Simple things

Life is harder when you complicate the simple things. Enjoy what you have and live your life.

~Unknown

So I finished the little stool I showed you earlier in the week. Here it is again, post stripping, pre-staining and painting.

I stained the top, added a graphic and painted the legs.

I love it! I think it was a great little find for $2.00. Miss L likes it too, and it definitely looks better than the pink plastic stool we had in the half bath for her.

I think Miss L will take after me...I had her at the thrift store with me yesterday. She found a tiny ceramic kitten in a basket. It was only 50 cents, how could I say no? She carried that tiny ( and I do mean tiny) piece of ceramics around like it was the most precious cargo she could ever own. When she got in her carseat she said "I love my little kitten, I want to keep this forever and ever"...I hope she does.

Botox, bangs and beauty creams

"There's always a lot to be thankful for if you take time to look for it. For example, I am sitting here thinking how nice it is that wrinkles don't hurt."


~ Author Unknown


The last time I got my hair cut Lori suggested I try some bangs. I think it was her subtle way of saying "Let's cover up some of those creases on your forehead". I agreed, after all, it's only hair and it will grow back, but I'm not sure bangs are my thing. My hair is fine and I feel like there are these little stringy things hanging in my face.

So where does that leave me? Let me go on record as saying I am not opposed to a little botox, but having had my salary reduced by half, it isn't likely to happen. That leaves the "miracle creams".

They are a pretty little lot, aren't they? Tempting us with words like timeless, repair, firming, toning, hydrating, restoring, age-fighting. (I just realized that I must have kept every single sample given to me! There are even more in the cabinet) Have you visited the skin care aisle at Target? Overwhelming! I thought I'd give it a try, the cost is about a third of what Mary or Bobbi cost. Looking for key words like retinol or alpha hydoxy, I find that manufacturers are surely making up words, I've never heard of some of this stuff and wonder if it really exists.

A few years ago my dear friend Karen shared a secret with me. She is a home care physical therapist and when she would have an elderly patient with great skin and few wrinkles she would sneak into their cabinet to find their "secret weapon". Over and over she discovered the same thing. Their secret? Ponds. At $4.00 a jar it is a steal so I am giving it a try. Turns out it is for dry skin, which I wasn't aware I had, but supposedly all post-menopausal women have dry skin...now I know.

Do you have a favorite that doesn't cost an arm and a leg?

C.

In another life...

In another life I would be Karen from The Graphics Fairy. I love, love, love her blog. So much so that I haven't added it to my list of favorites because I want to keep her all to myself! I've always been drawn to older homes, vintage objects, antiques...I'm sure I was born in the wrong era. The Graphice Fairy site is one gorgeous vintage graphic after another, all copyright free.

In my quest to be artistic (not crafty) I made a few gifts for some special people this year using her graphics. Here are the coasters.

That went in the canvas tote bag I made, along with a bottle of wine and 2 wine glasses from the Dollar Tree.

Not a bad gift for a little bit of money!

My next project is this little stool. Purchased at Goodwill for $2.00, I wish I'd taken a picture before I stripped and sanded the top.

Check back later this week after I've painted the legs black and added the graphic I have picked out.

I'd like to add, sanding isn't the piece of cake I thought it would be, and I really need to learn how to use my "new" camera that is now six months old!

Blessings,
C.

What's on your list?

Did you make a New Year's resolution? I am not going to say I made resolutions per se, but I do have a lot of plans for 2013. So many, in fact, that I feel like my head is in a spin. One of the things on my list is finishing- and I do mean finishing- the work in our house. Anyone who knows me, knows we've been working non-stop for 15 months to bring our 1929 house back to the beauty she once was.

I've struggled with the woodwork, and the stair risers...do I paint them or leave them natural? Right now I'm compromising, the woodwork stays stained, the risers painted. I'm not happy with my dining room. My friends, Carol and Carol gave me some good ideas, but I can't find the chair and drapes I want on my budget (did I mention I am working on being the queen of thrift?). I want the dining room walls repainted too, along with the living room and sunroom.

I want to be the queen of many things- I can hear some of you laughing- big surprise, I know! I want to be a smart couponer, not one of those crazy TLC people, I just want to save a few bucks. This goal might be easier if I actually did the grocery shopping, but a girl has to have some limits... I also want to be crafty, artistic- like my neighbor Deanna and my friend Susan. I want to cook like my friend Mary, grow The Caring Closet, and be the best Grammy ever (I'd like to believe Lela already thinks I am). And did I mention I want to do all of this 20lbs thinner with perfect hair, perfect skin and a great wardrobe?

So, the head continues to spin...I'm glad it's only January 4th, that gives me plenty of time to get my list in order. As for the house getting finished, who am I kidding? Anyone who has ever loved an older home knows it is always a work in progress, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Just for fun, I thought I'd give you a sneak peak of the two sleeping beauuties I shared my day with.

Claire and Kendall

Blessings,
C

Let's get this party started...

Wow, I had forgotten the ins and outs of using blogspot- bear with me as I get the hang of this again. I am working on updating the look of the page, my favorite links, and yes those pictures! I went back to work today after a nice long break, my first day as a part-time employee. Feels a little weird, nice, but weird. I'm sure I'll adjust!

I promised things would be a little different this time, I even have plans to have guest bloggers, let me know if you'd be interested. I have a million project ideas floating around in my head, but I wasn't feeling all that great today and the thoughts of taking photos was overwhelming (I know, it doesn't take much).

So, I thought I'd share a new appetizer I tried out on New Year's Eve. It comes from Pinterest via www.plainchicken.com and is not only tasty but really easy. I have an aversion to sausage, so I used 5oz of the mini pepperoni (no sausage) and Italian blend cheese instead of just mozzarella.

Pizza Puffs

3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/4 cup whole milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 oz mini turkey pepperoni, (about 1/2 cup)
4 oz low-fat sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 24-cup mini-muffin pan. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder and baking powder; whisk in the milk and egg. Stir in the mozzarella, sausage and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups. Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, microwave the pizza sauce until warmed through. Serve the puffs with the pizza sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!

Has it really been almost two and half years since I last posted? So much has changed- my job, the place I call home, the number of pets roaming the halls of my house and most importantly, the number of little girls who call me Grammy. Lela now has twin sisters named Claire and Kendall!

I have turned into a blog junkie and was inspired by friends (or was it the NYE alcohol?) to return to my own blog. Things make take a little different tone this time around... plan on seeing food, crafts- I really dislike that term- let's say artistic endeavors, finds from my thrift store hunting, updates on my never ending quest to lose 20 pounds and yes, my personal observations of day to day life.

I will tell you more about this later, but a change in my work status resulted in a close examination of what I wanted/needed to do "when I grow up". While I wasn't losing sleep over it, I would be lying if I said I wasn't concerned, trying to figure out a plan. A chance click on blog I'd never heard of told me the answer.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11

Feel free to join me as we start a new year! Love and Blessings.

C.

Dog days of summer

Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.

~John Lennon

It has been two months and 12 days since I last entered anything on this blog. I look at the calendar and wonder where the time went. The days seem to fly by, summer is almost over, and while I won't miss the heat and humidity, I will miss the fresh vegetables from my garden, the flower beds, and quick trips to Hueston Woods to relax on our pontoon boat. The dogs have accompanied us to the lake, and while McKenzie has thoroughly enjoyed herself in the water, Chance and Layla aren't quite as impressed. To be truthful, I think Layla would prefer we leave her at home in her kennel, especially after falling into the water between the boat and the dock yesterday.

So much has happened this summer. After a month off work recovering from my surgery, I went back to work and without warning found myself to be two staff members short. Luckily I have an outstanding group who carried on without missing a beat, and I have since replaced staff with new colleagues who bring lots of talent to the table. I always have said that things happen for a reason, this is just one step in my staff's quest for excellence.

The Caring Closet continues to grow by leaps and bounds. We are gearing up for the start of school and are very close to submitting our application for our 501(c)3 status. Please remember to send gently used kids clothing our way, along with any donations of soap, shampoo, new socks and underwear of any size.

Perhaps the most exciting news I have is that Heather, Jeff and baby Lela are moving back to the Cincinnati area. In 12 days I will get to hold that precious princess in my arms again. I CAN'T WAIT!!! We hope to have Eric and Silvia home to visit for Christmas, as well as Chris and Kyle. At the risk of sounding like a movie...it's a wonderful life!

My family has intimated that I am spending too much time on my laptop. (Obviously not on my blog!) I try to explain to them that I am on a mission. I have been trying to help round up some things for Heather and Jeff. Logistically it is not practical to ship everything they own from Hawaii. Hence, my addiction to Craigslist. Where else can you furnish an entire room with Arhaus, Pottery Barn and Pier One furniture for under $300.00? And, I feel the need to put in a good word for yard sales. I was able to start an unbelievable collection of Fisher Price toys for Lela for a grand total of $20.00. Of course you have to be picky, but everything I've bought looks brand new, and is super clean.

And, while I am on a thrifty kick, I need to ask...are any of you coupon queens? I am fascinated by the ability to save big using coupons, but I realize it is an art, and I don't know what I am doing. I want to stockpile free shampoo and toothpaste and whatever else I can get my hands on...I just need a teacher!

Preseason football starts tonight, a sure sign that summer is coming to a close. I love watching the Bengals, especially now that I have friends in Pittsburgh to irritate (sorry Lisa and Rashid). T.O. and Ochocinco should be fun to watch, maybe a Superbowl appearance this year??? Time will tell :)

I promise to be better about blogging. Let me know if you've read this, and as always, I am open to suggestions for blog topics.
Love,
C