Red, White and Blue

The 4th of July is right around the corner.  I have seen some really cute red, white and blue decorations, but I just haven't had time to make any this year.  I've been too busy!  I usually make E an outfit for every holiday too, but.... there's been too much going on.  Also, her outfit from last year still fits so I thought I'd show it to you today.  I also made matching shorts for "L" and had planned to make shorts for "J" too, but being the totally honest kid that he is, he giggled and said, "Mom, I don't want any of those".  So, here is what my two littlest ones will be wearing for the 4th of July.

The navy fabric has little red and white anchors on it.  I just love it when they match!

One last thing!  In case you didn't see the HGTV Dream Home Giveaway last night....I didn't win.  Durn!  I was so looking forward to that red countertop in the kitchen and Hubby would've loved the grill with the barn doors covering it - so cool!  Oh well!  It was fun to dream about.  Better luck next year!

Everyone have a great Tuesday!  Gotta get busy cleaning this icky house.  I've got company coming this weekend.  WOO HOO!  There's a little bit of painting going on, and some sewing going on.  I'll show you later when it's all finished.

Messy Monogram Pillowcases

Have you ever bought a travel pillow for a trip and not been able to find pillowcases in the same store?  That's what happened to a friend of mine.  So, she asked me if I could make her some with her kids names on them.  She had seen my Messy Monogram shirts and wanted a similar look. 

This is what we came up with.  What do ya think? 

My New Photo Wall - FINALLY!

I am the Queen of Procrastination.  My middle name should be procrastination.  Procrastination coupled with the fear that I'll make a wrong decision often really slows down my projects.  Case in point, I've had a plan for my bedroom wall for over a year.   I bought most of my supplies and still, I waited.  But, because this week's CSI Project Challenge is Frames, Art and Wall Decor, I knew I HAD to finish it. 

My mom bought me the vinyl words that read "All Because Two People Fell In Love" at Hobby Lobby last year.  I immediately knew that I wanted the it in between my windows in my bedroom.  I already had a plan for the photos I wanted on that wall and I knew those words above the grouping would be perfect.

I bought my frames at Hobby Lobby for $11.99 each, but they were 50% off, I think (like I said, it was a looooong time ago).  The reason I didn't do this project right away is that for some reason, I am drawn to 10x13 frames without even realizing it.  I picked up the frames without even noticing the size and figured I would just pick up a mat later after I decided on the photos.  Well, of course, 10 x 13 mats with 5 x 7 openings are hard to find, which meant I would have to have my mats cut, which costs $$.  So, I waited and I waited and I waited. 

One of the other things that was holding me back is the lack of good photos.  My computer crashed and died at the beginning of the year, taking many of my photos with it.  SIGH!  So I just cropped away at the few photos I did have and went for it. 

Because it's been a crazy week around here and because I didn't have a lot of $$ to spare, I decide I wouldn't buy mats.  I had another plan. 


You know that piece of white paper that you see when you purchase a frame.  This one even had a picture already on it to give me a guide.  I just flipped it over (because it had writing on it) and taped down my picture smack dab in the middle using the reverse side as a guide (is that clear as mud?).  Then I put my frame back together and it was ready to hang.  You can't even tell it's not matted.  HA!  I just saved myself about $35. 

This is now my photo wall. 

I absolutely love it!  It's exactly what I envisioned (well, actually in my vision, I was a size 6).

Run on over to and check out everyone's projects.

I'm also linking to Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous, Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party and

 



 

Mommy Pads Giveaway @ BCD

It's 8:20 in the morning and the house is still quiet.  It's a miracle.  I was using my quiet time to catch up on laundry blog reading because I am waaay behind.  I stopped by one of my favorite blogs, Blue Cricket Designs.  Becca has an awesome giveaway going on and I just had to let my best bloggy friends know about it. 

The giveaway is from Mommy Pads and More.  There are many, many gorgeous useful items to choose from and everything is personalized.  Y'all that know me, know I love anything personalized because when you grow up with a weird name like Tanya, you find NOTHING personalized.  Now, I obsessed with personalization.  My brother and sister (Mark and Kelly) could find anything they wanted with their name on it, but not me.  Nope!  But, I'm not bitter!  Anyway, check out some of this great stuff!

This is precious.  I mean, come on, dots and personalization?  What more could you ask for?  Yes, I so loooove my polka dots!

Okay, as the mother of four kids, I think this is GENIUS!!  I know my kids' teachers just love it when I send them notes on scraps of junk mail envelopes.  "Miss. Teacher, J lost his spelling list again.  Can you send home another one?"  Plus, I could just check which kids it is for.  Now, if my writing was better.  Hmmm!

My other favorite thing is:

No more dealing with those durn sticky address labels and having to write (in my unreadable writing) our return address.  I loooove this stamp!!!  Plus, all of those durn labels you get for free in the mail, almost always come in my Hubby's name and durn it, if I'm the one doing the mailing, I want some credit for it!  The family name works for me.  Love it!

So, run on over to Blue Cricket Designs and enter for yourself!!

Sausage Cheddar Quiche

Do you have a favorite cookbook?  I don't mean the latest "cool" cookbook.  I mean the cookbook that you use over and over and over again,  whose pages are smeared with grease stains and spilled cake batter and who knows what that comes flying off the beaters of your mixer?  Please tell me I'm not the only one whose fave cookbook looks like I went dumpster diving for it.  Anyway, that messy favorite cookbook for me is The Southern Living Cookbook, printed in 1993 (not sure if they're all the same).  The messiest page in the whole book is page 218.  The recipe?  Sausage Cheddar Quiche - do you hear the angels singing at the mere mention of this awesome recipe?

Want some background?  When I was in 8th grade, one of my favorite cousins got married.  She invited me to her fancy schmancy wedding brunch hosted by the town doctor's wife.  They lived in a huge historic home on a brick street in southern Arkansas.  The house was restored and decorated beautifully.  The dining room was set up with beautiful tables and crystal and china.  I was only 14 at the time so I felt like a princess at a tea party.  The doctor's wife, Matilda, made her entrance down the grand staircase wearing white from head to toe and in her thick southern accent, she called her husband's name, "Dr. Wynne". 

I was really nervous about the food that would be served.  I was young and not much for frou frou food.  I could see the plates of the people across the room who were being served first.  What is that weird pie looking stuff?  Then the lady in the white apron put my pretty china plate on the table in front of me.  "Here goes nothing" I thought.  From the first bite, I was hooked.  Eggs, cheese and sausage and mushrooms and pie crust - yum!  Heaven on a plate. 

Fast forward to 1994, and the gift of my favorite cookbook.  I was flipping through it one day when I hit page 218 and saw the Sausage Cheddar Quiche recipe.  I've been making it ever since.  Wanna try it?  It's fabulous!!

SAUSAGE CHEDDAR QUICHE




1 pie shell (I use deep dish for no spill over)

1 lb. bulk pork sausage

1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, drained

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/4 c. chopped green pepper

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 -1/2 c. (6 oz) grated cheddar cheese

1 c. milk

2 eggs

Paprika


Line a 9 inch quich dish with pastry.  trim excess pastry around edges (OR buy a frozen deep dish pie crust like me).  Prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork.  Bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes; remove from oven and gently prick with a fork.  Bake an additional 5 minutes. 
Cook sausage until browned. Combine with mushrooms, onion, green pepper, basil, garlic powder; mix well. Spoon into quiche shell or pie shell and top with cheese. Combine milk and eggs, beating just until foamy. Pour evenly over cheese. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in a 325 degree oven for 50 minutes or until set (you may have to cover the edges of the pie crust with one of those fancy pie crust metal things (or foil around the edges) to keep it from burning.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

MMMMM!  Sooo good!! 

I'm linking up to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday @ Blessed With Grace and Tasty Tuesday @ Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Father's Day Shrimp Boil

Hubby had to work on Father's Day so we celebrated on Saturday.  We spent the day at my mom and dad's house at the lake.  We had the BEST time.  We swam, boated, and tubed. 

"J", my nephew "M" and my niece "K"

The kids rode the jet ski (with an adult), we all got sunburned and we ATE!!  My brother has a friend that just went to the gulf and brought him back some huge shrimp (luckily NOT coated with oil).  Every year we have a big shrimp boil, so my brother donated all his shrimp for the occasion and my mom pitched in, well, everything else.  It was fabulous!!

Doesn't that look delish?

YUM!  Shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn and crawfish and LOTS of cajun seasoning. 

The cousins had a great time eating their hot dogs at the kiddie table. 

Man, that was good!!!  So, after dinner, we cleaned up and the guys gathered around the TV to watch the UFC season finale thing.  It was a great day, but exausting.

See what I mean?  My sis and BIL could NOT keep their eyes open! 

It was a fabulous day!  What did y'all do to celebrate the father's in your family?

Dollar Store Wreath

So, as you may know, I have been trying to get my front porch spruced up.  I've been wanting to make a wreath of some sort for my front door, which was painted black last week.  I picked up a wreath form at DollarTree and some burlap at Wal-Mart. 

I have seen many, many versions of the burlap wreath and I love them all.  Then last week I saw this adorable rag wreath and I was torn.  So, I decided to combine the two of them.  I cut my burlap into strips and went to work tying them on. 

My dining room table looked like it had snowed from all the fraying burlap fuzz.  Lovely.  Anyway, I tied and I tied and I tied and I tied until I could barely lift my already very sore arms (durn shoulder presses!  UGH!).  Anyway, then I made a few fabric flowers using some of the fabric I bought to make pillows for the front porch. 

I also added my Modge Podge "M" in the middle.  I'm not sure if that part is staying.

I know I need another flower, but I need to add in another fabric - green I think.  Hopefully, I can make a trip to the fabric store soon. 

I'm entering this project at:

 

Go on over and enter your latest dollar store project.

I'm also linking to Frugaliscious Friday @ Finding Fabulous and Weekend Wrap-Up Party @ Chocolate Sundaes and

    

Cheap Summer Fun?

Is there such a thing as cheap summer fun?  Yes, you can make popsicles and play in the backyard and in the sprinkler, take a trip to the library, but...that's about it, and even that gets old if you do it every day. 

Do y'all have a summer kids movie program in your area?  We do.  Some are free.  Some are $1.  That's cheap right?  We went to the summer movie this morning and saw Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs.  Yes, we do own the DVD, and they have seen this movie probably one hundred times, but it's the movie experience that makes it fun, right?  The girls' and I were excited to get out of the house, but not J.  He would rather never, ever leave the house.  He's such a homebody.  Anyway, this is the one day I get to be a girl.  I generally dress cute and wear makeup and jewelry so the snotty other moms don't look at me like I'm the mom of one of those families from the backwoods that only come to town once or twice a year.  Ya know what I mean?  This is my time to get out and see other adults (a rare occasion in the summer) and not be held captive home entertaining my annoying, bickering adorable children.  Anyway, we got in to the movie for $4, which is great.  BUT, of course we had to have popcorn and a drink.  You can't watch a movie without snacks, right?  So, this $4 movie quickly turned into a $15 movie.  UGH!  That's $60 a month, which would cover our monthly orthodontist bill.  My budget is so very, very small.  Do they make ANYTHING that is truly cheap entertainment?  What in the world did I do when I was a kid in the summer?  What do y'all do for cheap summer entertainment?

Chocolate Strawberry Paninis

My name is Tanya and I am a chocoholic.  I have a hard time going even one day without chocolate, which is probably why my butt is roughly the size of a barn.  Anyway, this is one of my favorite summer desserts.  Do you watch Food Network?  Have you seen Giada DeLarentiis from Everyday Italian?  I know, she makes me sick too.  Nobody that cute and skinny and smiley and happy should be able to cook too, ya know?  UGH!  Anyway, this is her recipe and it is fabulous!! 

Chocolate-Strawberry Panini


Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis



.Prep Time:10 minInactive Prep Time:--Cook Time:12 minLevel:

EasyServes:

6 servings.Ingredients

•1/4 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)

•12 (1/2-inch) thick slices pound cake (from 1 (10.75-ounce) loaf**

•6 fresh strawberries, hulled and very thinly sliced

•Butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray

Directions

Heat a panini grill* to medium according to the manufacturer's instructions. Spread the chocolate-hazelnut spread over 1 side of all of the pound cake slices. Arrange the sliced strawberries over 6 cake slices. Cover with the remaining cake slices, chocolate side down.


Spray panini grill with nonstick spray and grill each panino until the pound cake is crisp and golden and the fillings are warm, about 2 minutes. Cut each panino in half and serve. 

* Okay, so I don't have a fancy panini press.  What I DO have is a skillet and a heavy saucepan to sit on top of it to smoosh it down kind of flat.  So, no, you don't get the fancy grill marks, but it tastes just as good - or, I assume it does anyway. 

** I used Paula Deen's Grandmother Paul's Sour Cream Pound Cake recipe.  YUM!

Okay, so truth be told, this looks a little like a truck ran over it, but trust me, it's really tasty!  Just don't eat too many or YOUR butt might be as big as a barn too!  I should know! 
 
I'm linking to Tasty Tuesday and
 

My Front Door

It's been a wonderful week with my Hubby at home.  I took a break from sewing and pretty much everything else to spend time with he and the kids while he was off.  We spent a little time at the lake, grilled out, ate smores, and had planned on camping in the backyard until the flash flood rains started.  Thank goodness the rain started BEFORE we got all the stuff in the tent.  It was a great week. 

Usually when Hubby is at home on vacation, we have one big project, like painting a room.  This time we didn't do that, but we did paint the front door, FINALLY!  After a post here where I linked up to Amanda's Decorating Dilemma Party, I decided we had to at least get started on the front porch.  I think it looks better already. 

This is the before picture.  Everything is taupe and white, except for my rocker bench that Hubby painted for me.   

Anyway, this is the after: 

Isn't that better?  That's the only thing that's been done so far.  I'm having company in a few weeks so I'd really like to get the porch finished before they get here.  I've still got to make my pillows and make a wreath and a few other things.  Fingers crossed I get it all done before company gets here. 

DISHING IT - ALL ABOUT DAD'S

Amanda's having another party and this month, we're dishing about our dads.  My story is a little different than most.  My mom was married to my "biological father", but they divorced when I was little.  My mom and Mr. "S" were set up on a date by mutual friends.  I got to go on their first date with them.  We all went to their friends' house.  The parents played cards while us kids ran around and played.  I remember that my friend Elizabeth and I were playing in her room when I accidentally broke her Mr. Microphone.  I was so upset, but Mr. "S" fixed it for me.  After playing cards, we went to IHOP and he let me order whatever I wanted.  Soon, we were doing lots of things together.  We would go to the movies, out to eat, hang out at our house and soon they announced their engagement.  I remember sitting in his van when they asked me if it was okay if they got married.  I was so excited.  This is me and my dad ("S") on their wedding day.

You've got to love the 70's, right? 

Anyway, Mr. "S" soon became "daddy" and made it official with adoption papers.  He is the best dad ever.  What makes him the best dad?  Have you heard the Brad Paisley song He Didn't Have to Be?  It explains how great his "dad" was, even though he didn't have to be.  You see, my dad could've just married my mom, accepted his role as stepdad and just been a fixture in my life.  Instead, he raised me like his own.  He told me he loved me every day I can remember.  He raised me in church and set such a great example of what God wants us to be and together my parent's set a great example of a loving marriage.  One of the best things my dad did for me, was to tell me constantly how proud he is of me and how beautiful I am.  When I look in the mirror now and I'm having a fat ugly day (which is often these days), it's my dad's voice I hear in my head telling me how pretty I am and how proud he is of me.  He still tells me that all the time.  I always get terribly embarassed and blow it off when he says it, but it means more than he'll ever know. 

As for my favorite things we did together, it would have to be camping and boating at the lake.  My grandparents and my dad were always into waterskiing.  The did a lot of ski shows back in the day.  We spent a lot of time growing up camping at the lake.  While I don't share a love of skiing (I have bad knees), I do love swimming, tubing and just being in the boat.  Now my mom and dad live on the lake, so we are on the water just about every time we visit.  Good times! 

In fact, I just have to share this picture of my dad, our cousin and my brother on top.  This is from our last lake trip last summer. 

           

Boys!  UGH!  They nearly gave me a heart attack!

This is me and my dad a couple of years ago. 

As long as we're talking about dad's, I have to say that my Hubby is a pretty sweet dad too.  Funny how seeing your Hubby playing with the kids makes ya fall in love with them all over again, huh?  I had all c-sections and Hubby stayed at the hospital and changed all the diapers, etc. for the first week or so.  He works so hard so I can stay home with these babies.  He knows being home with them is more important than having a big house and lots of $$.  He has way more patience with homework than I do.  He is affectionate and loving and makes me laugh EVERY day.  Thanks baby for being such a sweet Hubby and dad and thanks for all my babies. 

             

That little girl sure does love her daddy.  BTW, he isn't drunk, but he always closes his eyes in pictures. 

Love you daddy!!  If you want to dish about your dad, head on over to Amanda's blog and join us for the party.

HOARDING

My name is Tanya and I am a fabric hoarder.  Yep, It's true.  I find fabric that I absolutely love.  I order the fabric and then once it's washed and ironed and ready to go, it's sits in a drawer.  Why?  Because it's just so pretty.  I totally fell in love with this fabric.  Isn't it gorgeous and summery (is that even a word?) - err, summer like (is that any better?).  Anyway, isn't it pretty?  Green is my favorite color. 

I've had it since last year and I just HATED to think that whatever I make out of it, E is going to outgrow and my heart will be broken when she can't wear it anymore.  It's so sad and just plain weird that it upsets me so much.  I'm waaaaay to attached to my fabric!  So, I finally decided to just do it.  I cut it up and I made E an outfit.  My favorite beautiful green fabric is now this:

Isn't that fabric adorable?  Okay. let's look at another view. 

Please forgive my ability as a photographer.  Not only am I not good, but my camera is AWFUL!  I'm afraid my model wasn't very cooperative either.  Oh well. 

The really good thing is that she should be able to wear it next summer too.  YEA! 

I'm linking to: