The Patriotic Peacock

Double Layer Brownie Cream Cheese Cake Recipe

2012-02-24T08:30:00.001-05:00

This recipe is so easy...seriously.

But it looks complex, like you slaved over it for hours!

All you need:

1 box of brownie mix (family size)

1 can of cream cheese icing

walnuts

chocolate chips

cocoa powder

Mix up the brownies and pour half of batter each into two, round baking dishes.

Make sure you spray the pan VERY good!

Bake as directed.

After cooled, pop brownies out.

Take your cream cheese icing and spread half of it on the first brownie layer.

Add second brownie layer on top and spread the rest of the icing over that.

Then sprinkle walnuts and chocolate chips.

I also sifted some cocoa powder on top to make it look a little fancier!

Oh my...it's so good.

Try not to eat all of it...it will be hard though.

I took this to a Valentine party and everyone loved it!

They thought I had worked really hard at making it...I'm a trickster like that ;-)

The BIG Birthday Weekend

2012-02-22T08:38:00.001-05:00

My little Caleb turned 3 on Saturday and it seems he immediately morphed into a big boy!

My parent's surprised all of us and showed up at our house Friday afternoon. Caleb was so excited. He started his birthday weekend off by going to the park with "Ma" and "Cack Cack".

He lead the way...

A favorite spot...on Cack Cack's shoulder's

Buzz Lightyear practice with Ma

Not afraid of the jungle gym!

After Caleb went to bed Friday night, we stayed up decorating and creating a birthday door for him to run through...but when he woke up on his birthday, he figured out a way to escape without breaking any streamers!

Then we headed over to one of Caleb's best buddies house for another birthday party...he had a blast!

Now it was time for Caleb to take a nap and us to get the party set up.

We had taco dip, chips and dip, animal crackers, Cars juice boxes and Cars cake!

Can you tell our theme??? Caleb had been asking for a "Cars 2" birthday since before Christmas.

We played pin the tooth on mater...

And tire toss

We had fun with all our friends!

These are my tall friends! We are all between 5'8" and 5'10"....I love having some tall friends!!!

I can't believe that candle says "3"

He is getting so big!!!

Can I cry now? Oh wait, I already did.

Caleb literally crashed right before the last of his friends left.

He had partied all day and night and was zonked.

The party was great and we all were ready to get some sleep!

Parties take a lot of energy out of everyone!!!

But, the day's events weren't quite over...

My parents got a call that night after we had all gone to bed.

It was my brother calling from Virginia to say that he had hit a deer and flipped his car several times before crawling his way out of the passenger side of the car.

Of course that shook everyone up.

God was watching over him though. Thankfully, he was wearing his seatbelt and walked away with only a few scratches and a totaled car.

Then, Caleb woke up, burning up and asked for juice. He ended up having an upset tummy and a fever of over 104.

He was pitiful.

He slept the rest of the night in our room and didn't wake up until noon!

Needless to say, we all had a rough night of sleep.

Caleb still had more presents to open the next day...one was his big surprise present and his face was priceless.

He seemed to not know what to do with himself.

But he quickly warmed up to "Lightning McQueen"

We are still working on getting the hang of driving it...a little more difficult than you might think...haha.

Needless to say, it was a birthday to remember!

Monday when my parents were packing the car up to drive back home, Caleb ran inside and put his shoes on.

He came out telling us all that he was going home with Ma and Cack Cack.

And guess what?

We let him go!

How crazy am I???

Seth talked me into letting Caleb go have fun with all our family in Virginia so that he and I would have time to spend with each other and get the baby's room finished.

So, here I am, having a babymoon at home with Seth while my little sugar bear is 10 hours away!!!

I am enjoying my alone time with Seth...and goodness knows we won't get a chance like this again for a while so I am trying to make the most of every moment.

But I sure do miss my little man!

We are driving up this weekend to pick him up and I can't wait to kiss his cheeks!!!

Happy Birthday Sugar Bear Caleb...WE LOVE YOU!!!

Our week in pictures...

2012-02-16T08:42:00.000-05:00

Look at what my husband did to me...

I'm 5 pounds heavier just looking at that!!!

I shared...aren't I nice?

Valentine's Day walk...which turned into walking across the street and talking to our neighbors for an hour!

Valentine Monkey from Honey and Pop

oooo..I had a MOODY little Valentine on my hands Tuesday...please tell me I wasn't the only one?

Valentine outfit and baby bump!

We went and had lunch with Seth on base, which turned out to be a lot of fun.

This is my 31 week belly...not much longer left...ahhhhh!

This is Caleb's birthday week, so he is getting spoiled.

I let him wander the toy aisle's at Target one day. I love that kid. I'm not sure he realizes that those toys could potentially come home with us. He has asked me about taking some with him but I just tell him, "Not today buddy" and he says, "ok!"

So please, no one tell him!!!

His new tennis shoes that make him run "FAST!!!!"

And better yet, he can put them on himself...but he throws a fit EVERY time I put socks on him.

I seriously can not wait till the weather is warmer so I don't have to fight with him about socks...for ril yo.

I love my cup holder. I've worked hard for this thing! ;-)

Whenever I make dinner, Caleb decides it's time to come and stand right under my feet and whine about anything and everything.

This particular night, he grabbed his book and set up camp, under my feet, in the kitchen. But there was no whining, so I couldn't have been happier!

This is his current favorite book.

"Max and the Big Fat Lie".

It was mine when I was little. It is a cute story about lying and it has monsters in it, which is why Caleb is obsessed.

He has a thing for monsters I guess.

And he's so stinkin' cute all curled up in the floor, "reading" like he's a big boy or something.

This is what Caleb refers to as, "My Max and Ruby Outfit".

This pose is what I refer to as, "I smack my hiney because I think anything to do with a hiney is funny".

There isn't an hour of the day that goes by that Caleb isn't saying something about his "hiney" or "pooting" or that he isn't running around making pooting noises. He is such a boy...and I am really hoping this potty talk phase doesn't last forever, although my friends with boys haven't given me much hope!!!

He's still a cutie though...hiney smack pose and all ;-)

How has your week been?

We are having a birthday party for Caleb on Saturday and he can not wait.

I still have quite a bit to do to get ready for it but I am pretty excited too!

It's fun being a parent...well, most of the time ;-)

A winner!

2012-02-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

I know, I know! I totally tricked yall (or maybe lied, but tricked sounds so much better...doesn't it???)

I was *supposed* to announce the winner of the big Valentine Giveaway yesterday but today is the real day because yesterday I got a little caught up in the excitement of love :)

So, with no further chit chatting, the winner of the grand prize is............

#38- Amy @ Lovin This Life!!!

The two winners of the calling cards are:

#8: Jessi!

AND...

#17: Mr. Superman and Mrs. S!!!!

Congrats everyone!!!!

Thank you all so much for participating :)

My Valentine Story

2012-02-14T08:51:00.001-05:00

This is my Valentine.

He's a hunk, I know ;)

He's also a great dad...

no...

he's an AMAZING dad!

And he makes me happy.

Have I ever told you our story though?

This is the part where you can either hang around for a few moments of mushy-ness or you can just flip through the pictures and move on...your choice, I am going to tell my story no matter what you end up doing though.

When we were in 9th grade, Seth moved to Virginia from Dallas.

I remember the first time I met him. He had tennis shoes on that made his feet look like boats, but I remember thinking how cute he was...short, but cute.

In highschool, Seth was one of the more popular kids but he was super awkward when it came to certain social situations. He overcompensated for this by putting on a super macho, "Im better than you" kind of attitude which made a lot of people realllllllly not like him. I didn't hate the guy but I did think he was full of himself. That's just because I hadn't taken the time to get to know him yet.

He moved a lot growing up...every 3-4 years for the most part, so he was used to coming into a new place and having to fend for himself. His attitude that he showed was his defense mechanism to not get too close to the people around him so that it wouldn't be that difficult when he had to move again. The funny thing is that the way Seth portrayed himself was the farthest thing from who he really was that he could have ever gotten!

So let me tell you another thing about Seth. In 10th grade, he fell in love with me. As in, he was convinced at the age of 15 that he was going to marry me.

I on the other hand had a boyfriend and didn't like Seth at all. I still thought he was a handsome thing but remember that whole "I'm the best" attitude we just talked about? Yeah. That wasn't cutting it for me. I made it pretty obvious that I didn't like the guy but that didn't keep him from trying. I literally could not get away from the guy.

He used to wait around at my locker EVERY day after school and walk me to my car. One day, I hid in a classroom and had someone watch the hall for me so they could tell me when Seth finally gave up and left my locker...I'm so sweet, aren't I???

There's another twist in this story. Seth's best friend, Kevin, was also one of my best friends. That makes it awkward, right? Kevin was good about telling me how much Seth loved me...even though I had a boyfriend ALL through highschool. And I was good at telling Kevin how much I didn't like Seth.

The summer of 10th grade, my boyfriend and I broke up for a few weeks.

Guess who was literally blowing my phone up before the news hardly had a chance to get out?

Yep, Seth.

It always seemed as though my boyfriend and I would break up every summer for a few weeks and Seth was always there to ask me out on a date.

And I always went.

There was something intriguing about Seth's persistence. Plus, it was a fun night out and he always did it high class...we never went to McDonald's or the dollar movie...no siree.

He would take me to a nice, sit down dinner and the expensive movies!

He even would get creative and play date games.

This is where he would create a game with all different options of what we could do that night and depending on how I answered the questions or figured out the puzzles would determine what kind of date we would have.

The excitement and adventure of the unknown date was usually reallllly fun, except for that one time when I wore really cute high heels and we ended up trying to fly kites at the park on a day when there was ZERO wind...

But then, school would start again and I would go back to my boyfriend that was familiar to me. Seth would be left wondering what he did wrong and then he would try to forget about the whole thing, including me.

A few months before we graduated high school, my long time boyfriend and I broke up for good. There was no turning back this time...we were totally different people and I was ready for the big, exciting world of college!

Guess who I had fun with all summer though?

Yep. Ol' Sethy Poo.

We literally had the best summer ever.

Seth kept on coming back to me, trying to win me over time after time.

His own family even told him to leave me alone...and deep down he probably knew he should because he always ended up with a broken heart, but he just couldn't let himself give up.

Now Seth and I might have dated all summer but we never held hands or gave hugs and we definitely didn't kiss...it just wasn't that sort of thing for me...I wanted to keep it as neutral as possible, that way I didn't feel so bad when school started again and I would kick him to the curb.

One night, he brought me home from one of our fun night's out.

Everyone in my family was already in bed and Seth and I sat around talking for a while.

He got up to leave and asked for a hug.

I thought that was weird but I was so tired and I ready for him to leave, I just gave him one.

Crazy thing is, I couldn't get out of the hug. The guy was literally hug locking me. THEN he grabs my face, kisses me...which really meant he kissed my TEETH because I had NO idea what was going on. Then the wimp ran out of the door, laughing!!!

I was SO MAD at him!!!

The next morning, I told my mom what had happened, sure that she would be super angry at him.

But, nope. She said, "Well it's about time he got him a kiss!"

I didn't speak to Seth for a few days.

Then he apologized, not because he was really sorry but because he wanted to be on speaking terms again.

It makes for a pretty funny first kiss story though, doesn't it?

Then the college years began.

Of course, I completely ignored the wonderful summer I had had with Seth, kicked him to the curb and started college as a completely single gal.

I was having fun...and don't get me wrong, Seth wasn't moping around.

Yeah, he wanted to be my boyfriend but since I was making that impossible, he literally went crazy on the dating scene. Some weeks he would have a different date for each day of the weekend.

He was a ladies man. He knew what to say and how to treat a lady, which of course made all the girls swoon for him. But he didn't care because for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why every girl except the one he really wanted, fell for him.

And Seth doesn't give up easily, have I mentioned that?

You'd think once I girl looked you in the face a few times and told you it just wasn't gonna work out, you'd eventually move on...but not Seth.

I found a boyfriend.

Yes...another one.

(What was wrong with me???)

He was older than me, which is the main reason I allowed him to manipulate me into being his girlfriend.

He was an only child and a spoiled brat.

He only went to college because his grandpa told him that if he didn't, the military would draft him...(talk about a wimp, and the antitheses of everything Seth is...but we won't go there, yet)

He was so cheap that he would take me to Sam's club to eat the SAMPLES for a lunch date and on a special day, he would actually buy me something from the little snack bar.

He wasn't cute, charming, chivalrous. He didn't show me much respect or treat me like a lady. He was super jealous and he was a manipulator and a big mama's boy.

Pretty much the complete opposite of Seth.

My college boyfriend hated Seth.

Mostly because every chance Seth got, he would take with me.

He would instant message me online (the days before facebook became huge!), asking me out...while I was still dating my boyfriend.

He would see me at school and come over and talk and try to ask me out.

One night, he and my boyfriend had it out on the phone. My boyfriend called Seth "Son" and if Seth could have come through the phone and punched him, he totally would have.

The summer of my freshman year, I went and stayed with my friend Tandy for a month.

During that time, I was able to talk to her about my boyfriend situation. She didn't like the way I was being treated and I finally had the courage to break things off with the loser boyfriend.

It wasn't even a day later and I was trying to hunt down Seth.

I found out that he was in Texas with his family.

I tried and tried calling his cell, but he had turned it off.

I went through great lengths, but finally found his house number from a friend.

Seth remembers the day he got that phone call from me.

He had planned to spend the rest of the summer home, but as soon as he found out I was single AND calling him, he packed up his truck and made the 20+ hour trek back to Virginia to try and win my heart.

Believe it or not, things still didn't work out right away.

I dated a few more guys...wasted a little more time.

That Christmas, I finally came around.

I threw him a little birthday party and we started officially dating for the first time ever.

Once we committed to each other..or rather once I decided to commit to him, we never broke up.

I had to date a few losers to realize how much I appreciated Seth. I'm certain that had I never taken the time to date those guys, I never would know how great of a catch I have.

Now we have been married for 4 1/2 years and together 6 1/2 years.

He still calls me, even if it's from the next room over, and asks me out on dates.

He opens my door and sits and stares at me telling me how beautiful I am.

He supports me in everything I do, even when it doesn't make any sense to him.

He sends me out to have time for myself and cleans the house while I'm gone.

He has a genuine curiosity about things I'm interested in.

He works hard.

He joined the military because he wanted to, because he has a love for his country.

He encourages me when I'm spiritually down...and God is definitely number one on his priority list.

Every decision he makes is based on what God's plans for our lives are...and he doesn't compromise his faith, for anyone or any reason.

He sends me verses from Proverbs 31, telling me how great of a wife I am...especially on days when he knows I'm feeling down and overwhelmed.

He is the leader of our home and the best dad to our little boy.

He's smart...impressively smart.

He's a thinker and a doer and I'm pretty sure there isn't a lazy bone in his body.

He doesn't give up. He's in it for the long haul. He doesn't take no for an answer.

He's a man's man. Nothing about Seth is wimpy. If there's a number one spot to be won, he's gonna do it. If there's a job to be done, he's gonna finish it and give it 100%.

He's tough and he's strong, both inside and out.

But at the same time, he's loving. He has the most tender heart you'll ever find and he has a genuine love for those around him. He has a giving spirit...always looking for ways to help others.

He easily forgives and forgets.

I just love him so much.

Ooolala...he's so good lookin in his military gear.

Who knows how many times I broke Seth's heart.

I have since cried about how badly I treated him and how heartless I was.

I've apologized countless times and he forgave me a long time ago.

Every day isn't perfect but we sure try hard at making it.

For Valentine's, he surprised me and took me out for dinner and a movie and bought me roses.

He set up the babysitter without me even knowing and took me to see "The Vow" because I've been talking about it non-stop.

AND we started our date off with a game...just like we used to 10 years ago.

Almost 5 years into our marriage and he's still surprising me.

This Saint Patricks Day will be the 5th anniversary of our engagement.

I don't regret marrying Seth one bit and I'd do it all over again.

I love him with all my heart.

Happy Valentines Day to my hunky husband!!!

Thanks for never giving up on me.

Here's my other Valentine...I can't forget about this little guy.

He's just like his daddy.

He tells me several times a day,

"Mommy, I WUV you!!!"

Well Caleb, I WUV YOU TOO!

Happy Valentine's everyone!

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

10 Sweeeet Valentine Ideas

2012-02-13T09:43:00.001-05:00

I can not believe Valentine's Day is tomorrow...can you?!?!

February is flying by.

I do love Valentine's though.

Here are some of my favorite Valentine's ideas that were just too cute and yummy not to share with you!

What a fun kids Valentine idea:

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These are free, retro style printables...so cute...and did I mention FREE?!?

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ADORABLE DIY ruffle heart dress

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My favorite candy!

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GREAT boys Valentine idea..especially when your little boy wants to steer clear of "mushy" Valentines!

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Do these look delish or what???

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Pretty sure no one could resist these...

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OR these!!!

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I think this would be the perfect Valentine's outfit!

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And this is just cute for all aged girlies

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Don't forget about the Valentine giveaway..end's tomorrow and winner will be announced by the end of the day!
You have 24 more hours to enter!!!
Good luck!!!

twenty.nine.thirty

2012-02-10T10:02:00.000-05:00

29 weeks

30 weeks

Caleb wanted in on the action...silly as usual

Today I am 31 weeks!!!

Where is this time going?

Caleb "helped" me hang the curtains in the nursery.

I also managed to make a big chalkboard art piece and I found a cute crib sheet on clearance at Target for $3.50!

We still have to pull all the baby stuff from the attic. I'm getting nervous that we aren't going to get everything done in time, especially since time seems to be passing super quickly.

We also decided to throw Caleb a little birthday party next weekend.

He is turning THREE!

Between planning that party, keeping up with my Etsy shop, and getting all this baby stuff together, I am one busy lady...but having fun doing all of it :)

Yesterday, we went to visit Seth at work.

Caleb insisted on finding *everything* he owned that was remotely "soldier-y" to wear to see his daddy. He wanted to be an Army man.

He wore his Patton helmet everywhere around base and we got quite a few laughs...it was pretty daggone cute.

And this is exactly why Caleb loves going to see his daddy at work.

Lot's of guy stuff everywhere.

He is 100% BOY!

Let me tell you a funny Caleb story.

Last night, Caleb came up to Seth and said he needed to show Mommy something.

I was in the bath tub so Seth asked him, "What do you need to show her?" Caleb hands Seth a book that he has in his hand. Seth takes the closed book and notices that it has some extra bulk to it. He opens it up...and finds a pair of Caleb's underwear in between two pages. All the while Caleb is cracking himself up and yelling, "It's underwears in there!!!"

That kid.

I am pretty sure I have a class clown on my hands.

Have you entered the Valentine Day Giveaway yet???

If you haven't, you have until Valentine's Day to enter to win over $100 worth of great prizes!!!

Happy Weekend!!!

The BIG Valentines Day Giveaway!!!

2012-02-09T10:29:00.063-05:00

Because the day of LOVE is quickly approaching, I wanted to share some love with all of my followers that I love so much!

Since it would be a little odd for me to send a Valentine card to each one of you, I decided a giveaway would be just as good...probably better :)

Here is the fabulous prize package that you all have the opportunity to win!
One of you will win the entire package!!!

YOUR choice of a calling card design from Creative Fox Studio
***CLICK HERE TO BROWSE WEBSITE***

"Live What You Love" Handstamped Bracelet from Honeysuckle Road

***CLICK HERE TO BROWSE WEBSITE***

"Keep Calm and Pray" Table Runner from LeliaMae

Red Heart Valentine Pillow from Mable Dear

***CLICK HERE TO BROWSE WEBSITE***

YOUR choice of one item from Lauren's Lovely Designs

***CLICK HERE TO BROWSE WEBSITE***

AND last but not least.....

$5 Gift Card to Starbucks!!!!

Bonus Prize:
Two extra lucky winners will also win a calling card of their choice to Creative Fox Studios!

Giveaway closes on Valentine's Day, February 14...winner will be announced the same day.

TO ENTER:

***Leave a separate comment for each entry in order to be entered multiple times!***

1. Follow "The Patriotic Peacock" and leave a comment with your name you used to follow :)
2. Visit each of the Etsy shops listed above and leave a separate comment for each shop telling us your favorite item!
3. "Like" Creative Fox Studio on facebook.
4. "Like" The Patriotic Peacock on facebook.
5. Follow @PaulaKathlyn on twitter and tweet about this giveaway! Make sure to include "@PaulaKathlyn" in your post so I know you tweeted :)
6. Pin "The Patriotic Peacock" on Pinterest!

My Love of Thrifting

2012-02-08T09:45:00.000-05:00

I love thrifting...did you know that? I just really do.

I was looking around my house this week and realized how much of my decor I can thank thrifting for!

I wanted to share my thrifty finds with you and give a few pointers for those of you who aren't quite sure how to begin thrifting.

Here is one of the mantles in my home.

Everything on this mantle was either purchased at a thrift shop or given to me.

The picture of the two men and the lady is a vintage catalog ad for suits. I love this piece of art. I purchased it for $10 at a thrift store and I think it's a steal.

The mirror was a treasure my mama found at Goodwill and gave to me. The vintage scroll design is my favorite part about it. Something I will keep forever.

The candlesticks were given to me from a friend I used to babysit for. She had just moved and she had some great pieces that she no longer wanted so I took her up on her offer and brought them home with me!

Here is my other mantle. The candlesticks were given to me by my same friend (she has some great candlestick taste!). The painting I found in a Goodwill for a few bucks (I think it was $5). It immediately caught my attention because it has a peacock flair. It was handpainted and it has the artists name and year it was painted in the corner. I just love the way it brings my living room together.

I love this outdoor art! It's a metal sign I found at a Goodwill for a couple dollars. I think it helps create a nice living area for my porch.

This chalkboard is one of my favorite finds! You wouldn't believe what it looked like before...I am saving that for another "DIY" post...but I'll give you a hint and say it was ugly. I painted the frame, painted the canvas with chalkboard paint and voila!

Here's a picture of Caleb's room. I wanted to show you the big red C that I paid $5 for at a consignment sale and it has quickly become one of my favorite pieces. He likes it too because it's actually a little cabinet that opens up.

For Caleb's one year birthday, I took him and dropped a pretty penny on some gorgeous studio portraits. I was prepared to spend a lot of money on a good frame until I found this one at a Goodwill one day! It was a few dollars and it was a tacky gold color. I came home, did a light white wash over the gold and put Caleb's picture in it. I love the outcome and I saved about $40!

Here is the thrift piece my sister would like to steal from me. It's a burlap covered board with iron cross hatching. You can stick cards in it, mail or just use it as a piece of art...also found at Goodwill.

These three tin buckets are my latest find. I snatched them up for $.25 a piece, yes, $.75 for ALL THREE at a yard sale this past weekend. If you don't see the shabby chic beauty in them right now, just wait till I get some flowers in there!

Tips & Tricks

-Go early to your thrift shops so you can get first pick.

-Find out when they restock their shelves so you have a better chance at getting the good stuff.

-Ask if they have any discount days. We have a thrift shop here that has a different category on sale each day of the week. Another one has one day of the week where everything is 1/2 off!

-Look for things that are in good shape that you can "revamp", like my chalkboard. It may seem ugly at first, but try to imagine what some paint will do for it.

-Look over items really well. Make sure nothing is broken or falling apart. I have made that mistake too many times!

-Google thrift store DIY projects to get ideas on great finds or beginner thrift store projects if your mind is blank.

-Don't be afraid to take a risk, especially if you find a good deal on something. If it even remotely seems like something you could make work or re-purpose to fit your need, give it a try!

-Don't be ashamed to take your friend's "junk" that they don't want anymore. If someone offers you something, don't say no just because you feel embarrassed to take it! If you think you could use it, it's a whole lot better in your house than in your friends trash can.

-Keep a watch on your local yard sale ads. Scout out the ones that seem worth while. Try to bargain with them if you find something you really like but think the price tag is too high...chances are, especially at yard sales, that they will end up docking the price for you because they want it gone!

Turquoise Tuesday

2012-02-07T10:26:00.000-05:00

I just can't think of any color better than turquoise.

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Make It Yourself: Fro Yo

2012-02-06T16:48:00.000-05:00

This is such a pregnancy craving right now...I love all those fro-yo (frozen yogurt) places out there that are the new trend.

What's there not to like about delicious frozen yogurt, a bazillion toppings to choose from and super fun names like, "Chill" and " Sweet Frog" and "Kraze Yogurt"?!?

For us, it's the price tag :-(

We love going but it's definitely a special treat because we just can't justify spending $10-$15 on frozen yogurt on a regular basis.

Soooo, I decided it was time to figure out how to enjoy my own fro-yo on my own budget.

I've included some yummy sounding frozen yogurt recipes...or you can just bypass that and buy your own frozen yogurt at the grocery store.

Our local Grocery (Publix) has some great frozen yogurt options and they sell for less than ice cream.

I also think that Sherbet is a great option for this!

Then, you just need to stock up on your toppings.

It may seem like you're spending more at first but when you break it down into the amount of servings all your toppings will provide, it's a much cheaper option!

I bought some fresh kiwi and strawberries, chopped walnuts, chocolate chips and maraschino cherries (I also poured some cherry juice on top!).

It was delicious. I was going to buy some gummy bears too because that is Caleb's favorite topping, but I totally forgot to stop on the candy aisle at the store today.

I think marshmallows will be a good substitute for him though :)

Here are a few, delicious looking recipe links!

Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt- this one's a simple, no brainer!

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Frozen Yogurt

Almost Famous Frozen Yogurt-

this one looks so good and the perfect vanilla base to all your toppings!

What are your families favorite fro-yo toppings???

Be Bold

2012-02-03T16:25:00.002-05:00

We go to a satellite church of Northpoint, a mega church out of Atlanta with Pastor Andy Stanley.

Every Sunday, we have the opportunity to hear him speak God's word and if you've never heard him speak, he is phenomenal. He has this way of getting down on your level and speaking to you as though you were sitting in his living room, just talking as old friends.

Recently, we've been going through a series called, "Big Church".

It's been monumental to me.

I don't believe I've ever heard such profound messages that spoke straight to my heart and my life as I have in this message series...and let me just tell you, I have sat through many a church message!

The biggest lesson I have taken from this series though is more of a challenge to be bolder in my faith and in my life.

This life that we live in encourages everyone to be neutral, non-offensive, politically correct.

That way no one is offended, no one feels convicted, no one has to look deep into their hearts and realize there are issues that need addressing.

This way of living just makes me sick.

In fact, it is the exact opposite of how we are to live our lives, if we are Christians.

We have been studying about Paul.

Paul...what a man.

He was fresh out of prison, just flogged (flogged= beaten, as in shards of metal and rock on the ends of a whip, ripping through his flesh on his stomach and back until he was near death) for preaching about Christ and you know what his first reaction was? He was ready to go out, telling others about Jesus, not in another town or country but literally in the same place where he was JUST caught.

Talk about boldness, right?

As we are studying the early church, my eyes have been opened to how much "church" has changed. We've gone from being the church who was flocked, beaten, tortured and murdered because of the gospel truth that was shared to the almost complete opposite (at least here in America). We call these "feel good" churches.

The types of church that don't like to preach on sin or hell or what really happens when a person does not accept Jesus Christ as the one living true Savior.

Jesus Christ is THE only way...no matter what Oprah tries to tell ya.

But, a lot of "gospel preaching" churches aren't preaching that. They want you to leave their church feeling good about yourself so that you'll come back next week.

This post is about a lot of things. I am guilty of not being bold enough, or really being bold at all.

What would happen if we all asked God for some boldness? What would happen if we invited our neighbor to church? They might say no! Oh my word...and then our lives would be ruined, right? NOT! At least you can say that you tried...and that's all we can do!

But if we never try?

This post is about finding a church that doesn't make you leave feeling awesome about yourself this week. How about a church that makes you feel...big words here folks.......CONVICTED........GUILTY............in the big and little things in your life.

I think it's easy to believe the parts about the Bible that we want and then leave the rest out that don't quite fit into our "lifestyle".

I'm going to be bold here for a minute about some things that our society deems as acceptable, and I'm going to offend some of you, maybe a lot of you...and if I lose every follower I have, I will risk it because I am not speaking words from my own mouth, I am speaking the truth that we can all find in God's Word.

Here are some "things" that a lot of people around you will tell you are perfectly acceptable:

Getting drunk.

Cheating on your spouse...if you aren't happy, then it's okay to find someone that makes you happy.

Sex outside of marriage...even with your long time boyfriend that you love with all your heart.

Living with someone you aren't married to.

Dressing provocatively.

Homosexuality, I said it. Everyone will tell you there's nothing wrong with it and we should accept it.

Having an abortion...even at 8 weeks along...it's a baby from the day of conception.

This is just the tip of the iceberg.

Everyone wants to brush these under the rug because it's much easier to not accept that the Bible outright says each one of these is sin...along with a million other things...and just because you aren't doing any of these doesn't make it any better when you accept it as ok when others are.

Being bold may mean addressing one or more of these in your life, or even approaching someone you love because they are living in a way that's acceptable in the world's eyes, but not in God's.

God says that as a Christian, we are responsible to help our brothers and sisters in Christ, even when that means putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations at the risk of losing friendships.

You won't be the first one to lose friends over standing up for what's right, and you won't be the last.

Being bold can mean so many things though.

God's possibilities for boldness for us are endless.

But we have to ask Him to help us to be bold.

This past Sunday, we were all given a wristband to wear that says, "Be Bold Acts 4:29".

Acts 4:29-30 says,

"And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your word. Stretch out your hand with healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

We were encouraged to wear them as a reminder to us to BE BOLD. It sure has been a reminder to me! I look at it all the time, mostly because I am not a bracelet wearer so it's driving me nuts, but I just take that as a good thing because the more times in a day that I look at it, the more opportunity I have to pray for boldness and to be aware of situations where I have can be bold.

I can't give all of you a BE BOLD bracelet to wear, but I did make a print out for you.

Something you can put anywhere...take to your office, put on your fridge, wall, bathroom mirror.....who knows, maybe by putting it in an obvious place, you'll have the opportunity to be bold!

I am also attaching the link to the messages we heard from Andy Stanley.

If you have a few minutes, I think your life will be forever challenged by his words of truth.

The two messages I think you will enjoy the most are "Big Prayers" and "Big and Bold".

Life changing messages...I just can't say it enough.

Click HERE to check one or both out.

I say all of this out of love for each of you.

God's love is powerful and He wants the best for each of our lives, but we can only better our lives by striving to be better ourselves.

God expects a lot from us and He gives us the tools and the love and the wisdom that we need to strive to be better for Him!

Right now, when the world is telling us be neutral, God is telling us to stand apart from the world.

You don't have to accept sin just because everyone around you is.

There's no better time than right now, here in this very moment to choose to live a life of boldness for Christ.

It's time to be bold, are you ready?

Click here to print your own "Be Bold" poster.

Here are a few more encouraging verses to remember as you begin your new life of boldness:

1 Chronicles 28:20

"...Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail your or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished."

Psalms 27:1

"The LORD is my light and my salvations; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?"

Deuteronomy 31:6

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you."

Groundhog Day Free Printable and Activity

2012-02-02T16:36:00.000-05:00

It's Groundhog Day everyone!

Caleb and I decided that we were going to see if OUR groundhog saw his shadow...so here's how we did it.

FIRST

We colored our groundhog...

(scroll to the bottom of the page to print out your very own groundhog to color!)

I guess he took a little coloring break, it's hard work ya know.

Gazing out the window, in lala land...okay Caleb, get back to coloring!

We cut out our little groundhog:

Ran outside and grabbed a stick and hot glued it to our groundhog.

Then we took Mr. Groundhog outside and swung him around a little bit.

Played with him...tried to stick him into the porch slat...the usual things one would do with a Mr. Groundhog

Then we stuck him in the ground.

We looked and looked...Caleb, what are you looking at there buddy?

Looked some more...

Then we gave up...our groundhog did NOT see his shadow!

So, at least at our house, Spring's a comin' early!

This was a fun way to introduce Caleb to our American tradition and a great way to teach him about shadows.

Unfortunately, the sun was not out so our groundhog did not have a shadow at all, but we left him sticking in the ground and after nap time we will be examining him again since the sun finally came out!

It's perfect for introducing children to the positions of the sun throughout the day as well...you can even take a piece of chalk out with you to trace the shadow and compare the difference in positions.

Lots of options with this activity.

If you would like to print out your own FREE Mr.Groundhog printable, just click on the picture or click HERE!

Happy Groundhog Day!!!

DIY: Candy Heart Door Hanger

2012-02-01T09:45:00.003-05:00

It's LOVE MONTH!

Valentine's Day is such a fun holiday.

Hearts and pink and red and chocolate and remembering all those that you love.

Valentine's Day is so much more than just spending time with your significant other...although I do love that significant other of mine ;)

I think it's a day to love on your main man even more and remember everyone in your life that you love!

I'm in the spirit and if you lived anywhere near my town, you would know that wooden door hangers are the rage.

Just about every house in my neighborhood has a wooden, polka dotted monogram letter sign, or a big wooden, polka dotted heart.

You can order them at tons of gift shops for $40-$50 a pop! So, if you know me at all, you know that I am definitely not dishing out that much money for something crafty to hang on my door.

My alternative costs about $10 and I love it...and so do my neighbors because it's different from their gift shop versions :)

Here's how you can make your own:

Lowe's and Home Depot both sell 2'x2' pre cut plywood squares for around $5...I grabbed me up one!

Next, I laid out a tarp and pulled out a deep pink spray paint can.

Nice and pink

Lightly draw your heart shape onto your board with a pencil, then use a paint pen to paint over your stencil line.

Fill in your heart...I did two coats of white.

Using my white paint pen, I drew some polka dots then used a round foam brush to fill in the dots...the best part is that your dots don't have to be perfectly circle!

I decided I wanted to make this look as much like a candy heart as possible, so I used my ruler and drew "Be Mine" in pencil, then used pink paint and a thin brush to paint over my pencil lines.

I added some hardware and a ribbon to the back...and VOILA!

Will you be mine??? :)

Linking up with:

Chevron Obsessed

2012-01-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

The chevron craze is in full force...and I hope it stays that way for a while because I love all these great chevron designs, fashions, and ideas!

How about these gorgeous plates from etsy?

Source: etsy.com via Ashley on Pinterest

This top is sooo fun! Seattle designer, Jessalin Beutler is the mastermind behind this great piece and I love it.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

I must admit that I am not a quilter, but if I did quilt, this adorable quilt from V and Co. would be on my to-do list.

Source: vanessachristenson.com via Margaret on Pinterest

This baby set from etsy, is a show stealer...so trendy and cute.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

I'm sort of drooling over this bed set from Urban Outfitters...it would look so good in my guest room.

Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Erin on Pinterest

And for you dog lovers...

Source: etsy.com via Alexandra on Pinterest

Seriously? Amazing clutch from Marigold & Sage.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

Love these place setting cards...chic and they come in just about every color.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

Doesn't get much cuter than this.

Source: etsy.com via Paula on Pinterest

My chevron obsession...aye yai yai...what's your trendy obsession right now?

Dark & Spicy

2012-01-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

I. love. hot. chocolate.

Especially now that I have to keep my caffeine intake under control.

Seth thinks I'm crazy I love it so much.

This is one of my favorite recipes I concocted!

I thought since I loved it so much, you might too :)

Ingredients:

16 oz of milk

1 heaping tablespoon of Hershey's Dark Cocoa

3 Tablespoons of sugar (or splenda)

1 Tablespoon of chocolate chips

Dash of cayenne pepper

Marshmallows for topping

Mix everything together except the marshmallows.

Heat for about 1 1/2 minutes.

Stir realllllly well (the cocoa likes to clump, so you have to really stir that bad boy!)

Top with marshmallows.

Find a quiet spot, preferable during toddler nap time.

Drink to your hearts content.

Beware of marshmallow stealers...or as the thief calls them,

"Smarshsmellow's"

Or you can just give up and hand over the entire bag...=

Yummmmmmm

Baby Bumble Bee Applique Onesie

2012-01-29T18:21:00.002-05:00

I definitely have been feeling the pressure of a new little one about to enter our home!

I can't wait to smell that newborn baby smell and kiss those sweet cheeks.

Even though I can't wait...I'm still not quite ready either. I have too many things on my "baby-do list" that I still haven't gotten too!

All the little projects and fun baby things I had planned to do over my pregnancy haven't happened yet. I realized Friday that the next eleven weeks are going to go by fast, so I'd better get myself in gear to do some of the baby things I've been wanting to do.

While Caleb napped Saturday afternoon, I grabbed a plain onesie, some yellow, black, and white felt, and my handy scissors.

This project was relaxing. I sat in the living room with Seth.

We turned a movie on, and I sat there cutting out my shapes and pinning them to the onesie until I was ready to move to the sewing machine and sew them on.

I really like these cute, little bees...perfect for a girl or a boy.

I especially like the little one on the hiney.

My plan is to make Caleb a matching T-shirt...I hope I can remember to grab up a few t-shirts the next time I'm out!

He also requested a giraffe shirt...which actually is a cute idea!

I think Caleb is really excited about being a big brother.

I am going to dress them in matching clothes for as long as they'll let me!

I know that right now Caleb will think it's super cool to match his little baby brother or sister...we'll see how long that lasts ;)

The fun thing about appliques is that they are simple to make and you can make anything...

Just cut, pin and sew!

You can even hand sew the felt on if you don't have a sewing machine.

Does it get easier than that?

Here are a few cute applique tutorial blog links that I found if you have no idea where to begin!

OR if you just want a few, fun ideas :)

These are FUN!

2012-01-27T08:00:00.007-05:00

I've been working on this project for over a week now...tweaking it and brainstorming. But this idea has been in my head for months!

I still have other ideas for it but this is what I have so far and I'm pretty excited about these cuties, which can all be found here in my Etsy shop...or I have included a new purchasing option at the bottom of my post!

I started with this painting on oak board:

It looks so cute in Caleb's room.

Caleb loves it.

He stands and stares at it saying, "Dat's Caweb!"

Of course, I also had to test some designs out on dishes:

These really are my new favorite thing to make.

Something so fun about adding hair styles and eye colors to each one.

I think these would make great gifts for birthday's or new baby gifts...or a great gift for parent's or grandparents, perhaps with more than one child face!

Interested in purchasing one of my new Child Face item's?

Not interested in going through Etsy and/or don't have a Paypal account???

You can purchase right here!

Here are your options:

LARGE 24" x 24" (Square) Personalized Child Face Painting on Oak Board, comes ready for hanging!

MEDIUM 11" x 7" (Rectangle) Personalized Face Painting on Canvas:

When placing order, include your choices of the following options in the provided section at checkout:

1. Background color

2. Boy or Girl

3. Skin Color

4. Eye Color

5. Hair Color

6. Hair Style

7. Shirt Color

8. Position of name

9. Any extra's (hair bow colors, add earrings, etc.)

Be sure to list number's 1-9 with your choice beside each number so I know exactly what personalizations you would like!

Children's Face Juice Mug:

When placing order, include your choices of the following options in the message section at checkout:

1. Boy or Girl

2. Skin Color

3.. Eye Color

4. Hair Color

5. Hair Style

6. Position of name

Children's Face 8" Ceramic Plate

Microwave and Dishwasher Safe. Refrain from using knives on painted areas.

When placing order, include your choices of the following options in the message section at checkout:

1. Boy or Girl

2. Skin Color

3.. Eye Color

4. Hair Color

5. Hair Style

6. Position of name

Please contact me with ANY questions!

PaulaKathlyn.com@gmail.com

Dis & Dat

2012-01-26T18:44:00.002-05:00

We've been doing a lot of cooking and baking lately.

Especially since Caleb has his "cook" to put on...aka: apron.

That may be the reason behind our funny little episode this morning.

I woke up at 5am and went to check in on Caleb.

Of course he had somehow flipped himself so that his head was at the foot of the bed and all of his covers with bunched up underneath him.

I picked him up and moved him to the right end of the bed and covered him up. I was getting ready to leave when he rolled over and said, "Mommy...you cook!"

Then he rolled back over and fell asleep.

Alright son, I'll get right on that. You know how I love cooking at 5am!

I'm thinking he must have been in mid cooking dream...or he just assumes that is my 24/7 duty.

This kid really puts on for the camera...fo ril.

Believe it or not, this is his gangster dancing face. He isn't mad at all. He was listening to J.Lo's "Get on the Floor" and when the rapping starts, this is his gangster, serious, rapper face...crack.me.up.

This is where my two handsome's chill every night. Every. Night.

Seth has a thing for laying in the floor to watch TV, always has. Caleb of course, joins in on this habit and so now it has become the father-son ritual to lay in the floor and watch TV.

I'm working on a piece of furniture for the baby's room and it needed some sanding and painting done to it, so I grabbed Caleb's paints and set him up a little paint area too. It's so fun seeing how much he enjoys painting now. It actually keeps him occupied for longer than 30 seconds...thank goodness.

He's trying not to smile at me...

And to end this completely random post, we have a new favorite movie.

Yepp...Pooh!

It was his FIRST movie that he saw in the theatre back at the end of summer when we first moved here.

We redbox'ed it on Saturday and this kid has watched it probably 8 times since then.

I have to admit, it's a super cute movie and since someone's birthday is next month, it might just show be at our house for good pretty soon.

The past few days, I've fed Caleb lunch and then let him watch Pooh before his nap. It's an hour long which, to me, is the PERFECT length.

His favorite is Tigger...but he laughs at all of them.

Enjoying these blissful days now before he grows up too fast and wants nothing to do with Pooh Bear :(

I love this kid.

He keeps saying that the baby will "pop" out in one minute...that's gonna be a mighty long minute buddy.

Happy Thursday everyone!

That's right...that means tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Put your dancing boots on :)

twenty. eight.

2012-01-24T21:58:00.000-05:00

Check out big brother's face..crackin' me up!

It's hard to believe I'm in the middle of WEEK 28!

I feel like it was just yesterday that I was laying in bed, sweating from nausea, trying to not use my nose to smell anything and watching a million Disney movies with Caleb...poor little guy was a trooper during those super sick-o days.

Today, the doctor said I was measuring right on track...despite my wish that he was going to tell me that I was measuring a few weeks larger proceeded by him changing up my due date to March...a girl can dream, right?

Honestly, I am enjoying being pregnant. This week I can really tell the growth in my belly. My pregnancy book says that I should be growing a 1/2" every week! That means I still have 6" to go!!!

It's been such a great, healthy pregnancy. Even though I have gained too much weight, I feel wonderful. I am exercising and eating lots of fruits and veggies (and brownies...ooops!).

I am in much better shape this go round than I EVER was with Caleb and I am hoping that will help me out in the delivery room...only time will tell.

Just a few more weeks before we find out what our little bambino is and I am sooo excited!

Caleb will randomly come over to me and say, "Mommy, you push push push and that baby pop out? And doctor will catch baby?"

Hahaha! He makes us laugh so hard. He thinks he has a baby in his belly too. I wonder when he'll figure out he doesn't. I don't want to break the news to him...ha!

Here are a couple of maternity fashion looks I came up with that I would love to prance around in ;-)

Maternity Fashion Casual by retrogalusa featuring camel shoes

Topshop maternity, $32
Maternity, $195
TopShop camel shoes, £30
Crossbody bag, $160
Crystal jewelry

Maternity Fasion by retrogalusa featuring wool scarves

Isabella oliver maternity, $89
Red Herring Maternity maternity, £27
Franco Sarto tall leather boots, $140
H M leather shoulder bag, £25
Lanvin necklace, $1,350
Chanel jewelry, €376
Acne wool scarve, €107

Sew-For-Yourself: Monogrammed Apron

2012-01-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

Step 1: Start with a square piece of fabric.

I chose a light blue and white seersucker...you can use anything for this project!

Step 2: Hold it up to your "client" and get an about measurement of where to cut for the arms.

This can be made for a child or an adult!

Step 3: Cut armholes as shown.

In order to get matching armholes, fold your material in half, length wise after you cut the first armhole and use that as a guideline to cut your second armhole (pictured below):

Now your material should look like this:

Step 4: Hem all edges.

I serged around the edges first and then did a 1/4" hem with my sewing machine all the way around.

Step 5: Add elastic to neck line.

I cut a piece of narrow elastic, pinned it to each side of the top and sewed straight across. I chose to use elastic for the neck because now my little "client" can pull it on and off easily without needing me to tie it for him.

Step 6: Add ribbon to sides of apron.

I had a roll of wide, grosgrain ribbon on hand. I cut two equal pieces and sewed each one onto either side of the apron, right at the base of the arm cut outs.

I added some fray check to the ends of my ribbon to keep it from fraying and looking sloppy.

Step 7: Grab some felt and cut out your monogram letter.

I used black for contrast. I free-handed the letter C, but you could print out a letter from your computer, cut it out, pin it onto the felt and cut around it if you are looking for a certain font, like a pretty cursive!

Pin the letter on and carefully stitch it onto your apron.

This is an optional step. I used my remaining pieces that I cut from my arm holes in step 3 to make a pocket.

Just hem around the edges.

The left is a picture of what the back of your pocket will look like and the right side is what the front will look like:

Then I sewed the sides and bottom of the pocket onto the apron, leaving the top open.

Someone loved it.

He likes to "cook" with me. In fact, we "cooked" up some chocolate milk as soon as he got his apron on! He thinks stirring means he's cooking something good...so he get's to do lots of stirring :)

Look at this kid. He's so serious.

A little too much flour on his nose.

This apron would make a great gift too! For birthday people of all ages :)

Easy, functional, fun and "client" approved!

Happy Monday everyone!

Don't forget, there's still one more day left to get your coupon codes for the Valentine Mug sets.

Valentines Day is only THREE weeks away!!!

Mr. & Mrs. Mustache Contest

2012-01-20T17:05:00.001-05:00

This week, I added a new couple to my shop...just in time for Valentines!

I think they make a cute couple.

Meet Mr. & Mrs. Mustache and Lipstick...

I decided to do a contest for all my readers.

The regular price on this mug set is $40 + shipping

However, I have decided to give everyone a chance to get a great price on a pair of these for your Valentine.

Here is how:

1. Become a follower of my blog

2. Facebook this link

3. Tweet about this link...include @PaulaKathlyn so I can see your tweet!

4. Repin this link on Pinterest

5. Blog about it! Make sure to include the link back to my blog and etsy shop.

6. Like The Patriotic Peacock on Facebook.

If you do ONE of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 10% off code!

If you do TWO of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 15% off code!

If you do THREE of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 25% off code!

If you do FOUR of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 30% off code!

If you do FIVE of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 40% off code!

If you do SIX of the above, email me at retrogalusa@aol.com for your 50% off code!

The discount price is only valid on the Mr. & Mrs. Mustache and Lipstick Sets.

You must email me to receive your discount.

Contest closes Tuesday, January 24!

Discount codes expire February 14!!

Good luck!!!!

Skinny Mama's No-Bake Cookies

2012-01-19T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm by no means anywhere near being a "skinny mama" right now...but so as not to gain 60 pounds this pregnancy, I have been experimenting with healthier options. I love no-bake cookies and decided to do my own low sugar version.

They turned out yummy...especially since I know the calorie content is much lower than the regular kind!

Here's my concoction :)

Recipe:

1 1/2 Cups of Splenda

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Natural Peanut, Cashew or Almond Butter

1 Stick of Smart Balance Butter Blend or just regular butter

1/2 Cup Milk

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Tbl dark cocoa powder

3 Cups of Quick Oats

In a saucepan, whisk the butter, sugar, splenda, vanilla, cocoa and milk together.

Let boil for about 1 minute.

Stir in your nut butter. I found this at Target and I realllly like it!

Moving quickly, add your oats and remove from heat.

It should look all nice and messy, like this:

Lay out some wax paper and drop spoonfuls of the mixture.

It's gonna be tempting, but try realllllllly hard not to eat one until it's nice and cooled. Or you can stick a few in the freezer like I did ;)

Yum!

DIY: Painted Outdoor Rug

2012-01-18T14:34:00.000-05:00

I have had a couple of brown, boring runners for a few years now.
They have never been my favorite but when we bought them, we lived in a home with cold, tile floors and really needed them and they were a good deal, so we have been using them in every house along the way.
They have ended up in the laundry room, in the hall and everywhere else. I decided to take one of them and paint it to something I liked a little better.
Turns out, I created myself a pretty good lookin' outdoor rug and I'd love to show you how you can take an indoor rug and create an outdoor one out of it!

Here's what I started with:

Step 1: Tape off your rug.

I took the rug outside, laid it on a tarp and taped off even sections with masking tape for my stripes.
Using a T ruler really helped me to get the lines straight.

Step 2: Choose your spray paint.

I picked up 2 colors of spray paint..one in Krylon's Catalina Mist, an aqua color (surprise! surprise!) and the other in a warm brown. I also used this handy spray paint gun attachment...a MUST have for spray paint lovers.
Believe me, it will make your life THAT much easier and it's only a few bucks!

Step 3: Spray paint your heart out.
I will admit that this rug soaked up lots of paint. It took about 4 coats per each stripe to get it covered good.
I also had to be careful not to get the brown paint on the blue paint and visa versa. I got a little creative and used a couple pieces of poster board to protect the alternate stripe...you guys are smart so I am sure you can figure out your own solution for keeping the stripe colors separate...there are many solutions! Usually just ends up being what you have handy...cardboard, old rags, etc.

Here is the after!

Originally I had thought I would put it inside but Seth complained that it wasn't "soft" anymore, so I moved it outside and it works like a charm! I don't know why I didn't think to do this sooner. It complete's our outdoor living room set up...just need this weather to stay warm so I can put some purty flowers out!

Love Your State and Warm Weekends

2012-01-17T10:49:00.001-05:00

I added a few new fun things to my shop this morning.

I am especially excited about these state plates:

Virginia and Alabama State Plates

Available in any state or country!

I created this plate for Valentine's.

I think it would make a cute gift for some love birds.

I can't believe it's already time to be thinking of Valentines!

I always say that after the holidays are over, I'm done with the cold weather and ready for Spring.

Luckily, we have had some super warm days down here in the south and it really has felt like Spring.

We took advantage of the park a couple blocks down from us...it would be a shame to waste a Spring-like day in the middle of winter! Don't you agree?

This one seriously cracks me up. I was trying to take a picture of Caleb when I realized Seth was standing behind him, pretending like he was going to get him with a bat! Caleb had no clue...