Dear Mother...

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there!  I had a  great Mother's Day complete with handmade gifts from my boys, breakfast in bed from my hubby & boys, and sweet cards from my hubby and his mom.  I am well loved! 

Excuse the boys in their skivies & me before make-up &my hair brushed...it was so bad I came back to edit this post w/a smiley over my head!  (The tiny bed is the bed in Parker's room and I slept w/him the night before because he was restless.)  Look at that great breakfast, on fine china & crystal! 

The "Dear Mother" picture that I used in my Mother's Day decor this year has been in the family for ages. On the back of the picture written in faint pencil reads, "From Mildred & Jessie, May 10, 1942."  Mildred & Jessie are my late grandparents.  They gave the framed print to my grandfather's mother for Mother's Day.  It feels special to be able to display it some 68 years later.  

Mom, I wished you were here today.  We visited your graveside today.  The almost five years you have been gone seem like an eternity.  I hope you knew how much we all loved you so!  

Dear Mother...

All happy greetings 

And wishes unmeasured

To a very dear Mother

Who'll always be treasured! 

A Toast to Great Friends!

Our sweet friends are moving to another town to take a head coaching position.  My husband has coached high school football with him for the past six years.  It is a bittersweet for us because we are so happy for them that he got a head coaching job, but sad because we enjoy them so much!  They have four boys:  8, 6, and 4 (twins).  Our boys have loved playing Legos, baseball, and touch football after their daddies big games.  We will treasure the memories we have made with them and hope that our paths in the coaching world will be destined to join again. 

I found a great football themed Easter basket to use for the "Congrats on Your New Job" gift.  Their new school colors are red and black, so I used red tissue paper and a red and white gingham bow.  A bottle of champagne and two champagne glasses complete the gift basket. 

I love red & white gingham.  I use it all the time.  It makes great bows for packages.  There is just something nostalgic to me about its simplicity. 

My toast for our friends is for many TOUCH DOWNS to be in their future!!!

I'm linking up to:

  http://blackberryvine.blogspot.com/2010/10/pretty-packages-party-3.html

Thrift Store Junkie!

I am a thrift store junkie!  I would pick going to a thrift store anyday over the mall or department store.  I love searching for a bargain!  Whether it be clothes or something for my home, I love the process. 

Practically all my clothes and shoes are from a local thrift store.  I always get comments on my finds and I love saying, "thanks, it was 99 cents!"  :) 

On my latest venture, with two of my three boys in tow, I spent $40 and got a ton of stuff. I'll share my bargains with you.

8 dinner plates for $4.94.  The green matches my dinning room perfectly! 

Here is the whole haul, with one of my shopping buddies.  He was very happy with his Light Saber ($1) and Spongbob cup ($1).  The two dollar bribe worked, he was good the couple of hours we were out. 

I got bargains for the baby for super cheap.  Shorts were .49, $1.49, and $1.99 and a cute tee for .49! 

The best deal of the day:  Versace flip flops for........$1.41!  Yes, $1.41.  I think the store didn't know what they had. 

I got lots of nice spring/summer work shirts from $1.99-$4.99. 

 

I got a bag of vintage pool balls for $5.00.  I'm going to put them in a bowl and use for decoration in my boy's sports themed room.   

Parker was not impressed with the bargains.  This is how he felt after the shopping trip.  Poor little guy!  He got some nice milk and applesauce and was happy again. 

So....5 work shirts, 3 gap shorts, 1 versace flip flops, 8 dinner plates, bag of pool balls, light saber, sponge bob cup, puzzle, 3 pairs baby shorts and one baby tee...all for $40!  That is why I am a thrift store junkie.  I'd love to hear about your latest thrift store finds!

Corona Bread!

We aren't really beer drinkers at our house.  My husband might have one once in a blue moon.  Me, never, because I hate the taste of it!  But, I have two recipes that call for beer that I love:  Beer Bread and Beer-B-Q.  The Beer Bread is from a local cafe and the bbq recipe is something I discovered years ago in a magazine.  They are super easy and really yummy...my favorite two combinations!  Maybe you will enjoy them too. 




Beer Bread
3 cups self rising flour
2 tablespoons sugar

1 can warm beer

1/2 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix well in mixer.  Put in bread pan.  Pour 1/2 stick butter over raw dough.  Bake for one hour at 350.  The bread will appear to have a tough top, don't worry!  This is what makes it sooo yummy.  

Beer-B-Q

1 lb (or more) rump roast

1 small bottle of ketchup

1 can of beer

1/2 cup brown sugar

Mix ketchup, beer, and sugar together.  Cut the roast in half and place in Crock Pot and pour the other ingredients on top.  Cook on high all day long (at least 6 hours)...I've had on high longer and it didn't burn or dry out.  Take the meat and place on a cutting board.  Use two forks to shred it.  Take some of the remaining juice out of the Crock Pot and pour over shredded meat.  Serve on toasted hamburger buns.  It is yummy with potato salad or cole slaw.  It makes a ton!

Do you have any easy, yummy recipes?

Family Easter Picture

We have had a crazy week/10 days or so. Parker has a had a terrible ear infection, I have been sick and having to put in lots of extra hours at work to prepare for the upcoming state assessment. Anywho, needless to say it has taken me awhile to get around to posting our family Easter picture. We had a great day at my husband's grandparent's house (MawMaw, 88, & PawPaw, 91). What a blessing that our kids are getting to be around their greatgrand parents! On the other side (his mom's side), both his grandmother (70) and greatgrandmother are still living (94)! It makes a great five generation picture! All my grandparents are no longer living, but we share photos with the boys so they will know about them.

 

My sweet boys, all four of them!

The Chicken Costume has Hatched!

Darn!  I had big plans for an elaborate chicken costume (Martha Stewart style), but Ryan, my 2nd grader, broke the news to me that the other chickens in the school play were going to have simple costumes.  He begged me not to make the "baby" MS inspired one posted below.  Rather than mortifying Ryan, I went simple.  So, the simple costume was a yellow t-shirt, a Chicken head mask & beak from Party Supply, red feather boa, Dad's "Tom Cruise" glasses, and yellow rubber gloves for the feet.  He did look pretty cute.  The Barnyard Moosical was a success!  I think the chickens performed the best w/their Funky Chicken Dance.  It was all caught on video to later pull out for Ryan's future girlfriends! 

The gloves fit perfectly over his Nike Sandals. 

Two Funky Chickens! 

Chicken Little (brother).  He just had to put the costume on.  I had to show waist up, because he refused to put clothes on and the Transformer underwear didn't go with the chicken attire.  :)

Quack, Quack Cock a Doodle Do...

Quack, Quack Cock a Doodle Do!  If you know the song that comes from, chances are you have little ones are little grandones and have had to make a costume for them.  This weekend, I have to make a chicken costume for my eight year old.  He is most unhappy about being a chicken in the school play!  At least he isn't the only chicken and maybe he can find comfort in chicken misery.  This production is going to make for some great "blackmail" pictures of him down the road.  Hahaha!  So, I'm looking around on the net for chicken costume ideas because everybody I've asked does not have a chicken costume...go figure.  I saw Martha Stewart's chicken costume and I think that is going to be my inspiration if I can find some white or yellow boas today (that don't cost an arm or a leg...its okay if they cost as much as a chicken leg!)  Keep posted to see the final product and the embarrassing pictures of my little chic! 

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/3-tiny-creatures-costumes?page=3

Do you have any costumes that you have made?  I'd love to see/hear about 'em!

Making a pallet.

Remember when as a kid when making a pallet was so much fun? Now, the very thought of resting on the hard floor makes my bones hurt. But there is something still fun about laying a nice, cool quilt out and watching tv. Our three boys beg for us to make a pallet for them now. From time to time, they ask to be able to sleep in the living room on a pallet or at the foot of our bed on one. Sometimes we oblige. Now being boys, just as soon as they lie down, they are fighting over the cover complaining about the other one's feet touching them, etc. The good thing is, they also still giggle over a silly joke, hug and fall asleep side-by-side. There isn't anything sweeter than two little brothers asleep next to each other...it makes you forget the constant fighting for a moment.  :) 

Cannon (4), Ryan (8), & Parker (4 months)

Notice the older two each have their own blanket...one less thing to fight over!

Hippity, Hoppity, Happity Easter!

I love bunnies!  My second little one's nursery was decorated in rabbits, so many of my Easter decorations are from his nursery.  He is a big four year old now, so bunnies in his room would be "girly".  Almost every decoration is from a thrift store or an after Easter sale.  I haven't paid over three dollars for any one item!

Here's  a little peak at our bunny filled Easter home.  Enjoy!

Missing Mom

When I pulled out my Easter decorations a couple of weeks back, I unwrapped this carefully packed rabbit and blown egg.  It is special to me and my eight year old, because we decorated the egg together about six years ago for his nanny, my mother.  Nanny died about four and half years ago, so this little treasure is ever so special to us.  My mom had it in a curio cabinet year round, not worried that it wasn't "in season" with the decor.  She displayed it because she knew little hands made it for her with love.  We miss you mom!  I wish you were here to see my little guys in their Easter outfits and to meet my two little ones that you never got to hold.  I bet Easter is great in Heaven!

A Hopping Deal

 

Can you say TJ Maxx is awesome?  I love searching their clearance racks.  When they have a good deal, they really have a good deal!  I found a great Easter Banner last year in the "after Easter" clearance area for $1.00.  Yea!

 

Easter Greetings to you and your family!  I'd love to hear about a bargain you have discovered lately!