Fun Field Trip

We went on a fun field trip to a local ranch yesterday with my Daughters 4H group. It was wonderful. Our hosts showed us everything from Chickens and Turkeys to Cows and calves. It was alot of fun and just made me realize I really want Chickens and farm fresh Eggs. Maybe someday...

Whats for dinner

Dessert... a cherry pastry braid

and before that ... pot roast...

sorry to my vegitarian friend... you know who you are...

:)

The obviously incorrect weather man said "today is going to be the best day of the week" and what do we have... hurricane force winds. It is cloudy and gloomy and WINDY. So another day spent getting things done at home. I guess this is the best time to do so, rather than on a nice day. I decided that getting the crockpot out was a good idea, heres whats for dinner.

Tomato and Basil... Yum

I love this fresh salsa. It is really good on crackers, bread, salad, sandwiches...just about everything. It is soo easy to make...

Combine chopped tomatos and basil (amounts are according to your taste)

add a swish of olive oil and salt to taste

chill for about an hour in the refrigerator

serve with crackers or baguettes...

YUM!!!

Easy Reading

Now that I am done with all that... time to dream....

Finally Finished

My Space...

Finally finished and ready to create...

My helper...

Pretty decorations to keep my inspired...

During my remodel of the craft room/ office...
It seemed to take forever since it was always the last thing on the list, but now its done... yaay!!!!!

Couch Redo

A little lighter, but sun messing up picture...

Dark "Before"...

I was starting to get really tired of the dark colors on my couch and decided to use quilts and cover it, but the dark pillows were messing it up, so I used an old falling apart quilt for pillow covers and some other shams that have lace and lightend everything up.

So comfy and squishy...

Old quilt... new use...

Healthy Breakfast

New Dresses

I went to my local Walmart today and was sad to see that the Fabric was almost gone... :( They are discontinuing it in many Walmarts from what I understand and its really a shame. I went ahead and took advantage and purchased some cute kids fabric and will be throwing myself into making more dresses since Spring might actually be here to stay.

Dragons

This weekend my Husband took our 6 year old to see the new How to Train your Dragons Movie. They loved it. This was my Daughters first Movie Theater experience and she was rediculous with excitement. I loved seeing her face everytime she told me about the movie. While they were watching the movie, the precocious toddler (a nice way of saying it) and I went shopping. I found myself wandering into the Coach Factory Outlet and coming home with the most wonderful butter soft WHITE bag. I am in love... However after much deliberation over the weekend, have decided to return it. I find that I am terrified to own a 100+ dollar bag that can get destroyed with one jump of a dog paw or one touch of a sticky lollypop hand. So the practical person inside me will return it... oh well... maybe brown....

New Curtains

I decided new curtains would lighten things up. It worked, but the light doesn't help the pictures.

Refreshing Treat

We love Strawberry Lemonaide...Yum

Just mix together Minute Maid Lemonaide and Strawberries. Be sure to smash some in the bottom of the pitcher first, then add slices at the end...very good.

Ride to the park

Catching a Ride...

Beautiful Sunny Day... Riding to the Park...

New Book

I recently recieved the Gooseberry Patch (love them...) Cookbook, Coming Home. I love this book. I have found quite a few recipes that I cant wait to try. It is broken down by seasons and occasions. Very cool...

Moose

This was my Christmas Present from my kids... how do I shabby chic him up???

Style Contradiction

I look around my house and feel like such a contradiction. There is shabby chic, there is country, and there is rustic lodge styles. Oh yeah and garden style, I think I like too many things and need to narrow it down. The lodgy style is too dark, so since Spring is coming I am trying to lighten things up. However I really like Moose, so somehow I am trying to incorporate my Moose collection into Shabby chic, cottage country style. Hmmm.....

Last Years Green

While working on my ever changing craft room and pondering Spring, I decided to take a lunch break and look through some "green" pictures from last year. This is one of my favorites from my Moms place. So pretty...

If I cant have green now, then I will have to enjoy green from then...

Carrot Cake Cookies

Yummy Snack!

Semi-Homemade

This is a cookie recipe I have been wanting to try for some time now. I saw it in a magazine and it is made with a Duncan Hines Decadent Carrot Cake mix. I decided that today is the best day to make it since it is windy and snow/raining. Yum...

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Decadent Carrot Cake Cookies....

1 Box Duncan Hines Decadent Carrot Cake

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick softened)

1 cup hot tap water (used to hydrate carrots and raisins)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1 Container of Duncan Hines Cream cheese frosting

Preheat oven to 350

Hydrate carrots and raisins in 1 cup hot tap water. Allow to hydrate for 5 minutes Drain and squeeze out excess water.

Beat butter and cake mix, add the two eggs. Add drained carrots and raisins to batter. Mix in the 1 cup of oatmeal and nuts (if desired).

Spoon heaping teaspoons of batter onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Press batter out slightly with back of spoon. (Cookies do not spread)

Bake for 12 minutes at 350.

Cool on cookie sheet and then transfer to wire rack to allow to cool completely.

Frost with Duncan Hines Cream Cheese Frosting and Enjoy.

Note: Good without frosting also.

My New "Old" Favorite

I was so upset that I couldn't get my old favorite perfume, Spring Fever by Origins, so I have replaced the sad empty bottle for a full one of my 2nd favorite, Amazing Grace by Philosophy. I am always "amazed" by the amount of people who comment on how good I smell when I wear this, its almost freaky...

I love the words on the front of the Body Butter, in case you cant read them...

How you climb up the mountain is just as important as how you get down the mountain. And so it is with life, which for many of us becomes one big gigantic test followed by one big gigantic lesson. In the end, it all comes down to one word. Grace. Its how you accept winning and losing, good luck and bad luck, the darkness and the light.

"My " Bathroom

I guess I will share with my husband...

After School Snack

Mondays are always a challenge in our house. After the long (and beautiful) weekend, my daughter has a really hard time getting up and going on Monday morning. We have an alarm in her room, but somehow it gets turned off...hmmm. So after school I surprised her with popcorn, something we usually dont have at home. She was happy to relax with a snack and her Bolt cup, a favorite from the Disney store. I think getting up is going to get harder as the days get longer and warmer.

Sisters

We had such a warm wonderful day today. My kids played in their Barbie Jeep and in the sandbox and it really felt like Spring. Lovely...

Grocery Day!!

Fresh Basil and Plump Juicy Oranges... I love Grocery day!!

Last Summer

Last year we enjoyed a few nature hikes as well as Bug catching. Hopefully this year, now that babys are walking, we will be doing many more.

Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

Serenity

My favorite alternative to hand soap. Aveda Rosemary mint hand and body wash... works great!

A lone Tea Saucer for soap... the teacup just broke while cleaning...

My favorite perfumes...two of them... Green Tea by Elizabeth Arden and Spring Fever by Origins...(which I just found out is not made anymore ) :(

I love my bathroom. It is probably the most uncluttered room in the house right now. My husband found these beautiful blue towels and in inspired me to redo the Bathroom to be white and blue and serene.