While I’d love to take credit for this idea, I can’t. And honestly, if I had had the money, I would have purchased this sign but I didn’t so I made it. You can buy this sort of design from Second Nature Designs. If you’re brave like me, you can try to make one!

This isn’t a tutorial in the sense I can give you specifics so don’t comment asking me for measurements, y’all, ’cause I was just winging it! lol The first thing I focused on was picking wood. I didn’t want it to be overly heavy so I chose 1/4″ plywood for the back and 1/8″ birch wood for everything else.

I started with his name, Stetson. Going with the Texas font, I chose about a 6″ height x 4″width, making the entire name about 28″ wide. I simply printed my letters on regular paper and used crafting tacking glue to put them on the wood. I don’t have the nicest tools or the steadiest of hands but me and my scroll saw went to work! After cutting all the letters out, I peeled loose paper off and then washed the rest off with a wet rag. Because there was some glue residue left, I lightly sanded them with my sander. After wiping them off with a damp cloth, I painted them in white and moved on to the longhorn. I laid the letters and longhorn onto plywood to trace out the outline for the backboard. I cut things and finished the bull horns. I used a stain, vaseline, and chalk paint in cream.

To create this distressed look, you’ll:
1) Stain (we used Miniwax Dark Walnut) or paint your piece. Allow to dry.
2) In the spots you want to have the stain or paint show through, lightly coat with vaseline. I used my finger to just randomly do this.
3) Paint with the chalk paint and allow to dry for only about 15 minutes or so. You don’t want to let it completely dry or it will be hard to sand.
4) Lightly sand and you’ll see those spots coming through.

Once my pieces were glued on and allowed to set, I used a spray over all of it to seal it. We hung it at her baby shower and then she took it home for the baby’s room. And that’s how the Western Wooden Name Sign, Stetson Tyke, came to be!

If you’re wondering what tools I used, I used a scroll saw for letters and longhorn, a jig saw for the backboard, and a sander to sand. One of these days I’ll invest in a CNC router or laser cutter but for now, it’s all handmade.

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Travis was amazing in getting this done in time for me to ship to Montana and I’m just tickled to share the final product. If you know me, you know I like to take vintage or dark & moody type photos. I took this out to my husband’s tack room and played around with it on his Robert Mitchell saddle and his leggins’ that he just recently retired.

If you want a great gift idea, consider a leather book cover for that bookworm’s favorite book! And if you need an excellent leather craftsman, I highly recommend Travis at T Bar M Custom Leather Works!

If you’re wondering if my daughter-in-law liked her gift, decide for yourself. She commented this on a post I shared on FB..”I am completely blown away by the talent and detail that went into this work of art. Aside from my engagement, this has to be the best gift I’ve ever gotten!” Oh, and she teared up when she opened it.

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Originally, my son and his best friend were the ones that planned on making the wedding arch.  Due to covid, my son was unable to come home (he lives 5hrs away).  That left me and my husband with the task.  Oy!   Y’all, being the overachiever that I am, I took on the challenge without even asking my husband. LOL  Bless his heart!

The ranch we live on and work for (October 2020 will be 12 years!), is FULL of cedar trees.  The ranch consists of about 42 sections (maybe a little more). I’ll let you do the math….640 acres equals 1 section.  Needless to say, we had a lot to choose from out here.  Since we were on a budget with this wedding, we knew we weren’t gonna buy wood but it also meant we had to put in the extra effort and time to find and cut down trees.

We headed to a pasture, that we know has tall cedars, with a chainsaw in hand.  Now, y’all, my cowboy is pushing 50 and works his tail off.  He’s always been a great tree climber but when he took to that tall tree WITH a chainsaw in hand, I wasn’t sure if I should be terrified or turned on!

Something we learned during this process, is that it’s very important to do this WAY ahead of time…like, months and even longer.  The cedars need time to dry out.  Ours had sap pouring out of them which made them super sticky to work with.  We dealt with it and made it work but it was messy!  You definitely will need some good soap to get it off. I had to use a scrubber!  You can see it on my arm.    We used a sucker rod to make the metal pieces that would connect the top to sides.  You can buy a 2×4 board to help stabilize it. We already had the boards but it was really helpful so that it wouldn’t topple over.

All in all, we were thrilled with how it turned out and it looked beautiful in front of the barn.  I didn’t notice at the time but looking at the photos, it even lines up with the barn door to form a cross.  Aww!!

Our Falcon family minus my nephew and his wife who live in Montana.

The arch flowers were made by a lovely local woman who was way generous with her supplies and efforts.  Add some fabric and viola!  What type of fabric you choose is totally dependent on your preference.  I went with chiffon fabric for the wedding arch drapery because it’s less shiny for photos.   The arch measured over 6ft from inside to inside and about 8.5ft tall.  It’s heavy!

I’ll be sharing more of our DIY wedding ideas for those who are also on a budget!  In the meantime, you can check out my DIY wedding fan that doubles as a program, if you haven’t already.

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I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not crafty at all but when the wedding budget is tight, you do what you can to make it as special as possible.  I kept seeing all these wedding fans that were rectangular, square, and round but because I’m a bit of an overachiever, I wanted something different for my son and his bride.  It was a rustic/western wedding, after all, and it needed to be themed.

My original plan was to create a boot outline in Canva, print, and then cut it out with scissors.  Then one day, I kept seeing all these Cricut crafts and it dawned on me that I bet my Cricut can do exactly what I need it to do!!  So after a bit of researching, I gave it a go!

Cricut has this awesome feature called Cricut Print & Cut and it’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.

1. Create your design.  My advice is to create your design in something like Canva vs Cricut because you cannot download your design in Cricut.
2. Print it.
3. Transfer from printer to cutting mat and cut using Cricut.

Then I just put it all together!  I did a quick video for you to see it in action.

These take some time to make and because we had a big last-minute change, I had to go back and figure out a way to change them.  I ended up cutting & gluing a printed piece over the change.  Still turned out super cute I think.  The only thing I wish I had done was stain the sticks.

The supplies I used were:

• Cardstock
• Jumbo Craft Sticks
• Scrapbooking Tape Runners 

Obviously you need a printer and Cricut as well.  There are many standard shapes like rectangles, hearts, circles that you could probably cut out on your own with scissors but the boot had a little more detail and it made it super easy with the Cricut!

I found this old planter at a thrift store for $1.  I sanded and stained it, tied some string around it, and used the Cricut to do the “Our Love is hot! Grab a fan (program) lettering.

Keep an eye out for more wedding crafts!

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There are several reasons to have one, especially if you like to entertain, but my reasons are simple. I want my husband’s dang beer out of my fridge!  We live 30 miles from the nearest store so we always buy things in bulk. Beverages are no exception.  They tend to take up a lot of food in my refrigerator, which is something else I keep stocked up with FOOD.   I also never store soda in my refrigerator because it takes up too much room.  So when I want one, I have to use ice (which I hate) or throw in the freezer for a few minutes for it to be cold.  Booooo.  I rarely buy wine for the same reasons. They just take up too much room.

When I received the NewAir fridge, my first impression was that it was smaller than I imagined it would be for what it said it would hold.  When I started filling it up, though, it was impressive at how much it would hold! I kept filling and filling.  This particular NewAir wine & beverage fridge holds 18 bottles and 58 cans.  In addition to that, it also has a few other key features like:

• Craftsman beech wood wine racks and premium seamless, stainless steel door add more sophistication to your home
• Dual temperature zones: store wine in the right zone (41-72F) and beverages in the left zone (36-72F)
• Build-in to standard 24” cabinets or stand-alone
• SplitShelf configuration accommodates for different sized bottles and cans
• Security lock and key for peace of mind

The dual temperature zones are the best!!  You don’t want your wine near as cold as your beer and soda.  The shelves also slide out and you can adjust all the shelves as needed.

Here’s a quick look at the fridge before and after it was stocked.

Assembly was easy enough.  You simply needed to attach the handles to the doors.  I love the sleek design and stainless steel finish.  I love being able to easily see what’s in stock without opening the doors.  The security feature, like I said, is useful to keep toddlers or teenagers out of it! ;)

We currently have this in a room that leads to the backyard. We did that for easy access during BBQing but you could easily insert this under a cabinet counter and it would make for a cohesive look. It’s measurements are the standard size.  I think I’d like to build a stand for it and if I do, I’ll update y’all!

Even if you’re not a “drinker”, you’ll love this for ALL your other beverages like juice, sparkling water, etc.  It’s definitely a must-have and I highly recommend it, especially if you have a bigger family or live in the boonies like I do, to help save on your kitchen refrigerator space.

If you’re interested in buying the NewAir Wine & Beverage Fridge, use my code COWBOY for a special discount!!!  They are also a social media friendly company so I encourage you to check them out @newairusa and/or use the hashtag #newairusa to see & share all about their units!   If you read up on the company, you’ll find that they love to give back. You can see a list of the organizations they help on their website!  Just another reason to choose NewAir!

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I’m asked a variety of questions all the time.  One that I regularly get asked is what are some of my favorite kitchen tools & gadgets.  Today, I’m sharing the avocado slicer and how to use it!

As a mom that has spent the last 26 years raising 3 boys, cooking for cowboys, and spending much of that time in the kitchen, I have used all kinds of tools.  It wasn’t until recently, though, that I discovered the avocado slicer and, y’all, and it’s one of those things I wonder how I ever lived without.  I know right…where have I been!  Some of you may already know what a gem this little item is but I bet many of you are clueless.

I don’t know about y’all but we have struggled, some, financially this year. 2020 has been rough and I imagine that many of you are in the same boat.  With the holiday season approaching fast, I thought it would be good to share the things I love, with you, that are also affordable gift-giving ideas, in hopes to make things a little easier on your budget at Christmas time or any other gift-giving day.

With that, I give you the best avocado slicer ever!  It’s less than $10 bucks, y’all, and it’s fun to use!

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• Did you know that when I was in high school, a student came up to me out of the blue and punched me in the face, laughed, and walked off?
• Did you know that, on a regular basis, several girls always bullied me in school?
• Did you know that when I was in high school, a coach constantly made fun of my weight in and out of gym class?
• Did you know that a man raped me?
• Did you know that I was sexually abused by a man? The same man that beat my mom and locked me in closets when I was little?
• Did you know there 2 girls that always made fun of my clothes?
• Did you know that I saw guys, at a party, try to rape a girl?

In all my years of sharing any of these incidents with people, not once have I mentioned race.  But since you’re persistent in making it about race, let’s try this again.

• Did you know that when I was in high school, a black student came up to me out of the blue and punched me in the face, laughed, and walked off?
• Did you know that, on a regular basis, several Hispanic and black girls always bullied me in school?
• Did you know that when I was in high school, a black coach constantly made fun of my weight in and out of gym class?
• Did you know that a black man raped me?
• Did you know that I was sexually abused by a Hispanic man? The same man that beat my mom and locked me in closets when I was little?
• Did you know there 2 white girls that always made fun of my clothes?
• Did you know that I saw white guys, at a party, try to rape a girl?

You don’t know my story, the injustices bestowed upon me, just as I don’t know yours. I am not naive to the ways of the world and the racism that exists.  I’ve seen it first hand through my diverse group of friends, but y’all, I don’t see color.  Having suffered a great deal at the hands of more than one race, how could I?

I am half white and half Hispanic, married to a Hispanic man.  I am not some white privileged girl like some of you may have thought.  I refuse to apologize for being white, in any way.  I am not my ancestors. I am not the hate that is in today’s world. Despite those hardships from multiple races, I treat all people with kindness & compassion because that’s how I want to be treated.  I choose to love and extend grace. I choose to take every opportunity to understand why someone might be the way they are. I can only control my thoughts, my heart, my words, and my actions and hope to be the best example possible to everyone.

I know what it’s like to have hate in my heart.  A heart that is so hard that it had every right to hate all races. But I also know that love is the only thing that has ever healed the hurt in in my heart……God’s love.  Did you know that in all those instances mentioned above, nothing was ever done.  The justice I got, was salvation and a forgiving, loving heart.  That’s better than anything I could ever have asked for.  I stand with God and the greater good.

So yes, I guess my silence does speak volumes, but not for the reasons you may think.

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My oldest son, Tyler, is working in the Texas panhandle.  He’s doing his cowboy thing and loves it.  I always knew he would stay in that work field, even though he did try welding and the oil field for a while.  I’m glad he returned to his roots because I know that’s the only thing that has ever made him truly happy.

He has one dog and lives in a town that consists of much of nothing.  I wish he’d move closer to home but I guess my hands are tied at this point.  He does turn 27 this year, after all.   

My youngest, Truett (aka Tank), is 13 now.  His nickname is Tank because, for a 13-year-old, he’s a big stout boy.  Most people think he’s much older or asked if he failed a grade.  Neither is true.  He’s in 7th grade.  He started school a year later since his birthday is late fall, after the cutoff date.  He hates when people ask if he failed a grade.  “I’m just a big guy for 13″……  He’s at the age where he thinks he knows it all, doesn’t like me to take photos anymore, and stays in his room a lot.  -.-  He opened his first checking account this year and has been working some on the ranch.  He loves gaming, football, fishing & outdoors, and music.  He’s counting down the days until he can play football this upcoming 8th-grade year.

And now my middle son, Toby.  I saved him for last because so much has changed.  In the last 2 years, Toby has graduated college from Abilene Christian University, applied for the police academy, and found the love of his life.  After a lengthy & extensive application process, he was accepted into the Texas A&M police academy and has since graduated from that program. He is currently a police officer, in College Station, with Texas A&M.

During this time, he met and fell in love with a beautiful young lady.  Toby and Savannah will be getting married on July 25th, 2020.  We are blessed to have such a wonderful person added to our family and look forward to their future together.

Finally, me and my cowboy celebrated 27 years of marriage this year.  We spend a lot of time on the ranch.  We’re always busy working or taking evening strolls on the ranger.  My husband is still the ranch foreman of the Double M ranch and me…well, I’m still blogging.

So what’s happening in YOUR life?

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Can you keep a secret?  I’m not a super huge fan of ice cream.  I mean, I see other people go crazy over it but it’s one of those things that I could never eat again and be perfectly okay with it.  With that said, when I do eat ice cream, it’s always strawberry ice cream!  There’s something about that the sweet with a tiny bit of tartness from some of the strawberries. It’s a simple taste but one that I prefer over all the other blends out there these days.

This homemade ice cream is great because it requires no churning!  That’s right, I’m lazy and if I don’t have to churn it, I ain’t.  This ice cream recipe is only 4 ingredients.  I’ve seen other recipes that use a few more ingredients but if you know anything about us, then you know that we create our meals & snacks on a poor man’s budget.  IF we can afford added ingredients, then we use them, otherwise, I always use the basics.

While most would make this for a snack for themselves, I challenge you to make it for a different reason.  Make it for mother’s day and gift it.  Make it for the neighbor’s kids.  Make double so you can still have some for yourself. ;).

5.0 from 1 reviews

Fresh, Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream

 

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Author: Lori

Ingredients

• 2 C heavy whipping cream
• 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 3 C chopped strawberries
• ⅔ C sugar

Instructions

1. Place chopped strawberries and sugar in a large bowl and mix until all fruit is coated with the sugar. Set aside and let sit for an hour. (This softens the strawberries and creates a jam-like flavor).
2. Once strawberries are softened begin whipping the 2 C heavy whipping cream with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl add in sweetened condensed milk and strawberries with its juice. Using the electric mixer mix until all is combined. You can also smash the strawberries with a fork to make it smoother. (I prefer a little bit of the chunks in there).
4. Add the strawberry mixture into the whipped cream while hand-mixing constantly.
5. Once all combined pour it into a loaf pan and freeze for 6+ hours.
6. Once hardened, soften it slightly and top with fresh strawberries.
7. Enjoy!

3.5.3251

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Sometimes we just don’t wanna cook a full-blown meal.  I love that we can grab a couple and it be enough to satisfy our bellies without making us feel stuffed.

I put the steps in a collage for you but the main thing you’ll need is a muffin pan.I’m also a HUGE fan of Pampered Chef’s Mix N Chop kitchen tool!!  I wish I had this back when I cooked for cowboys and always breaking down the beef or sausage!  Do you have a favorite kitchen tool you can’t live without?

Oh, and guess what?  You can make these for breakfast!!  Just switch out the ground beef with pork sausage!  I love the grab-n-go option, especially for breakfast because most of us are always on the run in the mornings!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Cheeseburger Tots

 

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Author: Lori

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 2 pounds tater tots, thawed
• 1.25 pounds ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 8 ounces cheddar cheese
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, add tater tots, and break down into pieces using hands.
3. Add eggs and seasoning salt, and continue mixing with hands.
4. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the burger.
5. Drain the burger grease and set aside.
6. Shred cheddar cheese.
7. Prepare a muffin tin with vegetable oil.
8. Press potato mixture into muffin tins, making cups.
9. Bake potato cups for 8 minutes.
10. Meanwhile, combined burger meat and shredded cheese.
11. Scoop burger mixture into potato cups.
12. Top with remaining potato mixture.
13. Bake an additional 6 minutes.

3.5.3251

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