August Babies

Our family births babies in cycles... even the in-laws can't escape. For example, my husband only has one brother-in-law (Gary) and one sister-in-law (Candice). It just happens that they have the EXACT same birthday. On top of the two in-law birthdays, Scott's grandmother's birthday is in Aug, my mother's birthday is in Aug (TODAY), my cute nephew Van's birthday was yesterday and I had two children almost exactly ten years apart in this most celebratory month! 1994 and 2004.

Phew.

Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout to all my people and wish them the happiest of happy birthdays, especially since we cannot manage to get cards out on time! We love you guys and will do better next year.

My August baby stats:

Oliver- born at 10 something in the morning... crazy hard labor and delivery, like 20 hours... with the help of forceps... 9lbs, 6oz and 22" long... most beautiful baby ever! Didn't sleep through the night for the next 5 years.

Sophia- born in the afternoon???... pretty easy labor and delivery, maybe 5 hours... 8lbs, 4oz and 21" long, I think... most high maintenance baby ever! Didn't sleep through the night for the next 5 years.

They love each other so much, it makes me teary.

It's Beginning to Smell a lot Like Christmas

I found an awesome homemaking tip in Martha's incredible September "Special Decorating" issue of MSL. Scented candles can get pretty expensive and be a little heavy as well, righ? Try this instead. Fill a pot or teapot about 3/4 of the way full with water, add orange peel, whole cloves and a cinnamon stick. Bring it to a boil and then turn the heat down to simmer. It will fill your house with the most delicious smell and you could probably add some honey and make a spiced tea out of it if you wanted. I'll wait until it's not 150 degrees outside first.

It's easy, inexpensive and it works.

Memory Keeping

I'd rather eat my weight in cheese than do genealogy work. Is this a good thing? Of course not, BUT, I'm lucky my dad really does enjoy it, and my husband's family is on the ball as well.

Something I would enjoy putting together is a family tree. I don't have one and would like to make a few for our home. One for my extended family, one for Scott's and one for our immediate. I don't want them all to look the same, however.

I found the first one (above) on a fun blog, http://www.mmmcrafts.blogspot.com/, and LOVE the 3-D leaves and photos! The little round picture frames are made out of metal labels from a craft store and the leaves are card stock.

These other three are from Martha's blog and are very nice as well. The white lettering on red paper is just that and very simple, but beautiful. You'd have to have really nice handwriting though.

You can download the other two templates from the links below and have printed on the size of paper you want at UPS or Kinko's. This will be a fun fall craft when my kids are in school and would also count for a Personal Progress project. Score!

They would make beautiful Christmas gifts as well. Hmmm....

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/family-trees?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/make-a-family-tree#slide_2

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/family-tree-fan-chart?backto=true&backtourl=/photogallery/make-a-family-tree#slide_5

DIY

I saw this project on Design Sponge and am in love! The directions are super easy and the results are spectacular, don't you think?! I'd like to make one for the pergola out back. It would be beautiful lit up at night for a BBQ or dinner? I guess it would be a fancy sort of BBQ, but still pretty.

It's just a planter basket, freezer paper and ribbon! Check out the full tutorial here:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/2010/08/diy-project-brennas-paper-capiz-shell-chandelier.html

Here Comes the Sun

I am really into the color yellow right now, especially with grey or taupe as the neutral. I haven't really started decorating my house because it's taken a while to actually furnish it! To me, the fun decorating is all about the pillows and the art, the flowers and the lamps... not so much the couches and other necessary furniture. I can't wait to incorporate some strong punches of color.

I love the idea of picking one or two accent colors and going hog wild. Why not paint a mirror yellow, or dining chairs even?

My favorite is the porch photo. We used to have a swing on the side porch of our last house and we used it all the time! Until, that is, the porch was infested with bats and our neighbors' daughter decided to raise bunnies for a 4-H project on the other side of our fence. Yuck! We also found a possum out there once.

Pretty Party

I have 3 birthdays coming up, and was feeling a little out of steam and a lot out of money. I don't want to do anything expensive, but still have fun and be creative for the kids.

Well, I found a link to this page from Lorie's amazing blog, and am again inspired. Those are just strips of material hanging with twinkle lights. I already have both! So, maybe I'll convince one of my girls to scrap the "luau" theme and go with something a little more dreamy and original.... somewhat original anyway!

http://www.ashleymeaders.com/

The Best Meatballs

We bought a half a cow a couple of months ago, and I've been trying to find unique beef recipes since . This meatball recipe isn't really unique or groundbreaking , but it's by far the tastiest recipe I've found!



Italian Meatballs:


1 lbs ground beef
1 lbs ground pork
2 minced cloves of garlic
2 eggs
1 C Romano cheese
1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 C Italian bread crumbs
1-11/2 C water or milk

salt and pepper to taste

-Mix ingredients, slowly adding the milk/water til the mixture is moist but still "roll able". Heat about 1 C of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the meatballs on all sides.


You can serve this with a marinara sauce, with a spicy BBQ dip or plain. You can even serve these meatballs Asian style with some rice, fresh chopped green onion, a drop of chili sauce, wrapped in steamed cabbage leaves. Sounds weird, but tastes so good!

Thankful Thursday

I haven't done one of these "Thankful Thursday" posts in a long time. Why??? It certainly isn't because I'm not "thankful" for the blessings in my life, but the 10-15 minutes of blogging I give myself a day doesn't allow for any deep thoughts. In the last 4 months or so, the rest of my time is taken up with my calling, my family and trying to get myself on some kind of a routine. While I'm extremely organized in some ways, I'm extremely undisciplined in others!!!

I'm thankful for opportunities to serve. I was called as the YW president a little while back and it's taken me out of my comfort zone for sure! From the full frontal hugs (ack!!!) to the missionary efforts that are necessary parts of this calling, I've become more reliant on the Lord... and it's a good thing. Becoming more spiritually in tune has helped in areas of my life that really needed some boosting... all areas really. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

I'm thankful for my friends. We've been here in Tennessee for over 3 years now and there is not a day that goes by, I don't recognize this blessing in my life. I love it here and for the first time in a very, very long time have a lot of true girlfriends again. Friends I can vent to and know it stays right there without judgement... friends I can call and go shopping with with no notice... friends who invite me to parties and LNO's.... friends who understand who I am and what I believe in. It's nice.

I'm thankful for creative outlets and time. While my blogging has been somewhat superficial, it's nice to have that time to be mindless or feel inspired. School's starting soon and I have so many little projects for the fall. This is what I enjoy and it makes me feel good to create a beautiful environment at home that my family and I can enjoy. Actually, I don't think that's superficial at all.

I'm now over my 15 minute blogging time by 35 minutes, but that's OK. My one pair of athletic shoes disintegrated at camp so I can't exercise anyway!

A Great Movie

Scott and I watched "The Young Victoria" last weekend and it was wonderful! My husband was not particularly excited about it, but after a few weeks of nagging and convincing, he picked it up.... and loved it.

I loved everything about it too. I'm typically not much of a love story fan, but maybe because it's based on a true life love story, it didn't seem cheesy to me. The acting, storyline, costumes, everything was done well. I don't know how accurate all the little details were, but who cares.

So good.


http://www.theyoungvictoriamovie.com/

PS. I thought Emily Blunt was a singer. I'm so out of touch.

Nigella's Pork Chops Served With Gnocchi and a Mustard Cream Sauce

Nigella Lawson made these delicious looking pork chops on TV the other day and I'm dying to try them. If you try them before I do, let me know what you think!

INGREDIENTS:
2 pork chops, about 1-pound total weight
2 teaspoons infused oil
1/2 cup hard cider (apple juice can be substituted)
1 tablespoon grain mustard
1/3 cup heavy cream
Gnocchi

DIRECTIONS:

"I love the old French favourites, the sorts that evoke not the supercilious waiter and theatrically removed silvered dome of the big name restaurants, but rather the small town bistro, all warm wood and rough red. This is possibly the easiest route to a proper, filling and yet strangely delicate dinner. The pork is cooked for just enough time to take away pinkness but ensure tenderness within, and gloriously scorched without. The mustard, cider and cream add comfort and piquancy. To soak up the gorgeous juices, and to serve as a fantastically quick time potato substitute, I serve up gnocchi alongside. You could always add a little lemony fennel, sliced thinly, or a green salad if you're in the mood.


Cut the fat or rind off the chops, and then bash them briefly but brutally with a rolling pin between 2 pieces of cling film/plastic wrap to make them thinner. Heat the oil in a pan, and then cook the chops over a moderately-high heat for about 5 minutes a side. Remove them to a warmed plate. Pour the cider into the pan, still over the heat, to deglaze the pan. Let it bubble away for a minute or so then add the mustard and stir in the cream. Let the sauce continue cooking for a few minutes before pouring over each plated pork chop. If you're having gnocchi with, make sure you turn them in the pan to absorb any spare juices before adding them to your plates."

UPDATE: Made these on the 2nd of August, and they were fabulous! A couple of changes, double the sauce and add a few splashes of lemon juice with the apple cider, since we're not using "hard cider".... it gives it a little kick.

Good Question

Earlier today, this question on Lorie's blog, "How Many Yards of Fabric do I Need to Reupholster?" took my breath away. I was thrilled to find a very basic tutorial link and diagram. Any sewer knows what a pain it is to try and figure out how much fabric to buy when reupholstering a piece of furniture, especially when the fabric you've fallen in love with is super expensive even on "sale". http://bedifferentactnormal.blogspot.com/

I then followed the link to the tutorial where I found a FABULOUS giveaway. So fabulous in fact, that while I was typing my comment to enter, the comment count went from 350 something to over 440! Crazy.... and yet I'm still hopeful. I really want those pillows.

http://littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com/

I also found a couple of other inspiring blogs and a few projects I may want to tackle at a later date. Of course, I still have a few projects of my own to finish as well! Right now I'm getting ready to cut my own stencils (not the goofy, country kind) and make some simple slipcovers (also not the goofy, country kind) for my dining chairs. If all goes well, I'll post some pictures!

I Love...

SARAH RICHARDSON's SHOW, SARAH's HOUSE!!! Now that LOST is no more, this is my new obsession.

Sarah's house is the second series of hers that I'm completely addicted to. In season 3, she completely re hauled a beautiful old farm house, almost stripping every inch to the lathe, rebuilding, and putting on a charming addition as well. This is the best season so far because of her use of bold colors and the beautiful antiques she was able to incorporate, without looking too stuffy. Here are just a few of the rooms...

Her mudroom is fabulous. She added two closets and a faux antique buffet. I love the pop of red! My only criticism is, I would have put a half bath in one of those closets, even if it meant a smaller space in between. It's always good to have a place to wash up when coming in.

This yellow and white room has totally inspired me to use bright yellow. I'm redoing a bathroom and have decided to do a bright, funky shower curtain. It'll be really cheery against the dark walls.

Her kitchen is so airy and clean looking! Again, her juxtaposition of old and new is perfectly balanced and her pendants are lovely. Ms. Richardson is absolutely the queen of fabulous light fixtures. She loves to rewire vintage pieces, and her choices in this house especially, are flawless.

Pretty boy and girl rooms, and an even prettier hallway would make waking up a joy! It's also so much easier to clean up when things are organized and nice looking. Why???

This is such a charming bathroom, and now that I see this shower curtain again, I may have to just copy! Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right?!

http://www.hgtv.ca/sarahshouse/default.aspx

Easy Microwave Treat

Cashew Brittle:

Mix 1C sugar with 1/2C white Karo syrup. Microwave for 2 minutes. Remove and stir. Add 1,1/2C cashews. Microwave for 2 minutes. Remove and stir. Add 1T. butter and 1tsp vanilla. Microwave for 1,1/2 minutes. Remove and stir in 1 tsp of baking soda and pour onto a buttered cookie sheet. Cool and break up. This is so delicious and easy! It's a perfect thank you gift or last minute party treat. Try it!

(You may have to adjust the times, depending on your microwave!)

City by the Lake

The weather in Chicago was perfect and the city just glittered against the sun and beautiful blue sky! We enjoyed a boat tour that took us out to Lake Michigan and walked around for a couple of hours, just exploring a bit. If it wasn't for the couple of minutes we lost Spencer, it would have been a perfect day!

We of course had to do the annoying touristy stuff like cruise Michigan Ave and shop a bit... all my idea. There weren't really any shops that you couldn't find in a nice suburban shopping mall, but everything was so much more exciting. Being on the 3rd floor of Crate and Barrel was kind of scary because of the open escalators and the sunglasses at Banana Republic were extra stylish!

The famous Billy Goat Tavern had delicious cheezborgers and cokes... no Pepsi. A customer behind us made the mistake of asking for chips, and was told, "Get them yourself, I'm not your mother!"

I loved learning about the famous buildings and skyscrapers, but was especially excited about the 80's movie references, like Adventures in Babysitting, Ferris Bueller's, The Untouchables, etc. I have to admit though, every time we go to Chicago I think of the movie Candyman and get a little creeped out.... Cabrini-Green, yuck.

Springfield, IL

We spent a day in Springfield, IL with Scott's family and it was lovely. It started out with each of us receiving a free breakfast at Perkins! Scott went up to pay and the gal behind the register said a customer had taken care of the bill. Of course we immediately started looking around to see who would do such a thing. Finally, a sweet older lady admitted she was the one and said, "I've never had a problem with money, just old age!" She also said she likes to see happy families but she likes to see happy teenagers even more. THANK YOU OLIVER!!!
PS. That's Scott's grandmother, not the Perkins lady.

Now, I admit to being somewhat skeptical about visiting the Lincoln museum, but it was fabulous! We couldn't take photos of the actual exhibits, but believe me, it was great! I highly recommend taking your families for a day. Also, the national Korean War museum is going there too, and you know I'm all over that like white on rice!





Spencer worked very hard on his Lincoln Log compound, yes Lincoln Log, and almost freaked out on a kid for almost destroying it with his "meteor". It was a tense couple of seconds.

The Lincoln family: Abraham, Mary Todd, Robert, William and Tad aka "Gangsta T".

Dreams of Retirement

We had a wonderful vacation in Chicago two weeks ago and it got us thinking. Where do we want to end up when it's time to "settle down"? We've often thought of buying land in the country with some chickens and a lovely garden, but now that our kids are getting older, with different interests, we're thinking outside of the box. Rooftop container garden maybe?

One of Scott's uncles is considering moving to a place in the city and it struck a cord. A CITY HOUSE!!! We love the idea and have narrowed it down to a few places... Chicago, Boston, Nashville, and Seattle. Of course this dream includes us having the money to do so when the time comes. It also includes mild winters, but dreams are dreams after all! I'm also a librarian in my dream, working in a really huge library where I can be alone surrounded by people, letting loose my love of organizing and enjoying the quiet. Of course this means I would only be semi-retired. I also imagine Scott hanging around the library, keeping me company and bringing me various ethnic foods for lunch. Ethnic foods don't smell like garlic and fish in my dream either.

OK, here are some of our reasons for this change of heart: 1. A city house/apartment would be easy to rent when we serve a couple's mission.... 2. What a fun place for adult kids to visit... 3. Being able to walk or take public transportation anywhere.... 4. Smaller is easier to take care of, (no more watering the lawn) and... 5. Pretty!!! I love urban style, especially brownstones, although I don't think there are any in Nashville.

Have you guys thought about it? Where do you want to end up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzxK5e6Jatc&feature=related

ps. All of these pictures are of homes in NYC.