Thursday, September 30, 2010

Burfday Pwesent.

My sweet, innocent, loving, little puppy has a birthday this Sunday. In fact, it is not JUST a birthday, it is his 1st birthday. I really do feel like a mom who is in awe of how fast their child grows up. So as a "momma" to my Charlie Ray, I couldn't resist giving him just ONE birthday present a few days early...
I was going to post a picture of the present itself, but A. Charlie wouldn't let me take it away from him, and B. It may have made a few of you gag by the looks of it.  What could it be? You guessed it, one of those messy, greasy, slimy, multi colored, bigger than Charlie's head, funky looking bones from some poor large animals knee.
Now, the sweetest part about this story was last night. I gave the bone to him right before bed as I was cleaning up. This was not the smartest idea by any means.  He saw that thing, and his eyes and mind were glued. Mind you, he sleeps in his crate at night still. Around 3am, I heard his paw hit the crate ( this is his way of saying, "Mom, I would like to get out of here now") . I thought for sure he had to be let out to go potty, but no... that little booger went straight for the bone. Then, 6am comes around, ( I was thinking he definitely had to go potty this time), out of his cage he went, straight to the bone. So pretty much, Charlie Ray loves his birthday present and acted like a child who was too excited about his new gift and couldn't sleep.  Hey, I'm thrilled about it too...because now I can blog and not be bothered! Oh what a good few days this will be...wait.... I don't think he has gone potty at all yet! Better run...

Monday, September 27, 2010

Shelfing Shenanigans.

If you have been keeping up on my posts, you are probably just dying to know what my other purchases were at that cute barn sale right? Ha!
I didn't finish up these projects until last night, so I didn't want to ruin the surprise and share with you earlier. 

Everywhere I turn I feel like I am seeing more and more of these old barn doors used for decor... So I decided to join the gang and purchase one for myself.
This is an old shelf that I got for a whopping $10 buck-a-roo's to fix up. With a little help from a Lysol bottle, left over paint from another project, and a little elbow grease.... she's looking good as new! I was also able to savor the weathered look I admire so dearly.  
 Before. 
After.


Happy Monday Everyone!



Sunday, September 26, 2010

Pioneer Days.

The best popcorn in the world!
Earliest known photograph of Abraham Lincoln. Thought to have been taken in the 1840's, when he was a member of the U.S. Congress. 
We ran into Aunt Beth

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Cheap Thrills.

About a month ago, while driving to a flea market, my mom, aunt, and I stumbled upon the most charming barn house. We had to make a u-turn in their drive way (oh darn) and we all just gawked at how darling it was. I  could have called it a day right then and there and taken a tour of the place instead!  I recently saw that she was having a barn sale and had to stop. Now, I must admit, I am learning that there is a fine line between shabby chic and country. I think I am somewhere in between. I find myself being drawn to anything vintage that shows wear and tear, preferably with white chipped paint please. Oh ya, back to the barn house story. I don't know where I will put all of the items I bought, but I'll do some rearranging to make sure it all works. Here are just two of the many trinkets I found that struck my fancy...the rest? Well, you will just have to check back to find out...
I bought a few old books that showed a lot of wear and tear. It made my imagination wonder...whose hands held these books? How old were they when they bought them? Where have these books traveled to? Are the people that bought them still living? 
 These pages came out of an old photo album. Some of these pictures were taken in 1911. On the backs of them were letters written to a friend.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Clean as a whistle.

Eight years ago my mom was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. After undergoing surgeries, chemo, radiation, and many other procedures, I am blessed to say that she kicked cancers booty and is standing healthy and strong! Never have I seen anyone remain so positive and calm during the middle of a battle like she did. I know it's not October yet, ( breast cancer awareness month), but I just had to share that her results came back from her yearly check up and everything was clean as a whistle. For that, I am JOYFUL... Love you Mom.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Expo.

I've been to my fair share of Flea Markets, Antique Shows, and Vendor Fairs lately. So, I figured it should be Charlie's turn to pick a place to mosey around at. He had heard on the news, and read in the newspaper about a dog expo going on today. After a 20 minute play date with his friends Luna and Amanda at the "DP", we headed on over. We left with a couple new toys, plenty of dog treats, and a few pictures I thought I would share... 

This dog came up to my belly button, and I'm tall !
 They even had face painting 
 Some pooches just couldn't handle any more fun ...
 Pretty Eyes. 
I like dogs... so what?
 The Fairest of them all.


Saturday, September 18, 2010

Pumpkin Soup.


Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups water
3 MAGGI® Chicken Bouillon Cube
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup half-and-half
sour cream and chopped fresh chives (optional)
Directions
  1. MELT butter in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in curry powder, salt, coriander and crushed red pepper; cook for 1 minute. Add water and bouillon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes to develop flavors. Stir in pumpkin and half-and-half; cook for 5 minutes or until heated through.
  2. TRANSFER mixture to food processor or blender (in batches, if necessary); cover. Blend until creamy. Serve warm or reheat to desired temperature. Garnish with dollop of sour cream and chives.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Dog Daze

Since the beginning of summer, Charlie and I decided we would like to become members of the dog park. What a grand idea this was. Whoever came up with the idea to start a dog park is a genius. They have baby pools, toys, water bowls, and even a campfire for the mommy's and the daddy's of all the "kids" for when it gets cold. (We have yet to experience those). Yes, I refer to the humans as the mommy's and the daddy's because they all treat their dogs as if they were their own children, including me! I'm pretty sure Charlie has it engraved in his mind that when I get home from work it's time to go there. I can't even say the words "Dog Park" without his wavy little ears cocking to one side or the other. So now, I have to refer to it as the "DP", which of course, in no time he will  catch on to the meaning, because after all he is half poodle. My parents and I joke about how we could write a book on all the different dogs and their unique personalities. Some are shy, some are outgoing, some are trouble makers, some are dominant, some are clumsy, some like attention. Charlie has found his strength. He knows he is much faster than all of the others, so he antagonizes them by getting right up in their  faces and  barks, as if to say " come try and catch me!" Of course, none of the other dogs could ever out run him, so he always walks away feeling like a winner (and of course he is in my book.)
This is one of Charlie's newest friends. Her name is Paddington, also known as "Patty". She is a two year old Goldendoodle who is MUCH larger than Charlie Ray but thinks she is as small as he is.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Help!

Yep. You guessed it!  More burlap pillows. These don't even go in my house but they were sure fun to make !

Monday, September 13, 2010

Senior Moments.

The first Monday of every month, the nurse and I from my company do blood pressure checks at the Senior Center. I get the privilege to talk to many different seniors about many different topics. Today was one conversation that I won't forget. It was an older gentleman's birthday. He was sitting around a table with a few of his buddies I assumed he met there. I wished him a Happy Birthday. He responded with an, "Ehh ya, Thanks. Wish I didn't have a birthday at all." I was curious to find out his reasoning behind his answer. He replied, " I wish I could take back all of the birthdays and start all over." My heart broke for a moment while I sat and watched him eat his lunch around a table full of strangers who very well may have been in the same boat he was in. I wondered what it was he wished he could change during his lifetime.
 I could only walk away with one thought. I don't want to have that mindset when I'm his age. Every day, every situation, every conversation, we have a choice. Let's make it all count and have no regrets. Go for the gold, reach for the stars, love the way we want to be loved. Wouldn't life be fabulous this way?

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Autumn.

Fall time only means one thing in my book... The Apple Orchard. Who can resist the apple cider donuts, pulled pork sandwiches, pumpkins, mums, candles, apples, animals, music, etc. The weather couldn't have been any better either. 
This picture may look complete, but right after I captured it, the families Golden Retriever came out to lay in the front yard. The whole scene was straight out of a magazine. I told the Edwards I would be willing to give an even trade for my condo. They said they would think about it...
On my way home, I couldn't help but recognize the beauty of the sun shining down on the tops of the corn stalks.
God's Beauty all around us. Day and Night. 

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Wino.

Go ahead, call me crazy. I am obsessed with burlap. Why you ask? It's inexpensive, stylish, and forgivable. Tonight I decided to quickly throw together a couple wine bags. Look out, they might just be your next gift if your name starts with an R! I didn't have two bottles of wine to stuff them with so thanks to the good old apple juice in the fridge I made it work. Crap, I need to go put that away! Bye.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Don't worry. Be happy.

I came across this little book today called 14000 Things to Be Happy About. It made me realize that in every situation you are in there is always something to smile about. I decided to start my own list (don't worry it won't be 14000 phrases long) about the simple things in my own life that make me happy. So here I go in no particular order...

1.  Pulling a warm sweatshirt out of the dryer.
2.  Getting my hair shampooed when I get it cut.
3. The first warm day coming out of winter.
4. When you forget you had a three day weekend and suddenly remember.
5. Finding out a good friend is engaged or pregnant.
6. Having a good hair day. 
7. The way Charlie wags his tail every time I look at him.
8. Piano Music. 
9. Spending time with family and friends.
10. Winning.
11. Taking Pictures and going through old pictures. 
12. The smell of popcorn at the movies.
13. Receiving Mail.
14. Feeling grass in between my toes. 
15. Eating the skin off of the turkey on Thanksgiving.
16. Having clean crisp sheets on my bed. 
17. Having all of my bills paid.
18. Finding a good book that you can't put down. 
19. Being inside with the windows open on rainy days.
20. Potterybarn.

That was fun to create!

G'night!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Appleicious.

Momma's French Apple Pie.

Crust: 1 1/2 cups all purpose four
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup oil 
2 tablespoons milk
Combine first 3 ingredients. Add oil, and milk; blend well and pat in 9-inch pie pan, fluting edge if desired filling.

 Gooey Goodness Center: 6 cups peeled sliced apples 
3/4 to 1 cup sugar 
3 tablespoons flour 
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon or nutmeg
Dash of salt
Heat oven to 425* Prepare pastry. In large bowl, combine apples, sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt; toss lightly to mix. turn into pastry-lined pie pan 

Streusel Topping: 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup margarine of butter 
In small bowl, combine all ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit filling. Bake for 45 minutes at 450*F

Scrumdiddlyumptious!


Woof Em' Down.

I decided to make Charlie home made dog treats. Store bought biscuits are full of food coloring and artificial flavors. Yuck! If that stuff isn't good for us, why would I feed it to my wittle guy? 
 Yes, I do realize the cutter is upside down. The um, photographers assistant isn't much of a baker?
 Yummy!
Yes, he even got to pick which one he wanted first. 


Charlie would be happy to share some!

Peanut Butter Goodness Dog Treats

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup peanut butter (all-natural or organic)
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Combine oil, peanut butter and water. Add flour, one cup at a time, forming a dough. Knead dough into firm ball and roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 to 4 inch pieces. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Treasures~Trinkets~Trash~

My Oh My ! Could today get any better? As of this morning I was officially a Flea Market Virgin. As of now, I am hooked. Here are just a few of my favorite things I found...
 I had to take this picture of these antique watches for my Pop. I know he would appreciate it! 




My mom could have sworn this was her exact childhood bike. Maybe the handlebars are what made her fall in love with biking.
Check out the Jimmy Chewz . Gnawing in style...

I'm ready to go again!

When Problems Arise...