little paper things...

How my husband almost let me die of vertigo.

2012-02-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

I've been battling some sinus issues for about, oh I don't know, two weeks or so. If anyone had told me about the gnats and the overwhelming amount of pollen in Georgia, I probably would not have moved here. So forward to Saturday, late morning. I've just worked night shift and am trying to sleep but I'm worried. Worried because my husband has to take four children with him to pick up 5 cases of Girl Scout Cookies. I hear him yelling at the kids and I peek from under the covers. It's 10:45 am. I think, ok, I'll get up and he can run quick, then he doesn't have to take them all with him. {Despite the fact that I always have to take them all with me}. So I get up and tell him to at least leave the baby. He says no, so I figure, to hell with you...and I go back to bed. Fast forward about 30 minutes later {now mind you, I have to work another 12 hour shift tonight} the door bell is ringing. Thinking it's him, forgetting something, I answer it. Not husband, Fedex guy. Sign the electronic box, throw package on the table and head back to bedroom.
Oh wait, what the hell?? What the hell??? The room is beginning to spin and spin and spin. By the time I get onto the bed, I've been somehow transported to the playground and someone has placed me on that big metal spinning ride. I get my head on the pillow and when I open my eyes, my curtains are circling in front of me, spinning. OMG I am going to throw up. OMG. Slowly, slowly, the spinning stops. So I lay there. I can't move my head above the plane its in. No one is home. I know if I move again, I am sure to vomit on myself. So I lay there.
About 20 minutes later I hear his car pull up, I hear the kids bounding into the house. Thank God. So I try to turn over but this ilicits another wave of nausea and horrendous spinning. I grasp the edge of my mattress and consider putting my leg down onto the floor to try and stop it. (honestly, do you remember someone telling you that when you were really drunk after a night a the bar and the bed was spinning to put your foot down on the floor and it would stop it...lol). Then I begin to yell.

Me: Frazier! Frazzzzziiiiieeer!
No answer. I hear the tv...loud.
Me: Frazier!!!! Frazier!!!!
Still no answer. Are you kidding me?
Me: Jacob! Jacob!!!
Nope, no answer either. I could have been dying here and no one hears me.
Me: Madison??? Madi!!!
Like she's gonna answer. She's 2.

Me: Frrraaaaazzzzziiiiieeer!

Finally, as I am on the brink of death, he comes in.
Him: What honey?
I grab his hand in a death grip.

Me: WTF? Do you not hear me yelling??

Him: The tv was loud. What's wrong?

Me: Great. I could be dead in here and no one would know,

Him: Yeh, I wouldn't have found you until I checked why you weren't up for work.
Me: I have goddamned vertigo and I'm going to throw up all over myself. I have to blow my nose. Go get me some crackers and something to puke in.
Him: Ok, can I have my hand back?
Me: Yes, and hurry up.
He returns with some small ass plastic container.

Me: What the hell is that gonna do? Get me the garbage can.
So, doofus take the bag out of the garbage can in the bathroom and just leaves it on the floor. (where I retrieve it like 5 hours later)
Me: You have to get go me some medicine for motion sickness. Get some Dramamine.
Him: Ok, I'll put Madi to bed. Should I take Sam?
Me: No, he'll be fine. Just go.
{{bad idea}}

Fast forward about 15 minutes. I'm on my bed unable to move my head.
Sam (4 year old): I pooped in my pants.
Me: Really? Why'd you shit in your pants again?
Then I realize he's naked even though I don't have my glasses on and can't see 2 inches in front of me.
Me: Do you have poop on you?
Sam: Yep.
(insert turn around and shake butt at mom who is lying helpless on bed)
Me: Where's your pants?
Sam: In the bedwoom. (spoken in true Samenese language)
In comes Emma.

Me: Emma, where did Sam poop?

Emma: In his bedroom.

Jesus Christ. Thankfully, before he left I told my husband to put my phone next to my bed in case I really did die, I could call for help.
I text him>
Me: Sam shit in his pants again.
Him: Wonderful, I'm on my way home.

Me: Emma says it's on the bedroom floor and I can't move my head.
Him: I'm here.
Thankfully I hear the car pulling up.

Conversation overheard in the dining room:
Husband: Why'd you poop in your pants?
Sam: I have to.

In comes my husband with my medicine. Thank God. Only it's not Dramamine. It's some other pills and wrist bands. Wrist bands? Am I going jogging? WTF? I look at him.

e: You just want me to wear these so I look stupid.

Him: I was going to get you a headband too, so you could ride your bike with it all on.
Me: Shutup or I'll vomit on you.
Him: Hahahahahah.
I don't care. I put on the wristbands and surprisingly, they work. Getting the pills in was a chore, but I managed. About three hours later, most of the vertigo was gone.

Thank God my husband was there for me.
After 10 minutes of screaming his damn name.

xoxo
Sue

Peck

2012-02-08T09:32:00.000-08:00

I was inside reading a blog {imagine that} and I heard Sam screaming on the deck. I thought he was yelling at his sister who had just lobbed his DS at his head, so I grabbed my camera to take his picture.

You see, Sam's really funny when he gets mad. His face turns all red and he points at you and yells. Really loud

Then I realized he wasn't yelling at his sister.

He was screaming at Lulu...... who was pecking his toes.

Oops. Sorry Sam.

xoxo

mom

Bellyache

2012-02-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

This is Emma. I just picked her up from school because she had a bellyache. The nurse said she looked "sick" and didn't want to eat her lunch. Her good friend ALSO had a bellyache. Once she got home her bellyache was miraculously better. Now she's spending the rest of the day in her bedroom "resting" so her bellyache doesn't come back. TV and candy aren't good for bellyaches.

xoxo
mom

p.s. u can't fool me. faker.

stuck.

2012-01-27T05:56:00.000-08:00

isn't her face just pathetic?

Lol.

xoxo

mom

Cats, trees and chickens

2012-01-20T12:22:00.000-08:00

the cat is out of the tree. he's much skinnier than when he went up. he's lounging in the laundry room right now with a bowl of food, a bowl of water and a soft bed. he will be living in that room for some time. he's a bit smelly, lol.

the tree didn't fall QUITE where is was intended to....

nearly crushed the playset, but all is well. sigh.

******************

while the tree was being cut down, Lulu and Chloe decided to take a dirt bath in my new flower bed....grrrrr!

Don't they look funny? lol

another week ended..

xoxo
sue

HOUSE of GRUMP

2012-01-17T05:44:00.000-08:00

What a fine mood everyone was in yesterday...can you tell the top two are sisters (talk about strike a pose!)

Here's hoping for a happier today!

xoxo

sue

New Years Eve

2012-01-01T07:19:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve at home in Statesboro:

Playing hangman and tic-tac-toe on big roll out sheets of paper...we came, we saw, we drew lots of funny pictures! We played Charades too!

emma with her "fancy" drink..Shirley Temple with an umbrella!

Enjoying a cupcake...well, more like the icing!

Mr. Party Animal

New Years princess to....

...girls gone wild!

tooting their horns!

Sammy really got into it!

Happy New Year to all!!

sue

Christmas Day

2011-12-27T05:10:00.000-08:00

this is emma reading the note Santa left for the kids :)

and the frenzy begins!

Jacob's favorite gift: Mario Super Galaxy 2!

We let Madi sleep in...but here she is with Lalaloopsy!

Sam already stealing toys!

What do I do with this?

Ok, who see's the similarities in that Baby Alive Doll and Sam?

Hello big blonde afro! Lol!

the dressup box was a big hit with Emma...

Jacob in his new Sonic jammies...sorry for the sideways pic!

Hope you had a wonderul, lazy Christmas Day too!

Missing my family lots on this day!

Sue

christmas eve photos

2011-12-25T19:10:00.000-08:00

Christmas eve was spent at home this year...no fanfare...just us, a simple meal, playing on the deck, putting out reindeer food to lure the reindeers here at bedtime (hee hee). Lots of silliness and excitement!

We FINALLY got the presents under the tree around 1:30 am!

happy holidays to you!

sue

Off to visit Santa....

2011-12-12T21:24:00.000-08:00

This was no easy feat. Four kids. Dressed to visit Santa on Sunday morning. Here goes!

Aren't they just darling?

Sam looks like a waiter!

Jacob is still getting dressed...that's why he's missing.

Ok, so NOW Sam has some Latino stance going on there?

Jacob is looking for serious Brownie points with Santa.

What a shit eating grin!

She's so pretty.

Dear Lord.

You know, secretly he wants to put her in a choke hold...ha ha!

Look at that hair.

bunch of clowns...

Ok, so Emma is posing, Jacob is doing some crazy smile thing, Sam is playing the drums and Madi

is like "can we go now???"

"Umm, where exactly is Santa???"

Jacob is inspecting the blowups.

Sam took a spin on the mo-mo

Uh-oh here he comes!!

Santa Claus!!!

Ok, so Sam did so NOT want to sit on Santa's lap, Madi tried to escape which led to me

and Danny also being in the pic. Sigh.

Lunch at IHOP.

Madi spent the whole time throwing things OFF the table...crayons, forks, napkins, menu's.

And to think I asked to sit by her!

C YA!

Sue

Kid pics

2011-11-25T06:40:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a wonderful day with your family!

Sue

thanksgiving celebrations

2011-11-18T05:09:00.000-08:00

Kids....pilgrims...Indians....handmade projects....love it!

sue

Sammy

2011-11-17T09:41:00.000-08:00

Sam. He's been under the weather and under a big old mop of hair. Hair is fixed...

blurry, but you can now see his eyes!

Poor baby has been battling a bag stomach, then a reaction to his antibiotics, now he's gotta b dairy free.

Ugh. If you know Sam, you know how much he loves his "miwkie". And you will also know he's a milk snob. Don't try to fake it with soy or almond. Chocolate, strawberry, he ain't buying it. So for now, it's juice. Maybe we can add the milk back in. I hope.

sue

Little bob

2011-11-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

Miss Madi. She's 2 now. A very little 2. And she got her very first haircut this week. Gone is the mullet. Thankfully.

She looks so sweet.

Little, fine hair, a bouncy little bob is the shape to help it all grow in.

Makes me want to kiss the back of her little neck.

QT pie.

sue

The best picture ever!!!

2011-11-01T15:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, he's like this everyday. All day long.
Sam.

Happy Halloween!!

2011-10-31T12:43:00.000-07:00

We had a weekend full of Halloween fun this year...first stop Mill Creek Park for the Candy Trail and bouncy house fun!

This year we had a Cinderella, a fairy, a Star Wars Stormtrooper and a bat!

getting this crew to pose for a picture is like pulling teeth!

Aunt Karen and the kids at Mill Creek Park!

Our pumpkins on the deck...

This is the most creative Halloween costume I've seen in a long time!

Captain America even made an appearance!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!

Karen wanted an eggless, milkless chocolate cake and here it is...

Little Ms. Madi trick or treating in her stroller! Poor Sam passed out from sheer exhaustion!

Once again, Jacob has talked me into yet ANOTHER blowup!

You, too, I am sure have an 8 FOOT SNOWMAN

in your living room right!!!????

Hope you have a happy and safe Halloween!

Join me at My Creative Chicken for tomorrow's

and share in our daily inspiration for Thanksgiving crafty fun!

Sue

Transition Day

2011-10-23T07:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the big day!! The four "little" girls joined the two "BIG" girls in the coop.

Now, Lulu and Chloe were out and about in the yard eating bugs and hanging out on

the deck. I carried the little one's down and put them in the pen. They pecked around and we showed them the coop part, where they all promptly jumped out the door and fell to the ground (chickens aren't so smart sometimes!!) Lulu and Chloe came over and there was a WHOLE LOT OF SQUAWKING from Lulu

about someone else being in her HOUSE!

The girls got adjusted, pecked, scratched and then it was time to introduce

Chloe and Lulu....

(digging up the woodpile)

Lulu chased a few of the little one's around the pen, pecked at them, but all in all

they seemed to get acclimated to each other. When we got home from the fair last night, I went out to check on them. I found the four babies huddled outside the coop. I picked them all up and placed them

inside the coop (much to Lulu's dismay). They settled into their little nesting box. I returned one more time due to the sounds of Lulu's squawking (just to make sure she wasn't being a big old bully).

All was fine and this morning, everyone was still in the coop eating their mash.

Chloe and Lulu I let out early to go eat their bugs.

Lulu's acting a litle strange...I think she needs to lay an egg!!!

Happy chickens!

Sue

Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair

2011-10-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

welcome to the fair!!

This is Chase's Racing and Swimming Pigs...now I didn't get a shot of the pigs, but they race around this little track and for the last two races they DIVE into this pool and swim! It's hilarious because they all do bellyflops!

PIRATES OF THE COLOMBIAN

CARRIBEAN HIGHWIRE ACT

These guys did an awesome job! On the show I saw on Monday, the guy in the red pants rode the OUTSIDE of the spinning skull thing. It was unbelievable.

the lights at night....

daddy and sam hamming it up at the fair....

Poor Miss Madi rode the whole time...she loved watching all the lights

and ruckus going on around her. She had some funnel cake and french fries too!

Please note you only see Sam's afro in the middle!!!

He is JUST 3 ft tall so he was limited in what he could ride!

He went through this playland/slide thing and climbed a whole

net wall! He kills me!

Ferris wheel at night...

All I can say is Sam fits right in down South!!

trucking....

No, the kid with the afro is not mine...the OTHER kid with the afro next to him

is mine (but you can't see him cause he's so short!!!!)

$5 a shot fishing pond...oh the fair!!

Stinky, stinky camels...they look so funny when they chew!!

There was a kangaroo, a spider monkey, a pony and a yak in

there too!!

homemade goodness

peanuts

cotton

(there ya go Monica!!!)

*****

We had an awesome time at the fair and the kids LOVED it!

see ya next year!!!!

hope you had fun this weekend!!

sue

The Fair

2011-10-21T06:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon the kids and I ventured out to the 50th Annual Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair here in Statesboro. Now, I took my camera but left my damn camera card in my computer. Needless to say, my phone was also left on the counter, so not ONE single pic. Hmmmpf!

We had a great time though...kids did the rides, played Go Fish for $5 each...gotta love the rip off's!! We visiting the poultry tent...saw the biggest Austrolorps ever!! Talked to the guy there about my egg membrane and he said I should have saved that! BTW, I used my very first egg in my sugar cookies I made yesterday!!
We also watched a show...(r u ready for this)....Chases Amazing Racing and Swimming Pigs!! I could have died! It was hilarious. Then we watched the Amazing Pirates of the Colombian Caribbean High Wire show...which was actually pretty darn cool! Madi watched it with great intent!

Four bags of cotton candy, one candy apple and three hours later we headed home~

Hoping to visit again on Saturday with the hubby...and this time i'll make sure I have my camera!!!!

blessings!

sue

Which came first?

2011-10-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

Look what I found in the coop....

Hooray! Our first egg!

Today we are heading off to the Ogeechee Kiwanis Fair here in Statesboro.

Ummmmmm, cotton candy, funnel cake and poultry exhibits!!

I'll post photos when we get back..kids are super excited!

sue

No School this Week

2011-10-19T04:42:00.000-07:00

The newest girls are getting bigger everyday. They have most all thier feathers, are roosting on top of their feed bin and just flicking chips all over their cage! I swear I give them fresh food and water like 5 times a day! They should be ready to go out with the big girls next week.

Mr. I Have Rotovirus...poor baby. It's been a long week for Sam.

Not sleeping, not eating, but still playing!

Since Emmy missed school last week from being sick, she had some school projects to work on.

She had to color and connect a Christopher Columbus picture. She knows who he is..."he discovered our country". Love her!

This one's out of order but it's Avacado and grilled corn salad with cilantro. Omg is it good!!

Emma and Christopher Columbus. He's quite colorful!!

This week is also fair week here....hoping for less sickness and some better weather before we head over. You know I'll be heading to the chickens to check them out!!

Hope you are having a great week!

Sue

today's to do list:

Stop at tax office.

60 ghost pops

40 favor bags

bake Halloween sugar cookies

whew! it's gonna be a long day!

You're a turkey!

2011-10-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

Adding to Jacob's (getting bigger every holiday) collection of air blown inflatables.

Why yes, I do have a six foot turkey in my family room, don't you?

LOL

We found these by the pond. Kind of resemble an acorn top, but they are well, curly?

Not sure what tree they came from, but they are so cool looking!

They'd make a great hat for a small person playtoy eh?

happy day to you!

sue

this week...

2011-10-14T05:23:00.000-07:00

This week at our house brought one sick little girl (Ms. Emma), two early dismissal days and a whole bunch of rain. Good news is the pond is full, the little girl is getting better and the sun is out today!
Had a great conference for Emma for school. She scored over the range on her math testing (already surpassed the end of the year goal! Go Emma!). So looking forward to Halloween in two weeks, and the fair is next week! No school for the kids next week, so that may be a litttle (ummm) challenging? Still working on my on line classes...can you say yuck to Grammar and Punctuation???

Will hopefully have some pics to post in a bit....

sue :)

New craft blog

2011-10-13T10:25:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I am starting a new blog dedicated specifically to my crafty ideas/projects and the like. I'll be updating this blog with more personal family information.....feel free to follow me here and also at my new blog....The Creative Chicken. Thanks friends!

Sue

crafting the day away...

2011-10-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today was a busy, busy day for me. I spent the morning doing my online classes, then decided it was time to get to crafting. My sewing machine has been whispering my name, begging to be used. So today I obliged her and whipped up this pretty bag....

I love the outside fabric! The inside is lined in mustard yellow muslin. I even made a pocket and used up some scraps to embellish it.

To male the handles I sewed on four tabs and added a split ring. I braided three pieces of muslin together for strength and tied them to the rings...voila! Instant handles! This bag will only get prettier with each washing as the edge of the pockets will fray a little more. I will have it for sale on the Market place site...

{CREATE}

Now, my fabric came rolled around these two cardboard pieces.....

I've got plans for them as well (wink, wink)

This is a bag I made a few days ago. It's kind of an everyday bag...you can store stuff in it, use it to go to the library, for a grocery bag, or just to put around the house things in to keep them pretty. It also features the braided handles...this is also on the Marketplace. :)

{SCRAP FABRIC}

What you ask can you do with 7 ft of cotton twine and a whole bunch of leftover fabrics?

You can make this.....

A rag garland...how pretty!

Picture this swagged over a doorway or across a mantle...

or even wrapped around your {dare I say it?}

Christmas tree?

Very prim I think!

{Garland #2}

Oh, this is so french country....coffee stained muslin, dropcloth

(my new favorite thing to use for home dec stuff), and red toile fabric.

All tied in a big fluffy mess onto cotton twine. This would be beautiful to decorate your home from the

holidays, or even Valentine's Day (you could hang little hearts from it too!)

This too, will only get better with age as it frays some more!

Well, that's it! All my crafty goodness done in one day!

If you like any of these items they are available on

the Marketplace....

happy day to you all!

sue

vintage stuff and mailbox goodies!

2011-10-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

I found this sweet sewing box on Craigslist....this is Ms. Madi modeling it for you!

It all folds out and has little compartments all over. I can't wait to stuff it full of my sewing goodies!

What a cool find. Not sure how "vintage" it is, or if it just has the look, either way...i like it!!

THE GAWKY STAGE

The girls are molting and losing all their downy little fluff to make way for their pretty

feathers (and true color). So they are a little bit gawky, teenagerish looking this week, but still funny!

They are still pretty skittish, but will peck your hand if you hold it still in the pen and Laverne even hopped right into my hand last night. They squawk like crazy if you pick them up and take them out though...must be nice and snuggly under their light!

THE QUEEN

....need I say more? We'll just say Emmy got a Cinderella costume for Halloween and meathead decided to try on the tiara...Oh Lord.

little ms. serious face. She has a perpetual whale spout hair do these days...cute!

WHICH WITCH IS WHICH?

I recieved my with feet in the mail yesterday! They came from swampwaterprimitives on Etsy.

If you love prim halloween stuff like me, you should go check her out!!

Aren't they so cute!!! I love them!

Oragami Boats

Just a little diddy I did with the kids yesterday....our pond is getting fuller and I thought it would be fun to make boats to float in it...these are our little samples...funny and they don't just sink! I think you can put wax on the bottoms to make them a little sturdier...ummm might try that today!

happy day to all!

sue

Giveaway!!!

2011-10-11T05:15:00.000-07:00

Jane, over at Cottage at the Crossroads is sponsoring a giveaway for her 100th post....head on over there now to enter.....cute South Carolina goodies! Her button is on my sidebar!! Enjoy!

http://cottageatthecrossroads.com/

happy day to you all!

sue

some days....

2011-10-10T05:59:00.000-07:00

...it feels like you will never remember to do it all.
...it feels like you will never get it right.
...it feels like everybody is mean.
...it feels like you will always be out of the loop.
...it feels like you will always be the new guy.
...it feels like you should just quit.

but i won't quit. I'll change and adapt. Because changing course doens't mean you are giving up. It means you are shifting with the tide and altering your goals. Making some sense out of this life and becoming happy again.

that's what it's all about.

s

this week at our house...

2011-10-07T05:55:00.000-07:00

....fall pumpkins made an appearance....

.....pond flowers graced the deck....

.....little boys played in the sand....

....littler boys tried your patience ;)...

....sweet girls gave u sweet smiles....

....children played together....

....daddy built a mini picnic table....

(another one of our 101 uses for leftover wood!!)

....littlest girls asked for "smilies" while waiting for the snowstorm in our boots....

(chuckle)

********************************

Every week here is filled with activity and silliness and Friday always rolls around too soon. For somek, Friday signals the end of the work week, but for me, it's the beginning. The beginning of two days of not being with my children, of not sharing in their day, of not seeing them discover and learn. And that to me is not right. They grow up before our very eyes and I want to be there to watch every stinking minute of it! So everyday I plan and plot to get closer to my goal...of living the life that I want. I've come this far doing what I was supposed to do...working because I had to, not because I loved it. Well, I did love it then (lol), but my old work has changed and it's not something I truly love anymore. There are so many people I see following their dreams and doing what they love, making a living out of their creativity and their passions. I envy them and I want that to be my life. Risky? Probably. Fulfilling? Yep. I'm right there with it then. Hook, line and sinker!

blessings

sue

pink stone monster

2011-10-07T05:28:00.000-07:00

If you can recall, I bought a dresser at Goodwill a few weeks ago...can't find the pic because I deleted them all! lol...I'm so tech saavy! Well, it was a big old Bassett dresser....very curvy and french-y but someone has painted the top with pink "fake stone" (what in the world???). Yesterday it went from ugly duckling to....

beautiful swan!

this is the top post stripping and some sanding...love the Pepto Bismol pink paint!

YUK!!

It took me all day long, but I got it done.

I love it, it's so beautiful!

I stained the top cherry. The drawers are painted in flat white by Valspar. I added the brown distressing with no other than....STAZ ON ink in timber brown! Gotta love using your scrapbooking supplies in a furniture re-do!!

Now, if I could only make it fit where I want to in our bedroom....that re-do is in process...new paint color and going to redo our bedframe...but that's another post!

happy day!

sue

ten good things

2011-10-05T05:35:00.000-07:00

From Soulemama...the inspiration to write ten good things. If you don't read her blog, you should!

my ten good things

1. dappled sunlight through the trees
2. sleepy children walking slowly into the room toting blankets
3. waiting for the bus in the pre dawn hours
4. morning feeding time for the animals
5. toy story
6. the smell of hay
7. the color orange
8. making great strides in our outdoor cleanup
9. the sound of nature outside my door
10. the heron flying from the pond

sue

one week

2011-10-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

The chicks were one week old yesterday! They are already losing their downy coat and it's being replaced by feathers. They are even getting little tail feathers...how cute!

They are pretty skittish when you do anything near them....you can see by the blur in this photo!!

Front and center...I thik this is Laverne (her sister Shirley is right behind her!!)

She's got some pretty brown feathers coming in. I believe she's the New Hampshire Red.

The other gals (Lulu and Chloe) have been out and about in the yard in the early evening. They love

to root around and look for bugs. And when it gets dark, they come up to the deck and look in the house windows! They kill me! Then the kids and I walk them back down to their pen. They follow us and if they feel they are too far behind they start running really fast and sometimes fly...hilarious to watch. Who would have thought these silly birds would find their way into my heart?

Yesterday I drove the lawn tractor for the first time! Even moved about a 1/3 of the lawn. The dragonflies are just huge here...and everywhere!! As I drove around the yard, they were flitting about everywhere. This morning the heron was visiting the pond again, scooping up the remaining fish that perished in the attempt to clean up the pond...won't do that again. We did however, see Big Ralph, the big old guy that Nick caught once. We threw some bread in, but he wouldn't even bite. Probably learned his lesson after being caught once! He seems to be the reigning kind of the pond...him and Mr. Turtle.

Funny, how we came here with two cats and now we have 1 dog, 3 cats, 6 chickens, a turtle and a whole bunch of frogs! Our pond seems to be a feeding ground for the neighborhood stray cats....frog legs! Yuck!

happy day to you all!

Enjoy the cooler weather!

sue

vultures and sandoxes

2011-10-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

This morning while sitting on the deck, I spied two large vultures at the edge of our pond. I went down to

investigate and apparently stirred them up (or ticked them off) a bit. I heard a huge rushing noise then the sound of wings ferociously pumping in the air...and there was the heron (middle of the pic) being followed by two of the big old vultures! They are just massive...not sure what everyone was doing around the pond...maybe fishing, maybe frogging?

Look at the wingspan on this bird...they circle and circle and circle my yard all day long.

Kind of creepy :0

Welcome........

little ghouls welcoming you up onto the deck...to be met by four other little ghouls!

We spent the weekend burning leaves and rotted trees pulled from the pond.

It was like camping...only I wasn't stuck in a tent!

Smelled great! We got tons of stuff done, the compost pile is moved, the rotting old pile of plywood is gone

and today hopefully the rest of the wood from the deck will get moved behind the shed.

Busy.

Molly having a stretch. Let me tell you this dog takes alot.

These kids pest her, poke her, and tease her all day long.

And she just keeps right on playing...

On my list of " 101 uses for leftover wood from the deck" was a sandbox.

A few cuts with the saw, hubby nailed it all together, 10 bags of playsand and

it's another opportunity for fun for everyone! Kids love it!

Hope you had a busy fun filled weekend too!

sue

New arrivals and the fall festival

2011-10-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

The mailman brought this suspiciously chirping package to the door on Tuesday....

and inside were our newest chickie additions! From left to right is Laverne and Shirley, they are a New Hampshire Red and a Buff Orpington: the bigger black one is Coraline, a Jersey Giant: the more shite one is Barbie (named after our poor deceased Barbie) her breed escapes me right now. The smaller black one was (she passed on Thursday evening, poor little thing) a Barred Rock Plymouth Bantam. The rest of the flock is doing well. They are a little more skittish than I remember the other girls being, but they are eating and drinking and growing! They are a noisy little bunch too!

Brooklet Elementary Fall Festival

Goodies I made for the cake walk:

Caramel Turtle Brownies

and

Summer Harvest Cake

Rainy Day Basket

this basket was filled with all kinds of kids craft to do inside on a rainy day....

I dontated it to be auctioned.

Jacob and Emma at the entrance...lots of fun inside!

Emma didn't hit the target with the ball, so at the end she just went up and hit it...sending Stephanie into the cold water!!!

Boingy antennae...lots of games to play: lawn dice, fishing game, putt-putt, milk bottles!

Airborne!!

Ms. Madi thoroughly enjoyed this blue raspberry snow cone!

Coming off the playground after some good hard play!

Cake walk: emma won some yummy Rugala!

Dancing to the computer!

me and the gang...waiting for the raffle to be drawn!

We had such a great time at the festival....what a great school my kids go to!!

happy day!

Sue

Over the rainbow x2

2011-09-27T04:31:00.000-07:00

This was a first for me...after a big old thunderstorm yesterday this showed up on the eastern sky.....

a double rainbow!

the lower one was much brighter than the top, but it was still pretty cool~

wonder if there are two pots of gold???

Ms. Molly with her bone. She sits on the table outside during the storms...lol!

These foam pumpkins are getting an overhaul. They were black, but I'm painting them a neutral color and adding some polka dots after seeing Jane's pumpkin over at Cottage at the Crossroads. So cute~

I had a pretty bowl that reminded me so much of her pumpkin but it was broken last year. I forgot where I got it but I'd love to replace it! Thanks for the inspiration Jane!

I should be done with their transformation later today and then I'll unveil them!

happy day!

sue

ghoulish goodies!

2011-09-22T13:16:00.000-07:00

Stampington and Company. Ok, so who didn't tell me about this site???? Seriously. Love all their stuff. I got these in the mail today...can you say VINTAGE HALLOWEEN!!!! OMG I can't wait to create something with these!

On the right are cute wax paper bags...great for halloween treats!

Ghost pops!

sweet little pops for the fall festival!

spider tags...got the spiders at hobby lobby!!

and to toot my own horn...i sold this banner on etsy today! yipee!

I also sold two other items on smarketplace. This is a new site...gives you a bit more audience than etsy since they are newer....check it out here!

blessings!

sue

crafting it forward

2011-09-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

I'm submitting these to Scrapbook etc craft it forward program for October. Each month they list a project, then you make one, and pass the crafty love on!

I made my treat bucket using an oragami cup pattern using black/white papers and a little hint of orange!

I made these for my kid's Fall Festival celebration...I donated 10 of them to their silent auction.

Link up to this great program here. You $500, and even if you don't, it feels good to share!

blessings!

sue

handmade for the fall festival

2011-09-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

Jacob and Emma's school is hosting a Fall Festival next week. I volunteered to make some items for the country store and the silent auction...here's what I've been up to.....

paper cone treat holders...will look boo-tiful with some wrapped candy treats inside and hung on a doorknob....

recycled tin can candy holders

halloween goodies!

this is the beginning of the door cones....paper mache cones hand constructed over rolled tin foil...

painted orange with black dots and sealed with spray sealant...

ta da!

I fashioned the large flowers on the front out of folded paper and ribbon. orange and black buttons decorate the centers. Glittered batrs on a kite string...sweet!

I'm still tossing about the idea of hostessing a halloween monster bash for Emma's kindergarten class...ummmm??

what halloween fun have you been cooking up?

halloween is coming!

2011-09-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

If left to my own devices, I'd decorate for Halloween all year long. There's something mystical and whimsical about the holiday. Cooler weather, children laughing, grinning jack o lanterns that just well, makes me happy! My middle son, jacob is also a halloween lover. He nearly exploded with excitement yesterday when he saw I had unearthed the totes containing our halloween goodies! I only put a few things out (saved the gory bloody fake lake for later in the season!)

now since this is our first halloween at our new house, some items worked, some didn't. it will take some tweaking to find homes for everything. and i still have more to put out!

{boo}

of course, we also had to raid the costume bin!

how funny that this actually looks somewhat like sam's real hair.

little skeleton girl

jessie the cowgirl

optimus prime paid us a visit too!

have you been bitten by the halloween bug too??

sue

Gratitude

2011-09-17T06:45:00.000-07:00

Very quickly, the seasons shifted yesterday. Two days ago here in Brooklet, it was 95 degrees, yesterday it was 70, this morning it's brisk and well, chilly. Chilly like I remember early September in the northeast. And it makes me think and feel fall. Like i should get my halloween totes out from under the crawl space and decorate the house in hues of orange and mustard and brilliant reds. Thanks to Jacob's love of halloween, Dracula and the witch are already on the back porch and there are plastic pumpkins out there too...ready to adorn the new fenceposts!

So with the fall season now feeling more fall with the cool weather...i also think about GRATITUDE. This past two weeks has left my head jumbled, unable to focus, concentrate and get my head around my goals. I ready Rhythm of the Home last night and it centered me a bit and gave me some ideas to get myself back on track. So my post today and once a month or so will be my list. My list of things, everyday things, that I am grateful for. It's a season of warmth and bareness. You can see through the forest in the winter because the leaves are all gone. See everything for it's beauty. Like people, remove the things that hide the true self (the leaves) and you'll see people for what they truly are or want to be. Tall, strong, unbending. Like the trees in the winter forest.

without furthe adeiu....

my gratitude list

1. cool weather
2. cinnamon flavored coffee
3. the ability to re focus
4. understanding
5. a job that fits me better
6. creativity
7. a new friend
8. belonging

i imagine my list will change month to month, but its' a way to follow and focus on my goals. my dreams, where i want to be. what are you grateful for?

blessings

sue

new

2011-09-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

To say we have a few new things at our house is an understatement! It's been a crazy !

New glass mosaic tile backsplash...loving it and it really defines the kitchen.

goodwill finds

really, really heavy mirror. Going to sand it down, paint it another color and distress it. fun!

cute! love this little covered platter. how sweet it would look with a little cupcake under it!

fold down coffee table. another really heavy piece. refurb in order...can't wait' to see the outcome!

pink monster. ok, so i know this dresser is ugly (well, the color) but it's a basset dresser and I love the shape! Someone took that "stone look" paint (in pink no less) and painted the top. Oh Lord, what were they thinking? So it needs some tlc, but it will be beautiful when it's done. Love the drawer pulls and it's hard to see from the front pic but it's all curved across the front. What color do you think it should be?

Coat rack

so i had a similar coat rack at the old house and loved it. One fencepost and five hooks from hobby lobby made this one up pretty quick. that's hubby hanging it for me!

The massive deck!

early stages.

all the joists..11 in each section.

and during this whole process we put this together because.....

WE HAVE A NEW SIX YEAR OLD!

Miss Emma celebrated her 6th birthday last week.

Daddy and Pop pop also celebrated their birthdays!

Playing on the deck...

The taller posts will have planters hanging from them.

It totally transforms the whole back of the house!

and this is just a cute pic!

Sam and Molly horsing around in the grass!

more pics to come as I get them on line!

happy day!

sue

has it really been that long?

2011-09-15T05:09:00.000-07:00

Really? Really that long since I posted? Goodness, how life has taken a turn and a shift away from the path I was on. Okay really, just a detour and now back to the main path. Those little paths through the woods sometimes bring about a new light, direction, a new insight into our goals and plans for life. Where have I been you ask? Well, putting all those plans into motion. Our new deck is on, the playset is up. Lots of new BIG items here in our home. And the unbelievable sense of how quickly money slips away. All ok though, because we used it wisely for the things we needed and or wanted. Just another checkmark in the box of making this NEW home OUR home. Still much to do, but it will get done. I am learning that not all things need to be done at once, and that patience is a good thing. A good thing that I need to cultivate.

And growth in my understanding of my relationship with my oldest boy. Understanding that I love him, but not his behaviors. Understanding that in order for him to grow (as hard as it is for me) I need to let him go. Although under not very nice and Brady Bunch family circumstances, he isn't here right now. I don't know when he will be back or if he will be back, or how our relationship will be mended. I only know that I cannot save him anymore. I cannot be responsible for his actions, he must take responsibility. My role should be that of support, and I'm not good at it. I have to dip my hands in and warn and threaten consequences, but it does no good. Only upsets us and creates disharmony here. As hard as it is to let go, if he grows to understand responsibility and pride, then my pain is well worth it. My humility and pride of having told my child to leave if he "didn't like the rules here" And he did, out into the night, no word for a week. And then only a brief message that he would be by to get his other things. I have to let him go though because if I don't he will never grow out from under what I want him to be...he must learn what he wants to be. Hardships of motherhood. It's not all fun and games. And it hurts ALOT. And you never know if you made the right decision, the right choice. You can only HOPE that in the future they will understand, forgive, see the reasons. And you PRAY that they will be safe and happy.

blessings....
sue

chicken purse

2011-09-01T11:38:00.000-07:00

OMG!! It's here!! I ordered this from Mypetchicken.com. Do u love it????

it's kind of like a bowling ball bag. it's so cute!

cluck! cluck!

sue

today's crafty goodness!

2011-09-01T11:28:00.000-07:00

I spent the morning hemming this store bought curtains (they originally had large grommets to hang them and it wasn't quite the look I wanted). i added some ruffles to the top for a vintage/country look.

I think they turned out cute. I guess i should have used matching thread though huh? lol. funny story with this project though. madi got up this morning while I had these laying out on the floor to pin them hemlines. Well, lets just say she didn't have a diaper on and she christened my curtains! so before anything, they got a quick wash. silly girl!

I'm going to add this on over at Transformation Thursday! Happy day!

sue

what's happening around our house....

2011-08-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Madi is perfecting her internet skills...

trying to fill daddy's shoe's.....

We had a play date with Ana and Ellie...dress-up!!!

the girls had a dolly boutique complete with a cash register and pretend money!

they all had a really great time and I got to meet two new mom's from school...yeh!

I finished the front gardens....$1 plants from Wise Nurseries!

this isn't a pretty plant, but it's citronella...to keep the bugs away! I hope it works!

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WELCOME TO THE HENHOUSE!

IT'S FINALLY DONE! {well, almost}

these two birds had to check out the nesting box area...

and is damn stray cat tried it out before the chickens!

the girls in their new home. i'm sad to see them in there, but they are safe.

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BUNK BEDS ARE HERE!

Jacob and Sam's bunk beds arrived yesterday...purchased from Badcock Furniture...and they put them together!!!

what's going on at your house?

happy day!

sue

The Resurrection of Lulu

2011-08-28T20:14:00.000-07:00

So, today I go down to the shed to give poor lonely Chloe some fresh water and feed and I hear her little low cluck and look up. Well, guess who is sitting next to her? LULU!! She wasn't killed like we thought...she just snuck herself back into our shed and was hiding! I was so happy to see her I picked her up and paraded her around the yard! Thank God she's ok. Just a few more tweaks to their new pen and it will be ready to go..I'll post pics tomorrow!!

sue

Husquavarna

2011-08-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

Late this morning I heard the Lowe's delivery truck pulling into our drive....

....he unloaded the forklift from the back of the truck to lift off....

...our brand spanking new lawn mower!!

I must be getting countrified...I'm excited about a lawn mower! Ha! I actually just like the color and the fact that it wont break down after EVERY single mow!! Hubby likes the cupholder...lol!

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Sadly enough, we lost another chicken yesterday...sometime yesterday afternoon Lulu disappeared without a trace. No feathers (well a few stray ones, but nothing like a few days ago). I searched the tree line with Molly but we didn't find her. Now poor Chloe is left all alone. I put her up in the shed right away and she'll stay there until her pen is finished TODAY. I ordered five more chickens today online and they will be here in three weeks. This means starting over with one day old chicks, but it was so much fun to raise them. This time, we are ready with a house for them to keep them safe from whatever is lurking in that woods out there...

***************

Today has a long to do list attached to it....huband is at Lowe's again becauwe he got the wrong roofing. I have to finish my grocery shopping as soon as queen Madi wakes up. Three haircuts are despertely needed and have to get to the furniture store by 5 to pick up bunk beds. Whew! Tomorrows list is just as full. Most important is the hen house...gotta keep them safe!

happy weekend to you...hope everyone weathered Irene ok...we only got a nice breeze from her...

sue

lightening

2011-08-24T06:42:00.000-07:00

A big old storm blew in on Monday night and zapped our router. Bulloch tele came yesterday and were still unable to get us connected so hubby had to restore the computer to factory so I am now spending my morning getting everything on the desktop back to the way it was. ugh.

on a super duper bright note though...today is the day!! our proceed check should be coming today and then all the stuff we want to do can happen! Bill payment is first on the list and then friday I will be meeting with Stan to order all the deck supplies. A pool company called me back yesterday so that is also in the process. Kids playard is also picked out....and lest we not forget..bunk beds for the boys! What an exciting day! Despite feeling like we have handfuls of cash.(which we really don't lol) its best to be frugal and really think about our purchases..wants and needs ya know?

happy day to you as well!

sue

sad

2011-08-22T11:13:00.000-07:00

Two of my poor little chickens have perished at the hands of some wild animal. I was talking with my mom this morning and only Cloe came around the corner, which I didn't think was strange because she tends to get lost from the group. After returning from the library and store I found again only Cloe and (I think its) Lulu huddled in the corner out front. Upon walking around the side of the house there was a pile of scattered feathers but no chicken to be found. Damn. Hawk maybe? Nothing along the tree line. They were all present and accounted for at 6 am this morning. Molly went venturing out along the other side of the yard and I saw a few feathers scattered about and there in the tree line lay Barbie. She's the only one I could find. So we'll bury her in the yard. I cleaned up as best I could and searched around because I don't want the kids to find Matilda. Poor things. There coop is almost done. I'll have to pen them in the shed tonight. i'm so sad, but it's my own fault for not having them penned in.

RIP Matilda and Barbie

sue

Bags

2011-08-22T04:34:00.000-07:00

Yesay I was bit by the sewing but...well, I've been dong little projects but I was reading an article on a fav blog of mine (Rhythm of the Home) and it talked about using up our supplies and not letting clutter get in the way of your crafting. The stuff is there for you to craft with right...not collect! I must say I am guilty of that...I can't possibly use that..I might need it for a bigger better project!

I'm inlove with ruffles right now so I added some to these cute bags I made. The bags are lined with coordinating fabric and the handles are braided muslin.

Now, I haven't perfected my sewing skills, but every project helps! I'm a learn as you go kind of chick...but I love how these turned out. I even added a pocket to the front onf the red and black one. I have had that polka dotted fabric for so long and it was a heavy canvas so it's perfect for a bag. The red and green one reminds me of apples!

What have you sewn today??

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Molly is finding her way into eveyone's hearts in the family. She's really an extraordinarily sweet dog for what she's probably had to go through in her life. I'm trying to have everyone take part in caring for her since she is the family dog...not just my responsibility.

Molly is very tolerant of Madison who really likes to be "all up in her snout".

Jacob knows he has to clean up after his doggie!

Now if you recall last week I had to take a kitten to the shelter...remember? Well if you look closely on the right side of this picture...you will see said kitty's sister. Which Molly chased up the tree. Honestly, these kittens just stroll right on in! This one just walks right up to Molly like there's nothing to be afraid of. Molly broke her collar yesterday in her haste to get the cat!

This would be Madison (left) trying to befriend said kitty (right) that I don't want on my porch!

Hmmmm....who else used to bring every stray home?

And here's the partially done chicken coop.....

I guess the girls were just trying it out! Either that or they are telling their pop to get a move on and get it done!

happy day!

sue

Introducing Molly

2011-08-19T05:37:00.000-07:00

I traveled about oh, ummm 1 and 1/2 hours yesterday (mostly because I got lost) to pick up a dog. She is a rescue dog, now the owners take in rescue dogs and she was in a house with over 14 dogs!! Her owner said he was only giving her away since the bigger dogs were too rough with her and he was afraid she would get hurt. They said they were told she was about two. Well I met the lady in Reidsville and there on her seat was this sweet looking, looking like she'd had a kind of hard life dog. A little discussion about her vaccines and likes/dislikes and I was heading out of Reidsville with four tired out kids and one chubby doggie sitting on my lap.

Now, not until I got Molly home and my husband remarked that she looked a little older than 2 (ummmm....) did I really, really take a good look at her. She appears to have maybe had a litter of pups at some point and we are guessing she is about 5- years old. She was dirty, she smelled pretty "doggy" and she had a healing wounds on her ear and side from the bigger dogs. Her left ear permanently droops down giving her a funny little questioning you appearance. BUT, she is the sweetest, most well tempered dog!

So, we fed her as soon as we got in and hubby surveyed her and made fun of me for my choice. (He'll warm up to her) Next stop was out back to get a bath...well, I actually gave her two because boy did she stink!!
She still needs some doggie toothpaste, but we'll work on that today!

She is a terrier mix, we think with bulldog? Not quite sure. All the kids except Emma have warmed up to her. One accident on the carpet last night, but she's been doing her business outside. Doesn't bother the chickens and wants to eat the cats. For the time being the cats are residing in the laundry room and we will have to have a very, very slow introduction.

She's already figured out that Madi's seat is the one to sit under because she drops the most food. Last night we had to gently remind her that the couch and the beds are OFF LIMITS to her. She has her own special blanket to sleep on (donated by Jacob) and she slept in our room next to my side of the bed last night. Thankfully no accidents this morning when we got up and she went right outside.

I'm still a little hesitant about her around the kids, not because she's done anything wrong, just me, being the mother hen! I think we'll have to lock her in our br when I leave today to run some errands so if she has an accident it will be on the tile floor, not carpet. It's been a long time since I've had a dog and ours were mainly outside. I guess my biggest thing is I DO NOT want my house and clothes to smell "doggy" so she'll probably need a fore more freshenings! We are planning a visit to the vet next week to get her all up to date and checked out. Even if she is older and a little weathered, I think she ws a good choice for us. She's calm, doesn't jump all over and she deserves a good home. Even if she is an aged lady, she'll spend the rest of her poochy life surrounded by lots of love and attention.

happy day!

sue

2011-08-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

The Two Hour Dog

2011-08-17T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning while browsing Craiglist I came upon this sweet little doggie who needed a home. Now, hubby has been wanting a dog and I'm ok with it as long as it wasn't a BIG dog. Well, Cujo is a Dachsund/Chihuahua mix, 9 months old. His owner just didn't have time to spend with him. So, over we drove to meet him right after school. Very sweet, well tempered. Said ok, and brought him home. It's now 4 pm.

Kids were getting used to him, he was scoping the house out and all seemed well. As I'm getting ready to head off to a PTO meeting at 6 pm my phone rings and guess who is on the other end? You guessed it, Cujo's previous owner who is a younger girl and she is in tears. She wants her dog back. So, I have to explain to my kids who now want to know why the dog isn't "living with us forever" why we have to return the dog. So we load up, meet the girl at the elementary school and give Cujo back.

Moral of this story: If you can't give your animal up, don't list him on Craigslist.

So, now I'm searching for another dog. I guess I'm ok with it though (despite being out the $45 I spent getting supplies for this dog...grrr) because the girl obviously loved her dog very much. Sometimes life isn't fair though and I guess it's better that it happened right away, instead of a week later. So, he'll be known forever as the two hour dog!

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angry diapers

Madi was apparently mad at her diaper bin before she went for nap. She pulled it through the rails and then threw all the diapers on the floor. I swear...if it were not for her cuteness!!!!!

Need I say more?

happy day to all!

sue

Elmer's Glue

2011-08-16T04:54:00.000-07:00

Now we all know Elmer right? He's been with us since kindergarten (and for some of us that was a long time ago!). This morning I popped onto read one of my favorite bloggers over at Just Me, My Soldier and our four little chicks and she has a great post about Elmer's and a giveaway! I explored the Elmer's site and found another giveaway that I wanted to share with you! Stephanie made sweet welcome home signs with her Elmer's craft pack and the Elmer's site has tons of craft ideas you can make with your kids.

To enter Stephanie's giveaway, click here.
To enter the Elmer's giveaway, click here.

Here's a link to the cute projects you can make....projects!

I have been using the super strength glue stick for all my projects lately and it really does work great! It's not the old glue stick I remember in my early days of crafting (lol)

I spent a good bit of my day yesterday uploading all my projects to my ETSY shoppe that is now OPEN!! Yeh! I'm hoping to add some more pojects weekly, so I'd love if you would go check it out! Thanks!

have a wonderful, happy, smiley kind of day!

sue

really? Mayo??

2011-08-15T08:15:00.000-07:00

I had a hankering for some blueberry and apple crisp on Friday so I searched through some recipes sites and found an interesting combo for the crumb topping for them both...mayo! I was a little skeptical, but they turned out delicious! a little tangy and sweet!

the blueberry was more of a hit here at home...but the apple was good too!

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Art by Emma

please note everyone is wearing pink...love the faces!!

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Dreaming of my garden site...

this is where my garden spot will be. have to take my soil samples to the

co op this week too!

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Jacob's Homework: Family Tree

Brooklet Elementary School

Jacob had to make a family tree (ours had to be BIG) for a school project on Friday.

We had to choose a type of tree and tell how it related to our family.

Now, of course, I was picking some kind of nut tree because we are really all nuts, but i thought the teacher would give me a frowny face on that one!

We chose a banana tree because we like to MONKEY AROUND!

Everyone decorated their banana and then we stuck them to the tree.

another fine Frazier artwork!

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Nature walk: Trees in our yard

Emmy and I took a litle backyard nature hike last week and picked a leaf off of each tree in our yard.

We had all different types and will be working on a little book this week about it.

Cute!

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happy day!

sue

Art Display

2011-08-15T04:38:00.000-07:00

Hi All! Check out this great DIY board to display your kids artwork, papers and the like! I gathered all my supplies this weekend and will be working on mine today!

http://naptimecraftmommy.blogspot.com/2011/03/super-easy-kids-art-display.html

thanks for the inspiration!!

check in a little later this afternoon for lots of pics of other projects..

ttfn!

sue

ps. did i mention we close on our house this week??? yeh! things are about to look so much better!!

letting go

2011-08-11T06:12:00.000-07:00

“Letting go doesn’t mean we don’t care. Letting go doesn’t mean we shut down.

Letting go means we stop trying to force outcomes and make people behave.

It means we give up resistance to the way things are, for the moment.

It means we stop trying to do the impossible–controlling that which

we cannot–and instead, focus on what is possible–which usually means

taking care of ourselves. And we do this in gentleness, kindness,

and love, as much as possible.”

~Melody Beattie

I found this wonderful little manta on Rhythm of Home which is a delightful blog celebrating ...well, you just have to go check it out. It's chock full of insights and little ideas. I found myself there this mornig, after sitting for a spell on my back steps watching the sun rise over the treeline. Observing the chickens pecking and scratching about in the yard. Listening to the squirrel rustling around in the trees. I remembered being small, the woods around my house a mystical playground, imaginary friends and creative play. It's so easy to get caught up in the busy world around us and forget connections to family, friends and nature. But when you re visit it, it's inspiring and gives your heart a little more warmth. Puts a smile on your face. Makes you want to just stay there forever and explore. Enjoy. But yes, the world beckons you. Jobs to be done, money to earn. Responsibilities that maybe we don't need. Or do we? Differing opinions will always happen. But for me , my rhythm will be in my heart and I will follow it. And let go. Let go of the things that just don't matter.

Blessings...
sue

File folder mini's

2011-08-08T05:18:00.000-07:00

Now, aren't these just the cutest little mini albums...well more of a tag album. They are made of a folded up file folder...so cute and easy to make! Since I'm all about halloween these days I made up a few of these to post on my etsy. They are so simple. You really just fold the bottom of the folder up about four inches then accordian fold and decorate!

I've added a ribbon around mine to keep them closed. They make a great little table display

and are also a great little gift to share with family members who live far away!

You can add four to eight photos onto the tags and I just embellished the inside pockets with halloween die cuts. I love how it turned out!

these remind me of vintage halloween! Accordian folded flowers! So easy to make and a great embellie.

Cut a 1.5 inch strip of patter paper and accordian fold tightly. (think of those tigger tails you used to make using the straw wrap at the diner!) Then fold it around and staple the edges together. I added some cut circles and button on mine as well. Stinking cute, eh?

I did a little painting on this file folder...how ingenious, the end of a wooden spool make great little lifesaver-y shaped circles!

Have you made any of these mini's? Would love to see yours! Post a link in the comments!

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My little helper....not!

dog days of summer....our pump went on our bigger intex pool so to keep the kiddies cool I picked up this little pool. I actually think they have more fun in this one than the big one! Madi can easily get in and out and the kids put their small slide right into it and had a blast slipping and sliding into the pool. Easy to drain and easy to fill! Best $10 I've spent in a while!

Cutest outfit ever!!! India inspired from The Children's Place....so sweet.

poor Emmy got her earring pulled on and her lobe tore a bit, so she only has one little cupcake earring

dangling about while her little ear heals. Poor thing!

This little meathead found his way into my room about, oh, say 3:26 am!! Scared the be-Jesus out of me when he woke me up, appearing magically and a little lurky-like at the side of my bed in the dark of night! He just wanted some milk and snuggle, so he went back off to sleep after dumping his milk right on me...grrr!!! He's still snoozing...so cute!

We started building the girls (chickens) house yesterday.. main frame is up...tweaking as we go....will be so cute when it's done! Will post pics a little later on...happy day to you all!

blessings,

sue

thanks Goodwill!

2011-08-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Now, remember that white framed height measurer thing-y I found at Goodwill yesterday?

Well, today i spent a little time and used a little elbow grease to transform it into this....

I sanded down the main frame and removed the insert so I could paint both pieces.

Now, I am loving chalkboard paint, so when i saw this piece, I thought...hey! that would make a great

piece to hang above my slider doors and each season i could change the message!

Well, it DID turn out to be a chalkboard, but I think it will be going in the boys room.

After sanding the frame and paint washing it with apple green acrylic folk art paint, I distressed it

with my much loved brown ink pad. Another quick sanding to add some more distressing and the frame was ready to go!

It still needed something and since it was now going into the boys room, I searched through my scrap stash -and found these Mom-isms rub on's. I had just enough to run around the whole frame.

A little eye screw was added to hang the chalk from...and oh! I forgot! I sanded and painted the insert using chalkboard paint! It took about 4 coats with a quick sanding in between coats to make it smooth.

Here's Ms. Emma trying it out!

She's such a super artist!

I really like how this turned out...and it just proves that you can transform even the simplest thing into something cool for your home!

I am linking this up over at THE SHABBY CREEK COTTAGE TRANSFORMATION THURSDAYS!

Enjoy!

Sue

transforming

2011-08-03T05:14:00.000-07:00

Now, this photo has nothing to do with transforming crafting items, but well, she IS transforming into a little two year old! So sweet, little MADI licking marshmallow off her fingers!

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Remember that box of granola bars? Well, here it is...being transformed into a gift box..not quite done yet, it needs some handles and embellies, but hey! You get the idea right?

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I just love banners and I've been busy making some for halloween (they'll be on my etsy).

They are quite easy to make and I think the more distressed and handcrafted looking, the better!

First, cut 7 6x6 squares, fold in half diagonally to make your banner. If you want to double them like I did in the above photo,cut another 7 squares at 5x5 and layer them on top. Next, I machine sew them together (saves glue!). Then I use my crop-o-dile and punch holes in the top edges, set an eyelet and thread them onto some cotton twine. Then, it's time to embellish, dig thru my stash for some letters and machine sew circles to layer them onto...Voila!

These will make great little additions to your halloween decor!

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Goodwill find....$2.99

I'll post pics of what I'm planning for this later.....:)

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If you know me, you know I drink coffee...alot of it.

So, I have coffee cans and well, I'm thinking these would make great little candy stash holders for halloween.

Step one: Sand the whole thing to make it easier to attach your paper.

I'm loving this extra strength, super big glue stick!

I just goop up the whole back of my paper and stick it on.

This can will take one sheet of paper to cover, just split it into x 6x12 sheets and cover front and back

Looking spooky!

I used the Cricut and cut out some labels (4 inch) and switched the border for each to create a nice backdrop for my letters.

I glued them on, then decoupaged over the whole thing!

Paper is from K&Company...last year...love it!

I had these two soup or bean cans and altered them up as well!

I'm going to add some wire handles and some filler and these will make great little treat holders.

Don't forget to sand down any sharp edges on your cans!

You can paint the inside or line it wit more paper..your choice.

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more banners!

Hope you have a crafty day in your craft room too!

Blessings!

Sue

Inspiration

2011-08-01T06:10:00.000-07:00

Now, I've been bitten by the crafty bug and the desire to create something, anything! Halloween at Hobby Lobby started it...and my desire to get my Etsy shoppe up and running again. Last week found me in the craft room (whose floor is still NOT finished) tinkering about with some of this stuff...

upcycling fruit smilie boxes!

re-working old book pages and a printed bag...

using up scraps!

I've had these in my stash like FOREVER...and didnt realize what there were until i punched them out and folded them up! how funny...i actually found lot of stuff I forgot I had!

love these...found them on another site...backing is cardboard box and since I LOVE halloween so much,

I busted out my goodies and made a few!

re purposed cookie sheet from Goodwill...drawings compliments of Emma.

this is Emma's backpack tag I made her so she has a super special

backpack!

mini albums...these will be on my ETSY...:)

gotta love clothespins...so many uses!

we'll see what this transforms into :)

Lots of crafty goodness going on and now since the kiddo's are back in school, I may get a little bit more done. Seems like i always come up with another project before I finish the last one though! I've also been checking out Pinterest...so much inspiration there!

What have you created?

Sue

First Day of School

2011-08-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

It's back to school time here in Georgia! Hardly seems like we should be heading back to school already...I mean it's still so hot out and (as far as I know) summer isn't over! August in the north is the hottest part of summer (and here too!) the month when we go to the beach, and just revel in the "dog days"!

So, his morning at 6:30 am I had five kids up and getting ready for school...new backpacks, lunchbags, pencils and notebooks. Emma declared that it was "still nighttime", and Jacob asked me several thousand times "why exactly do I have to go to school?" Sam was mad because he wanted to go to school too! The bus came promptly at 6:52 am (which I was told it wouldn't even be here, but that's ok) but we didn't head out until about 7:10 to drop al the kids off. Madi seemed a little surprised to be awakened so early...but just like always, she went with the flow of things!

Emmy looks mad in this picture, but she actually was super excited to go!

As always, Nick is thrilled at the idea of waking up early and going to school!

I dropped the first two off at Brooklet Elementary...met the teachers and got them ushered into their rooms. Jacob seemed a little teary-eyed, but was happy to see Ms. Janda and Emma, well, Emma just bounded in and shared her excitement with everyone!!

Second stop dropped Nick off to meet his "chick"....and like a dorky mom I waved goodbye! Hard to believe it's his last year already. I can remember taking him to William Penn the first day of kindergarten...wow!

And now, I'm back home. And guess what? Its quiet. Really quiet. Sprouts on tv, Sam is playing his DS and Madi is lolling around with a bowl of cereal. I texted Danny and told him the same thing. He said he knew it would be. After 8 weeks of a full house of children, its odd how it just stops one morning. I'll enjoy it, but I miss them and their little quirky personalities. I'll send them out to the world.... to learn, make friends and grow up. Sad, but it will happen whether I want it to or not. Maybe I could just delay it a little...keep them innocent and small for a little longer. I know one thing for sure, there will be alot of hugs and kisses when the gang returns this afternoon.

Blessings,

Sue

swirling

2011-07-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

This has been a super busy week. School shopping, crafting, and enjoying the last few days of summer vacation before school offocially begins again next week. (can you believe it?) Hobby Lobby started me off by putting out their halloween goodies...which led to me checking the blogs/etsy/craft sites for fun halloween stuff to make...which led to lots of crafting! My mind is swirling with all that I want to do....and much like my normal self, I have to step back, make a list, and really prioritize what my goals are! So here's my to do list:

1. halloween trifold albums and mini albums...to completion!!!
2. plan siimple craft ideas for Peanut Festival
3. find out how to vendor at Brooklet Peanut Festival!
4. chicken coop!
5. school involvement
6. check on line for fall festivals
7. plan for house closing!!
8. decide which on line school i am going to attend! (yeh!)

We had someone come and take a look at doing our deck and patio...that will be a GO! as soon as we close. I can't tell you how much closing on our house will do for us. All the dreams I have been planning may finally come to fruition...so exciting! All our plans for this house...finally!

this week though, may have been busy, but it was a homey sort of week. Close to home, enjoying the kids, and we even had a full day of soggy/boggy rain! yeh! I'm sad that my garden didn't work out this year, but with a few tools and a better plan, i hope to come back better nexxt year. Believe me the temptation to plant a fall garden is so with me, but it's probably better to hold off until I am better prepared.

So looking forward to the fall...even though it's only August we are heading into...that would still be summer in PA! School starting definitely makes me want to bake apple pie, make a scarecrow and visit a pumpkin patch!

did i mention i love my life? lol...it feels good to finally feel, well, good!

blessings!

sue

summer storm water fun

2011-07-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

This is not a pond my friends. It's my side yard after a super huge

summer thunderstorm came up last week.

(dont' ask me why emma is wearing a winter coat either!)

The kids had a blast mucking around in it, and it was funny to watch the swirling vortex of rainwater going down the small drainpipe that leads to the pond.

nothing like playing in the water after a rainstorm!

sue

i made this!

2011-07-21T07:11:00.000-07:00

I had this leftover checkerboard that had seen better days

so i decided to transform it into something else.

I dug through my fabric stash and found this pretty yellow and red floral pattern

fabric that I just love.

a little bit of batting, some industrial staples, and some bias tape gave me this!

I added a few buttons at the criss crosses and hung it in my craft room.

Cute, huh? Lots of room to stash little pieces of this and that.

what did you transform today?

blessings....sue

i love this pinterist!

2011-07-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

isn't it so true? well, maybe not kill it, but put doubt in the mind of the dreamholder?

I think we all could use a dose of positivity and encouragement.

Remember...it's much easier to lift someone up than it is to put them down :)

And the rewards are greater for everyone involved.

So, if you meet someone today with a dream, encourage them and wish them well.

Even better, offer to help them make it come true through your advice, wisdom or help.

There's a dreamer in all of us.

Make one step in a positive direction today

and start making your dream (whatever it may be) come true.

blessings

sue

ps i found this pinterest via http://stephaniehowell.typepad.com/my_weblog/

waiting...

2011-07-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

still here...waiting...camera's still broke, hoping to get a new one on Friday....ook a total me day on Monday and got a little crafty...thinking about halloween (ha!)....praying that the house settlement goes on without a hitch...searching for contractors to build our deck and pool (so many!)...missing friends and family...excited about a new venture I will be off on in august....and just enjoying the kids during their final two weeks before school starts...

....what have you been up to?

blessings
sue

time out

2011-07-15T11:03:00.000-07:00

Please hang on for a temporary hiatus in my blogging! My camera is dead (screen went kaflooey) and we had company over the past week. Haven't had much time to get my thoughts together in my head or on a computer screen. Hopefully I will be up and running with lots of new stuff going on (and maybe a new blog dedicated specifically to crafting ...whoopee!) by the end of next week or so.

We are also busy planning for the kids back to school (1 days and counting) and can you say HALLELUJAH!! we have an agreement of sale on our house in PA!! Hopefully closing by August 19th and then we are sitting pretty! Thanks to God for helping us through and bringing us a buyer after 3 long months on the market. I know that's a short time given the current economy but when you are holding two mortgages it seems like forever! Once we are out under the burden of our former home, all the dreams i have for our life here will hopefully fall into place. I'd love for you to be able to share them with us and watch the fun unfold!

C u soon!!

Sue

it's all about family

2011-07-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

...i've been absent from my little bloggie posts this week for good reason~ My mom in law and father in law have been visiting with us since Saturday afternoon! We've had fun, enjoyed the fireworks at Mill Creek Park and just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. I'll be back tomorrow with some pics of our week.....
....my husband is being a PIA right now and keeping from this post as well!!!!

bless you all!

sue

moving onto simple

2011-07-01T05:27:00.000-07:00

Library day yesterday found me picking up a book by Elaine St. James titled "living the simple life". Now I am pretty sure I read it before, but it's a good read and reminds me of why I am traveling this path I am on. Some days it's hard, some days I lose focus so I need some grounding. This book was just it for me. I guess I felt like i was getting no where so I needed some confirmation that I was going in the right direction. I made list of things I have done over the past few months to simplify my life. Then I made another short list of what means the most to me...things I really need to simplify in order to get to my end goal of well, having more free time for me, the kids, and things that are important to me.

things I've simplified:
     *stopped buying bodywash and use only bar soap {sounds silly, but I was buying like 3 different kinds every week!}
     *decreased our DirecTV to the least possible channels {now this came after I completely disconnected it, but then felt bad for my 17 year old, and didn't want him to think that it was only done for financial reasons}
     *meal plans
     *buy less processed/more fresh food-easy cause you can eat it plain...less mess, less fuss!
     *massive cleanout of stuff due to the move
     *buying recycled/repurposed household items....God bless Goodwill!
     *very concious of our electric usage...shut off the lights!!
     *budget friendly activites for the kids: we swim, we go to library, hunt for free stuff to do
    * pizza is usually our only take out meal...usually on a Friday
     *shopping hiatus except for necessities....i have also really put a hold on quick purchases, I don't buy them go home and think about whether I really need it. I also have a list of large ticket items I want to purchase for the house.
     *got rid of our landline phone
    * only creative, wood toys...no electronic/plastic
     *using homemade cleaning products instead of store bought one's...soap and water/vinegar/peroxide
     *baking from scratch

now some of these items I slip up on, other's I don't.   Some of them take some forethought...like the baking from scratch thing...you need to stock up your pantry for this, but in the long run it works out and as a bonus, you can teach your kids to cook! Probably the biggest thing I've accomplished it to stop impulse buying and really look at what I bring into my home. Is it useful, will I keep it, will I maintain it? I've stopped buying quantity, more quality.

My next major goals in simplifying have to do with my housework, my job and my commute. All of these things seem to clutter up my time and take away from what I really want to focus on and that is my family. I want to be able to spend more quality time with my kids, maybe homeschool and be less stressed out and more fun to be around. I'd also love to get more involved in my papercraftinghobby and maybe take off on a business with it. We'll see.

So what have you done to simplify your life?

Rockabye Baby Pink

2011-06-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

We have two little girls that grace our home with sweet girly notions....the older, Emma is a collector and organizer, an "all about pink girl next door" little girl. Madi, our youngest is tougher. She keeps up with the boys, is tough like them and doesn't take crap from anyone! I had promised Emma that when we moved her room would be painted pink...before it was white, white, white. No color, no style. I found this lovely shade of pink...it's called Rockabye Baby.

This is before the curtains...sorry!

Isn't it just the softest shade of pink. It's beautiful. That little fence thing-y I found at a thrift store. I'm not sure what it is from, but I like how it looks. It can be used as a little shelf or looks great on top of a shelf with little linens hung on it.

I made this rag garland after seeing it on someone elses blog. {sorry I can't give credit because I don't know where it was!} I took a long piece of twine and for about two hours tied 6 inch pieces of scrap fabric until it was all filled up. At Christmas last year, I had it hanging in an entryway and had tags hanging from it that spelled out MERRY CHRISTMAS.

This is Christina. I purchased her for Emma {after much deliberation in the dolll shop} in Pidgeon Forge, Tennessee a few years ago. She makes me put her in the closet every night because she's scared of her!

A closeup of the rag garland...i think it's so cute.

The little heart I made from a leftover baby blanket and blanket stitched pink embroidery floss around the edges.It has graced the doorknob to the girls room, the door itself, but it's now found it's home dangling from this relocated flower holder. I'm all about stealing items from my other rooms to redecorate!

This is a closeup of the fence thing-y. The picture frame is crackled and decorated with some of my scrapbooking supplies. I love that picture of Emmy. The flowers are made from palmetto leaves...given to us in Forsythe Park by a sweet lady. The figurines are from the Disney Store...I ordered them when Nick {who is now 17} was about three. They have graced the little edge above the door, but have now found their home here.

Rescued this dresser from Goodwill last year. Kept the paint, plan to line the drawers in a pretty pink paper and change out the knobs to something glass.

Piggybank I made for Emma with scrapbooking supplies and a giant clothespin used to hold a sweet pic of her and her brother.

Pink lacy curtains...sorry it's so dark!

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Thanks for looking at our girly makeover!

blessings!

sue

paint/dye/plant

2011-06-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Ain't he just a snugglekins?

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bucket of leftover coffee + muslin

what to do with this?

well, i've been reading (well more like pouring over) tons of french country/american country/recycled home decorating books and I am literally drooling over the ton so ideas that i've found. I had this muslin fabric

and decided I would coffee stain it, stamp it with some Valentine stamps I had from MemoryWorks.

I love how it turned out (see below) Now, I'm thinking I may not even hem it and make it so formal, just sort of clip it on a pieceo f twine over the window...it's going to be in our master bath and I'd like to make a shower curtain with the same effect...I'll post the finished reveal if I ever get this makeover done!

books

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quick sweet treat for the kids...

bathroom cups...

add a vanilla wafer on bottom

spoon in some vanilla yogurt

to with cool whip topping

freeze for 30 minutes

peel back the paper and eat!

easy to do..kids helped make them

(that's miss emma spooning in the yogurt)

Nick used his super huge muscles to dig through this soil we call

Georgia clay! Finally, finally!!! My trees are in the ground!!

Hooray! Now i just have to keep them watered!

are you loving sam? Nice spongebob underwear he has going on there...hahahhahah!

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Oldest and youngest boy.....

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Jacob helped me out with painting this table i picked up at goodwill a few weeks ago.

the end result didn't quite turn out like i wanted so it's back to the drawing board with it.

patience...i have a vision in my head!

the crackle medium i used didn't c rackle the way i wanted it.

not sure why. oh well, we can sand and repaint!

I'll keep ya posted!

We have a busy day ahead of us today. Mom in law and Mr. Jeff will be here next week.

Got some paining to finish around the house and a light to move in the dining room

that doesn't really want to be moved (lol)

Yardwork is done (well mostly) for the week

garden is weeded (well one of them is)

have some flower beds to get weed screen on and some mulch

and the list goes on and on and on!

Good reads from the library this week....

will share later!

blessings...

sue

it came out of the pond....

2011-06-21T07:02:00.000-07:00

Can u say CAN IT!! got myself a big old pot to can in! so excited...processed some zucchini and cucumbers to store...can't wait to do more.

this is my scrumptious Father's Day dessert i whipped up...

2 packets of dream whip

1 large package of vanilla pudding

chocolate chip cookies

mini marshmallows...

layer, layer, layer and top!

sweet little treat!

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now when we moved in here in April, the previous owner said there was nothing in the pond. Over the past few weeks I've discovered we had a turtle and there were some frogs hopping about

(but then again, they are everywhere)

well, Nick decided to try to fish the pond and to our absolute amazement...he caught THIS!

huge old small mouth bass (we think!)

he must've been a little stunned after we threw him back because he swam on top of the water for a while...

he seriously looked like a gator swimming around!!

Nick has caught a few sunnies and this morning caught another big old fish!

there goes my notion that there's nothing in the pond!

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Now, I came home Sunday morning to find this little kid in my house.

Don't recognize him without his super huge platinum afro, do ya?

Hubby got his hair cut, and I was mad.

Real mad.

U see, I love sam's curls...i'd let his hair grow down his back in big

old corkscrew curls if it were my choice.

Now i admit, he had a mini mullet going on...lol!

after a day or two, i decided he looked cute (did before too) and that his hair will eventually grow back...sigh!

he looks so much older now....it is easier to wash though!

so hubby is no longer allowed to take ANYONE except himself for a haircut.

yesterday afternoon, i looked out the back window and found this in my yard.

marking his territory...all over my kids outside toys...grrrrr!

he eyed up my chickens so he got a little squirt of my hose then decided to go take a

swim in our pond. poor thing, he was so hot and tired. had on a broken chain so he must

belong to someone. He spent about two hours with us, then went off again.

YUMMY!

nothing like a sweet juicy watermelon!!

extra messy and yummy..just like we like it!

Join the week long blog hop over at at the picket fence

there are tons of great decorating ideas, projects!

it's a week long blog party with 12 different blogs...start there and u can link up your projects

and enter for great giveaways!

blessings! Sue

new day

2011-06-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

found this link...thought i'd share :)

blessings...

sue

owls and pickles

2011-06-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

doesn't he look so INTENSE?

lol, he's writing a grocery list of what he wants from Walmart..

we'll just say it has toys on it!

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Pickle Pot

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i gathered up some cucumbers from the garden and found a recipe for a

PICKLE POT for your fridge and had to make some.

I fetched Emma to give me a hand, and started out:

two onions

four small cucumbers sliced

pickling salt and spices

vinegar/water

clean ball jars

emmy had the most important job of pouring in the ingredients....

after they were all together, i did the lids and jacob

gave them a shake! then into the fridge they go for two weeks...

can't wait to taste them!

I also pickled up some zucchini the same way...hopefully can invest in a canner

this week....we'll see...lots of other things to buy, too :(

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"ummm, can we come in???"

{these chickens just kill me}

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OMG will i ever finish this blanket?

I have like 6 more rows to go and then it's done.

Goal: have it done by next Friday's post!

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Library fun

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sam doesn't quite understand how QUIET u should be at the library.

pretty glass ceiling and light in the community room...love it!

this week was the Raptor presentation from GSU.

They had a snake, a falcon, a hawk, a small owl and this HUGE OWL!

She was really cool and had a huge wingspan!

my reads for this week....

I almost died when I found the Nancy Drew books in the kids section. I can so

recall having them tucked on top of my white hutch in my bedroom. I had to pick one up

just as a trip down memory lane....

and can I say I am pouring over the country decorating books...i {heart} Country Living!

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craft room

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what, you way, happened to the lovely carpet in this room?

well, we'll just say cats.

Grrrr. all the padding and carpet came up.

might to hardwood, might do carpet.

not sure yet.

happily, the smell is gone.

for this I thank God.

Emmy and I organized all the buttons yesterday.

Great little sneaky sorting exercise for school...see, there's always a plan!

and all my little tools are in one little tote again...all about access when

u r crafting u know!

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GOODWILL

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SCORE! always love pretty storage....Picnic basket, actually had intended to store ribbon in it, but

decided it would house my small yet to be done mini albums and card

making stuff {like cards and envies}. filled it up pretty quickly.

always love a glass jar...this one find a home as storage for my flowers.

Just liked the metal pan, a quick scrub with an sos pad brought it back to brand new.

Loved this frame, it's hardwood and notched on all four sides. kitchy cross-stitch in it that

kind of just well, made me smile.

The tin print with the birds I just loved and it's not old or anything. I loved the colors

and the botanical/bird print. Might be a springboard for some bedroom colors.

Have a big list today...since I've been pouring over decorating books, I'm itching to get the painting finished

and have {mostly} decided i am going to repaint all my kitchen cabinets and distress them like my old one's.

Then I have to finish the mail walls out here but am stuck about what to do with the trim. I feel like it's too glaring white and I want to tone it down and make it a little more rustic. Will have to play around with this a bit and find out what I like. So stay tuned, once the painting is done the decorating will begin...that's the fun part!

have a wonderful, blessed weekend!

sue

grill planter

2011-06-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Jane over at Country Crossroads to use this old broken down barbecue grill that the previous owner had left in our shed. Sadly, the bottom was all rusted out, but the top was in good shape, so I took it off and painted it a sunny yellow.......

it probably needs another coat, but of course I couldn't wait!

I added my dried out in the sun impatients and using four lengths of chain

some small s hooks, we hung it in the tree out front....I love it!

thanks for the idea jane!

I want to put some bright pink wave petunias in it...i think they will look

lovely trailing down, don't you?

**********

i also started working on my two front flower beds, not much, but they'll come along.

I found some bricks on the back of the property and used them to edge it.

recycle, recycle, recycle...:)

the day lilies were there, but i also planted shasta daisy seeds, cosmos's and orange poppies.

hope they come up!

scored a Jasmine bush for half off at walmart! gonna put a trellis behind so it climbs...can't wait to

smell that sweet fragrance!

this is a beautiful red manevilla....also a climber and will need a trellis.

goodies from the garden...the cucumbers and tomatoes are from

our garden, not the carrots and crackers!!

I offerred this up to my kids pre-dinner last night and they

gobbled it up!!!

blurry, but pretty, full moon coming over the trees last night. we

sat out for about an hour watching the bats fly over!

what post of mine isn't perfect without a chicken picture in it.

the girls are getting so big, they spend all day outside now and at night

they climb up to the sliding glass door and huddle together until

i bring them inside. funny!

hope you have a blessed day..

and i'm so excited! I won the giveaway over at SouleMama

from Dirtgirlclayworks...here's what I won!

love it! thank you SouleMama!

blessings...

sue

drive

2011-06-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

My twice weekly commute to my real job is hardly cause for bells and whistles, nor looked onto with much anticipation. I find driving itself to be mundane, boring, useless really. Well, it's not useless, it gets you from point A to point B. I remember as a child thinking it would be great to teleport yourself instantaneously from one place to another. I also held the notion that when I was 40 (which I am) we would be flying around in rocketships. The mind of a child, eh?

So I drive. Left turn signal on. Blink. Blink. Blink. Pass this enormous tractor trailer that is causing my van to shake and shiver uncontrollably in it's backdraft. Right turn signal. Blink. Blink. Blink. Back to cruise control at 70, hands at ten and two. Blurred images of green whizzing by my windows, unseen, unnoticed, intent only on my destination.

Blink, blink, blink. Off the interstate and onto the long winding country road littered with homemade signs telling us to "repent and sin no more" and letting us know that "Jesus is lord". Farther down the road are crude signs made of rotted wood offering up home-cooking and fresh sweet corn for our taste buds. Tall white steeples attached to formal churches and not so formal churches, converted buildings offering us the chance to speak, hear and feel God nearly every mile or so. Lawn ornaments, old and new, flocks of squirrels, flamingo's and rabbits standing lifelessly in an overgrown yard. The pigs peering through the thick metal fence at the pile of rotting apples, surrounded by a swarm of gnats. Longing, waiting for their owners to come and throw a few over the fence for them to devour. Toppled lawn chair watching upside down for the "one that got away" out over an old wooden pier. I laugh every time I pass the dilapidated trailers in a make-shift lot with a sign that reads "we sell only quality homes".

I watch as a small wren flies near straight at my windshield, only to turn suddently, showing me the gentle arc of it's wings and flutters off. Look left, to a rusted swing set sitting among weeds. It's still smiling plastic horse askew on a broken chain, a violent crack near it's neck, clearly the cause of it's death. Forgotten by a child who has outgrown it's pleasure or moved onto a more complicated toy.

Main street, quiet and sweltering in the late afternoon sun. Devoid of people, noise and cars. Families tucked into their quaint homes being cooled by giant metal boxes outside their home. Instant relief from this unrelenting heat. Stark metal robots blink their red eyes high above the train tracks in town. A stark contrast to the green fields below. Rows and rows of corn, soy and peanuts stood quard over by strong silent white planks, saved from the desolate heat by the barely noticable metal mother that feeds them cool streams of water, spraying a gentle mist through the air and sucked up anxiously by this dry hard clay.

This is my drive.

sf6/14/11