Oh! Gorgeous Lace!

Lace and Lace and more Lace.

There's something very feminine, very petite and beautiful about lace. I've always been fascinated with it.

And that's what I'm coming to show you today, my lace stash.

When my husband was this past month, he was able to visit with a lot of his family back in Oklahoma. One of those was Aunt Nita who I adore. She knows my love for yarns and crafty stuff, so she sent back a ton of yarns and ribbons and lace that used to belong to her mom.

That in itself is a treasure, to have a little of something so special :)

I was beyond myself with happiness with my yarn, but I was not expecting the lace and ribbons and oh....my....goodness. I fell in love immediately and just knew that I had to do something with it.

All sorts of colors and patterns and this one has to be one of my favorites, how adorable are those birds?

I can just picture these little yellow flowers on a table cloth or kitchen towel

So I sat here staring at my lace and knowing that I had to use it somehow, and I have a couple ideas in mind.

I love using mason jars for everything, and one of those things is as candle holders. I've used books pages to cover them before, I turned them blue etc....but I wanted something else.....


I grabbed my hot glue gun, a couple jars and some of the lace and set to work.

What a blast I had picking out the different lace and attaching it to the jars

So pretty

the beautiful candle light shining through the lace is something else isn't it?

It's a very quick project to do and the end result is just gorgeous

These are going to hang out on my Homeschool Area....but I am going to make a bunch more for my bedroom

And these are going to come very handy, indeed :)

Cooking Thursday - Chicken Meatballs with a Creamy Mushroom Gravy

Good morning.  I just realized I haven't posted anything since Monday, my goodness.  I've been so busy around here, spending time with hubby and getting back into our normal routine etc.
I do have a lot of stuff to show you and share with you, so I'll do that today.  Can't wait to get back to posting every day :)

This is such a delicious meal and your family will thank you for taking the time to grind your own chicken for these meatballs.

I use a hand cranked No. 22 Metal Meat Grinder and I absolutely love it.  They are inexpensive and well worth the investment.

Chicken Meatballs with a Creamy Mushroom Gravy

4 chicken breasts (grind through the meat grinder)
parsley
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion flakes
2 bread slices
1 tablespoon flour
1 egg
Small onion, diced
Small can of mushrooms, drained
2 cups heavy cream


The best way to grind any kind of meat, is to have it either still frozen or semi frozen.  I always grind mind straight from the freezer.

Cut the chicken breasts into small cubes and grind.

In a bowl, add the ground chicken and the rest of the ingredients, except the bread.   In a separate bowl, place the bread slices, add a little bit of water and dip the bread until soggy.  Squeeze out the water, not all of it, leave a little.  Break into small pieces and add to the chicken mixture.

Mix everything well, add the flour and the egg, mix well and shape into meatballs.

Use flour to sprinkle on your hands and the chicken mixture so the meatballs don't stick.

In a skillet, add a little butter, and fry the chicken meatballs until done and nicely browned, remove to a plate. 

Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until tender.  Add in the mushrooms and the heavy cream and simmer for a minute or so.

Place the meatballs back into the skillet and heat for a few.

Serve with Rice :)

A picture tells a thousand words

:::: We love these and haven't had them since Idaho because I haven't found them around here. Well hubby found them at the commissary in Texas, so he brought some back for us. Grapples.....YUM!



:::: Breakfast Saturday morning, hubby ran out and picked up donuts. Mmmmmmm....



:::: ran around with the family, couple errands here and there and then stopped for lunch at Ono's Hawaiian Barbecue...had the Island Chicken Curry. SO GOOD.



:::: back home and I replenished my batch of homemade laundry detergent.



:::: this batch I used Zote soap instead of the Fels Naptha. Love the pink flakes :)



:::: had intermittent rain the whole weekend



:::: which made for some stunning cloud formations



Went to the movies that night and watched The Amazing Spiderman in 3D. SO good, what a great movie :)

Sunday morning we had breakfast together and then decided to head to the movies again so the kids could watch Ice Age Continental Drift. It was so cute and so funny, we had a blast :)

Stopped at Cracker Barrel for lunch, then did a little shopping at Target and look what my hubby found me LOL I can't wait to try them :)



The afternoon was spent catching up on chores, like giving the turtle tank a really good cleaning. Now Squirt (Nic's turtle) does not like me. I don't know why, I have never hurt him, I've never even touched him but he just doesn't like me hahahah Anytime I walk into the room he will quickly run off his rock and into the water and furthest away from as possible, but yesterday I got to pick him up and scrub him clean and he was hissing at me the whole time. By the time I put him back in his clean tank he was SO mad, he was literally glaring....this photo just makes me laugh so hard because he is so annoyed with me LOL




:::: sat down and surrounded myself with a ton of yarn sent by my sweet Aunt. These are just a few, but I'm loving the colors and the different textures.



:::: in Arizona we mow dirt disguised as grass. So frustrating to be out there mowing and hitting rock after rock and kicking up a dust storm around you. BLECH!



Had a wonderful weekend, but hubby returned to work today and we're all falling back into our normal routines. Cleaning, laundry, picking up after the kids etc....also got our Homeschool Station for the year since we're beginning August 8th.




:::: last year we tried the dining room table but it didn't work for Nicholas, it was just a distraction and he didn't take it seriously, so we need to have an actual area for him to do his work



:::: also tried folders instead of composition books and THAT was a fail as well, they kept losing papers, or tearing them out etc. We're back to composition books this year, so I sat down and made some cute labels for the fronts



:::: and when not being used for schooling, this will be mama's little corner, where I can blog, facebook, check email, pay bills etc.

Happy Homemaker Monday #27

Good morning everyone, I sure do hope you had a fantastic weekend.  Ours was amazing, we disconnected from the world and reconnected with each other.  We laughed, we talked, we had good food and went to the movies and went shopping and held hands, and gave hugs and just thanked the Lord for being reunited.

This morning hubby is headed back to work.  The kids are not too thrilled, they feel that he was gone for 6 weeks and should be with them for at least a few days Hahahah
Unfortunately, that is not how the military works.  But it's ok, at least he is here with us and will be home at the end of the day.   :)

I did take a little break from the blog, but now I'm back and I want to again thank you all for sticking with me and for always being here with a kind word.  I haven't been the best of blog buddies as I haven't visited you all much at all, but I am back now and will be back to coming by daily and saying hi :) 

If you want to save and use the new button, just click here.

The Weather:::

81 degrees, some random fluffy clouds in the sky.   We have had such glorious weather the past week, rain, cooler temperatures and even though it's really humid at times, I welcome it with open arms.  

On my reading pile:::

Still not reading anything, honestly haven't had time lately, but now that hubby is back and things are more relaxed, I am sure I will be back to reading in no time :)  

On my tv:::

I have four episodes of Starlings to catch up on.  (goodness)
Still haven't watched The Hollow Crown, so have those to catch up on too.
My Portuguese soaps - currently watching 3 of them.
Eureka tonight - last episode and hubby and I are so sad :( 

On the menu for this week:::

Hubby is back so that means, I'm back to cooking full time and boy did I miss it :)

Monday -  BBQ Ribs, Corn on the Cob, Baked Potatoes
Tuesday - Chicken Meatballs with Mushrooms, Rice
Wednesday - Bifes Estufados a antiga (Portuguese steak)
Thursday - Handmade Cavatelli with Pepperoni and Tomato Sauce, Garlic Bread
Friday -  Pork Tenderloins with Lemon and Cilantro and Garlic Butter Spaghetti
Saturday - Country Club Chicken with Mashed Potatoes
Sunday  -  Stir Fry Ginger Beef & Broccoli with Rice

On my to do list:::

Vacuum, mop
Iron and put away clean laundry
Quick run to the library to return books

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

My wonderful Aunt Nita sent me a stash, and I mean a STASH of yarn, ribbon, crochet books etc.  I can NOT wait to get started on some projects.

Homemaking Tips:::

So your kids have posters they want to put up on the wall in their bedrooms, but you don't want to ruin the paint and you don't want to leave holes all over the place either......use toothpaste.  I know, when I first heard about this I thought it was crazy, but it WORKS!

You should not use a whitening toothpaste for this or something with "things in it." You know toothpaste these days, it's always packed with breath strips or something wild. Stick to the basics and you'll be all set. Shampoo works best when it's not "hydrating" which won't have the same sticking power.
Both will allow the poster to peel right off, assuming it isn't left on the wall for more than a few years (think less than 5 to be safe). It doesn't take much and you won't have to rummage through the garage to find a nail, tack or something else.

Looking around the house:::

Enjoying my cup of coffee with my hubby.  He is on his computer checking out email and facebook etc. and finishing getting ready for work.  I have missed these mornings with him, so.very.much.  :)
I have a pile of laundry to iron sitting on my deep freezer, I have ribs in the sink that I need to season and place in the crockpot.  Pugs are snoring away at daddy's feet and the kids are still in bed asleep.   It's quiet and it's just how I like it.  :)

From the camera:::

With the rain we've been getting lately, the sky has been a parade of beautiful fluffy clouds and I've enjoyed every minute of it. I love clouds, I love sky photos. You can check out some of mine on my Flickr set here "Sky Photos"

On my prayer list:::

My friend Jen, who is currently getting on an airplane with her three little ones to Hawaii.  They are PCSing there and her hubby who is in the Navy has been gone for a very long time.  This hasn't been easy for Jen, but she's a military wife, and she's strong and she will come through it brilliantly :)

Bible verse, Devotional:::

My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
Psalm 62:1

Day 45 - And my heart is whole again

I could not have made it through these past 6 weeks without my friends and family.  You all have been here supporting me, with kind words, with advice, with cyber hugs and prayers and I wish I could explain just what it all has meant to me.

It is never easy to be away from your husband, not for a day, not for a week, not for a year and only when you've had to do it, do you really appreciate the little things.

Yes, the small things that we so often take for granted.

The hugs
Sharing a cup of coffee
Sharing a look of understanding of love
Sharing the problems, having him there to put his arm around you and say "it's ok, we'll be fine"
Hearing his voice daily
Getting a good morning kiss, getting a goodbye kiss, getting a *I'm home from work* kiss
Being able to reach over in the middle of the night and feeling him there next to you

All little things that we so often take for granted until we can't do them, and then the pain of missing that is at times unbearable.

I will tell you that I often felt like I wasn't breathing.  Like I was perpetually holding my breath, walking on egg shells, just getting by from one day to the other.  Goodness, it's exhausting.  When I say that everything seems to go wrong and everything seems to come at you at once, I'm not kidding.

But it's over now.

He got home late last night and the minute I laid eyes on him walking through the door, I literally exhaled and ran into his arms.  I am back to feeling whole, I'm back to feeling safe, I'm back to being able to hug him anytime I want to and I feel like I can do anything and face whatever with him by my side.

Now as much as I loved the daily photo posts, I won't be continuing with those.  Well, I should say not exactly, I won't be labeling them after today, but you can still count on many photos because it's who I am, I'm happy when I'm capturing every second of our lives for eternity.

For today, I'll still be finishing off with some photos :)


:::::     Hubby arrived shortly before midnight and my kids were beyond themselves with happiness.  Nicholas was exhausted and kept falling asleep but waking up and letting us know that he was getting the first hug LOL  Here he is by the kitchen door waiting, he had just heard dad pull up and get out of the car and I have to tell you the scream he let out when that door opened brought a lump to my throat.  He screamed out "daddddddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy" and jumped into his arms.



:::: first thing this morning, the kids gave daddy what they had bought him for Father's Day :)



:::: They are so happy to have him home, they have these goofy smiles plastered on their faces since last night, it's so cute :)



:::: we are both so relieved to have this behind us. We don't like being apart, we are just done with the separations and are both ready to start a new chapter of our lives, retiring somewhere and growing old together :)



:::: heading to breakfast this morning, we've had rain for two days, it hasn't cooled down too much, but it's definitely made it humid



:::: beautiful clouds have moved back and forth through the sky all day long



:::: another view of the clouds this afternoon



:::: I love these, my mother in law sent them through my husband, how cute are they? LOL



:::: there was a game of ping pong going on in my kitchen, between kids and daddy



:::: freaked me out, I was in the living room randomly yelling out "BE CAREFUL". And to show me that they wouldn't break anything, I was pelted with some balls LOL



:::: take out pizza while sitting around the table laughing and catching up on the last 6 weeks



:::: and last but not least, my other baby came home too last night, and boy did I miss it too :)