the story of us...

2012-01-12T20:25:00.001-06:00

I had to laugh... Especially since E has now learned to knock.

She knocks.

I say "Go away!"

She laughs.

And knocks again.

Having a Day...

2012-01-09T10:20:00.001-06:00

...That my heart feels like it will explode with love. Baby Girl is being beyond sweet and silly. I'm so overwhelmed by the love God has for me and you. It's immeasurably more than what my mere human heart feels towards my child. That's just pure crazy.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:20:00.003-06:00

the front and back of our Christmas card this year :)

With fear of sounding cliche tossed by the wayside I'm just going to say it. "Seriously, it's Christmas already?? This year has flown by!" Alright, now that we've got that out of the way...

January 2011 began with Emmalyn being three months old, me staying home with her, and Chris still laid off from Hawker Beechcraft. Lots of "family time" whether we liked it or not... Most days we were Switzerland.

I am so, so, so incredibly grateful to be able to stay home with Emmalyn. I'm just as grateful for a husband that fully supports my desire to be home and raise our family. This is what makes my heart come alive. We don't live cushy. We have one income. But we're living in the purpose that God has called us to this moment, and that's all that matters.

In February, Chris graduated from the Sedgwick County Sheriff's Reserve academy. He is almost done with his "field training", and will be soon be able to ride shifts on his own. His heart is completely in law enforcement, and we are both excited for the day that he gets hired (either by Wichita PD or SC Sheriff) and paid for what he loves to do. His enthusiasm and love for law enforcement is evident as several "higher-ups" have told him that they see it when he is out working.

Ironically during the layoff, we had the chance to take the awesome Dave Ramsey Financial Peace class... We chuckled at the end of every class saying "Yep, this will be a great resource to have once we actually have money to work with!" But now that we have a steady income, we are slowly working our way to become debt free. The light feels far away, but it's somewhere down there at the end of the tunnel.

In March Chris was offered a job at a small aircraft company. We decided he should take because it had benefits. It actually paid less than unemployment, but insurance sure is nice to have around.

My baby sister got married in April. The last of the four kids. Crazy. Because I'm pretty sure it feels like about 3 weeks ago when we were all eating macaroni and cheese, doing school in the dining room (we were home schooled for those who don't know) and tattling on each other.

In June, I (Ginny) started volunteering at our church's coffee shop, Jitters. I continue every other week, and am enjoying taking on more responsibilities. If you're local, you should stop by and see me some Sunday (it's in Asbury Church at 15th and St. Paul). :) Speaking of church, Chris took the position of "sound technician" for the Breakthru service at church. It's a few hours on Sunday morning for service, but he enjoys it and is dang good at it - if I say so myself. :)

I'm pretty sure it was June (but can't remember exactly because it's not written in my calendar that I'm looking through to write this letter) that Chris got a call-back letter from Hawker!! Praise the Lord :) He was literally on his way home from work [and was going to clean his car out to get it ready to sell] when I called him to let him know. I could have kissed our mailman that day. I restrained.

July brought our five year wedding anniversary. I can't honestly remember what we did, but it was nothing extravagant (dinner and a movie maybe?) as we had our nine month old sweet baby girl waiting for us to return ;)

August and September I filled my days planning and creating for Emmalyn's 1st birthday! Check out all of the fun we had :)

In September I started the process of switching to all natural beauty products. I've had a really fun time with it, and continue to experiment with making my own products. Here and here are a few of my trial and errors :)

Emmalyn had great fun being a peacock for Fall Festival this year, and I had great fun making her costume :)

As far as I can think, those are the highlights of our 2011...

Emmalyn is 14 months old now and keeps us on our toes. "She wears me out just to watch her" is what my dad says :) It's true. She started walking at about 10 months and has yet to stop unless she's sleeping. She knows a lot of animal sounds, and will repeat "da" if you say "dada" and "ma" if you say "mama". She has always been an easy baby, and continues that trend. She has most definitely and unfortunately (or fortunately, however you want to look at it) inherited her mother's strong-willed trait. I laugh as I imagine the future with laid-back Chris in the background and me and her forehead to forehead ;) She's a friend to anyone most of the time, totally independent when she wants to be, but a complete mama's girl when the mood strikes.

We continue to be in awe of God's abundant blessings poured in our lives. "Blessed" is used so flippantly, but it's the one word that says it all. It's been a year of many valleys, but many hills. We've had some scary, not fun, "glad to not have to go back" times this year. But coming out the other side we have our health, we have loving family and friends. And above all else, we all have a Savior that came to this fallen and broken earth to show us His unfailing and unmeasurable love.

We pray that you will know blessings this season and this new year that is upon us.

love,

Chris, Ginny, and Emmalyn

Watch This.... Now. Please :)

2011-12-13T12:50:00.000-06:00

This...

2011-12-08T23:23:00.000-06:00

is playing as I blog and browse other blogs filled with wonderful glimpses of Christmas...

The only light in my living room is that of the Christmas tree woven with strands of tiny twinkles, and the entertainment center garnished with berries, pine cones, Mr. Elf, and illuminated with a string of lights underneath old glass phone line insulators. And the glow of the computer screen. But that kind of kills the mood I'm painting for you, huh?

My two loves are enjoying the peace of Dreamland...

I am overwhelmingly blessed. I have a loving, hard-working husband who provides for us, and supports my desire to stay home and raise our child. I wish all mommas who desired to stay home with their babies had a spouse who supported that desire. I can't imagine if Chris didn't encourage me and want me to stay home and raise our children. I have an amazing, healthy, hilarious, crazy dare-devil, mischievous, sweet ~~baby~~ girl. I have an uncommonly close relationship with most of my family. Wonderful friends...

But most of all, I have a Savior and Lord with whom I have a personal relationship with. Who loves me more than I can even begin to imagine. That's really hard to comprehend now that I have a child whose very being makes me love more than I could ever put into words.

Yes. Truly blessed. And beyond grateful.

Wreath "Wrea"-Do

2011-12-08T21:43:00.001-06:00

I'm so clever, aren't I?? No? Well alright.

If I'm not clever, then I can at least make over a simple red berry wreath that has sadly blended into my red front door for the last four years, right? Right?? Alright then.

I don't have a before picture. We all know by now that I jump into projects and forget about "before" pictures. So thanks to an image search online, this is kind-of-sort-of what I had before, but picture it on a red door, not pretty weathered wood.

http://www.lauramerwin.com

I wasn't about to part with my red door. And heaven forbid I go spend money on a different color wreath, so I broke out the hot glue gun, some green ribbon, burlap (from my daughter's birthday party), and a metal "S" ornament (given to us our first married Christmas, *aww*)...

I cut wide strips of burlap about 2 and 1/2 times the length of the circumference of the wreath (or something like that), loosely stitched thick thread through the middle and pulled it to give it the ruffled/bunchy look. I slabbed lots of hot glue on the frame of the wreath and laid it on my burlap circle. Then went around and dabbed more hot glue in places that needed it. My metal S had a string loop on it already (and I didn't want it to be attached permanently, I'm so noncommittal), so I just threaded it through a few berries.

Mission completion! ("Little Einstein's" anyone?)

While you're here, check out my friend's adorable vintage ornament wreath she DIY'd!

Overnight Getaway

2011-12-07T12:07:00.000-06:00

A couple of months ago there was a Groupon for a hotel in Oklahoma City near Bricktown (neat area downtown with shops, restaurants, bars, etc.) so I thought it would be a great little much needed (cheap) overnight getaway. Well it took a while to finally get it written in pen on the calendar since Chris has been required random overtime. But we finally got it set. The only thing he knew was that we were having "Family Time" and he couldn't plan anything Friday after work or all day Saturday.
I double and triple checked the hotel online, looked at the pictures, and was pretty excited. It looked like a pretty nice hotel, and close to downtown. My sister said she would take care of Emmalyn, everything was perfectly planned.

I packed and loaded our bags in the back of the car on Friday... Chris got home... Said hi to and snuggled with Emmalyn for a bit... Got in the shower... My mom came and got Em while he was in the shower... Which confused him - when he got in the shower she was here, when he got out she was gone :)

When he was ready to go, we got in the car and headed south. I finally told him what we were doing after we were on the turnpike... That is, after him asking me every three seconds what we were doing, and not believing me when I said we were going to the booming metropolis of Rose Hill ;)

About an hour away from OKC it started to rain.

We got to the hotel, and got checked into our room. It smelled funny. It felt gross. I wanted to cry. Chris got online to see if there were any other hotels nearby that weren't going to be a fortune. But I had already paid for the Groupon, so we would have had to eat that money and shell out more for a new hotel. So I went to the front desk to see if I could look at another room. Perfect timing, because the manager (I assumed he was since he was in "normal" clothes, no name tag or anything) was right there and was super nice (as opposed to the front desk lady who was stabbing me with the darts her eyes were throwing). Second room was definitely an improvement, so we switched. We freshened up and headed downtown. By this time it was 8:30 and we were starving! Our appetizer was good, but I don't think you can mess up cheese fries, can you? Chris liked his dinner. Mine? Well, in a word it was disgusting. I'm not anywhere close to being picky, but this was just gross. Yes, I ordered meatloaf - which I never do unless I'm at Granite City, but I thought it would possibly be close? Not even in the same galaxy. My side of green beans was good. My other side of sauteed mushrooms (which I love at Texas Roadhouse) not so much. And the bill?? Oy vey! *Sigh*.

It had stopped raining when we went into dinner, and I was praying that it would hold off until we did a canal boat ride through Bricktown - they had Christmas lights up and everything, it was so pretty! Well, it started raining again. No boat ride. I had also hoped that we could just walk around Bricktown and enjoy each others company. Next time check the forecast. Got it. *Sigh*

So we went to Bass Pro Shop. Exciting right? Well we didn't have much time before they closed, so it was quick. As we sat in the parking lot of Bass Pro at 10pm, me not wanting to go back to the hotel, we decided to check out a movie. It was either The Muppets or Twilight, and I really needed something light-hearted and happy, so we went to The Muppets. Ehh. Halfway through I thought to myself "I wish we were in Twilight". *Sigh*

Not much else happened that night besides me praying I would fall asleep quick so I could stop thinking about the hair (not mine) I found on my pillow and wondering about everything that could be on the comforter. Call me crazy, but this hotel made me start thinking that I should bring my own sheets everywhere we go from now on. *Sigh*

The next morning as I'm getting ready to shower, I notice a puddle on the floor. I really wasn't surprised, but I also didn't think I would utter the words "Hey Chris, careful of the puddle in the bathroom, the toilet is leaking" this weekend. *Sigh*

The only picture I took of the weekend :/

We set out to find a great little local place for breakfast. The hotel offered a free continental, but I think you can guess I was more than ready to skedaddle! Oh, did I say it was still raining? Like cats and dogs. We didn't find a great little local joint, so we went to IHOP. Fantastic. Well, it had the potential of being fantastic, but our waitress was in her own little world that did not include waiting on us in a semi-decent fashion. We are pretty patient people, but this was on the verge of ridiculous. *Sigh*

After breakfast I insisted we get Starbucks since there was one nearby. I'm not a huge fan, but I desperately needed it at this point. Not the caffeine necessarily, but the familiarity. Best $8 spend on the whole weekend ;)

Chris wanted to go back to Bass Pro since he didn't have ample time the night before, so we did...

We also checked out a new outlet mall... Well that is after we found it. Love my husband (he was navigating since I was sad/gonna cry/just wanted to go home). But there's a big difference between 7600 W. and 7600 E. Like, ghetto/industrial area/different city difference :) Yes, we will laugh about it later. But it's not later quite yet ;) *Sigh*

Best part of the day was when we got back home and I got to hold my baby. Everything was automatically better :) Chris said he enjoyed himself, so if that's true then it wasn't a complete disaster. But I think a second try in the spring sounds good, don't you? :)

Au-Naturel: Take 2

2011-12-07T10:45:00.001-06:00

Well it's been a few weeks since I posted about my natural product use, so I thought I'd update anyone that's interested :)

I'll be honest - in the week after I posted this, I had two hair meltdowns. Yes, I was back in junior high; teary because my hair once again had developed a mind of its own, and with a grimacing evil laugh pushed the "insta-frizz" button. The second meltdown ended with my sister taking me to the "licensed professionals only" beauty supply store to find a remedy (she's the licensed professional if you're confused ;). We ended up with a sulfate free shampoo and conditioner for curly hair, and some hair oil with good ingredients :) I'm learning that my hair is really dry. Like the desert is an oasis in comparison. So as much as I wanted to just use my baking soda for wash and apple cider vinegar for detangling, I most definitely need something with a deeper conditioner :)

I still use baking soda about every other wash. I really love the way it makes my scalp and roots feel. I always use some kind of conditioner, plus the oil after my shower, after my hair is dry, and at night before bed (the ingredients are better than some oils). I still plan to try coconut oil, just keep forgetting when I go to the whole foods store. So all of that to say, I'm still working on finding the perfect balance, but I feel I have made progress in my journey ;)

I still love everything else I posted about (vitamin E soap, almond oil, homemade lotion), and I'm really excited about some new homemade products that I'm testing out right now (one of which I made up all by myself, haha!). I'll let you know about them after I test them out a little bit longer :)

Have you have any adventures or misadventures while experimenting with going all natural?

More Dropcloth Goodness

2011-11-17T21:20:00.001-06:00

I have a hard time remembering to take "before" pictures of my projects. I get so excited and jump right in, and remember a picture about halfway through... Case in point:

Yay, no longer an eyesore! I'd say $12-ish dollars well spent (it took a little over one 6x9 drop cloth). Even better, no sewing... Just scissors and staples! I love my staple gun almost as much as drop cloths ;)

Now to decide what kind of throw pillow I want :)

Crafty

2011-11-17T00:48:00.001-06:00

I heart crafting. I love seeing something and being inspired to recreate it in my own way. Pinterest has definitely been putting the bug in me lately. Here's what I've been up to...

This was a bright orange extra large mens pullover hoodie... Added some darts, took out some fabric in the arms, changed the color with some black dye. Now it's my cute "loungey" sweatshirt :)

"Sweater pillow". Also used the sweater arms for boot "sock tops"

(sweater found at thrift store for $1.50)

I've been looking for a red cardigan. Not burgundy, not maroon, just red (and not spend $50).

Found this at the Goodwill for $1.50. New buttons were $2

(the new buttons are the top ones, in case you were wondering; jewel-studded isn't really my taste ;)

I've recently discovered the amazing-ness of painter's drop cloths. Cheap. Neural color. But can be dyed or painted. Already hemmed (awesome for certain crafts and curtains!)

Bought a large comforter at DAV ($6), drop cloth ($10), and velcro ($.79)... So for less than the price of one store-bought dog bed, I made two :)

One thing I love about crafting is being able to make things exactly the way I want them. I sewed the comforter so it won't fall apart or clump when it gets washed, and I put velcro on one of the short sides of the cover so everything is easily taken apart and washed. I'm thinking about stenciling their initial on the bottom corner. What do you think?

I think they likey :)

Projects in the making: new art for the living room, and recliner chair reupholstered... Coming soon :)

My Non-Chemical Beauty Regimen

2011-11-16T11:02:00.000-06:00

*Right before I posted this, I realized I had written "regime" instead of "regimen"... Oh the power of an "N" :)

**Sorry for the wordy post... Apparently I have a lot to say, but I'm quite certain I don't know much.

*** I in no way claim to be an expert or professional on any of the topics mentioned. This is purely my own personal opinion and what has worked for me.

If you know me at all, you probably know that I like to go against the grain. If someone tells me I need to do something (or not do something), I'll promptly do everything short of killing myself to do the opposite. One could say I have quite the pile of noses due to cutting them off to spite my face. This is not normal, I know. Well, in the last few months, I've been weeding out all of the health and beauty aid products that most of us have grown up thinking you need. I like to stick it to the man (especially when "the man" is society and the lies they ingrain in our pretty little heads about what we "need". Do we need expensive hair products to tame our hair? Do we need body wash laden with chemicals that end up drying our skin, so we use lotion laden with chemicals that absorb into our skin?). At Bible study tonight, someone commented on my hair being curly, and that turned into me talking all about my new-found love of natural products.

As for my hair, I'm embracing what my perfect, all-knowing God has given me. After years and tears, flat-irons and blow-drying, and idontwannaknowhowmuch money spent on products that claim to tame and maim, I'm becoming okay with my crazy weird curly/wavy hair. Right now, I'm in the process of "no-pooing" [no-shampoo], practicing methods from "The Curly Girl Handbook", and "plopping". I don't use shampoo, as it strips hair of its natural oils. No bueno. It did take a couple of weeks to detox from shampoo. {Before, I would rarely skip a day of shampooing, just because by noon on the "no shampoo" day, the grease would be more than I could take. When I was working outside of the home, I even ran home on lunch break one day just to wash my hair. I did shampoo on the day of my daughter's first birthday party. I knew I'd be in pictures and didn't want to look like a Crisco ball. But the next day I was nowhere near the grease-level as before. I think I even went 3 days before I cleansed again. We're making progress here people!} My routine as of right now (which I'm still working on), is wash my scalp with a 2T. baking soda / 2C. water mixture whenever I feel I need to - at least every other, but more like every 3 days. On the off days, I still wet my hair in the shower, use conditioner, and comb through it with a wide tooth comb while still in the shower under the water. I have been using Redkin conditioner for now until I find something else (either homemade or non-chemical). I've also thought about trying coconut milk or coconut oil. Has anyone used either and liked the results? There are a few non-chemical conditioners I'd like to try, just need to make it to Sally's beauty and pick them up. I'll keep you updated since I'm sure you're interested ;) At night I put a palm full of sweet almond oil (more on this later) on the ends. I also use a cotton t-shirt for my hair after the shower. Terrycloth is extremely rough on the hair and causes frizz and possibly breakage. Next on my to-do list is get a satin pillowcase. I've heard they are so much more gentler on your hair as you toss and turn at night.

To cleanse body and face, I use a vitamin E bar soap, (around $3 at local whole foods store). I also use this on my 1 year old daughter. I very much dislike using things on her skin that would be harmful if swallowed. Your skin is your biggest organ, gotta take care of it! *steps off of soap box* - no pun intended ;)

I've also ventured into making my own lotion. If your kid ingests some, no need to call poison control. This is the recipe I use, and have really liked. But I'm thinking next time I'll have to try this one. You know, just to keep things lively around here :)

I mentioned sweet almond oil earlier... I'm becoming a huge fan of the stuff. Not only do I use it in lotion and in my hair at night, but I also use it after the shower sometimes (in place of or in addition to lotion, depending on the day), at night for face moisturizer, and added to my bath water for a nice soak. What I've found so far is about $8 for 16oz. at the local whole foods store. Love, love, love the stuff. Totally worth the moolah in my opinion :)

I contemplated writing about deodorant, but decided I'm just gonna lay it out there. Stink and all. Maybe someone else is struggling with the "I've been told since I was twelve that I have to use deodorant, so if I don't people will think I'm gross, but if I do it doesn't help" conundrum. I rarely use deodorant. I've found that my smelly factor significantly decreases by not using it. No matter what kind of deodorant I use (and trust me, I've tried every single one out there short of a prescription deodorant. *sigh* This has been a battle ever since high school), I will still get damp armpits. I've finally come to terms with this and have instead focused on controlling the stink. In high school I tried a deodorant that claimed to close off the pores underneath your arms... Worked great, but the small print said "you may experience increased sweating in other places". Sweaty hands, anyone? Nice, huh? :/ Half of the ~~million~~ billion deodorants I've tried end up giving me hives, and the other half just don't cut it when it comes to the smelly factor. So sometime this summer I just decided to stop using it all together. I mean, I found a deodorant that doesn't cause me to scratch like a flea infested orangutang, but it seemed that it was amplifying the stink (think stink + metallic smell), and definitely not helping the wetness. On the days that I didn't use any if I did start to smell, I would just wash them with a warm washcloth and soap and would be good the rest of the day. From what I understand about underarm smell, it's not the wetness that stinks, it's the bacteria - or something - that starts growing from the wetness. I know, I know, just call me Bill Nye. I still use deodorant when I'm going to the gym and know that I'm going to work up a sweat, because it seems to actually work then, but not as a part of my morning routine.

So there you have it. I no longer use shampoo, body wash, store bought lotion, or deodorant. My skin and HBA budget are thanking me. Most of the information I've gathered for myself is due to hours of online research, then trial and error at home. If you've ever thought about going more green when it comes to beauty products, I say go for it! What do you have to lose?

Have you had any experience with any of the above? Any tips or suggestions?? I'd love to hear them!

First Birthday Party!

2011-11-06T18:24:00.000-06:00

For Emmalyn's party, we invited only family because just that guest list was 50 people - yikes! 35 people showed up, and we were busting at the seams! But we had a great time anyway :)

vintage doily wrapped over invitation with ribbon

cupcakes and funfetti fudge

goldfish and fall mix

Found this sweet little vase at the antique mall - sure to adorn future babies birthday tables :)


the littles got their own cups

another view of the tables

display of her weekly pictures - framed pictures of her "birth" day - vintage blocks spelling her name out

party favors - apples & pictures

a HUGE thank you to my Momma who helped with all of the decorations!

I couldn't have done it without you, Mom!!

party skirt custom made by Grandma Shields :)

welcoming her guests

people didn't pay much attention to the request on her invitation regarding gifts

sporting her new chef hat

Happy Birthday to our incredibly sweet baby girl!!

Emmalyn Is One!

2011-11-06T16:02:00.000-06:00

You know from this post that we spent Emmalyn's birthday afternoon at the pumpkin patch... Here's what we did the rest of the day :)

woke up to a room filled with balloons!

...but we're not sure what to think about them

birthday sprinkle "E" pancakes!


She wouldn't stop cramming her mouth full. Nom nom nom!

A new bath book

soft alphabet magnets

What could it be?

It's my very own rocking chair!


We LOVE to "rock-a-bye" :)

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-18T01:41:00.001-05:00

On Emmalyn's birthday (the 13th), Chris took the day off work and we celebrated all day, including a trip to the Klausmeyer Farm and Pumpkin Patch. They had cows, calves, lambs, turkeys, chicks, and ducks, oh my! It was so much fun watching Miss E be completely fascinated and captivated with the animals. Even the lady at the farm mentioned that she noticed E already has a softness for animals. She was incredibly independent and probably would have had just assumed we leave her alone - that is until one of the lambs "baa"-ed about six inches away from her face... Who wants her Mama now?? ;)

Looking at and "petting" the chicks

"Be gone you minion! I will choose a pumpkin in peace!"

"This one's nice... But..."

"Ohh, what's that one over there? BTW Mom, my 6-9mo jeans are officially too short. Thankssomuch"

"Found it! I want this one."

"If I have to get one that's not decayed, this one will do."

We could hardly keep her from sticking her fingers through the fence... They nibbled soft though :)

And we're off again to do our own thing on our own time

Back to the lambs... about 5 seconds before one of them scared her

There was a school group of children there, and as they were lining up to load the bus, the teacher saw E's shirt that said it was her birthday, so they all sang "Happy Birthday" to her. SO incredibly sweet! After that, E tried and tried to get away from me so she could get on the bus with them. Seriously independent!

This "tunnel" was 12-15ft long, and Miss Brave walked all the way through and back :)

love my family!

I think that the pumpkin patch on Emmalyn's birthday should be a tradition to kick fall off right :)

I just typed...

2011-09-19T12:46:00.002-05:00

... an entire phone number into the calculator on my phone.

Second cup of coffee anyone?

The ceiling fans have just been turned off for the first time since spring...

2011-09-17T01:09:00.002-05:00

... and that means my number one chore for the weekend is sweeping the 17 inches of dust off that one side of the blades that it all piles up on. You know what I'm talking about, right? Right??

Grossness.

Well Hey There Pretty Girl

2011-08-31T15:10:00.000-05:00

{10 1/2 months}

Washing a Dishwasher?

2011-08-31T11:43:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Pinterest, I've recently learned that I can, and should, clean my dishwasher every once in a while (how embarrassed should I be that I never knew this?). I've also learned through Pinterest how to make any and every kind of cleaning product for $.03, make clothing using only men's shirts and scissors, and am now chock full of witty sayings and sarcastic comments. Watch out world.

Lately, as in the last 2 years, I have not been impressed with the way my dishes come out of the dishwasher. I thought it was because we have one of the cheaper dishwashers (it's a good brand, just on the low price end), and I was convinced that next time we needed a dishwasher, "top of the line" was a must. I usually rinse the dishes somewhat well before loading them. But ohmygrossness... It wasn't barf twelve times disgusting, but it was not "clean". I won't go into great detail about what I did (and I'm quite sure you don't care to see pictures of my hard water-crusted filter), and there are 4 jillion how-to's (complete with pictures) on the internet. But this is the blog I loosely followed - this is another good one. I didn't have any heavy duty cleaner to run through a cycle or two, so I dumped in some vinegar and lemon juice.

I'm excited to see in the next week or so how sparkly clean my dishes come out! If your washer isn't living up to your standards, give this a try before you shell out the bucks for a new one! :)

2011-08-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

Since I'm usually hanging out on the floor with my sweet baby in the morning, I'm thinking that my spill-proof travel mug should just be the new norm... Playing coffee musical chairs is getting kind of old. :)

And if you're looking for a great travel mug, I'd highly recommend the Contigo spill proof (this isn't a paid advertisement). You have to push the button to open the spout, and once you release, it closes. No forgetting to close your spill-proof mug and defeating the purpose. I've had mine over 3 years and still love it :)

Coffee Perfection... Almost

2011-08-26T13:24:00.001-05:00

... Well at least in my opinion. I know there are about 14 gazillion "Perfect Iced Coffee" recipes out there, and I've tried several... Today I decided to throw it all out the window and try something completely from scratch, no "recipes" in mind... Because all of the recipes I've tried just haven't cut it. They're good. But not great. And I'm so over paying $4 for iced coffee at the local Yuckbucks. Side note: my church now has a coffee shop - Jitters, and they get their beans from a member whose hobby is roasting his own beans. Oh. My. Goodness. Seriously. After having Jitters for a couple of months, I ran through the drive-thru at the above mentioned chain coffee shop and literally wondered if they had run out of coffee and gone outside and dug up some dirt to replace it. I love strong coffee. But I don't love strong bitter coffee.

Well let's get back to this morning. What I made this morning was really good, but I would still probably tweak it a bit, so here's what I did and what I would do next time.

I used my french press (it's a small, single serve - I think 12oz) and added 3 level scoops. Next time I'm thinking more along the lines of 4 or 5 heaping scoops of ground coffee (especially if you're going to ice it). I also added 1/4 tsp. of dark chocolate cocoa (I get this at the local Spice Merchant) before I added my boiling water. While it was brewing, I added 2 tsp. of good, rich vanilla from Mexico (the only way to go when it comes to vanilla!) and 2 packets of Splenda to 1 cup of skim milk. Next time I think I'll start with 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 packet Splenda.

After 3 minutes of brewing, I mixed the coffee and milk, added a bit of ice and voila! I was pretty excited that it turned out, not having any idea how the cocoa and vanilla would taste together (although very rare, sometimes too many good things together don't turn out good). One of the best parts is that this comes in around 90 calories - and those are just from the milk, so they're "good" calories :) - especially if you're like me and don't like to "drink" away your daily calories (unless of course they're in the form of melted chocolate ;)

{this is only a portion of how much it made... I made it to last the whole day}

Like my straw? It's a sneak peak at one of the things that will be at Emmalyn's First Birthday party - which I'm having a blast planning and crafting for! Can't wait for you to see it all! But you'll have to wait until after October 13th :)

Grand Lake 2011

2011-08-23T12:25:00.000-05:00

Every other summer, Chris' grandparents - Grandpa and Grandma Ludlow - treat everyone on Chris' mom's side with a family reunion at Grand Lake. This year was the third year, and I'm already counting down until summer '13 :) We tried a new resort, and while the facilities were newer, Grandpa wasn't able to sit on the deck and watch his grandkids (and great grandkids) play in the water like previous years... Big bummer :(

It worked out to where Chris, Emmalyn, and I were able to go down Thursday after work with Tera (Chris' sister) and Brian (her BF) and stay at Brian's grandparent's cabin that night. We got up Friday and had the whole day to start vacation off right :)

My dad had told me about "Little Blue River" in Disney, OK and I thought it would be fun to make a little family trip there. So Friday morning we got up and headed that way... Well, it's definitely a "you have to know exactly where you're going" place; you're not going to accidentally stumble on it :) Thanks to the friendly local gas station attendant, we finally found it! What a great little place! Reminded me of Pillsbury Crossing for all of you K-Staters :)

{so beautiful!}

{I now realize how white trash I made E look by just taking her pants off, ah well}

As we were walking deeper and deeper, she'd try and "step over" the water by bringing her legs up higher with each step :)

Another place I wanted to explore was Lendenwood Gardens, which happened to be about five minutes from the place we were staying! It was warm and muggy, but beautiful as well! Good memories, and great photo-opps ;) To say that watching Em experience new things is "awesome" would be putting it lightly... I could watch her all day exploring new things of this world... I love seeing the wheels turn in her head... Soaking it up, taking it all in...

{she love, love, LOVES riding on dad's shoulders}

Unfortunately, that's about the extent of my pictures... We did a lot of relaxing, which isn't really photo-worthy, and actually would be quite boring for anyone else to look at.

{Quality book reading time with Grandpa Shields before bed one night}

Mama always said "Better Safe Than Sorry"

2011-08-08T13:58:00.000-05:00

I know it's been about 12 ions since I've posted, and this isn't a "fun" post by any means... I promise I'll get to some fun posts soon. But I thought I'd give a free PSA reminder to all my bloggy friends! :)

Story of Relevance #1: Recently a friend had her purse stolen out of her husband's car :( I've had my car broken in to in high school, and Chris' truck has been broken in to in the last few years. You feel SO violated when someone has been in your personal property (car, house), and took something of yours. Ick :(

Story of Relevance #2: Chris and I were recently at Target. We split up because I was getting non-fun stuff (ie toilet paper), and I always feel pressure when he's with me (I like to take my time to make sure I'm getting exactly what I want, especially now that I coupon). I know this "pressure" is ridiculous because he couldn't care one hoot, but it's just how I feel. Anyway, so after figuring out the price per inch (or something like that) on toilet paper, I went on to do my other shopping. When we met up again, I realized my phone wasn't with me - I asked if he had taken it, which he hadn't, so I went to retrace my steps. I start [kind of] freaking because in my whole life of owning a cell phone I have never EVER left it anywhere. Ever! Even with crazy mom brain - and I didn't even have the kid with me this time! As I was coming up on the tp isle, it looked as if someone was looking at a phone kind of curiously and started walking away with it. I was too far away to say something, so I figured I'd just follow them. Thankfully they took it to customer service, where I retrieved it 3.2 seconds later. My whole life is on that phone, so THANK YOU whoever you are for being a responsible citizen! :)

Point of Story #1 and #2: Both of those stories compelled me to do what I did today... And I'd highly suggest you do the same! Crazy weird things happen, and you'll say "I wish I would have..." when they do!

I took everything out of my wallet (except the checkbook and cash - which is never in there anyway, so don't have to worry about that!) and scanned the front and back of everything into my computer, where it is now safely stored. If anything ever happens to my wallet, I have an accurate account of everything that is in it. This has made me go through my wallet and take out unnecessary items. When Emmalyn was first born, I had to give her ss# all the time it seemed, so I still had her card in there! NOT necessary!! One suggestion I'd offer, if you have a smart phone, I'd highly recommend a "Password Keeper" application. You have to enter a password to get into the app (so it's secure!), and it stores everything you could need or want! I LOVE it :) One last thing, write down all of your information from your cards (DL, credit cards, debit cards, bank acct info), and the phone numbers to those places. If anything does happen to your wallet, you can quickly and effectively call places to have them put holds on your accounts. This may seem like overkill, but I promise you won't regret it if something happens.

This is one sheet of my scanned cards... Yes, I scanned my rewards cards (and sorry, I didn't want a picture of my important cards floating around the internet, no matter how much I "erased" on them). I'd rather just glance at a document, rather than trying to rack my brain of all the places I have cards :)

DIY Crib Rail Protectors

2011-06-24T23:33:00.001-05:00

I have to say I'm kind of disappointed.

Before starting to write this blog I looked up "crib rail protectors" to make sure I had the correct terminology, thinking that I would find those plastic tube-looking things. Oh how wrong I was. I found fabric tie-ons similar to what I thought I had ingeniously (more or less) thought up all by myself. So just to clarify, my tie on crib protectors I thought up all of my own. This is my virtual pat on the back.

So moving on. With the babe's teeth coming through, she's already found them useful for perfecting her woodchuck impersonation on the crib. I wondered what the brown specks on her shirt the other day were... Lovely. So I scrounged around and found everything I needed around the house.

Materials I used:
- 1 yard of fabric
- Extra fabric for padding (optional) - I used two layers of flannel-type material
- Ribbon (I would suggest one with a little texture as opposed to the silky stuff I used)
- Non-slip shelf liner "NSSL" as I'll refer to it from now on (found with the contact paper, it's kind of foamy/squishy)

There aren't any "in progress" pictures. It was late. And I was preoccupied watching episodes of The OC. Please don't hate.

Some random facts:

For the front piece, I sewed two pieces together since my crib is longer than a yard.

I could probably have spent a bit more time and sewn the ties on inside the two layers of fabric, but the way my crib is made, you can't even see where the ties are sewn on, so I just sewed them on the underneath side.

The silky ribbon probably won't stay tied as well as a textured one would. But with my few layers of NSSL, it hasn't moved yet.

the two side pieces

I thought one piece (the long skinny one) of NSSL would be enough, but after a couple
times of babe standing up in the crib and messing with them, the non-slip stuff wasn't
doing its job. I suggest a couple of layers, at least one cut nearly as thick as your bumper)
so it wraps over and around the side.

Finished! And, if I do say so, cuter than what I could have bought :)

Any projects on your radar at the moment?

Inspired Vignette

2011-05-20T00:05:00.000-05:00

I'm sad to say that the past few years I have hardly been garage sale-ing / antiquing. I'm sure I've passed up countless deals and cute stuff because I've had a "it's all just stuff that'll collect dust" attitude. Shame on me, I know. And my house poor shows it. Looking around the other day, I realized that - aside from a few clusters here and there - my house doesn't feel as homey as I'd like it to {my Mom disagreed with me and said it does feels homey}. But I think I can step it up a few notches for a few dollars. In fact, I stopped at a garage sale today and came home with a couple of treasures. I'm excited to find them a perfect place! I'm thinking about spray painting the basket a dull black... I'm not digging the green. What do you think?

I've been perusing Google Images for spring decorating ideas {no joke, I could be on GI for days and not get bored}. Now my virtual "Design Ideas" folder is busting at its poor gigabyte seams.

My goal for the next couple of weeks is going to be the mantle. It's been pretty "wah-wah" with black frames and a few tea lights. But we're taking baby steps here until I can come up with enough fun stuff to fill it. Enter, the bathroom and it's new vignette:

What do you think of my paper doily wrapped soap pump? At least for a few days until it starts getting splashed. But hey, a package of 40 was at the dollar store. No complaints when it does get wet and ruined. I think some lace ribbon to tie on the top of my lotion dispenser would add a nice touch too. Bonus: see that little empty space between the broach and hair pins? A place to put my ring at night!

What are your favorite places to go antiquing/"junking"?

Coming Soon - My "Inspiration Board" for Emmalyn's first birthday! :)

I Hate the Circle of Life...

2011-05-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

... Especially when it happens in my backyard.

I went to let the dogs in tonight, and Chelsea had a baby rabbit on the back porch... After finally getting her to leave it alone and go in the house, I hollered for Chris to come get it thinking it was dead. But worse yet, it wasn't. It's back end was dragging. I start crying. Wonderful husband "took care" of it (I definitely couldn't have done it). I have to tell myself it was best/only thing for the poor thing. Still sad :( Stupid dogs.

Reminds me of a very vivid memory I have of when I was little. A baby bird had fallen out of the nest. I wanted so bad to take it to the vet. I just knew that they could help it. But my Mom assured me there was nothing they could do for it. I remember sitting on her lap crying. And hearing her heartbeat. It was so comforting. She told me that not even a bird dies without God knowing about it.

I've always been sensitive when it comes to animals, especially baby animals. And I'm pretty sure being a mom now makes it about ten times worse.

I'll leave you with a funny story of the same subject. When I was younger, we went through our fair share of hamsters. When one in particular died, I remember burying it in an old check box in the backyard. I put food in the box, just in case it wasn't really dead. Hahaha. That's the extent of what I remember. But apparently I dug it up a couple times... Well, every time the story gets told, my brother adds more times that I dug it up. It was not seven times, or eight. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure I dug it up to put food in the box, then maybe one more time to make sure it hadn't "woken up" and started eating the food. Ahh, kids.

Happy Easter!!

2011-04-24T08:00:00.039-05:00

Sweet Baby E -
At 6 months you sit up on your own for the most part. Sometimes you'll take a nose dive, but you don't care... You just end up on your tummy or roll to your back. It seems like you're cutting teeth (massive amounts of drool, gnawing on everything) but I can't see of feel anything. In the last months you've gained 2 pounds! You really like eating solid foods. There's nothing you don't like. So far we've tried rice cereal, oatmeal cereal, sweet potato, avocado, banana, strawberries, green beans, peas, chicken (don't tell your doc ;), and other random mushy things that your parents let you suck off their fingers :) You sleep 12 hours at night. Sometimes you'll wake up at 5 or 6 in the morning, but after you eat, you go back to sleep for a few more hours. Everywhere we go people always stop us and tell us how beautiful you are (seriously, this lady stopped me right in the middle of Dillon's parking lot the other day). We know this, but it never gets old hearing other people that agree with us :) You always have a smile for anyone that looks your way... I love that you don't just smile with your mouth, your whole face lights up when you smile... Giggling is a norm now too, but just because it's a norm, it's definitely the sweetest sound ever. As much as we can't believe you are already a half of a year old (!), it's hard to remember a time when you weren't in our lives. We are so so so grateful that God has given us 6 months with you!

Easter Preview :)

2011-04-18T21:44:00.000-05:00

Easter greeting and 6 month stats coming this Sunday :)

A Beginner Couponer

2011-02-21T00:17:00.000-06:00

I've decided to start couponing for a couple of different reasons. First of all, since Chris is still unemployed, I can do better on the grocery budget. We have cut back, but there is always room for improvement :) Secondly is that since I'm staying home with Emmalyn, my "job" should be saving as much on groceries (and anywhere else in the budget) as I can. All of it comes down to being wise with whatever money (as much or as little) we do have.

*Disclaimer - I won't be one of "those" couponers that has toilet paper stockpiled for 40 years. I won't buy things I don't need, even if they're free. I may get creative with some things I get free, but I will use them! :) For instance, my hair has an attitude and doesn't do well with generic/cheap shampoo and products, so there won't be much of a stockpile of those sorts unless my husband can use it.

I went to a "house party" where Deal Detecting Diva (DDD) gave us some great tips and showed us a few different coupon organizing methods... She's awesome! :) I would highly recommend following her blog. And if you have a few girlfriends that are interested in couponing, she can come to your house (for a super tiny "fee") and give you all kinds of info :) DDD finds deals at Dillons, Target, Walgreen, Homeland (the only Homeland in KS is in Haysville, but they double $1 coupons to $2, so I'm thinking about making a trip every once in a while), and Apple Market, and posts them for all. Then I just go through and decide what deals I want to snag, copy and paste it into a Word document, clip my coupons, and I have my grocery list done! (DDD suggests carrying a copy of the store coupon policy with you).

My organization method is similar, but not exactly what DDD suggests. I have a three-ring binder that I've hole punched my coupon books and put in source (RedPlum, SmartSource, and P&G) and date order. I can easily flip through it to refresh my memory or to find a certain coupon. So far I've been on two couponing trips. Dillons and Target.

This is my Dillons loot and breakdown (Dillons doubles coupons up to $1 every day):

3 Colgates - Free - on sale for $.98 each, three $.50 coupons doubled to $1.00.

2 Ragus - $2.58 - on sale for $1.79 each, coupon for "$.75 off 2", which went up to $1 off.

(I normally don't buy jar marinara sauce, but I use it for a certain recipe, so we're good :)

Razor - Free - on sale for $5.99 - cut coupon for $2 off, loaded e-coupon onto Dillons card for $4 off. [DDD never buys cartridge refills. She always gets a better deal on the whole razor]

2 Jimmy Deans sausage chubs - $5.98 - on sale for $3.49 each, coupon for "$.50 off 2", doubled to $1 off. The most expensive items, but when they are normally $4.99 each, I think this was a good deal.

TOTAL (before tax): $8.56

TOTAL SAVED: $16.00

Target loot and breakdown: Target takes 1 manufactures coupon + 1 Target coupon each item (also known as "stacking"). I'm only posting the things that I set out to buy. The husband came with me and we left with more things than were on the list. *dislike* ;)

2 Bertolli - $1.34 - on sale for $1.94 each. "$1.50 off 2" manf. coupon + "$1 off 2" Target coupon

Gain Fabric Sheets - $1.34 - coupon for $3 off

Mother's Milk Tea - $3.99 - not a great deal, but had a $1 off coupon, and it's a better price than Whole Foods.

Vaseline Men's Lotion - $.99 - $1 off manf. coupon + $1 off Target coupon.

Up&Up Formula - $10.89 - $1 off coupon. Not a good deal, but I suppose a dollar is a dollar :)

TOTAL (before tax): $18.55
TOTAL SAVED: $9.50

Couponing used to intimidate me, but with every trip and dollar saved, it makes me more excited to keep doing it!

What are you doing these days to watch your dollars?

Giggles

2011-02-13T22:07:00.000-06:00

This was a month ago or so, and she still isn't laughing at everything, but every once in a while, random things will make her laugh (like the aspirator :)

Embracing Life

2011-01-26T23:32:00.001-06:00

As I sit holding my baby while she eats her early morning breakfast, I read a story on my mobile window to the world. And as tears fill my eyes to the point where I have to clear them every other sentence, I am reminded of how fleeting these moments called life are.

A story of a baby whose destiny in this world took only two and a half hours to fulfill. His purpose was fully complete in a mere 150 minutes, otherwise he would not have been taken. Born into this world four months early. I know the tears come partially because even thought he and his family are strangers to me, it's a story that we wouldn't wish on an enemy. Tears come because I wish with all my might that this precious tiny little life was still safe inside his mother's womb- growing, developing, maturing into a perfect baby of nine months. Not mere weeks.

My baby stops eating. Looks me in the eyes. Smiles. Then continues.

The tears come because my fragile human thoughts cannot understand the "why". I believe there are some things in this life on earth that we won't understand, this is one of them. But I remind myself that life is full of things that our earthly bodies will not comprehend.

The tears come from a shared common experience. I was not able to hold our first baby before its destiny was fulfilled, but losing a life before our human minds think it's time is always painful.

The tears come because this morning, I get to sit my baby up and attempt to get all of the air out of her tiny stomach. Silly girl sometimes swallows as much air as food. Per usual, she starts talking. "These are the moments" I think to myself. The moments where you feel like your life is complete. Where you wonder why your heart has not literally exploded, because it feels as if it should have by now. She has nothing but smiles and chatting for me this morning. Catching me up - I'm quite sure - about her night, what she dreamed about, and what she has planned for the day. Why am I so lucky that I get to be her mom? I don't understand, and I won't take for granted. Who knows how many ~~days~~, ~~hours~~, minutes I will get to enjoy her in this life.

I'm not really sure how to wrap my thoughts in a nice package and close up shop. I still feel like emotional mush at 11:14pm. I wish I could end this post with a nice verse or simple saying, but none come to mind. So maybe just a challenge... For myself probably more so than whoever stumbles across this. Remember that every God-breathed life, whether it lasts three hours or 93 years, has a purpose. A destiny. Remember this gift you were given called life. You were put on earth to do something great. Go forth. Embrace it. And don't look back.

{Thirteen Weeks}

2011-01-17T22:25:00.000-06:00

Three Months - updated

2011-01-13T00:38:00.003-06:00

{edited 01/18/10 after three month doctor's appointment}

Sweet Sweet Emmalyn Grace -

Three months ago you changed our lives forever and for the better. We blinked. And now you're three months old. You weigh 10lbs 3oz (25%) and are 24in. long (90%). Newborn diapers are too small and size one diapers are too big. Your 3 month pants are long enough, but still don't stay on your little bottom. You love to stand. Most of the time you prefer to stand as opposed to being held "baby style". You talk. A lot. Your bouncy chair has three stuffed bugs hanging from it, and you make conversation with them on a regular occasion. When you wake up in the morning, you greet us with smiles and coos and lots and lots of talking. The doctor said that you are advanced in your talking and laughing. You've giggled a few times - most of the time it's for Dad. Nothing consistent, but absolutely heart-melting. You're so stinking cute. You love grabbing things - your toys, our shirts, momma's hair... and putting everything in your mouth. You definitely prefer your Mom and Dad to others. You're okay with others as long as you know we are close. But sometimes you just want your Momma. And your Momma melts every time you just snuggle up against her chest, wide awake, just snuggling :) You're sleeping from about 10:30 to 6 (give or take). You're awesome at holding your head up, and the doctor said that tummy time isn't that important for you because you have great head control and muscle development. We will still do it, but Mom doesn't feel bad about forgetting ;) You got three shots on 1/18, and while you cried when you got them (it's okay honey, I cry when I have to get shots too), it didn't take much to calm you down. You're such a trooper. I could go on and on, but you're in your crib sleeping right now, and I want to go look at you.

You are absolutely perfect. And we love you to the moon and back.

{I couldn't get the slideshow program to work that would also play the music I wanted, so

unfortunately this is just going to be an extremely long post full of pictures.}

[I love your sweet birthmark]

Straw Crazy

2011-01-09T23:34:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, my husband and I were cruising to local Walmart, when my eyes glanced upon something beautiful... There, hanging on a the corner of the juice isle, was this package of straws.

My eyes had never seen anything like this! Usually my straw options are either striped (boring!) or neon (not as boring, but still not anything too cool).

Now you probably should know that I love straws. No, you don't understand. I love straws. I always, always use a straw (when I can - I don't refuse refreshment at someone's house if they don't offer a straw). I've found that I drink way more water when I drink it with a straw. But apparently it's weird to drink your coffee from a straw. Who knew? I sure didn't until my co-workers gave me a hard time about it. All I know is that I like to keep my pearlies a nice shade of white, and if I drink my coffee with a straw, the coffee does not come in contact with my teeth, therefore I can drink more coffee without the appearance-damaging effects. To heck with my liver.

Alrighty back to my story. I saw these delicious straws, but refrained from buying them. I already had quite a few left at home, so it wasn't a "need". Fast forward to last week when my husband ran to Wallyworld to pick up some groceries, and came home with a surprise behind his back - yes he made me close my eyes and everything. This swell guy that I get to be married to bought me straws. Cue the "awwww"s. I love flowers occasionally, but they're predictable. My favorite kinds of gifts are random "Saw this and thought of you" gifts, so these straws are pretty great and filled up my love tank. I can't wait to use up my neon straws so I can move to my "array of blue and green" ones! :)

{Twelve Weeks}

2011-01-07T11:36:00.000-06:00

Perfect Timing

2011-01-06T18:48:00.001-06:00

Chris and I have been doing this really random thing lately. No, no, don't go down that path...

He's been timing me to see if I can do certain things under a certain amount of time. I love a ~~good~~ challenge. If someone says I can't do something, I love to prove them wrong, or at least fail trying.

So the other evening, we needed some basic living essentials... There really isn't anything that you can substitute around the house for toilet paper. Well you can - paper towels, napkins - but it's not pretty folks. Can you say yowchimama? I digress. We were going to be passing a Walmart, but were also really ready to be home, so I bet him that I could make it in and out in 10 minutes. I had about 10-12 things on my list, ranging from cold medicine to carrots (read: ranging from one side of the store to the other). He started the timer when he dropped me off at the front door, and even though he said I walked out of the store (5 bags in tow) at 9:58, I put the groceries in the back and got into my seat at 10:17. Not too shabby. I'm considering this to be our new way of conquering the awfulness that is Wallyworld.

Fast forward to this morning, the husband said he would be getting in the shower after he folded the basket of clothes he was working on (unemployed=stinky, man around the house to help with stuff=awesomeness). So I bet him that I could be in and out of the shower by the time he got done with the clothes. But he upped the ante and said "Three minutes", which I replied "You're on buddy". The time started when the water turned on, and stopped when I got back into the bedroom. This was my time. Boom-shaka-laka.

For the record, this will not be the way I start taking showers now. I love showers. The worst part of my day is the moment when I turn the shower off. Those glorious eight (or twelve if I feel like pampering myself) minutes every day are as close to heaven as I'll get on this earth.

{Eleven Weeks}

2011-01-04T09:53:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T00:15:00.001-06:00

We pray abundant blessings in your new year!
Chris, Ginny & Emmalyn

{Ten Weeks}

2010-12-24T12:15:00.000-06:00

Our sweet little candy cane :)

{Nine Weeks}

2010-12-16T19:05:00.002-06:00

Two Months Old

2010-12-13T17:59:00.000-06:00

Happy Two Months, my sweet baby Emmalyn!

At two months you are becoming your own little person. You talk so much, especially after you eat. You are happy ninety-nine percent of the time. If we can lock eye contact, you give us huge smiles. You go almost four hours in between eating, and have been sleeping five to six hours at night.

These past few days you have been sleeping a lot! We think you are going through a growth spurt, which would be okay, because you are still so little. Don't get me wrong - Momma loves her tiny baby, but we have issues with pants staying on your cute little bottom. But if you'd like to stay this little forever, I wouldn't complain. I'm in denial that two months have already flown by. It's unreal how fast it has gone.

I now know that God gave mothers fingers in the unfortunate situation that a pacifier cannot be found. Black may be figure flattering - a postpartum mother appreciates that - but it is not snot and spit up friendly. I would take that snot and spit up any time, any day if it means that I get to cuddle with you. My favorite time of day is after your morning feeding (around 6 or 7), because I put you in bed with me and we snuggle and sleep for a couple more hours. Most of the time I just look at you while you sleep. You're intoxicating. I can't get enough.

Momma and Dad love you sweet girl!

{Eight Weeks}

2010-12-11T00:46:00.000-06:00

{Seven Weeks}

2010-12-11T00:44:00.000-06:00

Bake Day 2010

2010-11-28T23:17:00.000-06:00

This year we had our ___th Annual Knowles Girls Bake Day. I can't remember how many years it's been official, but it's been unofficial ever since I can remember.

Da Girls

Mom always has fun little gifts for us...

A small plate of the many snickerdoodles that were frosted

We did a lot more dipping than baking this year... But all of it was yum-o!

Three kinds of Oreo balls, Ritz and Peanut Butter sandwiches dipped... Not pictured is chocolate dipped pretzels, Rolos/pretzel/pecan bites, fudge, and chocolate PB bark

I love Emily's face in the corner of the picture :)

The flash did a silly thing for our silly picture. Oh well.

What is your favorite thing to make/bake for the Holidays?

{Six Weeks}

2010-11-28T22:49:00.001-06:00

A Little Bit of Chicken Fried

2010-11-22T23:42:00.000-06:00

Fried chicken is something that makes me feel connected to my Great Grandma Emma - living on the farm, keeping Grandpa well fed, and shooting possums off the porch. They both lived well into their 90's - Grandma was 98! I love hearing stories of her and her spunk. Up to the day she passed, she would stick her tongue out at you, but if you blinked, you might miss it. She ate her peas with a butter knife. My parents say she would tell you "You probably want that baker's bread [store-bought]. Mine is hard as tack, it ain't worth eating." Yeah right!

Now that I know how to fry chicken, I hope Grandma is looking down with a smile of approval. Thank you Mom, for passing on your infinite knowledge of hot lard :)

the best teacher ever

getting nice and golden brown

No final product picture (with mashed potatoes, gravy, and corn) but rest assured, it was amazing. Dad said that it was as good as G-Grandma Emma's. I'm pretty sure he was being nice.

{Five Weeks}

2010-11-18T22:12:00.000-06:00

{Four Weeks}

2010-11-11T21:02:00.004-06:00

Yesterday Emmalyn was 4 weeks old, but Saturday is her one month... This is a conundrum I've given up trying to solve. Hopefully no one will ask me how old she is from now to Saturday, I don't know what to say!! ;)

My sweet little girl - At one month you have finally gotten back up to your birth weight at 7lb. 12oz. At birth you were 22", now you are 21". We are thankful for that, because that means your cone head has gone away. I loved you with it, but you're much prettier without it. You eat well, so I guess you're just not in a hurry to gain weight. Actually you're not in a hurry to do anything, which we already knew given your arrival story. But maybe you take after your maternal grandma and you'll be tall and thin :) Speaking of eating, you take your sweet time doing that too. Silly girl. Your umbilical cord has yet to fall off... Just another part of you that is in no rush, much to mom's chagrin. It's yucky and I would much rather see your cute little belly button :) You smile, really really big sometimes. It's not quite on demand, but I can usually coax it out of you if I try hard, and wait long enough. After you eat is when you're most awake. You talk to us then, and it's stinking adorable. After you sneeze, you make the cutest *sigh* sound... I'll get it on video someday :) You go to sleep to the sound of my hair dryer and the sweeper, and the dogs barking doesn't bother you in the least bit. Can we say "convenient"? :) And about sleeping - you've gone about 5-7 hours from about 10pm-4am(ish) here lately. Other than that, you wake up to eat every couple/few hours.

I could go on, in true parent fashion, but I'll stop now and just say...

Happy one month, my sweet baby love.

I just realized that I forgot to post week 3, hence the back to back "week" posts :)

{Three Weeks}

2010-11-11T21:00:00.000-06:00

- better late than never? -

Happy Fall!

2010-11-01T21:31:00.001-05:00

{Two Weeks}

2010-10-27T20:47:00.001-05:00

Happy fourteen days, my Sweet.

{One Week}

2010-10-24T22:20:00.001-05:00

I'm quite positive this blog will quickly be inundated with pictures of our babe, but I'll be taking an "official" picture every week for her first year of life, then will put them in an album. Although I'm posting a few days late, here is her One Week photo. She has already changed so much since we left the hospital. I keep telling her she's not allowed to grow up so fast, but apparently she takes after her mom and doesn't listen.

She fills me up so much I skipped dinner.

Emmalyn Grace

2010-10-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

October 13th at 11:37am she entered the world at 7lb. 12.5oz, and 22" long.

I'm overwhelmed. I'm intoxicated. I'm completely taken. And her name is Emmalyn Grace Shields. I can't believe she's a week old today.

Here are the details of her arrival...

Tuesday, October 12th:

7:30am - Chris and I checked in at Wesley Medical Center (not the Birth Care center, the LDR floor in the actual hospital) on Tuesday October 12th at 7:30am for a scheduled induction. By the time we got to our room and got settled, IV was started at 8:45. At that point, I was dilated to a 3, 70% effaced, and engagement is "high" (see here if you're not sure what the heck I'm talking about). Shorthand would be "3/70/high".

9:25am - Pitocin started. My wonderful Doctor - Melissa Hague - stopped in to check on me, and broke my water at 9:42a. Didn't notice until my next contraction :) Officially and medically speaking I was "in labor".

11:45am - Pitocin at 20 (max is 40)

12:30pm - Contractions started to get pretty uncomfortable (an 8 out of 10), so I asked for a local pain reducer. Stadol given. That stuff is pretty fun :) It made me woozy - in a good way. I couldn't open my eyes because the room was spinning, hard to describe exactly how it felt, but it felt good... I told Chris if this is the way people on illegal drugs feel, I understand why it's addicting ;)

1:00pm - 4/75/-2

1:40pm - Another dose of Stadol given. I was rating the pain a 10 at this point.

2:00pm - 5/80/-2. Stubborn kid.

3:00pm - 5.5/80/-2. Seriously??

3:13pm - I tried sitting on a birthing ball to ease the pain of contractions. That lasted about one contraction. The bed was way better.

4:00pm - Cervix remains unchanged. One more dose of Stadol. Stadol is a medicine that doesn't work as well the more times you use it. The first time was great, but by the third time, it wasn't doing much.

4:25pm - This was the hardest decision yet. Up to this point, during each unbearable contraction I told myself "I can do this one more time"... But that only lasted to this point. I broke down and got an epidural. In hinds sight, it's a good thing I did since my labor lasted as long as it did - 26 hours. I was nervous about the whole needle-in-the-back thing. Turns out there was no need to be. I didn't even feel the first shot they give you to numb the area. The anesthesiologist said I'd feel a bee-sting. I felt something touch my back, but nothing even close to pain. Kellie said it's because it was nothing compared to what the contractions feel like.

5:00pm - Pain rated a 0 out of 10 :)

5:14pm - 6/80/-2

6:17pm - 6/100/-1

7:16pm - 6.5/100/-1. The Pitocin was now at 40.

7:35pm - 7/100/-1

8:10pm - Unchanged. Talk about frustrating. It had now been 12 hours since we started everything. Pitocin decreased to 20.

8:40pm - I started to run a temperature, so Tylenol was given.

9:23pm - Cervix unchanged.

9:39pm - Pitocin turned off. They said sometimes if it's turned off, then back on it will kick things into gear.

10:00pm - Pitocin restarted. They turn it up a few notches every 15 minutes until it reaches 40 again.

Wednesday, October 13th

-- Nothing really happened between 10pm and 2:45am. I tried to rest some, but how well can you really do that in a hospital, and while in labor? Oddly enough, time seemed to go by quickly. I don't remember feeling like there was a pause in time.

2:44am - 7/90/0. At this point I was still not progressing much, and it was coming up on 24 hours of my water being broken. Dr. Hague wanted to give me every chance possible to have a vaginal birth (as opposed to a C-section), but time was running out. She said one more hour, and if nothing has changed (aka - if I wasn't dilated to a 10), it looked like a C-section would probably be necessary. After crying (a lot), I finally came to terms that I would probably not deliver my child the way I had imagined. Yes, I know a healthy baby is the desired outcome and that is all that matters, but I prayed hard the next hour... Chris went out and updated the family, and they were all praying too.

3:56 - Nurse came in to check me. I was prepared for her to say that I hadn't changed. But God is SO good... I was dilated to a 9, 100% effaced, and a +1!! No C-Section! :) Thank you Jesus! Dr. Hague wanted me to "labor down" (let the baby come down a bit more), so I did that for a couple more hours.

4:21am - 9.5/100/+1

5:37am - Pitocin turned off / Oxygen turned on. Something to do with baby. I want to say her HR went up and down slightly? I can't remember).

6:25am - 10/100/+2! Oxygen off, thank goodness. Hate those masks :)

7:35am - Pitocin turned back on starting at 10, to get contractions going again. Started pushing.

11:37am - 4 hours of pushing later, Emmalyn Grace was welcomed into the world.

So many thanks to several people...

First of all, Kellie (mentioned above) was so amazing. She wasn't scheduled to work that day, but she picked up an extra shift just to be there, AND she worked 4 hours over her shift! A 16 hour day, and she didn't even get to be there for the fun part (they made her go home at 16 hours). But it was sososo wonderful to have a familiar face in the room! Kellie, you are awesome. Thank you just doesn't cut it, but thank you for everything you did that day!!

Thank you Ginger for coming in and taking beautiful pictures when the family came in to meet Emmalyn. Your talent amazes me.

We've heard that Wesley is the place to have babies, but we were very impressed with everything and everyone. The nurses, staff, anesthesiologist... We didn't have a "bad" experience with anyone.

Thank you to our supportive families! We know they wouldn't have left the hospital for anything, but they stuck it out the whole time in the waiting room while waiting for their [stubborn] Granddaughter and Niece :)

And the Crazy Comes to an End

2010-10-01T00:37:00.000-05:00

Well there was good and no-so good during our crazy two days... Here's a quick re-cap:

Tuesday:
Ginny's Doc Appt - Everything went well, nothing new, blood pressure and protein were fine. Doc said "We'll keep you pregnant another week unless you go on your own". So no news is good news I guess :)

Chris Board Interview with WPD - Not so good. The way this is set up is a panel of 4 or 5 different people that are in law enforcement. They ask you questions and grade you. Last time Chris did this, he passed with flying colors (you need a 36, he got a 40-something). This time he got a 32. Apparently they said he "didn't seem passionate about it". Maybe they wanted him to jump on the table? Unfortunately, it's solely those 5 people's opinion after a short interview process. Detective Giffin has been Chris' point person throughout this whole process, since Day 1 over a year ago. She wasn't involved in the interview, but afterwards, she went in the room and asked "Are you talking about the same guy here? Because every time I've talked to him, he is very passionate about this". I think this made Chris feel good, but unfortunately, they can't change their scores. He now has to wait a year to re-apply for WPD. It's hard to make sense of it, and you'll make yourself crazy trying to do such, so we just have to know - in our heads and hearts - that this was God closing a door for now. It wasn't anything Chris did. It wasn't the Board - even though we really want to blame them ;). Chris' heart continues to be with law enforcement, so he will continue to pursue.

Wednesday:
2pm - In-home interview for Sheriff's Reserve and Detention Deputy (they went ahead and used this interview for both since they are both County). We both think it went well. The two guys that came were pretty laid back and easy going. We will more than likely know about the Reserves sooner than DD. They are looking to start a Reserves class very soon, whereas a DD class wouldn't start until January or March.

6pm - Board Interview for the Reserves. Chris said he thought this went well also. We now wait on a call from them.

So that's everything in a nut shell! Glad to have this week behind us :)

Help a Desperate Wall

2010-09-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

Here's one of our living room walls. Yes, I know that brown on brown couldn't be more awful. We used to have the couch in front of the front windows, so it broke up the monotony... But this set up is best for now.

I can't do anything about the wall color or couch color at the moment, and can't/don't want to spend much money on wall decor, so here's where you come in! I need help!! :) After I took this picture, I did put a sage green and blue throw over the couch to help a bit, but I'm not sure how long that will last. The husband isn't a big fan of throws on the couch. It's understandable. The couch is slippery.

I found an adhesive wall Bible verse, but the size I would need was about $60. Ouch.

My next thought was I could buy a stencil and paint. Lots of time, but pretty inexpensive.

So even if I do a stencil, I'll still need something else... And if I don't do the stencil, I need a couple more "somethings" to go along with the framed art I already have up.

Any relatively cheap ideas?? And yes, I've tried to come up with stuff I already had around (either in other rooms or from the basement), and that was a fail.

What do I do?????

Our Busy Week...

2010-09-27T22:17:00.000-05:00

... that would be a little less hectic knowing it was covered with lots of prayer :)

Tuesday:
Ginny has weekly doc appointment - prayer that my random high blood pressure is good and that I'm not dropping any protein. You could also pray that I go into labor anytime after Wednesday ;)

Chris has Board Interview with the Wichita Police Department. This is the dream job people. After this interview if they want him to proceed, the next step will be an interview with the Chief. And the Chief tells you if you're hired or not right after he interviews you. No sweat, right? :)

Wednesday:
Afternoon: Chris has an In-Home Interview for the Detention Deputy job at the jail. This would be a good job to have under his belt and on his resume, as he will continue to pursue WPD until he gets on. In-home means I have to be there too. Yikes. Here's hoping I'm not the reason my husband doesn't get a job. This is the last step before they would give him a conditional job offer (a psycho test and physical exam would need to be passed).

Evening: Chris has a Board Interview for the Sheriff's Reserve. This is a non-paid job, but once again, would be excellent to have the experience. My understanding is that a Sheriff's Reserve basically does the same thing as a Sheriff Officer (after an academy and training), but just doesn't get paid.

So when it's dry, it's a famine. When it rains, it pours. I am [surprisingly] staying pretty optimistic for a pessimist. I know with everything that is happening this week, absolutely nothing could pan out. But that's okay. My God is bigger than all of this. But it doesn't mean I won't pray myself out of words.

Thank YOU, friends and family, for continuing to cover us with prayers! We'll keep you updated :)

DIY "Antiqued" Wall Art

2010-09-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

I wanted something unique - and cheap - for our Kid's room... So here is the step by step, trial and error, actually-turned-out-okay wall art - all for about $12.

This cute story is in a reader that my mom had - that I used to read out of - called "The Frog on the Log".

I photo copied and enlarged the three pages... You can't see it very well, but I creased and tore the edges instead of cutting with scissors. I like the imperfect look it gave.

Next I steeped two large tea bags in my kettle and poured it in a 9x13

Completely submerged the paper, one sheet at a time to give the "old and worn" look.

Laid them out on paper towels... Checked them every once in a while and flattened them with my hand so they didn't get too crinkly. When they were almost dry, I placed them underneath a heavy book. They still had a bit of wrinkle, but that's the point to giving it the "old" look...

I found these painter's canvases on sale at Hobby Lobby

I already had some brown craft paint, so I painted a "border"...

Next was deciding how to apply the story to the canvas. I thought about modge podging... Then I remembered I had some craft brads hidden away in the basement, so I excitedly got those out.

Since craft brads are not sturdy in any way, shape, or form, I needed to help them out with punching holes in the canvas so they would slide through. Placing the holes right where the joints of the canvas frame made everything line up and center. Used a small screwdriver and a hammer to do this. *Make sure you are doing this on a surface you don't mind getting beat up! I used an old piece of wood.

Next, I made sure that the story page was centered on the canvas...

Then I first poked the brad from the back to the front to punch the hole in the paper (not pictured), then put it in correctly...

And the finished project. I like how the edges are "free" to curl and bend a bit. Imperfection is what I like.

I wish I could get a better picture of all three, but I think you get the idea.

Like I said, it cost me a total of about $12 for the canvases... I had the paint and was able to make copies on my own, but I figure even if you had to go out and buy everything and pay for the copies, it wouldn't be much more than $16-18. I sure like that price tag compared to store-bought wall art! :)

Boy or Girl?

2010-09-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

We will see in a few weeks which outfit will adorn our Baby on the way home from the hospital! :)

Enjoying Life

2010-09-20T21:04:00.000-05:00

Chris has been laid off since June 15th. Three months. Crazy.

With the exception of a couple of mornings that I've gotten annoyed that he's still in bed while I'm leaving for work, it's actually been kind of nice having him around. He's great at keeping up with laundry and dishes as needed. Random projects have been completed - the ones that don't cost much, of course... It will never fail in life: When you have the money, you don't have the time. When you have the time, you don't have the money :) But thanks to him, our Baby has a beautifully painted room and a restored dresser, along with many other things.

It's been [mostly] fun finding different things to do together that are either cheap or free. Taking the dogs to the park (or just around the neighborhood), long weekend trips to the family cabin...

The other day we enjoyed a random trip to the zoo together. Chris hadn't been there since (he thinks) middle school, so lots of stuff was new... We spent almost three hours there! It was so gorgeous... But apparently it was too sunny and beautiful for the boat rides ;)

{I text my dad this picture and asked him what he was doing at the zoo... hardy-har-har}

Sneaky... Very Sneaky

2010-09-10T23:41:00.000-05:00

I came home the other day. The other day, as in two weeks ago. To this sign on the Kid's room door...

As much as I wanted to go in there, [don't tell me not to do something, I will most likely do it... "Don't jump off that bridge, Ginny!] I restrained. I knew once I opened the door, there was no going back to The Unknown.

I text my mom to see if she knew anything about this. She was coy. But I could see right through her. Either Chris was in on one of her plans, or she was in on one of his...

So I went to my shower that evening, thrown by my amazing co-workers... Ate some amazing food:

{Cookies! Someone said they were too cute to eat. I got over it. They were delicious}

{chocolate fountain with the fixins}

At the shower, the gift from my Mom and Dad was a quilted sheet for a pack and play. On the front of the package was a picture of the P&P I had registered for, telling me that it was waiting at home!

So apparently while I was at work, my Mom came over and dropped it off, and Chris put it together.

Lovethemboth.

Kid's Room... Finally

2010-09-03T10:58:00.001-05:00

I'm not a great blogger. I know you know this by my months-on-end hiatuses... My apologies. Life happens. But another reason I'm not a great blogger is because I tend to forget to take "before" and "during" pictures. Did I take any photos of my amazing husband putting hours and hours into the kid's room (I don't like the word nursery. I have no idea why)? Nope. There's no proof except the wonderful "after" pictures. And I take no credit. So let's dig in. Because there are plenty of after pictures. Oh, are there plenty.

As I go along I'll be letting you know what the cost was, with the grand total at the end. With many "DIY" projects and wonderful gifts, I think we did pretty great on a slim budget.

{before... long before. after this picture, it was an exercise room}

{after}

- Rocker/Ottoman: gift

- Crib/Mattress: gift from my aunts
- Laundry basket: already had

- Trunk: wedding gift, moved from the living room

- Throw on rocker: hand-knitted Christmas gift from Chris' sister, Tera

- Baby book: Mother's Day gift from Chris :)

- Giraffe and Turtle: gifts from my aunt, the giraffe is a sound machine and the turtle lights up stars and a couple constellations all over the room

{bedding}

Bumper is two different materials

(excuse the quality of the curtain picture, it was taken with a phone)

- All material and supplies for bedding (quilt, crib sheet, bumper, crib skirt) and energy saving, black-out lined curtains, 4 panels (including grommets and rods): $195

These bears are so very dear to me. When I was very young, my parents didn't have much (if any) money for Christmas, so my mom made these bears for me, and ducks for my older brother. I don't care if we have a boy or a girl, these bears will be a permanent staple in all of my baby's rooms.

{to the left is the door to the hallway}

- Changing Table/Dresser: the one I used growing up, re-stained and put a new top on: $20

- Bookcase: garage sale find, repainted with paint we already had: $10

- Lamp: found at TJMaxx, couldn't stop thinking about it, splurged and bought it: $30

- "Frog Story" wall art: $12 (blog about that coming later)

- Mirror & Shelves: already had

- Curtain for closet: $5

(if you remember, I put up a curtain in our master room also... Our house keeps settling, and until we figure out why, doors are a pain. Curtains are also cheap and easy (no heavy duty tools or big time commitment needed. It's convenient at this time in our life)

- Basket for miscellaneous baby things: TJMaxx find: $7 (I think I'll paint it cream)

Shelf deco are things I already had and a few things my mom picked up at an antique store.

Love the deer, thanks Mom!

- Moon/Heart deco was in my baby room. Made by a dear friend, Dana Ferrell.

- CD/Radio: already had.

Duck and books thanks to Mom

This wall looks bare, but only until baby gets here. I painted frames and bought colorful scrapbook paper and will cut baby's name out and frame each letter and hang it above the crib. Yes, I'll post a picture later :)

If it's a girl, I'll use the ribbon to hang the frames.

My husband thinks the ribbon is too girly if it's a boy. *Pshh*

- Frames and Paint: already had

- Scrapbook paper: $2.25

- Bucket: already had, spray painted with paint we already had

- Blankets: gifts, and one that was my baby blanket

- Snoop Dog: a Christmas gift that I never got around to giving, and decided it fit perfect in my kid's room. I probably shouldn't have admitted that, huh?

{closet before}

{after}

After trying to peel 27 layers of wallpaper off, I decided it would be easiest [for my husband] to just paint over it. Chris put a coat of Kilz on first, which worked like a charm. The wallpaper was stuck so good, there were no problems with it bubbling. Then he appeased his loving wife and painted the bottom half yellow and the top half blue (both of which we already had, they're actually the colors in our 2 bathrooms). I think the two colors work great with the green walls of the room. Conveniently, we only had to by the paint for the walls. So a couple gallons of paint and a gallon of primer was about $65.

So there it is my friends. Final cost - $346.25

My Boss Knows Me Well

2010-08-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

A package of cocktail napkins I got as a birthday gift from my boss (a long while ago).

... Sad thing is, I don't need the caffeine.

Move over Queen of Dairy & Stone that is Cold...

2010-08-23T20:40:00.000-05:00

I love making ice cream cakes. I'm surprised at myself that I didn't make twelve a few weeks ago when the temps stayed above 100 degrees.

I love making them partly because I prefer picking out my own ice cream. Any two combinations my heart desires.

And partly because it is cheaper than having a chain ice cream store make them. Under $12 - give or take with your preference for name brand vs. store brand.

But mostly, because I think mine taste better. But who's prejudice around here?

So get to the store, grab your ingredients, and enjoy some cold refreshing frozen milk during one of these last days of summer. Here's what you need -

2 of your choice flavors of ice cream (get the kind in the square cartons, you'll thank me later)

1 tub (8oz) whipped topping

1 pkg Oreos

1-2 c. mini chocolate chips (not pictured)

1 jar hot fudge (not chocolate syrup, gag)

Open up first box of ice cream (whichever you want on the bottom).

Slice it in about 1 1/2 inch pieces and layer in the bottom of a 9x13 pan (you may have to cut those pieces in half and squish and squash for it to fit, but it will fit). Use a spatula to mush all of the pieces together.

Do you like all of the technical cooking terms I'm using? Squish, squash, mash... I'm feeling very eloquent tonight.

Next, eat three Oreos. Put the remaining cookies in a food processor or a gallon zipper seal bag. Before you smash them, eat three more. Crush to your desired consistency. I like a few good chunks in mine. But to each his own. When you're finished crushing them, taste a few spoonfuls of crumbs to make sure nothing happened during the crushing process. You never know. I blame my mom for this logic.

Mix the chocolate chips into the Oreo crumbs. Spread this mixture over the first layer of ice cream.

Press crumb/chip mixture down so it's not all loosey-goosey.

Spread jar of hot fudge over cookie mixture. You may have to warm the fudge a bit so it's easier to spread, but don't get it too warm. That'd just be a hot mess.

It gets a little tricky here, but don't be afeerd now, don't be afeerd. If you want to play it safe, at this point stick the 9x13 in the freezer for half an hour or so. But if you like to live on the edge...

Slice your second tub of ice cream and spread it over the top. Things will have started to melt by now, so be careful not to squish and squash too much, or stuff will ooze from the bottom up.

At this point, put your cake in the freezer until things harden up a bit. If you try and spread the whipped topping on now, you're just asking for a disaster - *ahem* the reason why this is the last picture I took of the cake. It got ugly people. So learn from my brain freeze (ba-dum-cha). Freeze it good (at least 30min), take it out, spread the entire tub of whipped topping on, and put back in the freezer for at least 1 hour (but overnight is best).

Serves at least 12. Or 1. Depending on the temperature outside. And the amount of self control one has.

*Alternatives - Like I said, use whatever kind of ice cream your heart desires. I've never tried it, but a caramel hot topping instead of fudge would be delicious. You can also use any kind of baking chip - Andes baking pieces (paired with mint chocolate chip ice cream!), Heath baking pieces (with Butter Brickle!), peanut butter chips (with Moose Tracks!! Lord have mercy).

Just Another Couple of Reasons...

2010-07-29T12:00:00.000-05:00

...Why I love my husband.

When it came time to register for lil' Baby S, he wanted to come. Not just a "Sure, I'll come because I have nothing better to do", but a "I want to come and be involved". My heart melts.

For a while before we actually did the deed - that is, register - I had ~~stalked~~ constantly been on Babies R Us, Target, and Walmart's websites comparing, reading reviews, and price checking. I had an idea of what I thought we would want/need as far as the big stuff goes. While we were at Babies R Us, we stopped at strollers and car seats. I already had one in mind from another store, but Chris was very interested in this particular combo set. He was looking it over like he would a car motor, reading the little description sheet, etc. I told him about the other one I found, and in true non-chalant Chris form, he said "Okay, whatever". Fast forward three hours later... We're home and the task of registering is ~~finally~~ over... I pull up a picture of the stroller I had been looking at and show it to him. He then opens another web page with the stroller from BRU, and compares the two. "I think this one is the sturdiest. The frame on this one is metal, as opposed to plastic on this other one... I also like that the baby can be completely enclosed under the canvas cover on this one..." Looking out for Baby already. I'm a puddle.

During the registering process, Chris would randomly take the gun and go scan Heaven-knows-what... One occasion that he did this, he came back and showed me that he scanned a "Color-Changing Thermometer". Our house is old, and in the winter, it definitely has "cold spots". One of those cold spots is the back bedroom, a.k.a. the kid's room. This thermometer has three different colors for when the room is an okay temperature, or if the room gets too hot or cold. I died. Got back up. And died again. I'm in love with this man.

{image courtesy of BabiesRUs.com}

So as macho as he tries to appear on the outside, I know it's all just an act. I can't wait for this never-changed-a-diaper, avoided-all-babies-up-to-this-point man to hold our kid for the first time. I think I'll melt a few hundred times more.

You Say Tomato, I Say Bruschetta!

2010-07-27T22:19:00.000-05:00

Does anything say "summer" like fresh garden ingredients and a little splash of oil and vinegar? I didn't think so either.

Got a tomato in your kitchen? I had three of them two days ago. Now I have none. Thanks to a little French bread, feta, and herbs. I'm grateful for my father-in-law, who keeps our cucumber, onion, and tomato supply freshly stocked, thanks to his great work in his garden.

This is a great little brunch finger food, or if you just have a hankering for something fresh and light. Like I did the other day.

Start with 3 medium sized tomatoes. Cut tomatoes in half. Squeeze the juice and seeds out and discard. Chop in small pieces.

Add approximately 1t. Italian seasoning, 1t. dried basil (fresh herbs are even better though if you have them!), 2T. olive oil, and 2T. balsamic vinegar. These are all to taste though, add more or less to your liking... I tend to lean towards the "more"side, so I would probably add more than the above measurements.

Mix equal parts cream cheese and feta cheese. I used 6oz. of each because that's what I had. I like the "flavored" fetas for this recipe...

I used a tomato and basil this time. I've also used a garlic herb that was just as amazing.

Your local grocery store should have long loaf of fresh french bread for about a buck and a half. Can't beat that. Of course you can make your own. I didn't this time. I was hungry and needed food asap.

Slice bread in pieces about one inch thick. Keep in mind that you have to take a bite after the cream cheese and tomatoes are on it... Bake bread in oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, or broil or toast it. Just until it gets a little crunch to it.

Spread feta/cream cheese mixture on, then top with tomatoes.

And enjoy every bite :)

Dad Would Be Proud

2010-07-17T15:25:00.000-05:00

Today I started making my baby linens. I don't have a fancy - or even decent - sewing set-up, so I have to improvise. I don't have a yard stick, or anything that would help me cut straight edges or 90 degree angles, so I went to the next best thing. A contractor's square and triangle. I doubt this is what my dad had in mind when he taught us kids how to use tools, but it works like a charm.

Then I realized that I hadn't pre-washed the fabric. So I'm at a stand-still at the moment. But it gives me time to let you have a peek at what the color theme is going to be.

The background green is the wall color, and the fabrics will be made into a quilt, bumper, crib skirt, fitted sheet, and curtains. The colors aren't exact in this picture, but it gives an idea. I'm going for neutral, and I didn't want anything that was too cute-sy or baby-ish. Depending on how well everything holds up, I hope to be able to use this for all of our kids to come :)

All fabrics will be in the quilt

#1 will be the crib sheet

#2 and #4 will be the bumper (one fabric per side)

#5 will be the crib skirt and part of the curtains

Master Bedroom Semi-Final Reveal

2010-07-17T01:03:00.000-05:00

Well here it is! Finally!! There are a few finishing touches that will have to wait until either I win the lottery, or my husband gets a job.

One of those touches will be wall art. My walls are bare, but I'm okay with that. Part of the reason is because of our limited finances, but the other part is I haven't found exactly what I want. And I'm not willing to settle. I'm thinking along the lines of vintage/antique botanical prints, but that could change. What I've found is either too small or costs a fortune.

Yes, I know this before picture is as bad as it gets... Kind of like those before and after acne commercials. The before picture is no makeup, probably-just-used-steel-wool-to-wash-their-face, and after is brushed up, makeup on, great lighting... I tend to forget the "before" picture until I'm already starting the project, hence this pic, but you get the idea.

{before}

{after}

{the floral pillows are huge and square, and match the wall beautifully, and were a great price from TJ Maxx, and I love them}

Another great perk is that 2 out of the 3 sets of bed sheets I have go great with the new decor. Not that I don't love any opportunity to get fun new bed sheets, but remember we're on a budget here.

{new bedspread was also a great deal from TJ Maxx. In love with that store}

I'll probably keep my eye open for a couple more throw pillows. Maybe some fun contrasting colors.

{for the front throw pillow I recovered an existing pillow with an old pillow case I had. Totally free.}

Another project for installment two of the redo will be making a headboard... I think it will set the bed apart and really make it stand out.

On to the curtains. I decided to raise them to 92" to make the room feel bigger and the ceilings feel taller. My mom just happened to have this great material that she was going to use in her living room, but decided not to. And it just happened to match perfect with the room. What a beautiful coincidence :)

I actually used the back side of the material. It had kind of a gold-ish, shiny look to it, but the back side was a muted version.

{sorry about the camera lighting being so bi-polar}

I only had enough material for three panels, which it totally okay with me (corner windows are such a pain... four panels is too much material, and one panel on each end looks odd). Figuring out how this would work with my two separate curtain rods took a bit of thought..

... So my DIY fix was a little bit of electrical tape. I positioned the rod brackets a little off center to compensate (you can easily see this in all of the pictures). This was all a guessing game. Trial and error. I wasn't sure that it would hold... Would it sag? But amazingly, the rod brackets (which allow you to screw the rod onto the bracket to keep it secure) did great.

I lined the curtains with blackout material. It just so happened to be 60% off when I was at the fabric store, and I just couldn't pass up $2.40/yard! I bought enough to do Baby's curtains as well. Lemme tell you though, 18 yards of anything is a little intimidating :) But I couldn't be happier with them.

I love our house. I really do. I think the crooked walls and floors give it character. But they also make hanging doors (and crown moulding) a headache. Aside from that, a door is just another expense I didn't want to deal with at the time, so I bought a $5 sheer panel, and hung it with a rod I already had. Honestly, I love it. I grew up with a curtain as a closet door. You can kind of see through it, but not details.

Another project that will happen after I strike it rich or husband is working again will be getting thin trim pieces to make 2x3 "boxes" that will go around the bottom half of the wall, giving it the appearance of colonial paneling. I priced the trim, and it was going to be over $100. Ick. But this classy masking tape gives you the idea. (It didn't show up great in the picture, just dig deep and put your imagination in over-drive)

Alright, I need your opinion. Chris and I both have this black lamp base (his shade is lighter). I bought some shiny silver spray paint that I thought I wanted to use on the lamps to help brighten everything up. I'm just not sure though. I kind of just want to go for it. But will I regret it? I also thought about doing something fun with my night stand. Painting the baskets maybe? I'd love any ideas you have!

And just because I love to look back and forth from before and after pictures, I'll leave you with one more...

{my oasis}

The estimated breakdown of everything so far:

- crown moulding & chair railing (with the help of a small gift card) - $120

- paint - $50

- bedspread - $50

- two ginormous pillows - $40

- curtain - $18

- closet "door" - $5

Total - $283

A small vent... and not the floor kind

2010-07-10T23:35:00.001-05:00

As I thought about whether or not to write this post, I realized that I started this blog as an outlet. An outlet for anything and everything... Recording memories, sharing my love for the kitchen, an online journal of sorts, and every once in a while, an outlet to vent. I hope to not do that often on here. My husband and mother are two wonderful people who allow me to verbally vomit on them when need be. But am I being real if I only blog about happy rainbows and smiley faces? I desire to be a translucent person. I don't want to not blog about something just because it might not make someone smile.

So here is some real-ness. Take it or leave it.

*On a side note, I'm so excited that you're here reading my blog! It really does means a lot to me. Please respect that these are my hormonal, pregnancy emotions and thoughts. Please keep the nay-saying to yourself. Everyone has opinions, I know. But express them to your significant other, your mama, or your dog. Please don't rake me over the coals by means of a comment. Thanks :)

3 Things People Say That Have Really, Really Irked Me During This Whole Pregnancy Thing:

1. We have decided not to find out the sex of our baby. When we tell people this, the most common reaction is a combination of the following: "Wow! I could never do that" "I'm such a planner, I have to know" "How could you not find out? That would drive me crazy"

Okay people. I am a self diagnosed OCD. I add completed tasks to my To-Do lists just to mark them off. Organizing and planning things makes me feel complete. It's pathetic. It's sad, really. When it comes to this baby, I want to know what we are having. But we chose not to. Not for lack of wanting to. It would be so much easier to figure out this whole nursery thing, and pick up little pink ruffled bloomers or baby overalls (is there anything cuter?). But we also think it's like opening your Christmas gift before Christmas. There are few good surprises in life. You gotta take them when they come. In my opinion.

2. People with ill-behaved children that say "See what you have to look forward?"

Umm, sorry, but no, I don't. My child will behave. My child will not scream in public, because at home he/she will learn that screaming (whether in public or at home) is not acceptable. Thankyouverymuch.

3. This is probably the most frustrating one of all. When people find out that I'm staying at home with my kids and won't be returning to work. "That must be nice. I wish I could do that, but we can't afford to".

Alright. Disclaimer: I know that there are very few circumstances when this is truly impossible. But you also don't need weekly manicures, name brand clothing, a big screen television, or a fancy car. There's this foreign word that most people of my generation have never heard of. The word is frugal. Look it up. I'm guessing that most people think "Her husband must make good enough money that they don't have to worry about only having one income." Nothing could be further from truth. We're gonna be scraping by - especially since we have no idea what job God will be giving Chris here in the future. But we're not stressing about it. I know that God has placed this desire in my heart, and I know that He is going to provide in several "fish-and-bread" kind of miracles (see Matthew 14:13 and following). He's not setting us up for failure. So all of that to say No! We don't have Franklins coming out of our noses. We don't have an abundance of cash-flow. But it's not our money anyway. We remain grateful for what He has given us and how He continues to provide. Amen. The end.

If you're still reading, I'm shocked. But thank you. It sure feels good to get that off my chest.

Coming very soon... Master bedroom re-do final pics and a teaser of the Baby room colors and inspiration!

Christmas In July Letter 2010

2010-07-04T08:00:00.031-05:00

To those of you who have received our previous CIJ letters in the mail, and to those who have never heard of such thing, welcome to the last two years of our lives.

We have sent one out ever since we've been married (can you believe it's been four years??) with the exception of last year.

I'll be brutally honest. Last year is one I am glad to have under our belts...

2009 was definitely a rollercoaster of emotions... Waiting, closed doors, waiting more, a glimpse of hope, hope deferred... And waiting. I'm sure you can imagine that our marriage was put through the ringer along with everything else. God is so incredibly good, and He continues to mend, heal, and make new every aspect of our lives, individually and together as one. Coming out of the valley, heading upwards is always a rejoiced time to be in.

Since April of 2009, Chris has been applying, taking tests, having interviews, and taking more tests to get hired onto the Wichita Police Department. He didn't make it into the academy that started beginning of this year, so he has started the process over again (unfortunately they only keep files open for a year). The word on the street - that changes like the setting sun - is that another academy will start beginning of 2011. As his wife, I have never seen Chris so dedicated and enthusiastic about a career. He has done several ride-alongs with my brother Bryan (who is on the WPD), and every time Chris gets back, he's just more excited about it. I know his heart is in this one hundred percent, so we will persue (and wait) until God's timing is revealed to us.

Last April ('09) we lost our first baby due to miscarriage. When the time came around to write our CIJ letter, I felt like there was nothing "good" to write... Or anything hopeful for that matter. I didn't want a letter full of optimism, because honestly, I didn't have much. And I'm not one for lying :)

Almost a year after the miscarriage, we were ecstatic - and nervous - to find out we were expecting again. As I write today, Baby Bean Shields is 26 weeks. We'll find out around October 13th whether we're blessed with a boy or girl when he/she makes their appearance :) When Baby gets here, I'll be staying home from work indefinitely. Ever since I was young, the one thing my heart desired was to have a husband and family, and stay at home with my (12) kiddos. Okay, okay, we've agreed on 4... For now :) Will things be tight? Counting on it. Will we wonder sometimes how God is going to keep the lights on? Most definitely. But, do we know that He is faithful to provide as we follow the road He has put before us? Absolutely. No question. Case closed.

As of June 8th, Chris is officially unemployed. The only thing we can do is laugh at God's timing. Baby on the way, and daddy out of a job :) Alright God, what do You have up Your sleeve for us?

Chris continues with sports. Hockey began in October and ended in March. Church league softball started in May. I'm sure he would have been first in line to sign up for summer hockey league, but he probably tries to avoid the stink-eye from his wife as much as possible.

Chris has also taken up the hobby of smoking meat. If you ask me, I think he likes the process. Put the meat in the smoker, pull up a chair - or hammock - get a cold drink, and do absolutely nothing (except look at it check it every once in a while) until it's time to take the meat off. But no one asked me.

{case in point}

I finished my Associates degree August '09. Apparently I was only one class away, so Music Appreciation was taken, passed, and now the piece of paper is displayed proudly in the basement, in a folder... Somewhere.

For more specific events of the past year, feel free to peruse the blog. I've tried to keep it updated as best I can... And for future information, this is where you will find our Christmas In July letters.

{Marley - 2 1/2 & Chelsea 8 1/2}

Speaking of blogging, it has become one of my favorite things to do. Although my consistency is not hinged on that fact ;) I have started to post recipes with how-to pictures and easy-read instructions, and hope to start a DIY section in the future.

There's always a house project to be done, and we're slowly chugging through that "to do" list. Right now I'm in the middle of freshening up our master bedroom (we're gonna need an oasis pretty soon, right?) then it will be time to paint Baby's room and get it all ready for the lil' tot :)

Thanks for stopping in for a peek into our lives the last couple of years. We hope you come back and "visit" often, and let us know what you've been up to as well!

Blessings!
Chris and Ginny (and Baby)

Four Years

2010-07-01T07:00:00.003-05:00

July 1, 2006. A day that changed both of our lives. Forever. For the better.

I can't believe everything that we have gone through in the mere four years that we have been together as husband and wife.

Four years ago I didn't think I could love you more. Oh, how wrong I was.

Four years ago I had a picture in my head about what happily ever after was. I now know that happily ever after is for the novels and movies.

Happy is a fleeting emotion. Dedication is not. Commitment is not.

Don't get me wrong, we've had a blast. I love the inside jokes we have together. I chest hair you. I love that we both love road trips. I love discovering new places with you, and only you. I love turning off on country roads with you. Remember Nebraska? And I love traveling those familiar roads with you listening to Josh Turner's "Would You Go With Me".

I love that you know when I'm cranky and need time to myself. I love that I know you hardly ever need time alone and I can always count on you for shoulder time. I love that you don't hold grudges. May I learn from you how not to.

Thank you for loving me and all my awful quirks. Thank you for loving me with morning breath, smeared makeup, and rat's nest hair.

I wish I could say that it has all been wonderful and blissful. Or maybe I don't. Maybe it's the tough times that you push through together that makes your vows even more powerful and resilient. No, resilient isn't the correct word. Resilient means returning to the original form or position after being bent, compressed, or stretched. No, we have not returned to where we were four years ago. Yes, we have been bent. We have most definitely been stretched. And we've come out on the other side of the fire.

Refined.

Yes, refined is a more fitting word. It is taking out the impurities to makes something perfect. No, we are not perfect. But together on this journey, we are constantly being refined by the One who brought us together.

So here's to the four years we have under our belt. And the countless ones before us. May we remember what got us here. The good. The bad. And the ugly. May we continue to explore and experience more love than we though possible. And may we continue to be refined. Together. For life.

{ and they lived... ever after }

Syrup Snob and Waffles

2010-06-30T21:18:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'll admit it. Ever since having this homemade syrup years ago when my mom first made it, there has been no turning back.

Seriously.

Store-bought syrup is just plain blah. Even the purest of maple syrup doesn't fry my bacon anymore.

In all actuality, this is a sad predicament to be in as I will never be able to enjoy waffles [or pancakes. But waffles will always fry my bacon] any place other than home now.

But life deals you what it will deal you, and you just have to accept it and move on.

If you dare try this thick, gooey, carmel-y syrup, just know that I warned you.

No pictures this time. But honestly, it's dumping everything in a saucepan and stirring it. We're not performing brain surgery here. Although that would be interesting and kind of fun.

Alright. This is what you need...

1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. buttermilk (or 3/4 c. milk with 2t. vinegar or lemon juice mixed in, let it sit for a few minutes)
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 t. baking soda
2 t. vanilla

Add all ingredients to a saucepan. **Make sure your saucepan is no smaller than 3 quarts! Even with my 3 quart, I have to remove from the heat every once in a while so it doesn't overflow. So all of that to say, you really should use at least a 4 quart.

Stir continually on medium/medium high heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for 7 minutes. While boiling, it will foam up. Make sure you watch it. It is a pain in the booty to clean up from your stove top. Not that I would know from personal experience... *ahem*.

Remove from heat and let it sit for a few minutes. The foam will eventually disappear.

If you need a simple pancake/waffle recipe to go along with the syrup, this is the one we use for both... Although, I wouldn't blame you if you got a spoon out and had a bowl of syrup for breakfast.

2 c. flour
2 T. baking powder
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. salt

Sift the dry together.

In another bowl, mix:
2 eggs
2 c. milk
1/3 c. oil

Combine wet and dry together.

Makes about 20 pancakes (at 1/4 c. each) or 7 Belgian waffles.

What an Honor!

2010-06-28T20:24:00.004-05:00

I'm touched. I'm speechless. I'm honored!

My friend, Courtney, over at Honeycomb Creative Co just bestowed on me the Beautiful Blogger Award! If you want to see some adorable, thrifty, uniquely awesome ideas, crafts, and home-decor, buzz on over and enjoy a real sweet treat! {One too many puns, huh?} But in all seriousness, I'm constantly inspired anytime she posts a new blog :) Thanks, Courtney!

So in order to receive this award, I get to post seven fun facts about myself, then pass it on to a few other bloggies! So here goes :)

1. Three of my favorite words when it comes to decorating are vintage chic antique. I feel like I'm just getting the hang of it too. When we first moved in our house, I was into the crisp clean lines found at places like Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware. And while I would most definitely not turn down a shopping spree at either said place, I'm finding more and more excitement and inspiration through thrifting and antiquing. These are a couple of pictures that have inspired my current bedroom redo.

{roomenvy.wordpress.com}

{countryliving.com}

{candacerose.typepad.com}

I promise {myself} that sometime in the near future I will get this bedroom project done, and blog all about it. Then I can start on the baby's room! Unfortunately, while we are getting this whole "unemployment budget" figured out, everything superfluous is on hold :)

2. My favorite movie (at least in the drama/romance department), is The Story of Us.

{imdb.com}

I love how "real life" it is. Marriage isn't the walk in the park that Hollywood has made it out to be. I love how the majority of the movie is a married couple going through a really rough time. And a bawl every single time at the ending scene when Katie (Michelle Phiffer) begins -

"...because we are an us. There's a history here, and histories don't happen overnight. In Mesopotamia or Ancient Troy there are cities built on top of other cities, but I don't want another city, I like this city. I know what kind of mood your in when you wake up by which eyebrow is higher, and you know I'm a little quiet in the morning and compensate accordingly, that's a dance you perfect over time. And it's hard, it's much harder than I thought it would be, but there's more good than bad and you don't just give up! And it's not for the sake of the children, but God they're great kids aren't they? And we made them, I mean think about that! It's like there were no people there, and then there were people and they grew, and an an an I won't be able to say to some stranger Josh has your hands or remember how Erin threw up at the Lincoln Memorial. And I'll try to relax, let's face it, anybody is going to have traits that get on your nerves, I mean, why shouldn't it be your annoying traits, and I know I'm no day at the beach, but I do have a good sense of direction so I can at least find the beach, which isn't a weakness of yours, it's a strength of mine. And God your a good friend and good friends are hard to find. Charlotte said that in Charlottes Web and I love how you read that to Erin and you take on the voice of Wilber the Pig with such dedication even when your bone tired. That speaks volumes about character! And ultimately, isn't that what it comes down too? What a person is made of? That girl in the pin helmet is still here 'bee boo bee boo' I didn't even know she existed until you and I'm afraid if you leave I may never see her again, even though I said at times you beat her out of me, isn't that the paradox? Haven't we hit the essential paradox? Give and take, push and pull, the yen the yang. The best of times, the worst of times..."

Alright, I almost teared up just reading that... Okay, okay, I did tear up :)

3. My family is my life. More specifically, my parents.

I would be completely and utterly lost without them. Their countless hours of therapy, wisdom, counseling, encouragement, being the rags that soak up my emotional verbal vomit... I'm thankful there's no keeping tabs in parenthood, because there's no way in my lifetime I could repay them. I love you Dad and Mom.

4. I love design, in any way, shape, or form. I could most definitely sit at a computer all day with a design software and photographs and be in utter bliss. I could also spend all day at the fabric store - without a budget of course - dreaming up everything I could do with all of those amazing textiles. Throw pillows, curtains, and blankets, oh my!

5. I have been writing this blog for the last two days. Seven things have been hard to come up with!

6. I wouldn't consider myself girly, but I love wearing skirts and dresses. I love a skirt with a white tee and fun jewelry.

7. My absolute favorite flower is Gerber(a) Daisies. I also love the color red... Hence putting the two together for my wedding flowers.

{my wedding bouquet}

So I now get to pass this award on to these awesome bloggers! :)

Sarah at a bit of silliness

Ginger at Chillin' with the Skillens

Bethany at Little Vintage Me

Any fun things about you that you'd like to share? :)

Just-Like-the-Restaurant Spicy Shrimp

2010-06-21T21:50:00.002-05:00

I recently got this recipe from my sister-in-law, Tera, who has subscriptions to several cooking magazines. So that means I get to peruse them, and often times she'll pick out recipes that she thinks we'd like.

The last recipe she shared was from the Food Network Magazine, Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill. Personally I have never had this, but my husband has, and he said it tasted exactly like the restaurant. So a big shout-out to FNM for this delicious and easy recipe.

First the sauce - I was a bit skeptical about it at first, but bear with me...

1/2 c. mayo
1T + 1t chili sauce (I always add more chili sauce than the recipe calls for, but I like spicy)
2 t. honey
1/4 t. salt
1 T. water

Mix above ingredients together and put aside.

Next step is frying the shrimp. For a heart-healthy version, bake your shrimp, or stir-fry in a couple tablespoons of oil. But we're staying true to the original recipe today.

For the shrimp:

vegetable oil for frying (amount will depend on how big your pan is. You want your shrimp covered about halfway up while it is cooking)

1 1/4 lbs. peeled, de-veined raw shrimp
2 eggs - beaten
3/4 c. four
1/2 c. corn starch
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper

If you know me, you know I like to take the easy way as much as I can. Add the flour, corn starch, salt, and pepper to a plastic container with a lid...

... Put the lid on and shake to combine ingredients. Remove lid. Bada-bing, bada-boom.

Dredge shrimp in flour mixture first,

then the beaten eggs.

When oil is heated, fry shrimp to a golden brown.

Combine the shrimp and the sauce and serve in mini-tortillas with lettuce and sour cream, or over rice.

(PS - removing the tails of the shrimp beforehand would probably save a little time... and your fingers if you're like me and attempted to remove them right after the shrimp was out of the fryer)

June 14, 1982

2010-06-14T08:00:00.013-05:00

28 years ago today my husband entered the world.

Happy birthday to the love of my life, the father of my child, and the other half of my heart.

Love you always Bear.

-me

To V8 or not to V8

2010-06-12T13:27:00.002-05:00

As conscious as I try to be regarding food labels and what I'm putting in my body - [granted there are times I just don't care, pass the cookie plate again please] - I'm having a hard time lately getting my daily veggies in. Fruit, of course, isn't a problem. But it seems that those carrots, cucumbers, and celery that look so delectable in the store (I'm convinced they have some special lights in the store that aids in this somehow), end sitting on the shelf and going bad. *Ahem* It doesn't help that I'm the only one who attempts to eat them in our house... That bag of carrots wouldn't look so intimidating if there was another mouth to help with the load ;) Baby Shields, hurry up and get here! Our kids will eat their veggies, there's no question there. It wasn't an option growing up in our house. You ate what was on your plate (especially the vegetables), or you sat there until you did.

Yesterday while I was perusing the grocery store, hoping for some divine revelation as to what the next week's meal plan should be, I came across V8...

A few years ago, I got on a V8 kick. A little 6 ounce can takes the edge off your hunger and gives you a boost. Now I'm not quite to the point where I love it and could sip on it for a while... I more or less shook the can, opened it, and shot it down as quickly as possible. Warmed up, it makes decent tomato soup, and seemed to be "healthier" than the canned tomato soup.

So all of that to say, I thought "Maybe this would be an okay substitution for a serving of veggies... Or two". I've seen the commercials, but obviously I'm not going to take it at its word. I plan to do a little research and see just how much V8 is a serving of vegetables, how many servings can I drink, can I just drink my veggies?? etc... (side note: I bought the house brand juice in a 64oz jug, not the handy-dandy cans). I checked out the label. No sugar added. Most of the ingredients are vegetable juices, with a few additives at the very end of the label (which is to be expected unless you're making your own).

I would love to hear if you have a "creative" way that you get in all of your servings! I'm always up for trying new things. If you also think my V8 idea is just a bad way to go, please pipe in... Like I said, I'm still experimenting, and am always up for learning new things.

Thanks, Blogger friends! :)

Poppy Seed Muffins

2010-06-09T09:00:00.003-05:00

I apologize that most of my posts lately have been about food... I also apologize for the pictures taken with my quality (ha!) point and shoot digital camera. Maybe when we win the lottery I'll treat myself to a professional camera. But until then, please accept these pictures that don't do justice to anything.

Be forewarned. This recipe is sure to make your skirt fly up. So moist and fantastic. I recently got this recipe from my mom and made them for a shower. And upon tasting them, it brought me crazy-happy feelings. Yes. This is Mom's poppy seed bread.

I know I've said before how in love I am with old/well used recipe cards, and this one is just the epitome of said thing. My mom's recipe. On a card more familiar than the back of my hand. Stained with who-knows-what. The oil? The milk? Some batter that dripped down the side of the bowl? But so beautifully "stained" with my mother's handwriting. Is it odd that I find my Mom's handwriting a comfort zone?

Here's hoping my bowl is big enough!

Okay, we're good. That was a close one.

The muffins I made for the shower were mini muffins.

You can tell towards the end - as the batter wasn't disappearing as fast as I wanted it to - I made a few regular size muffins, then went straight to my jumbo pan. I never said I was a patient person.

Just a heads up... These muffins are in no way, shape, or form healthy.

Packed with oil, sugar, and eggs, they are to be enjoyed fully knowing - and not caring - how many minutes it's gonna be on the treadmill later. Thank you.

One last thing. Mom got this recipe from an old church friend. So, wherever you are Linda Brunson, thank you for sharing your recipe with my mom, who shared it with me, who will most definitely pass it to my girls.

Poppy Seed Bread/Muffins

1 1/2 c. oil
2 c. milk
4 eggs
2 t. each: vanilla, butter, and almond extract
3 c. sugar
2 T. poppy seeds
4 c. flour
2 t. salt
2 t. baking powder

Combine all ingredients. Bake in 2 large greased and floured bread pans at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
[For muffins, time will be reduced. Mini muffins took about 12 minutes, larger muffins about 20]
To test for doneness, stick toothpick in the middle of a muffin. If it comes out clean, they're done.

Pretties

2010-06-08T12:00:00.006-05:00

Have I said how much I love fresh flowers?

Oh, sorry.

Have I said how much I love random vases?

My bad.

But I do.

I just can't get enough.

It's like putting a puzzle together [I love puzzles]. Arranging and mixing the different colors, sizes, and shapes to produce maximum cuteness and viewing appeal.

{PS - I've found that the flowers I've bought at Dillon's don't last near as long as Sam's flowers, and I think Sam's has better prices also}

Hodge-Podge Enchiladas

2010-06-07T17:24:00.001-05:00

These are some of my favorite times in the kitchen... When the left-overs and random things in the fridge just happen to come together. This definitely don't happen all of the time, or very often for that matter. But I wanted to share this particular time for a couple of reasons. One being I have several friends that don't cook. The kitchen intimidates them. This is my way of encouraging you to take your kitchen by the horns and take control... You go girls (and guys)!

I had a pre-marinated turkey loin (that I got on special at the grocery store a while ago and had stuck in the freezer) cooked from a few days ago.

So with that in mind, I raided the pantry for some more fun stuff: black beans, diced tomatoes, cream of chicken soup, and green diced chiles.

I started by dicing 1/2 an onion, about 1/4 of a green pepper, and an anaheim pepper. Don't let anaheim peppers scare you. It's basically like a green pepper with a little bit of a bite. Not hot by any means, but a nice little zing.

The following is the easiest way I've found to chop an onion (if you don't have a convenient food chopper... I do, but I sometimes find cooking more enjoyable when I do it all by hand)

1. Cut ends off onion, peel, and chop in half. Make several slices, making sure not go all the way to the top. This way it all stays together until you make the final cuts.

2. Turn onion and make cuts going the other way. Perfect little pieces.

Another side note. The last one for this post, I promise. Certain professional chef's (I won't name her them) have a cute little "garbage bowl" while they cook... Yeah, umm, the last thing I want to do is wash out another bowl after cooking. And since I don't have a compost pile or a garbage disposal, I often use the little plastic sacks from the grocery store that are used for produce. Maybe not the "greenest" approach, but I'm also saving water that would be used to wash a bowl. I don't feel bad. Sorry.

I sauteed the onion and two peppers with a few tablespoons of olive oil until the onions were translucent and starting to brown. Then added the chopped up turkey loin (I'm going to guess there was 2 1/2-ish cups) and a can of drained and rinsed black beans, just to infuse all of the flavors together.

I could have easily made 6-8 smaller enchiladas, but I chose to make 5 over stuffed. Probably the lazy in me coming out. I don't have a picture, but after I filled them, I added a handful of cheese to each one.

After they were rolled up, I made a random version of my enchilada sauce. That means I didn't have everything, so I used what I had. Basically it was about 3/4 c. sour cream, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 1 can of diced green chiles, 1 can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 c. chicken broth. Mix all of that together and spread over the top. Finish it off by a nice healthy sprinkle of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until everything is warmed and the edges are bubbling.

Sorry, this is a picture after we started digging in. I was pretty hungry. And it was pretty tasty.

So I hope this gives you a little confidence (if you don't have any) in the kitchen. Like I said, it doesn't always work out... But that's some of the fun. And that's how all the learning happens :)

Bon Appetit!

PS - If you live in Wichita (or make trips into Wichita for your groceries), it is WELL worth your time to buy your tortillas at Tortilleria Los Iii Portillos. They are located on 29th street between Arkansas and Broadway. They make tortillas fresh daily, and they are even a little cheaper (if I remember correct) than the house brand at Walmart. Most of the time, they are still warm when I get home. Rolled up with a little butter, it is heaven in your mouth. Did I mention that they have white and wheat tortillas? You will never go back to stiff, old store bought tortillas.

The Best Easy Dip You'll Ever Make

2010-06-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

My world was turned upside down the night I first experience this dip. I was rocked to the core.

Thanks to my good friend, Nikia, who introduced me to this dip, I will never be the same.

2 - 8oz cream cheese blocks (low fat works well)
1 can corn (drained)
1 can Rotel (any kind: Mexican, hot, mild, whatever tickles your fancy)
1 packet of dry Ranch

Combine ingredients and enjoy be in utter bliss with your favorite tortilla chips.