Summer Things - Red Hutch

I can't believe how fast this month is going.  It will be September, then, on to the holiday's.  I just wanted to share a few of my favorite groupings for this summer.  I also wanted to send a thank you to all the bloggers in blog land who have helped me find my inner sanity.  I have always loved to stamp, craft and cook, but, over the past few years, raising a family has taken over my entire being.  I am a much happier and saner being since I have started blogging and crafting again.  So, thank you again from the bottom of my heart to all that have inspired me :  ]

Here is one of my coop favorites:

This is my big empty red hutch.  This is so much fun to decorate for the holidays.  The off/summer months have always been hard.  So, this year I took a little extra time and put a few things together.

I got this chicken from The Cracker Barrel Country Store.  Have you ever eaten at a Cracker Barrel?  Oh my, it is so good.  Down home country cooking, and, BIG portions.  Their little country store is a hoot.  At the end of a season, they discount their merchandise like 75 to 80 %.  I got this cutie for $6.00.

My friend and neighbor brought this pretty plate back to me from her vacation.  I think it is so pretty.   Who doesn't love willow figures.

This was so much fun and not like me at all.

I spray painted the candlesticks I had on hand.  I rescued the black tray from my yard.  It had a couple of little pots in it and and was looking pretty bad.  I cleaned it up and painted it too.  The clock doesn't work, but, I found it for .50 at a yard sale.  So cute.

I love my little tiered stand.  I got it at Wal Mart just a couple of weeks ago for under $5.00.

There it is.  It is not exactly how I want it, but, it is getting close.

This is on top.  I have had these old spools for a long time.  I really don't know what to do with them.  If anybody has any idea's, please let me know.

Thanks for stopping by.  Tomorrow will be another Summer Thing.

Topiaries

Here is my take on a topiary.  There are several blogs that have made topiaries, This is what I did, and I used what I had on hand.  I didn't have to buy anything.  YEAH.  I love those crafts.

I bought these urns after Thanksgiving for about $2.00 each.  I took all the fall picks out and painted it.  I primed it with gray primer and lightly sprayed a white over it.  The gray shows through, but, I liked how it turned out and left it.

I had this floral moss on hand for a project I plan on making for Christmas.

The Tacky Spray was from my hair bow holder,  and

the skewers were from my kitchen.

I also had the styrofoam shapes from previous crafts.  You just spray the styrofoam with tacky spray and cover the ball and tree shape with moss.  Be careful when spraying, I accidently sprayed a cup and could barely get the stuff off, ha ha.

I stuck the skewers into the bottom of the Styrofoam shapes.

The other end into the urn.

There you have it.

Happy Crafting = )

Lasagna Casserole

This is as quick as you want it to be.  You can make your own sauce, or, use the bottled.  I have done both and gotten good results.  The original recipe called for cottage cheese, but, nothing beats ricotta in Italian food.  So here goes.

This is good and fast.  I like to make my own sauce now.  It is really easy and I think it taste better.  If I use a bottle, we have always preferred Prego.  To make mine, you just need a little olive oil in bottom of you pot.  Get that medium and add fresh (or bottled) minced garlic.  Let that go for about 1 min.  I then add mild Italian sausage (casing removed) and let that cook until all pink is gone.

After the garlic has cooked for about 1 min., I add 1 T. of Italian seasoning and mild Italian sausage (casing removed) and let that cook until no longer pink.  Remove 1/2 and put in a bowl.

I then add one 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes and a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce and let that simmer for about 20 min.  You can see in my pot that it reduced and the flavor concentrated.  To the bowl with half the sausage, I add a container of ricotta cheese, about 2 c. of shredded mozzarella, 1/4 c. Parmesan cheese, and 1 egg.  Mix to combine.

Put a little of your tomato sauce in the bottom of your 9 x 13 to cover.

Put your pasta next (I had shells in the pantry), then half of the cheese mixture fallowed by half of your sauce.  Sprinkle both mozzarella and Parmesan, and then do it all over again.

Finish it with a sprinkling of cheeses then into a 350 oven.

Cook for about 30 min. done.

It is always good and even faster with bottled sauce.  For a salad, I always use Romain, red onion, black olives, cucumber, hard salami if you have it (I didn't have it this time) and Paul Newman's Italian.  This salad rocks (don't forget extra Parmesan on it too).  

My husband and kids even like the leftovers. = )

Enjoy!

Monkeying Around

Changing gears, I love my kids.  I am known to do a lot of crafts, we decorate cookies and just have fun.  We decided to talk about monkeys today.  We ate banana's, played monkey see, monkey do, and made these adorable necklaces:

Aren't they cute?

This is all you need:  peanuts in the shell, pipe cleaners, brown construction paper, yarn,  Elmer's school glue, and I used an ice pick.

You take your ice pick and poke 2 holes on each side (arm and leg).  The one on top, I just poked the ice pick clean through.

You can see how the arm and leg just poke in, and the pipe cleaner goes all the way through the top for the yarn.  Dip your tip in glue at least 30 min before your project.  It helps the yarn stay together when you try to thread it through.  I also used the ice pick to help

I gave the kids scissors to cut their own.  Most of them just cut it ALL up and I supplied extra heads.  Some did a really good job cutting.

When you have them put the pipe cleaner arms and legs in, I had the kids dip the ends in glue and helped them put the pipe cleaners in the holes.  Then just have them put glue on the head and place it on top of the peanut.  Done.  They are so proud of what they made.  Oh, I use a Q-tip as a glue applicator.  The kids can handle it pretty good and it keeps messes to a minimum.

Have fun and just Go Banana's....  : )

21 Day Challenge - Busy Book

Well, this has to be the end of my challenges.  My daycare is in full swing, my two Jr. Highers went off for their first day of school, and I'm pooped.

I remember when they were in 1st and 2nd.  Now, 7th and 8th.  I have to quit blinking my eyes.  : (

Off to catch the bus.  We live in the desert.  It even looks hot.

Ok, back to my binder.  I know everybody calls their note books, Home Organization books, but, I call mine a Busy Book.  My kids use it, and say, "mom, where's the busy book?"    I keep all phone numbers and schedules in it.  It used to have a lot more in there, but, I have simplified it, and I have additional binders that I will show you later.  I keep the kids folders (school papers, etc.) in my mail center. 

You guessed it, a rosette.

I just used my cricut to cut my letters, and scrapbook paper to decorate.

Here are my forms:

This is my AM / PM schedule.  If you double click, you can read it.  I just hand write it in pencil (it changes all the time).  But, for now, this seems to work with the group of kids I have, and my kids schedules.

This is my Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Annually schedule.

Daily at a glance.

These, I have gotten on line.  There is a web called Organized Home that has a whole notebook ready to print.  I like some of their forms like this one, week at a glance.  My daily form (Hit List) is from Family Manager.  I don't know if she has it any more, but, you can google it.  I like it because it groups everything into categories, and I like the daily time list for appts. etc.

I also love this little book mark.  I think I got in a day timer years ago.  It just holds my place in my notebook.  I have a week at a glance on one side, and daily pages on the other.

I usually buy a calendar insert, but, this one is at Organized Home too (I like free).

Your usual address pages fill the end of my book.

I do love this sheet from Organized home.  I have one filled out with all of our favorite take-out places.  I also have a pouch with menus in the very back to support the numbers.  This is a great example of what I have in my address book, and why my kids like to use it too.  Organized home has generic forms for numbers.

I have this one filled out for all of our family's cell phone numbers, and dad's work numbers.

This one is the best.  I have one filed under, Neighbors (numbers, addresses, kids names and birthday's), each child has all of their friends and coaches on one filed under the child's name, my Bunco group has one, home stores, one for my Day Care families, and one with all my Christmas addresses.

I think I use this form the most.  I like the fact I can add as much or as little information needed.

At the very end, I have a couple directories.  I just three hole punched them and stuck them in.

That is basically my book.  Thanks for stopping by.

Rhonda