Saturday, July 31, 2010

Your so "Dwell"

After a highly disappointing fabric shopping trip with my mother I decided to hit the internet in search of a fabric that would quicken my heart. Low in behold I stumbled across this blog Create Girl and be still my beating heart..... I fell in love.

It's a Robert Allen for Dwell Studio print called Gate and I have to have it! The only problem, it's not been released yet and I have no idea how much it costs :(



This is the vision I had in my head. This is the print I want. It's scheduled to be released in early August......that's tomorrow :) All the Dwell Studio prints are loveable, but I HEART this one!


*This is me secretly wishing it will be affordable

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Summer Veggie Tart

I saved this recipe back a couple months ago. It was in the June issue of Family Fun Magazine. I knew I would have an abundance of Summer Squash and be looking for something new to do with it. This recipe was SO GOOD! Even Brad ate it and that's saying something!

Summer Veggie & Pesto Tart

1pkg piecrust
2TBS EVOO
1 small Zucchini
1 small Yellow Squash
Kernels cut from 1 ear of sweet corn
Salt/Pepper
2 TBS Pesto
2oz goat cheese/cream cheese
1 egg
10 cherry tomatoes
sprinkle of parmesan cheese

450 degrees for 25 minutes.














Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Because I'm Crazy

Why not start a 2nd project before I've finished the 1st? Brad's grandma gave us this little wooden table and chairs when Dane was born. Uh, Yeah. I realize that was over 2 years ago but Brad had put them above the garage and I'd forgotten about them.

I think it will be perfect for Dane's fort so I started stripping off the paint on Sunday. I only got 2 chairs done and it took me 3 1/2 hours! I ran out of stripper and it ate the end of my scraper up so I need to buy another one.


My original thought was to stain them, but I'm not sure. I think a good sanding and a coat paint and I might call it a day.





Here's the table base, I think it's just so cute! The top is in pretty rough shape, not sure it can be saved. Brad's mentioned making a new top for it.






Sunday, July 25, 2010

Summer Sides

A side dish to go along with Grilled Chicken
White Beans
Cherry Tomatoes
Onion
Parsley
Garlic
EVOO/Vinegar
Salt/Pepper

Mmmmm, Good

Friday, July 23, 2010

No Girls Allowed

Brad been working on this fort in the woods for Dane. It's really starting to shape up. Soon to come are the bunk beds, stairs, and roof to the porch. Brad also wants to put up a tire swing. Hopefully it'll get done before Winter comes, Brad and Dane want to camp out back there. We've also been wanting to have a little party too, invite all our friends out for a BBQ/campfire and the kids can play in the fort.


Dane use to say I wasn't allowed to come in his fort but I think he's changed his mind. I've suffered many bugs bite and had ALOT of posion ivy working on staining this fort and cleaning up the campfire site so I better be allowed back there to play!





The fort is connected by 2 trails to the campfire site. We tried that out last weekend by roasting marshmallows and making smores.


Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Not Happy

The cutest little blog on the block discontinued my background! It took me a long time to find one that I was content with and now I have to find another :(

I'm not happy with this current selection at all but it will work for now. So in the next several days you'll see alot of changes as I try to find a background and style that makes me happy. Please leave comments and let me know what you think as I move things around and change the background. I'd like to find something that screams......ME!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A Reading Chair

Or at least that's what I'd like to call it. It should be called...

The you wish you had time to read chair!

or

The what the heck did I get myself into chair!

Regardless, Brad's uncle gave me this chair and I love it. Clearly it needs alittle TLC. I plan to reupholster it with the help of my mother in a super cute fabric. We've done little projects like this before, so hopefully it can be done. Seems like it could be alittle more tricky than our other projects.






Don't ya think it's pretty? Anyone have any suggestions on fabric or any helpful tips on reupholstering?? I sure could use some.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Wyat

Dane went to a friends 5th birthday party yesterday. This was the 1st real party he's been to that wasn't an immediate family member and that had birthday type activities planned. This party was great, they had a man come out to make balloon animals, pin the tail on the donkey, a pinata' and outdoor water activities.


Dane had such a good time and walked away with a goodie bag which he thought was awesome! Dane had never done or seen any of those games and he did a great job. During every game he would look over at me for approval, it was adorable.


Here's the balloon guy.
We'd seen this man before walking around Joe's Crab Shack in Dublin sometime last year. At that time, he made Dane a monkey.






Today he made Dane an Octopus!


A Chicken Hat!



Thanks Jeanie, Keri and Wyat for the invite. You really know how to throw a GREAT party!

Friday, July 16, 2010

Garden Goods

Our 2nd green bean pickings. We took this picking over to my parents house, we were still eating off the 1st batch and I'm not into canning yet. We gave them a banana pepper too, Brad insists that we need 2 banana pepper plants cause we eat them.......uh, Not really. I guess I can try to find ways to eat them though.

Everything is looking pretty good this year. This garden look 100X better than last year. We have had some losses though..... 2 of the 3 cauliflower plants (died), 1 of the 3 collard greens (died), my tomitillo plant (murdered by the hoe/oops).

Things that are growing exceptionally well......squash, tomatoes, green beans, onions, lettuce, eggplant, broccoli and corn.




I'm about to be buried in 2 things..... tomatoes and summer squash. Definitley going to have to spread those among friends and family.



* Phone update: Phone guy came out on Monday. "Fixed it" and we had internet and phone for a whopping 24 hours. Thanks guys, your awesome! When I got home from work yesterday they had the line marked with flags and a message on my answering machine that they will be out within the next 10 days to replace the line. 10 days.......don't rush or anything. This has only been going on for YEARS and I'm pretty sure they already replaced the line since we've been here and that didn't really work but ok.



Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Wildflower

Or maybe it's a weed.
Either way these flowers are growing behind our house. I've never noticed them before but when I saw the color I just had to have them. So Brad picked me some. Thanks babe.







Saturday, July 10, 2010

Earning His Keep

I put this kid to work! He was more than excited to pick the green beans, and he did do most of the picking but I really had to monitor which ones he was going after. He did pretty good and only picked a few that weren't quite ready.



He was so proud of his pickings. I had him then help me wash them, snap them, and cook them! Uh, Is there some kind of child labor law that I need to worry about? Then at dinner time he about ate his weight in green beans :) I think this garden is good for him, he really likes the watering, growing, and harvesting and he eats good because of it. Definitely makes it worth the effort. We're going out again this morning to pick a new batch. Might be giving this one away, we haven't finished eating the 1st batch.


* On another note...........I HATE THE PHONE COMPANY! We've been without the internet again for the last 2 days! Why you ask? Oh, geez, because it rained again. Yeah, that makes sense doesn't it? They've been out here or called every other month since we moved in 5 years ago. Just replace the box at the road already you dummies! How many times are you gonna come here, replace the phone line or give us a new modem?! and then tell us the box at the road is bad? JUST REPLACE THE BOX!!!!!

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Lesson #2

I promise I'm not going to post pictures of all 10 lessons! Mostly because I will miss the last 4 while I'm at work and other people will be taking him :(

They did do some different activites as well as some of the same ones from the previous day.

Mat Races.
All the kids love this part.



MotorBoat.
All the kids hold hands in a circle and sing a song and blow bubbles in the water (with their mouths.....not their butts) I know what you people were thinking!!!
SuperMan.
Dane was suppose to have his arms out in front of him but he wouldn't do it.


Backfloat.
"Put your belly button up to the sky!"


For some reason this is is favorite part!
He loves to hold hands and walk to the diving board.





* Lesson #3 went ok. Dane was just slightly uncoorperative (he's just 2 1/2 after-all)

There were certain things he just didn't want to do, I had to get in the water and assist with a few activities just to get him to do them. No diving board today, they just jumped from the side of the 5 foot section.



The lifeguards (instructors) are trying hard to get the kids to go completely underwater, today they reached under water for diving rings while blowing bubbles with their mouths. It will be interesting to see how far Dane comes in these 2 weeks.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Lesson # 1

On of the perks of my dad working at Scott's has always been the company pool. It's a really nice outdoor heated pool and they offer about 6 stages of swimming lessons. Dane just started Level 1 yesterday. It's everyday for 2weeks from 11:45-12:15, and it's a perfect week to start since it's about 90 degrees outside!


They started things off with a roll-call. Is it a bad sign that my eyes teared up when they said his name?...... it was very school like. I'm guess I'm going to be a BIG mess when he starts preschool!


This is done in the 2foot section of the pool. Only glitch of the day is when Dane climbed in, he didn't realize that he could touch the bottom and that the lifeguard wasn't going to hold him, so he went under. Wasn't sure he would cooperate after that but he did great!


Here's the red light-green light game (sitting on the side and kicking)





Another game of being chased in the water by a "fox" aka another kid.







Lined up holding hands pretending to be a train. They were headed to the diving boards!!! What!?! There is NO WAY he's jumping off that thing.....





But he does it!! 2X!! and he liked it!!
He told Brad..."That was fun!"

Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy 4th

Happy 4th of July everyone!
We spent last night at Indian Lake at Brad's Aunt Rita's house.


These are the 1st real fireworks that Dane has seen. He's always been asleep by the time they would start but we gave him a late nap and Aunt Rita gave him a "beer" aka Root Beer so he was good :)

Dane's 1st experience with sparklers too. These aren't the same sparklers as when I was a kid that's for sure, they were huge and went on forever!! Dane was thrilled with it.


Off to my cousins house here in a few for more 4th of July festivities and fireworks.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Neighborly Love

We have the best neighbors and Dane has developed quite the crush on Miss Madie. We cross back and forth between the yards to visit and Dane constantly has something that he needs to show her or tell her about. We're definitely greatful for all their help, like when I need a few eggs cause I didn't pay attention before I started into the recipe or like this week when we needed someone to watch Dane while Brad and I were at work. Thanks again Madie, Dane had a great time!



Yesterday something funny happened. When I was outside in the garden Dane took off and was quiet for quite some time (very unusual) Finally something caught my eye, I look up and it's Dane standing on the neighbors back porch window peeping!!!! I've never seen Dane run so fast when I yelled to him to get his butt back over here. He then asked me a few minutes later if I thought that Madie was home sleeping

"I dont' know Dane, maybe."


"Well, I want to go see her in bed"


"Uh, No. We have to ask before we go over there."


They called later after I told them the story and invited Dane over after nap to jump on the trampoline. I brought my camera and some ice pops :)