I've Been Gone

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you know that I have been away due to some family issues.  Not only my dog, but, my daughter and hubby too.  Anyway, things are looking up and I should be back blogging next week.  Thank you for not leaving me, and, I look forward to seeing what you have been up to.  I am working on some things for Thanksgiving.  See you soon.

Baxter Blues

Hi everyone.  I am sorry I haven't been posting for the last couple of days.  My little baby Baxter has been having seizures (they are so scary).  I have been staying up with him at night, midnight runs to the Animal Emergency Room, and just not having fun.  He is doing better today, they gave him valium and a strong dose of phenobarbital (this should prevent seizures from happening).  Anyway, say a little prayer that we can get these under control and I hope to be back crafting and posting soon.

I just know he will be ok.

project: about me

project: about me

Hello everybody - I've won an award!

Thank you Inspire Me Heather,  I am truly honored.  Please go and check out her blog, it is a wonderful.

The rules for this award is:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave the award to you

2. Share 7 things about yourself

3. Send it along to 15 other bloggers and let them know you have awarded them!

Here are 7 things about me:

1.  I love coffee and drink it all day until 6:00 p.m.

2.  M&M's are one of my basic food groups.
3.  I would rather eat desert than dinner
4.  I have been doing childcare for 18 years.

5.  I love all romantic movies, my favorite is, You've got Mail. 

 6.  Stevie Nicks is my favorite singer.
7.  I like to sing loudly (like a rock star) when I am alone and when I'm driving.

I am now sending this award to 15 blogger's that truly inspire me.  Please go and check them out, and, be prepared to be wow'd.

The Answer is Chocolate
Momma Hens Coop
Scissors & Spatulas
Not so Simple Housewife
I'm not a Trophy Wife
{Busy Little Lady Bugs}
Design DNA
Till Death do us Part
Family Ever After
Today's Fabulous Finds
Altered Artworks
Candace Creations
I Gotta Create
The ArtsyGirl Connection

 Babblings and More

Thanks Heather for a wonderful award.

Dining Room Table Decoration

I wanted to tell all my followers to have a great weekend, and I that I appreciate you.  I will be on the football and softball field again, but, I am off all next week.  I am so excited.  I will be able to show you all of my decorations and share a few yummy recipes.  I have been wanting to get my cricut and stamps out to make a sign and some cards too.  For now, I will show you my dining room table.

Remember my pedestal bowl?  You can go here to see how I made it.   I am having so much fun with my newest creations.  I love the way my gourds look in it.  I got them at Walmart last year.  They are the Better Homes and Garden line, and I know they have them again this year if you are interested.  The skeleton, well, what can I say.  Maybe he will stay for dinner and put some meat on those bones - ha ha

I always go to my sisters house and fall in love with her table.  She is a table cloth person and always has a pretty one on her kitchen and dining room tables.  I always go home and try to imitate it, but, it just isn't pretty at my house.  I, however, love table runners.  I have had this table runner for a couple of years.  If you have a Big Lots near you, they have a ton of cute holiday runners for a real affordable price. 

I like the fall look, but,

I am totally into cheesecloth this year.  I love the eerie look.  If you look closely, you can even see a ghost (one of my daycare kids).   So, I cut a piece of the cloth as long as my table runner and just ripped away.

Oh, I took the black string off the my skeleton's head - ha ha, and added a spider.

What do you think?

How does your table look?  Are you a table cloth, or, a table runner girl.

Halloween Wreaths

I am very new to blogging, and, I never realized how talented so many women are.  I have so many ideas now that I don't know where to start.  I really liked this wreath over at The Answer is Chocolate.

 The Answer is Chocolate

The texture of this wreath has me all gaga.  I am truly amazed that she repurposed clothing for this project.  I would have never thought of that.  Please, use the link above and go over to Carol's blog and check out all of her Halloween projects. She does amazing things, and now, she has me wanting to create a banner.

Now, as much as I would love to copy Carol, my budget for Halloween is down to nothing.  After shopping in my garage (my son got my Halloween boxes down for me) and closet, this is what I came up with.  I hung her on my laundry room door (it is off the entryway).  

I got the black wreath and ribbon off of a clearance shelf at Michael's last year.  The witch, I bought that at the Dollar Store a couple of years back.  When you put them all together, it's not so bad.  My little ones like the witch - ha ha (I think Carol's wreath would be perfect here especially with the spiders).

I got this wall sticker at the Dollar Store too (before I got my cricut).  I still like it and don't have the heart to take it down.

I just used black ribbon (out of my ribbon stash) to hang her from my hook.  For this year, she will do, but, the next time I go thrifting, I will be on the lookout for a black blouse or dress.

Now, on to outside.  This barbwire hangs outside my back door.  I have had it for so long, I don't even know where I got it.  I do, however, Love It.....

For the summer months, I just put this little sunflower pick on it.

For Halloween, I wrapped a white garland wire (with ghosts) around once and attached a plastic skeleton.

I also added some cheesecloth (I am so digging the cheese cloth this year).

That's what's haunting right now.

Please come back, I'll have more.

Meatball Soup

This is a Mexican meatball soup.  I had it growing up and my sister, Shelly, makes the best.  I know I have told you about my Food Network addiction.  Well, I was watching Mexican Made Easy and she made this soup.  I also had a little bit the last time I played Bunco.  It has been so very hot in AZ lately, and today, it was in the 80's.  My daughter told me that on the way to school her hands were cold (we are such desert rats).  This put me in the mood for soup.  I really have no recipe, just dump and boil.  Thank you sis for refreshing my memory (I called her today and got her version).  She also makes one like a chowder -- I will make that one real soon too.

Sorry, I was mid soup making when I remembered my camera.  Before I put my veggies and stock in, I softened a white onion (don't let it brown just soften) for my meatballs.  In the pot is just 4 carrots, 4 potatoes, 1 can green chili, one 15 oz can of diced tomatoes.  I used a carton of chicken stock (that's what I had on hand, you can also use beef).  That wasn't enough so I added four more cups of water and 3 ck bullion cubes.  Got that to boil and turned down to a medium heat.   While that boiled away, I made meatballs.  Mine were very simple -- I used a family pack of ground beef, my softened onion, about 1 (or more) cup of rice, cilantro, salt and pepper.  I just gently mixed it up and made meatballs (I like them a little large).

I also chopped up some zucinni I had in the fridge.

I checked the potatoes and carrots, and when they were almost done, I added the meatballs and zucchini.

This is what I ended up with.  I served with a tortilla.

It was yummy.  One of my sons ate four bowls (I'm not kidding).  That's why I made so many meatballs.

I still have this much soup (large pickle jar - I love jars).  I think there may only be four or five meatballs though  - ha ha.

Enjoy.

Picture Frame Window

 I am so excited to tease you with what I am working on.  I wasn't home all weekend and my time seems to be flying.  However, my son, James, got all of my Halloween/Fall stuff down.  I am in process of decorating, daycare, and my own kids schedules -- it seems to be taking me forever to get anything done.  But, this is how my entryway is shaping up:

I totally fell in love with Janet's window over at Today's Fabulous Finds, go here to see hers.  It is awesome and I have been waiting a long to time to re-recreate one for me.  I just know I will have a blast decorating it for all of the upcoming holiday's.

Remember these?  I used the large one for this project.

I started by removing the glass and picture.

I bought a real thin piece of wood trim about 1 in. wide and rounded edges at the Home Depot.  It was really inexpensive for about a 5 ft. long piece.

I measured the width and length (from the inside lip) of the picture frame and cut it with a handsaw.

I painted all the pieces an olive green to match my shelf.

I then took a rag and rubbed an antique white paint until I got the effect I wanted.  Then, I added some stain and glued it together.

You can see how I glued it on that inside lip.

I just overlapped it.

Ta Da -- I can't believe mine turned out.

On to my wreath.  I bought this grapevine wreath at the thrift store for $1.00.  I added cheese cloth (from my lantern project) and spiders.  I had spider rings and a couple of larger spiders, from Walmart, to make it match my lantern.

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I even did the same bow.

Added some spider webs, crows, and rats (from the Dollar Store).

I am still working on the top of my entryway dresser (below my shelf).  I will be showing you the finished product a little later.  Until then:

Thanks for stopping by and,

Happy haunting,

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