Ooohhh Ooohhhh

I've been busy around here, not just with normal life stuff but crochet stuff and I'm so in love with this next project that I've literally been dragging this around with me and getting in some hooky goodness done at every chance I get.

Want to see what I'm doing?

I am finding inspiration from my new Cath Kidston mugs, the only color I'm not using is the yellow, I bought the yellow yarn and then didn't like how it looked, much preferred these colors alone.

It's going to consist of 6 rows of 5 squares each and then a border around and it will be big enough for a lap blanket.

So far I have 15 squares and need another 15, but I'm so thrilled, I've made all these in the span of 2 hours in one night and 3 hours yesterday, so not bad.

I am not using any particular pattern, just making a simple granny square. 

I've found that it's easier for me to set them out and see how they'll go together and then as I finish the rows, I just label them so I know what goes where.  I may end up changing a few around once I put it all together, but for now this is how it's going to go.

So thrilled, I have to tell you that I have about 3 blankets started but I've picked such intricate patterns for the others that it will take me a long time to finish, so having this one that works up so fast is really motivating me to keep going and I do want this blanket to be finished so I can take it with me on vacation in about a week :)

What do you think?  And are you also making any crochet blankets or have any other projects that are sitting in your crafts basket waiting for you to pick it up again?  Please tell me you do so I don't feel so bad for having so many sitting around LOL

{ Cooking Thursday }

Here is today's recipe....these are really good, usually they're supposed to be fried but we're still watching our diet and I thought it best to bake them, they turn out just as good :)

Crispy Southwestern Wontons

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup frozen corn kernals
1/4 cup canned black beans, drained
5 oz (1 cup) chicken, shredded
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tbsp (1/2 pkg) dry ranch dressing
24 wonton wrappers
canola or vegetable oil for frying


Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and salt and saute for 5 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for 5 more minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add corn, beans, and chicken and stir to combine.

Move the chicken mixture to a bowl and season with pepper, then stir in cheese and dry ranch dressing.

Begin heating about 1/2 inch of canola or vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, scoop 1 teaspoon of chicken mixture into the center of each wonton wrapper.

Rub some water on two sides of the wrapper, then fold over to firmly seal, forming a triangle, and gently press out any extra air pockets. When the oil is hot, place 6 wontons at a time into oil. Cook about 1 minute per side until golden and crispy.

Makes 24 wontons

South of Superior Book Tour

South of Superior Ellen Airgood

A debut novel full of heart, in which love, friendship, and charity teach a young woman to live a bigger life.

When Madeline Stone walks away from Chicago and moves five hundred miles north to the coast of Lake Superior, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, she isn't prepared for how much her life will change.

Charged with caring for an aging family friend, Madeline finds herself in the middle of beautiful nowhere with Gladys and Arbutus, two octogenarian sisters-one sharp and stubborn, the other sweeter than sunshine. As Madeline begins to experience the ways of the small, tight-knit town, she is drawn into the lives and dramas of its residents. It's a place where times are tough and debts run deep, but friendship, community, and compassion run deeper. As the story hurtles along-featuring a lost child, a dashed love, a car accident, a wedding, a fire, and a romantic reunion-Gladys, Arbutus, and the rest of the town teach Madeline more about life, love, and goodwill than she's learned in a lifetime.

A heartwarming novel, South of Superior explores the deep reward in caring for others, and shows how one who is poor in pocket can be rich in so many other ways, and how little it often takes to make someone happy.

***************************

Small Town Life.

That is what this book can be described as.....the intricacies, the familiarity, the friendships and the goings on of life in a small town.

It started off a little slow but it does pick up and by the end you are just so immersed into the story that you don't want it to end. 

As always one of the first things I look at is the cover and I just absolutely adore this one.  Madeline is taking care of Arbutus, this really fun elderly lady who I really enjoyed reading about, she is actually the sister of Gladys who is Madeline's step grandmother....so anyway, Madeline is caring for Arbutus and as she does so she finds herself slowly diving into small town life, joining in and helping others and through doing that she is pulled into her own past, into her roots and she now has to come to grips with certain things.

Really enjoyed this book, I think it is a great Summer read :)





I received this book free from TLC Book Tours. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband - Day 28 and 29

Day 28

Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek and pursue God in purposeful quiet times. (1 Thess. 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)

1 Thessalonians 5:17

¹⁷ pray continually,

Luke 22:46

⁴⁶ “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

James 5:16

¹⁶ Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

 

Day 29

Pray that your husband will surrender his time and talents to the Lord. Pray that his spiritual gifts will be manifest in his career, at church, and in your home. (Eph. 5:15-16; 1 Cor. 12:4, 7)

Ephesians 5:15-16

 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

1 Corinthians 12:4

 ⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

1 Corinthians 7

Concerning Married Life

⁷ I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband - Day 27

Day 27

Pray that your husband will understand the importance of taking care of his body—the temple of the Holy Spirit—for the glory of God. Pray that he will practice self-control by making wise food choices, and get sufficient exercise to stay healthy. (Rom. 12:1-2; 1 Cor. 6:19-20, 9:27)

Romans 12

A Living Sacrifice

 ¹ Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰ you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
 

1 Corinthians 9:27

²⁷ No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.


BTW, I realized that I completely forgot to give you the prayer for the 24th, so here it is:

Day 24
Pray that your husband will have a balanced life—that he will balance work and play. Pray that he will fear God, but also gain favor with people he knows at work and church. (Luke 2:52; Prov. 13:15)

Happy Homemaker Monday

Was having issues with Mr Linky this morning, it was not showing up but it seems to be working now. I apologize for the inconvenience :)

(New HHM button)

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Hot and more Hot.  Last night it was 10pm and it was still 105 degrees.  Ugh.


Things that make me happy:
Looking through old photographs


Book I'm reading:
Sarah's Quilt by Nancy E Turner


What's on my TV today:
 Our War from BBC3
Whatever else is on the DVR


On the menu for dinner:
Crispy Southwestern Wontons


On my To Do List:
Mop floors
Iron laundry


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Zucchini and Bacon 3 Cheese Lasagna

In the craft basket:

Lots of crocheting going on, have some really cute projects in the works.


Looking forward to this week:
Just one step closer to our vacation


Tips and Tricks:
Did you know that conventional drain cleaners are among the most toxic household products? Fortunately a drain can often be cleared with a simple mixture of  1/2 cup baking soda and 1/2 cup white vinegar! The combination creatives a fizzing solution that helps loosen clogs.


My favorite blog post this week:
Going Grannie's at Faith Acre Farm


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Unravelled


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
To be thankful for our blessings and to realize that things can change in just a second.


On my mind:
Summer vacation
Family 


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

Little of this and a little of that.....

Seems like that is how my days have been going the past week.

Mostly it's been a little of this sickness, the dreaded cold and then throw in a little of that allergies and I've been quite the miserable gal.  Thankfully I'm feeling better today so I'm hoping that I'm well on my way to a full recovery.

My day started at 9am, I slept in which felt wonderful.  I'm usually up really early every morning, by 5:30am I'm up and about, getting the dishes done, the laundry started and enjoying a cup of coffee in the quiet of the house, while everyone is still asleep.  I think it's one of my favorite times of the day, before the craziness sets in.

I'm loving my new coffee and tea mugs.  They came all the way from England, from Cath Kidston.  I swear it's my favorite store on earth.  I literally stalked the mailbox for a week until they arrived and then I skipped all the way home with the box clutched in my hands.

Just the box itself makes me smile.

Yeah, I'm quite chuffed with these mugs, are they not the prettiest things ever?   They inspire me to crochet up some placemats using those colors.  Hmmmmm.

Being a little under the weather means that I'm usually sipping on hot tea with milk of course, reading magazines and catching up on crochet.   That is a pillow for Jasmine's room.  She is ditching all the babyish stuff as she calls it and going for the big girl bedroom, so she has a queen bed in there and bedding in really cool funky colors, purple, neon green and turquoise circles....some super cool funky fluffy pillows....and I'm adding some accents in crochet.

Just a closer look of the front.  I'm absolutely loving it :)

For the back I'm going with stripes in the same 3 colors.  Neon green, purple and white.

I have so many projects going at this moment, I just can't seem to stick to one, I do best when I have a whole bunch of different things going on.  Crazy I know, some people need to focus on just one, but I'm at my best when I have a few going.

I've also been in the kitchen a little though I admit that last week a few meals were skipped, the family knew I was not feeling well and were only too happy to have snacks, ice cream and chips etc for dinner.  Glad it's not a common occurrence in this home.

Today I made Homemade Hotdog Buns for lunch and let me tell you, if you usually buy them from the store, you have no idea what you're missing.  These are so quick to throw together, don't take a lot of ingredients and are phenomenal.  My kids don't usually eat the store bought ones, they will have about half of the bun and then pull out the hotdog and eat it just like that......but these?  Not a crumb left :)

Go ahead and give them a try, see what your family thinks.

And for dinner?  Zucchini and Bacon 3 Cheese Lasagna.  So good :)

There you have it, that's what I've been busy doing.  Living life, being busy and just plodding along with the family.  I tell you I can not wait for our little vacation in two weeks, it will be wonderful to just step away for even two days and just relax.  Can hardly wait.

It's time for me to head to bed, my meds are kicking in.  I hope you've all had a wonderful weekend with your family and I sending good wishes for an even better week.

God Bless.

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband - Day 24 and 25

Day 25

Pray that your husband will be courageous in his stand against evil and injustice, and that he will stand for the truth. Pray that he will protect you and your family from Satan’s attacks. (Ps. 31:24; Eph. 6:13; Ps. 27:14)

Psalm 31:24

²⁴ Be strong and take heart,
   all you who hope in the LORD.

Ephesians 6:13

¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Psalm 27:14

¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD.

Day 26

Pray that your husband will discover and live his God-given purpose. Pray that he will offer all his dreams to the Lord, and pursue only those goals that will bring God glory and count for eternity. (Jer. 29:11; 1 Cor. 10:31)

Jeremiah 29:11

New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

1 Corinthians 10:31

New International Version (NIV)

 ³¹ So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband - Day 22 and 23

I apologize for the delays in posting the prayers, I'm sick and haven't been on the computer much at all.

Day 22

Pray that your husband will practice forgiveness in your relationship and with others. Pray that
he will recognize any roots of bitterness, and yield any resentment and unforgiving attitudes to
the Lord. (Eph. 4:32; Heb. 12:15)

Ephesians 4:32

³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Hebrews 12:15

¹⁵ See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

Day 23

Pray that your husband will be a good father—disciplining his children wisely and loving them unconditionally. If he is not a father, pray that he will find a young man to mentor in the things of the Lord. (Eph. 6:4; Col. 3:21; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)

Ephesians 6:4

 ⁴ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21

 ²¹ Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
 

2 Timothy 2

The Appeal Renewed

 ¹ You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband - Day 21

Day 21

Pray that your husband will learn how to relax in the Lord and, in his greatest times of stress,
find joy and peace in his relationship with God. Pray that he will submit his schedule to the Lord.
(Neh. 8:10; Prov. 17:22; Ps. 16:11)

Nehemiah 8:10

 ¹⁰ Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Proverbs 17:22

 ²² A cheerful heart is good medicine,
   but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

Psalm 16:11

¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Happy Homemaker Monday

(New HHM button)

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Windy, very very windy and it's bugging up my allergies.


Things that make me happy:
Knowing that I'm blessed


Book I'm reading:
The Waiting Place by Eileen Button - It's for an upcoming review and I'm absolutely loving it.


What's on my TV today:
Vanished with Beth Holloway
Rewatching one of Jane Austen's movies, not sure which one yet


On the menu for dinner:
Bacon Cheeseburger Chicken and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

On my To Do List:

Mop floors
Clean fish tank


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Homemade Twix Bars

In the craft basket:

Crochet pillow for Jasmine's bed
Cellphone Felt cover
Apple Cozies


Looking forward to this week:
Just one more week closer to a vacation


Tips and Tricks:
I have nothing today




My favorite blog post this week:
These are a few of my favourite things at Treasures from the Cherry Tree


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Tabiboo


No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
That things can change in a split second.  We have two airman that have endured a fire in their home last night and have lost everything.  Thankfully everyone was ok but they lost everything :( 


On my mind:
Summer vacation
The two airman who need our prayers more than anything


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?

2 Corinthians 6:14

31 Days of Prayer for my Husband - Day 19 and 20

Seems that I got a little behind yesterday, thought I has posted the prayer but didn't....so here's both for the 19th and the 20th.

Day 19

Pray that your husband will be patient and a man of peace. Pray that he will not give in to anger,
but will allow the Holy Spirit to control his responses. (Rom. 14:19; Ps. 34:14)

Romans 14:19

 ¹⁹ Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.

Psalm 34:14

¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good;
   seek peace and pursue it.

Day 20
Pray that your husband will yield his mind and thoughts to the Lord. Pray that he will not
entertain immoral or impure thoughts, and that he will resist the temptation to indulge in
pornography. (Prov. 27:12; 2 Cor. 10:5)

Proverbs 27:12

 ¹² The prudent see danger and take refuge,
   but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.

2 Corinthians 10:5

⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Mollie Makes

I am in love!

That's right....IN.LOVE.  With a magazine, but not just any magazine, a delicious, gorgeous beauty all the way from England.

I'm not even going to attempt to describe my love for everything English, you know that already.....what I WILL say is that, that love is what prompts me to always be on the look out for books/movies/tv shows/magazines, whatever, from the UK.  If something is new, I want to know and I want to see. 

When I first heard of Mollie Makes I thought, well this is just another crafty magazine and to be perfectly honest I have not really liked any craft magazines on the market.

I've bought a few and have leafed through them and realized that it's about everything BUT crafts and homemade goodness and it's a turn off for me.

Mollie Makes launched in May of 2011 in the UK and was made available here in the US after June 9th, but let me tell you trying to hunt down one of these mags is no easy feat.  You have to be fast.  These babies sell super quick.

If you want a list of where they are available here in the USA, then check this link out.  Over in the UK they are very close to releasing Issue #3.  Yeah #3, but us folks in the US are only now getting #1 and I'm assuming #2 pretty soon.  If you want to subscribe you can just go the subscription page.

But I'm getting ahead of myself, let me show you the goodness inside.

With every magazine, it seems that you get a little craft kit, the first issue brings this cute felt case for a smartphone.

Oh goodness, this picture above makes me smile in so many ways, I don't even know what I like the most but I would have to say those pillows are going to find their way into my home.

Ruffles, Ruffles, Ruffles.  Ok truth be told, I'm not a ruffly kinda gal, actually ruffles bug me for some reason, but I think that is super cute, I may just have to revise my like of ruffles, we'll see.

Really?  I mean REALLY?  Cause that has got to be the cutest darn crochet project I have ever encountered in my life and yeah.....these will be in my kitchen by next weekend.

Garlands.  I WUB garlands....yes I realize I said Wub, but really I wub them so much, just love love.  Like super love garlands and these happy little garlands above are also going to be featured in my home...like really soon.  I know I've said the words love/wub/like many times....but you know.

Holy cutness alert.  Eggs, fabric eggs, with adorable embellishments......hold me.

There is so much goodness in this magazine, it's visually stunning, it leaves you salivating and oohhing and aahhing.

My kids will flip out when I make them these felt chihuahas.

And how about bobble trim?  I mean I will admit I don't have any at home, I usually frown upon the bobble trim at the store cause I've never known what to do with it, but dog gone it, why didn't I ever think of this?  And that is just one of the cute pictures and ideas for using bobble trim.

If this magazine wasn't super cool enough, it comes with two pages full of templates for the various projects within.  Like I said, I.AM.IN.LOVE.

Now don't take my word for it, I know we don't all like the same things and chances are I may think it's the cat's meow and someone else might think it's not worth the $12 I paid for it....I think it is and I think I'm going to continue getting it every month and even more, I think I already convinced my husband to get me a subscription for my birthday in August.  Oh yeah!!!

So if the pictures above don't convince you or you need to see a little more, check out this video, if this doesn't have you running out the door looking for your nearest Barnes and Noble or Joann Fabrics, I don't know what to tell you.



*sigh*  that's all I can say.

I'm just going to go drool over my magazine and leaf through it for the 10th time or maybe it's the 11th I don't know, I've lost count.

If you want to take a peek inside the Issue Sampler, click here.   Oh and if you want the templates from the magazine, you can get them at Issue #1 and Issue #2.

Now I'm really leaving...no really, I'm going.......