just for fun...

Playing trains...

whistle while you work...

I have to admit, I am writing this post while my family is busily working and I am... resting... well, working on baking baby! Thank goodness for families! I thought I would take this time to share with you the bathroom that Mark and I did finish this past week. I think it turned out pretty good. We still have to finish a few last details, but here is the overall product.

This fabric for the shower curtain was my inspiration for the whole design. I bought it years ago when Mark and I remodeled and flipped a condo in downtown Atlanta. I found the fabric at HomeGoods and Mark's grandma artfully sewed the curtain for us to stage the condo to sell. I have been saving it hoping to use it since!

 Notice Mark's great beadboard work!

I added some of the extra plaid fabric to two existing curtains. Please, if you ever come to my house DO NOT look closely at the sewing job!

 This is our guest bathroom, but it is also the bathroom for one current and one future kiddo so I wanted to make some kid friendly art. I bought some fun patterned paper at the craft store and made four collages of whales.

Now, like I said, everyone is busy working on new projects. Mark, my dad and uncle are working on a new speaker system and my mom is painting this room getting it ready to be worthy for a sweet little boy. Yes, Gavin is moving out of his crib this week!

bear on...

In this crazy life we lead wouldn't it be nice to have something that immediately gives you peace and comfort? Well, Gavin has found his. It is a teal colored fuzzy bear that he has to have attached to his back while he sleeps! The bear is actually quite special. My sister gave it to me when I was on bed rest with my last pregnancy. It was blessed at a special teddy bear service at some church my sister did a story about. The bear is now Gavin's. He used to play with it. I started tucking it into the back of his shirt and he would pretend take the teddy bear on a piggy back ride. Now the bear is a special part of his sleep time routine. When either Mark or I are tucking him into bed Gavin says, "Bear on." and we tuck the Bear's arms into the neck of his pj's. Gavin and the Bear both get tucked inside his blankets and fall asleep peacefully together.

At first Mark and I would laugh and shake our heads at this weird ritual. I told this odd tale to my mom who aahhhed and said that she bets the bear on Gavin's back makes him feel safe and secure. How sweet is that?! Now I am jealous and some nights I wish I could borrow the bear and let all of my fears and stresses be blocked away. Maybe I will start saying to Mark as we head to sleep now, "Bear on, please." :)

our house...

Oh the joys of being a homeowner! Before October we had been renters for the past 18 months. I have to say I did enjoy not having to worry about working on a house. It is so different being a home owner. But I do LOVE to decorate, so a part of me is glad to be back in OUR house decorating it the way we see fit. Mark and I have been busy since we moved back in. We of course had to clean, fix and replace things when we first moved in and we are still working on that, but we are also updating and redecorating too.

I finally made the curtain I always wanted in my kitchen window.

yes, that is my rock collection. I know, I collect rocks from different places we visit.

 I am by NO means an expert sewer. I actually first sewed the sides of this curtain all crooked and then realized I forgot to put the foot down on the machine! Shows my skill level! I did successfully finish it though! I also made a bulletin board to match. I would love to have a refrigerator like one in a model home... free of clutter, but I love my clutter. The problem was we had too much clutter.

I took an old cork board I have had since college and staple gunned to the back matching fabric to the shade. Now I have two places for my beloved clutter!!

Our current big project is our guest/kids bathroom. Our renters painted the bottom half of the wall eggplant. Not really my taste. Thanks to my sweet husband, who puts up with my decorating plans, The bathroom now has bead board up and primed.

Mark is planning to paint it this weekend and I am going to place all of this stuff I have been creating and collecting.

I will have to show you the end result. I have to finish sewing some drapes for the bathroom so wish me luck! I will definitely remember to put the foot down this time!!

quesadillas and black bean and corn salad...

I love finding new recipes and trying them out so it might sound weird to tell you that my favorite way to cook is without a recipe. There is just a bit more joy of creatively adding ingredients that, once completed, is a yummy concoction all your own. I also hate to measure and of course carefully read over all those directions! The secret to cooking without a recipe is taking foods and flavors you love along with the background knowledge of some favorite recipes to create your own mix. Did I explain that well? Well here is a dinner I made last night with no recipe cards in front of me. Cooking goes so much faster this way too! I made this entire dinner in about 20 minutes. I got some help getting it to the table though! Mark said my prego brain was in full swing last night and he was confused on the course of my cooking!! Of course I will give you the approximate recipe that I used, but once you get the hang of it feel free to go with the flow and create your own recipe off of mine!

 

 



chef in training taste testing...


Chicken Quesadillas (I love making Quesadillas. They are as simple as grilled cheese... Mexican style!)

 

• Chopped cooked chicken (left-over chicken is great, but last night I just cut up some chicken into strips and cooked it in a skillet with a little olive oil and Monteray seasoning)
• Shredded Mexican style or cheddar cheese
• Chopped red onion
• Chopped cilantro
• Soft tortillas (I use the whole wheat kind found in the dairy section usually by the eggs)
• Sour cream- optional
• Guacamole- optional
• Salsa- optional

 

Once chicken is cooked and other ingredients are chopped your ready to assemble. It is kind of like making a pizza. Place chicken, onion and cilantro on tortilla and cover with cheese. Add another tortilla on top and place in a large skillet on low to medium low heat. Let cheese melt and tortilla toast, flipping after a few minutes to cook both sides. You can place the lid of the skillet on top to help cook.

 

 

 

Black bean and Corn Salad

 

• 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
• Equal parts frozen corn, thawed, to black beans
• Chopped red onion- chop enough for the quesadillas and salad at once
• Chopped cilantro- same as onion
• 3 Roma tomatoes chopped
• Juice of one lime
• Juice of one lemon
• Olive oil- eye ball how much, probably about 2-4 Tbs.
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. Taste to see if you need more salt, pepper, oil or citrus juices. I like a lot of fresh lemon and lime juice. I think I may have added extra lime last night.

 

Guacamole (I know there are so many more fancy ways to make guacamole, but I love just making it simple with lots of citrus juice!! I am telling you this recipe with 4 avocados because our family can devour guacamole like there is no tomorrow, but the recipe can be adapted using fewer such as 2)

 

 



my avocados were a little over ripe therefore the guacamole is not as green but still tasty!

• 4 avocados
• Juice of one large lemon
• Juice of one large lime
• Some garlic powder
• Ground red pepper
• Chili Powder
• Salt and pepper

 

Sorry, I have no idea on the measurements of the spices because I always just add a little and taste until I get it just right. You may want to add more lime or lemon juice too so buy extra! Some times I do.

 

 

take it easy...

The title of this post is actually orders from my doctor. Yes, I have entered my last trimester and the final stretch, but for me and my history that means it is SERIOUS baby baking time. I am now 28 weeks and can't believe it!! This is actually the week I went into the hospital with pre-term labor with Gavin and was on bed rest for the remainder of my pregnancy. Well... I am doing pretty good, but a test my doctor has started to give me every 2 weeks is positive as of Wednesday meaning there is something going on in my body and labor is absolutely NOT definite,but it is possible. So... doctor's orders... take it easy. I think this demand is so hard to follow though. I want to feel like my body can do what it normally can do. I am not a person who likes to take pity from myself or anyone. I HATE to feel like a burden. And it makes it even harder when I think of other people who live life perfectly normal even in their last few weeks of pregnancy. Sigh! I even have a friend who is a nutritionist and exercise fiend who is in her last month of pregnancy and is still exercising!! It is hard to accept that your body maybe just can't do what it is meant to do. But... on the bright side abiding by my doctors orders forces me to take time to focus on these last few months of such a miracle. My body is working hard to create life. What could be more important than that! Because I have to rest more I am able to lay quietly and feel my little girl's kicks and imagine what she is doing in there, what she looks like and what she is maybe even thinking. I don't want to sound too far out there, but I do try to meditate and imagine her growing and developing beautifully. All of this gives me time to bond with her already. I also have such a different perspective on things this time too. If it takes me 3 days to clean the house or do laundry that is ok. Also if the nursery or Gavin's new room are not completely done by the time the baby arrives that is ok too. I really don't think Gavin will care if not all of his pictures are hung on his wall and decorative pillows are in place on his bed. As for the baby, Gavin slept in a basket for almost the first 3 months of his life in our room so I think I will have time to finish the nusery if I can't now! What matters most ALWAYS in life is staying healthy and happy. All the other stuff will come... just like Christmas!

One other good thing about more rest time is more blogging! I do have some things to share with you that we are working on around the house. Mark and I have been busy on lots of projects! I will try to post again soon. I am off to work on another resting activity. Quickbooks! Something tells me that come April when taxes are due I may not have a lot of extra time. I better be well prepared!

new look...

The blog has a new look today! I am working on some other things around the house to transform into new looks that I will share soon. Right now I am off to do some work while my guys nap. Both Gavin and Mark have come down with colds and even though I feel a little somethin' in my throat I am thinking positive to stay healthy. Well... I may lay down too. I was up at last night taking care of a little ones cough. And by the way... why can't my boy figure out how to act when he is sick? Instead of crashing and resting he gets all revved up until he really crashes and burns. That makes life really fun for mommy!

after christmas posts...

Instead of after Christmas sales I have after Christmas posts! Things were just too hectic around the holidays to share these few things. I promise, this is the last post on Christmas. I also can't type much tonight. I cut my middle and thumb finger VERY badly on my awesome VERY sharp knife yesterday. I have been wearing band aids on my fingers that make me look like Michael Jackson. Today Gavin and I had a play date with some kids and girls that I am just getting to know. I wore a larger bandage on my worst cut. I wondered what these girls must think of my mangled finger. Oh well!

Today I have a craft and recipe to share. I know it is too late, but I will have this post labeled for the holidays and if you want you can refer to it next year.

For the past 2 years my family have made gifts for each other. Gavin gets into the fun too. This year he made reindeer for everyone. I saw a picture of something like this and came up with the way to make it. I would love to have him, and soon his little sister, make one each year as they grow. I think it would be fun to decorate a tree or maybe a wreath with all the different sized reindeer marking each year of their lives.

Hand and Foot Print Reindeer
You will need:
Colored cardstock for the antlers
Colored cardstock for the face
Pencil
Scissors
Paint, markers or crayons for eyes and nose (I used paint and added the eyes and nose with a Q-tip)
Hole puncher and ribbon if you want to be able to hang the reindeer.
Sweet little hands to make the prints!

1. Trace both right and left hand onto paper for antlers

2. Trace foot on paper for face

3. Cut out foot and hand prints. While I cut, Gavin drew on the feet paper. I let him because I used this side as the back and thought it made the reindeer even more memorable with his scribbles.

4. Glue hands to top of foot print to create antlers and face. Add eyes and nose with your choice of material.

5. If you like, add a ribbon to make this reindeer an ornament or other hanging decoration. Don't forget to write on the back the year and age of child!

The following recipe is an absolute must at our Christmas breakfast table. As long as I can remember I have eaten this while opening presents from Santa. The smell of this casserole cooking just smells like Christmas! I actually had enough ingredients this year that I made a second dish for New Years morning. How good is that!!

Cranberry-Apple Casserole
3 C. peeled, chopped apples
2 C. fresh cranberries
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 C. sugar
3 (1 5/8 oz.) pkgs. instant oatmeal with cinnamon and spice
3/4 C. chopped pecans
1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 C. butter melted
Pecan halves
Fresh Cranberries

     Combine apples, 2 cups cranberries, and 2 tablespoons flour, tossing to coat fruit; add 1 cup sugar, mixing well. Place in a 2-qt. casserole dish.
     Combine oatmeal, chopped pecans, 1/2 cup flour, and brown sugar; add butter, stir well. Spoon over fruit mixture. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Garnish with pecan halves and cranberries.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings

can't wait till next year!!



christmas past...

Finally... here are some memories to share with you of our family's Christmas!

We baked some yummy cookies this year. Grandma even helped to decorate cut-outs with Gavin.

Christmas morning we celebrated Santa's arrival with breakfast and opening presents. Gavin and Great-Grandpa played a lot of cars. Vroom vroom...

Gavin loved opening presents from Santa. Daddy helped. He had to savor each one.

 Santa brought Gavin a new car and train set. Mark and I were so confused setting it up!

 But we finally figured it out and started having fun!

 Christmas night we went to Mark's mom's house for more delicious food and presents. Can't believe 2 years ago this little boy slept in a basket by the Christmas tree!

 Gavin loved playing with all his new presents! Here he is enjoying his new sleeping bag from his Great-Grandma and Grandpa Bower with Mark.

 Snug as a bug!

 A few days after Christmas we headed to my parents' house where we got to celebrate all over again! Gavin got a very special new airport from Nana and Grandpa.

Check out this most adorable shirt my friend Megann made. How cute!!! I think I may have to do this next year.

 Grandpa and Gavin re-enacted "Little Drummer Boy" on my dad's old drum.

 And giggles with G.G....

Can't believe it is already over. Even though I was worn out after New Years I am already getting excited for the holidays next year! I have a few more posts about the holdiays I will try to post about later. I promise to finish by Easter!