"Good Gravy!"

Last week I made a roast.

My grandma Katie just told me a simple (and delicious) way to make gravy!

First, put the drippings in a pan and heat

In a separate bowl get a heaping TBSP of cornstarch

Add 1/4 cup water

Using a whisk, mix them together until it's smooth with no lumps.

Add the mixture to the drippings and whisk them together and continue to heat.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

After heating, if it's still not thick enough repeat the process (be careful not to add too much, you don't want it to taste like the cornstarch).

Like my grandma says "salt covers a multitude of sins."

It must, because the gravy turned out fantastic!

Thanks grandma!

"Hey Rob, you're off the hook"

When Rob and I got married I called him Bob Saggett. Not because he liked bloopers so much, but because he reminded me of Danny Tanner on Full House. Danny Tanner was an obsessive clean freak.

While Rob likes things neat and clean, he's not obsessive, although, after I saw him pre-treat his clothes and go after a stain or two, I began to wonder.

Rob's been known in my family as the go to guy for stain removal. Little did I know he was laying the groundwork so that I could one day take over the laundry and keep his whites "extra" white.

The reason I was thinking about Biz, is I was downstairs doing some laundry and that hasn't happened for quite awhile.
I guess you could say I've been on a laundry hiatus and Rob has once again ridden in on his white horse and washed our clothes even while working and providing for a family. I'm here to tell him, that I'm ok now and I can start doing the laundry again.

And finally a plug for BIZ. That stuff works! I've soaked things in BIZ that have been washed, dried, ironed, worn a million times and even with all this, it still gets stains out and brightens colors. Not everything has come out perfectly but, what it has done for our clothes is amazing! Try it, you'll like it

The Great Escape!

The house was amazing! The decor was nothing to write home about, and the floors needed refinishing but the house itself was SO beautiful! I would have LOVED to see it done well.
A chair on the porch.

This is the living room, there are stairs going down to the breakfast room.
This was the magnificent suite that was mine, all mine. All $95 worth. Ha ha!
I loved looking up and seeing the staircases, the house was so big.
This is the dining room, I loved this room.



Last week I had had it with EVERYTHING! I needed a break from life...

I recalled a conversation that I had had with a good friend where she told me that occasionally she would go and revive her spirits by getting away to a bed and breakfast all by herself. I thought that that was just the thing for me! So, I looked on the internet, found a bed and breakfast, and arranged for Rob to arrive home early from work.

The day came, it was a Friday. Rob got home at 4:30, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face as I screeched out of the driveway. I got to the bed and breakfast at around 5:30. I sat by the pool, read, thought and just relaxed. Well... I went to bed around 10:30, and turned on Clueless, then I started to think about the refridgerator downstairs and how dirty it was, then I started to think about the fact that I didn't want the people to make me breakfast because the fridge was so dirty, then I started to think about the fact that I didn't want to sit with a stranger at breakfast, then I started to think about how old the house was, then I started to think about ghosts, then I started to think about the other person whom I'd never met sleeping in the next room, then I started to think more about ghosts, then I began to think that a ghost was watching me, then I was afraid to turn out the lights, then I started to think about the reason I came to the bed and breakfast in the first place. That purpose being to get a break and a good nights sleep. I then began to think about breakfast again, and then I began to think about Rob and the girls.

So, then I started making the rounds, first round, I called Rob and said, "can I come home?"

Second round, I called my mom and said "should I go home?"

Let me tell you, once I started talking about the fridge, she said "go ahead and leave."

So at midnight, I wrote a note and walked out the door.




Next time I want to runaway...talk me out of it.

Butterfly Exhibit

Here's Caroline on our way to the exhibit.
One of the many beautiful butterflies that we saw.
This picture was taken on the trail, isn't she cute?
The butterfly I really wanted to get a picture of refused to land, it was a beautiful blue color. I chased them (and the girls, Elizabeth especially) around the green house.

The "real" attraction were the long drapey things. We drove for 45 minutes so the girls could play in them.
I LOVE these colors!
This is what I got when I asked them to "please look at me and smile." Elizabeth pulled the top of her stroller down and Caroline had to use her hands to give me a grin.
A beautiful moth, it reminds me of the movie "The Mothman Prophecies." That movie freaked me out!

Great quote along with a few pictures that I love...

"Happiness isn't always doing what you want to do, it's doing what you don't want to do, and being glad you did it.

I got this from Ann Marie's blog, I love and need it!

Thanks Ann Marie!

"Take Me To the Fair.." Camelot

Caroline, Elizabeth and I went to the fair last week. It was a great time. Here are a few pic's. Doesn't she have such a cute expression? Ahhh... to be a kid again.
Elizabeth doesn't look like she's enjoying the carousel all that much, but she sure put up a fight when she had to get off. You should have seen me trying to wrestle the two of them off the dang thing! I'm sure plenty of people were getting ready to catch one of them.
Caroline at the wheel. This was the never-ending car ride. This ride went on and on and on... The woman who was working the ride seemed really nice, maybe a bit too nice! I was sitting behind them and was beginning to get really bored.
Caroline and Elizabeth on the merry-go-round.
I took this because Caroline's favorite rhyme/song is "Mary had a Little Lamb." Caroline knows each verse and sings them all, all the time (it's really cute). Caroline often pretends that she's Mary and Elizabeth is "little lamb."
Elizabeth wasn't at her best.
Larry and his sidekick were darling! The girls loved watching them. The piano player had a scowl the whole time, but when he looked at me he smiled a sweet smile and all was forgotten. The violinist reminded me of my Grandpa Mitchell. You could tell he loved playing, it was so sweet to watch them. The violinist would walk over and play for the girls (probably because we were the only ones there). They reminded me of the good old days, when things were slower and people enjoyed simple pleasures.
Elizabeth is refusing to use a bib. Not that we had one at the fair, but it reminded me of the fact that she's no longer a willing bib wearer.

Who's paying these kids? We walked into the "cow" barn and found like three teenagers sound asleep! I had to take a picture.
"Don't worry mommy, it's all under control."

"Fashion Show Anyone?"

Elizabeth is wearing a beautiful pink sweater given to her by her Grandma and Grandpa Bond. On her head is a very warm fleece hat from Old Navy. On her bottom she's wearing her purple pajama shorts. What style, let's hear it for Elizabeth and her incredible fashion sense.
Next up is Caroline, a three year old, who everyday aspires to be a 3 month old. She's wearing a very snug fitting fleece pajama. Let's hear it for Caroline.

Caroline loves dressing and undressing several times a day. I never know what she'll put on next. Elizabeth is also getting in on the action. Keep in mind it's August, and the middle of the day.

A Shout Out to Martha!

Swag Cake
With a Flourish
Damask Cake
Robin's Egg Cake
Wedgewood Cake

I LOVE the color blue. I don't like all blues, but the blues I like, I really, really like. I couldn't resist posting these amazing blue cakes.

I've also added Martha Stewart into my "when you're here your family," I haven't told her yet, I want it to be a surprise. ; )

Have a great day, all you wonderful people!

"Abra Kadabra"

When Rob went out of town several weeks ago, I became the most fun mother. I don't know why him leaving town sparked this phenomenon but it did.

I made magic wands with the girls. Let me put it this way, I made magic wands for the girls. I bought dowels at Michaels and wooden cut-out stars. I then glue gunned the stars onto the dowels and decorated with the glitter glue (the glitter glue comes in the most beautiful colors). I had originally planned on spray painting the sticks gold and adding ribbons, but that all went out the window when Caroline began putting the pressure on to get them done.

I wanted to document this so someday when my kids tell me I was boring, I can pull this up and ask for an apology.

My 10 Favorite Things!

I really like this couch. My mom and I found the fabric for $3 a yard in Vegas. I got the couch off of Craigslist and I had it reupholstered. Unfortunately, because it's in the family room, I have the cushions covered with a quilt. So, I don't get to enjoy it fully unless I'm entertaining.
I got this painting from a store called the Consignment Gallery, I got it for $63 and I've just LOVED it. It's one of those pictures that would go perfectly in so many places in my house. I finally settled for the sunroom because it ties the wall colors of the two adjoining rooms together very nicely.

Jennifer gave this to me and I LOVE it! Her dress is beautiful and full of my favorite colors. I purchased the frame at an antique store.
This is the white couch that I nearly sold. Rob had the couch when we got married and I wasn't fond of it, well it was nothing that a white slip cover couldn't solve (isn't that amazing how that works?) I bought the hot pink pillows at Tuesday Morning and had the floral pillows made recently, I really like them. So, my couch is another favorite thing.
Another lady I love. I found her when I lived in our condo. Her fabulous dress matched the wall color perfectly and I HAD to have her!
My dining room set. I also bought this at the Consignment Gallery. It seats ten when the sides are pulled out. I also found the two velvet chairs there. The wooden chairs I got for $35 each at an antique store and I found the material on Housefabrics.com. I LOVE this fabric! Rob refinished the table and I thought it turned out beautifully.

I found these chairs at an antique store near where Jennifer works. I fell in L-O-V-E with them! Luckily Rob can't tell me no, and I bought them. I also count this as two because I really like this flower arrangement. I love the colors and beauty of the flowers. These plates are tin, they're kind of like the picture earlier, they're so versatile I wish I could put them a bunch of different places in my house. I again settled on the sunroom because I wanted to make it a little more serious of a room, and these helped.
I really like the buffet. I got it at Goodwill for $72 and painted and distressed it. I like how it turned out and I like the topiaries and cake/cake stand.
We got this plate rack off of Ebay. Rob then took it upon himself to find and order my china off of ebay (what a guy!). This plate rack/china is definitely one of my favorites.

Thanks for the tag, it's been fun to share my favorite things.

Tag, you're (everyone) it!

"Finis."