tales and trials

because spring is in the air

2010-03-10T06:17:00.000-08:00

These are my absolute favorite sandals for spring and summer!! I bought mine the first year Jcrew sold them {in 2005}. They must be a popular item because they have sold them every year since and they are part of their current spring line.

My first pair were a metallic grey, just slightly darker than the silver ones featured above. I wear these sandals with literally everything. I especially like them with jeans, skirts, and dresses.

I liked my grey ones so much I ended up getting a black pair as well a few years later. And you know what I have barely ever worn them. I feel like the grey/silver goes with so much more. My original pair are starting to look a little worn so I am thinking about getting this silver pair as a replacement.

When I need a casual flip flop, for trips to the park and pool, I grab my Teva's. I have been a Teva fan for years. Their flip flops are hands down the most comfortable I have ever worn! My favorite style is the Toolani, which is pictured above. I have a pair that is very similar to these only the pattern on the straps is black and white. I could seriously live in these shoes, I love them that much!!

Last summer I needed a brown pair of sandals and found this cute pair of Reef's at my local outfitters store downtown. I was a little hesitant at first about getting them due to my love affair with Teva's but I went ahead and got them anyways. And I'll tell you what, they are almost as comfortable as my Teva's. I really like them and wear them all the time.

Are you noticing a trend with my favorite shoes? They all have skinny straps!! I love this style and feel like it looks the best on my feet.

What are you favorite sandals? Please do share!!

{images via jcrew, teva, and reef.}

Felt Catch-All

2010-03-08T18:25:00.000-08:00

Every day when Hubby dear gets home from work he empties out his pockets. Unfortunately, he usually puts his keys on the kitchen counter, his phone on the dining room table, and his wallet on the dresser, etc. Do you see where this is going? And then about an hour later he'll say, "Have you seen my phone?" Of course I always know where his stuff is but I would prefer that he keep track of his own pocket contents!!

Enter the Catch-All.

Last week at MOPS we each made a Felt Catch-All. Finally Hubs has a place to put all of his "stuff" when he walks in the door!!

Apparently I choose animal print for all of my MOPS crafts. Remember the new sew bandana apron I made last month? I think I like to let my wild side show through in my crafts!!

I am linking this project to DIY day and Get your craft on.

a giveaway: Marta Writes

2010-03-07T18:13:00.000-08:00

Today's giveaway comes from Marta of the oh so lovely blog Marta Writes. Marta Writes is one of the first blogs I ever read and it is still one of my favorites today!! Marta is a wonderful writer and definitely has a way with words. Her talents don't stop there though, she's also an amazingly talented graphic designer. Oh and did I mention she's also a mom to one cute little toddler?

Marta's design portfolio features announcements, invitations, note cards, identity and business, and book layouts. Check out her official site, MartaCards , to see more of her custom designs.

Marta also has lot's of lovely things in her shop, including her famous

mini diaries.

Today Marta is offering one lucky reader a set of her RETRO ZIGZAG NOTECARDS!!

We all know I have a small obsession with stationary so you know I am over the moon about this giveaway!

Here is how to enter for a chance to win:

1. Simple leave me a comment on this post telling me who you love to write hand written notes to.

For additional entries:

Blog and/or tweet about this giveaway.
Follow Tales and Trials.
Follow MartaWrites.

Please leave a comment for each entry!!

::The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, March 12th::

Good luck!!

the topiary strikes again!!

2010-03-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

My boxwood topiary tutorial was featured this week over at Living with Lindsay. Each week she hosts "Teach Me Tuesday" and shares a project+tutorial. Head on over to her site to check out all of the fun tutorials that have been featured.

the vintage pearl giveaway winner

2010-03-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

The winner of The Vintage Pearl $25 Gift Certificate is Anne J!!

I'll see you on Monday for another great giveaway!!

oh so pretty house numbers

2010-03-04T07:19:00.000-08:00

{image source unknown}

Isn't this such a sweet way to display your house number? I picture this outside a quaint little cottage don't you? This look would be so easy to re-create and has got me thinking of lots of fun ideas. Besides platters you could also use plates and small trays. If like me you don't feel confident to free hand your numbers then you could use vinyl lettering or pick up some stickers at your local craft store.

And if you wanted to go for a more casual feel you could use chalkboard paint in the middle of your platter and then write in your house number or a simple message such as "Welcome". You could also use this idea to display your name. For example, you could write "The Smiths" in the middle of the tray or use vinyl letters to create the same look.

You could really take this idea and run with it!

p.s Have you entered The Vintage Pearl Giveaway yet? Hurry the giveaway ends tomorrow morning!! Click here to enter.

DIY roller shade

2010-03-02T11:14:00.000-08:00

I received my Southern Living in the mail last week and was intrigued by one of their "Done in a Day" diy projects. They used an inexpensive roller shade and a monogram decal to achieve a custom look. You know I heart monograms so I was loving this idea!!

For a completely different look they used a stencil to make a pattern on a roller shade. I love the bold statement that the simple stencil makes!! What an easy way to spruce up a boring roller shade.

For a tutorial on how to make your own stenciled roller shade click here.

The stencils and monogram used for this project came from Sunny's Goodtime Paints. Check out the how-to section of their site for great tips on using their stencils, monograms, and many more of their products.

{images from Southern Living}

a giveaway:: THE VINTAGE PEARL

2010-02-28T17:05:00.000-08:00

::THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED::

The Vintage Pearl creates unique hand stamped sterling silver jewelry and keepsakes. Each Vintage Pearl design uses sterling silver, freshwater pearls, and/or birthstone crystals and is hand made in their studio.

I love the pieces that The Vintage Pearl creates! Their designs are simple and classic and would make such a great gift. In fact I am thinking of gifting myself with a necklace soon!!

My favorite piece is the beautiful Layered Mother of Pearl Necklace!!

And I also adore these baby spoons.
Would these not make the sweetest baby shower gift?

Erin, from The Vintage Pearl, is offering one lucky reader a $25 gift certificate to her shop!!

Make sure to check out The Vintage Pearl Blog and follow Erin on Twitter

to stay up to date with shop announcements and giveaways.

::THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED::

Here is how to enter for a chance to win:

1. Simply visit THE VINTAGE PEARL and leave a comment on this post telling me which item in their shop is your favorite!

2. For a second entry, if you are a follower leave me a comment letting me know that you already follow along.

OR

Become a follower and leave me a comment letting me know that you are new to Tales and Trials!

3. For a third entry, visit The Vintage Pearl Blog and become a follower. Make sure to leave me a comment letting me know that you follow TVP. Erin's blog is a great read!! {And her playlist always puts a smile on my face!}

The winner will be randomly selected and announced on Friday, March 5th.

Good Luck!!

a birthday and a blogiversary

2010-02-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

Our little Graham celebrated his first birthday last week. I made him his own chocolate cake and of course he loved it!! I am so blessed to call this little one my son. He is such a fun little guy and rounds out our family just perfectly.

"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him." Psalm 127:3

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And now for some blogging business................

February marked my two year blogging anniversary and in order to celebrate I will have something fabulous to giveaway each Monday in March!!

Make sure to check back on March,1st when I kick things off with a giveaway from

The Vintage Pearl!!

silver leaf lamp + tutorial

2010-02-25T07:34:00.000-08:00

Last week I found a silver leaf candidate at the thrift store. Meet Mr. Lamp! I have seriously been looking for a decent lamp at Goodwill for only a year now. I loved the shape and lines of this guy so I took him home with me.

And I turned him into this!!

In case anyone is interested I thought I would share how I transformed my lamp using silver leaf.

To prep my lamp I wrapped a small piece of tin foil around the top part of the lamp. I also wrapped up the majority of the cord in foil and then use two small strips of painters tape to cover the rest of the cord where it attached to the lamp. I wasn't planning on painting my lamp but decided at the last minute to give it a quick once over with some white satin spray paint that I had on hand. I knew that it was possible for some of the underneath color to show through some of the small cracks in the silver leaf and I decided I would rather have white underneath just in case.

Next I used a small foam brush to coat my lamp with metal leaf adhesive size. The size will go from milky looking to clear when it becomes tacky. The packaging said it takes about 20-60 minutes before it is ready but I found that 20 minutes was the magic number. I made the rookie mistake of applying the size all over the lamp. If the object you are silver leafing has any curves or very much detailing I would highly suggest you apply the size to small sections at a time. It was definitely better for me to apply the size and silver leaf to one area of my lamp and then repeat the process working down the base of my lamp.

The silver leaf that was available at my local craft store came attached to a tissue-like paper. I cut my silver leaf into strips and small squares since I knew I wouldn't be able to attach a whole piece of silver leaf at once. I took the silver leaf and placed it on my lamp shiny side down and pressed lightly with a cloth on the tissue paper backing to ensure that the silver leaf attached. Then I gently peeled back the paper. At this point you may have some little pieces of silver leaf sticking up so take a soft cloth or a piece of velvet and dust away the excess leaf.

Once I had most of my lamp covered in silver leaf I had to go back through and touch up any spots where the silver leaf didn't adhere. I just re-applied the size to the spots that were bare and started the process over again. I wasn't going for a super smooth and polished look so I just covered as much of the lamp as I could and didn't worry about little imperfections.

I liked how my lamp looked after I had applied the silver leaf but it was looking a little too shiny for my taste. I decided to use some stain I had on hand {Miniwax English Chestnut} to slightly antique my lamp. Using a small foam brush I applied stain to a small section of the lamp at a time and then I quickly wiped it of with a dry cloth. Does this sound familiar? This was the same process I used on the frame of my yard sale mirror a few months ago.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture but now the lamp is looking a little less like tin foil after the stain application. The stain really helped to tone down the shine factor and it also settled into some of the cracks in the silver leaf giving my lamp a little character!

Once I was happy with the finish on my lamp I applied two coats of metal leaf sealer. Since we move every few years I thought it would be a good idea to seal my lamp to ensure that none of the silver leaf comes off.

I had so much fun trying my hand at silver leaf and I absolutely love how my lamp turned out! I think I will definitely be using metal leaf for some more projects in the future.

I am linking this project up to Metamorphosis Monday, DIY Day, Get your craft on, Made it for Mondays, Thrifty Decor Chick, and Funky Junk Interiors.

Have you entered the Vintage Pearl Giveaway? Click here to enter.

blogging friends

2010-02-24T04:56:00.000-08:00

Over the past year or so I have made several friends through blogging. One of the people I have met is Beth from designa-peele . I found her blog last fall and I noticed right away that she lived in the same state as I. As it turns out she only lives about forty-five minutes away and we actually have some real life friends in common. What are the odds of that?

Over the last couple of months we have become friends and we decided it was about time we finally meet in person. So this past Saturday we met up for lunch and a little shopping. We had lunch at Buckhead Pizza Co. {Yum!!} and then Beth took me to an antique store that I just loved. Of course I found a few things to bring home with me. I will have to share them with you soon.

It was a lot of fun to meet Beth and to see the real person behind the blog. I wish we hadn't waited so long for our first meet and greet. Have any of you ever met any other bloggers in person?

And while we are on the topic of blog friends.....Two new people I have met through blogging recently sent me some packages this past week.

Abbie @ a glimpse of the girl next door sent me not one but FOUR pairs of SmartWool socks!!! Is she not the best? Seriously!! She sent me three pairs of performance socks and one pair of the lifestyle socks. A while back I shared my favorite workout gear on my blog and Abbie shared with me that SmartWool socks were her favorite for running. She offered to send me some SmartWool socks and of course I said, "YES please!!" Thanks Abbie!! My feet say thank you.

I also got a fun package from Megan @ Our life as we know it. Megan sent me this adorable Countdown Sign.

The next time the Hubs is traveling for work or on a deployment we can countdown the days until he comes home. Want one of these signs for yourself? Click here to visit Megan's Etsy shop. Thanks Megan!! {Unfortunately} We will get a lot of use out of the countdown sign.

a bunny makeover

2010-02-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned before I love to get seasonal decor items at Goodwill. A while back I found a few bunnies at the thrift store to add to my easter decor. I found this bunny cake pan and thought it would be fun to hang or display in my kitchen. For now I am thinking of leaving it as is.

I also found this ceramic bunny on the same trip to Goodwill. I did not like much about him except for his overall shape. I especially was not fond of the purple flowers!! But I knew a few coats of spray paint and I could totally change the look of this bunny.

I used several light coats of white primer spray paint to cover up the flowers and any areas of color. And then I sprayed Mr. Bunny with two coats of antique white paint. And now he is ready to be put on display come Easter!!

our weekend + some recent thrifting fun

2010-02-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

Did you all have a good weekend? Our weekend was pretty fabulous!! I got to spend Saturday with a new friend and then the boys and I had dinner with some friends we have known for a while now. After dinner we fed them cupcakes while we picked their brains about homeschooling {they were both home schooled and we are really considering the possibility of me home schooling our little people posse}

And the best part about the weekend? The temps were in the high 60's! We even hit 70+ degrees at one point I think. I was over the moon about that. We made two trips to our neighborhood park and took the boys on a wagon ride. I was so thankful for the warm weather and for the opportunity to spend some time outside. If you'll remember we just had snow last weekend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ok, on to the point of this post............

Last week I found this fun necklace at Salvation Army. Don't pass buy the jewelry case at the thrift store ladies!! There are some fun things to be had, I promise. The beads on my necklace range from light pink to a watermelon color. It was just the thing to get me in the mood for spring!!

Occasionally I find something for the boys when we go thrifting. I have found a lot of really nice, practically brand new clothing here lately. Sometimes we also find some great toys. I am pretty picky about the toys we buy though. I have to be able to really clean and sanitize them. A few weeks ago we found "Bullseye" for the Woody we already had at home. He was in pretty good condition but we still brought him home and let him soak in a nice long bubble bath. Then we coiffed his mane and he was good as new.

In case you haven't noticed Target has lots of goodies on clearance right now. A lot of bedding, window treatments, bath accessories, and other home goods are on sale. I found this lamp shade on the end of the lamp aisle. The clearance sticker said $9.08 but it rang up for $3.24!!

While at Hobby Lobby {twice this weekend!} I noticed they had the home decor clearance marked down to 80% off. I didn't find anything that I needed but maybe there is something there that you might like.

And while we are on the topic of Hob Lob, did you know that Michael's will honor any coupons from Hobby Lobby? I went to pick up some silver leafing supplies at Hobby Lobby but they didn't have everything I needed. So I ran over to Michael's and I happened to ask while I was checking out if they would take my 40% off HL coupon. And they did!! You all might already know that but if not I thought I would pass on that little tidbit.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!

p.s. I have lots of things in store here at Tales and Trials over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for a BIG announcement coming at the end of the week!!!

i have a new obsession

2010-02-18T04:09:00.000-08:00

For some reason lately I have a burning desire to silver leaf something. If only Halloween were around the corner I could silver leaf my toddler and tell him he was a robot!!

No seriously, I would love to find four identical frames to silver leaf for our never ending master bedroom makeover. I keep coming back to this inspiration picture again and again. I want to try to re-create the "frames around the mirror look" above our dresser.

{image via the lennoxx}

While I work up the nerve to try my hand at silver leaf I will leave you with some inspiring silver/gold leaf projects that I love..........

silver leaf side table {Gathering moss}

silver leaf lamp {Get your martha on}

gold leaf frame {Miss mustard seed}

silver leaf dresser {Little green Notebook}

tips. and tricks.

2010-02-17T12:51:00.000-08:00

01:: I hardly have very many apps on my iphone {it is kind of embarrassing actually!} but one app I do love is the dragon dictation app. You can dictate something and then send it via email to yourself or someone else. I have started using this app for blogging recently. When I am away from my laptop {or too lazy to turn my laptop on} I use this app to dictate some ideas for blog posts or even a good portion of a post I have been thinking about. I then email this to myself and later when I am in front of my computer I can copy and paste the text directly into my blog post. Voila!! Remember this post? Looks like my dream sort of came true!!

02:: About six months or so we started putting a capful of bleach in our toddlers bath water. He {and myself} suffer from bouts of eczema from time to time, especially in the winter. Believe me when I say between the two of us we have tried every potion and lotion to help regulate and relieve the dry, itchy skin. My good friend Cronan read an article in The Week last spring about how bleach can help relieve some of the symptoms related to eczema. I was kind of skeptical at first so I asked both my son's allergist and dermatologist. They both gave me the go ahead and since then we have been adding a little bit of bleach to Noah's bath water. We ocassionally have to use steroid creams on his skin when his eczema really flares up but the bleach seems to help keep his eczema to a minimum. The bleach simulates an atmosphere similar to a chlorine pool. If you aren't quite sure about the bleach you can also add sea salt to your bath water to achieve a similar result. Please consult your doctor before you try this at home!! For more information about using bleach in your bath water check out this article.

03:: Whenever my hands or feet get a little dry I pamper them with some intense hydration. I take a few drops of Vitamin E oil and rub it into my hands/feet until it is absorbed. Then I place a generous amount of Aquaphor or Vaseline onto my hands/feet and massage it in. Next I put on a pair of cotton gloves or socks so that my hands and feet can absorb all of that moisture and get really hydrated.

Do any of you use Vitamin E oil? I started using it when I was pregnant with my first son. It works great for avoiding stretch marks on your belly. And it also works wonder on your cuticles! {You can find Vitamin E oil at Target near the supplements.}

our updated dining room

2010-02-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

About a year and a half ago Hubby gave our dining room a much needed face lift. We both love older homes that have charm and character. While our home is older the dining room wasn't anything very special. Hubs added wainscoting {also known as judges panels} to the lower half of the walls and it totally changed the look of the room.

Here is a little sneak peak at the finished product.

Now let me give you a glimpse of what the dining room looked like when we bought our house a little over two years ago. Let me introduce you to the dusty rose room.......

Scary, I know. It doesn't help that it is a bad picture taken by our half dead camera at the time. You get the point right?

When we first bought our house I was excited to have a red dining room. But then shortly after we moved in I decided that the paint color wasn't really red so much as more of a pink tone. I didn't have to twist Hubby's arm too much to get him on board with a dining room makeover. We decided on wainscoting, a new paint color, and a rolled on texture to replace the outdated popcorn ceiling.

I love the white wainscoting with our mocha colored walls. And all of the white on the bottom half of the walls definitely makes our dining room table pop. We found our antique table at one of my favorite stores in my favorite Southern town.

Now only if I can get motivated to hang a few more things on the walls. I would love to hang a display of plates/platters on one wall but Hubs has an aversion to hanging plates on the walls. I am trying to warm him up to the idea!!

snow day!!

2010-02-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday in the early afternoon snowflakes started to fall from the sky. By evening time we had gotten several inches of snow. Noah was super excited and I was praying we wouldn't be having a repeat of last years snow/ice storm where we lost power for 36 hours! At least we wouldn't have a newborn this year.

This morning I whipped up an Oh So Yummy Blueberry Coffee Cake so we could have something warm and delicious on our snowy morning. Then Noah and I headed outside to play in the snow for a while. I thought we would spend a good hour outside building a snowman and playing. The snow was too fluffy and wouldn't pack very well so we just stomped around the yard. I think we lasted a total of eight minutes. ha!!

I did manage to snap a few pictures before Noah was complaining that his wet hands were cold.

Our husky of course loved the snow!!

After coming indoors I was trying to think of something fun to do when I thought of making snow ice cream. Noah loved the prospect of having ice cream before lunch of course!! I found a simple recipes at allrecipes. We made enough for us to each have a small serving and then we put the rest in the freezer to share later with daddy and Graham.

Snow ice cream
4 cups snow
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
When it starts to snow, place a large, clean bowl outside to collect the flakes. When full, stir in sugar and vanilla to taste, then stir in just enough milk for the desired consistency. Serve at once.

Enjoy!

{recipe adapted from allrecipes}

the Oh so yummy Blueberry Coffee Cake

2010-02-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

I decided to repost the blueberry coffee cake recipe. It's so good and a such fun treat on a Saturday morning!!

Blueberry Coffee Cake

1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tbsp plus 2 Cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp of salt

1 Tbsp baking powder

2 large eggs

1/2 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cups whole milk

1/2 Cup canola or vegetable oil

1 1/2 Cups fresh blueberries or thawed frozen berries

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

♦Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 9-by-9 inch baking pan. In a small mixing bowl stir together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and salt. Set aside.

♦In a large mixing bowl stir together the 2 cups of flour and baking powder. Whisk flour and baking powder until mixed completely. In a medium mixing bowl whisk eggs until slightly beaten. Add sugar, milk, and canola oil and whisk completely. Make a well in center of dry ingredients, add wet ingredients, and stir with a fork until mixed. The dough will be slightly lumpy.

♦Pour batter into prepared pan. then press it evenly into corners. Evenly distribute blueberries over batter, keeping the berries 1/2 inch away from the sides of the pan so the berries don't burn. { I like to actually push about 1/2 of the blueberries down into the batter and then sprinkle the rest on top of the batter.}

♦Sprinkle reserved brown sugar mixture evenly over batter all the way to edges of pan. Cut butter into small pieces and dot batter with butter.

♦Bake 30-40 minutes or until the butter and brown sugar have melted on top of the cake and appear liquidy. The cake is done when it turns golden around the corners, shrinks away from the sides of the pan. Cool ten minutes and serve while still warm.

♦Enjoy!!

{adapted from the Pike Place Market Cookbook}

I'm linking up to Jen's for Tasty Tuesday.

friday favorites {etsy edition}

2010-02-12T04:07:00.000-08:00

rosebud pin corsage {Heart of light}

mod monogram print {Modmomento}

felted slippers {French Press}

the truffle {Morelle}

amour pendant necklace {Armelle}

salsa chicken

2010-02-11T04:34:00.000-08:00

I recently came across a very simple yet tasty recipe for chicken tacos. Today I'm going to share with you the recipe for the chicken. I have used this recipe for chicken tacos and most recently for chicken quesadillas. You could also use this chicken for burritos, nachos, and taco salads. The possibilities are pretty much endless!!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry
1 20oz jar of salsa {Pace works great}
1 cup of water
1 can of diced green chiles

Place chicken breasts in a crock pot and add the salsa, green chiles, and water. Cook on low for 3-4 hours. I personally think that four hours is the magic number. Remove chicken from crock pot and discard liquid. Place chicken on a cutting board and shred with a fork.

Enjoy!

{recipe source: Grey Umbrella}

this. and that.

2010-02-10T04:33:00.000-08:00

01. We have recently entered the world of potty training around here. I am not sure if I am ready for all of this but I probably shouldn't miss this little window of opportunity.

The other day Noah followed me into the bathroom and proceeded to say, " Oh mom you did it!! Good Job!!! YAY!!" {It's awesome when your kids start repeating your words and actions isn't it?} SO glad he and I can be each others bathroom cheerleaders!! :)

{image source: james avery}

02. A few weeks ago my wedding band went missing. We looked everywhere for it and never came across it. I was thankful it wasn't my diamond engagement ring but honestly my band has more sentimental value to me. My ring is the Song of Solomon Band from James Avery and the hebrew inscription reads" My beloved is mine and I am his." Hubs has a boy version of the ring that says the same thing only "I am hers."

Well fast forward to a few nights ago.... Noah comes running into the kitchen yelling, "I find it!! I find it!!! YAY!!! I did it!!! Mommy's ring!!!!" I was so excited that he found my ring for me that I scooped him up in my arms and we danced around the kitchen. When I asked him where he found it he led me into the living room and got down on his hands and knees and pointed underneath the side table by our couch. Um, apparently I didn't look everywhere.

03. I have decided I am not sure if I am cut out to be a military wife. When we didn't have any kids this role of "military spouse" wasn't so hard. But now when Hubs has to be away from us I find myself longing for him to have a normal 9-5 job. I know normal jobs require travel as well but not usually for months at a time. Right now hubs is on shore duty and several times a year he has to be gone for about three to four weeks at a time. Each time he is gone I have to give myself a little pep talk, "It's ok. You can do this. Remember, this is so much easier than if he was on a deployment. It could be worse." I feel bad even complaining when Hubs has to travel for a month because many of my friends have had their husbands gone for a whole year at a time to war zones. I am lucky, really I am. I just need to keep reminding myself of this.

04. Last night I came across this verse and found it uplifting. I felt inclined to share it with the hope that it would perhaps encourage one of you today.

"The Lord your God is with you,

he is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

he will quiet you with his love,

he will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:20

p.s Some fun things have been happening with the master bathroom renovations. More storage, crown moulding, and paint. OH MY!! {Stay tuned for that}

clinging to these words today......

2010-02-09T04:37:00.000-08:00

How He Loves

by David Crowder

He is jealous for me,

Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,

Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.

When all of a sudden,

I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,

And I realise just how beautiful You are,

And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,

Oh how He loves us,

How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh! how He loves us,

Oh! how He loves.

We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,

If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.

And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,

When I think about, the way

That He loves us,

Oh how He loves us,

Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh how He loves us,

Oh how He loves.

Yeah, He loves us,

Oh how He loves us,

Oh how He loves

If you give a mom a muffin.......

2010-02-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

At our house we are big fans of Laura Numeroff''s books. We especially like If you give a Mouse a Cookie, If you take a Mouse to the Movies, and If you give a Moose a Muffin.

My SIL recently sent me this mommified version of If you give a Moose a Muffin and I have to admit it is pretty darn cute.

If You Give A Mom A Muffin

Original Author Unknown

If you give a mom a muffin,
She’ll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She’ll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She’ll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she’ll find dirty socks.
She’ll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She’ll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She’ll look for her cookbook (”101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger”).
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She’ll smell something funny.
She’ll change the two year old’s diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She’ll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are…
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

the best strawberry cake. EVER.

2010-02-02T07:14:00.000-08:00

The hubby and I both LOVE strawberry cake! A few weeks ago I tried a new recipe for hubby's birthday cake and it was delicious. If you love strawberry cake too then you must make this cake. It's so yummy!!

{Please excuse my cake icing skillz. Hopefully my SIL isn't too embarrassed by this picture. She has mad cake skillz and is even friends with Mr. Fondant!! }

Cake:

Boxed white cake mix

3 oz package of strawberry jello

10 oz of frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed

1/2 Cup of vevetable oil

1/4 Cup of water
4 eggs

Icing:
7 Cups of powder sugar
1/4 Cup of butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 Cup of frozen strawberries in sugar, thawed

**{I think you might be able to cut the above icing recipe in half. I had a ton of icing left over so I froze some to use on some cupcakes I'll be making for Valentine's day.}

In a large bowl combine the cake mix, water, oil, jello mix, eggs, and strawberries{with juice}. Pour into two prepared 9 in. cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done. Let cakes cool completely before icing.

For the icing mix the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, and thawed strawberries{with juice} until blended and smooth.

Enjoy!!

some tips. and tricks.

2010-01-31T17:58:00.000-08:00

01: If I find myself at Target with one of the boys {i.e. in a hurry} I will put a shopping basket in the back of my cart. I mainly do this when I know I am purchasing a lot of smaller items {toiletries, birthday cards, cleaning supplies, etc}. That way when I go to check out I can just place my basket with all of the small items in it directly onto the little conveyer belt. Usually by the time we are ready to check out and leave one of the boys is had enough of Target and one of us is about to have a meltdown {usually me of course!} Using a shopping basket helps to cut down on the time I spend schelping items from my cart to the check-out counter.

02. For the last couple of months my hair has been looking pretty blah. I am pretty sure it has something to do with the fact that I have had two babies within the last 2.5 years. I think my hormones are still tying to regulate.

One day I stumbled upon a post over at the PW. Ree was talking about how her hair had changed and she had been rinsing her hair with a vinegar+water concoction to remedy the situation. My first thought was," Hmmmm vinegar? Won't I smell like a pickle?" And my second thought was, "Well if the PW does it then it must be ok." So the next time I washed my hair I tried out the vinegar rinse. In between shampoo and conditioner I rinsed my hair with the vinegar+water mixture. And you know what? It left my hair feeling really clean, lighter, and shinier than before. Since then I have been doing this about 1-2 times per week. I would recommend using conditioner after the vinegar rinse or mixing a small amount of an essential oil into your vinegar mixture. Both will help to eliminate the pickle smell. For my vinegar rinse I use a large nalgene bottle {32 oz} and use one part warm water and one part distilled white vinegar.

03. I have started keeping a swiffer duster in the glove box of my car. Whenever I find myself in the car and have a few minutes to spare {the pre-school carpool lane, waiting in the drive-thru at Chick-fil-a, etc.} I bust out my duster and give the interior of my car a quick wipe down. Of course I can only reach the front seat but still it's nice to have at least that part of my car clean and tidy. {If you thought my post on bills, mail , and recycling was dorky I am sure you are loving this. ha!!}

p.s. Apparently my topiary has gone international. Click here and scroll down a little ways. I really hope they aren't making fun of me in Italian. Thanks Katie for the translation!! :)