4 Growing Boys

Birthday Subway Art

2012-02-02T08:00:00.002-07:00

I am so excited. I have been working hard this week to catch up on my scrapbook pages. You will be happy to hear that I have almost done so. I am now on page 28. Today is the 2nd so that only puts me 5 pages behind, less than a week. BIG SMILES from me. I am hoping to get ahead so I can spend some time learning new skills and tips on photoshop elements but I have to admit, this goal is gonna be harder than I thought. It takes about 1/2 hour for each page. Some more, some less and perhaps other people can do it faster but for me, that's what it takes. Of course the less I edit my pictures the faster it is. Still I am happy. I have to get the pictures done before I forget everything. I am already having a hard time remembering some of the boys friends names. Sorry, dear buddies......

So here is the latest and greatest. I am working through 2009 still and making progress.

The next several pages were all made from the same kit. There was a FANTASTIC sale on this last weekend. I would never have known about it if not for Suzee Q's Stuff. She posts a list of great freebies several times a week. She mentioned this sale on Saturday (it was a one day only sale). I headed on over to take a look not thinking I would buy much.
I got 20 different kits for $1 each. It was a great score. I don't buy kits very often, there are lots of freebies out there but when I can get them for such a great price, well I just couldn't resist.

The other great thing is that one kit can do so much. Lots of different layouts and looks.

What a great kit!

These pages come from the "Happiness Is" kit at Scrapable.

All these pages except the very first were from the same kit.
See what I mean? Lots of fun different pages huh! This next week I will be working from another one of the kits I picked up. Not sure which one yet. I have to look at what pictures are coming up. Come back next week to see what I decide, plus I will have more wordart for you.

Now you get to have a bit of fun for yourself. Here is the Birthday subway art I put together for Keegan's page. I did one for a boy and for a girl. Take your pick or pick both. Have fun!

Download the birthday boy HERE

Download the birthday girl HERE

Let me know if you download it and whatcha think!

Thrifty Valentine Decor

2012-02-01T08:00:00.003-07:00

We had fun making this subway art. Sorry I didn't take pictures along the way. I had a 1x10 board. I started out painting it pink. Then used up vinyl scraps to make the words. After putting the vinyl in place I painted over with red. Then when we took the letters off the pink was left to show through. Then I "touched" it up with a sander. It helped to pull the colors together and just ads a bit of homemade touch to it.

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My Valentine decor is growing. It's just FUN!

Add this to the Be Mine blocks I made last year.

And the wreath was made from Christmas balls and a wire hanger a couple of years ago.

Then finish it off with the garland I started a while ago but finally finished it last year....AFTER Valentines.

I had to wait until this year to show it off. I cut felt hearts and hand-stitched phrases on them. Then I sewed them onto ribbon.

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Great decor for pennies.

After Christmas things are always a bit dull. Adding some red and pink have been lovely. It's becoming my tool to survive the January blues. Besides we all love a chance to change up the decor a bit right?!

Chalkboard Clock

2012-01-31T18:56:00.007-07:00

I'm a little late of this post but sometimes projects just don't work out the first time, right?!
I saw this clock idea in the newspaper and thought it would be perfect for my sons astronomy room. You know we are a bunch of nerds at our house. I thought this was sooo cool. My boys take after dad. Numbers just click for them! They excel in math and science. I am always amazed at what they can figure out in their minds. Me, yeah, well, I have to write down 2+2. Really. You think I am kidding- ok maybe just a bit but math is NOT my forte!

So here is my fantastic clock. My son thought it was pretty cool too.

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I picked up a simple wood circle from the craft store and the clock innards. I used chalkboard paint but you can just use black paint too.

After the paint dries I had to prep it with chalk for the chalkboard paint.....

When I was done I had a nice surface to play with.

It was a good thing I tried with chalk first. Not all of the equations were shown on the newspaper. Some of them were a bit long for the size of my clock too. Remember how I love numbers. Yeah, uhm, well it took me a few tries to get the right equations on there. Thankfully the chalkboard was perfect for erasing over and over and over..... again.

This is what I ended up with. Not bad. I was proud of myself....until dear hubby got home and dear son who follows in his dad's brain steps.....more on that in a minute.....

My only problem with the chalk was I couldn't spray a finish on it. I tried several different tricks but the chalk just washed away. I ended up painting over the numbers with antique white paint. It still had some flecks of chalk so it retained some of the chalk writing effect.

So proud of my project, I sprayed it with a nice coat of sealer then left it to dry.

That evening I showed it to my sweet hubby.

"Look at my project honey! What do you think"

Yeah, it didn't take him long to point out my mistakes.

Can you find them?

Each number is suppose to be the result of the equation right?!

Apparently I got some of my equations wrong.

48 divided by 6 is not 7.

When I finished painting the numbers I made the 4 on 64 a 9, thus not resulting in 8.

And the 9 on 109 should be 8.

See I told you I wasn't number savy.

At least we he caught it before I put the clockworks in place.

Back to the sander, painting and finishing it off.

What can I say the right brain just wouldn't let the left work.

The end result is fantastic. Thanks boys for keeping mom on track!

What do you think?

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A Clean Freeze

2012-01-31T08:00:00.001-07:00

What could a pair of gloves....

a shop vac.....

and chunks of ice possibly have in common?

A clean freezer.

We try to purchase meat from local ranchers. It has a flavor that the store stuff can't match. It is from hormone free and grass fed animals. Plus it is much less expensive!

This year was the first year we purchased a pig. I am already LOVING it.

When I got back from the butchers I had to spend some time cleaning and organizing the freezer.

Winter is a great time to do this. You may get cold- just keep that coat in place- but you don't have to worry about anything thawing while you arrange your goods. It is also a great time to clear any ice buildup. My freezer had quite a bit.

I took a chisel and gently knocked away at the ice along the edges. I just let it fall to the bottom of my near empty freezer. The trick then came to how to get all those ice shavings out.

Out came the shop vac. If it didn't fit it stuck to the hose allowing me to toss it to the side. I pulled most of the baskets out. It didn't take to long. Most of the ice fell off in chunks. The gloves kept my fingers warm.

Before I knew it the ice was gone and my baskets could once again slide along the guides.

I organized the pork on the left side, chicken on the right and our soon to be purchased beef in the middle.

Larger cuts of meat all went in the bottom.

Smaller cuts and packages of ground meat went on the next row in baskets.

Popsicles, gogurts and other quick snacks for the boys go on the top. They will help to hold in the cold for the meat down below.

Organizing my freezer this way helps with temperature control. During the summer my boys are constantly getting in the freezer for ice cream and other cold treats. I don't want meat at the top exposed to the heat. It also helps with rotation and what gets eaten fastest.

Now I just need to make a bunch of pumpkin treats to use that frozen pumpkin before I get a new crop going this summer.
Pumpkin cookies or pumpkin bread? Hmm, maybe some of both.

Go ahead and clean out your freezer BEFORE your spring cleaning starts. You will be thrilled with the results. It just makes ya feel good. I love to look in my organized, clean freezer!

A week of pictures- almost

2012-01-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

I have had a very busy week although I didn't get many pictures scrapped.

I worked on my blog, revamping the whole thing. I still want to add better feed buttons but am not sure how to do that. If anyone has suggestions please share.

I also did some Valentine wordart.

I planned on catching up a few more photo pages last night but got side tracked a bit.

Never fear. I will be making the most of my weekend and have more (hopefully) to show next week.

I'm expecting another book sale sometime this spring so I want to be ready.

I am also hoping to learn a few more tricks in photoshop. I am wanting to do more and need to expand on what I have already learned. It's an ongoing process right?!

So here are the next 3 pages. I am up to 18 now. Let's see....today is the 26, yeah just a touch behind.

I may have to use some of my quickpages to catch up. They are great because all the work is already done. All I have to do is insert the picture and add a bit of journaling or wordart.

FAST and SIMPLE!

Gotta love that!

After working on Valentines I didn't get any wordart done to share so instead I am sharing my favorite wordart site.

Elegant Wordart 2

Bethany is great. She had a ton of wordart to download for free and some packs put together to buy too. She even takes requests. Here are some examples of the great stuff she does.

Check it out and be ready to download some great Wordart!

Valentine Freebies

2012-01-25T21:13:00.002-07:00

There are lots of great Valentine ideas on Pinterest. Just check out all these ideas I pinned. I love them.

These were the ones we put together for my friends kiddos.

She picked up the Pop Rocks at the Dollar Store.

Kinda fun, huh~! These are for her son. Fun but not too, uhmmm, PINK!

Girls valentines are always easier. They love pink and hearts. Maybe that is why men say Valentines is more for us ladies. In any case this is what we came up with for her daughter. "S'more" love!

The bag will be filled with Graham snack crackers, a valentine marshmallow, and a Hershey kiss.

Love it!

So, here are the tags for you to download.

It didn't take much to make them so I thought I would share.

For the Pop Rocks there are 18 on a sheet. All you have to do is cut them apart and tape or staple them onto your Pop Rocks. I hope you enjoy them too.

Here is the Pop Rocks Valentine. Download it HERE.

And for S'more Love....Download it HERE

Grab some bags, fill with your smores goodies then print off your sheet and cut them apart. They are set so that they are 2 inches plus a 2 inch blank back. Just cut along the bottom of each tag. That will leave you the 2 inch top to fold over and staple to your bag of goodies.

I hope you like them.

Leave some love if you download 'em. Make sure to follow me, help me reach my goal fo 100 followers.

Scrabble Tile Boys Decor

2012-01-23T01:41:00.004-07:00

I have been wanting to do this project for quite a while. I am thrilled to have finally been able to. It is a simple one and doesn't take too long....

Scrabbled Tiles for Mr. T's room. Not bad for a $2 craft eh?!

So here's the low down on how to do this....

Grab your paper and pen. Start jotting down descriptive words for what you want; girls, boys, bathroom, whatever. Then you have several words to play with. Pick the ones you want and plan your scrabbled board out.

Then stop by your local Home Depot. Head to the back of the lumber section. They usually have a cart with wood scraps in them. This is called the "cull" lumber. It is unusable in building but they know us crafters can still use it so they spray the end to mark it and sell it drastically reduced. My Home Depot sells it for $0.67 a board. I grabbed a couple but only needed one good size piece.
These are 1x2's.

Measure off to make a square then make your cut.

Repeat

Repeat...

Keep going until you have all the blocks you want.

Then head over to your trusty sander. Sand off the grean and smooth the corners just a bit.

Ohh, and don't forget to get that blanket that should be in the van nice and dusty so you have to wash it before it can be used again......

I cut my letters from black vinyl with my cricut and "George and Basics" cartridge. The letters are 2 inches and the numbers are 1 inch. I didn't paint my wood at all. Just apply the letters and numbers.

Oh, and don't worry about number values. Google is a great tool! Here they are....

2 blank tiles (scoring 0 points)
1 point: E ×12, A ×9, I ×9, O ×8, N ×6, R ×6, T ×6, L ×4, S ×4, U ×4
2 points: D ×4, G ×3
3 points: B ×2, C ×2, M ×2, P ×2
4 points: F ×2, H ×2, V ×2, W ×2, Y ×2
5 points: K ×1
8 points: J ×1, X ×1
10 points: Q ×1, Z ×1

I finished it off with a matte finishing spray. This helped to seal the wood too.
Now, how to hang them.

If you haven't used Command hooks yet give them a try. I love these (and noones paying me to say so) I use them all over my house, especially around the holidays. They are easily removable and I don't have to worry about holes in my walls.

I opted for the velcro tabs. They can be placed entirely behind the wood tile but I can still get to them when I need to change things up a bit.

See, you can't even tell what's holding the tiles up.

Beautiful!

Dear hubby likes it a lot. He said that if I was going to do so many great projects he should have finished my craft room sooner. Uhmm, YEAH!

I think it's time to add some color to little mans room. These tiles would really pop on a Navy wall!

Linking up here:

Blog revamped.....

2012-01-22T21:40:00.000-07:00

What do you think of the new look?

Last year I revamped my blog. I wanted to make it look more like me. Now I wondered if the red and black is hard on the eyes. After reading some tips on blogs and layouts I decided to do a little remodeling again. I created a my own background but I'm having problems uploading it. I will have to play with that a bit more. For now, I found this background on Cutest Block on the Block. I am please with it.

I created a new header that will hopefully define what my blog is all about a little more. My goal is that you will see right away what fun stuff there is to be found further down. It was interesting to think about what I want to say and how I to portray all my thoughts and ideas. I like to do a little bit of everything but my boys guide so much of my creativity. How could I spotlight all this in a moment. A blog banner seemed just the right way to do this. Using some of my favorite projects and my inspiration- the boys- I put my banner together.....

Let me know what you think.

Do you like the new or the old?

Are the colors better?

Do you get a better feel of what my blog is all about?

Making memories, 1 pg at a time..

2012-01-20T02:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the next installment of my 365 page challenge. I now have 15 pages done. I am still behind as it is the wee hours of the 20th. That means I am only 5 pages behind now. Hooray!

I plan on posting my pages each Thursday (I know, I'm a bit late with this one). I will also include a free wordart download. Something fun to say thanks for stopping by.

I spent some time organizing my pictures a bit too. I had copied them but somehow managed to get double files of some of them. I think I am finally winding down on the doubles. I have ended up scrapbooking some photos twice but I figure that is still ok. It is interesting to see how different, or same as the case may be, my photos/pages turn out.

It is also fun to see the memories. Isn't it amaing how quickly they grow and change.

Such fun, reminiscing about the pictures and events in each one of them. Most of all, it's fun to see the people we miss.

5 years as Bear Cubscout leader....yeah, I miss it. Each of the boys became one of MY boys. Funny how anxious I was starting out......

Of course....amongst all that changes, some things stay the same!

I am trying to go in chronological order with this challenge so that I will have a set ready for the next book sale. 2009 is the year in the spotlight now, although I can't resist straying to other fun pictures once in a while. Like our family photos from last week.

Have to say though, I am getting quite excited at all this. It just feels good to get memories down on paper!

Here is the Wordart I promised.....

Download it HERE

Just a Kiss- freebie

2012-01-18T08:00:00.011-07:00

I enjoyed making my Castle wordart so much I thought I would make another. So here you go. One is just black, you can embellish it how you want. You can also download one in color.

Use it on a Valentine card or a special scrapbook page.

Hope you enjoy them.

Download it HERE

or the colored one HERE

Linking up at these great parties!

Jewelry organizer

2012-01-16T08:00:00.007-07:00

I have so many projects that I have been wanting to get to over the past several months...it is SOOO nice to finally be able to do just that. In this case it also means reclaiming some of my bathroom counter space. I don't have a lot of jewelry but have been getting more of late. Earrings are one thing but necklaces are another. They are always in a tangled mess. I saw this idea on Pinterest and grab hold of it.

Just take a curtain rod or fancy towel rod; use the shower curtain hooks to hang your necklaces from.

It turned out great. My sweet hubby commented on it right away. He really liked it which made my day! Guys just don't pay attention to things like this.

I hung mine a higher so it would be above my handtowel.

Now I may need to get more jewelry and more hooks. Plus I will be wearing my necklaces more often, now that I can see them!

Simple.

Stylish.

Functional.

I love it!

Castle for a Prince Free wordart

2012-01-14T18:30:00.000-07:00

As I promised my FB friends here is the download for the Castle wordart.

Download HERE

I'm also including 2 more temples to download. The picture I had of the Idaho Falls Temple is from Lil Luna. It was edited to be used for an antiqued looking photo.

I didn't have a colored photo of the Idaho Falls temple but if I get one I will let you know. Anyone who would like another temple done just send me your photo. Please make sure there is no copyright issue with the photo.

Idaho Falls, Idaho Temple

Download HERE

Oquirre Mountain Utah Temple

Download HERE

Although this is officially the Oquirre Mountain Temple it is also like Twin Falls Idaho and Rexburg Idaho. I took this at dusk. I love how blue the sky was. I thought it would be too dark when we came out but I am thrilled with the color! I hope you enjoy these as well.

All your comments here and on FB have made me feel wonderful! Thank you so much.

Castle for a Prince Free Download

2012-01-13T11:38:00.005-07:00

I took pictures of the Salt Lake Temple for an upcoming project. They are color pictures but because it was snowing they look black and white except for the Angel Moroni.
I love the snow in the trees. I made a wordart. I'd read the thought somewhere, probably pinterest but I can't remember for sure.

Imagine my surprise when so many of my dear friends wanted a copy after I posted it to Facebook. Thanks guys for making my day.

I figured the easiest way would be to upload it to my 4share account but Facebook won't let me share that link so here you are. My little gift to all my friends. May it bring something special to you and yours.

This one is for a girl.

Download it HERE

Of course I have one for boys too.

Download it HERE

Just leave me a little love if you download it. Let me know what you thought. Follow along with my blog and you will see what I decided to do with this photo.

Scrapping Digitally

2012-01-13T03:34:00.000-07:00

I set a goal at the beginning of these year to average scrapbooking a page a day. I knew they wouldn't really be done 1 at a time but it gave me some incentive to try to catch up my memories this year.

Of course my laptop would get infected with a nasty virus and need to be in the shop the first week. So, I am already behind. But Never Fear!

I am determined. If I don't catch up, oh well. I will still get lots of pages done and most importantly

Developed and into an Album!

Each Friday I will post what I have done for the week.

Perhaps you will find some inspiration along the way.

Texture in the Cards

2012-01-10T08:00:00.001-07:00

A local scrapbooking store fell victim to the economy like so many other businesses. It always makes me sad to see this happen but I did manage to get some great deals while they were closing up shop. These metal brads and word buttons were some of the deals I scored. I coordinated some paper scraps, added ribbon, and the brads.

I love how buttons and brads add texture and dimension. Something so simple can really take you card to the next level,.

I used ribbon for the stem and petals on this flower.

One of my favorite craft stores in Idaho Falls sells bulk buttons. You get to go through and pick out what you want. Sometimes there are great finds other times they are just basic buttons. These all came from those button bins. Nothing fancy but threading the bright colors together should brighten someones day. You could do this with any color or any holiday too. I just stamped a little Thank you on the bottom corner. I also did one with the Thank You stamped all the way up the card. It wasn't bad but I liked this one the best.

For all of these cards I already had most of the supplies on hand. I did buy a few of the phrase stickers but the paper and embellishments were from my stash. Not too bad for some nearly free cards. Even better was that I got to use up scraps. I love when you end up with a win-win!

What do you think? Have you been able to use any of your supplies and scraps?

CREATE!

2012-01-08T08:00:00.006-07:00

Remember way back when... I first blogged my "Create" here

I stamped the letters on canvas and placed it in wooden hoops. A simple way to make a stunning statement.

But how to hang it in my new craft room......

How about upcycling a piece of ribbon from our fuzzy throw blanket?!

Just lay it out. Space the letters evenly and....

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VOILA! A great piece of wall art.

What do you think?

I'm loving it!

Thank You's

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few simple ways to say Thank you!

You never know when you may need to give a note of thanks so it is great to have lots of these lovelies on hand. They are simple and can use up paper scraps.

Just a ribbon, button and a stamp....

I love how simple this one is but yet elegant. Just ink the edges, add a sticker embelishment over a piece of ribbon with stamped wording.

Making several doesn't take anymore time than making one so while you have your supplies out, make several of each card. You will have built a nice card file before you know it! Ready for those last minute thoughts.

Simple Elegance

2012-01-05T08:00:00.004-07:00

A basic idea can go a long way.

A little glitter ribbon for some bling.

Some shiney paper

and a tender quote.....

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A little tip from my mom....

Fold your ribbon in half and cut it on and angle to get a chevron tail.

Simple and Elegant.

A way to use up scraps....

2012-01-04T11:27:00.000-07:00

I used to do all my scrapbooking with paper but now I digital scrapbook. Consequently I am left with lots of scraps of papers. I don't save as much as I used to but I don't want to waste anything either so I love when I can turn some of those scraps into something fun and useful.

Coordinating scraps, a touch of ribbon and a quote sticker.....

These 2 cards are basically the same with just a couple of minor differences. Just rounding the corners and turning it on it's side.....

This card became one of my favorites. The pattern came from 365 Cards, a book I picked up at Joann's.

I didn't have cookies stickers or stamps so I had to improvise. I used my scallop punch and overlaped a couple of the punches to get the bitten cookies. Add a few chips with a brown marker and soften the edges with brown ink. The quote was great.

"Friends are the Chocolate Chips in the cookies of Life"

Card Making for Beginners

2012-01-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

So what did you all think of the cards yesterday?

Did you try any for yourself?

Give it a go. Invite your best girlfriend over and while you visit throw together a couple of cards. You will be surprised at how quickly they go together.

Here are some I threw together while visiting with my sweet friend.

With boys are birthdays tend to get a bit "Wild and Crazy".

I thought these rub on monkeys would be great. They are from a zoo set but hey, this works too.

Just add a touch of ribbon for some texture and you are done.

I picked up a small pad of quotes and sayings for all occassions. One tip my sweet mother in law gave me was that any quote can be turned into a saying on a card. It was simple to just round the edges of some scraps of paper, add a ribbon and finish it all off with one of the sticker quotes. A note just to shay 'hey'.

She had also picked up some of this paper from the dollar store. I think it may have even been discounted- she IS one of the most frugal ladies I know after all!

I used my 3.5 inch scalloped punch and a smaller punch to make the sunflower then added a gem to the center. Simple but I think it is just right for a "just because" kind of note.

BTW: I purchased my large punch with a 50% coupon as a "splurge" to make Christmas tags but it has been handy and ooh, so fun for many other projects too. Go ahead "splurge" on one for yourself. You will love it.

A week of cards....

2012-01-02T08:00:00.001-07:00

My mother in law has a nack for making simple yet lovely cards.

Whenever you get one in the mail from her you can just feel the love that went into making that card.

It always brings a smile to your face- but more so when I discover yet another little secret of hers.

A little snip here.

A bit of sparkle there.

Top it off with a witty note and

VOILA, you have a "made especially for you" card from a sweet lady.

Now my cards on the other hand are...well... *ahem*....let's just say not quite that good. So this year I wanted to improve on that. It makes me feel good so I thought I could make some of my family feel good too. There are lots of times to send a quick Thank you note or a note to say "I'm thinking of you". I would have sent lots more had I already had some cards on hand.

I also realized of late that some people think Birthdays for adults are big deals too. They want to have the rest of us do special things for them as well. Apparently it IS a big deal to have your grandchildren wish you happy birthday....even if those boys say Happy Birthday and quickly pass the phone off.

So mom, I have learned my lesson and plan on making a bigger deal of birthdays this year. After all, without Nov. 3 I wouldn't have a great mom like YOU!

Sooooo, I spent some time making cards of all sorts. Some Thank you's, Sympathy's, Birthdays, and Just because's. Now I have a basket full just waiting for the right moment to send a sweet note to someone special and let them know just how special they are to me.

This next week I will be sharing some of the cards I have made thus far.

Now, I know there are lots of great, fantastic card makers out there. Mine won't be anything like those.
These cards are for those of us more simple minded ladies.

Not to mention those of us who only have so long before school is out and the kitchen has to reopen.

Let It Snow

The glitter words didn't work out the greatest but it was a fun experiment. Just a little pattern paper, snowflake stickers, glue and glitter.

Since I did this around Thanksgiving I just couldn't help the Gobble Gobble.

I thought it was silly but it became Dear Hubby's favorite.

A remnant piece of brown, ric-rac, and turkey stickers.

One of my sweet nieces favorite color is orange. It's so crazy but she loves the color. I thought of her when I made this card. What better than a simple Happy Birthday sticker in ORANGE of course, of set with a rainbow ribbon.

See what I mean....

SIMPLE!
Now, I am ready to go. I'm sure I will have more elaborate ones soon, I'm having too much fun making them to not expand. ;-)

As for the insides.....I leave them blank most of the time. More room to write my personalized note just for them!

Have fun and let me know what you come up with!

Craft room Reveal!!

2012-01-01T02:25:00.003-07:00

I am so excited to finally be able to show you this!

Remember this....

Yeah, kinda rough. It took all my time through November (thus the reason for no posts) but it was worth it.

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Yep! That is my finished guest/craft room. Ahhhh, it feels good. We worked so hard to finish this. My dear hubby endulges me enough to understand my need for a personal retreat. Not to mention somewhere to focus my creative juices. Now I can retreat to my corner of the world anytime I feel the need.

I was worried about the bright yellow but I have grown to love it. It is bright and cheery- perfect for a basement room. I pledged to have one room of my house that had no blue in it. I also wanted to coordinate with the bedspreads I already had. This is what I came up with.

Yellow, soft green and black and white.
I still need to do a few things, like paint the window trim, add decor to the walls and sew the curtains.
Right now they are just draped up there. I had to test them out. I am so visually oriented that it makes a difference for me to see something in place to picture the end result.

We were going to put a twin/full bunkbed in this room but it quickly filled up. We opted to switch the boys beds around and put one of the twin beds in here. This was we still have lots of room for visiting family and friends but I don't feel boxed in.

The queen bed set was a steal on KSL.com. It would probably look better in black with silver knobs but it is such a nice piece I can't bring myself to paint it- yet.

I used the bottom drawers of the dresser for my gift bags and tissue paper. Ahhh, storage. It's heavenly!

And this?! Well, THIS is my corner of the world. It is all mine, to craft, sew, ponder, create and refocus.

Come on over anytime. I have a chair waiting just for you! We can create and visit and have a dandy ol' time.

In the corner I have my "cutting corner". I still have some work to do here as well but it's a work in progress.

One of the things we planned for was to have enough closet space to put all my projects and supplies. I figured if it overflowed it was time to get something done or done-away-with.

I used a clear shoe organizer to put all my scissors in. I may put my stamps in it too....

On one side I have my fabric sorted by shades. This is mostly the sewing side of things.
Oh, and that middle row is full of projects to finish or start. All those plans I had but never got to before my room was finished. Now they are just waiting their turn.

The drawers were on sale at Michaels on Black Friday; 50% off plus another 25% off coupon. I grabbed a couple for myself then some for mom and mom-in-law Christmas gifts.

I organized all my stickers in mine.

The back wall holds misc craft supplies. Beads, jewerly making supplies, wood crafts, paint brushes, glue guns, balloons, gift wrapping, birthday party supplies... All sorts of fun stuff.

On the other side is my paper crafts. Ribbons, buttons, paper, punches, stamps, cutters...it's all there.

Above are boxes of pictures. Something yet to be organized.

I love everything about my room. We even managed to clean up the soon-to-be family room just outside my room so the boys can play Lego's and games while I craft. I can craft when I want and when I am done I just close the door. It will be nice too to hide things in when family comes to visit. No peaking!

Yep, just my little piece of heaven here on earth.

I LOVE IT!!!

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T01:46:00.000-07:00

Can you believe 2011 is in the past and 2012 is upon us? Where does time go?

Never mind, it IS one of my 4-letter words.

T. I. M. E.

It ranks right up there with L. I. F. E. and a few others. ;-)

With littel boys that like to wake everyone, especially mom and dad, up at 6 AM we have long abandoned our New Years festivities. We might stay up till 12:00 after tucking the little ones in but not always. 6:00 comes awfully early and sleep is too precious to miss.

Instead of New Years traditions I thought I would share a couple of our Christmas traditions.

Each year we let off red balloons and sing Happy Birthday to the One whose birthday it is. This year we also sang Silent Night. My boys are great even though they HATE to sing.

They do love to watch the balloons float up.

Of course mom and dad rather enjoy it as well.

There is just something about watching that red balloon get smaller and smaller and smaller.

The boys thought we should let them go one at a time so we had a great trail of red balloons. It was cool to watch them get caught in the jet stream and suddenly start floating the other direction. We even had an airplane fly over head. Wonder what all those passengers thought to look out the window and see the balloons next to them. We are near the airport so the plane wasn't too high yet. Kinda made us chuckle. Imagine seeing a balloon from and airplane window, high in the sky.

Matthew LOVES this. I made sure to get extra balloons so that he could keep one for himself.

As evening approached we made sure Santa's reigndeer were taken care of too. We laid out a great buffet of oatmeal with red sprinkles for Rudolf and his friends.

Each year we give the boys a new pair of PJ's to open on Christmas Eve night. Mr. J thought he was ever so smart that he knew the plan. Little did he know mom threw a kink in his plan. Instead of PJ's they got comfy sweats. *UHH???*

Surprise! Mom still has a few tricks.

Of course Mr. M still got PJ's. He needed them and the sweats just fall down on him anyway. They just don't make clothes for the skinny kids anymore.

Then just before bed we set out our treat to Santa. Now I realize that Santa has to maintain his figure and all but we thought he would enjoy some homemade bread and jam for a change. We added the orange to take along his way and a glass o cold milk to wash it all down with.

I think it was a hit cuz the only think left in the morning was a few crumbs.

We had a great holiday season. I hope yours was too!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Dear blogging friends. I know I have been a bit MIA of late. Life got a bit out of hand there for a while but never fear I have great plans just around the corner. I let things slip a bit in the name of sanity preservation. Then Pinterest caught my attention. Now the holidays. I decided to relax until after the first of the year then return with a vengence. I also had to revisit why I started blogging.

Some of my dear friends suggested that I start. It was for family but since I had so many other things to share and few of my family followed my blog it became a journal of my creative outlet. I sough ideas to make my house a home on a budget; tips for cooking, cleaning, sewing, and most of all crafting. I began to wonder if I wanted to continue blogging. Then I realized I have missed it. 4growingboys has become so much a part of me. I also realized it gave me an excuse, a reason if you will, to complete the projects and ideas I pinned or found on other blogs. Last year I amazed myself after posting all the 52 projects I had completed through the year. It was fun but even more amazing to see what I had accomplished through the year. So with all these things in mind I have lots of plans for the coming year.

First off, I will be starting my 52 projects again. It's a goal to focus on one project a week. Whether big or small. I will most likely be posting them each Monday. Keep an eye out for that.

I am also planning to scrap 365 pages. I usually do several pages at a time but I want to average a page a day. I will post the pages I have done each week as well. My pages are often simple by comparison, I'd rather the pictures speak for themselves but maybe someone will be inspired as well. We love to look back through our albums. The boys ooh and aah over their own faces. I have fallen a bit behind so hopefully I will be able to catch up this year. I also have a bit of paper scrapping to finish before tying it all into the digital scrapping.

So whether it be sewing, paper crafting, home decor, cooking, gardening, or scrapbooking you are sure to find lots of ideas in the coming weeks and months. For those of my followers that have stayed with me- THANK YOU! It fills my bucket each day to see new comments from all of you. You make my day just by saying hi.

So, for now MERRY CHRISTMAS to all. May you have the peace of the season in your hearts and home. I love this time of year. It is truely the BEST time of the year. Enjoy your holiday season. Keep your family close and love them like there is no tomorrow. I send all of you my love.

Join me in January for new and exciting things!

Kitchen decor....

2011-10-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

I have struggled this past year with how to decorate above my cupboards.

I knew what I wanted in my mind but could never quite get that to come out.

When I put up my fall decor I think I came close.

I love how it turned out.

It's amazing how simple things make a big difference.

I still need to decide what to do with the large pail and star...

The flower arrangment came from the DI.

Can you believe I didn't do much to it? Yep, I thought it looked great just the way it was.

Hmm, maybe I need a bit more fall garland there at the end too.

It's making the house feel more like Home.

Basement Progress: slowly but surely

2011-10-28T17:02:00.001-06:00

We managed to get the wiring done and frame in the window.

Now we just need to do the doors then start sheetrocking.

It is coming together and I am itching to decorate.

We are running out of time.

Soon. Soon, I will be able to enjoy this space.

(The black is from painting another project ;-))

It is taking time.

It gets frustrating.

Thankfully we have google for when we run into a problems.

But we are getting there.

And we are doing it together and growing together.

We have great talks and take advantage of teaching moments with our oldest.

Dad and Son working side by side.

Building more than just a room.

Dryer Vent Pumpkins

2011-10-28T02:52:00.000-06:00

I love getting together with friends to craft. This last week we made these pumpkins.

My mom had made some of these years ago but my puppy destroyed them.

It's just a dryer duct painted orange.

The harvest picks were on sale this last week at JoAnn's.

I love how they turned out. And I love how they look on my table.

So fun!

This weeks menu 10/23

2011-10-23T14:16:00.000-06:00

You know how life tends to get in the way of all our greatest plans...

Yeah, that's where we are.

We are still working on finishing my craft/guest room. I am uber impatient! I think I am actually having crafting withdrawls! I have loads of projects waiting for some attention. With the holidays creeping in the itch to make something is getting stronger by the second. And of course we have run into a couple of snags in getting my room finished. First of all we need it for a special 12th birthday on November 1; then again on Thanksgiving weekend with lots of family coming to town. We planned everything out and even with a few hicups were making progress toward our timeline.

Then last week my darling husband was put in as 1st counselor in the Bishopric in our ward. For those of you who don't have a clue what this means...it's...well, he's is basically the second one in charge of 300-400 people. It is a big responsibility accompanied with lots of meetings. He will be fantastic! He is a great leader and quite humble.

With all the changes and what-have-you we haven't gotten much done over the past 2 weeks. We are creeping along but I am worried we won't make our November 1 deadline.

Hopefully we will make the Thanksgiving one.

We just continue to work as much as we can (between DH meetings and my nights working).

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

In the meantime, I have fallen victom to another crafting hobby.

Yes, I know, I am weak.
See I needed a new watch band and I did'nt want to spend $15-$20 on one so I thought I would just make one. Just enough beads for one little watch band. AHEM!? Uhmm, yeah. I will have a couple of projects to show you from this little dilema. I think it would have been cheaper to buy the band BUT not NEARLY as fun. hehehe. Thank Goodness! My dear hubby is supportive of my addictions. lol

So, this week I hope to post our progress on the basement and a couple of small projects. Just enough to tide me and you over til the big reveal and craft craze of my new craft room!

If you wanna stop by you are welcome to stay for dinner. This is what we will be enjoying this week.....

Oven Fried Chicken

Monte Cristo Delights

Meatloaf

Baked Potatoe Soup

Strawberry Banana Omlets

Breakfast bake.

The end of the week will be filled with Halloween Carnivals and Chili cook-offs. I thought we could have an extra special breakfast before all the sweets hit the tummies.

I will also be making a couple of fun treats....

Pear Raisin Pie

Jack O' Lantern Pops

And probably a pumpkin pie. Dear Hubbies birthday is on Friday so he gets to decide. We are not big cake eaters so I suspect his birthday treat will be something pumpkin related. YUMMY!

Ohhh, and in case you were wondering.....

Only 63 days til Christmas! Horray!

Pinterest Addict!

2011-10-09T23:36:00.000-06:00

So sorry to have been MIA. I have had a couple of busy busy weeks. Then in my few moments of free time I just got sucked into Pinterest!

Hello, My name is Shannon, and I am a Pinterest addict!

I love it.

All the great ideas.

The way I can organize them.

To come back to when it's time.

Some day I will do them all.

Each and Every one.

Someday.....

Never fear I have a couple of projects to post this week. We are inching closer to having my craft/guest room finished. I have so many ideas waiting to do. Projects I have supplies for but haven't started. Projects I have started but not finished. Right now they are all stacked in piles that get moved from one spot to another.

I am dreaming of the day when I get to pull them out and organize it all nice and neat.

Then Let the Fun Begin!

For now, we will start sheetrocking this week. I hope to finish that up by next weekend then start taping and texturing. I have already picked out my paint colors. I will try to find them online and share....hmm or maybe keep you all in suspense. hehehe!

I am also trying to get going on my scrapbooking. I have taken a bit of a leave from that but it's time to get a bit caught up, sort of. I am trying to do 1 page a day. We will see how well I do that.

Oh, and just on a personal note.

Mr. M qualified for further speech therapy! Yeah!

After they turn 3 it is harder to qualify as the restrictions are so much tighter. There are just so many kids and they have to draw the line, in this case it's the 7th percentile. Well, he is not making enough progress so they qualified him. I know one day I will want less talking from him but for now I would just love to understand what he is saying. I am relieved to have this service through the school district. I hope to see some real progress soon. It's been nearly 2 years of therapy so far.

This weeks menu 9/25/11

2011-09-25T17:52:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted my menu lately but managed to get it together earlier today so here you go....

Beef Stroganoff

Chicken and Rice Soup

Turkey Roast

Grilled Chicken Tenderloins- Mommy's Kitchen

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Homemade Pizza

Several of these have been on my menu but for whatever reason get bumped so they are back on for this week. Hopefully that will save some on the groceries since I know I already have the stuff.

I am hoping to do some baking this week and try some more yummy fall recipes. Anyone have some suggestions of their favs? There are so many to choose from!!

Spicing up the bathtub

2011-09-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

Small touches with big impact....

A plan bathtub....

Made inviting.

I found the center of my swag and tied it around the rod.

Then I let it drape just right and tied it around the ends. It took a couple of tries but I loved the way it hung down without hanging into the tub.

Add the vase and towel rack I had and

VOILA!
A place to enjoy and relax....

A girls room decor....

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

I finally managed to get some good pictures of my friends daughters room. From plain to fab!

Madi loves her room. It is bright, cheery and perfect for a young lady! We added the wall color, chair, nightstand, lamp, wall art, and curtains.

It turned out great!

The "T" Wall

2011-09-22T08:00:00.002-06:00

I wanted to make a wall of T's from all sorts of materials. Anything that Mr. Tyler plays with became fair game. Rocks, legos, and sticks were some of the first things that came to mind.

Each time I went into a store that had monograms I grabbed one. I wanted all different fonts and sizes. When I had several I just started creating....

This was the first monogram I made. At the time I didn't plan on a T wall but now it just goes right along with the others.

A black T with letter beads down the side.....

Rocks and little boys just go hand in hand. How many times have I found rocks in the laundry? Or, "look at this COOL rock mom?" (I'm thinking of putting a frame around this one, it just looks unfinished)

This was one of my favorite letters. It's a bunch of washers glued together.

Moss and rocks wrapped around a wooden letter....

Lego's are a staple around our house. It only made sense that they be part of the wall. I let the boys come up with the design. I picked out the blocks I thought would work and told them to build me a T. Mr Ty added his lego guy.

Blue glass rocks....

Different fonts just painted blue- his favorite color.

Tyler loves his "T" wall. I have a couple of other ideas. I need to make a trip up the canyon for some twigs.

And, I keep wondering about something from the Home Depot. Surely there is something in the pipe section that can be worked into a T.....

I will share any others I add but for now I wanted to share what we have to far. All hung up with Command hook stickies (can you tell I love these things? and no one paid me to say that!)

Fun Coat hooks...

2011-09-21T08:00:00.003-06:00

I found some small railroad nails in a box of junk at the DI. I was thrilled but my dear friend thought I had a few loose nuts. She just stood back and smiled while I dug through "junk".

I hoped to find a 4th and use them in my bathroom as towel hooks but could not find another. I checked a couple of army surplus stores and still came up short, so on to plan B.

I picked up some square blocks and stars from Michaels.

Painted them, sanded the edges, and added the stars. I used black paint to dry brush the sides for an aged look.

I couldn't decide where to put them so I put them up with Command hook stickies. They are strong enough to hold the coats and backpacks but they are great for giving me an idea if a spot will work before I pound holes in my walls.

I think this spot works well, just behind the front door....

What do you think?

Making progess in the basement...

2011-09-20T17:39:00.014-06:00

Once upon a time there was a city boy and country girl who bought a house with plans to finish the basement.

There plans were grand.

But their knowledge was not.

Thankfully they had a great father who had taught the girl when she was young.

Now it came to teaching the city boy how to build wall after wall after wall.

Now we have 2 finished rooms and have 3 left to do; the bathroom, family room and guest/craft room.

We started framing the guest/craft room last weekend.

This weekend we finished framing the walls.

Josh was such a big help!

Maybe through it all we will pass on to our boys how to frame a basement....

....Maybe.....

We have to move supplies from one side to another as we work our way around but it is sooo nice to see the progress being made. This will be a big room for a couple of reasons. We wanted to include the window for egress access. This way when we plan to sell we can claim this as a bedroom rather than just a storage room. It will also have a bunk bed and queen size bed in it for when family come to visit. Not to mention serving as my craft room all the other days of the year. Just call it your do it all room......

We put in a 5x5 closet. I plan to have most of my supplies stashed here. It will be great to close things up and keep them out of site of family and friends. No spying eyes! Christmas is on the way!

Looking back into what will eventually be the family/game room.

The view from the closet.....

We put plastic up to help control the dust. This is the door into the bedroom.

We are also hoping to get moving on the bathroom. Mr. K is waiting for the bathroom to move into his room. He sleep walks at night so the bathroom needs to be close.

Can you believe it will cost $1500 just to have the rough plumbing done?! We have to move the drains a matter of inches! The toilet drain has to go back 5 inches! Why can't the builders just cement them in the right place to begin with?! Apparently this is a common problem. ARGH!

In the meantime we are framing the bathroom ceiling around the ducting.

I guess Mr K couldn't get into his room right now anyway.....

We had to store the beds somewhere!!!!

See the stack of tile in the by the door? SCORE on that! We found a nice basic tile for $0.51 sq foot! Yeah, I haven't seen any that low. We bought enough for our floor and extra. We can return what we don't need but will have enough to cover any mistakes. The next week the same tile was $0.68. Still a good price but not as good! I put a piece down to see how it would look in the bathroom area, yep! It's gonna be nice! Now we just need to get tile for the shower. The boys just wanted a shower rather than a tub. Works for me. They always use my shower anyway.

All this means that for now my crafting stuff is piled up.....

Left in the sacks with all my inspiration.....

Sewing projects, patterns, fabric, skirts, blouses....all on hold for now.

Paper crafts, vinyl, cricut, etc all in a pile.....hmmm, wonder if I can find a spot to do my "Spooky" sign?

Each weekend we are doing a little more.

Wiring, ductwork, insulation, sheetrock, mudding......

Hopefully by the end of October we will have this room finished!

Just in time for family to visit for a special 12 yr old birthday and the holidays!

Our Harvest "Mantel"

2011-09-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

We don't really have a mantel but I use our bookshelf to decorate for each season. I love how a little change can go a long way.

I want to change the sign on the wall. I have a project in mind and hopefully will be able to get to it this week. Halloween is dear hubby's favorite holiday but I DON"T do scarey! I tend to beat spiders in my sleep and he wakes up with a couple of bruises. Really! I know it's crazy but I do. I used to sleep walk really bad too. My mom tells me I tried to walk out into a blizzard to find my dad. :-/

Needless to say around my house are the fun parts of fall and Halloween more than the spooky.

I also have a couple of projects from last year that I need to finish.

Keeping my fingers crossed I will get to some of them this week.
My list is growing longer. There are so many great ideas and just not enough time!

Spiced Pear Dumplings and Fall cooking!

2011-09-18T19:04:00.000-06:00

Here are just some of the reasons I love fall....

Spiced Pear Dumplings..

3 Tbs packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp grnd cardamom
1/4 tsp grnd cinnamon
1 Tbs butter or margarine softened
Dumpling pastry (see below)
2 large pears peeled and cut in half, cored
1 egg white
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup caramel sauce or topping.

Pastry
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 Tbs water
Mix shortening and flour together until crumbly. Add salt, then add water 1 Tbs at a time until pastry almost cleans sides of bowl. Gather into a ball and roll out.

Mix br sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and butter together. Tuck a bit of mixture into center of pear. Wrap pear in pastry and seal edges slightly with cool water. Place seam side down in 9x13 greased pan.
Bake at 375 x 40-45 minutes.
Top with caramel sauce.
I didn't have caramel sauce so I mixed brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together on low heat then poured over the dumplings. It was a hit at our house!

I had some small pears that needed to be used up. I offered several recipes and dear hubby choose this one. I haven't made it in a while. It calls for cardamon (kinda like cinnamon). I had boughten this spices way back when I first made this. I have not used it since so I had to chuckle when I came across the recipe to use some more of this spice.....

I haven't made bread for a while. I found the cost of heating my house and thus using my AC more was just not worth the savings. We are out of bread and I was so glad to have the cooler temps so I could make some more bread.

And chili with cornbread. Fall soups and chilis! Yum! It's a great way to use up all those vegis in the fridge from the garden. Just add whatever is left.

For my chili I usually add hamburger, tomatoes, corn and several cans of various beans. I add a bit of ketchup and brown sugar like when I make baked beans. You can also add a can of jalepenos but my boys don't like the heat so I have started leaving that out.

I have to make a double batch of cornbread and today still ended up making more.
They devoured it!

I enjoy the BBQ but I LOVE fall cooking!

The best part was how my house smelled of yummy spices when I was done.

Home Sweet Home!

Spider Plate....

2011-09-18T15:57:00.001-06:00

I bought a purple charger a couple of weeks ago at Micheals. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I loved it. It was perfect for Halloween.

I have had a couple of ideas come to mind but nothing really popped...

until I saw this at Crap I've Made....

I new right away what I wanted to do.

I didn't have the right puff paint so I just went with the elementary route..

Elmers glue and glitter.

At 11:00 you will see Mr. Spider....waiting to catch his prey.

I love it!

I have fabric to make a runner to go on my piano for Halloween. I hope to finish it but my craft supplies are a shambles at the moment......Keep watching to see why.

Birds of a Feather Family Tree

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-06:00

My lovely mom-in-law sent this too me.

From Martha Stewart

I really like this idea.

I may do this in my family room down stairs. Although drawing it on the wall might be tricky I think I could figure something out. It's a great idea to strengthen family ties.

Thanking our Heros!

2011-09-11T15:55:00.000-06:00

The news is filled with rememberings of 9/11.

I realized 3 of my 4 boys were not even born. Do they understand what all the fuss is about?

I had been to the Towers just after the first bombing in 1994.

I remember visiting DC and driving past the Pentegon.

I remember sprawling fields of Pennsylvania all on a history tour in high school.

How different that tour would be now.

I remember being in my living room in our first house. I was just barely pregnant with our second.

Dear hubby was at school and I was off work cleaning house.

I don't remember why I turned the tv on, if my mom called or I already had it on but I remember sitting in stunned amazement as the first tower burned. Then watching the next planes crash as well. Like so many others that day remains vivid in my mind. Someone was quoted as stating "this is our Pearl Harbor". I can relate to that. Few events in the history of America have etched their way permanently into our minds as these have. What a tragic day. My heart goes out to all those touched personally by these events.

May God watch over you and yours.

America is STILL great!

We have heroes everyday touching lives and never asking for anything in return.

It is this type of behavior upon which this Land of Liberty has been built.
You are not forgotten.

I will remember.

My children will remember.

My family will remember.

Generations will remember

the sacrifice of so many to secure the freedom that defines

America- the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

Thank you! We love you!

Menu and new cooking blogs!

2011-09-11T15:05:00.000-06:00

With the addition of 2 new blogs I am excited to try some new main dishes. Not to mention cooler weather means we and enjoy our favorite soups and chilis!

This week at our house....

Homemade Pizza

Turkey Roll Ups from Mommy's Kitchen

Roast, potatoes and garden carrots

Meatloaf from Country Cook

Chicken Rice Soup

Taco Casserole

For Desert I plan on trying a new Lemonade Pie from my dear friend. hmmm, maybe I will make that tonight! She promises it is refreshingly delightful! We will see and I will post pictures and the recipe.

Now I have to put a shout out for The Country Cook. I found her blog through Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck link party. I love cooks that stick with basic ingredients in my pantry. They are even better when they remind me of growing up on the farm and in the country. It all comes down to comfort food for me but these are the biggest hits with my boys too. They haven't lived on a farm but they love to visit my uncles farm. Something about the dirt in your toes and the thrill of riding a tractor....

but I digress....

The Country Cook has lots of fun recipes that look great.

Shhh, please don't tell dear hubby she even has a recipe for "Magic Shell" ice cream topping.

He loves the stuff that will freeze on your ice cream. All my boys devour it (I know this is a common occurance) and I haven't boughten it in a while which means they could go through some withdrawls when I buy it again!

Or her Hamburger Steaks and gravy

Then for desert try her Shorcut Cheese Danish, I plan on trying it!

Ooh, Yummy!

These will be great recipes for my boys to learn to cook with too. At 11 and 9 they are wanting to learn to cook more. Love that! It helps that they have been watching food networks "Chopped" show with dad. It becomes a joke if your dish is chopped or not. Makes me smile and welcome them into the kitchen. I will have to have them pick a night to help cook and let them go at it while I supervise. Before long I will have them searching blogs for more great recipes to try! Who said having all boys was tough?!

Check out The Country Cook for your cook!

A New Cooking Blog!

2011-09-09T07:15:00.001-06:00

Well, new to me at least......

I walked into work this week and found a co-worker looking at

Mommy's Kitchen

Ooooh, Leave that up!

I knew I needed to take a look. My menus have been in a rut lately, just waiting for cooler weather to make delicious soups and chili's.

Let me tell you what! I am excited to redo my menu for this coming week. I didn't finish my shopping yesterday and now I'm glad!

Her blog runner is just my style. Family meals, country style hit a nerve for me as well.

Then I scrolled down to find....

Homemade lunchables!

Then we had to search for a Peach Cobbler

ooh, my mouth is watering already! Fresh peaches wrapped in a warm flakey crust. Add a scoop of French vanilla ice cream! Peach Cobbler A la Mode!

My boys are eating school lunch (we are blessed to have a GOOD school lunch, homemade style) but these are good enough to tempt me to return to my old ways...

School Lunch Box ideas

Blackberry Dump Cake

Comfort food... Turkey & Stuffing on a weeknight!

Okay! ENOUGH ALREADY! My belly is growling and I've got work to do. Dinner is still a ways off. I would love to show you more but I just can't handle it. Take a look for yourself. A peek just won't do.

In the VERY unlikely event you can't get enough check out her Sunday Potluck! So many additional recipes linked up. You will definitely have enough to fill your menu!

Check her out! You will be in love!

Feather Headbands

2011-09-06T08:00:00.004-06:00

This was another project that lets me live vigariously through my sisters and friends little girls.

Feathers are all the rage right now. So we made some headbands with them.

We got the feathers from Micheals and the metal headbands from Walgreens.

The feathers are already grouped together so all we had to do was glue them to the wire then add a matching piece of felt to seal it in. It also helped to keep hair from getting stuck.

I am actually holding 2, a black and white and a pink and white one.

I wasn't sure how to get a good picture of headbands. I didn't think my boys would model them for me.

Putting these up for another Christmas gift. Hopefully they will be as big a hit as they were with my friends daughter.

Super Saturday Projects

2011-09-05T21:59:00.000-06:00

I was asked to help come up with simple projects for our Super Saturday. It's a giant craft day for our Church. Anyone is welcome to join the fun.

My goal is 4 or 5 projects for $5 or less.

Scrabble Tile Pendants

These would be inexpensive if I could find a scrabble game at the DI. I will have to check tomorrow.

Crayon Art would be fun.

I would have to get the canvas on sale and stock up on crayons soon.

Mason jars would also be low cost.

A jewlery stand is easy and fun. I would have to get several different styles from the DI for options and some paint, just in case.

There are several options for using bead board.

or...

I will have to price hooks but this is a possibility.

another scrabble tile idea

Or maybe something with chalkboard paint and vinyl lettering.

Magnets of various sorts.

Washer Necklaces

A little Thanksgiving decor

Some fun with vinyl

WOW! Looks like we could have lots of choices......

Toy Story Pendant.

2011-09-05T08:00:00.006-06:00

I made this pendant a while ago. When I put it up Mr. M spent the night ooohing and awhing.

I originally put it up along the seam in the ceiling but when we added a fan I had to move it.

I just used felt for the pendant.

Then printed the pictures off on dark iron on printer paper.

Worked beautifully!

Now Buzz, Woody and the whole gang watch over the little boys heads!

Mr. M. still LOVES it.

Necklace hanger....

2011-09-04T17:31:00.001-06:00

My friend and I have been working to add to her daughters room decor. I had this oval plague waiting for something to be done with it.
I decided to add a bit of paint and some stars.

We touched the edges with black to age it.

I wanted a bit of bling to it so I used some pink glitter paint for the sparkle.

Finish up with some hooks and VOILA.

Now she has a bit of wall art and someplace to hang her necklaces.

Lamp redo....

2011-09-03T08:00:00.006-06:00

We found this fantastic lamp at the DI.
Of course I didn't get a before picture.
I was too excited to get started.

Used aqua spray paint on the base.

Then recovered the shade.

And a little bling for a finishing touch.

I love it. More importantly my friends dear daughter loves it!

Linking up:

Saturday

Crayola color wonder!

2011-09-01T08:00:00.000-06:00

I had to try this project. It was so fun to do!

I got my artist canvas on sale at Michael's.

I used 2 boxes of 24 crayons. I have a stock pile of these for school.

Now is the time to get crayons to have on hand.

I am wondering about doing one in a monogram for my son...hmm, should we do "M" or "T"?

When Mr. M saw it he went "Ohhhhh, color! WOW! Look guys!"

Makes this Momma smile!

Oh yeah, I am loving it!

Mason Jar Soap Dispensors

2011-08-30T08:00:00.008-06:00

I love these mason jar soap dispensers! I wanted one from first sight. I however didn't wanna pay the price for just the lid. So I did what any self respecting crafter would do, I made my own.

I grabbed a mason jar and started to cut a hole in the top. Not a tough job but I needed a wide one and wanted to limit the number of sharp edges. Needle nosed pliers worked great to widen and smooth out the hole.

I had a bottle of Bath and Body works foaming kitchen soap to use. The top was great for a smooth finish. I just super glued the rim of the pump to the flat lid.

Add a little silicone to help seal the pump and the rough edges. Hot glue works well too. Make sure to let this dry completely.

Add a bit of paint for the finish of your choice. I would have preferred a hammered nickle finish but of course couldn't find that spray can (until I finished the project!) hidden at the back of the shelf.

Black would have to do for now.

I tried a matte gold too. Not bad but I like the black ~~or hammered nickle~~ better.

I love them. And they work great. I'm putting this on my Christmas gift list. I am shooting for a homemade Christmas this year. Dear family, you'd better get your wishes in when you can!

Love, Love, LOVE it! It looks amazing on my sink.
Linking up:

Lego Table

2011-08-29T08:00:00.000-06:00

When I saw this I knew I needed to do it.

Big brothers tend to have issues with little brothers wrecking their Lego masterpieces.

Now little brother can join in with his own creation that is just his size.

And hopefully it will help to corral the Legos to one corner of the living room.

I got the table from a yard sale for $3!

I might have a bit of a problem finding the Lego pieces...lol

This is only a small, a very small portion of our Lego's.
This is after all, a house of BOYS!

Big brother was none to thrilled with mom gluing his Lego bases on a table but amazing things happened...ALL the boys, big ones included, loved this little table.

And here's a sneak peek at the beginnings of another Lego masterpiece. They build all around it and even take turns using it. I don't know how much better the Lego's are contained but little man is happy.

Picture Clocks

2011-08-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

I love this. I have something for clocks, we have several but I'm sure I could find a spot for this one too. Or better yet, add it to the homemade gifts list.

From Rosy Red Buttons

Halloween treats and Stocking stuffers

2011-08-24T15:27:00.000-06:00

These are great fun for Halloween.

Wrapped rolled coins for stocking stuffers. This is great for my boys!! They are wanting their own money to spend more and more.

This weeks menu 8/21

2011-08-24T15:22:00.000-06:00

I planned this at the beginning of the week but never got a chance to finish posting it. With school starting I find my evenings jam packed with dinner, homework, scouts, and work. And we've only been in for 2 days! Hopefully we will get the evening routine smoothed out. Mornings are not a problem for us, it's the evening. We wake early enough to have spare time in the morning but there is only so much to cram into the evening hours.

BBQ Chicken

Cabbage rolls

Burrito Casserole

Beef Stroganoff

Chicken Nachos

I want to make oven fried chicken for Dear hubby for lunch, anyone have a great tried and true recipe. I know it's simple but I have never made it. Please share if you have a great recipe. Dear hubby could use a smile in the middle of a rough day.
ENJOY!

Back to school!

2011-08-23T15:52:00.003-06:00

We've had an amazing summer! Lots of fun. Lots of outings. Lots of projects. But all good things must come to an end.

Today was officially the end of summer vacation.

The boys were all so excited to return to school. We are a bunch of nerds. Yeah, we admit it. We love reading, computers, science and math (well, except mom and math, we don't mix). All nerds are cool (eventually) so back to school is a great time at our house. The boys get excited to meet their teachers, friends and new classmates. School shopping is a breeze with boys. Just t-shirts and jeans. It makes for a low stress event. I even planned to make a special breakfast and all they wanted was cereal- ok, works for me!

The only exception would be little brother who is left home alone. He was really mad when he couldn't go to school with the big kids. Never fear my dear, pre-school is tomorrow morning! Ahh, 2 hours without children, what's a mom to do? Hmmm, shall I start at the top or bottom of my wish list! hehehehe

This year I feel more at home at the school. I know the teachers and most importantly the secretaries. Plus I am able to be more involved in PTA. We hope to make an even bigger impact for the kids this year!

Add all this to the feel of fall in the air, harvest decor plans, baking, warm soups, homemade gift giving.....Ahhh, great things are happening.

Yep, it's an exciting time all right!

Americana Porch Decor.....

2011-08-16T08:00:00.003-06:00

I have been working to finish some projects. You know, all the great ideas you start but never get a chance to finish. This is one of my projects that I wanted to finish for the 4th of July but will get to enjoy it for Labor Day.

I used some leftover bead board to paint my stripes. After taping off I painted the blue square. Then I used my cricuit to cut a star template. I didn't get all 13 stars on but still love how it turned out. When I finished painting I added a brown glaze to antique it. Now I can't decide whether to hang it or let it stand in the corner by my front door.

I think I will ponder it until Memorial day. Soon I will be redoing my porch decor and putting fall up. Horray! I love the fall colors. Fall baking. Cool nights and warm days. Spicey apple scents. Yep, fall is my favorite season. Just before my favorite holiday- Christmas!

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Best part of Gardening!

2011-08-15T08:00:00.002-06:00

Can you guess what I may be up to this week?

I pulled a couple to beets to see how they were doing. I knew we were close to harvest time.

I was hoping to wait until Monday to weed the garden and pick beans but I realized they wouldn't last so I got dear hubby to help. Of course he took to the harvesting part like a pro. He said "this is the best part of gardening" while he picked the beans and peas. In the meantime, I am pulling all the weeds. That's ok. It's all good! I love company when I am working in the garden and the weeds aren't too bad to pull from our sandy soil.

This week I will be canning beats. We stopped at Cal Ranch and picked up a camp stove. Now I can go out back and cook without heating up the house. My power bill will thank us as well.

This weeks Bountiful Basket was great. We miss the apples but I suspect they are coming soon.

This week we get to enjoy:

5 bananas

1 bag of grapes

1 lb strawberries

5 plums

2 mangos

1 canteloup

2 red peppers

3 tomatoes

3 roma tomatoes

3 onions

6 ears of corn

and

2 heads of romain lettuce.

All this for just $16.50! It really is the best way to get some great produce in the house. We eat so much more fresh stuff with this. Can't beat that in the store. YUMMY!

This weeks menu 8/14 & Cafe Rio Dressing!

2011-08-14T15:13:00.000-06:00

We will be visiting family this weekend so our menu is short but I have a couple of recipes to entice you this week....

First, at Casa del Johnson's you can join us for......

Antipasto Picnic Salad from Taste of Homes

Garden Chicken Salad from Taste of Homes

Pinwheels

Spaghetti

Tacos

Now for a recipe to make your friends drool. I love Cafe Rio's pork salad but the dressing is half the delight. I have the recipe for the pork but didn't realize that I had the recipe for the dressing too. Thank you to my Relief Society friends in Idaho. The put together a small recipe book to give as birthday gifts last year. We moved before my birthday came up but I had been looking forward to this treasure. Ward cook books are some of the best! I begged a copy and they had sympathy on this country gal. I often forget it sitting in the top of my cupboard but always pull it out when I'm in need of inspiration. I was delighted to find this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix

3 Tbs salsa verde

1/2 tsp tabasco sauce

1/2 bunch fresh cilantro

2-3 small cloves garlic

3/4 cup mayonnaise

3/4 cup sour cream

grated lime peel and juice from one lime

buttermilk to thin to correct consistency

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Serve with Cafe Rio Sweet Pork.

~ENJOY~

A skirt and some bling...

2011-08-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

My friend and I made this artwork for her daughters room. I showed you here but thought I would get a close up. I still love how her room looks!

I love how the bling gives it just a bit of sparkle! It is just FUN.

A while ago I started making a skirt but somewhere along the line I didn't measure right and it became clear it would not fit. DANG IT! What to do. I had splurged on nice suede-like fabric. I was thrilled to find it would fit my dear friend. I love making things for others. It makes me smile to see someone fall in love with a homemade gift!

She loved it. Just add a blouse and nice pair of boots!

Happy Birthday Friend!

Bento style lunches

2011-08-10T08:00:00.002-06:00

My dear hubby works 10 hour shifts out on the Utah desert. He doesn't get an official lunch break but rather eats on the run. He doesn't like anything salty to make him retain water. He needs only finger foods and prefers high moisture content foods, like grapes and watermelon.

I asked him for requests and he said, fruit and vegis are nice...(yep, we always have those thanks to Bountiful Baskets)...string cheese (uhmm, yeah, I buy this ALL THE TIME! But 4 boys tend to devour string cheese)...and sandwich alternatives.

He gets really tired of sandwiches, understandably, but I'm not sure what else can be eaten on the run.

I managed to get my brain engaged on the topic at 2am (I was working that night) and came up with an idea.

I thought on the Bento box idea from Japan. If I could get a divided container and fill it with finger foods, he could just grab it and go.....

hmmm, on to something there. So I stopped by the store on the way home. They had divided ziplock containers. I picked up 6.

Then I presented my idea to dear hubby.

He LOVED it. He wouldn't have to fix his lunch at 0530 am!

We made a list of what we had in the fridge to fill his lunch and shopped for what was missing.

I filled the main compartment with an entree, added a fruit and a vegi to the smaller slots. I left any condiments off, hubby has a stash at work that he can just add when he is ready to eat. This meant I could make the meals ahead of time without fear of them going soggy.

I made a list of 'extras' he can add for a treat or something more.

I just put it in the cupboard next to the menu so he can just look at the list and grab what he wants.

Hopefully, this will make his mornings easier and give a bit of variety to his meals.

Here are the ideas I had:

Entree: BLT wrap, meat and cheese slices, deli style sandwiches, PB&J sandwich (his request), chicken strips....

Vegis: carrot sticks, celery and PB, tomatoes, cucumber slices,

Fruit: grapes, strawberries, plum, peaches, applesauce

Extras placed in snack size bags ready to grab: frozen candy bar, raw almonds, string cheese, yogurt covered raisins, frozen gogurts, cookies.

Hubby was excited to have all this ready made.

I am wondering about something similar for school lunches???

Sharing here:
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Hot mom HOT!!

2011-08-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Our back yard faces west which makes it extremely hot in the afternoon. We have planted some trees and plan to build a covered deck next summer but until the trees grow and the deck is built it is hot Hot HOT!

We put a screen door on the back door earlier this summer, which I love. I don't have to worry so much about yelling, "Shut the door".

Even with all this we still have a problem. The back door gets too hot for the kids to close leaving the sun to poor in during the afternoon hours. Mr. M was telling me "hot mom! HOT!"

I didn't want them to get burned so this is what I came up with.....

I used cow magnets to hook the towel over the hot door. Cow magnets are really strong. Farmers use them to prevent sharp objects from going through a cows digestive track and tearing things up. You can get them from Cal Ranch or any other farming and ranching store. I love that they hold lots of papers or thick fluffy towels.

The towel gets warm but now I don't have to worry about little shoulders and arms touching the door and getting burned. It is just a temporary fix for the rest of the summer that didn't cost me a thing!

Hummingbirds....

2011-08-08T13:38:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I noticed a hummingbird zoom around the back yard. I was thrilled! I love to watch these amazing little birds. We had some nectar but our feeder got broken in the move last year. My next trip to the store included picking up a new feeder. We filled it up and stuck it to the window where we could watch.

and wait.....

This morning I caught it slipping in for a sip. By the time I got my camera it had already zipped away. I thought I would be sneeky and keep the camera close but with 4 boys around I've not yet caught the little bird. I am hoping to have more start hanging around. Next year this will, hopefully, be full of flower blossoms waiting to have the nectar stolen.

If I fill the birds up maybe they will help to pollinate my fruit trees. Hummingbirds are like bees that way. They just have an added benefit of being beautiful to watch!

Keep coming little birdy!

We look forward to your company!

So share what your favorite Hummingbird and Butterfly attracting flowers are. I still have room for more perennials!

This week menu 8/7/11

2011-08-08T11:05:00.000-06:00

I enjoyed a lovely birthday of relaxing and visiting with friends yesterday. My request was to not cook and not do dishes. I am proud to say my house of boys delivered! Dad cooked and all the boys pitched in to clean up.

I had planned the menu already so here you go. Hope this helps give you some ideas....

Burrito Casserole
Grilled Chicken with vegis
Chicken Nuggets
Taco Salad (I have lettuce ready in my garden!)
Hawaiian Pineapple Chicken
Grilled Ham and Cheese- extra yummy on homemade bread!

Next month we will be purchasing 1/2 a cow and thankfully restock our freezer with some beef. For now we are using chicken more because it's simply cheaper. Thankfully there are oodles of recipes for chicken. Plus it is lean protein.
I am looking ohhh, soo forward to fall.
It is my favorite season, warm days, cool nights and the BAKING!! Oh MY!
And guess what?! Fall is just around the corner!
ENJOY!

This weeks menu 7/31

2011-07-31T17:09:00.000-06:00

I am looking forward to fall baking and cooking. In the heat of the summer I don't want to stand in front of the stove, who does. Dear hubby gets tired of all the sandwiches he eats everyday at work and although I love a great salad the boys could be spared from eating leafy greens 7 days a week. The result is a total drain on my menu planning. I am longing for some yummy soups, casseroles and chili's. Not to mention they are some of the easiest menus to cook. Soups are great for using all the leftovers in the fridge, a little of this a little of that and voila! Fall is coming and I will soon get to enjoy yummy baking and what have you......

For this week you may join us at Casa de Johnsons for

Olive Garden Night

Nachos

Chicken Bacon Pizza

Cabbage Wraps

Teriyaki Chicken Noodles

BBQ Chicken Wraps

from Real Mom Kitchen

Succulent wall decor....

2011-07-31T08:00:00.000-06:00

Using succulents in wall hangings, even a globe, is one of the articles in this months Better Homes & Gardens magazine. I love it. I can't wait until we can build our deck so that I can do some of the fun projects I have planned. I want to plant lots around my deck to help keep it cool and inviting. Now mind you I live in the mountain desert. Our new house is even hotter and drier than our old one. With few trees around I am gonna be planting a lot. But until I get the shade I want, succulents are becoming increasingly inviting. An added bonus, they don't take much water!

In words and pictures

Bar soap to liquid soap...

2011-07-30T18:21:00.000-06:00

I am going to have to try this. Plus my sis-in-law would love this as well. After cleaning up numerous soap shavings from cub scouts learning to carve I have tried in vain to not let those shavings go to waste. I confess they become more of a hassle than they are worth. Now I will be able to turn that pile of ivory soap shavings into a usable form.

Savvy Housekeeping

Summer table runner and chair....

2011-07-28T02:35:00.002-06:00

Remember back when I got this chair? I started painting it but got hung up, it just didn't look the way I pictured so I set it aside. Then we started redoing my friends daughters room and my interest in this chair peaked again. I had a different image pictured, something with a glaze finish but this is perfect for her room. Check out how we painted the walls here and the wall art. I hope she like the chair and it adds to her room. Dear hubby commented how good the chair turned out too......

My friend has been saying how she wanted to add some blue to her decor. Turguois is all the rage and adds some fun color to home decor. I made one of these runners for my sister in law but forgot to get a picture before giving it to her. I loved how it turned out. Hers was all soft, warm, vintage colors, Totally her! I decided to do one for my friend too. No other color would do without some blue.

I love the colors together. I even have enough supplies to make one for myself. Yeah!

Stumbling Projects: Mason jars, wall art, patio decor and more....

2011-07-27T19:18:00.002-06:00

I stumbled some great ideas tonight. Now if I can just find the time to do all these great projects....

Making my own colored jars....from Creative little daisy

This is so cool! Crayons melted down the canvas with a heat gun. LOVE IT!

Not Martha

This is amazing. It looks difficult but she promises it's not.

Christmas is just 5 months away! It's my favorite time of the year!

A burlap table runner from Living with Lindsey. I'm thinking red for fall....

From Simply Vintagegirl

If I had girls I would be making lots of these...hmmm, maybe I will make some for myself.

More decor for my patio.
Hope these will inspire you as they have me!

Growing my garden....

2011-07-27T08:00:00.004-06:00

It usually takes a couple of years to learn the soil and water requirements in a new area before you really have a great crop. My garden is doing well but I can tell this is the first year here. We have much more sandy soil whereas before we had thick clay soil. My soil is also very 'wild'. Nothing was grown in it prior to our moving in. This fall I plan to add some great compost or manure. Just to enrich the soil for next year.

My tomatoes are usually fuller by now. I gave them a bit of Miracle Grow. Hopefully it helps. I do have some blossoms already. The warm days and nights are great for tomatoes.

My mom and dad have several plants of rhubarb. They dug a few up that were needing to be moved and shared with me. Since rhubarb is harder to kill off than some weeds, you can bet those spots are already growing more rhubarb. My mom was only slightly surprised. Right now my plants are setting down deep roots. I may have gotten too many myself. Soon we will be enjoying some rhubarb crisp of our own.

My cucumbers had a really rough start! I think they are coming round. I plan to trelis them up the side of the steps.

My pepper plants are doing well. I am hoping to have enough to make salsa; Tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers....

I had to use some of my flower beds for vegis but I am planting some perrenials this year too. Dear hubby commented he loves the plants with bold color. When I saw these beauties I had to grab a couple. He was in Lowes grabbing some screws. I parked near the nursery entrance to 'wait' for him. He just laughed at me when he saw where I had parked. "I knew you couldn't resist" he said. Ahh, he knows me so well.

I do love the color starting to show in my flower bed. There are a couple that I don't remember the names of, a climatis, dianthus, some bulbs and these new flowers. Next year should be popping with color!

I made a couple of lady bugs from bowling balls. They are GREAT! So much fun. I wanna make a bumble bee to and maybe a couple for Christmas gifts.

I bought some flower bulbs the end of June. I planted them but didn't expect them to grow this year. To my pleasant surprise they are coming up wonderfully.

My watermelon plant is on slow motion. I don't know if we will get any fruit from it but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Way back when Mr. M's speech therapist suggested the book "The Sunflower House". I haven't gotten the book (I can't find it) but did plant the giant sunflowers to be a great 'house' for Mr. M. They are REALLY growing. It was sunset when I took this picture. Notice how much the leaves are turned to the west. "SUNflowers" always point to the sun.

My garden... lettuce, beans, carrots, beats, and peas. I think I will plant another crop of beans. I had more but boys and a puppy wiped out one of my rows and thinned the others. I can't decide if I should do square-foot gardening in my little 10x10 plot. I may try a few things this fall to help me decide. What do you think? Rows or square-foot?

My everbearing strawberries are exploding. I think they are doing better than anything else. The birds have gotten several of them but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. he he he!

They are sending out so many runners already. If they keep this up it won't take long to have my beds full of green plants and red berries. Ohh, yum!

I hope to plant some June bearing plants next year for jam. I also want some June bearing raspberries. My everbearing raspberries are doing well too. Not bad for a first years growth.....

I will need to build a trellis for my grapevine to grow up before next spring. It isn't real big now but the fruit grows on one year old vines. Hopefully next year we will have lots of berries and some grapes!

Girls room...

2011-07-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

So we were visiting with friends when their daughter mentioned how picked on she was because her big sisters room was more decorated than hers. Hello Sibling Rivalry!

Well, to make peace we talked about what she wanted in her room.

And started to make some plans for her room.

The walls were something like this...

uhmm yeah. The bad part- BORING. The good part- a perfect blank canvas!

She has a lovely bedspread that we pulled the colors from. She wanted green so...

We did lime green.

Then we took a rectangle canvas, added some pink fabric and painted wood letters.

I love how it turned out. CUTE!! Pictures just don't do it justice!

I especially like the peaked wall. The name plate looks too high but we are making plans for some lovely pink curtains.

We also have plans for a shelf and some wall art. Keep watching to see how we do a bit of a swap on the sibling rivalry.

BTW: notice the nightstand? Yeah, still wish I had kept that beauty for myself. It's amazing!

Activity Days and Pioneers

2011-07-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

This past week was a busy one for me. For Activity Days we taught the girls how to quilt. I am always surprised at the homemaking skills that are being lost with each generation. The girls loved learning to quilt and commented how much fun they had. We made it a "Mom and Me quilting" activity. We managed to do one quilt then enjoyed strawberry shortcake. I finished up 3 more quilts at home with the help of my friend and her daughter (also one of my A.D. girls).....

3 lap quilts and one twin size.

I love, LOVE this twin quilt. The top fabric was on clearance and the backing is just a twin top sheet. It was so pretty. I was tempted to keep it myself, hehehe.

Then this weekend we had the Pioneer parade. It is a celebration of the summer of 1847 when the first pioneers entered Utah. There are lots of activities for the kids. During the parade every one gets to dress up as pioneers. We had all the primary kids on the float.We used the quilts to decorate the sides of the float. Then we will donate them to the local hospital.

Of course I forgot to get pictures before the parade. We had left the camera in the van, oops. I did managed to snap a picture before everyone started to take things off the trailer- just barely!

Two of the cutest young pioneers in years! A simple straw hat, bandana, and paid shirt. Not "authentic" but it worked!

This weeks menu 7/24

2011-07-24T18:47:00.001-06:00

Most weeks I don't mind which day we eat what. This week, however, we have lots going on and I wanted to coordinate my meals with the evenings activities. Hopefully this will make life easier for me. We are also trying to eat fewer carbs. This is a bit of a challenge considering most of our meals are a meat, vegi, and starch combo. Last week wasn't too bad but my grocery budget was a lot bigger than I am used to. It's been a while since I bought steak at the store. We usually get 1/2 a beef from my uncle in the spring. We weren't able to this year. Lets just say, OUCH! Meat is expensive! Perhaps thats why I lean more to the chicken meals........

Monday

Omletts

Tuesday

Work BBQ at the park

Wednesday

Parmessan Chicken Salad

Thursday

Chicken Fried Steak

Friday

Camping

Saturday

Oven Fried Chicken

Baked Beans

Thrifty gift bags....

2011-07-19T11:11:00.000-06:00

How about Orange

Love these gift bags. Do them up with comics and they are perfect for boys!

Little Girls room decor....

2011-07-18T11:07:00.000-06:00

I know what you're thinking...WHY in the world would a mom of 4 boys need ideas for a little girls room? Well, I have to do girly things vicariously. My sisters have girls and my best friend has girls. At the moment one of those little girls is feeling a little put out because of the lack of decor in her room. So we are on a mission to personalize her room. Hopefully we can make it a retreat she will love. Then she will stop looking with envy at big sis's room!

Right now her walls are a soft cream color...bare canvas to work with. She loves lime green with pink. So I am thinking of painting one of the walls green and making some pink curtains.....

Something like this would be fun along the wall by her closet....

From Love People. Like Things

hmmm, I may have even seen a circle board at DI a time or two....

And what about these to embellish her curtains?

From TonyaUtkina

What do you think Kaylyn?

Gonna have to keep looking. Anyone got some great ideas?

Garden decor....

2011-07-14T14:35:00.000-06:00

I love these. I will have to check out the DI for a couple of bowling balls.....

Fresh Home Blog

Fun projects for summer decor....

2011-07-12T09:06:00.001-06:00

I stumbled upon these this morning. They are definitely projects I wanna try.

Blue Moss Girls

I'm thinking a large Monogram would look good in dear sons room, next to our travel map.....

Fresh Home Ideas

I love this! Growing up near the river bed we had OODLES of river rock. We had to haul all the dirt in to landscape. Too bad mom didn't know of the decor treasures she had. I know right where to get my supplies. LOL

Julie Ann Art

This would be lovely on my sink, even more lovely on my dear sis-in-law's sink. Mason jar decor is right up her ally. Hmm, maybe Christmas? What do you think sis? Or a late birthday gift?

This weeks menu 7/11/11

2011-07-10T12:42:00.000-06:00

I was able to get my Bountiful Basket this weekend so I will be able to fill in our main dish with great fresh vegi's. We will be out of town again over the weekend but I am hoping to take some food with us so we don't spend so much eating out. Not to mention the havick it causes our bodies. I feel so sluggish when we eat out several times while out of town. Maybe some sandwiches, chips, & fresh produce..... Perhaps I will even take some rice and chicken to zap in the microwave while we work at our old house.....

Grilled Turkey & Swiss Sanwiches

Sesame Noodles

Pizza

Sweet and Sour Chicken with fried rice

French Toast

Spaghetti

Leftovers
I am also going to have to do more planning for lunches. I usually just use leftovers for lunch but of course summer time changes all the rules. Not to mention dear hubby having Friday's off too. (he works 10 hour shifts) It's nice to have 3 day weekends but lunches are becoming a bit of a challenge. Call me crazy but I just don't feel like cooking a big meal twice a day. That is not usually a problem but the quick meal/food items are disappearing around snack time. Hmm, I'll have to scavenge my cookbooks and have my shopping list ready for next week.

Boys Room Decor.....

2011-07-09T08:00:00.006-06:00

I finished this map a while ago for dear son #2's room but ran into problems...it kept falling down. I hadn't wanted to nail it to the wall but ended up doing it anyway. I figured I would take it down when it was time to repaint which would allow me to fix the holes.....

I made the frame from leftover trim. The map is just a road map I mounted on foamboard.

Then I used map pins to show all the places my son has been. We try to do something each summer. Sometimes it's local other times we are able to save and travel further.

Where ever we go we try to "Find Joy in the Journey".

I used map penents to show places family members have served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Several family members, including dad, have served over seas. Those will be added with smaller maps of that country framed along the wall.

I love how the blue of sets the green. It worked just how I wanted in his room.

(Sorry I don't have a picture of the whole room, the sheetrock for our bathroom is in there at the moment. Dear hubby had to hold it back for these pictures. That's the next room on the docket, we just have to save our pennies.)

A day of Projects....

2011-07-07T20:01:00.000-06:00

I love being able to finish odds and ends. Days when I don't have to go anyway and can just spend time finishing whatever comes to mind...those are the kinds of days I enjoy.

From recovering my mom's swing.....

to adding a bit of color in my garden....

these beauties will grow about 18 inches tall plus nice and round in shape.

Dear hubby especially likes the bold colors.....

After our morning walk my friend and I even added a bit of color to her garden. She is admittedly a bad gardener. She would say her thumb is more brown than green. We'll work on that. Gardening doesn't have to be hard if you know a few tricks.

We added a couple of day lillies to the ground then filled her planter with impatients and ivy. I think she was thrilled.

Adding just a few plants can make a big difference. Just wait until they really start to fill out.

They are just beautiful.

It's a good day!

Energy Saving tips this summer

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

With the increased use of our AC I have been searching for was to keep our energy use down and thus our cost. After being in our new home a year we are finally able to compare usage data. Also Rocky Mountain Power uses a tiered billing system through the summer months. You pay more based on increased usage....

Billing Months - May through September inclusive
7.5292¢ per kWh first 400 kWh
9.2749¢ per kWh next 600 kWh
11.5361¢ per kWh all additional kWh

Thankfully we have had a cooler and wetter spring so we haven't needed to run our AC much until the end of June. Now we are in the mists of summer heat. Last month we used just over 800kWh. As summer really heats up I am hoping to keep it as close to this as possible. I definitely don't want to go over the first 1000 kWh. To save on our electric bill here are some of the tips I have tried....

Unplug electronics not in use.... I have looked around the house and unplugged everything from lamps, to clocks, to radios to my toaster and mixer. Even when they are turned off they are leaking energy. It's not a big deal to plug them in when I go to use them.
Keeping the AC set at 78..... the comfortble tempature range for the human body is generally 70-78. I turned ours to the higher end.
Add increased air flow with fans.... we installed a ceiling fan. It is an energy effecient fan. By increasing the air flow the higher temp doesn't seem as high.
Turn off lights.... this might go without saying but with little ones I am forever going behind them to turn off lights. This is more of a problem at night when Mr. M cries, "Ma, Da, Dar...!!" We have to leave the closet light on but I try to sneak in after he has gone to sleep and turn it off.
Opening windows on cool nights....In Idaho, the temperature always drops to 50-60 on summer nights. It was just enough to cool the house again. In Utah, the nights are just as warm. I try to watch the news and when it's cooler outside open the windows and let the cool night air in.
Wash with cool water....I adjust my washer to wash with cool water. It also helps my clothes to last longer.
Give the dryer a break, line dry....My mom had the same dryer for 30+ years by doing this. She never used it in the summer. I however, am having a hard time giving up my soft fluffy towels. I also don't have a good spot to protect them from dirt, but I am working on this. Even a load or two will save the power bill.
Power down....I have made a habit of shutting the computer OFF at night, including the screen. We used to just let it go to sleep mode but now we power it down completely.
Keep curtains and blinds closed....with west facing windows the afternoon sun just beats in. I have kept my blinds closed but on really hot days I also close my curtains. It makes a difference.
Be a tree hugger....we have planted several trees but are looking to plant a few more close to the house. I won't get the benefit from them for about 5 years but it is an investment worth making. If I plan just right I will get double benefit with my deck and house in shade during the hot hours of the day.

There are lots of other tips but these are the ones I am shooting for this summer. What are you doing to save this summer? What else can I try? Please let me know. I love to hear from you.

The Joy of Gardening

2011-07-06T08:00:00.002-06:00

Spring is full of work, weeding, tilling, planting. Now with summer heating up we get to enjoy the ~~fruits~~ vegi's of our labors.

My first picking of peas.

Fresh, Yummy, goodness!

A nice green bowlful. Fresh peas for dinner tonight. ETA: came out this afternoon and found the bowl missing 1/2 the peas. Little boys enjoying a little snack!

Oh, and I made sure to save some for a nice salad for lunch tomorrow.

How does your garden grow? Share your pictures! I have seen some lovely gardens growing in our area. Show me what yours looks like!

Menu plans 7/5/11

2011-07-05T17:39:00.001-06:00

The week is already under way but I thought I would post my menu anyway. Summer is sizzling. We have been busy with swim lessons, vacations, day outings and a crazy work schedule. All of this hasn't helped my plan for blogging. I hope to get back to it this month. I'm sure all you blog friends have been missing my weekly menu, crazy boy antics and craft frenzies. ;-)

I was also thinking I miss my 52 projects. See back when I started blogging I found so many ideas I wanted to try I became overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. I decided to focus on one project a week- thus leading to my 52 projects. It really was nice to have some direction. Not to mention how satisfying it was to do my post of a years of fun! With that I am hoping to get back to doing a project each week. Look for lots of fun to come.

Dinner at the Mi Casa's

Cafe Rio Pork Salad

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

Basil Pork Chops w/ salsa pasta & beans

Taco Ring

No shopping trips for me this week. I will be recovering from our weekend out of town.

Be prepared, school shopping is just around the corner!

Jewelry stand....

2011-07-01T08:00:00.002-06:00

Last year I made some cupcake stands. I also made some out of glass plate (I can't believe I didn't blog it, or if I did I can't find them now) but it got me thinkin'. A dangerous pasttime I know. You see I have been needing something for my jewelry. I have seen lots of cute ideas but never got around to doing any of them. I also don't have much space to hang anything in my bathroom.

After a bit of thinkin', being careful not to hurt myself, I came up with this...

I figured I could put the cupcake stand idea to work here too. I must say I am pleased with the end result.
I found these dishes at the DI- goodwill and simply glued them together.

Now I have a small bowl to hold my earings and plates to hold my necklaces.

I love that I found matching plates and a bowl. I didn't paint them or anything.

I noticed the fumes from the superglue discolored the cups they are stacked on. I was hoping to keep the clear color but it didn't work out. Otherwise I would have painted the cups white to match the rest.

Still, I am thrilled.

Bakin' Perfect Bacon

2011-06-30T02:06:00.000-06:00

We enjoy watching a bit of Food Networks cooking challenges. My dear hubby has learned (and agrees wholeheartedly) that adding bacon to any recipe, including ice cream, makes it an instant hit. But it is sooo meassy to cook. Not anymore!

My dad recently taught me how to cook the BEST ever bacon.

After years of cooking it poping and sizzling on the stovetop.

No more. Now I cook my bacon in the oven.

Yep, the oven! just 30 minutes at 350 and you will have perfect bacon bites.

The best part? No greasy stove top to clean up.

Just lay your bacon strips out on a cookies sheet and slip it in the oven. While your bacon is bakin' you can flip pancakes or your omlet free of greasy popping on you.

Give it a try. I guarantee you will not go back to stovetop bacon.

It will save you from being "Chopped" at your next family dinner!

Summer Cooking!

2011-06-26T19:46:00.000-06:00

Ok all my bloggy friends- HELP!

I usually spend a little time on Sunday afternoon planning my menu. Some weeks it comes together nicely others I may struggle a bit but something always comes up.

This week-NOTHING!

Nothing sounds good.

Nothing in my recipes looks good.

Nothing will be exactly what we are eating if you don't help!

Of course I would be satisfied with a green salad but 4 growing boys may rebel against mom.

Inspire me with your favorite summer recipe/menu ideas.

Especially those that...

Are light but have lots of flavor

Low starch/sugar (I'm trying to kick up the wt loss)

Won't heat the house.

And are full of ingredients I am liking to have in my pantry.

Share what you have.

Show me your menu plans, you favorite recipes.

~PLEASE!~

Patriotic banner....

2011-06-21T15:06:00.003-06:00

I love the half circle banners. I'm not sure what they are officially called. I tried searching for some homemade ones and couldn't find anything like I had in mind. So I set out to make my own.

Now, I am a visually oriented person so not having something to look at was a bit of a challenge. I wouldn't say my project turned out perfect but it's enough to give me an idea of what to do better and change next time. Hopefully a true seamstress will come along and offer me some advice as well.....

I think it is actually too small for this window but I'm gonna leave it up until I have something to replace it with.

I also need another hook, dear hubby will rescue me when he gets home. I just used Christmas light hooks. I had found a couple of stragglers to use but need one more.....

So here is how I did it. I wanted to use some scraps so I just sewed 4" strips together. I don't like to measure and with needing to gather it I wasn't sure how long to make it. I just winged it. I think these were 45" wide to begin with then I seamed two sections together....My next one will be longer and each strip will be a couple of inches longer than the previous. When I'm done I should have more of a triangle shape which will gather to a fan more easily, I hope. I think I will make it taller as well buy adding more strips of each color........

After sewing my colors together I did a baste stitch so I could gather it. This would give me my fan shape...

Then I sewed the center strip in on itself. Now my rectangle of colors was starting to take shape. It took a lot of time to gather each strip but it worked....

I finished it with a solid backing and sewed along each strip to hold the gathers in place. I had to add a couple of tucks in the blue section, it is just so puffy. I think added a couple inches to each strip next time will help this as well. Plus the very center maybe try to make a half circle instead of folding it on itself.

I love this star pattern my machine has. Then I used grommets to hang the hooks.

Voila! I am excited but now I wanna make another.

Not perfect but I'll take it.

If you have any tips that would help PLEASE let me know! I have another window to do!!
Linking up....

Cooking lessons for boys....

2011-06-16T13:32:00.000-06:00

7:00 AM

"Hi dear, I am just getting ready to sleep for a bit."

...wawaawwawaw.....

"Ok dear, but I REALLY am tired, can I talk to you later?"

......wawawawawaw....

"Ok. Yes, I love you to"

7:15 AM

"Son please keep an eye on things and wake me at noon. I have to work again tonight"

"Okay mom, I will"
7:30

*SIGH* finally to sleep after all night working, benadryl on board, hopefully I will wake with some control over these horrible allergies....

8:00

Wake from a sleep deprived, drug induced coma

to smoke detectors SCREEEMING and a smoke FILLED house......

Please don't call 911.

It's just another day in the adventures of raising boys.

I forgot to mention that you DO NOT reheat something in the microwave for 20 minutes.

Certainly not French Toast!

Uhh, yeah. I thought we had covered the basics of microwave cooking.

You know...the fact that most everything can be reheated in just 1 minute. NOT 20!!!

Please don't mind the smell, it will be gone...soon...

...I hope....

...perhaps I should cook some more bacon....

...and bake some bread....

and......

Needless to say this little cub scout is NOT getting his indoor cooking badge.

Better luck with the Outdoor cooking badge.

Then you can make alllll the smoke you wanna!
Cooking lessons to start IMMEDIATELY!

By the way can mom have new plates for Fathers Day?

Pink Summer skirt.....

2011-06-16T13:15:00.000-06:00

I added a zipper to this skirt instead of an elastic waistband. I think I prefer an elastic, this was seems to ride up in the back. Oh well, still not bad making it without a pattern.

Ahh, summer!!

Another skirt

2011-06-15T01:56:00.000-06:00

This is my dear hubby's favorite skirt I've made, or one of his favs. He says he likes the ribbon embelishment, I think he likes that it was free. The fabric was some remnants from my mom and the ribbon was part of my 'you can never have enough ribbon' stash. Ribbon is just one of those supplies that is so versatile, I usually stock up when it is on a great sale.

I have to admit this skirt is very comfy. It washed up nicely. I think the fabric is a cotton/poly blend. It has a simply elastic waistline. Nothing fancy but just perfect for summer. It has pink and purple flowers too which makes it easy to match.

Oh, I did end up buying a couple of solid tees. They were only $6 each at Walmart.

$6 for this whole outfit- I'll take it!

2011-06-12T20:40:00.000-06:00

I came across the SNOP challenge a few weeks ago. I loved the idea. I find skirts cooler and much more comfy in the summer heat. My problem was I only had a couple.

Last weekend my dear hubby managed the boys while I spent some time sewing.

I finished 4 skirts done but didn't get a chance to share because of my work schedule- which by the way was totally insane!

Then we went on vacation to San Diego- ohh, so much fun.....

So here we are, and I am finally able to share some of my creations.

I used a couple of my favorite skirts as patterns. Let's face it I just too ~~cheap~~ frugal to buy patterns...

I have a fun white skirt with peek-a-boo tucks in it. It is so fun to wear but it's white and I don't want to wear it everyday. I love how this turned out, so much so I may save it for church or more dressy occassions. I wore it to church last week and got several comments on it. The brown sections are just rectangles with the more triangular teal peices inserted in between. It took a bit longer than my other skirts but wasn't hard at all.

JoAnn's had so many beautiful fabrics. With the grand opening sales I had a hard time choosing.

They were all so great leaving endless possibilities but...

I wanted to try to match up to shirts I already have. Since most of my shirts are prints that meant more of a solid skirt. Red is my favorite color and my peasant style shirts are my hubby's favorite.

This was from an A-line pattern but I altered it to make more of a straight cut.

It is so comfy. I love it.

Tell me what you think.

Anyone else up to wearing skirts this summer. They are perfect for keeping the sun off and the cool breeze flowing! Plus you don't need great sewing skills. Skirts are easy; great projects for beginners.

Give it a try.

What do you think?

Speech Therapy: Start with the basics

2011-06-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

As with any adventure we had lots of ups and downs with Mr. M during speech therapy. I was so anxious to just understand WHAT he was saying and what he wanted. After too many months to count we finally started to see some progress.

Then we would seem to loose ground again.

The proverbial two steps forward one step back.

One month our fabulous therapist came while Mr. M was still asleep. We had tried to keep him up but after swimming he was wiped out! It did give us a nice chance to just talk though.

I had been feeling like we were loosing ground and I couldn't figure out why.

Our therapist listened and then made a simple suggestion.

Go back to the basics!

Follow his lead- let him set the pace and initiate the action; mimic him.

Guess what he's thinking.

Wait for him to talk.

Give partial parts of words to cue him.

Then try language rich activities- outings, pet stores, sunflower houses.

Each of these suggestions make sense but I had to make a consious effort each day to DO them.

Even now, whenever I feel we are slipping I go back to these basic skills. Guess what he's thinking can easily become a game. I mean have you ever tried to figure out what is going through a toddlers mind?

Yeah- GOOD LUCK!

I am excited to announce that Mr M has finally started to put 4-5+ word sentances together. I feel like I can have a conversation with him. I still spend a lot of time playing the guessing game. Now what could that sound possibly be...BUT each day it is getting better. Considering his age and not qualifying for further therapy I am thrilled. I am also optamistic for where he will be this fall. I know one day I will wish for LESS talking but right now I can't tell you how wonderful it is to TALK with my son! 2 years after are journey started we are finally making big strides!

Frugal Mom's.....

2011-06-01T08:00:00.004-06:00

I have to say I have one of the best sister-in-laws ever!

She has so many great ideas.

Every time we have a family dinner the ladies of the family sit and share tips to make life easier. My pea sized brain could NOT remember all the fabulous ideas and tips. I mentioned to her a couple of times she needed to write them down or compile a book for me or something! Her recipe for crockpot apple butter was what pushed me over the edge. After all, how was I suppose to remember this recipe we talked about at Christmas time 10 months later when it was time to harvest the apples!?!?

OKAY! THAT'S IT!

Over to the computer we went and set up her blog.

Now I get to visit every day for untold inspiration.

So many of her ideas were passed down from generations but still have application today.

You have to check it out!

Wanna know about that Apple Butter recipe?

How about square foot gardening? Let me tell you what! This gal can get amazing amounts of vegis from itty bitty spaces!

Frugality even at prom time!

Great menu ideas?

Simple recipes?

So many ideas to use every single day.

Go over. Check out all the great ideas she has. You won't be disappointed!

While you're at it become a follower. She wants to have 100+ followers by her birthday- July 7th.

She only needs 11 more.

Piece of cake.

You will be glad you did!

Tightwad Mom's Frugal Forum

Another Patriotic Craft....

2011-05-31T21:48:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting something like these for a while but had forgotten about them. So glad to have found them on Poppies at Play.

Easy, Peasy!

Another craft where I have the supplies!

Who's gonna join me?

Flag Decor....

2011-05-31T21:33:00.001-06:00

OH MY HECK!

I am SOO making this this week.

Anyone wanna join me?

I have left over bead board from Keegan's room.

Easy and yet what a statement!!

Love It!

Celebrating 15 years!!

2011-05-31T20:16:00.000-06:00

15 years ago today I married my sweetheart in the Idaho Falls, Idaho LDS Temple. It seems like just yesterday and yet like it's been forever. We've had plenty of ups matched by plenty of downs.
We moved a few times, living in 3 different cities and 2 states.

We've traveled cross the country by car, plane and a van loaded with boys.

We've shared heartache.

We've laughed til we cried.

No one knows me better.

No one loves me more.

Our family has grown to include 4 little boys (who are growing too fast)

Life changes but yet I remain ever so in love.

After 15 years we are still beating the odds.

We are part of the 47% of families with a mom and dad!

For time and eternity, I love you!
Happy Anniversary Babe!

My Garden...

2011-05-31T08:00:00.004-06:00

The before....

just a bunch of weeds, no flowers, no vegis....

There are a couple of flowers here...hidden in the weeds...

And some raspberries with a soon to be planted grapevine....minus some weeds....

Now the after....

We have a rather small garden so I opted to used some of my flower bed. I want to fill it with perennials rather than annuals but they will have to come little by little so in the meantime the flower bed will be filled with vegis....

Like sunflowers, pumpkins, canteloup, and watermelons....

bell peppers, jalapenos....

and tomatoes for salsa in the fall. I plan to trellis the cucumbers up the trellis by the stairs

In our garden space we have peas, carrots, beets, beans, and lettuce...

Now if I can keep little boys and a dog out of the garden...then if the sun will shine through the rain hopefully we will have wonderful sprouts poking through.

Ohh, and I did get the grapevine planted too. I noticed this weekend I have some blossoms on my strawberry plants and my raspberry plants are thriving! I can't wait to enjoy fresh berries!