Happy Valentine's Day

It's coming...  you either hate it or you love it... Valentine's Day!

If you've got kids, you've got to love it.  I'm sure, like most of you, my kids like to put a little treat with the Valentine.  I went to get this treat at Target yesterday and couldn't bring myself to spend $20 on candy.  M said, "Ya know, ya really don't have to send candy.  The card would be enough."  What?  Are you kidding?  ME nurture withOUT food.  No way.  It's just not who I am!  Sad but true.

Plan B:

I bought the treat bags and emailed the sister-in-law for this FABULOUS popcorn recipe.  If you're in a school district where the kids can still bring homemade snacks, I guarantee this will be a hit.  Make a double batch so there's enough left for the tikes after you finish "trying it".

POPCORN GOODNESS

{I don't really know what it's called, but this sums it up!}

3-4 bags microwave popcorn

(natural or plain.. no butter or saltI use Orville Natural - approx 14 cups)

3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy)

1 1/2 LBS almond bark

3 cups rice krispies

2 cups peanuts

Remove all hulls and seeds from popcorn. Mix together dry ingredients. Melt almond bark and peanut butter. Pour this mixture over dry ingredients. Stir. Spread out on wax paper to dry. (1/2 - 1hr)

Bag it up and send it with the Valentines.

Enjoy!

XO - B

Sweet Corn

Because we're snowed in, I thought I'd revisit some pics of #5 last summer.  This was an August evening when a good neighbor gave us some sweet corn.  At this point I hadn't even cooked it. 

I'll let the photos tell the story...

                         

...must have gotten a little heavy...

Spring will come...

Blessings-B

Utility Apron

Nice title... to the point...no wit.

This is the best little apron I've ever seen.  Wear it when you craft, cook, sew, wrap presents, clean, etc. 

Maybe it just happens at my house, but when I clean, my jeans are usually full of trash and broken toys by the time I'm finished.  Enter the utility apron - POCKETS FOR ALL THAT JUNK and a pen and paper for when someone calls to tell you something very important that you know you won't remember by the time you press "end".

I wish I could take credit for the design but alas I cannot. 

Visit this talented lady for the full pattern and details.

Rosey Corner Creations

Sidebar:

Let's talk about topstitching for a moment.  I believe that well-done-topstitching is the icing on the cake, the sprinkles on the cupcake, the butter on the toast, the cream in the coffee... {Clearly, I'm hungry!}  What I'm trying to say is that it gives the garment/sewn item a finished look.  Don't ya think?  I do it a lot... a lot.

I made several of these for my 'girls' for Christmas.  To the rest of my 'girls':  can you guess what you're getting for the next holiday/special occasion/birthday...?

Not only functional and cute, they are CHEAP to make.

(Mom would say, "please say inexpensive".) 

I bought 1 yard each of 3 different coordinating fabrics and made 5 aprons from those 3 yards.

This particular Valentine apron is for a very special lady. 

{We'll call her "Moose"... cause that's what everyone else calls her.} 

She lost her Valentine right before Christmas. 

Her Valentine just happened to be my Grandfather. 

They met after my Grandmother passed away in 1988 and had been like

peas and carrots ever since.

Grandpa:

I love that someone wrote 'Daddy'.

Isn't he handsome?!

I miss him... he called me 'Becksy'.

Go make some aprons.  After you get the parts cut out, it takes only about 1/2 hour to put together.  As you can see in the next pic it's more than appropriate to wear with ones church coat.

Blessings - 'Becksy'

Toolbox?

.

For a long time, I've been looking for an old wooden toolbox to fill with seasonal sundries for the center of my dining table.  Little did I know, I wasn't looking for an "old wooden toolbox", I was looking for an "old carpenter's box".  The lady that taught me this lesson wasn't the kindest of teachers.  As a matter of fact, I found what I wanted at her shop, but because she WAS NOT filled with the holiday spirit I decided I'd go home and make it myself!  And then I could call it whatever I wanted to call it! 

But wait, in her competitor's window, could it be? 

Yes, it was! 

Perfect!

Take a look. 

 ( I was so excited that I forgot to take a picture without the stuff! )

It does have compartments that will look kind of cool filled with candles after Christmas.

The other side...

... and the best part of the whole thing is that it has

these sweet metal trim pieces. 

What are these? 

 Can you see them on the edges?

Can you tell I'm infatuated with this somethin'-somethin' I'd never seen before?

Consider yourself educated on the whole "carpenter's box" issue. 

Blessings- B

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Thanksgiving morning to all!

I'd like to take this opportunity to share my "Thankful 30 List".

1. A loving husband that actually knows me better than I do.  He takes care of us - simply put.

2. 5 HEALTHY kids

3. 5 SMART kids that put up with me ( and M ) always trying to teach them something.

4. Parents that gave me the education, courage, and wings to make it all the way out here to the prairie.  (Thanks for the never ending support, Mom & Dad)

5. My father-in-law... a wonderful man.

6. My sister... need I say more?  When M & I started having babies, I said that we would keep going until everyone had a brother and everyone had a sister.  A sister is a precious gift.  My sister is the only one I know who can be goofier than me.

7. My little brother - we dressed him up as a girl when he was little and I think he liked it.

8. My BFF Janet - she's the friend that I may not talk to for 3 months but I know she's there when I need her.  Her thankful list looks much like mine.

9. Sitting around the kitchen table eating pizza and having drinks and LAUGHS with my in-laws.  (I had a blast last night, guys)

10. Having cousins and in-laws that live so close and are SO, SO good to my kids. 

11. Farm life - trying at times but the best place to raise our children.  Everyday is take your kid to work day.

12. Being a mom.  It's a lot of work but when you think of how important your mom was to you, it makes the job not seem like such a job.

13. My other job - I complain about it but I love it... and I get to work with Scooter.  (See, I told you I'd get you in there) 

14. Fresh smelling laundry - this is HUGE.  Most everything we own has cow #$%@ on it somewhere.

15. The kids' Christmas lists - too funny.

16. Just-after-a-bath smelling babies

17. The kids watching TV with the "outside" cats on their laps.  Lucky cats.

18. Clean sheets

19. My vacuum cleaner

20. Board Games

21. Sewing - thanks for teaching me how to sew, Mom

22. Building - thanks for teaching me how to build, Dad

23. Brownies

24. FOOD in general.  I. LOVE. TO. EAT.

25. Family hugs - ask #4 what that is. As if you couldn't imagine.

26. The smell of a roast in the oven after church on Sunday.

27. DOGS - gotta love a dog.

28. HORSES - riding is one of my happy places.  Unless, I'm riding the 5 year old mare.  Then the experience isn't so relaxing.  She likes to go.

29. Reading

30. Watching the kids play (not fight) with each other and stick up for one another.  We must be doing something right?!

I could go on but I don't want to get silly or sappy and make people throw up a little in their mouths so I'll stop.  This was a good exercise for me.  When every one's done eating and taking the much needed naps this afternoon, take a moment to make a Thankful List.  It's kinda fun.

Turkey Blessings -

B

Christmas Gift #1

Here you go...

I'm keepin it real with this pic.  This is what I should be doing. 

Laundry for 7 is my own personal monster. 

I consider sorting socks PURGATORY!

Kids 1, 2, &3 are in school.  #4 is in a tractor with Dad spreading fertilizer and #5 is taking a morning nap.

I'm left with this for company...

She looks sad because she's being held against her own will for chasing cats. 

Punishable offense around here.

Anyway, I'd like to share the best 4-H project ever.  It's the best because we can actually USE it.  Hands up former, future, and current 4-H families who still have posters, matchy matchy drawstring skirts, and crosstitch projects floating around in their nether regions.  You know what I'm talkin' about!

We found this on a blog (of course) somewhere.

We called it a "Child's Art Caddy" for achievement day purposes.

It's taken up permanent residence on the dining room table (a.k.a. Homework Central).

This was we have all the school supplies in one place.  We went through the boxes upon boxes of crayons and markers and sorted down to what you see.  I have NO time for dry markers or non-sharp crayons. 

There's nothing better in life than SHARP CRAYONS!

Here's what you do...

Rummage through Goodwills until you find a lazy susan.  Then go to Target and buy some of these fabulous $1 buckets.  Spray paint the lazy susan to match the theme.  If you have buckets with handles... cut 'em off. Then hot glue buttons where the handles were to add a little somethin - somethin.

Use a metal drill bit to drill through the bottom of the buckets.  Then screw the buckets onto the lazy susan.

Holy "buckets" these things rock!  A perfect and economical gift for families, crafty ladies, teachers, etc.

I wish you well in the search for lazy susans.

Blessings - B

Flashcards!

I'd like to start this post by saying...

THE BEANS ARE DONE!!!!

{For those of you who have no idea what I mean by the above statement... we are done combining soybeans and we're moving on to corn after the calves get weaned today! 

Perfect harvest so far!}

Let me share a simple project I just finished between all of the fall activities.

Here's the frame I bought at Habitat's Re-Store for $3.00. 

{Love that place but it seems to be getting a bit spendy... good cause, though.}

It's actually plastic and I never have liked that "tiger"- thingy-a-ma-jig finish.

So, I painted it with "Oil-Rubbed Bronze" spray paint, roughed it up a bit, and rubbed stain on the rough areas. 

 Here's the finished project.  A cheap frame, flashcards that I bought for $1 each, and a piece of "tobacco" - colored art paper from Hobby Lobby for $1.49.

 I'm so in love with flashcards.  I've spied a few old sets at school.  I'm waiting for the perfect time, when no ones watching, to switch them with a new set!  HA 

Get it?  There are 7 people in our family... kinda cute, huh?

Blessings - B