Bluebirds Nest

ABC’s About Me…

2012-01-27T09:19:00.001-05:00

Well, since my dear friend Lisa did this on her blog, and my bestest, Kim joined in as well. I MIGHT as well go ahead and do it too.

It is highly possible they will be the only ones reading it! LOL …. hello? Is anyone out there?

The ABC’s about ME!

Age: 43 and proud of it! I don’t ever want to be ashamed to say my age, it is an honor to know that God continues to give me breath to breathe!

Yes, this means I wore bell bottoms as a young child…my favorite pair were dark blue knit with little white kitty faces all over them…yup.

Bed size: King cuz I like to ~~hog~~ be comfortable.

Chore you dislike: You asked… picking up my dogs poop. Ewwwww.

Dogs: The most adorable, spoiled, well behaved (sometimes), loving, precious little boxer you have ever seen! Stormie. We love her.

Essential start to your day: Smiles exchanged between my Lover and me.

Favorite color: I’m somewhere between pink and blue right now… lol

Gold or silver: Definitely Silver!

Height: 5 foot 5 inches.

Instruments you play(ed): I sadly have not learned an instrument “yet”. I do like to sing, so I guess I can play my voice a little.

Job title: Home Enhancement Specialist ~ AKA Housewife

Kids: 1 very handsome, smart, funny, athletic, nutty, and very loved son…AND an absolutely lovely “almost” daughter-in-law.

Live: The Sunshine State: Florida!

Mom’s name: Dorothy, Dotty, Dot, Grandma, Dot-Dot, Gramma Dot, Mom.

Nicknames: My Dad and olders siblings tend to call me “Kath”. When I was a baby my Dad called me Butterball…I’m sure you can figure out why, lol. He also called me “Kathaleenie-bidga-bageenie” ~ that’s my favorite name…I would dance down the hall to the sound of that name. I also answer to Mom, Mother, Momma, and Honey Bunches.

Overnight hospital stays: Birth, and I stayed overnight at the hospital with my son when he broke his leg.

Pet Peeves: That feeling you get when you realize that no one is listening to you and just letting you talk, then expecting you to repeat yourself. That’s just rude. Or finding out that even though you have talked about something numerous times with someone, they never “heard” you.

Quote from a movie: “You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you, and I never wish to be parted from you from this day forward”….. sigh.

Righty or Lefty: Righty

Siblings: 3 older sisters and 2 older brothers.

Time you wake up: On hubby’s work days 5:00 a.m….days off, probably around 8:30

Underwear: You will be happy to know that YES, I do own underwear.

Vegetables you don’t like: Eggplant and squash.

What makes you run late: Me.

X-Rays you’ve had: Dental X-rays. Knee X-rays. Mammo ~ Oh yeah, that’s fun!!!

Yummy food you make: Yes. I love food, love to cook, don’t usually cook things that I don’t think are yummy. Hubby says everything I cook is yummy, he’s good like that, lol. HE would say his favorite thing I cook is “Chicken n’ Dumplings”. Our son would say a million things all at once, but I would probably hear “Shaw Tacos.

Zoo animal favorite: Ardvark.

What? Why not? hee hee

Valentine Décor…

2012-01-24T12:22:00.001-05:00

When hubby put the Christmas boxes in the attic, he also pulled down my one little Valentines box.

I looked at that 12x12x12 box and wondered what could be in there. I love Valentines, why do I not have more “stuff”? LOL

Valentines is extra special for me because that is my precious hubby’s Birthday…so I get all all Valenbirthday on him.

However, when I opened the box, I didn’t really find much that I liked anymore. There was the cute little hand embroidered streamer that I made last year, I like that.

However, most of the other stuff was store bought “ick”. My homes color palate has been becoming must softer, whiter, calmer and I wanted my décor to go along with that feeling.

So first I headed to Pinterest, to see what I have pinned. Don’t TELL me you don’t know what Pinterest is! Oh my. Another post all together.

After I got a little inspiration, I headed to my craft room…

I put together this little heart to hang in my “wall window”. I’ve decided that a ‘wreath’ for every season shall hang here.

Then I rummaged around until I found the Pride and Prejudice book that I tore apart to make my decoupage table…I used some of the pages to make these cute hearts I saw on Pinterest.

I’m not done yet sisters! I’ll come up with more as the week progresses…we shall see.

Ruth…

2012-01-19T07:46:00.001-05:00

The other morning, during my Bible reading time, I took a small detour and read through the book of Ruth. I’ve read it before, and I will read it again, it’s such a precious nugget tucked into God’s Word.

It’s a small book and doesn’t take long to read, but the best way to read it is to take your time, slowly savoring each precious part as it unfolds.

As I look toward the future, acquiring a daughter-in-law later this year, I think of Ruth and her devotion to Naomi.

I think of what kind of a woman, Naomi must have been for Ruth to have cared so much for her, and loved her so deeply. Naomi must have been an amazing mother-in-law, devoted to God, kind, patient, passionate.

I pray that with each passing year, the Lord will help me to be like Naomi. That He will give me words to speak, an understanding heart and an unwavering faith that will speak volumes to my own Ruth,…Christina.

I pray that she too will come to know God, as Ruth did, and that her love for Him will be strong and unwavering.

What a sweet story. I am thankful to God for little nuggets like this in His Word. Small stories that pack so much power.

I don’t have a daughter, but I have an obligation to be a godly mother-in-law, an example to Christina of what it means for a woman to serve Christ. What an awesome responsibility. I’m thankful that He has entrusted me with this, and I pray that I will be faithful to follow His leading…

“And they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her.

Then she said, “Behold, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her gods; return after your sister-in-law.”

But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God.”

Ruth 1:14-16

Anatomy of a Cake…

2012-01-17T08:17:00.001-05:00

This past weekend, I was honored to make a cake for my Niece, Danielle’s, Bridal Shower. Her wedding style is all the things I love in ~~cake~~, er, um…weddings!

Pretty, light, delicate, soft, bohemian style outdoorsy, flowery, ruffly, lacey…all sweetness and girly.

When I was asked to do her Bridal Shower cake I was given free reign on design and flavors. Here is basically how it went down…

Puttin’ it together

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

I’ve been making cakes for many years, but this does not mean that it is always uneventful. There is always just one or two things that happen to go the wrong direction. Almost always my own fault, doing something I know I shouldn’t, or not doing something I know I should. Let’s just say that I have an entire chocolate cake layer in the freezer waiting to be made into a trifle someday. The importance of cooling times is highly underrated!

In the end the shower was absolutely lovely, the bride-to-be seemed to really love the cake (and that’s SUPER important). The cake tasted pretty delicioso if you ask me!

Bottom Tier: Mocha with fresh Raspberry Mousse filling.

Top Tier: Luschious Lemon with Lemon Curd/Buttercream Filling

Frosting: All Butter, Vanilla Buttercream…dreamy!

Weddings, weddings and more weddings…

2012-01-10T13:13:00.001-05:00

My oh my…you would think it was June forever around here! So many weddings, so much cake!

It seems my “caking” has been quite busy lately, and I’ve been enjoying creating many different designs and working with some new techniques. Always learning, learning.

In November, one of my nieces got married, I was honored to make Nikita’s cake:

In December, my “best customer”, Lyndsay ordered 9 dozen Christmas cupcakes, and my gracious, they were delicious!

The first week of January was a friends son’s wedding. His (now wife) Ashley, asked me to make this:

This coming weekend is another nieces Bridal Shower. Here is a glimpse into a tiny portion of Danielle’s cake:

Nope,it’s not a space alien theme! LOL

This same niece is getting married in March, no sneak peeks at the wedding cake plans!

And still another niece, Rachel, is getting married in the Fall. However, I will not be making her cake since she’ll be running off to Vegas for a fun get-a-way wedding.

In February, my sweet friend Cheryl has asked me to make 90 pink carnation cupcakes for a 90th birthday celebration! How wonderful to be a part of such a sweet time.

The cake I’m most looking forward to making this year? My own son and his bride-to-be’s wedding cake.

Cris and Christina will be having a small wedding, but since I’ve been waiting 22 1/2 years, they are going to have a BIG cake, LOL. Oh I am one excited Momma!

So….What have you been up to?

Have a sweet and beautiful day!

Kathy

This is who I am…

2012-01-09T09:09:00.001-05:00

It’s a new year. Why is it that I always think something profound is supposed to happen at the beginning of a new year? I mean, it’s just time, right? It just keeps on moving along, sometimes faster than we’d like. We reach out and try to slow it down, but it just keeps on truckin’.

So, here I am. At the beginning of a new year, 2012. I’m 43. I am nothing special, not even put together quite right, but I have Jesus.

I have an amazing husband, a terrific son, a lovely “soon to be” daughter-in-“love”, a precious dog, a cozy home, a pretty garden, a peaceful yard, a best girlfriend, a healthy family. I am blessed…blessed beyond my wildest imagination.

When I was a little girl, I use to fantasize that I would grow up and marry a rich doctor. In this fantasy world I’d never have to lift a finger, have endless money in the bank, a masseuse on call 24/7, drive a sports car and have children that were perfect in every way.

I’m sure glad that strange fantasy didn’t come true.

The struggles that we have gone through in our marriage have made us grow closer, stronger, healthier, happier, and much closer to our Lord who pulled us through it all.

The struggles of parenting an “imperfect” child have taught us so much about him, and ourselves, patience, love, reliance on Christ, and the power of prayer.

The hard work and labor that we have done together to make our house a home, has helped us to trust each other, rely on each other, think through things together and work in harmony.

As for the sports car…well,… life ain’t over yet!

I am blessed. So very blessed in my little nook of the world. This doesn’t mean everything is perfect. It just means that everything is a precious gift from the One who knows better than I what is needed in my life, to make me who He wants me to be.

Every day I’m still growing, learning, changing, becoming. He is constantly at work in our lives, yours and mine. The one thing I know I want to “profoundly” do this year, is to grow closer to the One who gave me life!

“Thus says the Lord, “Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 9:23,24

Around Town

2011-12-12T07:40:00.001-05:00

We didn’t have a lot of time with Cris and Christina. After the party on Sunday, we had Monday and about 1/2 of Tuesday, till the flew out of Orlando.

We tossed around some ideas of what to do, but in reality, us girls NEEDED to sleep in! We did. Monday morning was sleep and chill morning, it was nice. After we got up, we had a nice breakfast and sat on the back porch talking for a while. That is better that being “busy” doing something.

We tossed around some ideas and by mid-afternoon we decided to go down to the Cocoa Beach Pier, have a late lunch (which ended up being dinner by the time we got there), take some photos on the beach and then pop into Ron Jons…after all, it IS World Famous!

Taking Christina on a Photo Journey…

Cocoa Beach Pier

Beautiful Couple

Mike giving a little Geography lesson on the “Florida Hump”

Hungry Pelicans

Surf, sun n’ fun

Shrimp Poppers…hot!

This one melts my heart…I love it.

This one makes me giggle.

This one is just peaceful and beautiful…

This man makes me smile… My bodyguard.

Starbucks and browsing Ron Jons

We came face to face with a Blacktip Shark…

Lot’s to look at, but none of us ended up buying anything.

Then we headed back to the house and watched a movie…Fireproof. A great movie about the importance of marriage.

We love you two!!!

The “Proposal” Photos

2011-12-09T19:34:00.001-05:00

No, I was not there, hiding behind a palm tree, camera in hand, however, I did obtain permission to use their photos on my blog.

Since this is coming “second hand” you cannot expect it to be the “perfect” retelling of their proposal story, but I will pass it on to you as best I understood that it took place.

Cris took Christina to Costa Rica to celebrate her birthday. Don’t you know, he had something else planned for that trip as well?

He had thought carefully and fully about the choice he was about to make. He had made the phone call, asking her Dad for her hand in marriage. He had cut and pasted several ring photos and designed the “perfect” one.

He was having the ring custom made for her, and began the process quite some time ago. A couple of weeks before the trip, he went to pick up the ring only to find out that they had made it incorrectly!!! I can only imagine the panic feeling that must have set it. However, they were able to remake the ring and I’m sure Cris was sweatin’ it when the ring was ready the DAY BEFORE they flew out! Yikes!

However, this time it was perfect. Just as he had seen it in his mind. Absolutely lovely.

He knew that after they got settled and began to see the sites, he would find the perfect spot for the proposal. He did, and on the afternoon of Christina’s birthday he suggested they go for a walk to a nearby waterfall which was on the property of the resort they were staying at. He had already requested the staff to have some flowers and champagne set up at the base of the waterfall for this occasion.

When Cris suggested they go for a walk, Christina explained that she was pretty tired and thought it would be nice to just take a nap and relax.

Cris stood there, dressed head to toe in hiking clothes, no doubt determined to get her out on that walk.

Cris agreed, a “small” nap before a hike would be a good idea, lol. He probably paced and stared at his watch the whole time. When she was rested and ready to go, he suggested she wear a pretty dress, since it would be a nice day to take photos by the waterfall.

Absolutely adorable…

Indiana Jones!…oh wait…that’s my son.

Heading down the trail…

When they arrived at the waterfall, Christina spotted the pretty flowers and a bottle of champagne. What a sweet birthday surprise she thought.

Then she had to actually “get” to it…

After a few moments, Cris suggested that he set the timer on the camera and get a few shots of them together. Here is the result…

Sigh….that’s pretty much all I can say now.

Oh wait, I can think of one thing. IF you ever get to go to Costa Rica, I think you should stay at the Rafiki Tent Lodge. I would. Period.

Engagement Party

2011-12-08T08:03:00.001-05:00

Being the Momma, I knew they were getting engaged in Costa Rica. I felt honored to have the “secret” bit of information. I was even sweating alongside my son when the ring he had designed was NOT made to specifications and they had to re-make it! He picked it up the day before they flew out on their trip. He was nervous, he had planned this all out to a tee, and not having the ring would pretty much cause some issue.

I could hear the happiness and excitement in his voice when he called me to say he had picked up the ring, and it made my heart get all giddy. My mind flew back to the night that Mike got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife…

They were flying here from Costa Rica, and I thought it would be fun to have an engagement party once they were here.

Cris requested it to be very casual and “chill”, so I planned a backyard hors d’ oeuvre party, and invited just family and a handful of close friends.

As many of you know, I have been a fan of Pinterest lately and I found a TON of recipes and hors d’ oeuvre ideas on there. After the photos, I list the recipes I used and give comments on what I liked/disliked.

Party in a nutshell:

Hors D’ Oeuvre Buffet… (yes, I know I could say appetizer, but isn’t that fancy name just fun to say?)

There was quite a variety, and as usually happens, plenty of leftovers. However, I tried to plan the food out so that any leftovers could be used up in the following week, and so far, that is working out great.

Sweets included Carrot Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting, and Ginger Crinkle Cookies, along with a variety of fresh fruit – strawberries, grapes, cantaloupe, pineapple…

My adorable Great-Niece Layla made everything brighter with her presence.

Cris and his friend Kevin, (Homeschool friends since they were 12), challenged their ladies to a Cornhole match!

My sister Becky (center), her daughter Nikki and son-in-law Rhett discuss scoring issues with the Cornhole game.

I asked my hubby to string lights from the Gazebo to the tree for a pretty evening glow. I’m thankful that he did, it was pretty. Though it wasn’t exactly cold, we had a fire going in the pit and it created a cozy hangout spot.

Cris and Christina

The candid shots are almost always my favorite..I love this one. Christina told me on the way to the airport that she loves that Cris makes her laugh. That made me smile inside, because I say almost everyday that I love that my husband makes me laugh. It is such a joy!!

Beautiful couple!!! I can’t wait to see those gorgeous grandkids…no pressure, LOL.

Me and my beautiful, future daughter-in-law.

This is why I wanted lights strung from the tree…I just think it was cozy, and pretty, and relaxing.

Me and my hunky hubby, our friends Patrick and JoEllen (with Kim and Brad’s boys), Cris and Christina, Kim and Brad and their lovely daughter Kelsey, my “niece”…which somehow makes her Cris’ little sister, lol.

Jeffrey and Brody roasting a couple of hot dogs while Uncle Mikey relaxes.

Later than night, once everyone had gone home and the dishes were done, floor was mopped, Cris and Christina sat down and opened up a couple of lovely gifts. Some photo frames, cards and the best part (in my opinion) – Chocolate!!!

Sweet Christina. I am so thankful my son brought me a girl. I love you already Christina! I am looking so forward to getting to know each other better and grow closer year by year.

Stormie LOVES that her boy is home. I am almost completely ignored when he’s around.

Sweet little punkin was WORN plum out after that party.

Recipes I used (the photos will link you to the recipe if you click)

Dilled Baby Carrots – these were good, kinda like pickled carrots.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Meatballs in Sweet Sauce

Variety of cheese and crackers

Fresh fruit

Fresh veggies and dip

Cheese Fondue (this didn’t work out so well, lol)

Courtesy of dear friends and family (THANK YOU!): Pioneer Woman’s Jalapeno Poppers (Kelsey), Fall Medley Stew and Homemade Pickles (Kim), White Chicken Chili (JoEllen), Sausage Balls (Donna)

Curried Chicken Balls

Caramelized Onion Dip

Sriracha Glazed Chicken Drumettes

Tortellini Antipasto Kabobs

Caprese Skewers

They’re Engaged! :)

2011-12-07T08:31:00.001-05:00

We are stepping into a new and exciting time in our lives. Welcoming a new member to our family, lovely Christina, who will become our son’s wife sometime next year.

Just over a week ago, Cris got down on one knee in front of a waterfall in the rainforests of Costa Rica and asked Christina to be his wife.

They came home for a short but oh so precious visit and we were able to throw them an engagement party to celebrate! Though the time was short, I am so thankful for the time I had to spend talking with and getting to know my future daughter-in-law. I look forward to the rest of our lives getting to grow closer. She is a sweet blessing.

The first day was spent decorating the Christmas tree together. It was such a special treat. Christina had never decorated a “real” tree before so it was a first for her. While we have had Cris home for Christmas many times since he left home, we haven’t been able to decorate the tree together in years. This is one of my favorite things, so I was one happy Momma!

Click on “Oh Christmas Tree” below to view the short slideshow.

Oh Christmas Tree!

VIEW SLIDE SHOW

DOWNLOAD ALL

Tomorrow…the Engagement Party…

The first step is admitting….right?

2011-11-09T10:38:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I admit it! I have a problem. A hair care problem.

Whew! That really felt good, you know, to get that off my chest.

I decided this morning to straighten up under my bathroom sink. Because for some reason, over the past few months, things have not been fitting into their assigned spaces.

I have been lazy about looking to find out “why” they haven’t been fitting. I just shoved and squeezed and bought some organizing containers, and waited for the day I would decide to get down in there.

Well, among MANY other things I found this…

Yes. These are shampoo and conditioner containers. some are almost full, some are almost completely empty.

Welcome to my world.

As I have rocked gently over the 40 slope (a few years back) my hair has been giving me some challenges. The texture, the body, the oiliness, the limpness has been, well, different. Sure Hormones changes…come on in! Sigh.

So, I have gone through many different types of shampoo and conditioner to solve the problem… ONLY to find that I just needed to quit conditioning my hair altogether. Now it feels and looks great.

Think I coulda tried this approach sooner? Anyone need any hair care products?

However, lest you think I am the ONLY one in my family going through this issue…apparently my precious Stormie has been hoarding as well….yup.

Look at that. How many hair care products does a dog need?

Have a beautiful day! Go out a bathroom cabinet and see what Gems you can find.

Kathy C.

The Tom n’ Jerry scene…

2011-10-29T09:04:00.001-04:00

All I wanted to do was have her chase a cat out of the yard…that’s all.

Things never do quite work out the way you plan, eh?

After seeing hubby off to work, I began my day by gazing out the back door at my garden, when something caught my eye. A creamy fluffy kitty was perusing my garden, looking for a nice potty spot.

It’s not that I dislike cats, it’s just a simple fact…I do not own a cat. I like them. I just don’t appreciate one killing my birds and squirrels and poopin’ in my veggie patch…no thank you.

My dog loves to chase squirrels off the bird feeder. She runs out, they run up a tree or over a fence and all is well in the Charest yard. So, I figured, I’d just send her out and in 2 seconds flat kitty would be on her way back home.

Not so.

There are certainly times when I wish I had set up the video camera.

I gave the signal…”sssss” (that’s code for “squirrel on the feeder”. I thought she would be smart enough to figure it out once she got out there…it’s not a big yard.

Precious ~~ding dong~~ dumplin’ runs out there, not 10 feet from the cat (who is now posing in a nice arch stance ready to fight), however, precious Stormie has NO CLUE. She stares back at me as if to say “Mom! Where is it? What do I do?”.

So, I point. She begins to walk in the opposite direction of where I am pointing…sigh. That’s my girl. All looks, no brains.

Finally she turns and makes eye contact. The chase is on….right? I mean, what should happen now? A dog runs after a cat, the cat runs, jumps the fence and is gone….RIGHT?

Or, in my case, the dog EXPECTS the cat to run, so she runs into the cat and bowls it over, then they begin to tumble!

I get worried that someone is going to get hurt…and I’m not really worried about the cat, after all, she has claws.

While my dog is 43 pounds of pure muscle and has a powerful jaw full of teeth, she is clueless what to do with them unless it entails chasing remote control cars and licking 1/2 n 1/2 from the bottom of her bowl.

I’m worried about those claws, so I begin calling Stormie…she has become instantly deaf. The cat takes off…runs ALONG the fence (go over! go over!!!!). Then she runs around the shed, Stormie directly on her heels in high speed pursuit.

All the while, I am in my nightgown, screaming her name at 7:45 am on a Saturday morning.

My apologies to my neighbors. I’m quite sure the noise you heard as you mentally woke up was screaming children playing down the street…yup. That’s my story.

As they go behind the shed, they scatter through piles of wood stacks, then round the corner with a perfectly good tree right in front of kitty…(go UP! go UP!!!)…nope. She keeps running. As they come full circle, Stormie again bowls kitty over, now kitty is standing ON Stormie’s bac! Finally Stormie begins to hear a sound…

stormie…Stormie…STormie..STORMIE!)…

she comes running inside…looking VERY dazed and confused.

Kitty jumps the fence to safety. Stormie is in complete shock.

“Mom, what WAS that????? That thing FREAKED me out! It touched me, ewwwww. I need a drink…now!”

I left the door open and for about 30 minutes she was AFRAID to go back outside. Yup, that’s my guard dog.

Ruffle n’ Lace Pillow Tutorial

2011-09-28T14:11:00.001-04:00

I’m likin’ the Shabby Chic-ish look right now, and am incorporating a lot of white into elements of my home.

Today I made this pillow for my couch…

Or bed…

I suppose the fun will be interchanging them with my moods.

On that note, here’s the “how to”…sorta.

NOTE: Using a sewing machine is the fastest way to do this, and necessary for gathering. There are several steps where you can use Fabric glue, but you have to wait for it to dry and that could take forever. Be adventurous and plug in that machine!

When I mention fabric glue, this is what I prefer:

This is a needle and thread:

I just felt the need to keep things balanced there.

I didn’t think to take photos until I got to the little fabric flowers, but I can talk you through the pillow, because really it is easy smeasy. Shmeasy. Shmeezie?

I had a blue pillow from my stuffy old color scheme.

I pulled out the stitches and saved the fabric to add to my ever growing collection of “I’m gonna do something with that” stuff. This left me with a perfectly good pillow form.

From my incredibly ridiculous amount stash of white fabric scraps, I cut 2 pieces 20x20. Because that’s how big my pillow form is. Um, yup. I kinda forgot the whole “seam allowance thing”…good thing the form is squishyish.

I cut 5 strips of white fabric from some old curtains ~ two of them I cut from the edges, so they already had a nice seam! Yay.

On the other two I hemmed the edge and bottom. Don’t pin, don’t iron, just fold and stitch. This is easy stuff here.

Using your largest stitch, sew across the top twice, about 2/8 inch apart, to make threads for pulling up gathers.

Tie the strings together at one end. Pulling from the top two threads at the other end, pull up the gathers until it is about 1 1/4 inches smaller than your pillow fabric.

Pin this ruffle close to the bottom, leaving 1/2 inch for your seam on the bottom and sides. Stitch in place.

Repeat for the other 3 ruffles ~ no measuring for placement needed. Just make sure they lay across the top of the previous ruffle enough to cover the “gathering stitches”.

Once they have all been stitched on, lay a piece of pretty lacy or trim along the top edge and stitch in place to secure. NOTE: Here is an example of a place you could use fabric tac if you wanted.

Now, lay your plain pillow piece on top of the one you just “ruffled”. Pin all around, but leave almost the whole bottom open, just sew around the corner an inch or so. Stich a 1/2 inch seam all around. Trim corners and turn. Pop your pillow form inside and snug it up to the corners.

Look at your pretty pillow! Sure is cute, but it could use a little sunthin up in that corner, dontcha think?

How about we make some fabric flowers?

Go grab some more white fabric, or maybe you want to use a colored fabric here. I am using piece cut from an old shirt.

I did one flower with fabri-tac, and two flowers with needle and thread. Why two with needle? Because it was just faster and easier. So, that is what I’m gonna recommend.

Cut three strips ~ no fussy measuring, it doesn’t matter how perfect hey are. 2-3 inches wide, and at least a foot long or so.

Fold in half, but don’t iron, keep that folded edge soft.

Turn corner down like this.

Crinkle up a bit for the “center of the flower”.

IF you are using fabri tac, squeeze a little dab here and there as you go and pinch in place.

IF you are using needle and thread, take up, simple stitches to keep things in place, nothing fancy, no worries.

Kind of tuck the fabric in and attach it as you curl it around your “center”, folding a bit and squishing it up like this.

Keep going until you get to the end, fold down that last corner, and stitch or glue in place. Voila!

Now, IF you used the glue, you need to let it set up. I wrapped it in a hair band I had layin’ on my sewing table. Remind me not to put that in my hair, eh?

If you stitched you are ready to move on.

Take a piece of scrap cardboard and pop it inside your pillow to keep the fabri tac from getting on the form inside.

Decide where you want your flowers.

Spread some fabri tac and position your flowers.

Now look what you made in just 3 days 2 hours!

Happy Crafting and have a beautiful day!

Don’t forget to visit my new Facebook page The Bluebirds Nest!!

Tip Me Tuesday... (a repost)

2011-09-13T01:56:00.000-04:00

I have searched high and low for the "perfect" tiered cupcake/cake/dessert server. I didn't want a cardboard one, I didn't want a plastic one, I wanted glass or crystal. I found a 3 level one that I liked, the pieces sat on top of eachother, so that made it easy to store, but the space between them was not enough to put cupcakes that were well decorated in there.

Hmmm, what to do? Well, of course the answer is... Make it yourself Kathy! :)

So, I went hunting...around my house, inside the buffet, on top of the fridge, inside the hutch, I also hunted the thrift store. I had a large clear glass serving dish on my fridge that is seldom used, (because I can't see it up there). I found two clear glass plates at goodwill for a whopping .69 cents each...woo-hoo! Love cheap stuff!

I had a drawer full of crystal and glass candle holders that I NEVER use....and I had a precious, adorable small cake tier that I was willing to sacrifice to get what I want, lol.

So, here is what I did.

(The final product at a Baby Shower)

NOTE: If you have no desire to make this but would like to see the final product, scroll WAY down to the last photo. :)

FIRST, I searched the internet, because I had no idea what to do.

I found out that all I needed was a good "glass glue"...several were listed. Hubby picked up a 5 minute Epoxy for me that works on glass.

I stacked everything the way I wanted it, trying out various separaters at different levels until it was just right.
I thorougly washed, rinsed and dried all the pieces to be used. Make sure you rinse them GOOD, you do not want any soap residue to interfere with the glue adhering.

Next, I made paper templates for each plate size so that I could find the exact middles...

I had to tape several sheets of paper togehter for the larger plates...

Cut out a circle the exact size of each plate...

Fold it perfectly in half...

Press the crease to make it sharp...

See how nice and sharp it is? :) Now, open it up and...

Fold it in the other direction, lining up the crease to itself to make a perfect cross mark in the center...

Again, press the crease in this direction...

Now, open it out and draw a plus mark in the center where they meet...

Do this to all of your paper templates...

Place your plate on the circle... I put mine upside down so I could line up the edges...

Make sure it is perfectly centered...

With a THIN permanent marker, make a teensy tiny little X by standing DIRECTLY over the center of the plate. If you do this at an angle, it won't be in the middle. You are marking the center of the plate.

See my tiny mark?

See how tiny it really is? You want it small so it isn't visible when it's all said and done...My platets are not perfectly flat, but they are "almost" flat. If you can find perfectly flat ones, that's best for cupcakes, but those with a slight curved edge are fine for any other hors d' oeurves (did I spell that even close correct?), veggies, fruits, etc...

This is the glue my hubby found for me. It worked perfectly and he got it at Lowe's Home Improvement.

I have no idea why I felt the need to show you the back... ?

5 minute epoxy dries quick (in minutes actually, lol)...so mix only a little bit and do a plate or two at a time working quickly, but CAREFULLY!! Apply just as much as you need to cover the edge, not too much or it will goop out...a little bit goes a long way.

This is the base of the main plate, I am putting all three of these on the bottom, just like this, so they all need to have glue applied to them at once. These are candle holders I bought 700 years ago and never used...

This is the candle holder I am using to separate the bottom plate from the next plate. It allows enough room for cupcakes to be placed on the tier without smushing them. :) ... I'm pretty sure this one was never used either...but if you don't have any, they are super cheap new (about $1.00) and only about .60 cents at a thrift store.

When the glue has been applied, immediately center your plate on the holder (see my little x?). Press it into place...

Though it probably wasn't necessary since glass has weight, we decided to weigh them down while they "set up". The epoxy dries in 5 minutes, but it shouldn't be "handled" for an hour. So we waited an hour before stacking all our tiers.

This wait time allows your husband to use the plates as landing pads for his helicopter...

Nice. :)

When you choose your pieces, be sure that the bottom of your plates will lay perfectly flat on the "stand" you choose. You don't want a bumpy or wavy edge, as this could prevent if from being securely attached.

After 1 hour, we applied glue to the bottom of the candle sticks (not the very bottom ones though...we didn't want it secured to the table!). I carefully lined up the centers as best I could, and weighted it with a bag of flour (wheat for extra weight, LOLOL). Then we went to bed...

When I woke up the first thing I did (even before coffee!) was check it out. Hubby was the first to lift it up and tilt it, carefully placing his hand underneath incase something fell off. Every piece is secure and cemented in place... Isn't it pretty? It's exactly what I wanted, and the cost was an incredible bargain!

Your turn! What are you creating?

Have a blessed day!

Kathy C.

Photo Challenge Giveaway!

2011-08-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

My sweet "niece", Kelsey, is having a giveaway on her blog, The Flip-Flop Farmgirl. There are 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes from Etsy shops, all "camera" related...how exciting!

Kelsey's blog is filled with lovely photos and precious thoughts from a godly young ladies heart. Please pop over there and say "Hello!". :)

Enter the giveaway too!!!

Here is my entry: Heart and Flowers

Bi-Monthly Blogging...

2011-08-08T08:51:00.000-04:00

I really never intend to just go away for months at a time and not blog...not read blogs...not publish lost comments...sigh. It just happens. Life happens. And I love living life...it's quite interesting. :)

Remember last summer, when we were on our way to the Keys for vacation, and my precious hubby ended up in the ER and spent the next few months recovering from some pretty nasty burns? Well, guess what? We made it this year!!!! Yay!!!! We drove straight there, no breakdowns, no fires, no hospital visits. Just a vacation in the beautiful Florida Keys.... I still look at those scars, which are so faint that I may be the only one who can tell you where the outlines are in exact detail... I am so thankful for my husband's life and health.

Reasons we like to vacation in the Keys:

Sunsets like this...Wow!

Water like this...

Moments like this...

This...ok, I admit...I get to see this on the river at home, hee hee...

Dinner like this...

Chillin like this...

Times like this...

...and....this? What? You don't take your Pet's "alter ego" on vacation??? :)

Do you remember last summer, right around the same time as that terrible accident, my son got on a plane and headed for Afghanistan? Well, he is back in the U.S., safe and sound. Maybe a few tiny scratches, no scrapes. All his fingers/all his toes. :) He did have some rough times, some frightening moments and some scary stories...but he's home, and I'm a happy Momma.

My Grown Up Baby Boy in a far off land...

Being awarded a combat medal by the Army (he's in the Air Force but was working with Army Infantry)...

Finally, back home. :) Playing in the surf with Momma...

This brought tears to my eyes...great big, fat happy tears!

Surf can be scary...

I know someone else who was VERY happy to see this boy...

I felt like a very unloved "Dog Mom" while he was home... LOL

It's all fun n' games... until....

...someone get's eaten by a Hippo????? :)

If you've seen that Tim Hawkins video...you know that it is very important for Mom's to feed their kids... "Have you Eaten?"... LOL

The whole "family"... and Jody too. :)

~ I'm praying for my sweet friends who have sons overseas at this time, please pray for the safe return home of all our troops...and pray for the families of those who have lost thier lives.

~ My garden is in summer "dead" mode...it's HOT and DRY right now...actually we got some MUCH needed rain last night and I'm so thankful. I pulled p all those scraggly plants that were being beaten down by the summer sun and eaten up by the summer bugs. Now I'll begin feeding the garden and planning for Fall planting...

~ I've been baking...the lastest cake was a Princess and the Pea themed cake...very fun to make...

Next up will be a more "elegant" Bridal Shower cake... fun stuff!

~ I'm proud to announce my son will be promoted in Jan/Feb to SSgt.!!! We are some super proud parents...that's all I can about that! Smart Kid.

~ I confess I'm already thinking about Christmas...it just pops into my mind every now and again. I'm like that.

What about you? What's been going on this summer? What's new? What's old? :)

Have a beautiful sunshine filled day...but if the sun's too hot, go swimming!!! :)

Brag Monday ~ Vintage Tray

2011-06-13T10:25:00.002-04:00

I'm linking up with the Graphics Fairy today for her Brag Monday meme. If you've ever made a craft using a graphic from her site, you can link it up too! :)

To see more aweseome crafts made with graphics, head over to her site...HERE. :)

Last Christmas I made a "Vintage Tray" using a wooden tray I found at a thrift store and a couple of pretty graphics I found on her site (Thank you Graphics Fairy!). :)

Here is my step by step...

Found an uglyish tray for about a buck.

Grabbed some off-white craft paint from the supply closet.

Poured on (probably too much) paint and began to brush it all over.

I Did 2 coats, let the first one dry completely before coating again.

Graphics enlarged to size (as you will notice later, I used a different corner graphic). Lay out your pieces to get an idea of what you want it to look like.

Now that my paint is comletely dry, I'm going to take some 220 sandpaper and make it look a little worn around the edges.

Finished "wearing" it down.

Close up... think of places that wearing would occur naturally from use.

Grab some Decoupage juice!

Lightly brush the entire back of your graphic.

Be careful to position it RIGHT where you want it. Smoothe it down carefully from the center out, to remove air bubbles.

Position other graphics where you want them.

Smoothe the edges and make sure there are no bubbles. Once these pieces are completely dry, I VERY lightly rubbed some areas with sandpaper.... an "old" tray with "new" graphics doesn't look right, lol.

After that is dry, you will want to cover the entire project in Decoupage at least once, maybe twice. Just a thin coating.

Voila! There you have it...this is my Vintage Christmas Tray. :)

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 13

2011-06-13T07:35:00.001-04:00

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 13 ~ REMINDS YOU OF CHILDHOOD

Meet Zip. He is my monkey. He is my friend. :)

He is 35 years old. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you can see the "K" I marked on his shoe... He's mine... do you feel the love yet? :)

When I was a little girl I was incredibly in love with the idea of having a chimpanzee. I REALLY wanted one BAD. I imagined dressing him up and he would be like my little brother (I think being the baby of 6 really messed with me, lol).

Well, even though I was a cute kid and had "baby" status...Mom informed me that I would not be able to have a little chimpanzee to dress and feed and love... oh how sad. Instead, she told me to pick out a special toy from the JC Penney Catalog.

So I sat at the dining table and thumbed through the pages and almost fell out of my chair when I saw Zip. He was PERFECT. At that time, he wore a yellow t-shirt with the name ZIP in red letters, a little red hat, held a banana in his hand, AND if you squeezed his arm, he would squeek!

Mom ordered this gift just for me, and I waited and waited (it wasn't like it is nowadays, no 2 day delivery...AND we lived in England). One day I came home from school and my Mom sat me down and sang me a song... I wonder if anyone remembers this song???

Then she told me to go and look on my bed. there was Zip... in all his glory! LOL :)

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Days 8-12

2011-06-12T11:00:00.001-04:00

Apparently this is more of a "Challenge" than I thought. You know what really threw me off? The sunset photo. Because of our schedule, I'm usually buttoning down the hatches and getting ready for bed around sunset, lol. Sooo, since I didn't have one, I just dropped the ball. But never fear...I'm hear to make up for it, lol.

No sunset though. You'll have to settle for a "stand-in"...a sunrise taken by my precious hubby! :)

DAY 8 ~ SUNSET (SUNRISE)

My Hubby works beachside in the morning, so he almost always sends me a sunrise photo each day. I love him. :)

DAY 9 ~ FRESH FRUIT

Yum...a handful of fresh blueberries!

DAY 10 ~ ANIMAL

I'm really not sure if she classifies as an "animal"...this is my little girl, Stormie. :)

DAY 11 ~ SILLOUETTE

Is a sillouette the same as a shadow? Hmm, well, this is it, right or wrong. :)
Hey, how about that alien head????

DAY 12 ~ SUNFLARE

Watering my veggie garden in the morning sunlight.

Have a Beautiful Day!!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 7

2011-06-07T08:11:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 7 ~ HIGH ANGLE

Hmmm, interesting topic. I'm quite sure I couldn've been way more creative with this, but I really just knew you wanted to see my dishes...??? :)

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 6

2011-06-06T07:28:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 6 - BOOKS

These are the books I'm reading through right now...quite a variety of subject matter, that's for sure!

Now go grab a book and curl up in your favorite chair!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 5

2011-06-05T10:12:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

JUNE 5 - BREAKFAST TODAY

Smoothie: 3/4 C. Almond Milk, 1/4 C. strawberry yogurt, 1 Tbsp. Bluebonnet strawberry protein powder, 1 Tbsp. Diatamceous Earth, 1 banana, 5 Strawberries...whole lotta yum!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 4

2011-06-04T09:04:00.000-04:00

I'm participating in the June 30 Day Photo Challenge, if you want to see more participant photos, pop over HERE.

DAY 4 ~ CLOUDS

This is what I view when I'm haning clothes on the line in my backyard... a huge bouganvilla, the magnificent blue of a Florida sky and happy white puffy clouds...

Have a beatiful, sunshine and puffy cloud filled day!

30 Day Photo Challenge ~ Day 3

2011-06-03T10:58:00.002-04:00

I'm participating in this 30-Day Photo Challenge for the month of June. Check out the rest of the participants HERE.

Day 3 ~ Hands

30 Day Photo Fun!

2011-06-02T10:27:00.001-04:00

I haven't blogged in a while, but when I saw this photo challenge, well, it just looked kinda fun. So, I'm joining in! :)

Each day in June, there is a specific assignment...pop over here for more info. Here's the "List"...

Since I'm starting on day 2, I shall "catch up"...shouldn't be too hard..except for the fact that I had to take photo of ME... I do not like to pose for myself.

JUNE 1 - Self Portrait

I thought about getting all dressed and ready to go somewhere then taking the picture, but threw caution to the wind and just shot myself as I look in the morning... yup. There I am in all my Morning Glory. :)

JUNE 2 - Your Favorite Shoes

I am not a big "shoe" person. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE shoes, I try them on a LOT, lol. But it doesn't make sense for me to buy several shoes when I am a simple kind of gal and really, tennies, sandals and garden boots are all I need. BUT my sister sent me a gift card for TJ Maxx for Mother's Day..SWEET! I bought these adorable sandals! Love them.

A Poem for My Mother

2011-05-08T10:27:00.001-04:00

Colors flow across canvas...my Mother is an artist.

Guitar strings hum with music...my Mother is a musician.

The air is filled with song...my Mother is a singer.

The kitchen smells divine..my Mother is a chef.

Heels tap the floor...my Mother is a dancer.

Laughter fills the air...my Mother is full of happiness.

Flowers dance in the breeze...my Mother is a gardener.

Warmth surrounds me....my Mother is a hugger.

Stars across the sky...my Mother is a dreamer.

Tears down a cheek...my Mother is tender

Desert sands glow in the sunset...my Mother is an adventurer.

Books across the table...my Mother is a learner.

Ears intently listen...my Mother is a teacher.

Years of songs and lullaby's...my Mother is a Mom.

Friday Funnies ~ Muthahood!

2011-05-06T08:18:00.004-04:00

Today I'm joinin' my bestest, Kim, for her Friday Funnies meme. Hop on over and join in, or just giggle at the other posts. :)

Here is a little Mother's Day fun for ya'!

Have a Happy Hilarius Hoppin' Friday Friends!

A wee bit about me...

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

I am going to be a copy-cat today...my lovely "niece" the Flip-Flop Farmgirl has post a blog called "Somethin' More About Me", I'm gonna join in, just like my friend Lisa did. :)

So, here ya' go...

Age: I am 43. Yup... you heard right. 43. It's not at all what I thought it would be when I was 20. :)

Bed size: KING! Because we are both little people, and I am a bed-hog.... I admit it.

Chore you hate: I really enjoy my household chores. But I DISLIKE with a PASSION...picking up dog poop. But it has to be done. Ewwww.

Dogs: As you can imagine, I have a dog (I do not go around picking up other peoples dogs poop). She is a boxer, and she is perfect. More than perfect. I could never have a dog like her again, I just know it. She is loved and adored by even the most "un-doggish" type of people. She is spoiled, and pretty, and loves to cuddle and kiss.... and eat chicken. And she is adorable...absolutely the cutest dog ever...

Ok, maybe that wasn't the best example of her cuteness... :) ... how about this?

Essential start of your day: Waking up. That is the perfect way to start my day. :) Preparing my precious husband for his day of work...making his smoothie, and packing his lunch...making sure he's got all his parts and pieces together...doing my silly unique wave from the front door...then coffee... yum.

Favorite color: Oh Pink...how I love thee! I love pink...it's so pretty, and happy, and dainty, and springish, and flowery and lovely, and sweet, and kind and full of laughter and cuteness. Pink. :)

Gold or silver: Silver

Height: 5'5"

Instruments I play (or have played): Voice?
Job Title: Home Enhancement Specialist.

I am employed by the King, along with a small, but elite, group of women.
We are in constant training, as our dangerous and adventurous jobs keep us always on the alert. From one day to the next, nothing stays the same. Some in this highly skilled job have trainees living in their home, and this creates a higher level of challenge within the job. Others have sent their trainees out into the "field" and are now manning the homefront as an assistant to Head of the Household.
That's all I can tell you...otherwise...you might know too much. It's really something you have to apply for and experience yourself to fully understand.

Kids: I have one smart, good-lookin', Air Force son. I love him. I miss him, but that's part of being a Mom...and I don't like that part. I like the part where he calls me and says he misses me. I like the part where he says he misses my cooking. It makes me feel loved. I want him to come home...and bring 5 grandkids with him. But I want him to get married first...just to keep things on the up n' up. :)

Flattering, huh?

Much better...

So cool...and cute. :)

Happy 1st Birthday! Who's that young chick? Oh! That's ME! Wow...I was young once.

Awe..... :) I think we still have that flag that he's signing... awe....

Oh! That's my precious little lumpy love...sweet. Oh, how i miss kissing that face!

All wrapped up in one picture...my big boy.

Live: Florida...land of sunshine...and humidity...and mosquitos. :) Sure is pretty here!

Mom's name: Dorothy, Dottie, Dot, Mom, Grams, Gramma, Grama Dot, Dot-Dot... :)
Nickname: The first nickname I had was Butterball...yup. That's what my Dad called me when I was a baby...said I looked like a Butterball Turkey...nice. :) Then he started to call me Kathaleenie-bidgabageenie! :) I love that name. :) Makes me smile. Now it's just Kath. Which is strictly reserved for Dad, and my oldest 4 siblings.... and Jody...but that's another story.
Pet peeve: When people let you talk about something and then they aren't even listening and you just wish they would have told you they weren't gonna listen so that you wouldn't have wasted your breath. :)
Quote from a movie: Hmmm, I always liked the part in Princess Bride where the Farmboy says "As you wish"...which really meant "I love you"...sigh. Sweet. :)
Right or left-handed: Right

Siblings: Plenty. :) I have 3 older sisters and 2 older brothers. My oldest brother is 10 years older than me. It goes: Guy, Debbie, Becky, Ricky, Tina, Kathy - I get "baby" status. :)

Time you wake up: 5:15...sometimes 5:10. On "days off" later, depending on when we went to bed.
Underwear: Hmmmm, Yes. Nun-Yuns.... (that is code for none of your business).
Vegetables you dislike: Okra. Ewwww.
What makes you run late: Me. I am always "ready" at the right time. THEN, I have to coax the dog to go potty, make sure she has water and something to eat. Oh! Did I grab a water bottle? Gotta have water wherever I go. Should I grab a snack? Maybe almonds, I might get lightheaded if I don't eat on time. Was I supposed to bring anything? Let me get a sweater in case it's cold. Oh, let me grab a pony tail holder, just in case it's hot... you know... That stuff.
X-rays you've had done: Dental, knee.

Yummy food you make: Yes. :) LOL...everything on my cooking blog is yummy. At least it is to me and those who have lived under the same roof as me while I've been a H.E.S.... so pop over HERE and browse....here are a few...

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
King Ranch Chicken
Taco Rolls
Roasted Garlic Potato Broccoli Soup
Jalapeno Chicken

Zoo animal: LION! Gorgeous...powerful....incredible.

My May Mish-Mash Monday

2011-05-02T09:24:00.000-04:00

Say that fast a few times! :) hee hee hee

Well, following suit with my bestest and another dear friend, I shall simply give you an "update" for this weeks happenings....Bullet style:

* We will be attending the birthday party for our very favorite 6 year old (to be)...oh yeah. It should be great fun, considering last year it resulted in this post...Good for a Giggle...I can't wait to see what happens this year. :)

Pretty small for a 6 yr old, huh? :)

* I made a new Bible Cover...yup.

Old faithful was lookin' a bit "granny. Um, why did I use this fabric 10 years ago to cover my bible? Sigh. Oh well, I'm happy with the new one...she's purty. :)

* I got these....

do you know what they are? They have made my life easier and I love them! Any guesses???

* My veggie garden is producing nicely. Beans are almost ready to be turned under. Cabbage are forming nicely, I've picked 4 so far and have several more coming along. I have enough tomatoes to make sauce for dinner, with enough to slice and toss on salad. Getting ready to put in some summer crops.

* This is my new chicken coop. I can't wait for them to arrive! I hope they like their new home...

YES. I'm kidding. :)

My precious princess, Stormie, has decided to make this area of the yard her sandbox and has taken the last few months to perfect the area by killing all the grass. We have "quaranteened" it, so as to let the grass grow back. She is not a happy camper.

* I shall begin a tough workout program VERY soon. I'll be blogging my progress (maybe), LOL. This will include a short period of time where I won't be having any sugar...ok, 3 months...that could feel like a lifetime! Um, for me that means no coffee!!! Yikes...or choclate...oh! OR Cake balls...whatever will I do? :)

I'll survive.... I hope. :{

* Um, that's about it... I think. Oh, I need to kill a plant. A VERY invasive plant. I am thinking about pouring vinegar on it. Will that work? What do you think?

Laundry Tip for Line Drying...#2

2011-05-02T07:25:00.000-04:00

Don't you just love the way clothes look swaying in the breeze along a Laundry Line? I do.

The wind picks up and whips the towels, making them fluffier and fluffier with each snap.

Pretty colors dance in the sunshine. I think it's a very pretty sight...but there are SOME things I would personally rather not see....

NOT pretty...

Unless you live in the country, or have a laundry line that is "out of sight" of the neighbors, please think twice, ... three times if necessary... about haning out your "Unders"... if ya know what I mean...

The Neighbors ARE watching...there is a "Gladys Kravitz" in every hood...

...and she's just itching to tell Abner what color your bras are...

...Abner don't need to know... ya know?
I have neighbors on all three sides of my backyard, and while I do have a 6 foot privacy fence, my backdoor neighbor is over 6 feet tall. You do the math. I don't mind him seeing my shirts, shorts, and towels dancing in the breeze, but I really don't want him seeing the style, shape, color or size of my under things.

Yup, sometimes it's a good thing to leave those things out of other peoples minds.

Yup. That's my "Tip" for the day, and I'm stickin' to it. :)

Laundry Tip for Line Drying...#1

2011-04-23T13:23:00.000-04:00

Our weather right now is just perfect for line drying clothes. The sun is shining, the humidity is not soaring and the breeze is blowing. The clothes dry quickly and smell wonderful. There's just something about the feeling of pinning the clothes to the line...hearing nothing but the breeze, the birds and distant voices in the nieghborhood.

Today I wanted to share with you a tip to save you some headaches. The one thing I don't like about hanging shirts on the line is the pinched look that is inevitable from placing the clothes pins on the shoulders of the shirts. If you hang them upside down, you get little darts at the bottom of your shirt. If you hang them by the sleeves, you end up with protusions in your arms. What is the solution? It's an easy one!

Place the shirts on hangers, then hang the hangar on the line and use two clothes pins to keep it from sliding down the line. Voila! No pinchy parts on your clothing... AND...you just take them off the line and hang them right up in your closet! Works great!

And YES, that is a "work rag" next to those shirts - not a face cloth, lol.

Have a blessed Easter!

Friday Funnies ~ How to Irritate People...

2011-04-15T12:10:00.000-04:00

I'm joining in with my bestest girlfried Kim for her Friday Funnies meme. Pop over for more laughs after you watch this...it'll make you laugh IF you get the British humour, which I love, lol.

Laundry "room" makeover

2011-03-18T11:26:00.000-04:00

In my fantasy world, I have an indoor, bright, sunny, laundry room. There are windows that open to the fresh outdoors and a clothes line that can be reeled in so that I can hang my clothes without ever leaving the room. On the window sill sit birds that sing to me all day long. Obviously I am some sort of Disney Princess in this fantasy world.... :)

In reality, I have a Laundry "Area" that fits into a space in my husbands very well used and "Manly" garage. We do not have the type of garage that simply "stores stuff". My handy husband is a fixer. He has tools and greasy things and stuff that I can't name. So the garage is all his....all except for my little area where I do laundry.

I decided that I would make this little area as pretty and "me" as I could, so using some paint that we already had, a few thrift store finds and a couple of new "splurges", I made my Laundry Area a place that is cheeful, pretty and neat as a pin.

Here is my before "area 51"... lol... basically a disorganized, dingy area that is cluttered and worn looking.

Notice the worn out rug, dingy sink, and orange dog food bucket.

And, After...a much happier place to do laundry! :)
Things to note, no more trash can. A brand new, very pretty, floor mat, pretty and fun colors, a nicely organized shelf with coordinating colors for storage.

I spray painted the "dog food bucket" to match my color theme and hot glued a band of red felt around my laundry basket. The red spoon is a soap holder. I scrubbed down the outside of the sink and painted the legs red to give a pop of color and make it appear as though it were on a "stand".

This was my one "splurge" item... it was $24 at Lowe's. But it was SO pretty, and I figured with all the other bits and pieces where I saved money...well, I just really wanted it. :)

Here are some steps I took...

I grabbed a can of white paint off the shelf...purchased for another project, but I bought a gallon so I have plenty! I painted the entire inside of the cabinet, and the top and sides of the shelves.

Painted the edges and underside of shelves, as well as cabinet door with a Robins Egg blue paint leftover from another project...

All painted and drying...

I had to make it "girly", so I hot glued lace along the edge of the industrial flourescent light. I purchased these two red collapsable containers to store bug sprays and cleaning supplies in a neat and clean way.

We kept tripping over the little plastic white trashcan (which was simply for dryer lint). Everytime we took out our bikes, we knocked it over and lid fell off and lint went everywhere...so did the candy bar wrappers that I would toss in there to conceal my love of chocolate! So, I replaced with this cute tin bucket. I purchased it at Lowe's for about $2.50 and spray painted it red.

The spray paint station... Hubby wasn't too happy with my apparent "overspray" effect on his concrete...ooops. :/ I purchased the metal "spoon" and plastic bucket at a thrift store.

Here is my "re-organized" shelf. I was able to toss several empty cans of OFF that had been hiding in the shelf for years and consolidate extra trash bags and rubber gloves to store neatly.

The little red container was perfect for storing sponges and scrub brushes neatly and it was a whopping .50 cents at the thrift store! The cute little blue plastic vase was only .30 cents, and matched perfectly...great for storing paint sticks.

Last, but not least, I made this "faux sign" for the cabinet door. I will show you step-by-step how I did this next week...so come back!

I plan to either spray paint or use vinyl stick letters to apply words to the sink, washer and dryer. They will be: SCRUB WASH DRY - Can anyone think of a better word to put on the sink? If you think of one, let me know... I could only think of Scrub, lol.

Oh, and of course, there are just some things that you can't change...

The fact that my little princess gets very annoyed when I won't let her in the house with "dirty feet"...she was obviously doing yard work while I was busy... Hmmmmm

And THIS....the inside of a garage sink. It's well used.

Cake Balls...

2011-03-08T07:30:00.000-05:00

I am making a baby shower cupcake/cake this weekend for a friend of a friend. She asked me if I make "Cake Balls"...I'd never heard of them. She said she'd had them at a wedding. So, of course, this got me curious. WHAT is a cake ball? hmmmmm.... Google.

I found a place in Austin makes them, and according to their website they are a mix of cake and frosting mushed into a ball, then coated in chocolate. Interesting.

Well, of course, I had leftover cake and frosting in my freezer - that's normal around here, lol. I was quite curious what this would come out like... so I made them myself.

I wasn't sure about proportions, so I just put a bit of cake and mixed in a little bit of frosting at a time...

I made sure to evenly crumble the cake pieces...

I decided this was a good mix of frosting to cake "ratio" and it seemed to want to hold together nicely...

I formed them into balls just a little smaller than golf balls...

The I dug through the cabinet to find some chocolate to coat them with. I had a little leftover Ghiradelli White Chocolate and some of my snacking 64% dark chocolate from Hageland.

I melted each one with a dab of butter to make it smooth, but apparently not smooth enough, lol. I didn't really have enough chocolate to "dip" the balls, so I had to sort of roll them, thus the gloppy appearance. :)

I placed them in the fridge to chill until after dinner. Then I guinie pigged my hubby and we each tried one...or two... :) They were yummy. Kind of soft and creamy in the middle, a bit like a "bon bon".

I've never had a bon-bon, but I imagine this is what one should be like. :) I prefer dark chocolate, but the white ones were "good". This is a great way to use up leftover cake and frosting, fun idea and tasty treat!

DIY - Thrift store side table

2011-03-07T08:41:00.001-05:00

I've been an absentee blogger for a while... again. LOL...been busy doing stuff. I'll share one of the things I've been doing, and link up with The DIY Showoff today.

I bought this table for $10 at a Thrift Store...

It's not exactly my style, so I lightly sanded it all over and gave it 2 coats of white paint...

Then used 220 sandpaper to distress it a little bit at the edges... for a "worn" look....

Then placed it where I wanted it...

Then dressed it up...

I like the table, but not sure if it's right for this spot. I don't like to cover the window up, so we'll see.... time will tell. :)

What do you think?

Friday Funnies ~ The Ramen Cycle

2011-02-18T08:46:00.001-05:00

Today I am joining in with my BFF and her Friday Funnies Meme....If you wanna giggle at some other stuff, pop over to her blog...Homesteaders Heart.

Friday Funnies - Valentines Decor gone bad...

2011-02-02T22:45:00.001-05:00

So, I was browsing through the Better Homes and Gardens and I saw this cute idea for a Valentine Decoration. I love decorating my home for Valentines and I have WAY too much fabric on my hands, so I decided I could make this. It's a banner that you hang up, and it says L O V E...with a heart at each end. I chose the "no-sew" method, using wonder under to attach the letters and Fabri-Tac glue too attach it to the hanging cord.

I decided that I would put one letter on each side of a piece of fabric, then just fold it over the cord. I planned to hang it between my dining room and living room, so it could be read from both rooms. This is where it all goes downhill...

I layed it out on the cord and viewed it....lookin' good...Stormie checked my spelling and gave me the paws up!

THEN....

I flipped the letters over to see how the other side looked.

Let me just give you a little lesson here. When you want something to read on two sides, you don't put the SAME letter back to back. It don't come out perty!

Are you sure you're ready for this?

Yup....this is what it said... Stormie was not pleased.

Keep going...

Seriously...it's down there....

Luckily I was able to correct it though, glad I checked this before HANGING it up!!! LOLOLOL oh ... sigh.

Have a laughter filled Friday!

Kathy C.

Really thankful?

2011-01-27T09:40:00.000-05:00

I tucked in the sheets, and smoothed out my bed cover, eyeing the basket of freshly washed clothes that sat next to my bed. Those would need to be put away. Several chores crossed my mind that I'd like to get done today or the next,... begin the grout cleaning, scrub down the shower, finish making bedroom curtains... on and on the list goes.

I wasn't thinking of it as overwhelming, just going over it in my mind, and then a thought occured to me.

Every chore that I have on my list is a reminder of a specific blessing in my life.

I am so very blessed to have clothes to wash fold and put away...there are many who have very little. There are many who have no shoes, no washer or dryer, no soap...no laundry basket to sit by the bed...no bed.

I am so very blessed to have grout to clean. I have a home with tile floors, I have a roof over my head, walls to keep me safe and warm...or cool. There are so many who have dirt floors, a sheet of aluminum for a roof, ...or no home at all.

I am so very blessed to have a shower that needs a scrubdown, a potty to clean, and sink to wash out. I have not one, but two bathrooms in my home. There are many who have no place for such a private luxury. No plumbing or pipes to take away the refuse, no soft towels to dry off with, so soap or shampoo....no clean water to bathe in.

I am so very blessed to be making new curtains for my bedroom. I have fabric, money, a sewing machine, and a home with glass windows that let in sunshine but keep out rain. There are many who can't even imagine that kind of life.

Every day, do we take for granted the "normal" things in our lives? Or can we take a moment to remember how blessed we are, and to thank the gracious God who has given us those gifts.

If you have a home, you are blessed.
If you are struggling with finances, you are still blessed.
If you think feeding your family is expensive, you are feeding them, you are blessed.
If your have a toothbrush, a plate, a cup, a mirror, a brush, a pair of socks, you are blessed.

Have you ever stared into the pantry and wondered what to make for dinner? I have. Have you ever noticed how much food is in there, and yet you still say "There's nothing to make for dinner"? We are so incredibly blessed. How do I know I can include YOU in this? Becuase you are sitting at a computer reading it. If you can do that, you are blessed.

We are rich beyond belief when we compare ourselves to those who go without what we would consider basic necessities each and every day. Our homes are mansions, our cars are chariots, our food is lavish, our clothing like that of royalty. When you look at your life that way, chores become a gift.

We are blessed to be given the opportunity to care for these things we have been given. Fold those clothes with honor and delight. Make that shower sparkle, no matter it's size or the materials it is made from, it is an amazing gift that you have been blessed with. Tuck in those sheets and make those beds with a song in your heart for you are blessed that at night you can lay on a mattress, pull those blankets up over your body and feel safe, warm and blessed.

Thank you Lord Jesus for all your precious gifts. Help us to always remember to be thankful for those things that we have become the norm for us. Help us to see that even our very basic items are such a huge gift, from You.

"He who is generous will be blessed..." ~ Proverbs 22:9a

Mid January Mish Mash...

2011-01-12T09:58:00.001-05:00

Hello again! :)

Here we are almost mid-January, and SOME progress has been made with my "re-ogranization" and clean-up efforts...not much, but some. :)

After searching online for pre-made "Housecleaning Checklists"...I combined, clipped, cut, added and customized one for my home and our needs. Now, ... to start using it. :)

I did manage to do a wee bit of "decluttering". This is after just a TINY bit of cleaning out....it's truly amazing how much "stuff" we have that we ~ A. don't use, B. don't need, and C. don't even know we have!!!

I re-organized the hall closet. Happy.

Look, I can cross something off the list I posted in my last blog post! Yee-haw!!!! :)

*Do SOMETHING about that coffee table that is too big for your living room!

I found this on Craigslist. I've been looking for a round coffe table FOREVER....it seems. I didn't want it too big, or too small. Nothing modern, had to be REAL wood, and wanted it to have some sort of pretty design element. This was a dark cherry stain when I got it. I sanded it down, gave it several coats of an antique white paint and sanded away some areas for an "aged" look. I LOVE it. It's just what I wanted and now I have more space in that room! Yea!

I found the mirrors I want for our bedroom...now to paint them, and the dresser. As you can see, I also found some cute Christmas gift tags on clearance.

I found these windows....relatively cheap. I want to use them in my bedroom, I'm not exactly sure how or where, but I have a few ideas jumping around in my noggin.

My sweet hubby bought us passes to Busch Gardens for Christmas! AND tickets to go see Mark Lowry, one of our favorite Comedians...the man is just funny...and can SING! Wow.

Soooo, in order to take our RV on a trip, we have been busy fixing it...remember the fire? Yup. We have replaced the carpet, made a new couch cover, refinished the burned wood, and now I am in the process of repairing the seats. I have NEVER done this before...yikes.
We literally took the "skin" off the drivers and passenger seats and I am replacing the burnt pieces.

I took about 750 thousand photos of every detail as I took it apart...yet STILL managed to sew it back together wrong...frustrating myself beyond belief. Then after much sweat, furrowed brows, confusion and some tears, in a flash I realized my mistake. Ahhhh, relief. I am now on the road to recovery, lol.

Amidst this, I am making new curtains for my bedroom, hemming pants...and, uh...working on that quilt...still.

...and altering this dress. OY!

My sweet friend is pregnant. She was not so big when we fitted it, and I left some room for comfort. I altered it. She came back and BAM, that baby GREW!!!! Now what? No worries Jessica....Ms. Kathy WILL make it work. So, I am going to pour Miracle Grow on it and see what happens. Kidding!!! (just in case she's reading this). Some sort of magic will happen and I'll let you know what it is when I figure it out.

Last night we had a light dinner, Potato Pancakes and steamed broccoli. The entire house smelled so good after making that. Oh yum.

How do you eat your Potato Pancakes? My sister eats hers with applesauce or sour cream. I like them just plain, or with a dab of ketchup. Do you make them? They are easy and sooooo delicious! Shred 2 peeled potatoes, shred a small onion, mix them together and squeeze them a few times with paper towels to get out the moisture. Add 1 egg, 1 Tbsp. flour, a little salt, pepper and garlic powder, stir it up. Drop 4 blogs in a thin layer of hot olive oil, flatten with a spatula to make "pancakes"...fry until golden brown on both sides. Set on paper towlels to drain. EAT! :)

Today I am making my Rosemary Olive Oil bread...yum. I have decided to make a double batch and share with my neighbors. Here it is sponging overnight....night night dough bowls ~ sleep tight!

Our baby boy is still off fighting bad guys in Afghanistan. Mom says "COME HOME NOW!"...

I wonder if he heard me? *sigh*

He'll be back at the end of February. This makes a Momma's heart happy.

Just for fun,....isn't she adorable? :)

"Mom, I see a squirrell!"

"I'm gonna get it!"

"Um, where is it? What did you do with it?"

"Is the squirrell coming back?"

And because it's always best to close on the happiest note...there is my man. Have I ever told you how much I absolutely love my husband? He's the best. He's godly, smart, strong, loving, chivalrous, and funny, ... very, very funny.

I love him!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T14:10:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is 2011. As usual, the years fly by faster the older I get. I see my fitness goals becoming more and more "important" as the years go by. If I don't do it NOW, it may never happen (goes through my mind often enough), LOL.

I've decided to take some time this first week of January to do some "cleanin' out".

The serving dishes I bought because I just HAD to have them, but stored away and never used...time to get out!

The dress I bought at the thrift store "just in case" I ever had a reason to wear something like that...time to send it back to the thrift store! When the time comes, I'll buy one 2 days before the event!

Shoes,..oy. I garden, I exercise, I grocery shop, I got to church. I don't need 20 pairs of shoes...well, actually, I don't HAVE 20 pairs of shoes, but I don't need 15 pair either! LOL...

And fabric? I crave buying new fabric. I see fabric that I just WANT...but I am determined to craft things out of at least HALF the fabric I already have before I go buying more! So, hmmm, maybe it's time to get crackin' and open up an Etsy shop...I have a LOT of ideas, I love to make things...we'll see.

You get the picture, right? I'm going to go room by room and take out a few things, clear up some shelf space, clear up some closet space, clear up some brain space. It feels good.

THEN, I'll begin on the 40 million projects that I've been threatening to start for the last 12 months...

*paint and "age" my dining table and chairs
*paint and "age" my buffet
*redesign our TV stand
*cover that chair in the living room...ugh! Cover it already Kathy!!!!
*Do SOMETHING about that coffee table that is too big for your living room!
*refinish the bedroom dresser
*replace the mirror in the bedroom...which means painting 2 new mirrors
*move some curtains around in the house to spice things up and make things look new and fresh
*lighten the colors in the bedroom
*oh...finish that quilt...oh, and that other one I started too...*sigh*

You get the picture here too? This year I need to do things...really, I don't wanna wait months to do them, I just want to get started now and not quit till it's all done. Will it happen? I dunno. Will I attempt it, sure, for a time at least. :)

Oh, yeah, and I want to run a race. Guess I'd better start running again, eh? :)

What will you do this January to start the year off fresh? I'm not asking about resolutions, because I gave those up YEARS ago! Just things that need to be done, loose ends that need to be snugged up. What are you January plans?

Happy New Year my friends, but most importantly...

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;

Fear the Lord and turn away fromevil.

It will be healing to your body

And refreshment to your bones."

Proverbs 3:5-8

I haven't posted since Oct 29th...wow.

2010-12-09T14:40:00.000-05:00

Some people are "born bloggers"...apparently I am not. I have a lot to say, really I do, but it's mostly stuff that only a Mother would love to hear...or a hubby, or a best friend,.... or my dog. :)

But for the sake of throwing something out there in case I don't come back until next year, I thought I'd "blog" today.

Life has been interesting lately. Some lessons have been learned, sadly they were the kind you always knew about but never really wanted to KNOW about. BUT, God is good. He is on His throne, and He's totally in control....I love that. It makes everything worth while. He has a plan...that's a good thing.

So, here it is December 9th. We finally got the best friends all moved into their new house...nice house! I do not envy them upacking the gazillion boxes...where was all that stuff in their old house???? I have no clue. I do not envy them moving so close to Christmas, but what a fantastic Christmas gift for the whole family! :)

We finally got our Christmas lights up, got a tree...a real one... Mmmmm, love that smell, and feel, :). Hubby usually tries to talk me into getting a fake one, but this year HE suggested we go out and get a tree before I even hinted at "it's tree time". I love him. I bet he doesn't really want a fake one....ever. :)

Stormie prefers real trees too...

Someday I'm going to photograph my hubby putting up lights outside. It's a little scary. We have a tall palm tree that he decorates oh so pretty. He has to use our RV as a "platform"...yup the neighbors know when we're putting up lights, lol. THEN he has to stand on a very tall ladder to complete the connections. This is when I start to sweat and my heart starts thumping...it's scary. I don't care how sure footed and strong he is...it's just scary to see him up there.

Usually we have a full house for Christmas dinner, last year there were 14 of us! This year however, we have dwindled. My best friends parents won't be here, my in-laws won't be here, and *sigh*...my son won't be here. :(

He's still in Afghanistan, livin' in a tent. I sent him some garland and cookies. I love him. I miss him. I can't WAIT till February!!!!! I get him for a week. That sure doesn't seem like enough time after 6 months in another country. Oh why do kids have to grow up and get lives of their own? I want to fill that week with so much stuff that we are worn out at the end of it!!!

So, we've had so much swirling around in our brains lately that I have not done ANY Christmas shopping (except for Cris' garland). It doesn't seem to bother me much except I really love giving presents. So I MUST get something. I love the way my tree looks with gifts underneath....maybe I'll just wrap boxes. I do have something for my bestest girlfriend (I got it a while back)...but she's WAY too easy to shop for. Everytime I go anywhere I see something that I could get her for Christmas....I could fill a moving truck full of things she'd like. Hubby, however, wants nothing. He is the most happy and content man I know.

I've been baking cookies...for the neighbors...I had to taste them of course...they are yummy. :)

The festivities of Christmas certainly feel "different" this year...but the fact is that if Christmas is really about celebrating the birth of Jesus, the "feeling" never changes. It is always the same, a beautiful reminder and time of reflection on the humble way that our Savior, our Lord, came to this earth. He came to live a life here, to show us how much he can relate to our pains, our trials and our joys. Thank You Jesus!!!! I love You.

Merry Christmas friends!