Wednesday, February 25, 2009

A Meatless Menu

We have been cutting way back on meat...and I must say that it has been pretty easy. Don't get me wrong, I still love a really nice steak and I crave a juicy cheeseburger some days...but I really don't need it that often.

I have been looking around for tasty recipes and found this Vegetarian Reuben sandwich on Lizzy Writes. IT IS AWESOME!! SO GOOD AND SO FILLING!!! For the most part everyone ate them, The Brain is the pickiest eater! The Princess is still suffering with the stomach flu so she didn't get close to any food today.

It was such a fast recipe, seriously less than 30 minutes even. I served ours with homemade coleslaw because I don't like sauerkraut and with Sweet Potato fries.

The rest of the week's menu consists of Vegetable Lasagna, Whole Wheat Pizza's, Rice and Beans and this weekend a nice pot of soup.

Have any yummy meatless recipes you want to share?? Let me know!

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Where does it all come from????

How can so much YUCK come out of such a little body???

The Princess has come down with the stomach flu again and I am just AMAZED at how much stuff can come out of such a little person??? She is the tiniest little thing, where is it all coming from.....geez!

I hope this passes fast, I can take another 7 days like Christmas...that was horrible! I don't remember what I ran out of first laundry detergent or clothes!

Wish me luck....

Monday, February 23, 2009

SCORE!!!



On Saturday I took a very - very quick trip to a little antique store up the road and boy am I glad I did!! I found so many new treasures! I brought home some of my favorites - and the ones that I could justify buying - and left behind treasures that I am sure I will long for.....for days.....maybe weeks! But look at these treasures...and other than the box, all treasures qualify for Fab Finds under $5.00
This is the sweetest little apron, very flirty....Jerry wasn't sure it was supposed to be worn in the kitchen! I assured him it was since it had little veggies on it.

Look at those goodies...the lace and little thread spools were super cheap...like $1.50 and not nearly as exciting as finding the longer ones which are old thread bobbins. I almost did a happy dance in the store...I had been wanting these for ribbon and embellishment storage in my craft room. I think they are beautiful! Speaking of beautiful...look at that box!


I also bought this piece of lace, I really don't think I am going to use it for anything...maybe display at the shop, but It is really sweet - had to have it. And look at the detail on that box...


"The box" is actually an old candy tin! I think it is so pretty, it is either going to store trinkets in the craft room or I am going to put it on my dresser for my growing collection of vintage jewelry and pins. Either way, I had to have it...it was the most expensive think I bought all day. Even cost me more than a 5' mirror!


OK, this is where I get really excited....
Check these babies out!! I found these patterns tucked away....I really can't tell you how much they excite me! They are all 1950-1960's time frame, and the one in the back there is several (18 to be exact) applique patterns!!! All of them uncut...!! They say they are size 14, however...it seems to me that is about an 8 or 10 these days!


I plan on making this dress - the full skirt version - in about a MILLION different fabrics!!!! I am going to wear it every day....all summer....did I mention every day?? ..... I fully admit something is wrong with me!!!



These two pieces I really thought were cool. The coil thing is a bracelet...very retro, it was only a $1 and I thought it would look cool with that dress it is hanging out with. The pin is really beautiful in person. The flower petals are two different greens and it is in excellent condition!!





These little critters and four of their friends came home with me...these are temporarily on the waiting list. My kids love these little Wade animals and their price was just right so I bought all of them and let the kids pick one each for completing their chores on Sunday. There is a mad dash going on to earn another one. First come first serve.....the little chimp back there seems to be last on the wish list.



Hope you had a great weekend and a grand start to your week!

Saturday, February 21, 2009

If I am Lucky

This picture is from my birthday this year, which by far was the best birthday EVER!

I am 35 years old and if I am lucky, I have lived half my life so far. I feel like this half way marker is a great place to be. I have four incredible, beautiful, vivacious children. Each one unique in their own sense, each passionate about their own adventures and each still so in love with their mama that it fills my heart to just where it needs to be each day. I have a husband who adores me and loves me in his very own way. Don't get me wrong... we argue, we bicker, we disagree...we are human but in the end we still love each other.


If I am at my "mid life" portion of my life than I am very privileged! I feel like I finally have allowed myself to be who I really am, and the strength to be who I want to be and not who people think I should be. But also continuing to evolve into myself, and show my children that it is OK to evolve and become what they are meant and want to be. This year (birth year, not calender year) I have found myself content with so much more in life and yet requiring so much less "stuff" in life. I have had the most wonderful - simple holiday celebrations with just my husband and children, and even though I LOVE social settings and friends I have become more introspective and I really like that too!


I think I am having mid-life greatness and not a mid-life crisis. I think people freak out when they get to that halfway portion of life because they realize that they haven't been totally honest to themselves about what they wanted for themselves and for the people they love.


Last night I was knitting, laughing and having some really great girl talk with some friends and we all agreed that even with full plates, being overwhelmed sometimes by the "real" parts of life. You know..the laundry, the "mom, mom, mom......", the homework, dinner and etc. that we are all very lucky to have those things to overwhelm us. While we can't be perfect we can certainly work to be the best for ourselves, just ourselves! Not for someone else's opinion but in our own opinion.


The friends I have, the friends I have lost, the great accomplishments and the big mistakes have brought me here to who I am today and, I would do it all again to be right where I am today.


I like being half way there...means there is a lot more to go!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

I don't know how...

I don't know how it happened that my post from last night ended up down there....down there below my post-Valentines post....?????

It is there if you want to read it!

I will be back later...bye for now!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

A little post valentines post

I am a few days late posting my Valentines craftiness...Not super special, but super cute cupid heiny's! Everyone was fluttering around "making" special cards for each other...one of my favorite parts of being a mom....

The kids loved them and I made them all "hangable" (I am not really sure that is a word...but you know what I mean by it, right?) so next year I can use them in a banner of some sorts.


I found the cupids online at a free clip-art site, attached them to a few layers of cardstock and embellished away. I added a little extra sparkle to their wings with some cheapy glitter glue from Joanne's - love that stuff!! I used a vintage postcard for Jerry's, I didn't get a picture of that one....


Books and a little chocolate heart were being passed out for the Love-y holiday! Truth is, those books were purchased before Christmas for Christmas and I hid them so well I didn't find them until January! OOPS!


And these cute little bum's could not be resisted! I just loved them...I did cover one, but couldn't do it for the second! These were for the girls, the boys were done in black and red.




EDIT...I forgot to show you another little creation...I made both of these, the cute girl and the cute shirt...well only the button and felt heart on the shirt.


In my heart


Valentines day may be over, but I am totally realizing what a romantic I really am! I don't come across in my daily life as one, but in my heart I am totally a romantic! I was laying in bed last night- not falling asleep but refusing to get out of bed because that would break my routine of going to bed early!!! But there I was thinking of all the "dreams" I had when I was a little girl, even some that I had tucked pretty far back in the memory bank because somebody told me "that" wasn't realistic, and some that I still have as an adult. I realized that I am at heart a romantic!

I dreamt of a man sweeping me off my feet, living in a romantic-fairytale marriage, raising beautiful healthy children, staying home with them and baking cupcakes and cookies for them and my big strong husband. Literally I would cook, clean and bake for my family in a lovely swinging 40-50's style dress if that is all that life required of me. I am pretty sure that I would love every minute of it!!!

It started out pretty good...met and married my husband within six months, started a family right away, and then......

Life got in the way...so frustrating!!

Most people might not recognize this Romantic side in me...but they probably don't really "know" me like you do...kidding. If you came into our shop you might see it in my surroundings, but in my every day life of dropping off kids, working/running the shop, trying to get all the homework done, feed the family, blah-blah-blah you would not see it. I am pretty straight forward...I don't get lost in the romance of "taking care of my family" - I get caught up in process of "getting it all done"!! I guess I just get a little lost.....
I still dream of a fairytale marriage (don't get me wrong, I love my husband..but this is no fairytale...boys don't smell or grow hair in funny places in your dreams), I dream of moving somewhere "romantic" like a ranch in Utah or Montana or Northern California...or Southern California by the beach, wearing flowy dresses and educating my children using non-traditional methods, the list goes on and on! I pray that I am raising happy children...the healthy comes and goes...but happy and mentally healthy is good enough most days.

I realized all this laying there trying to sleep...I also realized that there is a reason I don't go to be too early, I end up laying there thinking too much and it takes me too long to fall asleep!!
I am going to buy myself something romantic and girly today....maybe something like these which can be found on Etsy from liliswan



Or maybe this...which I love! I even think her description of this piece slightly describes me...check it out here




And I think I need this pretty little pink tablecloth to feed my family on! Which is also found on Etsy from divinedebrisvintage.

OK...now I am good and tired, I think I can go to bed and fall asleep.

Routine Failure....

I have become a routine failure!! I am not routinely a failure, but for the better part of 2008 I had started to fail in my routine of Healthy Eating, Routine Exercise and Routine sleep!! In my own defense, I am pretty sure that opening our own coffee shop and boutique has something to do with it...but NO EXCUSES!!

For 2009 I vowed to change this failure of routine!! Thus far it hadn't happened! I was feeling way to dumpy about the whole situation so Saturday I made the switch!

Shewwww....so glad that is over!!! I feel better already!

No more Failure of Routine here!

I also vowed to create more Routinely....that part is happening, Yeah me!!

Thursday, February 12, 2009

A lovely little Break

I have had a case of the blah's for the past week. Nothing in the Kingdom was aligning as we say when The Princess is having a bad day. I know that some of my problem was an anniversary of sorts that came to pass yesterday. But on top of that nothing else seemed to be coming together for me...not much luck on the Thrifting, and what I did find didn't do the trick to snap me out of the blahs....

I have not been able to complete any projects that I am working on and business has been slow at the shop.

I have determined that my camera flash is a piece of junk and it is making me a very unhappy mama, and my three year old has decided that she will sleep in any ones bed but her own.

The worst.....the kids are still passing the Chicken Pox around the house! Causing a BLAH atmosphere in general!

The COLD dreary weather was not helping to make any of these little annoyances easier! But - TODAY it is beautiful and sunny out! Not really warm, but beautiful to look at. I love seeing the sun streaming through the windows. And even though the back yard still has that pre-Spring funk going on - the sun coming through the tree's is beautiful and refreshing. Right now the sun is shining in on my shoulders and it feels like a warm hug...it feels heavenly!

A new day, a Day for ANEW....I am saying a little Thank You to God today for a break in the blahs....

Now..I am off to complete a project with half naked itchy kids...wish me luck. Bound to be a laugh in there somewhere!

Sunday, February 1, 2009

A Day late, But Not a $1 Short!!!

Who says you can't buy anything cute or pretty for a $1?? Thrifting is so fun and I am in LOVE with this one little thrift store that I have stumbled on. I get SO EXCITED when I go in there! I always find something and last weeks trip didn't let me down! I haven't had a chance to show them off to you! Everything I bought that day was either $1.00 or .25!! I got this entire pile for $7 and some change!!





This Bean pot, was $1.00!! I found two of them but I was feeling very generous and passed along my knowledge of the pots whereabouts to a young couple who I could see were after similar finds. It is in great condition! It does have a small chip in the lid, but other than that...perfect! It is made in the USA by Hall China. That is a find for $1.00!!! I am making beans in it tomorrow night!






That cute little white pitcher, the white plate which will be serving pastries at the shop and those little vintage coffee cups and plates which will also be serving our lovely customers at the shop cost me only .25 each!!! Can you stand it?!?!?! I love them! They are super cute and I love them...did I say that? Oh, and the plate & pitcher - made in the USA!


The glass canisters in the back have already made their way up to my craft studio and filled with pretty little things!

Lily even had a ball in a box of notions that I found. That's my girl.... See all those packages of bias tape? They were only .05 each! She picked one out for everyone...everyone we know I think! She even tried to tell me that she needed one for one of our customers at the shop..it was too cute!




That cute little soup mug was also only a quarter and I couldn't pass it up!! I have ended my mission to find vintage soup mugs after getting my set of handmade soup mugs from our shop. They aren't vintage, but they sure are beautiful and they can hold more soup than you can actually eat!! Aren't they pretty....they were NOT $1.00 but they were worth every penny!


I hope to find more FAB finds tomorrow!