A pretty for my niece

Last week I completed another embroidery project, this one for my niece who is turning 16.

She wouldn't give her mother or I any ideas as to what she wanted, so I had to improvise.  I decided to make her a pretty pillowcase with some other goodies.

I'm not the seamstress my mother is by a long shot, and I was late getting her this gift, so I had to work quickly but I tried to stitch as neatly as possible.  Even tho the design was pre-stamped, it took some concentration on my part...

 I think it came out nicely - looks like it's for a lady.  Very feminine.

 

 I packaged it up with a sleep mask and some aromatherapy spray.  I wish I had thought to buy a gift bag, but this will work:

 

 voila!

Happy Birthday, Miss Liv.  Hope you have the sweetest of birthdays!

Mealplan Monday #49 with thrifty photo art!

One of my little darlings knocked a picture off the wall in the bathroom, breaking the glass and seriously denting the frame.  They were cheapo IKEA frames to begin with - I wasn't heartbroken.  I dug up some odd frames in the garage and spray painted them silver to match the one small one that wasn't injured.  Then I used a walk to the greenbelt to do double duty - get 15 minutes of exercise in, and some pretty pics for the "new" frames.

Sometimes art is born of adversity.
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Monday - Sausage, Pepper, and Cornbread skillet, corn
Tuesday - Roast chicken thighs with red potatoes, green beans
Wednesday - Salsa Sloppy Joe's, tots, celery and carrot sticks
Thursday - Teriyaki chicken, rice
Friday - Black Bean chalupas, salad
Saturday - YOYO (camping weekend)
Sunday - Turkey Shepherd's Pie
Dessert this week is dark chocolate M&M cookie bars

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And here is the bathroom wall after $4 in photofinishing, some leftover frames, spray paint, and a mirror from a set I picked up in Kohl's last year after Christmas:

 

I still really love the cool green and crisp white combo of this little bathroom with its silver accents.

This week I also plan to:

Rake the front yard

Take my mother a birthday gift

Do some sewing 

Hope your week is great, too!

Portrait of a musician

"It's easy to play a musical instrument;

all you have to do is touch the right key at the right time and the instrument will play itself.

-JS Bach

Simple solution

Sometimes it's tempting to borrow a project or two from another blog because it looks so cute and magazine-y and clever.  I admire those women that have the time and creativity to make little chalkboard labels for the baskets in their their organized pantry.  But that's not me...

Mostly I just need something simple to solve an issue like "where to put the socks that are missing their mates".

How about using a pant hanger on a cup hook that I can hang near the dryer.  No wood needed.  No staining.  No vinyl lettering.  No fancy anything.  Just a hook.  I think sometimes we worry so much about the aesthetics of a solution that we fail to see obvious, simple, and frugal.  It doesn't have to be complicated, fancy, or all that crafty, even.

Gina

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Mealplan Monday #48 and laundry

I spy with my little eye..a mop head, Santa hat, shirts to be ironed, all of my clean but wrinkled scrubs, scout uniforms, and a bed with no sheets...looks like a Monday...

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Monday - Boy Scout Troop Potluck* - come with us or YOYO
Tuesday - Turkey Pasta Soup
Wednesday - Oven Baked Stew, Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Thursday - Creamy Ravioli Bake, salad, garlic toast
Friday - Mom p/u pizza
Saturday - Crock Pot Shredded Beef Tacos
Sunday - Bajio chicken salads
*I'm making Corn Casserole and an apple pie

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You can either stand there, paralyzed with horror at the amount of laundry you thought you had - but realizing there are another two loads currently going in the laundry room - or you can hunker down and get it done, then make the bed, and reward yourself with a glass of wine.  I choose the latter...

 

Valentines Day 2013 re-cap

It was a low key Valentine's Day here at Camp Rustown, and I was suffering with allergies which made me feel like crawling back into bed, but I managed to stay awake long enough to make some treats for my peeps:  Strawberry Covered Chocolate Cake,

which was merely strawberry cake batter poured over brownie batter.  

Genius, I know...

 And these pretzel Hershey Hugs treats topped with dark chocolate M&M's.

I set out a pretty two-tiered dish with treats, popped a lasagna in the oven, and off Hubby and I went to Curra's for Salmon with nopalitos, shrimp in a garlic-y chile sauce, and avocado margaritas.  Yuuuum...

We drove down Congress Ave. on our way home...such a pretty sight.  If you look real close you can see the Capitol.  So pretty and festive in downtown Austin - I love where I live!

Ummm...excuse me, Mr. Mercedes, can you move?

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And today was a busy, yet really good day at work - hence the late posting.  Look - Lamme's brought all the unsold chocolate covered strawberries to the hospital.  

Sure, we'll be your Valentine...

Onward, to the weekend...

Hair he is

Scout has reached the point at which he no longer cares for his curly hair, and he doesn't want to cut it short.

 So he borrowed a straightener from his girlfriend.

 It doesn't matter to him that his older brother calls it a "Beiber-do".

 It doesn't matter that his sister and I tell him how cute he is with curly hair.

None of that matters because he is learning all about what HIS likes and dislikes are, and is taking control over those aspects of his life that he can.  Which I count as normal and natural for a 17 year old.  After all, his brother and sister before him did the same sorts of things.

 And he's getting older, so it seems natural for him to march to a different beat - be himself, go his own way, live life on (a few of) his own terms.

He's still the same Scout he always was - gentle, kind, sweet, and creative.  Hopefully, he won't cringe when he sees these pics someday!

Mealplan Monday #47 and Fruit Cocktail Cake

As promised I am including the recipe for Fruit Cocktail Cake.  The first cake I learned to make by myself! I was probably 14 or so...my mother claims she doesn't remember this cake, but I remember making it in high school and college.

 Oh yum, yum, yum...especially when warm!

Fruit Cocktail Cake

1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 can fruit cocktail (in juice, undrained)
(and I also put 1/2 shredded coconut, just because I had it)
and
1 T butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. evaporated milk
1 t vanilla

 Heat the oven to 400, and spray Pam in a 13x9 baking dish.  Mix together sugar, flour, baking soda, vanilla, eggs, and fruit cocktail.

If your batter is too stiff to spread in a 13x9 pan, add a bit of water.  Bake for 35 minutes.

While it cools a bit, mix the butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth.  poke a few holes in the cake and pour this over the top.  Go find something to do while it cools!

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Monday - Salsa Chicken, rice, Pico de gallo
Tuesday - Mediterranean Pork Chops, mashed potatoes, green beans
Wednesday - Omelettes, biscuits
Thursday - Freezer dinner for the boys, Mom and Dad out
Friday - Beef Lo Mein with rice and crunchy noodles, carrots
Saturday - Dad grill (fish?)
Sunday - BBQ chicken (in the crock) for sammies, chips, pickles, etc.

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 I'm going to make some valentine's treats for my peeps this week - still perusing the blogs and Pinterest for ideas...

 

Moving on...

All of us at one time or another fall from grace.  Many times, we know what the right and reasonable things to do are, but we make an error in judgement, ethos, or morality and we cause ourselves and the ones we love to suffer. An error of omission is the same as an error of commission if we know better than to make it.

But we can either dwell in that sadness or move on, and learn something from the experience.  And if we are lucky or blessed or both, we have a strong family presence that can lift us up with loving hearts and pray for our forgiveness.  But we have to take the all-important step of owning our mistake.

We have to be strong, have courage in our faith, and believe that a higher power wants us to be happy and succeed.  We have to work hard, understand that all great things take time.  Don't compare ourselves to others.  Focus on our own potential.  Never give up.

 Regret is negative energy, and wallowing in sadness is a waste of time.

Something I need to remind myself...so I can share it with my children.

Mealplan Monday #46 and Happy Birthday, Hubby!

Last week we helped Hubby celebrate his 52nd birthday.

He's fond of spending Nov. 21 through Jan. 31 saying he's married to "an older woman".  I made him a Chocolate Cream Pie with fresh whipped cream and Girardelli chocolate, by special request.

I'm thinking it turned out pretty great!

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Monday - Pork and Peppers crockpot, rice, veggie
Tuesday - Meatballs with homemade marinara over linguini, salad
Wednesday -Turkey and gravy over biscuits, peas with mushrooms
Thursday - Freezer meal - Mom's choice
Friday - Chicken Divan Pot Pie (boys go camping)
Saturday - YOYO
Sunday - Burgers and tots

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I might make dessert a once a week thing.  Right now, it's really haphazard - just whenever I feel like making one.  But a little restraint might be a good thing...so this week it will be Fruit Cocktail Cake.  

I will post the recipe with next week's menus.
Have a delicious week!