Personalized Perpetual Calendars

And the post Christmas posting continues...

I made personalized 2 week perpetual calendars for some of the girls in our family.  Super easy!  Just a 12x12 frame from HobbyLobby, some scrapbook paper, some paint samples and some images found via The Internet printed on photo paper and painstakingly cut out.  Throw in a dry erase marker and how awesome is that!

So awesome, that I'm probably going to have to make one for myself!  Oh, the themes running through my mind...

For the Hello Kitty Fanatic
It's my sister-in-law and her family Hello Kitty style with lots of pink glitteriness.

For the gamer fan.
My other sister-in-law is married to a gamer and has become one herself.  The Guild is an internet show by Felicia Day on Youtube.  My husband and I enjoy it.  It's pretty funny.

For the teen fan musical lover.
Starkid.  There are no words...but I made it anyway - that's love.

They seemed to be a big hit.  I made another one that is not pictured.  It was for my nephew and my daughters wrapped it up before the picture could be taken.  It was a Call of Duty theme.

Anyway - great gift idea.

Quick.  Easy.  Yet Personal.

Nice...

Valet Box Take Two

And here are the boxes from my husband's side of the family:

For the RenFest enthusiast
A Celtic dragon and a Celtic prayer

For the World Changer
The quote is a mash up of Helen Keller and Anne Frank

For the Physical Therapist student
Nothing says PT like motion :)

For the hunter
Not a fan of sport hunting, but...here ya go

Valet Boxes and a Girl with a Wood Burning Tool

 

I have always wanted to try wood burning.  I have a childhood memory of my aunt making an owl that I thought was so cool.  I had the idea to make valet boxes for all of the guys in our family, but Procrastinator Kels ran out of time...

 

Not this year.  Though I did procrastinate...

 

These are the boxes that I made for the guys on my side:

 

For the football fan
*the blurred out section of the football is actually my brother-in-laws full name

 

For the Aggie
Complete with some Spirit of Aggieland lyrics

 



For the World War II buff
A US patch with a quote from the D Day prayer by F.D.R.

For the cowboy
Fitting words for my nephew by Chris Ledoux

 

For the newly graduated Firefirefighter
*after I stained it I really wished I would have off set the firefighter to the right and added his monogrammed initials to the left

I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to finish gifts, cook, bake, wrap...I let my kids wrap and had them take photos of everything as they did.  The pictures don't really do the boxes justice.  Everyone seemed to really like them.

Here's a photo of the WWII box that my sister took once they got it home:

I love the idea of a man's 'valet' box, especially in a day where we can use more gentlemen...

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!


Ode to Matt Smith, Goodnight Raggedy Man

So the night of the Eleventh Doctor has come.  No spoilers, but I will miss the raggedy man who won me over after losing my Doctor. 

Matt Smith did a fantastic job with the character and will always hold a special place in the geek section of my heart. 

I get so emotional when a regeneration comes around.  Probably because the actors playing the Doctor seem to really mean what they say when they are bidding the role goodbye. 

I was so devastated when Ten left that it took a while for me to give Smith a chance.  I guess it is a good thing then that Thirteen won't start airing until next year and not like after the New Year in a week, but like the fall of 2014.  That should give me enough time to mourn...and get excited for the next adventure!

Thank you, Matt.  Fezzes around the world are tilted to you tonight in appreciation for a wonderful, magical ride!

My Addictions

 

 

I am ready to admit that I have a problem...

 

I used to see a sign like this and think 'woo hoo, limit 10, that's 10 for 10 how exciting'.

 

 

 

Then I thought, 'woo hoo, limit 10, let me call a few people and see if they want to meet me up here to get the ones I want that put me over the 10 limit'.

 

Yesterday I thought, 'woo hoo, limit 10, hmmmmm...I can write down all of the ones I want and go to the three closest Hobby Lobby stores to get the 26 I want and what the heck, I'll pick 4 more and make the 10 limit at the third store'.

 

This is my pattern container before I added the thirty I bought yesterday...

 

And you know what?  I think that Butterick dress poking out of the stack is just like Simplicity 1940s Retro pattern I bought yesterday.  C'est la vie.  I embrace my addiction.

 

 

My husband, however, does not.  :)

 

He says if I actually used them it would be one thing, but right now he thinks I'm just a collector.  So my response had to be to order a dressform, which I did promptly.  I can't wait for it to come in. 

 

I'm a complete novice.  I've never taken a sewing class.  I've made some skirts with elastic waists and one knit dress that didn't fall right because the hem was wonky.  But that's not going to stop me...oh no.  I've collected a descent fabric stash and I have youtube tutorials and Craftsy.com so I'm pretty sure I'll be an expert in a month or so ;)

 

Wish me luck! 

Cold weather, crochet blankets, and a runny nose...

I usually love the cold weather, but not when I'm sick.  And man, oh man, am I sick.  I caught my husbands germs.  Runny nose, hacking cough and lots of phlegm...sounds gorgeous right?

However, I did not let it keep me from having a great time at the Texas Renaissance Festival.  The cold kept the crowds away, which meant not getting to see as many costumes.  At least the costumes that we did see contained more clothing :-)

(I never understood the chainmail bras)

We picked up a couple of souvenirs.  We brought home an ocarina and a longbow.  here to fore,  I will now call my youngest daughter Zelda and my middle daughter Katniss.  My oldest daughter picked up the Horn of Gondor last year, so yeah...that about sums us up.

Oh, and before we went we watched the kicking 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who, The Day of the Doctor...no spoilers.

All in all, a pretty epic day and worth the sinus pressure that is now causing a horrible headache behind my eyes.

And now for the pictures...

Cowboy Baby Shower

So, I have been super busy and stressed getting our house ready for a baby shower and making decorations and catering it myself...thank goodness for my daughters and mother in law! 

The new upcoming baby is a boy and we decided on a western theme.  I love me some country and down home food.  However, it has not loved my waistline...

We served brisket, baked beans, potato salad and cornbread.  Sweet tea to drink, of course.  Instead of doing the typical baby shower cake I did a cookie bar with oatmeal raisin, chocolate no bake cookies and sugar cookies. I also made a pie station with apple, cherry and peach pie served with ice cream.

Casual Cos - The Coronation of Gwen

Gwen took a while to grow on me as a Merlin character.  But by the end of the series I really liked her.  The series finale - I was so sad for her.  I didn't see the ending coming at all...So, in honor of her royal highness is this Polyvore creation.  :)

Casual Cos - Arthur, King of Camelot

 

It's been a while since I posted, well, anything.  I had this King Arthur inspired outfit saved on my Polyvore, so here is a quick post for today.

 

I absolutely love the top and cardigan!  I can't wait for the weather to turn cooler.  In Texas, sometimes that's not until December!  We did get a cold front for a couple of days a while back and it was marvelous, but it didn't last long, alas.  Oh well, I said a quick post so let me not run on.  Errands and cleaning await!  Allonsy!

The Fires of Pompeii

I love my kids...they are quirky and creative.  I have been under the weather for about a week almost.  Miserably sick.  Fever, sinus congestion that became chest congestion and a throat that felt like it was on fire.  My voice is scratchy and sometimes nonexistent.  Today, however, they made me smile.  They were up in their room doing whatever it is they do up there.  Sometimes they sing musicals, sometimes they make up stories and sometimes they do stage makeup for fun.  Today was makeup day.

And the theme was The Fires of Pompeii from Doctor Who.

My youngest daughter is a tech theater kid.  She has been the stage manager for her junior high school.  She tried out for her first play in high school and made the crew.  She is my behind the scenes girl.  She really loves theater, but not being in the spotlight.

She looks pretty legit seeing as she used eyeliner pencil and stuff she found around the house for an impromptu costume.  Clever girl.  Her older sister dressed her and took the photos.  Well done, ladies, well done.

Casual Cos - Merlin

Oh, BBC we do seem to be having a love affair.  I have long loved the show Merlin and I'm sad it is no more.  I do love the way it ended, however.  I won't divulge more about the ending just in case a stumbler to my blog decides to give it a try.  The series ending was unexpected, but still left me with happiness (which is a big part of Merlin's charm). 

I seem to have an appreciation for quirky characters and Merlin doesn't disappoint.

 

It's not a series that I go back and watch over and over like Doctor Who.  I mean, really, there is only so much Morgana you can take.  But I have watched several episodes more than once.  The show's creators and writers do such a good job developing the relationship between Arthur and Merlin.  I appreciate shows when you see the characters change and evolve.  It makes them more realistic.  Not that Merlin is a realistic character, no fictional lines blurring here....it just gives them more depth.

 

 

Anyways, if for some reason you haven't seen the show, check it out.  Its good clean, nerdy fun.

 

:)

Casual Cos - Eleventh Doctor

I don't know about other Whovians, but the moment David Tennant's Doctor regenerated, the part where he looked like he wanted to cry and said he didn't want to go just made me crumble.  There weren't enough tissues in the house to handle the water works exploding out of my eyes.  And then this new guy had the audacity to climb out of Ten's Tardis!  How dare he??  Who did he think he was??  It was a very rough time for me.  But then Matt Smith said "fish fingers and custard" and I thought maybe, just maybe, I could give this quirky young man a try...

 

My daughters totally embraced Eleven, probably because he was younger.  Pretty soon everything was okay because everything was cool.  Even the dreaded knee length khaki shorts they had to have for color guard were acceptable.  My youngest even decorated a practice shirt that said "I wear khakis now, khakis are cool".  So I have a lot to thank Matt Smith for.  He made everything cool in our house.

 

Except the fez,  I just couldn't accept that as cool...

 



So, way to win me over, Raggedy Man. 

Eleven and his companions have been fantastic, but I know that another heart wrenching regeneration is coming.  So here is my tribute to River's flirty husband, a casual cos for the quirky cool Eleven.

(Ten, you're still my Doctor though <3)

A Super Easy Sherlock Party

It's elementary...or so I hear.

I love theme parties so for my birthday this year I decided on Sherlock Holmes.  I've mentioned before that I don't go all crazy spending money on decorations.  I like to hunt for stuff I already own that can somehow fit the theme and then purchase the rest at Dollar Tree.  I think this went off quite nicely.

We had a bright pink suitcase up in a closet and some crystal candle holders in the living room.  I purchased the pink party supplies from Dollar Tree and wrote A Study in Scarlet with a red permanent marker.  I wrote RACHE, which is Rachel, of course, and not German for revenge...

More already owned candles for the mantel.  Some dollar store frames with some Sherlock art and a quote drawn by my daughter.  I had the plaid wool in my fabric stash, perfect for draping.  I found magnifying glasses at the dollar store.  And for the centerpiece, my Complete Sherlock Holmes.  I also have had this black and white wrapping paper for years...Add a bright yellow smiley face and the fireplace was transformed.

I bought these great votive candle holders years ago.  You can take the top black ring off and then slip whatever artwork you want inside because there are two layers of glass with about 1/4" space in between.  My daughter drew some great silhouettes for me which looked fabulous when we lit the inner candles.  Toss another Sherlock book I already had on the table and we are calling it done.

I love simple, but creative parties.  I hope my kids look back on our family parties one day with fond memories. 

You don't have to spend a lot to pull off the theme, just look around your home and improvise!

Sherlock Flag Bag

 

My sophomore needed a new flag bag for color guard by the first game.  I found that out a few days before the first game.  No time to order one, so off to Joann's fabric store.

 

 

My love for the show Sherlock made a great black and white print stick out as I was walking down the aisles.  A little yellow spray paint...yeah, fellow Sherlock fans know what's up...

 

 

The Sherlock Flag Bag...

 



 

 

Sturdy upholstery fabric and a quick sew job.  I even included a nice carrying strap and a drawstring top with a cord lock.  Pretty sweet for a short afternoon project.  Should be pretty durable, but just in case she's a bit rough and the bottom starts to wear out I purchased some Union Jack duct tape.  It just got sweeter...

 

Casual Cos - Rose Tyler

 

The day Rose Tyler "died" sealed Rose and Ten as one of my all time favorite fictional couples.  I can not watch that episode without crying like a baby.  Billie Piper did a fabulous job!  Don't even get me started on how happy I was when they saw each other again in the episode where all of the Doctor's friends return to help him or how torn I was at the end of the Doctor Donna...talk about tough choices.

I can't wait to see how they bring her back for the 50th anniversary special that is coming up.  Surely she will have a part.  My guess is that the Rose and Ten from the alternate universe will come to the assistance of Eleven.  It should be pretty fantastic!

Draft Party

 

 

The football season is upon us and the rosters are set!  The Clute Bears (that's my team) scored Adrian Peterson with the 5th pick of the draft! 

 

The draft party was a great family success.  Yummy snacks, meatballs, chips and queso, salsa, fruit and veggie trays and dip, cake, cookies and some sweet tea.  I made folders for all of the team owners with stats and projected points, bye weeks and rankings.  My sister-in-law scored us a draft kit.  And I found some cute, cheap decorations from the Dollar Tree.  I love that store...

 

 

The bottom photo in the collage shows the aftermath.  Laptop research, food carnage and an empty Blue Bell container...Yeah, it was that stressful!

 

It took a while to get this 8 team league through 23 rounds, but we managed to get it done by midnight.

 

Now, onward to victory!!!

Football Season is HERE!

How do you know high school football season has arrived?

This little guy lets you know.

How?

Like this...

Nothing says 'We accept you' like 'I made a big mess in your yard for you to clean up'.

This is how the band and color guard drop off the yard signs.  My now sophomore got to clean it up last year and now my new freshman gets the pleasure.  And it is a pleasure.  It truly does make them feel accepted.  It's a weird phenomenon.  I remember it from my high school days. 

Funny how something that seems like it would be a mean prank is anticipated with a lot of excitement from the person that will spend their Saturday picking up tiny torn bits of toilet tissue out of the slightly damp grass.  Forget about scaling the tree, which they did a great job of hoisting rolls of TP high up.  Kudos...

Now to go 'encourage' the clean up...

:)

Back to School

The buses are on the loose again.  The AM traffic is back to horrible and the blinking school zone lights are on once more.  Ah, back to school time.  I love this time of year.  It means fall is around the corner.  Friday night high school football games are gearing up.  And better day time sleep for the night time worker! 

This back to school year also means my baby is in high school. 

And my last year freshman is what she calls, a squash-more.

Let's not even get into my second year college student...
              - She asked me the other day what I'll think when she turns 20.  I told her that in this case, thank goodness for teen pregnancy, lol.  Even though they all know what a hard road it was when they were younger.

But as everyone goes through the anxiety filled, yet exciting back to school days - I wish the best to all!

First Day of Clinicals!

My husband has always wanted to have a job where he felt like he was making a difference.  He has recently made the decision to go back to school and become a Paramedic.  I couldn't be more proud.

He completed the Basic EMT portion and today is his first day of clinicals!  And, as an L&D nurse, I love that his first clinical is in labor and delivery.  He is doing a 12 hour shift at a county hospital.  I can't wait to hear how his day went.  Way to go, Mr. H2!  Just watch out for the fluids ;)  Amniotic baths are completely disgusting!

Casual Cos - Tenth Doctor

 

Doctor Who fan folks say that the first Doctor you watch becomes "your" Doctor.  I remember seeing Doctor Who on PBS when I was a kid, but this is America where Star Trek and Star Wars reigned SciFi supreme. 

 

Enter Netflix and a night on call a year or two ago...

 

I was searching for something to watch and saw the Doctor Who logo pop up on what was recommended for me.  I vaguely remembered the show from childhood so I gave it a try.  Starting from the beginning made Christopher Eccleston my first Doctor.  And he was 'fantastic'. 

 

But then he regenerated and in came David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor.  My Doctor.  The Proper Doctor. 

The pin striped, Converse wearing Ten made me smile.  Ten and Rose made me cry like a baby.  I can't watch it without bawling and I have seen it so many times now.  And the Doctor Donna, don't get me started...

I can't wait to see how they bring him back, hopefully with Rose, in the 50th special!

Irish Soda Bread

 

I want to be a bread baker, but I'm a complete novice and a bit yeast challenged.  So I tried my hand at yeast free Irish Soda Bread to go with some Irish stew.  It turned out fabulous!  I brushed on buttermilk before I put it in the oven and got the best, crunchiest crust.  Just perfect for dipping in a hot bowl of stew.

 

This will totally become a regular, especially for the fall and winter.  It's considered a quick bread since it lacks yeast and depends on the baking soda to make it rise.  I am totally going to look for more quick bread recipes.  I'm a bit impatient, which is probably why I have a problem with yeast breads...Either way, this is a great bread!

 

 

Irish Soda Bread

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Make a well in the dry ingredients and add buttermilk.  Mix.  If necessary add more buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time until a soft dough forms.  Turn onto lightly floured surface.  Knead 5 or 6 times.  Form into a ball.  Place on baking pan.  Cut an "X" into the top of the bread.  Brush with buttermilk.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.  Bread will sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Serve with a delicious slathering of butter.  :)

Casual Cos - Sherlock

There seems to be a bit of a BBC craze in America.  Doctor Who, Downton Abbey and, of course, Sherlock.  Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's eccentric mystery solving sleuth has made a few recent appearances.  I enjoyed the movie version with Robert Downey Jr, but I have not yet watched the new series with Lucy Lu as Watson.  A girl Watson just doesn't seem right. 

I had this discussion with my brother-in-law just the other day.  I mentioned wanting to have a Sherlock themed party for my birthday this year.  He assumed it was the Lucy Lu one.  I informed him that it was the BBC version.  He rolled his eyes a bit.  That's okay, he had the same reaction to Doctor Who and now he and his daughters are hooked.  There is just something perfect about Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.  My BiL replied that they brought back his drug addiction in the American series.  Shocker.  Hollywood using drugs in a production is not something I get excited about.  I wonder if they address the fact that the drugs Holmes used in Doyle's time were legal.  It would be like smoking now - it's not good for you, it's addictive, but it's legal.  Which is why I like the way Cumberbatch's Holmes wears a nicotine patch (or a few).  It's the same concept, but current to today's society.  Anyway, I digress...

I am very pleased to hear a third 'season' is coming.  So pleased that I have a casual cos in honor of the show today!

 

 

P.S. My birthday is around the corner so I'll post some photos from that.  We don't do big bashes in our house.  Just a family birthday dinner with some games and cake.  But the birthday boy or girl gets to pick a theme.  We decorate according to the chosen theme and people dress up with stuff they find around the house that goes with it as well.  Good inexpensive, creative fun!

Parsley Potatoes

I love french fries.  And I love tater tots.  They don't love me, however.  So here is my make it yourself alternative.  The secret is heating the oil in the oven while getting the potatoes ready.

They are the size of tots with the crispy crunch of a fry.  Satisfaction in a major way.

 

Parsley Potatoes

 

2 1/2 pounds potatoes (washed and chopped into about 1 inch chunks)

1/4 cup olive oil

kosher salt

1/4 chopped fresh parsley

 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Pour olive oil into a baking pan, like the kind you would make a sheet cake in.  Place pan in heated oven.  Wash and chop the potatoes.  I don't peel mine.  I just cut them into approximately 1 inch chunks.  Place potato chunks in a large bowl.  Using a rubber spatula, toss while adding salt and parsley.  Remove hot oil from oven.  Carefully add potatoes, the oil should sizzle.  Toss to coat the potatoes in the hot oil.  Return to oven.  Bake until browned and fork tender.

 

They are simple enough to eat with a burger and visually appealing, so you can serve them with something a bit more gourmet.

 

You can also change up the herbs to fit the rest of the meal.  Easy peasy.

 

Homey, comfort food that makes me smile.

Casual Cos - Psych

A little Polyvore and Psych on Netflix!  I love that show.  It is one of my favorites.  So much so that two years ago my husband threw me a Psych birthday and hid pineapples in different parts of our small town with clues to find the next one.  It eventually led to my present.  He's pretty awesome.

So, as I am having my current Psych marathon I made a 'Casual Cos' outfit on Polyvore.

 

Just in time for Shawn and Jules' first kiss <3

 

And now on to Despereaux part 2...

 

Key the theme music - I know, You know...

Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes

 

 

I didn't know Hawaiian sweet potatoes are actually purple.  I don't want to eat purple potatoes...

 

But I did want to find a good Hawaiian sweet potato recipe for a luau themed dinner.  I combined a couple that I found online and made some adjustments and came up with a delicious side dish for the Huli Huli chicken I made.  Simple and scrumptious.

 

 

28 ounces sweet potatoes, canned, drained

1/2 cup crushed pineapple, canned, undrained

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

6 Tbsp brown sugar, divided

4 Tbsp butter, divided

1/2 cup shredded coconut, sweetened

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

 

Preheat oven to 350.  In medium bowl, combine sweet potatoes, pineapple, 2 Tbsp melted butter, 4 Tbsp brown sugar, cinnamon.  Pour mixture into a medium size casserole dish.  In a medium bowl, combine 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 Tbsp melted butter, coconut, flour and pecans.  Mix well and sprinkle over sweet potatoes.  Bake for 30 minutes or until topping is slightly browned and crunchy.

 

Enjoy :)