I Love My Friends!

Seriously...I love my friends! 

I'm a firm believer that there is nothing more important than your relationships with God, your spouse and your children.  I love spending time with all three as well as my family.  I also think that it is so very important to have a group of peers to laugh with and confide in.  You know...someone who is in the same boat. 

This past weekend I went on a girls only beach trip.  We generally have a little weekend outing once a year.  I do miss my little family while I'm gone but it is nice to get away from the everyday hustle and bustle of family life and just unwind. 

This trip was a little unusual because we actually spent more time on the beach at night than we did during the day.  We didn't get hot or need sunscreen.  We didn't so much as break a sweat!!  IN JULY...it was really weird!  Although we didn't come back with the awesome tan that we wanted and even joked around that we were even whiter than when we left, we (as always) had a really great time. 

 

Here is a picture that I took on our second day there.  It had rained most of the day and we took some time to see a movie and have a nice lunch.  By late afternoon it cleared off and we were able to spend our evening by the water.  This is my favorite time to be out on the beach. 

 I just love the sunset over the water.

 

 

Here we all are!  I'm happy to say that I've been friends with these ladies since high school.

 

 

 

 

 

Once I got back home I immediately made plans to see my friend Jill who is only in town for a few days.  We had lunch and took in a little shopping yesterday.  Jill is an army wife whose family has been stationed in Washington for the last couple of years.  Tomorrow she is headed back to Washington to catch a plane that will take them to South Korea for two years.  I'm so excited for them as they embark on this journey but I am very, VERY sad to know that I most likely won't see her and her family for the next couple of years.  We said goodbye yesterday as we have done many times before.  I pray that Jill and her family have a safe trip over there and that their transition is as smooth as possible. 

 

Jill and I have been the best of friends for about seven years now.  We are different as daylight and dark but she has been an invaluable friend to me.  Jill is one of the best people that I know and she takes all of this in stride.  She is quite the strong lady! 

 

Safe travels to the Beddingfield family!

 

 

So hug your friends a little tighter and say a prayer of thanks for them. 

There is nothing like friendship.

Literature Is My Utopia

It's been awhile since I did a post on my book love but that does not mean that I've been slack on my reading.  NEVER!!  I love reading just as much as ever...I promise!  I've been busy with a new author as a matter of fact.  Don't you just love when you find an author that you didn't know about and you read a book and think "Wow!  I can't wait to get my hands on everything else."  That's what we are dealing with here...

Her name is Kelley Armstrong.  She's fabulous and seems to know all about what I like....haha!!  With my first love being the tv (I know it's awful...I can't help it) I heard about a show called Bitten.  Ever heard of it?  You may know all about it but it was news to me.  Anyway, I watched the entire first season on Netflix in a few days and I was totally hooked.  Then I found out about the books!!  Bitten happens to be based on a series of books called The Otherworld Series by Kelley Armstrong.  I headed over to the library to see if they had the books.  They didn't (bummer) but I did find a few other books by Armstrong.  The first one I checked out was not a part of The Otherworld (Bitten) series but I read the cover and I was intrigued.

Omens is the first installment of a brand new series called Cainsville.  I get giddy about a series! I love to start them and hate to see them end.  So getting a new series started with the promise of more to come makes me happy.

 

I won't bore you with a summary, you can read all about it online if you want.  I will say this...the main character of the story not only finds out that she was adopted as a child but that her biological parents are notorious serial killers!!!  Never mind what the rest is about!  That was enough for me.  I had to find out more.  I really enjoyed this first installment and can't wait until next month when the second book debuts.

 

Here is a look at the Visions cover (squeal!!)

Coming August 2014

 

In the meantime I did get my hands on The Otherworld Series.  I just finished Bitten and went straight on to the second book, Stolen.

 

 

I really enjoyed Bitten.  It was pretty close to the tv series with just enough extras to make it interesting.  As usual when comparing a book to tv/movie, the book gives you a much better understanding of the story.

 

 

This is what I am currently reading.  I am only about eighty or so pages in but it is already great.  Several new characters have been introduced along with the returning favorites.  I can't wait to explore the rest of the series.

 

I (finally) finished the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris this summer.  I put off the last book for about a year because I didn't want it to end.  Sad but true, I know.  I'm a True Blood fan despite the craziness of the show but I'm an even bigger fan of these books.  They remained consistently good and the last one left me feeling satisfied with Sookie's journey.  The only complaints that I have are the fact that Lafayette isn't in them past book one and Jason isn't as fun as he is in the show.  And yes...they are COMPLETELY different from the tv series!  It's like getting two completely different storylines.

I highly recommend this series.  It is somewhat of a serious commitment considering that there are 13 of them but the books are easy to follow and not too long so they generally go pretty fast.  It's not a deep and serious read but it's good and I've always enjoyed Sookie's wit.  I hope you love the characters as much as I do!

 

 

Well, that about sums it up for now.  As always I have an ever-growing reading list so there will be more posts.  I hope my suggestions help and you will consider looking into some of these good reads.  Happy Reading Everyone!



 

 



 

 

 



Saturday Musings...

Image Credit http://etre-et-avoir.tumblr.com/page/23

 

I repined this on my Quote of the Day Board and I just love it! 

(follow me at http://www.pinterest.com/justdreamin/quote-of-the-day/)

 

I don't have much going on today.  Just laundry and cleaning and getting ready for a busy week.  In between a few orders I am getting ready for my biggest craft show of the year.  I'm ecstatic about some new Frozen beads that I got in last week.  Don't you just love Frozen??  I sold about 50 Frozen items at my last show so I plan on doing lots and lots for my Fall/Christmas shows.  I've also got a lot of denim to get started on.  Denim is always one of my top sellers!

 

 

Here is one of my favorite pictures of Miss Merritt wearing denim ruffle pants.  This was from a couple of years ago.  I may need a new picture this year!

 

Wyatt has Kindergarten Camp this week starting Monday.  It is a good way to get them ready for the real thing.  It is coming up quick and I just can't believe he will start Kindergarten in a few short weeks.  It. Can't. Be. Possible.

 

 

Here he is with his Pre-K diploma.

 

I am also giddy about some friends coming to town all the way from Washington state.  My lovely friend Jill and her family will be in town for a (too short for my liking) visit before they head out on their next adventure in Korea.  Jill is very good at handling the hurdles of an Army wife.  She always has the best attitude!  I can't wait to see her!!

 

I also have a beach trip planned at the end of next week with my girlfriends.  We are all so excited to get away for a weekend but I know I will miss home and my family. 

 

Well back to my work...

 

Have a great rest of the weekend!!

 

Summertime Stuffed Peppers

 

 

 

Summertime Stuffed Peppers

 

 

 

We garden every summer.  Our gardens range from a small raised bed in my back yard to a large garden next door at my parents house.  No matter what...you will find banana pepper growing in our garden.  If you don't have the space don't fret.  You can grow a pepper plant in a pot on a patio.  It's just not summer without fresh banana pepper.

 

This is one of my hubby's favorite dishes so we tend to have them often in the summer.  We cook them in the oven or on the grill.  We always make way more than we need in hopes to have some the next day too.  Sometimes we have extra...sometimes we don't..LOL.  Anyway, they are great reheated.  Just refrigerate and pop them in the microwave or back in the oven for a minute or so. 

 

They are also great appetizers.  Cook them first (they only take 5-10 minutes) and let everyone snack while the main course is cooking. 

 

As you can see, I have them in a Lodge skillet. I also bake them on my Pampered Chef stoneware or just right on the grill.  A cookie sheet would be just fine too.

 

 

Here is what you need:

 

 

You don't need the tomato unless you want to cut it up and eat it while you are whipping the peppers up!  This was my haul from the garden so I just included the tomato too.  It sure was tasty :)

 

So back to the list...

 

• Peppers.  I used banana peppers, jalapeno peppers and bell peppers.  You can use any assortment that you want.  If you only have one variety or don't like some of them just work with what you have.
• Cream Cheese.  I used regular 8 ounce block of cream cheese this time but I have used low fat before just to skinny it up a bit.  Both work out just great.
• Seasoning.  This is probably the easiest ingredient because I have used several different seasoning mixtures in the past and they are good every time.  This time I used my current favorite.  Slap Ya Mama!  Seriously, I'm putting it on everything!!  The ingredients are salt, black pepper, red pepper and garlic.  It has no MSG and is all natural.  No surprise ingredients is always a plus.  So if you don't have this particular seasoning or don't want to mix it up on your own any seasoning salt will do or feel free to use your favorite!
• Shredded Cheese.  I used mild cheddar this time but a Mexican blend is good too.  You can also do the same trick with this as suggested with the cream cheese.  Use low fat if you are counting calories.
• Bacon Bits.  I prefer using crumbled up bacon that I have cooked but sometimes time just doesn't permit.

 

The first thing that you want to do is wash the peppers.  In my case they are usually covered in dirt.  Cut the stems off and slice in half, lengthwise.  Remove all seeds and rinse.

 

 

Here is what you should have at this point.

 

Next thing you want to do is mix up your softened cream cheese and your seasoning. 

 

 

I generally use about 1-2 tablespoons of seasoning per block of cream cheese.  This can vary quite a bit depending on your personal taste.  Just be careful...most of these seasonings can be a little salty if you use to much.  Just a quick hint, I have found that mixing it with a fork is the most effective way to get it spread all the way through. 

 

After you get the seasoning mixed in and to your liking take a knife or your fork and spread the cream cheese in the peppers even with the top.

 

Here is the basic idea.

I like to get mine as close together as possible because it is easier to sprinkle the cheese over all of them at once as opposed to sprinkling them individually. 

 

Now on to the cheese and bacon...

Sprinkle generously with shredded cheese and crumbled bacon.

 

And here it is!!  A few minutes in a 350 degree preheated oven or a grill and you've got it.  Cooking time may vary from oven to oven and grill to grill but just leave them in long enough to melt the shredded cheese.

 

You won't be disappointed!!

 

 

I hope you will enjoy this recipe.  Have a great Friday :)



 

 



 



Scrapbook Therapy

I thought that I would do a series all about my scrapbook therapy as I like to refer to it.  I am so incredibly detailed that it makes me unbelievably slow.  I spent two days last week working on ONE page!  It's a problem to say the least.

About a month ago I vowed to work a few hours a week getting caught up on my scrapbooks.  They are so very important and Wyatt is getting to a good age to really enjoy looking at them.  I hope this series helps me to keep my vow and get these books done.  Any encouragement, ideas or advice is greatly appreciated!!  I am very behind...

I started scrapbooking in 2008 while I was expecting my son.  The first thing that I did was an album of our wedding photos.  It has a pretty basic layout as I was just getting my feet wet in the scrapbook world.  Plus I did not really hang on to any scraps of paper or anything like that.  It's composed completely of photos from our day.  It went really well and really fast. 

Then I started working on my pregnancy book.  My original goal was to include both my pregnancy and Wyatt's birth.  Then reality hit that it was all definitely NOT going to fit in one book!  I saved everything that I could think of.  There was no detail to small.  My pregnancy book officially became my first masterpiece.  I still pull it out and look at it and show it to other people.  I know they don't care about it as much as I want them to but I'm proud of it, ok?? 

Here is a quick view of a few of the pages.  I stuck with a basic color scheme of brown and blue.  I don't think that any of my other books will have a color scheme because of events and holidays but I liked the look of it in this book. I think these pictures highlight some of my favorite parts of the book and gives you an idea of my style of scraping.

 It is a lot like art.  Everyone has their own style right?

 

So here is my favorite page in the whole book.  I had one of the best images of his 4d ultrasound blown up to a 5x7 and tweaked the color just to add some variation.  I also had this photo framed and included in my baby shower.

 

 

I found these nifty little blank tags and randomly placed them throughout the book with important dates and how many weeks I was at the time.  It was one of those things that you buy and think "will I ever use these?"  So I'm glad that I had them.

 

 

I stated before that I saved everything.  Literally everything.  I arranged my appointment reminders over a couple of pages.  I also kept my insurance statements and included them.  I thought that it would be fun to compare the cost later on down the road when Wyatt has children of his own.

 

 

Since I had this book underway throughout the pregnancy, I decided to make my shower sign in sheets so that I could slide them into the book.  I like the way that they fit right in and I don't have another book floating around.

 

 

 

 

I included a picture of my sign in table and a copy of my invitation front and back.

 

 

 

I had several pages of gift opening so I tore pieces of the gift wrapping for the background of those pages.  I also included some of the ribbons and bows from the packages.

 

One of my neighbors who is like family made a cute gift tree that made a beautiful centerpiece for the shower.  When I tore it apart and got all of the goodies off of it I made sure to save some for the scrapbook.  I included a picture of me and my dear friends.

 





I made a little tribute section to preparing the baby's room.  I kept a few receipts like the crib and bedding purchases.  I put the crib receipt in with some snap shots of Nick putting the bed together.  It was such an exciting day!  I also included a scrap of fabric from the curtains that I made and the paint chart where I chose the wall coloring.  It was a fun project for sure!

 

 

This was a quick tour through the book, there is SO MUCH MORE.  If you ever come to visit you can see the rest.  HaHa!!  I would like to share what was on the very last page of the book.  I didn't share the picture because just to look at it is a little bit of a bore.  The last thing that I included was my pre op instruction sheet for my c section.  I wanted to end it "to be continued."  I want each and every book to feel like it jumps from one book to the next.  I hope to share more with you soon.

 

Want to share a page of your book? 

 Email me the info and I will do my best to include it in a future post.





 





 

 

Literature Is My Utopia

I've actually been doing a ton of reading lately.  I have been reacquainted with an old friend.  The Public Library.  My sweet boy shares my love of books so I decided that he would love the library as much as I did as a child.  Our library has a neat little assortment of books for Wyatt to choose from and they are displayed in a "kid friendly" way.  We usually leave with a fairly large stack including one or two for yours truly.  Let's not forget that they are FREE!  I have already saved quite a bit since I have been a frequent downloader for several years now.  I am still downloading a few here and there but I am able to borrow a lot that is on my ever growing reading list.  I am a book carrier which means that I am basically uncomfortable leaving home without my current selection tucked away in my bag.  My nook is so convenient in its discreteness in that area.  I just finished reading a book that was so big that it looked a lot like a textbook but hey...it's free :)

I'll start with Wyatt's current favorites this time. 

 

This is Wyatt's new favorite book!  He checked it out a few weeks ago and wanted to get it again the at our last trip to the library.  Unfortunately it was checked out.  He understood that someone else was taking a turn with it and hopefully it will be there next time.  He loves it enough that it will most likely be added to his collection.

 

This book is just too cute.  Wyatt is all about monsters, witches and all things scary these days.  This book is perfect for little monsters on the go.

 

 

As for me, I have been busy reading quite a variety. 

 

 

I wanted to see what all the hype was about with this series.  Of course the fact that there is a movie coming out next year added to my curiosity.  The Divergent Series also came highly recommended by a friend.  It was great!!  It sort of had a Hunger Games feel to it, which I loved.  If you are a Hunger Games fan you will definitely want to check this out.

 

A few weeks ago my brother in law was telling me about scoring some Stephen King books really cheap at a thrift store.  I haven't read Stephen King in about fifteen years or so.  Needless to say I had him to bring a few over so I could scratch that itch.  I am loving them!!  So far here is what I have been consumed with.

 

The Dark Half.  It is as dark as the cover I promise!! 

 

This is a story that I know all to well since I've seen the movie about a million times but I found a three part book at the library that included this one so I decided to read it.  It was a short read but I liked it.  It was fun to add to the movie story that I already knew.

 

 

This was the first time I have heard this story so it was particularly good.  Very action packed from the get go.  I found out that there was a movie made so you can bet I will check it out soon.

 

 

And then there is The Shining.  I still say that there is nothing more creepy than a little mind reading, hearing voices and seeing things kid.  I'll leave it at that and let you decide.  Very disturbing indeed.

 

Here's what is next on my list....

 

 

Insurgent...the next installment of the Divergent Series!  I'm excited to see where these characters go.

 

I am also working on Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series.  I've had these books on my reading list for years but I just never seemed to get to them.  I am reading book two at the moment and it is a wonderful light hearted break from all those Stephen King novels.  The character in these books reminds me so much of Bridget Jones.  Love her so far!!



 

 I'll leave you with this sweet picture of my little bookworm on one of our trips to the library.  It warms my heart.  Happy Reading!!

DIY Silk Flower Wreath Tutorial

As promised in an earlier post, I wanted to share the wreath tutorial that I made at the beginning of last summer. The flowers can be substituted for other seasons but the instructions remain the same. Here is what you will need to get started...

Depending on your project you will need one or more grapevine wreaths. I have double doors leading into the back door of my house so I always put two matching wreaths to greet my guests. If you are doing two or more identical pieces I strongly encourage you to do them at the same time. It is easy to place the flowers on both wreaths at the exact same place if you do them together. These are 16-17 inch wreaths. You can purchase them at any craft store.

You will also need the basics: a hot glue gun and glue sticks, scissors, wire cutters, craft wire wrapped with white floral tape OR white chenille stems.

I wanted to accent my wreaths with hand painted initials, burlap and a little bit of raffia. I got these unfinished letters for half price at Hobby Lobby. I keep burlap on had as a crafting staple. I buy it by the yard and cut it according to the project that I am doing. For this project you will need 4 or 5 feet of 6 inch wide burlap. You will need a little more if you do more than one wreath. It can also be purchased in a prepackaged roll. You will also need craft paint and clear enamel for your letter. And don't forget a small paint brush.

...and of course the flowers. These are all silk and I purchased them from several different stores. There is an abundance of silk flowers that can be purchased at any major craft store. This can be as simple or elaborate as you choose. Here is my method for selecting flowers for most arrangements:

 

 I always choose one main flower. This is important because this flower should be the "main theme" of your piece. In this case it is the red geranium. I have red geraniums all around my house almost every summer. Love them! So the rest of the flowers were based on those.

I wanted to add the touch of green so I chose the cymbidium orchid in green.

 For a filler flower, I chose the the small white daisy for a little POP. Do not be afraid to add a little more color by selecting another small filler flower. In this case a small amount of purple would have been good.

When working with any florals, never underestimate the power of greenery. I know that is not what you notice when you look at an arrangement but it is very important. Greenery gives arrangements depth and dimension. For these wreaths I used FOUR different types of silk greenery. The first type was the big beautiful leaves on the red geranium bush. When you are purchasing flower stems and bushes always pay attention to the foliage on them.  You may get more bang for your buck if you choose the one with the best foliage.  The second one that I used is a light green and white stem greenery. The third is a woodsy type. It is on the darker end of the spectrum. And the final touch was a simple fern.

Here are my letters after they are all done. I started with a white base and added polka dots of red, yellow and purple. These dots were sponged on but I sometimes free hand them if a sponge is not handy. It is very easy to do. When I was happy with the dots I let the letter completely dry and then sprayed a clear enamel on them for a glossy finish and a layer of protection against the elements.

I used a floral wire that I wrapped with white floral tape to secure my letter on. You can use a chenille stem for this. If you are doing a colored letter, I suggest getting a chenille stem of the same color. It is camoflaged a little better that way.

Now for the bow...don't be intimidated because you can't tie an elaborate bow. This is just a basic bow that anyone can tie. I simply did two loops and made sure that my tails were hanging down. I secured it with a wrapped wire and tied natural colored raffia to the middle to hide the wire. Very easy :)

Secure the bow in place using the same wire that you tied the bow with.

Now it is time to add the main flower. This is also the time to decide what shape you want your flowers to be in. I prefer a cresent shape when I am adding accent pieces (the letter in this case). Feel free to add flowers all around.

Notice the placement of the blooms. I wanted the cresent longer on the bottom so I added three blooms. The top only has two. I used my greenery as wisely as I could to get as much coverage as possible.

Next I added the orchids and a touch of fern. The orchids were my second "choice" flower. I choose the green because it accents the red. I also had to take into consideration the size of the flower. It is important to choose something that would not overpower your main flower. The orchids are about the same size of the geraniums so they balance each other nicely.

I also added two fern leaves in this step. Notice the placement on the bottom to add to the heaviness of the lower section of the arrangement.

Here is another shot.

 

Next comes the filler flower.  As previously stated I chose the small white daisies.  I love the way the white pops out and it also ties in with the white of the letter.  The main idea of filler is basic.  Fill in the spots that need a little something else and add a little extra color to your arrangement.  For this size wreath I put three sprigs on top and three sprigs on the bottom of the bow.  If you need a little more that is perfectly fine.  If you didn't add as much greenery as I have then it is very likely that you may need extra.  It is also great if you want to add a second filler to get another color worked into the arrangement.

 

The last step is to add the remainder of your greenery.  I used the lighter long stemmed greenery to extend my cresent shape.  I put a piece on each end.  I also put a piece coming out under the bow which helps with the heavier bottom look that I was going for.  Finally I added the woodsy sprigs for some texture.  Think of this one as the filler greenery.  I put two on the top and three on the bottom.  If you are unsure of placement it is safe to put them close to your filler flower.

 

Here are a couple pictures of my finished wreath from both sides.