Tuesday, December 28, 2010

LQQK who turned 1

~ Hayden turned 1 today (December 28th).

~ He knew exactly what to do with his cake.

Hayden enjoying his 1st birthday and some cake too!

~ Happy 1st Birthday Hayden.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~






Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Peppermint Mocha Creamer - A Little Luxury

~ This Peppermint Mocha creamer is the ultimate
indulgence when you are looking for a cozy hot beverage.

~ My husband tried it and really likes it too.

~ The peppermint flavor adds just the right touch to say "Happy Holidays"

~ I will have "withdrawal" of the Peppermint Mocha creamer
after the holidays as I think it is only a seasonal item. 

~ For now, I am enjoying one of life's little luxuries. ♥


I used to add sweetener to my coffee but the
coffee-mate creamers add just enough sweetness
and creaminess that I no longer add sweeteners


~ Thanks for stopping by ~

 ♥

~ Lisa ~





Saturday, December 4, 2010

Taking Care of Wooden Utensils

~ I love wooden utensils, crazy huh?

~ I do not put my wooden utensils in my dishwasher.
I have learned, it will destroy them, not immediately,
but they won't last as long.

~ I wash wooden utensils by hand using
antibacterial dish soap and then
put them in the draining rack.
I don't let them soak for hours either,
I get them washed right away.
~ If my wooden utensils get rough, I make sure the utensil is dry and
then I sand it lightly (fine sandpaper - 320 grit works well).

~ Every other week, I treat all my wooden utensils with Bamboo Oil. 
However, once I run out of Bamboo Oil that I bought,
I'm just going to use olive oil, I have heard it works just as well. 

~ Every time I go to the thrift store, I look at their utensils and end up
finding a wooden spoon or utensil, if it is in decent shape,
I will buy it and bring it home and wash it in a bleach
and antibacterial dish soap solution to sterilize it. 
Then after it dries, I give it the oil treatment. 

~ I don't know why I love wooden utensils so much but I do!
Crazy, huh?

click on picture for closer view
My utensils have just been treated as
well as one of my cutting boards.

I let them sit for a couple
of hours in my dish drainer for the oil to soak in and 
then place them in my utensil crock,
they are ready for their next assignment.



~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~



Thursday, December 2, 2010

Keeping Whites WHITE!

~ I have a secret to share.

~ Well, perhaps it is not a secret to you but it is my secret.

~ We have a well for water instead of city water.... so there
were times when my white clothes would look orange or have an orange tint.

~ I tried using bleach but that only added to the orange tint. 

~ I now add "Iron Out" to every load of whites that I do
and no more orange tinted clothes.


I no longer use bleach, just iron out.
You can find it at your local grocery store or at the hardware store.

It's my best friend ♥



~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~


Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Kitchen Chalkboard

~ I am enjoying my new kitchen chalkboard. 
♥

~ Kevin and I are always leaving notes for each other,
now we will know exactly where to
place a note and where to READ a note. 

~ We use it to remind us of upcoming events for the week such as:
  • grandkids birthday parties
  • upcoming birthdays, anniversaries
  • doctor appointments
  • grocery list
  • miscellaneous


~ Here is the before picture.


I forgot to get a before picture so when I was in Hobby Lobby,
I snapped a picture with my phone.



~ Here is the after picture


I took off the cork board part and painted it red
to match the rest of my kitchen.
The grandkids have fun with it too.
I even have a new place to hang my pot holders.
The best part is... I got it for 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby!

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~



Saturday, November 20, 2010

Semi-Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

~ Want to make  your own semi-homemade spaghetti sauce?

~ I have an easy recipe to share with you!


Recipe makes approximately 4 cups of sauce


  • Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet/frying pan
  • Chop up 1/4 medium sized onion into small pieces
  • Saute onion until it starts to get a tad bit carmel color or brownish (do not burn)
  • Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic (I have a jar I keep on hand in my refrigerator)
  • saute for a few moments longer (you will be adding this mixture to another mixture shortly)

In a large saucepan, add the following ingredients:

  • 1  14-oz can of tomato sauce
  • 2  6-0z cans of tomato paste (I use Italian style)
  • 2  tablespoons of dried basil
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 2  14-oz cans water

Whisk all ingredients above together, after onion/garlic/olive oil mixture are sauteed, pour into saucepan of tomato sauces and bring to a boil and then simmer 20 minutes.

 Makes approximately 4 cups of sauce.

You can add your own special items like chopped green pepper, etc., but I would suggest sauteing them to make them soft.

~ Enjoy ~

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

Friday, November 19, 2010

Not Feeling Sew Well

~ Look who is sick and has to go to the hospital!



~ OK, so this is not my real machine but I can't
use my machine because it is ill and not working correctly.

~ So, she is going to the hospital today for a cleaning and fix. 

~ I haven't been able to use her in a while and
my sewing projects are backing up.

~ I can't wait for her return so I can do some
sewing projects that have been on hold.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

Thursday, November 11, 2010

White Bean Chicken Chili {Crockpot Recipe}

~ Wow, it's been a while since I've made a post to my blog. 
Shame on me!

~ I love to cook and since the temps are cooler now,
it gets me to thinking about soups and stews.  

~ I love that aroma that you smell as soon as you open your door to come inside
after simmering some soup or a stew all day. 

~ I found a recipe but made changes to it to
incorporate my own flavors,
my husband says I need to make this
again and again, so I guess it's a keeper.

~ I am sharing this recipe so you too, can enjoy it.

click on photo for closer view

White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
(I used 4 chicken breasts and cooked them in the crockpot the day before)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I used canaola oil)
1 small onion chopped into small pieces
2 cloves minced garlic
(I have minced garlic in a jar in my refrigerator, the back of the jar gives the instructions for replacing fresh garlic)
1  14 oz can of chicken broth (I used 99% fat free and low sodium)
1  16 oz can diced tomatoes with chiles (this gives the chili a little bang)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 can cream of corn
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can of cream of celery soup
2  15 oz cans of white northern beans (drained and rinsed) (I used Bush's brand)
salt/pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatoes, spices and bring to a boil, then
simmer for 10 minutes.

Add both cans of corn, cream of celery soup and mix and simmer to blend well. 

Place diced chicken in the bottom of the crockpot, toss in drained white beans and mix, pour the mixture you've been simmering over the chicken and beans, mix well and set your crockpot on low and cook all day. 

It's an amazing soup with just a little bit of bang to it!

PS... if you want more of a bang to your white bean chicken chili, you can add chiles to it, this recipe orginally called for one 7 oz can of diced green chiles but for my husband and I, the chiles added from the canned tomatoes were PLENTY hot.

Enjoy ♥

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Wooly Worms - A Sign of Winter!

~ While out walking my country roads latey,
I've seen so many wooly worms on the road. 
I remember these from when I was a kid. 
I hadn't given much thought to the
wooly worms in years until recently. 


wooly worm (Pyrrharctia isabella)



~ I could not remember much about the wooly worm.
So, I did a little research and found out
that using wooly worms (Pyrrharctia isabella)
to predict winter is an old American folklore that
traces its history back to early Americana.

~ Supposedly, Native Americans taught the
pioneers to read wooly worms to predict Winter weather.
Wooly worm is the common name for the larval
stage of the Isabella Tiger Moth.
They are also called wooly bears.

~ You can find wooly worms under rocks,
inside hollow logs or just crawling on the ground. 
I've also seen them on the side of my house
on the window ledge outside and crawling on the overhead garage doors,
they just seem to be EVERYWHERE!

~ When you see a wooly worm, pay attention to its bands of colors.
The wooly worm will curl into a ball when touched or threatened.
When they crawl, they can crawl very quickly!

~ Wooly worm forecasters say that the size of
the brown band of color will tell you
what kind of Winter is coming.

~ Legend says that the thinner the brownish red bands,
the harsher the winter will be.
If the wooly worm is mostly brownish red in the middle, Winter will be mild.

~ The wooly worms I've seen seem to have a rather large brownish red band in the middle so that would indicate a mild Winter (can you say YAY?)
~ Wooly worm enthusiasts claim an 85 percent
success rate over the last few decades.
Scientists tend to disagree and say wooly worm
weather prediction is as unscientific as using
groundhogs to predict Winter weather.
The groundhogs likely side with the wooly worms.

~ Whether or not you believe in the power of wooly worms,
they can be to look at for children and adults.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~








Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Fake ... But Adorable Pumpkin

~ Since I live out in the country and we don't get trick-or-treaters,
I don't usually carve a pumpkin.

~ It just seems like a waste, I mean... I always think of the
pumpkin for the trick-or-treaters, don't you?

~ But I've decided, I am going to go buy a pumpkin and carve
it and have it for ME to enjoy. 

~ Until I get my "REAL" pumpkin carved and set out on my porch
for ME to enjoy.... this one will do inside my house to help remind me
that it's Halloween time of year.


Click on picture for closer view 

I bought the stand at the antique store for $8,
I have never seen another one like it.
It is so cute that I could not resist to buy it,
I could tell it was really old. 
However, for me, the older, the better (on some things).

I put the pumpkin head on it and made him a pumpkin man.
I have it on a timer so it comes on and off by itself every evening.



~ While I am out running errands today,
I will purchase a real pumpkin and carve it for fun and for ME to enjoy.

~ I once read a poem about pumpkins and found it on-line, here it is:
A woman was asked by a co-worker,
“What is it like to be a Christian?”


The co-worker replied, “It is like being a pumpkin.
God picks you from the patch, brings you in,
and washes all the dirt off of you.

Then he cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.
He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc.,
and then He carves you a new smiling face and puts
His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see.”



~ I was thinking to myself, the seeds are the best part...
hmm... what does that say about me? 

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

* edited on October 27th, as I was looking at one of
my magazines, look what I found,
now you can have one too Just click here



Monday, October 18, 2010

Decluttering My House

~ Lately, I've been cleaning cabinets, closets and pantries.

~ This week, I am tackling my closet. 
You did notice I said "WEEK" as it will take me a whole week
to decide what to get rid of.

This is NOT my closet but it looks similar,
I have way too many clothes

~ My closest isn't really messy, just crowded
AND...
I have the biggest closet in the house.
~ If I have not worn it in 1 year, out it goes. 
I find myself wearing the same few outfits over and over...
so I know that I can get rid of many things that are hanging in my closet. 

~ I'm excited to get started on my closet as it has
been talking to me every time I visit it. 
It wants to be simplified as much as I WANT it to be.

~ I have found some inspiration HERE.

~ I've cleaned out my kitchen cabinets and gotten rid of lots of things.
And now, it's time for my walk-in closet.

~ My husband and I have separate walk-in closets and his is neat and orderly.
But, he is a neat and orderly guy. 
He is not the throw his clothes on the floor type guy. 
Do you know how much I appreciate him? 
Oh so much. 

~ I have to go now and get started!

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

Monday, October 11, 2010

Back in the project business.... but s l o w l y

~ I was pretty much banned from doing any more projects until I
completed physical therapy. 

~ I had severe shoulder pain in my right shoulder
and couldn't raise my arm over my head and could barely bend it. 

~ Why you ask? 
Because, when I was laid off from my job in March,
Kevin and I decided that I could/would take the whole
Spring and Summer off and get a lot done around the house that needed done....
like painting rooms.

~ I love painting and home projects, etc., so I was excited to begin.
I've had people ask me why doesn't Kevin do all the painting. 
Oh he does lots of things too, but he isn't really fond of painting (like I am).

~ So, I begun my project (with the agreement with MYSELF) that I would start looking for a job once Fall arrived but I would get lots of projects done until then.

~ So I worked... hard and played hard too! 
Which then, resulted in an injured right shoulder,
so off to the doctor I went to get some miracle
medication to take care of the issue. 

~ But no miracle medications were prescribed,
instead, my doctor prescribed physical therapy after
I told him that I had been sanding and painting everything that
came into my sight.  

Doc said if physical therapy doesn't help, then we would schedule an MRI.

~ Seems I overused the muscles in the right shoulder
(because I am right handed) they were swollen and needed some TLC

~ The folks at Advanced Physical Therapy became my BEST friends.
They would massage my shoulder and taught me exercises to do to help get
my arm back to normal.  They were really amazing to work with.

~ I spent about 3 weeks in physical therapy and graduated this past Thursday. 
My arm is 75% back to normal and they told me I could start using it again for small projects but to continue my exercises, take frequent breaks from using it and
BUY A SANDER... (ha ha)
and check back in 2 weeks to see if I am still doing OK,
if I am then I will be "officially" released.

~ Kevin is helping me with the stretching exercises. 
One of them is like the position of being arrested and handcuffed,
he has to stretch my right arm up my back with my arm bent. 
I have to do it to the point of just feeling slight pain and hold it for 10 seconds. 
It helps to stretch the muscles in the shoulder and the tendons,
it hurts but at the same time feels good. 
I think he enjoys helping me with that exercise VERY MUCH.  ☺

~ Enough babbling about my physical therapy. 
Since I graduated and was given the "GO AHEAD
and slowly start using my arm speech",
I had a small project that has been screaming out to me. 
It involves a can of red spray paint. 
I used Krylon "Banner Red" Gloss spray.  


click on any picture for a closer view

I got this salt and pepper shaker from Hobby Lobby
(50% off) a while back with the intentions of spray painting it red.
I like how it looks whimsical and fun.




I have this rooster stand with double plates that I've had for years. 
He sets in the corner on my counter and I place fruit, cookies or cupcakes on him.



~ Both items needed some "spunk" added to them,
here is a picture of my end results of my small project.


Mr. Rooster looks spunky now, he actually stands out more
and so does my salt and pepper shaker. 

I picked up the spoon rest from Kmart. 
They now carry "Country Living" items and it was 50% off. 
There is a rooster at the top of the spoon rest. 
The colors all match perfectly.


~ I'm glad to be able to work on projects again but I still have
to take it slow and be careful about overusing my arm. 

~ I'll probably have to wait until next Spring to paint my bedroom,
I've only been working on it for about 2 years now{long story}.

~ I have the back door to our house primed (it was barn red before) and had to stop when I was in so much pain and start physical therapy. 
I need to finish painting the back door before it cold. 
I plan on doing that today. 
A little bit of painting and I'll be done with the back door. 

~ I still need to get the playhouse painted before Winter.
We replaced some rotted boards on it. 
Then, I will be done with outside painting for this year I think....????


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~


Saturday, October 9, 2010

Folding Fitted Sheets? Who Knew....

~ I'm almost embarrassed to admit this but it's true, so I will.

~ Who knew there is a proper way to fold a fitted sheet!
 I didn't....... 
There, I admitted it  

~ All my life, I've always rolled the fitted sheet up, (more like waded it up),
best as I could to store away until ready for the next use. 

~ I usually have 2 sets of sheets and rotate them, except now
I have 3 because I HAD to have some flannel sheets for colder months,
it gets cold out here at the little yellow home in the country {with no wind breakers}.  

~ I'm one of those folks that likes to watch Oprah.
No, I don't sit and watch every show, I DVR the show and then if the topic interests me, I will watch and fast forward through commercials and bits that don't interest me.

~ I'm not a really BIG Martha Stewart fan but she was on Oprah recently
and she demonstrated how to fold a fitted sheet. 

~ Since she did this on national TV, I was thinking to myself, maybe
I am NOT alone and there are many others who don't know
(didn't know) that there is a proper way to fold a fitted sheet. 

~ I just recently changed my sheets and put my new flannel sheets on. 
So, when I washed the set I removed from my bed,
I did exactly as Martha demonstrated and
the results are pictured below. 

~ I loved the way the folded fitted sheet came out flat. 
I will never again wad my fitted sheet and store it way. 

click on picture for closer view

The stack on the left is using MY method,
the stack on the right is using Martha's method. 


~ If you are interested in learning how to fold a fitted sheet,
I found a link on Youtube. 

~ It's not Martha but it's another gal
that demonstrated the same method. 

~ Learn how to fold a fitted sheet here.

~ So tell me, did you know how to fold a fitted sheet? 

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~



Friday, October 8, 2010

Rose of Sharon

 ~ I'm SO excited.... and over what you ask? 
FREE STARTS of perennials... but not just any perennial. 

~ It's "ROSE OF SHARON". 

click on any picture for closure view

I borrowed this picture because this is how I
will trim my "Rose of Sharon" bush once they start growing. 



~ In May, Kevin and I eloped to Gatlinburg, TN.
It was a great honeymoon, we were both a bit nervous at



We said our vows in the beautiful gardens,
it was Spring and the garden was in full bloom.


~ While we were in Tennessee, we both fell in love with the "Rose of Sharon" bushes blooming everywhere.  But it wasn't until we visited The Biltmore in Ashville, NC., that I knew I would eventually have some "Rose of Sharon" at
my little yellow home in the country.

~ As soon as we were back home after our honeymoon,
I had an appointment to get my hair cut. 
I was telling my wonderful friend and
beautician/hair dresser, Christa,
about my love for the "Rose of Sharon" bushes.

~ Christa then told me that in the Fall, she would give
me starts off of her "Rose of Sharon" bushes. 
I was so excited.  I was going to buy some bushes but if I could just wait,
I could be blessed and get some for free.

♥ Meet Christa ♥

Christa is also an Avon Representative in Greenwood, IN
if you are interested in purchasing Avon,
please click on her name and it will take you directly to her link.


~ Christa is from Germany and like a dear friend to me....
she said once Fall came, she would give me some starts....and well,
we all know how much I love a bargain.  I'm Ms Thrifty
(just in case you can't tell from reading my blog posts) 

~ So...yesterday, I had an appointment with Christa and truthfully,
I had forgotten it was Fall and time for transplants....
but when I walked in, she had
sitting and waiting for me.... 5 starts for bushes. 

~ After my appointment was done,
Christa took me out to see her yard.   
I absolutely fell in love with her back yard.
She has so many "Rose of Sharon" bushes in her yard.
She is going to give me some more but for now,
with the ground so dry, it's pretty hard to dig and
get any starts so I am VERY happy with my first 5
starts that she so very generously, gave to me. 

~ Here is a picture of my little starts. 
All I need to do now is plant them, water and care for them
and have patience because they will one day grow into
beautiful bushes and then I too, can pay it forward and pass along starts.

 I was blessed and given 5 starts,
but look at them and how far we
have to go before they will be beautiful bushes. 
I love that I will get to care for these as babies and watch them grow up.



The following is a little information on "Rose of Sharon"

The Rose of Sharon is a shrub that is hardy in harsh conditions.
This perennial can withstand dry areas in your yard,
next to the driveway and is a
great row plant between neighbors.

You can plant in a slight shady area,
they don't flower as well as they should
and could if they were exposed to more sunlight.

Though it works well without much watering and attention,
during dry spells you should give it a thorough watering,
especially the first year they are planted.
It is recommended to trim them back in early spring
to keep them from becoming stemmy.
This will produce a bigger flower in the fall.

The Rose of Sharon blooms from July through
September and comes in a variety of colors
such as white, purple, pink and red.
This plant will add color to your garden
during those late summer dry months.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

* I had to edit this post and make a correction because as I went out to plant these,
I discovered I had 5 starts and I thought I only had 3... woo hoo.




Thursday, October 7, 2010

An Adorable Hat

~ I have a new interest.  I want to learn to crochet knit. 
I especially want to learn so I can make this cute, adorable hat for my granddaughters. 

~ Isn't it just adorable? 

click on picture for closer viewing



~ I have to give credit to this picture from a new blog that I found that I love, love, love called Dear Lilly

~ Her mother has amazing style and I love looking at the pictures 
and how she dresses Lilly.

~ So, I am ready to learn how to crochet knit. 
My Stepmother used to crochet (see knitted also) and she
made lots of wonderful things. 
I think she enjoyed it very much and it must of been relaxing. 
She made lots of afghans {so very warm}.

~ It's something to do while I sit and watch listen to sports
on Sundays {all day} and Monday's {at night}
and many other times because we have the wonderful DVR.
* This hat is actually knitted and not crocheted,
I had to edit this post to make a correction.

•_•

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Easy Cake-Mix Cookies

~ Who loves cookies?  Everyone does, even the cookie monster, right? 

~ I have found a new recipe that I absolutely LOVE,
I found it on the Internet and gave it a try.

~ It's a cookie recipe and instead of flour and sugar,
these cookies are made with a cake mix.

~ They are so EASY and delicious!


click on picture for closer view

I used devils food cake-mix and chocolate chips.


 ~ I have provided the recipe below or you can go here.
  



Easy Cake-Mix Cookies.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

•1 - 18.25 ounce box cake mix
•1/2 cup vegetable oil
•2 eggs
•2 cups of * (see below)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheet(s). Mix together cake mix, vegetable oil, and eggs in a large bowl. Stir in *.  Make little balls with the dough and put on cookie sheets,  use the bottom of a glass or jar and flatten just a bit. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cool on pan for 2 minutes then cool on wire cooling racks.  I store my cookies in a tightly sealed bowl with a slice of bread.  The bread helps the cookies to remain soft.  It will be come stale later on, you can throw it out and feed the birds.

* This can be 2 cups of the following or a combination of a cup of each addition: chocolate chips, coarsely chopped semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, raisins, coconut, toasted-coarsely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts), brickle chips, and so on.

 --> I actually have a cookie dough scoop that I used and it made the perfect size cookie.  You have to flatten the dough just a bit, I used the bottom of a glass. 


☺ Enjoy  ☺
*_*

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~




Tuesday, October 5, 2010

My new bowl... or is it a cup?

~ I was out shopping recently and found something I thought would really be handy.

~ I thought "what a nice soup bowl" or what a nice "coffee cup".

~ It was on sale, PLUS... I had a 30% off coupon so they were almost FREE.  


click on picture for closer view

This morning I used my new bowl/cup and
made homemade old fashioned oatmeal.
Oh so delicious.

I only bought 2 of these bowls and wished now that I had gotten more. 
They will be great for our Fall/Winter soups and stews.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~



Sunday, October 3, 2010

Braden's First Time Hunting

~ Braden has had his first hunting experience at 8 years and 363 days old.  

HIS 9th BIRTHDAY IS MONDAY, OCTOBER 4th.

~ I picked Braden up from his parents around 11am Saturday morning to have an overnighter with his Grandparents and to {possibly} have his first hunting experience.

~ On the way home, I had to answer what seemed like over 100 questions about hunting.  However, I had pass the buck (ha ha) and say,
"wait until we get home and ask the REAL hunter". 


Click on any picture for a closer view





Braden is ready to go, just a few things left to do and they can be on their way.




Filling up the spray bottle with Scent Killer. 






Braden thinks the spray smells like dirt, he is correct.




Braden is attaching Kevin's foam seat.
Kevin is wearing his safety straps for the tree stand,

Braden has his stool strapped around his arm,
 he will be sitting at the base of the tree,

he is still to young to be in the tree. 
He assured us he could climb a tree but
Kevin is teaching him safety
(most important part of hunting)
so he has to start out SLOW.
He agreed.




Checking to make sure everything is connected correctly.




Looks like they are both all set to go.
Braden has binoculars in his pouch so
he can check things out from the ground.

Before I took Braden to my house, we stopped at the Mall
and I purchased him some clothing for his birthday. 
We saw a pair of camouflaged pants hanging on
the wall as soon as we got off the escalator at
JC Penney, it was like they were calling his name. 

Well, guess who HAD to have them. 
We were there to buy JEANS NOT Camo pants. 
I wonder if he will sleep in them tonight? 

 ☺   ☺   ☺


~ Fast forward 4 hours later

~ Kevin said when they got to the hunting spot,
he positioned Braden at the base of the tree,
got him all set up and then Kevin climbed up.

~ Eventually, Kevin had to come down and
sit with Braden because Braden
kept looking up and yelling,
"my neck hurts from looking up at you".

~ They did see 2 doe and 1 buck,
the bucks antlers were only as long as the
fingers on your hand so Kevin
couldn't shoot him.

~ In our county, you can only have
one buck a season and Kevin didn't want to waste it on
such a small animal that still needed
time to grow and mature.

~ I'm actually glad they didn't get any
deer on Braden's first trip,
I'm not sure how Braden will react to
seeing a deer processed for food. 

~ It is something I think he needs
to be taught slowly and not
just thrown into on his first hunting outing....
but that is a Mimi's thought process
and I'm only a hunter of bargains....
not animals.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~










Saturday, October 2, 2010

A Hunting "HE" will go.....

~ Hunting season is here!
It started October 1st.

~ The talk among the men (and some women) is nothing but "deer" talk.
Yes... I knew he was somewhat of a "Daniel Boone" type guy when
we married so I cannot complain about his hunting at all....and I never do.

~ He enjoys it so much. 



Kevin says he loves hanging out
in a tree stand on a nice, crisp morning.


~ Tree stands are nothing like Lazy-boys...and no remotes...
and it can get really cold out there. 

~ I don't understand the fun in it but then God didn't
create women to be hunters.

~ I hope Kevin does well this year,
a happy hunter makes for a nice evening at home.




This photo is from last year....
I snapped it with my cellphone while
we were having a bon-fire out in our back yard.



~ Check out this photo, it was taken
the day after hunting season was over last year!



I think this deer is saying
"nan nuh nan nuh poo poo you
didn't catch me".


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~



Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Jewelry Cabinet

~ All my necklaces, bracelets and earrings... are kind of just thrown into 2 drawers.  They always get tangled and the earrings get separated (sigh). 

~ I'm keeping my eye on this ~sweet~ little cabinet at the Antique store to turn into my Jewelry cabinet and hang in my bathroom.
Since the house (part of it) is over 100 years old,
the rooms are quite large,
so I have a rather LARGE master bathroom,
it even has a sit-down vanity.
 ♥_♥

~ The shelves of this cabinet are removable, 
so I'll remove the top shelf and put in some hooks. 
The bottom shelf will be for bracelets and earrings. 

~ I might just leave it as it is... or replace the glass with mirror. 
I probably won't paint it either... it's just the way I like it.
I'm watching and waiting for the price to go down. 


The angle of the picture makes the
cabinet appear small but it is rather large. 

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~



Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Farmer's Harvesting

~ If you see that the farmer's are out with their tractors....
You better make sure your windows are CLOSED!







~ Otherwise, you will be dusting your whole house...
Floors, tables, furniture....EVERYTHING.

~ This was taken from my front porch yesterday....
luckily, I checked and ALL my windows were CLOSED.   
*_*


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~


Monday, September 27, 2010

My Old {New} Cedar Chest

~ Kevin and I were roaming Webb Antiques in Richmond, Indiana
one weekend and found an old cedar chest,
it was hidden under a bunch of other junk treasures.

~ It's a fun place to go because they also serve lunch. 
We like to go and have lunch and splurge and have dessert.

~ We had been looking for a place to store our "blankies" that we use when we get a chill in the Winter or Summer (from AC).

~ This is the cute little chest we bought.

Before pictures


Click on any picture for closer view

All it needs is some TLC ♥






It took quite a bit of sanding,
this is when my arm really starting to hurt...
Maybe I should buy me an electric sander????





Here I have the chest sanded and patched...
ready for a coat of primer.





I love it white with the coat of primer but
my plans are to paint it red, distress it and
give it a home in our Patriotic room.






After pictures


Ta da.... finished product
{well almost}.

I'm still looking for an eagle or patriotic type
emblem to put on the front. 

I'm in no hurry as I have to find the perfect emblem. 
But... we don't have to wait to start using it.






Here is an up close picture of the finish,
if you click on the picture, you can see it even better.






Let's take a peak inside...
YES.... that's Kevin's blanket you see,
he is a Chicago Bears fan. 

My blanket is out... laying on me... because I am cold today.

We refreshed the cedar inside by sanding with 180 grit sandpaper. 
Just use a fine sandpaper to refresh the cedar inside.
You can do this every year.



This chest will last us for many years to come and will
help store our "blankies" out of sight when not in use.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~

~ Lisa ~

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Tin Man Project

~ I'm collecting tin cans to build a tin man for my yard/garden. 



~ He won't look EXACTLY like the tin man from
The Wizard of Oz... but he will have a funnel for his hat.

~ If you would like to build a tin man for your yard/garden,
here are the instructions I am going to use.


~ I'm having trouble finding sardine cans because I
don't know anyone that eats sardines. *_*

~ After I get my  tin man built,
I'll post a picture to share with you.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~



Friday, September 24, 2010

Grandma's Ugly Shoes

Grandma's Ugly Shoes
Author Unknown


When I was very little
All the Grandmas that I knew
Wore the very same old kind
Of ugly grandma shoes.

You know the kind I mean.
Clunky-heeled, black, lace-up kind.
They just looked so awful
That it weighed upon my mind,

For I knew when I grew old,
I'd have to wear those shoes.
I'd think of that from time to time
It seemed like such bad news.

I never was a rebel,
I wore saddle shoes to school,
And next came ballerinas
Then the sandals, pretty cool.

And then came spikes with pointed toes
Then platforms, very tall,
As each new fashion came along
I wore them... one and all.

But always in the distance,
Looming in my future, there....
Was that awful pair of ugly shoes,
The kind that Grandmas wear.

I eventually got married
And then became a Mom
Our kids grew up and left us,
And when their children came along,

I knew I was a Grandma
And the time was drawing near
When clunky, black, old lace-up shoes
Was what I'd have to wear.

How would I do my gardening
or take my morning hike?
I couldn't even think about
How I would ride my bike!

But fashions kept evolving
And one day I realized
That the shape of things to come
was changing, right before my eyes.

And now, when I go shopping
What I see fills me with glee
For in my jeans and Sketchers
I'm as comfy as can be.

And I look at all these little girls
And there upon their feet
Are clunky, black, old Grandma shoes,
And I really think that's neat.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
~ Lisa ~