Changing the Landscape

This flowerbed has been a sore spot with Lawman and me for years and years. When originally planted it was done so with one of those "kits" you can order from a magazine. You know the kind, you see the landscape plan and order box 1, 2, 3 or all of them. A kit of parts. Last year we were so fed up with it that we yanked the smaller plants out at the beginning of the season and just left it bare. Lawman took out the last of the big stuff this season.** I'm sure the neighbors hated it. This year we tackled it.

We had a lady that runs a local nursery come out and look at it and provide a rough layout and list of plant materials. We met with her Saturday and purchased the materials.

The morning was cool and breezy but Lawman and I were on a mission. We worked like dogs but the end result is so worth it. We're both looking forward to watching it grow and take shape this summer.

Plants include: Incrediball Hydrangeas, Golden Meadows Hosta, Pink Saucer Anemone, Daylily and peonies (existing).


**When one removes the big bushes, it makes it evident that the next project is going to be replacing the siding. Ugh. We did the opposite end of the house 2 years ago because it was in bad shape. Guess we'll be doing that again. There's always something.

signs of the season

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at our home. Tree is up. Presents wrapped. And here are a few other signs of the season in our home. Keeping it simple and frugal.

wreaths to adorn the dining chairs

a hurricane filled with great northern beans and a burgundy candle

a fresh wreath provides the scent of pine

  



starlight mints fill a vase

 Is it beginning to look like Christmas at your home?



just add a lamp

Remember when I told you we had a grad party to plan for? Well, that's what we've been doing since then. The once, very lengthy list is now nearly complete. We have accomplished so much since last fall. I can't imagine how overwhelmed I would be at this point had we not started then.

Here's the latest re-do.

Sue moved this desk into the kitchen and suggested that we use it as a buffet area when entertaining. What an easy way to gain counter space. She also suggested we add a lamp to add some interest and soft lighting. I've always wanted a lamp in the kitchen so I was quite pleased when Sue (our neighbor/decorator) suggested I get one. I spent my lunch hours last week on a lamp hunt. I found this one the first day out but wanted to be sure it was the best choice. I purchased it today (and it had been marked down to clearance since I looked at it!). Once home with it, I placed it in the corner and it didn't take long to realize that I liked it. This is our little 'Americana' nook ~ the Declaration of Independence, a 48 star flag, and our rooster with flag wings.


I'm anxious to see it this evening with the blinds drawn and the overhead lights off. I love the soft glow of lamps. I'm surprised what a big difference one small addition to a room can make. I feel like we've got a whole new dining area.

I'll plan to show you the other 'like new' spots in our house. Stay tuned.

not just another tuesday

It wasn't just another Tuesday around here.

The day began with the youngest waking up on her own and her first request was "feel my head." She did feel hot but then she had just climbed out of a warm, cozy bed. I said she should lay down on top of the covers for a few minutes and then I'd get the thermometer. Bingo! Fever.

Not good but no other complaints -- no headache, no upset stomach, nothing. I continued to get ready for work. So did Lawman. The girl is 14. If it's just a fever, she's fine on her own at home.

About 15 minutes after I get to work, my cell phone rings. The big sister called to tell me that little sister just got sick. The timing for these things is never good. I said I'd be home as soon as I got the packets put together for the 9am meeting.

I spent my day at home tending to the wee one. She was an easy patient. She spent the day on her bed either watching a movie or sleeping. By 3:00 she managed to get up and shower. Then she moved to the couch. More tv. More sleeping. Finally, I convinced her to eat and drink something -- water, applesauce and crackers. Just what the doctor ordered.

Having to miss a day of school devestated her. Her dance team is performing tonight at half-time of the basketball game. She had to miss. A crushing blow.

Since I was home today, I did what any mother would do. Disinfect. Wash sheets. Wash towels. All you mamas know the drill. You've been there and done that. I did decide that while wee one was snoozing, I should curl up in my comfy chair with a book. That's just what I did. Then I shut my eyes.

we're making progress

Remember that graduation party I told you we needed to prepare for? Well, we've started and we're making progress.

The photo above is of the basement area that Lawman ripped the carpet out of. He has since put in new wood flooring, we've had cabinets and a counter installed and we've purchased a new bar which serves as the divider between this area and the tv area where there happens to be a new 50" flat screen hanging on the wall (our Christmas present to each other). I did the painting (and my shoulder hasn't been the same since but that's another story). Carpets have been cleaned. Furniture moved. We've had some framing done and the new art is finally hanging on the wall.

We're not done down here though. There's a gap between the tall pantry cabinet and the wall. We're planning to have a custom wine rack built that will also include an area at the bottom for serving trays. We need new blinds on the window. And, you will probably notice there's the head of an animal hanging on the wall. That's a story in and of itself that I have to share with you.

Our friend, who I will refer to as BS (his initials, honestly) happened to mention weeks ago that he had a wild boar's head that would look great on the wall in the bar area. About 3 weeks ago I asked our neighbor gal, who is helping me with decorating because she's got a natural talent for that, to come by and see what we have accomplished. It had easily been 2 mos. since she was here last so alot had changed. It was also the day the bar arrived and BS knew that. As soon as the neighbor gal got here, I immediately took her downstairs to show her our progress. I flipped on the light, noticed that u.g.l.y. animal hanging on my wall, screamed and hollered for Lawman! I immediately called out BS on the extra decorating that had taken place that day. No wonder he kept calling that evening to see when we were going to be breaking the bar in! Needless to say, my decorator and I were in agreement that Mr. Boar did not add anything positive to the atmosphere. Lawman on the other hand thought it gave the bar a more manly feel....whatever!

I tolerated Mr. Boar until last Saturday. We had that little "break in the bar" party and I sent him home with BS as a nice parting gift. I won!

It's been 10 days since I last posted. I feel like I've been neglecting my responsibilities here. Just no other option. Life has been full. Full of good things.

We've got multiple house projects underway. Lawman laid new flooring last week. Now it's time for the plumber, the electrician and me, the painter. Next weekend, the paint brush and I will do a little bonding.

I'm thrilled with the changes that are taking place. We'll definitely reap the rewards of this for years to come. Once it's complete, I'll be sure to share pictures. But, in the mean time, it may be a while before you hear from me again.

It looks like the wrecking crew came through and I can only take it so long. Must get busy and finish.

Sunday Afternoon Home Improvement

Lawman and I took a trip to Home Depot on Sunday afternoon. Apparently it was the day for do-it-yourself home improvement projects as we saw a few others from our town there too.

Rebuilding our front steps has been on Lawman's list for a while but training for that big race took precedence this summer. Race is over now. Steps moved up to the top of the list.

Lawman recruited his buddy, Seth, to come help. Seth used to work on a construction crew so the guy is quite handy with a saw and drill. Two hours and the front steps were good as new. I like how we pay Seth -- send him home with food. He took Cheeseburger Soup and Homemade Beer Bread fresh from the oven. He assured me it wouldn't last long. Single guys love receiving home cooked goodness. I love having new steps.

preparing for a grad party

Yes, I know. Graduation isn't until May 2011 but trust me, it will take me from now until then to prepare.

I'm on a mission. I mentioned to Lawman in May of this year that in just one short year we, ourselves, would be hosting a graduation party for our dear Alison. He didn't see that statement quite as I did. He saw the fun part of hosting a party, I however, saw how much I would need to accomplish before that happened!

Well, I've embarked on that mission. Earlier this week one of our neighbor gals, Sue, stopped by our house for a walk through. You see, Sue got the decorating gene. I did not. Sue has this incredible knack for putting things together, making a room look amazing. Fortunately, she's agreed to help me. (Trust me when I tell you that making that call/request to her was not easy. I feel like I've really put myself out there. It's not easy opening yourself up for criticism, even if it is of the positive kind.) And, let me just say that already, I am so glad I made that call!

Sue had great ideas. She saw things that never even crossed my mind. Move this here. Switch this. Etc. She was a busy girl and her wheels were spinning. Well, when she left, the first thing I did was make a list - room by room. Then I enlisted the help of Lawman and we got busy moving furniture. Hanging pictures. I could see it written all over Lawman's face that he was not in any way looking forward to what the next several months will hold for him. I asked him, ever so kindly, to please bear with me and I promise that he will have a whole new castle by the time all is said and done.

I also love that Sue didn't come in and tell us that we need to buy anything. She's working with what we have. She did suggest that we get two pieces recovered which is easy enough and I knew they needed done anyway. She's just giving me purpose to actually do it. I have lots of wall art which needed framing. Again, she's giving me purpose to do it. There are a couple of big jobs on the list like stripping wallpaper from the main bathroom and get some new flooring. Again, something I knew needed done but unless you have a deadline, many times there's no urgency to doing it.

I've made a goal to take care of at least 3 things on the list each month. (That doesn't include the wallpaper removal and flooring because I'm going to hire help on those.) On my list this weekend is to spray paint light fixtures (if I can get Lawman to help me because he will need to remove them). (The fact that Lawman has been gone on a work trip since Thursday might make enlisting his help a little harder than usual because I'm sure he's going to want some down time v. work time.)

I had intentions to post before photos with this post so that you could watch the process being made if you were interested however, my memory card for my camera has magically disappeared. So, you may only get after pictures. And, this blog may be picture free for a bit.

first there were eight. then there were none.

Our back yard. 8 poplar trees. Each 35'+ in height.

Lawman and I have been nervous the past 3 years for fear that a big storm would take these trees down. On a neighbor's house. That fear is no more. They came down today.

The lumberjack. By day he's a law enforcement officer. On his off-time he has a love relationship with the chainsaw. We're thinking he needs a t -shirt that says "Got Wood?" or "Have Chainsaw - Will Travel."

We had one close call. The wind shifted and this sucker landed a bit too close to the house. About 12" too close for comfort.

We were nervous nellies.

We started with 8 poplars at 1pm. By 5pm we were down to 8 stumps. We'll be raking for days and days and day....you get the idea. There's lots and lots of small debris to be picked up.

The lumberjack will be back tomorrow to cut the stumps lower. We'll have to call someone in to grind them up. We had beautiful weather. I'm hoping that during the entire afternoon of outdoor yardwork that I managed to get some sun. You know me, always thinking about the important things.

We know we'll have to plant a couple of trees to provide some shade in the back. Not in a hurry though. I'm going to give it some serious thought. I'm toying with the idea of requesting a couple of raised beds to plant veggies in and then planting trees to the north. It's probably going to be a long, hot, sunny summer in our backyard this year.

new (to me) kitchen

Lawman and I have been discussing new countertops for years. 2010 turned out to be the year that we finally took the plunge. Once we made the decision to do something, we still had more decisions to make - like the material, the sink, the faucet. It took weeks. So many choices.

We decided on corian countertops, a single deep stainless steel sink (undermounted, thank you) and a faucet with a built-in spray nozzle.

Contractors arrived this morning and went to work. By dinner time, our kitchen was brand-spankin'-new. Nothing like sprucing up the home a bit for spring!

It's hard to show the color in a photo. It's called Sanded Vermillion - it's pretty neutral with flecks of color -- a couple shades of brown, tan, gold and grey.

The sink is BIG and DEEP. It will make Lawman's job of washing dishes much easier, especially for the large pots, pans and 9x13's. I told Lawman it was so big he could get in there and soak. Makes our old sink look like a teeny, tiny, little thing.

And one thing leads to another when it comes to home improvement projects. The snowball effect, isn't it? Now we'd like to get a hood/microwave to eliminate the need for a microwave on the counter and while we're at it, we may as well add in a new flat surface stove and a double-oven. Just not this year.

Salt & Pepper: Seasoning Your Home

I failed to get a new 'Salt & Pepper: Seasoning Your Home' up on Saturday. Go ahead, take a peek. You'll find a new one in my sidebar.

Salt & Pepper: Seasoning Your Home --- it's new today. Check it out in the sidebar.

i was patient and it finally paid off

How cute are these two? An elephant and a monkey. I've got a matched set. It's the base of new lamps I purchased for our bedroom. Something that was long overdue.

The thing is, I found them months ago. As in at least 6 or 7 months ago. At the time I wasn't willing to fork over the cash...$60 each.

So, I watched. I waited. They went on sale and when they were on sale I still couldn't bring myself to buy them. This is something I do often and it usually bites me in the you-know-what...I find something I like, I don't buy it when I see it and when I finally decide I'm ready to buy it, it's gone. I've no idea why I do this. I'm trying to be better about it because I've been disappointed about missing out on something too many times.

Well, New Year's Day was my lucky day. The lamps were still on the shelf, they were still on sale and there was a bonus...an extra 33% off! I can't tell you how excited I was to get these boys in my cart and finally on my nightstand. How excited was I? I didn't even take my coat off before I started clearing off the night stand and putting the new lamp in place! (I have finally removed the price tag - you can see it in the photo above if you look real close.)

I am still loving these lamps. I turn them on in the morning and it's the last thing I turn off at night. It was so worth the wait....made getting them all that much more exciting. Now if I can just keep this ball rolling, there are so many other decorating things I need to do....hang pictures, get photos framed, new throw pillows, re-cover 2 chairs and an ottoman....the list goes on but I am planning to work on it regularly this year. And, I am not a decorator but I would love to hire one. But, like Michelle says, "...dig out these pretty items and actually use them in this house. It encouraged me to turn this house into our dream house until the dream comes true." This is what making a house a home is all about. Let's use the pretty things when we can, because we can, because we want to. Just because.

I would still like a decorator though.

weekly menu - cash only grocery shopping goal

WEEKLY MENU: I've had several recent comments/emails from readers that have mentioned that they miss my menus. I never stopped menu planning, I just stopped posting them. So, just for you, they're back!

As part of one of my 2010 goals, I am alotting myself a cash amount of $225 every 2 weeks for groceries and household expenses. Did you catch that? Cash! Yes, I'm going to the bank, withdrawing greenbacks and that's what I can spend at the store. Talk about making oneself accountable. I've always tried to have a goal of about $450/mo but I haven't always stuck with it. I decided there was no time like the present to start ~ on December 28 I withdrew $225 and I have $35 dollars left until January 11.

Last night I tallied up our grocery/househod expenses for 2009 (um, this would be the grocery geek part of me!). In 2009 we spent $5,757.00 for a family of four ~ this includes everything from hairspray and catfood to milk, cereal and pot roast. That works out to $221 every 2 weeks so I should be able to do it. Last year our least expensive month was February at $380 and August was the most expensive at $620 (this had some school supplies in it too).

Without further ado, here's what I've got on this weeks menu:

• roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots, broccoli-rice casserole


• lentil soup (from freezer) with pasta


• waffles, fruit


• fajitas (venison from Lawman's successful hunt), mexican rice


• calico chicken (i saw a recipe on a blog somewhere for this and now i can't find it...ugh...will have to try to recreate from memory and i'll be using leftover chicken from the roasted chicken)

I'm following FishMama on her adventure this month of eating out of the pantry/fridge/freezer. It will be fun to see how creative she gets. She's posting their daily eats here if that's something that makes your ears perk up.

Salt & Pepper: Seasoning Your Home

Salt & Pepper. They are the most basic of seasonings in a kitchen. Both are enhancers.

As mother, wife and chief caregiver in our home, it is my responsibility to be sure that our homelife is well-seasoned, sprinkled with love, enhanced. There are as many ways of achieving this as there are personalities but what I will endeavor to do over the course of 2010 is to provide a quick tip each week in my sidebar of an easy way one can enhance homelife.

Tips will cover several topics including frugal living, food preparation, family activities, house cleaning, and whatever else strikes me at the moment or what I have learned on this journey called life.

Looking forward to a year of sharing. Please feel free to share your own tips with me; I can always use a new one.

home resources

With a new year comes new goals. I've made a few myself. I have found a few books over the years that are excellent reference/resource materials. If you've made goals related to your home, maybe you'll find encouragement on achieving said goals in one or more of these. (Note: if spending less is one of your goals, check your local library first for these books.)

A Simple Choice by Deborah Taylor Hough ~ I read this book once a year. The subtitle is 'a practical guide for saving your time, money and sanity.' That it is. It's full of very practical advise and information; practical being the key word here.

Raising Happy Kids on a Reasonable Budget by Patricia Gallagher ~ At one point, this was my go to resource for all things kids. It covers the spectrum - food, clothing, education and yes, even celebrations.

Things I Wish I'd Known Sooner by Jaroldeen Edwards ~ As a mother of twelve, this lady learned a few things along the way. This book isn't a how to book nor a book of essays but a collection of topics that may arise in a conversation with this author. Each chapter is a "window" and at the end of each chapter is a "Light from This Window." Here's a sample "Light": "Out of the simplest moments of our lives can come extraordinary flashes of insight, knowledge and wisdom. The most ordinary things can become windows of light."

If your goals include lowering your grocery bill or getting a handle on the grocery budget or eating healthier, my best piece of advice is find yourself a good cookbook and a good how-to book related to all things culinary. Knowing your way around the kitchen can do wonders for your budget and your health. The books listed here would be appropriate for the beginner or one that already knows the difference between a cheese grater and a zester.

Cheapskate in the Kitchen by Mary Hunt
Miserly Meals by Jonni McCoy
The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook by Julie Fisher Gunter ~ this one happens to be my personal favorite
The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook ~ I received this one as a Christmas gift this year and I think there is a very good chance it will become my go to resource.

For family devotion time, may I recommend Family Walk by Bruce H.Wilkinson. It includes 52 weekly devotions for families. We found this to be a wonderful activity we incorporated into our evening meal together a few years ago.

I've got more I could add to this list but I'll stop there other than for one more bonus. I'm adding a new resource to my arsenal this year (per recommendation of FishMama). The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer. It arrived yesterday so I'll be reading it very soon (probably this weekend).

Do you have favorite home resources? Please share them in the comments; I love hearing your recommendations.

bath redo

At this point, either we are committed or we need to be committed. Why did we think we wanted to start this project?

We've lived in this house for 8 years. We've never done anything with our master bath other than talking about doing something with it. No more.

Say good-bye to the 1980's style wallpaper. It started coming off today and it wasn't easy. The only area we completed is the small area above the shower. This is going to be a looonnng process.

Once the paper is all off, I'm eliminating the popcorn. That awful popcorn texture on the ceiling. I hate that stuff -- it's too hard to keep clean. You try to remove a cobweb and you get a face full of popcorn.

Then there's flooring. We want tile. Several people have told us how easy it is to "do it yourself." I suppose we'll try that.

Then it's time for new light fixtures, new drawer/door hardware, new towels, new accessories. Oh, and did I mention we'd really like to have a new tub/shower unit too? And add in a big shower head.

Have I forgotten anything? Can you see where this is going? And why it may take months to complete?

$$Cha-Ching $$!

a little goes a long way

See that spot on the counter? Yes, that one. That's the whole point. You can see it. The counter, that is.

This is a spot in our kitchen which is convenient for many things. Not all of which belong there. I prefer it for cooking. It isn't always available for that though as it tends to serve as the catch all.

Mail. It goes there.

Notes from school. They go there.

Homework. It's there too.

Receipts, magazines, etc. You get the idea.

As of late it would require 30 minutes of my time on a weekend. The sorting, the filing. It was a real source of frustration.


I got it cleared off last weekend and told myself it would stay that way all week. It did!

I spent just a couple of minutes each night doing the necessary sorting and filing of the day's pile. It was so much easier to keep up with it than to let it accumulate for 5 or 6 days and then do it.

It may seem like a small thing but to me it was big. Keeping that one small area clean made a huge difference in my life. A little extra effort each day provided me with a big payoff.

Now I'm wondering what other areas in my home or life could benefit from that same strategy ~ a little extra effort goes a long way.

Spending Freeze

Getting children ready for a new school year requires a lot.

Completing enrollment forms;

Paying enrollment fees;

New PE Uniforms;

School supplies;

New shoes;

New clothes;

Sports equipment;

Appointments for Physicals, Eye Check, Dental check-ups;

What did I forget?


Lawman and I have taken care of all of the above. It requires lots of time. Lots of dollars. $ Cha-Ching $


I did the last of the school supply purchasing on Sunday. When I got home I announced that I was instituting a spending freeze. I'm tired of the money just flowing out of our checkbook. So, we agreed that for the rest of the week we would write no checks and only spend the cash that was in our wallets.


We ran out of milk tonight. Lawman is taking a debit rebate card that has just enough left on it to buy 1 gallon. Ok, I thought. We can do this.


Maybe not. One of our toilets just broke. It's not the kind that you can just run to the hardware store and buy replacement parts for.....it's a power-assist. Requires a plumber. I don't think I have enough cash in my wallet to take care of that. We have 2 other bathrooms that are in working order....do we put it off until next week?

Scenes from the Country

We got the girl home from the country yesterday. Here are a few scenes from her week. I'm so thankful for the lifestyle she was exposed to. It was good for her to be "unplugged" and working. There was some playtime too though as you will see but different than what she is used to. Her highlights for the week: learning to drive the 4-wheeler and driving a pick-up truck with a trailer (yes, you can do those things in the country well before you are of legal driving age).