Happy 23rd birthday...to our home

On October 30, 1988 we officially moved into our home.  Yes-we were married December 19, 1987-so that means I lived with my in-laws for nearly a year.  It wasn't too bad-we both worked full time and I was young.  (Now-I'm too set in my ways, I wouldn't be able do it.)  But I couldn't wait to get into a space of my own!  I was 20 years old.

Anyhow, the reason we had to wait is because we built this home (we-meaning my husband, me, family and friends, and our friend and neighbor who was a HUGE, HUGE help) with our own hands, and it wasn't ready yet.  It took about a year and a half to complete.

I was thinking about what the date was today while I was coloring my hair this morning (go figure)-and thought-oh yeah, today is my home's birthday.

So I went around and took some unstaged (okay-so I picked up some dirty clothes and piled some things up, closed the toilet lids and such) photos of the clutteredness, bad lighting and all.

Above is our dining room-although we don't eat at the table.  Never have and probably never will!  The wall paper has changed (quite recently) and so has the floor (really recently).

Ahhhh-the downstair bathroom.  I'm thankful for it-it's meant a lot less climbing of the stairs!

I've painted the top part, but the wallpaper is the same and so is the floor-vinyl.

There's my little kitchen(ette)!  Sometimes I'd like to strangle the architect that designed this tiny kitchen for this home.  Other times-I'm just grateful I have a kitchen.  Mostly I'm grateful.

The floor is the same, but the walls have been repapered.  I'm about ready for a change in here soon, stay tuned!

The living room-yep, a lot of living goes on in this room.  I rocked my baby COUNTLESS hours in that spot where the Lazyboy is.  That's our third Lazyboy.  We're hard on them.  This is where we eat too-a whole lotta eatin' has gone on in this room.  And Larry sleeps here too-I guess living room is the perfect name.

The floor has changed-it used to be carpet.  The walls are the same, they haven't even been painted.  And now you know-I have a deer head hanging on my wall.  The poor dear!

Our stairs-I'd like to know how many times I've climbed these over the last 23 years.  A LOT, I know that.

My bedroom, my bedroom!  You know how I love my bedroom!!!

Same carpet, same walls-the only thing that's changed over the years is the decor and I like it!

The upstairs bath-the place where I bathed my baby for so many years.  The same room where the teenager took hour long showers.  There hasn't been mold on the walls since she left!

The floor is the same, the paint is the same, but the wallpaper changed a few years ago.

Hoper's room-aka the junk room again.  It started out as the junk room, then became a nursery, then became Larry's bedroom for seven years (as little Hope wanted to sleep with Mommy), then became Hope's room again as she decided sleeping alone was A-okay!  Now back to a junk room.  Man, time flies! 

The carpet's the same, but the walls have been painted.


Happy birthday, Little Home-you've been so good to us!

This and that

I didn't do any decorating for Halloween (or fall for that matter) (besides with the natural cobwebs, gnarly apples on branches, old birdie nests, pine cones, and acorn tops) this year, but this morning I moseyed on down to the basement to find the magic potions that I made last year.

(See that recipe box on the bottom-I bought it at a yard sale and it's filled with recipes.  I think it was 50 cents or a dollar.  The top recipe box came from Goodwill.)

They're none the worse for wear.   They look exactly the same as they did last year.

That old spice rack that I bought at Goodwill a while ago really came in handy.  I have a ton more bottles-I'll have to remember to get them out and use them for little vases.  I think that would be sweet!

Oops!  Guess what-I forgot to buy treats for Halloween.   I found some Hershey bars that I had for smores and I have some Little Debbies in the freezer-so I think I'll be okay.  We only usually get two Halloweeners anymore, anyhow!

Ohhhhh-here's my little Halloweener from Halloweens past.

• Hoper just clowning around
• My lil' pumpkin
• P-p-power ranger
• Calling nurse Hope!

Oh, those were the days!

I pulled another partial quart of grape sauce out of the freezer and made some more grape jam.  The others that I made is gone.  I gave three little containers away and we (or I should say mostly I) ate the other two.  Can you say sugar coma?

Oh, yes!  Today was the first snow of the season-bring it on, I say!

Oh, dear!

Oh, dear-oh, me-oh, my-that's what keeps going through my head!

I have a neighbor (and friend) that is very sick and in the hospital right now-I don't really know what's going on at the moment and I'm fretting.  I don't like to fret!  Anyhoo-there's always hope!  I'm praying for a miracle for sure!

Speaking of hope-I had supper with my daughter (Hope) and my mom, last night.  Hoper wanted to go to Mexican (as we call it), so that we did.  It was so nice to see and talk to her.  I think I saw her for only 15 minutes last week!

  I can't tell you how many times a day that I think about how quickly the last 20 years have gone.  I don't know if it's because we have always lived in the same house-but I always am picturing scenes from the past in my head as I sit in this house and always wonder how the years of raising my child have gone by so soon!  (I know I'm not the only one that wonders that!)

This morning Rocco and I went and picked some tomatoes-that's pretty much all we have left, with the exception of a few small green peppers.  If I wasn't so lazy-I'd make Larry some fried green tomatoes-but I think I may just be too lazy for that.  Poor Larry!

Oh, tea-how you comfort me!  I need to go and make another cup.  :)

Rocco-he always brings a smile to my face.  (I love that sun spot there.)  Of course-right now he has a sore front paw and he looks so pitiful as he stands there on three legs with his gigantic paw paw in the air.  Poor guy!  I know he'll be fine though. 

Now, I'm going to try to be thankful for all the little things in life that make me happy.  (They're the ones that are the most important, if you ask me!)

Hope you have a good day!

A corner, a doggie, a leaf, and a crocheted stone

I snapped this pic of my happy corner the other day.  I'm so glad I moved hubby's gun cabinet in Hoper's old room.  I like my stuff much, much better! 

 I actually used my sewing machine the other day.  My girl wanted me to make her a new corn bag.  (Heat corn bag in microwave for three or so minutes, then place on area of body that hurts!  Ahhh-relief.)   So I took a tea towel, folded it in half, sewed up two sides, then I eyeballed the amount of shelled corn to add inside until it looked like the right amount,  then sewed up the last side and repeated three more times.  That way-I have extra for my girl when she burns hers up again! 

Doesn't Mr. Rocco look a little guilty.  Actually-I have his leaf and I think he wants it back.



Yeah-this leaf.

Rocco loves to play with the fallen leaves.  We don't have tons in our yard, so he waits for the wind to blow one his way and then chases and mostly catches-it's very comical to watch.  Today when I let him in he had this leaf in his mouth.  I had to take a photo-it's quite pretty, I think-reminds me of a butterfly.  (I gave it back to him and now it's in pieces on the floor-I'm glad I took this photo.)

 

This is my first attempt at a crocheted stone-I'm attempting to make some a little like this.  Mine will never be as pretty or as awesome as Margaret Oomen's of Resurection Fern, but it doesn't hurt to try a new skill once in a while.  Maybe I'll stick with it or maybe I won't-we shall see.

Have a good day, everybody!



Somewhere over the rainbow...

Skies are gray
Tell me, I want to know why
Skies can't be like this every day!

This past week the skies have been ever-changing.  I've seen more rainbows this fall than I think I have in my life-but I'm not complaining!

Rocco was watching the moo cows-wishing he could go out and play-yet not wanting to get wet.  He's afraid he might melt. 

I noticed some very lovely seed heads on my three sunflower stalks left standing in the garden.  So I pulled them off and brought them in.  I'm going to save them and then sprinkle them around next year and see what happens.

I finally made some grape jam.  I thawed one of my quart jars of grape sauce.   Since I was just freezing it-I pretty much winged it and I think it turned out great!  It's delicious (very grapey!), I do know that!

I had about 3 1/2 cups of grape sauce when I thawed it.  I added 3 1/2 cups sugar and one box of sure-jell and brought that to a rolling boil, then I let it cool some and then added it to my little freezer containers.  Tadaaaa-grape jam!

I still have more grape sauce frozen-so now I can make more-yeehawwww!!!!!

Mmmmmm-it doesn't get much better than this!

Have a grape-I mean great-day everybody.  :) 

Candy



This is Candy.  Doesn't she look like Brach's neapolitan coconut sundaes candy?  I thought so!  Candy is made from thrifted sheets and shirts.  Except the outer brown ring-it was a shirt from my closet because I ran out of brown.  Believe me-it looks better on Candy than it did on me.  Did you know-that if my sister would have been born one day later on February 14th instead of the 13th, my mom was going to name her Candy in honor of Valentine's Day?  I have a Jodie for a sister, not a Candy.  But I have a Candy for a rug!

Have a great day!



Autumnal

The first five pics were taken with my ipod on Sunday morning on my way to church.  They were taken out my side window and through the windshield.  I went really slow (really, I did!) and was careful, but it was still kind of tricky.  The last photo was taken last evening at dusk, after I noticed the moon above the beautiful trees.  Goodness-I live in a gorgeous area, especially in the fall!  Thank you, Lord, for autumn and trees, and leaves that change color and the moon and the sun, and I could go on forever!

I hope everyone has a beautiful day!

Mmm...cheesecake!

Yesterday was the first time I've ever been to The Cheesecake Factory!  Jessie, Kimmie, Jess, and I went on a girl's afternoon out!  Jessie, Kimmie, and even Jess had been there before, but not me.  It's so pretty in there! and clean!  (Don't think for a minute that I didn't have Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares on my mind!)  And my fettuccine alfredo was delish!  I was so full from it though, I could not enjoy my red velvet cheesecake.  So I brought it home and had it today for lunch-it was delish too!  We had a really fun time!  It was such a treat to go out with these lovely ladies and we'll have to do it again and soon!

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I'm having trouble commenting again-sorry!

Lily (and Gordon, Kim, and Aggie)

I finally finished this rug!  I've been working on it here and there all week.  This is Lily.  Yes-another flower name.  There are yellow lilies and there are blue water lilies (I looked it up!), so Lily it is.  Lily is, of course, made with thrifted sheets and shirts!

Here are all the named rugs so far:

Forrest, Liberty, Francie, Boris, Skye, Maisy, Daisy, Davey, Flora, Johnny, Apple, Eartha, Pinky, April, Rose, Autumn, Hyacinth, Linda, Americus, Oceana, Berry, Star, Thorne, Marina, Woody, Perry (Winkle), Rachel, Ever (Green), Mae (Flowers), Ricky Joe, Fern, Martha, Kathie Lee, Rusty, Sage, Jewel, George, Ginger, Hope, Willow, Poppy, Pansy, Greyson, Iris, Sapphire, Sunny, Crimson, Ivy, Viola, Goldie, Indigo, and now Lily.  That's 51 named rugs if I counted correctly.



Here's what's been keeping me entertained lately-Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares and How clean is your house with Kim and Aggie.

Gordon Ramsay goes into failing restaurants and tries to revamp them in Kitchen Nightmares.  Gordon says the F-word in practically every sentence that comes out of his mouth, but I can overlook it!  I've learned a few things from this show-never, ever buy a restaurant and think twice about where and what you eat!  Some of those restaurant kitchens are disgusting!  The American version of Kitchen Nightmares is on Fox at 8PM Eastern time on Fridays.

Oh, how I love How Clean is Your House!  Kim and Aggie (they are hilarious!) go into dirty (and I mean dirty!) homes, reprimand the home owners about the filth and then give tips about cleaning.  Then a cleaning crew comes in and cleans the house-top to bottom.  Warning-some scenes will turn your stomach!  Something I've learned from How Clean is Your House-no matter how dirty you think your own house is-there is someone else's that's dirtier!  I don't think it's on TV anymore (but I'm not completely sure) but you can watch some of the episodes on YouTube.  Just do a search.



Holy Cows!  It's a gorgeous fall day here, today!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Natural (and free) decor

First, you find some woods.  Then, you gather goodies like gnarly apples on branches, old birdie nests, pine cones, and acorn tops.  Finally, arrange items so that they are pleasing to the eye.

See-like this!  Natural and free decor-sometimes it's the best kind.  When you are sick of it-just chuck it out the window!

You know how stores sell fake cobwebs for Halloween decor?  No, no, no-don't waste your money-let your spiders make them for you.  Natural and free!  After Halloween-tear them down with your Webster or your broom, and by next Halloween your spiders will probably have made you some more! 

There you have it folks-my recommendations for natural and free decor!

I hope you have a beautiful October day!

I must like rainbows...

because every time I spot one, I gasp, giggle, and grab my camera-like this afternoon!

And I make rainbow rag rugs!

And rainbow potholders!

I paint them on cement!

 

I line my clothespins up like a rainbow-although this is backwards!



And I LOVE rainbow cake-taste the rainbow!  (This is Jessica's birthday cake from two years ago.)

I hope you're having a good Monday!

Today, she's 14

Oh, yes-today my beautiful niece, Jess-turns 14!  Last night was her family party and we had fun!  Lots of laughs and good food-for example, the rainbow explosion cake!  Yes-Jodie had some trouble with it falling over, but it was still pretty and soooooo delicious!

Above are a few scenes from the par-tay!
Row 1:: Aunt Kimmie and Jess, Jess and Poppy
Row 2:: Jess and Grammy, Mommy and Jess
Row 3:: Pretty snacks!, Daddy and Jess
Row 4:: Aunt Holly and Jess, Mok
Row 5:: Laiken and Patrick, The rainbow explosion cake!

My daughter is absent from the photos because she refused to get her photo taken!

I've said it before and I'll say it again-Jess is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, and that's pretty darn beautiful!

Happy birthday to my favorite (and only, so far!) niece.  Aunt Holly loves you so, so much!!!

If you want to see Jessica's previous birthday posts go here and here.

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Also-right now I can't comment on my own blog and some other blogs too, for some strange reason and it's making me mad!  So, if I don't respond to your comment, that's why!