Friday, March 30, 2012

A real live TEENAGER lives in my house today!!!!!

My, how time flies.........
Seem like only yesterday you fit in my lap...
(actually that is both you and Madeline in my lap, I was 7 months pregnant with your little guy)

 Now you are this silly little man...



You are as sweet and silly as you were back then, I am proud of the man you are becoming and I love you more than you can imagine. 

Happy 13th birthday Bubba!! ~Love, Momma

Thursday, March 29, 2012

These are the Days...

To remember... come on, sing it with me! Here are some beautiful ordinary moments that happened around here this week...

Trip to Coeur d'Alene  for lunch, then Target, Cabela's, and Costco. Madeline consumed 2 Dr. Peppers at lunch... Nobody noticed the waiter refilling her beverage, needless to say she was hilariously silly.


Conner started volunteering at the animal shelter. This is him walking Zipper. I worry about how we (and I mean me) are going to get through this without another dog in the family!

We had the most gorgeous weather on Sunday! Scott and I played hopscotch with the Mads and got some much needed Vitamin D. Finished off the day with a trip for frozen yogurt! (trying to keep that memory alive as it is gloomy and raining buckets right now)

Visited my friend and her new baby. Yes I want another, baby, not kid. ;)

Had a fabulous conference for my girl. Celebrated with dinner and trip to get her a fish. Her reward for her grades. Spike is our new pet. She adores him! :)

 trips to the dentist and NO cavities! Yahoo!!! Me included! :)

Began the Easter/ Spring decorating in spite of our weather. I love Spring, just as much as I love fall, winter and summer in their own time! Here's just a sneak peek.... ;)

Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Family room tour

Ok, so I know I said I was going to do WIWW today. However with a certain boy turning 13 on Friday... (holy smokes, wait a sec while I watch my life pass me by, dab away the tear, ok. I'm good.)  And a certain girl with early release this week and getting read to make a trip to Seattle for Spring break. I never found time to figure out how in the heck I'm suppose to do it.... So maybe after spring break. Besides I am so tired of my clothes, I need Spring clothes already!! :)

In the mean time, this will have to do!

Another one of my favorite rooms in our house is our family room/TV room/multi purpose room. It is cozy. My photography skills need some work. I got a new camera for Christmas and am still learning. Practicing and trying to find some spare time to watch the DVD that came with my camera.
Also none of my rooms are perfect, they are works in progress. We have been here almost 3 years and I am still working on making it ours. It's funny we were in our old house 10 years and it was just how I wanted it when we decided to move. However, I think I would be changing everything if we had stayed there. I think we are forever making our houses our home.

We have the games out right where we are reminded to play them. We end up right there on the floor in front of my sweet Great Uncle John's old radio. He lived on a peach orchard and I loved visiting him in the summer to pick peaches and run through the orchard with my brother.
Uncle John always had circus peanuts and orange slice candy. Funny the little things you remember the most.



Doyle's favorite spot is right in front of the fireplace. Cozy dog.
My Grandfather was a farmer, wheat and peas. I always have wheat in the pitcher, it reminds me of my childhood, riding in the combine with my grandpa. The Thomas Kincaid farm print above the fireplace was from my Grandmother's house. I want to climb right in to this scene, I have always kinda wished I was a cowgirl! :)

A few little spots...

horse needle point from my Grandma's house

keys for locking up kids that don't do their homework, or sassy ones... I'm kidding.  ;)

The quote...
That Abe was a wise man. There is a new movie coming out that says he was a vampire.... no body is perfect, right?

A poem written by my Great Grandmother, the words to a song that was sung at my grandparents funerals, and a little lamp sent to Conner when he was born from my brother in Denmark.

There you have it! My family room. Thanks for stopping by! ~Shelby
 

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Magnetic Chalkboard Pantry Door

I love how this project turned out. All you need is chalkboard paint, magnetic primer, foam rollers and patience!


I used these products.
 
Have the store shake them. Mine were settled and so hard to mix. Ask the paint department to give them a good shake to mix up the paint.

Before taking the doors down paint the inside seam with the magnetic paint, one coat of this is fine, you do not need it magnetic and do not need to write in there. This is just for the color when the doors are open.


When this is dry to the touch remove the doors and put them on saw horses or a table, how ever you can make it work. Then you go to town. You will need 3 coats for magnetic primer followed by 3 coats of chalkboard paint. Here is where the patience comes in. The coats must dry between applications. What I thought I could do in a day actually took me more like 2. You need 30 minutes-ish between coats. It does say on my magnetic primer to not use more than 2 coats of any top coat, in my case this was the chalkboard paint. I used 3. My doors are not super magnetic because of this but holds most magnets and a single piece of paper just fine.

After the doors are painted and dry, put them back up. Now you need to cure the chalkboard. To do this simply coat the entire surface with chalk, the side of a piece of chalk works best, then wipe it off.

To clean it, wipe off chalk a soft rag, or chalkboard eraser. Once and a while I will wipe it down with a damp cloth then wipe it with a damp cloth in a bit of mild detergent. Allow to dry completely before writing on it.

I have found that a cloth diaper (also what I dust with) works best because it does not leave any little fibers behind.


I have my family write down grocery items we need on there and I either add it to my big grocery list or take a quick picture with my phone if I am running to the store for a few things. I have also just added a weekly section. All our appointments are in my phone. (Cozi is a great calendar app.) I write them all on there Sunday night so the whole family can see what's coming up. Sometimes I write quotes or To-Do's on it. I also often have a little artist using it!

I changed out the knob with this cute J from Hobby Lobby. I love their knob section and their half price sales!


The door looked like this before, it was cheap and nothing special~
and after~



Happy Tuesday! ~Shelby

Monday, March 26, 2012

Welcome to my world.... Kitchen tour

I love to see other peoples houses. I love dusk... you know before it's dark enough to close the blinds but all the lights are? It's perfect for seeing straight in other peoples windows. I love a peek at how they are decorating, the colors they are using, the lighting they chose. Blogs are a less creepy way of seeing into peoples homes! Here is a peek into one of my rooms, the kitchen. I have always wanted a bright, white kitchen. When we moved here 2 years ago we fell in love with the place, non-white kitchen and all. I accepted that it isn't and won't be white and decide to make it a room I love. It is cozy and it's home.Wish you could join me here for a cup of coffee, but I guess photos will have to do.

Come on in.....

this is the only chandelier we have replaced, it was ugly brass.  (you will get the privilege of seeing my ugly entry way and dining room chandeliers in a later post, having a hard time finding what I love!)

Knobs for the cabinets have been purchased! I think they make kitchens look more finished. They just to be put on.


 

my coffee spot. :)

A spot for Conner and a spot for Maddie.

Where I spend much of my time

New stove is up next, we did the fridge and dishwasher. Black ends up looking so dirty! Notice my rumpled up, not so perfect towel... I totally did that on purpose!!! ;)

My chalk board pantry doors! Love them. I will show you how to do this tomorrow, so easy even I can do it!

So there is my kitchen. Thanks for stopping by! ~Shelby

Friday, March 23, 2012

ABC muffins


This recipe started out as a lower fat banana bread recipe that I got from a neighbor when my kids were babies. I have tweaked it over the years. If you want just banana bread/muffins, simply omit the apple and cut down on the cinnamon if you wish.

Apple, Banana, Cinnamon Muffins

1 1/2 cups Flour ( I use half whole wheat)
1 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Salt
2 Egg whites
1 cup Banana
1 Medium sized apple finely chopped
3/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Oil + about 1 Tbsp

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in bowl. Mix egg whites, banana, apple, sugar and oil in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well blended. Pour into greased or lined loaf pan or muffin tin. Bake in a 350* oven for 30-40 minutes. Insert tooth pick or cake tester in to the middle to ensure doneness. 

 These freeze really well. My kids pull one out in the morning and microwave it for about 30-40 seconds. perfect for when I tell the kids this is "not a Momma make your breakfast morning."

Happy Friday! WoooHOO!! ~Shelby

Thursday, March 22, 2012

These are the days...

 Homemade Pancake sausage on a stick, Pioneer Woman is gonna make me fat, ok... fatt ER!


Smiles for a finished book report,


Sunshine, a loved pup, and a happy boy,


 Where I spent most of Sunday reading The Hunger Games, soo good!


Jet Set shellac manicure, I usually go with french, I love this & I think color lasts better, this is 2 weeks out!


 A shamrock shake for an adorable little leprechaun,


Studying for the states and capitals test: With help from the states and capitals rap.


Octodogs, and shells and cheese for a Dad's gone dinner,

 Rain, Rain, Rain.


lazy days to chew on your favorite bone and play with a Lego or two.


Woke to a few inches of snow this morning... think maybe I need some Vitamin D and a tanning appointment to lift my spirits!
~Shelby

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

What the heck am I doing?

Since starting this blog back in November I still haven't told anyone that I have one. My parents and my husband, my aunt, but no one else. It feels a bit like giving people a key to my diary. Like I am opening my self up to feeling like I am in high school all over again. Will I fit in to the blogging world out there? Will people think it's weird? Will they like what I have to say? Will I bore people? Is my blog "good enough"? Will I offend some people with my opinion? All of these things cross my mind everyday.

I have stopped posting a few times worrying that I have no idea what I'm doing and no one would want to read it anyway. For probably a year before I finally started my blog I pondered it. I would think through out the course of my day "I could blog this, or I could put that on my blog."

So finally one day I decided to bite the bullet and did it. I think I decided that the answer to all of the above questions was YES and NO.  I decided to stop trying to compare myself to bloggers who have been blogging for years and just start where I'm at. It is such a learning process. I am not super computer savvy so it has been a challenge to figure out what I am doing.

For about a year I have been taking pictures of my own outfits for What I wore Wednesday at The Pleated Poppy. When I started this blog that was going to be my Wednesday post... however I still don't know exactly how to do it! I got photos people!!

Speaking of photos I have learned so much about taking photos. Still have along way to go though! My pictures of myself are the worst. Good Lord, maybe it is good I can't link up to WIWW, I'd scare y'all! I did figure out how to grab a button today, not that I know what to do with the darned thing! But it makes me feel a little more official. ;) I am hoping to add WIWW to my "line up" next week! Send me good linking Mojo!!

My line up..... I have been all over the place. I never wanted my blog to be about one specific thing, not a decorating blog or a foodie blog but just random musing of this perfectly imperfect life I lead. I have decided to go with more of a schedule aka line up. I think I had to just dive in before I could figure out what my line up would be. Soooo, I am getting rid of some stuff and adding new stuff as my confidence grows.

I actually got the guts to comment on a few blogs this week and got my first REAL comment! And it wasn't from my my husband sitting on the couch!! Thanks Momma Gets Real!! You made my day!!  I really was giddy!! Sad, I know! But a real comment made my blog feel real.  :)

I also need to work on my time management! I have things to do folks and at times I feel like I am on here all morning!! No I am on here all morning!! I know as I go everything will go smoother. Until then I can just go buy my people new socks and underwear if the laundry doesn't get done, right? Besides... does the laundry EVER really get done?

So I guess I have decided to stick with this blog thing and see where it goes... see what I can learn and what I might have to offer. See if I can get some real readers. Swallow my pride and get my self out there... seriously tough I am scared to death... well not to death, that is awfully drastic, but I feel sooo vulnerable! Time to put on my big girl panties and deal with what ever comes my way... good and bad.

If anyone is out there, thanks for stopping by and please do come again. If you have any amazing advice for a new blogger in distress bring it!!

Have a great half way to the weekend day!! ~Shelby

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Save your Green!

Onions that is!!



(please ignore the dirty window.. we have had some crazy weather!)

I got this tip years ago on an episode of The Next Food Network Star. 

After you cut the tops off of your green onions place them in a small glass, vase or jar with water and the green part of the onion will grow back. It does grow back rather quickly, this picture was taken about two  days after being cut and you can already see the new green popping out. Freshen up the water every couple days, as it gets murky.
~Shelby