Kitchen Cabinets Redo-Part 1

Ok I want to be honest with you - You will have to settle on these close up of my cabinets as my "before" pictures because... I thought me and my honey were talking, debating on whether or not to take off the cabinet doors for this refinishing project, and did not know that we had made a decision on it before I went to take a long hot bubble bath the night before we were supposed to start on the kitchen cabinet redo project.
Well imagine my surprise when I dried off from my long comforting bath and walked out to go get a refreshing drink from my kitchen and every door was off!!! So girls I tell you I did what every good blogger would do - I ran and got my camera as I was giving my hubby the evil eye.
So as you can tell we had a "honey colored" oak cabinets in my kitchen. Brent took the cabinets doors off, and took out all the shelves. We wiped down the cabinets with a damp towel, and then roughed them up with some sand paper (notice the dust in the second picture). Once the cabinets had been sanded lightly we wiped them down with a wet towel to remove all the dust.

All I can say "is stay tuned you will not believe your eyes!! This project has turned out amazing!!! and it was amazingly cheap!!! My favorite words!!!" (and yes, we are still on talking terms!)

Project Runway Birthday Party!

Well Paige my Fashionista wanted to have a birthday party for her 10th birthday and when asked what theme she wanted to do of course she picked her favorite show "Project Runway".

So we made our guest list, and used the color theme of pink and green (maybe not traditional the colors that come to mind when you hear "Project Runway" but it was for a 10 year old girls birthday so in the words of Tim Gunn I had to "make it work"

We divided the girls into 2 teams! I gave each team a Paper bag. In each bag was: a trash bag, decorative tape, stapler, safety pins, different colored felt u, and ribbon. Each team had 20 Min's to make a dress from the materials provided to them. We sent each team to a different room so they would not be influenced by the other team. Above our the pictures of the results of the two teams hard work- Fabulous!!!

Next each team had to select another model to send to the "Loreal studio" so their models could get their hair done. However for this game we made each "model" wear a party hat that had been covered with shaving cream and the girls from their teams had to toss bugles and see if they could get them to stick. The team with the most bugles on their hat won this game! This game was fun, but had to be immediately picked up since we played it inside.

We played one other game but it really did not have anything to do with project runway I just knew that these girls would have lots of energy this night! (you see my daughters birthday fell on Homecoming weekend, and we live in a small town- so...what's a mom to do, we MADE IT WORKED!! So prior to the games of the evening we went to the Big game in town that night, and stayed until half time then came home to Party!) The last game we played was move that M&M. I gave each girl one straw and a paper cup. Then divided the girls up into 3's. In front of each group of 3 I placed a large bowl of M&M's. Each girl then was to try to move as many M&M's from the big bowl to her cup using just her straw (and her mouth by sucking up the M&M to the straw and keeping the suction going until she had lined up her straw over her cup to release the M&M there) The girl at the end of a minute who had the most M&M's won the game.

Here is a picture of the girls at the football game at the beginning of the night! Paige had a lot of fun! and so did I!

We love Chickenhead man!!! and other great things about small towns!

Above are pictures of the teenage boy that my family has dubed the "Chickenhead man" ! Let me tell you he and his buddy's add such enthusiasm to our Friday night light experience! The younger kids look at them with awe and are thrilled when they get a wave from one of these gentleman. They come with their bodies painted and run the flag the length of the football field right in front of the stands - Everyone goes crazy yelling and cheering!!

Before the game they invite all the kids and youth in the stands to come down on the football field and line up to cheer on the football team as they run onto the field!

T

Our town has a "homecoming parade" earlier in the week where all the homecoming attendants ride in cars, and every cheer leading and football team from Glenpool 1st grade through high school get to ride in floats and throw candy and beads to the crowd. It is a fun night! My kids usually leave with way, way to much candy!!

The school provides fun "themes" for the week to encourage participation for all kids. Above is a picture of my oldest daughter and her friend when they dressed for "twin" day.

I love being part of a small town that provides such a feeling of knowing not only your kids, and your kids friends, but the other people that live in the town as well! I am not a huge football fan, but I love to people watch- and there is no better seat in town then at a Friday night football game in a small town!

Does your town have fun traditions? Is there an event you enjoy people watching at? or do you like to feel like your the one everyone else is watching? Hope you all have a good day!

We've got spirit how about you? T-shirt dress how to

It's homecoming week in our town! That means everyone is wanting to show some spirit!! My daughter spied a cute t-shirt dress in a boutique for another school (did I mention said dress was for sale for $50.00 - no thank you!) so I made a deal with my daughter, we would go to the local t-shirt store and buy a t-shirt, that we had a decal ironed on the bottom left hand side of the t-shirt (yes the store thought we were odd) and I came home and chopped up the t-shirt to make it into the above spirit dress! (all for about $18.00)

Let me apologize!!! I forgot to take some pictures of my sewing so I drew this horrible, Yes - horrible drawing so that you could visualize how I cut up the tshirt (I cut off the sleeves, and cut a straight line from across the top taking off the neckline on the front and back of the t-shirt. SAVE THE SLEEVES!!!!! You are going to cut the sleeve open along the seam at the bottom of the sleeve - each sleeve will make part of the tube top!! One sleeve will be the front of the tube dress and the other sleeve will be the back of the tube dress)

Ok, now for some more information:

1. Cut up tshirt

2. sew up the sides where the sleeves used to be

3. add a casing at the top for elastic -we used the measurement right below the breast for my daughters dress

4. Insert elastic into casing

5. open up sleeves and putting wrong sides together sew up sides to make the top of the tube dress (fit here might sew alot or a little depending how busty your model is)

6. attach tube to skirt. (I sewed the tube to the dress at the bottom of the casing to hide any stitching) then took the excess remaining fabric that was left over from cutting off the neckline, and used it to make 2 straps to make a spaghetti straps to the dress. Easy peasy! Took me approx 3 hours from cutting, sewing and fitting to finish dress (we added the belt for edge)

Best Coconut Pie Ever!

I have been on a quest for the perfect coconut pie recipe! You see I started this quest when I married my hubby and found out that his favorite pie was coconut, and yes - I tried my mother in laws recipe - and no it did not turn out for me. (No I do not think she was mean and gave me an incorrect recipe, or left something out on purpose but my mother in law is one of "those" wonderful cooks who cooks without recipes!! Ahhh - it's like dr.s without borders but this one give all us ladies a bad reputation who have to have a recipe box!!!)

So here at last after several failed attempt is the very best, successful coconut pie recipe:

(you really should imagine you are hearing a drum roll here)

3 cups milk
3 egg yolks (save whites for meringue)
Sprinkle of salt
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
Approximately ¼ cup coconut flakes (I don't measure the coconut, Norma says)
Prepared pie crust

Save out a little milk. Put the rest of the milk in a double boiler and heat. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks. Mix in the milk you saved and salt. Add sugar and stir. Add cornstarch and beat. Stir mixture into hot milk.

Pour the above mixture into a prepared and lightly browned pie shell. My husband prefers that I top this pie with meringue but you could also top with cool whip for a coconut cream pie. I sprinkle shredded coconut on top of my meringue that toast as the meringue browns.

let me think on it

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."

Plato

Baptism-Paige and Grace!!

On September 11, 2010 - my two youngest daughters got baptized!! I was so excited about this for them! (My oldest was baptized a few years ago by my father-you talk about special) However we now attend a church that does "dunking" baptism, and I always felt that this was an important step for someone to take once they personally had accepted Christ into their heart and life as savior and Lord. The girls and us talked about how wearing a wedding ring doesn't make you "married" it is taking the wedding vows that make you married the wedding ring we wear to show others that we are married. Well that is how we view baptism. Baptism does not save you, but it shows others that you have made that personal decision to accept Christ into your heart.

We had joined a new church about a year ago that does baptism and we were just waiting until the girls decided that they were ready. I was so proud of them when they came to me and their daddy and talked to us about wanting to be baptized!! My heart swells with pride, tears come to my eyes as I remember the special time we had with the girls this night, and my oldest a few years ago.

As a parent it was such a joyful occasion a time to celebrate when your child decides to follow and obey God. I glimpse a little at how God must feel when we choose daily to follow him, and live through his power and strength and not our own.

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"

2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT

Having it all together

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails"

Proverbs 19:21

Boy, what a few weeks I have had - and boy does this bible verse not just sum it up!! As you may remember I had just got my girls back into school (Whew!) and was getting organized, starting to train for my first 5k, making plans for all my extra time when I fell down while jogging and fractured my elbow (OUCH!!! YES! OUCH!!!) and I was unable to type, wash my own hair, etc... so all my "plans" came to a screeching halt!!

I have had to laugh and re prioritize what is really important and what does not make the cut. Literally I was dependent on my family for help, as well as kind friends who did sweet things to help my family who did not have a mom who could cook, do hair (I have 3 girls!), and drive! How sweet friends and family were - Thank you!!!

So I am now back almost normal - I can type, cook, do hair, (I just can't lift heavy pans say a 9x13 with roast out of the oven but everything else I can pretty much do it) So I am once again at the drawing board trying to get organized, things accomplished and done. I have to say I have a much better attitude and a grateful heart as I undertake my daily chores than I did. I am not as frantic or anxious I now have been reminded that life is good,God is good, and I do not have to have it all together for the world to keep spinning "I am not God"! wow!
That is deep thoughts by Amy