Momma's Ramblings

'Tis the season for...Trees!!

2011-12-13T20:51:00.000-05:00

So I have really been slacking here lately, my apologies. So much bustle around my house getting ready for Christmas. Actually, it kinda looks like Christmas came and puked inside my house! Such a sparkly mess...but it will get better, of this I am sure. The first order of business in my house, is the tree, which is finally up and beautified...pictures will be coming soon. (I only have night shots of it, and really want to show all of the beautiful blues and silvers in the daytime) So in the spirit of Christmas, and of giving myself a ~~HUGE~~ small pat on the back for getting our tree up, I have scoured the net in search of some beautiful, and some very unique Christmas trees. Here ya go y'all!

So Victorian, I love this one..

This one reminds me of Charlie Brown, adorable!

What?!? Still love it though!

This little one makes me shiver..brrr!

This one just looks so fun!!


I really like this one, and I am not a huge fan of white trees, but WOW!

I hope y'all got some yuletide inspiration from these great trees, and don't forget to check out Nanny's Corner for the beautiful Poinsettia tree. Also, I will be posting next my awesome Santa wreath, and some other pretty ones I have seen along the way! Happy decorating!

Nanny's Corner: Beautiful Poinsettia Tree

2011-12-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

This time of year the time just seems to fly by. Before we know it Christmas is only 15 days away and we are behind the eight ball. Literally trying to juggle all eight at once. Tee Hee I really meant to get this post up last week, but as you can tell by my lateness things are not getting any less hectic.

I hope that everyone had as wonderful Thanksgiving as I did. We enjoyed three of our grandchildren-- Heather with her husband Josh and children Hailey and Zack; Kristy and her daughter Anna (Kyla was sick); Weston our grandson, plus daughters Terri and Connie for Thanksgiving dinner. We had such a great time with them.

Now if I can just get everything done I am supposed to for Christmas I will feel pretty good about the New Year fast approaching. LOL

My cousin Doug Hinkle made his mother a Poinsettia Tree for Christmas this year and I wanted to share with you how he made it. If you or someone you know is at all handy with a saw and hammer this is pretty easy to make. Takes lots of Poinsettia's (depends on how tall you want your tree) but well worth it when you see the finished product.

First he built an "A" frame with a circle on top and a square on bottom to stabilize it.
Next he added construction cloth to cover the frame.

Now it's time to begin adding the Poinsettias. WOW! Just look at the finished tree with lights on it.
He used a child's table to set this one on so there is plenty of room below to put all of Santa's gifts. You could use the same concept and make a table center piece..just on a smaller scale. Hope you enjoy trying this one.

Until next time, Love and Hugs

Vacation

2011-11-27T19:36:00.001-05:00

Phew! Thanksgiving is over and now begins the countdown to Christmas... Am I prepared??? ~~Of course~~ NOT! But I will surely try. I cant wait to pick out our tree this weekend, and use all of those decorations that I bought during the after Christmas sales last year...yay! My wheels are turning for some Christmas projects I would like to tackle, and new cookies and treats to ~~burn~~ bake. I am not at home today, we are actually on vacation still, so I am really lucky to get any internet signal where I am at, soo I can't actually use any websites I need to use to add pics this time. I guess what I am saying is this is just me stopping in to say hey! Nothing real fun, or interesting. Sorry y'all! When I get home I will be putting up a fun Christmas Wreath post, I can't wait for y'all to see it!

Thanksgiving Togetherness

2011-11-22T21:05:00.001-05:00

What is one of the things in our day to day lives that we take for granted the most? Our families, and the fact that they may be there today, and then tomorrow they may be gone. All too often we blow through our day, only to get to the end of it and then get up and start all over again...when we should be stopping along the way and enjoying all of those special little moments that we cannot get back once they have passed.We should be s-l-o-w-i-n-g down and taking in all of those little quirks that we grow to ~~hate~~ love in each other, and we should be enjoying every waking moment we have with these loved ones, because this crazy life we live does not last forever. When I die I want to have no regrets. Most of all, I do not want to be wishing, or leaving loved ones wishing...that we had said more, done more, felt more. I want to know that I have left them feeling more loved than humanly possible, so that there is no doubt in their minds how I feel about them.

This is the time of year that we should all band together and spend that extra time away from work, or school, together just enjoying each other. We all have our differences, and differences of opinion. All of our lives take different paths, and God leads us each down different roads, but the one constant should always be family. The one thing you should always be able to count on is your family, and vice verse, your family able to count on you.This time of year, we put all of our differences aside, and disagreements get checked at the door, and we just enjoy those special moments, remembering why we love each other to begin with.

I am going to leave you all with some ideas for special family togetherness activities that everyone can enjoy, and I hope you all actually try some of them out, or at least just take a few minutes out of your busy schedules to enjoy each other, Happy Thanksgiving Y'all!!!


Nothing brings people together like joining a good cause, or supporting a charity. Click here for some ideas...

Family Tradition...start a tradition, something that you all can do together every year. One example is breaking the wishbone, and the person who ends up with the longer piece, gets their wish!


Make Family Survey Place Mats...a great way to get to know each other better! Learn more here...

A Thankful Tablecloth...just might be the best idea I have seen for a family Thanksgiving craft yet! Here is where I found this gem of an idea...

I hope everyone has a very Blessed Thanksgiving!!!

Till next time...

Another day in the life...

2011-11-17T09:04:00.001-05:00

Morning all! So I have to tell you all what happened to me last night. I had been in the hospital all morning with chest pains, I know, I am way too young for that stuff, but I have a history of heart problems starting back when I was about 13. So anyways, after coming home, and lying down for a few hours, watching a couple of Lifetime movies...which, by the way are soo addicting, it's like a can of chips, once you have one, you have to have another... and another, giggles! Okay, so on with my story... After going between the hospital, and the bed all day long, I decided I was going to Wal-Mart to get some O.J. I was really craving that O.J. So I went as I was, pajamas, no bra, messed up hair, no makeup, and hospital bands still on. I walk through the front door, so far pretty much unnoticed, which was the plan, I really didn't want anyone to see me like this. Then I get to about the produce area when all of a sudden my feet came out from under me, one leg went to the side, sorta almost backwards, if that even makes sense...and the rest of me was flat on my back. So much for going incognito...I was suddenly surrounded by well-meaning passer-bys, trying to help me up. Well, I was so embarrassed about how I looked, and of course falling in front of everyone, that I just told the Wal-Mart employee that I was okay, I really just wanted to get out of there. With my O.J. of course. But oh man, by the time I got home, my ankle, my knee, and my back were hurting so bad it made it hard to sleep. So now I guess I am debating on whether or not to go to the doc, and then, if I do, should they be the ones to pay for it??? After all, the floor was soaking wet right where I fell, and there was no sign, at least not until after I fell. I just don't know. Any advice anyone can give me? I know this is not a very informative, or educational post for any of you, but I promise I will try and get something fun on here tomorrow, plus we will have another Nanny's Corner coming up soon. Alright y'all, now I am off to take care of the hubby, who is now in the same ER I was in yesterday with a very bad migraine...just another day in the lives of the Champion's.

Till next time...

Christmas??? Yikes!

2011-11-15T13:17:00.001-05:00

WOW! I have been walking around stores, seeing nothing but Christmas decorations and hearing Jingle Bells, and Deck the Halls...Am I the only one who gets nauseated at the thought of Christmas coming so fast? It seems like just yesterday we were saying "Happy New Year!" Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas like everyone else, I just NEVER have enough time to get it all done, never. I do, however, love the thought of decorating for Christmas, that is always the fun part, and I truly believe you can never have quite enough decorations...sooo, I am going to start showing some of my favorite finds across the web. I can't wait to show y'all my Christmas Gift Project for this year...so beautiful, easy, and most important of all...cheap! Here are some of my favorite project ideas, I hope you also find something that inspires your creative side, like I did.


Love this!


Can't wait to start collecting Pinecones!

You could totally do this from Dollar Store supplies, LOVE IT!

Never would have thought of a topiary made of Christmas Ornaments, and the Ornament Chandelier is Beautiful!

How cut are these? My kids could totally make these, cant wait to try...

Okay ladies, now that we have some inspiration, lets get crafting! I would love to see some of your projects, feel free to email pics to me. I am hoping to have my ducks in a row by Thursday to show y'all my awesome Christmas Gifts that we have been making this year!

Till next time...

Nannys Corner: Sweet Potatoes - Sweet Treats

2011-11-12T16:34:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone....I'm a little late with my post this week...my husband had back surgery two weeks ago so things have been a "little" hectic.

Last week my friend and neighbor Lori Ellis gave me some sweet potatoes from her garden. They are so sweet and delicious compared to the store bought ones. I used two with dinner last night....mashed them with butter and served them with our Salmon fillets.

Then last evening I got this idea to make some Sweet Potato Muffins with the remaining ones. So this morning I wrote a recipe for them and set out putting them together. Wanted to see if they were good enough to share the recipe with you. Of course, I thought so...Tee Hee...but then my husband tried one, and he said they were really good! I will apologize for not having a photo tutorial this time. I will do one next time I make them, which I am sure will be soon with Thanksgiving around the corner. Here's my recipe:

Bake @ 350 degrees for 28 - 30 minutes. (or until tester comes out clean)

Recipes makes 6 jumbo muffins.

Whisk together the following dry ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside.

2 cups flour

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

In larger bowl combine until smooth ( I used my immersible hand blender for this)

1 egg

1 stick unsalted butter (softened)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups cooked and peeled sweet potatoes

To this add the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.

I hope you enjoy them as much as we did! Happy Baking!

Until next time, Love and Hugs

Topping:

1 Tbsp. flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Mix together and sprinkle each muffin with heaping tablespoon of topping, and enjoy!

The Liebster Award

2011-11-04T10:07:00.001-04:00

The Liebster Award

I am so excited to tell y'all that I was given the Liebster Award by one of my own favorite blogger chicks : Patty @ Neustras aventuras en Texas . You should really stop by and check our her adventurous blog!

The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning dear, sweet, kind, nice, good, beloved, lovely, kindly, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

To keep this award going and pass it along to other new deserving blogs, the recipient must now recognize five other bloggers with less than 200 followers that have really stood out in the crowd.

The rules for the Liebster Award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.

2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.

3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.

4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love too!

I would like to pass the Liebster Award on to some of my favorite newbie bloggers. Thank you and congratulations to:

1. The Bodhi Chicklet

2. Parties For Pennies

3. No More Excuses!!

4. Months of Edible Celebrations

5. cannycrafter

Upcycling - New Uses for Old Things

2011-11-03T13:39:00.001-04:00

As you all know, I am a major fan of upcycling and repurposing in order to same money, and of course the planet. This week I wanted to share some of my favorites that I have found recently. I hope you find one or two that you can use, or maybe three or four, giggles! I will soon also be posting some of my own projects from around my house that I have repurposed or upcycled, so stay tuned for more awesome ideas!! Also, just wanted to say sorry for the laziness of my posts lately, I have been dealing with a lot of health problems, and just had surgery yesterday. So since I haven't exactly been in my most creative state lately, I figured it would be a great time to share some of my favorites lists from around the web. Thanks for hangin' in there with me!

Plastic Baggie as Icing Dispenser

Hairspray as Stain Remover

Flat Iron as Ribbon Smoother

Paperclip holder as bobby pin corral

Nail Polish as key Coder

Pumpkin as a Centerpiece

Picture Frame as Key Holder

Changing table as potting bench

Skateboard as a shelf Cheese Grater as Pencil Holder

Tin Can Cubby

Shower Caddy Craft Organizer

Till Next Time...

Nanny's Corner: Birthday Board - Never forget another birthday!

2011-11-02T20:48:00.001-04:00

Have you ever been embarrassed by forgetting a birthday in your family? Boy I have! Talk about having a red face and feeling about an inch high. Tee Hee Keeping track of all the birthdays makes my brain crazy sometimes. I believe I have found the perfect solution to that dilemma. I ran across this really great idea at The Idea Door the other day for keeping me on track with family birthdays. We have 17 great-grandchildren, 8 grandchildren, and 5 children; plus all the cousins and nieces and nephews so this project is perfect for us.

It's a Birthday Board.....and here is how I made mine.

Materials Needed:

foam board

1/2 yard fabric

embellishments

ribbon

card stock (variety of colors)

Aleen's Clear Gel Tacky Glue

Tools Needed:

punches - in your desired shape

exacto knife

scissors

ruler

chalk pencil or chalk

I started by cutting a 12"x 20" foam board. I then covered it with fabric affixing it with the clear glue as shown in picture below.

I decided to use hearts shapes for the months and birthdays because I am all about love and family, and all things of the heart <3 . I used a 1-1/2" heart punch for the months and a 1/2" punch for the individual birthdays below each month.

Then I embellished each month with things that pertain to that particular month, for example: I used a pumpkin and a black cat for October.

I used my Cricut Machine to cut the title lettering for the board. I used 2" letters. Before placing the letters, I made a chalk line so that my lettering would be level across board. I titled my board Family Birthdays.

After I cut all the letters and shapes I glued them to the board using the clear glue.

I used ribbon to glue the individual hearts with names and date on them .

I used an exacto knife to cut a small slit below each month to attach the ribbon using the clear glue, leaving about 3 inches or so extra pulled through to the back. This will allow me to add birthdays if I need to, although they would not be in date order.

This is my finished Birthday Board. Even my husband loves it because now he can help remind me. Tee Hee!!

I hope you will enjoy making this project as much as I did. Happy crafting ladies!!

Until next time Big Hugs and Best Wishes

Last minute Halloween Treats...Muahahaha!!

2011-10-30T15:17:00.002-04:00

Happy Halloween Blog World! I thought I would share some last minute Halloween treats and sweets that I have found on the web....Happy haunting y'all!!!

Aren't these the cutest little Witchy Poo Cupcakes you have ever seen??? Found these on Parents.com.


Witch Cupcakes

Lovin' these creepy crawly deviled eggs from Examiner.com !!


Spooky Spider Eggs

Looking for a little healthier treat for the little ones?? No Fuss Fabulous has the perfect treat!

Jell-O Jigglin' Jack-O-Lanterns

These are my favorites! Love the big ole bug eyes from Parties for Pennies!

Creepy Crispers

Kitchen Daily has this spooky graveyard cake...

Ghosts in the Graveyard

Who doesn't love candy apples?? Found these little cuties on Squidoo.com

Halloween Candy Apples

Mmmm.. Yummy Mummies from Busy Bee Lifestyle

Mummy Cupcakes

This one from sparklette.net would be perfect for the grownup party, or one for the teens in your life....Brains anyone???

Peach Jello Brains

Now, I'm not a big fan of nuts, but I know some kids that would die for these little spideys from food2.com!


Pecan Carmel Halloween Spiders

Last, but most certainly not least...hop on over to Megan's Cookin' for some Pepper O Lanterns

Halloween Stuffed Peppers

Hope y'all found one or two that you could use for your last minute Halloween festivities...don't eat too much candy girls!!

Till next time...

Family Fun Day!!!

2011-10-26T10:22:00.000-04:00

Okay, so this may sound a little crazy, but my 7 year old Hailey and I get so excited when we get a new Family Fun magazine in the mail! ... and we just got one! They are always full of great kid crafts, and my little ones are all like me...crafty, crafty :) So in the spirit of gettin' crafty with the kiddos, I have put together a collection of 10 of my favorites from around the web world. I hope you enjoy these, just click the link below the pics to find directions for each super fun craft! By the way....the last one...totally making it today for my chandelier, so stay tuned for pics later....

Squash Bowling How-To

Pumpkin Lanterns How-To

Pinecone Swag How-To

Thanksgiving Placecard How-To

   Coffee Can Scarecrow How-To

    Leaf Mobile How-To

   Corn Print Placemats How-To

   Pilgrim Pal How-To

  Clothespin Bat How-To

Papier-Mache Chandelier Decor How-To

Alright everybody, now get Craftin!!

Till next time...

My Plate Wall...

2011-10-20T15:28:00.000-04:00

I have been seeing these awesome elegant plate wall designs all over the internet and the blogosphere lately... so of course I had to try one myself, giggles. I did up this little tutorial to show you how I painted my own plates and even made my own little plate hangers...on the cheap!

I started out with 7 white plates from dollar tree of various shapes and sizes. Then I taped off my designs and began to paint away!

Once I got all of the designs painted on, I laid them out on the table (excuse the mess) in the arrangement that I wanted on my wall.

Next, this is the crazy part...I am cheap, I mean super cheap! I refused to go and buy plate hangers that would cost more than the plates themselves. Soo... I took pop can tabs, and beer bottle caps (that I was collecting for who knows what). Then I hot glued them to the back of the plates. Like this:

Finally, last but not least, I hung them on the wall (praying the hot glued tabs would hold) with regular picture hanging nails, and this is the finished product:

And yes, the tabs held! Hooray!

Well let me know what y'all think...I always love to hear your opinions and suggestions

Till Next Time...

Heather

Nostalgia

2011-10-19T16:28:00.000-04:00

Nostalgia is defined in Websters Dictionary as a yearning to return home (being homesick).
Evidently this sentiment is not so true for some. I heard on the Today show this morning that Thanksgiving is defined as "obligatory dysfunctional family get-together", another one I heard this morning as FFF "Forced Family Fun". I had a good laugh over both of these definitions.

This time of year always makes me nostalgic. How many of you, like myself, remember waking up on Thanksgiving morning to the yummy smell of turkey baking in the oven? My Mom would be in the kitchen at 5 a.m. putting the turkey in the oven. The day before the house was full of the delicious aromas of pumpkin, mincemeat, and pecan pies baking.

I have so many wonderful memories of Thanksgiving and sharing with family and friends over the years. When I was growing up we always had a houseful of Aunts, Uncles and lots of cousins (14 to be exact); plus our family of four children, Mom and Dad and of course Grandma and Grandpa.

After I got married and moved away from home we made our own Thanksgiving memories. I remember one particular Thanksgiving when we were stationed in Florida near Fort Walton Beach. Several families of us went to the beach in Destin, Florida and cooked fish the guys caught on our grills. We had a blast. It was quite different from the snowy Thanksgivings of my childhood. No matter where we were stationed we always had a houseful at Thanksgiving. We invited the young airmen who had no family there. Those were such great and memorable times.

What are some of your most memorable Thanksgivings? What is your favorite family Thanksgiving tradition? Would love for you to share them with us in the comments section.

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving dishes? I grew up with Pumpkin Pie. How about you?
When we were stationed in Wichita Falls, Texas I came across this recipe in our local newspaper . It became one of our families favorites.

Sweet Potato Pie

Boil one large sweet potato and one small one in jackets until tender. Run cold water over them and peel. Mash with a potato masher until smooth. Add 1 stick butter (room temperature), 2 cups sugar "if it isn't sweet enough it isn't fit to eat" (according to the author of this recipe) 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg, pinch of salt, 4 eggs (beaten), 1 can condensed milk, undiluted.

Mix well and pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie crust. Bake @ 325 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes until lightly browned and top is set.

Nanny's Cornbread Dressing

I bake my own cornbread a day or two ahead of time, crumble and let it dry out a little. If I'm having a 20 plus pound turkey. I bake a 9 x 13 pan of cornbread.

In a large bowl add to the crumbled cornbread, two stalks of diced celery, 1 med chopped onion, 2 can fresh oysters (chopped), 1 can chopped water chestnuts, 4 eggs (beaten), 2-3 cups turkey broth,; sage, salt and pepper to taste.
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a lightly greased baking dish. Bake @ 350 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown on top I usually do not stuff turkey with dressing.
Note: Depending on the density of your cornbread you might have to adjust the amount of broth up or down.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family does. Please share your favorite Thanksgiving recipe with us...

Until next time Hugs and Best Wishes

Nanny

The Easiest Rug Ever!!!

2011-10-18T09:32:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all! I definitely missed getting on here while I was moving...trust me, I would have much rather been blogging than drowning in boxes! I swear my stuff multiplied while I wasn't looking, giggles! So...needless to say, I am ready to jump right in with a new project, so here goes...

This one was pretty much born out of necessity. My beautiful new home has a ceramic tile throughout with the look of a decorative wood. That can make for a cold floor in the mornings, so I really wanted to get an area rug for the family room. But...after the move we were not really in the position to go out and blow a bunch of money on a rug, so I came up with this: Bamboo Place Mat Rug. Now...just to let you all know, I did come up with this idea, but that is not to say that I was the first...it was so incredibly easy that I am sure someone else must have done this before, so if you know of anyone, feel free to credit them in the comments.

First I started out with 12 bamboo place mats (I chose 2 different color styles to give it a pattern, but you could also do them all matching) that i got at Wal-Mart for $1.50 a piece. Add a roll of duck tape to that and you have all of the supplies you need...does it get any better than that?!?

Next I started taping all of the edges together on the backside of the place mats... and you also can't really go wrong here because they were the same on both sides.

And that is basically it! After you have taped all of the edges together, you will end up with a beautiful custom bamboo rug (that basically only costs under 20 bucks!) that looks something like this:

I hope y'all have fun making your Beautiful Bamboo Place Mat Area Rugs!! Have fun!!

till next time...
Heather

P.S. Yay! I am not having to use my phone's camera anymore! And just a side note, if you want to put something under your rug to make it non-slip, you can use that no-slip cabinet liner, it works perfect, and is super cheap!

Movin, Movin, Movin...

2011-10-14T21:31:00.000-04:00

Good morning to all you beautiful bloggers and blog readers and followers of blogs out there. What a beautiful morning it is here in Missouri. Heather and her family are all moved into their new house. I say all moved in with tongue in cheek! Getting it moved in is the easy part. Now is unpacking, putting away, and in place, which can take a week or two. It's been an exhausting week for them. Packing, moving, unpacking, arranging and organizing again.

Moving can be overwhelming, but it does not need to be. Being an" Ex-Military Wife", I know just how traumatic moves can be. When you are being moved by professional movers, it is a little easier because you don't have to pack anything. Then comes the unpacking; moving company packers tend to pack everything from different rooms together. YIKES! At least that was my experience with them.

Over the years of moving often, some long distance and some not so long distance I have developed my own set of rules for moving. Heather thought it would be fun to share them and then have you tell what your moving experiences have been like and any other ideas, tips, or advice you might have. So here we go...

FIRST: Always make a list of things that need to be done prior to move. (And then follow it....tee hee)

1. Sort and throw out everything you no longer want. (Example: kids broken toys, mismatched socks, clothes that no longer fit). You 'd be amazed and how many bags of "STUFF" you can get rid of by either donating or throwing them out.

2. Make a menu for meals up until the day of the move....this way you can pack all the dishes, pots and pans and staple food items you won't need until your actual moving day.

3. Next start a tote or suitcase for each family member. Include enough clothing items, toiletries, toys etc. for the days prior to move. Then everything else can be packed.

4. When we have moved ourselves I like to pack each room separately (as much as possible). Then I mark the outside of the boxes with the room and contents of the box. (Note: It helps to list contents as you put them in or you find yourself unpacking to see what you put in the box).

5. If you find you have space left in boxes of things like knickknacks you can always put pillow cases, hand towels, doilies and such in on top.

6. I always try to pack one box that contains one set of sheets, blanket, pillow cases, etc, for each bed at the new house. This makes it much easier the day you move in....saves a lot of search time. I also put in towels, wash clothes and personal bath items for each person.

7. My children and grand-children always say I can pack more in one box than they've ever seen anyone do. I always get a laugh out of that. Guess it comes with practice and moving so many times over the years.

I was going to do a very detailed list, but I ran across a list of moving tips from Movers-Edge.com . This is a great list for all kinds of moves and I would recommend you print it out to use if you are faced with a move in the near future. And if by chance you are... " HAPPY MOVING".

Until next time Hugs and Best Wishes

Nanny

Moving Week... Excuse My Absence Y'all

2011-10-11T05:00:00.000-04:00

This week I am in the process of moving, and even taking the few minutes to write this is killing me, haha. Not really, but I know I should be packing, and I am very easily distracted. Sooo...this week Nanny will be taking over for me, and in addition to her weekly blog post, she will be doing a special interactive post on moving, and all of the important tips and things that we can sometimes forget. I hope y'all enjoy this discussion, and I want you to feel free to comment with your thoughts, ideas, and awesome tips...that I know you all have for me :) So next, Nanny will be posting her thoughts and ideas, and then it is your turn! Have fun y'all, and wish me luck! (It is supposed to rain on moving day, yuck!)

Till next time...

Heather

Under Construction!!!

2011-10-05T11:15:00.001-04:00

I just want to thank y'all for bearing with me while we are under construction here. I am still busy trying to perfect the blog layout and just the all around feel of everything. if you have any suggestions please feel free to comment. I should have it all finished soon, but in the meantime...it is an ever changing world around here, giggle, giggle!

Till next time...

Nanny's Corner: Scrap Booking Fever!

2011-10-05T08:55:00.001-04:00

Today I thought perhaps I would talk about scrap booking. I've always been an avid photographer when it comes to family functions and everyday life. What I was not good at was dating my photos and journaling them.

My journey into scrap booking actually began about six years ago when my mother-in-law passed away. Has anyone else ever received a huge box of pictures and/or photo albums or both when a parent or loved one passed away? That's what happened to my husband and I. We began looking through the pictures and the albums and my husbands response was repeatedly "I don't recognize anyone" or I have no clue when or where this was taken". I made a vow right then and there that I was going to leave more of a legacy for my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

A friend of mine is a consultant with "Creative Memories". I attended one of her classes and I was hooked. I decided that I was going to start scrapbooking and journaling all of our pictures. I do not want to leave the same kind of mess for my family as my mother-in-law did for hers. So needless to say, I had a huge task ahead of me. I decided to go back to 1979, which is when my husband and I reconnected after being engaged as teenagers. Another story, for another time.

I began by doing one year at a time, matting, journaling and embellishing my pages until I was satisfied with them. It's been a long process, but I am almost current. I say that with tongue in cheek. I'm almost finished with 2010. Then I will be ready for this year. However, I still have the 90's to complete. Those were such busy, fun filled years I had a difficult time remembering what we did which year. I believe I finally have it as near as it's gonna get. After I finish catching up and am current I will tackle those years.

My husband loves looking at each album after it is completed. He always asks me how I can remember what happened way back then. My response is always I have to do it now while I can still remember. Someday these albums may be the only memory I have. Fortunately, for now I have a pretty good memory.

I love scrap booking.....it gives me such a feeling of contentment and satisfaction to see my completed albums. I hope that someday my grandchildren and great-grandchildren will appreciate them as much as I have enjoyed doing them. I have actually gotten two of my granddaughters and one of my daughters into scrap booking with me. I buy my scrap booking supplies from many different venues. I find that if I determine which pictures I am going to scrap book, then I can decided what embellishments, matting pages, etc. I want to use. If I don't have a particular embellishment, I go on line and find a clip art that works and print and cut it out. My son bought me my first Cricut Machine. I've since passed that one on to Heather and bought a larger one, which I love.

Below are a few pages from my 2010 album I wanted to share with you. It gives you an idea of the kind of pages I do. My sincere hope is that in sharing my ideas with you, you will take that first step and start scrap booking your pictures. Good luck and good scrapping! Have fun, let the creative juices flow. There are no limits to what you can accomplish if you just set your mind to it.

My oldest great-grandson getting a lesson with his
first shave.

This is a memory to cherish forever. That first bike
ride without training wheels!

                                            Our little skate board champ..if Bubba can do it
                                                        so can I.

Dad letting the kiddos get there hands in the thick of
a mechanics job.

Cheerleading for the first graders. What a blast they had.

Doesn't this one just speak to your inner-child?

Hugs and Best Wishes,

Glitter Punkins!

2011-09-30T12:31:00.001-04:00

Soo, I have been hearing so many good things about the new Krylon Glitter Blast spray. I had to run out and grab some to make some Halloween decorations with. That was easier said than done, by the way. I must have gone to 5 different places trying to find it, driving all over town...before I finally realized, Hey! I bet they have it at Michaels!...And they did! Yay! i was relieved. It is a little pricey, but so worth it.

My first attempt with the Glitter Blast, was to make Glitter Punkins. I took two real pumpkins, and blasted them with this glitter spray. This is what I started with:

And this is a during shot:

Now, a word of advice: Take this outside! I was a little loopy by the time I was done with the first pumpkin because it does have fumes similar to spray paint..Whew! So, that being said, do this one outside. There was a little over spray, but not bad at all, and it was very easy to clean up.So this is my final masterpiece. I call it my Faux Mantle, since we have no fireplace, I use the top of our entertainment center for our "mantle displays".

And here is an up-close shot of the finished Glitter Punkins:

Hope y'all like them, and have fun with the Glitter Blast!

P.S. Please don't forget they are real pumpkins if that's what you choose to use. I did...and, well, to say the least... it makes for a messy cleanup if you go to pick one up and it has turned to mush!
Till next time...

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Nanny's Corner Wednesday: Fall is Definitely in the Air...

2011-09-28T08:05:00.001-04:00

I just love these crisp fall mornings. Sitting on the deck having a steaming cup of coffee with my sweetie. Life couldn't be better. This weather is just right for your favorite soups and stews.

Yesterday I was trying to figure out what to fix for dinner. I rummaged through my freezer and found some sweet Italian sausage. This is the recipe I came up with. I hope you like it as much as we did. It was pretty tasty I must say.

                                          Italian Sausage Soup


    3 links of Italian sausage                       3 cups chicken stock
1/2 chopped onion                                               1 can cream of mushroom soup
        2 cloves minced garlic                      1 cup half and half or heavy cream
1 rib diced celery                                 salt and pepper to taste
        6 medium potatoes diced                     sprinkle Cayenne pepper to taste

Remove sausage from casings and crumble. Brown sausage in large pot, set aside. Cook diced potatoes in chicken stock until tender. Meanwhile, saute garlic, onion and celery in small skillet. When potatoes are cooked add to pot with Italian sausage (liquid included). Stir in mushroom soup, heavy cream and seasonings. If mixture is too thick for your preference add additional chicken stock. Heat on medium heat until bubbly and hot.

This recipe will serve 4 to 6 depending on size of servings.

Note: I made homemade garlic bread sticks to go with the soup.

_________________________________________________________________________________

The next recipe I want to share with you is one of my all time favorites. If you like espresso you will love my recipe for these Espresso Nut Muffins. The original recipe was in Taste of Home magazine and I tweaked it a little to make it my own. These jumbo muffins are scrumptious! Serve them warm with a cup of your favorite coffee or hot tea.


                                             Espresso Nut Muffins

Makes six jumbo muffins.

                Ingredients:
2 cups flour                                        1 cup strong brewed coffee

        2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar              3 Tbsp. espresso powder
        1-1/2 tsp. baking powder                   1/2 cup canola oil
          1/4 tsp. baking soda                           1 egg, beaten
          1 tsp. salt                                           1/2 cup chopped walnuts
            1/4 tsp. nutmeg                                   1/2 cup chopped dates

                 Topping:
                          1 Tbsp. sugar
                          1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the coffee and espresso powder. Be sure coffee is cooled to room temperature. Stir oil and egg into coffee mixture. Add coffee mixture to dry ingredients and stir just till moistened. Fold in walnuts, dates and raisins.
Spray jumbo muffin pan with cooking spray. Use 1/2 cup measuring cup for each muffin. Top each with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: I have used chocolate chips in place of raisins. I've also used chopped bananas in place of raisins and dates. This makes an entirely different flavor, but just as tasty. You can make a mixture of powdered sugar and coffee to drizzle on the tops if you like a little more sweetness to them.

Quote of the day: Advice is seldom welcome; and those who need it most like it the least. (funny how that happens) This is a quote from Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, 1694 - 1773

Nanny's thought for the day: Life is what you make it. Fill your life with love, family and friends. "LIVE" like there is no tomorrow and "DANCE "like no one is watching.

Every now and then I will share a little family story with you. These grand babies always make me giggle with their little stories. So here's the first: One of my granddaughters was having dinner with her two little girls who are three and five years old. The five year old said "momma I want to be a school teacher when I grow up" not be be outdone the three year old pipes up and says "momma I want to be a hillwilly when I grow up. I got quite a laugh out of that one. You just never know what they will say.

Love and Hugs,

"Zack Ops" Party

2011-09-26T11:52:00.000-04:00

Phew! I am soo glad that is over! Who's idea was it to have yet another party at Chuck E Cheese??? Oh yeah, my wonderful son. Well, anyways, they had a blast...and the cake, well in the end it turned out AWESOME! But...it did not start out that way. First, let me show you a couple of pics of the finished product, then I will tell you the story of our "almost disaster".

Zackary's 6th Birthday Cake

                           Up Close Shot of the Battlefield

Okay, so its not round...Zack's choice, and it definitely looks more like a war zone. That too was Zack's decision. But all in all, I think it turned out pretty stinkin' awesome...considering.

I started out by baking the large rectangle on the bottom, and a smaller square for the top. Well... they both stuck in the pans, and only half of each came out when I turned them upside down. I was devastated, to say the least...mainly because I procrastinated (like always) and waited till the last minute to bake the cake. So I had absolutely no time to bake another one, but alas! My friendly neighborhood Publix bakery gave me a plain, undecorated cake to take home and decorate myself. Thank God for Publix, hehe! Once I got it home, I added some of the remnants of the other two cakes to make the hill, and added all of the decorations, and Voila! Zack Ops Cake was born! If you can't tell, I'm pretty proud of this one, and so was my son, he absolutely loved it!

Tomorrow I will be posting a great little Halloween project I did with Krylon Glitter Blast, so until next time...

Ok, I had to add a few little extra photos from the party:

Very creative parent brought this for Zack..Love it!

The little guy in the back corner is him, after he saw that his candles kept relighting..giggle giggle!

Just had to show this...one of the dads even came dressed in Camoflage, so cute!

Till next time...

Introducing...Nanny's Corner

2011-09-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

So I had this brilliant idea, well...at least I think it was brilliant. I am going to have a guest blogger once a week, who also happens to be my gramma, we call her Nanny. So let me introduce you all to my Nanny....here goes our first Nanny's Corner:

Hi!  My name is Karen,
but everyone calls me Nanny.  I am a
wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother 17 times.  Wow, never dreamed I would have such a large
family.  

Having such a large family has given me so much joy and
happiness in my life.  I never tire of
having little ones around and all the giggles, and fun we have together.

Since I have retired I have filled my days with sewing,
knitting, crocheting, crafting of all kinds, scrapbooking and quilting.  I am in the process of making quilts for all
our children. I will then start on the grandchildren.  I am hoping that these will be heirlooms  they will pass on someday.

I was so excited when my granddaughter asked if I would like
to add some grandmotherly tips and quips to her blog.   I have
now added yet another fun thing to fill my day. 
Thought I would share things with you like “Tips of the Day”, recipes
and ideas for re-purposing items from your home instead of throwing them out.

Okay so here we go: 

One of my favorite sayings is “ Anything worth doing is worth doing
right”.

Nanny’s Tip of the Day: 
Don’t forget to check the batteries in your fire alarms.I always do mine in the spring and fall…which reminds me, I
better check ours! 

With Halloween right
around the corner here are some ideas for decorating and making pumpkins: 

I saw a really cool idea in a magazine the
other day where you paint the pumpkin black first (after you have cleaned out
the insides of course) then carve leaves on them.  You use an actual pattern of a leaf from your
yard for carving.  It was really
beautiful.

                Ladies Home Journal

Another way to make pumpkins is:

Take a brown paper bag 
(one you get from the grocery store) stuff it with wadded up newspaper,
tie near top to make stem, then squish it down to shape you want. You can come
up with some really ghoulish shapes or traditional shapes.  Then you can paint and decorate it any way you
desire.  Have fun with it.

    Somedaycrafts

                                Karey Ellen Designs

Till next time…hugs and best wishes, Nanny.

Army Party Planning

2011-09-12T12:01:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I spent most of the day planning my 5 year old's birthday. He is hooked on playing Call of Duty: Black Ops with his daddy, so he wants an Army party this year. This is the cake he wants me to make: (not asking too much, lol)

Sooo, I am going to attempt this cake, and after it is made, I will post pictures. The only part I am worried about is the flying helicopter, not too sure how I will make that one happen, I spent a couple of hours making his party invitations to take to his class, and this is what I came up with:

This is the front

And this is the back! So, what do ya think? Not the most creative invites I have made, but I thought they were pretty darn cute!

Till next time...

Upcycled T-Shirt Dress

2011-09-10T20:00:00.000-04:00

My latest try at a new upcycling project came from an awesome idea I saw on I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar 's blog.....brilliant! You take old t-shirts you don't want anymore, and you turn them into a beautiful, and very unique little girl's dress. Soo...here is a snapshot of my attempt at a dress. And actually I was able to use one of my old Marilyn Monroe t-shirts, that slowly has become smaller...and smaller on me to the point that I have no business wearing it anymore. (I was not too happy about outgrowing it) Nevertheless, I was very happy about being able to use this since I couldn't bear to part with it. So here you go, let me know what you think!

Oh, and please keep in mind that I am taking these pics from my cell phone right now...I will be posting much better pics later!

Till next time...