Happy List #31
Hello, hello! Are you ready for the weekend? My days have felt like one big weekend while we’ve been visiting family and it’s been GREAT! Reality will come knocking soon enough. It always does! This was unofficial Raspberry Week on the blog. Be sure and read about our raspberry pie and margaritas. Next week is unofficial “I’m Not Sure What I’m Writing About Yet” Week. Summer fun and traveling do not help me in the planning-ahead department. The same can be said for autumn fun, winter fun, spring fun… But I still make time for my Happy List! FOOD SAFE STAIN I’ve paid attention to butcher block counters and how…
Fresh Raspberry Margarita
I just decided it is unofficial Raspberry Week on this blog. It might be next week too since my in-law’s said they have more berries! If you missed it, do read about how much we love Fresh Raspberry Pie. If you need a quick salad dressing, I make a Berry Balsamic Vinaigrette using raspberry jam that is divine! Now, let’s get on with the show… It turns out, there is a super simple way to annoy your family on a hot summer day. Tell them you are making delicious raspberry margaritas. Make the glorious, ice-cold margaritas. Then let the family know they can’t drink the margaritas until you’ve take one billion photos…
Fresh Raspberry Peach Pie
My in-laws love to garden – especially when it comes to growing fruits and vegetables. I LOVE that my in-laws love to grow fruits and vegetables. You can see where this is going, right? Yep! Straight into my belly. Shameless fruit and veggie moocher over here. This week’s haul was two huge bowls of sun-ripened raspberries! You’d think my in-laws were just being generous because they were happy to see us. We don’t get to visit very often anymore since we live a continent and an ocean way. However, a giving spirit comes naturally to them. It’s really a beautiful thing. With great flourish, I took the berries to the…
Happy 4th of July
Do you know how I feel today? I feel blessed. This week I have the privilege of being back on U.S. soil to celebrate the 4th of July in my hometown with the people I love. It’s been awhile since I’ve been “home” for the 4th of July and I’m excited to share this day with my friends and family, but especially my kids. I picked out festive shirts for the kids to wear to the parade we will attend on the 4th. I used my stern mom voice to ask my son, “will you REALLY wear this shirt to the parade? Because I’m not buying it if you won’t…
Friday Funnies
It’s been awhile since I’ve done a Friday Funnies post. Maybe we’re losing our funny over here? Man, I hope not! Slowly, but surely I’ve been accumulating some stories that tickled my funny bone. Enjoy! ACRONYMS ARE TOUGH My daughter and son were playing some sort of game. I don’t know what it was. I just know they weren’t fighting and they had created costumes. These costumes involved using eyeliner to draw whiskers on their faces. The point is THEY WEREN’T FIGHTING. My son’s character (I’m fairly certain he was a cat) suffered a tragic accident. He was lying down with his “paws” up in the air. It was all…
House Number Sign From Wooden Spool
It’s been quite awhile since I’ve shared a Junk Whisperer project. I missed them! I missed The Junk Whisperer more though. And yes, that is shameless flattery. I’ve invaded her home and I need all the brownie points I can get. Me + Children = Lots of noise, mess and groceries. Now, back to the point of this post: a good “why didn’t I think of that” project. When The Junk Whisperer shares her projects with me I usually have nothing more clever to say than, “that is SUCH a good idea!” over and over and OVER. It’s mildly embarrassing. This project started with an old wooden spool, similar to…
Always Take The Trip
I read an article recently where the author shares the best parenting advice she ever received was to “always take the trip.” Here’s an excerpt from Annie Reneau’s article: “My friend Kelly has three stellar kids who are a bit older than my own three. I consider her and her husband to be model parents, so one day I asked her for her best piece of parenting advice. I thought she’d say something about love or discipline or consistency, so her answer took me by surprise. “Always take the trip,” she said. “When you question whether or not you should go on the vacation, just do it. Spend the money. Take the…
Happy List #30
Happy Friday!! I feel like summer is already moving faster than I want it to! This week I posted about the free souvenir we bring home from trips and how I preserve the memory. I also shared my trash to treasure 4th of July wreath. Here’s what’s on my Happy List today. I COULD LIVE HERE Hello, wood details. Hello, white brick backsplash. Hello, shiplap. Be sure and visit Sita Montgomery Interiors to see more pictures of this kitchen including the detail on the ends of the kitchen island. (image) PISTACHIO, CINNAMON AND YOGHURT BARK Yes, this is a recipe from the UK. Hence the Yog-HURT. This frozen recipe looks…
Junky 4th of July Wreath
I went dumpster diving and found treasure! Let me clarify something though. Dumpsters in Ireland are called skips. They range in size from 2.5 cubic yards to 35 cubic yards. You can also order a gigantic bag for your yard waste/other debris and that is called a baby skip. Aw, so cute! Aren’t you glad for all the random information you learn on this blog? Here’s what a skip looks like when it’s being hauled away on the lorry. This is not the one that held my treasure though. It held some old windows that were replaced in our house. I walk by skips in front of houses and businesses…
Memory Rocks
“Tell me a story, mama.” Every night when I go through the bedtime routine with my son, he asks me to tell him a story. A real story. THE PRESSURE!!! He likes stories with drama and danger the best. Like that time I got a flat tire going 60 mph down I-84. Or when the security guards at JC Penney used to duck behind garment racks when they were trying to catch someone stealing. The problem is my memory is TERRIBLE when it comes to these little, every day memories and experiences. Especially ones from decades ago. I’m not sure what I’m doing with all my brain cells, but saving…
