Carmelized Onion Snack

Saturday, May 30, 2009


I was perusing thekitchn.com yesterday to try to find recipe ideas. If you have never been there I definitely recommend it. I came across this post about caramelizing onions. I had some leftover raw diced onion just waiting to rot away in the fridge, so I decided to caramelize it and then freeze it so I could just throw it in a recipe at a later time.

As I was caramelizing the onions this snack idea came to me. Its really simple and really addicting. All you need to do it top a Ritz cracker with a little bit of cream cheese and then a little bit of your caramelized onions. It is seriously so good! I could not stop eating them! There are only two in picture because I had already eaten the other ten I made. Sorry the picture is blurry too, I could hardly wait to take the photo before eating them!

Etched Glass Canisters

Friday, May 29, 2009

In our laundry room we have open cabinets, recently they have been looking pretty full of random stuff and since there are no doors to hide anything behind so I decided to pretty things up a bit!

Here are the glass canisters that I etched with Armour Etching Cream. Here is a great tutorial for etching. One says Borax and another says Baking Soda.
I downloaded the font from dafont.com its called Dear Joe
This project was actually quite a pain to do but I am thrilled with the end result. Stay tuned for more laundry room beautification. :)

Homemade Shampoo Update

I have given up on the homemade shampoo, but I still have over half of what I made left over. So, This morning I used it as a body wash instead. It worked great! It lathered up really well. I will definitely be using this as body wash from now on! I definitely think that you should make some for yourself!

31 Weeks

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Only 9 more weeks to go!

This morning I went with a group of ladies to Baker's Square with Maryn for her last time :(. They are rolling out on Monday. I am excited for them and their journey to California though!
This is Tyson. He sleeps in weird positions. He makes me laugh.
As promised here are pictures of the duvet cover that I made! It really isn't anything too special since it is just white. But I like it and am glad to be able to cross this project off of my list! Sorry its wrinkly, I didn't feel like ironing (Does anyone ever feel like ironing?) :)


Here is a picture of the crib bumper. I still cant make my way to the crib so you will have to make do with this picture of it all folded up. :)

Is it weird?

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

That I find driving in the rain very relaxing and calming? lol I know it sounds weird but maybe its just because it reminds me of Washington.

I went to Christy's house today. I haven't been able to figure out the buttonhole attachment on my sewing machine so she was going to try to help me figure it out. I think my machine has a malfuncton because we just couldn't get it to work. So I borrowed her sewing machine to make the buttonholes on my duvet cover (that I started ages ago). My project list is seriously dwindling down now that the duvet and crib bumper are finished! I will try to post pictures of both of those projects tomorrow.

In other news, I am giving up on the homemade shampoo. I feel like my hair just got too greasy feeling throughout the day using that compared to "regular" shampoo. It has been so humid and hot lately that I do not need anything to make me look like more of a grease ball than I already do so I guess it is back to buying the expensive natural organic stuff.

Nursery Update!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I am finished sewing the crib bumper! It looks great. I still need to get some ribbon to make the ties though. I would take a picture of it in the crib but right now the nursery is full of junk awaiting our new carpets. Once the carpets are in I will take a picture of how the nursery looks so far!

We set a goal of having the nursery completely finished by June 15th. The bumper was the last big project that I had to do, so now I think we will be finished before then! I still need to find a shade for the lamp though. Anyone know where I can get drum shades?

Also I added links to our registry's on the sidebar :) Just in case you wanted to take a peek!

My Husband is Awesome!

Monday, May 25, 2009

He made me a compost tumbler today! How awesome is that! This is the tutorial he followed. He made the frame awhile ago and we have just been needing a barrel. Today on the drive to Jacksonville we drove past an Ace Hardware that had a bunch of barrels on the side of it, so we stopped!

Beach Day!

We went to the beach on Camp Lejeune today! The weather was cloudy but it was still warm! We were only out there for about an hour but both of us got some sun! Of course Brian got more than I did because he is competitive like that :).

This is the hole that I dug for my belly so that I could lay on my stomach and get my back tan!

Memorial Day Weekend!

Happy 3 day weekend everyone! 4 day if you are military! Brian started off the weekend by going with the teen boys from our church on a camping/fishing trip. They didn't catch a single fish but he said they really had a really great time. I started off the weekend by going with some of the teen girls and Lauren on a shopping trip to Morehead City Friday night. I got a few more maternity shirts at Ross and a few craft items at Michaels. Then we went to Belk, Can you believe I got this sweater dress for $2!! Its not maternity but it is going to be great for wearing this fall and winter!

Saturday morning while I was waiting for Brian to get home, I started a new little craft project: Baby Flip Flops! These are just my prototype in the beginning stages! I tried them on Lily Kate last night and they looked so cute! I will be sure to post when I get some sets done! I just need to figure out how to use the buttonhole foot on my sewing machine!
This is the lamp I picked up @ Walmart for $5! Christy thanks so much for telling me about these! The color is perfect for the room! Now I just need to find some shades to cover!
Yesterday we finished one of the nursery projects we have been wanting to do! We made a fabric roman shade for the nursery that is lined with blackout fabric! It looks so good, I just love it! The tutorial is from Little Green Notebook. I got a little frustrated with the process midway through when I had cut my finger on a ladder and then got a huge "paper cut" from one of the slats on the same finger and then burnt my foot on the hot glue gun. Thankfully I have an amazing husband who is good at remaining not frustrated and made me keep going! I just love the finished project!

Homemade Shampoo Day 1

Friday, May 22, 2009

I used my homemade shampoo for the first time this morning! Its a bit watery but it lathered up really nicely and I didn't need to use more of it that I would have used with regular shampoo. It smells amazing! When I rinsed it out my hair felt "squeaky" I assume that it due to the castile soap since castile soap dissolves grease and oils. I conditioned with my regular Nature's Gate Conditioner. I was a bit worried that my hair would be hard to comb through due to the "squeaky" feeling in the shower, but it combed through great! I am very pleased with it!

Walmart

Walmart never ceases to amaze me.
They sell everything.
I was doing a search for lamps earlier today and this came up.
Do people seriously buy tanning beds from Walmart?

30 weeks!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

I am 3/4 of the way to the finish line! I feel like I am huge, and have been told recently that I look like I am about to pop. :) I've still got a few more things to do on the nursery as far as decorating it goes but other than that we are ready for her arrival!

Oh and our new carpets should be installed by this time next week! (Hopefully!!)


Today wasn't as productive as yesterday, but that is okay because Brian starts his Tuesday/Thursday night psychology class tonight so I have the rest of the night to finish the dishes and general cleaning.

I did make something today though! Can you guess what it is? Here are the ingredients:
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Castile Soap
2 T Baking Soda
2 T Aloe Vera
Essential Oils
I made shampoo!!! I used my empty container of shampoo to put it in. I am super excited about this and I really hope it works well! I used Lavender and Grapefruit Essential Oils! The two of them together really create a bright and fresh smell! I will post about how this works after I have used it for awhile!
** If you try this for yourself make sure you shake the bottle each time before you use it!

Projects that are yet to come:
Homemade Lotion
DIY Tile Coasters
DIY Etched Glass Canisters
Homemade Shave Oil
DIY Air Freshener
Homemade Vanilla

I just need a few more ingredients/items so that I can do these projects! I will probably be getting most of them tomorrow so stay tuned!

Productive Day!

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

I wrote out a list last night of everything that I wanted to get done today. And I am already done with my list! I even managed to clean the office too! Which was quite a task considering it was full of random baby items as well as tons of paperwork that needed to be sorted. I think I will have to make this list thing a habit! I feel so much more accomplished today than I do most days!

Here was today's list:
Make Laundry Detergent
Make More Jelly
Dust
Wash and Sort Baby Clothes (All 5 loads of it)
Vacuum Master and Office
Clean Master Bath
Cut Fabric

And dinner is in the process baking! I am making the Meatloaf recipe from the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook!

Speaking of the Deceptively Delicious cookbook, I have a great tip for you! After you make your purees, Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Then pour your puree into the muffin tin. Then just place your muffin tin in the freezer overnight. In the morning, or whenever you get a chance remove your purees from the muffin tin and place them into a labeled freezer bag and voila you have perfectly 1/2 cup portions of puree!

The Nursery beginning to take shape!

Monday, May 18, 2009

We still haven't gotten the new carpets in, but since we only had 7 days to inspect the crib and dresser after picking them up from JCPenney we thought we (Brian) would set them up to make sure they were okay. I think that the room is looking so good! I am in love with the paint color, and I am really glad that we went with the dark wood, it goes great with my fabric... speaking of fabric, anyone want to come over and make my crib bumper for me??? Or at least make the cuts for me?


We did end up getting the La-z-boy off of cherrypointyardsales that I had mentioned earlier. Its super comfy but it is huge, so we aren't really sure exactly where we should put it in the nursery. I am glad that we got it though because it will last us forever since it is a recliner and not just a rocking chair for the nursery.

Okay well off to bed for us... we were at Mike and Rosa's really late last night watching "Taking Chance" w/ Kevin Bacon. Its a movie about a Marine who escorts a fallen marines body home. Its good. It definitely made me cry. But since we stayed to watch it, Brian only got to sleep from 1-5 am.... yikes!

Vampire like reflexes.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

hehe. In the past week I have accidentally dropped some random stuff and then have been lucky enough to catch it mid air. My first thought of course is how great my vampire like reflexes are. :)

Strawberries!

Yesterday I went strawberry picking with some of my friends! I was fun! It really didn't take as long as I had anticipated and the heat didn't kill me either! The strawberries are all so deep red and super sweet! I ate so many strawberries while we were out there, I think I definitely got my moneys worth for going, and at 1.19 per lb its cheaper than going to the grocery store and the strawberries have a higher nutrient count because they have been picked more recently than their Chilean grocery store counter parts!

Since we now have an abundance of strawberries at our house I decided to try making freezer jam today! It was really simple, just follow the directions that come with your pectin. It made 5 jars, I think I might go out and buy some more jars tomorrow and make some more!
Here are some pictures @ the farm


Caidence and Danielle really enjoyed the eating part
Danielle especially, good thing for us she discovered how great the strawberries were toward the end. :)
She is so cute!
Here is Melissa and Caidence picking, Rosa is in the background. She was on a mission to get the best ones. Sam and Danielle are behind me so they got left out of the picture.

Gorgeous Rooms

Friday, May 15, 2009

Recently I have found some home decor images that I love so I thought I would share them with you! My favorite is definitely the bottom picture. I hope you enjoy them too!

Via The Lettered Cottage
I love those crates that are hanging on the wall.

Via BrynAlexandra
I love the look of this room for a guest room! Its so crisp and I love the pops of lime green.

Via Apartment Therapy
I don't even own any boots, but this closet is so clean looking. I really like the clips on the baskets.

Via Apartment Therapy
I love this room. I picture this as Kenley's room when she is a teenager
(though, she will probably be a pink girl just because I don't like it, lol) . Isn't the ceiling gorgeous?

29 weeks!

Thursday, May 14, 2009



29 weeks! I am now to the point where I go to the doctor every two weeks! Its crazy! We picked up the nursery furniture and are just waiting until the carpets are installed for Brian to set it up!

Peanut Butter Roasted Marshmallow Sandwich

This sandwich is a guilty pleasure. It is so good and so messy. I promise if you try it you will like it! We used to make this when we were little in the summer. :) I have had it two days in a row now :)


Peanut Butter Roasted Marshmallow Sandwich

Place 2 slices of bread on a cookie sheet. Spread peanut butter over 1 side of each of the slices. Sprinkle marshmallows over the top of 1 side (the more the better). I also sprinkle a few on the other slice too and eat those while they are warm :). Place cookie sheet under the broiler until the marshmallows look nice and toasted and the peanut butter is all melty. Then put the two slices together and enjoy!! This goes really great with Chocolate Milk!!

What do you think of this lamp?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Updated 5-13 @ 12:30: Nevermind, Brian saw the picture and he isn't a fan. So I guess I will be ordering from PB Kids soon for the other lamp.

It is posted on cherrypointyardsales for $25. I would paint it maybe with a high gloss light green like the color of the other lamp and I would switch out the shade. I am just thinking it might be nice to go next to the rocking chair (which might turn out to be a la-z-boy we also found on CPYS). What do you think?

Great Food Blog

I find a lot of dinner inspiration from food blogs, I came across this one yesterday and I cant wait to try some of the recipes she has posted.

Check her out: http://tpox-proceedwithcaution.blogspot.com/

Here are just a few of her recipes that I want to try:

Potato Artichoke Gratin
Artichoke Turkey Casserole
Chinese Chicken Salad Wraps
Chicken and Rice Wraps

Twilight.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

So I finished the last book in the Twilight Saga yesterday. I'm not going to lie, it makes me sad that its over. I get emotionally attached easily. I want to reread all 4 again. now. I think I need help.

Good news though, the mound laundry is finally getting done as are the dishes. Oh and I have stopped ignoring all things that would keep me from reading. lol.

Bad news, there is another book in the series that the author started writing and then it got leaked on the Internet so she stopped writing it and put it on her website. The website says that she plans to finish it. So now my dilemma is do I read it now as an unedited partial OR do I wait until she actually finishes it?

Again... I think I need help. But still I loved every minute of those books!

Feeling Snackish

I have been feeling snackish today so I decided to make one of my favorite snacks! Muddy Buddies! Yum! I love these things and I usually eat way to many but its okay because Melissa and I walked for a long time this morning!

Here is the recipe just in case you have never heard of it or its not on your box of Chex:

Ingredients
9cups Corn Chex
1cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2cup peanut butter
1/4cup butter or margarine
1teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2cups powdered sugar

Combine Butter, Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring, until mixture is melted. Mix in 9 cups of chex. Place chex mixture into a large ziplock bag and then add the powdered sugar (sometimes I use 2 cups) Shake to coat..... Now enjoy!

Nursery Paint Color

Monday, May 11, 2009

Here is the nursery paint color! The painters tape is still up and there are still some touch-ups left to be done. I just love the color though! Its a really great blue-gray and we all know that I love gray so it works out perfect!

Woodlawn Blue by Benjamin Moore

I had a doctors appointment today and I found out why I have had to give blood every (darn) time! The nurse said that it was because I have O Negative blood and that there are different antibodies in O- blood that they need to screen. She also said that I would need to get used to it (she didn't say it exactly that way) because it will be the same for every pregnancy that I have.

And as for my ribs, there is nothing they can do and the doctor said that the pain would probably just keep getting worse. :( On a positive note though she also said that I probably wouldn't have to deal with the rib pain in future pregnancies, so that is good.

Anyways.... I am going to enroll in a sewing class at the community college! I am so excited it is Monday nights from June 15th through August 10th. I realize that I will miss the last few classes when Kenley arrives, but I still think its going to be great! Especially because if I know how to "properly" sew, then we will really get the most out of my sewing machine!

Happy Mother's Day!

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Yesterday we went and got a 4D ultrasound! It was so amazing! I cant believe what technology can do! It just makes me want to have her out now so much more so I can see her face and compare it to these pictures! There are lots of pictures! We got 105 on a CD. It was a really great experience and I hope to do it with future pregnancies too. I wish we would have got more of her whole body though. And I wish that the guy doing it would have shut up! It was weird, his teenage daughter was his assistant and right after he found out that we go to church, he got into a fight with her about memorizing her Bible verses for seminary(?)(I think they were Mormon?) and then he quoted the scriptures that she was supposed to be memorizing, personally it all seemed kinda fake to me like he was doing it for our benefit or something. It was weird too because he kept saying things like "Don't put negativity out into the universe" and stuff like that it was weird! I just wanted to look at my baby!

Here she is:
Her eyes are actually open in this one. I didn't even know that babies opened their eyes in the womb.

I love this one with her hand at her chin!








This one is her Phantom of the Opera pose. :)
 
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