out differently, but it looks like the Lilly items that will be offered will be full retail price. We really probably won't know until April 18 when the sale launches.

So here is my suggestion. If you are looking for some Lilly Pulitzer by Lifeguard Press, don't wait till next week. Order it NOW from Purseladytoo! I have ordered several times from Purseladytoo, and I have NEVER been disappointed. She ships FAST. My last order from her was in my hands 2 days after ordering it, and I live halfway across the country from her! She also ships FREE. That is right, free. In a world of ever increasing shipping costs Purseladytoo ships to you for free. She also often runs promotions, often offers return customers specials, and so on. She is actually running a GREAT giveaway right now! She is giving away 3 stuffed full Easter baskets this month. The first one has already passed, but there are 2 left! The second one can be found on her blog right now. Over $100 of free goodies, and if you make a purchase from her store, you get 3 entries into the drawing! You can bet I'll be shopping this week.


This is the basket she is giving away NOW! Click on it to go to her blog for the rules!

I assure you, shop with Purseladytoo and you will NOT be disappointed. No games, no promises of special pricing that does not happen, no nonsense. She even accepts Paypal!

New Home Goods Shopping Fun

2011-04-09T15:43:00.000-05:00

I am all about cute home decor. I love to browse shops, catalogs, and online sites for new ideas. A friend recently invited me to check out Joss and Main. It is one of those exclusive, by invitation only sales websites. They run "shops" that last about 2 days with various designers. Sound fun? Feel free to check it out here:

They have some really cute stuff up now, and coming up! For example, right now they have Creative Candles and Mur Mur Wall Decals.


Creative Candles are so elegant! They are 50% off regular retail right now!

Mur Mur Wall Decal in Red Stamped. I could see this in a dining room.

Preppy Plates will launch on Monday! I am looking forward to these, what fun for a Summer party!


Preppy Plates...love those Monograms!

That is just a preview. Rumor is Lilly Pulitzer home accessories are coming up soon as well. I think I've found a new place to get into trouble! Please come join me, just click on the logo, fill in the blanks, and you are in. (P.S., if you just google them and request to join, you'll go on a waiting list, and might miss something.)

Friday Fragments 4/8

2011-04-08T00:31:00.015-05:00

Happy Friday Y'all! Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragmenting Fun!

***I was having a conversation with a dear person the other day. I was referring to something I'd heard said about Harry Reid. A few moments into the story, she stopped me and said, "Now, who is that?" I thought she was referring to the person that had written what I was telling her about, and told her. "No, the other guy, the guy you are talking about." Yes, I am sorry to say she meant who is Harry Reid. I don't care what side of the political spectrum you are on, you should know who he is. I really didn't know what to say to her at that point.

***I took Shiner to the vet this week for his check up and shots. He did so well for the doctor! The waiting room was a bit of a hairy situation, but he was an absolute angel for the doctor and assistants. Funny thing though, the doctor tried to give him treats. First he tried one variety, then another, then he dipped one treat in a venison soft food, and Shiner still refused it. I was shocked, this dog LOVES treats. The doctor said it was his breed. He said that they get very attached to "their" people, and will exhibit behaviors like refusing treats from people other than those they are comfortable with.

***I can not get the clock on my computer to "Spring Forward". I keep resetting it, (and yes, I do "Apply"), but then a day or so later is it back. I guess my computer doesn't like to Spring Forward.

***I've mentioned her before, but if you are looking for some cute Mother's Day gifts or Easter basket Goodies, check out Purseladytoo. She has the cutest things! I ordered some Fornash earrings for my Mother In Law a few weeks back, and something else to put aside for Mother's day this week. She ships FAST (the order I just placed was in my hands about 50 hrs later) and FREE! She is also running 20% off Fornash this weekend with the code "fornash". She also carries other brands--SwitchFlops, MudPie, Lilly Pulitzer, Eliza B (the most comfortable flip flops ever!) and so on!

***Little Miss Can't Be Wrong is giving away a darling hat by Marly Lilly. Trust me, you WANT to enter this one! Mention I sent you if you would please, I'd be ever so grateful! Check it out HERE.
***I sincerely hope that by the time this is read the whole mess is cleared up, but at the moment I am scared. I am worried about what is going to happen with this whole "government shutdown" issue. This one is near and dear...we will be hit if what they say happens does in fact happen. My husband is one of the hundreds of thousands of members of the Armed Forces that won't be paid next week if a resolution is not found. Now I know it has happened before (during the Reagan and Clinton administrations), but a resolution has always happened in the nick of time. I don't know that it has gotten this close in recent history. Here is a rather heart wrenching story from a military wife if you are interested in reading: Food or Rent

Sorry it is short this week. It has been a crazy busy week and quite frankly, I am a little too disgruntled and grumpy to blog much. Hoping to enjoy a beautiful weekend this weekend here in Texas...lunch with a dear friend followed by dinner with some other friends on Saturday, church, Scouts, and community group on Sunday. That should perk me right up :)

A Tasty Tuesday-Grilled Shrimp Skewers

2011-04-05T20:28:00.001-05:00

It is no secret that we love to grill around here. We also love seafood, shrimp being one of our favorites. Yesterday I was out with the kiddos, and strolled through Barnes and Noble. I spied the April issue of Coastal Living in the magazine rack and just had to pick it up. You don't see Coastal Living this far inland very often, and I love it. I keep meaning to subscribe, but forget. I spent the late evening yesterday perusing the pages, lost in fantasies of a beach house with a porch swing, and falling asleep every night to the sound of the waves crash. I was pleased to find an entire section of the magazine devoted to shrimp recipes! I could not wait to try several of them, and this is the first one we decided to try. It was delicious! I made one slight modification, the recipe called for prosciutto, halved lengthwise, and I substituted bacon trimmed into long, narrow strips.

Our skewers fresh off the grill

Honey Shrimp Skewers

Prep time 20min, chill 30min, grill 6min
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
12 slices (6oz) prosciutto, halved lengthwise (I used bacon)
1 pound (about 24) large shrimp
24 nectarine or pineapple wedges (we used nectarine)
Garnish: sliced chives, sesame seeds

1. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Wrap 1 piece of prosciutto (bacon) around each shrimp. Thread shrimp and nectarines alternately on 8 (8inch) skewers (double skewer them). Place skewers in a shallow dish; drizzle with 1/2 cup of the soy sauce mixture, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

3. Preheat grill to medium-high head (350*-400*). Remove skewers from marinade; discard marinade. Grill skewers about 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are opaque. Serve with remaining soy sauce mixture. Garnish if desired. Makes 4 servings.

My plate, I served with a tossed salad, grilled green onions, and warm bread and butter.

Give it a try, I assure you, it is some good eating!

I am going to have to subscribe to Coastal Living (1-year auto-renewal). It is only $8 a year through Amazon's auto-renewal program!

Friday Fragments March 25

2011-03-25T18:43:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday Y'all! Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragmenting Fun!

***Well I am seriously late posting my fragments for this week. Friday is nearly over! Sigh, story of my life sometimes, right?

***It has been a busy but fun week and that shall continue through the weekend! I am torn. I love having lots of engagements on the calendar, but I also love to have some down time.

***We hosted a party last Saturday night, it was so fun! About 30 people converged on our house for hamburgers, hotdogs, brats, and such. We fired up our "fire pit" and made s'mores for the kiddos and had a great time. I love the warm weather, it was so nice. I even wore a strapless dress for the occasion! It was so cool and comfortable. I did add a wrap when the sun went down.

***TT had a big Cub Scout Pack meet this week. He was so excited, he received some awards and then go to participate in our Pack's first "Rocket Derby". He sanded and painted his own rocket, so as anyone that knows my TT would expect, it was Star Wars themed. He did not win, but had a great time building and racing.

***Speaking of winning and not winning, I did something this week that is completely out of the ordinary for me. I participated in a modeling contest! A nearby Lilly Pulitzer store was hosting this contest and the winner participates in the Spring/Summer fashion show at the Domain in Austin, TX and gets a free dress. Well I am all about a free dress! For kicks and giggles I submitted an entry. Thanks to my dear, sweet friends, I made it to the final round (even placing 2nd in the semifinals!). I was up against 2 absolutely adorable college gals that were a size 0 and size 2. The winner was the "All American College Girl" type, and I am sure she will do a fabulous job. I had a blast, and got to meet a friend for supper after the contest. We had a wonderful chat over dinner and I am grateful for knowing her. Here I am learning the "runway walk". I LOVE this dress, really want it, but it is pretty pricey and I have no special occasions that call for dressing up on the calendar, so I am holding off for now.

***Princess informed me on the way home from the grocery store that she wants me to go to work and Daddy to stay home. Hmmm, that could be interesting.

***I just started reading a book I stumbled across on our bookshelf. Funny how we have books on the shelf. I've never seen. This one looked interesting, "The Death of Common Sense, How Law is Suffocating America". I guess it could end up to be dry and dusty, but so far it is rather interesting.

Well, it is a short stack of fragments, but there are steaks on the grill and I am hungry! Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Oranges, Lemons, and Limes Oh My!

2011-03-21T15:31:00.000-05:00

Okay, dorky title, I know. I couldn't come up with anything cute and clever.

I love citrus. I enjoy the smell, the taste, even the look of a bowl of citrus fruits. We consume a lot of oranges, limes, and lemons around here. They are great to cook with (Orange glazed chicken anyone? Maybe a Lemon Herb Shrimp toss? How about a Key Lime Pie?) They are perfect for making mixed drinks (Screwdrivers, Margaritas, Tequila Sunrise, Moscow Mule). Citrus is great alone as a snack, as an addition, or even as a garnish. Seriously, who hasn't squeezed a little lemon juice on some seafood, or dropped a slice of lemon in a glass of iced Sweet Tea?

Now I am not what you would call an Earth Biscuit, or Treehugger, but I do love natural cleaning. I have 3 children and a dog running around, as well as a very sensitive sniffer. I do not like the stench of many cleaning products. My favorite things to use for cleaning are white vinegar and citrus. So I thought I would share a couple of my favorite citrus cleaning tips, and perhaps some of you out there would be willing to share some of your natural cleaning methods.
Here are three things you can clean using just ONE piece of fruit. In this example, I used an orange, but pretty much any citrus will do the same thing. Take that one orange and slice it in half, and then let's get busy!
Start with the microwave. Place half the orange in a microwave safe bowl about half full of water. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Let stand for a bit to let the citrus and steam do their magic. Then you can take a simple paper towel and wipe down all the nasties off interior of the microwave. If you are feeling really industrious you could also squeeze the remainder of the juice from the orange into the warm water, dip that paper towel in it, and use it to wipe down the shelves in the fridge, stove top, etc.

Now if you did not squeeze out that half of orange, you can continue to the next part with it, or grab the other half. Have a stainless steel sink? Have you ever noticed how it gets kind of weird looking and stinky (especially if you have kids that are not so good at rinsing their dishes)? Take that half of orange and slice into wedges or chunks. Rub down the sides and bottom of the sink with them. The citric acid will cut through any gunk/grim and leave it shiny, and the smell will do you some good as well!

Finally, take all those pieces of citrus (or perhaps by this point, globs) and make sure none of them are huge pieces. If you have a garbage disposal, you know that no matter how careful you are, sometimes that thing just reeks! Stuff a couple of pieces of ice and a few of the chunks of orange in the disposal, remember to run a bit of water, and turn it on. The ice and orange peel will clean the gunk off the blades of the disposal, and again, the citrus smell is much better than whatever other funk might have been wafting out of that thing!

While I am on the subject of citrus, I just have to share these adorable shorts I bought. A while back, a sweet little boutique called Lady Bird was having a massive clearance sale, and I called to see what they had in my size. Somehow I got talked into these (well, they were REALLY cheap!). They are called the Callahan short in Just Add Lemon Patch by Lilly Pulitzer. Aren't they adorable? I just love them. I pulled them out and just looked at them every so often all winter, daydreaming about wearing them to the beach, the lake, or for a backyard shrimp boil. Now that it is officially Spring and nice and warm here in Texas (80+ this week!) I am trying to convince myself to wear them. You see, I love to wear bright colors, and Lilly Pulitzer is one of my favorite brands to wear. However, I am having trouble convincing myself that a 30+ year old mother to three can pull these off. I did grab a nice solid blue scoop neck tee to wear with them this weekend. I am getting there. Notice the adorable lemon/lime/orange patch on there?

Thanks for stopping by! I wish you all a wonderful week! Please do feel free to comment if you have any cleaning tips for me!

Friday Fragments March 11

2011-03-11T01:22:00.000-06:00

Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragmenting Fun!

***Here comes the weekend! Boy am I excited it is finally here. I didn't want to say it out here on the interwebs before now, but Man O Mine has been in the field for the last two weeks! Eeeek! After doing it for a year while he was in Iraq, "single momming" for two weeks should not have been that big of a deal, but I am exhausted. Weekend means he is coming home!

***My Bradford Pear tree is blooming! I've been out gardening several times this week, working in my flower beds. I love watching things coming to life again in the Spring. The Bradford Pear and I have a love/hate relationship. I love to look at it, as it is so pretty when in bloom. It does horrible things to my respiratory system though. Apparently something in the pollen of Bradford Pear blooms set my allergies off!

***Speaking of gardening, my little two love to "help" me. A couple weeks ago we saw gardening gloves for kids, so I bought them both a pair. Well Boom keeps asking me when we can go out and "guard". He even cried when he caught me planting a flower by myself when I thought he was otherwise occupied.

***I have found yet another game to play. I enjoy some games. I don't do WoW or anything like that, I just enjoy games that I can do and then walk away, or play for a while. So recently a friend was telling me about Words with Friends, which is a lot like Scrabble. I found out I could play it on my Droid, so that is my current favorite app. Love that I can play when I have a minute. Right now I have 4 games going. I play a word when I have time, and they respond when they have time. It also makes me exercise my brain, so it is a good thing, right?

***I am preparing for the Just Between Friends Sale again! This will be my 3rd time selling in the Bell County sale. It will also be my last time since we move later this Spring. I am in such a "clean out" mode. I am pricing everything cheap and allowing everything to be sold at the half-price sale, I just want it GONE. If I can make some money from it great, then I can replace the clothes these kids are growing out of so fast! My boys both have shot up some so they need new shirts.

***I am so missing my Bestie. We had the pleasure of living in the same town for two years, and they just "PCS'ed" (permanent change of station--which is funny, since it is almost never "permanent"). It is amazing the little things you miss about someone once they move. Fortunately their new home is only about 3 hours from our next move, so we should be able to get together fairly regularly. I am already planning driving up to see her new place. They got a sweet house that she is really excited about, so I look forward to seeing it.

***I discovered this darling new blog this week, Southern Vogue . She is a sweet Southern gal who loves Lilly, cupcakes, and sweet tea! I love how she will have one post about Kate Spade followed by a post about Texas BBQ. She is doing a fabulous giveaway right now, so hop on over to her Giveaway Post and check it out! Read a bit while you are there, I've been going backwards through her blog, and have really been enjoying it.

***My oven is fritzing again. I mentioned it in last week's fragments. First the lights and such on the panel started randomly blinking (like when we have a power outage), then it just went out all together. It took a little over a week, but the guy was finally here last Friday with a new panel in hand and repaired it. Yay! So I baked chicken Friday night, and 2 dozen cupcakes (not entirely sure what possessed me to do that!) on Monday. Well Monday night Man O Mine had "snuck" home for a few hours, and we were standing in the kitchen. He looks over and says "There it goes again" and sure enough, every light was flashing. I called, repairman came back out on Wednesday. He says the panel is bad, and he was concerned about it when he put it in, because it had a "place" on it. WHAT?? Anyway, he showed me how to reset it, and I have been able to use it so hopefully I can limp it along until the new new panel comes in. That should be Monday or Tuesday. I am so itching to try bacon herb cupcakes! I may try it tomorrow anyway, they sound like they'd make such a lovely breakfast treat.

Well y'all have a fabulous weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

Memory Lane--Meeting Mr. Right

2011-03-10T14:51:00.000-06:00

I am joining my dear friend Kay for Memory Lane! Kay is a fantastic friend, have I ever told y'all that? She really is. She understands me...she is a fellow Mommy (with multiple children), she is a fellow military wife, she has done the married to the man in grad school bit. The only thing Kay doesn't understand about me is my love of shopping and all things pink. (Kay, I am wearing a Lilly Pulitzer pink shirt today!) Kay and I can talk about anything and everything. We used to do that over coffee (she has one of those fancy coffee machines that makes fantabulous coffees), but now it is more by text and email. Sometimes we talk kids, sometimes we talk theology, sometimes we talk exercise, you name it. She even patiently listens when I prattle on about clothes and I pretend to know what she is talking about when she raves about the engine specifics in some car that drove by. However, I was a poor friend this week...I let myself get completely wrapped up in my own life and forgot Kay's birthday! So, I am terribly late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAY!! One of these day's I am going to do Memory Lane on how I met Kay. Now you've been warned.

Today, I would like to tell the story of how I met Man O Mine. Today is Man O Mine's birthday! I love birthdays, anyone's birthday, so I am more enthusiastic over his birthday than he is.

Man O Mine and I met way back in 1996. I was a struggling college freshman. When I say struggling, I mean it. I was completely and totally confused. I had not made the wisest choices in boyfriends in the years leading up to meeting him. Okay, let's be honest here. I made some bad decisions. I was also struggling with what I wanted to be. I entered college completely sure of myself. I knew what I wanted to be. Then reality hit me. I didn't agree with what I was taught. I could not stand most of my peers, all they seemed to care about was who drunk the most and who slept with who last weekend. Now I was no prude, but it was getting old really fast. Then I ran into two of my old mentors from High School. They were the ones I wanted to be like, that I wanted to follow...and they both encouraged me to look into another field. They told me they knew I could do it, but with the changes in the profession they were both miserable and wanted me to consider finding something I'd be happier in. I chatted with my advisor about my concerns, and he went off on me. Yelled at me for what seemed like forever. I guess I should have considered that he was the Asst Dean for that particular study before I told him I didn't want to do it anymore. I was a freshman for crying out loud, it wasn't like I was giving up halfway through my thesis! I was also confused theologically. I had been raised one denomination, but never really and truly taught. I had ventured out into another denomination and while I was getting teaching, there were "holes" in the teaching and questions that were not being answered.

Any way, all this to show just how confused I was. Now one of the great things about my freshman year is I got to spend more time repairing my relationships with my parents. Three days a week I had a break at the perfect time to have lunch with Dad, so I did that about once a week. Two days a week my break was right on the same time as Mom's, so I would have a late lunch with her, or just drop by her office and see her for a while before going to work or what have you. Mom and a coworker of hers had decided I needed to meet Some Guy that worked there. They were driving me NUTS about it. Apparently, sometime early in the fall, this Some Guy (who Mom had a friendly working relationship with) had seen a picture of me she kept on her desk, and made a comment. What he actually said is still debated. At that moment, Mom and Karen decided the two of us were perfect for each other, and it was their duty to get us together. I remember on one occasion, telling Mom I wanted to see CATS (it was playing nearby) but I couldn't convince any of my friends to see it with me. She asked if I wanted her to ask this Some Guy to take me! What??? No, I did not want my MOTHER asking this guy to take me out to see it. This went on for several weeks...months even.

One cold, wet day in January I dropped by Mom's office. A side note here, Mom worked for the transportation system at the Regional hospital. She did data entry. Some Guy worked there part time in the afternoons after school, transporting patients. He was a paramedic, and transferred critical patients from hospital to hospital and that sort of thing. It was rainy, and yucky. I had overslept and thrown on jeans and a tee shirt. I had my hair in a messy ponytail and a raincoat on. I was not looking my best. I stopped by and found Mom not in her office, but in the breakroom, along with my stepfather and Karen. Mom jumped up, and hurried out while calling, "Stay there!" over her shoulder. My initial thought was to make a break for it out the emergency exit, because I had no idea what she was up too. I didn't though, Karen engaged me in conversation and I was trapped. A few minutes later Mom reappeared, dragging a tall lanky guy by the arm into the room. She announced "Jamie, this is Some Guy (okay, she used his real name), Some Guy, this is Jamie. I will now step back and let nature take its course." I responded by saying, "I am gonna kill you!" to her in what I hoped was a firm whisper. Some Guy and I tried to talk a bit, but I was extremely embarrassed, and everyone in the room was watching us, listening, and interrupting. After a few minutes he looked at me and said, "Have you ever seen Some Guy check the oil level in a transport van? Would you like to?" I caught on that he was trying to get us out of the crowd and agreed to go with him.

That was January 30, 1996. (Side note, two days later I dressed really cute and stopped by to say hello. He walked me to my car as I was leaving, and he says that is when he knew I was the One). Some Guy became Man O Mine shortly thereafter, and we were happily married on December 28, 1996. Now over 14 years, one cat (who is no longer with us), three children, one dog, and life in 4 states (2 of them twice!) later I love him more than I would have ever believed possible. I know who I am, I am his wife and our children's mother. I am more grounded in my faith, thanks to his spiritual leadership and our years together and two religious institutions of higher learning. If you had told me 15 years ago that I would be happily married to a military officer, with three kids and a crazy dog, in a home hundreds of miles from my family I might have laughed at you. I am all of that now.

Every now and then, we send Mom and Karen flowers on January 30, with a note that says something like "XX years ago you couldn't mind your own business. Thank you!"

First Friday Fragments of March!

2011-03-04T11:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday y'all!! It is that time again...let's clear out the junk drawers in our heads with some Fragments!

***Springtime is coming! I am trying really hard not to get too excited, because the last few freak snows that have happened in our area came in March. However, we've not been below freezing here in about 2 weeks, and according to the 10 day forecast, we won't be anytime soon. Tomorrow the low is 36, and that is the lowest I see. I am hopeful! Here is a quick peek at my flowerbed, which is coming to life:

Daffodils are one of my favorites, as they are always one of the first signs of Spring. My pansies are doing well. The green leafy plant that you see on each side of the picture is bluebonnets, which should bloom soon. I think that is snapdragons behind it. My palm has not yet sprouted the new green leaves yet, but that usually happens later in the Spring.

***My oven has been out for over a week now. I am waiting on the repairman this morning. He'll be here between "9 and 12". I am so excited to be able to bake again! I didn't realize it at the time, but not having the oven has really messed with my cooking for the week! I can only grill and stovetop cook so much. I plan to make Bacon-Herb Cupcakes tonight for our breakfast tomorrow. If they turn out well, look for the recipe next week! I love to share recipes.

***I love this quote: "I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles."
— Audrey Hepburn

Audrey Hepburn is one of my favorite celebrities. I have a large framed print of her in "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in my living room. I also have this book on my "to read" list. I really need to get around to getting it and reading it.

***I guess I can make it official now. We are crossing over to the Dark Side (or at least that is what some of Man O Mine's colleagues at work are saying). We are going Navy! We got the phone call with the news last Friday. Man O Mine is really excited, this new opportunity should be really good for him, for career growth and contentment. It should be good for all of us, for one, he will be happier in his job. For another, we should always be near water, and we are beach people! We'll be going back "home" for two years of school, and then one of three locations. Virginia Beach is our top choice of the three, but we shall see what the future holds!

***Is it bad that I am already starting to plan wardrobe decisions for being a Navy wife? It is just that I saw this dress the other day that would be perfect next to the Navy dress uniform...

Well, I am going to have to stop now. Repairman should be here any minute, and I've got lots of running about to do this weekend. It should be a busy, but very fun one! Thanks for stopping by!

Memory Lane...Pancakes with Dad

2011-03-03T11:51:00.000-06:00

I am going to take a stroll down Memory Lane with my dear friend and fellow blogger Kay today...

Family has been on my mind. Kay's dad underwent major heart surgery this week, and praise God it was a successful operation. Little Miss Can't be Wrong blogged about family this week, and I've been thinking about our upcoming move. We'll be living within minutes of almost all of our family for about 2 years. Could be interesting.

My father has always been "Daddy" to me, and always will be. I was "Daddy's girl" growing up. We still refer to each other as "DDD" (dear darling daddy, dear darling daughter) quite often. My parents divorced when I was in high school, and that changed our relationship pretty dramatically as well. I miss the closeness we once had, but things change. I am not a little girl anymore, I have a husband, children, and a life of my own. Dad is remarried and has two teenage sons, so between owning his business, spending time with his wife, and going to football practices, band concerts, and other activities with the boys he stays pretty darn busy. We don't talk that often. Sometimes it is too easy to get caught up in all we have to do. Sometimes I think we just don't try.

So back to the subject at hand...one of my favorite memories while growing up was breakfast with Dad. During the busy school/work week, we typically had quick, simple breakfasts. Toast, cereal, and that sort of thing was our normal routine. The weekend was different though! Some Saturdays I would go to work with Dad. He kept the shop open during the summer season for a few hours on Saturday morning. We would leave early and go to a little place called the Peach Blossom and I would get pancakes. Sunday mornings were even better though! Dad would make pancakes or french toast on our electric skillet. While cooking he would watch (or more listen too) what I thought was the most awful Southern Gospel singing on television. Our electric skillet had a broken leg, and you had to be careful not to bump it or the pancakes would be a mess. I remember asking why we didn't just get a new one, and Dad would always respond "Why? This one cooks just fine."

That first Sunday morning after the divorce was final was awful. I was the only one up, and was going to be driving myself to church. No one was in the kitchen making pancakes. I ate a bowl of cold cereal in the quiet, and then I did something crazy. I turned on the gospel singing.

Fast forward a few years...one of our wedding gifts was a brand new electric skillet. The legs were perfect, and Dad made the comment that I could make pancakes on Sunday mornings. I tried it. My pancakes sucked. I mean really bad. I didn't know you could ruin pancakes like that. The electric skillet ended up in the back of a cabinet or a top shelf for several years.

Somehow, on either the move here to Texas or the unpacking, my skillet took a hit. One of the legs is broken. You know what? It makes PERFECT pancakes now. My kids LOVE for me to make pancakes for them. We do it fairly regularly now. Pancakes are now my special thing to make for my kids (their Daddy makes them eggs, bacon, and hash browns on the grill, but that is another story!). We celebrated Pancake Day earlier this week with pancakes for breakfast, and then pancakes, grits, and bacon for supper. It was great, I wish Dad could have been here to join us. Maybe he would have gotten a laugh out of my skillet with the broken leg.

So there is my "Memory" for this week. If you have a minute, go check out Kay's interesting story of facing mortality and what happens when you try to drag race your husband! Ha! Share your memories too, I'd love the hear them!

Tasty Tuesday!

2011-03-01T04:00:00.003-06:00

It has been a crazy week in the kitchen around here. Our oven started going nuts last week. The time would flash, or go off, or whatever it was doing. I called the property manager on Thursday morning, who assured me the appliance people would be in touch. Nice guy showed up the next morning (Friday). He asked what was going on and immediately confirmed my suspicion that the panel was out. The electric/computer panel that is. I can still use the burners, but I can not turn on the oven. He took a couple pictures of the numbers so they could order the part, and helped me sweep up underneath (how sweet was that?). Problem is, because we rent, there is the "extra step" in any repair. He has to look up the part needed, and let our property manager know the cost. Property manager must contact owner to get approval, then get back to appliance man to give him the go ahead to order the part and come back to fix it. Since this was Friday morning, I knew I'd be "ovenless" over the weekend. Not sure when I'll be baking again (which sucks because I have found 2 recipes I am itching to try!). This is the thing about renting that makes me crazy. However, being military, we move every 2-3 years. It is just not worth buying every where we go. So we chose to rent here.

So all of that threw a bit of a monkey wrench into some of my meal planning for the week. Fortunately we have gorgeous spring like weather here and we have been grilling up a storm! Here is something we all enjoy:

Citrus Butter Shrimp Toss

(This is a Pampered Chef recipe, but I'll cut out all the "use your mix and scraper" and "stainless mixing bowl" and other product plugs)

Asparagus Pilaf
1/4 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp butter
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp sale
8 oz fresh asparagus spears, trimmed

Shrimp
1 lb medium uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Lemon Pepper Seasoning
2 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 tbsp chopped jarred pimento peppers

Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium-high heat.

For pilaf, combine onion, water, broth, salt, and butter in pot and bring to boil. Add rice, cover, reduce heat, and let simmer until fluffy. (you can microwave this but it is so much better boiled, and takes about the same amount of time).

Combine remaining butter, lemon pepper, and garlic in a large bowl and microwave until butter is melted. Add pimentos and mix well. (do this while the shrimp/asparagus are grilling so it stays warm)

Toss shrimp with 1 tbsp of the rub. Brush a grill basket with oil and preheat on grill about 3 minutes. Add shrimp and grill, covered, 4-6 minutes or until shrimp is opaque. Remove from grill and toss with butter mixture to coat well.

Grill asparagus spears 5-7 minutes o until cooked but still slightly firm. Remove from grill and cut on a bias into 1in pieces; toss with rice.

Serve Shrimp over Rice Pilaf and enjoy! You can garnish with lemon wedges to add color and extra flavor.
(makes 4 servings)

I apologize, I took a pic of my plate after I made this, but the picture disappeared into cyberspace. So here is the picture from the cookbook.

Now, we have a delicious meal, but what to drink with it?? Hmm, we have ginger ale, vodka, and some limes, how about a Moscow Mule? (you are actually supposed to make a Moscow mule with ginger beer, but ginger ale is closely related and I have a bunch of it)
Funny story about this drink--I told Man O Mine I was going to make some Moscow Mules. He turned around and looked at me funny and said, "You are making WHAT?!?!" It seems he heard me wrong. He thought I was making Moscow MILF's. From now on, this drink will be known as a Moscow MILF between us and the friends that were over at the time!

Moscow Mules (or MILF's)
2 measures vodka
1 measure lime juice
4-6 cracked ice cubes
ginger beer, to top up
slice of lime for garnish

Mix vodka and lime in a shaker, shake vigorously over ice until well frosted.
Half fill a chilled highball glass with cracked ice cubes and strain vodka mixture over it.
Top off with ginger beer (or ale) and dress with a slice of lime.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I did!

Gimme 5!

2011-02-28T15:29:00.000-06:00

Even when I don't blog, I like to go through my reader and read blogs. The other day I was reading How I Met Your Father and she was doing this cute little meme, Gimme 5. In it she shared a picture and description of 5 things she doesn't leave home without. I rather enjoy those type posts. Maybe it is because I am naturally a nosy person, so I actually enjoy seeing other people's stuff. I've been told I slow my pace when I'm out running and someone's garage door is open.

In the post you are supposed to share your 5 things, and then tag 5 people. Little Miss Can't Be Wrong tagged everyone reading it. I decided to play along. I'm also going to copy her idea and say if you are reading this, please feel free to play along. Let me know if you do so I can come be nosy and see what yours are!

I almost always carry a purse or tote bag. It is usually no where near full. I rotate bags often, I like to change things up. This particular tote is a Lilly Pulitzer Small Originals Tote in Flowery Wowey. I LOVE the print. I also recently acquired a wallet in this print but have not made the switch yet.

1. My phone. I have a Droid and I LOVE my Droid. I keep saying I want to switch to the iPhone now that Verizon is carrying it but I am attached to the Droid. For some reason Droids get left out often when it comes to the cool cases and such, so I don't currently have a case on mine. I do change the wallpaper often. I have become spoiled by that device...trying to find a location? It can give me turn by turn directions, just like a tom-tom or something. I can email, text, facebook, blog, shop online or whatever while sitting in a waiting area at the doctor's office or one of the various offices on post. I can listen to Tune-In Radio (an app that will play almost any radio station anywhere!) or Pandora radio. Heck I can even bid on ebay and then pay with paypal. Yeah, maybe the Droid gets me into trouble sometimes...

2. Wallet. I carry it all the time. This particular wallet I have been carrying for about 2 years now. It is a Vera Bradley All-in-One wallet. Inside are credit card slots (debit card, insurance card, and credit card), a little cash holder and zip coin pouch. On the back is a "media pocket" that I used to keep my phone in, but it is a bit tight for the Droid. On the front is the id window, but I have to constantly pull my id out and hand it to the guard at the gate on post, so I keep it behind the id window so I can slip it out easily. I keep a family photo in the window instead. That one needs to be updated...it is nearly 2 years old as well! It also has a cute little wrist strap for the rare occasion I go out by myself.

3. Cheating a bit here...this one is 2 things. A pen and a lipstick. I always have both, and they are usually stuck together in the same pocket. I like pretty printed pens because then Man O Mine doesn't keep them when he borrows my pen. The lipstick varies as well. That one is a well loved almost empty shade from Estee Lauder, and the name has rubbed off the bottom so I have no idea what it is!

4. Keys. Obviously, I can't "go" anywhere without them. I can't drive off without a car key, and I can't lock up behind me without a house key.

5. Finally, I always have something to keep the kids busy. Crayons usually, but almost always some sort of "treat". I am like the candy nazi with the kids, I don't allow a lot of candy. That way treats actually stay "treats" instead of the everyday. Right now I have 3 lollipops in my bag. They are very yummy ones that my sweet friend Michele introduced us to, Yummy Earth Organic Lollipops. They are all natural, no dyes, no corn syrup, and actually have Vitamin C in them. If you are into all that, they are also 100% Vegan, GMO free, Nut free, Soy free, Wheat free, and dairy free. My kids LOVE the taste, and they smell great. You can order them at Yummy Earth or you can do like I did with these and snag the ones that came with their kids' meals at Jason's deli the other day before they saw them. (They got ice cream at Jason's before you fuss at me for taking their treats).

So that is my "5 Things". Please do let me know if you play along!

You can also check out Little Miss Can't be Wrongs' post on her blog:

Friday Fragments 2/11/11

2011-02-11T10:23:00.000-06:00

Friday has come around once again! Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragments! Please check out the other Fragmenters and feel free to link up!

***Wow. This week has been insane. Crazy. It won't get any more relaxed until Sunday afternoon. I told Man O Mine that my plan for Sunday afternoon is to drink heavily and read "The Devil Wears Prada" which I picked up from a used book sale earlier this week. Now don't go freaking out on me, I probably won't drink heavily, but a nice glass of wine will quite likely be consumed.

***I took Princess to the doctor for her 5 year check up this week. Her doc says she is a "Perfect, Very Pretty, and Petite Little Girl." He is such a charmer! She normally is quite apprehensive around strangers, but we are noticing she is starting to become more outgoing as she is growing up. She chattered away at him while he checked her over. She is in great health, and most certainly petite! She is in the 5th percentile for height and even lower than that for weight. I keep telling y'all I have a very skinny Minnie, and now I have documented proof.

***I apparently decided I did not have quite enough on my plate for this week, so I decided to end my over a year long vacation from ebay and jump back in. I joined ebay way back in 1999 when it was still fresh and new. I've been buying and selling ever since. Around the time Man O Mine deployed, I decided I'd had enough selling, it was too much to keep up with. So for the last year and a half to 2 years (not sure exactly!) I have not sold a thing, and bought very little. Last week I listed some things, and would you believe it, they sold! Some for very little, and some for pretty good. I tried to be the good little seller and get everything packaged up and shipped out quickly, on the first day I could ship them, Monday. I got in too big of a hurry. I mixed up the labels on two of the packages. I heard from one buyer very quickly, and thankfully buyer is very kind and understanding. The other I have not yet heard a peep from, even though I emailed them and I know the package was delivered. Waiting and watching!

***We have a date! For anyone that doesn't already know it, we are getting ready to PCS. We are actually about to do more than that, but are still waiting on one more signature on one more paper before I am comfortable putting that out there. We do know that we are moving back to SC, and should be leaving TX around June 8. We are excited and apprehensive all at once. I am cleaning out, plotting, planning, and all of that sort. Our families are thrilled at the idea of having us back "home" for a season, and we are excited to be there.

***I am SO proud of my Brother-in-Law. He is a brilliant chef. He went to one of those really expensive schools where he honed his already wonderful skills with food. Seriously, the boy has talent. He cooked a meal for me back when he was about 16 that was better than I could go out and pay for somewhere. When he graduated he got a job at a fantastic place in downtown Greenville and was promoted to Sous Chef fairly quickly. The parent company of that place has decided to open a new place, "The Nose Dive". Brother-in-law is going to be the Chef de Cuisine! I am so excited for him. I also can not wait to get to town and try everything on the menu! If you are ever in downtown Greenville, SC, stop in, they are open for lunch and dinner. Click the pic for the menu!

***This week our fearless DenLeader, Joe, had surgery. This was unexpected, and he is recovering nicely, but keep him in your thoughts. I'll also ask that you keep me in your thoughts. See, this weekend is a BIG event for our Cub Scouts, the Blue and Gold Banquet. Joe was going to be heading it up for our den, and it was his job to decorate our tables, plan the skit for the boys to perform, that sort of thing. Well with his surgery, guess what? I'm doing it. I had 3 days warning. So I am going to do the best I can! Our table will NOT be winning best table decor, but hopefully the boys will have fun, and that is what it is all about. Our Scouts have worked hard this year and this event is all about THEM.

***While I am on that thought...one of the kindest, most caring women I have met here in TX was through Scouting. She is just one of the dearest ladies, and her husband and son are just as sweet. I am not sure of all the details, but her husband is VERY ill right now, and in need of your prayers. So if you could lift up Mr. Wilson, I would greatly appreciate it.

Y'all have a pleasant weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

First Friday Fragments of February!

2011-02-04T01:50:00.001-06:00

Friday has come around once again! Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragments! Please check out the other Fragmenters and feel free to link up!

***BRRRRR, Baby its COLD outside! I know, I know, I had it coming. I've been taunting all my Northern friends with pictures and comments about 70 degree days. Well this week I have gotten my just desserts. (Can I please just have dessert next time?). An "Arctic Blast" blew in Monday night and oh.my.goodness. did it blow in! I nearly rounded the family up and put them in our "safe place" for tornadoes, because it sounded like a train coming through! This was followed by sleet beating on the windows, the entire contents of our patio being blown all over the yard, and then thunder and lightning! Then Thursday night we got snow! We have not seen above freezing temps yet. That is "supposed" to happen tomorrow. I sure am hoping!

***Believe it or not, this was taken on Saturday. It was 75 and sunny.Before y'all go yelling at me for letting them get in, I told them the water was too cold, but they begged and pleaded and I finally said they could wade in and come right back out.

***This picture was taken Friday morning (this morning, only a week later!)

***Phil the Groundhog predicted an early Spring this year, but he was beaten to the punch! I found this article from the Beaufort Gazette this week. I knew us Carolinians were on top of things!
BEAUFORT, S.C. — Both Punxsutawney Phil in Pennsylvania and Gen. Beauregard Lee in Georgia are predicting an early spring, but a bird in South Carolina beat them with the forecast.
The famous groundhogs made their predictions Wednesday, but The Beaufort Gazette reports the first painted bunting was sighted on Hilton Head Island on Sunday.
The bird is considered a harbinger of spring on the lower South Carolina coast. It was seen by 80-year-old Joyce Geiger of Hilton Head. The bird has a royal-blue head, bright-red breast and lime-green back.
The birds winter in Florida and Central America and sometimes spend their summers along the South Carolina coast. Seeing one in early February is considered a sign of an early spring.

***Why would someone feel the need to LIE to win a contest? Especially if that lie was something that would be confirmed before a winner would be announced? I just don't get it. Oh well, you know who you are, and if you can live with yourself, that is your problem. I do know that cheaters do not win, at least not my contests!

***I have to share this funny pic that a friend of mine shared on Facebook the other day. She lives up in the frigid Northeast:

***Overheard conversations this week: Boom "Daddy, are rabbits good guys or bad guys?" Man O Mine, "That depends bud. If they are just hopping around being cute they are good guys. If they are eating your garden they are evil minions straight from the pits of Hades."

***The other night Man O Mine was teasing me about doing crunches. He told Princess she needed to learn how to do crunches with me. She said "Daddy, I KNOW how to do crunches. You put some food in your mouth and CRUNCH down on it." I like her version better!

Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend! If we warm up and I can get outta this house I know I will!

Rants and Raves Wednesday--Groundhog Day!

2011-02-02T10:43:00.000-06:00

I noticed this morning that Mrs4444 was doing "Rants and Raves Wednesday. LOVE the idea, so I am snagging it. She got it from some other blogger, but said blogger seems to be no longer doing it, so I'll share Mrs4444's button with y'all in case you want to go read hers...she does some McNugget ranting and raving today!

Rave: Phil has predicted an early Spring! Now looking at the temps across most of the country today it looks nothing like Spring, but I am all for positive thinking! Go Phil!

Rant: I am cold. REALLY cold. Now I know all you northern folks are probably laughing at me by now, after all, I do at least have 2 digits on the thermometer. However, those two digits are below freezing and I am a Southern Gal. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I don't see above freezing (even in the daily highs) until the weekend. In a house built to stay cool in 3 digit Summer temps, that is NOT GOOD. Stone floors and high ceilings combined with record low temps makes for a record high power bill. I can feel my wallet shrinking now.

Rave: A couple of weeks ago I started "meal planning" again. I don't assign a meal to each day, I simply make a list of available meals and put it on the freezer, marking them off as we use them. A few of those meals I made large, and froze half. So last night, all I had to do was defrost and reheat, and we enjoyed some fabulous homemade chili. It was perfect for supper on a cold Winter's night! The planning has cut down on my grocery costs as well.

Rant: I have to go to the grocery today. The high temp for today is supposed to be around 20.

Okay, so that was not a fabulously interesting list of Rants and Raves, sorry. I have a lot to do today so I need to get moving. Thanks for popping by!

The Deal that Was Not

2011-02-01T13:43:00.000-06:00

Last night I was so excited. I could not wait to do my Nifty Thrift Tuesday post. I had scored a DEAL.

You see, there was this item I wanted. I wanted it a few months ago when it first came out, and it was very reasonably priced. However, the holidays were approaching and I needed to be shopping for others, not myself. I did put said item on my Amazon wishlist but really didn't expect to get it. I planned to use Christmas money to purchase it.

After Christmas, the item was scarce. I could not find it anywhere. I called, I shopped online, I popped by stores. It was no where to be found.

Then yesterday, I stumbled across something. A website, and there it was! My wanted item was right there! I quickly called the 1-800 number, and got a very polite lady on the phone. Unfortunately, the store was located in another time zone, and it was actually multiple locations of one business. The computer system had been shut down, so the kind lady could not confirm the item was available. She did sound hopeful, and also informed me that it would be 60% off, because they were clearing out merchandise from last Fall. She sent out an email so the locations could check for the item and call me in the morning. She suggested I also go ahead and process an order online, but choose the option for them to "call for payment info". I did as she suggested, and even added a coordinating item (I do love to coordinate!) since it would be 60% off.

This morning I got an email. It was a bright, cheery, but apologetic note that thanked me for my order, but said item was no longer in stock.

So the deal was not to be.

On a lighter note, I did get a fabulous deal on 2 pair of shorts last weekend. These particular designer shorts were originally $54 and I got them for $15. This weekend we enjoyed highs in the mid 70s. Today it is in the low 20's and there is light snow falling. I am toying with cranking up the heat, fixing myself a tropical drink and putting on my new shorts and living in denial for the day. What do you think?

Linking up with Linda at Coastal Charm, because, in the draft of this, it was a REALLY Nifty Thrifty Tuesday. The shorts were still a fabulous buy!

On a side note, my giveaway has ended. Thank you all for your participation. Facts (followers, links, button posting) have been confirmed, the spreadsheet produced, random numbers generated and winners have been contacted. I will post about the giveaway as soon as I have confirmation from the parties involved. Thanks again!

LAST Day to Enter the Giveaway!

2011-01-31T08:54:00.000-06:00

Don't get left out! Today is the last day to enter the Purseladytoo gift certificate giveaway! Click on the storefront to get the skinny. Comments must be made by 12 midnight CST and the winner will be announced tomorrow!

Thank you for making this a fun giveaway! I also have a bit of news regarding Purseladytoo. She has the new Lilly in stock! There is a fabulous gift with purchase going on right now, and I have a coupon code to share!

Spend $0 -100 and Save 10% - use code: save10
Spend $101 -399 and Save 15% - use code: save15
Spend $400 + and Save 20% - use code: save20

Want to go see what she has for sale? Check it out HERE!

Final Friday Fragments of January!

2011-01-28T00:05:00.007-06:00

Friday has come around once again! Time to join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragments! Please check out the other Fragmenters and feel free to link up!

***If you have not already heard, I am hosting a giveaway! I am giving away 2 gift certificates to one of my absolute favorite online stores, Purseladytoo. Hit the button over there ----> or heck, just click on the pretty little pic here to get the skinny.

***The other night I heard TT singing in the shower. That in itself cracked me up, but WHAT he was singing really did me in. He was singing "Free Credit Report DOT Com". Oh my...

***TT is also proving to be quite the bargain hunter. The other day we were grocery shopping, and I was getting some chicken. He looked at what I was picking up, and then said, "Mom, this pack is over twice as big, and only a dollar more. Shouldn't you get it and save half of it?" So yes, I did buy the bigger pack. Half of it was supper that night, and the other half is in my freezer. My sprendthrifty boy!

***Pinewood Derby was a lot of fun. None of our 3 cars placed, but all three kids had a good time. They were all really good sports about it too! That really pleased me. Last year, I saw some serious tantrums being thrown by kids and parents that did not win. A few this year, although I did not notice any quite like last year. I was very proud of all three of mine for showing such good sportsmanship! There were some really cute/cool cars out there too! Our den leader's son made his a HUMVEE, there was one that was a block of swiss cheese with a mouse on top, and another that was done up like a bottle of Tabasco sauce. Ours were a little less creative, TT had a "US Navy" themed car (maybe not the best idea in an Army town), Princess did a Lilly Pulitzer theme, and Boom's was a taxi. Sorry for the glare on the pic, my counter is pretty reflective!

***Anyone have any suggestions on how to convince a very strong willed three year old to sleep? Preferably for at least 6-8 hour stretches by himself in his own bed. Boom is wearing me out. Terrible Twos my left foot, three has been much more difficult! My friend Kay suggested to me a few years back (when TT was still an only child, and she a mother of 2!) that odd number years were worse. Now 6 years, two more kids for me, and 3 more for her later, I am a firm believer in her hypothesis. We have tried skipping nap and making him nap during the day. We have cut out sugar after mid afternoon, we have begged, pleaded, even bribed. He is still up at least once if not more than that every night. This has been going on for some time now...my last 6 hour or longer stretch of sleep was at least early December, if not further back. Lack of sleep is making my memory fuzzy.

***At least I will have a pretty spot to sleep, assuming I ever get to, right? A few weeks back I shared that I had purchased this gorgeous bedding from Garnet Hill:

You can click on the pic for the story if you like. Well Garnet Hill does a "Sale of the Day" every day. I have gotten in to the habit of trying to check the "Sale of the Day" fairly regularly. Now I got a DEAL on this bedding, the coverlet and two shams. However, Tuesday of this week the coverlet was one of the "Sale of the Day" items. I felt a little silly doing it, but I called them, and the extremely friendly customer service person credited me with the difference! It was only a few dollars, but wow, what a way to ensure a customer will be back! As a matter of fact, I already have! Last weekend's "Sale of the Day" was this beautiful set:

I got the quilt and two shams for around $40. They will be gorgeous in Princess' room. I ordered on Friday and they were here on Wednesday. I am saving all these new pretties for our new place. We are set to move sometime this Spring/Summer. We will be downsizing a bit in "house" and I want for it to be a comfortable place we are all happy in. And let's face it, after several years some of our things are just showing wear and tear. So I now have new bedding for Princess and the Master bedroom, as well as a few other things. I think I will track down some bedding for the boys and some new towels too if I can find some good deals!

***Speaking of the Princess, she turned 5 this week. My baby girl is growing up!

***Along those lines, TT is taking "Health and PE" as part of his curriculum this year. One of his assignments is to track his growth through the year. We decided to track growth for all three kids. Our first check for height/weight was September 8. This week, I checked everyone again. A little over 4 months, and all 3 have gained 1 inch in height. TT gained 4lbs, Princess and Boom each gained 3lbs. They are growing, and I have charts to prove it!

A White Wendesday Trip down Memory Lane

2011-01-26T00:18:00.004-06:00

I'd like to share with you one of my most treasured "whites" and a story about my first meeting with the dear woman that I inherited it from.

Linking up with Kay for this week's "Memory Lane" blog party.

Also joining Faded Charm for White Wednesday

Many people (especially us Southern gals) have a treasured set of pearls. Often those pearls are very valuable, perfectly matched, perfectly round, highly polished little balls of perfection. Sometimes they originally came in one of those lovely blue boxes from Tiffany's, or some other high end jewelry store.
Not my most precious pearls. My pearls would likely be scoffed at by some, but they are priceless to me. Before I share my pearls, please humor me as I share about their previous owner, a woman that wore the title of "Granny" proudly...

"Granny" was one of the most precious people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I was blessed to have been loved by her, and to have been considered family by her. She was Man O Mine's paternal grandmother. She had a heart of gold, but from what I have heard, could wield a flyswatter like a ninja warrior (but that is Man O Mine's story). Granny and Papa were not wealthy people. They lived comfortably, but not excessively.

Granny was always accessorized. She loved scarves and jewelry. I learned that very early on and tried to always give her some sort of "pretty" for gift giving occasions. I remember one Christmas she chose me to sit by her and assist her with her gifts. She was already quite frail by the time I came into the family. She nearly teared up when she opened her gift from us. I had chosen her a lovely silk scarf in some of her favorite colors. Almost all her other gifts were gift cards. Granny did not understand gift cards. Now personally, I love them, but to a 90 some odd year old woman that has trouble getting out to shop, a gift meant so much more. I vowed then and there I would always present her with a "gift" of some sort.

Granny was already showing the signs of Alzheimer's when I came into the family. That horrible disease eventually took her away from us. The confusion in her eyes as she struggled to place just who we all were, and the hurt in Man O Mine's eyes when she could no longer recognize him were heartbreaking. Before Alzheimer's took over, she was a very sharp woman. She had an avid prayer life. We often joked that Granny was "in the know", as she often seemed to have a sense of things.

There is a story about a bar that was across the street from their home. Granny hated that bar. Absolutely despised it. She prayed and prayed that the bar would one day close down. One night Granny got up during the night, and noticed a strange light. She peeped out the curtains to see it fully engulfed in fire. From what I've been told, she said "Uh huh!" and went back to bed. The next morning the bar was a pile of ashes. No one was injured, but the bar never re-opened in that spot. Now whether I agree or disagree with her stand on alcohol, or her actions, I have to admit it makes for quite the story!

Now I shall share MY Granny story. This particular story took place the very first time I met Granny. Man O Mine and I had been dating just a short while. It was months before I shared this story with him. He shared it at her funeral several years later.

It was a chilly but sunny February Sunday. I had attended church with Man O Mine, and we were to meet his grandparents and parents for lunch. I was nervous. I had met his parents, but did not feel like I knew them "well" yet. I had not yet met the grandparents. I already had a feeling that our relationship could end up being permanent, but was not quite ready to vocalize that. We arrived a Cracker Barrel and were fairly quickly seated. We enjoyed a delicious lunch, and conversation flowed smoothly. Granny and Papa were very kind people and I liked them immediately. After dinner, the "menfolk" were paying the bill, and I am not sure where Man O Mine's mother had disappeared to, but somehow or another Granny and I ended up alone together in a quite corner of the "store" that is the front of any Cracker Barrel. We chatted a bit, and I said something to her, referring to her as "Mrs. O'Mine" (okay, not really O'Mine, but you get the point). Granny was a short woman, and she peered up at me. She proceeded to look me up and down and back up again. I don't know when I have ever been so scrutinized. She finally spoke, and these were her words: "No. You are the One. You may call me Granny." To say that I was taken aback is an understatement. I simply responded "yes ma'am" and about that time the rest of the family showed up and we all said our goodbyes and went out.
She did know, didn't she? Less than a year later, I was married to her grandson. I shared the story with him not long before our engagement, and with the rest of the family during wedding preparations. I loved Granny, still do. I miss her.

Here are my beloved pearls, from Granny. Not a valuable set to most people, but absolutely priceless to me. A very simple double strand of seed pearls with a plain gold clasp. I will treasure then until the day I pass them on to one of own children...

There is a country song performed by Van Zant. The lyrics describe Granny and Papa very well to me, except Granny was not born in NYC, she was southern as a turnip green. She was 5 feet of concrete, that would stand her ground, stare you down, and was still kicking and screaming at 93 for certain! Papa never stopped. He finally resigned from the Fire Department in 2007. He died two weeks later. I'd love to share more of him at a later time.

Written by Kip Raines and Jeffrey Steele

Well, Grandaddy was a hillbilly scholar, blue collar of a man.
He came from the school where you didn't need nothin',
If you couldn't make it with your own two hands.
He was backwoods, backwards, used words like:
"No Sir," "Yes, Ma'am," "By God," "Be darned,"
"Hell yeah, I'm American."
And all the years he walked this earth,
I swear all he did was work.
He said: "The devil dreams on an idle horse,
"So you listen to me squirt.

"Don't get too high on a bottle,
"And get right with the Man.
"Fight your fights, find a grace,
"And all the things that you can change,
"And help somebody if you can."

Now Granny said: Sonny, stick to your guns,
"If you believe in something, no matter what,
"'Cause it's better to be hated for who you are,
"Than be loved for who you're not.
She was five feet of concrete
New York born an' raised on a slick city street.
She'd cold-stare you down, stand her ground,
Still kickin' and screamin' at 93.
I remember just how frail she looked in that hospital bed:
Takin' her last few breaths of life, smilin' as she said:

"Don't get too high on a bottle,
"Just a little sip ev'ry now and then.
"Fight your fights, find a grace,
"And all the things that you can change,
"And help somebody if you can.
"And get right with the Man.

Instrumental Break.
(C'mon now.)

"I never let a cowboy make the coffee."
Yeah, thats what Granny always said to my Grandad.
And he'd say: "Never tell a joke that ain't that funny more than once."
"And if you wanna hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.

"Don't get too high on a bottle,
"Get right with the Man, son.
"Fight your fights, find a grace,
"And all the things that you can change,
"And help somebody if you can.
"And get right with the Man."

Yeah.
(Get too high.)
(Help somebody if you can.)

I am also hosting a giveaway this week! Hit the button on the right or click on the pretty storefront here for more information!:

How about a Giveaway?

2011-01-25T00:06:00.006-06:00

I love to shop.

Have I mentioned that before?

One of my favorite places to shop online is Purseladytoo. Purseladytoo carries all sorts of fun products...Lilly Pulitzer, Viva Beads, Ellen Allen, Switchflops, and she is adding even more this Spring! I am very excited to have learned that she will soon be carrying Eliza B flip flops, some of the most comfortable flip flops ever!

There are many reasons I love to shop from Purseladytoo. One of those in the convenience of online shopping...I can click away with a cup of coffee in hand in my pjs! Another reason is ALWAYS FREE SHIPPING. Don't you just hate finding a fabulous deal somewhere, and then realizing it is going to cost you a small fortune to have said item delivered? She also offers returning customers discounts. She recently sent me a message to let me know I had earned one of those discounts, and let me tell you, I was quick to take advantage of it! Finally, her customer service is fabulous! Questions are answered quickly and politely, orders are shipped fast, it really does feel like a personal experience even when you are shopping online.

Purseladytoo and I were chatting recently about blogging, giveaways, and that sort of thing, and she has so generously agreed to help me out in doing a giveaway. I will be giving away a 2 gift certificates to Purseladytoo! Oh the fun things you can do with those...

How about some pretty new Viva Beads?

There are bracelets, watches, necklaces, a keychain, even a ring!

I love my Viva Beads! They are so pretty!

Or maybe you would like to explore the beautiful Ellen Allen line...

As I mentioned earlier, she will be launching Eliza B flip flops soon. Here is a sneak peek...

Oh, and then there are Switchflops! I have the strap versions, and seriously considering grabbing some of the new snap versions!

Or maybe you would like my current favorite line...Lilly Pulitzer by Lifeguard Press

See the full line here. It is all available for pre-order, with estimated shipping dates shown on each item's details.

iPhone 3G Cover $19.99 (available for pre-order now!) iPhone 4 is also available!

Already have this pre-ordered myself:

Sailor Bracelet $7.95

Stickers! Who doesn't love stickers?? (Kay, Bekah NEEDS this!)

35 sheets of stickers and labels $9.95

She will also have the Lilly Spring line available VERY soon. She will be carrying 12 different handbags, Murfee scarves, Babs wraps, Katia wraps, jewelry, and coats! Here is a peek at some of the colors/patterns coming soon!

So now that I have given you all this eye candy to chew on, how would you like to WIN a gift certificate so you can buy some of those pretties?

I have 2 gift certificates, one for $10 and one for $5. Want one? Well here is the skinny:

*You get 1 chance for commenting on this post.

*You can get another chance if you follow Purseladytoo's blog (let her know I sent you, or let me know if you already are!)

*Share my giveaway on your blog for another (comment with a link)

*Add my button for one more (comment with a link)

I will use the Random Number Generator thingy to determine a winner. You may comment all in one (I liked, I shared at www.myblog..., I bought an iPhone cover on 1/25, ect) or in separate comments. Numbers will be assigned as the are posted (for example, if commenter 1 posts Shared link, and following Purseladytoo's blog they are 1, and 2, so then commenter 2 is actually 3.)
Clear as mud?
I will create a spreadsheet to keep track. Feel free to ask any questions!

I am also linking up with Linda over on Coastal Charm for the Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Party. I think shopping anywhere with a free gift card is nifty and thrifty! Go check out the other entries, because let me tell you, some of those gals have TALENT. They can make a dime look like a million bucks!

The Oft Neglected Verse

2011-01-23T20:12:00.000-06:00

I love hymns. Maybe it is because I grew up as the daughter of the Music Minister, maybe it is just a fluke of nature, I am not sure. When my oldest, TT, was born, I found I could not remember any lullabies, so I sang old hymns to him as I rocked him. "Amazing Grace", "It is Well With My Soul" and "The Old Rugged Cross" were often heard wafting (slightly off key, I never said I could sing) from the rocker as I tried to coax him to sleep.

I grew up a Southern Baptist, and then Man O Mine and I changed to Presbyterian (PCA) a few years ago. While growing up, I remember so often that we would sing the 1st, 2nd, and 4th verse of a hymn. There is even an old saying "I feel more neglected than the third verse of an old hymn."

Did you know that "Amazing Grace" actually has 6 verses? The first 5 were written by John Newton. The 6th was added sometime later, by an unknown author. The words to the first and last verses of "Amazing Grace" are some I am willing to be even the most casual of church-goer can quote. The second and third are a little harder, but I knew them well because "Amazing Grace" is one of those rare hymns that we did sing more than 3 verses of fairly regularly. I was in my 20's before I knew the 4th verse. I only recently learned the 5th. At our current church we have been singing either verses 1-3& 5-6 or all 6. (I say current, because as a military family we have our "home" church in our hometown, and then we find a service that meets our beliefs in whatever location Uncle Sam has sent us to become involved in.)

I love all the verses. At different times in my life different verses have spoken to me, meant more to me, than others. As a new believer, it was the first. As a believer learning more about my faith it was the second. While going through some personal struggles, and during "darker" times in my life, it has been the third and fourth.

Right now, it is the fifth. Perhaps it is because I have only recently learned the words by heart, perhaps it is just because right now I am (or rather, we as a family) are at a point where some changes are coming. I am afraid of change. Change is scary! I love moving from place to place, that part does not bother me. It is the whole going back to school, living on less, then starting over with another branch of service that scares me. I am one of those people that "plays it close to the vest" when I am under stress. My dear friend Kay can testify to that. She patiently prayed for me and waited for me to be ready to talk for weeks, because she knows me well enough to know that something was "off". I finally got to that point, and we had a very good talk a few weeks ago. I needed it.

With all that said, please enjoy reading (and feel free to sing, either on or off key!) ALL SIX verses of that beautiful hymn, "Amazing Grace". If you feel so led, let me know what verse speaks most to you. I'd love to hear about it.

Amazing Grace

John Newton (1725-1807)
Stanza 6 anon.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Friday Fragments 1/21

2011-01-21T00:03:00.039-06:00

Happy Friday y'all! I am joining up with Mrs4444 for Friday Fragments! Friday Fragments is the perfect time to "clear the brain" and pour out all those thoughts from the previous week.

***Whew! Is it finally Friday? Yay! Oh, wait, my entire weekend is booked solid too. It will be fun stuff though, so YAY!

***My two little ones started the week off sick, but seem to be over it now. I can not stand when they are sick. For one thing, they are just pitiful. For another, they drive me crazy! I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I adore my kids. Love them to pieces, but when they are sick they tend to be very clingy and needy.

***Sunday afternoon I went to a Ladies Wine Tasting Brunch at a local restaurant. It was so good! We had 5 courses paired with 5 wines. They typically do a 2 oz pour, so by the time it is all said and done you've only had 2 glasses of wine. (so no one is dancing on the tables or anything!). This time, since it was brunch, our first course was a fruit platter and Mimosas. Yummy, but I was sure glad Man O Mine suggested I eat a quick lunch with the family before I left. A Mimosa and some light fruit on an empty stomach and I might have been dancing on the table! It was lovely to just get out with some girls and relax.

***Pinewood Derby is this weekend! TT is so excited. His car is all painted up and ready. I had planned to do the Den Leader's Race, but Princess really wanted to decorate my car. So I am not sure which race I will be in now, Leader's or Family. We ended up getting Boom a car too, so three PWD cars are waiting to go in my house!

***I took all three kiddos to the dentist this week. All in one morning. WOW. I was worried about it, but it ended up going pretty smoothly. I took them to a local Pediatric dentist, and the staff was so kind and friendly. TT and Boom are now members of the "No Cavity Club". They did suggest pulling two of TT's baby teeth that have not yet come out, to ease the crowding of the ones he has. What really surprised me was that Princess had a cavity! She is usually the most careful about her teeth. It is a small cavity, and they want to sedate her to fill it, so that she does not have an "unpleasant" experience. We will go back in February to get all that done. My wallet will have an "unpleasant" experience, because our insurance will not cover the medications.

***I mentioned them earlier this week, but just in case you missed it, 2PreppyGirls (ending tonight!) and How I Met Your Father are both having great giveaways! Check them out if you have a chance, and be sure and tell them I sent you!

***I have found the most delicious juice. I am trying to do better about drinking juices and water more often, and recently at HEB (our local chain grocery) I came across Cranberry Orange Juice. It is the store brand, and it is really good! I sometimes cut it with water, just to increase my water intake. It also makes a nice, sweet Cosmo ;)

***A new friend of mine has recently just made my day (or maybe my week, or even year). This is a new friend, I did not even know her a year ago. Her sweet Princess is a little over a year older than my Princess. She keeps her Princess very well dressed. We made a few (very cheap on my part!) arrangements and now my Princess has a huge new wardrobe! More shirts than I had hangers for (I've gone out and bought more twice now!). Such adorable and high quality things, some still with tags on them. I am so grateful. This particular friend has been especially kind to me, and I hope she has some idea of how much it means to me.

Well, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Stay tuned, I am planning a special blog post and a GIVEAWAY one day next week! I am so excited.

Sweet Hints of Spring...

2011-01-19T17:28:00.002-06:00

Spring.
My absolute favorite time of year. Warm days, slightly cool nights, sunshine, flowers blooming, birds singing.

Yes. I know it is only January. I am just already itching for Spring. Today there is just a hint in the air. They high temps for the day hit in the low 60s, and the kids were able to play outside for a while this afternoon.

Since the weather was so nice I pulled out a top I purchased a few weeks ago from the fabulous ladies at Under The Palm Tree. It is the Lilly Pulitzer Jeanne Boatneck in Hotty Pink. It is an oh so soft cotton top that is not quite a tee, but not a "dressy" top either. One of those that you can throw on with jeans and run out, or pair with a cute skirt and "go out". I love it. 3/4 length sleeves and bright pink were perfect for today!

I had to run by the grocery store to pick up Pita bread to go with our supper tonight. Somehow I ended up with with several bags, I must have been crazy to think I could take 3 kids in the store and JUST buy pita. However, something caught my eye that I just had to pick up...SPRING ALE! Man O Mine is a big fan of Shiner beers. He loved the Shiner Cheer, which was their Christmas flavor. This is the Spring flavor, "Dortmunder". We shall see if it strikes his fancy this evening. The description on the bottle promises to "refresh you like a sun drenched nap on a lush green lawn." Sounds fabulous to me!

Oh and then there was the new issue of "Southern Living" and "Better Homes and Gardens" today! Granted they are the February issues so technically "Winter", but there appears to be splashes of color and Spring in them. I look forward to sitting down with them later. Magazines are my "guilty pleasure". I so enjoy flipping the pages. I keep meaning to subscribe to "Coastal Living" since I can never find it here. Guess I am just too far inland!

Another fun tidbit...not exactly "Spring" but a sweet deal! You can use it to buy something Spring! Heck, at Amazon you can buy almost anything. I know you can get Lilly Pulitzer. You can also subscribe to any of the magazines I just mentioned. I just love Amazon! I've been avoiding this "Living Social" thing just because I did not know much about it. Well today the "Deal of the Day" is a $20 Amazon Gift Card for only $10!! Considering most things on Amazon ship free once you spend $25 it will turn out to be an even better deal! If you are interested come join me! Hurry, I think it ends late tonight! You do have to give them an email address, but I keep an old one for shopping, newsletters and such. Living Social Amazon Deal

Here is a final sweet treat for you! When you are doing those Spring note cards, wouldn't it be nice to have a darling little stamp to use? 2PreppyGirls is giving one away! Go check it out here. This is not some cheapy, cheesy stamp either, this is a very well made Customized Stamp, along with a few extras! The contest ends on Friday, January 21, so hurry on over!

Lovin' from the Oven

2011-01-18T23:08:00.000-06:00

Nothing says love like a warm, gooey, chocolatey treat does it? I have been promising the kidlets that we would back cupcakes all weekend, and we did not get the chance. This afternoon I made time to indulge them (and myself) in some baking! I mentioned in a previous post that I had purchased a cupcake book that has inspired me to make all kinds of new treats. I stopped off at the grocery during the weekend to purchase a few ingredients, and then Princess and I deliberated on what to make. I had all of the ingredients to make 5 different recipes, and she chose "Chocolate Chip Cookie Cupcakes". They turned out delicious! They were a bit more "done" than I prefer, but I am not sure if that was my oven or if it is the recipe. In the future I plan to cut the cooking time by a couple of minutes.

We got started measuring and mixing, and I thought to myself, "this does not look like cake batter". Then I realized what it looked like was cookie batter! Of course, "chocolate chip COOKIE cupcakes"! I wish I had taken pictures during the process. You make the topping, and the cupcakes. You bake the cupcakes at one temp for 15 minutes, and they form these little tart looking delicious smelling yummies. Then you put a tablespoon of topping in each one and bake some more (at a higher temp). They come out smelling divine. We dropped a dollop of frosting on each one, and the kiddos each choose their own "sprinkles" from our assortment. I am surprised they went to sleep tonight with all the sugar!

Here is a peek at what we ended up with...

Fresh from the oven:

The Princess added pink "sparkles" to hers:

They turned out to be quite a hit. I think we will be making more of these in the future!

Here is the book I got the recipe from. She also suggests making tiny chocolate chip cookies and placing them on top as a decoration.

Birthdays!

2011-01-16T22:39:00.000-06:00

Birthdays are such fun, aren't they? I know that some of us are getting to the point where we could do without the aging part, but I still enjoy birthdays! I may have hit those mid-thirties but I wouldn't go back for anything! Life is what you make of it, go out and enjoy it to the fullest!

Princess' birthday is coming up quickly. I can not believe my little girl will be 5. She is going to have a fabulous birthday! Since her reading skills are not quite up for reading my blog (and I doubt she could figure out how to get here!) I will share some of what I am planning...she will be getting a couple of gifts that center around a certain Disney Princess (Belle) and some darling Lilly Pulitzer goodies. I plan to fix her some cute little cupcakes. We are still debating a party, she wants to go for a manicure, but so far I have not been able to find a place I feel comfortable taking her yet. I think I am more excited than she is!

We love to have parties here...we are actually already planning for Man O Mine's birthday. Man O Mine is approaching a certain "big" number, and also making a few changes career wise. So this spring, we are toying with either a "Son of a Son of a Sailor" party, or a "The Road Goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends". (one being a beachy/nautical party with lots of Jimmy Buffet music and seafood, the other a Texas country party with boots, hats, and beef on the grill). NEXT Spring we will be having a fabulous "A Pirate Looks at Forty" party. I am really excited about that one! We may even have another one of those a few years from now for someone that shall remain nameless at the moment but she is typing this blog.

Along the lines of birthdays, this darling blog I enjoy reading is having a birthday! How I Met Your Father just turned 1! To celebrate she is giving a fabulous present! Go check out the contest to see what it is. Please tell her I sent you if you choose to participate. (Kay you can always give the pink stuff to your very girly pink loving friend that misses you and your coffee very much!) I hope you'll enjoy her sweet blog while you are there and wish her a very happy blog birthday!

Is it obvious that I also have cupcakes on the brain? I recently purchased a cupcake book. It is more than just a recipe book, it gives recipes for cupcakes, frosting, icing, glaze, suggests cupcakes for different occasions, gives decorating instruction, tips, and tricks, and even has a chart for paring different cupcakes with flavored frosting! I have really enjoyed reading it this weekend and made a trip to the grocery to pick up some baking necessities! In case the cupcake pictures have sparked a desire for cupcakes, check out this darling book. I can not wait to try some of the cupcake recipes inside!

Friday Fragments 1/14

2011-01-14T11:52:00.001-06:00

Happy Friday y'all! I hope you are warming up and thawing out, or that you are one of those crazy people that enjoys cold weather! Join up with Mrs4444 for Friday Fragments!

***Yes, I am aware that there is snow in 49 of the 50 states this week. I can not tell you how many people have posted that on Facebook, texted it to me, or emailed it to me. It is an interesting fact, but I doubt that it is a sign of the End of the World, or that sharing it in a chain letter will bring you massive amounts of money. Sorry, the cold makes me a bit grumpy, and by the 359473rd time I saw/heard it I was getting sick of it.

***Side note, there are also 5 straight weekends more than every 800 years. Any month with 31 days has the chance of that happening, there are always 5 of 3 days in those months, simple probability says at least sometimes that will be weekends. It happened in October 2010, it will happen in July 2011, I highly doubt it is a Chinese prophecy of money bags either, but you are more than welcome to believe that if you like.

***For those of you that are freezing your various extremities off I am sharing this picture. Those of you up North that are used to lots of snow and such things may see this as silly, but those of us in the South struggle with cold weather a bit more.

***I hope you can bear (not bare, too cold for that nonsense ;) ) with me as I present my "Bear"! I am a proud Mommy. My TT received his Bear Rank as well as 3 Arrow Points at the Scout Christmas Party last month. That is me in the oh so flattering ladies' uniform behind him, and our "fearless denleader" Joe beside me. I think Joe was a bit surprised by the photo. While he is a great guy with a fabulous sense of humor, he does not always have quite that goofy of a look on his face.

***We are gearing up for one of TT's favorite Scout events, the Pinewood Derby! It will be at the end of this month, and we are going to cut out our cars today. TT is still deciding how to decorate his. I told Princess she could help me decorate mine for the Leader's race, and she has determined that it will be pink and green. That is my girl!

***My fabulous items from the Garnet Hill sale arrived yesterday! Oh it was like Spring in a box! I eagerly opened it all up, oooooed and ahhhhed over all of it, and then shut it again. It is far too cold to change the warm down comforter and flannel sheets out for the lightweight coverlet, so I will keep them aside for a few more months. Garnet Hill has released their new stuff and it is all online. I am having a fit to order more but I think I will wait for another sale...the idea of paying $100 for a set of sheets for Princess' bed is a bit too much for me, no matter how adorable they are!

***Finally, I close with a picture of warmth, sun, sand, and water. Enjoy, and join me in fantasizing of wandering barefoot along the beach:

Shopping is more fun when it is on SALE!

2011-01-13T17:04:00.000-06:00

It is no secret that I love to shop. I can't even count how many times I have blogged about it. I enjoy it! Now I rarely go to the mall for shopping anymore. For one thing, the mall here leaves a bit to be desired. For another, dragging 3 kids to the mall just isn't fun. I tend to do a lot of my shopping online now. I can curl up in my fuzzy socks, sip coffee, and click away on pretty pictures.

One of my new favorite places to shop is Rue La La. It is an invitation only website, and they do limited time boutiques of high end name brands at deep discounts. I've seen Kitchen Aid, HP, Kate Spade, Tiffany & Co just to name a few. Right now they are doing Timberland and Vera Wang Home. Coming up THIS WEEK are: Born, Betsey Johnson, Lilly Pulitzer (yay!) Steve Madden, and Oakley.

Please feel free to follow the link and create an account. You do NOT need to buy anything, there is no obligation, but you can not buy unless you have an account. The boutiques sell out fast (HP was sold out in a matter of hours), so I would not suggest waiting until the day of a boutique you want to buy in to sign up. When I signed up I simply did so to see what was there. Then when I did buy, all I had to do was sign in. I got some great deals on some things for Princess to wear that way!

Rue La La

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday--Garnet Hill is on SALE!

2011-01-11T00:00:00.000-06:00

Linda over at Coastal Charm has one of the cutest blogs ever, and she does a Nifty Thrifty Tuesday party every week to share your best deals and steals! I have not done a Nifty Thrifty Tuesday post in some time, but I am SO excited about my new pretties that I just had to share!

I just LOVE pretty things for our home. I love to peruse catalogs and daydream about new bedding, pillows, things like that. Garnet Hill is one of my favorite catalogs to browse through, they have such pretty things. I also just love Lilly Pulitzer, such bright, fun prints and gorgeous styles to be had!

Recently some friends on Facebook shared that Garnet Hill had marked down some things from their recent Sale catalog even more, AND there was a progressive coupon code G9KMENT ($10 off $50, $20 off $100, and so on). I just had to go take a peek. Oh am I glad I did! Just look at the pretties that are being shipped my way...

This beautiful Lilly Pulitzer "Leaf It To Me" Coverlet $29(in a King size) and two matching shams $9 each:

And this adorable Lilly Pulitzer "Juice Stand" shower curtain $9

I added the aforementioned coupon code for an additional $10 off my $50 purchase (G9KMENT) and that brought my total down to $45.99, shipping was $6.95, so for a total of $52.94 I will have new spring bedding and a new shower curtain.

I am seriously tempted to sneak back over there and see what is left. There were some really pretty sheets on sale, and I didn't even look at the clothing yet. It is never too early to start shopping for next year's Christmas gifts, right?

I am thinking I may pull everything out and oooo and ahhh over it when it arrives, and then pack it back up. For one thing, it is COLD right now and I am enjoying my flannel sheets and plush down comforter. For another thing, we are moving this Spring. I think the new bedding and shower curtain will be a perfect "welcome" for our new place, that will (if all goes well) be back in my beloved home state of South Carolina.

Friday Fragments! First Friday of 2011!

2011-01-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

Hey y'all! It is FRIDAY! Hope you have had a wonderful week and will have a wonderful weekend! Friday is the perfect time to pour out all those mumbled and jumbled thoughts into Friday Fragments. Feel free to follow the link back to Mrs4444 and play along.

***I actually blogged some this week! I am probably more shocked than anyone else who read this.

***The Princess will be turning 5 in just a few weeks. I asked her what she would like to do for her birthday. I was expecting to hear something like a princess party, cupcakes, that sort of thing. Her response? "I want to go to the place where they paint your nails pretty and have purple sparkle finger polish."

***Like giveaways? I know I do! Run on over to the Re-Lilly blog for a chance to win an adorable PINK Christmas tree (hurry Kay, you need a pink tree!). The tree is fully decorated and even includes some wrapped gifts underneath! The Re-Lilly turned 1 year old on the day after Christmas, and the celebration goes on.

***A group I am a part of sent me an email invitation this week. Monday, as a matter of fact. The event I am invited to is supposed to be attended by a hundred or so women. The event is Monday. WHY would you send an invite out to a bunch of busy moms/wives exactly ONE week from the event? Am I crazy in thinking that is too close? There is no way I am going to make it. I already have too much scheduled for next week.

Well, it is not much, but that is going to have to do it for now! Time to get back to schoolwork!

Sometimes the truth is funny

2011-01-03T20:15:00.000-06:00

The Destruction of the Box...

2011-01-02T18:13:00.000-06:00

Anyone who has read this blog before knows that we live "away" from our hometown. This year we were not able to go home for the holidays, so most of our gifts were shipped (from us to home or from family to us). Even Nana and Poppa, who flew out to visit, also shipped their gifts ahead of time, as the airlines are now charging for checked luggage. Nana opted to wrap each person's gifts in the same paper, and not put any names on packages. She saved a small scrap of each paper in her wallet with the name of the person written on it, so that when she got here she was able to distribute the proper gifts.

About a week before Nana and Poppa were to arrive, a HUGE box was delivered by the USPS. I had a picture of the unopened box, but I am not sure what happened to it. It had our names and address on it anyway, so probably not the best picture to post.

Well of course the children were thrilled with the box, even if they could not open the presents yet. They had a ball playing with the empty box. Please ignore the mess in the background, I was doing some serious laundry the day the box arrived.

Then Shiner came in from outside. Shiner is VERY protective of the children (well, all of us actually) and was just CERTAIN that the box was a danger to them. He was hilarious, growling, barking, and running to Man O Mine and I to get us. He just could not understand why we were not upset and trying to save the babies!

Shiner made very quick work of waging war against the evil box that had his "babies" trapped inside...

He did not leave a bit standing, and even drug out the packing paper. The children egged him on, crying out "help Shiner, help us!"

This pile of ripped cardboard and paper was once a large packing box! He kept on going until he was certain that it could do no more harm.

Then of course, it was clean up time! The kids made quick work of that too!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:48:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year Y'all!

I wish you all the best. I wish I could promise you all that it will be a wonderful year, full of fun and surprises, but last I checked my crystal ball was not working. The problem may be the fact that it is a marble. I can tell you that we will be facing quite a few changes, challenges, and blessings in the coming year. I wish I felt ready to share them all, but I am not quite there yet.

I can tell you that we will likely be moving this year, as Man O Mine is changing his career path slightly...or maybe dramatically. Our closest friends and family (and hubby's superiors) are already aware, to the rest of you, I ask for your prayers for guidance and smooth transition. Once we have orders "in hand" I will be excitedly sharing more!

I can also share that we are looking forward to a 2011 baby...no, I am not pregnant. I am expecting my first niece! We are so excited to share the joy that my dear brother-in-law and sister-in-law are expecting. Their first child is only 8 months younger than Boom, and we are all eagerly anticipating the arrival of his baby sister.

We took down the tree this morning. I always thought the tree had to be down BY New Year's Day, but Man O Mine believes it should come down ON New Year's Day. So we compromise...I took down and packed away everything but the trees yesterday, and this morning we took them down. I will miss the warm glow of the lights, but it is nice to get everything back in "order". If you can call the state of our home "order"...we do have 3 kids and a very active dog running around. I am trying very hard to NOT go out and take advantage of all the after Christmas sales on decor. I love decorating for Christmas, but next Christmas will be in a different home, and I have no idea yet what will fit.

I do truly wish all of you that read this (both of you!) a blessed and beautiful New Year!

First Friday of December!

2010-12-03T10:36:00.000-06:00

It is Friday! Let's join Mrs4444 for some Friday Fragmenting!

***I have been really lax about blogging. I don't know what my problem is. I won't make any promises. I know that I really miss it. It is very relaxing to sit and pour my thoughts out.

***My friend Kay has been harassing me very kindly about blogging. She even posted a picture of herself in PINK today, just for me. She hates the color pink, and I love it, so it is a long time joke with us. Thank you Kay!

***We've had an addition to our family. I'd share a picture but he won't be still long enough to pose, so any picture I shared would be a black fuzzy blur. Shiner is a one year old Australian Cattle Dog (aka Blue Heeler). He is a great dog for us, very high energy, very playful, very loving. He is so smart too! He came to use already knowing how to sit, shake, speak, lay down, and roll over. We have taught him to shut the door (our back door can be pushed open if it is not locked, so he can open it and let himself back in. We've taught him to push it shut now when he does). He has also learned how to "seek" and plays hide and seek with the kids. He was an early Christmas present for all of us, and we are so tickled to have him around.

***Man O Mine is coming to the end of his commitment to Uncle Sam. He loves the service but is not so happy in his current position. We are exploring our options and would love any prayers for guidance!

***I got "voluntold" to chair the Cub Scout Christmas Party this year. So far it has been fun, but the actual party isn't for another week, so let's keep our fingers crossed it all goes smoothly! I have to put the schedule together this weekend.

***Who doesn't love a good giveaway? I know I do! This absolutely adorable blog "how i met your father" (is that not stinking cute?) is giving away a gorgeous Lilly Pulitzer Key to Your Heart Necklace. Run on over there and enter, and please do tell her I sent you. I'd be ever so grateful. Read a few of her posts while you are at it, you will enjoy!

***So I guess that is about it for today. I have about 8 half completed posts in my drafts. Maybe one of these days I'll get around to finishing them!

Friday Fragments October 15

2010-10-15T01:33:00.004-05:00

I am joining Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time for Friday Fragments! Friday Fragments is a meme when bloggers put together several "fragments" into one post, on Friday of course!

***Fragments, fractions, seems like all I am hearing these days. For those of you that don't already know this, we homeschool. Currently, TT and I are working on fractions in math and sentence structure in English. So my days are filled with fractions and fragments. That is kind of fitting for a Friday Fragment I suppose.

***I am longing to be at the beach right now. My in-laws have rented a place for the entire month at North Myrtle Beach, in SC. Must be nice, right? My brother-in-law, sister-in-law, and nephew (and the "bun in the oven") are there with them now for a few days. I so wish we could be there too, but it is a long drive from Texas. Oh well, maybe next year. It is looking like Uncle Sam will be moving us sometime next spring/summer, so we could end up closer to the east coast.

***The other night when we were praying (we pray as a family before putting the kids to bed), Boom had the cutest little prayer. Each of us takes a turn and prays for whatever we feel led too. Sometimes we discuss before we pray, and other times we just start, youngest to oldest. So not quite 3 year old Boom goes first. His prayer "God, and he home and he home (this goes on as he points at each of us in turn, it is a habit from thanking God that Daddy returned home from deployment) and God makes the snow, and we can throw snowballs, and Nana can watch us, and we can throw snowballs at her, and she can say "Hey, don't do that!" Amen." Needless to say, I was laughing so hard, and trying so hard to be quiet, that I had tears running down my face. I also had to call Nana later to share.

***I had lunch with a sweet friend this week, and then did a little Christmas shopping! I am trying to be very organized and get things done early this year. I already have a few small things for Princess, all of TT's stocking stuffers, and one or two things for Boom. I know what I want to get them for their gifts, but we are trying to plan an evening out so that Man O Mine and I can go "kid shopping" while the kids stay with a sitter. We are not going to be able to go "home" for Christmas this year, so I need to get all our family gifts together and shipped! Fortunately I think I've got the "Moms" (Mom, Mother-in-law, and Stepmom) figured out. The "Dads" are another matter all together, I have no idea what to get any of them!

***I am a fan of "Re-Lilly" on Facebook. It is a page where ladies discuss Lilly Pulitzer. Actually, it is a place where ladies discuss, give advice, sell and buy Lilly! The motto is "reduce, reuse, re-Lilly". Cute, huh? You see all sorts of stuff there, vintage Lilly, last season's dress that someone no longer needs, or new with tags stuff. I've gotten some really great deals there and some fabulous advice. The creator of the page has started a blog as well. She tends to stick to the topic of Lilly and other preppy such things, and she runs LOTS of giveaways. I love a giveaway! So this week she is giving away some Lilly Pulitzer (what else would the "Re-Lilly" blog give away) koozies. Her post is about the fabulous deals to be had over on Purseladytoo. I broke down and bought the agenda I've been wanting. I was trying to wait, as it would make a nice Christmas gift, but I am already starting to schedule things for next year, and I need a place to record them! It is a 17 month calendar, so I am looking forward to that! Go check out the giveaway on the Re-Lilly blog if you have a minute!

***So did anyone see that absolutely fantastic college football game last week? The one where my beloved Gamecocks took down Alabama? Oh YEAH. We were actually at a party for the second half, so Man O Mine and I kept pulling out our phones to check the score. We are so proud of our Gamecocks! Now if only the Sunday pro games had gone like we'd hoped...oh well!

Thanks for stopping by, I hope y'all have a great weekend!

A little Fall Fun in Pictures...

2010-10-14T11:15:00.001-05:00

I have been quite remiss in blogging, I know. I thought I would share a bit of Fall fun in pictures: TT getting his Texas badge at Scouts, Man O Mine's new beer discovery, Boom decorating a cookie at Fall Fest, TT playing a game at Fall Fest, and my Fall flowerpots in bloom!

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A Thousand Words Thursday...Popcorn time!

2010-09-30T13:28:00.001-05:00

I am trying out a new trick...I am blogging from my phone! Who would have thought such a thing would be possible? Anyway, I wanted to share this picture of a couple of handsome Cub Scouts I know selling Trail's End popcorn to raise money for our Pack. Handsome little devils, aren't they?

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

First Friday Fragments of Fall!

2010-09-23T23:37:00.000-05:00

I'm gonna do it...I am actually going to do it! After two very long, very busy months, I am joining Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time for Friday Fragments! Now Mrs4444 has probably forgotten who I am in my absence (actually, she probably has not. She is such a sweetie, she probably remembers everyone who even looks at her blog!) Be sure to run on over there and check out the other fragmenters when you are done here.
***Happy Fall y'all! According to the calendar, it is officially Fall. Now if you step outside here in Texas, you might not think so. We know it is true though, because we can actually tolerate the temperatures enough to eat supper on the patio again. Oh how I missed that during those 100+days. We also know it is true because Man O Mine is happily embracing football season once again. We are football fans around here, especially our Carolina Gamecocks for Thursday night and Saturdays, and the Cowboys or Panthers for Sundays and Monday nights.

***I mentioned it has been a crazy busy couple of months. In my last FF, I was lamenting the fact that we desperately needed to replace Man O Mine's truck. Well we did it. Man O Mine is happily driving around in a Dodge Ram (and lookin' darn fine doing so might I add). It is also really nice to have two vehicles that we can all fit in as well! Now if I can just sneak off with it one weekend to go antiquing/junk shopping, I'll be in hog heaven!

***I stopped by Marta's place today. I have not been by in forever. She bought a fabulous new place to live, and guess what? It came with a bonus, a fabulous place to move her shop, one where she does not have to pay rent! So she is in the process of moving, and I noticed big sale signs and lots of cars in front of her old place today. So I stopped in to see what was left. Unfortunately all the gorgeous pieces left had "sold" signs on them, but it is was nice to chat with her a bit. I picked up a few things left from her "staging" pile. Marta does not just sell antiques, she stages them...she decorates so that you just fall in love with the whole picture. So Princess made out like a bandit, with a monogrammed pillowcase, some vintage ribbon, some pink paper lanterns, and a My Twinn doll. The doll was sitting nekkid (sorry Marta, I'll explain, that is Southern for "got no clothes on") and Princess noticed it. To my surprise, the doll's hair and coloring could have been an exact match to Princess! So Marta told me about the dolls and how people send pictures in to have the dolls made to match their child, and told Princess it was hers (for a teeny tiny little price! yay!). Princess loves her new baby, and I had to find the My Twinn site to get the baby some clothes.

***Scouting if off to a fun start this fall. Actually, it never really stopped for the summer! We're selling popcorn, and TT is doing pretty well at that. We did one of those "show and sell" events last weekend, where we get all done up in our uniforms and sit outside Walgreen's and the adorable boys run up to everyone entering the store and try to charm them into buying popcorn. It went very well, a LOT was sold, which equals a lot of funds for our Pack. TT looked up at me at one point and said "I didn't know this was going to be so fun". Melted my heart, that sweet kid. I just can't tell him he is "sweet", because apparently it is not cool to be "sweet" when you are an 8 year old boy.

***I am missing my homeland this week. For those of you that have read before, you may know I am a Carolina girl. We are in Texas because that is where dear old Uncle Sam sent Man O Mine, and I tend to go where he goes. Now I've fallen in love with Texas, but sometimes I really miss home. I miss my "Smiling Faces, Beautiful Places", I miss my MaMa (mom's mom). I am going to miss my gorgeous, southern as a turnip green, sweet as American honey cousin's wedding. She is getting married in November, and I am so sad I won't be able to attend. Trooper H (as I'm going to call her) is such a sweetheart. She is tall, blonde, and gorgeous. She followed her dreams and became a State Trooper, and is going to marry the man of her dreams. Now I have to admit here, Man O Mine and I joke just a bit about her chosen profession. She is tough as nails, but has that sweet southern belle look and a drawl that turns men into puddles. When she made Trooper, we couldn't help but imagine her with some arrogant jerk pulled over, him giving her a hard time, and her responding with "Now Honey, don't you make me have to taser you."

***Along the lines of sweetness and all things southern, I found this new blog, Monograms and Margaritas (don't you just love that name?). Well, it isn't really new, she just recently moved over to blogspot. I LOVED the quote she had on her footer, so that prompted me to Google search it and find the origin. I just have to share...
"In the South, the breeze blows softer...neighbors are friendlier, nosier, and more talkative. (By contrast with the Yankee, the Southerner never uses one word when ten or twenty will do)...This is a different place. Our way of thinking is different, as are our ways of seeing, laughing, singing, eating, meeting and parting. Our walk is different, as the old song goes, our talk and our names. Nothing about us is quite the same as in the country to the north and west. What we carry in our memories is different too, and that may explain everything else."
--Charles Kuralt in "Southerners: Portrait of a People"

***My sweet friend Yvette and I had lunch together this week. She is just about to pop (36 1/2 weeks!) with her little baby boy. I am so excited for her, this is her first baby, and she is just adorable pregnant. I also can't wait to get to snuggle him and all that. Now that Boom is almost 3 I am missing babies in the house. Not so much that I'm going to go having another one or anything like that, but it will be nice to snuggle someone else's baby. Oh, and we recently found out we are getting a new niece or nephew, so that will be another little bundle I'll get to snuggle come spring. Yay!

***I am going to schedule a family portrait soon. Someone (read Nana, Grandmother, MaMa, and several others) recently pointed out that it had been a while since we did a family picture. I am not so good at that. So I decided I'd get us an appointment and make everyone smile nice and all that jazz. Then Man O Mine showed me his calendar for October. Let's just say pictures will be made in November. I bought gorgeous matching Lilly Pulitzer dresses for Princess and myself. They are a lovely blue and white print. I think I'll put all the boys in blue polos because they are just not so much into the whole dressing up aspect. I am so hoping they turn out well. Maybe I'll get brave and post them if so!

***One last note and then I am off...has anyone tried the Blogger app on the Droid phones? I gave in to the temptation and bought a Droid a while back, and I recently noticed a Blogger app in the market. Wondering if it works, and how easy it is. Maybe I would blog more often if I installed it!

Well thanks for stopping by. Y'all have a fabulous first weekend of Fall! Enjoy those football games, tailgating, and such!

I'm still here...

2010-09-21T14:30:00.000-05:00

I am still here. I promise. Things have been crazy busy, and quite frankly, I am struggling with discipline and time management. I need to be more organized. I need to get my sleep patterns straightened out. I need to improve my focus. I guess I already have my New Year's resolutions made! Ha!
In my head, I've written more than a dozen blog posts in the last month. It is the getting them typed in and posted that I am struggling with. Of course most of those posts will never see the light of day, as they were relevant for that time, but that time has passed.
We've been busy...in the last two months we bought a truck for Man O Mine (YAY!!), gave in to the temptation and got Droids (has anyone tried the blogger app?), led a retreat for parents/children, started school, attended numerous Scout functions, club meetings, church events, cried a few tears, laughed a lot, and all the sort of things that go along with life. Life is precious, cling to it while you can. I will post more on that later, for the moment I will just say we are remembering a friend who was lost 2 years ago yesterday in the War on Terror, and last week our unit lost a young soldier in a tragic car accident.
I hope to be more regular at posting. I am working on the time management issues. Maybe if someone bought me the adorable planner from my Amazon wishlist I would use it wisely. (sorry, shameless plug there)
Thanks for stopping by!

Giveaway fever!

2010-08-16T00:14:00.000-05:00

I posted the other day about a great giveaway I came across. Well she is at it again! Actually, she has been at it for quite some time. It seems Shopaholic in Alabama is celebrating her birthday by giving AWAY gifts, instead of getting them! This particular giveaway is a darling Lilly Pulitzer Agenda from Lifeguard Press. These agendas are just gorgeous, and they run from August 2010 to December 2011! One of the best parts of the giveaway is the winner is going to get to choose their preferred pattern from the 3 different ones. My favorite is called "Don't Be Koi". Isn't it cute?

If you are in need of a new agenda, please go check out Shopaholic in Alabama's Giveaway!

MIA

2010-08-11T16:20:00.000-05:00

I've been MIA from the blogging world for a couple weeks. I am really not sure why. I've been busy, yes, but I hate that excuse. We're all busy to some extent or another. I guess quite frankly I just haven't MADE the time to sit down and blog. I'm sure the two of you that actually read this from time to time understand that, and I hope you won't be upset with me. I'm working on it. If you know me well you know that I am easily distracted, and I certainly have distractions in my life! ha ha.
So with all that said, I'll try to do better. I really will.

I Love to shop...and shopping for FREE is even better!

2010-08-09T11:17:00.000-05:00

I don't think it is any big secret that I love shopping. My Mom used to tease me that if shopping were an Olympic sport, I'd be a gold medalist. I don't always buy, but I do love to look. I love bargains too! So of course when there chance to shop and get a great deal while doing so, I am all ears. I came across this darling blog Shopaholic in Alabama. She is a fellow shopaholic, and is getting ready to celebrate her 40th birthday in style. In honor of that upcoming birthday, she is doing a whole slew of giveaways, and one that really gets my attention ends TONIGHT (so hurry). She is giving away a $75 gift certificate to Under the Palm Tree, a Lilly Pulitzer via shop. Now I could do some serious shopping on that site, they have some of the new Fall collection in, and a lot of Spring stuff on SALE! If you are interested on getting in on the giveaway, hurry on over to Shopaholic's Giveaway!

Template troubles...

2010-07-25T14:46:00.000-05:00

I opened up my blog a bit ago to find a blank white background, with an error box from photobucket telling me the image was deleted. It seems the free blog background I'd be using has been deleted by the owner's site. I went to the site and could not find it anywhere, so that is what I'm assuming happened. I did not see anything that struck my fancy so I decided to try Blogger's new template designer. I like the beach scene background here, but not positive it suits best. So I hope you'll put up with the possibility of changing templates until I decide what I like best. Feel free to offer any suggestions!

Pink Saturday July 24

2010-07-24T14:05:00.000-05:00

Pink Saturday is a celebration of all things pink, and hosted by How Sweet the Sound.

I am so embarrassed. I haven't participated in Pink Saturday in several weeks. I let Beverly know I had plans to participate, snapped my pictures, typed up my post, and set it to autopost. I knew this Saturday was going to be a VERY busy day (I went to Waco, back again, then South Austin, and back again! Whew!), so I wanted to set it up ahead of time.
Guess what? I hit "save" instead of "post", so my post never showed up. Oooops! So I figured I'd add this note just in case anyone stopped by from the Pink crowd to let them know that I am late, but here it is....

This Pink Saturday I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite PINK things from my wardrobe. This is actually the outfit I am wearing this Saturday. I have a meeting to attend in Waco, and then if all goes well, we will be going to look at a truck for Man O Mine later this afternoon. It is hot, so I need something cool and comfortable, but it can't be slouchy. So I chose this:

One of my favorite tops, a Pink Lilly Pulitzer shrunken polo. It is a polo shirt that is cut for women. I love the color of course, and who doesn't love Lilly P? I just adore that it has the green palm tree on it as well. Being a Carolina girl, I like anything with palm trees! Note the earrings I chose to wear, silver dangling palm trees, and my switch flops with the pink straps with green palms. I chose a simple denim skirt and the bracelet that Mom sent me for my birthday. It is made up of brightly colored clay polymer beads. It is by a company called Viva Beads and it is so cute!
I have to put in a little "plug" here for my switch flops (and no, I am not being paid!) They are so comfy and cute! I actually have two pair, a pair of cork kitten heels and the ones in this picture, the Taylor wedge. The straps are velcro, and you can change them out. I have several pairs of straps, all colors, styles, etc. It is like having 20 or so pairs of flip flops! Ha ha!
So there is my Pink for today, I am wearing it! Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Fragments July 23

2010-07-23T00:10:00.012-05:00

Friday Fragments is a fun meme hosted by Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time. Be sure to check out the other fragmenters and even join in!

***Blogger's posting template has changed on me. I've seen other people post about it, and wondered what they were talking about, now I guess I know. So if things look a little off that is why. At least I have something to blame for my screw-ups! Ha!

***I went in to get a "routine" oil change the other day. Where I go has a loyalty program, and they punch my little card every time. When the card is full, I get a free one. This was my free one. I was SURE they would find something wrong. Not just because of the free oil change, but I had noticed my brakes starting to "squeal" a bit. So an hour and a half in the waiting area with mind-numbing Disney shows about teeny-bopper singers they tell me my front brakes need to be redone. I arrange to have this done later in the week as the kids had done very well for the hour and a half, and I was NOT going to push it. So I went back alone with a book to get the brakes done later in the week, sure that it would take MUCH longer than the hour I was promised and likely cost more than the estimate. Guess what? 58 minutes later they came to get me, I was ready to go and the charge was exactly what I'd been quoted. Yay!

***As I type this, I am sipping a "Mexi-Coke" as Man O Mine calls it. We can only find them at the "local" grocery chain (not the huge well known big box super grocery store). It is Coca-cola that is bottled for sale in Mexico. It is in 355ml GLASS bottles, and is made with real sugar, not corn syrup. You get these babies ice-cold and they are so good! I may regret the caffeinated beverage later, as it is close to bedtime, but right now I am loving it.

***For the two of you that keep up with me on a regular basis, you know that TT recently went through a series of meetings with our Pastor, who then determined that he was allowed to take Communion during our worship services. TT was really excited about this (and still is, every Sunday he sits straight up at Communion time!). We decided it was time he had a "real" Bible, instead of the storybook versions he has had up until now. Considering Man O Mine has his Master of Divinity, he is pretty particular about translation and such, so we searched Amazon and found what we believed to be the perfect fit, the ESV Children's Bible. We did not tell TT we had ordered it, so when it arrived we pulled him aside and told him again how proud of him we were, and explained that we felt he was old enough to read the Bible for himself. That night, he read his Bible before bed! He read straight through to the story of Noah within just a couple of nights. Now he is reading it to us at night before bed. It is so precious to hear my son reading to me the story of Abraham!

***We have a lead on a "new" (to us!) truck. We may be going to check it out this weekend. The poor Mitsubishi is trying hard but it is starting to chug during driving as well as the difficulty starting. Man O Mine's battalion commander actually recently ordered him to get a new truck. Ha!

***Saturday morning I'm off to Waco. I'll be assisting our "Popcorn Kernel" at a council event where we are supposed to get the details on the upcoming Popcorn sales for our Cub Scouts. I am not looking forward to spending half the day on a Saturday in a meeting, but hoping it will be fun. I am looking forward to getting the details. Last year we got mixed information, and ended up only using the online system for popcorn sales, and this year we'd like to give it more effort, in hopes of raising more funds for our Pack. I am sure he won't be the highest seller or anything like that, but any funds we can help raise will be good.

I appreciate you stopping by! Come back by tomorrow and join me for Pink Saturday if you have a minute.It has been a while since I've participated in that one, but I got some cute new pink things lately I'm planning to share. Have a wonderful weekend!

Hello Ladies...

2010-07-21T14:59:00.002-05:00

I just love the Old Spice Man. The commercials are just funny. Apparently, he has quite the following, and did a series of video responses to questions he was asked via Twitter. I spent a little too long laughing and them on youtube, and could not help sharing this one. Everyone loves a good political joke, right? Even this tea drinking elephant fan got a giggle out of this one:

The Truth in Newsprint...

2010-07-18T07:17:00.002-05:00

A friend recently posted this column on Facebook, and I just had to share it. I found it quite funny to be honest. I don't necessarily agree with every point, but there is some truth to it...

This is quite hard to read, so for those of you that don't have super eyes, here is the text of the article, found in Carolyn Hax's advice column.
From Tell Me About It, found in the Washington Post:

By Carolyn Hax

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Carolyn:

Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .

Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.

Tacoma, Wash.

Relax and enjoy. You're funny.

Or you're lying about having friends with kids.

Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.

I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.

So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.

It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.

It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.

It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.

It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.

It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.

*A personal note, I think it goes up exponentially with each additional child. A dear friend of mine recently had number 5. Her kids are fed, cleaned, dressed, well mannered (well, for a 9, 7, 5, 3 year old and an infant), educated, and what not. She has very little time these days. We used to have long conversations over coffee when we had less kids. Now, due to both distance (Army life!) and time, our conversations are days-long text conversations when we can find a moment to peck out a few words!*

2010-07-16T02:20:00.003-05:00

Well TGIF y'all! I hope you've had a great week, and thanks for stopping by. Friday Fragments is a fun meme hosted by Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time. Be sure to check out the other fragmenters and even join in!

***I've had one of those summer colds this week. My head has been in a "fog" quite a bit. I have to share a story on that...the other day we arrived at the pool for swim lessons. It was pretty crowded (compared to having the place to ourselves last week!), and I was busy scanning the place for a spot to sit in shade. We claimed a spot, and a kid walks up and tells TT hello. TT responds and then the kids walks off. I ask "Who was that?" TT looks at me like I've grown 3 heads and says "Mom, that was C". (C is the son of a friend of mine and has been in scouts with TT all year, I know this kid). Well I look up to see him, his mom, and younger brother leaving the pool. I felt bad about walking right by them and even worse about not realizing who the kid was. I quickly purchased a coke from the vending machine and got myself a little jolt to wake me up. Thank goodness Man O Mine meets me at the pool to help me keep up with everyone!

***Did you know that "dammit i'm mad" spelled backwards is "dammit i'm mad"? Well, the apostrophe has to be moved. Just another useless fact to have floating about in your head.

***I came across an adorable blog this week, College Prep. She is having a fantastic giveaway, with 5 different (and super cute) prizes! Go check it out if you like pretty things!

***I lost another couple pounds! YAY! The weight is coming off very slowly, but Man O Mine keeps reminding me that is the healthy way to do it.

***I mentioned last week that I got a little crazy over on ebay. Well my package came and here is my Princess sporting one of her new (to her) Lilly P dresses. Please excuse the washed out phone pic:
***We had a skate party with the Cub Scouts Thursday night. My kids have never been skating, and I can not remember the last time I went. It was hot (no AC in the skate place). TT spent a lot of time on his rear end, but had a blast. Boom loved it. Princess did not. We may try it again later...they had kiddie skates that attached to shoes, and Boom wore those, but Princess had on flip flops so she had to go with traditional skates, and I think that was her issue.

***Last Friday was Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-fil-a. I love Chick-fil-a. I'm cheap. So free lunch for all of us if we dress as cows? I"m there, all it took was a little construction paper. I put everyone in white tops and brown bottoms. Princess actually had a pair of Mini Boden pants that were actually brown dalmatian print but sure did the trick. Here are my little "calves".
Have a great weekend y'all! I think we're spending the day in Waco tomorrow...scout shop, Dr Pepper Museum, maybe the Texas Ranger Museum, and George's for supper!

A Tasty Thursday....Japanese -Style Salmon

2010-07-15T10:42:00.004-05:00

I posted a recipe a couple weeks back and had a few people like it, so I thought I'd share another one that was a big hit with the family. This one is also a grilling recipe (well mostly).

Japanese-Style Salon & Cucumber Salad

(now I am not so sure it is really "Japanese" style, that is just the name of the recipe. It does certainly have some Asian inspired flavor!)

Seasoning Paste
1 lemon, divided
1 approx 1in piece fresh peeled gingerroot
1 tbsp soy souce
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed

Salad and Salmon rolls
2 seedless cucumbers (or in our case, 1 large regular)
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1 6 inch wide center cut salmon fillet
Lemon slices for optional garnish

Prepare grill for direct cooking over medium high heat.To create paste, zest lemon (to measure about 1 tsp), and grate about 2 tsp gingerroot. Juice the lemon. Combine the above with soy sauce, garlic, and oil. Reserve about a tbsp of the mix for salad.
Chop cucumbers (the recipe calls for julienne, but we just chop them). Combine with the reserved mix and the rice vinegar, mix well and chill until ready to serve.
Cut salmon into 1 1/2 in strips (or, in the picture, we had wider, shorter strips, the rolls just don't turn out quite as pretty). Spread the paste on one side, coating completely. Roll up strips and tie with butcher's twine (you can also skewer it with 2-3 toothpicks). Grill rolls, covered, about 4 minutes or until grill marks appear. Turn and grill an additional 4-6 minutes.

I serve these with the salad and jasmine rice (available at your local grocery and either steamed or boiled). For the kids, I lightly glaze the salmon with the paste and grill flat, so they have some flavor but not the strong garlic/ginger flavor. This meal is a big hit with all 5 of us. Enjoy! Let me know if you try it!

An Open Letter to You Scammers Out There

2010-07-10T21:33:00.003-05:00

Dear idiots that keep sending me emails,

I am not your "dear" and no, you can not trust me. I would personally arrest you and lock you away in a place where you are forced to listen to Barney songs for the rest of your miserable days if I had the power.

I am not that stupid. I do not buy your story. I do not believe that I have won a huge amount of money. I do not believe I have some wealthy long lost relative that died in a foreign country leaving me untold riches. I do not believe your sob story about trying to do good and help people with the millions that you supposedly have been keeping safe.

If I even bother to open your email, I forward it on to the FEDS.

If you are going to try to scam me, at least spell it correctly. For one thing, "Toyota" is the car company. I've never heard of "Toyato" or "toyot".

I realize that there must be people out there dumb enough to fall for your scams, or you wouldn't be trying. I am not your sucker.

If you genuinely have a comment or question about something you've read in my blog, please feel free to comment or contact me. If you are trying to get me to give you my personal information so you can wipe out my bank account, find another target.

Thank you,

Friday Fragments July 9

2010-07-09T10:29:00.004-05:00

Friday Fragments is a fun meme hosted by Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time. Be sure to check out the other fragmenters and even join in!

***Mrs4444 had a great idea, we should come up with a sponsor for FF. She needs a new furnace paid for, and we need a truck. So if anyone out there is interested in sponsoring FF let us know! Just think, we could put "Your Name Here" in fragments all over the web!
***TT is taking swimming lessons this week. He is doing so well! We put him in the Level I class because he has not had any formal training. His teacher said he probably would have been fine to start with Level II. I think he is happy with starting here though. He is certainly enjoying it! We took the late afternoon class so Man O Mine could come by after work and join us. We all play a while in the pool while TT has his class, then go home for supper. That way we all get to enjoy! Here is a quick shot of TT swimming across the deep end (10ft). I tried to get him jumping off the board the other day but all I got was the residual splash. We have one more week of Level I, and then I think we'll go ahead and find a Level II class.

***I got a little crazy over on ebay the other day. I used to buy and sell quite a bit over there, but it got harder and harder to sell and buying was costing too much so I stopped for a while. I've often said I have champagne taste on a beer budget. I love certain brands that are hard to find here as well as very pricey. Princess loves dresses, and was really disappointed the other day when I told her that her Lilly Pulitzer dresses were just too small for her (she'd found them hidden in the back of the closet). So I browsed over to ebay, and the next thing I knew, I am watching the mail for a package of 3 Lilly P dresses for her. I actually got a VERY good deal, better than I could go buy 3 dresses at Walmart or Target, so we should both be happy. If the mailman ever gets here!
***It has been raining every day for two weeks. I am thankful for the rain (especially having just received my water bill from last month and knowing I have not had to run the sprinkler for two weeks now!). Unfortunately my allergies are getting sick of it. I am allergic to molds and the molds are flourishing in the warm humidity that is outside.
***The parade last week went well! I was worried, as it was a rain or shine event. There were thunderstorms predicted for the exact time of the parade. It was raining when we got there to set up. Then, just as we started moving, it stopped! Our turnout was pretty small for a pack the size of ours, but it was a 4day weekend. We had a good time and good conversations. Please ignore the damp and frizzy look we've got going on here...it was pretty warm and wet when this was taken!
***We visited the Mayborn Museum complex in Waco last weekend. They are doing a special Lego exhibit so my kids were in hog heaven! The museum was great! Lots of very cool science and natural history exhibits. To me, the best part was when we asked them later what their favorite part was...NOT ONE mentioned the Legos! They were so fascinated by the exhibits on weather, mammoths, the human body, etc that they'd forgotten about the Legos. They did really love that part, it was just the first thing we'd done. I highly recommend checking it out if you are ever in the Waco area.

***TT is reading up a storm! We are hitting the library on a regular basis but our poor library has a problem with books not getting returned, so the choices are often limited. TT is not magic and fantasy, so the Harry Potter type books don't interest him. He does like science fiction (read, Star Wars) but I can only take so much of that. We've been looking into summer reading programs and stumbled upon one at Border's recently. TT got a free book for reading 10 books, so he chose Dear Mr Henshaw. He started reading it last night at bedtime and is now almost through it. Since he has enjoyed it I may look into the Wimpy Kid diary series. We found out yesterday Barnes & Noble is doing a similar program, if the child reads 8 books they get a free one (again, from a list of choices) so we are quickly filling that card out now.

Well, I have a list about a mile long of things I have to do, so I guess I'm going to go be productive. Thanks for stopping by, hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday--Organizing!

2010-07-05T19:14:00.005-05:00

I am linking up with Linda over on Coastal Charm today for her Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Party.

Now that we've finished with school for the summer, I am trying to reorganize and go ahead and prepare for next fall. Those of you who read my blog regularly (both of you!) probably know that we homeschool. TT will be starting 3rd grade in the fall, and we will be doing a more structured PreK for Princess, along with educational play for Boom. With all three of them having materials and such, my "school desk" (which is actually a table) is getting quite cluttered. I have been also trying to stick to a more structured budget, as well as a few other things, so I need to have paperwork and such easily accessible and organized. I'm also cheap! So, with that being said, here are some of my recent "finds" for organizing:

I'd been on the lookout for some pretty magazine files or some such to keep the kids' workbooks and my magazines organized. I found these at Target. They were only $3 each. The kids liked the bright colors. I had planned on some pretty ones, but these were much cheaper than any I'd found, and are actually made of a fairly sturdy plastic, which will likely hold up to my kiddos better than the more pricey paperboard versions. The bottoms do need to be reinforced if they are going to be carried around, but that should be a simple fix. Green is for TT, Pink for Princess, and Blue for Boom. Right now I have my notepad and some magazines in Booms but I plan to go buy another one for me later this week.

I also got the simple black file box on the end for $3 from Target. I have a regular old file cabinet, but I like to keep my "working files" (read, files I use all the time) a little more accessible. I bought these adorable file folders a while back when Target had the Liberty of London line going on sale. I got a huge package of 24-four sets of 6 folders in coordinating patterns. They are a lot prettier to look at than plain old file folders and it was only about $5 for all of them. So I've organized a handful or so of them in the file box now, and plan to finish later this week.

This basket I picked up late last week at Hobby Lobby. The picture does NOT do it justice. It is a jute (natural fiber) basket in a lovely natural color with tree branches and birds all over. I have had several ideas for it, but I think it may end up in the Master Bath, with extra paper, hand towels, and perhaps a magazine or two in it.

Finally, I have a cute blue Picnic Basket! I've seen similar baskets at gift shops and such. I absolutely love them, but just hadn't gotten around to getting one yet. Well last week I was at Wal-mart picking up some odds and ends and peeked down an aisle of Independence Day stuff on sale. I spied this basket on sale for $7. Now it is is not near as high quality as the one my Mother In Law has, nor is it monogrammed like hers, but not too shabby for $7. I figure if it gets us through the summer I'll be happy with it. Normally I absolutely despise shopping Wal-mart, but this day wasn't too bad. I also picked up the latest copy of Southern Living (with a $1.00 off coupon!) so I have some nice reading material and a picnic basket, now I just need a destination! Of course I'd still like to have one of the nicer ones, with our name or a big "P" monogrammed on it, and the zip on lid, but this one will do for now!

Linda at Coastal Charm is also doing a GIVEAWAY this Nifty Thrift Tuesday!! You see, Linda lives on the Gulf Coast, which, unless you live under a rock somewhere, you know has been hit hard by the oil leak. She is giving away a full year subscription to Coastal Living Magazine, so be sure to go check it out HERE. The giveaway ends July 6, so hurry on over!

Favorite Things--Pantry Edition

2010-07-02T12:55:00.000-05:00

Mrs 4444 is at it again...coming up with a little blog party that got me thinking. Since I want to be cool like Mrs 4444, I decided to jump in on this one and play along. She got this idea to do a series of blog parties on our Favorite Things, kind of like we were sitting around chatting and sharing together. This edition is on our favorite things for the pantry.

Again, I am not hugely "brand loyal", some of the staples in our pantry can be of a variety of brands. There must be peanut butter (we do prefer Jif Natural but Mrs4444 has suggested another one I plan to try). There are usually at least 2-3 boxes of cereal. There is almost always some boxed mac n cheese, a variety of pastas, jasmine rice, soup stock, beans, spare bottles of salad dressing, that sort of thing. We are big pickle fans, so there are always several kinds of pickle (spears, minis, slices) but they are always dill. There must always be some of those flavor packets for bottles of water, and good whole bean coffee.

There are two items that I ALWAYS have in the pantry (unless we are getting desperate and I am making frantic pleas for more). I will share those two:
One of those "Have to Have It" items in our pantry is Duke's Mayonnaise! There is NO other mayonnaise as far as we are concerned. Try it, I dare you. You'll be hooked.

I actually found this picture on another blog, and loved it, as it so proudly declares that Duke's is the KING of mayonnaise. Nothing else even comes close. The blog author tells of his own introduction to Duke's in this amusing tale: The Great Charleston Mayonnaise Riot . Duke's is a southern thing. It was originally produced in Greenville, SC (only minutes from my hometown!). It is also hard to find if you are not in "The South". When we moved to KY a few years back, I could only find it on occasion. Once Winn Dixie closed down, it was near impossible, so every trip home for visits, or visitors who came to us, Duke's was included. Family members would send me a jar from time to time as well. From KY we moved to NC, and I was thrilled to find Duke's every time I went to the store. I introduced my die-hard-Iowa-is-heaven-on-earth friend Kay to the stuff. She was hooked. She began having to order it herself when Uncle Sam sent them from Ft Bragg, NC to Ft Riley, Kansas. Her chicken salad was just not the same without it. Here in TX I have had to go back to begging for people to ship/bring/etc. One time I even paid nearly $6 for a jar I found at a fancy-smacy grocery place in Austin. That changed about 2 weeks ago. Man O Mine and I were shopping at the "Ginormas" HEB in Killeen and there it was, in all of its gold-and-black label glory. They finally started stocking Duke's!! I sent picture texts to friends and family, and threw a couple jars in the buggy (yes, buggy. I'm from SC people). I am not happily dining on sandwiches, and dreaming of chicken salad, potato salad, and all those yummy summer time recipes that call for a dollup of mayo.

The other "Have to Have It" in our pantry is Maurice's BBQ Sauce. There are actually several varieties of the sauce now, but we prefer the original Southern Gold. It is a mustard based bbq sauce (South Carolina style), and it has a tangy yet sweet taste that simply can not be duplicated. One of our family favorites is to take a pork roast and put it in the crockpot with just a bit of fresh garlic and finely chopped onion. We add a teeny-tiny bit of water (this is important, the roast does not need to swim, just not dry out, a TINY bit of water), and then cover it with Maurices. We let it cook on low all day, and come supper time, I shred the meat and serve it on buns with chips or tater tots or some such. It is always a crowd pleaser. Maurice's is only available for sale in grocery stores in SC, at his restaurants in the Columbia, SC area, or online. My sweet family keeps me supplied with it. Which reminds me, if you are reading this Nana, Poppa, Mom, Dad, please send me a bottle. I just opened my last one!

A side note on BBQ--I have learned in our various states and homes that there are MANY different meanings to "BBQ", depending on where you are. I'm actually working on a post dealing with that. I am by no means a BBQ expert, but I find it interesting the different styles that exist in a relatively small geographical area (I'm specifically referring to the southern US). I also find it ALL yummy!

Well, that is about it. Our pantry is always full, but you never know what is going to be in it, with two big exceptions! Thanks for popping by!

First Friday of July Fragments!

2010-07-02T00:05:00.001-05:00

Here we are, Friday once again! I hope you've had a great week, and thanks for popping in. Friday Fragments is a fun meme hosted by Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time. Be sure to check out the other fragmenters and even join in!

***Have big plans for Independence Day weekend? Or for the occasional neighbor from up north that pops by, Canada Day weekend? Man O Mine has a 4-day weekend, so we plan to enjoy some family time. TT and I are supposed to be in the Belton Parade on Saturday. It is going to be televised and everything! It is a rain or shine event, and TS Alex has sent quite a few t-storms our way, so I'm a bit anxious about that. Not so sure I am cool with marching 2-3 miles in a thunderstorm. We're also planning to cook out (of course!) and see some fireworks on Sunday. Remember those who serve to keep this great country free y'all, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness!!

***So I am a huge sucker, especially for my kids. They recently discovered Silly Bandz on a family trip, and I got them a package of animal bands. Well we were out shopping the other day and guess what they found? Disney bandz. Yay. Princess came home with a package of Princess bandz and the boys agreed to share a package of Toy Story bandz. They are actually kind of cute, I am tempted to sneak one of the Bullseye the horse ones. Princess was especially thrilled with the Tiana band, as that is her current favorite princess.
***Check out this FABULOUS giveaway! Classroom Chic is partnering with redchairconfessions and giving away a $250 Talbot's gift card!You need to HURRY if you are interested though, it ends tonight! If you haven't shopped Talbot's in a while you may be surprised. I haven't been in because I remember Talbot's as being a bit matronly for my taste, but WOW they have some seriously cute stuff now! I love this wrap dress:
***I just had to share this. The kiddos and I were out running errands this week, and stopped by the Dollar Tree. They usually have some neat workbooks for the preK-K level, and I wanted to get a few for Princess to work on her numbers/letters/etc. We went to check out and spied this:Pregnancy tests at the Dollar Tree? Oh my.

***We had a Hail and Farewell this week for Man O Mine's unit. They have them once a quarter, to Hail (welcome) new members of the unit and Farewell those that are leaving. They are usually a combination of good food, speeches, silly awards, and fun. This one was so yummy, it was at a local joint called "Big Hoss's BBQ". They are open to the public on weekends, and during the week only for private parties. We were given combination plates, with ribs, chicken, brisket, and sausage along with corn, slaw, potato salad and bread. Yum. The brigade XO also sent a few kegs of his homemade brew--his entire garage is a home brewery, and it is good stuff. I don't even like beer, so I may not be the best judge, but I will drink (one cup, like I said, I don't like beer) his stuff. We got some good chuckles out of the Cattle Prod Award ceremony (given to someone in the unit who does something memorably idiotic) and had a good time.

***Man O Mine and TT went to the Army Combatives Competition this week. TT really enjoyed it, it is kind of like wrestling (not WWE but more like high school wrestling teams). I just hope he doesn't get the bright idea to try any of that stuff!

***Speaking of my TT, I have to brag on him. We decided to test him at the end of this school year to be sure he is "on track" with his peers. So I began searching a few months back for tests, and found out that you can take the TAKS (Texas standardized testing) online. You can access last year's version, not the current one. So we decided to do that. Then we discovered they don't do TAKS until 3rd grade. TT just finished 2nd. We decided to go ahead and give it a try anyway, because I talked to several teachers who told me 3rd grade TAKS is the second half of 2nd and 1st half of 3rd. So we pulled up the site and he took Reading Comprehension on Tuesday and Math on Wednesday. He scored a 34 out of 36 on Reading and 39 out of 40 on math...and that is the test he would take NEXT spring if he were in the school system. I am so proud of my little man! His penmanship could use a little work but he is above grade level at both reading and math. Proud Mommy over here!

Well, have a wonderful weekend y'all! I'm planning too! I'm also working on a couple of blog posts...I'm going to join Mrs4444 for Favorite Things, Pantry edition, I''m working on a post about BBQ (you'll just have to see it) and I've already got my Nifty Thrifty Tuesday post ready! Yee-haw! Hee hee.

A Tasty Thursday...

2010-07-01T11:29:00.003-05:00

I don't do this often. .As a matter of fact, I don't know if in a little over 2 years of blogging I've EVER posted a recipe. So this is new for me. I'm already kicking myself over not having a picture of this delicious creation to share...but let me assure you, it IS delicious.
Man O Mine and I LOVE to grill. We cook outdoors much more than in. We are also trying to eat healthier. We are also trying to spend less, as we are saving for a truck to replace his '92 Mitsubishi. Yep, Man O Mine drives them till the wheels fall off, and this poor little truck is ready for retirement! So I've been going through cookbooks and working to make grocery lists, because 1. We eat out way too much, and 2. I don't plan ahead well, which means multiple grocery runs per week, which means WAY more spent than necessary.

So I found this FABULOUS cookbook by the Pampered Chef, Grill It Quick. There are 19 recipes in the book and only one does not appeal to me right off the page. So far we have tried 4 of the recipes, and have the ingredients for 5 more in the fridge/freezer/pantry. Each one I have modified ever so slightly to suit our tastes. For example, some that call for glazing/basting the meat while grilling, I marinate. This recipe was one I was a bit unsure of, but we decided to try, and we LOVED it. Go ahead, give it a try. Note, this is our MODIFIED version of the recipe, to suit us. The original calls for grilled red bell peppers, but Man O Mine does not care for bell pepper, so we decided to add grilled onion instead.

Portobello & Goat Cheese Grilled Pizza

Vinaigrette
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp course ground black pepper

Pizza
approx 12 oz portobello mushrooms (I used pre sliced)
3-4 slices yellow onion
1 10oz prebaked pizza crust (we used a whole grain one)
1 pkg (about 4oz) goat cheese, crumbled

Heat grill for direct cooking over medium high heat. Whisk vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl, reserve about 2 tbsp for drizzling over finished pizza.
Brush both sides of pizza crust with vinaigrette.
Slice vegetables (if not already sliced) and grill covered, 8-10 minutes until tender, turning and brushing with vinaigrette 3-4 times. Remove veggies from grill.
Grill top side of pizza crust (covered) 1-2 minutes or until slightly browned. Flip, top with crumbled goat cheese (reserving 1tblsp for garnish). Grill 1-2 minutes or until bottom is browned. Cheese will appear softened but will not melt.
Remove crust from grill, top with vegetables, then sprinkle remaining cheese, then drizzle with reserved dressing. Cut and enjoy!

For the kids, I used another whole grain crust and topped it with a small amount of pizza sauce, pepperoni, and fresh mozzarella cheese. I baked theirs about 8 minutes. We all enjoyed it, and the kids really liked helping. We plan to create a few more options...I'm thinking spinach,red onion, feta, and maybe some chicken.

Let me know if you try it!

Final Friday of June Fragments

2010-06-25T10:22:00.004-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments. Be sure to check out all the great fragmenters out there, or join in!

***For Mrs 4444, it is the 100th Friday Fragments! Be sure and go by and congratulate her. I haven't played along for all 100, cause I'm just not as cool of a blogger as Mrs 4444, but WOW, 100 episodes...think of all the fragments floating out there in cyberspace!

***Man O Mine has the day off today! Even better, is we have NOTHING planned until Sunday! The last few weeks have been crazy busy. He actually got today off because of that, since he had a week (including the weekend) of funeral/notification duty that kept him hopping, and then last Friday while the rest of post had a training holiday he had the Crisis Line, which is a number that anyone can call for help/counseling/etc. Believe me, THEY CALL. Many of the calls are legit, people that really do need help or some such, but like any service, it is often abused. His fantastic command gave him today off so we get to relax a bit. Plus it is the one weekend that I can see in my calendar that has nothing on every day, so we plan to enjoy it!

***Sunday we are going on a little Cub Scout hike. We plan to all go, and enjoy it. It will be the first time I'll be decked out in my denleader uniform. TT is really excited about it. He is also really excited about all the fun stuff we'll be doing this year.

***Along the lines of being busy, I have to admit, this summer schedule is throwing me a bit! Typically, since we homeschool, our schedule is very flexible. We prefer to school in the morning and early afternoon, but we can move that around to suit doctor's appts, playdates, trips, what have you. Well this summer is a bit different. TT has a very busy summer, with camp, college for kids, swimming lessons, playdates, scouts, and what not all scheduled. The key word there is scheduled. They have set times when we have to be there, so we are having to work around those events. Now I'm not complaining, I really enjoy watching him learn new things and meet new people, and he is loving it, but it has taken some getting used to.

***Speaking of summer fun, we went out to Schoepf's BBQ in the nearby town of Belton last night. They are doing a free summer concert series, so last night was Stoney Larue. He is a pretty big name in the "Texas" or "Outlaw" country world, so Man O Mine was pretty excited. Some good friends joined us and we sat under the stars stuffing ourselves with BBQ and listening to the show. It was a perfect way to spend a summer night!

***I snuck out one evening this week for a much needed Girls' Night Out. A friend of mine had planned a Wine with Friends party at a nearby restaurant. I had never tried this particular place, although I drive by it all the time (it is right near my beloved Target). The food was so good! We had 5 courses, with a wine sample (about a third of a glass) and a food sample for each one. By the end of the evening, we'd had the equivalent of a very full meal and about 2 glasses of wine. My favorite one was the scallop dish, no joke, the scallop was as big as the palm of my hand. It is very easy to ruin scallops, but let me tell you, this place did them right!

***A little silly Boom story to finish off...a friend of ours is PCSing (permanent change of station--moving to another post) this weekend. She dropped off a box of canned goods and other stuff that she didn't want to take along with her. So this morning, right after eating his breakfast, Boom pulls a can of beef stew out of the box. "Mommy, I eat this" he says. I am thinking he wants it for lunch or something but no, he tells me "Mommy, I eat this NOW". It took a bit of work to talk him out of having beef stew at 9am.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays--Flea Market Style

2010-06-22T05:16:00.001-05:00

I am linking up with Linda over on Coastal Charm today for her Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Party.

How about this for nifty and thrifty: FREE. Now that is my favorite kind of deal. Flea Market Style ran a contest to celebrate their magazine, and I WON!! Woohoo! I'm getting an autographed copy of the current issue and when the new one prints next spring I get that one too! I am tickled pink, I just love this magazine. It is FULL of inspiring ideas and pretty much all of them are CHEAP. It was actually published back in February, but it has been such a bit hit a REPRINT is in demand, so keep your eyes open if you haven't already picked up a copy, more should be hitting newstands soon! They've also redone their blog page, so go check it out!

I did actually manage to get my hands on a copy when it came out (the poor thing is quite worn and tattered by now!) and have gotten some great ideas from it! I'm in the process of repurposing and old stool now, following some great painting techniques from the magazine. (I plan to post pics if I ever get it done!). Here are a couple of other cute ideas though...
I am redecorating the Master Bedroom in a kind of beachy/Carolina Coast theme. There is an article in the magazine in which they do that theme with an old garden shed, and they took the owner's collections and put them in pretty containers. I took some shells that we had picked up on various trips and put them in this pretty glass jar and set it on the table next to the bed. The jar was $1.50, the shells were free. That rock on the left is a local rock. Man O Mine and I were on a marriage retreat recently and we had to find a "heart rock"...a rock shaped like a heart that represented our relationship. Not only was this rock kind of heart shaped, but it was also shaped like the state of South Carolina (home!). It also had a fossil in it, which Man O Mine said represented us because we were the oldest couple on the retreat.

Many of the articles had pictures of floral arrangements, with lots of hydrangeas. I LOVE hydrangeas but they don't do well here. I stumbled across a basket of fake flowers at a thrift recently for $4. I loved the basket, but it didn't quite suit my kitchen, so I put the flowers in this green glass vase and used the basket elsewhere. So "technically" I got two decorating pieces for $4. Not too bad. The flowers don't look quite as good in the picture as in real life...I've actually had people think they were fresh flowers!

Thanks for popping by! Be sure to check out the other Nifty Thrifty deals out there!

Speaking of FREE decorating, Linda is also doing a GIVEAWAY this Nifty Thrift Tuesday!! You see, Linda lives on the Gulf Coast, which, unless you live under a rock somewhere, you know has been hit hard by the oil leak. She is giving away a full year subscription to Coastal Living Magazine, so be sure to go check it out HERE.

Favorite Things...in the Throne Room

2010-06-21T16:07:00.006-05:00

Friday Fragments June 18

2010-06-18T00:05:00.001-05:00

Here we are, Friday once again! I hope you've had a great week, and thanks for popping in. Friday Fragments is a fun meme hosted by Mrs4444 over at Half Past Kissin' Time. Be sure to check out the other fragmenters and even join in!

***Overheard at the lunch table this week: Princess "Boom, there are two kinds of mackey & cheese (macaroni and cheese). There is the REAL kind and there is this kind." The kids were eating that stuff out of the blue box. TT had asked for this particular box, because it had noodles shaped like the characters from an upcoming movie he wants to see. Personally I'm with Princess.

***TT is VERY excited today. I've enrolled him in some fun "College for Kids" classes at a local college. This morning he is going to an archeology for kids class, complete with a "dig". He has another class later this summer as well as swim lessons scheduled. Tomorrow evening his entire Cub Scout Pack is converging on the town pool for a swim party. It all promises to be lots of fun, plus the chances for him to meet new people and learn. I like that kind of thing.

***I got an interesting warning this week. It seems that Windows Firewall believes that Windows Explorer is potentially harmful to my PC. Yes, really. This sort of thing is exactly why I am saving up for a Mac.
***About 45 seconds after posting the above, my internet crashed. Coincidence maybe?

***Don't you just love when a solution presents itself at the same time you realize there is a problem? I know I do! Especially when that solution includes a chance for growth. I love opportunities like that.

***Man O Mine finally got to hand off that blasted duty phone. I'm not sure I mentioned it last week...he had "Funeral and Notification" duty last week, one of the most depressing jobs the military has. Last Friday was my birthday. I got to see him for about 15 minutes. The first call came in at 0330, he was back around 1000 to change and go back in, did a funeral at 1400, and then had to go out again on a notification at 1830 that ended including an overnight stay. Texas is big, and Hood covers notifications for a large area, so often when he has duty he has to go to a place several hours away. He had more of this sort of thing on Tuesday and handed it off on Wednesday. It is both a physically and emotionally exhausting duty. Notifications are heartbreaking to do in the first place, and one in particular really got to him. He approached the home and noticed a Blue Star Flag in the window with 3 stars in it. That meant this family had 3 children serving in the Armed Forces. One of them won't be coming home. If that strikes your heart, please thank a soldier/sailor/marine/airman for their selfless service.

***I hate waiting. I am not a very patient person, nor a sit back and wait person. When I have a task ahead of me that I am interested in, I like to dive in. I look for extra things I can do or add to it to make it better or more effective. Because of this I sometimes come on too strong. Other times my enthusiasm is encouraged. Either way, as I said before, I hate waiting. We have a couple of things coming up that will be lots of fun, and I am wanting to start yesterday. Guess I need to find somewhere to channel my creative energy until that time...there is always laundry. Oh yay.

Guess that is about it for this week. Thanks again for stopping by. Have a fabulous weekend!

A Tasty Thousand Words Thursday

2010-06-17T09:28:00.004-05:00

A few weeks back, TT suddenly expressed interest in expanding his tastes. He started asking for things and suggesting items for our meals that he had never eaten before. Needless to say, we were impressed, a bit surprised, and quite enthusiastic. Man O Mine and I both love to explore different tastes and are hoping this is a sign that TT will follow us in that habit. We have a running joke that if it swims, Man O Mine will eat it. I'm not far behind him, but I am not as keen on the strong fishy taste as he is. So when TT asked if we could have clams one day, (after we got over the initial shock) Man O Mine responded with a hearty "Of course we can!" He bought about a pound of clams and steamed them one afternoon as an appetizer for our supper. When they were done, he called TT to let him know, and they dug in. I had to grab two real quick and get out of the way or I may have gone down in the fray. TT LOVED them!
A funny story to go along with it: I SO wish I'd taken a picture of this one. TT plays with the kids in our neighborhood at every chance. This particular afternoon he was playing with a little boy I will refer to as "J". He is a very sweet African-American boy TT's age that lives just around the corner, and often comes to our cul de sac to play. TT asked if he should share with J, since they were playing, and I told him that would be very nice to offer, but not to get his feelings hurt if J did not like them. A few minutes later I found J standing in our entry way, a clam in the shell in one hand, a fork in the other, and a VERY confused look on his face. TT had given him the clam and fork but not explained very well what he was supposed to do. J had never had clams before and was a bit concerned, as he thought TT expected him to eat the shell. Man O Mine explained how to scoop the clam out of the shell and guess what? J likes clams too!

TT working hard to get the meat out of the shell. Yum Yum!

Homeschooling, and "The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List"

2010-06-16T16:02:00.005-05:00

A friend of mine sent me a link to this article recently, and I found it quite funny. It is taken from a publication titled Secular Homeschooling Magazine. It is a print magazine that also publishes selected articles on their website. The timing was good too, I've been planning to do a series of posts on homeschooling. I have had almost every encounter on this list, some more than others. I think many of the people who question homeschooling simply don't understand (or don't care to understand) what it is and what we are about. Either that or as mentioned in points 4, 5, and 6, their opinion is based on one or two experiences and they are stereotyping all the rest of us. I've dealt with stereotypes all my life...I'm blonde, I'm southern (with quite the drawl), I'm Christian (and reformed at that!), I have more than 2 kids, I'm an Army wife, I'm a homeschool mom, I'm a homemaker, and the list goes on and on. We ALL face stereotypes, and are all guilty of doing it at least a time or two in our lives. Oops...there I go, rabbit trail again.

I found this list quite humorous. While not every point made corresponds to us, many do. I am not in any way a "bitter homeschooler". I will gladly explain what we do and why we do it to anyone who asks. I will get angry if you insult my family, our decisions, and our beliefs, especially if you are doing so without making the effort to understand my family, our decisions, and our beliefs. While we are a homeschool family, we also are firm believers that the same thing does not work for everyone. Some children simply perform better in a private school setting. Some children need the programs and professionals that the public school systems offer. Two very intelligent, caring women I know are special ed teachers in public schools. One I know personally, one I know through blogging. If I had a special needs child, I would hope and pray someone like those two ladies were available to help them. I am a product of the public school system myself. I have friends that are private school graduates. Oops...there I go again, chasing a rabbit. What I am trying to say is there are some points made by the author of the list that are very opinionated regarding the public school system. Those are the opinion of Deborah Markus, the author, and not of this blogger.
Enjoy the list, I hope you get a giggle or two out of it. Stay tuned, I am working on a series on homeschooling, which will be mixed in and about other posts. If you don't care to read them but want to read my other posts, feel free to skip them, it won't hurt my feelings.

The Bitter Homeschooler's Wish List
by Deborah Markus, from Secular Homeschooling, Issue #1, Fall 2007

1. Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is — and it is — it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2. Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3. Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.

4. Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.

6. Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7. We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8. Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9. Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10. We didn't go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11. Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.

12. If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13. Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool," we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.

14. Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15. Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16. Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17. Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.

18. If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19. Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20. Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21. Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.

22. Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23. Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24. Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won't get because they don't go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25. Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, shut up!

Silver Sunday...My Grandmother's Silver

2010-06-13T01:42:00.000-05:00

Gypsy Fish is keeping the Silver Sunday party alive! The Second Sunday of each month she is hosting a blog party celebrating all things silver. Click on the picture above to see more Silver Sunday participants.

Recently I did some posts on my Grandmother's Whites. (you can see them here, here, and here if you like).
My sweet Grandmother (Dad's mother) also has quite a bit of silver in her collection, but she has it all mixed in with here whites, so I shall share the picture of her cabinet. I just LOVE this cabinet (and its contents). I also love that every time I look at it she tells me the stories to go with each piece. She remembers where each came from, who gave it to her and the occasion or who she inherited it from, and likely how they got it. Some were anniversary gifts for their 25th wedding anniversary, some where wedding gifts, and there is a baby cup on the second shelf from the top that was given to one of my uncles. I cherish those times, sharing with her.

My dear Mama (Mom's mother) also has a silver collection. I am the only one to show much interest in her silver, and some years back she promised me that I would someday own her silver. The other ladies in our family are quite okay with that. Of course Mama has quite the sly sense of humor, and informed me that since the silver was mine, I need to take care of it. So now when I am home for more than a quick trip I spend an afternoon sitting at her table, listening to her talk, and polishing "my" silver. Some of her silver is old/antique, and much of it is newer. She received several of her pieces in the 1980s, when she both retired from years of working at the mill and from the sweet ladies she taught in Sunday school for many years. Of course, there are a few cheesy tourist things mixed in and amongst "my" silver, such as that bell from Georgia and the plate from Graceland. I'm hoping someone else inherits those two...hee hee!
Thank you for stopping by! Have a wonderful Sunday!

Friday Fragments June 11

2010-06-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments. Be sure to check out all the great fragmenters out there, or join in!

***This has been a long week! It is one of those "everything happens at once" kind weeks, you know? Man O Mine's truck in the shop, he's on funeral/notification duty, Cub Scout camp, class, throw in a wonky laptop and a Princess with a cold coming on. FUN! Truthfully it hasn't been bad, just tiring.

***TT has been in camp this week. It is "twilight" camp, meaning it runs from mid afternoon to evening. I heard it was supposed to be a more convenient schedule for families. I disagree, it is throwing a monkey wrench into our supper/bedtime routine! TT is learning a lot and earning patches/belt loops/pins, and as long as he is enjoying it I'm all for it. That child loves bling for his uniform. He was so proud last night, he shot a bull's eye on the target and could not wait to show it to us.

***Princess (and Boom too for that matter) have both not been sleeping well. I am not sure what is going on with Boom, but we realized early this morning that Princess either has a cold coming on or her allergies are getting to her again. Her sweet little voice is all scratchy sounding...makes me hurt to hear her talk. Hoping she'll bounce back quickly.

***Speaking of the Princess, I think we are raising quite the little narcissist. When Nana and Poppa were here, Nana had her magnifying make-up mirror out, and Princess was playing with it. Nana and I watched (unnoticed) as she would flip the mirror, then say "Let's see how pretty I look on THIS side", flip, "Now let's see how pretty I look on THIS side" flip, and so on and so on. Perhaps we tell her she is pretty a bit to much?

***Someone is having a birthday today. I'm sure if you look hard you'll find the link to her amazon wish list or you could ask for her paypal account name. Hee hee, just teasing. I'm actually not worried about it. I hear all these people whining about wishing they could turn back the clock, not have birthdays, what have you. I'm not there. Maybe someday, but not now. I relish being in my mid-thirties. Whoever said your teen years were the best years of your life lied to you, because these are definitely better! I love being a wife to my best friend, spending time together, dreaming together, planning together, and all manner of other things that go along with being married to your best friend. I love being a Mommy. My kids are fabulous. They mess up, they act like kids, but you know what? They ARE kids, and they are the light of my life. I can't imagine life without my sweet TT, pretty little Princess, and my "lovey" Boom.

***Anyone have a truck for sale? Looks like we are in the market. We knew this day was coming, but we were hoping that Man O Mine's truck would last another 10 months. We are currently saving for a replacement and were hoping to be able to buy one outright. Now looks like we might just have to settle for a nice down payment and then pay off as quickly as possible. Dave Ramsey is really rubbing off on us...a few months ago we were planning to buy new, and make payments. Now we are looking at good used, and trying to come up with a way to pay cash. Good deal, right? If you haven't already read me say it, read it now, I HIGHLY recommend the Dave Ramsey program. We have 2 weeks left of class, and have learned a LOT. I really enjoyed the classes where he explains things like IRAs, Money Markets, CDs, bonds, stocks, and that sort of thing.

***Last Saturday I got to MEET a blogger buddy, Terry Lee! Isn't that fun? We found each other via blogging, and found out we are nearly neighbors, and often visit the same shops for antiques and junk. So we've been back and forth sharing tips and store reviews and such. Last weekend Paply's was having a yard sale, and we were both planning to go. I was taking along one of the bestest friends a girl could have, Yvette, and so I told Terry Lee! that I'd be there around 10, and I'd be the goofy blonde with the adorable brunette with a cute little baby bump. She emailed me back to tell me that she was planning to be there the same time frame, and would be the goofy blonde with the adorable brunette without a baby bump. So Yvette and I headed browsed about, and halfway through the store I hear someone ask her, "Is that a baby bump?" It was Terry Lee!!! We had a great chat together. It was so nice to meet her. Look for a post of more pictures and such from our morning out later, but I had to share this one of the two "goofy blondes"
Well that is about it for now. Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend!

A Thousand Words Thursday--My Brave Little Princess

2010-06-10T10:15:00.003-05:00

Happy A Thousand Words Thursday y'all!

Want to play? Check out The Mom Jen or click on the button for more ATWT!

I thought I'd share this "Overcoming Obstacles" type picture. At Crossover a few weeks ago, the Boy Scouts had prepared a rope and wood bridge for the Cub Scouts to cross. Princess decided she wanted to give it a go after the ceremony was over. She got up there, went three steps and then burst into tears and had to be rescued. After a few deep breaths, she decided she was NOT going to let it beat her and insisted on trying again. This time she calmly walked all the way to the end and jumped into my arms. I'm so proud of my little Princess!

Take one, you can see Man O Mine is already reaching for her as she was about to start wailing.

Take two, halfway across and NOT going to stop till she got to the end!

White Wednesday, My Grandmother's Whites III

2010-06-09T00:56:00.001-05:00

White Wednesday is a celebration of the color white hosted by Faded*Charm. Please check out the link to see the other beautiful displays of white! This week I am sharing some more of my Grandmother's whites, like I promised to do a while back!

My Grandmother and Grandfather (Dad's parents) in 1941.

My Grandmother has some of the most beautiful things, and has always kept such a nice home. It is warm and welcoming, and you can bet that at a family gathering the tablecloth will be white, the furniture polished, and the silver shining. However, some of my favorite things of hers are the more casual. They own a cabin on Lake Lure, and that place is heaven on earth to us. We used to spend a big part of our summers at that cabin, but as my grandparents aged and our family grew it became harder and harder to get together up there. Last summer we spent Father's Day at the cabin, in honor of our dear Granddaddy, who passed away almost two years ago. it was a wonderful day!

This is the view from the porch, looking down on the lake:
Anyway, I say all this because some of my favorite things are from that lake cabin. Recently I discovered that Grandmother had moved one of them back to her home. Please say hello to "Smiley" the Pig pitcher:

Isn't he just darling? I have always loved Smiley. He always sat on top of the fridge at the lake, and he now sits on top of the one in Grandmother's kitchen. From what we've been told. Smiley is actually a pretty popular piece now. Grandmother thinks this is quite funny, and shakes her head about it. To me, Smiley IS valuable, but that is because of the wonderful memories he inspires when I see him sitting there smiling.

First Friday Fragments of June

2010-06-04T00:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments. Be sure to check out all the great fragmenters out there, or join in!

***I'm here...hanging my head a bit, but I'm here. It seems that once again I've let stuff get in the way and neglected the blog world for a while. I really need some time management tips. I'm hoping that things will settle down but that is not likely. I think the more likely scenario is that I'm going to have to learn to get my rear in gear and keep up! I got an email accusing me of ignoring my blogger buddies (Thank you Mrs 4444, it meant the world to me that someone noticed!) so I figured since at least one person was reading I'd venture back out here!

***Like I said, it has been crazy here. Man O Mine's parents came in for a visit, and we took a wonderful trip down to San Antonio. We took Poppa to see the Alamo, and then took them down to Riverwalk for the boat tour and dinner. The kiddos picked Rainforest Cafe for supper. The second day we spent roaming around the San Antonio Zoo. It was nice! Very big, and it was very hot, but so many exhibits. We finished off by meeting a friend for brunch and then hitting the San Marcos outlets on the way home. Believe it or not, I did NOT buy a whole lot there. It was just so hot and crowded I couldn't get in the shopping mood. There might also be the huge amount I spent at the SA Scout Shop the day before getting my uniform together and a few odds and ends for TT.

***Nana & Poppa's flight was supposed to be at the crack of dawn on Tuesday, but it was overbooked. They were getting desperate for volunteers to change their travel plans, so Nana and Poppa took the offer. We ended up going out for a late breakfast and then they were driven to Austin, flown to Dallas (I know, crazy right?) and from there to Charlotte, finally driving themselves the hour and a half down I85 to home. They each got a pretty sweet amount in travel credits for doing it, so that means a free trip (and maybe enough for one of them to fly again) to see us again. The kids are excited about that part!

***I recently started up on a new workout program. I finally came face to face with the fact that I was putting on weight and just not in the best of shape (of course the pants splitting incident at the Cub Scout meet might have helped with that!). I'm trying to watch what I eat, limiting myself to one coke (or similar beverage) per day and exercising. I am hoping to be able to run the 5K Bull run in Temple in the fall. Wish me luck!

***You notice things when you run/walk your neighborhood rather than drive, like that cute little blonde girl riding her scooter with two different colored crocs on, and the flowers in the flowerbeds. I was really tempted this last walk to cut through a neighbor's yard when their sprinklers came on right as I walked by, but I was wearing Man O Mine's iTouch. I also noticed that the house up the street that always has a cable van in the drive (I'm guessing one of them work for the cable company) has a satellite dish. Hmmmm

Y'all have a wonderful weekend! I'm hoping to hit the antique mall (Paply's is having their yard sale Saturday!) and we have a pool party to go too.

Blue Monday--Watch out, there is a BEAR!

2010-05-17T09:35:00.003-05:00

Blue Monday is a celebration of the color blue, run by Smiling Sally.

I have been seeing this bear all weekend. Every so often, I'll say something..."look, a BEAR!", "Oh my, there is a BEAR!". TT just grins at me. That is because HE is the BEAR. That is right, my big boy is a bear. A bear cub scout that is!
We had Cub Scout Crossover this weekend, and he and all his little buddies crossed the bridge made by a local Boy Scout troop and officially became Bear Cubs. I am so proud of him I could burst.
I admit, when he first started scouting, I was excited for him, but not expecting to be this involved. Now here we are, almost a year later, and he has gone through the paces to earn his Bobcat, his Wolf Rank, a Gold Arrow Point, 2 Silver Arrow Points, and various other fun patches and belt loops, with our help, with the help of our fabulous denmaster Shannon, and our other assistant denmaster Keith. I am loving it! As a matter of fact, Shannon and I are planning a trip to the Austin Scout Store so I can get my uniform together. hee hee!

So anyway, you are all wondering WHERE is the BLUE already? Okay...here you go!

"Crossing Over" on the bridge...notice the blue uniform shirt, blue jeans, and beautiful blue sky in the background? (I was quite thankful for that blue sky, thunderstorms had been predicted!)

My big Bear Cub! The Bear color is light blue, so he now wears a light blue neckerchief and his hat (which I will be buying next week) has a light blue front with the bear emblem. Forgive the look on his face, this was at about 1900, after being outside at the camp since 0830. We had been going nonstop all day, a LOT of fun but he was beat by this point!
Now it is time to take that uniform shirt to the dry cleaners to have the new "bling" he has earned put on (have I mentioned I don't sew?) and make a trip to the Scout Store for new uniform accessories!

Thanks for dropping by!

Friday Fragments, May 14

2010-05-14T09:47:00.005-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments. Be sure to check out all the great fragmenters out there, or join in!

***Is it bad that I am not looking forward to weekends as much as I used to? It seems that here lately all our weekends are slammed packed with stuff to do, so I end up liking the calmness that comes on Monday. Of course for Man O Mine it is still the opposite, so I don't want to complain too much, I do very much enjoy having him home on weekends.

***This weekend is Crossover for our Cub Scout Pack. For some reason, our pack decided that meant we needed to have an all weekend event at a nearby campground. From what I hear from parents who have been to this particular campground, it has no bathroom facilities (only portajohns) and is very snakey. Oh joy, I don't care what you snake loving people say, I do not like snakes. I am terrified of snakes. I may go out and buy some steel toed boots today. Considering our family situation, with 2 very young kiddos and Man O Mine's obligations at chapel this weekend, we opted out of the camping experience, which of course makes our name mud to certain people in the pack. TT and I are going for the all day 0830-2000 part on Saturday. I am sure it will be fun, and TT will have a blast, but I am being a real pill about it. I just don't want to spend all day Saturday at a snake infested campground with a pack of 6-11 year old boys. (Sorry Shannon, I'm still whining!)

***We did have a BLAST at our regular den meeting last night. Shannon, who is our denmaster, found this pvc pipe contraption that can turn a coke bottle into a rocket with water and air pressure, so we shot 20oz bottles all over the park last night (don't worry, we Leave No Trace as well, so no bottles were left behind). The boys loved it! I took lots of pictures. The really fun part is she had an extra kit that she shared with us, so we are planning an assault on the neighborhood...mwah ha ha ha!

Shannon and TT preparing to shoot a rocket:

TT, Boom, and I giving it a go:

***The other day TT was ordered to clean his room (and I had gone so far as to threaten to put the legos up on ebay!) so he wisely figured he'd better get it done. I found out that he offered to PAY his younger brother and sister to help him. So by the end of the day, his room looked much better, and Princess was $1.05 richer and Boom had earned $.10. What can I say? Boom isn't exactly the best at cleaning. Man O Mine's response? "Capitalism works every time it is tried."

***Next week we are going to a marriage retreat in Lampassas! I am so looking forward to it. Man O Mine is coordinating it, but the ranch that we are using actually does the program, so we get to just enjoy. They have scheduled in one afternoon that we have several hours of free time, so I found out that Man O Mine had put in the schedule that "anyone that wants to got antiquing with Mrs. Chappy is to meet at such and such time and place". Woohoo, a marriage retreat, childcare, AND a few hours of antiquing!

Have a fabulous weekend y'all! If I don't get snakebit I'll be okay!

A Thousand Words Thursday--The Chicken

2010-05-13T09:45:00.003-05:00

Happy A Thousand Words Thursday y'all!

Want to play? Check out The Mom Jen or click on the button for more ATWT!

I haven't done a Thousand Words Thursday post in a while. I'm not even sure The Mom Jen is still doing them regularly. However, when I snapped this picture the other day I just had to share it.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To "Keep Austin Weird" perhaps?

A chicken crossing the road probably isn't such a funny thing to many of you. To be honest, it is not so much the chicken as it is WHERE this particular chicken was. This was taken right off Hwy 183 near downtown Austin. It just struck me as hilarious.
When we came out of the store we had stopped in the chicken was still out there, and there was another one with him. We decided they were double-dog daring each other to cross the road.

White Wednesday, My Grandmother's Whites II

2010-05-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

White Wednesday is a celebration of the color white hosted by Faded*Charm. Please check out the link to see the other beautiful displays of white! This week I am finally getting around to sharing some more of my Grandmother's whites, like I promised to do a while back!

A few weeks ago we made a short trip home to be with family and attend the funeral of Man O Mine's grandfather. While there I went and visited my own grandmothers of course. I couldn't help but take a few pictures of some of their beautiful things. I think they both thought I was losing it a bit, but indulged me. They even told me stories of the pieces I took pictures of.

My Grandmother is my father's mother. We always called them Grandmama, or Grandmother, and Granddaddy. Granddaddy passed away almost two years ago. I miss him so much, and my dear sweet Grandmother loved him like no one else. Their marriage was (and still is) an inspiration to me. They always put each other first, and I never heard of them fighting. Even when they disagreed, they used terms of endearment..."Well now, Dear, I just think..." "Sweetheart, if we just..." and that sort. NEVER raised their voices, at least not where I could hear about it! They married in 1942, and were each others soul mates. I have never seen a love quite like theirs. It brings tears to my eyes now thinking about it. She still refers to him as her "Baby" and "Sweetheart" when I talk to her. I know she misses him more than I can even imagine. This is the two of them in 1941. I absolutely LOVE this picture!
Grandmother has always been a little more "proper"...I guess she is a perfect example of a genteel Southern woman. She sets a fine table for family meals, with linen tablecloth, polished silver, and more dishes than you could eat. I bet she would shudder at the thought of serving directly out of the pot on the stove, oh no, it had to be served out of a serving dish, with the proper serving tool. She taught me so much about entertaining! I am a married woman in her mid thirties, with 3 children of my own, and I am just now allowed to help with family gathering type meals. She loves to serve others. She often won't even sit down until the rest of us are on seconds, and then she is up in a flash to get dessert!
Anyway, I digress. I was going to share some of her whites with you. Grandmother has quite a bit of white milk glass and china, as well as silver. She has some that was gifted to her, and others that were inherited from her mother and an aunt that she was very close to.
She has this gorgeous cabinet in the family room, with all of this lovely white, silver, and cut glass on display:

The beautiful white pieces on top are all family heirlooms. She has told me exactly which piece came from who I don't know how many times. I really should write it all down. She knows exactly where each piece in the entire cabinet came from, and the occasion.

She also has pieces here and there still in use. This candy dish is sitting on the coffee table in the formal living room. All of us are well aware of this dish, as it hides little candies. One can almost always find either Hershey kisses, butterscotch, or mints in this pretty dish.
I actually recently purchased a piece just because it reminded me so much of this one, and of good times at my Grandparent's. Mine was picked up at a garage sale VERY cheap, and I am pretty certain is a later remake of this type. Grandmother's is from the 1940's.
Here is mine, along with my other "finds" from that sale:
Thank you for stopping in and joining me on this trip down memory lane. I have more of Grandmother's whites to share, and hope to do so in coming weeks!

A Pink Saturday Gift from a Friend!

2010-05-01T00:32:00.000-05:00

Pink Saturday is a celebration of all things pink, and hosted by How Sweet the Sound.

My sweet friend Amy posted a comment on my blog last week that she had a pink gift for me. Oooo...wonder what it is? Sunday night I saw her at church and she immediately drug me to her car. She gave me this beautiful pink glass bowl!

I have not researched it yet, but it does appear to be old. It is pink flashed glass, and you can see the wear on the bottom. She said she bought it at an estate sale around 10 years ago. She had it in her living room, but said it no longer had a purpose other than gathering dust, and she thought I might could use it.

Use it I can! With a family of 5, my little pink bowl just wasn't cutting it as a fruit bowl anymore, especially now that spring is here and fresh fruits are coming in! I think it will serve quite well, don't you?

Final Friday Fragments of April!

2010-04-30T00:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments. Be sure to check out all the great fragmenters out there, or join in!

***Is it really almost May? Oh my goodness, I'd better go find some Mother's Day cards STAT before all the decent ones get bought up.

***I led my first Cub Scout Den meeting this week. I was quite happy with the way it turned out. By the time the meeting was over, the boys had all earned the Nutrition Belt Loop and were a little over halfway to the Nutrition Pin! TT is quite excited and plans to finish his pin requirements this week. When I told Shannon I'd do this meeting I figured a belt loop would be the best thing to work on, and was tickled to try the Nutrition one, goodness knows kids can always use some lessons in that department! I think some of it sunk in too, TT came home and requested a "healthy dinner" and a glass of water!

***This weekend is a big air show in nearby Temple. We are planning to spend Saturday watching the planes perform. TT and Man O Mine are really excited. We plan to go eat with friends at this fabulous BBQ joint afterwards and I may be a little more excited about that. Hee hee.

***Last Sunday we had a Cub Scout Pack meeting at the park. There was a big kickball tournament. I was helping our boys tie colored arm bands on to identify their team (we had them randomly sorted so that a team of 9 yr old Webelos II weren't trampling a team of 6 yr old Tigers) and suddenly felt a strange sensation. My capris had split right up the rear end! I don't exactly wear plain white granny panties either. I had to tell our other assistant denmaster Keith what had happened and run to the van (parked on the other side of the park and run home and change. Thank goodness we only live two miles from the park! I was so embarrassed I didn't want to go back, but didn't really have a choice, since my kid was there!

***I am trying to get things ready for the Just Between Friends Sale coming up. I've got 3 rubbermaid totes of stuff out to go so far (still want to run through closets and toy boxes!). I had about 3/4 of my tags printed when I ran out of card stock. Preparation is a good thing, I am just not so good at it. Good thing is I am a bit ahead this time, and still have 3 weeks till the sale!

***I haven't been able to get time to myself on the computer much this week, and I feel so behind on bloggers. I haven't blogged since last Saturday and I've only been able to read blogs twice this week. So sorry if I haven't popped by, I will try to make up for it! With the school year coming to a close and other stuff going on I've been hopping this week. I miss y'all!

***My sweet friend Amy surprised me last Sunday with a lovely gift, I PLAN for it to be my "Pink Saturday" post tomorrow. Thank you Amy! You are fabulous!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend!

A floral Pink Saturday

2010-04-24T00:58:00.000-05:00

Pink Saturday is a celebration of all things pink, and hosted by How Sweet the Sound.

I'm playing along this week with some pretty pinks from my flowers. I recently planted a little more in the flower beds and made up a container garden.

My container garden, zinnias, marigold, heather, impatiens, and I don't remember what else! I was just playing putting it together, hoping it grows in thick and full and overflowing the pot. We shall see.

More zinnias in the flower bed. I also planted another kind of zinnia and some darling pink English daisies, but for some reasons those pictures did not come out.

A sweet little princess in pink flowers sniffing the flowers!

I couldn't resist throwing this in, although there is very little pink in it. I got the idea from Debra over on Common Ground and decided to try my hand at an enchanted garden. I plan to add a trellis or arch once the vines grow longer. Boom was "helping" me in this picture.
Thank you for popping by! Be sure to check out some of the other PINK posts out there!

Friday Fragments April 23

2010-04-23T09:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments. Be sure to check out all the great fragmenters out there, or join in! Mrs 4444 says it is like cleaning out a junk drawer on your blog to post FFs. I like that. I like cleaning things out and clearing the clutter...now if only I could do that at my house.

***Several friends' and neighbors had husbands return from their "tour de ancient Babylon" this week. It has been an exciting week of homecomings here at the Hood. I have to tell you, it is wonderful to look over in my neighbor's yard and see her hubby with their kids, and to see the excited "He's HOME!" posts on facebook from friends here and at other posts.

***Also some exciting news, some friends of ours back home are expecting their second child after years of hoping/praying/waiting. The pregnancy was a surprise, (she found out when she went in for pre-op!) and they were so excited! A couple of weeks ago things took a bad turn, as they had some tests show a terrible genetic disorder, Trisonomy 18, which would be fatal for the baby. He (yes they also found out he would be Luke) would not survive more than a short time if he survived the birth at all. We all prayed, we all wept for them, but I admit I was cynical. They had genetic testing after all...so when the pastor in our church prayed for a miracle I must admit to being doubtful. Well God is still in the business of miracles! This week they got the results from where the cells taken were cultured and NONE of the growing cells showed Trisonomy 18! There was only a 1% chance of this result. This could mean that the disorder is only in the placenta. They are not out of the woods yet, still waiting on some more tests, but the genetic counselor seems very optimistic now. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!

***I went in for a check up this week. It has been a while and Man O Mine has been after me to go so I finally broke down and did it. The doctor asked me when I'd last eaten, well I didn't think much about it and told her I'd had lunch about 3 hours earlier. She then looked at me and told me that I'd have to come back for bloodwork, because I had not fasted first. I apologized, telling her I hadn't thought to fast first (I've never had to do that before). Then came the kicker...she says "Well, at your age, we like to get your cholesterol, iron, blood sugar, and several other things". At MY AGE??? Arrrgggghhhh. Okay, I know, my family history is full of high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, lupus, and all kinds of lovely things, but really, did we have to through the whole "at your age" thing in there? Fortunately, she was a very gracious and professional doctor, and I don't dread going back to see her.

***We also said goodbye to some dear friends this week. One of Man O Mine's closest friends PCS'd (permanent change of station) to Ft. Gordon this week, so we had him over Sunday for a Low Country Boil (mmmm! Shrimp, crayfish, sausage, corn, potatoes, and onions with seasonings all cooked together). Then Tuesday we ended up with an impromptu dinner party as we got the "Los Tres Amigos" (Man O Mine, PCSing guy, and the third guy) plus spouses and a couple of others over. It was a fun time, but a bittersweet time. Tis the Army life right?

***We are about halfway through the Financial Peace class. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it! We are really enjoying the class (it isn't boring at all, I actually find myself laughing through most classes). Last night he was talking about people playing the lottery. He gave some statistics on amounts spent playing monthly, and then took a figure from around the middle, $50. Then he told us what you'd have if you put $50 a month in a mutual fund from your mid 20s to 70. You'd be a millionaire. I nearly fell out of my chair. I'm not in my mid 20's anymore but I can assure you I'll be coming up with a few bucks a month to add to our savings!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! I'm hoping to get our grass cut.

White Wednesday, My Grandmother's Whites

2010-04-21T08:58:00.004-05:00

White Wednesday is a celebration of the color white hosted by Faded*Charm. Please check out the link to see the other beautiful displays of white!

A couple of weeks ago we made a short trip home to be with family and attend the funeral of Man O Mine's grandfather. While there I went and visited my own grandmothers of course. I couldn't help but take a few pictures of some of their beautiful things. I think they both thought I was losing it a bit, but indulged me. They even told me stories of the pieces I took pictures of.

This week I'd like to share with you one of MaMa's (my Mother's mother) whites. This beauty was out on her back porch on a top shelf and full of dust. I spied it and Mom and I got it down and started cleaning it up. I teased MaMa that if I wasn't flying home, it would be going home with me since she didn't take good care of it! She laughed, and then told me that it was a gift from "Horace's Myrtle" right after she and my Papa married, back in 1942. I'm not sure who "Horace's Myrtle" is right off the top of my head. I know Horace was one of my Papa's older brother's, but his wife (or at least the only wife I remember) was Sadie. Perhaps there was a wife before Sadie, or perhaps it was a different Horace. I found it charming the was she referred to her as "Horace's Myrtle" though.
The white is a beautiful Milk glass. It was so smooth and soft, and near the edges of the piece you could almost see through it. The silver I am not so sure about. I am pretty sure it is not real silver, but I am not sure what it is. I had all these mental pictures of ideas that the piece could be used for. I am hoping that next time I visit it will be displayed somewhere.

Thank you for stopping by. I hope to show my other grandmother's whites next week. She had much more to show, as she inherited some milk glass from her mother and her beloved great aunt.

But, I don't even LIKE chickens! A Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Story

2010-04-20T03:06:00.001-05:00

I am linking up with Linda over on Coastal Charm today for her Nifty Thrifty Tuesday Party.

CHICKENS?!?! No, I don't like them. Now don't get me wrong, I like to EAT chicken, but I don't care much for them other than on my plate. My mom has the country decor thing going on, teddy bears, gingham and plaid fabrics, dolls, and assorted fowl. For years as I was growing up I teased her (nicely of course) about her ducks, geese, and chickens that she would place around our house, pictures on the wall, figures on a shelf, that sort of thing. Then the ultimate embarrassment, when I was about 16 she went out and bought some REAL chickens. Imagine it, trying to be all cool and bringing your friends over to hang out on the deck by the pool, only to find chickens pecking around your popcorn. Eeek.Fast forward a few years (no, I am not going to tell you how many!). I've tried many different styles of decorating over the years, modern, traditional, shabby chic, mission, etc. I don't fall into a style box. I mix things up. I like to do that, I love to have a hundred year old dresser sitting next to a two year old bed. A modern suede sofa with a mantle full of vintage finds. One style I have never tried was country. So WHERE do these chickens keep coming from?

Yes, chickens. They keep showing up. What is even stranger is I bought some of them. Even more strange is the fact that I love them all! Maybe it is a longing for home. Maybe it is simply the nifty thrifty deals I've gotten. For example, the iron (I think) rooster was only $2 at the County Wide Garage Sale.
The hen is a jadite salt cellar. I LOVE jadite (green milk glass) and delphite (blue milk glass), and couldn't resist her at $4.25.
Of course the best "thrifty deal" was the basket. My Mom (the enabler!) bought it for me, so it was FREE. It is a vintage egg basket, shaped like a chicken. Clever huh?

Who knows why they are here, and why I like them. I just know three chickens have moved in to my home and decor, and seem to be planning to stay.
I filled the chicken basket with these very real-looking eggs, and it goes back and forth between the hearth and the rack that I have my indoor garden on.
The rooster and the jadite hen are currently sitting on the end of my mantle. I'm sure they will move about fairly frequently too.

Friday Fragments April 16

2010-04-16T12:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday y'all! It is time to join Mrs 4444 for Friday Fragments.

***It is the weekend again! We are still a bit off kilter around here. After spending all of last week back "home" for Papa's funeral and flying in late Monday, we are having a bit of trouble getting on track. It didn't help much that a tummy bug attacked right after we got back (as in very early Tuesday morning). We are getting there though.

***Man O Mine usually sleeps hard, and is disoriented when something wakes him. We often joke that he can not be held responsible for what he says in the middle of the night. Well Tuesday really early in the morning, Boom had come to snuggle in our bed. I was exhausted and just cuddled him and went back to sleep. A bit later I was rudely awakened by the sound of him gagging. We ran for the bathroom but unfortunately he made a bit of a mess out of the bed as well. Man O Mine groggily got up to see if I needed help, and then asked "Do we need to change the bed or just put a towel on it?". I responded with "Yes, change the bed, there is BARF on my side!". He did change the bed and clean up, and we both had a good laugh over it the next day. He had only a fuzzy recollection of the entire event.

***I killed them...all of them. My indoor garden died, the dill, the oregano, the basil, and the gerbera daisies. It seems that the window I put them in front of just wasn't enough sunlight for them. So I've been out this week picking up some replacements, and for the moment they are out on the back patio. I am going to move my indoor garden to the kitchen where it will get much more sun for a longer part of the day. I'm also going to try to do a couple of container gardens for the front walk and patio as well as an enchanted garden like Debra did. Here's to hoping my green thumb hasn't turned black!

I'm afraid that is about all I've got this week...like I said, I am having a bit of trouble getting things accomplished! I've been slack in both blogging and visiting blogs this week. I hope to get back on track soon!

Midweek Ranting and Raving

2010-04-14T13:25:00.002-05:00

I think there is someone that actually has a blog meme along the lines of this, I'm pretty sure I've read some, but I don't remember who.
I am feeling quite scattered today (okay, pretty much all the time) and figured I'd throw it all out here. Maybe at least one of you will be entertained by it. Either way, blogging is a soothing exercise.

Rave: We made it safely home and back home (military life, there is "home" as in where most of our family is and we think back fondly on, and "home" where we currently reside). The whole plane trip with 3 small children thing went remarkably well.

Rant: We got attacked by some evil tummy bug thing upon our return. It tends to manifest itself worse in the wee hours of the morning, with one or more children throwing up in various rooms around the house. Same child will be running around as if nothing is wrong 4 hours later, then another 2 hours, up it comes!

Rave: Ceramic floors are awesome. Especially when aforementioned children are suffering from tummy bugs that cause them to make messes in various places throughout the house. Boom is only 2, and has not yet figured out the bathroom is the place to run when you feel that funny feeling in your tummy. With these floors, a bottle of spray cleaner and a couple of paper towels make for easy cleanup!

Rant: People who friend request on Facebook and then never actually interact with me. If we weren't friends in high school, why do you want to be my friend now, when we live thousands of miles away from each other? Why do I feel so obligated to accept said requests? Why, when I do accept said requests, do you never comment/chat/reply to comments? Do you just wish to be nosy and read about my life? I'll tell you...just be honest about it.

Rave: Blog giveaways are FUN. I love both participating (I've only won one, and then didn't notice that fact until too late to claim it, whoops!) and I love hosting them. This week there are a couple worth checking out, Vintage Frenchen is doing a Beachy giveaway and Coastal Charm is giving away a gorgeous Vase. Go on over and check them out!

Rant: Playlists that begin automatically on a blog. I know, I know, I used to have one myself. They are kind of fun. However, they make loading the page take a long time on my dinosaur laptop, and they scare the dickens out of me late at night when I am taking advantage of the quiet to blog and read blogs. There is a way to make those cute little playlists be there, and start when the reader clicks on them...hint hint...

Rave: Springtime!! Things are really greening up around here! I have beautiful bluebonnets blooming, buds on my tomato and strawberry plants, and so much more growing.

Rant: I am having to do major battle with weeds this year, they are much worse than the last two years. Clover has taken over my flowerbeds and I can not figure out a way to get rid of it. For every clump I pull out two more grow.

Rave: I just love my kids. They are fabulous. So is Man O Mine. I am one lucky Mommy.