Heading to Baylor in the am

So my daughter and I are heading to Baylor for the weekend, well a short one. Just a girls time to go check out the campus and where she will be living ect. I hope to take loads of great pictures to post when I get back. I hope everyone has a fun and safe weekend!!!!

I'm Back!

Well I hope I can get back into the swing of things. Life has been so busy that by the time I can slow down I just want to get to bed. We have had beautiful weather so I have spent time in the yard with dear hubby, i dare say he really did most of the work, but I did offer my opinion and a cheers over all he did. I will be posting pics soon of the new little sitting area he made me and of my planting. I bought several different pepper starters today and I still need a tomato plant or two. My son loves to make really hot salsa so I am going to let him have fun with it this summer. My daughter is busy with school, we have really been in the planning stages of what all she will need to take to University with her. She will be starting a brand new chapter in her life and that's so exciting. I am in the process of also trying to decide on a few new pots next to the spa that will take the heat of Texas summers and the splashing of pool water..wish me luck!!!

I am a Southern Lady..

I was born in the south, I am a southern woman by all senses of the word..I have my garden hat (mine is much larger, but this gives you the idea)

I have my garden gloves, although I can not stand not being able to actually feel the dirt..

and I have my starter plants and seeds.

I do this every year, I dream big, start out with a bang ...

and than by June its just hot in Texas and I don't care for them the way I should and end up with something like this: OK maybe not this bad, but you get the picture!

You would think it would be in my blood as a southern lady, but all I can say is I am a southern lady that needs to stay indoors in the ac, not outside in the heat. I will try again this year, lets see how far I get!

Or maybe I am not the tomato growing, dirt tilling southern lady I think I am, maybe I am more the mint juleps on the porch with a ceiling fan over me, pointing to where things need to go or be watered type of Southern lady..hmmmm might have to think this one over.

Menu Challenge catchup!

OK..here is my catch up on the menu challenge:

Tuesday: I made a chipped casserole, its one of those things I just toss together and pray it works. I took chipped beef, onions and a cream of mushroom soup, mixed it, placed it in the dish, mashed potatoes on top, sprinkle with cheese and add cornbread on top and bake. We had broccoli on the side and garlic bread sticks.

Wednesday: Cheese soup and grilled turkey and tomato sandwiches.

Thursday: Blackened Chicken and pasta with a cream sauce, salad and rolls.

I will be going to the store on Sunday..maybe Monday its going to be a busy weekend.

Busy week!!!

I can't believe I have been out of pocket the past couple of days! But Family calls!! My son is ill, and poor guy he may be 15 and taller than me but he really feels just awful! He does not have strep, thank goodness, but he has such a bad cough and sore throat. My sweet husband took off today to be here if our son needed him and I took my daughter as soon as she was done with school prom dress shopping. Well we hit pay dirt at the first boutique. The photo posted below is her dress in the blueberry. Its just beautiful on her and she is thrilled. So once we get through this weekend..we have a dance competition that her drill team is hosting I will have a life again. So look for me Sunday, if I can not get on before than..Have a wonderful week!!!

Menu Monday Dinner Challenge

For my Monday dinner challenge:

We had garlic butter shrimp over pasta, rolls and a salad. The shrimp was 11.00, the rolls were .25 (coupons) and the salad was a bag salad I had a free coupon for.
Tot. for meal - 11.25 ~family of 4 breaks down to 2.81 each and we have left overs for dear husband to take for lunch! Sorry my salad photo did not come out..but look at the steam coming off my pasta! LOL

~40 Things~

1. Where is your cell phone? Charging in the study.
2. Your significant other? Has already left for work
3. Your hair? Ponytail
4. Your mother? Was one of my best friends and I miss her everyday
5. Your father? Someone I admired for many things, still find days I cannot believe they are both gone.
6. Your favorite thing? my family
7. Your dream last night? Odd, it was about gardening..
8. Your favorite drink? milk
9. Your dream/goal? to start my own business
10. What room you are in? study
11. Your hobby? decorating
12. Your fear? how I will deal with my daughter going off to college
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? right here, there's no place like home
14. Where were you last night? relaxing with my dear hubby
15. What do you do on Sat. nights? Church and than out to eat with friends
16. Muffins? Blueberry
17. Wish list item? So many projects, where does one start?
18. Where you grew up? Here in Kingwood, Texas
19. Last thing you did? made sure my kids were up
20. What are you wearing? pajamas
21. Your TV? we have 7 which is funny because we don't watch tv all that much!
22. Your pets? Rupert ( was my parents pup), Candi a mixed aussie, Sydney a terrier and our baby Sammy a lab and German mix
23. Friends? They are our many blessings
24. Your life? content
25. Your mood? Happy
26. Missing some one? yes, my parents
27. Car? Expedition
28. Something you’re not wearing? socks
29. Your favorite store? Pottery Barn
30. Your favorite color? this week..red
31. favorite holiday? Christmas
32. Public school? Yes, Kingwood all the way!
33. When is the last time you laughed? Last night with hubby, he always makes me laugh
34. Last time you cried? last week when I was looking at photos of my mom
35. Who will resend this? huh?
36. One place that I go to over and over? Kroger..sad isn't it!
37. One person who emails me regularly? Laura
38. My favorite place to eat? that's a tough one..
39. Why you participated in this survey? why not?
40. What are you doing tonight? Having dinner with the fam and than curling up on the couch with hubby!

Metamorphosis Monday!

It's Metamorphosis Monday and our lovely hostess is Susan over at :

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ hop on over to see some really great ideas!

When we moved into our home it was Barbies Pink Palace..and I am being very serious about that. We had pink plush carpet! Well the carpet was brand new and with small kids and no money we lived with it. Funny how no matter how much you try to keep pink carpet clean, over time it turns pinky brown. YUK! Well two years ago we had enough, we had let the carpet remain in the house for 8 years, the kids were older so we moved ahead. I wanted wood, it is easy to clean (except for the constant fight with pet hair) its beautiful and timeless. So my dear husband pulled up all the carpet, we picked out wood. This is where I came in to make it alittle more difficult. I wanted different hues, not just a straight color so we bought three different tones of cherry and he went to town. What a great job he did. The big surprise is what we found under the carpet in the family room. Its was really pretty wood. Original to the house..and we would have kept it but we had already done the rest of the downstairs in the cherry and it was so different. Could we get the color..sure but the plants were very..very different. We also found out the family room sat alittle lower that the adjoining rooms which was a plus as we put our wood over the old wood floor. I was thrilled..maybe sometime way down the road we might revisit that great wood floor, but for now its safe under our new wood floor.

Old wood floor!

New wood floor!

I am doing the Menu planning Challenge..

So this is what its all about :

"Starting February 9th we're starting a Week of Menu planning on a budget.
How much money can you save by using what you already have in the pantry, freezer, & fridge.
How long can you go without going to the grocery store?
I'm planning on using the Sale flyer, Sunday insert coupons and what I already have on hand to do this challenge.
If I can do it, you can do it. I would love it if you all joined in.
How low can you go??"

To sign up or for more info hop on over to:

http://thetwinsmama.blogspot.com/2009/02/menu-planning-challange-starts-monday.html

Friday Gardens

I have grand plans this weekend..now if it will all happen, thats not a given. But as I have said before we really need to work in the yard. So today I looed over some of the pictures of my fav. gardens and it just made me happy. Of course my yard will not be as grand as this but its a work in progress and I hope someday that my yard will bring a smile to someones face.

Tablescape Thursday...

Welcome to Tablescape Thursday sponsored by Susan at http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/ please go visit her and see so many great projects! Thanks Susan for hosting!!!!

This was something somewhat tossed together in my breakfast room. It combines my grandmothers Lenox china and crystal, a few of my mothers salt cellars and my flatware and crystal bowls. Also notice my grandmother was very much fond of the ruby glassware. The ruby glass bells were always on the table to signal dinnertime. I think if I rung a bell for dinner my kids would laugh, but with my grandmother that's just her way of saying..lets eat, lets chat and lets learn something about each ones day. My grandmothers china has little blue flowers in it and since I have little to no blue in my home I really try to work with the red and gold..hope you enjoy.

I use rocksalt with candles, I love the glow it gives..

This container I love, I bought it at the Nutcracker Market several years ago for 4.00..I love the colors and the uses..

Themed Thursday - furry friends

My first Themed Thursday hosted by Southern Whimsy - http://southernwhimsy.blogspot.com/2009/02/ready-for-themed-thursday.html

Sammie our baby..he's 8 months old! This is Sammie when we got him, he was a day old, abandoned by his mother and we were suppose to just foster him. Well now he's family. LOL..hope you enjoy the pic's!

Sammie from the beginning!

Remember this bear..you will see it later..

This is Candi with Sammie, she became his new mama!

And he grew...

and grew...

And grew...

Check out that bear! Did it shrink?