Thank You

  • for visiting my blog. I appreciate each and every comment! They brighten my day. {A quick note: Words in my posts that are in aqua are links.}
My Photo

My Email

  • whimsicaljunk[at]yahoo[dot]com

I wish for...

  • ORGANIZATION ~ a digital CAMERA ~ TIME to work on {JUNK} projects ~ LAUGHTER ~ a CURE for peanut allergies ~ PHOTOSHOP ~ vintage LIGHT FIXTURES ~ home decor BOOKS ~ {VINTAGE} Fisher Price LITTLE PEOPLE ~ HAPPINESS for everyone and, of course, MORE JUNK. One can never have enough JUNK.

July 09, 2009

After hearing several relatives and friends

sing the praises of this guy, I imagine that many more of you out there might be interested in this! A free one-month subscription to Dave Ramsey's My Total Money Makeover website. Here is where you actually sign up. Using the code from here.

I'm thinking about it... But I have a hard time believing anyone can help us because of our self-employment status. We get paid so randomly that I don't know how we'd ever follow someone else's guidelines for getting out of debt and saving money. I believe in these people and their philosophies (wholeheartedly), I'm just not sure how to go about practicing their advice in our life...

Side Note: I decided to go for it and sign up just to check it all out. I'm in the process of registering and you will need your debit card. Looks like you will have to be proactive and cancel at the end of your 30 days if you're not interested in continuing with a paid subscription. (You will automatically be set up for a monthly payment subscription at the end of 30 days. If you wish to pay yearly, thus saving money, you will have to change that information at that time.)

There is a small possibility...

that those little wood strips will be 'True Turquoise'. Maybe. I got my Glidden paint quart yesterday via FedEx! I have yet to open it but if the color feels 'right', I'm going with it.

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I thrifted this vintage blanket a couple of weeks ago. Even the heat of summer doesn't stop me from buying warm flannel and winter blankets!

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I love old flannel blankets. Actually, I just love vintage blankets in general. And, although this one isn't quite considered flannel, I grabbed it up because of the wonderful color and condition! It's the warm golden yellow color (depending on your computer screen) I was inspired to use on those wood strips. (It's a bit deeper/darker in real life than it looks on my screen. Sort of a mustard yellow or gold yellow. I don't know how to describe it.) Only thing is, I don't like yellow. So I don't know if I'm going to go that route.

I'm not really a huge fan of yellow even though, originally, I'd wanted a pale yellow house. (It's going to be a very soft robin's egg blue with cream color trim...someday!) But, I still love pale yellow with white trim.

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I have two kids with ice-packs to their heads right now. Jumping on the 'new' couch. Doesn't matter how many times you tell 'em, they've still got to do it! (Nikayda and Carter bonked heads. N's a bit worse off than 'Louie', though, as she was the one coming down on his head! I heard it. Ouch!)

Can I just say again how much I love this couch? Not so much the pattern/print, but the couch. It's so comfortable. And it is so nice to have a couch again after...well most of our married life we've been without a couch. And, if I can get things organized (I still have boxes of Christmas stuff hanging out in the sitting room-which is directly behind the couch- along with plenty of other junk!) in the next week I'll finally get a picture on here. (Is this the part where I also admit I have snowflakes hanging throughout my house and pumpkin lights hung over the window in my entryway...? This from the girl who thinks it's crazy that people leave Christmas lights and decor in their yards 'til June. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! Hey, life happens! But, really, this is getting ridiculous.)

Okay, now I'm totally getting side-tracked here.

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Wish I knew of someone who sewed slipcovers around these parts. I have an image in my mind of what I want for the couch but I don't really know how to sew! I can do a button and I can make Christmas stockings and burp rags but that's as far as I've gotten. I think I'm going to start socking away to hire out the slipcover for this one. I may attempt my chairs someday but I'm not quite brave enough for a couch.

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I am a caramel fanatic. I should join Caramelholics Anonymous I'm so addicted. I like caramel even more than I like milk chocolate, truth be told. And, I finally found a really great recipe for homemade caramel that doesn't call for corn syrup. I used David Lebovitz's method found here along with his tips found here using this recipe. (He linked to it in his post.) But I didn't quite cook mine long enough because I was so scared of burning it. So, it's way lighter than it's suppose to be but still awesome. (I also used organic cane sugar which is just a bit different than refined sugar but I think it worked.) The first batch I burned so bad it looked like dark chocolate and tasted something HORRIBLE.

Now I can't wait to try this sometime.

July 08, 2009

Drawing closed! Thank you for entering!

Get your name in the hat! I'm happy to ship to international friends, too!

The winner has been notified, and announced here!

Also, I have another drawing in the works! It might take me into next week before I get it posted but I'm hoping to destash some of my fabric and lace. I have WAY too much to ever do anything with it all and I'm trying to purge this house a bit. So, stay tuned!!

I've never done it before. I promise.

"Aapo, I'll give you a quarter if you eat this piece of ham", as I laid a bite-size amount on his plate, nearly certain he wasn't going to touch it as he has quite a strong aversion to meat.

He looked at me. Looked at the ham. Picked it up real quick. And, gulped it down, asked for more, and when he was done, he asked me to pay up.

If only it were that easy to get him to try every other kind of meat I make around here...

Ephemera drawing ends tonight!

Just a reminder, if you're interested!

For those who commented here, don't worry! I just moved you down to the drawing post. I draw names the old-fashioned way on slips of paper but I wanted you all in one spot when I do. ;)

Our kids are very respectful of our chickens, for the most part...

but every once in a while, I have to keep an eye on them because they'll try something.

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This weekend, Mark brought the kids to the bullride that had come to town. My boys are fascinated by bulls...

A few minutes ago, I heard a chicken making quite a ruckus outside and went to investigate. I spied 'Louie' near the house and asked what was going on.

He looked up at me with a huge grin on his face, "I do bullride!" (Poor chicken...!)

We're going to call this breakfast. And you're going to call it good! Real good.

Have you tried these yet?

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You haven't? Oh, you've got to! They're subtle and not too sweet and oh so good. (And what in the nation? The computer just ate this post and I had to start all over. Weird.)

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We had them for breakfast.
Or maybe only I did.


I told the kids we don't eat bars for breakfast.
And, when they weren't looking, I grabbed one and ran into the pantry.

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Actually, I didn't even bother. I waited until they were playing loudly in the other room and had one. Or three.
Okay maybe it was four. Hmmmph.

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What? Don't tell me you've never done that before.
I've long given up on ever wearing a bikini in this lifetime. Try it. I assure you, it's very freeing.

Recipe here! I used frozen wild blueberries (Dole) and because I was scared there'd be too much liquid, I added a couple of tablespoons of flour to the berries (even though it had cornstarch). I couldn't tell you the rhyme or reason as to why I just didn't add more cornstarch. Even I don't always know how my brain works sometimes. And, because I don't love an overly lemony flavor I used just a bit less juice. (Maybe about 3/4 of the juice of one lemon.) They were perfect! I agree with Deb (Smitten Kitchen), they're even better in the fridge!

I always know when I try one of her recipes that I'm going to like it. I've made many and I haven't had one I didn't like yet. Now, I need to get more blueberries so I can try Blueberry Boy Bait. With a name like that, how can you not try it.

July 07, 2009

I {heart} an old aluminum boat and aqua vintage contact paper. Oh! And rootbeer floats.

I sort of gave up on painting these shelves and I've been anxious to get them prettied up.

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Mark hasn't had a chance to paint them and I haven't attempted because I can't cut corners for the life of me! And, seeing as they're already attached to the wall, there would've been paint everywhere had I tried!

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Although, I do plan to get a very small (artist's size) paint brush and paint the wood strip (support) beneath each shelf. I'm leaning toward a bright golden yellow. Totally random but I thought of red and nixed that because I wasn't sure if it'd match everything. Thought of going with the hot pink but nixed that for the same reason and came up with the yellow because it'd still be a fun pop of color but it would be a nice contrast to most other colors. We'll see...! It might get nixed like the hot pink if I get too antsy and just use what we have around here.

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It was so fun to 'play' yesterday. I consider taking pictures for Etsy play too. But I haven't had my hands on a project in a long time, so this was good. I plan to add some lace around the edges of the shelves but haven't gotten to it yet.

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I've never mod-podged paper before and I loved it. I can't wait to do the walls behind the under-the-counter shelves. Although, I think I'll wait until my neck is a little less sore. I woke up with a very stiff neck this morning. I don't know if it was from all the awkward positions while gluing sheet music and contact paper or if it was from carrying two really heavy and bulky couch cushions at the same time. Most likely the latter (or a combination of both). (I aired them outside yesterday and beat the dust from them.)

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When Mark came home last night, I asked what he thought of golden yellow. He looked at me with a gleam in his eye and motioned about knee high and said, "You know... The give a s*&% factor is about this high. Do whatever you want."  (I love him.) I always ask him for his opinion and he just doesn't give a rip about decorating, and I really try to appreciate having free-reign around here.

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I didn't realize I even liked root beer floats until I had one recently. I love them! What an awesome treat for summertime. And, it helped to cool off yesterday, when it was really hot out. Here are a couple of close-ups of the counter. It's simply concrete with two coats one coat, still need to do the second, of epoxy on it. Easy, with a bit of an urban feel. I love it.

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Lastly, I need this boat.
Bad.

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Hope you're having a good day!

July 06, 2009

These are the moments :: And sometimes even sleep is boring

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***If you're interested, don't forget to enter my drawing for an assortment of ephemera by July 8!***
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Yesterday, on the way home from the beach we stopped at A&W for some ice-cold rootbeer. The entire way home, Carter was looking forward to it.

That little guy loves his 'roopy-beard'.

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One night this weekend, hours after he first fell asleep, Aapo was spotted standing at the top of the steps looking completely dazed, perhaps it could even be said that he was sleep-walking... So I asked what the matter was and he responded quite groggily...

"I'm bored in bed."

July 03, 2009

Independence Day

For those in the states, Happy 4th of July! And, for everyone, enjoy your weekend!

July 01, 2009

Ephemera Kit Giveaway!

***Drawing is closed. The winner is...Barbara!! Congratulations! And, thank you everyone for entering! I was rooting for each of you! It means a lot when you comment, and especially when you come out of the woodwork. I will be doing another soon (next week, fabric and lace) so stay tuned.*** And, Jo Haymaker, are you saying that's who you are, or that you were only going to come out of the closet IF you won? (I'm trying to figure out... Do I know you in real life?)

I didn't forget!

Ok.

I almost forgot. ;) I've been photographing and listing hens on nest all day for Whimsical Junk and the day just slipped away!

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I have a random selection of ephemera for this giveaway, including an assortment of white/cream vintage buttons, old newspaper clippings from the 1800's (first photo), a couple of vintage photographs, an old sheet music booklet, a vintage composition notebook with perfectly aged pages, an assortment of vintage cards (all have been signed), and yards and yards of lace (2 yards each of the stuff that's tied with black rick-rack and a random amount of scraps wound around the cardboard.)

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I had a picture of it all together including the lace (different yardages of white, cream, light blue, and pale yellow) and the buttons but it didn't turn out so swell in this evening light. I will add a picture of everything else tomorrow when I have better light to work with!

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Giveaway ends July 8 at midnight! All you have to do is leave a comment and I will draw a winner then.

I started my Christmas shopping this week

How 'bout you? ;)

June 30, 2009

Today was a gold star day

The kids and I ran errands with our top priority being the thrift (always). As we walked in the door I quickly scanned the area in front designated for furniture and what did I spy? But a long retro couch with a low back and, best of all, it was calling my name. I knew it was meant to be! After a quick inspection, I found it to be of very sturdy construction and best of all it was super comfy and it passed the sniff test. I can't wait to slipcover it but it's the perfect neutral pattern to have to live with for now. (I kind of need to learn how to sew first.)

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We haven't had a couch since we burned the hand-me-down from my mom and dad before we headed out to Minnesota. (The bottom (the underbelly of the couch) had become quite tattered and was literally falling apart.) We've only had our little love seat and chairs up until now. Needless to say, I was pretty happy to come across this treasure today! My husband's had to listen to me sing its praises ever since he brought it home for me, I'm so happy with it.

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I love that it reminds me of a lake house, the smell of it. It's in such great shape and I can't wait to scrub it up, although, it's very clean. (I checked inside a couple of the cushion covers, no stains. Definitely a plus!) The only thing it has is a bit of wear on the cushions (some flowers in the pattern were getting frayed), which was easily fixed by flipping them over, and a few frayed edges which we'll have to live with.

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On another positive, Mark poured the first coat of epoxy onto the rest of my counters this evening! He has to do two coats and we don't have enough for the second right now. But that's okay, it's finally getting done. I can wait just a bit longer. :)

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And, we visited our chicks tonight. There are eight of them. All black (like their mother). They're super tiny and way too cute. I didn't get pictures yet because it was too dark. But I think it's the most amazing thing to witness this, to know they came from our hen's eggs. It's the coolest thing... And, to watch them as they peek out from under their mama's wing. I never even knew that a mother hen literally sits on her young to keep them warm.

While we were watching them, one kept trying to dive up onto her back and he kept sliding down every time he'd try. They're fast little things. The kids loved it (I think almost as much as I did).

(Photos: Miscellaneous ephemera I've collected.)

Reminder :: Giveaway ends tonight

at midnight CST! I will close comments at that time and draw a name on Wednesday. I've been enjoying your comments about your favorite things!

June 29, 2009

Carbohydrate junkies living in a jungle

I didn't expect to 'fall of the earth' when spring/summer rolled around but that's precisely what I've done! I don't even know what's been going on around here... Not much. Just the usual day to day stuff (including the never-ending hen on nest research).

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Mark hung up a "clothesline" of sorts for me in our jungle backyard. The quotation marks are very fitting if you could see what this 'contraption' actually looks like. There is line woven all around the trees in the entire backyard! (You can make out a bit of it in the photo below.) But it gets the job done for now (he hasn't had time to put posts up). Today (insert sarcastic announcer's voice), we have stiff towels fresh from the line.

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I don't much care for towels or jeans on the line. That was one thing I wasn't really looking forward to when the dryer went kaput. But I did toss the sheets out there this evening after running them through the dryer real quick (It works for exactly 19 minutes and 47 seconds at a time. Okay, maybe 20 minutes, before it overheats and quits.) I love sheets on the line! But they never made it on our beds. I'll have to change them tomorrow. It got too late and the kids hit the hay before I had a chance to change 'em.

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The weather is finally PERFECT. It only got to just above 60° today (and windy). I love it! Sunday was awesome, too. And the rest of the week should be in the 70's°!

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Tonight, I made some really good French Bread. I've been on the hunt for a great recipe and I think this is it (La Fuji Mama: Katie Kinser's French Bread)! I'm always trying new things, though, so I'm sure I'll try other recipes as I come across them. But this is SO good. It's definitely a new favorite in our house. The dough was a lot more 'wet' than I'd anticipated (at the end) and next time I'd definitely go with the six cups of flour (as opposed to the five and a half I did this time). I ended up adding another 1/2 cup as I was 'rolling' it out. (I didn't really roll mine, just patted it out.)

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I made this to go with it. Homemade Deli-Style Roast Beef sandwiches (made with local organic beef). Yum. But we were out of mustard. I don't like mustard very much but I like a smidgen of it on a roast beef sandwich. So we had butter (Smart Balance Buttery Spread) instead. Warm, crusty french bread and fresh roast beef. Mmmm! Actually, the boys had french bread with Cheddar. Aapo doesn't eat meat and, lately, Louie's been copying everything he does. Which gets a little exasperating when it comes to food because Aapo is a really picky eater!

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This weekend, I made these (Supernatural Brownies). I highly recommend them! They were moist and thick and chewy, just the way a brownie should be. I know some people prefer cake-like brownies, so if you do, these are not the brownies for you! Everyone loved them. I sprinkled about 4-6 oz. of Guittard milk chocolate chips over the top before baking. (I also used Guittard milk chocolate chips in place of the 8 oz. of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.) I frosted them with chocolate ganache. Next time I'll try a sweeter frosting, though, as this may have been too subtle instead of a nice contrast for the brownie. I used the Chocolate Ganache recipe from here. Again, substituting milk chocolate chips for the bittersweet chocolate.

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We have baby chicks! One of our bantam hens, Ruthie, laid a bunch of eggs and they hatched today. I haven't been in to see them yet and Mark hasn't given me a count so I'm not sure how many we have. Maybe tomorrow or the next day the kids and I will peek in on them and I'll get some pictures. We thought it'd be best to let them be for the first 24 hours or so before the kids get to hold them.

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Speaking of chickens...Mark butchered about half of our meat birds already. Not too many left, and our freezer is full. I can't wait to start eating them! :) The kids have watched every time but they get bored after a while. They even helped pluck feathers on some of them. I can watch it but I can't do it. I know it's all in your mind, but the association of food and this live chicken that we have to butcher...I can't enjoy the food as much if I'm doing the butchering... I can't explain it. I mean, it's not that they were these birds that I had to see every day, 'cause I'm fine with that. It's the butchering itself that doesn't appeal to me. It's fine for me to watch it but it's a whole 'nother story to actually do it. It grosses me out to think of actually doing it but...I know...it's weird...because I can watch it no problem. I don't know...! I told you, I'm a city girl!

Oh, and if you're still reading(!), I almost forgot... Mark's going to be pouring the epoxy over the concrete on my counter tops this week. So, it's my greatest hope that my kitchen will FINALLY be coming together (after nearly two years, mind you). We still need to paint the shelves under the peninsula. And, I need to get ahold of some of this fabric so I can make the under-the-counter curtains. But, hopefully, by the end of summer I can feel like I have a reasonably organized kitchen for the first time since moving in.

I hope your summer is going as well as ours. We're really enjoying it over here (now that the weather cooled off for a bit)! :)

June 25, 2009

Wanted: One good hearted Dryer

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Must be warm and loving. And,
most importantly, reliable and
independent. 'Experience'
preferable. (For now.) We also
prefer one without gas. Must
start on command. Respectable.
Does not talk back. (Our last one
started shouting at me and then
she just up and quit.)
Please help.

For the junkers and do-it-yourselfers out there

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******************OFFER NO LONGER AVAILABLE.*******************

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If you haven't heard, Glidden is giving away free paint! A quart of eggshell in the color of your choice from the palette on their site. Click on the 'Details' button under 'Free' on their front page!

Be forewarned, it took a while to get through to the Glidden site. The site is overloaded right now. You can also call 1-800-GLIDDEN if you know the paint color you'd like.

Note: It says 'while supplies last' so even though this promotion is intended to run until a specific time/day (I can't remember when), it's possible it could end sooner than they'd intended due to the overwhelming response they're getting.

June 24, 2009

A Giveaway :: Hen on Nest

Comments are closed. ***The winner is Missy!***

Thanks everyone for entering and joining in on the fun!

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eta: A few people have asked how to leave a comment if you don't have a blog. All you have to do is type in your name and email address. Leave the URL blank. :) I'm the only one who will see your email address.

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As an unofficially official Grand Opening of my Etsy shop, I'm doing a giveaway or two or maybe even three!

I love this little Hazel-Atlas milk glass hen on nest and I received two of them in the estate sale collection that I picked up so I'm giving one away. Also in the giveaway are two vintage hankies and one vintage table cloth.

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Please note: Nothing I'm giving away is in 'excellent/mint' condition but I would consider it all to be in very good vintage condition.

Hen measurements:
Base--4 3/8" x 3 3/8"
Top--4" x 3"
Age: Unknown, possibly 1940's. (According to p. 60 Glass Hen on Nest Covered Dishes by Shirley Smith.)

Table cloth measurements (approximate):
53" x 47"
Tag reads: Vat Dyed "California Hand Prints". Creators of Dress Goods, Beach Towels, Table Cloths Made in U.S.A.

Drawing is open until midnight June 30.

I will be doing another drawing beginning on July 1 for ephemera! And, possibly another with vintage lace. So, stay tuned for more fun to come! You can enter any of my drawings whether or not you've won before. Go ahead and try your luck! And, I'm more than happy to ship internationally, so international friends feel free to enter, too!

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And, just for fun, tell me what your favorite thing in the world is. It can be something simple or something extravagant. Anything at all. What do you love the most (other than the usual stuff like family and friends). It can be a thing, an event, or even a place.

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My favorite thing is climbing into bed at night to lie on fresh clean sheets. There's nothing better. Seriously, my favorite thing ever is freshly laundered sheets. Even better if they're fresh off the line. (The clothesline I don't have yet. But I will soon as our dryer just went kaput! Yikes.) A simple pleasure.

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What's your favorite thing ever, big or small? You name it. I'd love to hear about it! Give me something fun to get through this heat-wave we're having!

Happy Birthday Grandpa!

From all of us over here! We love you and miss you (both of you). I hope you have a great day!

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I don't know if you'll even see this because I don't know if you ever hop on my blog but we're thinking about you today. And, I'm the worst granddaughter about getting cards sent out but I always think of you guys on your birthdays. {I'm just terrible about the getting cards in the mail.}

I was getting kind of sad a couple of weeks ago when I was thinking that I haven't seen my grandpa and grandma in a couple of years! The time goes by so quickly and before you know it, it's been that long. I don't know when we'll see them next. We live so far away and we don't make it to Michigan's Upper Peninsula very often, as we usually head to the lower part of the state to visit my family when we go there.

June 22, 2009

Please don't throw tomatoes at me!

But I wish it were winter.

There.

I've said it.

We didn't have a very warm spring, and I was probably about the only one not complaining about it. I loved it. And, now we've been hit with some rather hot weather...and now I'm complaining. ;)

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It's been in the high 70's and even into the 80's (F) and humid the past couple of days and is expected to be much of the same in the next week. Thank goodness the nights get down into the high 50's, low 60's so our house cools off! And it helps to leave the windows closed almost all day. A trick I learned from most of the rentals we've lived in. Many of which were poorly insulated and didn't have a/c. It always helped to leave the shades drawn and the windows closed for as long as possible during the day.

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I'm just a wimp. A total wimp when it comes to the heat. It's no secret, I can't much handle it and I'm living for the day we have a/c. At least, I'm definitely living in the right place where we have winter for almost six months of the year.

We grew up without a/c (my parents have it now) but we've had a pool for almost as long as I can remember. I'd give anything for a pool right now. I'm not much of a beach person and even after living here in the land of 10,000 (plus) lakes for nearly three and a half years (not counting the five prior to our move back to Michigan) I still don't love swimming in lakes. Once a city slicker, always a city slicker.

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My kids are using the basement door to go in and out on these hot days. That's been helping to keep the house cooler, as well. But I need to bake bread and I just don't see it happening today! :) Maybe tonight when it's a more reasonable temp. (My bread machine only works for dough, something happened with the heating element during one of our many moves and I'm unable to bake in it. Otherwise, I'd break down and use it for baking today in spite of the awkward shaped loaf it produces.)

Excuse me while I go and gracefully wilt in my recliner. Bah! (Smile.)

Oh, that was a bit too much complaining. I know...

How about a drawing to pep things up around here? I don't know about you but I could use a little pepping in this heat. Stay tuned, I'm planning one soon!

(2nd and 3rd photos are pages of a birthday book from the 1800's that I found at one of the Estate sales I visited earlier this month.)

June 18, 2009

Around the Yard :: Early Summer

Zinnias of many colors... Or so they'll be.

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I have a few more old pots that will join these soon. And they also will be filled with Zinnias. I picked up about four packets of heirloom Zinnia seeds at the Fleet store a couple of weeks ago. I wanted something fast and easy to beautify the dirt that is our 'yard' around here. I'm ever inspired by Jane's garden (Posy) each time I see it on her blog and aspire to have one half as beautiful some day. Another view here. And here.

The grimacing rock beneath our outdoor water hydrant...

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Make a wish! Or a hundred...

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Wild flowers and chickens abound in the woods.

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I discovered a new flower this week but didn't get a photo of it. Although, the kids picked a bouquet that's in a blue Mason jar on my counter. Red Columbine.

Some more of my girls...also known as 'The Tick Patrol'. It's serious business around here.

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Serious business because we also have a lot of these around here... 

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We've had a few deer ticks lately even with the hens constantly foraging. Aapo had one attached to his neck this afternoon that you could barely see! 

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The best gift of nature this week--watching a fawn frolic and play just outside our window. And frolic she did! Jumping straight up in the air several times, running circles around her mother and racing into the woods and back. What a sight. She reminded me of an overactive two year old. It was great. 

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As I was typing this post, look what got delivered to my door!

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My first shipment from Amazon. (Truthfully, my first shipment ever as it's my first time ordering from them.) I couldn't tell you which book I'm more excited about! I'm still waiting on one more, Flea Market Decorating. Thank goodness it's a rainy day, what better excuse than to curl up with a book.

But I won't.

I'm more in the purging mood today.

At which point should I worry about resuscitating him...

My 'baby' is still asleep. And it's 11:40!

Nice.

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He was up until almost midnight last night.

Must be summer.

The other two were up until about 11:30 but they got up early. Before I did.

And I got up at 9:30. I was finally feeling better yesterday. And, Carter is just about, too.

I'm going to throw myself way out of the loop right here... But is there a song that would be on the radio right now with the lyrics, 'Boom, Boom, Boom'? That's what he was singing in this picture. He kept saying 'like a boom, boom, boom'. My kids claimed they heard it in the car with their dad the other day when they ran out with him. They all sing it a lot now. (eta: It's the Black Eyed Peas--Boom Boom Pow. Thanks Elizabeth!)

June 15, 2009

The weather report

We're still under the weather over here. I still have the flu but am feeling better today than yesterday so hopefully I really am. It's such an up and down virus. Carter's had it the worst. Although, he's fully potty trained I'm so glad I hung on to all of the Pull-Ups and UnderJams samples I had! They sure came in handy the past couple of days. So much so that I'm keeping that in mind for the next time. It'd be worth investing in a package just for such occasions. If you know what I mean.

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I need to go grocery shopping in the worst way. I'd been planning to go this weekend...prior to falling under the weather because I skipped the week before. We're even out of butter now and we're never out of butter! (I usually buy a ton every time I go whether we need it or not because I bake so much from scratch.)

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It's been hot here. Relatively speaking. Mid- to high- seventies with no humidity. Even I can't complain. The lack of humidity really makes a difference when it gets warm. It's been nice! (The pictures of the kids were taken on a cooler day last week.)

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Speaking of 'cooler'... I'm starting to get cold-feet about doing a booth during our MidSummer festivities. Not so much cold feet like I don't think I can do it and I'm nervous about doing it but cold feet as in I haven't started anything yet, I've been sick for almost a week now, and the time is creeping up on me way too fast! More of an overwhelmed at the thought of working on a ton of projects right now kind of cold feet.

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We still have so much going on around here (and will for years to come) with construction and lack of storage that I've been trying to tackle the main floor again to make it a bit more 'presentable'. (Read: purging. Or rather I was before I got sick.) I don't feel I'm ready for the show and I don't wish to put myself in a position to feel completely overwhelmed. But the other part of me really wants to do it. Now I'm sounding all wishy-washy but I keep going back and forth for so many reasons this year.

Last year, it was like 'boom' I was doing it and I had two weeks to get ready and I worked late into the night every night and did it even though I was totally nervous. And I was glad I did but it was a lot of work and right now I'd prefer to put that time and energy into Etsy.

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Speaking of which...I want to learn how to mail out larger items (pictures/frames/metal drawers and toolboxes, that sort of thing). I know that should probably be something fairly easy to figure out but I've never mailed (UPS/FedEx) anything really large before (not including years ago when I worked in an office). Eventually, I'd even like to get into furniture. I love refurbishing any type of decor items and I'd like to have the option of shipping more pieces.

That's all I've got for now! I hope your weather is better than ours and as good as ours. ;)

Today is the first evening with the windows open and it's so nice to hear the kids playing outside. I love it. (We were still lighting the wood stove at night last week.)

June 13, 2009

Shrimp Pizza :: The Alfredo Alfresco Way

eta: The pizza dough recipe that follows will be in the 'T' family cookbook.

I was craving a shrimp pizza, last week, and came up with this recipe using an alfredo sauce at the heart of it. It was really good!

I kept this pretty simple with only shrimp as a topping but sweet peppers and onions would go really nice on it as well. Olive Gardenused to serve a shrimp pizza that I loved, years ago, and if my memory doesn't fool me, it also had red, yellow and green peppers on it. I'm always a sucker for peppers on pizza. Mmmmm!

We have no good pizza places out in our neck of the woods (other than Pizza Hut and that's still about 20 minutes away!). We usually make our own homemade pizza about once a week.

Shrimp Pizza

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Crust: (place in bread machine on the dough cycle in order recommended by manufacturer). I got this one from my sister, Sara. It makes 2 lbs. of dough. Enough for two large pizzas.

1-1/2 c. warm water
2 T olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt
4 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. yeast
I've adapted her recipe, in that I also add:
Dried rosemary, to taste (a generous sprinkling, maybe 1/4 to 1/2 tsp? I don't measure.)
Garlic powder, to taste (a generous sprinkling--again, I don't measure)

Cheese:

Mozzarella cheese (enough for two pizzas), grated, divided
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, divided


For Shrimp:

1 to 2 lbs. Large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
2 T butter

Melt olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, until browned. Add the shrimp; saute until just pink. {Don't overcook them! As soon as they begin to look pink, they're done.} Immediately scoop them into a dish using a slotted spoon, and set aside. Toss the extra liquid.

For the white sauce:

1 T olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c. butter, cut up, divided
2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 oz. whole milk (I used raw organic farm milk.)
1 to 1-1/2 cups (about 1/4 lb.) Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1/4 tsp. salt, or to taste (I used almost 1 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. pepper, or to taste

Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in saucepan over medium heat and add garlic; saute until browned, about 30 seconds. Add remaining 7 tablespoons of butter; Whisk until melted. Add whipping cream and milk; Whisking often over medium-high heat until thickened. Add Parmigiano Reggiano; stir to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Assemble the pizza:

  • Sprinkle two round stones, or pans, with cornmeal. (Pans with sides may be preferable here because with all of the cheese and white sauce, it gets a little messy while baking. Otherwise, you can do as I did, and line the rack below your pizza with tin foil to catch any excess as it bakes.)
  • Toss your crust until it's the right size and lay out on pan. Roll out, if necessary.
  • Generously spread each crust with the white sauce.
  • Sprinkle about 3/4 of the mozzarella onto each pizza. However much you use, I'm leaving up to your preference.
  • Same for the shrimp. Scatter shrimp over mozzarella.
  • Add the rest of your mozzarella, along with about 1/4 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano to each pizza.

Bake at 375° for about 35 minutes or until top is golden.
Note: Bake in the lower portion of the oven so the cheese doesn't burn before the crust is finished.

Another Note: This recipe makes enough sauce for two pizzas. But I only made one and used the other half of the sauce as leftovers the next day over steaming hot linguine. I knew all of my kids wouldn't like it so I made the other pizza with tomato based sauce and cheese only.

Enjoy outdoors on a beautiful early summer evening in front of an open fire!

June 11, 2009

I've got the flu :: The flu and the WHO

Ugh. Good day to you too! :) We've had a touch of the flu going through our house all week. It's got the most odd symptoms. One day you'll feel perfectly fine, the next nauseous off and on. Then the next day you might feel fine again (as I was yesterday, out planting Zinnia seeds in pots) and so forth and so on. Until one day you might actually lose your lunch...or dinner, as may be the case.

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A couple of us have had it and I'm waiting for everyone else to get it...

And, it was not the most wonderful thing to wake up to the flu, with the WHO announcing a pandemic of the 'swine flu' and how it's "continuing to spread during the start of summer in the northern hemisphere".

Ironic, I say.

I have no idea what the symptoms are (because I tend not to follow the media that closely) but I'm going out on a limb and concluding that we symptly (misspelling intentional) have a regular ol' virus.

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The other irony is that just the other day when Nikayda was having a 'moment' Aapo said, "Moms don't really get sick 'cause they have to take care of us." And, I told him, "I wish that were true but luckily moms don't get sick every time."

Hmmph.

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As I'm sitting here, I'm grateful that 'chicken research' doesn't take up too much energy, although it takes up a lot of time, and knowing I can continue to scour the internet as I wait for my book to arrive.

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I had a gift card to use so I ordered three books from Amazon and I can't wait to get them! I would love to have a bookshelf wall full of junk and decorating books. I only have a handful right now but they are the type of book that I can look at over and over and never grow tired of.

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We had out first bonfire last night. The kids have been asking every day since it started getting warm, and yesterday was perfect. The temps were cool and there was only the tiniest breeze. My favorite kind of weather. It was a great way to end the day.

*Did anyone catch that I'm finally reading a 'real' book, as opposed to a magazine or a children's book to the kids, for the first time in about five years! It was my goal to start reading books again this summer. Now, it's just about finding the time to read it...*

June 09, 2009

Life and other such merriment

Maybe I should have titled this one 'Born to Die' but somehow the one I've got sounds a bit more pleasant.

I will not use the 'c-word' in this post. Promise. ;)

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Our 'food' is growing rather large and will be ready for...ahem...'processing' shortly. Our other 'domestic birds' are always flying over the fence and stealing the organic feed we're using on these not-so-little guys and the kids have to chase them out. We didn't start them out on organic and I really wish we had...but that's the way it goes. So, we're...uh...finishing them off...ahem...on organic. It's better than nothing. Our other birds don't eat organic feed. I'd like it if they did but it's not really feasible at the moment.

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I think 'Louie's' looking to get his dinner early

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Or, at least he was until Nikayda spotted him and threw the campfire stick out! 

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These 'birds' are getting heavy. Mark weighed one recently and it was about five pounds. So, not too much longer. I think we have 26 of them. A few died as babies shortly after we got them. (This is pretty common with these types of 'birds'. The same happened with our domestic ones, we lost a few in the beginning.) So, I think we're at 26. That's going to be a freezer full.

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Mark sided two of the sides on the main coop (below), this spring. (The sides visible from the house!)

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But we still need to find three matching vintage windows to install on the front and an old exterior door along with a window or two for the other sides. He used tongue and groove siding from the lumber he milled. I'm not sure yet what we're going to do along the bottom where the block is. We'll figure something out when the time comes. Eventually, there will be a fence somewhere along it. I'd love it if it could get done this summer, and I'm hoping it will, but there are so many other 'priorities' around here right now...!

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Although they're free-range, I'd feel better on the days when we need to run out if they're 'fenced in' after seeing two different dogs and a pretty little grey fox trotting up our driveway in the past two days!

I don't know what kind of flower this is, but they're growing all over our place.

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I went out to the garden Tuesday night after the kids were in bed and was out there for quite a while picking rocks and tree branches and sticks. It was so peaceful! I love it out here. It should've gotten done before planting but it didn't. It's going to take a couple of years just to get it decent when you're starting a garden in the middle of the woods. There are so many sticks and rocks! Next year, I plan to do some raised beds. We're still thinking of doing one or two smaller ones this year for herbs...

Mark put a makeshift fence around the garden to keep our 'girls' out. At least with a fence I feel a little bit secure from wild animals, too! (Never mind that it's just a temporary one and not very sturdy. I'll just try not to think about that part.)

Nothing much new here. I still have some flower seeds (zinnias and sunflowers) and lettuce to plant but it's been raining. I should've done it today, so it looks like tomorrow's the day! And, I'm hoping for sun to photograph some more junk to add to the shop.

100 Things

Vintage Debris & Other Finds

It's all junk

Copyright

  • I'm dreaming of a 'Supercamera'. You know the kind that takes amazing pictures in any kind of light? I alter most of mine, but they're all I've got. So, please do not copy my images or content without my permission with the only exception being a link to me. You're welcome to use my photos and context if you link back to me. Thank you kindly!
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